Book Description
When Barbra Streisand sends Dick Gephardt a personal fax, it makes headline news. When international relations expert Sean Penn leads his own "tour of peace" in Baghdad, every news desk across the country reports it. It's no secret that Hollywood has a leftward tilt when it comes to politics. But what the celebrity-fawning media fail to show is how Hollywood's liberal bias affects actors, movies, and even public policy.
In
Tales from the Left Coast, author and political commentator James Hirsen digs deep into the liberal underbelly of Hollywood to reveal how biased politics have corrupted the entire entertainment industry. Through extensive research and scores of interviews, Hirsen uncovers some of the most ridiculous, infuriating, and damning political stunts pulled by celebrities of yesterday and today, and he traces the tangled web of influence the Hollywood elite have over politicians in Washington, D.C.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Welcome to Tinseltown!.......2005-08-14
Hollywood. The home of swimming pools and movie stars, of silicone and botox, of power lunches and big money deals. It's a warm, sunny place inhabited by the nicest people you would ever want to meet. Everybody is a friend in Tinseltown, always willing to lend a helping hand to his or her fellow man (or woman) with no expectation of a favor in return. I get the warm and fuzzies just thinking about how wonderful life must be in Southern California, how much better a place like Los Angeles is than boring old Nebraska, Wyoming, Minnesota, or virtually any other lame place in the country. Heck, the people who live in Hollywood, the people we see on television every day in movies and television shows, are obviously a cut above the rest of us. How can this not be so? All you need to do is spend a few hours a day with the television set and you rapidly learn these glamorous creatures are more beautiful, smarter, savvier, and more fashionable than the yucks who live in fly over country. Moreover, celebrities possess a greater capacity for truly caring about humanity than the rest of us do. Media stars care so much about the travails of life that they don't hesitate to use their money and influence to instruct us in the finer arts of raising children, waging war, and a host of other bread and butter issues the general populace knows nothing about. Every day when I wake up the first thing I do is thank my lucky stars I have such dedicated souls looking after my life.
Yeah right.
I wrote the above introduction when I reviewed "Hollywood, Interrupted," a scathing indictment of all that is wrong about the alien life forms living in Tinseltown. I feel confident using this same introduction for James Hirsen's "Tales From the Left Coast" since the book is similar in content and tone. In these pages you will read about celebrity nonsense concerning the environment, war, tobacco, political correctness, and their unabashed support for communist governments. In short, "Tales From the Left Coast" basically covers ground we're all far too familiar with at this point. Still, it's worth reading for reinforcement value and the author's sarcastic humor. In fact, let's call Hirsen's book "Celebrity Crackpots 101" because this read would serve as an excellent primer for those as yet unaccustomed to the sheer insanity (and inanity) of the Hollywood "elites." These people are nuts.
I appreciate how Hirsen begins his book. He casts his eye all the way back to the bad old days of Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist purges. The Red Scare of the 1950s wasn't just about good old Joe and his dogged pursuit of Lenin lovers in the government; the feds also investigated communist influence in Hollywood. And guess what? They discovered that La La Land harbored more than a few card-carrying members of the Red Menace. When these stooges refused to testify in front of Congress, off to jail they went. The studios, afraid of government interference, placed these people on a blacklist that prevented many of them from working for years afterwards. Most of us know all about the blacklist because Hollywood releases a tear soaked movie about this "persecution" every few years in case we forget. While I think McCarthy and a few of his minions--especially Roy Cohn--went too far in their investigations, Hirsen appropriately points out that not only were there communists operating in Hollywood, they routinely greenlighted scripts that promoted an anti-American viewpoint. And they did it behind the scenes in particularly disingenuous ways.
Flash forward fifty or so years to the present day. Now we've got celebrities taking trips to Cuba for one-on-one raps with their man Castro, pushing questionable eco-scientific pap on the public (Meryl Streep and alar, anyone?), and creating their own blacklist to keep conservatives out of the movie making business. This last point receives a lot of attention from Hirsen. He reveals how conservative celebrities, production personnel, and even studio executives must maintain a low profile if they wish to work in show business. The few who openly profess their views, like Tom Selleck or Patricia Heaton, can expect to take abuse from their co-workers. It's far easier for right-leaning individuals who happen to work in the industry to just go with the flow and keep their mouths shut. If you think there is something sinister about that, something downright anti-American about this need for self-censorship, "Tales From the Left Coast" is the book for you.
