America's Painted Ladies: The Ultimate Celebration of Our Victorians

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Deserves 20 stars! A Masterpiece!

EXCELLENT Model Reference: Beautiful Pictures, Beautiful Homes

A Must For Victorian House Owners

a great victorian house book

The pinnacle of the series

America's Painted Ladies: The Ultimate Celebration of Our Victorians
Elizabeth Pomada , Michael Larsen , Douglas Keister , and Elizabeth Pomanda
Manufacturer: Studio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Authentic Color Schemes for Victorian Houses: Comstock's Modern House Painting, 1883

Daughters of Painted Ladies: America's Resplendent Victorians

Victorian Style: Classic Homes of North America

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ASIN: 0140238573

Customer Reviews:

Deserves 20 stars! A Masterpiece!.......2007-06-16

WOW!! This book is truly a feast for the eyes, and that's no exaggeration! There are so many first rate photos and plenty of text. Every page has multiple color photos. It is a very heavy book! The paper is high quality and the photos are extremely high resolution and stunningly beautiful. What a great job they did just in printing this book! If you love Victorian homes, then this book is a must have! I like it so much I think I will eventually buy a brand new hardcover copy of it (I bought a used paperback copy). I plan on getting all the other books in this series too. Some of the very best Victorian homes are in this book. They kind of remind me of Disneyland with all the colorful paint schemes and fanciful shapes and decorations.

EXCELLENT Model Reference: Beautiful Pictures, Beautiful Homes.......2005-09-28

Believe it or not but the main reason I purchased this beautiful book was for reference material for scale model building (i.e. LEGO, etc.). I was hunting forever for a book on Victorian homes--with pictures of the OUTSIDE (as most of the books on Victorian architecture deal with the classic interior designs, furniture, etc.). LEGO and Victorian homes go hand in hand, as this book's wonderful color pictures perfectly illustrate--who could imagine such combinations would actually look so stunning!? In addition to excellent photography the text is well written, with interesting facts about each home, why it's unique, yet how it fits into the overall "Painted Lady" lineage... excellent. :-)

A Must For Victorian House Owners.......2004-07-24

A fantastic book, a must for anyone who is thinking about painting a Victorian house. It was very helpful to me and my husband who had to come up with a color scheme for our three-story Queen Anne built in 1895.

If you're in the same boat, then you know that deciding on a color scheme for a detailed Victorian house isn't easy and takes careful thought and consideration. This book will help you. It will give you countless ideas, and just looking at the photos is inspiring.

And then, the book will appeal to any fan of Victorian architecture as well. I love looking at the numerous photos of the houses and find myself thumbing through it again and again. Every time I look at this book, I see something intriguing that I hadn't noticed before. Such a book serves to keep me inspired during the remainder of our home's renovation, which is trying at times.

a great victorian house book.......2004-01-31

i was speechless each picture was so beautiful , i love each and every house. a great book

The pinnacle of the series.......2003-08-14

Taller than any of the other books and nearly twice as thick as the thickest, this gorgeous 1992 volume (Ms. Pomada, isn't it time we got a fifth??), once again produced with the help of partner Larsen and photographer Keister, is, like "Daughters of Painted Ladies," a survey of Victorian homes from all over the country. From Searsport, ME, where the subtly detailed, white-bodied Mansard Carriage House Inn welcomes its guests, to a pink 1887 Steamboat Gothic in National City, near San Diego, here are dozens of Victorians, large and small, somber and vivid, plus an assortment of interiors, some fully period, others furnished in more contemporary style against the richly detailed background of the time. If you buy it to "get ideas" for your own Painted Lady, you'll find more than you can choose between. If you buy it just to look at, be prepared to spend hours drooling! A treasure trove for lovers of period detail, which is so admirably brought out by the creative combinations of color used in decorating these buildings.

America's Painted Ladies : The Ultimate Celebration of Our Victorians

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America's Painted Ladies : The Ultimate Celebration of Our Victorians
Elizabeth; Larsen, Michael Pomada
Manufacturer: Viking Studio Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBUIY0

Average customer rating:

America's Painted Ladies: The Ultimate Celebration of Our Victorians
Elizabeth; Larsen, Michael; Keister, Douglas; Pomanda, Elizabeth Pomada
Manufacturer: Studio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ7YTW

Book Description

Until now, the techniques used to create great abstract paintings were surrounded by a veil of mystery. Abstract Painting: Concepts and Techniques lifts that veil to reveal the exact methods behind the masterworks. Now students and professional artists can stop guessing and start building on the techniques of the great abstract artists to create their own innovative new work. Two clear, comprehensible sections let artists focus quickly on their specific areas of interest. The first section, on Traditional Painterly Abstraction, using brush and easel, looks at pictorial space, brushwork, paint quality, and collage. The second section, on Post-Painterly Modern Abstraction, considers options ranging from the pour-and-spatter techniques of Jackson Pollock to the staining, scraping, and abrading of modern acrylic artists. Step-by-step recipes for key approaches show artists how to get the best aesthetic results, freeing them to move forward philosophically.

Customer Reviews:

a grounding read.......2007-08-26

I have really enjoyed this book. It is informative on technique as well as rich in concepts, as the title suggests. It has many high quality photos, and is filled with wonderful examples. Thought provoking and well written. A welcome addition to my art library.

Abstract Painting: Concepts and Techniques.......2007-03-31

Good book. Really clues you in on the whys and what fors of abstract painting. After reading this book (more than once) I was not intimidated by trying my hand at abstract painting. The photos in the book are awesome. The author knows her art as does those artists who contributed to the book.

First class, but not for the beginner.......2007-03-15

It's a pity to dismiss Vicky Perry's book if you have done absolutely no abstract painting, because you may well find it invaluable further down the track. The text provides advanced theories that will be well beyond someone who is a complete beginner, but will be a mine of information for the experienced amateur as well as the art student.

I purchased this book before I found Brian Ryder's "Beyond Realism" (see my review of this book) and was initially as challenged by Vicky Perry's text as other reviewers. However, having now worked my way through Ryder's book (and two other's I mention at the end of this review) I found that the concepts and techniques in "Abstract Painting" began to click, and even found them refreshing and exciting. What is more, the examples of abstract art in Perry's book are from professionals, which are hardly open to criticism from amateurs. Okay, so I don't like them all either, but that can only be a plus: you can ask yourself - how would I express the artist's idea myself? (You can't do that with the one's you like - they've already made the definitive statement!)

This is no paint-by numbers book for two reasons: firstly, by its very nature, abstract art cannot be taught literally, in formal steps - as is technical drawing, for example. Secondly, the author quite reasonably assumes that the reader has some experience, not only in the fundamentals of art making, but also in basic forms of abstract expression. If you are short on either of these skills, you need to start elsewhere.

Contrary to what other reviewers claim, there are plenty of books available that can get a beginner started on abstract painting. It is just that such books are not necessarily titled "abstract." They tend to come under the cateories of design, or creativity. Even collage books like those of Gerald Brommer are a good introduction to abstract principles - with instruction included.

For the absolute beginner, I would recommend beginning with Mary Todd Beam's "Celebrate your Creative Self." All the exercises in this book are abstract, and clear instructions are given as to materials and techniques. You even get to copy to some extent! Next, I recommend Maxine Masterfield's "Painting the Spirit of Nature." That also gives techniques, but assumes more experience. Try Vicky Perry's Book after you have cut your teeth on these two - or something similar. I am sure you won't be disappointed.

Very informative on abstracts.......2007-02-13

I haven't finished the entire book yet. I have read 3/4 of it and it is full of information in art itself. It makes you understand why abstract can be harder to paint than realistic. I think it helps with your realistic painting as you can plan it using abstract masses to balance and use of values. Abstract painting books are hard to find that actually makes you appreciate all kinds of art.

An Artists comments.......2007-01-11

I very much enjoyed this book with lots of ideas to develop abstract work. Books like this will encourage artists to experiment and produce different work.

