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Although readers may quibble over how "legendary" a few of these subjects are or the greatness of some of their literary portrayers, this glossy tome deserves readers' attention. Brief, punchy text is paired with arresting black-and-white photos of a melange of remarkable women, such as Frida Kahlo, Aung San Suu Kyi, Rachel Carson, Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir, Marilyn Monroe, and Josephine Baker. The result is an unholy, but thoroughly enjoyable, jostling throng where sex symbols rub elbows with world leaders and artists spill drinks on reformers.
Alma Guillermoprieto emblazons the later years of mercurial modern dance pioneer Martha Graham's life. Once a dance student at Graham's vaunted studio, she remembers that "as Martha wove through our ranks she would snarl, and pinch and slap us, evidently enraged by our sloppy posture, our dishevelment, our general lack of presence." Camille Paglia talks of what Amelia Earhart meant to her as an American teenager in the early 1960s, railing against restrictive sex roles while "marooned in a desert of perky blondes." Cynthia Ozick takes aim at Gertrude Stein, Joan Didion at Georgia O'Keefe, and Diane Ackerman at Beryl Markham. Margeretta Mitchell recalls photographer Imogen Cunningham striding San Francisco in her beaded cap and white bangs, proclaiming by her acts "that it was possible to grow old working; to maintain interest in life; to be wholly oneself." Far from being fluff, many of these excerpts from longer writings are as provocative and engaging as the legends they embellish. --Francesca Coltrera
Book Description
Rendered by women artists and writers, these portraits illuminate the most influential women of our time. Liv Ullman marvels at Anne Frank’s faith in the face of atrocity. Claudia Roth Pierpont explores how Virginia Woolf’s atypical persona informed literature for the next hundred years. Camille Paglia champions Amelia Earhart as a pioneer who invaded the male world. The book also celebrates the fire of Angela Davis, the courage of Aung San Suu Kyi, the brains of Eleanor Roosevelt, and the brio of Ella Fitzgerald. The essays are accompanied by striking duotone photographs by such photographers as Alfred Stieglitz, Man Ray, and Cecil Beaton. Pairings include Joan Didion on Georgia O’Keeffe, Terry Tempest Williams on Rachel Carson, and Gloria Steinem on Marilyn Monroe.
Customer Reviews:
A Work of Art.......2007-02-19
I initially borrowed this from the library, I picked it up because I loved the photo of Audrey. Every page is a little feast of information and every photo a work of 'Art'. I need say no more.
www.valderbeebeshow.com.......2006-03-05
After reading Legends 2 : Women Who Changed the World through the Eyes of Great Women Writers by John Miller, Kirsten Miller (September 2004) my curiosity to know more about `the women who are considered legendary' in our times, lead me to the original Legends by John Miller.
As my life is always inspired by those who `live their purpose' I was not disappointed by John Miller's daring assemblage of writers to optimize in words, their thoughts of contemporary iconic women from Golda Meir, Bette Davis, Josephine Baker, Zora Neale Hurston, Helen Keller, to the power of Georgia O'Keeffe, the bravery of Amelia Earhart, the beauty and wit of Lucille Ball, to the omni-presence of Oprah Winfrey.
As I tackle my days of mountains and mountains of to do's, during my mandated 3:00 mediation time, I read a page for renewal and inspiration to tackle the next contract, the next segment of my radio show or write the next review. Each well written snapshot of each of these heroic women is pure energetic inspiration. Reading the shards of Ella Fitzgerald life, reminds me of how far our world has come and how GOD has kept watch over "women" who are the perpetual of the world (not the destroyers as our gender counter part seem). The passions of Martha Stewart no matter what is said, you can not tarnished her business greatness for turning the mundane into an empire, (no matter what you think today).
As I continue to read, I want my daughter to now know these books, Legends. I want her to know and revere the women who faced odds and simply saw obstacles as `what you face in life.' Babe Didrikson Zaharias, an Olympic Athlete, faced it all; controversy, cancer and unbelievable discrimination to live her purpose. Anne Frank, has shown us that our greatness will rise, no matter what the circumstances. Marion Anderson exhibited that greatness will fulfill its purpose, no matter where; before a segregated audience or from the Lincoln Memorial.
Women. We make the world revolve, we create new life, and we are the reason for the term `a glass ceiling' being incorporating into modern language. John Miller reminds us `women-you have to live with us because you can not advance without us.'
