Customer Reviews (12)

A Public Life Revealed
Amazingly well written, covering up to the beginning of her TV show.Wish she had written up to her decision to finally leave Hollywood and why she reverted to such a comparatively anonymous person.

In her own words
I enjoyed this book in part because it was in her own words.A sad story about a beautiful lady.

Doris Day
I found this book hard to put down. It was written in a way that was interesting enough to follow the lives of all the people mentioned by Doris Day. She was a great actress and such a pity others took advantage of her finances. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Doris Day: Her Own Story
Excellent book and truly autobiography in her own words. I know because in early 70s I transcribed some of Hotchner's interview tapes for the book, and she was as charming and articulate, and funny, and sad in the telling as her story unfolds here. Great personality and it was joy to work on it.Lost my copy years ago, so was delighted to find a copy again on Amazon.

A good read
I'm a fan of Doris Day (who isn't)and I recently finished watching the entire series of the Doris Day show.It was great to learn more about this woman and separate the characters that she plays from the woman.This book also includes interviews with costars, relatives and friends. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (33)

Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door
My daughter brought this home from the library for me because she knew I was a Doris Day fan. I expected to just 'browse through' the lengthy book, but found that even from the Introduction pages, I was riveted. It was a quick read despite it's length and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I immediately purchased a copy for my collection.
As an author myself, I must say that David Kaufman is a good writer. He left no stone unturned. It is obvious he committed many years researching this story. I found myself loving and respecting Doris Day more than ever as a result of this book.
Thank you, David...for your blood, sweat & tears. This is a must-have for Doris Day fans! Sincerely, Lisa Lelas

Tiny typed movie matters
Mr. Kaufman seems to be quite devoted to his work, but of course the book has a lot less substance as "Her own Story". What the publishing people think of their clients, I really don't know. You definitely need gimlet eyes to read this book. The characters are as tiny as in footnotes. They only make opticians happy.
I think, most people are uninterested in lengthy film business matters. The more so as this was nicely covered in Her Own Story with A.E. Hotchner. I suppose, the fans are more interested in the person Doris Kappelhoff. As a distant Nollert/Welz cousin I'm definitely more interested in family affairs. Therefore I did like the additional information about the family, of course still not enough for me. At least I got to know, that Doris' mother Alma went to Germany to visit her relatives in Mückenloch. It's a shame that nothing valuable is available in the language of Doris' ancestry. Only what is written in magazines: gallery play. In Germany, most people think of Doris Day as Rock Hudson's costar. It's unfair, but they don't know better. I wonder why nothing was translated. Even my book about Spirulina, the blue-green algae, people can read in Russia:[...].
Doris should write her own book, all by herself like Shirley MacLaine. She would get 6 stars. And I would be more than pleased to be allowed to translate it for her. Like Doris says: If I can do it you can do it. We are all from the same source. And if we connect, we could do anything. Once, I dreamed I was an English speaking male actor. So I went to acting class to proof if it could be a past-life dream. Sharon Chatten critiqued me in a Santa Monica church: Great, great! It didn't look like acting! If I had read Doris' Her Own Story 20 years ago and if I had known that Doris is my distant cousin, I would have tried to do a movie. But due to my stage fright, I decided to be an author.

Conclusion: The book should be at least 200pages shorter and the letters 2sizes bigger. I still would buy it for its index. That's the only thing missing in Hotchners's book which is a lot more personal of course. Since Doris is involved, it is also more educational: Lots of wisdom, e. g. you learn up close to cope with stress: All in all a great self-analysis. Doris might be a good therapist. Like my friend Jocelyn, another great actress with less sisterly luck, was for me when I had writer's block or problems with my hubby. It runs in the family.

What is really saddening: Alma seem to have pushed Doris into a career. My mother Alwine who looked like Doris wanted a career as a singer, but her mother did not allow her. And her father, Alma's cousin, had not very much to say. Both second cousins broke out into tears. Doris when she said that career was one she never really wanted. In her own book and public interviews, she had stated clearly that all she ever wanted in life was to be a mother and housewife. My mother was a Hausfrau and only sang small-staged, in choirs and was highly distinguished for her diverse community work. But now she suffers from depression and though I was a family counselor, I do not know, how to get her out of this condition. Why can parents not let their children do what they want? But of course, in a way, as Doris' fans and relatives we are thankful for Alma's part of the business: 39 movies and more than 600 songs we may enjoy.

Doris Day Biography
This is the best biography of Doris Day I have read.It is well researched and unbiased.Any fan who has hesitated about reading this book should go ahead and try it.I think Doris, herself, would love it.

doris day, the untold story
This Book was a total waste of money. The Untold Story is that the book is printed so badly that all the pages are at an angle like it was made on a copier. It constantly refers to her autobiography so you might as well just read that. It really is very bad all the way around. I'm really sorry I spent any money on it at all.
The only reason it has a Star is that the site forced me to put one on before it would accept my review.

A Very detailed Life of Doris!!!
Doris Day:The Untold Story of The Girl Next Door by David Kaufman

As I have always been a huge Doris Day fan, it was surprising to read of her troubled chilhood with a father who was very cold and distant, hrdly ever home.Her parents divorced when she was 13, and her mother was the domanating force that got her into singing on the radio, then in the movies.It was very surprising, also, to hear of her obsessive compulsive disorder and that she didn't like performing in public,due to stage fright.The author interviews family, friends and others to get more detailsabout Doris.She didn't like her last name that her first band leader gave her.The author also quotes a lot of passages from her autobiography, that does seem to have some inaccuracies.The author gives details of each movie she made, which does seem to be too drawn-out, as this book is way too long with very thin pages, which makes for longer reading time.My hubby and I have been watching a lot of her movies, enjoying them immensely.She is still the number one movie actress of all time.She was a quick learner, but never thought she was good enough, always wanted to have a happy married home life, which she never got, being married 4 times.If you enjoy biographies/autobiographies, you will enjoy this one.

Forever Friends Rating 4 Stars by Teri
Until Next Time, See You Around The Book Nook.

