Rogue Primate: An Exploration of Human Domestication
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Human Domesticates
  • An Interesting Collection of Ideas
Rogue Primate: An Exploration of Human Domestication
John A. Livingston
Manufacturer: Roberts Rinehart Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Human GeographyHuman Geography | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
History & PhilosophyHistory & Philosophy | Anthropology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
WildlifeWildlife | Animals | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Animal EcologyAnimal Ecology | Ecology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1570980586

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Human Domesticates.......2005-11-24

The backbone of this book is the idea that human beings were/are the first domesticated species, and the ONLY evolved (being product of our biological and cultural history) domesticates. Human domestication was caused by dependence on a technology centered ideology that eventually led to the rationale frequently employed today of, "If we can do it, we should do it" (the people become servants of the tool as opposed to the tool serving those who employ it). Livingston explains that being a domesticate means being completely dependent upon something (one's handler) for survival; in the case of humans, the dependence is an ideology based on "storable, retrievable, transmissable technique." It is an exploration of how we (humans) got here and what it means to be the first domesticate, the only evolved one at that; he goes on to critique some of the aspects of present day civilization in light of the ideology of technology that it is founded on.

It's a marvelous book that anyone who is interested in evolution, ecology, social problems, ideology, or why humans are the way they are in general should enjoy reading. A very very great book; it's one of those rare pieces of scholarly writings that anyone can pick up, read, and understand. Like the other reviewer, I wasn't always in complete agreement, but that's only because the book was so thought provoking.

5 out of 5 stars An Interesting Collection of Ideas.......1997-12-13

This is one of the very few books that ever changed the way I look at things. I don't agree with all of the author's opinions (and he doesn't ask me to), but after reading this I doubt I'll ever look at humanity's relation to "Nature" - or even the idea of seperation of the two - the same way again.
ROGUE PRIMATE  An Exploration of Human Domestication
Average customer rating: Not rated
    ROGUE PRIMATE An Exploration of Human Domestication

    Manufacturer: Roberts Rinehart
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover
    ASIN: B000H0W6GO
    Rogue primate: an exploration of human domestication.
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Rogue primate: an exploration of human domestication.
      John A. Livingston
      Manufacturer: [Boulder], Roberts Rinehart Publishers, [
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover
      ASIN: B000OUS7N8

      Ferns and orchids of the Mariana Islands
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        Ferns and orchids of the Mariana Islands
        Lynn Raulerson
        Manufacturer: L. Raulerson and A. Rinehart
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Unknown Binding

        GeneralGeneral | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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        ASIN: 1878453092

        A Travel Guide to Basque America: Families, Feasts, And Festivals (Basque)
        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
        • A conversational narrative style spells out the locations of restaurants and popular festivals, while black-and-white maps and p
        • Lots and lots of INTERESTING Basque info.
        A Travel Guide to Basque America: Families, Feasts, And Festivals (Basque)
        Nancy Zubiri
        Manufacturer: University of Nevada Press
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        Customs & TraditionsCustoms & Traditions | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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        ASIN: 0874176328

        Book Description

        A Travel Guide to Basque America—the first-ever guide to America's Basque-American communities, their history, culture, and festivals—has been a best-seller since it first appeared in 1998. This new edition updates the original, listing dozens of new restaurants, Basque cultural clubs and cultural events, and hundreds of Basque-related Internet sites that have appeared since 1998, as well as adding new information about recent events in the Basque Country, their impact on Basque-Americans, and new cultural and community efforts to preserve Basque culture in America.

        This is the essential guide for Basque-Americans seeking links to their ancient culture and its homeland and their counterparts in the U.S., as well as for any traveler interested in exploring one of this country's most vibrant and fascinating ethnic minorities.

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars A conversational narrative style spells out the locations of restaurants and popular festivals, while black-and-white maps and p.......2006-11-05

        Written by journalist Nancy Zubiri, the newly updated second edition of A Travel Guide to Basque America: Families, Feasts, and Festivals is an amazing guide to Basque-American communities, particularly the ones found in California, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Montana. From a brief history of Basque immigration and culture, to traditional Basque recipes, customs and polite rules of etiquette to abide by in Basque communities, and more, A Travel Guide to Basque America is the "must-have" reference for anyone interested in experiencing this unique and proud culture. A conversational narrative style spells out the locations of restaurants and popular festivals, while black-and-white maps and photographs serve as visual aids.

