The Architectural Theory of Viollet-le-Duc: Readings and Commentaries

Book Description

Among architects and preservationists, the writings of Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879) have long been considered major resources. They inspired a generation of American architects, including Frank Furness, John Wellborn Root, Louis Sullivan, and Frank Lloyd Wright, In 1894, the critic Montgomery Schuyler observed that Viollet-le-Duc's books "have had the strongest influence on this generation of readers." But for the past century, all but one of his works have been out of print in English.

These readings carefully selected from the entire range of Viollet-le-Duc's work make available the historical insights and practical principles of one of the most imaginative, and inspiring architectural theorists of the modern era. M.F. Hearn has culled from Viollet-le-Duc's books on architecture the passages in which his major ideas about the theory of architecture are most cogently expressed.

Hearn has arranged and interplated the readings in a sequence of topics covering Viollet-le-Duc's views on the architecture of the past, his convictions about the education of architects, his philosophy of method, principles of design, and his guidelines for restoration. The selections are introduced by a biographical essay connected by interpretive commentaries, and followed by a biographical note.

M.F. Hearn is Professor of Fine Arts and Director of Architectural Studies at the University of Pittsburgh.

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Getting begets Giving!

All you ever wanted to know about Art!!!

I finally got it!!!

How to "get it"

Becky Hendrick wants you to get it

Getting It: A Guide to Understanding and Appreciating Art
Cyndi Eller
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
Similar Items:

Why a Painting Is Like a Pizza: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying Modern Art

Interpreting Art : Reflecting, Wondering, and Responding

ASIN: 0618066713

Customer Reviews:

Getting begets Giving!.......2000-10-31

I received this book as a birthday gift (from artist mother to artist daughter) together with a note: "I know you could have written this book yourself, but hope you'll enjoy it anyway!" The author's inscription reads "I hope this little book speaks to you in a big way." Let me just say it is one of the best gifts of countless perfect gifts I've received from people who seem to "get it!" I have a fairly ecclectic library of books on art and artists, and this one will have its place among the rare gems that I refer to often. Although the author may have intended this book for an audience of non-artists, I believe her collection of essays and charmingly simple illustrations will be just as refreshing to art-majors and professionals. She is funny, yet serious, and the book is as much about getting art as it is about getting anything worth getting in life. As a bonus, the format suits the topic and is ideal in every way. It feels as good as it looks as good as it reads as good as it is. Don't think twice about Getting It!

All you ever wanted to know about Art!!!.......2000-09-12

The subtitle says it all. Becky Hendrick deftly guides readers who want to "get" art, whether they are novices to the field of art or informed art enthusiasts. Based on Hendrick's college class for non-art majors, the book is a mini-course on how to objectively view and think about art. Getting It is packed with insights about Art with a capital A. For example, in one chapter Hendrick explains the vocabulary of art, defining elements and principles such as line, shape, and balance. In another she describes art styles, explaining how they reflect the period in which they developed. In a later chapter, she takes readers into the mind of a Cubist artist planning a creation. As a curriculum specialist who has written about art, I'm amazed at the energy and ease, and even humor, with which Hendrick approaches her subject. If you are a high school student, college student, docent, or art teacher, or if you are simply interested in learning more about art, definitely add this book to your must-read list. I assure you that you will never look at Art in the same way.

I finally got it!!!.......2000-08-12

For the first time in my long life I finally get it!! I have reread this wonderful book twice recently before going to cities with major art museums to remind myself how to look at and how to feel the art. This book cuts to the core of the wonder and the mystery of art and helps nonartists like myself understand a lot more than we would have without it. Beautifully done.

How to "get it".......2000-08-01

This terrific, concise book explains how to "get" art to people without any art background.

The basic vocabulary of art such as lines, shapes, space, value and color are discussed as the foundation. The artist's intentions in using these resources are explained. The author describes how to objectively describe art and to understand the artist's intentions. The major periods and, movements in art are described. The book has sufficient pictures and sketches to illustrate the examples.

I highly recommend this book to anybody curious about art. Travelers and museum- goers who want to understand what they are going to see will benefit from reading this book before going.

