Panorama: Philosophies of the Visible (Textures: Philosophy, Literature, Culture)

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Panorama: Philosophies of the Visible (Textures: Philosophy, Literature, Culture)

Manufacturer: Continuum International Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aesthetics | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0826460046

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Panorama : philosophies of the visible

Manufacturer: Continuum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H5WZT2

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Group Portrait Photography Handbook - Review

A Must for Group Photographer

Average with much info repeated

Excellent!

Group Portrait Photography Handbook
Bill Hurter
Manufacturer: Amherst Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Portraits | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Reference | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | How-to | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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The Best of Family Portrait Photography: Professional Techniques and Images

The Portrait Photographer's Guide to Posing

Professional Posing Techniques for Wedding and Portrait Photographers

Portrait Photographer's Handbook

Posing for Portrait Photography: A Head-to-Toe Guide

ASIN: 1584281596

Product Description

Learn to create stunning portraits of couples, families and other groups of any size. Posing is discussed in detail, with an emphasis on creating natural-looking groupings and flattering poses. Other techniques include group lighting and finding suitable natural-light situation. 128 pages, 8 1/2 x 11 , Softbound.

Customer Reviews:

Group Portrait Photography Handbook - Review.......2007-07-28

This book did not live up to my expectations. The reader might reasonably expect a handbook to be just that: a treatise that explicates the method used to achieve the examples shown. This would translate to the listing of f stop, shutter speed, lighting arrangement, etc. for the photographic illustration chosen. Unfortunately this information was missing in most of the photos shown in Group Portrait Photography. Although there is some information that the reader can employ when photographing groups, I believe that other books on portrait lighting offer more usable material than was found in Group Portrait Photography. In fact, additional books I own by Mr. Hurter seem superior to this one.

A Must for Group Photographer.......2007-05-12

If you ever have to shoot a group portrait, this book is a must; unless, you are a pro at it. Lots of examples and tips in crafting pleasing group portraits.

Average with much info repeated.......2007-03-23

The author has half a dozen or so books (portrait, family, children, etc.) and they are all essentially the same book with little new or different. The book is tediously basic at some points and there are not enough lighting diagrams or other techniques fully explained. Some of the comments are so obvious as to be funny (like joke and play around with children to put them at ease). I also don't think there are enough photo examples that are easy to recreate.

Overall, if you are a very new photog interested in a few ideas this may fit the bill. But you don't need to buy more than one of his books.

Excellent!.......2003-11-16

I really liked this book. Great examples and pictures to apply to your family, friends, and clients. I wish though there was an example for every instruction, for example, layering a big group into 5.

How to Photograph Weddings, Groups, & Ceremonies (How to Do It Books, 12)

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How to Photograph Weddings, Groups, & Ceremonies (How to Do It Books, 12)
Tom Burk
Manufacturer: Hp Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Group Portrait Photography Handbook
Bill Hurter
Manufacturer: TURNAROUND PUBLISHER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K196LI

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It's a Wonderful Nodwick

Nodwick Chronicles II: Of Gods and Henchmen (Nodwick Chronicles)
Aaron Williams
Manufacturer: Dork Storm Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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Nodwick Chronicles: Volume 1: A Henchman Collection of Nodwick 1-6

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Nodwick Chronicles V: Tour of Doodie (Nodwick Comic Series)

ASIN: 1930964811

Customer Reviews:

It's a Wonderful Nodwick.......2005-11-07

Sometimes, a spoof is even better than the real thing. That's the case with Aaron Williams' "Nodwick Chronicles II," brimming with humour for anyone who has ever played Dungeons & Dragons (or has ever mocked it), full of flying hamsters, aristocratic orcs and evil gods.

The gang is sent to retrieve a magical pillow from a castle, only to find that their client is working for an evil god, Baphuma'al, who has an evil reason for wanting all his teeth back. And the "Powers What Is" accidently give Yeager superpowers. Now he is the heroic Hoo-man, defending innocent hamsters from thugs. Unfortunately, those cosmic powers also gave the Grey Golem an uberbrain -- and he's out for revenge.

