381 Old-Fashioned Holiday Vignettes in Full Color (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)

Book Description

Add nostalgic appeal to ads, flyers, posters, newsletters, menus — almost any graphic project — with these charming royalty-free images, reproduced from rare turn-of-the-century publications. Included are hearts, flowers, cherubs, Santas, shamrocks, pumpkins, turkeys, flags, bunnies, and many other traditional holiday symbols ready for immediate use by graphic artists, decoupeurs and other craftspeople.

Customer Reviews:

Really good resource.......2003-02-09

Pictures are sharp, have good colors. There are 3 (sometimes 4) pages each of pictures for new years, valentines day, St. Patrick's day, easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, christmas. In some cases, like valentine's day, it's someting to get started with but you need other pictures too. Great pictures though. I've been using my scanner and then printing them on matte brochure paper, the colors are great.

Average customer rating:
Boston Now: Photography
David Joselit , Gillian Levine , and Elisabeth Sussman
Manufacturer: Institute of Contemporary Art
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0910663424

Book Description

Konika, Ichino, Mareta, Shoya, and Ensign Kurie find themselves stranded on a planet whose inhabitants have developed virtually no technology at all. The Two United Empires and the Federation Kingdom have been at war for centuries and entire galaxies have been turned into war zones. With neither side ever achieving a decisive victory, the conflict has been dragging on so long that both sides have even forgotten the reason why the war originally started. But now, for Konika of the Federation Kingdom, and the others from the United Empire, they must put aside their differences to find a way off the planet together. During this process, they find that perhaps there are no differences between them, and some of them begin to wonder if they would be better off not returning to the war.

Book Description

Digital media sales represent a growing market in consumer technology; in previous editions, this book has been the top-selling reference for digital video beginners
Fully revised and completely focused on consumer digital video users and editors who have little to no experience with the equipment
Walks readers through the basics of selecting equipment, installing software and hardware, shooting good video, getting files into a PC, editing, and outputting to the Internet, videotape, or a DVD

CD-ROM includes trial versions of the editing software covered in the book as well as other digital video tools and sample files

Customer Reviews:

It is the one.......2007-03-22

If you're new to video editing, it is the one for you. It'S a good start

Very useful and reasonably up to date.......2007-03-18

The "Dummies" folks seem to be able to get it right pretty consistently, and they also seem to be willing to update titles with some frequency -- publish a new edition, that means.

When I bought this book, I bought another on the same topic from another publisher and neglected to check the date of publication. Well, it was antique, relatively speaking, so when I picked this one up, suddenly things started to make a lot of sense.

Also, the author seems to be able to cover three editing products without a lot of repetition. This is a good, workmanlike job.

Nice Primer.......2006-04-13

I wish I had bought this book initially.
I was pretty new to digital video. I had lots of questions about transferring, capturing analog, audio, and so far this book has answered them. It would have saved time to buy it first.
I'm using the digital video for a vidcast.

Digital Video Guru Course in a Book.......2004-02-05

"3rd Edition" I would recommend this book to anyone interested in becoming a Video Editing Guru. Now there isn't much fame or glory in such a title, and I'm not implying that after reading the book you will be able to instantly break into the "Pro" video editing business either. But it does give you some useful information on how to digitize those video clips and turn them into a respectable home movie or corporate presentation.

The book is very much based on Apple's "iMovie" and Pinnacle's "Studio 8". You'll skip around a bit because of the 2 different programs it explains, but you're really just getting 2 books in one if you ever decide to dabble in the 'other' program. If you're using a video editing program other than these, you may want to pick a different book.

Well organized and "dumb-ed down" enough for the beginner. The projects and included clips on CD Rom keep it interesting. I learned about many tips that I plan to use all the time in my projects now. Good work Underdahl!

Based on what I've seen in this book, I would definitely check out the Adobe Premiere Dummies book by the same author if I decide to move up to that program. I'm confident that I would not be disappointed.

Book Description

THE ESSENTIAL REFERENCE TOOL FOR ALL MUSICIANS.

This excellent chart is a great reference for any musician. With clear illustrations of the 7 most common scales in bass clef and treble clef as well as all the key signatures and their relationship to the circle of fifths. Understanding the foundations of music has never been easier than with this chart.

