Beck Books

This cookbook not only gives you wonderful (easy) recipes, but also an insight to Southern Gospel Music. They are also donating a portion of the proceeds to the Southern Gospel Music Museum which I think is really generous!!

It's a great cookbook in the 'Southern Dinner on the Grounds' tradition -- great photos and trivia about Gospel Music legends including Bill and Gloria Gaither, Mark Lowry and the late J. D. Sumner and Brock Speer. A book with those great southern recipies alone is worth the price, but with this book you get photos, stories and more. Worth every penny!

The book has wonderful pictures of many old time and current Gospel music celebrities. I've tried a few of the recipes and they were delicious. Even if you don't cook, this is a wonderful source book on Gospel music stars.

I am so impressed with this Southern Gospel music cookbook with the wonderful recipes from our favorite gospel music artists and ones that are so generous in sharing their family recipes and some handed down from generation to generation that are known favorites to them! These are also wonderfully priced - so affordable - and make excellent gifts - especially for those that are just starting out - newly married, those that are getting their first apartment and want an excellent cookbook to start out with! I highly recommend this cookbook!!!!

This cookbook has some fabulous recipes. I have been cooking for about 19 years and this book is one of my favorites (I have a collection of over 75 cookbooks). The recipes vary from the challenging and the complex to the very simple that you can whip together when there are time constraints. Really popular at a recent potluck was a chocolate cherry cake recipe that was deceptively simple and yet was a hit with all who tried it. There is also many bits of interesting information and trivia about gospel music personalities. There are fantastic pictures of your favorite stars throughout the cookbook. The personality of the artists is expressed by descriptions of why this is their favorite recipe before each recipe is presented. This is an excellent book for either personal use or as a gift.

I loved this book, read it four times. It covered all types of animation
including stop motion. It was organized by decade, by country. There were
many contributors who chose what they were most interested in and I guess
their passion rubs off because it is hard to put down and very informative.
If you want a course in animation history, just read this and save your
tuition money. I don't know how Jerry Beck does it all but we all
benefit from his dedication. Thank you, Jerry. Keep up the good work.

Animation Art is a comprehensive look at the history, development and cultural effects of animation and cartoons.

From the early days up to the latest blockbusters of the 21st century, the authors have covered all concepts, genres and media. Including European, Asian and Canadian cartoons, stop motion, CGI and more.

Beautifully presented with many colour pictures and written by experienced contributors it leaves no stone unturned.

The only disappointment is the amount of text devoted to one of my all time favourites, Tom & Jerry.

Otherwise a comprehensive tome that will provide for anybody interested in animation.

Informative and entertaining,another good effort by Mr. Beck. I recommend this for any fan of animation.

This is a magnificent achievement. Serving as General Editor, Jerry Beck has brought together in a single volume a riveting narrative which examines the history of cartoon, anime, and CGI with stunning full-color illustrations of that history. As he explains in his Introduction, "We have assembled an international team of animation authorities to tell the tales behind the toons. -The story is told in chronological sequence with choice images that enhance its history...From popular Disney characters to obscure personal films, it is all covered: Hollywood hits and Japanese anime, as well as Russian masterpieces and Asian artfilms. Looking it over, it is quite a wild ride." Indeed it is. The material is skillfully organized within twelve chapters which range from "The Origin of the Art" to "The New Century." By no means do I claim to be an expert on the subject of animation art but I presume to observe that I cannot imagine what has been left out. The illustrations are stunning; the prose narrative is crisp and lucid.

In the Foreword, Jeffrey Katzenberg observes that animation art provides a unique opportunity "to remember to know who has gone before, to really know the stories, take lessons from them, and bring that knowledge to the future. My hope is that, one day, other people will feel the same way about about those of us who are making animated films now. While it is an amazing thing to have the opportunity to create films and to bring these enormous enterprises to the world, it is something entirely different and entirely more rare to have our work remembered and considered part of the continuing evolution of an art form." Thanks to Beck, those who work their way through this magnificent volume will not only remember what has been achieved in animation art thus far; they will also understand what can yet be accomplished as others who have yet to reveal themselves through their art.

I highly recommend this volume to anyone interested in animation art, of course, but also to those who have an interest in the creation and evolution of comic books. Also to those who share my high regard for illustrators such as Al Hirschfeld whose art is celebrated in Hirschfeld on Line, now available from Amazon in both book and DVD formats.

