Dance Books

Jessi is accepted to Dance New York for a three week time span. She feels sad about leaving her friends but when she gets there she feels she's in another world. After three weeks is up of dancing at the acadamy she given a chance to dance there permanently now she has two choices stay with her friends or follow her dream.

Jessi is going to New York. There she will dance in ballet. But does this mean it's the end of the BSC.

This is the first book about Jessi since book #103 Happy Holidays, Jessi. It was really good though. Jessi gets accepted into Dance New York, a excellant ballet school. She gets to work with one of her heroes, is reunited with Quint, and makes great new friends! Jessi love living in the city and has a hard time coming back. Meanwhile at home Mallory misses Jessi like crazy! Becca is furious at Jessi for leaving her. This book really tells you that home is where the heart is. I loved this book and I hope you do to! :)

In here, Jessi Ramsey, an eleven year old fantastic ballerina, is offered the chance for a two-week class in New York--a dancing class! Go Jessi! And it's away from school! So Jessi is psyched and all her friends in the Babysitters' Club will miss her but they are excited for her as well. When she gets to the city, she is reunited with an old friend and makes new ones, plus she's staying with her cousin and his wife. They're very nice to her. She also likes it that they're artists and her cousin's wife plays the piano! New York City is very exciting but everyone's waiting for Jessi at home--right? Plus Jessi wants to go back--right?

Wrong. Jessi is accepted to be in the full-time program for the experts and has a very tough choice to make: her #1 goal or her friends and family back in Stoneybrook, Connecticut? What will she decide to do?

Jessi is going to New York to do ballet. In the book, Jessi meets Quint and likes him. Unfortunately, Quint has a crush on Jessi and she has to go home.

Lear starts his tragedy with a lie. He has divided his kingdom into one larger and two smaller equal parts and promises to give the larger part to that of his daughters who vows the strongest love for him. Yet after Goneril speaks he immediately awards her one of the smaller parts, instead of listening to her sisters and then deciding the fate of the largest bounty. He thus negates his word and turns the auction into a formality for his pre-arranged plan of giving Cordelia the largest part and her sisters the two smaller parts. The whole scene is crass and the king is doubly crass (once for the auction, once more for the lie). He gives his word on the auction on line 52, breaks it on line 69 and forgets about his lie on line 193 where he rages at Kent for urging him to renege on his allegedly never broken word.

Lear starts his tragedy a crazy man. Cordelia's attempt at expressing that she "obeys, loves and most honors" the king only earns her being disowned half a page later. This precipitous fall from being the favorite daughter slated to receive the largest part of the kingdom to the one who "better ... hadst not been born" is incredible.

Most of all, this is a tragedy of detachment. Lear and Cornwall obviously do not have a relationship with their children and know nothing about their children's true feelings for them. Lear does not hear Cordelia and Gloucester does not try to hear Edgar out. Both have to face devastating atrocities before they see their children for who they are. "To willful men the injuries that they themselves procure must be their schoolmasters". They both suffer when they feel unloved by their offspring, they both die before they can enjoy their children's love. The suffering of the two old men is unrelenting, and in this sense "Lear" is as heartbreaking as "Macbeth" is macabre and "Othello" is insidious.

The balance of power, 4:4 (Cordelia, Fool, Kent and Edgar against Gonereil, Reagan, Edgar and Cornwall, with Lear and Glocester in the middle and Albany largely on the fence), is tilted towards the higher ranked evil four. In a game of chess, the former four would have been pawns, knights and bishops and the latter queens and rooks. In the end, Kent and Edgar, a knight and a pawn, save the day.

And yet, the end of the play offers no redemption. The two old men are dead. All those devoted to them are either dead or despondent. The Fool, his spirit giving out as he urged Lear to go back to the two evil daughters and ask their blessing, disappears from the play without a grace. Kent is preparing to follow Lear into the world of shadows. Cordelia is murdered and Edgar predicts an uninspiring future for himself and the young that remain. There is no consolation for dead or living.

This Shakespeare play was a more difficult story line to follow. There were a lot of seperate plots happening at once. i did enjoy it however because Shakespeare keeps it interesting with lots of humor and violence. Shakespeare's fundamental elements of hidden identities and deception run rampant in the twisting and turning story line.

