Frances Stark: Collected Writing 1993-2003

Book Description

Presented in a pseudo-autobiographical style that offers poetic musings to create meandering, off-centered texts, this volume by Frances Stark brings together many of her texts for the first time, including essays on artists and her infamous art + text column. Stark's writing is not specifically located in visual art, but rather rooted in the condition of contemporary life--encountering along the way the literary tradition, music, and philosophy. Often humorous and always highly readable, Stark's Collected Writing also includes facsimiles of The Unspeakable Compromise of the Portable Work of Art as well as specially designed pages by the author, for a truly unique experience in the world of artist's writings.

Book Description

“One of the best books of its kind, and at a good price. Hamilton...starts with the bare essentials of sketching and then builds the student’s confidence by advancing through exercises in lighting, perspective, and still lifes and on to larger outdoor scenes.”—Library Journal.

Customer Reviews:

A good little book..........2004-08-06

This was a great "over-the-shoulder" sketchbook that held my interest throughout. I loved the writer's conversational style, and he was able to demonstrate many techniques and encourage me to begin humbly with my sketching. I thought it was well worth the money, if for no other reason than the shading information.

ABSOLUTELY UNINSPIRING AND DULL.......2003-12-28

The sketches given as examples are of very poor quality, the selection of themes is random and unorganized, nothing is explained to the fullest, instruction is vague, + there is no tips on composition.
In short: another of these books that go step 1), step 2) and poof the drawing is finished without the instructor spelling out steps 3,4,5,6.
The selection of drawing subjects is extremely restrictive or the author just lacked inspiration; it's just draw a little of this, than a little of that, with no finishing techniques and no idea on how to group the objects.
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY
There are plenty of better books, such as from Ernest Watson, Ferdinand Petrie, Wendon Blake and more (even if those guys are oldies; they remain goodies)

Beautiful sketches I still wish I could master.......2002-10-06

This book is a pleasantly composed item with very beautiful sketches. The author gives very good information and examples on materials and techniques used, and it is clear that this book helped me, but only a little....
I loved the fact that it was not overpowered with text and I would probably be able to copy the sketches in the book fairly well. Unfortunately I don't think this book helped me produce my own sketches from my personal observations. I thnk it is too advanced for the first-time drawer, or the drawer with a minimum of skill and even less confidence...

Not for Beginners.......2001-09-09

Beginners won't really benefit from this book. The author's vague description of perspective confuses rather than explains. The book resembles a sketchbook with some notes dropped into it. I would recommend The Art of Drawing and Pencil Drawing Techniques over this thing anyday.

The Complete Sketching Book.......2001-08-15

I found This book very helpful. I needed some help with shading and found the help I needed

The Complete Book of Drawing and Painting

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The Complete Book of Drawing and Painting
Mike Chaplin
Manufacturer: Gramercy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0517227339
Release Date: 2006-05-02

Book Description

This comprehensive illustrated guide to the fundamentals of drawing and painting covers everything the budding artist needs to know, from equipment and tools to various drawing and painting techniques with pencil, ink, pastels, watercolors, oils, and more. This book takes beginners through all the basics as they progress toward finding their individual style. Full-color illustrations and photographs guide readers step-by-step and offer examples and inspiration. Topics include: types of paper; shading; perspective; composition; light sources; depth; still life; figure drawing; and landscapes.

Complete Book of Painting Techniques: Oils, Watercolors, Pastels,

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Complete Book of Painting Techniques: Oils, Watercolors, Pastels,
LUSICA A. SALEMME
Manufacturer: See notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RQJ4YA

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Complete Oil Painting Course
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Crescent
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Painting | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0517612038
Release Date: 1988-12-12

Painting With Oils: The Complete Process

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Painting With Oils: The Complete Process
Barclay Sheaks
Manufacturer: Olympic Marketing Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 087192093X

The Complete Book of Oil Painting (The Complete Book Of...)

