History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Comedy Bible: From Stand-up to Sitcom--The Comedy Writer's Ultimate "How To" Guide

Average customer rating:

If You Want To Learn Comedy, This Is Your Book.
The Information in this Book Far Outweighs the Price
The only comedy book you need
It was okay
Great reference book

The Comedy Bible: From Stand-up to Sitcom--The Comedy Writer's Ultimate "How To" Guide
Judy Carter
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743201256

Book Description

Do you think you're funny?
Do you want to turn your sense of humor into a career?

If the answer is yes, then Judy Carter's The Comedy Bible is for you. The guru to aspiring stand-up comics provides the complete scoop on being -- and writing -- funny for money.

If you've got a sense of humor, you can learn to make a career out of comedy, says Judy Carter. Whether it's creating a killer stand-up act, writing a spec sitcom, or providing jokes for radio or one-liners for greeting cards, Carter provides step-by-step instructions in The Comedy Bible. She helps readers first determine which genre of comedy writing or performing suits them best and then directs them in developing, refining, and selling their work.

Using the hands-on workbook format that was so effective in her bestselling first book, Stand-Up Comedy: The Book, Carter offers a series of day-by-day exercises that draw on her many years as a successful stand-up comic and the head of a nationally known comedy school. Also included are practical tips and advice from today's top comedy professionals -- from Bernie Brillstein to Christopher Titus to Richard Lewis. She presents the pros and cons of the various comedy fields -- stand-up, script, speech and joke writing, one-person shows, humor essays -- and shows how to tailor your material for each. She teaches how to find your "authentic" voice -- the true source of comedy. And, perhaps most important, Carter explains how to take a finished product to the next level -- making money -- by pitching it to a buyer and negotiating a contract.

Written in Carter's unique, take-no-prisoners voice, The Comedy Bible is practical, inspirational, and funny.

Customer Reviews:

If You Want To Learn Comedy, This Is Your Book........2007-08-15

I've bought and read quite a few 'stand up' how-to's, and this book is the one I keep coming back to for material development, stage presence, just all the 'basics' that one needs to keep on touching base with. It's easy to follow, easy to read, and not pretentious. Judy WANTS to help you be the best presenter you can be, and makes you think about other venues and opportunities besides stand up that might be more appropriate for you. A lot of books are 'stand up' related only, but Judy's book explores other ways people can tap into their creativity and use it in many other ways.
WELL worth the money and I won't EVER loan this puppy out!! Thank you, Judy!!

The Information in this Book Far Outweighs the Price.......2007-07-28

This book is a worthwhile investment. Here's why:

1) The stand-up intruction is priceless. In reading this book you should be able to go from knowing absolutely nothing about performing stand-up to having an edge on most aspiring comedians.
2) Carter covers every medium for comedy, from stand-up to writing sitcoms.
3) The book is very well-written. It's easy to read and understand. It's interactive and fun. It teaches you to think.
4) It is filled with resources. Places to book a gig. People to contact. Where/How to send your script to Hollywood.
5) Carter invites you to contact/email her personally. She wrote this book to help you succeed. She puts her money where her mouth is.

The only comedy book you need.......2007-06-30

I've read a number of books on comedy, and this one is the best by far. The author has broken down the steps to writing great comedic material into logical, easy to follow instructions. Few how-to books are as clearly written as this one. This comprehensive book can teach anyone how to be a better comedian. I can highly recommend "The Comedy Bible" not only as the perfect textbook for building a career in comedy -- or even just to add a comic touch to one's writing or public speaking -- but also as a "fun to read" book. Prepare to LOL as you perfect your comedy skills.

David Rizzo
Dr. Roadmap

It was okay.......2007-04-15

It's not a whole lot different than her first book, so if you've read one, no need to read the other, unless you like to collect comedy how to books.

Great reference book.......2007-03-28

I was looking for a comedy book for a gift and after reading several reviews I decided on this book. The gift recipient loved it. I definitely made the right choice.

Average customer rating:

A Solid Book
I scanned it straight to the money
Inspiring to all students of writing.
Sitcoms from the ground up
A must-read for would-be sitcom writers

Writing TV Sitcoms
Evan S. Smith
Manufacturer: Perigee Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0399525335

Book Description

With guidance from top sitcom producers and examples straight from the screen, this book can help anyone write, revise--and sell--a script.

With twenty years in the business--as a writer, programming executive, and university instructor--Evan Smith knows what it takes to get from spec script to sitcom success. Here he offers the first published description of Premise-Driven Comedy, the writing method he has developed and popularized; tips from writer-producers who have worked on series from "Frasier" to "The Cosby Show" to "Roseanne;" a complete story outline from the series "Home Improvement;" explicit advice on how the business works and how to get an agent; and script layout guidelines for all three sitcom formats.

Clear, comprehensive, and cutting-edge, this is the true insider's guide to becoming a sitcom writer. Who knows--it might just be the book that inspires the world's next Seinfeld!

* Includes examples from classic and contemporary sitcoms, tips from successful writer-producers, and a complete "Home Improvement" story outline
* An author with twenty years of experience in the business
* Advice on both the business and creative aspects of a sitcom-writing career, including a discussion of Premise-Driven Comedy, Smith's innovative new writing technique

Customer Reviews:

A Solid Book.......2005-10-02

Although it has an unfortunate title (who the hell wants to write sitcoms? - aren't they supposed to be dead?), this book is one of the better resources on the subject of television writing in general. It paints a very realistic picture of the business and acknowledges some of the changes that are taking place within the industry. This is a good book for someone who already knows how to write a solid script, but who'd like to learn more about the TV biz.

I scanned it straight to the money.......2001-04-13

I scanned right throught the pages like I needed the cool breeze and stopped on the "how much will I make" page and well, it looks good to me. I also looked in other areas of the book and before I even read it I know it's exactly what I was looking for. A must for even a dream sitcom writer like me. This is a real shortcut, it covers all the information you will ever need.

