Anthony Quinn's Eye: A Lifetime of Creating and Collecting Art

Book Description

An elegant collection of photographs and essays documenting Anthony Quinn's remarkable life in art.

In the sumptuous pages of Anthony Quinn's Eye, "one encounters the world of one of the most interesting men of our time," writes poet and novelist Jay Parini. As an artist, Quinn was versatile, deft, and prolific—tirelessly sketching, painting, and sculpting to give form to an insistent inner vision. As a collector, his enthusiasm for cultural artifacts, artworks, and books was vast. Anthony Quinn's Eye is a portrait in words and pictures of this creative force. Donald Kuspit examines the impulse behind Quinn's desire to create and collect. Quinn's legendary acting talent—"life force on celluloid"—is celebrated here by Tom Roberts, who traces Quinn's career from his days as a studio actor to the later roles that earned him a place in the cultural firmament. Personal reflections by his widow, Katherine Quinn, and longtime friend Kirk Douglas complete this unique appreciation of a fascinating man. 156 color and 65 duotone plates.

Book Description

Description: "Dasir d'une femme pour un homme", po mes futiles can be read as an intimate conversation between a man and a woman in words and images. It is also a collection of poems and drawings that began, strangely enough, with a fashion story. In the hands of Mathias Augustyniak, one half of the design duo M/M Paris, drawing is a powerful and introspective tool, a link between hidden worlds. As a Creative Director, Augustyniak often employs drawing to bring out the hidden message in photography. In the case of "Libertine," a subliminally erotic fashion story by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Augustyniak's subconscious caught up with him, ultimately leading him on a 13-day journey of the mind and the soul. The sexually explicit yet playfully childlike drawings gathered here track the path of that journey--a very personal, though not solitary or self-centered experience. Augustyniak in turn passed the drawings on to the French novelist Staphanie Cohen and commissioned the set of accompanying poems. Published in both French and English, the spare, enigmatic, and highly charged verse stands as a body of work all its own. In other words, the drawings don't necessarily illustrate the poems, just as the poems don't necessarily clarify the drawings. The two are in conversation and sometimes even contradiction.

Book Description

Too Much Coffee Man has been applauded by both the Washington Post and Wired Magazine. Now, he takes control as the eminent icon of caffeine culture in his new book: Too Much Coffee Man`s Parade of Tirade. Fill your cup with dark satire, and drink deep from these thoughtful, award-winning comics. Witness TMCM`s secret origin! Marvel as our hero battles corporate oppression! Experience the anxiety of the author as he claws his way to the top! Gawk at Joel as he throws up on his girlfriend`s doorstep! And revel in Too Much Coffee Man`s wisdom: If you can`t be happy naturally, be unnaturally happy. This book collects through issue #8 of the original Too Much Coffee Man comic books, along with some new material. It`s a complete book. All the characters are motivated. All the cliffhangers are resolved. All the plot threads are tied up. And all the jokes have punch lines.

Customer Reviews:

Maybe bitter, but good to the last drop.......2000-03-25

Parade of Tirade is about failed relationships, depression, and lonliness far more often than it's about the superhero genre. It might not be for everyone. The thing that really caught my attention about this one, though, is that Wheeler switches between the world of Too Much Coffee Man, and the equally bleak "real world." The "real world" part of the comics focus on an overworked cartoonist who creates TMCM, and a Generation X fan, Joel, whose life is steadily going downhill.

Book Description

Everyone loves fortune cookies... right? Well, just wait until you read these! Joe Wang worked for 36 years at a famous Chinese fortune cookie manufacturing company writing fortunes -- like the ones you get in cookies at Chinese food restaurants. At his company, fortunes had to be approved by the Fortune Approval Committee. Over the years, for various reasons, the Fortune Approval Committee rejected certain fortunes. Secretly, he collected these fortunes. This book contains some of the fortunes rejected by the Fortune Approval Committee as `Tasteless,' meaning offensive, tactless, insensitive or just plain vulgar.

Sure to make you twist, giggle, laugh and groan, it is also a perfect gift book. Here are a few samples:

"Your lawyer will get everything you own."

"That which you admire the most about yourself will wrinkle and shrivel."

"The cure will involve an implant."

Customer Reviews:

Funny Gift Book , Very Funny Stuff .......2005-10-27

You remember doing it. Laughing so hard the milk came out your nose? Now either that was a long time ago or you are probably still under 10 years old. When I picked up this almost innocent-looking book, I had no idea I would be snorting and giggling like I was an 8 year old sharing silly jokes at a birthday party.