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The Complete Book of Oil Painting (The Complete Book Of...)
Jose Parramon
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0714828289

Book Description

A native of Miami, Kenneth Treister had not been in Cuba since 1957 when he thought it one of the most beautiful cities in the world. In January 1997, traveling with journalist Ben Leuchter, he revisited Havana. At first his interest was only architectural. But as he discovered that the mansions burgeoned with life- 15 to 30 families in space built for one, impoverished people sheltering meager possessions in the decay of grandeur- his focus shifted to the people of Havana...a people trying to retain their dignity.

Book Description

Travel doesn’t always live up to one’s expectations — it sometimes exceeds them. For the 25 women contributors to Sand in My Bra and Other Misadventures, hitting the road inspires tales that their friends and families, as well as the readers of this book, will never forget. Readers laugh, cry, and commiserate with these women and their comical, bizarre, and unforgettable adventures including being chased by a herd of 50 African elephants, getting bitten by a goddess-possessed healer in Kathmandu, nightclubbing with a prude in Bangkok’s infamous Patpong sex district, and observing the shenanigans of a delirious new son-in-law in the Himalayas. Contributors include Anne Lamott, Ellen Degeneres, Sandra Tsing Loh, Sarah Vowell, and Cynthia Kaplan.

Customer Reviews:

A Laugh Out Loud Collection.......2006-11-12

This collection of funny stories is not just for women! It's a fun book to take on vacation and to read aloud to your traveling companion. I particularly enjoyed "The Aunties," by Anne Lamott, as she describes the inner voice battling thoughts on her middle-aged body while standing next to a group of teenagers at a beach side bus stop.

A quick, fun read that will keep you laughing and appreciating the fine batch of women writers presented in this anthology.

From the author of "A Line Between Friends," McKenna Publishing Group

Travel Travails Told with Humor and Not Just for Women.......2006-09-01

I would be hard pressed to call this a collection of short stories, as this is really a series of humorous anecdotes from an array of accomplished women, some quite funny and even a few who even provide insight into the human condition. Editor Jennifer Leo has gathered twenty-nine pieces, none more than ten pages, and to her credit, this is not an overtly feminist tract. Rather, they all share a uniquely feminine perspective on the quirks and misadventures that could happen to any of us on the road.

My favorites seem to carry similar themes of personal humiliation - Christine Eckardt's ribald story of how her loose-fitting panties were shimmying down her legs on the streets of Abu Dhabi, Sarah Vowell's singular obsession with "The Godfather" as she traversed through Italy rediscovering locales within the film, Kate Crawford getting locked out of her boyfriend's apartment in Paris, Annalisa Valentine's urinary-related disaster on the way back from Everest base camp, and Leo's own exposure to Bangkok's extravagant peep show scene.

Unsurprisingly, the highest profile writer here, Ellen Degeneres, tells of her travails with air travel, a funny routine familiar to anyone who has seen her stand-up routine on HBO. Not all the stories are gems, but Adair Lara contributes an acutely insightful essay on the person we pretend to be when we pack. he title of the collection actually comes from Christine Nielsen's colorful account of her experiences at the Burning Man festival in Nevada. This is shallow-end commuter reading but truly enjoyable for what it's worth.

Sand in my jockstrap, hahaha.......2006-08-27

It's possible the women are funny, but I guarantee you the writing isn't. This is just awful. Big bold neon "laugh at the absurdity of this or that stupid foreigner stereotype! You'll never guess what happened! It was like, so weird, like, I mean, like, ohmygod!" I read 34 of its 200 pages, just because I was too lazy to get out of the beanbag and grab a better book. Six authors who can't write, and I have no reason to believe the others can. The intro by she who chose these essays also sucked. Don't waste your time.

Laugh out loud hysteria!.......2005-09-06

I picked this book up on a recent trip to San Francisco to read on the plane home to Texas. All I can say is, don't read this book on a plane unless you know the person sitting next to you WELL - it had me laughing hysterically (and loudly). Fortunately, I was sitting with my husband...

