Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins: The Autobiography

Book Description

An element of drama has always attended Rupert Everett, even before he first rose to fame with his outstanding performance in Another Country. He has spent his life surrounded by extraordinary people, and has witnessed extraordinary events. He was in Moscow during the fall of communism; in Berlin the night the wall came down; and at home in downtown Manhattan on September 11th. By the age of seventeen he was friends with Andy Warhol and Bianca Jagger, and since then he has been up close and personal with some of the most famous women in the world: Julia Roberts, Madonna, Sharon Stone, and Donatella Versace. Whether sweeping the stage for the Royal Shakespeare Company or costarring with Faye Dunaway and an orangutan in Dunstan Checks In (they both took ages to get ready), Rupert Everett always brings as much energy and talent to his life as he does to his career. Who else has lived in Paris with Beatrice Dalle, modelled for Versace and Valentino, been possessed by the spirit of Anthony Perkins, and played bridge with Christopher Isherwood? A superb raconteur and a keen observer of human folly (especially his own), Rupert Everett turns his life into a captivating story of love, nostalgia, fame, glamour, gossip, and drama. From the eccentricities of the British upper classes to the madness of Hollywood, from the Russian steppes to an Easter egg hunt in Elizabeth Taylor's garden, Everett reveals himself as a consummate storyteller and a charming guide to life lived in the fast lane.

Customer Reviews:

Good But Not As Exciting As I Thought.......2007-09-22

This book was pitched to me as a scathing tell-all. Actually it reads more like snippets here and there from Everett's life. Certainly he has a way of telling a story and there are a few humorous moments as well. If you've read his novels you should know that his style doesn't change when talking about his own life. It is an interesting read if not completely entertaining.

What a life, so far!.......2007-08-23

Rupert Everett came to me via his movies. Since the first movie I saw him in, he's charmed me completely. He's divine, totally appealing, and adorable beyond belief. Then I read this book. Well, I was taken by surprise to discover how well he writes, given his lack of interest in formal education and shenanigans he's pulled at the expense of education. Yet he also has had the good sense to not only experience what life has to offer, and then some, and then some more, but he seems to have learned something from every experience he's had thusfar, which impressed me. I found his book shocking, funny, sad, unbelievable, fascinating, beautifully worded, and it was a real treat to read. I am even more fascinated by him now than before. To say he is a complex individual would be a gross understatement. His depth and shallowness and understanding and broad-mindedness and ability to experience and digest life is incredible. There may not be enough adjectives to describe Rupert Everett and how he lives his incredible life. This book is a wild ride of fantastic characters and unbelievable situations that requires an open mind and good sense of humor. I loved it and plan to read more from the well-written Rupert!

Is that all there is?.......2007-08-18

To judge from this book, between his occasional acting jobs, Rupert Everett met a lot of famous people, got very drunk, and indulged in anything (or anyone) offered to him. There are enough names dropped to fill several memoirs, and so many of them became "close friends" that I ended up wondering if Everett, like Louis XIV, never spent a single moment alone. He "adores" everyone and they presumably adore him; he finally sums it up himself when he says that in his circle, most friends don't last more than 5 minutes. He seems to have been constantly in motion as he collected all these best friends in far-flung corners of the world, and it's easy to lose track of the who/what/why/when of the book.

Everett is an experienced writer (though his novels barely get a passing mention)and he writes well. His descriptions of people and places are precise, witty and evocative. But the anecdotes are too practiced and embellished, well polished for talk shows and dinner parties, and I didn't believe half the book really happened in such well-formed anecdotes. He is at his best describing the backstage warfare of the theater and the hothouse atmosphere of a film set, but his frequent refrain of "back then" or "in those days" made me think the novelist was at work, painting a world of generations ago, not a decade or two.

The ultimate test of an autobiograpy is the picture that emerges of the author. Everett comes across as glib, self-indulgent, and at times unprofessional. We learn nothing of his inner life. As a member of the "just do it" school, he has nothing to say about the craft of acting, a job he aspired to from childhood, and with a couple of exceptions we don't even learn the names of the people he was intimately attached to, which is to say sleeping with for protracted periods of time. He doesn't dwell much on the loss of friends to AIDS and is at times a little flippant in discussing it. He seems more upset over the demise of the South Beach party scene, and the only time he expresses true human emotion is when his dog dies.

