Book Description
Before the smash hit movie Serenity came Firefly, the cult TV series which started it all and became a DVD phenomenon, selling almost half a million copies.
Set 500 years in the future, Firefly centres around Mal Reynolds, captain of the ship-for-hire Serenity and its eclectic crew of galactic misfits. When he takes on two passengers, a young doctor and his mysterious, telepathic sister, he gets much more than he bargained for…
This official companion is just what the show’s fervent fans, the ‘Browncoats’, have been waiting for, with unseen photos, scripts, behind the scenes secrets, and exclusive input from the cast and crew, including of course creator Joss Whedon.
Contains the second part of an extended interview with Joss Whedon, as well as exclusive new interviews with the cast, executive producer Tim Minear and many other writers and crewmembers; the full, uncut shooting scripts for ‘Jaynestown’, ‘Out of Gas’, ‘Ariel’, ‘War Stories’ ‘Trash’, ‘The Message’, ‘Heart of Gold’ and ‘Objects in Space’, annotated with memories from the cast and crew; extended behind-the-scenes interviews with the crew behind Firefly, including sections on the production design and visual effects, illustrated with unseen imagery; in addition a section on the Firefly fans and of course Vera...
Customer Reviews:
Basically just the scripts -- not what I expected........2007-09-19
Just to let future buyers be aware....this book (and Vol. 1) are basically just the scripts to the (REALLY FUN) shows. As my husband put it, "It's just the lines, without the wonderful delivery the actors achieved in the shows." I thought it would be more like the various other "about" books that exist about popular movies/TV shows - full of pictures and other fun "about" stuff. In my opinion, these two books were not that.
What a hoot! Get this if you just "liked" Firefly.......2007-09-09
I missed Firefly, the first time around, and didn't discover the series until after I'd rented Serenity. I can't call myself a confirmed browncoat, though I really *really* liked everything about the show.
But when I saw this book on the library's New Books stack, I grabbed it. I think you should grab a copy, too, even if you're no die-hard fan. Because this book is _fun_.
Most of the book is episode scripts (half of them; the other half are in Volume One). That's worth the price alone, because the scripts are immensely readable. Like other intelligent shows, the dialogue is both fast and thoughtful, and you might not have caught everything when you heard it the first or second time around. In particular, the scripts include the translations from the Chinese expletives, and most of them are _very_ funny.
And the "stage direction" is not the dispassionate descriptive sort ("Man enters, wearing a hat"). It reflects the entire mood of the show:
INARA walks towards them, heading for the stairs up to the shuttle catwalk. She's dressed with stunning elegance.
KAYLEE: Hey there, 'Nara. Heading off for some glamorous romance?
Simon turns, momentarily stunned by her elegance.
If you're a screenwriter, this is absolutely a must-have.
The book is also peppered with cast interviews, stories about the creation of Firefly's theme song, production explanations on how, for example, they created Niska's Skyplex. In this book, you can spend an enjoyable few hours investigating how a show can be done *right*...even if the network screwed it up.
Shiny!.......2007-08-23
This is the follow-up and completion of companion books to the cancelled-but-still-growing-its-fanbase Firefly television series. It provides the shooting scripts ans photo stills from the remaining episodes, as well as numerous sidebars featuring backstories and insights into the actors, crew, props, and the inner thoughts of series' creator, Joss Whedon. This glossy volume is heavily laden with color photographs, costume concept designs for the various characters, and pre-production sketches. If you have a love for the series and the Big Damn Movie ("Serenity"), you will feel compelled to buy this book.
A Great Companion.......2007-08-14
For anyone charmed by the short-lived Firefly series, this book is simply great. Besides having the screenplays of the programs in the second half of the series, it is full of pictures, interviews, storyboards, and various tidbits relating to the series. If there is a school for Browncoats, this should be required reading.
Shiny........2007-08-13
Please, what's not to like here? Just the fact that it needs more seasons of episodes to include...
Book Description
When Two Knotty Boys, Dan and J. D., began teaching rope bondage together in 1999, they discovered that most people learn best when they're shown — close up, step by step, and repeatedly — how to tie basic knots and combine them into bondage techniques. It is this learning process that they duplicate in this book. With the help of world-renowned photographer Larry Utley, they use over 750 photos and captions to explicate the soup-to-nuts techniques for turning great knots into great bondage that is safe, sensual, attractive, and effective. Readers can learn at their own pace, review whole techniques at a single glance, or even lay it flat on the table (beside their blindfolded partner) and follow along as they tie. Two Knotty Boys Showing You the Ropes appeals to those interested in improving the quality of their sex lives, not to mention aficionados of bondage and discipline/sadomasochism (BDSM), both curious newcomers and serious players alike.
Customer Reviews:
Best begining rope bondage book out there!.......2007-10-09
This is the single most useful book on rope bondage that I have found so far. The step by step illustrations are easy to follow, the writing manages to get in to the technical aspects of rope play and knots without reading like stereo instructions, and unlike any other book I have thus far encountered it actually includes the recommended lengths and thickness for the ropes involved in each tie.
I have and do recommend this book to all of my friends who have the inkling to become riggers, or just want to try it out.
