Celebrities Books

The Bobbed-Haired Bandit is about a pair of poor newlyweds, Celia and Ed Cooney, who turned to armed robbery to better their lot, sriking terror in the hearts of Brooklyn grocers in 1924. The competitive New York City tabloid press turned the girl desperado into a media darling, an anti-heroine for the age - Jesse James, in a flapper dress.

The authors - both of whom are historians and "scholars of the media" - stumbled across the story by accident:

"Digging through yellowed clippings in a scrapbook at the New York State Library in Albany, we came across a criminal with an intriguing moniker: the Bobbed Haired Bandit. With so much type set on her behalf, she was hard to miss. There were hundreds of articles about her, none of them all true."

But these two fellows knew a good story when they saw one, and like me they have a fine appreciation for the rich vernacular of old journalism. They don't write headlines like these any more.

NEW GIRL BANDIT, A BLONDE,

HELPS KIDNAP TRUCKLOAD OF

SUGAR: TWITS CHAUFFEUR

***

BEWARE THE BOBS

***

DEPREDATIONS BY GIRL ROBBER

AND MAN COMPANION ROUSE

POLICE OFFICIALS TO ACTION

***

FORGET SEX - SHOOT !

Now tell me the last time you saw a word like "depredation" in a headline. Or "twit" as a verb. I love it!

Now back to the story. So this young lady and her man go on a tear, robbing store after store, making the police "look like brass monkeys almost every time the sun went down," in the lady's own words. The journalists of New York gave her the front page day after day, while the crimes of other, more ordinary folk were "passed over unnoticed" (Brooklyn Eagle). The lady robber became a blank canvas, and journalists threw lots of ink on her.

The authors did something interesting with all these old clippings, using newspaper articles from elsewhere in the same papers to explore other themes in the life of the city at the time, from the impact of Prohibition, the changing roles of women, on down to the weather reports to flesh out the full story of the "naughty scamp," to try to explain why she became the media phenomenon she was.

Then, like the Younger Brothers before them, the Cooneys attempted a poorly planned daylight robbery, and it was their downfall. Though they tried to flee, they were caught and returned to New York for a triumphant homecoming.

It turns out the journalists liked her story a lot more before she had a name. Before she had a poor childhood. Before the truth of what she was negated a lot of the coverage of her crime spree. In an extraordinary editorial, the influential newspaperman Water Lippmann had this to say about Cecilia Cooney:

"For some months now we have been vastly entertained by the bobbed-haired bandit. Knowing nothing about her, we created a perfect story standardized according to the rules laid down by the movies and the short story magazines. The story had, as the press agents say, everything. It had a flapper and a bandit who baffled the police; it had sex and money, crime and mystery. And then yesterday we read in the probation officer's report the story of Cecilia Cooney's life. It was not the least bit entertaining...."



Even after she was caught, and, along with her husband, sentenced to prison, Mrs. Cooney continued to be a blank slate on which various parties wrote rants. But these biographers don't let the story spin off into a sidebar. The last couple of chapters tell the rest of the tale of the bandit and companion, and by that point, she's visible as a flesh and blood person through the headlines, a heart and mind in addition to a journalism phenomenon. As the authors remark --

"Reading these stories... not only tells us how certain individuals and specific events were understood at the time but also reveals how the past is remembered and reminds us how history is made... "the record" of the past is documented mostly by the commercial mass media, which subject the events to a filtering of fact and fancy based on standards of popularity and profitability. For what mattered most to the newspapers of New York City in the Twenties is the same thing that ... [matters to] book publishers of today: telling, and selling, a good story."

And ain't that a final truth.

