David Finley: Quiet Force for America's Arts

Book Description

Throughout his long and remarkable lifetime, David E. Finley (1890-1977) made brilliant contributions to the cultural life of this country. Yet less than thirty years after his death, his name is barely known. In David Finley: Quiet Force for America's Arts, biographer David Doheny revitalizes Finley's legacy, presenting the compelling story of his life and incorporating fascinating excerpts from recently discovered private journals, published here for the first time.

As the first director of the National Gallery of Art, founding chairman of the board of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and a key player in creating the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., Finley used his matchless contacts and legendary powers of persuasion to establish institutions that today preserve and display masterpieces of western European and American art, a rich heritage of architectural properties across the United States, and an exceptional visual record of notable figures in American history. In addition, Finley's distinguished leadership of the Roberts Commission, which protected the art and architectural monuments during World War II, stands as a landmark in America's cultural maturity.

Providing compelling insights into the events and personalities that shaped our nation during the transformative years between the 1920s and 1960s, this book will appeal to scholars and students of history and art.

Customer Reviews:

David Finley.......2006-10-12

After a long career as a distinguished and versatile lawyer, Mr. Doheny has now proven himself a master biographer. David Finley is the story of one of the nation's most productive cultural leaders. Little known to the public at large, Finley rubbed shoulders with and sought and obtained support from Presidents, cabinet members, Supreme Court justices and private-sector elites in the course of establishing and growing a number of our country's most important art and historical preservation institutions. Through obviously painstaking and meticulous research, Doheny has nevertheless depicted Finley's long life in highly readable form, effectively weaving the individual details into the larger fabric of twentieth century history. This is a very fine book.

Book Description

Three volumes from the Getty Museum's popular In Focus series are packaged together here, offering a handsome set of books on these important photographers: Andre Kertesz, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, and Man Ray. All born in Europe, each photographer journeyed to the United States and made important
contributions to the medium. The volume on Kertesz presents the Getty Museum's holdings of his work from his Budapest, Paris, and New York periods, while the images in the book on Bauhaus teacher Moholy-Nagy include his pioneering photomontages and camera-less "photograms." The Man Ray volume
presents his inventive photographs taken in New York, Paris, and Los Angeles, including portraits and nudes, and his experimental work with Rayographs and solarization. Each volume in the In Focus series contains approximately fifty photographs, with commentaries, an introduction, a chronology, and
a transcription of a colloquium on the photographer's life and work.

In Focus: Man Ray: Photographs From the J. Paul Getty Museum (In Focus)

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In Focus: Man Ray: Photographs From the J. Paul Getty Museum (In Focus)
Man Ray
Manufacturer: Getty Trust Publications: J. Paul Getty Museum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Conversion to Modernism: The Early Work of Man Ray

ASIN: 0892365110

Book Description

During a career that spanned more than fifty years, two continents, and work in many media, Man Ray (1890-1976) produced a large body of photographic images that continue to command our attention. This volume presents his early work in New York in the 1910s, selections from his sizeable Paris
oeuvre in the 20s, 30s, and 50s, and photographs taken during his time in Hollywood in the 40s. Though in later years he expressed a desire to be remembered as a painter, Man Ray continued to work with photography throughout his life, pushing the boundaries of the medium with cameraless images,
solarized portraits, and other innovations.

The Getty Museum's collection of three hundred works by Man Ray includes vintage prints from the 1910s through the 1960s. This volume presents more than fifty photographs, with commentary on each image by Katherine Ware, assistant curator of photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum. The volume also
includes an overview of his life and the edited transcript of a symposium on his career.

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Eye-opening

Funny, funny, funny

Parody or mockery?

Great Time for a Siting; Flock's a Bit Ruffled Since Nov. 7 (and the Ted Haggard thing)

Funny and insightful

A Field Guide to Evangelicals and Their Habitat
Joel Kilpatrick
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Christian Culture Survival Guide: The Misadventures of an Outsider on the Inside

The Great Giveaway: Reclaiming the Mission of the Church from Big Business, Parachurch Organizations, Psychotherapy, Consumer Capitalism, and Other Modern Maladies

The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth that Could Change Everything

A Heretic's Guide to Eternity

Confessions of a Reformission Rev.: Hard Lessons from an Emerging Missional Church (The Leadership Network Innovation)

