The Infinite Line: Re-making Art After Modernism

The Infinite Line: Re-making Art After Modernism
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The Infinite Line: Re-making Art After Modernism
Briony Fer
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Modern | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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On Abstract Art

3x An Abstraction: New Methods of Drawing by Hilma af Klint, Emma Kunz, and Agnes Martin

ASIN: 0300104014

Book Description

This landmark book offers a radical reinterpretation of the innovative art of the late 1950s and 1960s. Examining the work of major artists of the period—including Mark Rothko, Piero Manzoni, Agnes Martin, Dan Flavin, Eva Hesse, Blinky Palermo, and Louise Bourgeois—Briony Fer focuses on the overriding tendency toward repetition and seriality that occurred at the moment of modernism’s decline, gained ground in its aftermath, and continues to shape much of the art seen today.
Although seriality is mainly associated with American artists and with Minimalism, Fer broadens our understanding of it, looking at Minimalist seriality as one crucially important strategy among several. She argues that repetition becomes generative of new modes and habits of making and looking; at stake is how we think about the artwork in relation to both temporality and subjectivity. Paying close attention to specific artworks, this timely critical reassessment offers a fresh perspective on a wide range of familiar and less familiar art.

Bizarro Number 9
Average customer rating:

Far better than Larson

Loaded with hits and misses...

In the class of Gary Larson

If you love the Far Side, you'll love Bizarro

Bizarro Number 9
Piraro
Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Sumo Bizarro

ASIN: 0836204301

Customer Reviews:

Far better than Larson.......2005-07-27

Piraro is a true American original. His humor is witty, often shocking and enlightening. Best of all, unlike the overrated Gary Larson, Piraro can DRAW.

Loaded with hits and misses..........2004-08-09

This comic does bring to mind the great Gary Larson but only in certain moments. When Dan Piraro hits the target the result is nothing short of great, but it would be a sacrilege to compare him with Larson because what he lacks is consistency.

I came upon Piraro reading some very good reviews about him but after having read through "Bizarro Number 9" i wound up with mixed emotions. This by no means implies that i was dissapointed or that Piraro isnt a good humorist. He is. It's probably the Larson comparisons that threw my expectations way high, expectations that "Bizarro Number 9" didn't overall live up to.

But comparisons aside, this is indeed a good read (some would associate a certain room of the house as appropriate for leafing through it..).

Cool for a gift as well, and cool for fans of this genre of comics, recommended for those who seek intelligent humor.

In the class of Gary Larson.......2000-05-10

Dan Piraro's bizarre humor is close to that of Gary Larson, though a little less simplistic. And his drawings are more sophisticated, without being exagerratedly artistic.

I've had the first volume of »Bizarro« for a decade or so, and it still provides me with uncontrollable laughs. This ninth volume is still very good, though it does not come up to the level of Piraro's earlier collections.

If you love the Far Side, you'll love Bizarro.......2000-04-15

Bizarro is awesome! It's hilarious antics make you want to roll out of your chair. This is a book I really enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who needs a good laugh. If you're in need of a good book, order this one, you'll be on the floor within the first 20 pages.

The World's Best Bathroom Book: An Inspirational Collection Of Wit, Wisdon, Humor And Fascinating Facts
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Gotta Go

THIS IS NOT A PROPER BATHROOM BOOK

The World's Best Bathroom Book: An Inspirational Collection Of Wit, Wisdon, Humor And Fascinating Facts
Honor Books
Manufacturer: Honor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1562927264

Book Description

Reading in the bathroom is a favourite pastime! Find something to fit your every mood from light-hearted funnies, little-known facts, and intriguing quizzes to motivating quotes and inspiring stories in The Inspirational Bathroom Reader. Perfect for the "throne" room in any home, this is the first book of its kind that's rated "G" for Good Fun. But don't limit this to bathroom reading, wrap it in plain brown paper and take it to the beach, doctor's office, or on the plane and enjoy yourself wherever you are. Some of the chapters include: names and their meanings, bloopers, fun trivia, quotes from famous people, Bible facts and strange word definitions. It's a must-have for the bathroom reader!

Customer Reviews:

Gotta Go.......2007-03-09

In its particular way, the book is very good and informative but my expectations were different from what I was actually looking for. This is in no way expressing my view of the book as being negative. I enjoy reading it as it was meant to be read. It makes me laugh out loud.

