History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The New York Trilogy (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

Average customer rating:

"The question is the story itself, and whether or not it means something is not for the story to tell."
Was not impressed
Two extraordinary short novels and an exercise by a supreme storyteller
exceptional
Good? Yes. Engaging? that's a different question...

The New York Trilogy (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
Paul Auster
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0143039830

Book Description

Paul Auster's signature work, The New York Trilogy, consists of three interlocking novels: City of Glass, Ghosts, and The Locked Room—haunting and mysterious tales that move at the breathless pace of a thriller.

Customer Reviews:

"The question is the story itself, and whether or not it means something is not for the story to tell." .......2007-06-13

"He had always imagined that the key to good detective work was a close observation of details. The more accurate the scrutiny, the more successful the results. The implication was that human behavior could be understood, that beneath the infinite façade of gestures, tics, and silences, there was finally a coherence, an order, a source of motivation."

Paul Auster's "New York Trilogy," consisting of the novellas "City of Glass," "Ghosts," and "The Locked Room," is an intriguing blend of post-modern fiction, metaphysical philosophy, and detective novels. Through his reliance on the themes and structure of pulp/noir mysteries, Auster delves deeply into questions regarding identity, purpose, obsession, what is real, and examines the often tenuous grip that most people have on their sanity. His exploration is quite compelling and makes for a fascinating read, but it is unfortunate that the quality of the novellas is slightly uneven. The first, "City of Glass," is far too impenetrable and abstruse to be much more than frustrating. While it is clear that its protagonist, Quinn, is desperate to shed his identity in order to escape from the painful loss that has left him paralyzed, it is unclear why he becomes so obsessed with the case that he takes on after doing so. "Ghosts" is a marked improvement, but it is only in the final novella, "The Locked Room," that this trilogy really comes to life. "The Locked Room" is eloquent where its predecessors are vague, pointed when the others are intentionally blurry, and poignant rather than murky. Auster is certainly a great writer, and I will be interested to read more of his works, but "The New York Trilogy" requires a willingness to stick with it in order to get to its heart. But I recommend hanging in there, because that final novella is a true gem, and makes the ride worth your while.

Here's the grade breakdown: "City of Glass": C+, "Ghosts": B, "The Locked Room": A
Average grade: B

Was not impressed.......2007-05-20

I read this book because I loved Paul Aster's Brooklyn Follies. This compilation of 3 short stories may have well been written by a completely different author. They are short detective stories that are slightly intertwined. I did not enjoy this book and do not recommend it.

Two extraordinary short novels and an exercise by a supreme storyteller .......2007-02-08

I do not see this work the way Auster constructed it. To me it is not a 'trilogy' even though there are overlapping themes, and incidents. I see it as a collection of separate pieces. The first and the third are first-rate works of fiction . They are novels which are searches for self. They are -Multiple- identity -mysteries which illustrate Auster's way of seeing life and the world, as unending chance and surprise.
Perhaps the best summary of the Auster credo comes somewhere in the middle of 'The Locked Room' The narrator- best friend of Fanshawe meditates as follows.
" We all want to be told stories and we listen to them in the same way we did when we were young. We imagine the real story inside the words, and to do this we substitute ourselves for the person in the story, pretending that we can understand him because we understand ourselves. This is a deception.We exist for ourselves, perhaps, and at times we even have a glimmer of who we are, but in the end we can never be sure, and as our lives go on, we become more and more opaque to ourselves, more and more aware of our own incoherence. No one can cross the boundary into another-for the simple reason that no one can gain access to himself."
Auster is a supreme storyteller. In these works there are stories within stories of incredible power and beauty. In the first book there is a small story of a mother in the Shoah carrying a baby for whom she at last has the satisfaction of attaining and giving milk. The baby has been dead for days. In the concluding work of the Trilogy Auster tells the story of Lorenzo da Ponte whose life he describes as five or six distinct lives, illustrating a principle of Auster's fiction i.e. we can never know for certain where the story of the life is going to next.
I may not agree with Auster's philosophy of life but find him one of the supreme storytellers writing today . I pick up his work and I want to read and read and read.

exceptional.......2006-11-02

"The New York Trilogy", a volume containing three separate novellas: "The City of Glass", "Ghosts" and " The Locked Room", is an intriguing example of the author's game with the readers and, perhaps, with himself. The motif common for all three stories in the mystery, the solution of which is pursued by the main character, and the place of action, New York City (I do not agree with one of the reviewers who said New York could be here any other urban environment as well; certainly it could not be any European city, NYC gives these stories the distinct character and for anyone who has walked the streets through which the characters wander, it is a setting unmistakable for any other; The City's atmosphere hangs over the characters like a cloud).

