Brooks Books

I cannot say enough good things about this book! I have been using it for over 2 years. After going off a "gentle" birth control (which made me nauseous daily and slightly depressed) we used the Fertility Awareness Method taught in this book to avoid pregnancy for 5 months. When we wanted to have a baby it only took us two months to conceive. Now I am a breastfeeding mother, and we have avoided pregancy the past 6 months after my cycle resumed when my baby was barely 4 months old!

With the knowledge gained from this book, I can confidently tell you the day I ovulate, precisely how many days from then my period should arrive, and I can connect "strange" bodily occurances with my cycle! I know exactly what is normal for my body so I would be able to detect the slightest abnormality that could indicate a problem long before my annual exam.

Additionally, this information can help me and the doctor with accurate pregnancy information. I know that since I have a longer than "average" cycle - I ovulate on day 21 usually so my cycle is 35 days long - a due date that the doctor calculates (which is based on a 28 day cycle) is WRONG for me! Further, a doctor who believes in inducing when a woman is one week overdue, would actually induce labor ON MY ACTUALY DUE DATE. With my knowledge, I can avoid such an unnecessary induction.

I think you get the point. This book is unmatched and is for every woman!

While very informative with regard to the workings of the female reproductive system, I felt that in the year 2008 it's unnecessary to do all of the temperature taking, charting, analyzing bodily fluids, etc...for pregnancy purposes. I was taken aback by some of the completely weird anecdotes (ie., the egg white story --GROSS) and felt that with the digital fertility monitors out there, you don't have to be a slave to that thermometer. As a hard working, career woman who likes to get her drink on occasionally, I like to sleep in on the weekends and would always miss the window for taking my temperature. I gladly spent the $200 for the easy monitor that fits better into my lifestyle and saves me from examining where my cervix is at any given moment.

Every woman should read this book! I am 33 years old and it took me until reading this book to understand what my body is going through each month. Thank you for explaining it in simple terms that we can understand. I can't believe they didn't tell us this in health class!

I bought this book over a year ago and reference it all the time. It is great to use when you are trying to conceive or if you are just trying to understand your cycles. I would & have recommended this book to my girlfriends.

I have found this book very helpful in getting started with the FAM method to avoid conception as an alternative to hormonal birth control methods. The author very clearly describes the fertility process and the steps to observing and charting a woman's cycle. I especially enjoyed the tone of the book, which is gently humorous and devoid of religious ideology. It really convinced me that FAM is a good method of birth control as well as an aid to conception.

The downside is a few "over the top" moments in the book. After using this method I will agree that the process of taking a temperature every day and charting fertility signs is not as inconvenient as I had originally thought, but I will not go so far as to say that "charting is a privilidge".

Overall, this book is a good start. I recommend it.

I thought this book was the best book on Vietnam that I have ever read. Its a facinating look into life as a line officer in a front line Marine Infantry batallion during the early part of the war. Caputo holds nothing back when it comes to describing life on the front line and what goes through the minds of these young, too young Marines who fought on the front line. An excellent read and I highly reccomend it.

Its a page turner from start to finish. A very unique view of the war.

I assigned this book to my college students for a closer glimpse of the Vietnam Conflict. I had not read it before, but had done research and study on the subject. I found Caputo's book to be insightful, controversial and thought provoking. He doesn't glamorize the war but explains how it effected soldiers and one of the many reasons it was such a mess. Throughout the book, Caputo shows how the conditions changed the average American teenager into a robotic killer and how their experiences stayed with them. In the end, he speaks against the war, but not in the normal Jane Fonda version of bashing the military and labeling them rapists and baby killer. Caputo talks about how the government was at fault and created the situations that lead to PTSD and other issues for returning soldiers.

A must read to understand the war and its effects on our soldiers.

In keeping with the theme of this Memorial Day weekend, I would like to offer my thoughts on "A Rumor of War," a classic tale of Vietnam. Philip Caputo has crafted one of the most moving and disturbing testaments to the men who fought and died in that far away land. When the book was first published in 1977, the New York Times called it "The troubled conscience of America speaking passionately, truthfully, finally." I became aware of this classic memoir when my friend, Capt. Kyle Kalkwarf, West Point Class of 2002, told me that it was one of the best books about war he had ever read. He recommended that I add it to my reading list. He was right in doing so.

