Giotto and the Orators: Humanist Observers of Painting in Italy and the Discovery of Pictorial Composition, 1350-1450. (Oxford-Warburg Studies)

Book Description

`This handsomely illustrated book is an original attempt to make clear how much the art of the orators and the painters in the Renaissance had in common ... Extremely important for the history of art.' Neo-Latin News

Customer Reviews:

challenging, but well worth it.......2002-10-07

Baxandall's analysis of the intersection of humanist literature and Renaissance aesthetics is truly innovative and insightful. Baxandall sets out to trace the developments of Renaissance 'art criticism' by looking at humanist texts and the various ways in which they address art. This it truly a new approach: one that merits the attention of all art historians as well as anyone who is generally interested in Renaissance art and/or culture.
I will not deny it; this book is a challenging read. Baxandall includes numerous lengthy citations; including a 5-page 'quotation' from Petrarch's "De remedies utriusque fortunae" as well as an 8-page excerpt from Bartolomeo Fazio's "De viris illustribus." Luckily these longer citations are in translation. Baxandall has included a lengthy appendix which includes the original texts of twenty Latin and Greek treatises which are heavily cited. Baxandall does, however, frequently quote in Latin without providing a translation. If you do not know Latin I can image that the text will be doubling frustrating, however I still maintain that it is worth it. Baxandall's insights are refreshing.
This book is the product of years of study and thought by one of the brightest minds in art history. His ideas call into question our mode of approaching Renaissance art, challenging us to confront the artifacts on their own terms, much as he does in his delightful work "Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy." Only in this way can we hope to uncover many of the aspects of Renaissance art which have hitherto fore been ignored by art historians.

Giotto and Orators : Humanist Observers of Painting in Italy and Discovery of Pictorial Composition

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Giotto and Orators : Humanist Observers of Painting in Italy and Discovery of Pictorial Composition
Michael Baxandall
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBMJOW

Giotto and the Orators: Humanist Observers of Painting in Italy and the Discovery of Pictorial Composition, 1350-1450

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Giotto and the Orators: Humanist Observers of Painting in Italy and the Discovery of Pictorial Composition, 1350-1450
Michael Baxandall
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKSCAG

Book Description

Greek women routinely wore the veil. That is the unexpected finding of this meticulous study, one with interesting implications for the origins of Western civilisation. `The Greeks', popularly (and rightly) credited with the invention of civic openness, are revealed as also part of a more Eastern tradition of seclusion. Llewellyn-Jones' work proceeds from literary and, notably, from iconographic evidence. In sculpture and vase painting it demonstrates the presence of the veil, often covering the head, but also more unobtrusively folded back onto the shoulders. This discreet fashion not only gave a priviledged view of the face to the ancient art consumer, but also, incidentally, allowed the veil to escape the notice of traditional modern scholarship. From Greek literary sources, the author shows that full veiling of the head and face was commonplace. He analyses the elaborate Greek vocabulary for veiling and explores what the veil meant to achieve. He shows that the veil was a conscious extension of the house and was often referred to as `tegidion', literally `a little roof'. Veiling was thus an ingeneous compromise; it allowed women to circulate in public while mainting the ideal of a house-bound existence. Alert to the different types of veil used, the author uses Greek and more modern evidence (mostly from the Arab world) to show how women could exploit and subvert the veil as a means of eloquent, sometimes emotional, communication.

Book Description

The entire four-issue miniseries Pikachu Shocks Back, collected in this graphic novel, stars favorite characters from the Pokemon TV series - Ash, Misty, Brock, and clumsy Team Rocket. Ash wins a race against dozens of other trainers, and then helps Mikey, another Pokemon trainer, prove his pet's worth. Pikachu wanders off to find the legendary Pokemon Paradise, and Ash must decide whether to let Pikachu return to its own kind.

