Shomei Tomatsu: Skin of the Nation

Amazon.com

A beer bottle that withstood the atom bomb blast in Nagasaki is the subject of Shomei Tomatsu's most famous photograph. Mysterious and repulsive, the object looks like a deformed fetus. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Tomatsu has created strikingly ambiguous images that hint at tensions simmering below the surface of Japanese life. Shomei Tomatsu: Skin of the Nation is the first English-language survey of this brilliantly idiosyncratic photographer's work. Grouped by theme, more than 100 images contain subtle layers of meaning. On a Tokyo street in 1962, an abandoned high-heeled shoe, a cigarette butt, and a crumpled piece of tinfoil (likely from a stick of American chewing gum) are bitter souvenirs of a night on the town. A few years later, Tomatsu captured the sense of isolation that envelops both a lone protestor and a shadowy group of policemen. In Okinawa, Tomatsu photographed both the U.S. military presence and the traditional way of life that persisted into the 1970s--glimpsed in the breeze-stirred motion of a curtain against a window or the sight of prowling dogs in the hazy morning sun. Leo S. Rubinfien's revelatory essay about the photographer and his work has a lyrical grace that approaches poetry. Sandra S. Phillips deftly summarizes the shift from American-influenced photojournalism of the immediate postwar era to the subjective approaches of a younger generation. John W. Dower adds further historical context, including the disquieting fact that—due to U.S. censorship—photographs of the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not published in Japan until 1952. Excerpts from Tomatsu's own vivid writings add another layer of insight. The handsomely designed book accompanies a retrospective exhibition of Tomatsu's work at the Japan Society Gallery in New York (through Jan. 2, 2005), which will travel to Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Winterthur, Switzerland. --Cathy Curtis

Book Description

Japan’s brilliant and influential postwar photographer Shomei Tomatsu (b. 1930) has created some of the most dramatic images in the history of photography. Many of his photographs have become icons of the twentieth century. This important book is the first in-depth English-language study of Tomatsu’s work. Richly illustrated and handsomely designed, it features more than one hundred plates representing—in ten thematic sections—the full range of his career.
Tomatsu emerged in the 1950s with his sensitive pictures of postwar Japan. In the 1960s the artist turned his camera to the aftermath of the atomic bomb and the lingering presence of the U. S. military in his homeland. In subsequent decades his lens has captured the elation of Japan’s economic boom and the problems inspired by his culture’s increasing westernization. Throughout, Tomatsu’s pictures have consistently resonated not only with Japanese society but also with American culture. Included in this book are essays by distinguished scholars on all aspects of the artist’s life and career as well as a selection of brief excerpts from Tomatsu’s own writings, many of which have never appeared in English.
Skin of the Nation (the book’s subtitle) is both a literal and metaphorical reference to the surfaces that have appeared in countless pictures throughout Tomatsu’s career. For the artist, skin is more than just a surface, it is a kind of map in which one can read the story of Japan—its essence and its future.

Customer Reviews:

beautiful, haunting, and funny.......2007-05-12

This is book is beautiful. I had the pleasure to see the exhibition of Tomatsu's work at the Corcoran a few years ago, and several images were burned into my mind. Particularly the image of a bottle after an atomic blast, the cigarettes & bubble gum series, and an untitled piece with a big blob of reddish orange pigment splat in the middle of the frame. (I am writing this from memory and don't have the advantage to just flip thru the book at this moment to find the exact titles...) His work is very much street photographer - and he's good at evoking emotion. Think Robert Doisneau with an Asian flair for simplicity.

Skin of the Nation.......2006-08-06

This is a high caliber photographic book. The images are stunning and the layout is easy to navigate. The text is informative and well written, but nothing compares to the visuals.

A different perspective of War .......2006-07-01

As I stumbled across the Shomei Tomatsu exhibit last August I had no idea how much his work would impact me. Everytime I look at this book I find something new. In this book, Shomei Tomatsu documents pre and post war Japan in the 1950s. He depicts startling images of westerization on Japanese Culture, and the effects of hiroshima. The everyday moments he captured speak in volumes and sheds a new light on an era that changed Japanese culture forever.

