Telematic Embrace: Visionary Theories of Art, Technology, and Consciousness by Roy Ascott

Book Description

Long before e-mail and the Internet permeated society, Roy Ascott, a pioneering British artist and theorist, coined the term "telematic art" to describe the use of online computer networks as an artistic medium. In Telematic Embrace Edward A. Shanken gathers, for the first time, an impressive compilation of more than three decades of Ascott's philosophies on aesthetics, interactivity, and the sense of self and community in the telematic world of cyberspace. This book explores Ascott's ideas on how networked communication has shaped behavior and consciousness within and beyond the realm of what is conventionally defined as art.
Telematics, a powerful marriage of computers and telecommunication, made technologies we now take for granted--such as e-mail and automated teller machines (ATMs)--part of our daily life, and made art a more interactive form of expression. Telematic art challenges traditional relationships between artist, artwork, and audience by allowing nonlocal audiences to influence the emergent qualities of the artwork, which consists of the ebb and flow of electronic information. These essays constitute a unique archaeology of ideas, tracing Ascott's meditations on the formation of consciousness through the intertwined cultural histories of art and technology from the 1960s to the present.
Shanken's introduction situates Ascott's work within a history of ideas in art, technology, and philosophy. Given the increasing role of the Internet and the World Wide Web in the creation of commerce and community at the dawn of this new millennium, scholars, students, laypeople, policymakers, and artists will find this collection informative and thought-provoking.

Customer Reviews:

Foresight on Art, Media and the Future.......2006-11-24

Finding accurate accounts of historical turning points warrants careful scanning and careful elimination. There is much information to be read in articles, books and in the minds of academics who can give tid-bits of how we got to where we are today in a world of art and technology. But there are few people who can provide us with a rigorous account that actually has (1) depth and substance; and (2) an actual birthing of an era. This book provides us with both.

For the disciplined reader, Roy Ascott and Edward Shanken provide alluring, inventive and down right smart accounts of the time frame in which art evolved into a 21st century discipline; for the lazy reader, Roy Ascott's sentences are a crisp and inviting story of what it could behoove the artist to pay attention to.

Natasha Vita-More

Unique and insightful.......2004-04-03

This collection offers a unique and valuable history of art and technology from the 1960s to the 2000s as chronicled through the brilliant writings of Roy Ascott. A pioneer of cybernetic and telematic art, Ascott is generally recognized as a leading figure in the field of new media. His theoretical writings are inventive, prescient, and provocative, and are required reading for students and professionals who are interested in learning about the ideas that shaped interactivity, media art, and net art.

Shanken's introduction offers an erudite but highly readable and insighful guide to Ascott's work as an artist, theorist, and teacher, placing his many contributions in a broad context of art history, the history of ideas, and the history of technology. At 94 pages, this essay offers one of the most extensive art historical treatments of art and technology currently in print and makes an invaluable addition to the literature.

The book may be a bit pricey, but it is well worth it and this is one volume you'll be glad to have in hard-cover.

Skip this one.......2004-01-23

E. Shanken writes like a baton twirler with a Ph.D.

Book Description

"Cool" colors were hot for fabrics in the late 1960s. The youth of the day wore hot pinks and purples, chartreuse, orange, and yellow. Sometimes called neon colors, these cool hot colors were often combined into wild and psychedelic floral and geometric designs. Hundreds of splashy colors and designs from actual 1960s European and American textile manufacturers' sample books are photographed and displayed with full descriptions and fabric content information. This book takes the '60s enthusiast on a magical ride to an era of outrageous artistic expression.

Psychedelic Chic: Artistic Fashions of the Late 1960s & Early 1970s

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Psychedelic Chic: Artistic Fashions of the Late 1960s & Early 1970s
Roseann Ettinger
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer

ASIN: 0764308114

Book Description

Brilliant colors, eye-popping designs, luxurious fabrics--all these and more characterize the unforgettable fashion trends of the late 1960s and early 1970s. This was a turbulent, exciting era in our history, and clothing styles clearly reflected the fast-moving, youth-oriented culture we remember now with a sense of awe. Sophisticated or casual, clothing became an expression of personal feelings, ideas, and attitudes. Consumers hungered for bold new looks, and designers--led by Emilio Pucci of Italy--were only too happy to oblige. Using more than 400 color photos and illustrations, this book showcases the wonderful assortment of dresses, blouses, jackets, pants, shoes, and accessories worn by the most stylish of psychedelic era men and women. Pucci's fabulous works take center stage, joined by a kaleidoscopic array of fashions illustrating the influence of Op Art, "flower power," the Eastern world, native-inspired prints, and much more. Author Roseann Ettinger uses her expertise in the vintage clothing field to provide an absorbing look at the history behind these '60s and '70s fashions--looks that are enjoying renewed popularity today. Current values, a bibliography, and an index are all provided.

