Mixing Messages: Graphic Design in Contemporary Culture
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • An indespensible book if you can find it.
Mixing Messages: Graphic Design in Contemporary Culture
Ellen Lupton
Manufacturer: Princeton Architectural Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Graphic Arts | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
CultureCulture | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 156898099X

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars An indespensible book if you can find it........2000-09-27

It's 2:40 in the morning; I'm recovering from a nasty headcold. What could possibly have me awake and typing?

I've poured over 175 beautiful pages for the last day, and now I just want to read everything she's written.

Delving into the graphic design industry, its history and heroes, particularly since the advent of the Macintosh and desktop publishing both inspires and entertains.

A fabulously researched book with exquisite reproductions and wonderful design of its own.

Passport to Design: 2001 Sourcebook
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Passport to Design: 2001 Sourcebook

    Manufacturer: Gibbs Smith Publishers
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    GeneralGeneral | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Interior Design | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
    ASIN: 1967666628

    Book Description

    Profiles of Designers of Western furnishings, home accessories, and fashions. Articles on the subject of western furniture, fashion, and home accessories.

    Mr. Salesman
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • great actress but a writer i don't know
    Mr. Salesman

    Manufacturer: Twin Palms Publishers
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    Collections, Catalogues & ExhibitionsCollections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    Photo EssaysPhoto Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    ASIN: 0944092268

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars great actress but a writer i don't know.......2006-07-20

    i have never actually read this book but i really want to because diane keaton is my favorite actress and i love every single one of her movies and i think she is the greatest actress in the world. she has almost done it all and i really envy her and i wish i just like her. if your in the mood for a good movie you need to watch one of hers and or read one of her books. i can't wait to see all of her movies and read all of her books. i'm going to give it a 5 just because it has diane keaton in it and i love her so much.

    American Girls Collection Kirsten 1854 Set of 6 (1 Meet Kirsten, 2 Kirsten Learns a Lesson, 3 Kirsten's Surprise, 4 Happy Birthday, Kirsten, 5 Kirsten Saves the Day, 6 Changes for Kirsten, Volumes 1-6)
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      American Girls Collection Kirsten 1854 Set of 6 (1 Meet Kirsten, 2 Kirsten Learns a Lesson, 3 Kirsten's Surprise, 4 Happy Birthday, Kirsten, 5 Kirsten Saves the Day, 6 Changes for Kirsten, Volumes 1-6)

      Manufacturer: Scholastic
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      KirstenKirsten | American Girl | Historical | Series | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
      ASIN: 0590527819

      Product Description

      Set of 6 books, American Girl Kirsten 1854, first Scholastic edition, 1992. Kirsten is a pioneer girl of strength and courage who settles on the frontier. Ages 7-10.
      Happy Lesson Volume 2
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Happy Lesson Volume 2
        Mutsumi Sasaki
        Manufacturer: ADV Manga
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        GeneralGeneral | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
        ASIN: B000SN4W0I

        Book Description

        18-year-old Susumu Arisaka has just gotten out of an orphanage and is looking forward to finally living alone in his childhood home. When he walks in the door, however, he finds that five of his high school teachers have decided to move in and become his "mama teachers!" Mama Mutsuki in particular seems to have a crush on him, which makes for trouble with his girlfriend, the class president! Thus begins Susumu's travails, as his new mothers teach him about life, love, and what it means to be a man!

        Doing Documentary Work (New York Public Library Lectures in Humanities)
        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
        • Documentary work related to literary fiction
        Doing Documentary Work (New York Public Library Lectures in Humanities)
        Robert Coles
        Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        GeneralGeneral | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
        PhotojournalismPhotojournalism | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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        ASIN: 0195124952

        Amazon.com

        Robert Coles, a child psychiatrist whose series of books on children won him a Pulitzer Prize, has turned his watchful eye to the nature of the documentary and produced a thought-provoking book. In somewhat the manner of James Faris's recent study, Navajo and Photography, Coles reveals how documentarians like Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans edited and cropped their images to produce a desired effect, and raises the question of authenticity versus manipulation. Lange, the subject of a previous biographical study by Coles, comes under close scrutiny as he contrasts her iconic image of a migrant mother with obscure photographs shot moments earlier. The author also recalls James Agee's self-critical appraisal of his and Evans's "insensitivity" and "arrogance" in pursuing an editorial assignment.

