Book Description
"The most famous introduction to prints. Through a series of enlarged details of prints in various media, Ivins makes clear the stylistic qualities peculiar to each technique." — Choice
Customer Reviews:
A museum of printmaking.......2002-03-30
This is one of the most useful references available for learning the differences between various printmaking techniques. I have used the book myself and assigned it to museum graduate students since it was first published, as a practical compendium of most methods for graphic reproduction. The illustrations are not always crystal-clear, but each is well explained and makes a point about the method being explored. The many photographs of prints are well chosen to clarify the many differences and similarities of print techniqes.
Book Description
From the tango-inspired dress of Argentina and guerilla chic in downtown Buenos Aires to swimwear on Copacabana Beach and the rainbow that adorns Mayan women, Latin America has long been a source of inspiration for designers throughout the world. This book is a long overdue assessment of Latin America's influence on fashion. The authors examine the significance of textiles and dress to Latin American culture and the reasons behind it--from fashion history to popular culture and the (re)making of traditional garments, such as the poncho, the guayabera and maguey cactus fiber sandals. It also considers its global impact, visible in chains and mass-produced fashions, and the international worship of fashion icons such as Frida Kahlo and Eva Peroacute;n.
Average customer rating:
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Rental Homes: The Tax Shelter That Works and Grows for You
Vincent William Zucchero
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall Trade
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ASIN: 0835966445 |
Book Description
Special bonus: a section that will show you
how to re-create your own makeup as well as create
your own props, using readily available items.
Words on paper. Without the resourceful, innovative, almost magical talents of the untold hundreds of behind-the-scenes people who have worked on Star Trek, those and countless other futuristic marvels would be just that -- words on paper. For years the major responsibility for making it all real for viewing audiences has fallen to people like Academy Award®-winning makeup supervisor Michael Westmore and property master Alan Sims, and their incredible staff of artisans. These modern-day dream shapers have guarded their award-winning secrets with national security-level caution...until today.
The veil of secrecy is pulled back in Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts. Through dozens of rare sketches, photographs, and designs, discover how those remarkable craftspeople made the fantastic vistas, creatures, and technology encountered every week. You'll be amazed at how low-tech some of these hi-tech wonders really are!
Who decided to make the Andorian blue? Of what was the belt on the original Klingon costume made? Was the first phaser really a block of wood? All your questions will be answered in Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts!
Customer Reviews:
Star Trek's make-up and props. 3 1/2 stars........2002-12-28
This is a pretty decent book. I love make-up effects so I thought I'll love this book. Well, it could've been a LOT worse. The pictures in the book was great. Some of the pictures on the were inapporiate. I saw several pictures on the cover of Stewart, Brooks, Shatner, and other actors w/o special make-up. If I was mostly interested in props, this book would've just 1 star. This book is pretty good. I love the Do Your Own Make-up and props section, although the only prop that looks cool enougth to build, I'll need my dad's help. OH, and this is for the guy who said that the Do Your Own Make-up was a waste of time, how the hell would you want to like a Star Trek alien, take days and make molds and sculpt clay? I thought the make-up application pictures were great, except for John Poole's finished Ferengi picture, I saw the edge of the latex, not glued, around his eyes. The authors were kind enougth to tell how to make more base makeup for the pieces except the obvious ones. (Most Vulcans and Romulans have the same pigment as each other.). Overall a pretty good book, if love make-up and want to apply it to yourself.
A Great Behind-The-Scenes Book.......2001-01-10
I bought this book for two reasons. 1: I love Star Trek (all series) and 2: I love looking at and reading about behind the scenes things. And this book was really good for both! It is really interesting as to how the actors got on with their respective make-up whether it be a Trill's markings or a full head mask worn by a Ferengi. My only two quibbles were that there were no pictures of the actors without their makeup (eg. Armin Shimmerman - that would have been interesting!) and also, the DIY section wasn't very long, you had to buy the proper masks and make-up etc and there was only 1 or 2 props to make. But other than that, I'd say buy and enjoy! Adam.
Um micro-review em português.......2000-11-05
Comprei este livro, como sempre faço com os livros de referência de Star Trek que a Pocket Books lança. É um livro regular, nada de especial, formato pequeno, muito bem feitinho, mas que não traz realmente nada de novo. Algumas fotos foram até recicladas de outros livros. Se você, fã brasileiro ou português, quiser comprar algo que realmente valha a pena, compre o "Art of Star Trek", edição hardcover.
