Evolutionary Architecture: Nature as a Basis for Design

Book Description

About Eugene Tsui and evolutionary architecture . "Eugene Tsui is a polymath, a kind of genius.. His evolutionary ideas fit my image of a desirable, feasible future. The 21st century needs ideas like his that conserve space, energy, and materials without offending aesthetics." -Dr. Richard MeierProfessor of Architecture, Planning, and Environmental Design University of California, Berkeley "[Tsui's] drawings, models, and buildings look like buildings from a Spielberg film, circa 3000.. Eugene Tsui's designs defy the imagination. He is bringing a different view to architecture." -Rocky Leplin The Associated Press "Welcome to the evolutionary architecture of Eugene Tsui.a place where everything is possible, and the mind is constantly being tested and stimulated to open and explore yet another new opportunity.. Tsui's philosophy of architectural design goes against practically everything people have come to know about architecture." -Beverly R. Picache Asian Week Newspaper

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant, insightful, inspiring........1999-08-27

Eugene Tsui has added another gospel to his bible for evolutionary architecture. What can't be captured in merely addressing his architecture is the clarity, force and intelligence of his writing. In addition to being one of the few architects who can write coherently, Eugene Tsui has a unique, compelling presence felt throughout the book. When finished, I felt braced, urged on and encouraged in my own life pursuits. This book is worth every cent of its price, and is priceless for its spiritual value.

A great book by an architect destined to become renown.......1999-07-08

Eugen Tsui is a visionary who sees in the natural world forms and functions that can be used by man in his created environments to the benefit of mind, spirit, ecology and wallet. Innovative and unorthodox building methods and materials; making the most of the vast sea of unapplied knowledge overlooked by most architects is his specialty. Tsui ia a genius who is unlikely to be fully appreciated by his own era. In this book Tsui explains his ideology and presents visuals to stun the mind out of its "stick-built" suburban tract house rut.

Amazing Revolutionary ideas behind architecture.......1999-05-20

This book is a must have for anyone interested in reinventing their view of how humans can build and design. Includes a detailed analysis of Eugene Tsui's Philosophy of studying nature to help us architect our environments and housing. Showing many re-world examples in nature where animals and creatures create amazingly responsive architecture. The book then takes these principles and shows how this can be translated into helping architects become more innovative both aesthetically and technically. Eugene trancends the typical and primarily aesthetic ideas of Frank Lloyd Wright and other "Organic Architects" showing how nature can help guide us to build more ecologically advanced architecture that is more responsive to the new millinium.

Book Description

Those who think of the Florida Keys as miles of sandy beaches have much to learn about our southern Florida archipelago.

Each year, about four million people visit the Florida Keys, a 150-mile chain of tropical islands known for its diving, seagrass beds, mysterious mangrove forests, lush hardwood hammocks, rocky pinelands, and both fresh and saltwater wetlands (but not miles of sandy beaches).

The Florida Keys explores the extraordinary beauty of this ecological treasure in stunning color photos as well as threats of over-development and pollution. Chapter topics include formation of the area, geology, impact of climate, ocean currents and hurricanes, living things in each ecosystem, and human impact.

Also recommended: Florida: The Natural Wonders, The Florida Everglades, Sanibel Island, Sea Turtles, Alligators & Crocodiles.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2003-07-28

Beautiful pictures. Interesting commentary. Obviously written by people who truly know and love nature, and who are on intimately familiar terms with the peculiar environments of the Florida Keys.

Book Description

The social minefields most privileged middle-school girls drive the over-the-top drama in this addictive new book, set in suburban New York City's Westchester County. Massie Block: With her glossy brunette bob and Whitestrip smile, Massie is the uncontested ruler of The Clique and the rest of the social scene at Octavian Country Day, an exclusive private school in Westchester, New York. Dylan Marvil: Massie's second in command who divides her time between sucking up to Massie and sucking down Atkins shakes to try to get rid of the extra fifteen pounds that won't seem to leave her hips alone. Alicia Rivera: As sneaky as she is beautiful, Alicia floats easily under adult radar because she seems so 'sweet.' Would love to take Massie's throne one day. Just might do it. Kristen Gregory: She's been dying to fit in ever since her parents went broke. She's smart, hardworking and will insult you to tears faster than you can say 'scholarship kid.' And then there's Claire Lyons, the new girl in two-year old GAP overalls from Florida, who is clearly not Clique material. The only problem is that Claire's family is staying in the guest house on the Blocks' massive estate while they look for a new home! Claire's future looks worse than a bad Prada knockoff. But with a little luck and a lot of scheming, Claire might just come up smelling like Chanel Mademoiselle....

