Book Description
Late in his life Titian created a series of paintings—the “Four Sinners,” the “poesie” for his patron Philip II of Spain, and the “Final Tragedies”—that were dark in tone and content, full of pathos and physical suffering.
In this major reinterpretation of Titian’s art, Thomas Puttfarken shows that the often dramatic and violent subject matter of these works was not, as is often argued, the consequence of the artist’s increasing age and sense of isolation and tragedy. Rather, these paintings were influenced by discussions of Aristotle’s Poetics that permeated learned discourse in Italy in the mid-sixteenth century. The Poetics led directly to a rich theory of the visual arts, and painting in particular, that enabled artists like Titian to consider themselves on equal footing with poets. Puttfarken investigates Titian’s late works in this context and analyzes his relations with his patrons, his intellectual and humanistic contacts, and his choices of subject matter, style, and technique.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Renaissance Quarterly, published by Thomson Gale on June 22, 2006. The length of the article is 903 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: Titian and Tragic Painting: Aristotle's "Poetics" and the Rise of the Modern Artist.(Book review)
Author: David Rosand
Publication:
Renaissance Quarterly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 59
Issue: 2
Page: 509(3)
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Art Bulletin, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2006. The length of the article is 3204 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: Titian and Tragic Painting: Aristotle's Poetics and the Rise of the Modern Artist.(Book review)
Author: Paul Duro
Publication:
The Art Bulletin (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 88
Issue: 4
Page: 777(3)
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This first complete portrait of the artist behind the legendary dresses is published to coincide with the first museum retrospective of designs by this fashion icon.
Customer Reviews:
2005 Writers Notes Book Award Notable.......2005-04-20
In the office, we're known for scattered coffee mugs, moldy cheese, and the attire of an army-navy thrift store. Fashion icon Mary McFadden would be ashamed of us, or at least inspired to rummage through our refrigerator and bookroom in search of archeological ideas. Okay, probably not, but we're not ashamed to say that we thoroughly enjoyed leafing through her career history. The words and pictures in this volume affirm her vocation-a passion to integrate the salient manifestations of the past into the present environment and, no doubt, her life as well.
Book Description
Ono has come a long way since the agonizing day in high school when he confessed his love to handsome Tachibana. Now, some 14 years later Ono, a world-class pastry chef and outed playboy has it all. No man can resist Ono's charms (or his cooking skills!) but he has just found a new position under a man named Tachibana. Can this be the only man who resisted his charms, and if so, will the man who once snubbed the "magically gay" Ono get his just desserts? And how in the heck did a former middleweight boxing champion wind up as Ono's cake boy? Digital Manga happily serves up the opening volume of Antique Bakery.
Customer Reviews:
Nice story.......2007-05-12
I am enjoying this series a lot. It has a fun story line, interesting characters and nice art work.
Light on the yaoi elements, one character is gay, and his gayness is a running gag throughout -- he is uber gay, no man can refuse his charms. The real charm is the interaction between the bakery staff and the backstories of their customers.
No heavy, graphic sex scene here.
Full Series Review........2006-12-09
In the following, I succeeded in being non-spoilery with the main story, which is the best part. But there are still some spoilers for Volumes 2 and 3.
ANTIQUE BAKERY is about a pastry shop run by three good looking but messed up guys. They and the various customers who come in and out of their lives SEEM to have little in common, though of course we suspect otherwise. When the story comes together (which it starts to do in Book 2), what is produced is a first rate mystery/psychological study. The main story line built around the central character is really extremely moving and well done.
However, when I was finished with this series, I found I disliked it as a whole. My reasons?
1) I didn't LIKE a single character other than the one who turns out to be the main character.
2) Most of the vignettes which don't factor into the main story are either depressing or boring or both. There are a few that manage poignant or funny. But most of them (the D-Cups) are just a crashing waste of time. And all of them seem to come across as rather more misanthropic or downbeat than they need to.
