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Even the most ardent fans of It’s a Wonderful Life will be surprised and delighted by the insightful discussions of film details, cast anecdotes, curiosities, and gaffes found in this charming guide. Providing a fresh perspective, this companion includes a handy film chronology and an overview of the plot, a complete breakdown of the musical score, a fun and challenging quiz, a DVD bookmarking feature designed to give instant access to favorite scenes and other points of interest, informative historical sidebars, the complete lyrics to "Buffalo Gals, " and never-before-seen maps and diagrams of downtown Bedford Falls, downtown Pottersville, the Building and Loan, and 320 Sycamore. In addition, film lovers will learn why George should have spent Christmas Eve in jail, who crashes the Bailey family Christmas Eve gathering, the story behind the sudden demise of Mr. Gower’s son, how to make a flaming rum punch, the real-life site of the Bedford Falls High School "swim-gym, " and other fascinating trivia related to the classic.

Based on the classic 1946 movie, this story follows Tommy Bailey through childhood as he and the familiar townspeople of Bedford Falls embody all the values of the film. Doug Jones’s illustrations “nicely convey the tale’s old-fashioned wholesomeness.” —School Library Journal

Pages: 69, Paperback, Dramatic Pub Co

Even the most ardent fans of It’s a Wonderful Life will be surprised and delighted by the insightful discussions of film details, cast anecdotes, curiosities, and gaffes found in this charming guide. Providing a fresh perspective, this companion includes a handy film chronology and an overview of the plot, a complete breakdown of the musical score, a fun and challenging quiz, a DVD bookmarking feature designed to give instant access to favorite scenes and other points of interest, informative historical sidebars, the complete lyrics to "Buffalo Gals, " and never-before-seen maps and diagrams of downtown Bedford Falls, downtown Pottersville, the Building and Loan, and 320 Sycamore. In addition, film lovers will learn why George should have spent Christmas Eve in jail, who crashes the Bailey family Christmas Eve gathering, the story behind the sudden demise of Mr. Gower’s son, how to make a flaming rum punch, the real-life site of the Bedford Falls High School "swim-gym, " and other fascinating trivia related to the classic.

Pages: 69, Paperback, Dramatic Pub Co

Imagine a man who is part Forrest Gump, part Clark Kent, and part George Bailey from "It's a Wonderful Life"! Incredibly, such a man exits! In this lively memoir, Billy Brett offers a captivating look at his battle with ADHD as friend and foe. Using sweeping strokes to recall the people and events that helped to shape his imagination and dreams - including his hero, Superman - Brett shows how he struggled with a "black cloud" that seemed to threaten his self-worth, sense of success, and dream of becoming the police officer that he knew he was meant to be. As a policeman, Brett finds that his "black cloud" nemesis has pursued him, turning minor self-doubts into major setbacks of self-confidence. Overrun by doubt and despair, even to the point of focusing on the idea of being hit while riding his motorcycle, he is indeed run over! Brett uses his accident to learn that he has always had a treatable disorder called ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). He begins to understand how he has been projecting the failures he has experienced in life. With the "black cloud" no longer in control, Brett begins to turn self-doubt into self-power, hyper-focus into easy resourcefulness, a channel-surfing mind without remote control into clear intent, and a fear of failure into imaginative success. He begins to see what a wonderful life he has as a cop, husband, and father. This funny, candid, and fast-paced book is an invaluable empowering resource for those wishing to understand ADHD, with its challenges and struggles, and its joyful freedom of creative expression.

Pages: 112, Hardcover, JG Press

The Official 65th Anniversary Edition Coloring, Activity & Storybook story by Jimmy Hawkins (Tommy Bailey) This new interactive 60 page coloring and activity book is based on works by the Jimmy Hawkins Company, author of the book It's a Wonderful Life for Kids, and in honor of the 65th anniversary of the movie It's a Wonderful Life. Actor Jimmy Hawkins played the role of feisty young Tommy Bailey at age four in the original movie It's a Wonderful Life 1946. The It's a Wonderful Life for Kids Coloring Book is published and designed by Really Big Coloring Books®, Inc. with the partnership and direction of the Jimmy Hawkins Company. Current fans have expressed much excitement at the opportunity to educate upcoming generations about the classic film. Jimmy Hawkins knows, that no matter the age, you can always make a difference! On December 20, 1946, the film It's a Wonderful Life premiered at the Globe Theatre in New York City, and sixty-five years later, Frank Capra's black and white movie classic is a family holiday tradition. The film offers enduring and universal messages of hope, charity and life renewed. George Bailey learns, with the help of Clarence, his guardian angel, that no man is a failure who has friends. This new version It's a Wonderful Life for Kids Coloring Book is told from the point of view of Tommy Bailey, the youngest son of George and Mary Bailey. We follow Tommy from age four to age eleven as he and the familiar townspeople of Bedford Falls embody all the values of the film. During a time of crisis, an angel-in-training named Arthur shows Tommy how many lives he has touched already, and Tommy learns, like his father, that family and friends are what matter most. Featuring well-loved characters and scenes both familiar and new, this life-affirming book is perfect for movie fans and readers of all ages. With respect, honor and dignity we add to the history of this enduring American classic, anticipating that fans will love this great story. 1-800-244-2665

