No Limit: The Rise and Fall of Bob Stupak and Las Vegas' Stratosphere Tower

Product Description

A penetrating look at Bob Stupak, controversial casino owner and builder of the Stratosphere Tower, the tallest structure west of the Mississippi. Between his early years as the son of a notorious gambling operator in Pittsburgh and the grand opening of the Stratosphere, Stupak raced motorcycles, hustled coupons, gambled for high stakes, and battled the mob while he ran the infamous Vegas World casino.

Customer Reviews:

Love this one..........2004-04-21

stories of these types of guys are fascinating. His first hour ever in Vegas and he blows 12,000 bucks, on marker. Proceeded to go right back to the airport and flew home to Pittsburg. But he fell in love with the place. He didnt go back as a gambler, but to get where the real money is, with intentions on becoming a casino owner. After more than 7 years(most of them in Australia - you'll have to read it) he had acguired a substantial grubstake and headed off to Vegas. He runs an ad in the paper looking investment opportunities. Although the ad did not directly produce investment results, it did provide him with some very important connections. He buys a vacant lot far off the strip, gets licensed, builds a casino, adds a hotel and self-promotes his ass off. To fill in the blanks and know the rest, you gotta read it yourself. He even had ties, loosely at best, to Anthony Spiltro, the real life mobster the Joe Pesci character was based on in Casino. I love this one.

The Stratosphere.......2002-10-29

Most interesting...biography of Bob Stupak. Easy read. If you wonder where did the idea of the Stratosphere come from... this has the answers. Bob Stupak is a fascinating gentleman, this tells his story. I just returned from a visit to Vegas and went to the top of Stratosphere, road the High Roller Roller Coaster and took the Big Shot...came across this book while in Vegas and couldn't put it down. Gives background of several casinos and the personalities involved with them... recommend it.

Dull Treatment of a Fascinating Subject.......2001-03-13

I almost bought this book but was fortunate enough to find a copy at my local public library. (I heartily recommend that alternative to buying the book if you have a choice.) I started reading it with great anticipation, but was disappointed off the bat by all the filler material on Bob Stupak's father, Chester. Yeah, sure, the old man was a great influence on his son, but two paragraphs would have sufficed! Next, I kept expecting to read interesting anecdotes about Vegas World, one of the funkiest gambling joints the world will ever know--the very epitome of cheesy. However, the stories just aren't there, and it is a major shortcoming. Finally, even the manner in which the author addresses the great plunge the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino took after it opened in 1996 makes that event--the repercussions of which are still felt today in Las Vegas--seem anticlimactic and irrelevant.

In short, the tower, which Stupak originally conceived as a cash cow, turned out to be his biggest folly and the instrument of his demise. That is the real story of Bob Stupak, but you won't get it in this jumbled, incoherent tome.

Fascinating.......1999-04-14

Great book. Being a regular Las Vegas visitor I have always been intrigued by the incredible Stratosphere Tower and Casino, and wanted to learn a bit more about Bob Stupak, the Stratosphere creator and infamous Vegas personality. What a fascinating life Stupak has had. Everything from his motorcycle racing days, to his early struggles of trying to succeed in the cutthroat Vegas gaming industry. Here is a man with an 8th grade education that overcame staggering odds to become one of the most successful independent operators in the city. He survived a heavy handed Nevada Gaming Control Board, as well as a motorcycle accident that nearly killed him. There is a lesson in this book for all of us. The key word is DETERMINATION! I hope one day my travels in Vegas will give me the opportunity to meet Mr. Stupak, who no matter what you think of him, has left a lasting impression on the Las Vegas skyline that will be a reminder of him for years to come.

In this book Smith wrote a much better story than the hatchet job he did on casino mogul Steve Wynn. Hey John how about a book on one of the true gentleman gaming legends in Vegas, none other than Jackie Gaughan? If written in the even handed manner of your Stupak book, I'll be the first buyer in line!!

Very good read for those interested in Las Vegas.......1998-05-18

Stupak is a figure who inspires strong (and usually negative) reactions in those interested in Las Vegas. Smith, however, delivers what seems to be an even-handed discussion of the man, and what he's done for Las Vegas, both good and bad. A quick and fascinating read.

