You Must Remember This: The Warner Brothers Story by Richard Schichel and George Perry

I never really knew so many classic movies were from Warner Brothers. This coffee table book takes you down through the years from the early beginnings of Jack Warner and siblings right up to modern day. Filled with movie stills from such classics as the Al Jolson first "talkie" The Jazz Singer, Casablanca, Rebel Without A Cause, and Batman, among numerous others, it also has plenty of behind-the scenes shots of stars on the sets of those movies, and many classic movie posters.

The writing is OK, although I did notice a few errors that should have been caught before the book went to press. Notably, one of the sections claims that Bette Davis won the Oscar for her performance when actually the winner was Judy Holliday for a different movie. But like I always say, I don't actually read coffee table books for the witty and inspired writing. I get them for the pictures. And this one is well worth the look for that part.

6 stars for the writing; 8 stars for the photography. Enjoy!

Odd Jobs by Nancy Rica Schiff

You think your job is hard? How would you like to be a semen collector? Or a hairdresser for corpses? Or an underarm niffer, as the front cover depicts? These are just some of the jobs described herein.

Once again, the writing in these coffee table books are only secondary to the photography, and this one is no exception. You don't read coffee table books, you look at the pictures, and then if interested, scan the descriptions.

I'm willing to bet that you did't know half these jobs existed, and even more, I imagine you are probably going to be glad it is somebody else doing it for quite a few of them. Still, all in all, it is neat to look at and discover these jobs.

rating it 6 stars

Shine On: 1909-2009 100 Years of Shiner by Mike Renfro

I like beer. I also like books about beer. And my favorite beer just happens to be Shiner, specifically Shiner Bock. If you are not priveleged to be living somewhere that Shiner is distributed, then you are missing out. Get thee to Texas for a vacation, so you can try it. If it is available, then for God's sake what are you waiting for?

Reading about the history of my favorite beer was without a doubt a great way to start the new year, I mean besides toasting it with a bottle at midnight New Year's Eve. This is another coffee table book, but aside from that fact, it is not just a overinflated picture book, like some of that type are. The writing is good, and intriguing enough, and the author has a genuine love for the beer and the history behind it. Not just a dry reporting, the author actually infuses the book with a passion that I have not seen in any of the other coffee table books I've read.

Of course, there's no denying that part of it is due to my passion for the same brew, but I can accept that. I give this one an unashamed to admit it, 9 stars.

Iconic America by Tommy Hilfiger with George Lois

My first impression when I saw this book was "it's a coffee table book from Hell." The thing is a monster in size and bulk. But it has to be. The book is filled with all kinds of Americana, from Burma-Shave signs, to Andy Warhol, to the Nike Swoosh, and Buddy Holly and just about anything you can think of that is purely American. Mom, apple pie and Santa Claus. ...and Playboy. (Yes, Virginia, there is a centerfold. Hide your eyes.)

Depending on your age, some of this may bring back nostalgic memories, or they may be a peek into the life your parents (or even grandparents) talk about with fond memories. Although the pictures are of icons and memorabilia that span the entire history of the American experience, most of them are from the last 100 years or so. A visually stunning book, to say the least. (Quit looking at that centerfold, Virginia!)

It's a fun book, and, although Hilfiger's writing is nothing to write home about, it's still informative and often entertaining. But you may find it more interesting just to look at the pictures. (I told you, Virginia, stop looking at that centerfold...)

I give this one 8 stars.

Lost America by Troy Paiva

"Why," you may ask, "are you reveiwing a glorified coffee table book?" To which I would respond, "well, why not?" The writing is not on par with that of Friedrich Nietzsche, but then you will notice (if you backtrack the whole blog) my reading has not including Nietzsche. Nor for that matter anything even remotely resembling Nietzsche.

On the surface, the writing is not even comparable to, say, Stephen King. Of couse, if it were, the damn thing would be too big to put on something so fragile as a coffee table. But then, one doesn't pick up a coffee table book to read. One picks up a coffee table book to look at the pictures. In that respect, this is one of the best.

The scope here is limited to the southwest portion of America. The furthest east the photographs seem to go is western New Mexico, and they are predominently Californian in content. I have no idea how Paiva accomplished the lighting in most of his pictures, but they leave one with a feeling of haunted places, and somehow nostalgic for a bygone era. His eye must be keen, because I can visualize the places without his peculiar lighting andimagine them to be just run-of-the-mill deserted places.

As for the writing, it is not very well done, as I said, but that should not deter you from checking the book out simply for its splendid photography.

Give this one 6½ stars.