Product Description
Fate and Ambiguity in Oedipus the King is a literary and philosophical reflection by one of Greece's leading contemporary philosophers on one of the world's greatest dramatic works, with special relevance for today's readers. There is also a Foreword by Olympia Dukakis, who has performed in many Greek plays. ... Read more

Product Description

From her fame as the Oscar-winning actress who uttered the famous line in Moonstruck, "I know who I am," to her lauded role as Mrs. Madrigal, the landlord of indeterminate gender in Tales of the City, to being the cousin of presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, Olympia Dukakis has captured the imagination of a broad audience. Known for her straightforward talk, her lack of pretension, and her ongoing quest to explore ever more aspects of herself and her art, she is a role model to women of all ages.

Olympia Dukakis's award-winning role in Moonstruck made her a household name, but before that overnight success came twenty-eight years of hard work. For nineteen of those years, she was an integral part of running the Whole Theatre Company in Montclair, New Jersey, while she and her husband raised their three children. She managed to "have it all" -- career, family, home -- before having it all became fashionable (even if she did root for the wrong team at her sons' soccer games -- "We're in the blue shirts, Mom"). She also managed to care for her aging mother, who developed Alzheimer's and moved into the family home, completing Olympia's three-generation family.

In Ask Me Again Tomorrow, this internationally renowned film and stage star reveals her struggle to assimilate as a first-generation Greek-American, her long alienation from her mother and how that finally resolved itself, her battles with addiction and her volatile personal relationships, and the efforts it took for her to overcome all of this and achieve excellence in her professional calling. A story told with honesty, humor, and the sincere desire to be shared, Ask Me Again Tomorrow is more than a celebrity memoir -- it's a book that will endure.

During a career that has spanned more than forty years, Olympia Dukakis has worked as an actress, director, producer, teacher, and activist. She received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, the New York Film Critics Award, the Los Angeles Film Critics Award, and the Golden Globe Award for her work in the Norman Jewison film Moonstruck. A highly sought-after lecturer on women's issues, on living with osteoporosis (her own) and other health issues, Olympia resides in New York City with her husband, actor Louis Zorich. They have three children, Christina, Peter, and Stefan, and two granddaughters, Isabella and Sofia.

Customer Reviews (8)

Honest, moving account of an actress who became an overnight star after 28 years
Heard ASK ME AGAIN TOMORROW--read and narrated by
Olympia Dukakis, the actress who became an overnight success
in MOONSTRUCK (after 28 years of hard work).

Dukakis is brutally honest in telling her story . . . in doing so, I got
a feel for what it was like growing up as a Greek-American and, also,
about the difficulties she faced in helping to run The Whole Theater
Company in Montclair, New Jersey, for 19 years.

I also was moved by her tale of alimentation from and eventual
reconciliation with her mother, who eventually developed
Alzheimer's and had to be cared for by Dukakis and her family.

There's humor in the story, too . . . she tells of the time when
her Oscar was stolen and how she eventually made over $9,900
as a result of the theft . . . in addition, I was laughing out loud
when I heard how she "borrowed" a cat to make some
money from a commercial . . . all was going well until
her mother walked in and asked, "Where'd you get that?" A
quick response saved the day: "She always forgets!"

This is one book that I'm glad to have heard rather than
read, largely because of Dukakis' outstanding narration . . . it
left me looking forward to Part 2 of this fascinating woman's
life, which seems to have been promised by the subtitle:
A LIFE IN PROGRESS.

Fascinating Woman
I don't usually read many biographies but enjoyed this one...Olympia is a fascinating woman.
Reading her accounts ofher childhood, her honesty about the
problems with her mother and about finding herself was not only
interesting but made me wish we were friends.

Beautiful
She is a beautiful woman and that is a beautiful book. Truly inspiring, this isn't the story of an "overnight success". Olympia deals with alot of adversity, both from outside and her own inner struggles. A surprisingly meaty book. The last few chapters actually had me crying.

A Memoir In Progress
I'll admit that I haven't seen very many of the films that Olympia Dukakis has performed in.If I hadn't received a complimentary copy of this book from HarperCollins (there's my interests declared), I would probably not even have thought about picking up this volume.But pick it up I did, although I was worried for a bit.The quotes on the back cover were ominous: most of them seemed to be compliments from her Hollywood friends explaining how wonderful she was, but paying only lip-service to the book itself.The introduction and prologue are similarly worrying in that Dukakis repeated states that she didn't want to write an autobiography and that she doesn't really know who she is from day to day (hence the title of the book).But fortunately, while this wasn't the best celebrity memoir I've read, it's certainly entertaining enough.

The memoir begins with Dukakis recalling her Academy Award nomination (and win) for her portrayal of Rose Castorini in "Moonstruck".After covering this period of her life, she jumps back to her early childhood and spends a lot of time dealing with what it meant to be a first generation Greek-American.She details some of her early acting work, although much of it has a vaguely superficial feel to it.Towards the end of the book, the sections dealing with her more recent thoughts, she outlines her religious views, which (and I'm not quite sure I picked up on all the details) seem to revolve around the idea of a female goddess.Her religious thoughts and meditations obviously mean a great deal to her, although I'm not sure she quite conveyed why they have such a huge impact on her.She merely tells us how important these things are to her and asserts their relevance repeatedly, but we don't really get to see the impact for ourselves.

