Dance Books

These three books held me spellbound. I'm usually disappointed with series books, as I think most of the concentration is in the first volume--not so with this set. Ms. Gulland is an accomplished story teller. She has an imaginative way with words. I can hardly wait for her next series--hopefully there will be one soon.

I just finished the third book in the trilogy and I am literally choking back tears because I hate it that there is no more left to read!

Sandra Gulland has brought Josephine and Napoleon's romance to life through these incredible books. You feel like you know them personally and you care about their lives. I learned more about France in that time period than I ever did in a world history class! And it was done in an exciting way. There were no boring "skim over" areas in these books!

She has done a first class job with this trilogy and she truly does justice to these famous historical icons.

This is a captivating and tactile series. Ms. Gulland obviously put an enormous amount of research into the books, and they are a great primer for the events surrounding the French revolution. The history, however, is a subtle bonus; the facts and historical figures are woven effortlessly into a rich narrative as told from Josephine's point of view.

A friend passed this gem on to me, and everyone I know who has read it since ended up reading late into the night, entranced by the story. I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next.

I expected very little from these books except a good beach read and I was SO pleasantly surprised at how well-written, readable and informative they were. I knew very little about this time in history and now want to know more (plus, I want to read more by Sandra Gulland!). These were SO GOOD! I went through the trilogy within a month's time and was so happy that I had #2 and #3 ready to read once I finished the previous books! I highly recommend these books.

The Trilogy was a very sympathetic account of Josephine's life written in a very smooth and readable style. The thee books read like one book. The style had a very feminine feel as it emphasized the emotions of the events that took place. I enjoyed the books tremendously.

"Letters from Backstage" is one of those witty little books you can hardly wait to recommend to friends. Written with wry humor and a delightful perspective, Kostroff's fingers literally tap dance across the keys as he brings you along on his touring company adventures.

Kostroff is dazzled by things. He has stars in his eyes, and he can't help it. In spite of his crazy life backstage, the encounters with theater ghosts and machines that fail just when you need them, he remains awed by the fact that somehow life has given him a chance to be an actor

If you dream of achieving a career in the theater, there are valuable lessons to be learned in this book. Intimate details only a professional can know will prepare you for the grand roller coaster ride.

In the beginning, Kostroff is nervous when he gets called back for a second audition for The Producers. "There was tension in the room," he writes. "I've learned, over time, that it falls to me to break that tension. As I walked to the little X in the center of the floor and prepared to sing, two of Ms. Stroman's associates got up from the table and headed for the door. "I don't know what it is, I quipped. "Whenever it's announced I'm going to sing, people put on their coats and leave." Everyone laughed gratefully. I can now die happy."

In Portland, he is confronted by a convention of cheerful, chirping ladies dressed in cutesy sweaters sporting pom-poms, kittens with big eyes, or panda bears. These ladies think they are the funniest ladies on earth, but they drive Kostroff crazy. Rushing to get to the show on time, he finds every elevator packed with these gleeful broads. Each time the door opens one of them screams," Oops! Must have caught the local!" then they burst out into hysterical laughter. "Ladies," Kostroff imagines himself saying. I am in comedy, and please trust me; none of you is the least bit funny."

"It's like this:" he says in his epilogue, "amazing, horrifying, magical, thrilling, boring, tiring, energizing, satisfying, hilarious, sad, lonely, fraternal, endlessly long, and far too brief, an adventure. Really, there's nothing like it."

By the end of the book, you'll get to feel what it's like to have Mel Brooks kiss you on the cheeks and compliment your performance, but you'll also get a sense of annoying frustration when an over-eager dresser keeps tugging and fussing at you all the way to the edge of the wings.

Ups and downs, highs and lows, laugher and tears, that is show business as Michael Kostroff knows it. But one thing is for sure---you'll wish the tour would never end, and the next time you see Michael Kostroff's name on a book, you'll rush right out to buy it.

Reviewed by Kelley Anderson for Reader Views (11/06)

"Letters from Backstage" is a collection of e-mails to friends and family while Michael Kostroff toured with "The Producers" and "Les Miserables." They give you brief glimpses of his journey, from auditioning for "The Producers" to his last curtain call of "Les Miserables." He gives his impressions and descriptions of the cities, sites, hotels and cast-mates that he meets along the way. It is the story of a hardworking theater actor who doesn't seem to take anything for granted and doesn't let the fame go to his head. I feel that the book is especially written for anyone who has ever wanted to be a theatrical actor. He is brutally honest about the amount of work it takes in rehearsal and performing and also what gifts and shortcomings life on the road brings. He tells his story from his perspective and tells it well.