Becky Hendrick wants you to get it.......2000-08-01

Becky Hendrick's Getting It: A Guide to Understanding and Appriciating Art is the book I wish I had written. Had it been available when I was teaching art appreciation, it would have been required reading for my classes. To many people faced with the overwhelming range of art in museums and galleries, art seems to be a joke; and the joke is on them. Hendricks addresses this in a quote from Hans Hoffman: "If you do not understand a man who speaks a language you do not speak, is this therefore proof that the man babbles only nonsense?" Hendrick's response is to say we need to learn how to speak more fluently the constantly evolving language of art. And in clear language she offers readers clues to becoming fluent in that language. It all starts, she says, with learning how to look. "The average time spent looking at a work of art in a museum is ten seconds, just enough time to pass judgement on it and walk away. Doesn't it seem odd that someone wanting to Get It would pass judgement on art as a first step rather than a final one? Because that's what judgement is: closure. We know this; in a court of law, after all the evidence is heard and all the arguments are made, a verdict comes. ... Judging, whether it's done in a courtroom or in a museum, is the last thing we need to do." In this slim volume, Hendricks offers simple exercises in objective and non-judgemental viewing to help us learn how to finally make that judgement. And she does it with style and humor. Getting It is a book that should be owned by all students, teachers, docents, curators and collectors.

Amazon.com

For more than two decades, Richard Misrach has been photographing the deserts of the American West by day and night. In the nocturnal images, long exposures made shooting stars visible as long streaks across the sky and illuminated the slow blush of dawn. During the past few years he has concentrated solely on the desert sky as a great canvas filled--depending on the hour, which he scrupulously documents--with cloud formations, glimpses of stars and planets, and the faint trails left by airplanes.

In The Sky Book, Misrach divides his images into three sections: Skies, Heavenly Bodies, and Night Clouds. The skies read on the page as luminous color fields in a spectrum stretching from pale peach (Warrior Point at 5:25 a.m. in late June) to deep purple (El Centro at 5:07 a.m. in late March). The heavenly bodies group introduces more visual complexity, achieved in some instances by running an all-night exposure until dawn. A four-hour-long view of Polaris over Lake Mead coalesces on film as a pattern of delicate, pastel-colored concentric arcs against a black background. Night clouds are the least abstract of the images, their high-keyed reds and oranges reflecting city lights far below.

The atmospheric color and large visual fields in these photographs make them more effective when seen as individual prints hanging on a wall. Bound together in a book, they lose some of the immediate, experiential quality that is their great appeal. This otherwise attractive volume labors too hard to make a bigger case for this body of work, with a rambling essay by Rebecca Solnit and an appendix of geographic locations and star names. The only words that really matter here are the photographer's own laconic descriptions of his working methods. --Cathy Curtis

Book Description

Richard Misrach has redefined contemporary landscape photography with his images of the splendor and destruction of the American West. Each of his "cantos" considers another chapter in the epic story of humankind and the land. Far from portraying the pristine landscapes of early practitioners such as Carleton Watkins, Eadweard Muybridge, or Ansel Adams, Misrach's compelling and often troubling images of the American West pose important questions about the human impact on the natural world. Beneath the remarkable beauty of Misrach's color photographs are scenes of floods, fires, nuclear testing grounds, dead animals, and the debris of society. The photographs in The Sky Book comprise Richard Misrach's most recent, most ambitious series, which transposes his narrative from the land to the sky. The images mediate between document and abstraction, reality and metaphor. Drawing on photography's documentary tradition, Misrach contextualizes each photograph with respect to time and place, rooting the celestial realm firmly in the earthly and political one. In this way, his images are reminiscent of the efforts of nineteenth-century expeditionary photographers to record the natural resources of the frontier. At the same time, Misrach's sky pictures also evoke a tradition of abstraction in art and photography that includes Alfred Steiglitz's "Equivalents" and the paintings of Mark Rothko.

Customer Reviews:

RESCUING AI FROM LIMBO.......2005-11-29

Ai has been dragged back to the surreal limbo that she originated from because her creator is angry because she fell in love with Yota. She's supposed to make him happy, not become involved in a hopeless relationship! It's up to Yota to prove how much he loves her by journeying to her dimension and going through a gauntlet of pain. He has a gauntlet of another kind waiting for him back at school too. A new student has enrolled in the new year named Nobuko Nizaki, who was tutored back in middle school by Yota. The reason why she enrolled at his school? She has a crush on Yota! Moemi, the original object of his affections is still sending mixed signals, but is distracted since she is the girlfriend of Yota's best friend. And when Ai shows back up, suffering from amnesia, things get even more complicated.