George Bailey has so many problems he is thinking about ending it all - and it's Christmas! As the angels discuss George, we see his life in flashback. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence. Clarence then shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn't been for all of his good deeds over the years. Will Clarence be able to convince George to return to his family and forget suicide? Now perhaps the most beloved American film, It's a Wonderful Life was largely forgotten for years, due to a copyright quirk. Only in the late 1970s did it find its audience through repeated TV showings. Frank Capra's masterwork deserves its status as a feel-good communal event, but it is also one of the most fascinating films in the American cinema, a multilayered work of Dickensian density. George Bailey (played superbly by James Stewart) grows up in the small town of Bedford Falls, dreaming dreams of adventure and travel, but circumstances conspire to keep him enslaved to his home turf. Frustrated by his life, and haunted by an impending scandal, George prepares to commit suicide on Christmas Eve. A heavenly messenger (Henry Travers) arrives to show him a vision: what the world would have been like if George had never been born. The sequence is a vivid depiction of the American Dream gone bad, and probably the wildest thing Capra ever shot (the director's optimistic vision may have darkened during his experiences making military films in World War II). Capra's triumph is to acknowledge the difficulties and disappointments of life, while affirming--in the teary-eyed final reel--his cherished values of friendship and individual achievement. It's a Wonderful Life was not a big hit on its initial release, and it won no Oscars (Capra and Stewart were nominated); but it continues to weave a special magic. --Robert Horton

It’s a Wonderful (Imperfect) Life is a collection of daily reminders that God does not want women to live in a continually overwhelmed state. Instead, He wants them to learn and live balanced lives and to enjoy their relationships with family, friends and Him. Life coach Joan C. Webb, author of The Relief of Imperfection, offers good news to readers who try too hard to make everything just right: Imperfect is just right! In her conversational, confessional style, Joan shares war stories from her own fight against perfectionism and invites readers to do battle with her. Armed with humor, grace and helpful coaching exercises, she delivers three minutes a day that will start women on an adventure of just-right, relief-filled imperfection.

Paperback release of 2003 holiday bestseller which offers behind the scenes info on this holiday classic as well as current info on stars from the show.

It’s a Wonderful (Imperfect) Life is a collection of daily reminders that God does not want women to live in a continually overwhelmed state. Instead, He wants them to learn and live balanced lives and to enjoy their relationships with family, friends and Him. Life coach Joan C. Webb, author of The Relief of Imperfection, offers good news to readers who try too hard to make everything just right: Imperfect is just right! In her conversational, confessional style, Joan shares war stories from her own fight against perfectionism and invites readers to do battle with her. Armed with humor, grace and helpful coaching exercises, she delivers three minutes a day that will start women on an adventure of just-right, relief-filled imperfection.

With a voice that is both sophisticated and deeply Southern, first-time author John Rowell evokes the memory of the great Truman Capote in this wonderful collection of short stories, peopled with unforgettable, endearing characters and filled with wry insights. Drawn from the emotional well of a young man who grew up in love with the glittery, glamorous world of music and movies and theater -- far removed from his own more prosaic life in North Carolina -- and informed with honesty and compassion, the seven short stories that comprise The Music of Your Life mark the impressive debut of a remarkably gifted writer. Compulsively readable and always accessible, each story takes the reader into the mind and heart of its central character, whether a young boy suffering from Lawrence Welk damage and teetering precariously on the edge of puberty ("The Music of Your Life") or a not-so-young-anymore man for whom fantasy and reality have become a terrifying blur and who finds himself slipping over the edge toward total meltdown ("Wildlife of Coastal Carolina"). Nostalgia plays a part in these stories as a somewhat jaded New York film critic looks back on his life and the movies that shaped him ("Spectators in Love"), and an aging flower-shop owner ruefully assesses the love he found and lost when, as an eighteen-year-old, he embarked on a Hollywood career that never soared but did include one particularly memorable appearance on the I Love Lucy television show ("Who Loves You?"). Sex and sexual identity are also major factors in these stories, as a choir director finds one of his altos trying to play matchmaker for him with a recent divorcée ("Saviors"), and a group of forty-something men find themselves in the awkward company of a lusty bunch of twenty-somethings ("Delegates") and reflect on how surely they were never that age. These stories, along with "The Mother-of-the-Groom and I, " a wonderfully wry look at a failed New York actor who has come home for his brother's wedding and who is given the task of helping his mother find the proper dress for the event, all create entire worlds within which the characters live and struggle to find their way. Funny, touching, serious, and tender, these are tales sure to appeal to anyone who has ever known the awkwardness of being "different, " and while life is often harsh for the stories' characters, the bold determination with which they persevere offers inspiration to all. Crafted with affecting sincerity, The Music of Your Life marks the beginning of what is certain to be an extraordinary career.

It’s a Wonderful (Imperfect) Life is a collection of daily reminders that God does not want women to live in a continually overwhelmed state. Instead, He wants them to learn and live balanced lives and to enjoy their relationships with family, friends and Him. Life coach Joan C. Webb, author of The Relief of Imperfection, offers good news to readers who try too hard to make everything just right: Imperfect is just right! In her conversational, confessional style, Joan shares war stories from her own fight against perfectionism and invites readers to do battle with her. Armed with humor, grace and helpful coaching exercises, she delivers three minutes a day that will start women on an adventure of just-right, relief-filled imperfection.

