Amazon.com
If you don't believe us when we say that Stephen Rebello's Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho is a killer book concerning the killer movie of all time, then why don't you listen to Tony Perkins, the star? Perkins called this scholarly yet super-readable volume "marvelously researched and irresistible ... required reading not only for Psycho-philes, but also for anyone interested in the backstage world of movie creation." And Time critic Richard Schickel (biographer of Clint Eastwood) calls Rebello's book "one of the best accounts of the making of an individual movie we've ever had."
It's even more reliable than Francois Truffaut's magisterial interview book Hitchcock, because Rebello interviewed the fat master himself, plus many Psycho insiders less cagey and truth-dodging than he.
At last, thanks to Rebello, we know all about the celebrated shower murder scene and all that swirls around it. Like Ernst Lubitsch, who conveyed the thrill of adultery by having the lovers open a door and cast their shadows on a bed, Hitchcock knew that, in film, artful discretion can be the most shocking effect of all. --Tim Appelo
Book Description
Stephen Rebello's groundbreaking book offers the complete inside story on the making of Alfred Hitchcock's original Psycho, now seen as the forerunner of all modern horror thrillers. Rebello takes us behind the scenes for every step in the creation of this cinematic masterpiece-from the story's original inspiration to the controversy surrounding the creation of the famous shower scene. Drawing on new in-depth interviews as well as Hitchcock's private files, Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho is an eye-opening portrait of the artist at work.
Customer Reviews:
Started A Trend.......2005-09-08
This book's meticulous scholarship started a welcome trend for "shot-by-shot" analysis of moviemaking.
Psycho is known for many things, but among them is Hitchcock's determination to use techniques he learned from television production. For a creator and adherent of "pure cinema," this special discipline makes the movie all the more notable.
What a series of paradoxes. The famous shower sequence is cited over and over again as one of the best uses of cutting and montage, and yet classic 50s "two-camera" TV shows would never dream of this approach. Too expensive and time consuming.
The usage of black and white - again classic 50s TV - actually enhances rather than diminishes the horror. As with old-time radio, the viewer has to fill in the lurid colors of blood and gore with her own imagination.
The cover says that this film started a trend toward "psycho thrillers." I suppose that this is true, but it accomplished much, much more than is acknowledged by the mediocre films that followed.
Never bettered.......2003-12-07
What an intelligent, readable, informative book this is. Full of insights about the personalities of Hitchcock, Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, and all the other collaborators in this important and usual film project for everyone concerned. What struck me most about the book is the author's ability to blend his thorough research with a sense of the psychology and drama of what goes into making a movie. I'd have to agree with the reviewer who said that Rebello made reading this book nearly as entertaining as the movie itself. That's quite a feat. What I want to know is when will Mr. Rebello give the royal treatment to other Hitchcock projects as well as films by other directors.
Almost Perfect But... Time For A Companion Volume?.......2002-07-20
For the true fanatic, or just the curious, this is an immensely
readable account. Far, far more interesting and enlightening then
any of the turgid, pompous academic treatises on Hitchcock that
pollute bookshelves everywhere. As definitive a reconstruction
of how PSYCHO - or any movie, with a few exceptions - was put
together. However, I suggest Mr. Rebello is overdue for either
an update
(though this reprint's front and back cover is definitely an improvement over the original),
or a companion volume.
For the completists, I suggest:
1. More production and cast stills.
2. Saul Bass's storyboards.
3. Interviews and/or photos of Marli Renfro, the actresses
who provided the voice for Mrs. Bates, the diminutive woman
who stabbed Arbogast. Other cast interviews.
4. Documentation on PSYCHO's aborted CBS broadcast of 09/66
and its subsequent showing in 06/67 on ABC - the edits,
and when it was finally shown complete.
5. Information on the sequels, and Van Sant's "recreation".
6. Full descriptions of deleted scenes from the original.
7. Some of the less inflated analysis on its symbolism, etc.
8. Most importantly: a cue by cue evaluation of Bernard Herrmann's magnificent score, including its unused parts.
Ok, Mr. Rebello, make it happen.
Until then, anyone who is at all fascinated with how an American
cultural landmark came together, (Yeah, I know, like Hitchcock used to say, "Oh,it's only a movie!")
