2 comments about Psychology of Dance.

1. this book has helped me so much on my journey to becoming a dancer.
   any thing i need is right there in the book,it recently taught me how to avoid slumps,keep focused,it is an amazing book,my dance bible!



2. If you are a dancer or a dance-related professional, just read it no matter what. In such a compact book, you couldn't want any more. A dance department in a college would open a new course named "Psychology of Dance" if they knew that this book existed. I am going to translate it into a foreign language.

1 comments about Holmes & Watson.

1. I am a Sherlockian who is squeamish about pastiches and other non-Doylean Sherlockian attempts at portraying Holmes. Most of them seem overly contrived to fit the spirit and atmosphere of Holmes, and some are truly dreadful. As a result, I stopped reading pastiches around 1977, with the exception of a few written by friends. Given my judgemental attitude to these efforts, I am always worried when a friend of mine tries his or her hand at writing a Holmes story. In fairness, I must disclose that I have known Lee Shackleford for about 20 years, and I have seen the production of Holmes & Watson. When I first read an earlier version of the script, I picked it up with great trepidation. It was very good. When I saw a later version of it performed, I was pleased to be able to tell Lee in visceral honesty that it was great. I am not such a nice guy that I would do that if it was not. It is just the way I am wired.
   
   Now comes a book version of the script that is as beautiful as the play is good. The production of the book is elegant, with wonderful photos of various perfomances of the play. I did not realize that Lee could look so much like Paget's Holmes. Having seen the play, I judged whether reading the script could provide the same measure of drama to several of the most thrilling scenes. It really does. It is a fun read whether you have seen the play or not. It keeps to the Holmesian spirit, explores the relationship between Holmes & Watson, provides thrilling moments, and has some fun with the characters, as well. You won't be disappointed.

4 comments about Extraordinary Exhibitions: The Wonderful Remains of an Enormous Head, The Whimsiphusicon & Death to the Savage Unitarians (Broadsides from the Collection ... from the Collection of Ricky Jay).

1. This book is a fascinating collection of antique advertisements for entertainment acts ranging from the whimsical to the bizarre. The broadsides themselves are surprisingly readable and Jay's commentary illuminates the subject matter in a way that sheds light on multiple facets of the social context the broadsides existed within. It's an art book, an intriguing work of history, a compendium of the bizarre, a chronicle of advertising techniques, and a unique stage door view on just exactly what humans will define as "entertaining".



2. If you ever have a chance for a collector to show his collection, you run the risk of being terribly bored. Unless you yourself collect stamps, coins, thimbles, Hummel figurines, or Corvettes, you are unlikely to sympathize with the delight the collector takes in his hoard. Ricky Jay is a fascinating man; he is a master magician, a historian of show business (especially of novelty acts), and an actor in David Mamet's movies. He collects something few others do: showbills for the jugglers, magicians, animal acts, ventriloquists, and other eccentric and novelty performances through almost four centuries. Don't worry, it is far from boring. Around eighty of his specimens are on display in a large format book, _Extraordinary Exhibitions: The Wonderful Remains of an Enormous Head, the Whimsiphusicon & Death to the Savage Unitarians_ (Quantuck Lane Press). The broadsides are funny and beautiful, and Jay's learned and enthusiastic commentary about each one is on the page facing each specimen. It is all thoroughly entertaining, and like any show advertising, the posters make you wonder if the acts are really as described. There is so much verbal and graphic hyperbole on display here that a bit of incredulity is only sensible, but still: who, if confronted by an announcement for Signor Cappelli and his Learned Cats, with assurances that after he introduces his cats to the audience, they will "beat a drum, turn a spit, grind knives, strike upon an anvil, roast coffee, ring bells, set a piece of Machinery in motion to grind rice in the Italian manner with many other astonishing exercises", who, I say, would let incredulity overcome a wish to get a peek at the show?
   
   Let me just take the three displays mentioned in the subtitle. "Wonderful Remains of an Enormous Head" were on display in London around 1840, and it was, if the description is to be believed, truly enormous, eighteen by seven feet, and weighing 1,700 pounds. What the head was, we do not know; one observer said it was likely that of a whale, and another said it was an obviously gigantic bird, fish, or lizard. The Whimsiphusicon had one of those fanciful names showmen of the 19th century enjoyed. It is advertised on a playbill for the ventriloquist Christopher Lee Sugg in 1816. Jay says, "Sugg, like a number of early magicians, was a proponent of theatrical neologism used to entice, or more likely confuse, the public." Indeed, Sugg explained on the playbill that the device was also dubbed "The Wandering Melodistical" and was a "Pill to Banish Melancholy," but it is safe to say he didn't give any secrets away until the performance. "Death to the Savage Unitarians" is on an Argentinean bill from 1842, and does not refer to the members of the religious sect, but to the country's Unitarian political group who favored a liberal rule of law and a strong central Argentinean government. They opposed the dictator Juan Manuel Rosas, and probably the phrase was included by the publicist who had drawn up the bill to ensure it would not offend the dictator. It caps an ad for "Robert and His Wife" who did magic and juggling, including "the new trick of the ceramic plates that will very much please the spectators" and "the lovely balancing act of the two dogs dressed as a Marquesa and a Marquis."
   
