Francisco Goya: The Tapestry Cartoons and Early Career at the Court of Madrid

Book Description

In 1775, Francisco Goya came from Saragossa to the court of Madrid, where he began his career as an unsalaried painter of cartoons for the Royal Tapestry Factory of Santa Barbara. For the next seventeen years, these works would provide the mainstay of his career in Madrid, paralleling the artist's professional ascent to the ranks of academician, Adjunct Director of Painting at the Royal Academy, painter to the king, and court painter. Janis Tomlinson offers a detailed examination of these paintings, formerly regarded as realistic depictions of everyday life. Their relevance to emblematic and literary traditions is examined, and the interpretation of the single image is considered within the context provided by Goya, here revealed to be thematic as well as decorative. The tapestry cartoons are integrated within the development of Goya’s art to 1794 and are shown to be intrinsic to interpretation of the artist’s subsequent works of caprice and invention.

Book Description

All the information a fashionista needs to look and feel great, including 500 stores per city, glossary of fashion terms, detailed maps, instore restaurants and convenient lunch spots. The authors tromped through each and every store this season, and, in addition to a fashion overview, offer a detailed description of • each store's merchandise • target customer • addresses and phone numbers • store hours • unique stores and services

The super index includes: stores by category, and by location -- with a quick address finder, and the best addresses for beauty treatments, fitness studios and spas, couture dry cleaners, shoe repair shops and much else.

Book Description

Just think of this as Kochalka's Dianetics. It's a powerful mixture of philosophy and comics, and it can literally change your life forever. In a dangerously uncertain world, Kochalka plots a theoretical path to happiness. Collecting some of his most intensely thoughtful work, this book struggles with all the big issues: comics and art, birth and death, technology and joy, and everything in between. It collects "The Horrible Truth about Comics," "Reinventing Everything" parts 1 and 2, "Sunburn," "The Cute Manifesto," and even Kochalka's famous "Craft is the Enemy" essays.

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Cute Manifesto

Manufacturer: DIAMOND BOOK DISTRIB
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GTGDEM

Book Description

These cautionary notes and hilarious stories pack the Rosenblatt punch. Anything Can Happen offers a class in "Tyranny for Beginners," warns about the snares and devices of dinner parties, explains the mind-set of barbarians, suggests the perfect gift for Mother--a wildebeest--and tells what happens when his dog's barking drives him to thoughts of murder.
Roger Rosenblatt forces us to laugh at the silliness of the world we have created, refocuses our minds on what really matters, and alerts us to the injustice and cruelty that lie just below the skin.

Customer Reviews:

Showcase of Rosenblatt's talent - good and not so good.......2004-09-28

One of the most talented and witty writers today, Roger Rosenblatt showcases his talent in this series of short essays (one or two pages average). Some of the pieces are just collections of observations, others are the epitome of the craft of writing. Most of the essays have a deeper meaning hidden within the text that suddenly leaps out at you in the final sentences. Anything Can Happen is highly recommended and many of the essays could easily be used in the scholastic setting for how writing of this style should be done.

disciplined flights of fancy.......2003-08-13

These are not what one might think of as typical essays; rather, they are disciplined flights of fancy, the work of a nimble and penetrating mind at play. There is humor and wonderful word play, as well as wistfulness and a deeply felt sense of humanity.

Not nearly what "On Aging" was.......2003-07-07

I have given "On Aging" to a dozen people,and made it mandatory reading in the department that I manage. Saw this one on the shelf at the bookstore and couldn't wait! Well, it's not nearly what "On Aging" is. Was he in a hurry to get something in print? Sorry, I still love the man, but this just isn't up to his standards.

Not nearly what "On Aging" was.......2003-07-07

Some funny moments but mainly an ego trip.......2003-05-17

I recommend his much witter book on aging

Anything Can Happen: Notes on My Inadequate Life and Yours

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Anything Can Happen: Notes on My Inadequate Life and Yours
Roger Rosenblatt
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJK1G0

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The Lion's Share The Story of an Entertainment Empire
Bosley Crowther
Manufacturer: E.P. Dutton & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0J5ES

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The Lions Share: The Story of an Entertainment Empire
Bosley Crowther
Manufacturer: Ams Pr Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0404200710

Book Description

Through the techniques of the popular Dalcroze-Eurhythmics, this insightful 147-page book provides the tools to engage your students' inner creative resources and connect the body, mind, and emotions through rhythm and movement. Music and movement exercises provided on the CD will help students discover the benefits of eurhythmics, which can be applied to music-making, teaching, learning, and life.