Customer Reviews:

A well-drawn and original Pokemon manga.......2003-05-31

This next installment in Toshihiro Ono's shonen(boys) Pokemon manga series is called 'Pikachu Shocks Back'. It's aimed more at older kids and teenagers, and the artwork is drawn very well. There are four stories here:
(1)The Human Race and the Pokemon Race: Ash decides to travel along with Brock, and he meets up with Misty(again) and her three beautiful sisters at the Fuschia Festival. After causing a Tauros to get angry, Misty and Ash end up being saved by a girl named Lara, who's arm is broken thanks to an accident she had while riding her Ponyta. Ash decides to help her out by racing in the Free-For-All with her Ponyta. Unfortunately for Ash, a racer that likes to cheat has other plans for the boy with the red cap.
(2)To Evolve or not to Evolve That is the Question: Misty joins up with Ash and Brock as they head to Stone Town, the place where Evolution Stones cmoe from. Misty meets up with a timid boy named Mikey, and finds out he's apart of some underground society that likes to evolve their Pokemon. The problem is, Mikey doesn't want to evolve his Eevee. And that doesn't exactly make his three brothers happy with him. Misty also begins to question whether she has a 'weakness for younger men'.
(3)Pikachu's Excellent Adventure: Pikachu gets seperated from Ash, and tries to find his way back to his trainer. The electric mouse joins up with Squirtle and some other Pokemon on a journey to find a Poke-Paradise that's supposedly guarded by some godess. On their travels, they meet up with a trio of shady fellows that call themselves 'Team Rocket'.
(4)You Gotta Have Friends: Ash begins to wonder if Pikachu is drifting away from him as he stumbles upon a Pikachu colony.

The artwork is way more realistic than the art in the other Pokemon mangas, and I thought it was kinda cool. Even though this series was aimed at teenagers, Viz decided to edit alot of the scenes to make it appropriate for the kiddies, making the women and the girls less 'endowed', and they now wear FAR more clothes than they originally did. This was good and bad at the same time, because they sorta went overboard with the editing; Misty and some of the other girls are like walls now, if you know what I mean! But still, this is a great book if you're a Pokemon fan, or a shonen manga fan. It's got lots of action, funny and likable characters, and some great artwork.

this one by far would be my favourite!.......2002-09-08

the comic at the very beginning was the cutest and the first story, the human race and the pokemon race. looked amazing althou ponyta looked more stronger and less graceful. the second story, to evolve or not to evolve (i'm sure you all know what this is about) has the best pictures and is soooo cute. Pikachus adventure, is a new story that is wonderful and a nice touch. the the last one you gotta have friends... was touching and confirmed pikachu is a guy!!

Pokemon comics!.......2001-12-31

This book was great.I really enjoyed it.It has some different pokemon adventures in it, like the one about mikey and his eevee.That one was very funny. I have read this book alot of times and I still do.What it means by "graphic novel" is that it is just like a comic book, so that I could read it at school and the teachers didn't know.Hehehe :).But anyway, if you liked the pokemon T.V. series,(I think this is a lot better ), you should definatly consider this.I'm still going back and reading it!

Pikachu Shocks Back-A great Comic.......2001-04-13

You have to try this awesome comic!If you've seen the episodes, and you son't want to read them all over again, donn't worry, it has humor, action, and things that weren't shown in the show.Every comic is extra long and you get 4 for a real low price!You don't even have to like pokémon, and the pictures are creative and wonderful.And I wouldn't put it past Brock to not to say anything funny in the story.This Pokémon Comic Colection is a must-buy!!!

A Shockingly Good Book.......2000-04-07

I loved this book. It was great and I would recomend it to all the pokemon fans out there. Even people who are not particularly fond of pokemon can enjoy this book.

Book Description

Storyteller Donald Davis had a very sensible mother. She had a pretty good idea what boys would do, so she was always on the lookout. As Davis later learned, always being on the lookout is what mamas do. His vigilant but gentle mother gave her son multiple gifts in life, and as we learn in the end gifts that do not end with her passing.

Book Description

Considered sinister by Western religious traditions and bizarre in mainstream America, supernatural beliefs and the rituals of occult traditions are often publicly disparaged. But they are paradoxically embraced and exposed by popular culture, in television shows such as Bewitched and in movies from The Wizard of Oz to The Craft, according to Emily D. Edwards. Metaphysical Media: The Occult Experience in Popular Culture is an in-depth discussion of the media’s presentation of a wide spectrum of the occult that also serves as a comprehensive sourcebook of movies and television programs that deal with supernatural characters and themes.