Easy to follow.......2007-09-24
I've got several books in this genre and this one is the easiest to follow.
Rope Art Fun! .......2007-09-23
This is a marvelous book for step-by-step creation of some wonderful rope art fun! A must-have for the Alaskan Long Winter's Night. No cabin fever here!
Great Book!.......2007-08-26
This was a great book for the beginner. It shows several different styles, and it starts with basic knot tying, all the way up to the more advanced decorative bondage! I would recommend this book to anyone.
Norwegian postal-service..........2007-08-23
..sucks. It took en entire month to reach me from the border, and only three days to the border... Anyway, the book is exellent and fulfill all my expectations...
Amazon.com
A great memoirist can burnish even an ordinary childhood into something bright--see, for instance, Annie Dillard's An American Childhood. So what about a really good writer with access to a dramatic and little-documented story? This is the case with Catfish and Mandala, Vietnamese American Andrew X. Pham's captivating first book, which delves fearlessly into questions of home, family, and identity. The son of Vietnamese parents who suffered terribly during the Vietnam War and brought their family to America when he was 10, Pham, on the cusp of his 30s, defied his parents' conservative hopes for him and his engineering career by becoming a poorly paid freelance writer. After the suicide of his sister, he set off on an even riskier path to travel some of the world on his bicycle. In the grueling, enlightening year that followed, he pedaled through Mexico, the American West Coast, Japan, and finally his far-off first land, Vietnam.
The story, with some of a mandala's repeated symbolic motifs, works on several levels at once. It is an exploration into the meaning of home, a descriptive travelogue, and an intimate look at the Vietnamese immigrant experience. There are beautifully illuminated flashbacks to the experience of fleeing Vietnam and to an earlier, more innocent childhood. While Pham's stern father, a survivor of Vietcong death camps, regrets that Pham has not been a respectful Vietnamese son, he also reveals that he wishes he himself had been more "American" for his kids, that he had "taken [them] camping." Catfish and Mandala is a book of double-edged truths, and it would make a fascinating study even in less able hands. In those of the adventurous, unsentimental Pham, it is an irresistible story. --Maria Dolan
Book Description
Winner of the Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book PrizeA New York Times Notable Book of the YearWinner of the Whiting Writers' AwardA Seattle Post-Intelligencer Best Book of the YearCatfish and Mandala is the story of an American odyssey-a solo bicycle voyage around the Pacific Rim to Vietnam-made by a young Vietnamese-American man in pursuit of both his adopted homeland and his forsaken fatherland. Andrew X. Pham was born in Vietnam and raised in California. His father had been a POW of the Vietcong; his family came to America as "boat people." Following the suicide of his sister, Pham quit his job, sold all of his possessions, and embarked on a year-long bicycle journey that took him through the Mexican desert, around a thousand-mile loop from Narita to Kyoto in Japan; and, after five months and 2,357 miles, to Saigon, where he finds "nothing familiar in the bombed-out darkness." In Vietnam, he's taken for Japanese or Korean by his countrymen, except, of course, by his relatives, who doubt that as a Vietnamese he has the stamina to complete his journey ("Only Westerners can do it"); and in the United States he's considered anything but American. A vibrant, picaresque memoir written with narrative flair and an eye-opening sense of adventure, Catfish and Mandala is an unforgettable search for cultural identity.
Customer Reviews:
a random and beautiful encounter.......2007-07-09
i was travelling alone in Lhasa, Tibet and found this book in Makye Ame restaurant. i started reading and couldn't put it down. it gave me true enjoyable solitude on my lonely journey. loved it. i spent the last two days reading it in that restaurant. ordered a copy from Amazon last week and i can't wait to finish it.
my heartfelt thanks to Mr Pham!
. . arriving at the place where you started. . .and knowing it for the first time.......2007-07-09
`I am a mover of betweens' writes Andrew X.Pham. . . `I slip among classifications, like water in cupped palms.' And in his award winning Catfish and Mandala he takes his readers into those `betweens' with him Viet-kieu, `foreign' Vietnamese, Pham sets out from San Francisco on his rickety 18 speed bicycle riding the Pacific Rim, first up the coast to Seattle, then through Japan, and finally arriving in Ho Chi Minh City from where he begins his odyssey through Vietnam, seeking to understand his relationship to the country of his birth, and the people, and his culture.
The ride he takes us on becomes, for the reader, as spiritual as it is physical. We feel every bump in the road, we push up the hills, we are cold, wet, hungry, ambivalent at times, and we suffer from chronic dysentery. Pham meets people who reject him, who taunt him, and those who, often after initial distrust, befriend him for part of the journey. While he is `pedaling and pushing' alone to Hanoi and back , on a journey everyone advises him is too dangerous, the narrative ebbs and flows through his childhood, through the escape on the boat, through the struggles of his family.
Pham moves comfortably from the specific, the particular, like his recollections of Scarface, Bugsy, Redeye, or Bagman and Mechanic, or the roasting ears of corn dripping with pork fat and scallions, to the philosophic - and then the poetic. It is little surprise he has been linked to writers like Thoreau, Kerouac, Steinback.. . I might add William Carlos Williams,T.S.Eliot or Carl Sandburg. He speaks at once of Vietnam and of his uncertain place there and of the US- and in so doing speaks to all of us who now count among the millions who have left homelands and no longer fully understand what home is, and who `move between.'