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pub. Date: June 2008
ISBN-13: 9781905264308
630pp
... Read more

Product Description
Mary Anne Barothy was Doris Day's personal secretary for four years in the 1970s. For nearly two years she lived in the star's home. This positive, interesting memoir contains many anecdotes about the star, celebrities she knew and events in her career. It was an important time in Doris Day's life: she had just lost her husband Marty Melcher; her son was seriously injured in amotorcycle accident; she was fighting to regain the fortune that had been lost by an unscrupulous agent; and she was completing her TV series. This well-told story will capture the hearts of the tens ofthousands of fans of this woman who was recently voted the most popular film actress of all time.. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

An enjoyable read with great photos!
I'm not sure why several readers, in various reviews, have chosen to be so mean-spirited about this book. For years, ex-employees of celebrities have written reams about their particular "stars," digging up a lot of dirt, but "Day At A Time" doesn't do that. I read it as an honest portrayal of a beloved actress, by a sincere admirer, and I was expecting some insight into Doris Day's behind-the-scenes life. That's what the book delivered. This isn't a fake story about Saint Doris, and the author doesn't try to gild the lily: like all of us, Doris Day isn't perfect. Ms. Barothy set down her memories - authenticated by a huge number of notes and documents - and her love for Doris shines through. I might have edited the book a little differently, as there are some parts that don't connect quite as well as others, but overall it was an enjoyable read and I loved the photos. And considering that I'm not a rabid Doris Day fan, I'd say Mary Anne Barothy accomplished what she set out to do - she wrote a book that appeals to readers on several different levels. Especially considering this is a first effort, I think she did a fine job.

Pleasant and nostalgic story
I'm not sure why several readers chose to be so mean-spirited about this book.For years, ex-employees of celebrities have written reams about their particular "stars," digging up a lot of dirt, but "Day At A Time" doesn't do that.I read it as an honest portrayal of a beloved actress, by a sincere admirer, and I was expecting some insight into Doris Day's behind-the-scenes life.That's what the book delivered.This isn't a fake story about Saint Doris, and the author doesn't try to gild the lily: like all of us, Doris Day isn't perfect.Ms. Barothy set down her memories - backed by a lot of notes and documents - and her love for Doris shines through.I might have edited the book a little differently, as there are some parts that don't connect quite as well as others, but overall it was an enjoyable read and I loved the photos.And considering that I'm not a rabid Doris Day fan, I'd say Mary Anne Barothy accomplished what she set out to do - she wrote a book that appeals to readers on several different levels.Especially considering this is a first effort, I think she did a fine job.

Polarized Reviews Stirred My Curiosity
"What kind of book could rouse such heated reviews?" was my thought as I happened upon this book on Amazon.Doris Day is an icon in American celebrity history, and as such, has prompted many to write books about her.Why would one more book solicit such venom from some, and praise from others? Upon reading the book, I didn't find any dirty little secrets about Doris, and it seemed that Ms. Barothy was simply giving us a peek into her world as she moved from being just a fan to becoming Doris' assistant.The writing seems to come from a love and admiration Barothy had for Doris, and not an attempt to disclose closeted information.It's always a pleasure to go down memory lane back to a time where we felt more innocent and safe, and that was the feeling I got as I read this book.It was a step back in time for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed Mary Anne taking me to that place in my mind.I thank those of you who gave such scathing reviews because I would not have read this book had you not stirred my curiosity.

The Fan Trap
The book gets two stars because of technical problems, as in poor editing, and very poor writing. The author was totally disorganized in her thought processes especially from the middle to the end.

That being said, I wouldn't vilify the author for having written the book. There's a lesson to be learned here, which is, all fan clubs should be done away with. People are too prone to get obsessed with celebrities. Consequently, they bury their own self seeking to emulate what they perceive is the perfect life. This is what happened to the author. She got so enamoured of Ms Day, she completely lost her identity. She gave up a serious relationship, and dumped her family when she moved halfway across the country in search of a dream. A very unhealthy dream as it turned out.

I think Ms Day finally realized the woman needed to get a life of her own, and fired her. Sort of a tough love move on her part, but it was the right thing to do in my opinion. On the other hand, I also think Ms Day took advantage of the author's kindness and infatuation with her to some degree. So, there were co-dependency issues going on there as well.

Frankly, as much as I admire Ms Day, you will never find me in her house cleaning up after eleven dogs on a day to day basis. You couldn't pay me enough money to do that. And I love dogs.

So if you buy this book, learn from it if you're inclined to overly obsess about a celebrity. They are no more important than you are in the grand scheme of things. And they are no less fallible in making decisions that impact their lives in a very negative way. In other words, the grass is not greener on the other side of the septic tank.

At any rate, I do believe the author wrote without malice, and really wanted to convey the fact that Ms Day is at heart, a lovely, caring woman despite the adversity in her life. For me, the author succeeded in doing that.

A Remarkable Story

5.0 out of 5 stars A Remarkable Story, July 17, 2008
By Margie Blumei (Atlantic City, NJ) - See all my reviews

I just finished reading Day at a Time and thoroughly enjoyed it!

While I've never had the privilege of meeting the beautiful and talented Doris Day, the next best thing was reading this fascinating memoir of someone who has! I found myself completely consumed in this compelling story of this young woman's dream to meet her idol.

Day at a Time is filled with both cute antics and serious issues that the author experienced with Doris Day. A remarkable and loving bond developed between them and you will feel as though you were living this dream come true yourself!

You will see how an earnest young woman makes her way to Hollywood and endears herself to her idol and how Doris reciprocates with admiration and seeks her assistance and ultimately her friendship. I was amazed how accessible Doris made herself to her fans. You will love it. ... Read more

Product Description
In Forget the Facelift, Dr. Doris J. Day brings her full-service dermatology practice to you. Not only does she provide a skin-care regimen for beautiful, glowing skin and detailed descriptions of all the latest wrinkle erasers and rejuvenating skin treatments, Dr. Day takes caring for your skin a step further. In this book, you'll find recipes for making homemade facial cleansers, masks, and scrubs, as well as menus, recipes, and fitness tips to get you on the road to eating right and exercising for your skin's health.

Rounding out Dr. Day's program for ageless skin is a list of skin saboteurs that readers must avoid at all costs in order to keep their skin healthy, as well as tips for improving their overall appearance-including, dress, hair, and makeup suggestions, which will make their skin look even better. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Great Service!
I'm giving the seller the five stars, not the book.Book was just okay, nothing new, but I may look through it again just to make sure that I wasn't having a bad day. The service (speed, packaging) was excellent.Condition was new as described.Would buy from this seller again.Thank you, Seller!

Forget The Face Lift
My order came in a few days.

When packaged the book was damaged. The lower right corner of the book had quite a few of the pages bent.

I did not appreciate this.


Thank You.

The writing style puts me OFF
The author, Doris Day MD was on SIRIUS RADIO. Doctor radio.Wanting to learn more of her what she had to say, I bought the book. I've picked it up and put it down a number of times.
Style of writing, like an advertisement for some investments, repeats: "I will tell you about ..........later" and similar phrases.
I doubt Dr. Day is at fault, it must be the co-author.
The message is basic and might have been covered in a few pages.

book review
I was disappointed with the quality of the paper used for the book, but was satisfied with the quick response to getting my refund.