This is a good series, but Volume 3 dwelled a little too much on the shojo elements of love triangles and quadrilaterals. The comedy kinda gets lost in all the drama. Yota is rapidly changing from "dateless" to "playa" and is becoming a little harder to like. He's dangling three girls on his line (well, actually Ai has forgotten him), and seems to change his mind on who he really likes from page to page. Maybe we should call him "Clueless" instead of his former nickname. The art is great with a tad of fan service.

still good, but...........2003-05-28

It would be a good idea to have read the other two volumes before reading this one. However, there is a "the story thus far" section at the beginning, plus a few brief character summaries, so if you do end up starting with this one, at least you get a little help. When this volume starts, Yota is trying to keep Ai from disappearing forever. Things go wrong, of course, but Ai isn't destroyed (did you really think she would be, what with the title and all?). She doesn't seem to remember Yota, though, and there are some more complications. Although he loves Ai, Yota still cares for Moemi, and now there's someone else who likes him.

The story was interesting, and the art was still lovely. That's why this book still gets such a high rating. However, all the further romantic complications kind of got on my nerves. Aren't two women enough?! With Ai's amnesia to drive him crazy, I don't think it was really necessary to add another girl (Nobuko) to the list of people Yota loves/likes too much to want to hurt. I suppose I'm just glad that Masakazu Katsura changed Nobuko's hairstyle so that it wasn't so much like Moemi's - they looked so alike that I kept confusing them. Anyway, it's still a good series, but I hope that there aren't too many more characters added to the mix.

amazing.......2002-02-19

Katsura pulls off a great turning point in the story in vol3. We are introduced to a new love interest, Ai is eventually returned but has amnesia, and more angst and suffering is experience. the art work is fantastic and by the end you'll be jumping to get vol 4.

Gone Again, Here Again.......2001-09-08

Volume 3 of the serialized story of the relationship between Yota and Ai is *not* the place to start. Go to the beginning, Preproduction, it'll be well worth the money. People who *have* read the first two volumes should need little encouragement to pick up this one, as it starts right with the cliffhanger that ended the second volume.

Without spoiling the second volume, the resolution of the cliffhanger takes up the first quarter of the book, and is the confrontation that provides the climax to the anime OAV series. The rest of the volume is brand-new ground. Ai is rescued from her creator, or perhaps not, as she soon disappears. Yota has the barest of evidence that she existed at all, as he carries on through the rest of winter.

A new school year starts (in spring in Japan), and Yota is held back a year. Neither of his friends, Takashi and Moemi, know what to make of the changes in Yota. A girl named Nobuko met Yota a couple years back and has gotten transferred to his school in hopes of meeting him again, and then there is Ai. Ai shows up as a fellow student in his class, but she has no memory of Yota.

Yota is torn, he still loves Moemi, whose relationship with Takashi is still not working out, Nobuko reminds him a bit of Ai, and she definitely likes him, and Ai is still Ai, even if she is disturbed by how much Yota seems to know about her. Yota's nobility gets the best of him again as he tries to keep from hurting Nobuko even as he tries to figure out what is going on with Ai.

Romance story that won't make you vomit.......2001-09-05

In this volume of Video Girl Ai, Ai has been recalled by her creator, leaving Yota heartbroken since it happened just as they realized their feelings for each other. Now a few months have passed and Yota is in a new year of school. He soon meets Nobuko, a girl who has a big crush on him. He begins to warm up to her, but then Ai reappears! However, Ai can't remember Yota or anything about the time they spent together. As Yota tries to come to terms with his feelings for an amnesiac Ai and build a new relationship with Nobuko, you get sucked into a manga world of fabulous art, good dialogue, and great pacing. This is considered a boys romance manga in Japan, which sounded like an oxymoron to me at first, but I quickly gave up. This is no chickflick, with a sappy loser chasing a stupid girl. This is dramatic manga at it's best.

