Arts of India 1550-1900

Book Description

In the Blink of an Eye is celebrated film editor Walter Murch's vivid, multifaceted, thought -- provoking essay on film editing. Starting with what might be the most basic editing question -- Why do cuts work? -- Murch treats the reader to a wonderful ride through the aesthetics and practical concerns of cutting film. Along the way, he offers his unique insights on such subjects as continuity and discontinuity in editing, dreaming, and reality; criteria for a good cut; the blink of the eye as an emotional cue; digital editing; and much more. In this second edition, Murch reconsiders and completely revises his popular first edition's lengthy meditation on digital editing (which accounts for a third of the book's pages) in light of the technological changes that have taken place in the six years since its publication.

Customer Reviews:

Seasoned professional's wisdom of his craft: film editing.......2007-08-04

This book was a required reading for my national university on-line class in digital video editing. The book is a short read that can be accomplished in two sittings. I read the second part of the book on digital editing first, as I have been editing for the past 10 years and have made the leap from analog to digital, myself. Murch relates the changes from a professional's point of view. He compares analog versus digital editing He outlines how the workflow of the editor and, indeed, the whole industry, as filmmaking is such a collaborative art, is changing due to the inevitable transition to a totally digital medium. I read the first part of the book next. Smartly, this saved the best for last as his most profound advice for editing is contained in the middle of the text, at the end of part one. Here he explains a moment in editing when he understood the essence of his editing choices on a particular movie, thus revealing the title of the book. This is a gem of a read for anyone interested in the working mind of a seasoned editor. I recommend it to film fans, students, and anyone interested in getting into the industry professionally.

A Must Read.......2007-03-13

Whether you have a passing fancy with movie editing, or just want to understand the anatomy of one of our greatest media achievements, you will like this book.

It is brief, clear and drops you into the world of film in a blink of an eye.

It's a book about Story Telling and narrative design.......2007-02-23

Sometimes a book's own hype kills people's appreciation of it.

With Murch's classic, the problem is that it is considered a classic text about editing, simply because it is a biographical account of an editor at work.

It is not about the techniques or tools or modern equipment necessary to edit a film. If you seek a functional book to learn the fundamental skills of visual film editing, this is not something you should purchase.

It's very much more a story telling book. Most specifically if you are a writer, or, if you consider your film directing as 'writing with pictures,' this book will elevate your ability and understanding of 'writing with film.'

The old adage that 'film is a visual medium' is wrong.

Maybe that's why a get a little uppity about catchall phrases. Like "Film is a visual medium." It's not. Not really. It has music. It has dialogue. And, it exists over time.

One painting, is a visual medium.

Film, is 24-paintings per second with noise, weight, drama, visual, action, cognitive momentum, magic, and trust and hope. Film, as the casual and professional observer speaks of it, is more likely a cognitive medium. Film more closely approximates our external reality more than any other media, and it is Murch's perspective -- as the ultimate unifier of the other filmed elements -- that reminds us of that. He casually reveals what he knows about his art and how to design a dramatic narrative based on upon cognitive principles.

If you stumbled across this book just because you just dig making and writing films that much, than this book will excite you for the price of a Starbucks lunch. And it's better for your body than crumbcakes and coffee.

In the Blink of an Eye.......2007-02-16

It's a quick read, and somewhat entertaining. Not something I would recommend as a schoolbook for an editing class, but if you are interested in the editing process, it's a good read.

a editing classic.......2007-02-13

Every editor needs to read this, it will change the way you think about editing.

Book Description

In this sixth entry in the series, Eevee has a major crush on another Eevee, but the target of its affection is way too shy to introduce itself. Can Hazel and Coconut make love bloom between the two Eevee? Meanwhile, Ditto is good at mimicking Pokemon, but can it impersonate a human? Elsewhere, Hazel finds an egg floating down the river and takes it upon herself to care for it. Will this egg hatch or become a tasty breakfast for the Pokemon?

Book Description

Q: How do you find a missing barber?

A: Comb the city.

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Apollo.

Apollo who?

Apologize for not answering sooner!

