ABOUT THE BOOK Chances are, you heard about Mad Men before you watched it. Seemingly out of the blue, drinking during the day was cool again, fashion from the 60s was back in stores, and a handsome man in a suit was hosting Saturday Night Live. Enough people likely expressed shock, and perhaps even disdain, that youd never seen the show. So you sat down and watched an episode. Then another. And then another. We understand. Youve become obsessed, and so have we. Mad Men is one of those few shows that comes along every few years and turns everything on its head. When it initially premiered in 2007, few could foresee how much of a cultural impact it would have on television, especially since it was shown on a channel known for televising old movies. AMC took a leap of faith on the series though, even after it was already turned down by both HBO and Showtime, in the hopes that quality would win out over formulaic mass appeal. Whats ironic is that by not trying to have mass appeal, Mad Men spoke to the masses. Suddenly there was a cool, smart, and glamorous show on cable TV that didnt pander to those who obsessed over cheaper reality television, and people started to talk. Critics began acclaiming the show, saying it was the series that breaks new ground by luxuriating in the not-so-distant past, and not soon after, the creators picked up a Golden Globe for best drama. In short, Mad Men had become a sensation. But what exactly was it about the show that made it so addicting? Perhaps it was that the characters had depth, that we truly and deeply cared about them even as they ran themselves into ruin. Maybe it was the beauty of the authentic costumes, or the hazy, romantic glow of the sets. Or perhaps, though wed hate to admit it to ourselves, it was that these characters imbibed without restraint in ways that we never could, with three-martini lunches and nooners with girls in the Village, smoking packs a day and soaking up power as though it was a birthright. The characters of Mad Men live life in ways that we never will, simply because were born in the wrong era. Luckily for us, the show is engrossing enough that we can pretend. MEET THE AUTHOR Lauren was raised in Charlotte, North Carolina and graduated from North Carolina State University in May 2011. A few months later, she found herself in New York City, working in publishing and writing on the side, a dream come true! When Lauren is not reading, writing, or thinking about reading and writing, she is exploring the city with friends or finding new yoga classes to take. She loves traveling and going to concerts, or even combining the two and attending music festivals. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Mad Men: A term coined in the late 1950s to describe the advertising executives of Madison Avenue. They coined it. Donald Draper is at the center of the glamorous world that is advertising in 1960s New York City. Always seen with a scotch in hand through a haze of cigarette smoke, Draper is the Creative Director of Sterling Cooper, and a bit of a womanizer. His corner office is often where he gets ready for the day, since he didnt make it home that night to his wife, Betty. Betty, however, is ever much the loving and trusting wife that society demands her to be, even though she experiences nervous ticks that show that her suspicions might one day surface. While life for Betty might be calm and quiet in the suburbs, life in the city is anything but. Sterling Cooper is where executives rise to power, or fall to the wayside, depending on how they play their cards. The women who assist the men are playthings and nothing more; when the executives egos get bruised, they turn to the women to bring them back up again. One particular executive, Pete Campbell, has eyes for an upper management position, and is willing to do just about anything to get there.

ABOUT THE BOOK "What is Community College? Well, you've heard all kinds of things. You've heard it's 'loser college' for remedial teens, twenty-something dropouts, middle-aged divorcees, and old people keeping their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity. That's what you heard; however, I wish you luck!" - Dean Pelton's Orientation Speech (Pilot) Community appeared on NBC's Thursday lineup for the first time on September 17th, 2009. The show centers around a group of misfit students studying at a four-year community college in the fictional town of Greendale, Colorado. The critics praised the show as extremely innovative. After generally positive reviews of the first season, NBC hoped that Community's audience would grow with summer reruns, picking up the show for a second season, which aired from September 23rd, 2010 to May 12th, 2011. However, after a promising start, it continued to struggle in the ratings, failing to establish itself with the audience of its lead-in, The Office. The third season premiered on September 22nd, 2011 but after only ten episodes was put on hiatus to become a midseason replacement show in January, later pushed back until spring. As of the date of this publication (February, 2012), Community is set to air the rest of its third season on NBC starting on March 15th, 2012, with the fate of a fourth season as yet undecided. MEET THE AUTHOR Evelyn hails from a very tiny country of Estonia, so it's ironic that she chose to be a writer when English isn't her fist language! After a few years of working for newspapers and local TV news, she chose to forego any idea of a schedule and started a freelance writing and marketing business. Because it isn't the most stable of jobs, Evelyn would often supplement her income with random gigs, including being a singing telegram and an airline interpreter. She has an unnaturally close relationship with food and for a number of years worked as a chef. However, after crying too many times in the kitchen, Evelyn had to give up her professional culinary pursuits. Instead, you'll find her traveling, reading, participating in your general 'debauchery' and making new friends. She has several degrees and some accolades but she'd much rather tell you about the time she smuggled a kitten on an airplane out of Russia. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Though the premise of the show originally introduced Jeff Winger, a lawyer with a shady past, as the lead, after the first few episodes the storylines of other students at Greendale's Community College grew to greater prominence. Community became a mishmash of messy, yet intriguing characters that contribute to the show's originality and plethora of comedic scenarios. The show famously uses other TV shows and films as the basis for individual episodes, and frequently exploits their cliches to present a further comedic twist. Community is both intelligently written and doesn't take itself too seriously. Because it relies heavily on other pop culture trivia, it is occasionally hard to follow if the references are unfamiliar to the viewer. The upside is that through the show, you can discover other shows and films you might have otherwise missed. For the conspiracy theorists, there is a rumor that an intentional 'O.J. Simpson is guilty' reference is made during the show's opening credits. For the Community enthusiast, it is just another example of how the show is layered with innuendos and clever between-the-lines dialogue, only obvious after multiple viewings. Therein lies the brilliance of this show.