There are certain books that you come across in life that you share and recommend, and there are others that you just take into the bathroom, sit, and read. This book you could share in the bathroom. Well, that is what happened with me, anyway. I just couldn't help but read these side-splitting, terribly tasteless fortunes with someone nearby, no matter where I was.

While the fortunes are truly tasteless, they are mostly G or at worst PG rated.

While the book isn't very long (maybe two trips to the John), it is very funny. I suspect there will be a run on these for Christmas, because the price is right too, and it's a gift book that anyone would be glad to get that likes to laugh.

Joe WANG!.......2005-04-02

Joe Wang is a genius. Who would have thought to make fortunes that you would hate to get? Joe WANG! Even the guy's name is funny.

These fortunes aren't just you will lose the lottery -- it's more like the catheter is cold all the time. Implying that you will need a catheter AND that it will be cold.

This is a great book to read aloud to your friends and pass around school instead of working. Just don't laugh to hard or your teacher will take the book and read aloud to the class. But maybe that'd be the plan.

Customer Reviews:

The Price Club.......2006-04-03

Lucy Chase Williams, where are you? Have you written any oher books besides this splendid tribute to Vincent Price?

OK, maybe you were a little harsh on BACKTRACK, but I admit it is not a film for everybody. Jodie Foster was in her adventurous period then, and making a film by Dennis Hopper was probably a mistake, but give her credit for trying something different! As for Price, he is terrific in the movie, and the whole thing is defnitely a more worthy picture than many which you,
But in the main what can I say, you've done an excellent job, not only interviewing the obvious co-stars and producers, but also some obscure ones. I was thrilled to find an interview with the late Alexander Knox in your book. Knox, who played WILSON in the eponymous 1944 Fox historical epic, gave this interview only a few days before his own death, and reading his words gives the avid reader a new insight into the way Vincent Price saw his own function as an actor, an entertainer, and a man of public policy. I wonder if it's true that Price was a victim of blacklisting; certainly his career changes radically during the McCarthy Era and when it was over, he was firmly typecast in a series of profitable, some very successful artistically almost in spite of himself, B pictures. Did he regret going the horror route? You could never really tell. This book dips a little into Price's resentment at the way Sears ruined his credibility as a collector and art historian.

The book makes us long for the release of more of Price's 1940s films on DVD! How about MOSS ROSE or THE WEB or THE EVE OF ST MARK

The photos are unbelievable, especially the bare-shouldered, long-haired beefcake shot that begins the book (London, 1935, with a pervert behind the camera) or the December 1964 shot in which Elsa Lanchester, Vampira, and Carroll Borland pose with Price at the opening of THE TOMB OF LIGEIA. All these different generations of horror stars frozen forever in one frame: it's like a white version of A GREAT DAY IN HARLEM.

the complete FEATURE films of Vincent Price.......2004-03-14

on page 252-253 there's a great picture of Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and John Carradine in 1983 during a photo session for the film "House of the Long Shadows", a movie that i like {however, i hate the character that Arnaz, Jr. played because of his cynicism and lack of respect for traditional horror}. the pictures, incidentally, make up for the lack of coverage of Vincent's other careers! there's pictures of his cartoon characters from Disney and Hanna-Barbera. there's posters for the "Butterfly Ball" project plus numerous print ads for products that appeared in magazines. a picture of him with Alice Cooper is also shown! the rest of this book highlights all 100 of Vincent's FEATURE films, which are anything that is shown in movie theatres. i think the book is great! seeing the pictures and movie posters are like walking through time...i wouldn't have added any negative criticism about the movies because it dampens the mood of the book, which is to be a celebration of his career in movies...but there are several harsh criticisms of his films from critics and Vincent himself, who himself was a critic: of art! the book also contains Vincent's now-legendary comments on his own profession just after wrapping up the 1987-released film "The Offspring". in brief, Price announces that he's tired and bored talking about horror films. it's then explained that the film he just finished maybe caused him to be a bit testy with the reporter. Price had realized after his scenes were complete that the producers/director were filming extreme gore and slasher elements to be aired around his narrative parts and it made him furious that his name and image would be grouped with that TYPE of film once again {1984's "Bloodbath at the House of Death" was pretty gory and Price's appearance clashes with the sadistic storyline}. "The Offspring" was a Tales From the Crypt meets Twilight Zone anthology in which Price plays a town historian in rural Oldfield. a picture from that film (a shot of Price at a desk) is here. GET this book!!!