Inspiring to all students of writing........2001-01-13

Evan Smith introduces Writing Television Sitcoms as the all-in-one writer's guide to sitcoms. It sounds heavy, but honestly true. There is no aspect of TV sitcom writing a student, or otherwise, could dream up a question for which Smith doesn't have an answer. He covers how to create a sitcom, write it, and sell it. And in the first chapters he even details how anyone can make a career in writing. You will find yourself beaming with childlike enthusiasm as your eyes run through Writing Television Sitcoms.

Sitcoms from the ground up.......2000-09-24

Smith goes right to the foundations of sitcom writing, and leads his reader through all the steps to a funny, saleable product. He explains his 'premise-driven comedy' in terms a beginner can comprehend and put to immediate use; a pro will find suggestions for boosting his batting average, and will recognize the voice of someone who's been there, and done that. Kudos to Smith

A must-read for would-be sitcom writers.......2000-09-21

This book is very well-organized, well-written and very informative. I have found that I refer to it often. It is worth the investment if you are serious about sitcom writing.

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

Average customer rating:

Check and see
Suprise! Suprise!
Prescient St Augustine?
Something of a disappointment
Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Anatoly T Fomenko
Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the Antiquity and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by Pope Gregory Hildebrand was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.

Customer Reviews:

Check and see.......2007-06-21

I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22

Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05

We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

The Russians:

Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

The Westerners:

Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Chinese:

Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

The Arabs:

Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

The Divinity:

Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09

After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.

However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:

- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.

I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.

The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.

It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?

Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.

Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).

Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30

If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?

Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.

Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought)

Average customer rating:

Lives of the Writers
Authors Come Alive
They shared a singular conviction to write
Lives of the Writers is a fun, informative book....

Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought)
Kathleen Krull
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0152480099

Book Description

Here are inside views of twenty writers--people of all shapes, sizes, temperaments, and lifestyles, from various countries and historical periods. Included are William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, Zora Neale Hurston, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and many others. “There’s enough substance here for a quick report or to enliven a longer one. Let’s hope this team continues through all the arts. An irresistible package.”--School Library Journal

Customer Reviews:

Lives of the Writers.......2006-04-30

This is another charming addition to Krull's outstanding series. I have read all but one of the books and was very excited about Lives of the Writers, since writing is my area of expertise. The illustrations were lovely, as always, but the writing (of all things!) lacked vigour, droning on with archaic facts about the authors. Towards the end I had trouble identifying the authors or the books they are most famous for. Krull would have been better served to write about familiar, yet interesting authors, such as J.R.R. Tolkien or Lucy Maud Montgomery, as opposed to Zora Neale Hurston and Isaac Bashevis Singer.

Nevertheless, this is a good, witty, and light book, and it is a welcome addition to Krull's series.

Authors Come Alive.......2003-10-01

Kathleen Krull's Lives of the Writers Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought) was an exceptionally informative book for young readers. Krull presented basic biographical information for up to nineteen well-known authors from the past and more resent times. Along with this standard information, Krull also offered not-so-common facts about the life, personalities, and actions of the authors. While reading the book, I found myself feeling as if I had came to know some the authors as a person rather than simply an author from the past. Also, I enjoyed the illustrators' drawings of the each author. The illustrations seemed to add a bit of humor and light-heartedness to the information. I believe this book would serve as a great introductory tool for students of various ages.

They shared a singular conviction to write.......2000-05-31

"How can you print a piece of your own soul," Dickinson, p. 51

This is the 2nd in the Krull and Hewitt's "Lives of ..." series. The book contains 19 chapters on 20 writers in birth order: Murasaki Shikibu (973?-1025?), Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Jane Austen (1775-1817), Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), Charles Dickens (1812-1870), Charlotte & Emily Bronte (1816-1855 & 1818-1848), Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), Mark Twain (1835-1910), Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924), Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), Jack London (1876-1916), Carl Sandburg (1878-1967), E. B. White (1899-1985), Zora Neale Hurston (1901?-1960), Langston Hughes (1902-1967), Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-1991)

This is a perfect book for young adolescents and pre-teens who as they grow and mature frequently feel awkward. Krull introduces us to the idiosyncrasies of the literary. Some of the authors were loners, eccentric, a wee bit peculiar. Michael Jackson's behaviors might seem normal when held in comparison. Some retreated into themselves. Some sought out adventures. Some as adults were unsuccessful at the ordinary.

Some worked at a young age to support the family. Some took daily walks, very long daily walks. Some were not healthy and therefore wrote in bed. There were some similarities and some differences, but they all shared a singular conviction to write and write they each did well.

Hewitt's delightful portraits of the writers are precious. My favorite portrait is of Frances Hodgson Burnett of "The Secret Garden" fame. Her hat is the secret garden.

Given the high price of the book, I was surprised that Krull did not include a list of the authors' books and/or poems and the publication years. END

Lives of the Writers is a fun, informative book...........2000-03-10

This book is a fun and informative book. The pictures are filled with humorous meanings and hidden information. The book keeps the reader's attention by keeping the included information short and simple, but also makes sure that the reader gets as much possible about the author. This book is great for kids and students to use as a report source as it is filled with great information. Kids would rather use this book as an information source rather than an encylopedia since the information is easy to understand. Authors in there are some you may not know, ( Murasaki Shikibu) and some well know ones ( Charles Dickens). I am glad I purchsed this book. I really liked the pictures which are so vibrant with color. This would make a great buy.

Laughing with Lucy: My Life with America's Leading Lady of Comedy

Average customer rating:

With Lucy's other writers had done books, too.
Adventures of the Original Girl Writer
A book that's part tribute, exploration, and witty!
Hats off to Lucy
A Must For Lucy Fans

Laughing with Lucy: My Life with America's Leading Lady of Comedy
Madelyn Pugh Davis , and Bob Carroll
Manufacturer: Emmis Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1578602475

Book Description

At any time, night or day, I Love Lucy is being broadcast somewhere in the world. Four generations have grown up watching I Love Lucy, and Lucille Ball’s is the most recognized face in the world. Madelyn Pugh Davis was Lucy’s staff writer for nearly half a century. Davis was the first female writer in television and was responsible for thousands of hours of memorable programming. Many of the plot lines used on I Love Lucy were taken from Davis’s own life and immortalized by Ball’s comic genius. In Laughing with Lucy, Davis and her long-term writing partner, Bob Carroll Jr., recount her rise in television and her many years working on the set and behind the scenes with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. She recounts her experiences as a pioneer in the entertainment industry, one of the first women writers in Hollywood. Lighthearted and witty, this book fondly remembers Lucy and the early days of television.

