Arts and Entertainment Books

Dixie Dictionary I found the book very useful to refresh my vocabulary for Southern speech. Being born in the south I should understand most of what is being said, however, I've worked in California for over twenty-five years and just returned home to find that I haven't a clue as to what people are telling me. I'm a shamed face southern boy who has to learn to talk Southern all over again. Now it's easy thanks to The Dixie Dictionary. It really is a funny informative book also a great tool for writers who need Southern speech in their stories.

It's smaller in trim size than I thought it would be but handy and useful none the less. It's formatted like a dicitonary but it doesn't give background origins of the words/sayings. Almost as if you are a foreigner heading to the South and need a quick translation guide. For deeper meanings of the words you would need to go the internet.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this dictionary. This is probably the richest collection of Southern words in print. It is true that there are few etymologies provided and the entries are all concise. However, I would much rather have the work as it stands as opposed to having only half the number of entries with a detailed analysis. In fact many of the most interesting entries (i.e. those petaining to untranslateable concepts) do have a longer explanation. There are many entries contained here which cannot be found in Robert Hendrickson's "Whistlin' Dixie". On the other hand, there are a few entries Hendrickson uses that cannot be found here. Hendrickson also provides a more detailed descritpion of each entry and perhaps has slightly more toponymous expressions. If you are in doubt as to which dictionary to buy then, if you really love this dialect of American English, I strongly recommend that you buy BOTH. The two important works on Southern speech complement the other and are both reasonably priced.
First of all, I would like to say that "The Dixie Dictionary" is extremely rich in folklore entries. For instance, there are fascinating terms like 'belling' (a wedding custom), 'dumb cake' (a cake made in silence and used for fortune telling) and 'infare' (a feast the day after the wedding). There are literally dozens of unique words pertaining to various kinds of legendary monsters such as the 'Bingbuffer', the 'clew bird' and the 'galoopus' etc. There are also words connected with folk healing like 'chamber lye', 'nanny tea' and 'fasting spittle' as well as call words used to command animals (e.g. 'coo-sheep/coon-nan' and 'sukee' , etc.). Folk expressions concerning the weather and seasons are also represented in entries like 'blackberry winter' and 'dogwood winter' etc.
There are also many terms taken from the Civil War like 'copperhead' (a Northerner/Yankee who sympathised with the South. There are many nicknames e.g. 'Rackensack' (someone from Arkansaw) and a 'Cracker' (someone either from Georgia or Florida) etc. in addition to toponymous phrases like the 'Carolina robin' (smoked herring), 'Charsleston eagle' (buzzard) and 'Arkansas toothpick' (bowie knife) etc.
Another category of terms which reflects the devout history of the people is the religious terminology like 'amen corner', 'pound' (party for a new preacher), 'toadstool churches' (which grow up as a result of revivals) and 'pokeweed religion' etc. There are also countless terms associated with tobacco, moonshine/whiskey and games like marbles. Several entries do not constitute distinct words as such but rather dialect variants/different pronunciation e.g. 'ovair' (over there), 'leben' (eleven) and 'zactly' (exactly). Talking of the last word 'zactly', dialectologists, will be interested to encounter certain similarities with some West Country British dialects (which often use 'z' in place of 's'). For instance, in the Cornish dialect (many terms of which are derived from an ancient language akin to Welsh not English) I recognised the following entries : 'ashcat', 'cap'n', 'kilt', 'emmet' (meaning ant - in West Cornwall it is 'muryan' yet 'emmet is used in E.Cornwall and in Devon), 'furmety' and 'rassle' etc. This leads me to postulate that Cornish miners may well have settled in some places in the South.If any fellow-readers would like to purchase a Cornish dialect dictionary then search on this site (there are good dictionaries available by Jago, Phillipps and Ivey). If they are not available in Amazon.com then try the Amazon.uk branch. As you can probably detect from my review, I found this work most interesting. It is an important contribution to the culture of the South and to dialectology.

