Book Description
Inspired by the wonder of his own experiences as a parent, former psychoanalyst and New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Masson offers a remarkable look at one of the most fulfilling roles in the animal world: fatherhood. In The Evolution of Fatherhood, he examines the extraordinary behavior of outstanding fathers, heroes among animals, including: the male emperor penguin, who incubates the egg of his young through Antarctic blizzards; prairie dog dads, who teach their pups to play; the South American tamarin monkey, who “coaches” his mate through labor and delivery; and the wolf—and why wolves make good fathers, whereas their close relatives, dogs, don’t. With captivating writing and impeccable research, Masson celebrates the unique and often surprising role that males play in the lives of their young.
Masson also looks at nature’s worst fathers: lions, langurs, bears—and humans. He shows that when a father cares for his young, as does the beaver, we immediately look for a biological, and not an emotional, explanation. But Masson demonstrates that for these animals fatherhood is a profound, all-encompassing experience. Compelling and inspirational, The Evolution Of Fatherhood is a book that will forever change our perceptions of parenthood and family love.
Customer Reviews:
A Disneyesque view of the world........2006-04-06
This book was formerly published as 'The Emperor's Embrace'.
Near the end of this book, when faced yet again with infanticide, Masson says 'But it seems that the more we learn, the more our ideals, or in any event our fantasies, about the harmonious life of animals are toppled'. Yet he still holds fast to his ideals and fantasies.
With very few examples of fathering in mammals Masson has to rely largely on fish, frogs and birds. He wants us to believe that these animals experience life much as we do. I wondered what he would make of, for example, the little angler fish male that melts permanently into the body of the large female leaving little more than gonads to fertilize her eggs. What thoughts and feelings could this fish have?
When he says things such as parents feeding a cuckoo in their nest might be thinking 'This big chick may not be mine, but I like him, and I am going to feed him anyway', it will make evolutionary scientists laugh, cringe or despair.
Masson wants to encourage human fathers to be good fathers but he is looking at evolution without understanding natural selection so cannot be taken too seriously. He often talks of individuality and variation without seeming to realize that variation is precisely what natural selection acts upon - though perhaps it is a valid point that not enough attention is paid to the present-day individuality of animals on which selection will still be acting.
Masson does recognize the correlation between monogamy and the lack of sexual dimorphism and fathering. He is clearly greatly impressed by fathering when it does exist but seems to think it involves heroism or joyful experience - ie choice - rather than a selected adaptation.
I am far from convinced by his argument that human males are not concerned about paternity certainty. Also by his statement that there is no chapter on the missing ape father because it would not be interesting. On the contrary, it would be very interesting to read his views on why our closest relatives have 'chosen' not to experience the joys of fatherhood.
Masson ends with the view that Darwin himself held - the continuity with humans in the emotional and mental life of animals. Clearly humans have evolved and there can only be continuity. But Masson's Disneyesque view of life is over the top and can probably do little to change human fathering in the real world.
Book Description
Lee Haney is the only man to win eight Mr. Olympia titles--and he won them consecutively. Host of his own television show, he is one of the most popular figures in bodybuilding and fitness. His work with boxer Evander Holyfield and basketball star Kevin Willis has proven that weight training can ehnance performance in other sports; his Atlanta-based gym, Lee Haney's World Class Fitness Center, teams up with the city to promote general heath and good fitness for everyone.Lee Haney's Ultimate Bodybuilding presents the training program and mental perparation that helped Haney dominate the Mr. Olympia competition. Beginners and experienced athletes alike can learn from Haney, by following his instructions and examining the photographs that show the proper form for each exercise.This book includes:A beginners workout: a safe and doable program to get startedAdvanced bodybuilding: Haney's secrets to building muscle mass, strength and symmetryA healthy, safe, steroid-free nutrition and diet planCross-training workouts for other sports, including Haney's special program for Evander HolyfieldThe Mr. Olympia titles in reviewTips for competitive bodybuilders, from mental readiness to the seven mandatory poses.Comparative photographs of other top bodybuilders
Customer Reviews:
Lee Haney remains numero uno.......2003-01-02
This quality book by a quality gentleman who just happens to be the most prolific (and least disputed) Mr. Olympia is a book that needs to be read if you're serious about a serious subject. I recommend the Lee Haney videos which can accentuate what this book displays page after page. Warning: the mesomorphic form he's been blessed with is rarely built to this level of symetry and depth, so your results won't match, just use the techniques to accentuate your own gift. Mr. Haney's cable [ch. 19, in Fort worth] show combines more about mind-, body- and spirit-strengthening in twenty-five minutes than anyone. Since he autographed my copy at the one chance I had to hear him speak, it's priceless. He remains "TotaLee Awesome"!