"The City of Glass" features Quinn, a solitary man, living quietly after the death of his wife and son, and writing detective stories under a pseudonym. One night, Quinn receives a mysterious phone call from a man demanding the services of a private detective, Paul Auster... Although it is clearly a wrong number, Quinn decides to pretend to be Auster and take the challenge, changing his life forever.

A complete change of life circumstances is also a fate of the protagonist of a second (and the shortest) novella "Ghosts". Blue, who is a professional private detective, receives a task from the disguised client, White, to watch Black. The trouble is, Black never does anything interesting except reading or writing, and bored Blue tries to find out, where the real secret of this investigation lies.

In the last novella "The Locked Room", the main character is involved in the publication of the works of his missing childhood friend, Fanshawe. The books are a great success, he marries Fanshawe's wife and he assumes Fanshawe's identity, happily at the beginning...

These novellas are not, as has been pointed out by many reviewers before me, typical mysteries, where clues lead to conclusions and the reader may amuse himself with finding a correct answer. They are, on one hand, explorations of the soul, of the unknown in us, and, on the other hand, and taken together, a postmodern riddle, with literary jokes, cultural clues. They can be read on various levels, which is what really makes them interesting. For somebody, who expects a mystery story from the beginning to the end this book would be a disappointment, However, it is rewarding for the reader interested in reading itself (sounds absurd, I know, but this may be the truth - books play an enormous role in all the novellas). The introduction of Auster, as a detective, but really a writer in the first story, as opposed to Quinn, the writer, who has to become the detective, is only one of the twists here. The exercise with giving the characters the name of the colors (after all, what, if not "real" names make the reader think of the book characters as real? And are the color names unreal? Such names are common enough...) - is another.

By the way, has anyone been lured into drawing Quinn's walk on the street grid of Manhattan?

Good? Yes. Engaging? that's a different question..........2006-08-19

"The New York Trilogy", by celebrated author Paul Auster, is made up of 3, somewhat interlinked, long stories which were originately published separately at various times around 1985-86.
There is no doubt that Paul Auster is a terrific writer so I won't even get into that aspect of the book.
Let's get down to what's really important by trying to pinpoint the subject matter, i.e., what "the new york trilogy" is really about: in a sense, it's a mystery, in the true sense of the word, because even in the end many questions (most, I dare say) are left unanswered, many stones unturned and many cues are simply left hanging in the air.
The NYT has been described as metaphysical detective fiction and the description might in fact prove apt: each of the 3 stories follows the investigations of one man which always turn into an obsession, making the man completely lose touch with the reality. The NYT is thus much about mental processes, we see each of the 3 main chracters gradually become so absorbed by their quest that they lose all sense of proportion and stop thinking like the rest of us.
It's also a novel about writing because writing, depicted as the greatest obsession of all, always plays a role in the stories.
There is also a definite surreal element in most stories and, quite often, they reminded me of Dino Buzzati's short stories.
The author is obviously very pleased with himself, playing with his own name (much like B.E. Ellis does in his recent "Lunar Park") and toying with the other character's names (which pop up in different stories, alluding to the possibility of a strong link between them all).
Did I like the book? As much as it's clever and well-written, it leaves you with a sense of un-completeness, too much stuff remains only vaguely hinted at (I was never one to fall for open-endings. Plus, everything is open here, much more than necessary) and in the ends, the whole thing sound more like an elaborate intellectual game that engaging fiction. Thus, I give the novel 3 stars although this is in no way diminishes my appreciation of the author's talent.

Average customer rating:

a collection of some fragmented articles
The show is soooo much better!
Sex and The City
Just an idea for the excellent TV series.
The screenwriters were geniuses!

Sex and the City
Candace Bushnell
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0446673544

Amazon.com

The "Sex and the City" columnist for the New York Observer documents the social scene of modern-day Manhattan. The reader gets an introduction to "Modelizers," the men who only have eyes for models, as well as a more common species, the "Toxic Bachelor." Reading like a society novel gone downtown and askew, Sex and the City is a comically sordid look at status and ambition and the many characters consumed by the sexual politics of the '90s.

