Hiapo: Past And Present in Niuean Barkcloth

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Pacific Affairs, published by Thomson Gale on September 22, 2006. The length of the article is 543 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Hiapo: Past and Present in Niuean Barkcloth.(Book review)
Author: Anne E. Guernsey Allen
Publication: Pacific Affairs (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 79 Issue: 3 Page: 571(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Customer Reviews:

Dolce & Gabbana's 'Animal' Purrs like a kitten.......2000-09-19

D&G, as most people in the fashion world refer to the Italian design team of Dolce & Gabbana, show here the diversity within their work 'Animal', purring like a kitten in your lap.

D&G chose two of the best fashion photographers known today, Steven Meisel and Bruce Weber. With their unique talents, the two photographers showcase the designers latest fashions, including the Haute Couture that makes D&G irresistable to so many.

If cutting edge fashion and equally matched photography is something you would enjoy, then 'Animal' is in need of a serious attention. Can you say, "meow, kitty kitty" in Italiano? Dolce & Gabbana sure can.

Average customer rating:
ANIMAL DOLCE & GABBANA
Dolce & Gabbana
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N6OL9M

Average customer rating:
Cal 98 Heaven on Earth
Abbeville Press , and Dolce & Gabbana
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Calendar

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ASIN: 0789252880

Customer Reviews:

Lynn Johnston finds humor in real life.......2000-07-14

The For Better or For Worse book compelation series by Lynn Johnston based on her daily comic strip reflects everyday life that most people can identify with. This book "Just One More Hug" in particular will strike a chord with any person with a young child. Anyone should be able to recognize something in the book from that person own life. Ms Johnston is not afraid to tackle subjects in her strip that cartonist shy away from. But by covering all aspects of everyday life she makes her characters true life. By allowing her characters to age the reader is able to identify with them and the "lives" they lead. All readers can enjoy her books no matter the persons age, gender or position in the family.

Book Description

This elegant blank journal features one of The New Yorker's most popular cover illustrations, by well-known illustrator Maira Kalman. Flexible cover, elastic closure, 128 lined pages, 6 x 8".

Book Description

Based on the life and times of Howard Hughes, The Aviator tells the story of aviation pioneer Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio), the eccentric billionaire industrialist and Hollywood film mogul famous for romancing some of the most beautiful women of his time. The drama recounts the years of his life from the late 1920s through the 1940s, an epoch when Hughes was directing and producing Hollywood movies and test flying innovative aircrafts he designed and created.

Product Description

This indispensable consumers guide to the music of Metallica. An album-by-album, track by track rundown of every song released by Metallica for their debut album Kill 'Em All in 1983 to the present day.

Average customer rating:

It is okay

A slick and versatile version of the D20 RPG system

From a Long Time D&D Player

A Gift for a longtime RPG Hubby

D20 Done Right

True20 Adventure Roleplaying (True20)
Steve Kenson
Manufacturer: Green Ronin Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

True20 Adventure Roleplaying is the next evolution in game design from the company that brought you Mutants & Masterminds and Blue Rose. True20 offers a simplified and streamlined game system for all your roleplaying adventures. This core rulebook contains everything you need to get started, from character creation and combat to special abilities, supernatural powers and equipment. True20 also contains several sample campaign settings, including the winners of Green Ronin's Setting Search. Each setting provides something different and shows off the strength and flexibility of the rules. If you want a fast, simple, and fun game system that's still familiar to players of the world's most popular RPGs, if you want a vehicle for creating worlds of adventure, then True20 is for you

Customer Reviews:

It is okay.......2007-08-24

Nothing really special. I bought this because it was supposed to be just as good as mutants and masterminds but it was not.

A slick and versatile version of the D20 RPG system.......2007-01-04

Green Ronin's True 20 Adventure Roleplaying uses a system that is modified and based off of the D20 system that is used to run the present version of the Dungeons and Dragons RPG. It's greatest strength is that is that it slims down and simplifies many of the rules from it's parent system (Damage, Character Attributes, Skills), while granting the player a greater degree of customization through the use their own collection of D&D styled feats. The result is a set of rules that disappears into the background at the table, which is great for gamers who wish to concentrate more on the exciting situations and events that RPGs can create.

From a Long Time D&D Player.......2006-10-30

Yes, I played D&D quite a bit over the years. Mostly AD&D and 3. whatever....I bought this because I have been very pleased with Green Ronins books in general and Mutants & Masterminds has become my Supers RPG of choice. I was not disappointed. This book is well laid out, easy to read and equally easy to grasp.
It's what d20 should have been . Please, give it a try and you won't be going back to all that Wizards of the Coast stuff. Combat is quick and...hell, it's just a fun game.

