Product Description
The Book of Lists #2 is all brand-new from cover to cover, a fun book that informs, a serious reference book that entertains. These incredible and useful facts will surprise, stimulate, challenge, involve you - over a quarter of a million words and 8,000 entries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A very good book!
I loved this book! I just picked it off a shelf at my dad's to read and I loved the book!!!Although most of the info is completely and utterly usesless, most is very funny!!! VERY Highly recommended ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION...
I first read this book approximately twenty-five years ago, when it was first published. I remember that I had very much enjoyed the glimpse that it offered into the fascinating lives of nineteenth century conjoined twins, Chang and Eng, the original "Siamese Twins". Having recently read the novel, "Chang and Eng",by Darin Strauss, my interest in these twins was piqued, and I decided to re-read this book.

Time has not diminished the capacity of this biography to captivate and hold the interest of the reader. Truth is, indeed, stranger than fiction.The authors provide the reader with a well-researched look at the interesting and unusual lives led by conjoined twins, Chang and Eng. Born in Siam, which is now known as Thailand, on a houseboat on the Mekong River in 1811, Chang and Eng were conjoined at the chest by a band of fleshy cartilage. It was this small band of flesh that would bind them in life, making the two as one.

Being forced to be together by their conjoinment, even in those most intimate of moments, did not prevent Chang and Eng from living full lives.Leaving Siam as eighteen year old adolescents, Chang and Eng were to travel to America under the care and guidance of a Captain Coffin, who saw the commercial possibilities inherent in Chang and Eng's conjoinment and fully intended to exploit them. In America,people clamored to view Chang and Eng, as they were considered curiosities. They would also travel abroad to Europe, where they were to cause a sensation. Chang and Eng were the international celebrities of their day.

When they reached majority, Chang and Eng disassociated themselves from Captain Coffin and his business partners and became their own men. They took charge of their own destinies and later became American citizens, adopted the surname of Bunker,marriedtwo sisters, Adelaide and Sarah Yates, collectively had twenty-one children, and settled down in North Carolina, where they became slave-owning, gentleman farmers. Still, they did not wholly give up touring and exhibiting themselves for profit. In later, leaneryears, they would do so with some of their children in tow as part of the exhibit.

As they grew older, their togetherness seemed to cast a pall over their lives, as Chang was a more phlegmatic sort of personality, while Eng was much more contemplative in nature. Moreover, Chang took to heavy drinking, and though Eng abhorred it, there was little he could do about it. He was forced, therefore,to suffer the consequential effects and indignities of Chang's drinking. These personal differences would cause them both to mull over the possibility of separation. There was, however, little medical support for such, except in the event of life or death, as surgical procedures were still quite primitive in those days.

Chang and Eng would die in their early sixties. Chang died first, while Eng, who was otherwise healthy, would die within hours, possibly fromfright and shock at being tethered to the lifeless body of his brother. As they were together in life, so were they together in death. They left behind two grieving widows, a multitude of children and grandchildren, and an unending, world-wide interest in their lives. Never before and never since, has a set of conjoined twins so captured the imagination of the general public more than Chang and Eng, the originalSiamese twins.

This is a very well-written, well-researched biographical treatment of the lives of Chang and Eng. Their lives were, indeed, fascinating, and those who enjoy biographies will find much to like about this book. It is also an intriguing look at nineteenth century life in the context of the lives of Chang and Eng. The book also has sixteen pages ofwonderful black and white photographs and illustrations, which will add to the reader's enjoyment of this book.

Fascinating book about two unique and remarkable men.
As a descendent of Chang Bunker, I found "the Two" a fascinating trip into my families past.The book chronicles their lives and the lives of their wives and children in a very thoughtful and honest way.A goodread!

