Francisco Goya y Lucientes : 1746-1828

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This paperback edition of the award-winning study of the life and work of Goya is filled with the same fine reproductions as the original 1994 hardcover. Goya was one of Spain's greatest and most controversial painters, famous for incisive portraits and the "black" paintings of his later years. Scholars have often attributed Goya's progression from producing light-hearted court paintings to creating somber images of the Napoleonic wars to the artist's serious illness of 1792, which left him deaf. Writer Janis Tomlinson's aim here is to show a continuity in his work before and after the illness. She sees in Goya's vast output--at least 1,800 works--a vital drive to explore and exploit his personal creativity, which was strengthened by the deafness that cut him off from all but visual communication with the world. With detail supported by formidable research, Tomlinson presents Goya's life chronologically, analyzing his work from icons like the Naked Maya to his Los Caprichos series of etchings with their biting social satire and supernatural imaginings of a world turned upside down. The demonic intensity of Saturn Devouring His Son and Witches Sabbath, painted on the walls of his "Country House of a Deaf Man" at the end of his life, suggest to some the work of an embittered madman. Rather, these disturbing paintings reflect Goya's profound empathy for the victims of a predatory and unjust society--empathy that a modern audience readily shares. --John Stevenson

Book Description

Explore Goya's life and art, and the influences that shaped his work.

DK gives a new look to the series that forever changed the nonfiction genre and set the standard for highly informative visual guides. This volume, and those to follow in future seasons, forms part of an indispensable library for the whole family. Focusing on the life and work of Goya, this book uses superb full-color photography to bring the artist's work to life and to explore the conditions and motivations that inspired it.

Customer Reviews:

A thought provoking book... but come to your own conclusions.......2004-02-02

This was my introduction to Goya. The great thing about this book (and about all the books in Phaidon's Art & Ideas Series) is that it does an excellent job of putting the artist in historical context. I think this is really important, because Goya (like David in France) really is inseparable from his time, and we simply can't understand his images if we don't have any idea about what was going on in Spain and the rest of Europe at the time. "The Disasters of War", for example, means so much more to me now that I understand what happened when Napoleon invaded Spain. I was also glad to see that pictures by some of Goya's contemporaries are included, pictures that would otherwise be pretty hard to find.

Some of the author's interpretations, though, annoyed me. Intellegent readers shouldn't have any problems drawing their own conclusions, but I'm a little more concerned about readers who aren't very good about questioning authors. For example, when talking about "The Second of May 1808" and "The Third of May 1808", Symmons says that the figure stabbing the horse in the first painting is the same man lying dead in the heap of bodies in the second one -- and then she says that repetition of figures like this is a major theme in Goya's works. It is, but apart from the fact that both of these men are wearing green coats, there's no way of saying they are the same man. Maybe Goya said they were, but if he did, the author hasn't pointed that out. Seems minor, but it isn't. Another quirk is the author's search for Goya's sources. I understand that artists borrow motifs from each other every now and then, but when Symmons tries to tie in a couple of Goya's images with political prints by James Gilray, for example, simply because some of Goya's poses (which really aren't that unusual) vaguely resemble some of Gilray's, I think she's going out on an awfully big limb. Maybe Goya did take them from Gilray, but he could have taken them from a thousand other places just as easily, and without more substantial proof of Goya's sources, I just don't see what the author is trying to accomplish. This is a very useful book, but leave room for forming your own opinion about Goya.

A very nice monograph on Goya........2000-01-19

Janis Tomlinson, the writer of this book, seems primarily concerned in showing that there is a continuity in Goya's work, that it did not suddenly change from light-hearted to dark after Goya went deaf. For the most part, I feel she achieved this end, I for one am convinced. I wish she wrote more on Goya's technique and his personal life, both of which she does not go into much. The 300 or so colour reproductions of Goya's work are excellent, and there are many good close-ups. Unfortunately, Goya produced around 1,800 works, so it is disappointing that only a fraction of them are in this book.

