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Book reviews for "Zahorchak,_Michael_George" sorted by average review score:

Forgotten Horrors: The Definitive Edition
Published in Paperback by Midnight Marquee Pr Inc (07 June, 1999)
Authors: George E. Turner, Michael Price, and Michael H. Price
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Excellent overview of some forgotten films
If you love obscure ,low budget movies,this is the book for you.It's obvious that the authors have a great deal of affection for these movies.My only complaint is they include a few too many movies that aren't really horror in my opinion-westerns with some spooky touches,etc.All in all,though,this is an excellent book.

One of the all time great film books
This is seriously the best book on movies I've ever read. With a few exceptions--"White Zombie," "Murder by Television"--these films are totally unknown. Until now.

Every movie in here was put out by the lesser-known studios--Monogram,Mascot,Chesterfield,ect. The book covers a wide range of sub-genres, from jungle exploitation films to action serials to sinister westerns, so long as there are vague horror elements.

The authors have done a great service, and their writing style is very eloquent. By all means purchase this and seek out some of these films.


Life Drawing: A Novel
Published in Hardcover by Grove Press (1991)
Authors: Michael Grumley, Edmund White, and George Stambolian
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A kind-hearted memoir of self-discovery and loss
There are two "losses" here: the author's loss of his first love, a kind man named James, to impulsive infidelity (the author's); and the world's loss, that of author Michael Grumley, to AIDS, ten years ago. This autobiographical novel is many things: well-written, simply told, generous to his quite wonderful family and the place he grew up in. It's also heartbreaking because the reader knows from the outset that Grumley has died of AIDS; the introduction is a beautiful one, a eulogy really, by Edmund White. A good book for gay teenagers -- the observant and comforting portrayal of childhood, adolescence, and (blissfuly untormented) emerging sexuality amidst the comfort of a good family is refreshing and heart-warming. The descriptions of nature, people, and New Orleans are precise and seem effortlessly well-wrought. The requisite trip to early- 1960's California is (sanely) made brief, and Grumley returns home to Iowa none the worse for wear -- and ready to take on his future. I really liked this man and the story he tells, and it breaks my heart to know that's he's gone.

Journey Down the River
Being true to yourself is almost impossible without being true to others. This is one lesson the hero of "Life Drawing" almost learns. At its heart, this book is about relationships. Mickey is looking for a place to fit in. He loses his chance with James because he is blind to the fact that his place is already secure. As the innocence of Youth drowns in possibilities, this journey of discovery stretches down to New Orleans and extends to the West Coast. The journey is a

reflection of the one we all must take and the opportunities we recognize or ignore.


Monet in the 20th Century
Published in Paperback by Yale Univ Pr (2000)
Authors: Claude Monet, Maryanne Stevens, George Shackelford, Royal Academy of Arts (Great Britain), Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Michael Leja, Mary Anne Stevens, and Paul Hayes Tucker
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A wonderfull look at Monet
I found this book not only to be filled with the wonderfull works of Claude Monete but it also has a great insight to his life and the imprssion he left on modern art today. This book also contains full fold-out pictures of some of the artists best works. For anyone who has ever enjoyed any of Monets work you will love this book.

A must, for anyone looking to expand an art library!
This book is a perfect addition to any art library. Having seen "Monet in the 20th Century" in Boston at the Museum of Fine Arts, I was well prepared for the exhibit by having read the book first. I found the exhibit to be an extraordinary example of Monet's achievment in his later years. This book focuses on the works of Monet starting at the start of this century right up to his death in 1928. All through this period of Monet's life and including the representation of the body of work produced within those years, this book never skips a beat. Although not an all-encompassing look at his complete works of that period, this book offers the best look out there of his paintings as well as his development throughout the last quarter-century of his life. I found it to be in keeping with what is already known about Monet's later years, but certainly not devoid of interesting insights. The quality of the book, it's contents, including all of the color plates reproduced within is very good. I would not have an art library without Monet representation, and this is the ideal book for an addition or a starter.


Philosophical Works: Including the Works on Vision (Everyman's Library)
Published in Paperback by Everyman Paperback Classics ()
Authors: George Berkeley and Michael R. Ayers
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A great alternative.
Berkeley is one of the great philosophers, although arguably the one whose position as one is the most tenuous. His argument is that matter doesn't exist, and all there is are ideas and impressions that comes to us from God. It's an argument that can be easily destroyed by even an amateur philosopher, but Berkeley writes so beautifully that he does at least make you stop and consider, if only for a moment, that perhaps he may just be right. He's worth reading if only for entertainment - I have to say that I think he is the best writer of all the great philosophers (except possibly Nietzsche), even though his system is the one I like the least.