Dukakis has a love for the theatre, and most of her book discusses various roles she's played both on and off stage.Helping to run a local theatre gives her a unique perspective on the business and the art, so it makes for quite interesting reading when she discusses how difficult it was for them to make ends meet.She keeps coming back to her theatre, time and time again, and her enthusiasm for her subject is contagious.

The one thing that struck me was that Dukakis didn't quite seem to know how personal she wanted to be.She included some very intimate details, but provided almost no elaboration or context.She mentions a couple of suicide attempts in her early adulthood, but doesn't really explain what brought this depression on other than a few family-related stresses.She discusses having an open marriage, and then closes the subject after a couple of paragraphs.Most stories or thoughts of this nature tend to have their beginning, middle and end all take place within the same page, and then are never discussed again.I honestly do not blame her for not wishing to delve too deeply into what are obviously painful or personal subjects, but I do wonder why she wanted to include them in the first place.

This is a fairly slender book.It clocks in at just under two hundred pages, and has suspiciously wide margins.This makes it a fairly quick read for anyone interested in what Olympia Dukakis has to say.Dukakis has an unfortunate habit of telling rather than showing, and it contributes to the feeling that we have more a collection of facts here than a warm, human story.Still, I can't complain too much; I knew nothing about her when I began this book, but the writing style kept me reading the whole way through.She seems like a fascinating person underneath it all, but we never really feel as though she has taken the reader into her confidence.

Not Good Enough
I admit I am not an actor or an Olympia Dukakis fan but I was curious about this book. She drew me in by going for what most of us know her by--her Oscar for Moonstruck.But the book was too vague in so many places she brushed over her family life with generalities like I was so busy.She just says I got a role in this play but didn't say how she went about it, who she called, who she knew or who helped her.I was disappointed in the ending and her experiences with the ashrams. Those experiences were the ones she really wanted to share to attempt to inspire other women. I enjoyed reading about her Greek heritage in the beginning of the book, much much more. ... Read more

Product Description
Loukoumi, the fluffy, cuddly lamb, returns this Fall with Loukoumi s Gift, the fourth title in the award winning series of illustrated books by Nick Katsoris for children 4-8. Featuring a bonus download of the story narrated by Jennifer Aniston and Days of Our Lives star John Aniston, the new book follows Loukoumi through her day as she discovers that the perfect gift need not cost a lot of money, but instead can come straight from the heart. (The CD Narration is available as a free download on the website Loukoumi.com as well as on the companion CD of the related book, Loukoumi's Good Deeds). Loukoumi s Gift, by Nick Katsoris, will be released on National Make A Difference Day, on which over 200 bookstores nationwide will host Loukoumi s Gift Storytimes. The book follows in the footsteps of the critically acclaimed book, Loukoumi s Good Deeds, released in April 2009, which is also narrated by the Anistons. The book continues the adventures of Loukoumi and her friends Gus the Bear, Fistiki the Cat, Dean the Dog and Marika the Monkey. Whether it s a thoughtful act, a handmade card, or a delicious cookie or cake, kids will learn that there are many cost free gifts that can make a huge difference in the lives of those around them. This message is especially important to kids during these tough economic times as we enter the holiday gift-giving season around the book s release date. The book encourages kids to do something nice or make something for their loved ones as evidenced from the book's recurring line: A gift is a thought your heart creates and need not cost a penny. A gift can be anything that you wish made for one or many. A thoughtful act, a handmade card, a delicious cookie or cake. The perfect gift comes straight from the heart, whatever it is you make. Loukoumi s Gift is dedicated to Daisy, a cleaning lady from an office the author Nick Katsoris worked at 15 years ago. The story is inspired by the real life experience when Daisy gave Katsoris a pair of gold cufflinks because he said Good Morning to her every day. The part of Daisy on the CD is voiced by Jennifer Aniston. Every time a child reads Loukoumi's Gift they too will be performing a good deed. $2.00 from the sale of each book will be donated to St. Jude Children s Research Hospital, internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family s inability to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, please visit stjude.org. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Perfect Gift!
Loukoumi's Gift is a gem. This book teaches kids that the perfect gift comes straight from the heart and does not need to cost a lot of money.It is applicable all year round, but my son has especially taken the message to heart as he has started drawing pictures for the whole family for Christmas.The book also supports St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a very worthwhile organization. Well recommended as well as the companion book and CD, Loukoumi's Good Deeds. ... Read more

