Pinewood Story

Book Description

Louis Moreau Gottschalk was an American original. A spellbinding piano virtuoso, he was America's first internationally recognized composer, whose "classical" works received accolades from Hector Berlioz and Victor Hugo, and whose arch-romantic melodies became for Americans the standard expressions of common emotions. Perhaps most important, his immensely popular Louisiana and Caribbean pieces--such as Danza, Pasquinade, or Bamboula--anticipated ragtime by fifty years. Indeed, the colorful and exotic textures of Gottschalk's music establish him at the head of what is today the mainstream of popular American culture. In Bamboula!, S. Frederick Starr presents an authoritatively researched, engagingly written biography of America's first authentic musical voice. Starr paints for us a striking portrait of Gottschalk's childhood in 1830s New Orleans, a city madly devoted to music, where opera companies, music halls, fiddlers and banjo-pickers, church choirs, and Army bands all contributed to what Starr calls "the most stunning manifestation of Jacksonian democracy in the realm of culture to be found anywhere in America." We meet Gottschalk's African-American nurse Sally, who regaled him with the creole songs, legends, and lore of her native Haiti, which would inform some of his finest music. We travel with Gottschalk to Paris, where he was a sensation, playing in fashionable salons for the likes of Lamartine, Gautier, and Dumas; and we join his flight from the Revolution of 1848 to a town north of Paris, where he composed his first great works--Bamboula, La Savane, Le Bananier, and Le Mancenillier--all published over the name "Gottschalk of Louisiana." Starr describes Gottschalk's successful return to New York City in the early 1850s, where he enjoyed a degree of popularity never before accorded to an American performer or composer, becoming our first homegrown concert idol. But Starr also examines the life-long struggle between the Catholic Gottschalk and earnest Protestant champions of "serious" music, a battle that pitted the austere values of northern Europe against the brighter sensibilities of Paris, Louisiana, and the West Indies. Based on extensive research, including hundreds of letters written by Gottschalk (in French, Spanish, and English) which are used here for the first time, Bamboula! illuminates an exotic but tragic life, as well as one of the most democratic phases of American cultural life, a world of bustling impresarios and America's first bohemian circle. A major biography in every sense, it will help reestablish Gottschalk's place in American musical history.

Customer Reviews:

Fine work, couple of negatives.......2003-11-29

Starr's research as other reviewers have mentioned was done well. Starr gives fine historical background to the many places Gottschalk lived. Details of the composer's life also are explained in specifics. My fault with this work-from a pianist point of view, is the author gives no insight to how Gottschalk became one of the five greatest pianists of the 19th century, in same ranks with Chopin, Listz, Thalberg. Starr makes no effort to show how Gottschalk practiced, and how he could keep up his incredible technique stills while traveling so much. He descibes Gottschalk's early training in Paris, but after that barely mentions how Gottschalk took his piano skills to the highest in world. Another problem I had is the author often went into little depth on how Gottschalk composed. Some of his great works are given a passing sentence and left at that, with little, and often no musical analysis of any piece. In fact, one won't find a musical staff in the whole book. One of his finest little caprices "Suis Moi" ("Follow Me"), isn't even listed in the book. I understand the composer wrote over 100 pieces, depth cannot be given to too many, but essentially there was none of this for any piece-say for except a couple.
Some of this might stem from the biographer himself not being a pianist, and not a composer (at least one of any distinction). Perhaps Starr lacked the neccessary insight for more musical opinions, or perhaps too much of Gottschalk's life is still relatively unknown. I'll perhaps give a pass to author on the latter point, and give book 4 stars because it is the best biography on him yet written.

Bamboozelled!.......2000-02-16

While I must agree with the other reviews, that Starr certainly does include a lot of references, just 40 pages into this tome - that's less than 10% - I am painfully aware of two things:

1. The constant stretch to EXPLAIN everything (his father's family's roots came via Germany and England - THEREFORE, LMG never played there).

2. A great deal of FACT is "debunked" in this effort. For instance, one instance, he says Congo Square never held slave dances during Gottschalk's time. Well, Benjamin Latrobe visited in 1819 and specifically sought out this attraction (for it was an attraction even then), he even goes to great length to describe the instruments, the drumming, dancing, singing and "savagry" (see "Louisiana Sojourns" and "Congo Square in New Orleans").

