Dance Books

This book examines objectively the use of MDMA ("Ecstasy," "mole") in the US and Europe. Saunders reviews many aspects of the drug and its culture (eg his personal experience, history, psychological dangers, social effects, safety, psychotherapy and much more). While the majority of readers probably use the drug or are thinking about using, non-users should read this work as well (it was recomended to me by a fellow parent who had bought it after learning that her 20 yearold son had begun using MDMA). Saunders did not recieve much publicity b/c of the taboo subject, although many reviewers and critics personally thanked him for a well written, informative book.

This book is excellent and I agree with all the other people that have reviewed it in a positive way. However, what surprised me is that Nicholas included very little about the bad effects of Ecstasy, such as first-time user panic attacks, negative effects that might occur (anxiety, claustrophobia, fear of others,midweek crash, etc.) I agree totally with him that E should have never been made illegal, but I feel that he was (rest in peace) so passionate about the good part of E that he forgot that E has a definite downside. Ignoring this downside can make some readers think that E is ALL positive. I recommend this book because still it's very informative and obviously well-researched, I just want potential readers (and E users) to keep in mind that Ecstasy is a strong substance that should be used with respect.

Earlier incarnations of this book, "E for Ecstasy," "Ecstasy and the Dance Culture," and "Ecstasy Reconsidered," have been chosen for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy." http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy

Of all the books on MDMA I've read this is by far the best. Very well organized and goes through everything concerning MDMA from its legal status to the chemistry behind it. The text is very easy to understand even for those who do not know much about this subject. All his statements are backed by solid evidence derived from independent research and real life stories. Saunders gives the reader a chance to decide for himself, rather than telling the reader 'This is what I looked up so this is what I think, and therefore what you think as well'. I would recommend this book to everyone. The author has dedicated his life to this subject, as indicated by the quality of his work.

Saunders, a brilliant and inquisitive man, writes of his experiences, research, and overall knoweledge of MDMA. From the chemical make-up to the trafficing of the drug, Saunders tackles the entire realm of Ecstasy and its culture. A must read for anyone curious about the subject - #1 Thesis on Ecstasy

Did you read or get this book? Well my God what are you all waiting for!

I have never ever seen such intense research put into an Elvis book before in my life .. and this is just the early volume!

This book is worth not only the great photos but for the impressive family tree and lineage that was done on Elvis and his family. I mean did you know that Elvis' family tree was traced back to Denmark to the 1595? I sure didnt, until now.

I am now going to hold Elvis trivia contests with all my Elvis friends and fan club members ... This book is remarkable. that is all I can say.

Jim once again, a super book. And your assistant did a super job with her research! You guys actually proved a lot of "so-called experts" wrong!

Another must book for the Elvis fan!

This book should get an award just for the research that was done in putting this book together. This team of Jim and Renata is the best ever in the Elvis world. Just wonderful, wonderful information is PACKED into this little book! You would think its a mini encyclopedia with how much writing is involved in this book!

If this book, the early years, is this great; I can't wait for the next volumes!

I personally thought that was no other information that could be FOUND on Elvis, but I was wrong. I think Jim and Renata truly pinpointed Elvis' family tree to a T ..... I can't find fault in it. Everything seems to fit and make sense. Not even Elvis' family members got things as right! So what does that mean to us? THE PERFECT INFORMATIVE BOOK!

Thanks a million!

Ok. While on the road, I used this book to conduct trivia contests. The guys I am with, are Elvis fans and they always try to prove that they know Elvis more than I. So this book put an end to that!

But I will say this: I TOO WAS WRONG on many occasions! I never knew 50-60% of the information that was listed in this book -- and I thought I knew a LOT! So this is an educational book beyond any Elvis fans' expections or knowledge!

I think this will soon become an Elvis Bible to the fans and Elvis world - if it's not already!

Remarkable from the first page to the last!

What struck me about this book was the beautiful and clean art deco cover. What a gorgeous cover! And what fun it is to look at.

I bought it along with Christmas with Elvis by the same author. Never knew about anyone making a Christmas book with Elvis! So I was thrilled about that!

Anyway I took this book home, and to keep it short: I have so far read it 3 times from cover to cover! That is how enticing this book is. Never had I thought possible that anyone could trace Elvis' family history back that far as did Mr. Curtin. Because Graceland still has the OLD information that Elvis came from Scotland and Andrew Pressley! My goodness Mr. Curtin goes back much much farther. What an important addition Mr. Curtin is to the Elvis world. He is the key to the lock on the Elvis Presley that no one dares to write about: THE GOOD MAN!