Product Description
This is it! The real story of what goes on behind thescenes. Camera Smart provides actors with an exclusive and much neededlook at the inner workings of a film set. By following an actor on hisfirst day of work you encounter the jargon, the situations, thepeople, the failures and successes of a real world camera job. It'sthe next best thing to being there. This book, written with a rarecombination of humor and insight covers all aspects of the cameraactor's world including a fascinating look at how the new technologiesof video games, CD-ROM movies, interactive multi-media and the 500channel universe will affect that world. Become camera smart yourselfso that when you get the job you'll be ready. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A wonderful look at the technical aspect of shooting!
This book offers a great perspective on film acting. There are several chapters that address rather general info on acting, but what is really useful is dialectic in the middle. Written in play form, it goes over a newcomer's first day on the set and explains all the basics of shooting a scene, how to prepare, the names and jobs of everyone on a set, and set lingo. This book is extremely useful if you are planning on acting in film (whether it's a student film or the big leagues) and want to feel prepared for the experience. If you're a veteran or even have done several shoots, it probably won't be as useful to you, but it still provides a great, easy to understand breakdown. The repeated reference to set terms (i.e. craft services, 2nd AD, boom operator, director of photography) throughout the dialogue really drums in meaning instead of just being a glossary, though there is an extensive one in back in case you missed anything. This is a must read for newcomers to acting or filmmaking, for that matter.

The business / The Hollywood continuity style
I have read all of Richard Brestoffs books. And taken many of his classes. By far, this was my preferred book that landed me a 3-day part on Melrose Place.

Dream your Dream, Buy this Book, and apply thetechniques...

Thanks Richard! Matthew Lucas

This is a wonderful book!!
I never really understood the film making process until I read this book. It is written with a real human spirit as he takes us through step-by-step. I felt as if I was on that shoot myself - nervous and anxious about everything that the character "Newcomer" was faced with and didn't understand. What a relief to have a book that finallyexplains all the terminology and gives specific advise on what to expect and how to meet the acting demands of working on a set. If you're in the Seattle area, you should check out his classes. He's a very gifted teacher as well.

It's the best!
Richard Brestoff discusses acting brilliantly and tells what we REALLY should know about acting in front of a camera and on a set/location for television/movie acting.This book was by far the most interesting, helpful, informative piece of literature about acting I've ever been so lucky to get my hands on!I only wish I could thank him personally.

I loved this book!!!
Even as a non-actor, I found the comments and information in this book fascinating.It explains the duties of various film crew members, and details the steps involved in making a film.I'll never watch TV or movies the same again! ... Read more

Product Description
In Growing Up With Loukoumi by Nick Katsoris, a lamb named Loukoumi (Greek forsweet ) struggles with what she wants to be when she grows up. She considers becoming a firefighter, a judge or a doctor. As she walks along, she encounters her friends including Gus the bear, Fistiki the cat, Dean the dog and Marika the monkey. Each friend explains to Loukoumi that she can be whatever her heart desires. If she wants to be a singing star, a policeman or even an Oscar winning actress, then she can do it! The key is that she must always believe in herself, stay positive and work hard, because if you believe in yourself your dreams will come true! The CD version of the book (included) features the voices of singing legend Gloria Gaynor, (Grammy Award winner for I Will Survive) Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis, national CBS correspondent and MarketWatch anchor Alexis Christoforous, American Idol Heartthrob Constantine Maroulis of American Idol fame, and Guiding Light actor Frank Dicopoulos. Each voices a character that encourages Loukoumi to reach for her dreams, which is especially meaningful when being heard from such inspirational and successful adults. The package also includes an original song from Gloria Gaynor called, Believe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

I love this book!
I've been working on building up my baby to be's library, and I came across this adorably illustrated, sweet book. It's about the adventures of a little lamb named Loukoumi, and the author wrote several books, all with great family and good values messages. The author also donates money to different charities from the sales of his books, so not only are these books great for kids, but great for others as well.

My favorite of his books is "Loukoumis Good Deeds".
[...]

WORTH HAVING
I BOUGHT THE BOOK BECAUSE PART OF THE PROCEEDS GO TO MAKE-A-WISH. IT IS A GOOD BOOK TO OWN.

an excellent message for children
The important message of "If you beleive in yourself, you can become whatever you want to be" is so simple yet essential. Children will love to travel this journey with the darling little lamb Loukoumi, and learn something valuable in the process. A great book for parents to read with their kids.

Another great book by this author
Great book for young children.You will not be disappointed.

Excellent Educational Book
This book is an excellent boost to any child's dreams.It is an inspiring book and has a positive message encouraging a child to go after their dreams and to work hard and that anything is possible.I highly recommend this book to any child.Children need positive enforcers in their life.Constantine Maroulis from American Idol, also the star in two Broadway shows, "The Wedding Singer" and "Jaquels Brel" beginning Jan 9th in New York, is funny, and enlightening to the kids who love him. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of Olympia Dukakis, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 1896 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Product Description
LEATHER BOUND book accented in 22kt gold! Personally signed by Olympia Dukakis. ... Read more

Product Description
Loukoumi is a children's book about a Little lamb named Loukoumi who was supposed to go to America with her family, but she got on the wrong plane and then the wrong train and then the wrong boat. In this international journey through Greece, France, Italy and Morocco, Loukoumi meets Fistiki the cat, Dean the dog and Marika the monkey, each helping Loukoumi find her way home. Come meet Loukoumi and friends as they embark on their very special adventure.For a celebrity narration of the book including the voices of Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis, Grammy winner Gloria Gaynor, American Idol's Constantine Maroulis, Guiding Light star Frank Dicopoulos and CBS News Anchor Alexis Christoforous check out the new book "Growing Up With Loukoumi," which includes narrations of both books. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

great!
Great book!I loved reading this story about this lamb!She is so cute!

