5 comments about The Wire: Truth Be Told.

1. I got this book just about the time the second season started. I read most of it, then put it down to do other things.
   
   Well "The Wire" is onto its last season so I thought I'd "review" as much of the series as I could, so I read the whole book. First, the series is superior--among the few "honest" television series I've ever noted. It's not feel-good TV like most of that medium are. But it's brutally honest.
   
   The major focus of the book is Season 2, in which Frank Sobotka, the head of Baltimore's longshoreman's union, does his best to keep the union afloat. Unfortunately to do so he must rely on some pretty shady characters many of whom do business with the drug dealers on which the series focuses. But there's also a summary of season 1, and even a preview of Season 3.
   
   There are also interviews with and comments by those who star in and produce the series. So you can learn that Bunk--played by Wendell Peirce, a Julliard grad--is based on a real Ballmer cop. And Bubbles, one of my favorite characters, played superbly well by Andre Royo, got a "street oscar": after make up, a Ballmer drug user approached "Bubbles," gave him some money and said, "You need this more than I do." Then there's the descriptions of the many actors who are actually from the streets of Baltimore!
   
   Some of the series' commentaries are by people I'm not sure who they are (forgive the poor grammar). But the commentaries are great so I don't care who they are. They could be fans, producers, or the man on the street. If what s/he says is well done, who cares?
   
   There's even a memorial to Robert Colesberry, one of the producers who dies unexpectedly after heart surgery at the tender age of 57.
   
   Well, I don't want to go on and on. I passed the book onto a lawyer friend who doesn't subscribe to HBO but who's become "hooked" on "The Wire" which he rents on DVD. Why only four stars? I have a bias against marketing. While I know it's a necessary element of today's economy, it takes up too much time/money in the culture, resources that could be better producing useful items. This book, while fine, and representing, again, perhaps the greatest series in TV history, still is meant to market the series. While I hope it did an effective job of that, I still dislike marketing.
   
   If you're as much of a "Wire" fan as I, get this and learn even more about a fine, fine series.



2. The book is really a piece of art from the cover to the epilogue. ]
   
   A black and white book, with colorful and imagefull pages in the middle and with a detachable cover! Nice one, huh?
   
   And there really are some interesting articles about the cast and crew of the show as well as a very long and in-depth prologue from the big man David Simon himself. And yet most pages are episode reviews which are pretty valuable too, it's a must have piece for anyone who calls himself 'THE WIRE' fan.
   
   It's just a pity it covers the first two seasons and a bit about the third. I hope someone will mind to create a final book after the show's final fifth season finishes. Just like 'The Sopranos' released their final book after the finale.



3. As with the earlier review, because this book is mostly episode summaries of the TV series, it doesn't give die-hard fans any real production or factual background. There are some interesting sidebar sections about the writers, cast and the city that will appeal to fan interest. But if you've followed all the seasons and own the DVDs, this book won't add much to your appreciation.



4. This book will be the most rewarding if you're already familiar with The Wire as well as David Simon's earlier work (Homicide; The Corner).
   
   I thoroughly enjoyed the interviews (such as the one with a real-life drugs kingpin), background stories (like the tale of the "real Bubbles") and trivia (cameo roles, music picks etc.) They brought a lot more depth to the show and made me love it even more.
   
   Episode capsules from the first two seasons take up quite a bit of the book, but there's still plenty to discover for devoted fans. Those unfamiliar with the show should probably start with the DVD sets before picking up this book.



5. BLUEPRINT 2 BMORE CAREFUL

5 comments about Moviemakers' Master Class: Private Lessons from the World's Foremost Directors.

1. as film student, this text is very inspirational and i keep going back to it for motivation. i read the whole book through the moment i turned the first page. this is a great inspirational book for anyone who is interested in studying or working in film.



2. This is, hands down, the best collection of advice -from the world's best directors- that I've ever laid my hands on. I came away from each of the interviews feeling illuminated and motivated to tackle my next directing job.
   