Thank you Mr. Curtin for showing class in authoring a beautiful book on Elvis. And thank you for all your extremely hard work in finding out all this information on Elvis and for sharing it with us fans. God Bless you and much continued success.

I AM NOW TYPING IN CAPITALS!

JUST READ THIS BOOK AND I WILL SAY THIS : I AM AMAZED AT JIM CURTIN AND HIS WRITER FOR WHAT, AND HOW MUCH THEY RESEARCHED ON ELVIS.

SO WITH THIS REVIEW I AM GETTING ON MY KNEES AND THANKING GOD NOT ONLY FOR GIFTING THIS WORLD WITH ELVIS, BUT FOR GIFTING THE ELVIS WORLD WITH JIM CURTIN! (and lets not forget Renata)

THANK YOU .... THANK YOU .... THANK YOU .... THANKYOUVERYMUCH!

Mary Jane Alexander, I am a New York film critic and enthusiast.

Film historian and authority James Robert Parish has done it again! "The Encyclopedia of Ethnic Groups in Hollywood," like all of Mr. Parish's well-regarded books, is comprehensive, thoroughly accurate and immensely readable. The sheer research is astounding and Mr. Parish uncovers the many fascinating tidbits that enliven film history. This is a book that is a must not only for every film and media library, but also for the general reader and film fan who wants is interested in the careers, lives and place in film history of the many ethnic stars who have thrilled us on screen. Bravo.

Also recommended: The Hollywood Songsters; Hollywood Divaas; and Hollywood Bad Boys

This is a wonderfully concise, detailed, and helpful general reference source for anyone researching ethnicity in the major films, television shows and performers of the past century. The Encyclopedia of Ethnic Groups in Hollywood is easy to read, gives only the important highlights of each title and personality, and is well-indexed. The photographs in the book are nostalgic and illustrative. It's all in here -- the breakthroughs, the award winners, the important firsts, as well as other contributions that make Hollywood history and today's Hollywood unique.

The movies have always help guide and shape moviegoers into an an understanding of who they are, where they're from, and where they're going. But much of the vast American public has been virtually invisible on the screen -- which is why this book is so valuable. Our overlooked ethnic groups -- African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Jewish Americans, and Native Americans -- now have a wonderful reference source to help them understand who they are, where they're from, where they're going. This encyclopedia may be a bit pricey for average bookbuyers (where's the cheaper paperback edition?), but it will be criminal if every library in the country doesn't make it readily available.

Jim Parish has outdone himself with this voluminous, impeccably researched work which is a concept long overdue in the publishing world. With the fine work of Allan Taylor, he has created a wonderful tome and a reference book which will be quite useful as well as enjoyable to read. Well worth the money! Cough up! You'll be happy you did.

By Hollywood, I expected the author to concentrate his efforts on films, which would have been fine in and of itself. But I was surprised (pleasantly) to see the detail into which he looks at the presentation of ethnic groups on television as well. This is the book that should be required reference material on every course in pop culture and in film studies as well. But don't let that scare you away from reading it. The book is written in a style that everyone can enjoy. It's one of those books once you pick up and start flipping through, you spend hours going through.

"Eternal not Immortal" is a lovely collection of poetry written by two talented poets, Karen M Miner and Robert B Moreland. In this collection they share their love in tributes to those that they loved. There were some poems that touched me deeply as they had such beauty within them both in imagery and content. I enjoyed all but especially loved "Honeysuckle", "Michael", "Abundant Life," Eye of the Beholder", Grave Words," and "Time for Bedtime Prayers." This book I would highly recommend as a treasured book for your poetic library. Christina R Jussaume--- Author/Poet of "My Walk with Jesus" by PublishAmerica available on line and in fine book stores

I am not a big poetry kinda of dude. I think most poetry is too snooty and most folks like to talk about it but not really understand it. Not this book. Very earthy and down home writing that really appealed to me. I like tech journals and general geek type books, so I bulked at this book first. However, I was gave this book to read on Saturday and I just could not put it down. Excellent read, very deep stuff that had me saying, "Yeah that is what I mean when I feel like this or that..." From the book:
"Our treasure in jars of clay, so very mortal! For in a moment A lifetime gone" Heavy Duty stuff... Pick this one up and just enjoy the ride.

As a writer and poet I am acquainted with both Bob and Karen and hold them in very high reguard as the very capable poets that they are. Karen is amazing in her ability to write in any style of poetry in a penetrating and heartfelt way. I would compare Karen's writing skills favorably with any poet I have every read.