ABOUT THE BOOK Dexter broke new grounds for Showtime in multiple ways. It debuted strong with more than 600,000 viewers during the premiere and its finale set a Showtime record with an audience of over a million people. However, Dexter's success was not strictly a matter of numbers. Serial killers are traditionally villains in TV and film but author Jeff Lindsay created a serial killer who lived in more "shades of grey." His original novel "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" allowed the reader to sympathize with main character Dexter Morgan and the show maintained the book's darker tones. Dexter embraced the concept of the anti-hero and took it to further extremes than most shows are willing to. That is one advantage to the show airing on Showtime instead of a broadcast network because the show creators have more creative freedom without worrying about censors. Editors recut the show for airing on CBS after the ratings success on Showtime and due to programming holes left in the CBS schedule from the writer's strike in 2008. Dexter is currently entering its seventh season on Showtime. MEET THE AUTHOR Dave Beaudrie is a graduate and valedictorian of Michigan State University with a B.A. in Advertising. He also studied Theatre and has performed in multiple productions around the country. He is a professional screenwriter as well with several projects either produced or in pre-production. He is licensed as a security specialist in the state of California and worked in the field for several years. Beaudrie is an avid mixed martial arts fan and has written extensively on the subject. He writes comedy as well under a pen name and resides in Los Angeles. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK The casting of Dexter was vital to the show’s success and producers found a star in Michael C. Hall. Fresh off his work in the HBO series "Six Feet Under" and an accomplished stage actor, Hall had proven himself worthy of emotionally demanding roles but the question remained as to whether he could anchor a series himself? The answer was a resounding "yes" as Hall's intense performance created a cultural icon the likes of which hadn't been seen on television before. Hall was charismatic and funny, even while playing a relatively emotionless character without a real sense of humor. The supporting cast was up to the task as well, with Jennifer Carpenter and Julie Benz standing out as the two women in Dexter's life. Carpenter brought a humor and neurosis to Dexter's foster-sister Debra that was an effective counter-balance to Dexter's stoicism. Benz's Rita was a good-hearted woman who desperately wanted to love Dexter but didn't know if she knew how. Dexter first used Rita as a smokescreen to appear "normal" to the outside world but eventually developed a genuine affection and sense of responsibility for both her and her kids, which he himself thought he was incapable of doing. The cast was rounded out by David Zayas as Angel, the closest thing Dexter has to a friend in his life, and Erik King as Sgt. Doakes, who suspects Dexter of illegal activity but can't prove anything. Lauren Velez played Dexter's flirtatious superior Lt. Maria LaGuerta, who had a bone to pick with Debra and who was often a better politician than a cop. Dexter's conscience is kept in check by the memory of his adopted father Harry, played warmly by James Remar. "Dexter" embraced the concept of the anti-hero and took it to further extremes than most shows are willing to. That is one advantage to the show airing on Showtime instead of a broadcast network because the show creators have more creative freedom without worrying about censors. Editors recut the show for airing on CBS after the ratings success on Showtime and due to programming holes left in the CBS schedule.

In a world without political freedom, personal freedom and precious little faith in anything comes a mysterious man in a white porcelain mask who fights political oppressors through terrorism and seemingly absurd acts. It's a gripping tale of the blurred lines between ideological good and evil. The inspiration for the hit 2005 movie starring Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving, this amazing graphic novel is packaged with a collectable reproduction of the iconic V mask.