A Sore Disappointment.......2000-10-12
I was hoping this book would be a great new reference for both props and makeup, but it should be retitled "Aliens and Afterthoughts." There are so few props in this book as to make it not worth your time, if that's what you're after.
The section on the original series is absolutely meager. There is barely a mention of any of the props from the original series at all. Very disappointing to those who were hoping for a new reference work describing anything from the old show at all.
The final disappointment has to be the photos. With such an enormous collage on the cover, one expects a wealth of photos within. But the vast majority of the cover photos are not in the book at all. And many of the photos that are in the book--in fact, nearly all of the props pictures--are recycled from The Art of Star Trek.
Bottom line: if your primary interest is makeup, this book is marginally useful. If your primary interest is props, give this book a pass. This disaster gets as many thumbs down as I can muster.
A poor effort, especially w/ the props.......2000-10-08
I am disappointed by this book; it could be much, much better than this. We have been delightfully spoiled with such great books as The Art of Star Trek, The DS9 Companion, The Making of DS9, The ST Encyclopedia, and so forth. But this short book has problems. For one, there are no conceptual sketches or production drawings where we see props or makeup evolve. Additionally, the photos they include are nothing special. The text of the book is somewhat interesting, but is skimpy and has holes... I want the Reeves-Stevens and the Okudas back! Oh, and the claim "Make your own makeup and props!" is a great exaggeration... The back of the book simply tells you how to use the Rubies costumes kits, and there is one thin description of how to build a Voyager dermal regenerator, which includes a warning: "This is not a job for a first-timer." If you are starving for basic descriptions of what different aliens' makeup looks like, maybe you'll enjoy this book. If not, and especially if you are more interested in props, this book is a waste of money... There are much better books out there already, whether you like artwork or an interesting read.
Average customer rating:
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Thou Harp of My Music: Love Songs from the Gaelic
Manufacturer: Floris Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0863152937 |
Book Description
Short, concise and to the point. This blackjack book doesnt beat around the bush. Its easy to read, simple to understand and uncomplicated to apply. You can be playing, with this no card counting system, in just an afternoon and taking advantage of its 78% win average. Blackjack's Hidden Secrets, Win Without Counting shows you how to determine the exact amount of money you should bring to the casino and how to spot hot and cold trends. It will have you automatically betting more when youre hot, less when youre not and teaches you when to leave. Winning at blackjack is more than a possibility, its a proven mathematical fact! This system also has its very own tutor card, which can be taken to the tables with you, so youll never feel alone or lost for answers.
Customer Reviews:
I love that this book exists!.......2006-05-31
This book contains enough erroneous information and crappy progression advice that the casinos will make TONS of $$$ off of its readers, allowing them to still offer beatable BJ. Thank you George P and John Patrick!
Great Strategy.......2006-03-20
My dad told me about this book and he swears by it! I too can say I swear by the strategy discussed in this book. It really does help you will...more often than any other strategy. You really need to follow it though, and be disciplined.
Entirely bogus.......2005-02-16
The money-management system described in this book is bogus. You are guaranteed to lose using these techniques. To call this a "winning system" is fraudulent. You can't win, in the long run, at blackjack unless you count cards or use other similarly complicated techniques. If you play without counting, you're a sucker; if you buy this book, you're a sucker twice over. Good luck.
Useful, but overly simplistic.......2004-08-30
Blackjack's Hidden Secrets is all about basic strategy, something everyone should learn before they hit a blackjack table. I read this book, and Avery Cardoza's "Quick Guide to Winning Blackjack" simultaneously, I found Cardoza's to be the far superior book. "Hidden Secrets" is simplistic to the extreme, with no new information not already found in "Quick Guide". The strategy charts in "Hidden Secrets" are all based on Atlantic City, whereas "Quick Guide" contains separate charts for Vegas and Northern NV as well, since rules differ slightly in all three places. Also, despite Pappadopoulos' claim to be based on mathematical formulas, he still relies on alot of old gambler superstitions, like spotting a "hot" table, and placing bets according to whether or not you are on a "winning streak". I find his advice on how much to place risky as well. I've been practicing using this method, but limiting my bets to no more than four times the minimum (Cardoza's advice), and in 100 games I am up 104%.