Eternal not Immortal is an inspirational book written through personal experiences of the two co-authors, Karen M. Miner and Robert B. Moreland. Within these pages is poetry in the finest forms, bringing emotional and spiritual inspiration to all who may identify. Luminosity forthwith comforts, those especially within viewed hopeless situations, so one may believe in God who sees us through all the challenges and strife we may endure in our lives before we are called to our eternal home.
This book relays a message to all people in every aspect in their lives. Our mortality may hinder our constant struggle for control in this world of uncertainty. Yet, knowing that it is part of a greater plan to experience life either in happiness or sorrow, we keep looking toward the world after. We should be patient and find comfort in knowing the healing power of faith, hope and love is always with us either from above or from those who we journey with.

I am very anxious to receive this book by two very talented and wonderful authors in the compilations of artistic expression. I have read many more pieces of their work as well and owning this published piece of work will be a gift to have whenever I choose to pick it up and read its inspiring wisdom.

I'll admit to you that I'm not a novella person. I love big, meaty books. Well, this may be short (about 120 pages or so), but the story is thick and meaty enough to satisfy.

The book starts out innocently enough, but soon enough it draws you into a very tense, almost bitter story of madness. The book is extremely well written and the gorgeous language ensnares you until, before you know it, you are thoroughly hooked.

It's not a quick read, but by the time it's finished you feel like you've just experienced a rollercoater ride!

Kevin grew up in a household with seven siblings, his parents, and a menagerie of animals. He knew death when he was young as his dad had a tendency to back up without looking so was always running over a pet or two until the day he ran over his three years old daughter Doris. Forty years later on his deathbed, he tells his only surviving child Kevin that he wishes he never hit Doris.

Over the years filled with death, Kevin learns to speak with ghosts who over time have become his only friends; phantasms like Ghastly William and Fat Leonard, his late dad or some other dead blood relative. He keeps track of his encounters in a journal, but when he looks back he wonders about his spouse; neither William nor Leonard can explain where she fits into his life as she seems just out of his reach even when they touch.

THE EYES OF THE CARP is a complex character driven ghost story though readers will wonder if the phantoms are real or the imagination of an individual who has lost his mind. The journal entries make the circular plot that arcs to various points but never linear (even on the circle) difficult to follow and requires a one sitting read (the novella format is perfect for this thriller), but it is worth the time as the audience will find the logic behind what seems insane ramblings of a deluded soul whose mind is spiraling out of control fascinating. This terrific psychological ghostly tale will send readers seeking other such horror stories from T.M. Wright (see COLD HOUSE).

Harriet Klausner

Kevin, the deliciously unreliable narrator of T.M. Wright's "The Eyes of the Carp," loves his wife, works with his hands, enjoys entertaining friends, keeps a dish full of bright, foil-covered Easter egg chocolates to offer his guests, and occasionally explores the inside of his wife's mouth with the aid of a flashlight as she sleeps at night.

Kevin is witty, smart, hungry for knowledge, curious, resentful, sometimes hilariously so, and to this reader's delight, very, very weird. Oh, and he also may well be inhuman, but that's for the reader to decide -- Wright isn't the sort of storyteller who paints simplistic characters for the simpleton reader; he doesn't shout Lookie! and point to his characters with a heavy finger for benefit of clarity, rather, he challenges the reader with a conspiratorial elbow nudge and a wink. I like an author who assumes his or her readership is intelligent.

"The Eyes of the Carp" is one of the most authentic representations of psychosis I have read to date, and one of the most disturbing. The narrative is constructed in such a way that sucks the reader in with its deceptive calm, Kevin's initial trustworthiness and likeability as he rambles on about his new property, the odd things he discovers there, as well as the humorous repartee between Kevin and his wife, Janet. Kevin is a strange one, no doubt about it, but he's not threatening -- eccentric, perhaps, but definitely not threatening. As is Wright's style, however, nothing is ever as it seems, and the reader soon begins to worry as Kevin delicately reveals tidbits here and there that seem a bit...off. Something's wrong with Kevin, something bad.

"Forgive me, I am not Capone, crippled by syphilis, power, and greed. I am Kevin, husband to Janet, son to Lawrence and Margaret, brother to Gwen, Laura, Bobby, Howard, and others unnamed. I have a passion for macaroni and cheese, women with large breasts, the sound of water flowing in the deep woods, brisk April breezes...[I have a passion for] finding quiet bodies in strange locations, living nearly alone, submission by theretofore unwilling women, blind kittens."

