The Neddiad: How Neddie Took the Train, Went to Hollywood, and Saved Civilization

Book Description

The old powers try to come back, and the planet is plunged into chaos, and civilization is destroyed, and it gets all violent and evil… the old legends tell that a hero… with the sacred turtle, always … Los Angeles, California. Neddie Wentworthstein is the guy with the turtle. Sandor Eucalyptus is the guy with the jellybean. Sholmos Bunyip wants the turtle . . . and he’ll stop at nothing to get it. This is the story of how Neddie, three good friends, a shaman, a ghost, and a little maneuver known as the French substitution determine the fate of the world.

Customer Reviews:

Great Reading, Wonderfully Imaginative.......2007-08-20

I've been a fan of Pinkwater's works for over 25 years, ever since I first bought a copy of Lizard Music as a child. I was delighted when my wife brought the audio tape version of The Neddiad for our family to listen to while on a road trip to the East Coast.

"The Neddiad" is classic Pinkwater and is delightful, easily ranking among his best. Mr. Pinkwater uses his unique style to bring these characters to life, and I could clearly envision the characters as the story unfolded. Better than anyone else I know, Mr. Pinkwater is able to view the world through the eyes of an 11-year-old (is that Neddie's age?) and to express his observations from that perspective.

The story seamlessly weaves together many subplots and concepts and kept our entire vanload engaged, (frequently) surprised, and laughing. My oldest son (entering 5th grade) complained every time we turned it off, even if only for a moment to pay tolls. After having listened to Pinkwater's own telling of the story, I will be buying this book and reading it for myself. Like Lizard Music (which is obliquely referred to in this book), it's an adventure that gets better with each re-reading.

turtles all the way down.......2007-06-13

I loved this book. I think I get what it is about, not worrying about things, resting in God (or on the great turtle). It reminds me of an essay by an Episcopalian minister, Barbara Brown Taylor (The Luminous Web, The Limits of Knowledge) She recounts this in the book: p. 87

"According to one Native American creation myth , the earth rests on the back of a giant turtle. When an ethnologist who was trying to get the story down on paper asked an elder what was underneath that turtle, the elder said "Another turtle."
"And under that?" the ethnologist asked.
"Oh, it's turtles all the way down".

I took this to mean to trust more because there are some things that just can't be pinned down. How can you not love a book whose hero saves the world by singing? WOW. I mean WOW! And I live in Albuquerque where an important part of the story takes place so it gets points for that. Also, the wonderfully quirky illustrations are by Calef Brown who wrote a great childrens book "Polkabats and Octupus Slacks." (Read his poem "Funky Snowman" for an optimists view of life.)

I'm giving this book to my nephew for his baptism. Not an obvious choice but I find this book to be deeply spiritual, as well as funny, charming, and tender.

Part school story, part adventure, part fantasy and all hilarious.......2007-06-05

Most of the world (or at least the segment that listens to public radio) knows Daniel Pinkwater primarily as that funny guy who talks about children's books on Saturday morning's "Weekend Edition" program. Pinkwater has been around for much longer than that, though, coming up with a string of consistently hilarious --- and consistently off-the-wall --- novels and picture books for as long as I can remember. From 1977's THE HOBOKEN CHICKEN EMERGENCY (about a 266-pound pet chicken) to 2005's irreverent take on school in THE EDUCATION OF ROBERT NIFKIN, Pinkwater has time and again proven himself as one of the funniest writers for young people.

Pinkwater's latest, THE NEDDIAD, is no exception. Part of Pinkwater's style is a certain playfulness, a wide-ranging imagination that relies on comic situations, one-liners and images as much as on plot. On the face of it, the concept of THE NEDDIAD might seem absurd; after all, its subtitle is "How Neddie Took the Train, Went to Hollywood, and Saved Civilization." But Pinkwater manages to make it all make sense --- or at least, to make his readers laugh too hard to care whether it does or not.

Neddie Wentworthstein lives in Chicago a few years after World War II. When Neddie idly mentions that he'd love to eat at the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles, Neddie's enthusiastic father (who'd made a fortune selling shoelaces to the military) suggests that the whole family move to California to see the landmark for themselves. Neddie loves adventure --- and the movies --- so he's eager to have an adventure of his own. "I expected, we all expected, to do exciting things," he writes, "This is why going away on a big adventure all the way across the country seemed normal to me."

