Book Description
For years, designers, educators, and community administrators have clamored for a book that will highlight the problems with contemporary playgrounds, tender sorely needed strategies with which to redress them, and stimulate national debate about today's crisis of undervalued public space. Susan Solomon's groundbreaking and marvelously illustrated American Playgrounds is that book. Since the 1970s, Solomon maintains, American playgrounds have degenerated into irrelevance as cultural artifacts and educational tools. Imbedded in Solomon's text is a frank indictment of American attitudes that are stunted by a heavy-handed emphasis on safety that limits the nature of play and the vitality of places for public assembly.
During the past decade an elite few American architects, landscape architects, and sculptors, including Stanley Saitowitz, Walter Hood, and Mary Miss, have pioneered the restoration of aesthetic and developmental values to play areas for young people. Solomon appraises these success stories and proposes fresh and urgent remedies that blend excellent design principles, innovative planning, and affordability--a vision for the future of the playground in America. Supplementing her impeccable command of primary and secondary sources with hundreds of hours of interviews with designers and clients, the author confronts a seriously under-developed topic with powerful and complex arguments rich in social history, law, theories of play and childhood, and urbanism. Readers will be inspired--and equipped--to take up the gauntlet of advocacy for superior American playgrounds.
Accessibly written, American Playgrounds will fascinate diverse constituencies, including parents, educators, policymakers, and art, architectural, and cultural historians. For those commissioning, funding, designing, and overseeing playgrounds, it will be indispensable. The book includes a foreword by Martha Thorne, Associate Curator of the Department of Architecture, Art Institute of Chicago.
Customer Reviews:
American Playgrounds: Revitalizing Community Space.......2007-02-06
I really enjoyed and found this book quite useful in research I have been undertaking. Covers the history of american playgrounds, outlines some of the more interesting projects that often move away from the standard 'post and platform' playgrounds that dominate the market.
Great for anyone who is planning a playground or community space.
Well written, well researched and well documented references, great for practising professionals or students alike.
Superb Insights.......2006-06-03
Susan Solomon's approach to the recent history of American Playgrounds is insightful, well-researched and very well-written. Although academic, the book is neither esoteric nor patronizing. The illustrations are excellent. As a designer, I found her discussion of safe play spaces very illuminating. I would recommend this book to practitioners, historians, and students. It's not just a history of play, but a history of American thought. Great book!
Use as a Textbook.......2006-02-24
I am currently using this book as a text for a 1-credit class called "The Playground Project" and it is such a wonderful compliment. I feel as if I am really gaining a lot of information from it, and it's a quick and fun read.
Book Description
This book contains stunning images for use as a graphic resource, or inspiration. All the illustrations are stored in high-resolution format on the enclosed free CD-ROM and are ready to use for professional quality printed media and web page design. The pictures can also be used to produce postcards, or to decorate your letters, flyers, etc. They can be imported directly from the CD into most design, image- manipulation, illustration, word-processing and e-mail programs; no installation is required. For most applications, single images can be used free of charge. Please consult the introduction to this book, or visit our website for conditions.
Customer Reviews:
Superb resource for education and digital arts.......2006-06-24
This edition reproduces ancient Mexica glyphs and codex illustrations at higher quality than other resource books I've owned for many years. As much as I love and appreciate the Dover resource books that come with CD-ROMs, the images on their CDs tend to be low quality, with extensive "jaggies" that require extensive correction before being used for digital texturing or Web design. The images on the CD-ROM accompanying this fine book are much higer resolution and will require fewer "corrections" before use in digital art applications, this buyer's intended purpose.
Even if you're not a digital artist, this book serves as a fascinating overview of Mexica aesthetics. It's a real pleasure just to view and learn from.
Average customer rating:
|
Marilyn: March 1955--Photographs from the Michael Ochs Archives
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Photo Essays
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Actors & Actresses
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0385301197
Release Date: 1990-10-01 |
Customer Reviews:
Marilyn: March 1955.......2001-11-08
This is one of the most unique and missed books during Marilyn Monroe's so-called, "New York" Period. A interesting period in Monroe's life that immediately followed her divorce from her then husband Joe DiMaggio, and her inception as a student in the "Lee Strasberg" "Actors' School". The reader and fan will appreciate the photos of Marilyn when she appeared for the Premiere of "Tennessee Williams'" Play, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". There are also "behind the scene" photos of Marilyn preparing for her grand entrance into the Madison Square Garden Arena on a pink elephant, to benefit a children's charity by Mike Todd. Truly, very unique and beautiful photos of the late screen goddess, which I for one will maintain in my Monroe collection for many years to come. A very beautifully put-together collection of photographer "Ed Feingersh's" photo memories of Marilyn Monroe during the early spring of 1955. Photos which were stored-away for over 40 + years and were discovered by accident. This is a truly 'must-have" for the "Monroe Afficionado"!
Book Description
The definitive d20 System resource for dungeon design and survival.
- New rules for character adventuring in dungeons, including prestige classes, feats, equipment, and dungeon tactics and survival tips.
- Detailed guidelines on the role of magic in dungeon adventures, along with a host of new spells and magic items.
- Comprehensive rules for environmental hazards and random encounters.
- A complete, step-by-step dungeon design system.
- New rules for monster morale and the social geography of dungeons.
- Several unique encounter areas, such as the Chamber of Winds and the Machine.
Customer Reviews:
If you are in LOVE with dungeons..........2004-03-27
This book is okay, it certainly has alot of unique information one is not going to find anywhere else. There are some interesting prestige classes, as well as some new feats and equipment (skip-shot arrows: they bounce off walls and negate dex bonus to AC! fun for rangers). Also some wacky ideas for cool dungeons like the Great Machine and a huge carcass the party can walk around in. All the stuff is pretty cool, but if you're not in a dungeon, well then you'll probably have no use for this book. For a exclusive dungeon-based campaign, where the characters NEVER see the light of day, this is the perfect book.
Otherwise, I'd have to say that the few non-dungeon related things that can be cherry-picked from the text aren't really worth the price.
Customer Reviews:
Waste of Time and Money.......2006-01-24
If you really feel the need to buy this, do so. But send it to me with a pair of scissors before you read it. I will send back an abridged edition, far superior to the original. This way you can avoid the disappointment I felt....... I will even return the scissors.
Good for a laugh........2005-01-07
I have to take issue with the other reviewer who called Carroll's attempt at a bio on the un-dooable 'trite'... bollocks.
Yes she tries to emulate her mentor, no it's not as good as Hunter himself. But, the blow by blow accounts arent what one would call lies, as that's what Hunter does best, politics aside. This is a fantastic little book of insights, many of the stories already exist in one form or another, and it's nice to have them in one little compendium. The real stories of his adventures far outweigh the stories told about him, anyway.
Gah!.......2004-09-14
If you have the misfortune of reading this book do yourself a favor and skip the fictional chapters, they are total rubbish. If E Jean Carroll is "the female answer to Hunter Thompson" than I'm the Queen of England. Her awful attempt at copying Thompsons style comes across as sophmoric and trite. I too recomend Paul Perrys book over this one.
Why is this gem out of print?.......2003-09-25
My goodness what is this world coming too. This book simply is the greatest. After watching Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, I simply had to devour all information I could find on this amazing man, Hunter S. Thompson.
I am so pleased to have found this informative work of art on such a legendary American figure.
Thank you E. Jean! Please never stop authoring books, you are wonderful.
I just hope this book is re-released so others can enjoy it as much as I have.
A Tough Read.......2003-04-21
I purchased this book keep my HST collection as complete as possible. I've owned it for 3 years and have never finished reading it. I gave it 2 stars out of generosity. Get Paul Perry's book if you can, it's a 6 star book with 5 being the best.