Yes, something is definitely not right with Kevin, and as Wright skillfully leads the reader on a hideous journey through Kevin's ravaged mind, each new revelation brings with it a palpable chill, a queasy pinch, even as Kevin waxes ridiculous with his random "Gaggle" searches and seemingly arbitrary recounts of childhood memories. It is the randomness, the unforced humor, and the seemingly arbitrary that make Kevin all that more frightening. Wright knows that the devil doesn't always sport horns, that sometimes evil comes in the beguiling form of an ordinary man who loves his wife, macaroni and cheese, and bright, foil-covered Easter egg chocolates, and that the commonalities between the average man and the monster are greater than we'd like to believe.

The Eyes of the Carp takes you places you have never been
before, and may not ever want to go. I will tell you, honestly, that
upon the first reading of this book I hated it. Not because it was
poorly written or because it was a bad story, but because it takes
place in the mind of a serial killer. And that serial killer, whose
name is Kevin, is the consummate liar. He does unspeakable
things, and he reconstructs them, in his own mind, to make them
acceptable.
This is a very difficult book to read. The language is simple
enough, the concepts are another matter. TM Wright uses very
simple language to express very complex ideas. The first person
narrator of this story is Kevin, and you better know, just from the
beginning, that Kevin lies. He lies to himself, repeatedly. And it is
up to us, the readers, to figure out just what is going on.
Read the book. Take notes. Take notes, I repeat. When reading
TM Wright, you have to take notes. He doesn't explain anything,
that's up to the reader. We have to find the clues and decipher the story.
Does this sound too hard? It's all worth it, believe me. This book is
absolutely brilliant and absolutely devastating.
There's just one other thing...rushing to the end, or reading the last page of this book won't get you anywhere. Everything is in every word, in every sentence, and on every page.
I've given you two clues: Kevin is a liar and a serial killer. The rest is up to you. Enjoy!

I've been looking forward to the release of this book for over a year. As always, T.M. Wright is at the top of his game. This book puts you in a trance with it's smooth prose and mysterious imagery. T.M. Wright makes the reader work. And the more you work, the more you uncover. I loved everything about it. In a market where horror writers try to top each other with violence and gore, T.M. uses his incredible skills as a wordsmith and storyteller to stand out. In time, at least within the intelligent horror community, T.M. Wright will always be known as one of horror's pioneers and the most original and effective ghost story writer in history. Without question, The Eye's of the Carp deserves the Bram Stoker award.

I am very pleased with this book and I think it gives a load of information for a very reasonable price.

The book (together with vol.2) is overfilled with all kinds of garments you can imagine and for each sort of garment there are always many styles.

It is not directly a drafting book, it does not tell you how to draft your own bodice etc. by using your measurements, but the method of using the patterns and the enlarging rulers is very close to that and, as I think, it might produce a very good substitution for a custom-drafted dress with saving a lot of your time and being very simple to do. It is something between custom drafting and pre-sized patterns, because you create the garments by using your bust and back length measurement, which are the two most important measurements for making a garment suited to your proportions and it will probably need only little easy modifications like adding/substracting from waist and hip width and maybe some changes for the front length. But all possible and most frequent modifications are very well explained in the book.

It is all written in such a way that even with no or little knowledge of drafting, you'll be able to produce a probably very well fitted garments.

For a drafting professional, it's a good help when doing things like skirts, especially draped overskirts and all garments creating a shape or silhouette that is hard to figure out. Even if you won't use the patterns for enlarging and draft the things yourself, you can very well keep to the shape of the patterns as you can see, unlike in so many pattern books, NUMBERS.

I think this book has the best ratio of the price and the information given of all costume book I've come through. It's a pity that there are no such books for earlier periods:-(

This is a great book for seamstresses with some experience(I think it would be too hard for beginners.It would be good if you have some comprehenesion on sizing(drafting patterns yourself for example)but that isn't even necessary.I think it would be easier though:)

Frances Grimble gives clear instructions for changing patterns to size and even to different body shapes(large bust, short back etc.
You do need to take some time for this, but well, you'll have an authentic pattern in your hands, how great is that?;)And there are so many in this book! I was having a very hard time finding real historical patterns in The Netherlands(so far found one french journal from 1902)and I feel like a kid in a candystore now.:)I <3 this book already.

You can make a complete outfit, from undergarments to overgarments.

If you have some sewing experience and you love this period it is really a great book!