I read this book from cover to cover today at work and being an "Andy of Mayberry" fan (and I love to cook, too), I found it delightful and typed 4 of the 'choicest' recipes. I'd love to own it and to give it to some special friends for Christmas, too.

This is a lovely publication, full of photos from the show and lots of great recipes. I collect cookbooks and this is now one of the "finds" of my collection. Thank you.

I bought the book thinking it was just a little "Andy Griffith" nostalgia, but was pleasantly surprised when the recipes were actually great! As a mother of 6, my family welcomed some new ideas for dinner (I welcomed that they were simple to make)! Also get "Aunt Bea's Delightful Desserts."

I took a walk down memory lane with Aunt Bee, Andy and Barney along with many other cast members! The wonderfully basic old-fashioned recipes brought back memories of simple times. The book is packed with black/white and color photos along with lots of dialog from the show which made me laugh and caused me to remember the episodes that I thought were long forgotten. The book has a table of contents each for Episodes and Recipes which made it easy to find whatever I was looking for. I am pleased that the recipes are simple and easy. Many of the recipes are created with basic ingredients that allowed me to use what I already had on hand in the pantry without running to the store to get a special ingredient and the results were scrumptious!

I love most of the "Best American" series, but I eagerly look forward to the "Nonrequired Reading" title. This volume is one of the best, with wonderful, quirky, hard to find stories that range all over the place. Selected by high schoolers, it gives me hope for the future that this is what our youth find of interest.

The fourth edition of David Eggers Best American Nonrequired Reading is an impressive collection of twenty four of the year's finest fiction, essays, and memoirs. Culled from a mountain of publications and assembled by a group of teenagers at Eggers' 826 Valencia; a non-profit writing lab, drop-in tutoring center and the Bay Area's only independent pirate supply shop, this collection is a refreshing approach to modern American literature.
Covering a huge spread of interests and emotions Best American has everything from William T. Vollmann's (The Came Out Like Ants!) search for subterranean Chinese casinos and opium dens hidden under the streets of Mexicali since the nineteenth century to the almost familiar lives of Douglas Trevor (Girls I Know) and Ryan Boudinot (Free Burgers For Life). Completely devoid of clichés and tired literary devices every page of the genre-less Best American will have you awaiting next year's collection.

The book arrived in a timely manner and was just as advertised. I also really enjoyed reading it.

I'm a fan of short stories and essays in general because I tend to finish a good 60 to 70% of the ones I start. Contrast that to novels and non-fiction monographs, where, secondary to undertreated ADHD and a busy schedule, I probably complete less than 10% of books I start. That's okay, I like accumulating books with bookmarks a third of the way in. An unfinished book is like a totem, a sacred symbol of potential wisdom, something to anticipate. But still, there is something satisfying and confidence boosting about reading something completely in one sitting.

I like this series, the adolescents we are told do the selections must have a keen eye for talent. Unlike other reviewers, I was not bothered by some of the overlap, in particular multiple stories about sibling rivalry. It's a pretty big theme in the lives of most people with siblings, and its effects resonate in multiple realms of our relationships and interactions. Perhaps it's closer to the surface for the Bay area teenagers who made these selections. That's fine. Personally, I'm glad they didn't throw out any of these stories in the name of variety and balance. Oh, by the way, have you gotten into Sudoku yet? You really should.

I particularly enjoyed Molly McNett's work, I hope we'll hear more from her, as well as the contributions by Franken, Saunders, Vollmann, Dickinson, and Boudinot. Big fan, big fan. So far, 2005 is the best edition of this series.

This book is very informative and is a great book on Gila Monsters and Beaded Lizads. This book was so good I could hardly put it down. This book gave me a greater understanding of Gila monsters and Beaded Lizards. This book is for anyone who wants to learn all aspects of Heloderma Lizards. I Recommend this to anybody who is Interested in them.

An Excellent book. If you want to know anything about Heloderms then this is the book for you. it covers just about every aspect of Gila Monsters and Beaded Lizards that you could hope to know. it has great pictures that that help you understand even better what he's speaking about in the book.

