Book Description
Wicked is not just a musical, it is a phenomenon. Every week 15,000 people pack New Yorks Gershwin Theatre to see the show. The most successful musical on Broadway in 2004, Wicked is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire. It tells the story of Elphaba, the headstrong Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the good witch, growing up in the Land of Oz. The show has cast a spell on fans, many of whom return for second and third viewings. In 2005, the show begins an extensive tour across the United States and Canada, hitting major cities such as Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and many more. This beautifully packaged, whimsical keepsake is designed to resemble the Grimmerie, an ancient book of spells that Elphaba uses in the show. Wicked: The Grimmerie offers fans a behind-the-curtains peek at the musical, profiles of the cast and creative team, and inside stories, with full-color photographs throughout. Some of the irresistible special features include an Ozian glossary, spells, the shows libretto, an illustrated family tree, and a step-by-step look at how Elphaba gets green before each showeverything fans need to relive the Broadway experience day after day.
Customer Reviews:
Wickedly Wonderful.......2007-09-28
This is a totally wonderful book. The look, the feel, the photos....every Wicked fan will want this. Simply gorgeous.
Great keepsake of popular musical production.......2007-09-10
This is a wonderful souvenir for WICKED fans of any production. It would also be a great pre-viewing gift for anyone who has yet to see the innovative musical "prequel" to THE WIZARD OF OZ.
The Grimmerie.......2007-08-15
After just having seen "Wicked" performed live on stage, this is the perfect companion to relive the experience.
WICKED SMASH .......2007-08-13
The book was awesome and very detailed with the making of the stage play and its bio of the characters. I would highly recommend this book.
Very good!.......2007-08-01
Full libretto, huge pictures, a history of "the Wizard of Oz" from concept to book series to musical to movie... more info than I was even hoping for on "Wicked." It's a LOT like the "Rent" book, if you've seen that.
Book Description
A celebrity fashion stylist reveals the tricks of her trade and shows women of all sizes how to pull together their own polished, individual look.
Whether she's petite, average, or plus size, every woman has experienced the frustration of searching for flattering clothes. In The Pocket Stylist every reader can have a consultation with her own personal stylist and use the author's behind-the-scenes wardrobe wisdom:
- Taking her true measurements—from eight different body zones—to ensure an attractive fit based on the reader's unique silhouette and the proportions that will flatter it best
- Why ready-to-wear isn't, and how and when to use a tailor for a custom fit
- The best fabrics for your unique silhouette
- How to balance trends with the classic, indispensable pieces that are the backbone of any well-conceived wardrobe
- What “closet archaeology” can unearth and reveal about your wardrobe needs
- Why the right lingerie makes a critical difference in the fit of your clothes
- Tips from other experts on the beauty principles that ground your everyday look— Bobbi Brown and Sonja Kashuk for makeup and Kevin Mancuso for hair—offer backstage access
- Accessories that give an outfit an individual look and that no versatile wardrobe should be without
Best of all, The Pocket Stylist features specifically edited shopping lists for various body types. Four “styled” looks for each silhouette—from jeans-casual to cocktails—illustrate ideal proportion and fit. The reader becomes Kendall Farr's client and will learn to shop and dress herself like a pro. The Pocket Stylist delivers the behind the camera expertise of a veteran stylist in one purse-size indispensable guide.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic Style!.......2007-10-04
This little book packs inside all the information that can be found in most of the other style books. The author gives you easy to understand, no filler or fluff, straight-up style guidelines, suggestions and the reasoning behind her information. Plus, she gives websites and stores where the things she mentioned can easily be found. Keep in mind, however, that she does make mention of several lines that do not have stores outside many major markets and do not offer web sales. Also, some of the price points may be unrealistic if your favorite shopping experience is at Wal-Mart. All in all, a very good purchase.
First Rate!!!!!.......2007-09-22
This is among the very best for timeless advice on what is fashion style and elegance. There are clear guidelines and clear rationals. It is exceptionally well written. I found her short section of advice to petites to be better than any book I have read . In this section she succintly makes 27 points on how to dress TALL. This book is the real deal.
A good wake-up call.......2007-08-27
After reading this book, I gave myself a good talking to about my closet. Now I've found a tailor, had all my falling hems fixed, skirt hems adjusted and favorite items tailored to fit me better. More importantly I got rid of all the things that no longer fit me, are no longer in style, or are just plain unattrative. What a relief!
So glad I was given this book. I feel like I have a whole new wardrobe without doing any shopping!
Like this one.......2007-08-18
I read this book cover to cover. It is very informational for someone like me who has a hard time putting outfits together and seeing what I need and what I don't need. I like the detailed advice on the difference between cheap and well made. Also the tips on where to find well made things at a better price. I didn't find my body shape in her descriptions but at 5'11" that's not easy to do. I wish someone would write a book for tall women. I am still giving it 5 stars though because I found the rest of the book very informative.
