Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance (Facts on File Library of American History)

Customer Reviews:

Can't believe I'm the first to review this..........2007-04-28

I'm absolutely, positively NOT an expert on this topic. I'm interested in the topic for its own sake, and I'm also interested in cultural and environmental factors that foster creativity. I have kept this book in my car for the last couple weeks, and I find myself reading a passage or two here and there. I've been reading it along with Abdul-Jabbar's recent book. There are quite a few books out there on the Harlem Renaissance, and the last 100 years of African-American history. I'm not familiar with most of them.

Here's why I loved THIS book.

The writing is superb. The passages are about 1-4 pages each, and they confront the reader with the snap, crackle and pop of concise, crisp journalistic prose. The authors have a knack for deepening knowledge while causing the reader to want to know even more about the topic. The portraits tend to be descriptive without being judgmental, which adds credibility to the passages and force to the general topic. At the same time, the authors seem psychologically savvy, providing internally consistent life histories in many instances. There's a phenomenal amount of information here about remarkable people and places. The scholarship appears to be quite good, with helpful references following each passage.

This review is a work in progress, so stay tuned.

The New Encyclopedia of the American West

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good content, small print
a very comprehensive history of the West

The New Encyclopedia of the American West

Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300070888

Amazon.com

Did you know that when Annie Oakley was not performing her sharp-shooting skills, she preferred a quiet Quaker lifestyle and an embroidery needle to a rifle? That gunman John Wesley Hardin killed more people than either Jesse James or Billy the Kid? Or that Frederick Law Olmsted was once commissioned to manage the Yosemite Valley and was instrumental in the national-park movement? The New Encyclopedia of the American West is full of such interesting information. This weighty volume, compiled by Sterling Professor Emeritus of History at Yale University Howard R. Lamar, contains over 2,400 entries by more than 300 contributors on all aspects of the American West, from prehistory to the present. Types of entries include brief biographical sketches of important men and women, extensive descriptions of the physiogeography of the continent, pieces on art and literature of the West, and histories of the area's transportation systems. Over 600 illustrations and maps complement the text and help make this book a joy to read. Lamar provides a brief timeline of Western history to help put things in perspective, and the individual entries are extensively cross-referenced. A detailed index provides a comprehensive list of every person mentioned in the book, and most articles provide bibliographic citations to point the interested reader to further sources. The tone of the book is authoritative yet accessible--and refreshingly jargon-free. So whether you're interested in Sacajawea, Sasquatch, or Santa Fe, The New Encyclopedia of the American West will please scholar and casual reader alike. --C.B. Delaney

Book Description

This authoritative, comprehensive, and lavishly illustrated single-volume encyclopedia is a rich source of information about the many American Wests--real and imaginary, old and new, stretching from coast to coast and throughout the country`s history and culture. It discusses discoverers and mountain men, Native American tribes, politicians from Benjamin Franklin to Ronald Reagan, major cities and landmarks, conservation and wildlife issues, and many other topics central to America`s past and its future.

Customer Reviews:

good content, small print.......2007-05-02

I'll agree with the previous critque...great content, though the small typeset detracts from the readability

a very comprehensive history of the West.......1998-12-29

Although primarily a reference book, it is the kind I would like to read page after page. I wish it had been printed in two volumes. The type is extremely small and tiresome to read at any length

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Best Liberty Book since 1986!
Every American should own this.

The Statue of Liberty Encyclopedia
Barry Moreno
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0684862271

Book Description

She needs no introduction. For decades, she's been the world's leading icon of democracy. Four million people visit her each year. She is the very symbol of America. But how well do we really know the Statue of Liberty? Did you know, for instance, that her origin dates back to Roman antiquity? Or that New York narrowly beat out Philadelphia for the right to house her? Or that her nose is three feet, eight inches long?

