Music Books

I had never heard the real King Arthur tale. I enjoyed it tremendously! Sean Bean's narration of this tale is exquisite. His voice is perfect for books on tape. Such depth. You felt you were really there. I would recommend this to anyone!

This CD was bought for our then seven year old son and we listened to it on a long car trip. What a fantastic way to pass the time. Sean Bean is phenomenal as the narrator and characters of the story. We have listened to it so many times and still never get tired of this great story, excellently told.

Thrown into this great story is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, another exciting story within the story of King Arthur.

This story on CD appeals to all ages from our seven year old to our sixteen year old and to adults. It is one of a few stories that you really can listen to again and again and still be enthralled. I would highly recommend keeping it in the car for the long trips.

Sean Bean does an awesome job on this production. His range of voices and dialects are amazing. Very eerie in the parts that are supposed to be.

It's hard to take such a well known tale and still make it fun to listen to, but Sean Bean's voice and cadences kept me listening to the end.

The whole family is hooked on this. The classical music that accompanies it is compelling. You think you are there.

I really think that everyone who wants to do an audition should get this book because the music is great and it is even better in the vocal book so yeah.

. . . I will be singing these songs. I grant you that the piano music requires a talented pianist (and even the vocal range is nothing to sneer at, particularly if you sing both a Jamie and Cathy song), but OH, the beauty! This is one of my favorite musicals of all time, and this songbook, though perhaps not Quite complete (I wish, I wish, I WISH it had See I'm Smiling. Still, it's more complete than the vast majority of musical's songbooks!), is incredible. If you love JRB, L5Y, or just are looking for a good audition piece, this is where your life begins!

The songs, lyrics, and rhythm beautifully portray the love/hate story of Jamie and Cathy. Jason Robert Brown's dreams and styling really show through. The arrangements are probabley best for intermediate-advanced piano players. It's wonderful!

Great piano/vocal arrangements! This sheet music is very true to the cast recording. The arrangements reflect varying degrees of complexity, with the piano score averaging moderate playing difficulty. Pianists/vocalists who enjoy "The Last Five Years" will find this to be a very satisfying sheet music purchase.

Jason Robert Brown has been among my favorite composers in the business for quite a while. His books are among the most played music in my collection, and for good reason. They cover a tremendous emotional range, and this book is well worth the money.

A few caveats: I'm a music major, having played piano for 15 years and sung for most of my life, and I still think this music is HARD! Be aware if you're a less experienced musician that you may find most of his work frustratingly difficult. Also, if you own the vocal selections books from his individual shows (I own all but Parade), you will find considerable overlap in these books. From each of the shows so far that such books are available, this book includes 3 songs that you may already have and one new song. It also includes, however, many songs that are not available anywhere else, and is still very much worthwhile for what is left.

I have seen the stage production of the Lion King twice--in Toronto and East Lansing, MI. Vendors offered a souvenir photo brochure for $20. For only a few dollars more, I purchased Julie Taymor's book from Amazon describing one of the most amazing creative achievements I have ever seen. Get the book! See the show!

I came home from a production of The Lion King staged in Appleton, Wisconsin, and was so enthralled I immediately set out to find out "How did they do that?" This book met and exceeded by expectations. I am an amateur costumer and puppeteer and this just the stuff to bring a smile to my face. Before this book I was not aware of Julie Taymor by name (Sorry, from a small town, don't get out much) but I will be looking for her work from now on.

...is seeing the show live. From intellectual concept, to extensive and authentic research, to development with constant referral to the physical, metaphysical, intrinsic, to the workshop...to the stage. One will see that Julie Taymor was THE RIGHT visionary to not only help in the translating an animated film to live theater, but to also retain the human moral behavior and lessons that are paramount for the existence of all people.

This book shows the "creation story" of the Lion King musical. Photos of the workshopping teams in their studio/s, sketches of early ideas, through to finished costuming displayed on the artists themselves.

A pity this book was not available in Australia, but thanks to Amazon I received it in about 3 weeks total.

