As ever Scarry delivers a fine story book based on the growing child's everyday world brought the more to life by his inimical illustrations. Full of action and a well developed narrative which children from about 2 can follow verbally and trace with their finger across the page picture-by-picture, this is a book to truly delight adults and youngsters. If you remember Scarry from your own childhood, as many of you will, then those wide eyed smiling animal characters will immediately transport you back to 1968 (the date of the orginal book's publication). Note that this book is the abridged version, but loses nothing for that. We have a very bashed original and also Scarry's marvellous "366 Stories" - a story or poem for everyday of the year ( including Leap Years)...will they ever get round to publishing that great classic??? Enjoy "What Do People Do All Day" - the children will thank you for it in , oh, about 2028.

"What Do People Do All Day" is really a one-of-a-kind book. As a toddler and older child, I was enthralled by Scarry's colorful and highly detailed pictures and his fun characters, and I especially recall the sections on water treatment and electrical power generation. This book, unlike any other, certainly stimulated my early interest in a career. Speaking from experience, a kid can spend hours poring through this book, and he can remember details from it for years. Unfortunately, it seems that a few boneheads at the publisher don't share my exceptional feelings for the book and have abridged it, removing the two sections I have mentioned and more. Shame on them!

I had this book when I was very little and we read it as a bedtime story almost every night. The inner workings of factories and houses was fascinating to me, and I remember enjoying picking out my favorite characters on each page. Lowly Worm and Huckle Cat will always be my favorites.

This second book in the Amazing Days of Abby Hayes series is even better than the first. I laughed out loud when I read it, and I'm not in the 9-12-year-old recommended reading range (okay, so I borrowed from someone who was). It's gotten rave reviews from local kids too.

The amazing days of abby hayes ( the declaration of independance) is a a great book. This poor girl is trying to prove that she is mature enough to go to a annual festival by herself. Abby normally takes her little brother Alex. Of course Alex is upset. Abby scrubs the tub yet lets the bubbles overflow. Read the book to find out what happenS!!!

dear readers,
if your intrested in a fun book this is a book thats fun and has a fun and funny curly red haired fith grader with a talent that sparkles and a personality to match.Its hard not to make friends with this perky purple loveing fith grader with a wonderful writing talent. in this book abby tires to baby sit her brother Alex , but soon her etempt crashes and burns.At this rate how will abby ever be able to go to the Fall Festivel with her friends and nobody else?Read the book to find out!

"Dummy Days" captures the essence of a time in the early (some say "golden") days of television. This book is about the art of ventriloquism as it flourished on TV in the 1950s and about the famous ventriloquists who practiced the art -- Edgar Bergen, Senor Wences, Paul Winchell, Jimmy Nelson and Shari Lewis.

Dummy Days is well-researched, beautifully written, and well-produced. I am grateful to Kelly Asbury for doing this work. It reproduces with uncanny accuracy a time that was magic to me, a time that I remember very well; it returns me to my childhood when I was a performing ventriloquist and following these five stars closely. But more than transporting one elder fellow down memory lane, this book serves a larger purpose. Like the Foxfire books of years ago, this book captures and preserves part of a culture as it existed in its golden era, an artform that in its original format has been mostly unattended for far too long.

Most literature about the culture of the 1950s misses the mark. Asbury got it right, and he gave comprehensive coverage of the subject. This is an important book. It recalls and records inportant things that otherwise exist only in the memories of my generation.

Highly recommended, not only for those who remember the dummy days, but also for those who do not and are unaware of just how golden they really were.

Al Stevens

It has been said a book about ventriloquists could never attract interest beyond the small clique of ventriloquists practicing the quirky art today. A major publisher's book would more likely be a "best smeller" than a "best seller," with little "cross-over" (non-ventriloquist) appeal -- a nostalgia piece with little relevance to modern day generations.

They said it couldn't be done. And DreamWorks' animation maven Kelly Asbury, author of Dummy Days, has proven them totally WRONG. Dummy Days matters-- and it works on every level.

Dummy Days is a book with INCREDIBLY wide appeal. In wonderful, painstaking detail, Asbury takes you through the lives of the 20th century's greatest "belly talkers" Edgar Bergen, Paul Winchell, Jimmy Nelson, Senor Wences, and Shari Lewis. Lovingly crafted bios of these five performers (plus mini-bios on variety show host Ed Sullivan and legendary dummy builder Frank Marshall) make you feel you actually KNOW them personally, and you learn surprising never-before-disclosed details about them and the evolution of their acts.

But the underlying and skillfully developed subtext is the entertainment industry's brutal, take-no-prisoners evolution through the early to mid-late 20th century and how top "vents" adapted to it, then largely vanished from mainstream entertainment media's radar screen once Sullivan's landmark CBS TV show (a vaudeville show) was canceled in 1971.