Customer Reviews:

With Lucy's other writers had done books, too........2007-08-06

Having read tons of other books on everything tied to Lucy, I was especially happy to come across this memoir of what I consider to be one of television's best writers. Ms. Davis writes succinctly but thoroughly and entertainingly about many of her memories associated with what many people consider to be television's all-time best sit-com. It is a great, fun read for anyone interested in "I Love Lucy."

Adventures of the Original Girl Writer.......2007-04-18

Madelyn Pugh Davis tells us upfront that this is no tell-all tome...that to dish on longterm employers Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz would be unfair since they are dead and cannot defend themselves.
She also adds that as the writers of "I Love Lucy," she and her partner Bob Carroll Jr. were in the dark much of the time about personal scandal and gossip.
This is the crux of her book. Desi Arnaz called her the 'Girl Writer' when he wasn't mangling her given name by calling her 'Mallen.' He called Pugh and Carroll 'the kids' or as he pronounced it, 'the kits.'
Pugh's stories of her own beginnings in the TV and radio writing trades would be absorbing enough - but chuck Lucy, Desi and company in the mix and you have yourself a page turner.
Pugh writes with warmth, enthuiasm and energy (qualities by the way in which she admired Arnaz).
Straight out of college, she was turned down for a job as a newsletter writer for a meat-packing company. As she wittily points out, the meat-packing company smelled bad and somebody with the last name of Pugh shouldn't be working in a place like that.
Her adventures up to and including all the incarnations of "Lucy" are absorbing. She dishes in an amusing, professional and tasteful way about hard-headed Lucy and working with gues stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton - and that famous 69 carat diamond ring.
As an ardent Lucy fan,I loved hearing about how Pugh and Bob Carroll jr. drove up to northern Calfornia to meet the North famly whose marrriage and staggering 20 children led to the screenplay for the Ball-Fonda classic, "Yours Mine And Ours." (A Desi Arnaz idea).
There are tons of nuggets here - both professional and private. When Pugh married her college sweetie, Dr. Richard Davis, she moved herself and her small son to his Frank Lloyd Wright house in Indiana. She hated the house both because its construction design lent itself to dark bathrooms and a miniscule kitchen, but also because strangers dropped by unanounced to get a look at it.
The chipmunk watching her each morning is hysterical. Movie version, anyone?
The author says that for her, it is gratifying when fans tell her they watch "I Love Lucy" when they are feeling blue and it gives them a lift. I will keep "Laughing With Lucy" handy so that I may dip into it on my 'off days' as a reminder that even the original Girl Writer had her share of ups and downs.

A book that's part tribute, exploration, and witty!.......2006-05-30

How many comedy writers have surrived so long with one performer? The author started with Lucille Ball on the radio series My Favorite Husband. She and her partner Bob Carroll Jr. wrote for the full 6 year run of I Love Lucy. (Jess Oppenheimer, who created the series, left after the 5th season. By the way, this book makes a great companion to his book.) They also worked on the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, and Here's Lucy. In between, they wrote the story for her feature film, "Yours, Mine, and Ours," plus various specials. Sadly, the final series, Life With Lucy, is best forgotten. The author does a good job of dealing with various stories regarding I Love Lucy and its main star. You won't read about the problems that broke up the Ball-Arnaz marriage here. Ditto for the strife between Vivian Vance and William Frawley. There's also no mention of the scare regarding Lucy's onetime registration with the Communist party. Ms. Davis may have wished to protect the now deceased stars. Or she wasn't directly involved in such matters. This book provides a wonderful behind-the scenes look at Lucy's various series. Ms. Davis tried out many of the stunts beforehand. Would a woman be capable of them? While her partner is listed as a co-writer, this is essentially her story. We learn about the struggles she had as a woman comedy writer. There's material on her personal life too. The author writes with great affection for both Lucy and Desi. She notes that his contributions were often overlooked. Ms. Davis and Mr. Carroll later became producers on Alice. I caught one goof in the book. Earl Hamner did create The Waltons. But he wasn't involved in Little House On The Prairie. Still, this is a very good read. Please check it out.

Hats off to Lucy.......2006-05-30

Lucy liked to "xaggerate," and she often went on TV talk shows and amplified her own role in the filming of her classic TV sitcom. Madelyn Pugh was there and she now gently corrects her former boss. In the grape-stamping episode, she writes, it's NOT true that the other actress in the grape vat didn't speak English, nor was it true that the fight wasn't in the script and the other temperamental wine woman knocked her down and tried to drown her. But Lucy liked a colorful story, as we all do.

Fascinating tales abound in this book, such as hearing about the notebooks in which Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll would jot down all their ideas, including some which never came to fruition. Such as the episode of I LOVE LUCY in which an old boyfriend of Lucy's would come to pay a call, played by Frank Sinatra. And how about the "almost filmed" episode of the LUCY-DESI hour in which Lucy was to try out for a big break, the lead in a Broadway musical WILDCAT? Lucy was supposedly going to try to browbeat bob Hope into backing her and Leonard Bernstein into giving her singing lessons. Her rival? None other than Vivian Vance, who was to be given the consolation prize, a featured part in a revival of COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA (probably as Sheba). Alas, it didn't happen.