Then Piffany is recalled, and Nodwick falls through a hole in reality, and encounters a world without Piffany -- a decrepit world ruled by Baphuma'al. If that wasn't enough, Nodwick encounters an angel the next time he dies, who tries to convince him that the group would be better off if he stayed dead. But changing the group's dynamic has disastrous results, ranging from cannibalism to zombiefication.

In the final stories, the gang finds themselves paying a mortgage when they travel to the Hollow of Hazardous Horror, and come back with more than a giant ruby. And finally, they find out why there are so many orcs -- turns out that somebody has been turning wayward royals into monsters.

With any spoof, there's the danger of overstepping and making it all spoof. Fortunately, Aaron Williams doesn't overstep it, finding a good balance between comedy and real stories about friendship, loyalty, and how much fun it can be to go looting abandoned castles and dungeons.

Not that it's heavy at all -- this volume has plenty of fun scenarios, like the evil god with a lisp, or poor Piffany teaching "icky-bad nasty" kids who disrupt her classes with cannibalism, lycanthropy, and banishing souls to "not nice places." And the "It's A Wonderful Life" spoof is a truly inspired piece of work.

This also continues the spoofy casting -- we have all the fantasy cliches here. There's Nodwick, a long-suffering henchman who dies frequently, and is only resurrected with holy duct tape. There's a hairy barbarian who likes to smash things, a smart if somewhat greedy wizard, and a saintly cleric who refers to villains as "not nice men" and has a war cry of "Love and puppies shall prevail!"

There are some loose plot threads (mostly about Baphuma'al and those prophecies) at the end of the second Nodwick volume. This is "Dungeons and Dragons" -- with a sense of humour.

Customer Reviews:

A lot of fun........2006-03-25

Calvin Trillin is a delightfully funny writer, somewhat reminiscent of Dave Barry with a touch of Mike Royko thrown in. This book was written around the end of the 1980s, so some of the topics are a bit dated. This is no problem for those of us not only old enough to remember the late '80s, but old enough to find it hard to believe that they were really almost 20 years ago (wasn't all of that just the other day?) but younger readers might wonder what some of the columns were actually about. This makes it not only funny, but educational. Good for the young whippersnappers to discover that the world was already darned silly back in the dark ages. Maybe some of them will actually look up some of the topics and learn something. Maybe pigs will fly.

Never enough from this cumudgen.......2004-07-25

Have you heard about the Retentive family of Canada? That's not their real name,it's just what Calvin Trillin dubbed them after reading somewhere that there was a family of four that produced only three bags of garbage a year.Trillin seems to excell in writing about the obvious,odd and ponderable. If he didn't display (quietly)such a sense of humor,I would
suspect he was the neighborhood "Hey you kids, get off my lawn",guy. Every neighborhood has one, the guy who vigilantly guards his lawnagainst attacks by footballs, frisbees and the damages caused by 42 pound children cutting across the corner). Actually, Mr. Trillin is a sane voice in these times when we are bombarded with information and seem to have lost the ability to sort through the drivel think for ourselves. When asked about childcrearing advice he opines "get one that doesn't spit up." This collection of his syndicated columns is sure to delight,amuse,irritate and to make you think.

Enough's Enough - (And The Other Rules Of Life)

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Enough's Enough - (And The Other Rules Of Life)
Calvin Trillin -
Manufacturer: Ticknor Publishing -
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PRZGGQ

Customer Reviews:

Hit and Miss Book.......2003-10-07

This book is really a hit and miss when it comes to the quality and understanding of the reviews.

On one hand, there are some good reviews that put insight into the background of a film as well as the meaning behind it. I particularly enjoyed the review of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" as well as the review of "Yojimbo," and I commend Mike Mayo for speaking against the racism and bland nature of "Gone With the Wind."