Neddie's trip probably won't seem normal to just about anyone else, though. Starting with Neddie's mysterious encounter with a Navajo shaman named Melvin, continuing with his acquisition of a highly desirable turtle figurine and his separation from his parents, and from there following Neddie all the way to Los Angeles, where he gains new friends, a new school and a whole slew of enemies, THE NEDDIAD is truly an epic journey.

Part road trip adventure, part school story, part adventure, part fantasy and all hilarious, THE NEDDIAD is outrageously unique and undeniably the work of Daniel Pinkwater's comic genius.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

Best Pinkwater in Quite Some Time.......2007-05-30

Let me get this out of the way: I'm a solid Pinkwater fan and have been one since I was 8 or 9, and begged my parents for $1 to buy a copy of "Wingman." Having read a big chunk of his catalogue, I'd say that "The Neddiad" is one of my top five Pinkwater books...this from a guy who's written hundreds of books. It's got that classic Pinkwater deadpan humor, a great mystery that stretches back over eons, a quest, and turtles, turtles, turtles! Also, you learn about lots of cool stuff; don't let that turn you off the book, though. Wonderful! Keep writing, Daniel, and thanks.

Neddies all the way down?.......2007-05-10

from my blog:

Two parts Holes, three parts Guy Noir, one part Pinkwater. This book makes me feel like I just walked out of an old Nickelodeon after a Saturday afternoon marathon surrounded by rowdy kids and spitballs. I slowly rise/unstick from my seat still mentally replaying the final episode of "The Neddiad", which, interestingly, is how this book was born - in installments. Daniel Pinkwater, NPR commentator and children's book reviewer extraordinaire, gave us weekly chapters of Neddie Wentworthstein and his amazing adventures on trains, planes and automobiles starting back in the summer of 2006. As I started reading this book I vaguely remembered an NPR interview back in October about a train and a boy hanging out with his movie star idol D'Artagnan (aka Dart-Onion, aka Aaron Finn). I listened in and out and couldn't help but be reminded of another NPR staple A Prairie Home Companion's Guy Noir; I could almost hear the sound effects of the rattling rails and stomping feet. This is that book.

The gumshoe, Captain Billy's Whizbang feeling settles in by chapter 17 (very short chapters, remember? weekly installments?). By this time we've met the shoelace mogul Mr. Wentworthstein (a more happy-go-lucky version of Stanley Yelnats's splooge-inventing father), Mrs. Wentworthstein, the sister Eloise (one of two stellar and highly underrated young female characters), Aaron Finn, his son and Neddie's bud Seamus Finn, the turtle-gifting Melvin/Irving/Sheldon/whoever, Billy the Phantom Bellboy (who wins my never-before-bestowed award of going from the character I thought most unbelievable to my favorite) and of course, the bad guys - Sandor Eucalyptus and Sholmos Bunyip (you can almost hear the twisting handlebar moustaches). These are our players, running around Los Angeles in the 1940s trying to save the world with a turtle.

This is such a great book not only in its own right but as a safe, gratifying recommendation to ANYONE. I am always appreciative of a book about which I can get excited to read and to share without adding a disclaimer (another such treat is The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick). Give The Neddiad to upper elementary- to middle-schoolers and any other student with a sense of humor.

Fun fact about Bryn: I love surprises and to be really scared (this will relate to the book eventually, I promise). I'm a sucker for Stephen King and thriller movies. Not the gore, just the rush. I like them because it's rare that I actually get surprised or scared and appreciate it moreso when it happens. So, of course one of my favorite aspects of The Neddiad is that I counted at least a handful of moments where I actually gasped out loud, not because it was scary, but because I was completely taken by surprise. So many twists and turns. Pinkwater totally got me and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I could go on and on about the cool train lingo I learned, when Chief Crazy Wig chants about "walla walla bing bang" and "no child left behind", the shout-out to Dad's Old Fashioned Root Beer (a can of which my dad is sporting in a photo taken hours before I was born!) and Eloise and Iggy (two rockin' gals, necessarily overshadowed by the male characters).

Decide for yourself if it's an overactive imagination or Neddies all the way down!