Compiled and edited by southern journalist Thomas W. Howard, The Dixie Dictionary: An Introduction To The Southern Language is a fun, enjoyable, and useful glossary of terms unique to American Southern English dialects. From "all vine and no 'taters" (a phrase to describe someone who is all talk and no action) to "whistle-pig" (groundhog), The Dixie Dictionary is packed from cover to cover with wry, flavorful phrases that most northerners have likely never heard of. Highly recommended for writers looking to pen southern-style dialogue, as well as anyone planning to visit or move to the South, or who just wants to have a good time paging through some truly unique and eyebrow-raising expressions, The Dixie Dictionary is a welcome contribution to personal and academic Language Studies reference collections.

If you want to know what really happened with Dudley Moore from the late 80's until his death, you've got to read this! Too many people believe tabloids and make their judgments from what they read in the newsstands. Read this and weep. I did.

Dudley Moore was an actor, a comedian, and the husband to a perfectionist wife: he left a promising career in jazz piano to become a comedian, then an actor - and his personal life was fraught with illness and trials. Prior fans of Moore who are familiar with him through a single facet of his acting or comedy career will welcome an opportunity to get to know him better in Dudley Moore: An Intimate Portrait, by an author who was a music columnist, pianist, and performer along with Moore.

Intimate Portrait offers a personal account of Dudley Moore's struggle with illness. The author's first hand account provides a touching portrait of a person who simultaneously experienced fear and hope, courage and defeat, yet never gave up. It was moving and clearly a close friends final tribute to her best friend. I would highly recommend it.

This is a book you will really look forward to reading, especially if you have had the chance to see one or more of Dudley Moore's movies ---from the everyman dreams of "10" to the wacky conductor of "Foul Play." Also to see him on stage or hear his talented piano playing.
I wanted to laugh again, and again at Dudley, the comic.
But the author, fellow musician Rena Fruchter, carefully weaves in the pain and suffering in this short man's too-short life:
"The tragedy is that Dudley Moore had so much left to do, to give, when his life was taken from him at the age of 66," she writes.
And an extra dimension for an author and even for a friend--Dudley spent the last five years of his life with Fruchter and her family. She held his hands when he died in March, 2002, with some of his own music playing in the background.
But Fruchter is able to give us a balanced portrait of this complex man, his four wives and ups and downs along the way.
I kept wanting more of the sheer joy of Dudley, which fellow comic Eric Idle touches on in the Foreward --where he thanks Dudley, or "Dud" as he calls him, "for just being you."
It is often written that one has to suffer a lot to be truly funny. Dudley followed that path. We thank him for all the laughter and music, and are glad to read in this excellent work that toward the end Dudley learned to accept himself and found strength and awareness...and also peace.
We miss you Dudley and thank you Rena for preserving so much of the man and his life in this book.

It's obvious that Patrick Lacy has done extensive research for this book from the minute you open it. The book is presented in Question and Answer format and deals with many issues about Elvis' life that have been misrepresented in various Elvis books. The author then arrives at a logical conclusion on what really happened, based on his research.
This is an excellent book for any true Elvis fan.

This is the book I wished I had purchased several books ago! Author Patrick Lacy has done painstaking research surrounding the last days - and death - of Elvis Presley. His sleuthing and subsequent documentation of various events plaguing both fans and interested observers alike are carefully laid down on paper. Without ego or arrogance, Lacy allows the reader to make up his or her mind by presenting as much detailed evidence as possible with as much coherence as possible. Elvis himself would have been proud. Definitely a book not to be without.

I will say that I fell for the "Is Elvis Alive" craz when it began in the late 1980s but after doing research, there's no way that Elvis is alive and he's not coming back. After reading this book, it did get me curious again to the possiblity of Elvis being alive but I know better. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and reading Patrick's opinions and the book, to me, is very well written and researched.