Excellent book. The most accurate account I have read.
As a great great grandson of Eng I have heard all the stories that were passed down thru the years. This book captures the essence of the twins and the time in which they lived accurately and without exageration. ... Read more

Product Description
Color 8" X 10" Publicity photo of actress Amy Irving. After auditioning and losing the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars, Irving's debut screen performances were lead roles in the Brian DePalma-directed films The Fury as Gillian Bellaver, and Carrie as Sue Snell (in which she co-starred with her mother).Then, in 1999, she went on to do her role as Sue Snell "The Rage: Carrie 2", and was the school counselor, mainly for Rachel, the main character. She also starred with Richard Dreyfuss in 1980's The Competition, the 1983 film Yentl (for which she was nominated for an Oscar), in Susan Sandler's popular 1988 film, Crossing Delancey (for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe) as Isabelle, and Woody Allen's 1997 film Deconstructing Harry. Micki + Maude, directed by Blake Edwards and starring Dudley Moore was a hit for her in 1984. She supplied the singing voice for Jessica Rabbit in the animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Irving also appeared in the television show Alias as Emily Sloane, portrayed Princess Anjuli in the big budget mini-series epic The Far Pavilions and headlined the lavish TV production: Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna. More recently Irving appeared in the films Traffic (2000), Tuck Everlasting (2002), Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2002) and an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2001. ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Amy Davis Irving is an American actress, known for her roles in the films Crossing Delancey, The Fury, Carrie, and Yentl as well as acclaimed roles on Broadway and off-Broadway. She is also notable for the large settlement she received after divorcing Steven Spielberg. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (14)

Impulse Buying
I remember the title from long ago and had enjoyed several novels by Papa Irving Wallace, so ordered the book. Well, it's OK but nothing you can't live without. It's not for sustained reading, but a book to pick up once in awhile and read a bit of dish about people in history. As a reminder, dear readers, everyone has a 'story' but they are not all interesting.

FASCINATING.
I remember purchasing this work via some sort of book club when it was first published.Looking back almost thirty years ago I have trouble remembering the reason why.I suppose that even though the only love lives I have ever been more than mildly interested in are mine and that of my wife.I suppose though, if I am to be truly honest with myself, I suppose I possess a bit of the voyeur in me as most of us do.I love niggle little bits of information and store them away like a squirrel with acorns...saving them for some rainy day I guess.Now that being said...

This work by the Wallace family is an absolute hoot!This 618 page book (I have the hard cover here in front of me) covers the sex lives, or in some cases, the lack of sex lives, of around 200 individuals.For the most part these are historical figures, celebrities, actors, artists....well, as the title says "of Famous People."Now keep in mind that for the most part all of these people are dead, but the reader will come upon very familiar names.From Hitler to Gandhi to an unending list of movie stars and sports heroes through artists, writers, poets, scientists, and beyond...they are all here.

The author has given us a short biography of each of these individual (like as in why are they famous), what they were like in person, their love lives and finally their quirks, if any.Now don't get the impression that this is some sort of collection of off colored stories that you see in the grocery line.No, this is a pretty well researched piece of work and the authors back it up with documentation.When speculation is made, the author's are the first to point it out.This book is not an erotic peek into the lives of their subjects and the only times the authors delve into this area is when they quote statements or letters from their subjects.All in all, for the subject matter, this is a very dignified book.But dignified dose not make it stuffy, no, no, no...far from that.Like I said, this work is an absolute hoot to read.

Was Edna St. Vincent Millay heterosexual, bisexual or lesbian?Do you know?Did Ms. Millay know?How many hours during his life time did Errol Flynn spend making love?(He tells us and apparently kept some sort of log.I can identify with that as I have been keeping log books on my mileage running and biking for years and lists of birds I have seen; I am a habitual record keeper and always have been...I never thought about sex though...hmmm, nothing wrong with a short list I suppose).Was Nikolai Lenin a bigger swinger than Chairman Mai?How about Gen. Douglas MacArthur?Chopin, Debussy, Liszt, Stokowski...did these guys only practice and write their music, or did they have "distractions?"

I collect absolutely useless facts like a wool coat collects lint.The useless stuff simply sticks in my head and never leaves.The next time you and I are setting at the local café having coffee and you ask me "Hey don, how did William Gladstone controlled his sexual appetite?"Well I will be able to tell you.

