Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

Average customer rating:

A great picture of a cat, and a How-To for predictable screenplays

re-name the book

Ignore the Haters; they didn't get it

simple good advice and nothing more

Friends close, Enemies closer

Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
Blake Snyder
Manufacturer: Michael Wiese Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1932907009

Book Description

This ultimate insider's guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz Veteran who's proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat!

Customer Reviews:

A great picture of a cat, and a How-To for predictable screenplays.......2007-10-13

There is one major problem I have with this book: The author uses examples that are Hollywood's greatest films like Miss Congeniality and Blank Check and avoids the trivial commercial garbage like Chinatown or Apocalypse Now. There is even a great blurb about Momento that ultimately says that 'if the suits don't understand it, then it must be garbage.'

Bad examples aside, here are the two points I agree with: today's Hollywood is concerned with two things, the log line and the poster. The current thought is that if they can get butts into seats on opening weekend they will have ripped off most of the suckers before bad word of mouth can spread.

So maybe the title should read 'How to Make More of the Same.' The problem is that these types of books get into inexperienced hands and are taken as gospel truth killing anything that doesn't follow the model. Script readers in this town are full of the same soundbytes taken from the three gospels of McKee, Field & Snyder.

Okay, so I liked the book and suggest that any serious screenplay writer out there read it along with all the others. But don't read this one first! And don't bother reading it twice. You may end up thinking that hit films are due to formula instead of MASSIVE advertising campaigns. On that note, a must read is Marketing to Moviegoers by Robert Marich.

Much of the information is opinion that could have been in an article of a screenwriter's magazine. In essence it could have been a pamphlet that accompanied Syd Field's Screenwriter's Handbook and I wouldn't have noticed a difference. I would give this book away after my first read, but you might have to pry the Screenwriter's Handbook from my cold, dead hands.

Just like my review, it's long-winded and full of contradiction, but might be of some use to somebody.

re-name the book.......2007-10-03

The book should've been named "How to take the joy out of screenwriting."

Although Blake Snyder is at the top of the screenwriting industry (he has had two spec scripts that have been made into movies), it is fortunate that he wasn't born during the Renaissance and wound up teaching artists how to precisely paint.

Perhaps everything he states in the book may be the absolute gospel in Hollywood (ala Syd Field/Robert McKee at al), but Blake Snyder believes all screenplays must be severely structured:
- The script must have precisely 40 scenes for some unknown reason
- the theme of the script must be made by page 5
- the catalyst (a life-changing event) must occur precisely on page 12
- the hero finally making the decision to act must be on page 25 (end of act one)
- the B story of a script must begin around page 30
- there must be an identifiable midpoint (exactly on page 55 of a 110-page script) where the hero peaks or the world collapses all around the hero or vice-a-versa
- the hero's "All is lost" scene must be on page 75
- and so on.

True, he reveals previously unknown industry secrets such as all scripts must have a terrific logline, a great title, a likeable hero (thus the title of the book), and must have conflict.

On the plus side, the book is certainly well organized and extremely well written. Is it worth shelling out 3 bucks on E-bay? Check your public library.

Ignore the Haters; they didn't get it.......2007-10-03

If you think this book is just for family-film-oriented writers, you missed the big picture. Blake Snyder has hit the ball way, way, way, WAY out of the park with this one. Take the analytical tools he provides and unleash them on any mainstream movie from any genre from JAWS and SAW to E.T. and BACK TO THE FUTURE. I guarantee that the ones that follow his structure most closely are the ones that not only struck a chord with viewers, but laughed all the way to the bank.

Want to write a nice indy flick that you and your twenty closest friends can watch in someone's basement? Ignore Blake Snyder. Want to write a loud, crash-and-bang, content-missing movie people will forget in five years except to laugh? Ignore Blake Snyder. Want a movie you won't be able to pitch in five HOURS, let alone the five minutes you'll really have? Ignore Blake Snyder.

But if you want to write/direct/produce a film that satisfies on every level from the superficial to the sublime, then this is the book for you.

I never had a single offer on my work until I followed his advice.