Customer Reviews:

Dial L for Loser.......2007-09-17

I thought the book was very interesting. It made you want to keep reading. This book was my favorite so far in the series but it left you hanging in the end I can't wait til I get to read the next one. Lisi Harrison is a great writer for teens.

Sealed with a Diss.......2007-09-10

This book was absolutley fabulous. I love how Lisi Harrison keeps you on the edge and anticipating the next word (or in Massie's case, a clever comeback!) These books are fun filled and action packed, a great read for anyone 10 or older. I recomend this series to everyone, and I cannot wait for the next book!

More More MORE!.......2007-08-17

I loved this book, but I hated the fact that it ended like it did and the next one doesn't come out til next year. That sux! But the book itself was )as most cliques are) drama filled and intense. The life of an alpha is so not as great as it seems. And the poor girls and their crushes I mean you have GOT to feel sorry for them.

This story takes you on a journey that ended quite abrubtly, and will begin again in February 2008!!! Man I can't wait!!!!!&hearts;

Another ah-mazing Clique book!.......2007-08-06

I have really enjoyed ALL of the books in the Clique series. I am a middle school teacher, and have shared my love of reading with many girls via the Clique books. These books are perfect for a hesistant reader- they are so engaging and fun to read. They are also age-appropriate, unlike some other series that are marketed to young girls.
Massie and the Pretty Committee do not disappoint in the 8th book of this series. The dialog is snappy as always, and left me looking forward to the 9th book!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-07-30

this is my favorite book out of the clique series so far. i'm not going to tell you what happened but it's a real cliff hanger. anyway it's a great book and i gaurantee that you won't want to put the book down.

Dial L for Loser: The Clique, Book 6 (Unabridged)

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Dial L for Loser: The Clique, Book 6 (Unabridged)
Lisi Harrison
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B000J20U4A

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A Review of the Structure and Physical Properties of Liquid Crystal
Glenn Brown
Manufacturer: CRC, Cleveland.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NSNB6E

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A review of the structure and physical properties of liquid crystals; (CRC monoscience series)
Glenn Halstead Brown
Manufacturer: Butterworths
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Crystallography | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books
General & Reference | Chemistry | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0408701951

Book Description

Articles are presented, covering a wide range of topics in the mathematical methods of quantum physics. These include infinite dimensional analysis based on white noise, operator algebra methods, Feynman path integrals, quantum mechanics on non-simply connected spaces, recent results in supersymmetric theories, stochastic and quantum dynamics, Yang-Baxter systems, statistical physics, thermo field dynamics, and quantum field theory. The essays are based on lectures contributed for the Second Jagna International Workshop held in honour of Prof. Hiroshi Ezawa, a distinguished physicist, educator, and former president of the Physical Society of Japan.

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Caesar's last months

Fascinating novel about Caesar

A 1950's Book, set in 44 BC, and perfect for 2006

A unique historical novel of the last year of Julis Caesar

A different historical novel

The Ides of March: A Novel
Thornton Wilder
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Wilder, Thornton | ( W ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0060088907
Release Date: 2003-09-16

Book Description

Drawing on such unique sources as Thornton Wilder's unpublished letters, journals, and selections from the extensive annotations Wilder made years later in the margins of the book, Tappan Wilder's Afterword adds a special dimension to the reissue of this internationally acclaimed novel.

The Ides of March, first published in 1948, is a brilliant epistolary novel set in Julius Caesar's Rome. Thornton Wilder called it "a fantasia on certain events and persons of the last days of the Roman republic." Through vividly imagined letters and documents, Wilder brings to life a dramatic period of world history and one of history's most magnetic, elusive personalities.

In this inventive narrative, the Caesar of history becomes Caesar the human being. Wilder also resurrects the controversial figures surrounding Caesar -- Cleopatra, Catullus, Cicero, and others. All Rome comes crowding through these pages -- the Rome of villas and slums, beautiful women and brawling youths, spies and assassins.

