4 comments about Voiceovers (with CD): Techniques and Tactics for Success.

1. Put a great voice to use as a voiceover actor in VOICEOVERS, a survey of opportunities in everything from network promos and documentaries to books on tape, radio, and animated films. A CD-ROM holds vocal exercises and interviews with voiceover actors, while tips for building strong demos rounds out an excellent survey. Other books don't go nearly as far: if only one on the topic were to be chosen for a business library, it should be VOICEOVERS: TECHNIQUES AND TACTICS FOR SUCCESS.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. Janet has managed to do the impossible - create a book that guides, informs and encourages newcomers and voice-over pro's alike.
   
   With a witty, and conversational writing style and clever analogies to sports and games, Janet manages to make the pragmatic process of polishing your voice style and delivery - the real work - fun. Plus, she generously shares real-world career advice learned over many years as working voiceover professional. This is a wonderful - and practical - new book from an accomplished performer and teacher.



3. As an actor seeking work in the voice-over business, you have two choices. The first is to spend several years trying to figure it all out. The second is to accept the experience of someone who has been successfully working in the field for a long time.
   
   There are just too many mistakes and misconceptions that can hold an actor back in an audition and later in a session. If you want to get work doing voice-overs, then read VOICEOVERS.
   
   Ms. Wilcox knows the terrain and all the land mines and all the tricks. I highly recommend the book.
   
   Allen Blumberg



4. If you've heard all your life "you have such a great voice, you should be doing voiceovers," but written off the idea because A. you don't live in California, B. you don't live in New York, C. you haven't got a clue how to get started, Janet Wilcox has written the book for you!
   
   Expert, practical, and complete, Wilcox leads you through what it takes to go from cocktail-party compliment to working professionalism, including lessons, classes, coaches, renting facilities, setting up a studio, and creating not just a demo, but the best demo you can. She explains the always-fascinating problem of getting an agent and assures you that if you ARE good enough, professional enough, and persistent enough, you will find one.
   
   Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of VOICEOVERS for this reviewer, who has been told she has a great voice and has actually had a lead in one TV commercial, is that its conversational writing is so appealing that you are convinced to embark on the process of becoming a "voice actor" despite how much work it entails. Exercises and contact numbers are provided, along with a CD, making the book a great workbook as well as an inspiration.
   
   What distinguishes the "voice actor" from the "good voice"? According to Wilcox, the ability to create character and explain "who, what, when, where, and why?" in the matter of seconds.
   
   A handbook for beginners and a guide along the way for working professionals by an extremely expert and experienced "voice actor," VOICEOVERS: TECHNIQUES AND TACTICS FOR SUCCESS is also a fascinating read for audiences who wonder how the people you hear got the jobs they did.

5 comments about Gendered Lives (Wadsworth Series in Communication Studies).

1. The overall theme of this book is man bashing, and bases too much on stereotypes. I used this book for class, and it was hell reading it.



2. I didn't like the book. I had to read it for class. It was interesting to read, but she put so much facts in there that I couldn't remember everything that she said. It needs to be more oraganized and maybe less man biased like the other two men said. Before bashing me or my review, I'm a woman.
   
   Edit: I put two stars, but I meant one, I changed my mind.



3. While I don't doubt the author's intentions weren't honestly good, the prescence of society influenced bias is ever present.
   
   Just to point out a lone example from the first chapter, "In general, African American women are more assertive than European American women, and African American men tend to be more communal than White men".
   
   Notice how she cares to use extensive titles for women and African American men, but when she discusses European American males we are merely "White" males. So much for an unbiased presentaton :)



4. Julia Wood takes every chance she can to insult and denigrate men. In fact, the only men she will acknowledge in a positive way are those who have distinctly "feminine" traits. Many feminists may find this refreshing and validating, but it does little to foster better communication or interaction with members of the opposite sex. Wood is guilty of the same spiteful attacks on men that she portrays as happening to women.