Average customer rating:

I must put in my 2 cents...
Riveting and thought-provoking
Absorbing and funny
Excellent Hollywood Autobiography
decent, but nowhere near the level of promised hype

Hollywood Animal: A Memoir
Joe Eszterhas
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Entertainers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Industry | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Screenplays | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Screenwriting | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0375413553
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Book Description

He spent his earliest years in post WWII–refugee camps. He came to America and grew up in Cleveland—stealing cars, rolling drunks, battling priests, nearly going to jail. He became the screenwriter of the worldwide hits Basic Instinct, Jagged Edge, and Flashdance. He also wrote the legendary disasters Showgirls and Jade. The rebellion never ended, even as his films went on to gross more than a billion dollars at the box office and he became the most famous—or infamous—screenwriter in Hollywood.

Joe Eszterhas is a complex and paradoxical figure: part outlaw and outsider combined with equal parts romantic and moralist. More than one person has called him “the devil.” He has been referred to as “the most reviled man in America.” But Time asked, “If Shakespeare were alive today, would his name be Joe Eszterhas?” and he was the first screenwriter picked as one of the movie industry’s 100 Most Powerful People. Although he is often accused of sexism and misogyny, his wife is his best friend and equal partner. Considered an apostle of sex and violence, he is a churchgoer who believes in the power of prayer. For many years the ultimate symbol of Hollywood excess, he has moved his family to Ohio and immersed himself in the midwestern lifestyle he so values.

Controversial, fearless, extremely talented, and totally unpredictable, the author of the best-selling American Rhapsody and National Book Award nominee Charlie Simpson’s Apocalypse has surprised us yet again: he has written a memoir like no other.

On one level, Hollywood Animal is a shocking and often devastating look inside the movie business. It intimately explores the concept of fame and gives us a never-before-seen look at the famous. Eszterhas reveals the fights, the deals, the extortions, the backstabbing, and the sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll world that is Hollywood.

But there are many more levels to this extraordinary work. It is the story of a street kid who survives a life filled with obstacles and pain . . . a chronicle of a love affair that is sensual, glorious, and unending . . . an excruciatingly detailed look at a man facing down the greatest enemy he’s ever fought: the cancer inside him . . . and perhaps most important, Hollywood Animal is the heartbreaking story of a father and son that defines the concepts of love and betrayal.

This is a book that will shock you and make you laugh, anger you and move you to tears. It is pure Joe Eszterhas—a raw, spine-chilling celebration of the human spirit.

Customer Reviews:

I must put in my 2 cents..........2007-08-14

I'm midway through the book - it's one of THE most compelling biographies I've ever read. Like hundreds of snapshots of a very interesting life. I'd read about the infamous screenwriter, so I was hesitant to read his book for fear it would be angry or crass, and although he DOES tell some raw stories, it's not offensive. It's a life, with it's sins and shortcomings, honestly told. His writing style is smooth and even though the timelines change, it's never confusing. There is humility and wisdom in his writing, things one doesn't learn from an easy life.

Riveting and thought-provoking.......2006-07-20

I have listened to the CD of this book, all the comments pertain to that edition.

I picked up this CD from the public library before a long road trip. I had no idea who this man was or who most of the other "larger than life" stars were. The story, I found out, is fascinating, well-written and Scott Brick's delivery helps to bring out Eszterhas' personality. The author himself ... I can't stand. Or can I?

This is a story of transformation and redemption and the trick is - as another reviewer has commented - indeed, for the writer not to get ahead of himself, but leave things to be discovered, let the complexity of his personality peel away like layers of an onion.

In a series of flashbacks that show Joe as a Hungarian boy and ones that show him as an American man, we witness how a scared, geeky, immigrant boy with quite a temper becomes first a successful millionaire Hollywood screenwriter who learns to play the Hollywood game of power, then gains some perspective via the experience of throat cancer, finding God and learning to value less glamorous things such as being able to breathe while walking. Obvious things apparently take a long time to understand if there is a lot of money, drugs and pussy on the other side.

Honesty and integrity are at the core of his tale in Hollywood (defending his script from changes, incursions into his creative freedom even when the odds are against him) and I rooted for him as a screenwriter right through his fight with Ovitz where he puts his career on the line.

Honesty and integrity are missing from most his private life, where he cheats on his wife every chance he gets and identifies "strains" in his marriage as he is working to hack it apart. By contrast, Bill MacDonald, his would-be wife's former husband, is not into cheating, for which he labels him a "prude" and attributes this strange attitude to his "Catholic upbringing."