Fashion Fabrics: 1960s (Schiffer Design Book)

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Fashion Fabrics: 1960s (Schiffer Design Book)
Leslie A. Pina , and Constance Korosec
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Textile Arts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0764305840

Book Description

Fabrics can represent an era or a decade-the colors, patterns, textures, and fibers reveal as much about the culture as do the furnishings and clothing that relied on the fabrics. The decade of the 1960s was one of extremes. Traditional plaids were reintroduced and became popular at the same time as bold prints and geometrics, notably Op Art and "psychedelic" patterns and colors, characterized the decade. Synthetics took off, and phrases like "polyester knit" and "stretch knit" elicit visions of unmistakably '60s staples. The best way to experience the fabric of a decade is to see it, and this book is entirely dedicated to the sensory, the visual. Nearly 600 close-up color photographs with informative captions and index make this book a treat for designers, historians, and anyone interested in fashion and textiles.

Book Description

Baby Boomer Comics delves into the wide variety of comics from the 1960s, comics' "Silver Age." With humorous and informative essays, Craig Shutt covers key events affecting the four-color lives of Spider Man, The Hulk, The X-Men, Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern. He also revels in some of the sillier stories from the flower-power era.

Written in a delectably funny but affectionate style, this new comics reference entertains and informs while conveying the excitement enthusiasts experienced when they first read these comics. Hundreds of full-color illustrations feature both covers and individual panels showing some of the fun and exciting moments that readers remember best from this comic age. Includes current market prices for the issues described. Plus, readers can test their comics knowledge with the featured trivia quizzes.

* Humorous and informative essays cover key events affecting the lives of comics superheroes * Current market prices and hundreds of color illustrations for comics from the 1960s

Customer Reviews:

An All-Star Collection of the Best of Mr Silver Age.......2005-06-15

Comic book publishers are happily discovering a renewed interest in just about every title from the 1960s, and are repackaging those yellowing old comics in just about every format you can think of -- from expensive glossy hardcovers to inexpensive b&w omnibus editions.

The publication of this book is not only evidence of that trend, but in fact evidence that BABY BOOMERS COMICS' author, Craig Shutt, had a lot to do with sparking the renaissance of the glorious old Silver Age comic books. Consider: When Shutt began writing his column for COMICS BUYERS GUIDE, back in the early 1990s, the comic book field was obsessed with "grim 'n' gritty" heroes-turned-villains, ridiculously overendowed "bad girls" and an almost complete lack of humor. Through his regular "Ask Mr. Silver Age" columns, Shutt was able to remind readers -- many of whom were born well after the 1960s -- that there used to be a lot of plain old goofy FUN in the comic books, whether it was the backward-thinking and -talking Bizarros, the cross-dressing Jimmy Olsen, Spider-Man's frequent costume catastrophes, and of course the trend for which the Silver Age is best known: talking gorillas. Shutt made it cool to love those old comic books all over again. Is it any coincidence that nowadays you can buy complete collections of those Pop Art and Go-Go Checked classics off Amazon or in any bookstore? I think not.

With this book, Shutt proves once and for all (as if there was any doubt) that Silver Age comics were not only good, but good for you.

A great read, with respect but enjoyable humor.......2004-10-21

Sure, there are more expensive hardcover books on comics out there that treat the medium (and themselves) very seriously. But this book is a welcome relief from that pseudo-intellectualism. It's fun to read and enjoy the author's encyclopedic knowledge of the comics of our youth. Excellently illustrated. This one's a keeper - buy it.

A Pure Joy!.......2004-09-09

Being a member of that tiny subset of us who were nurtured on the "funny books" of the sixties, this book was simply a delight. It's not really a scholarly treatise on this time in the development of this mass media, but it is a fond celebration with not a little influx of sardonic wit. I looked forward to each new smile chapter after chapter forced upon my visage.