A Gift for a longtime RPG Hubby.......2006-07-03

According to my husband this is a great game!!! He is currently running an adventure or 2 or 3 using this system and book. Since I have had no complaints I would suggest checking out this book. I wish I could offer a better review but I have not had a chance to play,yet.

D20 Done Right.......2006-05-30

I am not a fan of the d20 system. Its proliferation of feats, skills, prestige classes, and templates seems to always lead players to power gaming instead of role playing. Green Ronin's True20, however, gets it right and delivers a clean, fast playing set of rules that allow for play in fantasy, modern, or sci-fi genres, all in a 224 page rule book.

Character classes have been eliminated in favor of the three "Roles" of Adept, Expert, and Warrior. The feats and skills systems will be familiar to anyone who plays d20 games, but their application is more balanced and there are no prestige classes or templates to complicate matters. Spell casting is feat-based, so an Adept player must balance his spell acquisition against his need for useful feats as he progresses in level. Combat does away with hit points in favor of a damage track in which Toughness saves determine a character's injuries, leading to some fast and deadly engagements.

On the down side, the game uses a wealth system instead of having actual costs for items. Functioning somewhat like Resources in a White Wolf game, it eliminates the need for keeping track of a character's money and treasure but seems to drain some of the fun out of the fantasy side of the game.

The last 71 pages of the book are devoted to four sample campaign settings. Sadly, none of them are very well detailed or interesting. In my opinion, those pages could have been used to expand the equipment tables (which cover modern well but only glosses over fantasy/medieval items), increase the number of Power feats available to Adepts, or add more creatures to the bestiary.

In conclusion, I recommend True20. It is fast playing, fun, and allows the players and game master to customize characters and game elements to their tastes without unbalancing the game, offering a leaner, rules-light version of the d20 system that I find very refreshing.

True20 Companion: A Sourcebook For True20 Adventure Roleplaying

Average customer rating:

It Is OKAY
Absolutely necessary for True20 Playing

True20 Companion: A Sourcebook For True20 Adventure Roleplaying
Steve Kenson
Manufacturer: Green Ronin Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1932442839

Book Description

The True20 Adventure Roleplaying rulebook provides everything you need to explore worlds of adventure. The True20 Companion helps you create those worlds, with advice and expanded information on adapting the True20 game system to various genres of adventure fiction, from fantasy to science fiction and beyond. The Companion also offers ways of customizing heroic roles and even creating your own! It's a great resource for narrators and players alike, offering many new options that let you tailor your campaign and your characters to make just what you want.

Customer Reviews:

It Is OKAY.......2007-08-24

Nothing really new here. It is almost copying all srd data and the only new thing is that they got rid of the dice.

Absolutely necessary for True20 Playing.......2007-03-22

There is no doubt in my mind that anyone who plays True20 needs this book. In fact, I see little reason for anyone to continue with d20/3.5 when this book and the main True20 book is all one really needs. This is very much the Unearthed Arcana for True20, and that's a good thing

The first chapter is Role Creation. This allows you to make your own core classes, making everything perfecting balanced, as well as tip on how a GM can prevent munchkinism. Combat bonus, skill points, saving throws, and even the attainment of new feats can be altered. Plus, there are new core abilities to choose from.

The second chapter relates to fantasy settings, the specialty of True20. The various subgenres within fantasy, as well as the main conventions and backgrounds of such backgrounds, lead us into a nice selection of new feats. There is also rules for dealing with honor, corruption, and a hard money system instead of the regular monetary system of True20/d20 Modern. Best of all, there are finally rules for creating magic items.

The third chapter is space related. As I do not do much in the way of space roleplaying, it is hard for me to judge, although I do love the system for coming up with new aliens on the fly.

The fourth chapter is on Horror. Like space, I seldom deal with this genre, and my attempts to do so usually wind-up as comedy. That said, the ability to have sane/fear checks and doing horror in historical eras was a nice touch.

The fifth and last chapter deals with modern settings. The main True20 book does well with modern already, but this helped fill in what is missing, including what to do with adepts and supernatural powers. The chapter is blessed with more new core abilities, which are a much better fit than the regular core abilities of True20.

All in all, I highly like this. 5 stars.