By the end of Pham's journey we begin to understand what that is, and value it.
moving.......2007-06-09
This story of a family's escape from Vietnam is a captivating memoir. The author combines his family history with richly detailed descriptions of the landscape of Vietnam. Very well-written and moving.
Great book!.......2007-04-30
Born in Vietnam and came to America at the age of 2--this book is such a great read. It's quite a feeling to see so many of my own thoughts and conflicts regarding my heritage written out this way. Highly recommended.
From another Vietnamese's perspective.......2007-02-23
Overall, this book is well written and has its good moments. As a Vietnamese who came to America at the same time frame and age as the writer, I can't help but to dislike the writer as I read the book.
First of all, I think the writer has a condescending view toward Vietnam and the people. He tries too hard to describe the negatives while not trying to even understand the reason for the state of the country and the people. I feel that the writer sensationalizes, even bordeline fictionalize, his story to appease to the readers. In the book, the author tried to describe the character Kim as a victim of the society, yet, he goes on to use her and skip town so he wouldn't have to face her. He paints such a negative picture of everyone that he met on the road. I wonder why he even took this trip. This author is the reason why Vietnamese Americans are so dislike in Vietnam. The author came back to the country without any knowledge nor understanding, and sadly, all he can do is whined.
I'm two years older than the author and came to United States when I was nine. What the author faced is not unlike any other Vietnamese refugees' story. I wonder about some facts and timeline in the author's recollection of his childhood. Base on the events that were stated, the author must have a photographic memory at such a young age. Some of his memories were a bit far fetched. One has to wonder if the memories were really his or a collection of someone else's memories.
As far as the difficulties in a new country, GET OVER IT!!! Every Vietnamese had to endure the similar situations. My father was a high ranking government official and he too had to work as a janitor. My mother who was a teacher, had to work on a assembly line making seat belts. I grew up in Fresno picking oranges and tomatoes. My wife escaped Vietnam by herself at the age of 16. We all survived and thrived on our experiences. There were many, many more Vietnamese who endured much worse fate than Mr. Pham. I find the author's self-indulgent story annoying by the end of the book.
Overall, I think the author tries a bit too hard writing about himself and forget the real victims, his motherland and the Vietnamese people. As much as the author wants to convey of his noble character, I find his views lack of empathy and understanding for Vietnam. I happen to be very proud of my roots and appreciate all that Vietnam has to offered, even with all of its imperfections. Sadly, Mr. Pham reflects many Vietnamese Americans that have turned their back on their roots. I'm proud that I was born in Vietnam and will be proud of my heritage everyday.
Book Description
"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." It's been 30 years since those immortal words were first seen on movie screens nationwide and it was the start of a worldwide phenomenon and the beginning of the most successful movie franchise of all time.
The Star Wars Vault: Thirty Years of Treasures from the Lucasfilm Archives, With Removable Memorabilia and Two Audio CDs by Stephen J. Sansweet and Peter Vilmur (HarperEntertainment; on-sale October 30, 2007; $85.00) is the official illustrated book celebrating this year's 30th anniversary of George Lucas' first Star Wars movie, and includes removable reproductions of memorabilia, along with two CDs containing vintage radio ads, original cast interviews, George Lucas' commentary, and even Carrie Fisher singing in the Star Wars Holiday Special.
The Star Wars Vault is the insider's look at the development and making of all six movies, and the huge cultural impact they've had. In addition to hundreds of photos and pieces of artwork, the book includes fifty interactive, rare, and some never-before-seen pieces of memorabilia.
Among the book's features are:
- The special questionnaire for the first and only test screening of the original Star Wars â and the invitation to attend it
- George Lucas' hand-written treatment for The Empire Strikes Back
- Lucasfilm Christmas cards
- Iron-on T-shirt transfer
- The very first concept sketch drawn for Star Wars
- Blueprints of Star Wars vehicles and sets
- Original hand-written directions for ground-breaking special effects
The Star Wars Vault is the ultimate, one-of-a-kind insider's look into the sensation that launched a phenomenon that includes six feature films; two spin-off films; three television series with more to come; and an extensive collection of licensed books, comics, video games, action figures, trading cards, and many other products worldwide.
Customer Reviews:
An absolute gem! .......2007-10-13
For anyone who has been a fan of Star Wars for more than 10 years, this book offers an amazing wealth of information, pictures and even reproduced, long-since gone, Star Wars memorabilia. Letraset, CDs, stickers, letters, iron-on etc. etc. For any Star Wars fan this must be the definitive birthday och christmas present. Simply a must!!
Book Description
Zainab Salbi was eleven years old when her father was chosen to be Saddam Hussein's personal pilot and her family's life was grafted onto his. Her mother, the beautiful Alia, taught her daughter the skills she needed to survive. A plastic smile. Saying yes. Burying in boxes in her mind the horrors she glimpsed around her. "Learn to erase your memories," she instructed. "He can read eyes."