I have nothing against Rupert Everett; in fact, I like him on screen and I respect him for being openly gay even when it hurt his career. But his book simply shows how far good looks, celebrity, and knowing the right people can carry someone in our gossip-crazy world. I thought he was better than this.

Great reading for other reasons than the celeb-gossip.......2007-07-28

I've never had any particular opinion of Rupert Everett. Ok - I admit I bought this book partly because I wanted a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Hollywood lifestyle. But Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins actually has got so much more. To my opinon (with English being my second language) it's very well written with a very developed use of words and language. Sometimes to the extent that I first suspect there has been a ghost writer involved. But as the reading goes on I find that's probably not the case and the suspicion might have more to do with me underestimating the author. Everett brilliantly manages to describe his own life against a background of larger historic events which gives the book an extra dimension that elevates the reading experience considerably. Sometimes it can be hard to believe that he recollects events from ages ago in such detail and hence one suspects there are a few exaggerations here and there. But on the other hand that's common in all storytelling and is sometimes necessary to make the reading more capturing. A few times during the reading I thought he got a bit over-long in his descriptions. But that does not diminish an overall great reading experience. In the end I think the book actually gives a pretty truthful image of the person Rupert Everett and his very interesting life so far.

Will The Real Rupert Everett Please Stand Up............2007-07-07

Fasinating..... Mr. Everett is an author of the top drawer. His story may be true/or not, however it is very interesting and intertaining. A good summer read. I hope he writes more books that are as enjoyable.

Average customer rating:

not quite what I expected
bad rating for the book not the seller!!!
Good Book!
Great fun
Hopping fun! It will take you back to your playground days.

Anna Banana: 101 Jump Rope Rhymes
Joanna Cole
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0688088090

Book Description

How many times can you jump rope? This rhyme makes the game of rope jumping even more fun. It's a counting rhyme, and there are lots of others like it. There are also red-hot pepper rhymes for jumping very fast, and rhymes for jumping in and out of the rope. There are even fortune-telling rhymes that answer questions and help you predict the future!

The rhymes in this book began as a way to keep the rhythm while jumping rope, but they also lent poetry and humor to the game. Here are over one hundred traditional rhymes that will make rope jumping challenging and, best of all, fun.

Customer Reviews:

not quite what I expected.......2007-05-14

The advertising copy suggests that this is a set of jump rope rhymes set at a pace that is appropriate for jumproping. But they aren't rhymes, they are songs, and they don't all have a strong beat, so they aren't ideal for jumproping to. It is a plenty-fun set of songs for kids, but the advertising is misleading.

bad rating for the book not the seller!!!.......2007-03-08

The book came as described in excellent shape and arrived quickly.
I hate the book though. The rhymes are not very good. Just a few variations of words but nothing to really jump rump for a long period of time to. I was hoping for some of the playground rhymes I can't remember from childhood. It seemed like somebody just wrote down some words that sorta rhymed but had no reason.

Good Book!.......2007-02-13

My daughter enjoyed this book.I do wish it had some color in its illustrations.Fast shipping!!!!!!!

Great fun.......2000-06-11

For anyone who jumped rope a great deal (this excludes me) or swung the rope while others jumped (this includes me), this book is sure to have some favorite rhymes. As such, it is an interesting way to initiate cross-generational discussions - jump-rope rhymes are school yard folklore with astounding staying power. The book is also useful as a way to encourage young "couch potatoes" to get a bit of time outside with requiring outside to be a large space.

Of course, the best way to use the book is simply to enjoy it.

Hopping fun! It will take you back to your playground days........2000-05-03

What great fun to be reminded of the jump rope rhymes of my youth. And even greater fun to share them with my daughter. I hope you enjoy this collection of rhymes as much as we do.

