Louis Edmonds' death in early 2001 robbed Dark Shadows fandom of its elder statesmen. Of all the Dark Shadows cast, Louis Edmonds at times managed, perplexingly, to simultaneously be the most ubiquitous and elusive. On one level, Louis the showman remained a distinct and vibrant personality, very much admired by fans, yet one that at times seems difficult to extracate from the vestiges of Roger Collins and a handful of humourous anecdotes. To many Dark Shadows fans, this persona is arguably as familiar as any of the characters Louis portrayed on the show.

Author Craig Hamrick does much to redress the balance with the new edition of his biography Big Lou: The Life and Career of Louis Edmonds. With a respectable period having elapsed since Louis' death, the book is able to take a more rounded look at its subject, and the results are frequently illuminating.

Unlike the first book, which took a more formal approach, the new edition is told very much through its author's eyes, and arguably as much Craig Hamrick's story at times, as it is Louis'. From the pair's initial meeting, to Louis' funeral nearly a decade later, the reader is given a very honest appraisal which doesn't attempt to reconcile the contradictions it throws up, and indeed is all the more enjoyable for doing so. Louis' faults are lain bare and the author isn't afraid to note these - for example, his recounting of Louis' pre-occupation with money and occasions of professional arrogance go a long way to explaining why he perhaps never attained the widespread success his talented deserved.

Louis himself emerges as a somewhat melancholy soul in the process, battling the twin demons of alcohol and depression. Noting a suicide attempt along the way, it adds a certain grim undertone to the exuberant public personality so many of us knew. Yet, for all the sadness depicted, there's still plenty of humour and warmth, and perhaps this is Louis' most admirable quality. Louis' final years are perhaps the saddest, yet it is during these that he hearteningly seems to find a sense of peace that had eluded him so badly in the past. Particularly poignant are his indulgement predictions of his own self-dramatised demise, which seem all the sadder when juxtaposed with the quiet exit he eventually makes.

Throughout the book are sprinkled little novelized vignettes of key moments in Louis' life, which work with mixed results. At best, they succeed in painting out Louis' journey in broad strokes, and the passage where Louis reflects on the drastic effects of his cancer surgery in particular, is particularly moving and tragic. An undoubtedly cinematic device, at times they seem forced, yet one feels it is an indulgence of which Edmonds himself would have heartily approved.

As a biography, this is an excellent work of reference and research, but on a broader level, it is a wonderful personal account of a unique performer and individual that manages to strike that rare balance between pragmatism and celebration.

This is a loving, lovely tribute to the late soap opera star Louis Edmonds(Dark Shadows, All My Children)Craig Hamrick, who knew Edmonds during the last 8 years of the actor's life, is clearly in love(platonically) with his subject. He tells the story of Edmonds' life in a highly readable, no holds barred manner.Edmonds was a brilliant actor whose ego might have prevented his career from progressing as far as it could have. He was also a great wit, a passionate lover who had two long term relationships, and a deeply loyal friend. Hamrick writes openly and honestly about all of this, the good, the bad and the ugly, never losing sight of his own deep affection for the man.This book will stand as a lasting tribute to Louis Edmonds' life and career. He might have been forgotten, as so many soap actors are. Thanks to Craig Hamrick, this wonderful actor will be remembered for many years to come.

This hard-to-put down biography which is loaded with many before unknown facts about bigger-than-life performer/actor Louis Edmonds, most widely known as Roger Collins from the gothic serial Dark Shadows, is funny,touching and tenderly told by author Craig Hamrick, who became known as a friend to the actor in the latter years of his life. Yet, do not dismiss this as sugar coated fantasy, for it is told, with Louis' permission, in a forthright , no-holds-barred, bare bones manner that should earn its own praise. Hamrick has a way with laying down facts, yet not in stilted encyclopedic fashion but in a way that you actually get to know Mr. Edmonds in a more intimate light, and I for one, am deeply saddened by the fact I never had gotten the opportunity to meet this great man while he was still alive. Craig Hamrick has earned my respect as a biographer and I eagerly anticipate his next venture "Barnabas & Co" due later this summer, as well as any other literary undertaking this author may take. Kudos to him for taking me into the heart and home of one of my favorite Dark Shadows actors and making me feel as if I'd met him myself! The book is a triumph and a must for all Dark Shadows, Louis Edmonds or All My Children fans! Put this on your list for summer reading. I read it cover to cover in less than two days!

This is one of my favorite powerpuff books. For those of you who don't know, Buttercup begins to watch a new superhero T.V. show. She begins to believe she is the main charactor, and therefore, can not help her sisters fight evil. (If they can drag her from the T.V. at all!) It is proven that Blosom and Bubbles can't do much good defending thier town if they arn't a trio. So what will they do when monsters and villans attack townsville? I thought this book was pretty good, but I think the 4-8 year olds will get more out of it.