The story follows the life of King Lear who makes a some what bizarre decision to split up his kingdom between his three daughters before he dies instead of after. He then banishes his youngest and favorite daughter for disagreeing with him and divides his land between his two evil daughters. Shakespeare tries to get the audience to have sympathy for Lear yet it is hard to do being that he brought all of the trouble he goes through upon himself. Overall it was a very intriguing story about regrets and decision making and i enjoyed reading the play.

Betrayals, romance, and death: the book King Lear has it all. This book is written by William Shakespeare, who is a famous author of his day and still is well-known throughout the world. William Shakespeare writes during the Renaissance period which he fully lived up to. He could be said to be philosopher by saying his thoughts of life, love, justice, and other morals of man through his works of literature. My opinion is he expressed his opinions of love and justice in the book, King Lear.
In this book, there is a king named, King Lear, who was old and ready to retire his wealth to his three daughters: Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. Before King Lear gives everything to his daughters, he wants to see how much each daughter truly loves him. Goneril and Regan have been waiting for their inheritance from their father for a long time. They love him very much, but they do not care about their father. They just want his land and gold. On the contrary, when asked to express her love for her father, cordelia says she has no words to describe her love for her father because she truly means it. Surprisingly, King Lear gets furious with her, and she runs off to marry the King of France without her father's blessing. After King Lear discovers the plot of his eldest daughters, Goneril and Regan, he goes crazy and runs out to the fields to deal with his grievances. Ironically, it was during a storm which symbolizes the thoughts going through his head at the time.

Meanwhile, an elderly noble named Gloucester, also has family problems. His [...] son, Edmund, is jealous over the fact that Gloucester's legitimate son, Edgar, will inherited most of their father's wealth. This will mean that Edmund may get a small amount of gold and a few acres of land. Therefore, Edmund, consumed by greed, tricks Gloucester into believing Edgar is planning to kill him. So, Gloucester creates a manhunt for Edgar who disguises himself as a crazy beggar named, Poor Tom. While Poor Tom hides in the fields, he meets King Lear. The two men form an alliance to set things straight. Here is where the plot twists and turns from plots of murder, to wives who are cheating, and to rescue attempts.
After reading this, many thoughts run through my head. How should a child express their love for a parent? What is the normal reaction of a parent when a child expresses their love? I will probably never know the answer to the questions until I have experienced what it is to be a parent. Another question stems around if my friends or family ever abandons me for a simple action like robbing bank, should they forgive me or should they hold a grudge to the grave. The way Shakespeare puts his thoughts is a whole other story in itself. It could take years probably to really understand the concepts of man throughout this book. Can man truly be this evil and corrupt in the world with few who do good? I guess these are questions that lead us to the meaning of life.

This was one of my favorite Shakespeare tragedies because despite Lear bringing the misfortune on himself, the reader truly does feel for sorry for him. When Cordelia could not declare her love to Lear like her sisters did, he takes this as a lack of love for him. Of course it wasn't, but Lear's desperate neccesity for admiration from those around eventually becomes his downfall.

While all of that action is going on, Gloucester's illegitimate son, Edmund is on the rise to power, hoping to overtake his brother. King Lear is obviously a tragedy, but there is one aspect of it at the end that is truly rewarding to the reader. Though none of Shakespeare's plays are, read this one and you definetly won't be dissapointed.

I recently re-read KING LEAR prior to attending The Denver Theatre Company's performance of this play. Shakespeare (1564-1616) wrote this emotionally-moving tragedy between 1603 and 1606, and it was performed for the first time in 1606. With its insights into the nature of human suffering and kinship, and its theme of human blindness, it is regarded as one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies.

KING LEAR is based on the legend of King Leir, a king of pre-Roman Britain. It tells the story of King Lear's decision to abdicate the throne and divide his kingdom among his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. In a moment of vanity, Lear decides to divide his lands according to how much each daughter demonstrates her love for him. Because Cordelia refuses to engage such a contest of flattery with her elder sisters, Lear divides his kingdom between Goneril and Regan, banishing Cordelia. Despite her disinheritance, the King of France marries her. Soonafter abdicating his throne, Lear discovers that Goneril and Regan's feelings for him have grown cold. Meanwhile, Goneril and Regan also have a falling out with one another while defending Cordelia's army from France, sent to restore Lear to his throne. Goneril poisons Regan, then stabs herself.