Pass on "Blackjack's Hidden Secrets" (both I and II), invest in a few Cardoza books instead.
Great Book for New Black jack players.......2004-07-04
I have played blackjack many times before reading this book. I mostly lost before. Now if I follow the authors 5 rules, I leave with winnings. Last 3 times, I was at the casiono, i left with winnings. This book, it will teach you how to win every hand, but it heled me win and leave with as a winner. Also, it is much easier than trying to count cards. I also had a much easier time understanding this book than another book on blackjack the did involve counting cards. I recomend this book for anyone that want to win, it worked for me (as long as i follow the 5 rules).
Book Description
Audio cassettes of the popular books "Blackjack's Hidden Secrets, Win Without Counting" and "Blackjack's Hidden Secrets II." With this two tape set you can learn George's winning NO card counting system or just use it as a brush up on his techniques while driving or flying to your gambling destination. A great addition to his two books or as a first time purchase.
Customer Reviews:
Discipline and these tapes make you a winner!.......2004-12-29
The second installment of Blackjack's Hidden Secrets simplifies your gaming approach to five steps. On the surface they are simple, but the secret to your success is STEP 5 - Discipline (to do steps 1 - 4). Couple the expertise in these tapes with hours of practice, and you'll have a winning approach to making money at blackjack!
This does not involve card counting, and this play is permitted at casinos. With this program, I have an 82% win rate. But it does take practice!
I have given this as a gift to every gambling pal I have. Give it a try.
Book Description
Collaboration is an everyday practice that many people find to be a frustrating, even exhausting, experience. How to Make Collaboration Work provides a remedy: five principles of collaboration that have been tested and refined in organizations throughout the world. Author David Straus shows that these methods can help any group make better decisions and function more effectively. The five principles are: Involve the Relevant Stakeholders, Build Consensus Phase by Phase, Design a Process Map, Designate a Process Facilitator, and Harness the Power of Group Memory. Each principle addresses the specific challenges people face when trying to work collaboratively, and each can be applied to any problem-solving scenario.
Customer Reviews:
How to Make Collaboration Work.......2007-08-16
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to work things out with their family, co-workers, managers, or any relationship you may have that requires collaboration.
Clear, well-organized guidance........2005-02-23
This book does exactly what the title says it does. It provides clear, well-organized and specific guidance to building collaboration in a whole range of situations and between individuals, within groups and across organizations.
This book is likely to be useful whether you are a professional facilitator or simply someone who needs to get agreement with one or more others. Much of its advice is, of course, widely available elsewhere, but this is a good choice for a single reference.
Terrific Book from a National Leader in Group Empowerment.......2002-09-10
Just plain terrific. David Straus's second book is useful for anyone involved in groups, whether at work, at home, or in the community-- and isn't that all of us? He covers it all-- from very basic details such as how to arrange the furniture in your meeting room, to how to effect the most sophisticated interchanges between participants at the highest levels of authority. Whether you're in business, education, government,or consulting, you'll learn from Straus. He has worked with a wide range of clients, from Ford Motors and the E.P.A. to the City of Denver and the Boston public schools. Throughout the book, his warm personality, absolute candor, and wealth of anecdotes make his principles easy to understand and absorb. A really valuable book from a national leader in group empowerment.
Amazon.com
Snow White's stepmother looks like a pussycat compared to the monster under which Adeline Yen Mah suffered. The author's memoir of life in mainland China and--after the 1949 revolution--Hong Kong is a gruesome chronicle of nonstop emotional abuse from her wealthy father and his beautiful, cruel second wife. Chinese proverbs scattered throughout the text pithily covey the traditional world view that prompted Adeline's subservience. Had she not escaped to America, where she experienced a fulfilling medical career and a happy marriage, her story would be unbearable; instead, it's grimly fascinating: Falling Leaves is an Asian Mommie Dearest.
Book Description
Born in 1937 in a port city a thousand miles north of Shanghai, Adeline Yen Mah was the youngest child of an affluent Chinese family who enjoyed rare privileges during a time of political and cultural upheaval. But wealth and position could not shield Adeline from a childhood of appalling emotional abuse at the hands of a cruel and manipulative Eurasian stepmother. Determined to survive through her enduring faith in family unity, Adeline struggled for independence as she moved from Hong Kong to England and eventually to the United States to become a physician and writer.
