Hollywood: A Third Memoir for $11.49

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The more people know and like McMurtry, the less they seem to like this book. His fans apparently expect a lot more than this slight, casual set of rememberances about screenwriting and Hollywood.

I'm aware of McMurtry, of course, but haven't read his fiction. I picked this up (at the library)and breezed through it in a pleasant few hours. The brevity and simplicity of the prose is indicative of McMurtry's great skill as a writer and his subtle humor makes the short trip even more enjoyable.

A light, but not tossed-off, book of reflections by a charming memoirist.

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Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh Morals--Beastly Fables (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) for $18.40

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Scieszka, J., & Smith, L. (1998). Squids Will Be Squids: Fresh morals, beastly tales. New York: Puffin Books.

0142500402

A good break from or companion to Aesop's Fables. Squids Will Be Squids shares 18 silly fables that manage to be both relatable to kids and incorporate far-fetched ideas to amuse. The moral accompanying each story manages to be just the right amount of ridiculous to get kids laughing out loud. Issues explored including saving a huge history project to the last minutes, dealing with that squid-like friend who never agrees to games everyone else wants to play and figuring out who exactly caused that stink in the air.

The illustrations are fun and in similar style to Scieszka and Smith's other collaborations. As with The Stinky Cheese Man and Math Curse, the picturebook is heavy on the (HUGE) text and structured like a chapter book, so it can be a good transition to a first chapter book. If a teacher is looking for another Aesop stepping stone, Paul Rosenthal's Yo, Aesop! Get a Load of These Fables (1998) is an even longer grouping of modernized fables.




Activities to Do with the Book:

Students could write their own fables in response to the examples shown by Scieszka and Smith.

Since "Frog's New Shoes" considers the fact that ads cannot always be trusted, a teacher could use this to start a discussion on products children have bought and been disappointed by. This could even turn into a short lesson on writing letters to companies about truth in advertising. "Piece of Toast and Froot Loops" could trigger a discussion on healthy eating habits. Not that anyone would want to get too serious with this book.

Based off of the story "Rock, Paper, Scissors," a class could arrange to have a rock paper scissors championship during recess. A teacher could incorporate this into a lesson on odds in math class or into a discussion on teamwork.

This is a fun light read to encourage enjoyment, especially if a child has previously been forced to supper through a dryer version of Aesop's fables.


Favorite Quotes:

"This book, Squids Will Be Squids, is a collection of fables that Aesop might have told if he were alive today and sitting in the back of class daydreaming and goofing around instead of paying attention and correcting his homework like he was supposed to, because his dog ate it and he didn'ts= have time to run out and buy new paper and do it over again before his bus came to pick him up in the morning."


"My tentacles are too tired."

"He who smelt it, dealt it."

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They Came to Nashville for $13.99

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Yes, It's very readable and interesting, probably worth for the story of a young and unknown Rodney Crowell meeting a now well-known country singer, as the later wandered down the street with his first record.

However, this book is about Chapman, who apparently knew everybody who was anybody in the music business in Nashville. Those of us who are not fans wish she would get out of the way. She prints her interviews in the question and answer format, which makes it very clear where she has interrupted her interviewee in the middle of an interesting story with her own stuff.

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Suzuki Violin School -Volume 3 (Revisied Edition) (The Suzuki Method Core Materials) for $5.45

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I ordered this booklet to add variety in my son's violin lessons and I was very pleased that it arrived the day before his lessons. My son also said that the book is easy to read and fun to practice with.

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Last of the Great Scouts; The Life Story of Col. William F. Cody, "Buffalo Bill" as Told by His Sister for $23.74

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The First Part of Henry the Fourth: Applause First Folio Editions (Applause Shakespeare Library Folio Texts) (Pt. 1) for $5.85

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"Henry IV Pt. 1" was one of Shakespeare's greatest successes in his lifetime, and has remained pre-eminently popular to this day. But each century has had its own version of what it is about.

For Elizabethans, it was Falstaff and his merry pranks. For the 18th century, it was Hotspur and his proud nobility. More recently, the pendulum swung back to Falstaff, but this time as a tragic exponent of relativistic realism, a clown who understands his place as cosmic punchline.

But as David Bevington points out in his introduction to my Bantam edition, the real central figure is the guy who encapsulates the best of both Falstaff and Hotspur, young Prince Hal. In "Henry IV Pt. 1", he is the dissolute heir to the throne, living the fast life of drink and crime (petty and otherwise) with the dubious aid of his pal Falstaff, a fat coward who lives only to fill his purse and gut. Can Hal break out of his seeming tailspin and aid his father, the title character Henry IV, before the king loses his throne in a civil war?

