Dr. Seuss is a classic American icon. Whimsical and wonderful, his work has defined our childhoods and the childhoods of our own children. Theodor Geisel, however, had a second, more radical side. It is there that the allure and fascination of his Dr. Seuss alter ego begins. He had a successful career as an advertising man and then as a political cartoonist, his personal convictions appearing, not always subtly, throughout his books. Remember the environmentalist of THE LORAX? Geisel was a complicated man on an important mission. He introduced generations to the wonders of reading while teaching young people about empathy and how to treat others well.

On May 25, 1977, a problem-plagued, budget-straining independent science-fiction film opened in a mere 32 American movie theaters. Conceived, written and directed by a little-known filmmaker named George Lucas, Star Wars reinvented the cinematic landscape, ushering in a new way for movies to be made, marketed and merchandised. Lucas went on to create the Indiana Jones series, transform the world of special effects, and forever change the way movies sound. His innovation and ambition forged some of today's most prominent companies, including Pixar, Lucasfilm, THX sound and Industrial Light & Magic. This acclaimed biography captures the life and times of a film icon whose influence is unmatched.

Brian Jay Jones draws on hundreds of hours of new interviews with Jim Henson's family, friends and closest collaborators, as well as unprecedented access to private family and company archives, to pen this comprehensive biography of Henson’s all-too-brief life: from his childhood in Leland, Mississippi, through the years of burgeoning fame in America, to the decade of international celebrity that preceded his untimely death at age 53.