In time to celebrate Lady Liberty at the millennium, this gorgeous encyclopedia is sure to satisfy the countless requests historian Barry Moreno has received to deliver the first full-scale reference ever written on the Statue of Liberty. As its name implies, The Statue of Liberty Encyclopedia promises to answer every possible question about our famous monument. Featuring an abundance of little-known but fascinating aspects and curiosities about the statue's history, the book also presents a vast collection of illustrations -- many never before published -- ranging from the amusing to the poignant to the pa-triotic. Stops on this visual tour include Betty Grable making a visit to the statue, antique autogyros flying overhead, and a gravity-defying glimpse of Liberty's spiraling inner armature.

The Statue of Liberty Encyclopedia is not just the history of one monument but the story of our nation and its far-reaching cultural and ideological roots. Elegant and eloquent, the book will stand as an emotional, educational, and entertaining testament to the statue's enduring significance.

Customer Reviews:

Best Liberty Book since 1986!.......2000-10-09

Finally, a book worth having! There were a lot of books published between 1984 and 1986 for the statue's centennial and only a few were worth having. This newly published book is a must have for the Statue of Liberty collector, historian, or proud American.

"The Statue of Encyclopedia, serves as the first ever top-to-bottom reference on one of the most beloved national monuments. Barry Moreno, the premier expert and historian of the Statue of Liberty, leads readers on a comprehensive, beautifully illustrated A-to-Z tour. Featuring an abundance of little-known but fascinating aspects and curiosities about her history, the book also includes a vast collection of photographs - many never before published."

Every American should own this........2000-09-23

Whether you're political, or artistic, every American should own this book. What does the Statue of Liberty mean to you? An intangible concept that is broken down into encyclopedia form for scholars and us regular folks to digest. There are dozens of books about the Statue, but I found this one is by far the most comprehensive and the pictures are of outstanding quality. Highly recommended.

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The New Encyclopedia of the American West
Howard R.(editor) LAMAR
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OPDYF4

Women in Early America: Struggle, Survival, and Freedom in a New World

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Women in Early America: Struggle, Survival, and Freedom in a New World
Dorothy Mays
Manufacturer: ABC-CLIO
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1851094296
Release Date: 2004-11-23

SON OF SAM LAWS: An entry from Thomson Gale's
<i>West's Encyclopedia of American Law</i>

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SON OF SAM LAWS: An entry from Thomson Gale's West's Encyclopedia of American Law

Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

â€œWest's Encyclopedia of American Lawâ€ is 13 volumes and 5,000 entries of comprehensive information on the fascinating American Legal System and its components. Covering historical and current terms, concepts, events, movements, cases, and persons significant to U.S law, Westâ€™s has been written, updated, and reviewed by lawyers and professors with the everyday user in mind. Everyone from the layperson hooked on the weekly TV courtroom procedural to the serious student can find such valuable information as brief definitions of legal jargon, exhaustive examinations of courtroom procedure, explanations of complex topics such as civil rights, biographies of standout attorneys, analyses of controversial issues, and transcripts of crucial Supreme Court decisions.

STANBERY, HENRY: An entry from Thomson Gale's
<i>West's Encyclopedia of American Law</i>

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STANBERY, HENRY: An entry from Thomson Gale's West's Encyclopedia of American Law

Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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STOCK MARKET: An entry from Thomson Gale's
<i>West's Encyclopedia of American Law</i>

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STOCK MARKET: An entry from Thomson Gale's West's Encyclopedia of American Law

Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B000MRNKB2

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SUTHERLAND, GEORGE: An entry from Thomson Gale's
<i>West's Encyclopedia of American Law</i>

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SUTHERLAND, GEORGE: An entry from Thomson Gale's West's Encyclopedia of American Law

Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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TAMMANY HALL: An entry from Thomson Gale's
<i>West's Encyclopedia of American Law</i>

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TAMMANY HALL: An entry from Thomson Gale's West's Encyclopedia of American Law

Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B000MRNKU8

Book Description

Book Description

This book is a comprehensive study of cooperation among the advanced capitalist countries. Can cooperation persist without the dominance of a single power, such as the United States after World War II? To answer this pressing question, Robert Keohane analyzes the institutions, or "international regimes," through which cooperation has taken place in the world political economy and describes the evolution of these regimes as American hegemony has eroded. Refuting the idea that the decline of hegemony makes cooperation impossible, he views international regimes not as weak substitutes for world government but as devices for facilitating decentralized cooperation among egoistic actors. In the preface the author addresses the issue of cooperation after the end of the Soviet empire and with the renewed dominance of the United States, in security matters, as well as recent scholarship on cooperation.