The only possible drawback is that it really does deal mostly with things that women can relate to. From explaining a gynecological problem in a foreign language to being the less-than-perfect body on the beach with bikini clad babes, it definitely speaks to the woman traveler. As for me - I could definitely relate. Buy it for your next plane ride!

So-so collection..........2005-03-06

These stories are all about women in various traveling situations. I expected more of them to be funny, but hardly any were. Some of them were downright stupid, actually. Quite a few locations were covered, but many of them didn't really give me a good sense of place. I didn't think this was a good book, travel or not.

Sand in My Bra and Other Misadventures: Funny Women Write from the Road

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Sand in My Bra and Other Misadventures: Funny Women Write from the Road
Jessica (introduction by) maxwell
Manufacturer: Travelers' Tales Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NV1AYQ

Amazon.com

Borrowing his title from dialogue in John Ford's classic Western, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance ("When the legend becomes fact, print the legend"), Scott Eyman heeds this advice in his splendid study of Ford, finding a convincing balance between the gruff image Ford cultivated and the sensitive artist that Ford truly was. The result is a to-date definitive biography, occasionally prone to indelicate critical assessment while benefiting greatly from Eyman's full access to the Ford family archives. Arguably the greatest American filmmaker of the 20th century, Ford protected himself with a façade of belligerence yet engendered more loyalty among his crew and stock players (notably John Wayne and Ward Bond) than any other director. Eyman illuminates the Ford legend while focusing on fact--on a complex genius who would berate even the most vulnerable actor and then "apologize without apologizing," a binge drinker who never let alcohol interfere with his closely-guarded artistry, and a stalwart Navy captain whose service in World War II became his primary source of pride.

Print the Legend essentially confirms Ford's brief affair with Katharine Hepburn, but Eyman emphasizes Ford's deep, abiding affection for his wife, Mary, who valiantly tolerated his absolute devotion to filmmaking. While hundreds of interviews yield a comprehensive account of Ford's working methods (which the director was loathe to discuss), Eyman expertly navigates around Ford's own penchant for autobiographical embellishment. What emerges is likely to remain the most thorough portrait of a cinematic master who recognized his own greatness without parading it, and whose human flaws were ultimately forgivable by those--and they were many--who loved him. Readers should look elsewhere for more astute studies of Ford's films, but Eyman has captured Ford the man with lasting authority. -- Jeff Shannon

Book Description

Brilliant, stubborn, witty, rebellious, irascible, and contradictory, John Ford remains an enduring symbol of Hollywood's Golden Age and one of its most respected directors. Through a career that spanned decades and 140 films -- among them such American masterpieces as The Searchers, The Grapes of Wrath, Stagecoach, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance -- John Ford left a cinematic legacy that few filmmakers will ever equal. Yet Ford himself was famously reticent about his personal life, often fabricating details and events. In this definitive look at the life and career of one of America's greatest directors, Scott Eyman offers a remarkable portrait of the man behind the legend that reveals how a saloon keeper's son from Maine helped to shape Hollywood's idea of America.

Customer Reviews:

The movies were different.......2006-05-14

Many books were written about Jonh Ford.
All of them tell the story and the profile of the man.
But John Ford was more than that.
His life is the beginning, but the book doesn?t take it as a experience or example for his films.
The exploration is a long trip in this book.
The readers are going to find the artist who control
everything around and his mind to think faster than others.
He made no more than one take, sometimes to have completely control about the film, not suffering the torture of the film process and the editing.
It?s a strange story about the man who won four Academy Awards?
for Best Directing but he never won an Oscar for one of his western films.
The book explores how he created the images and how he felt involved in those stories so different from cowboys, horses and
shots: 'The grapes of Wrath', 'How green was my valley', 'The informer' and 'The quiet man'.
His camera was different in all these ones.
But finally you can see the horizon, the actor,
the music and the ending.
It is a film directed by John Ford.
Thanks to him, the movies were different in style.
He had the conception of an artist.