In this richly visual memoir, Salbi describes tyranny as she saw it--through the eyes of a privileged child, a rebellious teenager, a violated wife, and ultimately a public figure fighting to overcome the skill that once kept her alive: silence.
Between Two Worlds is a riveting quest for truth that deepens our understanding of the universal themes of power, fear, sexual subjugation, and the question one generation asks the one before it: How could you have let this happen to us? BACKCOVER:
Praise for Between Two Worlds:
"...a torrent of vividly recalled memories [that] reads with the sort of artless verve that can come only from one who's been unshackled from a lifetime of repression."
—Vogue
"A remarkable, astonishing memoir...more can be learned about Iraq from this book than from all the newscasts."
—Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple
“A country unravels and a loving family dissolves in Zainab Salbi's riveting, beautifully observed memoir...This is the exquisite if often painful story of Salbi's own emergence from victim to global activist on behalf of women survivors of violence and war everywhere. I guarantee you won't be able to put it down.”
—Ellen Chesler, author of Woman of Valor: Margaret Sanger and the Birth Control Movement in America
“A personal, intimate look at the soul-crushing impact of HusseinÂ's Iraq. . . . Salbi deploys a straightforward, easy prose that is powerful in its simplicity. . . . Now, with her chilling memoir, the lies end.”
—The Washington Post
“Salbi has direct personal knowledge of Hussein that is both insightful and disturbing.”
—Ms. magazine
“Engrossing. . . . a unique insider perspective . . . an evocative and haunting memoir that proves that one courageous woman can rise above her own painful past in order to make a difference in the lives of others.”
—Bookreporter.com
“A remarkable tale of emotional and mental resilience.”
—Bookpage
“. . . a steadfast visionary spirit prevails, rendered with remarkable literary skill and complex personalities.”
—Bust
Customer Reviews:
review.......2007-08-05
it took a while to get here, but it was in good condition when it did.
Between Two Worlds.......2007-07-13
Zainab Salbi's life seems idyllic, but even as a child she senses the tension felt by her wealthy parents as they entertain and are entertained by Saddam. Salbi's story shows two sides of Saddam: the cruel and abusive despot and the genial manipulator. In spite of the web Saddam spins around her family, Salbi experiences adolescent rebellion, ignorant of the danger her parents see threatening her, just as it threatened her mother and eventually ruins her parents' marriage. Salbi's story is a fascinating portrayal of a family living in luxury under tyranny and the dangers faced whether the choice is to endure or to escape.
CAPTIVATING.......2007-07-02
There was not one moment during this book that I wasn't totally captivated. The author puts a human face on the struggle of those in Iraq who lived under Saddam Hussein. And throughout, you are constantly reminded that she was among the "fortunate" by comparison. I found it to be an excellent education in the history of the country and the evolution of it in recent decades as well. I read this book on a recent camping trip in New England when I should have been mesmerized by my surroundings. Instead, I found I could not put this book down.
Outstanding Memoir, Written With Humility!.......2007-04-17
Wow! This book knocked me out. I could NOT put it down. It really helped me understand some of the conflict within Iraq, but more importantly, the author and tone of this book is just very human, real, and accessible. As a youngster, and for all of her formative years, Saddam Hussein is in the background as a family "friend". Though her parents resisted his friendship, they found it more and more dangerous not to be his friend. It's like living with the devil! However, the author eventually gets out of Iraq and away from Saddam Hussien, due to an arranged marriage. I won't say how that goes as I don't want to ruin the ending.
I do feel that this is one of the absolute BEST memoires I ever read and it was written with a lof of grace and humility. For me, it was an important book, and I highly recommend you read it. I think it will become a classic memoire.
Information you don't get from the media.......2007-04-11
Short and sweet.. This is an awesome book. You see so many sides of Suddam. His dark side certainly made him a candidate for his execution!
Book Description
Battlestar Galactica is back! The brand new, `re-imagined' version of the cult 1970s series has quickly become the most critically acclaimed SF show on TV, with massive viewing figures to match.
With a classy ensemble cast, including Edward James Olmos (Miami Vice) and Mary McDonnell (Independence Day), cutting edge special effects, superb production design and adult-oriented scripts, the new Battlestar Galactica is both a worthy successor to a classic original, and a stunning piece of television in its own right.
This official companion to the second season is packed with exclusive interviews, photos, behind-the-scenes secrets, and a complete episode guide.
Customer Reviews:
A nice overview in case you reminisce about TV shows (like me)........2007-01-04
Companion books on the shelf are a key indicator of "nerd-hood". I think BSG (nerd) is one of the best shows on TV. It's more than Sci-Fi, it's a drama that happens in space. This book is a useful reference tool should you develop an interest in what goes on beyond the screen.
Book Review.......2007-01-02
my short and sweet opinion of this book is a great have for the Battlestar Galactica Fan. A lot of Sci-Fi and Tech information with great information and wonderful pictures. If You are thinking of a low-cost gift for a BSG Fan, this book along with the Season One Book is a great buy.
So Say We All
An excellent companion to BSG's magnificent second season.......2006-11-11
Compared to official guides for other shows, the companions to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA simply cannot be beat for enhancing the enjoyment of the episodes. Most official guides tend to do two things. First, they provide a critically neutral description of the episodes individually and the season as a whole. Second, they tend to repackage pretty much whatever one as a viewer can pick up on their own.
