Book Description
A biography of Tennessee Williams' iconic play and the movie adaptation that launched Marlon Brando's career-and defined Vivien Leigh's-by the author of All About All About Eveand Close-Up On Sunset Boulevard. Exhaustively researched, witty and exuberantly opinionated, When Blanche Met Brandois everything a fan needs to know about the ground-breaking New York and London stage productions of Williams' 'Streetcar' as well as the classic Brando/ Leigh film directed by Elia Kazan. Sam Staggs' interviews with the living cast members of each production reveal for the first time details of how the play became a classic, and make this book satisfying as both a pop culture read and as a deeper piece of thinking about a well-known story.Fans will renew their curiosity about the connection between the role of Blanche and Viven Leigh's insatiable sexual appetite and later descent into breakdown. They may also-for the first time-question whether the character of Blanche was actually 'mad' or whether her supposed madness was symptomatic of another disorder. The chapter on censorship of the film reads like a thriller-and an indictment. Staggs' new book will fascinate fans and enrich newcomers' understanding of A Streetcar Named Desire's importance in American theater and movie history.
Customer Reviews:
I Have Always Depended on the Kindness of Good Writing.......2007-07-30
I was thrilled to discover a book dedicated entirely to the history of this seminal piece of theatre. Imagine my disappointment when I found the author constantly injecting himself into the proceedings and peppering his prose with cheesy "insights," mainly about Brando's sex appeal or catty tangents that don't further one's understanding of the play/film. The editors must have been asleep at the wheel on this one as the book hopscotches around and, sadly, gives short shrift to the actual writing of the play. Ultimately the title's promise of something "Scandalous" is never really delivered, aside from some scandalously bad writing. The upside to this book is that it is meticulously researched and does contain some revelatory moments, especially interviews with long-forgotten actors, designers and behind-the-scenes players that helped shape the legend of "Streetcar."
Still think about it sometimes.......2007-07-27
Having been in love with Tennessee Williams works, particularly a Streetcar Named Desire, this book was a thrill to read. A man who has obviously done his research covers every nuance of the play and film.
I am now proud to know how everything was produced, the stories behind everyone from the costumer to the producer to actors, and continue to recognize them in other films. He gives you a view of many many different Blanches and productions, as well as a through view of the most famous ones.
And unlike the Tennessee Williams bio. by Donald Spoto, it rejoices the play rather than tries to find the negative.
It is everything you wanted to know about the play and more. And all in all the author clearly demonstrates a love for the play, and all it's beautiful details.
What about the other Stanleys?.......2007-07-03
I enjoyed Sam Staggs' book about "Streetcar!" However, I didn't find it as thorough as his other books about "All About Eve" and "Sunset Boulevard." There were plenty of details about the Brando-Tandy & Brando-Leigh versions of "Streetcar," but hardly a mention of the Ralph Meeker and Anthony Quinn/Uta Hagen productions of "Streetcar...!" There was one humourous mention of Judith Evelyn as Blanche, but I would have been more interested in hearing about these two versions rather than all the other operatic and various foreign productions of "Streetcar"!
a good ride .......2007-05-09
i enjoy sam staggs retelling of history. it is so obvious that he loves the films he researches. and it's just as obvious that he's a gay as a bunch of purple tulips!
i read through this book a good three times because the amount of research and interaction with the information is so dense that you just don't catch all of it the first time.
which film is next in his lexicon--'the women'--of course!
Reads like confessions of a culture vulture, volume 3........2006-09-19
I don't want to be harsh, but here goes.
'Exhaustively researched' is accurate, given the bibliography he consulted and referenced whatever he could mine from a daunting pile of works. One is grateful it all seems to be compiled in one volume but in the end was it necessary?
Staggs can't help but butt in with his personal opinions and unfounded speculation every now and again and you know he is scraping the bottom of the barrel when he starts obssesively listing every actress who ever played Blanche, tried on her costume or even contemplated playing Blanche, any headline that was ever printed that used the phrase 'kindness of strangers' and perhaps the most pitiful excuse ever to keep going with the topic, going so far as to invent backstage gossip.
I don't know if this amounts to a whole pile of beans or not, but you do feel that he took the lazy tabloid route and picked the film to pieces looking for scandal that wasn't really there. The author sheepishly admits as much. There have been brilliant assessments of Streetcar that have appraised the play, the social undercurrents and madness which inspired it, and it's impact to the public. Don't look for it here. This book doesn't have this solid foundation of academic scholarship or critique. It's thesis is mere curiosity. It's more of a complete idiots guide that goes in all directions rather than an studied annotation. Maybe it is simply that the story of putting Streetcar out on film isn't as fascinating as Gone With the Wind (see the excellent 'Scarlett, Rhett and a Cast of Thousands) but still there is good stuff there, only it might have come off better had the material been given more thought and placed in context.