Dummy Days is a book about highly-adaptable performers' sometimes roller-coast-like lives -- but it's also a vital entertainment history book. This makes it of interest not only to
ventriloquists and aspiring ventriloquists, but to ANYONE seeking to understand modern entertainment's roots -- from vaudeville, to radio, to vaudeville-influenced early TV. Each
time a dominant new entertainment medium eclipsed the previously dominant one, tastes shifted and successful performers had to adjust (their attire, their act, their persona) to survive.

Asbury, a highly acclaimed children's author, focuses on the five most famous ventriloquists:
--EDGAR BERGEN: He details the father of 20th century ventriloquism's evolution, from his adaptations to survive, to his big breaks, to his poignant last show and death shortly
afterwards. "For the first time in the history of ventriloquism,' he writes, "the art took a non-visual form'' with Bergen's hit radio show featuring life-like, carefully-etched characters. Asbury answers the raging question about whether Bergen ever had good lip control and shows why Bergen was the Gold Standard for ventriloquists.
--SENOR WENCES: A loving look at what Asbury calls the "surrealist" Spanish ventriloquist. An Ed Sullivan darling (48 appearances), Wences was pitchforked into national cultural consciousness by his hand-as-puppet Johnny and his head-in-the-box Pedro. Asbury tells you HOW and WHY these beloved 20th century characters came about . Superb account of Wences performing into his nineties (he died at 103).
--PAUL WINCHELL: The chapter is bittersweet since so little remains of pioneer Winchell's wonderful TV work. A great account of Winchell's rise from talent show contestant, to TV star, creator of innovative puppet/ventriloquism techniques, and interest in medicine, which led him to invent the first patented version of the artificial human heart. According to Asbury, Winchell, known as "The Television Ventriloquist," shaped early TV and "practically invented the idea of children's programming." .
--JIMMY NELSON: Called "Gentleman Jim" by peers, Nelson, who Asbury calls the "consummate professional," is most famous for his early TV work and legendary Nestles commercials with dummy Danny O'Day and dummy dog Farfel (N-E-S-T-L-E-S).
He recounts the accident that won Nelson the lucrative Nestles contract, propelling Nelson into ventriloquism (and advertising) immortality. This most affectionate chapter traces
Nelson's big breaks, savvy adaptation to changing venues, and key role in helping keep ventriloquism alive by ceaselessly promoting it, the Vent Haven ventriloquists' convention and
encouraging every aspiring ventriloquist who approached him (he even encouraged some like ME to go into ventriloquism fulltime).

--SHARI LEWIS: The most poignant chapter, due to her untimely death. Asbury calls the former Phyllis Hurwitz "the First Lady of Puppeteering." He offers NEW insights into why Lewis dumped using a dummy for sock-puppet Lamb Chop, how she tirelessly worked other entertainment areas when her TV worked ended, her extending her art beyond ventriloquism, and her work to educate kids. Superb account of a talent successfully re-inventing herself.

With its rare photos, short articles, multi-colored pages -- even page-corner animated flip photos so ventriloquists and dummies move -- Dummy Days is a feast for the eyes. From Dummy Days' meticulous research, to its superb writing, and creative design, Asbury gets everything perfectly right. Dummy Days is the best book ever written about ventriloquists -- and will likely remain the best book ever written about ventriloquists.

Mr. Kelly has poured his heart and soul into this book with research and facts. The photos are a trip down memory lane, with all the views you remember from days past. You will not be disappointed in the "Good Ol' Days" feeling you have as you read and enjoy this walk through Vent History. Baby Boomers .... take note of this book.. it will be a favorite read !!

What a fun and original book!
The ideas are great and it was not at all what I expected by the title. There are really creative and original ideas for everyday celebration and fun. This book is really creative and you can branch off to your own ideas. You will use this book often so keep it close at hand! :)

I bought this book because it had a firetruck party theme-- just what I was wanted for my son's 2nd birthday party. The party was a huge hit with kids and adults alike, especially the cake that looked like a fire truck (very easy, but looked professional). I've used this book countless times since, for my Halloween-themed playgroup, Christmas parties, and my daughter's first birthday. Everyone comments on how cute the decorations and snacks/cakes are, and everyone is surprised when I tell them how easy they are. This book is my "secret" to becoming the neighborhood Martha Stewart for kids. My children are just 2 1/2 and 1, but I know I will use this book again and again for years. There are even some great party ideas for teens.

I own lots of kids party books and this one is by far the best I have ever seen. It is full of great ideas not only for kids birthday parties, but also for family functions, making this a great book for all age groups. Full of colourful photos, I always end up referring back to this book while planning events, as the ideas are so fresh and creative and very manageable. This is definatley a book worth owning!