In a subplot, involving the Earl of Gloucester two sons, Edmund concocts false stories about his legitimate half-brother, Edgar, who is forced into exile. Edmund then aligns himself with Goneril and Regan, and his father is blinded by Regan's husband. Edgar, disguised as a lunatic, finds his blinded father out wandering in a storm, trying to find his the way to Dover.

In Dover, Lear, who has gone raving mad, is reunited with Gloucester, Edgar, and Cordelia before the battle between Britain and France. When the French lose, Edmund orders the execution of Lear and Cordelia. Edgar, still in disguise, reveals himself to Edmund before killing his evil half brother. Although Edmund stays the execution of Lear and Cordelia, unfortunately, the reprieve comes too late as Lear enters the scene carrying Cordelia's dead body in his arms. Then he dies.

As a tragedy, KING LEAR is appealing for its nihilistic conclusion that human existence is essentially meaningless, and that life is devoid of a true morality.

G. Merritt

Such a profoundly touching collection of letters expressing the bond between human and animal that transcends physical limitations... highly recommend!

I read every pet-loss book I could find when my beloved dog, an 11-year cancer survivor on all natural remedies, died in my arms at the age of 19.
This was one of the very few books that truly spoke to the depth of my pain and provided solace. It gave me a way to be with my grief without plunging me face first into it.

This is Boone's timeless, poetic, and insightful journal, which documents his inner journey while outwardly, he travels and observes the world after the passing of his beloved dog, Strongheart. It left me feeling comforted, introspective, and no longer so alone. A beautiful and wise book, one I have given as a gift to many.

I read this book when I was in high school, and it changed the way I interact with animals, and my outlook on life. I couldn't find it until I looked for it on Amazon.com. 25 years later, it still inspires me the way it did then. Now I'm excited to share it with everyone I meet. It teaches the unconditional love of animals for the humans who are willing to share their lives with them and learn from them. Everyone should read Letters to Strongheart.

If you love animals, most of all pets this is a must read book as it reveals insight about how to communicate
and understand your pets with respect and love. Boone's timeless book was published in the late 1930's and because of his British background his use of words may seem 'dated' to some readers. I found this to be a wonderful book. I recommend it.

Boone lived - and no doubt still lives - what he believes. He believes what he learned from a receptive and appreciative relationship with a very special dog. Because of reading Boone, I've greatly enhanced my relationships with All Life and it has become easy (most of the time) to love and appreciate life for itself - no matter what shape it comes in. But it is still somewhat difficult to fully love centipedes, for example. Not only are they fast-moving crawly beings whom we cannot keep out, but they are moderately toxic to our cats - all of whom are hunters. So the cats invariably catch the centipedes and get bitten in the act of dispatching them to centipede heaven. Our flies stay out of trouble by staying just out of reach, although a huge moth lost a battle a couple of days ago! I've had communications from many of my animals who have passed out of physical form but who are definitely still alive, as is Strongheart. In my list of Strongheart's (and Boone's) qualities are those that have taught me to hear more clearly what my animal and human friends are sharing with me from the "other" side. My life has been - and is still being - greatly enriched.

LILLIAN HELLMAN: A LIFE WITH FOXES AND SCOUNDRELS provides new insights into the many controversies which have surrounded her life, but it's even more special because it's the first to write about Hellman with full cooperation of Hellman's literary executors and others who tell the truth about the robust woman's life. Hellman's sharp wit and comments often made for a radical approach to the stage: her affairs with high profile men and her volatile professional and personal relationships generated many myths and inconsistent images about her life. Fans of Hellman will relish a biography which brings reality back into the picture --from the mouths and memories of those who knew her best.