        Book Description

        Sitting in his study, William Carlos Williams once revealed to Robert Coles what he considered to be his greatest problem in writing a documentary about his patients in New Jersey. "When I'm there, sitting with those folks, listening and talking," he said to Coles, "I'm part of that life, and I'm near it in my head, too.... Back here, sitting near this typewriter--its different. I'm a writer. I'm a doctor living in Rutherford who is describing 'a world elsewhere.'" Williams captured the great difficulty in documentary writing--the gulf that separates the reality of the subject from the point of view of the observer . Now, in this thought-provoking volume, the renowned child psychiatrist Robert Coles, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Children in Crisis series, offers a penetrating look into the nature of documentary work. Utilizing the documentaries of writers, photographers, and others, Coles shows how their prose and pictures are influenced by the observer's frame of reference: their social and educational background, personal morals, and political beliefs. He discusses literary documentaries: James Agee's searching portrait of Depression-era tenant farmers, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, and George Orwell's passionate description of England's coal-miners, The Road to Wigan Pier. Like many documentarians, Coles argues, Agee and Orwell did not try to be objective, but instead showered unadulterated praise on the "noble" poor and vituperative contempt on the more privileged classes (including themselves) for "exploiting" these workers. Documentary photographs could be equally revealing about the observer. Coles analyzes how famous photographers such as Walker Evans and Dorthea Lange edited and cropped their pictures to produce a desired effect. Even the shield of the camera could not hide the presence of the photographer. Coles also illuminates his points through his personal portraits of William Carlos Williams; Robert Moses, one of the leaders of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee during the 1960s; Erik H. Erikson, biographer of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther; and others. Documentary work, Coles concludes, is more a narrative constructed by the observer than a true slice of reality. With the growth in popularity of films such as Ken Burns's The Civil War and the controversial basketball documentary Hoop Dreams, the question of what is "real" in documentary work is more pressing than ever. Through revealing discussions with documentarians and insightful analysis of their work, complemented by dramatic black-and-white photographs from Lange and Evans, Doing Documentary Work will provoke the reader into reconsidering how fine the line is between truth and fiction. It is an invaluable resource for students of the documentary and anyone interested in this important genre.

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars Documentary work related to literary fiction.......1999-03-04

        This is an important book for "so called" documentary writers, photographers, and film makers. I say "so called" because we tend to think of documentary work as an accurate representation--literally the truth. Robert Coles pretty much shoots that idea down, showing how the background, beliefs, biases, hopes, and fears of the documentarian color the narrative. I came away believing that the word objective is not relevant here, and that it may be impossible to ever get at the truth. If I read Coles right, the documentarian may, in fact, be more akin to the literary fiction writer/photographer/film-maker, who does seem to get at the truth. This is not to say that documentary work is futile. On the contrary it can be potent, meaningful, and worthwhile. We may just have to look at it differently and face up to the fact that it reflects the person doing the documentary work as much as it does his/her subject. This is a liberating idea. And we owe a debt to Coles for proffering it. There are consequences, too. For instance, in the light of Coles' discovery, a lot of critics may owe an apology to Richard Avedon, whose photographic fiction, "In The American West," may be fine documentary work after all.
        DOING DOCUMENTARY WORK
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          DOING DOCUMENTARY WORK
          Robert Coles
          Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback
          ASIN: B000OKR4MS
          DOING DOCUMENTARY WORK
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            DOING DOCUMENTARY WORK
            Robert Coles
            Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback
            ASIN: B000OKBAZA

            Creative Beginnings: An Introduction to Jazz Improvisation
            Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
            • Just good
            • simply wordy
            • Inaccurate Advertising
            Creative Beginnings: An Introduction to Jazz Improvisation
            Scott D. Reeves
            Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Spiral-bound

            GeneralGeneral | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
            JazzJazz | Musical Genres | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
            Instruction & StudyInstruction & Study | Theory, Composition & Performance | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
            TechniquesTechniques | Theory, Composition & Performance | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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            ASIN: 0133454630