Celia Cooney, most celebrated as the "Bobbed-Haired Bandit" of the Twenties, comes vividly to life in this scholarly yet entertaining exploration of her brief life of crime and celebrity, with emphasis on the celebrity. Both Celia's own recognition of her fame and the multifaceted interpretations of it by police, press, and the public make for fascinating reading. Her duel persona as the aspiring flapper and expectant mother who joins her husband on holdups to make ends meet makes for one of the more compelling crime stories of the Jazz Age. Her later life, concealing her criminal past while raising her sons who knew nothing of it, presents a striking contrast to the young lady bandit who publicly gloried in her exploits. The photos are equally intriguing and belie the image of the dangerous gunwoman, especially when tiny, harmless-looking Celia is standing alongside husband Ed. And there are plenty of absolutely classic old crime cartoons from New York newspapers. Alternately funny, shocking, touching, and harrowing, this is one of the best historical crime books I've read in a while.

The Bobbed Haired Bandit by Stephen Duncombe and Andrew Mattson tells the story of Celia and Ed Cooney in 1920s New York. Newlyweds and newly pregnant, Ed and Celia decide to rob some convenience stores to try and make a better life for themselves. Because Celia has bobbed hair, flapper style, the story of their robberies quickly grab the attention of the newspapers and soon the police. The Cooneys find that the stolen money doesn't last long and after a succession of several small hold-ups, flee to Florida only to be captured shortly after the death of their newborn daughter. The authors spend a great deal of time in the beginning of the book discussing the sociological implications of Celia's celebrity, but they can't seem to decide on what exactly the public's obsession with her meant. Much ink is also given to the personal histories of the cops chasing them, but they detract from the real story of Celia. Perhaps one of the most captivating details is that Celia's sons didn't find out about their mother until she had passed away. Celia Cooney was a woman of mystery to the papers in the 1920s and remained one in her life, even to her family. Now there's a story.

The 1920s was a decade when few major metropolitan newspapers didn't have National Enquirer style headlines every day. Renegade women were a fixture in these potboiler stories: Katherine Malm, a.k.a. the "Tiger Woman" and lethal flapper Wanda Stopa titillated Chicagoans, and in New York, a tough little laundress named Celia Cooney was determined to burst through the economic barrier between the Haves and the Have-Nots.

Stephen Duncombe and Andrew Mattson have written the type of book I love: an intelligent re-examination of a now-forgotten media sensation. Celia Cooney and her husband, Ed, embarked on a brazen robbery spree after money worries galvanized them out of anxiety and into action. That's the simplified version. Seen from a broader perspective, the Cooneys' crimes provided an impetus for politicians and the public to argue their views on touchy political and social issues, such as consumerism, attitudes toward the poor, and women's liberation. While telling the story of Ed and Celia Cooney, Duncombe and Mattson also expose the ambivalent feelings that the New York public of the 1920s had toward social progress and change.

The authors did an especially good job of capturing Celia's spunky personality, and showing how it kept her spirits up from her degraded childhood right into her feisty old age. Well done.

This book is a historically accurate, compassionate and insightful look at a fascinating couple who committed robberies in 1923-24. She was pregnant and fashionable and he was the mastermind. Together, they set both the Police Department and the population of NYC on their ears. They were fast, gutsy and a little desperate.

The real story to me is one of triumph over adversity. Not only did "the Bandit" overcome a tragic childhood to become a strong, compassionate, fiercely loyal and independent woman, but she became a tax-paying, law-abiding citizen after her jail time. After her husband's death, she raised two boys on her own through the Depression and World War 2. She is a wonderful example of how it is possible to move past our negative histories and ethical blunders.

I should know - she was my grandmother.