Amazon's service is excellent too. It didn't take very long for the item to arrive(from US to the Netherlands)(with one step faster shipping, expidited?)it was even a lot faster then the estimated arrival time.

This book is wonderful. I believe I own every book Frances Grimble has written and anxiously await more. The variety of patterns is amazing and allows the experienced sewer to create their own designs from various components, like sleeves and collars. This sure beats trying to decipher the patterns in an original 1890's issue of Harpers!

This book contains patterns for the following:
corsets, hoopskirts and bustles (some)
underclothing and negligee wear (quite a few)
day and evening skirts (only about four)
day bodices (quite a few)
evening bodices (some)
overskirts (some)
polonaises (some)
day dresses (quite a few)

some = around ten
quite a few = over 20

I would recommend this book for anyone who likes victorian costuming. It not only works as a pattern book, but as a source book, having lots of pictures you can use for reference. Even if you just look through it, it really can help you understand the styles of that era.

The pictures and descriptions within the book are an excellent reference if you are researching and intending on recreating one of these beautiful designs. Advanced knowledge of sewing skills is a must for those who wish to recreate these (definantly not for the novice sewer). Frances Grimble, you've done it again. Please keep them coming. I will buy every book you put out.

Due to a change of plans I didn't use this book this quarter. However, hearing from my follow film students this book details well about the history of film and not just North American film. All film. A must for a film student.

I had this book for a Film History class, and it was great. I've used it every semester since and plan to keep it forever and sleep with it under my pillow.

Even though it isn't aimed at teaching film theory or basics, it's better at explaining the basics than Film Art by miles. It also makes theory more interesting and topical to learn since it goes chronologically and highlights films that were actually influential, instead of the ones that Film Art just happened to get the rights to print pictures of.

Highly recommend.

I used this book in a film studies class about four years ago and I kept it because of the wealth of information. For the first time I understood the different epochs of film not only in the U.S. but also around the world. I was introduced to a wider variety of international film and the work of Eisenstein, Renoir, Kurosawa, and others. I highly recommend this book for the concise language, easy explanations, and beautiful black and white and color reproductions from many films. This book is a page turner.

here's a short comparison I made between the following 3 film history books:

A History of the Cinema from Its Origins to 1970 (Eric Rhode)
A Short History of the Movies (Gerald Mast)
Film History: An Introduction, (Thompson-Bordwell)

I was looking for a technical/historical overview of the development of cinema, without idiosyncratic criticism and with emphasis on the origins of film techniques, genealogy of influences of filmmakers, relevant references to history, literature and other arts, and impartial accounts of filmmakers' careers.

Instead of a verdict, I will simply quote passages about two greats:

Rhode: [about Fellini] "Fellini's greatest works are inevitably works of laughter and tears. [...] Fellini gets into trouble when he deserts feeling for thought. La Dolce vita (1959) is a sterile thematic exercise [...] In the film's first sequence, a helicopter [...] The film, intellectualy, is over. Christ has been petrified into wood; he is the tool of modern machinery [...] Although the film has nothing more to say, Fellini continues for two hours, contrasting sensual things [...] Juliet of the Spirits [...] suffers from a similar over-schematization."

Mast: [about Antonioni] "Antonioni sometimes has trouble in allowing his images to accrete meaning [...] His failure to generalize experience was to be total in La notte (1960). Lacking any understanding of how writers think and feel, his portrait of the author, [...] is so unconvincing that the spectator may be tempted to think that Giovanni's crisis of conscience is no more than a rationalization of his inability to escape from his wife's purse-strings."

Thompson-Bordwell: [about Antonioni] "From the start of his career Antonioni demonstrated a mastery of deep focus (Fig. 19.30) and the long take with camera movement (pp. 427-429). The early works also pioneered [...] Antonioni's muted dramatization of shallow or paralyzed characters found a sympathetic response in an era that also welcomed Existentialism. [...] Juan Bardem, Miklos Jansco, and Theo Angelopoulos learned from his distinctive style. Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation (1974) and Brian De Palma's Blow-Out (1981) derive directly from Blow-Up."


nuff said...

If you are interested in film history on the whole, please, give yourself a treat by purchasing this book. It is not cheap but it is worth every penny. I had it after a course in film history and despite being someone who usually sell or dump away my texts after graduation, I find it very hard to give this one away. Boy, am I glad I did not. As one's scope and experience in world cinema grows, so too does one's interest in this book. Bordwell and Thomas's style is academic but always enthusiastic, and theirs is the most comprehensive account of world cinema in English (pre-war Japanese cinema, anyone?). I have not found another general film book on world cinema history to match, and I will certainly be purchasing its third edition (what I have is the first) if that ever comes by.