And there are some great backstage stories, unprintable here, concerning gay icons Tallulah Bankhead and Gypsy Rose Lee. I didn't know that Madelyn Pugh, the writing genius of I LOVE LUCY, was married to Quinn Martin, the innovative "Act IV" producer of THE FUGITIVE and BARNABY JONES? Too bad they divorced so quickly, but the combination of so much talent in one marriage must have made for a combustible union--she, the greatest single TV writer of all time, and he, the man who practically invented the "drama" series. They had a charming son, Michael, about whom Madelyn tells several stories, the kind that if you were her boy you'd be wishing she'd shut up.

She doesn't seem to like Lucy very much, but she keeps mum about specifics and praises her for her courage and comic aplomb.

The only problem with the book is that it's pretty long and not all of it is all that interesting. But, if you know someone who loves the program I LOVE LUCY, or someone with a soft spot for the 13 orphan episodes of Lucy's final disastrous series LIFE WITH LUCY, you'll get this one for him or her. After all, this is the woman who came up with the term, "vitameatavegemin girl."

A Must For Lucy Fans.......2006-05-07

While the name Madelyn Pugh Davis might not be super familiar, almost everyone is familiar with her work. As one of the first women writing in TV, she co-wrote nearly every episode of the classic sit-com "I Love Lucy." This fascinating memoir is a behind the scenes look at her life and work.

Madelyn started out wanting to be a foreign correspondent. But, since this was the 30's, women didn't get those kinds of jobs, and she had to settle for anything she could get. Moving to California, she started working at CBS, first in news, then in entertainment when she started working on a weekly radio comedy program called "My Favorite Husband" starring a comedian named Lucille Ball. It was also during this time that she hooked up with Bob Carroll, Jr., her long time writing partner.

The book spends lots of time talking about "I Love Lucy," starting with the birth of the show. There are many familiar stories here, the network's reluctance to make a show about an interracial couple, Desi's desire to film the show in front of a live audience, the making of the pilot, Lucy's pregnancy in season two, etc. Madelyn also debunks a few myths that have sprung up over the years, such as Vivian Vance's weight being in her contract and Lucy's fake nose catching fire in a season four episode.

The book does talk about other things. Being a memoir, we also get some talk about Madelyn's life. She doesn't spend too long at it, but it continues to entertain. It also gives an interesting view of Los Angeles in the 1940's. It's certainly changed over the years.

Madelyn also talks about her post "I Love Lucy" work, including all of Lucy's other TV shows and the classic "Alice." These were just as fascinating to me, even though I have never seen them, and make me very interested fixing that.

There are times the book begins to feel like an episode guide for whatever series she's currently discussing, but it never lasts too long. She will start telling a story about something that happened behind the scenes at that time. These include some of the extra things she had to do as the only female staff member of the shows such as watching for any wardrobe malfunctions Lucy might have performing the stunts or dealing with the sometimes temperamental star.

The one thing you won't find here is dishing on the behind the scenes rumors. As Madelyn states in the first chapter, it's poor form to do that when someone can't defend themselves. While she does discuss character flaws that Lucy and Desi had, she doesn't dwell on them. Instead, a very complimentary view of the two comes to the forefront. She praises them equally for the success of the show. The picture she paints shows Desi willing to pay for anything they dreamed up and Lucy willing to do it. If it brought laughs, it would happen.

The book feels like a conversation with a good friend over a cup of coffee. This makes it an easy, fun read. I actually read it in two days, staying up way too late at night to read just a little more.

This book provides a fascinating look at life behind the scenes of a just emerging medium as well as a classic show. Fans of early Hollywood history or "I Love Lucy" will eat it up.

Aristotle on Comedy: Towards a Reconstruction of Poetics II

Average customer rating:

"Only Man between Animals Can Laugh" (Aristotle)

Aristotle on Comedy: Towards a Reconstruction of Poetics II
Richard Janko
Manufacturer: Duckworth Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0715631691

Book Description

In 1839 the Tractatus Coislinianus, a summarised treatise on comedy, was published from a tenth-century manuscript. Its discoverer suggested that it derived from the lost second book of Aristotle’s "Poetics," which inaugurated the systematic study of comedy, but it was soon condemned as an ignorant compilation verging on forgery, and thus matters stood until the first publication of "Aristotle on Comedy" in 1984. Richard Janko’s edition of the text is accompanied by a facing translation, interpretive essays, reconstruction and commentary. The book is now made available in paperback for the first time, with a new Preface and additional bibliography.

Customer Reviews:

