No comments about From Fright to Might: Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking.

5 comments about The Big Book of the 70's (Factoid Books).

1. This is one of the better ones in the Big Book Of Series. It is not a jaw dropper like Big Book of Conspiracies or Big Book of Weird, but it is still a fun read.
   I was not born until the 80's, but I thought this book was great. I never knew that Kissinger could be an intresting guy. This is all the cool stuff that you never got to see in That 70's Show. From the Son of Sam murders to the Pet Rock and the Brady Bunch it covers the wackiest decade with some amazing art work.
   I just hope they do a Big Book of the 80's some day.



2. Comic book-style stories explain the fads, events, people, music, sports, and everything else about one of the more colorful decades in history. Trying to cover pet rocks and Viet Nam in the same book leads to some inevitable unevenness, of course, and the serious topics are often trivialized or over-simplified. But there are already many books on Watergate; buy this book to learn about streaking and disco.



3. I put off taking Amazon up on the recommendation to buy this book (i had bought 4 "big books" in the past) I finally ordered it and received it Friday. I got it just in time because TLC ran a 70s special Sunday and FX has started showing 54. So now I can watch and read about the decade I was born in. I am planning on taping both this week when it airs again so I can have a 70s tape to go along with my book. ( Just wish my old beta vcr still worked lol)



4. This is the latest volume in Paradox Press' excellent Big Books series. It proves to be another winner! It chronicles the Me Decade, and analyzes how it affects society as we know it in this decade. It covers a lot of the wacky memories, like pet rocks, mood rings, and the fashions, plus some of the not-so-wacky memories, like the gasoline shortage and the Iranian hostage crisis. As someone born in the 1970s, I truly enjoyed this. But you don't have to be a child of the '70s to like it too!



5. Pet Rocks, mood rings, streaking - They're all here. But this book also covers some of the heavier stuff from the "me" decade - politicians, drugs, riots, terrorism - and all very entertainingly. The art, as always, ranges from good to very good, and the writing is mostly sharp.

   I did notice a lot of stuff overlooked. We get lots of history of television aimed at the young, but no "All in the Family" or "Mary Tyler Moore". Also, the movie history leaves out disaster flicks, mainstream gore, and so-called "blaxploitation" movies. But that's not really a fault so much as a good excuse for a Volume II.

2 comments about Dirk Bogarde: The Authorised Biography.

1. I am delighted that John Coldstream's biography of Dirk Bogarde is now out in paperback, which means that more readers will have access to this compelling story of one of the finest actors of the 20th century. And, to my own pleasure, the paperback makes it easy to read in bed or carry in a pack, removing all worry about damaging my cherished hardcover version.

   Without reserve, I can say that this is one of the best biographies I have read in years and certainly the finest that will ever be written on Dirk Bogarde. From the minute one picks up this book, as beautiful in paperback as in hardcover, one knows that it is not the usual star biography filled with gossip, written merely to pump up a star's image or to make a quick profit. Coldstream's engrossing look at the public and private lives of this icon of British film is impossible to put down. The first page quickly turns into 200 pages.

   Coldstream has the rare perspective of friend and one who worked with Bogarde, which brings a special understanding and appreciation of the private Bogarde to this biography. Yet, unlike writers who set out to prove theories, Coldstream's balanced, extensively researched approach is the ultimate tribute to Bogarde. The reward for readers is a compelling view, written with candor, insight, and affection.

   Given unlimited access by Bogarde's family to private papers, photos, and rare home movies, Coldstream unfolds a life that holds us spellbound. He illuminates the early influences on Bogarde, his military years, journey from matinee idol to serious actor, second career as a writer, and knighthood in 1992, giving us behind-the-scenes looks at some of the biggest names and players in British film and Hollywood.

   We are privy to Bogarde's thoughts on the Rank and Hollywood Studio systems, on acting, the rigors of filming, and his unaccredited revisions of inadequate scripts. We hear his usual candid, often affectionate comments on the famous people who graced his beautiful homes on any given weekend: Ingrid Bergman, Ava Gardner, Judy Garland, Charlotte Rampling; directors Cukor, Losey, and Visconti, to name a few. Bogarde knew them all. Equally fascinating are their thoughts on him, the private man and actor, in the countless interviews Coldstream conducted across the globe and the extensive papers and firsthand sources he examined in the course of his research.

