3 comments about This is Hollywood: An Unusual Movieland Guide.

1. This is a great guide for anyone who is interested in the scandals, murders, suicides and hauntings of the Los Angeles area. The information is detailed and accurate, and there are several maps which are good enough that even someone who is not familiar with the area can navigate easily. The book also contains maps to celebrity graves in many area cemetaries. This book is excellent for those who may be visiting LA and want to see some unusual sites; it is also interesting for people who have always lived in LA. Maybe you live next door to the house where Clara Bow "entertained" the entire USC football team and don't even know it! If you're not into the morbid stuff, the book also contains the locations of many sites used in TV and movies. I should also mention that I have found that this latest edition is only readily available from Amazon or directly from the author, so don't go looking for it in your local bookstore.



2. If you're headed to Hollywood and don't believe in corporate pre-determined tourist traps grab this book! Lots of cool places to visit that aren't owned/run by Universal, right down to the spot where Baretta made his last hit! Maybe you'll even see Huggy Bear. [...] Cool stuff.



3. I bought this book when I was in Hollywood. I love it. Very interesting facts and helpful maps. Pretty much accurate. I reccomend this book to anyone who is a "death hag".

1 comments about Ghost Hunter's Guide to Los Angeles (Ghost Hunters Guides).

1. For some strange reason, I've had a sudden interest in local ghost stories. Why? I really haven't a clue. I suppose it could be because the topic is rather entertaining (even though I really don't believe in ghosts - at least I haven't met any yet ). I recently read another book which I found in the bargain bin at the bookstore. That book, "The World's Most Haunted Places: From The Secret Files of [...]" was poorly written and did little but put me to sleep. While Ghost Hunter's Guide to Los Angeles follows the same format (just a few pages on each alleged "haunting"), the author's prose is far better and the stories remain interesting (albeit, unconvincing).
   
   It is apparent the Jeff Dwyer must have done a fair amount of research before writing this book and his tales are a good read. Even so, the book lacks any "hard evidence" that the spooks he reports on exist - most are simply good stories that outline the history of the "haunted" places he writes about. Having lived in the Los Angeles area essentially all of my life, I am familiar with a large number of the places he writes about and was surprised to find that Dwyer reports on many of the lesser known landmarks, in addition to the "standard" ones (i.e., the Queen Mary, Disneyland, and many of the large cemeteries).
   
   While I remain a skeptic (and nothing in this book convinced me otherwise), the book was both interesting and enjoyable. I would certainly recommend it to those who are interested in Los Angeles historical landmarks as many are covered in this book. Of course, it also adds a bit of character to the history of those places.

No comments about Zagatsurvey Los Angeles Nightlife 2008/2009 (Zagat Los Angeles Nightlife).

1 comments about Down by the Los Angeles River: Friends of the Los Angeles Rivers Official Guide.

1. This is a great book. If you like to hike, bike or just explore unique places, this is the book to get. I didn't realize there were so many places to see and explore all along the LA River area. This book is written in such an easy to read format. I enjoy reading and venturing to the sights mentioned in this book.

5 comments about Hollywood Remains to Be Seen: A Guide to the Movie Stars' Final Homes.

1. Great Book.........I am an old movie buff



2. He led a glorious life full of glamor and adoration for his host of fans. His ending, however, would make a movie to beat all. He was abandoned by everyone and ended up at his final resting place, the cemetery. Read about false memories and not actuality in a tome written to launch a career on the heels of:
   Another Imposter on MYL : A Dutiful Daughter's Memories, August 12, 2006 I got too close to the truth for comfort and so had to find it on my web site about the shenanigans of the stars there who act like so much ____________ Now hear this: a fan's expose of what is really happening.
   
   Dean Martin was successful in the Fifties as an actor, singer, t.v. show host and yet we young people back then though he was just a drunk. He was a member of the rat pack, not that that is saying a whole lot. Sinatra was a bigger lush than Dean could ever be, and all those wives of his! I do remember how he was fascinated with the lovely Lainie Kazan on his television music show, and perhaps that is what caused his divorce.
   
