MAXIM Magazine October 1999 Melissa Joan Hart Sabrina cover feature by Mark Golin

Melissa Joan Hart (Celebrity Bios) by John Giacobello

John Giacobello’s biography of Melissa Joan Hart is nothing short of astonishing. With clear prose he relays the struggles beset upon the star of “Sabrina the Teen-Aged Witch” with clarity, lucid detail, and not a little empathy.

From the early years of her Dickensian childhood, through her proceeding years as triumphant television star - we feel we’ve met Ms. Hart intimately, profoundly; had fries and Pepsi with her; spent quality time with a quality teen. The controversially “disputed facts” alleged in the cannon of Melissa Joan Hart biographies are laid to rest once and for all by John Giacobello.

The book is a revelation, and certainly the definitive biography of one, if not perhaps our most talented actress.

“… MELISSA JOAN HART a wave of her hand. She has wacky friends and …”

Melissa Joan Hart (Real-Life Reader Biography Series) by Ann Gaines

I thought this book wouldn’t be very good (as its not a biography written by Melissa herself), however, it has a lot of information that’s very interesting about Melissa’s career and family, some of which I did not already know.

This book is well written, concise and up to date. It could only be better than it is, if it was written in a few years time (after all Melissa’s only 24) and it detailed more about her flourishing acting career and her recent venture into producing and/or directing Sabrina the Teenage Witch and other projects.

Melissa’s works alongside her Mother, Paula Hart, who produces many films eg. Sabrina the Teenage Witch (tv series and 1996 film), Sabrina Downunder, Sabrina Goes to Rome, Two Came Back and Silencing Mary and two new projects, The Batchelor and the Bobby-Soxer and Backflash Blues which are produced by their production company, Hartbreak Films.

It would be nice to read about Melissa in a follow up book by this author when Melissa’s in her thirty’s, or read an auto-biography written by Melissa herself. I’d also like to see more merchandise become available eg. posters, calendars, sabrina tv series videos and dolls as well as an official website where we can contact Melissa at Hartbreak Films.

Thumbs up for a great book with an interesting topic.

100 People Who Are Screwing Up America (And Al Franken Is #37) by Bernard Goldberg

I’m quite sure that the number of stars in each person’s review of this book is based more upon political ideology than the merits of the work. Liberals and their ilk will absolutely detest it, and conservatives will simply love it! Since I consider myself a conservative, my rating should come as no surprise, but I honestly believe that I based it on the merits rather than on the book’s politics. There are a lot of fringe loonies on both sides of the political spectrum, and they should be skewered for how they have contributed to the coarsening of what passes for “debate” in this country. We all have to tone down the rhetoric, and seriously attempt to regain some civility toward each other. I would agree with most of the names on the List, and also for the reasons given in the book. Neither side has the edge on virtue, but we must begin by being willing to treat each other with kindness. Calling President Clinton a “murderer” (as some conservatives have) equates with calling President Bush a liar and a traitor (as some liberals have). Both sides are wrong, and should look deeply inside themselves to see where their particular bias is leading them, and this wonderful country in which we live.

“… Ali McGraw, Marisa Tomei, Edie Falco, Melissa Joan Hart, Teri Hatcher, Julie Kavner, Claire Danes, Sharon Gless, …”