Caputo's recollections of his time as a Marine in Vietnam are filled with anger and sorrow at the misbegotten policies promulgated in Washington and carried out with disastrous results by General Westmorland and his subordinates. The author makes it clear in his introductory remarks how he felt and feels about that war and the impact that it had upon him and his comrades in arms:

"Beyond adding a few more corpses to the weekly body count, none of these encounters achieved anything; none will ever appear in military histories or be studied by cadets at West Point. Still, they changed us and taught us, the men who fought in them; in those obscure skirmishes we learned the old lessons about fear, cowardice, courage, suffering, cruelty and comradeship. Most of all, we learned about death at an age when it is common to think of oneself as immortal. Everyone loses that illusion eventually, but in civilian life it is lost in installments over the years. We lost it all at once, and in the span of months, passed from boyhood through manhood to a premature middle age. The knowledge of death, of the implacable limits placed on a man's existence, severed us from our youth as irrevocably as a surgeon's scissors had once severed us from the womb. And yet, few of us were past twenty-five. We left Vietnam peculiar creatures, with young shoulders that bore rather old heads. . .

This book is partly an attempt to capture something of its [the war's] ambivalent realities. Anyone who fought in Vietnam, if he is honest about himself, will have to admit he enjoyed the compelling attractiveness of combat. It was a peculiar enjoyment because it was mixed with a commensurate pain. Under fire, a man's powers of life heightened in proportion to the proximity of death, so that he felt an elation as extreme as his dread. His senses quickened, and he attained an acuity of consciousness at once pleasurable and excruciating. It was something like the elevated state of awareness induced by drugs. And it could be just as addictive, for it made whatever else life offered in the way of delights or torments see pedestrian." (Pages xv-xvii)

Caputo's last comments in the section just quoted seem to be eerily in keeping with the themes of the stunning films, "The Deer Hunter" and "Apocalypse Now."

In one of the most gripping passages in the book, Caputo recaptures the spectrum of emotions he felt during a helicopter assault - running the gamut from fear to courage:

"A helicopter assault on a hot landing zone creates emotional pressures far more intense than a conventional ground assault. It is the enclosed space, the noise, the speed, and, above all, the sense of total helplessness. There is a certain excitement to it the first time, but after that it is one of the more unpleasant experiences offered by modern war. On the ground, an infantryman has some control over his destiny, or at least the illusion of it. In a helicopter under fire, he hasn't even the illusion. Confronted by the indifferent forces of gravity, ballistics and machinery, he is himself pulled in several directions at once by a range of extreme, conflicting emotions. Claustrophobia plagues him in the small space: the sense of being trapped and powerless in a machine in unbearable, and yet he has to bear it. Bearing it, he begins to feel a blind fury toward the forces that made him powerless, but has to control his fury until he is out of the helicopter and on the ground again. He yearns to be on the ground, but the desire is countered by the danger he knows is there. Yet, he is also attracted by the danger, for he knows he can only overcome his fear by facing it. His blind rage then begins to focus on the men who are the source of the danger - and of his fear. It concentrates inside him, and through some chemistry is transformed into a fierce resolve to fight until the danger ceases to exist. But this resolve, which is sometimes called courage, cannot be separated from the fear that has aroused it. Its very measure is the measure of that fear. It is, in fact, a powerful urge not to be afraid anymore, to rid himself of fear by eliminating the source of it. This inner, emotional war produces tension almost sexual in its intensity. It is too painful to endure for long. All a soldier can think about is the moment when he can escape his impotent confinement and release this tension. All other considerations, the rights and wrongs of what he is doing, the chances for victory or defeat in the battle, the battle's purpose or lack of it, become so absurd as to be less than irrelevant. Nothing matters except the final, critical instant when he leaps out into the violent catharsis he both seeks and dreads." (Pages 277-8)

Caputo's thoughtful and passionate recounting of the growing up that he did in the cauldron of Vietnam added to my understanding of what many of my generation experienced as they fought in Southeast Asia and returned to a country that had grown sick of the fighting. As our nation once again wrestles with combat fatigue and the questions of when to withdraw and how to withdraw from Iraq, I am grateful that this time around - unlike the situation that existed in the late `60's and 70's - even those who oppose the war have not showered those returning from the Gulf with opprobrium. They desire our admiration and our gratitude.

Thanks Kyle, for recommending this book, and for your continuing service to our nation.