An actor is not something I ever wanted to be growing up. I was horribly shy and terrified of making what I thought was a fool out of myself. While Michael was describing being up onstage, the audience in their seats and all of the singing, dancing and acting going on onstage, I could honestly feel my hands grow clammy and my chest tighten. His descriptions were clear, accurate and (for me) terrifying. Any aspiring actor is sure to enjoy the suspense and drama of the stage. The practical jokes carried out among cast members did make me laugh out loud. Rehearsals, practices and more behind the scenes work seems to be just another day at work for any of these professionals, and yet Michael has a way of making it seem magical, because it obviously is to him. I have to admit, the book may have been even more interesting to me if I had ever seen either one of the shows.

My favorite parts of the book were the descriptions of the local activity in the cities he visited. Farmer's markets, local restaurants, and lively locals made me yearn to visit some of these cities. Other times, the descriptions were too sparse and generalized and I couldn't see in my mind what he was trying to describe, which is not surprising for text originally intended as e-mails to friends. A great addition to this book would be a final chapter, after the tours were finished, of highlights of what really stood out for Michael in all of those trips.

Michael says he has a "passion for the correct use of the English language" and it shows through in his writing. I read through the chapters swiftly, never getting tangled up in obvious grammatical mistakes. It is an easy to read book that I am sure will delight a younger audience looking to become actors as well as fellow actors in or retired from the business who would like to reminisce. He naturally finds a great transition from story to story, filling in background details necessary to the telling without bogging the entire story down. I believe that Michael could take many parts of this book and expand them into stories that would stand alone brilliantly, and they all still fit together neatly in "Letters from Backstage."

Aspiring, current and former actors along with theater lovers of all kinds will enjoy reading "Letters from Backstage." Michael is a natural storyteller, keeping true to the theme of the book, the backstage of two touring performances, while sharing his life and travels. The e-mails and letters included could be written directly to the reader. He tells the story as he sees it, not apologizing for some of the less than professional antics that go on. He continues to fall in love with the theater life over and over and brings you along for the ride.

This book is very entertaining and enlightening. He loves every minute of his showbiz career and is happy to let you go "on tour" with him.

This would be enjoyable for actors and just people who enjoy theatre watching.

LOVED IT!

I don't work in the entertainment business, and don't know much of anything about theatre, so I was a little afraid this wouldn't really hit me. I couldn't have been more wrong! This book is full of well told, highly entertaining stories. Kostroff has a great way of making you feel like you were on the road with him and the rest of the cast and crew. I laughed out loud a number of times, and feel like I got a real insider's view of things. It's practically your own backstage pass! Easy to read, and a lot of fun.

What is it like to be a touring stage actor? Author Michael Kostroff's childhood dream came true when he was cast in national tours of two plays: his story of life on the road comes to life in LETTERS FROM BACKSTAGE: THE ADVENTURES OF A TOURING STAGE ACTOR, which began as a series of emails to friends at home and evolved into a handbook of adventure. From hotels and old theatres to onstage mishaps and lovely old theaters, all the way down to the nuts and bolts of how touring stage actors handle typical challenges, LETTERS FROM BACKSTAGE brings it all to life.

This was purchased for my daughter who happens to be a huge Lucy fan. She thoroughly enjoyed it as it is chock full of reproduced letters, articles and other memorabilia. It makes a wonderful gift.

What a wonderful gift Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. have given to the fans of their parents. This book will warm your heart, make you smile, and bring tears to your eyes. It will make you feel like you snuck into Lucy's closet and found her scrapbook sitting on the shelf. I got goosebumps when I saw the enevelope written by Desi that said 'To my darling'. I almost felt like an intruder when I pulled out the Valentine for Lucy that was inside. There are photos, letters, clippings, and side notes, all beautifully assembled. This is a must have have for anyone who has ever loved Lucy, Desi, Vivian, and William.

When I received this book in the post I did not put it down for a least an hour. It was so thoughtfully put together and showed all of Desi and Lucy's fans just how much they loved and cared for each other thoughtout their lives.
My most memorable areas are the little pieces written by the couple describing their thoughts and how they felt about each other. Lucy's words about Desi's death really struck me as although she had been married for 25 years she still felt his death hard.
My daughter who is only aged 15 years also could not put it down and was especially interested in the reproductions of the important letters and documents.
We both love it and it is certainly a must for the bookshelf of any Lucy and Desi fan.