Average customer rating:
|
En Route: Journals of a Mobicentric
Peter Heine
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Memoirs
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0738828300 |
Amazon.com
Starting with the point of discovery, Cecelia Cancellaro's book follows a simple chronological progression from diagnostic testing through complications, labor, and delivery. It ends with the "harsh realities of postpartum life" and a section told from the partner's perspective. Each story is short--just a page or two--told in the first person, and introduced by the author with a brief paragraph of background information.
The stories cover a wide range of emotions. We hear from women who got pregnant without trying (or even while actively trying to prevent it); women who tried and succeeded; women who tried, lost their babies, and tried again; and women who needed fertility treatments. The labors range from straightforward and short to hideously long and complicated. One woman had an emergency C-section and was temporarily blinded and partially paralyzed; her partner struggled to attend to both their 2-year-old daughter and their premature son in the intensive-care unit. All of the stories are told with honesty and clarity, letting the reader know just how the mother-to-be or her partner felt as they approached moments of fear and delight. Any woman who dips into Pregnancy Stories and reads a handful of pages here and there will feel as if she has a whole new set of friends to compare notes with. --Richard Farr
Book Description
Does anyone else spend hours poking her belly? How do others cope with growing stomachs, swelling breasts, and ferocious appetites? Does an amniocentesis hurt? These are questions that cannot necessarily be answered in a typical pregnancy book. In fact, no clinical guide can compete with what a pregnant woman can learn from simply talking to other future moms. In Pregnancy Stories, over two dozen women share their experiences with pregnancy and childbirth in an informative collection of essays. The stories are organized by the stages of pregnancy, from conception through childbirth, and include anecdotes on early pregnancy, sonograms, complications, exercise, weight gain, miscarriage, partner issues, and long pregnancies. Brief and absorbing, these stories help demystify the nine-month-long process and feed a mother-to-be's hunger for shared experience.
Customer Reviews:
A GREAT book.......2003-08-25
Nowhere else have I seen a book written by women about their own experiences. Every woman who is planning on having a baby, or is pregnant for the first, or fifth time, should read this book.
It is a wonderful gift to give. Having had four miscarriages, I especially appreciate all the stories about loss. It makes me know I'm not alone.
Fascinating and helpful guide during pregnancy..........2003-03-27
I loved this book! It's so great to find a book that is written for pregnant women by pregnant women or women that have gone through pregnancy. It's very straightforward and insightful and you get an honest woman's point of view on pregnancy (how it feels, what to expect) rather than trying to decipher medical vocab. It's a fantastic book and I would recommend it to anyone who is expecting. I couldn't put it down!
Friendly support during pregnancy.......2001-04-11
I found this book extremely helpful on two levels. First of all, I am pregnant and have been assured by the women in the book that my physical and emotional experiences are quite normal. I also have gestational diabetes, and reading other women's experiences on that condition has been educational and comforting as well. Second, I have a dear friend who recently suffered a miscarriage. The women's honesty in the book in dealing with such a fate not only helped me understand what my friend was going through, but also guided me in how to support her.
I would recommend this book to any woman who is pregnant or is close friends with someone who is. The stories are validating and certainly less clinical than other popular books about pregnancy. I felt supported by these women who were willing to share their experiences, especially when the pregnancy was not the expected walk in the park.
A great friend during pregnancy!.......2001-04-11
I couldn't put this book down. I loved hearing about the ups and downs of pregnancy from other pregnant women. Their stories provide a human voice to the more clinical pregnancy books and they also provide a lot of comfort, insight, and wisdom. The book is organized in a way that allows you to read about the various stages of pregnancy as you are going through them, but I couldn't wait and read the whole thing in a couple of sittings. I especially liked the chapters on diagnostic testing and complications since it is so hard to find information about women's emotional and psychological reactions to these subjects in other books. I am going to recommend this book to all of my pregnant friends.