Book Description

This streamlined discussion of ethical issues in the decision-making process supports and supplements any introduction to CIS or MIS textbook. Chapter One defines ethics. Chapter Two relates ethics to the use of technology. Chapter Three applies a four-step analysis process to an ethical dilemma, illustrating how to reach a defensible decision. The remaining chapters of 18 cases challenge the student to apply the knowledge gained in Chapters 1-3 to recognize, evaluate, and react responsibly to an ethical dilemma. The class-test cases are based on real business situations Case worksheets guide students in the case analysis. This edition offers new and expanded coverage of the Internet, privacy, and the ACM code. The Instructor's Manual contains case objectives, key ethical issues, discussion ideas, guidelines assigning and evaluating cases, strategies for managing classroom discussion, and lessons to be learned.

Ethical Decision Making and Information Technology

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Ethical Decision Making and Information Technology
Ernest A. Kallman
Manufacturer: Mcgraw-Hill College
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Decision-Making & Problem Solving | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Ethics | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Culture | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Manager's Guides to Computing | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General & Reference | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0070338841

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Ethical Decision Making and Information Technology
John Grillo Ernest Kallman
Manufacturer: Mcgraw-Hill College
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFQMTY

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AWESOME

The Secrets of South Beach Real Estate
Marie Anginette McBeth
Manufacturer: Pagefree Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1589611241

Customer Reviews:

AWESOME.......2003-11-11

I have read this book cover to cover on 2 different occassions. The first occassion, led me to my REALTOR. She is funny, patient, warm and knows what I want to see before I know. I still carry the book, because the charts, phone numbers and website info have become invaluable to me during my search and I believe further still throughout the closing.

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Some Kind of Kin: a novella
Wilmot B. Irvin
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 1594573093
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Book Description

It all takes place one summer in Summerville. Chanel - an African-American nanny with strength and determination, a heart full of love and a golden incisor - takes on the job of looking after Maurice and Becky - a couple of twelve-year-old white kids with more leisure time than sense. Becky's mom, Livvy, is rebounding from a divorce. Maurice's dad, Chet, is grieving from the death of his wife. Their painful recoveries from these losses in their former lives blind Livvy and Chet to their own romance until Livvy decides to move to Cincinnati. With Chanel as their catalyst and source of courage, Maurice and Becky devise a plan to open their parents' eyes to the fact that they have fallen in love. And in the process best pals Maurice and Becky become some kind of kin.

Book Description

Originally the German assault gun was designed as an infantry support weapon, but the changing conditions of the battlefields of the Second World War forced it to adapt to perform a number of different roles, most importantly as a tank destroyer, although the infantry support role was never wholly discarded. If the much-glamorised Panzer divisions were the sword of the German army then the assault gun and tank destroyer units were its shield. As the Panzers' grip on the battlefield began to fail, though, it was left to the assault gun and tank destroyer crews to take up the burden.

Customer Reviews:

New Vanguard series... more like in retreat mode........2006-11-29

Yet another dissapointing book in the New Vanguard series... The book is disorganized jumping from Pz I to Tigers and back, wide spectrum descriptions that not even scratch the surface of the actual use, doctrines and effectiveness of the Sturmartillerie and Panzerjagers.

One of the poorest Osprey books.

Curate's Egg?.......2003-04-08

An interesting little book - how it's perceived will depend upon whether you are reading it as somebody new to the New Vanguard series, or if you've read other New Vanguard books.

This is because, unlike so many of the other armor-related New Vanguard titles, it doesn't concentrate on a single vehicle or family of vehicles. It attempts, with varying success, to cover the entire history of WWII German assault guns and tank destroyers in a single 48 page volume.

To do this it skims the surface of the vehicles concerned - if you want to read about the StuG III or the Marder III in technical detail, go check out a title dedicated to the subject. What's covered here is the military doctrine that resulted in the adoption of self-propelled assault guns and tank destroyers, the manner in which they were used, unit structure, and a broad history of the types developed.

The book's major flaws are that you can't really do the subject justice in even a general sense in just 48 pages, and that the book seems to dart around a bit historically - one minute you're reading about Jagdtigers, the next you're back to vehicles based on the Pz.Kpfw. I chassis.

So, not the best title Osprey has ever released, but it's not a complete loss either, since in describing tactics and doctrine it covers some areas that the more technically specific books in the series omit.

Typical Excellent Introductory Study.......2002-02-04

The Vanguard series is intended to give a brief introducton to various weapons systems used in the major wars of the 20th century. As such, they include color plates of various paint schemes on campaign, a sectional drawing of a representative vehicle, and plenty of B&W photos in the text. All this is wrapped in an elementary text based on new research in newly opened archives and presented in an attractive format. Useful to war gamers, students, and model makers.

