Customer Reviews (2)

Must read for anyone reviewing history in North Texas.
I enjoyed playing in the Chip Moody Golf events in Dallas. He was a true hero for anyone that needed a role model. Great Reading.

A 'must read' for anyone who has been touched by cancer
Having myself grown up in Dallas, I have watched Chip Moody for many years.There would always be a night when Mr. Moody wasn't in his usual anchor chair behind the news desk ~ he was back in the hospital. My brotherwas just diagnosed with cancer, and it appears to be the kind that theauthor of this book has ~ lymphoma.So I was not at all interested inreading a "sterile' medical thesis or a 'grab your hankie' sad story.Mr. Moody tells of his many adventures throughout life.Some have comefrom being in the profession that he is, and some from having the cancerthat he has found himself facing.But be prepared to laugh, Mr. Moody hasa real knack for telling stories! There are several chapters that deal withthe cancer specifically and what he has gone through from the beginning. This was scary, yet reassuring to read ~ being not from a doctor'sstandpoint, but from a 'real' person's.The last chapter offers true wordsof encouragement, especially to those who are going through, or gettingready to go through this tough battle ~ be it as a patient, family member,or friend. I cannot give this book enough stars.Mr. Moody has made merealize that a person can fight back this debilitating disease.Althoughnot all will be victorious in this battle, their courageous fight willenable future warriors more powerful weapons and skills on how to conquerthis dreaded enemy. Thank you Mr. Moody ~ All my stars to you. ... Read more

Product Description
You too can be a star! If you've ever dreamed of singing on American Idol or grabbing a Grammy Award, The Diva Next Door is for you. Switzer's book, designed for everyone from total novice on up, takes a three—step approach: how to get physically and mentally in shape for a singing career, how to
create and fine-tune an act, and how to shine at auditions and to book gigs. Written in the style of a caring girlfriend, the book blends practical information with anecdotes, musical quotes, pep talks, and tips. Sample cover letters, performance agreements, references, and a "diva dictionary" add value.



• For the hundreds of thousands of female applicants to such shows as American Idol, Nashville Star, Today's Superstar, Oprah and Star Search, and for everyone who has ever dreamed of being a professional singer


• Written for the complete novice in encouraging girl-to-girl style but packed with information for all levels


• Author plays hundres of US clubs and will heavily promote the book ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

HELPFUL TIPS
I found the book to be very helpful and inspiring to me. I'm just getting started with a band, and it has helped my outlook and my confidence.

Some things can't be taught
As a vocalist myself, I don't think it's realistic to think that stage prescence can be TAUGHT. All the best equipment, all the most beautiful gowns in the world will not help without real talent, professionalism and hard work and experience.Singers come and go, the ones that remain working in their field are the ones with the most talent and the toughest hides.I think this book is misleading.

Not just for girls!
My sister bought this book, loved it, and told me to read it since I'm a musical theater major. I was skeptical since I'm a guy, and it is written for women, but the information the author gives is really helpful. So if you are a male vocalist, don't overlook this little gem for your library. It is very entertaining and informative as well as priceless for all the trade secrets.

A wide-reaching 'how to' guide for singers who would move to the next level
Palm Beach vocalist Jill Switzer tells how to move a career forward and prosper as a singer in one's local market in The Diva Next Door: How To Be A Singing Star Wherever You Are. Would-be divas with no prior professional background receive a clear focus on what it will take to be a singing star, from training and technical challenges to promotion. Tips on how to sing well range from key changes and keeping the voice hydrated and strong to being sure to thank any involved in helping one's career. Add inspirational stories and keys to understanding the music industry and you have a wide-reaching 'how to' guide for singers who would move to the next level: public performance.

Excellent guide for girls wishing to sing professionaly
This book is very well written, with clear, practical and concise information that should be invaluable to entering the scary world of becoming a diva. Humor is interjected throughout the book making it very entertaining as well as readable. Overall it is a guide that contains wisdom from experience that should help a hopeful singer to avoid many mistakes as well as ideas toward reaching the diva goal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Should be required reading for all screenwriters
All aspiring screenwriters--actually, all screenwriters, whether aspiring or working--should read this book. According to the author, who should certainly know what she's talking about after 25 years as a Hollywood agent, even skilled, successful writers can unwittingly sabotage their careers if they behave badly. Even though it should be a given that you dress, pitch, and treat studio executives in certain ways, apparently many screenwriters don't understand that if you don't obey these "rules," you can derail your career. Michele Wallerstein cites example after example of former clients who were riding high, but got greedy, sloppy, or just plain arrogant, and flamed out. Fortunately, she also explains what you should do to keep your career on track, and it's not rocket science.