Customer Reviews:

Caesar's last months.......2006-11-27

The structure of this novel, made up of letters written by different persons, allows us to examine Julius Caesar from multiple points of view. Undoubtedly a man of enormous energy, ambition, intelligence and the will to exercise power, Caesar is different things to different observers. Dictator, traitor, military genius, great politician, depraved soul. Who exactly is Caesar? Through family and political gossip, a tight web is being formed around this titan of history, until the final stabbing in the Senate. A fascinating counterfactual question is: What would have happened had Caesar survived the attack? But he didn't and civil war ensued, ending with the death of the Roman Republic and the beginning of Empire. Some of the best parts of the novel are Caesar's own letters, especially those adressed to Lucius Mamillius Turrinus, where Caesar develops his views on politics, power, and government, as observed by a natural born leader, a ruler of soldiers and politicians; a vain and authoritarian man, but also extremely conscious of his mortal human nature -he was exasperated by omens and superstition- as well as of the immense responsaibility that power brings upon rulers. Jumping in time, this novel takes us by the hand towards the tragic end of one of the most important and enigmatic characters of history.

Fascinating novel about Caesar.......2006-07-17

This excellent novel, Wilder's masterpiece, is set during the last 17 years in the life of Julius Caesar in Rome. In it he attempts to answer the following: "What sort of person was Caesar and why was he assassinated?" Told mainly through letters and documents of people who knew him, from the famous - Cleopatra, Catallus, Cicero, Brutus - to the lesser known - Cytheris, an actress; Turrinus, a friend; Cornelius Nepos, a political observer - and including such sources as Caesar's commonplace book and journal, broadsides, and various official memoranda, Wilder creates a brilliant picture of the man and the people who surround him. We learn of Caesar's great love for Rome, but his disdain for those who populate her. In a magnificent observation by his physician Sosthenes, he says, "Caesar does not love, nor does he inspire love. He diffuses an equable glow of ordered good will, a passionless energy that creates without fever, and which expands itself without self-examination or self-doubt....I could not love him and I never leave his presence without relief." Those few sentences speak volumes. We see in Caesar's own (private) letters how different the public figure (lofty, dictatorial, the great warrior) is from the private man (amused by human folly, lonely, sensitive to those who have been injured by life's cruelties). Yet the book is not just a history lesson, despite its appearance, but a moving novel that builds masterfully to a stunning climax on the Ides of March with his murder. The book is truly magnificent, filled with much insight into human motivation and observation. Definitely worth looking into.

A 1950's Book, set in 44 BC, and perfect for 2006.......2006-02-21

The year? 44BC. The secret police are rifling through an artist's dresser. An emperor's mistress from the Middle East has come to pay him a visit in Rome. Soldiers are mobilizing for another assault on Persia. Senators are plotting against Caesar. His scatterbrained wife is worried about dresses while the great Cleopatra plays her for a fool. Poetry, assaults, poisonings, decadant parties, price fixing, and intregue. We all already know about ancient Rome. The question is, how could Thornton Wilder predict 2006. Ah, the more things change... the more they stay the same. What a fun read for the average guy, like me!

A unique historical novel of the last year of Julis Caesar.......2004-03-26

I think most people know the story of Julius Caesar's death: stabbed 23 times on March 15th during a session of the Senate. What Thornton Wilder has done with his novel is to give the reader a glimpse in to the human side of Caesar, through journal entries and correspondence from him and those surrounding him. We learn of the statesman, who tries his best to govern his people; of his "divinity" and his tolerance of the belief in gods and goddesses; of the family man living in a tepid marriage with his wife Pompeia; and of his attraction to intellectuals, whether if be the poet Catullus, whose poetry he highly regards even if it mocks him, and the beautfiul Egyptian Queen Cleopatra, whom he considers almost an equal in terms of ability to rule. Wilder also lets us in on public opinion concerning the Dictator, as Caesar was also known, through intercepted correspondence of Clodia Pulcher and others. Caesar becomes more of a human figure in the hands of Wilder. He has his foibles and his share of indecisions, just like any other person. He also tries to do what he believes to be the right thing in terms of treating others. A unique historical novel.