On the other hand, some of the reviews make me raise an eyebrow. For example, in the review of "Hamburger Hill" Mike Mayo puts down the film because seemingly it wants to put handsome men on the screen with out their shirts off. Yeah, OK Mike...that was like five minutes of the film. It sounds like you're hiding some repressed feelings. I didn't walk away from "Hamburger Hill" with the same feelings I did when I left "Wild America."

The very fact he includes some films like "Yojimbo" makes me wonder what he considers a war film. There is nothing war-like about "Yojimbo," except for the fact it is a "war" between two rival merchants. But then if he considers that to be a war film, why not include the movie "The St. Valentine's Day Massacre," which was about the war between two rival gangs in Chicago. Including Yojimbo and not a film like "Heaven and Earth," a great Japanese film and one of the best for the Sengoku Jidai period, confuses me and frankly disappoints.

So in the end, I wouldn't say this is an aweful book, but I don't rate it too highly.

Great Expectations . . . Sorry Results.......2003-08-21

Always being an avid follower of Combat/War Films, I thought that this book would aid me in being very selective concerning purchases and objective reviews.

As a neophyte, I trusted that this title "WAR MOVIES" would be comprehensive enough to give me a great scope of the films in this genre. If nothing else, this book made me seek out the GREAT films that this volume never covers . . . this volume is severely in need of an overhaul and update!!! Trust me!

I could never understand the misuse of close to 100 pages of cast names and useless cross references to other useless data at the conclusion of the book.

Face it - this book is a good start, but it is not COMPREHENSIVE! Bring down the price or make a revision - at this stage I could redo the thing!!!

I do not regret buying the book, but sometimes one has to admit that you have purchased a 'READER'S DIGEST CONDENSED VERSION!'

A video guide with a sense of humility - wow!.......1999-11-30

A good portion of the author's introduction is spent preparing faithful war movie fans for the shock of finding out their personal favorite(s) have gone missing. Sacrifices were made to leave room for the requirements of a new kind of omnibus video guide, one with a sense of historical accuracy. Sidebars in this book don't just celebrate the stars or throw out 'didjaknow' trivia. Some of these war films were made in *wartime*, with inevitable effects otherwise unnoticeable to the average civilian. There's a reason why both versions of Henry V are included; so you can appreciate the textual differences between Ken Branagh's 1989 portrait of a young man who grows up fast and Olivier's hand-made (of papier-mache and metal paint no less) epic, photographed throughout the worst of the Nazi's 'Gott strafe England' campaign. International sections cover British, French, Japanese and Russian war stories, while times between the World Wars, during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, and postwar adjustment periods are also given unique treatments.

It's a good idea to read even the sections you usually skip in a reference book. The video resource section will tip you off to the Belle and Blade, a really specialized war/action/conflict tape dealer. Captain Dale Dye's foreword breaks with the dry standard of an academic overview or the typical celebrity's bout of name-dropping and in-jokes. It's a free-standing autobiography that retells, in a self-deprecating but unaffected style, his journey from disillusioned early retirement (as, he says, 'a man without a plan') to the Oscar-caliber experience of Saving Private Ryan by way of an intense collaboration with fellow Viet Vet, Oliver Stone.

Breaks in the tension (of realistic films like Zulu, or stories about hardened vets like Sam Fuller, who filmed his platoon's liberation of a Czech concentration camp) allow for humor, too. Chuckle at the title cards from silent dogfight film Wings. Note how Waterloo is like a spaghetti western. Find out why John Wayne's directorial oddity, The Alamo, prefigured Blazing Saddles! Mayo's personally compiled list of war genre cliches is a Cook's Tour of international stereotypes... It's a small world, after all!

