Crass Art and Other Pre Post-Modernist Monsters

Customer Reviews:

Very affecting..........1999-10-27

The work in this book has a great deal of artistic clarity and uncompromising political awareness. In many of the works, recognizable images of the contemporary savagery foisted on people by institutions are placed in the immediate vicinity of the icons of comfort and complacency that define our lives as consumers and tools of the power-mad. The collages are filled with visual information yet immediate and affecting. Gee Vaucher creates a stunning balance of craft and outrage that left me feeling depressed and guilty.

Customer Reviews:

A welcome addition to the Police library.......2005-01-08

I was thrilled to see a new book published on The Police earlier this year and ordered it direct from the German publisher. This is a large collection of photographs taken from several sessions Didi Zill had with the Police both as a group and individually. Photographs are presented from several live performances; home visits with Sting, Stewart, and Andy; a European awards ceremony; and the Montserrat recording sessions for Ghost in the Machine.

Some of these images may look familiar to Police collectors as they have been used in the past in various magazine articles (though it is nice to finally have high-quality prints of them). My favorites are the Montserrat pictures--just lovely work, and they show the band members looking relaxed and quite happy. The home photos with each band member are also quite interesting and rather showcase their very different personalities and styles.

The only drawback to me were actually the live performance shots. Many of them are very grainy and not, to my eye, particularly revealing or interesting. I think Lynn Goldsmith did a better job of capturing the energy of the Police on stage in her photographs; these just left me unimpressed and unmoved.

This is a fairly expensive book. As a whole I recommend it but perhaps only to the more dedicated Police fans and collectors out there; those who are curious to a wider sampling of images of the bands should still first check out older volumes of photographs by Lynn Goldsmith and Danny Quatrochi.

Customer Reviews:

An Exaltation of Larks.......2007-01-11

The book is a delight not just of finches but of information and finches. The service was great. Thanks

Exaltation of larks.......2007-01-04

Prompted by a discussion with my son about collective nouns, saw and purchased a copy for each of us. More than pleased with the service, and with the content of the book.In fact , there's more than either of us bargained for....its certainly comprehensive and really easy to browse for information.

A riot of nomenclature.......2006-11-03

Frankly, it's not a very readable book. But it's fascinating in that it does list so many group names of animals. It's quite humorous in part, too.

An embarrassment of riches .........2006-08-26

Every member of 'a browse of readers' should have access to this book.

This is considered by many to be the authoritative collection of collective nouns.

From an 'aarmory of aardvarks' to a 'consumption of yuppies', there is something for everyone.

A highly recommended addition to your library of books.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

An Exaltation of Larks.......2006-07-25

This is a wonderful book, so humorous and the illustrations are really well drawn. Two of my friends have already ordered this book after reading mine. This is a great coffee table book, everyone loves to look through it.

An Exaltation of Larks (the ultimate edition: more than 1000 terms)

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An Exaltation of Larks (the ultimate edition: more than 1000 terms)

Manufacturer: Viking
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GH1MLS

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Exaltation of Larks the Ultimate Edition More
James Lipton
Manufacturer: VIKING PENGUIN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WE4AJQ

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Exaltation of Larks : The Ultimate Edition
James Lipton
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIVR3C

An Exaltation of Larks the Ultimate Edition

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An Exaltation of Larks the Ultimate Edition

Manufacturer: Viking
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I7111M

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An Exaltation of Larks: The Ultimate Edition
James Lipton
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ1Y3E

Amazon.com

"It's like writing history with lightning!" marveled President Wilson upon first screening Birth of a Nation in 1915. Indeed, the celluloid image had indelibly impressed upon him--and the rest of the viewing world--a singularly unique language that expressed itself as an innovative marriage of form and content. That an equally distinctive discourse should arise surrounding the infant art form was unsurprising as students, historians, and social scientists have struggled for decades to define the dynamic relationship between cinema and society.

