Amazon.com
It's a rare pleasure when a new author shows not only notable talent, but the skill and chutzpah to go where no one else has gone before. Daniel Robb takes a subject that many have considered but few understood--juvenile delinquents--and writes about it with rare insight. For a year and a half, Robb was a teacher on Penikese Island, off Cape Cod, where teenage boys are sent by the courts and social services to put six months between themselves and their chaotic daily lives. During this time they experience safety, a routine, hard work, and the decency and constancy of adults better adjusted than the ones they've known. The place is less a school, Robb writes, than "a family, or a way of life, a rhythm, a discipline, a music, with many voices of boys competing with my own for ownership of the tale." The boys have varied résumés: Mose shot a man who threatened him one night; Edward torched a boat for money; Alan is the king of substance abuse; Burt's parents have both been in jail since he was 7. But Robb finds that they all have a number of things in common--childhoods fraught with so many uncertainties that they never learned cause and effect, the lack of a father's guidance--the same things, it turn out, that plague Robb's own heart.
Robb has a gift for evoking their natural surroundings on the island in a language that resembles poetry while capturing the cadences and tribulations of his surly yet charming students with perfect pitch and clear-eyed sympathy. Not only does the dichotomy make for compelling reading, it works on the kids as well: Ned, the longhaired metalhead, gives CPR to a mouse and actually revives it; Wyatt, who stole cars out of boredom, considers his absent father's legacy after reading a Gary Snyder poem. Robb is a literary voyager in the most unlikely of places, and, in the end, reveals that even boys such as these have a poetry all their own. --Lesley Reed
Book Description
Off the coast of Cape Cod lies a small windswept island called Penikese. Alone on the island is a school for juvenile delinquents, the Penikese Island School, where Daniel Robb lived and worked for three years as a teacher. By turns harsh, desolate, and starkly beautiful, the island offers its temporary residents respite from lives filled with abuse, violence, and chaos. But as Robb discovers, peace, solitude, and a structured lifestyle can go only so far toward healing the anger and hurt he finds not only in his students but within himself.
Lyrical and heartfelt, Crossing the Water is the memoir of his first eighteen months on Penikese, and a poignant meditation on the many ways that young men can become lost.
Customer Reviews:
A brilliant literary journey as well as a coming of age novel.......2005-09-11
As I read this wonderful book by Robb, I mused that I wish I had been able to teach it at the University where I taught Young Adult literature teachers of young adults. So much of the YA literature offers "insider" stories, but never seems to give the idea that there is a way out, often leaving readers feeling hopeless and helpless in our modern world. This remarkable book offers us a true glimpse into a modern young person's problematic life, and yet shows us that there are always choices, always people like Dan to offer a better way.
One thing that truly impressed me was the subtle, never over-wrought literary allusions to such writers as Henry David Thoreau and Mark Twain. Daniel Robb went to the Island to live deliberately, to simplify, to get in touch with himself, the core of his being, and to reach out to some of the troubled young men of our current world. Furthermore, the entire story is built on a the extended metaphor of the story of Beowulf. Robb informs his readers at the end of his book just how the ancient story of Beowulf is anything but dead literature--it still resonates in our modern world. The readers of this excellent memoir will be given as much as the subjects of the story, and this reader is indeed grateful to Daniel Robb for his insight and his fine writing. Dr. Janice E. Patten
Couldn't get into it.......2004-03-09
As my title states, I just couldn't get into this book, even though I work with kids. I didn't finish it. I thought it was sad that the school's success rate with the kids wasn't much better than the prison system's success rate. It seemed that the school administration was proud of the fact that they didn't have any professional counselling for the kids, and I'm not so sure that's something to be proud of.
Intesecting Worlds.......2001-12-18
Dan Robb's memoir criss-crosses the worlds of the Pennikese bad boys--his students; of his own memories of a sometimes tempest-tossed adolescence; of his adult role of teacher in uncharted territory; and of an island--sere and beautiful, immutably changing with the seasons and with the boys who come and go--a place isolated yet self-contained, severe and yet secure, once "home" to lepers, now a prison-home for boys perched on the brink of social leprosy.