John Ford: From Maine to the Movies to Cinematic Glory!.......2005-05-16

Scott Eyman has written an outstanding book on John Ford! Ford
was the second generation son of an Irish bartender from Portland Maine who followed his brother Frank to Hollywood.
In over 130 films from such silent classics as Iron Horse to
his four Oscars for best director: The Informer; How Green Was My
Valley; the Grapes of Wrath and The Quiet Man Ford chronicles
the life of ordinary people living in extraordinary circumstances.
Ford made Westerns better than anyone as witness his classic
cavalry trilogy: Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon; Rio Grande and the peerless The Searchers.
John Ford was a bristling porcupine guy who could dish out insults, reduce strong actors to tears and cover his sensitive,
melancholic, brooding intellectual Irish soul with a veneer of
toughness and macho maleness.
Ford was a complex man isolated and in conflict with famly who made great films for over 50 years in the Hollywood jungle.
He was an admiral who loved the military serving with distinction in World War II.
You may not like Ford after reading this fine book but you will be in awe of one of Hollywood's giants.
Eyman gives a sketch of each of Ford's top films and charts the choppy waters of his long marriage to wife Mary and the difficult relationship he had with his daugher and son.
John Ford will always ride tall in the saddle of Film History
as we travel with him to Monument Valley, meet such Ford stars
as John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara and the other excellent actors in the Ford acting troupe.
Anyone claiming to be knowledgable about film who does not know about John Ford (1894-1973 should read this fine biograhy.
Readers may also wish to peruse Joseph McBride's lengthy biograpy of Ford "In Search of John Ford." Both books are well
done.

Biography that's a page turner!`.......2004-11-16

Having read a fair number of biographies in my time, in subjects from Science to American and military history, this book is as fine a work as I've seen. It is quite probably the best work of its kind on John Ford and pulls few punches when presenting the dark side of this complex man's character.

Genius often goes hand-in-hand with madness, and the odd juxtapositions of cruelty and sensitivity, visciousness and generosity within in the same man leaves it difficult for the reader to like him, much less understand the deep love so many of his peers and actors had for him.

The vast limits of his brilliance as a film maker are far clearer to me now and the more so since reading other works on the man's work and times ("Tis Herself" by Maureen O'Hara and "John Ford, the Man and his Films" by Tag Gallagher, to name two).

I am a recent "student" of film after years in other pursuits, and I have always considered Ford's pictures to be the best of the best, among which are "The Grapes of Wrath", "The Quiet Man" and "The Searchers".

It is apparently popular for current budding directors to attempt to attempt to emulate the work of the current crops of popular directors (generally those of the preceding five years or so) without paying sufficient attention to the classics; perhaps even trying to ride their stylistic coattails to success.

I believe that in order to be successful in any discipline, it is imperative to study closely the great works of past generations, just as most successful musicians should have a background in classical music.

I can recommend this work unreservedly both to the casual film fan (it's a damned good read!) and to the serious film student.

Print the Legend: The Life and Times of John Ford.......2003-06-27

I've read other books on this great Hollywood director, and while I can't comment on their relative accuracy, I can say that Eyman's book is the most readable I've found. He writes with a wonderfully fluid style, finds exactly the right balance between enough detail and too much, and mixes in some penetrating observations about the films and their style. He really captures that curious paradox of how artistic genius and personality disturbance can coexist within the same mind.