   But Coldstream gives us more than the glitter of Bogarde's career in film. There is Bogarde at his beloved farm in Provence, the stray pets he sheltered, his natural talent for writing and the evolution of his 15 best sellers and later years writing for the Daily Telegraph, to the dark days when illness overcame his partner Forwood and then stalked Bogarde. Coldstream does not shy away from addressing questions readers have had about the elusive Bogarde, no easy image to capture. A continuing question has been whether his 40-year relationship with agent and companion Tony Forward was a homosexual one, something Bogarde denied to his death in 1999. To Coldstream's great credit, he does not speculate but lays out what he finds and leaves it to the reader to make up his mind on this and other aspects that continue to swirl around this fascinating man.

   The paperback version has retained the elegance of the hardcover edition and its extensive chapter-by-chapter sources, appendices, and comprehensive index, including the wonderful endpaper drawing of Bogarde by Richard Cole, all of which reveal the taste and intelligence behind this effort. There are some 130 photos many never published, including Bogarde's own drawings. An added perk is a new cover photo of a younger, ever handsome Bogarde in his late 30s at the top of his game as reigning matinee idol, a throne he eagerly abdicated for more complex roles. A perfect choice, the photo reveals Bogarde's discerning intellect and inner discontent, which drove him to make such daring, independent career choices.

   Coldstream has truly captured the spirit of Bogarde, the actor, writer and man, as well as the caustic wit yet kind and loyal friend. Few books leave one with the satisfaction of having spent time and money well. This is one of them.




2. This is one of the best biographies I've read in years and certainly the finest written on Dirk Bogarde. From the minute you pick up this beautiful book, you know that it is not the usual star biography filled with gossip, written merely to pump up a star's image or to make a quick profit. Coldstream's engrossing look at the public and private lives of this icon of British film is impossible to put down. The first page quickly turns into 200 pages.

   Coldstream has the rare perspective of friend and one who worked with Bogarde, which brings a special understanding and appreciation of the private Bogarde to this biography. Yet, unlike writers who set out to prove theories, Coldstream's balanced, extensively researched approach is the ultimate tribute to Bogarde. The reward for readers is a compelling view, written with candor, insight, and affection.

   Given unlimited access by Bogarde's family to private papers, photos, and rare home movies, Coldstream unfolds a life that holds us spellbound. He illuminates the early influences on Bogarde, his military years, acting days, career as a writer, and knighthood in 1992, giving us behind-the-scenes looks at some of the biggest names and players in British film and Hollywood.

   We are privy to Bogarde's thoughts on the Rank and Hollywood Studio systems, on acting, the rigours of filming, and his unaccredited revisions of awful scripts. We hear his candid comments on the famous people who graced his beautiful homes on any given weekend: Ingrid Bergman, Ava Gardner, Judy Garland, Charlotte Rampling; directors Cukor, Losey, and Visconti, to name a few. Bogarde knew them all. Equally fascinating are their unvarnished thoughts on him, good and bad.

   But Coldstream gives us more than glitter. There is Bogarde at his beloved farm in Provence, the stray pets he sheltered, his natural talent for writing and the evolution of his 15 best sellers, to the dark days when illness overcame Forwood and then stalked Bogarde. Coldstream does not shy away from addressing questions readers have had about the elusive Bogarde, no easy image to capture. A continuing question has been whether his 40-year relationship with agent and companion Tony Forward was a homosexual one, something Bogarde denied to his death in 1999. To Coldstream's great credit, he does not speculate but lays out what he finds and leaves it to the reader to make up his mind on this and other aspects that continue to swirl around this fascinating man.

   This is also an elegantly done book of rich colours, fine paper, extensive appendices and index, which reveal the taste and intelligence behind this effort. There are some 130 photos many never published, including Bogarde's illustrations for his books, with a stunning front cover photo of the handsome Bogarde and one taken by Charlotte Rampling on the back cover.

   Coldstream has truly captured the spirit of Bogarde, the actor, writer and man, as well as the caustic wit yet kind and loyal friend. Few books leave one with the satisfaction of having spent time and money well. This is one of them. And when it ends, we wish for more.

5 comments about Harold Lloyd: Master Comedian.

