5 comments about Dancing with Cats: From the Creators of the International Best Seller Why Cats Paint.

1. This is encouraging for those who have pussens with unusual personalities! Cats dance!!!! It says it all!



2. "Dancing with Cats" has excellent photography, entertaining text and is purrrfectly delightful. I couldn't have found a better gift for my friend. Everyone who comes through her door is shown right to the book. Then chuckles and mimicking abound.



3. When I first saw the cover of this book, I laughed out loud with joy and a sense of wonder about whether this book was for real. Surprisingly, DANCING WITH CATS is not a joke, and is an excellent primer on how to go about having some fun with your cats in a rather unusual way... by dancing with them. Since I don't currently have a cat, I borrowed one to get a feeling for how possible it might be to get a cat to dance. I succeeded in completely astonishing the cat as I began to notice the ways that the cat watched me moving around with movements that showed we were beginning to move together as one. Clearly, some cats enjoy dancing more than others, and this is one activity that may take a while to get fully into the swing of with your feline dancing partners. From the ancient history of cat dancing to modern age tips and techniques, this book provides a wealth of information about a subject most of us know very little about. The photographs are truly stunning, and you just might get some new ideas about what kinds of fun you can have dancing with cats. Highly recommended!



4. This book has appeared in my life several times, always with a mixture of joy and terror. The concept of the book is simple: through engaging one's cat in dance, a certain physical and spiritual equalibrium is achieved. Various people are interviewed and photos are shown of them dancing with their cats. Half of the time, though, it is not clear whether the cat is jumping or has been thrown into the shot by the photographer's assistant. Throughout the book you question yourself if cat dancing is "real"; by the end, it doesn't matter anymore.
   
   Each one of the "cat dancers" is borderline schizophrenic, but the images are so whacky that one can't help from laughing histerically. Some people have actually recruited their children into the cat dancing way, which makes you feel sorry for them. (They will never have a normal existence.) The text that accompanies the images, however, is cause for brief moments of terror: these people actually believe they are making a spiritual connection with air-born cats. One is even concerned about creating too much spiritual energy and collapsing an astral vortex. Regardless, the book is a perfect ice-breaker, a coffee table book for all ages that allows strangers to point and laugh and sigh collectively. To say with a smile: "At least we're not them!"



5. A pristine paperback copy of this extraordinary book. If cats are your thing, then this is a book for your shelf

2 comments about The Mime Book.

1. This book is the one that made me decide that miming is not just an art; it's a way of life.
   
   Many a lonely hour I have spent in my dorm room hoping that someone could understand my need to mime.
   
   But upon reading this book, I realized that I do not need to hide my mimicry. I am a mime and damn proud of it. Once I graduate, I plan to spend most of my free time doing street mime in NYC. I would urge parents to have their children read this book. Perhaps then they too can become like me, a proud mime!



2. A complete book for one wanting to learn the art of mime. Profusely illustrated with student exercises, it starts by isolating individual parts of the body and showing their range of expression. It then combines body parts and actions to build a complete mime vocabulary. All the tools of the mime are explored and explained -- pressure, immobility, contact, manipulation, reaction, walks, climbs, water, and wind. Theory is kept to sidebar boxes, so the student can study them at leisure. The book finishes with chapters on improvisation and the history of mime.

5 comments about Howard Hughes: The Untold Story.

1. I am almost finished reading the book, "Howard Hughes: The Untold Story," and I must say, this book (Howard's life) is certainly a page turner. It is clear that Howard Hughes was a lot of things: Manipulative, Egocentric, Playboy and Eccentric! He was also, after reading most of the book about his life, NEVER BORING. Not for one second. Every moment in his life is so meaty and juicy you would think it was a written Soap Opera, meant to stimulate the viewer at every moment and increase ratings, but it's not. It's just Howard being Howard.
   
   Howard Hughes spent most of his life in close proximity to his mother. The woman, who many believe, smothered and later caused his bizarre behavior in regards to germs and illnesses. She bathed him from head to toe and regularly inspected his body for any signs of infection or sickness. Howard Sr, realizing the dangerous bond between his son and wife, tried to seperate the son and mother pair by sending Howard away to school and camps. Howard didn't put up much of a fight. In fact, even though he was a recluse, he tried his best to fit in at the camp and the school he attended. He told his mom on many occassions, that he looked forward to the new skills he was learning at the camp. His mom, however, eventually pulled him out of the camp after writing many letters and warning Howard of the dangerous germs floating around in the camp. She had believed that scaring Howard in these letters would result in his return home, however, Howard very much wanted to stay. It was his mother who pulled him out eventually.
   