"Priceless" Pictures from an Actor's Life.......2002-08-15

Forget the biographical portion of this book - it's short and general, though sufficient to the purpose of what this volume really is, which is a celebration of Price's life and films.

What sells this book is the pictures. Gorgeous stills from all of Price's movies - and quite a few from his life and stage plays, as well - plentifully stuff this beautiful coffee-table offering, on every page. Each film is discussed briefly, along with notes on its place in Price's life and ouevre, and accompanied by comments from his directors, producers and co-stars, and even Price, himself. Each picture is worth a thousand words, and some of them are really remarkable - for instance, cartoon cells from characters Price voiced for Disney studios and Miramax (The Great Mouse Detective and Arabian Knight) and Hanna-Barbera's The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo. There are photos of him with famous seemingly unlikely latter-day admirers, like Alice Cooper. Caricatures and print-ads abound, such as Price selling Tuaca liqueur and Emba minks. Even his image on a long-forgotten Milton Bradley "Shrunken Head Apple Sculpture" kit is on display.

If you're a fan, or looking for a Christmas or birthday present for someone who is, you just couldn't beat the bargain of this book at twice the "price"!

The Complete Films - And More!.......2002-06-13

The first part of this coffee-table sized book gives an overview of Vincent Price's life, as well as his career. Obviously not a believer in reincarnation, this section concludes with a quote from Vincent Price himself. "You only get one time around, so why waste a minute of this glorious life?" The remainder of this book discusses every feature film connected with Vincent Price, whether he was the star, co-star, narrator, had a brief cameo or did the voice of an animated character. All 100 entries give the release date of the film, the film studio that made the picture, the running time, whether it was filmed in black and white or color, the cast, the director, the producer, the writer, etc. The next section gives a synopsis of the plot, sometimes followed by quotes from the man himself or other actors appearing in the film, and all concluding with contemporary reviews of the movie. Each entry has at least one photo from the actual film or a candid picture taken on the film set or, at the very least, the accompanying movie poster. Two things struck me while reading this book. One, Vincent Price was a versatile actor who excelled in every genre of film he appeared in, not just horror movies. Two, every actor quoted mentioned his wicked sense of humor, how great he was to get along with, and his professionalism. Of the latter, Gregory Peck summed it up best. "You get a bad piece of material, you do everything you can to improve it...That's what you're supposed to do. That's what Vincent did. I'm sure that he never, in his life, phoned it in, so to speak, or did less than his utmost best..." If you're looking for a book that dishes dirt and recounts gossip, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a comprehensive book of all of Vincent Price's movies, look no further.

Lots of lovely...photos!.......2002-06-05

I can hear that silly associate of Patsy Stone's of ABFAB saying "lots of lovely...photos," and besides being a great filmography of Price's work, this book features a host of visuals that aren't the run-of-the-mill variety publicity shots you're likely to find elsewhere. Nice quips from Price himself and colleagues about his films, life, and art-collecting. A great reference for the shelf. Wholly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Complete Films of Vincent Price, The
Lucy Chase Williams
Manufacturer: Citadel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KWQT62

Average customer rating:
Heritage of Music: Volume IV: Music in the Twentieth Century (Heritage of Music)

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
History & Criticism | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0195053737

Average customer rating:
HERITAGE OF MUSIC : VOLUME IV: MUSIC IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY (HERITAGE OF MUSIC)
Felix Aprahamian, Wilfrid Mellers, Michael Raeburn Alan Kendall
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKACXG

Book Description

Complete walkthroughs of every mission
Locations of all secret items
Solutions to every challenging puzzle
Includes subquests and alternate paths
Descriptions of every item, weapon, and power-up

Customer Reviews:

Tombi 2 - Pigs And Pink Hair.......2002-02-20

The title says it all, this is a crazy game of pigs and pink hair. The hero Tombi has to stop all the evil pigs from taking over the world basically and this guide is perfect for the game. Chances are if you don't have a guide you won't get to the end of Tombi 2. I got to the end using this guide, when i borrowed it from a friend, and he said he bought it from here, so i thought i'd write a review. The game is brilliant and the guide is even better. In full colour, illustrated, and with easy to follow instructions i recommend this guide to anyone who wants to complete this classic game, although the first game was better :-)

Excellent Information!!.......2001-02-24

This strategy guide has excellent info on all of the Events and Evil Pig Locations. If you are planning on buying Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return, then I suggest that you also buy this guide. After three weeks of unsuccessful attempts on completing several events I had to pick this up to help me along. I think that A strategy guide is a neccessity to any gameplayer.

