Book Description
Performing the Visual explores the practice of wall painting in China from a new perspective. Relying on rare, virtually unpublished drawings on Buddhist themes from a long-hidden medieval library in western China, the author analyzes the painters’ pictorial strategies. She also examines the financial accounting of Buddhist temples, providing practical information that ninth- and tenth-century critics ignored: how artists were paid and when, the temple's role as mediator between patrons and artists, and the way painters functioned outside the monastic system, working in guilds and secular academies affiliated with local government.
Based on the careful study of hundreds of inaccessible wall paintings at Dunhuang, arguably Asia's largest and most important Buddhist site, the author shows that although critics celebrated spontaneous feats with brush and ink, artists at Dunhuang were heavily dependent on concrete tools such as sketches in the preparation of wall painting.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Canadian Journal of History, published by University of Saskatchewan on April 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1023 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Performing the Visual: The Practice of Buddhist Wall Painting in China and Central Asia, 618-960.(Book Review)
Author: Tracy Miller
Publication:
Canadian Journal of History (Refereed)
Date: April 1, 2005
Publisher: University of Saskatchewan
Volume: 40
Issue: 1
Page: 156(3)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
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Young Ideas, Spring/Summer 1991 (Fashion Preview)
Manufacturer: Rockport Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Fashion Design
| Commercial
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Textile & Costume
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Fashion
| Arts & Photography
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| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
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General
| Reference
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ASIN: 0935603719 |
Product Description
Troubleshooter, what dirty secrets lurk in your teammates' backgrounds? Who are their old bunkmates or co-workers, and how much do these past associates currently want revenge? What past felonies and misdemeanors did your fellow Troubleshooters commit to get where they are now/ More to the point, can you dig up these secrets and report them to The Computer? Criminal Histories is a 64-page PARANOIA supplement for players and Gamemasters alike, specially designed to improve games for smaller groups of players. Using scads of 'Prehistory Pachinko' tables, Criminal Histories lets you create a detailed background for your Troubleshooter. Learn bonus specialties! Earn perks and equipment! Die multiple times! Your character will emerge tricked out with formidable advantages over your teammates. True, you had to commit all kinds of crimes and misdeeds to earn this cool stuff -- but if you play it smart, your fellow players will never find out. You hope.
Customer Reviews:
Required.......2007-07-25
Paranoia is a great game but sometimes it takes a lot of work and creativity to really wrap the players in plots and world that is out to get them. This supplement does a lot of the heavy lifting by creating that world as well as giving your players a history to work with. I use this supplement with new players all the time and it never fails to amuse them and get them involved. For my experienced players, it gets their own imaginations rolling and helps them create their own rope to hang themselves.
I feel this supplement is like having an experienced gamemaster standing over your shoulder while you are setting your game up.
Another fine Paranoia XP product.......2006-05-25
All I have to say is this: any book that devlopes a multi-page flowchart for randomly generating PC backstories deserves five stars. Keep 'em coming, guys.
Customer Reviews:
I only wish it were longer.......2007-09-02
This is a wonderful book for anyone who has children, and is familiar with the King James version of the Bible. I have never laughed so hard!
Excellent gift for the right sort of person.......2006-01-10
Not for everyone, but for parents who can translate Torah, this is about the funniest piece ever written. It's a small book--just that one piece from Atlantic with illustrations, but if you're wrestling with Biblical Hebrew and sippy cups, it's probably about as much diversion as you have time for. I think this would make an excellent gift for a bright stay-at-home (Jewish) parent of a toddler.
Average customer rating:
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Lamentations of the Father: Essays
Ian Frazier
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
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ASIN: 0374281629
Release Date: 2008-04-29 |
Average customer rating:
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The filmgoer's companion
Leslie Halliwell
Manufacturer: Hart-Davis, MacGibbon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
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| Dance
| General
| Reference
| Theater
General
| Foreign Languages
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ASIN: 0246106468 |
Book Description
It's the technology of the posthuman age: biotech! Upgrade your old body with smart drugs and viral nano . . . or improve on nature with eugenics and gene-fixing. But it's not just about the future. GURPS Bio-Tech includes a full range of historical and modern medical equipment, from early vaccines to surgical robots, along with game stats for the world's most deadly diseases.
