Reviews (37)

Book plus DVD, Great COMBO
This book plus the ABCs of Violin DVD proved to me that an adult can learn violin fast. You'll follow the teacher on screen while learning to read music from scratch. The DVD is especially helpful with clear explanations and visual reinforcements about holding the violin and bow. Lots of play-along and a lot of details covering how to put the shoulder rest on, tune and clean the instrument, etc.
Thank you for this Great Violin Book!
This Great Violin Instruction Book has made it possible for me to realize my life dream. I always imagined violin to be the hardest instrument anyone could possibly attempt to play but this book has definitely made it possible for me.
Get this book and the abcs of violin DVD!!!
I purchased this BOOK along with the ABCs of Violin DVD and it's been the perfect combo!!!On the DVD the actress/teacher, author of the book, explains reading, posture, finger placement, etc. etc.You play along... It's fun!The teacher is delightful and gives clear directions.
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Subjects:  1. Music/Songbooks    2. Musical Instruments - Strings    3. Music Instruction    4. Violin Instruction   

Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Film & Video - Reference    3. Performing Arts    4. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    5. Films, cinema    6. Performing Arts / Film / Reference   

Editorial Review

There's quite a bit of intelligent analysis and thought-provoking insight packed into the pages of Chuck Klosterman's Read more

Reviews (84)

I love Chuck!
I love to read anything Chuck Klosterman writes, even if he can sometimes be inconsistent.That being said, this book is frickin' great and is not the reason I find his writings occassionally inconsistent.I always recommend this to people who enjoy anything about pop culture and or just generally funny reads.So far everyone I have recommended it to has become Chuck fans!

People in glass houses...
When I read Chuck K., I feel like I'm coming home. It's like I'm having a deep, intense discussion with a college friend as Dark Side of the Moon is tripping in the background. I mean, I am a Gen X RAWKER about the same age, and with every page comes a new delight. When he mentioned "All For Leyna", a track on Billy Joel's Glass Houses I about Busted A Gut...it was my first vinyl at age 9.Chuck and I are soulmates.If you don't like his stuff, you just don't get it, and you weren't there.

Deep yet superficial?
Although I have a penchant for fiction, this book is very high on my list of works to recommend to other avid readers. Nobody can make a point quite like Chuck Klosterman. Granted, he sometimes supports his opinion by saying (in essence), "I believe this, therefore it must be so" -- but even then, he's so damn believable. (More often than not, though, he provides more than enough evidence to support his claims and opinions.) Chuck's essays in this compilation are easy to read, thought-provoking, humorous, insightful, and just plain fun. I'm a sucker for pop culture, and this book helps me feel better about that, in a way. It gives me proof that my intellectual side can somehow coincide with my lighter, more bubble-gum (read: guilty-pleasure) side. Thanks for that, Chuck -- and also for making me laugh and think at the same time. In my experience, that's rare. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1970-    2. American Essays    3. Civilization    4. Essays    5. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    6. Popular Culture    7. Popular Culture - General    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. United States    11. Social Science / General    12. USA   

Reviews (1)

A must have!
Just received the book and it is absolutely great!!!From preproduction art to the finished product on screen, This book has everything you want in a "making of" art book. A must have for any animation fan. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animated Films    2. Animation    3. Cinema/Film: Book    4. Film & Video - General    5. Film & Video - Reference    6. Performing Arts    7. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    8. Films, cinema    9. Performing Arts / Film / Reference   

Reviews (7)

P&W fake book
This is definately a great collection of worship songs in one coil bound book

good book
I need a code and note for guitar.
Awesome Worship Tool
Our Praise Team/Band could not live without it.Can't wait for a new edition with more of the recent songs of the last two years. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Music    2. Music/Songbooks    3. Musical Instruments - General    4. Religious - Christian    5. Songbooks - General    6. Music / Songbooks   

Reviews (2)

Overpriced
I found the 5th Edition to be overpriced.The 4th edition offered the same information and much cheaper!

hard book
THis book is extremly detailed and the words are written in a tightly compacted format.
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Subjects:  1. Articulation disorders    2. Audiology & Speech Pathology    3. Communication    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Medical    6. Medical / Nursing    7. Speech    8. Speech And Communication Disorders    9. Medical / Audiology & Speech Pathology    10. Performing Arts   

Reviews (6)

A Short History with snoring
This was a required text for an Intro to Cinema class I took at college. To put it bluntly Gerald Mast is a bore. I've never met the guy so I'm not going to comment on what I haven't seen but I have attempted to read his writings and fell asleep before I could finish the first paragraph. I'm an avid reader and have no indications leading me to believe I have ADD or ADHD but this was simply put the worst text I have ever seen about film. The author's subject matter is not only unappealing but at times also irrelevant. For example, Mast dedicates numerous pages to many shallow commercial filmmakers and leaves one paragraph for Stanley Kubrick. I'm sorry but Stanley Kubrick's impression on the medium is worth more than a paragraph. All in all a very boring read.