1. This is a wonderful book loaded with beautiful pictures, both candids and stills (proof that black and white photography is just as visually arresting as color photography, if not more so), together with chapters about Harold's feature films, his early life, an interview he had with members of the AFI late in his life, Greenacres (the fairytale-like estate he built for his family), his relationship with his wife Mildred Davis, his later years, and the author's memories of Harold. Suzanne Lloyd was raised by her grandparents, so this was a real labor of love, one which produced a very classy book. Sometimes it seems like all celebrity bios, particularly ones written by close family members, are either total hack jobs or total sugarcoating, but this one shows honesty and evenhandedness. For example, Suzanne, in the chapter on her grandparents' romance and eventual marriage, mentions that even though they did have one of Hollywood's longest marriages, a marriage which is also considered one of Hollywood's happiest, Harold did cheat on Mildred and have affairs (such as with his leading lady Jobyna Ralston). This is rather shocking information, esp. because their marriage is often held up as one of the rare few happy ones from Hollywood, but Suzanne conveys this information in an evenhanded way instead of making excuses for it or demonising Harold. (Though honestly, by today's standards, Harold's extramarital exploits seem rather tame.) And this couldn't have been easy to do, considering she was talking about her beloved grandfather being unfaithful to her equally beloved grandmother. Throughout the book, she gives a balanced portrayal of her grandfather, and though he did have faults, like any normal human being, he still comes across as a really nice guy, a class act, a consummate professional, a truly talented comedian, someone who really cared about his fans, particularly from the younger generation, someone who did an awful lot of good things for child burn victims (and other children in general) in the hospitals run by his fraternal organisation the Shriners.
   
   My only complaint about this book is that it wasn't long enough! I wanted to read even more about all of these great films and to see even more pictures. I also wished the filmograhy had listed which of these films are lost and which survive. Obviously all of Harold's silent and sound features are still with us, as are all of his three-reelers and many of his later two-reelers, but I would have liked to have seen a listing of which of his Glasses Character two-reelers are lost and which are extant, and particularly would have liked to have seen a listing of which of the 14 Lonesome Lukes are the ones still known to survive. Still, all told, this is a fabulous book, a great addition to either your coffeetable or your own personal library on the bookshelf.



2. Harold Lloyd is often called "The Third Genius," though in his day he was as popular as either Keaton or Chaplin, and reportedly made more films than the two of them combined (a claim I've read, but which stretches creudulity, considering how few of them survive...). This big rich book, co-authored by Lloyd's granddaughter, is ripe with photos, and, while not precisely a biography, paints a warm and impressive portrait of this devoted artist and his work. I give it 4 stars only because its size means you won't be carrying it on the bus or even to bed-- it is definitely a living room book; one to show to friends. and enjoy over coffee.



3. Harold Lloyd: Master Comedian by Jeffret Vance and Suzanne Lloyd is a brand new fantastic book on the life of a master comedian and filmmaker. This is truly a great book and I urge you to buy it. If in the past you've only been familiar with the films of Chaplin and Keaton, please buy this book to find out how much Lloyd actually inspired Chaplin and Keaton's films. Harold Lloyd was not only a great actor, but he and his cameraman Walter Lundin created various great camera angles and innovations. Harold Lloyd's Masterpieces such as GRANDMA'S BOY (1922), SAFETY LAST! (1923), GIRL SHY (1924), THE FRESHMAN (1925), THE KID BROTHER (1927) and SPEEDY (1928) are just as spectacular today as the day they were filmed. Harold Lloyd's "talkie films" have known to be not so good however Harold did make 3 great films in the 30s called MOVIE CRAZY (1932), THE CAT'S PAW (1934), and THE MILKY WAY (1936). Harold Lloyd then drifted away from filmmaking to pursue other interests until the 60s when he re-released some of his films in to two compilation films and so forth.

   Harold Lloyd will forever be my favourite cinema genius and go ahead and buy this book and hopefully his films will be released on DVD as soon as possible.




4. Jeffry Vance and Suzanne Lloyd (Harold's granddaughter) have put together a fascinating book on Harold Lloyd's films and life. Always considered one of the "big three" silent film comedians, it has been difficult to appreciate Lloyd because his films were rarely shown at revivals and on television. The release of this book and the showings of his films on TCM are starting a Harold Lloyd revival.