SINCE I STARTED USING "THE CELEBRITY ADDRESS HANDBOOK" I HAVE BEEN RECEIVING AUTOGRAPHS THROUGH THE MAIL. THE MOST NOTABLE AUTOGRAPHS I HAVE RECEIVED ARE: WILLIAM RENQUIST-SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE, GENERAL COLIN POWELL, BASEBALL HALL OF FAMER PHIL RIZZUTO AND ASTRONAUT NEIL ARMSTRONG. "THE CELEBRITY ADDRESS HANDBOOK" IS THE MOST UP-TO-DATE AND BEST REFERENCE ADDRESS BOOK I HAVE SEEN. THE HANDBOOK ALSO HAS A Q&A SECTION THAT IS USEFUL. THANKS TO "THE CELEBRITY ADDRESS HANDBOOK"

COMPARED TO ALL THE ADDRESS BOOKS I'V SEEN, "THE CELEBRITY ADDRESS HANDBOOK" IS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE OUT THERE TODAY. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT ANYONE WHO WANTS THE ENTIRE FIELD OF CELEBRITIES TO GET "THE CELEBRITY ADDRESS HANDBOOK."

I just received the 3rd edition of "The Celebrity Address Handbook" and I'm amazed. I was looking to take a vacation with autograph collecting on the agenda and I found it in this book. The book lists the NFL training camps and gives the scoop on how to get autographs at these camps. I'm in the planning stage now and I'm looking at how many camps I can see in the California area. Thanks to "The Celebrity Address Handbook"

The way I see it, you can collect autographs one of three ways. You can collect through the mail, in-person or from a dealer. "The Celebrity Address Handbook" explains how to do all three. It has tons of celebrity addresses, a calendar of events for in-person collecting and a complete list of dealers in the U.S. I'm going to try all three ways!!

I've seen a lot of celebrity address books and this one is the most complete. Other celebrity address books list the name alphabetically."The Celebrity Address Handbook" not only list the name alphabetically, but it groups the name and address by the category of what the celebrity is known for. I like this feature because it helps put a name to a face that I remember. "The Celebrity Address Handbook" also contains a lot of names in business, science and politics that you don't see in other celebrity address books. I give "The Celebrity Address Handbook" two thumbs up!

...but an interesting compliment to other more scholarly works about Glenn Miller. This book is a light hearted "vox-pop" with snapshots of the times through the medium of reports, posters, advertisements of the time, with short reminisences of key people who were there and glued together with enough about Glenn Miller to give it substance and relavence.

This is a great book for fans of the Glenn Miller Orchesta. Richard Grudens gives the reader an inside look at one of American's musical institutions. The music of the Miller Orchestra literary jumps out at you, as you turn the pages. So put on a Glenn Miller album, sit in your favorite chair and relive the era with Richard Grudens. Like smoking a Chesterfield, you'll be satisfied!!!

In honor of the 100th anniversary of Glenn Miller's life, and the 60th anniversary of his disappearance over the English Channel, music biographer Richard Grudens presents Chattanooga Choo Choo: The Life And Times Of The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, a collection of true stories, interviews, over 150 black-and-white photographs, and more all presenting the successes, failurs, ups and downs of the most popular musical organization in the American history of show business. Following Miller's legendary career up to his tragic loss, and then going on to relate viewpoints and stories from many associated musicians, songwriters, arrangers, vocalists, and so much more, Chattanooga Choo Choo is packed cover to cover with facts, trivia, and insider perspectives. A gracious foreward by Kathryn Crosby rounds out this quality legacy highly recommended for fans of Glenn Miller's longstanding contribution to orchestra.

I am a Glenn Miller enthusiast and I absolutely adore this book. It exemplifies what a biography should be. It straight to the point and all the facts are present. If you want to learn about Glenn Miller, then this must be the book you get a hold of. An absolute MUST READ !!

