The Silk Weavers of Kyoto: Family and Work in a Changing Traditional Industry

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The makers of obi, the elegant and costly sash worn over kimono in Japan, belong to an endangered species. These families of manufacturers, weavers, and other craftspeople centered in the Nishijin weaving district of Kyoto have practiced their demanding craft for generations. In recent decades, however, as a result of declining markets for kimono, they find their livelihood and pride harder to sustain. This book is a poignant exploration of a vanishing world. Tamara Hareven integrates historical research with intensive life history interviews to reveal the relationships among family, work, and community in this highly specialized occupation.
Hareven uses her knowledge of textile workers' lives in the United States and Western Europe to show how striking similarities in weavers' experiences transcend cultural differences. These very rich personal testimonies, taken over a decade and a half, provide insight into how these men and women have juggled family and work roles and coped with insecurities. Readers can learn firsthand how weavers perceive their craft and how they interpret their lives and view the world around them. With rare immediacy, The Silk Weavers of Kyoto captures a way of life that is rapidly disappearing.

The Silk Weavers of Kyoto: Family and Work in a Changing Traditional Industry.(Book Review): An article from: The Oral History Review

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The Silk Weavers of Kyoto: Family and Work in a Changing Traditional Industry.(Book Review): An article from: The Oral History Review
Kayoko Yoshida
Manufacturer: Oral History Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0009GPSGQ
Release Date: 2005-08-01

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Oral History Review, published by Oral History Association on June 22, 2004. The length of the article is 914 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: The Silk Weavers of Kyoto: Family and Work in a Changing Traditional Industry.(Book Review)
Author: Kayoko Yoshida
Publication: The Oral History Review (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2004
Publisher: Oral History Association
Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Page: 120(3)

Article Type: Book Review

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This newly revised and updated reference presents sensible approaches to the design, selection, and usage of high-voltage circuit breakers-highlighting compliance issues concerning new and aging equipment to the evolving standards set forth by the American National Standards Institute and the International Electrotechnical Commission. This edition features the latest advances in mechanical and dielectric design and application from a simplified qualitative perspective. High Voltage Circuit Breakers: Design and Applications features new material on contact resistance, insulating film coatings, and fretting; temperature at the point of contact; short-time heating of copper; erosion and electromagnetic forces on contacts; closing speed and circuit breaker requirements; "weld" break and contact bounce; factors influencing dielectric strength; air, SF6, vacuum, and solid insulation; and dielectric loss and partial discharges, and includes updated chapters on capacitance switching; switching series and shunt reactors; temporary overvoltages; and the benefits of condition monitoring.

Insulation of High-Voltage Equipment (Power Systems)

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Insulation of High-Voltage Equipment (Power Systems)
Vasily Y. Ushakov
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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High Voltage Engineering Fundamentals (Newnes)

ASIN: 3540207295

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High-voltage electrophysical systems used for research in physics are becoming more and more common in engineering applications, as electrical insulation comprises one of the most important constituent components. This is the first monograph dealing comprehensively and on a scientific level with the insulation of such systems. In the first part of the book, the operating conditions and necessary requirements are analyzed, while the main insulation types are outlined. The second part describes the short- and long-term strengths of vacuums and gases, as well as liquid, solid, and hybrid dielectrics as functions of various influencing factors. The third and last part is devoted to the design of high-voltage insulation systems. The knowledge provided by this book will be useful to physicists designing experimental high-voltage devices as well as to electrical engineers in high-voltage technology, electrical insulation, and cable industries.

Heavy-duty main power relay: high-capacity relay with integral transient voltage suppression system works from 350 mA to 200A. : An article from: Designfax

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Heavy-duty main power relay: high-capacity relay with integral transient voltage suppression system works from 350 mA to 200A. : An article from: Designfax
Stephanie Gooch
Manufacturer: Nelson Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from Designfax, published by Nelson Publishing on November 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1486 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: Heavy-duty main power relay: high-capacity relay with integral transient voltage suppression system works from 350 mA to 200A.
Author: Stephanie Gooch
Publication: Designfax (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2004
Publisher: Nelson Publishing
Volume: 26 Issue: 11 Page: 34(3)

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High Voltage Power Equipment Engineering