What would I choose..........2005-08-18

I saw the book laying in the library, between all the other photography books. 80% of the all the bookcovers doesn't look inviting enough to open it. This was one 20% that I took. Now all the books that looks inviting on the outside can really disapoint you when you open the it. I think that from the 30% that is left, 27% of the books are very disapointing on the inside This book is the uposite, what a wonderfull suprice. This is a book word it to open. The inside off the book is just how it should be first a lot of information and criticts about Shomei and her work. And that the work of Shomei, it's deep, tatsing, it's got a feeling a soul. She's got a great feeling about how to see a composition, to organize the contrast. And last but not least, the differsity she put in here work is amazing. From black and white, untill full clor and everything between there. From subkects of human beens untill abstract architecture and evreything between there. From very personal images untill very detached. From really close untill verry far. From very meaningfull untill very unmeaningfull. From a frozen image untill a fast movement image. Yeah, I think this a book is an inspiration for every artist in business.

Average customer rating:

Shomei Tomatsu Skin of the Nation
Sandra S Phillips
Manufacturer: YALE UNIV PRESS @
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N6BBJ0

Customer Reviews:

best tips for an in-home art studio.......2000-11-24

This little book is jam-packed with helpful tips for the non-professional artist/designer. While I'm sure the professional could profit from this guide, I think it is most useful to the aspiring artist/designer who has a design idea or project and needs help in getting from the creative urge to the realistic application. All kinds of how-to with precise illustrations are detailed by the author: how-to organize your desk top, drawing board and materials and supplies, how-to use inexpensive, easily-available materials to make helpful artistic devices, how-to make lettering, free-hand circles and test t-squares and triangles for "trueness" and on and on. I work in stained glass and I've found this book of great practical value for designing and for setting up a simple work space at home. I think other hobbyists and crafters would find great value for the money in this book.

Book Description

The creation of the character The Saint and the series of extraordinary situations that surround him have made his comic strip a classic. The order of this collection, in which The Saint confronts the zombies of Sahuayo, Godzilla, and many others, is a bit unique—it begins with the fifth volume, backtracks with four prequels, and finishes masterfully with four volumes of comics that have never before been published.

Customer Reviews:

My life flashed before me.......2005-02-04

This is the real deal.
While reading it my life flashed before me. Its graphic depiction of every TV season , going all the way back to 1944,
brought back a torrent of memories.
Nothing has been left out. Watching TV is best book written about this medium. A medium that touches each an every one of us.
If you love television you'll love this book.

A happy return: "Watching TV" still works.......2004-06-03

The great risk in doing a book like "Watching TV," which both takes television history seriously and has fun with it, is that it may prove to be neither fish nor fowl -- too scholarly for those that want mere nostalgia, and with too much affection for its subject to please those who just want the facts.

Happily, "Watching TV" avoids this pitfall. In the end, the book leans more to the scholarly side than the trivial, but given the vital role the medium plays in our society, the balance feels right.

In this second edition of their 1982 book, Harry Castleman and Wally Podrazik take us up to the 2002-03 season, covering, in the updated material: NBC's return to respectability; cable's steady march to power, the emergence of Fox, the WB and UPN's debuts as broadcast networks, the regulatory shift that has concentrated ownership in a way not seen in decades; the beginnings of the reality show phenomenon, the launch of new technology that promises to change the medium forever, and more.

One of the remarkable aspects of the book remains its refusal to traffic in simple answers. If you're sure that Castleman and Podrazik are making a quick, easy generalization, keep reading: You'll soon see that they will articulate the issue's complexity.

The easiest temptation for two Baby Boomer authors would have been to write a lament for "the good old days" of television. But Castleman and Podrazik point out the good and the bad in every season, in artistic, commercial and social terms.

The season-by-season structure has several advantages. One is that you get the sense, moreso than in any other book about TV history, of how the networks have competed with one another. While it's fun to look at the various fall schedules, the text in each chapter often explains why certain shows were placed into certain slots, how another network sought to counterprogram that same slot, and the results of such moves.