Let us not lose history in an effort to explain. Use all the facts, not just those which serve your purpose.

Unfortunately - I now do not believe every conclusion and "fact" in the entire 450+ page tome!

This is very unfortunate. I loved Starr's "Southern Comfort" and use it often. My advice is unless you have years to sort out all the half-truths here, you should skip Bamboula!

Facinating examination of a most underrated composer.......2000-01-14

If you've listened to just ONE Gottschalk composition, then you're ready to travel to the 19th century Louisana Bayou and follow young Louis Moreau to Europe and South America. This book is a detailed and engaging look at one of the world's most underrated composers and performers; one who undertood the importance of getting into communication with the audience. BOBMAKAROWSKI@HOTMAIL.COM

Interesting, well-researched, insightful. Read it........1999-08-13

One doesn't have to read far into S. Frederic Starr's biography of Louis Moreau Gottschalk to learn three things. First, that the author pursued more leads and sifted through more material than anyone else thus far in the search for information about this musical legend. Second, that Mr. Starr just adores Gottschalk's music and wishes you would, too. And third, that it's a darn shame there aren't more editors in the publishing business these days. Overall an illuminating and enjoyable book, Bamboula! covers more details about Gottschalk's concert programs and love for his mother than is perhaps necessary, but one can only admire the biographer's persistance in researching and writing this book. His descriptions of the musical institutions and leaders of the middle of the last century, particularly, reveal much about our musical tastes today. The material might perhaps have been conveyed more effectively with fewer adjectives, but that's a stylistic quibble. A major flaw, though, is the lack of a discography. Mr. Starr refers to several compositions of Gottschalk's, noting that certain performances of them are inadequate. But how is the reader to judge - or to enjoy any of this marvelous music - if there is no guide to what is available on recordings? Readers of this type of semi-scholarly book are more likely to buy a CD than to order a score and analyze it, aren't they? Anyway, I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn more about music and culture in 19th-century America.

Bamboula! The Life and Times of Louis Moreau Gottschalk.: An article from: Notes

Average customer rating:

Bamboula! The Life and Times of Louis Moreau Gottschalk.: An article from: Notes
D.W. Krummel
Manufacturer: Music Library Association, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Online Books | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Science & Technology | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on December 1, 1995. The length of the article is 841 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Bamboula! The Life and Times of Louis Moreau Gottschalk.
Author: D.W. Krummel
Publication: Notes (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 1995
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: v52 Issue: n2 Page: p476(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

count your outs

Great BOOK ! !

Heavy Value.

Best Chasing Book

Mixed Reactions

Hold'em on the Come: Limit Hold'em Strategy for Drawing Hands
Rolf Slotboom , and Dew Mason
Manufacturer: D & B Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Card Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Poker | Card Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

No Limit Hold 'em: Theory and Practice

Real Poker II: The Play of Hands

Secrets of Professional Pot-Limit Omaha

Harrington on Hold 'em: Expert Strategies for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. III--The Workbook (Harrington on Hold'em)

Weighing the Odds in Hold'em Poker

ASIN: 1904468233

Product Description

Every time you call when you should fold, youre giving away money. Every time you fold when you should call, youre giving away money. In this innovative book Rolf Slotboom and Dew Mason provide a comprehensive guide to playing drawing hands after the flop in holdem. Their methodical approach to playing on the come will provide you with a thorough grounding in post-flop play, enabling you to make the correct decisions in determining whether or not you should remain in the hand. Holdem on the Come answers such key limit holdem questions as: What should I do with a flush or straight draw? How should I play with unimproved overcards? How do I count outs, and what are the criteria for counting them as full outs? What is the impact of the size of the pot on your decision? All leading to this all-important question: Do I belong in the pot or not? The authors provide you with an in-depth analysis of drawing hands, leading to a simple but effective system that at all stages will help you see where youre at which in turn should help your overall results tremendously. "Lots of players misplay their drawing hands, especially beginning players and those who have only learned poker by the seat of their pants. Holdem On The Come is a great addition to the poker literature, especially so for these players. Rolf is known for giving accurate and easy-to-understand advice, and he does an excellent job in this book of presenting that advice such that any holdem player can become better at playing their draws." Greg Raymer, 2004 World Champion of Poker "Rolf Slotboom is one of my favorite poker authors. His deep understanding of the game coupled with his clear concise presentation makes this book by Dew Mason and him a sure fire winner." By Barry Tanenbaum CardPlayer columnists, and a highly successful middle-limit hold'em player "This book is a must-read for all serious limit hold'em players. It provides the most comprehensive discussion to date on the play of drawing hands. The added comments by poker pro Rolf Slotboom make the book an invaluable addition to your poker library." Jim Brier, CardPlayer columnist and well-known poker author

