Dialogues: Duchamp, Cornell, Johns, Rauschenberg (Distributed for the Dallas Museum of Art)

Book Description

This book traces the visual and conceptual relationships evident in the works of Marcel Duchamp (1887—1968), Joseph Cornell (1903—1972), Jasper Johns (b. 1930), and Robert Rauschenberg (b. 1925). Although scholars have previously explored the biographical contact between these four artists, this is the first close look at the aesthetic consequences of their interactions. Dorothy Kosinski argues for a notion of dialogic exchange rather than influence, noting a number of shared characteristics in these artists’ works including iconography (for example, appropriation of Leonardo’s Mona Lisa), process (assemblage and collage), form (boxes), integration of text into the visual field (sardonic subtitles, nonsense inscriptions, etc.), and shared fascination with simple machines.
Featuring around 50 major works by these pivotal artists, including Duchamp’s Green Box and Johns’s Device, Dialogues reveals the complex and rich exchange manifested in their art.

Book Description

Marvel's monsters unleashed in four timeless tales by today's hottest creators! In Monsters on the Prowl, it's the Hulk, the Thing, Giant-Man and the Beast vs. a tidal wave of classic creatures when the Collector inadvertently lets loose Droom, Grogg, Goom, Rombuu, Grattu and more on New York City! In Devil Dinosaur, two young Celestials debate prehistoric Earth's superior life form. But when the ferocity of Devil Dinosaur proves no match for the opposition, a savage from the future is brought back for a battle you thought you'd never see: Hulk vs. Devil Dino! In Fin Fang Four, four giant monsters - incarcerated for years for their crimes against humanity - now find themselves shrunk to human size and working at the home of the very people who captured them: the Fantastic Four! Meet Googam, Son of Goom; Elektro; Gorgilla; and Fin Fang Foom! But when Goom's mad plan to rescue his father goes awry, the quartet must put aside their differences and become - the Fin Fang Four! And in Where Monsters Dwell, witness the terror of Monstrollo, the horror of Manoo and the fright of Bombu! Collects Marvel Monsters: Devil Dinosaur, Fin Fang Four, Monsters on the Prowl, Where Monsters Dwell & Marvel Monster Handbook.

Book Description

The classic Crazy Salad, by screenwriting legend and novelist Nora Ephron, is an extremely funny, deceptively light look at a generation of women (and men) who helped shape the way we live now. In this distinctive, engaging, and simply hilarious view of a period of great upheaval in America, Ephron turns her keen eye and wonderful sense of humor to the media, politics, beauty products, and women's bodies. In the famous "A Few Words About Breasts," for example, she tells us: "If I had had them, I would have been a completely different person. I honestly believe that." Ephron brings her sharp pen to bear on the notable women of the time, and to a series of events ranging from Watergate to the Pillsbury Bake-Off. When it first appeared in 1975, Crazy Salad helped to illuminate a new American era--and helped us to laugh at our times and ourselves. This new edition will delight a fresh generation of readers.

Customer Reviews:

It's not at all like "I Feel Bad About My Neck" (the new book).......2007-07-07

I bought Crazy Salad (the original edition, from Amazon, used), after reading the new "I Feel Bad About My Neck". I really enjoyed the breezy chatty style of the new book, and the personal, witty essays about mundane things (purses, beauty regime, food). Crazy Salad isn't like that at all - it is more journalistic and newsy, and the dated essays are about 1970's politics (incl. gender politics) and political figures that have since been forgotten (I was only a baby then, so forgive me if I don't find these references meaningful). If you want a dip into what the women's movement was like in the early 70's, buy this book. If you just want a funny read, this book is not the one to buy. Also, it's not really about women, the title is misleading - it covers a whole bunch of news topics.

I bought it because of the author.......2007-01-10

Gave this book to my daughter-in-law on the recommendation of my dughter, who says this author is very special....for women. We need all the humor we can get.

