Customer Reviews (3)

Something From the boys.
Laurel & Hardy. Text by John McCabe. Compiled by Al Kilgore. Filmography
by Richard W. Bann.

This well produced, fairly weighty illustrated filmography of the films of Laurel & Hardy is a comprehensive pictoral recordof the boys' career from their first pairing in 1927 to their last film, ATOLL K in 1950.

The text is brief, but well done by Laurel and Hardy expert John McCabe, the pioneering biographer of L&H, in "Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy,"wrote the brief text of this volume.The briefness of the text is due to the plethora of pictures from every movie appearance by the boys throughout their lengthy career and at least some of the photos are shots that I haven't seen before.And, so far as I know, the actual filmography is accurate and detailed givng credits to all involved in the L&H movies.

This is a well produced, detailed look at the career of Laurel and Hardy and is especially welcome because of the many photos included.The shame of it is the actual films of Laurel and hardy are not reissued in any sensible, logical order here in America, at least. In fact, to find a decent logically organized Laurel and Hardy collection, one is forced to patronize the gray market dealers whose quality control is notoriously lax. This situation is a disgrace and a dishonor to the artistry of Laurel and Hardy, a total shame. but we do have this well organized and illustrated filmography of Laurel and Hardy, which is a small compensation but is at leastsomething from the boys.

Good book but mostly photos
This book by John McCabe on the great Laurel and Hardy is a very good one IF you want a huge quantity of high-quality photographs from their movies, along with a few photos from other sources. There are extensive credits and a rating by the author on the overall quality on each film. There are also a few good articles here on Laurel and Hardy's work, and a tribute section with interesting quotes about them, mostly from other famous comedians. But there is not much information here on their movies or analysis of them. The text that follows along with the photographs from each film is a summary of the film and not background information or analysis. I don't mean to be critical here, I'm just saying that this book is a good choice only if you're mainly interested in photographs.

Laurel & Hardy's film work is given a broader and better pic
In his third book about the films of L&H.Dr.John McCabe and his two co authors:The Late Al Kilgore and Mr.Richard W.Bann.Gives us all a broader insight into the team's work.Laurel & Hardy uses photos,an indepth text and the use of derbies as a raitings device to show us all the evolution and development of the best of the team's work and their dilliegnce in creating their classic comedies.The book also gives some insight into the working atmosphere of The Hal Roach Studios and some insight into the boy's forgetable films made at Fox And MGM during the 1940's and their last film together shot in Cannes' ,France:"Atoll K"/"Utopia!".There is also some tributes to the team in the section"For Stan & Ollie!".Which features honors from such performers and personalities as:Hans Conried,Eddie Cantor,Lou Costell,Patsy Kelly(Who performed with the boys in "Pick A Star!"),Marvin Hatley(The Roach Studio's resident musical director and the compoesor of "The Cukoo Song"/L&H's Theme song),Orson Bean,Leslie Halliwell,Marcel Marceau,Dick Van Dyke,Groucho Marx and Lenny Bruce.For anyone..who wants to see the creation of L&H's best films? This is one book to have.Bravo Jack Al & Dick.Kevin S.Butler. ... Read more

Product Description

The funny side of logic, fallibility, obsessive behaviour and DNA, from the author of Stickleback.

Fast paced, funny and gripping, Paper charts the compulsive behaviour of thirty-year-old Dr Darren White, a highly qualified but generally incompetent geneticist. Bored and disillusioned with his work at the Sheffield Institute of Medical Diagnostics, Darren is obsessed with finding the last great unifying theory of the twentieth century. When he loses his job, and most of his sanity, the discovery of mysterious police DNA profiles on a second-hand computer leads him to an unsolved crime. But what is the crime? Who is the victim? And has Darren shared a lab with the culprit who seems to have got away with murder?