            Book Description

            Motivating beginners to improvise from the start, this comprehensive approach to jazz improvisation offers discussions of jazz theory, exercises based on scales and chords, and jazz compositions suitable for classroom or ensemble performance to help develop facility in jazz improvisation. This complete approach to learning jazz improvisation discusses how a particular chord and scale are used in jazz improvisation; applies exercises based on that particular scale and chord, and; transposes materials for concert pitch treble clef, B-flat, E-flat and bass clef instruments, making it useable for a jazz ensemble as well as private instruction. Integrating inspirational quotes by major artists between each section to motivate readers and convey a deep truth about why we play music, it gives instruction on how to practice, how to construct an improvised solo, and how to tap into our creative potential, and provides an overview of who to listen to, with a short biography of selected major artists by instrument. The importance of rhythm and jazz articulations is discussed, and readers are provided with specific exercises to help them develop a jazz rhythmic concept. All musical terms are defined, highlighted, and indexed, and a play-along compact disc containing rhythm section accompaniments to all exercises and compositions is included. For professional musicians and music stores that employ private music teachers.

            Customer Reviews:

            4 out of 5 stars Just good.......2006-12-26

            This book gives the beginning improviser a good overview of the theory needed to improvise. Reeves is clear and concise in his explanations. I had some personal problems with this book that made it less useful to me than it otherwise could have been. The book is more geared towards horn players and as a guitarist the excercises were way too simple and were not written in tab. I can read so that wasn't a problem, but most guitarists can't. If you are a guitarist I recommend you look elsewhere, like Andrew Green or Jody Fisher's books.

            3 out of 5 stars simply wordy.......2006-11-06

            I bought this book for the text book in a jazz improvisation class. We haven't referred to it once. It is a "simplified" version of the author's Creative Jazz Improvisation meaning it leaves out most of the musical examples. This leaves lots of words. A mediocre but irrelevant cd is included.

            2 out of 5 stars Inaccurate Advertising.......2006-03-22

            The book did not include the play along CD as indicated in Amazon's book description. Amazon has not been able to provide the CD, so the usefulness or value of the book is dramatically reduced.
            Creative Beginnings: An Introduction to Jazz Improvisation
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Creative Beginnings: An Introduction to Jazz Improvisation
              Scott D. Reeves
              Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Paperback
              ASIN: B000OI3C8U

              Boggle Brainbusters: The Ultimate Word-Search Puzzle Book
              Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
              • Different from original Boggle
              • Please write more Boggle books!
              • Not the same
              • Wonderful for the entire family to play plus educational
              • Loved it
              Boggle Brainbusters: The Ultimate Word-Search Puzzle Book
              David L. Hoyt
              Manufacturer: Triumph Books
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Paperback

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              4. The Everything Crossword and Puzzle Book; Hours of brain-teasing fun-crossword puzzles, acrostics, hidden words and more, for puzzlers at all levels The Everything Crossword and Puzzle Book; Hours of brain-teasing fun-crossword puzzles, acrostics, hidden words and more, for puzzlers at all levels
              5. Sports Search-a-Word Puzzles Sports Search-a-Word Puzzles

              ASIN: 1572438509

              Book Description

              Boggle is a worldwide success phenomenon. It is sold in almost all English-speaking countries, and there are special versions for other languages as well. Boggle is so popular that there are tournaments all over the country. Type "Boggle tournament" into a search engine and you'll get thousands of hits. Boggle Brainbusters! plays like the fast paced word game itself. Try to find as many words of three or more letters as you can. Form words by joining letters up, down, side to side, and even diagonally. Puzzles are suitable for players aged eight to adult - the whole family will be playing and puzzling for hours!

              Customer Reviews:

              2 out of 5 stars Different from original Boggle.......2007-06-27

              I love playing Boggle, both the original game and the computer game, so I was disappointed with this book. The rules are somewhat different, making it too easy. Also, there is no "correct" word list, so you can assume all the words you make are correct. Just not what I had expected.

              5 out of 5 stars Please write more Boggle books!.......2007-02-05

              I love word games and there aren't enough out there- it's a field dominated (almost exclusively) by crossword puzzles. The Boggle workbooks (there are currently two) are terrific- as easy or hard as you want them to be- you're just making words out of adjacent letters- you get higher points for longer words, etc. I am addicted to these books. I've now bought each twice, just keep re-working the same two. So I really wish they'd bring out Boggle Brainbusters 3!

              3 out of 5 stars Not the same.......2006-07-09

              Ehhh, it wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. It does pass the time, but is basically kinda boring and not a bit as fun as the actual game.

