Entertainment Books

This is a great way to learn about Woody Allen, his craft, and his films. Organized thematically and chronologically, you see what films Allen really cares about and what he did just to fill the time. Some of his films were clearly throwaways for him. He made them because he's always working, but hardly remembers them and doesn't care to (Scoop, Small Time Crooks, Sleeper). Others are passions, like The Purple Rose of Cairo or Husbands and Wives. Allen is also, not surprisingly, self-depreciating, believing that his career is mostly self-indulgence that only a small audience appreciates. Of course, this underestimates himself and how impressive it is that he can have a regular output of one or two movies a year that, regardless of whether they are one of his best, are always well made, well acted, and interesting. The insights into how Allen works and how quickly, are interesting for fans. It also makes those of us who fancied ourselves writers realize what a true talent is. The best part of this book, there is no diversion into Allen's personal life which may be of interest to some, but not this reader. This is a great way to read about Allen's career, his collaborators, and his methods.

If you are a die hard Woody Allen fan you will love this book. It's a ringside seat to what goes on in his brain from writing to casting to directing to when the film is released. If you aren't a die hard fan, but simply like some of his movies you will appreciate him as a writer and a filmmaker. It's a really interesting book about Woody and his movies over a 30 year period!!

This is one of those rare books where we actually get a clear insight into the creative process of a great filmmaker. Techniques, style, philosophy and approach are covered in great detail. Gives awesome insight into the man and the movies he made. I really enjoyed it.

For sheer inventiveness and variety of films, the work of writer and director Woody Allen is unmatched. Their number, also, is impressive, almost forty movies since his first one, the hilarious fake documentary (it was made before anyone had coined the word "mockumentary") _Take the Money and Run_ in 1969. Not every one is a classic, but some certainly are, whether comedy (_Annie Hall_), comedy with a dramatic edge (_Manhattan_), fables (_The Purple Rose of Cairo_), comic intimations of the godlessness of our universe (_Crimes and Misdemeanors_), or drama (the recent _Match Point_). So if you are familiar with the movies, you will be fascinated with _Conversations With Woody Allen: His Films, the Movies, and Moviemaking_ (Knopf) by Eric Lax. Lax was a reporter in 1971 when he was assigned to check out the new director. The conversation didn't turn into an article, with Allen replying just "Yes" or "No" too often, but Lax tried again, this time for just a chat, which grew into more formal interviews, and as the years went by, discussions about his projects as Allen was working on them. Allen has participated in recent conversations with Lax just to make this book current, and has clarified and added to the text, so that the work is a unique look into the mind of one of America's great filmmakers. Because the conversations are with Woody Allen, too, they are funny and self-deprecating, but also generous in giving credit to others.

It is fun to learn where he gets his ideas. "When I go to sleep at night, put my head on the pillow, or walk down the street, I like to be thinking of story ideas. I'm always thinking about new plots. I would do anything to avoid that horrible moment of What do I do next?" It is a fruitful method; he knows he will have more story ideas than he can ever get done (he is now almost 72). It is part of his work, and it keeps the existential despair away: "To _practice_ the clarinet, to _get_ on the treadmill, to _get_ in the room and write - all that stuff helps. It helps militate against giving oneself over to the horrid gloom of reality." Allen has much to say about himself as an actor. He knows he has a narrow range: "I can play some versions of what I am, a New York character." He may be modest about his own acting talents, but over and over he praises the actors he has worked with. There have been many great ones, often repeatedly, and they must love working for him, since with his budgets (around $15 million a movie) they cannot expect star wages. "You hire Ian Holm and Gena Rowlands, what does it take to get superb performances out of them? Nothing. You just have to tell them what time to show up and provide the coffee and doughnuts." He praises his audiences, too, and frets about over-explaining: "You think the audience is not going to get it, so you explain it, clarify it, but the truth of the matter is, they're _always_ far ahead of you. [_He smiles._]"

There is so much here about the making of specific films and specific techniques. It is a revelation, for instance, that a climactic scene within _Manhattan_, in a classroom where he chastises a buddy over moral issues and makes references to mortality based on the display skeletons in the room, that the skeletons just happened to be there in the classroom for the filming. "I would not have thought to write them in." Here is his one-word explanation for why he so often uses long master shots: "Laziness". Shooting over and over again from different angles to be combined in the editing room is not (usually) for him: "We'll be here all day today and all day tomorrow doing this scene. I don't have the patience or concentration... I design a shot and will get all the information in and we'll finish it and move on." Long master shots are not from any artistic need, and he doesn't think of himself as any sort of artist. "I see myself as a working filmmaker who chose to go the route of working all the time rather than making my films into some special red carpet event every three years. I'm not cynical and I'm far from an artist. I'm a lucky working stiff." I don't agree, but I do think his audiences are lucky to have such a great body of work to enjoy and to think about, and that they are lucky to have this book as a guide to his own interpretation of a long and successful career.