5. Having read way too many textbooks in my academic career, I feel pretty confident saying that this is one of the best. The author presented the material (some of it difficult to swallow) in a straight-forward way, interjecting much-needed humor here and there. Many different viewpoints are addressed, and comments from other students, from a wide variety of walks of life are included, giving the reader exposure to a wide variety of thoughts and opinions.
   The text reads quickly, and a lot of territory is covered. The author addresses everything from the various 'waves' of feminism to media coverage and violence. There is a lot of material in the book, and if it is read with an open mind, I don't see how the reader can help but be moved and possibly changed. There is no one that this book won't relate to - everyone has a gender.

4 comments about Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others (5th Edition) (MyCommunicationLab Series).

1. this came in a 3 ring binder format, encased in plastic, without a back cover, and a cardboard backing. i stress, do NOT buy this



2. I'll keep this short and simple. I own the book, and thus far is very helpful to explain the many facets of person to person communication. Lots of vocab words and ideas.



3. The interactive CD includes websites, video clips, audio clips, and tests, that increase interest in the subject matter. It's fun.



4. ...I read this book for an undergraduate class and thought it was very good. One problem-- the final chapter was too brief, they should have split it into three like the previous edition.

5 comments about Acting Is Everything: An Actor's Guidebook for a Successful Career in Los Angeles, Expanded Gold.

1. "Thank You so much for your book. It is an essential tool that every actor in Los Angeles MUST HAVE. You have graciously offered all the information in one place that would take an actor years to figure it all out on their own. THANK YOU.
   
   -Guy D. Wells"



2. I started reading this book thinking I could jot down a couple useful pieces of information and quickly advance to another book on acting. Boy was I wrong!
   
   This book is overflowing with so many sources that you may as well toss out the Yellowpages. Judy Kerr did a flawless job of providing step-by-step instructions regarding the business-side of acting and how you can get started.
   
   Sure, there are useful quotes from all kinds of big names and experienced veterans about the technique, but Judy was very wise to simply refer readers to all types of classes, coaches and workshops rather than attempt to write a book on how to act. Experience is the only way you truly learn, not by reading about others who experience it.
   
   I'm currently saving up to take the 2-week trip to Los Angeles to research the city which is mentioned in the book with detailed stops to make.
   
   If you're wondering whether or not this book should be on your bookshelf at home, buy it now. No, don't continue reading my review!! You're not listening and I feel disrespected. You could've been entering your shipping address and credit card info by now you lazy bum! Ya wanna act? Okay, your character is shopping for a book by Judy Kerr... ACTION!!!



3. There is no greater source book out there. For actors and other industry professionals, "Acting Is Everything" is a magnificent compendium of information covering all aspects of pursuing your acting career - from arriving in LA, to agents and managers, to your pictures - and it's wrapped up with motivational and inspiring advice. I have been recommending this book to not only actors but all entertainment professionals that I speak to including seminar attendees, my UCLA Extension students, and my own clients. Owning this book is like having a professional adviser at home with you 24/7.



4. The back cover of this book has a very good summary of what its all about: 'Where to Go, Who to Call, What to Spend, What Not To Do!' Acting is a really hard business. The hints & tips, things that work & those that don't, will become well known to you after a time. But when you are new and trying to break into the biz the more of these things you know the more time you'll save.
   
   One point she makes I'd do differently. She says that it's a good idea to participate in theater and theater groups. Truth, absolute truth. Unfortunately it's not that easy. In your home town, the little theaters needed and probably eventually used everyone who showed up for the auditions. In New York and LA, it's just about as hard to get into an 'amateur' production as it is a professional one. There are so many 'currently unemployed' who want to be on stage that it's difficult. Solution - start your own. Perform in your church, or the Y, or the back room of a restaurant. Just do it. As she says, you never know who will be in the audience.
   
   Finally, the title of the book just about says it all -- Acting is Everything. Acting is not something that you want to do, it's something you have to do. Use the book as you can, but go for it.