Extremely valuable
My accidental encounter with an earlier edition of this book was the catalyst for my taking up film studies. The book is a clear, well written and systematically organized history of movies. It has a comprehensive and up to date bibliography and filmography. Chapters are chronological in sequence, but are organized around a particular theme. The authors introduce major influences in the cinema (whether directors, 'schools', actors or events), identify principal directors and films, and analyse major issues and advances. It is an excellent introduction to the history of movies and great jumping off point for further, more specialised study. It is refreshingly free from post-modernist jargon and abstractions. If you want a comprehensive introduction which is also a good read, I recommend this book most highly.

Extremely valuable
My accidental encounter with an earlier edition of this book was the catalyst for my taking up film studies. The book is a clear, well written and systematically organized history of movies. It has a comprehensive and up to date bibliography and filmography. Chapters are chronological in sequence, but are organized around a particular theme. The authors introduce major influences in the cinema (whether directors, 'schools', actors or events), identify principal directors and films, and analyse major issues and advances. It is an excellent introduction to the history of movies and great jumping off point for further, more specialised study. It is refreshingly free from post-modernist jargon and abstractions. If you want a comprehensive introduction which is also a good read, I recommend this book most highly. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Communication    3. Film & Video - General    4. Film & Video - History & Criticism    5. History    6. Motion pictures    7. Performing Arts    8. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    9. Films, cinema    10. Language Arts & Disciplines / Communication   

Reviews (33)

I haven't laughed this hard in a long time!!
Women, it's very raw but you have to read this. You will be laughing so hard you cry! Need a stress reliever read this book!!!I can't wait to get her first 2.

Wonderful and heartelt
She did it again.. she made me sit up and take notice.. I loved it and I thought it was brave of her to open up. I am sending Belly Laughs and Baby Laughs to my best friend.. she can get her own Life Laughs!! I always feel that I am reading my own stories when I read her books.. I have a 4 year old and have been through a divorce.. God Bless You Jenny!

not as good as her 1st 2 books
this book was very disappointing. i LOVED her 1st two books. so when this book came out i was very excited. after reading it, i found it was rather dull and not very funny. there were very few parts that actually made me laugh, unlike her 1st two books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Actors    2. Biography    3. Humor    4. Love / Sex / Marriage    5. Marriage    6. Parenting - Child Rearing    7. Parenting - Motherhood    8. Television personalities    9. Topic - Family    10. Topic - Relationships    11. United States    12. Family & Relationships / Marriage   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Catalogs    4. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Private    5. Individual Artist    6. Individual Painters - 20th Century    7. Pinup art    8. Private collections    9. Special Subjects In Art    10. Subjects & Themes - Human Figure    11. United States    12. Art / Popular Culture   

Reviews (4)

Disappointed- Not what I expected
I have been giddy with excitement for this film to open. I've always been interested in Marie Antoinette and I actually played her charactar in a play when I was younger, so when I saw this book I became overjoyed and bought it. I guess what I was expecting was a story-form version of the movie (which I've not seen yet- it releases tomorrow) but instead I received what seems to be an over-priced copy of a screen-play with decidedly few lines (I read through it ALL in 20 minutes if that...) that shows no emotion nor pulls you in. It shows some shots from the movie, that are medium quality at best and some - I dare say - low-quality and blurry photos. I am disappointed that I paid so much for something that I guess I thought would be very different.
Poor Quality........High Price!!
I am sure the movie will be great, but this companion/screenplay is quite lackluster. With such beautiful imagery you would think the book would be bursting with wonderful shots. Not the case. Small book, small blurry images. Little or no designs, making of, publicity shots, etc. Save your money!! Oh well....

Photo books usually disappoint...
And they're usually expensive. They do this because producers know people will buy them... fans. When I bought this, I did it with the great expectation of having some of the most beautiful stills form this film. The thing is that the pictures that are on the internet, are so much better than the ones on this book. And they're kinda blurry! Or maybe is the paper but they do lack of the quality that other photo books from movies have.
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Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Film & Video - General    3. Performing Arts    4. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    5. Films, cinema    6. Performing Arts / Film / General   

Reviews (40)

Hilarious!
This was one of the funniest books I ever read in my life! I like how it's a religion that makes more logical sense than "real" religions, but is totally asinine. And some of the entries are just so out there they should make anyone laugh. It does make more sense that the creator of the universe was either stupid or drunk, given the state of things, than an omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent being.