You don't get this kind of information from other books about screenwriting. Sure, story, character and structure matter. But those things mean nothing unless you understand how Hollywood works. Read this book and follow Michele's advice to the letter, and you will be gold in this town. Ignore it, and you'll be better off studying accounting.

The writer's guide to the business... from a straight-talking insider
After a career as a successful Hollywood agent, Wallerstein decided to become a writer's consultant. She was astonished to find out how little writers (both new and pro) knew about maneuvering the business of their writing careers.

In her former life as a literary agent, Wallerstein learned what she calls the "ins and outs of a writer's business and creative life" in Hollywood.She learned all the arcane social conventions of the industry... When to talk and when to shut up. What that phone call really meant, and what it didn't.

In Mind Your Business, Wallerstein tells what she knows. She comes across as a no-nonsense woman who loves movies, and loves working with writers. She's produced an engaging, straight-forward and candid book that covers just about everything you need to know before--and after--you make that sale.

A Great Business Plan for Your Career
Let's say you have a screenplay.You've read all the books, taken the right classes, written the right number of drafts.Now, what?Most writers need help creating their own business plan and Michele Wallerstein's book can help you get there.She brings a wealth of experience to her book -- taking the writer through every phase of networking, getting a representative, and getting your work notice.If you have a finished script and are wondering what to do with it, this is the perfect book for the second Act of your career.

Hollywood for Dummies (and Smarties)
You can learn filmmaking in college or by making your own films, but the only way to learn about Hollywood is to come out and give it a shot. What does that mean for most aspiring writers? Years of blundering around, going from job to job, trying to work for people who may not have any better instincts about the Industry than you do... and there's no central Hollywood HR office where you can pop in and have a little chat with someone about your career. That's why Michele's book is a welcome addition to the screenwriting "how to" genre. She knows a lot about writing and how to make good ideas better, but she also offers a boatload of solid, practical advice about Hollywood business culture, and how writers need to conduct themselves in it. This is the inside dope you're not going to get from Syd Field or Robert McKee. I wish I could've read a book like this when I was starting out.

Create Your Own Destiny
In her book, "Mind Your Business," Michele Wallerstein takes the reader into the agent's perspective of how to have a successful writing career.Her insight is brilliant and coming from a place of knowledge.She empowers the writer to be an entrepreneur and be in charge of their career while guiding them how to have a partnership with their representatives that will bring about the strongest end results.Coming from the perspective of having launched several tremendously successful writing careers, Michele provides the writer with the know how of what to expect in the process, how to be a strong client, what to write, how to write it and how to reach your career destination.

Jen Grisanti - Author, Story Consultant
Author of upcoming book "Story Line:Finding Gold In Your Life Story," Writing Instructor for NBC's Writers on the Verge, Blogger for The Huffington Post, Story Consultant at JGCI ... Read more

Product Description
Finding the right audition monologue can be crucial to an actor's career. The audition monologue is an important marketing tool that introduces and showcases an actor's talent to agents, casting directors, and producers. In The Perfect Audition Monologues , Glenn Altermen covers every aspect of the monologue audition, from entrance to exit. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

EVERY ACTOR MUST GET THIS BOOK!!!!
Finally, a book that step by step really shows you how to do those difficult monologue auditions. This book is clear and excellantly written. I learned a great deal from it. The author really knows his subject and has a wonderful way of writing. Every aspect of the monologue audition is discussed, from entering the audition to leaving. I've recommended this book to all my actor friends. He also included great interviews with casting directors and agents that give you everything you need to know. I've used some of the information I learned in the book and my audiions have REALLY improved (got jobs and call backs!)If you're an actor you really must get this book. IT'S REALLY, REALLY GOOD! ... Read more

Product Description
This truly funny book about being funny is also a seriousguide to the business of laughter and how to make it pay off.NewYork and Los Angeles Talent Coordinator Dave Schwensen shows how toget onstage experience and contact bookers, agents, and managers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Excellent Information
This is an excellent book if you are thinking about trying Stand Up comedy or if you are already doing Open Mics.

It gives you great insight into the Comedy business and helps you make a decision as to whether you want to take it further than open mics and really try and make money doing Stand Up.

While no book can provide you with talent,this one will provide you most everything else to get into Stand Up.