Wonderful
I flew through this book. Dr. Day has a great approach that really makes you want to stick to the simple regimen. The book is a very easy read and I will use the suggestions for life. ... Read more

Product Description
Doris Day, once called an Actors Studio unto herself, was one of the twentieth century's greatest entertainers, with a career spanning 39 films, more than 150 televisions shows, and over 500 recordings. This work covers the life and career of the singer and star of such films as Pillow Talk, The Man Who Knew Too Muchand Calamity Jane.

The work is divided into four sections, beginning with a biography of Days life from her birth in Cincinnati, Ohio, through four marriages, near-bankruptcy, and her dedication to animal rights, and concluding with her contented present life. A filmography lists each film with full credits, synopsis and reviews, plus her popularity rankings and awards. The third section lists complete album record releases with notes, single record releases, unreleased songs and recordings, music awards and nominations, radio appearances from big bands to solo work, her seven million-sellers, and chart placements. The work concludes with Days television appearances, including synopses and credits for her five-season run with The Doris Day Show on CBS, the cable show Doris Days Best Friends, and her appearances in variety specials, talk shows, and documentaries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

What a Difference a Day Makes
Just having a listing of the episodes of DORIS DAY'S BEST FRIENDS, the animel-centered series she produced and appeared in back in the 1980s, would be reason enough to purchase this enchantingly obsessed volume.But there are plenty more.I enjoyed seeing McGee scampering through the gardens and byways of Day's multifaceted movie career, mysteriously cut short after the release of THE BALLAD OF JOSIE and WITH SIX YOU GET EGG ROLL.He even has a section detailing the films Day might have made but alas, or in some cases thank God, she wound up not playing in.I never really wanted to see her playing in THE GRADUATE, but some of the other roles offered her she really should have said yes to.Of course there were many other complications in Day's life, and to his credit McGee takes them all on.She had bad luck in husbands, and despite an eternal, and very American optimism, the sunny side of Doris Day we are initially drawn to, there's a darker, sadder, even more melancholy side to her persona as well that's a little harder to access.Thus her appearance at Rock's side in his episode of BEST FRIENDS revealed her in a new avatar, the brave stalwart supporter, nearly an angel, in the time of AIDS, avowing a sexual knowledge she had played with and played behind since the days of ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS.

McGee is also extremely thorough on Day's recording career, a subject on which I was never very well briefed, and now I think I could hold my own end up in any charity competition for knowing how many of Rodgers and Hart's songs Day recorded (plenty, compared to the very few of, say, Cole Porter's) if that was one of the test questions.McGee loves Doris Day, that is for sure, and yet he is surprisingly objective about her talents, judging this or that as a failure or success in its own terms.I never realized, for example, what a mistake JUMBO seems to have been for Doris; its failure, McGee states, precluded Fox from giving her the Maria Von Trapp psrt in the Robert Wise film of SOUND OF MUSIC.

Excellent Reference Book on Day
Not simply a biography, but a reference book of Doris' life and her career on records, radio, film and television. This was a much needed book, and is very nicely done.Succinct, thorough and with some nicely rare pictures, although I noticed at least one photo caption which incorrectly identified the year, but that is a small quibble. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Doris Day Illistrated Biography
A must have for the long time or new Doris Day fan!!! I have been a fan since the mid 60's and am 47.

Love the pictures, but....
I truly enjoyed seeing all of the lovely photos in this book of my favorite star--Miss Doris Day!However, I feel that the author should have kept his opinions to himself and just allowed the pictures to tell Miss Day's story.Much of the information in this book was incorrect; worse still, the photo at the end of the book is of June Allyson, not Doris Day!It seems that the author didn't do his homework:(
I recommend that anyone who purchases this book just be prepared to enjoy the photos and not waste time reading it--the photos are lovely (how could they be otherwise?!?).

I returned it for a refund.
This book is by a well-intentioned but underinformed fan?Supposedly the Brits are huge fans of Doris--this one didn't do his homework. One of the photos (of a lady standing up in a car on the MGM lot) is attributed to be Doris but is a photo of June Allyson!!!That kind of schlock-ily written and edited book does a disservice to the lovely actress/singer.

thin on photos,emaciated on bio- ,but nice cover and typeset
I expected thin - the book is thin - but emaciated?The author himself says the book was proposed as a picture book and yet the book is thin on illustrations and thin on biographical info, and flat writing for such a iconic woman.What accompanying "biographical" info there is, is really only cursory and focuses more on her singing than her acting. (one more mention of che sera sera and I'll go nuts -- and isn't it spelled "que sera sera"??). "Illustrated biography" is hardly a fitting title.The book would have been more aptly marketed as a book superficially chronicling Doris Day's singing credits.The only insightful editorializing the authors puts forth are quotes from Doris's autobiography.

thin on photos,emaciated on bio- ,but nice cover and typeset
I expected thin - the book is thin - but emaciated?The author himself says the book was proposed as a picture book and yet the book is thin on illustrations and thin on biographical info, and flat writing for such a iconic woman.What accompanying "biographical" info there is, is really only cursory and focuses more on her singing than her acting. (one more mention of che sera sera and I'll go nuts -- and isn't it spelled "que sera sera"??). "Illustrated biography" is hardly a fitting title.The book would have been more aptly marketed as a book superficially chronicling Doris Day's singing credits.The only insightful editorializing the authors puts forth are quotes from Doris's autobiography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great Book!
I just finished reading this book, and I truly enjoyed it:)
I loved the photos; and I especially enjoyed the interview with the Great Lady herself!
This book was obviously written by two people who love and admire Miss Day the way we the rest of us do!
What a lovely tribute to a Wonderful Lady--our beloved Doris Day!

Doris Day on Television
I am a BIG Doris Day fan, and really enjoyed reading this book about
her TV show and the people involved, etc.All the people who were
interviewed, and their experiences with Doris were really vry
insightful and fascinating to me.
If you are a real Doris Day fan, you will enjoy this book.

Whatever Will Be, Will Be
QUE SERA SERA THE MAGIC OF DORIS DAY THROUGH TELEVISION is a enjoyable book saluting one of the least heralded triumphs of the lovely, legendary star Doris Day.Doris Day's amazing movie career is well-remembered for the twenty years she reigned as one of the biggest movie stars in the world starring in many classic films, as is her standing as a peerless pop female vocalist with scores of vintage recordings currently on the market on compact disc yet her five-year run as one of the most popular stars on television in THE DORIS DAY SHOW (1968-1973) has long been something of a footnote despite the great success of the series at the time.Perhaps the tremendous success of her movies on DVD and her music on CD in recent years opened the door to THE DORIS DAY SHOW finding it's way onto the market in seasonal DVD sets and they too have become best sellers, certainly there are very television series of the 60s/70s which have every one of it's television seasons on the market like TDDS (season five has not been released yet but is pictured in the book).Now on the heels of those DVD sets comes a book dedicated to the history of the program with detailed episodic guides, exclusive interviews with most of the surviving cast members (including Doris Day herself!), tons of trivia, photographs, even a reproduction of a MAD magazine article spoof on the series (fortunately one of the milder satires published in that magazine).

