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For the first time ever - a comprehensive biography of one of the 20th century’s most innovative creative artists: the incomparable, irreplaceable Jim Henson He was a gentle dreamer whose genial bearded visage was recognized around the world, but most people got to know him only through the iconic characters born of his fertile imagination: Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie, Miss Piggy, Big Bird. The Muppets made Jim Henson a household name, but they were just part of his remarkable story.
A mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the juggernaut Nintendo and revolutionized the video-game industry. In 1990, Nintendo had a virtual monopoly on the video-game industry. Sega, on the other hand, was just a faltering arcade company with big aspirations and even bigger personalities. But all that would change with the arrival of Tom Kalinske, a former Mattel executive who knew nothing about video games and everything about fighting uphill battles.
By 1920, the movies had suddenly become America's new favorite pastime and one of the nation's largest industries. Never before had a medium possessed such power to influence; yet Hollywood's glittering ascendancy was threatened by a string of headline-grabbing tragedies - including the murder of William Desmond Taylor, the popular president of the Motion Picture Directors Association, a legendary crime that has remained unsolved until now.
Seven years in the making and meticulously researched - Gabler is the first writer to be given complete access to the Disney archives - this is the full story of a man whose work left an ineradicable brand on our culture but whose life has largely been enshrouded in myth.
The science fiction classic that coined the term "time machine" and is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel. A must listen for any fan of science fiction!
A teen idol at 15, an international icon and founder of the Brat Pack at 20, and one of Hollywood's top stars to this day, Rob Lowe chronicles his experiences. Never mean-spirited or salacious, Lowe delivers unexpected glimpses into his successes, disappointments, relationships, and one-of-a-kind encounters with people who shaped our world over the last 25 years. These stories are as entertaining as they are unforgettable.
For the first time ever - a comprehensive biography of one of the 20th century’s most innovative creative artists: the incomparable, irreplaceable Jim Henson He was a gentle dreamer whose genial bearded visage was recognized around the world, but most people got to know him only through the iconic characters born of his fertile imagination: Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie, Miss Piggy, Big Bird. The Muppets made Jim Henson a household name, but they were just part of his remarkable story.
A mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the juggernaut Nintendo and revolutionized the video-game industry. In 1990, Nintendo had a virtual monopoly on the video-game industry. Sega, on the other hand, was just a faltering arcade company with big aspirations and even bigger personalities. But all that would change with the arrival of Tom Kalinske, a former Mattel executive who knew nothing about video games and everything about fighting uphill battles.
By 1920, the movies had suddenly become America's new favorite pastime and one of the nation's largest industries. Never before had a medium possessed such power to influence; yet Hollywood's glittering ascendancy was threatened by a string of headline-grabbing tragedies - including the murder of William Desmond Taylor, the popular president of the Motion Picture Directors Association, a legendary crime that has remained unsolved until now.
Seven years in the making and meticulously researched - Gabler is the first writer to be given complete access to the Disney archives - this is the full story of a man whose work left an ineradicable brand on our culture but whose life has largely been enshrouded in myth.
The science fiction classic that coined the term "time machine" and is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel. A must listen for any fan of science fiction!
A teen idol at 15, an international icon and founder of the Brat Pack at 20, and one of Hollywood's top stars to this day, Rob Lowe chronicles his experiences. Never mean-spirited or salacious, Lowe delivers unexpected glimpses into his successes, disappointments, relationships, and one-of-a-kind encounters with people who shaped our world over the last 25 years. These stories are as entertaining as they are unforgettable.
Author Benjamin Hoff shows that the philosophy of Winnie-the-Pooh is amazingly consistent with the principles of Taoism and demonstrates how you can use these principles in your daily life. Is there such thing as a Western Taoist? Benjamin Hoff says there is, and this Taoist's favorite food is honey.
Eating is an indispensable human activity. As a result, whether we realize it or not, the drive to obtain food has been a major catalyst across all of history, from prehistoric times to the present. Epicure Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said it best: "Gastronomy governs the whole life of man."
