I love Jim Henson and all of his works that I've seen. He was an inspiration to me while growing up (even though I never watched Sesame Street as a child and grew up only on Muppet Babies), and I even did a middle school project about his work with Sesame Street. Thus, I was extremely excited when I found out that Brian Jay Jones was writing an official, long-form biography, especially since I had already read Jim Henson: The Works: The Art, the Magic, the Imagination over and over again, and really wanted something that dug deep into his life. I waited a good two or three years for this to come out, and I'm pleased to report that it's a really phenomenal work. 
 Every page in this book contains some new tidbit or quote about Jim Henson, from many of his closest colleagues and family members. Jones has done a fantastic job compiling the material that was out there, as well as interviewing the major players himself. The notes section in the back of the book is extensive and just goes to show how much care was put into this project. 
 Jim Henson's life was mostly filled with long periods of work, then short, extravagant vacations. He loved what he did, and could never stand still, always working on a new project, even when he could rest on his laurels and ride out the success of his previous projects. As such, the book moves at a breakneck pace, jumping from project to project, but managing to convey an absurd amount of information about each one as it goes along. The stories of the creation of The Muppet Show as well as the beginnings of Fraggle Rock were specially meaningful for me, and while some of his projects were not very well received, Jones manages to make them interesting to read about, as Jim is such a fascinating person and the tidbits Jones presents are top-notch. 
 Of course, Jim Henson's life had its sadder moments as well, and Jones covers those unflinchingly, detailing his marital and other personal issues in a tactful but frank way, and the second-to-last chapter about his illness and death was heartbreaking. 
 After waiting so long for this book, and knowing it was about a figure who I admired so much, I couldn't imagine it letting me down. However, it really went above and beyond everything I hoped for. This really does feel like the definitive guide to the life and works of Jim Henson, and is filled with quotes and insights from the man himself and the people dearest to him. Because Jones always ensures that the focus is on Jim, the book can't help but exude the sense of joy and optimism that Jim exuded throughout his entire life, which really is the highest praise I can think of. 
 If you have any interest in Jim Henson's life or his many entertainments, take a week or two out of your reading life and read this. It's a terrific biography about a terrific man, and it made me appreciate him in a way I didn't really think was possible.