Cognitive Science, Literature, and the Arts: A Guide for Humanists

Book Description

Cognitive Science, Literature, and the Arts is the first student-friendly introduction to the uses of cognitive science in the study of literature, written specifically for the non-scientist. Patrick Colm Hogan guides the reader through all of the major theories of cognitive science, focusing on those areas that are most important to fostering a new understanding of the production and reception of literature. This accessible volume provides a strong foundation of the basic principles of cognitive science, and allows us to begin to understand how the brain works and makes us feel as we read.

Average customer rating:

A resounding "meh"

Blast from the Past

Doctor Who: Island Of Death (Dr Who)
Barry Letts
Manufacturer: BBC Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0563486317

Book Description

Sarah Jane Smith and her friend Jamie Fitzoliver investigate a strange New Age cult. Business as usual for investigative journalists. But what is less usual is the demon-like creature the cultists worship. When the Doctor and UNIT arrive to investigate they discover a plot involving government ministers, alien narcotics, and an official cover-up. As an evil scheme develops on a remote island in the Indian Ocean, the Doctor enlists the help of the Royal Navy to investigate. But can the Doctor and his friends uncover the truth in time to avert disaster?

Customer Reviews:

A resounding "meh".......2007-07-31

"Island of Death" was mostly a disappointment. It does manage to fufill the PDA ideal of feeling like the era it's set in (season 11).... it just feels like the worst things about that era. Mainly, the Doctor's an arrogant childish jerk the first half of the book and there's about 50 pages of pure padding in the middle that killed any feeling of suspense I might've had. Not that there was that much suspense to begin with, it's obvious pretty early on roughly where it's all going, bar a few minor twists.

But on the bright side, I liked the way Letts tried to flesh out Sarah Jane a little (too bad he didn't do it 30 years ago!), and I think he did a decent job with the Brig.

Blast from the Past.......2005-12-08

I bought this since I wanted Who. Any Who. I like Jon Pertwee's Doctor well enough but he's not my favorite. This book was a wholly unexpected delight. It had the charm of that era and Barry Letts so perfectly captures the relationship of the Doctor, Sarah, and the Brigadier that you can see and hear them in your imagination. This is one of my favorite depictions of the Brigadier. The plot is not complex but it unfolds with a satisfying pace. Is it just me or is there a Lovecraftian touch to the Skang?

Amazon.com

Joe Queenan is, by his own admission, not a nice man. He is, however, hilarious. These twin traits, combined with a genuine love of movies in all their flawed, insane glory, make him particularly well-suited to writing vicious and side-splitting little gems of film commentary. Queenan is a master of the quick jab (during a showing of Alive he is compelled to shout, "Eat Vincent Spano first!") and of cutting to the chase ("In short, Philadelphia is A Few Good Gay Men"), but it is his longer, more thoughtful pieces that really make the book. "Hair Force," his essay on actors who manage to hijack the audience's attention for entire films through inappropriate wig use, is a masterful dissection of an insidious and chilling cinematic phenomenon. "The Drilling Fields" is a heartrending piece on the consistent and doubtless crushing failure of the motion picture industry to portray dentists in a positive light. And only Queenan could produce "And Then There Were Nuns," the most complete guide to nun movies you're ever likely to run across.

But Queenan is no mere armchair sociologist. He is unafraid to venture into the field and put his own life at risk for the increase of cinematic knowledge. In the book's title piece, he shouts his way through movie after movie, trying to figure out what it is that makes people put up with hecklers. In the ongoing "Don't Try This at Home" series, Queenan puts cinematic plot points to the test, using the most rigorous scientific standards to determine whether you can really learn Portuguese in 20 minutes like John Travolta in Phenomenon (no) and if hot candle wax is really as erotic as it seems in Body of Evidence (don't even think about it). All in all, this is an indispensable volume for any serious film student. Especially if the film student in question really hates Vincent Spano. --Ali Davis

Book Description

In this wickedly funny book, Joe Queenan is back in the movie theater, heckling the stars, directors, producersand audiencesthat define todays film industry. Setting out to torment innocent moviegoers, Queenan is in top formand loving itin this fun-filled, hilarious new collection of tirades and escapades in the absurd world of celluloid.