If you are studying Berkeley seriously then it would be best to get the Oxford editions of his Principals and Three Dialogues. They contain much longer and better introductions and numerous other notes. But it may also be worth your money to buy this book too. Although the majority of this book is the two works just mentioned, also included in this collection are several other rare works of Berkeley's including his notebooks and De Motu among others. It's extremely difficult to get hold of these outside of the reprint of the 1901 Collected Works, and so if like me you don't have $450 to throw around, this is your best option, especially since it is so cheap.

Impressive, very lucid and worth reading!
This book has proven to me to be one of the best philosophical works from the 18th century. Its clearness and lucidness surpasses many of the philosophers of that period. Even though Berkeley's theory and arguments may be considered most radical, he explains them with great care and you can almost take them for a fact.

Berkeley's concepts can be only examined out of pure reason basically, since his theory rest merely on speculative thought. Nor is it possible to show any concrete proof for his arguments, however I find it much harder to disapprove his concepts since it all depends on rational thinking and not material evidence. His views provoke an exciting approach to a new metaphysics and reality.

This book should be read with the utmost clearness of mind, and one must eliminate all prejudice from the mind. Although a fairly easy book to read, one must dedicate time to deep reflection when considering its arguments.

I highly recommend this book for those interested in philosophy, specially in metaphysics, this is a must-read!


Wee Sir Gibbie of the Highlands (George Macdonald Classics for Young Readers)
Published in Hardcover by Bethany House (1990)
Authors: Michael R. Phillips and George MacDonald
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The tale beautifully stresses moral values of love and piety
Sir Gibbie is an exquisitely written children's classic, depicting in poetic,vivid detail a country of lush beauty as viewed from the eyes of a small city waif, whose father has perished, leaving his young son with nothing more than a full, loving heart; a gracious, generous nature; and a warm, open personality bent on doing good for others by every means in his power. The adventures of the ill-clad child begin as he travels the open road, in response to his father's constant words "Up Daurside!", where he befriends the herdboy Donal, is taken in by his parents, Robert and Janet Grant, and rescues the young lady Ginevra from a natural catastrophe. Sweet, tender Gibbie automatically floats into one's heart as one follows him from town vagrant to benevolent gentleman, and remains there long after the book's pages are closed. His growing awareness of the world in both materialistic and spiritual matters holds the reader captivated. Geroge Macdonald has compos! ed a nineteenth century story in true Scottish style, where one may observe everything in the universe from the grace of the mountaintops to the wonder of human beings through innocence, peace, and love. Written in an almost angelic manner, Sir Gibbie transports one to the realm where nature and piety and loveliness are intertwined, and produces a magical air which no one can fail but love, and desire to experience over and over again.

Enchanting story of a seemingly destitute Scottish orphan
The author, George MacDonald, was a prolific Scottish writer who lived from 1824 to 1905. He knew Mark Twain, Charles Dickens and Lewis Carroll. He was the favorite author of C.S. Lewis (author of the Narnia books). This book is thought by many to have provided inspiration and several plot elements for Twain's "Huckleberry Finn". It is an excellent story and is especially good as a read-aloud. The adventures of this ragged, barefoot street urchin as he finds his destiny are truly compelling. Little Gibbie is mute (unable to speak) but has a heart of gold and his greatest joy lies in helping others. After the tragic death of his titled but penniless father, Gibbie is the horror-stricken witness to a violent murder. His faith in humanity shaken, he flees the city in hopes of discovering a new life in the highlands.


Payment in Blood (Isis Series/8 Audio Cassettes)
Published in Audio Cassette by Isis Audio (1995)
Authors: Elizabeth George and Michael McStay
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A Bit More Puzzling
The mystery in this book was a bit more complex than that in George's first book in this series: the solution was not as apparent. Unfortunately, there were so many secondary characters that it was hard to keep them straight. It was obvious that these characters were there to act as "red herrings".

I also thought that the coincidence of Lady Helen being on the scene of a murder, and intimately involved, was a bit of a stretch, but was able to accept it with just a grain of salt.