Nothing gained in tracing two rabits simultaneously.......2000-05-16

When I decided to buy this title, frankly I worried that how well Osprey would jam so broad story into tiny volume in their well known chronicle fashion. Then alas, I had to ease my mind with a small charge with this book. In summary, if you are a novice then you can think that would be enough for that price. If you're hobbist, some nice illustration of the internal scenes of Sturmg 3 and other case for various vehicles will be referable. If you're bit knowledged, don't give any glimpse at this book. Touched here and there without points and no new photo. Just licking over chewing gum!. sorry for crude my English.

Amazon.com

To future generations, the late 20th century may come to be known as the time of the DPs: Displaced Persons. Migration and refugeeism are raising inflammatory issues from unified Germany to the Tex-Mex border. Into this whirlpool of half-truths, sermons, prejudices, and fears dives Hoover Institution economist and syndicated columnist Thomas Sowell. It is not necessary to agree with all of Sowell's views to admire his imposing attempt to arrive at a theory of migration and culture. Or to succumb to his fascinating tales of how immigrants from Germany, Japan, China, and other countries have coped--and excelled--on strange new shores.

Customer Reviews:

Stare the facts in the face.......2007-10-11

Hooray for Thomas Sowell again. This books brings you in contact with the essential facts of people migrations and more...

He covers the German, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, Jewish and Indian migrations. Cultures are not equal was one of the main conclusions I received from this book.

As a result of this book I have found a deeper respect for the cultures mentioned in the book. I also see that the lives built by these people was built from pure grit and toil.

How does my culture affect my future? How does my culture affect my economic well-being? These are all questions I have come to ask as a result of reading this book.

This book is the second book in a series. The series is as follows:
1) Race and Culture
2) Migration and Culture
3) Conquest and Culture
and a 4th related book called Affirmative Action an Empirical Study

This book has shaped my personal view of immigration, emigration and minorities. I now can base my views on historical facts rather than popular or polarizing news articles.

An in-depth comparison of parallel experiences.......2007-09-10

With his usual detailed analysis and commentary, Thomas Sowell takes a look at the experiences of 6 groups that have migrated to different areas of the world over the centuries. He pays particular attention to the economic success these groups have had, and possible reasons for this success. He gives credible explanations for what these groups have accomplished, though he gives more attention to some of these groups than to others. While allowing for a variety of differences in their experiences, Dr. Sowell does extract some shared qualities within these groups: a strong work ethic, financial prudence, and the establishment of an economic niche based partially on the unwillingness of native-born groups to perform certain jobs. Moreover, he points out that, with respect to several of these groups, their success in their adopted nations has often aroused the jealousy and anger of native-born groups (i.e., the Chinese in Southeast Asia and the Indians in East Africa). To this end, Dr. Sowell argues that such resentment often stems from disparities between the achievement of these immigrant groups and that of native-born groups. He cites some examples of this resentment being taken to unfortunate extremes (i.e., the expulsion of the Indians from Uganda and anti-Chinese pogroms in Malaysia), and how the resentment came back to injure the native-born population (especially in Uganda). This is a refreshingly candid look at comparative immigrant experiences, as told by a great writer.

Good overview of histories of migrant ethnic groups in often historically ignored settings.......2007-03-05

This particular title provides an overview of the histories of migrant groups of German, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, Jewish, and Indian ancestry.

The book specifically provides an account of major demographic trends and political events that have occurred to the migrant groups through stretches of history, both in their home countries as well as their destinations. This account provides clues for the reasons behind the migrants' departures, their selection of particular destinations, and the characterized attitudes and skills that the migrants brought with them to where they settled.

The demographic component of this history is summarized by Sowell's hypothesized cultural attributes, backed by an impressive compilation of statistical evidence from the most accurate sources available to someone studying the topic in the modern era.

The book notes some of the major effects of the migration and subsequent settlement (or return sojourney) on both the migrants and the other ethnic groups living in close proximity to the migrants.

This book provides an historical overview of groups that many people may not have heard of. For myself, learning about the history of such groups as the Volga Germans, the Sephardim in Holland, the Italians in Argentina, the Japanese in Peru, the Chinese in the Carribean, and the Indians in Eastern Africa was an eye-opener.