SAVE THE CAT. Live it. Love it. Learn from it. Buy extra copies, 'cause if you're smart, you'll wear out the first one.

simple good advice and nothing more.......2007-09-30

This book contains alot of good advice for screenplay writing. however, the book is really aimed towards making "family films". all the movies he references are family films, and sometimes his own. It is a good book to get yourself in the right mindset for writing a screenplay but you can't rely on it to much or you might find yourself writing really dumb kids movies like "Blank Check". The process he gives you is very formulaic and his approach is more toward making money. but overall good read and good information. and who knows, maybe if you follow his advice to the point you could sell a screenplay to Spielberg for a million dollars too!

Friends close, Enemies closer.......2007-09-29

This IS a book about writing incredibly formulaic screenplays period. For my likes and dislikes, I would refer to Blake's movie ideas as groaners. That said, I find this book to be INCREDIBLY HELPFUL, amazing, on laying out that Hollywood 'movie' formula. It's great for creating structure. I'm not expecting this book to make me a more intersting storyteller. But I've worked with a number of hugely successful film producers / directors, and for the most part, they comletely rely on formula. Now, it's YOUR job to make that intersting. It's your job to know HOW breaking that formula makes your idea work better. It's all really valuable information. Do other books cover this same subject? Probably. But since I don't want to waste too much of my time reading screenplay books, I found this one to give me exactly what I needed. And I'll make it interesting.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

The gift of Nothing
Another must have ''CLASSIC" for both children and adults
So so so so cute
What could be more perfect?
A book about nothing....who knew?

The Gift of Nothing
Patrick McDonnell
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 031611488X

Book Description

Mooch the cat desperately wants to find a gift for his friend Earl the dog, but Earl already has everything. What do you give a guy who has everything? Mooch wonders. The answer, of course, is nothing! This simple story features characters from Patrick McDonnells popular comic strip, Mutts, and has the same depth, charm, and heart that he gives to his daily readers. With delightfully spare illustrations and text, this book has all the makings of a longtime classic, perfect for gift-giving all year round.

Customer Reviews:

The gift of Nothing.......2007-06-27

Nice short story commenting on consumerism and the often taken-for-granted value of connectedness with others.

Another must have ''CLASSIC" for both children and adults.......2007-04-10

The author may have gotten some tips from those classic MasterCard commercials which illustrate that money can buy some things, but certain moments and life experiences are "priceless."

Through the beautifully and simply illustrated tale of friendship between a cat and a dog (the interspecies metaphor alludes to openness and acceptance of differing points of view and experiences), we learn that material possessions and tangible items are sometimes not as meaningful as the space between two individuals, people, living beings, etc. It is the unspoken, uncategorizable, sublime moments of life that are most fulfilling and rewarding, and the hardest to capture or describe. Therefore, when trying to convey the depth of meaning of these moments, we cannot, and therefore, should not even bother trying (to encapsulate them, try as we may through photographs, video, blogging, etc.). The best gift is one that one already has the power to give oneself--the gift of friendship, self-awareness/mindfulness and the ability to honor and nurture the two.

So so so so cute.......2007-02-13

I bought this for the only little man I know (my sister's son.) Since everyone else in the family buys him gifts pretty much all year long... like most kids he has more toys than he needs. So, I thought a non-traditional b-day present would be great this year.

This would even be a great gift for parents of new little ones - it's an excellent, sweet bedtime story!

What could be more perfect?.......2007-01-09

This book is very cute but also to the point. Although it seems that the book is for those you can't seem to find the perfect gift for, it's also a good gift for those whom you'd like to just let them know how much they mean to you. Because, truly, in the long run, it's not the gifts, but the memories and times we share with one another that sums up all the love we can give. I like to add my own personal message in the back of the book for the special person who receives it. It truly touches everyone who receives it!

A book about nothing....who knew?.......2007-01-03

I found this book at my daughters' book fair this year and immediately purchased it. A wonderful view of what we really (really) need at the holiday times. I have since sent copies to other (grown-up) friends for them to share.

The Big Cats: The Paintings of Guy Coheleach

Average customer rating:

Out of Print
Excellent Illustrated Reference on the Big Cats

The Big Cats: The Paintings of Guy Coheleach
Nancy A. Neff
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Guy Coheleach's Animal Art

ASIN: 0810907100

Customer Reviews:

Out of Print.......2006-11-18

This is a beautiful book that is now out of print. If you like big cats you'll like looking at the amazing work by Guy Coheleach. If you don't own it already you'll have to buy it used. Try and find a good copy and enjoy. I did.

