Artists, Critics, Context: Readings in and Around American Art since 1945

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2002-04-30

This book is thorough and informative. It offers insight into contemporary art that could only otherwise be found in a dense collection of artist interviews, critiques, and social commentaries. The introductions to each section hit the nail on the head each time. Anyone who wants a deeper knowledge of what is going on around them should read this book.
Absolutely refreshing, and long-awaited.

Artists, Critics, Context : Readings in and Around American Art since 1945

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Artists, Critics, Context : Readings in and Around American Art since 1945
Paul F. Fabozzi
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIANPA

Book Description

Over 900 illustrations documenting what the well-to-do were wearing and buying in years just before World War I.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful, even in black-and-white!.......2001-08-29

Altman's catered to a more upscale clientele than Sears or Gimbel's, so this volume makes an important contribution to Dover's wonderful series of fashion catalogs and illustration. The prices of the clothes are relatively high (32.00 for a dress must have been a fortune in 1915!), and the illustrations definitely a cut above many other catalogs. On a few pages, photographed models are used, with some detail drawn in by hand to better show the garment's features. Dover, as usual, reproduces the catalog in black-and-white, but the art quality is still great. The catalog is heavy on women's and children's fashion. "Men's furnishings" (as they are referred to) get only 3 pages. Some other goods, such as household linens, nursery furniture, silverware, 1 page of "bric-a-brac" (lamps, candlesticks, picture frames, a smoking stand), and one of sporting goods (golf, tennis, polo), also appear. For greater variety of goods, you'd also enjoy the "Gimbel's Illustrated 1915 Fashion Catalog" also by Dover.

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Spring and Summer Fashions Catalog 1915
B. Altman & Co.
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ON456I

Customer Reviews:

insightful and to the point, too little on prospecting thoug.......1998-02-04

Overall, a good book. I didn't read it completely but its been a handy refence.

Book Description

Audiences knew him for four decades as "The World's Greatest Entertainer." Now Herbert G. Goldman gives us the definitive biography of this quintessential star of the musical stage.
With a sure eye for the revealing anecdote, Goldman chronicles each step of Al Jolson's colorful life from his early struggles with his brother, Harry, on the vaudeville and burlesque circuit and his rise to stardom on Broadway; through his glory at the pinnacle of national fame, which came
with his appearances in the movies The Jazz Singer (the first "talking picture") and The Singing Fool; to his final round of appearances in 1950, entertaining American troops in Korea just before his death. Goldman explores the complexities of the Jolson personality, as revealed in his four stormy
marriages and his relations with family, business associates, friends, and enemies.
Exhaustively researched and well-rounded, this beautifully-written biography offers a vivid portrait Jolson the entertainer--a man of the stage whose exuberant optimism and magnetic energy enthralled three generations of audiences.

Customer Reviews:

Remarkable achievement.......2004-09-28

The only convincing Jolson biography. It's astonishing how much the author found, so long after his subject's death. Jolson the public wonder and private sociopath (loosely speaking) are each given their due. The author doubts neither aspect. He has interviewed people who knew J. well (Irving Caesar, Jessel, etc.)and he has found vivid contemporary accounts. He writes well: concisely, judiciously. The work of a real biographer, not a journalist perpetrating a show-biz bio. He has done the research and digested it. I'm very grateful.

The World's Greatest Enterainer.......2003-08-21

This is a biography of one, if not the greatest, stage entertainers of the 20th. Century. Many say the only entertainer in his class would be Frank Sinatra. Al Jolson was a very complex man, a man who sole purpose in life was to entertain people. In the first 30 years of the 20th. century no one was his equal in showbusiness. When he performed in front of an audience of 2 or 2000 people it was as if hypnotized them. As his rival Eddie Cantor said, " He was the king. Once you saw Jolson perform you became a subject for life"! Jolson is remembered as a singer, but he was also a great comedian. He is also vilified today for his use of 'Blackface' and some indicate he was a racist. This is totally untrue! as you will read in this book. He made the greatest comeback in the history of showbusiness in the 1940's when hollywood made two pictures about his life. Both were hughly successful financial for Columbia Pictures although the facts of his life were far from the truth but got across the fact that Jolson loved to sing and his audiences loved him. The book is a super look at showbusiness in the early decades of the 20th. Century. You will enjoy this book!! Get it!!!!

