5 comments about Making Money in Voice-Overs, 2nd Edition (with CD): Winning Strategies to a Successful Career in TV, Commercials Radio and Animation (Book & CD).

1. This book was highly recommended to me by a producer in New York. I read it and immediately knew that this is who I wanted to learn from. Great tips throughout - she really wants everyone to succeed - she's not selfish with her knowledge at all. I subsequently contacted the author through her website (www.terriapple.com) and signed up to train with her while she was in New York. She's widely recognized as one of the BEST in the business; professional, positive, smart and she has a real "Go Team!" attitude that shows in her writing style. Without a doubt, this book is the first step in working toward a career in voice-overs.



2. There are so many typos in this book that it is actually frustrating to read. There is also so much repetition, not in general, but huge paragraphs that can be found word for word three pages earlier. Terri Apple is very good at cheerleading and she obviously knows the business but there's too much emphasis on LA contacts and way, way, way too many text errors to recommend this book. And I'm not talking about grammar. I'm talking about "The re" "and and" or whole words left out. I found myself struggling to read this book. Since it was published in 1999 some of the advice is out-of-date, like carry a pager (pre-cell phones) which is not Ms. Apple's fault, nor her editors, if she had one. I do find her responsible for the content of her book. With so many books on voice-overs out there, I would recommend another.



3. I doubt that Terri Apple even edited her book one-time through. There are a number of grammatical mistakes and spelling errors, making the meaning of several sentences nearly incomprehensible. Had she or an editor read this book, they would have caught many of the obvious mistakes ahead of time. The chapters were not very well laid-out and extremely inconsistent. The book's content was not organized well. Much of the information in each chapter did not coincide with the chapter title and she would skip ideas from one paragraph to the next. Also, she repeated much of the same information in several different chapters under different sections. Perhaps she wrote the book in between her many voiceover auditions. The information in this book is outdated since the industry has changed so dramatically since its publication. Terri Apple has proved that pretty voices should only be used when they have something to say. And that a pretty voice can be an ugly read.



4. Personally I expected more helpful hints and techniques for improving your skills in voice-overs but instead most of the book is concentrated on advising how to promote your talent. So if you want to know how to be a voice-talent this is propably not the best book for you, but if you feel you already have what it takes to be a voice-over artist, it gives you advise what to do to get yourself into business.



5. The massive amount of helpful information in this book is marred by only two things:

   o It desperately needs some copy editing to remove the sentence fragments and other "word-processing glitches," and

   o The discussions of technology need to be reviewed by someone with a firmer grasp of how such things actually work.

   Because of this, I would give it 4-1/2 stars instead of 5 if that rating were available.

   In the big picture, however, these are minor quibbles with a book that otherwise covers a lot of ground and answers a lot of questions that aspiring voice actors would have. It provides an in-depth look at the voice-over business (with particular focus on Los Angeles) from the perspective of a busy, in-demand performer who has paid enough dues to know what she's talking about, and because it is fairly new it covers recent developments that older books omit. Certainly well worth the modest investment for anyone wanting to know more about this business.

5 comments about The Truth Is Out There (The Official Guide to the X-Files, Vol. 1).

1. Even the most avid fan needs a road map to the X-Files (I know I do!). I have been a fan since the very first episode and I own all the episode guides, all seasons on video tape, all seasons on DVD and various other books and magazines....so, it is safe to say that I like the X-Files. This is definitely a book for the X-Files fan! It has all of season 1 and 2 with a detailed synopsis for each episode...including important dialogue quotes. It has great photographs also to accompany the stories. You could easily understand what's going on just from reading this book....it's also good as reference when something happens in later episodes that you didn't understand, to go back and find out who, why and what.

   It also has all of the awards the show had won during those seasons. Well worth the money and makes a good collectible item!




2. This was an ok book. It wasn't one of the best ones, but it was so-so.



3. As a 11 year old child, now very interested in the x files, I needed a way to learn of all the things I had missed in the first couple of seasons without straining by budget. Then I found this. With detailed walkthroughs of the first three season's episodes, and biographies of the actors/ actresses, as well as the characters, I found this book as the thing I wanted.



4. As a 11 year old child, now very interested in the x files, I needed a way to learn of all the things I had missed in the first couple of seasons without straining by budget. Then I found this. With detailed walkthroughs of the first three season's episodes, and biographies of the actors/ actresses, as well as the characters, I found this book as the thing I wanted.