The Lion King on broadway is by far the best most amzing show ever created. Whats so amazing is that the book is as good as the musical. Without Julie Taymor the lion king would not be such a huge success as it is and you find all about this in the book. Some of the pictures of the show itself and the costumes are just wonderful which makes the presentation of the book even more wonderful. I dont even read books but am findin it very hard to put this down and read it over and over again. If you require any info, or are just curious email me simba262626@yahoo.com to discuss this amazing book.

I did things a little backward and read Crosby's second book first, and when I read Long Time Gone it ended up being an irresistible forensic study of Crosby's life. It was a fabulous read. It made you wonder how any person could do that to himself and live to right about it. Make sure you buy both of Crosby's books. If you are a child of the 60's or 70's, it will transport you back to Woodstock and all of those confused feelings of your youth.

Whenever I may be asked to recount books I have enjoyed / lives I've enjoyed reading about - THIS book and THIS life will forever be upon that list.

David Crosby - the genuine article.

Long time gone provides an insight into one of the great survivors, nay legends, of the 65-75 era as well as entertaining observations on the culture of the times. fascinating reading for anyone of a certain age.

I am reading a first edition used hard-cover of this book and it sure brings back some memories! Like the one reviewer said,if you lived in those times,came of age in those times,this book will flood your mind with a-hankering for the good old days of mellow music,mellow weed and mellow and friendly girls. what an age of innocence!
i miss it very bad...gottlieb i think got it right,the "60's" were actually the decade of 1965-1975...a fantastic time that will never be back.i think the times we're in now could use some of the attitudes of the 65-75 era.good golden and red marijuana included. too bad human nature took it all and trashed it.thanks,david crosby for making me think about my youth as it developed into adulthood.
god bless you.
i was on the edge of the CSN and CSNY,Byrds,Springfield music...i was into the British groups and was gone on the Beatles and Who especially.
alot of my amigos were heavy into CSNY,much more than i was and i should've been myself-just never got around to them...(except for the Deja Vu LP- a top 10 classic.)i was also involved w/ the grateful dead and jazz and pink floyd.i liked the electric attitude of hendrix,too.
CSNY,CSN were too acoustic for my tastes at that time.it was a stroke of genius to get neil young-he made all the difference for me.
anyway,i am ranging...the book is great.read it and be prepared to go down Memory Lane.

This book is an amazing document about an amazing performer, born at the right time, in the right place, with the right set of talents needed to succeed (and fail, spectacularly).

If you are interested at all in American culture from the sixties to now, this is essential reading. Basically, David was born in Santa Barbara, grew up in the 50s loving sailing, cars, and women, later to be joined by music. He fell into the folk scenes then emerging in the early 60s, and by dint of personality and talent, worked his way into the Byrds, then CSN, then a sybaritic lifestyle that broke the mold.

Holy cow -- this is a highly entertaining, engrossing story of the American Dream gone good, gone bad, then gone good again. You will not put it down.

Hooray for the survivors, the dreamers, the lovers, the music-makers.

as a fan of lou costello all my life i never really new much about the real lou till i read this book by his daughter chris.This is a must read for any of lou"s fans as it will make you feel all his highs and lows.

Like every kid in America, afternoons after school meant watching television and who better to watch than Abbott and Costello?

This book took me by surprise. For years I heard stories about the tragic events that happened in Lou Costello's personal life but somehow images of him in HOLD THAT GHOST or bothering the Andrews Sisters didn't jive with those images.

Lou's daughter, Chris, wrote a loving tribute to her father that is accurate, on point but never gets syrupy sweet. Nor is it a "Daddy Dearest" where she portrays anyone as a monster.

Although she was not born at the time, Chris traces her father's roots from New Jersey all the way through vaudeveille and finally Hollywood. In a sesntive way, she recounts the tragic loss of Lou's son, Butch and with just as much delicacy she handles the problems of her mother's drinking.

Although I would have liked to have had a better insight into what went on as the team created some memorable movie scenes, Chris concentrates solely on the man. You put down the book and wonder how Lou Costello - plaqued with IRS problems as well as health issues - could be so funny and so giving all the time.

Even if you are not an A&C fan, this book will show you the side of a professional comedian who gave the gift of laughter to others despite his own problems.