Historic.......2004-09-09

I liked this book mainly due to the twists and turns of plots many years ago, that often puzzled me. I even sought out collector's copies of the comics he mentions in his book. Craig is easy to talk to, too, so go ahead and email him.>>>

Best Book About the Silver Age -- Ever!.......2004-01-10

This book is about the most fun you can have with 1960s comic books without actually sitting down and reading them. Mr. Silver Age has a sly-but-respectful style of relating the silliness and fun of some of our favorite superheroes from that time. It's a style that works even if you aren't familiar with the origial stories themselves.

The book is lavishly produced with color reproductions of funnybook covers and appropriate comics panels on every page so you know exactly what the commentary is referring to. My only complaint with the book is that some of the reproductions are too tiny for this silver ager's eyes to see, but that just leaves more room for the copy!

Lots of trivia spread throughout, fun quizzes, and wry observations from Mr. Silver Age Craig Shutt make this the most funnest book about the beloved comics of my youth I've read.

Thanks to Krause and the Comics Buyers Guide for publishing this. When's Vol. 2 coming out?

Customer Reviews:

Perfect Birthday Gift.......2000-08-24

This is recommended for the boomer turning 50 who needs nothing but a good laugh. Suitable for males and/or femalies well-endowed with funny bones.

Trivial Pursuit: Official comic edition based on the Baby Boomer card set : featuring Horn and Abbot

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Trivial Pursuit: Official comic edition based on the Baby Boomer card set : featuring Horn and Abbot
Ian Austin
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0553341847

Amazon.com

The wisdom of Yiddish sayings addresses life's essential questions with a healthy dose of sarcasm. Kristina Swarner culled over 100 sayings of old-world wit, included English translations for all, and added her own Chagall-like illustrations. There's the snide "The masses are asses" (der oilem iz a goilem), the wise "Loans will get you moans" (borgen macht zorgen), and the profound "If you lie down with the dogs, you get up with the fleas" (az me shloft mit hint shtait men oif mit flai). They're a delight to read, a challenge to memorize, and a pleasure to recite.

Book Description

All the color, vibrancy, and humor of Yiddish is captured in this delightfully illustrated treasury of over 100 folk sayings in both English and Yiddish. From the sublime (Man thinks and God laughs/A mentsh tracht un Got lacht) to the practical (When you look to the heights, hold onto your hat/Az du kukst oif hoicheh zachen, halt tsu dos hitl), Yiddish Wisdom collects the best from the Old Country. The perfect icebreaker for social gatherings' mah jongg games, and coffee klatches, this enchanting volume also makes a charming gift for any happy occasion.

Customer Reviews:

Very good for general readers as well as Yiddish learners.......2007-05-11

This is a great book not just for people who want to hear some of Yiddish culture's warm but often ironic wit ("Az me hot gelt, iz men klug un shain un men ken gut zingen"- "If you have money, you are wise and good-looking and can sing well too"!), but also for people looking to practice their Yiddish, as every Yiddish phrase is accompanied by its English translation, and the syntax is as straightforward as the ideas are complex.

One note, though: The Yiddish is presented only in Latin script (which I personally prefer; but some others prefer Hebrew script), and it does not use the standard YIVO spelling, but is so close that it's not a problem even for beginning students. For example, this book has "Fun dein moil in Got's oi'eren arein!" where YIVO standard (such as you'd find in most grammars and dictionaries) would be the quite similar "Fun dayn moyl in Gots oyern arayn!".

(But, you know, as p27 says, "es iz laichter tsu zein a mevaker vi a mechaber"- "it's easier to be a critic than an author".)

Terrific.......2007-03-01

This is a great little book with more than 120 sayings from the Eastern European Jewish community, in their Yiddish lingua Franca. There's lots of wisdom here, as well as expression of frustration over their powerless and impoverished situation. Readers will enjoy the Yiddish humor as well. Try it. I found this to be a great little book.

You'll love the wit and wisdom of the book!.......1999-01-10

This book makes a great gift for anyone. It is full of wonderful sayings that apply to many different situations. I bought 6!

Book Description

This first book on the director of The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia is comprehensive, analyzing each of Jonathan Demme’s thirteen films.