Dr. Martinson renders an eloquent and fascinating portrait of the always intriguing, if not nearly as infamous, Lillian Hellman. Writer, dramatist, activist, lover, Hellman emerges as a prolific and unabashed spokeswoman of her time - dedicating her life to the arts and advocating American as well as global civil liberties during McCarthy's reign of House Committee hearings. Martinson curates a tremendous collection of research into a sophisticated and thoughtful read that is as playful as it is thorough and scintillating. In Martinson's resonant style, we see the ash at the tip of Hellman's cigarette as she directs a play with one hand, ruefully raising a toast with the other. Regardless of circumstance or mood, Hellman's biting quips are never far behind. Martinson is masterful in offering her craft to the subject and scope of this massive project, revealing Hellman's tenderness and passions in ways that simultaneously inform and endear the reader - not only to Hellman and her sometimes brash eccentricities, but to Martinson's literary gifts as well - and they are many. I raise a toast to A Life of Foxes and Scoundrels. Cheers

In a project where five million puzzle pieces, each differing in significance and subjectivity, can be assembled in an infinite amount of ways, Martinson has done so with a rhythm and candor that, I believe, reflects Hellman's colorful and fluid life. Each section of Martinson's book - in some cases, each paragraph - carefully constructs a masonry of Hellman's life, only to crumble upon itself and build anew, illustrating Hellman's own complexity and unwillingness (inability?) to be understood and encapsulated completely. Martinson's skillful rhythmic pacing of Lillian's life accurately conjures the Ouroboros, in which Lillian, in an attempt to discover who she is, must first absorb and understand her past in order to create an authentic future (although Lillian herself might scoff at such a notion!).

This riveting new biography of Lillian Hellman benefits greatly from the author's access to previously unavailable documents and the candid recollections any number of Ms. Hellman's closest acquaintances. Professor Martinson ably captures Hellman's difficult, larger-than-life personality, and her equally large theatrical, literary, and political legacies to present a rounded portrait of an amazing life and career - one marked by achievement and controversy, and by innumerable affairs, including Hellman's legendary, multi-decade pairing with the writer, Dashiel Hammett of Thin Man fame.
In all, Ms. Martinson has delivered a first-rate biography and cultural history - no small achievement.

After wading through the seas of calumny that have swamped all previous biographies of Lillian Hellman, it is refreshing to dig through Debroah Martinson's ably researched 2005 book and find that, in her opinion, Lillian Hellman never did anything wrong, but on the other hand eventually one tires a bit of 359 pages worth of cheerleading.

I wondered how Dr. Martinson was planning to deal with the "Julia" controversy, as from multiple sources Hellman was assailed by accusers who basically said she was a liar and that either there was no Julia or that Hellman never met her if she existed at all. Martinson has a disarming defense. How do we know that there wasn't really a Julia? After all, Lillian Hellman knew plenty of people back in the 1930s. I have to agree partially with this one, although it is strange that she never gave any more details about the elusive "Julia" even after people began pooh-poohing her honesty. She was certainly backed into a corner at the end, wasn't she, like a rat in the trap of her own integrity.

The best part of the book details Hellman's earliest Hollywood years with Sam Goldwyn and William Wyler. Sam Jaffe said, "Goldwyn had class with a capital K." It's interesting to note that Hellman was unable to collaborate with Hemingway on the narration to Joris Ivens' THE SPANISH EARTH because she was laid up due to complications from an abortion. Other commentators have been sure that Hellman wrote parts of it, but Dr. Martinson's research proves them 100 percent wrong. It would be great to have published versions of all the Hammett novels he began and which Martinson mentions here, even if each of them amounted only to a chapter or so, and it would be also great to read the screenplay Hellman wrote for Arthur Penn's THE CHASE (1966) before Horton Foote revised it to make it more linear.

Little Sap And Monsieur Rodin combines Michelle Lord's engaging text with impressive illustrations by Felicia Hoshino to tell the remarkable story of a young woman who in the year 1906 was a member of the dance troupe from the Royal Palace in Cambodia when they all made a trip to the beautiful city of Paris. Carrying young readers through Little Sap's encounter with the famous French artist, Augustine Rodin, Little Sap And Monsieur Rodin follows the painter and sculptor's interest with the classic beauty of Cambodian dance in general, and the dancing girl Little Sap in particular. A beautifully presented picturebook story, Little Sap And Monsieur Rodin will delight young readers and prove a popular addition to school and/or community library picturebook collections.

With two Cambodian-born children, this book is a treasured addition to our library. Beautifully told and illustrated, its graceful imagery draws children into the story, and with the muliple readings demanded soon has them practicing the hand poses and dreaming of dance.

My kids will be reading this for years, and I now give this as a gift for all new baby girls ... and Khmer boys, as well.

