Dance Books

... but truly engaging reading. The author is a very sincere and genuine person who lived a spartan life for many years. Through it all, he retains a sense of humor.

All these other reviews pretty much cover the subject matter of the book, but no one has said much about the form. Well, i just want to add that this is obviously a labor of love, done by a man with an extraordinary gift for writing; the result is just immensely enjoyable in terms of the beauty of the writing, all along. The language is rich, superbly wrought, full of delightful wit and pizzaz. This dancer has got style, lots of it!

I love George Fowler's book 'Dance of a Fallen Monk'. His subtitle, 'A Journey to Spiritual Enlightenment', is very apt for in this book he traces the journey his life has taken from 'down on the farm' outcast to monk to priest to marriage.
Fowler begins by describing his somewhat desolate and directionless adolescence, brought to a climax by friendship with Datus, a stranger in town who took an intellectual interest in Fowler (and gave him the sort of attention he craved). This friend died rather suddenly, and through a combination of intellectual and spiritual accidents and decisions, ended up after a stint in the military with interesting experiences, in a rather strict Roman Catholic monastery.

The period of growth juxtaposed with stagnation during these years is interesting to read. Sometimes it seemed nothing was happening, when it fact it was, and sometimes the 'action' wasn't what it was thought to be.

Fowler's trek away from the monastery, and later away from the Roman Catholic church (finally finding a home in another denomination) is an interesting one. It is full of wonder and awe, heartbreak and reconciliation. I was so glad to have the chance to see a glimpse into some of the pitfalls of ministry; I was thankful that I might have a guide for when I fall into error.

Perhaps the greatest message from this book for me, is that no vocation need be the final word; that all may build upon each other; that a change in direction can be natural and rewarding even if it breaks with a life direction; and, most importantly, one never knows where God will call one to be, and responsiveness requires being willing to break with our most sacred idolised beliefs.

Fowler is writing from the standpoint of a minister who has had almost the full array of possible postings and experiences. No matter how hard or fast or far he ran, the calling to the next stage would always find him, usually when he was unsuspecting, and intending on a different direction. Life is very much like that.

'For my last few years in the cloister, I felt so guilty about early intuitions of this awareness of the mystics, which tradition calls higher consciousness, that I often found myself rushing off to confession to ask pardon for 'sins against the faith'. I would later see that those early 'unorthodox' insights, intuitions, intimations--I would almost call them suspicions at that stage--were actually first breakthroughs into higher consciousness.'

This book reflects many lives through Fowler's life. Read and see what of you is in here. Something of all of us is in each other. When we recognise it, we have found a friend. Fowler is, in many ways through this book, my friend.

I read - and re-read - this book many years ago and found it one of the most entertaining and enlightening books I had ever read. If you are a questioning spiritual seeker - somehow not quite fulfilled by any organized, formal religion - this is the book for you - and even if you are satisfied with your religion, it will help you re-examine your beliefs. The writer's philosophy is that organized religion is great - as far as it goes - but that, ideally, it is a "school" from which one eventually graduates; that we evolve and become spiritually mature, beyond accepting any one set of dogmatic beliefs; that we come to see and appreciate the truth in all religions, while not adhering to any one particular set of beliefs. A great, heart-warming read, written from the writer's soul, and a wonderful assist to all spiritual seekers.

George Fowler tells a story that almost every intuitive-feeling or intuitive-thinking Christian or ex-Christian could relate to. The public-institutional church will at its best neglect their needs and, at its worst, drive them out. Probably the same is true of other religions. The overwhelming majority of the population is outer-directed and uninterested in (or threatened by) the perennial mystical tradition that led to their religion's founding and is usually enshrined in their scriptures. Christians who desperately go from one retreat center, workshop, or teacher to another in search of sustenance their church will not provide will relate to George's story. Seekers on the New Age circuit will also relate to the dance of this "fallen monk." Unfortunately, the personalities that thrive on the public face of institutional religion will probably be offended by his critique of their little world, learn nothing, and go on to the next committee meeting or potluck dinner. (And that assumes they would read the book at all, which they probably wouldn't.) My one criticism is that George is a bit too harsh and far-sweeping in his judgment of Protestantism. He simply may not have a very wide experience with the myriad of denominations and movements, and the varieties of inner-directedness some have to offer.

THERE'S ALOT OF GREAT PICTURES IN HERE!THIS BOOK TALKS ABOUT CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO INFLUENCED MANSON,AND WHY.IT TALKS ABOUT CERTAIN " LABELS " GROUPS,AND PEOPLE GAVE HIM AND HIS BAND.IT TALKS ABOUT CHARLES MANSON,ALEISTER CROWLEY,AND ANTON LAVEY.THERE'S SO MUCH MORE INFORMATION IN HERE.THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT SUBJECTS BEING TALKED ABOUT.THIS IS REALLY AN INTERESTING BOOK!YOU REALLY SHOULD BUY THIS AND THEN YOU'LL KNOW MANSON ALOT BETTER!

This book reads like a "works cited" page for Marilyn Manson's life. It's basically a list of all the influences on his music, fashion, philosophy, religious views, and general tastes in things like movies and books. It also gives an explanation for why all of these are relative to Manson, although I'm sure this is in the author's perception and not his own. This book is a must for those that want to understand why Marilyn Manson is the way he is. It does a much better job than his own autobiography, which I consider to be more entertainment than knowledge. I highly recommend reading both books, they serve as excellent companions to one another since neither give the complete story.

An absolutely awesome exploration of everything Marilyn Manson. If you ever thought that Marilyn Manson was just a mere "show and tell"...this book will show you wrong. As this book reveals (and even a fact or two that will catch Mansonites off gaurd) Marilyn Manson is the most complicated and wildly entertaining pardoxial visionary of the 1990's, and remains a historical phenemona. A great book, a must have for fans, and a great read for anybody who is intrigued by Marilyn Manson's intellectual and genuinly artistic lifestyle.

THIS BOOK COVERS ALOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.HE TALKS ABOUT ANTON LEVEY AND THE CHURCH OF SATAN.WHY HE HAS SO MANY " PERSONALITIES. " WHY HE DOES THE MUSIC HE DOES AND WHY HE CHOOSES THE SONG TITLES.HIS BELIEFS AND FEELINGS ON CERTAIN ISSUES.THERE'S SO MUCH MORE.THIS BOOK IS VERY INFORMATIVE.IT HAS ALOT OF EXCELLENT PICTURES!HE CERTAINLY IS A VERY INTERESTING PERSON!

This is one of the best Marilyn Manson books I've ever read, besides of course "The Long Hard Road Out Of Hell", without lies. which is mostly what you could find on a MM book.

This is such a fun book. Hilda is making a mess of the jungle with her dancing and the other animals are trying to get her to take up new hobbies. The book rhymes and is fun to read. I bought this for my 2 year old and she loves it. Karma Wilson writes several books we enjoy, including her Bear series.

my 2 year old loves this book. she knows it almost by heart. very fun to read!

My daughters (3 and 4) LOVE this book and so do I. It has been one of our favorites for over a year. We also like others by this author.

My 18 month old daughter and I first heard this book at Story Time in the Library and we checked it out that day. We fell in love with it and I had to purchase it immediately to add to our collection. My daughter LOVES the sound effects and begs to have me read the "dancing" book to her. The book just flows and is so much fun to read, and the pictures adorable and brightly colored. This has become one of our favorite books!

I love this book! The illustrations are beautiful and cheerful. The rhyming text is fun, and the message is positive.

Hollywood has a long history of bad boys as this fascinating book shows. Bad behavior is as old as Hollywood,but this book is not a simple recap of tabloid stories. It gives an interesting background to the actors' careers, their missteps, and the consequences of their bad behavior. It can also serve as a cautionary book. So much of the bad behavior is a result of booze and/or drugs and in many cases derailed or destroyed very promising careers. I would definitely recommend this book.

He not only gathers information that would otherwise require assistance from the CIA or NSA, he disseminates it in a lively, juicy, easy-to-read manner. He bridges the gap between researchers and the everyday yahoo who wants to know the most salacious details of Hollywood royalty acting like the pampered, indulgent maniacs they often are. One would expect this kind of all-encompassing, zippy, definitive collection from Parish, who has mastered this form, and he does not disappoint.

This is a fascinating look at Hollywood history. Bad behavior is as old Hollywood and bad boys go back to the earliest days. But this is not a simple recap of tabloid stories; this is an indepth look the backgrounds and careers of these bad boys. It also traces the consequences of this bad behavior. The book could also serve as a cautionary tale; much of this bad behavior is the result of booze and/or drugs and in many cases derailed or completely destroyed promising careers. I recommend this highly interesting book.