For a fun and informative read, this is a nice one to have lying around and it has aged quite well.It is certainly tame reading by today's standards, but I cannot say that is a bad thing.At least the authors of this work were literate, which is not something I can truthfully say about some of our contemporaries.

I am giving this one five stars simply because I enjoy reading bits and pieces from it.As for it being a "must read" book, well.......

Don Blankenship
The ozarks

Fantastically entertaining!
This book is a great anthology of not only the intimate lives of interesting characters, but also a concise survey of the influence of sex on world history. Wonderfully written, and wildly entertaining!

VERY INTERESTING!
Had purchased this book years ago, and read it so many times, it fell apart!!This new book is great and I enjoyed it very much!!

Interesting and Informative
This is an interesting look at the sex lives of famous athletes, film stars, and politicians.The authors describe the activities of such figures as Babe Ruth, Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Marylin Monroe, Warren Harding, Mahatma Gandhi, Douglas MacArthur, etc.We see who philandered (many), enjoyed fetishes (several) or homosexual liasons (some).Yes, some practiced marital fidelity, but don't include actor Charles Laughton because he only cheated with males.Actually, the book merely confirms what resarchers like Kinsey already knew, while demonstrating our hypocritical non-adherence to (arguably) puritanical values.Those offended should remember that celebrityhood attracts groupies and thus increases temptations. The later edition includes figures like Tupac, Jim Morrison, Anne Nicole Smith, the ever-eager Wilt Chamberlain, and Princess Diana.

The authors became famous with their People's Almanacs and Book of List series.Here is more informative trivia, apparently well-documented and undeniably entertaining.
... Read more

Product Description

Nine-year-old Emily Anne Toussaint is shot dead on a Montreal street. A North Carolina teenager disappears from her home. Parts of what may be her skeleton are found hundreds of miles away. For. Dr. Temperance Brennan the deaths kindle deep emotions that propel her on harrowing journey through the world of outlaw motorcycle gangs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

ltpsp
Good product. this is the only way to buy her audio books to make it cost effective. I listen to books while driving back and forth to work.

Deadly Audio Collection
The stories and the narrations were excellent - However each of the audio cd had several spots where the cd stuck and audio was interruped/stopped by repeating words or phrases.

Great Buy!
I never read Kathy Reichs before. Got three in one "Tempe" novels. Waiting to hear what happens with Ryan. ... Read more

Product Description
Emily Dickinson was born into a prominent New England family. Sociable as a child, she grew increasingly withdrawn, and in later years became known as a recluse. Only seven of her poems were published during her lifetime. After Emily's death in 1886, her sister discovered the bulk of her poems and began publishing them, thus establishing Emily Dickinson as one of the greatest poets of the English language.Amazon.com Review
In "I'm Nobody! Who Are You?" Emily Dickinson notes, "Howdreary to be somebody." Perhaps Dickinson's desire for anonymity wasthe driving force behind both her retreat into seclusion and herdecision to keep secret an immense body of work (some 1,775 poems werediscovered after her death). Two of her favorite themes, nature andloss, appear repeatedly in this collection, which includes "Each ThatWe Lose Takes Part of Us," "Requiem," "Gone," and severalfloral-themed works ("The Tulip," "With Flowers," and "My Rose," toname a few). These beautiful poems are well read by a number oftalented actors, including Glenda Jackson, Amy Irving, Meryl Streep,and Alfre Woodard. Of the three volumes in this series, this isperhaps the most moving. (Running time: 45 minutes, 1 cassette)--C.B. Delaney ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

What A Disappointment
A CD that contains fifty poems of my favorite poet read in part by perhaps my favorite actress Meryl Streep-- now that's a CD you can tip your hat to-- well not exactly. If there ever was a poet whose works do not need background music while being read, it has to be those of Miss Dickinson. If we have to have music connected with the poems, we can listen to those poems that Aaron Copland and Ned Rorem set to music. The music on this CD had become pretty much a mild aggravation, a little like getting two radio stations on a car radio late at night, when on poem number 33, "The Lonely House," I recognized Robert Schumann's famous "Traumeri"as the music swelled. There is no excuse for this.

