lallis_folly (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lallis_folly) wrote2008-10-18 01:42 pm
lallis_folly) wrote2008-10-18 01:42 pm
The Action Hero's Handbook, David Borgenicht and Joe Borgenicht (Quirk Books, 2002)
The subtitle of this books says it all: "How to Catch a Great White Shark, Perform the Vulcan Nerve Pinch, Track a Fugitive, and Dozens of Other TV and Movie Skills." In one of my other online lives, I read a lot of TV- and movie-related books (and review same). When I saw this was available via PaperbackSwap.com (which I highly recommend), I snapped it up.
Unfortunately, the book is not as entertaining as one might suspect. Yes, you get actual tips and step-by-step instructions from actual experts in their fields on how to do all sorts of action hero-ey stunts, but it's really all rather dry. There are touches of humor, but unfortunately, the most interesting thing about the book -- unless you really are studying to be an action hero -- is the authors' choices of movie quotes for the beginning of each chapter. Alas, this one is destined not to remain in my library, except perhaps as a writing reference for when I write my own thriller/espionage/mystery novel, just so I can have the hero climb down the face(s) of Mount Rushmore correctly.
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webofbooks
Unfortunately, the book is not as entertaining as one might suspect. Yes, you get actual tips and step-by-step instructions from actual experts in their fields on how to do all sorts of action hero-ey stunts, but it's really all rather dry. There are touches of humor, but unfortunately, the most interesting thing about the book -- unless you really are studying to be an action hero -- is the authors' choices of movie quotes for the beginning of each chapter. Alas, this one is destined not to remain in my library, except perhaps as a writing reference for when I write my own thriller/espionage/mystery novel, just so I can have the hero climb down the face(s) of Mount Rushmore correctly.
Cross-posted to
webofbooks