If You Lived Here : The City in Art, Theory, and Social Activism : A Project by Martha Rosler (Discussions in Contemporary Culture , No 6)

Book Description

Discussions in Contemporary Culture is an award-winning series copublished with the Dia Center for the Arts in New York City. These volumes offer rich and timely discourses on a broad range of cultural issues and critical theory. The collection covers topics from urban planning to popular culture and literature, and continually attracts a wide and dedicated readership.

Customer Reviews:

indispensable resource.......2004-02-15

This book is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in questions of urbanism and housing in advanced societies, from architecture to urban planning to homelessness.
It is especially useful for the discussion of some of the ways that artists, architects, activists, and planners have responded to successive city and housing crises. It offers theoretical and historical documents but also art projects and transcripts of public forums.
I found it very helpful in thinking about the issues and in suggesting ways to address similar questions.

Of some interest.......1999-05-19

Economically privlidged white males who edit books like this (i. e., Brian Wallis, who edits many such compiliations) need to recognize that it is Difference, not seperation from white male patriarchal paradigms, which constructs the most significant art work today. Somehow, white males always make it seem like it's about themselves....

Book Description

Dark Horse continues its presentation of the entirety of Japan`s Lone Wolf and Cub, one of the unquestioned landmarks of graphic fiction, packaged in the digest format preferred by creator Goseki Kojima. The fourth volume of this ambitious monthly program collects four classic Lone Wolf tales, including one never before seen in America, where little Daigoro searches for his lost father while amazing a well-known samurai with his warrior`s eyes and cool demeanor. Also, the Lone Wolf takes on the sons of the war-bell warden, legions of organized crime bosses, and a mysterious tattooed lady with a dark story and impeccable killing skills. It`s bloody and romantic...and among the best the comics medium has to offer.

Customer Reviews:

Simple Complexity.......2007-07-22

These elegant short stories are deceptive. On the surface hardly anything seems to "happen" in each "episode" other than a sword fight or two. Actually there is a LOT going on. Koike is in touch with humanity in ways many of us never will be.

Lone Wolf & Cub artwork is anything but simple. These stories are CARRIED by the masterful drawings. I am constantly amazed.

The main storyline continues to build from volumes 1 to 3. I highly recommend ALL FOUR books, and I also suggest you read them in order.

Another Amazing Volume!.......2003-05-12

I've been so blown away by the work Kazuo Koike & Goseki Kojima
that I decided to wait until the entire series was released to finish reading it. After the first three volumes, I didn't really believe they could keep up the same level of quality, and it turns out I was right.

Volume 4 blows the previous three away.

It's worth reading just for the heartbreaking Daigoro solo story, "Parting Frost", where the toddler sets out in search of his father and makes a very powerful enemy of his own. The other three stories are nothing to sneeze at either, and in addition to great entertainment, the creators also provide some important lessons about the history and culture of Japan in pain-free ways that don't even give you time to realize you've been learning; Perfect for Gaijin's like me!
I can't imagine how this series can possibly get any better. Stay tuned.....

The unforgettable "Parting Frost" story of Daigoro.......2002-10-08

This fourth volume in the manga epic "Lone Wolf & Cub" manages to transcend the previous volumes. Kazuo Koike's stories not only continues to mine the history of Edo-period Japan for fascinating narrative settings and details, but Goseki Kojima continues to try different art styles dependent on the story being told. This volume offers up the next four stories of Ogami Itto's journey along the Assassin's Road:

(20) "The Bell Warden" gives its title to the volume, but it is the third best story in the volume. The current bell warden of the capital's nine bells wants the assassin to cut off the right arm of his three successors as a test. Each of the three is an expert with a different weapon, but also weapons that are different from anything we have seen to date. (This volume's "Ronin Report" essay by Tim Ervin-Gore in the back is "Weapons Glossary: Part One," which helps to explain more about these weapons). This story becomes a series of three fights, albeit unlike what we are used to it the series.