The book is about Buttercup being hooked on "The Adventures of Amazonia" which was concocted by Mojo Jojo to hypnotize the girls. For some reason, Buttercup's the only one who got hypnotized and Blossom and Bubbles defeated the bad Mojo Jojo in his evil schemes by destroying the screens and fighting Mojo Jojo. This is actually the very first pocket book my 5 year old have read. I even got the review from her as I have not read the book myself. That is why she wants to start her very own collection of this Powerpuff Series. Great Job!

In my 5 yr. old child's words: "It is the most coolest book I have read, and it was so great that I asked my parents to buy me the set, or any Powerpuff book that I can read. It was actually my first Powerpuff given to me by my heartpal at school, and I will collect them all! It made me curious and loved the very first pocket book (sort of) and can't get enough of it." It is the greatest thing that I've seen, she loves books in general, but this started her collection and the love to read a more long and she thinks she's a big kid now reading pocket books. Great job Scholastic books!

Often times authors attempt to create characters over a period of time for the reader to identify with and Clancy's "Ryan" is a perfect example of such an effort. But, what if you were the "character" and you were able to literally "listen in" and/or peek inside the personal diary of someone who actually lived this life? Bill Reed's, aka "Boatman", Crazy Ivan is a great read and one where I felt more in synch with because this story did represent some real world experiences this individual found himself involved. Even the sheer fact of enlisting was more by accident then deliberate and to tell these stories in such a context to real-world events was fascinating. I found myself wondering what else is happening, even today, that for most part many of us will never know. I give thanks more and more each day to those who serve in the armed forces for our country and Reed's book here illustrates how many of us take their actions for granted. I would have rated this a 5 star if the book had been longer....

The Crazy Ivan concept and story line are communicated effectively. The introduction accurately informs readers of the biographical nature of the story. The author's writing style is very effectively communicated. The factual nature of writing lends great authenticity to what is being told. With regard to mechanics, this is one of the best books I've had the privilege of reading. The author has a very good command of the English language, grammar and spelling.

As a retired Navy Master Chief (1973) I found this story quite fascinating and very factual. Early on when the author describes an incident with a wharf rat and his 45, I was taken back to a similar embarrassing incident in 1956 while standing PO of the watch aboard ship in Pearl. From that point on, the book just became more and more interesting.

Another bit of nostalgia involves the USS Parche to which the author was ordered in 1980. The original USS Parche was a Navy Reserve training submarine located in Alameda, CA during the late 50s and early 60s. The skipper at that time was a good friend, an academy football player and now retired Admiral.

Enough reminiscing, I really enjoyed Crazy Ivan.

Just got through reading Crazy Ivan and it brought back many, many memories, some buried long ago as something I could not talk about---ever.
I started out as a CT M branch (worked Boresight) and got into submarines in (after brief stint at NSA learining maintenance of system designed to capture "signals of short duration" 1961 as a guest rider on Triton. After that I had several assignments in the shore establishment "spook shops" in Pearl and and New London.
Rode Sargo and Seadragon in the 63-64 time frame and then was assigned to Snook to take care of the brand new WLR-6 system installed for service testing. I enjoyed the challenge and satisfaction of doing a job few people even knew about and ended up changing my rate as an E-8 to ET and becameCOB of the Hawkbill where I was till retirement. I was the only (to my knowledge) CT to ever be assigned to two different submarines and additionally, the onlyone to change rate to retire as a COB.
Terrific writing job you did. I can personally attest to the accuracy of a great deal of it. Just wish I had done it first.

At the end of last year, a friend noticed that I was interested in hats. I began to purchase what I would call those "Alicia Keys/Ashanti" type hats.....modern, retro with a twist of my own personal style to boot. Well, he said that when he saw this calendar I instantly came to mind.

Crowns, remarkably done with Black and White photography, shows Sistas of various ages and backgrounds in all their crowning glory. It even gives a synopsis of how they came to be hat wearers or better yet HAT LOVERS.

Although the calendar has present day photos, the Black and White style gives you a feel of a day gone by. It puts me in the frame of mind of a lazy Sunday afternoon....visiting family down south. I feel I can hear someone saying...."chile, did you see Sista Ann's new hat?? uuuhuu...well, hers alright but mines betta." :)

I have this calendar hanging up at work. It's a nice diversion to occasionally look back and still a moment with "my people"....my Sista friends and their lovely Crowns. :)

I have already purchased this book three times. For myself, for my mother and for my ninety year old Nana, a former milliner and Deaconess of Bright Hope Baptist Church of Montclair N. J. where hats were worn and worn fiercely ! I had it send directly to her at her rest home in Florida and she was "tickled pink". The photos are wonderfully done and the one page stories of the women wearing them are compelling. You will find yourself laughing out loud one minute and weeping the next, I kid you not. Get this book !! It reveals the lives of Black women in a way I never thought possible. As they say, a picture is worth....

