Milwaukee Sketchbook (City Sketchbooks)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Milwaukee Sketchbook (City Sketchbooks)
    Fran Bauer
    Manufacturer: Indigo Custom Publishing
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    United StatesUnited States | Regional | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 0976287544
    Release Date: 2005-10-15

    Product Description

    For a year, a group of 16 art students at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design walked the city of Milwaukee with sketchbooks in hand. The 123 landmarks and scenes captured in the students' artwork and reproduced in the Milwaukee Sketchbook showcase the results of those artistic explorations.

    Rich and Rare: The Story of Irish Dress (Celtic Ireland)
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Rich and Rare: The Story of Irish Dress (Celtic Ireland)
      Brid Mahon
      Manufacturer: Mercier Press
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      Textile & CostumeTextile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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      ASIN: 1856353036

      Cafe Kichijouji De Volume 2
      Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
      • good book
      • Cafe...?
      Cafe Kichijouji De Volume 2
      Yuki Miyamoto , and Kyoko Negishi
      Manufacturer: Digital Manga Publishing
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      GeneralGeneral | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
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      1. Cafe Kichijouji De Volume 3 (Shoujo) (Cafe Kichijouji de) Cafe Kichijouji De Volume 3 (Shoujo) (Cafe Kichijouji de)
      2. Cafe Kichijouji De Volume 1 Cafe Kichijouji De Volume 1
      3. Antique Bakery Volume 3 (Antique Bakery) Antique Bakery Volume 3 (Antique Bakery)
      4. But I'm Your Teacher But I'm Your Teacher
      5. Man's Best Friend: Inu Mo Aruke Ba Fall in Love (Yaoi) Man's Best Friend: Inu Mo Aruke Ba Fall in Love (Yaoi)

      ASIN: 1569709483

      Book Description

      The young staff at the Cafe Kichijouji is a colorful bunch. They're the source of continual headache for the poor cafe master who oversees them all. In this volume, however, the cafe staff is beset by troublesome children - from the lost little girl Reina to the gang of bratty thugs who seem to have a grudge against Maki and Toku, the guys have their hands full. Even when they're just planning an outing to view cherry blossoms, the wackiness at the Cafe Kichijouji never ends.

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars good book.......2007-04-10

      I bought this book for my Son. He read it in a day. He loved all the antics of the people at the cafe.

      4 out of 5 stars Cafe...?.......2006-12-20

      I've heard of this manga before and when I finally saw it in the bookstore, it peaked my interest. I read the 1st vol of Cafe Kichijouji at Borders and it caught my heart. Imagine my happiness when I saw vol 2 at the shelves, its a pity I didnt have enough to get vol 3.

      Anyway, back to the plot.
      I was skeptical of this manga at 1st because of the plot.
      Generally, there pretty much is no plot. Its just about a group of men running a Cafe.

      Thats it.

      Unconvinced?

      The comedic element thrown in can turn from just a smile to giggles, depending on your sense of humour. I usually find most(albeit some terrible ones) manga comedy entertaining and Cafe Kichijouji is on the top 5 of my list of freaky, lovely, morbid, crazily-comedic manga.

      Some people might find the countless impossible situation off-putting, but heck, its a light-hearted manga for fun. It is very nice to sit back from other mangas like Death Note and Saiyuki Reload for a while and digest this lovely manga.

      The paper quality is top notch. Very thick. The artwork clean and just right. I am always a fool for clean, sweet artwork. The uncluttered boxes make reading a whole lot better. It is, afterall, not an action manga, so there are no lines and smokes here and there.

      A word of warning though, (also a reason why I took off a star)if you like mangas with deep meaning and jokes that need some thoughts to it, lay this one off.(Think girls who look like guys, pet hamsters as ration food and food that screams when stirred)If not, go ahead and enjoy this adorable manga. Did I mention they have short TINY chibi stories after every chapter?

      The Book of Baby Animal Butts
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        The Book of Baby Animal Butts
        Mysini Stephanides
        Manufacturer: Hylas Publishing
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

        Children's BooksChildren's Books | Subjects | Books | Baby-3 | Ages 4-8 | Ages 9-12 | Animals | Arts & Music | Books on Cassette | Books on CD | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Computers | Educational | History & Historical Fiction | Issues | Literature | Obsessions | People & Places | Popular Characters | Reference & Nonfiction | Religions | Science, Nature & How It Works | Series | Sports & Activities
        Cats, Dogs & AnimalsCats, Dogs & Animals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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        GeneralGeneral | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
        QuotationsQuotations | Reference | Subjects | Books
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        GeneralGeneral | Animals | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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        Cats, Dogs & AnimalsCats, Dogs & Animals | Humor | Entertainment | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Humor | Entertainment | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Reference | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
        QuotationsQuotations | Reference | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Animals | Biological Sciences | Science | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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        ASIN: 1592581447

        Book Description

        This one-of-a-kind book brings animal and rear-end humor to heights one might not have thought such things capable of reaching and makes the perfect gift for baby animal admirers of all ages. The Book of Baby Animal Butts skillfully combines high- and low-brow culture with adorable animal butts and sharp bons mots from wits throughout the ages.

