June 2003 Non-Fiction and Biography Book Reviews

FamilyFun Vacation Guide: Florida
by Jill Mross

Disney Editions

ISBN# 0-7868-5301-8
Suggested Retail Price: $17.95 or as low as $2.44 from Amazon.com!

These two vacation guides are from the editors of the well-known magazine "Family Fun." Both guides are filled with useful and well-presented information. The California guide lists all the major Kid-friendly places to go in Hawaii and California. There is advice for the specific ages of your kids ages plus a lot of information about how to plan your trip with tips that will save you a lot of time and money.

Theme parks and museums that will interest the children are covered, of course. Restaurants and places are rated by stars. You would not want to miss any of the historic sites covered here if you were travelling in the area.

The Florida book includes information and advice about many places to go and what to expect when you get there. Not just Florida, the guide includes Georgia and the Carolinas. Lots of pictures and many pages to make notes on will help in the planing and keeping a diary of your trips. Of course, if you are going to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida you need a lot of information because it is not one or two-day trip. You'll never see everything you might enjoy in a single vacation there, so setting priorities makes sense. Disneyland in California is much smaller, but with the addition of the new Disney's California Adventure park, careful planning pays here, too. The Universal Studios theme parks in Florida and in California should be on your itinerary even if you don't have kids.

Are they safe? These places do not allow airplanes to fly over them and you might have a dainty search of purses and bags as you enter the gates. Still, most safety precautions are pretty much invisible. They have always been in effect at all the parks, but very much out of plain sight. In fact, if you trip or fall and get a skinned knee you will probably find out how well you are watched out for right away. I know Disneyland has a wonderful crew of nurses and first aid equipment because it happened to me. The staff at the First Aid Station took good care of me and were very qualified.

Chicago (Movie Music)
by John Kander, Fred Ebb

Hal Leonard

ISBN# 0-634-05955-6
Suggested Retail Price: $14.95 or as low as $8.00 from Amazon.com!

"All That Jazz" can be heard in your own house on your own piano or whatever you play thanks to Hal Leonard Publishers. Now the music of this Academy Award winning blockbuster is available for the home.

Last month we reviewed the coffee-table book that was released about this grand movie musical. This is the companion for those who want to read the lyrics and play the music. After seeing the film the first time I purchased the CD to play at very loud levels at home. Now I will dust off the old piano stool and warm up my fingers, clear my throat, and wait until the whole house is empty. Then I want to belt out "When You're Good to Mama" and "All That Jazz."

I just saw the film for the second time and I was right, it is great. It's filled with music to dance and sing along with. They frown on singing along with the film in the movie theater, but now I can (even you can) belt out these great show tunes for my ears only. Hey, if you are in good voice and talent you can do this for the public.

We all owe a big thank-you to Hal Leonard Publishing who is always right there with the sheet music for us to enjoy playing for ourselves.

Casa Manana: The Morrow Collection of Mexican Popular Arts
by Mead Art Museum (Amherst College), Susan Danly, Ilan Stavans

University of New Mexico Press

ISBN# 0-8263-2805-9
Suggested Retail Price: $29.95 or as low as $18.99 from Amazon.com!

In 1955, one hundred and fifty five pieces of the Morrow Collection were donated to the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College. This outstanding collection of Mexican art and historical examples of lacquer ware are presented in this book. There are five sections that interpret the works along with many pictures of the lovely pieces of art. The museum collection is presented in a historical context. You will find out how art was used to explore the culture of Mexico. Also included is a study of the art and diplomatic relations between Mexico and United States.

Beautiful photography illustrates the beauty of the ceramics and the creativity of the people. Pottery is displayed and put into context of the times from early 1800's. The closing chapter lists and shows photographs of all the pieces in the collection.

For fellow admirers of Mexican art, this book is a great catalog to browse though. The Morrow collection is famous. The family has been gracious in donating this collection to the museum so we could share. It is too bad that there are not more color pictures of the art pieces, but when you see Diego Rivera's beautiful work it is in color. The Morrow family were great supporters of this most famous Mexican artist.

The editor of these essays, Susan Danley, is a former curator of the Mead Museum.

The Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair
by Black and Decker

Creative Publishing Internationa

ISBN# 0-86573-580-3
Suggested Retail Price: $34.95 or as low as $8.81 from Amazon.com!

What we have here are two immense books with almost 2,000 color photos in each one. It takes some strength to pick them both up! As soon as you do, you will discover the most comprehensive education of home repair information ever assembled to help you fix and improve anything in your house. In the first place, of course, Black & Decker is always a name to be trusted. They make wonderful sturdy home appliances and workshop tools.

You can begin with the inside cover in both books which contains tables of Metric Equivalents and Measurement Conversions. The opposite page lists nail sizes, lumber dimensions, and so on. You know you are off to good start with such helpful information imparted before the beginning the first chapter. You can learn to repair the plaster, do your own plumbing, painting both inside and out - just whatever you need.