Bevington's point is Hal represents the true center of this play, the character for whom Hotspur and Falstaff represent opposite ends of an ideal monarch. Not for Hal the opportunistic legacy of his grasping father, "this ingrate and cankered Bolingbroke" as Hotspur calls him, not without cause, early in the play. Hal must be his own self-made man, pulled from disparate parts, and "Henry IV Pt. 1" shows him at the start of his rather Machiavellian journey.

"So when this loose behavior I throw off/And pay the debt I never promised/...By so much shall I falsify men's hopes," he declares, less as a cunning rogue a la Shakespeare's Richard III and more as a cagey modern-day spin-doctor aware of how unsteadily his father's kingdom rests.

Philosophy aside, "Henry IV Pt. 1" is a worthwhile reading experience because it is packed with so much fun. You have low comedy, battles, court intrigue, and fast-flowing dialogue with sharp twists and turns. "I can call spirits from the vasty deep!" brags the mystical Welsh rebel Glendower, to which Hotspur replies: "Why, so can I, or so can any man. But will they come when you do call for them?"

Others seem more inclined these days to gravitate to Falstaff. I enjoy Falstaff's comedy, and his undeniable relativism sets him up as an Elizabethan figure more grounded in the 21st century than the 16th ("Henry IV Pt. 1" is set in the early 1400s, but was first produced around 1597), but as a personality he's about as callous as they come, at one point collecting a bunch of wretches to die in war so he can collect money from others who would have gone in their stead. Hal actually seems more attracted to Hotspur, the figure I find more compelling. Hotspur's an idealist, but entirely too mule-headed for serious statescraft. He's undone not so much by his enemies but his allies, including his shifting uncle and irresolute father.

Hal here combines Hotspur's sense of a higher mission with Falstaff's pragmatic commonness to launch himself as a political man. "I'll so offend to make offense a skill/Redeeming time when men least think I will", he says early on. It's ironic how much more at ease Prince Hal would be in our era, running for office, than in his own, where the crown, if not attendant legitimacy, could be inherited. This is one of many things that makes "Henry IV Pt. 1" such a timeless pleasure.

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Tommyland for $5.49

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I am fascinated by the number of people on here that say that this book is "deep" or really "tells it all" and that kind of thing. Neither are true in the least. Sure, Tommy is a real person, with real feelings, but, HELLO, I think most people could figure out that much on their own. And there are other books that tell a lot more about Motley Crue and their antics besides this one. This has a different feel.

This book is poorly organized and completely disjointed. But it's a party, so who cares? It's like hanging out with Tommy for a few nights while he gets all excited about various topics. After the first night swapping stories at the bar, he calls you at 3am because he just thought of something else, then the next day you go to his house at 9am for some breakfast and a few shots, then hang out in the pool acting stupid, whatever. Tommy Lee is one guy with a real lust for life, and if you have a pulse, it is contagious.

This book can be finished in a couple of afternoons, or even in one sitting. Don't pass this up if you like to have fun. Jump in there and read it and hear about Tommy's random thoughts ranging from big girls to Jagermeister. It is a great way to lighten your life for a few hours.

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Bob Dylan by Greil Marcus: Writings 1968-2010 for $16.23

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8 page Introduction, 3 page Prologue, 431 pages of text, 6 pages of acknowledgments, 3 pages of credits, and 30 page index. There are a few b&w photos throughout the book-but very few, and they're very small.

Lately this has been a good time for fans of Bob Dylan wanting some keen insight into his music, his influences, and a bit on the man himself. Sean Wilentz has written a good book ("Bob Dylan In America"), about Dylan's music and it's place in society, Now, with long time Dylan observer/critic Greil Marcus, we have another book well worth reading. Marcus is the well known author of books like "Mystery Train", and "The Old, Weird America" among others.

There's probably no one else who has written about Dylan and his music with more insight,over a long period of time, than Marcus. As the title suggests he's followed Dylan, beginning in his early days up through to the present. Anyone looking for articles from 1965-67 will be disappointed. There's one article from 1968, with the real story beginning in 1970 with his critique on Dylan's "Self Portrait" album. From that point on it's all here, with more than half the pieces being written in the last thirteen years. This is because Dylan's later work, according to Marcus, is just as interesting, and the later work will bring into focus Dylan's earlier work. An obvious Dylan fan, Marcus nevertheless pulls no punches when Dylan falters. I've read Marcus' articles and reviews from the beginning, and vividly remember his scathing critique of "Self Portrait", with that now famous (infamous) opening question. At the time those four words said it all. But even when Dylan does falter, Marcus never really gave up on Dylan's work-he always looked for something positive, no matter how small or insignificant. But in this book Marcus admits he has sometimes convinced himself that something was good, when in reality it doesn't hold up-but to his credit he didn't change anything for this book.