Al

Caputo wasn't much of a marine. He started complaining about Vietnam before he arrived. Every page is filled with criticism, cynicism, griping, complaining, and self-serving tripe. He wanted to be a hero, but he didn't have what it took to be anything but a whining wimp. Certainly he writes well. But writing well and living well are entirely different. He doesn't understand honor or duty. Sure the war was politicized, but so is every war. Sure the rules of engagement were stupid, but a soldier serves. Caputo did not serve; rather he whined. Many of us who served in Vietnam believed there were many things that made no sense. But we didn't turn tail and run. We served. For those who want to understand what is was like to be a soldier in Vietnam, read "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young" or "Steel My Soldiers' Hearts". If you want to know what is was like to be useless in Vietnam, read this book.

This book is on our UMW 2008 reading list. The book is very well written and takes you on this journey that these boys made. It is amazing that they survived and overcame all obstacles

When I picked it up I didnt know it was written written by the boys themselves. This made it very original. It makes me realize that every piece of food I put into my mouth has a value X times greater to a starving child.

My favorite little independent bookshop, Latitude 33, recommended I read this when they found out I was interested in African Affairs. Melanie, the manager, said that she and several of her book club customers read the book and loved it. That was encourgement enough for me.

I was completely caught off guard.

"They Poured Fire on us From the Sky" changed my life in a profound way.
After reading this book about the Civil War in Southern Sudan, I felt compelled to do something on behalf of Darfur. The story told by Benjamin and his brothers is now tragically repeating itself with devastating consequences to the Fur.

Thankfully, the editor used at light hand so that it retained the Dinka voice, which is the
heart and soul of the story tellers.
You will fall in love with these boys. You will pray for these boys, and you will thank the IRC for bringing them hope in the form of a mentor and friend, Judy Bernstein. READ THIS BOOK!

It is hard to believe that in this 21st century, the atrocities that take place in Sudan are still happening and the rest of the world is blind to them. My heart goes to these strong boys that survive. I cannot imagine my own small son having to endure even a fraction of what Benson, Ben, Alphonso and so many other children had to live during their perilous journey.
I hope many read this book and open their eyes to what goes on in other countries. Let's not be quiet about it... This is a must read for our own leaders in hopes they get some perspective of what international conflicts are really important to stop.

Harrowing. Intense. Disturbing. Raw. Emotional. True. Tragically hopeful. A must read among the well-to-do. This will put anyone's life and problems into proper perspective. It is a tale of survival in the midst of the worst affliction that any child could endure imaginable.

I LOVE Jan Brett's books! I buy them anytime I see them whether on sale, old ones on Amazon as remainders, or new.. They make great gifts. I have a backup of many to give to children, particularly my granddaughters. The illustrations in this one are so beautiful it is really a keepsake to save as well as enjoy. Give it as a gift and you will make some child very happy and a parent happy,too.

Beautiful illustrations reprinted from over 40 sources. All illustrations are credited on last page. Book measures 9"X11.5" Only down side was that the price changes by the day. One day it's almost $11 another it's $8.97. But that's just the way Amazon works; something to be aware of. (It's worked in my favor often while shopping at midnight--price suddenly went down!)

it's a classic, so of course you can't go wrong, but as far as the best one being out there... well, I'm sure there are much better illustrated ones out there than this one

I bought this for my grandchildren last Christmas. The wording is traditional, and the illustrations are wonderful! This has become a part of the Christmas Eve tradition at my daughter's house.

These illustrations are the best ever for The Night Before Christmas...Stunning even! A worthy heirloom Christmas Book. The illustrations cover both sides of the page for a large panoramic view seldom seen in other books...

This book is very helpful if you are looking for a Con Law study aid or explanation book. Many of my classmates also felt they had a better understanding of Con Law while using this book with the class.

If anyone is taking Constitutional Law and is using the Chemerinsky case book, this treatise is a MUST have. You can actually get along the semester perfectly without the big case book and just reading this treatise. It explains things way better than the big book. Unless you need to know the cases straight from the language in the case book, this is just enough to do very well in this class.

This book cuts out all of the "bull" from your textbook and just tells you what you need to know about the cases and will probably even tell you what your teacher is going to lecture about in class.

This is a very helpful study aid for Constitutional law, and believe it or not, it does qualify as concise. The topic is obviously expansive, and the book does a decent job of hitting the critical points without waxing too discursive.

this book really clarifies a lot of the major concepts. i recommend it to any con law student.

