5 comments about Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual.

1. I never picked up a copy of this wonderous guide when it was published. There were a few mistakes I made last decade, not buying this book was one of them.
   
   There is not much storyline given away here. Mostly background info regarding the Cardassians, Bajorans and the Federation. Deep Space Nine was the best "Star Trek" series, in my humble opinion. This guide is useful to those who wish to write about the series of the future, as well as daydreamers like myself. The thrill of walking down every corridor, knowing the details of Quark's bar and Ops...
   
   It is all like dream, now that it is over. I never watched the original broadcast in the 1990s. What a loss on my behalf. Now in the age of hopelessly dull reality T.V., what a better way to pass the time than watching the epic unfold on DVD. Though a little overpriced, to an avid fan like myself, worth every penny! Make sure you have a copy of this manual sitting close by!



2. While I am a long time Star Trek fan, I tend to stay away from books such as this one because I just see it as another way for Paramount to get into our pocket books. I just lightly browsed this book one day in a book store and next thing I knew almost an hour had gone by!

   This has to be one of the most engrossing works of fictional tech I have ever seen. There are times where you almost wonder if some form of prototype exists for the items they discuss.

   Both richly written and illustrated this book is a absolute must buy for the die hard Star Trek fan! And if your favorite Star Trek is DS9 (like myself), I am not sure how you have lived without this book!




3. This book is amazing. I read it from cover to cover and ended up satisfied with all the details the authors placed in them. The book carries details ranging from the subspace communications system to the weapons and even the environmental system of the station. The information on it is not contained only to details about the station but everything connected to it including the Runabouts, and the Defiant. It gives off an effect that there is really a station named Deep Space Nine. The paper used was high quality glossy paper which doesn't crumple easily and the numerous images in them were in color. Although it could have been better with a hard cover, it's excellent the way it is.



4. This is a must own for anyone who has ever needed to know why something works the way it does in Star Trek. This covers almost everything you can imagine in how Deep Space Nine and space craft work. If it isn't covered in this book it is covered in the TNG Tech Manual. If you write Fan Fiction, play a character in a Trek RPG, or operate a Trek Website You will treat the Tech Manuals as your gospal in Trek technology. Other good books are out there, but they don't compete with this book.

   The tech isn't much different in manner from the TNG Tech Manual, but the images in this, the DS9, manual are far superior. All Trek Geeks (come on, fess up) need this book.




5. First off, this book is anything but a disappointment. It is a packed with information on the series and its fictional technology from the station's basic layout to things like tricorders and sensor probes. It has great illustrations, mostly rendered in 3D by Doug Drexler and all in color. This is a quite obvious advancement since the STTNG Technical Manual.

   One reason why I like the DS9 Technical Manual less than its "sister manual" is that its reliability is lacking. This is in part not the fault of the authors, considering that technical specs and especially the size of the station and of the Defiant were always subject to change throughout DS9. Nevertheless, it is dissatisfactory that none of the size figures given in the book correspond with the schematic diagrams in the same book, the latter of which consistently show a smaller 120m Defiant and a station diameter of at most 1000m. The section on starships is even much worse, since ship types and specs are arbitrarily and hastily made up, sizes of well-known ships are wrong and the Saber and Norway class even have exactly the same specs. Considering that many fans who took the specs for their websites didn't even notice the latter error, I may be overly critical, but from an officical manual I would expact much more carefulness than that.

   The other point of criticism is that the Deep Space Nine Technical Manual isn't very technical and it isn't useful as a manual. It is rather like prose that has been supplemented with a certain limited amount of Technobabble, a couple of size figures and many nice images. It doesn't care about the technology in such detail as the STTNG Technical Manual, and if it is only shown how to operate it. Summarizing, as a novel the book is rather boring, while it is just not complete enough for a technical manual. Anyway, at least the drawings are great, especially the fold-outs, and most of the book with the exception of the starship section is pleasant reading, so I recommend to buy it.

No comments about The Year of Dancing Dangerously: A Woman's Journey from Beginner to National Leader in 365 Days.

1 comments about The Golden Age of Cinema: Hollywood, 1929-1945.

1. Professor Jewell's book on the "Golden Age" of Hollywood movie-making is a great introduction to the way the Hollywood studios worked in the first 20 years of sound, from 1926 to 1945 (with some nods to the post-war period).
   
   What makes the book invaluable is the breadth of his approach. He covers not only what was going on in Hollywood but also in the broader areas of the entertainment arts (radio, stage, books, even sports) competing with movies for consumers' attention and money. He covers not only the spectrum of entertainment arts but also what was going on culturally and even politically in the period. For example, he shows how the rise of censorship in Hollywood movies in 1932-4 related to the economic downturn of the Depression, which had hurt box office returns, seducing the studios into releasing more films featuring sex and violence.
   
