Hybridity (Performing Arts International)

Book Description

With this issue of Performing Arts International the aim has been to give an impression of the range of topics that the journal will cover in succeeding issues. Dance, drama, and music are all represented in different ways and contexts, and to different extents. Some articles are interdisciplinary, whilst others are more specialized in their focus. It is not easy to categorize a miscellany such as this with a single word, but "Hybridity" seems a good choice.

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Performing Hybridity

Manufacturer: University of Minnesota Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0816630119

Book Description

These essays address us in the quiet voice of a working photographer, an artist and craftsman who has thought long and seriously about his endeavor, who has tested and questioned his own assumptions in the light of actual practice. The result is a rare book of criticism, one that is alive to the pleasure and mysteries of true exploration. Written over a ten-year period, and originally published in 1981, this timeless collection of writings now includes a new preface by the author.

Robert Adams possesses the wit to avoid cant, dogma, and platitudes of the scholar that can deaden our responses to the lively business of art. His eight essays pose a host of questions about photography's place in the arts-- and in our lives: How is photography art? By what standards are we to judge the success or failure of a photograph? His reflections are delicate, unusually calm, but they also carry the force of sure conviction, the passion of absolute dedication.

Few visual artists are capable of articulating the subtle, potent wellsprings of their own creative achievement. Adams does so with extraordinary grace and power. This book offers not only an insight to the work of a distinguished photographer, but also an illuminating challenge and corrective to the usual pieties and pettiness of photography criticism today.

Customer Reviews:

I Didn't Get It.......2007-07-13

In an essay in this little book, entitled "Civilizing Criticism", Robert Adams cites Henry James as asking of a work of art "What is the artist trying to do? Does he do it? Was it worth doing?" I had to guess at what Adams was trying to do; if I guessed correctly, it was worth doing; he didn't do it.

Adams, who was born in 1937, was and probably still is an American landscape photographer. This series of short essays was originally published in 1981 and has now been republished. The essays range in title from "Truth and Landscape" to "Photographing Evil". I am reluctant to describe the contents further because I found it hard to follow the author's reasoning or extract a theme from most of the essays. The author writes with good grammar but his rhetoric seemed weak to me. Perhaps this was a failing on my part, but I read most of the essays twice and still failed to grasp them.

Consider the first essay. Adams seems to say that we are disappointed by the American landscape because it has been despoiled. I'm not going to deny that the littered beaches of Long Island are not as beautiful as they once were. But after watching the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain in Maine and rafting through the Grand Canyon, I've still been able to become excited about the landscape. In the same essay Adams says that landscape can offer us three verities: geography, autobiography and metaphor. He states that geography, the mere recording of the view, cannot hold our attention unless the photographer impresses himself on the picture. I agree with this, but he offers no basis for this conclusion, and offers no suggestion of a use for this information. He never discusses metaphor again.

One has to wonder who the audience for this book is. Photographers have little to learn from it. Photograph viewers get no help in understanding the truth of a photograph, landscape or otherwise. Who else is there?

I guess I was misled by the title. I expected discussions of beauty in photography and what the traditional and present values were. I never got it.

recommended.......2004-11-27

For me, there are two key assertions in Robert Adams' "Beauty in Photography". First, that we "live in discouraging hours of society's apparent decay" (p. 88). Second, that the purpose of art is to "help us meet our worst fear, the suspicion that life may be chaos and that therefore our suffering is without meaning" (p. 25).

From these two assertions Adams develops his interpretation of photography: Photography detects, extracts and emphasizes the beauty around us, and by doing so it points toward something deeper in the world, an organizing power, a coherence supporting the world and our lifes. To Adams, photography is a spiritual exercise, making bearable an otherwise decaying sourrounding.

Art not concerned with depicting the world beautifully is, to Adams, mere "decoration". Thus, Adams tells us little interesting about most modern art, and his approach does not generalize, for instance, to music. That beauty can exist as such, that it can tell us something about ourselves even without refering to things in the world: This does not seem to be Adams experience.