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A Great Grounding

Every Magic Trick? You've got to be kidding!

Every Magic Secret in the World Revealed
Marc Lemezma
Manufacturer: New Holland
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1843309572

Customer Reviews:

A Great Grounding.......2006-06-21

I have been performing magic for 20 years and I wanted a book to help get my young son started.

This is perfect stuff that is all easy to understand and well illustrated. Great for any kid or young adult who wants to learn the basics properly.

Every Magic Trick? You've got to be kidding!.......2006-05-27

This book explains only a few tricks, mostly do-it-yourself tricks with cards, coins, rope and cups. I was expecting a book to explain some of the tricks shown on stage by professionals, but there were none of those. I buy from Amazon.com often, but this was the first book I've ever returned after looking thru it for only a few minutes. Very disappointing!

Amazon.com

In the short but wild history of the Internet, few companies have developed such an ideal approach to utilizing the uniqueness of the medium for business as eBay--hence the title of Adam Cohen's colorful and insightful corporate biography The Perfect Store. Cohen, chief technology writer for Time magazine before joining The New York Times' editorial board, is the only journalist to receive complete cooperation from the company for such a project, and the combination of access and experience leads to a well-researched and well-written tale capturing the essence of this online auction-house phenomenon. In the process, Cohen reveals how the pioneering site first developed into a vibrant virtual community, then a cultural icon and a model for Web-based commerce that reported revenue of $749 million in 2001.

From its beginnings as a hobby site on a Silicon Valley PC, to its maturation as a real company under the burgeoning fiscal pressures of cyberspace, to its present status as one of the few original e-business practitioners to survive the dot.com implosion, eBay has always been part of the crowd while managing to stand out from it. Cohen helps us understand why by taking us inside the heads of major players like Pierre Omidyar, the cofounder who imbued his site with a Libertarian philosophy responsible for its heart and soul, and Meg Whitman, the seasoned manager who brought business savvy and a Harvard MBA to its roller-coaster world. What helps make the book so readable and informative, though, are Cohen's accompanying observations of the many other people and events that also helped eBay develop its trademark direction and characteristic personality: the company that formulated its distinctive logo, the Kansas City clothing-iron collectors whose pastime was transformed by the upstart Web site, the quirky listings that generated controversy (and publicity) like the one in 1999 for a "fully functional kidney," even detractors who decry its big-business underpinnings. Fans of the site, along with students of the online world in general, will find Cohen's account both instructive and enjoyable. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

In this brisk, engaging chronicle of one of the most stunning success stories in American business history, Adam Cohen takes us inside eBay the corporation-where all the important players, including eBay's founder Pierre Omidyar and CEO Meg Whitman, demystify their roles and tell the story straight-as well as inside the community of eBay's passionate users, who buy and sell everything from antique pickle jars and record albums to Ford trucks and $40,000 computer servers. His book reveals the many surprising ways in which eBay's 'virtual marketplace' has indelibly changed not only the face of American business but the American cultural landscape. -The perfect book for anyone who wants to get a handle on what works in the Internet economy.

Customer Reviews:

If Only..........2007-04-12

As someone who has sold on ebay for a long time, I was excited to read this book. It was a fascinating read, but what made me sad was that ebay has changed so much... for the worse. If only the vision of Pierre was still easily attainable.

"toes the company's line" and is very out of date.......2007-01-14

Unfortunately, just like most books of its kind (histories of specific firms written with full cooperation from the firm involved), "The Perfect Store" is way too obsequious to eBay's official "party line", and doesn't engage in real, hard-hitting, investigative journalism. Moreover, the book is severely out of date -- it tells you nothing about the last several years of eBay, and in a sector that changes as fast as internet commerce, this is a serious problem. The book is well-written and competently organized, but that doesn't make up for the substantial problems with the quality and timeliness of its conents.

The best business book out there!!!.......2006-12-21

This is one of the most fascinating business books I have read. It covers the idea of EBay as a perfect market which economically is an interesting idea. The book goes through the history and business growth and has excellent analysis. Overall it is just fascinating to see how this company grew up and delivered profit quarter after quarter. I really wish there would be an update as it is a little dated. Highly recommend as the number one business book.