Customer Reviews (1)

where ends don't meet
First of all: I enjoyed reading to book quite a lot. Second: this might have a lot to do with the fact that I am a molecular biologist myself and thus found it easy to enjoy his description of the work life of the books protagonist Darren. The book starts out as a journey into the almost Welsh-ish breakdown of Darren, facilitated by orders from Sigma's sorry, "Delta's" controlled substance sections during which he is in search of a formula that describes life, the universe and everything. This however stops rather abruptly in favor of his ambition to solve a ten year old case of manslaughter in which he got involved by acquiring a PC containing lots of DNA profiles taken during the search for the perpetrator. To me, this transition seemed rather awkward and much of atmosphere created before (a particularly strong example is the ticking that Darren hears in his head and that he believes to be a bomb which is suddenly never heard of again - or did I jump a few chapters?).
The author himself at one point uses the image of a car welded together from two very different (but by themselves beautiful, I might add!) halves, left over from accidents. Also he later goes on to note, that "not all ends have to meet" - did he want to tell us something here?
On the bright side: both the language and (in particular) the images used are extremely funny and well fitting (and not related to genetics!) and account for much of the joy that comes from reading the book!
If I could, I would give 3.5 stars...!

... Read more

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Customer Reviews (8)

If you like Laurel & Hardy, you need this book
This is a great guide to the films of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Many L&H fans have never seen many of their silent shorts
as these (like most silent films) are hard to find. You will find them all in this book.
More info on L&H themselves would have improved the book, but it is after all just a single volume.
Also see the documentaries made by Robert Youngson. The Golden Age of Comedy, When Comedy Was King, and The Further Perils of Laurel
& Hardy.

Big L & H Fan
Still reading this book and I am enjoying it somewhat. I wish that it had more information about L & H themselves. It is detailed about all aspects of their career except not enough info about them. I was also hoping that this book contained more photos. Slightly disappointed in this book.

Leave 'em laughing
Having recently acquired the Hal Roach L&H films on DVD, I've found this an excellent companion volume, particularly valuable for its entries on miscellaneous topics to do with the boys. One highlight was learning that Edgar Kennedy lets out a four-letter expletive in "The Perfect Day," not noticed by the censors or anyone else for decades. While this well-written book provides up-to-date technical information about the releases and formats of the individual films over the years, I would've liked more critical analysis. A minor disappointment is that no photos date from the classic Roach years.

dec 8 20082 nd ed????????
It says 2nd ed dec 8th so how come this is not a pre order item?????which one do you get now??

A Must Have For Any L&H Fan
One of the best books,if not THE BEST book,on Laurel & Hardy.Everything you want to know is right here.Every single L&H film ever made so fully detailed.Plus details on every actor and actress the boys had worked with.Information on video and DVD releases and computer colourization.

A book I highly recommend. ... Read more

Product Description
ver thirty years ago a group of five Englishmen and one wayward American rewrote the rules of comedy. Monty Python's Flying Circus, an unheralded half-hour of sketches, hilarities, inanities, and animations first appeared on the BBC late one night in 1969. Its impact on the world has been felt ever since. The Pythons is the ultimate word on all things Python-esque. Thirty years of insight, hindsight, and bad sight-now told for the first time. It's full of stuff they're never remembered before alongside stories they'd forgotten to say, coupled with things they couldn't say then and even more things they can't pronounce now (with a healthy dollop of things they would never have said in the first place if any others had been in the room at the time). Here is a unique look at arguably the most important comic team of the modern age. In the style of The Beatles Anthology, it's lavishly illustrated with 1,000 photographs and illustrations, many seen here for the first time. Do you want Spam with that?Amazon.com Review
Python fans will need to clear a large space on their bookshelf or coffee table for The Pythons--a big, vital autobiography of the comedy troupe. This is an oral history by the six members (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin) from birth to--in the case of Chapman--death. We get reminisces about childhood, university days, early successes, and rich details about the landmark Flying Circus TV series and subsequent films. The voices are fresh (with expectation of Michael Palin's insightful diary entries), not just complied from earlier publications. "Due to his insistence of being inconveniently dead," Chapham's voice is heard through his longtime partner David Sherlock, his brother and sister-in-law (and some archival materials). As a whole, the six impart a refreshing ability to deal honestly with the frustrations that arose over the years and it comes out in the text even when events are recalled differently. The book is not a light read (figuratively and literally), perhaps a smaller size would have been better for the amount of text; a cursory glance at the coffee table is tough. What does fill the book is an abundance of photos (over 1,000), most never published and many from the troupe's private collections. Along with concept sketches, Gilliam's drawings and doodles, and a few correspondences, this is a keepsake memento of the legendary group. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Insert Laugh Here
The Pythons turn the mirror on themselves and try to explain where all of the brilliance came from.Not a book to read in the library!!!