Perfect_Soldier_01

"I am the new Angel of Death, YOURS!"

Grrrreat.......2000-05-24

This book is very good. It helped me beat the leavels very easaly. It aslso made it fun for me to play

Average customer rating:

Just OK

Good advice

Solid Long-Term Program

This book will give you GAINS beyond belief!

More than just a good marketing book

Business by Referral : A Sure-Fire Way to Generate New Business
Ivan Misner
Manufacturer: Bard Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Advertising | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Marketing | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Marketing | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Masters of Networking: Building Relationships for Your Pocketbook and Soul

The World's Best Known Marketing Secret, 2nd Edition: Building Your Business with Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Seven Second Marketing : How to Use Memory Hooks to Make You Instantly Stand Out in a Crowd

Masters of Success

Endless Referrals, Third Edition

ASIN: 188516727X

Book Description

No more cold calls!

Customer Reviews:

Just OK.......2005-05-09

It was just OK for me. Lots of common sense and filler. Most sales books have the same format...and this is one more.

Good advice.......2001-12-13

This book is helpful in putting structure around a referral program. We'll be implementing many of this book's suggestions.

Solid Long-Term Program.......2000-05-26

I chose to read two books, one right after the other - Endless Referrals by Bob Burg (also reviewed) and Business by Referral by Misner and Davis. Business by Referral is a good follow-on to Endless Referrals. With only a little overlap, Misner and Davis pick up where Burg stops. However, be warned; this book starts off very slowly. Misner and Davis take a VERY academic approach to the entire process. I felt as if I were in grad school again. That having been said, the follow-up element of the Misner and Davis system is the strong point of this book. They have provided a complete set of forms, which they allow to be reproduced. The forms are used for determining where you are in the referral-based business process, finding your strengths and weaknesses, building on your strengths, and strengthening your weak areas. The follow-up system is super. The techniques presented by Misner and Davis will not be integrated into your process as readily as Burg's in Endless Referrals; however, they are vital to a continuing referral-based business process and will serve any business person well for a very long time.

This book is solidly recommended and is a must-read for anyone looking to build a long-term process in referral-based business. The forms that are provided are worth the price of the book, but you'll need to read the book to really understand how to use them.

This book will give you GAINS beyond belief!.......1999-07-03

"Business by Referral" is a cross between a business plan and a referral marketing campaign. It is chocked full of ideas on how to motivate people to provide referals for your business. My favorite is the ingenious GAINS exchange which allows people to interface and learn about each person. GAINS offers an easy way to interview members one-on-one, and learn about their Goals-Accomplishments-interests, networks, skills. A very well done and easy to read book. I recommended it wholeheartedly to any business person (small business or large.)

More than just a good marketing book.......1999-07-02

Does your success in business depend largely on your ability to market yourself and your services? Mine does, (I'm a professional speaker) and I peruse almost every new marketing book that comes down the pike. You know, the old "If I can get one good idea from the book, it is well worth reading" attitude. Well, this book breaks the mold. Hundreds of good ideas, but much more importantly, a blueprint for putting those ideas into action.

That's right. Not only does the book contain information about the single most powerful marketing force available to the entrepreneurial professional, it has worksheets to help you not just read about building referral business, but to actually start building your referral network. And the best part is, it works. I really used those worksheets, and they made a big difference.

This book is a MUST READ for anyone who needs to generate new business at a profit.

Average customer rating:

Call me crazy,

I Pray They'll Always Make It

Not what I expected

A Must Read!

Tammi and Eric

They Said We'd Never Make It
Tammi Menendez
Manufacturer: New Galen Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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The Private Diary of Lyle Menendez: In His Own Words!

Every Woman's Nightmare: The True Story Of The Fairy-Tale Marriage And Brutal Murder Of Lori Hacking

For Laci: A Mother's Story of Love, Loss, and Justice

Aruba: The Tragic Untold Story of Natalee Holloway and Corruption in Paradise

Blood Brothers: The Inside Story of the Menendez Murders (Onyx True Crime ; Je 547)

ASIN: 0976874407

Customer Reviews:

Call me crazy,.......2007-04-04

but I loved this book. It was very well written and very romantic. Try to explain that to someone who hasn't read it.

I Pray They'll Always Make It .......2006-07-13

During the Larry King show I was not only impressed by courageous Tammy but also by the strong and optimistic voice of Erik Menendez. After all he has gone through, it's hard to believe that he could still sound so confident and hopeful and that was the reason why I wanted to read "They Say We'd Never Make It".