Robb's beautifully descriptive book carries the reader back and forth among these intersecting worlds while limning sharp yet fleshy portraits of the boys, each of whose stories grabs and engrosses. This is a book--yes, for teachers who know, or are learning, that the best kind of pedagogy is through memory, storytelling and the imaging of new worlds; for those concerned about how to treat and heal our outcast and abandoned children; and for those who, along with their interest in a critical and wrenching problem, also take pleasure in the work of a gifted teacher/writer/artist.
Intesecting Worlds.......2001-12-18
Dan Robb's memoir criss-crosses the worlds of the Pennikese bad boys--his students; of his own memories of a sometimes tempest-tossed adolescence; of his adult role of teacher in uncharted territory; and of an island--sere and beautiful, immutably changing with the seasons and with the boys who come and go--a place isolated yet self-contained, severe and yet secure, once "home" to lepers, now a prison-home for boys perched on the brink of social leprosy.
Robb's beautifully descriptive book carries the reader back and forth among these intersecting worlds while limning sharp yet fleshy portraits of the boys, each of whose stories grabs and engrosses. This is a book--yes, for teachers who know, or are learning, that the best kind of pedagogy is through memory, storytelling and the imaging of new worlds; for those concerned about how to treat and heal our outcast and abandoned children; and for those who, along with their interest in a critical and wrenching problem, can also take pleasure in the work of a gifted teacher/writer/artist.
Heartwrenching and hopeful.......2001-12-11
In this wonderful book, Dan Robb has managed to write about his experience teaching troubled boys with soul and without sentimentality. The rawness of his experience teaching on an isolated island off of Cape Cod, and the soul searching it prompted, makes for compelling reading no matter how much time you spend thinking about or working with kids. As the mother of a small boy, I also felt that reading this book was a way of learning about how to be a good parent to my child. I recommend this book with all my heart, and hope that it touches you as deeply as it did me.
Book Description
The Methods of Golf's Masters is the comprehensive and invaluable study of the swings and personalities of the game's greatest champions. In discussing each player's distinctive techniques as well as their shortcomings and methods of correcting them, golf writers Dick Aultman and Ken Bowden revel the golfing secrets that will make any player better. With timeless analysis of the game and entertaining biographical information, this volume earns its place on the shelf of golfing literature's best. (81/2 X 11, 224 pages, b&w photos, illustrations)
Average customer rating:
|
J. Arthur Rank and the British Film Industry (Cinema and Society)
Macnab
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Media Studies
| Mass Media
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Social History
| Historical Study
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Sports & Entertainment
| Industries & Professions
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0415117119 |
Book Description
Presiding over the "golden era" of the British Film Industry from the mid to late 1940s, J. Arthur Rank financed movies such as Oliver Twist, The Red Shoes, Brief Encounter, Caesar and Cleopatra and Black Narcissus. Never before, and never since, has the industry risen to such heights.
J. Arthur Rank charts every aspect of the robust film culture that Rank helped to create. Having started out with relatively little knowledge of the cinema, Rank's sponsorship was to bring about astounding progress within the industry, and by establishing an organization comparable in size to any of the major Hollywood studios, Rank briefly managed to reconcile and consolidate the competing demands of "art" and "business" - an achievement very much absent from today's diminished and fragmented film industry.
Macnab goes on to explain the eventual collapse of the Rank experiment amidst the economic and political maelstrom of post-war Britain, highlighting the problems still facing the industry today. By meshing archival research with interviews with Rank's contemporaries and members of his family, this definitive study firmly restores Rank to his rightful place at the hub of British film history.
Book Description
Critics of contemporary culture have argued that critical theory must keep pace with technological change and, in the process, have instituted a theoretical model that restricts consideration of technology's impact on human experience to those dimensions that can be captured in language. In this wide-ranging critical study of poststructuralism's legacy to contemporary cultural studies, Mark Hansen challenges the hegemony of this model, contending that technologies fundamentally alter our sensory experience and drastically affect what it means to live as embodied human agents.