Customer Reviews:

Not what you might think from the title.......2003-07-30

Hegemony is a popular buzz word in international politics these days. Talking heads throw it around every Sunday morning. So one might expect a book entitled After Hegemony to be discussion on American foreign policy "after hegemony." In this case - Wrong! This is a nearly 20 year old book with a title that is currently a trendy topic. And it deals with political economy and "regime" formation, such as international monetary regime, international trade regime, and international oil regime, how these regimes were founded during the time period the author considers the time of US economic (and military) hegemony (the 1950's and 60's) and how they evolved during the years after US hegemony had passed according to the author.

For students and academics who are interested in the political and economic theory of how organizations are created and evolve, how "rational actors" (governments) behave on the macro scale, how preponderance of power allows a nation to create regimes (that is rules sets) that favor its policies, how these regimes become self-perpetuating, this is the book. It is an academic analysis of the subjects.

If you are looking for something relating to the oft discussed current "American Hegemony" and its likely impact on US and world relations, this is not the book. Look on.

"Non-hegemonic cooperation is difficult but not impossible".......2002-04-14

In After Hegemony neoliberal institutionalist Robert O. Keohane deals with the 'central political dilemma': How to organize international cooperation without hegemony? Or in other words, is cooperation possible in the post-hegemonic world? Keohane audaciously contends that cooperation is possible without hegemony since international regimes make this cooperation possible. In this sense, he criticizes hegemonic stability theory (HST) since HST necessitates a hegemon for regime maintenance specifically and for international cooperation in general. This book, however, might not be considered as a fundamental criticism of the realist theory since it accepts basic realist premises of international cooperation. For instance, he takes states as the major actors in international politics in which they have interest maximizing goals. On the other hand, Keohane also basically argues that 'although hegemony can facilitate cooperation, it is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for it...hegemony is less important for the continuation of cooperation, once after began, than for its creation'.In this respect, he differentiates hegemon's role in creation of international regimes from their maintenance. While he keeps hegemonic power important in creating regimes he does not see hegemon so significant for the their maintenance. What are the functions and/or benefits of international regimes? Institutions/regimes provide information, decrease transaction costs, monitor compliance, create issue linkages and prevent cehating. Then, they serve states' self-interests and generate international cooperation. Fear of retaliation and search for reputation are the key reasons why states eschew to break the rules of international regimes. The concept of 'bounded rationality' is also important in Keohane's functionalist theory of regimes. In this framework, states are willing to uphold international regimes for their self-interests. According to him 'bounded rationality' relaxes the strict assumptions of rationality and they make states emphatically interdependent to each other. Then it leads to shifts in state preferences and they will be more likely to cooperate by means of international regimes. In this respect, Keohane tends generally to see interdependence as a beneficial element for international cooperation. Moreover, After Hegemony have case studies in three issue areas; trade, money, and oil. Keohane examines international regimes in these areas for post-hegemonic period when the US power began to decline by the early 1970s. He finds hegemonic stability theory relevant for oil while he does not for the issue areas of trade and money. in this sense, he also point out the limits and possibilities of both HST and his regime theory.Overarall, he makes the point: non-hegemonic cooperation is difficult but not impossible.