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High Voltage Power Equipment Engineering
Anthony J. Pansini , and Kenneth D. Smalling
Manufacturer: Fairmont Pr
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NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR UNVEILS HIGH CURRENT/LOW VOLTAGE CMOS.(Product Announcement): An article from: Electro Manufacturing

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NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR UNVEILS HIGH CURRENT/LOW VOLTAGE CMOS.(Product Announcement): An article from: Electro Manufacturing

Manufacturer: Worldwide Videotex
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Electro Manufacturing, published by Worldwide Videotex on February 1, 2000. The length of the article is 547 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: NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR UNVEILS HIGH CURRENT/LOW VOLTAGE CMOS.(Product Announcement)
Publication: Electro Manufacturing (Newsletter)
Date: February 1, 2000
Publisher: Worldwide Videotex
Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Page: NA

Article Type: Product Announcement

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Book in Spanish

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"The Vintage Guide to Classical Music" by Jan Swafford - Striking a Responsive Chord

A no-brainer recommendation for classical music newbies.

the music of the spheres in words

Excellent for what it is, but not for the unstudious

Perception is reality

The Vintage Guide to Classical Music
Jan Swafford
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Johannes Brahms: A Biography

The Essential Canon of Classical Music

Classical Music

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Classical Music 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Classical Music

ASIN: 0679728058
Release Date: 1992-12-15

Book Description

The most readable and comprehensive guide to enjoying over five hundred years of classical music -- from Gregorian chants, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Johannes Brahms, Igor Stravinsky, John Cage, and beyond.

The Vintage Guide to Classical Music is a lively -- and opinionated -- musical history and an insider's key to the personalities, epochs, and genres of the Western classical tradition. Among its features:
-- chronologically arranged essays on nearly 100 composers, from Guillaume de Machaut (ca. 1300-1377) to Aaron Copland (1900-1990), that combine biography with detailed analyses of the major works while assessing their role in the social, cultural, and political climate of their times;
-- informative sidebars that clarify broader topics such as melody, polyphony, atonality, and the impact of the early-music movement;
-- a glossary of musical terms, from a cappella to woodwinds;
-- a step-by-step guide to building a great classical music library.

Written with wit and a clarity that both musical experts and beginners can appreciate, The Vintage Guide to Classical Music is an invaluable source-book for music lovers everywhere.

Customer Reviews:

"The Vintage Guide to Classical Music" by Jan Swafford - Striking a Responsive Chord .......2006-06-03

Music has been an important part of my life from the beginning. Somewhere in a dust-covered box lies a 45-RPM vinyl record of me as a 2 year-old belting out "Jesus Loves Me" at a church fair in Newburyport, Massachusetts! Beginning in the third grade, I studied violin and piano, and added organ in my junior high years. Singing has continued to be part of my life - solo work, choruses, church choirs and on stage - since my auspicious beginnings as a tuneful toddler! I took some basic courses in music appreciation as part of my liberal arts undergraduate education.

So, my knowledge of classical music is probably deeper than that of most individuals who are not professional musicians. Consequently, I was amazed and delighted with how much new information I learned as I worked my way through Jan Swafford's "The Vintage Guide to Classical Music: An Indispensable Guide for Understanding and Enjoying Classical Music." Mr. Swafford is an award-winning composer and musicologist who currently lectures in English as a faculty member at Tufts University here in the Boston area.

Swafford sets the tone for the book in the opening paragraph of his introduction:

"Enduring works of music not only refelct their composers and their times, but have the capacity to reflect many peoples and many times. While every kind of music is intended to be heard, some is meant to be reheard and re-created in new performances, to grow in meaning, to become part of our lives and our culture, to represent the best we've done. In societies both Western and Eastern, these qualities define a body of music that is called 'classical.'"

This very helpful tome is actually comprised of several books in one. At one level it is a chronological history of classical music. At another level, it is a compendium of mini-biographies of close to one hundred significant composers. Each biography ends with suggestions regarding which compositions by this composer would serve as the best introduction to his work. The book also contains a comprehensive glossary of musical terms, and offers a practical guide to building a classical music library. This volume is a portable treasure chest of fascinating and useful information for any lover of music - or for anyone who wants to learn more about, and better appreciate, good music. It has already made a difference in the way that I listen to music - my own CD's and WCRB, Boston's local classical FM station (102.5 on your FM dial!)

