Narrative: National Gallery Pocket Guide (National Gallery London Publications)

Book Description

Every painting evokes stories, often as many stories as it has spectators. Yet the stories are not necessarily those the artists meant to tell. Narrative paintings, explains Erika Langmuir, become harder for spectators to understand when they are shown out of their original context. Over time, viewers become less familiar with the literature and artistic conventions of the past, and when painters draw on more wide-ranging and obscure sources, the narrative structures embedded in visual art are frequently left unexplored. In this beautifully illustrated Pocket Guide, Langmuir familiarizes the modern viewer with some of the best or most intriguing examples of Western narrative painting. She examines the different styles of narrative painting and demonstrates how narrative pictures evolved, how they differ from others that only seem to convey stories—and how viewers' irrepressible tendency to make up stories eventually helped to erode that difference.

Customer Reviews:

World's most expensive AND cheap magazine!.......2004-01-26

Don't get me wrong, I love Visionaire and own many issues and hope they keep putting out new issues, but I am also hard on them when, IMHO, they don't meet my expectations.

It seems Visionaire has had an "up and down" quality issue as of late. Some issues are as elaborate as can be, others are like this issue, a cheaply bound "book" in a even more cheap looking "case".

Since this issue is sponsored by "Olay Colour" I guess they wanted to make the case like a make-up "compact". The case is flimsy, tin, and silver colored with a "button" you press to make it pop open like a compact. At least that's what it looks like it's supposed to be. Whatever it is, one thing is for certain, the case is cheap and ugly looking.

The book itself is a meager affair. It's soft bound with a red "velvet" material as the cover. There are various images in the book that are supposed to represent different aspects of women. There are mostly young and sexy representations with the occasional naked old woman thrown in or a cat nursing her kittens for an added twist on the theme. There is also a "life-size" nude dividing up the book, apparently if you had 6 copies of the book you could "build" the woman by stacking the books on top of each other. Is this creativity or just a cheap ploy to get people to buy 6 issues each of this "collectible" magazine? Anyway, anything with a print run of 6000 isn't considered rare, it would have to be under 3000 tops.

Definately one of the worst issues to date, I'm sorry to say. It seems such a waste to have a subject with such possibilities done so thoughtlessly.

learning to see art.......2000-09-24

so alot of people say the depictions are "not nice"? oh well! learn to see meaning, try to get outside your own and society's fashionable limits for a second and view what other people are trying to say and thinking about whether you like it or not. this is communication. decode. if you aren't on the edge yet or simply mocking that edge that everyone's trying to jump on, take a look at visionaire and call it a prediction of your mind's apocalypse. change is good.

Great packaging ... disappointing photographs.......2000-01-31

When I purchase a great art book, I can't wait to share it with my friends. In the case of "Visionaire 29: Woman," I'm reluctant to even put it on my coffee table. The allure of this book stems from its being a one-of-a-series, limited edition (only 6000 printed) publication. Other plusses are its high quality paper, velvet cover and the really cool, mirrored presentation case.

What's between the covers turned out to be a disappointment for me. [Note: #29 is the only "Visionaire" book I've seen, so I can't make a comparison to the others]. There are about 100 pages of mostly photos (both color and b/w, many nudes) with a couple of paintings, sketches, etc., included. About 70 people were listed as contributors.

While some of the photos are interesting, beauty does not abound here (try instead: "Photographs" by Patrick Demarchelier). Noteworthy are the photos by Karl Lagerfield, Peter Lindbergh (of Madonna) and Marcus Piggott/Matt Alas. What I don't relish looking at are pictures of a sex doll with its face slashed, a nude torso with nasty cosmetic surgery scars, or some overly back-lit stills from a stairway video installation. There's also a photo of a cat nursing her kittens ("woman"?). Okay, so if the subject matter isn't always charming, maybe there's supposed to be a theme or message to this compilation of art. I couldn't find one.

If you're a collector of rare, trendy photo books, it might be worth your while to plunk down the steep price for this. But, in my opinion, the bad outweighs the good here.