A groundbreaking book.......1999-09-12

Robert Keohane is one of the top five International Relations theorists today. His book "After Hegemony", written in 1984, is considered to be the iniciator of the neoliberal institutionalist school of IR. In this book, Keohane shows that although states live in an anarchic world and are racional actors, they can cooperate with each other through institutions. This book revolutionalised the field and opened a fierce debate on cooperation that lasts until now. A very interesting book written by a master in the field - that is enough recommendation.

After Hegemony. Cooperation and Discord in the World Political Economy.

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After Hegemony. Cooperation and Discord in the World Political Economy.

Manufacturer: Princeton University Press.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I374O4

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After Hegemony. Cooperation and Discord in the World Political Economy.

Manufacturer: Princeton University Press.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I35PT0

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AFTER HEGEMONY: COOPERATION AND DISCORD IN THE WORLD POLITICAL ECONOMY.
Robert O.: Keoohane
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LXXNAA

AFTER HEGEMONY: COOPERATION AND DISCORD IN THE WORLD POLITICAL ECONOMY. New preface by the author

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AFTER HEGEMONY: COOPERATION AND DISCORD IN THE WORLD POLITICAL ECONOMY. New preface by the author
Robert O. Keohane
Manufacturer: Princeton Univ. Press,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RQ2T4C

Amazon.com

It's remarkable how far we've traveled into the Information Age without coming up with a very good idea of what information actually is. Technologists define information as bits and bytes, but that seems too precise somehow to get at the heart of the idea. Everyday speech defines it as just about any interesting piece of news, but that seems equally vague. Holding On to Reality is a philosopher's ruminative attempt to find the sweet spot between those two understandings, feeling for an idea of information that does justice both to its deep roots in human history and its broad implications for human culture at the edge of the 21st century.

For Borgmann, information is defined as much by the mind and cultural context of the people who behold it as by the physical traces (notches on a bone, voltages on a wire) that embody it. Fleshing out that notion, he tracks the changing nature of information across the face of history--from the natural signs that mattered most to prehistoric people to the alphabets and maps that shaped ancient and medieval culture to the mechanically logical forms of information that began to emerge in modern times.

Borgmann's observations suffer somewhat when he turns his sights on present-day information technologies and the cultural changes they have wrought. His cultural conservatism shows most strongly here and, at times, comes out sounding more cranky than critical. But on the whole, his insights are supple and thought-provoking. If we are ever going to really understand where the Information Age has come from and what it's about, we'll need more books like this one. --Julian Dibbell

Book Description

Holding On to Reality is a brilliant history of information, from its inception in the natural world to its role in the transformation of culture to the current Internet mania and is attendant assets and liabilities. Drawing on the history of ideas, the details of information technology, and the boundaries of the human condition, Borgmann illuminates the relationship between things and signs, between reality and information.

Customer Reviews:

A dense and demanding text which raises important questions about meaning and information........2005-10-30

In Holding On To Reality, Borgmann shares his perspectives and reservations about the information age as enabled by information technology. He traces the nature, philosophy and history of information by splitting the book into three sections which address natural, cultural and technological signs. If, in the beginning, signs were in the service of describing reality we are now (according to Borgmann) at a time in which information has become so divorced from physical reality that signs assert their own existence with independent validity.

Some reviewers have compared Borgmann to Thoreau ("improved means to an unimproved end") and I believe that the comparison aptly captures the tone of the book. In his conclusion, he discusses the decline of meaning and the corresponding rise of information. He warns that while the more obvious forms of suffering decrease (in part, due to the powers of information technology) there is a corresponsing rise in a more insidious kind of suffering. He characterizes this suffering as the "dilation and attenenuation they suffer when the moral gravity and material density of things is overlaid by the lightness of information."

Holding On To Reality is a complex book. It deserves time and sustained attention from a reader, even if he or she does not share its cultural conservatism. I found myself willing to follow the arguments, but believe that a number of the most important conclusions rest on untested and unexplored nostalgia. Even disagreeing with the book, however, does not detract from its accomplishment or its ability to provoke thought and begin an important internal dialogue.