Funny and Interesting.......2006-12-02

The author give a strong detail on how the giant auction site become a household name to anyone. the thing i like with the book is how the founder really dedicated their site to community.they don't call their client as costumer but a community that belong to family, I like that.
the book is interesting and a lot of times humorous,you will never get bored reading it. In example, the investor who walk in their office one day in their early stage thinking what ebay look like and found out it was on a rented office, no receptionist was on hand to greet them and there was absolutely no chance anyone was going to offer him a cup of coffee

Nat

Wonderful story, well written.......2006-05-02

Author Adam Cohen presents the story of eBay in a clear, flowing style, depicting the growth from a modest beginning to the giant the company has become. What I enjoyed the most, unexpectedly, were the many stories of businesses that spawned from eBay, such as the gal who generated a business selling packaging materials to eBay sellers. Without fail, these spawned business germinated, not from a grandiose scheme with a formal business plan, but rather from the seed of a slightly creative idea, which, once put into practice, gained momentum. Perhaps a valuable paradigm can be found here for the self-help crowd, most of whom maintain that success must start with a grand, large-scale idea.

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The Perfect Store: Inside Ebay
Adam Cohen
Manufacturer: Back Bay Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

eBay | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000OTQMFO

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THE PERFECT STORE: INSIDE EBAY.

Manufacturer: Piatkus, First
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Retailing | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

eBay | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0749923490

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The Perfect Store. Inside EBAY.
Adam Cohen
Manufacturer: Little, Brown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

eBay | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000OU7X38

Customer Reviews:

And the Thornton Sisters were a great band!.......2007-04-11

This is a wonderful book about a wonderfully talented group of women. I had the pleasure of seeing The Thornton Sisters at Cornell University many, many years ago. I was completely blown away by their talent & stage presence. I am also a former road musician, and these women made a gigantic impression on me. Knowing their story makes it even more impressive! Read this book!

The DitchDiggers Daughter .......2006-07-01

This book was great the movie was awesome they need to put it on vhs and dvd. must read book to who ever didnt read this book u need to read it its very good.

Great Book. Get Movie........2006-01-15

This is a wonderful book! I saw the made for TV movie on cable, I think HBO. When will it be released on DVD? In the Memphis area this is required reading.

the value of hard work.......2005-11-04

This is the story of a black man who, when he received only daughters, decided to see what he could do with them. He decided they would be doctors and set about to make it happen. Donald Thornton was an uneducated man who nevertheless exuded a lot of wisdom. In the face of racism or mistreatment he would say "It builds character." He had a strong work ethic, working two or three jobs for the sake of his family. He passed this on to his daughters, especially Yvonne who wrote the book. It is her story as much as it is his. Through hard work and determination, and against adversity, she did in fact become a doctor. Yvonne shares an anecdote about a frog experiment. Scientists tied one of a frog's hind legs together to study atrophy. That leg, struggling against the bonds, became stronger than the other one. That could be the story of this book. It is a moving tribute to a father, and a testament to the qualities of perseverance and hard work. Truly inspiring, this book shows the value of fathers, and mothers, in the lives of their children; as well as the value of working hard for ones dreams.

Donald Rocks!!!.......2004-08-26

This book was one of the books on our mandatory reading listing for entering freshmen. At first I didn't know what I would have in common with this black family because my life was seemingly much different. Until I read the book. The Thornton family is like most any other family that wants what is best for their kids and will sacrifice to see that it happens. I was moved by this book. It made me cry and laugh. It also made me appreciate my parents a little more. Tough dad, tough kids.

The Ditchdigger's Daughters - A Black Family's Astonishing Success Story

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The Ditchdigger's Daughters - A Black Family's Astonishing Success Story
Yvonne S., M.D. as told to Coudert, Jo Thornton
Manufacturer: Plume / Penguin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IWN3IQ

Customer Reviews:

Classic, but outdated.......2005-04-20

Neustadt's work has been praised by many other reviewers here, and I won't disagree that this is a classic that must be read by any serious student of the American presidency. Nonetheless, his thesis is quite outdated and has been superceded by more recent scholarship.

Neustadt's fatal flaw is to assume that the individual person in the office is the only thing that matters - if that person has the right set of skills, he can successfully bargain to get his goals accomplished. However, he doesn't pay enough attention to the role other institutions may play in constraining the president's ability to get what he wants, or how increased presidential power may give the president new resources with which to deal with the other branches.