In the first major literary biography of L. Frank Baum, Rebecca Loncraine tells the story of Oz as you've never heard it, with a look behind the curtain at the vivid life and eccentric imagination of its creator. L. Frank Baum wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1899 and it was first published in 1900. A runaway hit, it was soon recognized as America's first modern fairy tale. Baum's life story, like the fictional world he created, is uniquely American, rooted in the transforming historical changes of his times. Baum was a complex and eccentric man who could never stay put for long; his restless creative spirit and voracious appetite for new projects led him across the U.S. during his lifetime, and he drew energy and inspiration from each new dramatic landscape he encountered, . Born in 1856, Baum spent his youth in the Finger Lakes region of New York as amputee soldiers returned from the Civil War; childhood mortality was also commonplace, blurring the lines between the living and the dead, and making room in Baum's young imagination for vividly real ghosts. When Baum was growing up, P. T. Barnum ruled the minds of small towns and his traveling circus was the most famous act around. Baum married a headstrong young woman named Maud Gage and they ventured out west to Dakota Territory, where they faced violent tornadoes, Ghost Dancing tribes and desperate droughts, before trading the hardships on the Great Plains for the excitement of Chicago and the fantastical White City of the World's Fair. Baum's writing tapped into an inner world that blurred his own sense of reality and fantasy. The Land of Oz, which Baum believed he had "discovered" rather than invented, grew into something far bigger and more popular than he'd ever imagined. After the roaring success of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900, he became a kind of slave to his creation, trapped inside Oz as his army of demanding child fans kept sending him back there to create new adventures for Dorothy, Toto and the humbug wizard. He went on to write thirteen sequels to his first Oz book. He also wrote the first Broadway adaptations of his Oz tales, and turned his Oz books into some of the first motion pictures in a small and undiscovered rural settlement called "Hollywood". Baum co-founded the Oz Film Manufacturing Company, even as critics warned that no one would pay to see a children's story. And they were right- his early ventures were box office flops and the world was not ready for Oz on screen until 1939, when MGM released "The Wizard of Oz" in brilliant Technicolor. Baum was not around to see it-he'd died in bed in 1919 just weeks after completing his final Oz book. But the book and film alike have become classics, just as well-loved today as they were when they first appeared. The Real Wizard of Oz is an imaginatively written work that stretches the genre of biography and enriches our understanding of modern fairytales. L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its thirteen sequels, lived during eventful times in American history-- from 1856 to 1919-- that influenced nearly every aspect of his writing, from the Civil War to Hollywood, which was emerging as a modern Emerald City full of broken dreams and humbug wizards, to the gulf between America's prairie heartland, with its wild tornadoes, and its cities teeming with "Tin Man" factory workers. This is a colorful portrait of one man's vivid and eccentric imagination and the world that shaped it. Baum's famous fairytale is filled with the pain of the economic uncertainties of the Gilded Age and with a yearning for real change, ideas which many contemporary Americans will recognize. The Wizard of Oz continues to fascinate and influence us because it explores universal themes of longing for a better world, homesickness and finding inner strength amid the storms.

In the first major literary biography of L. Frank Baum, Rebecca Loncraine tells the story of Oz as you've never heard it, with a look behind the curtain at the vivid life and eccentric imagination of its creator. L. Frank Baum wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1899 and it was first published in 1900. A runaway hit, it was soon recognized as America's first modern fairy tale. Baum's life story, like the fictional world he created, is uniquely American, rooted in the transforming historical changes of his times. Baum was a complex and eccentric man who could never stay put for long; his restless creative spirit and voracious appetite for new projects led him across the U.S. during his lifetime, and he drew energy and inspiration from each new dramatic landscape he encountered, . Born in 1856, Baum spent his youth in the Finger Lakes region of New York as amputee soldiers returned from the Civil War; childhood mortality was also commonplace, blurring the lines between the living and the dead, and making room in Baum's young imagination for vividly real ghosts. When Baum was growing up, P. T. Barnum ruled the minds of small towns and his traveling circus was the most famous act around. Baum married a headstrong young woman named Maud Gage and they ventured out west to Dakota Territory, where they faced violent tornadoes, Ghost Dancing tribes and desperate droughts, before trading the hardships on the Great Plains for the excitement of Chicago and the fantastical White City of the World's Fair. Baum's writing tapped into an inner world that blurred his own sense of reality and fantasy. The Land of Oz, which Baum believed he had "discovered" rather than invented, grew into something far bigger and more popular than he'd ever imagined. After the roaring success of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900, he became a kind of slave to his creation, trapped inside Oz as his army of demanding child fans kept sending him back there to create new adventures for Dorothy, Toto and the humbug wizard. He went on to write thirteen sequels to his first Oz book. He also wrote the first Broadway adaptations of his Oz tales, and turned his Oz books into some of the first motion pictures in a small and undiscovered rural settlement called "Hollywood". Baum co-founded the Oz Film Manufacturing Company, even as critics warned that no one would pay to see a children's story. And they were right- his early ventures were box office flops and the world was not ready for Oz on screen until 1939, when MGM released "The Wizard of Oz" in brilliant Technicolor. Baum was not around to see it-he'd died in bed in 1919 just weeks after completing his final Oz book. But the book and film alike have become classics, just as well-loved today as they were when they first appeared. The Real Wizard of Oz is an imaginatively written work that stretches the genre of biography and enriches our understanding of modern fairytales. L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its thirteen sequels, lived during eventful times in American history-- from 1856 to 1919-- that influenced nearly every aspect of his writing, from the Civil War to Hollywood, which was emerging as a modern Emerald City full of broken dreams and humbug wizards, to the gulf between America's prairie heartland, with its wild tornadoes, and its cities teeming with "Tin Man" factory workers. This is a colorful portrait of one man's vivid and eccentric imagination and the world that shaped it. Baum's famous fairytale is filled with the pain of the economic uncertainties of the Gilded Age and with a yearning for real change, ideas which many contemporary Americans will recognize. The Wizard of Oz continues to fascinate and influence us because it explores universal themes of longing for a better world, homesickness and finding inner strength amid the storms.