His success did not occur overnight. There were major setbacks along the way and at times Glenn Miller wondered if he would ever find "his sound". But in the spring of 1939 it finally happened! Glenn Miller and his Orchestra exploded onto the scene with appearances at the Meadowbrook in New Jersey and at the legendary Glen Island Casino in New Rochelle, NY. Almost overnight they became a cultural phenomenon. In a book that took nearly five years to put together, Richard Grudens has gone to great lengths to recreate the flavor of that Golden Era. Wonderfully written (in nice large print) and generously sprinkled with dozens of fascinating photographs, "Chattanooga Choo Choo" is a must read for anyone who is a fan of or is curious about the Big Band Era. Grudens discusses the history of the Miller outfit from all kinds of different perspectives. In the course of writing this book the author interviewed musicians from the original Glenn Miller Orchestra as well as some of the vocalists and arrangers from those golden days. There are also memories from booking agents, record company executives and disc jockeys. Read transcripts from "live" radio broadcasts and enjoy many recollections of the two movies the band appeared in. And then there is speculation over what really might have happened to Capt. Glenn Miller on December 15, 1944.
But fortunately the story did not end on that fateful night. The Glenn Miller Orchestra, using all of Glenn's original charts, was reorganized in 1956. It continues to this day under the direction of Larry O'Brien. Grudens brings us up to date with information on the members of the current orchestra. Quite coincidentally, my wife and I were able to catch a performance of the Glenn Miller Orchestra this past weekend. It was an absolute joy to see them and much to my surprise there were a lot of youngsters in the audience. I was even able to get my copy of this book autographed by featured vocalists Julia Rich and Nick Hilscher. Order your copy of this book through amazon.com or by calling PENNSYLVANIA 6-5000.

I love this book! Great as a gift or just to feast your eyes on celebrities. Top Quality Book - and I know what's sexy! - Kristy Welsh, Author of "Good Credit is Sexy"

though some of the featured celebrities weren't on my "sexy" list, they were presented very well and the photography was high quality. entertaining and creative shots, worth the price if not just for the alice in wonderland shot of drew barrymore on the first page. also includes some random text; very intelligent, provocative and fun. i keep this book out for frequent viewing.

Actually, I have two favorite celebrity photography books: this one and Rolling Stone: Photographers. I am an avid autograph collector; so, I use these books whenever I hear about a celebrity being in the area. At the moment, I have this book signed by Denis Leary and Stephen Dorf..with more to come, I hope. About the only photograph I didn't like was the two-pager of Alicia Silverstone. It doesn't really look like her. This is definitely a great book to have on the coffee table for company while you're still getting ready. :)

I cannot remember ever seeing a book of photography as filled with fun as this collection of images from Us Magazine. The humor is solid and clean, something that comedians have a hard time duplicating. The book is greatly enhanced by the special genius of Mark Seliger for this type of work.

Before going further, let me caution you that some images are of partially undressed women that would earn this material an R rating (on the soft side) if it were contained in a motion picture.

The photographs are reproduced in both color and black-and-white. The reproduction quality is very high, and the editors have chosen well where to use two-page spreads and where not to. Although not every image displays good-humored fun, about two-thirds of them do. The book probably would have worked even better if every image had followed that theme. In most cases, the image itself is a happy one that also contains a joke about the celebrity involved . . . creating two ways to have a fun with the image.

Here are my favorite images in the book:

Drew Barrymore (cover shot) holding boxing globes up as a visual bra as she stands in a sparring pose in a boxing ring by Mark Seliger;

Elizabeth Shue nude holding a dog by Mark Seliger;

Patrick Swayze in a slip by Mary Ellen Mark;

Emma Thompson undressed but covered by the bottom of a stage curtain wrapped around her by Neil Davenport;

A puckish looking Hugh Grant by Jon Ragel;

Kato Kaelin in a swimming pool that magnifies the size of his torso by Mary Ellen Mark;

Jodie Foster laughing by Mark Seliger;

Ashley Judd as Marilyn Monroe wrapped in a sheet in bed by Mark Seliger;

Jason Priestley as an urban cowboy tough guy by Lance Staedler;

Whoopi Goldberg looking alarmed by Mark Seliger;

Helen Hunt half-wearing a man's white shirt with a wistful smile by Mark Seliger;

Sharon Stone looking like a 40's pinup or a 50's Playboy model with lots of fluff by Andrew MacPherson;