As a member of the Tucson Herpetological Society, I have been hearing of the genesis of this book for years. I wondered, "How could a scientist in cold, wet, Washington write about Gilas and Beadeds?"
The answer was simple. Dan Beck spent many long, hot months in the Deserts of Arizona and surrounding states as well as in the Tropical Dry Forests of Mexico and Guatemala.
The result is a book that has been sorely needed for about a half-century. I picked it up and read it straight through in a few days as if it were a novel or a Harry Potter Book. I actually bought the book as a birthday present for my biologist son but after presenting him the first one, found I really needed to get one for myself as an easy reference to keep on my bookshelf.
I do not pretend to understand all the graphs and charts but I know they are necessary. Maybe someday I shall.
What I did like was the easy flow of the words as Dan Beck told the story of two of the most mysterious animals in the world. So little is known about these two species that often, writers are content to say, "They spend 95% of their time underground" or similar. Dan Beck fleshes out the story of why Heloderma spend so much time out of view and, presumably, underground. I also liked the manner in which the author introduced the next chapter in the last few words of the preceding chapter.For example, the last words of Chapter 4 on Physiological Ecology are,"we must consider their use of habitat and patterns of activity." Chapter 5 is appropriately titled, " Habitat Use and Activity Patterns." This is done a number of times but it took me several chapters to catch on.
One thing that greatly impressed me was the author's use of anecdotal information as well as research driven data from trusted sources. Many "stories" would have been dismissed years ago but are now considered as valuable information due to his own research.
Maybe this will be the beginning of a true understanding of these mysterious reptiles.

This is one of those books every serious herpetologist interested in Heloderms should have. As a former zookeeper, this book would have been very helpful in solving some of the smaller problems with breeding the several subspecies of H. suspectum such as charlesbogerti and alvarezi. Anyone who wants to learn more should own this book for their reference collection.

My 2 year old son loves all the Elliot Moose and friend's stories (since we started reading them to him when he was a few months old). He loves to have us read them to him over and over. Recently, he started "reading" them to us! Elliot is such a loving character, that has fun adventures with his friends. These books also have wonderful illustrations we use to teach our son, and have him point out things he knows and learn new words.

"Elliot's Bath" is an Elliot Moose story in which the little moose takes a bath for the very first time.


It all happens when Elliot and his friend Socks are preparing for a talent show. They end up spilling paint on themselves and don't know what to do about it. But their friend Paisley does --- it's time for their first-ever bath!

Elliot and Socks have a lot of fun in their bath, but then find themselves in a troublesome situation. Being the furry, fuzzy creatures that they are, they've become completely waterlogged! How will they get out of this?

The illustrations are war and cute and full-page on every other page. The characters look rather like stuffed animals. This is a great story for before bathtime, or for Elliot Moose fans. The only possible danger I can think of is that it might cause kids to get scared to go in the bath. But I also think it teaches that with the help of someone else, there's nothing ever to worry about when it comes to a bath.

I tell stories at the local library and I am in training for being a preschool teacher. This book is a great story about bathtime for stuffed creatures and their special concerns. It is quite imaginative. The illustrations are very colorful and the characters will warm the hearts of reader of all ages. The characters all work together to solve a problem. It shows good thinking and reasoning skills that young children can see themselves doing as well. It was a joy to read.

This is one of those sweet, simple stories that infants and toddlers will enjoy. It's populated by a friendly ensemble incuding the titular Elliot, his sock monkey pal, "Socks," and minor characters "Paisley" the cat, and "Beaverton," a resourceful beaver. The adventure begins as the four stuffed animals get the stage ready for a big alent show that night. Socks accidently spills some blue paint on Elliot and herself.

"'What are we going to do?' cried Socks. 'You need a bath!' said Paisley. A bath? Elliot had been damp before. He'd even had his paws in the pond. But he'd never had a bath. 'That sounds like fun!' he said with a grin."

With everyone lending a paw, the bath goes very well. The animals constantly smile, the water is just right, and there's no fear of going out the drain. The problem is almost the opposite: The water-saturated animals aren't able to exit the bathtub until Beaverton fishes out the stuck plug.

One more dilemma await Elliot and Socks in this gentle drama--how to dry two thoroughly soaked stuffed animals. Your little one might enjoy talking this one out loud with your audience, and seeing the various solutions proposed by the four furry friends. Although the closing is a little weak (Elliot and Socks--now colored purple from the paint, although he rather likes his new color draw applause at the talent show), young kids will enjoy the comaraderie, Elliot's discovery that he has fun in the sink bath, and the creative problem-solving.

