Book Description
There is no better way to see downtown Chicago---a dazzling canyon of glass, metal, masonry, and marble---than by taking the Chicago Architecture Foundation's River Cruise.
The Chicago River affords one of the best vantage points from which to enjoy this city's remarkable buildings and historic sites. The Foundation's open-air boats provide comfort and an unobstructed view, while its exceptionally knowledgeable and witty docents enrich the tour with commentary on Chicago's history and development, insights on how its world-class buildings came to be constructed, and stories of the visionaries who designed them. To round out this mix of visual euphoria and intellectual edification, there's a brief and fascinating overview of Chicago's dominant stylistic influences: the Chicago School, Art Deco, the International Style, and Postmodernism. The tour is a great way for visitors to learn about the city---and a source of fresh perspectives for those who live there.
Forty-three stunning Hedrich Blessing photographs convey the splendor and diversity of downtown Chicago's building---all featured attractions of the Foundation's cruise. The text, by longtime Chicago Tribune contributor Jay Pridmore, tells the story of Chicago's early history and reviews the significance of the Chicago River in the development of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
96 pages. 48 full-color photographs including a map of the Chicago River area. Includes indexes of architects and buildings. Paperbound book, with flaps. Size: 8 x 10."
Book Description
Young children have the ability to create, view, interpret, and appreciate art. Art for the Very Young offers over 50 art activities for children to create art and learn about basic art concepts and techniques, such as line, shape, color, space,texture, form, and value. Watch how your young learners acquire an appreciation and understanding of the featured artists and techniques they use!
Customer Reviews:
Great Ideas.......2007-06-10
This book has wonderful ideas for children to explore the elements of art in the environment they are in.
Perfect for the age group!.......2007-03-08
I am an elementary school art teacher. I bought this book because I teach 2 preschool classes of 20 each, and it has been a struggle for me to find lessons they can handle that aren't just crafty. This book has plenty. It includes lessons on line, shape, color, clay molding, collage, and many more. I will use some lessons straight out of the book. Others I will change the materials. Painting with a group of twenty 4 year olds is not my favorite thing to do!
All the ingredients needed for the next Picasso.......2000-06-29
This book is layed out very well - one project per page with all the ingredients needed right at the top. Many of the projects utilize styles or techniques of famous artists with suggestions on how you can expose children to their works while still in a fun creative environment. The book is written from an artist's perspective exploring texture, color, space etc. We love the projects and vignettes about the artists.
Book Description
Why Choose this book:
Inside Advantage: Written for photographers by a photographer! Martin shares his expert knowledge to help you combine photography and Photoshop to develop memorable images
Complete updates: 704 pages of fully updated content plus 30 pages of Photoshop Shortcuts on the free CD-ROM
Master Photoshop CS2: More than 300 pages of information show you how to make tonal corrections, sharpen images, use filters, create montages, simulate darkroom effects and automate Photoshop
Conquer color obstacles: Over 100 pages devoted to explaining the basic principles of color management, how to calibrate your equipment and how to achieve consistent color and produce perfect prints
Expanded areas: Provides more detailed examples, diagrams, simple step-by-step explanations, improving accessibility for the advanced
beginner
The latest edition to join Martin Evening's bestselling 'Adobe Photoshop for Photographers' titles, gives you completely updated and revised coverage providing a professional photographer's insight into Photoshop CS2.
Inside you'll find invaluable information on Bridge, the new file browser that is set to become a very useful image management tool for photographers. Other new developments covered include the new Digital Negative (DNG) file format, improvements in Camera Raw file processing and High Dynamic Range imaging.
Packed full of all the latest features and instructive information on key elements from color management to printing, Martin Evening passes on his famous techniques and professional experience in this commanding and authoritative resource.
* Over 450 professional, color illustrations make this book stand above the rest
* New interior design and reorganised contents make this book even easier to use
* Master the power of Photoshop CS2 under the instruction of an internationally recognised Photoshop expert
Customer Reviews:
Better than an owners manual.......2007-08-13
This book is better than an owners manual for cs2, taking you through step by step instructions, if you already know something just skip that section, if you don't then it works, and it's easy to understand. The pages are color coded, great index and it has lots of picture examples.
must-have for photographers.......2007-05-30
i would recommend this book to anyone who is a photographer or thinking about taking up photography as a hobby. it's an amazing book and has very nice tutorials. i've been using it for about a year now. the price is very nice too.
