Book Description
Open source software is considered by many to be a novelty and the open source movement a revolution. Yet the collaborative creation of knowledge has gone on for as long as humans have been able to communicate. CODE looks at the collaborative model of creativity -- with examples ranging from collective ownership in indigenous societies to free software, academic science, and the human genome project -- and finds it an alternative to proprietary frameworks for creativity based on strong intellectual property rights.
Intellectual property rights, argues Rishab Ghosh in his introduction, were ostensibly developed to increase creativity; but today, policy decisions that treat knowledge and art as if they were physical forms of property actually threaten to decrease creativity, limit public access to creativity, and discourage collaborative creativity. "Newton should have had to pay a license fee before being allowed even to see how tall the 'shoulders of giants' were, let alone to stand upon them," he writes.
The contributors to CODE, from such diverse fields as economics, anthropology, law, and software development, examine collaborative creativity from a variety of perspectives, looking at new and old forms of creative collaboration and the mechanisms emerging to study them. Discussing the philosophically resonant issues of ownership, property, and the commons, they ask if the increasing application of the language of property rights to knowledge and creativity constitutes a second enclosure movement -- or if the worldwide acclaim for free software signifies a renaissance of the commons. Two concluding chapters offer concrete possibilities for both alternatives, with one proposing the establishment of "positive intellectual rights" to information and another issuing a warning against the threats to networked knowledge posed by globalization.
Customer Reviews:
A great antidote to the misperception that the open source movement is about computers.......2005-09-21
If you think peer-to-peer collaboration is the exclusive province of 21st-century computer nerds, this hefty anthology will open your eyes to its precedents among indigenous cultures and its growing offshoots in pursuits as lofty as genomics and as mundane as proofreading.
Readers accustomed to open software manifestos by programmers like Richard Stallman or Eric Raymond will find much of this volume phrased in the academic lingo of economics or political science rather than geekspeak; the writing in the first section, mostly by anthropologists, can be turgid. But don't let that deter you, for the book's first section contains some of the most nuanced perspectives on the concept of the cultural and economic "commons"--in particular, on how its European variant is only a simplistic reflection of its older and more complicated origin among native peoples.
From anthropology the book winds its way through economics, public policy, and the life sciences, ranging from flights of theory to examples grounded in local cultures. (Did you know that copyright is stifling folk singers in Irish pubs, or that the Aboriginal word for "property" is the same as their word for "relative"?)
A particular eye-opener is Yochai Benkler's "Coase's Penguin," which traces commons-based collaboration in such diverse fields as NASA crater identification, encyclopedia writing, and proofreading--noting that the quality of anonymous contributions of online volunteers to such cultural and scientific production is often indistinguishable from that of paid professionals. John Clippinger and David Bollier's "Renaissance of the Commons," on the other hand, is a manifesto for open culture grounded in scientific revelations from recent research in neuroscience and behavioral psychology. It's an essay guaranteed to make copyright maximalists frown and commons advocates jump out of their seat and say, "Yes, I knew it!"
CODE is a circuitous but rewarding examination of open collaboration, a theory and practice poised to revolutionize the fields represented in this book and beyond.
Book Description
Do you know that cute little girl with the glasses? The shy one who always seems to be blushing? Well, it looks like her time in the spotlight is about to come. The rough-and-ready crew at the Nakomi Tech motor club needs a new director, and meek-and-mild Sora Hasegawa's drawn the winning lot, a tall order in the midst of such macho machine-heads for someone who can barely drive a car! And she'll have to prove her mettle on the racecourse to remain director - or to have the right to opt out! Luckily, she has the expert advice of top club racer Keiichi Morisato and the supernatural assistance of his dyed-in-the-wool goddess girlfriend, Belldandy, to help her over the rough spots to prepare for the race. Too bad she'll have to race against Keiichi, who's honor-bound and determined to take the checkered flag!
Customer Reviews:
An offbeat entry in the OMG series.......2005-12-30
This is kind of an odd entry in the series. Instead of focusing on Keiichi or the goddesses, the focal character is a small, shy, four-eyed young lady named Sora, who in a rather complicated setup must race Keiichi, based on rules set by his boss, Chihiro, to decide who becomes president of the motor club. Chihiro (who in my opinion is the prettiest of all the pretty ladies in this manga, so that's a point in this volume's favor) skews the rules vigorously in Sora's favor, to the point where Belldandy is obliged to help Sora rather than her usual role helping Keiichi.
Sora needs some confidence built, and of course Belldandy is the one to do it. That's much of the preliminary to the race. The race itself is a bizarre cross-campus jaunt among three checkpoints using any available route. Again, this is geared to Sora as she knows all the short cuts from her experience as a messenger girl. These short cuts end up being bizarre at times, with one through a women's locker room with a dire warning notice on the door. Keiichi needs some encouragement at this point, and it's Urd's turn to provide it, in her own distinctive way.