Want an excellent war movie reference guide: Here it is!.......1999-11-03

This is supposed to be a movie guide, but when I started looking through it I was so fascinated that I read it cover-to-cover, just like a novel. But I have always been a great fan of war movies. This is an outstanding reference, the only one of its kind I have seen. I hope that the author will give us Volume II, which will include many other great movies not included. This book is comprehensive and LARGE, and I realize it would be difficult to put together a single source covering all the movies of this genre and also include the wealth of information on each move as included here. This book contains far more information than your usual movie guide. The book includes pictures, quotes, cast, story lines, historical background, and special salutes to outstanding actors and directors. The indices in the back are given by several categories, which make finding things fast and easy. Thanks to this book, I learned there are a few gems out there that I have missed! The book also gives recognition to outstanding overlooked films such as "When Trumpets Fade" and "The Boys in Company C", to name a few. If you want an excellent war movie reference guide: here it is! The author rates movies from one to four bones. I give it a five. Woof! Woof!

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Necropolis Atlanta (A Regional Sourcebook for Wraith: The Oblivion and Vampire: The Masquerade)
James A. Moore , and Sam Chapp
Manufacturer: White Wolf Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Moore, James A. | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 156504164X

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Necropolis
Kurt Herrman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007F9QXA

Book Description

Now in paperback, Create Your Own Future is a powerful book on self-empowerment that offers a wealth of ideas readers can apply immediately to take complete control of their personal and work lives. Intended for anyone who wants to make more money and get more satisfaction from life, the book offers twelve principles for success and real-world action plans that help you reach your goals. Author Brian Tracy is one of the most renowned and successful self-help authors and speakers in the world; Create Your Own Future presents all his accumulated experience in making success happen for others. Now, it can make success happen for you.

Customer Reviews:

Brian Tracy.......2007-02-15

I have read almost everything that Brian Tracy has written. This book is very good. I reccommend anything by Brian Tracy.

Better than Maximum Achievment.......2007-01-20

My personal Brian Tracy book rank would be as Follows:

1. Create Your Own Future
2. Maximum Achievement
3. Eat that Frog
4. Million Dollar Habits
5. Change your Thinking.....
6. Goals
7. Time Power
8. Focal Point

These are my "personal" rankings. Maximum Achievement, I thought, was Tracy's watershed book, but along comes Create Your Own Future.

There is just something about how the book is laid out and delivers chuncks of useful advice without losing your interest. It probably is the best self help book out right now. If you are new to self achievement products....This should be the first book to read and Tracy covers anything you need from sales to business building to motivation.
[...]

Rehash of "Think and Grow Rich?".......2005-11-11

Great book written with high energy and containing lots of great concepts. HOWEVER, is it just me or is this a contemporary version of Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich?"

Misleading MIT endorsement .......2005-01-20

I would like to point out to my fellow success literature readers that while this book is very good it contains a very misleading endorsement. On the back cover (which you can see in amazon) it has a raving statement from someone named Mitch Huhem, President, MIT. I was extremely impressed with a self-help book being endorsed by the president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. So, I went to the MIT site only to conclude that it never had a president named Huhem. I found out that Huhem is president of an insignificant company named MIT Financial (the word financial was conveniently ommitted from the book cover when there was plenty of space in the line to add it). Brian Tracy constantly raves about the importance of values and integrity, so I was disappointed to see that he allowed this misleading statement. As for the create your own future book, like I said it is very good although is just the information from maximum achievement recycled.

OUTSTANDING!.......2004-07-12

Brian Tracy has put together the strategies you need to achieve success. You will find exercises to help you use the information and benefit from it.

Brian has done it again. Another powerful book by the #1 trainer in the world-BRIAN TRACY!

Book Description

Puryear follows MacArthur, Marshall, Eisenhower and Patton through the years of their military service in both peace and war.