Way too hardcore.......2002-12-18
This book is definitely not for beginners or even intermediate or advanced bodybuilders. It is for the pros! The routine is Haney's own and is way too much for normal people. Besides, each person's body is unique and will require a different routine to build mass. Try "Weider's System of Bodybuilding" for a more personalized approach.
Great Stuff.......2000-04-13
Forget Schwarzenegger's "Encyclopedia of Modern Bobybuilding," Mike Mentzer's "Heavy Duty," or Dorian Yates's "Blood and Guts." This is THE book to have for increasing srength and health via weightlifting--simple, effective, no nonsense. And Haney's workouts for his celebrity clients--among them Evander Holyfield--provides interesting reading.
This is one of my alltime favorite bodybuildingbooks........1999-08-12
I've read tons of bodybuildingbooks but this is one of the best. Lee Haney is my favorite bodybuilder. This book is full of training routines for different levels. I really like that.
This book covers all aspects of bodybuilding, from beginner.......1999-03-24
It is no surprise that this book is top quality considering that it is written by the record-holding greatest bodybuilder of all time. Lee Haney takes the reader comprehensively through all the stages in the bodybuilding process, beginner through expert. He even includes a section on the training routines of such athletes like Evander Holyfield.
Amazon.com
Rare is the book that causes one to consider--ponder? appraise? examine? inspect? contemplate?--one's every word. Simple & Direct, a classic text on the craft of writing by the educator Jacques Barzun, does so--with style. His object, says Barzun, is "to resensitize the mind to words." Do not use a word unless you know both its meaning and its connotations, its "quality" and its "atmosphere," and the ways in which it joins with other words. Barzun is an exacting taskmaster, railing against abstractions, "fancy" wordings, contemporary slang (which "prey[s] upon the vocabulary rather than nourish[es] it"), misprints ("it is rudeness to let them appear"), and the like. He bemoans what he sees as "a fury at work in the people to make war on hyphens," and he loathes those new words, such as condominium, that have been "cobbled together out of shavings and leftovers."
Still, no stodgy codger he. Barzun merely asks that you "have a point and make it by means of the best word." If that means splitting an infinitive or substituting a "which" for a "that," so be it. Just be sure that the decision to do so is conscious and informed. Once you've found the right word, you can move on to writing sentences and then leaning them against one another until they form paragraphs. Only when you've gotten it all down, says Barzun, should you allow yourself the pleasure of revision. "Unlike the sculptor," he says, "the writer can start carving and enjoying himself only after he has dug the marble out of his own head." --Jane Steinberg
Book Description
A fter a lifetime of writing and editing prose, Jacques Barzun has set down his view of the best ways to improve one's style. His discussions of diction, syntax, tone, meaning, composition, and revision guide the reader through the technique of making the written word clear and agreeable to read. Exercises, model passages both literary and casual, and hundreds of amusing examples of usage gone wrong show how to choose the right path to self-expression in forceful and distinctive words.
Customer Reviews:
Writing to be understood.......2007-05-19
"Simple and Direct" has a well deserved reputation for anyone wanting to improve their writing skills.
In print for a quarter of a century (updated with a fourth edition in 2001), the book is a "handbook for whoever wants to conquer some of the permanent difficulties of writing prose".
Barzun recognises this challenge upfront: "Writing always presents problems, dilemmas, some of which beset all writers, even great ones; but there is no need to be baffled by all the difficulties every time you write."
The book is hard going at first because of the detailed explanations but once you grasp how he has broken English into its basic elements and then combines them it's difficult to put "Simple and Direct" down.
Barzun can be didactic but his gentle wit makes up for finger wagging. For instance on diction: "But his real interest lay elsewhere than the Court of George II." Barzun notes: "It turns out on further reading that his real interest (singular) did lie at the court; it was one of the ladies-in-waiting; but his real interests (plural), meaning what would be better for his fortune, lay in his country estate."
