Book Description
Painting Culture tells the complex story of how, over the past three decades, the acrylic "dot" paintings of central Australia were transformed into objects of international high art, eagerly sought by upscale galleries and collectors. Since the early 1970s, Fred R. Myers has studied—often as a participant-observer—the Pintupi, one of several Aboriginal groups who paint the famous acrylic works. Describing their paintings and the complicated cultural issues they raise, Myers looks at how the paintings represent Aboriginal people and their culture and how their heritage is translated into exchangeable values. He tracks the way these paintings become high art as they move outward from indigenous communities through and among other social institutions—the world of dealers, museums, and critics. At the same time, he shows how this change in the status of the acrylic paintings is directly related to the initiative of the painters themselves and their hopes for greater levels of recognition.
Painting Culture describes in detail the actual practice of painting, insisting that such a focus is necessary to engage directly with the role of the art in the lives of contemporary Aboriginals. The book includes a unique local art history, a study of the complete corpus of two painters over a two-year period. It also explores the awkward local issues around the valuation and sale of the acrylic paintings, traces the shifting approaches of the Australian government and key organizations such as the Aboriginal Arts Board to the promotion of the work, and describes the early and subsequent phases of the works’ inclusion in major Australian and international exhibitions. Myers provides an account of some of the events related to these exhibits, most notably the Asia Society’s 1988 "Dreamings" show in New York, which was so pivotal in bringing the work to North American notice. He also traces the approaches and concerns of dealers, ranging from semi-tourist outlets in Alice Springs to more prestigious venues in Sydney and Melbourne.
With its innovative approach to the transnational circulation of culture, this book will appeal to art historians, as well as those in cultural anthropology, cultural studies, museum studies, and performance studies.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting but dry.......2007-06-06
If you get through it it is very interesting, but you better be ready for some dry academic writing.
Great Art Gets Some Deserved Attention.......2003-04-02
In the 1970s, an Anglo-Australian advisor to the Pintupi Aboriginal people of the remote Western Desert of Australia suggested that they transfer some of their traditional designs to modern European painting media (notably acrylic). The result was astonishing: a seemingly endless stream of brilliant, intense, moving paintings emerging from one of the most remote and impoverished places on earth. By incredible good fortune, Fred Myers, one of the most sensitive and wide-ranging ethnographers in anthropology, was there almost from the birth of the movement, recording what happened. This is his authoritative book on the meteoric rise of an art style that has achieved world reknown.
The art is enmeshed in Aboriginal religion, which in turn is enmeshed in the land. Most of the paintings are of religious landscapes. Myers is at his best in explaining the differences between Aboriginal views of the paintings (basically, as religious art connected with land and land rights) and westerners' views (basically, as beautiful pictures). Myers does not make the comparison, but it is rather like looking at Italian Renaissance religious scenes. You can't fully appreciate what's going on (however much you may enjoy the color scheme) if you have no idea who Jesus, Mary, and Mary Magdalene were.
Other books have focused on the art and its makers (not only Pintupi; other groups had their own artistic triumphs, and now I am told that most of the artists in Australia belong to the tiny percentage who are of Aboriginal background). Myers thus concerns himself more with the reception that the paintings had in the wider world, and the whole process of winning recognition as "art" for what was once dismissed as mere "aboriginal craft" items--a racist dismissal. Myers is incredibly fair-minded (more than I would have been) to all parties, in the face of this, but sometimes anger inevitably breaks through; for example, after reporting one particularly dismissive review, he says "Here, then, were outsiders who knew more than the participants but did not bother to talk with them, outsiders whose representational practices directly thwarted the representations of Aboriginal painters" (p. 292).
Racism took several tactics. First and most odious was attacking the marketing of the paintings as "commodification" or "commoditization"--translation: it's fine for elite white artists to sell their stuff, but Immoral and Sinful for poor and nonwhite folks to make an honest dollar the same way. Related were attacks on the lack of "authenticity" of the art because old-time Aboriginals didn't have acrylic; again, no one attacks elite white artists for using media that Leonardo da Vinci didn't use. Then there was the early consignment of the art to "natural history" museums! (This had changed by the early 1990s.) Another tactic was glib talk of Aboriginals as "the Other," to be "situated in a discourse of alterity" or of "cultural construction" instead of treated as humans. (Not only do some perform the "othering," but also those who criticize it, can bury the whole matter in floods of jargon--not much help, in the event.) The last word on the subject of "the Other" was said long ago by Rimbaud: "je est en autre" ("I is another"); after that, we need no more on the issue. Add in patronizing bureaucrats, crooked dealers, and well-meaning but uncomprehending viewers, and the mix is such that one wonders how the Aboriginals keep going.
