Trek Navigator: The Ultimate Guide to the Entire Trek Saga Tag: Every Trek Episode... (Black Bay Books)

Customer Reviews:

One Trek hater and one parrot.......2005-02-28

These people do not love Star Trek. They just like the first two seasons of the original series. Especially Altman is the kind of critic Woody Allen had in mind in his descend to Hell. He diminishes some of the best Trek episodes, particularly in New Generation and Voyager, trying at the same time to make himself "look" good by using words like "adroitness", or inventing ones like "technobabble". What a load of CRAP! Gross reads Altman's review FIRST and then he adds a star in his rating. Altman really has a personality problem. If you love star trek, it's better to rate it yourself. The only value of the book is in some trivia regarding the episodes.

An Essential Guide.......2004-09-30

This is a great compact guide for reading alongside watching most of Star Trek. I didn't always agree with their opinion, but their honesty is refreshing and it was nice to see someone liking some stories that don't always get attention. Some reviewers claim that the writers are baised towards TOS but this isn't reallt the case. TOS episodes get a fair bashing when deserved and it's true to say that only TOS was a cultural phenomenon that entered the culture in a powerful and meaningful way. Their opinion on TNG and DS9 is fair and they do rightfully praise these series, particularly the later seasons. The Patrick Stewart-Shatner debate is not quite what other people are describing. Basically, one actor gives a more internal and restrained while the other is full of energy and intensity. It's possible to like both for different reasons and to ignore Shatner's contribution to ST is to be pretty ignorant about why there are any ST today.

Trek.......2003-10-29

This is a must-have for any true trekker in the universe. The authors, although slanted towards TOS and DS9, do a good job of reviewing every Star Trek episode (including animated)through 1997. I felt Altman's criticism overly harsh at times, but for the most part the duo sticks behind Star Trek and delivers a gem.

Two Ancient Fuddy Duddies Show Their Age!.......2002-09-30

OK, any book that gives you a review of most of the Star Trek out there is worth at least 3 stars. That's the only reason I gave this book that high a rating. I love being able to see what's coming up on TV, and then zip through the book so I can see if I've seen the show 1 million times or one that I'd really like to see again.

That's the only good thing I can say about this book. The two authors are so incredibly biased for The Original Series, and so biased against The Next Generation, it's mind blowing. I counted three ways in which these two old folks showed their age:

1. They say that Kirk blows Picard away and that Shatner is a better actor than Picard. ROFL!! Obviously, this could only be said by someone growing up with TOS (and frankly someone without much of an ability to judge acting ability).

2. They constantly harp on all TNG's "techo-babble." Now, I always thought that "techno-babble" was cool. Once in a while it goes over the top, but to see a show that revolved around science and people who knew science was pretty exciting when I was first introduced to the series. It's because these two old guys just can't get their crusty old brains wrapped around a warp core!

3. Their 60's-style sexism gets pretty blatant. In some cases, they give a TOS show a high rating b/c of the great-looking and scantily-clad women! And they are always saying stuff like "It's always a pleasure to see that sexy and spunky Ensign Ro." GIVE ME A BREAK!

In a way, this book is not just a review of Star Trek, it's a great comedy book as you see them drool over Shatner's lousy acting and then criticize the rest of Star Trek. I don't care who Altman is -- as a life-long Star Trek fan who's never been to a convention but watches all the shows religiously, I thought his book left much to be desired!

A must read for all Trek Fans.......1998-12-15

Trek Navigator is the most complete Trek book I have ever bought. As the LA Times sys, "Altman is the world's foremost trekspert" His knowledge shnes through in his comments and reviews. Some of you may find the reviews to negative but that only means you need to look past your worship of trek and be honest about the shows. This book is as complete as it can be up to the point it was published. Altman deserves 5 stars, Gross only 3 1/2 but this book is a must for any trek fan.