Customer Reviews:

count your outs.......2007-01-10

this book was a very good read to familiarize yourself with counting outs.
the only thimg that was really surprising, was the fact that with all the explantions of outs and draws, i cant believe the author did not include any thourough discussion comparing your outs to the odds against making your hand. ie. u have 9 outs, therefore you ars 4 to 1 against making your hand, now compare that to size of pot, and you see to call a $10 bet you need the pot to contain at least $40. none of this was in the book.
if i hadnt known how to calculate my odds,(4 to 1) etc. i would have never understood how the author came to a conclusion that he needed 4 outs to stay in a hand.
really strange.

Great BOOK ! ! .......2006-11-13

if you are into poker like me.. invest in this book is worth it...
this is comming from a poker head that has over 15 books.....
If you think you know how to play yours draws....Raad this book... n you wil learn thing or two..... I did.! ! special when to foldem...lol
Good luck on the tables.

Nutty Rabbit

Heavy Value. .......2006-10-07

If the reader is anything like me then they probably play a lot of no limit hold `em, and probably, at some point, have come to the realization that no limit ring games aren't going to last forever. This is particularly true if the reader happens to be a fellow American whose government recently declared war on our perfectly civilized habit of playing online poker. The long and the short of it is that we may well find ourselves in a brick and mortar casino playing whatever game is available with a reasonable buy in, which often, is a limit game (unless you're in Vegas where they have NL 100 and 200 live--by me it's NL 300 only). Therefore, brushing up on, or learning limit for the first time is advisable. With Hold' Em on the Come, Slotboom and Mason only do one thing, but they do it well which is to analyze and proscribe when draws should be played after the flop. The book issues lengthy discussion on this subject, but it is more diverse than you think as it includes low pairs, two pairs, and overcards along with the obvious mix of straights and flushes. From what I can gather, most of the text is really Dew Mason's with additional insight provided by Rolf "Ace" Slotboom. His sections are boxed off and titled "Ace Speaks." The great Ace's commentary enriches the work tremendously, and, personally, I'll buy anything he puts out because I loved his DVDs and still watch them. Overall, I found this offering invaluable.

Best Chasing Book.......2006-08-07

I was a little shocked when I noticed 2 stars for this book. It has only been one review so far, I have a feeling the ratings will get better. Let me first start buy declaring that I have almost every book on poker. This book is a "must read", for any fixed limit holdem player. I am also going to assume that since you are online that you will be playing online holdem. This book applies even more to the loose tables online. This book is the most extensive material on drawing hands. It does not have any starting hand charts but plenty of charts on various drawing outs and pot odds etc.. A good portion of this stuff is not even in a TwoPlusTwo book. I shudder to think of all the new players who will start with Small Stakes Holdem and top it off with Hold'em on the come. The crazy online games are full of donkey's playing any two cards. When you play these maniacs, you have to draw to some big multi-handed pots. I have not encountered any other book that addresses this topic so extensively. I consider, like most poker players, that TwoPlusTwo books are the best in the poker industry. I will say that between the "How good is your" poker books and this gem of a book- D&B Publishing has to be on the list of any poker player's reading list.

Mixed Reactions.......2006-07-11

This book deals ONLY with the play of drawing hands from the flop on,in limit hold'em.

Parts of the book I thought were quite good (though some parts were valuable only for beginning players), and other parts seemed rather unnecessary. Overall the author takes an odds view of draws. If the odds are there you must play. He certainly doesn't overlook other factors, but that's not the main focus.

The sections on counting outs was quite good, especially the theory of discounting some outs based on the situation. Several other sections gave some extremely valuable advice.

