Cuckoo Marans in the Taproom

Book Description

Completely revised and updated, this book collects the best interviews, articles, and film reviews of director/screenwriter Joel Coen and producer/screenwriter Ethan Coen. Together, the brothers have created such cult classics as Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and the Oscar-winning Fargo, earning themselves a reputation for brilliance at offbeat black comedy. This publication, featuring dozens of photographs, coincides with the release of the new Coen brothers film Intolerable Cruelty, starring George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Billy Bob Thorton.

Customer Reviews:

Skip to the Good Parts.......2000-07-23

I am an independant film maker in LA. I am an avid Coen brothers fan. Bottom line this book has too much repetition. Which says to me the editor is the problem. Numerous reviews of the same film and the same interview questions with the same answers made me feel like I was taking a short term memory test. If I read one more time how these guys "first got into film making" I was going to... well suffice to say by the middle of the book I was skipping pages on a regular basis. The best parts we're reading their first hand commentary of the making of the films. From initial ideas to story lines to casting to on-set dinamics to post production. Overall I could have gotten the same info from reading half the book though, and in the end that's what I did. Just skip to the interviews and read the highlighted questions that haven't been asked before. It'll save you time and aggrivation.

Book Description

A scientific and cultural exploration of the pursuit of altered states of consciousness in both humans and animals

• Contains myriad studies and examples from the author's 20 years of research

• By the foremost authority on the social and psychological effects of drug use

History shows that people have always used intoxicants. In every age, in every part of the world, people have pursued intoxication with plants, alcohol, and other mind-altering substances. In fact, this behavior has so much force and persistence that it functions much like our drives for food, sleep, and sex. This "fourth drive," says psychopharmacologist Ronald K. Siegel, is a natural part of our biology, creating the irrepressible demand for intoxicating substances.

In Intoxication Siegel draws upon his 20 years of groundbreaking research to provide countless examples of the intoxication urge in humans, animals, and even insects. The detailed observations of his so-called psychonauts--study participants trained to explicitly describe their drug experiences--as well as numerous studies with animals have helped him to identify the behavior patterns induced by different intoxicants. Presenting his conclusions on the biological as well as cultural reasons for the pursuit of intoxication and showing that personality and guidance often define the outcome of a drug experience, Siegel offers a broad understanding of the intoxication phenomenon as well as recommendations for curbing the negative aspects of drug use in Western culture by designing safe intoxicants.

Customer Reviews:

Copious research and insightful material.......2007-01-22

Siegel progresses through the families of drugs one by one, showing how the effects of plants, herbs, and chemicals are all similar even between different species - yet all of them find an urge to partake in some of them. A multitude of personal and third-party research adorns the book to back up his assertations. This book is an excellent reminder that drug policy must take into account that many animals (humans included) are hard-wired to seek highs of one sort or another, and that simply banning a substance will not solve the "problem."

Quite essential reading, really.......2006-05-26

Ronald K. Siegel, Ph.D, a psychopharmacologist at the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA School of Medicine, has written a truly mind-boggling (quite literally) book about what he believes to be the fourth strongest drive in the human animal: that of intoxication. What? The struggle for intoxication is a drive, just like hunger, thirst, and sex? You bet, and Siegel has the research to prove it. Which probably make no difference to people that still connect "drugs" with strung-out heroin junkies who do just as much damage to themselves as to their friends and family.

Well, such stubborn people need to do some serious rethinking. Because what good is science unless it questions and investigates? But to make Spiegel even more controversial; he also experiments on animals when investigating why animals (and remember, the human being is an animal, too) choose to become intoxicated by various means. And also when they choose not to. These experiments clearly show how all animals use narcotics. So in other words, man is not alone in this struggle for a changed state of mind.

So what does this all mean? Well, it shows that the so-called War on Drugs is as futile as it is pointless, since there will always be and always has been people who choose to subject their bodies and minds to different drugs that the state or ruling class has decided should be illegal, and it also shows that it's indeed possible use narcotics and still be a very functioning member of society. Not all drug users end up as pathetic heroin junkies. The politics of drugs are extremely complicated, but arguing strictly from emotional points of views while refusing to accept new and mind-blowing ideas is, to put it simple, quite stupid.

