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George Burns: The Hundred Year Dash
By Martin Gottfried
A biography of George Burns from the time he was born, 1 of 12 children living in NYC lower east side, until just before his death.
I covers George's early entry into show business (he left school in 4th grade) through Vaudeville and his struggles to find success. Then one day he finds a woman who would change his life. Gracie Allen made George Burns the man he became. When she died he was devastated.. but more than anything else he wanted to keep working.. because for him it was about the work.. not the money. He wanted the work and the recognition.
I have read several of George Burns own books, and this book fills in some of the blanks in his life. I always knew George Burns on his own.. and had heard of Gracie, but never fully understood the team. What comes out of this book is that George's personal life and life on stage were one. It was hard to tell the difference between them... and that all George wanted to do was to perform in front of a crowd.. and fortunately for him and us he was able to do that for many, many years!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
The Joy of Work (1)
The Joy Of Work
Scott Adams
The co-title of this book is Dilbert's Guide to finding Happiness at the Expense of Your Co-Workers.
I do love Dilbert books and this one was great. The thrust of it is not to be a good employee and work hard.. because we all know the hardest worker.. gets... MORE WORK.
The point is to be happy at work.. do whatever you need to.. using what is at hand (like co-workers) to enjoy your day.. You spend far too much time at work to be miserable!
Scott Adams
The co-title of this book is Dilbert's Guide to finding Happiness at the Expense of Your Co-Workers.
I do love Dilbert books and this one was great. The thrust of it is not to be a good employee and work hard.. because we all know the hardest worker.. gets... MORE WORK.
The point is to be happy at work.. do whatever you need to.. using what is at hand (like co-workers) to enjoy your day.. You spend far too much time at work to be miserable!
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
2006
In 2006 I read 70 books. Which is the same adjusted total I had for 2005. I actually went though 78 books in 2005, but eliminated some of them as fluff.. coffee table type books, while interesting, were not serious reading. This year I only included serious type novels and such. A few were quick reads like some of the comedy books.. others like the leCarre' books took me forever to get through.
So here are the books I read:
1/4/2006 Riding The Rap Elmore Leonard
1/9/2006 Hard Living On Clay Street Joseph T. Howell
1/13/2006 Batman: The Stone King Alan Grant
1/14/2006 Family - The Ties That Bind.. And Gag Erma Bombeck
1/18/2006 Stallions Gate Martin Cruz Smith
1/23/2006 The Rules Of Attraction Bret Easton Ellis
1/27/2006 Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! Richard P Feynman
2/1/2006 A Long Way From Home Tom Brokaw
2/3/2006 The Eye Of Darkness Dean Koontz
2/6/2006 Disclosure Michael Crichton
2/9/2006 Violent Ward Len Deighton
2/13/2006 The Timothy Files Lawrence Sanders
2/19/2006 Hannibal Thomas Harris
2/21/2006 79 Park Avenue Harold Robbins
2/24/2006 If Tomorrow Comes Sidney Sheldon
2/26/2005 Schoolcraft's Ojibwa Lodge Stories Henry Schoolcraft
3/3/2006 My First Years in the Fur Trade George Nelson
3/7/2006 Hemingway Christopher Cook Gilmore
3/7/2006 The Place of the Pike (Gnoozhekaaning) Charles E Cleland
3/11/2006 The Spy Who Came In From The Cold John Le carre
3/14/2006 2061: Odyssey Three Arthur C Clarke
3/21/2006 Reflex Stephen Gould
3/28/2006 Frontsoldaten Stephen G. Fritz
3/30/2006 Dirty Jokes and Beer Drew Carey
4/18/2006 A Small Town In Germany John Le carre
4/25/2006 Only When I Laugh Len Deighton
4/28/2006 Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury
4/30/2006 The Hunted Elmore Leonard
5/5/2006 Dear George George Burns
5/6/2006 The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen Howard Carter, A. C. Mace
5/8/2006 Spy Story Len Deighton
5/10/2006 Tales of The Dark Knight Mark Cotta Vaz
5/24/2006 McNally's Secret Lawrence Sanders
5/26/2006 Call for the Dead John Le carre
5/30/2006 A Murder of Quality John Le carre
6/6/2006 The Looking Glass War John Le carre
6/9/2006 Mr Paradise Elmore Leonard