I'll wrap up with a few comments about the humor in the book. Hirsen never passes on an opportunity to take shots at idiots like Michael Moore, Robert Redford, Martin Sheen, Mike Farrell, Madonna, and the other blithering idiots who couldn't articulate an informed opinion if their lives depended on it. He starts the book with a list of seventeen reasons why Hollywood leans left (funny), and ends with an "awards show" for the biggest kooks in the biz (also funny). In the main body of the book, the author will write out a statement made by or about a celebrity then follow up with a pithy comment. More than a few of these are laugh out loud funny, but some of Hirsen's quips fall flat or left me mystified. What's the connection between Sheryl Crow and Xena the Warrior Princess? I missed that reference. Anyway, kick back, pile up a few Scientology pamphlets, and prepare to laugh and shake your head at the weird antics of the Hollywood in-crowd. I wonder if Versace makes tin foil hats?
Very Funny but Sad at the Same Time.......2005-02-18
"They get paid megabucks for their unparalleled skill at reading and acting out prepared scripts." Their occupations, and their best skills are imitating other people. And yet, if they speak politically or otherwise, the media treats them as if they are experts. This is the basic gist of "Tales from the Left Coast." The book is hilarious with the facts about how and why these rock stars and movie stars have been treated as if they were political diplomats who have all the answers.
James Hirsen, former keyboard player for the Temptations, has collected a great many stories, facts, and reports about things that certain Hollywood stars have said about our country, about our president (i.e. Bush), and about other issues regarding which they 'act' as if they are experts. This book is very funny, but at the same time quite frightening. The book is well documented, well researched, and reads quickly.
I was shocked by some of things that these pseudo pundits believed and espoused. Moreover, many things that these Hollywood stars have said is just down right treason. It is obvious they have not thought through what they espoused, and often times they bite the hand that feeds them. Also, while I was aware of many of the people (stars) and their opinions there were a few things I was not aware of, such as certain Hollywood stars love for Fidel Castro or the endorsements given to certain stars for their promotion on talk shows of certain prescription drugs.
These Hollywood stars (and certain rock stars) who have spent their entire working careers imitating other people and performing lines that others have written have used their 'stardom' clout to prance around and 'act' as if they are political experts on certain issues. Most of these stars are uneducated (e.g. Martin Sheen having never finished high school), and simply base their opinions on what is trendy at the time, or what they think is a worthwhile cause because it seems noble. However, thinking through what they support, or how they support it is apparently not an option. Ignorance is indeed bliss! I appreciate James Hirsen's book and I highly recommend it, especially if you want a good laugh.
Pretty Weak Effort.......2005-01-05
I'm a conservative blogger who LOVES to laugh at liberal celebrities, but there's not much meat here. Hirsen's book feels pretty slapdash and disjointed; the writing is nothing special, and the stories have been told with more flair elsewhere. I wanted to like it...it's just not very good.
Interesting, though the point was not always clear .......2004-12-09
The basic premise of this book is that most of those in Hollywood are way left in their politics. I think this is pretty obvious, but there is some great background in here on where and why this may have originated.
For example, some in Hollywood have a history of supporting communism, made famous in the "blacklist" era, and this view is even more prevalent today. The book gives dozens of accounts of one-sided support and glorification of Castro. This is actually quite odd considering Castro has a long tradition of placing homosexuals in prison, based on mere suspicion or rumor. When the various stars are pledging their devotion to Castro, do they have any idea what Castro's response to AIDS has been? (Page 75)
This is typical of how Hollywood stars often are hypocritical in their pet causes. Whether it is slamming the President for not attending the Earth Summit and then of course failing to show themselves (Page 103), or wearing fur after being outspoken against it, the duplicity is actually quite hilarious, however this pales in comparison to some of the quotes about PETA.
Michael J. Fox, former advisor to the Humane Society, wrote a book called "Inhumane Society: The American Way of Exploiting Animals", and in it he states "The life of an ant and that of my child should be granted equal consideration". (Page 123). Um, okay...rright. The many examples of these kinds of absurd statements abound. There is also considerable space documenting the "intolerance" of Hollywood towards any beliefs that do not align with the far left.
However, the author spent a whole chapter on smoking. I have to honestly say that I didn't get the point. Was he speaking out against smoking censorship? Why? Does he support smoking? This section was unclear. The other concern I had was the way in which Bono and others were depicted for their support for the poor and other causes. These sections were also not very clear. It seems that much good is done by some of these people, and that needs to be acknowledged. So, minus one star for that.
