Entertainment Books

I had this book years ago and lent it to someone who did not return it and just recently got another via Amazon. I was so happy it was still in print, I missed this book.
This book is not for a beginner but don't despair the author has a beginner book that is excellent "Calligraphy Made Easy".
If you are looking for the next step up from beginner this is the book to own.

This book is more complete than I expected and it is written in such a way that you are eager at trying your hand at the next alpahbet. Great for the person who already knows how to handle the pens.

I'm trying to teach myself this beautiful art. This book is certainly not for the beginner. The concept of a new alphabet each week and weekly projects is a great one, however there isn't enough instruction on materials or form to make it very helpful to those of us new to this art. I'll keep it for reference but must continue my search for a great teaching tool.

I was given 3 books on Calligraphy, as a Christmas present from my daughter, and this book is at the bottom of the list.

It does contain many different fonts, and the idea of having a practice lesson every week for a year is a novel idea indeed. However, I found this book disorganized, and try to do the lessons with one arm trying to hold the book flat.

I found the layout really confusing. Also if you are a beginner I would say this is not for you. It doesn't contain much "instruction." I would suggest "The Calligrapher's Bible" instead.

Unfortunately, I don't really know if this book is a good book or not. My son went off to tech camp last year to learn how to make video games. He came back all excited about his new found skills and continued to make games at home,so I bought him this book for Christmas. I don't even think he did more than scan through it and decide it was just too busy to take the time to read (he is a male and it was instructions). I definitely think it would be geared for a much older crowd (he was a very advanced 12yr old). Sorry I can't be more helpful than that.

I bought this book because I am interested in game development. This book looks at creating games with Clickteams fortcoming software development tool, The Games Factory 2 and MultiMedia Fusion 2. There is a demo of the software supplied on the CD that comes with the book so you don't have to wait for the software to ship (which it will soon) before you can follow the demos.

The book takes you through the creation of a number of games, from simple space invaders to complex platform games, all with a click of the mouse. Yes, you read that right, TGF 2 allows you to create any game in any genre using nothing but the mouse!! There is no complex code to write, no variables to set up, no arrays to initialise... If you can pick an option from a popup menu, you can create any games and applications you want.

The book takes you through the creation of these games in an easy to follow step by step format and the chapters cover everything from a look at TGF 2's interface to how to code your first game. There is also a discussion on gaming in general which will point you in the right direction and show you the Do's and Don't's.

A very easy to read book which is packed to bursting with information on game creation. And not a single line of coding in sight (as long as you don't count the expressions for performing maths ;) ).

Want to make games?
Don't want to learn code?
BUY THIS BOOK NOW!!!

Jason Darby has written a wonderful book to compliment The Games Factory 2 software program and to teach people the basics of video game design and development.

This book comes with a trial version of The Games Factory 2 so you do not need to purchase anything else to get started today. Its a great way to find out if you have what it takes to develop video games without a large investment in various software.

When you complete the various projects included in the book you will have a firm grasp of software development and be on your way to becoming a professional video game designer and programmer.

I read the book before i even read a review of it. I have to say that i felt like i was with Pinto the whole step of the way. I grew up about 10 mins from Dartmouth and my grandparents and great-grandparents were the Tanzi family that owned the store that supplied them beer. This bood just rings so true to when you get a bunch of frat brothers together. It makes me miss college and my frat brothers more. I only wonder how they all graduated. This book is great. If you love the movie and you want to know where those characters came from, this is your chance. Although i must say the book is crazier than the movie and Dartmouth loved their frats compared to Faber's relationship. Cheers to Chris Miller for making me smile.

If you liked the movie Animal House you will LOVE this book. Chris Miller wrote the original screen play and many of the funniest scenes from the film were straight from his days at Dartmouth. It is a fascinating look at frat life in the '60s and Rock and Roll but better than that it is just HILARIOUS. All the elements of the film I liked were here in spades, with more and better stories they could never have put in a film. Miller is a keen observer with a real knack for phrasing that makes his storytelling jump off the page.
THIS IS A MUST READ FOR THE ANIMAL HOUSE FAN!!
Warning: some depraved jokes, not for the faint of heart.