GURPS Bio-Tech also includes a complete set of character templates for bio-tech professions, rules for biotech magic, and two original campaign settings.
Say goodbye to your old body. Have you upgraded your genetics this year?
GURPS Fourth Edition supplement.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic Supplement!!.......2007-08-31
Hi There,
I have been reading RPG supplements for a long time. This one is a very handy supplement, even if you're not playing GURPS. This book is well researched, and seems to add a lot along the lines of Genetic Engineering, and Medicine to the game, while distilling materials into SJ Games Excellent 4th Edition.
I am not an author, but in the interests of disclosing my affiliation with the product, I was a Playtester of the product, prior to release.
I was very impressed with how this product turned out.
Excellent Suplimet.......2007-01-10
The new Bio-Tech is a wonderful addition to the fourth edition of Gurps. It covers rule for physical modifications of species as well as medicine, and the use of magic in the field of biology. Overall a excelent product
Solid, Useful, Fun.......2006-11-29
Bio-Tech has been re-written and expanded for GURPS 4th Edition, and is physically impressive -- full colour, some reasonable art, twice as many pages. The text divides between theory and game-specific material.
The theory part is a fairly detailed and, so far as I know, up to date discussion of medical technology, selective breeding, genetic modifications to animals and plants, genetics, and cellular biology, with interesting speculations on gene therapies, genetic engineering and gross surgical alteration. Although interesting and instructive, the theory part is, from a game point of view, mostly fluff which explains the origin of some of the exotic advantages that characters can have in a hard-SF background.
Bio-Tech also touches on, then skirts around nanotechnology, presumably because this will be covered in more detail in the forth-coming Ultra-Tech, which is referenced throughout the volume.
The game-specific part lists genetic alterations to the human genome by tech level, surgical and therapeutic procedures to upgrade characters during play, provides new spells for magically based backgrounds, and provides rules for and examples of current and futuristic drugs and medical nanotech. It also features geneered animals and plants. The best and most immediately useful part is a chapter devoted to templates, human and para-human, that has been updated from the previous Bio-Tech book, and from Transhuman Space.
All the foregoing material is excellent stuff. Sadly, the final part of the book, which features two capsule backgrounds, is less good. One has clones of Alexander the Great ruling the world, the other is a short account of a slower-than-light colonisation fleet on its way to Lambda Serpentis. Neither of these parts is particularly well detailed, and I'd have preferred more information on bio-vehicles and bio-buildings. It is a minor gripe, though -- the meat of the book is more than worth the cover price.
Are you still using last year's genes?.......2000-03-15
In this age of cloning and genetically altered crops it's hard to create a game book that won't seem hopelessly outdated by next year. David Pulver (GURPS Psionics, GURPS Vehicles and other) has done an excellent job with GURPS Bio-Tech! Rather than a simple list of advantages and disadvantages available, David takes advantage of existing rules to explain how select gene-mods would work in game mechanics.
Also covered are modifications to animals, plants, alien organisms and a extensive section on germ warfare. (Better make sure that the target genome doesn't appear in your population!) Addition information discusses specific changes that bio-modification could bring to a society.
This book is tailored to the GURPS game system, but with a bit of thought could be used for virtually any game system.
Customer Reviews:
Useful!.......2006-04-12
What could be more useful to a GM than a screen that doubles as a reference and a cover for his campaign secrets? This one for GURPS is very nice.
Lots of Information, Silly Art.......2005-08-16
This is a perfect reference for a GM. Almost anything that a GM needs at his/her fingertips is on this screen. There are only two complaints I have.