   If you want to read something that is actually helpful, rather than some long-winded, boring 'how-to' book (which, let's face it, are almost always terrible) then this is the book to pick up. It is loaded with practical advice, articulated by very intelligent and respected individuals.
   
   Want to know how Woody Allen shoots his films? He sums it up in about two paragraphs! Want to know what lenses Cronenberg shoots with? Well, he tells you! Whether you agree with the techniques of each of these directors, it is fascinating to hear them describe their unique approach.
   
   I will always reference this book before tackling a film project...



3. This book is great and has a wealth of insightful conversation with some amazing directors but my one complaint is that the bulk of the book is framed too similarly. While the directors all have their unique take and insights, Tirard essentially asks them all the same questions which leads to repetition over the bulk of the book. In no way am I saying not to purchase this book but I'm simply criticizing it's redundancy.



4. This is exactly what a moviemakers master class should be. It asks technical and artistic questions to some of the greatest directors of all time.
   
   If you want to hear why Tim Burton likes wide lenses, which contemporary directors Scorsese admires and why, Jean Pierre Jeunet's theory of camera movement, David Lynch's "secret dolly move", John Woo's method of shooting and cutting scenes to music, The Coen brothers writing process, Lars Von Trier's take on the rules of Dogme 95, Jean-Luc Goddard's theory of filmmaking out of desire vs. need, then this book is your ticket.
   
   This is a goldmine of knowledge. There are no fluff interviews here; only the best filmmakers in the world relating solid technical advice and tried and true shooting strategies developed from years of experience.



5. Great stuff. Gives a lot of info on each director. For example; Sidney Pollack was an acting coach before he became a director.
   This book is filled with insight, knowledge and terrific stories all from the top directors of our time.

5 comments about Games to Play with Babies - 3rd Edition.

1. This book was very helpful to me. The games are simple and promote interaction, anyone can do them.



2. I bought this book as an infant caregiver and was disappointed to see that it was all the things I'm already doing with my babies...there were a few different ideas, but overall, not worth it.



3. This book was bought due to my concern with, "What do I do with this baby,now that I've got her home?" I've taught fifth graders for many years, but didn't quite know how to begin to "educate" my baby. This book gave me some very quick, easy and simple ideas of games to play to help my child learn. It is also broke down into ages (ie. 0-3 months, 12-18 months, etc.) I definately recommend this book to parents that want to begin the learning process in a fun manner early on.
   Kari Koffman



4. This book is a waste of money. Most of the "games" that they suggest are so OBVIOUS you'd have to be a complete idiot not to figure these things out on your own. And in that case you have bigger problems than how to entertain your baby. One such "game" goes as follows, 'say things like good night sweet baby or rest, rest, rest your little head'. Are you serious? Gee, I don't think I would have thought of that all on my own. What I want to know is who are all these people that are giving it such a high rating? Well, I guess anyone can be a parent.



5. Just as a I said: Finally, a well-organized idea book! I can look up activities to carry out in my classroom by category (Bath and Dressing Games, Going to Sleep Games, etc.); by age (0-3, 3-6, 6-9, and 9-12 months); AND by theme (just for fun, colors, etc.). The activities are simple and clearly described in one page each. But they are not all commonsense ideas, or I wouldn't like this book, and neither would any other experienced under-threes teacher :p. I HIGHLY recommend this book to under-threes teachers and to new parents.

5 comments about Forensic DNA Typing, Second Edition: Biology, Technology, and Genetics of STR Markers.

1. Forensic DNA typing its an awesome book. Its very useful for the forensics. No regrets go for it.
   
   @Amazon Service.
   
   Its a complete mess and an ordeal experience ! They wont care about the customers. They care about there payment not about the quality.
   I had tough time with the customer service of the amazon. They are very arrogant,rude and irksome. They will rip off you easily. And pretends like generous people with courtesy (when u complains)! but they are'nt they are Douche ..
   
   If you want this book go for another service. I order this book for the 1st day of my class. But i received the book after many annoying hurdles with the amazon at the last week of the classes.



2. I am currently using this book for a Forensic Biology class and have, so far, found it to be very informative and easy to understand.