The editors have allowed themselves to name some of the poems included here. Anyone who has ever read Dickinson knows that she never named any of her poems and that they are usually identified by first lines.It also would have been convenient for the listener if the words to the poems had been included with the CD. They are not. Neither are we told which reader is reading what poem. (In addition to Ms. Streep, Glenda Jackson, Stephanie Beacham and Sharon Stone read as well. While I recognize Glenda Jackson's voice and Ms. Streep's sometimes, I do not have the faintest idea what either Sharon Stone or Stephanie Beacham's voices sound like. I would gladly have paid more for a better produced CD.

Even all these shortcomings cannot mar the beauty of these rich and wonderful poems with such lines as "the sordid excellence as paradise" if they could just turn off the music!And many of Miss Dickinson's lesser-known poems are included, along with some of those most often anthologized, including my favorite poem "The Bustle in a House."

Dickinson was before her time
I've never been into poetry before but Ms Dickinson's poems just blow me away.The readers are perfect for the job - they put emotion and energy into the words making the CD a pleasure to listen to.Highly recommended.

Excellent Readings, But NOT the Poems Listed on the CD
These witty, sly, despairing performances breathe new life and new perspectives into the poems and the poet. Unfortunately, the poems listed on the back of the CD are NOT the poems you hear on the CD, which makes it difficult to know which actress is reading and exactly what she is reading. It's also impossible to directly access a poem directly --- everything falls under a 45 minute Track 1. Finally, this is Fifty Poems of Emily Dickinson, Volume 3. What happened to Volumes 1 and 2? I saw them once as cassettes, but never as CDs.

Perfect marriage of medium and message
Joan Allen, of all people, emerges as the stand out in this collection of wonderfully nuanced readings of poet Emily Dickinson's deceptively simple poems on nature and human truths. Just terrific!

The delivery is as smooth as Emily's poems
If you like Emily Dickenson (and I do) you will love this audio cassette. The readers include Meryl Streep, Sharon Stone, and other great female talents. They read the poems with style and a subtility that matches the work of the poet. After hearing the presentations, I came away feeling that the poems were studied by the readers and for the most part understood and delivered accordingly. Thumbs up! ... Read more

Product Description
Full cast recording of a theatrical play read by Richard Dreyfuss, Amy Irving, and Harris Yulin. Arthur Miller's deeply moving drama reunites two long estranged middle-aged brothers. Nostalgia and recrimination erupt as they sell off an attic full of furniture, their last link to a family and a world that no longer exist. This 1968 classic is a wrenching saga of plaintive gestures and missed opportunities. A BBC Co-production. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Just as advertised
Ordered this script to prepare for an audition.It arrived quickly in perfect condition just as advertised.Included as a bonus was a promotional brochure from a theatrical book club dating from when the play was first published in the acting edition.Great pictures and excerpts from reviews of the first Broadway production.Fascinating!Very satisfied with this purchase!And oh yes, I got the part!!!

Well Worth 'The Price' (that was so lame, I know)
This 1968 play from Miller is one of the author's better works in a career full of 'better works'.

While 'The Price' is definitely one of Miller's lesser known plays, there is certainly no reason for it to be so.It stands tall and ranks up with there with Miller's best, probably only being surpassed by a sparse number of his other works.

Many a synopsis can be found elsewhere on this page, so I'll skip that.
I will say that this play is a slow-burner.Miller takes his time establishing the characters, their relationships to each other and the world that they all inhabit.The writing throughout is simple yet elegant (though the dialogue at times is a bit outdated).

The core relationship between the two brothers has a great deal of depth and never strays from being completely and utterly real.Each of the brothers is tremendously well-written and well thought out.Miller never cheats in his writing of either of these two characters; each stays true to himself at all times and never acts out of character.

"The Price" is always sure of itself, its footing is always true and Miller always knows exactly where the play is going.The entire last third of the play is an absolute knockout as the steady, methodical pace that Miller has spent the beginning of the play cultivating, suddenly blows its top and the brothers really dive into the hearts and minds of each other.