   In spite of being a manageable 300 pages, the book gets into specifics to prove its points, citing box office grosses and profits for the movies mentioned. In discussing movies by genres and styles, Professor Jewell offers loads of titles of representative and excellent movies to watch and review.
   
   Anybody who never got the chance to attend one of Professor Jewell's classes at the USC School of Cinema, where he's one of the top two most popular lecturers, can now make up for it by reading this book and renting some of the movies he mentions. It's a great way to start to understand what made this period of Hollywood filmmaking so extraordinary.

5 comments about The Amazing, Colossal Book of Horror Trivia: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scary Movies but Were Afraid to Ask.

1. I've always heard, "Don't judge a book by it's cover," but this cover is the ultimate in horror and so is the book! This book is full of very entertaining bits of trivia. It covers history and drama when it comes to great horror films. It is a very fun book to challenge your knowledge and reminesce on the movies of your childhood. It really inspired me to catch up on some movies I haven't seen. Luckily,I caught a few of them around Halloween time on television! Good thing I had this amazing, colossal book around!!!!



2. I am such a Horror movie buff that I did notice a few of my favorites that were missed but my bother and I had a great time of asking each other questions and I am happy to report we did great........... if you love horror movies this it the book for you................please note that this book contains older movies so you have to be a true fan all the way back to the 1930's...................you will love it.....



3. I'm no expert; my main claim to fame in this area is that Psychotronic Video printed my letter correcting them about US distribution of Italian exploding-Brussels-spouts-opus Alien Contamination. Oh, and I like horror movies an awful lot.
   
   This book is a delight. Some chapter titles ("Dracula and Other Vampires") are obvious but necessary; others ("Screams of Laughter," "Deadlier Than the Male") are quirkier and more inspired. If, like me, you saw most of these films as a kid, The Amazing Colossal Book is a great refresher course. If you haven't seen the films, this book should whet your appetite, as the photos alone are worth the price of admission.
   
   Why isn't it in bookstores everywhere, or piled all over convention tables everywhere? I dunno. The "answers on next page" (rather than buried somewhere in the back of the book) format is a stroke of genius, making it impossible to stop turning pages long after midnight.



4. It's incredibly gratifying to know that three writers from Tennessee -- long denounced as a hotbed of ignorance and incest -- who are writing about horror movies, no less, can still be bothered to use the Queen's English to do so. It's very well written and quite interesting if you're a fan of the genre. If you're not, well, don't buy it, because you won't understand.



5. This is just a list of 1,000+ questions about a limited number of horror movies, with answers on the next page. I guess you're supposed to ask them at parties or something for "hours of fun." The questions are certainly trivial -- eliciting a response of "who cares" rather than "isn't that fascinating" -- and it is tedious to constantly turn to the next page to find the answers. It felt a good deal like reviewing for a 5th grade geography test.

   Thousands of facts are available, but many are perfectly useless and utterly dull, so why devote a book to them? If the goal of this book is to spark interest in the films or in the horror genre, it has utterly failed. My copy is going into the garbage.

5 comments about Period Costume for Stage & Screen: Patterns for Women's Dress, 1800-1909.

1. This is an excellent book for the THEATRICAL costumer. It has scaled down patterns. Suggestions on how to design for and work with a production director or producer. Recommendations on how to "fake" a look for a period so that it will appear correct AND be easy to get in and out of. Notations on points to consider.... i.e.: is this a stage production where the garment will only be seen at a distance? is this a screen production where certain portions of a garment will be super sized on a movie screen?...those sort of scenarios are played out and hashed over. For the historian, interested in period accuracy, this will probably not be of any practical use. This does however give insight into how to get modern fabrics and trims to look convincing. For the intermediate or advanced seamstress. For the daring beginner who isn't afraid of a challenge.



2. This and all the other Jean Hunnisett Period Costume titles can be ordered directly from the publisher, Players Press, Inc., Studio City, CA for ONLY $59.00 each.



3. I found this book educational and stimulating. Perhaps it's best feature was the combination of historical detail with instructions for practical application. The patterns can be a bit confusing, as can some of her terminology. Both of those hurdles can be overcome with a little patience. This is not a book for the beginning costumer, but I was able to utilize it very well at an intermediate level. For anyone interested in stage costuming technique I'd say this book is a must. It also contains detailed and illustrated instructions for fitting a bodice. WaHey!