3. I would not recommend this book to someone who was completely new to the use of genetics as a tool for forensics. I did an undergraduate degree in biotechnoloy in 2000 and wanted to review and learn more about specifically how most DNA in crime labs was being processed today. This book was recommended to me by the head of a prominent DNA crime lab. It is written at a higher level than most texts but offers a wealth of detailed information, particularly if you are interested in contrasting advantages and disadvantages of different kits and equipment.



4. This book is a great book for teaching DNA. It breaks down the information pretty good in some areas but not as well in others. Overall I would say it is a good book.



5. While Dr. Butler's book on DNA typing is clearly based on experience and profound understanding of the subject, I was most impressed with the readability. I was thrilled to find principles illustrated by examples from current events! Students of science will find this book refreshing. Well written (and edited)!

5 comments about Hollywood.

1. So says Chinaski (pp. 202-03), Bukowski's alter-ego protagonist in Hollywood. In all honesty, the writing of Hollywood seems to have been one of those exercises to fill up empty and long hours. There's a difference between being prolific and good, and Bukowski's Hollywood--like his earlier novel Women--falls on the prolific side.
   
   Autobiographical like all of Bukowski's novels except for his final one (Pulp), the book is the story of the writing of the script for the 1987 film "Barfly," running from the commission to write to the release of the movie. The narrative is filled with Hollywood types--producers, directors, actors, camera men, hangers-on--who Chinaski/Bukowski encounter along the way. Some of his sketches of them are genuinely witty and entertaining. Others--not so much. His depiction of Francois Racine, the fictional counterpart of Truffault--is way overdone, an increasingly tedious caricature of the tormented Gallic existentialist. Moreover, the character just disappears halfway through the novel, as if Bukowski either got tired of him or simply forgot about him.
   
   In fact, the entire novel lacks cohesion--even more so than a typical Bukowski novel. Bukowski seems to come into his stride in the last 50 or so pages, which are genuinely solid. But the 200-page lead-up is embarrassingly bad. Admittedly, its fun to read Bukowski's savaging of Tinseltown, but one-liners do not a good novel make.
   
   One theme in the novel--again, a characteristically Bukowskian theme--is Chinaski's/Bukowski's insistence that he only really feels alive when he's working at his "typer." He drinks so much, he tells the reader, because he can't otherwise face the tedium and "nothingness" of existence. Drink and frantic writing: two ways of filling up the hours. Fair enough. But not everything written to fill up the hours is necessarily worth reading. And the urge to fill each and every novel with nonstop drinking just wears thin after awhile.



2. for some stupid reason this book is in Spanish & I assumed that since everything else on this page including the reviews that book would be as well



3. One of Bukowski's bucket full of virtues is that he tells the truth, and he pulls no punches here in talking about the phenomenon known as "Hollywood". I did find some of the person to person interaction to be thin, but that could be that human to human interaction in Hollywood tends to be thin. Bukowski lets it be known that he questioned his motives in going Hollywood and becoming something that he used to look down on only a short time before - for this alone I respect him immensely as not a lot of them who do this care to make a public introspection afterwards. Bukowski was a real man. Read this book



4. If you never heard of the crude, hard drinking American author, this is where to start and/or end. This is Bukowski at his finest. Good reading around "Oscar" time.................



5. publishers weekly sure has it in for bukowski. personally, i think of that publication as a sort of cemetery where a lifeless staff of dullards pronounce useless verdicts from there dreary coffins. ignore publishers weekly on this and all books. please do. anyway, this is a very enjoyable book which gives an insiders/outsiders look from within hollywood that almost all of us will never see. bukowski is light and comedic here, but still as biting as ever. "ham and rye," might be his best novel; this one is just so much more fun. highly recommended.

1 comments about In Classic Style: The Splendor of American Ballet Theatre.