Average customer rating:

Pretentious and Boring
Great little book with two stories you will love
Twin Souls

Kitchen (A Black cat book)
Banana Yoshimoto
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0802142443

Book Description

With the publication of Kitchen, the dazzling English-language debut that is still her best-loved book, the literary world realized that Yoshimoto was a young writer of enduring talent whose work has quickly earned a place among the best of contemporary Japanese literature. Kitchen is an enchantingly original book that juxtaposes two tales about mothers, love, tragedy, and the power of the kitchen and home in the lives of a pair of free-spirited young women in contemporary Japan. Mikage, the heroine, is an orphan raised by her grandmother, who has passed away. Grieving, Mikage is taken in by her friend Yoichi and his mother (who is really his cross-dressing father) Eriko. As the three of them form an improvised family that soon weathers its own tragic losses, Yoshimoto spins a lovely, evocative tale with the kitchen and the comforts of home at its heart.

In a whimsical style that recalls the early Marguerite Duras, "Kitchen" and its companion story, "Moonlight Shadow," are elegant tales whose seeming simplicity is the ruse of a very special writer whose voice echoes in the mind and the soul.

Customer Reviews:

Pretentious and Boring.......2007-09-06

Overly verbose and try-too-hard quirky. I didn't like it, although it came highly recommended by a couple of friends. I'll try re-reading it.

Great little book with two stories you will love.......2007-07-23

Kitchen has two stories within the cover. The first is the book's title, called Kitchen, and is a wonderful but sad story. Two people, the surviving members of two family, coming together to make a new family. It is a story of love, memories and, well, kitchens. The second, smaller story called Moonlight Shadow is a simple story about love lost, love remembered and, in the end, about moving on with one's life.

Twin Souls.......2006-11-29

When my friend Mini sent me this gift, I wanted to immediately loose myself in the pages. I kept thinking it was truly a book I would want to read all in one sitting. I wanted to curl up on a couch and have my two cats sleeping at my feet and how right I was!

Once I started reading, (my husband sound asleep, cats sleeping at my feet, and the house deathly quiet except for the quiet humming of the refrigerator), I was immediately drawn into Mikage Sakurai's world.

Banana Yoshimoto uses luscious descriptions of food and kitchens. She describes people and places with such poignancy, you truly feel connected to them. Her thoughts burst onto each page with such honesty, you cannot help but fall in love with her innocent, charming writing style.

There are life and death issues in "Kitchen," we can all relate to. Her evocative writing will fill you with nostalgia for some of the cooking spaces you have perhaps left behind. Mostly I love my grandmother's kitchen best. The familiar creak of the oven door, the scooting sound of the chairs as we sit for a cup of tea, and the racks of cookbooks patiently waiting on the shelves. To imagine this kitchen without my grandmother was to imagine the entire house without a soul, without love, and without peace.

This is the emotion Mikage feels as she sleeps on the floor in her grandmother's kitchen. After loosing her grandmother, Mikage is lost, lonely and depressed. Her soul longs for the comfort of another soul who can understand her torment. She feels as though death surrounds her and she cannot escape.

For a time she finds happiness with Yuichi, who knew her grandmother well. He is living with his mother Eriko. Mikage goes to live with them until she can learn to handle her emotions.

Yuichi's girlfriend is not impressed, even though the relationship is purely platonic on the surface. Deep within their souls they are soon to become twins, bearing the scars of a common life experience.

Banana Yoshimoto's writing is fresh, real and casts a spell on the reader. I would have preferred the book to end on page 105. She does truly seize hold of your heart and I wanted the book to either end or I wanted one more chapter in place of Moonlight Shadow.

I found the second book did not belong with the beautiful yet somewhat unfinished story of Yuichi and Mikage. I think you will agree. In fact, I suggest that when you get to page 105, you close the book and come back later to read the second story.

I find her writing to be most inspirational when she has fully developed her characters. To truly appreciate this book, you must love food and kitchens, that is the magic.