        Uninvited: Classical Hollywood Cinema and Lesbian Representability (Theories of Representation and Difference)
        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
        • excellent film theory
        • Couldn't put it down
        Uninvited: Classical Hollywood Cinema and Lesbian Representability (Theories of Representation and Difference)
        Patricia White
        Manufacturer: Indiana University Press
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        GeneralGeneral | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
        History & CriticismHistory & Criticism | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
        HistoryHistory | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books
        Lesbian StudiesLesbian Studies | Special Groups | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
        Feminist TheoryFeminist Theory | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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        Similar Items:
        1. Issues in Feminist Film Criticism (A Midland Book) Issues in Feminist Film Criticism (A Midland Book)
        2. Screened Out: Playing Gay in Hollywood from Edison to Stonewall Screened Out: Playing Gay in Hollywood from Edison to Stonewall
        3. Femmes Fatales Femmes Fatales
        4. Feminism and Film Theory Feminism and Film Theory
        5. Cinema and Spectatorship (Sightlines) Cinema and Spectatorship (Sightlines)

        ASIN: 0253213452

        Book Description

        Lesbian characters, stories, and images were barred from onscreen depiction in Hollywood films from the 1930s to the 1960s, together with all forms of "sex perversion." Looking at the lure of some of the great female stars and at the visual coding of supporting actresses, the book identifies lesbian spectatorial strategies.

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars excellent film theory .......2006-07-10

        applicable to literary theory as well. so well written, especially for a scholarly book! don't miss the conclusion, where you will be blown away. and the intense reading of "all about eve" will take your breath away.

        5 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down.......2006-04-12

        This book is fascinating and compelling to read. I am thankful to Patricia White for doing all this research. I can't wait to watch these films.

        Diane Bish Favorite Organ Selections
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Diane Bish Favorite Organ Selections
          Bish Diane
          Manufacturer: Gentry Publications
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Spiral-bound
          ASIN: 0634003518

          Book Description

          These selections are popular favorites of many organists though several are available only as separate editions. Diane Bish has edited these favorites and put them together in one fine collection, with new engravings, written-out trills for easier playing, and settings of medium difficulty. Having proved their endurance in using these pieces for concerts and for teaching, Bish has compiled a collection of materials that should be in every organist's library. Spiral bound.

          Action Chess: Purdy's 24 Hours Opening Repertoire
          Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
          • a true classic
          • I like it.
          • CLASSIC PURDY...
          • Purdy magic, even if openings outdated
          • A review from chessopolis
          Action Chess: Purdy's 24 Hours Opening Repertoire

          Manufacturer: Thinkers' Press
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          ChessChess | Board Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
          Similar Items:
          1. C.j.s. Purdy's Fine Art Of Chess Annotation And Other Thoughts (C.J.S. Purdy Gold Chess Series) C.j.s. Purdy's Fine Art Of Chess Annotation And Other Thoughts (C.J.S. Purdy Gold Chess Series)
          2. C.J.S. Purdy's Fine Art of Chess Annotation and Other Thoughts Volume 2 C.J.S. Purdy's Fine Art of Chess Annotation and Other Thoughts Volume 2
          3. Starting Out: The Colle (Starting Out Series) Starting Out: The Colle (Starting Out Series)
          4. How Purdy Won: 1st World Champion of Correspondence Chess (Purdy Series) How Purdy Won: 1st World Champion of Correspondence Chess (Purdy Series)
          5. The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played: 62 Masterpieces of Chess Strategy The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played: 62 Masterpieces of Chess Strategy

          ASIN: 0938650793

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars a true classic.......2007-08-22

          The number of negative reviews of this book here is appalling. If you already know how to play the game, you shouldn't read this book. It is for beginners, for whom, unfortunately, chess books are largely not written. The purpose of the book is to introduce the beginner to an opening repertoire as quickly as possible, because time spent on opening detail for a beginner is mostly a waste of time. Get the bare fundamentals of an opening, and then devote your study to tactics. It doesn't matter that the lines aren't great. Purdy's goal is get you playing chess as quickly as possible. Spend too much time on the opening as a beginner and you won't know what you're doing, you'll get bored and you'll drop chess. As you get better at the game, you can buy hundreds of chess books if that is your wont, and refine your favorite lines up to move 30. Or drop these openings and learn something else. Purdy's purpose is to teach you an opening repertoire in 24 hours. Of course it's going to take longer than that, but not that much longer. For the beginner who isn't sure how to start a fantastically complicated game, there is no better book. And the openings he recommends are all solid and played at the grandmaster level. The Colle, the French, the Queen's Gambit Declined. Purdy has a real talent for explaining chess concepts in an understandable way to players with little skill.