Comprehensive almost to a fault..........2002-08-22

Unless you are old like me and remember many John Ford movies from their original 50's release dates, or you have a semi-professional interest in film directing, this book offers more than one needs to know about a complex, often unlikeable, sometimes generous, routinely selfish genius. It isn't just a bio of John Ford, respected director with a 40-year career...it also functions as a partial history of movie-making itself, since Ford began before 1920, when films were silent, and ended up in the mid-60's, when wide screens, technicolor, blatant sex and violence and changes in how movies were financed stranded him in a very different professional atmosphere. To a person with a more casual interest in Ford and his films, like me, the book had many surprises. Ford was cruel on the set to many actors whom he befriended away from the cameras, John Wayne and Hank Fonda included. Ford was a binge drinker, and kept his sprees separate from his duties until the mid-1950's, rather late in his progressive alcoholism. Ford was capable of great kindness, generosity and loyalty, but also held grudges for decades. He was not only personally brave in World War II while filming the real battle of Midway, he was tuned in enough to have joined the Navy and prepared for documenting the war on film a full year before Pearl Harbor. He also showed courage in standing up to the Communist witch-hunts in the early 50's. He was sometimes a liberal Democrat, sometimes a conservative Republican. His final decade was full of illness and idleness and loneliness and undoubtedly some bitterness. If you are a lover of "American" movies, John Ford's story will be essential for you. I'm glad I read it, but I don't think I'll ever need to read it a second time, or keep the book in my personal collection.

Print the Legend: La Vida Y Epoca De John Ford/ The Life and Times of John Ford (Serie Oro)

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Print the Legend: La Vida Y Epoca De John Ford/ The Life and Times of John Ford (Serie Oro)
Scott Eyman
Manufacturer: T&b Editores
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Maurice Ravel played a decisive role in the history of modern French music. This reader captures the essence of this enigmatic man through his own words, both written and spoken. This compilation of articles by Ravel (who was a brilliant critic) features reviews, interviews, and some 350 letters from Cocteau, Colette, de Falla, Richard Strauss, Stravinsky, and others.

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Nobilis: The Game of Sovereign Powers (2nd Edition)
R. Sean Borgstrom
Manufacturer: Hogshead Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000V8UQJQ

Product Description

"BEYOND THE SKY, THE WORLD ASH STRETCHES FROM HELL TO HEAVEN, SUPPORTING COUNTLESS WORLDS BESIDES OUR OWN. BETWEEN THESE STRANGE REALMS, DIVINE POWERS AND THE WILD FIGHT A WAR TO CONTROL AND DEFINE THE WHOLE OF EXISTENCE, ONE IDEA AT A TIME ... OR TO UNMAKE IT ALTOGETHER. ~ THE NOBILIS STAND IN THE FRONT LINES OF THIS CELESTIAL STRUGGLE. ONCE THEY WERE HUMAN. NOW THEY ARE SOMETHING MORE, EACH INFUSED WITH A PIECE OF CREATION'S POWER AND GIVEN MASTERY OVER ONE PART OF REALITY. LOVE, WAR, MUSIC, STEEL, THUNDER, AGONY OR ANY OF INFINITY'S COMPONENTS: A NOBLE IS ITS INCARNATION, MASTER AND PROTECTOR. ~ NOBILIS LETS YOU BE ONE OF THESE GUARDIANS OF REALITY. THE GAME COMBINES FIERCE IMAGINATION AND THE TRANSCENDENT POWER OF GODS TO CREATE INTENSE ROLEPLAYING EXPERIENCES, FROM THE UNSEEN MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE TO THE DEPTHS OF THE HUMAN HEART. THIS BOOK CONTAINS COMPLETE RULES, DETAILED BACKGROUND, DESCRIPTIONS OF HOW TO PLAY THE GAME AND ADVICE ON HOW TO REFEREE IT, PLUS PROFILES OF THE NOBILIS, AND A COMPLETE SAMPLE CAMPAIGN."

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Nobilis: Not a RPG. A state of mind.
Amazing and different, this will turn on your imagination
More than a RPG... it's Art
Most provocative and imaginative game in a long age!
Clearly different

Nobilis: The Game of Sovereign Powers
R. Sean Borgstrom
Manufacturer: Guardians of Order
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1899749306

Book Description

In Nobilis, players take on the roles of the Sovereign Powers, each the personification of one single aspect of reality: night, roads, ecstasy, chains, time, water - whatever the players can conceive of. Once human, each character has been forever changed, imbued with awesome power and terrible responsibility. Heaven and Hell, angels and devils, the Giants and the Old Gods - in Nobilis, all are united in the Great War against the Excrucians, whose goal is to destroy all Creation - but all are divided by their own plots and ancient rivalries, as well.