Excellent Illustrated Reference on the Big Cats.......2003-07-08

This book is a large format - approximately 12" x 12" - heavily illustrated book in the genre commonly called "coffee table books". It goes beyond most such books, though, in having text that is even more compelling than the illustrations.

The book includes chapters on each of today's large predatory cats - puma, jaguar, leopard, lion, tiger, cheetah, snow leopard, and clouded leopard. Each chapter includes many illustrations by Guy Coheleach; most are full color paintings, though there are also many black and white sketches.

The paintings are detailed and beautiful, but I found Nancy Neff's text to be even more valuable. Each chapter provides information on the physical characteristics, fossil history, and behavior of the species, along with information on its current status and how it got there; in addition to the pictorial illustrations, there are very nice diagrams that illustrate the text. In addition, there is a table at the beginning of every chapter giving some relevant statistics, along with a map showing the current and historical distribution of the species and its subspecies. I particularly liked the fact that much of the information is presented in a consistent way across all the species, so I can, for example, compare the length of a jaguar to that of a tiger without fearing that this information might have been omitted for one or the other species.

Book Description

Part memoir, part monologue, with a dash of startling honesty, There’s Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say features biographies of legendary historical figures from which Paula Poundstone can’t help digressing to tell her own story. Mining gold from the lives of Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, Joan of Arc, and Beethoven, among others, the eccentric and utterly inimitable mind of Paula Poundstone dissects, observes, and comments on the successes and failures of her own life with surprising candor and spot-on comedic timing in this unique laugh-out-loud book.

If you like Paula Poundstone’s ironic and blindingly intelligent humor, you’ll love this wryly observant, funny, and touching book.

Paula Poundstone on . . .

The sources of her self-esteem: “A couple of years ago I was reunited with a guy I knew in the fifth grade. He said, “All the other fifth-grade guys liked the pretty girls, but I liked you.” It’s hard to know if a guy is sincere when he lays it on that thick.

The battle between fatigue and informed citizenship: I play a videotape of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer every night, but sometimes I only get as far as the theme song (da da-da-da da-ah) before I fall asleep. Sometimes as soon as Margaret Warner says whether or not Jim Lehrer is on vacation I drift right off. Somehow just knowing he’s well comforts me.

The occult: I need to know exactly what day I’m gonna die so that I don’t bother putting away leftovers the night before.

TV’s misplaced priorities: Someday in the midst of the State of the Union address they’ll break in with, “We interrupt this program to bring you a little clip from Bewitched.”

Travel: In London I went to the queen’s house. I went as a tourist—she didn’t invite me so she could pick my brain: “What do you think of my face on the pound? Too serious?”

Air-conditioning in Florida: If it were as cold outside in the winter as they make it inside in the summer, they’d put the heat on. It makes no sense.

The scandal: The judge said I was the best probationer he ever had. Talk about proud.

With a foreword by Mary Tyler Moore

Customer Reviews:

There's nothing in this book that I meant to say by Paula Poundstone.......2007-08-06

This is a funny book... I listened to it in my car on five CDs. Paula has been through a lot and yet she has not lost her sense of humor. If you ever get the chance to go see her live, don't miss it. She is one of the quickest and the best at adLib that I have ever seen.

Humor, History and Humility.......2007-07-29

What do Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, Beethoven, Charles Dickens,The Wright Brothers and Sitting Bull all have in common? Isn't it obvious? Paula Poundstone of course.

Ms. Poundstone makes both humorous and serious parallels with these historical figures as she goes back and forth between her life and theirs. We not only learn about her own history, we learn about her wry views on life, recovery from her addiction and her number one priority-her three children. As an added bonus we may even be motivated to read more about the people whose names are the titles of the seven chapters.

I especially appreciated her frank discussion of her alcoholism in terms of acceptance,taking responsibility as well as making amends to those whose lives were most affected, her children.

Well done Paula!

A pleasant, rambling read.......2007-07-26

This book feels a lot like listening to a Paula Poundstone comedy routine. She starts off on one topic and you never know where you will end up. I was pleasantly surprised by how personal she was willing to get when talking about her recent substance problems. She did so with much grace and self-deprecating humor. I just love her wit and found myself laughing out loud on several occasions.