Book Description

French electronic musician Jean-Michel Jarre once defined Yohji Yamamoto's style like this: "For me, a woman in Yohji is like a nymphomaniac nun. His clothes are at once sensual and very ritualistic." This about a man whose reputation marks him as a designer of clothes for earnest intellectuals. This about a man whose 1998 "wedding" show featured a bridal striptease which took models from inflated Victorian crinolines down to slim-line dresses and pants. This about a man who is one of the most revered and idiosyncratic of 20th century designers. In Talking to Myself, Yamamoto has created an illustrated notebook that recounts the phases of his life. A work in progress punctuated with multiple images, Talking to Myself is the only book in which Yamamoto has become personally involved, making it a veritable extension of his own private world. In it, he "talks to himself" and with philosopher and art/fashion critic Kiyokazu Washida about himself and the objects he creates, objects that meld, blend with, and are assimilated by the person they seek to enhance. Pages marked by Yamamoto's pen and brush with Japanese ideograms, striking sketches, and abstract compositions help decipher his desire to achieve anti-fashion through fashion itself. Yamamoto's world is one of black and white symbols, a world in which color makes only a fleeting appearance.

Customer Reviews:

A must have for the Yohji Fan.......2003-11-28

Just beautiful...Unfortunately it is completely focused on the women's collections. They really must do one for the men!

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Yohji Yamamoto (Memoirs)
Francois Baudot
Manufacturer: Assouline
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 2843237041

New Wave in Fashion: Three Japanese Designers

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New Wave in Fashion: Three Japanese Designers
Jean C. Hildreth
Manufacturer: Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0910407010

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Universo da Moda: Yohji Yamamoto

Manufacturer: Cosac & Naify
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 8586374814

YOHJI YAMAMOTO POUR HOMME AUTOMNE HIVER 88.89

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YOHJI YAMAMOTO POUR HOMME AUTOMNE HIVER 88.89
NICK) (YAMAMOTO, YOHJI). Yamamoto, Yohji & Nick Knight (KNIGHT
Manufacturer: Yohji Yamamoto
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PIAOIK

Book Description

Yes, Paradox is back. And when she puts Detective Nagawa's life in danger, Nakiko has nowhere else to turn except...to the Witchblade.

Book Description

Four years ago Kip Layton moved from Texas to Alaska to teach. Or so he thought... Read how personal adventures and observations of Eskimo living have made him a student of the past while educating the children in the present.

Book Description

All-American Girls

Join the winning team

Score the winning goal with superstar Mia Hamm. Chart the plays and take to the field with co-captain Julie Foudy. Go for the gold with the champs -- Michelle Akers, Carla Overbook, Kristine Lilly, and the rest of the stellar 1999 World Cup team! Read all about our favorite players in the first authorized book on the members of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team.

Find the latest stats, action-packed photos, bios, and advice from the hottest stars in professional sports today. Follow these all-American girls from their earlest days in soccer to their record-breaking careers, with Q&As, and personal info you won't find anyplace else. It's all here, in the book that's a must-have for every soccer fan!

Customer Reviews:

The best book in the history of history's history!!!.......2006-01-19

All american girl is the storyr of the golden oldies of the Womens National soccer team! It shows how some 10+ ordinary girls came together to make a HUGE difference in the history of sports! Best book ever!!!!!!

An inside look at true American Girls.......2001-10-18

This book is fantastic. It gives an inside look at each player to pass through the National team program for an extended period of time. Includes player interviews and a sort of "rap"sheet for each player, like their most embaressing soccer moment, their favorite number, and other interesting facts. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in learning more about the Womens National team. Don't Miss it!!

All The Secrets Of The US Team Come Out.......2000-07-23

If you are a fan of any player on the US womens team and wonder what they do in there life (Yes they do have a life out side of soccer)this is the book for you. Your brothers picking on you saing girls cant play sports. Will now you can prove him wrong. Hand him this book tell him to read the first page, it will make him think twice before he makes fun of womens soccer again. This book has each player tell about there life in and out of soccer. They tell of all the interesting hobbies they have and some of am even rat on there team mates. If you buy this book and dont enjoy reading it you are not a true womens soccer fan.