Simply Awesome
This giant photo-riffic book is the Python equivalent of the now-standard Beatles Anthology. No fan of Cleese, Palin, Jones, Idle, Chapman and Gilliam should be without it.

The Pythons
After purchasing the complete set of DVD's and laughing so hard I was sick, I just had to find out out they did it.This book answered my question.I enjoyed it, but it was a bit long and somewhat redundant.

depressing
This is probably the most accurate history of the Monty Python television program and films.

It reveals the impressing background of the players and their problems in working together which resulted in their dispersing and ill will with each other.

Intriguing but flawed like most oral histories-for the true fan
THE PYTHONS is a must for fans of the group but for the more casual reader it probably won't serve a purpose. It is an oral history of the group with contributions by the living members and statements culled from the late Graham Chapman's auto-biography. (A very funny book, but one that needs to be taken with a 16 ton grain of salt)If you are looking for specifics of how any of this marvelous group put together their sketches, look elsewhere; this is not a breakdown of how Monty Python's Flying Circus came to be, rather it is a bunch of reminiscences of early life, working together( and who worked with whom) and some still not quite healed wounds. Chapman comes off poorly, his drinking a constantly mentioned problem, Gilliam's story is so separate from the rest that he really doesn't seem to be a member of the group until The Holy Grail, although his animations were a key to the show's success, and Cleese is often seen here as standoffish, a bit out of the mix with the others. Memories often don't jibe for each member, an example being who chose "The Liberty March" as the theme, Palin lays claim to it as does Gilliam (with Idle agreeing with Gilliam.)But it is interesting to see how the group's personalities come forward as time goes on, and it does give some insight into the creative processes behind the scenes even though it does fall short of offering the aforementioned specifics. there are a number of great stories here and well worth the time (and strength!) to read this book. I did enjoy this slightly askew look at one of comedy's most influential and funniest groups ever; I just have difficulty recommending it to anyone but the converted. ... Read more

Product Description
Liverpool-born composer and pianist, John McCabe, who is now into his seventh decade, has established himself as one of Britain's most recorded contemporary composers, as well as a celebrated performer and recording artist. This book covers every aspect of his compositions and will help guide both general and specialist listeners and performers through the so-called landscapes of the mind that his music evokes. The title was suggested by McCabe himself and his composing and performing life has taken him on journeys all over the world through a variety of landscapes, many of which are to be found in essence in his music. The detailed discography will help readers to find recordings of many of the works described in the series of articles written by a collection of experienced critics, performers, broadcasters and reviewers, and the copious illustrations and full pages of musical score provide a variety of insights into McCabe's life and work. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a thoroughly documented bio-bibliography of one of Britain's leading composers. John McCabe has an international reputation, both as a composer and a pianist, whose compositions cover most of the established forms. The complete list of his works and performances have never before been presented in such detail. A brief biography of the composer was prepared with his assistance. Articles and features by and about the composer contain annotations, often in the form of quotations from the material. This unique volume is a valuable research tool. ... Read more

Product Description
A highly entertaining as well as poignant tale about men’s needs for routine, and what happens when life intervenes.