1. [...]
   "Clearly, I need to attend the ballet more often. When I think of schlepping to a theatre to see the ballet, I think of "The Nutcracker" and tight tights. This new coffee table book which has just come out (and, seriously, if you don't have a long coffee table then you won't be able to open it; she's a big girl) features glorious photography from the American Ballet Theatre's staple productions. You've got your "Romeo & Juliet," your "The Sleeping Beauty" and of course, your "Swan Lake." All the photos are stunning, all the costumes and poses are glorious, all the men's arms make me feel bad about myself and reminds me check the Equinox class schedule for that abs and booty workshop I've had my eye on. If you're like me, and not as familiar as you should be with ballet, then you'll see spreads from shows that will catch your attention and perhaps entice you to purchase over-priced season tickets. There's a one-act version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," just called "The Dream" that intrigues me, as well as "Othello." Their new season opens on 19 May, so get ready. For a peak at last year's opening night gala, check out this video on The New York Times' site. Lorne Michaels, Lynda Carter, and old folks (who are SO not ballerinas) getting their groove on at the after-party make it one of those little web treasures that makes me yearn to be back on the streets of Manhattan. Insert sigh here."

5 comments about Tennessee Williams: Plays 1937-1955 (Library of America).

1. Tennessee Williams is in the top ranks of American playwrights. His works are a MUST for serious students of the American theatre. Moreover, they are wonderful works for actors to read and learn from -- some of the finest characters, most poignant scenes, and brilliant insights on human nature AND theatrical staging that you can find anywhere. Cheerful? No. Uplifting? Usually not. Brilliant, stageworthy and gripping? Always. This collection, both volumes, gives you all the plays, plus some very worthwhile notes and prefaces from Williams himself.



2. "It is only in his work that an artist can find reality and satisfaction, for the actual world is less intense than the world of his invention and consequently his life, without recourse to violent disorder, does not seem very substantial," Tennessee Williams wrote in the 1948 essay "The Catastrophe of Success," eventually added as a preface to the "memory play" that catapulted him to stardom, "The Glass Menagerie" (1945). Prophetic words of a man who drew heavily on his own experience, on life in the economically depressed South, homosexuality, alcoholism, physical and mental infirmity, violence, passion, desire, love and loss, but most of all his profound sense of humanity and his understanding of the drama of everyday life to create Dragon Country, that uninhabitable and yet inhabited world, that land of unendurable but nevertheless endured pain (also the title of a 1970 collection of plays) of unforgettable pieces such as "The Glass Menagerie," "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1947), "Summer and Smoke" (1948), "The Rose Tattoo" (1951), "Camino Real" (1953), "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1955), "Orpheus Descending" (1957), "Suddenly Last Summer" (1958), "Sweet Bird of Youth" (1959), "The Night of the Iguana" (1961) and "Not About Nightingales" (set in 1938 but only brought to the stage 50 years later).

   Born Thomas Lanier Williams to an overbearing, hard-drinking, abusive, frequently absent father and a doting mother, Tennessee acquired the sobriquet he later chose as his first name in university, where his Deep South accent made him an easy target for his classmates. A writer since his youth, he saw his first short story ("Isolated") published in a high school newspaper; and after several other prose publications, his second play "Cairo! Shanghai! Bombay!" was produced by a Memphis amateur company in 1935. (His first play, the unstaged "Beauty Is the Word," had been a 1930 University of Missouri drama class assignment which, submitted to the school's Dramatic Arts Club contest, won the first honorable mention ever to be awarded to a freshman). After a stint with his father's shoe company, where he had gone to work at parental insistence, he graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1938. His big breakthrough came with "A Glass Menagerie;" the story of fading Southern belle Amanda Wingfield (who, like many of Williams's most memorable characters, frantically clings to the illusion of a world gone by), her crippled daughter Laura (the owner of the titular glass figurine collection), "gentleman caller" Jim (Laura's suitor), and Amanda's son Tom, Williams's thinly veiled alter ego who, like the playwright, sees his vocation as a poet crushed under his daily job at a shoe factory. Yet, looking back at his struggling life preceding "Glass Menagerie," Williams later came to regard that time as more real than the life made possible by fame and fortune: in fact, "it was the sort of life for which the human organism is created," he wrote in "The Catastrophe of Success."