The book is a sad ~50 year old remembrance of the "good old college frat boy days". It has a few laughs, but Miller tries too hard to be funny and crude. That anyone would revel over such behaviour 50 years after the fact is pathetic.

I discovered National Lampoon in 1987, at a time when the magazine was in decline and well on its way to becoming a brand tag for C-grade movies starring Paris Hilton. But there was enough residual genius left in the magazine to change my life. That year, at age 15, I read a story by Chris Miller with the ever-subtle title of "C--k Tales." It was so fabulously wrong that I sent in my subscription card that same day.

Connoisseurs of gleeful depravity might get a chuckle or two out of this book, but it doesn't pack the same punch as his early NatLamp material. Maybe it's a matter of context -- in the '70s and '80s, d-jokes and target vomiting weren't as overmined as they are today. But compared to South Park and the amazing first "Jackass" movie, Miller's stories appear more quaint than depraved.

The very fact that "awesomely" appears in the subtitle as if it were an acceptable adjective of the English language should have been enough to dissuade me from picking up this book. I am somewhat ashamed to admit that I compounded that error by reading the entire book.
It was not that the book is in any way compelling, fascinating, or even humorously entertaining. I continued reading it far beyond my usual tolerance for a dull narrative and poorly developed characters, and despite the persistence of the author's infantile egocentrism which, unfortunately, pervades the entire book from beginning to end.

The book recounts Miller's supposedly "depraved" college fraternity experience. Far from being "awesomely depraved," the characters mostly stand around in the fraternity house basement... talking. Miller describes this standing around talking business as wildly entertaining, something that he finds so compelling he can't wait to get back to that basement so that he can, well, stand around talking again. And again.

This standing around talking plot goes on and on, literally ad nauseum, since he also tells us how important it is to copiously vomit on demand, and how proud he was to have mastered this dubious social skill.
Miller recounts for us the thrill of drinking beer to intoxication, as if getting drunk were a wildly perverse activity that he and his band of fraternity brothers alone-unlike all the rest of the obviously sober college students the world over- had discovered, tested, and perfected for the good of all mankind.

There is nothing "depraved" here, unless your idea of depravity includes the severly upset stomachs of fledgling alcoholic narcissists so sadly dysfunctional they wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting into a good school if they had to compete with the high school class of 2007.

I suppose I kept reading because I was waiting for the turning point in which the author would describe his transition from childish egocentric to integrated human being. That payoff is never delivered and I was left to assume that Chris Miller sincerly looks back on his happy days of drunken vomiting with wistful nostalgia.

This memoir lacks even the skimpiest scrap of insight. The author never offers us even the slightest wince of regret at having spent his entire college career in what he himself describes as an intoxicted obsession with booze and... more booze.

This memoir is neither "depraved" nor the slightest bit funny. It is wiltingly sad and pathetic.
Don't waste your time.

Awesome interviews. Even non-reader types will love this. It starts with Pete Townshend....nothing is better than that....

Let me start by saying, I bought this book because of all the great reviews it got here. So, I thought I'd better give my opinion too, since it is so different!
This book includes everything you'd ever want to know about Garbo! So, it's great for the fan of hers who wants to know absolutley every detail about her. However, it is not written in an interesting way. It is like reading a "G" encyclopedia that is all about Garbo! It is long, boring, and difficult to read because the facts of her life are just layed out in chronological order. Not very engaging to read. I kept putting it down and reading other books, then going back to it.

The cause that I decided to grab that book written by Barry Paris is quite obvious. I live in Russia and all the information in Russian Garbo is concerned with can be generated to the following: Garbo was born a poor and wretched girl in Sweden, discovered by Maurice Stiller, went with him to Hollywood, made a couple of good pics, had a lot of lesbian affairs with almost everybody who was famous at that time beginning with Marlene Dietrich and ending with Marilyn Monroe, who was I presume a toddler by early 30's, then she made some money and had been living as a riche madame hanging out with the toffs for 50 years. I was totally dissatisfied with such ersatz being a kinda film connoisseur myself. I wanted information from the horse's mouth, so I bought the book. The book arrived in 4 days due to the expedient shipping.

