5 comments about Zen and the Art of Stand-Up Comedy.

1. This is indeed an excellent read and FULL of great insights about nearly every aspect of Standup comedy (Writing, Performance, Delivery, The Audience, Set development, etc).
   
   The author gives you great insight into both the "Art" and "Science" of standup. You can tell that he has a wealth of experience and shares it in a fun, easy to read kind of way.
   
   I think if an aspiring Standup combines this book with Judy Carter's "The Comedy Bible" they will greatly shorten their learning curve into many aspects of Standup Comedy (of course this will have combined with actually getting up on stage a bunch of times).



2. This book's humor is a little...erm...Canadian, but the author is an experienced touring headliner and touches on a lot of topics that beginning through intermediate comics could use- solid advice on how to keep writing, keep building, edit material, professionalism, etc. Highly recommend!



3. I found this book to be very thorough in covering most aspects of Stand-up performance, with some very original insights. It was however a very dense read. This was mainly due to so much content being covered in a relatively short space. I think Mr. Sankey needed to maybe give a few more examples/elaborations of the points he was making... not to clarify them, but rather to give the reader a chance to absorb them before proceeding to the next point. Do I recommed this book? DEFINITELY!!! It is a very realistic and ENCOURAGING read, with tons of info. I would have liked to see a bit more depth possibley by way of example AND because of its scope IT NEEDS AN INDEX!!!



4. I have always admired comics, but I'm usually not funny. If you are curious about what makes things funny and how to get laughs, this book breaks it down. It is geared towards people breaking into the world of stand-up comedy, and even if you don't intend on making a career out of it, you can still learn a lot about being funny. There were some wack sections, such as what one should wear or how to appear in public. If you want to be a stand-up comedian, this book is for you. If you are inclined to introversion and writing, I suggest picking up a copy of The Comic Toolbox by Vorhaus.



5. I've bought several books on stand up comedy and,this is the best book.I enjoyed reading and learning from the author.
   He tells you what you need to know,why you need to know it and gets to the point real quick.He doesnt bore you.The author shares his experiences and explains things in a very sensible way and very clearly.And,in simple english too.This guy is your friend who just wants to help you be good at stand up comedy and reduce your chances of doing badly.
   
   If you want a book that will help you in your new career or you're thinking about it then buy this book first.This book is the one book you will keep with you.
   
   I have nothing negative to say about this book at all.Its great value and has so much to offer.Thanks,Jay!

5 comments about Gotta Tango (Book & DVD).

1. 
   The Tango was a slightly salacious dance that had its origins in the barrios of Argentina and went on to achieve widespread popularity in the dance halls of Europe and America in the early decades of the 20th Century -- a popularity in ball room dancing that persists to this day. Profusely illustrated and with an accompanying DVD, "Gotta Tango: Argentine Tango Anywhere, Anytime" is the collaborative work of Tango experts and instructors Albert Paz and Valorie Hart. Offering (quite literally) a step-by-step instruction guide, "Gotta Tango" is the ideal do-it-yourself manual for men and women wanting to master and then excel in their performance of this Latin American dancing tradition. All of the concepts, techniques, flourishes and flairs associated with the Tango are covered in depth and in detail. This book/DVD combination is the perfect format and forum for instruction for the novice dancer (as well as a perfect brush up resource for even experienced Tango dancers coming back to the dance after an absence) and is enthusiastically recommended for personal, dance school, and community library instructional reference collections.



2. This innovative combination of text and DVD provides a unique resource for tango dancers at any level and for instructors as well. We have recommended it to our own students and have found it an appreciated gift to other teachers.
   
   The well-organized information carries the reader/viewer from the most fundamental aspects of the dance into the realm of complex techniques and improvisation, while providing a thorough understanding of concepts and dynamics behind the techniques along the way.
   
   After a first reading, don't put it away. Both the book and the video will be valuable, long-term references.