Customer Reviews:

The definitive Franz Liszt -- all 3 of the volumes! .......2007-05-09

This will probably be one of my shorter reviews [A sudden shout: "Yeah, right Doc!"] because I can quickly cut to the chase, to wit, Dr. Alan Walker has produced in this painstakingly researched 3 volume biography [spread out over 25 years during the research] with this 1811-1847 book being the first in that series, the 'definitive' Franz Liszt! This trilogy is a must read for those interested in Liszt and, IMO, is not only the definitive Liszt from "the" acknowledged authority and foremost Franz Liszt scholar but a decided asset to the Liszt biographical literature per se.

Two more comments: Watch the Amazon vendor prices for the 'hardcover' editions! Originally, these were rather pricey books in hardcover [although well worth it! Knopf quality!] but I was able to get 'used' albeit literally mint hardcover editions of the 3 volumes from 3 separate Amazon vendors. What's that? Sure! The original harcover editions were, in order of publication, $25.00, $39.95 and $45.00. I'll generally check out the hardcover offerings over the paperback editions in most of my books and sometimes there are some really exceptional buys out there although if it's a choice between 'good' and 'very good' pay the few dollars extra for the 'very good' or 'like new' grade notations.

Finally, check out among other of Dr. Walker's tomes on Franz Liszt, "The Death of Franz Liszt: Based on the Unpublished Diary of his Pupil Lina Schmalhausen" which is quite an eye-opener with regard to the "treatment" [or lack of same therein] of Liszt prior to his demise. As I said when I reveiewed that book, I trust the source of the diary find as well as the findings and its editing, annotations and examination via Dr. Walker as to the veracity of the Schmalhausen remarks. I quoted the remarks of the conductor, Felix Weingartner, who was 'there' at the time and his own observations [et al] lend credence to the Schmalhausen diary.

So too, and if finances permit and you want Franz Liszt a la mode, get the 3 volumes in one swoop plus the Lina Schmalhausen diary book which was edited and annotated by Dr. Walker in re the death of Liszt and finally, putting it all together, the 2005 published Dr. Alan Walker 'capstone', if you will, "Reflections on Liszt." See my reviews on those two tomes as well.

Doc Tony

What's that? Why not! Doc Walker with a straight white haired wig resurrecting Steve Allen's "Meeting of Minds" and doing the one and only "F. Liszt" as a sort of latter day counter-balance to Victor Borge's 'interpretation' so to speak in that classic Mike Wallace skit! Who better than Doc Walker to play Liszt and concurrently know what he's talking about! Ahhhh! That's the rather cogent difference!

A sudden voice: "What about Doc Walker's Chopin and Schumann tomes?" Fine! They could be played next! ;-) [as I place much trust in Dr. Walker's sense of humor! But the obvious compliment of his research is clearly evident!]

Superb accomplishment - enlightening.......2007-04-11

As a music student in the 70's the subtext when discussing Franz Liszt was that he was a showman who leaned on his empty virtuosity. Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Schumann on the other hand, were the true romantic artists.

It's taken me over 35 years of studying piano and music to get to the point where I would read this wonderful biography of Liszt, and my eyes have been opened even wider about the wonderful artistic character of Liszt and his completely indespensible role in 19th century music.

This book (I have all three) is a wonderful read, at some times it is "laugh out loud" funny, and is filled with musical examples that perfectly illustrate the points that Mr. Walker makes.

If you are a musician interested in the piano, or the Romantic period, you owe it to yourself to let the scales fall from your eyes, and read this enlightening exposition.

