Dance Books

This book is an EXCELLENT source, full of complete information on film production. This is the most comprehensive and complete publication I have seen to date. No wonder it constantly sells out. I am glad I bought it. I highly recommend it.

Really good book. Full of excellent forms and useful tips. Great for your next film.

I offered this book to a friend who is into film production. He seemed to be really satisfied with the book content...

Eve has done a great job of encapsulating the logistical process of making a film. One could call Eve's book a filmmaking bible. No other book says it better.

Matthew Giovannucci
Student / Rockport College, Maine

My friend Mark Hansson wrote to me recently to recommend this set. Mark is a busy guy in `the biz,' having done almost a hundred films and TV shows, including episodes of Murder She Wrote, Fat Actress, Six Feet Under, as well as the features Dreamgirls and The Quickie (overlooked and much-recommended) - so his advice is key.

Turns out that Eve and Mark have been friends for a couple of decades, since they met on a film when Eve was a Production Coordinator. Mark read the first edition in galley form, long before it became a standard reference book at most studios and at many film schools. Eve's got another book out too - Hollywood Drive: What it Takes to Break in, Hang in & Make it in the Entertainment Industry.

While Hollywood Drive deals with more `esoteric issues,' this book is worth its price for the production forms alone: a CD Rom of almost 200 templates that can be customized and adapted for any film or TV show. Mark says, "I still use some of them today, such as the `Walkie Talkie Checkout List,' an active Word document that you can type into once it has been downloaded."

Eve herself has helped thousands of our industry colleagues, through classes and the group she founded - the Film Industry Network (FIN), which still meets once a month at Sony studios. Mark again: "I'm very proud of Eve and the second career she has found as an author and teacher. She's an extraordinary person. And no - I don't get royalties from the book!"

I don't get royalties either - in fact I bought both books right here on Amazon, and I am glad I did. The Complete Film Production Handbook is a must-have for any producer, director, or production manager.

This book is written by a trained anthropologist, but a dry read it is not. The author tells a very human story in a page-turning way, introducing readers to a place and a people who, for all of their struggles and for all of their differences from non-Brazilian readers, are still portrayed in such a way as to make us all remember how much we as fellow human beings have in common - the need for food, shelter, safety, and yes, even love. In fact, this triumph of love over often heartbreaking circumstances is the central theme and dare I say lesson of the book...and what a timely lesson it is. This book, a crash course in "how the other [less fortunate] half lives," was a great inspiration to me, and a great reminder of how very much a couple of hardworking idealists really can make a tremendous difference in this world.

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I picked up this book. I had heard a little bit about the [...] organization through my friends, so I could somewhat guess where the book ended. But I was mostly unprepared for the journey. When Ms. Willson first visited the city of Salvador da Bahia in Brazil, she probably never imagined the impact the city and its people were going to have on her life. As an anthropologist, she lived among the city's poor, learning about their lives and culture and gradually coming to love them. She developed a strong need to give something back, to change the social norms that trapped these people in grinding poverty. Thus was born Bahia Street. But this wasn't just another charity of outsiders trying to impose their vision of a better life. Instead, Bahia Street uses ideas, goals and people from the poorest parts of the city to work for a better life for the girls it educates. This local involvement seems to be critical to the organization's remarkable success.

The depths of poverty in many places in the world is almost impossible for us to contemplate from the comfort of our secure lifestyles. This book takes the reader deep into the poorest areas of Salvador and shows us the daily struggle for survival faced by the people who live there. It is a powerful reminder of the gross inequities that exist between the haves and have-nots of the world, and shows that it is possible for us to make a difference, however small, if we are only willing to listen and trust those in need.