   There are scores of other playbills for acts in this beautifully produced book that shows some astonishing curiosities, well annotated by the erudite collector himself. It is full of jolly whimsy, for every act depicted is shown at its best, even though it might be promising more than it could actually produce. There is a taint of regret, here, though, on every page. As the playbills frequently remind us, the like of these productions will never be seen again. Oh, how I would love to see Daniel Wildman, for instance, the first and foremost equestrian apiarist of two hundred years ago, who rode his horse standing up while five swarms of bees covered his face, swarms which would thereupon alight on specific locations the performer designated by his command.



3. This is a wonderful book by a truly genius author. Also, make sure you put Ricky Jay's other books on your list. He has a great mind and his books are phenomenal!
   Harry Monti
   Society of American Magicians
   National President 1999-2000



4. Ricky Jay is a national treasure. He's the head curator of a continuing collection of the curious, marginal, sometimes macabre but always compelling congregation of entertainers who have slipped through the trapdoor of time's stage. His newest masterpiece, Extraordinary Exhibitions, is a catalogue of broadsides heralding some of the strangest performers that ever graced an auditorium or a sidewalk. You'll meet Pietro Stadelmann, a seventeenth century armless dulcimer player. As well as the nameless 27 year-old Angolan "Famous African Hermaphrodite". And a South American trio whose huge excrescences extruding from their chins gave them their stage moniker "The Monstrous Craws". You can sit at the feet of Joice Heth, the 161 year-old former nursemaid of Little Georgie Washington, the marvelous showman P. T. Barnum's first client. There's singing mice, educated fleas and a Rabbi whose demonstrations of his prodigious memory were endorsed by the Pope himself. To paraphrase the immortal Charles Fort, you'll see a procession of the damned of showbiz. And thanks to the wonderful Mr. Jay, they'll walk (and bark, tumble, juggle, catch bullets, arm wrestle, rope dance and eat stones) again.

1 comments about Radium Girls.

1. 
   Playwright D.W. Gregory knows drama.
   
   With keen control of character and pace she reels in the audience then cunningly culls from them the emotional threads that tie their attention to the action.
   
   Her gifted agility for dialog and the skill to paint people in honest, humanistic hues, allows Gregory to present protagonists we never entirely love, antagonists we never wholly hate.
   
   Radium Girls is based on true-life tragedy: an industrial slaughter of the innocents made possible by a strange marriage of ignorance and corporate duplicity. The play proves haunting and timeless, leaving theatre-goers with at least as many questions as answers -- as well it should.
   
   Well-researched and well-written, Gregory's triumphantly rendered Radium Girls makes of theatre what it ought to be: distilling, disturbing, distracting.
   
   Why?
   
   Because good theatre distills concepts of broad scope and great impact into digestible chunks, disturbs us from the cushioned confines of our personal comfort zones, forcing us to think, and momentarily distracts us from real time as it thoroughly draws us in. In short: it condenses; it edifies; it entertains.
   
   I was fortunate to see the world premier of this play as well as several additional productions around the country. If you have an opportunity to produce, perform in, or attend a production of Radium Girls, don't miss it.
   
   You'll come out glowing.

No comments about Aerobic Dance Exercise (Winning Edge).

5 comments about Greta Garbo: A Life Apart.

1. Although the book is interesting taking into consideration its factographic side, it is written in a very pretentious manner trying unnecessarily to colorize the biography and therefore making it trivial and sometimes even pathetic. Just to mention: usage of such expression like "Turkey's great metropolis" in order not to call it Istanbul or Canstantinople seems to be quoted from an essay composed by some sixth-grade pupil.
   I still consider "Garbo" by Barry Paris the best Garbo's biography.



2. Swenson conveys an understanding of and respect for her subject as few biographers have. Not that anyone can know too much about Garbo, Swenson dug deep and this bio is full of pictures and information to make any Garbo fan's heart flutter into cardiac arrest! The Best!