"Only Man between Animals Can Laugh" (Aristotle).......2006-01-18

This is the story of an ancient manuscript of the X century, known as "Coislinianus 120" (now at the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris) after the name of his last owner, a French collector of XVII century.
This manuscript, that once belonged to the monastery of Great Lavra on Mounth Athos, was sent to Seguier de Coislin from Cyprus by father Athanasios Rethor in 1643.
It was ignored for almost two centuries, until in 1839 J.A.Cramer, a classical scholar, analyzing its content, a rather haphazard collection of patristic and Aristotelian extracts, found what he believed to be "the words... of a commentator on Aristotle's (lost) treatise on the art of poetry".
*
This is also the tale of a fascination with a book: Aristotle's almost mythical Second Book of Poetics, whose quest has been as enthusiastic as that of the mythical Holy Grail.
*
Readers acquainted with Umberto Eco's "Name of the Rose" will remember the plot of the novel, based on this fabled book.
And yet there is not even certainty that Aristotle did effectively write this second treatise, but for some allusions and scattered, highly debated citations (the philosopher wrote also a book "On Poets" also lost and often confused with the two Poetics).
In any case, unlike Poetics I, this book did not survive the Middle Age.
*
Poetics I was respected but not widely appreciated in the classical times.
It was during the Renaissance that Aristotle's Poetics ended to be one of the emblems of the new culture, being printed, translated, commented, revered and debated for more than two centuries, until the famous "Querelle des Anciens et des Modernes" in late XVII century France.
*
Being so important to the new sensibility, it was almost natural for some scholars to begin wondering what Poetics II could have said: in the XVI century some of them began attempts to reconstruct the lost second book.
It was from one of these attempts Umberto Eco got the inspiration for "The name of the Rose" (see N.A. Basbanes - Patience and Fortitude, pag.222-223).
*
Richard Janko's "Aristotle on Comedy. Towards a Reconstruction of Poetics II" is a very specific book.
*
It is first of all the critical text of the manuscript, presented with in original Greek text with English translation and the usual linguistic comments.
*
It is a scientific and highly interesting attempt of restoration of the original unabridged content, through a collection of passages from other extant works of the Greek philosophers.
*
It is lastly a curious specimen of the amazing tools of classical philology in deepening our knowledge of an ancient text, of its transmission and of the original shape it did have.
Not casually Janko introduce his work with three different citations: the first rather predictably from Aristotle, of the other two one from Eco and one from Conan Doyle - as to remark the investigative dimension of his work.
*
Janko's case is well presented and well defended.
He demonstrates the terms used in the treatise are in quantity (about 90%) and quality consistent with those used in other Aristotle's work.
This excludes the suspect of a later Byzantine forgery.
He demonstrates all the references to ancient comedy are consistent with the period in which Aristotle lived (noteworthy is the absence of Menander, the second most important Greek play-writer after Aristophanes, who began to stage his comedies a few years after the death of the philosopher).
This absence is restricting the time-span of composition of the original source of the Coisliniaus.
He ends up showing that the work is consistent with Aristotelian ideas (specially with regard to ethics and catharsis), as opposed to the theories of Theophrastus, an other likely author of this work.
Language, references, inner consistency: all points to Aristotle.
*
Yet this attribution leaves many other questions open to debate.
Why wasn't this work so widely known as Poetics I ?
When and why was it definitively lost ?
How was made the original source of the Coislinianus?
This is the qualitative part of the analysis, made mostly of guesses and hypotheses.
*
While the First book on Poetics dealt with Tragedy, a genre already established and codified, Poetics II was dealing with a genre that was still changing and far different from the "modern" comedy, the one we today use to associate with the genre and created especially by the plays of Menander.
So while Poetics I was still valid in its interpretation, Poetics II was apparently obsolete soon after its composition.
This situation was crucial in the change from scrolls to parchment since Poetics II was not copied in the new form and soon it was lost for ever.
Janko is also able to deduce from textual errors that the original source of the Coislinianus had to be written in Greek minuscule, this one possibly already a copy from a former scroll in capital letters.
*
I still did not mention the content of Poetics II - and will not mention, since this is the classic case in which shape is more important than content. Besides this review is already growing a bit too long, and I didn't perceive any conspicuous contribution to the study of Aristotelian ideas.
*
As I mentioned earlier, this is a very specific work.
It is best suited to scholars and unfortunately the author doesn't do much to please a lay reader (some Greek citations are even presented with no translation).
No effort is done to introduce the relevant points to a non scholarly reader: the period in which was written, the systems of transmissions, the terms of the Aristotelian debate both in the ancient times and Renaissance, and lastly a panorama of the different opinions on the authenticity of the work.
None the less it remains a hugely interesting work and the author is no doubt worthy of the warmest praise.

If you kept reading to these last lines, there is a chance you may be interested in other works I had the chance to read about the same topic. Unfortunately, the most interesting is in Italian and still not translated to date into English:
- Luciano Canfora - " Un mestiere Pericoloso. La Vita quotidiana dei filosofi Greci" (Sellerio). Canfora is both an important Greek scholars and an excellent writer. In the chapters dedicated to Aristotle he relays the fascinating story of the transmission of the Corpus Aristotelicum. Actually all the essoteric (from the Greek prefix EXO- "outside") works of the philosopher (those he willingly published during his life) have been totally lost. We have most of the esoteric (from the Greek prefix ESO- "inside") works, those intended for private use and lectures. Aristotle died 322 b.C. and left all these manuscripts to his family and they were completely disregarded and almost forgotten until Sulla included them in the booty after the war against Mitridathes (86 b.c).
Not scholarly but mentioned and/or relevant to this theme:
- Umberto Eco - "The name of the Rose". This is a must read, both for its huge learning and for its almost perfect Borgesian plot. Eco is an uneven writer, but this is undoubtedly his masterpiece. I was amused in comparing the opening lines of the lost book as imagined in this novel and as recreated in the essay.
- Nicholas A. Basbanes - "Patience and Fortitude" Rather average - and sometimes dull: relevant here for the interview with Umberto Eco about the sources of inspiration for his novel.
*
You are most welcome if you can suggest other books about the same theme or just share ideas and comments!
Thanks for reading.

Mr. Mike : The Life and Work of Michael O'Donoghue The Man Who Made Comedy Dangerous

Average customer rating:

Not exhaustive enough but will do
Detailed Portrait
Bland
We Need An O'Donoghue Anthology
Behind the scenes with Mr. Mike

Mr. Mike : The Life and Work of Michael O'Donoghue The Man Who Made Comedy Dangerous
Dennis Perrin
Manufacturer: Avon Books (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0380973308

Amazon.com

"I had a funny thought: What if Ed Sullivan were tortured? And when I say tortured what I mean is, what if steel needles, say six inches long, were plunged into Ed's eyes? I think it would go something like this...[several minutes of horrible screaming and thrashing]."

Now that the National Lampoon is virtually defunct, and Saturday Night Live has turned into just another late-night network cash cow, you can be excused for forgetting about Michael O'Donoghue. But back in the glory days of the 1970s, O'Donoghue gave both their distinctive edge of viciousness, death, and celebratory mayhem. Even though O'Donoghue died (prematurely) in 1994, his legacy in American comedy is still strong. Dennis Perrin has done a boon service by bringing this American original out of the shadows.

