Steel Canvas: The Art Of American Arms

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ONE OF THE BEST PHOTO-BOOKS OF FIRE ARMS ENGRAVING.......1997-03-19

Having been a serrious engraver for just over a year now, I have amassed several books on engraving: mainly the "standards" for engravers: several of the Dover series of patterns, James L. Meek, Nimschke, etc. This has some of the finest and sharpest photos of engraving I have seen. And this book is cheap compaired to many of the others. Just plain beautiful. And --- worth every penny

Steel Canvas: The Art Of American Arms (Deluxe Leatherbound Edition)

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Steel Canvas: The Art Of American Arms (Deluxe Leatherbound Edition)

Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000HMDRO2

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Steel Canvas: The Art of American Arms.
R.L. Wilson
Manufacturer: Publisher Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UYISA0

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Steel Canvas The Art of American Arms
Wilson R.L.
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UD0L7O

Book Description

This mock-instructional tome is actually a hilarious parody in graphic novel form of those books which seek to advise one on "how to draw manga." But it is also a gripping comic book narrative in its own right about the struggle of two bumbling and desperate would-be know-it-alls — the authors of the book — in their vainglorious pursuit of comic book technique, wealth, and fame.

Customer Reviews:

Crazy.......2007-05-10

Sad but true, even though this book is over twenty years old, some of the cliches they mention are still prevalent in manga. For example, Shonen still consists of 'enemy inflation' and plots consisting of little more than strings of battle. They also mentioned that one day, ninja comics may make a comeback. Remember, this was published years before series like Naruto and Basilisk. There are a lot of analogies too, for example, women are like a game of Tetris! It's crazy but fun, and I can't help but burst out laughing at moments. I would recommend this for any serious fan of manga comics.

Social Satire on the Manga Industry.......2004-11-20

The other reviewers of this book seem to have missed the point. This is not a how to book or a parody of different series: This is a satire of the cliches in the manga industry, in all the genres, the popular magazines, the public taste for the vulgar and even in how manga is becoming popular as a medium for works not commonly associated with pop art, like government documents.

Be advised that the book is sexually explicit (it parodies manga porn among other things) and is not intended for minors.

Well... I viewed this slight;y differently but..........2003-06-10

I love this book. I thought that it was a great guide book for getting started without being serious. It did have alot of jokes but there is alot of relevant material in there too. I don't think it was meant to be a parodu so much as it was meant to be a humorous guide that can acually be used. I highly reccommend it, because it gets down to the core of each genre really well... but it isn't for kids, as the other reviewers mentioned.

For those who hate Manga..........2003-04-03

I don't care for Manga. I thing the current market is glutted to the big watery eyeballs with the stuff, most of it of poor quality and indistinquishable from one another.I bought this book because it seemed to offer a overview of the medium while poking fun at it. The book is hillarious! At one point, lacking female models to draw from, the authors resort to taking and drawing nude pictures of THEMSELVES in various cheesecake poses. I particularly like the section on how to draw Manga for kids - and how it takes a sly jab at the buying parent at the same time. The book is raunchy in places, so like most Manga, it's not really designed for kids. It's a cynical but light-hearted exspos'e of the entire Manga industry. Will these guys ever work in Manga again? :)

The Creative process behind all things, revealed!.......2003-01-30

These two authors let us in on the secret world of manga creation, but accidentally seems to reveal the bitter, ugly truth behind the creation of anything for popular mediums.

With the growing popularity of the 'How to draw manga' books in the USA, PULP and VIZ's publishing of this forgotten, but brilliant guidebook to success, or failure, depending... where was I? I seem to have run off on a big-word rant. Oh well.

Anyway, this book shows us the best and worst parts of working in an existing and popular medium, and the compromises you must make to experience even modest success.

Darn. There I go again. Just assume I was talking about something interesting there.

Perhaps the best part of this whole book is that you never know if this is a parody or an honest take on the world of harsh deadlines and demanding publishers. Or perhaps it's brilliant satire and informative advice combined. Who knows?

A few rules taken from the book-

'The basis of all manga is theft'

(every manga artist rips off otomo!)

'you dont need to know your subject matter to make a story about it' (Mahjongg manga. 'nuff said.)