Lots Of "Eureka" Moments Here.......2007-05-29
I've taken an abbreviated Photoshop class only to leave with more questions than answers. Fortunately, our teacher appreciated this fact and recommended this book to all the photographers in her class. I have not been disappointed except for lacking the time to work my way through this massive tome. Every time I open this book I discover another wonderful timesaver or neat trick to improve my photographs.
As good as it gets.......2007-05-14
Even more than I could expect! This book is intended to teach digital photography with Photoshop to make your photos get a new level that you could never imagine before. But if you want to learn the camera or tips to make your photos better without using your computer this is not what your need. One plus is file format explanations. And if you want to get muscle, this book is perfect for you too; because it's made with the best paper I saw in a book with photo quality in all pages the weight is a ton.
Good formatting.......2007-04-10
Besides being a good book about CS2 I really like the color coded chapter edge tabs. Frequently, it is the little things that make a difference.
Book Description
"The real strength of this book is in how it will help any photographer establish a workflow that is simple and doesn't become a distraction."
--Christopher Robinson, Editor, Digital Photo Pro
If you're like most artists, the concept of planning and structuring your work may sound limiting and inhibiting. You may be surprised to learn that quite the opposite is true--a proper workflow can free you from the monotonous aspects of your work and let you exercise your imagination.
Digital imaging expert Tim Grey is the first to present a process for you to follow as you optimize your images in Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. You'll discover a natural flow for adjusting images, learn to perform techniques that make your images as striking as they can be, and reduce time and effort. Covering the full spectrum of adjustments, this book is suitable regardless of your level as a photographer.
Customer Reviews:
Photoshop CS2 Workflow by Tim Grey.......2007-05-09
Tim Grey's "Photoshop CS2 Workflow" is the most comprehensive book I have read that shows how to use Photoshop to consistently get the best out of digital images. It takes the reader step by step through the process of downloading images, RAW conversion, cropping and adjusting tone and color all the way to saving the files and workflow automation. It is written in a style that is easy to comprehend and contains excellent illustrations that make the "how to" information easy to understand. This book belongs in every digital photographers library.
Photoshop CS2 Workflow: The Digital Photographer's Guide.......2007-01-03
Excellent book on digital workflow. Great tips on setting up preferences in Photoshop CS2. Highly recommend.
Great Book for Beginners.......2006-07-30
Photoshop CS2 Workflow: The Digital Photographer's Guide is the best Photoshop primer I've ever read. The author works through image adjustments in a very logical progression. He begins with very simple edits and works his up to more complex fine tuning. The instructions are both step-by-step and very clear. He also does an excellent job of explaining the "big picture" of why you want to make these adjustments and does not just turn you into a mouse clicker following steps by rote.
If the book has a weakness, it is that it doesn't really live up to its title. The book is not about workflow per se, but about all the steps that are part of a workflow. Only the first and the last chapters really focus on the aspect of trying to plan the workflow itself. This is no crime, I don't know if it's even possible to fill an entire book with workflow planning discussions without becoming ridiculously redundant and useless. But Tim Grey and his publishers chose to identify this as a workflow text and on that basis I think they have failed. If they had named the book "Photoshop CS2 for Beginners: The Digital Photographer's Guide" I would give it 5 stars and my highest recommendation. As it is, I'll still give it my highest recommendation for Photoshop novices as long as they realize that this book is really to help them with image editing skills much more than planning the workflow process itself.
Not what I expected, but pretty good.......2006-05-03
This wasn't exactly what I expected: There's no discussion of VersionCue, versioning and naming in general, or color managment.
But that said, it's a pretty good book - I'd recommend it for anyone who hasn't yet thought about what they do as a "workflow".
It offers great tips on most of the common tasks that you'll encounter with Photoshop - as well as talking about working extensively with Layers, which is essential to any intelligent workflow.
I just wish it had addressed the more complex topics I list above. But I'm still glad I bought this book.
The best most helpful guide I own.......2006-03-08
I am teaching a beginning Photoshop class to adults, and bought this book to help me with my lesson plans. I have been mightily impressed. I have used Photoshop daily in my work since Photoshop 5, and am learning MANY new basic techniques that somehow have escaped my attention until now. I will not only save time, but improve my output with what I have learned from this book! His writing is very clear, and is also interesting to read. I have recommended it to my students, and am incredibly glad I found it before my teaching began!
