Book Description
Steve Moore has done it again. In the spirit of cartoonistsB. Kliban, Gary Larson, Charles Addams, and Gahan Wilson, the nation's leading sports cartoonist tackles, well, everything! Football, baseball, basketball, skiing, hunting, fishing, jogging, golf-even chess. No sport is spared from Moore's wickedly clever gags, drawn from the viewpoints of players, fans, and couch potatoes everywhere.
Customer Reviews:
Subtle and over the top humor..........2003-05-10
Arguably the most consistently funny panel since "The Far Side." A great collection. Viva en la bleachers!
Book Description
Fascinating panorama of styles — from diaphanous gowns of Egyptian royalty to 1920s wardrobe of American flapper. Accessories and hairstyles. Illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Good secondary resource.......2007-05-16
The black and white illustrations are well researched, and many are reminiscent of fashion plates and other primary resources. While designers and historians should be skeptical of original illustrations because of artistic liberties and accidental changes to the shape, style, and accuracy of the garment, this book is pretty decent/trustworthy.
Gorsline also gives specific dates for the illustrations, which is very helpful in researching, and puts in helpful details like accessories (corsets, gloves, hats, shoes, etc.) and hairstyles. It mentions nationality, when appropriate, as well as the style (the name of the artist, when applicable, that inspired the illustration). It shows a range of variations within a given period, demonstrates different ways to wear various garments, and provides a wonderfully diverse sampling of clothes to give any researching a great start in their exploration. As with all secondary resources, be sure to cross-reference for accuracy.
Mixed bag.......2003-11-10
This book is the culmination of research done by Mr. Gorsline. He has recreated the illustrations based upon research done primarily in the New York Library system. Many of his drawings have a reference... but that reference isn't formatted in such a way you could actually find out anything useful. For that reason it's not a particularly good choice for serious "historical" costumers. But if you're willing to accept that limitation, it is a nice reference, particularly the collected drawings of hair and head coverings.
Great reference, especially for early clothing and hair.......2003-06-19
I received this book as a gift, and have found it very useful in creating accurate costumes, especially for the Medieval styles. The later (Victorian, Edwardian, etc.) chapters have been less useful to me because they offer limited examples of a few different garments from each time period. Fashions changed so much more quickly after the Renaissance, that a more detailed look at the styles of each decade, or each year, in each locality after the 16th century, would be much more useful. The chapters on medieval and ancient fashions, however, are extremely useful to me, because the images are taken from contemporary manuscripts and illustrations and represent a time period for which we know comparatively little about the garments most people wore, although research continues. The drawings make it easy to see the line of each garment and its shape, which is very helpful in drafting patterns for such garments, and the illustrations of hairstyles and head coverings are also very clear and understandable. This book is most useful as one book in a library of costume publications, as it does not contain much, if any, information regarding fabric weaves, colors, embroidery, etc.
Designs minus beauty.......2003-02-15
This book contains a great deal of visual information on clothing throughout the world and through the ages. It makes a good reference. However, unlike Racinet's dazzling Historical Encyclopedia of Costumes, it is not beautiful. The images are functional, but not inspirational.
Not even a tertiary source - redrawings of redrawings.......2001-10-11
I do not recommend this volume for anyone doing serious research on costume. I would recommend going with sources closer to the original.
Book Description
In a time when America needed a true hero, Sgt. Frank Rock emerged as a symbol of patriotism during the United States' battle against the Nazis in World War II. Reprinted in this edition are nineteen of the most hard-hitting Sgt. Rock war stories ever told, including an early "prototype" version of the ultimate war hero as well as his first appearance. Leading Easy Company against the worst evil man has truly ever faced, Sgt. Rock was and still is an emblem of America's fighting spirit.
Customer Reviews:
Get what you paid for...........2007-05-07
I'm not into the collection of the actual comic book these days, but more interested in the story line and develoment of the techniques used in illustration and themes. This is the first of the collection and it is a great start to capture the formation Sgt Rock from "Our Army at War."
Kanigher and Kubert make for perfect war comics!.......2005-08-01
Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert are absolutely the Simon and Garfunkel of war comics. It just doesn't get any better than this if you're looking for combat action. Kanigher created stories grounded in realism, but softened for a general audience in ways that preserve the basic integrity and credibility of the war experience. And Kubert did something no other war comic artist ever managed: he made his characters larger than life and heroic, but realistic and gritty at the very same time!