VERY cool book if you want to learn how to be a stand up comic!
I'm taking his one-day workshop so I bought the book to prepare for it-the book is very cool, down-to-earth, tells it like it is. It's more for 'intermediate' comedians who already have an idea about material but want to branch up and out to more than 'open mikes' or bringer shows.
I recommend it to anyone who wants to make comedy a bigger part of their life.

Valuable but not not concise
I believe this is probabaly an obligatory book for any person aspiring to become a professional comic and/or writer. Personally I found it cumbersome and a tiring read.

How to be a working comic
It made me laugh, it made me cry...

There are many books out there on the subject, but I've found this one to be the most concise and detailed one out there to date.Not only does it tell you what works and what doesn't in your pursuit to becoming a working comic, but it also brings you insight from some of the top working comedic minds of our generation.

If you're looking to write comedy, great, they're many books out there on the subject, but this is not what this book intends to do.No, this one puts on a platter for you, what you need to (and what it takes) to make it in the business.

If it works you use it; and if it doesn't you don't.

I'm a working stand-up comic and I love this book, and use it.I've been fortunate to work with some really great individuals out there who all share with one another.Be it advice, tips and/or recommendations with the intent of helping you get better, while you help them get better.

This book won't make you a great stand-up comic (you have to do that for yourself), but it will point you in the right direction, and provide you with a solid foundation on how to make it in the business, from headshots to resumes, and how and where to do what you do that makes others laugh.

I give this book "FIVE BANANAS!"

Keep smiling and laughing,

Joey Z

One hell of a businessman
Schwensen's business-like nature is sometimes annoying. He name-drops a lot and fawns over the genius of Carrot Top, offering as evidence of his creativity the fact that he makes money. But if you can supply the artistry, Schwensen definately knows the business. He has a lot of direct, useful information about how to market your act at all levels of competition, from novices to headliners. ... Read more

Product Description
John Meredyth Lucas, son of silent screen star and screenwriter Bess Meredyth (Ben-Hur, The Sea Beast, When a Man Loves, Don Juan) and stepson of renowned Hungarian-born director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca, Mildred Pierce, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Life with Father), came of age in Hollywood during the 1930s. Lucas went on to an impressive career of his own as a writer-producer-director. He made films with Hal Wallis, Ross Hunter, Walt Disney, and others, and he wrote, produced, and directed such classic television series as Mannix, The Fugitive and Star Trek.

Completed shortly before his death in 2002, Lucas’ memoir is filled with never-before-told recollections of many Hollywood greats and features previously unpublished photographs. With Lucas, we go behind the scenes, onto the studio lots and into the parties with family friends John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Errol Flynn and Jack Warner, to name just a few. It’s a boy’s-eye-view of Hollywood in a time of glamour, decadence, and the golden years of filmmaking. ... Read more

Product Description
Directing Your Directing Career is the only bookin the marketplace written by a working professional that addressesthe problems inherent in pursuing a career in directing. Callan'sresearch and experience in the business give her access to top agentsin New York and Los Angeles who represent directors, and thebackground to know what questions to ask.The first part of the bookoutlines the director's professional journey toward paying work; thesecond half presents listings for agents in New York and LosAngeles. The listings detail the agent's background, resume and sizeof client list. In most cases, a few names from the list are included.The book includes an analysis of directing as a realistic careerchoice, the need to focus one's energies on a particular part of themarketplace, how to know when you are ready to move to New York or LosAngeles, how you can be a working director in your own marketplace,relationships with agents and managers, what agents are looking for,and how to go about approaching agents.An all-important chapter is"Ways into the System," which includes information on support groups,theater groups, Internet connections and much, much more--whileChapter 6, "Your Film & What to Do with It," addresses thedifficulties of marketing a film before and after it's made. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I'd rather drink bleach
I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, if you are an independent filmmaker you will want to steer clear of this brutal attack on your psyche. On the other hand, if you're young, have parents that can support you through the much coveted internships this book recommends, and the Hollywood system is your dream home, then you might want to give this a once over.

But be warned. By page 100 you'll want to throw your wrist on the kitchen table and open a vein. The author takes great care in taking excerpts from interviews with directors and applying the most negative and unispirational examples possible. Her basic message is "You're a loser and you'll always be a loser unless you take a vow of poverty and say just the right thing to just the right person at just the right time". What a load of hooey!

If I had known the author isn't even a director I may have reconsidered my purchase. I'm not a whiner by nature nor do I need to be handled with kid gloves. The book does contain some helpful information, but the delivery of this info is so sadistic that I finally put it down at page 134. Maybe actresses should stick to writing books on acting.