This is clearly a labor of love by two devoted Doris Day fans who are clear-eyed enough not to overstate the excellence of the program while finding much to admire. THE DORIS DAY SHOW was a fun, sweet show but it wasn't one of the alltime great sitcoms, it actually wasn't even that funny (as the authors note, it was more of a light drama with comedy.)The scripts weren't that great but Doris' devoted public tuned in for years and the star was always charming and appealing and giving 100 percent, supported by a very good if too quickly-changing supporting cast (the series had three major overhauls during it's run, most infamously in the final two seasons when not only Doris' office staff at Today's World magazine completely changed but her two children vanished as if they never existed!)It's a great tribute to Doris as a woman that the whole cast has happy memories of working with her, one can easily imagine others being bitter in similar situations on other shows.Interview chapters are sprinkled throughout the book. It's also nice to see director and writer credits in the book for the individual episodes, very few books on TV series give this much information.And kudos to the authors for spotting all the episodes featuring excerpts and riffs from Doris' recordings, I had no idea her music was used this extensively on the show.

The book also features a episode guide to Doris' one-season dog-oriented program DORIS DAY'S BEST FRIENDS from 1985 (how about a boxed set on that series, MPI Home Video?), as well as a listing of her 1950's radio program and a section on ads from her movies. The book concludes with chapters by the authors detailing the history of their affection for the star.Certainly most of the readers of this book could well write their own chapter because there have been very few stars as beloved as Doris Day and the one of the happiest conclusions one can draw from this book is it is love well placed, for as all her coworkers testify, this is a truly wonderful, giving, caring lady just like we always knew.

QUE SERA SERA THE MAGIC OF DORIS DAY
A WONDERFUL BOOK WITH LOTS OF INFORMATION ON THE DORIS DAY TV SHOW, AND ALSO LOTS OF PICTURES.A REALLY GREAT BOOK ..I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

EXCELLENT AND TIMELY APPRAISAL OF DORIS DAY'S NEGLECTED TELEVISION CAREER
Any consideration of Doris Day's movie and recording career makes it so easy to overlook her later foray into television. The fact that Hollywood's popular acting elite of the 50's and 60's were reluctant to involve themselves with the small screen was due to the very realistic fear such activity would diminish their cinema box-office appeal. That relevant factor combined with obvious time constraints was no doubt the reason Doris made few television appearances during her movie career.

Voted top female box-office movie star at the beginning of the 60's, she must have been knocked sideways on discovering near its end the existence of an iron-clad contract signed without her knowledge to appear in a television sitcom. This coincided with the untimely death of husband/agent/manager/producer, Marty Melcher and the subsequent discovery her entire earned fortune had disappeared due to unscrupulous dealings. In such circumstances, having to switch gears and enter the fast and furious production requirements of small-screen-media must have been a bitter pill to swallow. However, Doris soon knuckled down and THE DORIS DAY SHOW was launched by CBS in 1968 for a five year run ending in 1973 with the Day personality enabling the show's family-friendly cheerfulness combined with frequently changing plot formulae which moved its initial static rural setting to the more plot inspiring environs of San Francisco and the world of publishing which allowed Doris to benefit from sophisticated glamour and romantic attachments reminiscent of her Universal screen comedies. Overcoming her obvious early reluctance, Doris gradually took control of the Show with son, Terry, and growing annual ratings were due in no small measure to their hands-on involvement in ensuring all those participating before and behind camera worked as happy team.

After its showing on US television THE DORIS DAY SHOW virtually disappeared until the recent release of DVD box-sets which finally allow appraisal with four currently available and the final due for release later this year.

It's therefore opportune that QUE SERA, SERA: THE MAGIC OF DORIS DAY THROUGH TELEVISION should be written and published with its emphasis on chronicling THE DORIS DAY SHOW - a synopsis of each episode; descriptions of the actors involved, plus production values and behind-the-scenes detail. The book's Forward has been written by Jackie Joseph, a friend of Doris, who appeared in Season's four and five. Producer Don Genson is on hand to give a general view of the Show.

The book fully describes two musical "Specials" THE DORIS MARY KAPPELHOFF SPECIAL (1971) - with guest Perry Como - now also available on DVD and DORIS DAY TODAY (1975) with John Denver and Rich Little as guests. A magazine format series DORIS DAY'S BEST FRIENDS ran on US cable 1985/86, putting the spotlight on animal welfare issues within its mix of interviews and music and attracting such guests as Rock Hudson, Les Brown, Tony Bennett and Howard Keel. DORIS DAY: A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY (1991), a PBS documentary is also featured.

Additionally, the authors turn the clock back to list (incomplete) the other early 50's DORIS DAY SHOW - a syndicated half-hour radio series in the USA - which was also partially adapted and broadcast by the BBC Light Programme in the UK. Adding to nearly 200 black and white photographs and film posters, thumbnail descriptions of the Day movies and significant recordings are adequately covered, whilst authors, Pierre Patrick and Garry McGee individually reflect on the Day career etc. Most important of all is an interview with the lady herself.

Whilst there are no obvious errors in the facts, I wish someone had decided on the form and correction of "Kapplehoff" or "Kappelhoff" but that is a minor gripe. To sum up, the authors must be congratulated on the outcome of their research for this book is a veritable reference delight for Day fans with its detailed information. Others will also appreciate and learn about this neglected element of the Day career.




... Read more

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Customer Reviews (23)

Day wasn't really a goody-goody
Author Santopietro might have called his book Re-Considering Doris Day since his premise is that the signer/actress has gotten a bum rap as a goody-goody. His book, besides giving some biographical information, gives an enjoyable evaluation of each of Day's movies, albums, and TV series and specials. In his view, Day was an energetic, sexy actress who deserves another viewing. I went back and watched or re-watched several of her movies, and would especially recommend Pillow Talk and Teacher's Pet.

A pretty good book, with certain reservations...
I just finished reading Mr. Santopietro's book, and found it relatively good.Unlike David Kaufman (author of Doris Day:The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door), Mr. Santopeitro seems to be a true fan of Doris Day.I felt that the book was written with genuine appreciation of Miss Day and her amazing talents.
I expected the book to be a biography of Miss Day's life; however, it was more an analysis of her work.I felt that Mr. Santopietro injected too many of HIS opinions of her work into the book; and I don't appreciate someone else telling ME how I should feel about Miss Day's movies/music.
I don't watch her movies/listen to her music to analyze it.I just enjoy her talents and appreciate being able to "have a little visit" with her via DVD or CD :-)
Also, I was rather puzzled about Mr. Santopietro's insistence that many of Miss Day's movies and songs had "gay undertones".What does that have to do with a so-called analysis of Miss Day???We all know that she had many gay friends, but this had nothing to do with her work; to me, it was irrelevant and out of place in an otherwise very well-researched and well-written book.
Overall, the book was pretty good; however, I didn't learn anything new.I did love the photos in the book; many of these WERE new to me.