   This book features many large, beautiful photographs from the Lloyd estate. Many of these photos have never been published before. Jeffry Vance has written incisive reviews of each of Harold's features. He details important events about the making of the films, and why they were successful (or not). He also includes some surprising details about Harold's and Mildred Davis Lloyd's private life. Suzanne Lloyd has included a chapter of her remembrances of Harold. Finally, a long interview is included that Harold gave to the AFI before his death.

   If you are a fan of silent film comedies, you won't be able to put this book down.




5. Jeffry Vance and Suzanne Lloyd (Harold's granddaughter) have put together a fascinating book on Harold Lloyd's films and life. Always considered one of the "big three" silent film comedians, it has been difficult to appreciate Lloyd because his films were rarely shown at revivals and on television. The release of this book and the showings of his films on TCM are starting a Harold Lloyd revival.

   This book features many large, beautiful photographs from the Lloyd estate. Many of these photos have never been published before. Jeffry Vance has written incisive reviews of each of Harold's features. He details important events about the making of the films, and why they were successful (or not). He also includes some surprising details about Harold's and Mildred Davis Lloyd's private life. Suzanne Lloyd has included a chapter of her remembrances of Harold. Finally, a long interview is included that Harold gave to the AFI before his death.

   If you are a fan of silent film comedies, you won't be able to put this book down.

4 comments about The Guitar Book.

1. Pierre Bensusan is a musician's musician. The first time I saw him (which was in 1977 at a folk festival in the little village of Hoeilaart in Belgium), I was so knocked out I bought his first two albums on the spot.
   
   Since then, of course, he has become world-famous, expanding his musical vocabulary all the while.
   
   The pieces in this 1985 book, however, are all drawn from that earlier time, before the effects pedals and so forth, when his main influences were easily discernible to be the notable guitarists of the English folk revival; particularly John Renbourn, Nic Jones and Martin Carthy.
   
   Contents
   ======
   Along with scales and exercises there are 35 tunes, as follows. All are in DADGAD tuning except where otherwise indicated.
   
   The Return from Fingal
   Le voyage pour l'Irlande
   Rakish Paddy
   Le lendemain de la fête (EADGBE)
   Près de Paris (FDGCF)
   The Ash Plant (FDGCF)
   The Morning Dew (FDGCF)
   La danse du capricorne
   De Trilport à Fublaines (DGDGCD)
   Heman Dubh
   Maurice au pays des merveilles
   Clementine, Mandarine et Reine Claude
   Merrily Kiss the Quaker
   Cunla
   Murtagh McKann
   The Pure Drop
   The Flax in Bloom
   Le moulin á parfums d'Emmanuelle
   Water Music
   Le voyage pour l'Irlande (EADGBE)
   Le lac des abbesses (DGDGCD)
   The False Knight on the Road
   Digital
   Hekimoglu
   Climats Doux et Tempéres
   Suite flamande aus pommes
   La marche du sonneur égaré
   Sí Bheag, Sí Mhor
   Santa Monica
   Au jardin d'amour
   Solilaï
   Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
   Nice Feeling
   Bamboulé
   Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum (CADGAD)
   
   Most are from Pierre's first four albums:
   
   7 from Près de Paris
   5 from 2
   11 from Musiques
   6 from Solilaï
   6 miscellaneous
   
   The pieces are arranged in order of difficulty (it's noticeable that all those from Solilaï come at the end).
   
   As well as the above, there are recipes, advice, photos, poems from the author's wife, and much more. In fact it's not so much a music book as a total brain dump.
   
   Accuracy
   ======
   The transcriptions are, by and large, very accurate, but there are nonetheless some curious anomalies.
   
   One is that "Le lendemain de la fête", given in standard tuning, was recorded by Pierre in DADGAD, and is given in that tuning on his DVD The Guitar of Pierre Bensusan, Vol. 1. It's certainly playable as written, but it doesn't sound quite right. What the explanation may be for this, I can only conjecture. However, "Le voyage pour l'Irlande", is given twice here, once in each tuning; so maybe it's just that Pierre plays (or has played) these pieces both ways.
   
   Most annoying, however, is that the staff notation is written at absolute pitch, even when a capo is used, e.g. "Le lac des abbesses" in G capo'd at 4 is written in B. This makes the staff impossible to read without reference to to the tab, for the 15 pieces in which a capo is specified.
   