There's Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say.......2007-06-08

Great book. She writes with raw honesty and gentle humour. While reading the book, you feel like you're having a great heart to heart talk, with a good friend.

Nayslove.......2007-05-12

If you are a fan of Paula's, you will LOVE this book! If you aren't and are looking for a good read, you will enjoy the history lesson and fall in love with her. I laughed so hard I had tears rolling. It is both poignant and hysterically funny. She is brilliant as a comic, and now as an author.

Why Paint Cats: The Ethics of Feline Aesthetics

Average customer rating:

A great book to bring to a Party
Also too small!
Why Hoax the Public
Beautiful Book
Imaginative Yet So Not So

Why Paint Cats: The Ethics of Feline Aesthetics
Burton Silver , and Heather Busch
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1580082718

Book Description

Why Paint Cats The Ethics of Feline Aesthetics by Burton Silver and Heather Busch

Why did a woman in California pay an artist $5,000 to paint her cat to look like a pig? What made a New York stockbroker spend even more than that to have the image of Charlie Chaplin painted on his cat's posterior? WHY PAINT CATS reveals that, far from being an amusement for the idle rich, this seemingly aberrant behavior is part of a new art movement that claims to promote a better understanding of the cats in our lives. Following the international success of their previous collaboration of feline aesthetics, WHY CATS PAINT, Burton Silver and Heather Busch turn their scholarly attention to the cat as canvas. The authors detail all the latest trends in the movement, including the highly controversial Retromingent Expressionism, drawing conclusions that will provoke and amuse, startle and enlighten. Exhaustively researched and lavishly illustrated, this insightful and engaging book raises important ethical questions and explores the rights of pet owners to reinvent their cats in the name of art.

Customer Reviews:

A great book to bring to a Party.......2007-08-01

I bought this work on the way to a party a few years ago.. It became an instant hit. People who were shy and didnt know anyone, bored children, happy party people, everyone took a few minutes to pore through this book, talk about it to their neighbors.. and debate which cats they liked best, and what they they thought of the idea of cat painting.

A splendid, funny, thought provoking book, that will forever cahnge the way you look at cats.

Also too small!.......2007-03-28

I did not notice these were miniature books only 4" by 4", you can't see any of the paintings they are too small.

Why Hoax the Public .......2007-03-24

I give this one star only because I must - if zero were an option I would have chosen it. IF, and I repeat IF, there is any truth to these painted cats, and they are not, as I strongly suspect, a product of Photoshop on the computer, then why indeed paint cats? Obviously the Cat in question does not desire to be painted. He is already beautiful just as he was created. Obviously the answer is to provide some frivolous sense of self importance to the owner of the cat. If indeed, as I have read, it costs up to $15,000 every three months to keep the cat nicely painted, I think that someone has more money than they know what to do with, and I pity the person who has nothing better to do with his time and money. Not to mention I pity the Cat. Also, I cannot imagine that this could be done without putting the cat under anesthesia, because such intricate artwork could not be done on a living creature who was less than comatose. Anesthesia carries risk, especially to cats, who are hard to keep under Anesthesia. Put your $60,000 annually into a charity and do some good with it - help feed the needy. If your ego is in such sad shape that you need a painted Cat to feel important, spend some of it on Psychoanalysis. Shame on you! Leave the cat to his natural beauty.

Beautiful Book.......2007-03-19

You won't believe your eyes! Someone came up with a truly novel idea. A fun book!

Imaginative Yet So Not So.......2007-02-28

Photos distributed on the web raised my eyebrows, first at the thought that people would do this to their cats, and then at the growing sense that the photos were doctored. Even so, they are a trip. I am certain that someone somewhere has been inspired to paint or bleach their cats, and one only hopes the cats come out of it all relatively unscathed. Well done.

The Draw 50 Way: How to Draw Cats, Puppies, Horses, Buildings, Birds, Aliens, Boats, Trains and Everything Else Under the Sun (Draw 50)

Average customer rating:

Fantastic!

