Over the span of his illustrious five-decade career, George Benson has sold millions of records, performed for hundreds of millions of fans, and cut some of the most beloved jazz and soul tunes in music history. But the guitarist/vocalist is much more than "This Masquerade," "On Broadway," "Turn Your Love Around," and "Give Me the Night." Benson is a flat-out inspiration, a multitalented artist who survived an impoverished childhood and molded himself into the first true—and truly successful—jazz/soul crossover artist. And now, on the heels of receiving the prestigious NEW Jazz Masters award, George has finally decided to tell his story. And what a story it is. Benson: The Autobiography follows George's remarkable rise from the ghettos of Pittsburgh to the stages of South Africa, and everywhere in between. George Benson is an unparalleled storyteller, and his tales of scuffling on the Chitlin Circuit with jazz legend Brother Jack McDuff, navigating his way through the recording studio with Miles Davis, and performing with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Quincy Jones, Benny Goodman, Rod Stewart, Chaka Khan, Count Basie, and Lou Rawls will enthrall devotees of both music history and pop culture. A treat for serious listeners, hardcore guitar aficionados, and casual music followers alike, George's long-awaited book allows readers to meet the man who is one of the most beloved, prolific, and bestselling musicians of his or any other era.

Benson: The Autobiography

Goldsher, Alan

BENSON, George

Humor & Entertainment

Da Capo

The good news: Director Tobe Hooper has been invited to speak at a screening of Destiny Express, a movie he wrote and directed as a teenager, but that hasn’t seen the light of day in decades. And Hooper’s fans are ecstatic. The bad news: Destiny Express proves to be a killer . . . literally.As the death toll mounts, Tobe embarks on a desperate journey to understand the film’s thirty-year-old origins—and put an end to the strange epidemic his creation has set in motion. Featuring the terror, humor, and sly documentary style Hooper devotees remember from such classics as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Midnight Movie is vintage Tobe Hooper, again demonstrating the director’s place as one of the godfathers of modern horror.

Midnight Movie: A Novel

Literature & Fiction

Hooper, Tobe

Genre Fiction

Three Rivers Press

THE BEST WAY TO BECOME A ROCK STAR IS SOMETIMES THE WORST WAY TO BECOME A ROCK STAR
Unruly and antagonistic, the Washington State rock trio Modest Mouse would seem like one of the least likely candidates for mainstream stardom: Their often brilliant live performances sometimes collapsed into utter chaos. Their highly original, highly off-center songs ran as long as eleven minutes. And their leader managed to raise eyebrows among music writers, law officials . . . and sometimes even his fans.
But Modest Mouse persevered. They didn't compromise their original, compelling musical style, nor did they lighten up on the attitude. They just waited for the world at large to catch up.
In 2004, with the release of their smash single "Float On," it finally happened. And it was worth the wait. For everybody.
Journalist Alan Goldsher uncovers the strange, little-known details of Modest Mouse's rise from DIY indie heroes to platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated international superstars. Goldsher also reveals the troubled background and fractured history of frontman Isaac Brock, a charismatic, cantankerous singer/songwriter who has spent as much time avoiding the media as he has attempting to control it.
Thoroughly researched, sharply funny, and filled with more than thirty rare photos, this unauthorized biography shows how Modest Mouse trashed the Behind the Music mold and created their own unique version of the rock 'n' roll, rags-to-expensive-rags success story.

Modest Mouse: A Pretty Good Read

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

St. Martin's: Griffin

THE HILLS ARE ALIVE...WITH THE SOUND OF SUCKING! Maria von Trapp is sweet, innocent, and can sing like an a ngel. Oh, and she's also a bloodthirsty vampire. When Maria is kicked out of the zombie-infested Abbey where she's been residing for the past 612 years, she's forced to take care of the family von Trapp, a rowdy clan in need of some serious discipline...or vampirification. After Maria turns the von Trapp children into children of the night and marries the von Trapp patriarch, the family seems destined for eternal (really, really eternal) bliss. But the Nazi Undeath Squads are on the march, intent on ridding Europe of bloodsuckers. And Maria will have to do everything in her power -- supernatural or otherwise -- to save her vampire brood.