For the devoted fan of O'Donoghue--you're likely either one of those, or nothing--Mr. Mike is often more tantalizing than completely fulfilling. Though his life and career are described in welcome detail, the author's attempts at analysis are less sure. For example, Perrin lets O'Donoghue off much too easily when discussing the sinister elements of his work: Was his obsession with Nazis--one of his tried-and-true comic devices--anti-Semitic? What was his fascination with S&M, mutilation, and torture all about, and how much did the readers really connect with it? Was O'Donoghue a self-made artist in the right place at the right time, or did the culture around him create his distinctive double-dark worldview? Since O'Donoghue himself was highly intellectual and analytical regarding his feral art, one expects answers to these questions, but they are not forthcoming.

Gaps in analysis aside, fans of American humor owe Perrin big-time; for better or worse, O'Donoghue remains as unique and seminal as ever, and Mr. Mike goes an awfully long way towards ensuring that its subject doesn't fade into literary obscurity, at the very same time that the style of humor he created becomes more and more mainstream. --Michael Gerber

Book Description

Michael O'Donoghue's widely influential style of humor spared no one's feelings or sensitivities. John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, P.J. O'Rourke, Buck Henry, Doug Kenney--all these great comic minds and many more were affected by the acid wit of Mr. Mike. Now, critic and humorist Dennis Perrin examines the times that formed this singular sensibility and the outrageous creative work that constitutes O'Donoghue's legacy, from his early days devising confrontational theatre pieces and the brilliant underground comic Phoebe Zeit-Geist to an unprecedented string of famous and infamous pieces in National Lampoon, from O'Donoghue's breathtaking stint as the key founding writer of Saturday Night Live to his tumultuous adventures in Hollywood. Here too is never-before-seen O'Donoghue material, some of it censored by editors or TV executives, made public here for the first time. This is the unvarnished story of a towering figure in American popular culture, the prime artistic force behind an entire generation of humorist and satirists. Here is the singular, sinister Mr. Mike.

Customer Reviews:

Not exhaustive enough but will do.......2004-09-27

If for nothing else, MOD is to be cherished for a song lyric called CANCER FOR CHRISTMAS: "Santa's bringing sacks of morphine. And some cigarettes." And I almost croaked when I read about MOD's screenplay wherein astronauts get attacked by a flying horde of macaroni-&-cheese platters. On the other hand, I'm profoundly bored by a lot of MOD's theater-of-cruelty shtick. He had a perfectly good talent for silliness but insisted on flaunting his comedic machismo as if it were a form of good-for-you psychodrama. (Although better that than what someone once referred to as "good-for-you Shakespeare".) MOD used to gripe about the Greek polarization of drama into comedy versus tragedy. ("As if there's any effing difference.") And I'd be curious to read the MODwerks (if & when they ever get published) to see how MOD might have accomplished an amalgamation.

Detailed Portrait.......2003-01-07

In my younger days, I found O'Donoghue fascinating. After reading this book, I feel that I now have a good understanding of the man and of what he was doing.

Perrin covers each phase of O'Donoghue's career in depth and detail, and reveals O'Donoghue to be a performance artist working in comedy moreso than a comedian (as is, for example, Al Franken who O'Donoghue reportedly despised). This book is not a pleasant read, as O'Donoghue was devoted to offending and disturbing people. If you want to understand him, or his "art", this is the place to go.

Bland.......2000-10-21

It's strange to find that a bio of a chap so flamboyant as Mr. Mike would be so hard to get through. The context is pretty narrow, too. Better to have put the man in the framework of his times, contrasting him with his contemporaries and past wits he admired. But all that aside, to get so few laughs from a book about such an inspired satirist is disconcerting. Couldn't we just have all his scripts and poems by themselves, instead?

We Need An O'Donoghue Anthology.......2000-08-27

Problem is, this book isn't funny in its content, or even witty in its execution, let alone its overall appreciation of a master. Give us Michael by Michael, an anthology of the man's own work!

Behind the scenes with Mr. Mike.......2000-07-19

I first encountered O'Donoghue's work on the back page of SPIN Magazine (being too young to see his Saturday Night Live work live, or hear his National Lampoon work). His short pieces were caustic and bleak, black as night but as funny as death. They had me alarmed, intrigued, and in fits of hilarious tears. And then he died.

"So who was Michael O'Donoghue," I asked myself. It was not till several years later, when I found his devilish visage staring at me from the cover of this book (brandishing a butcher's knife, no less). I wanted to learn about Mr. Mike quite badly, so I bought the book. I'll make a strange comparison here. Please hear me out. The "character" of Michael O'Donoghue that emerges from Perrin's biography reminds me a lot of the "character" of John Bonham who emerges from the Led Zeppelin bio 'Hammer of the Gods'. Both are brilliant artistic geniuses (once again excuse the hyperbole... justified as it may be) who, at the drop of a hat, turn into beasts akin to the Incredible Hulk in a particularly foul mood. It says something about the need for extremity in the artistic mind. O'Donoghue is the little, balding, bespectacled shnook, who, if tangled with, will uncoil his cobra-like wit and gnash your eyes out. He is quite an intriguing character.

Perrin does a fine job recounting the history of this character, from birth to death. He also does well to include transcriptions (and sometimes reprints) of some of O'Donoghue's more seminal works. His work for the Evergreen Review is here, best represented by 'Phoebe Zeit-Geist', which I don't entirely enjoy but can still marvel at its audacity and prodigiousness. It's like something R. Crumb would do after being severely tortured by a group of radical feminists. His National Lampoon days helped launch that magazine, as did his days at Saturday Night Live. Throughout he is morbid, meticulous, and menacing, never letting good taste get in the way of a great comic moment. He leaves no sacred cow unslaughtered. I admire that.

O'Donoghue is a good indication of the heights that the bipolar artistic mind can fly to. Perrin does well capturing that quality.

Average customer rating:

A Mediocre Read

It's really good but his reputation is hard to live up to

Disappointing

Well-written, funny & poignant

Surprising...