~The Rebecca Review

Fannie Flagg's Original Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook: Featuring : Fried Green Tomatoes, Southern Barbecue, Banana Split Cake, and Many Other Great Recipes

Average customer rating:

thumb's up for Fannie Flagg
Down-to-earth recipes
Fun to read and fun to cook from
Bull
This is 'THE' Down Home Cooking Companion

Fannie Flagg's Original Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook: Featuring : Fried Green Tomatoes, Southern Barbecue, Banana Split Cake, and Many Other Great Recipes
Fannie Flagg
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0449910288
Release Date: 1995-09-11

Book Description

"IT'LL MAKE FOR SOME MIGHTY FINE EATING."
--Fort Worth Star Telegram
After the tremendous success of her novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, and the beloved movie that followed, author Fannie Flagg received thousands of requests from all over the world asking for recipes from the little cafe of her Alabama childhood that was the model for the cafe in her novel. Now, she joyfully shares those recipes, in what may well be the first cookbook ever written by a satisfied customer rather than a cook! Inside you'll find wonderful recipes for:
* Skinless Fried Chicken * Pork Chops with Apples and Sweet Potatoes * Baked Ham and Pineapple Rings * Baked Turkey with Traditional Cornbread Dressing * Black-eyed Peas * Fried Okra * Creamed Onions * Broccoli Casserole * Southern Cream Gravy * Fried Catfish * Scalloped Oysters * Down Home Crab Cakes * Beaten Biscuits * Corn Pones * Lemon Ice Box Pie * Kentucky Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie * And much more!
The recipes in Fannie Flagg's Original Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook are all for delicious hearty happy food that comes with all sorts of things, from gravies to hot sauces (very often the secret's in the sauce). But most of all this food, and this book, comes with love.
"If you liked her novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, and if you liked the movie they made from that novel, you'll like this cookbook....It's funny, just like Flagg."
--Richmond Times-Dispatch
"Recommended...All the traditional dishes are here, along with the author's irreverent, irresistible commentary on Southern cooking and culture."
--Library Journal

Customer Reviews:

thumb's up for Fannie Flagg.......2007-03-23

She has captured the flavor of many dishes from my childhood!!

Down-to-earth recipes.......2007-01-23

Down-to-earth recipes, with easy to follow directions, have made this cookbook one of my favorites. No fancy names or haute cusine -- just good home cooking. Perfect for those who have a "meat and potatoes" family like mine.

Fun to read and fun to cook from.......2007-01-03

The stories are great and the recipes are down home and delicious.

Bull.......2006-08-01

Anyone who thinks southerners eat this stuff is another one. They eat fast food, macaroniandcheese and other prepared stuff. Also and extrawise, I gather from some of the reviewers that this food, contrarytofactwise if they DID eat it, is better than Yankee food. No. Food has gotten better in this country, to be positive for once. Except DownSouth.
DownSouth, you eat in ethnic restaurants. Just like in England.

This is 'THE' Down Home Cooking Companion.......2006-07-13

I have bought a ton of cookbooks and this one has got to be my favorite. When you want comfort food, this is the book. I have now made a lot of the recipies and they are all perfect. Their smothered hamburger steak with gravy and onions is our favorite at the moment. It is better than any restaurant I have been to. The stove top cooked pot roast melts in your mouth. The banana pudding was the favorite of a family reunion. I now have to make it and take it to every occasion. It makes a huge pan though so beware. You also no longer have to 'guess' on the amount of flour to use to make gravy. I grew up making buttermilk biscuits and cream gravy. This book has it it all. The pancakes are better than IHOP. I am also buying this book for friends and newlyweds. Oh, just one more thing. This is not a low fat, low calorie book. But who cares? When you want comfort food, you want the good stuff!

Average customer rating:

A Wonderful Book!
Appealing to the curiosity in every child
not what i expected
Opps!
A rollicking story of fun

Once Upon a Banana
Jennifer Armstrong
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689842511

Book Description

Such a little banana causing such a big pile of trouble! How could it be? First the grocer, then the painter, next the bicycle messenger, and then -- oh, no -- not the baby in the carriage! An entire town turned upside down, all by a banana peel!