A Misunderstood Super Star- Al Jolson.......2000-04-04

I have read several books about Al Jolson and I want to tell you that Goldman's biography is the most accurate and provides you with the best view of the very complex man, Al Jolson. The book is a must for people interested in the history of Showbusiness from the beginning of the 20th. Century until the 1950's. It gaves you a well-rounded view of the master entertainer, his strengths, his problems and most of all the reasons why Jolson was such a complex and dynamic man. Whether you are a Jolson fan or not, this book is a fabulous read. I recommend it highly!

This is the DEFINITVE Jolson bio!.......1998-04-09

If you love the theatre, or if you just love a book that takes you to another time and place, this book is essential reading. I've read every Jolson biography around, and none can match this one for its scope, its honesty, and its invocation of Jolson's world. The notes exhaustively catalog every recording, every broadcast, and every stage appearance in Jolson's long career -- an incredible achievement, and a priceless resource to future theatrical researchers. The text itself (which is magnificently readable) is an honest but understanding look at Jolson's life and complex personality, explaining much of what drove this man without excusing or condeming his often cruel actions. The real treat here is how Goldman brings the long-dead worlds of Vaudeville and early 20th Century Broadway to life. You can sense the energy and excitement of that era, get into the mindset of oldtime show business -- and understanding Jolson's time makes it infinitely easier to comprehend why he was such a popular phenomenon. This is a model biography, one that knows the difference between writing vibrant history and (as too many others do) just re-hashing old gossip columns. Goldman serves us Al Jolson as a fascinating, egotistic, riveting, hateful, sentimental, insufferable, utterly believeable man -- appropriate for someone who was America's first multi-media superstar. The ever-insecure Jolson would never have approved of some of this candid book, but it is not a tawdry tell-all. Its a classy and well-written showbiz biography well worth treating yourself to.

A Wonderful Biography----I Couldn't Put It Down.......1998-02-20

I knew the name JOLSON, but nothing about the man. After reading the book, I became a die-hard Jolson Fan. Jolson was of his time, but his talent is timeless, as Mr. Goldman expertly shows us.

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Jolson the Legend Comes to Life
Herbert G. Goldman
Manufacturer: Oxford
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HMRH16

Average customer rating:

Jolson the Legend Comes to Life
Herbert G. Goldman
Manufacturer: Oxford
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HLXJUU

Average customer rating:

Jolson the Legend Comes to Life
Herbert G. Goldman
Manufacturer: Oxford
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HM01KU

Average customer rating:

Jolson: The Legend Comes to Life
Herbert G. Goldman
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKBAVO

Average customer rating:

Jolson: The Legend Comes to Life
Herbert G Goldman
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKGNAM

Average customer rating:

Jolson: The Legend Comes to Life

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H7EELW

Book Description

This study is a comprehensive assessment of J. S. Bach’s use of articulation marks (i.e. slurs and dots) in the large body of primary sources. Dr Butt analyses the role of such markings within the compositional process, how they relate to the norms of articulation of the period, and how they might assist us in a deeper understanding and evaluation of Bach’s style. With its extensive catalogue of the most common slurring patterns based on a study of over 100 concerted vocal works, this book is invaluable both for performers on all baroque instruments, and for scholars with an interest in Bach’s style and source studies. It also contributes to our perception of Bach’s position in music history: the purpose of music in the Lutheran Germany of Bach’s time and its rhetorical power; the close relationship between composer and performer within the context of ‘practical’ music; and the functions and development of notation.

Book Description

Books for the smallest room in the house...
That generate BIG sales

It's clear--people everywhere are sitting and solving! That's why more than 110,000 copies of this amazing series have nearly jumped out of stores. With their amusing shape, great content, and popular price, these compilations are a must-have on every puzzler's shelf. And the quality of the problems, games, and trickery is absolutely superb and fabulously diverse. Go for great word searches, stimulating criss-cross puzzles, brilliant brainteasers; cunning logic games, cannily challenging IQ Tests, mysterious mathamatricks, and lots more.