Ok I don't like Mr. Allen...I simply thrive upon his presence in this universe.

I never just saw a Woody Allen movie, read a Woody Allen short story or listened to a Woody Allen monologue...I was a participant in them. No I don't think I am psycotic, maybe a semi-adjusted bipolar person, who is cynical and overly critical about most things in this life, however swimming in the wake of Mr. Allen I somehow manage to smile at the "awful grace" of this existance. I do feel guilty since he does the heavy lifting and I benefit from it.

Recalling his movies is like recalling my first kiss, scoring my first touchdown, pineing my first broken heart or noticing death for the first time.

I recall each flick; when, where, who I saw it with, and the state of mind I left the theater to pursue the endless nuances of the adventure.

To the book. I hesitated picking it up as it is four hundred pages and did I really want to be mesmerized by Mr. Alllen and Mr. Lax during this very busy time. I resisted for almost four days then I was seduced, trapped and on my way to an intellectual orgasm that seems to continue when I turn each page.

These two guys are like friends you wish you had who made you totally comfortable hearing them talk and thilled that you are allowed to just be in the room and honored to be listening.

If you are an educator you must study it, if you are a doctor you must examine it, if you are performing artist you must value it, if you are a writer you must consume it and if you are, like myself an everyday person you gotta love it.

Bravo guys you gave me a great holiday gift.

Traveling Music was an enjoyable read. I have read Neil's first three books and this is the best thus far. The book's premise: Peart is traveling in his BMW Z8 (a very hot car) from California to Texas. Through his journey we are taken back to his past while he listens to his favorite music. I appreciated what he liked - especially how much he likes Sinatra. As a fellow motorcycle traveler - I enjoy `the road' stories.

And now, the other side of the book: I did find it odd how many of the great icons in the music business - at some point or another start to despise their fans: the very people who spend the money on the albums and tours. The people who make these guys rich and famous. I know some of the radical ones can be annoying, I get that. It just that many of us that are reading this - don't have that experience. I was also a little shocked on his views on America. I don't understand why the African chapter was in this book - this should have been in the first book - Masked Rider.

I hope Peart continues to write - and I hope that he would take some time to have a more direct approach on his life and his song writing in a book that is less about traveling.

I was a little trepidacious about picking this book up. I had just read 'Roadshow' and found it slightly disappointing at least when compared to 'Ghost Rider.' The synopsis on the book about Peart taking a drive and talking about his favorite bands didn't really appeal to me all that much despite being a long-time Rush and Neil Peart fan.

I'm glad I decided to pick up the book after all. Far from being just a discussion of his favorite music, Peart weaves the music into details from his life creating the most autobiographical of all his books. I've always found it ironic that Neil is often considered the most secretive and private member of Rush, yet he has revealed far more about his life than any other member of the band through his writings.

This is by far the most well-written book Peart has produced so far. Next to 'Ghost Rider' which is essential for understanding key tragic events in Neil's life, 'Travelling Music' is a must-read for fans of Rush and even fans of popular music in general.

Both the content and the cohesion of this memoir are clear, strong, and good. The overall architecture is better than Ghost Rider and Roadshow, actually coming full circle both literally and metaphorically.

He's a fun person, and it's a blast to get invited along to travel in his Beamer (I wonder if his wife and his Mom are as scandalized of the speeds he drives at as I am) with great music for a nice hike and some bird watching. I found myself thinking, "I love that group, too!", or, "Hum, I've never heard that song, I'll have to go online and have a listen!" I'm amused and delighted he stays in cheap roadside motels, and buys pre-packaged sandwiches and peanut butter cups from convenience stores, because I hope and expect him to be more comfortable in life because he's worked so hard for it and deserves it. However, he's just a regular guy from a regular background, and harbors no snobbishness about such things.

Neil relates happy and horrible life events in great detail from birth to the day he joins Rush on this drive. It's reaffirming to realize that a shy person from an average background can pen such moving prose after experiencing and observing his world. Few writers can observe a vermillion flycatcher on a plain moment in a plain bird watching trip and form it into a work of art with the tender, fleeting joy he and the others around him witnessed.

I now understand what it is to be a "burning spirit", a musician that plays with such "intensity and vulnerability", so that they take "music from sidewalk entertainment to compelling art." (Sounds like somebody we know!) Neil's provocative chapter I nicknamed "The Superconductor Essay" (after the Rush song on the same theme) gives me a lot to think about in music appreciation, for I--a non-musician--never listened to music the way he does. I used to think I did, because like Neil I like a lot of diverse things, but I've never thought about why I like them. His thoughts on the intention by a musician or any artist that really got me thinking about his point of view. To his credit, a non-musician can easily follow. He is open-minded, and challenges himself to listen to musical styles that don't appeal to him, for example a country singer in a roadside restaurant that "really sang that song, from the inside out."