I just received this calender - it is not a book - from amazon.de - Germany. Whow! It is everything I hoped for and more. It pictures 12 very different women who each share a statement or a little story about their hats. But more so, they share a little of themselves. And each and every one of them is an inspiration: to be proud of yourself and to hold your head - and hat - high. It is not a question of being black or white, but a question about being female, strong, and sure of yourself. Definitely more than just a calendar.

Perhaps the best WMI book currently available. Includes source code for all samples.

A significant component of the Total Cost of Ownership of a network of personal computers is due to the myriad different pieces of hardware and software that these can contain; invariably from a slew of vendors. Integrating and managing the totality can be quite labour intensive for the systems administrator. Also too for the developer; whether she is writing the interface for a piece of software that others will use or if she is on the other side, and has to write code that runs that package and others.

Accordingly, Microsoft has pushed forward Windows Management Instrumentation. The book describes how to use WMI straightforwardly. You do need to know C++, COM and Active Template Library. No surprise there. Several sections also describe using the still new C# and .NET to write OO applications that easily connect to WMI. If you have not used C# and .NET, the book's coverage is concise enough to get you started. The authors treat a minimal subset that is enough for you to do useful work vis-a-vis WMI.

On the scripting aspect, the authors rightly give this careful coverage. Scripting files may not have the sexy appeal of a GUI-driven methodology. But in fact, for automated systems administration of many machines, they are usually far more important. Veterans of DOS and Unix batch file writing will see much of familiar approaches here.

Part of Microsoft's incentive for promoting WMI is to help it stay ahead of linux. The basic functionality of a browser and Microsoft Office are already in various linux applications. So at least in the network sphere, WMI helps Microsoft hold off linux. The authors do not discuss this, but if you read this book, you should keep it in mind; in the broader context of where the PC market is going.

Book provides a great introduction into WMI and how to create WMI programs. Code sample are pertinent and easy to understand. Great as a learning tool and a reference manual.

I enjoyed this book. Having not been there, I'll assume that Eric is telling it like it was - 'sure seems like it. The rock history alone is worth it (hint: Hendrix and Lennon were friends of Eric's). I won't spoil anything for the readers, but this was for me a fun read of the ups and downs of the unsinkable Mr. Burdon.

This remarkable memoir transcends the usual boundaries of the music autobiography and approaches literature. Eric Burdon has lived a wonderful life by any standard but this book also reveals that Burdon is a shrewd observer of the musical and cultural scene. What will remain in my mind are the many character sketches of notable and iconic personages of the last few decades: Steve McQueen, Ed Sullivan, Jimi Hendrix, and above all, the "Lizard King" himself, Jim Morison. One suspects that many fans of the Doors will see their hero in a new light. Burdon's description of the filming of Oliver Stone's movie The Doors is worth the purchase price in and of itself. Any devotee of the original British Invasion bands will find a wonderful series of anecdotes about the Beatles, the Stones, and the Animals. I bought this book because I am a fan of the Animals; I loved the book because it contains so much more than the mere story of a band (or bands). I supect that many readers, like me, will also be fascinated by Burdon's wry observations on the social and political scene along the way. Eric Burdon's narrative flows along propelled by the author's humor and humanity. Ultimately, the man himself emerges as one of the most interesting personalities of the Sixties. I loved this book!

I thought this was a great book. I didn't know much about him or the bands he was in aside from the few songs I knew & loved. My boyfriend is actually really into him & the Animals. I talked him into buying the book & ended up reading it myself. I never wanted to put it down & read it in 4 days.

Not only was it really informative, but it was interesting enough to hold my attention for long periods of time. I'm surprised at how much stuff he remembers with such great detail. From the start of the Animals, to his different bands, his fame, the drugs, anyone who has influenced him, & how he continually got screwed over by the music industry. It was great to read the things about him & other famous singers at the time that we never knew. Personal insights about who they were, how they acted, & why they acted that way. He nevers holds back & gives you the full details.

I definately suggest it to people even remotely interested. It gave me a great understanding & turned me into a bit of a bigger fan.