3) The way the character of Ono the pastry-chef was handled left a bad taste in my mouth. He's the cliche "wolf" whose unethical sexual behavior is supposed to be a forgivable (or funny) as long as it is confined to strangers, but who turns all soft-hearted restraint when confronted with a character the reader LIKES, which always strikes me as a hypocritical copout. Similarly, another major character we are expected to like admits to having committed "every crime short of murder", and we are apparently supposed to just take this in stride and move on to the next wacky customer.
4) But the REAL problem was the French Chef story in Book 3. While the subject matter could not have been anything other than sad and horrifying, and rightly so, the author's manner of presenting it struck me as sadistic, exploitative, and hypocritical. I felt, at one point, as though I had slipped into an entirely different sort of comic. This ultimately affected the entire manga -- invalidating the tale's ostensible humanism, and making it depressing in entirely the wrong way.
A lot of good things have been said about this series, and I don't disagree with most of them. It's droll, witty, suspenseful, and well characterized. The craft and research that went into it are impressive. The author clearly takes her work as seriously as her genius pastry-chef does. It won an award, and it got made into TV series, so obviously a lot of people like it. _I_ liked it - or wanted to. But for the reasons above I found it left a very bad aftertaste. I don't want to make space for it on my shelf, and feel rather inclined to avoid the writer in future than not. On the other hand, I would gladly try the TV series if I had the chance. I think this same story told with a more truly humanistic sensibility, and without the moments of gratuitous authorial sadism and demeaning and dangerous homosexual cliche, would be a very good thing. As it stands, it is -- for me -- not quite worth it.
Something this yummy isn't a gamble.......2006-03-09
Like others, I was surprised to see this so widely labeled as yaoi, but at the same time I can understand it. Publishers are under pressure to label things clearly so nobody will be accidently surprised by "mature" content, and this series does loosely sit in several different genres. The stories here are probably best classifed as slice-of-life - sometimes a bit silly, but reflecting with a more mature attitude towards life's choices. For those looking for guy on guy action, probably this will be a disapointment; the only real reason that it's listed yaoi is that one of the main characters is so openly and unabashedly gay. Nothing too titillating here.
Except, of course, the cakes.
That's another genre this series touches on - the concept series. A good half of the focus lies with the confections the bakery produces, and the process of making them. Several of the stories also have an underlying theme of the love of sweets. Honestly, I was going to give this 3 stars. The pace is so sedated that it makes the story relaxed, but at the same time you only really can say you see the story moving if you look at the series as a whole. The individual volumes are pretty relaxing and set on the day-to-day running of the bakery. But the pictures and descriptions of the food here justified bumping it up to 4 stars. You can easily leave one of these feeling hungry.
The sedate pace shouldn't put readers off, because the story actually develops over the 4 volumes. Things that seemed unimportant earlier reappear to be part of a larger picture later. Given time, the backstory brushes much more serious subjects. The story, in a way, builds like a layer cake - each piece is individually light and flavorful, but they go together to make a larger product with more substance. Others have already stated that this is an award winner, but its popularity also inspired a live-action drama called simply "Antique." This series comes highly recommended, and really, at 4 volumes this light and delicious story isn't really a buying gamble.
A wonderful, quirky series.......2005-12-30
My eyes nearly fell out of my face when I saw the low rating that Antique Bakery received thus far. Then I realized that it was due to all the reviewers who believed this was a yaoi manga.
I think it's kind of awful to be reviewing a book based on such a silly error; sure, probably disappointing to have found the book wasn't in the genre you thought it was, but after realizing it wasn't yaoi after all, the review still should have been based on content, not a site's inability to label. Sad, but whatever.
Antique Bakery is a wonderful manga with interesting characters and set up. Kanda's reactions are priceless, and I love Ono and Tachibana with a passion. JSDAfdfjsl. Really recommended.