Customer Reviews:

Fun, light reading.......2006-05-25

I had never heard of Queenan before but I happened upon this book and it was on sale for 3 dollars so I figured, what the heck, it looks like fun. When I first picked the book up, I thought it was about a social experiment about how people would react to a heckler in the theater- I was partially right, because it this topic is covered in only one chapter. That being said, some parts of the book I wanted to skim over, because the movies being discussed were really old, but some parts of this book had me laughing so hard I was crying!! For these parts alone, the book is worth picking up. This is a nice break from all that 'heavy reading' (meaning every other book you've been reading.) Of course, if you are a film buff you will love this book, and probably get a lot more out of it than I did!

A Bit Dated, but Still Hilarious.......2003-07-16

Humorist and film critic Joe Queenan has one of the most biting sense of humors around. Reading along as he skewers Hollywood, a pompus institution that sorely needs it, is sheer pleasure. The book is mostly a series of essays in which Quennan takes on one aspect or another of Hollywood filmmaking and works it over with his lethal prose. Anyone who loves Queenan's writing, or who is dedicated film buff should love "Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler."

That said, the book is a bit dated. Most of the individual chapters were articles Queenan wrote for "Movieland" magazine between ten and five years ago. Though I had seen many of the movies he makes reference to, I occasionally had to strain my memory to recall exactly what he was talking about. That one caveat aside, however, I give "Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler" an enthusiastic "Thumbs Up!"

Would you please shut up! I'm trying to watch a movie here!.......2003-01-14

Joe Queenan is a cynical b*stard. No, that's not an insult, and he probably wouldn't take it as such. In fact, he'd probably revel in it and tell me to keep up the good work. Queenan used to write for Movieline magazine and, for me at least, was the only thing worth reading in there. Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler: Celluloid Tirades and Escapades is a collection of some of these articles. As long as you don't mind raw language and (usually) snarky comments about movies and movie stars, you won't find a funnier book of entertainment essays around. I had to read parts of this book out loud to my wife (who has already read it, but so long ago that she doesn't remember details) because I had to talk about them to somebody.

This was my first exposure to Queenan (at my wife's urging) and I can definitely say I'm going to track down the rest of his books. He has a self-admittedly bad attitude which doesn't really suit every reader, but makes me laugh and giggle endlessly at what he says. The title article, where he goes to certain movies and heckles them loudly to see how long it will take before other movie-goers will do something other than say "shhhhhh!" works on two levels: it shows what a complete a** he can be, but it also shows how passive a society we have become. He went to ten films and shouted things at the screen or at audience members who politely asked him to be quiet (such as "The movie's in Greek, pal. Potato chips can't drown out subtitles") In only one of these movies was he thrown out, and most of the other time, people either just tried to ignore him or basically just said "shhhh!" Very rarely did anybody actually do anything about it.

That's one of the great things about Queenan. Sometimes, behind all the cynicism and general bad behaviour, there's a point to his articles. There's a wonderful article on Spike Lee in here, where Queenan not only interviews him, but comments on the interview too. Queenan doesn't ask the soft, simple questions but instead asks Lee things about the craft of his movies, even criticizing a bit and asking him to respond (like asking him about the long, drawn out endings to his movies). He comments in the article about how good he thinks Lee is, despite some of the problems in his films. Some see the article as tearing down Lee, but I saw a lot of respect underneath the smart-a** questions, questions that say "I like your movies, but couldn't they be better if you do [fill in the blank]?" Of course, he does end the article with a note written since the article was published, saying that he would think that, after Lee heckled Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers in a playoff game, inspiring him to 50+ points and the win, that the New York Knicks would have "kicked his scrawny a**. No such luck." But again, I think that's his good-natured cynicism.