However, the author introduces some charts, that I just didn't find useful. They're supposed to get the reader to think about situations so that he may be prepared when it occurs in game. Personally, I found the action charts to muddy the waters.

So, is the book worthwhile? Is a book that deals solely with draws something you need? Maybe. (Hence my mixed reations.) There's plenty of valuable information in the book, but also a fair amount of filler...or material that only beginners would need. Most of the info CAN be gained from reading other books, but this has it all in one place.

Amazon.com

To Peter Lynch, success in the stock market is pretty basic: if a company's earnings rise, then the stock price goes up. "This simple point--that the price of a stock is directly related to a company's earning power--is often overlooked, even by sophisticated investors," the former Fidelity Magellan manager writes in Learn to Earn, his third book on investing. "This is the starting point for the successful stock picker: find companies that grow their earnings over many years to come."

One of the best managers in the history of mutual funds, Lynch is certainly the person to help people choose the right stocks and understand the market. More so than One Up on Wall Street or Beating the Street, this Lynch book is for beginning investors of all ages. Lynch and coauthor John Rothchild are family men who are worried that teenagers aren't learning enough about the importance of American companies in improving lives and creating wealth. Lynch questions why students are taught that Hamlet was a tragic hero and Napoleon was a great general, but they don't know that Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart. In fact, Lynch's grasp of the past is one of the strengths of the book. One of the best chapters is "A Short History of Capitalism," a witty and homespun look at characters like Karl Marx, the Communist who believed capitalism was doomed, and the robber barons, the shrewd railroad magnates of the late 19th century who amassed huge fortunes by manipulating the markets.

Unlike the robber barons, beginning investors, Lynch says, should stick to the basics: get in the habit of saving and investing and putting aside a certain amount every month; develop a strong stomach because the stock market is going to fall and there's no way to anticipate it; do a little homework so you can understand the reasons to own a particular stock; and buy shares in solid companies and don't let go of them without a good reason.

This book marks Lynch's coming out as a fan of "direct investment programs," which are offered by many good companies. You purchase a couple of shares or so directly from the company and then you enroll in a plan and buy more shares each month, in some cases without paying a penny in fees and always without a broker--the way Lynch likes it. Lynch loves these plans because they're a great vehicle for investing a little bit at a time over a long period. Grab onto a company and learn about it, Lynch writes. The more you learn, the more you'll earn. --Dan Ring

Book Description

Mutual-fund superstar Peter Lynch and author John Rothchild explain the basic principles of investing and business in a primer that will enlighten and entertain anyone who is high-school age or older.

Many investors, including some with substantial portfolios, have only the sketchiest idea of how the stock market works. The reason, say Lynch and Rothchild, is that the basics of investing -- the fundamentals of our economic system and what they have to do with the stock market -- aren't taught in school. At a time when individuals have to make important decisions about saving for college and 401(k) retirement funds, this failure to provide a basic education in investing can have tragic consequences.

For those who know what to look for, investment opportunities are everywhere. The average high-school student is familiar with Nike, Reebok, McDonald's, the Gap, and the Body Shop. Nearly every teenager in America drinks Coke or Pepsi, but only a very few own shares in either company or even understand how to buy them. Every student studies American history, but few realize that our country was settled by European colonists financed by public companies in England and Holland -- and the basic principles behind public companies haven't changed in more than 300 years.

In Learn to Earn, Lynch and Rothchild explain in a style accessible to anyone who is high-school age or older how to read a stock table in the daily newspaper, how to understand a company annual report, and why everyone should pay attention to the stock market. They explain not only how to invest, but also how to think like an investor.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding!.......2007-09-23

I studied economics in college, and thought this book was as good of a general economics book as any I've read. It's unlike the very few investing books I've ever read--the title is more descriptive, it is a learn to earn book. About why companies grow, how one can earn from their growth, historical trends affecting growth, and the actions of these on financial markets. One can go through an entire major in economics and not know much about financial markets, their contribution to business, and how people make them work. This book is a great overview of this process.

Good for beginners............2007-02-07

To put it shortly, this book is for beginners... from the language and examples, it's obvious that this was written for a high school audience. Nonetheless, as someone relativley new to finances and investing, it provided me with useful information about how the stock market works and familiarized me with some important jargon (i.e. index funds, bull market, bear market). Additionally, the first gives a nice (albeit simplified) history of the financial system that is an optional read for anyone who's interested.