One thing that I missed was a selected bibliography. The notes mention a wide variety of sources for further reading and it would have been useful to have a view on which Borgmann would recommend for going further in the various topics which he raised.

I would recommend this book for a wide variety of readers. It should appeal to people interested in the philosophy or history of meaning and information. Please be aware that it is not an introductory text and is both dense and demanding. This is not a book that can be skimmed or in which chapters can easily be skipped.

How to handle Fire and not get Burned.......2004-10-28

It's an interesting problem: How to write and publish an entertaining and informative book about "being lost", without getting the reader "more" lost. Or, how to use technology to free itself and that bound up with it. At times in reading Albert's work (whose erudition is beautiful) he seemed clever. That would be technology wining the match. Yet, with a twist of a phrase and bit of a story, what was becoming the surface of a maze, revealed a rounded corner, with new views and vistas. Depth, not surfaces. Little things, like music in a park, or the sun in the morning. One is informed by Albert, much in the way the ancient sages schooled their students... send them on a journey, a trip, to visit the master on the next mountain range. As with Albert's book, it's not what you take from it, but where it is able to take you.

Fully grounded philosophy.......2000-11-18

Borgmann is a professor of philosophy at a university in Montana. This is an important point for several reasons: his use of his immediate surroundings to illustrate his theory of communication and his ability to tie that theory to his field of academic philosophy. While keeping his analysis of communication theory close to the history of communication, Borgmann weaves his story into a cogent read of contemporary issues in communication based on his foundation as a "realist." He manages to escape embracing a social contstructionist stance, but only barely. For his view of reality fits nicely with both a realist and a constructionist view. This is an amazing accomplishment. For those interested in the practical: his explanation of writing and structure are not to be missed. In this chapter he offers a way to think of the digital-ness of our past, present, and future via the use of information as a whole thing with a context and information as "reality...structured all the way down, and at the bottom...composed of a small number of meaningless, but well-defined elements." (p. 61)

Now More Than Ever Before.......2000-01-12

Albert Borgmann examines "the nature of information at the turn of the millennium." In his Introduction, he examines Information vs. Reality. He then makes several distinctions which serve to organize the book into three separate but related parts: Natural Information: Information about Reality, Cultural Information: Information for Reality, and Technological Information: Information as Reality

What is Borgmann's ultimate objective? In his own words, "we need both a theory and an ethics of information -- a theory to illuminate the structure of information and an ethics to get the moral of its development." To achieve this objective, he creates a frame of reference within which to understand the evolution of "information" from primeval times when it served to disclose distant reality until now when it frequently seems to have a reality wholly apart from the actual world.

The importance of Holding On to Reality is perhaps most evident in its Conclusion when Borgmann invites his reader to reflect upon "The Lightness of Being" and "Adjusting the Balance" while hiking with him across his beloved Montana. Obviously, Borgmann struggles to hold on to the reality of his own world. With passion as well as eloquence and erudition, he inspires his readers to do so with theirs.

Holding onto our head -- a history of information.......1999-12-29

Borgmann traces a "history" of what the Western world has thought of as reality and information. For Borgmann, information is a "sign" that "informs" an individual about "some thing within a certain context," so our information about reality is socially contextual.

I found this compelling reading, especially as many other authors seem to confound "information" and "knowledge". I found his last section, dealing with technology, as less convincing than the earlier sections of his work; he does not seem to think as deeply about electronic information technology as he does about earlier information technologies. His work also suffers from having a very limited, Anglo/Northern-European bent, with the notable exception of his discussions of American Indian technologies of information.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Australian Library Journal, published by Australian Library and Information Association on February 1, 2000. The length of the article is 656 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: Holding on to reality: the nature of information at the turn of the millennium.(Review) (book review)
Author: Colin Steele
Publication: The Australian Library Journal (Refereed)
Date: February 1, 2000
Publisher: Australian Library and Information Association
Volume: 49 Issue: 1 Page: 90

Article Type: Book Review

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