Wacky Wisdom about the Weird and Wonderful Things of Life that bring Refreshment to Your Soul Martin Babb's slightly skewed view of the world makes for engaging, enlightening, and enlivening reading as he waxes eloquent about the weird and wonderful things of life. Amid the humor, you'll find spiritual refreshment for your soul and wisdom for living life as God intended. In this hilarious collection of brief writings about the funnier side of life, you'll find titles like: "It's OK to Sing to Mushrooms, but Never Goose a Moose" "What Would Happen if Beauty Ignored the Beast?" "When Life Gives You Cicadas, Make Earrings" "What Happens When You Squeeze a Chihuahua?" "Did the Pilgrims Drive a Mayflower Subcompact?" "The Best Stage for a Teenager Is the One That's Leaving Town" Each humorous essay is just two or three pages long and concludes with an easy-to-swallow lesson. But you'll hardly feel the lessons for the laughter. Take a much-needed break, put your feet up, relax, and prepare to laugh. Your soul will be hilariously refreshed.

The Illinois Watch Company has long had an honored place in the annals of horological history. From their founding in 1869, through their commitment to timekeeping excellence in the early 20th century, to their development of many wonderful Art Deco/Moderne-inspired wristwatches in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, Illinois was a leader in its field. Today their watches are highly sought after by collectors, both for their engineering and beauty. Here is the history of the company covered in great detail and with solid research. Included are historical documents, vintage photographs of the people and manufacturing processes at the Illinois Factory, old advetisements, and a compendium of their wristwatch production from their beginning until their sale to Hamilton Watch Company. But the best part for the collector and historian alike is a visual record of nearly every wristwatch design ever created by Illinois Watch Company, and their variations, in beautiful full color photographs. Each is accompanied by complete information about the watch and its production. In addition, scattered through the book are historical references that place the Companys evolution in the context of the general history of the period, and notes about the collectors of these fine timepieces and the adventures they have had in pursuit of them. Taken together this is an exciting and informative new volume for those who appreciate and cherish old timepieces.

With a voice that is both sophisticated and deeply Southern, first-time author John Rowell evokes the memory of the great Truman Capote in this wonderful collection of short stories, peopled with unforgettable, endearing characters and filled with wry insights. Drawn from the emotional well of a young man who grew up in love with the glittery, glamorous world of music and movies and theater -- far removed from his own more prosaic life in North Carolina -- and informed with honesty and compassion, the seven short stories that comprise The Music of Your Life mark the impressive debut of a remarkably gifted writer. Compulsively readable and always accessible, each story takes the reader into the mind and heart of its central character, whether a young boy suffering from Lawrence Welk damage and teetering precariously on the edge of puberty ("The Music of Your Life") or a not-so-young-anymore man for whom fantasy and reality have become a terrifying blur and who finds himself slipping over the edge toward total meltdown ("Wildlife of Coastal Carolina"). Nostalgia plays a part in these stories as a somewhat jaded New York film critic looks back on his life and the movies that shaped him ("Spectators in Love"), and an aging flower-shop owner ruefully assesses the love he found and lost when, as an eighteen-year-old, he embarked on a Hollywood career that never soared but did include one particularly memorable appearance on the I Love Lucy television show ("Who Loves You?"). Sex and sexual identity are also major factors in these stories, as a choir director finds one of his altos trying to play matchmaker for him with a recent divorcée ("Saviors"), and a group of forty-something men find themselves in the awkward company of a lusty bunch of twenty-somethings ("Delegates") and reflect on how surely they were never that age. These stories, along with "The Mother-of-the-Groom and I, " a wonderfully wry look at a failed New York actor who has come home for his brother's wedding and who is given the task of helping his mother find the proper dress for the event, all create entire worlds within which the characters live and struggle to find their way. Funny, touching, serious, and tender, these are tales sure to appeal to anyone who has ever known the awkwardness of being "different, " and while life is often harsh for the stories' characters, the bold determination with which they persevere offers inspiration to all. Crafted with affecting sincerity, The Music of Your Life marks the beginning of what is certain to be an extraordinary career.

"How to Succeed as a Small Business Owner ... and Still Have a Life!" An "owner's manual" for small businesses! Put your business on "auto-pilot." Learn how to ... - Use your business as a tool to enhance your personal life - Set ambitious goals and achieve them - Develop a real, working business plan - Use values to provide guidance to your staff - even when you're not at the office - Get the right people on your team and keep them there - Delegate effectively - Create a "self-healing" culture that practically fixes its own problems - And much more "If you own a small business, or are thinking of starting one, you need Bill Collier's wonderful book. Bill writes clearly and succinctly as a small business owner who learned how to do it right. His book is a much-needed guide for anyone who wants to get the most out of the small business experience." -- Bo Burlingham, editor-at-large of Inc. magazine About the Author: Bill Collier is a long-time entrepreneur who knows what it's like to have to "make payroll." Bill earned success the hard way - grinding it out for years after starting his first business, and learning from his own mistakes. After a good first few years, his company hit a wall. Morale was low, employee turnover was high, and cash flow was awful. In near desperation, he discovered a number of common-sense management approaches that saw his firm through years of prosperity. Product Details: Printed: 164 pages, 6.00" x 9.00", perfect binding, black and white interior ink, full color paperback cover ISBN: 0-9777-7850-9 Publisher: Porchester Press Copyright: © 2006 Bill Collier Language: English Country: United States Edition: First Edition