The essays compiled in Hollywood as Historian all seek to explore this burgeoning relationship further, weighing in on the various ways films have distorted history, revised history, provoked social change, and have been affected by the political and social climate in which they were produced. For example, the examination into D.W. Griffith's landmark film Birth of a Nation reveals not only a narrative of structural ingenuity, but a prime example of how the celluloid depiction of a fictional society--in this case a Southern culture replete with racist overtones--can effectively alter the public perception of history. Intended as a collegiate text, the book discusses the films in a way that does little to forge new territory in the arena of film and popular-culture studies. The essays compiled were largely penned in the 1970s and have doubtless made their rounds in the targeted scholastic communities. However, the revised 1998 notes serve as a potent reminder of the causal relationship between art and society. As we live in an era where filmmakers are sued over the misinterpretation of their product and the media are routinely blamed for the general degradation of social values, it is more important than ever to recognize the impact that each sphere of influence has over each other. --Katrina Brede

Customer Reviews:

Terrific book for historians and humanists........2002-01-31

(See 1998 edition--which is vigorously in print.)

HOLLYWOOD AS HISTORIAN is a widely-used
textbook with essays from the silent era
to Vietnam. In a world fascinated by the
connections between culture and movies, it
is a perfect launch pad for students and
general readers. (Be sure to get the 2nd
edition, published in 1998.)

This collection places the following films
in a cultural context:
The Birth of a Nation (1915)
The Plow That Broke the Plains (1936)
The River (1937)
Three by Chaplin: City Lights(1931),
Modern Times (1936),The Great Dictator (1941)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Wilson (1944)
The Negro Soldier (1944)
The Snake Pit (1948)
On the Waterfront (1954)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?(1966)
Apocalypse Now (1979)

The book closes with a review of sources of
print and video materials.

This book is a classic of its kind and is
used in classrooms across the country. Yet
it is good reading for anyone serious about
the study of motion pictures in relation to
American Studies. A new edition came out in 1998 and is in ready availability.

More information about underlining methodology at this address:

www.filmandhistory.org

Since Debussy: a View of Contemporary Music
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Since Debussy: a View of Contemporary Music
Andre hodeir
Manufacturer: Evergreen Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CL1IQ

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Since Debussy: A View of Contemporary Music (Da Capo Press Music Reprint Series)
Andre Hodeir
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Classical | Musical Genres | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Popular | Musical Genres | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
History & Criticism | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0306706628

Since Debussy: A View of Contemporary Music
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Since Debussy: A View of Contemporary Music
Andre Hodeir
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSK6ES

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SINCE DEBUSSY: A VIEW OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC.

Manufacturer: Secker & Warburg
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HHKF38

Book Description

"In worlds where storytelling is a science, the 'Big Idea' is king, and fantasy makes good business sense, this is an excellent overview, not just of the technology, but of the personal points of view of many of the professionals who make it happen." -- Bran Ferren, Executive Vice-President, Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development, Inc.

Digital Illusion is the future of entertainment. That future, as seen in this book, is at the intersection of show business and interactivity. It is a future where games, theme-park attractions, and networked virtual worlds are built with seamless, interactive, computer technology, and where exciting new kinds of experience and enjoyment are made possible. It's a future that has already begun!

Clark Dodsworth has participated for years in this convergence of the computer and entertainment industries. Here, he gathers prominent contributors from both worlds to describe the design and implementation of computer-based entertainment applications. With striking examples, they show what has been accomplished and preview what is yet to come.

The book covers diverse subjects in some technical detail, making it a useful resource for readers designing or developing their own applications. Topics include the infrastructure required for new applications; advances in creative tools, multiplayer systems, and networking; interface-design techniques, including avatars and agents; and practical hardware issues. A section on business applications, with predictions from industry insiders, explores economic opportunities for both content vendors and providers, and shows how digital entertainment is fast becoming a key profit center in our economy. Much of the book, however, is accessible and interesting to the general reader-anyone fascinated by the potential for high-tech fun-who wonders, say, what it might be like to wield magical powers in an imaginary universe.

Customer Reviews:

Nothing Virtual about Digital Illusion.......2000-05-12

Clark Dodsworth has made an enormous contribution to this subject by combining chapters from all the big thinkers in this industry.