AS AN AVID READER OF SUSPENSE NOVELS, IT'S HARD TO FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN SURPRISE ME WITH A "WHO DONE-IT" BREWSTER MILTON ROBERTSON WITH "RAINY DAYS AND SUNDAYS" DID JUST THAT! THE SURPRISE ENDING WILL KEEP YOU AWAKE NIGHTS TO FINISH THE BOOK. A GREAT READ! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

Brewster Milton Robertson's hot thriller, RAINY DAYS AND SUNDAYS, set at the Carolina seashore is a heck of a read. The protagonist, Buchanan Forbes, star pharmaceutical salesperson, devoted father and family man, intellectual, and all around good guy, finds himself on the wrong side of a Federal drug bust. The Feds are aiming to clean up the multi-billion dollar black market in prescription drug and medical device samples involving manufacturers, crooked detailmen, and physicians. To make matters worse the Feds are following the lead of a dingbat conservative President who has just outlawed all abortions and seems determined to return to dark ages politics of the 1950's.

Forbes finds himself in the middle of this mess when several young Carolina women die as a result of botched abortions involving experimental IUD's. The Feds pour on the heat and Forbes is wrongly accused of prescription drug theft and sales. His life is further shattered when his faithless wife leaves him taking with her Forbes's four beloved sons. Forbes sets out to put his life and reputation right and he has to fight mighty odds. If and how he is to succeed makes great suspense and a powerful read. Get the book and read it now. It won't wait for a "Rainy Day" or a "Sunday."

couldnt put it down.... was reading it during traffic stops.
oh...was truely great enjoyment... a must read...

June O'Neill has pulled off the very difficult feat of writing a book on a cryptozoological subject and making that book balanced, readable, and highly entertaining. This thoroughly researched examination of the New England "sea serpent" story - not just the celebrated events of 1817, but all sightings, from Colonial times through the present day - is enough to make even the most hardened skeptic gaze out to sea and ponder whether we may have overlooked a spectacular discovery. O'Neill doesn't try to argue the case for a large, unknown animal. She lets the witnesses speak for her and lets the reader draw the conclusions. Bottom line: This is a marvelous book. No one with an interest in marine life, cryptozoology, or the magic and mystery of the oceans should pass it by.

J.P. O'Neill's destined to become a classic work, "THE GREAT NEW ENGLAND SEA SERPENT...." is truly in a class of its own in terms of mass appeal. From the carefree sunbather on the shores of the Cape to the tenured cryptozoologist this book is an immediately engaging, thoroughly researched, and fascinating work. HIGHLY recommended!

Before I had read this book I had no idea who or what the New England Sea Serpent was. This book got me intersted and I found it amazing that something that large and mythical could actually be living at the bottom of the ocean.The way the book is written is so good and whole that it makes you want to read more and more. I recommend this book to absolutely anyone.

I picked the book up thinking it was just a list of arcade game scores - but the author chose to also include scores for home video game systems as well. Since the focus of the recollections at the end of the book were about arcade games, a separate book for home systems would be more appropriate. A majority of the entries are for Nintendo systems, which were provided by Nintendo itself, and some are carried out to the top 250 scores. Surely the top 10 would have been plenty. On the plus side are the 200 pages of stories from the Golden Age of arcades. This is the highlight of the book, and despite the author getting a bit self-important at times, makes for very entertaining reading for those of us who were there. If you were an arcade junkie in the early 80's, you may get a kick out of it.

This book is unbelievable! It covers just about everything you can think of as far as video games and pinball for just about all formats available. It's the only one of it's kind and is basically a video game players "Bible" for referencing scores on video games. A must have for any advit video game player. The 200 pages at the end of the book are stories of the golden age which were very interesting to read as an added bonus to this hugh book for less then $20.

Without a doubt, this book is a bright and shining star in the Video Game and Pinball world. It is clear Walter spent years collecting high scores from countless sources across the globe. Everything you could possibly want or need to know about high scores for Arcade games, pinball games, home console games and PC games is right here. The stories from the "Golden Age" are very well written and entertaining. Thank you Walter for an excellent book, I look forward to the 2nd edition.

This book's a must for all who like fantasy adventures with elves-dwarfs-magic users, etc. Without being an epic adventure, the mix of adventure, mystery and humor makes the story more than worth reading.

Costikyan has been around the RPG/gaming world about as long as I have--since the seventies. I recently reread this hilarious D&D fantasy story and I still got some major laughs out of it.

Want an appetizer? Greg's orcs speak with a heavy New Jersey accent. "We tanks you for our victory over da youmans", that sort of thing. (No offense to Jersey intended.) The book is full of great touches like this, such as a lisping lizardman and a fraternal order reminiscent of the Elks.