Book Description
Photography and Photoshop go hand in hand. If you feel there isn't enough photography in the average Photoshop book, and there isn't enough Photoshop in the average photography book, then the book you're looking for is right in your hands. This full-color book is packed with effective examples, simple to follow techniques, and tricks that serve as a jumping-off point to spark your own creativity into action. Examine Photoshop from a photographer's perspective as you cover both traditional and leading-edge photographic techniques, and learn how to reproduce or enhance them in Photoshop.
Customer Reviews:
taught me more about photography than photoshop.......2006-08-23
Exactly what the title says. I would've learned more by just fiddling with Photoshop.
Good concept, bad book.......2006-07-25
I liked the idea of this book, providing people with a background in conventional photography with a book to learn photoshop. The end result is really poor though. Some of my complaints with this book are:
Commands are listed in the wrong menus. The excercises are poorly explained. But the worst for me is that at the end of an excercise he will say things like "for my final image I combined this with another version in which I had edited it to..." with absolutely no details of how this would be done. In most cases these statements actually require editing that is more complicated than what has been presented, and use entirely different techniques. So, if you are a photoshop guru I suppose you could do this, but if you are trying to learn it is useless.
Also, the photos really aren't very good. There is an example in which he refers to "brightening a scene". Of course, he doesn't mean "brightening" he means changing the colour cast, by changing the hue and saturation. His end result that he says looks "much better" is horrible. He does make the sky look good, but he winds up with a purple lake.
There are much better books out there on photoshop, keep looking...
A catch all that didn't........2005-12-30
The book attempts to do what many photoshop books do, cram the basics, with some technique, throw in a bit of advanced stuff and leave you with a bit of everything in the end. A majority of the photos used in the book are average. Topics which I think are crucial to the art include colour accuracy, getting the best rom RAW images, calibration, output control. All these topics were lightly touched on with no real meaty goodness.
The book feels suited towards the beginner, but I believe there are better choices
I think you'd be better of with Martin Evan's Photoshop for Photographers for a more focused, indepth book on the topic, and possibly a general book covering aspects of Photoshop, perhaps Real World Photoshop by Bruce Fraser.
Average customer rating:
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The Actus Box: Five Graphic Novellas
Actus , and
Actus Tragicus
Manufacturer: Top Shelf Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
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| Anthologies
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| United States
Comics & Graphic Novels
| Boxed Sets
| Formats
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ASIN: 9659022131 |
Book Description
Their year 2001 release is a deluxe boxed set, featuring FIVE 32-page, full color, perfect bound graphic novellas. Included in the set are: THE PANTY KILLER by Rutu Modan -- A chain of mysterious murders terroize Tel Aviv, in which all the victims are found with their panties on their heads. The investigation leads the police to a seedy nightclub, frequented by unusual types. WE ARE SEVEN by Batia Kolton -- A unique visual interpretation of an Irish folk song, a Wordsworth poem and a pop tune. The juxtapositions of text and images infuse both with an original, contemporary meaning. CRUMPET LADIES by Yirmi Pinkus -- An amateur dog thief, a flatulent midget, a sentimental cook, and a woman with no short-term memory are just a few of the characters in this story about an old woman as an existential state. ROYAL SABLE by Mira Friedman -- A Jewish furrier from Prague and his sister escape to Tehran during WWII. Their dire situation changes when they receive a phone call from the Shah's Palace. Based on a true story. PRETENDERS by Itzik Rennert -- A bitter taxi driver, that desperately needs a change, meets a high-tech career woman and his life is transformed far beyond his wildest dreams. When forced to confront himself, he realizes he isn't really himself, or at least not his only self. ...Don't miss this excellent boxed set from the premier Israeli comics team.