Considering Doris Day
I've given up on reading this one.It is less a biography of Doris Day, and more a critical review of her movies.The author apparently knows a good deal about Miss Day, but would prefer to give it out in little bits and pieces amid discussions of what Warner Bros. did wrong when producing Miss Day's movies.The author does seem to appreciate Miss Day's considerable talent, but appears dedicated to making sure you'll never enjoy watching one of her movies.P.S.When Doris Day (or anyone else for that matter) is singing an upbeat tune, they really should be upbeat and smiling.

Very glowing biography
The author really raves about Doris Day even when she is not that good, he'll defend her work.Doris is a very talented singer/actress who has done some very notable work.He is pretty honest about her clunkers, in movies/music, even though I might have liked that movie.However, he gives a good luck at her career through music, movies, and tv.He also provides a good overview of the era in which she worked, discussing how studios made movies in the 50's.It's a good, unvarnished book that you'll enjoy.There are a few lists at the end detailing all her movies/music along with his personal comments.

Please.....
This is not a biography or even a basic history.It is one man's thoughts about the life and career of Doris Day.It is a pseudo-critical analysis of a woman's life, singing and movie acting.Much of it is sophmormic, self-edifying and generally self-indulgent.Anyone to cares about Ms. Day can generally make up their own minds about the value of her varied acting roles and choices.Certainly, there are none (beyond the present-day hearing-impaired youth) who will deny her singing talent, skill and performances.Yet, the author believes that he -- with a sense that only "HE" -- can provide that complete insight in to Ms. Day's work, successes and failures.It is a waste of money for anyone to cares about Ms. Day... ... Read more

Product Description
Published to coincide with her 80th birthday, this new biography looks at one of Hollywood’s most popular icons. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Bad job
The author of this book is an egomaniacal, gossipy gabber.Inbetween blurbs about Doris, he gives a complete plot description of her films, interspersing gossip about the other stars.I do not appreciate reading about HIS childhood; he took this opportunity to recount facets of his life, instead of focusing on the celebrity of whom he purports to be fan.He does her other fans a disservice by wating our time with non-Doris Day info. I got about 1/4 the way thru this book and discarded it for the junk it is.As far as I'm concerned, Mr. Braun owes me $9.95.

A great book about a great star - and a great human being!
This is a great read about Doris Day - you see many of the trials that she has endured - and get to understand
some of the things that helped shape her.Doris has to be one of the most inspirational people of our time - one who never seemed to get sucked in to the shallow world of movie stars.Her work with animals, and the Doris Day Animal League is so inspiring, and just like Doris. There is nothing like a animal to let you know that you are not a star because you are on tv - or make a million bucks - you are a star if you hold them right, help them, feed them - play with them!
You also learn about the tv show that Doris never knew she was supposed to star in - until after the sudden
death of her husband - which left her broke.But the show did go on - and through one of the apparently toughest periods in her life - she gave a great performance, as always.My only regret regarding her tv show was not keeping the concept she started with - the farm, and especially the kids.My favorite episodes are the first few years - heartwarming, charming, funny, and intelligent!

Eric Braun's Biography of Doris Day Misses the Mark
I have to agree with the other readers who have given low ratings for this book.Eric Braun's biography of Doris Day is perhaps the most poorly written book I have read in years.The sentences (which are more like paragraphs) are extremely long and packed with a lot of parenthetical, somewhat disconnected information.When you come to the end of a long sentence, you are not sure if the final words refer to what just preceded, or the middle, or the beginning of the sentence.Quoted information is not well punctuated--passing between quotes and author's comments without much clarity.Bad writing aside, we learn little of Ms. Day's early training and experience, the basis for her success as a fine singer and actress, her feelings about the "Hollywood scene", the underlying motivation for her retreat to the Carmel area, and other aspects which the reader would like to know in order to have some impression of just who this remarkable women really is.Perhaps with a person as special as Doris Day, we can never expect to have a comprehensive understanding of her.

I never throw a book in the trash...
...but that's where this one went. I've never read a more poorly written, sycophantic, piece of embarrassing drivel than this "biography" of Doris Day. The archaic, obseqious style is neauseating and could never have been authorized by Ms. Day, I surmise, if the sweet little octegenarian weren't a little dotty herself, making her and this "author" very compatible. If you are the least bit literate and hate wasting money, move on.

Doris Day be Eric Braun
I enjoyed this book immensely. I bought Doris Day "Her Own Story" by A.E.Hotchner back in the 1970`s, but this book has quite a bit of new news, stories and photo`s. It tells you all about her early days in the band and the trials andtribulations of her personal life. It includes a lot of other actors and producers opinions of Doris that she has worked with over the years. The book also talks about her home in Carmel, which offers a glance at the beautiful surroundings in which she lives. All in all I thought the book was well researched and gives an interesting insight into a much loved and respected Lady of the Silver Screen. I would definitely recommend buying it if you are a film buff or a fan of Doris Day. From Meryl Heasman (songwriter) CATFLAP MUSIC England. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Could somebody please get this author an editor?
[...] I am a fan of Doris Day as a singer, actress and animal activist.However, I'm not so one-eyed as to take offence at any slights made against her.This book takes a bitter position about Doris Day, but to me, that is not its greatest crime.It is littered with incorrect information.According to Bret, Brian Wilson had a connection to Charles Manson (it was actually Dennis Wilson), and Loretta Young starred in "It Happened One Night" (it was Claudette Colbert and she won an Oscar for this performance).These are just two examples of errors.The book is basically a collection of the author's poorly written synopses of each of Miss Day's films, with other tittle tattle dotted throughout.Oh, and according to Mr Bret, practically everyone in Hollywood during Doris Day's heyday was gay.A subject he leeringly returns to several times a chapter, culminating in a particularly offensive "AIDS equals gay" position when writing about the last weeks of Rock Hudson's life.It's 2009.Surely we don't snigger and gossip about people's sexual proclivities the way we might have in, say, the fifties!In finishing, I'd like to state that the one star I gave this book is for the excellent appendices detailing Doris Day's films and musical recordings.This is the first one star review I can ever remember leaving on Amazon.It's an absolute dog.

Narcissistic Author
I think Mr. Bret ought to try writing something that is meaningful and in good taste.His book was an attack on a great actress, rather than a book to enlighten us.He is so narcissistic, he has to write his own review of the reviewers.That is sad Mr. Bret, very sad indeed.