THIS IS NOT A PROPER BATHROOM BOOK.......2006-10-25

If you are looking for a nice book to read while in the bathroom.. then NEVER BUY THIS BOOK.. i dont know what the hell people who created this book where thinking.. this book is full and i mean really full of parts and quotes from the bible.. i dont think anyone would find it proper reading parts from the bible in the bathroom.. the book is educational and i dont want anyone taking me wrong.. but having it full of parts from the holy bible makes it a THE WORLD'S BEST OUTSIDE-BATHROOM BOOK

Shot by Shot; A Practical Guide to Filmmaking (3rd Ed.)
Average customer rating:

excellent resource filmmaking basics

A beginning filmmaker's goldmine.

Shot by Shot; A Practical Guide to Filmmaking (3rd Ed.)
John Cantine , Susan Howard , and Brady Lewis
Manufacturer: Pittsburgh Filmmakers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0963743325

Customer Reviews:

excellent resource filmmaking basics.......2003-09-23

Consider this book the idiot's guide to moviemaking, which is why it's used in many beginner production classes. It's a thorough technical basics manual that no filmmaker should be without. (The 3rd edition focuses an entire chapter on digital editing.) Not only does it outline the proper way to film your Oscar-winner, it also explains why and how your equipment or shots function. There are chapters devoted to camera and lens, film stock, lighting, and sound and another five chapters regarding production and editing. (I'm still trying to figure out, however, why the pre-production, lighting, and sound chapters are relegated to the end of the book while the two editing chapters are sandwiched in the middle.) Drawings and photos illustrate the proper and improper ways to film, and an index and handy glossary are also included.

After using this book as my classroom companion, I came away with much more confidence in my elementary filmmaking skills. As a beginner, I appreciated the writing, which was concise without being overly technical. Each subject is segmented into digestible, reader-friendly chunks. If you want a solid foundation in filmmaking basics, this is the book to buy.

A beginning filmmaker's goldmine........1998-10-14

This book covers the very basics of motion picture photography: lenses, framing, some blocking, lighting, cameras and more. Neat diagrams, pictures (demonstrations) and easy to read text. This book is also good for the professional who just needs to get back to basics!

Nirvana: The Day-By-Day Eyewitness Chronicle
Average customer rating:

Just the facts?

Learn The Correct Dates

Not that great

How Cool!

LOVED IT!!!

Nirvana: The Day-By-Day Eyewitness Chronicle
Carrie Borzillo
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: B000KHXBJA

Book Description

This chronological oral history of the noisy career of Nirvana takes readers from Kurt Cobain's first meeting with Kris Novoselic in the rural Washington logging town where they grew up through the superstardom that followed the release of Nevermind; to the mourning of the tragic suicide of front-man Kurt Cobain. In 1988, indie record label Sub-Pop signed the band and changed rock history. Aggressive yet melodic, poppy yet muddy, with enigmatic but engaging lyrics, Nirvana broadcasted a message of disaffection, isolation, and anger to a group of American kids whose ears were suddenly open. Listening to Nirvana, kids were simultaneously introduced to Punk Rock and everything it stood for. A once marginal quarter of rock music was now in the hands of everybody, and alternative music ruled the airwaves under the guise of Seattle "Grunge." Featuring new and exclusive interviews and quotes from newspapers, magazines, books, television and radio documentaries, and Internet sites, Carrie Borzilla has woven the testimony of those who were there into a complete exploration of Nirvana and the short, unhappy life of Kurt Cobain.

Customer Reviews:

Just the facts? .......2005-11-02

Whether positive or negative everyone seems to have a fixed opinion on Nirvana including myself. I've never heard anyone say anything mediocore about this band or it's controvesial frontman. It seems they are either loved or loathed which is not uncommon, opinions are like a--holes, everybody has one! Being honest even I'm biazed on the subject. This book takes a distinct effort in reporting only confirmed facts and tries to keep from casting any thoughts or feelings on them. That was important to me as I wanted to try and get an honest statement of facts without all the spins. The book does get a bit cold in parts given it's approach and at times is a little dry and booring, but that's what I was looking for. Surely not everday in Cobain & Nirvana's life was earth moving. Given the perspective this is a great book and well worth the $$$$$.

Learn The Correct Dates.......2003-07-29

I was reading over the back cover of this book and I realized that hey have Kurt listed as dying in 1995 instead of 1994. It may have just been a typo but it still makes me a little uneasy about the book.