Before reading this book, I had little exposure to, or appreciation of, American composer Charles Ives. Swafford has managed the whet my appetite for Ives' music, and I plan to add some of Ives' compositions to my personal collection. I also found fascinating the relationships and interconnections among many of the 19th century European composers. For example, the complex relationships among Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, and Schumann's wife, Clara, are the stuff of soap opera.

For Swafford, this book was clearly a labor of love. He does a masterful job of harmonizing his passion for music with his erudition and broad knowledge of the full spectrum of classical music - from the Renaissance up to recent times.

I can't think of a single music lover I know who would not find something of value and delight in this book.

Enjoy!

Al

A no-brainer recommendation for classical music newbies........2004-12-02

I spend a fair bit of time (well, perhaps *too* much time) participating in classical music discussion boards on the internet. A frequent question that arises from people new to classical music is that of a good reference book to acquaint them with the field. Generally, what these newbies ask for is, in my experience, too much to expect from a single book: typically, they are looking for both composer information (and how a particular composer fits into the canon of classical music) and recommendations for specific recordings of works of classical composers. While I have a few such books in my own library, these tend to date themselves quickly on the recommended-recordings side while remaining serviceable on the composer-description side. I have a better recommendation for those interested, which I provide in my concluding remarks. For now, I'll limit my comments to the composer-description (or, better, composer-contribution) side of the matter, and the strengths of Swafford's book.

My experience with such books goes back to Aaron Copland's 1957 "What to Listen for in Music." This classic played a large role in getting me on my own journey in classical music, but it is now quite out of date; it doesn't even touch on the most recent half-century. (William Schuman updated this book, but even that fell well short of the mark for those interested in contemporary music.)

This Swafford book is, I believe, the best of its kind for the purpose of setting out the "essential canon of classical music" and the composers (and their key works) who comprise it. To better understand why I think Swafford's book is best, perhaps I should begin with the fact that I have a few views, somewhat strongly held, regarding what such a book should contain if it is to encourage the classical music newcomer.

The first of these is that it should cover, in helpful detail, the entire tradition of western classical music from the Middle Ages to (more or less) the present day. To do less, by including less, is to downplay the role of historical development: an isolated composer, or period in music, lacks context to understand his, or its, place in the canon.

The second is that, like it or not, all composers are not equally "canonical" in the sense of being of equal importance from an historical perspective. If the writer is *too* inclusive by including a large number of composers of lesser stature, this will only serve to dilute the importance of the true "canonical" composers unless the effort is of encyclopaedic length.

The third is that temporal context, i.e., the societal and cultural milieu in which a composer has worked, is a key component to understanding what, how and why the composer has written what he (or she) has. A part of that understanding is how the composer acted within that milieu and reacted, or worked, according to the tradition and the materials available.

The fourth - and perhaps most important - is that the author's preferences and prejudices should not affect objectivity: there must be a sense of even-handedness indicating that, whether or not the author *likes* a specific composer, the composer is properly included on the merits.

With these views as a given, Swafford's book is easily the best of its kind. Swafford grasps the long arc of classical music beginning in the Middle Ages with chant (both monophony and polyphony, with worthwhile comments on Pérotin and then Machaut, the first clearly acknowledged contributors). The Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Twentieth-Century modernist periods then unfold logically as each successive period builds on its predecessor(s).

Each important composer is given approximately 8 to 12 pages for a satisfactorily detailed description of his importance and contributions, his relationship to his milieu and how he built on the tradition in place before him, and sufficient biographical information for us to see the human side of him. This is then followed by 2 or more pages that describe what his most important works were: what they are like, and why they are important. More than a few of these composer sections are inspired in their writing, with the ones on Beethoven, Berlioz, Debussy, Ives, Bartók and Stravinsky being particularly fine examples of Swafford's craft. And, while the emphasis is on instrumental and orchestral, rather than operatic, music, three primarily operatic composers (Monteverdi, Wagner and Verdi) share equal billing because the "long arc" would be incomplete without them.

Swafford's detailing of important composers ends in the 20th century with Shostakovich and Britten. But he includes briefer descriptions of many other 20th century composers (and their key works) at the end of this chapter. (He does likewise for the preceding music periods as well; no one of true historical importance is overlooked.)