Young girls especially will be able to identify with Little Sap as she starts her first dance class, all awkward and clumsy compared with the more experienced girls in the room. But as Little Sap grows more comfortable dancing, the reader grows more comfortable in the world of early 20th century Cambodia. And then the reader feels the same thrill Little Sap does when her dance group boards a huge ocean liner -- bringing along costumes, props, and even elephants! -- and sails for France.

The story is like a magical time machine that sends us back to a time when the world was much larger than it is today and foreign cultures were much more exotic. Cambodia of a century ago was a very artistic society, and the illustrations are superb in communicating the details of the clothing, dance, music, and architecture of the period. Together, the words and pictures convey a genuine sense of being there and sharing in the experiences of Little Sap.

A truly delightful childrens book about a young cambodian girl who leaves her family and her village to become a dancer for the princess's royal dance troupe so that her family can have a better life. Along the way, she learns hard work and self worth. I found this to be an inspiring and touching story with a unique cultural angle not normally seen in childrens books.
The bright and colorful drawings bring the story to life.

I highly recommend this book! An exceptional book from a first time author that I hope publishes many more in the years to come.

They say not to judge a book by its cover. Obviously this rule is true some of the time. Some of the time, however, the cover is EXACTLY what you need to see in order to judge a book correctly. How many times have you seen a cheaply produced cover on a children's picture book also to find the story inside laughably simplistic? More than once, I'd wager. By and large, however, I do not seek out books based on what their covers look like. Then I took a gander at "Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin" and my little heart went pitter-pat. Oh how pretty. We've all seen those picture books that show a small child getting to know some great artistic figure. There was "Beethoven Lives Upstairs", and "Degas and the Little Dancer" (which bears no small resemblance to this book), and the truly disturbing "Picasso and the Girl With the Ponytail". What drew me to "Little Sap" however was partly its content. I don't know how many Cambodian picture books you can recite off the top of your head, but my count is pretty low. Add to that the fact that the book talks about Rodin (oddly ignored by picture books, by and large) and you've got yourself the makings of something particularly good.

The royal dance troupe of Cambodia is recruiting new members from a number of girls around the country. Little Sap is from a small village, but despite her dirty nails and awkward balance the child wins a place on the court's troupe. That means unceasing practice and training. Over the years she gains confidence and poise and is allowed to go to France with the troupe to perform abroad. While there they attract the attention of the great artist Auguste Rodin. Drawn to the dancers (no pun intended), Rodin spends much of his time in the villa where they stay, sketching their moves. Little Sap in particular gets his attention and by the end of their stay in France he purchases a pair of fancy French shoes and gives her a sketch of herself. The back of the book includes an Author's Note that describes the facts behind the story and what is and isn't true.

Rendered in ink, watercolor, acrylic, and paper collage the illustrations done by first-time picture book artist Felicia Hoshino are quite pleasant. Hoshino's girls wear silk sampot, or pantaloons, which let the girls look as if they're wearing slightly baggy pants all the time. This accurate detail has a dual purpose. On the one hand it means that the book is historically and culturally appropriate. On the other, it means that the girls in this book look particularly familiar to today's jean-shod young lasses. The style Hoshino uses here tends towards odd proportions in characters. Feet tend to be particularly small and heads particularly large. Just the same, this technique never strikes the reader as out of place. It's simply a different style.

Lord is careful to note at the back of her book that Little Sap's story is, for the most part, made up. There are elements to it, however, that were true. One thing I noticed in a photograph displayed of Rodin watching a dancer was that the performer is wearing a costume far more elaborate than any pictured in the book. During the professional dance of Robam Makaw the costumes are made evident, but we never get a scene similar to the one in the photo. One has to wonder why this is. Why, for example, did artist Felicia Hoshino choose to include plenty of scenes where the girls dance for Rodin, but not one where they are dressed up? Still, there was much to enjoy in this book. I was particularly pleased that Lord thought to include some of the hand motions mastered for the purpose of the dance. And though there isn't an official Bibliography at the back, a quick gander at the publication page shows the books, videos, and websites that Lord and Hoshino owe their aid to.