Moreover, he doesn't name names in what he dislikes, so the tome doesn't come off as a bitchy-moany manifesto.

It's touching how uncorrupted he is in the corrupt world of the music business. He befriends and encourages other artists, including young up & coming ones. He has no blinders on to music: caring nothing of the artist's age, race, religion, or economic status. And boy howdy does he love music--he shares how he tunelessly yelps along with Frank Sinatra CDs, or the fun he had at recent The Tragically Hip concert.

As always in Peart's writings, great lessons in geology, history, vocabulary, and the music industry are included.

If you've assumed `rock stars' have it `easy'-- you're wrong. It's amazing that he's the sweet man he is despite for how he's suffered in his personal life. Neil shares the secret: perseverance, grit, and hard work. Great memoir, give it a read.

This is the third book I have finished from Neil. The other books read up to this point have included Ghost Rider and Road Show. I couldn't comment on Ghost Rider because I felt the book was so very personal and considered therapy for Neil's experiences. I enjoyed Road Show. It was fun hearing about Neil's experiences on the road fetching National Park Stamps along the way.

In Traveling Music, there is a bit more of Neil's thoughts on just about everything. My first assumption prior to reading this book was, okay, he is getting in a car, listening to various music on the road with comments. It is this, but Neil's broad view of the music business and his experiences as a real music listener, world traveller, book reader and appreciator of the arts lends itself to everything he comments on. He is the type of person I feel whom anyone could strike up a meaningful conversation about any subject. That is the feel of the book. When he hits on a piece of music he likes, you get some very insightful and sometimes researched infomation on it. I learned more about Sinatra from Neil's appreciation than I had from my own experience for example. Also, there is no confusion that Neil is a proud introvert and I feel he enjoys his time alone to think and experience things and get back in touch with himself. I can relate to this and it makes me more inquisitive to read his views and comments. He also has a very good book list on his website and I've taken on a few of his recommendations and enjoyed them.

The only negative is the African Bike Ride area of the book towards the end. I kind of drifted in and out of that chapter because I felt I couldn't relate to that, and also because it seemed to move away from the initial car ride - music listening / comments area. But overall a very good read and I recommend it and look forward to another book from Neil.

- David Carlin
david.j.carlin@verizon.net

After having read all of Neil Peart's drumming and travel-related books, I have to say that this is my favorite. The book is divided into two main (but interspersed) sections. One deals with a particular car trip Peart took in 2002-03 and his thoughts on the music he chose to provide the soundtrack to this journey. It quickly became clear that Neil's tastes are a lot more diverse than my own (his include Madonna, Sinatra, and Linkin Park), and I had a tough time relating to this portion of the book -- although Peart's reflections on the industry were quite engaging.

The other half of the book details the influence of music on Peart's life from childhood, right up through shortly after he joined Rush. It is almost a partial autobiography, and if you are interested in a previously-undetailed account of the drummer's early career, you will find this portion of the book priceless.

If you are a Rush fan who found himself partly put off by the tone of some of Peart's other books (specifically "Roadshow"), I would still recommend giving this book a try. This is one of the industry's best sticking to two subjects he knows better than most -- music and drumming.

This guide is easy to follow and has all of the information you will need to complete the game. It is organized well, and the layout is fine. One of the biggest questions, I think, is whether or not you will really need a guide for this game. If you are more of a casual gamer who just wants to complete the main game and some of the more interesting optional parts, you may not need this. I really had very little difficulty with the main storyline - only the bonus dungeons gave me some trouble. If you want to collect everything and complete everything, this will definitely come in handy. Super Paper Mario isn't one of the tougher games I've played, and I think many people would have no trouble finishing it without a guide. But, I like to follow guides for most of the longer adventure games I play, and this one was worth using.