True20 Experts Handbook: A True20 Adventure Roleplaying Sourcebook (Adventures Roleplay Sourcebook)

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True20 Experts Handbook: A True20 Adventure Roleplaying Sourcebook (Adventures Roleplay Sourcebook)
Joseph Miller
Manufacturer: Green Ronin Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1932442936

Book Description

The first in a series of three sourcebooks spotlighting the heroic roles of True20 Adventure Roleplaying, this handy sourcebook details the expert role, including new information on skills, feats and diverse paths suited for a variety of adventure genres. The True20 Expert's Handbook also takes an expended look at equipment and details suitable challenges for expert characters, from traps to cunning foes and beyond. Take your characters and your adventures to the next level with the True20 Expert's Handbook.

Average customer rating:

True20 Adventure Roleplaying

Manufacturer: DIAMOND BOOK DISTRIB
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GQZ012

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NOT practical enough

Not practical enough

Sparse and Vague

A dearth of information, complete antithesis of fundamental manhattan GMAT

Critical Reasoning & Reading Comprehension GMAT Preparation Guide (Manhattan Gmat Prep)
Manhattan GMAT Prep
Manufacturer: MG Prep, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Critical Reasoning & Reading Comprehension (1 of the 7 books in Manhattan GMAT's Preparation Guide series) illustrates how to deconstruct arguments and reading passages using innovative diagramming techniques designed to build speed and improve accuracy. Students learn the underlying structures of arguments and passages in order to facilitate quick reading and precise analysis. The book offers a unique balance between two competing emphases: test-taking strategies and in-depth content understanding. Practice problem-sets build specific foundational skills in each topic and include the most advanced content that many other prep books ignore. As the average GMAT score required to gain admission to top b-schools continues to rise, this guide provides test-takers with the depth and volume of advanced material essential for succeeding on the GMAT's computer adaptive format. Book also includes online access to 3 full length Simulated Practice GMAT Exams at Manhattan GMATs website.

Customer Reviews:

NOT practical enough.......2006-09-21

In general do not buy any of the seven series of books offered from MANHATTAN... they are not worth the buck.There is too much hype associated and it does not deliver to its expectations Tips in this book are outdated as can be seen from the other reviews as well. Save money and save time.

Not practical enough.......2006-08-31

While I appreciate the clearly outlined strategies for Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension, in the end they just weren't practical enough. For example, when I tried making notes of the Critical Reasoning questions, it took way too long. I was much better off reading the argument once and then eliminating as many irrelevant answer choices as possible. When I narrowed my choices down to 2 or 3, I would re-read the argument and choose the best answer. I found this tactic to be much more effective and used it to practice lots of Critical Reasoning questions from the 11th edition of the Official Guide. In the same vein, the GMAT Prep's suggestion to make rather detailed notes was not practical enough for me; it took too much of my time. Some of the tips were useful though - I paid close attention to the first paragraph and found that the main point of the passage is usually in the first paragraph. For an excellent GMAT Prep guide, purchase the Sentence Completion book. It's great.

Sparse and Vague.......2006-08-22

Caution: this book does not provide examples. Almost seems as though they try to make studying difficult and cumbersome. Was of no help seeing as I was already in posession of a Kaplan review.

A dearth of information, complete antithesis of fundamental manhattan GMAT.......2006-08-22

I purchased the two verbal books produced by mgmat. The company boasts about going beyond mere gimmicks and teaching a concrete basis for best test results. While the sentence correction is unbelievably lucid and thorough, the reading comp/critical reasoning is the polar opposite. It is nothing more than a fragmented regurgitation of the princeton review's far superior attempt at teaching rc/cr. Avoid this manual, but do pickup the mgmat sentence correction guide.

Customer Reviews:

A Dark Ugly Book.......2007-09-28

"Pimp" is a dark, ugly book. It's author Robert Beck, aka Iceberg Slim spent much of his life as a pimp. It's written to leave a bad taste in your mouth. That is the intent of the author. This is a chronicle of how he wasted twenty-five years of his life.

Maya Angelou's brother told her a pimp is one of two kinds of men. Either he hates women or he fears women. The process of encouraging, enforcing a woman to sell her body is neither sexy or romantic. The life of a hooker, especially one working the streets is harsh and degrading. A `good' pimp only cares about using his women until they have no more left to give. Only someone who hates or feels the need to control women would make a `good' pimp.

Iceberg Slim hated women.

