Entertainment Books

i am too lazy, or too busy, or too impatient to sit down and rate books/movies, etc, etc. however, i had to take time out of my day to tell you all that this is one of the funniest books ever written. period. 'harpo speaks' is a page-turner that never gets boring, and will literally have you laughing outloud. page after page, i would say to myself, 'this is to funny/bizzare to be true', yet with each passing page you could see the pieces of harpo's life fitting together to make him the master comedien that he was. this book is an absolute joy. buy it. you won't be disappointed.

From his early days as a ragamuffin loner dropout on the streets of new york, to his years in the spotlight as one of history's greatest comedians, Harpo takes us on a whirlwind ride through his life, and every page is more engaging than the last. I love the Marx Bros, and reading the success story through the eyes of their silent (but not unheard) partner is a must of any fan, be they casual or hardcore. Thank you Harpo, for sharing your rich life experiences with us. I'm forever grateful.

"Harpo Speaks" is one of the few books I've ever read that left an lasting impression on me. I first read it in 1975 when I was a teenager. I had always loved the Marx Brothers movies, and Harpo was always my favorite. My mother loved celebrity biographies, and she knew I would love this book.

Now, some 35+ years later, I still am in love with this book. I have used many of the illustrations with my children over the years. I love the story after Harpo lost most of his money in the crash of 1929, and he came upon a couple who was being evicted from their flat. The landlord was selling their belongings, and Harpo bought a scrub brush for a nickel. If I remember correctly, he gave the scrub brush back to the couple.

Also, I remember how much he used humor when raising his children. Harpo shared throughout the book that if you keep your kids laughing, you will have them in the palm of your hand. That pearl of wisdom is so true, and I always remembered that with my children. They are grown now (well my youngest is 16), and they all have a great sense of humor.

I need to buy this book again. I lost it in a move around 20 years ago. I want each of my children to read this book, and get to know one of the most unique and down-to-earth men in our country's history. Harpo Marx was one of a kind, and we won't see anyone like him ever again. What a shame!

When speaking of the Algonquin Round Table of which he was a member for years - he claims his only contribution was to be a listener among all the great talkers. He lies. His storytelling, practical jokes and childlike sense of fun were an essential ingredient of that famed circle.

No other book, not even Groucho's own autobio, conveys the early 20th century world of Vaudeville in all its raunchy splendor as this book does. There was never so amazing a place as New York of that era. Its a fun read throughout.

Surprisingly, at the heart of the book is the unlikely pairing of best friends Alexander Wolcott and Harpo Marx. Wolcott, sexually neutered by a glandular condition or mumps as his story went, obese, ridiculous and brilliant, saw in Harpo the image of freedom he could never know. Harpo, a second grade drop-out who at fourteen was playing piano in a whorehouse, was perhaps the only human being who really understood his friend.

this was a very entertaining book. I never knew how intelligent Harpo was despite quitting schoool in the second grade. He met a great many well-educated people in his life and had a way of being accepted into their inner circles. He was able to describe these relationships in a way which brought these people once again to life.

Excellent portrait of JLG & the complexities & foibles of a person driven
to question the very form of filmaking. Thoroughly engrossing read, written in an easy flowing style without the inflections of worship or prejudice. A primary source for the understanding of a demanding intellect & a fascinating insight to private life/public art manifestation. Thoroughly recomended.

The thing that struck me as I read this was that Brody seems more enamored of the idea of what he thinks Godard was doing as an artist than he is with the actual films he made - at least with the films he made during the first decade or so. Colin MacCabe's Godard: A Portrait of the Artist at Seventy seems more readable and more able to see the films as something other than opaque autobiography. Needless to say either book will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about Godard's personal life, although MacCabe, unlike Brody, shows some reticence in exploring his love life.

This book is a must-have for any fan or person interested in the work of Jean-Luc Godard. It is a comprehensive critical biography detailing the working methods and conditions surrounding each film in Mr. Godard's ouvre. It is a massive and lengthy tome filled with erudition.

I break my rating down as follows:

Skipping the childhood and parental history: 5 Stars (because his childhood and parental history does not interest me... and was already covered in MacCabe's book.)