The Best Book in the WORLD!!!!!.......1999-10-07

If u don't have this book, u must buy it because i never liked soccer untill my friend bought me it. I was hooked. I read it 5 times that is how good it was. Please buy the book. If u don't, you are missing out....... BIG time.

interesting book.......1999-10-04

This book will give you the facts and inside scoop of the wonderful ladies. Some of the stories the team tells are hilaroius. It's not the best book I've read but it's great for young girls to see how they got to the highest level.

Book Description

The '45 Rising has been romanticised over the centuries in many books and films, and still arouses strong emotions in Scotland, but this is the first comprehensive history ever. It is based on original research in all available archives, including Swedish, French and German records. These make nonsense of the many popular histories based on self-serving accounts written by a few of the key participants. But it is no dry academic analysis. Christopher Duffy, the world's greatest authority on 18th century warfare, writes a vivid narrative that overturns many accepted 'facts' about The '45. His text is supported by numerous maps and a comprehensive guide to the key sites that can be visited today.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent account but biased outlook.......2006-08-25

Overall, I found Christopher Duffy's book on the Jacobite Rising of 1745 to be an excellent accounting of the events. The author reflects on his massive knowledge of 18th century warfare as he writes. He joined Stuart Reid in downplaying Lord George Murray while upgrading Prince Charles' abilities and leadership skills. The book reads like a revisionist point of view due to that stance. The author also considered all the options available to Prince Charles and his allies and discussed their options with clarity. The author's military aspects of the book proves to be superbly written, analysized and research. Its a thick book so military narrative proves to be detailed. The author also gives plenty of background material on Jacobites conspiracies prior to 1745 for a better understanding of the situation. The reader will get a clear and understandable perceptive of the military affair of the Jacobite revolt of 1745. In this aspects, the book is one of the best ever written.

Where I have a bone to pick with Mr. Duffy lies in his political assessment and his pro-Jacobite leaning reflecting that. While he's never openly biased regarding military matters, he seem to be very biased politically toward Charles and his Jacobite revolt. In choosing to called the British government troops and generals "Hanoverians" is pretty cheap and historically inaccurate. George II is second king of the new dynasty. His right to British kingdom is beyond doubt much like Henry V stood clear of his father, Henry IV who took the throne from Ricahrd II. Catholic House of Stuart have no true claims anymore and Jacobite forces were rebels forces fighting against a legal British government and her troops. Mr. Duffy also forgot (which seem bit weird to point this out) at what ease Prince Charles' grandfather, King James II was driven out from his throne during the Glorious Revolution of 1688. That itself should remind the author that Britain will never tolerate a Catholic ruler. Even if the Jacobite won London, chased George II out, it would only be matter of time before the nation aroused itself against a Catholic prince and then there will be another "Glorious Revolution". Outcome of the the 1745 revolt was doomed to began with. It was only matter of time. What surprised me a little is why someone like Christopher Duffy don't seem to understand that.

The book reflects strongly on the military aspects of the campaign but poorly on the political aspects due to the author's lack of perception. Considering that the author is considered to be one of the foremost historians of this period and an Englishman, I found his lack of perception puzzling. Still, the book come highly recommended because its more of a military history book and that is where the book remains strong. The political aspects appears to be reflect the author's personal opinion and thankfully, it not reflected too often in the book. "Hanoverian" term remains one of the consistence reminder of author's biased.

A well read individual on this subject should benefit greatly from reading this book. (I leaned toward 4 Stars instead of 3 due to military narrative of the book.)

A British civil war.......2006-07-09

Christopher Duffy has written a thorough and readable history of the Jacobite rising of 1745-6. He explains the historical context for the rebellion and in great detail describes the events and the battles which took place. In doing so he exposes many of the myths which have developed over time about Bonnie Prince Charlie, his army and his cause. Duffy shows that the Jacobites were made up of people from all over the British Isles not just Highlanders; that this was not straightforwardly a fight between England and Scotland, for many Scots supported the Hanoverians and many English supported the Stuarts. The rebellion was thus a British civil war, a conflict between dynasties.