5. Having already owned the hugely inspiring and knowledgable Acting is Everything book which helped me tremendously with my move to Los Angeles from Australia, I was delighted to see the latest "gold edition" which is just as wonderfully encouraging, informative and packed with even more knowledge. Anytime I was feeling lost in my career, this book renewed my faith.
   
   Joanne Rose
   www.joannerose.com

5 comments about Wicked: A New Musical - Easy Piano Selections.

1. I read all the previous customer reviews for this "easy piano" version and the other piano/vocal version of the musical before I ordered it, but I'm not sure they have matched the right reviews with the right book. The reviews I read for this book said it did NOT necessarily include the vocal line in the piano part, but in reality that's all it is--the vocal line with the simplest of accompaniment. I returned this book and ordered the other version.
   
   The versions in this book are well done. Though they are simple, they sound convincing, with harmonies and rhythms recognizable from the original versions. They are NOT, however, adequate for accompaniment of a performance of the songs, and they are not at all challenging.
   
   The pieces in this book could be easily mastered by a pianist with only a modicum of skill. They are sight readable for a accomplished pianist.



2. I believe this is great for any of those who love Wicked, and are starting off with either piano, or singing.



3. I was so pleased when I opened this book up. The only thing I miss is that in "Defying Gravity" it only includes Elphaba's lyrics, and not Glinda's as the actual recording does on the soundtrack.
   
   Arrangements are definitely easy to play -- but not so simple that you don't get a great sound.



4. I purchased this songbook based on the reviewer comments that it represented the full score without the melody. You must be talking about a different book. The arrangement consists only of the melody on right hand (yes you can play the right hand with one finger) and one or two notes of the chord on the left. I'm not even a piano player and it's too simple for my taste. The only thing that would make this a remotely difficult book is that the key signatures are unusual and the annotated chords are sophisticated. I was looking for something suitable to accompany a vocalist. This isn't it. I hate to give it a poor rating because of misleading reviews but I am doing so to let folks know what they are getting.



5. A must have songbook from the Broadway play WICKED. If you are a fan of the Wizard of Oz, this play is a must see. Who can forget songs like Popular, I'm Not That Girl and Defying Gravity. This is the Easy Piano book so that players of all ages that use it.

5 comments about The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.

1. I ordered this book the day after we saw the play. There was much to think about and I wanted to read what I had heard. The lanuage was a bit rough for me but then I'm old. I really would recommend it to anyone who likes to think about what they do or do not believe. Patricia Murchek



2. This was so distasteful to me that I ended up throwing it away.



3. I enjoyed this play so much. It wasn't that I could not put it down- instead I wanted it to last- I would read a scene and force myself to put it down so it would be waiting for me the next day. The way he makes his characters come to life is brilliant. As you read it you can hear the voice of each person. Mr. Guirgis causes you to think about how things are perceived differently by different people, and we ourselves are sometimes our own worse critic...I loved how when I was reading the scene with Satan- at one point I literally felt nauseous- I did not love feeling nauseous- but then I realized- this is Satan- it should make you sick. And the stunning monolgue given by Jesus near the end is so beautiful and heart wrenching and says, "This is who I am- who I am meant to be-and many of you who think you know me- need to think again about who I am and what I came here for." It sums up the teaching of Jesus using his greatest lesson- to love others- especially those whom you really really really don't want anything to do with. And it's the lesson that most of us forget so easily- and yet its the most important one. And the final monologue by Butch Honeywell-well--you just have to read that one yourself...What a great play...Thanks Mr. Guirgis.