Average customer rating:
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Learning by Heart: A Poignant Account of Teaching in Rural Newfoundland in the 1950s
Angela Collins
Manufacturer: Creative Book Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Educators
| Professionals & Academics
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Adult & Continuing Education
| Asia, Africa & Pacifica
| Bilingual
| Canada & Mexico
| Children's Literature Guides
| College & University
| Counseling
| Curricula
| Education Theory
| Elementary School
| Europe & Eurasia
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| High School
| Homeschooling
| Instruction Method
| Language Instruction
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| Literacy
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| Multicultural
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| Policy
| Preschool & Kindergarten
| Reading
| Reference
| Religious Education
| Secondary School
| Special Education
| Standards
| Study Skills
| Technology & Distance Learning
| United States
| Vocational
ASIN: 1894294394 |
Average customer rating:
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Pele!: The Sports Career of Edson Do Nascimente (Sports Legends)
James Hahn ,
Lynn Hahn , and
Howard Schroeder
Manufacturer: Crestwood House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
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Pele
| ( P )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
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| Books
Soccer
| Biographies
| Sports
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General
| Sports & Activities
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General
| Sports
| Sports & Activities
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ASIN: 0896861252 |
Average customer rating:
- Great guide for the first time parents!!
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The Lilaguide Baby Gear Guide: New Parent's Guide to Everything from Strollers & Car Seats to Toys & Clothes... (Lilaguide: Baby Gear Buyer's Guide)
Oli Mittermaier , and
Elysa, M.D. Marco
Manufacturer: Lilaguide
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Child Care
| Parenting
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Parenting
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
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General
| Parenting & Families
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General
| Health, Mind & Body
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Similar Items:
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Baby Bargains, 7th Edition: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on baby furinture, gear, clothes, toys, maternity wear and much more! (Baby Bargains)
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Consumer Reports Best Baby Products, 8th Edition (Best Baby Products)
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Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
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What to Expect the First Year, Second Ed
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The Happiest Baby on the Block - The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer (DVD)
ASIN: 1932847340 |
Book Description
This pocket-sized guide provides ratings and reviews of parents' favorite baby gear, including strollers, car seats, highchairs, toys, clothing, and much more.
Each listing in the guide provides manufacturer's information and product specs in addition to parent ratings and quotes/commentary. Alphabetical and manufacturer indexes make finding relevant information easy and fun.
Customer Reviews:
Great guide for the first time parents!!.......2006-01-30
I used this as a bible when I was registering and it was very helpful in cutting through the endless choices of stuff a first time parent is unfarmiliar with.
Book Description
What style baby bottle is best? What features are important in a portable crib? Should you purchase a booster seat for meals while traveling? This fully illustrated guide by the editors of Parents Magazine, America's #1 family magazine since 1926, helps you make wise choices about everything you need for your child. You won't waste a penny on unnecessary items, and you will discover the "must-haves." This invaluable shopping guide includes: Essentials for each stage of your child's development Safety and practical features to look for The pro's and con's of hand-me-downs Useful checklists such as how to pack the perfect diaper bag Safety concerns highlighted in "Parents Alerts" Advice for parents of multiples or several young children A gift giving guide Resource section of reliable on-line and catalogue vendorsNow you can feel confident about whatever you buy for your child-whether you're expecting a newborn or planning outdoor play for your toddler.
Average customer rating:
- No the best out there
- Great for clueless new parents like me!
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Baby Gear: Everything You Need to Clothe, Feed, Transport, Protect, Entertain, and Care for Your Baby
Sally Lee Parents Magazine
Manufacturer: Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Infants
| Babies & Toddlers
| Parenting
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Parenting
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Parenting & Families
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Consumer Guides
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Similar Items:
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Baby Bargains, 7th Edition: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on baby furinture, gear, clothes, toys, maternity wear and much more! (Baby Bargains)
-
What to Expect When You're Expecting, Third Edition
Accessories:
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Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers
ASIN: 0312262906 |
Book Description
Keep your child safe, healthy, comfortable, and happy-without spending a fortune, or cluttering up your home.While you do need all manner of safe and cozy furniture, equipment, and clothing for your child to sit, eat, sleep, ride, venture out, and play in, there's also plenty of stuff that you don't need. This incredibly useful, fully illustrated guide simplifies the process of outfitting your home by explaining: ( what you must own at each stage of your child's development ( which safety and practical features you should look for ( when hand-me-downs will work-and when newer is betterHelpful checklists throughout the book tell you what to keep in a diaper bag, or changing table, and Parents Alerts highlight safety concerns. There is also a wealth of advice for parents of multiples or several young children. A handy gift-giving guide offers age-appropriate favorites for every budget. And a resource section lists reliable online and catalogue vendors. Whether you're outfitting a nursery or choosing a stroller, shopping for a layette or childproofing your home, Baby Gear will make the job easier, faster, and worry-free. AUTHORBIO: Parents magazine has been America's #1 family magazine since 1926.Debra Wise is a mother of four and the author of the Great Big Book of Children's Games.