Caldecott Medal-winning artist David Small and award-winning author Jennifer Armstrong have created a roller-coaster ride of a picture book told in rhyming street signs that will tickle and delight readers from beginning to end and over and over again.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Book!.......2007-09-05

I go to the library every week and check out as many books as the library will let me to share with my daughters ages six and two. I carefully go through the shelves book by book and choose ones that look interesting and age appropriate. Every once in awhile, I stumble on a book that stands out from the rest. This was one of those books. I saw this one and thought it looked cute and put it in the bag. After I got home and had the chance to sit down and really look at it, I felt like I had discovered a hidden treasure. The story, told all in pictures, is so fun and entertaining I fell in love with it. It is the kind of book you can look at over and over and discover things you missed each time. I am adding this to my list of all time favorite kids books. The author and artist have come up with such a clever and fun story, I wish I could tell them personally what a great work they have done. I highly recommend sharing this book with a little one in your life. My girls loved it!

Appealing to the curiosity in every child.......2007-07-17

Given the scarcity of time most parents are able to eek out with their children today, how we spend that time is all the more important. Tucking away in a corner with a good book and a child is bliss, especially when the child is actually interested and tuned in to the book at hand. Once Upon a Banana is a perfect book for any person over one. Recently a barely two year old and I spent 20 minutes enjoying the insightful detail of David Small's wonderful drawings. We pointed out all that was going on, and followed the various characters as they tumbled through the pages. The monkey became an instant highlight, and she searched for him on every page. I notice that the trend seems to peg this book at the 4 to 8 year old range. In our experience, well crafted, beautiful and detailed drawings can be very powerful for young minds just learning to look out and notice the world around them. As someone who's worked with children for more than 20 years, I'd encourage parents to seek out books like this one; books filled with art and insight. David Small seems to understand what children, and adults, really want to see when they peer out into the world through picture books.

not what i expected.......2007-05-12

I bought this for my 4 y.o Godson thinking it was a story. It is just illustrations, which would be fine if that is what I was purchasing. It may say that in the description, I am not sure. It is just not a very interesting book for the younger set.

Opps!.......2007-04-17

Once upon a banana peal. Very funny =- the "Rube Goldberg" of all children's books. Good for 4 to 8 year-olds.

A rollicking story of fun .......2007-01-06

Jennifer Armstrong's ONCE UPON A BANANA will appeal to ages 4-8 with its story of how one banana turns a town upside down. Caldecott artist David Small and Jennifer Armstrong provide a rollicking story of fun in a wordless picturebook set of zany images.

My Weird School #4: Ms. Hannah Is Bananas! (My Weird School)

Average customer rating:

Ms. Hannah Is Bananas

My Weird School #4: Ms. Hannah Is Bananas! (My Weird School)
Dan Gutman
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060507063
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Book Description

Ms. Hannah wears dresses made out of potholders and collects garbage instead of throwing it out. Plus she's making A.J. be partners with smelly Andrea. This is the worst art class ever!

Customer Reviews:

Ms. Hannah Is Bananas.......2006-10-25

Ms. Hannah Is Bananas by Dan Gutman. This book is about AJ's teacher Ms. Hannah. The characters are AJ, Ryan, Mrs. Hannah, Ms. Daisy, and Andrea. Mrs. Hannah does not have a garbage can, because she never wastes anything. She puts it in a ball. For instance, AJ's friend, Ryan, blew his nose on a tissue and Ms Hannah took it and stuck it on a newspaper ball. It was nasty.
Dan Gut man grew up in New York and his birthday is on October 9, 1955. Dan Gutman wrote a lot of books like Miss Roopy Is Loopy and Miss Daisy Is Crazy. They were good books. I like this book because it is funny and mysterious. It was funny when AJ rode his skateboard and fell off.

Average customer rating:

The Cat Who Should Retire
The Cat Who Earned Two Stars
The cat went bananas? Not in my copy of the book he didn't
If Heloise or Emily Post tried to write a mystery, this would be it!
The Cat Who Went Bananas

The Cat Who Went Bananas (Cat Who...)
Lilian Jackson Braun
Manufacturer: Jove
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0515139785

Book Description

The merry atmosphere in Pickax is dampened by the death of an out-of-town actor and the theft of a rare book. Qwill finds himself distracted from the events by his finicky pal Koko, who's been acting more fishy than feline. Has Koko gone bananas, or is he trying to let the cat out of the bag to solve the dual mysteries?