In these very conservative views I disagree with Adams. Still, I recommend his essays to anyone who wants to understand why some photography is moving us while other is not. Even if Adams is not telling the whole story -probably nobody will- he is an excellent writer who talks about art in a clear and understandable way.

The only disappointment with the book was the poor reproduction quality of the images depicted. As a publisher specializing in photography books Aperture could do better.

a MUST READ for serious photographers!.......1998-08-26

This is an important collection of essays for the serious photographer and for anyone interested in the art of photography. This book is destined to become a classic and will be read a hundred years from now. Adams' many excellent books of his own photography are testimony to the validity of what he writes about. I have read these essays over and over again and continue to learn. Robert Adams is one of the few photographers whose writing matches his photography.

Beauty in Photography: Essays in Defense of Traditional Values

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Beauty in Photography: Essays in Defense of Traditional Values
Robert Adams
Manufacturer: Aperture
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KVPH5C

Book Description

In this entry, Kamui tries to protect his two best - and only - friends. But can he also save his father, the priest of Togakushi Shrine? As part of the X/1999 series, this volume features breathless action and stunning art.

Customer Reviews:

Kamui's Destiny.......2006-10-06

After Kotori and Fuma's father is murdered, and the sacred sword meant for Kamui is stolen, Kamui finds himself further drawn into the affairs of the end of the world. At the funeral for Kotori and Fuma's father, Kamui learns more about the seven seals from Sora and a mysterious girl. He also begins to learn that there is more to his family than he first imagined. As Kamui and Sora begin to work towards finding out about the end of the world, there are others working out sinister plans. As a result, Fuma has a frightening yet familiar dream that could change everything in the series.

In volume three there are significant advances in plot. The Seven Seals are beginning to gather. Kamui is learning more about his destiny. The average reader will be hungry for more information by the time they turn the last page. Many of the same strengths found in volume one and two are also found and three. We have beautiful art, especially in Hinoto's dream sequences. We have a large cast of interesting and mysterious characters. We have an interesting story line. The only complaint I have is CLAMP is showing signs of what I think is one of its greatest and most consistent weaknesses. For example, in one scene, a character will be prepared to say something, or hint at something that's going to happen, but be cut off in some way. There will be a scene break, or she will be interrupted. This is a VERY effective form of suspense but CLAMP takes it too far that things seem more melodramatic then suspenseful. This may be just a side effect of writing something in serialized form, but when it's bound up together in one volume, it can get on one's nerves at times. Beyond that little nitpick this manga is great. I cannot wait to read more.

Oh, no!.......2004-04-18

First of all- what were they thinking when they replaced Kanoe's picture with Kotori's? I know, Kanoe's image was sort of wrong, but X is not meant for little kids anyway! Also, I think it was stupid to change the name. X3 is called "the Seven Stars", not "Sonata"...

Clamp has done it again.......2000-09-14

I fell in love with CLAMP's beautiful art style after reading Magic Knights Rayearth. I then decide to look into more by them and discovered the cutsey world of Card Captor Sakura. One day while browsing a comic shop I saw a black paper-bound graphic novel called X/1999. I picked it up to get a better look and discovered that this was also by CLAMP. I purchased it and was amazed. Instead of the Kawaii characters I was used to from CLAMP the main character was a short, black-haired young man with somthing bad in his past. The plot and the characters are intense and pull you right into the story. Even if you don't like reading manga read this and I Promise you will. The movie version, called simply "X" was also good but it does not let you meet the characters. Read the manga then see the movie, you will love it. ^_^ I promise!

Hmmm..........2000-06-05

Personally, I think X/1999 is a great series with fabulous artwork, but if you're more into characters staying for the long run. Istrognly advise you against this CLAMP anime/manga. CLAMP usually has a high death rate, so if you're new to Anime/Mange etc., you should start with the Animes a lot more popular in the US. Other than that, this is a great Anime/Manga to check out if you're somewhat experienced. I enjoy it, and so does my friend. We both saw the fansub, and animation-wise it was great.