Embodying Technesis examines how technological changes have rendered obsolete notions of technology as machine and as text. Voicing a sustained plea for rethinking the technological, Hansen argues that radical technological changes--from the steam engine to the internet and virtual reality--have fundamentally altered conditions of perception and, in so doing, changed the prevailing structures of modern experience. By emphasizing the dynamic interaction between technologies and bodies, between the diffuse effects of technological shifts and the collective embodied experiences of contemporary agents, Hansen opens the path for a radical revision of our understanding of the technological.
Mark Hansen is Assistant Professor of English, Princeton University.
Book Description
This Step-By-Step volume for ambitious bridge players emphasizes common sense and partnership style, offering advice on when to pre-empt and why, how to respond and how to combat pre-empts from the opposition.
Customer Reviews:
Read this along with Preempts A-Z.......2006-12-28
I had never heard of Alan Mould until I read his terrific Step by Step Slam Bidding. I liked thzt book so much I deceided to give this a shot.
I mage a wise choice.
Lots of examples. Humorous, thorough, and well written.
The focus isn't just what is a premempt, its how does your partnership handle follow up bids. Its partnership agreements. Some good, not very complex methods are presented.
Book Description
Upgrade to a digital lifestyle! Absolute Beginner's Guide to Windows XP, Second Edition is not just about using Windows, but also about how to live in a digital world where you can share pictures over the Internet, download music from websites, communicate with long-distance family and friends on the computer, and more. Step-by-step instructions will show you how to accomplish key tasks and take precautions to protect your computer from viruses and spyware. Some of the tasks covered include:
- Starting programs
- Understanding file management basics
- Getting wired for communication
- Working with photographs
- Playing music and videos
- Improving your computer's performance
- Upgrading Windows
Updated to include information on Service Pack 2, Absolute Beginner's guide to Windows XP, Second Edition will show you how to work with Windows XP to make your life easier!
Download Description
Hundreds of thousands of new computer users are looking for straightforward, easy-to-understand information on how to use the latest version of Windows XP to make computing easier. Absolute Beginner's Guide to Microsoft Windows XP is the perfect tool to get these new Windows users up and running, by focusing on how the features of the operating system are used in everyday tasks. It includes the latest coverage of Service Pack 1-the first update to Windows XP since its 10/01 release. The book also serves as a useful resource for more experienced computer users who have recently upgraded to XP.
Customer Reviews:
Good Beginners Guide.......2005-09-26
Good basic guide for beginners using computers and ones more experienced who need to refer to basics occasionally.
novice to beginner.......2005-09-02
I found the book to be very easy to use and understand and it has enhanced my ability to work with my computer.The book has proved to be more than adequate in my understanding of Windows XP.
Book Description
Absolute Beginners Guide to Windows
Vistaâ¢
Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Microsoft® Windows Vista⢠will have you using your computer and new Windows operating system in no time! Here’s a small sample of what you’ll find inside:
-
Describes how to get going: starting programs, creating and saving documents, printing, and using your computer for both productivity and play!
-
Covers connecting to, browsing, and searching the Internet as well as how to send and receive email.
-
Learn how to use the networking tools of Windows Vista to connect with any other computers in your home.
-
Explains how to use the new Windows Photo Gallery to organize, edit, and print your pictures.
-
Details security precautions you can take to prevent viruses, protect against malicious programs, and keep email secure.
-
Provides advice on how to maintain tip-top performance and organization for your work.
-
Highlights exciting multimedia features including listening to music, recording your own CDs, and sampling new tunes.
Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Microsoft® Windows Vista⢠teaches you how to get started with Windows (and computing in general). The book starts with the fundamentals and then builds on these skills in a smooth and effortless manner. The authors walk you through the process using a hands-on approach,
covering topics that include starting programs, sending email, browsing the Internet, downloading music, and printing documents and pictures. Not only will you learn the nuts and bolts of using Windows, but you’ll also receive a crash course in additional topics, like security and home networking, that will improve your computing experience. Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Microsoft® Windows Vista⢠provides valuable, practical advice and instruction
that you will refer to again and again.
Shelley O’Hara is the author of more than 120 books, most of which relate to computers.
She specializes in books that explain technical concepts and features, and writes in terms that
the beginning user can understand. A former trainer, Shelley worked in the publishing industry before becoming a full-time writer. She has written some of the best-selling and most popular computer books on the market, including Easy Windows XP, Home Edition and Easy Windows 98.
Ron Mansfield is a best-selling author with more than 30 books under his belt, including eBay
to the Max and Launching a Successful eBay Store. He is also an eBay and computer consultant and instructor.
Category Microsoft Windows Operating System
Covers Microsoft® Windows Vistaâ¢
User Level Beginning
Introduction 1
Part I The Basics 5
1 Getting Started with Windows Vista 7
2 Saving and Printing Your Work 31
3 Managing Files 45
4 Viewing and Finding Files 59
Part II Communication 71
5 Getting Wired for Communication 73
6 Sending and Receiving Email 85
7 Browsing the Internet 103
8 Ensuring Security and Privacy 127
9 Sending and Receiving Faxes 139
10 Setting Up Windows Vista on a Home Network 149
Part III Digital Media 163
11 Playing Music, DVDs, and Games 165
12 Working with Photographs 183
Part IV Customizing Your Computer 201
13 Customizing Windows Vista 203
14 Setting Up Programs 221
15 Customizing Email and Working with Contacts 233
16 Setting Up Windows Vista for Multiple Users 245
Part V Maintaining Your PC 263
17 Safeguarding Your Work 265
18 Improving Your Computer’sPerformance 279
19 Upgrading Your Computer 293
20 Upgrading Windows 307
Part VI Windows Special Features 319
21 Using Windows Accessory Programs 321
22 Using Ease of Access Features 343
Index 355
Book Description
Absolute Beginner¿s Guide to Windows XP Media Center teaches the reader all about the technology that Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates calls the centerpiece of his vision for the home of the future. After all, why settle for just a television set, a DVD player/recorder, an MP3 audio jukebox, a game machine, a digital photo viewer or a personal video recorder when you can have all of the devices wrapped up inside a nimble Windows XP computer with online access? Windows XP Media Center brings it all together for the first time, and adds push-button access to rich online services that transform the idea of interactive TV from a pipedream to reality. It¿s time to put away the keyboard and mouse, grab hold of Media Center¿s remote control, and hang on for the home entertainment experience of a lifetime!
Absolute Beginner¿s Guide to Windows XP Media Center is your key to enjoying the home of the future ¿ today! Here¿s a small sample of what you¿ll find inside:
- Watch, pause, rewind and record live television with push-button ease! XP Media Center provides the functionality of standalone TiVo or Replay TV persona video recorders ¿ but with no subscription fees!
- Save your favorite TV shows and movies to your hard drive, then burn them onto DVDs that you can play anywhere!
- Shoot and edit your own home movies using XP Media Center¿s easy controls, then burn them onto DVDs that you can share with family and friends.
- Enjoy your favorite TV shows, DVD movies, music and more ¿ on your computer screen or your television.
- Rip, organize, and burn your favorite music tracks to CDs that work in any CD player.
- Capture, edit, and sort your own digital photos using XP Media Center¿s user friendly tools, then display them on your TV.
- Listen to FM Radio on your Media Center PC. You can even pause, rewind and fast forward live radio!
- Use your Media Center remote control to tap into all sorts of exciting online services from movie and music downloads to news, games, shopping, and more.