'Graphic and lewd pictures of Aihara-sensei published in a monthly format are the key to success' (As told by Aihara-sensei)

Okay... maybe the third rule is B.S....

BTW- If you replace 'manga' with 'movie', you pretty much experience the true creative processes hollywood uses to create such blockbusters as 'master of disguise' and 'Street Fighter.'

Book Description

Unemployed since June of 2001, Odd Todd now spends his time watching TV, taking powernaps, spacing out, snacking, updating his Web site daily, and doing....stuff. THEODDTODDHANDBOOK is chock full of ways to spend time when you can't spend any mon-ay. We'll start at dawn-ish and go through a whole day all the way to Odd Todd's late-night insomnia attack at 2:30 a.m. THEODDTODDHANDBOOKchronicles Odd Todd's lottery fantasies, thoughts about writing screenplays (samples included), cheap and 'too easy' recipes (samples included), dealing with mom and dad, dream analysis, socializing with 'working folk,' getting free stuff, and sneaky (and lazy) job search techniques. There are games, puzzles, a glossary with lingo for the unemployed, and lots of....stuff. Whether you're unemployed or just strive to live the lifestyle, Odd Todd will cover all the benefits of this exhilarating way of life.

Customer Reviews:

OddTodd Rocks.......2007-03-07

I've been a Todd fan since the beginning in '02. He's as funny now as then. Love his website and his movie shorts as much as the book. His illustrations are great. They are so good because they are so simple. Who needs fancy anyway? He shows us you don't need a job to make it in the world sometimes. Just a good imagination. The book is a great bathroom read. A little at a time and you don't get bored with it.

A Genius and Most Excellent Human Being (and a cool book).......2006-01-15

tOdd effotlessly makes funny. His visual timing, though best experienced in a medium that moves past you (his online Flash cartoons) is spot-on and his own written narrative gets better and better, warmly human, quirky- but always as The Voice (not just The Yapper) inside us all. tOdd is a friend, a comic Genius, a most excellent writer and above all, a keen observer of himself. He looks in crannies and cracks few of us will, and is a pretty wonderful observer of this world and all of us.
If you don't already own two copes as I do, maybe start checking the auctions now.

luap

Totally... different.......2004-08-14

Odd Todd's website is not only one of those "must-see" sites, it's one that draws a person back day after day to see what new unemployed endeavors Todd is engaged in. Todd Rosenberg is one of the most optimistic, empowering, encouraging individuals you're ever likely to run across, and the fact that he's endured our sluggish economy (thank you, President Bush) jobless for three years with nothing but the contributions from his website and royalties from his book are testimony to the survival instinct in this unique individual. Hard Times, Soft Couch compiles some of the best snippets from his site, as well as plenty of new material, into a work of art that strikes the very heart of the slacker generation. Long live Odd Todd!

Brilliant! One of the best afternoon reads ever!.......2004-07-11

Here is a man who is honest, funny, clever, insightful and a talented artist. His milieu is unemployment. His canvas is life. He is a voice of a child of the 70`s and an adult of today. I spent the afternoon on the patio with his book and it has been the best day of 2004.

Enlightening.......2004-07-02

Makes ya appreciate cook-ays & coff-ay & pringles so mucho after reading it. Praise unemployedom!

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Great... For all dedicated fans.

Just buy the dvd

Is that all?

A beautiful companion to a great film

A World of Tigers and Dragons...

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: A Portrait of Ang Lee's Epic Film
Linda Sunshine , and David Bordwell
Manufacturer: Newmarket Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

ASIN: 1557044570

Amazon.com

Every movie should be as kinetic and romantic as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and every tie-in book should be as smart and lovely to look at as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: A Portrait of the Ang Lee Film. It has sumptuous color photos of the otherworldly locations, from the Gobi desert to Anji's bamboo forest; an ace essay by Time's Richard Corliss, the best prose stylist among film critics; and it's studded with scads of factoids and reminiscences from the director, the stars, and--most helpfully--the film scholar David Bordwell.