   The present compilation, one of two volumes in the magnificent "Library of America" series, brings together the more significant works of Williams's early years and of his peak as a playwright through 1955, including inter alia his two Pulitzer Prize winners ("A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"), the only recently-rediscovered "Spring Storm" (1938) and "Not About Nightingales," the initial, unsuccessful version of "Orpheus Descending" ("Battle of Angels," 1940), as well as excerpts from the one-act play collection "27 Wagons Full of Cotton" (originally from 1945, augmented and republished 1953), among them the collection's title piece plus "The Lady of Larkspur Lotion," "Something Unspoken," "This Property Is Condemned," and others. The second Library of America volume covers Williams's creative period after 1955. Neither tome is all-inclusive; a fully comprehensive compilation would easily have required three volumes for the plays alone, not to mention his poetry and prose; and a 1955 caesura certainly does make sense. Still: completists will have to look elsewhere in addition. Among the more significant omissions in this first volume are "Cairo! Shanghai! Bombay!" (which I would have liked to see included if only because it was his first-ever staged play) as well as the modestly successful "American Blues" (1939) and the remaining one-act plays from "27 Wagons Full of Cotton." Volume 2 similarly focuses on Williams's more significant later plays; omitting, e.g., "Gnaediges Fraeulein," "In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel," "The Red Devil Battery Sign," "The Notebook of Trigorin" - his adaptation of Anton Chekhov's "Seagull" - and his infamous "Baby Doll" screenplay, as well as its stage adaptation "Tiger Tail."

   Although many of Williams's works reached audiences not only on stage but also on the silver screen, beginning in the 1950s he came under increased scrutiny due to his unconventional lifestyle. Even in his plays' most successful screen adaptations, the more controversial elements, such as Brick's unavowed homosexuality in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and the sexual tension between Stanley and Blanche in "A Streetcar Named Desire," were either muted or censored entirely; and particularly in later years, criticism leveled against his plays was often truly motivated by objections against the man himself. - "The bird that I hope to catch in the net of this play is ... the true quality of experience in a group of people, that cloudy, flickering, evanescent - fiercely charged! - interplay of live human beings in the thundercloud of a common crisis," Williams wrote in a stage direction in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." But while his own life's thunderstorm did eventually prove fatal (he choked to death on a medicine bottle cap in 1983), over the course of his life he revolutionized Southern drama in a way only comparable to Faulkner's impact on literary fiction, and set a shining example for generations of later playwrights. All-encompassing or not: the Library of America's collection of his works is an excellent place to begin a journey of appreciation into his Dragon Country.




3. Tennessee Williams is one of my favorite playwrights, and he was one of America's best. I think he was clearly also one of the 20th Century's best. Wonderful poignant tragic storyteller with memorable characters, like the frail southern belle Blanche in his classic play "A Streetcar Named Desire", or Stanley her uncouth brother-in-law who destroys her last shot at happiness. Another great play is "The Glass Menagerie", his first hit, which was an enormous success and catupulted him instantly into the forefront of emerging young playwrights at the time. It's a very entertaining story, very readable, I highly recommend you read it. Another is "The Rose Tattoo"--also see the film of the same name. And Williams' last great play was "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

   David Rehak
   author of "Love and Madness"




4. The plays contained in this volume are wonderful and interesting (especially in terms of his development) to any fan of Tennessee Williams... but I purchased the book believing it was the COMPLETE collected plays 1937-1955, which it is not. It is a group of "selected" plays. I bought it hoping to get more of the one-acts and historical oddities. It contains some of these, but mostly consists of his the more well-known plays, which anyone who would buy this book likely already has (e.g. Cat. Streetcar, Menagerie). Perhaps Amazon.com might want to place a line of explanatory commentary to that effect on the product description.



5. The new Library of America volume "Tennessee Williams: Plays, 1937-1955" is the first of two volumes. (The second volume covers the plays from 1957 to 1980.) This is a magnificent book, beautifully printed and bound. It is comprehensive (over 1000 pages) and has extensive notes and a complete chronology of Williams's life. Several of the plays are printed with commentaries by Tennessee Williams himself, essays that are very informative. This book belongs in the library of any fan of American theater.

