I can't praise enough this book. The First section explain the Basic about Storytelling, the Second section expose The Screenwriting Tools, the Third Section from the page 100 to the end provide an Analyses of 16 Films using the following tools/elements:

Protagonist and Objective, Conflict, Obstacles, Premise and Opening, Main tension, Culmination and Resolution, Theme, Unity, Exposition, Characterization, Development of the History, Dramatic Irony, Preparation and Aftermath, Planting and Payoff, Plausibility, Action and Activity, Dialogue, Visuals, Dramatic Scenes.

My conclusions:
1) The information is clear and concise explaining the essential elements of a script
2) The Analyses Section provides examples in depth
3) The book is cheap

Is a favorite between my 12 books about Writing, you can't go wrong with this bok even if you are a Pro because the analyses of the films provide you a comparative of the central principles of a good movie.

Forget all of the other books out there...or, buy the other books, but make this one first on your list. Howard and Mabley are both accomplished professional writers and they know their tools of the craft, which they now share with you. This book succeeds immensely simply because it lists the elements of a screenplay and tells how each is best used and why. It has all of the basic elements: Dialogue, Dramatic Irony, etc. But ever heard of "Preparation and Aftermath", "Future and Advertising", "Planting and Payoff", or "Plausibility"? If not, then learn how to include them in YOUR screenplay to make it better, more exciting, and more fulfilling in a dramatic and universal way. Absolutely the best book on screenwriting. Period. Buy it now. I have read it a countless number of times and each time I learn something new or it spurs my imagination to create something new in the world of my screenplay. Please do yourself a favor and get a hold of this book. A masterpiece of screenplay instruction.

"Tools" is written by an intellectual with many years under his belt. He starts from the bottom up, and teaches you writing from the most basic levels to the most complex of ideas. This book not only improves your screenwriting skills by leaps and bounds, but enriches your movie-going experience.

The cover of this book caught my attention as I whizzed by it in the bookstore. I figured it would be too advanced for my 20-month-old son but he has been intrigued by the pictures and story ever since I brought it home! You can be so creative while reading it that children just want to hear it over and over again! It made me pursue other David McPhail books to see if he just had a great one or if he's always this creative!!!

I can't say enough wonderful things about this story - the author is so in touch with a young child's imagination. The illustrations are spectacular and contribute greatly to the books appeal. This is one of the few books I have found that encourages reading and imagination in such a wonderful way. My son will be learning to read soon and Edward shows him that books and stories will take him anywhere. This was the first "Edward" book we bought. We loved it so much we hurried out to get "Edward and the Pirates" and "Santa's Book of Names". "Santa's Book of Names" seems to be the first book written about Edward and is my personal favorite.

Young Edward loves to read, especially adventure books, and so on this sunny afternoon he takes his set of animals "just like the animals in Tarzan's jungle" out to the "jungle" behind his house. "He spread them out around him, then lay back on the cool moss and opened another Tarzan adventure." Edward was enjoying his book so much that he didn't notice the crocodile creeping silently his way until it was almost too late. "The crocodile lunged at Edward, but at that instant Edward was snatched out of the way by none other than Tarzan himself, and a moment later they were swinging through the trees on a sturdy vine..." David McPhail is back with another reading adventure, and kids who loved Edward And The Pirates are sure to enjoy his latest "Edward" picture book. Mr McPhail's text is entertaining and exciting, and only outdone by his amazing bold and vivid illustrations that transport young adventurers to the deep, dark jungle for an intriguing fantasy filled with danger, heroics and lots of fun. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, Edward In The Jungle sends kids a wonderful and subtle message about the power of reading...You can go anywhere, do anything, and be anyone, when you open a book and let your imagination soar.

This biography is much more than just a story of Jonathan Edwards' life. It shows much of his thoughts and is chock-full of quotes from his sermons, books, diary, and letters. It not only tells you the history behind Jonathan Edwards but shows the evolution of his thought. I highly recommend this book; then go out and get the Jonathan Edwards reader.