Julie Louis-Dreyfus spitting water like a fountain statue by Jon Ragel;

Garry Shandling seriously sitting in business attire in front of a burning desk he cannot see behind him by Mark Seliger;

Leonardo DiCaprio thinking in mismatched, outrageous clothing by Mark Seliger;

Kennedy wearing a veil, and using an arm and a hand to create modesty over an otherwise nude body in a take-off on the classic ways to pose nude women without being too revealing by Mark Seliger;

Smiling Rosie Perez by Dewey Nicks;

Sting in a bathtub with rubber duckies by Max Vadukul;

Siegfried and Roy doing an illusion by Mark Seliger;

Juliette Lewis featuring her face and the soles of her feet by Peggy Sirota;

Smiling Lisa Kudrow by Davis Factor;

Matthew Perry by Andrew D. Berstein;

Gamine-like Sandra Bullock by Kate Garner;

a funny, foreshortened Paul Hartman by Mark Seliger; and

David Schwimmer curtseying in a t-shirt and khakis.

"You are a vision of nowness" is the description of this book written inside. I personally found the images more timeless than that. You get a sense of what is universally appealing at all times and to almost all people.

After looking at these happy images, think about the ways that fun appeals to your better nature. How can you experience that kind of fun more often? How can you surround yourself with an environment that teems with such fun? How can you extend and share that fun with others?

Have a great giggle . . . as often as possible!

In this book, there are lots of pictures of celebrities. There is also a selection of quotes from celebrities. It is worth the money.

Did you read or get this book? Well my God what are you all waiting for!

I have never ever seen such intense research put into an Elvis book before in my life .. and this is just the early volume!

This book is worth not only the great photos but for the impressive family tree and lineage that was done on Elvis and his family. I mean did you know that Elvis' family tree was traced back to Denmark to the 1595? I sure didnt, until now.

I am now going to hold Elvis trivia contests with all my Elvis friends and fan club members ... This book is remarkable. that is all I can say.

Jim once again, a super book. And your assistant did a super job with her research! You guys actually proved a lot of "so-called experts" wrong!

Another must book for the Elvis fan!

This book should get an award just for the research that was done in putting this book together. This team of Jim and Renata is the best ever in the Elvis world. Just wonderful, wonderful information is PACKED into this little book! You would think its a mini encyclopedia with how much writing is involved in this book!

If this book, the early years, is this great; I can't wait for the next volumes!

I personally thought that was no other information that could be FOUND on Elvis, but I was wrong. I think Jim and Renata truly pinpointed Elvis' family tree to a T ..... I can't find fault in it. Everything seems to fit and make sense. Not even Elvis' family members got things as right! So what does that mean to us? THE PERFECT INFORMATIVE BOOK!

Thanks a million!

Ok. While on the road, I used this book to conduct trivia contests. The guys I am with, are Elvis fans and they always try to prove that they know Elvis more than I. So this book put an end to that!

But I will say this: I TOO WAS WRONG on many occasions! I never knew 50-60% of the information that was listed in this book -- and I thought I knew a LOT! So this is an educational book beyond any Elvis fans' expections or knowledge!

I think this will soon become an Elvis Bible to the fans and Elvis world - if it's not already!

Remarkable from the first page to the last!

What struck me about this book was the beautiful and clean art deco cover. What a gorgeous cover! And what fun it is to look at.

I bought it along with Christmas with Elvis by the same author. Never knew about anyone making a Christmas book with Elvis! So I was thrilled about that!

Anyway I took this book home, and to keep it short: I have so far read it 3 times from cover to cover! That is how enticing this book is. Never had I thought possible that anyone could trace Elvis' family history back that far as did Mr. Curtin. Because Graceland still has the OLD information that Elvis came from Scotland and Andrew Pressley! My goodness Mr. Curtin goes back much much farther. What an important addition Mr. Curtin is to the Elvis world. He is the key to the lock on the Elvis Presley that no one dares to write about: THE GOOD MAN!