Customer Reviews:
No the best out there.......2003-10-01
Good on giving information about products in general, but does not get very specific. It describes all types of car seats, for example, but does not add any actual product reviews to help you make a better decision. Baby Bargains Secrets by Denise & Alan Fields is a much better buy for the money; it also includes good descriptions and explanations about the products and has actual product reviews by brand name, model name and price range to help you choose. They have actually researched the products they recommend.
Great for clueless new parents like me!.......2002-12-08
I am expecting my first child, and my husband and I have really found this book useful. It tells you what to look for, and what not to waste your money on, in purchasing baby items. I'm glad I got this early in my preganancy, before we have bought anything, and before we register for any baby gifts. Very useful!
Book Description
This pocket-sized guide provides ratings and reviews of parents' favorite baby gear, including strollers, car seats, highchairs, toys, clothing and much more.
Each listing in the guide provides manufacturers' information and product specs in addition to parent ratings and quotes/commentary. Alphabetical and Manufacturer Indexes make finding relevant information easy and fun.
Average customer rating:
- Glad to See The Media Hasn't Changed!
- How the Civil War helped make newspapers what they are today
- Good Stories, Hack Writing from the front!
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Blue & Gray in Black & White: Newspapers in the Civil War
Brayton Harris
Manufacturer: Brassey's Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| 19th Century
| United States
| Americas
| History
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General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Civil War
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Newspaper
| Mass Media
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Media Studies
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| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Library & Information Science
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| Nonfiction
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Journalism
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A Bohemian Brigade: The Civil War Correspondents Mostly Rough, Sometimes Ready
ASIN: 1574882953 |
Book Description
Blue and Gray in Black and White is an exploration of the individual and collective efforts of newspaper journalists during the Civil War. As eyewitnesses to one of the most memorable conflicts in history, they left a record that us sometimes brilliant but, at other times, marred by shoddy journalism, sensationalism, and self-serving reporting. They were, however, the American public's primary source of information about the battles that were tearing the nation apart. This book focuses on the personalities, politics, and rivalries of editors; the efforts of newspapers to influence military appointments, strategy, and tactics; advances in printing technology; formal and informal censorship, the suppression of dissident newspapers, and, most of all, the war correspondents themselves.
Customer Reviews:
Glad to See The Media Hasn't Changed!.......1999-12-28
I enjoy books about the Civil War. This was a great way to learn about the war from the people who were watching it. Nowdays, we have wars such as the Gulf War on television. Here were the folks who HAD to be your eyes and ears. This would be a great book to have high school classes read as a comparison to seeing a film about Vietnam or Desert Storm, just to see the contrasts. History classes in American History and Journalism would also benefit. For the general public, unless you are interested in these topics, it is a lot of detail to absorb.
How the Civil War helped make newspapers what they are today.......1999-10-17
From the Kansas City Star Magazine, (October 10, 1999) "The love-hate relationship between the newspapers and the men who fought in the Civil War is just one of the subjects of Brayton Harris' Blue & Gray in Black & White: Newspapers in the Civil War . . . [In an interview, Harris said] "Before the Civil War, the newspapers in the United States were primarily opinion sheets for their editors. By the end of the war, they had actually become newspapers in the way we know them today. . . .One thing that came through is that nothing really has changed except technology . . . the media works the same way today that they did in 1860. Reporters do the same dumb, or brilliant things. Publishers sometimes put profits above ethics then and they do now.'"
Good Stories, Hack Writing from the front!.......1999-10-17
From the Washington Times (October 2, 1999) "Mr. Harris' book is a compelling account of how the Civil War led to the emergence of the press as a power on the national scene. It gives fresh insight into how a cast of visionaries and tough reporters -- along with some rogues and crackpots -- used that power to shape the way the nation viewed the war the and for all time . . . .This book is the first full treatment of the subject of press coverage of the Civil War since a pair of books by J. Cutler Andrews nearly two generations ago . . . Readers may be distracted by some of the author's digressions . . . [but] the value of "Blue and Gray in Black and White" outweighs any quibbles. . . . Journalism is viewed as the disposable first draft of history. What Mr. Harris' book makes clear is that taken as a whole, the work of combat correspondents created a record of the war that has formed our perceptions and fueled our imaginations ever since." --
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Southern Historical Association on May 1, 2001. The length of the article is 508 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Blue and Gray in Black and White: Newspapers in the Civil War.