Like many of the other reviewers poted here, once I started this book it was difficult to put down. Margaret Willson transported me to a world I knew little of. I have always wanted to visit Brazil to see its beaches, its beautiful people, and of course to eat. I have heard so much about the melting pot that Brazil is, and the nonexistence of racism because of it. Wilson dispelled this falsehood for me. Classism is just as painful as racism, and just as impossible to escape.
I especially appreciate the way Willson goes about trying to make a difference for the people around her. She chooses an avenue where she can have a lasting impact, and she is careful to keep the community active and in control of the project. Too often foreign assistance comes with an air of paternalism and grateful subservience is expected in return. In getting to know the comunity, Willson saw that they understand their needs better than an outsider, and they are in a better position to attend to those needs. So she offered Bahia Street organization as the support for the efforts the Brazilians in Salvador were spearheading. This is an excellent lesson for any who would like to serve in international outreach.
Willson is very candid about the classism, abject poverty, and sexual politics that make everyday life in Salvador so difficult. She is aware of her own limitations, but these appear to solidify her commitment to do what she is able to.
This book aroused in me a desire to serve. I could see how a person or group of people really can make a lasting difference for someone else as Willson continues to do through Bahia Street.

One cannot help but be moved by this story. A remarkably easy read of a difficult subject, it can be appreciated on many levels. There is the fascinating insight into capoeira; the exploration of race and the part it plays in Brazil as well as the US; the insights into making a project work within another culture through inclusion and respect; the ideas for teaching children who have not attended school and helping them reach their potential against great odds. I was so touched I had tears in my eyes when I finished. Read it; pass it on; check out their website. Keep the dance alive.

This inspiring, fascinating and great-to-read first person account tells of the founding and development of Bahia Street (www.bahiastreet.org), a grassroots organization dedicated to creating a top quality educational center for girls in an African-Brazilian shantytown in Northeastern Brazil. Co-Founder/Author Margaret Willson exemplifies what Global Citizen Journey aspires to: a deep sense of our interconnectedness with respect, trust and deference to communities to know the best way to meet their challenges. She offers wise insights about the pitfalls of 'do-gooder' impulses and the complexities of racism, class and power, and an extraordinary example of community based change. What's more, Willson writes with the sensitivity and language of a poet.


In one section she addresses the role of power/patronage in international aid which I found especially enlightening and compelling for my fellow global citizens who yearn to help make this a world that works for all:
"I began to think about the giving away of power. Generosity in terms of the donation of material things is comparatively easy. We keep the power because we never give away things we really think we need, and because through giving we increase our social power. We do nothing to destabilize the status quo." "...people start nonprofits for all kinds of reasons, and, generally, the primary reason is not that they want to change the world. Perhaps that is what they think they want to do when they start, but individual development aid projects have a great deal to do with personal insecurity and the desire for power...We have a concrete idea of what a "good" life for others is and what they need to have this "good" life. So, we force ideas upon them...We want to write the curriculum, design the housing project, the water project, the solar project-whatever it is that we think would be best for others...In the end, however, we keep the control of society in our hands. This is also why most projects help people just enough to give them tools to survive, but not to raise them to a level to make them equal with the ruling class. This would be dangerous because we would no longer have control...Central to actual change is the real giving away of power and influence. This is very difficult on a personal level because we want to be recognized for our work, for the things we have done that have actually helped, and for the time we have spent on whatever project we feel strongly about.... But, I began to realize, giving away power is a learning experience of the deepest kind. Through giving away outward power, I realized I had begun to gain internal power...."

My 3 1/2 year old son loves this book, we have read it every night since we bought it.

Very fun with great words and rhymes. My son can't get enough of this book. We read it everyday before bedtime. Highly recommend!

After checking this book out from the library multiple times, I figured my 5 and 3 year olds needed a copy for themselves. This is a lyrical, funny and memorable story that should please everyone!

My daughter loves the rhythmical bounce to this book! It's like reading a song! Very Fun!