Download Description

"James Qwilleran and his famous felines, Koko and Yum Yum, are back for another mystery-solving stint in the beloved bestselling Cat Who . . . series. The good people of Pickax are agog with anticipation: Not only is the new bookstore, The Pirate's Chest, about to open, but the Theatre Club is set to perform Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. The play does not continue past opening night, however, for a member of the cast is killed in a car accident . . . or was it an accident? Koko seems to suspect otherwise, and Qwill and his clever cats have their work cut out for them."

Customer Reviews:

The Cat Who Should Retire.......2007-09-08

Hardcore mystery fans may find it a bit of a stretch, but if your taste runs to expertly written and very light fiction, you can't do better than Lillian Jackson Braun's "The Cat Who..." series. Her detective, reporter James Qwilleran, investigates crimes with the aid of his Siamese cats--and the solutions to the crime inevitably rest more upon intution than actual deduction. The premise sounds farfetched, but Braun's work is usually less fanciful than you might expect, and she presents her eccentric characters and stories with great charm.

Unfortunately, the series has been in marked decline for some time now, and THE CAT WHO WENT BANANAS is a case in point. On the surface, the plot has possibilities: Qwilleran's interest in a local theatre group's production of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST opens a path to death that may or may not be accidental. Unfortunately, the plot goes nowhere and, although the conclusion certainly points to a specific person as a killer, there is no actual resolution per se. To make matters worse, the prose lacks Braun's light, bemused touch. While I think it possible that the book has been written from Braun's basic ideas, I think it very unlikely that Braun herself wrote it. It reeks of "ghosts."

This is a tremendous pity, a disservice to both Braun and the reader. Newcomers to the series should look to earlier works, such as THE CAT WHO CAME TO BREAKFAST or THE CAT WHO MOVED A MOUNTAIN--but the later titles in the series should be avoided like the plauge.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

The Cat Who Earned Two Stars.......2007-08-12

The Cat Who Went Bananas, by Lilian Jackson Braun, is a rather slight novel that sadly seems to have been written for the sole purpose of producing a book, rather than telling a story. The paperthin plot does not inpsire much interest. I had a difficult time determining what the book was about and whether or not there was any mystery involved. I remembered somebody mentioning a person had died, and then there was a missing book, but I could not for the life of me remember why. This was my fourth book in the series, after starting with the first three. I think I had better continue with the series in order as the quality comparison between the first three and this one decreased drastically.

Two stars.

The cat went bananas? Not in my copy of the book he didn't.......2007-07-19

Very disappointing actually. I've read lots of 'The Cat Who ...' books and this one was quite unlike any of the others. The plot elements did not tie together and people, who seemed mysterious and interesting, disappeared or died. And the banana peel, which could clearly have been used to great comic effect, made a single very brief appearance and was barely mentioned again.

Very poor. I gave it 3 out of 5 because it reads well *but* and this is a big butt ;-) there is no closure to any of the mysteries introduced.

If Heloise or Emily Post tried to write a mystery, this would be it! .......2007-07-09

This book was ungodly boring. Nothing happened. Certianly nothing that warrented 223 pages to discuss. I found the tone of the novel to be similar to reading an Emily Post or Heloise column in the newspaper. Stuffy, old-fashioned, pompus, self-important and rediculous. However, I do believe that this book could be turned into an episode of a not so funny sitcom, as it seemed to have all the plot of an episode of Seinfeld without the humor. If you could imagine Northern Exposure without such an intresting plot, this would fit "The cat who..." sitcom exactly. Unfortunatly, this will be my first and last of "The Cat who" series as I cannot bear to suffer through another page of her useless, plotless, pointless drivel.

The Cat Who Went Bananas.......2007-04-14

This is the first one of the "Cat Who..." books that I have read. I thought this book was going to get really good but it never did. I thought it was kind of boring because it really didn't have a point. It just rambled on and on. This book was only a little interesting when Quill was interviewing people for things to put in the book he is writing. This book was mostly boring though again becase it had no point, it would go to one subject and then not carry on with that and go to something completely different. Overall this book was just okay.

Letting Go of Your Bananas: How to Become More Successful by Getting Rid of Everything Rotten in Your Life

Average customer rating:

This is inspirational listening at its best
My PREVIEW of the Bananas Book
Outdated by 1976, let alone 2006
I love this book - big motivation for big changes!