Goya, the Origins of the Modern Temper in Art

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Goya, the Origins of the Modern Temper in Art
Fred Licht
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0876632940

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The World of Goya, 1746-1828
Richard Schickel
Manufacturer: Little Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Spain | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0316508608

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The Disparates; Or, the Proverbios.
Francisco Jose De Goya Y Lucientes
Manufacturer: Dover Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Printmaking | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0486223191

Francisco Goya Y Lucientes 1746 - 1828 - Retrospective - Musee Jacquemart- Andre, Paris - December 1961 - February 1962

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Francisco Goya Y Lucientes 1746 - 1828 - Retrospective - Musee Jacquemart- Andre, Paris - December 1961 - February 1962
Musee Jacquemart-Andre / Institut De France
Manufacturer: Musee Jacquemart-Andre / Institut De France
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H4R5P2

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Goya
Xavier Desalas
Manufacturer: Mayflower Assoc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Goya (francisco Jose De Goya Y Lucientes), (1746-1828) - Pocket Library Of Great Art, A22

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Goya (francisco Jose De Goya Y Lucientes), (1746-1828) - Pocket Library Of Great Art, A22
Frederick S. - Text Wight
Manufacturer: Harry N Abrams/Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CJ29T

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World of Goya
Richard Schickel
Manufacturer: Time Life
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Goya, 1746-1828
Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes
Manufacturer: Tudor Pub. Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B000734G7I

Book Description

Artists young and old will enjoy trying their hands at drawing the Bambi, Thumper, Flower and the rest of their forest friends. In How to Draw Babmi, easy-to-follow steps and tips from Disney artists will have you drawing characters in a variety of poses and moods. You'll also learn interesting facts about the movie. Learning to draw has never been so rewarding!

Customer Reviews:

Great book for art lovers!.......2000-08-30

I'm 13 and I love drawing. I have been a Bambi/Disney fan for quite a while, so I bought this book. In a few days, I could draw a excellent Bambi. Step-by-step pictures make it easy to learn to draw Bambi by using circles, ovals and other basic shapes. It covers the main characters like Bambi, Thumper, Friend Owl, Flower, and also includes secondary characters such as The Great Prince, Faline, and many of the little forest animals. In the front it has a few pages that tell about the movie. I would recommend this book anytime!

Great book for fledgling artists........2000-06-20

Like the other "How to Draw" Disney books, this one gives you a great overview of the key characters in classic poses. The basic drawing tips are also useful for new artists.

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How to Draw Disney's "Bambi" (Disney)
Walt Disney Corporation
Manufacturer: Titan Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1840230479

Book Description

Cartoon Books announces the release of the Stupid, Stupid Rat Tails graphic novel featuring the work of Jeff Smith, Tom Sniegoski and Stan Sakai. This 104-page trade paperback includes the compilation of The Adventures of Big Johnson Bone, Frontier Hero which was released as a three-part mini-series by Cartoon Books. Discover every hilarious twist and turn of the fast-paced story of Big Johnson Bone and his adventures in the valley. Find out why the rat creatures in BONE no longer wear their tails long. In addition, this volume will include the compilation of Riblet, a back up story initially released in five parts through the BONE series. The rat creatures meet their match in this fun-filled romp written by Tom Sniegoski and illustrated by 1999 Eisner Award winner Stan Sakai.

Customer Reviews:

Silly and fun.......2007-10-02

I've loved all the Bone stuff I've read so far, and this volume makes a great digression from the main storyline. It's extremely humorous, and very creative. Bone fans ought to read it, and those new to Smith's work might enjoy it as well.

A good tall-tale.......2007-08-17

I read "Stupid Stupid Rat-Tails" before I read the original "Bone" series (I randomly grabbed it off the public library book shelf and hadn't really heard of Bone yet) - so maybe this makes me a little less harsh in my review of the book. I think SSRT is a nice, quick, tall-tale of a story with a fun adventure, and humerous characters and dialogue. It wasn't meant to be an epic like the main series "Bone", just a quick romp to fill us in on a bit of history of the rat creatures.

Being that it is a prequel-esque story, no previous knowlege of the Bone series is required. And long-time Bone fans should be aware that when you boil it down this book has very little connection to the larger "Bone" story other than Big Bone Johnson and the rat creatures themselves; I don't think it was meant to be any kind of lead-in to the Bone series.

Anyway, good rainy-day read when you need a chuckle or two. :D

Partially Disappointed.......2007-02-19

I wish you could rate each story rather than the book as a whole. That said, the first story that Jeff Smith illustrated was excellent. It was witty, had roots with the main bone comic books, and very enjoyable. However, the second story was horrid. I have never read a comic that was so god awful! I honestly felt like my IQ had dropped about 10 points just by reading the dang thing.

I would NOT recommend buying this book because of the second story. It pains me to say that too, because the first story is really good, but not good enough to fork out 15 bucks for a few pages.

