In the interest of full disclosure, I am the author of this book. But before posting these comments I had several critical readers assess the book and the results were positive. It is a humorous look at one city's efforts to attract more conventions and tourists as well as new industry - the goal of cities across the country. My city, "Grand Cove," is a mythical city but very similar to Corpus Christi, Texas, a seacoast city set in the coastal bend of the Texas coast.
My informal focus groups said they had some good belly laughs as well as seeing a message about whether tourism and conventions is the way to go. What do you think?

I thought this was a humorous account of a small city's attempt
to grow larger and more well known. It has some very funny parts
that will make you laugh out loud. If you enjoy satire, especially involving cities and government, you will enjoy this
book. review by Pam

I first heard about the Grand Guignal from the title of a book by L.-F. Celine (GUIGNAL'S BAND). The same author made another reference to it in a later work when he was describing the panic displayed by civilians fleeing an air raid. Being curious by nature, I felt compelled to learn more about this place where murder, madness, and mayhem were the norm, and atrocity was displayed for willing audiences most days of the week. Now, I'm not the type who enjoys senseless violence. I like substance to be the basis of my entertainment. If bloodshed is depicted, it had better serve a purpose by HELPING TO TELL THE STORY. However, I have a great deal of respect for those who try to push the bounds of what is accepted for the sake of creativity. If they are successful in furthering the cause of art by shaking things up, even better. The Grand Guignal Theater was quite successful, opening its doors to packed houses for over 80 years. At one time, it was included in most tourist guides of Paris as a must-see attraction. The book did a good job at giving the history and key players who took part in the theater's development. Many photographs and illustrations are included, as well as a listing of the Guignal's most popular plays. Horror was not the only theme pursued. Bawdy humor and social commentary were just as important. My only criticism is that I would have liked to have read more of the actual plays (a few--three, I belive--are included). Perhaps the author might be willing to give us a companion edition, eh?

From 1897 through the early 1960s, a singular theater in Paris performed a unique kind of spectacle. Low comedy and high terror collided on the stage of the Grand Guignol. Brutal tales of crime and horror featured startling, bloody special effects that prefigured the gory slasher movies of generations to come. Meanwhile, broad and bizarre farces alternated laughs with thrills. Conceived as a kind of "giant puppet" show, the theater was intended to appeal to the rawest emotions and most basic instincts of the audience -- to give adults a cathartic release through mad behavior not unlike the exaggerated action that excited children in a "Punch and Judy" show. The theater's dark, ironic, and perverse tales were instrumental in helping to shape German Expressionism and the cinema of horror. Mel Gordon's unique survey of the theater and its plays is a one-of-a-kind resource, giving readers a vivid glimpse into this forgotten chapter of theatrical history. The book provides overviews of the history of the theater and its its rippling effect on popular culture. The book also features synopses of popular plays from the Guignol repertoire -- fascinating descriptions of lurid one-acts with titles like "Orgy in the Lighthouse", "On the Slab," "Meat Ticket", "The Coffin of Flesh", and "Prison for Children". Some wild illustrations top it all off. All in all, it's a fascinating book for anyone interested in the outre side of pop culture. It's indispensable for anyone who's a student of horror or of the theater's stranger side.

This book was published by the Chicago Historical Society in conjunction with its exhibition of the same name, which ran from May 1, 1993 (the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Chicago World's Fair) until July 17, 1994. After the preface, the book is divided into four sections, by different essayists: MEMORY AND THE WHITE CITY -- how the fair was remembered through souvenirs and publications, and how scholarly writings perpetuated its Beaux-Arts architectural influence into not only subsequent world's fairs, but also American cities, until the modernist backlash of the 1930's. BUILDING AN ILLUSION: THE DESIGN OF THE WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION -- the debate over how best to transform the swampland of Jackson Park into a White City symbolic of Chicago's recovery from the great fire of 1871, including about a page on each of the major structures of the Court of Honor. FIXING THE IMAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION -- the conflict between the organizers' "official" photographer C.D. Arnold and the legions of fairgoers arriving with their own photographic equipment, ranging from cumbersome tripod-mounted large-plate cameras to the newly invented Kodak "C" handheld box cameras. A CULTURAL FRANKENSTEIN? THE CHICAGO WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION OF 1893 - since one of the book's sponsors is "The National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency", this is the obligatory race/class/gender chapter, focusing on the protests made by African-Americans, Native Americans, "Esquimaux", Dahomeyans, etc. Although the exposition had its own Board of Lady Managers, not to mention a Woman's Building devoted exclusively to female accomplishment in the arts and sciences, women are portrayed as marginalized and oppressed. Even the popular Midway (entertainment section) is criticized for making nonwhite cultures seem "exotic" or "savage" (which to the Chicagoan of 1893, they probably were). However, the illustrations here, as well as throughout the book, are excellent -- the color plates are particularly well reproduced. Though currently out of print, this book is a "must" addition to the library of any lover of the Chicago World's Fair, or turn-of-the-century America in general.