Book Description

21st Century Samurai, The Secret Path to Success and Fulfillment reads like a personal story, teaching you how to have wealth and wisdom, love and happiness, all at the same time. The time-honored values of the samurai warrior and the love of a son born to a survivor of the holocaust create the background for this groundbreaking book. Seymour shares his heartfelt story and the secrets he's learned to go beyond excellence in business,sports and relationships.

Customer Reviews:

An inspiring businessman's version of Napolean Hill's 'Think & Grow Rich/Law of Success'!.......2007-05-17

21st Century Samurai: The Secret Path to Success and Fulfilments
by Seymour Rifkind

The title is certainly enticing, which in some way explains why I have bought - & then read - the book in the first place.

Since the early eighties, especially after having read Miyamoto Mushashi's 'The Book of Five Rings', I have been fascinated by the philosophy & practices of the samurai. I hereby paraphrase the author's own summary of the Bushido code:

- Honour the concept: know thyself;
- Demonstrate loyalty to their ancestors & patriotism to their country;
- Care for their family & relationships;
- Live in harmony with nature;
- Practise focus & meditation;
- Stretch beyond limitations;
- learn through direct experience;
- keep death in mind at all times in order to live fully each moment;

The author calls himself a 21st century samurai, measuring his success not by his outer-world accomplishments alone (e.g. successful business, multi-millionaire at thirty, world-class athlete, martial artist, mountain climber [two tallest peaks in the Western Hemisphere], etc.) but also by his inner-world achievements in terms of true balance, calm, harmony, peace, benevolence, & altruism, knowing self & making choices in life that support his personal values (e.g. happily married for more than two decades with two grown-up kids, battling addictions, coaching & mentoring others, etc.).

What makes the book compelling to read is the author's personal triumph over an impoverished child-hood as well as his transition from being a descendent of a holocaust victim.

Although his success secrets are not spectacular or ground-breaking, they are nevertheless sensible & pragmatic. I also find that his insights & advice are grounded in real-world scenarios. He has pinned down his ultimate success formula (USF) to twelve success secrets, which are well-illustrated & appropriately exemplified in the book. In particular, I like to single out the following secrets:

- Secret #1: Know thyself!
- Secret #4: Each of us has a choice & we have to choose for the better, for the good;
- Secret #5: Every choice has a cost as well as a benefit;
- Secret #8: Stay committed to the course of your choice (In fact, I would add, 'but remain flexible in your approach');

Another interesting - & yet potent - feature of the book is the series of planning charts, self-exploration exercises & reflective questions that accompany each chapter. Also, wonderful quotes are interspersed throughout the book. Readers can also visit his website to download the planning charts.

To some extent, I would consider this book to be an inspiring businessman's version of Napolean Hill's 'Think & Grow Rich/Law of Success'. However, there is one distinctive contrast: Unlike Napolean Hill, the author has drawn the USF essentially from his own peak performances. As a matter of fact, one of his peak performances really stands out: He started martial art training at age 51 & within a year & a half became a Black Belt & Certified Instructor.

Although the author uses the samurai as a role model, he draws a fine distinction right at the beginning: "...Warriorship is not only about physical training & preparedness; it's an attitude & a stance one takes in life, in every arena of experience..." Ichiban! Seymour-san.

To sum up my review, I reckon if readers are looking for different perspectives in creating the life & wealth of your dreams, & wanting to go beyond excellence in relationships, business as well as sports, this book is worth pursuing.

Inspiring guide to improve the quality of your life.......2004-08-20

This is the most inspiring book I've read since Lance Armstrong's "It's not about the Bike." Part autobiography and mostly self help book, "21st Century Samurai" is outstanding as both.

Seymour's life story is incredible and inspiring on it's own. The child of a holocaust survivor and impoverished as a child, he more than improved his lot in life. With amazing determination and self-confidence his accomplishments are awe-inspiring. These accomplishments include athletic, financial, and personal success. This book shares the secrets that kept him motivated.

Seymour Rifkind does not claim to have easy answers. He points out the aspects of self-improvement that are difficult and painful, but very possible for anybody. This book will benefit you no matter what your age, social status, or current state of mind is. Weather your unemployed and/or addicted to a substance (a topic which he addresses with finesse and downright good advice), a successful professional who feels like your life is going well, or anything in-between, this book will speak to you by encouraging you to be honest with yourself and search what you can do to be more fulfilled.