The Draw 50 Way: How to Draw Cats, Puppies, Horses, Buildings, Birds, Aliens, Boats, Trains and Everything Else Under the Sun (Draw 50)
Lee J. Ames
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0767920767
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Book Description

For more than thirty years, the bestselling Draw 50 series has shown children how to create everything from puppies to ships, horses to skyscrapers, and aliens to racing cars. In this new addition to the beloved series, Lee J. Ames shows you how to draw sixty of his popular sketches step-by-step. His clear instructions help budding artists learn the basic movements and procedures of drawing, allowing you to explore your interests in a fun, familiar, and easy-to-master way.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic!.......2007-01-15

My son received this book for Christmas and LOVES it. It's a great book for anyone that loves to draw - it breaks everything down for you and has a step by step illustration for every picture in the book.

Manga Mania: Chibi and Furry Characters: How to Draw the Adorable Mini-characters and Cool Cat-girls of Japanese Comics (Manga Mania)

Average customer rating:

Chibinate me Capin'
Manga Mania's Chibi and Furry Characters is really a must have for Manga Arists.
Awesome and Helpful BOOK!!!!
Great for artists' of all age groups!
Great Book For Aspiring Little Artists!

Manga Mania: Chibi and Furry Characters: How to Draw the Adorable Mini-characters and Cool Cat-girls of Japanese Comics (Manga Mania)
Christopher Hart
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0823029778
Release Date: 2006-01-01

Book Description

Everyone loves chibi, the newest, hottest manga style out of Asia. Chibis—characters that range from hypercute miniature people to bizarrely sexy furry characters—come in all varieties, all roles, including chibi teenagers, faeries, schoolgirls, nurses, mermaids, devils, angels, and everyone in between. Now Christopher Hart, the world's best-selling author of cartoon and drawing titles, shows readers exactly how to darw chibis, infusing them with personality and creating authentic costumes for them. Cute chibi-style monsters (small yet powerful), appealing cat-girls (humanlike, but with feline traits), superdeformed manga/chibi characters (used to make funny wisecracks)—every type of chibi character is shown here in crystal clear, step-by-step drawings. Manga Mania Chibi and Furry Characters will get every manga fan in on the chibi fun.

Customer Reviews:

Chibinate me Capin'.......2007-06-22

WARNING: This book is not for beginers. There are few step by step instructions, the rest you have to figure out on your own. (you lazy people)

For those who are not beginers, this book goes fairly deep into the world of Chibi characters. It shows basics in body structures and facial expressions.

It also touches bases on many catgirl body types.
I feel this book gives you a wide variety of ideas that you can use to create catgirls.

All and all this is one of Mr. Hart's better books. One of the facts is that he put less of his style into this book. Which causes it to become more manga, not americanized/manga that he usually draws.

Which is a good thing.

I really like the section in the back about stylized chibi's from Japan.

Manga Mania's Chibi and Furry Characters is really a must have for Manga Arists........2007-06-08

I myself personally have difficulty drawing chibi character's. This book is very thorough with the basic how to's of drawing chibis. IT even teaches you to think outside out the box when creating fantastical little monsters. I highly recommend this book.

Awesome and Helpful BOOK!!!!.......2007-03-19

OMG! This was the best how-to book i have ever READ!!!!! It is so thorough. I could draw everything, and it came out near perfection. My friends loved, I loved, and heck, my GRANDFATHER loved it! He thought it was really, really good, in terms of teaching you how to draw! I loved it, and recommend it to everyone! The book shows you step by step how to draw cat-girls (beautiful) and cute tropical girl/chibi/cat-girl and other adorable creatures. It teaches you when to use super-deformed characters, and uses cute drawings (eg, questionable little angel (my fave!) to enable you to use different, effective techniques! This is chock-full of great things!

Great for artists' of all age groups!.......2007-01-05

Chistopher Hart has truly out done himself with this book,as well as his other book fantasy worlds. In this book, Hart gives you examples of teaching you how to draw chibi characters as well as telling you what makes a chibi a chibi. A great thing about this book is that they have a large section of how to draw a variety of cat girls!!! That was my most favorite part! I really enjoyed this book alot, and as a bonus I will give you the run down of what to expect in the book....