If you are a Lucy Fan then you simply must buy this book! I just received mine and sat mesmorized by it, it is now my favorite Lucy item I have. I have an enormous collection of everything to do with Lucy or I LOVE LUCY you can imagine and this Scrapbook is so incredible.....it's honestly as if you are looking at the original scrapbook and you are even able to pull out inserts on several pages.....passport, letters, etc. I am not joking, if you are a collector of Lucy things and you do not have this Scrapbook then you are missing an incredible addition to your collection. The price is really great considering all you get. Words truly are not enough....I'll never ever get tired of looking at this!!!! Don't just think about buying it, buy it this minute!!!

The scrapebook was execellent. I enjoyed every little thing about it. It was great of all the document that were in there. This is a great book.

THIS BOOK IS GREAT, REALLY GOOD AND FUN TO READ IF YOU ARE AN X-FILES OR GILLIAN ANDERSON FAN. I HIGHLY RECOMAND THIS BOOK

Straight from the cutesy title that X-Philes know and love as one of Scully's trademark phrases, Mulder, it's Me really hits the spot. Gil Adamson and Dawn Connolly's biography about the amazing Gillian Anderson is extremely informative without being invasive of Ms. Anderson's privacy. The well-written fourteen-chapter biography is only the beginning of this stunning masterpiece - the book also includes candid interviews, a comprehensive episode guide of the first four seasons of The X-Files, a section on the 1996 Burbank convention by the renowned Autumn Tysko, a listing of internet resources, and 16 pages of color photos. Whether you are a newbie or a veteran fan, Mulder, it's Me: The Gillian Anderson Files is the must-have biography.

This is the best Gillian Anderson biography on shelves today. But this isn't just a biography, this book also includes television and radio interviews with answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. You get to find out what people did when Gillian Anderson appeared at the X-Files convention and what questions her fans asked. It also includes the speech she made in Washington D.C. for public awareness about Neurofibromatosis, the disease her younger brother has been diagnosed with. This book also includes great Gillian Anderson Internet sources and an X-File episode guide with all the shows from season one to the end of season four. But best of all, this book includes a great section of full page color photographs of Gillian. If you are a Gillian Anderson fan, you have to get this book!

This book is great for people who want t get all the facts and want awesome color Photos .I think Gillian is agreat person and Actress and this book helps you realize that.AS well as info there is a great X-files episode guide section.Many thanks to the athur and gillian for being the great actress she is.

This book has, well, everything you wanted to know about Gillian Anderson (Agent Dana Scully on the X-Files) and more! The colour photo's are excellent, as well as the black and white ones. Each chapter has a unique title, and very good detail into herself, her daughter, and her work. A must have for any Gillian Anderson fan.

This book simply defies being categorized. The Serpent's Dance, Book 1 (of a trilogy) seems to be three things at once. First, it is a fictionalized account of the author's experience that portrays a transformational shift from being the victim of circumstances to intentionally creating his world. It integrates the author's experience with ancient wisdom, which results in "ah-ha" experiences for both author and reader.

Second, the book is very entertaining and rich with imagery. I found it difficult to put down. Yannam's vivid descriptions put readers in the middle of the action.

Third, The Serpent's Dance is almost an instructional book. At a minimum, Yannam implies that similar insights and mastery of self are open to practitioners of meditation.

Yannam's descriptions are so vivid it's like you are there. And such insights he has! When our hero gets the green light to move in with a new girlfriend and is given free reign to redecorate her house while she goes on vacation, instead of red flags, he sees an opportunity. Of course when she returns, the confrontation is inevitable. A serpent named Siddhah is Shri's confidant and mentor throughout the book. In conversations with Siddhah, Shri discovers how problems can be opportunities for learning. The serpent illustrates how events actually played out perfectly to reveal the actors' inner needs and unspoken intentions.

Historically, the symbol of the serpent emphasizes knowledge or inner wisdom, with an initially frightening aspect. The serpent is at once both revered and reviled. It exemplifies wisdom and secret knowledge, similar to the wise old man.

In The Serpent's Dance, Book 1, the serpent at first represents the destruction of the author's physical world and his point of view about the "reality" he has experienced in relationships and a near-fatal accident that left his lower half paralyzed.

Shri (as protagonist) has a conversation with the serpent in which he discovers that destruction is necessary for creation to occur. Further he discovers how various problems in relationships and the accident actually served the purpose of manifesting his inner needs or unconscious motivations. In other words, there is perfection in how things turned out that lead to inner development.

Siddhah's secrets seem to echo many of the enlightened perspective of the world's treasured spiritual writings. They actually make sense when presented next to the episodes in the author's life.