Book Description
To Jefferson Davis, he was the "Stonewall of the West"; to Robert E. Lee, he was "a meteor shining from a clouded sky"; and to Braxton Bragg, he was an officer "ever alive to a success." He was Patrick Ronayne Cleburne, one of the greatest of all Confederate field commanders.
An Irishman by birth, Cleburne emigrated to the United States in 1849 at the age of 21. He achieved only modest success in the peacetime South but rose rapidly in the wartime army to become the Confederacy's finest division commander. He was admired by peers and subordinates alike for his leadership, loyalty, honesty, and fearlessness in the face of enemy fire. The valor of his command was so inspirational that his unit alone was allowed to carry its own distinctive battle flag.
In Stonewall of the West, Craig Symonds offers the first full-scale critical biography of this compelling figure. He explores all the sources of Cleburne's commitment to the Southern cause, his growth as a combat leader from Shiloh to Chickamauga, and his emergence as one of the Confederacy's most effective field commanders at Missionary Ridge, Ringgold Gap, and Pickett's Mill. In addition, Symonds unravels the "mystery" of Spring Hill and recounts Cleburne's dramatic and untimely death (at the age of 36) at Franklin, Tennessee, where he charged the enemy line on foot after having had two horses shot from under him.
Symonds also explores Cleburne's role in the complicated personal politics of the Army of Tennessee, as well as his astonishing proposal that the decimated Confederate ranks be filled by ending slavery and arming blacks against the Union.
Symonds's definitive and immensely readable narrative casts new light on Cleburne, on the Army of Tennessee, and on the Civil War in the West. It finally and firmly establishes Cleburne's rightful place in the pantheon of Southern military heroes.
This book is part of the Modern War Studies series.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent biography of highly regarded officer.......2006-01-26
Craig Symonds has written an excellent, full biography of Confederate general Patrick Cleburne. He opens the biography with a very dramatic account of Cleburne's last engagement, at the battle of Franklin in November 1864, where he was killed. This really sets the mood for lively chronicle that follows.
Cleburne was born in Ireland in 1828 and came to the US in 1849. Although he had failed the apothecary course at Trinity College, Dublin, he began working as a druggist's clerk in Helena, AR. He also studied for the law. Appointed brigadier general after seizing the Little Rock Arsenal with his self-formed unit, the Yell Rifles, he saw action at Shiloh, Richmond, KY (where he was wounded), and Perryville. Promoted to major general, his military abilities and leadership qualities received high notice: for his brilliant and dogged defense of Ringgold Gap at Chattanooga against persistent Union attack he was formally thanked by the Confederate Congress. It was after this that he committed what is probably the most controversial act of his life: signing a petition (with 13 other officers) expressing the belief that blacks should be used as fighting men in the Southern army. Symonds discusses this incident at length, of course, and whether it was an act of bravery and foresight or one of naivete, it hurt Cleburne's reputation (he never got another promotion). Fighting under Hood, he was killed at Franklin.
Symonds is an excellent writer and presents his subject with verve and great narrative skill. It's a scholarly biography, but written with the general (though interested and informed) public in mind, and not just other scholars. Worth a spot on anyone's Civil War shelf. Highly recommended.
A neglected hero gets his due.......2005-08-09
Had Patrick Cleburne fought in the Army of Northern Virginia instead of the Army of Tennessee, we surely would be overwhelmed with biographies of his greatness as a general. Because he was a general officer in the Army of Tennessee - the army most Southern writers have traditionally ignored and treated as the red headed step child of the Confederacy, there are far fewer books on him than his accomplishments would seem to warrant. Fortunately, Mr. Symonds has written an excellent biography of the general which puts his impressive accomplishments into perspective and begins to give this extraordinary fighting general his due.