Some chapters did not appeal, others enthralled me and as I hilited gems along the way through this book I realised that my own concepts of perception and communication were evolving. It was nice to find support and to be challenged as well in the many contributions of this book.

Dodsworth insight and experience helps to stitch all of the contributions and any loose ends together.

Digital Illusions provides many benefits to any reader who has an interest in this industry. I found the investment of my time worthwhile.

Invaluable resource for interactive entertainment.......1999-07-03

This book is incredibly dense and content-rich. It features "from the horse's mouth" articles from some of the top minds in interactive entertainment. Two years after its publication, it's still cutting edge. It provides excellent groundwork for software designers, virtual reality designers or anyone working in the theme park industry. I teach interacive design at the University level throughout the world and I always recommend this book as a "must read" for my students.

Excellent thermometer of the breadth of simulation.......1998-08-24

This is an excellent overview of all of the areas where simulation and virtual reality are penetrating our culture. The authors of each chapter focus on entertainment and defense. Though I read the book searching for background material on military simulation, I was fascinated by the use of simulation technologies in entertainment. Each author presented a very different application. Many thanks to Clark Dodsworth for pulling all of this material together.

Customer Reviews:

great how-to.......2002-02-10

Book a how-to for
winning bucks

There must be someone out there smarter than us, who right now, is guessing who is likely to become famous, who is likely to die, and what is going to be the next big thing. And cash in on these phenomena by turning the research into books.
One of the latest such books is attempting to cash in on America's fascination with millionaires.
"So You'd Like to Win a Million: Facts, Trivia, and Hints on Game Show Success," by Elina and Leah Furman (St. Martin's Paperbacks, [amt]), is something of an S.A.T. primer for game shows. The book is a study guide of questions and answers on topics such as entertainment, art and literature, science and technology and, ooh, a real toughie, history and politics.
Here's a sample question: Which of these inventors created the escalator in 1900?
A. Johaan Valer
B. Charles Seeberger
C. Horace Short
D. Willis Carrier
If you answered B in the right time and place, you'd be richer now.
The book, not endorsed by any of the game shows mentioned, is based on the premise that you'd do better if you expand your reserve of general knowledge. Then even if you don't win any money, you'd at least walk away a little smarter, even if you blew it on an easy question.

.....

You've Got to be Quick to Cash In.......2001-03-09

I am a trivia buff and enjoy learning new things and memorizing useless facts. I have thoroughly read many trivia books in my neverending quest for knowledge. This is a decent trivia book. Unlike many of the recent books of facts trying to cash in on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", this book doesn't have many typos and all of the answers are correct. My family and friends have enjoyed using this book as part of trivia contests we sometimes play. Most of the questions have little to do with current pop culture and therefore the book can be used many years from now by just about anyone. However, because of the book's introductory chapters it has aged considerably since its first appearance. The section dealing with "Millionaire" is still rather valid because that show is still on the air. However, the section dealing with "Greed" is what dates the book. "Greed" went off the air about a month after this book first appeared. Of course there is also the section listing several upcoming game shows in which a million dollars or more can be made: "Survivor" is the last to be mentioned and the authors seem to have believed the show wouldn't amount to much. Great entertainment with some interesting historical material.

Book Description

At once laugh-out-loud funny and remarkably down-to-earth, the popular Oscar- nominated actress muses about movies, men, motherhood, and MS in a book that is both Hollywood hilarious and personally moving

From Speedbumps:
I was originally up for the principal female role in Young Frankenstein. Mel Brooks was directing. He had just finished Blazing Saddles, and was at the top of the comedy world.

Mel had picked me out of five hundred girls, but admitted that he was still trying to convince Madeline Kahn to take the lead role. After I auditioned three times, Madeline finally did decide to take the part of the fiancÃ©e.

I was crushed. IÂ'd never come so close to getting a major part in a major movie. But then Mel told me that if I came back the next day with a German accent I could read for the part of Inga, Gene WilderÂ's buxom lab assistant.

A German accent in twenty-four hours? Luckily, I was still on The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, and, as fate would have it, CherÂ's wig stylist was German. So, I sat in on CherÂ's hairstyling session (that gave me hours of study!) and emerged with a perfect German accent when saying, Â“Mein Gott, zis vig veighs forty pounds.Â” That would translate to the script!