          4 out of 5 stars I like it. .......2007-02-13

          I think this is a good book. I think some of the people who write these reviews are not the intended audience. I don't think this book was written for expert players. It's written for people who are beginners and want to start playing the game without being crushed in the opening. This book won't cause you win every game. I don't think that's possible with a 24 hour repertiore. However, it will give you some good ideas to think about and will get through most games with a playable position. Most opening books have a ton of variations and very little explanation. Purdy is a great chess teacher and explains all the main ideas. It's true that these openings may not be the best according to modern theory. However, this book was intended as 24 hour repertiore for players rated 1900 and under. I think it's good in that respect.

          5 out of 5 stars CLASSIC PURDY..........2006-12-18


          This book is a Purdy Classic which the chess enthusiast will want to have on his shelf....The author (assisted with updated notes throughout by Tykodi); gives the reader an INTRODUCTION to playable lines in The Colle system for white; and the French; Accelerated Sicilian; and Tartakower systems for black...the author goes out of his way to make clear he is NOT presenting an iron-clad repertoire for the reader, but rather a book of IDEAS to (hopefully) encourage independant and creative thought. In accomplishing this the Purdy way...the book gets 5 stars...

          5 out of 5 stars Purdy magic, even if openings outdated.......2001-12-04

          The reason I first loved Purdy's The Search for Chess Perfection was simple: it brought chess to life for me like other books had not. By comparison, for instance, My 60 Memorable Games by Fischer does nothing for me--the annotations are dry and two-dimensional. As an average player but avid consumer of chess books, I am attracted to books that bring chess to three-dimensional life. Silman's books come to mind as classic examples of this. My System by Nimzo. is perhaps the greatest example of this (with quotes such as "the passed pawn is a criminal which must be kept under lock and key"). I need chess brought to life, because I get bogged down and bored by books that emphasize variations at the expense of explanatory text. Now, to the text at hand. I repeatedly find myself turning back to this book Action Chess. It is pure Purdy, talking to you the reader about opening principles, and about his search to find manageable systems. Whether the lines he selects hold up perfectly to modern analysis or not, the point is that we can follow this journey through opening ideas in a manner that is rich with imagery, enthusiasm, and Purdy's infectious chess excitement. And I enjoy the margin comments as well, by Ron Wieck; they are very instructive. The production is excellent and the book feels very good to leaf through. This is a very fun book, that in the scheme of things deserves far more than one star. The fact for me is that I have over 250 chess books, and for better or worse, this is one I find myself studying quite a bit, while other supposed "classics" go un-opened.

          1 out of 5 stars A review from chessopolis.......2000-09-07

          ---------------------------------------------- It's a tricky proposition to do an openings book with dated analysis, and while the publisher takes a shot at pulling it off by providing some contemporary commentary, the two cooks don't really improve on the soup. IM Purdy was a strong player (four times champion of Australia, and the first World Correspondence Chess Champion) and writer (publisher of Australasian Chess Review, Check, and Chess World). Bobby Fischer has spoken highly of Purdy's analytical talents, and Thinker's Press has published several books of his analysis and insight. Those are mostly excellent books that concentrate on his writings and teachings, and aspiring players would do well to check them out.

          While Purdy is an insightful author, this book is more about opening lines than concepts, and I think its age shows. The publisher would seem to agree with this concern, because he enlists NM Ronald Wieck to provide running commentary throughout the book, mostly to discuss changes in the theory of the lines since Purdy's day. While this is an interesting choice for a revision method, I don't think the book pulls it off.

          The primary problem as I see it is that too often Purdy's conclusions, upon which his opening ideas have been based and discussed in the main text, are shown to be different than modern theory would suggest. While this is understandable, given the age of the analysis, I think it is going to confuse the reader and lead him to doubt the concepts that the author seeks to discuss.

          Purdy's book is based on providing an all-purpose repertoire for the black player, and he mostly concentrates on the structure with black having pawns on e6,d5,c5, and b6. This is a sold structure that can arise from the French Defense against 1.e4 and from the Queen's Gambit Declined against 1.d4. There are also a variety of methods for achieving it against many other first moves for white. It is a viable and decent choice for a black player seeking a defensive structure.

          Indeed, if the publisher had chosen to include much of Purdy's explanatory text, such as the introductory chapter on Opening Problems and Principles, and the chapter sections that discuss opening play in general, and had gotten another author to interweave his analysis with that of Purdy's that stands the test of time, this might have been an outstanding book. As published, it has too many confusing parts, where players have followed along with Purdy's moves and prose, only to find at the end that the author may have mis-spoken.

          My second major concern with the book is the inclusion of a section on the Accelerated Dragon Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6). While the book mostly covers a solid multi-purpose black repertoire, it veers off to include 31 pages on an extremely sharp line that isn't exactly in keeping with the rest of the suggested repertoire. Further, here a lot of the analysis is dated, and the forcing nature of the lines suggests to me that the black player relying on it for opening preparation will run into many headaches. I've played this variation many times, and I would not recommend it to anybody based on the analysis contained in this book.

