Another book question

[Dale Coye]

In a message dated 10/23/2004 12:08:52 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
kurtpatt4 at NETSCAPE.NET writes:
Is anyone out there familiar with this book on dialects:

American Dialects: A Manual for Actors, Directors, and Writers
by Lewis Herman
I looked at this book back in my grad school days. Herman and Herman's book
is, first of all, on the old side--about 50-60 years old now.  It is also full
of annoying stereotypes about ethnic groups--Scots are dour, stingy, etc.  But
I remember the dialect information being helpful for actors in representing
in layman's terms some of the salient features of various dialects, with even
an attempt to get at intonation by reproducing phrases on a musical staff once
in a while.    This is a book for actors trying to sound somewhat Irish, or
French, or whatever, and there is no nuance to it (e.g., any attempt to
distinguish the various Scottish dialects).  I can't recall what help it would give,
if any to writers.

Dale Coye
The College of NJ