About the Author: The Passionate Reader's Guide to the Authors You Love, Including Things You Never Knew, Juicy Bits You'll Want to Know, and Hundreds of Ideas for What to Read Next [Paperback]

Alfred Glossbrenner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 22, 2000

A trivia guide for passionate readers, About the Author offers insider information on America's favorite writers, from Margery Allingham to Evelyn Waugh, from Michael Crichton to Charles Dickens. It gives background on the lives of the writers, what they did before becoming writers, facts about their fans, quirky tidbits, and recommendations for what to read next. Chosen for their popularity, their staying power, and the intensity of their following, this amazing range of writers will appeal to all types of readers. Find out what movies and television shows were adapted from their novels, how they decided to become writers, what the Nobel Prize for literature did for some, and what being an Oprah selection did for others. In addition, About the Author includes lists galore: from Pulitzers to fan clubs, from bestseller lists to book conventions, from reading groups to CD-ROMs. About the Author offers an engaging feast of information that any book lover will find hard to put down. Hailed as "The Great Communicator" by the New York Times, Alfred Glossbrenner is a freelance writer and author of some forty books on personal computers and other topics. Emily Glossbrenner has written numerous books and has just completed Search Engines for the World Wide Web. The authors live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Cader Books has created and produced more than 170 books. Among Cader bestsellers are Brush Up Your Shakespeare! and The Book of Questions: Love and Sex. A Michael Cader Book

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Who was the inspiration for the character of Rhett Butler? Where can I find Terry McMillan's tips for a book-promotion campaign? How old was Issac Asimov when he graduated from high school? With its entertaining blend of trivia, biographical facts, and reading recommendations, About the Author provides information on all your favorite writers and their books. Arranged alphabetically, the authors get a full two pages each, including dates of major life events, related Web sites and fan clubs, a full list of titles, and personal inspirations that can give you new ideas for other books to discover. Is Wally Lamb your favorite author? Since some of his favorites are Alice Walker, Margaret Atwood, and John Updike, maybe you should give some of their books a try. Several generations are covered here, and all genres, including C.S. Lewis, Zora Neale Hurston, Mario Puzo, and Patricia Cornwell. You say you've worked your way through all these books already? Well, check out the "What Else to Read" section at the back--these pages cover award-winning titles, bestsellers, and "Top 25" lists assembled by universities, fan Web sites, and professional organizations devoted to specific genres. College students who consider themselves well-read will be surprised at how many Pulitzer Prize winners they're unfamiliar with. The list of banned books may be just the thing to get your teen reading regularly. A terrific guidebook for literature lovers, it even has a listing of regional events related to books and reading, as well as contact information for major publishers and booksellers. Read this book with pen and paper in hand; you're sure to have a reading list several pages long by the time you've finished. --Jill Lightner

From School Library Journal

YA-The Glossbrenners include quite a few enticing bits of personal or professional facts on the two pages allotted to each of 125 popular authors, mainly from this country and Great Britain. A small black-and-white photograph appears with most entries. A brief biographical sketch appears on the same page as a suggested list of literary criticism. The second page contains such information as where to send fan mail, related Internet sites, a listing of the author's works, and suggestions of writers who have a similar style. Two quotes are included, one from the author and one from another source. The book includes lots of lists and information about book clubs, conventions, special events, and publishers. It offers just the right amount of facts for quick reference or to use as a starting point for more intense investigation.
Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books; 1st edition (May 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156013029
• ISBN-13: 978-0156013024
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,733,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wealth of information!, May 24, 2000

By 

Mark Savary "moon_city" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: About the Author: The Passionate Reader's Guide to the Authors You Love, Including Things You Never Knew, Juicy Bits You'll Want to Know, and Hundreds of Ideas for What to Read Next (Paperback)

This book deserves a place on every reader's bookshelf, especially if you are thinking of tackling the works of the giants of literature.

I would also recommend the book for those with children. It offers an excellent springboard for youngsters to find out more about famous authors, and also authors with a similar writing style. If the youngster enjoyed reading a classic in class, the book will point him towards other works and authors he may like.

Each author is profiled with a brief history, a quote by or about the author, a list of their works, and even a suggestion on which book is best to start with if you want to, say, read all of Melville's works.

Both classic and contemporary authors are profiled, all in alphabetical order. The selections are very good, and I did not detect any major omissions (of course, I'm not an English Lit professor or anything).

Selected authors include Dickens, Tolkien, Salinger, Melville, Tolstoy, Toni Morrison, Garrison Keillor, and many others.

An excellent reference title, and very affordable. The writing style is condensed, but easily accessible to readers of varying skill levels.

As I say, no home with school-aged kids should be without it.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative & Revealing..., August 28, 2000

By 

Amy Granato (Princeton, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: About the Author: The Passionate Reader's Guide to the Authors You Love, Including Things You Never Knew, Juicy Bits You'll Want to Know, and Hundreds of Ideas for What to Read Next (Paperback)

The Glossbrenners have done it again. They have created an extremely user friendly book packed with interesting tidbits about my favorite authors plus it has enticed me to read others. I've purchased this book for many friends and family and they've been thrilled. A wonderful book for the reading connisseur and a great primer for those just beginning to explore classic fiction.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Reading, August 2, 2000

By 

David L. Neal (Prospect, KY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: About the Author: The Passionate Reader's Guide to the Authors You Love, Including Things You Never Knew, Juicy Bits You'll Want to Know, and Hundreds of Ideas for What to Read Next (Paperback)

This book is just plain fun reading. Little interesting tidbits written in an interesting style make it fun to page through or read cover to cover. The suggestions for additional reading are tantalizing.