The book is divided into eight periods, beginning with a short article from the "S.F. Express Times", and ends the timeline with a piece from the "Los Angeles Times", which is a small portion of an interview with Joni Mitchell. The last articles, in the Epilogue, are from 2008/9/10 on the Presidential election, which is a fitting way to end this collection. In between there are both short and longer reviews of Dylan's work ("The Basement Tapes", "Blood On The Tracks", etc.), insights into many of his songs from later period albums (take your pick), and a look at music itself ("Folk Music Today-The Horror", "Tombstone Blues", etc.), that were published in a number of periodicals. Marcus' easy going, sometimes pithy style of writing makes for good reading. His style is never dry or academic. His insights and criticisms are sometimes thought provoking and, agree with him or not, Marcus might make you re-evaluate pieces of Dylan's work. After reading this anthology you may form a different opinion toward, and have a deeper insight into, and appreciation for Dylan and his music.

No matter if you've listened to Dylan from the beginning, or have found him along the way, this book is full of valuable critiques of albums, the state of music, and anything else-for example, ("City Pages"-the Victoria's Secret commercial, "New West"-unconfirmed reports that the cover art for "Saved" was altered to show someone's hand giving Jesus the finger) Marcus sees fit to comment on. It's a virtual time capsule of writings from someone in a perfect position to do so. This is one of the best collections of writing on Dylan, and should be read by anyone wanting an insight into Dylan over 40+ years, by someone who had (has) the ability to get inside Dylan's music and then write about it, knowingly and intelligently.

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Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2011 Engagement Planner for $14.98

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Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media for $7.75

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Wow...I don't even really know where to begin with this book. To my way of thinking, it's an excellent overview of women in the media from the early sixties to about the early nineties and it does a pretty thorough job of it dealing with everything from Jackie O to Beatle mania to I Love Lucy and I dream of Jeanie, all the way up to Dynasty and Dallas. It was an eye opener for me from the perspective of I've seen a few episodes of most of the programs she discusses, but many (Dynasty, Dallas, Cagney & Lacey, Hill Street Blues, LA Law, and many more), I've seen either NO episodes or maybe 1-3...we either weren't living in the US at the time (Dynasty and Dallas) or I refused to watch (Hill Street Blues). So from that angle, this book is interesting, because I know these shows were widely acclaimed and watched by millions...it was a whole other take on their popularity and ultimate message to and about women and men and their places in society.

I'd love to see an expanded edition to include some of the other shows in the last 10 years (Xenia, Buffy, and so on)...but overall, having not read much about women in the media (beyond what is shown on the news, somewhat ironic I know) or about feminism (not something I've had any real contact with or connection to in my life. I can't say that my mom ever talked about feminism), so this book was interesting on many levels and while a bit outdated (written in 1994), it was still well worth reading. I give it a solid B...mostly because it's now out of date, otherwise very readable and humorous, while being informative at the same time.


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Vendetta

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The Biz: The Basic Business, Legal and Financial Aspects of the Film Industry for $26.95

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I was afraid when I picked up _The Biz_ that it was going to be a dry read-- legal aspects of any business are not known for being a scintillating read. However, I am happy to report that it was not only a quick and interesting read, it was a genuinely funny one. Moore had me laughing out loud on several occasions.

Even granted that this is not a book you read for the humor, it is refreshing to see a reference book so well written. My only quarrel was that I would have liked to see a bibliography included with the book in case I wanted to go in depth into any of the areas covered.

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The Beatles for Ukulele for $8.34

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Judy Moody (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) for $14.40

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My little girl is only seven, but has been reading these books and others similar to these for over a year now. I wondered at first how she would want to read books with hardly any pictures at such a young age but then figured it was because she is home schooled. The only problem is I cannot keep up with her love for reading, she gets done with a few of these in one day. I had to go to half price books and find some more. She also likes the Junie B. Jones, and a book called "Standing in the Light". Look it up, it will make you cry, and you will never forget it. I read this book to both my daughters, and it is their favorite.

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The Great Movies for $8.15

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Volume 1 of a pair (see The Great Movies II which I reviewed earlier) of collected extended critical reviews of the most important movies of all time. This book includes all the expected, including some of my all time favorites like "Casablanca", "Chinatown", and "Citizen Kane", and some of the more obscure critic's-picks type of movies like "Woman in the Dunes" and 'Un Chien Andalou"--most of which I find are available on Netfllix, the modern movie maven's mecca.