A book for the "little people" out there...........2007-08-12
One reviewer mentioned that Kendall Farr is condescending toward her audience. There are remarks such as "now _you_ have a fashion stylist of your very own" that is a little reminiscent of Fairy Godmother...I wanted tips, not someone to address me as if I were some "Clueless" project.
One hallmark of being condescending is that she repeatedly uses words that fly over my head... "Am I just a fashion dummy? I thought I knew something..." I keep saying to myself as I flip through the book and futily Google words that don't seem to have a solid definition. Farr says, "Make sure you choose styles with pintucking, ruching, bomber style, motocross style, nipped at the waist..." It goes on and on and on, page after page until I feel like she assumes we all know the fashion lingo that she uses daily. A glossary would have been merciful.
I do match body type B and am still foggy on what she wants me to do. Very wordy, atmospheric suggestions with no pictures, no diagrams, no sketches... just 4 figures of women with "the look" that I should be trying to achieve.
I do appreciate how she targets the pitfalls of fashion and how she encourages only shopping for a few pieces at a time to make sure you have the right fit, material, and comfort level. I also appreciate how she sort of says to dress your age (ie, "Goodbye Hello Kitty t-shirts"). I am 29 and having a rough time with finding fashion that suits the age... Shopping at American Eagle or Abercrombie or even Old Navy leaves me feeling, uh, just not put together well, and sometimes I even feel like I must be manifesting a lack of maturity by my fashion choices. So I can handle her prompts for increasing sophistication, and I have had luck finding things that match her descriptions in stores such as TJ Maxx, Maurices, and even at the local thrift shop. So I thank her for that.
Oh-- and if you want help sorting your closet, she has good tips. She eerily starts reminding me of a person with obsessive compulsive disorder by the end of the chapter, but the first half got me into gear and my closet is in great shape now.
I own the Lucky Style Shopping Manual as well, and have read both of these books practically word for word. Lucky makes sure that you understand every word with pictures of beautiful clothing ensembles, diagrams including terminology, etc. But I'm still glad to have heard Kendall Farr's approach. I probably won't keep her book, but it was a good one-time read. I'll be keeping Lucky forever.
Amazon.com
What do you do if you're running the worst airline in the country,one that customers hate and that's been through Chapter 11 twice in the last 10 years? If you're lucky, you'll call Gordon Bethune. Before Bethune arrived, Continental had been ravaged by the likes of Frank Lorenzo and airline deregulation--it was considered the laughingstock of the airline industry in the United States. Under Bethune's leadership, Continental turned itself around to become one of the most respected and reliable airlines in the industry. From Worst to First describes how Bethune, with a lot of luck and the right combination of people, was able to transform Continental from an also-ran into an award-winning company. --Harry C. Edwards
Book Description
The numerous anecdotes alone are worth the price of the book . . . most readers will find themselves asking why everyone doesn't run a business as preached by the chief executive of Continental Airlines.-The Washington Post Book World
. . . in an age where managing seems increasingly complicated, some of Bethune's prescriptions are refreshingly straightforward.-Business Week
From Worst to First outlines Gordon Bethune's triumphs . . . about the turnaround he's led at Continental, a perennial basket case that's become an industry darling.-The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
From Worst to First is [Gordon Bethune's] story of Continental Airlines' turnaround under his command . . . The blueprint has worked . . . Fortune magazine named Continental the company that has 'raised its overall marks more than any other in the 1990s.'-The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
All of Gordon Bethune's proceeds from this book will be donated to the We Care Trust, a nonprofit organization that assists Continental Airlines' employees and their families in times of need.
Customer Reviews:
Top Notch.......2007-05-19
I had the pleasure of doing media relations for Continental in the early 2000s, including the years after 9/11. The Gordon Bethune in the book is the Gordon Bethune you meet in person: incredibly smart, driven, concerned about the people whose paychecks he signed, and satisfied with nothing less than the best. Great read. (I sound like a PR guy... But I mean it sincerely...)
Remarkable Turnaround.......2007-01-22
This is an enlightening book on how CEO Gordon Bethune, together with his team, engineered a remarkable turnaround of Continental Airlines in the mid-1990s and then steered Continental to be a very successful airline. With literary assistance from journalist Scott Huler, Continental Airlines Bethune describes how he transformed the near-bankrupt airline into one of the best companies in the industry. He outlined his four-part "Go Forward" plan for turning Continental airlines around, and offers critical advice to all business professionals. He uses numerous examples, as well as stories and anecdotes; to make his simple, yet profound points.T he challenges faced by Continental Airlines in 1994 are somewhat similar to those faced by many airlines worldwide in the past six years or so, when the industry was going through a rough patch. Many of these airlines need visionary and decisive leadership of Bethune's mould to turn the familiar red ink at the bottom line to black.
The book is well written in an easy to follow and understand manner which enables it to benefit anyone in any industry to gain insights into how to turnaround a loss making business with dysfunctional structures and demotivated people. I learnt a lot from the various examples provided which helped me to get his message across. I also enjoyed the various humorous stories which illustrates how badly Continental used to be mismanaged and how the situation was straightened out.