I found out from a local bookstore that this particular edition of Lou Costello's life was out of print and that their supplier unable to procure. The bookstore reminded me to check with Amazon and there it was. You had one copy which I quickly scooped up. Delivery was even a day earlier than stated. Very pleased as always with Amazon website, products and delivery

Starts with his early years.
The beginning of Abbott & Costello.
21 years later , the break-up of Abbott & Costello.
They were two opposites.
One didn't drink, one drank heavily.
Offstage: one loud jokster, one quiet & reserved.
Both gambled heavily.
Lou's long illness.
Death of Lou's son. Plus More.

It seems as though a lot of bios written by the children of famous parents run to the two extremes of villifying the parent or sugarcoating the parent. This book does neither, and fits nicely in between. Though Ms. Costello was only eleven years old when her dad passed on, and therefore didn't know or remember him in the same way as if he had passed on when she was an adult, she does still manage to be both loving and honest in her treatment of him. The Lou Costello who comes to life in these pages is largely a really nice generous guy, who was absolutely devoted to his parents, children, siblings, wife (even if he didn't show much physical affection around others, since that wasn't part of his upbringing), and friends, and who was also very generous and kind to the other performers he worked with, particularly the ones who were just getting started in the business and needed someone to look out for them and show them the ropes. And while it is true that some people really are so uniformly good, Ms. Costello does not paint her father as an utter saint either. There's not a lot of dirt to dig up, but not everything about him was perfect. Among the character/personal flaws she discusses are his habit of stealing stuff from Universal's movie sets, how he was quite the McCarthyist, and his bad gambling habits.

The book seems like much more of a personal bio than a career bio. It focuses on Lou and his family and friends, instead of rehashing a lot of stories most fans have heard already. Most of his movies aren't discussed in any detail at all, many of them just mentioned in passing, and while this might frustrate people who are looking for more in-depth information on that rather important side of his life, you can always find more thorough discussions of the movies in another book. This book is to tell the personal side of his life, as remembered and researched through the eyes of a daughter who loved him. I really enjoyed reading about things such as his early family life, the beautiful lavish mansion he had in Sherman Oaks, his family's life on the ranch they moved to after his problems with the IRS, his relationship with his parents, siblings, wife, and children, and his solo acting at the end of his career. With obvious notable exceptions such as the tragic loss of his only son days before his first birthday, the start of his movie career, and the version of "Who's on First" that he and Bud Abbott used on their debut radio performance of it, most of the stories and anecdotes in this book aren't to be found anywhere else. It goes beyond and doesn't dwell on oft-repeated statements such as "He was never the same after the loss of his son" and "He and Bud Abbott didn't get along off-camera." The truth is so much more interesting. Overall, it's the complete and personal picture of a very talented, funny, giving, sweet man, delving beyond simplistic stereotypes and myths.

Okay, so you like Blondie, which by the way is a group. Making tracks reflects the band in ways that the fans and the public do not often see. Mostly Debbie is doing the writing here expressing her thoughts on everything from Peter Leeds to touring throughout the world. It is quite a tale especailly in the early days when the group was struggling. The book itself is what I would deem to be a work of art, it describes more than just the rock and roll business it describes on how Debbie and the band actually felt throughout. I as a huge Blondie fan would suggest that you add this gem to your collection.

This book consists of photos by Chris Stein-a fair to good amateur photographer-and text by Victor Bockris (a somewhat pedantic writer) of Deborah Harry's ongoing commentary, essentially, of her and her band's history from her childhood to the current state of the band when it was first published circa 1982. I can remember buying a copy when it was first introduced at a mall bookstore which is now a storefront church: I can even remember that the counter clerk's name was Lillian, the name of Debbie's character in the fine film "Union City". (She was less than impressed, commenting that Blondie was a terrible band and that no woman except for Janis Joplin should be allowed in the rock section in record stores. They were very much _record_ stores in those days-I had at that point never seen a CD.)

It's remarkable in that Debbie was as close to a major league rock star as she was ever to be in the United States at that point, and her observations-recorded when Madonna had yet to achieve any success-on fame and media attention are even more notable for the timeframe in which they were written.