Author: Ethan S. Rafuse
Publication:
Journal of Southern History (Refereed)
Date: May 1, 2001
Publisher: Southern Historical Association
Volume: 67
Issue: 2
Page: 458
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
- The References are Great! The style...
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A Social History of Knowledge: From Gutenberg to Diderot
Peter Burke
Manufacturer: Polity Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Europe
| History
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General
| World
| History
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| Books
History of Ideas
| Historical Study
| History
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| Books
Social History
| Historical Study
| History
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History & Surveys
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General
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All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0745624855 |
Book Description
In this book Peter Burke adopts a socio-cultural approach to examine the changes in the organization of knowledge in Europe from the invention of printing to the publication of the French Encyclopédie.The book opens with an assessment of different sociologies of knowledge from Mannheim to Foucault and beyond, and goes on to discuss intellectuals as a social group and the social institutions (especially universities and academies) which encouraged or discouraged intellectual innovation. Then, in a series of separate chapters, Burke explores the geography, anthropology, politics and economics of knowledge, focusing on the role of cities, academies, states and markets in the process of gathering, classifying, spreading and sometimes concealing information. The final chapters deal with knowledge from the point of view of the individual reader, listener, viewer or consumer, including the problem of the reliability of knowledge discussed so vigorously in the seventeenth century.One of the most original features of this book is its discussion of knowledges in the plural. It centres on printed knowledge, especially academic knowledge, but it treats the history of the knowledge 'explosion' which followed the invention of printing and the discovery of the world beyond Europe as a process of exchange or negotiation between different knowledges, such as male and female, theoretical and practical, high-status and low-status, and European and non-European.Although written primarily as a contribution to social or socio-cultural history, this book will also be of interest to historians of science, sociologists, anthropologists, geographers and others in another age of information explosion.
Customer Reviews:
The References are Great! The style..........2003-05-06
In 'A Social History of Knowledge,' Peter Burke provides a thorogh introduction to the evolution of knowledge throughout the Renaissance and Enlightenment. This book is a great read for anyone interested in how we developed our information apparatus. Professional Librarians and Science Studies researchers will be particularly pleased.
An overview of the book is provided by the table of contents:
- Professing Knowlege: The European Clerisy
- Establishing Knowledge: Institutions Old and New
- Locating Knowledge: Centres and Peripheries
- Classifying Knowledge: Curricula, Libraries, and Encyclopaedias
- Controlling Knowledge: Churches and States
- Selling Knowledge: The Market and the Press
- Acquiring Knowledge: The Reader's Share
- Trusting and Distrusting Knowledge: A Coda
Burke's writing is clear and cogent. He draws a clear thesis for each chapter and makes liberal use of references and anecdotes for support.
The greatest strength of this book lies in the depth of Burke's research. The footnotes and extensive bibliography are a treasure trove of secondary and primary resources for researchers. Unfortunately, the depth also accounts for the largest weakness of 'A Social History of Knowledge.'
While reading this book, it often seemed that Burke was just loosely stringing together paragraphs of quotations and anecdotes. Burke never altogether loses his reader, however, as he makes use of frequent summary paragraphs. This tempo of Burke's writing style provides for a very "skimmable" book that can frustrate those attempting to closely read the work.
My other criticism of this work lies in its warm-up and cool-down. The introduction is cursory and there in no conclusion that summarizes Burke's positions. The net result of these omissions is to create a hermetic work that frustrates those attempting to establish a dialectic with (or provide a citation to) Burke's ideas.