This book is a great resource. The author will ask a question and answer it by citing information from various sources. By contrast and comparison, Lacy than draws a conclusion. Whether you agree with the author's conclusion or not, the format for this book allows the reader the opportunity to examine information and come to an objective conclusion.

I'm a big Dillard and Andy Griffith Fan.
This book provided information I other wise would have not have access to. I have read everything I could find on the group, but It never told the whole story and left me longing for more.
Lee filled that hole. Nicely laid out, kept a smooth timeline, plenty of
funny stories.
I recommend this book to anyone.
On top of that Lee is a fine person to do business with. The book was shipped promptly and in great condition.

Thanks for a great book.

John
Chepatchet , R.I.

"Everybody on the Truck!" is an unabashed valentine to the unfairly unsung Dillards, who were bluegrass when bluegrass wasn't cool and country rock when there wasn't such a thing. As breezily told by Lee Grant, The Dillards' story is refreshingly devoid of raging egos, self-destruction and bitter ends. You'll come away from this compelling biography knowing, perhaps identifying with, and most assuredly liking The Dillards.

Grant sketches the original Dillards - brothers Douglas and Rodney Dillard, Dean Webb and Mitch Jayne - as proud sons of Missouri who longed to set the world afire with their hell-for-leather approach to bluegrass music. Grant's account of the band's misadventures during their go-for-broke journey from the Show Me state to California in late 1962 is funnier and more unbelievable than anything Hollywood could concoct. Against all odds, The Dillards enjoyed nearly instant but well-deserved success soon after reaching Los Angeles, landing a major recording contract and what would become a recurring role on "The Andy Griffith Show".

Grant devotes a good chunk of his book to his subject's indelible association with the Darlings, the eerily deadpan but musically gifted hillbilly clan The Dillards played on six episodes of "TAGS." Interestingly, The Darlings are the source of lingering ambivalence for Rodney Dillard, the group's integrity-conscious musical heart, who wasn't wild, at first, about playing a hayseed stereotype.

Between 1963 and 1970, The Dillards produced five critically-acclaimed albums, rubbed shoulders with the likes of Perry Como, Judy Garland, the Byrds and Bob Dylan and seldom rested from public appearances. "Truck" lets The Dillards themselves analyze the music and their somewhat anachronistic place in the swingin' Sixties. The insights and anecdotes of Mitch Jayne, who played bass and dispensed folksy humor in the role of group spokesman, are particularly entertaining.

To paraphrase Jayne, this "Truck" will run. Hitch a ride and hold on.

Lee Grant's fresh southern (but not too southern) writing style lights up the page. This book is a real joy to read. I highly recommend it. I am eagerly awaiting another Lee Grant book. I have heard rumors of a novel in the works. I am waiting anxiously to see if this is a rumor or plain old fact.

GG

This book is an excellent reference for one of bluegrass music's legendary bands, the Dillards. Anyone interested in learning about Rodney, Doug, Dean and Mitch need to get a copy of this book, and fast. Lee Grant has provided us Dillards junkies with a veritable "bible" on the lives and careers of the boys. It is an engaging read. When I bought my copy, I read it straight through in one sitting! For me, that is a rarity. :-)

Suggestion: put on a copy of their CD, "There Is A Time", while reading this book. See why Briscoe Darling once said, "they's all keyed up"!

They were, and you'll be, too.

The job of reviewing movies sounds glamorous and exciting. Everyone would like to have such a "job". Diana Saenger has managed to create a guideline to have such a job, but maintains a truthful and informative offering. Her book gives the reader the necessary tools to develope ones own reviewing career, while letting one know that it is not all fun and games and free movies. She reminds the reader that it is necessary to be consistant and open minded.

I personally had never really thought of becoming a movie reviewer, but with the information simply outlined in EVERYONE WANTS MY JOB! The ABC's of Entertainment Writing I feel that I could do such a job. I like Diana Saenger's style and forthright approach to writing. I think this work is well designed and she has much to offer her reading public. I hope to see more by this author.