With regards to Vivien Leigh, not much is actually said. Of course she did have a mental breakdown afterwards but Staggs completely misses how dangerously close she came into the psyche of Blanche in real life, or why. Likewise no assessment of Brando, and his interpretation of Stanley other than he might have wanted to bed Leigh (but then, what man wouldn't?) . The book seems to run out of steam after the intial foray into the shooting schedule. Even Tenessee Williams creative role is glossed over.
It seems inevitable the reader will, by the end, finish by sighing 'so what?' I know I did. It's an exhausting and dare I say it, in the end, pointless read. I kind of prefer my stories to have at least a moral to them. In then end it's All About Staggs Desire To Know Everything About Streetcar than anything else.
This is the third of an apparent series. Perhaps Staggs will keep going on a fourth? What next.. Lolita?
Product Description
An extremely well-written method for 20-key, German-style concertina. One of the best books of its kind available. Written in the key of C.
Customer Reviews:
For new concertina players.......2007-05-22
This book is a godsend. There are no teachers in my area and I couldn't figure it out. It explains everything so clearly, I was doing scales in no time. He adds one new thing at a time. I'm about 2/3 of the way through and I'm playing chords! It sounds like real music and everyone has been amazed how fast I've progressed. Thanks again! It's great!
Excellent beginners concertina instruction.......2007-05-12
I bought a 20 button concertina and wanted to learn to play it. I saw some good reviews so decided to buy this book.
I can read music so had no problems, but there is a quick guide to music reading if you are new to it. Each piece of music also has the button number above each note which makes things easier for the beginner.
Music varies between beginners 'standards' like Clementine to easy arrangements from classical music.
I have now played 20 minutes per day for 2 months and I'm ready for the next level and a new book.
Good stuff.......2006-11-10
Exactly what I wanted. I've never played a concertina, just an accordion, and they are set up differently. I didn't know how to begin. This book is simple and straightforward. And it has traditional tunes for my puppet shows. I highly recommend it for beginners
Mel Bay's Deluxe Concertina Book.......2006-07-31
A very good book for the beginning player. I rate it about equal with the Best Concertina Method--yet, by Bob Kail. It would help to have more book-recordings, especially of American folk songs, such as Shenandoah and popular songs like You Are Always in My Heart; slow numbers to get started.
Major errors.......2004-11-30
I was trying to use the fingering chart at the beginning to convert some music to concertina and found errors. For example, it shows left hand 9 push as being both b and c. I've come across a couple of other errors, so I wonder how many there are in the book.
Book Description
Easy instructions with over 250 new and old melodies with fingerings; 17 with words; three for both hands; and two easy songs with piano.
Customer Reviews:
Not the BEST!.......2007-01-03
The best? Only in the eyes of the author, I believe. This book is confusing for the beginner and advanced players as well. The song selections for the most part are unknown to anyone other than British pub crawlers or fans of sea shanty music. THe exercises are hard and confusing. I took this book to my music teacher and he laughed and called it drivvel! He said only an accomplished concertina player could follow this book and not to use it for lessons.
Customer Reviews:
Incomplete even for beginners.......2005-05-11
This book is a compilation of many many songs, written only as a single line melody. It would be useful to simply become familiar with the position of the buttons, but that's all(nothing about which fingers to use, etc.). It was a real waste of money for me-----better to pick out melodies you know ("by ear"), but if you're unfamiliar with written music, I suppose you could learn a little about that.
Awesome book!!!.......2001-06-17
I bought this book when I started out playing the sax and love it! This is a great book to have. Every serious player should have one. It's worth the money ~Chris
Product Description
This book starts at rock bottom by answering the question, "What is an Anglo concertina?" Mick describes the differences found from one Anglo to another, teaches you to play the common scales, and starts with simple tunes before attempting slightly more advanced ones. Mick also has a small useful section on maintenance. This book is written for the C/G Anglo concertina, which is the most common.
Book Description
The first complete guide to playing the English Concertina. Takes the beginner, step by step, to the point where he is able to play famous folk melodies. Easy-to-follow text illustrated by clear diagrams.
Customer Reviews:
Lost Without It.......2007-05-13
very well written. had never seen a concertina up close let alone play one. had me playing tunes in a week.