5. An excellant and complete episode guide which is accompanied by never-seen-before photos. Includes interesting interviews with the cast which give you an indepth insight into who Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny and Chris Carter are. Essential reading for any X-philes as this is the book which traces the shows orgins - it shows you how it all began!! 5 years later its important to take a look at the past.

No comments about Drama Lessons for Five to Eleven Year-Olds.

No comments about Aureng-Zebe (Bison Book).

1 comments about The Cinema of Generation X: A Critical Study of Films and Directors.

1. Hanson presents an engaging and highly readable portrait of the landscape of Gen-X filmmakers, replete with observations that will make you want to pop some of your favorite DVDs into the player with a newfound appreciation.

1 comments about Sundance to Sarajevo: Film Festivals and the World They Made.

1. Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times and NPR film critic, has traveled the world to watch movies at film festivals so that the viewing public can learn about new, upcoming films and the stars and artists that make them. Along the way, he has seen it all, from the upstart come mega-festival Sundance to little known venues in war zones like Sarajevo, Bosnia and Burkina Faso in Africa.
   
   Now, Turan has written a delightful travelogue of his experiences, focusing on 12 of the more than 400 film festivals each year. The festivals he spotlights are divided into four sections: Festivals with Business Agendas (Cannes, Sundance, ShoWest), Festivals with Geopolitical Agendas (Burkina Faso, Havana, Sarajevo, Midnight Sun), Festivals with Aesthetic Agendas (Pordenone, Lone Pine, Telluride), and some failures under the section of the Politics of Festivals.
   
   From the food to the people to the landscape to the cities to the films, Turan feeds us the flavors of each festival; but, that is not all as we get all the juice and details from behind the scenes of these festivals, and we really learn how they tick.
   
   If you are a successful filmmaker, you will enjoy the nostalgic ride; if you are an inspiring filmmaker, there is much to learn before you visit your first festival as an insider; and, if you are a film buff, then you will enjoy the ride with Turan as he visits the festivals in ways we can't. Come along and visit the place where big Hollywoodland meets the independent spirit of film.
   
   >>>>>>><<<<<<<
   
   A Guide to my Book Rating System:
   
   1 star = The wood pulp would have been better utilized as toilet paper.
   2 stars = Don't bother, clean your bathroom instead.
   3 stars = Wasn't a waste of time, but it was time wasted.
   4 stars = Good book, but not life altering.
   5 stars = This book changed my world in at least some small way.

5 comments about Conversations With Joan Crawford.

1. I feel like I've waited my entire life for this book... I don't know where to start! I am so excited to have found this book. For years, I have been searching for a "real" book about my idol, cinematic legend, Miss Joan Crawford. With the exception of a very few, every book about Joan was always the same: boring-boring-boring.
   
   "Conversations With Joan," by Mr. Roy Newquist is really the very best book ever written about this fascinating and complex star! I absolutely could not put it down! The book is only 175 pages long, yet I felt like (for the first time, ever!) I got a clear and concise picture of Joan. Why is this the best book about Miss Crawford?
   
   "Conversations With Joan" treads new waters as it lays down an original painting on a clean and unused canvas. This book is a collection of extremely intimate, in-depth and never-before-published interviews with Joan. It even includes her very last interviews just a couple of months before she passed on! Roy Newquist was also the only member of the media that Joan ever spoke to after 1974. She only spoke to him because she trusted him and she knew that he was an accomplished and honest writer. "Conversations With Joan" should really have Joan's name listed as one of the authors, because 90% of the text comes straight out of her mouth. The book is very interestingly written and put together, it is more like a long fan-article than a typical hum-drum celebrity (auto)biography. Mr. Newquist wasn't just a journalist who chose to write a book about Joan. Nope. He was a friend of Joan's. "Conversations With Joan Crawford" was actually written over a 15 year time-period; from the time Mr. Newquist first met her, up until right before Miss Crawford's death in 1977!
   
   Joan is asked about and discusses everything! She talks about her childhood, her mother, her brother, her lovers, her father, her various step-fathers and she even answers many questions about her friends, as well. She is candid, funny and always forthcoming! The questions also get tough. Joan is questioned about her alleged alcohol abuse. She discusses her affair with Clark Gable. She discusses all of her divorces, and she even candidly details how it felt to become a widow at such a young age! Joan talks about her failures, too, in total description. We all know that Miss Crawford is a perfectionist. But the Joan in this book is also very vulnerable. She wishes she could change many aspects in both her private and professional lives. If this reviewer didn't know a modicum about Miss Crawford, I would learn that she had a heart an a soul.
   