There is much more in the book (over 400 dense pages). Many less dramatic points are of more interest to the theorist. They defy summary here. Defying summary, too, is Myers' wonderful account of his own experiences in the Western Desert and in the urban art world.
The only problem with the book is that much of it is (necessarily, I fear) couched in the lingo of the art-criticism and culture-studies world--a lingo noted more for preciosite' than for comprehensibility.
Myers demolishes the simplistic rhetoric of "resistance" and "accommodation." What emerges is something far more powerful. Humans sometimes confront the most horrible oppression, racism, and brutality by transcending it--by marshalling all their resources in a cascade of concentrated brilliance that "outshines the sun." Delta blues is one example (and the source of my phrase). Roma music is another. In art, we have the explosion of Northwest Coast carving, painting and printmaking over the last 30 years. These and many other similar cases may be the best plea we have for redeeming the human species in spite of our countless sins.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Oceania, published by Thomson Gale on November 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1217 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Painting Culture: The Making of an Aboriginal High Art.(Book review)
Author: Peter Sutton
Publication:
Oceania (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 76
Issue: 3
Page: 317(2)
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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Painting Culture: the Making of an Aboriginal High Art.(Book Review): An article from: The Australian Journal of Politics and History
Adam Brumm
Manufacturer: University of Queensland Press
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ASIN: B00082YCXQ
Release Date: 2005-08-01 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Australian Journal of Politics and History, published by University of Queensland Press on March 1, 2004. The length of the article is 766 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Painting Culture: the Making of an Aboriginal High Art.(Book Review)
Author: Adam Brumm
Publication:
The Australian Journal of Politics and History (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2004
Publisher: University of Queensland Press
Volume: 50
Issue: 1
Page: 123(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
Invaluable pictorial history takes readers on a grand tour of the world, starting in ancient Egypt and culminating in Paris in the late 19th century. More than 1,900 items of clothing are shown in beautiful, accurately rendered illustrations — from furs, veils, ruffs, and pointed bodices, to cloaks, leggings, waistcoats, and breeches. Color and black-and-white.
Customer Reviews:
lacking in everything.......2007-02-07
Okay, so I bought this book thinking it would be a useful reference book. It's not. Yes, it has a bunch of illustrations, but it gives no reference information to go with the plates--which, by the way, are simply awful line drawings, some of which are badly colored in to the detriment of the pictures.
Do not buy this book if you want to learn what things are called, the time periods in which they were used, or any specific, detailed information about variations in the general styles for a specific period in time.
On the other hand, if you just want some reference pictures for designign your kid's Halloween costume, then you have plenty to go by.
Good for the casual costume designer.......2005-10-08
Although the pictures do not go into great detail, this book has a wealth of information for the costume designer. For kid's halloween costumes, school-play costumes, and general information on style and period, this book can be invaluable. Included are full colour and black and white sketches, as well as reproductions of statues and paintings. It is an excellent book for the casual costume designer, though a serious historical re-enactor would need something that provides greater detail.
General.......2005-08-27
Gives a basic and brief coverage of both male and female costume from different periods and cultures. mixture of both colour and black and white sketches. no great detail but good enough to present a general idea.
Customer Reviews:
Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03
The Marvel Essentials program is a fantastic idea, and a great idea, and here is why. You get the classic storylines in this volume and a hell of a lot more for a great price. You can get these for about the same price as 3-4 comics new, here, so it is pretty clear why these are a good idea and why DC copied them. If you have all this material and can get it to your readers, why not do it?
A truly essential arc of an essential run.......2007-08-29
This is the second Marvel Essential to chronicle Chris Claremont's record-setting 16 year continuous run on The Uncanny X-men.