This book was published by the Chicago Historical Society in conjunction with its exhibition of the same name, which ran from May 1, 1993 (the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Chicago World's Fair) until July 17, 1994. After the Preface, the book is divided into four sections, by different essayists: MEMORY AND THE WHITE CITY--how the fair was remembered through souvenirs and publications, and how scholarly writings perpetuated its Beaux-Arts architectural influence into not only subsequent world's fairs, but also American cities, until the modernist backlash of the 1930's. BUILDING AN ILLUSION: THE DESIGN OF THE WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION--the debate over how best to transform the swampland of Jackson Park into a White City symbolic of Chicago's recovery from the great fire of 1871, including about a page on each of the major structures of the Court of Honor. FIXING THE IMAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION--the conflict between the organizers' "official" photographer C.D. Arnold and the legions of fairgoers arriving with their own photographic equipment, ranging from cumbersome tripod-mounted large-plate cameras to the newly invented Kodak "C" handheld box cameras. A CULTURAL FRANKENSTEIN? THE CHICAGO WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION OF 1893--since one of the book's sponsors is "The National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency", this is the obligatory race/class/gender chapter, focusing on the protests made by African-Americans, Native Americans, "Esquimaux", Dahomeyans, etc. Although the exposition had its own Board of Lady Managers, not to mention a Woman's Building devoted exclusively to female accomplishment in the arts and sciences, women are portrayed as marginalized and oppressed. Even the popular Midway (entertainment section) is criticized for making nonwhite cultures seem "exotic" or "savage" (which, to the Chicagoan of 1893, they probably were). However, the illustrations here, as well as throughout the book, are excellent--the color plates are particularly well reproduced. Though currently out of print, this book is a "must" addition to the library of any lover of the Chicago World's Fair, or turn-of-the-century America in general.

Grand Illusions by Dr Gregory L Little is a reasonably well written book and presents a concise series of logical arguments, all of which appear to be based on good evidence.The book elegantly disposes of conspiracy theories and investigates a number of documented mysteries that later evaporate under detailed examination. It also gives a good historical account of the abduction phenomenon through the ages.

Little deals well with the often slippery topic of Jungian archetypes and delves into the neurochemical basis for many 'fringe' phenomena. Interestingly Little gives the reader detailed instruction on how to construct a psychomanteum, a device for meeting spectral beings (do so at your own risk!).

There is really good chapter on the ancient Egyptians and their beliefs. Little provides an incredible explanation of one of the uses that the Great Pyramid might have been put to.

The book is let down in part by the poor quality and dubious relevance of some of the photographic material and by John Michael McCarthy's unnecessary illustrations. With a little more attention paid to presentation I feel that Grand Illusions would easily been worth 5 stars.

Little's final conclusions seem to fit all the known facts and are startling in their implications, but I'm at a loss to see how anyone could prove that the EM theory is true.

In conclusion this is a must-read book for those who are complete UFO sceptics and for those who believe that extra terrestrial craft are visiting the Earth. It provides evidence for a theory that may not be popular, but is hard to disprove.

I picked up this book while browsing in the library and had to take it home to completely digest it. This book has something for everyone. For those who believe there are a lot of liars and cheats out there telling UFO tales for thier own profit, Little gives compelling evidence that you are quite right. On the other hand, if you would like to believe there is something disturbing going on in our universe that transcends our physical world, then you will likely get more than you bargained for in this book. Little clearly explains his theory of the spiritual world in terms of electormagnetic energy phenomena. He bases much of his thinking on the theories set forth by psychiatrist Carl Jung,MD. The theory becomes quite intriguing in that it ties together the answer to many questions that have plagued me. I think he has hit on the unifying theory of the spirit world. Questions such as; Is there any possibilty of contemporary paranormal phenomena and Biblical visions and prophesies being somehow related? Is the presence of many religions in the world contradictory to the belief that we all recognise the same spiritual world. Why do I suspect there is a true UFO puzzle but find it hard to accept the government conspiracy coverup theories explaining why we don't have any evidence of spaceships or aliens? If there are UFOs, why does it seem that most of the sightings are at night? These have been some of my answered questions after reading this book and I feel more convinced now through reason that the spirital world is force to be reckoned with.

A gorgeous slice of life photographed by Raghubir Singh in his eleventh book of photographs. These pictures are sumptuous to look at while stimulating one's curiosity about the enormous melange of peoples and cultures that make up India.

There are camels and carpets, a medieval milestone, scooter riders and monsoon floods. There is a museum watchman who could easily be the model for one of the ancient statues he guards. There are pilgrims and festivals. Everywhere there are people living. Some are aware of the cameraman others go about their business with out acknowledging his presence.

This book is enjoyable on so many levels. Singh's feeling for his subject matter and his exceptional sense of composition and color create a satisfying work of art.

A gorgeous slice of life photographed by Raghubir Singh in his eleventh book of photographs. These pictures are sumptuous to look at while stimulating one's curiosity about the enormous melange of peoples and cultures that make up India.

There are camels and carpets, a medieval milestone, scooter riders and monsoon floods. There is a museum watchman who could easily be the model for one of the ancient statues he guards. There are pilgrims and festivals. Everywhere there are people living. Some are aware of the cameraman others go about their business with out acknowledging his presence.