At last, it's there................................2000-01-08

Finally it has arrived, the latest Visionaire. It should have arrived in october 1999, but as you probably know, the editors of Visionaire don't care about that. They probably think is is fashionably. Well, #29 is all about Women, and nothing more. They are many nude pictures in the book and what I think is really not nice, is a picture of a woman in her 70's naked. Very nice are the various pictures by Mario Testino, and the drawings by Mats Gustafson. My favorite is Lady Amanda Harlech by Karl Lagerfeld. Fabulous pictures in black and white. One of the greatest things about Visionaire is that they always come with a special gift and this time it is a metal/chrome box around the book. Really great with a great design value. Buy this one before it's sold out,because it comes in an limited edition of 6000 copies. Also look at Visionaire #28: the Bible. This comes with a fabulous box designed by Philippe Starck.

Average customer rating:

Jesus! Towel! Electronic Towel!

Great Comic, but only Good Collection

I liked it.

Thrilling Tom the Dancing Bug Stories
Ruben Bolling
Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Great Big Book of Tomorrow: A Treasury of Cartoons

Hell in a Handbasket

All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned from My Golf-Playing Cats: Tom the Dancing Bug

Tom the Dancing Bug: A Collection of Cartoons

Get Your War On II

ASIN: 0740747371

Book Description

Cartoonist Ruben Bolling's oddball strip, Tom the Dancing Bug, makes waves on a weekly basis. Recognized the past two years by the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies (AAN) as Best Cartoon, Tom the Dancing Bug is "consistently funny, pointed without being dogmatic, and takes on subjects that no one else does . . . an oasis of keen intelligence in the comics page," according to the 2003 AAN judges. Here are just a couple headlines from the quirky strip's "News of the Times":¨ Computer Loses to Human Candy Land Champion: Despite progress made in developing a computer program that can defeat a human chess champion, computer scientists confess that they have been unable to launch a significant challenge to human supremacy in the game of Candy Land.¨ Scientists Discover Media Has Quantum Effect on Reality: A team of physicists discovers that an electron is in an uncertain state until the media report on it. For example, once an electron was measured and reported upon by Mary Hart on the "Celebrity Corner" segment of Entertainment Tonight, it instantly assumed its nature as a particle.Tom the Dancing Bug's client list is diverse, representing the breadth of contemporary journalism: alternative newspapers, such as Dallas Observer and the Village Voice; prestigious daily newspapers, including the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times; Salon.com, an acclaimed online magazine; and the New Yorker magazine.

Customer Reviews:

Jesus! Towel! Electronic Towel!.......2006-03-18

I've been reading Tom the Dancing Bug since '99 and I finally have all my favorite comics in one place. Now I can retire the torn-from-the-newspaper copy of "Crazy Morty" from my refigerator door. I would've liked to see more Super Fun Pack Comix in the compilation, but really, it's all good stuff.

Great Comic, but only Good Collection.......2006-01-24

First things first: Bolling's TDB is the best newspaper comic being written today. If you are considering buying this book, you probably already know that, and I encourage you to purchase this volume; you will enjoy it.

This book was very entertaining, but I had some problems with it unrelated to the quality of Mr. Bolling's talent. Mainly, that this collection omits many strips from the sequence; it is not a comprehensive collection. I first noticed this when I came to where the first post 9-11 strip should have been. The Super Comix Fun Pak 9-11 strip is a classic, one of Bolling's most famous cartoons, and i was surprised to see it omited. I considered that this was perhaps because it was "dated" material, but many other topical strips are reprinted including several other terrorist themed strips from late 2001. This struck me as an odd editorial choice. In fact, only one of the 221 strips in this collection is a Super Comix Fun Pak, which was disapointing considering it's one of my favorite features. On the other had, dozens of the less stellar "Did You Know?" strips are included.
Additionally, several redux strips are printed. For example Bolling draws "Bad Meat" a mock ad for meat made only from animals "convicted of a capital crime" and then a few years later uses the same format to revisit the subject with "smart meat" for "those morally opposed to the slaughter of mentaly retarded animals." To me these two strips were basicly interchangeable: the joke is that food animals are being executed. It's fine that bolling revists material when he thinks of an additional twist, but if strips are going to be omited from the book, why not omit one of the strips that is a slightly improved version of an earlier joke? There are a few of these pairs, and normally it would be fine to include them, but in this book they are bumping out other material that has fresh jokes.
I hope that someday we'll get the sturdy comprehensive collection this strip deserves. Given how few papers TDB runs in, I won't hold my breath for when this will be a marketable reality. I guess we'll just have to settle for reading them online until then.
Also of note is that nothing (or almost nothing) is reprinted from Bolling's two earlier out-of-print books, so once you've read this volume, don't be afraid to go ahead and spend the extra money it costs to get those.