6/23/2006 Out Of Sight Elmore Leonard
6/27/2006 All My Sins Are Relatives W. S. Penn
7/1/2006 Dave Barry In Cyberspace Dave Barry
7/4/2006 Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy John Le carre
7/6/2006 Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys Dave Barry
7/20/2006 The Honourable Schoolboy John Le carre
7/24/2006 1984 George Orwell
7/24/2006 American on Six Rubles A Day Yakov Smirnoff
8/9/2009 Smiley's People John Le carre
8/15/2006 Dave Barry Is Not Making this up Dave Barry
8/16/2006 Hey Ranger! Jim Burnett
8/22/2006 The House of Thunder Dean Koontz
8/25/2006 The Big Bounce Elmore Leonard
8/30/2006 Angles and Demons Dan Brown
9/1/2006 The Switch Elmore Leonard
9/2/2006 Dave Barry Turns 40 Dave Barry
9/7/2006 The DaVinci Code Dan Brown
9/13/2006 The Passion of Molly T Lawrence Sanders
9/18/2006 An Expensive Place To Die Len Deighton
9/25/2006 Air Frame Michael Crichton
10/11/2006 Rivethead Ben Hamper
10/16/2006 Velocity Dean Koontz
10/25/2006 McNally's Luck Lawrence Sanders
10/30/2006 The World Trade Center: A Tribute Bill Harris
11/3/2006 The Moonshine War Elmore Leonard
11/9/2006 Starship Troopers Robert A Heinlein
11/20/2006 Tutankhamen Zahi Hawass
11/20/2006 Fill'er Up Daniel I Vieyra
11/29/2006 SS-GB Len Deighton
12/6/2006 "December 6" Martin Cruz Smith
12/20/2006 The Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need Dave Barry
12/27/2006 Little Drummer Girl John Le carre
12/31/2006 Wisdom Of the 90's George Burns
I started the year with an experiment of not re-reading the same author for the first 3 months.. that was hard because I like to read authors in series.. However it worked out great for me be forcing me to dig a bit deeper into my bookcase for things to read.
I think favorite book would be Dan Browns Angels & Demons, with DaVinci Code a close second.. I can see why these were such bestsellers.. well written and well devolved characters. Best "new" author would be LeCarre' I had never read him before, my wife had bought me The Spy Who Came In From The Cold years before and I finally read it and loved it. His style is thick, but it is most interesting. I put him in the same ranks as another favorite Len Deighton.
Rivethead might have been the best non-fiction book I read. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.. very quick reading..
For 2007 my emphasis is going to be on completing longer book, rather than a great quantity of book. So my total for 2007 will probably be lower, but I will get though some of the "thick" books on my self... I am starting the year with a Dilbert book.. As I see I did not read one last year.. Then I think on to Jean Auel....
So here are the books I read:
1/4/2006 Riding The Rap Elmore Leonard
1/9/2006 Hard Living On Clay Street Joseph T. Howell
1/13/2006 Batman: The Stone King Alan Grant
1/14/2006 Family - The Ties That Bind.. And Gag Erma Bombeck
1/18/2006 Stallions Gate Martin Cruz Smith
1/23/2006 The Rules Of Attraction Bret Easton Ellis
1/27/2006 Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! Richard P Feynman
2/1/2006 A Long Way From Home Tom Brokaw
2/3/2006 The Eye Of Darkness Dean Koontz
2/6/2006 Disclosure Michael Crichton
2/9/2006 Violent Ward Len Deighton
2/13/2006 The Timothy Files Lawrence Sanders
2/19/2006 Hannibal Thomas Harris
2/21/2006 79 Park Avenue Harold Robbins
2/24/2006 If Tomorrow Comes Sidney Sheldon
2/26/2005 Schoolcraft's Ojibwa Lodge Stories Henry Schoolcraft
3/3/2006 My First Years in the Fur Trade George Nelson
3/7/2006 Hemingway Christopher Cook Gilmore
3/7/2006 The Place of the Pike (Gnoozhekaaning) Charles E Cleland
3/11/2006 The Spy Who Came In From The Cold John Le carre
3/14/2006 2061: Odyssey Three Arthur C Clarke
3/21/2006 Reflex Stephen Gould
3/28/2006 Frontsoldaten Stephen G. Fritz
3/30/2006 Dirty Jokes and Beer Drew Carey
4/18/2006 A Small Town In Germany John Le carre
4/25/2006 Only When I Laugh Len Deighton
4/28/2006 Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury
4/30/2006 The Hunted Elmore Leonard
5/5/2006 Dear George George Burns
5/6/2006 The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen Howard Carter, A. C. Mace
5/8/2006 Spy Story Len Deighton
5/10/2006 Tales of The Dark Knight Mark Cotta Vaz
5/24/2006 McNally's Secret Lawrence Sanders
5/26/2006 Call for the Dead John Le carre
5/30/2006 A Murder of Quality John Le carre