The Super Paper Mario official Nintendo Power guide is a useful tool for completing your inter dimensional adventure. With so many secret paths and hidden items, you might eventually begin to feel overwhelmed. I would say that this guide in general is comprehensive enough to get the job done, but offers nothing too spectacular. It is just a straight forward strategy guide which offers full colored maps with locations of items followed by general descriptions of said item to find where needed. Most of the walk through consists of minor details of the more noticeable points of your journey. It won't wow you but at least you'll not feel lost. In terms of difficulty, Super Paper Mario really isn't too great a challenge as you'll find Mario will become undoubtedly superior to the enemy in no time at all as he begins to level up. And the puzzles offered in many of the stages are just common since. This is why you'll feel like the walk through is a little underwhelming to say the least. The crux of all this guides' good information can be found near the back of the book, where a detailed listing of all the in game items, secrets, and recipes can be found. This source of info is negligible to a casual gamer who could care less for finding 100% of everything. And if you are just a casual gamer, I recommend really staying away from this one considering the lack of difficulty altogether. For a completest freak, it is an adequate enough manual. WARNING! There are a few major disappointments to be found here however. It's located in what should be a bestiary, but what has been converted into a catch card/bestiary sort of combination. Their efforts seem largely lackluster as all that you'll find is the enemy names and their respective card numbers. No enemy location data in case you might want to reference that in order to actually "catch" it's card. And no strength/weakness info either. As a matter of fact...no details are ever given on how to effectively battle the enemy types, leaving the player on their own to guess your own strategy. Only bosses are detailed in depth. Furthermore the maps can be jarring from time to time considering the way it needs to be laid out due to the 2-D/3-D aspect of the game, and the items found in both modes. This can be especially frustrating in the later stages where the levels themselves pan out and become massive and more complex. The maps are all crunched together in some pages, forcing you to have to scan a little harder to find your location.

This item was awsome! It shows you all the things you need to know about and makes it fun and easy to use. I already finished the game after 2 weeks! Trust me, it's sweet.

My son loves his new Wii (and all of his other Nintendo gaming)and along with every game he loves to get a guide. While some of his friends say they won't use them as "cheats" he finds that he gets more out of the game finding "secret codes" and such that let him do more. We don't feel it's a cheat in any way, just a great compliment to make the games more fun. The plus is that it means is doing more reading than he would if he were just playing the games and for young kids, reading is always a great thing, especially when they are very interested in the material. We have bought MANY of these Nintendo Guides and they are all GREAT!

This Strategy Guide is very handy for making the most out of the experience of playing Super Paper Mario (which is itself a 5-Star+ game). Some sections of the game would be nearly impossible to navigate without the maps inside the guide.

This is a fascinating book which has been organized very intelligently. The quick-sketch diagrams displaying the lighting used to create each image not only make it easy to try for a similar look, but also teach the reader how to look at lighting clues in an image in order to reverse-engineer the lighting conditions. While a great many other skills are involved in producing the photos in this book (like how to retouch using a graphite pencil), this is an excellent primer for those already familiar with the basics of studio lighting.

This is a great start for developing a foundation of this kind of lighting.The diagrams are easy to follow and it explains what are some of the pitfalls of certain kind of lightings.This is one of the reference book that I can say worth of what I paid for.

This book is perhaps not the end-all/be-all of Hollywood portraiture, but it is a delight to look at and inspirational for photographers. The steps and insight on how these images were created is both interesting and fun to read. A great book for a great price.

This book, by Roger Hicks, was good in its way. Having recently been required to try to reproduce the style of Hurrell/Bull, I did find it useful. The photographs were well reproduced and the descriptive material, particularly as regards history, was good. I did find it a bit confusing with "camera right" and "subject right" being thrown in willy-nilly. You would think that this would be self explanatory. However, combined with the illustrative drawings which looked at the set from different angles I would often get mixed up as to which light went where.

I am just a little thick, perhaps.

This is an excelent book for the budding portrait photographer, dealing with the various lighting solutions used to produce stuning portraits; I certainly found it to be very informative when undertaking my HND portrait assignment.

There are a couple of misprints/errors here and there, but overall this is a must-have for any gamer. The amount of content is unbelievable for the price you pay. Whether you only played Super Mario as a kid, or spend hours a day on WoW, you'll love how much this book has to offer...

The GWR-GE 2008 is the company's first effort to bring together a book for computer gamers, showing gaming records and facts. As such, it's a good dip of the toes into the big wide world of gaming.

The book itself is well presented. Not just a list of facts, it pleases the eye with easy-to-read double page spreads, boxes for additional information and plenty of graphics. One issue with the graphics - while they're mostly linked to the text, the references are not always easy to find and the order of the links is not clear.

The book itself is fairly platform-agnostic. It's split into game categories, and after providing an overview of the category history details some of the games in each category. This is where it starts falling down, with some notable gaps. Under action-adventure we read about Colossal Caves but no mention is made of Zork. And where is the Kings Quest series? Under role-playing games the Ultima series is mentioned, but not Wizardry!

The section on simulation games does at least mention Flight Simulator - but neglects the fact that combat flight simulators are an enormous market. And what about space combat? Nothing on Wing Commander, no X-Wing or anything else in this category.

In racing games, the Need for Speed series is mentioned briefly but really deserves more space. Hands up if you've played chess against your computer? Well sorry, but it doesn't rate a mention in the puzzle and maze section - no Chessmaster, no Kasparov or any other champion-branded games.

On the weird side, there's a section dedicated to "music games". Huh? These have been around for five minutes guys - surely there are better uses of this space.

So, in summary: a nicely presented overview of gaming and gaming records, but hopefully the next edition will be more thorough.