Even the character of the appraiser, Solomon, whom at first seems like a boring, comedic stereotype, quickly reveals himself to be something deeper.

My only complaint about the play is that its sole female character, Esther, doesn't really need to be present.It can be argued that Solomon and her balance each other out, but I just don't think the supportive evidence is there.Esther could be removed and the play would essentially be the same.Her character just isn't needed and on top of that, she's easily the weakest written character in the play.I'm sure a talented actress could make her worthwhile and even heartbreaking in a way, but on the page she's just lifeless.

The construction of the play is tight and terrific, the character of Solomon is terrific and quite wise and funny (even in 2007) and the core relationship between Victor and Walter is absolutely explosive.This play should be read.

The Price
An excellent production of Miller's classic. Ideal study aid for students and amateur groups wishing to put on the play.

We either reconcile the past or become its victim.
This is an outstanding dramatic work that I think is underestimated. We often think of Death of A Salesman, The Crucible, or After the Fall when we think of Miller's plays. However, The Price is a surprizingly taunt, well written and penetrating work of art.

The plot is nicely situated in an old attic full of massive antiques from a once wealthy family - whose capital as well as the father's will to succeed are both destroyed in the depression. Two brothers meet after twenty years of silence of to finally settle the estate of the long deceased father. The elder, Walter, has become a nationally recognized medical specialist whereas his younger brother, Victor, has become a policeman, father, and the primary caretaker of their father. Sharp words are exchanged in an encounter that has been postponed for many years. The dialogue is superb, blunt, crisp, and powerful.

Two other figures in the play help move the drama forward. Victor's wife is willing to voice opinions that Victor suppresses. The elderly Gregory Solomon, the used furniture dealer, offers some dramaticrelief.

In the end, the play is really not about the price of an attic full of used furniture. Rather, it is about the priorities that we all make in our lives. Sometimes the priorities are totally conscious and sometimes unconscious. These priorities then lead to choices. Sometimes the choices are active and sometimes they are the choices of passive default. Finally these priorities and the choices they engenderlead to consequences. Again, some of these consequences are recognized and some remain hidden. In the final analysis, priorities that lead to choices that lead to consequences all have a price. This is a play about how two men reconcile the prices they have paid for the priorities they had in life. The term 'reconcile' may not be the best choice of words, for at then end of our adult life, who really feels reconciled with all their choices and the consequences?

In the final analysis, this is a beautiful exploration of those summative moments where we place meaning onto life and it all it entails or we fall into despair. It is time for a revival of this powerful play.

Price for Furniture...Price for your Life....
Arthur Miller's "The Price" is as excellent as his View From the Bridge, All My Sons, and Death of a Salesman.And, I am quite positive it equals to what I have not read it yet, "The Crucible."

Estranged from his brother Walter for 16 years, 50 year old, policeman, Victor Franz is finally reunited because the need is to sell furnishings of their dead father.Victor is bitter over the choice he made in his youth to care for his father, who became one of millions of victims of the crash of 1929 and the Depression.Victor supported his father who was broke and shamed over the Depression.He became a policeman, instead of taking a career in science that he seemed primed for.

His brother Walter, however, made his choice in life to become a successful surgeon, and he has endured his share of life's problems, and some that only belong to the rich. The two brothers have kept away from each other because of their own guilt. Walter made his choice in life to be educated and knew that Victor was saddled with supporting the fatherthus, foregoing his career.

And very Milleresque, the plot thickens with an important twist.

The lengthy play could have been shortened, because the best dramatic dialogue doesn't happen until the end of the 2nd act. But to Arthur Miller, that's where his expertise comes in, engrossing you in small dialogue, building the character's past, ideals, morality, etc.and then, time to create those certain twists he is familiar for.