A New York Snob Speaks.......2003-12-16

Nora Ephron is quite sure of herself and her friends, and laughs heartily at the yahoos in the Midwest who cook and love their husbands. While her writing is often amusing, her attitude of condescension and wearying self-glorification is grotesque. And to see her way back at the beginning of the Women's Movement equally sure of how circumstances would improve for women is especially painful. She poo-poohs those who wonder if women's life will actually improve, (and her own "Encounter Group" partners certainly cast doubt upon that) and lives in a world where people such as herself need not be troubled by real life.

As a historical document there is much to glean. For instance, the disgust with Watergate is palpable; yet our disgust with far greater crimes today is much less apparent. A clever lady, with a few interesting observations, but annoying and smug without being especially insightful.

Funny at times but some material very dated.......2001-02-23

I enjoyed part of this book. I laughed at a few of her stories but some of the chapters were so dated that I didn't know what she was talking about let alone whether it was funny. Maybe I was a bit too young to appreciate it all.

Love this book.......2000-11-27

I read this book years ago and bought it again for my daughter. The piece on breasts is just as hilarious and relevant today (sad to say) as it was when I first read it.

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CRAZY SALAD Some Things About Women
NORA EPHRON
Manufacturer: Alfred A.Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J4XK8Q

Book Description

Since the early 70s, film theory has focused on melodrama as a particularly challenging genre. Feminism, in particular, has claimed a stake in re-examination of the form, raising many critical questions about the relation between gender and culture. This collection contains the most exciting contributions from nearly two decades of critical endeavor to come to terms with these questions. Christine Gledhill's overview precedes essays that range from classics by Thomas Elsaesser, Laura Mulvey, and Geoffrey Nowell-Smith to newly commissioned perspectives covering Hollywood's output from the early 20s to the 60s. Home is Where the Heart Is constitutes invaluable reading for anyone interested in the role of melodrama in the history of cinema, feminist film criticism, and analyses of popular culture.

Book Description

A comprehensive, clear account of the last ten years of Beethoven's life, this book is arranged in two parts: one biographical and one an analytical account of the music. For this edition, a substantially revised appendix examines the illness suffered by Beethoven in light of recent advances
in immunology.

Customer Reviews:

ONE OF THE BETTER BOOKS ON BEETHOVEN..........2007-01-15

.
Written in very nice British English, with the very sane British academic expression, Cooper's Beethoven is one of the best books on the Master available. Includes an important appendix treating the Beethoven syphilis theory. Apart from his deafness, Beethoven struggled all his adult life with painful chronic colitis and probably died of hepatitis. It's possible but doubtful he had syphilis.

Also, Cooper touches upon the fey facet of Beethoven's personality: not that he practiced homosexuality at all--(we do know that he sometimes frequented female prostitutes), but that he had an element of his character which may be considered a little fey. Certainly he never married, and in his later life he was somewhat misogynistic while he surrounded himself with a small series of handsome young men as assistants and companions; moreover, his destructive relationship with his nephew Karl distinctly reminds one of Wilde's relationship with Douglas.
.

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Beethoven-the Last Decade 1817-1827

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, London
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I9L1LA

BEETHOVEN... THE LAST DECADE 1817-1827 WITH A MEDICAL APPENDIX BY EDWARD LARKIN

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BEETHOVEN... THE LAST DECADE 1817-1827 WITH A MEDICAL APPENDIX BY EDWARD LARKIN
Martin Cooper
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K9Q7TY

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BEETHOVEN THE LAST DECADE 1817--1827
Martin Cooper
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKJLII

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Beethoven The Last Decade 1817-1827
Martin. Cooper
Manufacturer: Oxford Univ Pr (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKLCLW

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Beethoven: The Last Decade, 1817-1827
Ludwig van] Cooper, Martin [Beethoven
Manufacturer: Oxford Univ Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KVWFDO

Book Description

This little book by a master of the game is specially designed to introduce the fundamentals. The abundantly illustrated and clearly written text describes the appropriate placement of hands, feet and cue; correct ways to aim and bank shots; the basics of pocketing; more. 18 halftones. 63 black-and-white line illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Pool simplified, somewhat........2006-11-06

Prety good book and interesting things to remember but guess it needs some more pictures

Clear instructions and over 80 illustrations.......2001-03-16

Clear instructions and over 80 illustrations contribute to a discussion of pocket billiards (pool) which invites beginners to have a try. From practice drills for various stages of expertise to advice on placing the hands, George Fels' Pool Simplified, Somewhat provides specific tips.