ASIN: 0060836962
Release Date: 2006-03-14

Book Description

They're Going to Heaven . . . and They Know It

At last, a complete, unsparing guide to evangelical Christians. This hilarious and highly useful manual, written by an insider, illuminates this rapidly growing and unique segment of America and offers a thoroughly entertaining, no-holds-barred, laugh-out-loud survey of evangelical culture. See inside for the scoop on:

What Evangelicals Believe -- Plus a Master List of Who Is Going to Hell
How to Party Like an Evangelical -- Ambrosia, Li'l Smokies, and Potluck Fever
The Diversity of Evangelical Politics -- From Right-Wing to Wacko
Evangelical Mating Habits -- The Shocking Truth

Customer Reviews:

Eye-opening.......2007-05-19

This book was one of the funniest reads that I've had in a long time. It really made me outright laugh aloud. Considering the fact that I carted it to several public places as I read it, this was not always a good thing.

I've been a fan of the Lark News webazine for quite some time, and I've seen the book advertised, so it was only natural that I bought this book. Underneath it all, though, I could not shake the way that it made me feel about some of the people of my faith. I know there are individuals out there who are so excited about being "born again" because of whatever past they've had to deal with, but that doesn't excuse the way that tracts are handed out as tips at restaurants, or stuffed into lockers at schools as though that absolves one from having to actually witness to the "unwashed heathen masses".

At its heart, this book is a way for all of us to remember that no one has the right answer, no matter how much we're convinced that we do, and that God is not something that you can stick into a box that conforms to our ideals of what He should be.

It's also extremely funny. Especially the part about Thomas Kincaid, Painter Of _________ you fill in the blank.

Funny, funny, funny.......2007-05-13

I am a Christian, but I also have a sense of humor (can you say oxymoron?); therefore, I can appreciate what the author is doing in this little book. We all need to occasionally see ourselves as others see us and to be able to laugh at ourselves when the situation calls for it. And the situation often calls for it in this book. We all know people like these "evangelicals" (perhaps we ARE these people) and I kept saying to those around me (when I could stop laughing long enough), "You've got to read this; it's just like so-and-so!" I can see how the book might offend some people, but, hey, lighten up! At least we're being ridiculed by one of our own this time.

Parody or mockery?.......2007-01-12

This book was funny in many places and accurate for the most part (at least according to my evangelical experience). Sometimes, though, it seemed to fall off the edge from comedic caricature to cynical critique. A number of years back there was a book called "Growing Up Born Again (GUBA)" that did a similar thing, but that book was more effective in pointing out the foibles of the evangelical movement without losing its affection for the topic.

Of course, an anthropological field guide would attempt to remain neutral in its description, so one wouldn't expect Kilpatrick's work to reflect any commitment one way or the other as GUBA did. However, in places the Field Guide lost its sense of genre parody and slipped into a tone that struck me as mockery. That is OK if that is what Kilpatrick wants to do, but it doesn't live up to the really brilliant idea of using an anthropological field guide as a means of parodying the Evangelical subculture of Christianity. The fine line of parody vs. outright mockery is crossed at times and that left me feeling that the fiction of the field guide was not as consistently sustained as it should have been to make the impact of the book more effective.

Great Time for a Siting; Flock's a Bit Ruffled Since Nov. 7 (and the Ted Haggard thing).......2006-11-11

Yup, stunned and a little confused, that's what we are these days, although Joel Kilpatrick, one of my favorite satirists, did not have the benefit of either of those newsbites when putting together his Guide. Joel is a Christian most famous for his Lark News web page (google it) which also is a not-too-searing satire of the evangelical life. I first discovered Mr. Kilpatrick, in fact, when Christianity Today announced he was getting flack for publishing an article therein in which Bob the Tomato (of VeggieTales fame) claimed he was bigger than God (evangelicals apparently don't have memories going back 38 years, and although they do listen to Beatles music...I have hard evidence of this....they think of them as "soft rock oldies" fellows who never were controversial. And they don't listen to the words. Imagine if they knew the words to "Imagine!")