ABC, which for many years was a perennial third-place finisher during the three-network days, is worth keeping an eye on throughout the book, because its desperation to get out of last place made it willing to take bold chances. We learn, for instance why CBS programming head James Aubrey was fired during the 1964-65 season, following some scheduling tactics by ABC that threatened the Tiffany Network's prime time supremacy (and set the precedent for a practice that is only now beginning to fade). And because the book is chronological, you already know from the previous chapter how ABC planted the seeds for its near-upset. If I'm making all of this sound like boring corporate infighting that no one could possibly care about today, that isn't the way it's presented in the book. The shows from that season are discussed in fun detail, but the added context of how the networks used them gives the book heft.

Another fascinating network vs. network storyline again involves ABC, this time concerning its challenge to the No. 1 spot in the 1975-76 season. Castleman and Podrazik explain how CBS' momentum was stopped by the new "family hour" that was mandated by the FCC (8-9 p.m.), as it allowed its program development to be hamstrung by the rule. ABC chief Fred Silverman recognized the opportunity and seized it, utilizing "Happy Days," "Welcome Back Kotter" and other now-fondly remembered shows to steer the network to ratings success. The authors have put themselves in a good position to sustain the drama inherent in Silverman's maneuverings, having explained ABC's self-sabotage in previous seasons. The '75-'76 chapter essentially ends on a cliffhanger, as Silverman is poised to take the lead, but hasn't quite gotten there. ABC does finish No. 1 in 1976-77, and Castleman and Podrazik know how to make that chapter pay off.

Another thing that works about the season-by-season approach is that the authors revisit shows and events along different points on a timeline. It's one thing to have a book that explains in a few paragraphs that "Gunsmoke" debuted in 1955 as a half-hour show, moved to an hour in 1961, was almost canceled in 1967, but was saved and became a big hit again. But in "Watching TV," you get a real sense of how different an atmosphere the show thrived in during its early years was from the one it basked in later.

Make no mistake, though, the book can be very funny. My personal favorite example of this is the authors' description of "Gilligan's Island." I won't spoil it here, but suffice it to say that Castleman and Podrazik have more than a few problems with the tale of those seven stranded castaways. As always, they put the show in full context, pointing out other escapist sitcoms that appeared around the same time.

The second edition of "Watching TV" is a very worthwhile purchase for devoted buffs who care about the past, present, and future of our most important medium.

The definitive chronicle of TV's history.......2004-03-08

Unlike most of the TV reference books, this is a season-by-season narrative of the history of television. One can pick up the book and turn to any chapter and, even if one is too young to remember that particular TV season, get the flavor of the events of that season and the major programs and trends. A good, informative read, with an objective, down-the-middle viewpoint.

The Long Wait Is Over!.......2004-02-18

The long-awaited update of this classic is finally here!

Castleman and Podrazik's original "Watching TV" is a meticulously researched, wittily-written history of the medium from 1940 to 1980. Filled with insider tidbits, network schedules and classic photos, it's a tv trivia buff's dream come true. The new, updated book is even better!

A definite must for the tv room coffee table.

Book Description

From Elvis to the Beatles, from Michael Jackson to Marilyn Manson, rock stars claim to have seen, communed with, been inspired by, and sometimes even descended from extraterrestrials. Alien Rock is an irreverent, illuminating, all-access pass to the stars' unearthly encounters--some friendly, some frightening, and some frankly bizarre, including:

• The birth of Elvis was marked by the appearance of a mysterious blue light over his house.

• In August 1974, John Lennon spied a UFO from the window of the penthouse he shared with then-girlfriend, May Pang.

• Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull encountered a luminous cigar-shaped mothership while camping in the English countryside in 1968.

• Jimi Hendrix told a friend, "I am a spiritual messenger, sent here from another place."

Whether you're a UFO skeptic or a true believer, Alien Rock provides a fascinating new perspective on the long, strange trip that is rock 'n' roll history, and suggests that, wherever the road takes us, we may not be traveling alone.

Customer Reviews:

Thought Provoking Profiles.......2006-07-06

I had forgotten that the Canadian comedian Dan Aykroyd is also a rock and roller (of sorts) because nowadays every other word out of his mouth is some sort of testimonial to belief in alien abduction and "The Force Is Out There." A bizarre twist in his career, lasty I remember of him was starring as Jessica Tandy's son in DRIVING MISS DAISY. But apparently she told him of the strange events that had besieged her on the set of COCOON and convinced him that there are alien forces watching us at almost all times but not to worry, they are largely harmless. Michael Luckman interviews Dan for this book, along with a host of other rockers, some of whom, like Jimi Hendrix, were actually taken away from our planet by sources unknown.