Invaluable to the recent film school grad, young director
Having recently graduated from one of those big film schools, I struggle with my pride as I fetch coffee and bagels in the real world of filmmaking.This book reaffirms (in a comforting way) that yes, I have chosen a difficult career for myself, and yes, I will be faced with attacks upon my ego.It adresses what the recent grad, Production Assistant, film set gofer is going through.But then it moves on, says with little hesitation that one must persevere, and starts getting into the stuff needed to make it in this town.Getting an agent.Gaining exposure.Festivals.Building a reel.What to do with connections.With real world advice from "working" directors and agents on almost every page of this volume, it is a fast read that welcomes multiple reads.Even includes an agent list complete with honest remarks from the editor, as well as info on festivals.A must to the aspiring independant filmmaker AND/OR those interested in breaking into the Hollywood system.Inspiring AND honest. ... Read more

Product Description
Now in paperback--the hilarious and scandalous book that skewered Hollywood. Infamous Tinsel Town journalist-"hatchetman" Joe Queenan presents the interviews and essays that made him persona non grata among Hollywood's stars and movie moguls. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A Perfect Riot of Laughter
If You're Talking To Me, Your Career Must Be In Trouble, Joe Queenan; Hyperion (DK); also, Red Lobster, White Trash, Blue Lagoon (Hyperion 1998) & My Goodness (Hyperion 2000)


With the exception of one torturous column, Joe Q's hilarious critiques of films & actors in "IF" constituted a smash hit (& to this day have stood the test of time, after 20+ years!).

Unfortunately, when Joe branched out into "Lobster" & "Goodness," he tossed the column format in favor of lengthy, facetious narratives.

Bad move.Zingers & acerbically funny put downs of bad actresses, over-the-hill singers & moronic social causes can't "carry" a book by themselves (for a primer in how to do this effectively, go to the source - H. Allen Smith's hilarious 1941 bestseller, "Low Man On A Totem Pole").

For every excellent punch line, the preceding set-up material in both L & G was too often tedious, strained, or incoherent (in Goodness, much more so than in Lobster).Apparently, it didn't occur to the author & his editors that pace in a comedy narrative is just as important as the punchlines.

The immortal Jackie Gleason despised inept comedians.He wrote a classic article (in Life magazine?) categorizing the various types of these pests.

Not overlooked was "the indefatigable laborer, who usually has some success because by the time he's three sentences into his joke, you're so numb that almost any finish is acceptable..."

And "the fighting-uphill type, who has to untangle himself from a million roadblocks.By the time he gets to his point, you've forgotten what he was trying to tell you in the 1st place.So has he..."

These liabilities in Lobster diminished its potential.They flat-out ruined Goodness.

Lobster made the cut (just barely).It stays on the shelf.And with its fleeting brilliant moments, I hated tossing Goodness (no vintage taped-in New Yorker cartoons were harmed in the straight-edge razor disassembly of this failed effort).

Not all is lost.Retrieved from the Guardian (UK) were his most recent columns (2002-09; of which until recently, I had had no idea existed).They were printed & assembled into binders & will be rewarding reading in the evening hours to come.

Have my people call your people.
Some of you may have seen my earlier review of his newer book, Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler.That was a very funny, vicious look at Hollywood and the movie business.This is an earlier book, collecting essays from the early 1990s written for Movieline, Rolling Stone, and one article for the Washington Post, and contains many of the same elements.However, while Heckler was chock full of hilarity, insults, wisecracks and the like, this one doesn't have as many of these. Instead, there are some very fine articles analyzing movies and the careers of certain stars (Jessica Lange, Sean Young, Keanu Reeves, for example).Thus, while I found Heckler much more entertaining than this book, I found this one much more interesting.

That's not to say there aren't hilarious articles dealing with the categorization of movies by various odds and ends included in them (such as the opening essay, which deals with older men falling love and having sexual relations with jailbait in the movies).Some of the funniest articles I've read from Queenan are in this book, such as his attempt to "be Mickey Rourke for a day."In this article, he details how he went four days without bathing, dressed up all in black, and determined to travel throughout New York acting like Mickey Rourke, doing and saying things that he has said in his movies or in interviews.This includes trying to find a prostitute who will fondle a blond woman like the prostitute Rourke makes do this to Kim Basinger in 9 ½ Weeks, smoking tons of cigarettes, and repeatedly telling complete strangers that "sometimes, you just gotta roll the potato."He also swears a lot.