Not that great.......2000-11-27

It was good but it took waaaay too much into beliefs. It relied on Come As You Are, my understanding is that the guy who wrote that book wasn't doing an official biography and didn't even record the interviews. Kurt supposedly said to Azzazard (sp?) that he'd taken up to ... worh of herion a day at one stage. If Kurt was lying (he had a bad relationship with the media, it would probably be funny to him if he was narcasistic) he could of taken any statements back at a later time. The book has too much herion based undertones, to some it would appear as a 'hardkor' guide not pulling any punches but most is a bunch of crap and assumptions. At the end when it went into the 'unravelling' of Kurts last days it didn't take into account that there was no definate places Kurt had been seen and the coroner said he could be off the mark by up to 24 hours, so he could of died on the 4th of April, meaning any afair or meeting could of been impossible. It also stated Tom Grant was proven wrong by the handwriting experts at the good old SPD. All the SPD (or whoever examined the rome and other note) said was whoever wrote the note found with Kurt probably wrote the Rome note. It wouldn't of been that unlikely that Courtney or anyone could of taken more paper from the Excelcius and copied some writing. The book is highly unreliable at the final days stage, some reliable sites are as follows: ......

Though it would be advised not to take everything 100% seriously because a lot is left with no answers, like how much heroin Kurt had actually taken (unless we're told how long since he'd taken the drug, or if it even was herion, it was probably morphine found in his system). Well, there aren't many solid answers about Kurt Cobains death anywhere.

How Cool!.......2000-11-02

I've read nearly every book on Nirvana out there, but it was sooooo cool to see it broken down day by day like this! Even the discography was in chronological order, which is something none of the other books did! Lots of great, and new info too! Thanks.

LOVED IT!!!.......2000-10-14

Very well researched and touching. Sometimes it seems like you "know" famous people and artists, but you forget that our perceptions are filtered through the media. You rarely get to hear about artists --not just from the perspectives of one person who knew them -- but from the perspectives of many who knew them. I also thought this book was very energetic and fun to read.

200 Brilliant Endgames (Dover Books on Chess)
Average customer rating:

funny endgame studies

200 Brilliant Endgames (Dover Books on Chess)
Irving Chernev
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Chess | Board Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0486432114

Book Description

Chernev blends anecdotes with observations on inspiring moves and combinations by well- and lesser-known players, including Troitzky, Réti, Kasparyan, Botvinnik, Kubbel, Rinck, and Grigoriev. Examples are introduced with a cue and include the composer's name, the date of its original publication, a diagram with an algebraic grid, and the winning variation presented in algebraic notion.

Customer Reviews:

funny endgame studies.......2003-09-04

A chernev book is an integral part of any chess library, and 200 brilliant endgames is the masters final work. Always witty, illuminating and lively, Irving chernev explores the chrystalline beaty of chess at its best, analyzing 200 unique endgames of players from Afansiev to Yakimchik.
The studies are well picked, funny and entertaining, usually difficult to solve, but not impossible as they are in other books about endgame studies.

The best of Irving chernevs book are timeless and continue to sell well years after his death. This is one of them.

Book is in algebraic notation.

Komodo

200 Brilliant Endgames
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200 Brilliant Endgames
Irving Chernev
Manufacturer: DOVER THRIFT EDITION
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K7MGDW

Average customer rating:

Trust & Betrayal in the Workplace: Building Effective Relationships in Your Organization

A TOP-NOTCH BOOK...TERRIFIC FOR PRACTITIONERS!

Trust as the Foundation

Best of its kind!

A Solid Effort!

Trust & Betrayal in the Workplace: Building Effective Relationships in Your Organization
Dennis S Reina , and Michelle L Reina
Manufacturer: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1576753778

Amazon.com

Dennis and Michelle Reina, principals in an organization-development firm, believe more productive and rewarding work environments will emerge if relationships that define them are truly built on trust. The problem they see is years of "downsizing, restructuring, and reengineering or of upsizing, mergers, and growth" that frequently result in minor misreadings of intention along with major breaches of promise--followed all too often by seriously diminished employee performance. The solution they propose in Trust & Betrayal in the Workplace is that leaders must develop a full understanding of the complex dynamics involved, and commit to practices that support building trust with employees. The book addresses the aspects of betrayal and trust, the bulk of it focused on "transactional trust" (which they define as "managing expectations, establishing boundaries, delegating appropriately, encouraging mutually serving intentions, keeping agreements, and being congruent in our behavior") and ways to build it among teams and groups as well as entire organizations. The authors conclude with a section on "transformational trust," the ultimate stage attained when trust within these levels "reaches a critical point and increases exponentially, becoming self-generating and synergistic." This is smart food for thought, supported by tools and techniques that can put it into practice. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