An insightful and funny thriller about love, friendship, drinking, drugs, soccer, computer programming -- and the perfect financial heist -- set to a background of office routine. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

MacCabe - An Unrecognised Genius
Should you have a reasonably developed sense of humour please do your absolute utmost to ignore the other review on this title. What the previous reviewer so cruelly missed was the salient purpose of this novel - to entertain. It is quite simply one of the most insightful exposes of office culture and its attendant ennui that you will ever have the fortune to read. Anyone who has ever sat in a grey, uninspiring office, situated on a grey, featureless, business park, on the periphery of a grey McTown will simply rejoice at McCabe's ability to describe the essence of this experience (outright desperation). The fact is MacCabe HAS brilliantly explored what it is to be a young man living a hopelessly average existence, but he does it with a lightness of touch; through humour and suggestion. In this sense it does not lead the reader by the nose in some didactic 'and the lesson to be learned here folks....' style, although it does make some serious points about the disintegration of society and the challenges of being a youngish male. By turns it is funny, poignant and thought provoking. Forget Brookmyre, thus guy is the real deal. Buy it.

Diverting But Not Deep
McCabe's debut is ostensibly about the male need for routine, as 29 year-old programmer Ian strives to recover from being dumped by his girl by retreating into a shell of comfortable routine. However, his bland life is interrupted by the kidnapping of his loathed geeky officemate Archie by a pair of thugs who demand that Ian engineer a financial heist by programming a little hitch in the bank software he is checking for Y2K compliance (not unlike the premise in the awesome movie Office Space). How that all plays out is the bulk of the book, although there is an odd tangent involving a footballing mate who dies, and a final pages encounter with the ex-girlfriend. It all moves along at a pretty good clip, with some 56 chapters of 4-5 pages, but fails in making any sense of the broader themes about being a young man it attempts to bring out. ... Read more

Product Description
John McCabe's newest book, Igniting Your Life, is an inspirational work for a new age of success: one aligned with sustainable living, a plant-based diet, fitness, and the use of intellect, talents, and instinct. The book contains thousands of philosophical quotations from some of the most known figures throughout history. These are set between McCabe's writings on self-change, nutrition, self-sufficiency, and environmental awareness. While other success books focus on money hoarding and greedy opulence, Igniting Your Life dismisses the notion that you are only a success if you participate in the concept that those who have the most toys win. The book mentions a lot about thinking. It is through thought that we have lived, are living, and will live our lives. Our thoughts direct our actions and words, help to create our surroundings and form relationships, and form molecules of emotion within our body tissues that travel into the cosmos. It is through thought that we can create a better existence for us, others, and wildlife. As the book mentions, if you are not experiencing the life you want, there is one person to whom you can turn to change your life, and that person is you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A New Favorite
I was inspired by the two other reviewers, both 16 when they read
this great bio.I discovered Chaplin at an even earlier age - 13,
I think.I wrote an 8th grade term paper on him.Handwritten.

My only other source on Chaplin has been his touching "My Autobiography."
I was thrilled to find McCabe's book - a hard bound 1st edition! - at a
local thrift shop for .50.I'm glued to it.The writing style is charmingly vintage, it's endlessly informative, entertaining, and there
is a previously unknown discovery in each chapter.The author's access
to Stan Laurel was priceless.

But it if you can find it.

Underrated book
First of all, I have to say that I completely agree with the previous reviewer, Elise Olivarez--I am also 16 years old, and I have seen 80 of Chaplin's 81 films--the only exception is the presumed lost one-reeler HER FRIEND THE BANDIT.

John McCabe's book is one of the best interpretations of Chaplin's life and work--well, "interpretation" is probably not the right word to use, inasmuch the author certainly studied Chaplin thoroughly by reading other books and articles before he finally decided to write his own biography about the comic genius.

The authour has--very successfully--tried to give a positive and honestly picture of the man Charlie Chaplin. A number of articles and quotes I never had seen before or heard about--not even in David Robinson's book-- and analyses of his films are included. There's no picture book, though, 29 photos are to find, but many of those are really rare, like the one of his two sons Charles Jr. and Sydney from the early 1930's.