My son loves this book, if you are a Guinness Book fan, then you'll love this one.

Guinness World Records Gamers Edition marks Guinness's first romp into the gaming culture. The gaming culture is bigger than it's ever been before. For the casual gamer, this book is like a starter kit to getting you into the gaming scene. There's a lot of good information scattered throughout the book. However, for gaming aficionados, there's not a lot of stuff here that you probably don't know. Just the same, it's not a bad book.

By the looks of the Guinness World Records, you'd probably think right out that this was a book for the younger gamers. The page layout and design is similar to those World Almanac for Kids books that became popular among the youth. While this may bother a few other gamers, it does show that the book is very inviting.

It begins with a lengthy introduction chapter. This will show some of the highlights of 2007, including talking about some of the heavy hitting games like Halo 3, Super Mario Galaxy and Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. Again, though, if you're big on the gaming scene and you keep up with the news, this is nothing new to you. Even a lot of what they mention is stuff that has been hammered into most gamers head time and time again.

After the introduction, there is a history of gaming. This showcases everything from the Magnavox Odyssey all the way up to the current generation involving the XBOX360, Playstation 3 and Wii. Afterwards, it goes into talking about some of the more mainstream consoles on an individual basis starting with the Nintendo 64 and Gamcube and ending with PC gaming. This section may have better had the consoles been talked about in the chronological order they were released. It is, after all, a history section. At least for all the hardware it gives you all the specs and a few factoids and some trivia concerning each console. These sections are also accompanied by crystal clear screenshots. At the end of the hardware history section there is a list of the top 5 bestselling games on each console. After all this is over with, we finally get into some of the records and trivia on some of the biggest selling gaming franchises in some of the industries most popular genres.

In the Record Breaking Games section is where the book can quickly become redundant for long time gamers, but a treat for newcomers to the gaming scene. It talks of some of the most popular games in the industry such as Halo, The Legend of Zelda, Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario Bros and Sonic as well as several other franchises that have made a huge impact in the gaming industry. Each section presents a few factoids to the series. Telling you things like whether or not it was the fastest selling in the series, the number of copies the bestselling in the series, etc. Perhaps the most interesting is when it shows you speed record completions for certain games. And despite all that, it isn't quite enough for some of these franchises. They only get two pages a piece. However, there are some interesting facts presented for many of them. This portion of the book spans through out several genres. From the Action/Adventure to the Puzzle genre.

As this section progresses there are also interviews, timelines and historical dates noted. It's also is decorated to the brim with pictures and screen shots.

After all this information, you get to see them count down the 100 best arcade games and then you see charts of high scores. The book ends with an index that'll help you find anything you need.

The biggest problem with the guide is, as I said earlier, that a lot of this information is not new to the experienced gamer. Much of the sales records and trivia has become common knowledge amongst most gamers. However, for many, I'm sure there's still a lot of information that's new to them.

You couldn't possibly expect the book to cover everything. There are many books with more comprehensive history and more trivia. But for what you get with this, it's detailed. It's not the Ultimate Gamer's Manual, but it serves as a great introduction and start for anyone curious to the video gaming culture.

My name is Doug Parsons, and I'm an official adjudicator for Guinness World Records, so I felt the need to address some of the comments listed on this page.

The Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008 was compiled by industry insiders who are experts in their field. All records and facts have been carefully researched and have been found to be up to Guinness World Records' rigorous standards. While any book of this scope is bound to contain a few grammatical or spelling oversights, all of the facts, statistics, and information within the book are certified to be true at the time of printing. [...]

As Guinness World Records is the global arbiter for official record keeping, and I am an adjudicator within the organization, I felt the need to address some of the concerns. Please be assured that Guinness World Records takes any comment, positive or negative, about our products seriously, and use them to ensure that future books will be filled with even more records and facts that our readers will enjoy.

Rosewell high is any ordinary high school, but the only thing is that you don't know what's really happening.
There are 7 caracters theire names are Max, Liz, Maria, Alex, Michael, Kyle, Sherif Valenti, and Isabel.
Max, Liz, Maria, Isabel, Michael, sherif valenti are the main main caracters. Max always liked liz and when she was shoot in the stomach max healed her and she thought she was going to die and he told her to lie and she did and
after she went to his house and she asked him how and he told her he was an alien and she freaked out. So he thinks she hates him until later. Liz never liked him but wounce she found out she found this urge to just fall in love with him and do everything to save his life. Max, isabel, micheal, and maria are all aliens and hopes that liz dosent tell sherif valenti about theire discovery.I would really recommend this book to all ages.

This book is GREAT! Probaly the only book in the series that the TeleVision adaption kept completely - The outsider is a great piece of literature. Its cute, quick, daring, and intresting. ESPECIALLY if you keep reading the series, you'll notice how unique and great the customers are. A Definate Must-read. Esspecially for teens.