APOLOGY NEEDED
After reading this book, I think the author should send an abject apology to Ms. Day.She certainly does not deserve all the "slams in the face" he constantly gives her throughout the book. (Did she turn down a date request in the past? or just an interview request in the present??)
Fortunately, there are MUCH BETTER books out there on Doris, including her own written with A.E. Hotchner, the Santopietro book, and in most instances, the Kaufman book as well. At least they make the reader see why Doris Day was, is and will remain the #1 Female Box Office Champion, and one of the truly great recorded voices of our time.
And why on earth did he choose the same cover picture, albeit a smaller version, as the one used by Kaufman in UNTOLD STORY?So much for artistic creativity! ... Read more

Product Description
At age fourteen, Doris Eaton was the youngest performer in the Ziegfeld Follies, appearing with such legends as Eddie Cantor, Fanny Brice, Will Rogers, and Marilyn Miller. With two sisters and two brothers also appearing in the Follies in the years between 1918 and 1923, the Eatons became a well-known Broadway family.

Beginning their careers in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore area, the "Seven Little Eatons" became seasoned performers, working the stock-company circuit before arriving in New York City and being caught up in the golden age of Broadway. Doris and her two sisters, Pearl and Mary, became popular dancers, and throughout the twenties they were never out of work. Doris was the first Eaton to go to Hollywood, and there in 1929 she introduced the song "Singing in the Rain" in the Hollywood Music Box Review. Later, Doris left show business and went on to great success building a chain of eighteen Arthur Murray studios in Michigan, which she owned and operated for thirty years.

In a refreshingly wise voice, The Days We Danced introduces readers to the successes and poignant sorrows of the Eaton family, including alcoholism, professional failures, early death, and even a tragic murder.

With memories that span almost a century, Doris recalls the state of the American theater during World War I, the "roaring twenties," the Great Depression--as well as the legendary names of the rich and famous celebrities with whom the Eatons worked and played. Accompanied by scores of unique period photographs, this memoir details the life of a woman who never stopped dancing--even when the curtain fell. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A glorious celebration of an indomitable spirit!
This book is the inspiring story of the last surviving Ziegfeld Girl.The fabulous centenarian Doris Eaton Travis takes us on an amazing journey through the ups and downs of one family - members of which just happened to be stage performers.While several of Ms. Travis' siblings met tragic ends, she persevered - through her glorious Ziegfeld years, the sad days of the Great Depression, her loving second marriage, and her bittersweet (and ultimately disenchanting) relationship with Arthur Murray of dance studio fame.Nostalgic yet never melodramatic, Doris Eaton Travis' writing is fresh and upbeat.I was moved to tears at the end - not from sadness, but rather from awe at this magnificent woman with the indomitable spirit!I only wish I had the priviledge of knowing this lovely woman.A truly wonderful read - I simply can't praise this book enough!

The Life of Doris
I actually had the honor of interviewing Doris Eaton Travis last fall for my college English class... and I was definately honored when she gave me a copy of her book and autographed it for me... I read it right away and absolutely loved it! She is an amazing woman and has lead and incredible life which she tells about in her book. At age 99, she is still going strong and is as busy as ever! I loved meeting and interviewing her and definately loved this book! I recommend it to anyone and everyone!

A Special Memoir
Doris Eaton Travis, at age 99, looks back at a full life, the early part of which is a valuable, firsthand portrait of early 20th Century entertainment, when vaudeville and the stage was still a central part of pop culture. Her frank appraisal of the rough road even successful performers would face as times changed is certainly an antidote to nostalgic ruminations about that long gone era! Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
In this elegant meditation on age and memory, Grumbach's grace, humor, and insight alert us to the transience of each day and the constant play between past and present.

"[A] book that astonishes in its honesty. . . . What greater gift can a memoir bring than a self revealed in all its grubby particulars, with wit and, when day is done, acceptance?"
-Rebecca Pepper Sinkler, The Washington Post Book ReviewAmazon.com Review
With the recent plethora of memoirs delving into traumaticlives and despairing experiences, this quiet memoir from the author ofThe Book ofKnowledge and Fifty Days of Solitudeis charmingly refreshing. We follow the 77-year-old novelist through aday, eavesdropping on her daily fussings and the interiorconversations she conducts with the muses that enable her to write,including DylanThomas, SomersetMaugham, and her friend, the late May Sarton. Withdigressive sidetrips inspired by whatever distracts Grumbach from herquiet daily processes, we enter a rich world of memory and thoughtinformed by a lifetime of books and letters. Sorry, no teenage traumasor bouts with alchoholism or bulimia here--just a fine artist at thetop of her craft. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another Doris book done, and she's still got it
This is the fourth Grumbach memoir for me, and, while there were a few moments in Life in a Day that seemed a bit tedious and repetitious, the book is totally redeemed by its frequent flashes of insight and witticisms which made me chuckle or laugh out loud. Doris even questions whether this book is really a memoir, saying it should probably be called a "commonplace book." In her ruminations she worries that she might be repeating herself - a problem common to the aged. And actually she does repeat herself here and there, but so what? We all do, and many of her repetitions bear repeating. (Hmm ... Does that make sense?) "No matter," as Doris frequently says, in transitioning from one digression to the next thought. I have written three volumes of memoirs myself and am currently working on a fourth. My wife is not a wholehearted supporter of my efforts, but I have learned to live with that. So I had to smile when I read that Grumbach's long-time partner, Sybil, is not exactly a happy camper about her memoir-writing either.

"Once when I was halfway through a second memoir, she said that this enterprise rather repelled her. She could not understand parading oneself out there for everyone who reads the book to see. It is a kind of self-promotion, she thought, and somewhat ignoble."

Point taken, Sybil, but I don't think you're taking into account the pleasure Doris's memoirs provide to people like me, several states and a thousand miles away. And the thousands like me who can so easily identify with the life of the mind that Doris's writing represents. And finally I had to laugh at a half-jokingly proposed title for whatever might be Doris's "last" memoir - "How Many Times Do I Have to Tell You?" Although I thought to myself more than once while reading this book, I wonder if anyone ever calls Doris "Grumpy Grumbach" or "Doleful Doris," in the end I was smiling as I closed the book. I could love this old woman. I admire her tremendously. She has definitely got "the right stuff." - Tim Bazzett, author of the Reed City Boy trilogy

One day teaches how to be more aware
I read this book when it first came out. It's a lovely lesson in being aware. Ms. Grumbach's awareness is keen, her ability to connect the dots of her life is a gift. Her life as revealed in the bits she recalls throughout the day is a mirror to the meaning of life: Relationship, inspiration, quotidian moments, and the struggle to grow old well. I enjoyed the book so much I wrote to the author; she wrote back. I've read it over and over since the first time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Good, Overall Survey of Doris Day's Films
This was one of 2 coffee table books published in 1977 about Doris Day, just as she was ending her acting career to devote herself full-time to her animal causes. This particular book focuses on Doris' films--a synopsis of each film is included, along with photo stills, as well as biographical information about the actress. The only problem is this book is hard to find and has been long out of print. Too bad a reprint isn't in order, because it is a good overall survey of Doris' films. There's plenty of great photos as well. It is an enjoyable read.