RECOMMENDED!
Another fine "Archives" book from DC Comics.......2004-01-01
Although I grew up on the later issues of Sgt. Rock, these early issues are just as fun to read. If you like Sgt. Rock and are interested in his origins and the rest of Easy Company, it's a no-brainer buy. (It is probably also the only way you will ever own them anyway!) If you are expecting the 70's version of his comics with Enemy Ace or Unknown Soldier, you may want to buy a later version of the Archives (if DC continues to release them and I hope they do). I would not buy a Batman Archives #1 and expect the Batman of the 60's and 70's, I would expect old school (circa 1930's) Batman. This book is "old school" Sgt. Rock, and a gem at that. I can understand the other guys review that said it was not what he expected, but I think one star is a bit harsh. Take these books and other early Archive issues with a grain of salt, and try to read them in the context (or mindset) of when they were published and I think your expectations might align better. Yeah, they're hokey, corny and at times repetitious or even mediocre reading, but they are the ground floor of a great run of comics.
Let's Rock!.......2003-05-23
Here we have earliest Sgt. Rock stories. These aren't the most realistic war comics, but they are enjoyable. The artwork is terrific , too. I especially like the ones drawn by Joe Kubert.
Eh...Not What I Hoped For.......2003-03-12
I grew up reading two or three of the same Weird War Tales and Men Of War (with Enemy Ace, The Gravedigger, The Haunted Tank, etc) mags over and over until they were pretty ragged. I remembered seeing the Sgt. Rock ads in those comics, next to those of the Unknown Soldier. Having been hyped on war comics again with the recent revamp of WWT and Garth Ennis' Unknown Soldier, I figured I'd give Sgt. Rock and the Combat Happy Joes of Easy Company a try. (SgtRockandtheCombatHappyJoesofEasyCompanySgtRockandTheCombatHappy...etc) Learn that phrase, because reading these issues it will become like a mantra. Also take note of the term and phrase `tin pot (a helmet)' and `That's the way it is in Easy, where nothing is easy.' The writing is SO repetitive. I'm used to the innocent predictablity of older golden and silver age comics (its not really predictabilty, for these are the originals from which all the modern comics tend to borrow), so I wasn't expecting a whole lot, but at least I thought I'd be entertained. I found myself willing my way through the book, wanting each story to end. It has some moments (I liked the opening story introducing the Rock), but they are just too far between.
The art however, is very good. Some of the renderings of Panzers are particularly memorable, but the action and the dialogue is kinda...well, boring. I know this is a classic. I know it has a following. But this one just didn't speak to me or ring true. Nice art, great edition, but not my cup of joe.
Book Description
Furrowed brows, wiggled fingers, wrinkled noses, shrugged shoulders with so many rich and varied gestures at our disposal, it s no wonder anthropologists claim at least 90% of all human communication is non-verbal. But what do all of these signs and signals really mean? And what secrets do they reveal about the person you re speaking with? Field Guide to Gestures has the answers.
Whether you re communicating with friends, lovers, co-workers, foreigners, or strangers on the street, this handy guide will help you decipher the mysteries of human gesticulation. It features color photographs of more than 100 different gestures, plus a detailed synopsis explaining each gesture s meanings, origins, and subtle nuances (nodding yes takes on an entirely new meaning in Greece!). It s so chock-full of interesting information, you ll feel compelled to give it two very enthusiastic thumbs up!
Customer Reviews:
review; field guide to gestures.......2005-07-23
I'm a sign language interpreter.
I work in Cook County as a Court Interpreter, only one among spoken Language interpreters, Spanish and Polish and all the rest. They think I'm making stuff up when I work.
I say the same thing about them.
When I need to make the point that they already know a bazillion signs, then I haul out this book and show them what I mean. It works every time.
Keeps the focus on the work, not on interpersonal relationships in the workplace.
Coleen Hogan
Useful and Funny Guide.......2003-12-19
If you often find yourself scratching your head, shrugging, or furrowing your eyebrows in confusion because of the non-verbal gestures of others, then this book was written expressly for you! 108 gestures are described, illustrated via drawings, and explained in this handy book. The book is well-organized and gestures are divided into common-sense categories: arrival (handshake), departure (waving), approval (high five), disapproval (finger wag), mating (hair flip), offensive and profane (chin flick), just for emphasis (finger snap), and "no words needed" (crossing fingers).