Book Description

A fascinating exploration of how social memory serves to hinder communication and foster disorder in Northern Ireland

Book Description

D.J. Enright, eminent poet and critic, also cited by The New York Times as "an admirable reviewer and anthologist," has here collected a broad range of cultural essays covering the subjects literature, language, and television. Though a native of England, Enright has traveled extensively and
taught in such places as Egypt, Japan, Germany, and Singapore (where he lived for 10 years). His sensibility is certainly a multi-cultural one, as is evident in his references to The Phil Donohue Show, Don DeLillo's White Noise, and other signposts of the American cultural landscape.
Fields of Vision begins with a series of perceptive, analytic essays on the successes and failures of television, and the impact it has had on our lives. What distinguishes these from other such essays is the by now characteristic wit Enright brings to his writing. "The trouble with soap
opera," he writes, "is that once it is on to a good thing, it can't get off it." And of talk shows ("chat shows") he predicts, "It is they who will finally kill off the so-called art of conversation." In "Copulation Explosion," on what he considers the over-abundance of sex on television, he
offers, "[Sex] can be explored, fully or otherwise, in the doing, not in the viewing."
The second section, on literature, focuses on works that do not lend themselves to screen adaptation, and to writers such as Gunter Grass, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Czeslaw Milosz who depict worlds still inhabited by "wonder, and the fear and dread and splendour and freedom of wonder." Here,
in reviews and essays, Enright explores the literary contribution of some of the major writers of our time, as well as their preoccupations, the nature of writing, and the future of literature.
Enright's essays on language center on language as a living thing, with notes on usage, etymologies, and misappropriations. In "Vulgar Tongues," for instance, he observes, with Jacques Barzun, that "the word 'literate' once denoted the ability to read and write, whereas nowadays reviewers
praise authors for being literate as if it were an extraordinary state of affairs." Further, he cites Barzun's opinion that "this shift is the result of the prevalence of bad prose and (more cheeringly) of a new worry about the state of the language."
Broad-ranging, perceptive, and often entertaining, these essays are the work of one of our most trenchant literary critics. They will in turn delight and inform readers interested in linguistics, literature, and media studies, as well as those who simply read books and watch
television.

Book Description

Anyone suffering from a terminal illness faces huge challenges, not only emotionally and physically, but also in the range of practical decisions they need to make. In your own time guides the patient through the choices that exist in the current system of medical care, helping them decide on the kind of care they want, and where they receive it - in the hospice or the home. It includes chapters on coming to terms with their situation, the help available to them at home, how to choose between a hospice and home, and advice on coping with the inevitable feelings and emotions of both patient and carer. Written by a GP with extensive experience in this area, the book is unique in presenting both a compassionate and practical guide for anyone affected by serious illness, one that will empower them with the information they need to maintain the highest possible quality of life in their final days.

In Your Own Time: Guide for Patients and Their Carers Facing Terminal Illness at Home

Average customer rating:

In Your Own Time: Guide for Patients and Their Carers Facing Terminal Illness at Home
Elizabeth Lee
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OL5DQ6

Customer Reviews:

An interesting set of essays on Lee's "Old War Horse".......2007-07-15

This is an interesting--albeit uneven--edited volume on General James Longstreet, one of the best corps commanders in the Civil War. In any edited volume, there is apt to be some unevenness in the contributions. Just so, this volume.

However, there are some very interesting essays that warrant careful reading. The chapter on Longstreet as a modern soldier is quite interesting; the author of this chapter makes an assertion that Longstreet had a more modern perpsective on war and combat than many of his contemporaries. The chapter on Chickamauga gives considerable detail on his attack in depth. Even though Union errors created a gap into which Longstreet, by luck, had aimed his assault, his disposition of forces was extremely well done.

Perhaps the best chapter explores Longstreet's selection of and use of staff in his corps. The points that he was better than most at deployinf staff resources is well made here.

All in all, a nice addition to one's Civil War library.

Stands with Jeffry Wert's Longstreet Biography.......2005-03-30

As an avid Longstreet admirer and biographer so to speak, books on Pete strike very rare and shows the creeping comeback of this man's stellar record.

A very early book of Longstreet was written in the 1930's called "General James Longstreet: My Old Warhorse". This book showed the south's view of the man still as very bitter toward his after war activities--which in turn turned to badgering his war record.

As the years have gone by, Longstreet's memory has grown to be more respected, either by research by an individual or by the 3 or 4 books that have been published since that 1930's time period which detract many of the ant-Longstreet cabul.

Lt. General James Longstreet served in the Confederate Army in high command positions from 1861-1865, from Manassas to Appomattox. "Old Pete" (nickname) became known as Lee's "Old War Horse" and the best fighter and corps commander in the Army.

Despite a distinguished military record and several brilliant victories where his prescience, strategic vision and well-executed tactics saved the Army of Northern Virginia from certain destruction, General Longstreet was unfairly scapegoated and blamed for the loss of Gettysburg (and the war itself) for many years after the conflict.