   The author of this book has related how her 'mother's house' was next door to Rosemary Clooney. I guess Ira Gershwin lived on the other side of Rosie? I do remember that before the talented Dean died, he was living as a bum (like James Agee in New York), with a beard and same old clothes. There was no one to care for him in that condition. I ask you, where was this 'devoted' dauthter then? She is the second to make money off the deceased singer. First Jerry Lewis, after all of his tantrums and allegations, refusing to a reunion with Dean Martin. Now, the absent daughter who is using her dead father's fame as her own.
   
   She has wormed herself into a slot on Music of Your Life, after first playing around with Les Brown, Jr. there in Branson, Missouri, getting to be top dog for two hours daily; now, she has her own weekend slot and all night on Sundays. Here is how she is described on their web site: Deana, who is an accomplished actor singer, entertainer and author, in addition to being the daughter of her famous father, has quickly become a Music of Your Life listener favorite with her great behind- the-scenes stories. Between concert and book tours, Deana produces the annual Dean Martin festival! When I was fifteen, I could sing just as well as she can. And to think that she collaborated on her CD (thanks to MYL) with Jerry Lewis, it's a sacrilege after all he did to her dad she supposedly is devoted to. With a daughter like that, who needs enemies. The writer of the book, DINO, shows how he died in virtual isolation. We all knew that. It's a sacrilege for anyone to make a fortune off a dead person who is not hear to tell the truth. Such is life today.



3. Very well put together with an exceptional reference section.Easy to read and follow.Worth the price and I reccomend it.



4. I REALLY LOVED THE BOOK I WISH THERE WAS MORE PICTURES OF THE STARS GRAVES . BUT WAS A GREAT READ IT TELLS WHERE ALL THE STARS IN HOLLYWOOD ARE BURIED THIS IS A BOOK ILL CHERISH AND KEEP FOR A VACATION TO HOLLYWOOD AND TAKE WITH ME THANKS



5. This is one of those great niche books, that seem weird on the surface, but are actually really fun reads. This book is very well crafted and though I would have appreciated a few more images, overall, this is about as good a book on this uh interesting subject, that could be imagined. I have never been one that found cemeteries scary or eire, I find them, well the nice ones anyway, very peaceful. In Victorian times, people had picnics in cemeteries and they used them as public parks, so I really dont know how they sort of ended up these scary, spooky places we never visit..I guess Hollywood movies...so that makes this guide interesting on many levels. All and all, fun read, highly recommended.

2 comments about Ed Ruscha: Then & Now.

1. I bought this from Amazon UK at an amazing low price (perhaps they thought it might eventually be a stockroom dust-catcher) and it turns out to be a wonderful piece of Americana though I'm not quite sure you could call it Art, maybe art.
   
   This is a large book with 148 (unnumbered) pages which open up to thirty-five inches wide with the two versions of Hollywood Boulevard running across the top of the page and the opposite side running along the bottom upside down, sort of awkward if you want to see both sides of the Boulevard at the same time.
   
   The printing (and paper) of the panoramas is excellent. Rarely have I seen images printed in 250dpi, it is so good that you can read all kinds of commercial signage along the way. Regular strollers in the area could possible recognize themselves if they were there on June 5, 2004. As expected there have been plenty of changes between 1973 and 2004. Many of the empty spaces in '73 now have buildings but it does work the other way round, greenery has replaced some buildings by 2004.
   
   Because the book has no text, apart from title and credit pages I often wondered why Ruscha wanted to photograph twelve miles of Hollywood Boulevard. It is unfortunate that for about half the book there is not too much to look at. From the start at Sunset Plaza there are just garden walls, vegetation and a glimpse of houses set back from the street. It's not until you get to Laurel Canyon where apartments start to appear and then the visually interesting commercialism starts around La Brea Avenue. The rest of the route, until it runs into Sunset Boulevard at Hillhurst Avenue, is interesting to look at, though. Here's a tip: pull up HB on Google Earth and see an aerial view as you check out the front of buildings in the book.
   