(21) "Unfaithful Retainers" sets the tone for the other three stories in this volume in which Ogami Itto becomes something of a secondary character for most of the story. This tale involves the new class of Orisuke that arose during this period to serve samurai families without sharing the values of samurai society. The assassin has a mission regarding the Orisuke, but when he encounters two young girls about to kill themselves. Curious about what they would do so, he listens to their story and then comes up with a startling suggestion. The climax involves another one of Lone Wolf's complex strategems to put his prey where he wants him.

(22) "Parting Frost" is the most unforgettable story in this volume. Left to wait patiently for the return of his father, Daigoro has run out of food and decides to search for Lone Wolf. Going to a Buddhist temple because his father often meditates at such place, Daigoro finds a samurai who is stunned to see "Shishogan," the eyes of a swordman alive in the moment between life and death (i.e., Ogami's eyes). Seeking to solve the mystery of how such eyes could belong to a child, the samurai observe Daigoro's actions. A stunning story, totally unforgettable. But this is only Volume 4 and the thought that there are stories down the road that might be better than this one is mind-blowing. But every time I think I have read the best "Lone Wolf and Cub" story, there is one even better in the next volume. Daigoro says little, but Koike shares with us the child's thoughts and we discover what he has learned from watching his father. A fascinating character study made all the more poignant by Daigoro's ability to remain in some ways a child, despite all he has seen and endured.

(23) "Perfomer" offers an intriguing mystery regarding a woman whose body is tatooed in a most eye-catching way. The woman also happens to be an expert sword fighting and apparently the next target of Assassin Lone Wolf and Cub. But once again, there is more to meet the eye regarding this situation. These stories started off with a key element being the brilliant strategems by which the Assassin gained access to his victim. But by this point in the epic the situations are becoming equally complex as Koike and Kojima take their stories to the next level. This is the second best story in this volume, which continues the amazing progression that each is superior to its predecessor.

I continue to read these stories, one a night before going to sleep. These stories live up to their well deserved reputation as one of the great efforts in the history of comics.

A great manga to collect.......2001-05-15

I just love these mangas of Itto Ogami and his son. I use to collect the old comics that First Comic published, then I heard that Dark horse was republishing them So I just had to get it. These books are suggested for mature readers only because they have some sex, lots of violence, and bad language. But it perfectly shows feudal Japan in the Edo state.

Lone Wolf and Cub, Vol. 4: The Bell Warden

Average customer rating:

Lone Wolf and Cub, Vol. 4: The Bell Warden

Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 1417654422

Average customer rating:

The title alone

Only the title essay is good

Weird as all hell, but...

Short, Sweet, but Mainly Funny

A Few Gems...

Coyote V. Acme
Ian Frazier
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Essays | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312420587

Amazon.com

Ian Frazier collects some of his funniest essays from The New Yorker and The Atlantic Monthlyin Coyote v. Acme. Setting the tone is the title piece, consisting of the legal brief filed on behalf of the hapless character who has been irreparably harmed by manufacturer's negligence while pursuing the Road Runner. An excerpt: "As Mr. Coyote gripped the handlebars, the Rocket Sled accelerated with such sudden and precipitate force as to stretch Mr. Coyote's forelimbs to a length of fifty feet."

Throughout the nearly two-dozen essays, Frazier demonstrates his remarkable gift for language: he parodies everything from New Yorkers' talent for "getting in people's faces," to the IRS (while using some actual government-issued verbiage), and he mixes the classic with the less-than-classic in Boswell's Life of Don Johnson.

Book Description

Ian Frazier lives in Montclair, New Jersey.His previous books includeOn the Rez, Family, and the national bestseller Great Plains.

Customer Reviews:

The title alone.......2006-12-01

The book's title is also the title of the funniest included passage, which is an absolute gem. The idea of a product liability suit against Acme corporation in which a choice selection of Wile E. Coyote's numerous graphic encounters with faulty products are relayed in dry and verbose legalese that only enhances the humor value is pure genius. With the exception of those unfamiliar with Mr. Coyote or the concept of product liability suits (both common conditions in Japan), I have yet to encounter anyone who hasn't found that particular passage hilarious.

Unfortunately, few of the other selections are as interesting or entertaining. Most strike me as an observant eccentric's failed lengthy inside jokes enjoyed by a party of one.