I have previously reviewd this book. I gave it along with handmade scarves and mittens to little ones for Christmas.

My daughter is in Kindergarten and this book is a fun way to associate letters and words starting with each letter of the alphabet. It also has a great storyline and my daughter likes me to read the story and for her to "read" the letter pages.

Both my son (2) and I love this book. It's kind of like Bugs Bunny cartoons that kids enjoy but parents find amusing too. I highly recommend and am getting 3 for gifts this Christmas

I loved "Bad Kitty". One reason is it teaches children who are about to go to kindergarten their alphabet in a most creative and humorous way. Not only can they learn their letters but they can learn to read in a funny way. The pictures depict the words perfectly. Adults such as old granny women can enjoy the humor in these books. And, you know we are the ones who frequently read these books to children.

I am a 21 year old college student currently studying to be an elementary school teacher. I found this book and started reading through it and was actually laughing out loud! This book is absolutely hilarious and definitely entertaining. In the classroom this book would surely be a hit! I recommend it whole-heartedly! :)

I have been learning ColdFusion for about 5 months now and have 4 books on it. So far I have this one and 3 others. And out of all the books I have on ColdFusion, I use this one and one other one the most. Even though it is written in ColdFusion MX, it still has a lot of good ColdFusion examples and descriptions on how to make some of the most popular applications. Great book if your looking for a book that is a little cheaper and still has a lot of great info. If your looking for the new breakthrough features of CF8, than mabye you should try somewhere else. But overall, a great book for the price!!

This book is the best Cold Fusion book to date. I use this book daily. The book contains clear examples without a lot of fluff. Can't wait until the next release.

Everithing you need to good programming in ColdFusion. Not to useful if you're interested in Server Configuration.

The only quibble I have with this book is that it is not long enough! Some parts just paraphrase ColdFusion documentation, which is not bad in itself but left me wanting to know more from the author about how he applied the feature to a project.

It would be phenomenal if the author could expand this book or, better yet, put together a new book of more extended examples called "ColdFusion Examples in a Nutshell," similar to "Java Examples in a Nutshell" by David Flanagan.

Having said that, I can now state that this book is a shining example of what a programming book is supposed to be:
(1) Well-Organized. Chapters are grouped logically.
(2) Well-Documented. Almost every topic has at least one example; a few have a complete set of templates to guide the beginning CF (ColdFusion) programmer.
(3) Well-Balanced. In addition to instructive code, the author also provides many in-depth explanations of ColdFusion and database principles.

About six months ago the company I work for recently moved to Coldfusion 5 server (holding off on CFMX until all the bugs are worked out) and since that time, application programming duties have been dumped on me. As a web designer and not a programmer, this was a more than a little worrisome. After trying to wade through Forta's Construction Kit, Hewitt's Core Coldfusion 5, as well as "Mastering Coldfusion 5" it was as if the light was turned on by Rob Brooks-Bilson's Programming Coldfusion.

By the by, those books mentioned are all great books. I own all of them. But when it came down to what I really needed to know and understand Bilson came through like no other. Great job Rob! Keep up the good work.

So far I've only gotten throught the first chapter. It's a dense amount of information, but it is incredibly well written and informative. No extra words just to take up space and get something into book format. It's definetly a text book. The first chapter gives you an extensive review of the human relationship with drugs since the beginning of time, and forty pages later, I feel enlightened and full of ideas. Incredibly insightful and well worth the price for someone with a deep interest in this field.

This is a wonderfully written book with lots of great information. However, I really dislike the newspaper column width of the text. It is very hard to read from such a thick book with this layout.

The item shipped quickly and was brand new as I was told. I am not impressed with the Study Guide, and the book itself is rather disjointed. It's hard to find the information within all the quotes from addicts. I would set it up so that the information came first and then the quotes would be placed at the end of the text in each section.

If you work in human services or if you're just interested in learning about substance abuse, this is the only book you'll need. This was my text in grad school and a decade after I'm still recommending it to clinicians.