A Very Good Place for the Rank Amateur to Begin.......2005-09-26
I have been teaching myself to play the English concertina, and in the course of doing so I have acquired a number of tutors, including this one, Alistair Anderson's "Concertina Workshop," Dick Mile's "The Concise English Concertina," and Allan Atlas's "Contemplating the Concertina."
Each has their strengths, but in the beginning, I always found myself returning to this short, 24-page work. Why? Because every one of the tunes included I could actually play, and each has taught me something new.
The book begins with a well illustrated, six-page introduction to the English concertina, which nods at the history of the instrument and carefully explains the difference between English, Anglo and Duet concertinas. A fingering chart is provided, which is not only a useful reference but which may help you figure out whether you have a tenor or treble English concertina.
Next are four pages of "Diagrams Showing How to Play the Scales." I skipped most of this the first time through, but now that I've progressed, it's useful.
Finally, we reach an annotated "Selection of Tunes and Song Accompaniments," which contains the music in both regular and labeled-button form (rather as guitar music often has chord symbols above the music, only for the concertina one is told whether it is a right-side or left-side button, R or L, along with its positional number).
These songs are manageable for the beginner and are fun to play. They are: The "Winster Gallop" in the key of C, "The British Grenadiers," "The Man in the Moon" (one of my favorites), "The Week Before Easter*," "The Dorset Four-Hand Reel" (which is a joy to play), "Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl*," "Planxty Irwin," "John Barleycorn*," "Adieu, Sweet Lovely Nancy*," "Jockey to the Fair," "Off She Goes," and "Lord Franklin*." Note: The selections above that I've starred include words as well as music.
The last page of the book covers basic "Care and Maintenance of the Concertina" and includes a brief section on "Where to Go from Here."
Another good thing about this book, technically, is that the music and words are large enough to read with ease, even for those of us with presbyopia. Alistair Anderson's otherwise-excellent tutor has type and music that is only half the size!
All-in-all, this has been the English Concertina with which I've spent the most time and which has helped me most in getting started.
Not very good, I'm afraid.......2002-08-09
There are much better tutors for the English concertina out there than this, although it has to be said that these would have to be bought from the UK ...This reads to me like something knocked up in a weekend in order to earn a few bob from Hohner.
Dr. Steve's Review of Handbook for English Concertina.......2001-05-31
The Handbook for English Concertina, by Roger Watson, is elementary, and takes you from the very introductory elements of first finding the notes positionally, and guides you through the scales one by one.
If you are a complete novice, as I was you will find this to be a great place to start. Having some musical background will enable you to play the songs in the this guide on a piano, or piano accordion and hear what they sound like. The book is simple, to the point, and certainly a marvelous place to begin the study of the English concertina. It is a short book, which in some respects is good - you know that you will reach completion in a short period of time giving you a feeling of achievement. TRY IT - YOU'LL LIKE IT!
Book Description
A complete guide to playing this instrument. Takes the beginner from the first notes to famous folk melodies. Easy-to-follow text with clear diagrams.
Customer Reviews:
Its a Concertina Book.......2007-02-25
As someone who owns a copy of just about every concertina book you could find, this is middle of the road.
I actualy bought it for the 2 pages of chords, since I own a 30 button anglo. But it give a bit of insight into cords for the 20 button also if you understand chord composition.
But if your looking for a book to help you learn to play the concertina, I wouldnt start with this one.
Too Thin and The Title Is Inaccurate.......2001-09-24
This book is priced as it is, I assume, due to the obscurity of the subject matter. There are several pages, outlining the history of the concertina, some tips on playing and concertina care, which one can find on the Web for free.
There are two pages of useful chord diagrams. These are only useful if you play the 30 button Anglo. Those of us (beginners) who purchased a (cheaper) 20 button are out of luck on those. The same can be said about the fingering chart provided.
Therefore, I think he should have titled this thin tome, "Handbook for the 30 Button Anglo-Chromatic Concertina".
Then, there are 10 songs printed out. One can do better than that, especially for songs in the public domain.
If someone is serious about finding tunes, they can be found in various web pages or in actual compilations of music that have more songs than this one. Given that concertinas are used for folk songs, one can find large compilations of tunes in the public domain. Also, one can just learn to play by ear.
Book Description
America's soaring prison population is separated from the outside world by the Concertina, the rigid spirals of razor wire that top the high chain-link fences of state and federal penitentiaries. For nearly two decades, educator Jan Walker crossed this line at medium and maximum correctional facilities to teach adult felons who had committed such crimes as murder, rape, assault, drug-related offenses, and child sexual abuse.