The Comedy Writer
Peter Farrelly
Manufacturer: Main Street Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Outside Providence

A Dirty Job: A Novel

Me Talk Pretty One Day

ASIN: 0385490526
Release Date: 1998-04-13

Amazon.com

Hooray for Hollywood? Maybe not. At least not if Peter Farrelly's searingly funny novel is even remotely accurate. Farrelly is a screenwriter and director himself, so the story of aspiring movie scribe Henry Halloran has a scarily authentic feel. When he gives up his job as a salesman in Boston and heads out west to polish and peddle the script he based on a recent breakup, Henry tumbles into a world of bizarre quasi celebrities, breathtakingly unprincipled producers, surgically enhanced starlets, and plain ordinary lunatics. The result is basically an unrelenting nightmare, guest-starring his uninvited roommate, the sister of a woman whose suicide he failed to prevent.

Farrelly's master stroke in The Comedy Writer is making Henry as unsympathetic as most of the characters he runs into. This is not the story of a wide-eyed innocent thrown to the Hollywood sharks but of a bitter, frequently nasty hypochondriac who bites off more than he can chew and gradually realizes that almost anything is better than Hollywood's version of success. It's the kind of book that makes you want to take a shower, but you'll still be chuckling as you soap up. --Simon Leake

Book Description

A Confederacy of Dunces meets The Player in an offbeat, sidesplittingly hilarious novel about making it against all odds in 1990s' Hollywood, by the co-writer/director of Dumb and Dumber.

When Henry Halloran's girlfriend dumped him, his Boston-based life suddenly seemed pointless. He was thirty-two with a dead-end job, and nothing on the horizon. There was obviously only one place to go: Hollywood.

The Comedy Writer is the story of how Henry--armed with nothing more than a few ideas, a nothing-to-lose attitude, and the desire to be a screenwriter--joins myriad hopefuls in the City of Angels and achieves an L.A. kind of fame. From the surreal squalor of his one-room pad at the Blue Terrace apartments, he encounters nympho starlets, death-obsessed Rollerbladers, philosophical midgets, scruple-free producers, and an unforgettably psychotic roommate named Colleen.

Combining the mordant wit and insight of Nathanael West with the lyricism and irony of a postmodern Candide, The Comedy Writer is a bawdy romp around and through the dream factory, in which Henry learns that while talent and integrity may be relative terms, life does, after all, have meaning.

Sure to appeal to anyone who has ever dreamed of Hollywood success, who has found him- or herself a full-fledged adult without a clue for the future, or who ever thought Los Angeles might represent the end of modern civilization, The Comedy Writer is an incomparable comic tour de force marked by the kind of telling detail only a true insider can provide.

Customer Reviews:

A Mediocre Read.......2005-11-17

There is nothing exceptional about this book. It is a decently written, somewhat entertaining novel. Most of the time, it was fairly boring. Other times, it was excruciatingly boring. Sometimes, I faintly smiled. Not much of anything to be had here.

It's really good but his reputation is hard to live up to.......2003-11-11

I honestly think that Dumb and Dumber is the funniest movie EVER! Maybe that says something about myself but I think in terms of creative characters, slapstick & an outrageous situation, Farrelly and his brother create more jokes per minute then any movie only rivaled by the original Airplane movie. Having said this I enjoyed Comedy Writer and read it in one day but I was expecting something that would make me laugh out loud at every flip of the page.

I believe Henry Halloran was an exceptional lead character and when reading emotions, thoughts and dialogue concerning him I felt I was living the life of a struggling screen writer in LA. But when Henry had to deal with Colleen, a recurring love interest of Henry's, I felt like I should start a new book. Colleen was one of the most annoying characters I have ever encountered in literature and I did not find any humor in Henry's dealings with her except when he referred to "Her mound looked like ten thousand Slinkys growing out of her abdomen."

As I said I'm a fairly big Farrelly Brothers fan but this book left me feeling a little flat with all the highs and lows in the story but it had glimpses of comedic wonder and is worth reading as the commonplace dialog is easy to read and the story moves quickly.

Disappointing.......2002-10-25

A disappointing novel from the man who ostensibly wrote Something About Mary. Despite "comedy" in the title, there are few laughs and the comic situations the main character finds himself in are not particularly original. If you're looking for some meaty black humor or a book that really skewers the Hollywood industry, look elsewhere. It's moronic fluff from a man who should, theoretically, be capable of better things.

Well-written, funny & poignant.......2002-10-13

A well-written, funny (of course) and surprisingly poignant novel by [in]famous and broadly comedic screenwriter/director of There's Something About Mary, Dumb & Dumber, etc. Farrelly's signature humor is slightly toned down, but it's a high-quality read for a serious literary audience, as well as his legions of movie fans.

Surprising..........2002-04-02

Peter Farrelly has made some great, if somewhat vulgar movies. Outside Providence (the film version) showed a greater depth. The Comedy Writer carries out that promise. It is a good (if fast) read. The characters are flawed, but entertaining. I'm not sure how much of it is autobiographical, but the details about Hollywood seem right on. It is hilarious in places and has potential to be quite touching in others (if not always reaching it). I enjoyed the odd trip through 1990 Hollywood. A worthy and breezy read.

Improvisation for Actors and Writers: A Guidebook for Improv Lessons in Comedy

Average customer rating:

great overall description of U.S. schools of improv
Ho Hum
A complete handbook for the aspiring improv actor
Maria, "Second City" conservatory alumni
Before You Start at the Groundlings

Improvisation for Actors and Writers: A Guidebook for Improv Lessons in Comedy
Bill Lynn
Manufacturer: Meriwether Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1566080940

Customer Reviews:

great overall description of U.S. schools of improv.......2004-09-05

I am bi-coastal and have wound up taking classes at the Groundlings, UCB, and several smaller unknown venues. I felt I didn't really need this book (it was a gift), but after reading it, I felt my views on the different improv homes I've become a part of had come into better focus, via the perspective offered by the knowledge of the other schools of improv thought I had not yet been a part of. And the ones I didn't know in depth seemed much more accessible.