Although most of the gestures are likely to be familiar to most people, some obscure gestures are included as well (e.g., the fig). In addition to this basic information, the authors provide interesting facts about the origins and variations of gestures. For example, making a "W" with your finger to mean "whatever" was popularized by the 1995 movie, "Clueless." Likewise, they note that the thumbing of the nose has more names than any other gesture, including "pull a snook," "japenese fan," and "pull bacon."
The authors also discuss the meanings of the gestures in various cultures. For example, in parts of Greece, nodding means "no" and shaking the head means "yes." Likewise, making horns with you hand can mean that your a rock fan in the U.S., or signify a cuckold in Mediterranean countries!
Fortunately, the authors approach the subject firmly tongue-in-cheek, and I found myself laughing frequently. Each gesture is also illustrated with a color plate, some of which are hilarious, especially the profane ones that are illustrated by an older woman! A terrific, well-researched little book that is most highly recommended.
Let's Have a Show of Hands.......2003-09-16
You are in conversation with an individual you do not know well. All of a sudden she makes a fist, extends the pinkie on one side and the thumb on the other, and wiggles the fist with its extended digits. You are mystified. What do you do? The answer is simple: You pull out the _Field Guide to Gestures: How to Identify and Interpret Virtually Every Gesture Known to Man_ (Quirk Books) by Nancy Armstrong and Melissa Wagner. After all, it is pocket sized and full of pictures, and you always have it with you. You find the photo of the gesture, but you ignore the similar one with the fist elevated and the thumb pointed to the open mouth ("Let's Drink") or the one where the thumb is near the ear and the pinkie is near the mouth ("Call me"). No, the gesture is the "Hang Loose"; your partner in conversation is using a sign associated with Hawaiian surfers, but actually traced to Spanish explorers. The gesture derives from "Let's Drink", but as given without the "bottle" gesture, it has no implications of recreational drug use, just "take it easy". If you are in Japan, however, the gesture might mean "six." There is more information available on this gesture, and on over a hundred others in this funny and interesting book. It doesn't matter that you know most of them already; included here are pointing, nodding, hugging, rolling the eyes, and so on. You can find out the history of the gesture, where it might be misunderstood, and exactly how to make it. You will be surprised at how many gestures you already use and take for granted.
For a sample, look at just a few of the gestures that can be made with the hand in a simple pointing configuration. The index finger extended from the fist is universally understood to mean "look over there". Pointing upwards, it means "one". Elevated and wagged it means "No, no, no..." Slashed across the throat it is an utmost gesture of disapproval. Inserted in and out of the fingers of the other hand, it means, well, you know. Tapping the finger on the side of the nose means "We are sharing a secret." Put to pursed lips, it is "Shhhhh!" even without the sound. Put to the side of the head and rotated it means "crazy". There is a special subtlety to this particular gesture in Japan. It means "crazy" when rotated counterclockwise, but "vain" when clockwise. This distinction, however, the authors note, is fading. Amusingly, as with other field guides, there is a disclaimer at the front of the book to say that it can't list the millions of gestures and meanings, and stressing that it therefore cannot guarantee full reliability. Of particular interest to the naughty will be the large section dealing with gestures of disrespect. If you follow the explicit "1-2-3" directions here, you can perform "The Moon" at someone, for instance. Hand signals saying about the same thing are definitely not omitted from this guide.
For a reference book, I found _Field Guide to Gestures_ to be great fun. Thumbs up.
Book Description
"Dave Hickey gets it exactly right in his preface to this collection of journalism, poetry, fiction and memoir: Lewis, who died in 1997, was indeed 'the most stone wonderful writer that nobody ever heard of.' Writing for
Rolling Stone in the early '70s, he almost singlehandedly invented the movie set piece, and no one's ever improved on his flint-eyed profiles of Sam Peckinpah and the Allman Brothers. But the best piece here is his searing memoir of his white-trash Texas parents, who died in what was ruled a double suicide. Etched in acid and heart's blood, it is a terse masterpiece."