The authors, Darryl Inaba and William Cohen do a great job of keeping this book very open and simple. They cover almost every drug (5th edition) which a counselor may run into when talking with his students. As a research or higher level order book though, this would not do as it is just too brief on most subjects to really get to know indepth pharmacology or pharmacodynamics on most of the psychoactive drug actions. There is a lot of history, and even a CD-ROM to help you familiarize yourself with many topics of addiction in a very short period of time. In some sections, there is some really good information on drugs I have not seen on the pharmacy shelves for at least 12 years. If you are someone who wants to quickly get to know the subject of psychoactive drugs, then I highly recommend this book for you. His vocabulary is such that it is easy to read, without too much of a serious tone-- and you will not even need a highliner to remember the facts. This book is packed with knowledge. Very enjoyable reading for a change, with lots of good and interesting photographs that make you think. You will enjoy this book, for it is written in a very unique format that makes you want to relax and just turn each page and learn. guyairey

Freddy the Detective is about a pig called Freddy who reads Sherlock Holmes and wants to become a detective. The first case starts when the boy who lives in the farmhouse loses his train of cars. Freddy is on the case right away. He goes up to the boy's room and finds clues to who has stolen the cars. He finds out it is the rats, who have come back to the barn. Soon more cases have come up for him to solve, including when Egbert, a bunny, goes missing from his mother, and when Prinny, a little dog, has her dinner go missing.
I enjoyed this book because I like funny stories, and this was very funny. I also enjoyed it because I don't usually read mysteries, and this made me more interested in detective stories. Freddy is very funny in the way he solves cases. I recommend reading this book, even if you don't usually read mysteries. It is a great detective book for anyone who enjoys reading.

Wonerful, Triumph, for all ages.
It tips my planet, shakes my world.

Caleb A. Craig

The second in the utterly charming "Freddy the Pig" series, "Freddy the Detective" chronicles the adventures of Freddy and his barnyard friends as they delve deep into the world of clues, suspects and the criminal world. In the great tradition of Sherlock Holmes, there is a disguise involved.

Cases are solved (like just what becomes of Prinny the dog's dinner), a jail is constructed to house all the freshly-caught criminals (who have more fun inside than out) , and in the ultimate test for a pig, some infamous bank-robbers are caught red-handed and carted away by the thankful police. It all culminates in the trail of Jinx the Cat, during which a hen faints dead away at the mention of roast chicken and the courthouse erupts in cheers at the end of the summation because they admire they way the attorney argued a hopelessly weak case.

The Freddy books are great fun for kids (boy or girl), and they won't put you to sleep reading them aloud, either. I would place them just below the Betsy/Tacy books and the work of Leon Garfield, and high above anything coming out nowadays. They do nicely as a comfort during stressful times, the gentle and goofy stories easing kids to sleep. Highly recommended for ages to 5 to 100.

GRADE: B

Freddy the Detective is one of a series of pig books written by Walter R Brooks. Freddy the cool detective is a master of disguise who helps Mr. Bean and the Bean Farm solve crime.

Freddy the Detective is one of my favorite books because I love pigs and the main character is a very smart pig. The book is exciting and fun to read. I recommend it for people who like pigs! You will love the book if you read it.

Lukas

I run a bookgroup for homeschoolers and have the very great pleasure of introducing this bunch of alternative education kiddies to some of the great classics in children's literature. It can be a very rewarding experience. Once in a while, however, the kids teach me about books that I've never heard of. One of the children I organize has been obsessed with the "Freddy" books for years. Occasionally he would ask me if I had read them or he'd promote them to the group. In my initial ignorance, I assumed that he was referring to the Freddy the Hamster books by Dietlof Reiche. Those books are very good but the kid was actually referring to the classic Freddy the Pig series dating back to the 1930s. Recently these books have been earning themselves an entirely new audience and children everywhere are engulfed in a kind of newfangled Freddy fever. I picked up "Freddy the Detective" (not realizing that "Freddy In Florida" is actually the first book in the series) to give the books a look-see. I did this with a kind of snide attitude that went something along the lines of, "well I'm sure these books have aged poorly over the years and that the only reason kids are reading them because their parents made them". Oh how wrong a children's librarian can be. The Freddy books are marvelous. Author Walter R. Brooks is marvelous. In fact, "Freddy the Detective" is so wry, well-written, and delightful that I am truly shocked that more people are not aware of this series. Consider me a convert of the pig. One who will be singing his praises to the masses every chance I get.