I liked it. .......2004-11-06

But frankly, I like everything. One time a guy came up and smacked me in the nose. Sure there was some pain, but I had a new experience under my belt. Can't put a price on new experiences! Speaking of under my belt I also had a loaf of Wonder Bread in my back pocket -- which was the fashion in those days. I had my share of girlfriends, but always felt lonely when Arbor Day would roll around. Speaking of rolling around, I once had a flat on my tandem bicycle (I always rode in back -- even when I was by myself -- didn't want to seem uppity), so I lay down on the asphalt and rolled to my Uncle Phil's house. Uncle Phil was a bit of an eccentric and he was afraid to have his feet touch carpet of any sort. So he would either make you carry him on his back or he would jump from one piece of furniture to the next. When I pointed out that furniture is made of similar fabric to carpet he smacked me in the nose. Sure there was some pain ...

Book Description

For those who delight in the rude, who have fun with the foul, nothing could be more entertaining than this unique look at the world’s most embarrassing sound and aroma. Illustrated with hilariously subtitled images from silent and other movies, it offers pure, unadulterated amusement. Peruse the 2,000-word glossary of various “farts” and “farters.” Find out about Farts in History, and how they changed the world. “The Way of the Third Eye” provides a religious and martial arts guide to farting prowess. To fart or not to fart: that is the question, and a “social directory” answers it. Top Twenty lists present the best fart-related films, books, and songs. Interspersed throughout are boxes featuring facts, quotes, and real-life farters such as Mr. Methane.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent read!.......2005-07-30

I recommend this book to anyone who has wondered about where farts come from, and how to master your farts. This book talks about the different kinds of fart, and how you can control which to produce at which time. I've learned how to emit a total of 82 different farts thanks to this book, and I never knew that different combinations of food could enhance your arsenal. The author of this book should be knighted.

The Art of the Fart Kit (Petite Plus Kit Series)

Average customer rating:

The Art of the Fart Kit (Petite Plus Kit Series)
Michael W. Domis
Manufacturer: Peter Pauper Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1593598513

How To Fart Like a Lady and 39 Other Ideas for How-To Books and Articles We Wish Someone Would Write

Average customer rating:

Painfully Hysterical!

How To Fart Like a Lady and 39 Other Ideas for How-To Books and Articles We Wish Someone Would Write
Poyn, T Nipoles , and Scarlett Nipoles
Manufacturer: The Forager
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Essays | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0974657441

Book Description

At last! A list of book and article ideas that haven't been written to death! Pick up your Fart today . don't wait till the competition sniffs out these ideas! "How to Fart Like a Lady" is just one of a bundle of tongue-in-cheek ideas that the authors wish "someone else would write." Each irreverent idea comes complete with suggestions about what might make a good approach . and an occasional plea for quick work (such as the immediate need for a piece on "How to Survive Your Son's Slutty Girlfriend"). "Fart" is fully (and perversely) illustrated - further warping any hope the reader might have of avoiding visual imagery of some of the more, well, poignant ideas. But what else would you expect from authors who go by the names Poyn T. and Scarlett Nipoles?