The main focus of Symonds' work is on Cleburne the general, but he gives enough background of his youth in Ireland and his migration to and adoption of America as his new home to sketch what shaped his character and what motivated him to fight in the Southern cause. Cleburne emerges as an immigrant eager to assimilate and make the customs and mores of his new home his own; a man grateful for the opportunities and acceptance he received in Arkansas, and genuinely, if uncritically, committed to fighting for the cause of his adopted home.
Symonds also addresses Cleburne's role within the morass of intrigue that plagued the command structure of the Army of Tennessee. He shows Cleburne to have been one of the anti Bragg cartel, not as a primary mover, but because of his loyalty to his friend and mentor General Hardee (a principle Bragg opponent), and perhaps even more so because of his habit of candor that showed little regard for political expediency. This was damaging to his career, and perhaps among the principle reasons why he was never promoted above division commander, despite the fact that he was the brightest shining star in the army. He likewise touches on Cleburne's remarkable plan to enlist slaves in the Confederate army - offering freedom to any man and his family who would fight for the South. While Cleburne's reasoning showed clarity and logic, his judgment in presenting the plan to his fellow Southern officers showed amazing naiveté and foolhardiness, and further damaged his hopes for promotion.
But the reason there is a biography of Cleburne is the battles. Symonds traces them from his first minor engagements, through Shiloh, his first major battle, all the way to the final tragic, futile charge at Franklin. He shows how Cleburne's skills as a general developed; from simply a brave and bold leader without any great military skill at Shiloh, to an outstanding commander of men who creatively defended against overwhelming odds at Chattanooga, and became the armies designated rearguard, repeatedly saving it from destruction..
Symonds biography of Cleburne is well written and engaging. It makes a good beginning in putting General Patrick Cleburne back into his rightful place in the pantheon of Southern heroes. If you are a serious student of the Civil War, you should not consider your library complete without a copy. I highly recommend it.
Theo Logos
CLEBURNE Of The West.......2004-05-20
This is a very good book. Patrick Cleburne is my favorite civil war general, and this volume gives a very even-handed discussion of his life, from Ireland to Franklin, Tenn. In particular, it gives considerable space to his growth as a leader. The discussions of Shiloh and Franklin are very good, and understandable. The book gives attention to the General's private life, especially his tragic engagement to Miss Tarleton. In depth but not dry or overwhelming, STONEWALL OF THE WESTis a great introduction to this Commander of the often overlooked western theater!
Excellent biography..........2004-02-19
This biography of Patrick Cleburne proves to be very readable and insightful. The book appears to be well researched and its obviously that the author favored his subject.
Cleburne appears to be a very controversial even while he was alive. Perhaps because of his foreign birth, he was more sympathic about the conditions of the blacks and made proposals that didn't go well with his fellow southerners. The book revealed that he was a superb leader and intelligent commander. His superiors definitely didn't aid their cause by keeping him just as a divison commander when he could have been an excellent corps commander - in an army where corps commanders were not well regraded.
The author painted a vivid and complete picture of this general whose reputation have grown considerably since the Civil War among all Civil War readers.
Long overdue!.......2003-05-08
For many years the officers and men who made up the Army of Tennessee have played second fiddle to Lee's eastern army. The very title of this book clearly illustrates this point for one never hears a general in Lee's army referred to as the Cleburne of the east. Finally though, thanks in large part to the efforts of historians like Thomas L. Connelly and Shelby Foote and the diaries of Sam Watkins, the brave men of the Army of Tennessee are being given due credit.
Craig Symonds has added his name to the above list with this excellent study of General Patrick Cleburne. No study of the Army of Tennessee would be complete without a study of one of its best generals, and therefore this biography is a very important addition to any Civil War library. Best of all, the author writes in a flowing style that helps make this book a joy to read.