Book Description

Tie in to the new season of the hit series SEX AND THE CITY with Candace Bushnells witty, incisive, dishy, and fascinating columns on the mating rituals of Manhattans cultural elite.Heres the collection of columns that inspired the addictive and multiple award-winning HBO series! SEX AND THE CITY offers a tantalizing glimpse of the openings, launch parties, and celebrity affairs that keep society amused. Throughout, a cast of charactersthe troubled writer, the successful businessman, the famous underwear model, and otherssearches for true love....or at least someone to go home with at the end of the night. Its a chronicle of the true-life adventures of Manhattans glamorous in crowd that is often hilarious and sometimes terrifying, but always enticing.

Customer Reviews:

a collection of some fragmented articles.......2007-07-30

If you're after Carrie & Mr Big's story, probably you'll be disappointed - instead of a complete storyline, the book is a collection of some fragmented articles (originally appeared on a newspaper). I think the TV drama, which was based on & inspired by this book, is far more entertaining.

But I must say Ms Bushnell has made some interesting & remarkable observation of relationship pattern in big cities. Quite impressive.

The show is soooo much better!.......2007-02-01

I was very disappointed when I read this book. I had already seen a couple of the seasons of the TV show and was hoping to get an idea of how it got started. This author is awful! Her writing just doesn't flow well and it's not as engaging as the book. Don't waste your time.

Sex and The City.......2007-01-13

Great book and wonderful airplane reading. Nice thing to have in the library

Just an idea for the excellent TV series........2007-01-10

the only merit of this book is that it served as an inspiration for the smart and funny TV series, which I think it's far more meaningful that it may seems at a first glance.
The book is dull, badly written, and shallow.
It is incredible how different is from the scripts of the TV serial.

The screenwriters were geniuses!.......2006-11-08

What a disappointment. The TV series bears almost no resemblance to the book. A few character names are the same and the "Carrie" and "Mr. Big" characters are drawn roughly the same as the TV characters. All I can say is that the TV scriptwriters did an outstanding job at developing the series' well-rounded characters from this mess of a "book." There is virtually no plot or character development. The book is a collection of seemingly unconnected short essays in interview format. Bushnell owes a debt of gratitude to the screenplay writer who was genius enough to take her twisted mess of words and turn them into the scintillating story that we know from the series.

New Civic Art : Elements of Town Planning

Average customer rating:

Essential for urban designers, planners and architects!
A Perfect Sequel

New Civic Art : Elements of Town Planning
Andres Duany , Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk , and Robert Alminana
Manufacturer: Rizzoli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0847821862
Release Date: 2003-10-30

Book Description

Patterned on The American Vitruvius: An Architect's Handbook of Civic Art (1922), one of the most successful and well-known architecture books ever published, The New Civic Art, with 1,200 new illustrations and all new text for over 1,000 entries, exemplifies the very best urban planning and town design. This entirely new book thoroughly details the most important recent trends as well as time-honored precedents. It includes information drawn from over 200 international sources. Information has been selected to make this volume the essential encyclopedic reference and textbook for decades to come.

Customer Reviews:

Essential for urban designers, planners and architects!.......2007-08-14

This book beautifully builds upon the foundation of Hegeman & Peets' Civic Art. Andres Duany is a master at organizing elements of urban design and town planning into this sort of encyclopedia that is easily understood and usable by planners and designers.

A Perfect Sequel.......2004-04-03

If you don't have the first Civic Art, originally published in the twenties, you ought to buy it immediately. Having said that, this book is reiterates many of the same ideas, principles, and messages of the first Civc Art, but from a perspective including all of the developements (and learning from all of the problems) introduced into urban design in the last 80 years. It should be in the library of every architect and of those interested in architecture and urban design. I couldn't recommend it more highly.

Average customer rating:

best kept secret
I just can't get past the lack of aesthetics...
Good but not for the short-term vacation turist
keep your money
Explore New York

City Secrets: New York City
Robert Kahn
Manufacturer: Little Bookroom
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Turtleback

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ASIN: 1892145081
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Book Description

City Secrets has turned its innovative concept to New York, and the result is the fourth and—at 582 pages—the largest in this acclaimed series of guidebooks. City Secrets New York City, edited by Robert Kahn, is a breathtaking guide to art, food, architecture, and cultural landmarks in all five boroughs, written by more than 300 savvy and sophisticated New Yorkers. The entries range in tone from the literary to the conversational, the humorous to the scholarly. Together, this collection of vignettes forms not only a practical guidebook, but a dazzling panorama of the magnificent city.