Although meant for young adult readers, this book is a worthy read by adult standards as well. As a lover of Roswell the WB series, I was at first elated to discover that they were rooted in this wonderful series by Melinda Metz. After I read the series, however, I became apalled at what a mess the show writers made of the situations and characters involved. It is unfortunate that they lost their vision of who their characters were meant to be. Luckily, Metz never does.

Wow! What a great read! I couldn't put it down. I wanted to read the book because I'm such a big fan of the TV show. It's soo much better!! The story is basically a modern Romeo and Juliet love story. Max is an alien from another planet who is in love with a human girl named Liz. When he saves her life, both their lives and everyone elses dramatically changes. This book focuses on Max and LIz's love story but there are also other interesting characters like the other 2 aliens, Micheal and Isabel, and Liz's 2 friends Alex and Maria who all have their own stories unfolding. The first book is by far my favorite out of the series, but you have to read them all. Just to warn some people: it is a story about ALIENS but it mostly centers on the characters relationships with each other. I would steer clear if your a BIg SF fan.

The pilot episode of Roswell was one of the better episodes of the series I've always thought, I got a copy of this book because it's the one the series is based on. While the writing style is probably aimed more at the teen market if you're older and liked the series this book won't be a bad item.
A few things are very different, Max is a blond and blue eyed senior, Liz is Liz Ortecho (whose dead older sister Rosa O'D on drugs)- instead of Parker, Michael Guerin is an A student (all three aliens are)and Isabel is the little sister- a junior in High School.
Liz's shooting is a little different than the series, Sheriff Valenti and son Kyle are meaner (and Valenti is a member of a secret government anti alien group). The incubation pods are mentioned, as is the cave, but in the book Michael came out of his pod days before the Evans (who shared a pod). A lot of things show similarity to the first season of Roswell, although not all were in the same episode- it seems obvious to me that the writers used this book as a sort of guide.
I don't know if I'll get the rest of the series but this one was a quick, fun little thing to read, and a lot more like what you saw on TV than most book to TV adaptations usually are.

Although this book was originally scheduled for publication on 8-22, I received mine today, 8-19, a testament to Amazon.com's speedy delivery service. It's difficult to categorize this volume, falling somewhere between a coffee table picture book and a personal photo album. Bernstein's brother apparently came up with the idea, this in his brother's 90th year. There are articles and remembrances from mostly his years with the NYP, written by Alan Rich, Paul Boyer and others with Burton Bernstein commenting on each. There is a good amount of new black and white photos strewn among the 207 pages with lots of newspaper reproductions, sidebars and fancy graphics that I found a bit distracting and, again, make me want to put it on a coffee table rather than store more formally on a book shelf. But for those of us who cannot get enough of Bernstein and continue to re-read Humphrey Burton's masterful biography, this is a nice adjunct. It makes us miss him all over again.

I received this book for Christmas and read it in one night. I couldn't put it down. Amy's talent for writing songs is reflected just as well in writing this book. She is truthful, insightful, funny and candid about her life and her career. I have been a fan of Amy for many years and I was really interested in reading about how she got to this place in her life. I was moved by the emotion that was involved in telling her story and I found myself laughing and/or crying at various points throughout the book. I couldn't put it down. I definitely recommend this book to all (even some older teenagers). Amy proves the point that "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven".

Even if you're not a fan of Amy Grant's gospel music, and even if you don't know of her midlife, second marriage to country singer Vince Gill, as a book browser you'd be tempted to pick up this book. The jacket pictures a smiling --- probably laughing --- and barefoot Amy, sporting a bohemian-style skirt and lacy shawl. The pose suggests that she's slightly vulnerable and inviting you into her life.

The title and subtitle don't promise full disclosure or a running narrative. And the text truly is a mosaic --- thematic and episodic chapters and journal reflections that skip around in time, revealing "pieces" of a life. The back-jacket well describes the prose as being "varied in texture."

Some chapters focus on her extended family: parents, sisters, nieces, aunts --- nearly all live nearby, clustered around Nashville. A tribute to an uncle killed before she was born feels like a eulogy written to and for Amy's family. This "Uncle Larry" chapter starts: "I love family. I love being identified in the context of my family."

Other chapters stay in the professional realm. A chapter titled "How Did I Wind Up Here?" is targeted toward her ardent fans. It recounts Amy's career path, naming singers who influenced her and people with whom she has performed or schmoozed.

The best material describes specific days and encounters: an impromptu visit to the Nashville home of an octogenarian fan; a day with her children at the Tennessee state fair; a personal encounter with a wild deer. A few of these narrative accounts give the back story of a particular song, such as "Hats" and "Missing You."