Ebert's Great Movies wraps up my recent tour of movies from worst (The fifty worst films of all time: (and how they got that way)) to bad (I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie) to evey day (A Year at the Movies: One Man's Filmgoing Odyssey), and while it is fun to laugh about and even admire the worst in movies, it is the best that makes us look forward one more time to willful suspension of disbelief in the dark.

But while Ebert and others can act as guides, we will each find our own place in the dark. One movie ("Last Year at Marienbad") makes both the worst and the great lists. Put these movies in your Netflix queue (yes, Last Year is available), turn out the lights, open your eyes, and you decide.

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Shattered Love: A Memoir for $8.95

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Up until two weeks ago I knew very little about Richard Chamberlain.....I had not seen any of the Dr. Kildare Series or any of his movies except for The Towering Inferior. I did not know that he was also a singer and artist....I did know however about his strained relationship with his father because I once heard Chuck Chamberlain speak..

I am not sure what I was researching on the internet when I happened upon a Richard Chamberlain You Tube video but it caught my interest to the point that I watched all of the Richard Chamberlain You Tube videos that I could find....Purchased Shattered Love, and The Thorn Birds, The Bourne Identity, and Shogun DVD's, and Richard Chamberlain Sings Album....

My Daughter said, "Mom you are really going Richard Chamberlain overboard." ....HAHAHA... She is right....Maybe I should start a Grandma's for Richard Chamberlain fan club....HAHAHA

His singing has a very calming effect on me....I didn't tell my daughter that but had her listen and asked her opinion about his singing and she said, "His voice is very relaxing"...

I totally enjoyed reading his book and found him to be as talented a writer as he is actor, singer, and artist.....

His goodness shines through in all of the movie characters that I saw him play....well maybe not so much in The Towering Inferno.....HAHAHA.....

I can see why Shogun seems to come first on his list of favorite parts....it was the most versatile part ....... it even gave him opportunities to play and laugh.....

Thank you Richard for having the courage to share so much of yourself with others through your book.....A man once told me "We are only as sick as our secrets." And he said that his life is now an open book.

Thank you for choosing to uplift rather than tear down others in your book....

You're a good man Richard Chamberlain and I wish you well always.....Vicky

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Fences for $7.45

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The first couple of paragraphs of this review have been used as introduction to other August Wilson Century Cycle plays as well.

Okay, blame it on the recently departed Studs Terkel and his damn interview books. I had just been reading his "The Spectator", a compilation of some of his interviews of various authors, actors and other celebrities from his long-running Chicago radio program when I came across an interview that he had with the playwright under review here, August Wilson. Of course, that interview dealt with things near and dear to their hearts on the cultural front and mine as well. Our mutual love of the blues, our concerns about the history and fate of black people and the other oppressed of capitalist society and our need to express ourselves politically in the best way we can. For Studs it was the incessant interviews, for me it is incessant political activity and for the late August Wilson it was his incessant devotion to his century cycle of ten plays that covered a range of black experiences over the 20th century.

Strangely, although I was familiar with the name of the playwright August Wilson and was aware that he had produced a number of plays that were performed at a college-sponsored repertory theater here in Boston I had not seen or read his plays prior to reading the Terkel interview. Naturally when I read there that one of the plays being discussed was entitled "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" about the legendary female blues singer from the 1920's I ran out to get a copy of the play. That play has been reviewed elsewhere in this space but as is my habit when I read an author who "speaks" to me I grab everything I can by him or her to see where they are going with the work. This is doubly true in the case of Brother Wilson as his work is purposefully structured as an integrated cycle, and as an intensive dramatic look at the black historical experience of the 20th century that has driven a lot of my own above-mentioned political activism.

The action of this play takes place in the mid-1950's in a black neighborhood in Pittsburgh (Wilson's home town) as do most of the plays in the cycle. This is the sixth play in the cycle and the first to reflect that notion that some profound changes were in the offing for black people, not all of them good and not all for the better. Both these facts are important in understanding the tensions of the play. Although Wilson's plays are almost exclusively centered in black life as it is lived in the neighborhood the various trials and tribulations of blacks elsewhere are woven into his story line. The white world, for the most part, except as represented by amorphous outside forces that have the access and control of the resources that blacks need to survive and break out of racial isolation are on the sidelines here. And that is as it should be in these plays on the black experience. Moreover, this truly reflects how it has been (and how it still is, notwithstanding the Obamaid) in that outer world.

