Book Description
Ever wanted to know how to play the didgeridoo? Or who makes the fastest raps in the world? Or why the Chinese sang into bamboo canes back in the ninth century? Paul Sullivan knows it all, and explains it all in this indispensable sampler of everything musical. Including an array of diagrams, tables, charts, and over 400 facts ranging from the obscure to the obvious, Sullivan's Music Trivia is a Pandora's box of timeless musical tidbits.
Book Description
From the runways of Paris to the Broadway stage, from Rising Sun to the casting controversies over Miss Saigon, from high fashion advertising to a local demonstration at the Claremont Colleges in California,
About Face examines representations of Asia and their reverberations in both Asia and Asian American lives.
Based on Dorinne Kondo's fieldwork, this innovative book brings together essays, vignettes, and an interview with playwright David Henry Hwang in an illuminating discussion of how the Asian identity is used and misused in popular culture. Examining Japanese avant-garde high fashion and Asian American theater, Kindo shows us how cultural perceptions are expressed and overturned in performance--whether in the seductive spectacle of a Comme des Garcons fashion show, where striking originality has shattered the stereotype of the Japanese as imitators and technicians, of the gender-bending of M. Butterfly, which calls into question the male dominance and heterosexism of Oriental culture.
Demonstrating how issues of race, gender, nationality, and sexuality are articulated in the realm of popular culture, Kondo asks us to reappraise our assumptions of what Orientalism means in the world. Both theoretically and politically compelling,
About Face offers a penetrating look at how old images or Orientalism are being contested and reshaped by a dynamic new vision of cultural identity.
Customer Reviews:
Very good book.......2005-05-03
I enjoyed reading this book. I like chapter about Japanese fashion. Also, introduction is very interesting, as this introduces so many important concepts. For those who study Japanese culture (and Asian American cultures), this book is highly recommended.
About Face.......2000-03-24
Very interesting but difficult to read. About Face deals with the way race is performed in high fashion and theater. It centers on the lack of representation of Asain Americans in these areas. Her use of vocabulary and writing style do not make the book accessible to many people, which is unfortunate.
Average customer rating:
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Performing Asian America: Race and Ethnicity on the Contemporary Stage / About Face: Performing Race in Fashion and Theater: An article from: Asian Theatre Journal : ATJ
Manufacturer: University of Hawaii Press
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ASIN: B000B5CHZK
Release Date: 2005-08-16 |
Amazon.com
Contains about 6,000 quotations from more than 1,000 movies. The quotations are arranged alphabetically by movie from Adam's Rib to Zorba the Greek. With each movie comes basic credit information: studio, year, director, screenwriter, and so forth. There are also two full indexes that allow you to find quotations by star
or topic. A highly recommended reference for film buffs, writers, and trivia lovers!
Book Description
The Dictionary of Film Quotations contains about 6,000 quotations from more than 1,000 movies, compiled through original research--viewing movies. Until now, most of these quotations have existed only on film. Published screenplays are relatively few, and they often contain discrepancies from the final cut. The Dictionary of Film Quotations prints the actual text of quotes as heard in the theater. Most appear here in print for the first time.
The movies have been selected according to popularity, critical acclaim, and the importance of directors, actors, and screenwriters. Most of the films are American, but a judicious selection of translated quotes from foreign films is included (Grand Illusion,The Seventh Seal, Babette's Feast). Most are sound films, though a sampling of titles from silent films is provided (Birth of a Nation, Metropolis, the 1926 Ben-Hur).
The quotations are arranged alphabetically by movie from Adam's Rib to Zorba the Greek. With each movie comes basic credit information: studio, year, director screenwriter, and so forth. Quotations follow chronologically as they appear in the film.
There are two indexes: "Speaker" Index and "Subject and Key Word" Index. The Speaker Index allows readers to find quotes said by their favorite stars. The Subject and Key Word Index offers two more ways to find quotes.
Customer Reviews:
Other Reviewers Too Harsh.......2003-03-07
I purchased this book a couple of weeks ago, despite reading many of the negative comments from other reviewers. Although some of what has been written about this book is true, I feel that many of the comments are too harsh. It's certainly not a perfect book, but which book on film quotations is better? It contains 6000 quotations, which is an awful lot compared with other books in this area. The index is very good; I haven't found any missing index entries or incorrect page listings in the index. Some reviewers claimed that there wasn't enough "set-up" information in the quotes (surrounding dialog that would place the quote in context). Although that comment is true, the authors do give a brief explanation of the context following the quote, in most cases, enough to understand what the quote is about. Certainly, there is no substitute for watching a film & hearing & seeing a great actor like Humphrey Bogart deliver his lines. Many of the quotations in this book fall flat because they're on paper (or monitor), & not delivered with the intonations we've heard in the films, but that's not the fault of this book's authors (& it's not the fault of the screenwriters either, afterall, it's an audio-visual medium, that's why we go to the theater). While I can't agree with all of the authors' selections (or omissions), I would still rate this as a fine effort & a very useful addition to any film historian's library.