Unfortunately, much of Cleburne's personal correspondence has not survived but Symonds has done an excellent job of digging up what does exist. Fortunately, the Irish general was very precise with his battle reports and the correspondence of many of his close associates does still exist. Working with these sources the author weaves together a fascinating story. He doesn't dwell on the logistics of various battles, which tends to make for dry reading but instead describes very concisely the part Cleburne played in the battle
Symonds also deals in some detail with Cleburne's personal life, from his early life in Ireland to his engagement. There is also a good deal of attention given to Cleburne's close friendships, both before and during the war, and his political beliefs and activities. Of course, Cleburne's proposal to arm and free the slaves is also dealt with in detail. From his own formulation of the plan, to the icy reception it received, to the possibility that his proposal may have been partially responsible for his lack of further promotion, the plan and its ramifications and insights into Cleburne's personality are closely examined.
For any student of the war this would be a worthwhile read, but for anyone with a particular interest in the Army of Tennessee it is an indispensable read.
Average customer rating:
- Narrow, linguistic focus
- Pleasant Tour through the History of an Idea
|
Civilization and Its Contents
Bruce Mazlish
Manufacturer: Stanford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Historiography
| Historical Study
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0804750831
Release Date: 2004-11-23 |
Book Description
“Civilization” is a constantly invoked term. It is used by both politicians and scholars. How useful, in fact, is this term? Civilization and Its Contents traces the origins of the concept in the eighteenth century. It shows its use as a colonial ideology, and then as a support for racism. The term was extended to a dead society, Egyptian civilization, and was appropriated by Japan, China, and Islamic countries. This latter development lays the groundwork for the contemporary call for a “dialogue of civilizations.” The author proposes instead that today the use of the term “civilization” has a global meaning, with local variants recognized as cultures. It may be more appropriate, however, to abandon the name “civilization” and to focus on a new understanding of the civilizing process.
Customer Reviews:
Narrow, linguistic focus.......2007-10-04
In CIVILIZATION AND ITS CONTENTS, Bruce Mazlish, who intends the pun on Freud's work, seeks to chart the reification--his leitmotiv--of the word, thus the concept, `civilization' from its origins in the middle of the French Enlightenment to the post 9/11 era and the call of the United Nations for a dialogue among civilizations. This elegantly-written, but idiosyncratic essay attempts, sub rosa, to debunk the notion of a `clash of civilizations', explicitly attributable to Samuel P. Huntington. (First in an article in 1993 then more expansively in 1996 in THE CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS AND THE REMAKING OF THE WORLD ORDER, Huntington replaces the bipolarity of the Cold War with the bipolarity of the West against the Islamic world, the new Soviet Union.) Mazlish makes his readers question the utility of the very word `civilization', freighted as it is with notions of ethnocentrism, cultural superiority, and racism.
Throughout his chapters, Mazlish relentlessly develops his argument "it is in terms of historical development that we can understand the idea of civilization" (14). He begins with the first usage of the word `civilization' by Victor Riqueti Mirabeau in L'Ami des hommes in 1756, and he contextualizes the work as a critique of French absolutism. Mazlish then concentrates on how the word `civilization' took on a life of its own in the context of European expansion. `Civilization', of which culture is a part, but to which it is oppositional, becomes an ideology of domination. At first, in the middle to late 18th century, he calls it a "benign" colonial ideology that is classificatory and superior, but does not preclude seeing the value of other civilizations, and he uses rather interesting authors to support his argument--Captain James Cook, Georg Forster, and Lord Macartney. In the 19th century, however, Mazlish argues `civilization' comes to connote European superiority, not only in cultural and scientific terms, but also racial terms. It allows white Europeans the right, if not the destiny, to rule over inferior, colored races--inferiority being determined here by skin color. He enlists support from François Guizot, Arthur Gobineau, and Charles Darwin. Mazlish does flip the coin over to discuss European critics of `civilization'; these critics demonstrate both a European self-reflexivity--how do we relate to other civilizations?--and a universal civilizing process--the subsuming of the barbarian other. He cites John Stuart Mill, Sigmund Freud, and Norbert Elias. He moves then to a consideration of how other, in this case, Asian, civilizations, responded to the European notion of `civilization': in his view, the Chinese toss the concept aside until such time as they try to adapt, the Japanese adopt what they need to create a distinct Japanese identity, and the Thais modify the concept to maintain their independence. From there, he turns his attention in the last third of the essay to the concept of dialogue between "civilizations" as mandated by the United Nations and intellectuals from around the global. (It is here he most shoots down Huntington's idea of religion as a monolith and the decline of the West as a bad thing.) In his conclusion, he summarizes his position: we (scholars at least) have outgrown the term `civilization'. In the age of globalization, he opts instead for a "civilizing process", (much as he does a globalizing process), a concept drawn here from Elias, very much Mazlish's hero.