This essential chronicles what is often sited as one of the best comic story arcs ever written: the Dark Phoenix Saga.
In this arc, we see the introduction of the Hellfire Club, including their White Queen, Emma Frost, a character that has become incredibly important to current X-men continuity, especially to Grant Morrison's acclaimed run on New X-Men.
We also see the introduction of Kitty Pryde, a character featured in the white hot Astonishing X-Men by Buffy scribe Joss Whedon and the death of Jean Grey.
In short, you have one of the most beloved comic arcs of the last 30 years and the introduction of characters that today's hottest comic writers come back to again and again.
If you call yourself a comics fan, or even just a fan of great storytelling, you owe it to yourself to get this essential. Even better, it's less than 15 bucks. You can't go wrong.
Graphic Novel junkie.......2007-07-31
Ok, ok, I should say comic book junkie, because that's what they were called when I first started reading them some decades ago. This whole series of Essential X-men books are a fun read unless you get bogged down in details. I never did, I just enjoyed reading them. This is a great book. Enjoy
Essential review.......2007-01-25
This is a great book in the Marvel Essentials series. It has over 20 editions of the Uncanny X-Men comics, with the introduction of Kitty and the dark Phoenix. A great book for the avid X-Men fan!
Black and White and Read All Over.......2006-11-27
I am writing to comment on the persistent complaint that the "Essentials" series is in black and white on "cheap newsprint." While true (and there is no excuse for the shoddy binding of these reissues), it's important to remember that ALL comic books were, at that time, printed on very cheap paper. The colors available to comic artists were also far inferior to what is standard today. I actually found the black and white presentation crisp, clean and revealing. The reissues do preserve the often haphazard editing. Spelling errors abound: the "Assination" of Sen. Kelly is mentioned in the "Days of Future Past" storyline; "Definite" is sometimes misspelled "definate." Storm experiences "Atatistic" horror when confronted by the brood. Commas, periods and entire words just drop out of sentences. This was a disposable media. To have looked for immortal storytelling in comic books would have been considered pointless. But the same was said about the fanatics who preserved Shakespeare's plays in cheap "quarto" editions. The stories here will last as long as the comic genre last. They're that good and that "essential".
Average customer rating:
- Deeply intellectual understanding of modern reality
- Very good intro to humor studies
- maybe i'm biased, i dunno...
- I Wish I Had Bought It!
- Philosophy AND Jokes - What more could you want?
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Jokes: Philosophical Thoughts on Joking Matters
Ted Cohen
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
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ASIN: 0226112314 |
Book Description
Abe and his friend Sol are out for a walk together in a part of town they haven't been in before. Passing a Christian church, they notice a curious sign in front that says "$1,000 to anyone who will convert." "I wonder what that's about," says Abe. "I think I'll go in and have a look. I'll be back in a minute; just wait for me."
Sol sits on the sidewalk bench and waits patiently for nearly half an hour. Finally, Abe reappears.
"Well," asks Sol, "what are they up to? Who are they trying to convert? Why do they care? Did you get the $1,000?"
Indignantly Abe replies, "Money. That's all you people care about."
Ted Cohen thinks that's not a bad joke. But he also doesn't think it's an easy joke. For a listener or reader to laugh at Abe's conversion, a complicated set of conditions must be met. First, a listener has to recognize that Abe and Sol are Jewish names. Second, that listener has to be familiar with the widespread idea that Jews are more interested in money than anything else. And finally, the listener needs to know this information in advance of the joke, and without anyone telling him or her. Jokes, in short, are complicated transactions in which communities are forged, intimacy is offered, and otherwise offensive stereotypes and cliches lose their sting—at least sometimes.
Jokes is a book of jokes and a book about them. Cohen loves a good laugh, but as a philosopher, he is also interested in how jokes work, why they work, and when they don't. The delight at the end of a joke is the result of a complex set of conditions and processes, and Cohen takes us through these conditions in a philosophical exploration of humor. He considers questions of audience, selection of joke topics, the ethnic character of jokes, and their morality, all with plenty of examples that will make you either chuckle or wince. Jokes: more humorous than other philosophy books, more philosophical than other humor books.