In an increasingly complicated and fast paced world, this book provides a guide to living your life by using his fascinating and rich life as an example. I can't recommend this book high enough.

Daniel S. Lazar M.D.

Book Description

mericans often think that the stereotypical teenage girl emerged out of thin air in the 1950s, dancing on American Bandstand and wearing poodle skirts. Using a fascinating array of sources, Some Wore Bobby Sox shows that teenage girls were swooning over pop idols and using their allowances to buy the latest fashions well beforehand. After World War I, a teenage identity arose in the U.S., as well as a consumer culture geared toward it. From fashion and beauty to music and movies, high school girls both consumed and influenced what manufac-turers, marketers, and retailers offered to them. Examining both national trends and individual lives, Kelly Schrum looks at the relationship between the power of consumer culture and the ability of girls to accept, reject, and appropriate consumer goods. Lavishly illustrated with images from adver-tisements, catalogs, and high school year books, Some Wore Bobby Sox is a unique and fascinating cultural history of teenage girl culture.

Some Wore Bobby Sox: The Emergence of Teenage Girls' Culture, 1920-1945.(Book review): An article from: Journal of Social History

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Some Wore Bobby Sox: The Emergence of Teenage Girls' Culture, 1920-1945.(Book review): An article from: Journal of Social History
Jessie B. Ramey
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Social History, published by Thomson Gale on December 22, 2006. The length of the article is 938 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: Some Wore Bobby Sox: The Emergence of Teenage Girls' Culture, 1920-1945.(Book review)
Author: Jessie B. Ramey
Publication: Journal of Social History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 40 Issue: 2 Page: 489(3)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Customer Reviews:

Extremely Useful!!.......2007-07-06

I am running a campaign set in and around the city of Greyhawk, and this particular book has proven to be more useful to me than any of the other Greyhawk accessories, including the boxed set of the City of Greyhawk. The area map is excellent, and the place-by-place descriptions of the different sections of the city are arranged in a very user-friendly manner. All in all, a great book.

Good - Not great.......2000-07-24

This is a good addition to the world of Greyhawk campaign setting. More for the updated and conflict resolved history of Oerth and Oerik than for anything really new. Its focus is more on the city of Greyhawk than on the rest of the Flanaess. This is good for starting a campaign, but not if you are somebody who already have long estiblished campaigns going on in the World of Greyhawk.

The author being Roger E. Moore was a wise choice of for this project, as he is responible for much good stuff to come out about the D&D game. He wrote lots of articles about it and was editor of Dragon Magazine for several years as well. He contributed many of the non-human deities to Greyhawk back when Gary Gygax was still manning TSR and activily developing Greyhawk.

Is is good that Greyhawk has once again become the home of the Dungeons and Dragons game.

All in all, a solid product.

However, if you are a long time gammer, much of the information contained within is stuff you already knew and either used, or didn't use. Its one biggest draw-back as I see it is the aceeptace of most of the enforced story lines on it. The greatest stength of the orignal world of greyhawk was that there was no enforced campaign historys. But, you can't just toss all the Greyhawk Wars/From the Ashes stuff either, I guess. Too many people using it.

But then, thats almost a religious issue amoung RPGers. Still, its good that Greyhawk is no longer dead.

Epic resurgence for the World of Greyhawk.......2000-05-02

Have you ever wished that you could have all of the essential information and darkest secrets of the Free City of Greyhawk in one volume, compiled at your fingertips? This giant, 128-page guide (for the DM's eyes only!) gives full details on the people, cultures, shops, sights, dungeons, and arcane magic of the most famous and majestic city in roleplaying. Also includes a gorgeous color poster map of the surrounding regions, a 16-page map booklet, and more! The ultimate reference for a classic Greyhawk campaign.

a rather disappointing return.......1999-07-12

Compared to the original Greyhawk boxed set, or even the City of Greyhawk boxed set, this new "return" of Greyhawk is pathetic. TSR killed Greyhawk several years ago, and it seems they are intent on killing it by default again by not releasing quality materials. Fortunately I am an old Greyhawk fan and DM, and have a ton of material to reference and plenty of in-house produced stuff. One who is new to the world will be terribly disappointed. Shame on you TSR/WotC, for doing a disservice to this rich and vibrant campaign.

a rather disappointing return.......1999-07-12

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Information Systems Today: Why IS Matters (2nd Edition)
Leonard Jessup , and Joseph Valacich
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0131454870

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Contemporary and well written, this book serves as a good desk reference for business professionals who need to know about information systems. Chapter topics include database management, telecommunications, electronic commerce, information system ethics, security, and more. For systems analysts or general business professionals who need to know about information systems.