          My final concern is that the lay-out of the book leaves way too much unused space within the book's listed 192 pages. The book is 6" by 9" but the main column spans slightly less than 3 inches across. There is a second column, of slightly more than 1.5" on each page, but it only contains the footnote sized commentary by NM Wieck. This is a curious and wasteful lay-out. The book could have been compressed by running footnotes at the bottom of the page, as is standard practice.

          Indeed, of the 176 pages of the book that use this format (the title pages, table of contents, editor's forward and commentator's preface span the first 12 pages of the book), 52 have no substantive comments in the footnote column, and another 68 have no more than one substantive comment (often little more than one or two lines). Thus fully two-thirds of the book consists of pages with a second column that is entirely or mostly blank (analysis-wise; we do get pictures of the Purdy's, other chess players, and other books published by Thinker's Press). Indeed, I found only 10 pages where I felt the material justified a separate column. As a player who must often rely on the stated number of pages in a catalogue to gauge content, I find that type of lay-out to be at best wasteful and at worst something worse than that.

          In conclusion, this book, both because of the age of the material, the manner in which it was updated, and the way that it is presented, doesn't really provide value to most players. If you're a Purdy fanatic or believe that the repertoire presented will be a useful complement to other books, you might want to check it out. Otherwise, I'd shop elsewhere for a "24 hour" repertoire.
          Action Chess: Purdy's 24 Hours Opening Repertoire
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Action Chess: Purdy's 24 Hours Opening Repertoire
            C. J. S. Purdy
            Manufacturer: Thinkers Pr Inc / Chessco
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback
            ASIN: B000OSXLT0
            Action Chess: Purdy's 24 Hours Opening Repertoire: How to Get a Playable Middlegame
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Action Chess: Purdy's 24 Hours Opening Repertoire: How to Get a Playable Middlegame
              C.J.S. Purdy
              Manufacturer: THINKERS PR
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Paperback
              ASIN: B000R0ARRO

              Unlimited Real Estate Profit: Create Wealth and Build a Financial Fortress Through Today's Real Estate Investing
              Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
              • I have known Marc Garrison since 1984...
              • This book has made me a lot of money!
              • Caveat Emptor "let the buyer beware"
              • Arrogant and Disappointingly Simple
              • Put to the Test!
              Unlimited Real Estate Profit: Create Wealth and Build a Financial Fortress Through Today's Real Estate Investing
              Marc Stephan Garrison , and Paula Tripp-Garrison
              Manufacturer: Adams Media Corporation
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Paperback

              GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
              InvestmentsInvestments | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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              1. The Weekend Millionaire's Secrets to Investing in Real Estate: How to Become Wealthy in Your Spare Time The Weekend Millionaire's Secrets to Investing in Real Estate: How to Become Wealthy in Your Spare Time
              2. What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know about Cash Flow... And 36 Other Key Financial Measures What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know about Cash Flow... And 36 Other Key Financial Measures
              3. Financially Free: Add 20,000 (Or More a Year to Your Income Through Part-Time Real Estate Investing) Financially Free: Add 20,000 (Or More a Year to Your Income Through Part-Time Real Estate Investing)
              4. How to Buy Your Own Home in 90 Days How to Buy Your Own Home in 90 Days
              5. Secrets of a Millionaire Real Estate Investor (Secrets of a Millionaire...) Secrets of a Millionaire Real Estate Investor (Secrets of a Millionaire...)

              ASIN: 1580629482

              Customer Reviews:

              5 out of 5 stars I have known Marc Garrison since 1984..........2006-10-04

              Dear Fellow Investor,
              I have known Marc Garrison since 1984. Marc is an absolute genius in real estate investing and real estate economics. Since 1986 Marc has been taking investors like yourself on BuyingTours in the United State's very best absorption markets. Marc has a 20 year track record in targeting and finding the very best regions of opportunity. Prove it yourself. Call Marc toll free at (334) 590-8792. Read "Unlimited Real Estate Profit." Talk with Marc and get hooked up with one of his mentors. Working with one of Marc's mentors is absolutely free. Marc's mentors are successful students that voluteer time to help other investors like yourself to become successful in real estate investing today.

              Marc Garrison and his with Paula Tripp Garrison are the real thing. Call them and find out for yourself.

              Stephan Wayner

              5 out of 5 stars This book has made me a lot of money!.......2006-04-27

              I purchased this book less than a year ago and using the advice of the author I have made enough money in real estate investing to quit my job and do it full time. I have read dozens of books on the subject and found this to be by far the most helpful. It is easy to read and gives a lot of specific, useful advise.

              1 out of 5 stars Caveat Emptor "let the buyer beware" .......2006-02-04

              Mostly be aware of the numerous 5 star reviews for this book.

              This book is so lacking that it doesn't even suit the novice.

              This book is a tout for the authors web site.

              Usually one can ignore the frequent mention of the authors other collateral such as his experience, websites and seminars but this book is so absent of answers that it's title procliams that you have to believe the book was written soley for promotion and not knowledge.