Anything Bone is worthy, but Bone is worthier........2005-11-16

Jeff Smith, Stupid, Stupid Rat-Tails (Cartoon Books, 2000)

Yes, folks, it's Bone: The Prequel! Here we have the story of Big Johnson Bone, explorer by trade and founder of Boneville, and (obliquely) how he came to do so. This, as to be expected if you've read the Bone saga (and if you haven't, what on Earth are you waiting for?), involves a lot of cute baby animals, a dragon or two, and a large, incredibly stupid army of rat creatures. It's chock full of the same kind of stuff that makes Bone such a treasure.

Also added, for your reading enjoyment, is a Riblet comic. Set in the same world as the Bone stories (i.e., a world inhabited by stupid, stupid rat creatures), the Riblet stories are concerned with, no surprise here, Riblet, a baby boar. In this tale, Riblet has been kidnapped by a couple of rat creatures with a taste for pork, and must escape. Which is somewhat difficult, if you're not actually smart enough to realize you've been kidnapped.

Everything that comes out of Cartoon Books is worth reading. You want it all. I'd suggest starting with some of the earlier Bone stories before this, but you will eventually get around to it. Trust me. ****

This Book for Fans' Eyes Only.......2005-10-11

This volume will serve better as a treat for fans than as an entry-level series for those unfamiliar with Bone.

Two stories are contained in this one volume. The first features an adventure of "Big" Johnson Bone, founder of Boneville and ancestor of the three Bones from the original series. Jeff Smith's artwork is up to its usual beautiful standards and Tom Sniegoski's writing gives Smith plenty of opportunity to exhibit his predilection for adorable baby animals and hare-brained adventure. The story is a self-conscious "tall tale" depicting Big Johnson as a self-aggrandizing pioneer with a tendency to get in and out of dire situations. The story is nothing new and lacks the depth (and length) of the original Bone, but that is to be expected. No one can write rat creature dialogue quite like Smith, but the rats are still humorous. Less funny and even annoying is the uptight talking monkey, Mr. Pip, who serves little purpose to the storyline and never quite lives up to his intended role of comic sidekick.

The other story, "Riblet," features the writing of Sniegoski and the art of Stan Sakai. Related to Bone by the presence of talking animals and stupid rat creatures, the story follows the rats' unfortunate run-in with a sadistic baby boar. The antics that ensue are reminiscent of Woody Woodpecker cartoons and, like Woody, may annoy readers who find inflicting injury on others less than funny.

Bone fans hungry for more will likely enjoy Stupid, Stupid Rat-Tails, but the neophyte may walk away underwhelmed and not overly interested in pursuing Bone further.

Book Description

Prairie Home Comedy and Garrison Keillor's Comedy Theater in one fun-filled gift package. Prairie Home Comedy Table of Contents 1 Freelance Writer; American Artistic Association; I Am A Tenor; Carp Trip; Memories of Pain; The Management Assumes No Responsibility; Second Methodist Church; Moodism; Reaching Out; Sex; Washing Your Hands; The In and Out Cat Song; The Story of Thanksgiving; My Grandmother's Cat; Animals of Other Lands; Winter Madrigal 2 The Francis S. Key Story; The Ballad of Peanut Butter; Winged Motivational Products; Twelfth Street Tag; The Old Shower Stall; Am I Boring?; Adversity; Bob Wilson Month; Mavis and Marvin Smiley; American Music Association; Losing Your Job; Vanilla; How Does Our Brain Work?; Dad Angel; Old Folks at Home; Cottage Cheese; Swanee Tag; The Announcer; Tuna the Food of My Soul Garrison Keillor's Comedy Theater Table of Contents 1 This Man This Woman; Taking a Chance on Love; Bertha's Kitty Boutique: Cat Box Video; Greenwich Village Days; Cafe Boeuf: Secrets of the Kitchen; Beebopareebop: The Operation; Cowboys: The Second Lefty; Famous Celebrities: New Years Eve; Just One of Those Things; Chicken Little-Starring Tom Keith; Beebopareebop: The Dream; Adventures in Ethics 2 Guy Noir, Private Eye: Tony Rigatoni; Fred Farrell Animal Calls; How I Met George Gershwin; Little House on the Desert; Silver Lining: Cold Weather; Mel's Big Boy Buffet; Newt; La Influenza; Lutheran's On-Line; Silver Lining: Getting Older; The Ketchup Advisory Board; Bemidji Fishing Opener Song; Beebopareebop: The Contest 3 Bonus Joke collection

