General Books

Audition: A Memoir

Barbara Walters

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 242 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Young people starting out in television sometimes say to me: “I want to be you.” My stock reply is always: “Then you have to take the whole package.”

And now, at last, the most important woman in the history of television journalism gives us that “whole package,” in her inspiring and riveting memoir. After more than forty years of interviewing heads of state, world leaders, movie stars, criminals, murderers, inspirational figures, and celebrities of all kinds, Barbara Walters has turned her gift for examination onto herself to reveal the forces that shaped her extraordinary life.

Barbara Walters’s perception of the world was formed at a very early age. Her father, Lou Walters, was the owner and creative mind behind the legendary Latin Quarter nightclub, and it was his risk-taking lifestyle that gave Barbara her first taste of glamour. It also made her aware of the ups and downs, the insecurities, and even the tragedies that can occur when someone is willing to take great risks, for Lou Walters didn’t just make several fortunes—he also lost them. Barbara learned early about the damage that such an existence can do to relationships—between husband and wife as well as between parent and child. Through her roller-coaster ride of a childhood, Barbara had a close companion, her mentally challenged sister, Jackie. True, Jackie taught her younger sister much about patience and compassion, but Barbara also writes honestly about the resentment she often felt having a sister who was so “different” and the guilt that still haunts her.

All of this—the financial responsibility for her family, the fear, the love—played a large part in the choices she made as she grew up: the friendships she developed, the relationships she had, the marriages she tried to make work. Ultimately, thanks to her drive, combined with a decent amount of luck, she began a career in television. And what a career it has been! Against great odds, Barbara has made it to the top of a male-dominated industry. She was the first woman cohost of the Today show, the first female network news coanchor, the host and producer of countless top-rated Specials, the star of 20/20, and the creator and cohost of The View. She has not just interviewed the world’s most fascinating figures, she has become a part of their world. These are just a few of the names that play a key role in Barbara’s life, career, and book: Yasir Arafat, Warren Beatty, Menachem Begin, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chávez, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Roy Cohn, the Dalai Lama, Princess Diana, Katharine Hepburn, King Hussein, Angelina Jolie, Henry Kissinger, Monica Lewinsky, Richard Nixon, Rosie O’Donnell, Christopher Reeve, Anwar Sadat, John Wayne . . . the list goes on and on.

Barbara Walters has spent a lifetime auditioning: for her bosses at the TV networks, for millions of viewers, for the most famous people in the world, and even for her own daughter, with whom she has had a difficult but ultimately quite wonderful and moving relationship. This book, in some ways, is her final audition, as she fully opens up both her private and public lives. In doing so, she has given us a story that is heartbreaking and honest, surprising and fun, sometimes startling, and always fascinating.

Freakin' Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better than Everyone Else

Clinton Kelly

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Total reviews: 45 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Clinton Kelly won't just revamp your wardrobe -- he'll revamp your life!

The huddled masses yearn to be fabulous, and finally Clinton Kelly is heeding their call. As co-host of TLC's popular What Not to Wear, he regularly transforms dumpy fashion disasters into traffic-stopping, get-an-instant-promotion, reignite-the-passion-in-that-relationship makeovers. But fabulousness doesn't stop with style. Let's face it: you might look good, but if you're chomping on that crudité with your mouth wide open, nobody at the party will talk to you -- even if you can explain to them what crudité actually is.

Of course, the keys to being better than everyone else aren't always so obvious. Don't worry; Clinton's here to help.

• How do you make a flat butt look big and a big butt look flat?
• What's the one trick that will slim down your entire silhouette and make your ta-tas look va-va-voom?
• How do you eat an oyster without getting kicked out of the best restaurant in town?
• What's the grammatically correct form of "lay" to use when propositioning a Baldwin brother?

He'll teach you how to look your best, sound your smartest, use the manners your momma taught you, poach an egg, fix a perfect gin and tonic, throw the most popular parties (and top the guest list at other soirees), make your home the envy of your neighbors, and generally be the fabulous person you always knew you could be.

From the three style criteria he uses to dress any shape for any occasion, to his eloquent approach to appreciation, to his four must-memorize recipes for whipping up a last-minute meal, Clinton Kelly shares it all in Freakin' Fabulous.

The Complete X-Files: Behind the Series, the Myths, and the Movies

Matt Hurwitz

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Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Complete X-Files is a declassified look at all nine seasons of the American Peabody and Emmy Award-winning science fiction television series created by Chris Carter. Delve into the mystery and myth of X-Files with in-depth looks at its entire television run, the first X-Files film, and the upcoming cinematic sequel. X-Files creator and producer Chris Carter takes us into the never-before-seen archives with explanations of unsolved plots, discussions of the FBI's paranormal investigations, scene by scene breakdowns of popular episodes, and insider information on both the previous and upcoming X-Files films. Discover the mystery behind Mulder's alien abduction, Scully's secret objectives, the designs of the shadowy "Cancer Man," and the full truth about the Mytharc episodes. Includes many bells and whistles, such as gatefolds, alien and monster charts, alien and monster cards, movie posters, a secret dossier, Mulder and Scully booklets , and more! The Complete X-Files will captivate fans and sciencefiction audiences, proving that nothing is what it seems and that "the truth is out there."

The Sopranos Family Cookbook: As Compiled by Artie Bucco

Allen Rucker, Michele Scicolone

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Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Regional & International -> European -> Italian

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 106 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Featuring fabulous Southern Italian recipes, photos, and lore from the hit show, this book will have millions of fans eating like their favourite family. Featuring mouthwatering recipes and family food stories straight from the kitchens of The Sopranos and their friends, The Sopranos Family Cookbook is sure to satisfy readers' hunger and craving for more of The Sopranos. Including the histoory of Neapolitan cuisine and 100 recipes created with the characters in mind, plus luscious pictures of the savory dishes, readers will be baking ziti as good as Carmela's in no time. These are the dishes that the first generation Sopranos brought over from Naples and Avellino and the fourth generation still enjoys. In addition, the book has colour photos of Tony, his family, and his 'family' eating and cooking beautiful Italian meals. Whether it's creating sumptuous Italian pastries or traditional Neapolitan feasts, The Sopranos Family Cookbook lets fans enjoy their favourite show at the table. Allen Rucker has written numerous award-winning television specials and documentaries, including Family Values: The Mob and the Movies. Michele Scicolone has written six Italian cookbooks, some of which have been nominated for Julia Child and James Beard Foundation Awards, and has appeared on Emeril Live and Good Morning America.

House and Philosophy: Everybody Lies (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series)

Henry Jacoby

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Editorial Review:

An unauthorized look at the philosophical issues raised by one of today's most popular television shows: House

House is one of the top three television dramas on the air, pulling in more than 19 million viewers for each episode. This latest book in the popular Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series takes a deeper look at the characters and issues raised in this Emmy Award-winning medical drama, offering entertaining answers to the fascinating ethical questions viewers have about Dr. Gregory House and his medical team.

Henry Jacoby (Goldsboro, NC) teaches philosophy at East Carolina University. He has published articles primarily on the philosophy of mind and was a contributor to South Park and Philosophy
(978-1-4051-6160-2).

Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Not Even Close 1 out of 5 stars.
17 of 22 people found this review helpful.

If you don't know much about Seinfeld or philosophy you might enjoy this book, but if you're a Seinfeld nut then avoid it at all costs. The show is incorrectly quoted several times and "facts" are also made up at times. The summarization of Socrates' allegory of the cave on page nine misstates some pretty major details. I suffered through the book until page 47 when the writer talks about how Kramer and Mickey embrace communism in the episode "The Race." Anyone who has seen that show even once knows that Mickey is trying to talk Kramer out of communism throughout the show. And even though Kramer definitely shows interest in communism it is quite a stretch to say is becomes an "ardent" communist. Rather than being an enjoyable read this book frustrated me enough that i quit on page 51. In all fairness the rest of the book may be excellent, but i'll probably never know.

Editorial Review:

Designed for philosophers as well as readers with no particular philosophical background, the essays in this lively book are grouped into four amusing acts. Act One looks at the four Seinfeld characters through a philosophical lens and includes Jerry and Socrates: The Examined Life? Act Two examines historical philosophers from a Seinfeldian standpoint and offers Plato or Nietzsche? Time, Essence, and Eternal Recurrence in Seinfeld. Act Three, Untimely Meditations by the Water Cooler, explores philosophical issues raised by the show, such as, Is it rational for George to do the opposite? And Act Four, Is There Anything Wrong with That?, discusses ethical problems of everyday life using Seinfeld as a basis. Seinfeld and Philosophy also provides a guide to Seinfeld episodes and a chronological list of the philosophers cited in this book.

The "Supernatural" Book of Monsters, Spirits, Demons, and Ghouls

Alex Irvine

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Twenty-three years ago, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a demonic supernatural force. Following the tragedy, their father, John, set out to teach his boys everything about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America . . . and how to kill it.

Fans of the blockbuster television phenomenon can rejoice! A one-of-a-kind compilation of all of Sam and Dean's demon-busting knowledge, The Supernatural Book of Monsters, Spirits, Demons, and Ghouls contains illustrations and detailed descriptions that catalogue the more than two dozen otherworldly enemies that most people believe exist only in folklore, superstition, and nightmares:vampires, ghosts, revenants, reapers, and even bloody clowns. You'll find within these pages Sam and Dean's notes, observations, and memories interwoven with sections of John Winchester's invaluable journal, making this book the perfect companion to every thrilling episode—and an essential weapon in the secret war against the hidden creatures of the darkness!

Inside Inside

James Lipton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

An uneven, occasionally fascinating read 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Many of the people who have reviewed this book seem disappointed that there is so much Lipton and not enough "Inside the Actors Studio." Actually, I had quite the opposite reaction.

I wanted this book for all the inside scoop on "Inside the Actors Studio" yet found myself getting swept up in Lipton's fascinating life and, more importantly, his rich and colorful writing style (I was so taken with his writing that I went out and bought his novel, "Mirrors.")

I wanted to wallow in the words and the saga of this fascinating man, not sure if I wanted to race through it because it was so captivating, or slow down to savor each page.

My own disappointment came when it actually came to the reason I wanted the book in the first place--the story about "Inside the Actors Studio." Lipton's fawning over each guest got to be so nauseating that while I had devoured the first part of the book, it took me a much longer time to get through the end of it. These are actors. Good actors, to be sure, but not gods and goddesses, not heads of state, not nobel laureates. They are simply ACTORS, yet Lipton treats each one as if he were greeting the Pope, the Dali Lama or the Queen of England. It was fawning to the n'th degree and the only reason I stuck with the book to the end was that I had so enjoyed it up to that point.

I also wanted to know who this St. Bernard of Piveau that Lipton gushes about in every show really was, and never got a satisfactory answer to that, other than that he was apparently a French talk show host, another living legend to be fawned over.

I give this book three stars--if it had stayed at the level of the first half, I would enthusiastically give it five stars, but it is a very disappointing second half (for me).

Editorial Review:

“An unqualified hit” (Library Journal) that offers behind-the-scenes close-ups of hundreds of celebrated artists— from the founder and host of Inside the Actors Studio.

Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale

Russell T. Davies, Benjamin Cook

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Master Class for Aspiring and Professional Writers 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

As the author of a book on writing myself (The Musical Theatre Writer's Survival Guide), and as a fellow very hard on books about writing (I don't think they're worth much unless they're by people who actually do the kind of writing they're expounding on for a living), I promise you, this one is worthwhile. For anyone who tells or wants to tell stories in any print or performance medium.

Though the book collects the seemingly unedited, largely unexpurgated email dialogue between Russell T Davies and journalist Benjamin Cook -- and as such may instill the apprehension that it will be a long-winded ramble (the print is small and it is a BIG, THICK book, and a coffee-table edition at that) -- it turns out to be a breathless and often un-put-downable read, akin to any of the classical philosophical exchanges of literature between mentor and student. Davies, despite being a telly populist at heart, is among the brightest, most articulate dramatists in the English speaking world, with a staggering analytical perception I'd liken only to a very few (such as Sondheim and Stoppard) and his thoughts and observations are passionate, funny, touching, instructive and provocative throughout. He makes it clear that he doesn't mean for his process to be regarded as any kind of template for everybody's process, but as with any great writer, the acquaintance is still well worth making. And there are full scripts represented too. Not only that, but among the profuse illustrations are many by Davies himself, who seems to be as gifted a cartoonist as he is a wordsmith.

Caveats? One, and it may be a big one. I'm not sure how well the text of this book will translate to anyone who is not at least passing familiar with Davies' new millennium renovation of DOCTOR WHO in general, and his work on season four (the primary launching pad for this book's ruminations) in particular. Not that it isn't all quite comprehensible -- but I wonder if it will resonate as meaningfully to one who isn't already an aficionado. It's probably worth at least a trip to the public library to find out; whereupon if it passes muster, I would absolutely recommend shelling out the shekels to add it to yours.

Editorial Review:

A fascinating look at the creative life of the hit BBC series, Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale is executive producer Russell T. Davies' personal tour of the Doctor's universe. A unique collection of correspondence between Russell and writer Benjamin Cook, the book explores in detail Russell's work on Doctor Who Series 4, revealing how he plans the series and works with the show's writers. Fully illustrated with script pages, personal notes, and never-before-seen photos and artwork, The Writer's Tale is a love letter to television, and a fitting tribute to one of the most popular family dramas of all time.

The Book of Shadows : The Unofficial Charmed Companion

Ngaire E. Genge

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 73 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Perfect for the true fan of Charmed... 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I gave this to my daughter (she's 20 yrs. old) who is a fan of Charmed. This was a perfect gift for her. She collects all kinds of Charmed memorabilia. She was really excited when she saw it and poured over it to read all the spells. So for anyone out there who is a true fan of Charmed....it's the perfect gift.

Editorial Review:

The ultimate guide to the hit program Charmed, this is both a book of spells and a key to the mysteries of the show. The Book of Shadows celebrates the best of Charmed, from its roots in the ancient tradition of Wicca to insider information on the show's stars.  N.E. Genge not only provides fascinating background details for the show's Wiccan elements, but also guides readers in performing their own magic. Fans with a witchy bent will learn about the tools of magic and divination and the casting of spells. Recipes and rituals -- from those that beckon love or bless a new business venture to those that bequeath strength or bestow fortune -- are all included.  The Book of Shadows is a sassy celebration of witches, sisterhood, and magic.

This book has not been prepared, approved, licensed, endorsed, or in any way authorized by any entity that created or produced Charmed.