In the pages of City Secrets New York City:

• A Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist evokes a timeless Village bookstore

• An artist takes you on an intimate tour of three exceptional paintings

• A food editor invites you into the sepia-toned interiors of vintage saloons

• An architect introduces you to the tailor that fitted Ernest Hemingway in the 1930's

• A writer leads you to the Diamond District to find the best cheese blintzes in the city

• A producer recommends a Midtown coffee shop where actors, directors and producers can be found hatching the next Broadway hit

This elegant, clothbound book features a subtle, non-guidebook design, detailed maps of all five boroughs, and recommended reading. New Yorkers who contributed to City Secrets New York City include: novelists Michael Cunningham and Rick Moody, actors Laura Linney and Eric Stolz, journalists Anna Quindlen and Kurt Andersen, poet laureate Mark Strand, neurologist Oliver Sacks, architects Richard Meier and Philip Johnson, MoMA director Glenn Lowry, artist Brice Marden, playwright John Guare, designer Kate Spade, and many others, including historians, urban archaeologists, gourmets, curators, and filmmakers.

Customer Reviews:

best kept secret.......2007-08-23

I have an armload of NYC guides and this one is a delight to read. It is a love affair with the big apple and a great addition to a standard get around the city type book

I just can't get past the lack of aesthetics..........2007-08-02

I was soooo looking forward to getting this book - but I have to honestly say that the layout is so utterly boring that I just can't get past it. The book is full of beige, beige, and more beige (other than the black on white text that is).

For an individual that is "directionally-challenged", I would have difficulty locating where I'm supposed to be in the city based strictly upon written instruction. Plus, frankly, I love to look at the beautiful photography that can be found in some guidebooks (and some imagery would help determine if a particular walking tour was a good fit to the reader). I really think if the layout were made more appealing that more people would get into this book.

Good but not for the short-term vacation turist.......2007-05-07

This book has some good secrets but i found some not very useful or interesting or yet non existant (or so secret they change the adress regularly). Depending on your profession look in the collaborators index for a person of whom you think you identify with or you like their resume and try looking at their secrets its the easier way i found to get some useful and intersting secrets (some colaborators are simply ill-chosen are i don tknow why they were found to be useful to adress in the book). BUt mainly if you are the 7 day vacation turist go for a amercian express ou rough guide to the city and you'll get just fine!

keep your money.......2007-01-11

Every winter I spend a week in NYC -to attend the opera, theater, concerts, museums, etc. I hoped this book would offer me some unexpected, relatively undiscovered places to explore. Not so. A waste of my money.

Explore New York.......2006-07-15

Great guide to quirky shops, less well-known sports and odd bitss of history. A joy to read and to guide your explorations.

Scenes from the City: Filmmaking in New York

Average customer rating:

Scenes from Many Memorable Movies
Great Book!
I love NY
Four decades of New York filmmaking
Great gift book

Scenes from the City: Filmmaking in New York

Manufacturer: Rizzoli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0847828905
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Book Description

From the cinema veritÃ© of the sixties to softer fare like Splash, New York has provided some of the most iconic moments on film. Beginning with a survey of such classics as Breakfast at Tiffany's, Scenes from the City captures how the changing face of New York, as well as the founding of the MOFTB, have contributed to a particular school of film characterized most emphatically in the street-style work of directors as diverse as Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee. With over 200 stills and contributions from noted New York film personalities such as Sidney Lumet and Nora Ephron, the book also includes rare, unpublished, behind-the-scenes shots and stories from the quintessential New York filmmaker himselfâWoody Allen. With a special section on the landmark TV series, commercials and music videos filmed in New York, Scenes from the City is an affectionate and vivacious ovation for this captivating "character" that rarely receives billing but always steals the show.

Customer Reviews:

Scenes from Many Memorable Movies.......2007-01-28

Almost an infomercial on filmmaking in New York City, this book suceeds because it is filed not with the details of movie making, but with scenes from the movies made in New York.

The book was published as part of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting. This organization, set up by Mayor John Lindsay to streamline movie production in the city. Here for the first time was an organization with the authority and power to handle the interface between the city and the movie maker. Before this separate permits had to be obtained from dozens of different departments, i.e. each police precinct where the movie would be shot, and 'about ninety different kinds of inspectors' would show up at shoots and threaten to shut down production unless they were compensated, i.e. bribed.

As can be seen in this book the number of movies made in the city since has skyrocketed as the city made filming easier. And here we see the results in more than 250 stills from many, many memorable movies who had an uncredited additional actor - the city itself.

Great Book!.......2007-01-16

I am very pleased with this purchase. It is a great coffee table book, and also a great gift!

I love NY.......2007-01-11

Wonderful book for a stroll down New York memory movie lane. This book takes you through the generations of movies filmed in NY and conjures up some great memories. A great gift or just fun to own yourself!