—Malcolm Jones,
Newsweek
"The least known of the New Journalism's founding fathers, Grover Lewis has long been a legend among nonfiction writers, and this overdue collection shows us why. A beautiful stylist blessed with a blistering honesty, Grover saw it all and wrote it like nobody else could. Put
Splendor in the Short Grass up on the shelf with the best of Tom Wolfe, Hunter Thompson and Gay Talese. It belongs there."
—Kenneth Turan, film critic for the
Los Angeles Times and National Public Radio's
Morning Edition
"Grover Lewis, the most literary of journalists, did things his way, simultaneously inventing a genre and setting the standard. These days ambitious feature writers, whether they know it or not, all strive to do it Grover's way. But, as this long overdue collection shows, not only did Grover do it first, he did it best."
—Tim Cahill, author of
Lost in My Own Backyard and
Hold the Enlightenment
"Grover Lewis was a gift to American letters. He had a hard eye, a sharp eye for hidden reality, and the unique ability to raise a popular journalism piece to the level of a universal truth. Plus he wrote like an angel. This collection,
Splendor in the Short Grass, is not just a terrific read, it's an important work. I loved every page of it."
—James Crumley, author of the hardboiled mysteries
Dancing Bear,
The Last Good Kiss, and
The Final Country
"Your gonzo journalism library isn't complete without him."
—
Ruminator
"Grover was, after all, the most stone wonderful writer that nobody ever heard of....His job was to hammer the detritus of fugitive cultural encounters into elegant sentences, lapidary paragraphs, and knowable truth; and, in truth, the loveliness and lucidity of Grover's writing always rose to the triviality of the occasion."
—Dave Hickey, from the foreword
Grover Lewis was one of the defining voices of the New Journalism of the 1960s and 1970s. His wry, acutely observed, fluently written essays for
Rolling Stone and the
Village Voice set a standard for other writers of the time, including Hunter S. Thompson, Joe Eszterhas, Timothy Ferris, Chet Flippo, and Tim Cahill, who said of Lewis, "He was the best of us." Pioneering the "on location" reportage that has become a fixture of features about moviemaking and live music, Lewis cut through the celebrity hype and captured the real spirit of the counterculture, including its artificiality and surprising banality. Even today, his articles on Woody Guthrie, the Allman Brothers, the Rolling Stones concert at Altamont, directors Sam Peckinpah and John Huston, and the filming of
The Last Picture Show and
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest remain some of the finest writing ever done on popular culture.
To introduce Grover Lewis to a new generation of readers and collect his best work under one cover, this anthology contains articles he wrote for
Rolling Stone,
Village Voice,
Playboy,
Texas Monthly, and
New West, as well as excerpts from his unfinished novel
The Code of the West and his incomplete memoir
Goodbye If You Call That Gone and poems from the volume
I'll Be There in the Morning If I Live. Jan Reid and W. K. Stratton have selected and arranged the material around themes that preoccupied Lewis throughout his life—movies, music, and loss. The editors' biographical introduction, the foreword by Dave Hickey, and a remembrance by Robert Draper discuss how Lewis's early struggles to escape his working-class, anti-intellectual Texas roots for the world of ideas in books and movies made him a natural proponent of the counterculture that he chronicled so brilliantly. They also pay tribute to Lewis's groundbreaking talent as a stylist, whose unique voice deserves to be more widely known by today's readers.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Film Comment, published by Film Society of Lincoln Center on March 1, 2005. The length of the article is 353 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: Splendor in the Short Grass: a Grover Lewis Reader.(Book Review)
Author: Chris Chang
Publication:
Film Comment (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2005
Publisher: Film Society of Lincoln Center
Volume: 41
Issue: 2
Page: 77(1)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thompson Gale
Average customer rating:
|
Mel Bay's First Lessons Piano Book/CD Set
Per Danielsson
Manufacturer: Mel Bay Publications
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ASIN: 0786662514 |
Book Description
This beginning piano course introduces children or adult students to basic music notation and helps them build a solid foundation of piano skills. Theory and instruction appears alongside music examples in an integrated approach to learning. The play-along CD will help the student to develop a more musical approach and become more secure in both dynamics and rhythm. It is highly encouraged to use the play-along CD as much as possible. The CD contains model renditions of most of the pieces in the book as well as play-along accompaniments to make practicing more fun. After successful completion of this book the student will be well prepared for further piano studies in various styles of music.