Of course Siegel doesn't imply that everyone should do as much drugs as possible all the time whenever they feel like it. But what he does indeed do is giving all those millions of users of legal drugs - prescribed medication, coffee, cigarettes, and so on - something to think about, and he also clearly shows how all those Just Say No and other anti-drugs campaigns do more harm than good. After all, it's a human drive to become intoxicated, so why should some campaign manage to erase this drive? It's not going to happen, and people need to understand that.

Our culture encourages and even romanticizes the use of alcohol and cigarettes - two of the most deadly drugs man has ever come up with - and large corporations make billions of dollars from prescription drugs that are often a whole lot more harmful than the strongest your local dealer can provide you with. This is hypocrisy to such an extent that it's almost impossible to even comprehend, and Spiegel and his team of researchers therefore deserve all the credit they can get for trying to enlighten people they way they do. But just like any other type of fundamentalism, the anti-drug people will probably ignore Mr. Spiegel and all his knowledge, and this will in the long run do more harm to the human race than all the drugs in the world could ever do.

Championship Domino Toppling Book and Gift Set: Includes 112 Dominoes
Average customer rating:

How to frustrate a child

Domino-Palooza

decent book, disappointing dominoes

Championship Domino Toppling Book and Gift Set: Includes 112 Dominoes
Robert Speca
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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Learning Resources LER0287 Color Dominoes in a Bucket

The Silly Book

Leonardo's Notebooks

ASIN: 1402706596

Book Description

Domino toppling champion Robert Speca offers winning strategies in a value priced gift and book set.

The “Domino Wizard” teaches you his magic for setting up elaborate designs and then toppling the whole array. And, because 112 dominoes (four complete sets) are packed right with the book, you’ll be able to start trying his tricks instantly. As every image clearly shows, dominoes are pure, undiluted build-’em-up and knock-’em-down fun. If you’re new to toppling dominoes, begin with simple straight lines to get some experience on how far apart to place the dominoes so they strike one another perfectly. As your skills increase, work with ramps or do other intermediate-level stunts, including the spiraled Ram’s Horns and complicated triple and super peel-offs. The advanced toppler can take a chance on truly complex domino acrobatic.

Customer Reviews:

How to frustrate a child.......2005-04-03

The book of this set is extremely interesting.Then my very patient grandchild attempted to set up the dominoes. He tried for more than an hour. The dominoes are so flimsy and weightless that they simply would not stand up and always fell over by themselves. The idea is excellent, but the dominoes are so inferior it is a crime to include such very poor quality. Sell the book separately. I tried to reach the author by his email, but is was no longer available. He is probably ashamed of his product.

Domino-Palooza.......2004-12-25

Hey it's Dr. Pepper again and I want to say that I think the book and the dominos are a great deal. I want to thank Mr. Speca for going into so much detail so I could share the knowlege with my three children. We all enjoy long hours of setting up and knocking down dominos with tricks such as the "Tarzan Swing."

decent book, disappointing dominoes.......2004-12-21

I thought I'd found a good deal with the book and 112 dominos set. The book is informative and a good beginner book, but the dominos included are cheap and too small to really do anything with. Nowhere on the box or ad does it say they are not real dominos. I was disappointed.

Average customer rating:

Perfect for Purpose
Awesome Book!!!

Championship Domino Toppling
Robert Speca
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1402714025

Book Description

The "Domino Wizard" teaches you his magic for setting up elaborate designs and then toppling the whole array. And, because 112 dominoes (four complete sets) are packed right with the book, you'll be able to start trying his tricks instantly. As every image clearly shows, dominoes are pure, undiluted build-'em-up and knock-'em-down fun. If you're new to toppling dominoes, begin with simple straight lines to get some experience on how far apart to place the dominoes so they strike one another perfectly. Move on to easy turns, two-line split-offs, and the alphabet. As your skills increase, work with ramps or do other intermediate-level stunts, including the spiraled Ram's Horns and complicated triple and super peel-offs. The advanced toppler can take a chance on truly complex domino acrobatics, such as Kushner's Tarzan Swing, in which wooden contraptions and dominoes fly through the air with the greatest of ease: absolutely wild.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for Purpose.......2005-07-20

My son wanted to use domino toppling as the subject for a technical writing paper he had to write for school. This book was perfect for that purpose...it starts with a little history, gives beginning, intermediate, and advanced design examples and has illustrations to help create the designs. Couldn't find any other book on the subject but this one was fun and also stimulates creativity for personal design creations.