THIS IS A GOOD READ ABOUT SOME OF THE BAD BOYS OF HOLLYWOOD. AMONG THE MALE ACTORS COVERED ARE BEN AFFLECK, JAMES DEAN, DEAN MARTIN AND BURT REYNOLDS. THE STORIES ARE 4-5 PAGES BUT ARE PACKED WITH DETAILED INFO CONCERNING DRUGS, DRINKING AND SEXUAL BEHAVIOR THAT WILL SHOCK ALOT OF PEOPLE. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS WELL WRITTEN AND INTERESTING BOOK. I HAVE ALSO READ HOLLYWOOD BOOK OF SCANDALS BY THIS AUTHOR AND ENJOYED BOTH VERY MUCH. IF YOU ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THE SCANDAL CONCERNING THE SO CALLED STARS OF HOLLYWOOD THEN THIS IS FOR YOU. VERY RECOMMENDED.

What do Charlie Chaplin, W. C. Fields, and Dean Martin have in common? In addition to passing away on Christmas Day in their respective years of death, all 3, along with 67 others, appear in
"Hollywood Bad Boys," from the prolific pen of James Robert Parish. From Ben Affleck to Gig Young (Oscar winners both), you get a succint account of the lives (and, in 37 cases, the deaths) of the notables and the wannabes, that, for better or worse, made the American entertainment industry what it is today.
If you like E!'s "True Hollywood Story" and "Mysteries and Scandals," you'll love "Hollywood Bad Boys."

I liked this book but couldn't get through a lot of the letters, they were so fake seeming, though I'm sure they weren't. The general storyline was good and the pictures are telling in their crudeness. A nice "coffee table" book.

I was happy to get my hand on this book, since it truly changed my opinions about people in the sexy dancing industry. Who are the victims here? The dancers? The customers? None of them? All of them? There are no easy answers after looking in this amazing piece of work. Beasley has managed to really look into the human side of this world, which is all to often showed in a matter of cheap sensation. I would say this is documentary photography at it's very best. Moving, clever, passionate photographs that really makes a difference.

when I first saw this book, it captured my attention right away. Finally, a real life account of a woman with a plan who "chooses" the darker side of employment to find finacial security. Not only that, but it included short stories from the woman she worked with AND the customers they served.
How could this get better?
PICTURES! very real pictures of real people displaying the Grit, the Glamore, and sometimes the "I don't want to see that". I love artsy coffee table type books and this is now a permanent fixture in my living room.
I've spent many a night in the loud, dark, smokey clubs filled with naked woman shaking their ass-ettes in my face. I never truly understood the truth behind their job or life style untill I picked up this book.
This book is real, its raw, and it sheds a dim light on the subject of stripping. I recomend this book to anyone who has ever been to aa strip club, or entertained the idea of working at one.

Juliana Beasley shows a real and sometimes shocking side of the strip club industry. The pictures are not of glamourous dancers, they are of real women who work in strip club, and their stories aren't always pretty. She is honest about what goes on in the lap dance rooms.

As a dancer I can relate to what was written in this book. My experience has been different than the author's, but I recognize the stories she tells and I appreciate that she didn't sugar coat the truth of the matter. She was honest about her participation, and that is refreshing, and her photography is beautiful.

Great book, the photo's are an insightful look into a world most of us never see.

Beasely captures natural and spontaneous moments that at times were shocking and sensitive towards the subject matter. As a veteran stripper, she looks wisely at her own experience working as a lapdancer. The book is also interspersed with sincere interviews with customers and dancers. throughout the book.

Unlike other readers in the review section, I was particuliarly moved by the humanization of the subjects instead of what one normally sees--sensationalized male fantasies. No Barbie dolls here! Most impressive are the customers' honest dire need for closeness and the dancers sincere ambivalence about their relationships and simultaneous cunning to make a good salary.

I found this book a contradictory pleasure and at the same time a bolt disturbing reality of a world in which the lonely buy affection and attention.

I'm thankful there are some artists out there who are not afraid of showing the truth without imbedding their own feminist agendas into the framework of a documetary book which is complete with photos and text.

A must read!

The complete story of a legend: Canned Heat. When you read this book, you are with the band year after year. Great itme for anyboby like the music.

I thought this book was really well written and all the stories told throughout were very interesting. Love Canned Heat and it is kind of sad in a way, but it's good to know what happened. Fito rocks!