The one potential drawback to this book lies in its uneven accounting of major political events for a few ethnic groups. The book covers the political history of the Sri Lankan conflict and the Jews in Western/Germanic/Slavic Europe some detail, but I would have liked to learn more about the Chinese in Southeast Asia (though the book includes a brief summary of the political events surrounding the formation of Singapore).

A few groups I would have liked to learn more about are not included, either, such as the Germans in the Hapsburg Empire and the Japanese in Manchuko/Manchuria. Still, considering the amount of research, composition, and revision that writing a book of this size and scope must have required, I can't fault the author for the work he did do.

The cultural characteristics that Sowell attributes to different groups of migrants (and supports with evidence) provide some food for thought as well. He provides examples of cultural attitudes and subsequent behaviors that may help or hinder economic development in specific industries, and backs up his fairly common-sense theories with evidence. (A few notable examples are how Jews succeeded in textiles but failed in agriculture, and how Southern Italians were noted as hard urban workers but rarely entered entrepreneurial positions.)

If you are looking for a more detailed history of specific events, this book may not be for you. But as an overview of specific groups, this book does a more-than-admirable job.

Thoughtful, Persuasive Examination of Migrants Across the Globe.......2006-07-08

Distinguished Stanford University economist Thomas Sowell's "Migrations and Cultures: A World View" is the most thoughtful, articulate examination of immigration across the globe which I've encountered (Though, I might add, that I am not surprised that this book is truly exceptional, given Sowell's keen interest in - and superb scholarship on - this very subject, which I came across for the first time years ago in his earlier book "Ethnic America: A History".). Sowell traces the immigration histories of six Eurasian peoples: Germans, Japanese, Italians, Chinese, Jews and Indians (from the Indian subcontinent, NOT the Americas). He contends that the relative success of these peoples as migrants owes more to their cultural capital (the set of beliefs and practices taken from their ancestral homelands) than to the economic capital of their new countries. It is a compelling argument which he demonstrates repeatedly, tracing the migration patterns of each of these peoples across the globe. Furthermore, it is an argument which is well-reasoned, fully supported by ample data, noting for example, the degree to which Indian migrants from different parts of India have been able to accrue wealth for themselves and their descendants in far-flung regions such as East Africa, Caribbean islands, and the United States (For example, he observes that Guajaratis, migrants from the Indian state of Guajarat, are far more likely to become successful entrepreneurs than those from other Indian states, since Guajarat has had a long history of successful entrepreneurship; in a similar vein, he compares and contrasts the relative economic fortunes of Western European Jews with those from Eastern Europe, noting that the former were more likely to become successful, due to a much stronger entrepreneurial tradition in Western Europe.).

I believe "Migrants and Cultures: A World View" should be read here in the United States by a wide readership, since Sowell's arguments deserve to be considered seriously in the ongoing debate over illegal immigration. Furthermore, much to his credit, Sowell suceeds in presenting an objective view of immigration, especially here in the United States, in which he notes that the relative cultural capital of emigrant peoples has had a more important influence on their relative success than our liberal, fairly progressive laws on economic and personal freedom. Sowell concludes his book with an intriguing observation on the effectiveness of educating foreign-born "sojourners" here in the United States and other Western democracies in the hope that they would return to their home countries with our knowledge, skills and attitudes on economic and political freedom; he contends that the rise of what he regards as managerial and technological capital via multinational corporations, has lessened the need for human capital transfers via "sojourners" (Written just as the internet was rapidly emerging, I suspect that Sowell in an updated edition of this book, might make a more persuasive argument by citing the successful existence of the internet.). If my interpretation of Sowell's closing arguments is correct, then I predict that he would not share such an optimistic view of contemporary and future American immigration presented in journalist Michele Wucker's recently published book "Lockout: Why America Keeps Getting Immigration Wrong When Our Prosperity Depends on Getting It Right".

Migrations and Cultures.......2006-03-09

Dr. Sowell has again done a masterful job of presenting information on the status of minorities, both historically and geographically, which is usually not included in the debate about the situation of the minorities in the United States. His insights are very useful and should be included in every high school and college curriculum.

Average customer rating:

For the love of the birds...