Awesome Book!!!.......2004-12-25

I couldn't get enough of Domino Toppling, I have become an expert toppler and all of the ladies go crazy over my great skills. Definetly a great gift for the holidays and any other occasion. Great hobby for the youngsters and develops patience and determination. Happy Holidays!!!

Championship Domino Toppling Book and Gift Set : Includes 112 Dominoes

Average customer rating:

Championship Domino Toppling Book and Gift Set : Includes 112 Dominoes
Robert Speca
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MU6MK0

Amazon.com

Danny Goodman felt that he couldn't trust any of the documentation on Dynamic HTML (DHTML) that he read (too many contradictions), so he wrote this book as a reference for working with his own clients. After testing tags and techniques on multiple releases of the main browsers, Goodman came up with very practical information--some of which you may not find in any other resource.

Goodman assumes a solid foundation, if not expertise, in basic HTML and an understanding of what DHTML is all about. From those assumptions, he presents a meaty, information-dense volume. The first of the book's four sections discusses industry standards and how to apply the basic principles of DHTML. He emphasizes the differences in Web browsers and discusses how to build pages so that they work well in both Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. The second section is an extensive, quick reference of all the tags, objects, and properties of HTML, cascading style sheets, Document Object Model, and core JavaScript. A particularly handy cross-reference guide to this information follows, helping you locate it in alternate ways. The final section contains appendices, with useful tables of values and commands. --Elizabeth Lewis

Book Description

Packed with information on the latest web specifications and browser features, this new edition is your ultimate one-stop resource for HTML, XHTML, CSS, Document Object Model (DOM), and JavaScript development. Here is the comprehensive reference for designers of Rich Internet Applications who need to operate in all modern browsers, including Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 2, Safari, and Opera.

With this book, you can instantly see browser support for the latest standards-based technologies, including CSS Level 3, DOM Level 3, Web Forms 2.0, XMLHttpRequest for AJAX applications, JavaScript 1.7, and many more. This new edition:

Provides at-a-glance references for the tags, attributes, objects, properties, methods, and events of HTML, XHTML, CSS, DOM, and core JavaScript. You can quickly look up a particular feature or language term to see if it is available in desired browser brands and versions.
Includes handy cross referencing that lets you look up an attribute (or object property, method, or event type) to find all the items that recognize it, including interrelated HTML tags, style properties, and document object model methods, properties, and events.
Offers appendices where you can quickly locate values useful in HTML authoring and scripting. You'll find coverage of commands used across three browsers for user-editable content.
Includes a glossary that gives you quick explanations of some of the new and potentially confusing terminology of DHTML.

Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference speeds the way to adding sophisticated features to your web pages. Indispensable, complete, and succinct, this bestselling guide is the must-have compendium for all web developers involved in creating dynamic web content.

Download Description

If you are a Web content developer these days, you have a lot of information to keep track of. You need to stay current on the relevant Web specifications, like HTML, CSS, DOM, and ECMAScript. You also need to know how the latest Web browsers from Netscape and Microsoft actually implement these standards, since browser implementations of the standards are less than perfect. Right now, you're forced to keep multiple reference books open on your desk (or multiple browser windows open on your screen), just to develop a simple dynamic Web page that works properly under both Navigator and Internet Explorer. Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference changes all that. This book is an indispensable compendium for Web content developers. It contains everything you need to create functional cross-platform Web applications, including: o A complete reference for all of the HTML tags, CSS style attributes, browser document objects, and JavaScript objects supported by the various standards and the latest versions of Navigator and Internet Explorer. Browser compatibility is emphasized throughout; the reference pages clearly indicate browser support for every entity. o Handy cross-reference indexes that make it easy to find interrelated HTML tags, style attributes, and document objects. o An advanced introduction to creating dynamic Web content that addresses the cross-platform compromises inherent in Web page design today. If you have some experience with basic Web page creation, but are new to the world of dynamic content, Dynamic HTML : The Definitive Reference will jump-start your development efforts. If you are an experienced Web programmer, you'll find the browser-compatibility information invaluable. This book is the only DHTML reference that a Web developer needs.