I labelled this entry with the headline "Better Days Are Coming?" purposefully including the question mark. Surely, some progress toward the goal of racial equality, if not nearly enough, has been made over the last half century since the time period of this play. That is not the question. The real question is posed by the main character, Troy Maxton, who in his time was something of an exceptional baseball player, but who "came too early" to have it change the fortunes of his life. His reply: "ain't nothing should have ever been too early". Wilson hits the nail on the head here. After that remark nothing else really needs to be said.

Wilson's conceptual framework, as I have mentioned previously in a review of his "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom", is impeccable. Placing the scene in 1950's Pittsburgh permits him to give a bird's eye view of that great migration of blacks out of the South in the post-World War II period at a time when they are shaking off those old subservient southern roots. Wilson is also able to succinctly draw in the questions of white racism (obliquely here), black self-help (as in building that damn fence) , black hatred of whites, black self-hatred, black illusion (that the `lifting' of the white boats was going to end, for blacks, the seemingly permanent Great Depression), black pride (through the link with past black historical figures and with the then current hero, Jackie Robinson, although Troy has some cutting remarks on the status of that figure), the influence of the black church (good or bad), black folk wisdom (as portrayed by Jim Bono, who is more grounded in his memories of his southern roots than the others) and, in the end, the rage just below the surface of black existence (as portrayed here by Troy's brother Gabriel's, a character who epitomizes one of the tragic aspects of black male existence) resulting from a world that not was not made by the characters in this play but took no notice of their long suppressed rage that turned in on itself.

Unlike some of the earlier play, however, there is a little ray of hope in the character of Troy's son (by his wife Rose) Cory whose struggle for his own identity with his father and the world is a sub-theme here. As always, if you get a chance go see this play but, please, at least read it. Read the whole cycle.



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House of Blues Presents: Blues Guitar Course for $18.53

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This is a review of "House Of Blues Presents: Blues Guitar Course." This product contains the DVDs from "Learn to Play Blues Guitar Level 1" and "Learn to Play Blues Guitar Level 2." Beware: The Level 1 and Level 2 DVDs are sold separately, yet each one (by itself) costs more than this combined course. In other words, if you buy Level 1 and Level 2 separately, you will be paying more than twice as much as the combined course.

The "Blues Guitar Course" comes with a full-size booklet, the Level 1 DVD, the Level 2 DVD, and two backing track CDs (so you can learn by playing along with drums and bass). Backing tracks can also be downloaded from the website.

I have many Rock House guitar instruction products (such as Rock House Learn Rock Guitar - beginner, intermediate, advanced). As with all of their DVDs, the production values are very high. As with all courses I have seen with instructor John McCarthy, the instruction is very well designed (building from simple to more complex knowledge and skill) and instruction is very effective.

Level 1 DVD: Tuning; chords for blues progression in the key of A (both open chord and barre chord versions); fingering patterns for pentatonic scale in the key of A minor (teaches the 5 basic patterns which can be moved up and down the fretboard for any key); picking; techniques such as bending, hammer on, pull off, slides, and vibrato; blues lead; 12 bar blues progression; example blues riff.

Level 2 DVD: Blues in the keys of E and C, pentatonic scales in the keys of E and C, advanced bending techniques, jazz chords, jazz-blues fusion, lead techniques, advanced blues rifts, combining major and minor scales, sixteenth note lead patterns, circle of fourths.

I only have one criticism of this course: John does not spend enough time teaching vibrato. He basically just demonstrates a vibrato, and then tells you to practice until you can do it. A popular free video website has much better instruction on vibrato. I think this professionally-produced DVD should have provided instruction at least as good as those amateur videos.

This is a great course. Highly recommended. Also consider supplementing this course with the booklet "Blues You Can Use" by John Ganapes. For considerably more money, try "Learn & Master Blues Guitar" (by the same folks who make the great "Learn & Master Guitar" course).

While this DVD is a stand-alone course, it is probably best to have finished another beginner course before taking this blues course (such as the Rock House DVD or Fender's "Getting Started on Electric Guitar").

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Paul Harvey's the Rest of the Story for $7.50

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Masterfully written for the spoken voice rather than the printed page, these meticulously-researched vignettes are nonetheless satisfying, each with a surprise twist at the end. In your mind, you will hear Paul Harvey's voice as you read them... and that is how they are best enjoyed.

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A Whole Nother Story (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Whole Nother Story (Quality)) for $18.40

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With a lively spirit full of good humor, exhilarating adventure and much thoughtful advice, Dr. Cuthbert Soup narrates this quirky tale of one gifted inventor who is on the run with his family. The Cheesemans have been forced into hiding, fleeing rival spies and thugs who are all eager to get their hands on the time machine Ethan has been building. Accompanied by Pinky the psychic dog and Steve the notoriously sassy sock puppet, the family packs into their station wagon, making modifications to the device as they go.