Great! I'm definitly intrigued........1999-08-25

Actually I haven't read the preceding two books in this series, so I can't say much about the plotline in comparision to the other volumes, but I'm definitly intrigued and plan to purchase the rest of the series as it comes out. The illustrations are absolutly gorgeous; dark, mysterious, masterfully drawn. I'd recommend this series even though I don't know a whole lot about it.

Book Description

The guys share some of their favorite calls about the world where cars and animals meet. Luckily, it’s not dog-eat-dog, but sometimes it’s horse-eat-steering-wheel. Tom and Ray Magliozzi are America’s foremost auto mechanics. So usually people phone in to their radio show with questions about cars—buying them, driving them, keeping them running. But every so often, out of the blue, Click and Clack are also called on to be amateur veterinary psychologists. They’re asked to figure out why a horse has eaten a steering wheel, or why a 100-pound dog insists on riding on the roof of a pickup truck, or how a white rat the size of a two-liter Coke bottle got into a poor young woman’s Chevy. And while they might not know the answer, they always come up with something. This is a collection of calls about cars, animals, and the mysterious, often hilarious times when they meet. It leads Tom and Ray down a familiar path—of wild speculation, occasional brilliant suggestions, and lots of laughs. This is a must-have for anyone who loves animals or those two peculiar beasts who host Car Talk.

Customer Reviews:

Too short---but very funny---more like 4.5 stars.......2007-07-11

Brothers Tommy and Ray Magliozzi have a call-in show on National Public Radio called "Car Talk." The calls range from the serious to hilarious--but rely on the "Tappett Brothers" to make even the mundane call funny.

Check your local listings to see when "Car Talk" comes on. Tommy and Ray are the only people that'd get me up and cheerful at 9 AM.

Their radio show has provided both my husband and I hours of laughter. Their website is also helpful for finding mechanics, buying cars, etc.

It's good to have them around if you need a laugh at other times. My only complaint is they could have packed a little more into this CD. Then again, "Car Talk" is never long enough for me, either!

Really funny........2007-02-06

We enjoy Car Talk so much and we really had fun with this! These guys are hilarious! The only problem is that it's too short!

Animals?.......2007-01-01

I guess you either love these guys or you hate them. My wife finds them incredibly annoying when she hears them on the radio.

Myself, I love them. Their accents are not off-putting to me, and I love how they laugh together.

What I've learned over time, though, is that the 'straight' answers they provide are actually pretty authoritative. They actually know what they're talking about, based not only on their extensive formal education but also based on their hands-on work with many, many cars.

But they don't know anything about animals - maybe that's why this collection is not as good as their best efforts.

If I personally found anything annoying, it's only their constant self-referencing which gets old. However, it's a part of their "shtick" which we would not want to do without...

I LOVE CAR TALK.......2006-06-15

On Saturdays when I take a break for listening to CDs, I usually
tune into Car Talk on my local NPR Radio station. I have a
fancy for the crazy antics of Click and Clack, the Tappet
Brothers.

In their show, they dispense humor and car repair information. I end up laughing at their crazy banter more than I get car repair tips. Plus when my car messes up, I take it to the shop-I don't want to be their next call!

In their current audio collection, Car Talk: Doesn't Anyone Screen These Calls? (One hour, one cd, radio selections, Highbridge), the Tappets take calls regarding animal and cars. It is funny with out trying. A few of these REAL people seem like they came out of crazy central casting (especially about the horse who ate the stering wheel)

If anyone hasn't heard these boys before on the radio or on their cds, you are in for a laughable treat for your ears. I am still laughing at this one. ENJOY!

Bennet Pomerantz, AUDIOWORLD

Customer Reviews:

Pessimism at its best.......2002-03-02

This book contains a fascinating comparison between fairy tales and sci-fi, but about halfway through it switches over to his views of how eventually the we'll all be taken over by a Corporate Entity (like the movie Matrix) and sci-fi movies are just preparing us for whats to come. Fans of sci-fi beware! He rips apart just about all the movies you might adore!

