As Seen on TV [Paperback]

Lou Harry (Author), Sam Stall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2002

Do you want thicker, fuller hair?
 
How about a bigger bustline? A smaller waistline? Or buns of steel?
 
Are you troubled by garden pests, unsightly stains, or an inexplicable desire to look like Richard Simmons?
 
If you answered “Yes” to these questions, we can’t really help you.
 
But you might enjoy As Seen on TV, an illustrated history of the greatest gizmos and gadgets ever hawked on television. Here are the real-life stories of Ginsu Knives, K-Tel Records, the Clapper, the Thighmaster, NordicTrack, Time-Life Books, and dozens of other products that have broken the backs of UPS delivery men everywhere.
 
This nostalgic tribute is jam-packed with color photography, fascinating trivia, and loads of fun. You’ll learn the secrets of the perfect pitch from As Seen on TV pioneer Ron Popeil. You’ll discover unauthorized uses for your favorite products (yes, Virginia, you can eat your Chia Pet sprouts). And you’ll find out which of TV’s biggest celebrities—from Florence Henderson to Ricardo Montalban—would agree to hawk diet aids, ab-blasters, blemish removers, and teeth whiteners.
 
But that’s not all! Purchase this incredible volume today, and we’ll give you an extra chapter on the Auto Hammer, Bacon Magic, and The Craftmatic Adjustable Bed—absolutely free!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lou Harry is the author of It’s Slinky! and The Love Voodoo Kit, and yet, inexplicably, he has never been nominated for the National Book Award. The first album he ever bought was K-Tel’s Believe in Music. Sam Stall is the author of Special Delivery, the story of America’s first septuplets. As a child he wanted a Pocket Fisherman, but his parents didn’t get him one. And he never forgave them.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Quirk Books (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931686092
• ISBN-13: 978-1931686099
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,746 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #70 in Books > Education & Reference > Fun Facts > Trivia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Did we really buy one of these?, January 6, 2003

By 

Robin Benson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: As Seen on TV (Paperback)

Did folks buy this stuff? They sure did, by the millions according to Harry and Stall. Some of these products would really be hard to parody, the Chai Ceramic Pet that grows vegetation, the Turbi Twist, a hair towel with an elastic loop (with the predictable AS SEEN ON TV on the box) the Copper Tongue Scraper, PROVEN EFFECTIVE was the bold statement on its packaging but it really does look just like a piece of bent metal! Each product has a spread with photos, copy and several colored panels (more on these later) containing background material and other trivia. I liked the Product panels best with their Description, Availability, Claimed Innovation, Upside and the Downside, just read the Downside to each product and really get the truth.

The six basic chapters are Kitchen Marvels, Fashion and Beauty, Fabulous Fitness, Entertainment Breakthroughs, Home Improvement Miracles, and finally Get Rich Quick, between these chapters are some interesting features, pages 122 and 123 cover the rise of the home shopping channels where you will be amazed to find that QVC have studio tours (yours for only [x ammount of dollars]). Ron Popiel, the founder of Ronco, has four pages explaining the background to the infomercial techniques he uses to shift the goods. Incidentally the Ronco story is covered in 'But, Wait! There's More!' by Timothy Samuelson, lots of product photos, vintage ads and packaging and a fairly accurate history of the Popiel family. Ever wonder what happened to yesterday's celebrities, check out pages 74 to 79 to see the Top 100 infomercial-land stars from Allen (Debbie) to Zappa (Dweezel) you'll be surprised who's listed, well, perhaps not. 'As Seen On TV' is a fascinating and fun book covering a subject that most of us would hardly think twice about.

But, wait! There is more! DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL! Buy this book and get absolutely FREE hundreds of words that only come out in daylight! The book's designer (unfortunately) decided to use pink panels, on many of the product pages, with text in light blue. Big mistake, because it is very hard to read in a normal domestic lighting environment and the type used for the headlines on these panels is hard to read even in daylight!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you read this review in the next ten minutes..., December 10, 2002

By 

Randy Arco (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: As Seen on TV (Paperback)

This book read itself!

I bought this trip to entertain myself for a long drive home from Wisconsin to Florda. (Don't worry- I was the passanger, not the driver. Gusee I should've used the word 'ride' but I'm too lazy to backspace!)

I think the ultimate compliment to a book is when your constantly interupting other people around you to read the next wonderful thing you've read. I lost my voice from this book.

There's not too much to tell in this review. You've simply got to read it for yourself. It is so much more than just a list of goofy things sold via infomercials and TV ads. We get interviews, product history, trivia and much, much more.

We also get the lowdown on what was legit and what wasn't.

So the next time your using the flow-bee and screw up so badly your running to the store for some GLH (if you don't know what that sentence just meant, buy the book)... think of this book. It'll help ya.

And if you're just looking for some easy entertaing reading... this is it folks!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hi, my name is __ and I am an Infomercial addict...., August 24, 2005

By 

RavenElaine (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: As Seen on TV (Paperback)

What a fun book! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who has ever gotten caught up watching infomercials or home shopping channels. It's fascinating to read about products that became hugely popular, even though in some cases, you look at them now and say "what were they thinking?".

It was especially fun for me because... as I turned each page, I had to wonder if the next product was one I've bought. LOL
Yes, I have succumbed to the "power of the pitch" and bought into the hype. And yes, I have purchased a few of the items in this book (George Foreman Grill, Steamer, etc... and I LIKE the Dr. Ho's Muscle Massage System!) but I'll never admit to how many.

Anyone who has heard "and that's not all" will enjoy the fact that a section with that title is included AFTER the index.

I only gave this book 4 stars because I wanted more products to be in it! It was so fun to read, I wanted more of it.