3. From the opening description of an eager and silent arrival at a nameless milonga, through the loving details of historical and musical significance, and with a thorough and conscientious discussion of the mechanics of the dance, Alberto Paz and Valorie Hart present a beautiful and invaluable resource for lovers, and future lovers, of Argentine Tango.
   
   Theirs is a methodical approach, gleaned from a tireless dedication to understanding and teaching the structure of this dance, and they hold the keys to unlock for their readers the passion and wonder that so many tangueros worldwide have been fortunate enough to find.
   
   Their detailed and descriptive text is accompanied by diagrams, photographs, and an accompanying DVD, all of which contribute to their enlightening discussion of the mechanics of Argentine Tango. It is well-ordered, logical, and thorough. I found their discourse on the musical history of tango to be especially fascinating, as well. It left me wanting more--and I hope that they do plan to give us more.
   
   Paz and Hart's text is voiced richly and fully by the historian, by the musical theorist, by the accomplished dancer, by the compassionate and skilled teacher, and ever by the dedicated lover of tango. We are exceedingly fortunate to have this timeless resource by master teachers Alberto Paz and Valorie Hart.
   
   I agree with a previous reviewer that it should be "required reading" for any student and lover of Argentine Tango!



4. GOTTA TANGO (Book and DVD)
   
   There are several excellent reviews that have already been written describing the contents of "Gotta Tango", and its long term importance as a tango resource.
   
   What I want you to understand is something of its revolutionary significance and value as a teaching tool. Everyone knows the old adage `those who can, do, and those who can't teach.' In the case of Paz and Hart, it should read `those who can do, should do, and leave the teaching to someone who really knows how to teach!' They are among the few who not only understand and can effectively communicate the structure of the dance...their brilliance as teachers has allowed them to present the material in a variety of creative ways, so that it is accessible to students with varying learning styles.
   
   There is first the written text, expressing an overview of the concepts being presented. Then there are step by step directions on how to properly execute the particular movements. There are diagrams (cleverly drawn from above) so one can grasp the pattern and flow of the movements, and there are photographs, allowing one to see the authors executing the steps. Each section of material also references the accompanying DVD, where one can see the movements in motion. The DVD has voice over as well as printed text-over so one can reinforce the visual concepts that way as well.
   
   In short, if you read this book, you are going to dance better. If you don't yet dance, you are going to want to dance, joining the tangueros and tangueras of past and future times, sharing Valorie and Alberto's love and passion for the tango.



5. Gotta Tango (Book & DVD)
   Compact, informative and fun, this integrated digital and print textbook should be "required reading" for all students of Argentine Tango. It is not another coffee-table Tango book. Myth-busters Paz and Hart concentrate the founding history, culture and traditions of the Tango in the initial chapters. They follow this with clear and concise explanations of all the core movements; the text integrates seamlessly with the DVD chapters. All material is representative of the essential elements of Tango covered in some of the most expensive and exclusive classes around the world. Unlike many other "master" teachers, this American-Argentine duo clarifies every term and movement with precision and elegance. Both novice and expert have much to learn from "Gotta Tango".

3 comments about Public Speaking with VideoLab CD (7th Edition).

1. This is a letter I wrote to the authors (to which they responded but I won't post it there b/c of copyright):
   
   --------------------------------------
   Dear Drs. Michael and Suzanne Osborn:
   
