Alastair Dougall

Little factoids about Pooh and his friends are shared along with moments from the many Disney movies. There are four pages of stickers to be distributed over the eight story pages.

Fun for a kid to play with, but not much fun to read for an adult who may want a little more coherence and less stickering.

(My Pooh Project: I love Winnie the Pooh, and so does my wife. Having a daughter gave us a chance to indoctrinate her into the cult by buying and reading her every Pooh book we came across. How many is that? I’m going to count them this year by reading and reviewing one every day and seeing which month I finally run out. Track my progress here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/23954351-rod-brown?ref=nav_mybooks&she... )… (más)

"The Book of Bond" is a series of delightful mini-essays on each of James Bond's films, from "Doctor No" to "Quantum of Solace". Each section includes details about the plot, major villain and the Bond girls. In some there is also a minor highlight on a gadget and Q Branch. The pictures are steller and represent the films well. There are also quotes, ranging from short conversations to witty one-liners, for each entry. A good example of the former, is this confrontation taking place between Goldfinger and Bond, while Bond is in a vary precarious position, being menaced by a laser.

"Do you expect me to talk?" --- Bond
"No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die!" --- Goldfinger

And this conversation between M and Bond, where we are introduced to both new Bond (played by Pierce Brosnan) and the new M (portrayed by Judi Dench), where we learn that their relationship is anything BUT cozy:

"You don't like me Bond. You don't like my methods. You think I'm an accountant, a bean counter, more interested in my numbers than your instincts." --- M
"The thought had crossed my mind" --- Bond
"Good. Because I think you're a sexist, misogynist dinosaur, a relic of the Cold War." --- M

The Bond films are rather known for their witty one-liners, from James Bond's pattened "Bond, James Bond" response to his quips directed at his fallen foes. This book makes adequate use of them, including ones such as:

"Oh, I'm sorry. That last hand nearly killed me." --- Bond (Casino Royale)

"Remember --- if it hadn't been for Q Branch, you'd have been dead long ago." --- Q (License to Kill)

"You can turn off the charm --- I'm immune." --- Pussy Galore (Goldfinger)

However, though entertaining, "The Book of Bond" does have its drawbacks. Each film is not covered equally, both in number of pages and in how well it is written. Though this is to be expected perhaps, since not all Bond films are equally well done. But for a book presenting itself as a reference book on the subject, I expected it to be fair and balanced. Also, what details are included within each entry vary widely, with some films having the whole plot laid out, while others are a tad more discrete. In addition, no new ground is tread. If you are looking for more in-depth knowledge of Bond, the villains, the Bond Girls, the films themselves, their directors, special effects or original source material, you will need to look elsewhere, as each entry has only cursary information on Bond, plot, main villain and the major Bond girl.

Finally, though this book will be an enjoyable trip down memory lane for a Bond Enthusiast, for a reader unfamiliar with either the man or his films, she will have every movie spoiled for her. "The Book of Bond" is truly meant only for those who have an extensive Bond Background.… (más)