While Mazlish pursues a logical line of argumentation, he does so in too narrow a fashion: too focused on the reification of a word without concomitant consideration of the thing. In addition, he's much too modern and sees European too exclusively in terms of British, French, and German thought, something one can observe in his idiosyncratic choices of representative texts. One can see all these flaws in his discussion of European racism. Mazlish argues that `civilization' can only be discussed as a term since Mirabeau's coinage of the word, but Mazlish then turns to Captain Cook's journals to indicate that one need not use the word to articulate an idea of `civilization'. (Cook's journals are too problematic a source, for they were heavily edited by others for publication; Mazlish acknowledges the issue then dismisses it.) In the 16th century, the Spanish couched their discussions of whether the Native Americans were human or natural slaves in term of Spanish culture and ancient Greek philosophy recaptured by the Renaissance. Furthermore, while Mazlish articulates a 19th century racism perceived in terms of biology, eugenics, and skin color, he fails to note the 16th century Spanish and Portuguese legally enshrined the blood-borne inferiority of Jewishness in the limpieza de sangre (a purity of blood which also barred any Muslim taint). Racism in the 19th and 20th centuries was not an exclusively European phenomenon. One of the most virulently racist countries in the western hemisphere was and is the United States, which maintained an institutionalized, legal racism--Jim Crow--well after Europe had destroyed such legally-enforced racism at home--the Nuremburg Laws--and the majority of their colonies had attained independence. It should be noted, too, the United States holds to and speaks of a notion of its own `unique' civilization.
While these weaknesses could open the door to teaching, the book itself remains too abstract and intellectualized essay to be of much value to any one other than a literature specialist--and a postmodernist one at that.
Pleasant Tour through the History of an Idea.......2006-09-23
This book, on the history of the concept of "civilization" (not the history of civilizations as such), is a delightfully conversational read. Mazlish writes with simplicity and good sense as he traces how what we understand today to mean by civilization in fact derives from eighteenth-century European discourses about the structure of social systems in a globalized world.
With regard to his topic, Mazlish aims to be neither comprehensive nor didactic but simply informative, recognizing the need to clarify the history behind recent usages of civilization in heated political and cultural debates. While his readings of the likes of John Stuart Mill, Charles Darwin, and Sigmund Freud are not exactly "new," together they give the average reader a fine sense of how "civilization is a trope filled with ambiguities, many of them of a political nature" (147). Civilization, in other words, is not an "innocent" concept. But Mazlish intuits that if we are to contest the dubious claims made by some about our current geopolitical climate, we need to understand why the so-called "clash of civilizations" is too obtuse and historically inaccurate a formulation to realize a more responsible "dialogue of civilizations" or (given the realities of economic and cultural globalization) a "global civilization."
My sole reservation about this book is its rather perfunctory treatment of gender issues. Mazlish acknowledges that "women have been seen widely...as the measure of civilization" but doesn't go on to ask why, and to what ends, this might be so (158). If civilization is at times most profoundly construed as a question of "women's worth" in society, then it seems Mazlish should devote more time to the issue as it amplifies across the texts he's chosen to analyze.