              5 out of 5 stars Wonderful for the entire family to play plus educational.......2005-11-15

              My entire family has enjoyed this game. Often you find that you can't put it down - got to finish this one last puzzle. This book is also educational as it teaches younger children how to spell words correctly when you sit with them to help them find words. To bad there isn't more Boggle books!
              Lisa

              5 out of 5 stars Loved it.......2005-06-03

              This book was great for me on my plane ride with my son. Very fun and challenging

              Mandy's Secret Diary (Emmerdale)
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                Mandy's Secret Diary (Emmerdale)

                Manufacturer: Andre Deutsch Ltd
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback

                GeneralGeneral | Television | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
                ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                ASIN: 0233999353

                Your Baby & Toddler: A Commonsense Guide from A to Z
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Your Baby & Toddler: A Commonsense Guide from A to Z
                  Anne Marie Mueser
                  Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Paperback

                  GeneralGeneral | Pregnancy & Childbirth | Women's Health | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
                  Household HintsHousehold Hints | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
                  GeneralGeneral | Babies & Toddlers | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
                  InfantsInfants | Babies & Toddlers | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
                  GeneralGeneral | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
                  ASIN: 0312287917

                  Book Description

                  An indispensable A-to-Z guide to the first three years of lifeYour Baby Toddler is an all-inclusive, concise, and reliable resource for all new parents. Covering newborns through age three, it is written in a simple, supportive style that answers commonly asked questions, calms fears, and supplements visits and phone calls to the doctor's office.Covering physical health, emotional development, and household safety, topics include:Accident prevention * Allergies * Antibiotics * Asthma * Babyproofing your home * Bottle-feeding and breast-feeding * Colic * Crying * Daycare * Immunizations * Nightmares * Nutrition * Separation Anxiety * Sleep problems * Toilet Training * Toy Safety * Weaning * and much more.Providing the latest research findings, Your Baby Toddler is a home reference all parents can trust for advice, answers, and up-to-the-minute information.
                  Your Baby & Toddler: A Commonsense Guide from A to Z
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    Your Baby & Toddler: A Commonsense Guide from A to Z
                    Anne Marie Mueser
                    Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback
                    ASIN: B000OTN9BO

                    My Vietnam Conflicts: A Story About Real People Who Were Soldiers, Not Because They Wanted to Be, but Because They Were Called
                    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                    • My Vietnam Conflicts
                    • you will want to read it several times
                    My Vietnam Conflicts: A Story About Real People Who Were Soldiers, Not Because They Wanted to Be, but Because They Were Called
                    Paul A. Letourneau
                    Manufacturer: Booklocker.com
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Hardcover

                    GeneralGeneral | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
                    Military & SpiesMilitary & Spies | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
                    GeneralGeneral | Military | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
                    MemoirsMemoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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                    GeneralGeneral | Vietnam | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
                    ASIN: 1591137926

                    Customer Reviews:

                    5 out of 5 stars My Vietnam Conflicts.......2006-02-11

                    This book should be required reading for those who have been to war, those who have not, and those who have sent young men
                    and women to war.A moving, first person account of the sac-
                    ifices made, and both physical and pyschological burdens
                    carried.Heroes are not the people you read about in the news,
                    but they are each soldier who went did his duty, to the best
                    of his ability, under the most difficult of curcumstances.

                    5 out of 5 stars you will want to read it several times.......2006-01-24

                    I've read the book three times, it really puts me right in the middle of the action much better than any movie or TV documentary I've seen. It's a down to earth account of what goes on in a war, from the frightening combat scenes to such everyday activities such as eating and personal hygene,to how one soldier misses his home and family, his fears and hopes. Every American should read this book to better understand what a debt we all owe our men and women in uniform.

                    Are Prisons Obsolete?
                    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                    • Literature Working on the Prison System
                    • A Brilliantly Reasoned Critique of the American Prison System
                    • Why Prisons Aren't About Justice
                    • theory heavy; not a good intro to prison issues
                    • Economics and Racism combine to create our broken prisons
                    Are Prisons Obsolete?
                    Angela Y. Davis
                    Manufacturer: Seven Stories Press
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback

                    GeneralGeneral | 20th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
                    Law EnforcementLaw Enforcement | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books
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                    Law EnforcementLaw Enforcement | Criminal Law | Law | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
                    CriminologyCriminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
                    PenologyPenology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
                    GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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                    4. Angela Davis: An Autobiography Angela Davis: An Autobiography
                    5. Assata: An Autobiography (Lawrence Hill & Co.) Assata: An Autobiography (Lawrence Hill & Co.)