   As a student in my first public speaking class, I felt I was benefiting from this textbook and classroom activities. I read about ways to maintain one's credibility through thorough research and avoiding using stereotypes, which impedes the audience's ability to listen critically. Imagine my surprise then, when I came across pages 135-137, where some web sites are listed as resources to understand ethnic/racial/cultural diversity. Under the heading for "Asian American," I couldn't help but notice that the sites are Asian but seem to have little to do with the Asian American experience. I checked out these websites to be sure not to judge prematurely, but sure enough, these sites are all based in Asia! Surely there are plenty of resources for those who truly identify themselves as Asian Americans? It is insulting to me that one would equate the Asian experience with that of the Asian American one. Similarly misguided sites are listed under "European American." Again, those sites seem more to have to do with Europeans than actual European Americans. Perhaps you should have advised those working on this text to check their own stereotypes at the door. I was disappointed yet again when I read page 157, where you raised as an example of questions students might ask during topic briefings, "Why do Asian students often excel in mathematics?" Though I understand people often raise questions like these, it wouldn't hurt to have addressed the racist nature of this sample question. I find any comment based on racial stereotyping racist, be the comment intended to be positive or not.
   
   The above reminded me of yet an earlier example based on stereotypes. Where you discuss emotional reactions to words on page 87, you introduced a hypothetical case of one listener incensed over the speaker's use of the word "girls" to refer to women. In this case, it turns out the speaker goes on to say that "a program aimed at promoting more females is in effect," which seems to somehow suggest that it makes it all better. Though you probably did not intend for the women in the hypothetical case to be promoted without their own merit, it still sounds rather like the program in question encourages the promotion of someone based more on their sex to fill a quota than on merit, which I find intrinsically sexist.
   
   These awkward examples in the book only worked to distract me from critically reading the text, not to mention making me seriously question this book as a credible resource. I highly suggest you rethink these examples for your next edition of what could otherwise be a useful tool for those embarking on their first public speaking courses.



2. Finally, a text that deals with the fear of public speaking by dedicating a whole chapter to it. It doesn't come naturally, or at least easily for most people, unless of course, you're in the business. The Osborns give a whole chapter to the "First Speech." Although I feel this team was a little short on speech preparation techiniques as far as conducting interviews, what was offered was good enough to set up a solid base of testimonies for informative speeches. And although they did well in the in in-depth lesson outlining, the Osborns could've devoted more space to the Power Point presentation. This is increasingly necessary to win over audiences. A good Power Point presentation is the epitome of competent public speaking.
   I feel there could have been more detail on the delineation of small groups and subgroups. However, this team had good anecdotes and very colorful interpretation of language usage.
   I look forward to the 8th edition.



3. I used the text book for a "public speaking" course at California State University Hayward campus.

   The book does an excellent job of taking the reader through the steps in preparing public speeches. It contains numerous examples of speeches.

   The main thing I felt that the author did was to teach the reader a the step by step process of picking a topic, preparing an outline and delivering the speech it self.

   good luck to all potential public speakers!

No comments about Invitation to Public Speaking.

2 comments about The Meaning of Tango: The Story of the Argentinian Dance.

1. It is rare for me to find a book on any dance that really excites and interests me. This was one of those rare books. Denniston explores the history of the tango without resorting to a list of dates and figures. Instead she focuses on the grand themes of the dance's unique history and how that shaped the way the dance developed and is viewed by its devotees. She also covers the fundamental techniques of the dance without becoming dry and boring. Instead she shows how the meaning and purpose of the dance influence the technique. Overall, this is a very enjoyable book on the tango. Not an academic book, but more a devotional book with very accessible writing on the history, culture, meaning, and technique of Argentine tango.
   
   If I have any criticism of the book, it is that the author could have offered some direct quotes or experiences from the dancers she consulted for the book. She places much emphasis on the Golden Age of the tango, how the dance developed, and the meaning those dancers derived from the dance. I enjoyed the focus she placed on these Golden Age dancers throughout the book; however, I felt she could have explored it even further and made it come alive even more if she had offered some direct quotes and experiences from the dancers she talked to. Despite this, the book is an excellent overview of the history, culture, meaning, and technique of the dance, and I greatly enjoyed it!