Customer Reviews:

Served with Author's Son in Desert Strom.......2002-07-16

I served with Cotton Puryear, the Author's Son, in Desert Storm in 1990-1991. Cotton was the XO of G Troop 2/3 ACR (and a very good one - obviously learned some lessons from Dad). I was a green 2LT just out of the basic course. Cotton loaned me his copy of the book, it was one of the first books on Military leadership I read outside of a classroom and it was exceptional. It was particulalry appropriate for me as a young officer soon to face combat to learn from the greats. The book is very readable and I think should be at the top of any aspiring officer or business executives list who want to learn lessons in leadership from some of our greatest military leaders. Cotton - if you read this send me an e-mail! Brave Rifles!

You don't have to be a historian to enjoy this book........2001-11-20

It is written in such a way that you don't have to be a military historian to enjoy reading about Generals Eisenhower, MacArthur, Marshall, and Patton. It talks about these men as people and explains who they are not just what they did. I have recommended this book to many people.

Sound and Sage advise for self determination.......2000-06-10

I read this book slowly, marking it up and making notations throughout, as principles expounded came to light. These men had to make high pressure decisions, the result of which were stupendous! They were in positions that required sterling character. The ramifications of their conclusions were paramount. The fate of the free world hung on the balance the situation was desperate.

In this study of 19 stars of military character I truly found gold nuggets of wisdom. Principles that are invaluable tools which will assist you to set the sail in your life, and then to get to where you want to go.

Good overview of four significant army leaders.......2000-04-09

"Nineteen Stars" is not intended to be the definitive biographies of Generals Eisenhower, Bradley, Marshall, and Patton, but rather a study of their leadership styles illustrated with specific examples. Puryear provides enough background information on each general to put the various decisions and actions into an understandable context. As a study of leadership and management styles of four successful but very different military leaders, this book accomplishes its goals. Puryear gives the reader adequate appreciation of these general officers and the contributions they made, not to just the war effort, but to the military in general.

Again, this is not intended to be full-blown biographies on these military leaders, but rather a leadership study for young officers and officer candidates. However, this book will serve as an able introduction to the lives of these fascinating men, and will probably inspire a broader audience than just military members to look into more indepth works on these key leaders.

Good history and more........1997-06-17

Written for the education of cadets and young officers, this valuable work studies the lives and careers of Generals Eisenhower, MacArthur, Marshall, and Patton, through their own eyes and the recollections of hundreds of others who worked with them and knew them personally.
Elements common to their success are examined in detail, not only the thorough preparation and capacity for work one expects, but the more subtle qualities of character, and, of course, luck.
Admirably organized and highly readable, Puryear's work should prove useful not only to the target readership and students of military history, but also to anyone interested in questions of leadership and success in any field.
(The numerical rating above is a default setting within Amazon's format. This reviewer does not employ numerical ratings.)

Nineteen Stars : A Study in Military Character and Leadership

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Nineteen Stars : A Study in Military Character and Leadership
Edgar F. Puryear
Manufacturer: Lancer International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 8170621534

Book Description

Ironclad tells the story of the warship USS Monitor and its salvage, one of the most complex and dangerous in history. The Monitor is followed through its maiden voyage from New York to its battle with the Merrimack, and its loss off Cape Hatteras, Paul Clancy takes readers behind the scenes of divers and archaeologists working 240 feet deep.

Customer Reviews:

The _Monitor_'s History and Recovery.......2006-05-26

Anyone who knows a little bit about the Civil War knows something about the battle between the _Monitor_ and the _Merrimack_, the novel ironclad ships that dueled in the waters off Norfolk in 1862. The story has been told many times, but recently there was a high tech twist as the _Monitor_'s turret and other artifacts were reclaimed from the sea bottom. The story of the ship and of the successful salvage operation 140 years later are told in _Ironclad: The Epic Battle, Calamitous Loss, and Historic Recovery of the USS Monitor_ (International Marine / McGraw-Hill) by Paul Clancy. Clancy is a journalist who was a witness to the recovery of _Monitor_ artifacts, and thus can tell of the excitement and dangers of the dives, as well as of the large egos involved, but his look back at the revolutionary ironclads is equally fascinating. He has cleverly combined the stories, devoting alternating chapters to each, so that there is a satisfying build up to the paired climaxes of the sinking of the _Monitor_ and it's re-arising.