Delightful
This is a delightful story of a lamb that has become lost and the lessons that it learns on its journey home. It is also very fine introduction for children to a few places around the world. We bought the stuffed lamb toy that accompanies the book and our boys, who are 5, 5 and 3, each take turns sleeping with it at night. ... Read more

Product Description

This is the century that split the atom, probed the psyche, spliced genes, and cloned a sheep. Plastic, the silicon chip, and rock-and-roll were invented. Airplanes, rockets, satellites, televisions, computers, and atom bombs were built. Traditional ideas about logic, language, learning, mathematics, economics, and even space and time were overthrown and radically refashioned. People of the Century presents the most influential leaders, artists, intellects, and heroes who shaped this monumental era.

This century's most influential people were selected by the editors of Time magazine and featured in a series of documentaries produced by CBS News. Here, their profiles are crafted by this era's finest writers, from Salman Rushdie and Elie Wiesel, to Gloria Steinem, George Plimpton, Robert Hughes, and more. Memorably narrated by some of the century's most accomplished actors, People of the Century is the ultimate millennial keepsake. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Not a total misfire
Lists such as these are always going to be subjective and hotly debated by people who disagree with them, but for the most part, I think this list was pretty solid. Along with a lot of the usual suspects, such as Sigmund Freud, FDR, Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein (who went on to be named as TIME's Person of the Century), Hitler, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Mao Zedong, there are numerous people who aren't always considered for lists such as these, such as Pete Rozelle, Harvey Milk, Juan Trippe, Willis Carrier, A.P. Giannini, Leo Burnett, and Bill W. I had actually never heard of a number of these people, but as the essays showed, they did some pretty important and influential things in spite of how their fame might be overshadowed by that of more obvious people of the past century.

However, there were more than a few glaring omissions. I'm utterly floored that Stalin was left off of this list; how could anyone not consider him one of the most important people of the century? Or Elvis, Drs. Gregory Goodwin Pincus and John Rock (inventors of the birth control pill, easily one of the most important inventions of the century), Pope John XXIII, Pol Pot, Babe Ruth, Fidel Castro, Mussolini (another huge omission!), or John Logie Baird and Charles Jenkins (inventors of television)? As someone quite interested in antique televisions, I was extraordinarily disappointed that in neither the essays for David Sarnoff nor Philo Farnsworth were these men or their mechanical scanning-disc televisions, which were actually a lot more common in the late Twenties and early Thirties than most people have been led to believe, mentioned. Essays like these only perpetuate the myth that the history of television only begins in 1939 with the debut of electronic television. The essay on Louis B. Mayer also reported as fact that old urban legend about Clark Gable running someone over and then having it covered up by the studio while someone else went to jail in his place. Fortunately, most of the essays seemed to be free of such urban legends and incomplete history.

The majority of the essays also seemed to be rather fair and balanced, addressing the shortcomings of the subject instead of just endlessly praising them as demigods. Only a couple were like the one for the Kennedys, seeming more empty and unspecific instead of in-depth and giving us real reasons why this person or group should be considered one of the greatest people of the century. I'm a fan of the Kennedys, and even I thought that one was rather shallow and vapid! On the opposite end of the spectrum, Peggy Noonan's essay on Ronald Reagan (possibly the book's longest by far) was obnoxiously sycophantic.Contrary to what some people think, the man was not some sort of demigod.Even though I'm on the completely opposite political page from him, I do have to agree he was one of the century's most important people. I just wish a more impartial person had been found to write the essay on him, addressing his negative aspects (such as creating the homeless problem, ignoring the AIDS crisis till his presidency was almost over, the Bitburg fiasco) along with his more positive aspects (such as helping to end the Cold War and making Americans feel proud of themselves again).And along with the glaring omissions, a number of the people selected were just bizarre. How are we supposed to believe that Bruce Lee, Princess Diana, Pelé, Steven Spielberg, or Oprah are among the most important folks of the past century? In serious commparison to people like Dr. Jonas Salk, Jackie Robinson, the Leakeys, Walt Disney, and Eleanor Roosevelt? Important and influential in a certain decade or a certain field, certainly, but in terms of the overall century?! It's also way too soon to fairly evaluate the true importance of some of the people in the final section of the book.And why was there no index?

In spite of the shortcomings, this is a pretty good book through and through if you're interested in 20th century history (however Western-centric most of the book is) and some of the personalities who made the past century so eventful.

Some Parts Good; Mostly A Dissapointment
This audio presentation of "People of the Century" is I'm afraid mostly a dissapointment. Dan Rather serves as the overall narrator briefly mentioning the 100 people included with a select few of these people given an expanded presentation written usually by a famous author or personality (i.e. Lee Iacocca writing about Henry Ford; Salman Rushdie about Ghandi,etc.).