If you look at the official guides to BUFFY or FARSCAPE you'll see what I'm talking about. The best route with BUFFY is to get the unofficial guides. These unofficial guides are written without much contribution by the creators, producers, writers, or cast, but they at least have an independent point of view. The BSG official companions, however, while not critical from the author's viewpoint, are remarkably frank in providing critical assessments by the producers and directors and actors and writers as to what did and did not work in an episode. Any fan of BSG will recognize upon watching that "Black Market" and "Sacrifice" are not highlights of the show, but it is incredibly refreshing to read statements by Ron Moore and David Eick and Jamie Bamber that indicate that they, too, believe "Black Market" was not a successful episode. Take the official guide to BUFFY and read what it says about "Beer Bad" or "Some Assembly Required." You'll get no hint that these are considered among the worst BUFFY episodes ever. But in the BSG companions you'll not only see the creative team agreeing with you on the weaker episodes, but they will provide additional insight into why they don't work. So on the first of the two points mentioned above, the BSG guides are head and shoulders above other official guides.
On the second point, i.e., the regurgitation of stuff you can get yourself on an alert viewing, the BSG companions also shine. Probably 80% of the contents of the books are not directly accessible to a fan of the show. For instance, in reading about the casting of Admiral Cain, I was unaware that they first approached Sigourney Weaver, Jessica Lange, and Angelica Houston before asking Michelle Forbes if she was interested in the role (though I have to add that it is inconceivable to me that any of those fine actresses could have been more effective than Forbes, who was simply outstanding). As with the first companion, there are substantial interviews with all the concerned parties about how an episode came together.
My lone disappointment with this volume is that it possibly contained less information not directly concerned with specific episodes. The reason for this is obvious. Whereas the Season Two companion was restricted to the same length as the Season One companion, the second season featured 20 episodes as opposed to the first seasons 13, along with the miniseries. This volume thus had more episodes to discuss.
Still, I think many fans will find this as enjoyable as I have. I'm aware that there are some who prefer the kind of guide that I abhor, one that gives a glossily regurgitated summation of what happens in each episode. I generally find these kinds of guides worthless. Give me one like BSG any day! I want behind the scenes scoop, not a repetition of what I can easily see for myself.
Average customer rating:
- The Two Cultures
- Arguments about taking social responsibility
- historic document, with intro essay
- Always a Tradeoff - Integration Should Be The Goal
- Far better than I thought
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The Two Cultures (Canto)
C. P. Snow
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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ASIN: 0521457300 |
Book Description
The notion that our society, its education system and its intellectual life, is characterized by a split between two cultures--the arts or humanities on one hand, and the sciences on the other--has a long history. The reissue of The Two Cultures and its successor piece, A Second Look (in which Snow responded to the controversy four years later) has a new introduction by Stefan Collini, charting the history and context of the debate, its implications and its afterlife.
Download Description
The notion that our society, its education system and its intellectual life, is characterised by a split between two cultures - the arts or humanities on one hand, and the sciences on the other - has a long history. But it was C.P.Snow's Rede lecture of 1959 that brought it to prominence and began a public debate that is still raging in the media today. This reissue of The Two Cultures and its successor piece, A Second Look (in which Snow responded to the controversy four years later) has a new introduction by Stefan Collini, charting the history and context of the debate, its implications and its afterlife. The importance of science and technology in policy run largely by non-scientists, the future for education and research, and the problem of fragmentation threatening hopes for a common culture are just some of the subjects discussed.
Customer Reviews:
The Two Cultures.......2006-07-13
I read the original as a convocation assignment when i went off to college in 1963. The history update in this volume is very useful and interseting to me. The original concept is also still interesting which probably means it is a good book as well as an influential one for education.
Arguments about taking social responsibility.......2004-12-29
In this book, Sir Charles P. Snow examines what he sees as a splitting of the intelligentsia into two subcultures, the literary and the scientific. He cites anecdotal evidence of how ignorant literary figures are concerning fundamental scientific principles and how few works of literature have been read by the typical scientist. Snow is certainly qualified to see both sides of this issue. During World War II, he was in charge of the British program of scientific recruitment and is a first-class novelist. He also notes conservative/liberal tendencies among various groups within the scientific community.
He is of course correct, but the splitting is an inevitable consequence of the advance of science. As the amount of knowledge about a field of science grows, it takes more time and effort to succeed in the field. With the increase in commitment, there is less time for the individual to pursue other interests. However, that is not a wholly satisfactory excuse. Scientists are also part of the human condition and are almost always members of the advantaged class. Snow argues that they should be cognizant of the plight of the poor around the world and understand their moral obligation to try to alleviate poverty.