This biography of the great Puritan, Jonathan Edwards, is a scholarly yet sympathetic account of the man who was at the heart of the Great Awakening. Edwards was a pastor, theologian, philosopher and author whose influence on American history and the Christian community cannot be denied. The book is well-written and enjoyable to read with much documentation of Edwards' writings and correspondence. Any student of American history, as well as any Christian, will benifit from study of this inspiring man.

This well-written biography is an excellent account of the life and times of the philospher-theologian, Jonathan Edwards. The much maligned Puritan outlook is examined in the sympathetically truthful light of a modern day pastor. This book explains the renowned "Great Awakening," with an emphasis on Edwards' role in this revival and his thoughts about the revival. The author demonstrates solid scholarship by making extensive use of source documents of Edwards and his contemporaries.

Jonathan Edwards is a moving depiction of a great man of devotion.

This outstanding book spells out all the critical areas of knowledge and skill needed to sell successfully. If it is possible to learn to be a top salesperson from a book, this would be the book. Sales is a tough game and this book can help smooth out the rough spots. The specifics on opening, closing, and handling objections and problems are especially helpful. Great for all types of sales and salespeople.

Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D., author of "The Salesperson's Stress Management Guide" docwifford@msn.com

The book is full of tips and techniques from opening the call, to handling that difficult customer, to staying in touch with those that didn't even buy from you!. It is so well organized, it makes finding what you want extremely easy. At first, I figured it was just another how-to-sell book, but after both novice and veteran salespeople told me about it, I had to see for myself. Now, I keep it in my attache and refer to it often.

I can't believe that someone else has not reviewed this excellent guide to the intertidal biota of the Pacific Coast. This book has set the standard for reference guides to marine life along the Pacific Coast, as well as other locations. It is much more than a field guide -- though it also serves that role. This book describes the intertidal zonation patterns of the Pacific Coast as well as the ecology and aspects of the natural history of the organisms that live there. The book contains good taxonomic references as well. This is the book that many of the country's marine scientists cut their professional teeth on. If you are interested in marine biology, the diversity of life, or the ecology of nearshore habitats, this book is definitely for you. The main strength of the book is the logical organization by type of habitat and vertical elevation on the intertidal zone. The main challenge of a book like this is to remain up to date, which the publisher has managed by producing revised editions on regular basis. This book is a must for any field or arm chair marine naturalist!

Ed Ricketts was to marine ecology what Alan Watts was to Zen, Timothy Leary was to LSD, and Jack Kerouac was to beat, and he was a little of all three. This is the monumental work that put Ricketts permanently on the map as a marine ecologist, and one of the first. This book is a must-have reference for anyone who visits the seashore. I am particularly interested in the fact that persons who have ordered this book have also ordered books by Thomas Pynchon. Anyone else out there besides me get the connection? Please let me know!

This book cover all aspects of the ADD / ADHD child. Good recommendations on meds. for different types of ADHD and why.

I read a borrowed copy and was ordering my own book within 24 hours. Both as a professional working with "at risk" children and as the mother of a child with a psychobiological disorder, I whole-heartedly recommend Dr. Horacek's book. In a spare 211 pages he gives perhaps the clearest most readable discussion of neuroanatomy and neurotransmitters I have encountered. He covers medical management and includes a fascinating glimpse of drug manufacture and marketing, the FDA, and the quandry faced by medical practitioners (hence insurance companies and consumers) in labeling a collection of behavioral symptoms. This book's cost might give some pause, but in my experience one would have to combine 2 or 3 other less readable texts to approximate the content of this single volume. It's an ideal purchase for those who want to know "why".

I found this handbook well written, organized and thorough. A must have for anyone interested or involved in this specialized field of cadaver dog handlers.

For the starting cadaver dog handler this book is a must. I recommend it to all my students. It does an excellent job of detailing the scent imprinting training, establishing a readable alert and the advancement of training. Not only does it cover the handling and training of the dog but discusses in depth the handlers responsibilities and information useful to any agency wishing to deploy the cadaver dog. Excellent information in a basic readable form. Not much experience in scent work needed prior to implementing these techniques. A wealth of information.