Customer Reviews:

There's always an answer.......2004-01-30

This is a brilliant little book that can be used for party games or just to while away the time if you enjoy puzzles. It has something for everyone and apart from the entertainment value I have also found some of the puzzles to be quite educational. What is most fascinating is that although many of the puzzles seem to be impossible to solve there is always an answer. A little gem and an ideal fun gift.

Delightful brain challenger.......2004-01-20

If you are a fan of lateral thinking puzzles, this is a wonderful book you can take anywhere to tantalize your brain.
Lots of fun to try to solve these intriguing challengers! Be a logic detective to come up with a solution. A true delight for fans of all ages who love lateral thinking puzzles!

Lots of oldies, but still a good collection.......2003-12-23

This is a collection of puzzles designed to be solved quickly using only thought. While it is true that for some it may help to construct a diagram or write options down, for most the answer is just a matter of using the right approach. Most of the puzzles are not new, I recognized over fifty percent as having appeared elsewhere. Examples of such puzzles are:

1) If you are in a boat and throw something overboard which immediately sinks, does the boat rise or fall?
2) When in the last 200 years has there been a year that reads the same upside down?
3) A woman has five children and half of them are boys. How is this possible?
4) There are several problems where matches are to be moved.
5) The problem of a three-cornered duel where the odds of each hitting their target are different and the poorest shot shoots first.
6) How to arrange five circular coins so that they all touch each other.
7) If everybody in a family always votes Republican, then how come one person did not last election?

Nevertheless, I read through it with interest, even when I was only checking my memory rather than my wits. Solutions to all puzzles are in the back and there are some real sneaky ones. It is a good book for the beginning puzzle solver, although veterans may not be impressed.

Published in the recreational mathematics e-mail newsletter, reprinted with permission.

I just love lateral thinking.......2000-06-24

One day my Language Arts teacher said that we would try something fun today. Yeah right I thought, but he read us some lateral thinking puzzles, and I just loved trying to figure them out. I bought this book and read every one, some were hard, and some I could figure out after thinking for about 5 minutes. It is a perfect thing for boredom, and is just fun and interesting. A man was born before his father, killed his mother, and married his sister, and was perfectly normal. What was going on?

A great Challenge.......2000-06-20

This book is a very big challenge. It is great for rainy days, summer, vacations, trips & etc.

Book Description

Bestselling author and expert on leadership John C. Maxwell shares the only rule that matters-in business and in life. How does a person judge what is ethical?Sometimes it's clear. In the past year or two, ethical lapses in corporate America have been well documented. But is it always easy to see where the line is in life? What's the standard?And can it work in all situations? Maxwell thinks it can. In ETHICS 101, he shows how people can live with integrity by using the Golden Rule as their standard-regardless of religion, culture, or circumstances. Along the way, he delves into the desires of the human heart, reveals the five most common pitfalls that throw people off the ethical track, and teaches how to develop the Midas touch when it comes to personal integrity.

Customer Reviews:

Amazingly Simple and Elegant View of Ethics!.......2007-05-31

This book is fabulous! I used it for an Ethics book club class and virtually all the participants gave it high marks for readability and clear ideas. It's a little book with big ideas to live by.

Ethics 001: The Search For More Money.......2007-03-22

The Reverend John C. Maxwell is a former Wesleyan Methodist minister, former pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego. He holds a Doctor of Ministry degree. Why this information is not manifest on his website remains a mystery. Megachurches are big business, indeed, and though Maxwell left Skyline with massive debt, he has some useful, though unoriginal, information in his "101" series that is borne out of his years as senior pastor of Skyline. Surely this information would not discourage sales (?).