Customer Reviews:

The Bible, Third Edition.......2007-09-17

The finest review of this book I can give is simply this: I bought the first edition in 1999, the second edition in 2003, the third edition in 2007, and as long as Danny Goodman and O'Reilly keep up the good work, I'll buy the fourth edition in 2011. There is no more indispensible book available for the Web GUI professional.

One caveat: This book is not for beginners. If you don't already know how to build a modern DHTML/CSS/JS/Ajax interface, this book will likely be a waste of money. Moreover, if you're looking for how-tos and recipes, look elsewhere. This is a comprehensive encyclopedia of the DHTML universe, nothing more and nothing less.

unfortunately Very Fat book ,but Not For Beginners.......2007-09-03

I bought this book , and i wait it about 1 month for arrive to me , but i am not lucky , the book contains more than 1300 pages , but i didn't find any thing benefit for me .
I advise any one in beginner Level to keep away from this book .you must save your money .

Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference.......2007-07-19

If you do any sort of web design, whether as a do-it yourself novice or as a professional web designer, Dynamic HTML is a must have resource. This all inclusive guide includes a myriad of features for design elements, objects, and styles organized in several easy to understand and easy to use sections: Alphabetical HTML Reference, Shared DOM Reference, Alphabetical DOM Reference, Event Reference, CSS Reference, and Java Script Reference, Cross Reference. All of these examples include actually bit of code that the reader can use as well as associated attributes and their code to tailor that element, object, or style to your desired specifications. This aspect allows the reader to follow through virtually step by step taking a new concept from inception through to a professional look and feel.

I can already tell that Dynamic HTML is going to be one of those desk references that I keep close by my computer. The book is already plastered with a number of post-it notes in places that I need to fix on my existing web pages, concepts that want to experiment with in the future, or ways that I could make my websites more accessible. Having a good book with these aspects all in one place is a boon.

Still, where I will probably gain the most valuable use of this book is in the comparative aspect of the entries. Along with each of the detailed entries in all of the categories, the author has included information about how each feature translates in the different browsers (Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Mozilla, Safari, Opera, and W3C HTML). Anyone who has spent weeks making their website just perfect only to have their best buddy with a different type of browser say that it's all wonky knows that a good detailed cross reference resource is invaluable. Having one as well organized and intuitive as this one is nothing short of amazing.

This book just keeps getting better.......2007-06-04

Each iteration of this book gets better and better. This third edition has been expanded with an amazing CSS reference, updates for AJAX, and now includes information on IE, Netscape, Mozilla (e.g. Firefox), Safari, Opera, and the HTML DOM. By far, this is the most comprehensive version of this book to date.

One of the biggest gripes I had with previous editions of this book was that it felt very IE-centric. In prior editions, the Mac was completely ignored as was Opera and pretty much anything other than IE and Netscape. This has all changed in this latest update.

If you have never seen a copy of this book before, it is divided into 9 sections: a standard HTML reference, an alphabetical HMTL reference, standard and alphabetical DOM references, a Javascript language and event reference, an outstanding CSS reference, and appendices. The book is designed in such a way so as to be easy to quickly find material on the HTML tag, CSS attribute, or Javascript method desired.

Of particular note in this edition is the update for AJAX. In the Javascript section, the reader will now find nearly 50 extra pages dedicated simply to handling and processing XML in Javascript.

Hands down, this was--and still is--the absolute best dynamic HTML reference available today. While each edition gets better and better, I think this edition in particular is a real standout. The expansion of the CSS reference section, the addition of documentation related to AJAX, and the expansion of the reference sections to cover Mozilla, Safari, and Opera make this book a must buy.

Excellent, Comprehensive Reference.......2007-04-24

Looking for a single reference for all your web development needs? Well, Dynamic HTML: the Definitive Reference isn't quite that, but it comes awfully close. It's not simply a DHTML reference; there's detailed reference info on XHTML, CSS, DOM, and Javascript -- all of which are necessary to create good DHTML.

Most of the book is divided into five sections, including the above mentioned references, as well as a section on Events. The references are easily navigated, clearly explained, and provide nice examples. The most valuable bits of information for many web developers are probably the compatibility info provided for each entry in the reference sections.

The remainder of the book offers handy cross-references and appendices. The cross references include: an HTML/XHTML Attribute Index, and DOM references by Property, Method, and Event. The appendices include info on colors, special characters, ASCII key codes, editable content commands, elements/attributes available in W3C standards, and the relationships between various Mozilla based browsers.