Average customer rating:
|
Civilization and Its Contents.(Book review): An article from: Journal of Social History
Jerry H. Bentley
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Audiobooks
| Automotive
| Books on CD
| Books on Cassette
| Crime & Criminals
| Current Events
| Economics
| Education
| Foreign Language Nonfiction
| Government
| Holidays
| Law
| Philosophy
| Politics
| Social Sciences
| Transportation
| True Accounts
| Urban Planning & Development
| Women's Studies
General
| Nonfiction
| HTML
| Formats
| e-Docs
| Formats
| Books
ASIN: B000U1QGD4
Release Date: 2007-07-21 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Journal of Social History, published by Thomson Gale on June 22, 2007. The length of the article is 1000 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: Civilization and Its Contents.(Book review)
Author: Jerry H. Bentley
Publication:
Journal of Social History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 40
Issue: 4
Page: 1007(2)
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Weekly Standard, published by Thomson Gale on February 26, 2007. The length of the article is 4193 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: 'Civilization' and Its Contents; A video game for the ages.(Company overview)
Author: Victorino Matus
Publication:
The Weekly Standard (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 26, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 12
Issue: 23
Page: NA
Article Type: Company overview
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
|
Nuclear Reactions: Science and Trans-Science (Masters of Modern Physics)
Alvin M. Weinberg
Manufacturer: AIP Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Social Theory
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Atomic & Nuclear Physics
| Nuclear Physics
| Physics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Nuclear Physics
| Physics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Nuclear Physics
| Physics
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0883188619 |
Book Description
"Marvelous reading, with few problems of the interaction between science/technology and society left untouched. One need not always agree, but one cannot come away without a better education....I found the parts on scientific administration and on the interaction of science and society excellent and provocative reading, and the parts on energy and nuclear energy very much to the point." American Journal of Physics
Alvin Weinberg explores through these collected essays the ever troublesome relationship between science, technology, and society. The title is taken from Weinberg's assertion that most of the issues arising at the intersection of science and society depend upon answers to questions that lie outside the power of science--issues that are trans-scientific. Weinberg, who during World War II helped develop the first nuclear reactors, has much to say on the current role of nuclear power and the possibilities for the future. Other topics include strategic defenses and arms control, the role of the science administrator, and the way in which time, energy, and resources are allocated to public problems. In this remarkable record of a halfcentury of public-oriented work, Weinberg lays the foundation for a philosophy of scientific administration parallel to the more established philosophy of science.
Books:
- American Shelter : An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Homes
- American Shelter : An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Homes
- Architect's Essentials of Marketing (The Architect's Essentials of Professional Practice)
- Architectural Details and Measured Drawings of Houses of the Twenties (Dover Pictorial Archives)
- Architecture and the Arts and Crafts Movement in Boston: Harvard's H. Langford Warren
- Architecture of the Islamic World: Its History and Social Meaning
- Art Deco Architecture: Design, Decoration, and Detail from the Twenties and Thirties
- Authentic Small Houses of the Twenties: Illustrations and Floor Plans of 254 Characteristic Homes (Dover Books on Architecture)
- Beach Weekend Homes
- Beautiful Cottages and Villas: Introducing 80 Sater Coastal-Style Home Plans
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Closing Argument: Defending
- British Intelligence in the Second World War: Vol. 3, Part 2
- Art Notebook to accompany Biology
- Chemical Kinetics and Reaction Dynamics
- Building Type Basics for Recreational Facilities
- Carved in Sand: When Attention Fails and Memory Fades in Midlife
- Bethlehem Road
- Untitled
- Architecture Without Rules: The Houses of Marcel Breuer and Herbert Beckhard
- Seven Peaches: The First Seven Desert Peach Episodes
Rethinking Urban Parks: Public Space and Cultural Diversity
Designing Outdoor Environments for Children
Landscapes for Learning: Creating Outdoor Environments for Children and Youth
Play for All Guidelines: Planning, Designing and Management of Outdoor Play Settings for All Children
Designing Small Parks: A Manual for Addressing Social and Ecological Concerns