Bill Lynn's book (and Kip King's, though I suspect he was more of an "idea man" than an actual sit-down-and-write-it author) is basically a list and explanation of the different games and styles of teaching the different schools of improv across the country have to offer. He does not espouse a new take on improv or performance, nor does he pretend to. As if anyone's going to top Del Close, Viola Spolin, or Keith Johnstone. Or Dario Fo for that matter.

It is a useful, well written guide to what other people have already created in the improv world, and it purports to be nothing more. It includes some useful info on the Groundlings, Second City, Improv Olympic, etc....and some lesser known teachers like Stan Wells who works at a place called the Empty Stage, which I have since checked out, taken classes at, and found to be an great skill-sharpening experience, in conjunction with my other classes/shows.

If you're looking for new or bar-setting ideas on what improv is/should be (as some confused readers clearly have done), this is not the book for you; Viola Spolin's work is your next stop in that case, but if you're shopping around for your next stint at an improv school, this is your book.

Goes by quickly too. Clean, simple prose.

Ho Hum .......2004-08-31

This is my edited review -

Upon my initial reading of this book, I was confused. The book announces "Groundlings Theater" on the front, has a foreword by a Groundlings' teacher, offers a fairly complete review of SEVERAL improv schools, as well as the author's time as a student.

Considering this, I don't think I was wrong to think this was a book about the Groundlings' theory of improv, or at the very least produced with the approval and collaboration of the Groundlings; I've been told that I was wrong.

Needless to say, in my confusion, I was more harsh on this book than I should have been. THAT review is appended below.

That said, taking the book as I've been told I should take it - an introduction to improv for the beginning student - it's not bad, it's not great.

In terms of improv, Bill Lynn offers up a survey of a pretty traditional improv education, and fleshes it out by including his own observations as a student. This is both refreshing and irritating. Considering how many improv books - and books about theater in general - speak narrowly and from a 'learned teacher' perspective, it's nice to have something with the broad focus that a student's eyes offer of technique and theory. Unfortunately, it has also limited the author's ability to analyse and prioritize his lessons - too often it reads like the student was given notes, and in turn he's published them for us verbatim.

His sections on character development and sketchwriting are practical, and he deserves kudos for not over-writing (hence, over-simplifying) his brief section on long-form improvisation. For any student of improv, it's complicated enough to deserve a book of its own. The author dealt with it quickly and quietly.

At times, the author demonstrates a lack of experience and nuance (for instance, his approach with the "Commandments" of improvisation - mostly a list of "Don't Do this" is a teaching method that fell out of favor in improv schools years ago), but for the precocious beginning student or the novice without the time/money to take classes, this book is a fine accessory.

Below is my original post.

-------------------
An uninspiring introduction to Short Form improv. You'd do as much to watch a few seasons of "Whose Line." Countless books have been written listing improv games and exercises, and this latest book by Mr. Lynn is unfortunately yet another in the stack.

This book would be more forgettable (and certainly wouldn't inspire this rant) if it left out two points: One, its bold ties to the Groundlings improv school, and its introduction by Kip King.

For those who have studied improvisation, there are several venerated schools and several philosophies. Many of these schools have published books heavy with their respective theories - With "The Second City Almanac," we see Second City. "Truth in Comedy" gives us the Improv Olympic and Del Close. "Impro" & "Impro for Storytellers" are Johnstone's Loose Moose Theater and "Improvise" is from Napier of the Annoyance Theater.

Lynn's book purports itself to be THE book of Groundlings improvisation. Or, perhaps I'm misinterpreting the reason he had "Kip King of the Groundlings theater" listed on the front.

Kip King is the father of Chris Kattan, and one of the founders of the Groundlings. "Ah," thinks the reader, "with his endorsement, surely this Lynn fellow must know what he's talking about." Well, who is Bill Lynn? Frankly, I have no idea. I can't search a single bit of information about him. However, and perhaps I'm overreading into it, his book seems to imply he took classes at the Groundlings school last year and took really good notes.

That's it.

Sadly, it gives us nothing newer than Spolin, no more challenge than an "intro" class from any of the schools. I, for one, was looking forward to finally reading up on the Groundlings. Don't look to this book for that.

A complete handbook for the aspiring improv actor.......2004-07-05

Improvisation For Actors And Writers: A Guidebook For Improv Lessons In Comedy by Bill Lynn is a complete handbook for the aspiring improv actor and organized into five specific sections: Comedy Schools; Improv Comedy Basics; Developing Comic Characters; Long Form Improv; and Writing Sketch Comedy. This informed and informative "how to" manual is enhanced with an extensive appendix of improv exercises. Improvisation For Actors And Writers is a clearly valuable addition to theatre department reference collections and "must" reading for anyone who has an interest in writing or performing improv on the stage or for television.

Maria, "Second City" conservatory alumni.......2004-05-18

This book is pretty good. It's more "Groundlings" than "Second City" Chris Kattan's father, Kip King an orginal Groundling wrote the preface. It is helpful that this book is from a students eye view. I went through both programs and used the book as a tool to guide me through the process. It helped with technique and sketch writing.

Before You Start at the Groundlings.......2004-04-18

I recommend this book for students at the Groundlings, The Second City, Upright Citizens Brigade, and the Improv Olympic.

I've studied at the Groundlings and at Second City, and this book has the info you need all in one place:

--Basic Short Form Guidelines in a list
--Advanced Improv Scene Techniques (The "game", positive start, circling up)
--Instructor Side Coachings (be warned)
--Comedic Character Guidelines (labeling, physical and vocal changes, rolodexing, psychological defense mechanisms, character "game", celebrity impersonations.)
--Montage Long Form Guidelines
--Sketch Comedy (Structures like one-upsmanship, contamination, split screen, and character flaw; how to edit dialogue, devices, endings, reveals.)
--Instructor Side Coachings for Sketches (be warned)
--List of Class Exercises (only the ones the schools use)

I've seen students go through an entire program, and never really grasp some of the major concepts. This is an 'all-in-one-place' reference. Buy it. You'll be ahead of the pack, and confident in your own knowledge and skill, before, during and after your class.

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