It is not the first bio that I read in English though I was pleasantly surprised. First thing, there's not much that of the author himself. I mean he is not trying to describe, or evaluate, or judge Garbo, like what she had done under such and such circumstances, or how did she act to this or that. He is grounded with facts. No gossip. From time to time he says that yeah, there was that rumor concerning this and that. Speaking in general, I would call him contemplator from afar, though sometimes his insight is marvelous and hard to deny. Secondly, I like the style of the book: easy to read, good English, fabulous metaphors. Thirdly, author has tenacity towards describing any trifle facts. Of course, there are some author's thoughts that you can consider somewhat irrelevant but all in all the reading process is smooth. Last but not the least the book is saturated with great rare pictures of Greta Garbo. Jolly dialogues between Miss Garbo and Sam Green taken from audio tapes are the zest of the book.

As a conclusion, the book is worth reading since it deals with eine Frau, die ein Geheimnis des 20. Jahrhunderts darstellt.

I completely enjoyed this book. But then I am a devoted Garbo fan.
It is almost like a game trying to piece her life together to be able to understand her. I have read many books about her and this is one of the best for being able to inform people of her inner thoughts.

Thank You
Cathy

The best writing available on Garbo. The most comprehensive. Engaging. I was sorry there was not more info on her family. Her relationship with them. The people themselves. Some of it you can research to fill in the blanks. With G.G. though some of her enigma will always remain. Conversations and Recollections with Garbo, by Raymond Daum is also strongly recommended. This book was very thought provoking. Kata was an original. No were near as mysterious as the illusion/persona she crafted. If your anykind of armchair pychologist or avid researcher these books will be alot of fun. Thank you Mr. Paris. Rest in peace, Ms. G.

This biography is just as well-written and meticulously-researched as Mr. Paris's biography on Louise Brooks, which I had read prior to reading this one. He's a great celebrity biographer; he really does his homework, doesn't really get into the sleazy, sensational, and speculative trap that a lot of other celebrity biographers too often fall into, has a clear respect for his subject without fawning all over her, sugarcoating less than perfect aspects of her life, or holding her up as some sort of demigoddess, and clearly distinguishes between fact, outright fantasy and falsehood, and rumor and speculation that could go either way. This professional approach is keenly felt when he's writing about Garbo's relationships with men and women; there were some affairs of hers that were well-substatiated by outside evidence (most particularly her affair with Jack Gilbert), but other than that one can't really say how many relationships she may have had, or even that she were actively bisexual, though she clearly felt more comfortable emotionally with women. She wasn't entirely asexual either; though she did seem more comfortable alone, with no one invading her privacy and personal territory, she didn't go through life completely celibate either. And of course, Mr. Paris makes this topic one of only many covered in the book, since what she did or didn't do with anyone she may or may not have had a relationship with isn't really any of our business.

What makes this book, and its subject, so fascinating is the fact that the majority of Garbo's life was not lived on-camera. She had her childhood and adolescence, her years of acting in Sweden, Germany, and America in the Twenties and Thirties, and then retired from the screen in the early Forties (though there was a strong possibility she could have had to return to the screen in 1948, and many other times before and since). Mr. Paris even points out that, of the relatively small amount of films she was in, not a whole lot of them would be considered great cinematic works of art or classics. To paraphrase the old saying, she was rarely in a picture that was as good as she was. However, the force of her personality, her riveting screen presence, her unique and androgynous beauty, and her acting talent elevated these films beyond formula pictures, made one watch them in spite of the not always great scripts. Particularly interesting are the chapters on Garbo's life post-acting. Mr. Paris brings these years of retirement to vivid life, showing us that just because she had willingly dropped out of public view didn't mean she had ceased to live a fascinating life; in fact, in some ways her post-acting life was even more colorful and interesting. He also chronicles the real story of her famous desire to be alone, or to be left alone, and how the truth was more complex than just a shy recluse or a former moviestar who shunned most human contact. She led a very full and active social life during those nearly 50 years off-screen, and had friendships with a lot of high-profile and fascinating people, pursued a lot of diverse interests, had a lot of interesting thoughts, and generally lived a very interesting life. He also examines the truth behind why she never married; on the one hand, there's ample evidence to suggest that she just preferred to be alone, didn't want to be made vulnerable by intimacy, would feel invaded or violated by such intrusion, was never really cut out to be the stereotypical traditional wife and mother; but on the other hand, some of her close associates felt that perhaps she could have been happy with a partner who knew and understood her need to be alone and the fact that she would never be a housewife or conform to the traditional gender role assigned to women in Western society, and even said she sometimes voiced regret she had never married or had a family. Whatever the case, she was always very much her own person with her own identity.