Download Description

Customer Reviews:

Painfully Hysterical!.......2005-08-08

Now here's a book for writers (and would-be writers)! Anyone who's ever stared at a blank page in the typewriter or a blank computer screen needs this book ... if for no other reason than to take a break! I've read enough how-to-write books - including the staple of the writing world, "Ideas for Books and Articles" list books - to really appreciate this tongue-in-cheek look at the world through the jaded eyes of writers suffering an apparent case of (lazy) writer's block.
Enjoy - and then write some of these articles (I too would like to know how to "Fart Like a Lady".

Average customer rating:

Art of the Fart X20 Counterpack
Stephen Bryant
Manufacturer: Robson Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 186105792X

Book Description

In this book, David MacDougall, one of the leading ethnographic filmmakers and film scholars of his generation, builds upon the ideas from his widely praised Transcultural Cinema and argues for a new conception of how visual images create human knowledge in a world in which the value of seeing has often been eclipsed by words.

In ten chapters, MacDougall explores the relations between photographic images and the human body-the body of the viewer and the body behind the camera as well as the body as seen in ethnography, cinema, and photography. In a landmark piece, he discusses the need for a new field of social aesthetics, further elaborated in his reflections on filming at an elite boys' school in northern India. The theme of the school is taken up as well in his discussion of fiction and nonfiction films of childhood. The book's final section presents a radical view of the history of visual anthropology as a maverick anthropological practice that was always at odds with the anthropology of words. In place of the conventional wisdom, he proposes a new set of principles for visual anthropology.

These are essays in the classical sense--speculative, judicious, lucidly written, and mercifully jargon-free. The Corporeal Image presents the latest ideas from one of our foremost thinkers on the role of vision and visual representation in contemporary social thought.

Book Description

It can be difficult for urbanized folk to imagine a world where the daily sounds are those of nature and of the small noises of human work and voices. How much more difficult is it to imagine the incredible impact of the ancient musical dancing ceremonies of the Oceanic tribes of the Kanak? It is evident that these ceremonies, named pilou-pilou by the first French missionaries, had great importance in Kanak life, and that they were the most tremendous acoustical events to be heard in that world. The beating of bark-clappers and the stamping of bamboo tubes was combined with part-songs by two singers, accompanied by the shouting, cries, and whistles of hundreds of dancers. All this must have left an indelible mark on the aural sensations of the participants. After such ceremonies, that world returned to the sounds of nature. Today the Kanak aural world has entirely changed. People are used to the noise of cars and machines, to the wonders of modernization, and even to those living in rural areas the presence of machine noises is so prevalent that the seas and the forests may now seem dulled. This examination of Kanak Music and Dance proves a marvellous kind of time capsule, a way to see into a past environment through a persisting tradition.

Book Description

Innovative games promote learning through play -- the proven path to success in school.

At last Dorling Kindersley quality is available in a new group of games designed for the younger set. Full-color photos and bold graphics plus traditional and original, specially created games make these the playthings children will return to again and again.

Math Puzzles: Math skills practice for the early elementary grades.

Customer Reviews:

Making Math Fun -- Even for Toddlers!.......2005-11-05

This is as simple as it gets: It's a set of cardboard puzzle pieces displaying basic addition and subtraction equations. For example, you can match the piece that says "1+5" with the piece that says "=6". The pieces that go together are cleverly designed with a unique interlocking edge, so you can't connect "1+5" with any other solution.

I know there's a game involving these equations, but in our house we've never even read the directions. That's because my son, who loves his "numbers puzzle," is only 3 years old, supposedly way too young for this activity. That doesn't stop him from poring over the pieces and fitting them together into equations. He loves it! Because of this set, my 3-year-old now knows as much math as most first graders. His only complaint (and the reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5) is that the numbers end at 10. He wants to add and subtract larger numbers! DK Publishers: how about a "sequel"?

Average customer rating:

Math Puzzles (Sticker Workbooks)
DK Publishing
Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0789437279

Average customer rating:

Not bad... but not great.