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Very Basic and a Dissapointment

She cares!!!

AWESOME BOOK

TOTALLY WRONG FOR BLACK WOMEN

Be prepared to look within yourself!

Girl, Get Your Money Straight: A Sister's Guide to Healing Your Bank Account and Funding Your Dreams in 7 Simple Steps
Glinda Bridgforth
Manufacturer: Harlem Moon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Budgeting & Money Management | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Money Management for Women | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Girl, Make Your Money Grow!: A Sister's Guide to Protecting Your Future and Enriching Your Life

Girl, Get Your Credit Straight!: A Sister's Guide to Ditching Your Debt, Mending Your Credit, and Building a Strong Financial Future

Pay It Down! : From Debt to Wealth on $10 a Day

Sister Ceo: The Black Woman's Guide to Starting Your Own Business

Having What Matters: The Black Woman's Guide to Creating the Life You Really Want

ASIN: 0767904885
Release Date: 2002-01-08

Book Description

If you’re tired of feeling powerless over your finances and are ready to start funding your dreams, then come on girl–it’s time to get your money straight! Author and financial expert Glinda Bridgforth knows that healthy money management is rarely just about dollars–it’s about getting to the root of why we spend what we do and recognizing the emotional and cultural issues that play out in our unhealthy financial habits. Girl, Get Your Money Straight! presents her seven-step program for holistic financial healing–an upbeat, empowering road map that you can use to identify your heart’s desires, break away from negative spending patterns, pay off outstanding debts, develop a spending plan, conquer the checkbook blues, and create new wealth. Filled with Bridgforth’s warmhearted wisdom and advice, and complete with worksheets exercises, affirmations, and inspiring stories of African American women who have found financial peace of mind, Girl, Get Your Money Straight! is a fresh, fun, and eminently practical guide to healing your bank account and building a life that you love.

Download Description

If you're tired of feeling powerless over your finances and are ready to start funding your dreams, then come on, girl -- it's time to get your money straight!

Author and financial expert Glinda Bridgforth knows that healthy money management is rarely just about dollars -- it's about getting to the root of why we spend what we do and recognizing the emotional and cultural issues that play out in our unhealthy financial habits.

Girl, Get Your Money Straight! presents her seven-step program for holistic financial healing -- an upbeat, empowering road map that you can use to identify your heart's desires, break away from negative spending patterns, pay off outstanding debts, develop a spending plan, conquer the checkbook blues, and create new wealth.

Filled with Bridgforth's warmhearted wisdom and advice, and complete with worksheets exercises, affirmations, and inspiring stories of African American women who have found financial peace of mind, Girl, Get Your Money Straight! is a fresh, fun, and eminently practical guide to healing your bank account and building a life that you love.

Customer Reviews:

Very Basic and a Dissapointment.......2007-08-07

Nothing in here you couldn't have figured out yourself. I could have SAVED the money I spent purchasing this book.

She cares!!!.......2007-07-28

This book prompted me to really think about the emotional aspects behind my debt and money problems. Relating her own story really helped. She helps you to see that you are not alone and gives you real ways to get you to where you need to be in your financial life. I commend her for her efforts to help women - especially African American women on their road to financial security. Way to go Glinda!