Bordwell explains what the heck the title means (dragons denote hot, rebellious youth, characterizing the lovers Jen and Lo, and the repressed passion smoldering within the older, thwarted lovers, Yu Shu Lien and Li Mu Bai), the film's place in Chinese cinema history (wuxia martial-arts films are a titanic tradition rooted in folk tales), and all manner of intriguing arcana briskly noted in a lively style. Lee tells how the film squares with his other works like Sense and Sensibility: "In a family drama, there is a verbal fight. Here, you kick butt." Though one does wish it were longer, this thoughtful, beautifully laid-out book moves the spirit--plus, it kicks butt. --Tim Appelo

Book Description

The winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Foreign-Language Film, Art Direction, Cinematography, and Original Music.

To coincide with the Sony Pictures Classics release--this elegantly illustrated moviebook captures the beauty, spirit, and extraordinary talents behind what TimeAsia heralded as an "instant classic...a rule-bending master-piece that weds martial arts with sense and sensibility." The latest film from Sense and Sensibility director is an epic love story and a thrilling action drama set against the breathtaking landscapes of ancient China, filmed entirely on location. Based on a five-volume Chinese novel by Wang Du Lu, the project was scripted by Wang Hui Ling (Eat Drink Man Woman), James Schamus (The Ice Storm), and Tsai Kuo Jung. Marking Ang Lee's first Chinese-language feature since 1994, the film is punctuated by beautifully choreographed fight scenes and dazzling stunts masterminded by Yuen Wo-Ping, who worked on The Matrix. The actors include the two most popular Asian actors in the world, Chow Yun Fat (Anna and the King, The Replacement Killers) and Michelle Yeoh (Supercop, Tomorrow Never Dies). The Newmarket book includes the screenplay, stunning full-color photographs before and behind the cameras, interviews and notes with filmmakers, features on the history and tradition of martial arts storytelling and filmmaking, and articles by Time's Richard Corliss and world renowned film scholar David Bordwell.

"A breathtaking epic love story set in mythical China, where saber wielding Taoist masters--most of them women--save the day."--Lee Yanowitch, Reuters

"A sweeping romantic epic with a strong feminist backbone [with] a generous offering of seriously kick-ass action sequences that make The Matrix seem downright quaint by comparison."--Michael Rechtshaften, Hollywood Reporter

[The film is] "a blending, not a collision, of Eastern physical grace and Western intensity of performance, of Hong Kong kung fu directness and British attention to behavioral nuance."--Richard Corliss, TimeAsia cover story (7/10/00)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is produced by Sony Pictures Classics, Good Machine International, and Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia.

Customer Reviews:

Great... For all dedicated fans........2001-06-11

This is a GREAT book... It includes the screenplay of the film, which, is nice to read once in awhile when not watching the DVD. It's filled w/ wonderful photos from the movie and set, and has many quotes and commentaries from actors and Ang Lee about certain situations while filming... and about the film. It's very entertaining to read, but I just wish there was more information about the actors included in the pages. There are comments about them and their performances here and there... and the quotes are great, but the background info on all of the actors is just not there. But all dedicated crouching tiger fans should get it, b/c it's just so nicely laid out and is such good quality. I mean, who cares if they leave a little out? It's so fun to look at!

Just buy the dvd.......2001-04-12

the book does not tell you much about the actors, the director, the genre, or other related subjects. its okay to browse through while your at a bookstore but not for purchase.

Is that all?.......2001-04-05

Ok, I liked the movie, and as the book is like the script from the movie I liked it too, but...

Is that all? the script from what we already saw? I realy hoped to find more insight in the story, on the philosophy. Something that explanes a few eastern philosophies used in the movie wich are not that clear for western people.

Well, the photos look great and so on, but I realy hoped for something I didn't already saw in the movie itself...

A beautiful companion to a great film.......2001-03-23

Like many filmgoers, I fell in love with "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," the Ang Lee film which blends historical drama, martial arts action, romance, and spirituality into a breathtaking cinematic experience. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: A Portrait of the Ang Lee Film" is a visually stunning book which captures the spirit of the great film. The book contains the complete screenplay (in English), a foreword by director Lee, and many interesting notes and sidebars by those who crafted the film.

The book is rich in full-color photos that celebrate the sumptuous beauty of Ang Lee's vision. Looking at the book, I gained an increased appreciation for the artistry and attention to detail that went into the design of the costumes, props, and sets for the film. There are many excellent portraits of the film's superb cast, particularly of Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Chow Yun Fat, Chang Chen, and Cheng Pei Pei.