The funniest article in the book has to be his list of 25 of the most senseless movies ever made.These are not movies that are just plain stupid, because usually even stupid movies are easy to follow.No, these are movies that make no sense whatsoever.Included in this list is Joe vs the Volcano, The Night Porter, The Two Jakes, and King David.He goes on to describe just why these movies have made the list.In this essay, he reaches the heights of vicious humour and commentary as he savages these films.Even if you disagree with him (as my wife does on a couple of them), you will still find this article worth reading and laughing at.

Other categorization essays include bad clerics in movies, musicians in movies (and why they usually are terrible), the first installment of "Don't Try This at Home" (where he tries various things that happen in movies and see if they are even remotely realistic), and a complete castigation of the use of bad accents in movies.These articles vary between wonderful and passable, with most being toward the former."Don't Try This at Home" is the only one that is a letdown.Queenan's at his funniest when he lists movies by category and shows why it is a bad thing that they are in this category.

I was quite surprised, however, to find some truly introspective articles in this book as well.No, Queenan doesn't let his trademark wit leave him, but these articles are tempered by some true compliments and compassion.These articles were written before most of Hollywood started avoiding him, so there are some articles with actual interviews.Queenan uses these interviews as starting points to analyze the careers of the actor or actress in question, and he does a surprisingly fair job of it.The article on Sean Young is very fair to her, even though it does tend to emphasize the fact that she was taking high school algebra lessons right before the interview.Even so, he sounds quite impressed that she'd be willing to do this.Other interviews with Keanu Reeves and Jessica Lange, while perhaps showing them in not the best light, are extremely complimentary of their work, even in bad films.I found these articles very interesting and I'm glad I read them.They showed me a side of the stars that you normally don't see (and that is probably why nobody will talk to him anymore).

He is a bit less compassionate when he is analyzing a career without the input of the celebrity in question, such as when he questions Barbra Streisand's move away from light comedies to the pretentious and disastrous movies she's made since.He also has a brilliant analysis of Alfred Hitchcock movies (or at least brilliant-sounding, since I have never seen one of his movies) and how they represent some of Hitchcock's true feelings about things.It's very insightful, and will take the reader past the surface of his films and dig deep into how these movies reflected his own neuroses.I found it fascinating.Even in these articles, though, he finds some good things to say about the subjects, and that's what made them even more interesting.

The only real misses in this book are the shorter articles.I don't know if it's because Queenan needs time to really delve into his subject to make it interesting, or if he just needs time to get himself going, but the shorter articles inevitably fall flat.Thankfully, that shortness makes them easy to digest before moving on to the meatier, far better essays.

The book is still sprinkled with vulgar language and some of the articles are on the sharp side, so if you don't like biting humour and quite a few f-words, this book probably isn't for you.But if you don't mind that stuff and you like movies, this book is definitely worth reading.You may not always agree with Joe Queenan, but you will definitely enjoy the ride.

Damn Funny Stuff
Just blew threw this is 2 days, one of those 'couldn't put it down' books. Rarely do I laugh, or even chuckle but Mr. Q provided 2 days worth of jollies. Interesting to see how some of these movie moguls have progressed (or degressed) in the few years since the books has been published. If you too feel insulted by what Hollywood offers us as 'entertainment' get this book. Enjoy!!

Mostly the latter
I picked this up at the library after reading Queenan's My Goodness (2000), a very funny book in which he pretends to seek redemption for his many journalistic sins.

Anyway, I was talking to Joe Queenan the other day and ventured the opinion that he is the undisputed king of snide remarks and deprecating asides.He responded, "I am the king," a line he stole from a mattress retailer out of L.A.He repeats that line to himself aloud every once in a while because he likes the way it sounds."I am the king."There is a certain quick tempo to the "am" as though he is realizing as he says it that he is indeed the king.

Queenan is actually an entertainment biz critic who came up the hard way, a man who has mastered the fine art of the gratuitous put down and the non sequitur character assassination.He is a kind of like a low rent George Sanders from All About Eve (1950)--a film I know he saw as a kid because I can see his unconscious self still striving to emulate the Sanders character because, after all, the guy's girl of the evening was Marilyn Monroe.Ah, how the unrealized dreams of our youth do so guide our wayward path!Although he tries to keep hidden which babes he really likes in the movies, usually insulting one and all, especially the young and fetching ones (slyly kissing it up to his nonexistent female readership), it can be seen that he goes for those blond bombshells, but apparently doesn't want somebody, perhaps his wife, to know.