This positive approach may help wee ones overcome any fears about bathing. However, I wonder if showing just a little more hesitation and anxiety from Elliot might have created a more realistic, and therefore more identifiable situation. If a first bath doesn't go as well for your little one as it did for the moose and the monkey, will he or she reject the book's promise of splashy fun? Still, the problems faced and surmounted by the stuffed animals model a confidence and "can-do" approach that can apply to bathing and other new activities. Moreover, there is enough characterization and suspence that the book stands on its own, whether or not you have a bathtime problem. That quality makes "Elliot's Bath" stand out from other "issue-oriented" books centered around some developmental challenge.

Andrea Beck's bright, varied colors, and her richly textured animal portraits provide an exciting, yet very safe and cuddly setting. Her appealing animals hint at her background; she studied at the Ontario College of Art, and founded a plush toy company! This is Beck's fourth "Elliot" picture book.

My 2 year old son loves all the Elliot Moose and friend's stories (since we started reading them to him when he was a few months old). He loves to have us read them to him over and over. Recently, he started "reading" them to us! Elliot is such a loving character, that has fun adventures with his friends. These books also have wonderful illustrations we use to teach our son, and have him point out things he knows and learn new words.

And it's a winner!

In this story, Elliot finds himself in a bad situation. Being the plush toy that he is, it's easy for him to get snagged. And that's exactly what happens and he starts losing stuffing. Like in other later Elliot Moose stories, his many friends work together to help him out.

Elliot gets sad. He's a bit afraid to cry at first, but eventually lets it out. He shows that it's okay to express your feelings. And in the end, things work out okay.

This is a wonderful and touching book. My son, Elliott, is especially fond of it. I highly recommend this book for kids of all ages. It shows the value of teamwork and being sensitive to the needs of others.

This book was an immediate favorite with my 4-year-old son. The story has characters faced with a dilemma and it is both touching and charming to see how the crisis is resolved.

thanks to amazon.com for this forum and I don't want to step on any toes, but if you need to read this book I will lend you my copy until they get some in stock

A look into the world of Swedish Homocide Bureau Chief Martin Beck. The book is well plotted and gives the reader a realistic look into the procedures of the police, as well as a glimpse into the steamy side of life (and crime) in Sweden in the late sixties.

The fifth Martin Beck novel. When an apartment building under police surveillance mysteriously explodes in the middle of the night, it's up to Beck to solve the crime. Was it terrorism? Assassination? Or just a gas leak?

One of the better novels in the series, this is the first one to deal seriously with organized crime and the underworld. It also gives more time to the hilarious Gunvald Larsson, introduced in earlier novels but here playing a major supporting role.

An excellent crime thriller.

set in 70's Sweden, one of the "Martin Beck" Mysteries (there are 10 of them I think). Although they were Swedish, they made it into mainstream American Paperback print. Racy covers with contradictorily reasonably serious themes and decent writing.

"And just why is it not longer in print?" one of the bureaucrats might ask.

"Ridiculous" Beck might think under his breath.

These books give me the feeling that the authors really had a lot of experience in the world of police detective work. I don't know if they did or not. I think perhaps they were journalists who covered some criminal investigations.

There isn't a gunfight on every other page, and they don't get the guy who did it quite as easily as all that.

The work is methodical and frustrating, but in the end things get done and in the end the book is a satisfying read with small insights into both the work and the lives of the men.

This particular one has a good bit of Gunvald Larsson (not exactly Beck's favorite colleague, but definitely my favorite character) and the brick walls he very nearly runs into in trying to solve this case.

The comic relief, like the more serious moments, is reserved but very well done. I've reread some of the Larsson scenes many times.

jl

It wasn't exactly what I expected, it was better. Alongside the recipes are stories of the characters on the show. I loved it. And I received it very quickly and in great shape.

I needed a book about the Beverly Hillbillies and this cookbook exceeded my wishes! Not only did it have great receipes with a "Hillbilly" flair but the pictures throughout the book were wonderful! My girlfriend who won it can't wait to show all her friends and the receipes are fantastic and easy!