   The first portion (note: there really aren't clear-cut chapters in this book) of the book includes an informative section that includes commentary from Joan on all of her movies from the 20's up until What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (Two-Disc Special Edition). As you may know, Joan was the epitome of a star during the Golden Era of cinema, and made more than 80 classic pictures. She is rather proud of all her movies, especially her defining role in Mildred Pierce (Keepcase). Miss Crawford is especially delicate as she goes over the movie that garnered her an Academy Award for Best Actress. It almost goes without saying that she has nothing but gratitude for her crew and costars that helped make this movie such a success. Of course she talks about all of her other most well-known movies, such as Flamingo Road (1949), The Damned Don't Cry, Possessed, Humoresque, Harriet Craig, Sudden Fear, "Female on the Beach," Autumn Leaves and Queen Bee. But Joan especially relishes her reign as MGM's box-office queen as she elaborates on such representative films as, Our Dancing Daughters, "Letty Lynton," Grand Hotel (Snap case), Sadie Mckee, Forsaking All Others (1934), I Live My Life, Shining Hour, The Women (Keepcase), Strange Cargo (1940), Susan & God and Woman's Face. And it's also rather comical reading these passages, because the same movies that you or I hate ("The Ice Follies of 1939," Johnny Guitar, and the dreaded, Trog) are the same ones that Joan despised as well. Joan was the type of star who tended to base her opinions on her pictures based on what her fans thought. That may not be right, but that was just the way she was.
   
   Joan discusses the movie business in brass accuracy. She remembers all of her costars and all of the crews that helped make her pictures the classics that they are today. Miss Crawford also gives her blunt opinion on the "New Hollywood." Although, in 2007 this hardly seems "new." I can only imagine what she would have said about today's "stars?" I'm sure she would have said a lot; none of it complimentary. Joan is even asked about Bette Davis, more than once. As I always thought, Miss Crawford didn't have any hatred towards Bette Davis. Of course the 2 were never friends (where is written that 2 actresses have to be friends?,) but she did appreciate Bette Davis' talent and showmanship.
   
   For lack of a better word, this is really such a perfect book. I really do not understand why more fans do not know about it. I suppose, like me, they didn't look hard enough. Maybe good things come to those who wait? The book was first published 27 years ago in 1980, when I was just a baby. Wouldn't it be great if the publisher or author could put it back in print? But alas, that is probably never going to happen. I thought it was absolutely hilarious how Miss Crawford would say something like, "oh I just can't talk about that." Then she would lapse into a 3 page speech on the very topic she was being asked about! No matter what she says, I think Joan loved being a star and she loved putting on a show. Up until the very, very end, she was still always performing for her fans.
   
   Known for her fashion-sense, classical beauty and the ability to constantly re-invent herself (decades before Madonna was a household name,) this book includes some of the most alluring pictures of Miss Crawford throughout her long and impressive film career. The pictures ran throughout the entire book and were often included next to text that was along the same topic. And the back cover even included a lovely shot of Joan, from the mid-thirties. I saw many pictures for the very first time, such as a stunning picture of Joan taken during the late 40's; probably around the time she was making "Daisy Kenyon." I also loved the shot of her taken in the 20's, used as an early MGM publicity photo.
   
   Joan also opens up about her later years in life. Again, please remember that during the 70's she gave very few interviews and completely cut the press off starting in '74. So, this book acts as the first and only accurate picture of Miss Crawford's life during this time. She still sounds optimistic and always incredibly determined during these sections of the book and her life; which run concurrent! Because, maybe Miss Crawford knew that this would be her only chance to "set the record straight?" Through "Conversations With Joan," she did just that by letting her fans have an inside glimpse into her world!
   
   It's very unfortunate that the vast majority of the public think of Joan as a violent monster. If only they read "Conversations With Joan Crawford," they would see for themselves that she was nothing like that (please keep in mind that this book was written over a 15 year time-period, it was not just thrown together at the last minute.) But, if that's what they have to believe to get through the night, more power to 'em. In this crazy world, I don't know what I believe in anymore. Although, I will never lose faith in Miss Crawford. I am certain that she was a first-rate star who worked her a-s-s off to get to where she was, and once she got there she never stopped working!