There was one last thing I needed for Inga. Or two, actually. I realized IngaÂ's part was really all about the boobs, so the next day I went in to the audition wearing a bra stuffed with socks. People pay over five thousand dollars for a boob job today. Mine cost under five dollars at WoolworthÂ's, and got me the part, my biggest to date.

I was thrilled. IÂ'd been chosen by one of the best. My career was finally in motion.

I got to thinking that I should have stuffed my bra with socks for every audition.

In The New Yorker, the late, great film critic Pauline Kael called Garr, "the funniest neurotic dizzy dame

Customer Reviews:

Excellent, Funny, Enlightening, Informing..........2007-10-03

I have always enjoyed Teri Garr as an actress and thought her book would be enjoyable. But it went far beyond that! She is fabulous. I can only imagine knowing her "in-person" and what a blast she must be to have as a friend. She has a similar attitude toward MS that I would like to say I took toward cancer and she is quite a hero. Ms. Garr deserves to live a long, rich, happy and healthy life! Please enjoy the book!!!!!

The classy Teri Garr.......2007-08-30

Teri Garr is the type of person who you wish you knew personally. She is so down to earth in a celebrity world that is full of over prententious egos. I have enjoyed her movie roles and the interchanges that she had with David Letterman on his show were classic. The book is an entertaining look into life that demonstrated her tenaciousness to get what she wanted while keeping a wonderful sense of humor. She takes those two qualities with her as she fights multiple sclerosis. We all should have her attitude regarding the challenges that we face in life.

Great read!.......2007-08-09

A very interesting life. Full of fun and hard work. She is tackling her disease with gusto, the way she has always aproached life.

Very Enjoyable.......2007-05-14

Having seen many of Teri's movies I found her point of view very interesting. In retrospect she has really worked with some of Hollywood's heavy hitters. This was a very lighthearted look back on her career with funny stories about a wide range of a variety of celebrities. What suprised me most was her honesty about her insecurities about being an actress and how MS plays a role in all of this. Overall a very enjoyable read.

About her work in Hollywood.......2007-03-21

I bought this book because I was interested in how Teri is handling her life with MS/multiple sclerosis but it is barely mentioned in the book. Instead she talks a lot about her career and all the celebrities she has worked with (but not in a dishy, gossipy way). It's a little dated as her career was hottest in the 80s, so some of the actors she talks about, like Richard Dreyfuss, are not really in the news anymore. I liked her childhood memories the best. Her dad was a hard-drinking vaudeville actor and she started out living in North Hollywood in a little middle-class bungalow, taking ballet lessons and wanting to be a dancer. She always had a lot of drive and ambition, and is not really the ditzy character she often portrays in the movies. I thought she was too guarded about her love life (none of her marriages last but she doesn't explain why) and her illness (only mentioned at the back of the book).

Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood

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Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood
Teri; Henriette Mantel Garr
Manufacturer: Hudson st Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J1CKS0

German Warships 1815 - 1945 - Volume Two: U-Boats and Mine Warfare Vessels
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German Warships 1815 - 1945 - Volume Two: U-Boats and Mine Warfare Vessels
Erich; Jung, Dieter (editor); Maass, Martin (editor) Groner
Manufacturer: Conway Maritime Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TZ01O6

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German Warships 1815 - 1945 - Volume Two: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels
Erich Groner
Manufacturer: Naval Institute Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TZ167C

German Warships, 1815-1945: U-Boats and Mine Warfare Vessels
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German Warships, 1815-1945: U-Boats and Mine Warfare Vessels
Erich Groener
Manufacturer: Naval Inst Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
General | Germany | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 155750301X

Book Description

The roots of coincidence and conspiracy in American politics, crime, and culture are investigated in this analysis that exposes new connections between religion, political conspiracy, terrorism, and occultism. Readers are provided with strange parallels between supernatural forces such as shaminism, ritual magic, and cult practices, and contemporary interrogation techniques such as those used by the CIA under the general rubric of MK-ULTRA. Not a work of speculative history, this exposé is founded on primary source material and historical documents. Fascinating details on Nixon and the "Dark Tower," the Assassin cult and more recent Islamic terrorism, and the bizarre themes that run through American history from its discovery by Columbus to the political assassinations of the 1960s are revealed.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Research.......2007-01-04

Good sequel to the first book, excellent research throughout, the only complaint is that it can be a tough read at times.