4. i just recieved this book and i love it. I noticed that a couple of things were different because it was an english print but i thought it is one of the most resourcful books to have. i love to make period clothing from the victorian age and this book was a good source for me on clothing from that period.



5. I believe that Jean Hunnisett has some of the best resources available to the modern dressmaker. I have been trying to find ways of making dresses of certain periods and this book takes a person step-by-step through how to make clothing; from corsets to crinolines to the actual dresses themselves. She shows how to make a variety of styles from one pattern and actually has scaled models of the patterns that are needed to make the articles of clothing. The only information that is not provided in the book is how and where to modify the pattern to make is fit someone that does not have her size. But with common sense and a little patience a person can figure it out. This book is a must for any costume designer or even the intrigued dressmaker looking for a challenge

5 comments about The Technique of the Professional Make-Up Artist.

1. Just because this is a book for makeup professionals (and a good one at that) and doesn't give enough "tips" on how to wear your eyeliner doesn't make it a bad book. I find these less than stellar reviews to be irrelevant.



2. This book is definately geared towards the professional makeup artist. I'm an avid Halloween costumer and wanted to try special effects makeup but this book was over my head. The author assumes that you have some basic knowledge of makeup technique and the lack of color photos makes it impossible for the novice to figure out what he's talking about. I'm thinking of purchasing Laura Thudium's makeup book to learn the basics and then hopefully this book will be more useful.



3. This was a good book and gave a lot of technical advice and illustration but it didn't help me as much as I was hoping. It's dated-- now we're having to deal with changes in makeup due to Hi-Def, etc. These are not addressed... nor are many other things that I think are relevant to doing makeup for film/tv in 2007.



4. Why didn't I listen to the other reviewers? The tiny section on "beauty" makeup is dated and unhelpful.



5. The book makes doing eyebrow shaping look easy...and it not only looks easy- by following a few steps it turns out it IS easy. If you want to learn the basics- buy this book. If you want to do a home makeover- go glamorous, sensual, then fun later on - buy this book. If you want to tune your look a bit- get it! I guess I don't have to go on, but if you are like me and need a bit of instruction and cant afford a makeup artist to be at your beckon call- buy this book.

5 comments about Reduced Shakespeare: The Attention-Impaired Reader's Guide to the World's Best Playwright [Abridged].

1. This book has earned a place on my reference shelf, right next to the collected works of Shakespeare. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and was pleasantly surprised at how much information was provided. I know I'll turn to this book in the future for Shakespeare facts, quick reviews of his works, and as a movie reference as well!



2. This RSC (not to be confused with a certain other RSC) has gotten rave reviews for taking the mickey out of Shakespeare on stage. Here, they do the same in print.
   
   Not to say that they don't have some good points to make: One of their very first is to state that all Shakespeare biographies should be displayed in the Fiction section of bookstores and libraries because there's so little actual information to go on. They also claim that Shakespeare's chief accomplishment was to have been born in 1564, into a hotbed of political intrigue, where "unlike today, people of different religions had no tolerance for each other.... Fortunately, now, these myopic religious views and extremist sectarianism have completely disappeared." (There are numerous side comments along the same lines in the remainder of the book), and at a time when the theater was flourishing.
   
   They start off with a brief, airy, tongue-in-cheek biography and concluding with four pages that sum up everything we know about Shakespeare's life. Sidebars include "The Olden Globe Awards" (Best Racist Stereotype: Shylock; Best Stage Direction: "Exit, pursued by a bear") and Shakespeare's Favorite Sports (The Iambic Pentathlon, Pin the Blame on the Plantagenets). (The sidebars probably sum up the overall tone better than anything from the text.)
   
   Next they go to the plays, dividing them into the traditional three categories of Tragedies, Histories, and Comedies, then raising a stink over both this classification (trying to find a difference between the tragedies and histories and failing: "No, wait. The History plays are just as historically inaccurate as the tragedies.") and alternate classifications ("Let's get something straight. Shakespeare wrote nineteen comedies. Not thirteen Comedies, plus six Romances. Not ten Comedies, plus six Romances, plus Six Problem Plays. It's nineteen Comedies. Nineteen. Count 'em.")
   
   After listing them categorically, chronologically, and alphabetically, they provide a capsule description of each one. This includes the setting, the source, what the play is best known for, the major characters, the plot, a one-sentence plot encapsulation, the moral, a famous quote, the best feature, the worst feature, the rating (scored in bards and illustrated by the number of Shakespeare heads), and an interesting fact. It's not too surprising that when there's no interesting fact to be found, they either come up with something irrelevant or something totally imaginary.
   