        5 out of 5 stars Lots and lots of INTERESTING Basque info........1999-01-18

        This is one of the best "Basque" books I have read. Being Basque I am always curious to find out where Basques live and their history. This books tells all. It tells where Basques lived in the late 1800's and early 1900's and where you can find them now a days. I will definately take this book with me when we go travelling around the U.S. I am also going to purchase a few more copies for my relatives. I know they'll love it as much as I do!!!!!

        Junior History: Std 2
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Junior History: Std 2
          F. Stander , and J. Olivier
          Manufacturer: Juta Gariep
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Unknown Binding

          HistoryHistory | Subjects | Books | Africa | Americas | Ancient | Arctic & Antarctica | Asia | Audiobooks | Australia & Oceania | Europe | Gay & Lesbian | Historical Study | Large Print | Middle East | Military | Military Science | Russia | United States | World
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          ASIN: 0702111015

          Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac)
          Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
          • repetitive
          • Biological Detour
          • Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life
          • Basic
          • Homeschoolers Take Note!
          Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac)
          Cecie Starr , and Ralph Taggart
          Manufacturer: Brooks Cole
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Hardcover

          GeneralGeneral | Biology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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          Similar Items:
          1. Laboratory Manual for General Biology Laboratory Manual for General Biology
          2. Laboratory Manual for Starr/Taggart's Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life, 9th and Starr's Biology: Concepts and Applications Laboratory Manual for Starr/Taggart's Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life, 9th and Starr's Biology: Concepts and Applications
          3. Study Guide and Workbook an Interactive Approach for Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life Study Guide and Workbook an Interactive Approach for Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life
          4. Lab Manual t/a Inquiry Into Life Lab Manual t/a Inquiry Into Life
          5. Photo Atlas for Biology Photo Atlas for Biology

          ASIN: 0534388000

          Book Description

          Cecie Starr and Ralph Taggart are among the most successful authors in introductory, biological science instruction because of their lively approach, engaging writing style, current coverage of the breadth of biology's topics, and their unique illustrations. In this Tenth Edition of Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life, the authors use the important connections among molecular structure, biological function, and evolution to encourage student understanding instead of memorization. For example, Chapter 1 includes a preview of life's unity and diversity with an evolutionary perspective. Similar sections in Chapters 3, 5, and 6, on the structure and function of enzymes and other molecules, prepare students for chapters on cell structure and metabolism, genetics, evolution, anatomy, and physiology. This background prepares students to understand the power of comparative molecular studies in clarifying evolutionary relationships. Connections essays (28 in all) focus on this new integration of molecular structure, function, and evolution. The first essay (1.4) answers an important question: How can life display both unity and diversity? It shows how the theory of evolution by natural selection connects the two. Other essays consider evolutionary interplays between infectious agents and their hosts; cloning and genetically engineered mammals, the evolution of life over the past 3.8 billion years, and archaeopteryx and the ancestry of whales (to show that interpreting the past scientifically requires an intellectual shift). Improvements in the media package meet the high standards instructors have come to expect. There is a new version of the complimentary Interactive Concepts in Biology Student CD-ROM with nearly 800 interactions to clarify and reinforce key concepts. For instructors, there is a Multimedia Manager with art and graphics from the text already in PowerPoint format, as well as CNN Today video clips (294 in all), now available digitally.

          Customer Reviews:

          2 out of 5 stars repetitive.......2005-07-17

          This book is useful and contains a lot of good information, but could have been half as thick as it is. Everything is summarized more than once, in side-bars and at the ends of chapters, and key points are even repeated more than once in the text itself. The result is patchy text that is difficult to navigate and next to impossible to find information quickly in.