4. If you have ever read a play by Stephen Adly Guirgis, you know he's a great writer, in his own right. "The Last day of Judas Iscariot", in my opinion, is a very well written play with a variety of differents characters that bring a certain savvy to the play. I enjoy read plays show character interaction with a purpose either subtly or obviously and I think "relationships" and character interaction work effectively. Now if one reads this thinking they're about to read some kind of biography of Judas Iscariot from the bible, then they are about as backwards as someone watching the musical "Jesus Christ: Superstar" for spiritual growth. The play presents different ideas, not necessarily about religon, but about ethics, morality and seems to show characters in a three dimensional matter. I strongly recommend that most every one should read this play, especially if one is a student of the arts. If you are open-minded and like good plays, then read this play! I'm a christian and I still think it is a good play! I also recommend that if you like this play by Guirgis then you will certainly love his play called "Our Lady Of 121st." You can't go wrong with either of these play.



5. Stephen Adly Guirgis is a playwright that as a young person living in an urban city you feel you could chill with. He's also a playwright that if you're an affluent privileged person you'd still love to meet...why? The guy makes you think.
   
   In The Last Days of Judas Iscariot we are met with a cast of characters that are so famous and infamous that we can't help but get excited to see what's next. Where else can you see Mother Teresa and Satan take the stand on the same day in a trial set in purgatory. Comic and thought provoking at the same time.
   
   The play focuses on what led to the downfall of Judas Iscariot, the notorious disciple. Was it really his fault? Did Jesus want him to do it? Did he still love him after the fact? This play is not an attack on christianity. If anything it is a play that spotlights spirituality and the importance of faith, whatever that may mean for the individual.
   
   The writing is very accessible with dialogue you would hear on a modern day street corner to more refined monologue moments. If anything, this play will make you think about right and wrong and how what we opine is relative, especially if we weren't there and didn't "walk a mile" in their shoes thing.
   
   Get this and get the Guirgis trilogy. If you're a young actor who can't find a monologue that "speaks to you" check out Guirgis's work. You'll be hard pressed not to have at least one "wow" or "that's tight" moments after reading.
   
   Enjoy.

5 comments about 100 Lessons in Classical Ballet: The Eight-Year Program of Leningrad's Vaganova Choreographic School.

1. I studied the Vaganova Method at ABT as a child and young adult. Now that I am teaching I like to use the book as a guideline, review and brush up on things I may be overlooking. When you are away from the classroom as an adult (or an older adult) it is necessary to keep trying to learn from others or resources. I highly recommend this book.



2. I love this book. As a new teacher, it has been invaluable in helping me to create the classes for my beginning students.



3. I'm a former dancer and a classical ballet teacher now. This book is a Ballet bible among my colleagues who teach classical ballet.



4. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I studied ballet for about twelve years when I was young and was asked to offer a ballet club in my school in the fall. This book lays out, class by class, how to train young dancers effectively. Included are photographs of correct positions and technique so even though my own is a little rusty I am able to show my students illustrations of what they will hope to achieve especially since my turn out has never been that great. I am happy to say that the class attracted boys as well as girls in my inner-city school and that a few of the children have convinced their parents to enroll them in a dance school due to their diligence and the interest they demonstrated in the ballet club.



5. Was delighted to find this fine book on classical ballet.
   My daughter is an aspiring ballerina and drinks this book.

5 comments about The Voice Actor's Guide to Home Recording.

1. Man, I should have checked the dates on all the positive reviews of this book. Had I done so, I would have saved myself the purchase price.
   
   3 years ago, when it was published, I'm sure this was a fabulous reference, however, it is now SO out of date as to render more than half the book almost useless. To the author's credit (and the book's ultimate downfall) he includes a high level of detail on things like computer hardware and software, microphones, and other studio technology, but in any techno-based treatise, one year is a long time and three years is an eternity. The very detail that would have been fabulous three years ago is totally irrelevant today.
   
   I found myself skipping more than half the text of the book primarily because it was so out of date. Recommendations like a computer with a Pentium 4 processor with up to a 40GB hard drive and a minimum of 256MB of RAM were appropriate at the time of publishing (early 2005) but not now. Step by step instructions on how to use programs that have long since been upgraded (or even changed ownership) are of very little benefit in the year 2008. What I have in my hands is a 180 page book with maybe 80 pages of pertinent information.
   