   Oh, and after each one there is an "Essay Question," usually on the order of "In this comedy, Oliver asks a wrestler to break his brother's neck. Explain why this is funny."
   
   They show no mercy, ruthlessly excoriating the bad plays (of which there are plenty), but rightly praising the best ones.
   
   Following that, there's a brief section on Shakespeare's poetry, which is possibly the weakest section of the book, particularly the parody sonnets, which aren't funny at all.
   
   But then we get to "Who Wrote This Stuff?" where they take on both the mainstream view that Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare and the fringe views (Bacon, the Earl of Oxford, etc.). Their own favorite hypothesis is that Shakespeare was a time traveler who went back in time, deposited the plays, burned his notes to cover his tracks, and returned to the future. They figure it's as likely as a number of the others.
   
   Another brief section focuses on the Shakespeare business, briefly listing companies and tours.
   
   However, it's the next section that's either the best in the book or right behind the discussion of the plays, as they take on the movies. There's a nod to the BBC Shakespeare series of the 1970s, which were made, as they say, "using excellent actors but budgets of about 23 pence." And again, the reviews make you know just where they stand, and, for most of the ones I've seen, are right on the money. I do regret, though, that there's no mention of the BBC "Twelfth Night," which was my first encounter with the marvelous Felicity Kendal, of whom I've been a fan ever since. I should mention also that they spare space for related movies like "Kiss Me, Kate" and "Rosencrants and Guildenstern are Dead."
   
   A concluding word, purportedly from Shakespeare himself, isn't very funny, either.
   
   Overall, though, this book is frequently hilarious, almost always on the mark, and would be a great gift to any fan of Shakespeare's, which we all should be.



3. I wish this book had been around when I was in high school; I really wish it had been around (in both the English and Drama departments) when I was in college. This isn't just a laugh-out-loud introduction to Shakespeare, but a rollicking guide to all things Shakespearian.
   
   Too often, students are thrown headlong into Shakespeare's plays, and then into Northrop Frye & Co., after which they never approach Shakespeare (or any drama) ever again. Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, showing the reverence we've come to expect from the Reduced Shakespeare Co.'s treatments of Shakespeare and the Bible, expose the Bard's clay feet (and kinky underwear) while providing a very thorough overview of all the Bard's plays and poetry, along with the movies and tv productions that have followed, and if that weren't enough, a glance at some noteworthy (and otherwise) Shakespearian scholarship.
   
   What's not to like? Some of the anachronistic parallels to Marilyn Monroe and Elvis are played beyond their worth (but so was Falstaff), and the gag essay questions are too abundant to keep their punch. But why quibble? This book casts aside dogma that has sired too many pups onstage and in classrooms and presents the great playwright with the bawdy laughter he is too often denied. And that can only make people more interested in Shakespeare and his literature, and that's a good thing.



4. A laugh out loud Shakespeare book, who'd have thunk it? A book on Shakespeare that doesn't take itself seriously, yet is full of information and fun to read.
   
   I've read several books on the Shakespeare authorship question, and amazingly, this little book manages to do a good job summarizing the pros and con (with odds too) of all the candidates in one 14 page chapter titled, "Who wrote this stuff?". This book is full of goodies: each play has its setting, source, characters, plot summary and rating (1 to 5 'bards'), plus chronologies, chapters on Shakespeare movies, Shakespeare acting, poetry (includes the nine best sonnets and a few newly discovered sonnets too!), biographies, first folio, and lot's more.
   
   It's written by people who know their Shakespeare, seasoned with wit, informed judgment, candor, and all done with good fun. Highly recommended.



5. I've been a fan of the Reduced Shakespeare Company ever since I performed in their first play during my college days. I've followed their work since then, and I've enjoyed most of it, disappointed by a little. This book is somewhere in between. Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor (who, ironically, weren't among the originators of the Shakespeare play) are quite successful at giving a lighthearted and very funny retelling of Shakespeare's life, dissection of his plays and poems, and examination of the movies that have been produced based on his work. They give their own theories about who really wrote Shakespeare's plays (their theory involves a flux capacitor) and even the bibliography at the end is full of jokes.
   
   The biggest problem is their insistence on topical humor. It's one thing to do it on stage, where you can adapt the show as the times change. In a book like this, though, constant jabs at pop culture and current politics get a little tedious and will serve to date this book very badly in a few years. It's a fun book, worth reading for fans of the company, but read it now. Before it's too late.

5 comments about Rod Serling's Night Gallery: An After-Hours Tour (The Television Series).