Saenger's book gets down to the nitty-gritty of entertainment writing. Saenger details the methods of critiquing each entertainment form from films through books and on to restaurants. By using sample reviews, Saenger emphasizes what is necessary for an outstanding review. Whether used as a basic handbook for the novice, or a reminder for the professional, Saenger's book is a must!

Diana Saenger works for herself, meets interesting and creative people, sees lots of movies, eats great food, travels, and gets to express herself. What a great job. What a great book! Oh yes, and she also works long hours, is away from home and family a lot, and has to put up with arrogant egomaniacs along the way. The book is peppered with vignettes about some favorite stars. Can't wait to read her next book.

Chatty and informative, "Everyone Wants My Job" offers helpful tips for breaking into the world of entertainment writing. Professional critic Diana Saenger shares her recipe for success in this competitive field by including such important ingredients as how to analyze films and other venues, the do's and don'ts of interviewing celebrities, techniques for marketing written work, and how to handle rejection. The book's resource bibliography and list of professional organizations are added attractions which should prove useful not only for novices, but also for writers already in the business. Quotes from various stars, directors, and writers illustrate important points and make the book a delight to read. For example, Djimon Honsou ("Amistad")tells the author, "Destiny isn't waiting until something happens to you. To have destiny, you have to get up from the seat of your pants and make it happen." Advising wannabe entertainment writers to adopt this statement as a kind of mantra, Saenger emphasizes the time and effort required to reach this goal. But the rewards involved are also covered thoroughly --- including access to free movies, plays, videos,etc. and the excitement of interviewing celebrities. Thankfully, readers are warned not to quit their day jobs before jumping into a full-time entertainment writing career. "Did you expect to have fun and get rich too?" Saenger asks. Because it's difficult to make a living as a writer, this important advice deserves more attention than it gets here. Still, the author does explain carefully that most writers will have to work without pay for awhile to get started. "Everyone Wants My Job" should be added to reading lists in career counseling courses everywhere. And, for anyone thinking about becoming an entertainment writer, it's a must-read.

I can only add to these reviews that this edition is very small, cloth bound, and ribbon bookmarked, so it can be carried with you always, everywhere. That alone makes it worth a purchase. There is something nice about being able to carry drugstore playing cards and a source of a lifetime's worth of practice all in one pocket. If you travel or commute, this is the perfect edition to own - the binding does not feel cheap or crease, and the type is very small but very legible, not in the least blurry. If portability is of any concern to you, this is the one to buy. I carry it with me always, and it's so compact that it's never an issue. Let other people fiddle with their Blackberries or play mindless games on their cell phones - you can learn to second deal or blind shuffle and actually acquire a skill.

This book is thorough in both its theory and explanation of card manipulation. An enjoyable reading, it is a bit lengthy, but well worth it. From simple shuffling to expert three card monte, this book gives it all to anyone truly interested in studying card manipulation. Set forth to professionals and amateurs alike in 1995, it is a one of a kind in both content and style. Made to last, it is not written in common jargon and is not fancied with useless information about the latest crazes. Erdnase uses his knowledge of cards and card manipulation to create this compelling compendium.

Originally published over one hundred years ago in 1902, this book forever changed the way magicians viewed and practiced sleight of hand. Written by a former gambler, it introduced card sharp secrets to the magic community for the first time. Something you don't expect is that the style of the narrative is so timeless. This guy is very well educated and offers truisms that you might find yourself quoting from time to time. I have often heard a rather ridiculous claim that these "old" books are too hard to follow. The truth of the matter is that anyone who has sat down and tried these moves for more than ten minutes knows this is not true. It doesn't matter if you learn from a slick DVD or from "old" books, you can't ever get around the basic fact that a lot of this stuff takes time and practice... but, surprisingly, some of it is not difficult at all and can be picked up in very short order. Erdnase's book teaches you excellent methods that are not outdated and there are only about five well-known and obvious mistakes in the book that are pretty easy to figure out (most of them are in the bottom dealing section where the text should read the "third" finger instead of the "second" finger - trust me, you would figure it out when learning the moves). I also have the annotated issue of this book by Ortiz - excellent in that it provides photographs of the moves and enhances the original book with commentary. However, generally, there is no reason not to follow Erdnase's original instructions as outlined in this book, unless someone like Dai Vernon (who worshipped this book and had it memorized) or Paul LePaul has an improvement and even then it's sometimes just a matter of personal preference or style. And to top all this off, as of 2007, instructional DVDs taught by Wesley James (7 DVDs) and Alan Ackerman (still pending release) are on the market that walk you through the entire book step by step. What is next? Perhaps a Hollywood movie about the life of S.W. Erdnase?