Thank you Mr. Curtin for showing class in authoring a beautiful book on Elvis. And thank you for all your extremely hard work in finding out all this information on Elvis and for sharing it with us fans. God Bless you and much continued success.

I AM NOW TYPING IN CAPITALS!

JUST READ THIS BOOK AND I WILL SAY THIS : I AM AMAZED AT JIM CURTIN AND HIS WRITER FOR WHAT, AND HOW MUCH THEY RESEARCHED ON ELVIS.

SO WITH THIS REVIEW I AM GETTING ON MY KNEES AND THANKING GOD NOT ONLY FOR GIFTING THIS WORLD WITH ELVIS, BUT FOR GIFTING THE ELVIS WORLD WITH JIM CURTIN! (and lets not forget Renata)

THANK YOU .... THANK YOU .... THANK YOU .... THANKYOUVERYMUCH!

I bought this book for my 19 year old son. He had heard about it and now is always quoting things from it. He found it very,very intersting!

This book is an fascinating and entertaining peek into the real people we see on the big screen. The interviews are brief, one page each, and that is good and bad. Good because it can be read in short bites, bad because it leaves the reader wanting more. The "stars" are people too. This is a glimpse into who they are.

Have always enjoyed "The Meaning of Life" page on Esquire - and to see a large collection of these - and many that i've missed - in one book is just great!

So many different popular characters and personalities and interesting views on the ways of life.

I found this book very interesting. I found out a lot about people that I liked and learned about new ones as well. Very good book, light reading and fun. Highly recommend.

Opinions on some of life's most talked about subjects from past and present; writers, painters, musicians, politicians, actors, etc.... great stories and insightful views on religion, sex, faith, gender differences, relationships, etc..... easy to read and very witty. If your interested in what shapes extraordinary people into who they are then this book is for you. I loved it from the first page. I read this book from start to finish in one sitting. Thats a first.

This is one of the best cookbooks I own. I have often dined at Le Bec Fin and there is simply no comparison in Philadelphia. As far as the cookbook, I routinely prepare the Poached Turkey recipe (always to raving reviews), the Scalloped Potato recipe and the Lobster Bisque recipe for holiday dinners. The Lobster bisque is absolutely fantastic and the best I have ever tasted and it came from my very own kitchen. Tres bien!!

Over the years, I have made many of the recipes and, even though they can be somewhat complicated sometimes, the results are just superior. This is truly a special cookbook. I own at least 75 other cookbooks and this is one of my favorites that I go back to year-after-year.

I bought this book solely for the photographs, which I hoped would inspire me in plating food. However, I discovered that, beautiful as the food is, the recipes are the best part of this book. They are all elegant, delicious, contemporary but classically-based French dishes that are moderately complex but not beyond the ability of a skilled home cook. In addition, Chef Perrier's preface, in which he describes his background and cooking philosophy, is nearly as good as Andre Soltner's (in "The Lutece Cookbook"). If you enjoy cooking French food, I enthusiastically recommend this book. By the way...his mussel juice is a great alternative to fish stock; give it a try.

This is food for classy entertaining. If you can be bothered, which you should, the recipes are quite complex and time-consuming, but well within the scope of the keen home cook. And will they ever impress your guests!

The author uses fine words to come out with excellent explanation. That makes it easy for readers to understand and follow the cooking steps. The book also contains gorgeous pictures of wonderful recipes. This stimulates readers to follow them and it is hard to put it down. We could say that this book is absolutely excellent. And it can stimulate our inspiration in French cooking!!!

It has been my pleasure to dine at Le Bec-Fin. And the book is no less a pleasure, even if you don't want to cook. The recipes are easy to follow and the "asides" are very helpful.