A compelling, painful, and ultimately triumphant story of a girl's journey into adulthood, Adeline's story is a testament to the most basic of human needs: acceptance, love, and understanding. With a powerful voice that speaks of the harsh realities of growing up female in a family and society that kept girls in emotional chains,
Falling Leaves is a work of heartfelt intimacy and a rare authentic portrait of twentieth-century China.
Customer Reviews:
The Plight Of An Unloved Child.......2007-10-11
Although this book was difficult at times to read, the author did keep me fascinated with her story. She has an ease of writing that very much feels as if she is having a conversation with the reader, and the book just flows.
The story is one that is ageless: a man marries a woman and they have several children (in this case 5). When the youngest is born, the woman dies from complications, and the man in his loneliness quickly finds another woman to marry. He concerns himself more with outward appearances than with character, and ends up with wife #2 who is controlling, domineering, and wishes she had been wife #1 instead of wife #2. She really doesn't care for the fact that her husband has 5 children from wife #1, but no matter. Since her husband is weak and does as she wishes, she can treat them as she likes. Which isn't pleasant.
Adeline is the youngest of the 5 siblings and therefore the recipient of not only her stepmother's wrath, but most often her 4 siblings as well. Unlike some children, Adeline never seems to truly stand up for herself, and that might be her personality or it might be cultural. Whatever it is, it defines her.
Some reviewers here think Adeline is "whiny", especially after she reaches adulthood. Perhaps. However, if anyone knows somebody who was treated as though they were unwanted and/or unloved as a child - and my mother was such a one - then they might very well see the same behavior Adeline portrays as an adult.
I thought this book was fascinating and a terrific tale of the healing power of the human spirit. At times I just wished I could have reached through the pages of this book and snatched Adeline away to a safe place where she could be nutured and feel safe.
Read it entirely in one night.......2007-09-05
I found this book while browsing the library and borrowed it. I thought it would be good reading material for my daily subway rides since the book wasn't too long at all.
I had a quiet evening, so I started reading. Page by page I turned and when I finished the book it was 1am in the morning. It was definitely a page turner. The reader is kept on their toes to find out what comes next.
I was truly touch by Adeline's story and there were a couple of tear-jerking scenes. This book reminds me a lot of the 1st Harry Potter book somehow. Both tell the story of a rejected child living with sinister relatives.
Adeline's story is different from many other books in that she was a rejected child from a rich family that could have given her everything. Many memoiors tell of a very poor childhood, so I really liked that this was different. She was pretty much poor in a rich family.
I was full of rage when I found out Lydia was backstabbing her & how her brothers are still jerks as adults. Inheritance issues always bring out the nastiest in people. Ultra-rich families do not usually fare well & are usually the subject of drama serial TV in Hong Kong.
Lydia can just shove it...she is just about as dragonlady as Niang for what she did.
Edgar...gosh I wonder if he made a good doctor at all.
James...he's such a timid turtle & it got annoying to see him still like that as a grown adult.
Susan...she married into an ultra-rich family and didn't even care for the inheritance. I was happy for her as she was able to let go of her family.
Adeline...I wish she would stop being the nice person all the time. It was so unfair to her to be taken advantage of even as an adult (Lydia two-timing her while Adeline was willing to help Lydia's song, putting up with 1st abusive husband, still scared of Niang as an adult).
I really wish she had the courage to cut her family off and carve her own happiness with her own family (husband and 2 sons and future grandchildren). I really hope that Adeline is able to/or has already done so. I hope she is having a much happier life right now :)
A PERFECT STUDY OF SCAPEGOATING! ADELINE, YOU GO, GIRL!!!!.......2007-08-10
i have to respectfully disagree with Jazmanian here. No, not 'any family therapist would tell you being cut off from your family of origin would not do any good to your own family.' Even apes have families, and 'family of origin' is not always a safe place.