Customer Reviews:

Nobilis: Not a RPG. A state of mind........2006-05-25

What is Nobilis?

In short, it's a diceless game playing the middle management of the gods.

In long? Well, that's quite a story. Nobilis is... different. Complicated, you might say. You probably got that impression from the 11" by 11" dimensions. It's probably my only real complaint as of right now. The books was specifically built to be very, very pretty. A coffee table book, if you will. It won't fit on your bookshelf, I promise.

As for the game contained within, the easiest way to turn people off of it is to tell them the first and most prevalent fact about the system: it's diceless. No random whatsoever included. There is a good reason there aren't any dice, though. The Nobilis or Nobles are the PCs in the game. They are humans who were (forcibly and involuntarilly) given a soul-shard of an Imperator (Imperators are like demigods, their soul-shards are litterally charged with divinity. Mankind thinks of Imperators as Angels and Demons). This makes them chief protecter, purveyer, and controller of a particular aspect of reality.

What aspects of reality? Well, pretty much anything. There is a Noble of Computers, Storms, Yellow, Trees, Flight, etc. These are the domains of Nobles. There are even nobles of Humans, Kung-Fu, Pants, Oceans, Betrayal, Waves, Eternity, etc. Pretty much everything. And within their domain, Nobles hold all the cards. And yes, I did mean to site both Oceans and Waves.

But all is not well in a Noble's life. There is a great war raging on in the cosmos, between all the denizens of reality (mainly Imperators) and creatures from Outside reality (called Excrucians) who want to destroy reality. They see it as inperfection. It's like we planted our weed in their garden. And they really want to pluck that weed. But that weed is our existence.

The aspects of reality can't survive without divine beings in contact with that reality, you see, and the Imperators need someone to hold shop while they fight in the cosmos. So they are basically forced to give up their great powers while the Nobilis are forced to hold on to them.

Now the fun part comes in: Nobilis are humans granted great power. Yes, they get a tad corrupt by it (naturally) or see themselves as superheroes needing great responsibility (naturally). It's up to the players to decide. Moral decisions = nifty.

The bad news: The Imperators can't stop all the Excrucians. Some break through the front lines, or at least parts of them break through, and create Decievers. Decievers are like anti-Nobilis. Excrucians are like anti-Imperators. Every once in a while, an entire Excrucian breaks through. Bad news all around.

Now, outright warfare is NOT preferred. It's much easier to hurt a Nobilis by damaging what he is the Noble of than actually physically confronting him. Most Nobilis can take a bullet and not even be phased. Some can take a tac-nuke. Some are outright immortal. So how do you kill the Nobilis of Computers? Set off a massive computer virus. Start a propaganda campaign against computers. Do something that changes the aspect of Computers (for the worse) and you injure a Noble.

If a Nobilis fails, his aspect of reality is lost. In fact, it never was.

If all the Nobilis fail, reality dies, no matter how strong the Imperators are.

"Why would Nobilis work together?" you might ask. Well, Imperators have more than one domain to dish out. So what happens when one player is the Noble of Guns, one is the Noble of Purple, and one is the Noble of Rock? Lsjunil, the Imperator of Guns, Purple, and Rock is born. They are all family, in fact, if you get down to it, they are all partially the same individual. They are all partially Lsjunil. They pretty much have to work together, even if they all have different motivations.

And to be a lone Noble is to invite a Deciever to strike at that weakness.

Anyway, that's the bare-bones of it. There's a whole lot more, but most are turned off by one or more of the above. It's written really well, by the way.

Oh, I never answered the question as to why it was diceless. When we talk about things like divinity and miracles, leaving things to chance seems to be demeaning the divine.

Is this entire review 100% true? Not entirely. Nobilis has a lot to do with what you make of it, rather than what it allows you to make of it. Some interpretations were made by this reviewer (like on the Execrucian's motivations) that are really up in the air as far as the text is concerned.

But this should be enough of a picture so that you can see whether or not you will like Nobilis.