Although there was a fair amount of repetition which may annoy some people, I had no problem with it as it helped to reinforce the author's message. This book is absolutely invaluable for any manager or leader in any organization undergoing a turnaround process, regardless of size.
light on the details but interesting.......2006-12-18
Continental airlines was a major disaster in 1994. Gordon Bethune did a major turnaround of that company and unfortunately he does not tell us how he did it with the exception of cutting costs. He was so busy talking about how wonderful he was that he forgot to tell us how to turn the company around and not just the end results. It is still an interesting book for those who are interested in the airline industry but don't expect to get much out of it if you are looking for the story of continentals turnaround.
Great read for business people.......2005-12-16
I have been a loyal frequent flyer at Continental since the late 90's, and I have no idea the airlines was that terrible at the early 90's. As a frequent flyer, I admire Continental's plane is always cleaner than other airlines, and the flight attendant attitude is always friendly than others. After reading the book, I understand the reasons.
If you work at a company need to be turned around, this book is almost a top read. For management, there are some good ideas worth considering from reading this book.
This book can be condensed to 2/3. The last one third of the book is somewhat repeating what has been said at the beginning. Otherwise I will give it a 5 stars rating.
Great book, Even for Non-Aviation hobbiest~.......2005-12-12
This is a great book on how Continental emerged from bankruptcy twice. Bethunes punes run throughout the book which make for easy and enjoyable reading. Even for a college student such as myself.
Book Description
While most people are wary or organization politics, politically savvy leaders know how to manage them. They take initiative, and they forge consensus. Ultimately, they help others maximize their impact, so the organization can continue to thrive in a highly competitive future.
Insprirational leadership without a firm grounding in organization politics risks becoming hollow rhetoric. Political Savvy discusses how successful leaders at all levels in the organization operate ethically behind-the-scenes to work the darker side of organizational life.
The book helps you analyze your own political style, (yes, everyone has one) and understand the strategies and tactics used by ethical leaders. Through quotes, grids, tools, a case study, mapping techniques and examples, the book provides a systematic, practical guide to navigating political minefields so you can increase your influence in the organization, coach others, and obtain the career success, satisfaction, and meaning you want from work.
Customer Reviews:
business truth.......2005-10-24
This book really impressed me, and I am in business 35 years in New York City. Politics is a necessary fact in business although many business people will deny this. Joel Deluca emphasizes this and takes the position that within the politics of organizations the ethical principles that drive individual behavior in large measure also drives the outcome. He very astutely identifies a range of personality types and then proceeds to illustrate how effective genuinely ethical business tactics are to advancing individual goals as well as those of the business.
This book should be required study for business school students. I have seen business to business relations go from a handshake is a deal to contracts, in many cases, are not good enough to insure compliance with agreements. Relations among co-workers within organizations, the focus of the book, has not faired better as people spend far more time protecting their job or complicating other's job, than advancing the collective interests of the enterprise. Ethics, in the current business climate are, for the most part, not much more than the expedient adjustments among conflicting interests and justice then becomes substantially in the interests of the strong. Political Savvy powerfully illustrates, with real world examples, that such an understanding of ethics in business is ultimately ineffectual and that unyielding ethical behavior is really the winning strategy.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in sustained advancement in a business career.
Eric Wood
President
Voice Factory International
Good to Know - How to Use.......2005-09-22
Joel DeLuca's book on Political Savvy gave me pause for thought and reconsideration on the topic of organization politics. The book provides valuable insight into human behavior and suggestions on how to effectively harness it as a tool in your kit. While it all makes sense, and is good to know, the logistics of applying the knowledge in reality will prove challenging. Good stuff, worth the quick read.
A "Must Read" for Career Success.......2004-09-24
During the course of my career, I have worked in every size organization from the federal government to major corporations to small businesses - some of these with seemingly little politics and others as political as they come. No matter what size organization you are in, I would recommend that you put Political Savvy on your "must read" list. How often do workers, whether they are managers or worker bees, find themselves unable to move ahead because they are blocked by organization politics?
This book can make leaders and winners of almost everyone. Political Savvy has many practical ideas and tools to let all of us move through those politically sensitive situations without making our colleagues feel we've stepped on their toes. You don't have to be a "shark" to get ahead and there are ways of even using "shark repellent." The book is a great tool for making the impact you want and gaining career success. It's a quick read though you may want to read it again and again. Don't skip the beginning chapters because they explore some of the basic terms you will find invaluable once you get to the proven techniques used by the politically savvy.
A very good book, though perhaps not exciting reading.......2004-01-28
I just finished the book and I learned a great deal from it. I found it a little hard to get through, which is probably a good indicator that I needed it. I am one of those who have always had a basic distaste for organizational politics.