But enough about the talented author. A Field Guide to Evangelicals will be helpful to you if you know someone who has just converted and is trying to get you to convert, if you have just joined a church and they seem to use language you are not used to, such as "laying on of hands", "the rapture", "I could tell God was telling me not to go to Michigan because I was accepted at Michigan State", etc. It will be helpful if you are in a situation where you must encounter evangelicals regularly (for example, if you are a waitress who notices that on Sunday, hordes of people come into your restaurant well dressed, eat lots of food, keep you running for hours, and don't leave a tip, but instead leave a little booklet titled, "Do You Know Where You're Going If You Die Tonight?") and want to understand them better....or at least want to keep from going to federal prison by gunning them all down next Sunday. And it will be the funniest thing you've read in a long while if you are an evangelical who doesn't take him or herself too seriously.

Some of the contents: Who and who's not going to heaven (after all, we evangelicals know for sure. Hint: the ACLU's fate doesn't look good); Evangelical Sex (it's racier than you might think....in fact, evangelicals are probably having more fun than you're having!); the real skinny on the rapture.

Why not five stars? Four signifies there is room to grow: now that "Lark" has done well for several years and this book is out, perhaps Joel can tackle one subject and come out with a satirical treatise or novel on a sacred Christian cow (forgive the mixed metaphor) in the tradition of Erasmus. Or as Paul would say, Joel, "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."
(Romans 12:3)

Funny and insightful.......2006-06-26

I bought this book on the recommendation of a few who are malcontent with the evangelical life. I thought it was definitely a good laugh, but if you are evangelical, be prepared to laugh at yourself and not get offended! Though mostly accurate, there were some definite dated things...such as I doubt many evangelical teen girls have Michael W. Smith posters on their walls anymore...a whole new slew of Christian music talent has overthrown the exclusivity of one act. Otherwise, it's a quick easy read.

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"Whatever happened to Fay Wray?"

A barometer on American culture from the 1930's through modern day

A VARIETY OF FASCINATING ESSAYS!

King Kong Is Back!: An Unauthorized Look at One Humongous Ape! (Smart Pop series)

Manufacturer: Benbella Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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King Kong Cometh

Kong Unbound: The Cultural Impact, Pop Mythos, and Scientific Plausibility of a Cinematic Legend (Kong: The 8th Wonder of the World)

King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon from Fay Wray to Peter Jackson

The Making of King Kong : The Official Guide to the Motion Picture (King Kong)

Spawn of Skull Island

ASIN: 1932100644

Book Description

** COMPLETELY UNAUTHORIZED **

Kong fans will go bananas over this collection of essays on one of film's most powerful and evocative figures. Experts in the fields of race, gender, evolution, special effects, and film explore the legend of King Kong from every angle in this study of the magical and unparalleled original film. From Why has King Kong affected the American consciousness so profoundly? to What does the story say about race, gender, and sexuality? and Why have the sequels failed to re-create the original's allure?, the essayists examine all aspects of this landmark film and its impact on society, culture, and media. Insights into the new version, due out this year by acclaimed Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, are also included.

Customer Reviews:

"Whatever happened to Fay Wray?".......2007-01-03

King Kong Is Back! And it's a lot of fun to read!

The three sections of the book form a recapitulation of the film-going experience, from being a kid watching King Kong on TV for the first time, to the discovery (or invention) of the "deeper meanings" of the film as an adult.

David Gerrold and Adam-Troy Castro (among other contributors) give intriguing scenarios about what might have happened to the Beast and his Beauty. (They're written almost as nonfiction, but would have made good stories.)

It was nice that a couple of essayists rehabilitate the 1976 remake with Jessica Lange. There's nothing wrong with retelling a classic horror story taking feminism and environmentalism into consideration. Steve Rubio's article on the 1976 movie was particularly good. I'd forgotten how hopeless the 1970s Kong looked and sounded, chained up in the ship's hold for someone else's profit. (There was too much unapologetic racism in the original film to introduce guilt showing a slave ship.)

Robert Hood's essay on who would win a fight - - King Kong or Godzilla - - was interesting. It's obvious the kaiju eiga (giant monster films) of the fifties and sixties were influenced by Kong and Mighty Joe Young, but the respective filmakers (Ishiro Honda and Willis O'Brien) were connected in other ways too.

There's a filmography of movies that were sequels to the original King Kong or influenced by it, but they left one film out I think should have been included. It's a movie where the mad scientist becomes the ingenue - - The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

As Rocky carries his creator's body up the RKO Radio tower, with Riff Raff and Magenta firing deadly ray guns at them both, Rocky gently pulls Frank's arm over his shoulder to protect him. The first time I saw that (in the scummy Tali theater in West Berlin when I was twenty-five) I cried.