Freddy is just your average highly intelligent pig. He lives on the farm of Mr. and Mrs. Bean and has a lovely little life. He has a fine library in his pen and it is from his books that he gets the idea to become a detective. After reading a couple Sherlock Holmes stories, Freddy is sure that he can pull off becoming the farm's number one crime-ridder. This decision is made not a moment too soon, for a nasty clan of rats has stolen a valuable toy train from the Bean home and is performing dastardly crimes with it. As we follow Freddy, he solves crime after crime and participates in adventure after adventure. When Jinx the cat is ultimately framed for a crime he did not commit, it's up to Freddy to sway a jury of his peers as to the feline's innocence and the true criminals in the case.

One of the first things that caught my attention in this book was the lack of human/animal interaction. For kids that grew up reading that other classic farm text, "Charlotte's Web", the fact that there are two kids on the Bean farm that never ever appear in the book is downright bizarre. In any other story we'd be getting everything from the children's point of view. Brooks, however, knows who the true star of his book is and he's not going to muddle the action with a couple of pesky young 'uns hogging (ho ho!) the spotlight. Another interesting choice comes with the fact that the humans and the animals on the farm cannot talk to one another. This makes quite a bit of sense, when you consider it. Animals have no vocal cords. Animals also don't usually use their hoofs like hands, but that's neither here nor there. The point is that humans and animals have their own fixed roles in Brooks' world, and for kids this is very easy to understand.

But it's the writing of Walter Brooks that has made this series as memorable as it is today. He continually peppers his books with songs and rhymes that not only pan out correctly but are rather clever in their own right. Consider the following:

"Habitually we offend
Against our country's laws.
It works out better in the end
Than being good, because -

No home has a superior
Or cheerier interior
Than this old jail
The which we hail
With constant loud applause".

Nicely done, eh? Better still are the 1930s turns of phrase and common references long since lost to the annals of time. In one section the children reading this book are urged to sing "Aunt Laurie" as fast as they possibly can. If a single child in this country knows both words and tune, I'll be amazed. In another instance a chapter title is simply, "Jinx is indicted", which I thought was great. And opposite the title page is a picture of Freddy falling down a flight of stairs backwards (as occurs later in the book) with the caption, "- but at that moment Freddy came to grief". Obviously the publisher of this book found that turn of phrase just as charming as I did. Well done there, Puffin Books. Paired with these words are German illustrator Kurt Wiese's original pen and inks. Known almost entirely for illustrating books with Asian themes (he won a Newbery for his illustrations in "Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze", for example), Wiese eschews his normal style in favor of this most American of tales. His animals are both deeply familiar and oh-so-slightly human. There is not a picture in this book that jars with the action or distracts from the words. The pairing of Wiese with Brooks can only be described as heavenly.

I was a little afraid when I picked up this book (and took a gander at its copyright date) that we'd have to deal with a fair amount of sexism and racism in this book. To my somewhat naïve shock, no such prejudice pops up. In fact, Brooks could even be credited with breaking down a few barriers here and there. Female characters do just as much good as male ones in Freddy's world. Freddy comes to realize early in the game that while there is no end to his cleverness, he's rather lacking in the common sense department. By partnering with the down-to-earth cow Mrs. Wiggins, however, the two are able to combine their equal strengths and solve any number of crimes.

I haven't even mentioned the clever things Brooks has to say about our legal system or the state of law enforcement itself. You'll just have to discover them on your own as you read through what can certainly be called a true children's classic for the ages. A marvelous and deserves-to-be-remembered tale.

Besides the complete script and some wonderful production photos, what makes this edition so special are Mel Brooks' "hand written" notes off to the side. Inserted throughout the text, they tell great behind-the-scenes anecdotes about lines that were cut or revised out-of-town, things that happened in rehearsal, and the show's evolution from film to stage musical.

This is a soundtrack of the original 1968 movie "The Producers." It is not a soundtrack of the movie that was made from the musical that was adapted from the original movie "The Producers" (whew). That may be good or bad, depending on your point of view.

The original movie wasn't really a musical, altho it was about a musical and had some music. Therefore, this CD is mostly dialog. The 3 main pieces of music of interest are "Springtime For Hitler," "Love Power," and "Prisoners Of Love." These are all great works of musical comedy, but, considering the price, that's not much for the money.

I decided to buy this because: 1> for some strange reason, digitally transferring the audio of these songs from my DVD didn't work quite right; 2> I absolutely loved the (original) movie and these songs, and 3> I thought it might have a snippet or two extra that I might want (such as when Dick Shawn sings "1+1 is 2, 2+2 is 4, I feel so bad 'cause I'm losing the war") - it doesn't.