The book is interspersed throughout with extended "sidebars" that discuss various classical music concepts (e.g., melody; consonance and dissonance; monophony, polyphony and homophony; sonata form; tonality and atonality) in simple terms. An afterword, "Music: An Approach to Defining the Indefinable," comes as close to an all-inclusive description of what music is, and its "ineffability," as any I've ever read. The book concludes with a summary of recommended works for building a classical library (actually, a compilation of the recommendations that Swafford had earlier made in the body of the text) and a glossary of technical terms in easily-understandable language.

Swafford's writing throughout is masterful, and he always seems to find the words that clarify, rather than obfuscate, without being didactic. This should come as no surprise to anyone who has read his superb biographies of Charles Ives and Johannes Brahms.

Since Swafford's recommendations for building a classical library don't include specific recordings (except in very rare instances for early music), I recommend that a classical music newcomer also acquire something like "The Penguin Guide to (Classical) Compact Discs." These two books, used together, should get you well on your way.

Highly recommended!

Bob Zeidler

the music of the spheres in words.......2004-11-30

This is a fine book. What it lacks in genious it makes up for in pure affability and accuracy. Lesser books tell you what to believe. This book merely opens the door and lets you draw your own conclusions. My only complaint is that this book neglects a good handful or double handful of composers I would like to see covered. Where is Sofia Gubaidulina in detail? Where is Valentin Silvestrov or Arvo Part?
I go back to this book often. This book is like a mistress who never complains and always tells the truth. I hope that anyone who is interested in that most vital and creative of musics - classical music - will turn to this book.

Excellent for what it is, but not for the unstudious.......2004-09-26

Imagine if you had a brilliant friend who knew everything about classical music, but he or she did all the talking, and you couldn't get a word in edgewise. That's how "The Vintage Guide to Classical Music" pans out for me.

I think I've read eight or ten introductions to classical music in the last year, and Swafford is by far the author who really "delivers the goods." But this is a thick, heavy, brainy read. It's the kind of text that, if you memorized it, you could fool people into thinking you were an Harvard-trained musicologist (which I think Swafford is).

At any rate, this is a very solid, very well-done, jam-packed-with-fascinating-little-details study with a real graduate-school feel. I recommend you begin with either of two more accessible books, either Phil Golding's "Classical Music" or else David Pogue's and Scott Speck's "Classical Music for Dummies," and then move on to this one. All three are excellent, but Swafford's is by far the most advanced of the three.

Perception is reality.......2003-08-16

An entertaining book, but one that really demonstrates that music is for the most part a totally subjective experience. As for his recommendations, I suppose it's better to go by them than to blindly purchase performances by a few big names. My biggest complaint is the devotion to modern classical music (post-1900, imo). Personally, I find most of this music wretched in comparison with music found from renaissance (1400) to late romantic music (approx 1900). You could have removed just about all the 20th century "composers" and filled the extra space up with far more worthy pieces by Mozart, Schubert, Handel, and Bach. And of course, some of his choices for the essential pieces are downright blasphemous. Duke Ellington's "it don't mean a thing if it aint got that swing"?? hahaha. i almost laughed out of my chair. Even with these faults, however, I find this guide invaluable in exploring new composers with whom I am utterly unfamiliar. Keeps this outrageously expensive hobby somewhat less risky. :) Certainly worth the money.

update : after over three years of use, i would still give this book 4 stars. i have developed an appreciation for modern classical and the book has been a helpful guide in my search. i still have no use for the jazz portion. anyway, i find myself turning to this time and time again... get it cheap and don't worry about getting a used copy. if you use it like i do, it'll get beat up and written in very quickly.

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THE VINTAGE GUIDE TO CLASSICAL MUSIC
SWAFFORD JAN
Manufacturer: VINTAGE BOOKS - RANDOM HOUSE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PGJKU0

Vintage Guide to Classical Music, Includes Chronological History of Music, composers, terms, Important Themes & Much More

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Vintage Guide to Classical Music, Includes Chronological History of Music, composers, terms, Important Themes & Much More
Jan Swafford
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NDLL9I

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The Twenties in Vogue
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Random House Value Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 051755027X
Release Date: 1984-12-13

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The Twenties in Vogue
Carolyn Hall
Manufacturer: Harmony Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 070641733X

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The Twenties in Vogue
Carolyn Hall
Manufacturer: Random House Value Pub
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SO COOL!.......2005-11-28

What a great game! Just like all the others! Make your own REAL LIVE cartoons! It's so cool! I Love this game!

