Rating: 
Summary: A great and funny look at the inside of Hollywood.
Review: I had to read this for a film class. It was the most enjoyable required reading I had during the entire four years of school. If you're looking for a realistic viewpoint of a Hollywood screenwriter, or just a realistic view of Hollywood, this is one of the best books you could read. His in-depth explanation of the planning of the "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" screenplay is a must read for anyone looking to work in movies.
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating, although more useful today as history
Review: I had wanted to read this book for years, ever since typing innumerable papers for University of Texas Radio-Television-Film students forced to read and report on it for some beginner class. It wasn't their reports that interested me, but the fact that this text was considered the sine qua non of the university RTF world--the text that you needed to have read, because everyone else had. Goldman's credentials were substantial, having written some quite substantial films both in critical and box-office terms, like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President's Men. He further endeared himself to me by his wonderful book and film, The Princess Bride. But I never read this book for years because I wanted to own a hardback version of it. Browsing this past year in the stacks at the Bellevue Half-Price Books, I chanced upon just that, and finally was able to fill a decade old longing. Adventures in the Screen Trade is somewhat dated now, even though it is only 13 years old. The movie trade is moving and shifting at an incredible pace (although not as quite as fast as the Internet), and what is golden one year, can be video-fodder the next. Goldman's expose of the in-and-out of movie-making, from the screenwriter's perspective, is uncomfortably close to the old adage about sausage and politics--you don't want to see either being made. Yet, like an automobile wreck on your way home from work, you find that you just can't help from looking. Goldman does a good job of presenting the business straight-forward, if with a tinge of understandable bias for the writer, that underlines the power of stars and the blockbuster mentality. A sequel, updating this book and adding Goldman's extra thirteen years of experience, would be welcome, I think (and which has now been written--see Goldman's new book).
Rating:
Summary: Riveting, informative in a way other books aren't
Review: I have read a lot of books about screenwriting, filmmaking, and related topics. I learned more in Goldman's book than in most of those other books put together, and it was so wildly interesting and entertaining that I couldn't tear myself away. Goldman is alternately self-congratulatory and self deprecating, proud and humble, excited and blase. His prose reflects his love for telling a good story with good reversals, and his screenwriting technique becomes apparent throughout the book. What also becomes apparent is Goldman's genius, and the precarious balance between success and selling out inherent in the screenwriting trade. I learned about filmmaking in a way I never have, and got the opinion and perspective of a true veteran in the field. And, this book is a great read by a gifted author! This book contains a general history of Goldman in Hollywood, as well as a rundown of all his scripts and the experiences he had writing them and seeing them come into maturity as films (or not). It also contains the full screenplay for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" as well as a screenplay written from one of Goldman's old short stories which is especially interesting because it comes with critiques from an art director, editor, cameraperson, and director. Intertwined within this framework is Goldman's philosophy on writing as well as dozens of lessons on how to improve as a writer. I enjoyed this book greatly, and look forward to reading his follow-up to it, "Which Lies Did I Tell." Without a doubt, this book is required reading for ANYONE who wishes to be a screenwriter, and probably also for anyone who is remotely interested in Hollywood and the movies.
Rating:
Summary: Read i.
Review: I read it in one week. One week! Does't seem that impressive, but that specific week was a very busy ONE and the average time it takes me to read a 400+ page book in a (to me) foreign language is about two months... IF you are interested in the movie-business, read this thing, it'll be worthwile to you, and that's garanteed by this humble screenwriter. Want to know why you shouldn't invent a story that contains fifty camels raging through Central Park? Read Goldman's book. Want to know what is left of your screenplay after the sometimes (literally) disastrous influence of directors, producers, actors, directors of photography, et many cetera? Read tha damn book. Want to know how big you are, as a screenwriter, in the business (think atom, AND rhinoceros)? Read it. Want to read a book that is not only very interesting, but also makes you laugh out loud occassionaly? ... O.k., he swears about every other page, but if you can't handle swearing on paper, just don't even think of entering the magically beautiful world of Hollywood (or would it not...accept you?). And his use of language makes his writing strong, impressive. It leaves an imprint on your brain, that either makes you turn away from any Hollywood aspirations for ever, or wanting to pack and head for L.A. right away.(Why? Read the book!)
Rating:
Summary: READ THIS!