Of course, this is a reference book, so there's limited cohesion in the examples. There is no theme to follow and re-create a full-featured DHTML web site. But the book is intended to be a reference. There are other books for step-by-step DHTML development.

Likewise, this is a comprehensive reference, and therefore quite a thick book. There are separate CSS and JavaScript references available (also very handy), but this single volume packs a lot of punch.

Do Not Go Gentle: My Search for Miracles in a Cynical Time
Average customer rating:

I found I couldn't put this book down

Well intentioned...

emotional, difficult quest for faith

Too personal

The Journey of Faith

Do Not Go Gentle: My Search for Miracles in a Cynical Time
Ann Hood
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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Properties of Water

ASIN: 031228313X

Book Description

Ann Hood was firmly rooted in the physical world-practical, realistic, and skeptical about many things in life at the cusp of the second millennium. But even so, she traveled from Rhode Island to El Santuario de Chimayo in New Mexico to bring home a miracle for her dying father. Ultimately, Ann Hood discovered the courage to accept what had come her way, and an appreciation for the faith in miracles. Do Not Go Gentle is a profound journey into the nature of miracles, and one woman's revelatory reflection upon her spiritual heritage.

Download Description

Described as "an emotional genius" for her fiction, Ann Hood gives us her first nonfiction book, a poignant account of the search for miracles and transcendence during times of great need.

Customer Reviews:

I found I couldn't put this book down.......2007-08-30

Once I got into the book I had a hard time going to work, or doing anything but reading it morning, noon and night. I liked it a lot.

Well intentioned..........2006-10-26

*Spoilers*

Ann Hood's "Do Not Go Gentle" has good intentions. It is a sad story: the author's beloved father is dying and the author goes off in search of a miracle. She believes she gets one when blessed dirt from New Mexico seems to cure a tumor. Sadly, the tumor's disappearance isn't enough to save him. He dies anyway.

The book works best as a portrait of fathers and daughters. I'm not sure I've ever read about (or experienced) a father/daughter bond like this one. But at times the memoir reads too much like an overly idealized eulogy. It's hard to believe anyone could be as perfect as Hood makes out her father to be. There is also a poignant section on the author's deceased brother. Unquestionably she has suffered unimaginable loss. But, I'm sorry to say, that doesn't make this a good book.

My biggest complaint about this book is that its conclusions seem forced. Hood ties a family trip to Italy with a belief in St. Anthony... she prays to him and finds her contact lens. You've got to be kidding me. A faith journey of 1000 miles begins with this single step? I doubt it. More likely the author wants to end the book on a high note.

emotional, difficult quest for faith.......2005-09-06

This book is the memoir of an Italian-American woman's emotional, difficult quest for faith. Strong themes are family, the death of her father, the supernatural, the Old Country, and miracles. The story is engrossing and educational with some slight repetition, especially toward the end, that could have been done away with by a skilled editor. Recommended.

Too personal.......2003-04-29

I had a hard time extrapolating the author's experiences into a useful context. She is a talented writer, and her prose is easy to follow. But her accounts are a bit too personal, and at times i felt almost like i was reading her diary. I was most disappointed at the end, when her search for explanations to her father's death takes her around Europe. For one thing, how could she pretend to find answers for faith? What really killed me was the episode with the contact lens: "If you believe it is there, you will find it". I couldn't help but think about Kevin Costner: "If you build it, they will come".