Finding the right tone can be torture. Barzun's advice: "The best tone is the tone called plain, unaffected, unadorned. It does not talk down or jazz up ... it does not try to dazzle or cajole the indifferent; it takes no posture of coziness or sophistication. It is the most difficult of all tones, also the most adaptable. When you can write plain you can trust yourself in special effects."
Structuring your writing for maximum interest and flow is challenging. His remedy: make a quick "shorthand" outline of your draft using a key word (or key words) for each paragraph. It helps disentangle your meaning and more effectively order your ideas.
This is one of the better books on writing and style. It's a useful companion to gems like "Elements of Style" (William Strunk Jr and E B White) and "Newsman's English" (Harold Evans) - revised in a modern edition as "Essential English".
"Simple and Direct" is a rewarding read for those determined to write better -- with economy, clarity, vigour -- and, most importantly, to be understood.
Not a casual writing aid; good only if you are prepared to seriously engage it........2006-11-19
A couple of months ago I saw a reference to this book, which aims to improve one's writing style.
After reading a couple of reviews, and seeing that it had gone through four editions since first being published in 1975, I sprang for it (second hand on Amazon, of course.)
There are six chapters (Diction, Linking, Tone and Tune, Meaning, Composition and Revision). Each chapter has discussions and exercises (basically correcting errors in sentences and paragraphs), as well as examples of good writing. The book can work as a kind of textbook in a beginning or intermediate writing class; or as a supplement. However for a casual reader such as myself, looking for hints, clues and ideas, it was too much. I only did about 10% of the exercises.
I would only recommend this book for someone who was going to seriously engage it, with all the exercises.
The author, Jacques Barzun (a well-known academic; here's the opening line in Jacques Barzun - Wikipedia, "a leading American historian of ideas and culture. He has also eloquently defended tradition in the practice of higher education and scholarship.") wouldn't have been too impressed with the cliche I used in the second paragraph above "I sprang for it".
One of the Triumvirate.......2003-05-26
Barzun has written one of the best guides to prose composition, one to be set on the shelf with Strunk & White's "Elements of Style" and Graves & Hodge's "Reader Over Your Shoulder" and consulted often. All three of these books adhere to the Strict Taskmaster method and demand that the writer PAY ATTENTION to what he (or she) is doing. Prissy? Perhaps. Overbearing? At times. But such discipline is the first essential step towards becoming a real writer.
Only after one has internalized the Taskmasters and made their advice an ingrained habit can one then go on to profit from such excellent books as Joseph Williams's "Style," Thomas Kane's "Oxford Essential Guide to Writing," and Arthur Quinn's "Figures of Speech".
A good guide to good prose.......2002-04-21
I taught newswriting as an adjunct in the journalism department of a state university for a couple of years, and Barzun's "Simple and Direct" was on a list of books and essays I strongly recommended to all my students.
I used to work as a radio news and documentary producer and news director and I found Barzun's prescriptions on prose style a reliable guide for editng my own work and others as well.
Barzun's approach can be a bit irritating at first because he tends to be fairly prissy about style, but if you can get past that, you begin to perceive the prissiness as a tight focus on precision of the type that is lacking in much modern prose writing.
His main rule is one I paraphrased at the first meeting of every newswriting class...that there are only two reasons for producing bad writing; either you don't know what you're writing about, or you don't know how to write about it.
I lost my copy of Barzun years ago. I think one of my students walked off with it. If so, I hope he or she is using it. I'm glad to know it's still available.
An Excellent Guide.......2000-05-22
I read this book - twice. I am not an academic; I am a writer, and I find book to be not only useful but entertaining (as are most of Barzun's writings). As a writer he is careful and exact if not always concise. But even his lack of brevity has its merits; there is no misunderstanding what he is saying. I believe that only someone who has difficulty understanding the English language could call this book ". . .one of the worst books on English composition. . ." It is well written, well organized, and, although not always simple and direct, always complete, grammatically correct, and understandable.
As to another review, modern linguistic research has little to do with learning to produce a composition in English? Additonally in that review, the not-so-thinly veiled ad hominem attack on Barzun as being "pompous" and "nasty" has little to do with the merits of the book and do not constitute a review.