Is it worth the $$? Heck yeah!
I've had my copy for years and it was worth the investment. For those unaware, it chronicles Doris Day's cinematic life in words and mostly pictures. And what an incredible array of pictures this author has put together! Each movie is given its own chapter, highlighted by a full-page portrait of DD as each character she played. It's a great way to become familiar with Doris' many, many films (several of which are lost to the archives, like "Starlift" which I've never seen on TV) and to rediscover her incredible beauty. So, is it worth $100? Yes, in fact it's worth $200.

This book SHOULD have been re-printed.
I don't have this book myself but I have been trying to find one to purchase and I have no luck so far.I have been a Doris Day fan for years and years.I believe that it SHOULD have been re-printed and let me and all of new Doris Day fans buy.

The Films of Doris Day
It's a shame that THE FILMS OF DORIS DAY by Christopher Young is no longer in print.Doris Day is a legendary actress and singer who made motion picture history with a string of musicals at Warner Brothers and laterrevamped the screwball comedies of the thirties, updated them and producedsome of the biggest boxoffice hits of the 1960s, firmly establishing DorisDay as the top female boxoffice star of all time.

Mr. Young's book,chronicles Miss Day's spectacular career from teenaged dancer, through herband singing days to nightclubs, recordings and eventually cinema stardom. Each film Doris Day made is covered in this handsome book.Sharp andincisive reviews accompany each film with several pages of key scenephotographs.

Miss Day's co-stars were like a who's who of Hollywood'selite.From James Cagney, Cary Grant and James Stewart to Rock Hudson,James Garner and Jack Lemmon, to name a few, she starred with the bestactors in the business.The book displays the range of Miss Day's filmcareer, but also includes pictures from her successful television series,The Doris Day Show, which ran for five years on CBS, and her two tvspecials.

This book should be in every bookstore, for Miss Day's legionsof fans, around the world, are avid collectors of her memorabilia.Thousands of them were not even alive when this book was published. Herfilms, such as "Calamity Jane" "Love Me or Leave Me""Young at Heart" and "Pillow Talk" become the favoritesof new generations of movie fans each year.

Publishers, please dust offthe galleys! ... Read more

Product Description
Shikasta is the first volume in doris Lessing'scelebrated space fiction series celebrated space fiction series,'Canopus in Argos: Archives'. In this interlinked quintet of novels,she creates a new, extraordinary cosmos where the fate of Earth isinfluenced by the rivalries and interactions of three powerfulgalactic empires, Canopus, Sirius and their enemy, Puttiora. Blendingmyth, fable and allegory, Doris Lessing's astonishing visionarycreation both reflects and redefines the history of our own world fromits earliest beginnings to an inevitable, tragic self-destruction.

In Shikasta the story of the final days of our planet is toldthrough the Johor, an emissary sent from Canopus. Twentieth-centuryEarth, named 'Shikasta, the stricken' by the kindly paternalisticCanopeans sho colonised it many centruies ago, is under the influenceof the evil empire, Puttoria.War, famine, disease and environmentaldisasters ravage the planet.To Johor, mankind is a 'totally crazedspecies', racing towards annihilation: his orders to save humanity sethim what seems to be an impossible task. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This really is astounding
Shikasta is a huge, imaginative, and thoughtful novel, presenting the history of humankind, and its eventual fate, through a series of reports and letters. This immense history is woven through and connected with a deeply understood and beautifully presented spiritualism that is a real pleasure to experience. I often found myself picking this book up to read in the evening, and then sitting lost in thought after re-reading a single paragraph.

Shikasta is a rare find, and I look forward to many repeat visits.

The best in socio-cultural sci-fi
Shikasta is my all-time favorite sci-fi book -- and I've been reading sci-fi for over 40 years! If you like Ursula LeGuin's work, you'll love Shikasta, by Doris Lessing. It is a gripping, visionary tale. Written over 20 years ago, the story seems prophetic, as it describes much that is happening on our planet today. But it's not a sociological treatise. Far from it! The story revolves around the lives of three siblings, and the agony of trying to remember and then fulfil the reason they decided to reincarnate on Earth during a time of global crisis.

Shikasta ties together the very personal, the immediate global, and the cosmic at the heart level.While there is plenty of action, this is not Buck Rogers. The story of Shikasta is the story of real people, human and non, struggling with the issue of how an individual can make a difference.

I'm buying another copy because I lent my tattered one to someone who kept it! ... Read more

Product Description
Voluntarily separating herself from the outside world, an editor and book reviewer comes to terms with her inner self, realizing the extent to which she gives credence to superficial things. 20,000 first printing. National ad/promo.Amazon.com Review
When her companion Sylvia left for an extended book-buyingtrip, Doris Grumbach was given 50 days alone in their home on thecoast of Maine. It was the winter of 1993 and the 75-year-old Grumbachsurrounded herself with silence and music, with books and an emptyjournal, with paintings and the view out her window of a bare winterlandscape. Fifty Days of Solitude is a memoir of what Victorianpoet GerardManley Hopkins called the "inscape": the deep,meandering landscape of an interior life. Grumbach's observationsabout the paintings of Edward Hopper, the death of a friend from AIDS,and the life-long grief of Dr. Anna Perkins for her companion MissHannay are full of dignity and pathos. Fifty Days of Solitudeis a rendering of the mind and heart alone, of how distance andsilence inform our compassion and intellect. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

The Gift
Fifty days of peace; fifty days without the noises that so distract all of us; fifty days of journaling discovering our real feelings. This beautiful memoir is a gift to all who have wondered what it would be like to get to the core of who we really are. I loved it.

Fifty Days of Solitude: Making Time to Enjoy a Gift of Time
A thoughtful book, I recommend Fifty Days of Solitude. Alone at home during a period of self-imposed seclusion, Doris Grumbach offers a helpful meditation on the meaning of solitude, telling of her time weighing and considering a range of questions, her search for answers, and a report of lessons learned.Her solitude affords her time to delve into remembered ideas from art and a lifetime of reading. Quoting artists and authors, she conducts her own Socratic dialogues, following Bacon's admonition for book readers that "some few are to be chewed and digested."