Customer Reviews:
Deeply intellectual understanding of modern reality.......2005-02-27
Of course I read this book, sort of, five years ago when I received it as a gift. It is unlikely ever to be more famous than Lenny Bruce, who had the honor of Dustin Hoffman playing him in the movie "Lenny," but it also devotes much of its attention to the difference between Jewish and goyish. Chapter 5, "Jewish Jokes and the Acceptance of Absurdity," ends on page 68 with a joke which starts:
"Once a perverse Jewish young man in a small village in Poland enjoyed his role as apikoros [see appendix].
The joke ends with:
"I see," said the older man. "Let me tell you: I'm an apikoros; you're a goy."
The last five years have not been kind to public intellectuals who share the annoying attitude of the people observing modern life who "have the stance of an outsider, and the soul of a critical student. A tendency to laugh at absurdity and to traffic in jokes exploiting this tendency are constituents in American laughter generally, I think, and may well have their own sources there, but surely they have been abetted by the infiltration of Jewish humor."
Philosophically, I find that modern life generally ignores the ability of philosophers to refute common assumptions, but people have their own form of upmanship which consists of flipping out epistemic modalities like September 11, presidential leadership, or the triumph of free economies to justify their lack of awareness of any long-term consequences of grandiose missions and dubious crusades: to the moon, to Mars (the god of war beacons), to Baghdad, to the Chinese embassy (was May 7-8, 1999 in Belgrade too recent to get a joke in this book?). As the system works, people who know a lot of jokes are sure to guess the profession of the guys walking past a woman who say:
"Man, Id like to screw her," said one of the *******.
His companion answered, "Yeah? Out of what?"
Given the nature of professional ethics, the second of the two men might be considered more professional, more interested in the economic possibilities for financial rewards, than the first, while the first is merely reflecting years of absorbing modern entertainment values or male chauvinist pigishness (take your choice). Since impeachment proceedings in 1999 were dominating the jokes which the public were hearing at the time, this book was riding on a crest of awareness that some professions need complicated rules about what you can say after you swear to tell the truth. The president would have surprised everyone back in 1992 on "Sixty Minutes" after the Super Bowl if he had said, "If I had to choose between telling the truth or lying my ass off, I'd pick Gennifer Flowers." That is easier to understand than all the is meanings in the world of doubletalk that professional mindbending encourages when faced with specific questions about allegations of infidelity.
The 24 hour day puts strains on everyone's relations with each other, best illustrated by the line in "Get Off My Cloud" by the Rolling Stones in which an anonymous voice on the phone complains:
"It's 3 a.m., there's too much noise. Don't you people ever want to go to bed?"
The key word here, you, can be looked up in the index of joke beginnings and punch lines in this book to find a joke with an exchange at 3 a.m. which ends with:
"For God's sake, Abe, you don't have to get up in the morning."
With characters named Abe and Sarah, this joke could have some relevance to a society growing much older than anyone is used to, and doctors who dare to inform patients when their number comes up and they have a duty to die, but our society keeps pretending that it has not reached that stage yet. More likely our society thinks of itself as being more like the joke in the Introduction which ends with:
"Of course they take bribes." (p. 9).
Very good intro to humor studies.......2002-05-06
Cohen's pithy but enterprising volume is not only fun to read but he builds a suprisingly sound idea of the joke-work as an aesthetic bond between two or more. This was refreshing in itself as so many now seem to think of jokes as offensive before they begin, or at best as an offensive against political dullards and people with whom we don't agree.
Cohen doesn't fall into this standard academic rap, and so his arguments were a novelty.
I especially enjoyed the joke based on Niels Abel's commutative groups, as I didn't realize that mathematicians had a sense of humor that was parlayed into such odd and exquisite visions.
The ending was an attempt to take on the morality of joking in an age in which almost everyone is offended by everything from dust to sun-rises. While Cohen says go ahead and be offended, he also says to not try to outlaw other people's sense of humor. I felt he set up a Catch-22 that needed more work. On what basis is it reasonable to be offended?
Is it ever reasonable?
Unfortunately, the book ended in this snag of ook after seventy good pages building a model of the joke-work as a mode of appreciation. To end with the Maoist stalemate that has held culture in a quagmire of contention was less than cheering, not that I myself know any way out of that quagmire of ooky skook.