   From Howard Sr., Hughes learned many things which would cause him to be the talk of the town in Hollywood. Howard Sr. made it abundantly clear to his son that everything is for sale. In one case, Howard Sr. paid to enroll his son in a school that only accepted 60 students per year. 60 was the cut off and under no circumstances would the Directors of the school allow that to change. Senior cared less, he payed off all the right people and his son would join the only class to allow 61 students to attend. Howard Sr. didn't just teach Hughes to buy his way through life, Hughes also became a womanizer just like his father. Hughes was very well aware of the fact that his father cheated on his mother regularly and the his mother knew about it. He also knew the heartbreak it caused his mother after reading a letter from his mom to his father, asking that he stop. Hughes never stopped and his wife died in her 30's. Howard Sr. death soon followed.
   
   Howard was devastated. This devastation didn't stop him from fighting for the wealth that belonged to him. He fought family members, headed to court and convinced everyone around him that he was ready to inherit the family company even though he was just a kid. With his new wealth, Howard headed to Hollywood and aimed to become a Top Producer and Avaitor.
   
   Howard spent most of his life in the air, chasing beautiful starlets, creating movies and taking aviation to the next level. He was a daredevil in every aspect of his life.
   
   Too many, Howard seemed to have the world in the palm of his hands. However, Howard struggled with a terrible secret. He had what many didn't understand at the time and something that just wasn't discussed: OCD. His symptoms worsened with age and with the many car and plane crashes he had in his life. Also, one can not discount the amount of stress that poor Howard struggled with on a daily basis. It is clear to me that this stress pushed Howard's symptoms to uncontrollable levels! Also, the book makes clear, that the discovery that the FBI had been following his every move for the past 5 years increased his distrust of others.
   
   I haven't finished the book yet but I can't wait to finish reading about Howard's amazing life. Like I said before, this man is clearly far from boring. I would definetely enjoy living life in his shoes even if I had to deal with OCD. This man did it all and was clearly a genius. God rest his soul and thank you Howard for your many contributions to aviation!



2. After finally watching the Aviator, I wanted to know more about Howard Hughes' life but wasn't sure which book to get since there were so many out there to choose from. The Untold Story turned out to be one of the most moving books I've read. I previously only knew him according to the reputation he had in his final years: bizarre recluse, deranged, weirdo, bilionnaire.
   
   Howard Hughes was an ace pilot. The 200 ton Spruce Goose was his personal triumph. This books brings to light his outlandish reality and his extraordinary and adventurous personal life: the many movies he produced, and his amazing influence on Hollywood censorship, purchasing the most Las Vegas resorts owned by one person, the McCarthy era, even Watergate and the fall of Nixon. It covers the many famous actresses he discovered, his womanizing and dating nearly every leading glamor queen. Jean Harlow, Ava Gardner, Giner Rogers, and Katharine Hepburn all dated this handsome playboy. It explains his passion of aviation, perilous record breaking flights as well as his three plane crashes, and his development of commercial flights (TWA). Howard Hughes was a genius inventor and head of a giant corporation which produced oil drill tools (which he inherited from his father). The book reveals his emotionally incestuous ties to his mother. his addictions, breakdowns and recoveries, disappearing acts such as when he locked himself in a studio room, didn't bathe for months, and watched the same movies 30 times in a row, eating only Hershey bars. His now-famous but then unknown obsessive-compulsive disorder produced full blown food fetishes such as counting chocolate chips in each germ-free cookie and eating his peas with a small rake. Who knows what might have happened, and how history might have changed, if doctors knew about Prozac in those days?
   
   The circumstances of his death remain mysterious and puzzling - to this day, no one is sure about how he died. Like his life, it was covered in a wall of secrecy. A compelling, sympathetic, and well-researched story (nearly 400,000 pages of court documents, 2,000 pages of FBI reports, and 600 interviews were used) about one of the most controversial, intriguing and extraordinary people.



3. After a while I got really tired of all of these starlets stories. I couldn't stop thinking " what a jerk" and how stupid all of these girls, and worse yet, their parents were.



4. I had read an earlier book on Hughes, Empire: The Life, Legend, and Madness of Howard Hughes, and remembered it as a fascinating book. I purchased recently this newer book on Hughes, Howard Hughes: The Untold Story.
   
   It, too, was fascinating in its own National Inquirer kind of way! This particular book dealt more with Hughes' womanizing more than with his business empire. We are treated with endless stories of Hughes' conquest of Hollywood actress beginning in the early 20's up until his final pursuit of women in the late 1950s.
   