The sidebars are particularly fascinating. Many of them give insights into Chinese history and culture. One sidebar tells a little about Wang Du Lu, who wrote the novel upon which the script was based; another sidebar explores the relationship between "Crouching Tiger" and Ang Lee's 1995 film "Sense and Sensibility." The other sidebars are similarly informative.

This book is a beautiful keepsake that will allow you to relive one of the most enchanting films ever made. Ang Lee, screenwriter James Schamus, and all others who contributed to this book have given a wonderful gift to the film's fans.

A World of Tigers and Dragons..........2001-02-17

Ang Lee's film, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is an absolute masterpiece; it's one of the best films I've ever seen, and I'm not easily impressed. This book, which includes the entire screenplay, is a worthy- if somewhat slight- companion to it.

The book contains a number of beautiful color photographs, and commentary from Ang Lee, co-writer James Schamus, critic Richard Corliss (his Time magazine review, actually) and some background on the wuxia pian film genre the film's story is rooted in. If you're in love with the movie, you'll definitely want this book; having the entire screenplay is worth the price.

What keeps it from achieving the five-star status the film surely will attain is that it really needs a bit more. I would've loved a more in-depth look at the film's production. The book has one sidebar on the beautiful costumes, and glosses over certain production problems (weather, digital wire-removal difficulties); at one point, Ang Lee writes how he doubts he'll ever be fully healthy again, but there's no explanation other than he worked extremely hard on this project.

Still, it's marvelous to be able to read Jen Yu's (Zhang Ziyi) entire restaurant speech (from a particularly thrilling sequence where she battles about two dozen men) and Li Mu Bai's (Chow Yun Fat) touching valediction, delivered to Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh). The book's design work mirrors the film's antique look and is a nice match for its production design.

While the film junkie (and "Crouching Tiger" fan) in me would love to read more about how they made this magical movie, I still recommend you check out "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: A Portrait of Ang Lee's Epic Film." But only after you've watched the film.

Book Description

“A foolproof guide.”—Vogue Patterns. “This book by one of the world’s top doll designers provides detailed information, patterns and ideas to make several different 18-inch cloth dolls....Loaded with valuable information for the fabric doll maker.”—Doll Castle News.

Book Description

Economics has much to do with incentives--not least, incentives to work hard, to produce quality products, to study, to invest, and to save. Although Adam Smith amply confirmed this more than two hundred years ago in his analysis of sharecropping contracts, only in recent decades has a theory begun to emerge to place the topic at the heart of economic thinking. In this book, Jean-Jacques Laffont and David Martimort present the most thorough yet accessible introduction to incentives theory to date. Central to this theory is a simple question as pivotal to modern-day management as it is to economics research: What makes people act in a particular way in an economic or business situation? In seeking an answer, the authors provide the methodological tools to design institutions that can ensure good incentives for economic agents.

This book focuses on the principal-agent model, the "simple" situation where a principal, or company, delegates a task to a single agent through a contract--the essence of management and contract theory. How does the owner or manager of a firm align the objectives of its various members to maximize profits? Following a brief historical overview showing how the problem of incentives has come to the fore in the past two centuries, the authors devote the bulk of their work to exploring principal-agent models and various extensions thereof in light of three types of information problems: adverse selection, moral hazard, and non-verifiability. Offering an unprecedented look at a subject vital to industrial organization, labor economics, and behavioral economics, this book is set to become the definitive resource for students, researchers, and others who might find themselves pondering what contracts, and the incentives they embody, are really all about.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2006-05-02

I had a project work. I was struggling with a P/A model in other books' examples. But this book is a gem. I got what I wanted in less than two days. I am an average student and the various models and extensions are very helpful in understanding the material.

I love the cover and the color combination also. I dont have it now. But will buy one. G-R-E-A-T Book.

Give it a try.

Master Piece from the Master.......2004-05-17

The book provides a systhesis of contract theory at the phd level. It begins with basic idea of adverse selection and then its extension and followed by basic moral hazard model and its extension. The selected topics are presented here in a consistent fashion of the main ideas. Applications are well presented along the models.