I heartily recommend Serpent's Dance for its entertaining and readable style. As Shri fearlessly bares his soul, you just might also learn something about yourself.

Reviewed by Mary-Helen Leonard ...

Serpent's Dance is a brave and intimate account of one man's challenging journey to discovering his true nature. Compelling because of its honesty, mystery and logic. I eagerly anticipate Volume II.

Reviewed by Sharon Parker...

It takes a lot of courage to do what Shri Yannam has done -- to take a deep, honest, fearless look at oneself. I longed to read Serpent's Dance before it was called 'Serpent's Dance' and before it was ready to go to print. And I longed to read it after it did! And I'll read it again and again -- because the wisdom inside this book is truly timeless, and it transcends any and all belief systems. This book will draw your attention to the 'dance' that's happening within you, within that relationship you have with your lover, and with your world at large.

Shri Yannam is truly a blessing to all of us. Here is someone who's so incredibly worldly and sagely -- both at the same time! This will become apparent to the reader right from the very first chapter of the book. I hope all of you enjoy it as much as I have.

...A marvelous journey into the realms of spiritual self-discovery. There are fine insights in here which the readers will enjoy and find useful in employing in their own lives.

...This book opens with a exciting, riveting dialog of the development of a North Texas weather phenomenom, a Tornado, its' touchdown and the resulting chaos, devastation and frightening circumstances. So what does a Tornado have to do with a "Serpent's Dance"? For that matter, what is a "Serpent's Dance"?

As you will see, Shri Yannam proceeds to skillfully and cleverly craft this attention-getting stormy opening into the introduction of the touchdown, destruction and change of perception that was brought into his own personal life. It is the true story of his courage, toughness, anger, tears, and then the eventual peace, or at least reconcillation, of coming to terms with human life in a new form, from a changed- perspective.

In most every book I have read I have become aware of the occurence that somewhere amongst the pages lies a few lines or paragraphs that "glue" the book together. That is, they very directly, sometimes profoundly, express, coincisely, what the message is that the author seeks communicate in through the entire book. Here, I believe that I have found such words on page 58.: "For now, suffice it to say that compassion by the self, for the self would have worked a lot better. But you see - if you had compassion, then you would have been heart-centered. Which you weren't. You don't know what it meant to be heart-centered, nor did you really want to know. You humans turn yourselves into overwhelmingly complex bundles of energies when you slip into your heads and out of your hearts. The head is always trying to figure things out as it tries to make sense of the infinity of variables that life seems to throw at you. The heart already knows all [that] there is to know. [The composer] Mozart once said, "All the music [that] I want to compose has already been written. Such an awareness can only come thru [sic] a heart- centered awareness, from a sense of being that permeates you through and through." And further: " If you had self-compassion, you would not have needed a crisis to awaken you. A warm, open heart allows for simple, powerful awareness to settle into your bones, without effort, without struggle, without friction, without pain, where no stick-and-carrot method can do the trick. A heart will take you places where no head can, [nor] no head will!

Summing it up, this entire book was apparently written by Shri Yannam from his heart and soul and it does profoundly have heart. It is his desire now to give this to the world.

Mr. Yagoda presents the results of his exhaustive research with clarity and style. It's a compelling story and makes a great companion to the Kunkel books on Ross. I particularly enjoyed learning more about Shawn and the Shawn years at the NYer, since many of my favorite writers were nurtured under his watch. The best one-book history of the NYer I know of.

Disclaimer: I love The New Yorker. I have been a dedicated subscriber for ten years (and I am only twenty-six), and I read the magazine for years before subscribing under my own name.

Given my disclaimer, perhaps my five-star rating is self-evident. But not necessarily: As a lover of the magazine, I approached this text skeptically. I was interested in an unbiased review, yes, but likely I would have been wounded by a wholeheartedly negative portrayal.

Yagoda loves TNY even more than I do, if that's possible, yet he truthfully approaches his biography of the magazine. The ugliest facts are laid bare, but in a sympathetic whole.

TNY writers, editors, and staff members are lovingly recreated; Yagoda writes so well that I felt I knew these people, I understood these people, and I physically missed them after turning the last page. Like others who have reviewed this book, I wanted more--more, more, more. I felt astonished and sad to have finished the book. Were it a novel, I'd beg for a sequel, even knowing that sequels rarely live up to the original. Even a second-best second-tome would be better than missing the people and the institution that this book brings to life.