In today's competitive global economy, organizations sometimes must make difficult, even distressing changes. For them to be successful, trust is vital. After all, business is conducted via relationships, and trust is the foundation to effective relationships. This book is about trust; the power when it exists, the problems when it doesn't, the pain when it is betrayed, and how to restore it. Drawing on years of research and experience with organizations worldwide, the authors provide a simple yet comprehensive approach to trust that shows how to discuss it constructively, identifies behaviors that build or break trust, and describes steps to rebuild trust and sustain it even through periods of change. This revised, expanded edition features new examples and practical tips, tools, quizzes, and exercises to help readers create work environments where trust grows so that people feel good about what they do, relationships are energized, and productivity and profits accelerate.

Customer Reviews:

Trust & Betrayal in the Workplace: Building Effective Relationships in Your Organization.......2007-07-17

We've probably all experienced that really bad job that drained every bit of creativity, energy, and enthusiasm we had. Perhaps you had that overbearing boss who had unrealistic expectations or that supervisor who wouldn't just trust you do your work. Maybe you worked in a place where suggestions or attempts to solve problems were quickly quashed or met with anger.

Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace unequivocally illustrates that such situations not only make the job a hassle but also inhibit the potential productivity of all employees. Basically, as the employee realizes that he or she (or others around them) is being devalued, he or she becomes less committed to doing the best job possible.

Dealing with the resulting morale issue is extremely challenging. Even if the actual problem is addressed, often lost trust is difficult to repair. For instance, if the company attempts to encourage employees to report potential problems, few will likely come forward because they can't possibly believe that they won't get yelled at or have their issues ignored once again. Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace explains that this situation need not be futile. There are ways to rebuild trust and address past issues to create a stronger, more productive business.

A TOP-NOTCH BOOK...TERRIFIC FOR PRACTITIONERS!.......2006-09-22

This is an excellent work that cuts through the typical babble that fills many pages of others books on the subject of trust. The content is exceeding meaty. The organization of the material is first-rate. One of the very best books on the subject. Highly recommended!

Trust as the Foundation.......2003-03-06

The Reina's develop understandable definitions and offer a well researched and thought out framework for both the development and practice of trust. They also offer practical and accessible vignettes and case studies illustrating the 'trust behaviors' that are so crucial to effective organizations and relationships.

Probably the most powerful part of the book is the section on Betrayal. Betrayal is a huge factor in our lives and we rarely talk about it. This book offers a language, method, and solution for both talking about betrayal and beginning the process of healing from it.

This is an important book for people interested in getting to the root of systemic problems in institutions, families, and relationships.

I highly recommend it!

Best of its kind!.......2002-05-23

Blown away! A huge help to solving workplace problems..help that carries over into all parts of life. The Reinas
have a great thing going. I would like to take their course and meet them in person!

A Solid Effort!.......2001-06-02

Dennis S. Reina and Michelle L. Reina discuss the importance of having a strong sense of trust in the workplace. They advocate avoiding both the major and minor betrayals that undermine trust. Creating an environment that promotes trust contributes to effectiveness in the workplace, especially during times of rapid change. The book discusses the nature and effect of trust. It is enhanced with a variety of exercises that promote workplace dialogues and help people think through the issue of trust. Many of these exercises are especially suited for teams, work groups and divisions. The exercises facilitate discussing and resolving problems in a more trusting atmosphere. This well-written, easy-to-read book is directed to front-line supervisors and unit mangers, although it will also interest top management and company owners. We [...] recommend this book to team builders in organizations of all sizes.