Has Levenda "Doubled".......2006-09-28

The author of Unholy alliance and Sinister Forces-The Nine, did not write this book. If he did it was another personality. Did he double? Like he claims so many have or could have? Maybe the Nazi's did get him in South America, and wiped his memory, if not the nazi's, then someone did. This book was slop. Almost as if someone else wrote it. Some adolescent.
The other reviewers are correct, BIASED is plain language. How he can blast the RNC while no mention of the filthy treacherous dirty deals of the DNC, or a reason to praise the Clinonistas is beyond belief. They are BOTH dirty. There was no honesty here. I guess with all his research ability, he chose selective or "erased" the memory of Mena Arkansas!

It was a sloppy FLUFF center to his oreo "Grimore". Which in book one led you to believe he had a premise that would lead somewhere. Ramblings on message boards are better written. The author of Unholy Alliance did not write this book.
Disgusted. ROBBED.

Levenda's Leftist Lexicon.......2006-07-10

This is now the third of Levenda's books I have read and the second in this particular series. As other reviewers have noted, by the end of this edition, the author's leftist political views and anti-Catholic epistemological perspective overwhelm the narrative to the point that credibility suffers. This is really rather sad, as Levenda is a talented writer, who has done, evidently, some significant research. Unfortunately, it becomes hard to take an author seriously who quite rightly attacks the Bush clan, whilst holding the hideous Clintons above reproach, and worse, misses no opportunity to villify the Church, while smiling at Wicca. The hypocricy is really breathtaking.

Understand that, in the corpus of this text, there is much that is worthwhile, certainly entertaining, and well presented. It is simply that the dictates of scrupulosity and exactitude cry out for better balance.

This volume ends, as did the last, not with a bang, but with a whimper. In fact, Levenda's last paragraph is, in its entirety, a quote from "The Book of Ceremonial Magic", of all things. We are left wondering as to the efficacy of picking up the next volume in the series. There is much else that cries out to be read. We may read the next in volume, if only in the hope that some sense of balance can be restored. But this may be another example of the triumph of hope over experience.

Political Witchcraft.......2006-02-24

The author has done his homework into American history and polictics. Some of which is not all pretty. It show the thread of sinister forces that have been running in the country since the very begining of this nation. If your a conspiracy buff or not this book will get you thinking.

an information rich series.......2006-02-22

regarding charges of political bias, i agree ... but i prefer these biases (unavoidable, really) to be out in the open rather than concealed behind a veneer of journalistic "neutrality." writers have Perspectives: file Levenda and Alex Constantine under Relatively Left and, i dunno, Michael Hoffman and William Cooper under Generally Right. as a reader i try to get as many viewpoints on a subject as possible ... and in the case of "A Warm Gun," i found the focus on Richard Mellon Scaife a welcome relief from Conservative Media's very public obsession with George Soros. the material on Jim Jones and Pat Robertson ("Operation Blessing," indeed!) were likewise enjoyed.

Sinister Forces - A Warm Gun: A Grimoire of American Political Witchcraft (Sinister Forces, Book 2)

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Sinister Forces - A Warm Gun: A Grimoire of American Political Witchcraft (Sinister Forces, Book 2)
Peter Levenda
Manufacturer: TrineDay
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: B000SP4PSU

Book Description

Birds and reptiles have long fascinated investigators studying hearing and the auditory system. The highly evolved auditory inner ear of birds and reptiles shares many characteristics with the ear of mammals. Thus, the two groups are essential in understanding the form and function of the vertebrate and mammalian auditory systems. Comparative Hearing: Birds and Reptiles covers the broad range of our knowledge of hearing and acoustic communication in both groups of vertebrates. This volume addresses the many similarities in their auditory systems, as well as the known significant differences about hearing in the two groups.

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