Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good: Larry David and the Making of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm


Josh Levine - 2010
    In his early stand-up days, if he walked on stage and didn’t like the crowd, he would walk off. Together with Jerry Seinfeld, he pitched NBC on a sitcom where nothing happens. A whole show could be about waiting in line at a Chinese restaurant. And somehow Seinfeld became the most successful comedy show of all time. After nine years of writing and producing Seinfeld, and after making a huge amount of money, Larry David began to create a new show for HBO. Without much separation between himself and the character he plays, Curb follows the daily routines of Larry David. Being politically correct is far from Larry’s mind, and the audience cringes as he berates, torments, and blusters his way into the hearts of TV watchers. Follow the early exploits of Larry’s stand-up career, his days writing for Seinfeld, and learn how Curb was conceived and developed. Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good – titled after Larry’s key catchphrase – also explores Larry’s on- and off-screen relationships with famous pals like Richard Lewis, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, and the cast of Seinfeld, and contains an in-depth episode guide to Curb Your Enthusiasm.

The Book of Imaginary Beliefs


Lala Bohang - 2019
    And we’re part of it,not just living on it. Earth is a battle ground where all species constantly face an invisible war. And we’re the main actor of growth, destruction, and peace. Someone’s precious is someone else’s garbage. Someone’s interest is someone else’s boredom. Someone’s principle is someone else’s violation. Someone’s contentment is someone else’s pressure. Someone’s recipe for immunity is someone else’s cause of death. Either you’re the “someone” or the “someone else”, it doesn’t matter because confusion will always bounce back to you, no matter how faryou’ve been running away from it. It’s about facing an empty page each day, it’s about waking up in the morning deciding to be alive,it’s about choosing which mistakes to avoid, it’s about considering what and who to ignore, it’s about crafting a self that’s truly your own, it’s about faking a smile to cure the pain of others, it’s about continuously moving forward because going back is never a choice, it’s about looking at the blue sky and having small talks with it, it’s about everything that feels small and unworthy, it’s about becoming buoyant, never being trapped between other people’s cacophonic agendas, it’s about counting your breath.

Wacky Packages


The Topps Company Inc. - 2008
    In fact, for the first two years they were published, Wacky Packages were the only Topps product to achieve higher sales than their flagship line of baseball cards. The series has been relaunched several times over the years, most recently to great success in 2007.Known affectionately among collectors as “Wacky Packs,” as a creative force with artist Art Spiegelman, the stickers were illustrated by such notable comics artists as Kim Deitch, , Bill Griffith, Jay Lynch, and Norm Saunders.This first-ever collection of Series One through Series Seven (from 1973 and 1974) celebrates the 35th anniversary of Wacky Packages and is sure to amuse collectors and fans young and old.

Death Punch'd: Surviving Five Finger Death Punch's Metal Mayhem


Jeremy Spencer - 2014
    In this high-energy memoir, Jeremy Spencer, the band’s cofounder and drummer, takes us onstage and behind the scenes, on tour and into the studio to tell the band’s story and his own. Death Punch’d is a detailed in-depth account of the group’s origins and influences, as well as the infighting and tensions that, when channeled properly, result in the music fans love. It is also the hard-charging, laugh-out-loud tale of how a mischievous boy rose from small-town Indiana to rock royalty—and how he nearly destroyed it all for a good time.Told in his unique, self-deprecating voice, filled with his twisted and humorous take on living the sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll dream turned nightmare, and including dozens of photos, Death Punch’d is a lively, no-holds-barred ride and an inspiring cautionary tale that offers lessons for us all.

300: The Art of the Film


Tara DiLullo - 1999
    Marking Miller’s first collaboration with watercolor artist Lynn Varley (Ronin, The Dark Knight Returns) in over a decade, 300 was a gritty reimagining of a battle in which 300 Spartan soldiers fought to hold back the entire Persian army. The series won five Eisner Awards, including Best Limited Series, Best Writer/Artist (Miller) and Best Colorist (Varley).300: The Art of the Movie takes you behind the scenes as director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead) adapts 300 to the silver screen. With 200 pages of production photos, concept art and much, much more, 300: The Art of the Movie is sure to delight Miller fans and movie buffs alike.