In this beautifully crafted and moving memoir, Walker takes the reader inside the Concertina, offering a window on the unique rhythms of living and working in the isolated and harsh prison environment. She shares her striking experiences as a correctional teacher of innovative parenting and family courses, including a controversial class on how to parent from a distance, and as the coordinator of a pioneering program on personal and social responsibility. In stirring and intimate prose, Walker weaves together the true stories of male and female inmates with reflections on her own life and career to reveal the challenges, rewards, and emotional toll of her work. Through Walker's eyes, one sees her students not as hardened criminals, but as human beings struggling to survive behind bars, to reconsider their choices and behavior, to learn new skills, and to reconnect with their children. Walker's profound commitment to helping offenders rebuild their lives, as well as to preparing them for the return home to their families and communities, is evident as she relates how she coped with political and philosophical turmoil in the prison system, confrontational attitude from both inmates and corrections officers, moments of despair and doubt, and encounters with tough-on-crime taxpayers who berated her for wasting public monies to teach "scumbags, street rats, human garbage."
At a time when budget cuts threaten programs such as those taught by Walker, these dramatic stories show that education does make a difference in a prisoner's rehabilitation and successful reintegration in society.
Customer Reviews:
A Must-Read For Educators, Taxpayors & Every Tax-Spender.......2004-07-13
Jan Walker expertly articulates her experiences providing vital education in two of Washington State's prisons, but the worth of her writing goes much deeper. She is a candid guide through the current cultural minefield of crime and corrections. Our society is vocally tough on crime, locking up more people for longer sentences than ever. But without an opportunity for education, character development, spiritual maturing, employable skills and family healing, prisons are underfunded warehouses reinforcing the very values nobody wants released to their neighborhoods. Walker's work at McNeil Island Correctional Center left footprints on men's hearts and their children's lives. My husband and I know this, although we have never met her and were unfamiliar with the entire scope of her work until reading this book. Nonetheless we currently strive to continue what she started at McNeil. Are we, and Walker, "soft on crime and criminals'? No. Like her, and countless dedicated educators across the nation, we believe that families, and especially children, do time with each convicted felon. Anything we can do to ignite understanding, change destructive family patterns and promote generational healing is of benefit to our society as a whole. Jan Walker's memoir is authentic and insightful. I wish every legislator in our country was required to read it... and take a test.
Average customer rating:
|
Baby Farm Animals (Concertina Books)
Martine Blaney
Manufacturer: Happy Cat Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Board Books
| Baby-3
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Zoology
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1899248110 |
Customer Reviews:
For Die-Hard Fans Only!.......2003-01-07
This very slender book is not a bad afternoon read, but ultimately it fails in what it attempts to do.
The author himself comes off as pompous and disengaging, as his "trivia" book is little more than a brief collection of personal opinions of his favorite Christmas Carol versions. These thinly veiled reviews lack the calibre of even your local TV Guide synopses. The only real trivia examples here are in classroom style question-exercises included at the end of each chapter! While I have no problem with this, the author postures himself as the true expert on A Christmas Carol with no real exposition as to why said versions are his favorite! I am giving it three stars, though, as the subject matter remains enjoyable no matter how clumsily presented.
Also worth noting- The recent Patrick Stewart version is omitted from this collection. Sacrilege!
Highly Enjoyable.......2002-10-30
What a fun book to read. I love 'A Christmas Carol,' and this book puts everything 'Carol' right at your fingertips. For the most part, I agree with much of what the author says, but I feel that 'An American Christmas Carol' and 'Scrooged' deserve higher ratings. I also prefer the George C. Scott version above all others.
This book is broken down so the reader will not only be able to read about the many different film versions of a 'Carol' that have been released, but the cartoon, television, and even the original book version is reviewed as well. An example of what I learned is that I had no idea that there was a version starring Sir Seymour Hicks filmed back in 1935 until I read about it in this book. I then searched out and found a (rather poor, unfortunately) copy of THAT version. There is also a small biography of Mr. Dickens, so the reader will understand where many of his ideas for his novels came from.
The writing style is quick, informative (LOTS of trivia and pictures throughout!), and upbeat.
I don't know if this has been updated to include the Patrick Stewart version or not, as I purchased this book back in '97. I will definitely pick up a revised copy should one become available.
A great bathroom book!
God bless us, Every one !.......2000-06-10
If you're a Fan of Dickens Christmas Carol, like I am, you might enjoy this book.
It has Chapters on Dickens, the story and it's creation and the many Film, T.V, and Cartoon versions. I don't agree with the author that the movie Scrooged is so avfull, I'm not saying it's a Great movie But I found it quite Funny actually.