She also explores her thoughts about friends and friendships; thoughts about loneliness versus solitude; about the crowding out of "white spaces" where much meaning is often missed; about the need for learning "to look hard at what she did not notice before and even harder at what is not there, at what Paul Valery called `the presence of absence.'"

She has an interesting insight about the role of solitude in life and her failure to appreciate it as a gift when young, recalling two brief periods when she lived alone. She recognizes that opportunities for reflection are more difficult for her in the noisy city. She learns that solitude nourishes her energy and promotes creativity; her writing becomes more satisfying and more productive.

The day's mail disrupts her routine. It invades her seclusion bringing reports of unwelcomed events in friend's lives--illness, death, disgrace.These letters, with news clippings, from friends, take her away from her writing. She receives a particularly disquieting report about a much-admired friend and respected teacher who has been indicted. His disturbing fall leads her to think about a characteristic of American society: "too often achievement and recognition come early and too fast, leaving a long life of disappointment and decline.'"

Finally, as her self-imposed seclusion ends, she reaches some final thoughts about solitude: "If I have learned anything in these days, it is that the proper conditions for productive solitude are old age and the outside presence of a small portion of the beauty of the world. Given these, and the drive to explore and understand an inner territory, solitude can be an enlivening, even exhilarating experience."

A mere gathering of musings, indeed!
I was disappointed , I couldn't get over the fact that the title of thisbookis not totally about solitude .The author went into town to buy goods, she spoke to the postman on occasion and ups delivery service,.She had access to a telephone with a tape message machine and access to the internet. I believe she spoke to the neighbor,as well.Internet access-- now. thats a connection!
Her musing were boring, They were very subjective--the authors experience.
I felt forcedas the reader tolook into her life and her experiences and interpretations. Such a heavy title , not represented well throughout the book.
Thefact that she had access to the internet, a phone and T.V. by the way, she would listen to the news and whatever,strips the imagination of desparateness, survival and immediate thoughts and feelings. Perhaps pure reflectiveness without connectiveness would be more poignant.
Nothing to ponder or to learn from this book.

A PENSIVE SUPERBLY WRITTEN REMINISCENCE

For most of us, social interaction is a daily aspect of life.Solitude is suspect rather than pursued.In this peaceful, exquisitely penned memoir novelist Doris Grumbach recounts her 50 days of absolute aloneness during a Maine winter.

"I learned that there is a softness about being alone in the country, even the frozen, snow-filled country," she writes."Solidity, concrete, and bricks do not define one's surroundings.The edges of my landscape are blurred, made uneven by the action of wind and bending branches.There is comforting balm in the way the water beyond the white meadow breaks through the ice when the tide comes in and then freezes over in irregular ridges when it goes out."

Grumbach turned off the telephone, did not watch television.She went into town only to collect her mail and attend church, always leaving before the end of the service so as not to be drawn into any conversation.Her only companions were music, books, and herself.As she said, "I was now alone with music, books, an unpopulated cove, and with that frightening reflexive pronoun, myself."

This pensive superbly written reminiscence may have been intended as her nod to mortality, instead it is a paean to life.Don't miss it!

- Gail Cooke

The dream devoutly to be wished
Isn't it every writer's dream to have fifty days of solitude? Seven weeks of blissful nothingness, with no demands on one's time or space?Well, that's the kind of "vacation" Doris Grumbach took during one Maine winter.While she did make some inroads on the novel she was working on, she found herself spending more moments in personal reflection -- about past experiences, about friends and family members, about being alone, and about writing in general.The result is this slim volume of musings.Readers who are writers will get the most out of these pages.Anyone considering spending some time alone will benefit as well.For it is only after we know who we are on our own, that we can understand our connections with others. ... Read more

Product Description
In A Fool Moon, Will Bullas hawks (honks!) his delightful sense of humor as he portrays members of the animal kingdom all dressed up, while comically dressing down our human world. Time for a checkup with The Ducktor? How about a kiss under the Mistletoad? Chapters include Spotlight on Sports, It's a Jungle Out There and A Duck for All Seasons. There's something funny going on around here, and it's not just what Will Bullas paints, it's the pairing of madcap imagery and zingy one-line titles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fun, fun and more fun.
A must-have coffee table book. No one that has come into my home since I bought Bullas' book has failed to pick it up and laugh. A great compliment to my taste and Bullas' charm. My teenagers love the book. I've given it asgifts to friends of all ages (my mother loves his work). Thanks foroffering something so special. ... Read more

Product Description
Doris Day and Kitschy Melodies is a book of prose poems that captures the reader as a novel would.The book is full of the quirky details of life and memory.The book covers the author's life from World War II until the 1990's. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Exquisite Meditations
Exquisite meditations, elliptical and epiphanic, all demanding attention and inviting re-reading.These one-page prose poems are worth the study that they require.At first the pieces seem like exercises in free association, but they emerge as deeply coherent.One thinks, Where is this set of images going?But it arrives at its destination precisely and just in time.The author has obviously struggled to find the mots justes, and has found them.The pieces create an effect tender and moody;then abruptly comes a twist of thought or a splash of offhand humor, e.g. "Clients at the nail salon sit on benches that make me think of sitting shiva."

I'm totally knocked out by this writer
These are prose poems at their best. What a unique voice
this writer has. These pieces are so many things at
once like great jazz; there's stream of consciuosness
but then there's
plain talk even small talk and bits of conversation,
humor, darkness, vivid memory, admission, eyewitness,
randomness, structure. What a read! Like nothing I've
ever read before. Ms. Koestenbaum is the real thing. ... Read more

Product Description
Take control of your complexion!

100 Questions and Answers About Acne provides you with all the information you need to manage your complexion problems. Written by Dr. Doris J. Day, a world-class expert in the field, this clearly written, readable book offers the latest medical knowledge and practical tips on what acne is and what you can do to treat it effectively.

The only book to present the physician’s and the patient’s point of view (featuring actual acne patients’ comments), 100 Q&A About Acne answers all your questions about acne, including:

What is acne?
What causes it?
Does my diet affect my complexion?Exercise?
Does stress cause acne?
Is sun exposure good for my acne?
What treatments are available? Which are best for me?
Do I need to see a specialist?
What can I do if traditional treatments fail?

Drawing on her extensive experience as a clinical dermatologist in a busy private practice and Assistant Professor of Dermatology at New York University Medical Center, Dr. Day presents authoritative advice for those dealing with the physical and emotional turmoil of acne -- from the most mild to the most severe cases. By exploding common myths (Don’t only teenagers get acne?) and offering expert insider treatment advice, Dr. Day empowers you to find the best treatment available for your condition. This book is an invaluable friend for all who suffer from acne, whether a few occasional pimples or an extreme chronic condition. ... Read more