The Journey of Faith.......2001-02-02

I met Ann Hood one November night at Baker Books in Dartmouth, MA, when she came to give a reading of "Do Not Go Gentle". It was enjoyable. As an Italian, I could identify with Mama Rose, and her methods to ward off the effects of "mal'occhio" (evil eye) for my grandmother did the same thing, only with drops of olive oil. Nonna passed away last April, but the memory lingers. As a religious priest, I could identify with her Catholicism, and I am sure the Franciscan brothers also present had much to share with her that evening in that regard. I regret that I didn't spend some time with her. After her dialogue with the Franciscans, I just stepped up, asked her to dedicate the brand new book to me, and left. I had not read the book yet. Feeling dumb, I did not pursue a conversation. I enjoyed the work. It reads smoothly, like a river. The text is not taxing to the reader, but is easy to follow, taking the reader to many places, stories and ideas. The story is the faith journey of a woman, who is trying to square the death of her father with her faith system. Faith is more than a packaged set of beliefs. Faith is that sometimes. Dogmatic faith. Other times faith is dynamic. Ann Hood's faith journey is to answer the question about how her father's death relates to her sense of meaning. And journey she does to many places, externally and internally. It is a human journey, maybe at times a little wrapped up in a sentiment, or in magic, or superstition. Still it is a human journey. And a theological journey, if we can remember that the classical definition of theology is "fides quarens intellectum" (faith seeking understanding). I finished the book hoping that she would at some point visit her Catholicism again. I am grateful for her portrait of Italian life. I like her sense of humor. I would have liked to read more about her mother. While I am taking basic Italian classes on Federal Hill every Saturday morning until June, I hope to run into her at Tony's, or Dolce Vita or Venda Ravioli. Now I have a few questions to raise. They would go well with some bruschetta and red wine.

Average customer rating:

The Properties of Water by Ann Hood
Ann Hood
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000L9CVNO

Product Description

This sixth novel from Hood (Places to Stay the Night) is easy to describe in cliches, perhaps because it abounds in them. The story is heartwarming; it is down-to-earth; it will remind readers of many other tales of beleaguered women who learn to grow up, discover their identities and improve relationships within their family circles, all as a result of divorces. Josie Jericho Hunter is a resident of East Essex, R.I., a once-thriving town now suffering a recession that seems right in step with the depression of its inhabitants. Josie is the mother of two girls: Maggie, who suffers from adolescent angst and an unrequited crush; and Kate, who is much younger and is about to learn the painful lesson that her mother's love is neither infinite nor all-powerful. Meanwhile, Josie's husband is sleeping with a co-worker. Adding to Josie's difficulties are her father's Alzheimer's disease and her mother's insistence on selling the house in which Josie grew up and moving to a condo; compounding them are the attack, not far into the narrative, that robs Josie of her car and dignity, and the return of her sister, Michaela, the original flowerchild, who reawakens a few guilty consciences and tries to clean up the local river. The narrative meanders along, with a few betrayals, some subplots that lead nowhere and, most rewardingly, some amusingly desultory conversations among Josie's elderly aunts, all culminating in a giant flood that takes the metaphor of the polluted river about as far as possible. Try as she might, Hood doesn't elicit much sympathy for her characters, and when happy resolutions are finally in sight, readers may not particularly care. Author tour.

Book Description

More than five thousand Negro cowboys joined the round-ups and served on the ranch crews in the cattleman era of the West. Lured by the open range, the chance for regular wages, and the opportunity to start new lives, they made vital contributions to the transformation of the West. They, their predecessors, and their successors rode on the long cattle drives, joined the cavalry, set up small businesses, fought on both sides of the law. Some of them became famous: Jim Beckwourth, the mountain man; Bill Pickett, king of the rodeo; Cherokee Bill, the most dangerous man in Indian Territory; and Nat Love, who styled himself "Deadwood Dick."

They could hold their own with any creature, man or beast, that got in the way of a cattle drive. They worked hard, thought fast, and met or set the highest standards for cowboys and range riders.

Customer Reviews:

Adjusting the color of Western American history . . ........2004-08-29

I have known about this book for a long time and wish now that I'd read it years ago. It is a retelling of the Western American saga, with a focus on cattlemen and cowboys and, as the title indicates, the presence of black Americans among them. The all-white collective picture of the West is largely the creation of Hollywood, whose images and stories so dominate the memory of our own past.

The two UCLA professors whose research this book represents have done more than simply prove that there were large numbers of black cowboys. They hardly even take time to lament the erasure of blacks from this chapter of our history. Instead, they're eager to share with us what they've discovered in their research. And they enthusiastically assemble for us a social history of the Wild West that is peopled in nearly every walk of life with black Americans, both law-abiding and criminal, essentially reflecting the entire demographic of the West itself.

The book's chapters follow the spread of the cattle business from early days in Texas before the Civil War to the states west and north, reaching all the way to Montana by the 1880s. The great cattle drives are described, and using an extensive array of contemporary documents, the authors establish the role of young black men on horseback as equals to their white compatriots. Growing older, many became cooks for the cowboy crews, while younger and lesser-experienced black men wrangled the cowboys' horses.