But apart from that this is a Fun Book to read around Christmas time when you have reeread Christmas Carol, watched all your Christmas Carol Videos, stuffed yourself full of Marsipan, Chocolate and Sherry and been visited by the Ghost of Christmas past.
SARAH E GEORGE.......1999-03-19
i enjoyed reading this book as it shows a change in a mans heart. The book has a lot of humor in it and is understood by people of all ages you can read it time and time again and never get board. I like the way he sees things in a differend view after he had a visit from the three spirits.
Book Description
This comprehensive companion volume to the bestselling ASTD Training and Development Handbook (Craig, ed.) helps trainers design classroom, self-study, or technology-based training programs. Delivering the latest information on how adults learn best and human performance technology, it shows trainers how to prepare lesson plans, create visual aids, and deliver highly memorable presentations.
Download Description
Written by experts working with the nation's leading training organization, this book is a treasure trove of information for trainers on how to go about designing a training program, gathering content, finding subject matter experts, determining what fits your training needs, and much more.
Customer Reviews:
Covers all the basics.......2004-12-08
This book is highly useful for anyone trying to get an exact sense of how the training industry views itself, its purpose and its standard operating procedures.
Disappointed.......2003-03-12
I finishing my PhD in Cognitive Psychology, and I am new to the field of training. My purpose in reading training books is to discover whether or not I would like to pursue being a trainer, or at the very least use the information to help me in my current field. So, you can take my opinion with a grain of salt.
I know that ASTD is the big professional association for trainers, so I was surprised and disappointed in the limited usefulness of a book sponsored by them.
Other books present design and delivery in a more thorough manner. You can skim this book in a few minutes and get the key points. Whether this is entirely due to the lack of substantive content or due to the book's format is debatable, but I am thinking more the former than the latter.
The key points that are useful are not adequately backed up by sufficient supporting detail or research. I don't think the "Delivery" part should necessarily be backed up by research, but the "Design" part surely should. I would like to know why the techniques they suggest should work and how cognitive processes relate to those techniques. But my thinking that this is important may be more due to my own background, rather than a real flaw of the book. However, even if that is true, I have found other books that do give sufficient supporting detail and/or research.
The other books I recommend instead of this one are:
- Beyond the Podium by Rossett
- Developing Training Courses by Hassell-Corbiell
- Web-Based Training by Horton
- Multimedia for Learning: Methods and Development by Alessi and Trollip
- Building Expertise by Clark
A Classic Reference for all Training Preofessionals.......2002-02-10
A quick reference for all things related to Training Design & delivery. However, the coverage is surprisingly deep and some of the chapters are all you'll ever need to know about the topic.
Whether you want an overall picture of Training Design & Delivery or a beginner on his/her first steps and even when you become an expert, you'll find yourself referring to this book again and again.
The Handbook is divided into three section;
1) Instructor Based - Covers such topics as instructional systems design, using technology and games during training and evaluating training programs.
2) Design & delivery of Technology Based Training - If you want a more comprehensive coverage of e-learning, then you should refer to the newly published 'Handbook of e-learning.' However, this section remains quite valuable since it covers some of the other media.
3) Design & delivery of Self Directed Training - If they will learn on their own, then these are all the resources and tools you will need.
This Handbook, together with the 'ASTD Handbook of Training & Development' are essential reference for all Training & Development professionals. I predict that they will also be joined by the 'ATSD Handbook of e-learning' quite soon!
Books:
- Who's Who in Hollywood: The Largest Cast of International Film Personalities Ever Assembled
- Why Arnold Matters: The Rise of a Cultural Icon
- Why We Write: Personal Statements and Photographic Portraits of 25 Top Screenwriters
- Wim Wenders: On Film: Essays and Conversations
- Yellow Crocodiles And Blue Oranges: Russian Animated Film Since World War two
- 1999 Big Movie and TV Songs
- A Short History of the Movies
- A Youth in Babylon: Confessions of a Trash-Film King
- Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (Universal Filmscripts Series Classic Comedies, Vol 1) (Universal Filmscripts Series Classic Comedies, Vol 1)
- Accidentally on Purpose: Reflections on Life, Acting and the Nine Natural Laws of Creativity
Books Index
Books Home
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- Wiley Cpa Examination Review, 1998-1999: Problems and Solutions
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All About All About Eve: The Complete Behind-the-Scenes Story of the Bitchiest Film Ever Made!
Close-up on Sunset Boulevard: Billy Wilder, Norma Desmond, and the Dark Hollywood Dream
A Streetcar Named Desire (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Female Brando: The Legend of Kim Stanley
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