The photos are the reason most fans, particularly males, bought the book. Debbie shows off her pert, teenlike assets (at well over 30 she had the body of a high school cheerleader, boyish compared to Jayne, Marilyn or Brigitte but very desirable nonetheless and far more feminine than, say, Jamie Lee Curtis, who was appearing in the altogether in films in that timeframe) brazenly, investigates the world (particularly Europe and the Far East) with curiosity and is shown with many of the rock and film icons of the past and then-present, including Chuck Berry (whom, Deb told this writer, attempted to finger her then), Robert Fripp, Ellie Greenwich, and others. Chris is with Pierre Salinger, Debbie-who never did get to meet her own primary idol Marilyn Monroe-wears a MM dress from "Some Like It Hot", which she bought at the time she and Chris lived in penury. (Sadly it was involved in a fire, it would now likely be worth tens of thousands of dollars-the gown Marilyn wore to serenade JFK sold for a seven figure (US$) sum.)

This book in short is a delightful piece of fluff from the era which still will fascinate fans of Blondie and the New York scene in those years. It's not a serious work and won't change anyone's life but anyone who likes the tasty rock music of Blondie, the underrated vocal and acting talents of Deborah Harry, or is fascinated by that place and time for edgy popular culture will enjoy this.

Debbie's writing style (as ingested and regurgitated by Victor Bockris) is attractrively candid, humorously intimate, and appealingly self-effacing. Debbie tells her story simply and with no frills and no excuses. She lovingly describes details of the CBGB's music scene of the late '70's down to the last detail, with a touching respect for her peers and nary a bad word to say about anyone. includes exerpts from diaries Debbie wrote on the road as well as reformatted material from various obscure magazine interviews circa 1977-1981, but editor Bockris blends it all so well it reads like one coherent monologue. In actuality, Bockris has morfed Harry and Stein's voice into one here, so it's impossible in some areas to know who is speaking. In interviews, Debbie has made reference to a "third" person that she and Stein create when they're together. You might say that person is the true author of "Making Tracks". Travelogue-style photos by Stein skimp on glamour-Debbie but compensate by invoking the environment from which she and the band sprung!

I purchased this book when it first came out in 1982 and am glad to see it's still in print. It was very hard to find back then. "The Rise of Blondie" gives an fascinating history of Debbie Harry-her childhood, what her high school years were like, how she moved to NY and began her music career, then meeting Chris Stein and getting together with the other band members. There are many unknown, humorous and interesting facts about the group's early years. The pictures are great, also. If you are a diehard fan, like me, this will become one of your favorite books. I highly recommend it!

"Making Tracks: The Rise of Blondie" is a unique book -- part road diary, part band memoir. Rock biographer Victor Bockris teamed with Debbie Harry and Chris Stein to produce this book, a quirky and enlightening view of Blondie's rise to fame. Good anecdotes, wonderful pictures, and an intimate look into what it was like.

Stein and Harry first give us a glimpse of their early lives and childhoods, and then the events that propelled them to the music biz, including early band stuff (like the Stillettoes). They lived in cold apartments run by very strange people (sometimes smoking even weirder stuff), were saved by the cats, performed in the legendary CBGB's, and swirled around the music scene with the Ramones, Television, the Kinks, and now-extinct punk journalists. Then they hit the big time, jetting across the world and clinging to their rough edges.

Harry and Stein have not a single bad thing to say about their musical peers, only pleasant camaraderie. Harry's quirky wit is an easily-acquired taste; she's straightforward and dryly humorous. The parts that are more clearly Stein are a little less vivid to read. At times it's easy to get lost in the prose and forget which is which, however. What's more, the stories are less focused on the perks of fame than on the day-to-day life in a band.

The only problem is that at times, it's necessary to skip back to figure out who the heck so-and-so is, and what connection he had to Stein and Harry. However, Bockris does an excellent job of slipping in articles and written anecdotes by Harry. While the result gets a little bumpy at times, it's overall a smooth ride through the years.

The pictures are a mix of stylized publicity shots (like the pouty "Punkmate" picture) and candids. The candids are wonderful, ranging from Harry wielding a hammer in Japan to a window riddled with bullet holes to makeup for a Giger-inspired music video (truly eerie). The pictures seem spontaneous and natural, and the grubbiness of some of them gives a better idea of what it was like to live there. (Not to mention posing with the Ramones, Nancy Spungeon, Bill Murray, Joan Jett and others)

"Making Tracks: The Rise of Blondie" is not merely for Blondie fans, but for fans of now-classic rock and good music. Witty and humorous, with dozens of great photographs, this is a treasure.