A different historical novel.......2003-01-25

Contrary to what we could think, this novel is not dedicated to Julius Caesar's death, as Shakespeare did in his tragedy. It does not talk about his life, either. It just tells us about his last eight months.
He does it with a tecnique different from tradicional historical novel from the XIXth century and it's different, too, from the pseudo-memories, which is the favourite form of historical novel in the XXth century. Thornton Wilder prefers to juxtapose in four books a series of documents from different sources: letters, political pamphlets, inscriptions, poetry... He does not follow a chronological order but, as a kind of consecutive focusing, each book starts before and ends later than the previous one. And the very core, the central point, is September 45 BC, when an attempt against Julius Caesar's life was made. This way of telling the story is very pleasant but it asks a little effort from the reader to organize those materials in his mind.
Anyway, Thornton Wilder is not strictly historical, and he tells us beforehand. Some events happened years before 45 or 44, some characters were already dead. I think he does not really want to talk about Caesar or his time. He prefers to talk about loneliness: of a ruler that can trust no one, of man in front os his own mortality, of the absence of gods (lived not dramatically but with no consequence, either).
In the last part of the book I think he tells exactly what he's worried about: the mistery of life is very huge. It's so big that we have not a definitive idea about it, is life good or bad? tidy or chaotic? To sum it up, has it got any sense at all?
It looks as if Caesar was only worried about posthumous glory, the way future generations were going to remember him. It sounds a very poor reward, but it is more that what the majority of us will achieve.
I liked some femenine portrays in this book. Not Cleopatra or Clodia Pulcher, the first one is a mistery in herself (a Greek princess in an Egyptian kingdom), the second one so evilishly depicted by Catullus poetry that we could never get what she really was. The great women are the Roman matrons, the ones that had such a big influence in the Roman Republic, and the respect towards them as the real shadow cabinet.
Why should anyone read this book? Because it's very entertaining and you could learn some philosophy and a little bit (not too much, really) history.

Ides of March, 1948 (novel) (IN RUSSIAN LANGUAGE) / (Martovskie idy. Most korolja Ljudovika Svjatogo / . )

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Ides of March, 1948 (novel) (IN RUSSIAN LANGUAGE) / (Martovskie idy. Most korolja Ljudovika Svjatogo / . )
Thornton Niven Wilder , , and Thornton Wilder
Manufacturer: AST
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

All Russian Books | Russian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 5170170874

Product Description

Page created by "RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE".

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The Ides of March : A Novel

Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GG4ZFO

Customer Reviews:

A true classic.......2007-07-10

Yes, I'm one of the cult-followers of Helene Hanff's mighty Charing Cross Road books. They are charming, indeed. Q'S LEGACY, however, is the book that tells why. It is the perfect culmination to the story of Helene's trans-atlantic love affair with Marks & Co, the antiquarian booksellers.

If you've loved 84 et al., you must read Q. It's as simple as that.

A Book Lover's Book.......2007-06-27

Every book lover who has read the 97 pages of "84, Charing Cross Road" about Helene Hanff's wonderful correspondence with a London bookseller, ended with a tear in their eye and a longing for more. "Q's Legacy" is the more. It tells how "84" came to be published and how, after years of yearning, she finally gets to visit England. "Q's Legacy" has little meaning without reading "84" first. I've given many copies of both to friends over the years and they treasure them both. You will, too.

the story behind 84 Charing Cross Road.......2007-02-27

The author's account of her life in fiction, particularly related to her writing 84 Charing Cross Road and the Dutchess of Bloomsbury Street. An absolute must for Helene Hanff fans.

Q's Legacy .......2007-02-17

Recently, I saw a movie based on a Helene Hanff book. I enjoyed the movie so much I bought "Q's Legacy". I love it and was sorry to reach the end. So few writers can express life as Miss Hanff does, and what a wit!!! I am sending the book to my granddaughter to read with instructions to return it so I may re-read it.

to hh, fpd, and q.......2005-12-01

This book truly is a love letter to book lovers everywhere. You either get it and adore it, or the message passes you by and you are lost.

The fairy stories that did not come true: Containing also Miss Loomis' legacy ; and The symphony in Q minor

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The fairy stories that did not come true: Containing also Miss Loomis' legacy ; and The symphony in Q minor
Annie Pupin
Manufacturer: Published by Madame A. Pupin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00088OWPS

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Review of fine book for people who like boats.

Legacy
Joanne S. Scott
Manufacturer: Nimbus Studio Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Turtleback

Book Description

"In these days of fiberglass, one could perhaps understand how a sailor could succumb to owning one wooden boat . . . but four, five, over ten?