Having taught philosophy and business ethics for many years at various universities, I am always looking for good assigned reading that challenges students to think outside the box of my lectures, and to give serious consideration to matters of ethics and morals in both their personal lives, and how their lives extend to others in all contexts. Since I also was associated with the Wesleyan church that Maxwell pastured years ago, when I saw this title featured, I wanted to see if his book would add to my students' knowledge base and life application. Unfortunately, what I found was either a shallow presentation of familiar themes he used to preach on Sunday morning, or the reworking of material that has already been out there in one form or another. In short, "Ethics 101" is really Ethics 001, that provides the reader with little foundation in ethics and morals. Dr. Maxwell is not an academic (he has a ministry doctorate), nor does he take any academic approach in his book. In fact, he thinks philosophy has "confused' ethics when, in fact, because Maxwell has no philosophical background, he brings little to the debate. Unfortunately, Maxwell's book confuses Ethics. How does he know that philosophy confuses a particular issue when he does not know philosophy? In truth, the history of Western Civilization, has produced libraries of clear information concerning ethics and morals, but you won't find (as you cannot find) any of that here. Ethics goes far beyond the Golden Rule model, reaching back to Plato (The Republic, etc.) and Aristotle ("The Politics"; "Ethics"), down to Cicero (45 BC) who wrote one of the best, and clearest, works on ethics titled, "Duties." Most of my lectures consist of footnotes to Plato, then Aristotle, and then demonstrates how those principles were worked out by the Romans in Cicero and others. There is no doubt that both Jesus and Paul had access to these three writers, and it is impossible to read Jesus and not see the influence of Cicero. I am personally put off that Maxwell has distain for philosophy, given that the Golden Rule is prima facie, philosophy, and is a repeated maxim from earlier philosophers. The honest reality is that philosophy is everywhere and is embodied in every idea good or bad, business advertisement, magazine, television and feature film, and even in Maxwell's sermons and the goofy (and gratituously violent) "Left Behind" book series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. I can skim through any of Maxwell's books and remember when much of the material was, at one time or another, a Sunday sermon in his Wesleyan church. Now Maxwell is hailed as a "leadership" guru, writing books and speaking about "leadership." While this may fly on the motivational circuit, it brings little, if any thing, of value to the intellectual debate. Sadly, too many of these kinds of books are written at the popular level, simply to make money, rather than provide a solid, educational understanding for the reader.

If you are serious about wanting to learn about the historical development of ethics, read Plato's "Republic", Aristotle's "Ethics", "Duties" of Cicero (Loeb series; don't overlook his classic book "On Friendship" and "Old Age"), Plutarch's "Moralia" (especially vol. 4 of the Loeb series; Plutarch was a Greek who lived in Rome and was a contemporary with Jesus). In my view, it is so much easier to understand the Scriptures when they have been properly set in their historical context.

For a deeper understanding of ethical theories (egoism, utilitarianism, existentialism, Marxism, capitalism, et al.) which Maxwell never bothers to mention (because I don't think he knows them), read Shaw and Berry: "Moral Issues in Business". If you must purchase Maxwell's book, buy it used. Note the large number "used". I give "Ethics 101" a whole single Star as one's review cannot be posted without at least one star. Judge for yourself, but I beg you to read Cicero and Plutarch once in your life if you really want a foundation in ethics.

As an aside, one of the finest books on leadership ever written that also encompasses ethics, is "The Churchill Factors" by Larry Kryske. Kryske is an internationally recognized historian and speaker on Winston Churchill, and in this particular volume, Kryske applies the life and words of Churchill to leadership in business and ethics. Stephen Gruber, Ph.D.

The Golden Rule As The Foundation for All Ethical Behavior.......2007-02-17

John C. Maxwell, a minister, management consultant, and prolific author of inspirational and insightful business related books, believes that ethical principles can be summarized by the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. He documents that this rule, or some close variation of it, is found in all of the world's major religious traditions.

This is not the book that offers guides to how the definition of ethics can vary from one legal code to another. It is rather a book that offers guides on how to live one's life and do one's job with longterm success.

"If you want to do something that will make an impact beyond your own life," Maxwell writes in summary, "then treat people better than they treat you, walk the extra mile, help people who cannot help you, do right when it's natural to do wrong, and keep your promises even when it hurts."

He divides the world into people who "go for the gold" and people who "go for the golden rule" and finds the latter are much more successful in ways that really matter than the former.

This book is an excellent supplement and response to much narrower attempts by lawyers, college professors, numerous professional groups, state government ethics commissions, good government advocates and others to treat ethics as a legal code which one needs legal advice to interpret, honor, or defend oneself from.

Ethics, Maxwell says, is not a complex issue. Ethics is about living a life worthy of self-respect, and the respect of family members, colleagues, and competitors.