Overall, 'A Social History of Knowledge' is a valuable book for both researchers and the curious. My personal copy is well dog-eared and marked-up. I've even created an EndNote reference library based largely on Burke's citations. Therein lies the strength of this work; casual reader beware.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Canadian Journal of History, published by University of Saskatchewan on August 1, 2002. The length of the article is 802 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: A Social History of Knowledge: From Gutenberg to Diderot.(Book Review)
Author: Leslie Howsam
Publication:
Canadian Journal of History (Refereed)
Date: August 1, 2002
Publisher: University of Saskatchewan
Volume: 37
Issue: 2
Page: 409(3)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
Jean-Pierre Changeux is a world-famous neurobiologist. In an era of specialization, he is one of the rare scientists who has not only disregarded interdisciplinary boundaries, but in fact bridged them. Published originally in France, where it was a runaway bestseller, his Neuronal Man is the
most wide-ranging and in-depth synthesis of our current knowledge about the human brain-a balance sheet of 20 years' worth of discoveries as revolutionary as those in atomic physics at the turn of the century or genetics in the fifties. More than a guided tour of the fabulous universe of the human
brain, the book presents the author's radical, groundbreaking hypothesis currently shaking up scientific circles: that there is no "mind" in man, nothing psychic, only neurons, synapses, electricity, and chemistry.
The human cerebral cortex alone (the "rind" of the brain whose evolution culminates in man) contains at least 30 billion neurons (nerve cells). As Changeux explains, these communicate with each other at the level of gaps call synapses, which are so numerous that "if one counted a thousand of them
each second, between 3,000 and 30,000 years would pass before they had all been numbered.
Changeux leads us through this complexity with clarity, elegance of style, wit, and rigor, and then, moving from this solid, factual base, allows us to see the reasoning behind his theory of the biology of the brain. Neither "reductionist" nor "holistic," that is, neither reducing the functioning
of the whole to that of its elements, nor seeing a whole that more than the sum of its parts, this method is global, systematic. Each element of the human system contributes to its functioning as a whole, which, in turn, influences the characteristics and development of each element. The accent is
on relations and interdependencies.
At once historical and didactic, scientific and philosophical, witty and shrewd, the story he tells is an exciting one of territorial struggles, conflicts of schools, retrogressions, and breakthroughs. We explore a wealth of fact, theory, lore, and speculation, which sets into relief the
development of our current knowledge of how the brain works.
Neuronal Man, a brilliant and controversial book, allows us to reconquer our internal space on the basis of a new logic. It bridges the gap between the biological and the social, between body, mind, and soul.
"Science writing of the best kind, clear, concise, scholarly, at times even poetic."--Library Journal
"Written with great clarity, verve and grace, this detailed report...leads the reader carefully through the intricacies of an emerging science still in its infancy."--Publishers Weekly
"Pivotal....What [Changeux] says in this book may have far-reaching effects for years to come."-Booklist
"A revolutionary book.-L'Express
"Neuronal Man is an event as well as a book....A thrilling exploration of the brain and the mechanisms that control our behavior."--Liberation
Customer Reviews:
abysmally disappointing.......2003-01-16
Although this book is written by an accomplished scientist about an intrinsically fascinating topic, I found it to be quite disappointing. The title would seem to offer more - a discussion which connects the neurons of our brains with ourselves as people. Nope, not in this book.
The main shortcoming of this book is it's focus on the lower levels of brain function - physiology and chemistry. This makes some sense, given the authors own ground-breaking research on synaptic transmission. Unfortunately, this emphasis also means that any systems-level understanding of the brain and of behavior is almost completely missing. There is virtually no neuropsychological content. There's no real discussion of language, human learning, perception, cognition, etc. The whole affair is decidely reductionistic.
As an example of the magnitude of the mismatch between what the reader might expect and what Changeux offers: "consciousness" is discussed on two brief pages, and what he writes about is consciousness as in sleeping or staying awake!
There are an increasing number of excellent books on the human brain written by leading scientists. For example, please don't confuse this book with the far-better and similarly titled work by Joseph LeDoux, called "The Synaptic Self." Read that book instead "Neuronal Man." If you're feeling ambitious, try Steven Pinker's "How the Mind Works." If you're into the more philosophical questions, try Antonio Damnasio's "The Feeling of What Happens." Now, that's a book which really connects our minds to our bodies!
Difficult, dry.......2000-11-04
I found this a bit of a slog. Needs more helpful diagrams -- color would help -- and a little more life. Despite the mass of info here, I don't quite know how much I really learned from this, although there certainly was a lot in it to learn, but because it didn't really do the trick for me. Better for hard core biology types I expect.
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