                    ASIN: 1583225811

                    Book Description

                    Amid rising public concern about the proliferation and privitization of prisons, and their promise of enormous profits, world-renowned author and activist Angela Y. Davis argues for the abolition of the prison system as the dominant way of responding to America's social ills. “In thinking about the possible obsolescence of the prison,” Davis writes, “we should ask how it is that so many people could end up in prison without major debates regarding the efficacy of incarceration.” Whereas Reagan-era politicians with “tough on crime” stances argued that imprisonment and longer sentences would keep communities free of crime, history has shown that the practice of mass incarceration during that period has had little or no effect on official crime rates: in fact, larger prison populations led not to safer communities but to even larger prison populations. As we make our way into the twenty-first century—two hundred years after the invention of the penitentiary —the question of prison abolition has acquired an unprecedented urgency. Backed by growing numbers of prisons and prisoners, Davis analyzes these institutions in the U.S., arguing that the very future of democracy depends on our ability to develop radical theories and practices that make it possible to plan and fight for a world beyond the prison industrial complex.

                    Customer Reviews:

                    4 out of 5 stars Literature Working on the Prison System.......2007-04-12

                    Angela Davis talks about many different points in her book Are Prisons Obsolete? She tries to convince the audience that the current U.S. prison system is not run adequately. Davis questions the United States system of justice and the prison system that currently houses over two million people throughout the nation. In her book, she argues that prisons do not solve crime and that over the past twenty years the prison boom has not lowered crime rates across the country, but has intensified criminal behavior. The injustices within the current prison system, including institutionalized racism, gender inequalities, and class segregation are thoroughly explored in this book. She also debates whether a prison reform would be enough or prison abolition is necessary. This book is a great piece of literature that exposes readers with little to no knowledge about prisons to some cruel realities.
                    The book offers an overview of the history of prisons. Davis takes as an example California, a state which "landscape has thoroughly been prisonized over the last twenty years" (Davis, 12). This overview is extremely important to underline Davis' point that prisons have become ineffective as rehabilitatory institutions. Although, theoretically, the main purpose of a prison is to rehabilitate criminals, economic factors as well as racist motives, quickly drove the prison system to emulate a new way of slavery. As Davis says: "segregation ruled in the south until it was outlawed a century after the abolition of slavery. Many people who lived under Jim Crow could not envision a legal system defined by racial equality" (Davis, 23). The need for cheap labor in the south incited the spur of legislations that promoted the incarceration of as many African Americans as possible after the civil war. These prisoners, then, were leased out resulting in productive yet cheap laborers. Davis touches base with racism and economic oppression issues in chapter two of her book.
                    As evidence to help us understand the causes by which prisons started to proliferate when official studies showed that crime rate was going down (Davis, 85), Professor Davis uses the fact that "many corporations with global markets, now rely on prisons as an important source of profit" (Davis, 85). All the data compiled in chapter five of Davis' book is important to explain how the prison system has embodied a prison industrial complex that manipulates inmates' labor in exchange for economic gain. She attributes the so-called "tough on crime" legislation to private prisons and other corporations' interests. Although chapter five is bombards the reader with communist idealism, a communist mentality is not necessary to understand Davis' conclusions.
                    Even though not enough facts and statistics are given in the book with regards to the problem with the system, the book offers two chapters full of first hand information gathered by Davis. Nevertheless, the book's emphasis is on proposing a prison abolition program that should go hand and hand with the prison reform movement (Davis, 9-10). She is the voice of many prison reformers who have been trying to end violence and sexual abuse in prisons, provide prisoners with education so that their civil rights are not stripped away, and most importantly, work for prisons to be part of the solution and not another cause of problem.
                    In her last chapter, Professor Davis proposes, not so concrete ideas to adopt a completely different system or correction. This is the book's weakest chapter since it is too rhetorical and lacks solid proposals. She implies that the amount of knowledge and work necessary to make a solid change is in fact not very achievable by saying: "An abolitionist approach that seeks to answer questions such as these would require us to imagine a constellation of alternative strategies and institutions" (Davis107), referring to questions such as "how can we imagine a society in which punishment is not based on race and class?"(Davis107). Nonetheless her ideology and optimism opens many possibilities that could in fact be effective substitutes to incarceration.
                    It is for all these reasons that I recommend this book to everyone who is interested in knowing the hidden problems within the current U.S. prison system and the ongoing racial segregation issues. This book makes us think whether or not prisons are obsolete. Davis thinks they are.