   Another example is in the area of ISDN connections. Again, the authors couldn't include programs like Source Connect or Audio TX, both VOIP type programs and neither of which require an ISDN line and associated hardware/software/expenses to function in this book because they had yet to be released, but I go back to my original statement that if a book is going to be technology-based then it is incumbent on the authors to keep it up to date. Harlan Hogan himself has written a very good discussion on Source Connect and Audio TX that can be found at the CommercialVoices.com web site where he discusses the place non-ISDN communication solutions currently occupy and where they will be in 5 years, and it's critical everyone understand this BEFORE making the substantial investment in ISDN.
   
   I don't fault the authors because they wrote an exhaustive and definitive guide covering the subject at the time, but when one publishes a book like this, you need to make a concerted effort to keep the content up to date. I would think an eBook, with a living chapters would be more appropriate than a paper and ink volume like this. Harlan Hogan's web site is very helpful, and in fact, I learned MUCH more from his web site on the topic than I learned from his book.
   
   My bad, like I said, for not checking the dates of the reviews and the date of publishing.
   
   There is still some information in the book that is of general value regarding how to set up a home studio and get started in the business, but I feel there are other books out there that may be more complete and more importantly, more up to date on this score. On the positive side, the authors write in an enjoyable and humorous style which makes reading the book a positive experience.
   
   This isn't a terrible book, but it could be a GREAT book if it were current.



2. Book was shipped on a timely manner, in the condition they said it would be in.



3. Just when I thought I knew it all about voice-overs, my agent and producers started asking me to audition at home. Honestly, I was overwhelmed by the thought of it all. And thought that maybe this was the technological chasm, the great divide, that would separate the wheat from the chaff....and not related to voice-over abilibity.
   
   And then I found Harlan Hogan's and Jeffrey P. Fisher's book on Home Recording. To say it has saved my derriere is putting it mildly. Harlan and Jeffrey take you through step-by-step on what affordable equipment to buy, how to set up your home studio and how to properly record and edit yourself. They even toss in chapters on ISDN and phone patch, as well as self-promoting your home studio.
   
   A "home run" if you ask me...and you did!



4. I put a recording studio in my home in 2006 in order to build my voice over business. I must admit, I'm not sure why I didn't buy this book sooner!! This book is a MUST for anyone who is even REMOTELY considering building their own studio.
   
   In the process of building my home studio, I came to one conclusion: there's a reason there are audio engineers... because they understand all of this equipment, and I didn't have a clue what all the knobs and sliders meant. What little I did comprehend when building my studio has now been further explained to me in this book... NOW I KNOW!!!
   
   The text is written so that it's easy to understand. And, it's apparent, without even knowing them, that Harlan and Jeffrey included their personalities in the book. You can just tell by reading, these are guys with a great sense of humor... which is so refreshing when you're reading about things you may not necessarily understand at the onset.



5. This book provides a good overview of the process and the equipment needed. it covers some of the technical aspects well in broad strokes with enough information to point in the directions for further study if required but is sufficient in the depth of information to be up and running quickly.
   
   The subject is huge. There are the technical aspects of the technology, which is changing monthly,and any publication will be out of date by the time it is printed, however, the underlying processes are unchanged.
   
   I recommend it as a good reference for anyone interested in Podcasting or Voice Overs.

5 comments about A Director Prepares: Seven Essays on Art in Theatre.

1. Full of holes and alot of overbearing personal philosophy. I found myself crossing out lines of this text, as so much of this is conjecture and hyperbole. The chapter on Violence is worth the cost of the book, however, I would recommend going to the library and saving your money. Some directors swear by this text, thusly it is a potent force in the contemporary theatre. However, many of these ideas have been chewed up and misused by so many inexperienced Bogart groupies that it has little more validity than, say, a Richard Foreman text in its extremely self-referential nature.