Book Description
Igor Stohl has selected 50 outstanding games from recent years and analyzed them in painstaking depth. Here he presents his findings to chess enthusiasts, who will find the games entertaining and the annotations both instructive and illuminating. Stohl is an outstanding theoretical expert, so the opening phase of each game reads like a lesson in the key strategic aspects of the opening played, with an up-to-date survey of current trends. The middlegame is dissected and the critical decisions subjected to scrutiny by an author who invites readers inside his laboratory to join him in his quest for the truth. The endgame phase, if reached, is handled with similar erudition, with insights into the grandmaster's approach to questions of technique.
Customer Reviews:
The best collection of games in recent 10 years. .......2007-07-07
Igor Stohl, though not a strong grandmaster, but he had the genius ih annotation of games. All the games chosen are ihstrcutive with deep analysis. one fine point, the lay of the moves are very clear and also
with at two diagrams per page. I strongly recommend those chess players
who have passed the " tactic " and wnat to improve his openigs or positional strength.
I also recommend to book Igor Stoghl ' two volumes of Kasparov greatest Games.
Outstanding Book.......2006-08-10
Stohl deeply annotates 50 games between the world's best players. I was inspired almost as much by Stohl's analysis as I was by the games themselves. There isn't a one-sided massacre in the book. Not one game where a Super-GM plays like God and a garden-variety GM or IM sleepwalks all the way. Even the games that look like they're going to be blow-outs have nice comebacks by the eventual losers. Usually the outcome is in doubt until very near the end.
I don't think this book would be very interesting to anyone rated below about USCF 1700-1800; it's that deep. I've been close to 2200 and I wish I could play as well as the LOSERS played in this book.
Another reviewer thought Stohl let Fritz do all the analysis for him. I'm afraid not. Stohl misses too many things! He even overlooks some winning lines that Fritz and Shredder find instantly and gives inconsequential lines instead. I'm not sure to what extent he used computer assistance; definitely not as much as I do when I annotate a game.
Excellent book!.......2005-10-21
Gambit publisher and the team of Nunn and Burgess (since the Mammoth Book of Greatest Chess Games) have created the standard for all chess-books. Each game has a short introduction, then the game itself with deep and broad variations, many diagrams and ended with a short summary.
The author uses the games that feature in his Czech magazine column, "Game of the Month." In the magazine, due to the space and time limitations, the games are brief and dense. To write this book, he picked many of those old games and a few new ones. The games are from the period 1993-2000. Every year, there are hundreds of GM and master games. To pick the good ones to include and analyze in a book is not an easy task. The selection depends of the author's taste. GM games are almost always good. It's just how the author presents them and adds his/her analysis and comments. That's where the book sells. Here, Stohl uses some of his old analyses, runs more through chess programs, adds more comments. He also uses other commentators' analyses, and surprisingly his chess column readers. This reminds me some chess opening books mention that many opening move novelties have been discovered by chess amateurs. While on this opening subject, I just have one small question. After the author (not only on this book but in general) has picked a game to annotate, if the opening or defense is not in his specialty, how would s/he explain the fine points?
Anyway, the author presents the games professionally, met the Gambit standard. There are deep and many variations. They are way over my level. I could only follow the main line and short variations with lots of explanations. That means the book is still useful to me for many years to come.
Best-suited for Expert level and higher.......2005-07-26
The main drawback is that Stohl gives loads of theoretical variations and explains few of them. For example, he'll give the game's move and then show you 2 paragraphs of side-variations that are inferior......but seldom explains why one side is better (you have to be able to figure that out and then know whether you're reasons are correct).
Another drawback: he doesn't explain why a game is a masterpiece. Sure, all the theory and variations he gives are instructive, but what makes these games "masterpieces"? Do they possess some specific quality that warrants the title of Masterpiece? Hard to know, because he doesn't say. (But let's forgive Stohl if the book's title was chosen by the publisher and not by him.)
The book's strong point is the depth and breath of technical analysis. If you want to improve by following a game, analyzing moves, and checking your analysis, this is a terrific book. But be prepared to really apply yourself, because this is strong GM calculating. Be willing to work hard, or you could be wasting money getting this book.
This book is best-suited for players over 2000. Players rated 1600-2000 can use Stohl's book but will understand less of it and won't benefit as much. These players would get more out of books like The World's Greatest Chess Games by Nunn, Emms, and Burgess...much is explained descriptively, making it more fun to read and learn from, but you also get plenty of variations.