However, even in a bio this meticulous and even-handed, there are bound to be some errors. The major one I noticed was Mr. Paris's statement that 'The Kiss,' Garbo's final silent, was also the last silent released in America but for Chaplin's last stands, 'City Lights' (1931) and 'Modern Times' (1936). 'The Kiss' came out in mid-November 1929, but there were still some theatres in America not wired for sound, and some artists who were still releasing silents they had made earlier that year, such as Laurel and Hardy's final silent, 'Angora Love,' which came out in December of 1929. Additionally, some of the more minor studios did release silent pictures in 1930, so to say that this was the final American silent picture is kind of dishonest. It would have been better had he said it was the last *major* American silent. Another error I noticed was when Mr. Paris referred to Natacha Rambova (whose forename he didn't even spell correctly) as a lesbian. This seems to be just one of those old unfounded rumors that just won't go away. The reader also might disagree with some of his opinions or conclusions about some of her films, or certain aspects of them, but the beauty of opinions is that we're all entitled to our own and aren't forced to agree with someone else's.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about this famous and elusive enigma and to go beyond long-time rumors and speculation to find out the facts.

It took me three hours to complete the book, and what I liked about it was that it wasn't long-winded, just straight to the point.
The author just confirmed what I already knew about these mega-preachers, especially Bishop Long. What I also really enjoyed about this book is that the author quoted scriptures from the Bible, just to give the reader the exact purpose that these preachers/pimps are contradicting and twisting the Word for his or her own personal gain. I cannot see how anyone who has any intelligence could possibly say that this book is wrong. Sure, I may not agree with everything that the author is saying, but at least he is very close to being correct about these preachers. But the author is correct about how so many people are giving up their income to support preachers in order to live an extremely lavish lifestyle, and of course, twisting the Word of God to their own advantage.
This book is something that all Christians should read and I know that it would open the hearts and minds of those that are being taken advantage of, that if, they are not brainwashed by these and other ministers that are lying, stealing and cheating.
My only complaint about this book is that it is very over-priced. Like I said, it took me 3 hours to finish the book since it only contains 185 pages. But other than that, its pretty good.

This book was very informative. It tells about the going ons in some big churches. It's hard to believe that some people are so blinded by faith that they can't see what's truly going on. This book truly opened my eyes to a lot of what I knew was behavior unbefitting a church and it let's me know it's ok to speak on it if my heart so desires.

This book was a good read & laugh, just goes to show you what's going on in some of our high profile black churches.

The author courageously speaks out about the lavish lifestyles and hypocrisy of several televangelists in this book. While some would defend th lavish leifestyles with out of context scriptural references, as an ordained minister myself, I know that our behavior as ministers can cause people to "stumble." Ezekiel 34: 2-4 speaks about shepherds who only take care of themselves, and do not take care of their flocks. I applaud Mr. Armstrong for his courage to warn the Church of our judgment. I Peter 4:17: "It is time for judgment to begin in the family of God."

This is the best book written since The Bible (NIV only, the King James version is a little better than this book). Not only is he named after a sandwich, but Mr. Armstrong (or "Stretch" as he is known by intimates) is one heck of writer. Reuben Armstrong is a man of courage and tenacity. He exposes the ugly underbelly of crooked preachers at the same time he exposes the ugly world of poor grammar. Although not exactly polished, Mr. Armstrong's prose is heavenly...much like the sandwich that carries his name.

In the words of my personal friend Samuel Jackson: "Enough is enough! I have had it with these money flippin' snakes in this money flippin' pulpit!"