The Union answer to the challenge of the _Merrimack_ was found through the inventor John Ericsson, who presented his invention to the Navy's "Ironclad Board" in 1861, which approved the strange vessel. It was really more of submarine, with only thirteen inches of freeboard. A Confederate sailor eventually confronted with the _Monitor_ gave a description that stuck: "an immense shingle floating in the water, with a giant cheesebox rising from its center." That cheesebox was Ericsson's chief innovation (of possibly forty patentable gadgets on the ship). It was the 120-ton turret, a cylinder 22 feet in diameter, wrapped in iron plates, and able to pivot so that its two eleven-inch cannons could fire 168 pound shot at will. Its four-hour battle with the _Merrimack_ was a stalemate; no sailors were killed, and the armor kept either vessel from being seriously damaged, but all navies thereupon realized the advantage of iron over wood. The ship was sunk in transport to the Carolinas, but was found in 1973. The modern part of Clancy's book has to do with the effort to bring up the turret, mostly by skilled Navy divers in saturation diving, breathing just the right combination of oxygen and helium. The area of the dive is one of cold, silt, and fast currents, and there is the constant threat of rough weather, as well as running out of funds, that make the recovery, even if we know the result, exciting.

A wealth of artifacts were brought up, as well as two skeletons which are being treated to the best identification procedures government pathologists can muster. The turret would have slowly and gracefully continued its deterioration in the sea, but in sunlight and air, the salt crystals within the metal were ready to expand and cause the iron to break away; it has had to be bathed in an electrolytic solution to leach out the salt crystals. It and the silverware, guns, engine parts, and more are to be shown in a special hall for the _Monitor_ at the Mariner's Museum in Newport News, opening next year. Clancy's book is a satisfying recounting of the _Monitor_'s important history within the Civil War and within naval history, as well as an exciting tale of a technologically advanced mission to bring the artifacts of that history back for research and display.

Warning; once you start this book cancel your other plans.......2005-11-09

Warning; once you start this book cancel your other plans. This is definitely a cover to cover read. Clancy skillfully weaves the tale of Monitor from its conception to the Battle of Hampton Roads, through its untimely demise to its remarkable recovery. His approach it unusual in that he weaves the two tales of the 19th century Monitor against the drama of the recovery of the ironclad's turret.

While Clancy is admittedly not an engineer he is an accomplished sailor with a sense of history. He draws extensively on this knowledge to explain the Battle of Hampton Roads, why the ironclad sunk and how it was recovered (not salvaged). His descriptions of the rising seas and pending storm off Cape Hatteras and how the 19th century sailors judged the weather gave one an insight as to why this area is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

Equally as insightful is the story of the recovery which was woven directly in with the history. This part too is a tribute to brave and dedicated sailors and archeologists whose willingness to commit everything to the task made you race through one chapter if for no other reason than to find out how the "other" story was unfolding.

It's a masterful book, full of information well told. Look out Tom, there's another Clancy on the radar screen.

A Welcome Addition to Civil War Naval Literature.......2005-10-18

I really liked this book except for two things.

First the title. Ironclad is to me a basically wooden ship that is clad in iron. 'Merrimac' was an ironclad. 'Monitor,' in my mind was not. It's turret, was all iron. This book is mostly about the Monitor. 'Monitor' would have been a better title.

Second is the comment that bringing up the 200 ton turret was the largest, most complex and hazardous ocean salvage operation in history. Bigger and more complex than the 'Glomar Explorer' bringing up the Soviet Golf-II sub in the mid seventies. The Glomar Explorer venture cost in excess of $200 million. I can't believe that we spent that much on the Monitor turret. As for hazardous, what about the rescue of the crew of the 'Squalus?'