My girlfriend and her son absolutly love it. It must be read with a little bit of a rhyme

If you visit Shirley Cheng's website, you'll soon discover she is a very unique individual with an inspirational story that will definitely touch you in some way. Shirley was born in 1983 and diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis before she was even one year old. Due to years of hospitalization in both China and America, Shirley received no formal education until she was eleven years old. In public school, she suffered from abuse at the hands of public school aides. At the age of seventeen, she lost her eyesight. Today, Shirley is a motivational speaker, poet, and an author of a handful of books all available through Amazon.

Shirley's book, Embrace Ultra-Ability, presents over 20 chapters of the author's own personal advice on focusing in on the world around you in order to achieve personal success. From learning to appreciate nature to developing your own spirituality, Shirley teaches the reader to focus on the simple everyday parts of life that those of us who are not handicapped often take for granted.

My favorite chapter in the book is called "A Matter of Time." Shirley begins the chapter by asking the reader if they would like the power to look into the future. Who wouldn't? Psychic power is something many of us seek out as a novelty, astounded when predictions often do come true, a power many of us wish we had. However, Shirley embraces the opposite. "But after carefully considering it, I would like to keep the future a secret instead," Shirley writes. Why spoil the surprise of life, she stresses. She continues:

"While we hope for a bright tomorrow, we need to capture our time right now before it slips away between the cracks of everyday rushes. The best way to capture time is to cherish every minute of your existence."

Yep, it's a broad realization, right? But so true. I often dread facing another work week when Monday gets here, anxious for the weekend, only to look back and wonder where the weeks went to because they flew by so fast. And so is life, passing me by quicker and quicker every year, which is why I found Shirley's book to be a nice bit of encouragement to take time out everyday, slow down, and appreciate the simple things in life I am fortunate enough to have.

Embrace Ultra-Ability is not a sad book written by someone who is misfortunate and asking for your sympathy. Sure, her words and story are truly compassionate and will definitely touch you, but Ms. Cheng is a motivational and kindred spirit that we can all learn from. The title of her book says it all. We should ignore our inabilities in life, and turn them into ultra-abilities that will work in our favor and make us a better person. I have no doubt that reading this book is a great start to achieving just that!

"Embrace Ultra-Ability" by Shirley Cheng is a powerful book that demonstrates a spiritual insight I have not seen in a person as young as she is. By skillfully intertwining her spiritual insights with her personal story, she is able to explain how every one has the ability to enjoy a happy, loving and prosperous life full of rich rewarding journeys. A person can not read this book and in reality ever "feel sorry for themselves" again. I highly recommend this book for those seeking ways to embrace every aspect of their lives and develop them to serve others.
Rowena Holloway, Co-Author of the Pray it Forward trilogy.

Shirley Cheng's seem to be able to take on some of life's toughest struggles and by keeping her faith strong in her God and herself, she has been able to do things in her life that might slow down the average person.
After reading "Embrace Ultra-Ability" it seems to me that most of us could learn a thing or 2 on how to soar above our limitations.
Her clear style of writing and thought process made reading this book a self discovery journey.
Elizabeth Cassidy,CTACC
Branching Out Life Coaching

Shirley Cheng is a queen of optimism and inspiration. Her faith in God and love of life are unwavering no matter what challenges she had to face in her short life of twenty four. Her enthusiasm and wisdom about life are contagious.

"Embrace Ultra-Ability" should be read by every human being. If you are facing challenges in life you will learn how to overcome them. And if you don't face any challenges be grateful for every moment you live on this earth, because life is a gift.

Lea Yekutiel - author, Los Angeles, CA

In a society that is self absorbed, unjustly critical and judgmental; out comes an honest and humble perspective from a young, prophetic muse, whose inner perception is astounding.

"Embrace Ultra-Ability!" - defines the very essence that truly needs to exist in all of us. We have no place for pity within our lives after reading about the determination, resilience and extreme faith Shirley holds towards her life and her experience. The courage to share her understanding in anticipation others will follow, is a sheer sign of true leadership and accountability.

And as a matter of fact, each teenager should be given this book in High School as a basis from which to build their values, morals and gratitude toward life.