It's obvious that motherhood and music are focal points of Amy's life. And her Christian faith, which has at times waned, is renewed. She talks of this poignantly in a chapter about motherhood, "On Children and Faith." She explains, "My most consistent prayer for my children has been, God, find them the way you found me. Give them faith to believe you." Here she describes a journey of grace and forgiveness in the midst of personal turmoil.

Between chapters, Amy has interspersed the lyrics of more than 30 songs, including several that are new and unrecorded. The book includes 16 pages of color photographs, and small family photos enhance the opening page of each chapter.

The last dozen pages of the book, "The Times of My Life," give a chronological life summary, which provides "a framework" for her mosaic pieces. She explains: "My intent is to show how quickly I was set upon a path I did not anticipate and how that shaped my life. If I do not have a unique stage persona that differs from the me who shows up at the grocery store, it's because I've never felt any demarcation between life and art, faith and day-to-day living." It's that persona that shows in the jacket photograph --- she looks like the artsy sister next door.

--- Reviewed by Evelyn Bence

I just love to hear Amy talk. She is so real and expressive. She has such a way with words. The sound of her voice just adds so much more to the enjoyment of reading the book. I highly recommend the audio version, by itself, or to read along with the book at the same time. This is truely a priceless treasure for fans of Amy Grant!

I'm a fan of Amy Grant's music - Mostly her more pop stuff - and was interested in this book. So I ordered it, not knowing really what to expect. Well, it's a beautiful book written about Amy's life. She included song lyrics (new and old), poems and little stories about her career as well as her family. For those hoping for a tell-all, well, Amy is too classy for that, and instead focuses on the good and bad, and important parts of her life to convey deep and meaningful messages about love, family, children, God and life. Highly recomended!

I highly recommend this read. Although I enjoy reading biographies as well as appreciate the broad artistry of Amy Grant--singer, songwriter, actress, television host--this selection is a gem. Unlike the usual format of a bio, this one has much more...flavor. Grant's aptly named work, MOSAIC, intertwines intimate revelations with songs and poems that Grant has written--some previously unpublished. MOSAIC is such an enjoyable and inspiring read that I have read it, reread it, gave it away and had to replace several times already--and it's only been released less than a year!

Look through around a dozen knitting books in a book store, I just fell in love with this book and have to have it. It will give me creative ideas for my future knitting projects. I will make the lush American Beauty Capelet for sure.

Knitting Over The Edge: Unique Ribs, Cords, Appliques, Colors, Nouveau

This book, like all of Nicky's books, is terrific! Even if you don't knit, the photos are yummy. If you do knit, the directions are easy to follow, and the ideas will make your next project sing. A must have for the knitter's library!

This book was so very helpful with learning new patterns. I've used so many of them in my knitting.

A good companion book for volume #1. I especially liked the appliqué and color section.

I'm just a beginner knitter myself and the contents in this book is mostly definitely for intermediate to advanced knitters in my opinion. There is plenty of knitted borders in the book, many of them very pretty, however, they come with very basic instructions that may confuse those who are are suited to more detailed instructions.

The book has many different patterns and cover a wide range of borders; from ribs to coloured borders. I find that a lot of the patterns are quite bulky looking and may be more suited to heavier knitted pieces.

Nonetheless it's a very nice book, lots of clear pictures too. For those who design or alter their knitwear, this would be an excellent addition to one's collection. Regardless of what you're knitting, there's definitely something to learn from the book.

The background story on the high wattage Mexican Radio Stations alone is worth the price of this book. Goat Gland Transplant??!?!?! (for male...errr...Vitality) If you have an interest in American Music, this book is for you.

The Carter Family are one of the greatest and most influential acts in the history of American music. Having my own family's roots dating back over 200 years in the Southern mountains, listening to the Carter's songs evoke powerful feelings in me. I feel transported back into another time that I never lived through but somehow know.

The writers do a credible job of telling the extradorinary Carter Family story. For example,the 1927 recordings in Bristol, Tennessee where Ralph Peer signs both the Carters and Jimmie Rodgers to recordings deals. This began the popular era of what would later become known as country music. Also covered are the broadcasts from the Mexican border town megawatt radio stations which brought the Carter's comforting voices to a nation suffering through the Great Depression. The circumstances surrounding the divorce of A.P. and Sara is discussed, as well as numerous other stories about life, love and family in Maces Springs, Virginia.

But what I found to be missing is a serious analysis of the Carter Family's music. Part of the Carter's greatness is based on A.P.'s "songcatching trips" where he travelled the Southern mountains in search of old hymns and folk ballads for the Carters to sing. I would have liked to learn more about the history and meaning of these incredible songs. Instead a larger percentage of the book is taken up with old family stories and anecdotes, often based on the lives of cousins, uncles, nieces and neighbors rather than the primary Carter Family members. I would have preferred more concise and music focused writing, perhaps dropping some of the corn pone humor and scaling the book back from it's nearly 400 pages. Also I would have appreciated a more scholarly look at the Carter's place in American music as well as more attention to compelling subjects such as the influence of African American music on the Carter Family.