                    5 out of 5 stars A Brilliantly Reasoned Critique of the American Prison System.......2006-04-22

                    In "Are Prisons Obsolete?", Professor Davis provides a clear and cogent argument that prisons not only are obsolete but that they have always been and always will be ineffectual for any purpose other than to oppress an unfairly disfavored class of people.

                    I concur with a previous reviewer that Professor Davis's book is by no means overly theoretical or academic. The explanation of the history of prisons in America is crucial to her intent to prove that prisons are ineffective as rehabilitatory institutions and to explain what prisons have become today in lieu of that. Although many people originally considered the institution of prisons as a progressive step that would rehabilitate criminals, economic factors and racist motives quickly perverted the prison system into a loophole in the Thirteenth Amendment's prohibition against slavery. The need for cheap labor in the South after the Civil War prompted the creation of legislation geared towards incarcerating as many African-Americans as possible. These prisoners were subsequently leased out as cheap laborers. Professor Davis discusses this history of racism and economic oppression in Chapter Two of the book.

                    Professor Davis uses more recent history to explain how the prison system has given way to a prison industrial complex that exploits minority prisoners for economic gain in a different way. She very convincingly argues throughout Chapter Five that so-called "tough on crime" litigation and the rapid increase in the number of prisons during the past three decades is directly attributable to the economic interests of private prisons and other corporations from a wide range of industries. Although these portions of the book admittedly are intermittently peppered with Communist and Socialist phrasing, one need not embrace Communist economic thought to appreciate the value of Professor Davis's arguments. Indeed, it is extremely difficult (if not impossible) to find any type of premise assumed by Professor Davis that she does not thoroughly justify and support with facts.

                    A previous reviewer commented that other books would serve as a better introduction to the problems of the American prison system than "Are Prisons Obsolete?" because Professor Davis does not provide enough facts and statistics regarding these problems. Professor Davis does, in fact, devote two chapters of the book to the problems in prisons and the reform movement (including an entire chapter devoted to How Gender Structures the Prison System). But even without these facts, the value of Professor Davis's book is that it proposes a program of prison _abolition_ that should be pursued simultaneously with the prison reform movement. She lauds the work of prison reformers to end the epidemic of violence and sexual assault in prisons, to provide better educational and employment opportunities to prisoners, and to improve prison conditions generally, but she also points out that even if all these prison reforms could somehow be realized, the existence of any type of prison system would be unjust and ineffectual. In other words, although other books on the problems inherent in the prison system exist that are of equal importance, "Are Prisons Obsolete?" is a necessary addition to the academic literature on prisons in that it highlights problems that are tragically overlooked by the majority of prison reformers.

                    For the foregoing reasons, I would highly recommend Professor Davis's book to anyone who is interested or concerned about the state of American prisons and also to anyone concerned with race and gender problems in America.

                    5 out of 5 stars Why Prisons Aren't About Justice.......2004-09-16

                    This book, while providing historical context, is not overly academic and is very readable. Davis presents some startling facts about the prison as a replacement for the plantation and about the intrinsic racism of capital punishment.

                    The division between prison reform and prison abolition is an artificial one that need not slow the progress of either prison reform or the development of abolitionist theory. I've heard Davis speak on the subject as well. She emphasizes the need to both insist that correctional institutions be reformed AND to acknowledge that there is no "just" way to incarcerate people at the rate that the US currently does.

                    Read this book to expand you field of vision about the alternatives to the current criminal justice system and to place these issues in historical context.

                    3 out of 5 stars theory heavy; not a good intro to prison issues.......2004-08-07

                    This may just be the way I approach prison issues, but I believe that the current crisis in U.S. prisons -- overincarceration, privitization, horrific health problems, racism, inadequate educational programs -- do not necessarily need a wide historical analysis to call attention to themselves. I am, like Davis, a socialist, but I think the mess that is the prison industrial complex can be described in a way that will make liberals, not just radicals, agree that the system needs to change right away -- and I think that this is more important than focusing on the more abstract idea of prison abolition. When I heard her speak at a prisoner conference last year, she focused on the difference between being a prison reformer and a prison abolitionist: a difference that is addressed in this work. This book as a whole is an argument for prison abolition. But prison reform is more urgent, and more possible. I find it hard to focus on her arguments as a result.