   The stories are truly fascinating to read and Brown's and Broeske's writing style certaining kept me engaged. One just has to wonder how one would have acted in Howard's place as he pursued women on a daily basis while in Hollywood. Simply amazing!
   
   The one drawback about this book that I was not anticipating was what made it so interesting: its dedication to his lothario lifestyle. In other words, by the time the story of Jean Peters (his last wife) rolls around, along with his last attempted affair with the starlet Yvonne Shubert, one starts to tire of reading exclusively about his sexual conquests.
   
   I found myself wondering how all of this tied in with his businesses. The authors did throw in just enough about his businesses for it all to make sense, but I don't think there was enough. In other words, this book dealt almost entirely with his sex life than anything else. There were enough tidbits about his paranoia, his germophobia, his Hollywood movie making, and his aviation exploits to keep the book moving.
   
   I recommend this book to read about the personable side of Howard and the book, Empire, to read about the business side of Howard. Both are excellent.



5. I watched Martin Scorsese's "The Aviator" and was immediately interested in learning about the "real" Howard Hughes. This book more than satisfied my curiosity. I wasn't aware of the non-aviation contributions made by Hughes; satellites, seek and destroy missles. All very important to our national security. I had never heard of Hughes' connection to the Watergate scandal until I read this book.
   
   This publication was a page turner about a man that we'll most likely never learn the full truth about. A great read!

5 comments about The Young Duke: The Early Life of John Wayne.

1. What a wonderful and insightful book this is. My husband and I truly enjoyed all the details and great photos. I highly recommend this book to all John Wayne fans, even if you don't know you are one!



2. I ordered this book for my husband who has always liked John Wayne and is particularly interested with the history of such favorites. I was very happy with this purchase and delighted to get it for him for Christmas.



3. The IMDB has it's own inaccuracies. I found the information in this book to be quit accurate and interesting. Because of in depth research that was obviously done, this attention grabbing book gives you details about John Wayne's life that you might not read anywhere else. I suggest that if you are a John Wayne fan, you read the book for yourself.



4. This book was a big, big, and I do mean big disappointment, the inaccuracies are numerous. And what's more is that most of them could have been caught and corrected had they indeed done some research just on IMDB alone. So pass this one by and don't look back.



5. I personally knew Chuck Roberson, John Wayne's stunt double known as the Fall Guy. This became highly informative to me after knowing the background of Chuck, his falling horses and his making of western and other movies with John Wayne.

2 comments about Wait Until Dark.

1. This is a must read, or see play. One of the best depictions of a psycotic killer. Don't pass it up!



2. This was really good. It kept me in suspense

5 comments about Chushingura (The Treasury of Loyal Retainers): A Puppet Play.

1. "Chushingura" is Japan's "Romeo and Juliet". Not literally, of course, as the stories are very different, but in the way that it is a story that every Japanese person knows. Based on an actual incident, the story has been glorified and told and re-told for every generation, and still reverberates in hearts today. It is also, traditionally, a very hard story for Westerners to come to grips with, because the morals on display are not what we would consider to be admirable.
   
   Loyalty is something we can admire, of course, but this is unearned loyalty. The 47 Ronin do not avenge their lord because he was a good man, because he is worthy of their loyalty. They avenge him because he is their Master, and because he was born to be their master. The samurai also did not earn their position, they were born samurai, as an inherited class. Their job, rank and income was all decided the moment they drew their first breath, along with whom they would owe their loyalty to. The very word "samurai" translates as "servant", and without someone to serve they have no purpose. They uphold an inherently unfair system, as shown by their unwillingness to include a merchant in their vendetta, not because his courage is less but because his birth-determined class is lower than theirs.
   
   Donald Keene has performed a minor miracle with his translation of "Chushingura: The Treasury of Loyal Retainers". First off, his introduction deals with the inherent difficulties in the work. Even in Japan, since the inception of the work their has been debate on who are the heroes and who are the villains. A hotheaded lord sacrifices his life, family, home and the lives of the hundreds who depend on him simply because he could not swallow an insult. His personal pride was more important to him than all of these people's lives, all of whom paid his price. Keene shows the various points of view, the commentary given by Japanese authors over the years, and the way the story has been interpreted to support the various viewpoints of society.
   