With what we view as set-backs, Ms. Cheng views her challenges as monuments of growth and turns them in to the highest of accomplishments and achievements. I honor her endurance and envy her strength.

Very well done...What is next Ms. Cheng?

The young Hal and his instructor in the art of living the good life , Falstaff cavort through the first half of Henry IV as if life were going to be one long , irresponsible entertainment. The dramatic transformation of all of this , and Hal's casting off of Falstaff, and moving to kingly responsibility will come in the Henry IV Part II.
What is present here throughout is the tremendous richness of Shakespeare's imagination in his creation of character, and inventiveness in language , in his ability to create so many different moods and feelings.
'Falstaff' is one of Shakespeare's most beloved characters, and one of the great figures in the Comedy of world literature.
Enjoy.

In Part One of Shakespeare's "Henry IV," the titular king tries to defend his throne from a rebel army led by the hotheaded Hotspur, who has a long list of grievances about the king's treatment of his family, the Percys. Hotspur has allied himself with several principal figures including his uncle the Earl of Worcester, his brother-in-law Mortimer the Earl of March, Lord Douglas the Scot, and Owen Glendower, a Welsh chieftain with a vivid mystical imagination -- he is so egotistical that he insists an earthquake that occurred the day of his birth was a divine proclamation of his importance -- and a desire to usurp all of Wales from the king.

While he is preparing for war against the rebels, Henry IV laments that his own son Henry (Hal), the Prince of Wales, is a shameful libertine living the high life in London and consorting with a gang of scurrilous miscreants. Indeed, Prince Hal's idea of fun is robbing people, and his best friend and accomplice in this activity is Sir John Falstaff, who turns out to be not Hal's peer but a middle-aged man. In a character transformation of an abruptness that can only be described as magical, Hal becomes a serious young man determined loyally to defend his father's kingship from Hotspur's assault after he receives an earnest lecture from his father about the dangers of acting irresponsibly as a public figure.

Not enough can be said about Falstaff, who is undoubtedly one of the most richly realized characters in literature. He is fat, lazy, cowardly, yet boastful, but not in the same way Owen Glendower is -- Owen really believes what he says; Falstaff is just trying to make himself look better than he actually is, but fools nobody because he prevaricates and embellishes without bothering to remember his previous lies for the sake of consistency. You probably know somebody like this in real life -- especially if you're ten years old. Falstaff's piquancy, in fact, so outweighs the stature of the other characters that his absence is sorely felt in the scenes in which he does not appear.

Most of all, Part One of "Henry IV" is a play of contrasts personified by Prince Hal and Hotspur, who incidentally is also named Henry. In their confrontation on the battlefield, it seems unlikely that Hal, who wasted many of his best days living as a rake, could conquer a seasoned warrior like Hotspur in a swordfight. But there wouldn't be much of a tale to tell if not to show Hal triumphing after his resolution to change his weak habits, and the play ends with the conviction that, despite his past mistakes, he would make a noble king himself.

This is the play where the Percy rebellion begins and centers around the Achilles-like Hotspur. Eventually, Hotspur (Henry Percy) and Prince Hal (Henry Monmouth - later Henry V) battle in single combat.

We also get to see the contrast between these young men in temperament and character. King Henry wishes his son were more like Hotspur. Prince Hal realizes his own weaknesses and seems to try to assure himself (and us) that when the time comes he will change and all his youthful foolishness will be forgotten. Wouldn't that be a luxury we wish we could all have afforded when we were young?

Of course, Prince Hal's guide through the world of the cutpurse and highwayman is the Lord of Misrule, the incomparable Falstaff. His wit and gut are featured in full. When Prince Hal and Poins double-cross Falstaff & company, the follow on scenes are funny, but full of consequence even into the next play.