Letting Go of Your Bananas: How to Become More Successful by Getting Rid of Everything Rotten in Your Life
Daniel T. Drubin
Manufacturer: Business Plus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0446579572

Book Description

This is a book for anyone who feels they've fallen short oftheir career potential, or wondered if the things they do--or don't do--atwork are sabotaging their careers. The truth is, most people learn theirgreatest lessons not from grasping the brass ring, but from letting go ofnegative influences and behaviors. Now, Dr. Daniel T. Drubin helps readersidentify what he terms the "rotten bananas"--unhealthy habits,relationships, jobs, and beliefs--that are holding them back, whileproviding job-saving, step-by-step advice on how to get back on track,including ways to:Increase resourcefulness:Take responsibility and win"the blame game":Enhance fearlessness:Remain purposeful, passionate,and persusasive:And more.

Customer Reviews:

This is inspirational listening at its best.......2007-03-06

Dr. Daniel T. Drubin's LETTING GO OF YOUR BANANAS: HOW TO BECOME MORE SUCCESSFUL BY GETTING RID OF EVERYTHING ROTTEN IN YOUR LIFE enjoys the winning audio narrative voice of Stephen Hoye, who brings to life a step-by-step program consisting of twelve keys to liberating potential, telling how to live in the 'now' while creating a vision for the future. From confronting and moving beyond old fears to developing strategies for success, this is inspirational listening at its best.

My PREVIEW of the Bananas Book.......2007-01-30

I have only GLANCED at the book, but I believe that I'll really learn from it once I start reading it so tha I can "get rid of all of my ROTTEN BANANAS."

Outdated by 1976, let alone 2006.......2006-12-17

This book was published in 2006 but the world of self-help passed this guy by back in 1970. Too many strategies and technologies have been refined in the last 30 years for you to consider reading this text - read "Overachievement" by John Eliot or some of the latest NLP efforts instead.

But let's get back to the book, here is my synopsis of what Dan offers: believe you that can have more, visualize it, and then hustle and work hard.

He talks a lot about visualizing and nothing about how to hustle because somehow after you set a goal, opportunities will surround you if you are "open". I'm afraid that I don't find the world so magical that "thoughts attract like magnets" and "how to actually do something will take care of itself."

Dan does offer a few phrases that are helpful, but they are esconsed with stories that don't support them. And don't even get me started on the first 24 pages; even if you are a big fan of his I recommend that you start reading on page 25 or you may not have the willpower to get to the meat of the book.

I like to read books that have bullet-point summaries at the end of a chapter, but each of Dan's summaries contain phrases and points that are not mentioned or expounded in the chapter!

Don't count on much here when you've finished it.

I love this book - big motivation for big changes!.......2006-11-15

"Letting Go of Your Bananas" is a GREAT book! It helped me see clearly the things in my life and in my mind that were bringing me down. I found the strength to cut off and turn away from the negative. And it feels freeing to be the "CEO" of my own life, taking full responsibility for the good and bad. I applied these concepts to parenting, to my every day thinking patterns, to business success, to my relationships. It is just super motivating - I highly recommend this book!

Average customer rating:

One of the best,,,,if you can find it!
Sweet Superflat Style

Hot Banana Fudge
Aya Takano
Manufacturer: Hiropon Factory,Japan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Drop Dead Cute

ASIN: 4939148017

Customer Reviews:

One of the best,,,,if you can find it!.......2005-12-17

I had seen this book a few years ago, but unfortunately did not buy it at that time. I recently found it on a Japanese website, and snatched it up (2 days after posting, it was sold out). Aya Takano is one of the best female "Superflat" artists. Unlike her male counterparts, she uses a more feminine approach in her art. Comparing her to Murakami and others is futile; she lends a unique aspect to superflat art, and this book is definitely one of the best.