Review: If you are an aspiring writer or a person aspiring to be in Hollywood in any capacity - this is a must read. By nature i'm a person who hates all self-help and teaching-the-trade kinda books. But this book blew my mind. Its written in a fast, interesting and empathetic manner that appeals to the reader and keeps her/him hooked. It tells you about the writer's trade and what the whole Hollywood business is like.
The best part? You have the entire screenplay of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" in here man! That is freaking awesome.
Rating:
Summary: Feels like a long conversation with Goldman telling all.
Review: If you're an aspiring actor, director, or screenwriter, this book is something you will not be able to put down for two reasons- 1. On ever page you will learn something new about the movie industry 2. It reads like a entertaining conversation with Goldman spilling all knowledge-every juicy secret, about the how the movie business really is. Through all his years in his field Goldman has developed a keen understanding of everyone's perspective and he lays all the cards on the table. If you're thinking of working in Hollywood and having a go in the business, this book will help prepair you.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, insightful, couldn't-put-it-down book
Review: Like screenwriter William Goldman, I love movies. I love everything about them -- from their scores (especially those by John Williams or James Horner) to the actors (particularly Sean Connery, Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey and Cary Grant) to the directors (Shyamalan, Cameron, Welles and Reiner) to the screenwriters (Mamet, Shyamalan and, of course, William Goldman). Goldman's book "Adventures in the Screen Trade" is one of the best books I've read in years. It is chock-full of fascinating anecdotes...crisp, witty, honest writing...and enough "dirt" on Hollywood to keep a half dozen gossip columnists busy at their keyboards for days. So well-written and fun is Goldman's book that I think even if I wasn't a budding screenwriter and avid movie-goer, I still would have found his peek behind the scenes in Hollywood to be an engrossing read. But for me, a true film nut, this book is indispensable. It contains plenty of tips on how to write screenplays, sure, but the most important lesson I learned from Goldman's book is that Hollywood is a brutal, fickle and cutthroat place to do business and that I'd best develop a thick skin if I'm going to send my screenplays there. Since reading Goldman's book, I noticed many of the movies I've enjoyed over the years have been written by him -- including Princess Bride (one of my all-time favorites), Magic, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Misery and even the just-released Jurassic Park 3! "Adventures in the Screen Trade" is a superb book. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Writing a screen play or just want a great book on filmaking
Review: One of the few authors to whom I have written a fan letter. This is a great read on it's own merit. More than that, it is an absolute must to read this before you dig into those boring, senseless, textbook-like tomes on screenwriting. This is the real deal written by someone who has actually crafted some fantastic films, not just some guy whose only accomplishment is writing a book about screenwriting.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: That's the way a book about scriptwriting looks when the author is in the know. Although based mainly on 60s and 70s stuff the information gathered and delivered is still valid (I think).
Rating:
Summary: A revealing insider¿s view with panache
Review: The allusion to the "skin trade" in the title isintentional of course. Goldman is playing the old saw about thescreenwriter as very well-paid whore. Be that as it may, this is an excellent book. If you're even thinking of becoming a screenwriter you ought to read it. You may change your mind, and then again you may not. You'll learn some screenwriting tricks and get a vivid glimpse inside the industry, circa 1982. Goldman has a style that is as earnest as all heck, emphatic, breezy, engaging, flippant, a little high schoolish-but that plays. He thinks very highly of himself, but he is also a modest man. (Reasonable combination.) He trashes some people here, lionizes some others, but bottom line, he's not afraid to reveal himself, foibles and all. His two main rules of Hollywood are: NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING and SCREENPLAYS ARE STRUCTURE (his caps). He means that nobody knows ahead of time what is going to be a successful movie, and it's a mistake to think that screenplays are mainly dialogue (I used to think that) because what really counts is the structure. Part One is about "Hollywood Realities" and it's the best part of the book: who controls whom and what, the pecking order, etc. Part Two he calls "Adventures" and it's about what it was like making some of the movies he was involved in; and remember Goldman wrote some top drawer films: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), All the President's Men (1976), to name a couple. This part is also very good. Part Three he calls "Da Vinci" from the title of a short story he wrote as a young man that he turns into a screen play for the edification of his readers. The story is a dog and the screenplay not very readable, but it's good textbook stuff. A highlight is George Roy Hill's acidic comments on the script. I give Goldman credit for including that and I also give him credit for telling it like it is from his POV. He's one very professional, very hard-working writer with a fine understanding of movie psychology, somebody well worth listening to. END
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