Painfully Effective!
This is, hands down, the absolute best parody of chemical evolution I have ever seen!

Science Triumphs!
Purchased after reading a review in Scientific American.It is a truly wonderful "defense" of Intelligent Design, written by a physicist using purely scientific methods and sure to sway any doubters.A truly hilarious work, it will be found particularly offensive by those who would most benefit from serious consideration of its contents.(I suspect will at least slightly offend nearly every reader.)I loved it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Satire And Humor    2. Fiction - General    3. Form - Essays    4. Humor    5. Humorous    6. Religion    7. Topic - Religion    8. Fiction / Humorous   

Reviews (3)

A True Masterpiece
This exhaustive tome is all you will ever need to know all about Fairey's work to date. It's in a great format, the printing is superb, and many pieces of work / projects include insightful comments from a wide variety of sources as well as from Fairey himself. Really great reproductions of some epic work, loads of great site photographs, there's even some old camera-ready artwork here too. It's excellent value compared to other 'art' books that I know 'we' have already bought. Every designer / studio really ought to have this.

Buy it Now.
Great book for graphic artists, artists, or anyone interested in the psychology behind advertising. A must read.

This is a really great book - the real deal
Forget most of those other graphic art fools from this generation who have books out now, this guy is the real deal. Although his art has it's obvious roots in classic graphics of prior generations, Fairey takes his work seriously and takes it to another level. He seems to make perfect art when he communicates and presents his ideas and ideals to us. In this book, from his original "Manifesto" to it's last page is perfect evidence of this mans' artistic genius and sensibility. Just a really great book all around, NO WAY WILL YOU BE DISAPPOINTED, it's big, colorful, and put together WONDERFULLY.
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Individual Artist    4. Popular Culture - General    5. Individual artists   

Reviews (2)

Worth reading - interesting look at the future
First read Naisbett on Megatrends and with that book he sure hit a home run with his insight. He I believe has done it again. He starts out with 11 mindsets of the future and talks you through them with stories that ring true. He then relates the 11 mind sets to five pictures of the future and in all but one I think I can 'get it' you might say. I think this is an important work if you want to understand the changing landscape of the future. Well worth the read. Actually the only thing I dont like about the book is the hokey cover, the book jacket is creative but half what they normally are and a real pain to have when you read it. The actual book cover is awful under the jacket ... strange thing to not like but I didnt. But loved the material.

Questioning what really drives the future...
I just had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of John Naisbitt's Mind Set!: Reset Your Thinking and See the Future.There's a lot in this book that I'd like to recommend for those who think everything is "the next big thing"...It's really not.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Forecasting    4. Business/Economics    5. Forecasting    6. Forecasts    7. General    8. Personal Growth - General    9. Popular Culture - General    10. Schemas (Psychology)    11. Self-Help    12. Social Forecasting    13. Social prediction    14. Twenty-first century    15. Business & Economics / General   

Reviews (1)

Deception Guide, Part 2.
The Armageddon guide may seem intimidating and interesting due to the number of pages it's toting - but do not be fooled.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Games    2. Games    3. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    4. Games/Puzzles    5. Video & Electronic - General    6. Games / Video & Electronic   

Reviews (2)

Uproarious And Seditious - What I LIKE About The Funny Pages!
This comic isn't to everyone's taste.Let's get that right out of the way.It likes to talk about what the comics usually doesn't - death, sex, cynicism, other comics - and yet it does so in a way that you can't help but love.
Lot of laughs
This had to be great. I mean just the cover made me laugh and with Stephan Pastis's commentary and introduction, it was about the best comic treasury i have ever read. I have forty different comic treasuries and this is the crown of my collection. Thank you Stephan Pastis; you have made me laugh uncontrollably several times! Something that only the sarcasm, exagerration, and satire in Pearles Before Swine can do. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. Graphic Satire And Humor    4. Humor    5. Topic - Animals    6. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Editorial Review

Let's get this out of the way: David Rakoff is not David Sedaris. When you hear him being incredibly smart and funny on Read more

Reviews (54)

Keep it simple, stupid

Very good, very clever
Comparing David Rakoff to David Sedaris, while probably unavoidable, is more than a little disinginuous.David Sedaris writes in a way that is understated, even simplistic, yet which makes him easy to relate to.Reading David Rakoff, by contrast, is not effortless.His writing is more complex and more obviously literary, which makes it less immediate, and less relatable.He has a considerable intellect, and skill as a writer, and is not afraid to show it.As a result, there is a sense of effort, of him trying to say things in a way that is probably not as straightforward as it could be.That's only bad when it doesn't work, and during those times when it seems that he is trying too hard, or at least, too hard to be clever.Fortunately, that is not often.
brilliant!!
No other word to describe this collection of short stories, or rather essays on life in general.
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Subjects:  1. American Essays    2. Essays    3. Form - Essays    4. Humor    5. Literary Collections    6. Literature: Classics    7. Humor / Essays   