Information Systems Today: Why IS Matters (2nd Edition)

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Information Systems Today: Why IS Matters (2nd Edition)
Leonard Jessup; Joseph Valacich
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIAEI6

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A Feeling for the Organism: The Life and Work of Barbara McClintock

Bit wordy...

The McClintock Myth

What it takes to break the icy ceiling

A Life in Science.

A Feeling for the Organism, 10th Aniversary Edittion: The Life and Work of Barbara McClintock
Evelyn Fox Keller
Manufacturer: Times Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Amazon.com

Barbara McClintock was one of the premier investigators in cytology and classical genetics, but her work was pushed out of the mainstream by the revolution in molecular biology in the middle of this century. Thirty years later, the simple truths sought by research scientists whose training was closer to physics than biology continued to prove elusive, and the discovery of transposons in bacteria marked the beginning of a revival of interest in her work. Keller's analysis of McClintock's difficulty in finding a place to work and her relations with other investigators is insightful and thought-provoking, not only about women in science, but about the role of dissent in the scientific community.

Book Description

For much of her life she worked alone, brilliant but eccentric, with ideas that made little sense to her colleagues. Yet before DNA and the molecular revolution, Barbara McClintock's tireless analysis of corn led her to uncover some of the deepest, most intricate secrets of genetic organization. Nearly forty years later, her insights would bring her a MacArthur Foundation grant, the Nobel Prize, and long overdue recognition. At her recent death at age 90, she was widely acknowledged as one of the most significant figures in 20th-century science.Evelyn Fox Keller's acclaimed biography, A Feeling for the Organism, gives us the full story of McClintock's pioneering-although sometimes professionally difficult-career in cytology and genetics. The book now appears in a special edition marking the 10th anniversary of its original publication.

Customer Reviews:

A Feeling for the Organism: The Life and Work of Barbara McClintock.......2007-03-08

A very short review of this incontournable book, for all those that want to better know the scientific world or that have interest in the female conditions throughout the 20 century. Those thinking that scientists are a bit "crazy" or mystical will probably find unvaluable arguments in McClintok's personality!
The book is well writen and easy to read; even for people that do not have a background in genetics. From my point of view, those people will nevertheless have more interest in the aspects of "McClintock's as a female revolutionary scientist" rather than in "the genesis and communication of new ideas in life-science".
Most of the information provided about McClintok's life and thoughts seem acurate, even if some authors have pointed out several speculations made by Evelyn Fox Keller.

Bit wordy..........2007-02-16

Bare in mind as I begin this review that I am not interested in science. I read this book as part of a philosophy course interested in "ways of seeing." We looked at this books to discuss scientific ways of seeing and the fact that McClintock saw scientific things that her colleagues didn't see. The book is very interesting, if a bit wordy, and would probably be fascinating to someone actually interested in the topic. If you need to know about the life and work of Barbara McClintock- then the title does not lie. This book will give you a very in depth look at the woman's life and struggles and triumphs.

The McClintock Myth.......2006-12-17

"A Feeling for the Organism" is much closer to memoir than biography. When McClintock denied Keller access to her letters and notebooks, Keller chose to rely on McClintock's recollections. Consequently, we learn how McClintock wanted others to see her, and perhaps how she wanted to see herself, but not the truth. McClintock is portrayed as a genius struggling against a world too stupid to appreciate her brilliance, but the existence of transposition was never in serious doubt; it was McClintock's theory of genetic control that was controversial, and later discarded as incorrect. For a better understanding of McClintock's work and its reception, read The Tangled Field by Nathaniel Comfort, which manages to tell the real story without diminishing the scientific importance or originality of McClintock.