I recomend this book to someone who's looking for an easy-to-read beginners guide to the stock market, although most experienced investors probably wont learn anything new.

Strong Fundamental Book.......2006-08-24

This is a great book to understand the basics of investments.
Unlike a TV set where you could buy it and least care how it works as long as you know how to work on with the remote control. Stock investing is a different venture, the fundamentals of economics need to be there. One must know what does P/E mean, net cash flow, P/S ratio, forward eps estimate.
Why the penultimate year before the elections for bull market. Without fundamentals its hard to succeed in investing. Good foundation of terminlogies along with discipline and evaluating one own traits in stock investment makes one confident and a sure winner in the long run. Wall street is the same has been 100 years back there has been bulls and bear session, usually bear sessions have outpaced the bull session. But if one has picked the right stock and waits through the bear session when the bull session is around he is likely to make the maximum return. If one makes 10% return on a year to year basis one is a successful investor. All the eye catchers in newspapers and magazines with >100% return are seldom reptative. If inflation is around 3% and one makes 7% profit per year, with compounding affects anyone can become a wealthy person in the long run. Ofcourse, the real joy is to do your own research and invest and trade wisely. And with time one only excels.

Great Primer for New Investors.......2006-07-12

This is book is a great primer on the basics of investing. The language does seem geared towards a younger audience, but the information presented is useful for new and would-be investors of all ages and is very easy to read (I finished it in 3 days). For me, the book was a good brush up on different investing options. Lynch weighs the pros and cons of different investments and strategies, but in the end stresses that the most earning potential at the end of the day is in stocks. The book also includes great tips and advice on how to choose strong companies with potential for growth. This book was definitely the gentle 'shove' I needed to start investing and building a strong portfolio.

I think the book would be even better with a little updating- a bit of information or insight on the different online brokers would have been very helpful.

Best choice for Beginners!.......2006-06-23

I thoroughly enjoyed this book for three reasons:
1)It was written for teenagers, so it was easy to grasp its
concepts, plus very humerous!
2)It gave a good foundation to finance by teaching a short
history of capitalism in the US which I found to be
extremely fascinating.
3)The whole book was very informative. I learned so much
about history, how a company gets started and how it grows
and of course about investing and why we should be investing
money from our youth.
You can tell the authors have a good grasp for finance and
a genuine love of the subject and I applaud them for explaining
the topic in a down to earth way that anyone can understand.

Learn to Earn: A Beginner's Guide to the Basics of Investing (The Classic Guide)

Average customer rating:

Nothing new here

Learn to Earn: A Beginner's Guide to the Basics of Investing (The Classic Guide)

Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Introduction | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Health Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

ASIN: 0743555945

Book Description

Mutual-fund superstar Peter Lynch and author John Rothchild explain the basic principles of investing and business in a primer for all listeners.

Many investors, including some with substantial portfolios, have only the sketchiest idea of how the stock market works. The reason, say Lynch and Rothchild, is that the basics of investing aren't taught in school. At a time when individuals have to make important decisions about saving for college and 401(k) retirement funds, this failure to provide a basic education in investing can have tragic consequences.

In Learn to Earn, Lynch and Rothchild explain in a style accessible to anyone how to read a stock table in the daily newspaper, how to understand a company's annual report, and why everyone should pay attention to the stock market. They explain not only how to invest, but also how to think like an investor.

Customer Reviews:

Nothing new here.......1998-09-28

Having listened to Peter Lynch's "One Up On Wall Street" and "Beating the Street," I found this tape to offer almost nothing new except improved narration from Peter Lynch. You're better off getting one of his earlier works.

Learn to Earn: A Beginner's Guide to the Basics of Investing and Business

Average customer rating:

Learn to Earn: A Beginner's Guide to the Basics of Investing and Business
Rothchild, Peter, John Lynch
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B000GY747M

Learn to Earn: A Beginner's Guide to the Basics of Investing and Business (1 Audio Cassette Tape)

Average customer rating:

Learn to Earn: A Beginner's Guide to the Basics of Investing and Business (1 Audio Cassette Tape)
John Rothchild
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Audio Division
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: B000UZG3YW

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books