2. A vitally important book about creating theatre in the 21st century. Those who complain that this book is not a handbook for how to direct are unfortunately missing the point - one would be hard pressed to find a more important, inspirational book about why we take on the struggle that being in theatre brings.
   
   Don't let the price scare you, all you fellow actors on a budget - this book is for you, too.



3. This book totally and completely changed my perspective on what I called 'Directing.' it is full of wonderful stories, theories, and insights into making art. It is an important book for designers, actors, and anyone involved in the process of artistic expression. I read this book, and immediately pursued studying with Anne Bogart and The SITI Company, which I was lucky enough to do over this past summer. It was an incredible experience.
   Every so often an artist comes along and gives us an opportunity to see our work in a new way, and be invigorated by it. Bogart's book is a master example of this. Highly recommended.



4. The title is misleading since the book is really about the process of making art--specifically making theater--and will be valuable to anyone involved in the collaborative process.
   
   Some have complained that this book does not tell one "how to direct." But Bogart's book is about how to find one's voice as an artist and how to wrestle with material--topics that are rarely treated with the sanity that this book does. Reading it will help you figure out how to direct(or act or design) in your own individual way.



5. Bogart writes from her years of experience and vision in A Director Prepares. Readers merely looking for a book on "how to direct" may want to look elsewhere: this manifesto takes on serious issues faced by theater artists every day. While other books "on directing" explain how to get actors from point A to point B, A Director Prepares examines the shoulders that theatermakers stand on: artistically, historically, politically. And it's not just for Bogart/SITI Company disciples. Like the creation of theater, A Director Prepares requires heightened attention and a clean slate every time you dive into its pages. It's inspiring, but also a challenge to theater makers to rethink how we approach our processes and to question upon whose shoulders we stand.

5 comments about Something Like An Autobiography.

1. Kurosawa illuminates for us his whole life, warts and all. Upon reading this I never knew what a sensitve person this man was, from the time he was an early member of the Japanese Communist Party to his older brother's tragic suicide, Kurosawa leaves no stone unturned in this revealing autobiography. Although it does not cover his whole life (I believe in stops in 1980) he spends a great deal discussing each of his film projects all the way from his early days at the Toho Studios. I am reminded of my favorite quote from Kagemusha, "The shadow of a man can never desert that man. I was my brother's shadow. Now that I have lost him, it is as though I am nothing."



2. The book got into Kurosawa's mind and laid down the roots of his philosophy in filmmaking. It showed his genesis as a filmmaker. It gave insight into how his films happen. A beautiful work -- I loved it.



3. One of the greatest pleasures imaginable is to investigate a body of cinematic work, and then, to learn about its creator from his own persepective on his life and art.
   
   There is tremendous satisfaction in seeing the personality of the director reveal itself in the work and to re-view the films with new knowledge of the creator. This may not be a false track, although auteur theory has a bad rap right now. Kurosawa, in the conclusion of his autobiography said, "look for me in my films".
   
   Kurosawa was a genius, his films full of life and compassion, and strength. He did not look away from ugly truths in his life or art. (Read the autobiography and understand the significance of this approach!)
   
   I recommend this book as the touchstone for a deeper appreciation of the art of Kurosawa, for an understanding of his complex personality, and for the human warmth that comes across in his reminiscences. By the end of the book, you will want more, of course. It will seem to end abruptly and too soon. You will have many questions that you will wish to have answered. But then, we'll take Kuroswa's advice. We'll look for the man in his films.



4. Some people have criticized this book, saying Kurosawa does not go deep enough into his films, particularly his later ones, and why he did what he did. In all honesty, maybe the popularity over this book is poorly done - all the reviews on the front and back cover talk about it like Kurosawa will explain his movies in detail, and most often advertisements will talk about how if you like his movies you should read the book. But as Kurosawa himself says in the preface, he did it really out of encouragement from friends and in an effort perhaps to do what Jean Renoir did do and John Ford did not. As the title suggests, it is really a more personal, casual, reflection upon his life from his birth to the filming of "Rashomon," his first international success, in 1950. In a way, the personal route may be a humbling experience to the film guru or the Kurosawa fanatic. Too often directors or filmmakers are treated - as many artists are, in fact - more like a synopsis of their latest work. We constantly hear about how masterful Stanley Kubrick was and what his methods were, but who was he really? What school did he go to? Who were his friends? His teachers? What was his family like? What were his boyhood passions? Who is this man behind the camera?
   