Amazing and different, this will turn on your imagination.......2006-02-25

I have been playing Roleplaying games for about 8 years now, and for a number of reason my position in them have always been game master, so i have tried quite a few systems and settings in my time. from all of them, nobilis turned out to be the one standing up from the crowd, innovative, beautyfully manufactured, and incredibly easy to learn, this game has held my imagination captive, i recommend everyone who can to try this game, even owning the manual is a pleasure by itself, since it is an interesting read and a beautyfull book to have.

and if you, like I do, love to play roleplaying games, then consider this things about this game:

a)rules setting that stand for the game, not the other way around: the rules itself (and the fact that the system is diceless) are incredibly ease tu learn and implement, all the conflict can be solved by the hollyhock god (the gm) or by the players itself by the clever use of imagination or conversation, something that promotes role play itself.
b)an appealing setting: mythic and awe inspiring, the situation can go from a totally normal situation, to a mythic struggle of epic proportions, you are part of the universe, and that really shows up in the game.
c)the very fact that the game itself, leave all the doors open for you to invent everything that you want: you want to invent a power?, A code of ethic?, a WORLD?, be my guest. the book itself give guidelines to, and even promotes that you as a player or game master, grow the setting even bigger by adding your ideas to it, it isn`t in any way a closed system, with rigid rules that leave you no room for cration, on the contrary, is a system that invite to it.

if you are a more action oriented player, and like games that are already made to fit a more static powerplay, then dont buy this game, but if you like a more sophisticated gameplay, and a more innmersive roleplay, then your moral obligation to yourself is to buy this game, you wont regret it.

Amaro Cabello (Maria`s son)

More than a RPG... it's Art.......2005-03-10

NOBILIS is the most radical RPG you're gonna get. Easy to learn rules, fast-paced diceless system (this one really works; if you are a rules-freak you're going to hate it), and you get to play demi-gods!

Of course, the setting is deep and relatively complex, with a mix of Judeo-Christian (Angels & Demons, Heaven & Hell) and Norse mythology (the World Ash, Yggdrasil, giants and a lot more), and many new concepts (two points of view on Earth, a realistic one, "Prosaic", and a faerie-tale one, "Mythic").

Mix it with Sandman, with a little Romeo & Juliet (there's a lot of the "forbidden love" theme; the Nobilis, your characters, aren't allowed to love, but they still retain human emotions...), and a touch of the Neverending Story (actually, many of the rules are explained in-character).

If you think this is mega-monster bashing, forget it... Here you have to socialize to get things done. Your car is not working? Don't use tools, talk to it! Maybe it wants some vacations.
The Nobilis, these demigod-like characters you play, are extremely hard to kill, and it's useless to do it, because they can (and will) be replaced by their bosses, the Imperators (gods). The same goes for your competing Powers.

So, the style is "If you can't kill them, destroy all they love". That's a worse fate than dying, and there is the dark aspect of the game. The Nobilis have to love secretly, because it's forbidden by Law, and it's a weakness your enemies can exploit.

In other RPGs you worry about the size of the monsters, the spells of the wizards, and the magical weapons of the warriors... in NOBILIS, your character can survive a nuclear blast, but Love can really hurt him!

If you like Sandman, Amber (a kind of predecessor to NOBILIS), Romeo & Juliet and the Neverending Story, this is the one for you.

If you like myths (as opposed to modern-fantasy stories like The Lord of the Rings) where a hero or god (or both) can drink a lake, jump across the Atlantic, hide a mountain in his pocket, or make an ever-shifting labyrinth, this is the one for you.

If you like love stories where personality, virtues and strength of character matters, instead of simple physical beauty, but there are huge obstacles to that love, this is definitely the one for you.

NOBILIS is where RPGs really crossed the boundary between gaming and Art (plus, it's a great looking and HUGE book).