Were "Coyote vs. Acme" not included, I'd give this 2 stars, perhaps 1. However, considering the low price of this book (I think I paid pennies for it used), it's certainly worth buying, if only for the title passage.

Only the title essay is good.......2005-06-12

I picked this book up because the title sounded interesting and other reviews made it sound worthwhile. Neither of those turned out to be true. Wierd this book may be, but the only redeeming essay was "Coyote v. Acme." All the others were so pointlessly obtuse as to lose any humor they may have had. Spend your money elsewhere. If wierd humor is your bag, read Douglas Adams.

Weird as all hell, but..........2002-09-13

How many things can you say about this book? Until I got around to reading Fight Club, this was easily the strangest book I'd ever read. The title essay is pretty fun (if skewering the conventions of things like legalese makes you laugh; it works for me) but the real humor in the book comes from stretching things to their logical extremes. Where Frazier does that, it's funny. Where he doesn't, it often doesn't quite work (previously mentioned was the Satanist university president, an essay that fails to make sense even in Frazier's cockeyed world view).

So we see the traumatic aftereffects of the cancellation of one of the better-known classic sitcoms, part of La Femme Nikita's tax return, the concerns of a life insurance agency that deals with soap opera characters, and the comparison of a woman's laugh to brandy by firelight (really impossible to explain without reading it). There is also juxtaposition of extreme ideas; We see bank bureaucracy not merely run amok but deliberately driven off the rails. We see a mild-mannered Great Gatsby-ish short story suddenly invaded by a German Panzergruppe. We see the poetry of Don Johnson. We see a Martha Stewart-type character named Elsa disposing of incriminating evidence.

This is an excellent book, but with one caveat: it simply is not going to appeal to everyone, no matter how someone might try to sell it. Mr. Frazier's work here reflects a sense of the surreal more extreme than Monty Python, up in the range of Andy Kaufman or Emo Phillips, and that sort of edgy comedy makes your brain hurt. I like it, though.

Short, Sweet, but Mainly Funny.......2001-05-14

Ian Frazier's Coyote v. Acme will not please everyone as the humour is not always accessible but when it clicks, it clicks with a sweet, funny vengence. I did not understand all the humour but could surprisingly even enjoy the whimsy of the essays that were swimming just a little above my head. And each small essay is short enough to either get or not get and then move on to the next one. In a short space of time there should something of great humour for the reader and, often, many things. Because of the rather esoteric style of the humour, the book even stands up to repeated readings, something that is very rare in a book of humour.

A Few Gems..........2000-05-12

This collection of twenty-two short humorous essays culled from The New Yorker and The Atlantic Monthy is worth a quick glance on the strength of a few of the essays, but don't be tricked by the clever title or jacket into actually buying the book. The laugh-out-loud essays are: "Boswell's Life of Don Johnson," which satirizes Thomas Boswell's famous biography of the poet, "The Life of Samuel Johnson;" "Coyote v. Acme," which is a legal document outlining Wile E. Coyote's (of cartoon fame) lawsuit against the Acme Corporation; and "Thanks For the Memory." Each of these is based on a lone brilliant idea, quickly and artfully rendered before it gets too stale.

Average customer rating:

Coyote V. Acme
Ian Frazier
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBCBMC

Average customer rating:

Coyote V. Acme
Ian: Frazier
Manufacturer: Farrar Straus Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OXIYEM

Average customer rating:

Coyote V. Acme
Ian Frazier
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTI75C

Average customer rating:

Coyote v. Acme
Ian Frazier
Manufacturer: Noonday Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OXNKUU

Customer Reviews:

a great idea, but misses.......2000-08-25

Jewett's chapters examine a Christian context of 11 movies of the '80s, offering a fresh look at both the movies and New Testament theology. Clint Eastwood is the basis for a chaper on vengence while racial reconcilation is equated with the Jews and Gentiles in "Grand Canyon." The selection of movies is great in Jewett's book (Star Wars, Amadeus, Ordinary People, and Dead Poet's Society) but the relativism to the scriptures he choses is often weak and farfetched. This is a book to start one thinking about movies already seen, a starting point for discussion as the credits roll, but not great book for independent examination. A fine effort, but at times it just misses.