Androids, Humanoids, and Other Science Fiction Monsters Science and Soul in Science Fiction Films

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Androids, Humanoids, and Other Science Fiction Monsters Science and Soul in Science Fiction Films
Per *SIGNED by author* Schelde
Manufacturer: New York U.P.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0NLRU

Androids, Humanoids, and Other Science Fiction Monsters: Science and Soul in Science Fiction Films.: An article from: The Futurist

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Androids, Humanoids, and Other Science Fiction Monsters: Science and Soul in Science Fiction Films.: An article from: The Futurist

Manufacturer: World Future Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Futurist, published by World Future Society on March 1, 1994. The length of the article is 639 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: Androids, Humanoids, and Other Science Fiction Monsters: Science and Soul in Science Fiction Films.
Publication: The Futurist (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 1994
Publisher: World Future Society
Volume: v28 Issue: n2 Page: p47(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

A group piano text for music majors, PDM II expands on the knowledge and skills developed in PDM I. Text uses a highly-structured approach. Recap units in every fourth unit ensure understanding of the material before moving on. Features a variety of music selections, including original compositions by Lynn Freeman Olson.

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New and Hazardous Places for Shadowruns

Target: Wastelands (Shadowrun)
Rob Boyle , and Steve Kenson
Manufacturer: FanPro
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Role Playing & Fantasy | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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Target: Awakened Lands (Shadowrun)

Dragons of the Sixth World (Shadowrun)

Shadowrun: Shadows of Asia (FPR25007) (Shadowrun)

State of the Art 2064 (Shadowrun)

Year of the Comet (Shadowrun)

ASIN: 3890646530
Release Date: 2003-09-01

Product Description

Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here "An old fixer once told me that shadowrunning is about going places you're not supposed to go. That's what gives us the buzz, right? The excitement of traveling to exotic and secret places, meeting interesting people, and extracting or killing them. Believe me, chummer, sometimes shadowrunning takes you to places you really don't want to go-and that you're lucky to get out of alive." Target: Wastelands is about hostile environments-places that are not just difficult for shadowrunners to penetrate, but dangerous to live in. This book details desert hideouts, toxic zones, Polar stations, deep sea aquacologies and orbital platforms, including information on how shadowrunners can get in, get out, and survive. For use with Shadowrun, Third Edition.

Customer Reviews:

New and Hazardous Places for Shadowruns.......2003-10-26

Target: Wastelands is yet another 3rd edition location book. It's nice to see some more original material coming out in 3rd edition instead of just rehashed previous material.

This rather slim book (133 pages) gives details and rules for the following types of places: Polluted/Irradiated toxic zones, underwater platforms/arcologies, orbital space habitats, the extremely cold polar regions, and desert lands.

The theme that ties all these places together of course are their natural dangers. Toxic zones are those places that have been warped (especially magically) by pollution or wholesale human suffering. It gives some nice rules for making toxic shamans, mutant critters, and toxic paranormal animals. The space portion gives the rundown on current space habitats and finally makes it possible, even reasonable to have a Shadowrun in space. The underwater portion reads pretty much like the space portion only it takes deep water characteristics into account like pressure, oxygenization, and unpleasant sea life. The desert section gives us a little info on the Desert Wars (but not nearly enough) and gives us the details on several deserts throughout the world. The polar section gives us some brief info on extremely cold regions of the Earth such as polar research stations and resource extraction facilities.

This book really seems to do a good job of making these regions dangerous and a pain in the ass to work in yet within the realm of possibility in the game world. The desert and polar sections especially give some places for magicians to shine too. The rules section in the back is nice and concise and makes sense. It's also an interesting read just for fun.

You don't need this book for regular campaigns but it will give you the background needed to allow your players into some weird, new locations. Seems hard to find and is usually full price. It'll probably get cheaper as the book gets older.

Customer Reviews:

Try to never need this book - but when you need it, buy it!.......2007-05-17

The very first page of this book defines what the author means by a "Death March"; any project whose project parameters exceeds the norm by more than fifty percent. In essence, this book is meant to help you in those unpleasant circumstances when you've got half the amount of time, half the amount of staff, or half the amount of money that you would rationally need to finish a project.