   The key signature of "La marche du sonneur égaré" should be one sharp, not two; since although the key is D, the mode is mixolydian, and so the Cs are natural (as confirmed by the tab). However, there is the occasional C#, so, again, you have to check both the staff and the tab.
   
   Presentation
   =========
   The book is conventionally bound and does not take kindly to being opened flat. My copy (about 20 years old) is falling apart.
   
   Summary
   =======
   This is one of the greatest guitar books I've ever come across, so much so that even the quirks mentioned above can't lead me to deduct a star. It's certainly THE greatest book on DADGAD, although Pierre Bensusan presents DADGAD Guitar comes close.
   
   But it's not for beginners, nor for flatpickers. Also, if you can't read you may have trouble, especially if you don't have the author's first four CDs. In that case, or if you learn better visually, I would recommend the DVD mentioned above, along with Vol. 2. Both come with tab booklets.



2. This book is a great find for acoustic guitarists looking to stretch their fingerstyle playing as well as learn about alternate tunings. Pierre Bensusan's playing is phenomenal, and if you can keep up with any of the tunes transcribed (I wish I could!) in this book, then you're really doing something. This book has all the songs from his early records, plus poems, pictures, even recipes. It's excellent.



3. Pierre Bensusan's "Guitar Book" is simply one of the best guitar books ever published. Virtually all of the pieces from his first 4 recordings are transcribed in very accessible format. All in tablature, mostly his preferred DADGAD tuning. In general, the pieces are arranged from easiest to most difficult, and most are accessible for an intermediate player. If it were just about the transcriptions, this would certainly be an extraordinary work. However, the "extras" take it to another level. Poetry, art, cooking recipes fill in along with some of his thoughts about playing the guitar. This work is truly distinguished from other guitar publications. Obviously, this book is not for a mass audience, but if you like Pierre Bensusan and play the guitar, you simply MUST have this.



4. Pierre is not only one of the most extraordinary acoustic guitar players in the world, but a lot more. The Guitar Book is the living proof that Pierre is also an skilled writer, capable of sharing his own "little world", as he calls it, so that the reader is able to immerse himself in Pierre's playing style, musical visions, and even venture into some more, uh, sensorial stuff. The book provides not only insights on his playing techniques, immaculate transcriptions of tunes from his first 4 albums and the Mechanics of Guitar according to Bensusan, but also some poems, evocative photographs, paintings and even recipes!! This is as deep as you can get into an artists personal world, done in the irreprehensible Bensusan style. A MUST-BUY!!

2 comments about A Hatful of Rain.

1. The feeling one gets from Michael V. Gazzo's Hatful of Rain is reminiscent of Arthur Miller's work. The similarity is in the family tension and drama and of course, the writing style. Hatful of Rain first appeared on Broadway in 1955 with Ben Gazzara and Shelly Winters. Hatful of Rain is included in John Gassner's Best American Plays 1951-57.
   
   The story about two brothers takes place in tenement apartment in New York. A father visits his son, Korean war vet, Johnny Pope and his pregnant wife Celia. Father doesn't know that Johnny is now a morphine junkie, in debt to pushers, heading into a violent world, has lost his job and has an unstable married life. Polo lives with Johnny and Celia.
   
   Father accepts Johnny but doesn't have hope for Polo, a bouncer, and holds a grudge against him because Polo doesn't have the $2500 Father was promised. Father sees what he wants to see, that Johnny is doing all right, but Polo is not.
   
   The money, we learn, has gone to Johnny for drugs. Polo has always stepped up for, and hidden Johnny's life from others.
   
   This is an emotional play, lengthy and interesting from beginning to end. Following that, a 1957 movie, now on VHS, was made with Anthony Franciosa as the troubled brother Polo. ....MzRizz