The World of Birding

Dunne's Awesome Year

Review of The Feather Quest

Pick up your binos and get outside!

The Feather Quest: A North American Birder's Year
Peter Dunne
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Ornithology | Zoology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Kingbird Highway: The Biggest Year in the Life of an Extreme Birder

Tales of a Low-Rent Birder

The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession

Golden Wings, and Other Stories About Birders and Birding

The American Bird Conservancy Guide to the 500 Most Important Bird Areas in the United States: Key Sites for Birds and Birding in All 50 States

ASIN: 0395927900

Book Description

When a flash of pink was spotted in a cloud of gray gulls over Newburyport, Massachusetts, ten thousand people descended on the town in hopes of seeing a rare Ross's gull from Siberia. Among them were Pete and Linda Dunne, who set off from there on a year-long odyssey. Dunne had poured the most remarkable stories, birds, and characters into this unforgettable book about their once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Customer Reviews:

For the love of the birds..........2004-09-15

Dunne is a good writer rather than a great one. But this book is very nearly great, because of the passion and the sensitivity that he brings to the subject. What's most impressive to me is how Dunne avoids reveling in the (often) competitive nature of birding. In one memorable chapter, he writes at length about a competition between teams of birders to spot (or hear) the most species in one 24-hour period. We're caught up in the competition, and we think we're about to find out who won this good-spirited contest when . . . the chapter simply ends. And we never do find out who "won."

Dunne's point, I think, is that everybody won, and while the real winners certainly did enjoy finding a few more birds than the runners-up, ideally birding is about something bigger than winning and losing and the number on your life list.

THE FEATHER QUEST also functions as a sort of travelogue for birders, and I'm sure I'll be referring to it for years when deciding where to take my annual trip.

The World of Birding.......2003-10-23

This is a supurb overview of birding in North America.Pete and his wife Linda spent a year on the road and came up with this excellent book that covers every aspect of birding and does it with a passion that he makes you feel you are right there beside him.Birding means something different to each person who engages in this pursuit;but Pete makes a pretty good observation when he states "the coin of tribute in birding's realm is not skill,it is shared intrest.With it an individual buys passage into the ranks of North American birders.Skill is just something birders acquire over time.But the intrest, and the pleasure people derive from watching birds,ah,those things are constants;those things are a priority.Those are the qualities that distinguish birders from society,s rank and file."
I ran across and recognized Pete one day in Portal, Arizona and struck up a conversation with him.I felt he had as much intrest in me as I had in meeting him.He hit the nail on the head;generally it's the interest one shows,not the knowledge onehas that counts.
I am sure that anyone with any interest in birding will find this book by one of the top,in every way,birders in North America an excellent book;that I guarantee ! ! !

Dunne's Awesome Year.......2003-08-02

A great read for the crazy birder crowd. Take it with you when you hit the important birding places, read it to learn more about the high-end of the birding subculture, and read it when you need a laugh. The short stories on Attu and the World Series of Birding are worth the price alone.

Review of The Feather Quest.......2001-01-09

A superbly written, thoroughly enjoyable account of birding in the United States. Birders will recognize many of the places which they have visited, and will learn of new spots to see in their own "feather quests". A must read!

Pick up your binos and get outside!.......2000-03-26

Pete Dunne and his wife Linda are lucky enough to take a whole year off to go birding. And we are lucky enough to come along with them in this part travel book, part bird life list. They start in his boyhood home of Whippany, New Jersey, and criss-cross North America in search of birds. They travel from the tip of the USA at the Everglades to the top of the continent at the Artic Refuge in Alaska. Not only do they write about the birds they see and hear but they also take a look at the many differnent types of people who bird. And it is all done in a comic style but with serious overtones concerning the environment, pollution, and urban sprawl. It makes you want to dust off your binos, find your bird book, and head out into the fields and forests. There is nothing more stirring then seeing a new bird for the first time. In reading this book, all the birds seem to be your first one.

FEATHER QUEST: A NORTH AMERICAN BIRDER'S YEAR

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FEATHER QUEST: A NORTH AMERICAN BIRDER'S YEAR
Pete (photos by Linda Dunne) Dunne
Manufacturer: Dutton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0YE4O

The Feather Quest: a North American Birder's Year

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The Feather Quest: a North American Birder's Year
Pete Dunne
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N7DRZU

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