I give it 4 stars because it does a very good job and it's a well-written book for it's best audience (Expert and up). Myself, I play at 1700-1800.
A great, modern {chess} masterpiece........2004-08-04
I first studied this book with a student of mine just after it was published. He purchased it, we would go over a game or two every lesson or so. Then last November, (2003); I purchased my own copy of this book. I can safely say that I have had this book long enough, and also spent enough time studying it - to do a reasonably intelligent review. (I have also chatted with many friends and students who have purchased this book, as well as having received about 10-20 e-mails as concerning this volume.)
First of all, the book is from "Gambit" Books ... suffice it to say that they have many fine chess books in their line and know exactly how to do a good job publishing a chess book. (Paper, binding, editing, etc.)
Secondly, this comes from a reasonably strong GM ... who is also a chess teacher and an author.
Thirdly, we have the collection. 50 games of recent vintage - no dinosaurs in here. The games are extremely well annotated; sometimes there is a comment after every move during the key part of a game. The emphasis here is on the opening and on tactics, but no phase of the game is neglected. The work here is VERY detailed, as a USCF Master, I found it both entertaining and challenging.
I gladly give this book five stars, even though I had said in the past I would not do this anymore.
There are some slight drawbacks to the book. I would not call them flaws, but I feel it my responsibility to point out a few possible stumbling blocks to a potential buyer.
1. The book is best tackled by someone who is at least 1400-to-1500 in rating. I am quite sure a rank beginner would find this book much too complex and difficult to grasp. (The author could still learn a turn or two from the great Irving Chernev!)
2. I found a few tactical flaws, but to be honest, it took hours and hours to find them using Fritz 8.0. I doubt that even a good 1800 player would notice these if they were not using a very strong chess program.
3. I personally found a few of the variants hard to follow. I also had difficulty assessing a few of the positions. I am sure that the average player would feel the same way, perhaps even a little lost. This could have been resolved by ending each variation with a symbol that stands for which side stands better - and perhaps a brief note explaining why.
And while this might be a very tough and seemingly dense book, I would issue the following challenge. Buy this book, go over all the games and study it in depth. (Take at least a month.) Then every time you go up about 100 points review this book. I am willing to bet this is a book that you would continue to benefit from until your rating has surpassed the authors. (I looked up GM Igor Stohl's rating - ID # 14900025 on the FIDE website ... he is currently rated 2561.)
Book Description
62 masterly demonstrations of the basic strategies of winning, featuring games by the greatest chess masters — Capablanca, Tarrasch, Fischer, Alekhine, Lasker, others. Each game offers a classic example of a fundamental problem and its best resolution, described and diagramed in the clearest possible manner for players of every level of skill. 146 illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best books I have ever owned!!!.......2007-04-30
This is one I first read about 35 years ago and re-read every few years. I would have to say this is one of the books that helped me to become a master. (2227 USCF and 2217 Canadian Federation -2388 ICC) But better then that it helped me to understand how to plan in what seem like slow or dull positions. I have given copies of this to anyone I know who asks how to improve. The thought process is clear and explained well. This book is geared to players from just starting out to even average club players who just forget basic ideas and how they work together. A deal at $10 too!!!
Descriptive Notations Need Not be an Obstacle in Chess Learning.......2007-03-01
Beautiful collection of games and also shows that good chess instruction need not cost a fortune. The ideal rating for the students is from 1200-1500, though anyone who likes reading good chess literature will enjoy it. In descriptive notation which means that you can learn to be "bilingual" and be able to comfortably read both descriptive and algabraic notations. This gives you the flexibility to buy any chess book out there because not all of them will be written in algebraic notations.
A book to savor, not to gobble.......2006-10-07
I am partial to Chernev, perhaps because he is such a good writer and has such an engaging and entertaining style. But bias or no bias, this is a sparkling collection of games with a generally positional flavor, though that's perhaps a bit of a simplification as there are great endgames and much, much more.