Now having finished bitching, this is a great book. Paul Claney has been involved with naval writing, naval history and underwater operations for a very long time. He knows whereof he writes. Living in the Virginia area, he was in the area where the story was happening so he had some personal insite. And finally he is a good writer, able to make this story almost read like a novel.

Anyone interested in the Civil War should find this of interest.

Now, one question I've never even seen asked. During the middle of the battle between the two giants it should have become clear that it was unlikely that they would be able to hurt each other. Why didn't the Confederates simply ignore the 'Cheesebox on a raft' and go sink some more yankee ships?

Amazon.com

Hispanics are quickly transforming the United States both through sheer numbers and their culture, according to Mike Davis. "Salsa is becoming the predominant ethnic flavor--and rhythm--in major metropolitan areas," he writes, and Spanish surnames are growing at five times the rate of the general population (José is now the most popular name for baby boys in California and Texas). Davis, the author of City of Quartz and Ecology of Fear, says the United States is undergoing what he calls "Latin Americanization." In Magical Urbanism, which is short by comparison, he doesn't traffic in tired rhetoric about the magic of multiculturalism or the wonders of ethnic diversity--but he does come down hard against those who resist Latin Americanization. He writes of "an INS police state with sweeping powers away from the border," blasts the opponents of bilingual education, and hopes that Latino immigrants will rejuvenate the American labor movement. The book lacks a strong central thesis; it's more a collection of 15 essays, rich with anecdotes, on topics such as U.S. demographic trends, transnational neighborhoods, and "the Dickensian underworld of day labor." Old fans of Davis will definitely want to check out this latest offering, as will readers interested in a quick look at the face of America's future. --John J. Miller

Book Description

Is the capital of Latin America a small island at the mouth of the Hudson River? Will California soon hold the balance of power in Mexican national politics? Will Latinos reinvigorate the U.S. labor movement? These are some of the provocative questions that Mike Davis explores in this fascinating account of the Latinization of the American urban landscape. As he forcefully shows, this is a demographic and cultural revolution with extraordinary implications. With Spanish-surnames increasing five times faster than the general population, salsa is becoming the predominant ethnic rhythm (and flavor) of contemporary city life. In Los Angeles, Houston, San Antonio, and (shortly) Dallas, Latinos outnumber non-Hispanic whites; in New York, San Diego and Phoenix, they outnumber blacks. According to the Bureau of the Census, Latinos will supply fully two thirds of the nation's population growth between now and the middle of the 21st century when nearly 100 million Americans will boast Latin American ancestry. Davis focuses on the great drama of how Latinos are attempting to translate their urban demographic ascendancy into effective social power. Pundits are now unanimous that Spanish-surname voters are the sleeping giant of US politics. Though the overall vote in the 1996 elections declined significantly, the Latino share rose by a spectacular 16%. Yet electoral mobilization alone is unlikely to redress the increasing income and opportunity gaps between urban Latinos and suburban non-Hispanic whites. Thus in Los Angeles and elsewhere, the militant struggles of Latino workers and students are reinventing the American left. Magical Urbanism is essential reading for anyone who wants to grasp the future of urban America.

Customer Reviews:

Limited Scope, Misleading Title.......2007-02-19

Davis' prose certainly lives up to the hype, keeping me turning the pages. Unfortunately, I never quite found what I was looking for. The book has little to say about Latinos reinventing the U.S. big city, and more to say about how Latinos are being systematically victimized by U.S. big cities (all three of 'em). It deals almost exclusively with the Latino experience in Los Angeles and, to a lesser extent, in Chicago and New York. Although cursory mention is made of other cities with large Latino populations (Houston, San Antonio, Denver, Miami), they are given no in depth treatment.

I expected some discussion of how Latinos are influencing urban forms and the built environment in the U.S. The closest Davis comes is in noting that L.A. doesn't have enough public space to meet the needs of the Latino Community.