The whole is more of a morality tale, as Sora finds her confidence, and the other club members become a team working to support her.
A concluding note announces that future installments in the series will convert to a more traditional manga approach, with a right-to-left reading order and a direct correspondence with the contents of the equivalent Japanese volumes with the same number (which is why this volume has the two numbers even though it's not that much bigger than the usual installment).
K1 takes a back seat..........2005-02-17
The oddly numbered volume 19/20 of DH's "Oh, My Goddess" manga only seems to feature its main character Keiichi Morisato as a supporting player.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing as, instead, it allows for characters who don't normally get any serious development to shine. In this case, that means the often overlooked Sora and the Nekomi Tech Motor Club (who are often just there to add to the body count and do manual labor).
Since K1 has moved on to the working world, someone has to take over as the Motor Club's president. K1 picks Sora, much to her dismay. Unfortunately for her, she can't refuse without first beating Keiichi in a race. And, thusly, we have a plot for a story arc. The book ends with a lovely little story of sisterly competition between Urd and Skuld for rights to the only color television in the Shrine. Antics ensue, and laughs are out there to be had.
More racing fun and auto tips in this volume, that's for sure. Mostly, though, the story revolves around the various people in Sora's life allowing her to regain her confidence and shine.
A decent book, to be sure, but I'm rather mixed about the note DH left in the back of the book concerning subsequent volumes and reissues. One of the last Americanized manga left (reads left-to-right), "Oh, My Goddess" is finally being changed to the now standard right-to-left format of printing. This will be reflected in all volumes to come and (apparently) in all reprints of the old set.
*sigh* More books to buy.
You may think that's a funny statement, but since the order in which the manga first appeared was altered when it came to the states, it means that older fans who have all of the original volumes will have to shell out yet more cash if there is anything restored in the new reissues.
Book Description
"A truly wise and funny woman; a laugh-till-you cry book."
LIBRARY JOURNAL
Erma Bombeck has learned a few things about children and family over the years--and in a way that is uniquely and wonderfully her own, she shares everything she knows with her readers. Whether it's cleaning up after the kids and him, or expendable mothers-in-law, Erma Bombeck gets to the heart of the matter and makes us laugh through our tears.
Customer Reviews:
Humor writing at its best...........2003-01-29
Erma Bombeck was, hands down, the funniest humor columnist to ever grace newspapers and bookstores. Even now, years after she passed way, her writings are still funny and topical.
In "I Lost Everything in the Post-Natal Depression," as with most of her books, Erma Bombeck takes snippets of her life, her husband, and her three kids and relates them to us in a way that only she can. Everything from her husband's inability to start a fire in the fireplace to her own inability to cope with turning 40, nothing is sacred or forbidden when Erma writes about her life.
This book is funny, witty, relevant, and an easy read. If you're life is busy and complicated, take some time out to read this book. Erma has a way of making your life seem not so bad. If nothing else, it's a great way to spend a few minutes each day.
Customer Reviews:
PLEASE-give Erma to future generations!.......2003-09-07
Erma Bombeck will always be one of my heroes. I still have her picture from the cover of Time magazine hanging on my "Wall of Fame" in my laundry room, along with my college diploma, a picture of the first woman to run for Vice-President, and various cards with special significance from family and friends. When I was a young mom, her writing always reminded me that laughter is better than tears. Whenever I thought that I could not possibly survive this child-rearing thing, I would pick up one of Erma's books and find out that she already survived the same hair-raising incidents and still had brain power. I still treasure many quotes I have picked up from her books. She wrote an article once about children becoming the parents to their own parents. She stated that she knew that was happening the time she hit the brake on her car and instinctively put out her arm in front of her mother who was riding in the passenger seat. How that image tugged at my heartstrings when it happened with my own mother. She wrote about everyday life, common to most of us with humor, poignancy, and great love. I will be giving her books to young parents as long as I live. Her words should be treasured by every generation.
Great collection.......2000-05-23
Truly the best of Bombeck! A great addition to your bookshelf if you are a Bombeck fan!
![I Lost Everything in the Post-natal Depression [LARGE PRINT]](http://www.germanelectronics88.com/noimage.gif)
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I Lost Everything in the Post-natal Depression [LARGE PRINT]
Erma Bombeck
Manufacturer: Thorndike Pr
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535 pages
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James Whale: A Biography or the Would-Be Gentleman (Lesbian and Gay Studies Series)
Mark Gatiss
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James Whale: A New World of Gods and Monsters
ASIN: 0304328618 |
Book Description
A musician's compilation of 104 provocative and practical definitions, cross-referenced and indexed by composer. Drawing on a broad range of contemporary culture, it heightens awareness of listening, referring to 55 musical works ranging from Gregorian chant to Leonard Bernstein.