Overall, it is a very interesting book. I thought the research and history in the beginning sections was fascinating. Towards the end the book gets a bit shrill, but overall the point regarding the politics of the Hollywood "caste" system, and the hypocrisy of the intolerance towards anyone conservative, republican or Christian is of course shameful. The book is written well, easy to read, and the topics are presented in a logical format. Overall, the book suffers a bit from being what it is speaking out against - being too one-sided.
Hollywood's Love Affair with Liberal Politics.......2004-05-04
Hollywood stars like Rob Reiner, Susan Sarandon, Alec Bladwin, Julia Roberts, Jane Fonda, Sean Penn, Martin Sheen, and others can be counted on for many things. We know that, sooner or later, we will see them in a movie production or making a television appearance. We also know that, sooner or later, we will hear them voicing their concerns about any number of political issues. And we know that, more often than not, the political side they take will have a distinctly left- leaning direction.
This book takes a close look at the entertainers that make the Hollywood world go round and it discusses the background and the different events over the past 50 plus years that have led to the present "liberal" Hollywood mindset. Communist infiltration into the American way of life back during the McCarthy era, the Vietnam War, and other events were decisive in shaping Hollywood politics. These liberal views have precipitated over the years to more and more generations of Hollywood entertainers. They are shared by a large majority of Hollywood folk, in proportions that do not reflect the population as a whole.
The Hollywood elite can often be counted on to voice some wild opinions, and author James Hirsen presents some of them in this book. Quotes like Chevy Chase's comment that "Cuba has proven that socialism can work" and Sean Penn's nutty statement that he would like to "trade news personality Bill O'Reilly for Osama Bin Laden" are just a sample of some of the crazy things that have come out of the mouths of our beloved movie making friends in La La land.
I like the way Hirsen keeps this book on an entertaining and humorous level. He doesn't hit below the belt, like some other political writers are prone to doing. Rather, he keeps things lightened up and funny as he shows how biased the members of Hollywood often are in their collectivist political mindset. They almost always favor a government- intervention position (except for issues like abortion and a few others) and they often cozy up with authoritarian- type individuals, like Fidel Castro and others.
The dry humor contained in this book and the one- sidedness makes it the type that many readers will scorn. However, I think it's an entertaining read for people of all political stripes and colors. Hollywood stars are entitled to their own opinions, but what some of them say and do will surprise many readers. Hirsen includes lots of amusing quotes and stories about the bigwigs in Hollywood and others in the entertainment industry, enough to have readers simultaneously rolling their eyes and shaking their heads as they read some of the outrageousness that comes out of Tinseltown.
Average customer rating:
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Customer Reviews:
Improve your chess, not next Monday, not tomorrow, NOW!!!!!!.......2003-09-22
Finally, a thinking method that works! It is simple, flexible, and realistic, very human unlike Kotov and Silman's suggestions. The chapter on "stepping stones" and visualization are excellent, as well as all the mating patterns in the appendex. A great book to improve your game.
Perhaps the best chess book I own.......2003-02-11
This is a gem of a book, packed with entertaining prose, which makes it readable, and a well-debugged method for learning how to think more effectively about chess. I own about 100 chess books -- how to manuals, game collections, openning theory, endgame treatises -- but this book has improved my play more than just about any other book. (Other favorites include, the Encyclopedia of Chess Middlegames, How to Reassess Your Chess, Zurich '56, and Tal-Botvinnik 1960) After reading this book, I began scoring much better against higher-rated players whom I have always struggled to beat. And, my victories felt like they required little effort. This book will improve your ability to calculate and to visualize the board. If you are rated below 1700, this book is probably too difficult. Try instead, Michael de la Maza's Rapid Chess Improvement and Silman's How to Reassess Your Chess. Also, you should work a lot of tactical problems daily.
Recommended for slight advanced players.......2001-05-12
The noted author International Master Jeremy Silman calls Grandmaster Jon Tisdall a more "human" Chess master than the stars such as Morozevich, Kramnik and Leko who seemingly don't have to work as hard. One does indeed get that feeling from reading "Improve Your Chess Now" in that it details what the ordinary joe can do to improve, with much work, their Chess abilities. Tisdall has put a lot of work into the production of his book almost to the point that we can say it was a labour of love. It is filled with insightful observations and numerous tips on how to get better. Particularly interesting are his theories on blindfold Chess and to what extent it can help improve one's game (read the book to find out!). Unfortunately, your average Chess player may not be able to adequately utilise the material in the book but for those more advanced players who can, it will become an indispensible manual for how to play Chess and still be human.
