I was very pleased at all the ideas and step by step instructions in this book. I wanted to build a cover for my patio and bought this just based on the front cover (had a picture of the type of cover I'm looking for). With great suggestions on what MY patio might need, I'm going forward with my plans! Before this I had no idea where to start. Now I have a good amount of information to make me feel comfortable with drawing up the plans, figuring out my materials list, and starting the project. The photos in here offer some great ideas and really get the creative juices flowing.

Steve Allen "takes no prisoners" as he reveals to readers what the Bible teaches and how those teachings have profound implications for Western Civilization and the Judeo-Christian foundation that defines and shapes its moral code.

Not for those into "light reading" or those not wishing to take a critical look at the Bible and its teachings.

Some, well many things in this play don't make a great deal of sense. The characters are first painted to be stereotypical versions of 1950's family members. At first it looks like a sketch. But it immeadiately goes into a series of scenes in which all of the characters live in their own insane world... but they each have a moment of honesty.

And that's why I love this play. You can laugh or be confused by it's absurdity (I laughed... most of the time) but the ongoing theme is that only honesty matters. The people in this play were written to make me feel like they meant every word of nonsense.

I Love Steve Martin and The Jerk Remains one of my favorate Flicks, HOWEVER, I also own the VHS Tape Version of this Film and there are SEVERAL FUNNY Quotes and Lines that were cut from the DVD. Why on Earth would they do that. The DVD is supposed to be packed with extras, or at the very least, THE COMPLETE MOVIE VERSION. I am very disapointed with the DVD becasue parts of the Movie were actually removed. What a SHAME to bastardize a CLASSIC. Right from the begining of the Movie when Steve Martin goes to the Gas station to use the bathroom, Jacky Mason and Steve's lines were cut. I was so upset that I didnt watch the rest of the movie and who knows what else was cut. I want the DVD in it's origonal form. There was no reason to cut those lines.. They were not offensive in any way and really added character and laughs to the movie..Where they asleep when they edited this DVD. HEADLINE: "WHAT A SHAME, CLASIC MOVIE RUNIED"
-Gery-

I saw the Jerk in the movie theater back in 1979 when I was 14 years old and I thought it was very funny, it is a comedy that has very silly humor and though some people don't like silly humor I love it! A negative thing about the DVD is that it is available in pan & scan and not widescreen as is also the case with the DVD for another classic Steve Martin comedy, The The Man With Two Brains? I personally would prefer widescreen!

If you havent seen this movie you are truley missing out my brotha! Steve Martin is great in this movie. I think that this his definitly his best movie ever. Steve Martin plays a man named Navin who left his poor black family from the south (yes BLACK family) to start a new life of his own. Steve goes to St. Louis and starts working at a gas staion and then gets another job at a carnival where he meets his true love. I dont want to tell you everthing about this movie because it is so great and you must experience it for yourself!! Buy this know!!! This is one of the top 20 funniest movies of all time!!!!

After reading all of the information I could get my hands on about this book. I must say I was very disappointed once I purchased and read it.
The basis for the book is on the shroud, which is where most of the book concentrates. Still under heavy scrupulation, nothing really proven yet.
Again, very disappointed. Was looking for cold hard facts.

I would like to answer Marilynn Stocking's remarks about this book. There are six chapters in the book and only one chapter is devoted to the Shroud of Turin. So it is not where "the book concentrates".

As far as "cold hard facts" The book gets into many other "proofs" of the existence of God, if all the facts in this book where to be presented to a jury in there full scientific jargon I would expect the jury would have to find in favor that there is a God.