Here is woven a tale through narrative poetry of the foibles and romance of a sail-smitten family and the steady accumulation of one fine character boat after another."

Poetry and pen and ink drawings about seventeen wooden boats and sailing Chesapeake Bay and the Maine coastal islands.

Printed on heavy quality Mohawk Superfine stock, 48 pages stitched in 16 page signatures, composed in Centaur, with wraparound cover in two colors with large fold-in flaps.

Customer Reviews:

Review of fine book for people who like boats........2001-02-24

If you love the waterfront, the look of a fine vessel, the feel of freedom with a boat under you, you will love this book. Ms. Scott's poetry evokes the feel of the situation, the sense of the person portrayed, the reality of the environment. Along with the superb illustrations by her late husband, David Scott, the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. A delightful read, and a wonderful re-read, savoring the poetry AND the pictures.

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Legacy Lenders
Harold Q. Masur
Manufacturer: RANDOM HOUSE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OJXBXK

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The Legacy Lenders
Harold Q. Masur
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NPWSHU

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The Legacy Lenders
Harold Q. Masur
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000W27Y0A

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The Legacy Lenders
Harold Q. Masur
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000FH9PQI

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The legacy lenders
Harold Q Masur
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006BQENU

The Legacy of Roman Law in the German Romantic Era

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The Legacy of Roman Law in the German Romantic Era
James Q. Whitman
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Law | Subjects | Books

Jurisprudence | Perspectives on Law | Law | Subjects | Books

Legal History | Perspectives on Law | Law | Subjects | Books

Non-US Legal Systems | Perspectives on Law | Law | Subjects | Books

General | Legal History | Law | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0691055602

Book Description

Well after the process of codification had begun elsewhere in nineteenth-century Europe, ancient Roman law remained in use in Germany, expounded by brilliant scholars and applied in both urban and rural courts. The survival of this flourishing Roman legal culture into the industrial era is a familiar fact, but until now little effort has been made to explain it outside the province of specialized legal history. James Whitman seeks to remedy this neglect by exploring the broad political and cultural significance of German Roman law, emphasizing the hope on the part of German Roman lawyers that they could in some measure revive the Roman social order in their own society. Discussing the background of Romantic era law in the law of the Reformation, Whitman makes the great German tradition of legal scholarship more accessible to all those interested in German history. Drawing on treatises already known to legal historians as well as on previously unexploited records of legal practice, Whitman traces the traditions that allowed nineteenth-century German lawyers like Savigny to present themselves as uniquely "impartial" and "unpolitical." This book will be of particular interest to students of the many German thinkers who were trained as Roman lawyers, among them Marx and Weber.

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Q's Legacy
Helene Hanff
Manufacturer: Gale Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0233978100

Customer Reviews:

Noweigan Campaign.......2007-03-09

This book is for the rather hardcore reader of WWII history and adds to the complete picture of the Norweigan entry into the war. Good read for the seaborne strategist.

Average customer rating:

Great book -- some problems

Think you know how the news business operates? Think again!

News: Who Needs it?

The News About the Business of News

What People Want and What People Need

The News About the News: American Journalism in Peril
Leonard Downie , and Robert Kaiser
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Mass Media | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Media Studies | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Journalism | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
Newspapers & Magazines | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0375408746
Release Date: 2002-02-19

Amazon.com

There's good news and bad news. That's the inside scoop on the state of journalism from Washington Post editors Leonard Downie Jr. and Robert G. Kaiser, whose book The News About the News sheds light on the changes wrought on the profession during the late 20th century. Using the clear, sharp prose emblematic of their craft, the authors examine the effects of changing business standards, the merger of news and entertainment, and--of course--the Internet explosion on how reporting is produced and consumed. Their verdict is that thoroughly researched, unbiased stories on vital topics not only provide a public service but also will sell papers and commercials. This is, of course, a welcome call to arms for reporters, editors, readers, and viewers to demand higher-quality work from news providers. It's hard to find flaws in their arguments; though they are mildly print-chauvinistic, they recognize the problems of their own medium just as much as radio, TV, and the Web. Readers of The News About the News will find themselves better able to evaluate journalism and, perhaps, to help create a demand for good news. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

From two of America’s most prominent and accomplished journalists, an impassioned investigation of an endangered species, good journalism.