This is a book to savor slowly, not gobble quickly. I recommend taking quite some time to go through each game, even if it takes months to complete the book. Spending a week or more on a single game (say 30-60 minutes at a session for five to ten days) is not out of line, if you want to get deep understanding. Using a computer alongside might help; if you look around the internet you can quickly find PGN for all the games. Now, given the positional nature of many of the games and the lesser positional ability of most computer programs, you need to use the computer with care, but it will help you step through the moves and explore variations to your heart's content --- which is exactly what to do and how to get the maximum benefit from this fine book.
Bottom line: the book combines good instruction with excellent entertainment, and puts us in touch with the sheer beauty of chess.... a welcome break from examining White's 9th move alternatives in the Yugoslav, for instance!
Chess to Enjoy!.......2006-09-06
Irving Chernev is, along with Fred Reinfeld, Edward Lasker, and Al Horowitz, one of the great popularizers of chess. None of these fine chess writers have much to teach the elite classes of players rated 1900 and above, although even strong players will enjoy the sparkling wit and breezy style for which these authors are admired. What these writers offer is their infectious enthusiasm, and their talent to entertain, inform, and instruct painlessly.
It has been pointed out by other readers that this book falls short in the accuracy and bias of its annotations. If accuracy and unbiased annotation is what you need, then perhaps you should pass on this title. But, if you are like me and enjoy a little drama and color and yes, even one-sided praise for the winner, then this book should delight you.
Monsieur Chernev writes for the average player, and he understands the fine art of chess annotation. He doesn't burden his reader with deep ramified variations. Such ponderous analysis tends to do little more than suggest to the reader that the Master is omniscient. Instead, this author strives to present only the salient points; the strategic themes, the immediate tactical considerations, and sometimes the missed opportunities in the game. By sticking to the main ideas, the reader is better able to grasp the material and to enjoy it, for enjoyment is the real point, and Chernev never loses sight of that fact.
The games in this collection are chosen especially for their strategic instructional value. Strategy implies a closed game (usually a d-pawn or hypermodern opening). Consequently, these games are not fulminating with wild tactics and dazzling combinations. The tactics tend to lie under the surface but nonetheless influence the play. To call any of these games boring is to miss the whole point. From a strategic viewpoint all these games are beautiful, exciting, and instructive. The introductory text for each game gives a sense of the human element; a mix of history, personality profiles, time, place, and event, and an overall description of the struggle about to commence. I have a lot of games collections in my chess library, but I have not been able to finish many of them. I couldn't put this one down. Have fun while you improve. Read this book.
Good but onesided view.......2006-07-31
This is a book that contains a variety of different games that are supossed to be instructive. Some of the games are interesting and some are rather boring. The author takes on the side of the winner, showing with exclamation points the brilliant moves, but not the weaker moves when they are made, except by the losing side. Often a good defense or better move was available that is not pointed out. Personally I like this author's other book "Logical Chess Move by Move" and "Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors" much better that show the ideas behind every move and doesn't seem to take sides.
This is still a good book, but very biased toward the winner of each game that effects the quality of the analysis.
Book Description
14 million Megatrends books sold!
Once in a great while a book comes along that challenges conventional wisdom and opens the floodgates to the future. Megatrends 2010's blend of meaning, morals and bottom-line economics celebrates the demise of Business as Usual and the birth of Conscious Capitalism.
In Megatrends 2010, Patricia Aburdene, co-author of the bestselling Megatrends 2000, investigates corporate social responsibility and identifies seven megatrends that will redefine business in the coming years.
Megatrends 2010:
Explains why firms like Timberland, Wainwright Bank, 3M, Chiquita Brands, Motorola, Intel and others are taking a stand for corporate social responsibility Shows that more than 63 million Conscious Consumers prefer to buy from companies who share or reflect their values and lifestyle Describes the surprising power of conscious techniques to enhance productivity Shows that socially responsible and green funds often outperform mainstream mutual funds Explores the New Economy of Consciousness and the quest for ethics in business within the legal confines of modern capitalism
Aburdene demonstrates that significant numbers of both new-economy and old-guard companies are tapping into the wave of conscious capitalism to clean up the corporate image, save the environment, help the less fortunate—and boost the bottom line.
Customer Reviews:
A top pick any business and public lending library must have........2007-09-02
Both MEGATRENDS and MEGATRENDS 2000 were top bestsellers predicting shifts key to economic and business worlds alike: now MEGATRENDS 2010 documents the rise of 'conscious capitalism' and what corporate responsibility means to business trends and activities. Any business library or businessman interested in corporate change will appreciate the data and insights documenting corporate scandals and ethics transition points being fostered by grassroots efforts and managers. A top pick any business and public lending library must have.
