Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: After a series of small acting parts, Jennette McCurdy finally got her big break by being cast on the Nickelodeon series iCarly . However, while her acting success resulted in financial security, being famous wasn't Jennette's dream and acting was something she only did to please her overbearing mother. Her autobiography provides details of this and the ways she was affected even after her mother died. Review: Having two daughters, I was familiar with Jennette McCurdy both from iCarly and the spin-off series Sam & Cat and I'll even go so far as to admit she was probably my favorite from both shows. As a result of this, when I heard about her autobiography, I was intrigued. To be honest, I wasn't really expecting much from this book when I was finally able to get a copy from the library. A lot of that was from the skepticism I'm sure I shared with plenty of others regarding just how bad off she was. I mean, sure acting might not have been her dream,...

Synopsis: Actor Gene Wilder tells his life story from his childhood in Milwaukee through his battle with cancer, sharing stories about the people he met, the women he slept with and the demons he faced while becoming famous. Review : I was reminded about this autobiography when I came across an old interview and Gene Wilder (always one of my favorites) mentioned it. I was intrigued enough to take advantage of my local library's book exchange service and ask them to obtain it for me. I read it over the weekend and am glad I did. I've read quite a few autobiographies in my lifetime, but this was the first time I remember reading one and hearing the author's voice reading the words to me in my head. In fact, had I not known anything about the book before reading it, I am confident I'd be able to tell you who wrote it because it was written in a way that reminded me of how Wilder sounded when he talked. I think the thing that surprised me most about this book was, even th...

Synopsis: By the 1940s, Hedy Lamarr was a successful actress in Hollywood, known for her beauty. In her spare time, however, she was an inventor. When World War II broke out, Hedy, along with composer George Antheil, teamed up to invent a weapon that could be used against the Nazis and, instead, invented a technology that is still being used today. Review: I came across this book while walking through the stacks at my local library and, since I am a big fan of Hedy Lamarr and knew a little bit about her inventing hobby, decided to check it out. It turned out to be an interesting read. The book gives a fairly detailed account about both Lamarr and Antheil's lives before their paths crossed and they became a team. It also gives a great deal of detail about their invention (a radio-controlled torpedo that couldn't have its signal jammed), the difficulty they faced getting it approved by the military and how the technology wound up being used with various other inventions, includ...