Book Description

A hundred years before Columbus and his fellow Europeans began making their way to the New World, fleets of giant Chinese junks commanded by the eunuch admiral Zheng He and filled with the empire's finest porcelains, lacquerware, and silk ventured to the edge of the world's "four corners." It was a time of exploration and conquest, but it ended in a retrenchment so complete that less than a century later, it was a crime to go to sea in a multimasted ship. In When China Ruled the Seas, Louise Levathes takes a fascinating and unprecedented look at this dynamic period in China's enigmatic history, focusing on China's rise as a naval power that literally could have ruled the world and at its precipitious plunge into isolation when a new emperor ascended the Dragon Throne. During the brief period from 1405 to 1433, seven epic expeditions brought China's "treasure ships" across the China Seas and the Indian Ocean, from Taiwan to the spice islands of Indonesia and the Malabar coast of India, on to the rich ports of the Persian Gulf and down the African coast, China's "El Dorado," and perhaps even to Australia, three hundred years before Captain Cook was credited with its discovery. With over 300 ships--some measuring as much as 400 feet long and 160 feet wide, with upwards of nine masts and twelve sails, and combined crews sometimes numbering over 28,000 men--the emperor Zhu Di's fantastic fleet was a virtual floating city, a naval expression of his Forbidden City in Beijing. The largest wooden boats ever built, these extraordinary ships were the most technically superior vessels in the world with innovations such as balanced rudders and bulwarked compartments that predated European ships by centuries. For thirty years foreign goods, medicines, geographic knowledge, and cultural insights flowed into China at an extraordinary rate, and China extended its sphere of political power and influence throughout the Indian Ocean. Half the world was in China's grasp, and the rest could easily have been, had the emperor so wished. But instead, China turned inward, as suceeding emperors forbade overseas travel and stopped all building and repair of oceangoing junks. Disobedient merchants and seamen were killed, and within a hundred years the greatest navy the world had ever known willed itself into extinction. The period of China's greatest outward expansion was followed by the period of its greatest isolation. Drawing on eye-witness accounts, official Ming histories, and African, Arab, and Indian sources, many translated for the first time, Levathes brings readers inside China's most illustrious scientific and technological era. She sheds new light on the historical and cultural context in which this great civilization thrived, as well as the perception of other cultures toward this little understood empire at the time. Beautifully illustrated and engagingly written, When China Ruled the Seas is the fullest picture yet of the early Ming Dynasty--the last flowering of Chinese culture before the Manchu invasions.

Customer Reviews:

Not much to treasure in this book.......2007-08-27

Louise Levathes had me at "Treasure Fleet." Those two words next to each other inevitably make for a winning combination. But, while she had me at Treasure Fleet, she soon lost me after that. Which is a shame, because the topic is so darn intriguing. What went wrong? I'm not sure. Throughout the reading of the book, I kept asking myself the same. I wondered if maybe it was the author or the sources or some other unknown factor. All in all, however, the book just was not that interesting--which frustrated me, since I thought it should be. Here's what it felt like. It felt like Louise Levathes had enough information for a nice long National Geographic article, but not near enough for a book. So, to fill in the missing gaps, she added a bunch of pre-history and cultural quirks--many of which had absolutely nothing to do with the era where China ruled the seas. On occasion such offenses are forgivable, especially if the asides are interesting, but I found them to be annoying divergences. Then, when Levathes gets to the meat of the tale, the actual Treasure Fleet, it is surprising how little she actually tells about the treasure fleet's voyages. Certainly, they take several chapters worth and destinations are revealed, foreign countries dabbled on, but it feels so empty of actual, researched material. I understand if Levathes is limited in the information she could have garnered about these expeditions, but if that is the case, it would have been nice to explain the lack of resources to the reader so that the scarcity of knowledge on the voyages can be explained. Here's what I would have liked to see. I would have liked the author to skip past the distant, pre-history of China--or at least summarized the essentials in one, short chapter, and then moved on to the Treasure Fleet, dwelling there for the rest of the book. This could be filled in with accounts from the fleet or from the countries visited or compared with European progress at the time. That is what I would have enjoyed reading. To give Levathes credit, she does drop interesting tidbits here and there, such as the constant philosophical struggles between the Confucians and the Eunuchs in the royal court and how the personalities of the Chinese rulers controlled the fate of the fleet. But those things are verdant oases in an otherwise colorless text. It's possible that there are books out there (or articles, even) that do a better job presenting the world of the Chinese treasure fleet, but it will probably take a while before I'll dare pick them up.

Interesting topic with complicated explication.......2007-07-20

I bought this book because of the long-term interest in the treasure fleets. I have known of their existence for 30 years but did not really know much about them. This book provided a great deal of information and context about an interesting topic. I wonder, however, whether someone who did not already know some Chinese history would be able to follow the narrative. She covers an amazing amount of ground, and I would think that it would be easy to lose track of who was who and what was what. So I would highly recommend the book to someone who is interested in the topic and has some background in Chinese history. I would be more cautious in recommending it to a general reader with no real knowledge of China.

Nice book on Chinese history.......2007-03-19

This book is really a history of the Ming dynasty, with background material of Chinese history before their ascendence. It emphasizes the treasure fleet policies of the Ming dynasty, but there is much more in this book than that.

It is great for the general reader, because you really don't need to bring much to this book, it supplies everything you need to enjoy and benefit from it.