Who cares if it's not yaoi?.......2005-12-25
Okay, yes, I picked this up because I thought it would be shounen-ai/yaoi. But I was completely not disappointed (as others seem to be) that it was not really shounen-ai/yaoi at all. Yes, there is a gay character. But that's not the focus of the manga. He just happens to be gay. (He's also freaking hilarious, especially when he turns on the charm and I love him.) The writing is great (three men running a bakery and their lives) and it's sort of refreshing to be reading about older men (late 20s and early 30s) than teen angst. Highly recommended.
Amazon.com
A smart, sassy woman who's not afraid to show it, Sandra Tsing Loh chronicles California's San Fernando Valley, the "other" Los Angeles, for Buzz magazine. In this collection of her essays, she pays homage to "the futon dwellers," skillfully dissects bohemian life in L.A., and makes some outrageously incisive comments about dating. Her essays are very funny, and, best of all, Loh is a diligent reporter. She gives you the facts, screwy as they may be, as she details lovingly the Los Angeles that she admits is "America's cultural scapegoat."
Customer Reviews:
Life in Los Angeles during the Internet boom.......2005-10-08
Picking this up nearly a decade after its original publication is a fun treat, for exploring "the way we were" and seeing how some things never change. Some reviewers have claimed you need to live in LA and be aware of pop culture to understand this book, and to some degree, a familiarity with her subject matter does help, but I think the book is overall very accessible. It's a series of essays, so if you run into one that doesn't do it for you, browse on to the next. Some of these were magazine pieces, and I can imagine reading them in Jane magazine back in the mid-1990's. Loh takes on subjects ranging from the interior of IKEA to being a cheap but demanding consumer, her failed modeling attempts, an expose on a Palm Spring lesbian conference, and her father's on-going battles with his neighbors. Overall, this is a fun read for anyone who lived through those times.
Sandra Tsing Loh is hilarious!.......2005-10-03
I've enjoyed listening to Sandra Tsing Loh's stories on NPR for years now and the book is just as funny. These stories show how silly our daily dramas really are. Just the ticket to lighten the mood and put things in perspective.
Wannabe in L.A........2005-03-17
This is a book of short essays. The essays are apparently reprints of columns that Ms. Loh wrote for a magazine.
I found the book interesting and sometimes funny. Sandra might be classified as a humor writer with just a few more funny lines, but here she makes some pertinent observations and sprinkles in humor like a condiment.
For example, she writes about her "confrontation" with Christianity. God is a fiftyish guy, a little on the heavy side, who enjoys a nice glass of wine. She cannot, she says, really imagine God as a female, but if she did, she would think of an older woman in overalls gardening somewhere in Topanga Canyon.
Sandra writes well about various "wannabe" endeavors, to which we all can relate. She wants to be a better-known writer and performance artist. But when she goes to an agency that promises to put her on film in advertising, we see what it's really all about: People who "wannabe," no matter what their particular lust, are ripe suckers for a host of other people who want to humor them briefly, while taking their money.
Can you relate? Law school, modeling, acting, you name it...we've all been wannabes somewhere, sometime. Sandra is the quintessential wannabe, but she's taken and fashioned it into a creative rift and made something interesting and funny out of it.
I recommend you read this book and do it quickly, because it's full of time-sensitive material, which may not age too well. That's the only problem here.
Diximus.
The *kayters* review.......2003-02-17
This book is a collection of essays from Ms. Loh, a sometime NPR commentator and freelance writer. While some of them just weren't my cup of tea - for instance we don't even HAVE Ikea in Atlanta - some of them were dead funny. I thoroughly enjoyed her essay on how she accidentally had cybersex - I laughed out loud - as well as her acerbic commentary on political correctness and multiculturalism. I also enjoyed the pathetically tragic essay on the California Riviera.
I've already purchased a copy of her novel If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home By Now and plan to read it soon.
I know of whence she speaks.......2002-11-21
I love the writing of Sandra Tsing Loh because she is incredibly witty and acerbic, and doesn't take herself or anything too seriously. And, she can write about the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles in language that makes it sound downright pleasant.