3. Karen Swenson is to be commended for a fine biography of Greta Garbo. Garbo is an enigmatic star more closely resembling a lonely sphinx camping out in the Sahara than a glitzy glamorous star in Hollywood's Golden Era.
   Swenson delineates the Garbo career from the Swede's girlhood in a poverty stricken home in Stockholm to the extremely wealthy recluse she became in New York following her 1942 retiriement from the silver screen. (Her last flick was a bomb called "Two Faced Woman." Garbo had at least two faces in real life. The athletic outdoor woman she was could be kind and cruel as her moods were quicksilver in the soul of this Viking child of the North.
   Barry Paris's book on Garbo contains more pictures and is, on the whole, better written. I did, however, enjoy Swenson's work
   on the screen legend devouring the biography in huge portions of time.
   Garbo was a great talent who lit up the screen with her peerless beauty and style. Costumes by Adrian and the magic of MGM camermen aided her in the climb to the top but she was herself unique for her aura of lonely beauty.
   I appreciate the work of Karen Swenson. I hope you the reader do as well. If you read only one book on Greta Garbo you could do worse than selecting this excellent biography to fill you in on the Swedish queen of film.



4. Garbo: A Life Apart is a modern biographical masterpiece. I got started and could barely put it down. It was filled with great information. I have been following the life of Greta Garbo for about 7 years and have a collection of memorabillia to show for it! I have to say this is a MUST for any fan or collector of Garbo material!!! BRAVO Karen Swenson!!



5. This wonderful story, about a wonderful woman, combines a selection of rare photos with startling new information about her childhood, her career, tumultuous relationships with lovers and friends, and her life after Hollywood.

2 comments about Television Production: A Classroom Approach Second Edition Student Edition.

1. The product was needed for my son's video-editing class. It arrived in a timely manner and was in great condition.



2. As a first year broadcast teacher, I found this book to be very helpful. It was user-friendly, not too technical for my students but loaded with information that they needed to make their classroom videos. Each chapter taught new skills and allowed the students to practice with the provided activities. My state does not have an adopted text-book for this class, and this book has been a life-saver for me.

5 comments about The Cut of Women's Clothes: 1600-1930.

1. I'am French, and even without the English texts the patterns are easily comprehensible when we know a little the seam



2. From a broad perspective this book is helpful in delineating the various periods of costume. The patterns are useful, but not plentiful.
   
   However, the book has several shortcomings. Firstly it is printed on very cheap paper (this is a reprint version) and the black and white pictures/prints of paintings are very murky and badly reproduced on even thinner cheaper paper than the text.
   
   The content of the book is fine for beginners but clearly the book has not been updated to reflect recent study on costume. The writing style is in the form of an endless stream of tit-bit information patched together making this book a boring read. Furthermore, the book is padded out with period quotations about costume, mainly in the form of inventory lists of costume. This adds little to the understanding of costume and the book should have been more tightly edited. Finally there are just not enough patterns in this book to make it a "must have" title - the patterns are not drawn on a grid so inaccuracies are inevitable. Anyone looking to find a variety of patterns for the period 1600 to about 1850 are going to be disappointed, but admittedly the period 1850 to 1930 is better covered by the book in terms of pattern variety. I will probably donate this book to my local library as it is not a keeper for me. Readers wanting up to date costume information are better served by acquiring texts from the various costume institutes in England.



3. This is an excellent book all around, with highlights including dissections of period garments with simple outlines of pattern shapes. Though the patterns are not on a grid, they are accompanied with a scale and can be decently eyeballed for a quick project. Beginniners will be inspired and the advanced will have a handy quick reference guide. A good pattern book, and a nice read too. Anyone serious about costume or garment contruction should have this book.



4. This is the first costume text I purchased (even before knowing I was going to go to school for costume design), and even after receiving and collecting loads of other texts on costume and the history thereof, this is still the best basic book I've come across. And, yes, I actually read it instead of just looking at the pics (of which there are many, many, great examples of historical dress). Although not entirely scintillatingly written (hard to do with a sometimes dry subject such as costume history, it has to be said), it is full of information that I wouldn't have otherwise known (and I've been fascinated by clothing all my life).

   Across the arc of the book, one can discern the evolution of clothing, and it provides a good background for noting the changes across the years and why they were made. There is a lot covered within, and I feel it's a great source from which to start any kind of costume research.




5. I received this book for Christmas and couldn't be happier with it! I have not as yet attempted to draft one of the patterns, so I can't give my impression of that. However, I am impressed with the detail and extent of knowledge the author is able to share through the text! There is much more text than I had thought, and the detail is such that you can picture the garment, seam lines, trim, and all, from her descriptions! It is by no means a light read, but well worth the money to anyone interested in costuming, fashion design, or just clothing. The pages are filled with old fashion plates, paintings, and tailors' notes, along with sections of patterns relating to the time period discussed.
   I highly recommend this book- an amazing read! After finishing it, you'll be an expert on women's clothing!