But, you certainly don't need me to tell you anything about Shakespeare. Like millions of other folks, I am in love with the writing. However, as all of us who read Shakespeare know, it isn't a simple issue. Most of us need help in understanding the text. There are many plays on words, many words no longer current in English and, besides, Shakespeare's vocabulary is richer than almost everyone else's who ever lived. There is also the issue of historical context, and the variations of text since the plays were never published in their author's lifetime.

For those of us who need that help and want to dig a bit deeper, the Arden editions of Shakespeare are just wonderful.

-Before the text of the play we get very readable and helpful essays discussing the sources and themes and other important issues about the play.

-In the text of the play we get as authoritative a text as exists with helpful notes about textual variations in other sources. We also get many many footnotes explaining unusual words or word plays or thematic points that would likely not be known by us reading in the 21st century.

-After the text we get excerpts from likely source materials used by Shakespeare and more background material to help us enrich our understanding and enjoyment of the play.

However, these extras are only available in the individual editions. If you buy the "Complete Plays" you get text and notes, but not the before and after material which add so much! Plus, the individual editions are easier to read from and handier to carry around.

I am actually reviewing both Parts One and Two with this since they should be read together.The reason why I enjoyed these plays so much is because we see Falstaff in both of them. He is my favourite Shakespearean character - big, bawdy, rough, a liar and a cheat, but again we know what he is right from the beginning, and Shakespeare keeps him so true to character. These plays are a bit different from some of the other histories. There are more comedic parts in them for one thing. The plays are certainly used as a medium for introducing young Hal (who will become King Henry V). We see him as a young man, and watch him grow and see the influences that his society and the people in it have on his development. He doesn't appear to be growing up well according to his father because he is so irresponsible. King Henry IV was not England's strongest ruler. He was haunted by his guilt over the death of his predecessor, King Richard II. In Part Two, comedy still plays a big role, and we still see Falstaff's influence on young Hal until the shocking moment of Falstaff's death. The best part about Part Two though is the deathbed scene between old King Henry IV and his son Prince Henry. The play leads us to "King Henry V". Prince Hal does finally grow up and he becomes a very strong leader. Actually King Henry Iv, Parts one and two should be read before King Henry V. It is the correct sequence and we see Prince Hal grow and mature.

Henry IV remains one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, even though the tragedies and comedies get far more attention and seeming appreciation than do the histories. As an English major, I examined Henry's (Hal's) character, and I focused on his development from a somewhat foolhardy young man into a self-assured, even manipulative prince. It is hard to say which of these Hal truly is, or if he is a little bit of both.

At the beginning of the play, Hal spends his free time cavorting around with his friend Falstaff (who provides all of the laughs in the play and is cited as one of the best comic characters in all literature). In the first act we already see hints in Hal's sololiquy that he may not be as carefree as we are led to believe, and that he might betray friends like Falstaff to be the prince that he is expected to be. Read on in "Henry V" to see just how much of a polished politician Hal becomes--his battle cries and his "once more unto the breech, dear friends" is masterful in its persuasiveness and ability to induce his countrymen to fight.

Hotspur serves as a nice counterpoint to Hal in "Henry IV." Hotspur is the hothead and Hal makes his decisions calmly and rationally. This almost inhuman rationality comes into play again in "Henry V" and makes you long for the seemingly carefree Hal.

All in all, "Henry IV" is a great read and quite an interesting character study--I highly recommend it!

I found this to be a very enjoyable read and was disappointed when it was over. This should be recommended reading for anyone who plays or is a fan of the harmonica.

If you want to know something of the history of the instrument you are playing, you should have a copy of this book. Well written, entertaining, and loads of material. I especially like the interviews.