Book Description

Contains the 25 studies, a standard part of the guitar repertiore.

Average customer rating:

Knightmare Chess 2 : More Chaos on the Chessboard

Knightmare Chess 2: More Chaos on the Chessboard
Steve Jackson
Manufacturer: Steve Jackson Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Misc. Supplies
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Knightmare Chess: The Original Game of Chaos on The Chessboard

ASIN: 1556343485

Customer Reviews:

Knightmare Chess 2 : More Chaos on the Chessboard.......2001-02-18

I liked the book very much. It made playing chess fun again and it was a new experience for an old player like myself. I would recomend everyone that reads this to try it. It made a difference so profound that I take it too all the chess meets that I have, and it really spices up the matches.

Average customer rating:

I ACTUALLY READ THE BOOK....

Shortcut to success

A Must For Any Salesperson

Excellent investment

Down To Earth Guide

The Accidental Salesperson: How to Take Control of Your Sales Career and Earn the Respect and Income You Deserve
Chris Lytle
Manufacturer: AMACOM/American Management Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness

ASIN: 0814470831

Book Description

Author Chris Lytle had modest career aspirations. He merely wanted to be the next Walter Cronkite. But instead of being offered a job in the newsroom, he was offered a job in the sales department. He took the sales job and became an "accidental salesperson."

Most people don't choose sales as a career. Sales chooses them--and they end up wondering how to make the most of a profession they were never prepared for.

They don't have to wonder anymore. In THE ACCIDENTAL SALESPERSON, Lytle gives readers the road map for excelling in sales. Lively and entertaining, this somewhat unorthodox guide is packed with thought-provoking axioms, humorous and instructive anecdotes, specific strategies, and powerful tools--everything readers need to master essential lessons in sales and professionalism.

Readers will find there are some things THE ACCIDENTAL SALESPERSON lacks--dull theories, manipulative methods, and high-pressure tactics. But with the wealth of money-generating, career-building techniques it does provide, we don't think those items will be missed.

Customer Reviews:

I ACTUALLY READ THE BOOK...........2007-10-04

I read this book and can attest that this book is NOT what it seems to be. The reviews claim this to be the best sales book of all time, but these reviews lack capacity in what is acutally contianed in this book.

The book shows you gimmicks and silly methods used for prospecting. The real world deals with professionals. I am a stock broker and would not want to be associated with these type of methods or have them by any means reflect my line of business.

I would recommend two books: 1. "How to Master the Art of Selling" by Tom Hopkins 2. "Advanced Selling Strategies: The Proven System of Sales Ideas, Methods, and Techniques Used by Top Salespeople Everywhere" by Brian Tracy. These are real books with so much information to be absorbed under one read.

I won't lie to you and tell you that one single book outhere is the best. But these two books combined is the best sales modus you will develop.

Shortcut to success.......2007-07-19

This work is intented for those who, as the author (or as me), have been launched towards a profession that could earn your own money but could stress your nervous system. This guide helps you to focus on the right directive without being distracted by jaws-men or uneducated-chieves.
Really dealed just to understand how to move in this sea of difficulties

A Must For Any Salesperson.......2007-07-07

Chris Lytle has put together an excellent process for sales success. While there is little new in sales under the sun, his treatment of the selling process is fresh and very effective.

I've been using his pre-approach letters and his preparation process for sales interviews with solid success. His techniques work!

Excellent investment.......2007-05-11

I have been purchasing this book for my new Sales Reps for the last several years. They always come back and thank me. It helped me tremendously and many others. Each story / example is short but full of insight. Not your typical sales manual.

Down To Earth Guide.......2007-03-17

Chris has put together a practical guide for all sales people. This is a must-read for anyone finding themselves trying to make a living in the world of selling.

The Accidental Salesperson How to Take Control of Your Sales Career and Earn the Respect and Income You Deserve

Average customer rating:

The Accidental Salesperson How to Take Control of Your Sales Career and Earn the Respect and Income You Deserve
Chris Lytle
Manufacturer: American Management Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NPIBF8

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