What it takes to break the icy ceiling.......2006-06-22

People talk about glass ceilings, but the ceilings Barbara McClintock broke through were much colder than that. Evelyn Fox Keller, one of the most insightful writers who deals with issues of gender in science, conveys both McClintock's solitude and anguish and her passion for analyzing and understanding her organism's genes and how they affected the corn plants. The holistic approach to the organism is possibly a feminine approach to science, but in her day, admitting to female qualities was a no-no of the most chastised form. She never got tenure, never married, and finished her career as an isolated scientist at a research laboratory. But she never lost the passion for science. The Nobel prize was almost an after thought, certainly received for work completed and presented to dead silence much earlier in her career. Fox Keller sensitively conveys both what she thinks is important and what McClintock herself thought was important (just the science, ma'am!).

A Life in Science........2005-12-31

Barbara McClintock was a maverick from the very beginning. Her parents did not consider education as the best option for a woman. Her relationship with her mother was particularly frictitious. She made the decision to study botany at Cornell, and her love of the genetics grew. She worked on maize at a time when most cytogeneticists were working on Drosophila. It can easily be argued that nobody understood the maize plant and its genetics as well as she did at the time.

The book can get quite technical midway, and will be appreciated best by those with a background in genetics. McClintock was a woman way ahead of her time, in fact, decades ahead. She could not be promoted to certain positions at several institutions simply because she is female (despite a superior knowledge in cytogenetics).

It took approximately 5 years for McClintock to finish and publish her results on transposable elements in chromosomes (transposons). She gave numerous presentations on her discoveries and nobody understood - at a time when molecular biology was taking over the field of cytogenetics. This book shows that science is not always objective. It also brings up legitimate points as to whether the prevailing Western view of Science (i.e. the scientific method) is efficient enough in scientific research and discovery.

I highly recommend this book!

A Feeling for the Organism the Life and Work of Barbara McClintock

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A Feeling for the Organism the Life and Work of Barbara McClintock
Keller Doxie
Manufacturer: W. H. Freeman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LCS1OY

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Feeling for the Organism: The Life and Work of Barbara McClintock
Evelyn Fox Keller
Manufacturer: Henry Holt & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8SLZO

Book Description

The dramatic history of an empire that shaped the modern world in the first authoritative account written for general readers

According to the Ottoman chronicles, the first sultan, Osman, had a dream in which a tree emerged fully formed from his navel "and its shade compassed the world"-symbolizing the vast empire he and his descendants were destined to forge. His vision was soon realized: At its height, the Ottoman realm extended from Hungary to the Persian Gulf, from North Africa to the Caucasus.

The Ottoman Empire was one of the largest and most influential empires in world history. For centuries, Europe watched with fear as the Ottomans steadily advanced their rule across the Balkans. Yet travelers and merchants were irresistibly drawn toward Ottoman lands by their fascination with the Orient and the lure of profit.

Although it survived for over six centuries, the history of the Ottoman Empire is too often colored by the memory of its bloody final throes. In this magisterial work Caroline Finkel lucidly recounts the epic story of the Ottoman Empire from its origins in the thirteenth century through its destruction on the battlefields of World War I.

"Caroline Finkel effortlessly conveys the high drama of Ottoman history." (Orhan Pamuk)

Customer Reviews:

Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire.......2006-08-02

An excellent book. Very readable. A great way to compress six centuries of the great Ottoman Empire in a relatively short space. Finally the truth about Ottomans are emerging from the pens of eminent scholars, instead of garbage spewn by Armenians, Greeks, and some European powers that vied for Ottoman territories and resources for their own colonial purposes. I hate to see armenian-Americans to unfairly degrade a book that is truthful or complimentary to the great Ottoman Empire. Hope these folks grow up soon. I will not stoop to their level and demean the authors that put out lies about the "poor" armenians. Great job Caroline.

Shallow political history.......2006-07-11

I was quite disappointed by this book - its like a 19th century history with a shallow retelling of the names of Sultans, dates and major battles. I would have expected a greater analysis of the socio-cultural milieu in which the Ottoman empire arose and the institutions it spawned. I kept reading on hoping that this would follow but its really just a chronological listing of sultans, the major battles fought - if you want a political history of the empire, this may work for you. But when, why not just read the Wikipedia entry if you have no interest in the socio-political institutions.