Thank heavens jokes live on. Some of these are really unusual, and Cohen's commentary is always scintillating. Bravo! I am tickled that this book was written and published. Everyone in America should have a heavily annotated copy under their pillow and we would begin to have a civilization worthy of the zig-zags and ziggurats of the star-bellied Sneetches.
-- Kirby Olson, Author
Comedy after Postmodernism
maybe i'm biased, i dunno..........2002-04-02
ted cohen is bleeding hilarious. he's even funnier in person than on paper. he happens to be my philosophy professor - ain't i lucky?
buy that book!!
I Wish I Had Bought It!.......2000-08-27
I might as well admit up front that I didn't buy this book. In fact, Ted Cohen gave me a complementary inscribed copy so that I could reinvigorate my cocktail party repetoire of jokes (my wife says this book will add at least 5 years to our marriage). But for all of you who read this review, you should know that I intend to buy a few dozen copies to distribute to my best friends. And not because Ted needs the money, but because this book is both a scream and thought provoking. If only for laughs, it's well worth the price. And the publisher has considerately type-set the many jokes in bold so that you can easily skip the philosophy. But after you've read the jokes, I recommend you go back and read Ted's thoughts and commentary. You'll see jokes and joking in a new light. Thank you Ted!
Philosophy AND Jokes - What more could you want?.......2000-04-13
This is the first book I have read by Ted Cohen but it will not be my last. Do not be frightened away by the word "philosophy." Everyone seems to grasp the fact that some jokes work with some people and not with others. This book shows us how jokes depend on a "complex set of conditions" in order to work and that jokes are "conditional." The book has a wonderful cadence allowing room for the philosophy behind and the intimacy caused by good joke telling and -- great jokes too. Laughter is indeed the best medicine -- grab this book and have a laugh!
Customer Reviews:
Best Intro to Silent Film Comedy.......2007-02-08
I can think of no better introduction to silent screen comedy than this book. Walter Kerr was born in 1913, so as a movie-crazy kid in the 1920's, he saw many of the films discussed in the book at the time of their release. However, all of his comments are based on re-viewings of each film, because, as he confesses, certain scenes and stunts and gags did not always occur in the way he remembered. But his first-hand experience does give us a whiff of the excitement that was felt when the films were released.
Some say Kerr is overly analytical. He certainly does analyze to an incredible degree, but in doing so, he makes plain the differences in approach of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd. He also explains why certain silent comedians lacked what the "Big Three" had, and why they were not as funny. He also points out when even one of the Big Three made a film that somehow violates their own principles, is therefore, not successful.
Besides the lion's share of attention to Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd, he also devotes a great deal of space to Harry Langdon. Langdon was hugely popular, but his rise was meteoric, and in the space of a few short years, he was largely forgotten. He also covers the silent years of Laurel and Hardy, and explains how their basic characters were formed before their jump to even greater success in sound films.
When I first read this book, it was around 1980, and most of the films were not available on video (though some of Chaplin's were). Even still, one could feel the excitement these films must have engendered without even being able to see them. Now that pretty much all of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd's major works are available on DVD (and even Langdon's best films), the book will prove to be even more valuable (if you can find it). I read it every few years, so I have already worn out my copy of the original paperback version (the one with Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd and Landon on a white cover).
An eloquent, magnificent celebration of silent comedy.......2003-09-24
Walter Kerr was one of the premiere theater critics of his generation, but he managed as well to write beautifully, movingly, and fascinatingly about the Golden Age of screen comedy. Although he does in the course of his book write about many comedians, much of the focus of the book is on who he considers the four great silent comics or clowns: Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Harry Langdon.