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Comedy Gift Pack
Garrison Keillor
Manufacturer: Highbridge Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KXMPIW

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Garrison Keillor Comedy Gift Pack
Garrison Keillor
Manufacturer: HighBridge Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
ASIN: B000MHK9X4

Book Description

When Ruth Harriet Louise joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the studio with "more stars than there are in heaven," she was twenty-two years old and the only woman working as a portrait photographer for the Hollywood studios. In a career that lasted from 1925 until 1930, Louise (born Ruth Goldstein) photographed all the stars, contract players, and many of the hopefuls who passed through the studio's front gates, including Greta Garbo, Lon Chaney, John Gilbert, Joan Crawford, Marion Davies, and Norma Shearer. This book, which coincides with a major traveling retrospective of Louise's work organized by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, is the first collection of her exquisite photographs. Containing over one hundred breathtaking images--reproduced from the original negatives--it attests to the talent and vision of a surprisingly unknown photographer who formed the images and helped create the popularity of some of our most enduring stars.
Louise shot about one hundred thousand negatives that distilled the glamour, drama, and excitement of MGM's feature productions. Louise's original photographs were circulated to millions of moviegoers, magazine and newspaper readers, and fans. The movies and publicity machine that these photographs supported shaped the basic notions of stardom, glamour, and fashion in the 1920s and still affect our ideas today.
Robert Dance and Bruce Robertson re-create the entire process--from the moment a performer sat in front of Louise's camera to the point at which a fan pasted a star's picture into a scrapbook. They provide insight into Louise's work habits in the studio and describe the personal dynamics between Louise and the actors she photographed. They include a condensed account of the methods of other photographers, a sharp analysis of fan culture in the period, and superb readings of Louise's photographs. With its combination of well-known and rare images, all magnificently reproduced, this book is a fitting tribute to one of the most gifted and underappreciated glamour photographers of Hollywood's golden period.
Note: The hardcover edition of this book does have a dust jacket. (Some hardcovers of University of California Press books available in paperback do not.)

Customer Reviews:

Not mostly photos.......2004-04-07

I had expected tons of large photos / portraits in this book. That was not the case. It is a fasinating read though. Peppered with photos. Just thought I'd tell others incase they expected a mostly photos book too.

Creating the Stars.......2002-06-10

This is a superb, beautifully-produced book that is important for many reasons. First, the authors have rescued from obscurity an important woman photographer who helped create the most enduring images of Hollywood's early stars and also helped define the whole concept of cinematic Glamour. (Her work with Garbo established the conventions maintained and developed by the better-known Clarence S. Bull, and she even taught Steichen a lesson that he used in crafting his greatest image of Garbo.) Second, they have put the portrait photographer in context, in a fascinating exegesis of the Hollywood starmaking machine. Third, a marvellous appendix has clarified, for the first time, the timeline for the development of Garbo's image by various photographers (and the chapter on Garbo is also fascinating in its case study of this process)... another appendix elucidates the formerly-opaque numbering systems used by MGM's photographers. More AND BETTER text than the usual Hollywood picture book, although it is also filled with never-before-published photos. A must-have for the shelf of any film buff, and also a good choice for those interested in photography or women's studies. Highly recommended.

Product Description

15 songs arranged for solo guitar in standard notation and tablature:A Mighty Fortress Is Our God Abide With Me Amazing Grace Be Thou My Vision Beneath The Cross Of Jesus Blessed Assurance Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Fairest Lord Jesus Footsteps Of Jesus For The Beauty Of The Earth Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty I've Got Peace Like A River In The Garden Jacob's Ladder Rock Of Ages

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great book and companion CD

Mel Bay presents Fingerpicking Hymns
Jeff Devine
Manufacturer: Mel Bay Publications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 078666844X

Book Description

A collection of sacred favorites for fingerstyle guitar. In addition to the relaxing beauty of the arrangements, guitarists will find the music to be quite playable especially with the help of tablature and the companion stereo CD recording. Hymn favorites like Softly and Tenderly; My Jesus, I Love Thee; and Be Still, My Soul are featured. Also included are two original works for guitar: Tranquillo (an homage to George Gershwin) and Had He Not Loved Us.

Customer Reviews:

great book and companion CD.......2006-08-18

The arrangements of these hymns are beautiful. I've enjoyed just listening to the CD. The hymns are written both in typical note form and also in tablature, in which the lines represent the guitar strings and numbers tell you which frets to press and which strings to pluck.