          1 out of 5 stars Biological Detour.......2005-04-20

          This is the book I had in my college biology course. I find this book to be quite inconsistent. While it has it's bright spots and explains some things very well, it is one of those books where you end up having to hunt for the information. Result? You spend a great deal of time deciphering the book which has the information strewn everywhere in a fashion that's not entirely organized. Not to mention the fact that it stops dead cold in the middle of explaining a concept in order to go into great detail about another related concept. Then suddenly it jolts the reader back to what it was talking about beforehand. A good and elementary example of this is in chapter 2 where they discuss hydrogen bonding. It veers off and on from what the topic is supposed to be. It would be more helpful to cut to the chase and leave the lengthly prose out of the book. As another reviewer pointed out, the fact that the book has so many different authors is just ASKING for the final product to be inconsistent. This book is not worth the 120 dollars they expect you to pay for it.

          1 out of 5 stars Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life.......2003-05-29

          This book is far too wordy and repetitive and could have been half as thick. It weights over 4 pounds and is very heavy to carry around.

          Very often the point of a sentence is lost in the verbiage. Some basic explanations are repeated several times, whilst many more important things are left unexplained.

          Many of the pictures appear to have been chosen because they are 'cool' rather than relevant to the text and just sidetrack the reader.

          Some of the examples are incredibly stupid. One, at p. 18, under the heading, "Critical Thinking", 2., gives the story of a turkey that learned to equate footsteps with the provision of food. One one day the footsteps led to the turkey having its head chopped off. The text explains that the turkey learned the hard way. In fact the turkey learned nothing, as by then it was dead.

          The glossary is inadequate and misses out too many new and important terms.

          The answers given to the quizzes do not always agree with the text, for example, Chapter 2 Self Quiz Question 1 asks what charge is carried by an electron. The correct answer, as given at page 24, is "Negative," but the answer list in Appendix III gives it incorrectly as "Positive." Many instructors lift questions and answers from the book for on-line exams. Does the student then give the incorrect answer as per Appendix III to get the point or the correct answer, knowing that it will very likely be graded as "wrong"? Another example is in the quiz to Chapter 5, question 2.

          Looking at the list of credits, it lookas if too many people have had a hand in the book and as a result it has been spoilt.

          I would not recommend this book.

          2 out of 5 stars Basic.......2003-01-08

          Extremely basic with inconsistant layout. Entire sections will be printed with a blue background, for example, that look more like a special topics box then text. In several cases the text reuses its stock photos in several unrelated sections. The text illustrates points that clearly do not need illustration (Do you know what water looks like? There is a photo of it if you need it. ) and ignores others (the beta and alpha linkages of glucose) after dicussing them. Good for high school student concepts but unacceptably uncomprehensive for college.

          5 out of 5 stars Homeschoolers Take Note!.......2000-09-19

          This is a fantastic text for homeschooling. Each concept is introduced, discussed, and wrapped up in a 2-page spread. This is *not* the dry bio text you remember from high school. It is fascinating enough that I find myself stealing it from my daughter's room. Perfect for a science-loving homeschooler who is hungry for advanced texts at an earlier age because the setup is conducive to parental participation and discussion. However, be advised it is written from an evolutionary point of view if you are inclined to avoid this emphais. And of course there's that really cool picture of the monkey fighting the cheetah ;)
          Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life With Infotrac
          Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
          • Great book, great service!
          • A Most Excellent Book for Pre-College Learning!!!
          • I Loved this Text!
          Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life With Infotrac
          Cecie Starr , and Ralph Taggart
          Manufacturer: Thomson Brooks/Cole
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Hardcover

          GeneralGeneral | Biology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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          ASIN: 0534375707

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars Great book, great service!.......2002-01-15

          I received my textbook so quickly and it is great shape!! I am very pleased with my purchase and the quality of service I received.

          5 out of 5 stars A Most Excellent Book for Pre-College Learning!!!.......2000-08-12

          The Unity and Diversity of Life, 8th edition, is one of the best Biology books I've ever set eyes on. Although there are many other books that have more information about Biology, this is a great book for those students who want to learn the prerequisites to advanced General Biology before or during college. The one aspect of this book that fascinated me more than any other was its improvement over the previous editions on teaching the material. The innovations of one to two page topics, easy to read helpful graphics, CD-ROM quizes, and more all raised the bar of how to teach effectively a Biology class. I would basically recommend this book to just about anyone in conjuction to one's advanced placement or college level book to help them get a better understanding of "what's going on here?" Buy this book and have fun as I always do in my joyful readings of this most excellent and invigorating book!

          4 out of 5 stars I Loved this Text!.......2000-03-23

          Hey, check out the Infotrac, it's way cool...
          Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life, Enhanced Homework Edition (with Cover Sheet, Essential Study Skills, and Audio Book PAC, BiologyNOW?-How Do I ... InfoTrac® 2-Semester, iLrn? PAC)
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life, Enhanced Homework Edition (with Cover Sheet, Essential Study Skills, and Audio Book PAC, BiologyNOW?-How Do I ... InfoTrac® 2-Semester, iLrn? PAC)
            Cecie Starr , and Ralph Taggart
            Manufacturer: Brooks Cole
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover

            GeneralGeneral | Biology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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            ASIN: 0495102849

            Book Description

            For the 11th edition of BIOLOGY: UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF LIFE, Cecie Starr and Ralph Taggart made it their goal to "solve" some of the toughest Introductory Biology course challenges. We introduce a new issues-oriented approach with engages students in current, motivating biological topics; a built-in cross-referencing system for key topics; and, most importantly, time-saving media resources for instructors. Show students how biology matters ? Opening each chapter with engaging essays on hot issues and related online voting, the text highlights the connections between biology and real-life. Online exercises promote critical thinking about issues students will face as consumers, parents and citizens. Link concepts from chapter to chapter - Students often have a difficult time with this, so the authors created a "linking" tool. A list at the start of each chapter reminds students of related topics that were explained earlier. Within chapters, a key icon identifies cross-references to relevant sections in earlier chapters. As students work through the text, they see how topics build upon one another. Monitoring students' progress with ease - BiologyNow? offers diagnostic quizzes with automatically graded results that flow directly into your instructor gradebook (iLrn, WebCT or BlackBoard). And, to assess students' progress instantly with in-class quizzes and polls, you can use JoinIn? on TurningPoint® content and software. Easier lecture prep - The new PowerLecture tool integrates all chapter assets - art, photos, animations, videos, links to InfoTrac articles, web links and everything else you need into each chapter's lecture slides. This "buffet" of media resources?arranged by chapter section is at your fingertips. Just cut and paste what you want into your lecture file.

            Merkblätter 1613-2071
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Merkblätter 1613-2071

              Manufacturer: Springer
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Loose Leaf

              PublicPublic | Administrative Law | Law | Subjects | Books
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              ASIN: 3540427120

              Book Description

              Das Handbuch der gefährlichen Güter ist ein Standardwerk für den Transport von Gefahrgütern. Es gibt Informationen zu nationalen und internationalen Transportvorschriften und zu Notfallmaßnahmen bei Unfällen sowie Hinweise für die ärztliche Erstbehandlung von Personen. In den Band 5 wurden ca. 250 neue Gefahrgüter aufgenommen.

              Electromagnetic Theory and Computation: A Topological Approach (Mathematical Sciences Research Institute Publications)
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                Electromagnetic Theory and Computation: A Topological Approach (Mathematical Sciences Research Institute Publications)
                Paul W. Gross , and P. Robert Kotiuga
                Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Hardcover

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                ASIN: 0521801605

                Book Description

                Although topology was recognized by Gauss and Maxwell to play a pivotal role in the formulation of electromagnetic boundary value problems, it is a largely unexploited tool for field computation. The development of algebraic topology since Maxwell provides a framework for linking data structures, algorithms, and computation to topological aspects of three-dimensional electromagnetic boundary value problems. This book attempts to expose the link between Maxwell and a modern approach to algorithms. The first chapters lay out the relevant facts about homology and cohomology, stressing their interpretations in electromagnetism. These topological structures are subsequently tied to variational formulations in electromagnetics, the finite element method, algorithms, and certain aspects of numerical linear algebra. A recurring theme is the formulation of and algorithms for the problem of making branch cuts for computing magnetic scalar potentials and eddy currents. Appendices bridge the gap between the material presented and standard expositions of differential forms, Hodge decompositions, and tools for realizing representatives of homology classes as embedded manifolds.