Previous reviewers have said it all - "savour every word"... "hats off to Kim Field" etc - but my enthusiam makes me want to throw my hat into the ring. I've been writing about music for newspapers and magazines for 25 years, as a sidelight to my job as a journalist, and I'm in awe of the job Field has done with this book. It's exquisitely written and packed with entertaining information. The 20th century harmonica world was populated by all manner of rascals, hobos, eccentrics and maestros (often all wrapped up in the same person), and Field tells their stories in a clean, organised fashion that captures the magic while never resorting to sentiment or hyperbole. While it's very much a book for harmonica nuts, I've been reading plenty of laugh-out-loud sections to my partner, whose passion is more in the classical piano mold. Over the years I've collected a number of compilations of obscure harp players, but they're not obscure anymore. Having them expertly set in the context of their colourful lives has made the listening immensely more rewarding. Bless you, Kim, for putting in the research in the nick of time, before many of these people were dead and unable to speak for themselves. And bless you for your highly professional yet heartfelt approach.

Hats off to Kim Field! This is a great book and a much needed one. His excellent research is augmented with great writing. Every harp player in the land should own one.

Very inspirational to me and others who keep trying to swipe my copy. This is so well written and organized that I keep reading much of it over and over again. It is one of those books that you savior every word. It is very inexpensive for such a valuable, meaty, entertaining resource. Mr. Field, thank you for this tremendous read. This material would make a great PBS Ken Burns type documentary.

Acting is a job, you are an employee it is not about ART.

Hollywood is a business.
It is a treasure to access the perspective of Columbia Pictures former business affairs executive, Michael J. Wallach; "How to Get Arrested" is a must read for those striving to work and equally beneficial to those already working as Actors.

Michael J. Wallach's book helps an actor prepare in a practical way for a career in show business. His writing is insightful and full of humor; he is generous in sharing pertinent information to advance your career. Never before have I read a book by someone in the industry that has been so generous with their information. Thank-you Michael!

Michael's book is a great guide to an industry that will respect you for being a worker bee not a wanna bee; and how to be a professional.
BE a PROFESSIONAL then DO the job and HAVE a career!
Be on time, KNOW YOUR LINES, LISTEN, Be respectful and stay humble.
If you're not an actor this book gives many great insights to being a better person and getting things done.

This powerhouse of a small book is an invaluable guide for actors. Mr. Wallach offers a great little book that cuts to the chase... illuminates the illusive, rocky terrain to success in the biz. If only I had had this knowledge back in the days... which he so caringly shares with actors now. HOW TO GET ARRESTED is a wonderful gift. MM

This is a VERY basic book for newbie actors, probably young actors, who have no idea what they are getting into when they come to Los Angeles. Since there are so many clueless actors who come out to Los Angeles every year, this book has a ready-made market of endless "how do you do it" wanna-be stars. But, for someone who knows a bit about the business and treats it like a business to start with, this book comes across too novice.

This book was not only very informative, it was fun!
I bought it for my daughter and got engrossed in it myself.
It really is a must read for aspiring actors and their mom's!!!!!

I feel that I have somehow become a little jaded and bitter over the years of struggling. Something I detest, thats why
I need to make the hard turn and come back and hit it at a different angle... I don't know, It's your book that opened my eyes! ha ha ha!

"Life doesn't just happen to us. There is one spectacular moment when it happens for us," says Mary Gauden Hughes (psychology '81). Her book, The Last Slow Dance, conveys that sentiment in the story of a musician who must decide between his career and the love of a writer who may have found her best story yet in him. These two "not-so-young" lovers must figure out how to balance their dreams and fears when love is involved and when the past isn't resolved.

This is a powerful, poignant and compelling love story of love found and the transforming power of this love. The story is marked by Hughes's simplicity of form and purity of line, comparable to the best selling author, Nicholas Spark's novel, The Notebook. A pleasant and relaxing read.

I certainly have enjoyed "The Last Slow Dance." It would be a great movie as it would be interesting for young folks as well as older folks. It is so nice to read a book that doesn't have unnecessary and unwanted descriptions. It is a book that you can be proud of. Keep more books coming!

This book was great! I fell in love with the characters in the first chapter. Micheal Mcain is such a deep character. I'm sorry that can't write much now, but this book is great!