The successful four-character,two-act play first appeared on Broadway in 1968. Victor's wife, Esther, and the aging antique dealer, Solomon, have secondary roles. The setting is in the attic of a Manhattan brownstone in the present time, 1968.The building is to be demolished; therefore Victor called upon Solomon to give him a price for the furnishings.Victor repeatedly asks for a price, but the "price" metorphorically becomes the price you pay in life for choices you made. Excellent play!!.....Rizzo

I recommend highly Arthur Miller's:
All My Sons (Penguin Classics)
A View from the Bridge (Penguin Plays)
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

rivals Uncle John's Bathroom Readers...!
or should I say 'complements'..? Compiles interesting, some little known, facts about: people, history, America, the law, war, language, inventions, transportation, sports, money and food..
Here are little known facts, curiosities, and amazing-but-true stories from the best of their weekly Significa column in Parade Magazine - over 400 entries in all. Significa: unusual or little known facts which have too much significance to qualify as mere trivia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Yes, it has changed
Over the last thirty-ish years, the BoL has changed.Many of the superlatives in the original have been surpassed, and many new areas of human endeavour have come into existence since the mid-to-late 70s.

For that remove in time, though, this was a very entertaining piece of work; and anyone with an ounce of intellectual curiosity could consult the World Book or the Britannica, or the F&W for that matter, for more information.

I find it refreshing how the authors have reconstructed this into a new-and-yet-the-same format.It's well worth the price, even if it's only for reading in the privvy.

The Book of Lists
What can you say about lists? They are mostly uninteresting, but a few are cool.

A TRIVIA BUFF'S DELIGHT
How can one not love a book that probably has more trivia per page than almost any book written?And, what bettewr way to review a book of lists than to make a list of some of my favorite lists?So, here's my list of 6 of my favorite lists from the hundreds of lists in __THE BOOK OF LISTS__.

1.10 Words you can't pronounce correctly

2.The 15 most boring classics

3.10 memorable books that never existed

4.18 famous brains, and what they weighed

5.15 famous events that happened in the bathtub

6.10 people not to invite to dinner

In order to give you a further insight into the book, I have listed below a few random facts that I found particularly interesting.

African Elephants have gestation periods of 640 days while Opossums have only 13 day gestastion periods.(These are the two extremes from a long list of gestation periods.)

A flock of crows is correctly known as a murder of crows.

Well before 9/11, Iraq had received military aid from the U.S., Great Britain, China, and the U.S.S.R.

Desi Arnaz worked as a bird cage cleaner before he became a bandleader, Gerald Ford was a male model before he entered politics, and Carol Burnett started her entertainment career as an usherette.

As you can tell, there is enough information here to add a thrill a minute to a trivia buff's life.

A grand way *not* to waste your time... so enjoy!
"The Book Of Lists" never ceases to intrigue and fascinate me even when in truth I've been reading it so many times, and for quite long hours.Many faves include:"9 Stupid Thieves" (I laughed to tears at the story where, during the trial the defendant said to the witness who pointed at him as suspect, "I should have blown your ------- head off!... If I'd been the one that was there."), "Facts are stupid things" (slip-ups by politicians), "15 Strangest Stories" and little trivias like "things you didn't know had names"... oh, geez, there are loads to mention!!This is so entertaining, at times revealing and, very funny,utterly shocking ... absolutely educational and fun to read. Who knows, what have you read from the book might have any good use for you in your life.

This is so much better than (reading) those run-of-the-mill best-selling romantic paps.Always a refreshing read.

Fun and educational too !
Really, even though its got a lot of mindless fluff in it (that's fun to read I'll have you know) it also has lists that are fascinating and important from a historical or geographical standpoint, such as thirty new names for old places (i.e. Ethiopia for Abyssinia.)Besides that, the other lists are interesting even if inconsequential (like "seven remarkable messages in a bottle.")And I bet you didn't know that Anne Boleyn, wife of Henry VIII, had three breasts!Just another amazing fact that one can find in this praiseworthy book to discuss on long car trips .This book seems to have the affliction of becoming ragged through overuse, as almost every reviewer it seems will soon have to buy a new one.I guess that's just a testament to its fortitude and quality. ... Read more