I certainly recommend the book for some excellent insight on how to write properly. Be prepared to work at it a bit, but that's as it should be; correct English writing requires some effort.
Book Description
Helps musicians know what to do with specific chords in specific contexts. Lays out clear and objective guidelines on how to turn scales and chords into real music. Perfect for a college or high school improvisation class!
Customer Reviews:
Getting Started.......2002-10-30
I have used this book often. It is a slim volume,but if one does the written exercises jazz improv becomes possible and easier.
All exercises are in all keys and the explanations for them are reasonable and clear.
Average customer rating:
- Brings Acting Back to Life
|
Acting: Simple & Direct
Gregory Serrao Bach
Manufacturer: Sub Rosa Books/ Sub Rosa Entertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Acting & Auditioning
| Theater
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1880413035 |
Customer Reviews:
Brings Acting Back to Life.......2004-11-08
I found the book to be a quick and pleasant read. It is something between a biography and advice (rather than instruction) for the aspiring actor, or really anyone. Most of the examples are about acting but Bach extends all his examples into broader life leasons and eventually bring life back to acting. I'm not sure I'm any better an actor after reading the book but I enjoyed it very much.
Product Description
The craftsman interested in furniture construction will find the various structural processes, as well as the more decorative ones of wood-turning, inlaying and veneering, described in this book. Tips on equipping a home workshop, and the care, maintenance, and use of hand tools and power tools are also offered.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management, published by The National Underwriter Company on October 23, 2000. The length of the article is 1562 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: Administrative Simplification Not So Simple.(U.S. healthcare sector affected by Internet paradigm shift)(Industry Overview)(Statistical Data Included)
Author: Edward D. Jones Iii
Publication:
National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 23, 2000
Publisher: The National Underwriter Company
Volume: 104
Issue: 43
Page: 3
Article Type: Industry Overview, Statistical Data Included
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Review of Metaphysics, published by Philosophy Education Society, Inc. on June 1, 2004. The length of the article is 486 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: American philosophical quarterly: vol. 41, no. 3, July 2004.(Philosophical Abstracts)(Critical Essay)
Publication:
The Review of Metaphysics (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2004
Publisher: Philosophy Education Society, Inc.
Volume: 57
Issue: 4
Page: 897(2)
Article Type: Critical Essay
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Arkansas Business, published by Journal Publishing, Inc. on July 31, 1995. The length of the article is 757 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: Corporate retirement plans made simple for Arkansas employers and employees. (Signature Life Insurance Company of America)(1995 Corporate Reports)(Company Profile)
Publication:
Arkansas Business (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 31, 1995
Publisher: Journal Publishing, Inc.
Volume: v12
Issue: n31
Page: pS24(1)
Article Type: Company Profile
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Bank Marketing, published by Bank Marketing Assn. on January 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1674 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: Direct action: ten simple tactics to punch up your direct marketing and improve its effectiveness.(Direct Marketing)
Author: Richard N. Tooker
Publication:
Bank Marketing (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2004
Publisher: Bank Marketing Assn.
Volume: 36
Issue: 1
Page: 44(4)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
- Mouth-watering photography of stunning clothing detail, but lacking if full garment photos.
- Beautiful
- Superb! Magnificent!
- Amazing photos, very good descriptions, variety of topics
- Must have for students & scholars of 17th-18thc fashion
|
Fashion in Detail: From the 17th and 18th Centuries
Avril Hart , and
Susan North
Manufacturer: Rizzoli International Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
European
| Regional
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Museum of Modern Art
| Exhibition Catalogs
| Museums
| Museums & Collections
| Arts & Photography
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General
| Museums
| Museums & Collections
| Arts & Photography
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Textile & Costume
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
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Fashion
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
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General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
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General
| Fashion
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
History
| Fashion
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18th Century
| World
| History
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General
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
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ASIN: 084782151X
Release Date: 1998-10-15 |
Book Description
This sumptuously illustrated book offers the first up-close view of the richness and variety of historical dress of the 17th and 18th centuries. Drawn from the Victoria and Albert Museum's world-famous collection, these garments display skills that are now lost, yet continue to inspire today's leading designers.Much of the finery seen here is too fragile to be on permanent display, or its detail too intricate to be captured in conventional photography. Jacobean blackwork, neoclassical tambour work, exquisite stitching, and knife-sharp pleats are pictured in stunning photographs, alongside such unusual techniques as stamping, pinking, and slashing--many of which are rarely employees in the modern world, as they require labor-intensive handwork impossible to replicate by machine.With line drawings showing the construction of the complete garment and a text that sets each in the context of its time, this book is a visual feast for all fashion lovers, and an essential resource for curators, collectors, students, costumers and designers.