2. Okay, being the first person to review this is ridiculous. Having seen scenes from this performed in acting classes for years, it surprises me that nobody bothered to regard this play here...
   Written in the early 50's, created out of Actors' Studio workshops, Gazzo-best known for playing Frankie Pentangeli in The Godfather, Part II, was taking big chances writing a play about a Korea vet who's injuries precipitated an addiction to drugs. When it premiered in 1955 A Hatful of Rain, along with Otto Preminger's film The Man With the Golden Arm, starring Frank Sinatra, which came out the same year, was featured on the cover of Time magazine, and opened up discussion about drug addiction, heroine addiction, the likes of which hadn't been done before.
   So A Hatful of Rain is something of a landmark.
   Johnny is the lead, an out of work vet, married to Celia, and brother to Polo who is living with them in their small apartment. The Pope boys' father, John, Sr. is in town, from Palm Beach, and never ceases to hassle Polo for his failure to lend him money...
   Without spoiling the story, suffice to know that this is a family drama, a kitchen-sink-family-drama to be more accurate, which deals with the secrets couples and fathers and sons keep, the nature of addiction, honor to one's loves, junkie-dom and it's according plagues, and a side of post-war America that took many years to surface on the stage...
   A great read, dense with feeling and dilemmas....
   Peace be to Michael V. Gazzo...

5 comments about Dogeaters.

1. People condemned colonialism as being the exploitation of one country by another. The dominant power sucked the resources out of the weaker one, paying only a little back in terms of some technology and a semblance of law and order. But I think now we have realized that that economic bloodsucking was only one of the evils of the imperial experience. More subtle, but maybe longer lasting, was the degrading of the self among the dominated. The ruled felt powerless, they felt their whole culture had failed them and offered nothing of a future, while the West (almost always the dominating powers) remained glamorous, powerful, sexy, and almost unreachable. The dominated peoples shucked off their traditions, rejected their pasts, and tried to become Western. If this is only partly true, it is truer of the elites, who could aspire to local power if they mimicked the real rulers. In the post-colonial era some countries adopted Western institutions to benefit themselves, while others took only the outward forms of the West and used them in corrupt ways. If these remarks hold any relevance to post-colonial society, they are even more true of the Philippines, where America held out a vision of "Americanization"---democracy, education, and pop culture---which could not be delivered in reality in a Southeast Asian peasant society that had lived under loose Spanish control for over 350 years before the Yanks arrived.
   
   DOGEATERS is an achingly realistic portrait of Manila society, where nobody wants to be what they are and everyone wants to be somebody else. Identity comes from trashy Hollywood and Manila movies, soap opera is life. The shopping-obssessed elite rejects everything in their own land. The demi-monde leers around every corner. Phoneyness is next to godliness. The riffraff rule. Everyone survives on the edge. Marginal men become mainstream. Snowy Christmas scenes and "Jingle Bells" greet a holiday, but it's all "out there" somewhere; Manila remains hot and humid, home to a Malayo-Polynesian tradition that is walled off and laughed at by the would-be foreigners that dwell in the vast city. Imelda Marcos, a character in the book, collects her shoes and puts up huge "cultural" monuments that commemorate herself. She has no clue about and no sympathy for the problems of her nation. A thinly-disguised Benigno Aquino gets assassinated and everyone betrays everyone else. Everyone turns out to be marginal in the end.
   
   DOGEATERS starts off in a brilliant way. The first two thirds of the book is exciting and insightful. If you have ever read Vargas Llosa or Lobo Antunes, you will not find Hagedorn at all difficult. Changing narrators and jumping back and forth is part of post-modern literature. Hey, what's so new about that ? I am not at all Filipino, though I have visited that country. OK, I didn't understand most of the Tagalog words tossed into the text without explanation, but you get the sense even so. In the last third, however, the author runs out of ideas. She can't keep up the momentum created through her intense, accurate description of certain classes of Filipino society. The story becomes diffuse and kind of limps across the finish line like "American Graffiti". Still, for anyone who fancies a novel that really opens up a culture quite neglected and unknown in the West, DOGEATERS is a must read.



2. Let me preface this by saying that I am Filipino, but have very little knowledge of what life in the Philippines is like, so in many respects this novel breaks new ground for me (although I did recognize much of the Tagalog that Hagedorn uses). That being said, I have to say that this book moves beyond being easily categorized as a transculturation text or something that simply received press because of its introduction of Filipino culture to the American populace (much in the same way that Alvarez and Garcia wrote books that could not be dismissed as simply being Latino-American fiction produced for an ethnic-hungry reading population). The style reminds me of the book "Twelve" in its fast paced movements and I especially liked the way the storylines of all of the characters had a way of intersecting with one another. I loved reading about Joey's character and also liked the way Hagedorn discusses a major problem with many Asian cultures - the problems of navigating the way with which Western culture bleeds into almost every facet of society. Hagedorn writes vivid descriptions of characters struggling with and enjoying the way Western entertainment has become the norm.
   