M. Perrier knows his audience.

This collection is truly amazing. To present the lives and careers of 70 famous Americans in such an innovative fashion is a remarkable achievement. The reason it works so well is, I feel, the brevity of the resume. The reader will learn quite a lot in just the few moments it takes to go over the entry. My two favorites are Isadora Duncan and Johnny Appleseed. And the introduction! Did that really happen? Someone should get ahold of Timothy Doe and find out.

I stumbled upon this book quite by accident while researching some biographical information at my local library. To make a long story very short, I ended up spending about two hours with it. It's absolutely fascinating. The author has created a fictional setting for the presentation of these (ostensibly) historically significant documents, and although the introduction may stretch the truth a bit, I find the resumes themselves to be accurate. To sum up, this book is well worth adding to your library. And the potential for future volumes is enormous!

This (I assume) fictional collection of brief resumes of about 70 famous people from American history works on many levels. Although it doesn't deliver in-depth or complete biographies, it gives the reader enough tidbits of information to invite further research. I didn't know Paul Robeson had such an illustrious academic career, for example. Also, I'm a serious B. Traven (Treasure of the Sierra Madre, et. al.) fan, and there's a photo in this book that is said to be him. I don't know if it's real or not, but if it is, it is a significant find. If anyone knows how to get in touch with the author, please make an entry in this review section so I can contact him. There's a lot to be said about a book that can be informative, fun, and educational at the same time. Buy it!

As I have living in Madrid for many years but most enjoy the lives of famous Americans from the days of the Old West such as Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull, Annie Oakley and many others it was with great joy my cousin sends me this book from Los Angeles, California. I have learned much about these wonderful Western history people as well as many others such as Quanah Parker and Woody Guthrie and Carry Nation and so many others. Everyone could gain and benefit from this book. I will buy two more to make for presents for good friends who enjoy reading.

My friend showed me this book at school when we were learning about the poet Emily Dickinson. I didn't know she was such a good poet and now I have more of her books of poetry. It also has Edgar Alan Poe who was a great poet also. My favorite poem of Edgar Alan Poe is Annabell Lee.

There are also some Indians in this book that everyone should read about. Geronimo and Sitting Bull and Qwanna Parker are good ones to learn about. Qwanna Parker did not let the white people steal the land from his people. He was very brave and everyon should learn about him.

There are lots of other intersting people from history who I have liked to learn about and and the pictures of them are very good.

I first ordered this book for my son-in-law, because he is such a Charlie Daniels fan. I then ordered a copy for a friend of mine who is going through a rough time in her life right now. Before giving it away, I flipped through the pages, and read the story by Jonny Lang. I am a 61 yr. old grandmother, but I have albums by him. I was just blown away, and had to order a copy for myself.

In the book, How Do You Know He's Real, you'll get an inside look into the spiritual lives of 34 celebrities. Hagberg has compiled testimonies ranging from Kirk Cameron to Rudy Sarzo (former bass player for Ozzy Osbourne). Each story is remarkably different and it's amazing to read how God has worked in the lives of each of these well-known people.

The author has collected very readable stories telling how celebrities have become Christians, and they share their low points and their joys here. This is a welcome peek into the lives of well known people who typically are more secretive.
Ricky Skaggs, Kirk Cameron, Gloria Gaynor, Bethel Johnson (34 people in all) tell about their struggles and their early days as new Christians.
Billy Ray Cyrus tells of singing in his grandpa's Pentecostal church when he was 4, and includes the touching lyrics to the song he wrote "The other side."
Jackie (Jacklyn) Zeman, star of General Hospital, advises that when you are at a crossroads "cry out to God and ask for His guidance."
Al Kasha's story resonated with me; this Academy Award winning songwriter overcame agoraphobia, and talks about how Hollywood is a tough place for a Jew who came to Christ, and how he started a Hollywood Bible study group.
There are stories here for anyone to enjoy and find spirit lifting.