AWESOME BOOK.......2007-05-21

This book was amazing. It not only helped me get my money straight, but it helped me get my life straight. I would highly recommend this book to any person whom is really ready to get out of debt. It helps you look at the behaviors that got you into debt so that you can learn from them and not make the same mistakes and it even help me realize what I really want for myself beyond just money goals, but life goals as well. :)

TOTALLY WRONG FOR BLACK WOMEN.......2007-04-16

I tried to stay focused on this book. I even read every single page to make sure that I didnt miss anything. This book was absolutely HORRIBLE. I think this book was published just to get money from people who actually believe in this author. I dont think many people have done research on this women. First of all she comes from a family who was not rich but had enough money to help her get started. Then with her divorce I'm sure she was taken care of financially to get her businees up and running. My main problem with the book is how poorly it related to the so called "Black Woman". Me being a black woman myself I can tell you first hand nothing she dipicts in this book would be helpful in getting yor money straight. She mentions how knowing the way your elders handled their money would help you to get your money straight. I just dont get how the way my grand dad, and grand mom, handled their money then would relate to me getting MY money straight now?? Then she mentions something about having to give money to the church to be a more rounded person? Well if you barely have enough money which is why your supposed to be getting your money straight in the first place, how on earth are you supposed to have enough to give away to the church? I thought the book would deal with more REAL PEOPLE with REAL SITUATIONS. This book might be beneficial to someone that makes alot of money and just blows it away on stupid things. I know the author sure makes a REAL NICE SALARY.

Be prepared to look within yourself!.......2007-04-01

This is the book to help you understand why you spend the way you do. Why you zero out your balances just to run them up again. This book gets to the root of your problem. Glinda makes you take a deep look at the underlying problem and feelings that cause us to spend money when we don't have it to spend. Thank you Glinda for the "fantastic voyage." I strongly recommend this book to everyone.

Amazon.com

Michael Deaver, a longtime political advisor who served as deputy chief of staff in the Reagan White House, offers an approving, affectionate, and well-written portrait of the former president--but one that, for an insider's account, is surprisingly short on news.

The Ronald Reagan who emerges from Deaver's pages is far different from the popularly held view, fueled by the media, of the president as an amiable but limited man who napped, golfed, and left the business of running the government to his lieutenants. Far from it, Deaver insists: Reagan read widely, kept up with the issues, and "firmly believed that it was his job to set the priorities of his administrations and to make the big decisions." Thoughtful and utterly courteous, if sometimes distant, Deaver's Reagan is a man of unbending conservative principle; careful to cross party lines to secure support for his policy and to judge his opponents by character, not doctrine; stalwart in his devotion to country; and certain, in Deaver's words, "that he was the right guy at the right time." This Reagan can do no wrong, and when controversy arises in Deaver's account it is almost always because someone else has flubbed the play. Unlike Alexander Haig, David Stockman, and other former administration officials who have written about their time in the Reagan White House, Deaver is quick to fall on the sword whenever he must. He takes responsibility, for instance, for the president's controversial decision to lay a wreath at a German cemetery that contained the graves of fallen SS soldiers, and for Reagan's difficulties in convincing voters of the wisdom of an expensive military buildup in the closing years of the cold war. About the Iran-Contra affair, which blackened Reagan's second term, Deaver has little to say, and about his own departure from the administration and subsequent investigation by federal prosecutors he is even more close-mouthed.

Those seeking to learn more about Ronald Reagan as president may come away from Deaver's book disappointed. His admirers, however, will enjoy the anecdotes about "the traits that made him so successful as a leader and so peculiar--and wonderful--as a person." --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

"I had come to adore and respect the president like a second father. Reagan was once asked if he thought of me as another son. He thought a minute and said, 'Son, no. Brother, maybe.'"

A warm, personal portrait of Ronald Reagan, A Different Drummer brims with recollections from a relationship that has spanned more than three decades. Former aide and longtime family friend, Michael Deaver first met Ronald Reagan during his 1966 campaign for governor of California and later served him in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., as the president's deputy chief of staff. Whether it was traveling with Reagan on endless campaign flights, discussing the day-to-day issues in the Oval Office, or surviving the harrowing assassination attempt, Deaver worked with the former chief executive for twenty consecutive years. Now he offers his memories of Ronald Reagan as governor, president, and friend.