Metaphysical Media focuses on the blurred definitions of topics associated with the occult as they are presented in popular culture to show moving-image media as devices that help structure an understanding of the supernatural world. Edwards examines what media treatment of supernatural subjects and the very characteristics of the media themselves reveal about the persistence of the occult. She maintains that popular art has always had a close association with the paranormal or supernatural—sometimes in illustration of an ideology, sometimes in ridicule of it, and sometimes as invocation itself.

Beginning with an overview of the role of the media in contemporary society and in its use of the occult, Metaphysical Media looks at the properties of media technology that extend human senses beyond biological boundaries. Edwards then discusses specific media treatment of topics related to the occult, including witchcraft, atavism, reincarnation, out-of-body experiences, and lycanthropy. She outlines the interplay of media and folklore regarding taboos about the handling of the dead and investigates media stories about creatures that cross the boundaries between human, beast, and god.

Book Description

The Sex Pistols remain the key iconoclasts of the punk movement, and from the moment they were seen swearing on national TV, they became tabloid pariahs, and Rotten and Vicious became notorious household names. This semi-fictionalized fly-on-the-wall account focuses on the band's early days when they were a bunch of rock-obsessed street urchins and petty crooks, rehearsing, bickering, fighting and hanging around Malcolm McLaren's shop SEX. Captures the true chaotic spirit of punk.

Customer Reviews:

Being there at the beginning...sort of.......2007-01-10

John Ford is famously quoted as saying "Print the legend, not the facts," as part of his approach to movie making. And, truth be told, he made some fine films. So, what we're saying is that a well told and emotionally satisfying story is sometimes better than reality.

Mick O'Shea does just that in 'The Early Days of The Sex Pistols: Only Anarchists Are Pretty,' a fictional, yet wholly believable narrative about the gestation and birth of The Sex Pistols. O'Shea creates London of the mid-1970s, teetering on the edge of economic and social collapse amidst the 'bread and circuses' atmosphere of glam rock. He then populates this arid and ravaged landscape with actors whose names are drawn from real life but who are animated to Dickensian proportions by the author's genius at characterization and dialogue.

The story line is both classic and cliched. A struggle by individuals with everything against them who manage to succeed at what they set out to do. But, at the same time - because we the readers know what the outcome will truly be - the story takes on a Greek tragedy aspect as small successes sow seeds of a larger failure.

But, that's not part of this story. 'Only' starts with the formation of the Pistols and ends with the confrontation with Bill Grundy. In between, the characters - who again like a dickens story all have their sympathetic and comic moments - live a lifetime in just a few short months.

One can only hope that O'Shea will be revisited by the Muse who charmed him into creating this gem of rock 'n' roll fiction and that she will encourage him to go on with this saga.

Never Mind The Journalism..........2005-09-06

As a longtime Sex Pistols fan, I approached Mick O'Shea's book with a degree of apprehension - after all, the Pistols' story has been recounted in innumerable books already, and for me, Jon Savage's "England's Dreaming" and John Lydon's "Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs" are the definitive volumes. Plus, films like "The Filth and The Fury" and "The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle" (the latter being mostly fictional, yet occasionally amusing and intriguing) and the "Never Mind The Bollocks" episode of "Classic Albums" cover a lot of ground too. What's so new about "Only Anarchists Are Pretty", then? What new ground can O'Shea cover? Well, O'Shea takes, literally, a novel approach to the Sex Pistols' saga. Taking the dates, names, chronology of events, and personalities (as he understands them) of the major players, O'Shea has built around them to create an engaging work of semi-fiction. The story begins in the mid-70s with ne'er-do-well London pals Steve Jones and Paul Cook angling for wily clothes proprietor Malcolm McLaren to manage their fledgling rock band...as the group expands and takes momentum, familiar characters like Glen Matlock, Bernie Rhodes, Vivienne Westwood, John Lydon, Sid Vicious, Nick Kent, Mick Jones, Siouxsie Sioux, Billy Idol, etc pop up to take their place in this immortal chapter of rock 'n' roll. But this book won't just appeal to fans of the Pistols or Punk Rock - it concentrates on the frustration, drudgery, spats, bursts of inspiration, chaotic writing sessions, and unpredictable gigs that would be familiar to any would-be musician or band member. Beginning in 1974, the story ends with the Pistols' infamous, profanity-laden appearance on Bill Grundy's "Today Show" in 1976, which swiftly and ultimately became both a blessing and a curse for the band (one is left wishing that O'Shea would pen a follow-up - one recounting the strange innocence of the Pistols being corrupted by media infamy, Sid Vicious, Nancy Spungen, drugs, shambolic [mis]management, etc). In equal parts funny, touching, squalid, insane and interesting, I recommend "Only Anarchists Are Pretty" wholeheartedly - it might not be the true story, but it deserves to be. In fact, if ever there is to be a narrative, non-documentary motion picture of the Sex Pistols, adapting a screenplay from O'Shea's book would be a smart move. My only gripe is that there are an annoying number of spelling and punctuation mistakes (missing full-stops, etc), but these in no way detract from an impressive and intriguing read.