Chaplin's teenage-brides are of course, a part of the history, and the book gives many details about that, too. But in contrast to many other authors--like Kevin S. Lynn, who more or less described Chaplin as a sex-mad-man--McCabe gives a very fair description about that. As he writes in the book, Chaplin only gave his second and worst marriage, with Lita Grey, only attention with three sentences or so in his autobiography, "During the making of THE GOLD RUSH I married a second time. Because we have two grown sons of whom I am very fond, I will not go into any details. For two years we were married and tried to make a go for it, but it was hopeless and ended in a great deal of bitterness." Lita, on her side, took revenge in 1966 with a many hundred pages long, hatefully book titled MY LIFE WITH CHAPLIN (she wrote another book right before her death in 1995, WIFE OF THE LIFE OF THE PARTY, but this was not yet published when McCabe's book was ready for print). Since Chaplin never gave his balancing version of their connection, McCabe can only give Lita's version, which he does, but first he writes, "It is important to remember that many of the following details about the Grey-Chaplin marriage come from one of the parties only." Very nice of him, I think.

I can recommend this book to every Chaplin-fan, also to you who think you know everything about him, like me.

Charlie
It's a great book.John McCabe really covered over Chaplin's life.I also learned a lot of new things about Charlie and it made me an even bigger fan.Oh, by the way, look at me, 16 years old and a fan of Charles Spencer Chaplin, lol.Shows anyone and everyone that age simply doesn't matter. ... Read more

Product Description
This delightful biography conveys the warmth and humour of the much-loved duo whose hilarious escapades convulsed a generation of movie-goers and who continue to acquire new worldwide audiences via the medium of television. Describing the book as 'positively miraculous', the Times Literary Supplement was moved to add 'it is difficult to see how this book could be improved upon'. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Mr Laural and Hardy
This is a very informative book that all fans need to read. I live in Hardy,s birth place and work at the mueuem here. It helped me a lot. ThanksJudy Rushing

Not really a biography
There were definitely some insightful pages inside the book, but I would say that this book could barely be called a biography of the men.It's more like a detailed description of the plot of all their movies.There is, some biographical information in it, along with a couple interviews that were fantastic.But biography?No.

ThisBook gives a look into the work of Laurel & Hardy
In this first book that looks at the work of one of the movies'most beloved comedy teams.Prof(Now Dr.)John McCabe gives some insight into Laurel And Hardy's film work.As he explains the evolution of Stan Laurel's approach to comedy and methiods to creating and performing comedy skits.The Prof. also looks at the boyhood days of Oliver Norvell(Babe)Hardy and his unconventional approach to performing comedy and the development of his singing talent.

The book also looks at the team's vintage years at The Hal Roach Studios and their forgetable film series at Fox and MGM During the war years.It also recalls the team's successful performances at The Music Halls and Cabrets of Europe and Stan Laurel creating funny comedy skits and seeing the team's rebirth during the early days of tv.As he became an idol to many kids of the tv generation(Myself included).While the book doesn't go into great depth about the complete creation of the team's film work.It does show us all how L&H worked at creating and presenting their classic comedic characters and their approach to spoofing man's foilbels.And it shows us Prof.McCabe's love and admiration for both men and for their wives:Ida Laurel(Stan's fourth wife) and Lucille Hardy(Babe's third wife)and their love for their work and for life.If you ever wanted a book that shows a positive look into the physce of two funny and charming people? This is The One movie bio to have.Bravo Jack.Kevin S.Butler.

Buy this book
Laurel & Hardy fans will love this book. I certainly did. The warmth and affection that John McCabe had for both Stan and Ollie comes through on every page. While the focus is more on Laurel, Hardy comes off well in the chapters devoted to him.
I wish there had been more pictures, but the text more than made up for it. Don't be surprised if you find yourself whistling the "cukoo song" while reading this book. The "boys" are gone, but the laughter they created is still with us, unlike the current crop of "comedians".

Sublime
I wish they'd put Stan and Ollie back on TV to show another generation how wonderful these two are. There's no doubt that they remain as funny today as they did back in their prime. I'm a big fan and have many of their DVD's. I wanted to know about the duo and this book informed me greatly.