God has said that the only way to Him is through faith not through "cold hard facts". It is for that reason this book was written to give the reader enough information on His existence so they might seek Him and find Him. "For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." Rom. 8:24,25

Marilynn is seeking or she wouldn't have bought this book, if she continues her search she will find. Jesus said: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Matt. 7:7,8

This book was easy to follow, yet not simple and boring. The evidence is portrayed so clearly, the lessons and conclusions it leads to are inescapable. I would recommend this to ANYONE- no matter what religion one may belong to. Knowledge is the one thing that belongs to everyone, regardless of creed. For fellow Christians, it is a refreshing affirmation of faith. For people of other religions, or atheists, it is worth reading- even if you're not planning on converting. This book bears hard facts and evidence- if a member of any faith is afraid to be exposed to proven evidence, then perhaps they are reflecting human close-mindedness, not faith. "Proof: There is a God!" presents knowledge; knowledge leads to 'contentedness'. 'Contendedness' is knowing that your life isn't ruled by random chance and the laws of science. True 'contendedness', the culmination of happiness, is finding that your life is cherished and sanctified by One who created you and loves you. I am not claiming that this book holds true happiness for everyone. But, the facts and evidence PROVING the existence of God that I, and many others like me, have been searching for to affirm a once-blind faith, have given me hope and contentedness. I am very sure that this book will do spiritual wonders for many readers- faithless and faithful alike.

Simply put this is a great book. Steve Allen provides a very insightful analysis of the Bible and makes it clear (to me at least) that the Bible is in no way the "Word of God" but is instead nothing but a package of myths hodge-podged together. The purpose of this book isn't to say God doesn't exist, Steve Allen made it clear he believed God did exist. Instead the book tears down the literalist belief of the Bible as being dictated by God. Allen also does a great job of exposing the vile and disgusting behavior found throughout the Bible, much of it attributed to God himself. Interesting insights are provided on the origin of some material in the Bible such as the ten commandments as well as new thoughts on Jesus, Moses, abortion, Genesis and "the fall", hell and the Noah flood. This book should be read by everyone, so a more critical eye can be placed on the major religions of the west.

Steve Allen is America's own Man For All Seasons: There's very little that he has not done. Now, he enters some rather controversial territory by taking a scholarly look at what must be the most misunderstood group of documents of all time -- the Bible. Using logic (and a healthy dose of skepticism) rather than childish/unquestioning/dogmatic orthodoxy, he examines various aspects of Christian so-called "ethics" and "morals"; pointing out instances (in the entry "WAR", for example) where the ideals espoused by people who call themselves "Christians" tend to fall by the wayside when circumstances would seem to demand that they keep to those ideals even more.

He also gives detailed analyses of a number of individual books within the Bible, some of which are devastating in their criticism. (His look at the rape and murder of the Levite's concubine in Judges 19 is especially thought-provoking even in its harshness.)

This reader wishes that he would publish a third tome in this vein as soon as possible!

I don't think anyone could read this book and not come to the conclusion that Steve Allen was one of the most all-around intelligent and talented public figures of the 20th century. He was truly a worldly scholar. What's more amazing to me is Allen's methodology, relying largely on his own readings and observations from Gideon's Bibles in hotel rooms while on the road.

Allen has long been a man of clear social, moral, and political conscience. He goes to great lengths in this book to keep from confusing the separate aspects of his thought except where it is applicable, and does so to a wonderful effect. His explanations of Biblical persons, places and passages, their history and deeper meanings are written in the truest glory of a rational spirituality the world has yet to realize. Furthermore, his analysis of social issues supposedly stemming from the Bible shows his ability to handle controversial topics carefully while not pulling punches with adversarial positions.

Never once did I feel like I was not dealing with a scholar on these subjects. The decades of work Allen has put into clarifying his own thoughts in these matters shines like a light tower over a dark, foggy sea. This, to my eyes, is the greatest book of its type since Thomas Paine's "The Age of Reason," and in many ways it's better. It not only illuminates what a genius he really was, but also how simple and necessary critical thought is to every one of us.

And to the reviewer who gave this book one star, it is sadly obvious that you did *not* read this book at all. The foreword and introduction alone state that Allen was raised in a strict Irish-Catholic household, was a Catholic until his early 30s when he was excommunicated for his second marriage, and thereafter attended Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles with his wife Jayne and their son. He even makes quite clear in the book that non-belief, to him, is more irrational than belief. But then again, 'twill always be the scholars first who are rooted out as heretics.