One of the best aspects of the book is the analysis of how nearly the Jacobites succeeded. Duffy shows that the rising was not some hopelessly romantic, doomed from the start attempt to restore a lost cause. The Jacobites reached as far as Derby in the English Midlands and if they had pressed on to London, as Prince Charles wanted, they might have won. Duffy shows that there was little in their way, and that the outcome although far from certain, offered a realistic chance of success. The decision to retreat from Derby was therefore truly momentous for from that moment the rising was bound to fail eventually.

In his account it is clear where Duffy's sympathies lie, though he never ceases to be objective. It is obvious that he considers the Jacobite cause, of restoring the Stuarts, to be essentially just and that the George II, the Elector of Hanover was the real usurper. It is certainly true that "young pretender" had a better hereditary claim to the throne than the man who was sitting on it. In general Bonnie Prince Charlie comes out well from Duffy's account. He is shown to be an able military leader who inspired his forces and very nearly won a kingdom.

Duffy's book is well illustrated and has many useful maps. There are a number of typographical errors, but nothing that gets in the way of understanding the text. This is probably the best account of the '45 available, written by a military historian who really understands the period.

The '45: Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Untold Story of the Jacobite Rising

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The '45: Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Untold Story of the Jacobite Rising
Christopher Duffy
Manufacturer: Cassell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OS7MIG

Customer Reviews:

An impressive presentation and analysis.......2003-01-11

Volume 216 in the outstanding University of Oklahoma Press "The Civilization of the American Indian Series", Rifles, Blankets, And Beads: Identity, History, And The Northern Athapaskan Potlatch by Northern Athapaskan Native American culture expert William E. Simeone is an impressive presentation and analysis of the Northern Athapaskan potlatch, a Native American tradition in which the hosts have a party for the specific purpose of giving their possessions as presents to their guests, while accepting no gifts in return, and keep very little for themselves. The role of the potlatch in promoting societal cohesiveness, in curbing greed and excess, in encouraging familial and tribal cooperation, and a great deal more is carefully scrutinized in this intriguing study. Rifles, Blankets, And Beads is a welcome and valued contribution to any personal or academic Native American Studies collection.

Amazon.com

If you think nature is red in tooth and claw, you've never seen paleoanthropologists. Never has so much fuss been made by so many over so little actual evidence. Unlike most scientific controversies, however, those in paleoanthropology involve seriously emotional issues: nothing less than the origin and nature of humanity.

One of the most fervent controversies in human origins has been over whether human evolution occurred only in Africa (the "Out of Africa" hypothesis), or whether humans evolved on different continents concurrently (the "Multiregional" hypothesis). The bones known as "Java Man" are key for deciding between these theories, and the most important unknowns about them are their dates. Geochronologists Carl Swisher and Garniss Curtis produced the first good dates for fossil humans from Java and set the paleoanthropological community on its collective ear--some of the fossils are much older than anyone thought, others are much younger. In this book they tell their story with the aid of Roger Lewin, a widely respected science journalist and the author of Bones of Contention.

Historians of academic infighting will find Java Man a treasure trove. Rarely has the mask of science been peeled back so completely, to reveal a seething mass of egos, mistakes, lawsuits, and crude hand gestures, boiling around some real, basic questions in human evolution. It's not yet particularly conclusive, but it is certainly not dull. --Mary Ellen Curtin

Book Description

With their revolutionary discovery about human origins, a pair of maverick geologists single-handedly shook the foundations of science and philosophy. Here, for the first time, is the inside story.

For much of the twentieth century, anthropologists believed in a simple, linear picture of evolution: the human family was born in Africa and remained there until Homo erectus, a relatively advanced form of human, migrated into eastern Asia about one million years ago. All later humans, these anthropologists thought, developed through a steady modernization process from Homo erectus. But when Garniss Curtis and Carl Swisher of the Berkeley Geochronology Center applied advanced potassium/argon dating techniques to previously studied -- and incorrectly dated -- fossils in Indonesia, their findings shocked the anthropological community and drastically altered our current view of human evolution.