Admittedly, TNY readers will love this book vastly more than those unacquainted with its pages. However, if you are even beginning to approach the magazine, you must read this book. You will understand the weekly journal better than you do now, and you will appreciate it far more. I certainly do.

Bravo, Yagoda!

There are at least two ways to view Ben Yagoda's book ABOUT TOWN: 1) as the history of The New Yorker Magazine, how it was conceived and developed and changed over time, and 2) as a social document reflecting its times. The subtitle of the book "and the World it Made" does not seem quite as accurate unless one considers that "world" to be the corporate culture created by the staff led by Ross and Shawn, the two longtime editors who built the magazine. The New Yorker certainly has influenced the world within which it existed along with many other magazines.

Harold Ross, the founder and first editor of the magazine, with the help of Katherine and E.B.White, Thurber, Dorothy Parker, and many other fine editors and writers launched the magazine in the 1920s. The sophisticated and literary focus of the magazine soon captured the fancy of New Yorkers. During the hard days of the depression the magazine actually gained subscribers as readers enjoyed the humorous repartee and cartoons that helped them laugh at their troubles. Many new readers learned of the magazine during WWII as it was handed around the barracks. The GI bill produced many educated readers who remembering their wartime contact with the magazine now subscibed to it. Following WWII, the magazine included more and more "social conscience" articles, for example, John Hershey's essay on "Hiroshima."

Ross died in the early 1950s, and during the fifties under the editorship of William Shawn, the magazine became relatively banal according to Yagoda who says it appealed to stay-at-home wives who enjoyed articles that reminded them of their college days (among other pieces, Mary McCarthy's tales of her Italian travels were featured). In the 1960s, the magazine once again became more vocal about social issues and the environment.

Yagoda says the best years of the magazine came in the 1970s when writers like Woody Allen wrote wonderful wacky pieces and investigative journalists covered the scandals in
Washington. Following a downturn in subscriptions in 1980s, the magazine was purchased by a media mogul and William Shawn departed. With Tina Brown's arrival, the magazine metamorphed into a Conde Nast publication. Garrison Keillor's comments about Brown's arrival (as he left) are amusing.

Over the years, I have read John Updike, Alice Munro, Jamaica Kincaid, Katherine White, and many of the writers who once wrote for the New Yorker. When I was a child, my mother used to quote Dorothy Parker regularly ("Rivers are damp..."), but I had no idea Parker wrote for The New Yorker until years later (we lived in a rural area and subscribed to the Progressive Farmer!!). When I read Rachel Carson's SILENT SPRING, it changed my life, but I read it in book form when it was first published as a Book of the Month Club selection. I only became aware of The New Yorker magazine when I was in my thirties and a college writing instructor suggested it. Yagoda says many people discovered the magazine when they were students.

As a social document, The New Yorker articles very much reflect the times, and to some extent, at least under Ross, the magazine seemed to be ahead of the times. In reading this book, I was reminded of National Public Radio, which seems to be the main innovator in broadcast journalism these days--though I am told there are all sorts of happenings on the Internet. The in-depth news stories, the essays by various knowledgeable citizens, the political commentaries and Garrison Keilor are all comparable to The New Yorker magazine.

If you are interested in a snapshot of the 20th Century from an educated New Yorker magazine perspective, or in writing and magazine development in general, you will find much of interest in this book. The tales concerning the origins of many innovative features of the magazine are quite good.

Yagoda suggests the magazine pretty much ended with Shawn's departure in the late 1980s. He devotes eight pages at the end of the book to the three editors who followed Shawn. He says the median age of the readership grows older every year (not replacing subscribers) and most of current readership as such is owing to the retention of loyal readers. He quotes some of these readers who no longer actually read the magazine but have not given up their subscriptions. His book goes a long way toward explaining to me why I dropped my subscription a few years ago.

There are two types of writers: those who aspire, no, dream of being published in the "New Yorker", and those who, after several rejections, bitterly deride the very institution they hoped to conquer. I am solidly of the first camp, though give it a few years and I might be a latter-day grouch.

The work of Ben Yagoda brings the magazine alive, from the heyday of such luminaries as Thurber and White to the tough war years, right up through the Shawn era and even right up to (for 1999) the present. Through it all, Yagoda examines the many lives who devoted themselves to this literary exercise in humor and good faith. The most compelling character studies, however, are the two main editors throughout the magazine's history, Harold Ross and William Shawn.