My criticism lies in the fact that some major figures were briefly mentioned while some lesser lights were highlighted. Examples of this include only brief mentions of people like Ronald Reagan and Ray Kroc(founder of McDonald's)while questionable figures like Margaret Sanger, Watson and Crick, and Charlie Chaplin are given expanded treatment.

There is of course the fact that many of these articles are slanted ideologically and that some articles are written by unabashed fans of the historical figure (i.e. Arthur Schlessinger on FDR)while other articles are written by critics (i.e. Richard Shickel on Walt Disney) thus furthuring to unbalance the presentations.

The Best Inclusions in my view: Rushdie on Ghandi, Iacocca on Ford, and Elie Wiesel on Adolph Hitler.

While you might learn something from this work, you would be better off reading individual biographies of these people

If you've never heard of Winston Churchill, this CD is for y
Very disappointing. Much of the narrative spits out facts that everyone already knows. Most of the rest is decoration, trite commentary and superficial philosophizing.The piece on Bill Gates is typical. It wasdelivered in a contemptuous tone, skipped the exciting history ofMicrosoft, and even dismissed "The Road Ahead" as trivial!Similarly, Iacocca's piece on Henry Ford does not even mention Ford'sinfamous bigotry. In fairness, I must say that I did learn a bit about thelesser known people, and enjoyed the imaginative piece on Gandhi. On thewhole, though, if you've ever heard of Winston Churchill, this CD willprobably bore you.

People of the Century
It¹s countdown time whether we face it or not.And the bestsellers prove it.We¹ve encountered books predicting happenings for the millennium we¹re about to greet and books listing people, businesses, music, inventions,events that have made impacts during the millennium we¹re leaving.Inaddition to Life: Our Century in Picturesand Russell Ash¹s The Top 10 ofEverything 2000, there are seemingly 1000 collections about these 1000years.One book worth looking at is PEOPLE OF THE CENTURYwith aforwardby Dan Rather of CBS and an afterward by Walter Isaacson of TimeMagazine. The compilation features 100 men and women who influenced thecentury, rather than the millennium.We reunite with leaders, artists, andintellectuals who gave us rock Œn¹ roll,jazz, flight; shopping malls,existentialism, bytes; splitting the atom, penicillin, cloning of sheep,and Bob Dylan. Those writing the profiles with reputability includeWilliam F, Buckley, Rita Dove,Molly Ivins, Roger Rosenblatt, and DeborahTannen. Descriptions of the contributors appear in the indexalong withphoto credits, nicely referenced. We readily expect some profiles:Henry Ford, Anne Frank,James Joyce, Rosa Parks, Theodore Roosevelt, and Igor Stravinsky,We might haveforgottenothers: Sigmund Freud (asprofiled by Peter Gay) and Leo Baekeland, the maker of plastics who movedto the U.S. from Belgium in 1889.We ask ³why?² ofothers. For example,Hitler is included, as is Bart Simpson.Nobel Peace Laureate Elie Wieselbluntly admitshow frightening it was to write of Hitler.And somereaders might bluntly admit how foolish it is to read about ³forever 10,²make-believe Bart Simpson. Others might question ever-lovin¹ Oprah beingamong the 100, but the criteria put her on the list.PEOPLE OF THE CENTURYconcerns people who ³cast a long shadow.²We are refreshed by someinclusions: Emmeline Pankhurst, for instance, reminds us of thewomen¹s-right-to-vote, which she achieved for England in 1918 (2 yearsbefore America¹sin 1920.) The book is arranged chronologically,beginning in 1903 in nearby Kitty Hawk and moving poignantly to 1989 withthe ³unknown,² lone ³everyman² in Tiananmen Square.In this compacthistory, people are profiled as well as pictured with a ³life-at -a glance²bio.The index needs improvement ( so that readers can more easilylocate people by their fields) and so do Dan Rather mixed metaphors. ( Thenew age is ³taking flight² and becoming a ³rough draft.²) AlsoPaulRudnick could use poetic sensitivity when writing about Marilyn Monroe. Hecallously groups her with American commodities of Coca-cola and Levis. Isaacson¹s afterward reminds us of the century¹s lessons: ³freedom won²and not the pursuit of ³material abundance² but the nurturing of ³thedignity and values of each individual.²Obviously some of these lessonswere learned the hard way. PEOPLE OF THE CENTURY reminds us to repeatthe goodness of our history, repel the other, and to think as we close thisyear, this century, this millennium.

Well written and interesting though a biased list of greats
This presentation of 100 great people of the century (as selected by the editors of TIME) is noteworthy both for its bias and limited scope - it is heavy on Americans and late 20th century personalities - and for itswriting. Each person is presented to the reader through an essay, and mostof these essays are not capsule biographies so much as meditations on thenature of the person and his/her influence. The strange pairing of certainauthors and subjects (Elie Wiesel on Adolf Hitler or Salman Rushdie onMohandas K. Ghandi) allow for some interesting insights and speculation.More sympathetic pairings of author and subject (George Plimpton onMuhammad Ali, Rita Dove on Rosa Parks, Philip Glass on Igor Stravinsky)offer equally interesting, though less speculative, pieces that are quitefun to read.