   On top of that, he has created a thrilling translation, one that can be read as a novel and is hard to put down once started. Think what you may of the moral lesson, the story itself is pure adrenalin, and it is hard not to cheer for the sword-hard loyalty that drives the 47 Ronin. In this translation, there is no dispute as to who the heroes are, even as they sell their wives into prostitution in order to raise funds for the vendetta, or willing slit the throats of their own children in order to prove their earnestness. Keene also provides annotations for some of the more obscure references and translations, especially the references to famous Chinese poems and allegories which are abundant.
   
   I picked up this book thinking it was going to be a study guide for Japan's most famous story, hoping to glean some insight into a tale I have seen dozens of times in different interpretations. I got that, but what I also got was a great book, fun and exciting to read. I wasn't expecting that at all.



2. Chushingura, The Treasury of Loyal Retainers is an action packed story. The main theme of the novel is vengeance, although loyalty, sacrifice, persistence and honor all contribute to the eventual act of vengeance that is carried out at the end of the story. In the beginning of the story the villain, Lord Moronao is shown to be evil and morally repugnant by his actions. This allows the reader to side with the samurai as they plan to avenge the death of their former master by killing Lord Moronao. This book almost has a "Count of Monte Cristo" feel to it. Because such time and preparation is spent planning the event that will avenge their master's death, the story has a strong emotional connection which makes the reader almost feel like he is one of the samurai involved in the plot for vengeance.
   As the thirty seven samurai plot their revenge, several subplots unfold. It is interesting to see how the samurai continue to live their lives even though their plot will undoubtedly end with their deaths. It is amazing that all these men and even their families are so committed to their cause that they would lay down their lives. These men are so firmly dedicated to honoring their dead master that they are willing to loose everything they have in order to carry out their plan.
   Although the book definitely holds your interest it is hard to comprehend the extreme loyalty these men have for their dead master. Lord Hangan is not in the story for long and little is exposed of his character. I think for this story to be comprehendible to a modern audience Hangan needs to be shown as a person worth dying for, not just a simple master whose men are loyal to him. There needs to be an explanation why these men all feel so incredibly strongly for him. Or perhaps Moronao should have wronged more of the samurai so that the vendetta becomes personal in different respects to each man. I guess when reading this story one must take into consideration the era in which the actual story took place and the importance Japanese society placed on the virtues of loyalty, honor, and sacrifice.



3. As another reviewer has noted, this book is impossible to put down. Although I am not a big fan of introductions-before-book, this one by Donald Keene helps a lot (the spoilers are few) and is recommended. Professor Keene's translation style is very limpid and flowing -- one is surprised by the end of Act Eleven when the climactic action sequence is brought to an end.
   
   Fans of Bunraku (puppet theatre) and Kabuki should have this book -- and hopefully the National Theatre in Tokyo might offer either version of the play (one can get in and see Bunraku these days for about 40-50 bucks).
   
   A note of warning: as Prof. Keene points out, this work of literature shows the other side of Japanese art (in contrast to austere restraint, this shows the Japanese love for color and violence) -- but it is not a non-stop action work. Instead, it deals more with the "tests" of loyalty (hence the title) each retainer must show in order to be allowed to participate in the final plan to kill their lord's enemy. In that way, Chushingura is much more about the love the retainers have for their lord than, in my opinion, the hatred and violence they harbor against the enemy. Uma Thurman in samurai garb, they are not...uh...
   
   Fans of Chikamatsu's plays will find this popular work refreshing -- it moves at a much faster pace, with more feints here and there. As a result, it lacks the gravitas of Chikamatsu's works, but it is much more fun. A great book to own and then pass around to friends.



4. I read this book because it was required by a class.
   However, after I started reading it, I can't put it down; it was very good translated, many Japanese names to remember for sure, but the interesting story will keep you going.
   
   I would recommend people who are interested in Japanese samurai
   period to read this book.



5. It is surprising that there is only one readily available (or at least affordable) translation of Chushingura, one of Japan's most famous puppet/kabuki plays, at amazon. We are fortunate then that Donald Keene's translation is that particular one, for it is a vivid, elegant work, serving as both an entertaining read and historical document.

   After Tokugawa became Shogun in 1601, Japan entered a long period of regimented peace. The Samurai warrior-class were forced to adapt therein, trading their swords for the pen, and many of the classic traditions fell into stagnation. The old ways were taught, but seldom practiced: to excel in Tokugawa's bureaucracy, skill with the tongue was more important than skill with the sword...at least in the long run.