Neustadt also assumes that all presidents before FDR were "pre-modern" and "mere clerks of the office." This perspective has been proven false in several respects. First off, Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson clearly acted like "modern" presidents in many respects. Secondly, there are numerous examples of "pre-modern" presidents acting like the modern ones: even the much-reviled Rutherford B. Hayes acted like the modern presidents when appointing executive branch officials. Others such as Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, Lincoln, etc., are left out altogether.

If you want to read cutting-edge work that deals with these shortcomings, take a look at Stephen Skowronek's book on the presidency instead.

Machiavelli in the White House.......2004-03-24

This is indeed one the classics in the field of presidential studies. Neustadt's contribution, although somewhat commonsensical at first glance, is that despite the huge increase in formal powers that the president has acquired over the years, the most fundamental power the president possesses is the power to persuade.

The president must persuade other independently elected officials to do as he sees fit. This, in a city such as Washington DC where people have seen powerful politicians come and go over the years, is easier said than done. The president must be attuned to the nuances of political issues and not allow himself to become cut off from the political back and forth by his retinue of aides. He must retain the prerogative of making the final political decision and avoid becoming a clerk and simply ratifying the decisions made form by the staff and the bureaucracy. Further, he must define what is in his political self interest.

The president does so by keeping himself informed, by employing a system of information that allows him to be at the center and making real decisions; and by carefully husbanding the power and carefully cultivating the image of the president. While the president does posses the power to command, instances where he must rely on command are a prima facie failure of persuasion.

Finally, the president must ensure that others understand his power. He must be able to strike a modicum of fear into both his allies and his foes. In the political sense, this means the ability to hurt someone electorally. If I as the president can campaign against you and make it stick, you will be more likely to fear me and be persuaded by my requests.

This is not an easy read, but if you are involved as a student of politics you WILL read this book at some point. A classic and well worth the effort.

John C. McKee

One of three seminal works on the Presidency.......2000-04-26

Neustadt's book describes one of three theories about Presidents. Everyone knows that there is a balance of power between the judiciary, the legislative and the executive branches. Neustadt claims that the President is the weak leg of the stool and that he is unable to govern alone. He must use his powers of persuasion in order to convince the other branches of the government to do his bidding.

As part of a graduate program in political science with a concentration on the United States, you will read this book. If you don't, I am happy to go out on a limb and say that there is something wrong with your program!

This is one of the three seminal works available on the Presidency. There are others but this is one of the big guns. If you read this book, along with Corwin's "Presidential Power" and Rossiter's "The American Presidency", you'll understand all three theories of presidential power: the weak President (Neustadt), the strong President (Corwin) and the President wearing many hats (Rossiter). In reality, all three are correct.

It's interesting but a scholarly read. It's not a book you'd pick up for light after dinner reading.

still useful after all these years..........2000-04-19

The 1960 edition of Presidential Power has had a long shelf-life, and has grown over time to append chapters on post-Eisenhower presidents. But Neustadt's original thesis -- that presidents are Constitutionally weak, not strong, and that they therefore must leverage their bargaining advantages to the fullest if they want to be effective leaders -- still holds up. (Think the 104th Congress here.) It's hard to skim Neustadt -- he writes the old-fashioned way, in long, graceful sentences and paragraphs that actually hang together. But it's well worth while to settle in and get a sense of what it takes to be president. It's not clear that 2000 is going to be a good year for the American polity...

Don't stop half way through.......1999-04-07

About half of the way through the book, Neustadt seemed to be saying the same things over and over again. I almost stopped reading. However the incredible tidbits of advice in the first half encouraged me to continue. It was certainly worth it. The last 5 or 6 chapters were written over the period between the Kennedy assasination and the end of the Reagan Administration, allowing Neustadt to ammend many of his ideas from the first 8 chapters (originally published in 1960) making the book far more lively. A wonderful read for those with a weak knowledge of the last 50 years. If you know a lot about the Korean War, Bay of Pigs, or Iran-Contra, the book may be a little too much review. Otherwise it is fabulous.

Book Description

By far the most authoritative and comprehensive work ever published on the birds of Africa, this seventh and final volume in the set covers more than 340 species, from sparrows to buntings. The editors and artists have worked closely with nine other authors--all acknowledged experts on their bird families--to produce a superb reference in which encyclopedic texts on every species are complemented by accurate and detailed paintings and drawings of the birds themselves. Full bibliographies, acoustic references, and indexes complete this marvelous work of reference.

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BIRDS OF AFRICA: SPARROWS TO BUNTINGS
Fry & Keith
Manufacturer: A & C BLACK PUBLISHERS LTD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N57NCU

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