Loh is the Queen of the San Fernando Valley, once a farming community over the hill from Los Angeles, but now a burgeoning suburb. Los Angelenos consider the Valley a foreign country, and, truth be told, getting from Los Angeles to the Valley is, literally, an uphill battle over the Sepulveda Pass. But, even though I lived there and know of whence she speaks, you don't need to be a Valley Girl to appreciate her humor.
This book is a collection of essays on everything from temp jobs to frozen foods, being the less-perfect sibling, her late German mother and her eccentric Chinese father (who keeps importing and losing Chinese brides, and hitch hikes rides with Angelica Huston). Loh's eye is keen, and she can make the most mundane seem downright hysterical.
Loh is a self-professed procrastinator when it comes to pumping out her writing, and I wish she would do more. But, her columns in the late, lamented Buzz magazine were a scream, and I can only hope she gets more columns and books and maybe even a television show. She is a rare gem.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by The Register Guard on December 2, 2001. The length of the article is 469 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: Low brass ensemble takes holiday carols to new depths.(Entertainment)
Publication:
The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: December 2, 2001
Publisher: The Register Guard
Page: L5
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
- About as behind the scenes as you can get
- The Encyclopedia Brittanica of "Psycho"
- Attention Psycho-philes!
|
Psycho: Behind the Scenes of the Classic Thriller
Christopher Nickens , and
Janet Leigh
Manufacturer: Harmony
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho
ASIN: 051770112X
Release Date: 1995-05-16 |
Book Description
The fascinating, behind-the-scenes saga of the making of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece. This is the richest and most revealing portrait of a movie classic in-the-making ever compiled, from casting decisions to personality clashes, from anecdotes about one of Hollywood's most celebrated--and feared--directors to the truth about why the FBI needed to protect Janet Leigh after the opening of the film.
Customer Reviews:
About as behind the scenes as you can get.......2000-09-08
Psycho: Behind The Scenes of the Classic Thriller is a book a lot of people have been waiting a long time for. Janet Leigh provides a detailed, behind-the-scenes look at almost all the aspects of the filming of Hitchcock's masterpiece. She provides stories and anecodotes as well as remembrances of others connected with the picture, including rare words from John Gavin. It's written in a memoir style, with Ms. Leigh discussing aspects as they occur to her, which is refreshing. Importantly, she also sets straight many of the rumors and misinformation surrounding this movie over the years (DID Hitchcock or someone else film the famous shower scene)? A wonderful book on the making of a classic. You'll enjoy it if you're a huge fan of the movie, Ms. Leigh, Hitchcock or just filmmaking in general. My only complaint of the book is the fact that it weighs in at under 200+ pages, thus I felt the price was a little on the high side. Well worth the price in the end, however.
The Encyclopedia Brittanica of "Psycho".......2000-05-20
As an admirer of the work of actress Janet Leigh and a fan of the director that was Hitchcock, it only seems fitting that someone with the know-how of Ms. Leigh could create a book that not only is a font of insights into the classic film that is "Psycho", but also a fitting tribute to the legend of Hitchcock.
With co-author Christopher Nickens, Ms. Leigh takes you through the various stages of events that made up the phenomenon of "Psycho". She takes you through the brainstorming of the picture, casting, the brilliant editing and photography that Hitchcock wanted to create with his film--everything you could ever want to know or had been curious about. With thorough research that included interviews with cast and crew members, and many photos, some from the personal collection of Ms. Leigh, the reader gets a sense of what creates a masterpiece that has reached such a cult status. Ironically enough, when the film first came out, it wasn't the critical success it is now.
For an admirer of the film itself, the work of Ms. Leigh or Mr. Hitchcock, or anyone with an interest in the art of movie making and what goes into creating a classic, this book has it all.
Attention Psycho-philes!.......2000-04-03
To the massive wealth of writings on Hitchcock and his most influential film, add this slender but invaluable piece by the movie's star, Janet Leigh. By now everyone knows that Leigh hasn't taken a shower since she met Norman's mother "out on the old highway," but this book is filled with many other tidbits -- like Hitch refusing to use expensive costumes for his star, but instead insisting on cheap outfits from a discount store (to match the character's profile!); and the fact that in the famous roadside scene with the highway cop, Leigh was never on location; her scenes were filmed in the studio and blended seamlessly with location footage involving the cop. For Psycho fans, this book is a MUST.