2. Learning to dance the Tango can be a confusing and sometimes frustrating experience. For those of us not brought up in the Tango culture of Buenos Aires, our first impressions are often of roses between teeth, and slick, stylish Tango shows. When you first see the social dance, you are presented with yet another variation. Different teachers provide their own take on the dance and may often appear to contradict each other. Even a visit to Buenos Aires - the source and spiritual home of the Tango - may add to the confusion. The Tango developed across a large city over a period of more than a century, as a result of which different styles have developed.
   
   In this book, Christine Denniston has identified the essence of the dance. From her first visit to Buenos Aires in the early 1990s, she sought out dancers who had first started to learn in Tango's Golden Age - the period from the mid 1930s to the mid 50s when the three elements of Tango - the music, song and dance - were at their height. Her time spent dancing with and talking with these older, experienced dancers allowed her to discover the essence that was common to all, regardless of their neighbourhood of origin or style of dance.
   
   This is the book that the Golden Age dancers themselves never wrote! Even if you don't dance Tango, but have an interest in dance and love watching the dance shows on TV, this book will give you a valuable insight into one of the world's most fascinating and exciting dances. If you are already a Tango dancer, whatever your style, this book provides a link to those dancers who came before, and perhaps answers some questions you may still have. If you are already addicted, this book will help you to understand why!

5 comments about Top Girls: Methuen Student Edition (Open University Set Book).

1. So deep and dense with facts, theory and symbolism that I thought she broke my brain! I have never been more pleased with a play. This was a masterpiece.



2. Marlene (Amy Brenneman) has just been made Managing Director of the 'Top Girls Employment Agency' in Maggie Thatcher's anything-goes England of the high-flying 1980s. But in pursuing her professional success, Maggie doesn't really have any friends - but she is in possession of a personal past she'd just as soon forget. At a party where famous women from history collects, Maggie discovers that life above the 'glass ceiling' of the business world isn't really all that satisfying. Supported by an outstanding cast that includes Megan Austin Oberle, Kirsten Potter, Samantha Robson, Kate Steele, Concetta Tomei, and Missy Yager, this Caryl Churchill play, "Top Girls", is professionally directed by John Rubinstein and presents the listener with a truly impressive 'theatre of the mind' experience - the kind that is special to the resonating imagination and epitomizes the best of what live theatre has to offer an appreciative audience. Flawless produced and recorded, "Top Girls" is a strongly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library audiobook and Theatrical Studies collections.



3. Caryl Churchill, Top Girls (Methuen, 1982)
   
   I almost stopped reading this play altogether at the conclusion of the first scene. I ended up glad I continued on, but really, there would have been so many better ways to handle that first scene. Putting it somewhere else in the play, for example.
   
   Top Girls concerns Marlene, a woman just promoted to the head of her branch office of the Top Girls temp agency. She was promoted over a man, and in celebration, she imagines for herself a lavish dinner party, the guests for which are a number of notable historic women. This is understandable, and having other players in the play playing guests whose personalities are mirrored in their other roles is clever. But, really, the scene takes up an entire quarter of the play's length, and the information you get in the scene that's actually relevant to the plot is summed up in the first sentence of this paragraph. (You don't find out about the second sentence until later.) There's a lot more going on in the play's remaining four scenes, much of which is quite important, but it's shuffled off for this massive dinner party.
   
   Once we get back into the real world, though, things get quite a bit more interesting. Marlene's niece Angie wants to run away from home and come live with Marlene, whom she sees as a great success, while Angie's mother, Joyce, is content to stay in the country eking out an existence and griping about everything possible. Angie's odd friend Kit is always hovering about in the background, being ominous. At Top Girls, life goes on, with the employees gossiping and interviewing potential workers.
   