In our culture, artistic genius and poverty seem inevitably linked, but does it have to be that way? Jim Henson didn’t think so. An iconic creator and savvy businessman, Henson is a model for artists everywhere: Without sacrificing his creative vision, Henson built an empire of lovable Muppets that continues to educate and inspire - and a business that was worth $150 million at the time of his death. How did he ever pull it off? And how can other creators follow in his path?
Nothing "goes viral". If you think a popular movie, song, or app came out of nowhere to become a word-of-mouth success in today's crowded media environment, you're missing the real story. Each blockbuster has a secret history - of power, influence, dark broadcasters, and passionate cults that turn some new products into cultural phenomena. In his groundbreaking investigation, Atlantic senior editor Derek Thompson uncovers the hidden psychology of why we like what we like.
Is there a secret to happiness? Beloved comedian Paula Poundstone conducts a series of "thoroughly unscientific" experiments to find out, offering herself up as a guinea pig and recording her data for the benefit of all humankind. Armed with her unique brand of self-deprecating wit and the scientific method, in each chapter Paula tries out a different get-happy hypothesis.
The life of Princess May of Teck is one of the great Cinderella stories in history. From a family of impoverished nobility, she was chosen by Queen Victoria as the bride for her eldest grandson, the scandalous Duke of Clarence, heir to the throne, who died mysteriously before their marriage. Despite this setback, she became queen, mother of two kings, grandmother of the current queen, and a lasting symbol of the majesty of the British throne.
Street Gang is the compelling and often comical story of the creation and history of this media masterpiece and pop culture landmark, told with the cooperation of one of the show's co-founders, Joan Ganz Cooney. Sesame Street was born as the result of a discussion at a dinner party at Conney's home about poor children's programming and hit the air as a big bang of creative fushion from Jim Henson and company, quickly rocketing to success.
This audio is narrated by Caroll Spinney, the voice of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. Spinney is the winner of four Emmy Awards and two Grammys, and has received both a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Library of Congress's Living Legend award for his work on Sesame Street. In 2006, Spinney was honored with the National Academy of Telelvsion Arts and Sciences' Lifetime Achievement Award.
I really enjoyed this audio book. The story was something I was interested in, and it delivered.. I found out the behind the scenes stuff that I didnt know about and having it narrated by the voice of Big Bird was definitely a plus..
The only problem was that there were a couple of large sections of the story where they were just rattling off names and their jobs.. And it was just so dry that I caught myself tuning out for a while... Happily it wasn't that large of a section, and the actual stories made up for it...
LIke millions of other kids, I grew up on Sesame Street, and hearing the stories about the people who made it was wonderful... Reliving the episodes when Mr Hooper died was a sad moment, but it made me realize how these characters touched my life... I was honestly surprised that the characters were actors with different names and completely different lives... (I shouldnt have been, but it took me off guard)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I watched as a kid. I had the toy brownstone and plastic characters. Now I'm a teacher and a mother of a bicultural child, and I have my daughter watch "Sesame Street Old School" videos (episodes from the late 60s and 70s - the ones I grew up on). I've long had a vague awareness that Sesame Street was/is a groundbreaking, well-researched show, but now that I've listened to this audiobook I have a much better understanding of what went into creating it. It's heartwarming to hear about how committed the originators were to achieving their vision. Other reviewers have complained about Caroll Spinney's narration, but for me hearing him tell a story that's so close to his own heart made the experience more meaningful.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