                Under the Jaguar Sun
                Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                • Three senses
                • Good Calvino laced with unfulfilled potential...
                • Posthumous -- and it shows
                • Exquisite style, but short on substance, irony
                • A mixed bag
                Under the Jaguar Sun
                Italo Calvino
                Manufacturer: Harvest Books
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback

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                ASIN: 0156927942

                Book Description

                Three senses-taste, hearing, and smell-dominate the lives of the characters in these witty, fantastical stories. But the senses, promising the fulfillment of desire and an exit from the self, only lead back to their source: the savoring palate, the listening ear, the smelling nose. “A sumptuous small gem of a book” (Publishers Weekly). Translated by William Weaver. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book

                Customer Reviews:

                4 out of 5 stars Three senses.......2006-06-30

                As the author's widow explains in the epilogue, Italo Calvino once got it into his head to write a book about the five senses. He dabbled on and off in this project until he died, producing three short stories. With his usual magical delicacy, Calvino explored taste, hearing and smell with a rare skill.

                The title story tells of a young couple vacationing in Mexico, where they explore ancient ruins, hear of the history of Oaxaca, and discover new erotic dimensions as they try the local food -- spicy, rich, and almost intoxicating, the food helps link them back to one another.

                "A King Listens" is a more experiment story, with no real plot and a second-person narrative ("You are the king; everything you desire is already yours"). A king sits on his throne, alone in a giant hall, alienated from most of his palace and everyone in it. But he hears a woman singing, strange whispers, a prisoner scrabbling against a wall, and much more, which are his roads to the outside world.

                "The Name, the Nose" is a tragic tale in the tradition of Poe, but in more lush language. A man danced with a masked lady at a ball, falling madly in love with her -- but he can only identify her by her perfume. He desperately searches a parfumerie for the right scent, thinking of the night when he met her... and is shocked when he discovers where she is, and who the masked figure with her is.

                Italo Calvino was obviously a guy who liked to dabble in magical realism, and "theme books" -- tarot cards, magical cities, and the unfolding of the universe. So it's a shame that he never finished "Under the Jaguar Sun." While delightful as a collection, it makes you think of how wonderful "Sight" and "Touch" would have been.

                And the way he writes is suitable to each story -- the first is hot and passionate, the second is steady and slightly dull, and the last one is ornate, gothic and blue. Calvino even drops some hints as to what the stories should be about, even when it's obvious; the king in the second story even describes his palace as "all whorls, lobes; it is a great ear." Subtle, huh?

                But he can't hold back his natural flair for description in any of these stories. Even though sight isn't explored in this book, we get intricate descriptions of ballrooms, rock orgies, and "a theatre-church, all gold and bright colours, in a dancing and acrobatic baroque, crammed with swirling angels, garlands, panoplies of flowers, shells." His prose can be almost intoxicating.

                Calvino's stories about three of the senses are all beautiful, each in a unique, spellbinding way. A must-read for lovers of the magical-realist maestro.

                4 out of 5 stars Good Calvino laced with unfulfilled potential..........2005-10-20

                In an afterword note, Esther Calvino asks the reader to think of this book as "not something Calvino started and left unfinished but simply as three stories written in different periods of his life." She gives good advice, but the sense that Calvino had something more, something bigger, planned for these stories pervades this tiny book. He definitely wanted to write a book about the five senses and interweave them in some way (as he did with other themes in previous books). In all of these stories the senses mingle sensuously with desire and sensuality (one can only imagine what he had in mind for the sense of touch). Here sense catalyzes desire, hidden desires, nameless primordial desires. But this book only contains a scratching of a surface, a deep misty lake that promises more. Unfortunately Calvino died before wrapping up the project. So here remains a sketch of what might have been. Sadly, stories published posthumously always seem to have a certain "not quite final draft" feel about them. Here sits another example.