Being a serious blues player and fan I've never been partial to Canned Heat's music though I'm pretty familiar with it. I did buy the LP Hooker and Heat, which I like. Alan Wilson was a fine harp player for sure and John Lee Hooker was in good form. I'm not going to run out to buy any Canned Heat CDs now, but after having read this book I'm sorry that I never heard Canned Heat live. I once read a comment about Son House to the effect that he doesn't play the blues, he IS the blues. Canned Heat, more than any act in history, based on Fito's account, lived the blues. These poor devils went through a seemingly never ending litany of tragedy, death, injustice and suffering in their incredibly long existence (which continues to this day) and yet they survived. That, after all, is what the blues is all about. Surviving tragedy with strength, humor, love, and often drugs and/or alcohol IS the blues. Few blues performers (and no bands) have paid the dues that Canned Heat has paid. This makes Canned Heat pretty special in my opinion.
Fito's account of the band's journey through the ups and downs of life and show biz is heartfelt, wise, funny and very well written. The book is the best rock biography I've read in a long time, maybe ever. I found myself really caring about the members of the band including the many who only briefly joined and left. The accounts of self-destructive core members Bob Hite, Alan Wilson and Henry Vestine are tragic and inspiring at the same time. Fito doesn't pull any punches when discussing any aspect of the band, it's members or the many managers, wives, girlfriends, bar owners and fans that the band came in contact with. He's a wise soul who understands human nature very well and it comes out in every page of this informative and entertaining book.

I usually don't like biographies too much, but with Fito De La Para, it's different! It's about one third biography, and two thirds the saga of Canned Heat and it's members, and their ill fates. It tells about the life and death of Alan Willson, one THE greatest harmonica players of his time, and fleshes him out in a way that just listening to the old albums can't do. The same thing happens with "the Bear," Bob Hite, and Harvey Mandel, and each of the later members that replace them. Many, Many great pictures! It's drugs and chicks and death, just like the title says, but Fito retains hope throughout, and is a bouyant narator who takes you on his personal ride from illegal alien to superstar to heir to the "World's Premeir Boogie Band!" I read it all, then handed it off to my Dad, with my brother waiting in the wings to grab it next! Get it while you can!

Written by Canned Heat drummer Fito De La Parra, this book is a tell-all tale of rock and roll excess. Only a Latino could pour his heart out the way Fito does here. His love of the blues, love of his fellow band members, his anguish at the deaths of Hite, Wilson and Vestine are expressed here vividly and emotionally. Of particular interest are some great stories about their most loyal fans; bikers, as well as the usual alcohol abuse, over-the-top drug use, and dalliances with females, some of them groupies, including the Plastercasters, The Butter Queen and sweet, sweet Connie. A must-read for all fans of rock and roll, blues and " the road ".

The Bishop writes and speaks from the heart and from a wise standpoint. But don't get it twisted: He writes as a means of communicating with and empowering those who come into contact with his ideas, not as a way to show off. In other words, he writes so that anyone may understand and appreciate. He's a hip-hop scholar, but it doesn't mean that people need a degree's worth of knowledge to grasp his perspective. I'm looking forward to Vol. 2, which I know is about to come out.

This books touches on the spiritual aspects of Rap and Hip Hop. The perspective of the book examines a viewpoint that many writers have overlooked in past publications. A world view of the Hip Hop spirit, it acknowledges the music and culture in relationship to religion, specifically Islam and yoga as the book look to an inner space. Hip Hop and Politics in the Mix looks to the heart and soul of Hip Hop life.

Adisa Banjoko's "Lyrical Swords" is a "must read." If you are looking for legitimate, first-hand knowledge of the Hip-Hop culture, you will find it in this book. Banjoko has a profound knowledge of the community and its potential to change the political mix in America. His book suggests that the many contemplative, spiritual members of the Hip-Hop community are a political force to be reckoned with in the future. This little gem of a book is written in a refreshing, free-style manner, similar to that of the Hip-Hop culture. While it is written in B-boy style (free-style), it is clearly a uniquely intellectual pursuit. Everyone can enjoy this little gem. It is a bridge between those who understand the Hip-Hop culture and those who wish to understand it.

Maria Carr

This book left me with a feeling to do some good for the world and the people around me, but it isn't a tree hugger testament or anything like that (no offense to tree huggers). It also opened me up to some completely different apsects of hip-hop culture that before I hadn't given much thought to. Adisa continues to lay it down, take advantage of the knowledge that the Bishop has to offer. READ THIS BOOK AND YOU WON"T BE LET DOWN.

Banjoko's book is a smart and critical examination of contemporary Hip Hop culture. His analysis does justice to the culture, discussing all of the aspects of Hip Hop and various Rap genres. His colloquial use of language is fun and easy to read and very engaging. It's also very powerful and moving, especially when he speaks directly to the reader.