My Favorite Fangs: The Story of the Von Trapp Family Vampires

Humor & Satire

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers was one of the most enduring, popular, reliable and vital small bands in modern jazz history. Blakey was not only a distinguished, inventive and powerful drummer, but along with Duke Ellington and Miles Davis, he was one of jazz's foremost talent scouts. The musicians who flowed seamlessly in and out of this constantly evolving collective during its 36-year run were among the most important artists not just of their eras, but of any era. Though their respective innovations were vital to the evolution of bebop, hard bop and neo bop, the recorded work of the Messengers sidemen has never been properly analyzed. Until now. Hard Bop Academy: The Sidemen of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers critically examines the multitude of gifted artists who populated the many editions of the Jazz Messengers. In addition to dissecting the sidemen's most consequential work with Blakey's band, jazz musician and acclaimed novelist Alan Goldsher offers up engaging profiles of everyone from Wynton Marsalis to Terence Blanchard to Hank Mobley to Wayne Shorter to Horace Silver to Keith Jarrett to Curtis Fuller to Steve Davis. And that's only the beginning. Goldsher conducted over 30 interviews with surviving graduates of Blakey's Hard Bop Academy, many of whom spoke at length of their tenure with the legendary "Buhaina" for the first time. Alan Goldsher is a bassist who has recorded with Janet Jackson, Digable Planets, Cypress Hill and Naughty By Nature. His writing has been published in Bass Player, Tower Pulse, Sport and BasketBull: Chicago Bulls Magazine. Goldsher's debut novel, Jam, was published in 2002 by Permanent Press. He lives in Chicago. Hardcover.

Hard Bop Academy

Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers

Hal Leonard

Bring the fun of tetherball to your desktop! Now you can smack a ball anytime with this fun, portable set. Kit includes: <ul>
<li>9"metal stationary pole on base, with attached rope and ball</li> <li>32-page illustrated mini book with history, trivia, and the rules of the game </li>
</ul>

Desktop Tetherball: It's a Wrap! (RP Minis)

Humor

RP Minis

<div>Grab your board and test your skills and balance on this "mini" wave while retro surf rock plays in the background all from the comfort of your desk. But -- watch out! -- if you lose your balance and wipe-out you'll have to do the swim of shame back to shore. This kit includes: <ul> <li>A balancing wave with surf rock music </li> <li>A finger surfboard </li> <li>Customizable surfboard stickers</li> <li>A 48-page book, with surfboard tricks, fun facts and trivia </li> </ul> </div>

Desktop Surfing: With Gnarly Tunes! (RP Minis)

Puzzles & Games

Challenge your friends anytime, anywhere to a competition of skill and speed with Finger Log Rolling! Have the best finger endurance and be the last one standing to be crowned "The Log Rolling Champion." This kit includes: 
<ul>
<li>Plastic basin to hold water 
</li>
<li>4" revolving mini log</li>
<li>Two pairs of finger shoes</li>
<li>32-page illustrated mini book with history, log rolling techniques, and the rules of the game</li>
</ul>

Finger Log Rolling: Lumberjack Approved! (RP Minis)

See Sarah on the cover of ESPN The Magazine's first "Body Issue" Touching, funny, and honest, In a Single Bound is the story of how a feisty little girl from Long Island became one of the world’s most famous disabled sports figures. An inspiring memoir of courage, spirit, and determination.

In a Single Bound: Losing My Leg, Finding Myself, And Training For Life

Reinertsen, Sarah

Community & Culture

LYONS PRESS+

One of Comedy Central’s Top 100 Stand-Up Comedians of All Time, award-winning dramatic actor, and an internet pioneer, Kevin Pollak has done it all for thirty years and is ready to spill the beans. Best known for performances in A Few Good Men and The Usual Suspects, he shares never-before-heard stories of film legends like De Niro, Hanks, Howard, Lemon, Loren, Lucas, Martin, Mathau, Reiner, Scorcese, Singer, Willis, and more. He turned down his first invitation to do stand-up on The Tonight Show because he knew that he’d have a bigger impact if he sat next to Johnny instead of performing onstage. When he gambled for a spot on the most coveted couch in showbiz, he had no agent, no auditions, no prospects. But his gut was right: A year later, his first sit with the king of late night led to three visits a year, every year, until Carson retired. Now a new media entrepreneur, Pollak is laughing proof that you can do anything you want—except have a rational conversation with Rip Torn, who’s an evil, paranoid $#!%.

How I Slept My Way to the Middle: Secrets And Stories From Stage, Screen, And Interwebs

Pollak, Kevin

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Goldsher, Alan. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Goldsher, Alan