But what I found here would have helped me immensely had I read it earlier. Very little in the book does not pass the common sense test, and much of it causes you to look at things in a way that not only removes the 'politics? Yuck' factor but makes you realize that organizational politics is really how things are done, so you better at least have a working knowledge of it.
I thought the organization of the book was among the best I have seen and thought the summary sections were excellent.
A strategy for survival in the corporate world.......2003-11-20
Anyone involved in the leadership aspect of the business world would do well to read Political Savvy. It provides a fruitful strategy for survival in a macrocosmic world of never ending change and chaos. These winds of change have created a frontier of challanges and work environments that, before this time, never existed. The practice of Political Savvy can really make a difference in the effectiveness of an organization. It's excellent reading for anyone serious about surviving in the corporate world.
A ten star book!
Amazon.com
"I exist!" exclaims Ruby Lennox upon her conception in 1951, setting the tone for this humorous and poignant first novel in which Ruby at once celebrates and mercilessly skewers her middle-class English family. Peppered with tales of flawed family traits passed on from previous generations, Ruby's narrative examines the lives in her disjointed clan, which revolve around the family pet shop. But beneath the antics of her philandering father, her intensely irritable mother, her overly emotional sisters, and a gaggle of eccentric relatives are darker secrets--including an odd "feeling of something long forgotten"--that will haunt Ruby for the rest of her life. Kate Atkinson earned a Whitbread Prize in 1995 for this fine first effort.
Book Description
ABOUTBOOK: From the moment Ruby Lennox announces her own conception ("I exist!"), it is clear that she is a narrator who will leave no stone unturned in her account of family life above a pet shop in England. Not content simply to describe her own circumstances, Ruby investigates the lives of the women in family both past and present, from her great-grandmother's affair with a French photographer to her mother's unfulfilled dreams of Hollywood glamour. Hurtling in and out of both World Wars, economic downfalls, the onset of the permissive '60's, and up to the present day, Ruby paints a rich and vivid portrait of heartbreak and happiness, and from it draws a rare understanding of the shared secrets, hopes and failures that unite every family. DISCUSSIONQUES: What do cupboards have to do with the story? More than one reviewer compared Behind the Scenes at the Museum to Tristram Shandy and to the works of Marcel Proust and Charles Dickens. What might these novels have in common? How does Kate Atkinson update or expand upon the earlier books' use of narration and history? One of Atkinson's innovations is her use of footnotes. Why do you think she adopted this non-fiction technique in a novel? Although this novel is very much about a specific time and place, it has been embraced by audiences in twelve countries, in as many languages. What gives Behind the Scenes at the Museum such a universal appeal? What is the meaning of the book's title? What other fictional narrators does Ruby Lennox bring to mind? What does Behind the Scenes at the Museum say about women's roles and opportunities in the family and in the world at large? What do the four generations of women in Ruby's family have in common? Behind the Scenes at the Museum generated controversy in England when a critic called it "anti-family." How would you defend the book against this charge? What other novels, now considered classics, might have had to face this sort of accusation? AUTHORBIO: Kate Atkinson was born in York in 1951, she earned her master's degree in English literature at Dundee University, and did further graduate work in American literature. While raising her two daughters, she held a variety of jobs, from university tutor to welfare benefits administrator, and always wrote, publishing short stories in British magazines and finally her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, in 1995 in England and 1996 in the United States. The critical response in both countries was overwhelming, and Atkinson's talent was justly celebrated when Behind the Scenes at the Museum was named England's Whitbread Book of the Year.
Customer Reviews:
An interleaved social history of Engish family life.......2007-08-05
I would not have chosen this book but we do often choose books by their cover and this was a book that had an interesting title to pick froma pile from my library reading group options.
There is something of the humour - but of the black sort of Adrian Mole about it, every conversation and scene generally has a nuance of the salacious or vulgar about it although the book has its very bright moment. It is in its totality a grim outlook on the prison of British family life subject to wars, personal failings and a lack of education of affluence. Accurate and moving though it may be the characters - all of them, come across as victims except perhaps the protagonist's elder sister.
Ruby Lennox begins the story from her conception, describing her tiny feet inside her mother at a stage of life when she would have been devoid of them. Each chapter is interleaved with a restrospective chapter examining the lives of the family from the past, usually centered around an artefact of sentimental importance at a later date and how it entered the family circuit as a specimen of some emotional value - e.g., a rabbit's foot, a button, a silver locket. Although written in the first person, Ruby has a supernatural knowledge of her past family history and the intricacies of all the personalities surrounding her - even as a baby, so it is effectively a third person book.
Ruby's mother Bunty comes across as a woman who was never loved properly and cannot love her children. This book reveals a great deal about life in Britain and the attitudes people had - particularly women - the way they did not like shop brought food and had to make their own as a sign of good housewifery. Bunty's husband George is clearly disatisfied by his wife but seems a steady father. The family are in charge of a pet shop and later a pharmacy of sorts after the pet shop tragically burns down through carelessness.
Poignant chapters include those about the first world war and the way it erased a generation of fine men in harrowing circumstances - certainly within this family - and aslo aspects of the blitz and the upheavals of the second world war. About women who lost their sweethearts, never to get them back and had to make second choices of which Bunty was also one.
The social communities described centre around alcohol, pubs, shopkeepers, relatives and parties and events like the coronation - all in all it is a sort of stereotypical British landscape something like the BBC soap East Enders with the constant shananigans especially of maritial infedility, comings of age and individual weaknesses.
The best chapters were on the first world war, a holiday in Whitby where the children are mothered by one of George's lovers. Apart from rosy scenes here, and some interesting history, the narrative of Ruby's own life reads depressingly with gloomy events anticipated, then revisited later with greater details. Details like the pet shop fire or deaths in the family.
The underlying theme of the book for me was splitting. The splitting of Britain and its family by war, death, lack of love, unfulfilled relationships, misunderstandings ... Ruby's life looks promising but she ends up in Edinburgh producing "nut brown" children - and the primordial mother of the story Alice ends up a lost victim incapable of revisiting her abandoned children. Many of the children respond by immigrating including Ruby and her sister Patricia.
This book is probably a pot boiler, useful for social historians and English people may empathise with it - but I don't think the book is complimentary to the English, there is a underlying lack of joy, filled with drink, sex and escapism that haunts the people portrayed. Perhaps this is intentional. There is no particular resolution at the end - and overall it is a depressing book with humour that is often negative and sterotypical.
It was a decent read but not something I would have chosen, or would treasure in my library. Perhaps there are deep underlying lessons and a sort of premonition about what life is really about - a stark lesson than will stir up visions of an other utopia, which the book scarcely guarantees.
The interleaved style of present, past, present, past moving temporally forwards is I think an interesting device and this is a good example of an interlieaved sandwich story - a bit like the Time traveller's wife.
strange.......2007-06-16
This book had a strange effect on me. At first I sorta liked it then I didn't, then did.....and back and forth thu out the whole thing. Weird. In the end after putting it down and waitng to see how it settled out I decided I liked it.
Still Stunned.......2007-05-17
I have just finished "Behind the Scenes at the Museum," a book I found quite by accident at our local library sale. I am stunned by the brilliance of Kate Atkinson, and cannot believe it was her first novel. This could quite possibly be one of the best books I have ever read; it has pathos, wry comedic elements, irony, history, and exquisite language. I cannot wait to read more of Atkinson's work. I highly recommend this amazing literary experience.
Can this really be someone's first novel???.......2007-03-12
Wow. I just finished reading Behind the Scenes at the Museum. It is beyond fantastic. The subject matter is a little sad...so many unmet needs, however that's from a social worker's perspective and really, the family Atkinson depicts is not so terribly different from most others. Unmet needs are a reality as are entire lineage's of women with dashed dreams. I found the ending a little awkward, with no real resolution for any of the characters. What I would praise more than the story, is the author's writing ability. She weaves sentences and stories together seemingly effortlessly, and flips between present and past tense with such ease, you feel you are in the hands of a deft magician. She is truly remarkably talented.
Quirky and engaging family drama.......2007-01-01
This is a great book! I am not surprised that it won a Whitbread Prize, as it is a completely engaging tale and Kate Atkinson's writing style is lovely.
The novel tells the story of Ruby Lennox, a girl growing up in York, outside London. As she narrates the tale of her own disfuctional upbringing, the story also flashes back to highlight various other members of her extended family-- her mother, her grandmother, her great aunt, etc. The whole clan has a penchant for stiff upper lips and buried secrets, and what is uncovered in this story will definitely keep you reading. Highly recommended!
Book Description
There is no event in sports quite like the Final Four. John Feinstein explores what it means to a school, a coach, and a player to be in the Final Four or even at The Final. There are the moving stories of players and coaches who thought theyd never make it to college basketballs final weekend, the spectacular triumphs of the winning teams, and the heartbreaking defeats for those who missed the cut. Feinstein also brings us inspiring and dramatic stories from the people behind the scenes: from the officials and referees to the scouts and ticket-scalpers. With the unflinching eye of a seasoned reporter and the remarkable skill of a true storyteller, Feinstein exposes the driving forces behind one of the most revered events in American sports.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing.......2007-08-29
Feinstein is one of the top sportswriters around. This book sadly does not showcase those skills.
The book is about the Final Four and the teams that made it in 2005. We get the usual background on players and coaches, but nothing that makes these stories particularly compelling. When I read a sports book, I want the author to take me there and show me the atmosphere or a unique view of the players' lives .
Sadly, this book is like 99% of the sports books out there. Feinstein may once have been great, but he's slipping.
Great stories to hook less bookish readers........2007-08-15
I am an SAT tutor. One of my constant challenges is finding ways to encourage kids to read who'd rather do anything but. Books they actually like are a great first step. Feinstein's stories are gripping and accessible. They'll hook young readers who are more athletic than bookish, ideally making them a little more the latter. And, for anyone gripped by the love of a good sports contest or even just a good story, it's hard not to like Feinstein's works.