In 1964, after Barry Goldwater's unsuccessful bid for the presidency, the Republican Party found itself in disarray, and Michael Deaver, a young party operative, a "red meat conservative," was looking for a new party leader he could believe in. He threw his hat in with a former actor and General Electric spokesperson, a man who would later prove himself capable of joining the disparate elements of the Party and securing the nomination. In what would be the first of many underestimations, the Democratic Party eagerly takes on Reagan. He would not only go on to win the governorship of California, but he would serve two terms. In 1976 he was unable to unseat President Gerald Ford for the presidential nomination but, undeterred, he returned in 1980 and won a landslide victory, leading America to remarkable heights of prosperity and confidence.

Yet as one of the most successful and popular presidents in American history, Reagan remains a mystery even to biographers with total access. In A Different Drummer, Deaver writes of the Reagan he has known: a man who was shy and deplored talking about himself, who would rather spend a party talking to a laborer than policy wonks; a man whose convictions remained unchanged over the course of his life, who never used pollsters to decide his position on issues; a man whose idea of relaxation was riding a horse, fixing fence posts, and chopping wood until his muscles ached and his hands blistered. Reagan emerges in this impressionistic portrait as charismatic and unwaveringly optimistic, a devoted husband and dedicated leader, disciplined and tough. As Deaver points out in his introduction, "He worked eight years doing the toughest job on earth; crisscrossed the world; and survived an assassin's bullet, a devastating riding accident, cancer, and brain surgery all after he turned seventy."

Writing not only of their dizzying highs, Deaver also shares the lows, including the tough times that would test the strength of their friendship. Finally, he shares a poignant look at Reagan today as he battles Alzheimer's disease. It is Nancy Reagan's "finest hour," Deaver writes, a validation of the greatest love story he has ever known.

With anecdotes that are insightful, entertaining, intimate, and surprising, A Different Drummer sheds remarkable new light on an American icon admired by many and understood by few.

Customer Reviews:

Let Reagan Be Reagan.......2007-08-10

Long-time Reagan aide Michael Deaver has written a very good book on his thirty years with the man who changed the world. Deaver tells of meeting Reagan in the mid-60's when Deaver was an junior political operative and Reagan was considering a gubernatorial run. Deaver then took a ring-side seat for the greatest political run of our time, from Sacramento to Washington, including near-fatal encounters with John Hinckley Jr. and Matthew Ridgeway in Bitburg.

Deaver also tells the story of the end-game, his last two meetings with the Gipper. By 1995, the President did not know him, and by 1998, the President had lost his social skills and grace. Fortunately Ron had Nancy, and she took care of him for better or worse. Deaver played a key role in the Reagan administrations as Nancy-handler and became a key allie and friend of the Fist Lady.

Deaver makes this book light-reading, it is reminiscences of his boss and friend. He leaves the unpleasant stuff to others. There is a brief mention of Iran-Contra; it is explained away as what happened when the Californians were not there. Also Deaver leaves out most of the story of his indictment, although he deals at length with the demons of his alcoholism.

Warm, credible, insightful.......2007-06-10

People close to great men for a long time--aides, valets, advisors--tend either to write hagiographys or they turn on their former employer with a "tell all" intended to cut the great man down to size. This book, refreshingly, is neither. Michael Deaver, in addition to being Ronald Reagan's longtime political advisor, was also Reagan's friend. And a friend tells it like it is, which is what Deaver has done.

Deaver lets us know of Reagan's mistakes and shortcomings--he had a volcanic temper (despite others' testimony that he didn't), he had a hard time apologizing even when he knew he was in the wrong, he trusted people to a fault. At the same time, Deaver credibly tells us where the media and political pundits went wrong in their assessments of Reagan. Most of the book, however, is a thematic presentation of Reagan's character. It was a joy to read, and I highly recommend it.

A friend's homage to his hero, and a great way to get rare insight into Reagan........2007-05-07

It is wonderful for history that Michael Deaver has put together this collection of his thoughts and recollections of Ronald Reagan. As you read about Reagan, one theme keeps coming through; he was nearly impossible to know well or truly understand. The President that so many strangers felt like they knew proved to be much more of a puzzle to those who were close to him. For this reason, it is great that Michael Deaver, one of Reagan's closest advisers, has shared his insights on Reagan with anyone who wants to understand the man better.