Visually this book is beutiful - well designed and layed out, great photographs and excellent printing - I prefere the lack of glare from an uncoated paper. I like the text all in the front and the pics seperate. After reading The Conrete Wave I realized that Dysfunctional is very breif in the telling of the history of skateboarding. Although, it does have some interesting things Michael Brooke didn't document. There's a great collection of skate deck graphics throughout the book that doesn't go back far enough in time - it looks like it starts in the mid-to-late 80s. Also a great collection of old magaine covers and advertisements is included. What I dislike about both books is that you need to reference a glossary in th back to find out what a photographs all about. Well worth the price and a good addition to a skaters library - oldschool or new alike.

Dysfunctional is a very beautiful book with very lovely photographs and pictures. As stupid as this sounds, I think it has excellent binding. It has little text, but I think the pictures explain much more than words. It didn't feature a lot of skateboarding tricks and stunts, but more of advertisements and ads and stickers etc., which you don't see anymore. Dysfunctional showed the spirit of skateboarding more than the history of skateboarding, but I have no complaints about that. It's a little expensive, but it's definitely worth it, I enjoyed it a lot; it's a book that you can look at over and over again and not get sick of. :)

This book is great, it documents skateboading in a fresh way, mixing action photos with classic skate advertising and graphics. What I want to know is when somebody is going to put out a book on the gonz's life. (see broken poems)

I like architecture. I like buildings. And I adore The Empire State building in New York City. (as if I need to mention location) This is an informative book by Mr. Doherty and others giving us a detailed view into dreams coming to life of the then tallest building in the world. How it was built, human drama behind the scenes, how fast it went up---4 stories a week, the limestone that was only brought in from Indiana, and other fascinating information.

With a glossary, index, photo's of helmeted men in 1930---daringly straddling beams above a floor of cement doom, one can relive visiting this icon or enjoy true anticipation of using one of its 73 elevators to reach for the heavens on an open aired viewing floor where everything from weddings to arm wrestling competitions take place.

Did you know they began using outdoor lights due to an aircraft bomber, lost in the fog and crashing into her 79th floor back in the 40's? And now, one can see it adorned with special lit colors--Blue was done as a tribute to Frank Sinatra, Blue & White for Churchill, and Gold for the Pope.

Yes, the building that may now not be the tallest, will forever hold a special place in our hearts. As seen in many movies, from King Kong to Sleepless In Seattle, we can step back and wonder who is behind those 6,000 windows ( you might spot Donald Trump, he owns part of her now ) and wistfully sigh at the romance of it all.

other reading suggestions: "The Majesty of the French Quarter" by Kerri McCaffety

--CDS--

This book is wonderful. The pictures bring back a time in our country's history that was hopeful and expansive - a nice antidote to today's closed attitudes. Anyone with an interest in American history and the story of one our momumental achievements should have this book. P.S. Children love this book too -- my two sons take it off the shelf almost every night!

Pictures that are not well known, but warm the heart

This is a really good book on business etiquette, and etiquette in general, although I have not read many other books in the genre as a comparison. Gives very specific, easy to find and easy to read information on any particular etiquette topic you're searching for, and gives it to you in short paragraphs and chapters. The section on proper use and placement of table utensils is a bit to digest if you've never paid attention before. Overall, great stuff.

"Don't Slurp Your Soup" has just the right amount of quick tips for the busy professional who seeks to make a good impression on colleagues and customers alike. Written in bite-size paragraphs, it's easily digestible just when you need help. The comprehensive Table of Contents allows you to find information quickly.

Seeing as my business colleauges have given me the nickname of "Slurp", this book was most appropriate for me. The small paragraphs made it easy for me to digest. The extensive table of contents is very helpful

It is difficult to find a comprehensive history of the electric chair. And short of reading a copy of "Agent of Death," written by state executioner G. Elliott, much of the discussion of the technology of execution by electrocution is either too vague or too inaccurate to be of value to someone studying this bizzare and unlikely method of state killing.

Brandon's book promised to shed new light on the technological marvel-turned torture device that was and is the electric chair. Unfortunately, the book fails to deliver. There are many inaccuracies (the youngest person electrocuted in the U.S. was 14, not 17 as Brandon indignantly states; Fred Leuchter was prosecuted not because of a book he never wrote -- he wrote a report -- but because he testified in a Canadian criminal case that the Holocaust never occurred; Elliot hardly protected his execution techniques as "trade secrets" -- they're stated plainly in his book, "Agent of Death"). The book is much to "thin" (257 pages of text) for the high price of almost $40.

Professor Brandon's in-depth research provides a fascinating account of the economic and historical background which led to the development of the electric chair. The ever-controversial topic of capital punishment finds additional fuel in this well-documented history. I highly recommend this book to those who consider important the social and moral issues surrounding capital punishment.

Brandon did an excellent job of reviewing the voluminous historical documents and putting them into a fast paced story. This is not a tiring ponderous tirade against capital punishment but a rare objective history story.