This collection of Mark Twain quotes presents the best of the curmudgeonly writer's thoughts on diet, exercise, medicine, smoking, drinking, romance, parenting, old age, fashion, finances, politics, and stress management. Curated by a well-known Twain expert and mining lesser-known texts, speeches, and notebooks, it's the perfect gift for anyone who's had enough of Gwyneth's self-righteous advice and the ramblings of the blogosphere. "Be respectful to your superiors, if you have any."-from an April 15, 1882 speech "Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education."-from Pudd'nhead Wilson "The less a man knows the bigger the noise he makes and the higher the salary he commands."-from "How I Edited an Agricultural Paper" Mark Dawidziak has been the television critic at the Cleveland Plain Dealer since 1999 and is the author of many books, including the 1994 horror novel Grave Secrets and two histories of landmark TV series: The Columbo Phile: A Casebook and The Night Stalker Companion. A recognized Mark Twain scholar, his acclaimed books on the author include Mark My Words: Mark Twain on Writing and Horton Foote's The Shape of the River: The Lost Teleplay About Mark Twain. He is also a playwright, director, and actor as well as an adjunct professor of journalism at Kent State University.

This "Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companion" to the world's most famous vampire looks at all aspects of the Dracula phenomenon in often unexpected ways - in true Bedside tradition, including entries on the psychological and sociological implications of the book and the stage plays; the movies; television versions; actors, and, of course, the historical Dracula, Vlad the Impaler.Published in 1897, Bram Stoker's "Dracula" was the last of the nineteenth century's three major horror stories. It followed Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", but Stoker's novel had the greater impact on our culture and our nightmares. Count Dracula has been called the king of the vampires, but, in truth, he is the king of all the monsters, and his influence can be seen everywhere today: in everything from the number-obsessed Count on Sesame Street to the vast fandom for Anne Rice's vampire chronicles.He is arguably the most recognized of characters: certainly in his Lugosi incarnation. With Stoker's novel serving as the backbone, this "Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companion" to the world's most famous vampire will look at all aspects of the Dracula phenomenon in often unexpected ways - in the Bedside tradition: the book, its author, its psychological and sociological implications, the stage plays, the movies, television versions, the actors, and, of course, the historical Dracula, Vlad the Impaler. More than 150 pictures already have been collected for this companion by author and journalist Mark Dawidziak, who traces his fascination with the Count back to a viewing at age seven of Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein, featuring Bela Lugosi's inspired revival of his Dracula."The Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companions" are concise, witty, and often unexpected takes on the great authors and other figures who are seemingly all around us, like the air we breathe. Perfect for reading or browsing, for the general reader, for the beginning as well as the advanced student, the "Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companions" include plot summaries (no giveaways for the mystery writers!) , biographical information, puzzles, posters, film stills, maps, Web sites, international clubs and societies, and more. Stylish, lavishly illustrated, and imaginatively structured, the "Bedside Companions" currently include volumes on Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, and Shakespeare.

A 25th anniversary history and celebration of The Shawshank Redemption, one of the most cherished American films of the late twentieth century and one of the finest movies made from a Stephen King story. The movie not only boasts a great story, it has a great backstory, starting with the dollar deal that eventually led King and co-stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman to put their trust in a largely untested director making his first feature film. Although the film received mostly positive reviews on its release in September 1994, the box office was disappointing and it failed to win many awards. But as Andy tells Red in the film, "no good thing ever dies." The movie found new life, reaching an ever-growing audience on cable and home video (through word of mouth, it became one of the top-rented movies of 1995). Each year, The Shawshank Redemption rises in polls asking film fans to name their favorite movies. It has become nothing less than this generation's The Grapes of Wrath, an inspiring story about keeping hope alive in bleak times and under the most horrendous conditions.

A 25th anniversary history and celebration of The Shawshank Redemption, one of the most cherished American films of the late twentieth century and one of the finest movies made from a Stephen King story. The movie not only boasts a great story, it has a great backstory, starting with the dollar deal that eventually led King and co-stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman to put their trust in a largely untested director making his first feature film. Although the film received mostly positive reviews on its release in September 1994, the box office was disappointing and it failed to win many awards. But as Andy tells Red in the film, "no good thing ever dies." The movie found new life, reaching an ever-growing audience on cable and home video (through word of mouth, it became one of the top-rented movies of 1995). Each year, The Shawshank Redemption rises in polls asking film fans to name their favorite movies. It has become nothing less than this generation's The Grapes of Wrath, an inspiring story about keeping hope alive in bleak times and under the most horrendous conditions.

Published in 1982, The Barter Theatre Story: Love Made Visible tells the colorful history of a remarkable American cultural institution. Opened by native Virginian Robert Porterfield in 1933, the Barter Theatre offered the people of Abingdon, Virginia, and the surrounding area entertainment and a much-needed escape from their Depression-era working lives. It became the State Theatre of Virginia in 1946 and it is where the likes of Gregory Peck, Ernest Borgnine, Patricia Neal, Ned Beatty, and Hume Cronyn got their starts. Mark Dawidziak, a journalist from New York who spent much of his twenties in Appalachia and grew to admire the theater, tells the improbable story of the Barter Theatre, which remains one of the last year-round professional resident repertory theaters in the country.