This has to be one of the most boring books I've ever read. Follow this book, and you'll end up waiting tables in no time. The film festival guide by Chris Gore is a much better, more informative read. Avoid this snoozefest!

I expected quite a bit more from the staff of Variety but this compilation of articles reprinted from the archives of Variety lacks focus. It is unclear who this books is for -- the filmmaker or the traveller? The thin content satisfies neither. In addition, there are glaring inaccuracies in the listings and appendix such as the phone number for the Sundance Film Festival, which is wrong. How could they get this number wrong?! Also, the book is only a paltry 197 pages, not the 288 pages mentioned in the book description. Buyer beware.

I don't know when this fest guide came out, but it's a revelation. As an indie film producer and festgoer, I've waded through all of the hype and junk on festivals. They fall into two categories; either they're stodgy and dry or they're filled with crap about where to go dancing and/or be seen. Festivals cost a lot of money and time to attend and thank God the experts at Variety have cut through the nonsense and delivered a book that is timely, informed and concise. This festival guide cuts to the chase. Also, having been around the intl. fest scene, I know the names like Peter Cowie, David Stratton, Gerald Pratley, Derek Elley, et al. These people know their fests and they can't be bought off, which I suspect is the case with some of the nonsense I've read in books that supposedly help you "survive" fests.

A decent analysis of baseball statistics, full of all of the numbers you'd want to read. However, not nearly as valuable as the Bill James Baseball Abstracts, which goes beyond Elias to provide thought provoking and ground breaking discussions.

I have read this book with a mixture of interest and annoyance. I was interested in a part of Irish history that I had not read about previously. The author has managed to compile a quantity of factual documentation on this subject.

My annoyance arises from two main areas;

1. His 'factional' way of writing. Interspersing historical documents with the attributed thoughts and actions of his subjects. While I agree that it is the authors choice how he tells the story, his stereotypical approach of 'Cruel Britannia' versus the 'Noble Irish' gets a little tiresome after a while. Irish history (like most history) varies considerably depending on who does the telling. The 'Irish Question' is seldom black or white, a fact that has been discovered by several generations of US presidents. (I say this as an Irishman and a Nationalist).

2. An area where I am more qualified to comment is in his writing about the seagoing element of the story. If Mr. Stevens has a nautical proof reader he/she should be keelhauled. Some of the howlers are as follows;

Sailors raced up the ratlines to sheaf the ship's sails (p. 52) 'Sailors reef sails.

From the quarterdeck, a sailor called out 'twelve bells' (p.71). ' No, NO, NOOO, bells are rung (on a bell ' duh), and the highest number is EIGHT. 12 midnight is 8 BELLS.

' asked if he might see the ship's chronometer and learn how one used its winding key to arrive at the ships position. (p. 199)

AND

, took out his new chronometer, wound the key, and read --- ninety miles away (p. 232). ' 'Mother of the Devine!!!!!!!!!'' Mr. Stevens is mixing a Sextant with a Chronometer ' A chronometer is a CLOCK. A sextant is used to measure angles ' e.g. stars, sun, mountains etc. By combining an accurate CLOCK and a sextant angle of a heavenly body, using tables you can plot a ships position.

The first cry of 'Ah!Blows!' rang out (p.220) ' If a whaler cried out this he would be harpooned. The cry is 'Thar she blows'

"greasy luck" was the standard whalers cry, not 'greasy voyage'

This is only a small sample of the errors in the nautical side of this book. I can only assume similar carelessness in other areas. As a result Mr. Stevens gets a 2 star rating.