"We believe books such as this represent a new and exciting lexicon in the sharing of human knowledge." So says the publisher's blurb, but be aware that there is nothing in the least exciting about this format.

Culling information readily available on the internet, the so-called author collects it into book form. To her credit, Maria Risma doesn't pretend this is anything more than that. And it would be enough for a diehard fan if it was done well.

However, the information presented is not at all written in an interesting fashion. An intelligent 6th-grader could've created something more entertaining. The text has no style whatsoever. What it does have are mistakes a junior editor should have spotted and corrected, notably, a lovely blank space every time a quote is indicated.

The first 56 pages consist of a history of the Walt Disney Company, and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if they are identical in every one of these Off-the-Record Guidebooks. Pages 90 to the end trace the history of Sherlock Holmes. Which leaves 34 of 138 pages about the purported subject of the book, namely The Great Mouse Detective.

Most of that is taken up with biographies of the cast and crew, little of which has really anything to do with the film. There are two pages concerning the Eve Titus book series, and, when all is said and done, a grand total of four pages about the movie.

A little more care and a pinch of talent might've made this into something at least bearable. Instead, we find the lamest idea of the 21st century, masquerading as a bona fide book.