The story begins as Ethan is nearing the end of his labor on the time machine when the Cheesemans are visited by top-secret agents who suddenly show up on their doorstep. These spies first appeal to the Cheesemans to simply hand over the device, playing the card that "it is all for the greater good" but with clearly unscrupulous motives. Ethan's wife, Olivia, courageously refuses and shuts the door in their faces, only to fall prey shortly after to an unexplained illness. Olivia's failing health prompts her to see a physician, a man who seems shady and suspicious. Sadly enough, she succumbs to her ailment quickly, leaving behind three children (Barton, Saffron and Crandall), all of whom will miss her dearly.

The tragic loss of his wife makes it all too clear that the invention has put them in peril, but it also changes Ethan's purpose as traveling back in time is now the only possible way of reuniting with her. After Pinky warns the family of more thugs on the way, they pack up and leave for good, keeping the machine safe in the back of the car. Their travels take them to many new places and homes, all of which they must leave in short time. In spite of the fact that the Cheeseman children are "smart, pleasant, witty, attractive, polite, and relatively odor free," friendship is one thing they happen to know little of, as constant traveling makes it impossible to get to know people. But they are still a happy, charming bunch who goes about life with a fresh outlook and a spirit of adventure. New friends they do make along the way, managing somehow to play as children do and to be good Samaritans whenever they can.

Two strangely appealing creatures of A WHOLE NOTHER STORY positively steal the show: Pinky and Steve, both eccentric, bona fide members of the Cheeseman clan. Pinky is a true hero, being lovable, sweet, hairless and exceptionally dependable. On top of that, Pinky is psychic --- quite a unique power in a family pet. Her ability isn't an inborn one, but obtained through a strange kind of toilet accident. After Ethan discards Olivia's stash of pills in the toilet bowl, he walks into another room. Meanwhile, Pinky slips in for a drink, but the tainted water causes a frightful fit in her. The dog seems to have gone mad, running in circles and banging her head against walls, but when she awakens, she possesses a newfound power to sense evil intentions and predict approaching danger. This turns out to be quite a useful skill in the situation that the Cheesemans have landed themselves in.

Steve, too, is a vital member of the family and seems to be the world's most sarcastic sock puppet. Conversations with Steve are often interesting and unpredictable, even more so because Crandall never takes him off. Steve is Crandall's homemade gift from his mother --- one of the few surviving mementos of her. Steve's personality, however, is quite his own and drastically different from the boy's. His snide remarks sometimes leave people surprised, but everyone considers him a separate entity. Steve is one of a kind and almost as important as the other Cheesemans.

Though Pinky is a supremely effective watchdog, the Cheesemans do become tired of running and must eventually face the spies who hunt them. They are aided by their scientific knowledge, their dedication to the power of invention, and the strength of their own family. Of course, this means that Ethan's legendary time machine will eventually be put to the test. It's a given that the device will work --- after all, Ethan is one of the world's most brilliant minds.

For young readers who enjoy wry comedy and adventure, A WHOLE NOTHER STORY is a rare find. Its tone is light and amusing, and the jokes honestly never seem to end. The main story is entertaining enough on its own, but between chapters, Dr. Soup offers curious and varied advice. He himself calls this his "unsolicited advice," and it covers a wide range of topics; these include dealing with ghosts and the dangers of technology, and even a fun recipe for squash. The type of jesting here is reminiscent of humorous authors like Lemony Snicket and Shel Silverstein. It's bound to leave you with some chuckles and more than a few smiles, and I would say that it's the perfect book for young boys, knowing that my own will surely enjoy it. There is also a satisfying, open ending, leaving the possibility for a sequel wide open. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more books from Dr. Cuthbert Soup in the future, hoping this won't be the last of the Cheesemans.

--- Reviewed by Melanie Smith

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500 Ways to Beat the Hollywood Script Reader: Writing the Screenplay the Reader Will Recommend for $5.72

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I have bought this book 12 times as a gift for various friends who aspire to be screenwriters. This book is deceptively easy to read and at first glance, it's easy to dismiss the content as "phoned in". Once you begin reading the 500 suggestions, you begin to see the structure and form of "Drama" come through. I keep referring to this book over and over as I write because One writes to be read. What Jennifer Lerch accomplishes is the gentle reminder that screenplays are literary experiences before they are visual experiences. That in order to get produced, the screenplay must sell the story and create a reasonable expectation in the reader's mind of what the audience will experience once the film is made. I've read all the other screenplay books and taken the seminars and all that and this book is the one I keep around because it reveals more information the more times you read it and take it's lessons to heart.