Nonverifiability, the mixed model of adverse selection and moral hazard and some dynamic aspects of the two are also incorporated in a great deal of details.

This is the text on incentive theory, not just introduction. Its comprehensive insights are useful and time-saving for readers. You need not to read a bulk of papers, after reading the book, you just complement it with some core papers of the topics. (such as multidimensional screening, random participation)

If there is some weakness, it would be that... the authors present some topics too short and some notation used are not well explained, particularly the extension of the core models and some selected topics.

Anyways, i found it helpful and complete for studying incentive theory but it requires deep understanding of optimization theory and some experience of economic-theorethic arguments.

This book is written by a major contributor of the field. It would be hard to write another book to compete with this one in the field. . .

excellent book.......2003-12-09

A very clear book on the topic of information theory; pretty much everything you need as a graduate student. Covers all topics in substantial detail but with models that capture only the effects that are relevant. A great buy.

Best book on the topic.......2003-07-10

This is a fabulous book, destined to become a classic reference summarizing some 30 years of research in a field that has now become mature and which has completely redefined and expanded the field of Modern Economics. Jean Jacques Laffont is a sure-bet future Nobel laureate for his contributions to the field (likely to be shared with that other Toulouse-based giant Jean Tirole). Martimort is a rising star in his own right.

This volume, the first in what is described as a two-volume survey, should be on the bookshelf of any serious economist or any graduate student trying to work her way through a serious first or second year microeconomic theory. It could also be used effectively to teach a first-year graduate or an advanced undergraduate course on asymmetric information and contracts.

What is so nice about the book pedagogically in my view is the way the authors have synthesized so many results by working with variants of simple models. It's the power of elegant simplicity. When looking at moral hazard for example, they start with the simplest two outcome, two action problem, with a risk-neutral principal and agent. Then they slowly and selectively complicate the same base model (e.g. adding a limited liability constraint, making the agent risk averse, allowing for more action levels and outcomes, adding more tasks, more agents, etc). Hence you get the essential insights without being overly burdened from the start with cumbersome notation. They have several nice graphical representations to accompany the very well written intuitive explanations. The end result is that you end up seeing with clarity how many results in the literature, that had previously seemed disparate, tie together very neatly and share a common mathematical structure.

The authors state in the introduction (which is a brilliant historical survey of ideas and the development of the field) that they plan a second volume on multi-agent contracts and mechanism design. It should also be fabulous and will hopefully help to popularize and democratize an area of economics that is packed with essential insights for understanding political economy and the behavior of groups, hiearchies and organizations, yet has mostly been left to mathematical economists.

There are other books out there like Macho-Stadler et al' "An Introduction to the Economics of Information: Incentives and Contracts" and Salanie's "The Economics of Contracts" which are targeted at a similar audience. These are quite good in their own right, but do not have the breadth and insight of this volume.

Fabulous!.......2002-02-04

This book is the best book I've ever met on principle-agency theory. The authors provide clear concept of incentive compatible scheme and detailed implications for each constraint. They successively clarified the trade-off effects related to adverse selection and moral hazard models. I'd like to recommend this book to whoever struggled with information economics as I did. I love the first chapter. It's alive.

The Principal Agent Model: The Economic Theory of Incentives (The International Library of Critical Writings in Economics Series, 162)

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The Principal Agent Model: The Economic Theory of Incentives (The International Library of Critical Writings in Economics Series, 162)

Manufacturer: Edward Elgar Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1843762404

Book Description

Incentive theory is the most important development in economics in the last forty years. The principal-agent model is the core of this theory. This authoritative collection brings together the essential literature concerning the principal-agent model when no restrictions on the design of the principal's contract exist in terms of complexity, enforcement or rationality.

Part I covers the foundations of the principal-agent theory from the first historical formulation of the problem to the first attempts to formalize it. Part II deals with the case of moral hazard and adverse selection is the topic of Part III. Part IV presents contributions on current research issues such as the impact of communication constraints, endogenous information structures and multidimensional incentive problems.

The Principal Agent Model will be an indispensable reference source for all students, researchers and professionals specializing in this subject.

32 articles, dating from 1968 to 1999

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