Life is Like a Musical: How to Live, Love and Lead Like a Star by Tim Federle

Life is Like a Musical: How to Live, Love and Lead Like a Star
by Tim Federle [158.1 Fed] 

Tim Federle has had a quirky and quixotic writing career. I very much enjoyed the two volumes in his juvenile series about Nate Foster, a pre-teen taking a shot at trying to break into Broadway. He’s also the writer of two stand-alone novels for teens — Tommy Can’t Stop and The Great American Whatever. He has three themed cocktail recipe books, tied into films, fairy tales and literature — Tequila Mockingbird, Hickory Daiquiri Dock and Gone With the Gin. And he wrote both the Broadway musical adaptation of Tuck Everlasting, and the screenplay to the recent hit animated film, Ferdinand.

You can now add an inspirational self-help title — Life is Like a Musical. Federle has long been involved with the stage, and this short motivational title couches all of its self-improvement suggestions in musical theatre metaphors, with chapter headings such as: “Congratulate the Person Who Got ‘Your’ Part”, “Dance Like Everyone’s Watching”, “Remember: The Show Must Go On”, “Realize We’re Each the Lead of Our Own Life”, “Find Your ‘I Want’ Song”, “Save the Drama”, “Clap Loudest for the Undertstudies”, “Keep a Photo of the Worst Gig You Ever Had” and “Life is Not a Dress Rehearsal”. Each chapter is just a small nugget — two to five pages at most, with lots of humor but also lots of practical advice, albeit with a “survival on the stage” twist.

Federle has a wry, sarcastic sense of humor, which really comes through in this short chapters. If you like his combination of bubbly effervescence and witty snark, you’ll probably appreciate his light-hearted (yet still honest and sincere) take on the standard self-help manual. I, personally, love his style, and found this to be a fun read. Your mileage may vary…

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to sample Better Nate Than Ever, Tequila Mockingbird, and The Great American Whatever, all also by Tim Federle.]

[ official Tim Federle web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

All I Really Need to Know I Learned From Watching Star Trek by Dave Marinaccio

All I Really Need to Know I Learned From Watching Star Trek
by Dave Marinaccio [158.1 Mar]

This light-hearted 1994 pop psychology volume tapped into the popularity that Star Trek was enjoying at the time, with Star Trek the Next Generation and Deep Space Nine both being on the air, and obviously having followed in the original Star Trek’s footsteps from the 1960s. Marinaccio takes the format of the popular Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, and puts a Star Trek spin on it. Broad psychological or philosophical themes were played out in many episodes of every generation of Star Trek, leading to lots of lines of dialog or show guidelines that are sweeping statements of philosophy and/or psychology. Take for example “Whatever you are doing, answer a distress call. The most important time to help someone is when they need it.” Or “The more complex the mind, the greater the need for play.” “The unknown is not to be feared. It is to be examined, understood and respected.” “Close friends become family, and family is the true center of the universe.” “End every episode with a smile”. Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek philosophy of IDIC — Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations — is explored here in many different examples.
Despite being about philosophy, this volume isn’t really a heavy one — instead, it’s a fun little quick read, that highlights how Star Trek’s messages can filter down as life lessons for even the casual observer.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Star Trek: Make It So — Leadership Lessons From Star Trek the Next Generation, by Wess Roberts and Bill Ross.] [ All I Really Need to Know I Learned From Watching Star Trek entry at Memory Alpha ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you read or made use of this book? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Musicophilia

Musicophilia
by Oliver Sacks [781.11 Sac]

This book provides detailed accounts of music and the brain. One particularly interesting case is that of a man who gets struck by lightning and becomes much more musically astute. Other music and the mind cases are told first from the subject's own perspective. Then Oliver Sacks weighs in with his own scientific thoughts and explanations; a very interesting read! [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Music, the brain, and ecstasy : how music captures our imagination, by Robert Jourdain, This is your brain on music : the science of a human obsession by Daniel Levitin, or The biology of musical performance and performance-related injury. by Alan H. D. Watson.] -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in book-on-cd format.]

[ official Musicophilia page on the official Oliver Sacks web site ]
  Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

It's Not Easy Being Green

It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider
by Jim Henson [808.882 Hen]

I picked this up after having the chance to see a traveling Smithsonian exhibit of the history of Jim Henson and his puppetry, and read it straight through in just two sittings. This is "the world according the Jim Henson"-like -- with dozens of quotes from Henson, his co-workers, and those who were inspired by the man and his work ethic. Broken up into a variety of categories, this is inspirational but lite-weight, however if you grew up on any of Henson's creations -- the Muppets of Sesame Street, Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggie and the others of The Muppet Show, the creatures of Fraggle Rock, or the various one-shot productions (like The Dark Crystal), you'll appreciate this peek into the psyche of the man behind them all. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Jim Henson: The Works, and No Strings Attached.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Entry on this book in the Muppet Wiki ] | [ official Jim Henson Co. web site ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.