   But occasionally the Samurai spirit rebelled. In 1703, forty-six former retainers of the late lord Naganori burst into the grounds of lord Yoshinaka, the man indirectly responsible for the death of their master; they killed Yoshinaka and then marched to a nearby Buddhist temple to offer the severed head to their master's grave. Even though they knew it would mean death by ritual seppuku (disembowelment), the ronin fulfilled their pledge to their master regardless, thus gaining `face' through the performance of duty.

   Chushingura, a fictionalized account of this famous vendetta, emphasizes these aspects of honor and loyalty: the forty-six ronin are determined to see their course through to its end, regardless of cost. And the cost is, in places, quite high. Some have their wives sold to prostitution so that they can finance their revenge operation. Others deny their wedding promises, knowing death rests upon their shoulders. One ronin engages in all sorts of debauchery, destroying his reputation and staining his family name, so that suspicion is allied and he can plot in peace. Sacrifice for honor is prevalent throughout the play, and from it one can glean all of the qualities the Japanese revere most in their national character and heritage.

   Though Keen's translation a joy to read, there are some essential elements missing from this slender volume, thus my rating of four stars. Specifically, a discourse on the music used during the play performance (so key, apparently, in influencing the audience mood), is missing, with a paltry excuse given; and a chart of names would have been very helpful in establishing the relationships between characters. Still, this is a great buy for anyone interested in Japanese history and culture.

No comments about Being Watched: Yvonne Rainer and the 1960s (October Books).

5 comments about Jazz Composition: Theory and Practice.

1. This book is an excellent guide for the beginning to intermediate jazz composer. This book assumes some basic knowledge of jazz style and notation. The resorces are are excellent for jazz harmonization and melodic composition both tonal and modal. This book does not, however, go into much depth in regards to part writing for an ensemble. I think this book is good preparation for Sammy Nestico's "The Complete Arranger" book.



2. This is a great book for those who know a respectable amount of jazz theory and want to understand the practice and art of jazz composition. Throughout the book, you are given exercises and opportunities to write your own pieces and comes with a CD. Although this book teaches you modal harmony, chromatic harmony, blues writing, ect., there is no substitute for a jazz composition professional teacher who would be valuable to check your work and offer criticism and suggestions.
   
   Writing pieces on your own is basically made easier in terms of form and structure.



3. It starts with melody, and what is cool has exercises throughout, so you can really learn on the way... if you are interesting with jazz theory, I suggest this book, and also "modern jazz voicings" compliments it very well.



4. This excellent book realy help me to teach modern jazz theory and composition on Jezek Conservatory Prague.I recommend this book to all my students.



5. This is a great book. My daughter found it very easy to read.

No comments about The Theatre Experience.

4 comments about The Right to Speak: Working with the Voice.

1. Unfortunately, some of the reviews here don't do this book fair justice. Patsy Rodenburg is quite easily one of the most inspiring and brilliant teachers alive today. Her writing is concise, powerful, accessible, and practical, amongst many other things. Don't know what the "psycho-babble" review was all about, but Patsy simply teaches how to find the individual habitual tensions that we all carry day to day and how to release them so one can be the most powerful communicator possible. She lays out a perfect system for how to find the tensions and how to release them. This book is the most accessible to all people, no matter the career, and shouldn't be passed up. The book affords infinite insight, benefits, and training toward the extraordinary vocal power that everyone has at their disposal. Patsy is a brilliant teacher, in person she is a million times more amazing than her books will ever show, but her written works are certainly a fabulous place to start.



2. A lot of gobbledy gook. Sounds like the author wants to be a therapist. 3/4 of the book is psycho babble. Exercises are not helpful. A waste of money.



3. I was looking for a book which would give me several practical exercises to help improve the quality of my voice. I found the book poorly organized and the exercises do not come until 3/4 of the way through the book. It is not that clear which exercises to start with and the exercises refer back to philisophical points made in the first 180 pages. I did not want to have to wade through pages and pages of discussion about the voice and simply wanted a "how to."

   This book is good if you are very interested in the subject of voice training and want to spend a lot of time thinking and reading about the voice. The exercises make up only one chapter, and there are not diagrams, or pictures for learners who are more visually oriented.




4. I have been working in the field of voice training for nearly 4 years now. This book remains a constant companion of mine which I have read and re-read. I strongly recommend it to anyone who is interested in developing their own vocal freedom.

   Once you have read The Right To Speak you will find it very difficult to ever listen to or view speech in quite the same light again.

   If you know anyone who still believes that the only way to speak is to "speak properly", you need to buy them a copy of this book right away. The myth of the correct voice is truly exploded by Rodenburg as she "unpacks the box" in this book.

   Read this book and discover both your expressive voice and your expressive self.