              How shallow is this book? Consider this; if the key board that I'm typing on right now where to explode and the keys were to stick to my ceiling, the letters would form better advice about Unlimited Real Estate Profit than this book.

              Seriously, there are other books that are far better on this subject.

              1 out of 5 stars Arrogant and Disappointingly Simple.......2005-08-18

              He offers some speculating advice and that's about it! The rest of the information is very basic knowledge and about education services he provides which can be bought for a fee. The author appeared quite arrogant throughout, even going as far to name the standard real estate cycle after himself! There were a lot of "I did this!" and "I did that!" and "I'm so wonderful to help people!" This book is not worth your time, unless you enjoy reading the advertisement section of the newspaper, only without the fancy pictures and print.

              5 out of 5 stars Put to the Test!.......2005-04-28

              I first read this book in December of 2003. I went to my first absorption market (explained in the book) in March/April of 2004. Simply stated:This works! In the chosen market I went to (JAX, Florida ) I have purchased 20 single family homes. I live, however, in California. I have been able to follow concepts in the book to "Live where I want, and invest where it makes financial sense." If one can grasp the innovative potential of the concepts and information from this book then large financial gains are obtainable. The book is a guide on where and how to do it but it is up to the proactive reader to follow through and get it done.

              Melville: His World and Work
              Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
              • Whale of a Book
              • Delbanco skillfully brings the world of Melville to life
              • A New Study of Herman Melville
              • Hershel Parker's rehash
              • A World of Hurt
              Melville: His World and Work
              Andrew Delbanco
              Manufacturer: Knopf
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover

              AuthorsAuthors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | History & Criticism | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Criticism & Theory | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
              Similar Items:
              1. Mark Twain: A Life Mark Twain: A Life
              2. Flaubert: A Biography Flaubert: A Biography
              3. The Cambridge Companion to Herman Melville (Cambridge Companions to Literature) The Cambridge Companion to Herman Melville (Cambridge Companions to Literature)
              4. Pierre: or, The Ambiguities (Penguin Classics) Pierre: or, The Ambiguities (Penguin Classics)
              5. The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln

              ASIN: 0375403140
              Release Date: 2005-09-20

              Book Description

              With Moby-Dick Herman Melville set the standard for the Great American Novel, and with “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” Benito Cereno, and Billy Budd he completed perhaps the greatest oeuvre of any of our writers. Now Andrew Delbanco, hailed by Time as “America’s best social critic,” uses unparalleled historical and critical perspective to give us both a commanding biography and a riveting portrait of the young nation.

              The grandson of Revolutionary War heroes, Melville was born into a family that in the fledgling republic had lost both money and status. Half New Yorker, half New Englander, and toughened at sea as a young man, he returned home to chronicle the deepest crises of his era, from the increasingly shrill debates over slavery through the bloodbath of the Civil War to the intellectual and spiritual revolution wrought by Darwin. Meanwhile, the New York of his youth, where letters were delivered by horseback messengers, became in his lifetime a city recognizably our own, where the Brooklyn Bridge carried traffic and electric lights lit the streets.

              Delbanco charts Melville’s growth from the bawdy storytelling of Typee—the “labial melody” of his “indulgent captivity” among the Polynesians—through the spiritual preoccupations building up to Moby-Dick and such later works as Pierre, or the Ambiguities and The Confidence-Man, His Masquerade. And he creates a vivid narrative of a life that left little evidence in its wake: Melville’s peculiar marriage, the tragic loss of two sons, his powerful friendship with Nathaniel Hawthorne and scores of literary cronies, bouts of feverish writing, relentless financial pressure both in the Berkshires and in New York, declining critical and popular esteem, and ultimately a customs job bedeviled by corruption. Delbanco uncovers autobiographical traces throughout Melville’s work, even as he illuminates the stunning achievements of a career that, despite being consigned to obscurity long before its author’s death, ultimately shaped our literature. Finally we understand why the recognition of Melville’s genius—led by D. H. Lawrence and E. M. Forster, and posthumous by some forty years—still feels triumphant; why he, more than any other American writer, has captured the imaginative, social, and political concerns of successive generations; and why Ahab and the White Whale, after more than a century and a half, have become durably resounding symbols not only here but around the world.

              Customer Reviews:

              5 out of 5 stars Whale of a Book.......2007-07-22

              Is there anything quite like a great biography? A great novel, you say, and I'd agree, but where are they? Meanwhile, we have these marvelous pieces of writing: Ellmann's biography of Joyce, Edel's biography of James, Holroyd on Shaw. This is not a multi-volumed immortal masterpiece but it has all of the characteristics of such a work, save exhaustiveness. This is an introduction, really, more than a complete life, but it serves its purpose as well as can be imagined. The prose style is inviting and easy, the illustrations amusing and pointedly relevant and revealing. The author's point of view is strikingly original. He begins not with Melville's birth, but with his reputation, from his death to the present. American's do not have a great dramatist, so we have made the drama of Melville's life a kind of literary drama surrounding a masterpiece, "Moby Dick." Those who know and love it see it as one of the great pieces of literature of all time. Melville is cast in the role of the likable genius, the sympathetic artist, the neglected and scorned master of American prose. We've been taught to love him, as we have been instructed to hate Hemingway and other dead white male authors. My professor said that Melville wasn't worth reading and recommended in its stead a collection of slave testimony and the lost poems of a female mill worker. I ventured that perhaps I could read him myself and make up my own mind. We live in an odd age that resents greatness. Let's applaud Delbanco's effort to set the record straight.