What struck me most was his demonstration of the wide distinction between the Rap Industry and Hip Hop culture; how the Rap Industry and Hip Hop media represent Hip Hop culture; and the inherent social implications of their representations. I love that he doesn't over-generalize or blame one party over another; he holds everyone accountable for their actions! As a result his book takes on great credibility and his messages even more repect and importance.

This book is a must read for everyone!!! Reading it would be an ENLIGHTENING experience not only for the lover of Hip Hop and the curious layman, but for all U.S. citizens who are bombarded by the dissemination of Hip Hop images in the media everyday.

This book has stayed with me like few other things, since reading it many years ago. I often find occasion to quote from it; brilliantly witty, charming, scathing and life affirming all at once. Bunuel led an unusual life, but his autobiography is filled with universal truths to which any reader can immediately relate. Buy it at once, and you will find yourself reaching for it often...

An interesting short semi-bio, in whuch Luis speaks about his life and the people he has met.

Bunuel gave some interviews towards the end of his life discussing his long list of movies. That's why I was delighted to find that his autobiography--which is one of the greatest, if not the greatest by a filmmaker--does not dwell on them. Instead Don Luis chronicles his childhood and upbringing, the relationships he cultivated, and meditates on life, love, death, art, alcohol and cigarettes. Many of the stories from his younger days are even more surreal than his movies. He writes in detail about his stormy friendships with Garcia Lorca and Dali, about his half-hearted attempt to try Hollywood on for size, meetings with Hitchcock, Fritz Lang, and others. The book is not somber or sentimental, it's not over-inflated. Bunuel's voice does not intimidate, it soothes. He's a master storyteller, a very gifted and generous writer.

As a young person, don Luis helped me find my way out of the hormone fog, ... authoritarian adults and their institutions, and equally lost peers. Years later upon reading MY LAST SIGH, I was not surprised at all at the depth of don Luis' humanity and intelligence.

Nevermind the moniker "filmmaker" when talking about don Luis; he is an artist's artist. With his autobio, he only confirms what an equally supreme being he was. I miss him. However, encounter this book and become lit by life itself.

Writings by film directors tend to resemble their films, and "My Last Sigh" is no exception. Bunuel's films are anarchic, funny, unpredictable, subversive, and often disturbing in a way that's hard to pin down. So is this, his autobiography!

Though he disclaims literary talent, Bunuel turns out to be a wonderful writer, and the book is stuffed with piquant anecdotes and elegant observations. I'm afraid to quote examples, because this review would go on forever. Suffice to say that, if you could choose to live any person's life, Bunuel's would be a hard choice to beat, just for the adventure and entertainment value. This may be my favorite book written by a filmmaker.

This is a great and comprehensive resource for any orchestra librarian or administrator! A Must Have!

Daniel's Orchestral Music is an amazing resource. As a music librarian, I find it indespensible. It is huge time saver, with loads of information all in one convenient package. I particularly like the updated instrumentation format, which is easier to understand and gives more complete information.

This is my bible! Could not live without it. Far surpasses all previous editions.

This book is a necessity for any conductor, orchestra librarian, or artistic director as it is an invaluable resource. It is significantly more comprehensive than the previous edition but nonetheless is a work in progress, missing many great, but obscure composers. The inclusion of the various appendixes with catagorization by duration, composer nationality, etc. are extremely useful. All being said, it is an essential part of any serious musician's library and will serve you well.

The fourth edition of Daniels' handbook is a must for anyone involved in selecting repertoire for the symphony orchestra. The appendices are extremely helpful, the precise instrumentation for percussion and auxilary instruments is valuable, and the listing of nationality, birth/death dates and places for the composers is useful. This handbook is truly a time-saving and informative reference work.

The book is wonderful oh so helpful to my painting! I got the book really quickly and all in all, it was a fabulous transaction! Thanks!

The author really reved up my creative juices. Her transparent colors are exciting. I especially liked her instructions for masking and making the most of the white paper. Her colors are intense and 'sing'. I learned a lot from this book.

This book was of great interest to me for her opinions on different techniques. I especially liked learning more about masking and glazes.

"Paint Watercolors That Dance with Light" is a very well written, easy to understand book that can be applied to other media as well. Her explanations are clear and concise. This book would be a great addition to any painter's library. Defnitely would recommend to others.

Elizabeth shares with me the meditative and contemplative aspects of painting. Additionally she values pure colour glazes and this has provided me with a new way of glazing, a technique that I love. The book is suitable for someone who has been painting and is dedicated to impovement. It builds on the knowledge that you already have and doesn't treat you as a novice. Thankyou Elizabeth, it is a delight to own your book.