Bob Phillips adds to his bestselling collection of joke books (nearly four million copies sold) with this collection sure to delight kids and pester parents.

Within these pages, seekers of silly will discover a variety of wit—crazy questions, daffy dialogues, knock knock jokes, and more. In addition to the promise to drive parents bonkers with its contents, this book will also provide hours of cheap entertainment...and make kids of all ages smile.

Book Description

The rise of Iranian cinema to world prominence over the last few decades is one of the most fascinating cultural stories of our time. There is hardly an international film festival anywhere that does not honor the aesthetic and political explorations of Iranian filmmakers.

At the vanguard of this ascent has been Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and no one better personifies Iranian cinema. His life and career have been shaped, and in a way been defined, by the Islamic revolution and the complex historical influences beyond it. Critically, vividly, and sometimes pitilessly, Makhmalbaf's films provide a mirror of Iranian history and culture, both before and after the cataclysm of the revolution. From the start, Makhmalbaf has explored the relationship between the individual and a larger social and political environment. As a result, his work serves as an extended commentary on the historical progression of the Iranian state and its people. And if Makhmalbaf's films are at times polemic, he nonetheless brings a poet's sensibility to urgent and eternal issues--faith, love, regret, suffering, injustice--of the human condition.

In The Films of Makhmalbaf Eric Egan examines the close and volatile relationship between a highly popular art form and the politics of power in Iranian society. Through a critical analysis of Mohsen Makhmalbaf's films, the book traces the development of Iran's national cinema both before and under the Islamic Republic. An artist whose work is provocative and never far from controversy, Makhmalbaf's films have always been reflexive meditations on the nature of cinema and art within a society. As Iranian society has changed, so his films have progressed, from ardently advocating the declared ideals of the Islamic regime to criticizing the failures of the revolution and examining difficult topics, all the while elucidating the social and political role of art and the artist.

Average customer rating:

New ideas right off the bat...

This book is almost funny, with how much lyrical content it holds.

Lyrics: Writing Better Words for Your Songs (Songwriting)
Rikky Rooksby
Manufacturer: Backbeat Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0879308850

Book Description

Lyrics sheds light on all aspects of lyric writing for music and will make songwriters feel more confident and creative when they tackle lyrics. It's perfect for all songwriters: those who don't like their own lyrics and find them difficult to write, experienced writers looking for a creative edge, and those offering lyrics to set to music in a partnership. Topics include channeling personal experiences into lyrics, overcoming writer's block, the right lyrics for a bridge, the separation between lyrics and poetry, exploring imagery and metaphor, avoiding cliches, and more. The book also offers tips on the various styles of lyrics, from protests, spirituals, and confessionals to narratives and comic songs.

Customer Reviews:

New ideas right off the bat..........2007-09-10

Althought I haven't yet finished the entire book, I found the first sections of this work so inspiring that I thought they merited comment. What may seem common knowledge (or common sense) to an experienced writer, the ideas that were revealed in the first few sections of this book were eye-openers to me. Peppered with comments and insights from successful writers, the section titled "30 ways to find inspiration" was all I hoped it would be....and all I needed to push my creativity to a place it hasn't been in quite some time. A simple, productive kick in the pants for a writer like me who didn't know which way to go next. In the two weeks since reading this section alone, I've filled at least a dozen pages with new prospects. When this surge is over, I'll see what the rest of the book has to offer!

This book is almost funny, with how much lyrical content it holds........2006-11-12

Rikky Rooksby has made some really great songwriting books. His best being "How To Write Songs On Guitar."

I flipped through this book at a local store and I was laughing to myself, at how much detail Rooksby goes into, as far as lyrical subjects are concerned.

He doesn't really go into full detail about how to write great lines, or how to write a life-altering song lyrically (that comes with a lot of practice and being an intelligent, perceptive person I think), but he does include a lot of cliches you should avoid at all costs... cliche phrases and word couplings, etc. Surely you've heard them on your local soft rock radio station or top 40 station.

The main strength of this book, I think, is that he gives you a TON of popular song examples that are about a specific thing.