What he has given us is a deeply personal tribute to his friend and his hero, but also a lens through which we can view Reagan that helps us to understand what kind of man he is.

So who was Reagan? I highly recommend you read this book to find out, but in the end Deaver introduces you to a principled optimist and a very shy man. I was deeply touched by the obviousness of Deaver's affection for Reagan and for the role Nancy Reagan played in the President's life.

I highly recommend this book for anyone trying to get a full perspective of who Ronald Reagan was and what made him the President he was. Excellent book by that can truly add something unique to anyone's study of Ronald Reagan.

A well written book- enjoyable without being pure political.......2007-01-03

I liked how this was a personal story of the Reagans. You got to understand where they were coming from, and why they acted the way they did. Not being a huge political freak, I wanted to know about the man, and this book gave good insight into the Reagans. There were a couple of really good quotes that I will always remember.

A Unique Perspective On The Gipper.......2005-10-11

In "A Different Drummer", Michael Deaver follows the theme of other authors, including Dinesh D'Souza, who hold that Ronald Reagan had sufficient confidence in his own beliefs to allow him to follow his own instincts regardless of the opinions of others.

Deaver has the unique perspective of thirty years of intimate association with Ronald Reagan. Through the first campaign in California to the second term in the White House, Deaver advanced from campaign staffer to the office adjacent to the Oval Office.

Deaver introduces the reader to the private Reagan. We see Reagan as he lives with Nancy, works with his staff and deals with his adversaries. Deaver portrays Reagan as knowing his core values and adhering to them. Even in controversy, such as the Bitburg decision, Reagan's loyalty to his friends remained unshaken.

A self identified member of the family, Deaver provides an insight into Nancy's role in protecting and leading Reagan through his life.

In the story of his own return to the Reagans after Deaver's downfall, Deaver presents a loyal, concerned Reagan, unlike some others who portray Reagan as dumping cohorts who are no longer useful to him. Finally, through Michael Deaver, we see the declining Reagan in the early stages of Alzheimer's.

"A Different Drummer" is a sympathetic portrayal of a confident, steady leader by one of his closest associates. It is a valuable tool with which to uncover the real Ronald Reagan.

A DIFFERENT DRUMMER, MY THIRTY YEARS WITH RONALD REAGAN

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A DIFFERENT DRUMMER, MY THIRTY YEARS WITH RONALD REAGAN

Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H2OBPG

A Different Drummer, My Thirty Years with Ronald Reagan [UNABRIDGED CD] (Audiobook)

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A Different Drummer, My Thirty Years with Ronald Reagan [UNABRIDGED CD] (Audiobook)
Michael Deaver
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Biographies & Memoirs | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

Nonfiction | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000WB8V7G

Product Description

A longtime friend to Ronald Reagan, Michael K. Deaver gives the inside scoop on his relationship with the former president. While governor of California and president of the United States, Reagan could count on Deaver, who steadfastly remained at his side. Despite his tremendous political popularity and acting success, Reagan remains a mystery to many. Previous attempts to tell his story have failed to capture his essence. It was Deaver who, as deputy chief of staff, helped the president with his daily responsibilities. Deavers unique experiences shed light on little-known aspects of this exceptional mans life and personality. Commendably, he does not shy away from tough subjects, including the assassination attempt and Reagans fight with Alzheimers disease. With a compelling narration by the author and unprecedented access to the subject, A Different Drummer is the definitive Reagan book for political aficionados and casual readers alike. A foreword by former first lady Nancy Reagan offers even further insight.