Download Description
Absolute Beginner's Guide to Windows XP Media Center teaches the reader all about the technology that Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates calls the centerpiece of his vision for the home of the future. After all, why settle for just a television set, a DVD player/recorder, an MP3 audio jukebox, a game machine, a digital photo viewer or a personal video recorder when you can have all of the devices wrapped up inside a nimble Windows XP computer with online access? Windows XP Media Center brings it all together for the first time, and adds push-button access to rich online services that transform the idea of interactive TV from a pipedream to reality. It's time to put away the keyboard and mouse, grab hold of Media Center's remote control, and hang on for the home entertainment experience of a lifetime! Absolute Beginner's Guide to Windows XP Media Center is your key to enjoying the home of the future - today! Here's a small sample of what you'll find inside: * Watch, pause, rewind and record live television with push-button ease! XP Media Center provides the functionality of standalone TiVo or Replay TV persona video recorders -- but with no subscription fees! * Save your favorite TV shows and movies to your hard drive, then burn them onto DVDs that you can play anywhere! * Shoot and edit your own home movies using XP Media Center's easy controls, then burn them onto DVDs that you can share with family and friends. * Enjoy your favorite TV shows, DVD movies, music and more - on your computer screen or your television. * Rip, organize, and burn your favorite music tracks to CDs that work in any CD player. * Capture, edit, and sort your own digital photos using XP Media Center's user friendly tools, then display them on your TV. * Listen to FM Radio on your Media Center PC. You can even pause, rewind and fast forward live radio! * Use your Media Center remote control to tap into all sorts of exciting online services from movie and music downloads to news, games, shopping, and more.
Customer Reviews:
Not relevant for today.......2006-10-09
This might have been a good book in 2003...but not today. If you are planning on rolling your own media center, you will definitely need as current a reference book as possible!
The key to setting up and using Windows XP media.......2004-03-13
The capability of windows XP to organize and execute multimedia files is most impressive. It is clear that incorporating intelligence into our entertainment devices is a trend that will continue and even accelerate. In this book, you learn how to implement what is clearly one of the major first steps in that direction.
The ability to control the playing of music and video files stored on DVDs and other large storage devices in conjunction with the intelligence of modern software dramatically changes the home entertainment experience. Furthermore, the large amount of content over cable and satellites that can be captured for replay expands the options to the point where a high degree of organization is necessary. All of the areas, from finding and recording broadcast events to organizing the material for easy playback, are covered in the book. Other critical areas such as privacy and parental controls over content are included. Creating and enjoying personally generated content such as home movies and music CDs is also covered.
If you are interested in what the XP media center can do, then this book will satisfy that interest. If you are about to purchase such a system, then this book will help you with the nontrivial install and setup.
Books:
- Dark Hero Of The Information Age: In Search of Norbert Wiener The Father of Cybernetics
- Direct from Dell: Strategies that Revolutionized an Industry (Collins Business Essentials)
- Eric Moon: The Life and Library Times
- For Remembrance - A Little Record of Loyalty and Fidelity Made with Much Love By The Children of Eden
- Gem Chronicles: The Early Years
- George Eastman y Kodak: historia de grandes emprendedores
- George Peabody: A Biography
- Ginger: The Life and Death of Albert Goodwin
- God, Country, Notre Dame: The Autobiography of Theodore M. Hesburgh
- Going Home to Teach
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The African Experience: An Introduction
- The Heart of Burgundy: A Portrait of French Wine Country
- The Guiltless
- The Cold War and the Color Line: American Race Relations in the Global Arena
- Silent Stars
- Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics, Third Edition
- The Butterflies Of West Virginia and their Caterpillars
- Rocky Road: The Irish Economy Since the 1920s
- The Career Doctor: Preventing, Diagnosing, and Curing Fifty Ailments That Can Threaten Your Career
- Rhododendrons of China. Prepared by American Rhododendron Society and Rhododendron Species Foundatio
Among Schoolchildren
Ms. Moffett's First Year: Becoming a Teacher in America
White Teacher (with a New Preface)
Inside Mrs. B.'s Classroom : Courage, Hope, and Learning on Chicago's South Side
The Water is Wide