Not many things are better than spending time with an old friend, especially one who makes you laugh. This cookbook provides lots of chuckles, good recipes, and great pictures. It is almost like looking at an old photo album, recognizing the unique expressions and almost hearing the familiar voices spout the delightful quotes which are sprinkled throughout the book. It is not only a cookbook but is a book to just look through and enjoy as well. Anyone who watched the Beverly Hillbillies would enjoy reminiscing through the pages. The recipes are a nice mix of true Granny style cooking, such as Granny's Groundhog, as well as some very delicious recipes, more appetizing to city folk. The recipes are not difficult and there are some to satisfy even the hungriest Jethro in any family. The descriptions of the cast and the history of the show are fun to read. It is a wonderful mix of quotes, trivia, recipes and pictures. If you have to spend time in the kitchen, you might as well do it with Granny!

Win I seen this here book in the liebarry I just bout falled oer backards. I luv possum pi an collerd greenz like granee usta fix fore she was runned oer by mister drizdales kar. now I kan kook my favrites bi miself.

As with Harvey Comics Classics Vol. 1 Casper, Richie Rich was the other Harvey Comic I used to read back when I was three or so with my Uncle Joe, and have kept reading them since.

Richie Rich was kind of Harvey's answer to Uncle Scrooge, James Bond, and Batman all rolled into one. Originally starting out as a filler strip for Harvey's Little Dot, Richie Rich was the wealthiest kid in Richville. Except unlike most rich people, Richie preferred playing with his friends Freckles and Pee-Wee, and enjoying the simpler things in life, even though sometimes his wealth and luck unexpectedly interfered.

Another happened to be Richie's love for Gloria Glad, who only loved Richie for himself, not his money. And always would get upset when Richie dared fuss over her. Of course, poor Richie can never win, since in one strip, Richie decides taking Gloria's advice. Regrettably, the time he decides on doing this, Gloria's trying to demonstrate to her cousin how Richie lavishes her with expensive gifts.

Later in the Seventies however, Richie started doing adventures with his butler Cadbury, as Harvey started introducing more serious tales, especially with their 'Vaults of Mystery' title. And as Ernie Colon mentions, later Richie always had some gadget or other to help him get out of tight spots. But still Richie normally used his wits about him and he was the first 'McGyver' long before the series hit television.

In fact, in HCC V2, you'll see how Richie and Gloria deal with modern day pirates after they shangai Richie's yacht and plan on using it for raiding other luxury liners.

Which was what made Harvey Comics so great, though the villains usually implemented firearms and such, Richie rarely struck back using deadly force. Usually he'd try solving the problem with his wits (and his wealth didn't hurt as well), over using brute force.

In this collection, you'll also see Richie's mischievious cousin, Reginald Van Dough, aka Reggie, and how he started pranking and getting into trouble with Richie. My own regret with the series is, I wish Dark Horse had selected some other tales showcasing the little known characters like Mayda Munny (Gloria's rival), Professor Keenbean, the modern version of Irona, Reggie's sister, Penny, and Jackie Jokers. But the way I see it, DH might be saving them for a future collection, as well as the 'Richie Rich and...' series where later Harvey spawned this spinoff from the titles 'Richie Rich and Casper' as well as 'Richie Rich and Jackie Jokers.'

To this day, I wish I could have found another copy of 'Richie Rich and Timmy Time' since my cousin destroyed my uncle's copy before I had a chance to read it.

Nonetheless Dark Horse has done an excellent job of bringing back the lost collections of Harvey Comics, and I hope these series might encourage them to come out with mini-digest collections of them and other characters, since I still have some of the original digests in my house.

I definitely would recommend this as well as all the Harvey Comics Collection series for those who are avid Harvey fans and classic comic collectors. But also for those who might like to see what comics were like before DC and Marvel took over the industry.

I don't know why cartoon comic strips went out of style. I am glad that there is someone else who has not forgotten them. Richie Rich was one of my favorite comic strips, and still would be if Harvey Comics were still in business.

Just two disappointments: Number one: Most of the stories are printed in black-and-white. The book might be much more expensive otherwise.

Number two: Mayda Munney was one of my favorite characters, and she doesn't appear in any of the stories.

Thank you, Dark Horse Books!

I hate to brag, no I don't. Anyway, I received an advance copy of the
Richie Rich book! It looks really good. If you liked Harvey Comics Classics Volume 1: Casper, you'll love this! (and I have a quote on the back cover...)