Worth a look for the pictures alone........2002-10-24
Rather ironic, really, that the editor of this fine book is a man ~ unless "John Miller" is the nom de guerre of some radical female. Still, editing the book can't have been very hard; Miller had some excellent writers to work with. The selection of the legends is somewhat more questionable. Of the fifty, less then twenty are neither from nor intimately associated with the United States; in the effort to remind people of the ability of the other gender to produce legends, the publishers have largely neglected the largest portion of that gender. And as if that restriction is not enough, the editor has not included anyone for whom a photograph is not available, thus denying any woman from the first 95% of history the opportunity to be a legend. Funnily enough, these censures aside, i really enjoyed this book. Quite unlike the usual "feminist book" (i hate the quotes, but you have to admit they belong there), this is neither strident not shrill, nor even obnoxious. It is beautifully written, nicely put together, with superb selection of wonderful photographs of handsome people. Can't ask for much more than that, eh?
Reveals these women's many contributions to modern society.......2002-01-09
Legends aptly pairs essays with black and white photos to examine the lives of women who have changed the world - as presented by great women writers such as Meg Cohen, Anne Hollander, Patricia McLaughlan and others. Enjoy an inviting collection of contemporary biographical sketches which reveals these women's many contributions to modern society.
Great Book with great portraits!.......2001-08-25
I got this for my mum once and it is so good.A different author writes about each of the different famous women in the book in only praising tones and it is really great to look through.Each page is a seperate female,author,article and photograph. Some of the sheilas written about are:Marilyn,Audrey Hepburn(as the cover shows you),Twiggy,Anne Frank and lets not forget Mother Theresa.Or Princess Diana.Madonna does not make it into this book,thank the lord,and thankfully neither do big modern-day stars such as Britney Spaniels..I mean Spears.All-in-all as they say!,a very good book!
Customer Reviews:
Two Stars is Kind.......2007-09-24
This just isn't sufficiently accurate nor well-written given its hype and other ratings here. One example is at page 13, where Flexner describes young Washington's trip to a French fort at the confluence of French Creek with the Monongahela ("now Franklin, Pennsylvania"). The problem is that French Creek flows into the Allegheny, not the Monongahela.
Another problem occurs when he describes (p. 24) how Washington accompanied General Braddock at the disastrous defeat at Turtle Creek in July 1755. Of course, Washington was 23 in July 1755, having been born in February 22 (Feb 11 by the old calendar), 1732. In the next chapter, he describes how after Braddock's defeat the British Army left Virginia defenseless, so the Virginia Assembly created its own army, and Washington "now twenty-two" was elected colonel (page 28).
In an early battle of the Revolutionary War he describes how Washington held a strong position at White Plains, NY, but was outflanked and decided to move to higher hills near New Castle. Although New Castle, NY and North Castle, NY are close geographically, the hills in question are in North Castle.
The book is also written in an annoying manner, using words (not quoted) like "unwisdom" and "plaguey." The writing seems at the level of a sophomore term paper. There have to be better one-volume biographies.
An excellent overview............2007-08-28
George Washington is known, of course, as the "father of our country"; that's not completely true, but what is true is that without Washington we might still be flying the Union Jack; he was "The Indespensable Man". He was a reticent, self-controlled, man who never let others get too close; this makes a biographer's task difficult, but it hasn't kept a LOT of people from trying. Washington may well have more published biographies than any man who ever lived; thus, we look hard at each new one, as if daring the author to justify his choice of subject. The volume here is James Thomas Flexner's abridgment of his own multi-volume work, and a wonderful offering it is.
Part of the problem in a study of Washington is the immense wealth of available material; Washington was famous from his mid teens on, building a great military reputation at an age when Jefferson was still in school, and Patrick Henry was tending bar. The great Douglas Southall Freeman who wrote the definitive multi-volume biographies of both Washington and Lee commented on the differing problems; Washington was famous early; Robert E. Lee didn't "hit the big time" till he was 55, so a biographer has to hunt for the early material [again, this hasn't stopped a lot of folks from trying].
Flexner has chosen to focus on the centrality of George Washington to the process of our becoming a nation...Washington was viewed as superior by his own contemporaries; their deference to him was as natural as breathing. Adams and Jefferson were better educated, many were better writers or public speakers [yes, yes, I know; Jefferson was a real thorn in his side...but that was later, and he still showed respect]. BUT, Washington had the limitless strength of character, the absolute refusal to quit no matter how bad things got [in 1776, they were pretty bad], without which we could not have won our freedom. It remained for Jefferson to think up, and write down, the ideas that make us work, but first, the battles had to be won......