GET THIS BOOK!
Everything you ever needed to know about Psycho is in here -.......2002-07-10
This book is about as in-depth as you could want, but very interesting and good reading. Stephen Rebello begins at the beginning with a rather revolting chapter about the psychotic killer upon which Norman was later loosely based. (Don't let your children get a hold of that chapter!) He then talks about the man who wrote the book "Psycho", and on to Hitchcock's discovery of the book and the making of the movie. There are chapters and sections on practically every aspect of the movie and the making thereof - cast, costumes, shooting, casaba melons, publicity, and the aftermath. At the end there is also a list of the entire cast and little paragraphs about what became of them after Psycho.
This book is very good if you are a fan of either Psycho or Hitchcock in general, because in telling about Psycho the author tells a lot about Hitchcock as well.
As Good As It Gets.......2002-06-08
I found this book to be just wonderful from start to finish. The research is painstaking, the writing smart and lively, the degree of film industry know-how is evident on every page. In fact, the book strikes me as one of the few I've read on Hollywood to suggest that the writer actually knows his way around movie sets and knows how films get made. This book has none of the absurd (and insulting) armchair psychologizing that mars other Hitchcock books and there isn't a dry or pedantic paragraph in it from start to finish. I thought I knew a lot about Hitchcock and Psycho until I read this book. A job obviously undertaken with love and wisdom, superlatively done by Mr. Rebello. I had the pleasure of hearing the author lecture on Hitchcock on TV in London and in Tokyo and he was the standout of the whole affair!
Product Description
Eight songs: Heart * Whatever Lola Wants (Lola Gets) * Two Lost Souls * Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo. * Goodbye, Old Girl * Near to You * Those Were the Good old Days * Who's Got the Pain ? Also includes a story synopsis. ?
Customer Reviews:
Lola.......2000-01-05
Genuinely good, and full of usefull and clear informatio
Customer Reviews:
Excellent for what it was intended to be.......2007-08-12
This book was a great reference, gathering together in one volume information that could be used to craft the religous structure for many different campaigns, by including fictional, mythological, and "real" gods and heroes in one book. Also included in the volume was then-new information about the planes of existence, planar travel, and other-planar creatures.
Those who complain about this book probably haven't read it. If they had, they would have seen in the intro that the authors did not intend this to be a book of adversaries (although they wrote up the avatar's stats for them if needed), but instead to be a quick reference for these different pantheons, some of which cannot be found in the reference section of the library (when did you last see a scholarly work on Lolth, Blibdoolpoolp, or Vaprak the Destroyer?). They also mention that if a particular mythos captures your interest, you should journey to your local library to research it. In other words, this is a game supplement, not a religious text.
Personally, I used this book a lot when I was running games back in the glory days of AD&D. I loved creating settings using the Norse or Celtic mythoi, and having the quick reference along with information about the avatars of the gods (important when dealing with gods with a "hands-on" approach such as the Norse) was at times quite useful. Also, it gave a starting point for research that would have otherwise taken longer, giving the names and general spheres of influence of a number of gods and goddesses that I was not then familiar with.
Yes, the use of still-used mythoi could be seen in this PC age as incorrect, but the only difference between a religion and a myth cycle is whether or not people still believe in it. To the Norse, their religion was all-encompassing, yet nobody complains these days about the comic book character The Mighty Thor. And look at the abuse the Greek mythos has taken in popular media, yet the Greeks manage to take it all in stride. Lighten up, people.
The description of the product doesn't say, so I am assuming what they are selling here is a second-edition or later book. The difference is that the first edition contained the Cthulhu and Melnibonean mythoi, based on the works of Lovecraft and Moorcock, respectively. The problem was, Chaosium (a rival games maker) already had the rights to those works, and TSR violated those rights when they printed their book. The material in question was removed for later printings, making the first edition an instant collector's item.
Technical info.......2007-07-22
I would like to start by saying, ANYONE WHO THINKS THIS BOOK WAS INTENDED AS A RELIGIOUS TEXT NEEDS SERIOUS HELP. Sorry for shouting, but this book was published for a GAME and is intended for entertainment only. It makes no claims to accuracy or relevance.