   The play's final four scenes are very good stuff, with all sorts of insight into their characters and action that flows through the talkiness. And in retrospect, again, the dinner party scene works within this framework, but it would probably have worked better elsewhere in the play (at the end of act one? Between the acts?). Suffer through it, though, and the play will reward you for it. ***



4. I read Top Girls in my dramatic literature class in college. Reading the play can be very helpful if you plan to attend a performance. Characters are constantly interrupting each other mid-sentence and an audience can miss much of the dialouge. The concept for the play is wonderful. It examines women's lives throughout history- from Joan of Arc to women in a temp agency- all sitting down to dinner. The dialogue is exceptional and the each woman's story can fill a play in itself. However, this is definately a play you will want to see acted on stage. It's also a fun play to read/ act out loud with girlfriends because it raises many issues which concern contemporary women.



5. I read Top Girls in my dramatic literature class in college. Reading the play can be very helpful if you plan to attend a performance. Characters are constantly interrupting each other mid-sentence and an audience can miss much of the dialouge. The concept for the play is wonderful. It examines women's lives throughout history- from Joan of Arc to women in a temp agency- all sitting down to dinner. The dialogue is exceptional and the each woman's story can fill a play in itself. However, this is definately a play you will want to see acted on stage. It's also a fun play to read/ act out loud with girlfriends because it raises many issues which concern contemporary women.

No comments about Antony and Cleopatra (Folger Shakespeare Library).

5 comments about Wanderer.

1. This book is as convoluted as its author. It maintains a flow of semi-stream-of-consciousness from start to finish, and what emerges are the memoirs of a man whose love of seafaring and considerable self-deprecation ("self-loathing" is a little too strong a term) has brought him to a sea voyage to Tahiti with a pick-up crew and his four children in violation of a court order. Hayden's story is it's own animal, going from the coasts of Massachusetts and Maine, to the forests of Yugoslavia, to courtrooms and congressional chambers and movie sets and finally to the high seas and South Pacific islands with a strain of fatalism and regret throughout. It should make for a downer of a read; instead, I found myself staying up and turning the pages to see what happened next. A great book.



2. I would like to add something to the excellent and perceptive reviews above. What came through so strongly is that life is messy, yet Hayden's remarkable self awareness didn't seem to help him. This is a fascinating look inside a big life. I found it valuable.



3. 
   I believe it was 1959 and I had just returned from a month's cruise to the Tuamotus and Marquesas islands on the copra schooner Charlotte Donald. I was sitting at a table on the quay in front of the Hotel Le Grand when the schooner first appeared off Papeete. It sailed in smartly, picked up the Pilot, and docked stern first, as was the custom, at the concrete quay. The name "Wanderer" was nicely affixed to her transom. I lived in District Punavia, kilometer thirteen, next to Paul Gauguin's old home by the Thompsons. Several weeks later I would board the Wanderer after meeting her skipper at a party to buy some of the 16mm color film he had for sale. He was courteous, the children were well mannered, the library below was impressive, and his ship was clean and appeared to be able to sail on a minute's notice. We chatted for some time and he recounted some stories of his trip. We knew the same haunts in coastal California. We met a couple of more times at functions on the island. He seemed to be a cheerful and courteous person. He was a large man and deep voiced and I knew he was an actor, but that's about all I knew. Not long ago I had written my autobiography and had made a small mentioned of the encounter and the film. A friend who read my book asked if I had read Hayden's biography, which I hadn't. He suggested I do so, and last month I ordered it from Amazon. The book was disheartening for me to read. While he and I had many similarities in our lives (I wasn't an actor) and had been to many of the same places, we came away with massively different reactions. Mr. Hayden is a good writer and tells, especially about his life at sea, in an authentic style that kept me reading. I don't know if I would have finished if there weren't the similarity of our experiences. The sparse interjection of the third person voice over his normal narrative of first person was effectively used. The book and his life stand on their own merits and I make no judgment. He was first and foremost a seafaring man of unusual talents, and I wish I had visited him in the States in our later years. Mr. Hayden, you steered the course you wanted in recounting the voyages of your life. That's about all most of us could ask for. Rest in peace.
   