Our hero, for all that, does have a certain brassy felicity with words that commands attention, the same way a loud highschool band outside your bedroom window might.And the indefatigable choir boy from the mean streets of Philly really has seen more movies, especially bad ones, than I could ever sit through, and so has picked up a little bit of the art of cinema, enough anyway to qualify as a couch potato afficionado.Reading his rude lectures to semi-admired directors and his haranguing of actors he doesn't approve of (that appears to be ALL actors with the exception of David Bowie (yes!)and perhaps John Gielgud on a good day, and certainly NOT, e.g., Olivier, whom he refers to as "Lord Larry"), reminds me of a beer league basketballer critiquing the state college coach's substitution patterns.You have to sort carefully through all the snide remarks and deprecating asides to sift out a kernel of evidence that Queenan actually liked something he saw.My lord, what a life, to spend a significant part of your waking hours watching films you hate.But apparently somebody has to do it.Occasionally in a campy aside on a very bad film, Queenan will pretend to like something.He's like the tough kid who can't allow that he likes anything other than blood and guts for fear of losing face and looking like a wuss.

Anyway, this collection of his work ("essays" is what he calls them) from mostly Movieline Magazine and Rolling Stone in the early nineties will afford one a few chuckles and some real delight if he is lambasting one of your bêtes noires.Otherwise you might find that our boy grates rather annoyingly on the nerves.But, hey, that was the idea.

sharp biting fun
Queenan has an incredible knack to cut straight to the chase and give you wonderful fodder for thought and laughter. His scathing attack on Barbra Streisand ranks as one of the best and most merited public diatribes everwritten. His Mickey Rourke piece also manages to blend pop culture, angerand the surreal in a brilliant manner. This book is truly a gem and Irecommend it heartily to anyone with an interest in Hollywood and theidolisation of celebrities in general. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Jim Henson
Although it isn't a very detailed book, I still found it very interesting and more appreciative of the work of Jim Henson.

Jim Henson Biography
This seller was prompt on delivery and the item was in perfect condition. I was very satisfied. Thank you ... Read more

Product Description
A popular joke of the 1920s posed the question, “What’s the fastest thing on four legs?” The punch line? “A goat passing Dr. Brinkley’s hospital!” It seems that John R. Brinkley’s virility rejuvenation cure—transplanting goat gonads into aging men—had taken the nation by storm. Never mind that “Doc” Brinkley’s medical credentials were shaky at best and that he prescribed medication over the airwaves via his high-power radio stations. The man built an empire.

The Kansas Medical Board combined with the Federal Radio Commission to revoke Brinkley’s medical and radio licenses, which various courts upheld. Not to be stopped by a mere Court, Brinkley started a write-in campaign for Governor. He received more votes than any other candidate but lost due to invalidated and “misplaced” ballots. Brinkley’s tactics, particularly the use of his radio station and personal airplane, changed political campaigning forever.

Brinkley then moved his radio medical practice to Del Rio, Texas, and began operating a “border blaster” on the Mexico side of the Rio Grande. His rogue stations, XER and its successor XERA, eventually broadcast at an antenna-shattering 1,000,000 watts and were not only a haven for Brinkley’s lucrative quackery, but also hosted an unprecedented number of then-unknown country musicians and other guests.

The Bizarre Careers of John R. Brinkley tells the story of the infamous “Goat Gland Doctor”—controversial medical charlatan, groundbreaking radio impresario, and prescient political campaigner—and recounts his amazing rags to riches to rags career. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Good Bio of The Good Doctor
I would highly recommend this biography to anyone! Imagine a movie about Dr. Brinkley starring Robin Williams............ ... Read more

Book Description

Product Description

This book offers:

• The latest information on a field of interest
• Training and educational requirements for each career
• Salary statistics for different positions within each field
• Up-to-date professional and Internet resources
  ... Read more

Product Description
"Frederick has created an indispensable guide for young actors, just as Frederick himself is an indispensable guide for so many kids and adults working in Hollywood."
—Ken Baumann, actor, The Secret Life of the American Teenager
 
"Acting in Young Hollywood is a book that every aspiring actor and their parents should read. It will teach you the ins and outs of the business and show you how to find success as an actor."
—Asher Book, actor, Fame
 
The youth market is exploding in Hollywood, and there has never been a better time for young people to break into the business. Kids, teens, and anyone who can play young have greater opportunities to find success and celebrity than ever before, and Acting in Young Hollywood is the essential guide any young actor needs to find his or her footing on the oftentimes rocky path to fame. Covering everything from the most basic tools (headshots, reels) to a breakdown of the integral team players (agents, managers) to actually getting out there and acting (auditions and booking), this is the go-to book for anyone hoping to launch—and maintain—a lifelong career. Frederick Levy is a friend to and advocate for young performers, which is why Acting in Young Hollywood is filled with inspiring anecdotes, sympathetic advice, and much-needed encouragement for the future stars of stage and screen. ... Read more

Product Description
If you have ever wondered whether you should pursue your actingtraining beyond high school, this is the book for you.