Ross, who founded the magazine in 1925 and managed it through its first twenty-six years, comes across as a gruff, thoroughly Western man who nonetheless saw the need for a magazine like "The New Yorker", and brought it to being through sheer will and fortitude. He also happened to publish significant works by James Thurber, E.B. White, and J.D. Salinger among others. Shawn, taking the reins after Ross's death in 1951, saw the magazine through 30+ years of challange and triumph, only to be forced out in 1987. Throughout the book, Yagoda makes these men the central focus of his tale, but he includes brief looks at literary and other lights of the twentieth century, some who did get published (like Donald Barthleme, Veronica Geng, and John Updike) and some who didn't (Tom Wolfe, whose scandelous expose on the magazine shook it out of its fuddiness).

Overall, the book looks fondly back at the magazine's past, with a hint that it might never reach the same heights of importance it once had. That may very well be, but there's still something to be said for a magazine that is such an institution no one could imagine starting a writing career without considering the possibility of submitting to it.

"The New Yorker" is still the premier magazine in America, and this book explains why, after almost a century, it still carries the weight it does.

"About Town", by Ben Yagoda chronicles the majority of the 80+ years, "The New Yorker", has been contributing its unique journalistic culture to everyone, including, "The old lady in Debuque". Mr. Yagoda's book stands out from many books that have been offered to readers about the magazine for while he certainly is aware of the contributions the magazine has made for over 8 decades; he does not seem to be in awe of it or the people to the point it affects his writing. He clearly admires the magazine, but this does not stop his including a wealth of information that documents the eccentric personalities that shaped the magazine. Some may not find the notes flattering, but he objectively shows some of the magazines famous quirks without committing the blasphemy of a young Thomas Wolfe.

The list of writers who either became major or occasional contributors, reads like an amalgam of winners of the highest literary awards that have been offered. The list of those names repeatedly rejected expands the list even further. The book contains dozens of examples of the famous rejection letters that often are almost apologetic about turning down a piece of work while always writing in the first person plural. Having a piece selected by, "The New Yorker", was often considered the ultimate indicator that a new writer had arrived, that he or she had entered the pantheon of the magazine's literary legends. This was true even if the work accepted for publication may not have appeared for months, or even several years. The reception of the envelope stating a writer's work had been admitted was all many authors needed to have their work given unique value and cachet, publication was a bonus.

Mr. Yagoda also spends a good amount of his book on the cartoons, their artists, and the painful process that started with an idea only to have to run a gauntlet to be published. As hard as this path may have been, the scrutinizing that a written piece received is almost beyond imagining. It is understandable that first time contributors would have their worked scoured and polished, but when some of the 20th Century's finest writers nearly drew blood over commas the action within the building must have been spectacular. There is a story of one writer who sat outside the editor's office for almost 5 hours over the issue of a single comma. This World War I trench warfare standoff continued until the early hours of the next morning. The editor capitulated, but noted to the writer, "you are still wrong".

The story of this fascinating magazine could fill many volumes. If your starting place for gathering an overview of this institution, its editors, staff and writers, is this book, you will have chosen very well. Mr. Yagoda has written a great tribute to those he has chronicled.

I've been acting for ten years and got my first directing assignment. I know a lot about directing from having been directed, but this book was a great guide for script analysis with the big picture in mind, not just one character. The show was a success and the actors still like me.

It seems like reading would require no specific techniques, that they would come naturally to one and go without saying, even when the task is more specified, as in the reading of plays. But Ball breaks down this seemingly natural sense into its component elements and explains them in easily digestible, well-paced segments, and to examine these elements does much in the way of re-learning and thus refining and fine-tuning one's seemingly natural reading skill. This skill can be taken and applied in various ways (as Ball describes in the introduction), some of which are immeasurably improved by the complex understanding that posessing these refined elements provides; the reading a play to produce it, for example, or the writing of one yourself can be tremendously improved if one is constantly aware of what they are doing, why they're doing it, and what about their actions are correct, lacking, unnecessary or obtrusive. Without having a defined sense of the tools contained within this book, these tasks would be much more difficult, complicated, vague and roundabout, thus slowing, weakening or perhaps ruining the final product. Pair this skill set with application to texts such as plays, which are made all the more difficult by the fact that the playwright thinks in terms more of making their production work when produced for an audience and less of making their script read and be easily graspable completely on the page, and this manual becomes immeasurably more useful on a basic and elemental level.

This book would serve a Script Analysis class very well. I plan to use it for mine in the fall. It also is reader friendly enough to serve an actor/director/designer wanting a different perspective, perhaps, on a script; or could be a different way of explaining what we were generally taught as undergrads.