Average customer rating:
- A great book that could have been far greater
- An incredibly detailed chronicle by a true jazz enthusiast
- An incredibly detailed chronicle by a true jazz enthusiast
- An incredibly detailed chronicle by a true jazz enthusiast
- An incredibly detailed chronicle by a true jazz enthusiast
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Swing Era Scrapbook: The Teenage Diaries and Radio Logs of Bob Inman, 1936-1938 (Studies in Jazz Series)
Ken Vail
Manufacturer: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
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ASIN: 0810854163 |
Book Description
A wonderful reminder for those who lived through the Swing Era, Bob Inman's radio logs also serve as a valuable and lively reference source for researchers and students of social history and jazz music. Inman's radio logs contain first-hand accounts of live Manhattan Swing shows he witnessed, and is well-illustrated with over 500 photographs of prominent musicians from the height of the Swing Era.
Customer Reviews:
A great book that could have been far greater.......2006-07-18
A book looking closely at the Swing era from the perspective of the youthful Swing fan is a sort of missing link among Jazz books, and this approach offers highly interesting insights that nicely complement other books on the Swing years. The diary excerpts of a jazz fan`s backstage encounters with the stars of the 30s and all those little anecdotes make for entertaining reading. It is also fascinating to see how the jazz fans of the day were attracted to names and bands that did not always make it into the limelight in the jazz historians` books. These aspects alone would be enough reason for any serious jazz buff to buy this book. And to fully appreciate all the book's listings of tunes aired over the radio you would have to be a real jazz buff anyway, figuring out all the tunes that were never recorded commercially by these bands and are now lost to posterity forever - or maybe you might want to check out your collector's issue records of airshots to see if some of them have been preserved after all.
However, there are two weaknesses that really detract from the overall value of this book:
Firstly, the listings of recording sessions that were included to put things into perspective tend to take up a bit too much space and could have been reduced a bit; some of the sessions listed did not produce much more than commercial ditties that might as well remain forgotten as they do not add much to the history of swing music anyhow. Since the listings are not meant to be complete anyway, it is doubtful if more casual readers would be able to distinguish between those sessions that produced truly important recordings and the rest that yielded just so-so stuff. And diehard swing buffs have all of this info at their fingertips anyhow. The printing space saved could have been used to include a few reminiscences by Bob Inman, for example.
But the major snag which in my view really downgrades the book is the printing quality of the photographs: For the most part it is downright awful and a far cry from today's printing standards. Most pictures look like they suffer from severe underexposure and appear almost blacked-out. Granted, some of the amateur photographs (which have a charm all of their own, however imperfect they may be) may be flawed but with the preprint and printing technology available today no doubt they could have been "doctored" to give far better results. And the professional photographs (of which there are many in this book) definitely are not of such poor quality as they appear here. Just have a look at the Stuff Smith photograph on page 44 and compare it to the same pic on page 45 of "Swing Era New York" by W. Royal Stokes and you will see all the difference for yourselves. As it is now, the photographs do not do the fascinating subject of this book justice at all. Maybe the publishers will have a second go at it if this book ever makes it into a second printing (which I sincerely hope as it fills a gap in the literature on this era).
An incredibly detailed chronicle by a true jazz enthusiast.......2006-02-07
Jazz expert and historian Ken Vail draws upon his considerable expertise in compiling the materials that have become published as the Swing Era Scrapbook: The Teenage Diaries And Radio Logs Of Bob Inman, 1936-1938. The Swing Era Scrapbook is not a standard narrative text, but rather devoted to listing logs of the tunes played by bands on thousands of radio broadcasts and recording sessions. The entries are organized by date, and most consist simply of lists of the jazz songs broadcasted on the radio for a given day, along with who was playing the music when on what station. Occasional entries center upon the author's personal testimony of visiting swing sessions, collecting autographs, and experiencing jazz and its memorable players to the fullest. Black-and-white photographs round out this incredibly detailed chronicle by a true jazz enthusiast.