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Poetics (Dramatic contexts)

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I read these works for a graduate seminar on Aristotle.
Poetry appeals to human passions and emotions. Powerful beautiful language and metaphor really appeal to emotion. This idea really disturbed Plato, who takes on Homer in the Republic. Plato thought that early Greek poetry portrays a dark world; humans are checked by negative limits like death. Tragedy has in it a character of high status brought down through no fault of his own. Plato says this is unjust. Republic is about ethical life and justice. It starts with the premises that might makes right and then moves onto the idea much like modern religions that justice comes in the afterlife. Plato hates the idea that in tragedy bad things can happen to good people. He wanted to ban tragedy because he found it demoralizing.

Aristotle's Poetics is a defense against Plato's appeal to ban tragedy. Tragedy was very popular in Greek world so Aristotle asks can it be wrong to ban it? Yes, it is wrong thus he decides to study it. Plato says Poetry is not a technç because the poets are divinely inspired. Aristotle disagrees Poetics is a handbook for playwrights. Mimçsis= "representation or imitation." Plato uses it in speaking of painting, thus art is imitation. Another meaning is to mimic, like actors mimicking another person. Plato and Aristotle use it to mean psychological identification like how we get absorbed in a movie as if the action were real, eliciting emotions from us. We suspend reality for a while. Aristotle says this is natural in humans; we do this as children, we mimic. If imitation is important for humans then tragic poetry is worthwhile for Aristotle to study.

Definition of tragedy- "Through pity and fear it achieves purification from such feelings. This is a famous controversial line. Katharsis= "pity and fear" thus the purpose of tragedy is to purge katharsis. Katharsis can also mean purification or clean. There is a debate if it means clarification, through which we can come to understand katharsis. Aristotle thinks tragedy teaches us something about life. Tragedy is an elaboration on Aristotle's idea that good or virtuous people sometimes get unlucky and in the end, they get screwed. Tragedy shows this so we can learn to get by when life screws us. The whole point of tragedy is action over character. Action is the full story of the poem like the Iliad. Character is only part of the action.
Aristotle distinguishes between poetry and history. Poetry is concerned with universals, history is concerned with particulars.

I recommend Aristotle's works to anyone interested in obtaining a classical education, and those interested in philosophy. Aristotle is one of the most important philosophers and the standard that all others must be judged by.


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Forever Changes: Arthur Lee and the Book of Love for $12.12

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Love, is a band that has had a lot of myth, lore and rumor surrounding it. "Forever Changes: Arthur Lee and the Book of Love" separates the fact from the fantasy and legend sticking to the bones of Love due to the years, if not decades of fan conjecture in the face of silence from Arthur Lee. Author John Einarson does this with meticulous research and interviews with family, friends, and bandmates of Arthur Lee from his earliest days to his death in 2006. Einarson also incorporates the manuscript of an unfinished autobiography Lee was working on after he left prison.

"Forever Changes" focuses on Lee/Love's heyday in the mid 60's when Lee's band Love was the undisputed heaviest band on L.A.'s Sunset Strip. They were at the forefront of the folk-rock music scene. Love was the first house band at the Whisky a-go-go, and Arthur Lee may have been the sartorial model for hippies of the later 60's. Lee certainly thought Jimi Hendrix had adopted his mode of dress after meeting him.

Lee and Love (the two are indistinguishable) were one of the first bands signed by Elektra records Jac Holzman. A record deal that culminated in Lee/Love's artistic and critical success with the album "Forever Changes." Lee/Love were at the top of L.A.'s music scene. Jim Morrison commented that the early goal of The Doors was to be as big as Love. Just as the other bands were breaking nationally Lee and Love faltered. Why did the other bands succeed? And why didn't Love not reach a national audience? A lot of that does fall to Lee. He did little national touring, he had contentious relationships with record companies, money disputes with bandmates and a mercurial habit of changing the lineup of the bands.

"Forever Changes" doesn't fall into the trap that other rock books have, of not paying enough attention to or glossing over what came after their halcyon period. You come away from reading Forever Changes feeling that you have a good idea of Lee's life after he was "the prince of Sunset Strip."

Lee was influential and admired in the Los Angeles music scene that he boasted friendships with Jimi Hendrix, who Lee met in a recording session when Hendrix was still doing session work. The Doors, who succeeded Love as house band at The Whisky and Lee also recommended them to Jac Holzman. Both The Doors and Hendrix make special guest appearances in the book. Towards the end of his life Lee discovered that he had admirers in Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Ian Hunter, and Robyn Hitchcock.