Late 40's/Early 50's background on French critical theory: 5 Stars (for the Astruc/Bazinian/etc. cinema theory... mixed with Satrean/etc. existentialism... along with a dash of vermouth named Brecht)

The financing/producing of the films and a history of various working methods: 5 Stars (great for any cinephile)

The Karina/Godard relationship: 5 Stars (not enough can ever be said about one of the true goddesses of cinema!)

May 1968: 5 Stars (some exciting stuff that I lived through at the time)

Comprehensively talking about every short, middle and feature-length film or video that has even been publicly seen in a movie theater, on television, or at various screenings: 5 Stars (`nuff said...)

Critical Taste in the analysis of films: 2 Stars

I find this to be Mr. Brody's only failing but his taste is somewhat different than mine in the appreciation of the relative merits of Mr. Godard's individual films. To wit:

Brody speaks much more highly of King Lear than Band of Outsiders. He rates Prenom: Carmen much more highly than the film that immediately preceded it (Passion). He is not much of a fan of Two or Three Things yet raves about A Married Woman. He doesn't have much use for Les Carabiniers. Or British Sounds.

(Huh?)

King Lear over Band of Outsiders? Band of Outsiders was poetic AND fun at the same time. Looks easy but hardly anyone can do it.

Les Carabiniers is a dadaist masterpiece and includes one of the high points of cinema... (and I paraphrase the dialogue...) ... "You mean we get to steal, rape and kill and get away with it?" "Yes." "SIGN US UP!"

(Isn't this as good, if not better, than Bergman's God-is-a-spider-crawling-on-the-wall??) (!!)

I liked Prenom: Carmen very, very much. But I liked Passion very, very, very, very, very, very, very much. I guess I preferred the ecstatic/epiphanal shots of art tableux in Passion to the repeated shots (in Carmen) of Ms. Detmers' pubis.

Mr. Brody can't see the forest for the trees on this one! As Chuck Heston once said when confronted with wooly beasts, "Get away from me you d--n dirty ape!"

(Apologies to Ms. Detmers who more than proved her acting chops/oral skills in Marco Bellocchio's DEVIL IN THE FLESH. A fine lass, she...!) (And I did very much enjoy Carmen as well as her performance... but Passion is a superior work of art.)

The best cup of coffee in the history of the world was Godard's Two or Three Things... and even Hamlet never faced the poetic quandary Godard did when he wondered "Should I speak of Juliette... or the trees?" as an Edenic shot of creation is framed within the 1.66:1 ratio. Or was it 2.35?

And if you've ever worked on a factory line... you'll admire the perfectly chosen perfection of the ear-drone-hammer-industrial-noise soundtrack in British Sounds.

Perhaps Mr. Brody never was an industrial wage-slave or he would have more admiration for the truth in much of what Godard/Gorin expressed in their Vertov films. Sometimes the truth ain't pretty. And sometimes the truth may hurt your ears.

IN SUMMARY, though you may disagree with Mr. Brody on his critical analysis of individual films... (taste in their relative merits may simply be akin to taste in ties)... the reading of his critical biography was sometimes fascinating, and almost always interesting. Well worth each capitalist penny spent!

This game is great for both a quick start one shot game or for a long term in depth campaign.

I have been a gamer since '79 & savage worlds is fast, fun, & furious as it claims. It loses no punch or depth from its simplicity.

Savage Worlds RPG is not the innovative RPG some reviewers make it out to be. True, the game's simple game mechanics facilitate "fast and furious" game play, but they're not particularly revolutionary (adding a card deck to generate random outcomes, for example, is an ancient concept). Some of the rule descriptions in the book lack clarity and may leave many player's wondering what the author intended.

I don't believe the Savage Worlds system is inherently better than those of other popular RPGs. I would say that the price of Savage Worlds Explorer's Edition is far more reasonable than other RPG core rule books on the market. If you are just looking for a simple game and you haven't spent all your allowance on death metal downloads, Savage Worlds is worth a look.