This is the fifth handbook for new Congress which raises issues likely to be major agenda items for decades; form tax cuts and public health program reforms to creating policies for returning the federal government to a healthier size and scope. Included is an update on terrorism initiatives and their threats to civil liberties. The Cato Handbook For Congress is an essential political survey of issues which are certain not to become quickly dated.

A logical, concise, and thorough analysis of issues no body wants to discuss. The topics are well presented one by one within the context of the threats to the American way of life as prescribed by the US Constitution. It seems that we have lost our way and this book is a road map to set us back on course. Major topics include: Terrorism, Government Reform, Civil Liberties, Money and Banking, Domestic Policy, Regulation, Energy & Environment, Foreign & Domestic Policy, International Economic Policy. The Cato Institute is addressing the issues here that every congressional representative, senator, and the president are afraid to address because US politics is not about doing what is right, but who can steal the most.

As a libertarian I am sickened by the current state of the state. Federalism is dead, boondoggle's are a dime a dozen, the government rapes me every paycheck, social security is a pyramid scam that allows only a select few early participates tremendous return, the world cop (US) is hated by all nations and yet it costs us billions to protect these whiney countries, government jobs are just an extended welfare program, corporate welfare is offensive, environmental laws favor deep pockets, etc. This excellent book does more then just identify the problems. It suggests logical remedies to the many problems the government has created. The writers not only balance the budget, but they cut $309 Billion in chapter 23 --every I agree with every cut. I have sent a copy of this book to both my congressional and senatorial representative with a note that this is my desired action plan. I challenge every American that loves this country and wants the insanity to stop to do the same.

These novellas require readerly effort and patience. In what at first seems like a bit of a patchwork they tell a sort of blinding truth, in the tradition of Hasidic folk tales. God is not only a presence, but a character. In a mirror of the human mind, an assortment of worlds - places, times, emotional and mental states - somehow coexist. There are important yet homely recognizable details plucked from bourgeois prewar European life, but no quaintness in the descriptions of the characters' histories in Europe (mainly Germany, Hungary, Austria, Rumania) and then Palestine and Israel. For example, the protagonist segues quite reasonably from a consideration of an ice cream cone to the burden of his father's mental illness - in several paragraphs. Love among people (parents and children; men and women) is often a troublesome thing. "Women, Joseph thinks, yearn to embrace a man, and a man yearns to embrace his Creator [...]"

Patience is required, and rewarded. The presence of the several languages (German, Yiddish, Hebrew, Arabic and the English of the translation) is the tip of the iceberg, really, in these stories that attempt so much. Definitely worth reading.

This book contains two novellas - each excellent and unlike each other.

The Book of Joseph is written in a mix of poetry and prose. It follows, to varying degrees of detail, the lives of several individuals who lead intersecting lives. Don't consider this "just another Holocaust novel" - it is a significant and unique addition to the corpus of Jewish Holocaust literature.

Katschen is a very low key novella following the life of an orphan in Palestine - describing life through the very imaginative child's point of view. Katschen's view is a delightful mix of naivete, taking words literally, and a vivid visual imagination. His life is followed through care by an aunt, by an elderly uncle, thru a kibbutz, a friendly Arab, the police and finally by his father - a man confined to an insane asylum through most of the story.

Both tales include footnotes that translate the bits of German, Yiddish, Hebrew and Arabic that occasionally occur. This multilingual facet is the only trace of a scholarly background on the part of the author.

Yoel Hoffman is an author with absolutely stunning control over his story - an unerring sense of concrete detail in sparse prose. I have yet to find any of his work less than awe inspiring.

Rozar tells his story from the perspective of Christian faith and hope. His battle with AIDS has not kept him from living life to the fullest and trusting God for the outcome. I was so touched by this book as I know 2 people (one of them a Christian) suffering with AIDS. It is a disease that no one can ignore as it now afflicts so many people across all socioeconomic levels and not strictly foreigners and gay men. A beautifully written account of this terrible virus. Read it and be inspired!

This is one of the most helpful books I've read concerning Christian people dealing with AIDS. Written from personal experience, it gives great insight on the struggle with AIDS and the real thoughts, feelings and difficulties that go with it. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for an informative and personal narrative on living with AIDS.