This very detailed, heart-wrenching, and well written book (what a shame though that so many typos were left in, especially the inappropriate use of the apostrophe) was not only a page turner for me, but a valuable experience. I grew in understanding why someone could possibly marry a prisoner who was in jail for life without parole and grew angry and disturbed to read about the unfairness and often humiliating and cruel treatments prisoners have to endure in prison.

I read the book while visiting my native country Holland, where I went to "Keukenhof," the well-known paradise of tulips and other flowering bulbs. While I took in this colorful splendor, I kept thinking of Tammy's book and when I took a rest on a bench in front of pure white flowers, imagine my surprise to see printed on the name tag "Talia", the name of Tammy's youngest daughter.

I left the book in Amsterdam as a must read for my family and upon my return I ordered another copy which I just lent to a friend as I feel this is an important book to read.

Not what I expected.......2006-03-10

I bought this book because I was interested in reading about Erik Menendez since I knew him briefly pre-crime. I expected the book to re-hash the trial, etc., but I was surprised to find it a book about three things: finding spiritual meaning in life, an inside look into the despair of true prison life, and two separate lives finding love. The book is an emotional, often heart-wrenching story, and I believe it was told with sincerity. It also accurately captures the Erik that I knew: a deeply intelligent person who was terribly abused and so damaged by his childhood that he committed a horrible crime because of it. He is not excused from the crime (he will die in prison), but the book sheds some light on the traumatized human being behind the crime. One thing I've believed, and something this book shows, is that Erik Menendez is NOT a sociopath. He has a conscience and deep guilt, which is his real punishment for the crime. In short, the book did a good job of showing the human beings behind the story. However, there were a few things that really rubbed me the wrong way about this book. The first was its many typographical, grammatical, and spelling errors. These detracted from the reading experience. Someone should have spell-checked the darn thing, especially if it was going to be mass-marketed and sold! Something else that I couldn't get beyond was the fact that Tammi Menendez barely mentions her older daughter, Lisa, who was molested for many years by Tammi's first husband. From what it appears, Tammi abandoned her daughter to move to California to be closer to Erik, at a critical time when the girl needed her the most. It seems terribly hypocritical that Tammi dwells on her own pain and Erik's but doesn't seem much concerned about her daughter or what Lisa has had to struggle with alone. To be fair, Tammi did get the daughter some quick-fix counseling, but also admits that she struggles with jealousy of her daughter for having had a "relationship" with her former husband. Huh? Relationship? Child molestation is NOT a "relationship!" I lost a lot of respect for Tammi after reading this. I also couldn't stomach how concerned Tammi is with her own pain and that of Erik's, but rarely mentions Lisa's. Maybe ignoring Lisa is some sort of pain-avoidance, but Tammi openly discusses every other aspect of her life, including detailed feelings about her marriage, musings about the love and comfort she finds in her younger daughter Talia (how will Lisa feel reading these many glowing pages about her beloved younger sister, daughter of the molester?), and painful memories about her first husband. Lisa is barely mentioned but a few times in the whole book. I gathered that Lisa has been left to largely suffer on her own, without much love or support, and she is Tammi's own child! How can one read a book that is supposed to arouse our sympathies and understanding for Tammi's life when it appears the writer has deserted her own daughter to form a relationship with a prisoner thousands of miles away? Tammi pours herself into healing Erik (which I do think is a wonderful and noble thing), but it seems that some of that energy should have been used to heal and care for her daughter. I don't understand it, and it made me dislike parts of the book where Tammi paints herself to be a caring, devoted, spiritual person when, on the other hand, she has completely erased and abandoned part of her life... her own daughter. This child's life has been ruined by the molestation, and Tammi doesn't want to look at it or put her energy into it -- no, she's too busy saving Erik (not to mention actively cultivating seven-year-old Talia's relationship with him!). I hope I am wrong about this, but the book never answered the question in my mind, and it affected my reading experience. One other thing: Tammi writes about spending her considerable nest-egg on an attorney and appeals for Erik -- shouldn't that money be put aside for her children? It's just one more thing that makes me question her values, which at times seem self-centered (i.e. saving her "soul mate" at the expense of her children). These concerns caused me great agitation when reading this book and affected my enjoyment. That being said, the most interesting aspect of the book was the detailed, well-written descriptions of the Hellish prison experience. I don't know if Erik Menendez wrote these depictions, but if he did, then he's a gifted writer. If Tammi did, then she has a deep compassion and ability to "walk in the shoes" of her incarcerated husband. I suspect it's a joint venture, and like all successful marriages, the sums of the parts produce a stronger and better whole. The book is a well-told summary of two separate lives that come together in a unique and difficult way. I do applaud Tammi Menendez for sticking with her marriage, which obviously hasn't been easy, and after reading the book, I don't doubt her love for Erik or his for her. The only thing I doubt is Tammi's integrity as a mother... for me, it made this story all the sadder and more tragic.