Within the past decade historians and Civil War experts have refocused their attention on Longstreet with a view toward rehabilitating his reputation with a more balanced assessment. Various programs, roundtable groups and memorial funds emerged as a consequence of the Longstreet "revival," culminating with the unveiling of a Longstreet statue on Seminary Ridge at Gettysburg in July 1998.

Despite these good efforts there remains a strong sentiment among Longstreet's modern-day admirers that more can and should be done to rectify the wrongs heaped upon "Old Pete" and his family for the sake of honesty and decency in the treatment of heroic (if controversial) figures and American History itself.

Just as these negative, media-driven barrages took a toll on Longstreet and his family and countless other Americans, we are all reduced by these vicious, orchestrated falsehoods. Our history becomes distorted and truth becomes a casualty. Moreover, we as a nation are nullifying, even negating the enormous sacrifices made by our ancestors, particularly the noble soldiers like Longstreet, if we permit the erasure from history of their lives and achievements --the actions which have created our current bounty.

James Longstreet's life encompassed much of the tumultuous nineteenth century. As a West Point-trained officer, Longstreet served with distinction in the Mexican War and matured with the young nation's Manifest Destiny, honing his military skills in the rough wilds of the West. Longstreet knew the frontier and its values, and he drew strength and vision from his experience which served him well in the Civil War and beyond.

Longstreet's struggles with the exigencies of the South's military situation and his acute awareness of broad facets of the interlocking tragedy which unfolded after Appomattox did not inoculate him from one of American history's cruelest outbreaks of scapegoating and ostracism through which he endured an unrelenting barrage of personal attacks on his military record and beliefs. For nearly four decades Longstreet stood against the ill winds, did his duty, and helped the country grow into an industrial power.

Serious students of American history need to understand Longstreet's life, especially after his last great battle at The Wilderness (where he was nearly killed by accidental wounding) -- what happened to him and why it happened to gain a fuller understanding of what has transpired in the past one hundred and thirty-five years. There are profound lessons for all of us in understanding Longstreet, his travails and times.

This book--which is the most new addition to the Longstreet collection comes through as a "Gallagher essay" type format where various authors from Dinardo, to Nofi, to Piston, to Wert, all chip in with new and original essays on the man--Lee's Old War Horse.

Regards,
Cory

A Collection of Essays that High Light Longstreet.......2004-01-23

This book is a collection of essays much like Gary Gallagher does for his Civil war battle series. The book starts with an explanation of how Longstreet became the scapegoat for the south engineered by the post war attacks of former VA. officers some of which were not held in high esteem during the war. Suffering from this malignment, Longstreet's place in history has not been very kind or in some cases accurate. The authors cover Longstreet's career describing him as a modern general in thinking strategicaly about inside lines of communication utilizing railroads and concentrating forces against a stronger foe. Essays include Longstreet at not only Gettysburg but Chickamauga, the latter being the last great southern victory. Wert covers the controversial aspects of Longstreet's role at Gettysburg and puts the bed any thoughts of the infamous but false allegation of a "sunrise attack order". A fascinating essay is DiNardos comparison of the staffs of Longstreet's and Jackson's where Longstreet's staff come off as more professional with many receiving independent commands. Piston covers Longstreet in the antebellum prewar army where favoritism and connections were ripe and in the final essay covers Longstreet place in Southern History where he was succesfully vilified by Jubal Early.

This is an excellent book that rights many wrongs!!.......1999-07-04

DiNardo and Nofi have compiled a group of essays that fairly critique the different periods of the life of General James Longstreet. While the authors of these essays address the strengths of Lee's "Old War Horse", they also point out areas where the general could have made better decisions. The authors take a very scholarly approach to attacks made on General Longstreet and are able to refute many of the attacks made by the anti-Longstreet movement. If you are looking for a book that gives a balanced view of a great Civil War general and that succeeeds in trying to set the record straight, look no further. "James Longstreet-The Man, the Soldier, the Controversy" is an outstanding book.

Steve Galligan

This is an excellent book that rights many wrongs!!.......1999-07-04

Steve Galligan

Average customer rating:

Terrific Introduction

Facts and figures

Have a realistic expectation and you won't be disappointed.

Stereotyping of China

It is misleading

Understanding China: A Guide to China's Economy, History, and Political Culture
John Bryan Starr
Manufacturer: Hill and Wang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

International | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | China | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0809094894

Book Description

In this succinct, modest, and refreshingly forthright book--now revised and updated for the new century--Starr introduces to the uninitiated reader the background, basic data, and issues at stake in China's crisis-ridden present and future.