Overall, the quality of writing in the book is quite high,and even when it isn't (as, for example in Bill Gate's essay on the Wrightbrothers or Lee Iacocca on Henry Ford) the insights of the author - becauseof who and what they are - allow the ideas to take on a level ofsignificance that makes up for so-so skills as an essayist.

I receivedthis as a Christmas present and spent most of Christmas day reading throughall the essays. It provided a very pleasant way to review the century weare leaving. My one regret with the book is the inclusion of a few subjectsthat simply don't belong (Brue Lee, Bart Simpson? )which necessarilyrestricted the field that could be included. It is, of course, a personalbias and everyone will have their own take on who should or should not havebeen represented, but in the entire list there is only one novelist, onepoet, one composer, one painter; yet there are numerous political andmilitary figures. Understandable in terms of overt impact on history, butit sells the cultural aspects of the century short._ ... Read more

Product Description
Mother Courage and Her Children is a classic in the repertory of Western theater. Written in response to the outbreak of World War II, this "chronicle play" of the Thirty Years War follows one of Brecht's most enduring characters, Courage, as she trails the armies across Europe, selling provisions from her canteen wagon. However, Courage pays the highest price of all. One by one, her children are devoured by violence, but she will not give up her livelihood-the wagon and the war. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An appalling translation
What were Penguin thinking? "Mother Courage and her Children" is a German-language play set in the 1600s. There is therefore no excuse for having one character turn to another to say "Bob's your uncle" within the opening lines. When reading this play, we are supposed to be hearing the voices of German peasants and soldiers. However, I found myself listening to what sounded like north-of-England coal-miners. (Perhaps this was translator John Willett's clever rendering of the 'Verfremdungseffekt'. If so, it has certainly succeeded in alienating this reader.) Within the first two scenes, we hear Mother Courage herself using such choice verbiage as:

"Talk proper to me, do you mind, and don't you dare say I'm pulling your leg in front of my unsullied children, 'taint decent, I got no time for you. My honest face, that's me licence with the Second Regiment, and if it's too difficult to read there's nowt I can do about it."

Talk proper, indeed. It gets worse. Here is another dollop of Yorkshire pudding for the reader to chew on:

"My eldest boy. It's two years since I lost sight of him, they pinched him from me on the road, must think well of him if the general's asking him to dinner, and what kind of a dinner can you offer? Nowt."

The dinner, it seems, is a dog's dinner. So awful was this translation that I soon wound up buying the Eyre Methuen edition (with Eric Bentley translating). Compare-and-contrast the two translations:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--Scene 1:--
EYRE METHUEN:
"Stay here. You're never happy till you're in a fight. He has a knife in his boot and he knows how to use it."

PENGUIN:
"Stop there! You varmint! I know you, nowt but fights. There's a knife down his boot. A slasher, that's what he is."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--Scene 2:--
EYRE METHUEN:
"Dear God, it's my Eilif!"

PENGUIN:
"Jesus Christ, it's my Eilif."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--Scene 2:--
EYRE METHUEN:
"Listen. When a general or a king is stupid and leads his soldiers into a trap. they need the virtue of courage."

PENGUIN:
"Look, s'pose some general or king is bone stupid and leads his men up shit creek, then those men've got to be fearless, there's another virtue for you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So it was obvious by the end of Scene 2 that the cause was lost. I skipped to the end to see did it get any better. Nope:

--Scene 12:--
EYRE METHUEN:
"I hope I can pull the wagon by myself. Yes, I can manage. There's not much inside it now."

PENGUIN:
"Hope I can pull the cart along by meself. Be all right, nowt much inside it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But why should we expect any better from this edition? No less than four different writers contribute three prefatory essays before the play has even started. They contain such aeroboard passages as:

"... perhaps no other literary or performative work has so relentlessly and ruthlessly engaged in such a critical-aesthetic experiment on war."

"Brecht understood, well before Anthony Swofford in his 2003 Gulf War I chronicle 'Jarhead', that all performative discourse on war, even the most antiwar, never rises above 'pornography' - hence the dangerous high-wire act Brecht performs with Mother Courage and its setting within the Thirty Years war."

And in case the clanking prose of the first quote didn't make enough of an impression on you, the next page reminds the reader that:
"For such a relentless and ruthlessly intellectual and emotional piece, it is a stunningly simple story."