In the first major literary biography of L. Frank Baum, Rebecca Loncraine tells the story of Oz as you've never heard it, with a look behind the curtain at the vivid life and eccentric imagination of its creator. L. Frank Baum wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1899 and it was first published in 1900. A runaway hit, it was soon recognized as America's first modern fairy tale. Baum's life story, like the fictional world he created, is uniquely American, rooted in the transforming historical changes of his times. Baum was a complex and eccentric man who could never stay put for long; his restless creative spirit and voracious appetite for new projects led him across the U.S. during his lifetime, and he drew energy and inspiration from each new dramatic landscape he encountered, . Born in 1856, Baum spent his youth in the Finger Lakes region of New York as amputee soldiers returned from the Civil War; childhood mortality was also commonplace, blurring the lines between the living and the dead, and making room in Baum's young imagination for vividly real ghosts. When Baum was growing up, P. T. Barnum ruled the minds of small towns and his traveling circus was the most famous act around. Baum married a headstrong young woman named Maud Gage and they ventured out west to Dakota Territory, where they faced violent tornadoes, Ghost Dancing tribes and desperate droughts, before trading the hardships on the Great Plains for the excitement of Chicago and the fantastical White City of the World's Fair. Baum's writing tapped into an inner world that blurred his own sense of reality and fantasy. The Land of Oz, which Baum believed he had "discovered" rather than invented, grew into something far bigger and more popular than he'd ever imagined. After the roaring success of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900, he became a kind of slave to his creation, trapped inside Oz as his army of demanding child fans kept sending him back there to create new adventures for Dorothy, Toto and the humbug wizard. He went on to write thirteen sequels to his first Oz book. He also wrote the first Broadway adaptations of his Oz tales, and turned his Oz books into some of the first motion pictures in a small and undiscovered rural settlement called "Hollywood". Baum co-founded the Oz Film Manufacturing Company, even as critics warned that no one would pay to see a children's story. And they were right- his early ventures were box office flops and the world was not ready for Oz on screen until 1939, when MGM released "The Wizard of Oz" in brilliant Technicolor. Baum was not around to see it-he'd died in bed in 1919 just weeks after completing his final Oz book. But the book and film alike have become classics, just as well-loved today as they were when they first appeared. The Real Wizard of Oz is an imaginatively written work that stretches the genre of biography and enriches our understanding of modern fairytales. L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its thirteen sequels, lived during eventful times in American history-- from 1856 to 1919-- that influenced nearly every aspect of his writing, from the Civil War to Hollywood, which was emerging as a modern Emerald City full of broken dreams and humbug wizards, to the gulf between America's prairie heartland, with its wild tornadoes, and its cities teeming with "Tin Man" factory workers. This is a colorful portrait of one man's vivid and eccentric imagination and the world that shaped it. Baum's famous fairytale is filled with the pain of the economic uncertainties of the Gilded Age and with a yearning for real change, ideas which many contemporary Americans will recognize. The Wizard of Oz continues to fascinate and influence us because it explores universal themes of longing for a better world, homesickness and finding inner strength amid the storms.

In the first major literary biography of L. Frank Baum, Rebecca Loncraine tells the story of Oz as you've never heard it, with a look behind the curtain at the vivid life and eccentric imagination of its creator. L. Frank Baum wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1899 and it was first published in 1900. A runaway hit, it was soon recognized as America's first modern fairy tale. Baum's life story, like the fictional world he created, is uniquely American, rooted in the transforming historical changes of his times. Baum was a complex and eccentric man who could never stay put for long; his restless creative spirit and voracious appetite for new projects led him across the U.S. during his lifetime, and he drew energy and inspiration from each new dramatic landscape he encountered, . Born in 1856, Baum spent his youth in the Finger Lakes region of New York as amputee soldiers returned from the Civil War; childhood mortality was also commonplace, blurring the lines between the living and the dead, and making room in Baum's young imagination for vividly real ghosts. When Baum was growing up, P. T. Barnum ruled the minds of small towns and his traveling circus was the most famous act around. Baum married a headstrong young woman named Maud Gage and they ventured out west to Dakota Territory, where they faced violent tornadoes, Ghost Dancing tribes and desperate droughts, before trading the hardships on the Great Plains for the excitement of Chicago and the fantastical White City of the World's Fair. Baum's writing tapped into an inner world that blurred his own sense of reality and fantasy. The Land of Oz, which Baum believed he had "discovered" rather than invented, grew into something far bigger and more popular than he'd ever imagined. After the roaring success of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900, he became a kind of slave to his creation, trapped inside Oz as his army of demanding child fans kept sending him back there to create new adventures for Dorothy, Toto and the humbug wizard. He went on to write thirteen sequels to his first Oz book. He also wrote the first Broadway adaptations of his Oz tales, and turned his Oz books into some of the first motion pictures in a small and undiscovered rural settlement called "Hollywood". Baum co-founded the Oz Film Manufacturing Company, even as critics warned that no one would pay to see a children's story. And they were right- his early ventures were box office flops and the world was not ready for Oz on screen until 1939, when MGM released "The Wizard of Oz" in brilliant Technicolor. Baum was not around to see it-he'd died in bed in 1919 just weeks after completing his final Oz book. But the book and film alike have become classics, just as well-loved today as they were when they first appeared. The Real Wizard of Oz is an imaginatively written work that stretches the genre of biography and enriches our understanding of modern fairytales. L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its thirteen sequels, lived during eventful times in American history-- from 1856 to 1919-- that influenced nearly every aspect of his writing, from the Civil War to Hollywood, which was emerging as a modern Emerald City full of broken dreams and humbug wizards, to the gulf between America's prairie heartland, with its wild tornadoes, and its cities teeming with "Tin Man" factory workers. This is a colorful portrait of one man's vivid and eccentric imagination and the world that shaped it. Baum's famous fairytale is filled with the pain of the economic uncertainties of the Gilded Age and with a yearning for real change, ideas which many contemporary Americans will recognize. The Wizard of Oz continues to fascinate and influence us because it explores universal themes of longing for a better world, homesickness and finding inner strength amid the storms.