Great Biography Of The World's First Rock Star.......2006-08-15

Alan Walker deserves 5 enthusiastic stars for making his life's purpose the writing of Franz Liszt's definitive biography, and succeeding nearly as well as humanly possible considering the availability of the always-emerging Liszt materials throughout the years. For me, I would have liked to have seen an even more musically-oriented life of Liszt. More than a few times, Walker mentions that eyewitness accounts exist of important concerts, only to refer us in a footnote to some person's diary (probably only available in some Transylvanian dialect if you could ever find it) rather than telling us about it himself. Meanwhile we're treated to almost painfully detailed renderings of Franz's love life with Marie D'Agoult and the many domestic dramas which haunted him as his pursued his life on the concert trail... but these are minor quibbles. The book is great, no doubt about it. Poor Liszt, he was the busiest piano virtuoso in history at that time, traveling in various carriages and carts across thousands of miles of potholed roads where he was jolted mercilessly and endured illness, exhaustion, rain, mud, snow and ice while he raced to his next gig. He was literally thrown to the ground violently at least twice, when wheels dipped into ditches or the drivers fell asleep and the whole carriage overturned. (It's sad and sobering to realize that this is exactly how the original bassist for the rock group Metallica, Cliff Burton, was killed more than 150 years later on a lonely road in Sweden. He was sleeping on the band's tour bus when it overturned. In a similar accident, singer Gloria Estefan was lucky to escape with her life.) Somehow, despite these gritty and dangerous travel conditions, Liszt performed a grueling succession of mostly triumphant concerts everywhere from Italy to Scotland to Russia before he decided he had been bounced around quite enough thank you, and settled down to compose and teach in Weimar, where Volume two of this epic biography begins. Towards the end of Volume 1, I began to feel as if author Walker's spark was fading slightly. And lo and behold, as I began reading Volume 2, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that the intervening years in which the author was researching the next installment had allowed him to completely recharge his batteries, and present part 2 to the public with a fully-renewed sense of brilliance, wit, and passion for his subject matter. Highly recommended reading for biography buffs interested in great musicians and composers!

10 stars for this phenomenal achievement.......2006-07-29

This is simply the standard of Liszt biography. The fact that Alan Walker researched enough to fill three volumes is an achievement enough, but you know what else makes this biography so good? It's fun to read. Without a doubt, anyone interested in Liszt will find anecdotes, insights, illuminated facts, and even musical analysis of the most colorful and exciting character in classical music: Franz Liszt.

I've read this book twice, actually, and the second time was even more enjoyable. This owes to many things: Alan Walker's superb writing style, eloquent organization (gives the pedantics many footnotes to absorb at the bottom of the page) and a fine cohesion of thoughts and ideas put into each chapter. Sometimes I can't help but enjoy the biography as I would a novel. Yet Walker does not write it like a novel and clearly sets out to chronicle Liszt's life from his youth all the way to his retiring from the concert stage. In between these pivotal times, Walker manages to debunk myths, explore Liszt's underrated music from his virtuoso days, and examine other characters who interacted with the Hungarian composer. Walker is always focused on Liszt but never detracts by discussing Clara and Robert Schumann's reactions, or Sigismond Thalberg, Chopin and even Alkan. Walker depicts their perspective of Liszt and goes on to explain why there were so many misunderstandings.

Stories of Liszt's true meeting with Beethoven, his exciting romance with Marie D'Agoult, the duel with Thalberg, his generous nature to play for charity, and so many enticing stories of his concert days all help to shed light on what a remarkable man Liszt was, and at such a young age, too. The whole book is an exquisite panorama of Liszt's character, detailed through his letters, his travels, his music, and his legacy as researched by the author. What Walker has done is set the standard for the way Liszt should be viewed in the history books. For so long, musicologists were almost feeding us false information. From the really low ones we were even getting propaganda that he was a womanizer, a cheat, some kind of vulgar pianist, and even a fraud. Walker candidly mauls those old and incorrect views into the dust; he explores and accurately dispels the myths and ignorance that so many people harbored and still harbor for him, and for that I feel thankful.

Never have I read a biography twice like this and found the second reading even more engrossing. There is never a dull moment, never a chapter that slows down. To be fair, the only chapter that was uninteresting was the prologue and biographical information of Liszt's family. Despite that, once you're absorbed into Liszt's young world with Czerny, his move to Paris, and his tours all over Europe, it's like being on a rollercoaster ride during the whole book.

Bottom line: Liszt lovers must read this book; it's the best wealth of knowledge to get on the young Franz Liszt and it is written in a way that doesn't just educate, but also entertains. Highly recommended.