Eszterhas' twenty years fit well into a Hollywood that uses up starstruck, ambitious young women hoping to make it and spits them out half-destroyed, but too stoned to notice. I am not sure which is worse: the women who would do "anything and everything" - in the book's returning phrase - to make it or the men who know they can and therefore will do whatever with them. Eszterhas happily assists, honesty and integrity do not play here. The lifelong liberal democrat, who abhors atrocities toward the weak and the poor is caught in a strange blindspot here.

In defending his ambiguous scripts Eszterhas is right that the audience can handle and even like ambiguity. He has written a book that reads in part like a soap opera, that gives enough clues to alternative readings to that you are tempted to sort out where you stand with regard to this man, someone you have never met and most likely never will.

Well done.

Absorbing and funny.......2006-07-17

I am not a huge fan of Eszterhas' movies, but I had heard some of the 'legendary' stories about him, Don Simpson et. al. from the 80s and so was interested in reading this purely for entertainment value.

I picked it up not expecting at all to be captivated by Ezsterhas' story. He has a very engaging style of writing - he definitely understands the value of keeping stories short and to the point - but he also has a raw honesty in his writing that is incredibly compelling. I could hardly put the book down once I picked it up.

Although Ezsterhas does some very schmucky things, he is so honest and forthright about his shortcomings it's impossible not to root for him. I actually found the "Hollywood excess" tales not nearly as compelling as Ezsterhas talking about his life - his relationship with his father, growing up in Cleveland, his relationship with his second wife - and wish there had been more biographical information in the book than there was. I would have particularly liked to hear stories from his days at the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Rolling Stone, interviewing celebrities and doing news reporting. Perhaps Ezsterhas is saving those stories for another book. The exposition about his relationship with his father, pre- and post- the OSI investigation into his father's war crimes, was just fascinating. Ezsterhas is so honest about his feelings and his struggles to forgive his father for unforgiveable acts that you can't help but feel for him.

Ultimately the book is about a man who admits he is deeply flawed and ruled by appetites, but seeks redemption anyway. It's honestly one of the most compelling personal stories I have ever read. People who read this expecting just Hollywood dish and glitz are probably going to be disappointed, because to me the best parts of the book are about Ezsterhas, his family, and his struggles to be a better man. Fascinating reading and highly recommended.

Excellent Hollywood Autobiography.......2006-03-26

I thought I would find Joe E. a horrible despicable human being before I read this book. Instead, I gained respect for him. There is plenty of juicy Hollywood gossip here along with a fascinating story of this screenwriter's life in the biz. Great read--couldn't put it down.

decent, but nowhere near the level of promised hype.......2006-02-11

Joe's Hollywood tale is a fascinating and interesting joyride looking over the shoulders of one of Hollywood's best paid and most arrogant writers ever. Even in this writing, it apparently never occurs to Joe that "this is the best screenplay I've ever read" is something every screenwriter hears at least five times a week in Hollywood. Apparently when said to Joe, it really means something. Showgirls. Right. Joe fired off an EIGHT page letter to Mike Ovitz and writes that Ovitz never replied to the letter. The letter is, of course, included in the book. I skipped through those pages. I'm sure Ovitz did the same. Every press write-up Joe ever garnered is also included in the book, with more letters to industry executives. Joe's really in love with himself, and thank God someone is. Joe is the first and only writer in history to deliver projects in a state of complete and total perfection. Yawn.

The book works as insider expose remarkably well, and is revealing of its author in a way I'm sure Mr. Estherhas had never intended. I found the constant rags-to-riches throwbacks and cuts to childhood stories disruptive and frankly tedious. Had the book endured some tightening and severe cutting (yeah Joe... CUTTING), it would have rated a better read in my humbly irrelevant opinion.

Max in Hollywood, Baby (Viking Kestrel Picture Books)

Average customer rating:

Pretentious Hipster Nonsense
90210, BABY !
The Worst Max Book
Max Hollywood is only the begining

Max in Hollywood, Baby (Viking Kestrel Picture Books)
Maira Kalman
Manufacturer: Viking Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Children's Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0670844799

Customer Reviews:

Pretentious Hipster Nonsense .......2005-12-29

This is purported to be a children's book? It reads like someone who desperately wants to make sure everyone knows how hip they are to the ways of Hollywood and celebrity. The story is beyond the grasp of children and yet way too juvenile for adults. Even the design and illustration are a perfect example of how to make a mess with too many changing fonts and too many precious doodles.