If you've ever had questions about the teachings and record of Christianity but still maintain your faith, this book comes to you as highly recommended as possible. It tears down walls and builds spirits.

I found this book at the local library several years ago, when I was a senior in high school. The result? Hours and hours spent trying to write a story as funny as Martin's -- during class. I do, however, forgive him for making me end school on a bad note, since he wrote such a remarkable book!

I don't think anyone can really understand how bizarre Martin's humor is until they read his short (very short) stories. Most of the stories seem to be a bizarre twist on the small things of our everyday life. Did you ever stop to think if apologizing was a sufficient penance for dialing a wrong number? Did you ever wonder how far women's obsessions with shoes could go? Have you ever envisioned dogs leading a separate life? If you've been too short-sighted and overlooked these weighty matters, Steve Martin will right this wrong in your life.

Most of the stories are brilliantly funny (for some reason, THE SMOKERS just kills me), some are just too bizarre for words. Some of the stories seem to be a random jumble of sentences - which sometimes works (Shuckin' the Jive) and sometimes fails (The Vengeful Curtain Rod). It's not perfect, but definitely worth a look if you're looking for a unique kind of comedy.

Cruel Shoes is Steve Martin's best book, without a doubt. It's a collection of short stories, some only a paragraph long, and you might be lucky enough to get a copy with illustrations of him tormented over his typewriter, empty alcohol bottles and balled up paper strewn around the room. It makes no pretense of having any social value, besides that it's just funny. It's pure comedy, it's ludocrusy, irony, and surrealism. Buy a copy, they can get you one, and maybe you'll help it get back into print.

Somewhere in a box at my father's home is a abused beaten up copy of this magnificent text. I see some future historian stumbling over this book, in some distant millennium and wondering what in the hell is going on here. Was this the 20th Century? Looking around at the slobbering, still biting, yackeddy yackeddy misbred poodles that will be inhabiting our poor planet even centuries hence, the discoverer will surely see these dimunations as the true source of all of man's folly, and realize, like Steve Martin so aptly does in his work, that man can only be saved when one sees poodles as good eating. Mr Martin's genius is on display throughout the text. Not even Congressman Henry Waxman could see the even greater danger that is in store for the cigarette smoker.This book clearly reveals how cigarettes can lead, in there folly, to a lip shortage that nobody can truly desire. The absence of this book from current shelves can only be descibed as a national tragedy, with maybe even a conspiracy angle to boot (take note Oliver Stone). Someone must rectify this now (with perhaps an annotated edition (with all of the completely new pictures that the cover claimed were inside), before the bridge to the future is rusting and littered with poodle droppings. The future is at stake, try to remember that. Sincerely, Winslow Homo

Picasso at the Lapin Agile is a wonderful play, with a great deal of tongue-in-cheek humor, dry wit, and intelligent riddles. In this play, Martin has set out a very amusing treatise on some very important aspects of the 20th century, especially regarding art and science.

There are, however, three other plays in this collection. Two of them, Zig-Zag Woman and Patter for a Floating Lady, can hardly be called plays. They're not even one-acts. They have the appearance of just being filler that Martin wrote to pass the time. Wasp, the fourth play in the collection, has many high points, including an hilarious monologue the father delivers to the son. It contains enough dark humor and sarcasm to make it a good read.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile alone is worth buying this collection, but don't expect the other plays to live up to Picasso's status. It is, though, a good collection for anyone interested in this type of humor or drama.

Steve Martin has always been a "serious" writer, in that he is interested in using humor to make people think and to highlight ideas in new ways. "Picasso at the LapinAgile" is a delightful piece of theatrical slight of hand wherein he creates the meeting of the century that never happened between the most influential scientest and the most influential artist and, after a wonderful setup, does a quantum leap into the absurd. It's fun to read and on stage (I saw the production at Ford's Theater in D.C.) it is fantastic.