Perfection is here!!.......2003-06-03

I don't need a thousand words to express my admiration for the deepness of this Liszt's biography by Alan Walker. The research evolved unto these should have been formidable. The unique comparison for such a work of 30 years of research is the Work of Liszt itself. We cannot immagine how Alan Walker got all these informations, he seemed to really know what Liszt made all days in his life.
In a word: Incredible !!! Get it!

The Great Piano Virtuosos of Our Time: A Classic Account of Studies with Liszt, Chopin, Tausig & Henselt

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The Great Piano Virtuosos of Our Time: A Classic Account of Studies with Liszt, Chopin, Tausig & Henselt
Wilhelm Von Lenz
Manufacturer: Kahn & Averill Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0900707771

The Letters of Franz Liszt, . from Paris to Rome: Years of Travel As a Virtuoso

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And more still on Franz Liszt! The letters!

The Letters of Franz Liszt, . from Paris to Rome: Years of Travel As a Virtuoso
Franz Liszt
Manufacturer: Dodo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1406503495

Customer Reviews:

And more still on Franz Liszt! The letters! .......2007-05-21

A few matters on this one: Yes, these letters are freely available on the internet at various website locations but then so are dictionaries [et al] where the convenience of a bound book can have its advantages and not to mention freebie versions copying and sorting issues. So too, if you get this one, you may wish to get the matching book which is entitled "From Rome to the End" and has 572 pages of further Liszt letters.

The translation is by Constance Bache and the Foreword is dated 1893. The name, or rather pen name of "La Mara", is actually Maria Lipsius who was responsible for various 'letters' and musical personality publications during that era.

I've often commented that a good way to better know and understand Franz Liszt is of course the many tomes written about him [the Dr. Alan Walker biographical trilogy being the 'standard' and 'definitive' Liszt in my opinion as well as Dr. Walker's other works on Liszt including the capstone 2005 "Reflections on Liszt" followed by those readily available diaries by Liszt's Weimar students [August Göllerich, Amy Fay, Carl Lachmund, Alexander Siloti and Arthur Friedheim, and not to forget the Lina Schmalhausen diary [a real eye opener that one! See my reviews on most of these tomes] and then, finally, the letters of Franz Liszt which cover a vast period of time but which are, in themselves, rather telling of the man, the master and the artist. And the era in which he lived with its noted personalities and various of which Liszt maintained long-term and/or lifetime friendships.

The man and his music have always fascinated me although when I play various of his pieces, keys wise anyway, well, knowing Liszt also had a facility for Latin as he did other languages, I find myself doing a sort of ad hoc mantra of "mea culpa" [! -- 'maxima' inclusive on the Hungarian Rhapsodies especially #2 and #6!] while considering myself fortunate that I was not sitting on the "hot seat" in Weimar for the master himself to begin talking about [if you know Liszt, you'll get my drift immediately!] .. the "conservatory" [!] not to mention that famous Liszt Weimar buzz-word expression which 'all' the students knew at once when Liszt referred to those "uninvited guests" [read: clinkers].

Doc Tony

The Virtuoso Liszt (New Perspectives in Music History and Criticism)

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The Virtuoso Liszt (New Perspectives in Music History and Criticism)
Dana Gooley
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521834430

Book Description

How does Franz Liszt's career compare when viewed from the perspective of European cultural history? This book examines how Liszt's contemporaries perceived and interpreted his significance. Dana Gooley explains why the cultural context of his concert career contributed to his unprecedented popularity and focuses on controversies provoked by Liszt in the press. Gooley includes many new insights about his highly original performing style.