   PS:
   Spike Africa, his mate, came as a surprise, or else I had forgotten. Skip ahead twenty years and I chartered the "Spike Africa", a 70 foot schooner out of Newport Beach California somewhere around 1979 for a company off-site (the exact thing Hayden despised ... sorry). Bob Sloan built and then christened the boat "Spike Africa". The California yachting community all knew of Spike Africa the man, as a legend in the Pacific ocean, although I never knew any details of the legend.



4. Hayden was one of those force of nature types who, sadly don't exist in sufficient quantities to make the world a really interesting place. In this book, he tells his life story, while telling the story of his last voyage on the 100 foot schooner, Wanderer. His prose is lovely and has the rythm of the sea; like other great works of sea literature (like Moby Dick). I'll give a high point of his prose before I complain:
   
   "What does a man need ---really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter, six feet to lie down in --and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That's all --in the material sense. And we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention from the sheer idiocy of the charade. The years thunder by. The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed. Where then lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be, bankruptcy of purse of bankrutpcy of life?"
   
   Hayden was a child of the depression who worked his way out of bad circumstances by a combination of stubbornness, physique and leadership skill. He is eventually given a job a an actor, after being spotted by the media during a sailboat race in Glocester. He abandons this due to a love affair with an actress who fancies herself concerned with serious social issues. He joins the war and does OSS/CIA type operations in maritime support of partisans in Yugoslavia. He returns to his acting. Makes many movies. Marries an evil shrew. Divorces. Gets the kids. Chucks it all for a trip to Tahiti in his 100 foot yacht. All this is well and good, but the man reveals too much about himself. His self loathing isn't interesting. It is certainly not edifying, and though he seems to abundantly pity himself, I cannot feel sorry for him. The man had many fine opportunities. He had fine charachter qualities; I admire the fact that he chucked it all, just because he didn't like it. But he was not a fine man: he was petty and ugly -he couldn't even treat his own widowed mother decently, and though his ex wife was probably no better, I rather doubt as being around such a tormented spirit was good for his kids. In that way, he is a tragic figure; all the more tragic because he doesn't seem to realize it himself. It is no suprise he never did much with himself after he wrote the book. I don't know this to be true, but I suspect he drown himself and his self-loathing in booze.
   
   Still, it is a beautifully written book. In a way, the book is his triumph over it all. It is doubtless a finer thing than any of the movies he made, and his great "the heck with it all" dramatic gesture is probably better than any he made on camera. I know I will read the book again. Perhaps when I am older I will think differently of Captain Hayden. Amusingly, a visit to Sausalito revealed that I had known Hayden as the demented General Jack D. Ripper in "Dr. Strangelove."



5. A griping story that reads like fiction. Hayden is a "one of a kind" spirit that lives life to the fullest. He wants good things for the world and lives up to his character of being an iconoclast. A great read for sailors or romantics who dream of being before the mast and finding lifes' meaning out on the sea.

5 comments about The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Episode Guide.

1. Any MSTie absolutely must buy this book. The Amazing Colossal Episode Guide is a consistently funny book, chronicling the rise of MST3K, and is kept from becoming dull or repetitive by allowing a different member of the crew - all of the show's major cast and crew except Josh Weinstein and Joel contribute - to write each episode entry or chapter introduction. Each has their own unique writing style, making the book an absolute treat.
   
   Any criticisms of the book are minor. Very little is gone into depth, perhaps understandably (particularly why Joel decided to leave), the "historical" aspects of the book are sketched in (but then, it IS an episode guide). But given that the book was written after Season Six, arguably the show's high-point, as opposed to an after-the-fact retrospective, it still holds up well. It would be nice if the online episode guide written for the Sci-Fi era were included in a revised addition, but for now, this is still a fun book and a must for all MSTies.



2. The book is fine for what it covers. But I agree with other reveiwers that it's high time that this was updated to include ALL of seasons 7 - 10. I think that some of the Pearl Forrester era episodes are outstanding.