By the way, another really nice version of this book is the now hard to find "facsimile" first edition issued in 2002 on the one hundredth anniversary of the original 1902 edition. That "facsimile" first edition is an exact replica of a real first edition that is perfect in all regards. The only tip off is that the word facsimile appears on the first page and that it looks brand new, but other than that it looks exactly like a real 1902 first edition that would cost $1,000 to $3,000 (only about 100 are thought to exist) if you could find one for sale. The publishers even found the exact same green cloth used for the original, but kindly updated the binding and paper used to archival quality. The "facsimile" first edition is hard to find (only 750 produced), but very nice to own if you really like this classic book.

This review, of course, is for the "bible" edition that is slightly larger in diameter than a poker-sized card and easily fits into a shirt pocket - it's about a quarter of an inch thick. The book has a semi-hard cover and a marker ribbon with gold edges that mimic a bible. Please note that the cover is not truly "leather bound"; if anything it might be some sort of hybrid-leather product that mimics leather. I find that the text font is a bit small, but I can still read it clearly - older readers might have trouble with this small font. The diagrams are large enough to easily follow - the diagrams are actually the exact same size as the original first edition, it's just the font of the commentary that is smaller to accommodate the compact size of the book. The bible edition is nicely produced and I highly recommend it.

If you are a magician you must have this book! This is my favorite book on magic ever written. Some of the deals might be a little outdated, but the book itself is timeless.

I received this book in better condition than expected. The shipping charges were so reasonable also{ to Canada}.

Calling all Barbra Joan Streisand fans! Now is the time to support the would be publication of a comprehensive resource guide to Barbra's extraordinary film career. If Citadel is unable to publish such a nifty volume, then we should let other publishers know that such a book would be of significant interest. I hope that it won't be long until Ms. Swenson and Mr. Nickens find a home for their work (and on a more personal note, I hope that the somewhat overlooked "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever" (1970) and the sadly neglected "Up The Sandbox" (1972) receive the glowing credit these two glorious films deserve.) I encourage other Streisand partisans to compose "reviews" of the book they'd most like to add to their library shelves.

Barbara Streisand isn't given her due for Her Films.this Book covers alot of Her Film Career! good Pictures&Reflections.

This book is an excellent insight into Barbra's film career. Lots of detail to the behind the screen stories. Many Classic picture's and hard to find shot's of Barbra. A must have for any Barbra Fan!!!

Or would that be "disasters!"

This book features an in-depth examination of 65 fires from all around the world and in a variety of categories.

Ship Fires
Explosions
Forest Fires
Fires in the Workplace

This book shows how each fire influenced the way in which fires are fought today. This book shows the latest high-tech firefighting gear and vehicles. Shows the evolution of firefighting technology, equipment, and tactics.

Features:
Over 500 photographs
Key moments like the Great Fire of London, in 1666
Shows the physics behind back drafts and flashovers
Illustrated history of fire equipment
Fire Trucks
Firefighter's gear

Contents:
Early Firefighting, Conflagrations, Theater Fires, Hotel Fires, Ship Fires, Earthquake and Fire, Wildfires, Fire in the Workplace, Nightclub Fires, Tent and Amusement Park Fires, Fire as a Weapon, Great Explosions, School Fires, Fires in Public Places, Subterranean Fuel Fires, In the Line of Duty.