Reviews (193)

Amazing Book
For anyone thinking of buying this book, the title explains the content: Johnny is a homicidal maniac. And this isn't an 80's horror film kind of homicidal maniac (one who likes to kill whislt in silhouette), oh no; the tortures and murders are shown in detail. The art work is very different compared to pretty much any other art work you'll find. Jhonen's use of skinny-as-hell characters and geometric drawings make this truly unique. Some may not like it, but that's a personal preferance.
Jhonny kicks your [...]
dude, this book is the most awesome book ever. it just is.
A Odd Walk In a Genius's Shoes.
I feel that this book is of aquired taste.If you don't like reading a book about torture and killing; you should look else where.If you are, however,interested in reading an insightful book on humanity and how we torture ourselves, this is the book for you.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction - General    2. Graphic Novels    3. Graphic Novels - General    4. Performing Arts/Dance    5. Cartoons    6. Comic books, strips, etc    7. Comics & Graphic Novels / General    8. Fantasy - Dark/Horror    9. Fantasy fiction    10. Fiction    11. Fiction - Fantasy    12. Graphic Novels - Science Fiction   

Reviews (374)

Karrine Steffans Sees The Light
in that the whole industry exploits vulnerable women of color such as Karrine Steffans.I know some would say that they participated voluntarily but I hear stories such as Ms. Steffans regarding music industry's exploitation and abuse of women who starred in rap videos.The whole hip hop video scene has come under fire recently by all sectors of society for its sexual and violent content.
Lacking something
Karrine's story was gripping, but there was emotion missing. I felt like she was just sitting back, giving a list of things that happened and not really grasping the effects of them. Regardless, I think she is a strong woman and I admire her willingness to say, "ENOUGH!" and get her stuff together.

An Entertaining Read
I really liked reading this book. I finished it in one day. At first I felt bad for. Then, as I read more, I thought she was stupid and by the end of the book I questioned whether she learned anything at all. I mean, yes she knows her mistakes, but I dont think she has learned from them. Overall, I think this book was a great read. I would recommended it to anyone who wants to live the Hollywood lifestyle. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Actors    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses    7. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    8. Individual Actors And Actresses    9. Performing Arts (Specific Aspects)    10. Personal Memoirs    11. Stripteasers    12. United States    13. Women    14. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs    15. Biography: film, television & music   

Reviews (22)

hilarious, irreverant, a great gift and a fantastic read for beginning knitters...
i consider this book a splurge, or a great gift to get a knitting friend - especially a beginner. it answers some of the OTHER questions you may have about knitting that aren't technical, such as...
Humorously Helpful!
There's nothing I like better than truly helpful lists and hints unless it is those same lists and hints dished up with a generous sense of humor.Stephanie had me laughing and reading out loud to my daughter-in-law and constantly exclaiming: "look at this!" while we drove to the yarn store for more supplies.So if you want a handy dandy list of typical head sizes or typical foot lengths (the kind of valuable info provided) topped off with WHO wears WHAT hats and WHY, you will love this book.The basics are addressed here, along with some fine points and finer observations that will have you consulting this book again and again.And if you want to relax and really enjoy your knitting - or your stash or your knitting thoughts (guilt-free) - get this book just to read for fun.It works either way.

Fun book for the knitter in you
I have only been knitting for 1 1/2 years, and I tend to be a rectangle knitter (scarves, afghans, etc.). This book makes me laugh and want to try new things. If you enjoy knitting, you'll enjoy Stephanie's unique look at all things yarn-ish. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. General    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Humor    5. Knitting    6. Needlework - Knitting    7. HUMOR / General   

Reviews (81)

Better applied for limit
This books stradegy should be used strictly for limit because the stradegies gordon uses will get you in trouble in no limit and save you chips in limit. If your looking to improve your game in no limit holdem, there is many books that will help you. Evan beginners should go a different route. Phil Gordon appears to be a nice human being and all and he writes good literature but thats all it is.

An Excellent Distillation.
Having generally gone through Phil Gordons' little book, I wholeheartedly recommend it as a necessary item for anyone's poker library.
Great..
Essential reading for the beginner.. interesting for the intermediate - and lots of fun for anyone else.
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Subjects:  1. Card Games    2. Card Games - Poker    3. Games    4. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    5. Games/Puzzles    6. General    7. Poker    8. Games / General