And by specific things I mean:
Politics, Love, War, Loneliness, Anger, Frustration, Partying/Having Fun, History, stories/third person storytelling, Science Fiction, Science, Religion, Sex, Driving, Nature, and... Colors?

Yes, he even has a "Colors" section... each color (Blue, Red, Green, Yellow) etc, he lists about 10-15 songs with that color in the title, or songs that revolve around a color and what it has to do with the song's subject... and how the songwriters made it work. For example, with Blue you might have New Order's "Blue Monday", Joni Mitchell's "Blue", Elton John's "Blue Eyes"... etc (I don't know if those songs specifically are in the book, as I read through it a few nights ago), but that's how he mentions them). And then of course, with Yellow you'd have Coldplay's amazing song "Yellow", and then the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine", etc. Red would have "Little Red Corvette" by Prince, "I See Red" by Split Enz, etc.

This is the part of the book that made me laugh to myself and of course, had the biggest impact on me because I just wrote 100 words about it basically... haha.

The rest of the book is really, really informative. It's probably the best book I've found on lyric writing, and I own like eight of them!

To summarize, Rooksby's done a ton of research about lyric writing/subject matter in pop music. You can't complain about having writer's block, just thumbing through this book for five minutes. For $25, you can get this highly descriptive book, and a nice rhyming dictionary (I recommend The Complete Rhyming Dictionary by Clement Wood), and you'll never have writer's block again (at least, lyrically... musical writer's block, well, that's harder to overcome... at least for me).

:)

Book Description

We have long been taught that emotions should be felt and expressed in carefully controlled ways, and then only in certain environments and at certain times. This is especially true when at work, particularly when managing others. It is considered terribly unprofessional to express emotion while on the job, and many of us believe that our biggest mistakes and regrets are due to our reactions at those times when our emotions get the better of us. David R. Caruso and Peter Salovey believe that this view of emotion is not correct. The emotion centers of the brain, they argue, are not relegated to a secondary place in our thinking and reasoning, but instead are an integral part of what it means to think, reason, and to be intelligent. In The Emotionally Intelligent Manager, they show that emotion is not just important, but absolutely necessary for us to make good decisions, take action to solve problems, cope with change, and succeed. The authors detail a practical four-part hierarchy of emotional skills: identifying emotions, using emotions to facilitate thinking, understanding emotions, and managing emotions—and show how we can measure, learn, and develop each skill and employ them in an integrated way to solve our most difficult work-related problems.

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Customer Reviews:

Good resource for my staff.......2007-04-10

I liked the overall theory approach the book takes, but then it gets into why these 4 skills are important, and finally, what to do about it. So, there is a balance of why and also what and how. My managers are excellent managers and get the job done. At times, they don't consider the emotional needs of their people. I hope that the book will allow them to at least consider the role emotions play at work. That will be a huge lift for them and their leadership skills.

The other reason I selected this book is that it does not claim to be the cure-all for leadership or people skills. They take a constrained approach, and this will resonate with my staff - be aware, though, that this sort of tone and approach may not work for you.

Difference between one star and five star reviews.......2005-09-10

I have read a few pages from the book (The three star rating is just to be on the balanced side of things) and the author's (Caruso) article "Defining the Inkblot Called Emotional Intelligence" published after this book in 2004.
I agree with the article that we should read, proactively accept, give constructive comments and learn from all data on any scientific/theoretical topic whether we agree with the data or not.

I have noticed that the reviewers rating one star have a more stereotype approach in their comments and are taking thing personally. These people also have one thing in common: not specified their own speciality and background in the field, and so no ground evidence on why exactly they did not like the book.
On the other-hand, reviewers giving 4 or 5 stars mostly have given professional explanations and have long years of experience either scientific or managerial or academic in the field of Management or Psychology. Therefore as I always agree, "science/knowledge is light", and so go for the more rationally emotional reviews and enjoy the book, no matter what its level.