A) The artwork on the front of the thing is ridiculous and silly looking (almost Disneyish).
B) The screen doesn't function extremely well as a screen. It has a little trouble staying standing up and is not quite large enough to hide all of my stuff behind. But it is functional at least.
Good reference, poor art.......2005-07-08
The GURPS GM Screen is a great reference for most of the tables that you would need during the course of a night's adventuring. This allows you to avoid flipping through your Basic Set books looking up these items. The inserts are extra-special too, with GURPS Lite and Character Builder and conversion. Great references. I must have been spoiled by the art of Dan Smith though, who did a lot of work on 3rd Edition Basic Set and other books. The current full color art leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe more from artist Alex Fernandez who illustrated GURPS Dragons would be the proper substitute for the missing Dan Smith.
Ruined by artwork.......2004-12-17
It's a GM Screen, tables, charts, etc. Pretty good selection and i like the multi-panel design. However, it is ruined by the cover art. Man, couldn't they find some better art? Even recycled art from older books would've been better than the disappointing cartoon-y purple travesty that is the cover of the GURPS GMs Screen.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent resource for gamers and non-gamers........2006-07-09
I've fallen out of my RPG-playing days, but I still buy books like this now and then, simply because the make such great resource/reference books.
GURPS Mars is no exception - the first section describes (in pretty good detail) the actual Mars - everything from atmospheric composition, resources, and the calendar to geographical features. The next section gives a brief but intriguing look at many myths and legends associated with the Red Planet over the centuries.
But it is the following four sections that really make this book shine. Each deals with a different take on Mars:
--Domed Mars (what the first days of human colonization of Mars might look like; this is a rigorous 'hard scifi' take).
--Terraformed Mars (describing the actual processes needed to terraform Mars, and then how society might develop afterwards).
--Superscience Mars (this is Mars as it appears in classic scifi B-movies).
--Dying Mars (my personal favorite, this section describes a Mars straight out of Burroughs' Barsoom novels).
Each of these sections contains a wealth of information, more than enough to get your creative juices flowing, whether you're a gamer looking for new settings and adventures, or a writer looking for inspiration.
GURPS Mars is definitely one of SJG's best products.
Book Description
Designing the Customer-Centric Organization offers todayâs business leaders a comprehensive customer-centric organizational model that clearly shows how to put in place an infrastructure that is organized around the demands of the customer. Written by Jay Galbraith (the foremost expert in the field of organizational design), this important book includes a tool that will help determine how customer-centric an organization is- light-level, medium-level, complete-level, or high-level- and it shows how to ascertain the appropriate level for a particular institution. Once the groundwork has been established, the author offers guidance for the process of implementing a customer-centric system throughout an organization. Designing the Customer-Centric Organization includes vital information about structure, management processes, reward and management systems, and people practices.
Download Description
"Designing the Customer-Centric Organization offers today's business leaders a comprehensive customer-centric organizational model that clearly shows how to put in place an infrastructure that is organized around the demands of the customer. Written by Jay Galbraith (the foremost expert in the field of organizational design), this important book includes a tool that will help determine how customer-centric an organization is- light-level, medium-level, complete-level, or high-level- and it shows how to ascertain the appropriate level for a particular institution. Once the groundwork has been established, the author offers guidance for the process of implementing a customer-centric system throughout an organization. Designing the Customer-Centric Organization includes vital information about structure, management processes, reward and management systems, and people practices.
Customer Reviews:
Very useful in real time organization design.......2007-08-11
I've been using Jay Galbraith's principles in making organization designs for major clients with great effectiveness. This book is very practical.
Designing the Customer-Centric Organization: A Guide to Strategy, Structure, and Process .......2007-01-18
Es un libro excelente, me parece muy bueno el contenido, sin embargo lamento decirles que llego un poco maltratado, por lo que en lo subsecuente espero pongan mas cuidado en este aspecto
It's all in the first 25 pages!.......2007-01-14
I was very excited when I came across this particular book. This was exactly the right book - looking at the title - coming at the right moment for me. I could use it to help me work through a current problem!