With lucid prose and infectious enthusiasm for the subject, the authors take us on a journey to the Indonesian island of Java, where Curtis and Swisher made two important discoveries: first, that human ancestors left the Cradle of Mankind -- the African continent -- and migrated east almost two million years ago, much earlier than anthropologists had believed, and second, that Homo erectus might have survived until as late as 27,000 years ago, suggesting that Homo erectus actually coexisted with Homo sapiens and was probably not an evolutionary precursor. Their findings not only destroy the straight line of human evolution, but also call into question the inevitability of the evolution of Homo sapiens.

Eventually, politics and a lack of funding find their way into the story, providing a realistic, if unfortunate, look at the travails that accompany scientific discovery. Swisher's and Curtis's findings are often met with skepticism, and their scientific methods are called into question. But conviction and determination lead them to conclusions that not only redefine their field but raise philosophical questions about what it means to be human.

Customer Reviews:

If only Java Man could see us now..........2006-05-22

Java Man mixes history, paleo-anthropology and journalism. It discusses the history of the Java Man find in Indonesia early last century. Then the paleo-anthropological significance of the find and it's associated historical controversies. I think the authors tell us that Java Man has variously been pigeonholed into as many as nine different species since he was dug up. And to round off they provides us with a blow by blow account of the modern controversies surrounding Java Man.

In particular they outline the recent ding dong battle between geo-chronologists (scientists who date dead things for a living) and anthropologists (the 'traditional' custodians of our knowledge of pre-humans). A new age tribal turf war with money, prestige, organisational loyalty and big man reputation at stake. Interestingly enough Java Man himself was probably modern enough to understand all that sort of thing. A worthy read for anyone interested in the real world of bruised ego science.

I liked it..........2005-07-21

First, before you get the book, there are three stories within the covers -
1 - The history of the study of human evolution, focused on the debate between single origin and multiregional origins.
2 - The discoveries made by Carl C. Swisher III and Garniss H. Curtis about Homo erectus and how this changed many of the ideas (or just clouded things even more).
3 - How science really works, with the egos, the money issues, the insults, the old guard against the new ideas and how each side slams into each other till somebody screams uncle and somebody wins. Logic seems to have nothing to do with it.
At only 235 pages it does seem small, but the chapters are clear and simple, with more than enough details and examples to make everything easy to understand. They did a great work at explaining how technology has changed over the years when it comes to figuring out the age of an object. Yet I never felt like I was being talked down to.
The only problem is that having been published in 2000 it makes you wonder what the 'hobbits' would have done to their ideas.

Because Zero Stars Wasn't an Option.......2005-02-24

Here we have the magnificent tale of a "geochronologist" who gained access to one of the world's most interesting hominid fosils ("Java Man"), makes the acquaintence of several the world's most renowned paleoanthropologists, and whose ego screws up everything. You would think that if Carl Swisher planned to make a living in one of the technological backwaters of paleoanthropology, he would make himself useful as a team player. Instead he has managed to become a pariah at the Institute of Human Origins, and gave them the finger as he walked out the door (his side of the story). To be sure, Teuku Jacob, the Indonesian scientist who summarily confiscates all Indonesian finds to make himself indispensable, is a tough customer. So, Carl, use someone else's fossil, or (here's an inspiration) find your own. What Java Man is all about is how Swisher wasted his sponsors' money in an increasingly acrimonious effort to promote a technology ("advanced potassium-argon dating techniques") which might have been very useful in the hands of an eager-to-please summer intern. Perhaps a more charitable view is that this book is meant to show the sponsors of his research why he failed to have the slightest (positive) impact on his objectives. Honestly, folks, if you are animated by hominid evolution, you'll learn more from any ten consecutive pages of Ian Tattersall than all of this 235 page rant.