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Virtuoso pieces for piano.
Mendelssohn F, Liszt F, Saint-Saens C, Smetana Bedrich, Rachmaninov Sergei. Weber Carl Maria von
Manufacturer: Muzyka (Moscow)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 5714000412

Virtuoso: The Life and Art of Niccolo Paganini, Franz Liszt, Anton Rubinstein, Ignace Jan Paderwski, Fritz Kreisler, Pablo Casls, Wanda Landowska, Vl

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Virtuoso: The Life and Art of Niccolo Paganini, Franz Liszt, Anton Rubinstein, Ignace Jan Paderwski, Fritz Kreisler, Pablo Casls, Wanda Landowska, Vl
Harvey Sachs
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0500012865

Keyboard Conversations: The Romance of the Piano

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Keyboard Conversations: The Romance of the Piano
Jeffrey Siegel
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
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ASIN: B000GIX9VS

The Virtuoso Liszt.(Book review) : An article from: Notes

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The Virtuoso Liszt.(Book review) : An article from: Notes
E. Douglas Bomberger
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Thomson Gale on March 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1253 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: The Virtuoso Liszt.(Book review)
Author: E. Douglas Bomberger
Publication: Notes (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 62 Issue: 3 Page: 713(3)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Franz Liszt Volume One The Virtuoso Years 1811-1847

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Franz Liszt Volume One The Virtuoso Years 1811-1847
Walker Alan
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UIA6RY

Franz Liszt, Volume One (1): The Virtuoso Years, 1811-1847 (ISBN: 039452540X)

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Franz Liszt, Volume One (1): The Virtuoso Years, 1811-1847 (ISBN: 039452540X)
Alan Walker
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf Publ.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NQNSVE

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Barely adequate book of concepts

Hang it up !

Buyer Beware...

A Waste of Money

Dictionary of terms

Chess Thinking: The Visual Dictionary of Chess Moves, Rules, Strategies and Concepts (Fireside Chess Library)
Bruce Pandolfini
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Beginning Chess: Over 300 Elementary Problems for Players New to the Game

ASIN: 0671795023

Customer Reviews:

Barely adequate book of concepts.......2005-12-21

This book contains an A to Z listing of chess terms, definitions, concepts, slang terminology, names of special checkmating positions, amongst other things.

I have the sense that this book was a hack job, slapped together in order to make a quick buck. (Look, writing chess books for a living is a tough job.) This book is adequate, but not much more than that.

I bought this book from the "remainder" section of my bookstore, and paid well beneath list price for this book. Had this book been sold at list price, I would not have bought it.

This book may very well be available at your local library. It's the type of book that would seem to fit the needs of a general library population. I would recommend inquiring at your library before buying this book.

'Chess Thinking' might be useful for beginners who are not conversant with chess terminology. Also reluctantly recommended for chess instructors (to have as a ready reference for students.)

Hang it up !.......2003-10-13

By now Mr Pandolfini must know that his chess playing skills and success as a chess coach will never carry over to his writing skills. He throws together random lines of useless material...gets it published by Fireside Chess Library and gets a nice paycheck...he has this down to a science. The purpose of his books is to transfer money from your pocket to his. If you don't agree with me, do a search of just his books here on Amazon and read the reviews.

If you click on my name you will get my personal information and see a recommended study list. I put together this list of books and software with only one thing in mind...to improve your game without wasting your money. If you want to get better at chess this list will give you the most bang for your buck.

Buyer Beware..........2002-01-04

The name is a bit deceptive to say the very least... More of a book explaining terms and filled with useless things... Maybe Pandolfini has a few good books, this is not one of them... Perhaps someone that is very new to the game could learn something from this... Yet they will not get better from or because of this book... If you want something with chess thinking this isnt the best book... Maybe Art of Attack, Art of Middlegame, Sorcerer's Apprentice, Zurich 1953, Advances Since Nimzo, Tal Life and Games and Botvinnik one hundred selected games... Would help you more with that aspect of the game just to name a few books... Well it is your money so if you wanna spend it on this book... Nobody is gonna stop you, just remember you were warned... Do not get this book thinking its gonna help you formulate an iron clad strategy... Nor that it will help your tactical or positional play... Basically all this will help is lesson your bank account... Perhaps waste some time of yours reading it as well...

A Waste of Money.......2001-12-25

Not one of the wisest investments in chess. Chess terms are learned through exposure and study. This book is unnecessary for chess players at any level. There are better chess books out there.