Like Dan Aykroyd, Marc Bolan of T.Rex started out as a comedian and gradually became a prophet of the unknown like Nostradamus. It is believed that supernatural forces made him shorter than other human beings so that he was able to pose as a child and evade even the most sophisticated of alien surveillance systems. The same forces for good wrote many of his lyrics, as Luckman demonstrates. He's old enough to remember that "T.Rex" was merely the glam punk abbreviation for Tyrannosaurus Rex, a folk-rock group which sought to reanimate the ancient British legends of Stonehenge, Merlin, Excalibur, and the sleeping spirits. Bolan met a human wizard in a French castle near Marseilles who could levitate them both ten feet into the air, and ate nothing but snails, trying to imitate through immersion the DNA-like structure of spiralling which you can find in the Fibonacci sequence of numbers as well as crawling animals.

In some ways, the French know best. When Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire was looking for some names for his group, which combines old time gospel harmonies with modern percussion and synthesized beats, he turned to the 18th century magicians who thronged the court of Marie Antoinette. Luckman mentions that 74 per cent of Americans believe that they have been aware of alien abductions, but he is strangely silent about some other figures. I dock this book a star (think about our "star" system for measuring excellence for a minute--it's terribly suggestive, ne c'est pas?) for its physical shortcomings, the pages which tend to roll up like dead leaves unless sprayed down with water, and some of the badly reproduced illustrations, such as Giger's depiction of Deborah Harry as a space alien, she looks really bad and definitely not ready for prime time.

Sorry I expended the effort to carry it home from the library.......2006-03-16

Whoo dawgies! Perfect for anyone who's grown bored with TV and has
decided to see what reading is all about. Enquirer-like catalogue of encounters between extraterrestrials and rock stars. Substantiating "evidence" on a par with predictions of second coming of christ.

Juvenile and silly........2006-01-21

I wrote term papers like this when I was in middle school: Take a pretty hokey premise and back it up with hearsay and quotes from drug abusers and add a lot of exclamation points for emphasis.

The book starts out suggesting that Elvis was a being from another planet and gives this as evidence - Elvis once said to a fan (while out of his mind on medication, no doubt), "I'm from out there, baby!." Then it goes on to suggest that the color blue is associated with UFOs and Elvis had a lot of movie titles and song titles with blue in them. How can argue with that kind of staggering evidence?!!

This is your brain on drugs.......2005-09-26

I must admit the title of the book intrigued me,but I was let down most of the people listed in the book are well known drug users Lennon -LSD,Jerry Garcia - LSD Mick Jagger- Pot LSD Elvis - various pain killers and list goes on so I must take most of what is in this book with a grain of saltand most performers will say and do anything for attention and jump on the flavor of day bandwagon .Although the photo on page 276 was interesting. All in all not inpressed with the book.

Close On the Truth.......2005-08-04

I found the book to be very interesting from the standpoint of a connection to the paranormal of most artists, their music, and their life experiences. I did think that the belief of the rock star Jimmy Hendrix was a bit off the mark. Jimmy was on a spiritual path that was leading him to a higher consciousness. Unfortunately for him, he had a manager, at the time, that was heavily into drugs and believed himself to be a representative of a deity. Yes, Jimmy was sent to spread a message...but it was not from an alien. Extraterrestrials and rock stars or artists of any sort do seem to have some sort of connection. This book opens up the possibility that they, the artists, are being used to send a message. It is just for us to figure out what that message is. Read the book and see if you can figure the message out.

Average customer rating:

Simplistic and very overpriced.

Lottery Master Guide

Lottery

Powerball Winner

LOTTERY MASTER GUIDE

Lottery Master Guide
Gail Howard
Manufacturer: Smart Luck Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0945760116

Book Description

Lottery Master Guide is the most comprehensive book on scientific lottery strategy ever written. Once you apply the methods in this book, you will never look at Lotto numbers the same way again. By using the powerful and effective rules and tools in Lottery Master Guide, you'll learn how to spot specific numbers for specific drawings, and make the best use of the dollars you spend on Lotto. You will learn to recognize the winning patterns that produce winning numbers--and spot the Hot Numbers of tomorrow... TODAY!!!