Physics of Fire, Forensics, Safety Implementation, Clothing, Old Engines, Ladder Trucks, Rescue, Air & Sea, Outdoor Training Techniques, Indoor Training Techniques.

Everything from leather fire buckets to the World Trade Center tragedy on September 11, 2001 we still can't believe happened.

Part of the proceeds of this book will benefit the Widows' and Children's Fun, part of the Uniformed Firefighter's Association.

~The Rebecca Review

I bought this book for my brother (a volunteer firefighter) for Christmas and when I received it I could not help but take a peek at it myself.

The pictures and stories are amazing. I have not had a chance to read it completely, but I will take the time before giving the book away.

This book would be a great gift for any fire fighter or anyone interested in the history of some of the greatest fires in the world.

Jack Gottschalk's Firefighting is a lavish coffee table title which provides a rich documentary of the history of firefighting, from early technological accomplishments which created fire-fighting equipment to modern times. Over 500 photos capture key moments in fire history around the world, while special insights on the science and physics of fires makes for an excellent survey of fire-fighting challenges.

This is an excellent book for children to learn more about firefighting--both about the history and modern techniques and equipment. It's detailed without being overly graphic. And as with all DK books, it's chockful of beautiful photographs that clearly show what words cannot describe.
Of particular interest are the case studies of various famous fires (mostly in the U.S.) throughout history, their causes, the destruction wreaked, and effects on firefighting efforts. This is especially interesting in the context of the development of firefighting techniques as we get to see just how much has had to happen to get to where we are today--and in some cases, how much further we have to go.

five isn't just another boy band as they said in their biography.they don't just sing pop music either they add a little rap in there and do a great job of it!they're not rappers and they don't sing hip hop R&B as they clearly pointed out they just add it in to spice up their music.i love five and i think i'm the # 1 fan if you think differently please feel free to e-mail me at asreeves@uswest.net all of there merchandise is deffinately worth buying!

Like I said this book is great.It has tons of quality pictures.Good info about the lads.And its all around great ! I suggest this book to ANYONE who likes 5ive.

I bought this book and I kept reading it for hours. It really tells you all the adventures that Five has had already. It contains also a lot of beautiful pictures of Scott, Abs, Sean, Rich and J. Everybody should have it!!!

I would have bought this book just because it's Five's but it was really worth it. All the pics are amazing and show the boys how they really are. So if you are going to buy a book on Five, buy this one!

This book is one of those few that is so hard to put down. It was a fasinating look at the Bond movies,and the faces behind them. I had no idea that the budgets of the movies were so low.(as compared to other action films) This book took me in,and I would recommend it to any fan of film,especially James Bond films!

Director John Glen tells of his experience with the James Bond film series strait up. At the helm of five of the films as director Glen pulls no punches and offers great insight into the creative efforts of the whole Bond film team. This is a great book and even more so if you are a James Bond fan. I really like this book. There is really no gloss here. This is really about what went into making these films while Albert R. Broccoli was still alive and producing them. I highly recommend this book.

John Glen directed the five 007 films which basically span the entire decade of the 1980s: For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights, and License to Kill. He was also involved with previous 007 films such as Moonraker, The Spy Who Loved Me, and numerous other British films going back to the 60s. This book is a collection of behind the scenes stories from the making of Glen's films, but with special emphasis on the Bond films. Most Bond fans know the plot details inside and out, so what makes this book interesting is the story and script development, shooting location stories, and cast and crew details. The only downside to the book is I wish there was MORE of everything...more stories, more photos, etc. This is a highly entertaining book if you are a 007 fan, particularly from the Roger Moore - Timothy Dalton era.

This is a valuable book for the inside track on the Bond films. Director John Glen did a good job. His services will be greatly missed unless they get him back. After reading this book perhaps the producers should get John Glen back.