There are plenty of other hilarious articles in this wonderful book, and only a couple of clunkers. Some of the great articles are: the first "Don't do this at home" where he tries to enact certain movie scenes to see if they are at all realistic, an article on Irish films and their cliches, an article about the suddenly common practice of ear mutilation in films, Antonio Banderas and why he keeps getting pushed down our throats as "the newest star" though his movies keep bombing, bad hair in films, and too many more to mention unless I just do a list, which would get boring really fast.

There are a couple of skippable ones in this book, though. "For Members Only," an article about the mutilation of male genitalia in movies, is kind of boring. An article about how he became a crusader against sitting through bad films, and started reimbursing customers who went to see them falls a little flat. And the article on his foray into watching just foreign films and how he discovers they are the same horrible stuff that Hollywood is putting out, while mildly interesting, lacks some of the zing of his other articles. Unfortunately, the book ends on a lackluster note with another "Don't Try This at Home" article that's nowhere near as good as the first one in the book.

Still, if you like cynical humour, can put up with foul language and wondering if there is a movie in the world that Queenan likes (he does compliment quite a few films, though some of those compliments are sort of back-handed), then you will love this book. Queenan has quite the way with words, and as long as his style doesn't turn you off, he's a great writer. Some of the articles talked about movies I'd never heard of, but I didn't care. His writing made the article worthwhile. Personally, I'm going to be tracking down all of his other books and giving them a try as well.

Another Acidic Collection from Queenan.......2001-06-26

Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler is a collection of previously released essays by Joe Queenan. They are all in the typical Queenan fashion of mean spirited humor that Mr. Queenan has perfected. You will find yourself laughing out loud at his skewering of the self-important film industry. His essay on Irish films and their Blarney quotient is absolutely brilliant.

King Queenan.......2001-02-15

So many nasty reviews about this book have missed one point entirely. Is Joe Queenan funny? Yes. Is Joe Queenan mean and cynical? Of course. Does Joe Queenan have a right to be? Well, have you seen the dreck that Hollywood releases every Friday? Of course Joe Queenan is going to be mean and cynical, especially when we could pay off the nation debt if we took all of our movie going and video renting money and sent it to the government instead of waiting in line to rent "Bring It On" or catch the matinee showing of "Dude, Where's My Car?" I wholeheartedly support Queenan's endeavours, and pray to God Jason Biggs and Freddie Prinze, Jr. will retire from acting. Write on, Joe.

Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler. Celluloid Tirades and Escapades.

Average customer rating:

Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler. Celluloid Tirades and Escapades.

Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I355WW

Product Description

As a background actor for 8 years, Jo Kelly has written this book to help new people coming into "sho biz" to avoid the pitfalls & scams she encountered. She also tells you how to find the legitimate background casting agencies that she has worked for. There is a chapter on casting children to help Mom's avoid scams also. There is information on wardrobe, tips on what to expect on a set, the lingo used, mistakes she made and how to avoid them.

Customer Reviews:

Incredible Inside Information .......2007-03-06

"The Truth about Being an Extra: How to Become a Good Background Actor" by Jo Kelly is an amazing book. Finding each and every page interesting, exciting and filled with valuable information, I read it nonstop from beginning to end. I even found valuable information in the introductory sections before the first chapter and in the information at the end of the book. I devoured this book with enthusiasm from cover to cover! Jo Kelly's writing style is friendly, informative, encouraging, and easy to understand. She provides examples of scams and problems she encountered early in her career as a background actor, and explains how she eventually received many successful jobs in background acting once she learned the ropes. She also provides lists- -including addresses and phone numbers- -of legitimate casting agencies for background actors. After reading Jo Kelly's book, I felt that becoming a background actor is a very real possibility, and that it would be tremendous fun!