(Hagberg has written a companion book with the same title, subtitled God Unplugged)

How Do You Know He's Real? is a collection of celebrity essays about God acting in their lives. The contributors include athletes, musicians, and actors. Their stories often follow a familiar pattern of fame leading to drugs and alcohol before hitting bottom and being turned around by an encounter with God. That's not to say the accounts are all stock and cliched, but rather that God meets each person in their need--and for celebrities that need will be similar. And many of the tales include growing up in stable Christian homes, but still needing to make personal decisions about God and Christ and how that decision impacted their careers.

The stories are collected alphabetically but Hagberg has provided a topic finder so a reader battling discouragement or frustration can find offerings from Billy Ray Cyrus, Nancy Stafford, Zorro, Gary Burghoff or John Schneider.

Each essay begins with a picture and short biography of the contributor, listing their accomplishments. Following the selection is God's Road Map, a few sentences about the issues raised by the author, with Bible verses for teaching and encouragement.

The essays themselves are as varied as the contributors. Some of them read as if they were written to be given as speeches. Several sound like the writer could be sitting at your kitchen table, chatting over the coffee pot. All of them are honest and share from their heart how God has acted in their life and how they know He's real.

Reading the accounts of God acting in both miraculous and mundane ways reminds us that no matter what a person does for a living, each of us are created beings who need a loving Savior and merciful God.

Armchair Interviews says: Up close and personal stories from celebrities.

I received this book as a gift and once I started, I couldn't put it down. Ms Hagberg has captured the beliefs of these well known and respected celebrities, sports figures, and musicians. I'm anxiously awaiting the next book in the series and can't wait to give copies of this one to all my friends. Order 2!

As we know, there 's a popular film showing in US named' The

Lizzie McGuire Movie'. Unluckly, I'm not in US, so I can't

watch the film.I've watch the preview and I like it very

much.This book is full of imagination, it's a bit similar to the

book' The Princess Dairies'. It's the best book for all the

girls who liked to dream(including me) ------being a famous pop

star, having all the clothes and food you want. I like the

ending best, because it is unexpected. I think that it will be

one of the favourtes of the girls who liked to dream !!!

- Lucia Lee, one of the readers of this wonderful book

This book was really great. I would reccomend it for ages 11 or 12 and up because it has a bad word in it and it has the word sexiest in it. So if you know any 11 or 12 or older person get it for them if they are a Lizzie McGuire.

This is the best book around! It tells the exact same story as the movie. There aren't differences in this book as the movie. I read the first two pages of the book when I first bought it

i'm a big fan of lizzie, i think this book was very cute, it's very funny. i hope the movie turns out the same way.

The Lizzie McGuire Movie by Susan Estelle Jansen is an awesome story about one girl that is to clumsy to do anything and then she goes on a trip to Rome and finds out otherwise.

Lizzie is just about to graduate from junior high and she messes up real bad! Her brother tape records it and sends it to Good Morning America. Then she goes on a class trip to Rome and she tells her best friend Gordo that they need to find adventures. Then Lizzie bumps into pop superstar Paolo and she does find adventures. He tells her that she looks just like Isabella the girl he sings with. He tells her his story and she agrees to help him. She becomes Isabella for a couple of days dodging her new principal while doing so. Gordo covers for her and gets himself in tuns of trouble. Read this wonderful story and find out what happens with Lizzie and her singing career and Gordo and Isabella.

The characters really jump out at you. Lizzie is so clumsy and she seems to always fall down. The characters were really believable and the story seemed to be real to me. This book is really hard to put down you always want to know what is going to happen to Lizzie and her friends. You have to pay attention very closely so you aren't lost or confused. The plot is so interesting and the ending will blow you away. I really believe any girl who reads this would want this to happen to them.

I loved this book. It is every teenagers dream. This is such an exciting book it really lets you feel like you are leaving the `dream'. I would recommend this book to teenage girls looking for a good read because they would enjoy it and keep it as one of there favorites. The book will be enjoyed by all whom read.So read this book and please with all means `enjoy'!!
-Patricia Harnish 13