Meanwhile, because newspapers tended to focus on violence and mayhem, the presence of many blacks in the American West has been recorded by the press in reports of shootings, murders, and other crimes. More typically blacks were victims, but that was not always the case. The more pastoral versions of some portrayals of the West pale in comparison with Durham and Jones' account, which tends to give a more tabloid sensationalism to their material.

Finally, the book gives us a vast panorama of men and women of all kinds participating in this mythic period of American history. Reading this book, you will have your mental picture of the Wild West illuminated by story after story, in the voices of those who lived and remembered those times. And your sense of American history will be thoroughly readjusted. Thanks again to the University of Nebraska Press for keeping another fine book in print.

Average customer rating:

Much needed biography is very well written

Bones Hooks: Pioneer Negro Cowboy
Bruce G. Todd
Manufacturer: Pelican Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

South | Regional U.S. | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1589802942

Book Description

Born in northeast Texas in 1867, Matthew "Bones" Hooks was a true pioneer who not only built a town, schools, and churches, but also broke down racial barriers as one of the first black cowboys to work alongside whites as a ranch hand.

After his retirement as a cowboy, Hooks heard of a horse nobody could ride. He challenged the horse's owner to let him try and his success became known across the country as "The Ride."

Throughout his life, Hooks negotiated between both sides of the railroad track, using his uncommon charm to gain the support of the wealthy to provide resources for the poor. He helped many people buy homes, educate their children, and start businesses in his adopted hometown of Amarillo, Texas. His is the seldom-heard story of how blacks pioneered the American west.

Customer Reviews:

Much needed biography is very well written.......2006-02-26

When I began reading everything I could find on the history of Amarillo, Texas, one name kept coming up: Mathew "Bones" Hooks. I could find nothing in the library that was devoted to such an interesting man, so it was fantastic to learn about the publication of this book. It details the story of a man that did not let the customs of the time lessen his dignity or influence. He may not be as famous as other minority leaders, but Mathew Hooks, in my opinion, deserves this book and a place of honor in history. I am grateful to the author for the thorough research--the addresses for long-forgotten community hubs add to the fascination, as well as the interview material from people who remember Hooks. The author does a good job of documenting and explaining the various ways in which Hooks made the Panhandle of Texas a more peaceful place for people of all races.

Average customer rating:

The Adventures of the Negro Cowboys

Manufacturer: A Bantam Pathfinder Edition
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000EIBJ12

Product Description

From Bose Ikard and Cherokee Bill to Deadwood Dick - here is the real story of some of the finest men of the Old West!

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Adventures of the Negro Cowboys
P. Durham
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0553085905

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THE ADVENTURES OF THE NEGRO COWBOYS
PHILIP DURHAM AND EVERETT L. JONES
Manufacturer: A BANTAM BOOK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O9KB24

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The Adventures Of The Negro Cowboys
Durham And Jones
Manufacturer: Dodd Mead & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HCQRLC

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The Adventures of the Negro Cowboys

Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000G3BDIO

Product Description

From Bose Ikard and Cherokee Bill to Deadwood Dick, here is the real story of some of the finest men of the West.

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The Adventures of the Negro Cowboys
Philip Durham & Everett L. Jones
Manufacturer: Dodd, Mead & Co. New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000MHTKK2

The First 100 Years: A History of Arizona Blacks

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The First 100 Years: A History of Arizona Blacks

Manufacturer: Relmco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Product Description

Covering the earliest cowboys, ranchhands, prospectors and pioneeres, this book deftly relates the history of the black migration into Arizona and the role they have played in her early history and covering up into the mid 1900s. With many b/w photographs, this is a unique offering that furthers the understanding of the rich Black heritage in Western US history.

The Life and Adventures of Nat Love (American Negro, His History and Literature)

Average customer rating:

A worthy read.