              5 out of 5 stars Delbanco skillfully brings the world of Melville to life.......2007-01-07

              This biography of Melville is as balanced, accessible, and thoroughly entertaining as a biography of a literary figure can get while still being considered "serious." Delbanco has a great skills as a writer himself, skillfully juggling the story of Melville's life, critical discussions of his writing, and finally the social and historical context of the works.

              The discussions of the books are excellent, particularly Delbanco's readings of the novels Moby Dick, Typee, and Pierre. But where this biography particularly stands out is the intermeshing the books with aspects of 19th century American literary culture. There are, for instance, interesting discussions of the dominance of English publishing houses, of copyright issues, of publishing in general. Delbanco situates Melville's work before a backdrop of a nation in transition (for example the story "Benito Cereno" is published in midst of the debate about the expansion of slavery into Kansas territory), and before a backdrop of the city of New York under transition too.

              Finally, Delbanco discusses the unusual trajectory of Melville's own career and reputation - from almost being forgotten at the time of his death to the towering position he holds in American letters today.

              This biography is a great summary of Melville's life, and also in a broader sense, of 19th century literary culture.

              5 out of 5 stars A New Study of Herman Melville.......2006-02-28

              Herman Melville (1819 -- 1893) is one of the writers I have returned to again and again over the course of years. Thus, I was gratified to receive this new book by Andrew Delbanco, "Melville: His Life and Work" (2005) as a gift and to have the opportunity to read it, think again about Melville, and share my thoughts on this site with other readers. Delbanco is Levi Professor in the Humanities and Director of American Studies at Columbia University. He has published widely on American literature, including a book titled "Required Reading: why our American Classics matter now." Before reading Professor Delbanco's Melville study, I also read the lengthy review by Frederick Crews in the December 1, 2005, "New York Review" which is both laudatory and critical.

              The literature on Melville continues to grow, and in recent years biographies have been published that are longer and far more detailed than Professor Delbanco's. But Delbanco's study is accessible, engagingly written, and concentrates, as the subtitle to his book implies, in placing Melville in the historical context of Nineteenth Century America, and on the works themselves. I will discuss each of these factors briefly.

              As to Nineteenth Century America, Professor Delbanco discusses Melville's roots as the descendant, on both sides of his family, of heroes of the Revolutionary War. He gives a revealing picture of pre-Bellum America and of the seafaring life. He gives a detailed historical discussion, for a literary biography, of the tumults which split the United States and lead to the Civil War, including the War with Mexico, the compromises of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. Professor Delbanco shows how Melville responded to both the literary and political events of his time. He also gives a good, if briefer, treatment of the Civil War and of Melville's life thereafter, as the United States expanded and a crude materialism became dominant. But most vividly, Professor Delbanco gives a picture of New York City, both before and after the Civil War, and argues convincingly for the strong formative influence that the city exerted on Melville's writings.

              As to Melville's writings, Professor Delbanco devotes a great deal of space to Melville's four widely-recognized masterpieces: Moby Dick, Bartelby, Benito Cereno, and Billy Budd. He offers textual exposition, compositional background, and a good literary sense of the complexities and ambiguities in each of these works. He offers shorter yet rewarding discussions of several of Melville's more controversial efforts, including Pierre, The Confidence Man, his collection of Civil War Poetry called Battle Pieces, and the long poem Clarel. I think that Delbanco undervalues some of the poetry, particularly Battle Pieces which I have found over the years a provocative literary guide to the Civil War.

              The treatment of Melville's life is interrelated well with a study of his works, as Professor Delbanco gives succint discussions of Melville's early years, his decision to go to sea, his marriage, the question of his sexual orientation, the friendship with Nathaniel Hawthorne, his travels and wanderings, the tragic deaths of two of his sons, and the long reclusive years Melville spent as a customs inspector in New York City. We see Melville with all his difficulties and as a great but in his lifetime forgotten writer. Readers interested in a good novelistic portrayal of Melville may wish to read Frederick Busch's "The Night Inspector", to which Professor Delbanco refers.

              (...)
              I came away from Professor Belbanco's book with the desire to revist some of the Melville works that I have read in the past and, perhaps, to read some of the works that I don't know for the first time. I think it is the purpose of a study such as Delbanco's to return to reader to the words of the author, in this case Melville. Delbanco's book succeeds in doing so admirably.

              (...)