Unsurprisingly, Yourdon advises anyone reading the book to avoid these projects as much as possible, even counseling that it is sometimes better to resign early rather than sacrifice your health and professional reputation trying to do the impossible. But if you feel compelled to embark on a Death March, this book is an invaluable guide to the pain that lays ahead.

One of the reasons the book is so valuable is that it articulates many of the things we would like to think are common sense. These are items that, when you read them for the first time, make you think "of course that's true". But if you ask yourself whether or not you would have instinctively and firmly followed the advice, the answer is often no. I found the chapters on politics and negotiation (2 & 3 respectively) to be particularly helpful in this way. OF COURSE I should negotiate the scope and the specific team members needed at the start of a death march project, but reading Yourdon's words I came to the realization that my first reaction is instinctively "we'll make it happen" rather than the sometimes appropriate "we've only got a chance if I can have..." It's important to get gut checks like this before you find yourself in the middle of a tense situation so that you can anticipate your own feelings and counter them when necessary.

Another very interesting concept is the Triage system described in chapter 5. This is based on the idea that, no matter what else happens in a death march, the team will not be able to deliver 100% of the features that are initially asked for. I actually see a very strong argument here for using some of the newer Agile project management methods, where the items that deliver the most value are implemented first and evaluated by the end users. Combining such a system with a triage effort on behalf of the project manager and management could, on occasion, allow a death march project to produce nearly 100% of the value required without completing 100% of the features.

There is much else in here that is useful, especially on the subjects of why people participate in these sorts of projects and what they expect to get out of them. If it's impossible for you to avoid a Death March, make sure you've read this book before you plunge in.

Average.......2007-03-30

It is mostly a synopsis of ideas from several better books (e.g. Peopleware). I'd suggest reading them instead. Of course, the bibliography from this book is very useful. It is a decent guide to what resources are available for dealing with Death March projects.

I've survived several death marches..........2006-08-14

Many organizations cannot survive Death Marches. Exceptions are the federal government and university hospitals. It's a pity that those most in need of this information are highly resistant to learning about the problem until it's too late. The innocent seldom go unpunished. The perpetrators are promoted. Example's of Putt's Law at work.

mv

Great Book.......2005-04-21

Reading this book you will realize that it all relates to your experiences. I personally appreciate books that I can relate to and that are not just theoretical.

This is a must read for all developers and their managers.

Learn from experience - we (software engineers & managers) do not always re-invent the wheel.

Software development is a defective industry.......2005-01-25

Death March does a great job of explaining what is wrong with the software development industry--and the problems are pervasive and horrible. I have been involved in plenty of disasters myself (everybody has), and I got a crick in my neck from wagging my head up and down as I read. Perhaps the most therapeutic part of the book is finding out that you are not the only one, and the grass is probably brown across the fence at the next company, too.

I loved the Napoleon quote: "It follows that any commander in chief that undertakes to carry out a plan which he considers defective is at fault; he must put forth his reason, insist on the plan being changed, and finally tender his resignation rather than be the instrument of his army's downfall." Great advice unless there are no alternatives and the Barbarians are storming the gates.

Yourdon does review the options for a team lead faced with no-win situations, and the book is useful for helping you think clearly and cast a wide net for solutions when you feel despondent and desperate. The oft-reiterated advice to quit is something I have done in the most egregious situations, and there is nothing like the feeling of relief when you walk out of a pressure-cooker for the last time. But realistically, you have to pay your bills.

What I can advise is to read this book to understand the sickness, and then do the best you can to change the industry. The problems are endemic, but plenty of other professions have reached a point where they can realiably estimate projects and complete them successfully (e.g. construction and building trades, manufacturing, even military planning).

Of course, you may want to move up in management, but then you might become part of the problem. This book could help you gain some vision for leading a successful IT organization. Arm yourself with knowledge and start a crusade as an enlightened IT leader!

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