For Carter Family fans and interested newcomers this is a book still worth reading. But I do hope a more song focused and scholarly biography of the Carter Family will eventually be written.

So, you think you know everything about the Carter Family? Well, you don't until you read this book. Every single word tells about a signifant history in the Carter Family's life. From the Originals to the Carter Sisters, to Mother Maybelle, this is any Carter Fan's treasure! I absolutely loved it, and the pictures make me smile every time I look at them with even just a glance. This book will bring you lots of happiness for the rest of your life. Be sure to read my other reviews for June Carter Cash's Keep on the Sunny Side: Her lfie in Music, Wildwood Flower, Press On, The Best of the Carter Family, From my Heart, A proper introduction to the Carter Family, and Louisiana Hayride: Live Performances. Honestly, after you read this book, you'll have a brand New look at the Carter Family and their music!

Keep on the Sunny Side,
June

Keep on the Sunny Side

If you are a fan of the Carter Family, then you will find this book interesting to the same extent that you enjoy their music, I would say!

WILL YOU MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE is a great biography that goes pretty in-depth, and explains the joys and sorrows of the lives and musical careers of the Carter Family!

It is really fascinating to read about who the original Carter Family trio were -- (A.P. CARTER, who was the songwriter, researcher, arranger, bass backup vocalist and leader of the group; and SARA CARTER, his wife, the lead vocalist and harpsichord player; and MAYBELLE CARTER, their younger cousin/in-law, backing vocalist, and the most underrated and forgotten guitar playing pioneer in musical history!), -- and how they got into the music business, and how they influenced the early music industry and country music.

All the Carter Family members sang, and their harmonies and vocal interplays are among the most sincere, skilled, and enjoyable of all country music, of any time period, though they did it first and best on record. That's a fact, in my opinion!

The second version of the Carter Family, (mother Maybelle and her three daughters, Helen, June, and Anita), is also covered in-depth in the second half of the book! This is where many characters overlap characters seen in the 2005 Johnny Cash biography movie, WALK THE LINE, (also highly recommended by me, to you).

There are plenty of interesting, informative, and entertaining photos (both family and professional promotionals) sprinkled throughout the book, too!

If I had to criticize anything, I would say that sometimes the author wanders too long explaining the peripheral things going on in America and/or the music industry. These things are fascinating, but you start to wonder why it's all included. Thankfully, most of it pays off later when these obscure, forgotten people and events cross paths with our heroes of the story, the Carter Family! Stick with it, it's worth it!

I actually started reading this book a few years back, but I got bogged down trying to picture who was who, so I ended up putting it on the shelf for years. After I saw the recent Johnny Cash biography film, WALK THE LINE, which featured some of the Carter Family members, I was better able to put names with faces and characters, and that film also rekindled my dormant interest in the Carter Family.

There is a pretty decent DVD from PBS called THE CARTER FAMILY: WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN, which shows the author of this book, and is a terrific companion piece for this book. In fact, I'm not sure if you should read the book first, or watch the DVD biography? You decide whichever format you prefer first, and you will likely get both eventually.

The DVD sort of shows, accidentally, that there are two kinds of Carter Family fans: actual people from the South who love and live the music, and folk music loving intellectuals who love the music and its place in Americana! I am of the latter, but I grew up around plenty of Southern people, though the youngsters preferred Skynyrd, while only the older folks liked the really rootsy classics.

You should also get the two 5-disk CD sets from JSP Records, 1927-1934, and 1935-1943. These two CD sets are affordable from amazon.com, and they are the best and most economical way to have a virtually complete library of the original Carter Family's studio recording history, and there is no better collection currently available to my knowledge!

I would recommend the 1927-1934 set first, which has the most historic stuff, the most energy, and the best vibe. The 1943 set is after they had stopped living together, but is more professional sounding, yet less energetic (more melancholy); but you will likely get both after hearing the 1927 set, I trust.

This book, along with Jimmy McDonough's biography of Neil Young "Shakey," is one of the best written books about popular music that I've ever read. The breadth of the research is staggering, and the prose is a curious mix of cussing and twenty-dollar words that relays the events surrounding the ascention of the Carter Family with the immediacy their massive cultural and artistic impact deserves. Zwonitzer not only provides succinct yet detailed descriptions of the Carters' everyday lives, he also lays out a vivid portrait of the full context into which the Carter Family fits. It's a fairly quick read, with tremendous amounts of information crammed into every sentence. As with the best Carter Family recordings, not a breath here is wasted, and every note hits the stomach like a punch.