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Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself

Alan Alda

Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself Alan Alda Amazon Price: $10.20
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By: Random House Trade Paperbacks
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 49 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Picking up where his bestselling memoir Never Have Your Dog Stuffed left off–having been saved by emergency surgery after nearly dying on a mountaintop in Chile–beloved actor and acclaimed author Alan Alda offers an insightful and funny look at some impossible questions he’s asked himself over the years: What do I value? What, exactly, is the good life? (And what does that even mean?) Here, Alda listens in on things he’s heard himself saying at critical points in his life–from the turbulence of the sixties, to his first Broadway show, to the birth of his children, to the ache of September 11, and beyond. Reflecting on the transitions in his life and in all our lives, he notices that “doorways are where the truth is told,” and wonders if there’s one thing–art, activism, family, money, fame–that could lead to a “life of meaning.” In a book that is candid, wise, and as questioning as it is incisive, Alda amuses and moves us with his uniquely hilarious meditations on questions great and small.

Praise for Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself

“Engagingly thoughtful and thought-provoking . . . [Alan Alda] candidly shares many stories of his life, so easily and wittily you can hear him speak as you read.”
Sydney Sun Herald

“Alda is chatty, easygoing and humble, rather like a Mr. Rogers for grownups. His words of inspiration would be a perfect gift for a college grad or for anyone facing major life changes.”
Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Smart, engaged, funny and observant.”
San Antonio Express-News

My Very First Mother Goose

Opie

My Very First Mother Goose Opie By: Alfred A. Knopf
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Creative Visual Treat & Great Mother Goose Collection 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This has been one of our kids' very favorite books since they were about 6 months old, edited by the clever Iona Opie and illustrated by the author of the Max and Ruby books. The sing-song rhythms enchanted them as babies, and the entertaining (and adorable) animal-based interpretations of the words have kept the kids coming back to pull this off the shelf. The collection is really well-chosen, with most of the "classic" nursery rhymes here; my only complaint is that the editor seems to opt for only one verse of most rhymes where in some cases I'm pretty sure there's more to it than that. The division into "chapters" makes it a little easier to find a closure point, since they keep wanting to hear/see "just one more!" A great baby gift.

Editorial Review:

Divided into four sections, this anthology contains more than 60 of the most colourful and best-loved nursery rhymes, including "Humpty Dumpty" and "Hey Diddle, Diddle". These are illustrated with watercolour pictures of distinctive characters - rabbits, cats and mice - by Rosemary Wells.

He Is . . . I Say: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Neil Diamond

David Wild

He Is . . . I Say: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Neil Diamond David Wild Amazon Price: $16.50
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By: Da Capo Press
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Give in to the feel of Neil... 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book hits a truly sweet spot where the biography of Neil Diamond, the autobiography of David Wild and a critical appreciation of pop music's most enduring singer/songwriter overlap. The author is the rarest of beasts - a fully-anointed Rolling Stone-certified rock critic who isn't too much a rock-snob to appreciate the full scope of Neil Diamond's unique talent and legacy. And I'm not just talking about the early recordings that even the most staunch rock snobs seem to have finally embraced, but every stage of Diamond's career--Wild does casual fans the service of picking the great songs out of Neil's overlooked albums.

More importantly, though, Wild defends the career of the man himself in a measured but passionate book that incorporates his own feelings about Neil's music with his many encounters with the man himself. He doesn't dig for dirt in Diamond's personal biographical details, nor does he go for cheap shots at some of the man's admittedly less-than-stellar work. Instead he makes the case for a truly unique artist who, into his late 60s, is coming full-circle to his beginnings as a songwriter and, yes, even critical success.

If you're a true (sparkly) blue Diamond-head, you might not find the deeply detailed biography you've been waiting for, but you'll certainly find a loving appreciation for an artist who seldom gets his due. It's a book that could only have been written by someone with Wild's background, access and credibility.

It's time to let your Neil flag fly and admit that there's nothing wrong with shedding a tear to "September Morn" or "Love On The Rocks."

Editorial Review:

He Is . . . I Say examines Neil Diamond’s singular place in the pantheon of popular music and describes how an introspective kid from Brooklyn roads went from being a struggling songwriter in the Brill Building era to become a multi-platinum global superstar and the voice of a generation (or two). David Wild—who’s interviewed Neil Diamond for Rolling Stone, penned the liner notes to a number of Diamond’s anthologies, and produced Diamond’s scandal-free episode of Behind The Music—now dares to turn on his “Heartlight,” offering a moving and often hilarious salute to his own Jewish Elvis, one based on his interviews from over the years with the Solitary Man himself.

An illuminating snapshot of a beloved American icon , He Is . . . I Say endearingly speaks to the condition of being a Diamondhead in a hipper-than-thou world, while fully illustrating exactly what it is that makes the man and the artist so special.

Fugitive Days

William Ayers

Fugitive Days William Ayers List Price: $24.00
By: Beacon Press
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 60 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Please don't buy this book... it funds a killer 1 out of 5 stars.
13 of 26 people found this review helpful.

It isn't like Bill Ayers is reformed. He still believes in what he did--his age is holding him back from creating more mayhem. He didn't set bombings only on buildings like the book aserts... he made pipe bombs coated with nails (anti-personnel bombs) set in public places to go off during times the building would be occupied. His terror cell killed several police officers in these bombing and a Brinks guard during a robbery. This coward hid in saftey while his girl friend and 2 other cell members were blown up and killed assembling one of his "nail bombs" destined for a Fort Dix dance! He was not convicted of his crimes because the Gov't caught him through illegal wire taps and the case was thrown out due to prosecutorial misconduct. On leaving the court room he said, "I am guilty and free--isn't America great!?" He also hasn't changed... on 9/11/2001 he was interviewed and asked about the bombing and said, "I don't regret setting bombs." On his blog, when asked if he is sorry he states, "I'm sorry--I think." Don't spend your money... he leaves out many details of his crimes stating, "...some details cannot be told." (He can still be sued by the familes of his victims). Please don't buy...

Editorial Review:

Bill Ayers was born in privilege and is today a highly respected educator and community activist. For ten years, he lived as a fugitive. Ayers's story of how a young pacifist came to help found one of the most radical political organizations in U.S. history is told here with amazing candor and immediacy.

If You're Happy and You Know It (Baby Board Books)

Annie Kubler

If You're Happy and You Know It (Baby Board Books) Annie Kubler Amazon Price: $5.99
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By: Child's Play International
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great Book for Babies 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My daughter who is 10 months has loved to have all the books by Annie Kubler read to her since she was 5 months old. These books by Annie Kubler are great starter books for a child's library!

Great baby book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Was looking for the right books for the very little ones in the family, for Christmas. Saw this (and others in the series) and felt I had found just what I was looking for. Lively, colorful illustrations, activities for parents and little ones to do together. I wound up ordering even more, after my original shipment. The hardest part was which ones to choose!!!

Very Cute Book :o) 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a pretty cute book! I believe it has most of the "If you're happy.." lyrics in it - I've been trying to teach him to clap his hands. It is pretty short - only a few pages, but he seems to appreciate it.

Great for little ones! 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a great & very durable book for little ones in the 1 year to 2 year range & who are just learning songs.

Editorial Review:

Designed to be an introduction to books through a well-known nursery song, this is a board book for babies and their parents to enjoy together.

Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N' Roses

Stephen Davis

Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N' Roses Stephen Davis Amazon Price: $16.50
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By: Gotham
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

From the New York Times bestselling author, the complete story of the last rock supergroup— from their drugfueled blast-off in the 1980s to the turbulent life of legendary singer Axl Rose and his fifteen-year, multi-million dollar effort to make the perfect hardrock album.

With 90 million of the band’s records sold worldwide since 1987, Guns N’ Roses prolonged rock music past its sell-by date with controversial albums and immense, often riotous world tours. But the band’s complete story has never been fully told—until now. In his sixth major rock biography, Stephen Davis details the riveting story of a band that originated in the gutters of Sunset Strip and went on to set attendance records on the biggest stadiums on the planet.

Watch You Bleed documents the improbable story of W. Axl Rose, the biggest rock star of his generation. Taken from an abusive father in his infancy, he was raised as “Bill Bailey” in a strictly religious Indiana household by a stepfather who beat him for playing Led Zeppelin songs on the family piano. After quitting high school, and on the run from the police in his hometown, Axl arrived in Los Angeles in the midst of the street battles for supremacy among the top music genres of the eighties—post-punk, thrash, hair metal, and glam. The book also charts the backgrounds of every band member, especially Slash, a Hollywood street kid whose designer mother dated David Bowie.

Davis brilliantly captures the birth of Guns’ raw power, which—despite rape charges, drug-induced rampages, and a general appetite for destruction— launched the band into the pantheon of rock gods such as Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. With a wealth of detail, Davis looks at Axl’s unrelenting quest to release the long-awaited, mystery-shrouded Chinese Democracy album, as well as the further adventures of some of the Gunners under the banner of the hard-rocking band Velvet Revolver. For the first time, millions of Guns N’ Roses fans will learn the whole truth—sometimes funny, sometimes tragic—about the last of the great rock bands.

Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness (Modern Library)

William Styron

Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness (Modern Library) William Styron Amazon Price: $10.85
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By: Modern Library
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 144 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Deep Understanding 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book gives a deep insight into Depression. Knowing that someone can be that "far gone" and come back is so inspiring. A knowledgeable read!

Definite insight...but it is a bit dated 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The writing is excellent as you'd expect from Styron. The story short and to the point. It delivers a powerful vision of what extreme depression and suicidal ideation actually feels like. That said, I was a little disappointed somehow. The fact that Styron was a well known writer, living a life that most of us can't relate to, in a period now gone, somehow robbed the book of the power it probably had when it first came out.

descriptive but a bit naive 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

(This is from the recorded version, read by the author.) I have listened to this book several times over many years. I do think he does a fine job of describing the actual feeling of being depressed, and does a great service by saying it is at bottom simply indescribable, and also incomprehensible by people who have never experienced it. Thus the well-meaning admonitions to 'buck up', 'get a hold of yourself' and 'most people are as happy as they set out to be' are torture to the person suffering from depression.

However, much has been learned about depression since he wrote the book. It's so obvious that he was an alcoholic who went cold turkey in June and was still suffering from the effects of alcohol withdrawal in October, which can take months to subside. Then, to complicate things, he doped himself up with sleeping pills, so his system was flooded with foreign chemicals, replacing one he was adapted to with a new one. The result, a profound inability to function, and depression, would now be a surprise to no one but him.

His attempt to link suicide to sensitive artistic temperaments was more a roll call of alcoholics---Hemingway, Jack London, Poe, etc. There may be a link between all three (sensitive types, suicide, and alcohol), but it's a three-legged stool, and Styron is loath to acknowlege his alcohol use as the third leg. Maybe he feels depression is more romantic than alcoholism, or at least more socially acceptable.

The spectulation about repressed mourning, early death of mother, etc. is not nearly as important as his familial tendency to depression, his drinking, and his pill taking. Since he says the hospital did nothing for him but take away the pills, and he got better, that would seem good evidence for their role in his illness.

In his obituary in 2006 it was mentioned that he had to be hospitalized several more times after the first time described in the book.

In short, read the book to experience, as much as possible for an outsider, what depression 'feels' like, but don't buy the diagnosis of what causes it.

Editorial Review:

A work of great personal courage and a literary tour de force, this bestseller is Styron's true account of his descent into a crippling and almost suicidal depression. Styron is perhaps the first writer to convey the full terror of depression's psychic landscape, as well as the illuminating path to recovery.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Il Divo: Our Music, Our Journey, Our Words

Il Divo

Il Divo: Our Music, Our Journey, Our Words Il Divo List Price: $29.95
By: Headline Book Publishing
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Il Divo: Our Music, Our Journey, Our Words 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The book is well written and the individual stories of each Il Divo singer brings the reader closer to a better appreciation of their music.

Best Book 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I purchased this book as these 4 guys are the best. I have all there CD'S and Videos and this book was very interesting. I hope to be able to go see them in person when in the USA. I have to say that this is the best idea Simon Cowell ever came up with. I would recommend the book and vidoe's to everyone.

Phyllis Rutkowski
Westland Mi

Editorial Review:

In late 2004 Il Divo burst onto the music scene with their unique blend of opera and popular music. The group has since conquered the hearts of fans and the charts of nations around the world, selling 18 million albums worldwide and scoring an incredible 36 number-one records. This insider’s account features exclusive and intimate interviews with each member, as well as stunning, previously unreleased photographs. Rounded out by an afterword from the group's founder, Simon Cowell, this is an account no fan will want to be without.

Possible Side Effects

Augusten Burroughs

Possible Side Effects Augusten Burroughs Amazon Price: $12.72
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By: St. Martin's Press
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 100 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

From the million-copy bestselling author of Running with Scissors comes Augusten Burroughs’s most provocative collection yet.
This book is approved for consumption by those seeking pleasure, escape, amusement, enlightenment, or general distraction. This book is not approved to treat disorders such as eBay addiction or incessant blind dating.
 
In studies, some people reported inappropriate, convulsive laughter, a tingling sensation in the limbs, and sudden gasping. Fewer than 1 percent reported narcolepsy.
 
Doll collectors may experience special sensitivity, as may discourteous drivers, candy-company brand managers, and nicotine-gum users.
 
This book has been shown to be especially helpful to those with parents, grandparents, life partners, and incontinent dogs. People with dry, cracked skin have responded well to this book, as have people with certain heart conditions.
 
Do not operate heavy machinery while reading this book, until you know what effects it may have on you.
 
This text is contraindicated in those suffering from certain psychiatric disorders, including---but not limited to---readers afflicted with anhedonia, which is the inability to experience pleasure.
 
Ask your doctor about Possible Side Effects.

Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time

Rob Sheffield

Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time Rob Sheffield Amazon Price: $10.40
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 52 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Music Tells a Story 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

What a unique and touching book. The concept of telling his story via music, which played such a key role in his life, was genius. As a music lover who grew up in the 80s and 90s myself, each time he mentioned a song that I remembered, I would start to sing it. This book reminded me how much the music you like reveals so much about you and is so ingrained in our lives. How many times have I listened to a song and it's taken me back to a certain time in my life? Countless. For Rob Sheffield, as for many of us, the memories might be happy or sad (although maybe not as sad as some are for him). This book reminded me how precious life is and how to enjoy everyday. Not to mention, it made me mad at myself for throwing away last month all of the mixed tapes I made for myself or my friends throughout my life. What a great book!

Editorial Review:

Mix tapes: We all have our favorites. Stick one into a deck, press play, and you’re instantly transported to another time in your life. For Rob Sheffield, that time was one of miraculous love and unbearable grief. A time that spanned seven years, it started when he met the girl of his dreams, and ended when he watched her die
in his arms. Using the listings of fifteen of his favorite mix tapes, Rob shows that the power of music to build a bridge between people is stronger than death. You’ll read these words, perhaps surprisingly, with joy in your heart and a song in your head—the one that comes to mind when you think of the love of your life.

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