                Regardless, plenty of good Calvino exists here for ardent fans of his work. 1982's "Under The Jaguar Sun" is a great story about a couple vacationing in México. Taste awakens forbidden desires (the story begins with a very suggestive description of a "love" between a priest and a nun). The couple explore the ruins of ancient México, the local food (now an amalgam of national cuisines), and each other's bodies and psyches as they rip and tear their lusciously spiced food. But forbidden desires arise once again as they explore the history of human sacrifice and realize that eating mingles deeply with the sensual and the forbidden.

                "A King Listens", dated 1984, speaks to the reader in second person (sometimes in a manner similar to "If On A Winter's Night A Traveler"). The king sits on his lonely throne trapped by necessity in his own palace. All he knows of the surroundings are sounds. They reverberate, echo, and thud all around him. Paranoid thoughts about the inevitable usurpation stew with the sounds. Suddenly a woman's voice sings out, but he can only hear her. He wants to experience her as a person, not just a voice. Which leads to one of the best lines in the story: "And so, when a desire to be fulfilled presents itself to you at last, you realize that being king is of no use for anything." The senses again awaken desire.

                "The Name, the Nose", from 1972, switches contexts abruptly between a French parfumerie (where the saleswomen erotically encircle the cherished patron), the dank smoky aftermath of a rock concert, and a battle between two early humans (this episode evokes "Cosmicomics"). All of the men in the story come to know a woman only by her smell. The singular smell of each woman ignites desires. Strange ineffable and mad desires. The story itself remains a little indescribable.

                So taste, hearing, and smell all get represented here as awakening desire or as a source of desire. And desire weaves through this book like a sinuous thread. It interconnects the stories and provides glimpses of a whole. That is mainly why Esther Calvino's advice remains hard to follow. Something more wants to bubble up from beneath this collection. Because of this, thinking of these stories as three disparate entities poses a stiff challenge. So we're faced with a nagging feeling of incompleteness. Here possibly sits the "lost" or "unfinished" Calvino book. Which inevitably leads to lonely abstract thinking about what Calvino had in mind. And so on...

                Still, "Under The Jaguar Sun" will doubtlessly please many Calvino fans. It contains plenty of good, not outstanding, examples of Calvino's work. It also unfortunately leaves behind it a sadness of unfulfilled possibilities. Thankfully Calvino stayed around long enough to write numerous masterworks. This probably would have been another one.

                3 out of 5 stars Posthumous -- and it shows.......2001-12-26

                A collection of 3 short stories. Each deals with one of the senses and were going to be part of a projected suite with, presumably, some kind of framing device. Calvino was one of those happy people that can write works that stretch the intellect without altogether sacrificing story, plot and characterisation. The middle tale ('A King Listens') is unsuccessful, ending up as nothing more than an experiment - who knows whether it would have improved had he time to revise it, it was the last thing he wrote before his death. But the opening and closing stories are much better, especially the latter ('The Name, The Nose'), although still not prime Calvino (try 'Adam One Afternoon', 'Invisible Cities' or 'If on a Winter's Night a Traveller' if you're new to the writer and want to know what his talents can *really* produce). 'Under the Jaguar Sun', the title story set in Mexico, deals with taste and develops the idea of human relationships as a form of canibalism in which we digest our partner to taste their thoughts, feelings, desires and wishes in order to make them part of ourselves. 'The Name, The Nose' takes three characters (a Proustian aesthete, a prehistoric apeman on the verge of walking upright and a drug-addled rock musician) that are all in love with an unknown woman identifiable only by her scent, eventually discovering that she has died since making love with them. Despite the differences in the characters, their tales are interlinked surpringly smoothly and satisfyingly. However, due to its posthumous nature, the book is very short, only 83 pages of big type, and so can only be recommended to Calvino fans.

                3 out of 5 stars Exquisite style, but short on substance, irony.......2001-08-15

                This book collects three of Calvino's last stories, originally planned to be a set of five, each focused on one of the five senses. One of the world's most original and sensitive storytellers, he will be solely missed.