I read this book in one sitting! What an excellent, uplifting story of life and love. This author's writing style is beautiful and easy - it flows so well - you just can't put it down. If you liked The Bridges of Madison County, you will also love The Last Slow Dance. I look forward to more books by Mary Gauden Hughes.

This is the definite cluetrain (doc searls et al)for broadcasTV news. Much the same way cluetrain sparked a marketing revolution, this does the same for broadcast journalism.
I first meet the author when she was interning for Florida Today in Cocca Beach.
Every point she makes in this book is vaild. The take on "fox fair and balanced" tells me she won't be on the O'Reilly factor anytime soon.
I found only one sort of error. FYI> Matt Lauer does have a broadcast journalism background on the local level. He came out of the same environment that former NBC correspondent and current talk show host (WBUR Boston) Robin Young did, PM Magazine at WJAR TV 10 in Providence Rhode Island. That's the only small flaw I could find in the book.
The suits at CNN don't want you to read the book. They are not happy campers and with good reason. The hollywood suits trashed the network big time, and with than came the opening for Fox news to fill. Rick Kaplan is currently doing the same thing for MSNBC that he did for CNN take it down the pike.
It's a fast read but once you start you wont' want to stop.

Finally---an insider with enough intestinal fortitude to call a sham a sham!!! One can just imagine the 6 o'clock news being primmed, powdered and perfumed with just enough tear (or smile) to make it palatibly entertaining. Ms. Anderson, with her years of experience and credibility, still believes that the American citizenry is due the news, the whole news, and nothing but the news. Reserve the spin and "holy cows" for the baseball commentators! If the media execs remain stoically entrenched in the annals of the entertainment world, then let them be reminded of the old radio classic, Dragnet, where the byline was...."the facts, Ma'am, just the facts".

Bonnie Anderson's book has brought to the light of day what I have felt has been a problem with the media for some time. Many of the newscasts are more concerned with form, not substance; how they look and not what they say. Her book is a very good read and pulls no punches in pointing out the way many in the media are more concerned with entertainment than hard news coverage. Her description of this type of coverage as "Infotainment" is right on point.

News Flash brings to the reader another big problem influencing news coverage which is how mega mergers are affecting the coverage that is being presented to the viewing public. Unfortunately the impact is not good and these large conglomerates are proving the old adage "bigger is not always better" to be very true.

From her experience at CNN as a reporter, managing director of a news division and Vice President of Recruitment and Training, Anderson offers the reader a unique perspective as to what goes on inside a large news organization. She provides an in depth look at what takes place behind closed doors when it comes to hiring, firing and staffing in today's media corporations and much of what she reveals should be quite disturbing to the viewing public. This book provides some very interesting statistics about the media and its management which I am sure most of us were never aware of.

While Anderson points out numerous things that are wrong with today's TV media and its management, she also brings out the good that the true journalist can and should do. At the end of the book she offers her thoughts on what the media can do to provide the viewing public with quality news coverage. She should be commended for taking a stand and bringing to our attention the problems and proposing solutions to get TV journalism back to the quality we need and deserve.

In light of Anderson's criticism of the TV networks and cable news channels, it will be interesting to see if any of the media will afford her the same opportunity to present her views as they did when Bernard Goldberg published his book on bias in the media. If they do not, shame on the media, again.