This book was ALL about moving on and finding blessings in the hand one is dealt. The author had one family member who truly loved her unconditionally and without deviation. Her discovery that her father truly did love her, in spite of his cowardice and weakness of character, gave her some satisfaction; but to realize that throughout her years of emotional torture, there was always one member of her immediate family who had never hurt her and loved her unconditionally, incontrovertibly - namely,her Aunt Baba - was enough for her to move on in her life, taking comfort in the love and support of her husband and child.
The abuse this woman endured was mind-boggling. The incidents with her pet duckling, the orange juice, and being sent to a boarding school that ALSO served as an orphanage was deplorable. But the most painful part of the book to me was when she and her husband accidently walked into that hotel room to find all her siblings having a celebration party to which she was not made aware. That broke my heart, because it hit so close to home; I experienced a similar incident with my own family.
This book was a great comfort to me because I learned that I'm not the only child this has happened to; my similarly dysfunctional family did the same sort of things to me (add in sexual abuse and daily beatings, and there you have it).
Sometimes one must accept that the family is sick and will never be healthy, and realize that one must remove one's self in order to, as you worded it, "do any good to your own family". Had she kept in contact with her sicklings, er, I mean, siblings, 'her own family' would surely have been exposed to their pathological toxicity. Her moving on was the best gift she had to give her family. Past behavior is a pretty good indication of future behavior; why would she want to expose her husband and children to these people?
As one who finally 'pulled the plug' from her bio toxic family, I applaud her for letting these people go.
Tragic beginning, whiny ending........2007-08-03
I enjoyed the beginning of this book. It presented a slice of history about which I was uninformed, wrapped in the personal true story of a little girl persecuted by her family. By the end of the book, though, I felt the author was more determined to make her case against her stepmother than to write a compelling story. The book did not hold my interest to the end, although I did finish it. I wanted to celebrate the triumph of the author over her painful start in life. Instead, I read an endless list of family misdeeds. Victimization of a helpless child is tragic. Wallowing in it as an adult is annoying.
Captivating memoir.......2007-07-10
This book had me very engrossed and actually crying. It doesn't overtly try to teach a lesson or philosophize, but it still makes you think about how it is that people can be so heartless, because we all know, they can.
Average customer rating:
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Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter
Adeline Yen Mah
Manufacturer: Broadway Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Chinese
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ASIN: 0767904184 |
Product Description
Born in 1937 in a port city north of Shanghai, Adeline Yen Mah was the youngest child of an affluent Chinese family who enjoyed rare privileges during a time of political and cultural upheaval. But wealth and position could not shield Adeline from a childhood of appalling emotional abuse at the hands of her Eurasian stepmother. Determined to survive, Adeline struggled for independence as she moved from Hong Kong to England and eventually to the United States to become a physician and writer. A compelling, painful, and ultimately triumphant story of a girl's journey into adulthood, Adeline's story is a testament to the most basic of human needs: acceptance, love, and understanding.
Book Description
It was the Mediterranean theatre which saw the blooding of the US Army against the German Wehrmacht, in North Africa in winter 1943/44. After this rough education the US forces pressed on to Sicily, the South of France and the Italian mainland. Here, faced by difficult terrain , they and their British Commonwealth allies fought a long campaign until VE-Day. This second of a series of three MAA titles covers the uniforms worn on these fronts, including US Army cold weather, airborne and tankers' gear; some particularly interesting and important units, including mountain, Japanese-American and African-American troops; and a variety of crew-served weapons.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent coverage.......2004-07-26
Colour plates by the superb Mike Chappell make this one a treat. Excellent, interesting and varied poses, great use of colour to simulate the different materials and textures, and historical accuracy make the plates a terrific complement.
Comments here apply to volume (2) of the series. Very nice overview of unit organization, equipment, medals, a chart on ranks, shoulder patches, and more. Like the German series, these are very nice and useful sidebars and often cover information taken for granted in other, supposedly more comprehensive, works. Nice rare photos, and additional info on vehicles and "elite" unit in Italy make this a very well rounded volume of good overall interest.
I have no idea what multitudinous means..........2004-03-10
...but I would probably just say "many".
Unlike Carter Rila, the author of this book is direct and to the point. A very good overview of US forces, weapons, equipment and uniforms in one nifty volume. Not a detailed guide by any means, and only a starting point for serious research - but as a quick and dirty guide to US troops in the Med, a nice little book.