Kerr has never quite sold me on his own evaluation of these four great figures of silent comedy. Clearly he loves Buster Keaton, and I will admit that my own high regard of Keaton comes in large part from Kerr's discussion of his comedy in this work. Chaplin I have never enjoyed quite as much, despite acknowledging his genius. His famous pathos strikes me now as a relic from another age, and while I can work myself into a point of view to appreciate it, it doesn't stick with me as a way of viewing things after moving away from the film and back into normal life. In short, the emotions in Chaplin always strike me as artificial, which wouldn't be a problem except for the enormous emphasis that Chaplin himself places on them. Despite Kerr's advocacy, I have never seen the charm of Harold Lloyd. I have now seen quite a number of his films, but despite his enthusiasm and energy, and my own admiration of his performing all those astonishing stunts in spite of having lost much of one of his hands, his films simply do not move me. Keaton and Chaplin both make me laugh, but Lloyd only makes me smile at best. Harry Langdon I still have not seen, but it was reading this book that created in me a still-unfulfilled desire to see at least his three great films. The numerous stills of Langdon create a powerful impression. I still hope someday to see his films, primarily THE STRONG MAN, TRAMP TRAMP TRAMP, and LONG PANTS.
I go into detail about this because this is the kind of excitement and interest Kerr manages to generate in his book. We tragically live in an age where many cannot abide a black and white film, let alone a silent one. Yet Kerr can get you genuinely excited about these films. Buster Keaton is one of my favorite performers, and I have to thank Kerr more than anyone for that being so. He writes so passionately and intelligently about these performers that he creates an inner need in his reader to experience these films first hand. As great as the text is, the stills chosen to illustrate the book are extraordinary.
THE SILENT CLOWNS belongs in the library of any film junkie, now merely because it is a glorious depiction of a time long past, but because it is a specimen of flat out gorgeous writing. Critics now tend to be far more scholarly in their writing. Kerr, although he certainly is not unscholarly, is also a masterful prose stylist. He doesn't merely write about memorable individuals, he writes about them memorably.
A Wonderful Book.......2001-11-18
Walter Kerr's The Silent Clowns is a must. Tons of great pictures and details on Buster, Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Laurel & Hardy- but also on lesser known "clowns". It is obvious how much Mr. Kerr loved his work. At one point he talks about how he enjoyed going to Buster Keaton movies as a youth. This book lives up to the hype as the greatest book ever on silent comedy. You can read this book 50 times and still enjoy it.
*Get the HARDCOVER version. The paperback version does not do this book justice.
THE indispensable book on silent comedy.......2000-12-22
This book is not only the single best volume ever written about silent film comedy, but the best about silent film, period. Only Kevin Brownlow's The Parade's Gone By even comes close. There are chapters on the mechanics and aesthetics of silent film that should be read by everyone with an interest in the form. In addition, his chains of reasoning and perceptions are put forth with an aptness and lucidity that conceals the depth of the intellectual analysis. The elegantly straightforward prose makes this book a joy to read from start to finish. Further, in addition to covering the film work of the "big four" (Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, and Langdon) Kerr also sheds welcome light on lesser-known and even forgotten figures, such as the "unexpected" Raymond Giffith. Finally, this is a book that was well-produced on every level, right down to the layout, chapter headings, and fonts. Numerous film stills of every size (inluding some generous two-page spreads) make it a feast for the eyes as well as the mind, cogently and often playfully setting off the text. The original hardback edition published by Knopf was meant as a sort of intelligent coffee-table book (most assuredly NOT an oxymoron in this case), and the present oversized-paperback edition provided by the good folks at Da Capo should be seen in the same light. Both a celebration of silent comedy and a superb investigation of the form. Also a book that you can dip into again and again over the years with undiminished pleasure and come away with reinvigorated enthusiasm for the subject. If you don't have it, get it.
Timeless.......1999-06-20
What Kerr has essentially revealed in this book is the very pulse by which the silent comedic form remaines timeless. He manages to write his book with such a love, yet such an intellectual understanding, that much like the art form he analyzes, it is a book devoid of snootiness or cynicsm. The book has many stengths, but carries such weight because it isn't only pre-occupied with Keaton and Chaplin. The chapters on Harold Lloyd -- who remains understudied -- are very insightful, yet objective. And while other silent comedians aren't given quite space that the major four American comedians are (Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Langdon), a respectable analysis of Arbuckle, Sennett, Linder, Laurel and Hardy, and many more are presented. Valuable perspectives on "non-comedic" actors like Fairbanks, Pickford, and Gish are also hearty reading.