THE FORCE IS WITH YOU

THE FORCE IS WITH YOU is a mesmerizing account of what it's like to be a movie producer. Besides sharing his own stories, Stephen Simon has written a thought provoking analogy of over 70 movies and the mystical messages he found in them.

Who will cherish this book? Movie lovers; people pursuing spiritual growth; anyone interested in any aspect of movie making... anyone...

I believe it was Mr. Simon's unquenchable love for humanity and the planet kept him going against all odds. The word "no" is unrecognizable in his consciousness. Oh - he's heard the word all right, more than most people. His heart has been shattered over and over, but love pieced it back together and motivated him on the relentless pursuit of his dreams. Did you know, for instance, that "What Dreams May Come" was 20 years in the making? Twenty years! And that "Somewhere In Time" bombed when it came out in theaters? Read the haunting and amazing story of how it resurrected itself and became one of the best loved
films of all times.

Stephen Simon is a visionary. The human race is evolving rapidly now and movies are one of the most profound tools we have to assist our evolution. Mr. Simon is forging a path for the genre of mystical movies (a genre Hollywood has not recognized). He discusses the industry and where he sees it heading.

Read this book. But be prepared to cry, to laugh, to be inspired and to grow in consciousness.

...

Stephen Simon's book is an inspiring read. Right from the beginning, you realize that this author, a producer and film executive with over twenty-five years experience in the Hollywood arena, is writing from the heart. He is passionate about awakening us to the spiritual cinema genre, movies that contain spiritual messages. Although this is a genre as yet not recognized by Hollywood, Simon maintains that these movies already exist, and indeed have done so for quite some time. He takes us on an entertaining, intimate, thought provoking and often humourous journey through a personal selection of seventy or so such films. Rest assured that this is not a book that critiques film, rather it illuminates. Perhaps Neale Donald Walsch says it best in his forward to the book: "If you love movies, you're going to love this book. If you love life, you're going to adore it. And if you love a good story, get set, because you're about to hear some great ones." I thoroughly loved reading "The Force is With You", and I think you will too.

Author Stephen Simon writes an excellent book about spiritualism and the messages in movies; movies that speak to the emotional context of a person's soul. I realized that the messages Mr. Simon writes about the very things that I found missing in most mainstream films. (Thank God I live in city where art houses exist, but I realize not everyone has that luxury) Finally someone was able to show that there is more going on up on the big screen than what meets the eye. Every movie that he writes about in his book is in some way or another a winner, regardless of what it did in box office receipts. Still this book is a lot more than just a much of plot synopsis and message of some really great movies. Mr. Simon writes about his life growing up in movie industry. His battle to get both "Somewhere in Time" and "What Dreams May Become" (both based on books by author Richard Matheson-a great writer himself) made into films. His elation of getting both films made and then watching as the critics ripped both of them both apart , only to become resurrected and warmly welcomed on cable, video and DVD by thousands of people years later. Plus, his very telling reasoning on why mainstream movies have to stay "commercial," he writes volumes in a few pages that will generate debate for years to come. Whatever your spiritual beliefs, I think there is something in this book for every movie lover.

This is new movement and a new way of thinking about movies and I'll gladly be in the front row watching as those beautiful, special images and messages flicker over me.

Hallelujah! We finally have a book that's dedicated to covering the newly emerging category of spiritual cinema! THE FORCE IS WITH YOU is written by Hollywood insider Stephen Simon, who writes straight from his heart about the significant messages in more than 70 movies. Spiritual Cinema is all about exploring the meaning of love, life, death, time, and space -- which are the topics I most enjoy seeing in the movies. Most of my favorite movies are included here: The Matrix, Sliding Doors, Somewhere in Time, The Kid, Frequency, Star Wars, Lost Horizon, The Sixth Sense, Ghost, What Dreams May Come, Defending Your Life, Groundhog Day, Contact, Phenomenon, Powder, Being There, The Truman Show, Sleepless in Seattle, Family Man, and It's A Wonderful Life.

What I love best about THE FORCE IS WITH YOU is the way it so clearly conveys a sense of hope, inspiration, and purposefulness about the way humanity learns about its worst fears and greatest hopes through stories. Yes, we love to vividly imagine the end of the world... but we also love to dream of ways we can find solutions to our biggest problems. We know that it's not easy being more spiritually and psychically evolved... but we love to imagine how those of us who are different can be accepted in mainstream society.