Book Description

Author reveals his championship secrets for best opening and ending moves, as well as basic strategies of middle game play — running, blocking and back games. An excellent combination of instructions, hints, suggestions, diagrams and problems designed to help the beginner master the game.

Customer Reviews:

The Price is Right!.......2006-09-24

For just under five bucks this is the perfect book for a very basic beginner. You will learn all of the rules and understand how to play in a very simple manner. I gave it four stars instead of five due to the fact that there is actually nothing whatsoever on the doubling cube in the book. The orignal text was written in 1942 when the doubling cube hadn't yet become part of the game. But for a newbie learning the doubling cube rules and effects on the game would probably be best after one has absorbed the concepts in this book.

Low-cost, but you get what you pay for........1999-07-12

You will want much more than this book delivers. Look for Magriel's "Backgammon" as your introductory text.

A very good book for beginners.......1999-04-05

This book is very good for beginning players.

It gives basic rules and strategy in an easy to read format.

Book Description

The Ancient Egyptians played it. The Romans played it. And today it still thrives, with only the most cutthroat players coming out on top. Bruce Becker says of backgammon, “Luck is for losers!” and his guide brings readers his no-holds-barred and take-no-prisoners approach to this highly-competitive game. He discusses the science of chance, basics for beginners, probabilities and odds, and what he calls “Battle Strategy: The Basic Approach to War.” Helpful diagrams of backgammon boards represent a variety of game situations, and there is also an appendix covering the rules of backgammon and their variants in play. It’s the perfect gift for any dedicated player.

Backgammon Standards : How to Win at Backgammon, including the Authorized Rules of Modern Backgammon as Revised November, 1930

Average customer rating:

Backgammon Standards : How to Win at Backgammon, including the Authorized Rules of Modern Backgammon as Revised November, 1930
William H. ; Hiss, William J. ; Lenz, Sidney S. Walling
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MC9JR6

Average customer rating:

Backgammon standards;: How to win at backgammon,
William Henry Walling
Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000857OWY

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BACKGAMMON TO WIN
L HATTERSLEY
Manufacturer: AWARD BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SEGAKM

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BACKGAMMON TO WIN
LELIA HATTERSLEY
Manufacturer: AWARD BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S5NBS0

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Backgammon To Win
Lelia Hattersley
Manufacturer: Award
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0426141466

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Backgammon To Win

Manufacturer: Award
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000G9ZZEQ

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Backgammon to Win
Chris Bray
Manufacturer: New Holland Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1845377672

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Backgammon to Win
G mabard & claire booth l
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0671217666

Book Description

Every day, in every way, you can get just a little more organized in just a few minutes.

For instance, when you take your clothes off, hang them up or put them in the laundry. Throw out that pile of mail-order catalogs you still haven't flipped through. Limit yourself to saving one tote-bag-full of housecleaning rags.