A Must Read!.......2006-02-03

Larry King called it a "good read." I call it an "excellent read!" Like probably a lot of people, I had concerns about buying a book whose profits might go to a murderer, let alone written by someone who had married a prisoner. Talk about dysfunction!

However, my curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to read it based on Larry King's interview and review. No one condones the murder of the Menendez parents - not Erik, his wife nor Lyle. This isn't a book about condemnation and blame. It's about redemption, introspection and the healing power of love. Have you have ever wondered if you just had a certain amount of money all your problems would be resolved, this book will make you take a second look. It will teach you to value not what is material but rather what is spiritual and gives meaning to our existence on this planet. It taught me not to assume anything about anyone without more information. I have complete respect for Tammi. She is a star! I also admire the way Erik has made the best of an unfortunate situation. The Menendez parents didn't deserve to die, but they are the ones who should have been sent to prison. You can kill a person in more ways than one -- by breaking a person's spirit and sense of dignity.

The book is about respecting the innate value of every human being. We don't need to go to Iraq to see prisoner abuse - just look in our own backyards. I've always thought that the death penalty is an easy way out for perpetrators of heinous crime. Now, I am convinced of it!

This book will make you think! I highly recommend it without reservation.

Tammi and Eric.......2006-01-17

This book was very good. Tammi tells us what life is like behind bars for Eric. and how hard it is to be married to someone locked up for life. this book is a easy read with lots of info on prison life as well as her life as a mother. I think this book was very well written. anyone who has had intrest in the menendez case would like this book.

Book Description

In this wide-ranging and often controversial book, Robert Drews examines the question of the origins of man's relations with the horse. He questions the belief that on the Eurasian steppe men were riding in battle as early as 4000 BC, and suggests that it was not until around 900 BC that men anywhere - whether in the Near East and the Aegean or on the steppes of Asia - were proficient enough to handle a bow, sword or spear while on horseback. After establishing when, where, and most importantly why good riding began, Drews goes on to show how riding raiders terrorized the civilized world in the seventh century BC, and how central cavalry was to the success of the Median and Persian empires.
Drawing on archaeological, iconographic and textual evidence, this is the first book devoted to the question of when horseback riders became important in combat. Comprehensively illustrated, this book will be essential reading for anyone interested in the origins of civilization in Eurasia, and the development of man's military relationship with the horse.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Over-View of Horse Warfare Developement.......2007-08-30

Another excellent book from Prof. Robert Drews. As with "Coming of the Greeks", and "End of the Bronze Age", Prof.Drews focuses his careful research and rational arguments on an interesting topic on which there is a lack of consensus.

The focus of the book is to examine the history of the use of horses for warfare. Prof.Drews challenges, and indeed does a good job demolishing, the traditional view held by many, that the peoples of the steppes of Central Asia have been great horsemen and mounted warriors (especially mounted archers) since the Bronze Age or even the Neolithic Age. Prof.Drews demonstrates that no such evidence exists, and that rather all evidence points to good riding dating back to no earlier than the early Iron Age (around 1,000 bc or so). He concedes that men no doubt did some awkward riding for centuries before, as pictorial/statue representations from the Near East demonstrate, but that only in the Iron Age did men master riding well enough to be able to do active hunting and fighting with it.

Prior to that time, horses, specifically on the steppe, were mostly used for food or for chariot/cart-pulling (the latter also in the Near East).

As with his others books, Prof.Drews carefully goes through various counter-theories, and shows them to be unfounded in their assertions.

His arguments about the effectiveness of mounted warfare, of cavalry vs. infantry, may not be as soldid as his other points, and will seem so for anyone who knows about military history, but these are minor points, as the main focus of the book is the developement of mounted warefare, not its tactical uses in battle.

Prof.Drews' style is very easy, and can be read by lay-man and professional alike, though some basic knowledge of the history of the regions covered would be good.