His father deserted them while he was a baby. Bobby and his mother lead a hand-to-mouth existence for his early years. Early on he is sexually abused by his babysitter. Stability came into his life when his mother marries an older man who was a successful businessman. Young Bobby loved his stepfather. They lead a comfortable upper middle-class existence until his mother runs off with another man.

The image of his stepfather crying in the street begging his mother to stay is repeated throughout the book. He took his hatred of his mother out on women - as a pimp.

Of course things go down hill for his mother. Eventually she gets her act together. But even though stability is restored in his life, Robert wants to be a pimp. Possessing a superior I.Q. (175), he was a straight-A student. In a time of blatant racial discrimination (the 1920s, 30s, 40s) he is given a college scholarship. But his path is set, the seeds of hatred planted years before take root and flourish.

For more details about his descent into depravity and his redemption - read the book.

His writing style is not polished. His language is not refined. But his imagery is stunning. He induces mood and feeling brilliantly. Mood and feeling are enhanced by his lack of polish.

The reader may have trouble with his slang. It's been out of style for 80 years. For example, "vines" means clothes. A woman "georgias" a man when she uses him for sexual gratification without paying. A "square" is a cigarette, etc.

I have noticed a disturbing trend. The black pimp is a role-model for some segments of society. Performers such as Ice-T extol the pimp lifestyle. Iceberg Slim is 'the man'. Whenever this book is discussed as a movie project, the gangsta rappers start lobbying for the part. These guys want to be like him. But not the man he became but the man he was - a depraved parasite. Some of them talk about this book as though it's the Bible.

While this is an excellent book, it is ugly. Richard Beck wanted it that way. He wanted to send a message against pimping and it's lifestyle.

Sometimes I wonder if these pimp wannbes can read.

Pimp.......2007-09-23

I just finished reading this book for the second time, cover to cover in 2 days this time, it is possibly one of the best books I have ever read and keeps you enthralled throughout the whole read.Everyone should read this book because it really gives an insight into a world that most will never see.I have read all of the man's books and this is by far his best work although Mama Black Widow and Trick Baby are up there as well they just don't equal this masterpiece.They only have a 5 star rating but if I could this book would rate 10 stars.

Vivid and raw but dated and bumpy.......2007-09-05

Wanted to like this book better than I did. I was hoping for something great but instead found the tale merely lurid.

Iceberg Slim's tale of pimping in and around Chicago in the 40s is raw and vivid. His life is twisted and he revels in showing us its brutality.

If there is moral clarity anywhere here it must be at the end. I ground to a halt after 75 pages of beatings, betrayals, kinky sex and drug use. The 40s ghetto slang is almost impenetrable at places, a fact acknowledged by the publisher's placement of an (inadequate) dictionary at the end of the book.

Far and away the best of the pimp books.......2007-08-30

Isn't it funny how pimps and pimping are totally mainstream pop culture terms and attitudes among young people these days? From multitudes of 18 year old white boy "pimps" on Myspace, to several HBO documentaries about pimps, to grown white men saying things like "keep your pimp hand strong" and dressing up as parody pimps trying to be funny (this has to be the most tired joke on the planet at this point) to Uncle Toms like Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent doing their modern day minstrel show on Mtv, to those who have "game", the con artists, deceivers, and criminals being the heroes to a good portion of the black community. Those enlightened social engineers and producers of our pop culture sure do enrich our society don't they!?!?

I also notice there are multiple books about pimps and "how to be a pimp" type books on Amazon which at casual look seem so ridiculous that they almost seem to be comedic parodies reminding me of those books written for losers that tell you how to bed beautiful women. If you want a good laugh just read some of the Amazon reviews of the pimp books.

Excluding Magic Don Juans book which is somewhat entertaining Iceberg Slims book is probably the only one worth reading and is head and shoulders above any other books by or about pimps. He doesn't try to glorify himself or being a pimp and while he does give glimpses in the life of being a pimp, drug addict, criminal and eventual prison inmate this book is just as much a self analysis for him as a look into that lifestyle. He states most of the stuff that he experienced and did matter of factly but you get a feeling that writing this book served as therapeutic introspective for Robert "Iceberg Slim" Beck. He does a good job of showing what a scumbag he was but he doesn't get preachy or come off as an attention seeker. Its like he took a step back and made an appraisal of what he once was and put it down on paper. He does a good job of painting a picture of the times in which all this occured and situations he was in. I have to be fair and give the guy credit he really was a good writer.

