Review by Temperance Goody
They just won’t go away, will they? We move on, our lives are crowded
with
all their current replacements, but we can’t get them out of our minds,
and
in many cases, our hearts.
They are the old movie stars, the ones who peopled the old silver screen,
the glittering stars we stared up at hour after endlessly happy hour in
the
double features, cartoons and news included, watching their passions and
joys,
sorrows, horrors and problems.
We’re lucky. Really lucky. Author Tommy Garrett has put together a
remarkable book (we hope the first of many) where he chronicles the lives
of so many
of “those who went before” and we cannot stop reading. The old
stars, some
of whom are still with us, are talked about in an easy breezy way by Mr.
Garrett and we find ourselves engaged in a conversation with him about
these
people he loves and respects. After all, Tommy knows and knew many of
them,
and he treats them all fairly and with a clean honesty. This is not
sleazy
tabloid stuff; this is a solid history book, the history of American
film,
films that greatly influenced America (and the world) from the 1920s on
up.
Tommy Garrett shows us that the hard, hard work put forth by these
neophyte
actors , most straight out of vaudeville or off any stage anywhere gave
today’s
actors and actresses the huge salaries, great working conditions, rights,
privileges and the very good lives they live and enjoy today. They owe it
all to
the blood sweat and tears of the great actors and actresses of the good
old
days.
Mr. Garrett’s book grabs, even before the biographies begin. His
teasing
introductions give the reader much information, but not enough to keep us
from
devouring the pages. The remarks sent over by his Australian “boss”
TV and
Radio personality Ernie Sigley (Tommy is his favorite star) tell us that
Tommy’s weekly appearances on his radio show are Australia’s most
wanted.
Mr. Garrett’s most moving tribute to our women and men in Afghanistan
and
Iraq at the start of this book is genuinely heartfelt, words written by a
very
learned man, a man who cares about these people in our military.
Now lest you think this book of Mr. Garrett’s is written only about
filmdom’
s dearly departed, you’d be wrong. His tributes to the very living
Constance
Towers Gavin, Debbie Reynolds, Ann Blyth, Lena Horne, Ruta Lee, Tab
Hunter,
Doris Day amongst many others, are lively, funny and most au courant.
Perhaps one of the finest things about this remarkable book is the fact
that
while Mr. Garrett really dishes the dirt, it’s never “dirt” in the
negative, painful sense. Mr. Garrett is not on any big vendetta quest
out to hurt or
embarrass anyone. He tells it the way it is; he has wonderful stories
about
these stars, many of which he himself were a part of. He gently removes
these people from the firmaments and makes them human --- perhaps a bit
different from the rest of us, but very human nonetheless.
The photos, most of which are his, signed over to him with love, are
scattered about the short, sharp biographies in interesting non-patterns,
holding
the reader’s attention, satisfying our need to stare at length at
those
astonishing faces and figures.
No great clumps of photos stuck in the
middle of
this book; no, they appear suddenly and surprisingly all through the
texts
making us know these people around which so many of our film memories
whirl;
Kate Hepburn, Bob Hope, Henry Fonda, Boris Karloff, John Wayne, and these
only
scratch the surface.
Fear not readers. If you do not see your favorite stars of yesteryear
(or
even your current favorites,) just wait a while. Tommy Garrett has
plans for
many more books, all filled with fascinating tales of these glittering
people, all filled with their beautiful photos. Imagine! You will love
reading
this first book and all the while you’re doing that, you’ll be
yearning for
all the next ones. Mr. Tommy Lightfoot Garrett will not disappoint. Keep
reading! And reading!
This may be the funniest fiction book I've ever read. Most books, unless they're
joke books, or non-fiction written by comedians, are not that funny. This one is.
It's also got an intriguing story. I couldn't put it down and finished it in two
days, which is really rare for me. It just reads so easily, and you want to keep
reading it to see what happens. Because it's so funny, you really don't even
want it to end, but sadly, it does...
The main type of humor is sarcasm, which I love. If you don't like this type of
humor, or you don't like four-letter words or sexual jokes, you won't like this.
It starts out really shockingly bawdy, but it is just so funny that it doesn't
matter. All of the characters are silly and fun, even the murderers. I would say
on one hand that it has some pretty awful stereotypes of African-Americans, but
really, it has those about EVERYONE, so it's all fair game.
The book is about a producer of a reality show (that sounds an awful lot like
"The Apprentice"). The producer really doesn't want to be working at this job
because he used to be an investigative journalist. He had a bad split with his
wife and did some destructive things to her and her new husband, so he lost all
of his journalistic credibility, so that's why he had to take the job at the
reality show. This book really skewers Hollywood and the people who work in it,
among many other things. It's just hilarious, and I'm sorry, but there are only so many ways I
can say that. You may recognize other real-life shows and people that are
fictionalized here as well. As a TV fan, I loved it, even though I hate reality
shows.
I am definitely going to have to check out more works by this author in the
future...you know how when you read a book, and just the way the author writes, his
or her turn of phrase, is enough for you to enjoy the book (never mind the plot,
characters etc.)? This is how it was with this book. Every sentence is just damn
funny.
The book is filled with current pop culture references, though, so hurry and buy
it now before you forget about all of these people and things, or it will be
dated. It's not a book with a big shelf life, unfortunately - just for that reason.
Besides the language and sex, anyone who does not follow entertainment news
would probably have a hard time getting a lot of those references (such as
anyone over 60). That's the worst thing I can say about it, though.
