{"title":"John Cleese","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the wit and wisdom of John Cleese as he delves into creativity, human relationships, and the art of laughter. His works blend sharp humour with insightful observations, offering readers a unique perspective on personal development and family dynamics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom candid memoirs to reflections on cultural phenomena, Cleese’s writing reveals the minds behind legendary comedy and the stories that shaped them. These books invite laughter, contemplation, and a deeper appreciation for the creative process.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"so-anyway-by-john-cleese-9780099580089","title":"So, Anyway...","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe autobiography of a comedy giant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA candid and brilliantly funny memoir of how a tall, shy youth from Weston-super-Mare went on to become a self-confessed comedy legend.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEn route, John Cleese describes his nerve-wracking first public appearance at St Peter's Preparatory School at the age of eight and five-sixths; his endlessly peripatetic home life with parents who seemed incapable of staying in any house for longer than six months; his first experiences in the world of work as a teacher who knew nothing about the subjects he was expected to teach; his hamster-owning days at Cambridge; and his first encounter with the man who would be his writing partner for over two decades, Graham Chapman.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnd so on to his dizzying ascent via scriptwriting for Peter Sellers, David Frost, Marty Feldman and others to the heights of Monty Python.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePunctuated from time to time with John Cleese's thoughts on topics as diverse as the nature of comedy, the relative merits of cricket and waterskiing, and the importance of knowing the dates of all the kings and queens of England, this is a masterly performance by a former schoolmaster.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46378888233196,"sku":"9780099580089","price":25.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/11889723482223.jpg?v=1744836593"},{"product_id":"fawlty-towers-by-john-cleese-9781035433216","title":"Fawlty Towers","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDuck surprise. The car that wouldn't start. The psychiatrists. Those builders...\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFifty years ago, \u003cem\u003eFawlty Towers\u003c\/em\u003e hit British TV screens for the first time, becoming an instant classic. Now, for the first time, John Cleese tells his stories from behind the scenes of his favourite moments. From writing scripts that were so carefully planned they were double the length of similar shows, to casting, lighting, and how the show was almost cancelled before it started, these are your favourite moments from \u003cem\u003eFawlty Towers\u003c\/em\u003e as you've never seen them before.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExploring the how and why of creating classic comedy, there is a laugh on every page and a dose of nostalgia for vintage TV fans. With gorgeous commissioned illustration and archival imagery, the book revisits such iconic scenes as Basil thrashing his car, a rat appearing in a box of cheese biscuits, and Basil goose-stepping across the dining room to an audience of horrified guests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWritten by and starring Cleese and his then-wife Connie Booth, the first series of \u003cem\u003eFawlty Towers\u003c\/em\u003e aired in 1975, with a second series broadcast in 1979. It featured Cleese as the irascible hotel manager Basil Fawlty, Prunella Scales as his sybaritic wife Sybil, Andrew Sachs as the hapless waiter Manuel, and Booth as Polly, an efficient waitress and art student. It won three BAFTAS and, despite having only 12 episodes in total, continues to be regularly voted the best sitcom in British history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette New Zealand Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46409554002156,"sku":"9781035433216","price":48.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781035433216.jpg?v=1746095501"},{"product_id":"the-pythons-autobiography-by-the-pythons-by-terry-gilliam-9780752864259","title":"The Pythons' Autobiography By The Pythons","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver thirty years ago, a group of six Englishmen—well, one was Welsh and another an interloping American—rewrote the rules of comedy. Monty Python's Flying Circus, an unheralded, previously unseen half-hour show of sketches, hilarities, inanities and animations, first appeared on the BBC late one night in 1969.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts impact has been felt the world over ever since. From its humble beginnings, it blossomed into the most influential movement in modern comedy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Pythons' Autobiography By The Pythons\u003c\/em\u003e is a unique look at arguably the most important comic team of the modern age, with 64 pages of photographs, many culled from the team's own personal collections, and many more seen for the first time. This is the definitive word on all things Pythonesque.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47600168403180,"sku":"9780752864259","price":31.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780752864259-the-pythons-autobiography-by-the-pythons.jpg?v=1777986215"},{"product_id":"families-and-how-to-survive-them-by-john-cleese-9780749314101","title":"Families And How To Survive Them","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe super-selling book on surviving family life—\u003cem\u003eFamilies And How To Survive Them\u003c\/em\u003e, by psychiatrist Robin Skynner and comedian John Cleese, has sold over a quarter of a million copies worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat makes a family happy? Why do some marriages 'succeed' and others end in divorce? How can we free ourselves from the legacy of past mistakes and bring about positive change? Love, sex and marriage, parenthood, depression and sadness, independence and experience are just a few of the many issues explored in conversation by family therapist Robin Skynner and his former patient and comedian, John Cleese.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGuiding us through the daily issues that confront us all, \u003cem\u003eFamilies And How To Survive Them\u003c\/em\u003e offers vital advice in helping each of us to maintain a happy, healthy family life. Looking candidly at everything from our relationships with our parents to why and how we choose our partners, no emotional stone is left unturned—jealousy, rage, fear, envy, love, obsession, hope and despair—all are featured, with practical advice on how to turn around a negative situation and bring about change for the better.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47932157690092,"sku":"9780749314101","price":47.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780749314101-families-and-how-to-survive-them.jpg?v=1783855332"},{"product_id":"creativity-by-john-cleese-9780385348270","title":"Creativity","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe legendary comedian, actor, and writer of Monty Python, \u003ci\u003eFawlty Towers\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eA Fish Called Wanda\u003c\/i\u003e fame shares his key ideas about creativity: that it’s a learnable, improvable skill.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e“Many people have written about creativity, but although they were very, very clever, they weren't actually creative. I like to think I'm writing about it from the inside.”—John Cleese\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYou might think that creativity is some mysterious, rare gift—one that only a few possess. But you’d be wrong. As John Cleese shows in this short, practical, and often amusing guide, creativity is a skill that anyone can acquire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing on his lifelong experience as a writer, Cleese shares his insights into the nature of creativity and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing. What do you need to do to get yourself in the right frame of mind? When do you know that you’ve come up with an idea that might be worth pursuing? What should you do if you think you’ve hit a brick wall?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe can all be more creative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJohn Cleese shows us how.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48141935182060,"sku":"9780385348270","price":49.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/71OXGK5rXGL._SL1500.jpg?v=1786347342"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/john-cleese.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}