A Teen Drama Student’s Guide to Laying a Foundation for aSuccessful Acting Career provides invaluable information on a varietyof different colleges, universities, and programs. It featuresquotes from theater faculty and professionals explaining what theylook for during the audition process.

A general overview of what to expect from either a BA or BFAprogram in the performing arts is also included.In addition, you will find straightforward discussions on topics such as:• How to begin the college-application process• How to commit to or rule out an acting career• How to pick the right theater program for you• How to get into the school of your choice• What goals are you looking to accomplish in your college training program?For all you drama students considering an acting career, and for your parents who need up-to-date information, this is an essential guide book written by a seasoned theater educator and author. ... Read more

Product Description
My favorite book on writing has always been Strunk and White's Elements of Style. They lay it out for you simply and directly, and they do not go on. You feel confident when you read that book; you don't feel overwhelmed or discouraged. So I've tried to do that same thing for playwriting. I've laid it all out for you without going on.

I have just one suggestion before you begin. If you're inclined to write a play, you might want to read this book quickly, write your play, then read it again more carefully. It is definitely not a good idea to make yourself nuts with requirements, then try to make your play fit them. Tell the damn story. Then let this book help you fix it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Little Book on Playwriting
This is a great little book on playwriting by one of my favorite people and mentors, Julie Jensen. This is book one in your new career of playwriting. Also a great book for pros to remind us of the things we've forgotten. I still have my galley proof version of this book. If you want it, it's for sale for... let's see now... the economy isn't doing so well... jobs on the decline... I'm gonna need the money... mail just arrived, let's take a look... bill, bill, lawn care flyer, and another bill... let's say 10,000 dollars. Yup! I guess it stays on my bookshelf where it belongs!

Jeffrey Gold, Playwright

Brief, yet deep
Julie Jensen's treatment of the craft of playwriting is, indeed, brilliant.In the few words she uses in this short book, she is able to say more that entire collections of texts that have gathered dust for years on my office shelves.Her ability to condense this craft down to its essence is welcomed.However, the brevity of the books does not mean it has nothing to offer.I rank it as similar to Robert Edmond Jones' THE DRAMATIC IMAGINATION in that the material is simple enough to understand at first reading and deep enough to draw the serious artist back for a second dose of instruction. ... Read more

Product Description
Careers profiled: Arts Administrator; Booking Agent; Choir Director; Composer; Costume Designer; Dance Instructor; Dancer; Disc Jockey; Grips, Gaffes, and Lighting Technicians; Music Teacher; Music Therapist; Music Video Producer; Recording Executive; and Sound Engineer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Nice...but okay
This is a really good book. It shows different kinds of jobs and what the people do step through step. Although some of the websites don't work. You know that the author should make updated books.

Great book!
This is a really great book for kids and frankly it's better than most adult career guides in that it features a wider range of careers and interviews with people in each type of job.It's a great starting point for researching careers. ... Read more