The first skills you learn are how to work safely. This is a must-read section in both books. From there on there is no stone left unturned on both subjects. Even if you never have to remodel your house you can learn all about ins and outs regarding the construction and maintenance of your abode. The home improvement book is crammed full of great ideas and again you can do them yourself. Both books are filled with color photos to guide you through these step-by-step projects.

As soon as I became a homeowner many years ago, I knew I wanted a set of books like this for my own. You will, too!

Garage Sale & Flea Market Annual
by Karen Smith, Beth Summers

Collector Books

ISBN# 1-57432-322-9
Suggested Retail Price: $19.95 or as low as $6.89 from Amazon.com!

Welcome to the 11th Edition of this very useful guidebook. For those of us who scour the hinterlands for that prize possession to add to our collections, this annual guide is a must. For the newbie to collectibles addiction, there are sections that will show you how to hold your own at any garage sale or flea market. You'll learn to bargain for the items you really want. And if you are the one holding the sale, you'll learn how to unload the leftovers at the end of the sale. The book also contains information regarding Mall Sales, Mail Order Purchasing and Internet shopping. What is the difference between a "tag sale" and a "garage sale?" These important bits of information are written down for you to learn how to hunt-for-gems, or just sell-your-old-stuff.

As usual, the bulk of this big book concerns prices that you can expect to pay or charge for a variety of types of collectibles. Are old toys your thing? Depression Glass? Perhaps like me you collect World's Fair items. You will find listings for just about anything you collect. My collectible passion is for Minnie Mouse. Plenty of that here. Maybe you are wondering about collectible banks, or string holders or just about anything you could have thought up.

This book is a must for all of buyers and sellers, with an astounding amount of helpful information that will be usable.

Sun & Steel
by Yukio Mishima

Kodansha International (JPN)

ISBN# 4-7700-2903-9
Suggested Retail Price: $15.00 or as low as $9.22 from Amazon.com!

The author is one of Japan's most well-known authors. Many of his novels have been translated into English. This time he has chosen to give his readers some insight into his personal life.

Part of the book follows Mishima through his childhood where he describes himself as a shy and introverted child. We follow him into a complex adulthood. He wrote his first novel, "The Confessions of a Mask," in 1949. He proclaims himself to be the conscience of post-war Japan.

If you are at all familiar with Yukio Mishima, this book will give you insight and understanding of his life. This is a testament from Mishima who committed suicide in 1970 in a spectacular way. He had formed his own army and they stormed the Self-Defense Force Headquarters in Tokyo. It was there that he committed ritual suicide.

Yukio Mishima is an interesting man who tries to justify his whole life and philosophy with this autobiography.

Little Miss Dynamite
by Brenda Lee

Hyperion

ISBN# 0-7868-8558-0
Suggested Retail Price: $7.99 or as low as $0.85 from Amazon.com!

If you are not acquainted with this great little pop singer from the 1950's and 60's, the form of this book is hard to deal with. The pictures are a disaster in the paperback. If, like me, you remember this small package with a dynamite voice you can hear her singing as you read about her life. By the time Brenda Lee was eight she had become a television regular on the Country Western circuit. By eleven she was a hit in Las Vegas. There was never a problem finding work or fans from the minute that she opened her mouth. Brenda is a member of both the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame. When she begins to belt out whichever type of music she has chosen to sing, her audiences loved her. She was tiny with an angelic face. Her "Put Another Nickel In" still sings to a lot of her fans. Baby-faced with dark hair and bangs, this tiny girl would sing with a small voice and then suddenly began to belt out her lyrics with a booming voice that no one expected. Her sense of bounce and rhythm was unique to her.

During her career, Brenda met and worked with just about everybody in Show Business from Elvis to Jimmy Durante. Her life is a delight to read, but for heaven's sake buy or borrow the hardcover.

Fradella Adventure Tarot
by Us Games Systems

U.S. Games Systems

ISBN# 1-57281-3636
Suggested Retail Price: $26.00 or as low as $7.95 from Amazon.com!

It is worth noting that U.S. Games Systems are the experts on Tarot and distribute all kinds of handsome sets of the cards and complete instructions. This set includes 78 Tarot cards printed in bright colors that show characters for the "Hero Universe." The booklet that you get is by Frank Fradela and is 188 pages long. Included in the kit is also a good-looking Celtic Cross spreadsheet to lay out your cards as you read.

Whether or not you are already into reading Tarot cards, this set is worth a look. Bright and unique the cards have the same meanings, but the different characters really add to the entertainment.

The U. S. Games Systems folks produce all kinds of Tarot Card Sets with many different art works. They also show a complete kit to teach you how to read the cards and in their catalog they also have the book "Tarot for Dummies." For these folks, the New Age is here.