Lottery Master Guide is a virtual library of indispensable lottery information--everything serious players need to know about pick-5, pick-6, pick-10, Powerball and The Big Game. It also lists state and Canadian lottery addresses, telephone numbers, drawing result hot lines, odds, drawing days, etc. After you have read Lottery Master Guide from cover to cover, not only will you be on your way to winning more prizes, but you will be an authority on lotteries--and you will have the world's best strategies to beat them!

LOTTERY MASTER GUIDE REVEALS HOW YOU CAN:

* Turn a game of chance into a game of skill. (Page 2)

* Reduce the odds by millions. (Page 32)

* Buy fewer tickets yet have a greater chance to win. (Page 90)

* Discover the one thing ALL jackpot winners have in common. (Page 165)

* Tell if a number is about to start a long losing streak before it loses 15 or 20 games or more. (Page 53)

* Know when to play--or when not to play--a specific number for a specific drawing. (Page 68)

* See how often you can expect to trap the six, five, four or three winning numbers in your wheeled group. (Page 128)

* Tell which "cold" number is best to play. (No, it is not the number out the longest!) (Page 44)

* Detect at a glance which numbers are hot and which are not. (Page 53)

* Avoid playing Lotto numbers that are sure to lose. (Page 19)

* Cash in on the luck of others. (Page 152)

* Eliminate one quarter to one fifth of the Lotto numbers in your state's game and turn a 49-number game into a 39-number game. (Page 39)

* Know how many cold, lukewarm, and hot numbers to include on your tickets. (Page 41)

* Spot a Hot Number before it gets hot--so you can be on it when it starts its winning streak. (Page 53)

* Know which of last game's WINNING numbers has the best chance of winning the next drawing. (Page 65)

* Know which of last game's LOSING numbers have the best chance of winning the next drawing. (Page 68)

* Tell which numbers have an affinity to win most often with your strongest numbers. (Page 71)

* Cash on the most predictable indicator--the balancing Bias Tracker(tm). (Page 34)

* Learn how to choose the best and eliminate the rest. (Page 45)

Customer Reviews:

Simplistic and very overpriced........2007-05-09

I assumed a book costing $25 would be a valuable addition to my knowledge of playing the Lotto and Lottery. Gail Howard is more hype than substance. Having read and studied Professor Jones' books, and other significant authors on the subject of statistical analysis, this book is trite and unsubstantial.

Like "Sylvia the Psychic" on Montel, Ms. Howard has parleyed her image to connote a knowledge of Lotto but I would pass on her book. I feel like it was a sham and it cost me $25 for nothing.

Lottery Master Guide.......2007-01-18

Just what I was looking for. An in depth look at a statistical way to predict lottery numbers, balanced wheels, and strategy guide. I am writing my own software and this book is proving very usefull for that effort.

Lottery.......2007-01-11

It was a good book and was very specific, but fun, in ways to play the lottery and win.

Powerball Winner.......2006-10-05

On 8-30-06, I had four out of five white balls and the red Power ball for a $10,000.00 win along with the Power Play of four (4) for a total of $40.000.00. I used the information in Gail Howard's "Lottery Master Guide" to select my Power ball. I used Gail's system 53130-2 Win 3 with 4 right, 30 Numbers in 9 games (2 Power) system for $9. Gail Howard's systems have allowed me to win many small prizes, however, this was my first big win.

Ron Johnson

LOTTERY MASTER GUIDE.......2006-07-15

As yet, I have not put the contents of this book to the test. It is the only guide to winning the Lottery that I have attempted to read, but am, so for, impressed.

The strategies make sense and I expect them to work for me.

A key message is that there is no such thing as 'random'. This is an ordered Universe and Lotto numbers are no exception. They create patterns. A study of those patterns will reveal the secret to winning.

A favourable review of this book could be counter productive. Many winners means less money to go around. However, it does require patience and some diligent self application. This, I hope, will be a deterrent.

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