Good But Underwritten.......2007-02-20

This is a very entertaining, fairly informative novel that is worth the read, particularly if you have a novice interest in the subject matter. The problem I have is that some important aspects of Slim's "life story" are too sketchily described. He writes in sufficient detail about the lessons he learned on how to pimp (from Macks he befriended). He effectively pulls you into the story with his vivid anecdotes of the drug abuse, crosses and petty crime that plague urban street life. He goes into the life of a prison convict. Although it's set in the early 20th century, it doesn't read back as dated even with some of its old-fashion slang. It has a contemporary, almost timeless feel which I appreciated. It also has its fair-share of humor and I found myself laughing several times.

But as stated before, it's glaringly underwritten in many places. All of the female characters lack clear personalities traits; this is even true for women he had for many years like "The Runt", Chris, and Rachel. They should've been made more dimensional and distinct from each other if only to provide a more beneficial read. It also would've been intriguing if Slim had depicted the daily life of his stable, to show what being a part of that group was like and how they interacted and co-existed. I realize that the book is entitled "Pimp" but the lives of his ASSETS, on the streets and off, were never described. It almost leads me to believe that Beck had no clue about that part of the life, and that raises my misgivings.

It's also just a little too convenient that he never turns out a normal but troubled, fresh square with finesse and true manipulation. Every woman he cops is a brainless nymphomaniac who's already in the game to begin with (or headed there anyway) and all too happy to work for him after a weak rap or a nasty reproach. To me this is just uninspired and not wholly credible.

While his youth in the first half is painstakingly detailed at a steady pace, some parts of his life in the second half were rushed that shouldn't have been, like his endeavor to get off of heroin. That takes up only about a page. The circumstance of a love-struck girl bent on murdering him is almost mentioned in passing. I would've rather read about these things than about his Tuskegee years or his Georgia affair with the cop's mistress. I saw a lot of wasted potential with this book. As good as it was, it could've been even better- a definitive masterpiece.

All that being said, it's recommended for being intelligently written, somewhat informative, and above all entertaining. Read if you are curious about the subject matter and like hard-boiled, unapologetic fiction.

Average customer rating:

The real "surreal life"

Pimp - the Story of My Life
Iceberg Slim
Manufacturer: Holloway House Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 087067417X

Product Description

autobiography of a pimp. Even has a glossary of slang.

Customer Reviews:

The real "surreal life" .......2005-04-18

Robert Beck a.k.a. Iceberg Slim was a Chicago pimp in the 1950s and 60s.He was also an excellent writer who ,in the tradition of Piri Thomas,chronicled the harrowing day-by-day experiences of being a hustler and outlaw in the urban jungle.His clear,sparse prose and keen observational skills pulls the reader into the netherworld he inhabited,exposing them to the raw reality of sexual play-for-pay and the men and women who were both victims and victimizers in the game.Uncompromising,and unflinching in its depictions,Beck's stories are the original reality series.Beck served as the writing inspiration for scribes such as Donald Goines,and he was the sole voice of the black urban experience for Holloway House for years.One step into his world,and you'll never leave,for his journey is one from which there is no escape.

Average customer rating:

Pimp - the Story of My Life
"Iceberg Slim"
Manufacturer: Payback Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0862418607

Average customer rating:

Pimp The Story of My Life
Iceberg Slim (Robert Beck)
Manufacturer: Holloway House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J40M3C

Average customer rating:

Pimp: The Story of My Life
Iceberg Slim
Manufacturer: Holloway House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000S1GJJM

Average customer rating:

Pimp: The Story of My Life

Manufacturer: Holloway House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HEGV9S

Book Description

The Best American Political Writing 2005 is an annual compendium that culls from the nation's most influential news sources to provide the most incisive, controversial, and entertaining writing about the notable names and events of 2004 and the first half of 2005. From the 2004 presidential election to the reconstruction of Iraq; from Social Security reform to the future of the Supreme Court; from the war on terrorism and who is next to repairing American ties with Europe; editor Royce Flippin provides a diverse collection of insights, opinions, and analysis on the political events that shaped the past year.

With selections from leading publications, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker,the Nation, Foreign Affairs, Time, Harper's, Vanity Fair, and the Atlantic, as well as think tanks such as the American Enterprise Institute and the Brookings Institution. In addition, writings from the nation's top political commentators, including Ron Suskind, Peter Beinart, James Fallows, Joshua Green, Naomi Klein, Michael Wolff, Christopher Hitchens, and Philip Gourevitch, among many others, are also featured.

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