   Kurosawa tells us that in his story from his first memories as a child ("I was in a washtub naked," page 3) through his school years and through a tough young adulthood. It is all very well written, and actually quite interesting, particularly the segments on Mr. Tachikawa, who we can probably thank for Kurosawa's love of painting, his brother forcing him to face his fears, (not only of water, but of death as well) and two daring but stupid moments in a mountain village where he almost killed himself to impress the local children.
   
   Kurosawa's growth is nearly coincidental with Japanese history. Just as Japan was constantly changing through out the 20th century, so to was Kurosawa. Forced to participate in a military program at his school, he takes every opportunity to belittle or make a fool of his army captain. His venture into art is like an odd adventure, going from joining a socialist art movement (nearly being captured by the Japanese secret police!) to living on his own to writing scripts and eventually joining Photo Chemical Laboratory. (later Toho Studios) He discusses marrying an actress because he was afraid of never being married before the "Honorable Death of the Hundred Million" many Japanese believed they would commit if invasion seemed immenant. This eventually goes on to his work as an Assistant Director, and later making his very own films through Toho and later Daiei after the Toho Studio strikes. These parts will be more to the liking of the film guru, as Kurosawa does give backstory to the inspirations behind his early work.
   
   During this time period he speaks a lot of his family and the friends he got to know. His brother is such a remarkable and likeable character that when he commits suicide you really do feel sad. I took a particular love for Kurosawa's father: although some may see him as a bit harsh when he berates his wife for placing fish wrong or getting upset with his son for failing courses, one shouldn't dismiss him with the simple western stereotype of the tough father for he does have a heart. When Kurosawa's wife becomes pregnant and he pays a visit to his family, his father gives him a large bag of rice and says it is for his pregnant wife, not wanting her to go hungry in a time when food was scarce in Japan.
   
   Perhaps, in the end, it is really fitting that Kurosawa focus so much on his personal feelings rather than his film. If you have watched his films and studied them, you will see the influences from his past life in those very films. "Something Like an Autobiography" was written long before Kurosawa made "Dreams," yet I found myself recalling the film reading this book. Besides his references to mountain climbing, he also talks about how in his father's village children would place flowers over a rock, and he learned that long ago a warrior had been killed and the villagers buried him there out of pity and placed the rock over his grave, so now children place flowers on it whenever they pass out of respect. Sound familiar? I also smiled at the section near the end when he discusses a Daiei studio executive - one who had been so steadfastly against making "Rashomon" - coming on TV and speaking for the film as if he was the mastermind behind it. I was thinking of the Deputy Mayor in "Ikiru," who is against the park project from the beginning yet after Watanabe's death takes all the credit. Maybe Kurosawa alludes to this kind of art reflecting life on page 163 when he mentions the oddly impeccable timing of "The Cuckoo Waltz" while dubbing "Drunken Angel."
   
   This is a recommended read for any one interested in film or Akira Kurosawa's life - it is easy to read, full of wisdom, and is very frank and personal. As I said, it's not a 198 page thesis on his films, but as Kurosawa says in the book he does not enjoy explaining his films - he puts into his films what he has to say and leaves it at that. As the last line of the book says, "There is nothing that says more about its creator than the work itself."



5. Kurosawa's insistence on the need for a good script in his films is inspiring to future script writers. I have not written any of these yet his book makes me want to write scripts when I am more of a travel writer. If you want insight into why this man made the beautiful and provocative films that he did, this is the book for you.