Chappel's artwork is excellent; it was a shame the Singapore version shipped with charcoal sketches by the publisher's son. The Chappel prints are much nicer.
Great Improvement on Earlier Works in this Series.......2001-12-22
This book is part of a set covering the US Army of WW II. Compared to the earlier volumes published by Osprey, it is an A compared to a D. The other volumes were superficial and suffered either from trying to cover too much or too long a period or written by authors who simply were not familiar enough with the period covered.
This one is written by a knowledgable author and is superbly illustrated by the magnificent Mike Chappell. Drawing on multitudinous sources, these three volumes will satisfy those who want to know what grandaddy looked like in the war and give a useful overview for those not needing more detailed knowledge.
As a long time specialist in the period, I learned things and recommend this highly.
See my reviews of the other two volumes in this set.
Amazon.com
In 1979, a clerical revolution in Iran swept aside the inarguably corrupt government of Shah Reza Pahlavi and set in motion events that would make that nation a world pariah. In the place of one dictatorship came another, one led "by an old bearded cleric in a turban and cloak whose answer to the king's injustice was to wrap the country in a populist message of promise and smother it with an intolerant version of Islam."
So writes Elaine Sciolino, a reporter for The New York Times who entered Iran with the Ayatollah Khomeini and who remained there for more than 20 years, providing American readers with memorable accounts that were less, it seemed, about politics and religion than about human nature. For Iran is a mass of contradictions, she writes, a country many of whose leaders press for forward-looking change while serving a government that seeks a return to the distant past, and whose citizens constantly seek ways to experiment "with two highly volatile chemicals--Islam and democracy." In her book, Sciolino travels the length and breadth of Iran, interviewing national leaders and citizens, turning up stories of resistance and accommodation that are at once hopeful and cautious. (For instance, she writes, "Personal expression is entirely possible in Iran. You just have to be careful when and where you engage in it, and you have to be ready for nasty surprises when the rules change.")
Iran has been overlooked for too long, Sciolino suggests. Her book, both sympathetic and critical, makes a useful guide for those outside the country who seek to understand it better. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
The book that revealed Iran to the West, now with a new Afterword. Elaine Sciolino updates Persian Mirrors to include coverage of the 2005 presidential election in Iran.
As a correspondent for Newsweek and The New York Times, Sciolino has had more experience covering revolutionary Iran than any other American reporter. She was aboard the airplane that took Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to Tehran in 1979 and was there for the revolution, the hostage crisis, the Iran-Iraq war, the rise of President Khatami, the riots of 1999, and the crisis over Iran's nuclear program. In Persian Mirrors, Sciolino takes us into the public and private spaces of Iran, uncovering an alluring and seductive nation where a great battle is raging -- not for control over territory, but for the soul of its people.
Download Description
A top "New York Times" reporter paints in astonishing detail and rich color the surprising hidden inner life of Iran, where a great battle is raging not for control over territory but for the very soul of the nation. "A captivating, intimate, sensitive, finespun journey through the contradictions of the Iranian revolution and the new order it created".--Peter Jennings.
Customer Reviews:
Deep understanding of the Islamic Republic, Persian culture and Islam........2007-07-29
I believe this book is important because it describes Iran very different from what Iran is generally perceived.
Before this book, I thought Iran is a clear cut example of totalitarian state, Islamo-fashism, as someone called it. Like Saddam's Iraq, Spain (Franko), Italy (Musolini), Germany (Hitler), Soviet union etc.
Not that simple: The Classic totalitarian systems have 5 common elements, and if even a simple element is removed, the totalitarian system can not function:
1. Single party system with personality cult.
2. Merger of the political and ideological apparatus
3. Total spying
4. Death camp system
5. Censorship
This is true for all European totalitarian systems, for dark-age Europe, and for the Ottoman empire.
But Iranian system simply does not obey these rules! And this is why is so important to keep the separation of the church and state.
Iran may or may not fit in the above 5-point list, but does not exactly work the way Soviet Union or Germany did.
For example, both Stalin and Hitler would execute everybody they did not like, very fast. Not in Iran: Leading ayatollahs and hojatolleslams are very critical to the way Islamic republic is going: they are NOT executed.
They are still influential and outspoken.