                "Under the Jaguar Sun" presents a married couple whose vacation in Mexico is punctuated by the powerful flavors of the local cuisine. Before the trip is over they discover that the spicy food whets their appetite for passion as well as for dining. In "A King Listens" the proud ruler, constrained by the obligations and dangers of his office, finds his only real source of information is his hearing. The ambient sounds of his palace, and the voices inside his own head are all that he can depend on. Finally, "The Name, the Nose" shows us a collage of desperate swains trying to seek out a woman whom they can identify only by her fragrance. As in "Jaguar" Calvino touches on the relationship between the senses and sexual desire, but this tale also carries a different message - one that seems to hint darkly at the author's own coming demise.

                For those unfamiliar with the work of this master of postmodern literature, these three stories are probably not the best introduction. The quiet intensity of Calvino's voice is there, and his style is as pristine as ever, almost a prose poetry; but while the stories feature at least a couple of genuine surprises, they fall short of the knockout power that distinguishes his very best work. By focusing so strongly on the senses, he underplays what are probably his greatest strengths - in-depth logical analysis and exquisitely ironic humor. Fans will surely appreciate one last opportunity to experience Calvino's skill, but others should probably start with one of his more revolutionary works if they want to see why he is so greatly admired.

                3 out of 5 stars A mixed bag.......2001-04-21

                I'm a Calvino mark. Simply said, I love the man's writing! This, however, is a mixed bag, in my opinion. A truly interesting theme (stories about the senses) the only one I really liked was the story dealing with the sense of smell ("The Man, The Nose" I believe.) Its not that the others weren't imaginative or beautifully crafted, but I just felt as if something didn't click for me. The first two tales about the sense of taste and the sense hearing were a little too... self-indulgent, perhaps? It is somewhat difficult to articulate. All in all, this is suitable more for the true Calvino fan, rather than as an introduction or the casual reader. The one lasting impression I drew from the collection was, "What about sight and touch?" Maybe next time around.
                Under the Jaguar Sun
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Under the Jaguar Sun
                  Italo Calvino
                  Manufacturer: HARCOURT BRACE JOVANOVICH INC
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Hardcover

                  ItalianItalian | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                  ASIN: B000OL7OTK
                  Under The Jaguar Sun
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    Under The Jaguar Sun

                    Manufacturer: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Hardcover
                    ASIN: B000HJLRYC
                    Under the Jaguar Sun
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      Under the Jaguar Sun
                      Italo Calvino
                      Manufacturer: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Hardcover

                      ItalianItalian | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                      ASIN: B000NUMTHO
                      Under the Jaguar Sun
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        Under the Jaguar Sun
                        Italo Calvino
                        Manufacturer: Harvest Books
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Paperback

                        ItalianItalian | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                        ASIN: B000OK2GCQ
                        UNDER THE JAGUAR SUN
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          UNDER THE JAGUAR SUN
                          Calvino. Italo
                          Manufacturer: Harcourt, Brace & Jovanovich
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Hardcover
                          ASIN: B000INU7RU
                          UNDER THE JAGUAR SUN
                          Average customer rating: Not rated
                            UNDER THE JAGUAR SUN
                            ITALO CALVINO
                            Manufacturer: Harcourt Brace
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Hardcover

                            ItalianItalian | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                            ASIN: B000Q7A2TQ
                            Under the Jaguar Sun
                            Average customer rating: Not rated
                              Under the Jaguar Sun
                              Italo; Translated By: Weaver, William Calvino
                              Manufacturer: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
                              ProductGroup: Book
                              Binding: Hardcover
                              ASIN: B000OP8FGW
                              Under the Jaguar Sun
                              Average customer rating: Not rated
                                Under the Jaguar Sun
                                Italo Calvino
                                Manufacturer: Harcourt
                                ProductGroup: Book
                                Binding: Paperback

                                ItalianItalian | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                                ASIN: B000OJKPFC
                                Under the Jaguar Sun
                                Average customer rating: Not rated
                                  Under the Jaguar Sun
                                  Italo Calvino
                                  Manufacturer: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
                                  ProductGroup: Book
                                  Binding: Paperback

                                  ItalianItalian | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
                                  ASIN: B000LDWN38

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