Some of Me


Isabella Rossellini - 1997
    The model and actress describes life with her famed parents, Roberto Rossellini and Ingrid Bergman, her acting and modeling careers, the men in her life, and other personal relationships.

Star Trek: The Art of Juan Ortiz


Juan Ortiz - 2013
    Artist Juan Ortiz has created unique retro-style art with the look of a 60s movie poster, comic book, pulp novel cover or advertisement, one each for all 80 episodes. About the Artist Juan Ortiz is an avid Star Trek enthusiast and an accomplished artist that set out to create an art program representing each of the 80 episodes from the Star Trek: The Original Series. The artwork embodies his passion for the series, the transformational Sixties, and the visceral reaction generated from each episode.Since 1985, Juan has been an illustrator/designer for Disney and Warner Bros. and has penciled covers for DC Comics’ Looney Tunes and Tiny Toons magazines. He is also the publisher of his own comic book series, Silver Comics, seen in the Disney/Dreamworks release I Am Number Four (produced by Steven Spielberg) as well as The Skull Army, a macabre/detective pulp, featuring his creation (named) The End.

99 Classic Movies for People in a Hurry


Thomas Wengelewski - 2009
    Get the low down on: Citizen Kane, Psycho, The Seventh Seal, Gone With the Wind, Dirty Dancing, Jaws, Bagdad Café, Rocky, Yojimbo, The Guns of Navarone, Jailhouse Rock, The Big Blue, Rebel Without a Cause, Taxi Driver, The Shawshank Redemption, The Misfits, among many others.

Bts


Katy Sprinkel
    

K-Pop Now!: The Korean Music Revolution


Mark James Russell - 2014
    It explains for westerners what K-pop music is really all about—a must-read!"—Charlotte Naudin, PR manager for Torpedo ProductionsK-Pop Now! takes a fun look at Korea's high-energy pop music, and is written for its growing legions of fans. It features all the famous groups and singers, and takes an insider's look at how they have made it to the top.In 2012, Psy's song and music video "Gangnam Style" suddenly took the world by storm. But K-Pop, the music of Psy's homeland of Korea, has been winning fans for years with its infectious melodies and high-energy fun. Featuring incredibly attractive and talented singers and eye-popping visuals, K-Pop is the music of now.Though K-Pop is a relatively young phenomenon in the West, it is rapidly gaining traction and reaching much larger audiences—thanks in large part to social media like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Top K-Pop acts get ten million to thirty million hits for their videos—the Girls Generation single "Gee" has over a hundred million views!In K-Pop Now! you'll find:Profiles of all the current K-Pop artists and their hitsA look at Seoul's hippest hot spots and hangoutsInterviews with top artists like Kevin from Ze:A and Brian JooA look at the K-Pop idols of tomorrowYou'll meet the biggest record producers, the hosts of the insanely popular "Eat Your Kimchi" website, and K-Pop groups like Big Bang, TVXQ, 2NE1, Girls Generation, HOT, SES, FinKL Busker Busker and The Koxx. The book also includes a guide for fans who plan to visit Seoul to explore K-Pop up close and personal.Join the K-Pop revolution now!

Queen Elizabeth II's Guide to Life


Karen Dolby - 2019
    Now in her ninety-fourth year, this timely celebration sheds new light on the myriad attributes and personal qualities she brings to the nation. From fortitude in the face of adversity to standing as the nation's ambassador all over the world, no one could doubt the work ethic that powers this remarkable woman, even into her nineties. Equally, her love of family - from her rock of over sixty years' marriage, Prince Philip, to her great grandchildren - shines through. But what are the secrets of her success? How does she still approach her day-to-day with such vitality and aplomb, even when culture and society are changing rapidly all around her?The Queen on fame: When an MP commented that it must be a strain meeting so many strangers all the time, the Queen smiled, 'It is not as difficult as it might seem. You see, I don't have to introduce myself. They all seem to know who I am.'The Queen on fashion: In the late sixties when Mary Quant and the mini skirt came to epitomize all that was fashionable, Princess Anne suggested her mother might also consider shortening her hemline. The Queen was adamant, 'I am not a film star.' The Queen on family: As Great Britain's most famous great grandmother, it is no surprise that the Queen values family life. 'Marriage gains from the web of family relationships between parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, cousins, aunts and uncles.'In this book Karen Dolby unpicks the key elements that make the Queen so special to - and so loved by - the nation and presents a guide to how you too could put into practice some of Her Majesty's traits to help overcome adversity, find inner strength and present yourself as wonderfully considered and calm, even when all about you seems in chaos.

Red: A History of the Redhead


Jacky Colliss Harvey - 2015
    A book that breaks new ground, dispels myths, and reinforces the special nature of being a redhead, with a look at multiple disciplines, including science, religion, politics, feminism and sexuality, literature, and art. With an obsessive fascination that is as contagious as it is compelling, author Jacky Colliss Harvey (herself a redhead) begins her exploration of red hair in prehistory and traces the redhead gene as it made its way out of Africa with the early human diaspora to its emergence under Northern skies. She goes on to explore red hair in the ancient world; the prejudice manifested against red hair across medieval Europe; red hair during the Renaissance as both an indicator of Jewishness during the Inquisition and the height of fashion in Protestant England, under the reign of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I; the modern age of art and literature, and the first positive symbols of red hair in children's characters; modern medicine and science and the genetic and chemical decoding of red hair; and finally, red hair in contemporary culture, from advertising and exploitation to "gingerism" and the new movement against bullying.

Epic Fail: Bad Art, Viral Fame, and the History of the Worst Thing Ever


Mark O'Connell - 2013
    It fills our Facebook feeds. It keeps afloat a whole armada of late-night comedians, YouTube auteurs, and twitter wits … an endless stream of "Worst Things Ever." Recall, if you will, Rebecca Black's chart-topping disasterpiece, "Friday." Or “The Room”, Tommy Wiseau's cinematic tragedy turned cult farce. Or the devout Spanish septuagenarian who produced an infamously botched, and now stunningly ubiquitous, retouching of a 19th-century fresco of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Internet era has fueled an obsession with these and other acts of cultural cluelessness. Hardly a week goes by, it seems, without some new aesthetic travesty spreading across the globe in the form of ones and zeros, spawning countless remixes and riffs, like the world's biggest inside joke. And once more the cry goes up: Fail! Epic Fail!But what, exactly, draws us to these futile attempts at making songs, movies, and art? What are the essential ingredients that render a ridiculous failure sublime? More important, what does our seemingly insatiable appetite for the "succès d'incompetence" say about our aesthetic impulses? Our ethical ones? Is our laughter all in good fun or is something more sinister at work?

Maximum Volume: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin, The Early Years, 1926–1966


Kenneth Womack - 2017
    Martin’s working-class childhood, his education, and his musical influences at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama profoundly shaped his early career in the BBC’s Classical Music department and as head of the EMI Group’s Parlophone Records. These musical influences would become the fount out of which flowed the genius behind his seven years producing the Beatles’ incredible body of work, including such albums as Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Abbey Road. The first book of a two-part series, Maximum Volume traces Martin’s early years as a scratch pianist, his life in the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War, and his groundbreaking work as the head of Parlophone Records during the 1950s, when Martin saved the company from ruin after making his name as a producer of comedy and spoken-word recordings. In its most dramatic moments, Maximum Volume narrates the story of Martin’s unlikely discovery of the Beatles and his painstaking efforts to prepare their newfangled sound for the British music marketplace. As the story unfolds, Martin and the band craft numerous number-one hits along the group’s progress towards The Ed Sullivan Show and such landmark songs as “Yesterday” and “In My Life”—Beatles tunes that bear Martin’s unmistakable musical signature.

Celebrating Peanuts: 60 Years


Charles M. Schulz - 2009
    Schulz.Andrews McMeel is proud to showcase the exclusive Celebrating Peanuts: 60 Years. It is packed with commentary from throughout Schulz's career, making this book not only a heartwarming tribute but also a true collector's item.This special 60th anniversary tribute is arranged decade, to spotlight the highlights and development of this world favorite classic.