              3 out of 5 stars Hershel Parker's rehash.......2006-01-18

              All of the comments about this book are true with the exception that the majority of the biographical findings stem from Hershel Parker's groundbreaking, momentuous two-volume work that maintains itself as THE definitive biography of Melville. Credit Mr. Parker for The Isle of the Cross details, not Delbanco who was one of Parker's most vocal critics and once disputed the biographer's findings on The Isle of the Cross. However, if you do not want to wade through Parker's immense work, then go for this.

              5 out of 5 stars A World of Hurt.......2006-01-04

              Some parts of Melville's writing are so dense even he got confused in them, for perhaps it was not his conscious self in charge of the words spilling out on the page in splendid, mordant constellation. At the end of his life, he returned after 30 years of sometimes brilliant poetry to write one last short novel, BILLY BUDD, in which most of the quixotic exuberance of PIERRE and MOBY DICK, of earlier years, seems to have been burnt away, as if by great pain.

              Intriguing to hear the story (such as it is) of THE ISLE OF THE CROSS, Melville's lost novel, rejected by Harpers Magazine and then disappeared. Maybe this book will return to us someday, miracles have happened before. Written at the height of Melville's powers, ISLE emerges under Delbanco's suggestive treatment as a parable of his relations with Hawthorne, and the pull of the land versus the romance of the sea.

              The great pain must have been the suicide of Mackie, Melville's son, who killed himself at age 18 at home; the coroner decided it must have been an accident, a pistol shot gone wrong, after th family protested his earlier ruling of suicide. How awful to think of Lizzie worrying that Malcolm wasn't getting up in the morning, he'd be late for work, and Melville saying, let him stay in bed if he needs to, and he'll pay for his tardiness if he needs to. And then at the end of the day, when they finally made their way into his bedroom, he was long dead, the gun at his side. Though Delbanco says that we will never know if Melville was a homosexual, it seems to me that the whole Mackie drama doesn't make much sense unless you allow he possibility that the boy killed himself to protect himself from further sexual predation by his father. And that CLAREL, JOHN MARR, and BILLY BUDD were the father's attempts to make sense of the wrong he had done the boy.
              Melville: His World And Work
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                Melville: His World And Work
                Andrew Delbanco
                Manufacturer: Alfred a Knopf Inc
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Hardcover

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                ASIN: 033037107X
                Andrew Delbanco: Melville: His World and Work.(Book review): An article from: Leviathan
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Andrew Delbanco: Melville: His World and Work.(Book review): An article from: Leviathan
                  Samuel Otter
                  Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Digital

                  GeneralGeneral | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
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                  ASIN: B000R38520
                  Release Date: 2007-05-21

                  Book Description

                  This digital document is an article from Leviathan, published by Thomson Gale on March 1, 2007. The length of the article is 3445 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: Andrew Delbanco: Melville: His World and Work.(Book review)
                  Author: Samuel Otter
                  Publication: Leviathan (Magazine/Journal)
                  Date: March 1, 2007
                  Publisher: Thomson Gale
                  Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Page: 69(8)

                  Article Type: Book review

                  Distributed by Thomson Gale
                  Writer in Crisis: Reopening the case of Herman Melville.(Melville: His World and Work)(Book review) : An article from: The Weekly Standard
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                    Writer in Crisis: Reopening the case of Herman Melville.(Melville: His World and Work)(Book review) : An article from: The Weekly Standard
                    Edwin M., Jr. Yoder
                    Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Digital
                    ASIN: B000FDFQPG
                    Release Date: 2006-04-14

                    Book Description

                    This digital document is an article from The Weekly Standard, published by Thomson Gale on December 12, 2005. The length of the article is 1398 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: Writer in Crisis: Reopening the case of Herman Melville.(Melville: His World and Work)(Book review)
                    Author: Edwin M., Jr. Yoder
                    Publication: The Weekly Standard (Magazine/Journal)
                    Date: December 12, 2005
                    Publisher: Thomson Gale
                    Volume: 11 Issue: 13 Page: NA

                    Article Type: Book review

                    Distributed by Thomson Gale
                    Melville: His World And Work
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      Melville: His World And Work
                      Andrew; This copy Owned By John Updike. Delbanco
                      Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf Inc
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Paperback
                      ASIN: B000NY6ZI4

                      Battle Zone Normandy: Utah Beach
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                        Battle Zone Normandy: Utah Beach
                        Stephen Badsey
                        Manufacturer: Sutton Publishing
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Hardcover

                        GeneralGeneral | Military | History | Subjects | Books
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                        ASIN: 0750930136

                        Book Description

                        Taking the defenders by surprise, the US 4th Division touched down on Utah Beach at dawn on D-Day, losing only 197 men killed out of 23,000 who landed that day. Meanwhile, US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions secured the flanks of the Utah landing, assuring the ground troops' progress inland.