   If you have only seen the several movies made in the 1950's from his plays, reading these will prove a revelation for you. Because of the restrictions put on movies in the 50's, most of his works were deeply expurgated, especially any overt references to homosexuality. So reading the original plays here often reveals underlying previously obscure motivations/conflicts of some of the characters: why, for example, Blanche DuBois had fallen from being a privileged Southern Belle to the pathetic wretch who appeared on Stanley and Stella's doorstep.

   Unlike many playwrights, Tennessee Williams tended to give long, detailed stage directions. This gives the reader of the plays a novel-like narrative, making them wonderful experiences for readers who do not ordinarily enjoy reading plays. The sensuous atmosphere, the classical -- almost Greek sense of tragedy that looms in almost all of these plays, and the exquisite use of language make this a unique reading experience. The writers who had influence over Williams's style are never named but seem apparent, at least to this reader. For example, when reading "The Rose Tattoo" I was reminded of the great Spanish poet/playwright Garcia Lorca's "House of Bernarda Alba." The cackling, vicious, vindictive neighbors, like some Greek Chorus, echoed many of the women in Lorca's work.

   This volume even includes the play "Not About Nightingales", a play never performed in Williams's lifetime, but which was recently brought to Broadway in a Tony-winning run. "Not About Nightingales" is a stark prison drama that is quite different from the style he eventually developed. Among the "great" plays included here are "The Glass Menagerie", "A Streetcar Named Desire", "Summer and Smoke", and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Like all volumes in the Library of America series, this book has been given first-class treatment. Beautiful bindings, ribboned marker, and fine acid-free paper for permanence. It is meant to be owned and treasured forever. You will love this book....

5 comments about Melody in Songwriting: Tools and Techniques for Writing Hit Songs (Berklee Guide).

1. I've read every book about songwriting I've ever come across, and this one is my favorite. It tackles a mysterious subject - what makes a great melody - in a way that is highly technical, but brilliantly explained. As the author mentions in the introduction, these are ideas to be digested over a long period of time, to be integrated into your understanding of songs until they become second nature. If you're looking for a book with some "quick tips" for writing hit songs, this isn't it - there are plenty of those already out there.
   
   Even though the focus is on melody, this book actually does a great job of covering functional harmony as well. There are a lot of ideas in this book - enough to last most writers many years.
   
   I do agree with the reviewer that suggested a companion CD - you will need to play the musical examples on piano to get the most out of this book. That would be my only criticism of this otherwise excellent book.



2. I have not read the whole book. But the parts I've read(1st 4 chapters), have already enlightened me on melody writing tremendously. The best thing I've gotten out this book so far, is how you can interpret the melody of a set of lyrics simply by trial and error. I never realized how much the phonics behind lyrics can drive the melody you develop using these lyrics. Really kool stuff. Although, I must say, you better be able to read before you buy this book. You don't have to be super good at sight reading, although that would help tremendously. But you should definitely be able to read treble cleff and rhythm. He teaches alot based off of this.



3. An interesting an easy reading book. Concepts of melody, pitch, rhythm and tone tendencies. The most important thing is that the author gives a good idea of how melody works in songs. It's not a book for begginers, I thought, there is a lot of necessary skills to read it well. Intermediate or advanced musicians will learn a lot.



4. Hi guys!!! I'm Dani from Spain. What can i say? I think this is awesome. There are no words to explain what i'm learning with this book. I've been lost a lot of time searching for a book like this one and now i find it. Thanks to Berklee press. And please GIVE ME AN SCHOLARSHIP BERKLEEEEEE!!!! hahahaa. I really need it, i'm good composser. TRUST ME. LOL. I recommend this book to everybody who want's to learn how to write a song without a guitar, piano... All you need is your lyric, pen, and score. Thanks to amazong too, this website is amazing. Sorry about my english guys, i'm still learning. Best regards to all. CYA!!!!!