Kerr also give great insight into aesthetic issues, such as music composition and presentation, varying artists' cutting techniques, the roles of women in selected films, the alternate use of frame rates, and much, much, more. What makes the book so refreshing to read is how very much Kerr loves his subject, not necassarilly his subjects. Most books about the silent comedians -- Keaton and Chaplin in particular -- cannot help but devote numerous pages and even chapters to the filmmaker's vices (i.e. Chaplin's womanizing, Keaton's alcoholism). Kerr mentions such subjects when pertinent, but they do not become the book's thrust, nor are such issues presented to undercut the artist or his work in any way. Flawed men these clowns were, but their work remains relatively perfect.
Average customer rating:
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The Silent Clowns
Walter KERR
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RJICI6 |
Average customer rating:
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The Silent Clowns
Walter KERR
Manufacturer: Publisher Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WBO404 |
Product Description
fine. Rarely seen 16pg. souvenir program for Chaplin's sour-sweet drama of the theatre that featured Buster Keaton in a small part. Binding is wraps.
Average customer rating:
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Limelight
Manufacturer: United Artists
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B000BYLZSG |
Product Description
fine. Rarely seen 16pg. souvenir program for Chaplin's sour-sweet drama of the theatre that featured Buster Keaton in a small part. Binding is large paper.
Customer Reviews:
An extremely handy guide for a parent of a 1-8 year old,especially those new to b-day party planning.......2006-02-09
I am a first time mom and all of my son's friends are a few months younger than him. So, basically we have not have much guideance in planning birthday parties (my husband and I only have our memories and our families' memories to go on). I am reading this book for the first time as I plan his 4th birthday party.
I knew many of the things discussed in the book but I learned new tips and advice. The book had guildelines on when away from home parties were appropriate, what age you should start giving out prizes for games (and good ideas for non-material prizes), how to handle disappointment by the birthday child, and things to do to keep the party moving smoothly (especially if dealing with younger kids that aren't so good at waiting through long turns).
I liked how the book addressed ideas for handling different dietary situations of the guests. I haven't been in that situation so I didn't really have any ideas of my own. The book had good recipes for such situations as lactose intolerance, food allergies or other sensitivities. There were good general food recommendations and recipes as well.
The book has a great breakdown of age considerations for party planning. Recommendations for party length, what kind of activities are appropriate as well as what challenges you may face depending on the age (sharing, play styles...) were included. Before I read this I hadn't really thought about how to make the birthday party age appropriate as they got older (my ideas were limited to Pin the Tail on the Donkey).
The book had unique and creative ideas for favors, invitations and games. It was nice to have a comprehensive list of all the common, popular games as well as some interesting variations.
Well organized and easy to read. I liked the real life experiences mentioned in the book. It helps to read about what did and didn't work for other families.
You can find many good sources of birthday party information on the internet but this book is worth having around in my opinion. It is just a good all pupose guide.
Many years of use..........2003-03-04
My son just turned 9 and I have been using this book for ideas for most of those years. Every birthday I pull it out and I always seem to find a few new ideas in there that I didn't notice the previous year! It includes party activity ideas such as a no-cook play dough recipe, instructions for making pop-up puppets and "moon rocks", and fun ideas like cooking cupcakes in ice cream cones, and playing "spin the bottle" to choose which present to open next (eliminates favoritism in present-opening). The author also includes tips on the child psychology of birthdays (plan something after the party to prevent a big let down), as well as addresses and phone numbers of further party sources. Now my child is getting a little old for some of the tips (the cover states it is for ages 1-8) but some of the ideas work for all ages, so I will hold onto the book for the next birthday.
Great Resource for Toddler Parties.......2001-09-19
Of all the "Birthday" books I borrowed from the Library I found this one the best if you are planning a toddler birthday! I will definately be purchasing my own copy.
Preparations, Expectations & Recipes!.......2000-10-21
I found Lansky's book to be a common-sense guideline for what young children might find enjoyable. It also, aptly, advises keeping parties for younger kids short and simple. I appreciated her inclusion of cake recipes for special dietary needs. The book is very helpful for young, busy parents who need to organize and stay focused to pull off an extra special event.