The way the presidential elections are carried out is both censored AND democratic! The candidates must be approved by a religious committee, but once they are approved, the people's votes are really counted, and the winner is the one with most votes, as was the case with Khatami. In contrast to that, Brezhnev, Castro, Chaushesko and Honecker, were "elected" always with 99.995% majority.
Some of the readers are upset that Mrs. Sciolino is too soft on the
Iran's leaders, and describes them with sympathy. I did not have this
perception: I have the feeling, that she is very neutral, but neutrality
may appear as sympathy to some readers. There was no sympathy from Mrs. Sciolino with regard to Masoumeh Ebtekar, for example.
Some readers noticed, that Mrs. Sciolino pays too much attention to women.
She herself realized this and had an answer: That she, being a woman had access to many places, she could not have been to if she were a man. But there is something else very important: According to Lloyd deMouse, the state of the society can be determined by the attitude towards women. The progress of European and American societies coincides with the liberation and empowerment of women. The conservative forces always try to keep women down and back. Right to education. Right to work. Right to equal pay for equal work. Right to vote. Right to be elected. Right to drive a car. Etc. So, even if Mrs. Sciolino writes a lot about women, this is not too much, I think. And the situation of women in Iran is not equivocal. On one side, they have to wear Chador. On other, they are allowed to go to school and even to drive car.
Dictators will always use war and external enemy in order to solidify their powers. This was also the case with Khomeini. "The Iran-Iraq war was the glue that solidified the Islamic Revolution." The revolution was so spontaneous, and with so many different forces involved, that without the war, it would have fallen apart.
Unfortunately, this often happens in history: A universally hated dictator is replaced by a popular revolt. And during the confusion, the power is captured by the smallest and most disciplined faction. And they always turn out to be worse than the first dictator.
People in Iran are not as brainwashed believers, as they may be portrayed.
Contrary, they are very smart, and they are forced to be hypocritical, and live double lives. "Before the Revolution, we drunk in public and prayed at home. Now we pray in public and drink at home." The cynicism and hypocrisy is present amid mullahs and ayatollahs. Officially, they only think and talk about Allah. Unofficially, they tell dirty jokes, even before Mrs Sciolino, a foreigner and a woman! Enough about pure thoughts, inspired by Islam. We are all human, we are all the same.
Again, I strongly recommend the book to all who are interested in Islam, Persia, mid-east politics, totalitarian system, and are not afraid to learn something new and different and to have their perception changed.
Fascinating Interviews with Living Iranians.......2007-04-26
For Elaine Sciolino (the author), Iran is more than a corner of the Middle East. As a reporter she has explored it since just before Khomeini took power. In interview after interview, Sciolino brings the thoughts of individual Iranians to life in paper. As a journalistic endeavor, her writing is precise, yet entertaining. I quickly found myself beginning to understand these cloistered people, their frustrations with the existing regime and the depths of the dreams for their country and their families.
What is especially remarkable is the way the author shows you what life is like in this Stalin-like society by quoting people in it. This is amazing! People talked to her freely, though often in fear of retribution.
Through the author we find out how it is to be a professional woman in Iran, free one day under the Shah, hidden under a chador the next day. We find out how journalism thrives, despite the crackdowns by rightwing supporters of the clerics who pull the strings through a police apparatus, which many describe as worse than the Shah's police, or SAVAK. The viewpoints of outside groups surviving in Iran are explored such as Christians and Jews.
Despite a censored television and radio broadcasting, described as black and white in the dark humor of oppression (one channel with a white turban cleric and a second channel with a black turban cleric), news gets out in the form of newspapers. Everybody in Iran reads newspapers, scores of them, each day. The truth gets out because the police can't arrest all the journalist. That is the stone in the shoe of Iran, the clerics still need the public behind them. "After the crackdown (one of many), a well-known print editor told the author's assistant, "I remained very optimistic. Even if the same newspapers do not publish, other ones will take their place. There's no turning back."
Two characteristics make this quiet rebellion possible: the founding premise of the Shia religion and the demographics of modern Iran. What sets stalwart Sunnism, as practiced by the Arabs, apart from the Shia is that the later is founded on asking questions. A young Shia cleric is supposed to question his masters in ways that would get him excommunicated under the Sunni form of Islam. As for demographics, this is the outcome of Khomeini's own desire to export Islam across his borders. Today, Iran is young, restless, and even openly rebellious.