George did a fairly good job of giving us more insight into the main characters (Lynley, Havers, Helen, and Deborah) and fleshed out their backgrounds quite well.

I thought that the last third of the book was far too dragged out...I found myself skimming a lot.

Another fine addition to the mystery genre
I enjoy the Lynley/Havers series very much and found this book very hard to put down. The central mystery involves the death of a Playwright on a Scottish estate and the cast of suspects that were involved. The story moves from the estate to various other locations which keeps the reader interested.

There were some problems that I had with the story. There were too many characters and sub-plots involved that took away from the main mystery- including the romantic turmoil of Lynley and some past crimes. There was also a conspiracy plot thrown which only took away from the main mystery.

I did like the character development and I did feel for Lynley and Havers at various times during the novel. This is still a good mystery to add to your collection and I will continue to follow this series.

Really good
Even though George paints a somewhat old-fashioned portrait of English life, she is still able to write very very good mysteries.

Her detecive thrillers are clever, intuitive, have nice twists, good, well evoked settings, and are very well written, if somewhat OVER written.

the mystery here is first class as ever. she writes with the style of agatha christie, and comes up with solutions that the dead queen would be proud of. It is only a shame that Lynley is not quite as interesting as Poirot. However, the relationships the main characters 5 characters really are VERY interesting. they add weight, credibility, and realism to the story. they add a more personal and intimate side, and prove an ongoing drama to mix with that of the different crimes which come up in each book.

She is very good at drawing her character, and very good at coming up with agatha christie style plots. her psychology is accurate, and her writing very descriptive.

Definitely worth a read. This second book was very very good. So far, i dont think she written a bad one, and i've read nearly all of them. A good build up A Great Deliverance, and got the series off to a really smashing start.


The Mammoth Book of New Sherlock Holmes Adventures
Published in Paperback by Carroll & Graf (1997)
Authors: Michael Ashley, Mike Ashley, and George Sand
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No disappointments in readable collection
Mike Ashley has assembled a large collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories, mostly new to this collection (three are reprinted, but I only had the previous appearance of one of these).

If you are someone who is a fan of Sherlock Holmes and is always looking for more, than this is a book you will want. The stories are of a consistent quality, written by authors who are practiced in their art, and involve Holmes and Watson considering problems whose solutions are not normally obvious from the outset.

For me, while none of the stories were particularly outstanding in either good or bad terms. I enjoyed Stephen Baxter's 'The Adventure of the Inertial Adjustor', Peter Crowther's 'The Adventure of the Touch of God' and Zakaria Erzinçlioglu's 'The Adventure of the Bulgarian Diplomat' marginally more than the others.

I'd recommend this book to Holmes enthusiasts, or to those with little exposure to the Great Detective. It is a good collection of decent quality.

Not Up to Doyle's Standards
I find myself disagreeing with many of the other reviewers here, but I found only a very few of the stories as good as the Doyle originals. And I think I know why they didn't grab me like the originals do. The originals were written by a man living in Victorian England while these stories were all written almost 100 years later by writers trying to interpret Victorian England. I think that's why the originals ring more true to me. Conan Doyle had all the little details right at his fingertips because he was living in the period. Modern writers try but I don't find the little touches needed to evoke the period. I also found that many writers strained to add those little deductive touches that Conan Doyle always managed to put in. Some of the examples of "deduction" were downright silly.

That said, there are a few stories that do come close with "The Adventure of the Bulgarian Diplomat" being my favorite. If you really like the Conan Doyle originals you may be disappointed in this collection.

The voice of the Master!
This is a wonderful collection! As with any collection of Holmes stories by modern writers, there are bound to be a few clunkers. What impresses me is that, even though a few of the stories are slightly off the mark, the vast majority of the stories are dead on.

Only one of the cases, in which a series of grisly killings are investigated, is not quite in the voice of Doyle (mostly due to the graphic descriptions). However, this case also lets Watson shine. Rather than the standard Watsonish "Amazing!" or "Remarkable, Holmes!" every time Sherlock utters a revelation, Watson gets to do a little detecting of his own, albeit medical. What I particularly liked in the story was that Watson is not left to simply marvel at Holmes, but gets to contribute more than just the use of his service revolver.

The timeline at the end of the book is also helpful in putting Sherlockia in some sense time-wise. When did Holmes first begin detecting, when did he stop, when did such-and-such a case occur? All are nicely laid out.