One of the BEST chess books ever !.......2000-12-12
I think that this book is the best I have ever read ....If for no other reason that it made me really think about chess...and fed me with many new ideas on how to improve. For example, the use of stepping squares...ie picturing a position in ones mindseye and then calculating the next several moves in ones head...and using the "original" position as a stepping stone so that one could go back to it if need be...combine the ideas in this book with say the 3 books by Laszlo Polgar and you'd really improve your game in my opinion
Not Your Run-Of-The-Mill Instructional Book.......1999-07-15
I agree that this book is not really for novices or players below, say, 1700 USCF. I was reluctant to purchase this book at first because how many times can we go over the same concepts and practical advice ("Study master games. Study your games. Read books on positional play. Solve combinations." And so on...)? But Tisdall writes engagingly about the confusion we all experience once we leave the sterile, analysed positions in our texts (Chapter 1). He offers a way to develop that "vision thing" through blindfold chess (Chapter 2). And if we mess up? Playing bad positions (Chapter 3). When we're at the board, can we recognize patterns that will give us ideas on how to proceed? (Chapter 4). Chapter 5 shows how piece values change during the game. The last chapter is concerned with various practical tips that every chessplayer could use now and then. This is not your standard, "here are the laws of chess" text. It does not treat you like a child and say, "Study x hours, read y books, etc."
Book Description
John Emms reveals the secrets of how to maximize potential and improve results in competitive play. Drawing upon years of his own experience, Emms tackles the all-important practical aspects of chess playing: studying ones own strengths and weaknesses, and those of prospective opponents; concentration and manner at the chessboard; handling time trouble; tackling cheats; playing for a win or a draw; saving difficult positions; avoiding silly mistakes; building an opening repertoire; using chess computers and software; choosing the right tournaments and much more besides.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting and valuable even if the title is hype.......2007-08-15
John Emms is an excellent chess writer; I have many of his books. He does not tend toward the spectacular or hyperbolic (he's not Eric Schiller, for instance), or even the overly exciting. So I suspect he did not choose this extravagant book title.
I would hardly call this a survival guide. Instead, I would call it an improvement guide (making the second part of the title at least mostly correct, although "now" is quite soon). Mr. Emms presents some basic but easily overlooked principles ("check every move" is one) and illustrates them with games and examples, often from his own play. He is up-front about his own losses and how he drew lessons from them, and this is perhaps the best of the book. It's something we can all relate to and begin to do on our own, with much beneficial effect.
There's a lot here about staying focused in the heat of the battle and especially about recovering focus and concentration after making an error, something most of us mortals do more than we might like in tournament games. There are further chapters about preparation, but these come into play, I think, when we have first learned the more basic lessons of the earlier chapters.
I'm about to play in a 3-day event. Having just read this book, will my results improve "now"? We shall see. But I do intend to take some of those principles ("check every move") as a mantra, and I suspect that will be a good thing. I can certainly recommend this book. It's interesting, engaging, and ultimately, I think, it's useful.
Amazon.com
Why do some people consistently inspire others to follow their lead? According to John C. Maxwell, author of 24 books and a regular speaker on the topic, it's the "character qualities" they possess. In The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, Maxwell identifies these top traits as character, charisma, commitment, communication, competence, courage, discernment, focus, generosity, initiative, listening, passion, positive attitude, problem-solving, relationships, responsibility, security, self-discipline, servanthood, teachability, and vision--and then defines them in ways that readers can absorb and utilize. Each is covered in a separate chapter opening with a high-concept definition and continuing with relevant anecdotes, details on its meaning, suggestions for further reflection, and exercises for improvement. For example, in the section on vision ("You can seize only what you can see"), Maxwell describes how Walt Disney initially developed the theme-park concept after accompanying his daughters to a fun-filled but rather shabby amusement park. He then analyzes how Disney's resultant projects drew on his personal history while meeting other's needs, and explains how readers must "listen to several voices" to develop successful foresight in a similar way. Finally, Maxwell suggests methods to articulate these visions and measure their implementation. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
In the tradition of his CBA bestseller The 21 Irrefutable laws of Leadership and his sell-out seminars, author John C. Maxwell now provides a concise, accessible leadership book that helps readers become more effective leaders from the inside out. Daily readings highlight twenty-one essential leadership qualities and include "Reflecting On It" and "Bringing It Home" sections which help readers integrate and apply each day's material.