Most provocative and imaginative game in a long age!.......2004-10-09

I have been playing rpgs since 1975. In that time I've played OD&D (the Three Little Books that started it all), Traveller, RuneQuest, Paranoia, Metamorphosis Alpha, Chivalry & Sorcery, GURPS, Harmaster, Ars Magica, Champions, Golden Heroes, TORG, Castle Falkenstein, Werewolf, Mage, Star Trek, Over the Edge and a host of other games. I got into gaming because of a twin love of storytelling and mythology/folklore. While I have loved and questioned many games, this one has caught my imagination the most. While it would be difficult to put together a game (see below), I have a deep and abiding love for the product and would wish to see it do well.

The game is based on the notion that the PCs are themselves demigods, powerful entities with near absolute control over some aspect of reality. What aspect? Well, it could be traffic. Or it could be guns. Or it could be the colour yellow. Or it could be treachery. Or you could incarnate (as showed up on the maillist) as the Power of Magnificence in the form of a weasel.

Yes, this is an odd game.

Within your sphere of influence, as I say, you have nearly complete power. The problem, of course, is that no one is going to have utter dominance over all matters and, due to various reasons (hey! this is a roleplaying game!) there are many groups and individuals opposed to you and your boss, the greater being who acts as the nearly silent patron of the combined group of PCs.

One of the biggest twists to this game, of course, is that no dice or cards are used as randomizing agents. Instead you have a certain number of points each session you can use to "bid" in an effort to make certain events take place. The GM also has these points, but in the end the feeling is not adversarial, but rather an attempt to create a larger myth, because sometimes the GM would use those points to bid up your efforts (or similar ones). While I am not fully explaining the mechanics here (both for copyright reasons and space limitations), take my word for it that this is the only diceless/cardless system I have ever seen that both works and makes sense.

Now I said this would be a difficult game to put together. Why so? Well, you have to find just the right group of players and just the right GM similtaneously. You have to have players who are less interested in gold, guns, and other objects and more interested in building a larger mythological framework to the game. Equally you have to have a GM who is able to coherently come up with plots where, to use one negative reviewer's comment, an assault on the colour yellow makes sense. I have run a couple short sessions of this game and the group has enjoyed it, been blown away by the possibilities. We have not tried a full campaign yet, but it has been intense fun to date!

I must also give kudus to the "micro-fiction" in this game. Scattered about on the pages are 1-2 paragraph snippets that overflow with ideas, much like the mini-stories from Italo Calvino's "Invisible Cities". One has the devil worried he might not get it right when he has been given the burden of evil in the world, another has two men fighting over flowers, and another recounts the circular nature of all journeys. I found these not only inspirational for this game, but actually serving as "whack to the side of the head" moments for life, other games, and how I did/wanted to view reality.

This game is about as imaginative and provocative as it gets. No, it is not for everyone, but for the right person, this game is perfection itself.

Clearly different.......2003-01-25

I've been plaing RPGs for as long as I can remember, and looked forward to the time when my own copy of Nobilis would arrive. I was not disappointed when it did. It's *like* a lot of games, yet is different than all of them. The sheer scale of the setting is amazing; and the prose of the text (along with the great art) makes this more than just a game. I must, and do, highly recommend this to anyone who plays or is interested an RPGs. This is a once-in-a-lifetime masterpiece.

...Now if it can only keep with a single publisher for a while so people can find it...

Book Description

One of the all-time classics of childrens television, Serge Danots highly original visual style combined with Eric Thompsons understated, dry and witty scripts made The Magic Roundabout an immediate hit with the British public. Created in 1963, at its peak The Magic Roundabout commanded over eight million viewers. No other childrens series reached an audience of even half that size. The series even rivaled the news as the UKs most-watched program. The Little Book of The Magic Roundabout is a fully illustrated small format book that uses stills from the original TV series with the best quotes from all our favourite characters. Dougal, Dylan, Florence, Brian, Ermintrude, and Zebedee are all here as the original puppets with quotes taken from Eric Thompsons scripts.

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Little Book of the Magic Roundabout
Pathe
Manufacturer: BOXTREE (MACM)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K7MFDI

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