Disappointing. Padded with banal quotations........2001-08-06
Really disappointing book. The cover claims "6,000 Provocative Movie Quotes", but "How do I look?" or "A doily" hardly qualifies as "provocative". The authors say they aimed for `balance', but who wants `balance' in a reference book? I expected a collection of memorable quotations that could stand alone, not leave me thinking, `maybe it sounds better in the movie'. Sure, there were some good quotations, but the aim seemed to be for quantity, not quality. I, too, found many of the quotes to be banal, unimportant, and unmemorable - not to mention, downright boring. This book is destined for my yard sale.
Irritating and somewhat disappointing.......2001-03-16
Any collection of quotes is bound to reflect the idiosyncracies of the editors, and this collection is no exception. I have no problem with that. So, yes, you will find many quotes you would expect, and the book will miss many quotes that you might consider "provocative" or worthy of inclusion. Your favorite quotable movie is _The Princess Bride_? Well, the authors only provide a couple of quotes from there. Your favorite quotes from a given movie may be there or not. But you will certainly find many provocative and quotable lines from many movies.
The exact selection is not what I find disappointing and irritating in the book. Rather, I am irritated by number of stylistic choices that the editors have made.
Foremost among them is the decision to list quotes with the actor's name, rather than the character name. The character name is mentioned only parenthetically, and only the first time it shows up in any given move. So if you are looking at quote number 15, you may have to backtrack to remember who the character speaking the line is. This is certainly annoying. There is also a bias towards "last line", even when they aren't particularly memorable or provocative.
But perhaps most irritating is the editor's decision to edit long quotes and provide context via captioning rather than quotation. So the long list of memorable long-nose insults from _Roxanne_ is cut to only three lines. And just how provocative is the single word quote, "War", from _Schindler's List_? Well, not at all, unless you read the long caption explaining that this is the answer to the question asked by another character.
Of course, some quotes cannot be put in context except via explanations in the caption. But far too many one-liners appear in the book without the set-up, thus losing their entire point.
The combination of this and other editorial decisions made for an irritating read. I would suggest that you take a look at a copy and decide for yourself if you can stand them before spending the money on buying the book. I know I would have kept my money had I known what I was in for.
Great fun; previous reviewer missed a fact.......2001-02-23
Lots of fun for movie junkies! And the earlier reivewer who said the book does not credit writers is WRONG! Each movie title that comes before the quotes lists the director AND THE SCREENWRITER.
Not all that awful ... nor that fabulous.......2000-12-31
On balance, I'm disappointed with this book. The selection of quotations is idiosyncratic at best. A movie quotation should either be able to stand on its own, be a statement of some strength if one has seen the move, or, at least, be evocative of the movie itself. I'd say about 10% of the quotations given here really qualify, based on the movies in the book which I've seen. Indeed, based on just those movies, the book omits many major gems (just a single quote from _The Manchurian Candidate_, for example), while tossing in what seem to be almost random pebbles from many others.
Another weakness to the book is that, while an interchange of a few lines is usually enough to give the context of a quotation, in most cases this book gives just a single line, explaining the context in the citation.
Even more irritating is that quotes are cited to the actors, not the characters (though their characters are described in the first citation in each movie). That makes for some odd reading at times.
That having been said, given 6,000 quotes ("provocative" or not), there are bound to be some goodies you've not run across, and there were a number I dogeared for later transcription. I've definitely run across worse specialty quotation books out there.
(And, for the record, the book does actually list both the screenwriters and the original sources, despite one of the other reviews in this section.)
Is it worth the cover price? Probably not. But at a discount, second-hand, or from the library, it's worth a read. The type is easy on the eyes, at the very least, and if nothing else, it just might inspire you to go out and rent one of the films it quotes.
Book Description
THEORY ESSENTIALS is a two-volume text that offers a unique, total solution to teaching music theory. Integrating all the components of the two-year music theory sequence, each volume (and its accompanying workbook) fully synthesizes the major topics in music theory with aural skills, keyboard applications, and examples from the literature. Offering terrific value, THEORY ESSENTIALS replaces the need for the four separate texts traditionally required for the music theory sequence (theory, ear training/sight singing, keyboard harmony, and an anthology). The result is a remarkable, carefully-paced synthesis of these components that moves from a solid grounding in Fundamentals through Diatonic Harmony (in Volume I), and from Secondary Function chords through Twentieth-Century Techniques (in Volume II).