Solid.......2006-06-20

This is a decent survey of Ottoman history. In many ways, this is traditional history from above, mainly a political history concentrating on the ups and downs of the reigns of the Ottoman Sultans. Finkel does well in constructing the basic narrative, covering centuries of Ottoman history in solid prose. The complicated dynastic politics of several periods are covered well. Finkel makes a less successful attempt to integrate social and economic history. She describes different phases of social and demographic history in the Empire as related to the political history but rarely provides enough detail to be satisfactory. For example, she mentions the declining Muslim population of the 19th century empire but never describes the size of the population or whether this was an absolute or relative decline. In many sections, she devotes more text to architectural history than relevant economic or social history. This book is largely descriptive and useful on that basis. As a basic political history, it will probably be useful for many, but its analytic shortcomings make its utility limited.

Good core, fuzzy edges.......2006-05-27

This is one more book about Ottoman history, a subject which lately semms to have become fashionable. As a general outline of the Empire's history it is pretty good, mentioning all important events, and doing so from an Ottoman perspective. This last is significant, as traditional histories tend to adopt an anti-Turkish approach by default. I have given this book 3 stars because it omits no serious events, because of the fact that it narrates them from the Ottoman viewpoint and because it utilises many sources, including Ottoman ones.

I have declined givng the last two stars because of two problems: One, many institutions and events are treated superficially or have an inaccurate description -- there is litle depth and often further research reveals the summary presented by the author to be the truth but by no means the whole truth. (or the most important part thereof -- although this also depends on what one considers to be the most important aspect of an event).

The second problem is one endemic to US/English scholarly work:
All too often, the sources cited, though numerous, turn out to consist of english-language bibliography plus some sources from the culture/people being studied. In this case the bibliography consists of Ottoman and english language sources. Yet when writing history it is oftem critical to examine the writings of a people's neighbors and enemies as well. This is sadly lacking here, the author seems not to be aware of contemporary Greek, Italian, Persian or Russian sources. An example: in discussing te 1821 Greek revolt, the author states that it is not clear whether Prince Ypsilantis's Moldavian adventure was undertaken in coordination with the Morea rebels. Yet anyone with elementary knowledge of contemorary greek writings on the issue cannot help but be aware that coordination did exist and in fact the whole point of the Moldavian affair was to provide at worst a diversion for Ottoman troops and at best cause a Russo-Turkish war.

One last thing, an appeal to my fellow Greeks, concerning reviews who give the book one star because it ignores how evil vicious and subhuman the Turks are: Can we PLEASE grow up and stop demonizing the Turks? Yes the author does not mention the Armenian genocide and the pogroms at the Ottoman Greeks expense as forcefully as many of us might have liked, but the way to draw attention to these omissions is NOT by blatantly exaggerating Turkish "cruelty" or the number of people who fell victim of the upheavals at the end of WWI. Stop automatically denigrating everything that may disagree with "our" POV!

Osman's Dream.......2006-05-12

The last years shelved a handful of new books that revise and overview the Ottoman history from construction to demise. Goodwin's Lord of the Horizons, Faroqhi's the Ottoman Empire and the World Around it, or Imber's the Ottoman Empire 1300-1600 already gave professors a hand with their survey cirrucula.

In similar vein though Osman's dream may be, it further serves with its lucid style as the most updated and reiterative (same-old-story-rehashing) work written in the field.

Major problems that Ottomanists have long discussed such as on periodization, methods of conquest, role of dervishes, the reverberation of tensions between center-province-local, the f/actors that in effect changed/stabilized the Ottoman trajectory deserve a better place than mere explication of the symptoms and diagnosis come forward earlier.

I do not agree with Nikephorus Phokas (a customer that previously reviewed the book) on grounds that Osman's Dream ignores the Genocide: not advertently. As a matter of fact, it seems to me that Finkel undertook her work as unpolemical and selective as possible. There are many other issues she does not touch on as she accepts honestly.