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A Different Drummer: My Thirty Years With Ronald Reagan
Michael K. Deaver
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NY3UUK

Customer Reviews:

Awesome book.......2003-07-10

I acquired this gem from my favorite used bookstore in Denver and am sure glad I stumbled on it! For anyone out there interested in the history of conflict in modern day Africa this has to be on your bookshelf. A great set of photographs from the beginning of the helicopter era coupled with good background from organized military sources and Mr. Venters own hand makes for a great read. The Rhodesian and South West African sections were eye-openers for me. The writing style is unique - a set of "articles" strung loosely together - and easy to read. I can't wait for Mr. Venters' next book.

Good photos BUT..........2002-01-21

... I was expecting a lot more from it. I think it is a shame that Portugal's anti-terrorist wars in Africa (Independence movements?? B.S!) where badly studied. And being portuguese, I could also sense some "white kaffir" mentality surfacing.
But the photos are quite good.
The book itself is little more of a colection of photos and some stories joined together without method.

Must Get.......2001-05-21

This is, like most of Al J. Venter's stuff, a _MUST GET_ book.

Book Description

Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World

New Foreword by Edward Friedman and James C. Scott

"A landmark in comparative history and a challenge to scholars of all lands who are trying to learn how we arrived at where we are now."
-The New York Times Book Review

Customer Reviews:

Examing Modernization.......2007-05-03

Moore seeks to examine the paths to modernity adopted by various countries and the subsequent political outcomes. Principally, more concentrates on the emergence of democracy, fascism, and communism. Moore argues that each path to modernization is characterized by a certain level of revolution. The driving factor to the development of the political path is at which level in society does the revolution begin; the aristocracy (above), the bourgeoisie (middle), or the peasant (below)? As such, the dependent variable can be summed up as political systems, while the independent variables stem from class interactions (landed aristocracy, the state, bourgeoisie, and peasant). Of particular importance for Moore is the relationship between the landed aristocracy and the state. In situations where the aristocracy is weak, the potential for peasant revolution is great. In situations where the state is strong, it retains the coercive force to repress potential uprisings. These relationships, coupled with the relationship between agriculture and commerce - particularly whether or not the landed aristocracy has made a move towards the commercialization of agriculture.

Moore begins his work in discussing the capitalistic, democratic path to modernity as characterized by England, France, and the United States. In the case of England, the landed aristocracy moved towards the commercialization of agriculture. This essentially eliminated the wide peasant base from the equation, thus removing a potentially revolutionary class. Additionally, the move towards commercialized agriculture decreased the power of the absolutist Crown. Furthermore, the commercialization of agriculture leads to the development of towns and a trading class (bourgeoisie). Once combining forces, the landed aristocracy and the bourgeoisie were able to rebel against the Crown and demanded political recognition. Following a long civil war, a parliamentary (democratic) system of government was established. In this case, the emergence of the bourgeoisie was imperative for the democratic transition. This illustrates Moore's classic line "no bourgeoisies, no democracy."

In order to explain the path towards communism, Moore examines the case of Russia and China. In the case of Russia and China, the landed aristocracy failed to make the transition to commercialized agriculture. This failure led to the continued existence of massive peasant population. This massive peasant population created a tremendous barrier for the transition to democracy, and subsequently possessed a high revolutionary potential. With a weak state unable to function repressively, the environment was ripe for a revolution from below; a peasant revolution led to a communist government.

Moore's last path of modernization, fascism, is illustrated by case studies of Germany and Japan. Although Germany and Japan undertook a capitalist path to modernity, the outcome was drastically different from those nations achieving a democratic outcome. In Germany and Japan, the landed aristocracy formed a ready alliance with the burgeoning commercial and industrial classes. This allowed for the transition to commercial agriculture as well as an expansion in the industrial sphere. This transition, coupled with capacity of the state to repress rebellion and dissension allowed for the emergence of a fascist form of government.

In short, Moore seeks to explain the various paths to modernity; democracy, fascism, and communism. These paths to modernity are primarily driven by relations between class groups, and the type of transition to commercial agriculture.