I have read a lot of books on the subjects of writing and acting. This book contains almost every important point in the tens of thousands of pages I have read when it comes to structure. If you are a writer you have to own this book! There is no wasted space in it. No actor or director on the planet should live without it either. You can read it in a day, but you'll read it again and again.

This book may have been primarily written for directors and writers, but it is a great tool for actors to get to real active meanings in a script.

I have been a shell collector for more than 25 years and along this years, this is the first time that I get such an interesting, well-documented, beautyfully illustrated and skillfully designed book on this subject. I am very happy with this purchase. The book has 411 pages with information and has about 12 photographs in each page giving a perfect appreciation of thousands of shells from everywhere. Each photo includes the common name (obviously valid in English speaking countries only), the scientific name, average length of adults (in centimeters and inches), brief information of geographical distribution and synonym names. Oh!, I almost forget to say that the authors,R. Tucker Abbott and S. Peter Dance are two famous conchologists leading this field of science for many, many years. So, this book informs, teaches and makes it very funny to learn and investigate in the universe of shells. "Bon apetit", collectors!!!

I had an earlier printing of this book (1983) and was disappointed to find that the 2000 edition I just purchased was virtually identical apart from a page of corrections at the end which would be much more useful if incorporated into the text. I feel that this excellent book needs updating to keep it as the No 1 general book on seashell identification.

This book is very informative and descriptive if you're looking to collect exotic shells from different parts of the world.

I have been a shell collector for a very long time now. This is now my second copy of this book, as I have worn the first copy out. It is the most comprehensive identifier book around. The color photos are excellent, and the amount of species depicted is impressive! This book, along with Jerome M. Eisenberg's A Collectors Guide to the Sea Shells of the World, are probably the only two books on Sea Shells, a novice collector will ever need. The serious collector will also benefit from these books as well.

This is a great book which hv given me alot of info, but still can upgrate by increase more pictures & decription for seashells of the world.

Dance on His Grave is Sylvia Dickey Smith's first in her Sidra Smart/Third Eye series. This is a mystery with a touch of paranormal, in that the protagonist has a sixth sense about things.

Sidra Smart and the other characters in the book are true to life. This is not to say they aren't larger than life, which they are, but they certainly hold true for east Texas. You could pluck just about any character from Dance on His Grave, set him or her in the real setting and they'd be right at home.

Orange, Texas, is fictional, but Smith creates the town in such detail and with such love that it comes to life - vivid and believable.

The protagonist of Dance on His Grave, Sidra Smart, starts off as a fish out of water, but by the end of the book, she's grown into her role as sleuth and unexpected P.I. If you like character driven mystery with a touch of fantasy, you'll most likely like this book - and will look forward to more in the series.

This is one of my all-time favorite books. Though it's extremely bizarre at times and walks a line of becoming unthinkable, yet it never fully crosses that line. "Dance On His Grave" is suspenseful, engaging and anything but predictable and rekindles your love of why you started reading it in the first place.

As a former native of the area where much of the story takes place, I think the story works because the cast of characters are quite an interesting ensemble. While each new character introduced is appealing enough to catch your eye, Sylvia Dickey Smith doesn't go into too much detail to detract from the main story or main characters.

The descriptions of the place and the people and even the food are detailed enough to give the reader a good feel of the setting and atmosphere. From start to end, it is an interesting tale because the characters are unbelievable (in a good way) and it takes place in an area where anything and everything is know to happen. This area along the Sabine River as it winds its way to the Gulf of Mexico has always intrigued me. From the fantastic architecture, to the culture and people, they are all truly fascinating and Sylvia Dickey Smith paints a picture that is easy to visualize. She has a definitely unique style of writing and I was left wondering how in the world she came up with some of the things that are exposed in "Dance On His Grave." This story totally captures the hot, sultry mood of Orange, Texas, and goes at that pace - any faster and the heat would have caused a melt down. This book is a thrill-ride a minute.

Cliff Johnson
Author, Wrong Side of the River

The Sidra Smart stories carry you right along; they are intriguing and mesmerizing for the reader who likes `real' characters and a puzzle to solve--a good write!

I enjoy getting to know Sid; a very interesting person. I'm very glad to see that she has moved beyond the rules (which are made to be broken) and seen beyond words (which are meant to control). Especially that she had/has the strength (guts) to move/stay out of a relationship that was damaging her and move on to a life that calls to her. All of us are where we need to be at any given time and when the urge to move on comes, it is because we are ready to do just that, even if we don't know what's waiting for us out there.

