Welcome to Book Ends, where we recommend the best and latest in the literary world. We think you'll find this month's selection a little different from our usual fare, and hope you enjoy it as throughly as we did.

Ventriloquism for Dummies
by
Reno Bailey and Lon Chaney, Jr.

Heretofore all books of this ilk have been written for and about the human practictioners of the ventriloquist's art, the Edgar Bergens, if you will.

This well-written, even poignant, treatise examines the art form from the point of view of the submissive, manipulated figures in the relationship, the Charley McCarthys.

Bailey and Chaney plow the fertile fields of the psychology at play in some of the great ventrilo partnerships of the past---the aching dependencies, the seething hatreds, the tortuous indifference shown, one to the other.

As well, the authors pass along practical advice to young aspiring "Little Partners," as they are called in the book. Culled from interviews with numerous diminutive dummae such as Jerry Mahoney and Mortimer Snerd, this hitherto-unveiled wisdom is pertinent in such crucial areas as:

• Coping with a big hole in your back
• Things to think about when that trunk lid closes
• Pretending to like His hand inside you
• Why you must continue talking while He drinks a glass of water
• Finding clothing and accessories in your size
• Don't be wooden

All in all, a tour de force from the writng team whose previous contributions include the widely-acclaimed exposé of the apparel industry, "Underwear for the Deaf."

Ventriloquism for Dummies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$49.95

A Random House-Doubleday-Wendy's-Exxon-AT&T-Ace Hardware book
(Ordinarily this book would fall within the $10-$20 price range,
but since it might possibly help someone eke out a living,
let's stick it to 'em.)

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Copyright © 1996 Reno Bailey