Sweet Superflat Style.......2005-02-09

Aya Takano is part of Takashi Murakami's "Hiropon Factory" ground zero for the new "Superflat" style, coined by Murakami. Superflat is basically Pop art which uses Japanese pop culture imagery. More broadly it encompasses tradtional Asian compositions and subject matter, science fiction, anime, and manga. Murakami has written a couple books outlining the manifesto of the movement which explain it better than I can. In my opinion, Takano has surpassed her patron in that she continues to play on pop culture without losing luscious texture and subtly satirical subjects captured in Roald Dahl contours and fantasy. Takano's work is a rollercoater ride of juicy color, fluid figure drawing and delicate sci-fi twists, worth every penny!

Average customer rating:

good book, bad translation
Two thoughts to add to other reviews
It was for my book club
Simply kitsch!
Weird...

Kitchen
Banana Yoshimoto
Manufacturer: Washington Square Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0671880187

Customer Reviews:

good book, bad translation.......2007-02-06

In Japanese, "Kitchen" is not the kitsch piece of trash the English translation makes it out to be. Even so, I'd hold off reading "Kitchen" until another translation appears, unless you can read it in Japanese.

Here's why:
As others have said, the translator took some liberties and manhandled the feel of the novel. In several cases the translator (Backus) completely removed sentences (does a 100-page book need abridged?), and in other cases replaced prose, elegant in its simplicity, with cliche.

An example of the latter is the very last sentence of the second part, "Full Moon" (this isn't a spoiler). In Backus's translation: "I launched into what time I'd be in and what platform I'd be on." In Japanese, it's literally "I started to explain my arrival time and what platform I'd be on." I can't remember the last time I got so excited I fell out of my seat and "launched" into telling someone something mundane like I was going to be home at 3:20pm.

It's the gross overuse of cliche in the translation that destroys that fragile atmosphere Yoshimoto Banana created in the Japanese prose. For example, when a page is filled with a few precise words, it's like a Monet painting: hundreds of tiny strokes carefully arranged to create a greater image. But to translate those emotionally-loaded carefully chosen words into goofy cliche is to take a Monet painting and make a few strokes with a floor mop. Spare yourself of this translation.

Two thoughts to add to other reviews.......2006-11-16

First, the translation is very poor. The novel is conversational yet phrases such as "god-awful" and "ungodly" are simply not a part of Japanese daily conversation. The translator takes far too much license and a lot is lost in this loose translation. It would have been better to leave the translation a bit more strict and stilted. Second, the use of specific foods and the descriptions thereof conjure up specific imagery that is unique to Japanese culture. For example, it is uncommon for the average Japanese household to have jasmine tea on hand. A western reader would have to be aware of this to understand the imagery. What this symbolizes may be very different for a Japanese reader. It would be difficult for a western reader to "get" these nuances. Even after living in Japan, I certainly don't. Read carefully the section on the "incredible" katsudon she was served (page 92 paperback). This is a very deeply Japanese description of well-enjoyed meal. Such obsessive mulling over and judging of food and meals is a part of Japanese culture that I will never fathom, yet it is important to note within the cultural context of the novel, especially this novel in which food and the kitchen are liberally spoken of throughout.

It was for my book club.......2006-07-26

Maybe its because we read it so long after the hype but I thought this book seemed like the latest trend in fiction. The setting was fine and the read was still enjoyable but this did not change the way that I see life or offer any big message. It's just sort of sad and a little obsessive.

Simply kitsch!.......2006-03-10

This novel is charming rather than good, pleasant rather than profound in any way. Is in Japanese chick lit? I don't know.. I know it has reached immense popularity in the author's native Japan, and I did get the feeling that this must be what contemporary Japan is like for 20-something females.

The book deals with death. Yes, quite a heavy topic for light reading, and that might be part of its problem. It would seem that the topic would automatically "deepen" the novel... I liked the first part of the book the best (the actual kitchen novella), and I felt a certain connection to Eriko (the transvestite), Yuichi (the son) and Mikage (the narrator), and I found myself cheering for the budding love between Mikage and Yuichi.

However, the language and the "depth" of the book seemed superficial at best. It is saturated with clichees (the phrase "I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off" is used as an actual description). It seemed to be written in a way that a self-absorbant 20-something would talk. But does it reflect the original writing or did it get a bit lost in translation????

Weird..........2005-12-27

I read this book long time ago, this book reflects a different side of the contemporary Japanese society. Personally, I find this book interesting but weird...

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