I was dissapointed that there was a lot less information about the voyages than I would have expected from a literate people like the Chineses, but, as explained in the book, all the logs of Zheng He were destroyed in a political blacklash. They were called

"deceitful exaggerations of bizarre things far removed from the testimony of people's eyes and ears."

"The expedition.... wasted tens of myriads of money and grain and ... although he returned with wonderful, precious things, what benefit was it to the state..... Even if the old archives were still preserved, they should be destroyed in order to suppress a repitition of these things."

This sort of attitude became govt policy, and helps to explain China's stagnation.

The most annoying part of the book, and only a small part thankfully, was the author's uncalled for unflattering comparisions between China's enlightened foreign policies and those of the West, including the USA, which, at this time, did not even exist. Her grand conclusion, that China's lack of an aggressive naval presence in the world was a good thing for China, as opposed to the European policies of a later age, seems bizarre in light of Chinese history after the suspension of its outward looking maritime policies.

Afterall, the resulting economic, political, and military stagnation lead to the decline and fall of the Ming dysnasty.

But, ignore the silly politics and just read and enjoy.

Zheng He: A Potential Promoter of "Third World" Unity.......2006-08-26

Louise Levathes' popular history WHEN CHINA RULED THE SEAS is an excellent book, whose star is naturally Zheng He. Although she avoids Gavin Menzies' fantastic theory that he reached the Americas, she demonstrates very well the greatness of his accomplishments as admiral of the Ming fleet, despite the fact that he had grown up with a handicap which fortunately few suffer from today: at a very early age he had been castrated. Zheng He seems to symbolize in his person and his achievements the potential for "Third World" unity. He was both a Chinese and a Muslim; and his voyages brought China, Southeast Asia, India, Arabia and Africa together in a vast network of trade, on the eve of European "discovery" of this world. One can only speculate about how strong an alliance against European colonialism could have been forged had the Yong Le Emperor (Zhu Di) not been foolish enough to squander his resources on a senseless war in Vietnam and a lavish new capital in Beijing, thus bringing all his projects, including Zheng He's missions, into disrepute with the Confucian scholar-bureacrats. Levathes' book compares favorably with Edward Dreyer's more recent and stolidly dull academic biography of Zheng He.

Interesting, informative, and factual.......2006-05-18

Unlike the book "1421," Levathes's book sticks with the known facts and provides more details about the Treasure Fleet and Ming China. Levathes did a lot of research and makes a compelling presentation, ending the book with an extensive notes and bibliography section. The text is interspersed with illustrations and photos. It's too bad this book is so hard to find in bookstores and libraries. Get it from Amazon and then donate it to your library (if you can give it up)!

When China Ruled the Seas (The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433)

Average customer rating:

When China Ruled the Seas (The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433)
Louis Levathes
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKQ7LM

Book Description

They began operations out of England in the spring of ’43. They flew their “Flying Fortresses” almost daily against strategic targets in Europe in the name of freedom. Their astonishing courage and appalling losses earned them the name that resounds in the annals of aerial warfare and made the “Bloody Hundredth” a legend.

Harry Crosby arrived with the very first crews. After dealing with his fear and acquiring skill and confidence, he was promoted to Group Navigator, surviving hairbreadth escapes and eluding death while leading thirty-seven missions, some of them involving two thousand aircrafts, he left with the very last. Now in a breathtaking and often humorous account, he takes his readers into the hearts and minds of the intrepid airmen to experience the heart-stopping emotions, the triumph and the white-knuckle terror of the war in the skies in a riveting, unforgettable book destined to become a classic.

Customer Reviews:

Being there.......2005-04-04

Harry captures it all. Being a navigator in one of the most colorful bomber groups of the 8th Air Force in WWII, (if not the most colorful.) Harry is there as an original crewmember of the Bloody Hundredth. In a time where your life expectancy was 8 missions and you had to fly 25... Harry's a one off, what a story, what a history. Should be mandatory reading for anyone who claims to be American.. Well done.
Mark

One of the best accounts of the Air War in Europe.......2003-07-16

Harry Crosby's account of the 100th Bomb Group and the air war against Naze Germany from mid-1943 till the end is one of the most informative and thoughtful memoirs of those dark days. Crosby relates many stories in his accounts, of his own experiences as a navigator, of the impact that Curtis LeMay and other group commanders had on combat techniques, of the sometimes touchy relationships between AAF personnel and their British hosts, and some thoughtful observations of the nature of war and the overall bombing campaign.