An incredibly detailed chronicle by a true jazz enthusiast.......2006-02-07
Jazz expert and historian Ken Vail draws upon his considerable expertise in compiling the materials that have become published as the Swing Era Scrapbook: The Teenage Diaries And Radio Logs Of Bob Inman, 1936-1938. The Swing Era Scrapbook is not a standard narrative text, but rather devoted to listing logs of the tunes played by bands on thousands of radio broadcasts and recording sessions. The entries are organized by date, and most consist simply of lists of the jazz songs broadcasted on the radio for a given day, along with who was playing the music when on what station. Occasional entries center upon the author's personal testimony of visiting swing sessions, collecting autographs, and experiencing jazz and its memorable players to the fullest. Black-and-white photographs round out this incredibly detailed chronicle by a true jazz enthusiast.
An incredibly detailed chronicle by a true jazz enthusiast.......2006-02-07
Jazz expert and historian Ken Vail draws upon his considerable expertise in compiling the materials that have become published as the Swing Era Scrapbook: The Teenage Diaries And Radio Logs Of Bob Inman, 1936-1938. The Swing Era Scrapbook is not a standard narrative text, but rather devoted to listing logs of the tunes played by bands on thousands of radio broadcasts and recording sessions. The entries are organized by date, and most consist simply of lists of the jazz songs broadcasted on the radio for a given day, along with who was playing the music when on what station. Occasional entries center upon the author's personal testimony of visiting swing sessions, collecting autographs, and experiencing jazz and its memorable players to the fullest. Black-and-white photographs round out this incredibly detailed chronicle by a true jazz enthusiast.
An incredibly detailed chronicle by a true jazz enthusiast.......2006-02-07
Jazz expert and historian Ken Vail draws upon his considerable expertise in compiling the materials that have become published as the Swing Era Scrapbook: The Teenage Diaries And Radio Logs Of Bob Inman, 1936-1938. The Swing Era Scrapbook is not a standard narrative text, but rather devoted to listing logs of the tunes played by bands on thousands of radio broadcasts and recording sessions. The entries are organized by date, and most consist simply of lists of the jazz songs broadcasted on the radio for a given day, along with who was playing the music when on what station. Occasional entries center upon the author's personal testimony of visiting swing sessions, collecting autographs, and experiencing jazz and its memorable players to the fullest. Black-and-white photographs round out this incredibly detailed chronicle by a true jazz enthusiast.
Book Description
An up-to-date survey of the always popular Main Line Caro-Kann, which remains the most dependable ways for Black to meet 1 e4 and plays a key role in the repertoires of such stars as Anatoly Karpov and Jon Speelman.
Customer Reviews:
Somewhat O.K........2007-09-24
I was disappointed with this book. I expected much more from it and was let down. Not completely, but nevertheless, i felt as though so much was missing. Certain lines weren't present.
If one is looking for a quick overview of the system it's fine. But in terms of advanced players looking for something intresting... look elsewhere.
Good at conveying ideas, but not a complete reference.......2004-02-08
If you are looking for a book that explains what the strategic and tactical ideas are in the Caro-Kann main line (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 [or 3.Nd2] dxe4 4.Nxe4), then this will be a book that will fulfill your expectations. It is not though a book to which you can go to find every variation you will face.
Since I am playing mainly correspondence chess, and the use of chess books is allowed in this mode, I am usually disappointed when I go to this book trying to find a specific line and find that the line is missing. The Caro-Kann is a very complex opening, with several fine points, making the need for thoroughness in analyzing all possible lines even more pronounced that in other cases, where ideas are almost enough.
I have also noticed that even though the back cover of the book claims that the author offers an analysis from both white's and black's viewpoints, there is a marked emphasis on how to play when handling the white pieces. This is fine with me because I do not play the Caro-Kann with black, but if you are a player that uses this defense then you may be disappointed.