The book is divided into the early years of Holmes' career, his middle years, and later years. We get to see early cases, and his final case.

The choices of stories by the editor are first rate. This is easily the best collection of new Holmes you're likely to find on the market.

The voice of the Master can be heard throughout the book!


Pygmalion
Published in Audio Cassette by HarperAudio (1900)
Authors: George Bernard Shaw, Michael Redgrave, Lynn Redgrave, Michael Hordern, and Bernard Shaw
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The Evolution of Pygmalion
Pygmalion is a brilliant success by George Bernard Shaw to modernize the legendary Greek tale of a sculptor who falls in love with his artsitic creation and wishes to bring her to life. The rags-to-riches tale of Eliza Doolittle captivates the reader with its fast paced storyline, and witty dialogue. Shaw fascinates the reader with complicated characters such as Henry Higgins, Doolittle, and Colonel Pickering. Set in England, during a period of sophistication and elegance, Higgins and Pickering were faced with the seemingly impossible task of transforming a filthy flower girl (Eliza) into a beautiful duchess. The outrageous antics that ensue are both humorous and entertaining. Shaw's playful dialogue and timeless plot have been updated to fit the social and cultural standards of our time. For example, Alan Jay Lerner's My Fair Lady is an internationally acclaimed musical adaptation of Shaw's classic play. 1999 brought yet another adaptation of Pygmalion, in the form of the film She's All That, penned by R. Lee Fleming Jr. This teen comedy brings a new twist to the classic characters of Shaw's play. Pygmalion is a quick read and an enjoyable way to spend the day, and the characters in the story will remain with you forever.

A Wonderful Film -- the Drama of My Fair Lady
This is an enchanting film for which George Bernard Shaw won an Oscar (which I believe he displayed proudly) for best screenplay after adapting the play "Pygmalion." It is true that the movie lacks the grand production values of "My Fair Lady," but it is much closer to the drama that Shaw had in mind. The dialogue is much richer than "My Fair Lady," which still managed to keep much of the language of the play and some of the movie.

Like many of Shaw's plays, it is built around his pet ideas -- here (in a simple form) the notion that class distinctions are not genuine and could be overcome through education. Unlike some of Shaw's plays which read like socialist tracts, this one has very human characters who keep your interest throughout (in contrast to "Major Barabara" which was a rather tedious movie).

For me, Wendy Hiller make a marvelous Eliza Doolittle. Although Leslie Howard is very good (and presumably what Shaw had in mind), it is hard to forget the bluster Rex Harrison -- a great actor himself -- brought to the role of Professor Higgins. Hiller brings a wonderful dignity and pathos to the role of Eliza Doolittle. The rest of the cast is very good and the sets are very authentically set in Edwardian England.

This is definite buy if you like Shaw, theatre in general, good movies from the 30s, or want to see a richer version of "My Fair Lady."

Wonderful! It has stood the test of time -- and triumphed!
It started out as a play by George Bernard Shaw based on the Greek myth of a man who created a statue and then fell in love with it. The play, which was a spoof on the British upper class, was an immediate success and several movie versions followed. This 1938 version, in black and white, was nominated for four academy awards in 1939 and won an Oscar for best screenplay. Later, it was adapted to the musical hit, "My Fair Lady." The rest, as they say, is history. But Pygmalion should certainly not be forgotten.

The cast is excellent. Leslie Howard is perfect as Henry Higgins, the professor of dialects who transforms a flower girl into a lady. And Wendy Hiller is sensational as Eliza Doolittle. There's a certain regal freshness and her British authenticity comes across beautifully. Even though "the rain in Spain" is spoken, rather than sung, it still keeps the same quality. And there is music throughout as background, lively original music created especially for the film. The supporting cast was excellent too. I particularly loved the performance by Wilfrid Larson as Eliza's father. The film moved fast and kept me totally captivated. The costumes were wonderful and the timing for the comedic moments perfect. I found myself laughing out loud in places and smiling to myself throughout. Certainly, this film has stood the test of time and even though it will always be compared to the musical we all know and love, I must say that Pygmalion can definitely stand on its own. Give yourself a treat and check it out. Highly recommended.