"A revelation. No one will ever view Andrew Wyeth's apparently tranquil works the same way again after reading this vivid and astonishing portrait of the turbulent, driven man who paints them. Richard Meryman has written a wonderful book." - Geoffrey C. Ward At its most fundamental level, this stunning and unique biography describes a distinguished painter's enterprise of transmitting emotion onto a flat surface. It explores all the factors that have combined to create Andrew Wyeth -- his childhood in a hothouse of creativity; his hypersensitivity; his formidable wife; his identification with people marginalized and misunderstood -- all which have made him an American icon. In the process, his realist works in watercolor and tempera, including the famous "Christina's World, " have gained him a special and secure niche in the history of American art. The book is a portrait of obsession -- how single-mindedness has affected Wyeth's relationships and transformed his world into a realm of secrecy and fervid imagination. Those who read this book will never look at Wyeth's work as they did before. It reveals the artist's dark depths, as well as the ruthless, angry, child/man fantasist who paints the basic brutalities of existence -- death and madness --that vibrate eerily beneath his pictures' calm surfaces. Richard Meryman's narrative is almost novelistic, with its larger-than-life characters and subplots: the tragedy of C.C. Wyeth; Betsy Wyeth's campaign for independence and individuality; the byzantine 15-year-long drama of the Helga paintings; the eccentric and creative Wyeth clan; and the idiosyncratic land and people of Maine and Pennsylvania. Based on 30 years of research, frequent visits and countless conversations with the artist, his family, friends, admirers and critics, Andrew Wyeth: A Secret Life is the only book about the man and the artist that gets behind his carefully guarded screen, tells the full story of his life and reveals his complex personality and the motivations for his paintings.

In the first major literary biography of L. Frank Baum, Rebecca Loncraine tells the story of Oz as you've never heard it, with a look behind the curtain at the vivid life and eccentric imagination of its creator. L. Frank Baum wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1899 and it was first published in 1900. A runaway hit, it was soon recognized as America's first modern fairy tale. Baum's life story, like the fictional world he created, is uniquely American, rooted in the transforming historical changes of his times. Baum was a complex and eccentric man who could never stay put for long; his restless creative spirit and voracious appetite for new projects led him across the U.S. during his lifetime, and he drew energy and inspiration from each new dramatic landscape he encountered, . Born in 1856, Baum spent his youth in the Finger Lakes region of New York as amputee soldiers returned from the Civil War; childhood mortality was also commonplace, blurring the lines between the living and the dead, and making room in Baum's young imagination for vividly real ghosts. When Baum was growing up, P. T. Barnum ruled the minds of small towns and his traveling circus was the most famous act around. Baum married a headstrong young woman named Maud Gage and they ventured out west to Dakota Territory, where they faced violent tornadoes, Ghost Dancing tribes and desperate droughts, before trading the hardships on the Great Plains for the excitement of Chicago and the fantastical White City of the World's Fair. Baum's writing tapped into an inner world that blurred his own sense of reality and fantasy. The Land of Oz, which Baum believed he had "discovered" rather than invented, grew into something far bigger and more popular than he'd ever imagined. After the roaring success of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900, he became a kind of slave to his creation, trapped inside Oz as his army of demanding child fans kept sending him back there to create new adventures for Dorothy, Toto and the humbug wizard. He went on to write thirteen sequels to his first Oz book. He also wrote the first Broadway adaptations of his Oz tales, and turned his Oz books into some of the first motion pictures in a small and undiscovered rural settlement called "Hollywood". Baum co-founded the Oz Film Manufacturing Company, even as critics warned that no one would pay to see a children's story. And they were right- his early ventures were box office flops and the world was not ready for Oz on screen until 1939, when MGM released "The Wizard of Oz" in brilliant Technicolor. Baum was not around to see it-he'd died in bed in 1919 just weeks after completing his final Oz book. But the book and film alike have become classics, just as well-loved today as they were when they first appeared. The Real Wizard of Oz is an imaginatively written work that stretches the genre of biography and enriches our understanding of modern fairytales. L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its thirteen sequels, lived during eventful times in American history-- from 1856 to 1919-- that influenced nearly every aspect of his writing, from the Civil War to Hollywood, which was emerging as a modern Emerald City full of broken dreams and humbug wizards, to the gulf between America's prairie heartland, with its wild tornadoes, and its cities teeming with "Tin Man" factory workers. This is a colorful portrait of one man's vivid and eccentric imagination and the world that shaped it. Baum's famous fairytale is filled with the pain of the economic uncertainties of the Gilded Age and with a yearning for real change, ideas which many contemporary Americans will recognize. The Wizard of Oz continues to fascinate and influence us because it explores universal themes of longing for a better world, homesickness and finding inner strength amid the storms.