Mr Laurel and Mr Hardy is a riveting biography of the two men. It took me only a few hours to get through. It concentrates mostly on Stanley who was the creative genius behind the pair, but this only heightens interest in the chapter on Ollie, which is written in interview form. I liked the way the book started with Laurel failing miserably on his first attempt at performing, with his Dad in attendance. His perseverence was incredible as he subbed for Chaplin during the early days before hard work and the luck to be partnered with Mr Hardy, finally garnered him some success.

The book, written after many interviews with Stan, has got a very appealing narrative. We get insights into the making of their films, answering questions about how the pair came together and how most of their routines got started. It's very enlightening.

What I found most surprising was the undercurrent of emotion throughout. Its author obviously had a wonderful adoration for the pair and Stan, while speaking to him is very nostalgic about the past. I love the parts where Stan met Chaplin after many years, after they both had made it. And where, years after their filmic success, when they were touring Europe, the church bells in Cobh played out their theme tune.

If you have any interest in Laurel and Hardy, you must get this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The life and career of one of the greatest comic actors of all time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Somewhat Lacking Biography
Although, it is, I believe,the only stand alone biography of Oliver Hardy to date, the book is somewhat lacking. I wanted to learn more about Hardy than what this book told me. I'm assuming that the fact Hardy was long dead when this book was written is one of the reasons it is not as thorough as it otherwise might have been. First hand accounts, at the time of writing, must have been rather slim. It is an easy read and is always worth while for the avid Laurel and Hardy fan. Lets hope a more in-depth look at Hardy's life will be published soon. Although Hardy was less on the creative side on their films together, he was an excellent actor and comedian. You could never have had Laurel and Hardy without him!

Comedy Genius
Although Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy had solo careers prior to their teaming in the late '20s, the films were unremarkable. Something happened when they got together: they complemented each other perfectly on screen, visually, and by 1929, in sound talkies. Stan, ofcourse was the behind-the-scenes man; Ollie took direction but was brilliant improviser.
It's interesting that most folks do not seem to have a "favorite", though, I do not feel it would be difficult for them to admit that most of the laughs come from Hardy - his reactions, his mannerisms were priceless.
This book does not focus on his art, however, it is mainly a character study (of perhaps the greatest film comedy character of them all).
Of particular interest is the final decade, the '50s, when following many disheartening and depressing post-Half Roach B-movies and one amusing but disjointed effort made overseas, they discovered that they were as popular as ever: many European tours and televised two-reelers (generally more successful than their features) brought forth a new generation of fans. The terribly sad reality was that due to health problems they simply couldn't mount a real comeback.
This book describes how "the boys" delt with such issues; and more importantly, how Hardy ultimately reconciled a lifelong "image" conflict.
For fans and historians this is quite valuable. For anyone who just likes to read about and be reminded of joyous mayhem from two lost souls.
I'm reminded that a while back, at a well-known book chain, I inquired about this book. The person behind the counter broke into a smile and laughed; so did I. ... Read more

Product Description
Drawing on countless hours of interviews wit h James Cagney that were not used in Cagney''s autobiography, John McCabe has written a searching chronicle of a major ac tor''s life and career. ' ... Read more

Product Description
72 pages. Includes answer key. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Reeks of bias, dishonest attempt to scare the public
I read a lot of non-fiction books, and this is the worst one I've read in quite some time.I would have abandoned it several times except that I'd promised a friend I'd read it.

This book purports to be "A Resource Guide for those Considering Cosmetic Surgery".It's not.Its point is not to give you enough information about the pros and cons so you can make your own decisions; rather, it's a persuasion piece that tries to convince you to not have surgery -- while insulting you along the way if you're supposedly unprincipled enough to be considering it.("[Cosmetic surgery] is thought by many to be a narcissistic, stubborn and silly indulgence of the wealthy and/or vain."He expresses this opinion repeatedly throughout.)

I'm no apologist for the industry.I agree that a frank examination of the risks of cosmetic surgery is necessary by anyone considering it.But this book isn't the honest look into that topic; it's a platform for the author's negative opinions and his attempt to talk you out of it.