Product Description
Kay Francis came of age in the Roaring Twenties and relished the era’s hedonistic pursuits. Her career as an actress was launched at the same time, and before her death in 1968, she had appeared on many theater stages, in more than 60 films, on radio, in USO tours, as a model, and on television. The tall, stylish actress had a husky voice and dark beauty that was striking on film. Despite her financial success, relaxed morals, and life as a socialite, the millionaire actress shunned luxuries such as limousines and sprawling estates popular among Hollywood elite. The actress who insisted she wanted to be forgotten left behind scrapbooks, boxes of memorabilia and detailed diaries. These rich resources help provide an exhaustive look at the life of one of Hollywood’s most intriguing early stars. Francis’ biography is the heart of this book, beginning with her family background and her upbringing by a vaudevillian actress mother. The story of her extensive career and never-ending romantic pursuits is peppered with comments from the media and her own diaries, and supplemented with ample photographs. A chronology gives dates of theater openings, film releases, marriages, television and radio appearances, births and deaths. A filmography includes complete cast and credit lists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Another View of Kay Francis
Having already read a biography of Kay Francis, I wasn't sure if I needed to read this one. My movie loving friend insisted I read this and sent her copy to me.
While it covers a lot of the same ground that Scott O'Brien's bio covered regarding Francis' career and personal relationships, author Kear had access to Kay's diaries which Kay had written for a good portion of her life and it provided a new dimension to what some people might consider a really active social life. That Kay was liberated and determined was obvious, but her sex life would have probably wiped out the average woman. I started losing track of all the men(and women) she bedded. Kay was also apparently not sexually responsible as she seemed to favor abortion as her primary source for birth control. While she apparently never gave birth, she apparently was never rendered infertile either. And there were plenty of abortions.
The list of lovers is long, but one of the most interesting was a german nobleman with nazi ties that died during WWII. When I read the account of that relationship I kept thinking that it sounded like 'a Kay Francis movie'. Most of this book plays out that way.
Reflecting on this book in total, I liked it because not only did it portray Kay as the unique pesonality she was on screen but it also made me realize that possibly her screen roles weren't all that far removed from the part she played in her own life story. As an admitted fan of Kay Francis, I am enthused that two great books have been written about her and hopefully she'll get a much deserved (though posthumous) career revival.
This book is essential if you are a Kay Francis fan or interested in film divas. It is juicy and gossipy as well as factual and objective.

"We baptized the library floor."
Kay Francis is one of those actresses that you either get or you don't. It isn't that she's so complex, it's that Kay is in on the joke and those who enjoy her performances are in on it too. Yes, she's dressed to the nines while playing someone down on their luck -but you didn't come in off the Depression era streets to see someone in rags, now did you? She wasn't the best actress and she wasn't the worst, she was better than Norma Shearer (and I love Norma!) despite Mrs Thalberg's Oscar.

It always surprised me that no one had written a dishy biography about Kay Francis. She was such a huge star in the 1930s and she did have all those husbands. Unfortunately for potential biographers, but fortunately for her, Kay was discrete. And Kay had a lot to be discrete about. She told much of it to her diary and based on the extracts presented here, Kay is my new dead best friend. Anyone who can sum up a day with "Read my new script - dear God!" is girlfriend material.

The authors cover Kay's career in detail and with the loving assessments of devoted fans. I'm right there with them in enjoying Kay's performances in movies like Mandalay and I Found Stella Parish. As film historian Jeanine Basinger put it in A Women's View, Kay was presence, not talent. That's not as harsh as it sounds, it's a simple assertion that Kay wasn't trying to be the great tragedian. Kay was focused on entertaining, not winning awards.

Kay did have a little time left over for her personal life. You can either look at it as quite depressing - 3 divorces, multiple abortions and a drinking problem - or you can see it as a strong woman living her life on her terms in times when women had few options. I prefer the latter interpretation and with lines from her diary like "Did something and had good time but can't remember" you get the feeling Kay preferred the latter, too.

This is a book for Kay Francis fans and movie buffs who want to know more about an undeservedly forgotten star.

5 Stars
This is a also a great book. There are some good stories. One of the best books I have ever read!

An uneven start, but a page-turning finish
This book had such a slow, uneven start that I almost gave up on it.Kay had a very interesting life, but it was hard to determine that from the way the early chapters of her story were written.Lots of childish exclamation points, and chronological lists that read like "the begats."I adore Kay Francis, and wanted to find out about her life.The authors had the access to her diaries that other biographers were lacking, and her private life was definitely a wild one.That she escaped public, career-ruining scandal is nothing short of a miracle.Once the authors reach her apex year of 1932, and then her war work, the style of the writing really picks up and the story becomes a veritable page-turner.It's definitely worth getting through the first third of the book in order to enjoy the best parts.I respectfully disagree with the reviewer who thinks Kay would have loved this book - she would have hated anyone delving into her private life (she didn't even want anything done with her ashes, she was so private), but speaking as an avid fan of Miss Francis, I'm very glad it was written.

What a hottie!
This is one of the best biographies I have ever read. You can tell the authors put a lot of time and effort into this work - it's a true labor of love. Filled with beautiful photos and extensive bibliographical notes, this one is a keeper. Who knew Miss Francis was such a "wild child"? Whether you're a film scholar or a movie buff, Lynn Kear's book deserves a special spot in your bookcase. ... Read more