"President Khatami comes to our university, and says nice things, but he can't change anything," a student at the all-female Al Zahra University told me (the author) one day after Khatami had given a speech. "No matter what, he's still one of them. He's still a cleric. This revolution has been built wrong, like a wall where the bricks were never laid properly." (To run for any government job, candidates must be vetting by a supreme council of clerics ¯ who, in fact, rule the country.)
In the end, we in the west, will do what we did with the Soviets and Chinese under Mao: wait. Eventually, the old hardliners will be gone and politicians, like Khatami will do the bidding of the people. Hopefully, we can avoid the potential conflict, which would affect the lives of these Iranians, who I now know through the author's good works.
If this review was helpful, please add your vote. Thanks.
Useful Book with good insight.......2007-04-15
One of the better books written about contemporary Iran. Worth a read.
A marvellous story, beautifully written of a complex nation and country.......2007-02-02
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Being from the region, I could relate to the anecdotes that fill this book on Iranian political thought, religiosity and culture. A complicated nation that seems to be more confused about its own identity than outsiders are of its external intentions, Iran is portrayed in a balanced, articulate, sensitive, detailed and personalized manner by Sciolino. Recommend it to anyone interested in Iranian society and psyche.
The Essence of a Nation.......2007-01-12
Elaine Sciolino's 'Persian Mirrors' is the fascinating account of an American journalist in revolutionary Iran that covers from its earliest beginnings in 1979, when this young correspondent for Newsweek traveled to Tehran with the Ayatollah Khomeini on his return from exile, through the new millennium and the fight for the country's future that is going on today, as a journalist for the New York Times. I thoroughly enjoyed her perspective of the unique role of Iranian women in the revolution that ran through this fascinating story, a viewpoint that I had never picked up on in other books about Iran or the Persian people. I wasn't aware of the influence that the Persian poets had on these people either, even though I had somehow, by instinct I guess, prefaced my own story about Iran with a passage from 'The Rubayyat of Omar Khayyam.'
While I wrote my adventure from memories of working in Tehran in 1971 and I created its events from facts in today's headlines, my research was limited to filling in a few blanks only. I'm just sorry that I didn't discovered Ms. Sciolino's book sooner, because she really presents her readers with some wonderful perspectives of Iran's origins and provides you with a true understanding and appreciation for the passions of these proud people. From my own brief experiences in Iran, I perceived the Persians to be a great source of strength that could help bring peace and stability to the Middle East. Sciolino reinforces this and the existence of their democratic ideals and leanings, which are not so different from our own. As she notes, this is not a book about the mysteries of the East. Rather you will find that it is an intimate portrait of the spirit and the soul of a nation. I for one have found 'Mirrors' to be a treasure trove of information, particularly for anyone who wishes to understand more about Iran. The depth of her research is apparent with the more that one hundred books on Iran and the Middle East that are included it the bibliography. She is also the author of 'The Outlaw State: Saddam Hussein's Quest for Power and the Gulf War Crisis.' She is currently the Paris Bureau Chief for the New York Times.
Bob Magnant is the author of The Last Transition... - the ultimate Internet adventure - a fact-based novel about Iran.
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- Frolov and Novikov's Black Hole Physics
|
Black Hole Physics - Basic Concepts and New Developments (Fundamental Theories of Physics)
V. Frolov , and
I. Novikov
Manufacturer: Springer
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Book Description
This volume on black holes can be seen as a sequel to Physics of Black Holes, published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1989. The authors are recognised experts in their field, and have many years' experience in teaching courses on general relativity and black holes.
Customer Reviews:
Frolov and Novikov's Black Hole Physics.......2000-04-09
I referenced these authors and also Klapdor-Kleingrothaus and Zuber (see my review of their book) in my paper on Quantum Gravity delivered before Professor Kursunoglu's Orbis Scientiae Quantum Gravity conference in December, 1999 (see my review of Kursunoglu). The Editor has summarized the book in his usual excellent way, and here I should just add that there is much material in this book not covered in others, including relationships with 2+1 dimensional quantum gravity (see my review of Carlip, black holes inside monopoles, dilatons, quantum hair, etc. Everyone should buy this book and, if necessary, hire a consultant or tutor to translate it into more simple English.
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