Enterprise in an Integral Age.......2007-08-24
Being a futurist myself, I have enjoyed all the 'Megatrends' books. I am heartened to see that the trends Patricia Aburdene reported on have not gone unnoticed. She demonstrates powerfully that businesses are comprised of living human beings who have significant impact on our collective future. This is a far cry from the Cogs-in-machine image of the past. These trends indicate that perhaps business rather than being solely an outlet for human greed, may shape the future of human communities as much or more than religion or politics. Three cheers for Patricia for moving the dialogue forward and leading with hope for a better future.
Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism.......2007-07-16
In the past, there has been a well defined line between those who wanted to make money in industry and those interested in the spiritual, cultural, and environmental future of our world. Megatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism states that this division is becoming more and more blurred. In fact, a new trend is growing in business. This new development is blending industry with spiritual, cultural, and environmental awareness to create Conscious Capitalism.
As I read this book, I wasn't sure whether I should applaud Conscious Capitalism or whether I should be appalled. I could see that in some cases, this new practice was beneficial. Employers were looking at ways to improve the lives of employees and trying to make strides to connect with the modern consumer's needs. Some of the companies described were also thoughtfully examining how their products added to the wealth of our future. However, I can see how Conscious Capitalism could easily become a strategy used as a promotional method but not actually practiced by these businesses. In these cases, consumers, employees, and our children would be the losers.
More missionary zeal than hard facts.......2007-03-01
As other reviewers pointed out, Aburdene argues that the 21st century will be transformed by ecological awareness, spirituality and other positive trends.
First, the author fails to see contradictions among those trends. One person's spiritual belief (e.g., only marriages count as meaningful relationships) conflicts with someone else's (e.g., relationships with partners, dogs and friends can be meaningful). No problem until these beliefs get translated into benefits and norms, i.e., "Your family celebration doesn't count."
Second, the widespread discussion of "spirituality" can lead to shallow interpretations. I don't always agree with Carolyn Myss, an example of New Age spirituality. But I have to respect her. She walks the talk. She studied. She doesn't promise easy answers and in fact she warns that being spiritual is very hard.
In contrast, I once attended a bookstore talk where the leader asked everyone, "Raise your hand if you are on a spiritual path." Gimme a break.
I've also heard spirituality defined as attracting what you want, including money, love, and beauty.
Third, the book ignores a counter-trend, the rise in books about atheism and a backlash against organized religion. My career clients aren't reporting a great wave of love and humanity in their working worlds.
The book also ignores other trends, such as the shrinking world, the increased access to information and choice, and the kinds of trends described in The Long Tail.
But my biggest complaint is the author's obvious enthusiasm and support for these trends. Earlier megatrends books seemed more impartial and objective. There's nothing wrong with enthusiastically embracing ideas, but I like books that let you know up front whether you're dealing with argument or analysis. It's especially frustrating to expect the latter and get the former.
Transforming the Capital in "Capitalism" is the answer.......2007-02-12
I give it four star for bringing much hope amid all desperations and dysfunctions of global capitalism we are witnessing today. Identifying the trends is one way to shift the energy and resources from the treadmill of insane greed and suicidal profit making by the War making military-intelligence-corporate-media-thinktank-banking complex. Yet the true Conscious Capitalism will address deeper systemic problems arising out of and inherent in the faulty structure of financial system we are all unconsciously participating in. Search "Transforming Money" at Yahoo or google to educate yourself and others about the systemic design problems of capitalism.
Books:
- The Bride Stripped Bare: The Artist and the Female Nude in the Twentieth Century
- The Business Side of Creativity: The Complete Guide to Running a Small Graphic Design or Communications Business, Third Updated Edition
- The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters
- The Domenichino Affair: Novelty, Imitation, and Theft in Seventeenth-Century Rome
- The Explicit Body in Performance
- The First 25 Years Are The Hardest
- The Genius of Rome 1592-1623
- The Heritage of Apelles (Gombrich on the Renaissance)
- The Iconography of Landscape: Essays on the Symbolic Representation, Design and Use of Past Environments (Cambridge Studies in Historical Geography)
- The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation
Books Index
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