I have read many books on Mary Pickford but this one was by far the best. I was able to learn about tid bits that I have not seen published in other books. I also felt that while I was reading this book, that I was actually reading about her, herself, not just somone telling a story in order to sell a book. I would reccommend this to anyone who is a fan of hers or silent movies.

This book deserves 5 stars for the pictures alone. They are so big and clear of this beautiful motion picture actress from the silent screen. The text is what I was somewhat disappointed with. There was a lot of technology that was mentioned that I don't really care about. However, the author did bring in little anecdotal details about what was happening to Mary at the time she was making every picture. Picture details also were described-like the arm band her brother, Jack, was wearing indicated that his wife, Olive Thomas, had died. This was very interesting. This book is not a real biography; it is more a filmography and all of Mary's films are written about. My favorite part was the pictures and the picture details, however!!! Great book!

This book is not only a great coffeetable book, full of gorgeous photographs (proving yet again that b&w photography can sometimes be even more stunning than color photography), but also a valuable addition to one's personal library. In addition to all of the great photographs, there's a wealth of information on Mary Pickford--synopses of her films, information on the making of all of her features, information on how Mr. Brownlow came to meet Mary in the mid-Sixties, how these wonderful photographs came to the Academy Library, her career at Biograph Studios in the Aughts and early Teens, and information about her life off-camera. Although since this book only covers her film-making career and not her entire life (it's not meant to be a comprehensive biography), it ends in 1933, with her final film, 'Secrets.' There's so much fascinating information in here, facts that the average fan might not be aware of, like the fact that, even though she was famous for playing little girls and teenagers, she didn't play a little girl until 7 years into her career, and only played a little girl throughout a film in relatively few of her films, or the fact that the reason she wasn't able to have biological children was because of a scene in 'Caprice' (1913) where she had to drag a woman who was much larger than she out of a burning building, which caused serious internal injuries and a bad illness. That wasn't the only time she risked life and limb in pursuit of her art, in these early days when many actors literally put their lives on the line to do stunts or play certain scenes.

Although Mr. Brownlow does have an evenhanded approach to the films, praising them when he feels it's merited and criticising them when that is felt merited, while throughout demonstrating great respect for his subject, the reader shouldn't be made to feel as though these are authoritative opinions. I disagreed with his opinions on some of her films or some of the scenes in them, although generally his comments and personal opinions are kept very professional, not like an overly gushing fanboy or an extremely hard to please critic. One should also be warned that some of these film synopses do contain spoilers; it's one thing to detail the plots of her lost films, since we're never going to be able to see them anyway (though hope springs eternal), but it seems kind of unfair to give away crucial plot details or to basically describe the entire plot instead of just giving a synopsis. One might want to watch all of her major films before reading this if one doesn't like to have the endings or crucial plot details given away. That's a good idea anyway, since this book serves as a valuable companion to the films, providing more insight and background on films one is already familiar with or wants a deeper understanding of.

Like all of Mr. Brownlow's other books, this one too is wonderfully-written and is a great addition to one's library.

If you know nothing else of Mary Pickford just remember that she was an actress who's like we have never seen before nor since-someone without peer.
Born Gladys Smith in Toronto,Ontario,Canada she had a very tough childhood and in her very younger years found herself having to help support her family.These times were to steel her temperment and as she entered into show busines(on stage) her confidence grew as did her determination to succeed for her family and for herself.
In a few years time she had become very successful plying the "boards" of many major and minor vaudeville and playhouses in North America.When she stepped into the Biograph studios in New York City looking for "temporary" work between stage jobs and was introduced to legendary director DW Griffith,fate stepped in and Mary was to pretty much play out the rest of her acting career in front of the camera.
She was to go on to turn Hollywood on its collective ear obtaining more money,power and success no other woman before or since has ever achieved there.She could do it all and DID it; everything from tragedy to comedy and everything in between.
I recommend the reader purchase any of the DVDs now becoming available of her works.
In the meantime purchase THIS wonderful volume of her life in pictures annotated by film historian Kevin Brownlow.Handsomely bound and chock full of pictures dedicated to the first and best "America's Sweetheart".