There are some minor changes on the cover than the one posted on Amazon here. Instead of "100 Classic Stories 1953-1969", it is actually "125 Classic Comic Stories 1953-1971"! Also, the general release date has been moved up from Oct. 25 to Oct. 17!

There is a small picture of the Hot Stuff book stating that the book will come out in Feb. 2008. This will be Volume 3 in the series.

Really, really enjoy this book.

To paraphrase the quote, I had as much fondness for Harvey Comics as I did my superhero titles. As a child, I got every bit as excited seeing a Harvey title as I did any of the Marvels or DCs. Their bright four-color covers were only a preview of the goodness waiting inside.

When I was a kid, it was an excellent time to be a comic fan. Not only those mentioned above, but also Archie, Dell/Gold Key (which was a treasure in and of itself, what with all of the Disney, Hanna-Barbera, TV tie-ins, etc., under the same umbrella!), Charlton, Atlas, have I listed them all? Whatever the case, it was nothing but good times.

Reading a Harvey comic was like having a ice cold lemonade on a sweltering hot day. You could always count on them to give you a great time and a fun read. Fun, light-hearted, whimsical adventures featuring the likes of Richie Rich, Casper The Friendly Ghost, Spooky The Tuff Little Ghost, Hot Stuff The Little Devil, Wendy The Good Little Witch, The Ghostly Trio, The Sad Sack, Stumbo The Giant, Little Dot, Little Lotta, Little Audrey, heck, a "little" bit of everything;).

Under lesser hands, these characters could easily have become one-dimensional, cloying and downright annoying. But Harvey apparently realized this and took their readership on flights of fancy, oftentimes giving us multi-part stories, putting Richie and Casper (sometimes together) in all kinds of precarious situations.

Richie, in particular, was often aided by the likes of his trusty butler Cadbury, his hardscrabble friends, brothers Freckles, a redhead (also referred to as Tommy in some stories - could possibly have been Freckles' "real" name. Also has been a brunette on occasion.) and the mute Pee-Wee, (who actually spoke one line in the story "Problem Child", the only time I know of that he actually talked), as well as his girlfriend Gloria, a rare girl who was often repulsed by Richie's wealth, liking him for who he was inside. A real jewel, if you ask me. Plus, Richie was often bedeviled by the occasional visits from his obnoxiously snooty cousin Reginald "Reggie" Van Dough, who was the complete antithesis of his cuter and infinitely more lovable cousin. Reggie loved nothing more than pulling pranks on Richie and his very tolerant friends, until his foolishness would ultimately backfire on him, giving the stories happy endings, momentarily humbling Reggie (until returning to prank Richie another day).

In spite of all his enormous wealth, Richie simply wanted to be a little boy who belonged, wanting simply to be "one of the guys", playing sandlot baseball, going fishing, inviting all of his friends to either his mansion, yacht, or on some sort of fabulous vacation, etc.. It is really nice seeing Richie treating Freckles and Pee-Wee as equals and not making fun of them because of their being poor.

Seeing this book in the comic shop was a welcome surprise for me. It was an impulse buy, in which I immediately snapped it up, not knowing about it in the first place (I knew about the Harvey Comics Classics Volume 1: Casper, which I plan on getting very soon). And it has been a fun read. And no, I didn't realize that it was mostly black and white until looking at it, but it didn't take long for me to adjust to that. Sure, it would have been nice to have had color, but that's a minor point. What matters is that for the money, you are getting 480 pages of classic comic goodness from a sadly bygone era which we don't see enough of these days.

Nowadays, I would be hard-pressed to recommend any comic for a child to read, since the market has pretty well grown up. There just aren't as many comics out there for kids, which is sad, since children were the once-intended target audience. It's no wonder kids, for the most part, don't read comics today.

Here's hoping that Dark Horse will rectify this and put out future volumes of these "little" treasures. They could go on forever reprinting them, since there are literally decades of these to reprint. These comics deserve tender loving care and need to be introduced to a new generation (as well as reintroducing those of us in the previous ones). Perhaps D.H. will go the Archie route and market digests of classic reprints to be sold in supermarkets and such. What better way to introduce them, since it obviously hasn't hurt Archie. Now this would be absolutely swell.

Are you listening, Dark Horse? In other words, KEEP IT UP!!!!