If studying Zen has done anything for me, it has made me more tolerant of everyone else; allowing me to see that each of us is on our own path and each of us needs different supports and trials at different times and in different ways. It is not for us to judge where a person is but to accept that it is their journey. It only becomes sad when one gets so involved in being `human', they cannot see their way. I know; I've been there.

I don't see either the Zen or Buddhism as a religion, or the worshiping of some mythical creature/person, rather as a way of life--a way to live with the Earth, the Universe and more importantly, with myself.

Thank you for introducing/releasing her.

Following in the footsteps of the likes of Mary Higgins Clark and Phyllis A. Whitney, Sylvia spins a tale of suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat. It didn't take much past the first few lines for me to know that I would do nothing much except read this book in it's entirety for the next few hours. I have just come into possession of the second book in the series, and cannot wait to jump into it with both feet! Excellent read!

Sidra Smart is 51 years old and recently divorced from her preacher husband. When her brother dies in a motor vehicle accident, Sid, inherits his investigative firm, The Third Eye, in Orange, Texas. Sidra has no experience as an investigator and initially intends to sell the business but is intrigued by a young woman named Jewell, who claims her father murdered a woman 30 years before. Although Jewell was three when it happened, her memories are so intense, Sid can't help but wonder if they're real. She questions Jewell's sister, Emma, who corroborates much of what Jewell remembers. Emma and Jewell confide in Sid their father's cruelty, and both, along with their mother, are suffering mental and emotional sequelae as a result of his abuse. Sid contacts the sheriff of Orange, Texas with the information Jewell has provided, and shortly thereafter, her life is threatened. This makes Sid more determined than ever to bring justice upon the man who has severely damaged so many lives. But someone is intent on stopping her.

Dance on his Grave is a strong start to the Third Eye series and is sure to develop a large reader base. Sid Smart is a compelling character; a woman who lived a sheltered life until she decided she wanted out of a controlling relationship and is now determined to start her life anew, despite antagonistic actions from members of her husband's parsonage. A female baby-boomer as a private eye is a fresh addition to the mystery genre, even more appealing, one with intelligence and maturity. Sid's Aunt Annie is a likeable, albeit quirky character, and Sid's mentor George Leger lends a colorful Cajun ambience to the story. This well-written mystery falls under the category of page-turner and will keep the reader entertained throughout.

As an MFA student and beginning screenwriter, I've found Hot Property invaluable for so many reasons. First, Keane's accessible explanations of structure are key in terms of establishing instant confict and moving the story along. In addition, Keane's breakdown of genre has been very helpful in terms of conceptualizing marketing, the pitch, and how to sell a screenplay. Of all the screenwriting books I've read, Hot Property is the most straightforward and has the greatest clarity--and in a business where you only get five minutes to pitch your idea, I think that's crucial. Get this BEFORE you start your screenplay--it'll save you a lot of time and ultimately, your story will be stronger as a result.

As an Emerson College student I found this book to be the most comprehensive text on the subject of screenwriting that I have ever encountered. Keane describes the form and function of screenwriting in a way that is easily accessible to any reader and improves the writing process of a new writer or seasoned professional. I would also recommend his book, How to Write a Selling Screenplay.

I just began the book, but I already feel angered by how poorly written, and uninformative it is so far. I have read the first few chapters, and a good chuck of Keane's included original screenplay. This screenplay is utterly awful on so many levels. The formmating it outdated. Action descriptions are often written in ways you cannot show. A total no-no. The characters are shallow. The dialogue is banal, and does not flow. Most of the time, I do not even get the sense the characters are talking to each other. As for the first few chapters, lines like "Celluloid snakes through you body." Um. What? That doesn't make sense, and mixes metaphors. Cellulod and snakes? Whoah. Followed by "Your blood runs at frames per second." Silly, just silly. Finally, "Your eyeballs are projectors." Even as a metaphor, it doesn't work. Eyeballs take in information, not project out. You get the point. Don't waste your time on this drivel. Read some other books like Blake Snyder's Save the Cat!, or How NOT to Write a Screenplay.

I've found both of Chris Keane's screenwriting books (Hot Property and How to Write a Selling Screenplay) to be invaluably helpful to me. They take the reader through the entire process of starting, completing, and selling a script. It's a very encouraging and optimistic source and does a lot to motivate and educate the reader. Of the dozens of screenwriting books that I've read, these have been the most helpful for me and the most inclusive.

Being a working screenwriter, I can tell you that Chris's insights into the workings of today's movie Biz are 150% on the money! Readable, clear, and very helpful! A definite Keeper for anyone who wants to write for the movies, and for those who already do so.