THE FORCE IS WITH YOU is priceless for clarifying what the new genre of "Spiritual Cinema" is all about, and for providing an inspiring list of the most spiritual movies of all time. It is my deepest hope that this book will help establish awareness in film-makers everywhere of the importance of making spiritual movies, as it helps movie-goers better understand the significance of the movies they see.

I apologize up front to those who can't stand anything negative, but hey, someone has to speak up and make all you positive types feel superior, right?

First let me say I enjoyed the book. If you love movies, you will also enjoy the book. It did need a good editor, though, as it had misspellings, repetition, bad grammar and even attributed FDR's famous "fear" quote to Churchill. Do you think I'm a bad person for pointing that out? Then you're a bad person for having thought that. Ha!

Lastly, its unrelenting positive tone drove me a little bananas. Why? It did not reflect life and so Stephen Simon did not feel authentic. I don't think life on Earth is ever going to be 100% positive. Why? Because life would die. One hand clapping produces nothing but silence. We humans happen to have two hands. For those of us who are not saints nor are aspiring to be, there is good and bad. Yeah, it's all relative, but hey, it's a structure that helps you keep your balance. Don't take it all so seriously. To read a book in which nothing but good things are said about everybody, with the usual (and constant) Hollywood adjectives: amazing, unbelievable, wonderful, fantastic, etc., is to find one's teeth suddenly coated up with sugar and gagging on it.

You can say that someone did a bad job without condemning them, can't you? You can point out that someone made a mistake without wanting to throw them away, right? This is Earth, folks. It's all about context. We have sunshine and rain. We also have drought and floods. To point out these latter conditions does not make you negative or unspiritual. But we are in the movie business so we don't want to offend anyone. Fine. Here's your heads up. With this book you'll find yourself in a rowboat with only one oar. You'll go in circles, but will still enjoy the ride.

The first installment of Zanbaka's bellydance series makes the word "thorough" seem like an understatement. This book is chock-full of examples, exercises, and illustrations, all clearly explained and contextually situated. Zanbaka also provides the historical, cultural, and musical background readers need to make use of the plethora of "technical" information this volume contains. Chapters on practice structure and practice sessions are furthermore provided to help both students and teachers make the best use of (and get the most out of) class and practice time. Perhaps more importantly, though, Zanbaka's presentation places an emphasis on intelligent practice: stretching (both before and after a workout--and not in the same way) and attention to injury prevention encourage readers to develop early the good habits necessary to a lifelong engagement with dance.

In addition to an exemplary presentation of bellydance technique, Foundations (vol. 1) also encourages readers to approach bellydance as a legitimate and respectable art form. This emphasis strikes me as particularly important for the serious student or teacher of bellydance. Zanbaka astutely identifies the contributing factors that can lead to audiences' viewing of bellydance as a "novelty" (or worse) and gives both students and teachers the tools to obviate such misconceptions.

This is a fine start to what promises to be a valuable and engaging series. I look forward to future volumes.

Where to begin... This book boggles the mind, and in a very good way! Not intended for any particular style of bellydance, any instructor and/or student can benefit greatly from this wonderfully structured presentation. Zanbaka starts out by introducing the concept of the book, and the series (which will have 7 volumes). She is a proponent of using all learning styles to convey information. The book is meant to be the mental, rational companion of a very physical activity. Zanbaka is a firm believer in first learning high quality technique and isolations before adding stylistic elements, which is why this book is a must for anyone wishing to have a bellydance workbook.

Zanbaka includes a 'how to use this book' section, a brief history and styles, an introduction to learning styles (she defines ten styles), naming conventions of moves and a way to accurately refer to each move. She maps out the bellydance body, showing the regions and individual muscles that come into play during bellydance. Next, she moves on to injury prevention and a unique perspective on stretching and warming up. Posture and balance are addressed, with a simple technique to assure your pelvis is in neutral position. Next, three standard bellydance rhythms are broken down and a basic counting lesson is given. A practice structure follows, showing the advantages of each practice section.

Zanbaka then explains how to verbally orient yourself in the physical world. This is extremely helpful and eliminates the need for phrases like: 'your right' or 'stage right'. Foot positions, basic levels and foot patterns are defined and discussed next. We move on to the two warm up phases. The first phase is a 'get your body going' kind of warm up and the second one includes light stretching and toning. Several basic turns are discussed next.