   Problems with the novel? I guess one major concern is the over-emphasis on explaining what makes a Filipino a Filipino and the constant explanation of every little tidbit of Filipino culture. The way she uses language is well-done and people can understand the Tagalog without any translations, so I wish she had chosen to take a step back and not necessarily explain every cultural tidbit she thought a non-Filipino would not know. If that's what someone wanted they would have purchased a sociology textbook.
   
   In the end, this is an entertaining read that does a good job of playing with narrative forms.



3. i thought this book would be interesting. instead, it was too intertwined with daydreams, multiple plots and different characters. it was difficult to read and hard to stay focused.



4. The whole idea of the postmodern novel has been rather disintegrated in this book. Hagedorn makes it seem as if giving a slice of life can never reconcile with an actual plot. If anyone has read Salman Rushdie or Marquez, that is obviously untrue. For the other folks, I'm truly sorry you haven't read anything worthwhile written in the past 30 years. In the end the entire theme of coming to age has been hastily written in the last thirty or so pages and everything else before was simple background to the terrible life that most of the characters experienced. If you want something thats almost strikingly similar in style and statire to this novel, read Ishmael Reed's phenominal Mumbo Jumbo.



5. Hagedorn's noteworthy novel presents a story of the Philippines through a Baroque layering of interconnected plots, as the many characters swirl around in the urban landscape of Manila. As some posters have complained, the plot can be confusing because of the many interconnections. In addition to the many characters, the novel is at times overwhelming because it is so filled with named things: imported foods identified by their national origins, references to Hollywood actors and pop culture figures from both the US and the Philippines, and places in the Philippines. The density of this short novel deliberately challenges the reader to follow along by figuring out the plots' interconnections and the many cultural references. For those who aren't willing to meet the novel half way, it certainly would be easy to become lost or bored. In certain ways, I would compare this novel to the experience of entering a virtual world in which the reader has the freedom to explore a different reality. The reader's job is to engage and connect all the people and things to be found there. It is an effort worth making.

2 comments about A History of the Hal Roach Studios.

1. I just finished reading this book and really enjoyed it.I've really laerned a lot about what life was like behind the scenes of the films I grew up with,such as Our Gang and Laurel & Hardy.I highly recoomend this book.



2. During the 1910s, Hal Roach started a little comedy studio. By the late 1920s, he had eclipsed rival Mack Sennett both artistically and financially. His studio built Harold Lloyd and Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy into major comedy stars. And lots of lesser comedians like Snub Pollard, Charley Chase, Our Gang, Will Rogers, and Thelma Todd made funny films there too.
   
   While a comprehensive artistic history of the studio has yet to be written, Mr. Ward's book goes into great detail on the inner workings of the business side of movie making. From the beginning of the studio, Roach had problems with Pathe booking his films into theaters. Pathe complained that the Roach films were not funny, and did not always pay Roach enough to make a good profit. After Roach signed a distribution agreement with M-G-M, things were much rosier, especially because Laurel & Hardy became such big stars.
   
   Roach even secretly made a Laurel & Hardy feature film, and many more followed. Roach also made a few dramatic films too, like OF MICE AND MEN and ONE MILLION BC. Roach's studio survived into the 1950s, being run by Hal Roach, Jr. and making television programs. However, after World War II the studio's glory days were behind them.
   
   If you are a fan of Harold Lloyd, Laurel & Hardy, Charley Chase, or Our Gang, this book is a must read. While critical assesments of films are only in a small appendix, this book will tell you everything else about the struggles that the Roach personnel had making great comedies. Although Roach certainly was successful, you will be surprised with all of the failed comedy series that he tried. And you will discover that Roach was a much better producer than director. His later directoral films were not very good.
   
   Mr. Ward's book is extensively researched and end-noted. It belongs on the bookshelf of any silent comedy or sound comedy fan.

1 comments about Yoshiwara.