Demme received the 1980 New York Film Critics Award as Best Director for Melvin and Howard. Subsequent Demme films such as Something Wild and the Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense, which won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Documentary, made Demme a cult favorite in the league of Roger Corman.

With 199l’s The Silence of the Lambs, Demme moved into a different league. The top-grossing film of the year, Silence won five Academy Awards, becoming the first film to sweep the Best Director, Actor, Actress, and Picture categories since 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Philadelphia also has been a top-grossing film, with Tom Hanks winning 1994’s Best Actor Oscar.

Michael Bliss and Christina Banks include a wealth of biographical and critical data; an exclusive interview with Demme; the only on-set report on the filming of The Silence of the Lambs; an interview with Craig McKay, Demme’s Emmy-winning film editor; a bibliography; and a Demme filmography. Many of the book’s movie still illustrations have never been published.

What Goes Around Comes Around: The Films of Jonathan Demme

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What Goes Around Comes Around: The Films of Jonathan Demme
Michael; Banks, Christina Bliss
Manufacturer: Southern Illinois Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OLWQMK

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More Popular Piano Solos - Level 3 - GM Disk (Hal Leonard Student Piano Library)
Phillip Keveren
Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Diskette
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Popular Piano Solos - Level 3: Hal Leonard Student Piano Library

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Broadway and Movie Hits - Level 3 - Book/CD Pack: Hal Leonard Student Piano Library (Hal Leonard Student Piano Library (Songbooks))

Piano Lessons Book 3 - Book/CD Pack Edition: Hal Leonard Student Piano Library

ASIN: 0634044435

Book Description

This General MIDI disk correlates directly to the songs in More Popular Piano Solos Level 3. All track numbers for use with the GM disk are clearly indicated in the book, and are included with the GM disk packet as well. These fully-orchestrated accompaniments by Hal Leonard Student Piano Library method author Phillip Keveren are a delightful way to enhance students' lessons, and are a sure way to guarantee practice success!

Popular Piano Solos - Level 3 - GM Disk: Hal Leonard Student Piano Library

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Popular Piano Solos - Level 3 - GM Disk: Hal Leonard Student Piano Library
Phillip Keveren
Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Diskette
ASIN: 0634002635

Book Description

This General MIDI disk correlates directly to the songs in Popular Piano Solos Level 3. All track numbers for use with the GM disk are clearly indicated in the book, and are included with the GM disk packet as well. These fully-orchestrated accompaniments by Hal Leonard Student Piano Library method author Phillip Keveren are a delightful way to enhance students' lessons, and are a sure way to guarantee practice success!

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Beautifully Written Compilation--But Not for Training

Great book on tactics!

A good primer on chess tactics.

Brilliant, Inexpensive, Effective History, Good Training.

This is one of THE books on chess tactics

Combinations: The Heart of Chess
Irving Chernev
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Chess | Board Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0486217442

Book Description

Explanations for the famous and less well-known combinations of Tarrasch, Botvinnik, Nimzovich, Steinitz, Rubinstein; the dazzling brilliancies of Morphy, Keres, and Alekhine; the deadly attacks of Marshall; the unfathomable plays of Lasker; and the matchless creations of Capablanca and many others. 356 diagrams.

Customer Reviews:

Beautifully Written Compilation--But Not for Training.......2006-11-01

This book is a pleasure to read. Chernev has a flair for description and he can really pick out beautiful examples to make his point. If your library doesn't have this book, then you don't have a complete library.

The book is organized by theme and master. The themes relate more to vague ideas of a story line than to fundamental tactical ides. Thematic chapters include titles such as "Simple and Pleasing", "Convincing the Kibitzers", or "A Blending of Themes". Masters include all the greatest combinational players from modern history: Alekhine, Morphy, Lasker, Pilsbury, Capablanca, and so on.

The Dover binding, especially considering the price, leaves little to be desired. It has taken quite a lot of abuse to get the cover off mine, and even after a few years of no cover and continued abuse, the pages are all still well attached. As others have noted, this book is in descriptive notation.

Though this book is a classic and deserves every bit of its five star rating, don't assume you are going to read this book and get better at tactics, especially if you are a weaker player. I studied and studied this book for a couple of years, visualizing every combination without a board and thinking deeply about each and every side variation. But I have never noticed any real improvement in my game. I have come back to this book again and again to enjoy Chernev's literary and analytical brilliance, but still no improvement.