Customer Reviews:
highly, HIGHLY, recommended.......2006-05-18
Insightful, witty, and fascinating. It's easy to read the whole book in one sitting, without meaning to, simply by following the cross references where they take you. The author was my piano teacher, and so many lessons, so many epiphanies and instructive anecdotes came back to me as I read her uncommon glossary.
one of a kind.......2006-03-29
a great little book...smart and imaginative -- the kind of informative little tome that one dosen't see much of. Not only does it answer questions, but it provokes further curiosity.
A unique book.......2000-04-18
Anyone with a feeling for music will find many engaging things in this book. The writer is a musician who brings both a very distinctive sensibility to musical experience and an unusual ability to express her perception to the reader. "What might it mean?" is organized as a glossary of musical terms, ranging from 'accidentals' to 'voicing', almost always concerned with the immediacies of hearing and other senses, and illustrated with references to the work of well known composers and the author's own experience. Here is part of her gloss of 'fingering'. "There are basicly two extremes [of fingering]: those who believe that fingers should be trained to function interchangeably, just as tonalities on the piano are supposedly interchangeable; and those who maintain that the distinct characteristics of individual fingers must relate to the specific leverage of black and white keys in every scale and every passage. Artistry is in the ear and expressed by the hand. Your hands are the only ones of their kind ...". Glosses are often eccentric, and sometimes 'hilarious' (one of the terms glossed). Here is 'dolce': "Dolce is an Italian dessert, whose only relevance to music might take the form of a smudge on the printed score or a sugar-induced slump in a players brain. In music I think it means something closer to 'dolce far niente'- freely translated: 'Take it easy, don't count'". Many people will be entranced and enlightened by the book.
Book Description
America's most popular crosswords.First time in book form!The New York Times daily crossword puzzle books are the longest-running series of America's favorite puzzles from the Times and crossword legend Will Shortz. Instead of the obscure trivia or bizarre vocabulary words of older-style crosswords, these fresh puzzles emphasize creative thinking, modern cultural figures, and fun, flexible vocabulary. Now in book form for the first time ever 50 daily crossword puzzles from editor Will Shortz Author bylines allow fans to get to know today's top constructors
Book Description
hen it comes to understanding the great cultural ocean that divides Brits and Yanks, it's not just our vocabulary but also our attitudes that differ. This irreverent guide surveys a whole gamut of British-American divergences, from sex to food, from pets to religion, from sports to money, and from war to-most divergent of all-humor. Entertaining and invaluable, Brit-Think, Ameri-Think has been updated to reflect changes in political, cultural, and social trends, and includes new chapters on cultural icons Oprah Winfrey and Bridget Jones, and on Brit-cool vs. Ameri-cool.
Customer Reviews:
Truly Brilliant!!!.......2007-08-17
I am both and English and American citizen, and I finally understand how I have become so screwed up : )
This explains it all, and is laugh out loud funny.
A gem!!!
DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY.......2007-08-15
At the risk of going on a tirade, it deplicted all Americans to be gum-chewing, pink-cowboy-hat-wearing, loud, uneducated, boorish idiots. Conversely, it depicted the English/ British as pompous, bowler-hat-wearing, demure, easily-offended, hyper-mannered, stifled bores. I am American and my husband is English; we are nothing if not the polar opposite of these depictions. I was constantly offended my the author's wide-cast net of stereotypes. I agree there are many in ANY country of these type-casts, but to write a book attempting to acclimatize people to a new country/ lifestyle/ attitude... honey, do some more research that isn't heavily embedded in watching old reruns of "Keeping Up Appearances" and/ or "Dukes of Hazard".
Two branches of the same tree. .......2006-12-28
This book Pokes fun but tells the truth about our two cultures. It is a very entertaining eye-opener as it compares the American and the British point of view concerning all the basics of living. A quick read with quite a few chuckles.
Don't take it too seriously.......2006-10-25
I know some reviewers found this book offensive, but my mother is British and I can honestly say I was not offended. In fact, I found myself smiling and laughing more than once while reading it. Different chapters made me think back on some of my adventures with the "relatives" I was surrounded by when I was a child (while summering with Mum in the UK) and trying to figure everyone out!
I don't think the author meant to imply that Americans were in any way superior (goodness knows we have our faults!), and I do concur that some of the descriptions of Brits were a tad outdated. Just remember if you do buy this book to take it with a grain of salt.
Opinionated, but insightful.......2006-07-06
Ms Walmsley clearly grinds her axe on both sides, but there's a lot of food for thought here, both as comparisons between the two English-speaking populations and as "if the shoe fits" mirrors
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