Now, there is a distinction that needs to be made when referring to these books, and it is mainly one of edition. The first and second editions contained 17 mythos and had 144 pages. All later editions had 15 mythos and 128 pages. The reasons are copyright issues. You can find out more by going to http://www.acaeum.com/ddindexes/setpages/deities.html
The editions with 17 mythos and 144 pages are rare and highly sought after, while later editions are more common and less of a collector's item. Also, the editions with the title 'Legends and Lore' have different cover art, but contain the same information as previous editions.
This review was written by someone who knows what Avatars are for.......2006-12-01
Reading through the one- and two-star reviews for this product, I find that a lot of people don't seem to understand how the AD&D system incorporates avatars. These people should have their reviews discarded.
I must confess, first off, that I have not as yet read Deities and Demigods. I've ordered it, however, and expect it to arrive in the next day or so. I was lead to purchase it because the Planescape campaign supplement "On Hallowed Ground" referenced the Finnish, Sumerian and Babylonian pantheons, and those gods and characters originally appeared in Deities and Demigods and NO PLACE ELSE. I already own and use other books similar to Deities and Demigods -- including Legends and Lore, Monster Mythology, and the Forgotten Realms campaign setting's "Faiths and Avatars" series of books.
I own and use these books because I know why they include avatar statistics. The few reviewers who gave this book unflattering star-ratings, however, clearly do not understand this concept. And therefore, this book is not for them and they likely wasted their money aquiring it.
If you understand that sometimes the AD&D game requires stat blocks for the creatures and characters that appear in it, and if you also understand that a deity's avatar is NOT the deity itself (but rather an incarnation that probably requires game stats), then you should probably pick up a copy of this book.
Not necessary, but still good to have.......2003-05-01
While this book doesn't serve much purpose in most campaigns, it's still a good book to get. The reason I say it doesn't serve much purpose is because most campaigns don't use our world's mythology as a basis for the gods.
On the other hand, it's a good book, because it let's a DM see exactly how he/she should write up gods he/she creates. It also is a good referance for learning who the gods are throughout mythology.
This is a good book.......2003-03-03
While some might insist that it is somewhat insulting to faiths of the world, one should look at it not for the statistics that it gives, but what the D&D world/campaign was trying to do. The people at TSR, when they were fun and enjoyable under the guidance of Gary Gygax one of the best writers in the world of gaming...wanted...IMO...to show what deities were like in this world and how they might interact with the fantasy world of gaming, giving examples of how war gods, love goddesses, and those like can mean for the player characters. THIS IS NOT suppose to be a tell all on all the cultures and religions of the world. Hardly. If you want that, I would suggest you read the works of Joseph Campbell. If you want to look for something real quick to see how it might fit in to your campaign, this is for you. I love it myself.
Amazon.com
Once again using an astutely written fictional tale to unambiguously but painlessly deliver some hard truths about critical business procedures, Patrick Lencioni targets group behavior in the final entry of his trilogy of corporate fables. And like those preceding it, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is an entertaining, quick read filled with useful information that will prove easy to digest and implement. This time, Lencioni weaves his lessons around the story of a troubled Silicon Valley firm and its unexpected choice for a new CEO: an old-school manager who had retired from a traditional manufacturing company two years earlier at age 55. Showing exactly how existing personnel failed to function as a unit, and precisely how the new boss worked to reestablish that essential conduct, the book's first part colorfully illustrates the ways that teamwork can elude even the most dedicated individuals--and be restored by an insightful leader. A second part offers details on Lencioni's "five dysfunctions" (absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results), along with a questionnaire for readers to use in evaluating their own teams and specifics to help them understand and overcome these common shortcomings. Like the author's previous books, The Five Temptations of a CEO and Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, this is highly recommended. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencioni once again offers a leadership fable that is as enthralling and instructive as his first two best-selling books, The Five Temptations of a CEO and The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive. This time, he turns his keen intellect and storytelling power to the fascinating, complex world of teams.
Kathryn Petersen, Decision Tech's CEO, faces the ultimate leadership crisis: Uniting a team in such disarray that it threatens to bring down the entire company. Will she succeed? Will she be fired? Will the company fail? Lencioni's utterly gripping tale serves as a timeless reminder that leadership requires as much courage as it does insight.