When I heard AC was releasing a biography, I was so excited that I bought it the first day it came out and read the entire book that same day! However, I was a little upset and felt cheated because he left so many details out, and the fact that he really did not go into depth and give his real feelings about anything! That is really a shame! I've only read the book once, and that's probably the only time I'll ever read it. If he writes another book, he probably shouldn't refer to it as a "biography" if he intends to write a book about practically nothing. So, I am giving it a rating of "one star."

whether you hate Edge or love him, this is a must read. gives a lot of insight to Adam Copeland and his character, Edge

This book has kept me glued from the beginning. With pictures to look at while reading the story, it helps keep my attention. Edge is so good at telling a story and keeping the reader glued until he finishes it. He's had many funny stories happen to him, so anyone looking for a good laugh should read this book.

In my personal opinion this AMAZING book was about "The best there is. The best there was. And the best there ever will be." This book was extremely entertaining.

With Adam "Edge" Copeland really being one of the last major stars to come into the WWE via the indy system that has actually succeeded in the WWE, this book is a great read. Unlike Mick Foley's Have A Nice Day, You can tell Edge had to struggle to get what he wanted out of life and dealt with set-back after set-back. Outside of one minor fact error (referring to a six man tag between Team ECK vs Too Cool at the wrong PPV event), Edge goes into detail about all the major events that helped shaped his career up till mid 2004

Thankyou to amazon for the book and very fast way in which it was posted to my address.
The condition of the book was as if it had never been used and I know that my son can only gain more knowledge in reading music and improve in the way he plays his Guitar.

Thanks again

DMR

I bought this book as a teaching tool for some of my beginning students, since I have one that wants to go rock, one classical, and one jazz. The arrangement for Fur Elise was a nice piece for a quick-learning beginner to study accidentals, and the arrangements for "All the Things You Are" and "Misty" have been helpful in beginning some jazz studies. Otherwise, I agree that a lot of the arrangements are off, and while there is a large variety of songs, I find that there are a lot of them that I would not have chosen for a book that presumes to call itself "The Greatest". As a teacher, though, there are a few things in here that I have found useful...although, I would prefer that the book didn't have tablature.

This book is a total waste of money. maybe one out of the 100 songs included in this book is right. The chord listings are way off, and the songs sound terrible if u try to play them the way they are in the book. i made the mistake of wasting my time and money ordering this book. Dont be like me learn from my mistake. THIS BOOK IS HORRIBLE!

I'm quite pleased by this book - it has a great list of songs - some classical, folk, rock, christmas, and even has Amazing Grace. The layout of Tab and notes makes it a great tool to learn to read music. Special chord fingerings are listed at the top of each song (bonus) and the print is large enough to read easily.

Like other Christopher Golden Buffy books, this one is a fun if light read. Going in with the right expectations will definitely improve the ride.

I really, really liked this book. I liked that all the chacters came back and it had a great plot. Buy it. You will like it.

After finishing this book, I felt as if I had traveled back in time, when Buffy TVS was on TV, some things were as they should be, and that anything was possible. It has surprising twists and turns that are in line with the great writing that made Buffy one of the great series, I feel, of all time.

Of course, you would have to be able to see the pictures inside of the words to "get" this. So, while it is not for everyone, it IS for ALL true Buffy fans!!! Hope Mr. Golden continues writing for Buffy...!!! Brava!!

I never read Queen of the Slayers after reading such mediocre reviews, so this is my first post-Season 7 Buffy book. I enjoyed it. Christopher Golden really has an ear for how these characters talked in the show, so I don't get hung up on poor dialogue. Sometimes that kills a Buffy book for me.

I felt the final fight and resolution were rather abrupt and not completely satisfying, but overall, I highly recommend this book. Golden rarely disappoints.

I found Dark Congress a tale that needed to be told and none more qualified to tell it with the tenderness required than you. Indeed the message that I got loud and clear was basically, the only thing harder than saying good-bye to someone you love is not getting to say good-bye to someone you love. It was put eloquently and yet still in Buffy-speak. Any Tara fan who does not read this book is cheating themselves of the closure too long overdue.

Tara's resurrection also served a real purpose in the main story as well...no Tara, no Scoobies arriving in the nick of time to help Buffy...and Buffy gets pulverized by Malik's sword.

I'll also give a big cheer for the reappearance of The Gentlemen. It really did round out the cast of characters and was a fantastic surprise. As always, he included bits of subtlety that true fans and friends of Chris and Buffydom will recognize, smile and chuckle.
Well done, Chris...well done indeed!!!!!!!