Leonard Downie Jr. and Robert G. Kaiser—both reporters and editors at the Washington Post for nearly four decades—take us inside the American news media to reveal why the journalism we watch and read is so often so bad, and to explain what can be done about it.

They demonstrate how the media’s preoccupation with celebrities, entertainment, sensationalism and profits can make a mockery of news. They remind us of the value of serious journalism with inside accounts of how great stories were reported and written—a New York Times investigation of Scientology and the IRS, and a Washington Post exposé of police excesses. They recount a tense debate inside their own newsroom about whether to publicize a presidential candidate’s long-ago love affair.

They also provide surprisingly candid interviews with Dan Rather, Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw. The authors explain why local television news is so uninformative. They evaluate news on the Internet, noting how unreliable it can be, and why it is so important to the future of the news business.

Coverage of the terrorist attacks on America in the fall of 2001 demonstrated that the news media can still do outstanding work, Downie and Kaiser write, but that does not guarantee a bright future for news. Their book makes exceedingly clear why serious, incorruptible, revelatory reporting is crucial to the health of American society if we are to be informed, equipped to make decisions and protected from the abuse of power. And it allows all of us to feel like insiders in one of America’s most powerful institutions, the media.

Customer Reviews:

Great book -- some problems.......2006-10-30

Great book, but they skew some numbers towards their argument. For example, when splaining how some change at a newspaper to dumb down their reporting resulting in a 2% increase in circulation, the authors discounted it, noting that the population increased by about the same amount. However, later in the book, they mention how one newspaper increased their staff and reported more hard news resulting in a minor increase in circulation, but don't mention if the population increased the same amount.

Also, one trend that they didn't mention was political alignment of the media. It used to be that reporters were sometimes not even allowed to vote by their editors and now you have TV "journalists" who openly reveal their politics (Rather and Couric). Again, good newspapers (such as the Post) do an excellent job of remaining balanced even if their editorials are skewed. They could have further explained this and how the news and editorial staff are completely divided at a good newspaper.

As mentioned, they do repeat ideas over and over. Sometimes I'd be reading a paragraph and swear I had read the same para word for word earlier in the book.

The book reminded me of an experience I had with the Today Show. I was a publicist for a dramatic rescue with good video but the piece didn't air. I called the NBC newsdesk to see what happened and they said that they had run out of time for hard news. But the Today Show still had 45 min left and at the time was doing a piece on the latest shoe fashions.

Think you know how the news business operates? Think again!.......2005-10-23

As an aspiring journalist, I'd have to say that this was an eye-opening look into how the news media is run today. Downie and Kaiser present a well-researched argument of their opinion that the "news values" of journalism have changed drastically within the past couple of decades. They talk in depth about newspapers and television news, and discuss the future impact of Internet news sites. This book is filled with facts and statistics from reliable sources (I know - I checked some of them out!) and uses anecdotes to give a more intimate perspective of the business. Their biggest point seems to be (to me) that the profit motive is driving the quality of journalism downhill as the owners of news businesses strive to keep costs down while keeping readership levels and/or ratings up; this inevitibly has led to the rise of sensationalist news stories (like crime and natural disasters) and increasing quantities of celebrity news. If you watch the nightly news today, you will probably get 6-9 stories (no more than a dozen for sure) repeated over and over again, mixed in with traffic, weather, and sports. The newspapers tend to over-emphasize crimes, especially murders, and other dramatic happenings. The fact of the matter is, none of these news stories are actually important in the long run, but since they draw in an audience, the news media will continue covering them. The saddest part is, America doesn't seem to be fighting against this proliferation of inconsequential news; we just accept it and stay tuned for more.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who monitors the news and to anyone interested in pursuing a career in the business of journalism. It gives a completely different (if slightly biased) perspective of journalism from the inside out. It's a relatively quick read, but one that you might want to go back over a few times to make sure you can truly understand the point that Downie and Kaiser are trying to get at.

News: Who Needs it?.......2004-04-20

This book made me mad. It showed how truely twisted and money driven most of the newspaper and television companies are. It also made me mad because I can never watch network news on television again. I used to enjoy the 10:00 news. Stories of crime, killer bees, and Arnold Schwarzenegger were facinating, and I thought, valid uses of news time. Turns out these kinds of stories are meant to attract viewers, not inform them.