I'm just a beginning guitarist, so it's a little above my current skill level, but my guitar teacher told me he learned through tablature, so I'm hopeful. I've also purchased this book/CD set to give as gifts for guitar-playing friends.

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More Hymns for Classic Guitar
Rick Foster
Manufacturer: Edensong
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Product Description

As reviewed by GUITARIST'S FORUM at GFmusic. (Used with permission.): Rick Foster is a gifted solo guitarist who draws inspiration from both Andrés Segovia and Chet Atkins. Many prominent guitarists, including Christopher Parkening and Chet Atkins, have recorded Rick's beautifully crafted arrangements. We've carried Rick's music since the 1980's, and his performance on every one of his albums is top-notch. He's a wonderful player, and his heartfelt connection to the repertoire comes across on every album. TRACKS: Ave Maria / Blessed Assurance / Fairest Lord Jesus / Father I Adore You / God Be With You / God Who Made the Earth and Heaven / Let Us Celebrate the Glories of Our God / Open Our Eyes / Peace Like a River / Shaker Hymn / Swing Low Sweet Chariot / We Gather Together

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Excellent Game Improver!

An excellent introduction to the subject

Willie Mosconi On Pocket Billiards: The Classic Book on the Game by the Legendary "King" of Pocket Billiards (Little Sports Library)
Willie Mosconi
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Billiards & Pool | Individual Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Sports Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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Pleasures of Small Motions: Mastering the Mental Game of Pocket Billiards

Byrne's Complete Book of Pool Shots: 350 Moves Every Player Should Know

The 99 Critical Shots in Pool: Everything You Need to Know to Learn and Master the Game (Other)

Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards

Byrne's Advanced Technique in Pool and Billiards

ASIN: 0517884283
Release Date: 1995-07-25

Book Description

Explains, in step-by-step fashion, every phase of billiards, from complete instruction for beginners to the finer points of combination and kiss shots, and finally, the championship game of 14.1 rack.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Game Improver!.......2006-09-08

I have played pool off and on for years and never real got very good. Then I purchsed this book and my game changed dramatically. Instead of getting beat all the time I began beating them. Some of my friends have said that overnight I got better at pool. I must say I owe most of it to this book. One of the nice things about this book is you will be able to read the whole thing in an hour!

Willie Mosconi was the master pool player and one of the best to ever live so who better to take lessons from then the master himself. He starts out by showing you how to properly hold the cue stick. What a difference that makes. Then proper stance, making the bridge, stroke, cueing the ball, hitting the ball, english, combos, strategy, practice and more. This is a compact guide that can help anyone improve there game in as little as a couple games. There are also numerous illustrations included in this book to help you to visualize just how to make shots. Overall I would say this is a GREAT book on learning how to play pool.

An excellent introduction to the subject.......2000-10-05

When I went away to college in 1985, my girlfriend's father gave me a copy of the then-current edition of this book. I'd played a lot of pool before, but this book changed my game from mediocre to excellent, which is why I recently bought a new copy to give to a friend who is just learning the game. The tips on holding the cue stick alone made a difference in my game; when I spent the time to practice the other principles Mosconi discusses, I began to win more often than not, and could honestly say, "I meant to do that," when I'd just made a particularly difficult shot. The fact that the book is small enough to roll up and stick in your back pocket helps; you can whip it out whenever you need to review a particular concept.

Book Description

Teams -- the key to top performance

Motorola relied heavily on teams to surpass its competition in building the lightest, smallest, and highest-quality cell phones. At 3M, teams are critical to meeting the company's goal of producing half of each year's revenues from the previous five years' innovations. Kodak's Zebra Team proved the worth of black-and-white film manufacturing in a world where color is king.

But many companies overtook the potential of teams in turning around tagging profits, entering new markets, and making exciting innovations happen -- because they don't know how to utilize teams successfully. Authors Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith talked with hundreds of people in more than thirty companies to find out where and how teams work best and how to enhance their effectiveness. They reveal:

The most important element in team success

Who excels at team leadership ... and why they are rarely the most senior people

Why companywide change depends on teams ... and more

Comprehensive and proven effective, The Wisdom of Teams is the classic primer on making teams a powerful tool for success in today's global marketplace.