Scientists are often and justifiably considered to possess an intellectually narrow focus. Snow is very articulate in pointing out that society is damaged when some of the best and brightest remove themselves from the search for solutions to the current problems. Even though great advances have taken place in science in the forty years since Snow put forward these observations, they are just as valid as they were then. There is a lot of common ground between the literary and scientific communities, and Snow explains why it is critical that both sides occupy as much of it as possible. All people who are concerned with the problems of modern society should read this book.
historic document, with intro essay.......2004-10-25
The Two Cultures is probably more famous as an idea which ignited discussion than as the lecture it is. This edition of C.P. Snow's classic includes a brilliant introduction by Stefan Collini. I'm surprised that none of the other reviewers mention this portion of the edition, a substantial 64 pages, because for me it was the most interesting read. That is, only after having read The Two Cultures and a follow-up essay by Snow and pondered what may still apply today in his argument I went back and read the Collini. His introduction put Snow's work in its proper historical contexts (those of post-war Britain as well as Snow's own life) and updates us with some of the major points of the historical discourse that followed. I recommend that Collini's essay is read after Snow's, and together they make a very fine read.
Always a Tradeoff - Integration Should Be The Goal.......2004-09-24
C.P. Snow argues about two cultures he was personally part of: the literary intellectuals and the science intellectuals. And in these two cultures there is a serious lack of communication and inter subjective knowledge. While this may be true, I find it's a very limited argument and fails to take in the many different subcultures that may or may not be the strength of industrialization but nevertheless influences the social and cultural whole of the both the countries and world we know of. Also disregarded is Western civilization's pragmatism that has permeated since the enlightenment, the ideas of separation of religion and state are also applied to all teachings apart from the universals of liberty, individual rights and the pursuit of happiness. So the scientists will lack in the social and literary fields, while the literary and cultural intellectuals will lack in the technological fields. Specialization has most certainly increased from the medieval period to the Renaissance to the Industrial revolution and scientific achievements, to the current information age, although this book was written well before in 1959 and 1963.
Integration is necessary to reach planetary unity and peace, however degrees of compartmentalization are required to technologize the world. So there has to be some balance here. Snow does make a well-known point in the comparisons of industrialized nations verses the undeveloped and there is a clear different in the level of living conditions. Capital, manpower and educative resources are required in all countries for integration to occur.
I agree that man is much better off in the industrialized nations as opposed to those that are not, however, much of the agricultural societies that existed prior to the Renaissance and Enlightenment were from a self-employed collective society that lacked the existential despair and Anst from lack of security that we have so prevalent today. Thus they existed in far more psychological security and there's much to be said on that for the human psyche. To be a self-employed artisan over a low paid factory employee, this is the result and it was not always favorable. There is a trade-off and the demystification and desacredization are serious and profound negative consequences in our modern technological society. Feudal agricultural and superstition have left but the radical wonder and appreciative amazement of childlike marvel with fascination and curiosity have long gone as well.
However Snow makes a good argument on the stupidity of any groups that have power and influence over society. Such groups should not lack in either literary and technological knowledge - as the majority of the leaders of our government do today, and the public for that matter, thus endorsing many (not all) inadequate governmental decisions based on surface and shallow reasonings. And thus we have overpopulation, destruction of the environment, nuclear weapons, and religious absolutism, the loss of pragmatism, cultural warfare and so forth.
Also, I didn't particularly care for the writing style of this book and had trouble digesting it. If it was written less arbitrarily, with fewer words I think it would be even much smaller than it already is, but more tolerable as well.
Far better than I thought.......2004-03-12
Every representation I've seen of this work was wrong, or so incomplete as to be gravely misleading. As usual, the glib sound-biters omit not only the interesting parts of the points they quote, they omit the real point of the essay.
If anyone reads the second half of this essay, they see that it writes about the widening gap between rich countries and poor - the technologically trained and untrained. Yes, Snow writes about the schism and even mutual suspicion between the communities of liberal arts and hard sciences. That's just a fact, at least as true now as it was 45 years ago. That is not what's interesting.
The consequence is what matters. Overpopulation, mass starvation, and destruction by war or disease are political problems. The solutions must involve tools provided by technology. The tragedy of "the two cultures" is the breakdown between the politicians who must wield the tools and the technologists who must create them. This is not about technology controlling the world, it is about creating a generation of thinkers who can reason about both social and technical problems. It is about education that allows people to examine the physical facts of the physical world that underly so many curable causes of human misery. It is about understanding the technology of possible solutions well enough to weigh the costs and rewards in a rational way.
As I write this, the 2000-era Bush administration is busy firing science advisors who don't give the "right" answer, is cancelling the space research programs that have given the largest volume of new knowledge, and creating new scorched-earth policies for environmental management. It's a problem not just in the US, but worldwide. This is exactly the failure that Snow hoped so fervently that educated men and women would have the wisdom to prevent.
Average customer rating:
- Historically Inaccurate
- Featuring more than 800 sperate entries
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The Arabian Nights: An Encyclopedia (Two Volume Set)
Ulrich Marzolph
Manufacturer: ABC-CLIO
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The Arabian Nights Reader (Fairy-Tale Studies)
ASIN: 1576072045
Release Date: 2004-08-24 |
Customer Reviews:
Historically Inaccurate.......2006-02-15
The whole story of One Thousand and One Nights is Persian and the characters are Persian, including pure Persian names, however its better known as "Arabian Nights". This book advocates this inaccurate name and therefore is not a trustworthy source for studying the "One Thousand and One Nights".
While you are at it write a book on Alexander and call it the "Turkish Conqueror" who is a Ninja, historically accurate by your standards.