Customer Reviews:
Easy Reading.......2007-06-28
If you are looking to define those special charateristics that are displayed by great leaders, this book covers 21 impactful leader qualities. The book is "easy reading" and makes a good gift for a new leader.
A Book for Leaders.......2007-05-13
This book helps to refresh and install new ideas which will help you become a better leader.
Abstract puff piece.......2007-05-07
Maxwell might have written the book on Leadership, but this isn't it.
This is a little book -- 156 undersized pages -- containing little information.
It's full of platitudes. "Refocus your attention." "Live your message." "Commitment starts in the heart."
Duh! How is anyone supposed to put these abstract ideas into practice?
The only way to understand leadership is to hear stories about effective leaders. About how, for example, they continued communicating during times of crisis when others would have not communicated. About how they worked overtime to fix their companies and inspired others in their organization. About how during wartime they welcomed input from any source and found a unique person with a unique perspective that allowed them to redraw their war plans and win.
But the only anecdotes in this book come at the start of each of the 21 brief chapters on a quality (like communication or dedication) that a leader needs. The other 80% of each chapter is a bunch of abstract rules like Communicate! Show Dedication! Passion Increases Your Willpower! This is all motherhood and apple pie. Only more abstract. And it's impossible to absorb or remember what Maxwell is talking about because he's just listing things you should do to be a leader.
Tell me one good story about a great leader like Winston Churchill, FDR, or JFK, and it would be worth another hundred pages of Maxwell's abstract thought.
The only reason I give this any stars is that I sense Maxwell has more to say and knows his stuff. But he's certainly not strutting it in this book. Try something else by Maxwell. Not this book, for this reader.
This is the kind of book I would purchase for a gift grab bag at the office. It won't offend anyone, but it won't change anyone either.
Good 'beginner's leadership book' --- didnt excite me;-(.......2007-04-21
This is the first leadership book I read. I like the way the author validates each of the 21 qualities of a leader by providing real-life stories of leaders.
Pros: short, easy-to-read, concise
Cons: not much substance, some of the exercises for the reader are far-fetched
Overall, a good read for a beginner to novice 'leadership' book reader.
Short and Sweet: an unbeatable combination.......2007-04-01
As a professor in Business and Management, this book is an often chosen title in my management and leadership courses. Perhaps initially because it is small, but all students inevitably end up commenting that they really appreciated the contents and learned a lot from it.
Leadership qualities are interesting phenomena, which can be replenished to an infinite degree. However, John Maxwell managed to highlight those qualities that are truly crucial toward leadership that will appeal to all categories of followers.
Encouraged by this book and many others, I published "The Awakened Leader: One Simple Leadership Style That Works Every Time, Everywhere." Readers who liked John Maxwell's works, and who want to remain informed of appropriate leadership in a time where globalization has become a part of our everyday life and has ignited increasing interdependency, multiplicity of mindsets and approaches, and multi-faceted workplaces, should take a look at this book.
"The Awakened Leader" presents a meta-leadership approach, which will guide you toward implementing the appropriate leadership style once you've assessed the situation, the followers, and the environment at hand. It is based on flexibility through open-mindedness, or wakefulness. And it completes the perspectives that Maxwell and other great leadership authors have presented us in the past decade: successful leadership of the self and others, based on proven trends of the past, the now, and the future.
Product Description
John C. Maxwell's
THE 21 IRREFUTABLE LAWS OF LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPING THE LEADER WITHIN YOU
"He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk."
Written by America's expert on leadership, here are two of the best selling, most influential leadership books of our time. Millions of readers have credited these John Maxwell classics with helping them develop the vision, values, influence, and motivation required of successful leaders. A timeless reference for any leadership librarythis essential Collector Edition makes a wonderful gift!
Product Description
John C. Maxwell's
THE 21 IRREFUTABLE LAWS OF LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPING THE LEADER WITHIN YOU
"He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk."
Written by America's expert on leadership, here are two of the best selling, most influential leadership books of our time. Millions of readers have credited these John Maxwell classics with helping them develop the vision, values, influence, and motivation required of successful leaders. A timeless reference for any leadership librarythis essential Collector Edition makes a wonderful gift!
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- The Complete DVD Book: Designing, Producing and Marketing Your Independent Film on DVD
- The Complete James Bond Movie Encyclopedia, Newly Revised Edition
- The Crow: The Story Behind the Film
- The Discreet Art of Luis Bunuel: A Reading of His Films
- The Ethics of Star Trek
- The Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers Book
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