Explains How Doing the Right Thing is the Best Way to Live!!!.......2005-07-28

+++++

This book (whose original title was "There's No Such Thing as `Business' Ethics") by leadership expert John C. Maxwell is an easy-to-read, small book that states that ethics is not complicated. Maxwell explains:

"Ethics is ethics. If you desire to be ethical, you live by one standard across the board...Educators, philosophers, theologians, and lawyers have taken what is a simple matter and made it very confusing...This book's goal is to help you find the way to live and work ethically and also achieve greater success."

The one "standard" Maxwell recommends using in all situations is the Golden Rule: the precept that one should behave toward others as one would want others to behave toward oneself.

Maxwell does a good job in explaining why the Golden Rule is the standard to be used in all situations. However, the only situation he uses in his numerous, true, effective example stories is the type (RIGHT versus WRONG). For example, a cashier gives you too much change. The WRONG thing to do is to keep the extra change. The RIGHT thing to do is thus to give the extra change back.

The author gives many quotations from prominent people to get his points across. One of my favorites is a quotation from Ted Koppel:

"There's harmony and inner peace to be found in following a moral compass [he's referring to the Golden Rule] that points in the same direction regardless of fashion or trend."

Maxwell touches on the fact that all people are not the same and that the rule may have to be slightly altered to accommodate them.

A feature of this book is that certain important summary points are taken out of the main narrative and bordered between two horizontal lines for easy reference. I counted almost forty of these peppered throughout the book. Here are two examples:

(1) "There are really two important points when it comes to ethics. The first is a standard to follow. The second is the will to follow it."
(2) "Every day, whenever the issue of ethical behavior confronts you, ask this question: `How would I like to be treated in this situation?'"

As mentioned, Maxwell effectively explains the use of the Golden Rule in (RIGHT versus WRONG) situations. However, he does not explain how to use the rule in (RIGHT versus RIGHT) situations. This is called the ethical dilemma. To be fair, Maxwell does mention the ethical dilemma but his explanation of it is rather simplistic.

Here is an example of a dilemma. You are asked in your high-paying job to do something you feel is not right or else be fired. (It took years of hard work to get the high pay you're now getting.) The RIGHT thing to do according to the golden rule is to quit your job and get another lower paying one. However, there are ill members of your family who depend on your high income. So the RIGHT thing to do is not to quit your job. Maxwell spends no time in explaining such situations.

Despite not explaining how to handle dilemma situations, I still feel that this is a useful book that takes the technical jargon out of understanding ethics. Maxwell gives numerous true cases that prove how the Golden Rule builds morale, increases productivity, encourages teamwork, lowers employee turnover, and keeps clients coming back.

In conclusion, this is an effective book that explains some major ethical concepts. It demonstrates how doing the right thing is the best way to live and fosters a winning situation for all!!

(first published 2003; acknowledgements; preface; 7 chapters; conclusion; main narrative 105 pages; notes)

+++++

Insightful!.......2005-06-22

Author John C. Maxwell has spent years thinking about leadership and ethical action, and it shows. In this short volume, he condenses his years of reflection into clear, accessible principles that any reader can immediately apply. He supports his points with anecdotes, and with quotes from sacred texts and authors from a variety of cultures. His clarity makes his work bold. There's no way you could mistake what he's saying, and that's refreshing, especially given contemporary concerns about corporate governance. While the simplicity and brevity of the book makes it broadly accessible, we especially recommend it to two readerships: those already dedicated to living ethically, who are looking for tools to apply, and those who are skeptical about the utility of ethics. The book (which was previously published as "There's No Such Thing as Business Ethics") has only two real weaknesses. The first is that Maxwell's definition of an ethical dilemma is far too simple, and he treats it too briefly. (What do we do when love and duty clash? What do we do when directly ordered to do something unethical by a superior, who thinks the action is correct - and someone else depends upon our income?) The second is that Maxwell discusses how to treat others as if we were all the same deep down. Perhaps we are - but he doesn't fully address the many personal and cultural differences that one must negotiate along the way. Our moral dilemma: is it right to dwell on such relatively minor flaws in a book we basically respect, agree with, appreciate and recommend warmly? You be the judge.

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