Customer Reviews:

Good overview on the what and why of teams.......2007-09-09

Jon Katzenbach and Dough Smith is probably the most classical work on teams at the moment. It's a pretty good description on what teams are and what you can do to create working teams. It also covers quite well the why of teams: why would you want to have teams in your organization.

The book is divided into three parts:
- Understanding teams
- Becoming a team
- Exploiting the potential

The first part is the most important part of the book. In the first chapter the authors describe why you would want to have teams in your organization. The second chapter goes on to describe one team in action. The authors use lots of stories of teams throughout the book to make their points clear. The third chapter describes six points which they call the basics of teams:
1) Small
2) Complementary skills
3) Shared purpose
4) Clear specific goals
5) Clear working approach
6) Sense of mutual accountability
In the fourth chapter, the authors give more examples.

The second part of the book introduces the team performance curve. The authors make the distinction between working groups and real teams. They consider that real teams perform higher, but its more difficult to achieve that. Between real teams and working groups they identifies the pseudo-teams, which have a performance below average, and the potential teams, which have a performance about equal to the working groups. Next to these, the author still recognize the high-performance teams, which are exceptional, but have a level of performance above all the others. Part two mainly continues explaining and clarifying this model.

The third part is called "exploiting the potential" and talks about higher management teams and about how to build your organization to support teams.

The book is easy readable and well structured. Some of the examples and stories are nice, though some of them do not go in too much detail. In general, I felt that the book could be thinner and some of the stories could be skipped. The authors used a little too much words, hence I'll rate the book 4 stars and not 5.

Still, when interested in teams, this book is certainly recommended.

The Wisdom of Teams Displays Much Wisdom.......2007-06-08

This book is an excellent read for anyone with responsibilities for leading groups of people to attain desired and sometimes even extraordinary outcomes within their organization. The insights revealed here are a critically important option for organizations that wish or need to attain productivity beyond what can be realized from the sum of individual contributions. Understanding the discipline of real teams can turn someone with average leadership abilities and potential into an extraordinary leader.

How to form high-performance teams.......2007-01-24

What's nice about Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith's book is their willingness to name the truth. They know that everyone pays lip service to teams, but few people act like they truly value teams - and fewer still actually know how teams really work. The authors point out where the hype lies and what it is hiding. Then they go a step farther. They provide a manual for creating what executives say they want: high-performance teams. They illustrate their suggestions, insights and guidelines with a lot of stories of real-world teams, focusing on what makes them work. Their rules are so clear that they leave little room for protecting any cherished illusions. As a result, we find that those readers who are willing to act upon the book's counsel will get the most from it. If you're seriously interested in diagnosing nonperforming teams and creating ones that perform, you'll enjoy this book. And, if you think you're already doing everything right, but your team mysteriously just isn't working...this may solve the puzzle.

Powerful!.......2006-03-01

Katzenbach has created a very powerful, easy to follow methodology. A great read even if you're not trying to grow a team. Helps you set specific priorities and directions for a team, and to analyze your place in the team's process and development.

Wisdom of Corruption.......2006-01-25

While this book presents clear theories and structural understanding of teams, the case studies are not the greatest testament to their validity. It makes one wonder how much fluff is behind the principles. This "older" book uses case studies from organizations heralded in years past, but which have now proven to be the world's most corrupt organizations. My personal favorite: "Deal-to-Steel" (appropriately named) a case study of teams at Enron, which authors state is "an organization built on individual accountability." These case studies of high performing organizations make one question the credibility of the research. Furthermore, the authors' record of consulting to some of the most infamous companies known makes me wonder if you'd rather pick up a book about securing your future by Ken Lay, or sound accounting practices by Andy Fastow.
Now, the rest of the story... I did contact the publisher about the poor case studies when a group of students used the book for late night amusement and then heard presenters quote the pitiful examples before seas of laughing professionals. I thought the authors might wish to revamp case studies in future editions. The publisher agreed to contact the authors' representative. Months later, I received a complimentary copy of a new edition--same bad case studies, new cover and a higher price. Our company's bulk orders of the text immediately ceased. Good riddens-- it was dry reading anyway.

The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization

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The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization
Jon R, and Smith, Douglas K Katzenbach
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OENX5Q

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The Wisdom of Teams, Creating the High-Performance Organization
Jon R. & Douglas K. Smith Katzenbach
Manufacturer: Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press, 1993
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LVEJBY

The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization (Collins Business Essentials)

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The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization (Collins Business Essentials)
Jon R. Katzenbach; Douglas K. Smith
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QYFK2I

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