News Flash appears as a rising meteor against a field of weakening stars. Ms. Anderson's book takes the reader through the shenanigans of the TV news broadcasters in their unadulterated striving for place and profits while leaving behind journalistic investigation and integrity. Her words turn out to be an exciting journey of personal experience and incisive exposure.
As a long time news journalist Ms. Anderson sets a fair bar for news organization to reach. Her experiences and reporting often show just how good news organization can function. The same intimacy exposes the petty, inexcusable machinations of networks in journalistic decline.
Ms. Anderson's news flashes exposes the perfidy of CNN's executive wing in its Tailwind scandal, the staging of news as presented by NBC's Dateline story on General Motors in 1992 and the apparent homophobia of Roger Mudd given his attitude toward AIDS victims. But indeed, Ms Anderson is not a muckraker. On the contrary, hers is to excite the industry to better, to reset the standard of TV journalism. She gives as examples her own series on drought and famine in Africa bringing a change in American policy on humanitarian aid, or of CNN's initiative in covering the return of twenty-four U.S. Navy spy plane crewmen held in China. While these could be considered scoops, her admiration for her industry is best held by her words on the, "spectacular breaking news coverage of the 9/11 attacks."
Ms. Anderson words border on the requirement for broadcast journalism to return to its traditional values and to assure the public a clear and unbiased presentation of the news. Ms. Anderson carries the fight to those in the industry already sullying news broadcasts as entertainment and who have diluted their own professionalism for money, position, or simply hubris.

From her insiders view of the whole industry, Bonnie
Anderson delivers a searing indictment of our corrupt,
sensationalistic television news. She lays out fact
by fact, and name by name, just how, why, and most
importantly who is to blame for this once esteemed
institution's downward slide into the very muck it
used to deplore. For years, Noam Chomsky's theories
about the corruption of the news media have grown less
alarmist and eerily more prescient as the
infotainment age reaches its belligerent maturity.
But while Chomsky was lecturing about it, Ms. Anderson
was out in the field living it. She recounts, with a
journalist's eye for detail, all that went astray
within our large media conglomerates. The cast of
characters are all to familiar, Browkaw, Jennings,
Schwarzenegger, Striesand, O.J., Clinton, Leo,
Lewinsky, and Lettermen, as Ms. Anderson makes a
compelling case for the media's distortion from a
revered source of accurate information to an
increasingly grotesque and obvious fountain of
entertainment. "If it bleeds it leads" is the mantra
of newsrooms of our day, and may truth and rational
perspective be damned. Everything of value is
jettisoned in light of shocking and sensational video
footage about any subject, no matter how irrelevant
and trivial. No one will hear about the latest civil war in
Africa when every second of news time is dedicated to
footage of a shark attack in Florida, human interest
stories, a surfing cat, or another excessive
Hollywood wedding.

I HAVE BEEN A BIG FAN OF OLTL FOR 25 YEARS. THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING I COULD WANT IN COVERING MY FAVORITE SOAP OPERA. THE INTERVIEWS, PHOTOS, RESEARCH DONE MR. WARNER IS OUTSTANDING. IT BROUGHT BACK SOME GREAT MEMORIES FROM THE PAST 25 YEARS. ALL FANS OF ONE LIFE TO LIVE AND SOAPS SHOULD OWN THIS GREAT PIECE OF WORK. A WONDERFUL BOOK DEDICATED TO A WONDERFUL SHOW THAT FILLED MANY OF MY AFTERNOONS. A MUST READ.

I heard ABC WILL cancel ONE LIFE TO LIVE as of JULY 16. The press of daytime soap operas is not telling viewers and put the information about it in the Magazines. Write to ABC DAYTIME in New York please!

The other 2 reviews were right about ABC daytime canceling ONE LIFE TO LIVE in July 16,1999!,to make room for a new soap opera, PACIFIC CITY.Please right to ABC DAYTIME about this, they aren't going to tell the public 'til OLTL is cancelled. Don't let this happen, like what happened to NBC SOAP ANOTHER WORLD. Write to ABC DAYTIME about this, why?

This book has all that any fan of 'One Life To Live' would want. You can relive the storylines through all of the recaps. The book features listings of every character to ever appear on the show, along with many pictures of past and present greats from the show. It is definitely a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
The book did a wonderful job of cramming 30 years into something that is totally enjoyable. I really can't think of anything that was missed.

This book is a wonderful historical memoir of one of the most daring and well-written shows on daytime.

Not only does it chronicle the show's rich history, it includes wonderfully bright and vivid color photos of many of the most-loved actors/actresses/characters that have been on the show.

I highly recommend this book to all fans of OLTL!