IS DEMOCRACY A `NATIONAL' PHENOMENON?.......2007-04-26

In an age where `democracy' is almost sanctified and nations lacking a democratic system are alienated by the international community, books like Barrington Moore's are of immeasurable value. In his Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy, Moore does a phenomenal job in tracing the emergence of democratic systems in the West back to the specific types of the relations between monarchs, landlords, bourgeoisie, and peasants. His using `method of agreement' and `method of difference' alike in his comparisons of the different societal relations in Europe and Asia gives the reader the chance to think beyond a national context and therefore strengthens the theoretical value of his arguments.

The main shortcoming of Moore's otherwise `classic' book is that the author pays very little attention to the international and systemic contexts that strongly effect the developments in national systems. This omission, which seems a deliberate attempt for the sake of theory-building, is likely to lead the readers to a flawed understanding of `democracy' as a `national' phenomenon. I personally think that the international/systemic context cannot be detached from the national ones and even argue that the former is to take precedence in our analysis, for it is the variable that renders certain developments possible and others not.

To understanding the rise of fascism to power in Germany and in Italy we have to take into account the late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century European context, in particular the balance of power among the major powers. In the German case, its being a `late-industrialized' country, its rivalry with Britain for the hegemony in the continental Europe, and its `dissatisfaction' with the existing status quo provided a favorable condition for the non-liberal/non-democratic forms of governments. After all, it was the same Germany whose `constitutional republicanism' circa 1890 was regarded by Woodrow Wilson as "the shining model of self-government" to be emulated by the United States. The Italian case is more interesting in that Italy before the World War I was among the few `stable' democracies in Europe. Yet only four years after the war, in1922, Mussolini regime managed to come to power in Italy (not due to the relations between different classes of the Italian community, but mostly because of the Italian dissatisfaction both with its development level and the European status quo. Thus, not ignoring the influence of societal factors, we may say that powerful states that are dissatisfied with the international status quo are more likely to establish non-democratic forms of government.

As for the development of communism in Russia and China, we have to include their `dependent' situation vis-à-vis Western powers. While the economic dependence of these countries (actually, almost all countries which are called `Third World' today) prevented them from following independent economic policies and having an indigenous capitalist class, their political dependence impeded the development of nationally-oriented regimes in these countries. The later rise of totalitarian regimes was therefore partly a response to the economic and political dependence of these countries. Thus, we may say that it was the combination of poverty, injustice, and dissatisfaction that `paved the way' to non-democratic forms of governments in Russia and China.

A brilliant tour de force whose significance is still not appreciated.......2005-09-09

I read this book in the early 70's as a graduate student. It impressed me then as it still does as an example of a cogent analysis of the development of political systems of modern industrial states, solidly based on empirical grounds. Previous reviewers have provided much detail so I will content myself with the observation that how much better it would have been if the present US administration had absorbed the lessons of this book before embarking on the Mission (Impossible?) to bring democracy to Iraq.

Poorly Written.......2005-04-15

This is a seminal work, because it was the first work to take a comparative approach to political theory and it is the bane of many Poli Sci graduate students' existence.

I am a graduate student, who was forced to read this poorly written and very painful text. It attempts to cover too much material.

An interesting book, but...........2003-11-06

There are a couple of quick points I'd like to add. First, these ambitious books often cover so much (and I think well in this case) that historical errors are bound to crop up. For example, Japanese historians have pointed out errors in the Japan chapter that should be considered.

Second, the end of Adam's otherwise very informative review is simply incorrect. China with a GDP/capita of around $4500 has NOT outstripped Russia at $9000 GDP/capita. This , of course, does not reflect at all on the book, but too often those who eschew statistical based political science run the risk of being way off in evaluating success/failure or change. Certainly not everyone, but I have seen this strong tendancy.

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Social Origins Of Dictatorship And Democracy: Lord And Peasant In The Making Of The Modern World
Barrington Moore
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Social origins of dictatorship & democracy: Lord & peasant in the making of the modern world

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Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant In the Making of the Modern World
Jr., Barrington Moore
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SOCIAL ORIGINS OF DICTATORSHIP AND DEMOCRACY: LORD AND PEASANT IN THE MAKING OF THE MODERN WORLD.

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Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World. (Bp 268)
Jr. Barrington Moore
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