As a father of a toddler; who is now fully immersed in the Sesame Street world, it was nice to get the history of a wonderful organization. Caroll Spinney does an excellent job narrating, and the interview with him at the end brings it all together.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Davis writes a good book, and this history of Sesame Street is not poorly written, to be sure. The problem is that the history of the show and its Muppet characters is just not particularly engaging, even for someone like me who grew up watching it and who still loves the Muppets. There's simply almost no drama in the details: a bunch of smart, well-meaning people got together and made a show that changed the history of children's TV. That's about all you need to know. There were no massive hurdles to overcome, no last-minute crisis to be dramatically solved, etc. As a story, it's just not gripping. Perhaps because of this, the author goes off at times on the personal problems of some of the participants, sliding into tabloid journalism at times while he looks for something out of the ordinary. And while it goes without saying that Caroll Spinney is eminently qualified to talk about Sesame Street, as a narrator he's only average. Unfortunately, there are many points where unnatural pauses or intonation soil his narration that should have had a second take recorded, but the production team apparently decided not to bother. The 30-minute interview with Spinney and the author included as a bonus at the end of the book is probably the most interesting part.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
A book subtitled The Complete History of Sesame Street, narrated by the guy who does the voice of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. Sounds foolproof, right? Sadly, it is not. The book should have been subtitled The Complete History of Children's Television Workshop, as it is a history of the people (and I do mean history - this includes detailed biographies of the parents of the people who ended up founding or working on Sesame Street) and the business behind Sesame Street, and manages to focus surprisingly little on the actual show itself. The book is a good third of the way through before the show even launches.
If that's what you're after then you'll enjoy this book, but it wasn't for me.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
Would you be willing to try another one of Caroll Spinney’s performances?
NO! I cannot fathom how this narrator got a job reading books aloud. He speaks like a man with a nose-full of mucous, and still manages to be monotonously nasal. He also fairly routinely mispronounces words, putting accent on the wrong syllable, adding syllables to some words ("summarily") and somehow deleting syllables from others ("spectacularly"). I got to the first airing and reactions of Sesame Street, and just couldn't take any more of him. If he is the only option in Audio, I'll go buy the paper book or E-book.
A great history of one of the most famous children's television shows of all time. A must-read (or, rather, a must-hear) for any Sesame Street or Muppet fans out there.
When Jim Henson's memorial service was held, Carroll Spinney dressed up as Big Bird and sang "Being Green", a song written by Joe Raposo for Kermit the Frog (Henson) to sing. He concludes it with "Thank you Kermit" and the audience knew what he meant.
Henson--and Joan Ganz Cooney, Raposo, Spinney and others--was a major part of the success of Sesame Street.
This interesting book traces the genesis of the show and has bios of the various figures involved. It does start off with Henson's funeral but that sets up the message that his life really mattered, and his friends would miss him. Yes there are sad moments here, people gone too soon, but also many happy moments and great achievements. Davis' tale covers it all and Spinney's voice is just perfect for it. (At the end, author Davis interviews Spinney--nice feature, but I must admit I'm glad the author didn't narrate the whole book.
Davis' voice is a bit gruff; Spinney's easier on the ears). Nice trivia and well written.
Perhaps it is not fair to rate a book that I have not finished, but I want to warn anyone else out there who saw all of the high ratings for this book that it is not nearly as interesting as it appears.
The first problem that I have with the book is the narrator. His voice is a combination of monotony and condescension which I find insulting and hard to listen to. This is the first audio book I have listened to which is not an autobiography read by the author, so maybe that is part of the problem.
The content of the book is also incredibly dull so far. The book opens with Jim Henson's funeral, but keeps cutting from the funeral to describe the thoughts of some other people who helped create Sesame Street. There is a long lament against Henson's decision to license the Muppets with Disney, and it seems like a personal vendetta the author has against Michael Eisner.
The first chapter opens by going in-depth describing some family who originally came up with the idea for Sesame Street, but once again I find myself wondering why the details of these people are so relevant. I'm not sure if the book actually drags on or if it's just the narrator's voice that makes it seem like these details just go on forever, but at this point I do not see myself being able to finish this book.
Perhaps it's the fact that the story opens with a funeral that gives the story such a depressing tone. It would have been better to open up on a livelier note.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful