This book is one of George's first and a great one at that! There are many great pictures and stories in this book. Living It Up has a little more about Gracie and a wonderful chapter about George coping with her death. It is very moving. All in all a very very excellent, funny book!

If only this classic book were back in print-not only is it a biography of George & Gracie, but it has several pages of pictures(many never before seen)as well as an appendix in the back giving the synopsis of every television episode from October 1950 thru September 1958. The book is a good alternate to Gracie-A Love Story written by George himself. On another note, if I may go a step further, why doesn't Nick-At-Nite pick up the series, surely it's been in syndication for about 40 years? It'd be great fun seeing them again-George, Gracie, their son Ronnie, Blanche & Harry Morton, & Harry Von Zell. Though they are quite dated, these shows are still screamingly funny today. Gracie Allen was the 2nd funniest woman in television, the 1st being the incomparable Lucille Ball. Highly recommended, especially if you are able to find it!

This is the amusing follow-up to Living It Up and it does not disappoint! This book is filled with anecdotes about George Burns' life. There is a great segment from a Friar's Club roast at the end that is very funny. A great read!

Obviously this book is now slightly out of date, regarding new releases in the latter half of 97 and 98. However, that does not diminish the absolute wealth of information available on the early Beanie Babies and the history of the designs.

Aimed at the serious collector, rather than children, this book is very valuable in telling you what to look out for when buying retired Beanies, and what to look for when buying new that may be collectable later.

Look out for the next edition too!!

This unoffcial collectors guide is great! I just received it in the mail today and I haven't been able to put it down! In fact, after I write this review, I am going to go read some more!

This book has tons of great pictures and lots and lots of information on early retired beanie babies and even information on prototypes! I was so surprised to see how many variations there actually are in the "beanie world".

I would highly suggest buying this book as a gift for any beanie collector. Whether they are avid in the hobby or just starting out.

The most serious book on Ty's Beanies thus far. Truly comprehensive, informative and enjoyable reading. A through guide to swing and tush tags; an excellent reference guide. I loved the pictures of Ty's prototypes and production errors! I had hesitated to buy yet another book on Beanies; after purchasing Beanie Mania I wished I had purchased it sooner. I have referred back to it on many occasions. Another plus: it's pages are filled with information! NOT kids drawings,games and letters on why they love Beanies! (Bless their little hearts!).Although it does not have the newer releases, the serious collector should add this book to their library!

Rarely do I ever laugh out loud while reading - Geogrge made me.
Rarely do I ever get teary eyed while reading - George made me.

I've always enjoyed the work of Burns & Allen and always planned on reading this book - when I finally did I was gald that I did. I don't need to get into the historical account of thier carrer or what a wonderful, natural talent Gracie was - I'll leave that to George. But George's "comic valentine" to/about Gracie is a wonderful, heartwarming read. You can hear George reading the words to you (actually you really can if you have the audiocasette version - I'm puffing on my cigar) with his dry wit and great delivery.

If you admire Gracie or George you'll enjoy this read.
Next up.... ALL MY BEST FREINDS by George.

If you have any interest in George Burns or vaudeville or anything else in that realm, this book is definately a must read. I have to say, I read this book on a whim from my sister and it has to be one of the best books I have read. Wherever George and Gracie are now, they're just eating this up.

George Burns may have been a comedian, but he wrote one of the best love stories ever! This book starts from the beginning of his first encounter with Gracie Allen. He chronicles their careers and home life with honesty and truth. I don't believe he left anything out! This was one of the few books I have read that made me laugh out loud, and sob like a baby. I did not want the book to end! George wrote with so much love and honesty, it gave me a new understanding of this great person. God bless his memories!

Now I understand why my teacher was so demented

really fascinating... Didn't fall asleep once....Must read.... find the food stuff of George burns..and my teacher.......LOYOLA HIGH SCHOOL

Melissa Miller's account of her life with her "G.B." is right on. Her love for George leaps right off the page. As a friend of George, Miss Miller has the sweetness of the man down pat. Thank you Lisa for an honest account of a fine man and one of our centuries great entertainers. To parphrase George, "Love IT Kid!" So did I.

Robert Howe Oakdale,CA Scripts360@aol.com

The sections from Jack Benny's draft of an autobiography, which make up a little less than half of this book, are well worth reading by any Benny fan.

Joan Benny, Jack's daughter, is to be commended for rescuing that draft from obscurity. Alas, the balance of this book suffers from Joan's poorly edited writing. Expecting to read about Jack, the reader discovers that "The Jack Benny Story" is mostly about Joan, though there are frequent references to "Daddy," as Jack is called throughout the book.

Jack Benny's unpublished memoirs finally have a book to nest in. In his own words, things flow, they mean something, they're warm, witty, and genuine like the man was himself. Jack Benny holds a very special place in my heart as a comedian with brilliant and unique timing; and as a true gentlemen. All this comes through in how own words.
His daughter's contribution is not as great, which is what keeps me from adding the fifth star to this rating. She's ok, but not essential to this book. She's obviously filled with great admiration, respect, and love for her father and his place in the world of comedy; but she is kind of intrusive. She gets in the way of Jack Benny's own words, that prove to be far more interesting and enjoyable than her's. You should read it just the same, because it's well worth it.

Jack Benny is the father of modern comedy, popularizing (and perhaps originating) the self-referential and self-conscious comedy practiced in the last 20 years by comedians such as Andy Kaufman, Steve Martin, and Bill Murray. He may have also begun the modern media-related "show within a show" concept, exemplified to some extent by "Seinfeld," and in the past by the shows of George Burns, Danny Thomas, and Lucy and Desi. Perhaps it is more accurate to describe him as the father of post-modern comedy, where every occurrence, sound effect, and the idea of comedy itself is the object of Benny's gentle yet piercingly funny humor. But enough intellectualizing, above all perhaps, he was an extraordinarily talented, funny, and well-loved man.

Mr. Benny's daughter found this unfinished biographical material and we are grateful for the insights to his character, his humor (beginning with his days in vaudeville), and his wide-ranging, generally liberal thoughts on celebrity, comedy, and race. These sections of the book justify its purchase and are the primary source of its enjoyment.

As others have noted, Joan's sections of the book can drag and one eagerly waits for the bolded font which is her father's own words. I do think she provides some valuable insights into Mr. Benny's domestic life and routine, as well as some humorous and interesting glimpse into growing up as the daughter of one of our most popular and well-respected entertainers. Unfortunately, some of this seems fairly generic to that culture, especially her early years. Her criticisms of her mother, however well founded, seem discordant with the prevailing tone of the book. The book would have been better with more pruning of Joan's autobiographical comments.

Still, the other material is a treasure for his millions of fans, and I recommend the book to fans. Joan's part does not detract from her father's; after all, the book was never finished and gives an incomplete picture anyway. Mr. Benny seems a modest man and I believe his biographies would complement the wonderful material here. If you're new to the subject, perhaps you should begin with the biographies and then proceed here, if you're a confirmed fan, the order won't matter, and you will want this in your collection.

This episode of Burns and Allen is just as funny as all the others I've heard. But I've learned one thing--don't buy a one episode tape with just 15 minutes per side. Just when I got into the story it was time to flip the tape. From now on I'm only buying tapes that have a whole 30 minute episode on each side. They're much more enjoyable.

If your familiarity with George Burns only goes back as far as "The Sunshine Boys", here's a refresher course. Of the six hour-long cassettes, four of these come from the 1940s-era Burns and Allen show, one of the classic sitcoms of American radio (and early TV). The remaining tapes include guest spots George did (with and without Gracie) with Jack Benny and Bing Crosby. All programs are complete (or as complete as possible). A few of my favorite Burns and Allen shows were passed over in the selection, which is why this set doesn't get the extra star. However, this set is a bushel of fun and a great gift idea for the comedy fan in your life

This text book contains all the necessary information needed for the study of such a complex subject! It's good for undergrads like me, but a more detailed approach is needed if a masters student is to use this book. Burns & Bottino presents to us a systematic discussion of the field of Genetics and in laymans terms, then shifting to technical terms, enables us to understand what the concepts mean and imply.