There are plenty of child-influences-great-artist type books out there, but by and large they are of white children with white artists. You'll still have the white artist in this book, but at least there's a bit of multiculturalism going on as well. You may be able to find Cambodian folktales in your local library, but not many will be stories based on real life occurrences involving the Khmer empire. A lovely little book and a nice story to boot.

Shaw has packed many high-level topics into this play, while at the same time keeping long portions of the dialogue fairly low-level. Two topics jump out most frequently: hell and enjoyment. His take on each respective topic is fresh, seemingly from an entirely new perspective.

In the third act, the characters' conversation stands out in a couple ways. The explanation of hell from Don Juan, the Statue, and The Devil's point of view is unique. From a Judeo-Christian standpoint, it reeks of blasphemy, twisting around the traditional views to show things as they really are: The devil finally gets to tell his side of the story; heaven is boring; anyone can go between the two afterlives whenever they please. What is interesting is that Shaw's hell can fit with the Judeo-Christian/Biblical facts, something that the blasphemy police certainly will not give any credence to or spend any time investigating. His idea that heaven and hell are created for those who are going there matches perfectly with Biblical theology. A person not living in the grace of Jesus would hate heaven just as much as a person living in his grace would hate hell. Biblical theologians would not agree (if one could get them to listen) that people can choose their own eternity, nor would they agree with the concept of non-believers enjoying themselves in hell, even if one could get them to voice their belief that they will be given over to all the desires of their flesh.

What is fascinating about Shaw's hell is just that idea - that if life is about your passions and enjoyment (namely, the flesh) then your afterlife will be personal to those same passions and enjoyment. At this point, the conservative Judeo-Christians would be sharpening their inquisition equipment in a fervent rage because much of the play speaks to that idea of personal enjoyment during life, specifically the English. Don Juan says that humans live to try to understand life more but later adds to that idea by saying that understanding only helps us to know that we are enjoying ourselves. Life then becomes the pursuit of enjoyment, and hell mimics that pursuit as a sort of eternal amusement park. In a statement that seems like a pre-response to his opponent's case, Don Juan then says that although he spent his whole life looking for pleasure, he never found it. If it could ever happen, it is that response which could appease the frantic theologians. The devil, being the father of lies has pulled the eternal wool over everyone's eyes, both the living and the dead, and has gotten them to abandon their real purpose.

Shaw's flirtation with both sides of the controversy is what allows this play such success. He angers both the proponents and opponents of Christian "myths" and then offers possible solutions to appease both sides.

Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

In this title, G.B. Shaw outdoes himself. Not only does he manage to turn up with a Don Juan play in our modern day and age, which is full of cynicism, and doesn't give in to 'medieval' codes of behaviour, but he even manages to turn around the table. Here, the hunter becomes the hunted, forced to flee from his pursued/pursuer. Shaw includes in this play an ingenious conversation between the original 15th century characters, which not only explains about Don Juan's philosophy, but shines a new light upon our own lives, here and today.

In this title, G.B. Shaw outdoes himself. Not only does he manage to turn up with a Don Juan play in our modern day and age, which is full of cynicism, and doesn't give in to 'medieval' codes of behaviour, but he even manages to turn around the table. Here, the hunter becomes the hunted, forced to flee from his pursued/pursuer. Shaw includes in this play an ingenious conversation between the original 15th century characters, which not only explains about Don Juan's philosophy, but shines a new light upon our own lives, here and today.

The writings of Bernard Shaw in this particulat play, invites to you use your mind to understand life and philosphy. It has such great insight into many aspects of human nature and at the same time is exteremely funny and really takes you into it's pages. The writing has impecable style and this is truly a classic play.

George Bernard Shaw was called, with good reason, the "English Nietzsche". Though Nietzsche was an aristocrat and Shaw a socialist, both cherished the dream of the superman and looked forward to the day when he would be realised. Both, however, were characterised by their mordant wit and intellectual cynicism, in which "Man and Superman" abounds. Shaw manages to compress a number of disparate themes into a relatively taut dramatic format, even throwing in a scene in which Don Juan, the Devil and a gang of anarchist brigands make an appearance. The central event of the plot involves the wealthy Tanner, a member of the "Idle Rich Class" making himself subservient to the Life Force and seeking the perfect woman to marry, who would guarantee him a very special offspring, his ideal, the superman himself. Though Shaw was not known to have read the works of Bergson at that time, nor to have been conversant with his vitalist doctrine of the Life Force, his use of the Life Force motif and the philosophical underpinnings of the play attest to a pure Bergsonism. The most delightful part, however, is the "Revolutionist's Handbook" at the end, which contains Shaw's most scandalous anti-Establishment jibes. For instance, "Do not do unto others as you would them do unto you. They might not have the same taste."