Wanna date me?.......2004-10-21

In studies of human evolution, dating fossil finds is of paramount importance. Since the fossil bones themselves carry no signature indicating their age, the placement in time must be done by inference. The clues lie in the rocks surrounding the teeth, jaws or skulls unearthed. Ever since Raymond Dart's finding of the Taung Child in 1924, the mysteries surrounding human evolution have been painstakingly revealed. Dart's discovery, which should have confirmed Darwin's predictions of African origins for humanity, had already been usurped a generation before. Dutch army surgeon, Eugene Dubois, had already found fossils in Java. The discovery confirmed what many believed, that human origins were in Asia rather than the Dark Continent. This new collaboration examines the evidence while making a detailed analysis of the controversy that emerged over our evolutionary track in Asia and Africa.

Lewin's hand in this narrative is readily apparent. He's done many books on anthropology, each one as a close collaboration with the actual researchers. He evokes the human side of each trip to fossil sites - storm-tossed aircraft, jungle road trips, the frustration of pinpointing older finds, the clash of personalities. In this case, a fossil unearthed along a riverside seemed to evade identity. The failure of precise location means the dismissal of dating practices. Lewin and his team spend much time going over the ways a site is dated and what it meant for another Child, this one known as Mojokerto.

Amidst the complications of pinpointing sites, verifying dates and the immense burden of funding multi-national investigations, we are suddenly transported into a maelstrom of professional acrimony. Curtiss and Swisher's team had been forced into an uneasy association with Don Johanson's [he of "Lucy" fame] Institute of Human Origins in Berkeley, California. A private establishment, very loosely tied to the University, contributions to keep it running were, as always, the subject of priority discussions. The story Lewin relates is reminiscent of theological disputes, with backstabbing, character assassination and explosive temperaments. While the casual observer would assume the players in this scenario would be working in the same cause, small events exploded into destructive schisms. Lewin's writing is Swisher's voice, yet the hurt feelings are vividly related. You are almost sitting at the table witnessing the vituperation.

Yet another fossil, with yet another dating crisis, brought what should be the resolution of yet another dispute. For many years the idea of human "origins" in Asia persisted, although in different guise. Dubois 1892 artefacts ultimately fit into a species later termed Homo erectus, an early precursor of ourselves. A school of anthropologists, led by Milford Wolpoff, has argued that H. erectus evolved into H. sapiens in parallel tracks in Africa, Asia, and perhaps elsewhere. Known as "multiregionalism", it is one way of explaining human "races". Lewin continues to follow the two researchers as they pursue the dating of an H. erectus specimen that proved only 50 thousand years old. There's not enough time to produce our species from one so recent.

Lewin and his associates have produced a fine overview of a contentious and difficult area. Lewin's writing skills keep the narrative lively and readable. He's to be commended for his clear presentation and full detachment in the account. A collection of old and recent photographs, plus some explanatory graphics adds visual enhancement. The historical background is ably woven into the science, providing meaningful background. A book that provides an intimate view of the life of anthropology. stephen a. haines (...)

Politics, Anthropology, and a New View of Man........2004-01-04

(...)This book contains three stories; and as a result none of them get the attention they should have. It is the story of Garness Curtis's retirement from the University of California at Berkley, and the subsequent disasters that followed as he attempted to continue his research outside the proactive environment of the university. It is the story of the evolution of the theories of the evolution of man, and it is the story of the discovery that Java Man was not one of many steps early man made in his evolution from an earlier ape like creature, but in fact a parallel evolution of a second homo species that died off around the time of Neanderthal Man.

All three books were worth writing; it is unfortunate that, for whatever reason they got clumped into a single small volume. I should mention that all three stories were to a large extent interwoven. Much of the more scientific information was presented at conferences, and in journal articles. Nonetheless, it is the only place that two of these three events can be read about.

The result is a readable book, accessible to any reader that allows a view into the messy world of real scientific research.

To Criticize Garness Curtis for not being an anthropologist is a little bit like making the claim the Einstein was a physicist and not a mathematician. Any man who dedicates over 40 years of his life, working with, studying with, and publishing with the anthropologists investigating early man becomes an anthropologist, if not by degree, then by vocation.

The overall quality of the book is far less than I had hoped for, however it is still worth reading if you are interested in the development of man, and the politics of academia.

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JAVA MAN : HOW TWO GEOLOGISTS CHANGED OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN EVOLUTION

Manufacturer: University of Chicago Press USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IAE7FG

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