Zanbaka moves on to isolations, which includes positioning, degrees, contradictory movement, shimmy, shape making, percussive/smooth, undulation and layering concepts. After digesting these concepts, isolations are presented for each region of the body, which include: head, shoulder, hand, wrist, arm, ribcage, abdominal and hip isolations. Greater attention is then paid to shimmies by going into more detail and showing how shimmies can be powered differently.

Flamenco clapping (palmas) and finger cymbals are introduced, followed by a two-phase cool down. Deep stretching is introduced. A brief discussion of transitions closes the instructional part of the book. At the end of the book, there is a 10 Practice Sessions outline, a closing which includes developing presence, gaining constructive feedback and corrections, and raising the bar for bellydance. A bibliography and index are included at the end.

All of this is written in clear, concise and well-defined language. This book is the bridge that has been needed for bellydance students and instructors everywhere. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's only 195 pages long, and it has over 170 illustrations and photos, but it is so packed with information, you will refer to it again and again, whether you are a beginner, a seasoned performer, a student, or an instructor. Well worth the price. It goes on the shelf next to "The Tribal Bible".

This volume will be followed with: II. Shapes, Patterns & Layers, III. More Shapes, Patterns & Layers, IV. History, Styles, & Fusion w/ Fortitude (w/ guest writers), V. Floorwork, Veilwork, Props & Dangerous Diversions, VI. Choreography & Free Form Improvisation, VII. Zanbaka's Repertoire for Tribal Group Improvisation.

To see full PDF excerpts visit: http://www.zanbaka.com/versatiledancerseries.htm

I got the book yesterday and it is GREAT! I'm a beginner dancer and I
think it will be very helpful to me in structuring my practice
sessions and as a complement to my classes. The illustrations are
great.

This book is the most complete, comprehensive collection about the elements of belly dance - applicable to any style. Its detailed about body positioning, showing the proper alignment of the body in different movements as well as what to avoid to prevent injury. I agree that it certainly does not take the place of consistently working with a qualified instructor, but as a meaty practice companion - its top rate! I too wish I had this when starting out (I've been searching for a book like this since I started dancing, nearly 3 years ago) - but I'm so glad I now have it now!! Its worth every penny - thank you, Zanbaka for providing a terrific resource!

I was very excited to see a new book come out on the market that discusses belly dance, especially in the manner in which Zanbaka does here. Here we find an intelligent and technically rich volume with great definitions and resources for your own personal practice, as well as a great handbook to refer to when making lesson plans as an instructor. CERTAINLY this book does not replace instruction, as Zanbaka states clearly, however if you are looking for a book with many movement concepts to wrap your head around, inside and out, for both your practice and your students', here it is!

Well done! Can't wait for the next Volume(s)!!! :)

This book is a perfect mechanism for catching up on the early years of Frasier or to relive those wonderful moments. I started watching Frasier in season 6 and this book has been a constant companion to fill the gaps and relive the moments I loved from the episodes I have caught up on. Having this book WILL lift your IQ!!

This book is great because it is an original! You have the original storylines and no additions from other authors. You learn how such a series is made and how important the actors are to bring the action to live.

Frasier was long one of my favorite television shows, and purely from a writing standpoint, I enjoy reading screenplays and scripts to see just how different writers structure their stories. This book collects 15 scripts from the show's first six seasons, and having seen most of the episodes, I can concur that they have chosen 15 of the best episodes.

From a storytelling standpoint, these are just great tales. The pilot episode, in which Frasier and his father try to adjust to living together, is touching and funny in all the right proportions. Stories like The Matchmaker and Ham Radio lose almost nothing in their pure script form, and The Ski Lodge is just as funny as it was on television. Even moments of pure slapstick, like the classic "silent movie" opening scene from Three Valentines, is delivered very well here.

From a writer's standpoint, the book is also entertaining. We can see how the many wonderful writers crafted their stories. Those segments that don't work as well in the script fall a little flat only because the performances on the program were so wonderful. For that, the actors and writers both deserve credit -- the actors for having that talent and the writers for knowing how to use it. There are a lot of things that don't quite work if you don't know how it was delivered, and the fact that it made it into the show proves that the the writers knew what they had and how to use it. If you aren't familiar with the episodes presented here, some of the scripts may not read as well, but if you're a fan of the show, this really is a wonderful collection.

This book was a lot of fun reading. The Fraiser Scripts is a great book. A must have for the die hard Fraiser fan.

Since losing David Angell in the September 11th tragedy, I am so happy to have a copy of this book. Dave was a great guy, and I miss him.