Here's an example of how far he goes to dissuade people from surgery: "A crooked nose does not affect a person's health, but it can add character to the face and give the person a distinctive, or at least an interesting appearance."Right.

The book fails on other grounds as well, such as the fact that it's incredibly redundant.McCabe is so poor at trying to make his weak points that he repeats them ad nauseum, sometimes even repeating the exact same quotes that were mentioned earlier.p. 24, quoting Congressman Ron Wyden:"I think that many Americans are going to be surprised and frankly quite alarmed to hear that any doctor with a medical degree and State license can go out and do everything from brain surgery to cosmetic surgery."And again on p. 27:"I think that many Americans are going to be surprised and frankly quite alarmed to hear that any doctor with a medical degree and State license can go out and do everything from brain surgery to cosmetic surgery."

And by the thirtieth time he mentions that the doctors performing surgeries make a lot of money it's already gotten old.

Ironically, this book isn't even very helpful for its purported purpose:evaluating risks.That's because there are barely any statistics.For example, McCabe freely tells you what negative effects MIGHT happen as a result of surgery, but rarely tells you how LIKELY (or unlikely) these events are.That's probably because he's trying to imply that these events are much more common than they actually are.

The text is also decidedly unprofessional -- besides numerous grammatical errors and some wording which is downright sloppy, there are several passages which are signed "the author".(Well, duh!The author is usually the person who writes what's in a book unless there's some other attribution!)Many of the examples appear to be simply anecdotes, since they're not footnoted.Others appear to be a feeble attempt to prove something scandalous, when the story itself is actually rather tame (e.g., a doctor made a lot of money, a patient bled after surgery and required more blood, etc.).

Speaking of sources, there's a marked over-reliance on particular ones.In one 45-page section, a full 11 out of the 24 block quotes are from Congressman Ron Wyden during a congressional hearing.

The book is littered with contradictions as well.McCabe criticizes surgeons on the one hand for making a lot of money and then chastises those who make their rates competitive.And in the same breath, McCabe asserts that those considering elective surgery are "vain and insecure", even though those two words are direct opposites.(Which is it, McCabe?)

Then there are the parts that are either confusing or hold out on the reader by not answering the obvious questions that are raised.For example:"Any makeup used should be new, clean and hypoallergenic (be cautious when using products labeled hypoallergenic because not all companies follow the same standards)."

The most valuable part of the book is the part explaining that doctors are only loosely regulated and that it is easy for bad doctors to continue practicing.But in his zeal to indict cosmetic surgery, he neglects to mention the fact that these problems are inherent in THE ENTIRE MEDICAL COMMUNITY, not just to those doctors who practice cosmetic surgery.

Perhaps the most ironic thing is that even PRO- cosmetic surgery books contain detailed information about possible risks, up to and including death.Many websites run by surgeons and by marketing agencies also disclose such risks.That being the case, what value is McCabe adding to the body of literature on this subject?Not very much, especially because what good information is actually there is very easy to overlook when the author has gone out of his way to ensure that you don't trust him.In fact, persons considering elective surgery will likely be offended by this book and stop reading it, and thus avoid finding out about the things that are actually useful (such as what questions to ask your doctor) -- information they could also have obtained from another book that they were actually able to stomach reading.

I agree that cosmetic surgery is unnecessary and completely elective, that much of it doesn't significantly improve appearance, that there are serious risks, and that there are many bad doctors.If someone with these opinions dislikes this book so strongly, that should give an indication of how completely inaccessible it is.

This was a valuable book for me.
I think anyone who is considering cosmetic surgery should read this book. It can help a great deal with all of the decisions you have to make. Most of all, even if you should undergo the surgery. ... Read more

Product Description
Alan Rawsthorne is one of the leading British composers of the twentieth century. His music ranges from popular works such as the overture Street Corner to late masterpieces of enormous power, and includes some outstanding film scores. This study explores the man and his music, drawing on a lifetime's knowledge to create a vivid portrait. The volume includes a free CD sampling the range of Rawsthorne's work. ... Read more