Book Description

PowerPoint is the world's most widely used presentation program, a favorite of educators, trainers, and, of course, those in business everywhere. Yet, every time Microsoft releases a new version of the program, they introduce another set of features---most of which you'll never understand or use. Even if you have experience with PowerPoint, you'll struggle to keep up with the improvements. If you're a beginner, you probably don't know where to start. Now, with PowerPoint 2003 Personal Trainer, beginners and experts alike can become black belts with this presentation program, quickly and easily. This fully illustrated book takes a modular approach to learning, allowing you to start with the fundamentals and work your way to advance topics through dozens of task-oriented lessons--at your own pace. The companion CD tutorial guides you through each lesson interactively. PowerPoint 2003 Personal Trainer includes sections on editing, formatting, drawing, working with word art, tables, organization charts, multimedia, other programs, the Internet, and how to optimize presentation delivery. Every chapter includes detailed diagrams and a review at the end to help you absorb and retain all you have learned. If you already use PowerPoint, you can dive right into those topics (and only those topics) that you need or want to learn. Unlike many consumer software tutorials that dumb down the material or present it in a confusing fashion, PowerPoint 2003 Personal Trainer is written in a non-technical and engaging style that you will find fun, easy, and most of all, clear and informative. You don't have to wade through tons of jargon and technical information to become proficient. Part of our new Personal Trainer Series, this book is based on content from CustomGuide (www.customguide.com), a leading provider of computer training materials. Founded by instructors who grew dissatisfied with the industry's dry course materials, CustomGuide offers courseware (for instructors and students), quick references, to software bulletins and e-learning courses that are fun, flexible, and easy to use.

Customer Reviews:

excellent book!.......2007-03-10

I love it very much, I used to practice for certificate, I got a certificate a month late after I followed the book's training. excellent book, highly recommended!

good examples of layout.......2004-12-24

As PowerPoint has gotten more complicated with each new release, the need increases for someone to explain well what are the key points. Like this book, for instance. It would also go well if you like green, for the pages are decorated in various shades of that colour.

The lessons systematically walk you through the main aspects of making a presentation package. Perhaps more important is that the examples are good templates of effective layout. The bulk of the text is about how to use PowerPoint to get these results. Of course, you need this information. But you should also pay attention to the resultant images. These have a nice balance of text and images that might be worth emulating in your work.

Plus, if you are at all inclined, the review questions and answers for each chapter are a good test of your understanding.

Solid information and very approachable..........2004-12-05

O'Reilly has a new series of titles out called the Personal Trainer series. I had a chance to review PowerPoint 2003 Personal Trainer, and it's pretty good for what it's setting out to accomplish.

Chapter List: The Fundamentals; Editing a Presentation; Formatting Your Presentation; Drawing and Working with Graphics; Working with Tables and WordArt; Working with Graphs and Organization Charts; Delivering Your Presentation; Working with Multimedia; Working with Other Programs and the Internet; Advanced Topics; Index

The theming of the book is supposed to be muscle/superhero-related, but it's a pretty light application of that theme. You don't see a lot of efforts to fit everything into that motif (which is probably good). Each chapter starts out with a list of objectives, followed by a target task for the chapter. There's a short list of prerequisites you should know/have in order to be able to do the lessons. What follows is then anywhere from 4 to 18 lessons that clearly walk you through activities and features which are directly applicable to the tasks you'll do when using the software. Each lesson is followed by a quick reference (one of the few places you see the superhero motif), and the entire chapter ends with a summary, a quiz, and some homework you can do in order to enhance your learning and stretch your wings. The writing is clear and concise, and I think just about anyone should be able to follow along without feeling like an idiot.

The other nice feature is that the book comes with a CD that contains a simulation of PowerPoint. You can use the CD to work on the exercises, without the worry that you'll mess up your real software. This could also be used as true "homework" in order to learn skills you may use in the office without necessarily having the software at home.

The simulation software definitely makes this book stand out from most other "teach-yourself" type books on the market. While the cover might make you wonder how serious it is, the content is solid and useful. If learning PowerPoint is on your list of "to do's", this book will help you get there.

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