Dictionary of terms.......2000-03-20

Of all the chess strategies and tactical books out there it is so great that the average layman chess player who is not a "club Player" has a reference of terms and axioms used by the "royal" game society to be presented to the general public and the "society".Can you imagine trying to learn the english language without a dictionary.Well,this is a chess dictionary and I commend the author in an age of "strategies and tactics."(For the sake of sales)

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Really good information on present trends and their possible path for the next few years

Hospitality 2010: The Future of Hospitality and Travel
Marvin J. Cetron , Fredrick J. DeMicco , and Owen Davies
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Inside the Minds: The Hotel Business - Industry Leaders from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Orient-Express Hotels, Relais & Chateaux Association & More ... the Hospitality Industry (Inside the Minds)

ASIN: 0131475797

Book Description

This book explores “change” in the world, and assists hospitality and tourism leaders with forecasting these changes. The book looks at the current state of the industry and makes educated predictions as to the future of the lodging, cruise, restaurant, technology, and travel industries. Material features future forecasts, terrorism alerts to hospitality and tourism, trends for industry, the troubled airline industry, the cruise industry, and an annotated bibliography. For lodging, cruise, travel and restaurant industry executives.

Customer Reviews:

Really good information on present trends and their possible path for the next few years.......2006-06-09

There are many different kinds of books about future trends. Some talk about the future as some radical break from the present. These usually become dated quickly as the future ends up being a lot more like the present than the prediction. Think about the 1960s predictions of flying cars or world wide collapse by the 1980s. We are still driving internal combustion cars on highways and while there are terrible tragedies such as Rwanda, Ethiopia, and the Sudan, most people in the world are living better lives than their ancestors.

Other books on predictions look carefully at the present and what trends seem to be emerging. They then look at what factors might prefer one trend over the other and then make their predictions. Their predictions tend to be more near term than the books on vast and radical change. This book is of this kind.

The book consists of nine easy to read and informative chapters in two parts and five very helpful appendices as well as an index. The first part sets up the context for hospitality and is called "Common Concerns for the Hospitality Industry". The second part goes through the industry sector by sector and is sensibly called "Sector Forecasts".

The first chapter sets the stage by looking at the present situation in the world (the book looks at the global trends in hospitality). The reader gets a number of lists of countries on various trends in political stability, internal population, environment, education, crime, and more. The second chapter explains why these factors look positive for the future take off in hospitality. The authors see a coming strong world wide economic recovery with hospitality being one of the fastest growing sectors. They also see the growing use of Internet as a support for the growth of travel rather than people staying at home and communicating over the web instead. They believe the greater opportunities for global commerce through the Web will require more skilled workers who will have to be outsourced around the globe and will require travel to support more global operations.

Chapter three provides the reader with trends in security and business considerations in the age of terror. Security issues for persons and data will continue to grow. Most of their information is sound and practical. However, they saw oil staying stable at $25-$28 per barrel and prices above that as unsustainable. Oops.

Chapter four begins the sector forecasts. Chapter four talks about the expansion of tourism and chapter five is about business travel - MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions. Chapter six discusses the huge growth in the cruise industry while chapter seven discusses the troubled times ahead for the airlines. Chapter eight is of most interest to me because my company sells pre-screening assessment services in the hospitality industry and primarily to restaurants (yes, email me!). The news is pretty good for restaurants if you are going big or staying small. They see the mid-sized chains getting squeezed out. We shall see. The last chapter takes a brief look at decades to come.

Appendix A is an excellent look at 52 trends shaping the future. This deserves close reading and some time thinking about what they authors have to offer here. Appendix B provides some criteria you can use to evaluate national stability in any market you are thinking of. Appendix C lists Hospitality Associations and Publications with contact info - very valuable. And Appendix D lists college programs in hospitality with websites. Also useful.

These books never get the future right. They aren't really supposed to. What they are for is to help you see the present a little more clearly and maybe a present wave you can hop on to ride for awhile and to avoid getting swamped by another wave you didn't see.

Hospitality 2010: The Future of Hospitality and Travel

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Hospitality 2010: The Future of Hospitality and Travel
Marvin J.; Davies, Owen; DeMicco, Fred Cetron
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIJYHS

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