Jacalyn Royce, in Shakespeare Bulletin, Volume 22, Number 4, said this about Mastering Shakespeare:

"Mastering Shakespeare places Kaiser in the company of John Barton, Cecily Berry, and Patsy Rodenburg: master teachers who have applied scholarship and practicality to develop methods through which contemporary actors can achieve lucid and physically honest performances of early modern characters-and written smart, inspiring, and useful books about the process.

A review of this book, written by Jean Schiffman, appeared in Back Stage West in May of 2004. Here in an excerpt:

"Scott Kaiser, Oregon Shakespeare Festival acting coach, has come out with an eminently readable new book: Mastering Shakespeare: An Acting Class in Seven Scenes (Allworth Press). Constructed like a play set in an acting studio, it's both entertaining and instructive. Kaiser presents a Stanislavsky-based rehearsal method that he dubs "orchestration." Devised over years of teaching, this approach to on-your-feet script analysis demystifies Shakespeare and makes the acting of his plays seem downright accessible....Kaiser illuminates the whole art of acting Shakespeare, from clown to king, in a way that's sure to appeal to many heretofore intimidated American actors."
-Back Stage West, feature article by Jean Schiffman, May 20, 2004

Scott Kaiser's text covering fundamental issues in acting Shakespeare draws on both drama and literary basics, revealing a method whereby contemporary young actors can hone their art of Shakespeare plays. From pronunciation and focal points to learning how to 'speak a score' to an audience, Mastering Shakespeare is packed with important insights.

This is a great book for actors because it intelligently draws connections between what you already know and what you need to know. The workshop-style format in which it's written veryh insightful into the thought and exploring processes of finding the meat of Shakespeare's characters. As an actor, I highly recommend it for anyone who is serious about the Bard.

This book is so useful! As an actor graduating with my MFA in May, I have already successfully used the tools outlined in this book for auditions, scene work and in performance. The information is fresh, clear and really accessible. I would recommend this book for actors of all levels, as well as for teachers looking for simple, practical advice to offer their students working on Shakespeare.

Meet the Veggies is educational and fun. What a great to learn about vitamins. It is a book that can be read again and again by and to children. Kudos to Charlotte Raybon with her first book.

Meet the Veggies is a wonderful children's book. Parents along with their children will have a great time reading this book.

Little ones will find it hard not to eat healthly after viewing these cute little colorful illustrations of the veggies.

The lively and colorful characters of Miss Mae's kitchen will keep you entertained as they share a few details about themselves. They'll have you smiling and your mouth watering. This is a story people of all ages can enjoy. You'll also love the colorful illustrations. Great debut! I'm looking forward to Ms. Raybon's next book.

Miss Mae's Kitchen is very entertaining. Children will find it hard to put this book down and will enjoy reading it again and again.

As a child, my very favorite movie was THE WIZARD of OZ. My favorite scene was when the tiny Muchkins "Came out ,came out, wherever they were".

I always wondered about the actors and actresses that played the parts of the delightful little Munchkins, & therefore I was thrilled to finally get this book (as a Christmas gift).

This book will not disappoint. Not only does it give a wonderful background as to where the Munchkin actors came from, but also this book goes into specifics, regarding the most famous of the Munchkins actors/actresses (eg: the Lollipop Boys, etc). Such endearing folks they were! (Sadly, most of them have passed away by now...sniff!)

After reading this book, you will forever love and appreciate the little people that were part of such a unique movie.

This is probably the most interesting Oz book in my collection. Finally someone reveals who these little people are, and in such an entertaining manner. I couldn't put this book down. I've read so many books about Prod. 1060, aka "The Wizard of Oz" (MGM) which are dry and stale. This book puts the whole experience into perspective and provides a human side to the Munchkin actors. I'm glad to hear some of them survive. The photographs in here are glorious. The color photography jumps out at you. Bravo to Steven Cox for doing such a handsome job and such a respectful job with "The Munchkins of Oz." If you want a book on Oz that is unique--this is the one.