2. I'm so glad I found out about this book. Fortunately, there are plenty of second hand copies around the world so it wasn't too hard to come by. This book was prepared over a period when Roy Newquist got to know Crawford on a deeper level. She opened up herself almost completely, although would not let him use a tape recorder. So the book is based on his notes during the sessions. What I think readers will enjoy the most are her opinions on all her films. It's interesting to see that she dislikes the films that most of us do, and loves the films we all love. Also worth reading are her thoughts on her early childhood which was clearly a tough and difficult time for the young Lucille Le Seuer. I also enjoyed reading the section on her two oldest children. Although this book pre-dates "Mommie Dearest", it becomes apparent that Crawford had been criticised for her mothering of Christina and Christopher in the late 70's. Her thoughts on her behavious and the two children's behaviour is worth reading. Always advisable to recognise that there are two sides to every story.
   
   This is a fascinating read, perhaps too short, but one thing is clear: all Crawford fans need a copy in their collection.



3. My only disappointment with this book is that it's too short! Very interesting and in Joan's own words. I think a life lesson is here as well from her. You do the best you can with the choices you've made.



4. Finally a complete book that you can read about Miss Crawford.
   Not only can you read the excellent interview by Roy Newquist,who is very respectful in his tone,but still manages to get the questions answered,you also get the complete rundown of her extensive filmography until....Whatever happened to Baby Jane ?.(If you have seen the films after this one,you will not be too,too surprised!).
   So in conclusion,this is a must-read book,and you wish to purchase it,get the Hardcover copy,because you will want to reread this book over and over again.Mark my word !



5. In spite of not being much of a fan of Joan Crawford, especially in her uptight Warner's years, this book is a fascinating insight into her persona, possibly the best available. The book is a compendium of interviews with Crawford over a 15 year period, all carefully re-arranged to provide continuity to the reader. The result is logical and easy to follow.
   
   Crawford was not highly educated so she states that she often struggled with the interview process because she was unsure what to say. Certainly, in the few existing interviews available, she is not highly articulate in the same way as Katharine Hepburn or Bette Davis. This book has a big advantage because the conversations were private, when Crawford was clearly more relaxed and not "maintaining" her public image. Accordingly, her observations are direct with an honesty for which she was not often credited and we get a much greater feel for who she was. The pretension is stripped away and her comments on her own films are excellent. She agreed with many film critics that many of her films were formula laden junk.
   
   There is not a lot about her children or her active sex life (dismissed with the comment that she was "highly sexed"), although she speaks openly of her relationship with Clark Gable. Many of her comments display a wit which might be unexpected. Certainly, her comments about the studio system in which she flourished are worthy of a text book on the subject.
   
   The overwhelming impression is of a tough woman who by hard work and dedication achieved great professional success but was unable to do the same in her personal life due to an overwhelming inferiority complex. When you read between the lines on her upbringing, it is no wonder she was poorly equipped for stable and rewarding relationships. One of her most attractive traits though is that she does not really feel sorry for herself. Her self discipline ultimately overrules everything else.
   
   This book has long been out of print but is worth tracking down.

5 comments about Never the Sinner.

1. "Never the Sinner" is a well-written play that examines the notorious crime of Leopold and Loeb. John Logan masterfully examines the mindset of these two 'supermen' who try to commit the perfect crime, merely because they can. His play also portrays Clarence Darrow, the man who defended them in court.
   
   Leopold and Loeb tried to commit the perfect murder, simply because they could. They were young, rich and intelligent, and had no motive for killing an innocent cousin than for sheer experimentary entertainment. Logan examines the friendship between the two teenagers, which strayed into homosexuality, and the slip-up that brought about their capture. Clarence Darrow, as their defender, doesn't try to deny their actions - he can not do so because they readily admit to their guilt and lack of motive - but he still argues strongly and persuasively to prevent their deaths.
   
   John Logan's "Never the Sinner" is a brilliant look at two fascinating characters. It's surprising that little has been done with Leopold and Loeb on the screen (despite Hitchcock's similar story "The Rope"). It is a fascinating and entertaining story that transcends the years.



2. After reading this play, I must question why there has not been an attempt to bring this work into the mainstream theatre or even movies. Despite Logan's modesty, this is a compelling and well written work about one of the most shocking crimes in history.

   Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were teenage millionaires that had everything. Both men were highly intelligent college students with a lot of potential. They believed they were such "Ubermensch" or supermen that they could get away with anything, even murder. In the end, they realize that they are not superman, but flawed individuals.

   Throughout the development of this play we see the shift in the power of their relationship which is based on a "Homosexual Pact". While Loeb originally is dominant in the relationship, Leopold seems to take the lead once they are on trial. Perhaps this is due to Loeb coming to the realization that he is not a superman. This "love story" is based on fact and gives us some insight into how these young minds that went sour. However, we will never know the full story.

   Clarence Darrow is documented in the writting. His character's beliefs are a reflection of what history has recorded about Darrow. He was a fiesty and wise lawyer that opposed the death penalty. Truly, he is a role model for contemporary lawyers.

   This book is an excellent read for a short car trip or plane flight. It is short, but very entertaining and gets to the point.




3. In John Logan's moving yet horrifying "Never the Sinner" we meet two infamous killers, and the mystic, mythic figure that chose to defend these two.

   Set in the 1920s, Logan spins the story of Leopold and Loeb, two rich, handsome teenagers that, due to the mixing of their personalities and dangerous philosophies (Nietzche gone bad) decide to kill someone for the experience of it. After this henious act, Clarence Darrow rides in, not to wipe the guilt from their souls, but merely defend them from going to the gallows.

   There are several moving aspects to this play which Logan has brilliantly captured in small scenes. The courtship and love between Leopold and Loeb is explored fully. Some ficiton and non-fiction written about these two shy away from the possible homosexual connection, but not Logan. Their actions are horrendous, their self-centered thinking abhorrant, but the relationship between the two powers this play and is intriguing. You want the union of these two not to result in murder, but in love.

   The other passionate part of the play comes with the introduction of Clarence Darrow in the second act. He rides in and becomes a fierce adversary of the death penalty, and brilliant argues against the ultimate punishment. However, his courtroom bravado is tempered by scenes with the boys, when he tries desparately to understand the actions of these two. And due to his efforts, Leopold and Loeb begin to struggle with the consequences of their actions, and become more human (which, upon my understanding of the actual story, never really happened).

   John Logan has given us a play that reads very well, is very passionate and compelling, and a true classic of theater today.




4. "Never the Sinner" is possibly one of the most historically accurate plays of today. It tells the true story of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb and their quest to become ubermensch, or "supermen", as described by renowned philosopher, Nietsche. It offers the audience a journey through the early 1920's through the eyes the two young men. Their strange relationship and above normal intelligence find way to extremes beyond their own imaginations. John Logan has investigated this "crime of the century" and created a theatrical masterpiece. I have been fortunate enough to perform in a production of "Never the Sinner" in Buffalo, NY and, as Nathan Leopold, I conducted extensive research myself - this play is, without a doubt, extremely accurate and hauntingly so. It won various achievement awards and has been nominated, with pleasant outcome, as Best Play. If you're looking for a suspenseful, romantic, mysterious play - one that has been prestigeously acclaimed throughout the world, "Never the Sinner" will not only keep you on the edge of your nerves by bringing historical and frightfully realistic visions to the forefront of your mind, but a keen understanding of what power, determination, and Hollywood ideals of the 1920's could produce to the criminal minds of Leopold and Loeb.



5. John Logan contructs a masterful picture of the times and people involved in the first "crime of the century." This is a dazzling piece of work that could only exist on the stage. Suspenseful, involing, emotive, compassionate and above all amazingly theatrical, this work stands not only as a terrific documentary play of an important time, but as an engrossing example of how powerful a medium the theatre can be.

1 comments about Suffocating Mothers: Fantasies of Maternal Origin in Shakespeare's Plays, Hamlet to the Tempest.

1. This book offers up an in-depth scholarly analysis of all of the mother figures in Shakespeare's early works-both those who appear in the play and those whose absence gives us cause to pause.
   
   Ademan points out, and makes much hay of the fact, that Shakespeare began writing his great tragedies simultaneously with the introduction of the first fully imagined mother- character.
   
   Personally, I find it difficult to make the intuitive leaps that Adelman has made in drawing conslusions about Shakespeare's "troubled meditation on infantile helplessness." I find that Shakespeare's work is just so amazingly complex, and the body of work is so large, that an enterprising scholar can read just about anything into it.
   