England's Kevin Brownlow brings to life America's Sweetheart, Mary Pickford, in this richly textured and insightful book featuring a myriad of lush and rare photographs chosen by Pickford expert Robert Cushman. Mary Pickford's contribution to cinema is seen in a new light here. Brownlow subtly makes the case that she not only was the most influential woman in the history of cinema, but a visionary force for the film industry itself.

It is difficult in today's climate of instant access to information to understand just how popular Mary Pickford was in her day. She was embraced by the entire world, and reportedly, every twenty four hours 12 1/2 million people saw her on screen. She perfected her craft in an era of film when very few people actually saw her natural acting style for the hard work and genius it was. George Cukor called her the first method actor.

Mary Pickford's career as an actress spanned decades. She did much for women with her strong business savvy and the roles she not only portrayed, but created. A very practical woman by all accounts, her films themselves reflected our better side as human beings and were often sentimental in tone. She didn't play weak characters as many of her contemporaries did. When people walked out of a theatre after seeing a Pickford film, they were often uplifted, feeling generous towards their fellowman.

Brownlow has done a wonderful job of bringing Mary Pickford to life as a three dimensional human being. With all the rare and beautiful photographs here to distract you it would have been easy to have an uninspiring text. But the introduction by Cushman and the lengthy and insightful comments by Brownlow, which includes commentary on each Pickford film, makes this a mesmerizing journey into a life, both on film and off.

There were many things about Mary the public knew, such as the famous Pickfair and her celebrated marriage to Douglas Fairbanks, as well as their friendship with Charlie Chaplin. They knew little, however, of a young girl who virtually had no childhood. Before her career finally took off she was poor in the extreme, sleeping in a chair so long it would take quite some time after owning a bed before she could sleep in any other position.

Some knew of her first marriage to actor Owen Moore, but few knew he was an abusive alcoholic who would drive Mary to seek comfort with actor and director James Kirkwood. They certainly did not know that in 1917, at the height of her fame, Mary almost committed suicide. Though these aspects of Mary's life are only touched upon and not dealt with in depth, it is admirable they are here at all, separating this from other coffee table books.

The photographs are so stunningly beautiful (some never before seen) you may have trouble concentrating on the text. Of particular note are photographs on pages 110, 65, 17, 12, 27, 154, 121, and 66. They are not to be missed.

This lush and informative book, filled with affection for its subject and augmented by rare and breathtaking photographs, is a must own for anyone who loves film. Its overall perspective of America's Sweetheart, and ultimately the world's sweetheart, Mary Pickford, is unmatched. Pick this one up today!

This work consists of sections which largely document Dr Suzuki's philosophy towards life and education (not just musical education, by the way). While I disagree with him regarding the level to which children are blank slates (I can tell you as the parent of two that they are individuals from before birth), most of the basic ideas hold out well. After all, inborn talent (which, unlike Dr Suzuki, I believe does exit) aside, we master what we spend time mastering. Furthermore, every one of us can become more noble than we are through real disciplines, including music (and this point comes across very well in this work).

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to hear Dr Suzuki's young students on a tour of the US and I was amazed at their musical sense-- something the Suzuki method in the US has not been able to quite capture. This book holds many of the secrets of his success.

In many regards, I see this as an important work on early childhood education and why wholistic education is important. Highly recommended.

If every parent follows the philosophy of Doctor Shinichi Suzuki, the world will be a very pleasant place to live

I love this book!!! It talks about success at music as well as success in life. Very uplifting and motivational.

This book should be required reading for music teachers, and for parents who would like their young children to have music lessons. I teach piano and violin to young students, and I felt it was immensely helpful to me. It was a constant reminder that patience, persistance, and a deep love of music will yeild the most profound results with even my most difficult students. It is all to tempting to dismiss the abilities of a particular child, especially one who tends to be uncooperative, instead of recognizing that each child has enormous potential. The touching stories Mr. Suzuki shares of students who overcame terrible difficulties, from blindness to infantile paralysis, to play the violin as best they could, moved me more than words can say.