Unfortunately, in this book Prof.Drews once again continues his habit (noted by other reviewers of his other books) of giving quotes in other languages, such as German, without translating them. A habit that will no doubt frustrate those who are interested in his references.

Overall, another great book from Prof.Drews. I hope he continues to write books on such great topics.

Early Riders: The Beginnings of Mounted Warfare in Asia and Europe.(Book review): An article from: The Journal of the American Oriental Society

Average customer rating:

Early Riders: The Beginnings of Mounted Warfare in Asia and Europe.(Book review): An article from: The Journal of the American Oriental Society
Heather A. McKay
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000MGV40W
Release Date: 2007-01-09

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Journal of the American Oriental Society, published by Thomson Gale on April 1, 2005. The length of the article is 995 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Early Riders: The Beginnings of Mounted Warfare in Asia and Europe.(Book review)
Author: Heather A. McKay
Publication: The Journal of the American Oriental Society (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 125 Issue: 2 Page: 307(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Longtime commodities trader Raymond J. Learsy lifts the veil of the Mideast oil cartel, showing how OPEC manipulates the oil markets and destabilizes the world's economy. With refreshing candor and an insider's perspective, Learsy explains how OPEC:

twists bogus perceptions of oil scarcity to hike prices and gain political power
is compromised by Islamist terrorist connections that fuel anti-American hatred with dollars from our own wallets
keeps Third-World nations in abject poverty despite their rich oil deposits
and became the de facto master of Iraq's newly liberated oil fields

A sharp, sweeping survey of OPEC's methods of economic dominance, this book explains how to bust the Mideast oil cartel and chart our own course toward energy independence.

Customer Reviews:

The truth about the oil cartel, with a plan to break them.......2006-10-09

I read for two reasons: entertainment and education. If a book fails
at achieving one of the two, then I consider it a waste of time.
However, Raymond Learsy's commentary on the current oil market
was hardly that. Learsy built a successful career in commodities
trading and spent some of that career in the Middle East. His is the
opinion of a capitalist and not a politician, which is a breath of fresh air for someone with limited knowledge on the current subject.In this book, Learsy tackles the problem of America's dependence on foreign oil like a veteran problem-solver. He first identifies the problem clearly while also doing away with much of the myth about America's oil dependence that seems to have flooded the mainstream press as of late. He then gives an historical account of how this problem came to be including the rise to power of OPEC. Then, he gives a detailed plan for how we can get ourselves out from under the boot of OPEC and free ourselves of the shackles of foreign oil dependence. Before I read this book, I had little insight into the problem we face as a nation when it comes to energy and foreign oil dependence. Now, I realize not only the complexity of problem, but I am also aware of a way to remedy it. I have Raymond Learsy to thank for that. I think this is a book all policy makers and political leaders should read. For that matter, it's a book all voters should read. It comes highly recommended from this reviewer.

Reviewed on behalf of readandreview.com

Poorly Thought Out.......2005-12-24

Learsy starts with the assumption that OPEC is responsible for high gas prices. That would be true, except for two facts: 1)OPEC currently only produces about 42% of the world's oil, and 2)commodity market prices are set by the HIGHEST-COST profitable producers (certainly not OPEC) - and they are probably within the U.S.

Yes, it is true that MidEast pumping costs may be as low as $1.00/barrel. However, if someone else is able to sell the same product for eg. $70/barrel (pumping cost of $60) - do you expect the Emirs to sell for only $1.00 (and ignore their Harvard economic educations)? To drive down the cost of oil, one has to reduce demand.

Fortunately, Learsy does come to the correct conclusion, and lists some good ideas for reducing demand. However, since the U.S. has proven that millions are not interested in conservation (would rather buy SUVs), this has to mandated via significant CAFE increases.

Another Learsy suggestion is to sue OPEC for price manipulation. However, I have trouble understanding why OPEC is bound by U.S. law for transactions outside the U.S. Further, petroleum engineers caution that pumping too fast can result in significantly reducing the TOTAL oil that can be removed over time.

Learsy also believes that OPEC can be "tamed" by utilizing the U.S. and other nations' oil reserves. The "bad news" is that the U.S. and European reserves would cover about two weeks usage. How is that going to impress OPEC, or anybody else?

Learsy also claims that the supply of oil is much higher than experts estimate. The bulk of his "logic" is based on prior warnings that proved false. Unfortunately, such rationale has no value - its like the hypocondriac that claimed each day would be his last - eventually he was right! Learsy then brings up the vast Canadian oil shale and sand deposits - ignoring the fact that there have already been a number of failures to profitably mine Canadian oil shale and oil sands.