But it wasn't the Transylvanian ray guns that got them. "'Twas Beauty killed the Beast."

A barometer on American culture from the 1930's through modern day.......2006-10-02

Editor David Brin released an essay collection about One Humongous Ape (King Kong) immediately prior to the theatrical re-make of this classic by director Peter Jackson. As a hardened skeptic, I viewed the book as a promotional stunt--but I couldn't have been more mistaken. This is an academic and enjoyable collection of essays on topics ranging from personal experiences with the King Kong films, the science and art of the Kong movies, and the philosophy of King Kong.

The opening essays feature fond memories of the 1933 film version of King Kong from its 1976 to 1985 tenure as a Thanksgiving-day-staple on New York local television, and of reactions to the 1976 re-make. Writers compare the thematic elements of the 1930's and 1970's version, exploring the relationship audiences had with each release, in the days before the VCR.

In his essay on The Making of King Kong, artist Bob Eggleton takes the reader behind the scenes in animation technology throughout the last century, explaining why the 1933 animation feels so much better when compared to the 1976 version, and applauding Jackson's wisdom for making his 2005 film a period piece set back in the Depression. Psychobiologist Dario Maestripieri, on the other hand, teaches the audience about gorilla and primate biology, and explains the truth about gorilla mating, aggression, and general behavior. The exploration of King Kong might be stretched a little far in Joseph D. Miller's argument that Skull Island can be mapped to the region on Sigmund Freud's Triune Brain, but it is a theory to entertain. Robert A. Metzger even argues that King Kong was real, and lists geographical and plot clues that Merian C. Cooper actually had a King Kong-like experience on which the film is based.

The final essays probe the thematic and cultural implications of the Big Ape story, including the parallels between Kong and the experience of enslaved Africans brought America. As a story that has been told in three times in American history, King Kong, and his theatrical success at the time of each release, can be used as barometer for American social and political culture. While there are certainly highs and lows in this collection, overall, it is a landmark piece about all aspects of this American phenomenon. Detailed writer biographies follow each entry, so be prepared to be introduced to some new writing talent and other works to follow up with.

A VARIETY OF FASCINATING ESSAYS!.......2006-06-16

Well 2005 was truly the year of King Kong with Peter Jackson's wonderful remake of the classic 1933 epic. In King Kong is Back, part of Benbella Books' Smart Pop series, a score of luminaries share their thoughts on Kong in a wildly diverse array of essays spanning from the 1933 original, right up to Jackson's remake, and everything in between, including the Japanese Kong films. While perhaps a bit uneven in their tone and scope, these essays are at worst passionate and at best, often brilliantly considered.

Nick Mamatas and Paul Levinson share similar memories on growing up in New York in the 1970's when the running of King Kong on WOR was as much a tradition on Thanksgiving Day as the Macy's parade or Detroit Lions football. Don DeBrandt's piece tries to make the argument that the 1976 remake is actually better written and acted than the original, almost dismissing it as an airy fantasy. He makes the point that the remake was more socially conscious and more complex, pointing out that the search for Skull Island wasn't about making a film but rather finding oil. That may be, but people don't go to see Kong for social relevance, they go to be entertained.

Rick Klaw's essay "Thirty Three" delves in the colorful history of the two men who brought King Kong to the screen, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. These two have a backround that you'd think had to be written by Hollywood. Both served during WWII and both aided Poland in their fight for independence with Russia. Cooper was a pilot for the Polish Air Force and was made a squadron commander in 1920. He was shot down and captured by the Russians and held in a prison camp until he escaped along with two Polish prisoners and traversed 500 miles to freedom into Lativa. A remarkable history.

Another great essay is from Bob Eggleton who discusses the making of the 1933 film, focusing on stop-motion animation whiz Willis O' Brien, and a man whose name has been nearly lost to the sands of time, Marcel Delgado, who actually made the various Kong models used in the animation process, not to mention the various dinosaurs and other beasties.

Robert A. Metzger's "Dragons Teeth and Hobbits" supposes a true history to Skull Island, King Kong, dinosaurs, and a long lost forgotten race of little people thousands of years old. Metzger hypothesizes about not only Kong's origin, but the origin of the great wall. Seeing as how Kong easily climbed the Empire State Building, this wall would have posed little problem to him...so just who built it and why? Fascinating stuff!