Throughout the story, Lencioni reveals the five dysfunctions which go to the very heart of why teams even the best ones-often struggle. He outlines a powerful model and actionable steps that can be used to overcome these common hurdles and build a cohesive, effective team. Just as with his other books, Lencioni has written a compelling fable with a powerful yet deceptively simple message for all those who strive to be exceptional team leaders.
Customer Reviews:
Definition of Team ?.......2007-10-02
"Relieved, Kathryn was more than happy to give Mikey everything she asked for. But she knew better than to say so right there. "I'm not sure about all of that, but I will see if I can make it happen."
I am not so naive that I think lies and manipulation doesn't happen from management to employees. I am surprised when it is from the hero in the model who touts team trust and commitment, then lies and pretends that she will work hard and go to bat for the employee being asked to leave. People who are honest when it works for them and not honest when that works for them aren't trustworthy. I lost respect for Kathryn right there on page 159.
How about: "Yes, I'm sure we can." Or "Let me give that to HR and have them get in touch with you" or "I will get back to you on the severance agreement." Those are truthful and authentic, not pretending that you are going to pull strings or go the extra mile when it's not true and you're actually relieved with what little the employee asked for. Does the end justify the means?
Sports Teams are about performance and not personalities that get along with everyone else on the team. Does every man on a professional football team get along with every other male on the team? If the team member they all dislike for whatever reason they dislike him, continually catches the football and scores... the team keeps him.
I do not see the conversations that happened between the CEO and an executive in The Five Dysfunctions (TFD) occurring in professional basketball. Can you see the coach telling Michael Jordan, you are excellent in your chosen field, but the other team members complain about your attitude and you did call one of them an S.O.B, so we're going to dismiss you from the team. In TFD their personality and attitudes, not their performance was the issue for dismissal.
There are several instances where the writer sets the stage for some dramatic event. They never happen. The chapters involving the CEO Kathryn and the executive Mikey are anti-climatic.
The storyteller tries to build Mikey up with sentences like: "But Mikey was cleverer than the average executive." (Really, that's the sentence.) The story goes on to explain that the CEO thought Mikey was coming to terms with the dismissal.... and ends the chapter with "But she was wrong."
I was waiting for something "dramatic" to happen, here it is:
Mikey then says her husband is an attorney and it won't be easy to make a case for termination. The CEO explains then your behavior would have to change, because you don't like to be criticized, don't apologize, roll your eyes and called a team member an SOB. Mikey was "stunned" and "Confronted with stark evidence, she realized the weight of her dilemma." She resigns and leaves before any co-worker could see her.
Yea, that's cleverer. Stark evidence of what? Not having "artificial harmony?" (One of the five dysfunctions)
I think it would help if any book written on Team Building would begin by defining what the author means by the word "Team." Not just reference Sports Teams as an analogy.(This book references a basketball team) Even though you can pull examples of great coaching or instances from sports teams, the rules are different in sports teams and work teams. If the team concepts work so well, why don't all sports teams do well in their competitions? Maybe,it has more to do with the coaching (leaders, management) than the "team."
I understand this was to be a simple story to illustrate the Five Functions of a workgroup or team. I agree the five functions are valuable and foster a place of safety and creativity. Although is it really a revelation that any team would be a better team if they operated with the five functions than a team that didn't?
Education View.......2007-09-30
I bought this book because it is required for a graduate level education class that I am enrolled in. Although the story is set in the business world, the strategies suggested are also applicable to the educational setting as well.
This is a quick and easy read. I like that it is not preachy...it just tells a story and allows the reader to take what he/she needs to take from it.
Can't Say Enough!.......2007-09-29
This is an easy read -- but the concepts are powerful.
I took a highly disfunctional group of talented people -- and using the concepts presented, now have a high performance team.
Ok, it took several years -- and some effort -- but this book gave us a roadmap.
Go to their website -- and use the on-line Team assessment to measure you're progress.
Seriously, this book really helped us -- and we are really doing great! No lie...