My recommend to a reader would be that s/he complement Osman's Dream with other works in the field, particularly Findley's Turks in World History and Quataert's Ottoman Empire 1700-1922. And, keep in mind that this work appeals primarily to general readers and in some ways to those that want to refresh their factual knowledge on this vast chunk of history.

There is no reason to be cynical in Osman's Dream's overall success. I am not, still, expecting a Hofstadter to write an Ottoman Age of Reform, a Foner "Ottoman's Unfinished Revolution", or a letter-day Bloch "Ottoman Middle Ages". This work may well place the history of the Ottoman Empire into a broader historical template, better than others that try hard to integrate it to the European history.

Osman's Dream the History of the Ottoman Empire: The History of the Ottoman Empire

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Too Much Information
A Disappointing History
nobody's business but the turks
an epic story for our times

Osman's Dream the History of the Ottoman Empire: The History of the Ottoman Empire
Caroline Finkel
Manufacturer: Perseus Books Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0465023975

Book Description

The Ottoman Empire was one of the largest and most influential empires in world history. Its reach extended to three continents and it survived for more than six centuries, but its history is too often colored by the memory of its bloody final throes on the battlefields of World War I. In this magisterial work--the first definitive account written for the general reader--renowned scholar and journalist Caroline Finkel lucidly recounts the epic story of the Ottoman Empire from its origins in the thirteenth century through its destruction in the twentieth.

Customer Reviews:

Too Much Information .......2007-09-23

Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire
By Caroline Finkel

*** Too Much Information

As important as the Ottoman Empire is to an understanding of modern history, this ambitious and comprehensive book fails to put it into perspective.
Caroline Finkel tells us more than we need to know about the various Caliphs, Sultans and Potentates who ruled a loose collection of territory for about 500 years. It reminds me of Old Testament accounts: ... and then came along Jacob, who lived for 800 years, and begat Meshak, who begat Joseph," etc.
This book may be valuable to Middle East and Central Asian Scholars, but it is simply too dense and impenetrable for the average reader.

A Disappointing History.......2007-07-07

This is certainly a comprehensive work, covering every major event in the life of the Ottoman court and Ottoman military history.

Missing is a good discussion of why a group of tribes who were not native to the area were able to become a force capable of storming Constantinople and eventually sieging Vienna or why the Ottoman Empire declined so fast. What held the empire together and what undid it? There are hints throughout and some fleeting discussions but nothing satisfying.

Maybe the author feels some obligation to "defend" her subject. At times she writes of one Ottoman action or another, that such action was no different than that of Christian European powers. She also has a couple of shots at Bernard Lewis. Maybe she presumes the important information is known, but explanation is lacking.

Eyebrows may be raised by her treatment of the Armenian genocide. She seems to say there may have been some atrocities but maybe not as extensive as alleged. But her explanation of what happened to the victims is very brief. Sure she covers over 500 years of history in 550 pages. But if she is going to write something long, she ought to go even longer, as the topic of a genocide is one that demands more explanation.

So overall, a disappointing return for the investment of time.

nobody's business but the turks.......2005-08-27

Pitched as a comprehensive but approachable history of the Ottoman Empire this has a pretty good stab at it but is probably destined to be only be of interest to those already familiar with the subject. A bit too daunting for the general reader.

an epic story for our times.......2005-08-27

"Osman's Dream" is that rare thing, a work of groundbreaking history that is also extremely timely. This book is crucial for anyone seeking to understand relations between East and West or Turkey's place in the world today. The epic story of the Ottomans from their origins in the steppes of Central Asia to their occupation of much of Europe, this is the first book to uncover the empire's own dynamic history. The book shimmers with the splendor of the imperial court at a time when European nations were barely emerging from backwoods primitivism. Multiracial, multicultural, multinational, for much of its history the Ottoman empire exceeded Europe in religious tolerance and cultural richness. Caroline Finkel's beautifully written narrative challenges from the ground up the orthodoxies and stereotypes that haunt popular views of the Ottomans and the Turks. Everybody who was fascinated by the "Turks" exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London (2005) should buy and read this book. It is a sophisticated synthesis of the best new scholarship and of original archival research, with lessons for today's contentious nationalisms at every turn.

Book Description

Robert Rauschenberg is one of the most important visual artists of the second half of the twentieth century. In Random Order, Branden Joseph examines Rauschenberg's work in the context of the American neo-avant-garde. One of the foundations of his study is Rauschenberg's professional relationship with experimental composer John Cage. From the moment of their encounter at Black Mountain College in 1952, Joseph argues, Rauschenberg and Cage initiated a new avant-garde project, one that approached the idea of difference not in terms of negation but as a positive force. Claiming that Rauschenberg's work cannot be understood solely from the standpoint of the Frankfurt School--whose theories have dominated discussions of avant-garde and neo-avant-garde aesthetics--Joseph turns to the theoretical positions of Gilles Deleuze and Jacques Derrida. Rauschenberg's neo-avant-garde was not a simple repetition of earlier avant-garde movements, Joseph shows, but a series of practices that opposed the rise of postwar spectacle, commodification, and mass conformity.

Beginning with the White Paintings, Joseph examines Rauschenberg?s artistic development from 1951 to 1971. He looks at the black paintings, Red Paintings, Elemental Paintings and Elemental Sculptures, Combines and Combine paintings, transfer drawings and silkscreens, performances, and explorations in art and technology. Joseph's study not only offers new interpretations of Rauschenberg's work, but also deepens our understanding of the entire neo-avant-garde project.

Customer Reviews:

Indispensable.......2006-08-04

This study of Rauschenberg will doubtless make itself pretty much indispensable in the literature on the artist. It's a brilliant study- Joseph is in command of the literature on the topic, demonstrates a great deal of theoretical sophistication, as well as showing a lot of sensitivity to the works and their context.

Joseph's contention is to explore Rauschenberg's work in relation to the Neo-avant-garde, seeking to show that his work (along with his colleague John Cage) was neither a farcical repetition of 1920s Dada (ie jaded attempts to "shock" the viewer), nor was it an ironic casting-off of the avant-garde project in favour of a capitulation to commodity capitalism (ie through his pop culture references and so on). Instead, Joseph argues- convincingly- that Rauschenberg (and Cage) sought to escape the tyranny of the self- the "ego" of Absract Expressionism, in order to open up perception to differentiation and multiplicity- an attempt to open up a space beyond the totalised structures of late capitalism. (Joseph's concerns give away his being an ex-student of Benjamin Buchloh- hence these particularly Frankfurt School concerns). So for Joseph, Rauschenberg's White Paintings, or his Tire Print with John Cage, were not simply juvenile pranks, nor farcical, worn-out shock tactics, but serious attempts to disclocate habitual modes of perception and cognition- in this way, Rauschenberg both differs from, and continues the avant-garde project of political change.

Joseph makes a good case- in particular, his first chapter, on Rauschenberg and Cage, where he examines their interest in temporality and flux in relation to the ideas of Bergson, is quite brilliant. But the level of discussion is sustained throughout- it's a compelling and fascinating read which will doubtless provoke a great deal of thought.

As you would expect from the MIT Press, its not a study for the lay reader- the usual phalanx of thinkers are brought to bear- Foucault, Deleuze, Bataille and the like- although Joseph draws on them judiciously, without detracting from the focus of his study. In fact its very readable indeed- Joseph hasn't succumbed (yet) to the puffed-up rhetorical excesses of some of his October colleagues.

Random Order: Robert Rauschenberg and the Neo-Avant-Garde.(Book Review): An article from: The Art Bulletin

Average customer rating:

Random Order: Robert Rauschenberg and the Neo-Avant-Garde.(Book Review): An article from: The Art Bulletin
Alex Potts
Manufacturer: College Art Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0009H3DB2
Release Date: 2006-07-14

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Art Bulletin, published by College Art Association on March 1, 2005. The length of the article is 5198 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: Random Order: Robert Rauschenberg and the Neo-Avant-Garde.(Book Review)
Author: Alex Potts
Publication: The Art Bulletin (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2005
Publisher: College Art Association
Volume: 87 Issue: 1 Page: 167(4)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Random Order : Robert Rauschenberg and the Neo-Avant-Garde (October Books).

Average customer rating:

Random Order : Robert Rauschenberg and the Neo-Avant-Garde (October Books).
Branden W. Joseph
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

This book is a celebration of the beauty and fascination of the Pacific Islands with their unique collection of flora and fauna.

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