6/6/2006 The Looking Glass War John Le carre
6/9/2006 Mr Paradise Elmore Leonard
6/23/2006 Out Of Sight Elmore Leonard
6/27/2006 All My Sins Are Relatives W. S. Penn
7/1/2006 Dave Barry In Cyberspace Dave Barry
7/4/2006 Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy John Le carre
7/6/2006 Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys Dave Barry
7/20/2006 The Honourable Schoolboy John Le carre
7/24/2006 1984 George Orwell
7/24/2006 American on Six Rubles A Day Yakov Smirnoff
8/9/2009 Smiley's People John Le carre
8/15/2006 Dave Barry Is Not Making this up Dave Barry
8/16/2006 Hey Ranger! Jim Burnett
8/22/2006 The House of Thunder Dean Koontz
8/25/2006 The Big Bounce Elmore Leonard
8/30/2006 Angles and Demons Dan Brown
9/1/2006 The Switch Elmore Leonard
9/2/2006 Dave Barry Turns 40 Dave Barry
9/7/2006 The DaVinci Code Dan Brown
9/13/2006 The Passion of Molly T Lawrence Sanders
9/18/2006 An Expensive Place To Die Len Deighton
9/25/2006 Air Frame Michael Crichton
10/11/2006 Rivethead Ben Hamper
10/16/2006 Velocity Dean Koontz
10/25/2006 McNally's Luck Lawrence Sanders
10/30/2006 The World Trade Center: A Tribute Bill Harris
11/3/2006 The Moonshine War Elmore Leonard
11/9/2006 Starship Troopers Robert A Heinlein
11/20/2006 Tutankhamen Zahi Hawass
11/20/2006 Fill'er Up Daniel I Vieyra
11/29/2006 SS-GB Len Deighton
12/6/2006 "December 6" Martin Cruz Smith
12/20/2006 The Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need Dave Barry
12/27/2006 Little Drummer Girl John Le carre
12/31/2006 Wisdom Of the 90's George Burns
I started the year with an experiment of not re-reading the same author for the first 3 months.. that was hard because I like to read authors in series.. However it worked out great for me be forcing me to dig a bit deeper into my bookcase for things to read.
I think favorite book would be Dan Browns Angels & Demons, with DaVinci Code a close second.. I can see why these were such bestsellers.. well written and well devolved characters. Best "new" author would be LeCarre' I had never read him before, my wife had bought me The Spy Who Came In From The Cold years before and I finally read it and loved it. His style is thick, but it is most interesting. I put him in the same ranks as another favorite Len Deighton.
Rivethead might have been the best non-fiction book I read. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.. very quick reading..
For 2007 my emphasis is going to be on completing longer book, rather than a great quantity of book. So my total for 2007 will probably be lower, but I will get though some of the "thick" books on my self... I am starting the year with a Dilbert book.. As I see I did not read one last year.. Then I think on to Jean Auel....
Wisdom For the 90's (70)
Wisdom For the 90's
By George Burns
Yet another George Burns book, this one written when he was 95 years old. His books are somewhat corny, but at the same time there is a seriousness to them. The talks a lot is routine, and how he is happy to still be working.. He talks about his club where go goes every day.. there use to be a big table of them, Burns, Benny, Jessel, etc. they would all try to out do each other to see who was the funniest.. Now it is just George.. all the others have passed on.. so he said he guesses he is the funniest... You can see the humor, but also the pain he has felt by living to 95.. It is great to be around.. yet so may of his friends and especially his beloved wife Gracie have proceeded him.
This is the last book for 2006, I finished it on 12/31/06.
By George Burns
Yet another George Burns book, this one written when he was 95 years old. His books are somewhat corny, but at the same time there is a seriousness to them. The talks a lot is routine, and how he is happy to still be working.. He talks about his club where go goes every day.. there use to be a big table of them, Burns, Benny, Jessel, etc. they would all try to out do each other to see who was the funniest.. Now it is just George.. all the others have passed on.. so he said he guesses he is the funniest... You can see the humor, but also the pain he has felt by living to 95.. It is great to be around.. yet so may of his friends and especially his beloved wife Gracie have proceeded him.
This is the last book for 2006, I finished it on 12/31/06.
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