Some of the essays are a little on the dry side but all in all its wonderfully done and a great book for any King Kong fan.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Book Description

Renowned for forty years of writing about jazz and for almost that long a span as a record producer, Orrin Keepnews has won three Grammy Awards, established two legendary jazz labels, and has both worked in the studio with and written about such jazz giants as Cannonball Adderley, Bill
Evans, Thelonious Monk, and McCoy Tyner.
The View from Within brings together a wide range of Keepnews' writings, including reviews and commentary for The Record Changer, Down Beat, and other magazines; album notes; essays; and discerning appreciations of such artists as Monk, Evans, Wes Montgomery, and Johnny Griffin. As he traces
his own transformation from a young traditionalist into one of the leading forces in modern jazz, Keepnews also presents a vivid portrait of jazz in the years since the war.

Customer Reviews:

A must read for all jazz afficianados.......2004-08-19

Orrin Keepnews is a genius jazz music producer who has brought the world so much great music. His stories, collected over the years for this book, are very informative and colorful. This book is a must read for anyone interested in jazz. Orrin is a great story teller and has woven a wonderful fabric of tales from his extensive experiences as founder and producer of Riverside Records in the 50s and 60s.

The View from Within : Jazz Writings, 1948-1987

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The View from Within : Jazz Writings, 1948-1987
Orrin Keepnews
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKFHO0

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The View from Within: Jazz Writings, 1948-1987
Orrin Keepnews
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKDC4W

Book Description

This supplement delves even further into the background of the Empire as laid out in the main rulebook. Useful for both players and Game Masters. The supplement contains a detailed geography, expanded history and in depth explanation of the politics and new empire centric careers.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect tool for GM.......2007-08-13

This book is one of the best products by Warhammer I have ever seen.
As a GM I use it as often as "Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: A Grim World of Perilous Adventure" or PH (Player's Handbook). ))

You have lots of useful information on history, politics, society etc of the Empire.

Very Informative.......2007-08-03

This book helps with the background, history, beliefs, people breakdowns, and other useful informationon the Empire. the map could be a little more expansiveas some things in descriptions are not shown onthe map, but otherwise it is quite interesting and one of the first books a Gamemaster should get if running in the Empire.

A Great Sourcebook.......2007-05-14

Too many roleplaying games release expansions that are little more than addenda to the rules comprising of pages upon pages of extra classes, feats and the like with setting information getting a few paragraphs here and there. Sigmar's Heirs reverses this trend - mechanics and rules take a backseat to the exploration of the Empire. All of the Imperial provinces are covered in detail, including local sites of interest, personalities and the like. The Empire itself is also covered including religion, politics and history. The core rulebook isn't required to derive use from this book, it's great for pleasure reading or as an idea mine for your game.

A great resource.......2006-04-21

This is a great resource for those people who aren't as familiar with the setting. It also brings those familiar to the setting form older books up to date with the current time line. While I'd have like to see a little more for the price it's invaluable for the GM. As well as a fun read for the player with a bit of extra cash who wants to understand the setting better.

Great Information Book for WFRP.......2006-03-14

I was very please with SH and the background material it provided. Not having many supplements from WFB or from v1, SH provided excellent history on the provinces of the empire. Additionally it talked about the current state of the provinces after the Storm of Chaos.

The one thing I was hoping to have in the book it a bit more maps, paticular of each province.

For new players, this book will be a very good addition to the core rules. Longtime players of v1 and WFB will like the updates for the SoC stuff and consolodated information, but it is not a must buy.

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Sigmar's Heirs, A Guide to the Empire
*
Manufacturer: GAMES WORKSHOP (ABS)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K74YUA

Average customer rating:
ACCESS ALL AREAS, BEHIND THE SCENES AT CORONATION STREET,
DAVID HANSON
Manufacturer: GRANADA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SEUYPE

Average customer rating:
Access All Areas-Behind/Coronation
David Hanson , and Hanson
Manufacturer: Andre Deutsch Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Television | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0233997229

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Access to All Areas . Behind the Scenes at Coronation Street
David Hanson (Text)
Manufacturer: Andre Deutsch Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQ4X5I

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