Customer Reviews:
Mouth-watering photography of stunning clothing detail, but lacking if full garment photos........2006-02-21
I'd classify this as a lovely coffee-table book, it has many luxurious detailed close-up pictures of garments, but I wish there were also pictures of the entire garment and diagrams on the pattern construction. It's not all that good of a book as a costuming resource, but worth having in a library for the pretty pictures. I certainly would not recommend paying full price for it.
Beautiful.......2002-02-20
I got the book in the mail today. I don't think I will be able to put it down for one second anytime before next Friday. It is simply the best photographic account of 18th century clothing detail that I have ever seen. I LOVE IT!!!
Superb! Magnificent!.......2000-01-30
WHAT a wonderful book. Never has a museum published a more mouth-watering and so informative reference book. Forget the idea that all museum publications are dry and arid - even if you don't really like costume or fashion you MUST look at this book. The photography is of the very highest quality. If a picture is worth at least a thousand words, then there are millions of words in this book - millions of words that have never been coined, but which describe the small minutae - the rich colouring - the magnificent designs and craftmanship - the hitherto unsuspected marvel of a seam or a collar - the small pattern that you would never have noticed in a figured silk. Every library and art gallery and museum must have a copy of this book. Even artists ought to buy a copy, because it is invaluable as a source for design and ideas. I highly recommend this book. You can almost feel the satins and stroke the embroideries, feeling their texture. Dress is definitely an art form. Just ask this book with a mere glance, and you will get your answer - a resounding YES. The reviews below say this so much better than I could.
Amazing photos, very good descriptions, variety of topics.......1999-07-23
Comprised primarily of breathtaking photos and limited text, Fashion in Detail made a two hour layover at Newark airport a pleasant experience! These photos reveal the kind of detail one can not absorb during a museum visit either because there are others in line or because one can't get close enough. In order to appreciate the exquisite workmanship and the creative thought that produced what are essentially works of art, in addition to being items of clothing which were actually worn, a photo becomes necessary. Line drawings accompany the text descriptions so that whatever detail is spotlighted in the photo can also be understood in relation to the whole garment. What a gorgeous book! It was worth every penny.
Must have for students & scholars of 17th-18thc fashion.......1998-12-08
"Fashion in Detail" is a beautiful book highlighting details of many of the 17th and 18th century fashions in the Victorian and Albert museum collection. Many are too fragile to exibit so the full-color pictures, text and line drawings are the only record many costume mavens will ever see. The book is truly fashion in detail as the color illustration show details only, usually of one, but sometimes up to four or five items per page. The book's layout is divided by chapters--one shows details of outstanding stitching, seaming and quilting while another covers buttons, and another embroidery for example. The "coffee table" size of this book allows the best use of the book's layout: the left hand page includes a clear line diagram of the the complete item(s) illustrated on the right hand page in wonderful color photographs. The left-hand page text describes the item in suscinct, but complete detail. Some of the rarest and most outstanding items receive two or three color photos and text of various details. The pink stays on the cover, for example, get a back detail of the exquisite stitching in the first chapter and another side photo of the lovely ribbons tying the matching sleeves to the stays later in the book. My only complaint is two-fold. I wanted to see more and a smaller, full-length color view of each item would have been wonderful since many of the items haven't been illustrated in books elsewhere.
Books:
- The Great Arc of the Wild Sheep
- The Holocene: An Environmental History
- The Kenneth Anderson Omnibus
- The Lions of Tsavo : Exploring the Legacy of Africa's Notorious Man-Eaters
- The Long Hunt: Death of the Buffalo East of the Mississippi
- The Orang Utan: Its Biology and Conservation (Perspectives in Vertebrate Science)
- The Real Winnie: A One-of-a-kind Bear
- The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, and Primates
- The Science of Aging: Theories And Potential Therapies (The New Biology)
- The Simon & Schuster Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures: A Visual Who's Who of Prehistoric Life
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