3. I've been watching MST3K for years, first in England and then in the US. Whilst I got most of the references made by Joel and Mike, this book really helps with the more obscure ones. Thank you, authors!



4. Despite the fact that MST3K has been off television for a good while now, the spirit lives on through the Internet where new fans are still minted to this day. For that reason, every MSTie really should have this book; the nonstop hilarity found within is still as hot as a knife through butter, and ranks among the best sources of obscure references, inside jokes, and information about the cast and the movies that were endlessly riffed over the years. Some of the information is outdated--mostly contact and fan club information--but that's why search engines exist. (You can get the followup Amazing Colossal Episode Guide covering later seasons over at mst3k.com, again written by the cast.)
   
   Newer endeavors such as Rifftrax and the Film Crew have many of the original crew on board, and are excellent in their own right. These may never be MST3K 2.0--not that they aspire to be, nor should they--they're more than worthwhile to check out.
   
   In conclusion, MITCHELL!



5. This book is a great companion and behind the scenes guide for this Television series. It contains information for most episodes up to the Expriment #700 series. Be warned it will not contain any show information past 700, well partial info but nothing else. Beyond that this guide is great for whenever Rhino is releasing a new boxed set as well as current boxed sets, as you can preview an episode before you purchase the corresponding dvd. Funny and witty commentary about the staff and even TV's Franks picks of his favorite episodes. I enjoyed the entire book as a Mystery Science Theater fan, myself.

5 comments about Teaching Music with Passion: Conducting, Rehearsing and Inspiring.

1. Good book for my needs. I'm a rookie conductor-director of orchestral ensembles and use materials like this regularly. Thanks and good luck with whatever new undertakings may leave you feeling as vulnerable and under-prepared as I!
   
   Rob Rife



2. I have been so fortunate to be able to work with Dr. Boonshaft in performance. He recently conducted the community band that I have been involved with. My parents, who were audience members, and I were so impressed with Dr. Boonshaft, that my mother hopped on the computer and ordered this book as soon as we got home from the performance. I have since been reading it, a little at a time, finding it so full of amazing information, awesome advise, and well thought out structure that I have been savoring it and trying to absorb as much of it as possible. Currently, I have finished the first chapter and I am compelled to write the review!
   
   For a girl who loves quotes, there are many, many quotes from astute thinkers from every realm in this book that are so ridiculously relevant to the subject Dr. Boonshaft is delving into. I highly recommend this book to ALL TEACHERS not just music teachers. Even though this book is titled "Teaching MUSIC with Passion" there are many concepts that are relevant for ALL teachers.



3. I wish I had been taught all of these little tricks of the trade before I was tossed in and baptized by fire. My first years of teaching would have been DRASTICALLY different. I also find this book to be quite a good pick-me-up as well as cheerleader as I flirt with burnout on the occasion. Highly recommended!



4. I am a former student of Dr. Boonshaft, and was introduced to this book when it was assigned as my class text for the semester. The book was very consistent with my Secondary Band Methods class, and reading it allows outsiders to share in Dr. B's funny anecdotes and useful tips. It's almost like taking a class with him. It was interesting enough to read beyond the assigned sections each night. He touches on lots of useful rehearsal techniques and also gives advice on how to deal with different situations. Well known for his conducting, he breaks down different methods in Laymen's terms.
   
   I highly recommend this book, for it an extremely useful read to keep on a nearby shelf for reference. Years later I still refer back to it on a regular basis. It speaks to the the director, the instrumentalist, the conductor and most importantly, the teacher.
   
   If you're like me, it will definitely leave you inspired.



5. Dr. Boonshaft was a lecturer at The Complete Band Directors Workshop this year at Capital University. His presentation gave me many ideas for this school year to use with my middle school bands. I am about 3/4 of the way through his book and know I'll reread it because it has so many useful ideas for rehearsals. This is one to keep on your director's bookshelf.