1. After THE TWILIGHT ZONE, Rod Serling's success with THE LONER and NIGHT GALLERY were close seconds. Authors Skelton and Benson did what few authors do -- they researched. And it shows. And the result is great. They provide fascinating production detail and behind-the-scenes material, with critical commentary, complete cast and credit listings for all 98 episodes. They provide over 100 photographs, and exclusive interviews with Leonard Nimoy, John Astin, Sydney Pollack, Roddy McDowall, Richard Kiley, Leslie Nielsen and many others.
   
   John Astin wrote the forward. Just like THE TWILIGHT ZONE: UNLOCKING THE DOOR TO A TELEVISION CLASSIC by Martin Grams Jnr., this book is exceptional on many levels. Letters to and from Rod Serling are reprinted, revealing behind-the-scenes stories regarding production. The talented skill of directors and set designers is most important. The artist who did all of the paintings. I have had this book for three years and always assumed it was the numero uno book on the subject. It still is. But having recently acquired the Grams book, I suspect that more can be done for NIGHT GALLERY so hopefully the authors will choose to go even further and deeper than ever explored and accomplish what is apparently possible.
   
   Don't let my ramblings convince you otherwise. This is THE book about Night Gallery. Accept no imitations.



2. Large in size and packed with behind-the-scenes trivia regarding production for each episode. The authors made this book a fun read. History is detailed. Production numbers and cast lists are included. There was a paperback book years ago featuring short stories that were adapted for the TV series but this is the only book that does the series justice.
   
   One thing I hate is buying a book and then finding myself wanting more because the book did not answer all my questions -- and we have to continue to buy so many books on the same subject until someone finally does justice to the subject so we can liquidate the remaining books we regret buying in the first place? Thankfully, this book is the only one written on the subject and it saves me money buying false profits. The Outer Limits Companion, The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion and The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic are the only other books that dominate the "required ownership" status for all things related to the program. All of these are available on Amazon. Do not be fooled by false advertising and errors disguised as facts on fan web-sites. Books like this and the ones I listed above are your one-stop source.



3. This book is everything that a book about a television series should be. It's smart, well-written, well organized, and entertaining. Great job!



4. Maybe I am missing something, I ordered this and expected the book to be great, reading most of these positive reviews. WRONG! I would at least expect the book to have color pictures of the titled stories. NONE exist, this is not worth the price!



5. . . . a public comment on a bizarre book, displayed here on Amazon. Each chapter is unique in its own way -- not because of any special literary quality, but because each entry captures in words, suspends in the human imagination, some frozen moments of a classic television series.
   This commentary -- a small, ordinary piece in black and white. A piece of writing known as the customer review. Offered to you now, thirty-nine simple words of a reader's reaction to a 397-page nightmare . . . "
   
   A MUST READ for any Rod Serling fan! Skelton and Benson have written a wonderful book. Their commentary reflects a brutal honesty, lauding the Gallery's outstanding stories while panning its weaker entries. A fine tribute to an underrated series!

1 comments about Chekhov: The Four Major Plays: Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, Cherry Orchard.

1. I've been reading and studying these plays for years now, and have read through and worked out of numerous different translations. Curt Columbus' versions of these four mighty plays are exceedingly well done. They are eminently actable and highly accessible to a modern audience. Yes, he does make some small adjustments, notably choosing to call each character by one consistent name, instead of using all of the various forms. Purists may scoff, but it removes a barrier to understanding for a modern theatregoer. Highly recommended for anyone directing Chekhov or teaching it to students.

3 comments about Citizen Kane (BFI Film Classics).

1. This book has laid a fundation for understanding the film from a psychoanalytic perspective. The author re-examined the visual style of the film, its narrative structure, the historical context during production and the director's political activities, discovered new facts and finally came to an interpretation in psychoanalytic terms in which all the clues would fall into places. Although some of the arguments were not given in full length and rigidness (there are only 87 pages), this book certainly built a new system of meanings regarding the film that includes many facts discovered in the past several decades.



2. This is an example of what the BFI classics should hope to attain for each of their forthcoming books.

   A great insight into the film and the events surrounding it. Praise, I suppose, is due to the fact that there was so much that went on around the making of this film that it would be hard to write a bad book about it.




3. Laura Mulvey writes well, and her analysis of "Citizen Kane" is, in several aspects, a joy to read. But, for an in-depth coverage of the subject, I really recommend Ronald Gottesman's "Focus on Citizen Kane", or, better yet, his "Perspectives on Citizen Kane", which I think should be required reading on the film, along with Carringer's "The Making of Citizen Kane". In other words, if you needed to read just one book on the subject, this one would not be it.