The first thing you notice after receiving your copy of "Forever Changes: Arthur Lee and the Book of Love" is that it's an absolutely gorgeous book. It's cover and pages are high quality paper and the pictures are high gloss and has a high tactile quality, it`s a book you`ll find yourself leafing through again and again.

Einarson's use of Lee's autobiography is spot on. The manuscript is used sparingly but intelligently. The passages used are like a laser light on the subject at hand, and capture Lee cutting to the heart of the matter and shedding light on what may have been heretofore muddied by myth. Lee's voice stands out from Einarson's surrounding narrative and has the feel of listening to a tape recording of Lee as he describes the times, events and the L.A. scene.

"Forever Changes" is one of the best rock biography's I've read . When I started reading "Forever Changes" I wasn't a Lee/Love fan but Einarson's writing pulled me right in and made me care about Lee and his life.

I'm not one to recommend a publisher or their whole catalog but Jawbone Press is publishing high quality books in both content and the actual physical book. If you're a rock fan I would highly recommend other Jawbone Press books such as "Return of the King: Elvis Presley's Great Comeback (Genuine Jawbone Books)" and "Becoming Elektra: The True Story of Jac Holzman's Visionary Record Label" as well as checking their catalog for other books that may be of interest. I've made a space in my bookcase for Jawbone Press books.

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Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James and the Shondells for $18.46

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To start with I have to admit that I am a huge TJ fan and have seen TJ and his various bands at least a dozen times since 1970. I have every album to date and love TJ's music so I was really happy he wrote this book. It's a quick read and does have a nice flow, but I wanted more. Tommy isn't just another "lucky" one hit wonder or forgotten recording artist that had a few hits and was resigned to the oldies circuit. Tommy James has had an incredible career and is still writing, recording and out there on the road headlining his own tours.
Tommy James is one of the few recording artists from the 60's who could offer a great overview of the many changes in music both artistically and technically through the years. Tommy wasn't just a singer/guitar player he also wrote and produced his own records and took advantage of each new advancement of recording technology to improve the sound of his recordings. Tommy James helped pioneer new techniques in studio throughout the 60's and 70's. He went from the mono one track reel to reel recordings of the original Shondells to todays unlimited digital recording studios yet not a word in the book mentions any of this. Listen to Tommy's 1977 album "Midnight Rider". It is one of finest state-of-the-art recordings to have come out of that period. A technical masterpiece, yet there is barely a mention of it in his book.
Tommy's career went from small club column PA systems and the "in-house" PA systems of gymnasiums and theaters to the huge and elaborate systems he uses today. Tommy more than any artist still out there playing today has seen so many changes in his career I was hoping for a little more of that perspective. Maybe that's a subject he is keeping for his 2nd book. This book centers on his time with Roulette Records and that is pretty much it. His career after his first couple of solo hits is written more as a quick overview of the past 30 years of his career with hardly a mention of the great things he has done since.
Still, something is better than nothing. What there is is good. I just want more.

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Death and the King's Horseman: Methuen Student Edition (Methuen Student Editions) for $13.87

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Be sure to read the author's note, because if you don't, you might take it as an East vs. West, colonial vs. tribal, new vs. old story as it would appear on first reading. But in his note, Soyinka states that the "threnodic essence" of the work is a theme even more universal: "the numinous passage which links all: transition." Change is indeed common to us all, and as my mother-in-law points out, change is usually perceived as bad. Yet change is something we all must come to terms with, and since one of literature's great benefits is to act as a mental dress rehearsal for life, this lean play (acessible on first reading, yet rich enough to reread) should find a place on every thoughtful reader's shelf.

The university-educated Soyinka (as one can infer from the author's note) has quite the erudite vocabulary, yet the prose style of Death and the King's Horseman reminded me more of ancient Greek tragedy in translation than anything else: simple yet poetic phrasing, and the homespun proverbial sayings of a pre-industrial age. What struck me as an information-age Westerner was how many of these Yoruba sayings (being related to animals or farming) were hard to relate to; an incidental lesson of this book was how detached from the natural world I've become. Visiting nature for recreation isn't the same as having your livelihood dependent on it.

Another aspect of this play that happens to be particularly interesting in juxtaposition to the film juggernaut of Avatar is that neither the Nigerian characters nor the English are portrayed as completely right or wrong, sympathetic or not. Sure, the English come off as somewhat ignorant intruders, yet they act in good faith; conversely, Elesin, the protagonist, initially appears heroic but as events unfold he grows less so. Whereas in Avatar the modern Westerners are evil caricatures and the Na'vi noble savages, in Soyinka's work matters are more nuanced--more like real life.

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