This book had to be written. As a young person, the only news my peers seem to be interested in is who is dating who in Hollywood. I understand that this information might be interesting, but it is not news! What I love about this book is that it is written by two people who know what they are talking about. The authors are both journalists for the Washington Post (one of the few newspapers that still has a high standard of news). They have both years of experience and numerous facts to back up their ideas.

More people should read this book to realize what to expect, and hopefully demand, from news.

The News About the Business of News.......2003-11-12

I am generally disgusted with the way that news is reported in today's news market. "The News About the News" touched several good points as to why most of our society feels this disturbed rejection to the papers that are thrown on our porches each morning. Written by two editors from the acclaimed Washington Post, both with almost fourty years of journalistic experience, this is no attempt by a green author to turn an old argument into a paycheck. Yet, although their approach to explaining their viewpoints on the decline of investigative reporting, and good public service was informative - the news about their profession was never conclusive. Not one point was made which outright stated what should be done with a declining audience in today's market. The last few points were along the lines of a transition into the age of new technology, and what the impending effect would have on how news is handled. There were some great points made in reference to huge corporations mishandling the news that we view, in order to make a better profit for their stockholders... but these points and the handful of others could have been made in less pages. Instead, the spin cycle of reapeated premises and dry view points wore on again and again till the last sentence. What does the public want? An answer, and a better journalistic approach to todays news in foreign, domestic and investigative reporting. Yet as was discussed in the book we aren't going to see this until the business of the news comes out of the clouds from making profits and floats back into the reality of public service.

What People Want and What People Need.......2002-12-20

Downie and Kaiser are veteran newspapermen with a very experienced perspective on the business of news, and they prove in this book that the current situation isn't so good. Journalism is in a sorry state due to modern trends of money grubbing and media fragmentation. Increasing absentee corporate ownership of newspapers and TV networks has led to an obsession with short-term profitability, with reporters and editors being forced to focus on lowest-common-denominator topics like entertainment and consumer news. This might help profit margins now, but damage journalistic quality so badly that the health of the news business is in a downward spiral. Another problem is inaccurate market research by consultants who know little about the business, leading to the unproven perception that the public wants less substance and more convenience. The real evidence proves otherwise, and media outlets think that giving people what they want is more useful than giving them what they need. The authors also prove the near uselessness of most local TV newscasts, which have become enslaved by pressure from advertisers, and are prone to "action" news that is photogenic but informationally useless.

The authors tend to heap an annoying amount of praise on their employer, the Washington Post, although that paper deserves its reputation as one of the nation's best. They also fail to look into non-establishment and alternative media outlets (sticking mostly to newspaper, TV, and a little bit of cyberspace), while the later chapters of the book become a repetitive summary of points that were proven long before. However, the insights into the poor health of the news business are very illuminating and even a little scary, because the most successful democratic society should be a well-informed one. But the recent decline in journalistic integrity is not necessarily a permanent trend and it can even be reversed. The best evidence is in the aftermath of 9/11, as the hunger for real in-depth knowledge awakened in the American public, and the news business finally realized that the public was smarter than they assumed all along. Time will tell if the downward trend in quality will reverse itself over the long term, but for the meantime Downie and Kaiser have created an expose that should lead to much self-examination in their field.

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No good news about the news. (Books).: An article from: American Journalism Review
James M. Naughton
Manufacturer: University of Maryland
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B0008F4ZUS
Release Date: 2005-07-30

Book Description

This digital document is an article from American Journalism Review, published by University of Maryland on April 1, 2002. The length of the article is 982 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: No good news about the news. (Books).
Author: James M. Naughton
Publication: American Journalism Review (Refereed)
Date: April 1, 2002
Publisher: University of Maryland
Volume: 24 Issue: 3 Page: 63(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

This ecological treatise contends that hedgerows, wooden barriers, and other natural boundaries play a vital role in the conservation of biodiversity and the scenic quality of the countryside, one which synthetic barriers like chain-link fences and barbed wire cannot fill. Capturing both the practical and the poetic elements of these shrubbery choices, this work incorporates fictional elements to reveal how natural materials connect humans with the outdoors. Both revolutionary and timeless, the philosophy of hedgelaying provided undermines many assumptions of modern life and offers a symbiotic attitude toward nature and landscapes.

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