The death of Deng Xioaping in February 1997, revelations about Chinese influence in our election campaigns, and Chinese eagerness to acquire advanced American technology, are only some of the developments that show how urgently we need to know and understand China better than we do. In this revised edition of his essential book, Starr focuses his shrewd attention on them all. He furnishes additional material on China's relations with Taiwan and Tibet, the transfer of Hong Kong to Chinese rule, China's nuclear weapons program, and its environmental and human rights records.

Customer Reviews:

Terrific Introduction.......2007-09-19

A reviewer from Bangalore hit the nail on the head when they said this book was meant to be an introduction into understanding China. This book is very easy to read and does an excellent job providing the reader a very general overview on China. If one is more interested in China's economy, something written by Nicholas Lardy or other economists with works on China would be appropriate; Minxin Pei is well known for his work on rural unrest in China, and so on and so forth. Bottom line, there are well known individuals for their work on China that can provide more details for certain areas. Mr. Starr leaves the reader to go out and deepen their knowledge.

Facts and figures.......2005-11-07

This book is a very neat compilation of facts and figures about China. It is also important to note what this book is not, which is a comprehensive dossier on China as it is today. The book's scope is introductory & to that end, it succeeds to a great extent.

The readership gets a lot of factual data about all that defines a country - its history, geography, politics, biggest issues, the military, environmental concerns & foreign policy. Although, I never suspected the author to back an established propaganda - the book is essentially erudite - I still do not discount a possibility that certain analysis & conclusions might, at times, seem coloured. I maintain, however, that if such is the case, it is probably more of a mistake than deliberate misleading.

Also, this densely information packed nature of the book can sometimes seem a positive handicap. Certain times, there is more information than is required to form an idea of the topic under discourse; & it is possible that a reader - who is not really concerned with research type material on China - might be actually burdened with this information overload. Chapter summaries or key points would have been great, given the depth of detailed data in this book.

I also maintain that China, or any country, is a trifle to complex to be "understood" by reading a book, but if it is an introduction that you're looking for, this book is a very good read.

S!

Have a realistic expectation and you won't be disappointed........2005-01-11

A political science professor of mine lent this book to me when I was batting around ideas for a term paper. I enjoyed this book for what it is and it doesn't claim to be the comprehensive body of knowledge on China's culture, history, politics and contemporary society. If you want that, spend your entire life in college studying it, but don't expect it from a book of this size.

This book is a wonderful tool for those who have a "beginner's interest" in China. This book inspired me to not only conduct my own research but to also read both broader and deeper into China's politics and history.

What is fascinating about this book is how much the author is able to cover. It's a very dense book full of information. If you're looking for insight and analysis, you might find it scattered between the paragraphs that have been well-researched.

One could easily know the necessary facts of Chinese culture and history after reading this book. It is also an accessible and well-organized book. I've used in research and it has helped to direct me to other bodies of research based on its content.

You will be satisfied with how adequate and resourceful this book is. If you're interested in just reading about China, or you're a student doing research, or a professor looking to brush up on China essentials, or even if you're just curious about some of the events in China's history, this is the book I'd recommend first and foremost.

This book accomplishes what it promises. It's a permanent member of my library and I have lent it to three people in the last two months, one of whom was another professor, who found it critical for her teaching of comparative Chinese politics.

Stereotyping of China.......2002-02-26

The book tried to cover a lot of areas, which I think, has done quite superficially. And it seems to me that the author wrote the book to prove his points, and not exactly as the title suggested, to help understand China.

He gave a comparison of data between China and USA (which is good for american readers), however, as soon as the comparison does not support his point anymore, he would happily omit the data on the US and jump to his "conclusion" on China. As an example, to show his point that China's "huge" defense budget might be a concern for the stability of the region, he omitted the US defense budget to prove his point, as opposed to explain why/why not China needs such as budget. One has to look at the geographical size, and complexities of borders of China to see why China's defense budget is not that huge after all, as compared to the US's.

And there are a lot of areas like this in the book, or presented in a way that made Chinese people look like aliens, or made the country looks like it's FUBAR.

It is true that China has its fair share of problems. However, objective presentation is still in rigueur, especially for academic research.

It is disappointing, as you consider Starr's background, and the institution he is associated with. I'm not saying that he does not understand China, but he does not portray China in a way that help readers to understand China. Instead, it will just perpertuate the stereotyping.

This is a typical book, written by a "westerner", to prove a point. Readers who have very little knowledge of China should take it with a big grain of salt.

It is misleading.......2001-08-03

Mr. Starr seems know a lot about China, but I don't think he understand China based on what he wrote in his book. His conclusion that "an abrupt collapse of the Party-state" is unlikely to happen. Just like those who predict Hong Kong will be a chaos after return to China's rule, Mr Starr failed to realize the fundermental change in China these days which will lead to a more stable China.

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