Overall, the book is probably not worth the paper it is printed on. If one condensed "Over a Barrel" to its correct points, only about one page would be required.

OPEC and Natural Gas.......2005-12-20

Learsy was touting his book on C-Span last night. He did not present any scientific evidence for his opinions. He made no attempt to correct audience statements such as 'most of the Alaskan oil is shipped to Japan'. He did not address the imminent natural gas crisis. The cost of natural gas has gone up more than gasoline. Does Learsy belive that OPEC controls production of natural gas in the US?

Ignores the Facts.......2005-10-12

The reason that many of the negative reviews of this book have been of the 'snide' variety reflects (I hope) not so much the fact that the Bush administration is implicated in Learsy's conspiracy theory but that the book ignores the facts surrounding the story. If there is a political slant, I would argue that it is the inevitable American xenophobia that often creeps into political discourse in times of trouble.

As other reviewers have noted, the facts of the global supply/demand environment do not match with what Learsy is selling. He uses no facts to prop up his arguments that OPEC is gouging the US because the facts point to the opposite:

Consensus estimates show that OPEC is producing at as close to full capacity as possible (98%-99%). There is likely a small amount of production that is shut-in in Saudi Arabia but it is high-sulphur, low gravity (heavy) oil that wouldn't suit US refineries even if it was shipped. These numbers are readily available from any major investment firm or publicly from the International Energy Agency.

Secondly, Learsy conveniently ignores the fact that oil producers are price takers. Because oil is a global commodity, it is the international market that sets prices and as anyone who has been following commodity markets over the past five years has seen, the growing economies of Asia have been hungry for as much product as they can get their hands on. It is these competing buyers going after a finite supply that have sent the prices to current levels. OPEC has not been able to set prices since 2001 when there was still a surplus of global supplies and OPEC had spare capacity.

Finally, OPEC members may be corrupt but they are not stupid. Extremely high oil prices are a potential liability for these countries. Investments in the high-cost Canadian tar sands; deep-water offshore and politically unstable countries are a product of high prices. This increases non-OPEC supply and diminishes any last control OPEC may have over markets or influence it might buy with the US government.

If you want to read a proper book analyzing the current oil situation, read Simmons book, which has a cogent theory backed-up with facts and numbers. This book is simply a materialization of classic American xenophobia looking for a convenient scapegoat to bash in a time of economic uncertainty.

The world is not running out of oil, the world is running out of cheap oil.

The Whole Truth.......2005-10-02

Finally, a book that debunks the myth that we are running out of oil. The author clearly and definitively proves the lies and deception wrought upon the world by OPEC and the oil majors. This book should be required reading of every American.

Over a Barrel.(Over a Barrel: Breaking the Middle East Oil Cartel)(Book review): An article from: The Energy Journal

Average customer rating:

Over a Barrel.(Over a Barrel: Breaking the Middle East Oil Cartel)(Book review): An article from: The Energy Journal
Michael C. Lynch
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000MEX3Y4
Release Date: 2007-01-03

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Energy Journal, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2007. The length of the article is 1174 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Over a Barrel.(Over a Barrel: Breaking the Middle East Oil Cartel)(Book review)
Author: Michael C. Lynch
Publication: The Energy Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 28 Issue: 1 Page: 171(3)

Article Type: Book review

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Book Description

Introducing a major new series... Bird Families of the World Editors: Christopher Perrins, Walter J. Bock, Jiro Kikkawa Providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date information available. Bird Families of the World is a new multi-volume series of handbooks, intended to serve the interests of both the professional scientist and the ever-growing body of amateur ornithologists. Each volume will provide a comprehensive and accurate synthesis of our knowledge of one bird family or several related families. Features include:- * Authoritative chapters on the birds' biology, feeding, ecology, breeding behaviour, evolutionary relationships and conservation * Specially commissioned colour plates by leading artists * Black and white drawings illustrating special features and behaviour * Full bibliography and index The Hornbills is a comprehensive account of all 54 species of these fascinating birds known for their interesting social behaviour and nesting habits. Introductory chapters provide a detailed overview of the family. These are followed by the 54 species accounts, each one giving a complete description of the bird in its natural state. Much of the information is based on the author's own research in Africa and Asia.

Customer Reviews:

Long overdue!.......1998-09-21

An incredible work! I only wish that books of this caliber were available on all the families of birds.This book should be on every bird enthusiast's shelf.

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