Search for this one. It's good.

I even named my cat after one of the main charicters. (Sidney!) If your into solid humor, This book has it. Buy a copy! My cat will thank you

This is a truly helpful book. Father Keenan's compassion comes alive on these pages. You can feel his hand in yours as you read. It's been a fad for quite some time now to say that one is "into spirituality" or is "a spiritual person." But to completely understand spirituality, one must first realize the function of the soul in life. Soulfulness is the basis of all things spiritual, emotional, and physical. It is our very essence. And this guide will help you in your quest to make your life a soulful one. On a personal note: My family sustained the loss of my dear sister just weeks before the release of this book. It served as a comforting tool to all the members of my family during this difficult time. But whether you are hurting, searching, happy, or sad, Father Keenan's words will lead you to a better understanding of the very thing that gives us the vitality and strength that we so need to survive: the soul. Father Keenan taught me so much through this book that I have actually been able to use what I've learned to help others through loneliness, loss, and frustration. And it's been an absolute delight to share what I've learned with all of God's souls who have come into my life.

In this world of stress and changing life situations, we are faced with struggles that we may not have had before. In addition, we are becoming more self aware of these struggles that we face. In response to that need, the bookshelves are stocked with a variety of self-help books ranging in complexity that address both the physical and mental states of mind.

In Good News for Bad Days, Father Keenan is able to provide insights into that part of us that we so often forget-our soul. As I listened to the audio version of his book, he reminded me that the soul is a central axis that radiates throughout our being. His book is particularly appealing because it offers SIMPLE techniques and philosophies to awaken and nourish the soul. In addition, he couples it with a nice blend of faith principles which are either forgotten or lost in our focus. This is truly an uplifting book which I listen to as I begin my day. It gives me the necessary reminder to keep a soul perspective as I approach the life and work situations that may confront me. I enjoyed Thomas Moore's Care of the Soul and this book compliments the thoughts he presents wonderfully; however, Father Keenan adds his own unique slant. I highly recommend this book. It provides hope, inspiration and a positive outlook in simple and achievable terms.

Good News for Bad Days - a great title for a book which gives such a deep look into the life of the author. Father Paul shows me in this book that it is possible to be fully human and fully in touch with God. In fact, to be fully human is to live a soulful - a soulfilled - life. It is rare these days to have someone share so much of their own struggles and joys of life. In all of the struggles, there is a lesson to be learned. That lesson is grounded in a deep faith in God. I only wished that Father Paul had written this book years ago!

This is a great book. It shows how real people feel about the job that they perform by interviewing them. Terkel describes his legacy of taped interviews this way: "It's the ordinary people, so called, who have things that they wanted to say all their lives, so this is something of a treasury I'd say." You read about it all, from waiters to teachers, from people who play sports to the people who work in offices. You learn that in order to be happy in life you must follow your dream and not do something based on status or salary. Many times people are being deprived of the potential joys in work when we are trained to focus too much on status and salary. Its better to wake up every morning looking forward to working than living a life full of regrets.

Studs Terkel is a master at getting people to open up, and careful to include several interviewees whose gripes help reinforce his liberal agenda. We hear a stockbroker, trucker, priest, hooker, teller, cops, teachers, autoworkers, and many others discuss their livelihoods. Readers come away appreciating the unique challenges of each job, and the powerlessness that afflicts many employees. These interviews occurred primarily in Chicago during the early 1970's, when the workplace featured fewer women and more jobs in heavy industry. We meet Mike, a steelworker annoyed by his lack of skills who senses that his union job may vanish - as occurred a few years later when US Steel shut their Chicago South Works. Barbara is a young advertising executive forced to deal with a level of office sexism one hopes is now passé. Ex-railroaders Bill and Louis each lament the shriveling of their once-vital industry from separate perches as retiree and washroom attendant. "Working" has many similar, compelling tales. The book may be slightly dated, but it remains a highly informative read.

I had always meant to read "Working," but had never gotten around to it. Then I picked up another book loosely based on it ("Gig"), so decided to get the original "Working" as well.

"Working" is moving and brilliant and a million times better than "Gig." Somehow, Terkel lets the people do their own talking, but it's never monotonous, never repetitive, and they always have profound things to say. Reading these people tell their stories is mesmerizing. Terkel steps in just the right amount, organizing the stories into themes (sometimes very creative ones), but never drowning out his interviewees' voices.

Although "Working" came out in 1972, it feels surprisingly recent. The world of work hasn't changed all that much in thirty years. Still relevant, still entertaining, still thought-provoking. And the professions are indexed in the back, so one needn't read them in order.