I noticed that Ms. Kalman recently did the illustrations for the new Elements of Style and with some restraint, her talent is much better displayed in those pages.

90210, BABY !.......2002-02-09

It is easy to see why Maira Kalman's MAX IN HOLLYWOOD, BABY received a citation as "one of the ten best illustrated books of 1991." Those illustrations contain as many wonderful surprises and secrets, double meanings and jokes as the words they sit with. Even the end papers are filled with delightful drawings of dozens of Hollywood superstars from Charlie Chaplin and Fanny Brice to Judy Garland and Jean-Paul Belmondo.

The text is, I guess, written to entertain children but it is just as charming and entertaining to this adult with its story of the "real" Hollywood: Dozens of wacky Show-Biz types appear including the psychic to the stars, Madame Gilzelka; the producer, Bella Broccoli, who insists on drinking a concoction which produces "the secret of youth;" and his "tantalizing" starlet Monica Zitti; The hero is, of course, Max,the dog/movie-lover who becomes Mr. Stravinsky, hot-shot director pining to be a celebrity. ("I won't have conversations, I'll just have monologues.") Can our Max handle the pressure? the pretense? Well, you'll have to read the book to find out. Along the way you'll also discover why Ferrrnando Extra Debonnaire who studied at the Royal Academy of Driving Directors tells Max, "Watch your step in this town. There are some back-stabbing, power-hungry, status-seeking vegetarians here." HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, especially for those readers determined to have a career in the movies, no matter how high the cost.

The Worst Max Book.......2002-01-15

This is the worst Max book. Max Makes a Million is brilliant. Oh-La-La Max in Love is very strong. But this is just muddled, not easily grasped, and not very interesting. My kids never want to hear this book and I never want to read it.

Max Hollywood is only the begining.......2000-08-20

Max in hollywood, baby is a great story, the author,Maira Kalman, has a real feel for charactors and is so in touch with Max that she is becoming that charactor, at least to me.If you read this book you will love it so much you will want to read all the Max books. I can speak as one who has read it and I fell in love with this charactor at once,maybe you think I am just babeling but I speak the truth.

Average customer rating:

Good mob book
A fairy tale
Delusional fiction...
A Rat is a Rat
A real tough guy

The Animal in Hollywood
John L. Smith
Manufacturer: Barricade Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Criminals | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1569801266

Book Description

The Animal in Hollywood recounts in frank and chilling detail mob enforcer Anthony Fiato's explosive career in the mafia on both coasts.

Customer Reviews:

Good mob book.......2007-05-07

I love mob books and this one doesn't dissappoint. Must have for the mob book lover.

A fairy tale.......2006-06-22

The book is supposily a true story, but I can tell you that several things in the book are basically Fiato's imagination or twisted reality of what really happened, He shows what kind of low-life he really is, more worried about everyone knowing he is sleeping with Nichole Simpson sister, which in truth is probibly the highlight of a lowlifes world.
It is entertaining though because it seemed so new to me like I wasn't even there,but after reading it and comparing the realalities to the fantasy I could tell they just mislabeled it.

Delusional fiction..........2006-06-04

A careful constructed string of public appearances has somewhat cleaned Anthony Fiato of the smudge which is apparent in reading "The Animal in Hollywood." The scariest thing about Fiato is his inability to bridge the vast divide between the carefully crafted Animal personna and the real Anthony Fiato. The Animal surfaces spewing threats and issuing "I would have if, and I could haves" every few pages in this book. How lame is it for a man to relive past events while interjecting thoughts of what he should have done or wanted to do to readers who are thinking 'yeah but you didn't.'

As for the book, it pales in comparison to Jimmy Fratianno's the Last Mafioso falling short in the truth and interest categories. Apparently unaware that the man had been dead for years, Fiato places himself on a collection run in south central Los Angeles. His target the long dead figure of Black Dot McGhee. I guess Fiato didn't figure on someone knowing of whom he spoke. He also claims a lofty stature in the Rizzitello family but fails to note why he never met Los Angeles mob power Jimmy Fratianno. For those not familiar with Fiato and his true stature and criminal dealings then this is sure to arouse interest and awe, but for everyone else. It is little more than a sad and sorry attempt to elevate and promote the Animal to a gullible audience enraptured audience This book is much like Fiato's testimony in the infamous Simpson case, is weak and without substance.