                    I recommend to people interested in an intro to contemporary prison issues Christian Parenti's book Lockdown America -- he is as angry as Davis, but his book provides more statistical and descriptive evidence than she does as to why you should be angry as well. Articles written by prisoners themselves are collected in the 1998 collection The Celling of America ed by Daniel Burton-Rose and 2003's Prison Nation ed by T. Herivel and P. Wright. (Note that Prison Nation includes articles written by non-prisoners as well.)

                    Prison activists and those who are currently reading into the american prison system should read Davis' book, but I urge those looking for an introduction not to start here.

                    4 out of 5 stars Economics and Racism combine to create our broken prisons.......2004-02-02

                    Following the over throw of reconstruction, the re-empowered white ruling class in the South needed a large pool of cheap labor. The Thirteenth Amendment, which outlawed slavery, contained one glaring exception--slavery was still completely legal for those who had been convicted of a crime. Suddenly, new legislation was enacted which criminalized a wide variety of behaviors not previously considered criminal--having no job, vagrancy, no visible means of support, etc.

                    Once these "Black Codes" were in place, prisons in the South were rapidly filled with Blacks. Prior to the Civil War, prisoners in the South were overwhelmingly White. After Reconstruction, they were overwhelmingly Black.

                    These new prisoners were "leased" to White plantation owners, at a flat fee. With no capital invested in these new slaves, many were simply worked to death. The economic incentive to ensure that the prisons were full was inescapable.

                    In this short, but powerful, book, Angela Davis makes the case that this pattern of incarcerating Blacks, set during the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, carries through to the present. Today the economics of incarceration are more subtle. Money is not primarily made through the labor of prisoners (although that still happens). Today, the real money is made by the underwriters who sell the bonds to finance prison construction, the myriad of industries which supply the country's 2 million prisoners with everything from soap to light bulbs, and by rural America, where the last three decades of de-industrialization has left prison as one of the very few decent paying union jobs available to formerly blue collar workers.

                    Ms. Davis draws on a plethora of academic studies (several dozen of which are cited in footnotes, which provide anyone interested with a comprehensive study guide for understanding the historical antecedents and current realities of America's love affair with the prison.

                    Her bottom line--abandon the whole flawed system. The last chapter, which attempts to answer the immediate question posed to anyone who dares raise this option, is the book's weakest. Too much rhetoric; not enough solid proposals. Nonetheless, the historical breadth, backed by detailed facts, of Ms. Davis' book make it well worth reading.
                    I was a conscientious objector in camp, in prison [and] on parole;: A very personal story of difficulties of experiences of one who believes war is now obsolete
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      I was a conscientious objector in camp, in prison [and] on parole;: A very personal story of difficulties of experiences of one who believes war is now obsolete
                      Joe Frederick Nunnally
                      Manufacturer: Sooner Pub. Co
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Unknown Binding

                      Military ScienceMilitary Science | History | Subjects | Books
                      ASIN: B0007EL23I
                      The annals of Wakefield house of correction for three hundred years;: With notices of ancient prisons and obsolete punishments ... embracing a general ... Elizabeth to the demise of Queen Victoria
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        The annals of Wakefield house of correction for three hundred years;: With notices of ancient prisons and obsolete punishments ... embracing a general ... Elizabeth to the demise of Queen Victoria
                        J. Horsfall Turner
                        Manufacturer: Priv. Print. for J.H. Turner, by Harrison and Sons
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Unknown Binding

                        Law EnforcementLaw Enforcement | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books
                        GeneralGeneral | England | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
                        ASIN: B0008BQ03M

                        A First Look at Ducks, Geese, and Swans (1st Look at Series)
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          A First Look at Ducks, Geese, and Swans (1st Look at Series)
                          Millicent Ellis Selsam , and Joyce Hunt
                          Manufacturer: Walker & Company
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Hardcover

                          ZoologyZoology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                          GeneralGeneral | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                          GeneralGeneral | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                          GeneralGeneral | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                          ASIN: 0802769756

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                          1. Museum Highlights: The Writings of Andrea Fraser (Writing Art)
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                          9. Real Spaces: World Art History and the Rise of Western Modernism
                          10. Rethinking Art History: Meditations on a Coy Science

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