The Ten Rules For Being Human:1. You will receive a body.2. You will be presented with lessons.3. There are no mistakes, only lessons.4. Lessons are repeated until learned.5. Learning does not end.6. "There" is no better than "here."7. Others are only mirrors of you.8. What you make of your life is up to you.9. All the answers lie inside of you.10. You will forget all of this at birth.If life is a game, what are the rules?We all know the feeling: In the game of life, why am I the only one who doesn't know how to play? But now, help is at hand, because this wonderful little book will teach you the rules so that you can conquer life's challenges and manage its unpredictable ups and downs.For one of her workshops several years ago, Chérie Carter-Scott, a corporate trainer and consultant, composed a list of basic truths about life, which she named "The Ten Rules for Being Human." Right away, the Rules resonated with her clients, who photocopied and passed the list to friends and relatives. Within months, Chérie's Rules were in thousands of homes all over the country, and eventually, they were published in Chicken Soup for the Soul and have also appeared in Ann Landers' column. Although there's no formula to help you win the game of life, Chérie's Rules convey a universal wisdom that, once understood and embraced, can contribute to meaningful relationships with ourselves and others, at work and in the home.In If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules, Chérie shares that there are no mistakes in life, only lessons that are repeated. In thoughtful, inspirational essays illustrated with encouraging personal anecdotes, she includes the lessons that can be learned from each of the Rules and offers insights on self-esteem, respect, acceptance, forgiveness, ethics, compassion, humility, gratitude, and courage. Best of all, Chérie shows that wisdom lies inside each one of us and that by putting the Ten Rules for Being Human into action we can create a more fulfilling life.Chicken Soup for the Soul, they instantly became a favorite section of that wildly successful book.Now Carter-Scott, an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker, brings the rules to life by applying them to anecdotes drawn from her own encounters, as well as stories from her family, close friends, and workshop participants. Presented in a personal format, these steps to becoming a satisfied and well-adjusted person are sure to garner an even wider following. -->

What a wonderful adventure! Imagine you were born in a vast, dimly lit cave, where everything, including the people, appears to be a dull gray. All you can see are shadows and darkness. As you grow up, you find that your life is strongly regulated by the "Book of Rules", an ancient edict that controls even your most secret thoughts. You also learn that, somewhere in the cave, there is a crack in its walls that emanates a strange light. It is a forbidden place, guarded by ferocious animals, so that no one can truly inspect this anomaly. Later in life, your curiosity and your silent wish for a better environment finally throw you into action. Somehow, you manage to get past the vicious guards, and to avoid death, you dive headlong into the strange brightness. When your eyes finally adjust, you discover a new world, full of colors, sounds and fragrances, and you vow never to return to darkness. That, dear reader, is in essence what this book did for me. I will not offer disparaging words about the religion into which I was born and raised, but I will praise the effects of Eastern philosophy and the wisdom of metaphysics. As you will read for yourselves, these two belief systems have extracted the unmitigated divine Truth from the metaphors found in the greatest book ever published. Having lived most of my adult life in the shadows of conditioned dogmas, I found at last that doorway in the cave's wall. I discovered the beauty of God's nature and the passive gullibility of humankind. Last but not least, I received the long awaited explanation to the unanswered questions that troubled my formative years. Thus, it is in all sincerity that I highly recommend the reading of this remarkable book. Hopefully, it will reach your mind, your heart and your soul. My six years as editor for Dr. Hairfield's works have been filled with spiritual peace and enlightenment. May the contents of this book transport you to the same level. Read from the book at: www.innercirclepublishing.com

"This telling of an extraordinary old woman's love affair with the American twentieth century--her unheralded vital place in its art, her delight in its diversity, her lifelong Left activism, eyes-wide-open to both blessings and bummers--is a tonic for existential despair. We need this wonderful book."--Ronnie Gilbert, The WeaversAt seventeen Seema Aissen got her first job drying prints in a photo-finishing lab in Boston and joined the newly-founded Young Communist League; at thirty-three she was hired by Ansel Adams to run his darkroom in Yosemite; at thirty-seven she married the writer Jack Weatherwax and devoted herself to supporting his work; widowed at seventy-nine she began a new life; at ninety-five she had her first photographic exhibit. Sara Halprin began recording interviews with Seema in 1986 and took the title and narrative frame for this book from that first show. Seema's Show follows Seema's life from her birth in 1905 to radical Jewish parents in Czarist Russia, emigration to England, then Boston and Los Angeles, where she joined the Film and Photo League, began her lifelong work for racial justice, and formed enduring friendships with artists and political activists including Edward Weston, Imogen Cunningham, and Woody Guthrie. In 1984 Seema moved to Santa Cruz, California, where she became a central figure in progressive culture and began, in 2000, to show her own work."Like my grandmother, Imogen Cunningham, Seema Weatherwax tells it like it is. This astonishingly candid biography vividly brings to life the great twentieth-century California art photographers--Adams, Weston, Cunningham--as well as left-wing activists like Woody Guthrie. If we had national treasures, Seema would be one."--Elizabeth Partridge, author of Restless Spirit: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange

Nothing s harder than being a parent. The task at hand the responsibility to raise good children presents enormous challenges on its own. But add to it our anxiety Am I doing a good enough job? Can I do better? Did I handle that situation right? - and the job becomes, at times, crushingly hard. It s Dr. Barry Ginsberg's gift to ease our burden, and as a result, to make us believe that we can not only succeed as parents, but also thrive. Dr. Ginsberg doesn t represent the role of parent as simpler than it is; rather, he is able to explain difficult concepts and interactions in basic terms with out reducing their complexity. While Dr. Ginsberg's vision is realistic in terms of what parents can actually accomplish, it's also rooted in an optimistic view of human nature. He is convinced that with practice, patience, and good intentions, we can become the parents we want to be. Honest self-examination is at the root of this conviction. Yet his advice is eminently behavioral and sensible. He also proposes a set of values that are essential to having a good relationship with any one: Talk to each other. Respect each other. Listen to each other. Say what you mean and pay attention to how you feel. Take responsibility for your self. Have family meetings. Set ground rules. These are principles we all know but some times for get or over look. Remember them, Dr. Ginsberg urges us, for they themselves are our best resource. His confidence is contagious. Every suggestion he offers stems from these values. To implement his advice isn t always easy. But like the best kind of coach, one who really has your welfare at heart, Dr. Ginsberg urges patience. Take the time to read this book and digest its meaning, practice, and you'll get it, he tell us time and time again. This book espouses a ground-up approach to parenting. As he explains, parents who know them selves have the assurance to know their children. He describes an emotional climate in which we all take responsibility for our selves and then move forward to engage with others, whether it s our children, ex-spouses, friends, or members of our families of origin. Dr. Ginsberg also suggests that we start with the basics and move on to complexity gradually. For instance, in order to know your self more thoroughly, he encourages you to first decide if the feelings you have are good or bad. Only after that distinction has been made do you move on to elaborate. It s a plan so simple that you think it can t possible work, not with all the complexity with which you have to cope. But it does work. Dr. Ginsberg is a parent as well as a psychologist. Throughout the book, you will hear both voices talking to you. Soon you ll hear yourselves talking and thinking differently than you ever did before. This book has helped me to be a better parent. Even my kids notice the difference. Yours will, too. From the Preface Roberta Israelof Foreword writer Roberta Israeloff is the author of four books of personal nonfiction (including Kindling the Flame: Reflections on Ritual, Faith and Family and author and co-author of numerous parenting books. She was a contributing editor to Parents Magazine for six years, and has written dozens of articles on various aspects of parenting and family issues for The New York Times, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, and many other national publications including the on-line magazine Jewish Family and Life.

Denison, Iowa, is as close to the heart of Middle America as it gets. The hometown of Donna Reed, Denison has adopted "It's a wonderful life" as its slogan and painted the phrase on the water tower that hovers over everything in town. And in many respects, life is pretty good here: it's a quiet town, a great place to raise children; the crime rate is low, the schools strong. It's home to the county's only Wal-Mart and a factory that does a booming business in antiterrorism barriers. For outsiders looking in, there is something familiar and comforting about Denison -- it conforms to the picture of the wholesome, corn-fed heartland which we as a nation cherish and which we think we know so well. But something new and unfamiliar is happening in Denison, and traditional viewpoints and partisan labels don't quite capture it. The change goes beyond the post-9/11 loss of innocence; the sense of unease and, in some cases, of rebirth began well before 2001. Relations between the growing Latino population and the established Anglo citizenry are not always smooth. The industries that still predominate have become a mixed blessing for many people -- in the 1980s the meat-processing plant, for instance, froze wages, and they have remained basically static to this day. For many years, Dale Maharidge and Michael Williamson have made it their business to document interior America. In 1990 they won the Pulitzer Prize for their book And Their Children After Them, a conscious homage to the 1941 classic Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee and Walker Evans. To gather their observations and insights on Denison, Maharidge and Williamson lived there for a year, spending time among the 8, 000 people who live, love, work, run for office, go to school, and sometimes struggle to get by there. From the Lutheran woman who singlehandedly teaches English to Latino immigrants seeking grueling work in meatpacking plants to the leaders who struggle to rescue the community from economic ruin to the Latino businessman whose career is saved by two white men risking the wrath of small-town politics, the author and photographer trace the intersections of lives, the successes and failures, the real stories beneath Denison's mom-and-apple-pie surface. Through Maharidge's gorgeous, plainspoken prose and Williamson's stunning photography, we are privy to a sweeping perspective layered with a microscopic depth of observation, and a searingly honest portrait tempered by heartfelt compassion. Denison, Iowa is a big, beautiful book about a small town at a critical time in our history -- and it's the crowning work of a brilliant, quarter-century partnership.

Praise for It's More Than Money-It's Your Life!"I've always thought there should be a Weight Watchers for money. Now there is, thanks to Ginita Wall and Candace Bahr. Their Money Clubs are simple, but brilliant . . . and so much fun! These clubs could absolutely change women's attitudes and relationship to money forever. Whether you're just starting out, or starting over, I guarantee this book is one you'll keep and refer to again and again." -Barbara Stanny, author of Prince Charming Isn't Coming: How Women Get Smart About Money and Secrets of Six-Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to Up Your Income and Change Your Life"The power of women in groups supporting one another is stupendous. The new Money Club is a marvelous and important saga of women getting together to master their futures and achieve their individual and collective dreams. It debunks old financial myths and provides a practical pathway to gaining control over critical aspects of our lives. Bravo!"-Tom Peters, author of Re-imagine! and In Search of Excellence"Smart, warm, and engaging, It's More Than Money-It's Your Life! brings the seasoned financial expertise of Candace Bahr and Ginita Wall straight into the living rooms and checkbooks of America. From its 'Small Steps' to the fresh group problem-solving approach, the book is guaranteed to motivate women to reach financial goals together and grow on their own."-David Bach, bestselling author of Smart Women Finish Rich and Smart Couples Finish Rich"It's More Than Money-It's Your Life! is a wonderful guide filled with practical and inspiring tips to empower women. I especially love the Money Club concept-what a great idea, and so easy and fun to accomplish!" -Olivia Mellan, money coach and author of Money Shy to Money Sure: A Women's Road Map to Financial Well-Being