If you've ever desired an RPG system that would allow you to create your own setting and have it up and running literally within a few hours- Savage Worlds is your baby. It is a "universal" system that covers nearly everything you or your players would want to do while remaining extremely simple to organize. It's also a great system for people who are new to RPG's due to the relatively short list of skills and abilities (you don't have to be a genius to put together an effective character), and all of the skills are useful, intuitive, and flexible. For example, "fighting" covers all type of combat- fists, swords, clubs, kung-fu, lightsabers, etc, while "shooting" covers any type of ranged attack- guns, bow & arrow, throwing knives, machine guns, laser rifles... It really lets you be creative with your character without needing to specify in the rules exactly what they specialize in. The Savage Worlds systems also supports roleplaying and creativity through it's use of "tricks" your players can think up on the spot: declare what you're trying to do, make a basic check (agility, strength, etc), and if you pull it off you'll get a bonus against the enemy or task you're working on. Players can also be awarded "bennies" for creative play, which can be spent to re-roll dice.

Savage Worlds really does boil down to its declaration of being Fast! Furious! and Fun! And for about 10 bucks, it's certainly the most affordable core RPG book on the market. After playing around with the information provided in this book, you'll definitely want to explore some of the official Savage Worlds settings which include themes such as swashbuckling high-seas adventure, supernatural westerns, gothic horror, pulp action, and super heros.

I think it would take more effort to make a Savage Worlds game NOT entertaining than it takes to get one up and running. RPG fans, you can't go wrong with this one.

Savage Worlds advertises its mechanics as "fast and furious", which is true: the rules are bareboned but solid, and combat proceeds quickly, and in an interesting fashion. Die rolls outide of combat are quick, without much "searching for the right chart" time spent. The book itself is concise, compact, and provides a good deal of rules and info for such a small package. Sometimes, it's a little hard to find exactly what you're looking for, a back-of-book index would have been nice, but that's really my only complaint. Personally, I prefer a bit more crunch in my RPG systems, but it's all subjective. The wonderful thing about SW is the AMAZING array of variable settings available. Whether they are hardbound setting/campaign books, PDF downloads, or setting converions found online and made by enthusiastic gamers, there is no dearth of a selection. I am playing in a Rippers (Savage Worlds; S2P10005) story right now and having a blast. Highly recommended!

Both Phil Gordon's little "green & blue" books I've purchased and given as gifts. Myself and family members have benefited and improved as players after reading these. They are practical and easy to understand and implement. I highly recommend these as must read or additions to any level poker player from beginner to advanced players.

When learning something like poker I like my information straight foreword, not with a lot of embellishment. While studying each hand I had to remind myself what I was trying to learn that particular hand without being distracted by the anecdotes.

I'm sure many students will find this makes the learning more interesting but my goal when studying poker is to improve my game with the least amount of effort.

About a quarter of the way into this book I asked myself how would I be better served? Should I continue with Little Blue or would I get more out of re-reading books I had already studied like Harrington Vol I or Little Green.

About 5 problems into Harrington Vol I...there was my answer. Goodbye Little Blue.

Bottom line...maybe this is a great book but if your learning style is similar to mine...take a pass.

I bought this book after having read Phil Gordons Green Book on poker. Do not waste your money. While the Green Book has valuable information that WILL improve your game, the Blue Book is a bad sequel and provides very little useful information as it is only a diary of previous hands played by Phil in numerous situations. You will learn more from watching Poker After Dark and visually watching how hands are played out by professionals.

What really upset me about this book, was a hand that is described starting on page 73 and runs for 8 pages only to be told if you want to know the outcome of the hand to go to Phil Gordons website. I payed $22.00 for information in this book, not to be told to go to a website for the rest of the story.

Phil Gordon's three book set rivals Harringtons' as the best poker books on the market. This one in particular goes through several hands and strategies as well as warnings on getting trapped or lazy whilst playing.

The Black and Green books are also great, in fact the green book might even be better than this one, but they are both must haves for someone that wants to improve their game.

If you have basic poker knowledge (read the Phil Gordon's Green book) then this is a great follow-up. Even if you didn't read the Green book, you'll learn something reading this book. It's an easy read, entertaining, and has some good info. For a casual player who wants to get better but doesn't want to get too involved in poker theory, there's no beating Phil Gordon's Green and Blue book. For a serious player, it's still a good read if not a bit fluffy, like Phil Gordon himself. READ IT!

She does it AGAIN!!! This book is so much fun and filled with anticipation. I purchased Laura's game awhile ago, but this was my first Laura Corn book to try. And with great success it has helped my boyfriend and I, add excitement back into our relationship! The book is broken up in a way that we each have 50 dares to plan for each other each week and 1 at the end to do together. My first dare was no. 56 "My Dirty Valentine," even though this one was marked for a special occasion, I just loved the title and I had to do it. Let me just say, that Laura was able to get me to do something that I never would have thought of on my own and it was so easy. My guy was just floored! In a great way. I highly recommend this book for any couple even if you are not in a little rut.

More than a sugary biography of Walt Disney, it's an insider's look into the magic of Disney. Or rather the creation of it. Hard work, paying your dues, never saying quit are all values that make the greats great, but they defined Walt Disney, and the proof is definitely in the pudding. It makes a perfect read if you're just looking for interesting non-fiction, but a great book for anyone looking to learn some core values on the way up!

I could go on for pages and pages about what was so great about this book, "How to Be Like Walt". But in the end all I really mean is this book is a must read for anyone who has ever had dreams; wants to be astonished; loves anything Walt Disney created; and likes to read a book they won't want to put down. Part biography; part self-improvement; part fascinating facts. Lots of quotes by Walt Disney, his family, Disney imagineers that worked with Walt; and more. Learn where it all started. Read about the failures, the triumphs, and the Walt Disney philosophy EVEN after success hit - Walt called it: "plussing". TEN STARS!!! No make that 1928 STARS!!! "It all started with a Mouse."

This is the best book about Walt; and on how to get that magic in your everyday life. I strongly suggest this book for everyone looking to improve their leadership and make magic everywhere they go.

One of the best "self help" books I have ever read. The author uses Walt's real life experiences to drive his points home. I could not put this book down. You don't have to be a Disney fan to appreciate the messages in this book. And if you are a Disney fan, you will LOVE this book!!

With my life-long admiration for the creative genius of Walt Disney, a book with the title "How To Be Like Walt" proved irresistible and became the first book I chose to read about Walt Disney. I couldn't be happier with my choice.
Whether you are a Walt Disney fan - or a person who wants to live boldly and creatively - or someone looking for inspiration in adversity... this book is going to impact you in a beautiful way.
Both biographical and inspirational, Pat Williams not only tells you the personal story of Walt Disney (which I found surprisingly full of difficulty and heart-wrenching moments) but weaves it into an engaging how-to manual on living your life fully and at full-throttle. Without getting preachy or fawning, the author (who's a pretty accomplished and unconventional guy himself) allows Walt's own infectious energy and joy to permeate the pages and the reader.
I truly believe there isn't a soul who won't be better for reading "How To Be Like Walt"...because who among us doesn't have dreams lying dormant, waiting to come true? Who among us doesn't need a little more magic in our everyday? If a man who came from so little could find the will to accomplish so much despite the resistance of so many...why not you?

This Guide offers a pretty extensive coverage of every location of the game and has a nice step-to-step walkthrough alongside with maps to help you find all the items but also get straight to the point if you only need to reach a particular place on your subsequent playthroughs.

The only thing the guide lacks is tips about combat and the combat system in general, while it offers a few useful tips it lacks of some kind of "strategy guide" about how fights should usually be handled and doesn't suggest strategies exept in boss battles.
The Score pieces are also misprinted, leading to confusion if you decide to check what piece you are supposed to play visually (the first tree pieces are identical, so you have to check the next two to find the one you are looking for and the last two are missing), though their locations are correct.

In substance, it's a nice guide to have with you so you won't miss all the items in the games, and the maps for the bonus dungeon are just priceless, clear and helpful.

I was questioning whether to buy this Guidebook after checking out the reviews on Amazon. I almost didn't buy and man would that have been a huge mistake. How people thought this guide wasn't helpful is beyond me. What was so helpful you ask? The maps most importantly (beleive me you would be lost for hours and hours without it), the rare items you need to pick up (as there really isn't any warping device and would physically have to go back), the leveling up guide (so you can see who you want to be level up first and who heals and who they will heal), and of course the achievement guide, etc etc. Definately worth every penny!

A guide to follow step by step the game without left without anything and explain the plot of the game, perfect!

Eternal Sonata Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)) (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)) is a nice player's guide to have for the game if you need it, but can be a bit confusing with the incorporation of the encore information in each section of the walk-through. There are things that are not explained in the guide, too, which can make a few side quests a bit daunting, but overall a nice resource.

Eternal Sonata isn't exactly a complex game that requires a strategy guide. There aren't that many secrets and its quite linear. If for reason you do need a guide, though, this is a good one at least.

The guide is pretty thin. It waste no time talking about the battle system and getting you used to it, and it also goes into the characters where it list off all their abilities and when they learn them. It also gives a quick bio for all the non-playable characters. There's a complete list of all the scores and where to find them. It'll also tell you what page to flip to in order to find the score you're looking for.

The walkthrough is another story. It's got some pretty detailed maps and tells you all you need to know while pointing out all the scores as you come across them. They also point out all the items on the map and tell you the stats of each enemy you encounter. Each section begins by also suggesting which characters to take with you and what special moves to put on them. The walkthrough is useful, but the boss strategies are useless. They're not helpful and don't really tell you much of anything. Aside from that it's your basic walkthrough. Nothing really special about it. Helpful and handy.

There's finally all those list and appendices that are in just about every RPG guide. As well as a bestiary, which while good, list the enemies in the order which you encounter them, which can be annoying at times.

It's a great guide overall, it's just hard to shake the simple fact that you won't need it. If you really are stuck then by all means, go with this guide, it'll help. Otherwise, the game is simple enough to conquer without it.

I have every one of the Charmed series books, this is just as good as all the rest. The girls keep you on the edge of your magical seats in another great adventure.

Trickery Treat (Charmed) was an awesome book. It had lots of history, detailed history that made me realize that it was the last in the series, but it still could have gone on another few years. They could have done what the Buffy book have done, written stories in different seasons. They could have had short stories even books written by fans. I think that would have really ended the series on a much higher note. To bad there was no Prue in this book! This whole time, we could have seen Prue at some point,especially since when we didn't get to see it in the series. Only a few minor bloopers, but all and all a great book for all you Charmed fans. A great ending to a wonderful show.

The Charmed Ones must stop this ghost before it does more harm to the house.

'Trickery Treat' was a wonderful treat to read. It gave us 'our' witches back AFTER the end of the TV series. I was delighted to resume my relationship with the characters and would encourage more books on the same vein. We want to know what happens with Wyatt growing up and Peobe pregnant. And please note not all readers are aged 9 to 12. Us grownups loved the series and I consider the books a continuation of this relationship. Thanks Diana and keep em coming!!

As always great book loved it & would like to see more books written on the charmed series

'Spilling The Beans' is an amusing title and the dust cover portrays the author ('hideous' in Roy Hattersley's reported comment, though I don't commend him, either), but the work itself ain't a mucher (as some of us country folk say). One wants to be generous to an author who has suffered a lot and, by her lights, has come through to have a 'splendidly enjoyable life,' but her account is clearly not consistent with the facts in some places, and is not well-written or edited. Clarissa Dickson Wright's fans will still love it, I suppose, but I was pleased to put it down at its end and then to get on with some decent reading.

Hilarious, frightening, shocking, exciting, and always readable, Clarissa Dickson Wright's autobiography depicts her rollercoaster of a life in a compelling but always sympathetic manner. One of the best memoirs in recent memory.

I've enjoyed the author as a TV cook, her humor and style as one of the Two Fat Ladies was delightful. I own many of her books and have enjoyed both the cookbooks and the country books. This book about her life was a suprise to me as I had no clue she was from an abusive home. I have such respect for her. In this age of whiny delicate little flowers (BLECCH!) I admire her strength of character and ability to be thankful for her life, accepting both good and bad with dignity and grace.