Recently on a trip to Paris I climed Montmarte Butte to find the site of the Lapin Agile, the bistro in which Martin's play is set. It is still there and still in business, but alas, never saw nor will see a coming together of intelligence, talent and ego such as that envisioned by Steve Martin in this play.This is very smart comedy but funny enough in other ways to work for most audiences. I highly recommend it.

Steve Martin's "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" is a well- constructed and amusing read. Seeing it performed is ideal, but reading it is also rewarding. The use of subtle humor and irony by Martin provides the reader with a quick and enjoyable read. With all of the recent talk about the entrance into the 21st century, the play's references to the turning of the 20th are especially funny. I recommend this play highly to anyone.

Having used two editions of the Japan guide book I turned to Lonely Planet for another trip. The London book is a great guide if you want the occassional opinion and are looking for solid advice on the standard tourist sights and some insight on the less-well-known sights. It's also a good size - it fits into large pockets or easily into your backpack or camera bag. Unlike the book on Japan, the London guide is not long on specific directions on how to get places once you exit public transportation. Still, it has a broad listing of things to do and places to see, good maps, a reasonable but hardly exhaustive list of hotels and restaurants, and the quirky but entertaining point-of-view that characterizes all the Lonely Planet guides. The descriptions are arranged by topic and then by neighborhoods. I found this very useful when making general plans for each day - we could focus on one or two parts of the city and not spend all day riding back and forth on the tube. The guide includes interesting walks through parts of London and a good variety of day trips outside of London. In short, it's useful and well-worth the price.

I just returned from a week stay in London and two books made the trip complete - this LONDON citymap guide and Lonely Planets guide to London. We were there to sitesee and all we needed was Lonely Planet to decide where to go (includes the TUBE stops as well) and for resturants and other out of the way location, we found every street we needed with this fold out guide. Lonely Planet gave just enough background on all the major sites and has a lot of information packed in a little book. I received about 4 other books from friends and none compared to these two guides. Save your money - you'll be all set with these two!

This is an excellent guide to London. the best way to travel is without a guidebook but often a good book can simplify thingsand make life easier- and this book does just that The book is organised by locations ( west end, north london, etc). For each sectiono the city there are extensive descriptions of places to visit, restaurants and other attractions. There are also useful chapters on getting sround using local transpotation and on places to stay(broken down by budget). Unlike other "tourist" guide books , this is not filled up with glossy photographs and hype.

As with the other Lonely planet books,the target audience are independant travellers who will find lots of essential information - such as locations of supermarkets, laundromats and other conveniences.

The maps at the back of the book are easy to read and accuratew butI would also recommend buying a pocket subway map ( easily available in london) because all travellers will need to refer to it very ofen and it is tedious to have to refer to the back of the book constantly.

only problem i had while using this book was that all attractions are listed with the name of the nearest underground station but there is no information on how to walk to the place from the stations.

This beautiful book provides information about specific tools and techniques for the comic book inker. In an ingenious move, Gary Martin had several different professional inkers put brush to the same layouts, showing differing styles on the same art.

This is easily the best book about drawing for comic books that I have ever read. Not only are the inking tips and examples outstanding, but I think this book is necessary for aspiring pencillers as well. You learn not only how to ink pencilled lines, but how to create ink-ready drawings. Beautiful artwork throughout the book. Seeing how various inkers handle the same pencils is really helpful. Thanks, Gary Martin, for putting this book together.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Martin focuses on his genre (superhero) and the inking techniques he describes are best suited for that. However, he is really talking about classical, traditional inking styles and in that sense, he is talking about comic book art as a whole. There are beautiful examples of different techniques. Plus, Martin is funny and fun to read. He also gives glimpses into the industry and talks about the role of a professional inker. There's even some theory in there -- really cool. Perfect how to and reference book for a beginning or medium experience inker.