5. I am reading this book for the 5th time. You need to understand some basic music theory and sight reading before hitting this book. But if you are looking for a book to give you a revolution in creation, and blow you open to seemingly endless new possibilities with your songwriting, DO NOT miss this book. Get this book and "the craft of lyric writing by Sheila Davis." and then study some stuff on grooves like maybe "The songwriters workshop harmony" by jimmy kachulis. (then you have hit the three main parts of a song; rhythm, melody and lyrics.)
   
   Realize that melody in songwriting is written by the chair of the songwriting department at berklee school of music in boston. If you didn't know, that is the most recognized contemporary music school in the world. (research it, if this is new knowledge to you) They don't put out fluff and obvious information. It is useful, critical and complete, and prepares you to navigate inspiration when it hits.
   
   This book has changed how I write music in many many ways.

3 comments about Mastering Public Speaking (6th Edition) (MySpeechLab Series).

1. I had to use this book for a public speaking class and found it to be quite tiring to get through. Its few good ideas and suggestions are easily lost within its high-school approach and broad conjectures about communication.



2. The book is very informative. It has cheatsheets printed on the back cover. There is also information to help you with your first speech because the author realized that speeches would be prepared before the student could finish reading the book.



3. I'd considered buying this book from Amazon, and decided to first examine a copy at the Boston Public Library. I was unimpressed. The tone seems aimed at middle-school students, and the text is littered with patronizing "Dick & Jane" anecdotes. A quick glance through the table of contents suggests that Grice and Skinner address nearly every conceivable aspect of public speaking -- but a closer examination reveals a complete lack of depth. It seems as if they simply brainstormed ways to add pages without actually investigating their subject.
   
   The most derelict example I found was the second chapter, devoted entirely to a discussion of ethics. This chapter includes a section on plagiarism, where Grice and Skinner define plagiarism and warn students that getting caught may result in failing a class or being expelled from school -- hardly the sort of information you'd expect from a college-level textbook. Meanwhile, Grice and Skinner lazily sidestep the most challenging issue -- the employment of speechwriters -- by confining its mention to a brief, rhetorical question among the chapter-end exercises. In other words: "Here's a complex issue. We've exhausted our space with rudimentary ones, but we encourage you to do some real work on your own!"
   
   There are some informative, useful books on public speaking. Richard Dowis and James Humes have each written excellent books on crafting and delivering a speech. Virgil Anderson and Ann Utterback have written valuable books on training your voice, and Livingston Taylor and Keith Johnstone have written classics on stage performance. My suggestion is to skip this book. I was thoroughly disappointed with its lack of ambition, and I'd hate to be stuck with a professor who found it respectable.

5 comments about The Grip Book, Third Edition.

1. Michael Uva knows his stuff. Stimultaneously entertaining and informative. In addition to expertly covering the grip business, Mr. Uva strongly advocates working hard, working safe, and being honest. His own personal success indicates that he practices what he preaches. The grip book covers not just what the equipment is and how it works, but how the grip should work and interact with other professionals on the set, (even the ones with which the grip might rather not interact). Much of the advice given in this book could be just as easily applied to any area of life where a person wants to be successful and respected when working with others. I haven't read a better book on this subject. It's required reading for anyone who grips for us unless they went to one of the better film schools, in which case it's not required, just recommended.



2. A wealth of information. Good for helping newbies get familiar with the equipment and how it's used. Great illustrations and DVD. Experienced grips will find the TOT's (tricks of the trade) helpful as well. The "Grip Rap" theme song is hilarious.



3. I hit the dvd first and it was great! Very fast paced, but that's what is needed. Don't have a lot of time to sit and watch tv. Author goes over each piece of equipment so by the end of the dvd, you've been introduced to a very large selection of grip stuff and know how it's used.
   
   The book then goes more in depth and more about how to act and how to get along with the others around you. Very Very valuable stuff here even if you're just dabbling in the business.
   
   Highly recommended.



4. if you need to learn the basics of gripping this is a good place to start



5. It is what the title says. I think it is missing some of the older industry jargon but that probably doesn't matter. This is the only grip book you'll need. The only way to learn more is to actually work on a set.