Should be considered "must reading" for anyone aspiring to a background acting gig.......2006-08-11

In "The Truth About Being An Extra", Jo Kelly (founder of Background Actor Seminars) draws upon her years of professional experience as a veteran background actor and her personal insights as a former celebrity wife to reveal "inside secrets" to becoming a successful "background actor", that is, one of those folks you see in movie and television scenes of crowds, passers-by, restaurant diners, etc. Readers will also learn of scams and pitfalls that can happen to naive actors accepting walk-on, background roles in movies, television and commercials when they register with casting agencies. A compendium of solid film industry information, invaluable advice for newcomers, illustrative anecdotal stories of her own experiences, practical tips for securing background acting jobs, locating legitimate casting agencies, as well as becoming both comfortable and professional on the set, "The Truth To Being An Extra" should be found in every college Theatre Department's reference collection and considered "must reading" for anyone aspiring to a background acting gig.

Discusses Both General and Specific Issues.......2006-05-15

This is a quick read that is full of interesting tidbits of information providing a rare glimpse into the world of working as a background actor in the movies. It is not a detailed guide by any means but it does give the reader an overview of many things aspiring "extra" needs to consider as they travel this career path.

Author Jo Kelly comes across as knowledgeable and very personable in her style of writing. Kelly generously shares her knowledge to help newcomers avoid some of the mistakes she made. Her numerous stories from the trenches offer insights into how the real world works and serves up helpful warnings for the neophyte.

The author offers many very specific recommendations with all the necessary contact details. Unfortunately, for readers outside California, the contacts in "The Truth About Being An Extra" seem to only apply for those in Los Angeles (Hollywood). Other interested readers could probably use these listings as a guide and seek out comparable resources in their own part of the world. For example, Canadian actors might find the book useful for its general advice but then need to go a step further. They would need to seek out the agents, agencies, and specific organizations that are relevant in Canada if that's where they plan to start their career as a background actor.

Kelly discusses both general and specific issues. She mentions child actors, parents of child actors, and actors with disabilities as examples of situations with unique considerations. The glossary of the vocabulary used in the industry adds even more clarity.

As a complete outsider to the world of movie making, I came away feeling I had a bit of insider knowledge about the day-to-day reality of a career as a movie extra. It was a bonus to also learn Kelly's fascinating personal story about how she happened to write this book. Widowed in the early 1990's, her original goal was to make a career change by breaking into the world of background acting! Once she learned to be a good movie extra, she then moved on to give presentations, run seminars, and write this book.

What makes this story within the story so interesting is that she had a major hurdle to overcome first - she had to conquer her fear of public speaking. She gladly credits Toastmasters for helping her deal with that challenge. And the rest, as they say, is history.

A Great Resource for Aspiring Movie Extras.......2006-04-25

Author and veteran movie extra Jo Kelly candidly shares her experience in the field of background acting for films in Los Angeles, CA. Included in this handy guide is contact information for casting agencies and casting agenies, calling services, production studios, and tips for how to join the Screen Actors Guild. The business of background acting (from tracking expenses, finding the location of the shoot, and where to turn for tax preparation help) are also covered. This is an excellent gift book for any aspiring actor interested in learning the ropes of show business and finding his-or-her way around LA. Give one to your community theatre director and pass the information on to others who'd like to work as a movie extra.

Excellent guide for people who want to be in movies.......2006-04-13

A great little book for anyone interested in getting into the "extra" game. Jo Kelly gives lots of very practical advice and good "do's and don'ts" for the first-timer. I especially liked her guidance for those about to appear as a background actor for the first time--she takes away some of the fear of the unknown and tells you the most important things to be aware of BEFORE you step on the set. She also provides excellent resources for child casting, calling services, talent agencies, and scams you may encounter as you get into the field. Definitely recommended for anyone thinking about being an extra, or anyone who has done it and wants to learn more.

Average customer rating:

OK

Bluff Your Way in the Rock Music Business (The Bluffer's Guides)
David Knopfler
Manufacturer: Ravette Publishing Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1853048623

Book Description

Those with a real talent for making music rarely wind up as Recording Artists whereas those with no apparent talent for it can frequently be found at the top of the charts.