Very disappointing and superficial

OVERSIMPLIFIED

First time homebuyer abc's...

Don't buy or sell a home without this book!

Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying and Selling a Home, 4th Ed (The Complete Idiot's Guide)
Shelley O'Hara , and Nancy D. Lewis
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Buying & Selling Homes | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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Home Buying For Dummies, 3rd edition

100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask: With Answers from Top Brokers from Around the Country (100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask)

How to Buy a Home When You Can't Afford It

10 Steps to Home Ownership: A Workbook for First-Time Buyers

The 106 Mortgage Secrets All Homebuyers Must Learn--But Lenders Don't Tell

ASIN: 1592571204
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Book Description

Goodbye, old house-hello, good buy!

From looking to sell to finding a dream home, this all-in-one guide features new, updated, and vital information and tips on getting the best deal...no matter which side of the deal you're on.

€ Unlike other books, this covers both buying and selling-which usually go hand-in-hand
€ Revised edition includes more information on buying a second home, researching locations, saving on costs, and more
€ Existing-home sales are setting new records every year
€ Very low mortgage rates are making this a great time to buy

Download Description

Anyone who is trying to buy or sell a home or condo, particularly for the first time, should read this book. It tells you how to find great deals, research property values, plan for resale, and buy or sell on the Internet. Learn how to clean up your credit report and how to avoid those additional costs that banks tack on to the price of homes.

Customer Reviews:

Not bad... but not great. .......2006-07-13

I bought both this book and "Home Buying for Dummies," and honestly I think I got one piece of useful information out of this book. Once I started reading the other book, I couldn't set it down. It was such an easy read and everything was easy to understand. Again, this book isn't bad, but it wasn't the right book for me.

Very disappointing and superficial.......2006-01-31

I found this book to be very superficial and biased. I never felt that the author was in my corner nor had much experience offering objective home buying advice.

I am a big fan of Bob Bruss' column and have been very happy with his book picks. Not sure what he said about this one but I hadn't seen it on his top picks of the year list.

OVERSIMPLIFIED.......2005-06-15

I bought this book because of some of the lame reviews I read in the "Home Buying for Dummies" reviews. Had I spent 2 seconds to flip through and read a couple of paragraphs it would have stayed on the shelf and $20 bucks in my pocket.

On the flight to the city where my wife and I are considering buying a home, she read the Idiots Guide while I read the for Dummies. She constantly was showing me how pathetic this book is with paragraphs dedicated to "Why do you want to buy a home?" and "Banks are in this world to make money". Topics were disorganized and had no useful content. I actually was thankful that the book is double spaced with large fonts so I would have to read more of it! Within 2 minutes she wanted to take the "for Dummies" book from me.

Bottom line... Swing by the book store and see how bad this book is for yourself before you order it online. If you really want it, I'm sure there are plenty of used versions -- in near new condition, since there was nothing worthy of highlighting -- online.

First time homebuyer abc's..........2005-01-26

While most people don't consider themselves to be an idiot, they sure can feel like one when experiencing their first homebuying venture!

I am a 20-something interested in purchasing real estate. I felt like this book answered all my questions in an easily understood format. It is broken up into chapters that help you customize your individual experience.

Some of my favorite points of interest included: from tips on finding a good lender, the importance of prequalification, explanation of points, information on first-time homebuyer's bond money, a breakdown of potential closing costs, and a realistic plan to estimate your monthly payment (i.e. "what you can afford."). NOTE: Those internet calculators are usually about $100 per month lower than what you'll actually pay.

I would recommend this book to anyone who perhaps doesn't have a financial background - but is wanting to get the knowledge to make a sound financial investment in a home.

Don't buy or sell a home without this book!.......2004-12-15

I am in the process of buying a new home and selling my old home. This book has guided me through the entire process. Even though I'm not a first time home buyer, this is the first time that I understood the process better than my Real Estate Agent! I even knew what questions to ask so that I got a better deal on my mortgage! This book is worth every cent. It's easy to understand and well written. Remember, knowledge is power!

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