The One-Minute Organizer Plain & Simple is the perfect handbook for busy people who don't have time for a top-to-bottom purge or a complete organizational overhaul. Instead Donna Smallin provides 500 fast and innovative ways anybody can become a bit more organized . . . right now. Each tip delivers instant gratification, makes your world a little less cluttered, and brings you one step closer to a more orderly life.

Smallin inspires readers by showing how much can be accomplished with an investment of no more than 15 minutes a day. Her quick solutions address such common troubles as paper clutter, household chores that never get done, bills that are always paid late, and schedules that never go quite as smoothly as planned. Every tip is accompanied by a time estimate of 1, 5, 10, or 15 minutes.

These days, when everybody is playing a game of catch-up, The One-Minute Organizer Plain & Simple offers busy people 500 quick organizational fixes that will reduce some of the chaos and bring a little calm into a frenetic world.

Customer Reviews:

Fun read; helps get you in the mood to get organized!.......2007-09-21

This book is worthy of taking up space on the shelf. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to referring to it again and again. It's a great tool for getting in the organizing mood. THIS BOOK DOES NOT TAKE A BIG TIME COMMITMENT. I read it mainly while sitting in the car-line at my child's school waiting for school to be out. 5 minutes here; 10 minutes there! The suggestions for getting the whole family into organizing were very helpful. While I found several ideas I have heard of or used before, there were many more that I had not thought of. Some reccomendations that didn't apply to me made me think of other things that did. Warning! The One Minute Organizer may lead to a better organized home.

I Wish There Was a Different Term For Organizing.......2007-01-14

There's a billion books on organizing, I've read many. This one has a small layout, and short sentences, so it doesn't seem so overwhelming. The book is arranged into categories, and everything about it is short and simple. Easy to pick up and read, the tips and plans are easy to carry out.

Organizing made easy!.......2005-11-26

Organizing doesn't have to be all that difficult or
time-consuming . . . in fact, Donna Smallin in her
excellent THE ONE-MINUTE ORGANIZER PLAIN &
SIMPLE contends that by doing it in small chunks
of time, your life will be made both easier and simpler.

Smallin, a nationally-recognized speaker on
uncluttering, had previously written ORGANIZING
PLAIN & SIMPLE . . . although I haven't yet read that book,
I will do so in the hopes that it is as helpful as her
latest effort.

You can read THE ONE-MINUTE ORGANIZER straight
through in less than two hours . . . that's what I did
the first time . . . now, I'm going back and rereading
certain parts from such various chapters as Getting
Started, Clearing Clutter, Paper Stuff, and Everyday
Strategies . . . I will probably continue to do so
in this valuable little book that I'll keep, as well as
cherish.

There are so many useful tips presented that it makes
it difficult to present just a few in this review . . . however,
I'll try by sharing the following that caught my attention:

Start with the most visible clutter first. Seeing clear and
obvious results will give you a boost of confidence.

Sort knives, spoons and forks as you put them into the
dishwasher to make it easier to put them away when
they're clean.

Keep the same calendar for business and personal use. Use
different-colored pencils or highlighters to distinguish between
work and personal commitments.

When you write appointments in your planner, also write in a phone
number to call in case you're running late, want to confirm or
need to reschedule.

And here's a final one that I REALLY need to consider implementing:
Check e-mail messages and return telephone calls once or twice
a day, instead of all day long.

vincent.......2005-09-25

There are a lot of good suggestions. The book is quite disorganized, however and jumps around. I didn't like the snippits of information. It left me with the impression that I need to devote days towards cleaning up and organizing and many hours to maintaning the organized status

what a great help!.......2004-11-08

I picked this up at a school book fair, needing to find something to buy, figuring it would not make a real difference for me. Boy, I was wrong! I found her approach of taking small amounts of time to incorporate little ideas very useful in my hectic life. I don't have days to set aside for an all-at-once overhaul, being a mom dealing with an out-of-house job, kids' sports on weekends, etc., but I can find a little time each day to incorporate one or two of the 500 ideas into my system. I read through with sticky note tabs in hand to mark ideas I wanted to incorporate, and one by one they are making a real difference.

Average customer rating:

The One-Minute Organizer Plain & Simple

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The One-Minute Organizer Plain & Simple

ASIN: 0739445529

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