Customer Reviews:
Part Writing and Analysis is now easy to understand.......2005-09-30
Many theory textbooks complicate part writing and analysis. I had the oppotunity to review and study this book as well as a commonly used theory textbook. This textbook is far superior to the others. I recommend it highly
Book Description
Following upon the success of their first book, The Queen Anne Stool, Tom Heller and Ron Clarkson decided to offer a book about building one of the most desirable pieces of American furniture: the piecrust tea table. This tilting top table has the high elegance of eighteenth century design. The top has a beautifully sculpted molding, resting upon an open-styled birdcage. This rotates on a finely contoured and turned pillar adorned at the vase with acanthus leaves, balancing on a delicate ring of pearls which end in a ribbon and flower design. The cabriole legs are adorned with acanthus leaves at the knees and end in a strongly taloned ball and claw foot. Every step, from cutting and turning to carving and finishing, is explained in step-by-step photographs. These are accompanied with by concise descriptions of the techniques involved. While requiring some basic woodworking skills, this book is designed for cabinet makers and carvers of all levels of experience, so they may produce this treasure of furniture for themselves., 500+ color & b/w photos, 8 1/2" x 11"
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Photography.......2001-05-29
I was very impressed with the quality of the photographs in this book. For a project with this much detail, a picture is worth more than 1000 words and I feel that the construction process is covered in great detail. The book has very little actual text, more like a step by step collection of photographs with captions and details. At the end of the book, a set of plans is included for use in the construction process.
Book Description
Witty economists are about as easy to find as anorexic mezzo-sopranos, natty mujahedeen, and cheerful Philadelphians. But Steven E. Landsburg...is one economist who fits the bill. In a wide-ranging, easily digested, unbelievably contrarian survey of everything from why popcorn at movie houses costs so much to why recycling may actually reduce the number of trees on the planet, the University of Rochester professor valiantly turns the discussion of vexing economic questions into an activity that ordinary people might enjoy.
-- Joe Queenan, The Wall Street Journal
The Armchair Economist is a wonderful little book, written by someone for whom English is a first (and beloved) language, and it contains not a single graph or equation...Landsburg presents fascinating concepts in a form easily accessible to noneconomists.
-- Erik M. Jensen, The Cleveland Plain Dealer
...enormous fun from its opening page...Landsburg has done something extraordinary: He has expounded basic economic principles with wit and verve.
-- Dan Seligman, Fortune
Customer Reviews:
If you like Pop Economics (like Freakonomics) & you read alot, then this is a good book.......2007-10-04
Nothing spectacular. Nothing splashy. But it kept me awake for about 3 hours & I think I'm smarter afterward.
What would Landsburg think of this one? .......2007-09-21
Here is an example the kind of question that Prof. Landsburg asks, but not one in this book.
In Europe - at least all the parts of Europe I have visited or lived in - Chinese restaurants are almost always empty. Typically these restaurants are plush inside: they are heavily carpeted, exotic objects such as vases and jade Buddha statues are commonly seen, and expensive furniture, often in dark wood with a high polish, is found. Beautifully folded serviettes are seen on the tables. The restaurants are usually empty.
Italian restaurants, on the other hand, are often full. If one neglects to make a booking, there is a high probability of finding no place at dinner time. These establishments are usually cheaply done out: chipped Formica tables and tubular steel chairs of unfashionable vintage are common. Decoration may include plastic grape vines hanging from nails in the wall or ceiling, and perhaps clusters of old Chianti bottles gathering dust. Wall murals, naively painted, of fictional Roman ruins might decorate the plastered walls.
Both Chinese and Italian restaurants make a significant proportion of their income from take-away food. Pizzas, especially, from the Italian restaurants. The Chinese restaurant in my village makes 80% of its turnover from take away food. The Italian restaurant less than 50%.
Why have the proprietors of Chinese restaurants so obviously over invested in their establishments?
My theory is this. There is a sufficient degree of racism in Europe that Chinese restaurateurs are obliged to display the equivalent of the marble facades of 19th Century banks. They must brand themselves as sophisticated luxury establishments in order to sell take-away food. Otherwise, too many people would suspect that the chicken may be rat meat and the pork, stray dog chops. But I am not sure. I wonder what Landsburg would think?
What do you think?
Read this book to find out how Landsburg formulates and answers these kind of questions. Have fun.