   People have written extensively on Shakespeare and how he anticipated Freud's theories, feminism, major issues within catholicism, even communism and capitalism. It's hard for me to become overly sympathetic with any of these views, and Adelman's book, while well-written (if a bit abstruse), is no exception.
   
   Shakespeare has written about life, grounding it in realism and also elevating it to an entity of great meaning. Anyone who so finely articulates the human condition can and will be open to a variety of specialized interpretations, as well as the opposite interpretations.
   
   I think that books like this one are valuable, in that they identify a viewpoint that can be expressed and studied within the context of Shakespeare's work. But the final word on Shakespeare has to be much broader in scope, and I would urge all but the most serious scholars to beware the tunnel vision that this type of undertaking can inadvertently create.
   
   Did Shakespeare have strong views on motherhood, and can we extrapolate to speculate on his own relationship with his mother? Perhaps. But we won't ever really know for sure, and that might be a good thing.

5 comments about Norma Shearer: A Biography.

1. Norma Shearer was incredibly private, and her children continued the tradition. Even her widower didn't want to talk to Mr. Lambert, saying that Norma's life was a closed chapter. You can imagine how daunting it would be to put together a complete biography of such a person, yet Lambert manages it in a way that is scholarly, objective and compulsively readable.
   
   Norma was complex. She had insecurities and was mercurial at times. Her marriage to Irving Thalberg, while a loving one, was not terribly passionate (the description of their courtship is one of the many highlights of this superb book). Her relationship with her children was difficult in the extreme. Lambert manages to describe all of this while looking at all sides of the issues faced by the family members.
   
   Fascinating reading, and I'm so glad I was able to get my hands on a copy. It will rest on my shelf with a very few other well-written biographies.



2. Excellent account of Hollywood's first major leading lady. A lady of intelligence, glamour and beauty. This biography captures her allure as well as depicting the Hollywood studio system of the 1930s and 40s.



3. Gavin Lambert does not seem to feel especially warm toward the subject of this book. His brief descriptions of meetings with her, when she was an elderly woman, seem designed to show her in the worst possible light. His constant mention of the fact that a woman in her seventies has wrinkles and that her memory sometimes failed irked me. It was as if Lambert was bitterly disappointed that his subject was a mere mortal after all.
   
   Lambert also seems to think he was privy to Miss Shearer's most private of thoughts. I seriously doubt she confided in him about her sexual history, fulfilling or otherwise. He also veers toward taking her attitudes toward mental illness completely out of context; people still struggle with their feelings about it, and to condemn Miss Shearer for her shame and alarm regarding her sister's illness is to single her out for criticism, in my opinion very unfairly.
   
   Having said all that, overlooking his personal interjections and, as others have noted, an overly long look at the early life of Irving Thalberg, for those interested in Miss Shearer's life this is an interesting and absorbing book. After reading it I feel I know the facts about her career and biographical details, but I am hoping to find another book which will give me more of a sense of who she really was.
   
   As this item is out of print, copies tend to be somewhat expensive. While I am glad I read it, I am also glad I paid less than $50 for the privilege.



4. This is a must-read for anyone interested in early Hollywood, when stars had class. Norma Shearer is not as well remembered as she should be today, but after reading this book, you will be craving for more! This book is the best source there is out there for a look at this Queen of the MGM Lot (as she was called during her reign throughout the '30's) even though it has flaws. It gets some details of her career wrong, but the overall sense is that this is someone who accomplished a lot in terms of roles for women during the pre-code era of film. She played sophisticated society ladies who were just a bit naughty and flirtatious (and unapologetic!) She is worth remembering, so please seek out this book where you can find a copy and realize what those of us who have been captured by her star quality already know.......she was a star like no one else!
   I also recommend a companion book to this(or if you can't locate a copy) Mick LaSalle's Complicated Women. He explains the glory that is Norma better than anyone can!



5. I thought that this book was well written and provided as much information as possible, given the fact that Ms. Shearer and her children were/are very private people. The only thing that I thought he did a poor job on was her later years. Ms. Shearer didn't decend into "madness"..she evidently suffered some form of dementia or possibly Alzheimer's. Instead of treating her disease with compassion, she was a human being, he treats her bizarre behaviors as a neurotic actress who couldn't stand growing old.