A Rat is a Rat.......2004-02-18

Fiato is like most informants they always find ways to rationalize their treachery. There is a saying on the street " If you cant do the time dont do the crime" Fiato and people like him enjoy the life until it comes time to pay, then they turn on people that trusted them. Fiato is just one of many Rats that turned and will continue to turn when faced with paying the price of their actions.

A real tough guy.......2002-04-10

Anthony was on the radio, and he is facinating. his story was unbelievable, in the sense that he accomplished so much, in a town that is so easy to get caught. He is no dummy like most Mafia guys What guts he has to wear a wire on over sixty
Mafia members sworn to kill like himself

Passionate Slugs & Hollywood Frogs: An Uncommon Field Guide to Northwest Backyards

Average customer rating:

Uncommonly delightful
delightful book!
Beyond recognition: the secret life of your back yard
Everything I Didn't Know About the Critters In Our Yard
Passionate Slugs and Hollywood Frogs

Passionate Slugs & Hollywood Frogs: An Uncommon Field Guide to Northwest Backyards
Patricia K. Lichen
Manufacturer: Sasquatch Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1570612226

Book Description

Birds that walk underwater. Slugs that mate while suspended in midair. Frogs who star on Hollywood soundtracks. The Pacific Northwest abounds in natural wonders, and here are field guides as interesting as the world they describe. Filled with both amazing and amusing true-life tales about Northwest plants and animals, this new series of uncommon field guides will appeal to the casual observer and the avid naturalist alike. Each of these illustrated books describes more than sixty plants, animals, and natural phenomena of a particular Northwest habitat. Author Patricia Lichen combines standard field guide information about habitat, appearance, and range with delightful and engaging descriptions of the little-known facts, surprising details, and amusing-- even bizarre-- tidbits rarely found in ordinary field guides. Discover how amazing the Northwest natural world really is with these uncommon field guides.

Customer Reviews:

Uncommonly delightful.......2006-08-13

Like all 3 of Lichen's "Uncommon Field Guide" series, "Passionate Slugs..." is uncommonly delightful to poke into. One can read it chapter-by-chapter or just open the book anywhere and delve in. Even if it is an animal or plant you are familiar with, there is a good likelihood that you will discover something new about it in her description. Reading her books is like the joy of discovering an animal or plant and discussing it with a knowledgeable friend. My only complaint is that there is not one of Feltner's detailed illustrations with every single chapter.

delightful book!.......2005-06-17

What a charming guide to backyard creatures of the northwest. The enjoyment I got from reading this book was like a conversation with a witty friend who just happens to know all about the critters and plants in my yard! I found it to be informative, humorous, and very down to earth. I would have appreciated a few more illustrations, but on the whole, I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about the creatures and habitat in his/her northwest backyard.

Beyond recognition: the secret life of your back yard.......2001-12-28

Mosquitos, grey squirrels, juncos -- most of us take these ordinary neighbors for granted and find our interest is piqued by more esoteric wildlife. The charm of this book is that it takes the creatures that we recognize already and can expect to see in our own yards, in parks, or hovering above a busy interstate and reveals the unique habits and foibles of each. Other essays shed light on the natural (and unnatural) history of common northwest plants including scotch broom, lawns, and the dreaded blackberry, and even go on to bring our attention to the skies. Each essay can be read independently, or the whole can be devoured at one sitting. By focussing on the mundane, Patricia Lichen and her talented illustrator Linda Feitner increase our appreciation of the richness of our environment.

Everything I Didn't Know About the Critters In Our Yard.......2001-08-14

I enjoyed "Passionate Slugs & Hollywood Frogs" because the writing style made it fun to learn about the skunks, juncos, mice, etc., who live in and around our yard. The information was easy to understand and entertaining. It is the kind of book that I can read myself and share with my grandchildren. I really enjoyed it.

Passionate Slugs and Hollywood Frogs.......2001-08-02

Pat Lichen weaves fascinating scientific information with humor, personal experience, and heartfelt tenderness for the natural world. Linda Feltner's drawings gently accentuate the essays. I'd recommend these books as enjoyable reading and good reference for any household in the Pacific Northwest.