The book wonders between autobiography, philosophy, history of how Suzuki's philosophy developed, and technique but the message is clear. Most children's success is dependent on the culture parents create EVERYDAY at their home and for their children. The parents are the creators of culture and the culture is what is done, talked about, emphisized, supported, given time to, and encourage everyday with love. It is easier if society at large supports the culture that parents want but parents ultamately have to create their own culture for their children and the key is what is done everyday and it requires a serious investment of time.

We are what we do everyday (Suzuki is in line with Aristotle on this one). Patience, perserverance, determination shrouded in love 15 minutes a day, for a child, is better than an hour one day a week. Parents talking about it, encouraging it everyday, making it the family culture, are keys to success in music as most anything for most children. There are a lot of distractions that wish to throw our children into worshiping the vanities in this world, the best way to fight this is to create an inner dignity and harmony that comes from a serious but loving endevour everyday.

This is a must-have item. It is an incredible beautiful book. If you are a pethead, you must have it. But, if you will buy this item, you must have in mind that is a catalogue of items, pictures and comments, the name is literal, not a book as "PSB vs America" or "Literally".

With 14 reviews already written, I doubt I can say anything that hasn't already been said. But I will give a short review of my impression of Catalogue.

This book is more like Pet Shop Boys history in pictures. While it's true this is a catalogue of all the album and CD covers. It is also the history of Pet Shop Boys in a brief chronology near the back of the book. It gives a time line of what they were doing on particular dates.

There's also an interview from April 2006 with Neil and Chris by Chris Heath. It also includes a complete in depth discography of all their singles and albums they released.

The silver cover of the book makes a great coffee table attraction. It's a must for any Pethead's collection. It's also a great reference book for new fans of the boys. For those who never subscribed to the fan club will enjoy looking at the various Christmas Cards and cover art of the fan club magazine Literally.

I purchased multiple copies so I could have one on display and to thumb through and one is kept sealed. At this great price, who could resist?

Pet Shop Boys Catalogue

El libro es excelente [casi una obra de arte] en el cual se repasa la historia gráfica del dúo a través de sus primeros 20 años de carrera. Un verdadero must para cualquier fan de los PSB.

This book is beautifully packed and chronicles the product of the pet shop boys for the first 20 years. It includes album/single covers, tours, costumes, videos, etc. It is worth every penny and a true companion for any psb fan!

You can easily forget that Chris and Neil, Pet Shop Boys have been making fantastic music together for close to 30 years now. This large volume is an authoritative visual representation of what the PSB have done throughout their career. If there is one problem (not really) it would be that since they Boys are still active, the book will be outdated nearly immediately following its publication.

Its fun to see all the international releases, versions, one-off items that have come from their musical output, from singles to albums to videos to other books. Catalogue is comprehensive to say the least. And the photos are many, and all relatively great quality.

This is a true gift to the real PSB fans. It is sort of like your own personal scrapbook if you've been following the Boys through the years or a wonderful collection to introduce newer fans to the career that Neil and Chris have enjoyed. Price seems more than reasonable for the quality of the book. The cover is stunning and makes a great conversation piece for your coffee table. It just sort of begs to be opened with its silvery cover image.

Pet Shop Boys fans should be thrilled that such a volume exists and that the artists have seen fit to offer something of this scale. So many bands, defunct or ongoing seem to spurn their fans requests for such items. In this case, no matter what the intent of the artist--whether purely self indulgence or wanting to give back, the fans who purchase this book are the winners.

Love this book. Love the Boys. And most importantly, Love the music they continue to release. Left to your own devices, you probably will buy this book.

Peter Jennings was taken from us at the pinnacle of his
career. He shaped the news in many areas like the
ABC Nightly News. The book provides many specifics about
his life and career. There are memorable pictures
contained throughout the book. i.e.
o The Miss Canada Pageant of 1965
o various political conventions
o the Munich Olympics
o the Clinton Presidential Inaugural of 1997
o a meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991

The acquisition would be perfect for persons interested
in journalism, politics and government.

This book is purchased for our Book Club for next year's books. Several of our members had read it to be sure it was okay. It was difficult to purchase - first we had to wait till it was published (you know how THat goes!) and then the price was exhorbitant (that was overcome) and finally it joined the other books we purchased for the Club. Oh, and say, did I mention that this is a book for next year's selections? and that it will be much like "saving it for dessert?" I haven't read it yet either - just scanned through it, and therefore I know it to be the "icing on the cake."