I've been studying and playing chess for about 15 years and I'm here to tell you that you can waste a lot of time reading chess books of all varieties (opening, middle, positional, "combinational", calculational, etc.). I've read so many books, I can visualize a complete game without so much as looking at a chess board. I've been able to do this for about 12 years and I get better at it with each book. You might think that this ability to visualize a chess board has helped my game tremdously. I have simply not found this to be the case--even without a board, I still play the same miserable brand of chess. Thankfully, however, no one else can see the evidence of my poor play in such cases.

If you want to get better, buy this book now but wait a while before you actually read it--perhaps when you are much better than me (I'm about 1300). Instead, get the two Reinfeld 1001 books. I would estimate (or the computer estimates) I have jumped at least 100 points in less than a month just drilling exhaustively a single chapter from 1001 Brilliant Sacrifices and Combinations and the first chapter of Pandolfini's Chessercizes 2: Checkmate. I have also noticed my understanding of the board as a whole has increased phenomenally--no book I've read has been able to do that for me, no matter what it promises.

Fifteen years is a terribly long time to make such little improvement, especially when followed, at age 36, by quick and dramatic improvement studying tactical problems. I blame the lofty content and promises of most of the books I've read. Maybe they are better for 10 year-old child prodigys with fresh minds or 1800+ players looking for deeper understanding, but not for people who just want to understand, on an innate level, the "real" mechanics of chess. Despite the promises of the other reviewers, Combinations: The Heart of Chess, does not fall into this latter category. Though pleasing to ponder, most of the examples are far too complex to be of training value to weaker players, such as myself.

Great book on tactics!.......2006-04-24

Even for a kid this is an easy book to read and understand. I got with "Winning Chess Traps" that has a lot of tactics in the openings. So I am covered on all ends when it comes to tactics. Love thse two books and just felt like saying so without a long review.

A good primer on chess tactics........2002-04-02

I once walked into a used bookstore in Atlanta, and found like 12 copies of this book sitting on the shelf. They only wanted a buck or so each, so I bought them all.

I was teaching chess at that time at a private school in Pensacola, The Creative Learning Center.

I gave most of those 12 books to my students. They enjoyed them tremendously.

If a student wanted to ask me what book should be his "First" book on tactics, I would probably whole-heartedly endorse this book. 'Nuff said?

Brilliant, Inexpensive, Effective History, Good Training........2001-05-04

Chernev's classic is not simply a collection of combinations for drilling yourself on pins, forks, smothered mates, and so on - although there are plenty of combinations (300+) for that - it shows how the great players used them in their games. You get a history lesson while learning how Tarrasch, Nimzovich, Capablanca, and many other world-class players, employed combinations in their games. I like how Chernev uses extended game fragments and his own enthusiastic commentary to explain the combinations. I have several tactics books and I enjoyed Chernev's less common approach to combinations: most books just give the position as though it just "appeared" out of the blue to settle the game. Somehow with Chernev, I get the idea that you have to work to get there. Descriptive notation.

This is one of THE books on chess tactics.......1998-07-24

Learn from the examples-- good and bad -- from the masters from Anderssen to Fischer, simple and complex, short and long, how to master piece co-ordination. A classic. Check out Chess Life and Review April 1975 p. 245 col 1 wrt #69. Working through this book can add hundreds of points to an average tournament players' rating, whet his appetite and keep him off the street for days... Not just for beginners, the 356 positions on 240 pages although not their primary source nor a dry categorical treatise, will challenge delight edify and entertain an interesting reader for years...

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Combinations : The Heart of Chess
Irving Chernev
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O600NC

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Combinations: The Heart of Chess
Irving Chernev
Manufacturer: Dover Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSFJAE

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Combinations: The Heart of Chess
Irving Chernev
Manufacturer: THOMAS Y CROWELL COMPANY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B0000CKN72

Book Description

What kind of price would you put on good people skills? Ask the successful CEOs of major corporations, entrepreneurs, top salespeople, teachers, pastors, and parents what characteristic is most needed for success in leadership positions, and they'll tell you-- it's the ability to work with people.

Customer Reviews:

Winning with People Workbook.......2007-07-14

As usual, Dr. Maxwell is one of the best leadership "guru's" in the market place today. Winning with People Workbook was a good team building exercise which allows you to focus on the everyday issues of dealing internal/external people.

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