Chibi basics
What makes a chibi a chibi?
The chibi head
Drawing the chibi head step by step
Full figures: Standard manag versus chibi
Turn any character into a chibi
Personality pointers
The chibi size size chart
Drawing the chibi face and body step by step
full body views

Chibi characters and costumes
Costumes
Mischevious chibis!
Making eye contact
Girl costumes and popular japanese roles
Stupid chibis!
Regular chibis versus super small chibis
Super small chibis
Fantasy chibis: Angels, fairies, and princesses

Chibi Expressions, emotions, and attitudes
Emotions
body language with special effects
Magical effects

Chibi cat girls and furry characters
Furry-style ears
Chibi cat-girls:full figures
Boxing cats
Chibi cat girl types
In-space adventures

Standard-size cat girls
Standard-size cat girls: the basics
Drawing the cat-girls head step by step
Drawing the cat-girl versus human head
drawing cat-girl bodies step by step
From tame to wild
Cat-girl hand and foot markings
Cat-girl prsonalities
Cat-girl poses
Cat-girl scenes
Foreshortening
A world of cat girls!

Chibi and magical creatures
Standard monsters versus chibi monsters
Creating chibi monsters from basic shapes
Creating chibi monsters from inanimate objects
Pterodactyl chibi monsters
Chibi monsters with magical powers
Magicalchibis without owners

Super stylized chibis
Little lady
Super stylized chibi boy
Super stylized chibi cat girl
Super stylized chibi rabbit girl
Chibi trouble maker
Witch in training
Little angel
Wishing on a star
Candy girl
Serious student
Chibi hero fighter
Tropical girl

The rest of the pictures are basically sample images showing you that you can use a chibi in certain scenes of regular sized characters, like when they are emabarrassed or mad. The chibi form of that person shows great expression, as well as hillarity. Plus chibis are ultra cute! This book is a perfect add on to any how to draw collection. I definitely recommend this book to any artist, whether beginner or intermediate, this book is extremely helpful. A must buy!

Great Book For Aspiring Little Artists!.......2006-08-05

The young lady I bought this book for just loves it.

Beware of Cat: And Other Encounters of a Letter Carrier

Average customer rating:

Really a Graet Book!
Beware of Cat
Good Stuff

Beware of Cat: And Other Encounters of a Letter Carrier
Vincent Wyckoff
Manufacturer: Borealis Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 087351582X

Book Description

One sunny day on his postal route, Vincent Wyckoff crosses the path of an elderly gentleman whistling for his lost parakeet. The old man is upset, and Wyckoff moves down the block slowly, looking high and low, hoping to spot the little bird. He reaches the man’s house and offers sympathy to his wife, who smiles sadly and says, âWe haven’t had that bird for twenty-five years.â

Letter carriers like Wyckoff walk through the same neighborhood each day, observing the lives and routines of its residents. They learn its stories, make connections between people, and, in many ways, become the common thread that connects neighbors to one another. Along Wyckoff’s mail route, Native American children teach him about totems. He finds assistance for a reclusive chain-smoking book collector who can’t maintain his property. He delivers a much-delayed registered letter mailed from Saigon in 1976. Over the years, Wyckoff sees the neighborhood of blue-collar retirees change as a diverse group of younger people move in and raise their families.

Celebrating the triumphs in everyday life and demonstrating the danger of trusting first impressions, Beware of Cat reveals the inner workings of an ordinary place of extraordinary interest.

Vincent Wyckoff was a laborer, a construction worker, and a sheetmetal worker before he became a letter carrier in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1990. This is his first book.

Customer Reviews:

Really a Graet Book!.......2007-05-15

I'm A UPS Driver so I can Relate to some of the story's. I thought the short stories were a great idea, I can read them on my route. Really a great read overall.

Beware of Cat.......2007-05-07

Vincent is my mail carrier. He's as genuine and as personable in real life as he is in his book.

It's an enjoyable read.

Good Stuff.......2007-04-10

This was a wonderful read. It's mostly shorter stories, so it made perfect reading for those times when you need a break - although you may be tempted to continue reading straight through. Vince tells compelling, often poignant stories, and manages to see the beauty and humor in everyday life. I thank him for helping remind me that any person on any day has gifts to offer if we look.
If you like the writing of Robert Fulghum, I predict you'll enjoy this book.