There were some high points, the chapter on 'Transnational Suburbs' was fascinating. I also enjoyed the chapter on 'Tropicalizing Cold Urban Space', although its 6 pages seemed too brief.

In short, if you're looking for an unabashadly pro-immigration polemic about the social ills associated with Latino immigration in the U.S., you will love this book. If you want to know about how Latinos will reinvent the U.S. big city, you're sure to be disappointed as only ~25% of this book deals directly with that topic.

Not that interesting.......2004-11-30

I am a Puerto Rican who read the book as a requirement of my English course. I think that that it was interesting at the beginning but after he starts giving examples of what happened to different latinos, it get bored. The theme it's interesting because it reflex the changes that are actually happening in different big cities but all his words distract me.

Davis Does It Again.......2004-05-09

Mike Davis's political writings focus on Latinos in Los Angeles in this book. Of course, this book NEEDED to be written given how Latinos were largely absent in his CITY OF QUARTZ. I agree with the reviewer who says there is nothing really new here; Davis repeats a lot of what Latino scholars have already said (check out his footnotes). On the whole, a decent introduction to Latinos in urban contexts.

....and mystical gang bangers rejuvenate small town USA.......2003-11-01

Davis is sympathetic, but like a typical lefty, places his faith in the labor movement to unite the diverse groups of latinos migrating to US cities. Yeah right. Another pipe-dream that the left can smoke. Hey Mike, how do like Hawaii? Come check out the ****holes like Modesto, Fresno, Salinas and other enclaves in CA that Mexicans are 'reinventing' and then blow back to the islands for your next book on how racist whites are for failing to accept this ridiculous fate for their home states and regions. The heck with the racist angle, how about the population question. How wonderful the world will be when CA has 60 million people, many of them poor, plenty in gangs, and ignorant. Or is that world already here? Aloha.
I gave this book 4 stars because the author's views are old school commie, a rare perspective to maintain as the world fails apart from both capitalist and communist excess.

Searing prose & difficult truths.......2002-11-23

Although each chapter takes on a different topic--bilingual education, anti-Latino violence, the politics of school funding and the staggeringly high Latino drop-out rate, and labor divisions and income discrepancies, to name a few--a unifying theme is present throughout. Essentially, the book describes the Latino influx, particularly that of the past ten or so years, the effects it has had on U.S. cities, and the Anglo backlash to this "Latinization." Obnoxious back-cover review excerpts not withstanding, the "Magical Urbanism" is not about Jennifer Lopez and the new Anglatin popular culture; it addresses more substantial issues than such reviews give it credit for. The numbers Davis presents are disturbing, but the reasons for finding them so will depend on your perspective: For those who seek to preserve the current Anglo power stucture, the degree of Latinization that the country is undergoing (or simply the sheer number of Hispanics it is absorbing) will be terrifying. To those more sympathetic to the plight of people of color seeking to gain a foothold in this country, the details about the poor living conditions and antipathy toward Latinos will be equally disturbing. The book focuses primarily on New York, Miami, Chicago, and especially southern California, but it provides a good overview of the Latino Condition--though it is worth noting that Davis never loses sight of the heterogeniety of the various peoples encompassed by the term "Latino"--nationwide. Don't let the gravity of the subject matter throw you, though, if you're simply looking for a compelling read; Davis is a master of his art, and "Magical Urbanism" is as hard to put down as a good novel.

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Birds and Marshes of the Chesapeake Bay Country
Brooke Meanley
Manufacturer: Tidewater Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Ornithology | Zoology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0870332074

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BIRDS AND MARSHES OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY COUNTRY.
B. Meanley
Manufacturer: Tidewater Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WQLQQO

Average customer rating:
BIRDS & MARSHES OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY COUNTRY.
B. Meanley
Manufacturer: Tidewater Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WPIKA0

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