Customer Reviews:

OK.......2006-05-17

This is a good book with some interesting strategies, but some of us would rather honestly make our way into the music industry, instead of bluffing. So if you feel deceitful and snake-like then read this book, but if you want to truly impress people, I suggest "How To Make A Furtune In The Music Industry By Doing It Yourself: Your Personal Step-By-Step Guide To Having A Successful Career In The Music Business. ... To Sell Music, Book Shows And Get Noticed!"

The Bluffer's Guide to the Rock Business: Bluff Your Way in the Rock Business

Average customer rating:

The Bluffer's Guide to the Rock Business: Bluff Your Way in the Rock Business
David Knopfler
Manufacturer: Oval Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1903096170

Book Description

A snappy little book containing facts, jargon, and inside information--all that readers need to know to hold their own among the experts.

Average customer rating:

New combat rules broaden the vistas of AD&D

The Complete Gladiator's Handbook (AD&D/Dark Sun Accessory CGR2)
Walter M. Baas
Manufacturer: TSR Hobbies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560766166

Customer Reviews:

New combat rules broaden the vistas of AD&D.......2000-06-09

If you're intrigued by the world of Dark Sun, you need this book... it details the most colorful, exciting, and powerfully unique character class of that universe, the Gladiator. Chapters include: gladiator kits (including the Beast Trainer, Blind Fighter, Reaver, Gladiatorial Slave, and much more), armor optimization (perfect for any campaign!), new weapon proficiencies, martial arts and exciting new combat rules for desperate hand-to-hand struggles, the Arenas of Tyr, designing a Gladiatorial campaign, tournaments, and more... this flexible combat system is so wonderfully detailed and yet approachable that you'll find yourself wondering how you ever role-played Fighters without it. Ideal!

Book Description

Includes trading examples that illustrate points about risk management and leverage.
Presents all the practical knowledge necessary to run a leveraged investment company.
Non-technical explanations brings an element of transparency to a part of the investment world often thought of as difficult to understand.

Customer Reviews:

Still need a lawyer.......2007-03-08

Tells you everything you need to know; however you will still need a good lawyer to set you up properly. I bought the book first, and then still spent tens of thousands of dollars to set up my fund.

Appropriate for beginners.......2006-09-18

While I wasn't expecting much, from reading the mediocre reviews posted here, I was surprised to find fairly decent amount of valuable information in the book, albeit for a novice in the hedge fund world.

For instance, the structure of a hedge fund was explained to me by one of the best lawyers who specializes in setting up hedge funds, here on the west coast. The charts that were used in the book mirrored the thoughts of the lawyer.

Within the last 2 years, the industry has changed drastically and quickly that some issues/rules/regulations are outdated. I would recommend this book for the reader who is looking at a hedge fund for the very first time.

Who's this book for?.......2006-07-19

I share the view that if you're searching for investing techniques you're really looking in the wrong place (and maybe you should learn to use the "search inside" feature on top of the page...); my point however is that I can't see who's this book targeted for: if you're an experienced professional looking to strike out on you're own you won't discover anything you didn't already know, if you're so naive that you'll be learning something new then, as another reviewer put it so well, you shouldn't be managing money in the first place.
I'd like to add however that it's nice to see an effort to write something about start-ups in the HF industry, given the massive amount of traders and managers hungry for information on how to get their piece of this 1 trillion dollars cake: maybe someone will fill the void in the future.

Where's the beef?.......2005-08-25

I'm not sure what Stuart was attempting to do with this book, but certainly the title was misleading. I found the book to be largely useless and I'm surprised he has authored another book on the topic.

Another college textbook.......2005-06-29

For those readers interested in running money through a hedge fund this is an okay book. (Note: For those interested in running money through a mutual fund, I recommend Start a Successful Mutual Fund by Melinda Gerber.)

Mr. McCrary's book discusses broad topics about the industry but also covers some things that can be learned better from a specialty book about marketing or business plan writing. It does not mention how hedge funds are getting into private equity, prime brokers, Sarbanes-Oxley, or the Anti-Money Laundering Act. It is also weak on specific details about how to run a fund day-to-day.

In general the book reminded me of a college textbook. It is most valuable to anyone who wants a good beginning knowledge of hedge funds.

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