There are better books out there to help you plan a party!.......1999-11-11
I found the book to have basic common sense information, no real ideas! It was one of 3 books that I purchased and I ended up returning the book and keeping the other 2 books. But, if you need help with how to get organized, this is the book for you! The cover and title are misleading.
Book Description
n this revealing business advice book, the magic of the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market proves a dynamic example of what a group of people can create when they are aligned and living a powerful vision. Here for the first time, owner John Yokoyama explains in his own words just how he transformed his business into a workplace that is renowned worldwide. When Fish Fly offers Yokoyama's cohesive strategy for achieving world famous results for owners, managers, and front-line workers alike. Once you understand the generative principles behind the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market you, too, can develop a culture that leads to excellent employee morale and legendary customer service.
Customer Reviews:
What an amazing Company.......2007-08-23
Our company has adopted the Fish policy and we love it. Although we cannot throw fish, we do throw alot of fun activities, etc. to help the attitude's of our employee's.
Wish I could move to Seattle and work at the Pike Market!
Thanks for sharing ALL your Fish products with us here in Louisville KY!
Outstanding.......2007-05-06
Purchased after a recent seminar showcasing the Pike Place Fish Market, I found this book an outstanding tool to take back to my co-workers. When Fish Fly focuses on the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market and how the owner, John Yokoyama, turned his once failing business into a fun, thriving one. Motivational, inspirational and easy to read. It has proven itself time and again with work and the difficult task of motivating others.
Simply fantastic.......2006-12-29
The book tells a really inspiring story about how it is possible to turn a team, a company around to delivering excellence and beyond.
I've read quite a few management and team building related books, and still mention this one before any other books on the same topic.
- It is a realy honest book
- It is about real people with their real story
- The author shows how he had to change first
- It is a very simple, quick read that will stick.
Thanks
Bart
A Good Read !.......2005-03-23
Author John Yokoyama, owner of Seattle's World Famous Pike Place Fish Market, explains how he changed his attitude toward his employees, embraced a new way of treating people, led his employees in a fundamental directional shift and built a widespread reputation. This isn't a business "cookbook" that tells you step by step what to do. As Yokoyama insists, you can't just copy someone else's success. You must be an individual. However, the story of his turnaround and triumph at World Famous Pike Place Fish Market is a good read that illuminates the need for leaders to treat their employees, as he says, as people, not as human resources. Although the Market is getting to be as overexposed as a fish left out in the sun, we welcome this first person exposition from the owner. After numerous published accounts about the Market, the saga of how Yokoyama empowered employees, promoted his business and changed his style comes through best in his own words.
The original is the best.......2004-11-09
This book cannot be appreciated by those who have not read the original Fish!. Though this book is directly from John Yokoyama, the owner of the world famous Pike Place Fish, it lacks the kind of inspirational and personal touch that made the Fish! philosophy so famous. At best it appears to be a nice opportunity to hear the story of the great place from the owner himself but there is much room for improving the sequencing of topics, the narrative style and in bringing out the true excitement of the place. It appears at many places that too much importance is given to employees' conformity to the vision of becoming world famous and the business is run as a proprietary concern, enforcing the views of the owner on most occasions.
One incident in the book that really moved me - Two fish mongers who fly to Minneapolis to entertain a child who is in hospital diagnosed with leukemia. One of the fish mongers himself had undergone treatment for a tumor and his empathy for this little girl and his own emotions are the at the core of the Fish! philosophy.
The contribution of Jim Bergquist, the consultant who was instrumental in bringing about the transformation at Pike Place Fish is acknowledged, but not fully elaborated.
This book may not fly off the book stands like Fish!.
Books:
- Post-traumatic Culture: Injury and Interpretation in the Nineties
- Postmodern Animal (Reaktion Books - Essays in Art and Culture)
- Profiles of Play: Assessing and Observing Structure and Process in Play Therapy
- Rafal Olbinski Women: Motifs and Variations
- Reading a Japanese Film: Cinema in Context
- Second Herman Treasury (Andrews & McMeel Treasury Series)
- Soulful Knitting: Gifts for the Soul, from the Soul
- Sounding the Depths: Theology Through the Arts
- St. John the Divine: The Deified Evangelist in Medieval Art and Theology
- Strange Bedfellows: The First American Avant-Garde.
Books Index
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