I was never a regular viewer of Peter Jennings' news broadcast or any of his documentaries, but now I wish I was.

This book pointed out all the great time, effort and blood, sweat and tears that Peter Jennings put into all segments of his broadcast and documentaries. He did not take his anchor position lightly and wanted all viewers to share his same passion and understanding of the subjects he was speaking.

It also went into great depth to speak of the man that none of us saw on his nightly newscasts. One who was such a humanitarian and lover off people from all different walks of life.

This book kept my attention and made me feel sad that I did not pay closer attention to his newscast while he was still with us.

If you loved Peter Jennings you will love this book. It was written in an innovative style by way of an amalgam interviews with his colleagues. If you are looking for dirt on Peter skip this book, but if you want to relive the hundreds of wonderful hours you spent with him on your TV, this book does the trick. Your memory might also be jogged when you read the many adjectives describing him in the book: charming, distinctive, exuberant, thoughtful, reflective, gracious, caring, sincere, whimsical, questioning, authentic, direct, gentle of spirit, warm, great sense of humor, intelligent.

I loved the insight many of the contributors gave, as well as the quotes from Peter: "He connected with every person he met. He didn't use them." "He had this life force that seemed to surround him--his enthusiasms, his boundless energy and curiosity. He was one of those people that was just a great sense of nirvana to be around." "And when he was faced with the actual test, he instantly did the right thing." Peter: "Be spare, be precise, take your time, and don't say too much. Let each work carry the weight of the story....communicate in a concise way."

Peter would ask, "What are we going to do today what will distinguish us?" He despised predictability, mediocrity of any kind, laziness." "Listening to Peter was...riveting." Peter WAS riveting, and so is this book!

Bill Kizorek, CEO, Two Parrot Productions

When ABC newsman Peter Jennings died from lung cancer in 2005, he left a void in the industry that has yet to be filled. Along with the likes of Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, Jennings helped revolutionize television news, sitting on both sides of the desk, transforming the genre from a 15-minute afterthought to a major component of network broadcasting.

The editors of PETER JENNINGS: A REPORTER'S LIFE, including his wife, have collected the thoughts and memories of scores of family, friends and colleagues who are universal in their praise and turned these stories into an oral biography. It seems as if Jennings was almost predisposed to the profession. As the son of one of Canada's most respected radio broadcasters, he got an early start, hosting his own children's show as a nine-year-old. Formal education held little interest for Jennings; these days he might have been diagnosed with ADD. His success, despite dropping out of high school, was truly remarkable.

Jennings was just 26 when he was handed the anchor assignment for ABC News in 1965, a job to which he admitted he was not suited at the time. He earned his stripes by going out into the field --- far, far afield to Europe and the Middle East where he thrived on the exotic surroundings and the action.

The entries in A REPORTER'S LIFE reveal a man in a hurry, ever curious and always willing to do whatever it took to get the job done, even when that meant putting himself in harm's way. Jennings was no "Scud-stud," a term used to describe reporters who made a name for themselves during the first war in Iraq; he didn't even like to fly. But he impressed everyone, from his sound men to heads of state, with his ability to soak up information and present it to his audience.

When he stepped down as an active reporter to once again take over the anchor desk for ABC News, he brought that same restlessness with him. He was a demanding boss, always expecting the reporters to do the same thorough job he did. But his humanity was always evident. During the coverage on 9/11, he wanted the audience to see the devastation of the World Trade Center rather than in-studio shots of him. And he was never afraid to defer to experts or admit he did not know every issue involved.

Many of those interviewed said that Jennings never wanted to be the center of attention, which made his on-air revelation of his illness all the more conflicting. For him, it served as an abject lesson, another chance to educate his viewers.

The format of A REPORTER'S LIFE both works and doesn't work. Since it's not a straightforward biography, it appears choppy at times, a series of mini-monologues interspersed with Jennings's own words. It is also understandably biased; you won't find too many speaking ill of him. On the other hand, these are the people who knew Jennings best, and the book serves as their final chance to pay him tribute.

--- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan