This book is a treasure house of information, packed with tidbits and anecdotes that will have you reading for hours when you only meant to look up just that one bit of info. The author pulls it off with style in a readable format that makes fascinating going out of what could have been just a laundry list of dates. His passion for the subject, and joy in sharing it, shines through on every page. I was intially put off by the high price myself until I had a chance to look at a copy, and I realized that it was worth every penny, not to mention every minute of painstaking research that went into it.

This book was recommended to me by Fred Astaire's daughter, who described it as "wonderful." I found it to be all of that and more. The author knew Mr. Astaire personally and made extensive use of the Astaires' papers (both Fred's and and his sister's) that are preserved at Boston University. The book covers the full gamut of Astaire's life and career, including vaudeville, stage, films, radio, recordings, and television. Insightful and meticulously researched, this is a "must have" for any admirer of the man who has been described as "the greatest musical perfomer in the history of motion pictures" and "the premier American dancer of the Twentieth Century."

Let me start off by saying that this book is for serious Astaire fans only. If you have seen only one movie of Fred's, enjoyed it and wish to know more about the man, I suggest "Steps In Time". However, if you've seen most of his movies, listened to his music, watched his tv shows, and still want to know more than this book is invaluable. Billman covers all aspects of Fred's work. Each chapter is devoted to a different facet of Fred's career: filmography, radio, television, discography, etc. While giving the facts, Billman also mentions interesting anecdotes about Astaire that give you a glimpse at his character. Its definitely not "clinical" by just saying "Fred did this movie this year with this costar and this director". He does give that information but also mentions any difficulties with dances, how certain things were done, any problems with costars. He also includes a short biography of Fred, short because chances are if you're reading the book in the first place you're already familiar with Fred's life. I've found myself using it several times to check dates, supporting actors, and as a sort of checklist for my Fred collection. I highly recommend it even if it is rather expensive.

This book is truly excellent. You need to know a bit of music theory (basically A-G, sharps and flats, and that from B-C and E-F is a half step not a whole step). Once you know the absolute basics, you will be able to use this book.

This book really teaches you about chord composition, major scales, and playing chords all along the fretboard. I think it truly is a wonderful book. I'd buy it especially if you were a 2-3 out of 10 on the guitar, and only recommend it if you are 5-6. If you are 8-10, then you know what this book will teach you.

This book simply gives you what you need to know. It lets you climb up and down the frettboard with confidence. Teaches the tricks pros know.

This book is a treasure. I recommend it for all guitar players from beginner to advanced. I use it all the time. It was instrumental in helping me advance from a so so guitar player to a much much better player.

This book, though published in 1976, has hymns that I consider contemporary together with the old established hymns of the Protestant Church. The meditations and Scripture readings in it are very helpful for planning devotional times with groups.

But what I wish is that Hymns for the Family of God could be spiral bound so that I could use it more easily at the piano. I break the spine a little each time I use it, and I wish that were not so.

As church organist/pianist, I have utilized this hymnal almost every Sunday for the past 20+ years! Hymns from it are suitable for regular worship, at times of meditation (communion/during prayer), for preludes/postludes, as well as, weddings, funerals, and baptisms. To this day I have never found a better compilation of hymns encompassing multiple faiths, all religious seasons, and including all the "old favorites". I'm just ordering my second copy...as the cover on my first one (originally purchased as a gift for me by my mother at a Bill Gaither Trio concert-way back in the late 70's) has finally fallen apart! Don't be without this one! I highly recommend it!

All of the best hymns are collected in this one book. Praise the Lord

Mencken's "In Defense of Women" has such a bad reputation in some circles that I'm almost afraid to review it for fear of virtual grenades. But surely the bad reputation is unjustified, for whether one approves of Mencken's conclusions or not, it would seem hard to deny the nobility of the his intentions in publishing them. He simply wished to help us rid ourselves of some harmful and incorrect stereotypes. To wit: men think they are intelligent and clear-headed while women are emotional and sentimental. But in reality, Mencken explains, it is men who are prone to sentiment and women who are intelligent and clear-headed. Of course many things follow from both the misconception and the "truth." Although it may be useful to some people to know Mencken's ideas about the sexes (I find this knowledge useful), perhaps the best reason to read "In Defense of Women" is that it is incredibly entertaining. If you are not amused by Mencken's style, or if you are afraid that you might encounter an uncomfortable truth or two, then by all means keep safely away.

Reading this book made me wonder "where are the men of today who are writing like this on these topics?" -- things like soul mates, monogamy/polygamy, affairs, prostitution, romance novels, Darwin's theory of sexual selection, the double standard, the "Madonna/whore complex" (not called that then), sexual harassment, employment discrimination, abolishing marriage, and declining marriage and birth rates all make an appearance in the book. And much of it retains its essential truth. The more things change...

It's especially interesting to see where HLM was right and where he turned out to be wrong. For instance: the book was written just before men gave women the vote (i.e., during World War I, when Mencken was in his mid-to-upper thirties and still a bachelor); Mencken thought women voting would cure politics of rampant corruption -- because women wouldn't allow such shenanigans. This is not to say that he had any kind things to say about the suffragettes. He didn't, and some of what he wrote was outrageously funny. One can extrapolate in a straight line to some of today's feminists.

His basic thesis -- which may or may not have been meant to be taken seriously -- is that women are more intelligent than men, the proof being the ease with which they typically defeat men in the war between the sexes:

"I am convinced that the average woman, whatever her deficiencies, is greatly superior to the average man. The very ease with which she defies and swindles him in several capital situations of life is the clearest of proofs of her general superiority. She did not obtain her present high immunities as a gift from the gods, but only after a long and often bitter fight, and in that fight she exhibited forensic and tactical talents of a truly admirable order. There was no weakness of man that she did not penetrate and take advantage of. There was no trick that she did not put to effective use. There was no device so bold and inordinate that it daunted her."

It would be fifty years before Esther Vilar's "The Manipulated Man" continued with many of the same themes. But Mencken was quite prescient in the section on women's martyrdom, which today we'd call their claim to victimhood or being "oppressed". I could go on at some length about how close his description of marriage is to what prevails today (based on reports which come to my attention), but I'll spare you.

I'm sorry I waited so long to get around to this book, as it's truly a classic written by a great mind -- a highly recommended trip above the stratosphere for all men and, especially, bachelors.

This is not a book for faint of heart. No one was better at invective than Mencken, and his defense of women is far more of an attack on men than a defense of the "unfair" sex, as Ambrose Bierce signified our better half. Mencken's basic argument goes something like this: women are pretty bad; men are worse; therefore, women are better than men. This is, to be sure, a gross over-simplification. Mencken's argument is really much more sophisticated and ingenious. He picked it up, he tells us elsewhere, from a madame of a bordello. It contains a great deal more truth than most people would be willing to admit. Mencken's hillarious presentation is recommended only to hardened cynics (which is to say, hardened realists). Sensitive people with "beautiful" souls are well advised to avoid this brilliant book.

The author brings a excellent sense of place to his writing and is a good new and fresh voice in dectective fiction.Quite in keeping with the Bay Area's reputation for tolerating the eccentric all the characters are disengaged,peripheral,and marching to a hopelessly deranged Buddy Rich.Except for the hard nosed cop who must have spent some time as Jersey State Trooper.Even the fight scene is as strange as it gets and is one of the most memorable I've run across reading murder mysteries.Buy the book and take an engaging trip to the Left Coast.

Caught my attention immediately ~ didn't want to put it down till I finished it. Quick moving, easy reading, SF bay area setting. Fun to follow this P.I. around streets and business I'm familiar with ~ and some I'm not, but think I'll go see if I can find them??!! P.I. is a very interesting fellow that runs into all kinds of far out wierdos. Loved it! Can't wait to see if there will be a sequel.

The Juggler & the Princess is a good read. Max is an
unconventional P.I. who manages to both detect and
juggle for an entertaining and rewarding story........I hardily
recommend reading The Juggler & the Princess.

Having studied Chinese traditional martial arts for more than fifteen years, I really appreciated the fresh perspective presented in Lessons From the Eastern Warriors. The book explains the common historic and philosophic background for many of the Chinese fighting arts. Not being a Kempo practitioner, I was not familiar with its background and enjoyed reading about its connection to Kung-Fu. Explaining and illustrating common connections between Chinese Kung-Fu and Japanese Kempo is pulled off very well by this author. There is a superb cross-section of fighting techniques chosen for inclusion in this book. My training in Ch'ang Ch'uan, Northern Shaolin and Ch'in Na gave me a special appreciation for the book's lessons. I especially like the way the author teaches how to set up and counterattack an adversary. The book's discussion on blocking and countering with the same hand are very well explained. Closing an opponent's centerline and counterattacking is a vital area of defense often neglected in other works, but extremely well done in this book by Fred Neff. Trapping an opponent is apparently either avoided or not known by other authors, because it does not show up in their works, but is well covered in this book. Lessons From the Eastern Warriors has an excellent section systematically showing several ways to trap an opponent. Another unique area of presentation in this book is its section on grappling on the ground. This subject is neglected in many martial arts discussions, despite the fact that it may be an actual danger in a fight. It seems that many martial artists prefer to pretend that they will not ever end up on the ground with an opponent. This is very foolish. I was very happy to see this book not avoid the subject, but instead give some good tips for handling fighting on the ground. One of the greatest assets of the book is its willingness to avoid the stereotypical presentation of Kung-fu and to instead cut new ground with a presentation that is both fresh and very useful. I have added Lessons From the Eastern Warriors to my small library of martial arts books and strongly suggest others do likewise.

Having studied Chinese traditional martial arts for more than fifteen years, I really appreciated the fresh perspective presented in Lessons From the Eastern Warriors. The book explains the common historic and philosophic background for many of the Chinese fighting arts. Not being a Kempo practitioner, I was not familiar with its background and enjoyed reading about its connection to Kung-Fu. Explaining and illustrating common connections between Chinese Kung-Fu and Japanese Kempo is pulled off very well by this author. There is a superb cross-section of fighting techniques chosen for inclusion in this book. My training in Ch'ang Ch'uan, Northern Shaolin and Ch'in Na gave me a special appreciation for the book's lessons. I especially like the way the author teaches how to set up and counterattack an adversary. The book's discussion on blocking and countering with the same hand are very well explained. Closing an opponent's centerline and counterattacking is a vital area of defense often neglected in other works, but extremely well done in this book by Fred Neff. Trapping an opponent is apparently either avoided or not known by other authors, because it does not show up in their works, but is well covered in this book. Lessons From the Eastern Warriors has an excellent section systematically showing several ways to trap an opponent. Another unique area of presentation in this book is its section on grappling on the ground. This subject is neglected in many martial arts discussions, despite the fact that it may be an actual danger in a fight. It seems that many martial artists prefer to pretend that they will not ever end up on the ground with an opponent. This is very foolish. I was very happy to see this book not avoid the subject, but instead give some good tips for handling fighting on the ground. One of the greatest assets of the book is its willingness to avoid the stereotypical presentation of Kung-fu and to instead cut new ground with a presentation that is both fresh and very useful. I have added Lessons From the Eastern Warriors to my small library of martial arts books and strongly suggest others do likewise.

Kung-fu methods are heavily taught in the book on Fighting from the Eastern Warriors. The description and illustrations in this book are exellent. The approaches to fighting are exitingly different from the normal kick-punch covered in other karate-based books. The techniques are explored and illustrated so nearly anyone should be able to learn them from reading this book. It is a great guide to Kung-fu and its Japanese derivative art of Kempo. It is highly recommended as not only an enjoyable reading, but as a guide to help build a fighting repertoire.

This comes with a CD of Barbra Streisand singing God Bless America - which is great (and I am not a huge Barbra fan). The illustrations are wonderful and do a great job translating the lyrics of this classic song.

Most patriotic children's books get sappy or trite ... but not this one. The words are merely the lyrics of the great song. However, the illustrations that bring those words to life create a wonderful, colorful celebration of our country, without being overly sentimental. They are so well done they stir up feelings nonetheless. When you turn the page to the fireworks over The Statue of Liberty, goosebumps are guaranteed. My kids loved the family trip across the U.S. This is Lynn Munsinger at her best! I highly recommend this book over any other I've ever seen.

This is a wonderful picture book. I am using it for second language learners during summer school. This also appeals to the musician in me. I plan to play the CD of God Bless America while showing the book to the students.

Jay Scott's excellent book gives a comprehensive run down of almost the entire Gretsch lineage. Packed with detailed model descriptions, great pictures and a healthy dose of humorous wit, this book is a must read for anyone interested in Gretsch guitars. The book is let down however, by frequent typographical and grammatical errors throughout. Some pictures are also unnecessarily reproduced throughout the book. If edited more fastidiously, this book would be almost perfect.

Jay Scott has undoubtedly devoted his soul to the guitars of the Fred Gretsch Company. In his outstanding book, The Guitars of the Fred Gretsch Company, Jay concentrates on the fine appointments and unique styling of each Gretsch Model. He tends to focus on the halcion years of 1950 to the late sixties offering indepth studies of the famous models, namely the 6120 (of which I am a proud owner), the Country Gent, White Falcon, the Jet series and other rarities such as the White Penguin.

There are few books devoted solely to the Gretsch Guitar and, in my opinion, Scott's book is the most comprehensive. The pages contain many photographs and extarcts from original catologues. Also included are some interesting "custom" models (no doubt from Randy Bachman's collection) and hybrids made by Gretsch in their effort to use surplus parts. Scott also writes about the management of the company and the various owners and finally, the demise. It is encouraging that the company has found it's feet agian and is producing fine instruments in the same vein as the originals.

To conclude, any Gretsch fan should aquire this reference to further their knowlege and for pure browsing pleasure. I find myself flipping through the pages regularly gazing at those perferct arch top guitars with their flawless character. This book is a fantastic manual on the epitome of sound and luxuriant quality - The Gretsch Guitar.

This book is an enjoyable, informative look into a classic, American Guitar company, Gretsch. Its picure gallery alone will keep you reaching for it again and again. Jay's passion with Gretsch guitars shows. Of particular interest is the section on the Duo Jet, and its sister, the Silver Jet. The only book like it on the market today. Five stars.

Fred Miller has written an amazingly simple book full of practical techniques to relieve the stress of our everyday lives. It's small book full of basic relaxation and focusing exercises. What he doesn't say is that within these techniques lies the possibility of finding a deeper, more profound connection with who we really are and having the peace of mind to live with others. No small feat! He demystifies the practice. Now, it's up to us to do it.

This book gets right to the point. No mysticism or religious platitudes, just simple and effective physical tools to use in quieting and relaxing your body and mind. "Three Breaths" says it all - of course there is more to support that in the book. I read "The Child Whisperer" - a parenting book by stress expert Matt Pasquinilli - a few years ago and learned how to use the "Three Breaths" technique for me and for my son. We have had much less stress since then. "How to Calm Down" can lead you to a happy and healthy life with far less stress.

of course, exciting isn't what it's about. It's about being calm, something I don't do very well. The stresses of a workday and single parenthood combine to give me a pretty hectic life. This great book really helped me chill out. I get more done and am a better parent for it. I strongly recommend this book.

A gem, you'll laugh hard enough to miss a line call

Not only is the author a top tennis player but a gifted writer. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection and bought all my tennis friends a terrific gift. If you haven't read Herb Rosenthal's columns, buy this book!

This is a terribly funny book! Though I am buying it for all the tennis freaks on my Christmas list, you don't have to know anything about tennis in order to enjoy it (although it helps to know something about people!).