Search results for ""author steve martin""

Steve Martin has been an international star for over thirty years. Here, for the first time, he looks back to the beginning of his career and charmingly evokes the young man he once was. Born in Texas but raised in California, Steve was seduced early by the comedy shows that played on the radio when the family travelled back and forth to visit relatives. When Disneyland opened just a couple of miles away from home, an enchanted Steve was given his first chance to learn magic and entertain an audience. He describes how he noted the reaction to each joke in a ledger - 'big laugh' or 'quiet' - and assiduously studied the acts of colleagues, stealing jokes when needed. With superb detail, Steve recreates the world of small, dark clubs and the fear and exhilaration of standing in the spotlight. While a philosophy student at UCLA, he worked hard at local clubs honing his comedy and slowly attracting a following until he was picked up to write for TV. From here on, Steve Martin became an acclaimed comedian, packing out venues nationwide. One night, however, he noticed empty seats and realised he had 'reached the top of the rollercoaster'. BORN STANDING UP is a funny and riveting chronicle of how Steve Martin became the comedy genius we now know and is also a fascinating portrait of an era.

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This info-packed fact book is bursting with over 250 mind-blowing facts and illustrations on a range of fascinating subjects, from space and science to dinosaurs and minibeasts.Did you know ...The huge Argentinosaurus weighed as much as 14 fully grown elephants, and was as tall as a 6-storey building.The Antarctic can be so cold that a cup of boiling water thrown in the air turns to ice before it hits the ground.The book is split into 9 themed chapters, covering topics from Planet Earth and Animals to Space and Science. Every fact is accompanied with a hilarious illustration by artist Andrew Pinder to bring the information to life.With tons of awesome things to discover and read about – from chimpanzee astronauts and pink dolphins to ice hotels and blue sunsets – this book will keep curious kids laughing and learning for hours on end.Also available in the series: 9781780559261 Awesome Facts for Curious Kids: 7 Year Olds 9781780559278 Awesome Facts for Curious Kids: 8 Year Olds

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Steve Martin has never written about his career in the movies before. In Number One is Walking, he shares anecdotes from the sets of his beloved films — from Father of the Bride to Roxanne, The Jerk to Three Amigos, and many more, bringing readers directly into his world. In it, he shares charming tales of antics, moments of inspiration, and exploits with the likes of Paul McCartney and Diane Keaton, Robin Williams and Chevy Chase. Martin details his forty years in the movie biz, as well as his stand-up comedy, banjo playing, writing, and cartooning, all with his unparalleled wit. With gorgeously illustrated cartoons and single-panel “diversions” in Steve and Harry’s signature style, Number One Is Walking is full of the everyday moments that make up a movie star’s life, capturing Steve Martin’s singular humor and acclaimed career in film. The perfect gift from the team who brought you the #1 New York Times bestseller A Wealth of Pigeons.

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How Many Spots Has a Cheetah Got? is full of mind-blowing number facts. Did you know that the average cheetah has over 2,000 spots? Or that your face has 43 muscles? Packed with stats and figures about every topic imaginable – from sharks and stars to knights and pirates – there’s tons to explore and discover. Featuring a humorously-written text and beautiful, friendly illustrations by Amber Davenport, this is the perfect book for curious children aged 6 and up.

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With an introduction by Steve MartinTwo pages into the script and an ache has developed in my gonads - I am both laughing out loud and agonized by the fact that the Withnail part is such a corker that not in a billion bank holidays will they ever seriously consider me. When, in the summer of 1986, Richard E. Grant was cast as the lead in Withnail and I, his whole world shifted and he was set firmly on the path to international stardom. With Nails is his outrageous, irreverent and brutally funny account of that time and the years afterwards, of his self-doubt and anxiety on the route to Hollywood, and of all the extraordinary, mad, brilliant people in the film business. From drinking himself incoherent so he could film Withnail and I to a night spent in Paris's red light district with a world-famous couple, to working with Hollywood's biggest actors and directors, Richard E. Grant - always eloquent, always honest - has documented, in his own inimitable style, what it is to become a film star. A rare classic, there is no book quite like it.

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This info-packed book is bursting with over 250 mind-blowing facts and illustrations on a range of fascinating subjects, from extreme animals and record-breaking sports to amazing technology and gross body facts. Did you know ...The eyes of a giant squid are as big as Frisbees.Figure skaters spin up to 300 times in one minute.In ancient Greece, every Olympic athlete competed in the nude! Every fact is accompanied with a hilarious illustration by bestselling artist Andrew Pinder to bring the information to life. With tons of awesome things to discover, this book is the perfect companion for all 8-year-olds, and will keep curious kids laughing and learning for hours on end.Also available in the series: 9781780559254 Awesome Facts for Curious Kids: 6 Year Olds 9781780559261 Awesome Facts for Curious Kids: 7 Year Olds

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This book is bursting with over 250 mind-blowing facts and quirky illustrations on a range of fascinating subjects, from prehistoric animals and Ancient Romans to curious inventions and foody trivia.Did you know ...Wombats defend themselves with their tough bums. When their burrows are attacked, they block the entrance with their bottoms.At Spain’s Tomatina festival, over 20,000 people hurl over a million tomatoes at each other in an hour. What a food fight! Every fact is accompanied with a fun illustration by artist Andrew Pinder to bring the information to life.With tons of cool things to discover, this book will keep curious kids aged 7+ laughing and learning for hours on end.Also available in the series: 9781780559254 Awesome Facts for Curious Kids: 6 Year Olds 9781780559278 Awesome Facts for Curious Kids: 8 Year Olds

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Perfect for any child who wants to stay one step ahead of their classmates, this fantastic book is packed with informative titbits that will fascinate and enthrall young minds. I Wish I Knew That is full of interesting stuff that parents and grandparents used to learn at school that every child ought to know today.From classic books children should read, a quick grammar guide, an introduction to foreign languages, who that Pythagoras chap was, to a look at all the kings and queens, countries and their capitals, an introduction to classics and much more, it covers all subjects.

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Kids can learn the essential skills to start their own scientific journey with this fun and engaging title. Packed full of great illustrations, fun facts, and absorbing activities, this book guides young readers through different strands of science: Laboratory, Investigative, Space, Earth, and Life.Practical projects, each carefully designed to introduce skills of the sort required by real-life scientists, help kids pick up the basics in a fun, hands-on way. Create a pendulum, investigate a crime scene, uncover some fossils, and study the solar system. The sky’s the limit!

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Public Services Inspection in the UK provides a detailed account of the changing role of inspection in public services management. It analyses the key debates about the role that inspection plays in increasing public accountability and encouraging service improvement.Contributors describe current inspection methods across the key public sectors of education, social care, the criminal justice system, local government services and healthcare, and examine the underlying issues and tensions associated with public services inspection. They compare approaches adopted in different parts of the UK and present evidence that can be drawn on to develop more effective practice, as well as offering recommendations for future policy and research.Public Services Inspection in the UK is essential reading for public service managers, social workers, policy makers, researchers, academics, students and professionals working in public services who have an involvement in the inspection process.

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