This Is Today: A Window on Our Times [Hardcover]

Eric Mink (Author), Laurie Dolphin (Editor) (Author), Christian Brown (Editor) (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2003

For 50 years Today on NBC has captivated the nation with its winning combination of news broadcasts, rich features, cultural updates, and morning levity. Once hooked, many fans have come to rely on this institution for timely information about themselves, the country, and the world.Now This Is Today provides the first-ever in-depth retrospective of the show’s magical formula. Readers will find the complete Today show story, from the days of pioneer host Dave Garroway to the winning style of one of America’s most trusted commentator teams: Katie Couric and Matt Lauer. They’ll relive historic moments in news and relish some of the most colorful personalities to cross the national stage. This lavish volume, the first in a series of forthcoming NBC-branded book properties, will enjoy natural marketing and promotions exposure like few other titles. Sure to be one of “the” gift books of the holiday season, This Is Today will undoubtedly lend itself to segments on the show itself, video news releases, radio play, and favorable print reviews throughout the country. A DVD packaged with the book, containing more than two hours of memorable broadcasts with classic interviews and great events, promises to provide the same multimedia experience for book buyers themselves.The Today show never fails to fascinate, satisfy, and hold its viewers day after day. This Is Today will undoubtedly continue that steadfast tradition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Although bizarrely non-chronological, this work does recount, in simple terms, some of the most important historical events of the past 50-odd years, with an emphasis on human interest stories. Covering events, politics, "life issues" and culture, the book is laid out with a modern, vaguely arty feel. Color photos rule (many of them stills from the Today show), with paragraphs of text and all-caps pullout quotes interspersed between them. Mink, a New York Daily News staffer, shows how Today treated each subject, from the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald (Tom Pettit narrates the scene: "There is Lee Oswald-(Gunshot) he's been shot. He's been shot. Lee Oswald has been shot. There's a man with a gun. And it's absolute panic") to an interview with Madonna (when, in 1993, Bryant Gumbel asked her, "What is it about you people find so fascinating?" she responded, "I don't know. I think you should ask them"). A 3-hour DVD accompanies the book.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Eric Mink has written This is TODAY, about America's most popular morning show, after more than two decades as a professional observer and commentator on all aspects of the television medium. A veteran staff critic for the New York Daily News and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and a contributor to TV Guide, Time magazine, the New York Times, and, of course, the Today show, among others, he makes his subject relevant for today and for many, many tomorrows. He recently returned to the Post-Dispatch, his hometown paper, to become Commentary Page editor and columnist.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 174 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing; Har/DVD edition (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740738534
• ISBN-13: 978-0740738531
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,448,824 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A News Lovers Must!, October 20, 2003

By 

Eric Kuhn (Hastings, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: This Is Today: A Window on Our Times (Hardcover)

The Today show has woken up with America for over 50 years and America has woken up to every morning to amazing stories and amazing people telling them. If you are a Today Show fan, you need to express mail the book now! What is great about it is that it is not only a book with pictures and words, but it is a three-hour DVD. What could be better?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars book good - problem with vendor, January 15, 2007

By 

RJW "avid reader" (Latrobe PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Is Today: A Window on Our Times (Hardcover)

For some unknown reason I was sent two copies of this book - (I only ordered one). they came seperately and I was charged for both and also charged shipping and handling for both. It will cost me too much in shipping to bother returning the second unwanted book. So I'm stuck with it. I don't know if I will order this way again. It is too much of a bother to rectify any mistakes. I prefer dealing directly with Amazon.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Today Show, November 28, 2005

By 

S. Robinson "steflrb" (atl, ga) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: This Is Today: A Window on Our Times (Hardcover)

Wow! What a great read! After buying this for myself, I also purchased it for my mom and father-in-law. There is so much history in this book... and full of pictures, it makes the reading so interesting!

Any Today Show fan (like me) should check this out! It's so great! :)