An Inside Look at the Final Four.......2007-04-16
Last Dance is a behind the scenes look at the NCAA Final Four. The book is mostly built on reminisces and interviews with coaches, players, and even some announcers about what it's like to get to the Final Four and win a championship. The primary theme of the book is just how important getting to a Final Four is, and winning a National Championship is, for the players and coaches. It's something that for many players is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of team that puts its stamp on college basketball history. Whether a marginal player seeing little action or a star player going on to a successful NBA career, a Final Four appearance and a National Championship are seen as things that are lifetime achievements. And the bitter disappoint of losing in the Final Four lasts a lifetime as well.
For the most part this book is well written and interesting as we hear from players, coaches, and others involved about their experiences in the Final Four. It paints a well rounded picture of what participants go through during the course of the season, but especially during the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. While Feinstein does not go into great depth on the history of the Final Four, its history is told throughout the book.
The one criticism this reader has of the book is it appears to be very Duke and North Carolina centric. While maybe that's because they have been to the Final Four so often, it's a bit off putting to be constantly hearing about these two schools at the expense of others who have made the Final Four. And while hearing different perspectives on the Final Four were interesting, there really wasn't anything new here either.
My two favorite sections of the book were about UCLA coach John Wooden and his wife getting a spontaneous standing ovation from the coaches in the lobby at the Final Four and Bill Bradley's thoughts on his Final Four appearance (Bradley was a Princeton and NBA star, later a Senator and presidential candidate). And the most interesting philosophical discussion was the impact of the tournament and a Final Four appearance or winning a championship on coaches. Would great coaches like Roy Williams of North Carolina have an incomplete legacy if they never won a championship? Fair or not, the answer is yes, even though the coaches don't like to say it. The pressure to win and win big is just as hot in college basketball as it is in professional sports, and coaches with great talent at big schools feel the heat. The impact of this pressure on coaches, while discussed in other areas before, was well done in this book. Finally, the hype and hysteria that surround the Final Four today compared to years ago is also interesting to note and how this sea change in attention and hype have affected players and coaches and those gathering for their Final Four appearance is well done.
This is definitely a book worth reading if you are a college basketball fan.
Some interest, considerable repetition.......2007-03-26
The portions of this book about how the "selection committee" works and about refereeing in the Final Four are interesting, full of information I have not read before. I agree with Feinstein's comments about the favoritism of the "power schools and conferences" over the smaller, lesser-known schools--excuse me, "institutions," in the words of the NCAA. The chapter about the interminable waiting on Sunday and Monday before the championship game is played will have me looking at that day differently this year--though since we're talking about "student-athletes" who are missing loads of school, I wonder if any of them do any studying for their missed classes. . . Yeah, right.
However, the book needed more editing. Mike Krzyzewski's foreword doesn't say anything that isn't said later in the book, offering little insight worth the time to read it. Nothing is said about the academic challenges facing the players who are on the road for days at a time. I, for one, would be interested in seeing something about that. Also, more from the coaches on strategy during the games could have offered insight.
That said, it's full of entertaining stories from the years of the tournament and worth a quick read.
Feinstein's Quick and Superb Read on the Tourney.......2007-03-25
Recommendation: Buy it, Read it, Share it.
"Last Dance" is a robust and insightful analysis of the Final Four which combines classic stories with original interviews and insights. As noted by basically every review to date, this book has a repetitive streak and reuses interview quotes and snippets several times. It's like déjà vu for the reader. Yet, that is Feinstein's only fault (which may fall on his editor).
"Last Dance" avoided the trap plaguing many other contemporary basketball histories; lesser books rehash old stories and repackage statistics without a shred of originality. However, Feinstein thoroughly researched the history of the Final Four and tapped players, coaches, referees, broadcasters, and executives to expand his account. His excerpts from Wes Miller's journal are simple yet offer a glimpse into day-to-day basketball life. Similarly, his chapter focused on referees (and, specifically Hank Nichols) is spectacular. In addition to these journalistic accounts, Feinstein's analysis on the peculiar influence of the Selection Committee, CBS, and the surge of marketing dollars forces the reader to reflect on the current structure and bias inherent in the greatest sporting month of the year.
Book Description
Now in its fifth season, “24” is the highly acclaimed, groundbreaking, dramatic thriller which defines “appointment television” and continues to attract millions of viewers a week on Fox. Over the past four seasons, the show has consistently increased its high ratings and audience size with a fine cast of recurring actors, a growing slate of guest stars and the show’s star Kiefer Sutherland who portrays the unforgettable “Jack Bauer.”