Well, I got the songs I needed - at a pretty exorbitant price - maybe it'll be worth more someday as a collector's item. I do like that they included Zero's "That's our Hitler!" at the end of Love Power.

Also, just for the record, if you only know "The Producers" from the stage or the 2nd movie, you really should watch the original The Producers (Deluxe Edition). In my humble opinion, it is much, much, better (in fact, one of the finest movies ever made), albeit less musical. Unfortunately, many people are only interested in something new or "hot," so that's how you can make money today - by perversely reworking something sublime into an inferior product.

On my C.D. list for Christmas is this HILLAROUS C.D. I've always been a weird producer fan thinking that the movie is actually better than the stage show- despite the lack of 1968 songs. This C.D. is annoyingly funny.

"Love Power"has always been my favorite song in the movie- I laugh each time I see it in the movie. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed this Christmas for this wonderful C.D. I'm still a little disappointed that Mel Brooks cut the character and the song from the show.

Although there are only two songs with complete lyrics. This is still a soundtrack that any "Producer" fanatic will enjoy and I personally like the "Springtime For Hitler" song in the movie more than the actual one put into the show. You also catch a glimpse of Mel Brooks voice as the Nazi "Come and be a smartie and join the Nazi party."

By all means hit that buy now button and laugh yourself silly with these two songs!

... KITCHY fodder for the limp-wristed masses.

(PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE CD OF THE ORIGINAL FILM, SO IF YOU HAVE TO RATE ME, BASE IT ON THAT!)

I loved this movie. I watched it at a time when the Vietnam War was waning in in 1975 here in Chicago, as it was playing on WGN TV on the late late late show. Apparently, even the censors were asleep at the time, but God bless em, this was the perfect time to see him. Mel's brand of humor reminds me of a time when they used to use brown paper bags to wrap up the porn in.

It always has been a guilty pleasure to watch this film, laugh at the humor, and sing along with the actors. This CD captures the essence of the film, the heart of his message - it was as if the lyrics, the tone, and the actor's very intonations were possessed by the vision Mel tossed out after looking into himself and at the world when he penned these tunes, and think about it - in the late 60's! Who was confronting racism, gay sexism, and the Jewish question? Secondly, who could do it with such brave humor and didn't fear the reprocussions?

This CD contains over a dozen tracks of spoken lines from the film, and to listen to Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder's interaction witrh the wonderful diologue is to listen to the genius of Mel Brooks' zenith of comedy. In this CD is also included the true ability Mel had in making his special brand of comedy work - it was simply to make it as campy as hell by including MUSICAL NUMBERS ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST! Yes, I was laughing about Hitler, and Goebbels ( "I loves my little joe") and yes, I was shocked at first, but who wasn't?

This CD of the movie is giving us some of the greatest parody tunes of ALL TIME - "Springtime For Hitler," "Prisoners Of Love," "Love Power," and the spoken word of Zero Mostel - ULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLA! ('I met her at the public library.') I can listen to this CD in the car, at home, ANYWHERE.

(I can also watch this film on DVD - a bit dated, yes, but it represents a time when this was still edgy - but I will stand by this and gladly watch this over and over til it cracks.)

(On a personal note: I am saddened at what Mel Brooks did by making this film about a failed play into a musical about a failed play!!!

I consider it to be one of his all-time masterpieces and part of his holy trilogy of his genius -

"The Producers" is followed by "Young Frankenstein" and of course the gem on his cap, "Blazing Saddles." He will NEVER be able to top himself, because once you've been to the mountaintop, how can you go any higher?)

PLEASE! Buy this CD and LISTEN to it and remember a time when anyone could go out and try to be daring, try and amaze, listen to every second of this CD - I own a copy, and heartily endorse it!

A play based on a film based on a play? Only in New York.

Sad.

IF you LOVE Mel Brooks. IF you LOVE the stage show " The Producers" . IF you LOVE the music, BUY BUY BUY THIS BOOK. This is a MUST have for ALL "The Producers " fans. This book is the Guide to what is the most stimulating show I have EVER seen.
Based on the process of turning the original " The Producers " ( Gene Wilder ) movie into a Stage show, along with cast selection and music ( The entire score and lyrics By MEL BROOKS . HIMSELF ).
JUST BUY BUY BUY THIS BOOK.

It even tells you how to spell Ullas' 1st name correctly, wow wow wow wow. Got to go , Its almost 11.