Crosby with a degree in English and considerable writing experience writes lucid, stripped-down prose, and his accounts of navigating under difficult circumstances brought a reality than few other accounts--written mainly by former pilots--have done. His story of an early mission to Trondheim, in Norway, is a gem of the navigator's problems--of unexpected cloud cover, of flying over Norway where, as Hobler put it, one fjiord from the air looks like another, and the element of luck and chance in any mission. As a WWII navigator in the Pacific, these types of details were welcome, as was his understanding of the "place" of navigator's in the AAF pecking order. When I was informed in December 1945 that I was on a preferred list of those to man the postwar Air Force, I politely declined knowing that navigators would be highly unlikely to advance at the rate of pilots. (I did, however, remain the reserves for 20 years}.

What comes through most clearly, however, was the terrible losses that the 8th suffered in its campaign against Germany's manufacturing capacity and infrastructure, and of the courage and perseverence of those who served. The 100th BG, for example, arrived in midyear, 1943, with 35 crews; only one intact crew completed 25 missions, though a few other crew members from crews broken up because of casualities and other reasons also survived. Was it worth it? Did the damage done justify the loss in life, not only of the air crews but also those of German civilians and others killed by the raids. Crosby is a bit ambilavent--he joined the anti-war movement in the 1960s. Nonetheless, no one can take away from the aircrews, and those who did not return, their courage and belief that they were part of a grand but terrible endeavor to bring the war to an end and of the demented policies of Hitler and his Nazi cohorts . May they rest in peace.

Great story of the air war over Europe.......2001-03-29

Harry Crosby was a navigator in the 100th Bomb Group in World War II. He was one of the original members of the 100th, a bomb group that, because it ventured into battle with less training than groups preceding it, and because of its unenviable position flying in the lower part of the formation on many missions, suffered heavy losses and became known as "The Bloody Hundredth". Crosby uses his obvious skill as a student of the English language to recreate the drama, the humor, and the terror of flying B-17's out of East Anglia in the war. He describes many of the historic missions flown by the 8th Air Force as an eyewitness. I have read the book several times and it is good history as well as a good study of human beings and the stresses they face daily in war. I highly recommend this book.

Definitive account of the airwar........1999-06-15

Find a copy of this book somewhere, it is well worth the extra effort. Only the new WWII airwar novel, The Triumph and the Glory, moved me as much as Crosby's epic tale of the 100th Bomb Group

Outstanding and humbling.......1998-11-20

This book is real, deep and insightful. I find myself in awe of the personal courage of the men who ventured over Festung Europa during the darkest days of 1943 and early 1944. I read and reread this book whenever I need inspiration to face daunting and/or painful circumstances. I really wish that it was back in print.

A Wing and a Prayer: The "Bloody 100th" Bomb Group of the U.S. Eighth Air Force in Action Over Europe in World War II 1st Edition, Inscribed

Average customer rating:

A Wing and a Prayer: The "Bloody 100th" Bomb Group of the U.S. Eighth Air Force in Action Over Europe in World War II 1st Edition, Inscribed
Harry H. Crosby
Manufacturer: HARPERCOLLINS @ PUBLISHERS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TSGUO8

Average customer rating:

A WING AND A PRAYER: THE "BLOODY 100TH" BOMB GROUP OF THE U.S. EIGHTH AIR FORCE IN ACTION OVER EUROPE IN WORLD WAR II
Harry H. Crosby
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OLDT2Q

Average customer rating:

A Wing and a Prayer: The "Bloody 100Th" Bomb Group of the U.S. Eighth Air Force in Action over Europe in World War II
Harry H. Crosby
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEDBT4

Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community: Eight Essays
Average customer rating:

Clear and lucid thinking...how rare these days.

One of the best...

One to read slowly and thoughtfully

One of those "if you don't read any other book this year...

An original and developed mind

Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community: Eight Essays
Wendell Berry
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
U.S. | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Cultural | Anthropology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0679756515
Release Date: 1994-09-13

Customer Reviews:

Clear and lucid thinking...how rare these days........2007-04-24

Every day it seems the world looks a little more broken to me. It helps so much to read a few pages of Wendell Berry. He is a fantastic example of someone who thinks for himself; and really strives to get to the core truth about the important issues we face as a civilization. It should be required reading for everyone in the United States - IF we want to get on a path to restoration and healing of our society. But that's where the scary part comes in. I'm beginning to think people would put this book down and give up on it a few pages in. Even if they did get all the way to the end, not many would be willing to put the ideas into practice in their daily lives.