                        History of Africa: Revised 2nd Ed
                        Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
                        • Feel-good, anti-European propaganda
                        • State-Of-The-Art African History
                        • concise and thoughtful, without being superficial
                        • A Good Analysis of Africa
                        • Admirable Intention
                        History of Africa: Revised 2nd Ed
                        Kevin Shillington
                        Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Paperback

                        GeneralGeneral | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
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                        All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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                        1. Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali , Longman African Writers Series (Longman African Classics) Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali , Longman African Writers Series (Longman African Classics)
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                        3. Things Fall Apart: A Novel Things Fall Apart: A Novel
                        4. Africans and Their History: Second Revised Edition Africans and Their History: Second Revised Edition
                        5. Ibn Battuta in Black Africa (World History) Ibn Battuta in Black Africa (World History)

                        ASIN: 0333599578
                        Release Date: 2005-08-11

                        Book Description

                        Now fully revised and updated, this classic text offers an illustrated and critical narrative introduction to the history of Africa from earliest times to the present. Beginning with the evolution of mankind itself, the book traces the history of Africa through the millennia of the ancient world to the centuries of medieval and modern Africa. The clear and simple language andnbsp;the wealth of carefully chosen maps and photosnbsp;combine to make an essential and accessible text.

                        Customer Reviews:

                        1 out of 5 stars Feel-good, anti-European propaganda.......2007-07-15

                        Shillington blames Europe for all of Africa's ills but he fails to put forth a good case arguing why we should agree with him. The views presented in "History of Africa" are compatible with the current trend in academia, but these interpretations are controversial nevertheless, and should be treated as such. That is why it is disappointing to see an argument without depth or verification. The format is just as telling: it mimics a textbook. "History of Africa" gives a matter-of-fact overview, complete with his dressings of bias, which are presented as irrefutable truths. No counterargument is ever addressed.

                        Picture a one-sided thesis about Africa as an exploited land, where the continent is portrayed as unable to progress thanks to outside intervention...but wait, this is not Shillington's "History of Africa"; first you must take away all of the supportive details and footnotes - if they were ever there to begin with - leaving only tiny fragments of the original thesis to be sprinkled throughout an encyclopedic article about Africa...THAT mishmash is Shillingon's "History of Africa. His point of view is presumably borrowed from some of the texts in his diminutive bibliography.

                        It is worth noting that "History of Africa" contains an impressive collection of images. Accentuating the positive, perhaps one could even say the text should be thought of as the cliff notes to select works. Still, this is dumbed-down education at its finest.

                        4 out of 5 stars State-Of-The-Art African History.......2006-08-17

                        Here is the best one-volume history of this misunderstood continent, one which highlights Africans' agency and creativity. Now in a third edition, it has more useful features than any competitors. Numerous superb illustrations present images ranging from rare to famous. The maps are even better, allowing readers to locate places, peoples and developments precisely. And the text displays Shillington's mastery of all the latest scholarly work on the continent. His sober, balanced approach is sometimes dry, but the style is always readable. Publisher and author claim that "History of Africa" is both a high school and college text, but plentiful (not excessive) detail makes it a challenge for all but the most advanced secondary students. More direct quotations from oral and written sources would improve the book, but this is a minor problem remedied by using supplementary materials. Lastly, the cost is reasonable, less than half the average for comparable surveys of Western Civ or US history. This volume will satisfy the curiosity of the general public too.

                        5 out of 5 stars concise and thoughtful, without being superficial.......2005-05-12

                        I had the good fortune to be introduced to this book by reading it aloud as a volunteer for Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. Shillington builds a lucid case that the decline of the Egyptian civilization coincided with a shift away from trade and toward imperial domination -- which failed over long distances. Each chapter provides a clear perspective and a compelling read. High praise for a textbook!

                        4 out of 5 stars A Good Analysis of Africa.......2004-02-15

                        Shillington provides a good survey style textbook on African history from antiquity to the modern period. He covers in great detail and quality of the relationship between Africa and Islam as well as the nature of slavery and apartheid. He covers the slave trade in quite a bit of detail, explaining the value of the African as a marketable commodity. He also explains the origins of apartheid as a colonial parting gift that became entrenched racist national policy for more than fifty years. Shillington's survey is quite appropriate for a high school African history class, an undergraduate African history survey or introduction or even as a first book for a graduate African history course. The topics covered here are obviously from an Africanist point of view although there is a minimum, if any, level of bias on Shillington's part.

                        4 out of 5 stars Admirable Intention.......2004-01-22

                        The book is written from an African point of view, which is badly needed in the current world of academia. Shillington does a great job of portraying things from the "other side". The only defect is that he can sometimes be too sympathetic to the other side and penalize westerners, giving the book a slight bias. Despite this, it is an excellent book for getting a look into African history from another angle.
                        History of Africa: Revised 2nd Ed
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          History of Africa: Revised 2nd Ed
                          Kevin Shillington
                          Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Paperback
                          ASIN: B000OUU8TE

                          Crimson-Bellied Tragopan: International Academic Publishers
                          Average customer rating: Not rated
                            Crimson-Bellied Tragopan: International Academic Publishers
                            Li Xiangtao
                            Manufacturer: Hancock House Pub Ltd
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Paperback

                            GeneralGeneral | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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                            ASIN: 7800031551

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