The book is organized in three main sections: the Smyslov System (4...Nd7), the Classical System (4...Bf5) and systems with 4...Nf6. I would have liked to see more depth in the analysis in the last group, since I am finding an increasing number of players going for this line.
To sum up, if you are a player that plays the white side of the Caro-Kann and is looking to understand the ideas in this opening, then this is definitely your book. If instead you play the Caro-Kann with black and/or are looking for a complete reference for this opening, you will be somewhat disappointed.
Book Description
The Power of Appreciative Inquiry describes a new strategy that inspires people and brings about a higher performance level in any organization. This method encourages people to study, discuss, learn from, and build on what works well when they are at their best, rather than focusing on what's going wrong.
The theory, practice, and spirit of this approach to organizational change is described in plain language. The authors provide guidelines for defining the change agenda, initiative, or project; forming the "steering team"; and launching an organization-wide kick off. Case histories demonstrate how organizations can attain sustained positive change by studying their strengths.
Customer Reviews:
A Life-Changer for Me.......2006-12-12
Appreciative Inquiry is a process that I feel is one of the most powerful there is for - as the subtitle of this book says - offering a practical tool to create positive change. It's easy to talk in abstract terms about change and improving the world, but it isn't often we come across a way to actually make it happen in concrete terms. AI is one of those tools. This book offers a very thorough guide to the history, mindset, methodology and diverse potential use of this powerful process. In addition, it was instrumental in the startup and methods that I now use in my own coaching, consulting and training firm. It was both an inspiration and a way of approaching the world that has helped me grow tremendously.
The right balance of principles and methodology.......2006-11-03
As an OD professional, I own a dozen different books on AI. This book is the one I most frequently buy for my business leader clients because it offers a great balance between principles and methodology. The clear writing, ongoing case examples and useful tips make "The Power of Appreciative Inquiry" a powerful resource for consultants and managers interested in putting AI into immediate practice.
Appreciative Inquiry.......2006-09-28
This is an excellent book. It is very readable while it explains the theory and foundations of AI. There are examples of its use in the for profit and non profit world. I have been involved in strategic planning for several year with non profits and this is one process that folks get excited about. I would highly recommend this book and "The Appreciative Inquiry Summit" to get a practical outline on how the process can be put into practice with groups and organziations.
Inspiring and Practical.......2006-05-03
As a professional organization development consultant for over 20 years, I have found The Power of Appreciative Inquiry extremely helpful, not only in change consultation but in many other aspects of working with human systems. I recommend it highly.
beware of the positive reviews.......2005-06-17
I bought this book, and it is full of really obvious statements that are not backed by any meaningful examples. A requirements based analysis would have been a lot more useful.
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- Victorian & Edwardian Fashions for Women, 1840-1919
- Visionaries and Outcasts: The NEA, Congress, and the Place of the Visual Arts in America
- Wallace Nutting and the Invention of Old America (Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art)
- Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince : A Biography
- Walt Disney's Railroad Story: The Small-Scale Fascination That Led to a Full-Scale Kingdom
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Criminology: A Sociological Understanding
- Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant
- Bellini, Giorgione, Titian, and the Renaissance of Venetian Painting
- BFF*: Two novels by Judy Blume--Just As Long As We're Together/Here's to You, Rachel Robinson
- Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American West
- Bioinformatics: Sequence and Genome Analysis
- Collected Letters, 1944-1967
- Assessing Expressive Learning: A Practical Guide for Teacher-directed Authentic Assessment in K-12 V
- Canine Hip Dysplasia and Other Orthopedic Problems
- Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory Textbook, Essentials Version
The Cabinet of Eros: Renaissance Mythological Painting and the Studiolo of Isabella d'Este
Tintoretto: Tradition and Identity
Painting in Renaissance Venice
Bellini, Giorgione, Titian, and the Renaissance of Venetian Painting (National Gallery Of Art, Washington)