Maybe my expectations were too high, but I dived into it with a passion. The introduction was insightful and right on target. This is terrific! Chapter 1; Surviving the Customer Revolution, was as good a review of this topic as I've read anywhere. It succeeded in defining what a customer centric organisation could look like and brought some real clarity to this part of the puzzle. If you've ever tried to explain the difference between a traditional product centric company and a customer centric one then you'll know what I mean.
Chapter 2 though, How Much Is Enough, was the beginning of the decline. The author attempts to define different levels of customer centricity necessary for your company and, for me, falls foul of too much detail and too much process - clearly reflective of the authors' obvious expertise and familiarity with organisational design. From there on it continued to be a struggle for me. The case studies were terrific and there was some real insight, but the solutions were too formulaic and linear to be of real value.
I came away from the book concerned that I'd missed something. I thought that customers would drive what level of customisation would be required in order to deliver value, and thereby improve business performance. Perhaps I was wrong!
Was I disappointed? Not at all. Worth reading even if the best is right up front!
COMPREHENSIVE, IN-DEPTH, THOUGHTFUL BOOK!.......2006-01-16
In contrast to product-centric, a customer-centric firm must be organized around the customer. This means going further than "customer focused" initiatives. This comprehensive, in-depth and thoughtful book begins by exploring the structures and philosophy involved in being customer-centric. Galbraith then details the different types of customer relationship strategies, following which he offers a guide to determining the level of customer-centricity (three levels are proposed) that would best serve the reader's company. The specific elements for achieving each of the three levels, from lightest to most intensive, are presented, along with guidelines for implementing actions ("solution strategy") required. Solution strategies vary by scale and scope, depending on the intensity of customer-centricity needed.
In all, the book delves into ways that organizations can design their strategy, structure, and processes to strengthen their position in the market and grow. Technology, with emphasis on its implementation and connectivity with customers, gets major attention. Much of the book presents engrossing cases (IBM, Proctor & Gamble, Nokia), which are extremely informative and provide a plethora of insights. This is an outstanding work in its content, organization of material, and style of writing. Very highly recommended.
Books:
- Potential Images: Ambiguity and Indeterminacy in Modern Art (Topographics)
- Pre-Raphaelite and Other Masters: The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection
- Promo 2: The Ultimate in Graphic Designer's and Illustrator's Self-Promotion (Promo)
- Raphael and His Circle: Drawings from Windsor Castle
- Ready-to-Use Popular Music Illustrations: 96 Different Copyright-Free Designs Printed One Side (Dover Clip-Art Series)
- Red Grooms: The Graphic Work
- Repairing Pottery and Porcelain: A Practical Guide, 2nd edition
- Roy Lichtenstein: Interiors
- Sacred Arts of Haitian Voodoo
- Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Where Did I Come From
- Wall Street Meat: My Narrow Escape from the Stock Market Grinder
- Unto A Good Land: A History Of The American People
- Voices from Legendary Times: We Are a Bridge Between Past and Future
- Waterproof Costa Rica Map
- Thermodynamics and an Introduction to Thermostatistics, 2nd Edition
- Weapons Grade: How Modern Warfare Gave Birth to Our High-Tech World
- Trumpet to Arms: Alternative Media in America
- The Maya, Seventh Edition
- The Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants
Art, Religion, and Politics in Medieval China: The Dunhuang Cave of the Zhai Family
Shaping the Lotus Sutra: Buddhist Visual Culture in Medieval China
Chinese Steles: Pre-Buddhist and Buddhist Use of a Symbolic Form
Empire of Emptiness: Buddhist Art and Political Authority in Qing China
Latter Days of the Law: Images of Chinese Buddhism 850-1850
