Sherwood Schwartz & Lloyd J. Schwartz
From the publisher: "There have been many books and documentaries about The Brady Bunch, but this is the first ever by the father/son team who created and produced the show, and who can truly say, ‘Here’s the story...’.”
From me: A quick, enjoyable read...short chapters...kinda like episodes of a sitcom...hmmm. Plenty of “never heard that before” moments that make the hype of the cover blurb come true.
Page 56/Sentence 5: Logically, Mrs. Brady should be in her mid-thirties in order to have children approximately 7, 10, and 13.
Daniel de Vise'
"Captures the talent of these men - and the magic between them - as well as the struggles each faced in his personal life. Written by Don Knott's brother-in-law and featuring extensive unpublished interviews with those closest to both men, this book is the definitive account of...the two men who captured America's heart as they rocked lazily on the front porch, meditating about the simple pleasure of a bottle of pop."
This is a well-crafted book; thoroughly enjoyable and informative. Each "character" is introduced at just the right time in the over-arching narrative of one of Hollywood's great friendships.
56/5: Dick and Andy started work together on January 4.
Watchman Nee
"This Christian classic traces in clear practical language the steps along the pathway of faith, presenting the eternal purpose of God in simple terms."
I first read this back in my college-age, wish-I-had-actually-been-part-of-the-Jesus-Movement, hey-let’s-open-a-Christian-coffeehouse days. I was looking for something to recharge my batteries, and the author had been brought back to my attention through a couple different channels, so it seemed like I should re-read it. (You can read a few blog-posts in which I quote this book here: http://deweytruth.blogspot.com/search/label/Watchman%20Nee) It’s actually a compilation of in-person Bible studies Nee led, so the style is somewhat conversational and very understandable. It did the job of reminding me what an awesome thing it is to have the creator of the cosmos living within me. Do not confuse “normal” with “ho-hum”.
56/5: Because it opens the way for God to take a hand in our lives and to work the thing out in us.
Gavin Edwards
"If you are a music fan, you may be aware of some of music’s most enduring mysteries. Where did Pearl Jam get their name? Did Mama Cass really die from choking on a ham sandwich? Gavin Edwards has heard just about every strange question, racy rumor, and legend of the music world. As the writer of Rolling Stone’s “Rolling Stone Knows” column, he proved himself as a one-man encyclopedia of music trivia. Now he shares all of his knowledge with you."
I found this book in the library while looking for something else and it, obviously, caught my attention. My disappointment with it lies in how it made clear to me that my knowledge of The Music World stopped at about 1981 with Billy Joel’s album, The Stranger. This book is full of questions and answers that I really could not possibly care less about, but Edwards DOES have a light, humorous style and there were enough pre-80’s tidbits scattered throughout that kept me reading.
56/5: Sometimes I’ll see an import release by one of my favorite bands in my local record store with two or more extra songs on it.
Tim Conway with Jane Scovell
"Six-time Emmy Award-winning funnyman Tim Conway, best known for his characters on The Carol Burnett Show, offers a straight-shooting and hilarious memoir about his life on stage and off as an actor and comedian."
This book is a lot like Tim Conway’s comedy career: Generally funny, rarely flamboyant, mostly low-key, patently unoffensive, with scattered moments of brilliance. I bet he’s got at least two more books’ worth of stories that he could tell, and I wouldn’t mind reading them in the least.
56/5: Bless her, she stood over me and made me write, and read, and recite, and, in so doing, saved me from total humiliation and ensured my future success.