Featuring more than 800 sperate entries.......2004-09-11
An impressively collaborative work by Ulrich Marzolph (Professor of Islamic Studies, Georg-August University, Gottingen, Germany) and Richard van Leeuwen (Associate Professor, Department of Religious Studies, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands) this two-volume edition of The Arabian Nights Encyclopedia is a comprehensively detailed compilation providing students with authoritative and up-to-date research on the diverse stories historically comprising the Islamic classic collection of myth, legend, and folklore known to western readers as "The Arabian Nights". The characters, themes, most influential translations, textual history, adaptations, and literary context for each individual story is proffered in a thoroughly accessible and "user friendly" arrangement. Featuring more than 800 sperate entries organized in an A-Z format, The Arabian Nights Encyclopedia is a seminal, core, essential, informed and informative contribution to personal, professional, academic, and community library Literary Studies, Folklore Studies, and Islamic Cultural Studies reference collections and resource holdings.
Customer Reviews:
Credit Where It's Due.......2002-05-23
I haven't seen this book, but I assume that the script it contains for "Chinatown" conforms to the final cut of the film as released. If so, just be aware that the film wasn't really written by Robert Towne. Towne's screenplay was COMPLETELY redone by Roman Polanski, over Towne's very strong objections. Polanski, to his credit, has been pretty quiet about the subject. Towne, to his shame, has also. He continues to receive and accept credit for a script he never wrote. It's much more Polanski's movie than Towne's.
I'd love to see someone do an article on what went on between these two guys between the time Towne turned in his final draft and Polanski finished cutting the film. That would be much more instructive.
Robert Towne: Super Genius.......2002-03-19
I've long admired the films based on Robert Towne's scripts during the 1970s. These two lead the pack of the dark, cynical films produced during that period. Movies of a type I miss greatly now. But until reading this book I was never able to fully appreciate Towne's talent. From his revelatory introduction to the screenplays themselves, Robert Towne proves himself to be a talent of the highest order. My only regret is that I didn't learn of this book sooner so its influence on my own work would have already much sooner. If you have any appreciation for these films, you NEED to get this book.
THE modern screenplay.......2000-03-31
Robert Towne's CHINATOWN is the finest example of screenwriting in the last thirty years. Towne could have written this story as a novel about how modern Los Angeles was formed, but chose to do so in the medium of film. The result has the richness and depth of a great novel. Students everywhere study CHINATOWN to learn the craft of screenwriting and for inspiration. Towne's brilliantly funny, disturbing script of THE LAST DETAIL, based on the novel by Darryl Ponicsan, is a worthy companion piece.
Pure genius.......2000-03-30
Robert Towne is easily one of the best screenwriters whose words have ever graced the silver screen. In these two screenplays, Towne displays his mesmerizing talent by fusing all of the integral elements that make a film not only brilliant but fun as well. With his mixture of memorable and unique characters, cutting-edge dialogue and nuanced styles, Towne is able to craft films that play out in the mind as well as they do on the screen. In the mystery thriller "Chinatown" that starred Jack Nicholson, Towne takes us on a nostalgia trip to a thinly disguised water war in 1930s-era Los Angeles. The characters leap off the page as well as they did off the screen in the film. Towne's words build momentum, snowballing through the heavily stylized locales and situations to a climactic sequence. Even without the support of Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston the screenplay is extremely readable and enjoyable. "The Last Detail", also starring Nicholson in the film, tells the story of two Navy lifers who are assigned to transport a buffoonish young recruit cross-country where he will spend the next eight years imprisoned - and the wild "Odyssey"-inspired events that unfold when the two lifers attempt to show the young prisoner a good time before he goes under. Not as intricate as "Chinatown" but the dialogue here is way before it's time and would fit right in with even the more unconventional of 90s movies. The heartfelt emotion needs no musical score or fancy camera movements to show up, and Towne invokes all the feelings by simply putting words into a character's mouth. These films were released in the mid-70s and he won Oscars for both of them, and they have definately stood the test of time. Reading this volume is almost as fun as watching the films, and in these days of reckless abandonment when it comes to screenwriting and throwing formula and paradigm out the window - Towne makes it look all to easy, but his scripts are perfectly layered and unravel before our eyes both in the viewing of the films and in the reading of the scripts. This is a true testament to the fact that screenwriting, while often scoffed as the lowest form of writing, second only to television, is transcending itself as a true and beautiful art form.