3 1/2 stars - Very good but a couple of damaging flaws.......2007-08-10
This is a very good book for those looking to learn fundamental economic principles and the way they are applied in practical terms every day. Some of the analysis is deft and subtle and surprising while in other places he either ignores practical behaviour (he assumes that people consume an evening at the movies without regard to the movie being shown and that popcorn eaters always eat popcorn and make their movie decisions based on this). Most surprising is his abandonment of economic principles during his alarming rant against environmentalists and their "hysteria" where he admonishes a primary school teacher for preaching environmental conservation to children. I agree with the fundamental point of not indoctrinating youngsters but Landsburg overreaches and attacks environmental concerns as a form of mass hysteria rather than focusing on the economic principle of negative externalities and their social costs when the overwhelming majority of scientists (and economists for that matter) agree that there is a long term social cost which needs to be addressed by either a forced market (cap and trade for instance) or government regulation (less desirable from an economists standpoint). A good book though and he would be a lively, convivial and intelligent dinner guest at an intellectual banquet.
Armchair Economists.......2007-04-26
Armchair Economists was a book that compared thoughts of economists to everyday people through examples that pertain to everyday life. Only reading the first few chapters I found it was easy to understand because the author gave examples from his own life and included the differing points of views. Before i read this book I did not realize how economists came to their conclusions but it become more clear throughout the chapters. Economists do seem to make things more difficult then they seem but that is because they realize that more then one thing effects the outcome of different situations. For example one of the scenerios in the book was the fact that people became more reckless when safety features were put in cars. My thought at first was that people just got use to driving and became more reckless because they thought other people would look out for them. But in fact people have realized they have less of a chance of dying due to the fact that more safety laws and more safety features have been added to cars. Some of the examples in the book didn't make sence to me but many were justified not from assumptions but from facts and reasoning. Overall the chapters I read in this book were very good. It wasnt boring because the author used examples to simplify the problems presented. It was interesting seeing how economists reason compared to the assumptions of other people.
Everyday Observations From The Chair.......2007-03-01
The "Armchair Economist" by Steven E. Landsburg is written well, and written to be read quickly. It seems many economists have a lot of time to contemplate the answers to "why" questions.
One of the many realistic quotes and comments I liked is: "People respond to incentives. The rest is commentary."
This is a fun and informative read. Landsburg makes everyday economics that we deal with logical yet realistic and funny. As we know, economics (and many other fields) are not exact "sciences" and opinions often differ. Economists are good at saying why something happened in the past, and why something is happening now. But predicting what will happen in the future is extremely difficult.
Some titles of the many chapters are:
*Why The Rolling Stones Sell-Out.
*The Mythology of Deficits.
*Choosing Sides in the Drug War: How the "Atlantic Monthly" Got it
Wrong.
*Why Popcorn Costs More at the Movies and Why the Obvious Answer is
Wrong.
*Telling Right From Wrong: The Pitfalls of Democracy.
*Truth Or Consequences: How to Split a Check or Choose A Movie.
This book also notes the many concepts we hold to be "true" as not being so true, or, as being significant as they seem.
Landsburg states in the "How Statistics Lie" chapter (to paraphrase): statistics to don't lie, but the truths they tell are often misinterpreted. The government and journalists often use different indexes to measure inflation and the economy at the same time. (the Consumer Price Index (CPI) includes airfare prices, but not prices on computers.)
COLLUSION:
On the topic of collusion, Landsburg provides a point too many of us fail to recognize:
"When an industry is dominated by two highly profitable firms, theory tells us that if there is no price war then there is probably collusion. In the case of the Republicans and Democrats the requisite collusion is on display for all to see. It is called bipartisanship." (page, 146.)
"When the President of United runs into the President of American at a picnic he is forbidden by law to say, 'I will not undercut you on the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route provided you do not undercut me on New York-to-Denver.' Yet we allow Republicans to greet Democrats with offers like, 'I will support housing aid to your urban constituents if you will support agricultural programs for famers in my district.'" (page, 147.)
Ahh....the absence of political anti-trust legislation.
The "Armchair Economist" is great for thinking and talking about common things we constantly come across. It's fun, too. An enthusiastic author explained everyday economics, and made it enjoyable. A rare feat, indeed.
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- The Art Firm: Aesthetic Management and Metaphysical Marketing
- The Art of Fact: A Historical Anthology of Literary Journalism
- The Art Of New Yorker 1925-1995
- The Arts of Antioch: Art Historical and Scientific Approaches to Roman Mosaics and a Catalogue of the Worcester Art Museum Antioch Collection
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