1. For anyone doing serious work on sexuality (Japanese or otherwise), prostitution or Japanese history or even Japanese political culture, "Yoshiwara" is not to be missed. Seigle has written not only a comprehensive, but fascinating and accessable book about the history of the licensed prostitution quarter near (now inside) Tokyo during the Tokugawa Era.

   She gives a fascinating (if at times - by necessity - disturbing) look at how sexual politics and popular culture were regulated and maintained during the Tokugawa Shogunate. She gives equal weight to everything from architecture and anecdotes and gives an impressively complete cross-section of life in the district throughout the vast majority of the Yoshiwara's history. The picture she gives is also one that shows rise, evolution and decline of the district in equal importance. Even the cultural impact of the Yoshiwara upon cultural phenomena like style and societal standing are covered in admirable depth.

   I have found this book of great use in studies of both Japanese sexuality and urban history. Seigle does a wonderful job of neither romanticizing nor attacking the Yoshiwara, but is (on the whole) content to lay out as complete a history and case study as she can. For any serious student of Japanese history or culture, I recommend not missing this book.

5 comments about Science Fiction Television Series: Episode Guides, Histories, And Casts And Credits for 62 Prime-time Shows, 1959 Through 1989. Two Volume Set.

1. It's past time that someone put some thought and effort into a book of this nature. We've had "Science Fiction TV" guides before, and they've uniformly been written by authors whose axes could be heard grinding away throughout as they slagged shows they disliked and drooled over shows they (often unaccountably) were fans of. Mark Phillips and Frank Garcia have done a good job of research and writing here, with few and minor mistakes. The chapter on "Battlestar Galactica," which is accurate and contains a good deal of information, much of it from new interviews done especially for this book, is worth the price of admission alone. If you're a fan of science fiction on TV, this book, in spite of its price, should be on your bookshelf. Very highly recommended.



2. This book represents the pinnacle in terms of a blend of behind-the-scenes insights and anecdotes combined with basic reference data. The multitude of interviews that went into the text give the material a depth that the more common coverage of sci-fi shows rarely attains. Like other books by McFarland, it's pricey, but I can think of none that give the reader better value for their dollar.



3. What makes this guide especially fascinating are the numerous candid in-depth interviews with the producers and writers of these shows, giving much insight into the creative process and the trials and tribulations of creating innovative television shows. There are countless behind-the-scenes anecdotes that have, I am sure, never seen print before. I thought I knew a lot about certain shows, but this book contained info that was new to me; and even reading the articles about shows I never watched (and the entries on each show are long and detailed) I could scarcely put the book down. This book serves as a reference, but it is more than that; it has a wealth of fascinating insights into the television industry itself.



4. From my own column (ex of Mania Magazine), Andy Mangels' Hollywood Heroes:

   If you're a fan of science fiction television history, there is one indispensable book you must have in your collection. Science Fiction Television Series is subtitled "Episode Guides, Histories, and Cast and Credits for 62 Prime Time Shows, 1959 through 1989." It's written by Mark Phillips and Frank Garcia, both well-known writers for magazines like Starlog and Cinefantastique. Kenneth Johnson, producer/creator of V, The Incredible Hulk, Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Alien Nation, and more, contributed the introduction.

   The hardcover book is a whopping 691 pages (!), and has photos throughout. Each series is given a historical overview, with interviews for the writers, producers, actors, cameramen, and more! Plus, you get an episode guide with correct titles, guest star information, and trivia. I've had this book on my shelf for a few months, and besides using it for research, I'm immensely entertained browsing through its pages.

   What are some of the shows covered? Alien Nation, Auto Man, Captain Power, Cliffhangers, Greatest American Hero, Kolchak the Night Stalker, Logan's Run, Man From Atlantis, Misfits Of Science, Planet of the Apes, Quantum Leap, Spiderman, Starman, Star Trek, Superboy, Twilight Zone (all three series), V, Voyager, and Wonder Woman. And that's just to name a few! Plus, appendixes cover unsold SF pilots, and Emmy Award nominees and winners.

   It's unlikely you'll find Science Fiction Television Series in your stores, as it's a specialty book largely aimed at researchers and libraries. It's well worth the price!

   Once again, this gets my highest recommendation.




5. One of the most fascinating 'episode guides ' that has come on the market , a must have for any one associated or fan of the SF genre. An upto date episode guide / summary with an added bonus of interviews , with key actors directors of many favourite sf shows.