I picked this selection for my book club, and it was very interesting to watch the responses of the participants. You could sense the tension - watch them wiggling in their chairs. They were so relieved when we were finally done with the book; and not because it was poorly written; just because it requires an examination of how far we've all fallen from what is true. I will continue to encourage people to read this excellent and important book, but it will never be an easy sell...and that's a shame.

One of the best..........2003-06-30

...thinkers I was exposed to in high school while researching for an essay report. His well-balanced thoughts on various agrarian and community-based themes are the most eloquent I have found from a single writer. His words and rationales spring from the land and argue pursuasively for more restraint for the betterment of the world by the human animal. The most compelling living philospher I know of is Wendell Berry. I recommend all of his written works.

One to read slowly and thoughtfully.......2000-01-10

This highly stimulating collection of Berry's essays contains some of the most important things Berry has written. The essay "Christianity and the Survival of Creation" is one of the most insightful and important theological statements of our day. It is in everyone's best interest to work to see that the organized churches take Berry's essay to heart. Of course, the book is also notable for the beauty of Berry's writing -- not coincidental, since he argues here and elsewhere for a recovery of the idea of work as sacred and for beauty as a measure of "right livelihood."

One of those "if you don't read any other book this year..........1998-12-15

If you're a content postmodern, don't read this book. It will leave you unsettled. The title essay from Berry's book is worth the price of the whole book. If you were to read only one book this coming year to guide both your thinking and your behavior (aside from the Bible which undergirds Berry's thinking), this would be a great choice. If the following snippet from the title essay resonates with your spirit, you'll want to pick this one up.

"If you destroy the ideal of the "gentle man" and remove from men all expectations of courtesy and consideration toward women and children, you have prepared the way for an epidemic of rape and abuse. If you depreciate the sanctity and solemnity of marriage, not just as a bond between two people, but as a bond between those two people and their forebears, their children, and their neighbors, then you have prepared the way for an epidemic of divorce, child neglect, community ruin, and loneliness. If you destroy the economies of household and community, then you destroy the bonds of mutual usefulness and practical dependence without which the other bonds will not hold."

Why is it that we have our best thinkers like Berry running old family farms, and our worst thinkers running our national government? Sigh.

An original and developed mind.......1998-01-21

Berry is an original and developed mind, and is a champion of rural life and communities. His analysis goes beyond simple sentimentalism for rural life and ties in the role of an economy and a popular culture that are disconnected from any sense of community. His defense of the tobacco industry aside (how can one attack the defense industry, whose job it is to kill people, and defend the tobacco industry, who also make money on death?) this is one book to read slowly and deliberately. It's worth it.

Sex Economy Freedom & Community: Eight Essays.

Average customer rating:

Sex Economy Freedom & Community: Eight Essays.
Wendell. BERRY
Manufacturer: NY: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000U2CS4Y

Birds of Texas: Our Birds (CD-ROM for Windows)
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Birds of Texas: Our Birds (CD-ROM for Windows)
Peter W. Thayer , and J. David Diehl
Manufacturer: Thayer Birding Software
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1887148639

Book Description

Birds of Texas contains 439 species regularly seen in the state. This Windows CD-ROM includes color photos, songs for all species from the world-famous Cornell Lab of Ornithology, range maps, abundance maps, ID tips and more.

The CD-ROM includes an ID Wizard to help you identify the birds, even if you do not know the bird's name. Just enter colors, size, habitat and location. The ID Wizard will show you photos of all the birds that match your description. Petey the Parrot will pronounce each bird's common and scientific name for you.

Also included are over 300 quizzes, including Christmas Bird Count Quizzes for Amarillo, Austin, Big Bend National Park, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Laguna Atascosa NWR, Rockport, Santa ANA NWR and San Antonio. There are also quizzes for birding hot spots such as Big Bend/Davis Mountains, Lower Rio Grande Valley and the Texas Coast. The CD-ROM lets you compare two birds side-by-side and shows you the similar species.

This CD-ROM can be upgraded to the #1-rated Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Guide to Birds of North America version 3, featuring all 930 species. The Birds of Texas CD-ROM is a "subset" of the full Guide to Birds of North America v3, so you do not need both CD-ROMs.

Bobwhites of the Wild Horse Desert: Status of our knowledge (Management Bulletin No. 4)
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Bobwhites of the Wild Horse Desert: Status of our knowledge (Management Bulletin No. 4)
Mickey Hellickson
Manufacturer: Texas A&M University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Hunting & Fishing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books | Fishing | General & Anthologies | Hunting | Shooting
ASIN: B0006RCE9M

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