Jon Cassar, Director/Co-Executive Producer of Fox’s “24”, turns his filmmaker’s eye behind the scenes of the first five seasons of this hit series. He captures unscripted moments with the “24” cast and crew, including the show’s star Kiefer Sutherland, as well as many other well-known celebrity guests who have graced the screen of one of the most highly acclaimed and often controversial shows on television. Jon Cassar’s photography is accompanied by photographs from other members of the “24” family including Rodney Charters, Jay Herron, Michael Klick, Bruce Margolis, David St. Onge and Isabella Vosmikova.
Here you will be able to see moments behind the scenes on the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) set and remote location shooting as well as the planned explosions of bombs and spontaneous laughter accompanied by candid, firsthand, never-before-told stories of relationships, lifelong friendships, mishaps and mayhem developed over five seasons and more than one hundred episodes that make the magic that is “24.”
The show, originally intended as a one-time miniseries, is now in its fifth blockbuster season, with a sixth already confirmed. “24” continues to receive critical and popular acclaim. Among the many awards garnered are: a Golden Globe for Best Actor (2002) and two SAG Awards (2004, 2006) for Kiefer Sutherland; an Emmy for Best Writing for series creators Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran (2002); and a Golden Globe for Best Drama Series (2004).
Customer Reviews:
Great book!!.......2007-06-12
I have become an avid "24" fan and really loved this book. I highly recommend it to any fan of "24".
A "Must Have" for a 24 fan.......2007-04-05
Loved the book - came with a CD which I haven't seen yet. Unfortunatly I read it all in one day - but it is great to get a glimpse of how they put together this amazing show and a sneak peak at all the interesting people that make it work so well.
Great book!.......2007-02-19
Loved the book--lots of color pictures and lots of great behind-the-scenes info. I would highly recommend this book to any "24" watchers.
Superb: Exactly What Fans Want!.......2007-02-01
"24: Behind the Scenes" is a book featuring an inside look at the hit television drama "24." The text is by Jon Cassar, with photos by Jon Cassar, Rodney Charters, ASC CAC, and many of the filmmakers of "24." It includes a foreword by main star Kiefer Sutherland.
The photos in here are delightful, revealing and a true treat for fans. You'll find everything in here from action shots to off-set looks at the cast and crew as they really are. You'll find a variety of photo-styles taken with a variety of camera. Jon Cassar's comments are enjoyable and reveal additional background information.
This book is laid out with photo sections for all of the first five seasons of the program, all that were available at press-time. Also included are sections for Making "24," Production Design and Celebrity Guests (visitors to the set have included John Mayer, Eva Langoria and even Rush Limbaugh.)
This book finishes off with a nice bonus disc featuring commentary from the people who made the book. If you're a true fan of "24," you need to se this.
Excellent value!.......2007-02-01
Very nice quality product for any 24 fans. Great pictures, quality book/paper and available at a good price. It even comes with a DVD of the making of process.
Book Description
Behind the scenes on landmark movies such as King Kong; the Star Wars trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean, X-Men, Predator, and Alien series; Hellboy; and The Chronicles of Narnia, are a host of visionary and often obsessive artists, designers, and technicians whose passion is the movies, and whose role is to create nothing less than cinematic icons. This unique book interviews and reveals the character designers, painters, illustrators, sculptors, and animatronic engineers who transform a sketch or a few words from a script into convincing characters with a life and personality of their own.
Designing Movie Creatures and Characters reveals the inside story of how creatures of the imagination are brought to life onscreen told by the makers themselves, and illustrated with exclusive, behind-the scenes shots from hundreds of movies.
Learn what inspires and motivates these skilled artists; how Weta Workshop began; how Walt Conti builds swimming robot sharks and whales; how Patrick Tatopoulos creates his stunning designs; how molds, creature suits, eye mechanisms, and masks are constructed and how dedicated artists bring characters to life in front of the camera, using suits, makeup, animatronics, puppets, masks, and CGI.
Whether you are a designer, animator or an aspiring makeup artist, this book will entertain, challenge, inspire, and inform.
· Includes a history of creatures and special effects in the movies, featuring Ray Harryhausen and other screen legends who have inspired today's artists.
· Features interviews with dozens of designers, illustrators, painters, sculptors, makeup artists, and special effects gurus, and explains how they work, how characters were brought to life, what inspires designers to create, and the skills and technologies they have pioneered.
· Also includes hundreds of behind-the-scenes shots, concept illustrations, sketches, and designs; mini biographies and filmographies; a glossary of specialist terms; and features on key manufacturing techniques.
Customer Reviews:
Nothing is perfect..........2007-06-01
Is a very irregular book because the pictures are important but in this case many photographs looks bad, with bad resolution like taken directly from the internet. I'm very dissapointing also because the introduction with the famous monsters in the 50's cinema is too many brief. I thought that the book was about classic monsters: harryhausen, the 80's...but no, the book is about predator vs. aliens, blade 2...etc. A pity (at least to me).
Designing Movie Creatures and Characters: Behind the scenes with the movie masters.......2007-05-08
Real good source of info on who is in the fx industry.