There are lies told about Washington, some important, some not...he never chopped down a cherry tree...he did not have wooden teeth [he had around nine sets over the years, mostly ivory, or animal teeth, spring hinged, set in a lead base...I've seen one set...hideous]...he was not without passion, he just controlled it well. Washington was not without faults; he was over ambitious, but always for the public good...he married Martha for her money...he was a lousy son to his Mother, but then Mary was a lousy mother, a real "Mommie Deaerst"; still, George got his strength of character, and his horse riding ability, from her. The only real public blot I can find comes from the Presidential years....his lack of faith in Edmund Randolph.
George Washington is tough for us to get a good handle on; alas, that was true for his contemporaries, too. The reasons that he is difficult to "figure out" are very different than those that Jefferson is, but still real. Everybody needs to read one good bio of Washington; this is a pretty good choice, easily readable, and readily available. Other good choices are Joseph Ellis' "His Excellency", Willard Sterne Randall, and Richard Harwell's one volume abridgment of Freeman's magnum opus [the full seven volumes are impossible to find at a decent price]. There are one volume versons of sets by Washington Irving and John Marshall, the latter abridgment done by Marshall himself. These are pretty much for people like me, and are only available thru specialized venues like Mount Vernon, or The John Marshall House. [both authors met Washington, though Irving was only seven; neither mentions Sally Fairfax...] If you want to read them all, go for it; if you only want one, try this.....
Terribly disappointing.......2007-05-09
This book is not worth your time. After reading the reviews by other users I expected to put away all other interpretations of Washington in favor of this title. However, after 50 pages of reading I simply could go no further. Having read several other Washington biographies, I was appalled by Flexner's elementary treatment of such an important individual. Events are dumbed down, simplified, or passed over entirely, completely leaving out the anecdotal flavor afforded by other titles. Really a perfunctory effort.
Another reviewer really said it best, comparing Flexner's book to a high school or college term paper. Flexner's work reminds me of several I have written; all begun the night before the due date and handed in with an ashamed look on my face.
Don't be deceived by the high ratings given this book. Pass this over and pick up another title. Try Ellis's short treatment or D.S. Freeman's one-volume distillation of his seven-volume work.
Uplifting.......2007-04-01
I felt I owed a great debt to Washington when reading this book.
Flexner explains the struggles, incredible mistakes and growth of Washington especially while in command.
This volume is a good companion to 1776 and Adams. All written by authors not ashamed to be both patriotic and show the human condition of American founding fathers.
The Indisensable Biography.......2007-03-30
This book is a must read for anyone who wants to know more about the father of our great nation.
Customer Reviews:
A good, condensed read.......2006-01-22
This work by James Thomas Flexner is a condensed version of his four-volume history of George Washington. It's clear from reading this shorter work why the author at first felt the need for four volumes on the Father of our Country; Washington's life needs space to properly relate. But for those who lack the time to read such a comprehensive biography, this work is a fine substitute. (Indeed, it years ago formed the basis for a television mini-series.)
Flexner perfectly capsulates the major events in the public life of Washington, and one finishes the biography with deepened respect for our nation's first president, whose every action set a precedent. And readers of recent biographies of Alexander Hamilton and John Adams will get another perspective on some of the great issues of the day. Familiar, for example, are the mechinations of Thomas Jefferson, who vexed Washington from within and outside the administration.
Flexner "humanizes" Washington. We witness his failings, and see the wisdom of many of his decisions, including his reluctance to engage the British in traditional battle. It's easy to agree with his refusal to take sides in the war between Britain and France. And we see the evolution of his thinking on slavery, and how far ahead of Jefferson he was in that regard.
This is an engaging read.
Book Description
Since the first edition of this landmark book was published in 1962, Everett Rogers's name has become "virtually synonymous with the study of diffusion of innovations," according to Choice. The second and third editions of Diffusion of Innovations became the standard textbook and reference on diffusion studies. Now, in the fourth edition, Rogers presents the culmination of more than thirty years of research that will set a new standard for analysis and inquiry.
The fourth edition is (1) a revision of the theoretical framework and the research evidence supporting this model of diffusion, and (2) a new intellectual venture, in that new concepts and new theoretical viewpoints are introduced. This edition differs from its predecessors in that it takes a much more critical stance in its review and synthesis of 5,000 diffusion publications. During the past thirty years or so, diffusion research has grown to be widely recognized, applied and admired, but it has also been subjected to both constructive and destructive criticism. This criticism is due in large part to the stereotyped and limited ways in which many diffusion scholars have defined the scope and method of their field of study. Rogers analyzes the limitations of previous diffusion studies, showing, for example, that the convergence model, by which participants create and share information to reach a mutual understanding, more accurately describes diffusion in most cases than the linear model.
Rogers provides an entirely new set of case examples, from the Balinese Water Temple to Nintendo videogames, that beautifully illustrate his expansive research, as well as a completely revised bibliography covering all relevant diffusion scholarship in the past decade. Most important, he discusses recent research and current topics, including social marketing, forecasting the rate of adoption, technology transfer, and more. This all-inclusive work will be essential reading for scholars and students in the fields of communications, marketing, geography, economic development, political science, sociology, and other related fields for generations to come.
Download Description
"Now in its fifth edition, Diffusion of Innovations is a classic work on the spread of new ideas. It has sold 30,000 copies in each edition and will continue to reach a huge academic audience. In this renowned book, Everett M. Rogers, professor and chair of the Department of Communication & Journalism at the University of New Mexico, explains how new ideas spread via communication channels over time. Such innovations are initially perceived as uncertain and even risky. To overcome this uncertainty, most people seek out others like themselves who have already adopted the new idea. Thus the diffusion process consists of a few individuals who first adopt an innovation, then spread the word among their circle of acquaintances--a process which typically takes months or years. But there are exceptions: use of the Internet in the 1990s, for example, may have spread more rapidly than any other innovation in the history of humankind. Furthermore, the Internet is changing the very nature of diffusion by decreasing the importance of physical distance between people. The fifth edition addresses the spread of the Internet, and how it has transformed the way human beings communicate and adopt new ideas."
Customer Reviews:
Interesting.......2007-09-12
This book is fascinating. It discusses the spread of ideas and products through communities, how they spread and why. Rogers breaks down the process and describes different categories of people depending on when they take up the innovation. This book is very readable, and although written by an academic, not written in academese. It covers various domains of interest (agriculture, sociology, marketing) and has something for everyone.
The one thing I think Rogers has missed is subjective norm. Not only do people weigh the relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability, but they also weigh up what they believe their personal network believes what they should do.
For instance, I will do something that someone important (to me)tells me to do, even if I personally find it silly, simply because I put enough weight and consideration into what I believe is their opinion.
Rogers gets close to that with the discussion of personal networks and adoption of innovations by organisations, but still misses the point. That is why this book only gets four stars, from me.
Excellent.......2007-08-10
Very insightful. A must read for a variety of academic disciplines. I don't know that I've been in a professor's office at my university and not seen this book on the shelf!
Diffusion of Innovations--The scientific framework of lessons learned.......2007-06-12
As a physician who has had the pleasure to experience life-changing innovations in his medical career, the chance to read Dr Rogers book on Innovation has been a real delight. Technology has changed so much around us in the last half of the 20th century that we can scarcely describe what life was like before "the innovation".
To my friends who happen to be innovators, early adaptors, beta testers and entrepreneurs, I recommend the book to provide the scientific disicpline with its glossary, case reports, primary scientific citations and organization of innovation theory that ones needs if one is in an "innovation" field and wishes to communicate professionally.
To the casual reader who is fascinated by the world around him/her and wishes to explore innovation scientifically, then this should be considered the "primer".
A textbook in disquise..........2007-02-15
This is a textbook in disquise. The information is good, but could be summarized better and in a more consise manner.
Good reference material...
most excellent piece of work on diffusion of innovation.......2006-12-26
There are several well written books on innovation but this is one of the most excellent piece of work on diffusion of innovation. Though if we look at history, research on the diffusion of innovations model began with the Bryce and Gross' (1943) investigation of the diffusion of hybrid seed corn among Iowa farmers. They explained how it came to attention and which of two channels (i.e., mass communication and interpersonal communication with peers) led farmers to adopt the new innovation.
But Rogers has further discussed the five characteristics of a technology acceptance - 1) relative advantage, the extent to which it offers improvements over available tools, 2) compatibility, its consistency with social practices and norms among its users, 3) complexity, its ease of use or learning, 4) trialability, the opportunity to try an innovation before committing to use it, 5) observability, the extent to which the technology's gains are clear to see.
Average customer rating:
- Exactly what the title says it is
|
The National Wildlife Refuges: Coordinating A Conservation System Through Law
Robert L. Fischman
Manufacturer: Island Press
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ASIN: 1559639911 |
Book Description
The National Wildlife Refuges provides a comprehensive examination of the laws and policies governing management of the national wildlife refuges, offering for the first time a practical description and analysis of the management regime outlined in the 1997 National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act. The 1997 act is the first new statute governing a system of federal public lands enacted since the 1970s. The evolution of law governing the refuge system parallels broader trends in public land management and environmental protection, making the refuge system a valuable case study for those interested in environmental management, policy, and law. The book:
- describes the National Wildlife Refuge System and its legal history
- offers a detailed breakdown of the 1997 act, including its purpose, designated uses, comprehensive planning provisions, substantive management criteria, and public participation aspects
- considers individual refuges and specific issues that apply to only certain refuges
- discusses oil and gas development in refuges
- offers observations about how well the refuge system law resolves historic tensions and achieves modern conservation goals
A separate chapter examines the special rules governing refuges in Alaska and considers the contentious debate over the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Appendixes offer a reference of acronyms and abbreviations, a chronology of the refuge system's development, key statutory provisions (including the full text of the 1997 act), and basic information about each national wildlife refuge.
With an approach to conservation that is increasingly prevalent around the world, the National Wildlife Refuge System is an important model for sustainable resource management, and the book's analyses of the refuge system's ecological management criteria, conflicts between primary and subsidiary uses, and tension between site-specific standards and uniform national goals all offer important lessons for environmental governance generally.
Customer Reviews:
Exactly what the title says it is.......2006-12-08
This book covers exactly what the title promises: it gives the reader a primarily law-based overview of the US National Wildlife Refuge System. It consists of three main parts: an overview of various wildlife issues in general, an in-depth discussion of 1997 Refuge Improvement Act, and applications of general principles to management issues in specific refuges. The central part of the book is the middle section on the 1997 Act. The third section on applications presented too-brief, capsule discussions of issues such as oil and gas exploration. It had the least connection to general issues and I found it less helpful than the first two parts.
The emphasis on law is useful but it leaves out natural questions. First, how well is the law followed? Fischman touches on this issue in many places, and admits that land managers often do not prioritize values as their legal mandates would have them do. Second, where does the law come from? Again, Fischman touches on this issue but does not give it the serious attention that it deserves. Finally, how well does the institution work in terms of its ultimate goals? Are we protecting the species that the national wildlife refuges are supposed to protect? Fischman tends toward a more intermediate level of evaluation, in terms of how well the law works as law, taking congressional mandates and agency policy as given.
As a result, Fischman sometimes treats law as a distinct realm, independent of the people who make it and the people and wildlife who are affected by it. He is not ignorant of the questions that I raise, and he does discuss them - - but I would have liked to see the emphasis of the book shifted much more in that direction.
Fischman also doesn't give much attention to the non-refuge context for refuges. Many refuges, like many national recreation areas, are the result of some other agency's environmental desecration. Dams and other projects along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers are good examples, creating certain kinds of waterfowl and fish habitats at the expense of many other types. Wildlife is often given a high notional valuation in the economics of these projects when a dam creates habitat, but given a low valuation when the dam destroys habitat - - and typically dams do both. When it helps them build a dam, the Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and Tennessee Valley Authority have supported the creation of refuges. The national refuge system is a party to that dishonest syndrome, but Fischman doesn't discuss it (or similar larger issues) here.
Despite these complaints, I found this a valuable book. Though he's giving us a presentation of administrative law, the book is quite readable and reasonable in length. It makes a very useful reference if you have occasion to refer to wildlife refuges.
Books:
- Leonardo: The Artist and the Man
- Life of Tom Horn, Government Scout and Interpreter
- Life Stories: Profiles from The New Yorker
- Lone Wolf Gonzaullas: Texas Ranger
- Looking for the Lost: Journeys Through a Vanishing Japan (Kodansha Globe)
- Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross
- Madame Ambassador: The Shoemaker's Daughter
- Madhouse: A Tragic Tale of Megalomania and Modern Medicine
- Marlborough: His Life and Times, Book One
- Mcclellan's War: The Failure Of Moderation In The Struggle For The Union
Books Index
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