This book is enjoyable on so many levels. Singh's feeling for his subject matter and his exceptional sense of composition and color create a satisfying work of art.

This top quality reference, now getting a bit dated, provides one of the most thorough and detailed examinations of the Bordeaux region ever written. Though not as exciting to read as Markham's "1855" it is much more informative than Parker's "Bordeaux." Any serious collection of wine histories should include this book. I am hopeful that a newer edition will be arriving soon.

This thorough if narrowly focused study by a major British wine critic covers the ground with thoroughness and dedicated skill. Not for beginners, it's a requirement if you're getting seriously into collecting Bordeaux

How did ancient peoples accurately depict the arrival of solar eclipses? They didn't have a NASA website, the concept that the earth was round, or the benefit of Copernicus' earth is not the center of the universe concept (not published until the 1500's). The author looks from Stonehenge to the walls of the Grand Canyon to the ancient Mayans to try to think how the ancients thought. It's a sort of how did we know what we knew before we should have known it puzzle. There's a lot about the degrees of the horizon, but it's still an interesting look at our past. If you're interested in native American culture then you'll enjoy the book more. While the author admits the difficulty in proving his ideas, he does outline 13 methods that might have been used and makes many interesting observations about the way things could have been.

As a trained astronomer and someone who has both taught the subject at the college level and been published in the sub-field of native american astronomy, I was amazed that someone from outside the field could make such a valuable contribution as this book is. It's both technically sound and entertaining to read. The explanations and arguments should be easily graspable by the educated layperson or novice at astronomy. They're plausible without being outlandish.

The book is especially good at giving an appreciation for how difficult it was for early scientists to acquire the basic understandings we now take for granted. Highly recommended to those interested in either prehistoric southwest peoples or the arcane area of the development of non-western timekeeping, calendars, and observational astronomy.

Contains a good combination of hard science and the politics of actually getting stuff done. I appreciated the details of experimental particle physics, but the best part of the book is the insider perspective on getting grant money, timing the delivery of experimental results and positioning oneself for recognition from the Nobel committee. The interplay between the theorists and experimentalists was also illuminating. The only negative factor's were the needless comments on what people were wearing at a meeting or how handsome/pretty they were that day and I believe (not positive since the only account I have is the book) a few remarks that were quite obviously taken out of context and the author failed to acknowledge this.

This book hooked me so completely that when I came across it in the library I read it from cover to cover standing (then sitting) in the aisle. Anyone with an interest in high-energy physics or academic politics with enjoy it immensely.

I truly enjoyed all aspects of this book. My husband and I hiked the Boulder Mail Trail in October and purchased several books on the area so I could learn more about it. This book included personal hiking narratives that I could relate to and touched on important issues facing the West - such as cattle's effect on the environment and tourism. It helped fill in some blanks on my knowledge of the area. I'd also recommend the book by Jerry C. Roundy titled "Advised Them To Call The Place Escalante".

Thomas Lowe Fleischner was an Outward Bound instructor bringing city folk into the Escalante for many years before writing this book. It is well written and entertaining, and provides a wealth of information in the realm of natural history: plants, animals, ecology, geology plus the pre-historic and historic human history of the area. A very nice book that will enrich your visits to the Escalante.

Louis Stanley was a major player in the golden age of auto racing, and has intriguing things to say about people and events that I haven't read anywhere else. I'm glad I bought it, and recommend it. However, the book reads as if it was written quickly and carelessly. Sentences are incomplete, or have very odd grammar. Short sections about particular drivers end so abruptly that you find yourself checking to be sure you didn't accidentally skip a page -- as if he intended to go back and complete a paragraph, but forgot to. With the aid of an editor to catch these things, and make him go back and finish up, this book could have been five stars. Still, it's a worthy addition to any F1 fan's collection.

Back in the 50s and 60s, Louis Stanley annually produced a book-length review of the Grand Prix season. These books were frank, gossipy, opinionated, well-written, and nicely illustrated with Stanley's black-and-white photographs. This new book is very much in that tradition.

Now well into his 90s, Stanley has produced perhaps his final book, a comparative look at the Grand Prix scene then and now. Although Stanley is grateful for the safety innovations that have prevented the wholesale carnage of yesteryear, his sympathies lie clearly with the drivers and traditions of the glory years. Stanley shares the feeling of many that big money has tarnished the sport and eliminated much of the comaraderie and plain old fun that existed even during the years when death on the track was all too common.

Readers of this book will once again see the images of legends like Graham Hill, Count Wolfgang von Trips, Masten Gregory, Jimmy Clark, and Stirling Moss. Whether you agree with him or not, Stanley's pungent pen-portaits are always entertaining, and I smiled to see personality characterizations from his earlier books reappearing here, not always about the same person to which they were originally applied!

So, I admit, there are times when Stanley shows his age. The writing is sometimes a bit rambling and the transitions abrupt, but the photographs take you back too a simpler time and a nobler time. The old BRM chief has given us one last tribute to the sport he loves.