4 comments about Elizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth Taylor.

1. I think this is the classiest bio written about Elizabeth Taylor I really enjoy Alexander Walker as an author and biographer He presents Elizabeth's life as true to life as possible without resorting to foul language or any degrading comments about her life. His writing style will not offend anyone.



2. Elizabeth Taylor is a hard person to biograph -- she's been awash on controversy since her teens, and became infamous for her luxe lifestyle and many husbands. So it's an especial credit to Alexander Walker's "Elizabeth," which manages to be fair without fawning.
   
   Taylor was the daughter of American Anglophiles, who moved to Hollywood during WWII. Her mother Sarah (an ex-actress) managed to get her into films, and the rest is cinema history. She seamlessly made the transition from cute child star to teen idol -- right before marrying abusive hotel heir Nicky Hilton.
   
   He was the first of several husbands -- crooner Eddie Fisher, her late soulmate Mike Todd, Brit actor Michael Wilding, a congressman, and most famously Welsh actor Richard Burton. And her tumultuous life was full of gems, health problems, love affairs, and high drama in all she did.
   
   Alexander Walker seems to have a liking for beautiful, legendary actresses with personal problems, so it's inevitable that he would have written about Taylor. The difficult part is balancing her positive and negatives, without either fawning or dragging her through the mud.
   
   And Walker does an excellent job -- Taylor is not a vixen or a harpy, nor is she an angel. Instead, he studies her personality, with its tendency to replace one love with another, as well as seeking a controlling personality to make her feel secure. Whether it's adultery or financial problems, he doesn't judge so much as lay out the facts so readers can judge for themselves.
   
   Best of all, Walker puts a wealth of detail in here. There's plenty of information about her movies, including lesser-known ones like "Cynthia," and Walker describes scenes that mirror or reflect Taylor's talent in detail. He also frames her story with info about the audiences of the times. He even includes unedited, outraged letters sent in after Taylor got involved with Fisher.
   
   "Elizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth Taylor" is perhaps the best, fairest and most thorough biography of this living legend. Walker definitely hit the mark with this one.



3. I was mesmerised by this book. Of course, one often takes biographies with a grain of salt, but I was most impressed with the way that Taylor handled her career like a man -- how she was able to go on despite the pressures of her situation. The love story between Burton and Taylor shines through, and I think I understand a little more about love, even though theirs was a tumultuous one. She is a role model for people in the performing arts who turn their attention toward great and needy causes, and I respect her immensely. Also, the photographs in this book illustrate the fact that Liz was -- and still is -- the most luminous raven-haired beauty in Hollywood. Long may she rule as the last star of Hollywood.



4. In the book The Life of Elizabeth Taylor, Alexander Walker captures the extraordinary beauty's life in every way. Fans will absolutely love this book. It is a thorough in depth biography filled with more than 30 amazing photos of Elizabeth throughout the years.
   It starts from the beginning of her life in London where her mother's strong willed attitude pushes Elizabeth forward. Alexander focuses on her success in many movies such as National Velvet, A Place in the Sun, and Cleopatra. The Oscar winning performance she gave in Butterfield 8 and the two academy awards that made her a legend are depicted.
   Along with all the positive aspects of her life also came the long downfalls that have intrigued us over the years. Elizabeth's eight marriages are uncovered along with her conniving personality that broke apart other people's marriages. Her obsessions of jewelry, clothing, and sex are exposed. The truth behind her ongoing drug and alcohol abuse is revealed. Elizabeth's suicide attempt at age 29 along with the 73 total hospitalizations throughout her life is publicized. This book shows us the real Elizabeth outside of the glamour. The dramatic experiences with facing the public with the on going scandals and personal tragedies is drawn out for the readers.
   This book gives a true insight in Elizabeth Taylor's life. From the high points to downfalls, her life is captured by Alexander Walker to its fullest. Elizabeth's life has been an often-tragic fairytale that people have followed throughout the past 50 years.

1 comments about Coastal Disturbances: Four Plays.

1. Tina Howe's plays draw from a variety of emotions that could delight any reader or performer. Her unique style is refreshing and her contemporary in-your-face bluntness adds excitement to her dialogue. This is a great selection for those who enjoy contemporary theatre- especially women. As a woman, I found her characters to be very truthful and a realisitc portrayal of the many trials some females naturally face. As an actor, I suggest this book to all actors searching for a strong monologue. Howe's characters have a lot to say, and her wonderful writing style gives you a powerful way to say it.