The Cat and the Human Imagination: Feline Images from Bast to Garfield

Average customer rating:

Cat and the Human Imagination
Broad ranging,entertaining,work by a scholarly cat admirer

The Cat and the Human Imagination: Feline Images from Bast to Garfield
Katharine M. Rogers
Manufacturer: University of Michigan Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0472087509

Book Description

The Cat and the Human Imagination is a fascinating historical survey of the changing cultural attitudes towards cats and the myriad ways that they have been depicted in literature and art. Feline images have permeated civilization since the time of the ancient Egyptians, and during this time the status of the cat has changed dramatically. The book examines the changing images-- fertility goddess, sly little predator, agent of Satan, avenging witness, aristocrat, friend, spirit of the home, bloodthirsty killer, seductive female--and relates them to the contexts in which they arose. It also analyzes how human attitudes towards cats seem to have evolved in parallel with attitudes towards animals, towards authority, and towards gender.

Western literature and visual art have reflected this change, developing from bare sketches to richly varied expressions of feline personality and human interaction with cats. Katharine M. Rogers seeks out the cats who make appearances in an impressive range of literary and artistic works, providing the first critical look at the symbolic functioning of cat characters in Poe's "The Black Cat," Dickens's Bleak House, and Zola's Therese Raquin, among other literary works. The historical and artistic range covered is impressive, creating a rich compendium that is the ideal book for the cat lover seeking a refreshingly substantial and scholarly work about this fascinating animal.

"This book is a classic-- something every cat-loving intellectual will have to own. (No one, of course, ever really owns a cat--but everyone should own this book.) It's the kind of book you want to quote from at the vet's, or cocktail parties, or whenever you get the urge to convert a dog lover to the true faith." --Emily Toth, Louisiana State University

Katharine M. Rogers is Professor Emerita of English, City University of New York. Her previous books include Feminism in Eighteenth-Century England and Frances Burney: The World of "Female Difficulties."

Customer Reviews:

Cat and the Human Imagination.......2004-06-05

"God made the cat to give man the pleasure of caressing the tiger."
So said Fernand Mery, and so it is. The cat has shared our home since the age of the pharaohs. In that span of time she has been the subject of artists and poets, cartoonists and fabulists. By turns she has been depicted as either self-absorbed or self-possessed, maliciously rebellious or innocently mischievous, incorrigibly wild or something like Mery's tiger.
In The Cat and the Human Imagination Katharine Brown offers a fascinating overview of our changing perception of the cat. Brown analyzes the works of artists from Lorenzo Lotto, whose 16th The Annunciation includes a sinister, almost rat-like cat which seems intent on fleeing the holy scene to Pierre-Auguste Renoir, whose paintings of young women with cats were studies in languid sensuality. It's a pity there are so few paintings included in this book.
The writers who have felt motivated to write about the cat are too numerous to mention. Baudelaire evoked the cat's "physical beauty and grace" in his mid-19th century poem "The Cat" and shocked bourgeois society with his decadent tastes. The Bronte sisters made cats the mainstay in the well-ordered household and so pleased Victorian society. Poe stressed their mystery....
My favorite is Rudyard Kipling's "The Cat That Walked by Himself," the best of his Just So Stories. As Brown writes: "We not only tolerate the cat's resistance to human authority and take vicarious pleasure in its freedom from the conventions that inhibit us-we idealize its independence. Rudyard Kipling wrote the classic tribute to the cat's quiet insistence on keeping true to himself in the brilliant fable "The Cat That Walked by Himself." After Woman has domesticated Man, Dog, and Horse, Cat smells warm milk and presents himself at the cave. He persuades her to admit him by amusing the baby, putting it to sleep by purring, and killing a mouse in the cave - all of which he would have done anyway to please himself. Thus he wins his point without making any concessions: "still I am the Cat who walks by himself."
After reading The Cat and the Human Imagination it occurs to me that we need something akin to a quantum theory to account for our various perceptions of the cat. Is it a merciless predator or an epitome of solicitous motherhood? Is it the companion of haggard old crones or sensuous young women? Is it affectionate or aloof?
Physicist asked whether light was a wave or a particle and decided that the answer depended on who asked the question. Maybe it's so with the cat as well.

Broad ranging,entertaining,work by a scholarly cat admirer.......1998-07-30

The comprehensive scope and depth of Rogers' work reflects her long standing personal regard for and civilized society's varied view of the domestic cat over the centuries. Rogers' earlier studies of women in literature are woven into this work in insightful but possibly controversial ways which challenge and interest the reader. There are dozens of references to art and literature that provoke one's interest in learning more, and do not bore the reader. This is a work for adults, a gem that anyone at all interested in the societal history of the domestic cat will admire and return to.

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