Engaging Story, Powerfully Simple Ideas.......2007-09-11
Patrick Lencioni's book The Five Disfunctions of a Team is a simple read with powerful ideas for how we need to evaluate and reshape teams. I like his use of fables in business literature to give you a good story backed by common-sense organizational development advice that isn't so common-sense.
Read it!
The importance of doing the hard work of building a team.......2007-08-16
This is the first book by Patrick Lencioni that I have read and I found it to be engaging, insightful and practical. It is the ultimate in teaching by telling a story. Because I've seen situations where teambuilding took a back seat to being busy, the book reinforces the notion that to produce good teams you have to spend lots of time and effort to develop teams, but it is worth the effort. There is no quick fix to developing trust, confidence, and focus by a group of co-workers. I would highly recommend this book for those who lead teams.
Book Description
An elegant, attractively priced box set of the bestselling leadership fables
This set brings together all three of Patrick Lencioni's successful leadership fables: The Five Temptations of a CEO, The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Each book combines an engaging fictional story with insightful analysis to address some of the major obstacles facing leaders today. All three of the stories are aimed at helping readers build healthy organizations, focusing on results, not politics. While these tales are set in the business world, Lencioni's wisdom and practical advice will appeal to general readers and benefit leaders in any field. The classic and consistent design of the trilogy make this a perfect gift set.
Patrick M. Lencioni (Emeryville, CA) is President of The Table Group, a management consulting firm specializing in executive team development and organizational effectiveness. As a consultant and executive coach, he has worked with hundreds of senior executives in organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies and high tech start-ups to universities and nonprofits. Some of his clients include Novell, AT&T, Visa, and The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. He has worked internationally in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Canada, and Mexico.
Book Description
Después de dos semanas en su nuevo empleo como Directora General de DecisionTech, Kathryn Petersen sintió enormes dudas sobre su decisión de aceptar ese trabajo. Sin embargo, Kathryn sabía que había pocas posibilidades de que renunciara... , nada la excitaba tanto como un desafío. Pero lo que no pudo imaginar fue que se econtraría con un equipo totalmente disfuncional, y que sus miembros llegarían a ponerla a prueba como nadie hasta entonces lo había hecho. ¿ Tendrá éxito o acabará perdiendo su empleo?
En Las cinco disfunciones de un equipo, Patrick Lencioni concentra su aguda inteligencia y su habilidad para contar historias en el mundo complejo y fascinante de los equipos de trabajo.
En el curso de la narración, Lencioni nos revela los cinco problemas que impiden que incluso los equipos más brillantes funcionen. Y propone un inteligente modelo y unos pasos prácticos para superar esos obstáculos y construir un equipo cohesionado y eficaz.
Lencioni ha escrito un relato muy ameno y atractivo que contiene un mensaje aparentemente sencillo pero de gran alcance, dirigido a todos los que quieran liderar un equipo.
Books:
- An Unauthorized Guide to Godzilla Collectibles (Schiffer Book for Collectors)
- Batman Begins: The Official Movie Guide
- Bazin at Work: Major Essays and Reviews From the Forties and Fifties
- Best in Show: The Films of Christopher Guest and Company
- Bruce Lee: The Celebrated Life of the Golden Dragon (The Bruce Lee Library)
- CGI Filmmaking: The Creation of Ghost Warrior
- Cocktails In Tahiti
- Conversations with Brando
- Conversations with Wilder
- Costuming For Film: The Art And The Craft
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Practical Business Ethics
- Decorating Idea Book
- Trauma Cinema: Documenting Incest and the Holocaust
- Welcome to the Fallen Paradise
- Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News
- Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results
- Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener : A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically
- 2004 Original Pronouncements: Accounting Standards Original Pronouncements
- Thoughts of Chairman Buffett: Thirty Years of Unconventional Wisdom from the Sage of Omaha
- After Hell Hit Paradise
Biographies
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
| Actors & Actresses
| Directors
Vertigo: The Making of a Hitchcock Classic
A Long Hard Look at Psycho (BFI Film Classics)
Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho: A Casebook (Casebooks in Criticism)
The Birds (BFI Film Classics)
Hitchcock on Hitchcock: Selected Writings and Interviews