Average customer rating:

A fascinating backstory
The best 'give-up-smoking' book on the market!
surviving the mosh pit
Screenwriters 101

Hollywood Animal: A Memoir
Joe Eszterhas
Manufacturer: Hutchinson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000HWYR78

Customer Reviews:

A fascinating backstory.......2007-01-10

I read this to hear about Hollywood and scriptwriting game, however, I ended up very intrigued by the backstory concerning the author's parents. If you are interested in scriptwriting or film-making, then this book is four or five star. However, a friend of mine without such interests really struggled with this book and ultimately didn't finish it. Joe Eszterhas has lead a life which many would judge him for, but that doesn't stop it from being interesting.

The best 'give-up-smoking' book on the market!.......2006-12-11

When Joe Esterhasz gets to about page 600 he reveals he has cancer of the oesophagus because of his smoking, drinking lifestyle. The book, at that moment, takes on a surreal tone and you realise the irony of what has gone before. It is a great work, not a great literary work but as a detailed picture drawn by a talented although slightly eccentric screenwriter who manages to alienate more people (according to the book) than most. Sometimes the detail is self-indulgent and unnecessary, such as the over-done italicised love letters/diaries of his second wife. I must admit I could have done without most of those but for the most part, and for the lifestyle 'don't smoke' warning, and for the Hollywood gossip, this is worth a read, especially if you like stories about movie directors lusting after starlets...who doesn't?

surviving the mosh pit.......2006-05-15

Joe Eszterhas is the well-known writer of Basic Instinct, Jagged Edge, Music Box and other movie scripts. In this book, he intersperses his Hollywood experience with his modest Hungarian background - two different worlds. Eszterhas relates some of his experiences of the good life, being highly paid and famous in Hollywood amongst his new best friend actors, producers and agents. This atmosphere is not for the faint-of-heart but Eszterhas was able to hold is own and command top payment for his scripts. Eventually, and fortunately, he and his family moved out of Hollywood where shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. His efforts to stop smoking and drinking, both entrenched and decades-old, took more strength than anything preceeding it. But he did it.

Hollywood Animal will provide many titillating stories of the big (and sometimes tough) guys and gals in The Business. It also gives us a glimpse of Eszterhas as a survivor who lived to write about it. Recommended.

Screenwriters 101.......2005-08-01

Fairly slow going as screenwriters are apparently not necessarily great book authors, but interesting insight into how Hollywood really works - or doesn't, as the case may be. I found that far more interesting than who the author had sex with.

The Diary of Jinky: Dog of a Hollywood Wife

Average customer rating:

Even my cat wants Jinky
An Honest and Compassionate Book
I LOVE JINKY!
Hysterical and Heartwarming
Great Book

The Diary of Jinky: Dog of a Hollywood Wife
Carole Raphaelle Davis
Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Cats, Dogs & Animals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Comic | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0740760483

Book Description

Jinky's "mom" and "dad" might be complainers, but Jinky is just happy to be alive. He enjoys every minute and he can't understand why his lucky, pampered Hollywood parents and their show business friends are such miserable whiners. After all, Jinky's life started badly:

"My life began in a cage in San Pedro, California. Some creepy guy bought me for his stupid wife and she didn't want me. . . . One night, the guy took me to the pound. They threw me into a cold, wet crate and slammed the gate. . . . I was scheduled to be 'put down' or, as I like to say, murdered. But I got lucky."

Now Jinky lives in a beautiful house in the Hollywood Hills. He has a pool and a Jacuzzi and sports cars and a fat blond terrier girlfriend named Finley who loves to lick his ears.

Jinky went from an unloved and abandoned pet to sleeping in bed with his mom (a former Pet herself, in Penthouse¿she looks good) and eating delicious food off his dad's plate (his mom cooks good, too).

Jinky knows what's important in life, and he wishes his mom and dad could stop worrying about their status in Hollywood and enjoy life as much as he does. He can't understand why show business people are always so unhappy, especially the funny ones. Every "pitch" meeting Jinky overhears, every Hollywood dinner he eavesdrops on, every Hollywood barbecue, lunch, and casual encounter in coffee shops is another chance for these people to bitch and moan about "the business."

But Jinky's "tail" is not just about his hilariously self-obsessed parents and their friends. And his message is not just that happiness is not about how much we have, but how we love. His is a tale about how hope, perseverance, and even one small act of kindness can change a life.