   'Then & Now' is an intriguing example of Ruscha's work (he designed it, too) which will probably increase in value and I see that signed copies are being offered at eight hundred dollars plus on some book websites.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
   
   
   
   



2. Thirty years after his seminal 1973 book, Ed Ruscha drives again along Hollywood Boulevard taking pictures of every detail of both sides of the street: contemporary colour pictures matched with the early black and white originals. The book is an extraordinary re-documentation of the street, revealing social and architectural changes. But most of all it is a convincing proof of the vitality of the conceptual basis of Ruscha's work, that looks amazingly contemporary, even three decades later.
   By using the photographic medium in a detached, non-passionate way (this time he did not even take the pictures, therefore disappearing as the "author"), by structuring his systematic work as if it were a catalog or a technical atlas on how mankind settled its territory, he reminds us how prophetic his early work was, anticipating issues that would have been the basis for most of the forthcoming artistic reasearch, not only in photography.

No comments about Greenopia, Los Angeles: The Urban Dweller's Guide to Green Living (Greenopia series).

No comments about Los Angeles Times Crosswords 15: 72 Puzzles from the Daily Paper (Los Angeles Times Crosswords).

4 comments about Not for Tourists 2007 Guide to Los Angeles (Not for Tourists : Los Angeles).

1. This book looks great and even has a byngie type band to hold it in place. However, if you are new to L.A. you will be left out on various other much needed information. I noticed in the area that I reside there are supermarkets, banks, libraries and even emergency rooms that aren't listed. I wonder what I would not be informed about if I purchased a different cities version. I am glad I purchased my local one first.
   Don't get me wrong this is a helpful book put in to a very appealing looking book. Just be aware that there is much out there.



2. although the title may be slightly misleading. It should be called "Not For Tourists but also not for someone who's lived in the area for a long time." Chances are if you've been there for a while, you know the city. However this is a fantastic companion for anyone moving to the city who is unfamiliar with the neighborhoods and what they have to offer. I buy this every time someone I know moves into town as a housewarming gift.



3. i am a huge fan of NFT books and tend to get one for whatever city i might be visiting. however, i live in the Los Angeles area and i find its version of NFT to be lacking in many ways. if you're looking to just stay in the center of Los Angeles city proper and think that LA is just comprised of santa monica, hollywood, sunset strip, and beverly hills, this book will be all that you need. however, for those of us who live here, Los Angeles isn't just one centralized area but a megalopolis - very spread out. there's a reason why they say (or sing) that nobody walks in LA - it's just impossible. Los Angeles, is both a city and a county, and much of the city, especially further up north nearing the valley, isn't covered. the "cities" of Los Angeles county spread from Ventura county to the north and Orange County to the south, and for many non-residents of this area, they classify this entire behemoth county as the entire city. so if a person is staying at the standard in hollywood, but need to go to cerritos, whittier, northridge, or sun valley, you're not going to get any information to help you out what so ever. they do have small sections that attempts to cover certain areas, like pasadena or south bay, but it's so generalized that it's not even worth bothering. perhaps they need to break the NFTs down, like the boroughs of new york city (queens, brooklyn, manhattan, etc) for the ones in Los Angeles. it's best if they renamed this edition, "Los Angeles - Westside to Downtown" or something, and have another edition that says, "Los Angeles - Burbank to Thousand Oaks", "Los Angeles - Glendale to Diamond Bar", and "Los Angeles - Torrance to La Mirada" just to clarify the whole thing. and perhaps a "Los Angeles - an overview" that actually includes the entire county in a condensed version.
   
   NFT has a lot of information, such as school, post office, ATM, gas stations, etc. but every single nitty gritty isn't included and one shouldn't expect it either. i think the NYC edition i purchased a few years ago only had barnes and nobles listings and nothing about borders. (i think they made a deal or something.) so don't expect the world out of these books.
   
   however, it's a great book if you're looking for something that shows more information than the all hallowed thomas bros. guide maps, but broken down into a smaller book.
   
   as for tourists - if you were super impressed with the NFT manhattan/new york edition, don't expect the same out of the Los Angeles one. it doesn't exactly give you much in the way of details for the amusement parks, beaches, malls, etc. and it definitely does not go into the orange county area, where disneyland and knotts are located.



4. For anyone travelling to LA this book is an easy way to find where to go for food, shops or just for a nice stroll at the park.
   Quite handy the lists at the back with hotels, shops, restaurants with comments.
   Pity that the book is not so small...it will not fit into your pockets, but I guess that once in LA you will be more driving than walking...

No comments about National Geographic Traveler: Los Angeles (National Geographic Traveler).