Pure genius.......2000-03-30
Robert Towne is easily one of the best screenwriters whose words have ever graced the silver screen. In these two screenplays, Towne displays his mesmerizing talent by fusing all of the integral elements that make a film not only brilliant but fun as well. With his mixture of memorable and unique characters, cutting-edge dialogue and nuanced styles, Towne is able to craft films that play out in the mind as well as they do on the screen. In the mystery thriller "Chinatown" that starred Jack Nicholson, Towne takes us on a nostalgia trip to a thinly disguised water war in 1930s-era Los Angeles. The characters leap off the page as well as they did off the screen in the film. Towne's words build momentum, snowballing through the heavily stylized locales and situations to a climactic sequence. Even without the support of Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston the screenplay is extremely readable and enjoyable. "The Last Detail", also starring Nicholson in the film, tells the story of two Navy lifers who are assigned to transport a buffoonish young recruit cross-country where he will spend the next eight years imprisoned - and the wild "Odyssey"-inspired events that unfold when the two lifers attempt to show the young prisoner a good time before he goes under. Not as intricate as "Chinatown" but the dialogue here is way before it's time and would fit right in with even the more unconventional of 90s movies. The heartfelt emotion needs no musical score or fancy camera movements to show up, and Towne invokes all the feelings by simply putting words into a character's mouth. These films were released in the mid-70s and he won Oscars for both of them, and they have definately stood the test of time. Reading this volume is almost as fun as watching the films, and in these days of reckless abandonment when it comes to screenwriting and throwing formula and paradigm out the window - Towne makes it look all to easy, but his scripts are perfectly layered and unravel before our eyes both in the viewing of the films and in the reading of the scripts. This is a true testament to the fact that screenwriting, while often scoffed as the lowest form of writing, second only to television, is transcending itself as a true and beautiful art form.
Book Description
A companion to The Art of The Fellowship of the Ring, this authoritative and insightful book is packed with more than five hundred full-color images â many exclusive to this volume â and shows the development of the imagery in The Two Towers from concept drawings to wide-screen glory. With illuminating captions telling the story of the images in the words of the artists and designers responsible for the look of the film, including the renowned artists Alan Lee and John Howe, and contributions from Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, Grant Major, Ngila Dickson, Paul Lasaine, and others, this book is a must for all fans of The Lord of the Rings. In this essential reference to the architecture and costumes of Jackson's onscreen Middle-earth, the stunning large-format art, from sketches to paintings to three-dimensional maquettes and digital art, is lovingly reproduced with lavish production values to create a spectacular keepsake for the film's millions of fans.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but not as Good as the first.......2005-05-05
The second art book of the movie trilogy is not as shockingly good as the fellowship, but still a great book to own, especially for the Tolkien fan. Some of the maquettes pictured are very cool, especially the varied ents. It's always nice to see how differnt artists interpreted the characters and mood of the scene. These books show how much of a difference the art behind the movie plays on the quality of the film. The paintings are great and in general there is more commentary than in the first book. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book but not over the first one simply because the drawing s in The Fellowship art book surpass the Two Towers, and the organization of the first book is better. If The Two Towers is your favorite movie in the trilogy, then this will probably be your favorite book of the three.
Buy this book or die trying!.......2004-03-23
This book is a action pact, drama filled, and a adventures book
that when you start reading it you get caught in it and when you finish the book you start bagging for more.
So you should go get this book right now, and take my advise and order it one you get done reading it.
Buy it now or die of guilt!.......2003-12-07
This was an incredible book! This book proved to be an invaluable resource to me as a costumer. Any costumer or anyone remotely interested in LotR will benefit from this; it made the difference when I was making the Arwen Blood Red Dress. (Mom helped, but the book did more :)
MEDIOCRE.......2003-11-26
MANY OF THE DRAWINGS INCORPORATED IN THIS BOOK DO NOT REALLY FASCINATE ME AS BEING REALLY FLOORED. THE FIRST BOOK IS SOMEWHAT BETTER. DESIGNS OF SUCH CREATURES AS WARG, OLYPHAUNT, AND FELL BEAST ARE NOT IN IT. A WHOLE CHAPTER DEDICATED TO GOLLUM IS SOMEHOW OVERLONG (ALBEIT NECESSARY). MAYBE THE THIRD BOOK WOULD FULFILL MY SATISFACTION.
Great collecters books for Rings fans.......2003-09-29
The sequel to The Art of The Fellowship of the Ring, this coffee-table edition book is simply the same thing for the second of the three movies by New Line Cinema.
Hundreds of paintings, art work, concept sketches, paintings and diagrams from noted artists John Howe and Alan Lee, as well as the costume designs by Ngila Dickson, and computer-images and artwork from Richard Taylor and Weta Workshop.
Accompanying the images are descriptions and explanations by designers and artists, as well as interviews with Andy Serkis, the physical crux of the amazing and ground-breaking character of Gollum as seen in The Two Towers.
Sketches and art work include drawings of settings such as Mordor, Orthanc, Fangorn Forest, Emyn Muil, the Dead Marshes, Rivendell, Helm's Deep, Edoras, and Meduseld.
Also included are character sketches and concept art of Théoden, Éomer, Rohirrim soldiers, Treebeard, Éowyn, Grima Wormtongue, Easterling soldiers, Gondorian Rangers, Faramir, Sharku, Warg Riders, Elves, Orcs, and of course, Gollum.
An amazing behind-the-scenes look at the early concepts that took shape to create the spectacular cinematic journey that reaches its end on December 17th, 2003, and if you don't mind having the movies "spoiled" a little, in that you come to learn that a lot of what you saw on the screen really wasn't there, then you'll enjoy this book immensely.
A must-have if you bought the Art of The Fellowship of the Ring, and if you buy this, you have to buy Fellowship too!
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- Hawaiian Dictionary: Hawaiian-English, English-Hawaiian
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
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Books Index
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