We would certainly highly recommend this book! Meeting several little people throughout our years, our family found this book to be a Top 10 book! It is full of stories of the Munchkins, and what it was really like to be a part of OZ. We found out things we never knew, even after hearing so many personal stories of those who shared their experiences with us personally. We believe Meinhardt Raabe is the last of the Munchkins still alive, and would also highly recommend his book, Memories of a Munchkin: An Illustrated Walk Down the Yellow Brick Road.

I loved this book so much that this is the 3rd edition that I've bought. I bought the first edition back in 1989 and the revised edition many years later. When this one came out, I knew I had to have it too. With each revised edition, Stephen Cox really outdoes himself. I've found that any revised edition of this author's books are always even better than the original, as he adds more info and photographs!

This book is a must-have for all Oz-fans, young and old. It's filled with rare photographs, little-known trivia and fascinating tid-bits. There is also a section about bloopers (find out about a scene where Judy Garland can clearly be seen wearing brown bedroom slippers instead of the Ruby Slippers!) and "urban legends" (no, the Munchkins did not get drunk & disorderly every night as portrayed in the Chevy Chase/Carrie Fisher movie "Under the Rainbow"!! Nor did a Munchkin commit suicide on set during filming; F.Y.I.: it's a large, exotic bird moving its head & wings that people think is the hanging Munchkin).

Reading this book will increase your Oz-IQ several points! What are you waiting for? Buy this book now!

I first read this book when the first edition came out, and was really impressed with the depth in which the author went to gather the information for this book -- hours spent locating and contacting the surviving Munchkins, all the interviews that took place, etc. This is NOT one of my favorite movies, by any means, but I always liked the first seen in Oz, where Dorothy meets the Munchkins, and this book really showed you who these people were and how they managed to get into the movie. Alot of great pictures help make the book really stand out. With each reissue (this is the third edition of the book), the author is able to provide a little bit more information on the Munchkin actors and actresses, and provides additional pictures to keep the experience of the book fresh. I would highly recommend not just this edition, but the two previous editions if you are able to find them. A great read!

This book is very different than I thought it would be, but was definitely an interesting read. It is basically a series of essays dissecting various aspects of the show - from Veronica's relationship with her father, to what Veronica's voiceovers add to the show. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a more intellectual viewpoint on the series, rather than just campy fun. A must-read for Veronica lovers.

Although this book made me cry wishing there was still to be more Veronica to come, it was amusing in itself as it dissected the series.

Ordinarily when I read an anthology that attempts to make an analysis of a TV series or film, I find at least a couple articles I cannot agree with. However, in Neptune Noir, despite there being different approaches by the authors I found them all superlative. It may also be that my wife and I are suffering from withdrawal pains of there being no Veronica Mars after this Summer's reruns of season three.

I will not comment on individual articles except to say that each author covered verious aspects of this great show, using examples from the scripts of the first two seasons. Even more interesting was the introduction and commentaries by Rob Thomas. As a retired high school teacher myself I had no problems understanding what he was doing.

I have to say that my wife and I are late blooming fans. In fact we met Kristen Bell at a convention, getting her autograph, before we had seen the series. We picked up the first couple episodes of season one at a video store and that was enough to get us to order the first two seasons. Never have we gone through a collection so quickly as we just couldn't ration them out. We now await our order for season three.

I understand there are movements to revive the show or to at least have a movie. TV Guide even rumored that Veronica Mars could show up on 24 as an FBI agent. That wouldn't work as Jack Bauer couldn't keep up with her. Also, Kristen Bell is a superb actress, as witness the Lifetime film Gracie's Choice. By now she probably has had countless offers.

I do hope that we have not heard the last of Rob Thomas and that his genius will again give us something special.

I ordered this book the day after the last episode, and it's just what I needed for mourning the end of the series.

A bit too intellectual at times, but generally a good read about the philosophical implications of various scenes and episodes from Veronica Mars. Focuses largely on the first season, which is great if you enjoyed it. A bit heavy for a summer read, but if you are into philosophy or want to read some deep thinkers' opinions, definitely a worthwhile read. And there is enough "lightweight" content to make it a good read for all.