Tact, Poise & Encouragement.......2005-08-15

This selection reflected tact, poise, and encouragement: great tact in pulling together corporate and academic disciplines, poise (in the Emotional Intelligence with which it was written), and Encouragement -- particularly for anyone who learned of the MSCEIT and how this assessment could reflect Emotional Intelligence ability. However, after reading the reviews on this site, it's obvious that many reviewers would disagree with this. Allow me, please, to state my review.

While I believe that comments are to be respected when both written and reviewed, I suspect sufficient lack of knowledge and professionalism on the part of some reviewers at this site. While each reader is entitled to his/her opinion of the book, anyone who is compelled to resort to trashing the book and/or its authors indicates to me a very juvenile/immature way of responding. There is neither value,nor depth, nor substance, in such responses, nor does such a response offer any constructive or valuable feedback for contemplation.

I have read the book and must say that I believe it to be a refreshing approach to EI/EQ. It's somewhat of a shift from the traditional Goleman-type readings, which, by the way, I have also appreciated reading. I've gained something valuable from all of them.

In "The Emotionally Intelligent Manager," Doctors Caruso and Salovey offer four distinct steps to managing with emotional intelligence. While a considerable portion of the manuscript appears dedicated to the corporate world, I find the selection -- in its entirety -- to be applicable for anyone in the corporate realm, the non-profit realm, or in the realm of academia. The book certainly allows for transfer of skills from one area to another, from one discipline to the next.

Additionally, readers who have found nothing but criticism should avail themselves to the training workshops that deal specifically with Emotional Intelligence and the MSCEIT -- the MSCEIT being the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test. The assessment measures EI ability.

Besides the MSCEIT, interesting and curious thinking would be to wonder where the scores of these individuals might play out on a typical 360 assessment. Wouldn't you wonder?

Not only have I been fortunate in attending the MSCEIT Training & Certification this year and the Six Seconds/Level One EQ Teacher & Training Certification previous to MSCEIT training, but I am also a PhD student who will be focusing my PhD in Integrated Psychology with a focus in EI/EQ. With that, I will have the opportunity to use the MSCEIT considerably in my quantitative study with regard to my dissertation.

I would encourage anyone who has so negatively reviewed/trashed "The Emotionally Intelligent Manager" and its authors to take the MSCEIT assessment discussed in the text to find out what his/her ability truly is in Emotional Intelligence. Only individuals who would refrain from considering doing something like this would be those who wouldn't be willing to acknowledge any deficit on their part in this regard, say, if one or more of the results on the MSCEIT would indicate an area or two that an individual might consider developing.

Perhaps folks who would avail themselves of this opportunity would come to realize that a Level One course in Six Seconds EQ (sixseconds.org) might benefit them before they so violently attack and pass judgment on another book or its authors without their having the "full deck of cards" to deal with, or should I say without having "all their ducks" in a row.

The ideal result would be for these individuals who feel the need to be so unproductively critical with hollow comments to realize that they truly jumped the gun in their initial reviews and to amend their positions. Pehaps they will have grown in their Emotional Intelligence ability to re-frame and re-evaluate the book for the genuine wisdom it vividly contains in both academic and corporate expertise.

With that respectfully spoken, I say "Carry on, Caruso & Salovey! I look for another respectable masterpiece to sequel this one!!!"

Simplistic advice.......2005-04-22

The advice given in this book is really so banal that I suppose anyone could have written the book. I really don't understand why there has been so much attention given to the concept of emotional intelligence. Seems to me that normal folks are, according to the description of the authors, emotionally intelligent. No need to write books about something that's so obvious. Is it maybe written for those you lack the real intelligence?

Extremely Helpful.......2005-04-21

I found the book full of refreshing information and advice that I can easily follow - and have. I already do a lot of what the book suggests, but it helped me to be a bit more thoughtful about how I deal with emotions at work. As a bonus, I also find the strategies to be very helpful at home with my two children. By chance, I read the first appendix which had some fun quizzes and ideas. These should be part of the regular book since I almost missed out on the material. The stories are quite interesting - the `good guy' doesn't always finish first - and that is what the book is about - doing the right thing, not becoming king of the hill. All in all, easy to read and extremely helpful to me.

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