Leaving aside the fact that Swofford wrote a memoir - which was therefore nothing to do with the 'performative' world, Brecht's "aesthetic and critical enterprise" was clearly about as dangerous as the consumption of a low-fat yoghurt. But the central problem here is the translation. We all know that verisimilitude was hardly Brecht's number one priority: that's no excuse, however, for Willett's trashing of the German language. The most important question facing any reader is how much value they will get from this translation. The answer is: nowt.
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Product Description
Hollywood actress Olympia Dukakis lends her powerful voice to this collection of stories which illustrate the finest qualities of the character of the wise woman. Each tale portrays strong female figures who are resourceful and shrewd, but also full of warmth and kindness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

All I know is
I was in the car with my 11 year old grandson who had just "earned" his Nintendo DS rights back and he was hard at it.I turned on this CD and while it's true he didn't turn the game off, he sure did pay attention to the stories.We got out to run an errand and as soon as we got back into the car he asked to hear more stories AND after almost every one ended, he wanted to know if there were more."That's not the last story, is it?"
Bravo to all responsible for such a great CD.We BOTH love it.

amazing book
This book is amazing--the stories are written so that both the young and old can appreciate and understand them.My daughter, who is four, loves these stories.The illustrations are beautiful and the mural at the bottom of each page is a wonderful addition.We are now reading Grandfather Mountain by the same authors, which are equally amazing.

I highly recommend this book and I don't understand the criticism from the first commentator.

beautiful short stories
Everyone in my family enjoys the stories in this book. Two of the stories (Mother Holle and The Old Woman who was not afraid) we had heard from other story collections. This collection is interesting because it combines stories from east and west while most collections are from a specific region.

I especially like the first story about a midwife, because it portrays the gift patience and understanding of the profession. There is also a story about a lady on the moon, since reading this story we no longer just look for the 'man on the moon' in our moon gazing, my daughters and I look for the `lady on the moon' as well.

All in all this is an expensive book for only 8 stories. However we've gotten a lot of use out of it and I'll keep it to read to my grandchildren as well.

Well-told stories from various traditions
I am curious to know whether the author of the previous review was reading the same book as me!My impression is totally different.The stories in this lovely collection ALL feature a wise old woman who overcomes various circumstances, or who possess wisdom that is shared with others in her midst (usually children).The stories come from Spain, Germany, Japan, and Senegal to name a few, and the illustrations give a lovely sense of place.My familyhas many favorites including the final story "The Old Woman Who Was Right," a Swedish story about a woman whose husband has complained for years about her housekeeping.She is finally fed up and offers to switch places for the day and work in the fields while he keeps house.The result has us laughing every time and has even been reenacted by my five year-old at the breakfast table.A terrific gift, and a pleasure to readagain and again.

Mediocre tales...
I love stories about wise old women--the kind who are brave and as clever as they are caring. I was hoping this would be a book full of stories of such women, but I was disappointed. Only half of the tales featured a wise old woman as a main character, and although they were well-told, none of the stories were very compelling. As a collection, this book seemed to lack focus due to poorly chosen tales.

However, one element in this book is outstanding. A mural-of-sorts runs along the bottom of each page--a different mural for each tale. These murals tell the tale in minature and are a joy to explore. I found myself skipping ahead just to see what each new mural would be. This unique feature makes this book worth a look. ... Read more

Product Description
IN HONOR OF NATIONAL MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY, AUTHOR NICK KATSORIS WILL DONATE ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF THIS BOOK TO ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL. THIS APPLIES TO BOOKS PURCHASED ON AMAZON.COM AND LOUKOUMI.COM FROM OCTOBER 18-24, 2010. FOR MORE ON MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY PLEASE VISIT LOUKOUMI.COM. iParenting Media Award Winner! Named Outstanding Book of 2009. Loukoumi, the fluffy, cuddly lamb, returns with Loukoumi s Good Deeds, the third title in the award winning series of illustrated books by Nick Katsoris for children preschool and ages 4-8. Featuring a bonus CD narrated by Jennifer Aniston and her father Days of Our Lives star John Aniston, the new book follows Loukoumi through her day as she discovers how easy it is to make other people happy by doing something nice. Loukoumi s Good Deeds, by Nick Katsoris, continues the adventures of Loukoumi and her friends Gus the Bear, Fistiki the Cat, Dean the Dog and Marika the Monkey. Whether it s cleaning the house, lending a helping hand or showing your grandparents how much you love them, kids will find that each good deed is unique in its own special way and can make a huge difference in the lives of those around them. In addition to the Anistons, the CD also features the character voices of Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis, Gloria Gaynor (GRAMMY winner for I Will Survive, who also has recorded an original song for this CD titled Make Someone Smile), American Idol's Constantine Maroulis, Guiding Light star Frank Dicopoulos and CBS News anchor Alexis Christoforous as the voice of Loukoumi. The CD features a bonus story, Loukoumi s Gift, narrated by John Aniston, in which Jennifer voices the part of Daisy the Giraffe, who teaches Loukoumi that a gift needs not cost a lot of money, but instead can come straight from the heart. Track 3 on the CD is a new version of the previous Loukoumi title, Growing up with Loukoumi, also narrated by Jennifer Aniston. The track includes the voices of the three winners of the national Growing up with Loukoumi Dream Day contest (Sophie, Lionel and Nika). Each winning kid received the chance to spend a day in their dream career, which included witnessing a Mars landing from NASA, playing soccer with the New York Red Bulls, cooking on CBS News with chef Tony Tantillo and meeting with TV chef Rachael Ray. Every time a child reads Loukoumi s Good Deeds they too will be performing a good deed. $2.00 from the sale of each book will be donated to St. Jude Children s Research Hospital, internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family s inability to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, please visit stjude.org. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

great!
Great book!I loved reading this story about this lamb!She is so cute!