Customer Reviews:

Even my cat wants Jinky.......2007-09-27

Jinky Tells All

Have you ever wondered what your dog was thinking? Well this dog tells all in a really funny tail (oops) about a terrier who goes from down on his luck to the good life. Wherever there's a scrap on the floor of Hollywood, Jinky is there. He's been everywhere from Cannes to Cancun, but he is still the every-dog, taking on the elite and effete in a dog eat dog business! If you like Hollywood, see it from a dog's eye point of view. And if you don't like Hollywood, you'll know why after you read Jinky. I loved it!

An Honest and Compassionate Book.......2007-09-10

This is one of the best books that that I have ever read. The humor and honesty is unparalleled. I truly believe that every adult should read this book and especially the last 4 or so pages where the author discusses important issues such as adopting versus shopping. She is so right, that people should take a trip to their local shelter and LEARN that until we spay and neuter we will ALWAYS face the sadness of all the wonderful animals that await their forever home. Mrs. Davis is a wonderful person and a true hero of mine. God Bless her and her wonderful animal companion Jinky. May we all learn from him and one by one change the world!

I LOVE JINKY!.......2007-07-31

From death-row in San Pedro to the A-List in the Hollywood Hills ~ I Love Jinky!
This book is hilarious! I think Hollywood can only benefit from a dog's diary. Jinky teaches us all that humans are a nutty breed and that we spend way too much time complaining about things that don't really matter. So much so, that we can barely appreciate the finer things in life. Like the the perfect "Tootsie Roll" poop. Life is full of Stupid Kitties, so what? To know Jinky is to have the answer to the eternal question, "Is the dog bowl half-full, or half-empty?" Especially in Hollywood, there's nothing like a little laughter and gas between friends!
Thank you Carole Raphaelle Davis for writing such a fun and entertaining book ~ and thank you so much for your continuing work in support of animal rescue!!!

Hysterical and Heartwarming.......2007-07-23

Only in LA could a ragamuffin like Jinky go from the streets of San Pedro to the highlife of the Hollywood madness. I read this book in one sitting on a very long flight from the East Coast to Los Angeles and laughed the entire time (albeit with a few tears here and there). Jinky reminds us of what's important in life through this touching and very funny story about his life. He, along with the help of his Mom shine a light on a very real problem in the shelter system and the public's mindset towards companion animals. Jinky is one of the lucky ones to make it out of the shelter alive and into a loving home and he uses his "celebrity" to help other animals.

Kudos Jinky!

Great Book.......2007-06-28

I received your book as a Birthday present. I loved reading the book. It was so funny and touching at the same time. The fact that you included so many pictures in your book was just an added plus. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves dogs and wants to be entertained.

The Berenstain Bears Go Hollywood (BBears Big Chapter Books(TM))

Average customer rating:

The Berenstain Bears Go Hollywood (BBears Big Chapter Books(TM))
Stan Berenstain , and Jan Berenstain
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 067998948X
Release Date: 1999-12-21

Average customer rating:

Hereýs the Scoop!

Hollywood Dogs

Manufacturer: Collins Pub San Francisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

History & Criticism | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0002552493

Customer Reviews:

Hereýs the Scoop!.......2001-04-27

If you like Hollywood and you like dogs, this is the book for you! J.C. Suares has compiled a wonderful little photo book (78 pages) of mostly "old" Hollywood actors in various poses with canine friends and thespians. The earliest photo is a 1920's shot of the Little Rascals with pit bull mix, "Pete the Pup" (Suares informs us that the circle around the eye was drawn), and the most recent is James Belushi in 1989's "K-9."

While a few shots are candids (e.g., a fabulous picture of Gable petting an Irish Setter on the set in 1931; Bogart with his Scottish Terriers), most are publicity stills or shots from movies. These include Shirley Temple (and mutt) in "The Stowaway," William Powell, Myrna Loy and-of course-ASTA in "After the Thin Man." Katherine Hepburn with English Springer Spaniels in "A Bill of Divorcement," and, perhaps most famously, Judy Garland with Toto (a Cairn Terrier).

Book Description

He's the baddest dog in town. A 100% high-steppin', bone-crunchin', cat-chasin' pooch with one small problemo: he has three days to live. Three days left on Death Row at the City Pound for Unwanted Canines. Unless...Unless a big Hollywood agent drops by looking for The Next Big Doggy Thing to appear in a big new action movie. Bad Dog's gotta show the agent that he's the mutt with the mostest. Tinseltown will never be the same again!

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books