The Life and Adventures of Nat Love (American Negro, His History and Literature)
Nat Love
Manufacturer: Beaufort Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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The Civil War and Reconstruction: A Documentary Collection
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Black Hawk: An Autobiography (Prairie State Books)

ASIN: 0405018274

Customer Reviews:

A worthy read........2007-08-10

The Life and Adventures of Nat Love is the narrative of a former slave who went west first to become a cowboy in Texas and across the plains during the American Reconstruction period and then to retire as a Pullman Porter in Oklahoma (I believe). It is a culturally significant work because there are obviously very few such stories and it highlights the fact so many cowboys in the latter part of the 19th century were, in fact, black. It would probably be inaccurate, however, to read Nat's narrative as the gospel truth. Rather, it reads more like a dime novel romp with a heavy dose of Horatio Alger and Booker T. Washington's 'Up from Slavery' philosophy. Which seems strangely fitting for a former slave during Reconstruction who believed himself undeniably American. Nat became a cowboy because he was a free spirit, despite slavery, and the order of the day for Americans was to 'go west.' Thus, like other Americans at the time, he has (at first, at least) no sympathy for marauding Indians (the best one being a dead one) and no cultural identification with non-Americans (i.e., Mexicans). Like other American cowboys (and dime novel heroes) he was a crack shot and superior horse-man, eventually earning the name of Deadwood Dick for these talents (notably on July 4). The narrative is definitely an intriguing read and anyone with an interest in slave or cowboy narratives, or dime store novels, should be interested in looking deeper into this one.

Book Description

What does nature really look like? Today, aided by the wizardry of modern scientific imaging instruments, we are able to see far more of the physical world than we ever dreamed possible. These devices can discern millions of invisible colors, look back in cosmic time some 14 billion years, peer behind and within seemingly opaque borders such as skin and bone, and capture events that last a mere trillionth of a second. Looking through their "eyes," we have acquired powers far more potent than Superman's X-ray vision: the powers of Super Vision.

From microscopes to telescopes, from magnetic-field detectors to chemical mapping probes, today's instruments make possible an entirely new view of nature. Super Vision is a comprehensive showcase of 200 breathtaking scientific images that span the world of phenomena from subatomic particles to the incomprehensibly vast structure of the universe. The accompanying text tells readers what they are looking at and explains the underlying technology. Also included is a huge, groundbreaking chart clearly illustrating the relative sizes of objects covered in the book. At once a primer on the scientific worldview and a reminder of the awesome, multidimensional beauty of nature, Super Vision simultaneously informs and delights.

Customer Reviews:

Spectacular photo book.......2004-03-21

This is one of the most beautifully illustrated photo books I've ever seen. Ranging from the submicroscopic to the macroscopic and even cosmic in scale, the book presents hundreds of spectacular photos of different aspects of our world and universe. They range from the geometrical perfection of a matrix of metallic crystals, to the delicate tracery of a microbial colony, to amorphous, bloblike, and menacing looking cancer cells, to the graceful symmetry of a galaxy floating in the vastness of space.

Every photographic method you can think of is represented (including many I couldn't have thought of), including ordinary light photography, x-ray, infrared, plane-polarized, electron microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, and a photo of Washington, D.C. using something called Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar.

In addition to size, the time scales range from subatomic particles that only last a few trillionths of a second to photos of distant galaxies whose light has been travelling for 14 billion years to reach earth. The text is also clear and concise and non-obtrusive and doesn't detract from the visual presentation of the photos. Overall a beautifully illustrated photo book just to browse encompassing the many wonders, young and old, big and small, and animate or inanimate, of our world.

Beautiful Science.......2004-01-02

I can't remember another book combining scientific insight with artistic beauty quite this way. The author has painstakingly selected, arranged, and captioned stunning scientific images. Whether for the coffee table or to actually read and learn something, Super Vision is a winner.

Stunning book about a beautiful world.......2003-12-10

From protons to parsecs, Ivan Amato's "Super Vision" reveals what many scientists know: the universe is a visually stunning place. This remarkable collection of images, coupled with Amato's compelling captions, shows the art that can be found in science. Thanks to advances in instruments ranging from atom smashers to telescopes, combined with unprecedented computer power, the phenomena of the cosmos can be painted in vivid color. Scientists use these images in their daily effort to understand the universe; we can enjoy them for pure aesthetic pleasure. Covering 42 orders of magnitude (powers of ten), "Super Vision" shows us the abstract swirls of a decaying particle, the eerie machinery of a spider's spinnerets, how zebrafish scales can look like a Balinese hillside, and the tortured faces of distant planets. For a guide to the art in our natural world, this is the book. It's as beautiful as the universe it describes.

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Super Vision: A New View of Nature
Ivan Amato; Foreword Philip Morrison
Manufacturer: HARRY N ABRAMS INC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WTPQ94

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