Loukoumi's Good Deeds
Very good example for children to follow in a cute and interesting way for their interest.

Does a great job of teaching children the value of doing something nice for others!
Loukoumi's Good Deeds is an inspiring children's book. I can highly recommend this book to anyone with children. Not only does it teach children the value of being nice and doing nice things, but also has great illustrations any child would enjoy. One of the best parts about this book is that it comes with a narration CD that features the voice of Jennifer Aniston, John Aniston, Constantine Maroulis and others. ... Read more

Product Description
Newly Revised 4th Edition. Foreword by Olympia Dukakis. A must-have insiders guide! Real life tools and advice for every professional assistant...and their high-powered employers. A first-hand look at the world of a celebrity assistant, and its application to the larger realm of all professional assistants. Enlightening and entertaining, this book is filled with true stories and lessons from author Bonnie Low-Kramen's 21 years working with Academy Award-winning actress Olympia Dukakis. Low-Kramen is also a co-founder of New York Celebrity Assistants (NYCA). THE AUTHOR COMMENTS... "I love being an assistant. In fact, I strive to be an "ultimate" assistant, someone who seeks excellence and improvement - not just on some days, but every day. I don't always succeed, but this is what I try to do. Are you so inclined? Ultimate assistants are like that, and I am privileged to know quite a few, including some whose experiences are in the book. I wrote the book for three reasons. The first is that this work is frequently misunderstood and has been subject to warped misconceptions by the media. The second is that there are too few resources for assistants, and certainly not only those who work for celebrities. Third, there is a tremendous curiosity about the work. I decided that I was in a unique position to set the record straight and tell it the way it really is to those who actually want to know the truth of it!" 17 CHAPTERS include: How do you find a job? Glamour, Glitz and other perks. Salary & Benefits. Stories & quotes from assts. Skills & Qualities Needed. Public Speaking. Event Planning. Resources-To-Go. NJ native and Rutgers Univ. grad, BONNIE LOW-KRAMEN, author, is a passionate spokesperson on issues concerning professional assts She has been quoted in the NY Times, USA Today, Wall St. Journal, and Entertainment Tonight. She is a teacher and guest speaker at conferences throughout the US while continuing her work with actors Olympia Dukakis & Louis Zorich. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Be the Ultimate Assistant -- Best Book in its Field
Finally!An enjoyable and informative guide to how to build a satisfying, well-paying, career as a celebrity assistant.Be the Ultimate Assistant will inspire both the experienced celebrity assistant and one who is first entering the field.Bonnie's dishy, insider stories about the celebrity world make important points that demonstrate how readers can achieve their fullest potential.In her warm, encouraging tone, Bonnie explores how to interview (resume samples included), negotiate a salary, perform on the job, communicate with an employer, build a professional network, take on new challenges, set limits -- in short, how to create a working environment of all-around respect and efficiency.Bonnie began her career with no professional connections, yet became a leader in her field through hard work and great insight.Luckily for us, she is sharing the secrets of how she achieved her success, and helping others to achieve the dream.

Think you have what it takes to be a Personal Assistant?Read this book first!
The title of this book says it all -- and delivers!I have been a personal assistant for over eighteen years, I picked up this book out of curiosity and to see how accurate it would be.It couldn't have been more on the money than if I had written it myself!In fact, I now refer people to it when they ask me how they can become a personal assistant.This is a must-read for anyone thinking about going into the profession.I recommend it highly.Worth its weight in gold.

Great Information !
Bonnie gives wonderful insight into the role of a lifestyle manager for a high profiled individual. She dispells the media and common myths associated with this profession. Bonnie has a way of stating it like it is and this book will either energize you to pursue this career or it will help you decide that this career is not for you. I highly recommend it.

Terrific Book For Aspiring Celebrity Assistants
This is a terrific book filled with informative information for the aspiring Celebrity Assistant. This is a very well written, helpful, frank and humorous guide to pursuing a career as a Celebrity Assistant. This book covers the hard facts of the professional business side of the Entertainment Industry along with lots of guidance and encouragement. Bonnie generously shares her experiences of being an assistant. This book is invaluable reading for anyone thinking about becoming a Celebrity Assistant as it provides an excellent insight into that career. I have learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

Insightful, intelligent and fun
Reading Bonnie's book was fun. It's written with warmth and humor, so that reading it on a Saturday afternoon felt like hanging out with a girlfriend. But it offers more than simply an enjoyable read. Its balanced perspective and practical tips were exactly what I needed to remember that it's possible to perform a consuming job without being consumed.
I plan to check Bonnie's schedule regularly and hope to catch her in person on of these days. And when I do, the first thing I'll ask her is, "Hey, girlfriend--when's the sequel coming out?"
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