Worth getting........2007-01-20
As a special effects sculptor, I found this book fascinating. There are a very small number of books that cover the subject of actual FX artists and how they work, and this is a welcome addition. Anyone considering a career as an FX designer, sculptor, or FX makeup artist of any sort really needs to see this book.
Book Description
Look over the shoulder of a world-renowned bird carver as he creates his most challenging piece
A behind-the-scenes look at how Floyd Scholz creates one of his most ambitious pieces--a life-size golden eagle in flight. Beautiful color photos document the carving's progression from a block of wood to a finished work of art. Accompanying text offers how-to information as well as Scholz's thoughts as he works on the carving. Includes preliminary sketches and notes, candid studio shots, work-in-progress images, corrections, and journal entries. A unique look at the creative process that will inspire carvers, artists, and bird-lovers alike.
Book Description
Praise for Damn Right!
From the author of the bestselling WARREN BUFFETT SPEAKS. . .
"Charlie Munger, whose reputation is deep and wide, based on an extraordinary record of brilliantly successful business strategies, sees things that others don't. There is a method to his mastery and, through this book, we get a chance to learn about this rare individual." -MICHAEL EISNER, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company
"Janet Lowe uncovers the iconoclastic genius and subtle charm behind Charlie Munger's curmudgeonly facade in this richly woven portrait of our era's heir to Ben Franklin. With a biographer's detachment, an historian's thoroughness, and a financial writer's common sense, Lowe produces a riveting account of the family, personal, and business life of the idiosyncratically complex and endlessly fascinating figure." -LAWRENCE CUNNINGHAM, Cardozo Law School, Author of The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America
"For years, Berkshire Hathaway shareholders and investors worldwide (me included) have struggled to learn more about Warren Buffett's cerebral sidekick. Now we can rest and enjoy reading Janet Lowe's book about this rare intellectual jewel called Charlie Munger." -ROBERT G. HAGSTROM, Author of The Warren Buffett Way
"Charlie has lived by the creed that one should live a life that doesn't need explaining. But his life should be explained. In a city where heroism is too often confused with celebrity, Charlie is a true hero and mentor. He lives the life lessons that he has studiously extracted from other true heroes and mentors, from Ben Franklin to Ben Graham. This book illuminates those life lessons." -RONALD L. OLSON, Munger, Tolles & Olson llp
"Janet Lowe's unprecedented access to Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett has resulted in a first-class book that investors, academics, and CEOs will find entertaining and highly useful."-TIMOTHY P. VICK, Money Manager and Author of How to Pick Stocks Like Warren Buffett
Customer Reviews:
Dam Right!.......2007-07-03
This book gave me insight into lives and thinking of both Charley Munger and Warren Buffett. It contains important information for Berkshire Hathaway students and fans.
Must read book.......2007-05-18
The book brings out the mysterious personality of Charlie Munger and his progress as an investor. It is not a book to read if you want to learn Charlie's approach to investing but can be a great guide if you want to model your life on the likes of Charlie and Buffett. It gives insights into the mind of two great people who have had the courage to stand against one and all when they thought they were right.
light reading........2007-02-18
i don't typically write reviews, though it is alway nice to contribute. having read quite a few excepts from other books about Mr Munger i was blown away by his simple straight forward logic. It really does put alot of education that we are receiving today into context. I have often challenged my old Marketing Profs. during my MBA etc, to try and explain what makes coke work. None are able to do it in the way that munger can. This book will not give you those insights, though from what i got out of it, it gives you an understanding into the environment and upbringing he had to dervive these thoughts.
It is a good read, sometimes abit fluffy with wording, though you get over this. If you are a Berkshire fan - apart form the annual reports and compilations (ie. Cunningham) the best book by far is Of Permanent Value.
Anyway enjoy and as i said it is a nice light read.
Snore fest.......2007-02-07
Charlie told her it would be a boring book and as usual he was Damn Right!
You know this is a guy with interesting biz and fishing tales Im sure that could have been weaved into something good. The author's problem is she got so caught up in trying to write a time line of every little fact without much in the way of editing nor narrative. Its like fact vomit. Read this if your sleeping pills fail you.
Little Investment Help Here .......2007-01-30
A decent biography of Charlie Munger if you are interested in his life and family. However, as an investor, I had hoped for more insight into his investment philosophy. If that's your focus you'll find this book disappointing. You are probably better off chasing down his various letters written to shareholders over the years for that type of information. Still, the book is well-written and well-researched and interesting if you are a biography junkie. I'm not.
Books:
- Write to TV: Out of Your Head and onto the Screen
- 101 Spy Gadgets for the Evil Genius
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005
- A Thinker's Damn: Audie Murphy, Vietnam, and the Making of the Quiet American
- Alfred Hitchcock: The Master of Suspense: A Pop-up Book
- Alfred Hitchcock: The Master of Suspense: A Pop-up Book
- American Cinema/American Culture
- American Cinema/American Culture
- Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
Books Index
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