It is something any soap opera fan might find humorous. It makes many
comparisons between real life and what goes on in soap operas. You might not
understand all the references and jokes if you don't watch soaps.
It would make a good gift for a TV fan. It is written by Gerry Waggett, who has
written many soap books and also written for the magazine "Soap Opera Weekly".
I will be gladly sticking this on my shelf next to my other soap opera books!
This is a great crime-police detective book. It is well-written and the
characters are interesting. What is unique about this story is how the
author shows both the cop's point of view and that of the boy he
arrested, as well. Both want to find the "real killer" eventually, but
how they get there is very interesting. The cop suddenly learns he has a
physical problem that may affect his future, which sends him into a
personal and professional tailspin. The boy is let out of jail after ten
years and has to make his way alone in a harsh world, with only his
lawyer to help him. You will not wnat to put it down once you start!
Jim Belushi is a national celebrity who has starred in numerous movies as
well as the current hit TV show airing on ABC, According to Jim. His
"guy's guy" take on things led to a huge following among both men and
women who can't get enough of Jim and his irrepressible take on life. Now
he's sharing his unique perspective with a funny new book about dating,
marriage, and sex that is sure to hit home with every red-blooded American
male and the women who love them. Any guy will relate to Belushi's self-discovered advice from the school of
hard knocks. In character with his TV show, Belushi has strong opinions on
how real men should act, and he relates his ideas with the trademark
irreverent humor that has made him famous. Topics covered in Belushi's
book include:
-How to Be a Man
-How to Get a Phone Number
-Boot Camp for Men
-Sex and the Single Man Over 18
-and many more!
Bob Newhart is one of the funniest
comedians of the 20th, and perhaps the 21st century. Even if
you're only familiar with is work on "Newhart" in the 80's, you know
that he is hilarious. Remember how funny his bit was on the
Emmys in 2006? He has a long career of movies and TV shows, as
well as records. His book is very funny and uses the same deadpan
style that he is famous for. Even the introduction is funny,
so don't miss it!! Every TV fan should own this book.
Anyone who loves to laugh should read it!
This is not only a great read for any TV fan, it's also a fun
resource to have. It talks about the many sitcoms that came from
Paramount TV in the 70's and early 80's, such as Happy Days, Taxi and
Cheers (plus many others), how they developed, how they did in the
ratings, etc and puts it all in historical perspective for the world and
network TV. It was hard to put down and I find the writing style
very easy to read.
Most cookbooks are divided up into sections by course, such as
appetizer, main course, etc. This one is divided up by each character,
so it can be a little confusing at first. However, if you are a fan of
the show, you may prefer it this way. The cookbook has a lot of
interesting recipes, some of which I plan to try, but truthfully it's
probably most useful as a collector's item for any Desperate Housewives
fan. The fact that it has useful recipes is just a happy extra function.
The writing that describes the characters and their recipes is cute and
fun to read. It is sure to please any fan this Christmas and make an
amusing coffee table book as well.
Italy and its wonderful flavors have always had a major influence on Jamie
Oliver's food and cooking. In JAMIE'S ITALY, he travels this famously
gastronomic country paying homage to the classic dishes of each region and
searching for new ideas to bring home. The result is a sensational
collection of Italian recipes, old and new, that will ensure that Italy's
influence reaches us all.
Italy has inspired Jamie Oliver throughout his career. His ambition has always
been to travel across the country on a quest to capture the very essence of
Italian cooking -- and to produce the best and simplest Italian cookbook for
everybody anywhere to enjoy.
JAMIE'S ITALY is the result of that journey. As well as providing more than 120
brand-new recipes for everything from risotto to roasts and spaghetti to stews,
structured as traditional trattoria menus, Jamie takes you all over Italy to
cook with and learn from the real masters of Italian cuisine: the locals.
JAMIE'S ITALY is a cookbook by the people for the people. From Sicily to
Tuscany, it's about the local fishermen, family bakers, and, of course, the
"Mamas," sharing their recipes and the tips
that have gone into their cooking for generations. But it's not only
mouthwatering food that Jamie brings back home: it's also the spirit that makes
cooking and eating absolutely central to family life, whichever part of Italy
you're in.
Bursting with the warmth and hospitality of real family life, this is both a
superbly accessible cookbook and a unique travelogue and diary. If you love
quality food prepared with genuine passion --- you'll never want to leave
Jamie's Italy.
"His books make me want to shop, cook, and sit down to eat." ---Andrew Scalvani,
New York Times
More details can be found online:
About The Book:
http://www.hyperionbooks.com/titlepage.asp?ISBN=1401301959
Our review:
This is the type of cookbook that might be fun to read, but it's not so
practical for cooking.
For one thing, unless you live in someplace like New York or San Francisco (or
Italy), you will have a hard time finding many of the ingredients.
For another thing, the printing is difficult to see, particularly while cooking.
It is somewhat small print, and both the words and the backgrounds are in
different colors, which make it hard to read. Also, some of the pages on my copy
were not stuck in the book--they were loose....so watch that binding.
Personally,
I prefer cookbooks that easily lay flat on the counter, which this one doesn't.
As a read, it is more engrossing. Jamie Oliver takes you to various places in
Italy and describes it and the food well. If you are a foodie, then you will
probably enjoy sitting down to read the book. It just may not be so easy to cook
the recipes!
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I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This!: And Other Things That Strike Me as
Funny by Bob Newhart
The Desperate Housewives Cookbook: Juicy Dishes and Saucy Bits