Rosemary's Baby
Published in Hardcover by Buccaneer Books (1993)
Authors: Michael George and Ira Levin
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Spooky and Well-Crafted
Ira Levin's novel is utterly fascinating. For one, the best element is that the horror and suspense all come from seemingly normal, everyday things. A world where the bad guys are the quirky next door neighbors is a lot scarier than one where the ridiculous horned monsters are the bad guys. Two, his dialogue is sparkling. It's as if all of the characters are real flesh and blood, the way that they speak so realistically. Three, I found it very interesting that Levin approached writing it not by using big words and long, complicated descriptions. His sentances are short, precise, and sweet. It makes a nice "relaxing" read. Also, the movie adaption is one of the best films ever made and is brimming with excellent performances. Read it and see the movie. I totally agree with the reader who commented on the movie being the best adaption of a book to film.

The book that influenced a genre
Thirty three years after it was first published, Levin's book still stands as one of the best Horror/fantasy novels ever written. As one of the first books of the genre to become a nestseller, one can almost imagine what a stir it caused back in 1966. For even now, with Roman Polanski's masterwork film version indelibly shaping our imaginations as we read, "Rosemary's Baby" still manages to send a genuine chill down the spine with it's deft handling of it's ingenious yet simple plot.

Within the premise of a young wife having her womb bartered to the devil by her selfish husband, Levin weaves issues of religion, women's changing social roles, betrayal, modern vs. ancient, dehumanization and paranoia.

"Rosemary's Baby" is not only a fun read, it's honestly scary, and, if you let yourself think about it, pretty darn smart.

You will never look at your neighors the same way
A hard-luck actor. An average, charming housewife. And neighbors that you love and trust, even though they are a tad nosey. These are the basic elements of a classic book that should be required reading for everyone who wants to be an author.The characters of "Rosemary's Baby" are so well written, so sincerly believable, that it's a shame the book ends. Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse, a young couple looking for a place to stay, buy an apartment that seems to good to be true. Enter Roman and Minnie Castevet, an elderly couple that seem to be mothering Guy and smothering Rosemary. When she finds out she's pregnant, the Castevets couldn't be happier. They happen to be witches, wanting to find a young, loving woman to raise the son of Satan. What makes this book so good, so great, is that Minnie and Roman don't ride broomsticks or have large pointy hats on their heads - they're an average couple that just seem to need companionship. The horror isn't blood and guts, the type that you'll find in a cheap paperback - it's the horror of knowing much more than Rosemary does. It's not a plot spoiler to say that Guy joins the coven, because it's obvious. You just want to say "Rosemary, don't go in there!" or "Rosemary, don't drink that!"This is the way a book should be - entertaining, while all the same absorbing. It's a one sitting, white knuckle read that will make you say "I hope Ira Levin writes a sequel!" However, nothing could ever compare to this unbelievably timeless classic.


Guerrilla Pr Wired: Waging A Successful Publicity Campaign On-Line, Offline, And Everywhere In Between
Published in Hardcover by McGraw-Hill Trade (18 December, 2001)
Authors: Michael Levine and George Gendron
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1 of My Worst Book Purchases
I run an internet company and was looking for a book on some good guerilla marketing, i.e, cheap, ways of getting our name out there. I was excited about getting this book, but quickly realized within the 1st 5 pages that this book is terrible. He spends more than half the time trying to convince me that the internet is important. What a joke. I learned nothing. It is much more valuable and cheaper to read something online. Now I'll have to do that or look deeper for a good PR book.

Extremely Valuable: The New Model For PR
Here's an excellent book with great inside information from one of America's top PR talents. Michael Levine has put together cutting-edge techniques that he uses himself in his highly-respected PR firm (I'm on his emailing list even though I've only met him once very briefly). But this book has some excellent features that I particularly like such as: sample press releases, sample link proposals, detailed summaries at the end of each chapter, an appendix with media contact information, and a test at the end of the book.

This book has been handy for me as a small press author with a limited promotional budget and a really good website. I just completed an email campaign based on this book for Valentine's Day radio shows. This book would be worth it just for the "11 Levine's Lessons for Guerillas" and the "Portraits of a Guerilla" examples.

While there are other books on publicity and PR from small-time authors, agents and publicists, here's a complete piece of work from one of the big shots of PR.

If you have a website for commerce or are an author like me you've got to read this book. There's nothing else like it.

Guerrilla PR is a good book!
For those of you who had negative things to say about Guerrilla PR, I want you to write your own book that clearly explains what you thought this book wasn't saying. The fact that you took the time to even read the doggone book lets me know that there was some interest to you. If you can come up with something better, let me know when it hits the top sellers list!


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