Four decades of New York filmmaking.......2007-01-10

This handsomely produced volume traces forty years of film-making in New York City with a rich variety of photographs and anecdotes. There are lots of behind-the-scenes photos, plus essays and epigrams from directors, actors, producers, and other film professionals. Though the organization is chronological, the materials are organized by theme: "Chases," "Central Park," "Backlit Streets," etc. It's eminently browsable and consistently entertaining.

At the same time, serious film buffs will find the book light on analysis and somewhat haphazard in organization. The filmography, for instance, does not include casts. Its publication marks the 40th anniversary of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting -- the City agency renowned for its ability to cut through red tape and otherwise ease filmmakers' lives -- and, not incidentally, the launch of a wildly successful new program of tax and promotional incentives. So the book is, in a sense, a print infomercial. But the presentation is so engaging and the "product" so fascinating that it's an infomercial you'll gladly stay up late to see.

Great gift book.......2007-01-10

Really nice coffee table book. Gave this as a gift to a New Yorker living out-of-state and she loves looking back through the memories and familiar places.

Average customer rating:

Excellent overview of the `origins' of modern art

New Art City: Manhattan at Mid-Century
Jed Perl
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1400034655
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Book Description

In this landmark work, Jed Perl captures the excitement of a generation of legendary artists–Jackson Pollack, Joseph Cornell, Robert Rauschenberg, and Ellsworth Kelly among them–who came to New York, mingled in its lofts and bars, and revolutionized American art. In a continuously arresting narrative, Perl also portrays such less well known figures as the galvanic teacher Hans Hofmann, the lyric expressionist Joan Mitchell, and the adventuresome realist Fairfield Porter, as well the writers, critics, and patrons who rounded out the artists’world.

Brilliantly describing the intellectual crosscurrents of the time as well as the genius of dozens of artists, New Art City is indispensable for lovers of modern art and culture.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent overview of the `origins' of modern art.......2007-04-21

Jed Perl's *New Art City* is a dense, fact-filled, often opinionated volume detailing the gradual shift of the art-world's creative center from Paris to New York City throughout the 20th century. This is not a text for the casual browser: with the exception of a few biographical sketches of the artists discussed, Perl is not always a lively writer and the majority of *New Art City* is comprised of critical and philosophical reflections--his own and others'--on the art and art movements he discusses. That's all for the better if you're a serious student of art history, or an artist: you'll welcome Perls' serious and nuanced approach, even if some of his concerns go straight over your head.

Perls' focus is on the artists of what has come to be known as The New York School--deKooning, Pollock, Newman, Kline, etc--and their nominal mentor, Hans Hoffman, but he also covers the legacy these artists left on American art all the way through the Pop 60s and on into the mid-70s/80s. His discussion of the passionate and multitudinous responses and reactions to Abstract Expressionism leading to the "end of painting" and how artists sought a solution to the `crisis' between abstraction and representation--a crisis that continues to this day--is rich and thought-provoking. Perl deals mainly with the painters of this period, but also takes into consideration sculptors, critics, gallery owners, and museum directors whose activities helped change--literally--the face of modern art. Some figures, like deKooning and Pollock, will probably be familiar enough to readers but others like Fairfield Porter, Leland Bell, and Nell Blaine will more likely come as something of a revelation. The best thing Perl does in this critical history is to clearly fit this large cast of characters into the grand narrative of 20th century American art and the driving point of this text is that American art during this time became *the* vanguard of art in the world.

As noted, this is a dense and sometimes abstruse text, and I found the opening pages almost forbiddingly overwritten and overwrought with exclamatory adjectives, but Perl eventually settles down to a prose style that is, if not exactly user-friendly, is at least relatively free of unnecessary jargon and obfuscation. Another downside to the book is that the reproductions are in black-and-white, which I realize nowadays is a necessity to keep the book from costing five hundred bucks, but the result is that Perl seems to find it necessary to describe the paintings. Others may dissent, but I didn't find it particularly helpful to "read" about the electric greens, the volcanic reds, the aniline yellows, etc etc. Reading such tedious descriptions one can't help but be reminded of the old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words." And, indeed, a few thousand such words could have been removed from *New Art City* without sacrificing much.

In the end, though, this is a challenging and worthwhile read, a good companion, probably, for the deKooning biography that was released at roughly the same time, that goes a long way to explaining modern art and where in the big picture we stand in the world of art today.

BARBRA STREISAND IN NEW YORK CITY: A Self Guided Tour of Landmark Locations in The Career of Barbra Streisand

Average customer rating:

A MUST READ FOR ANY BARBRA STREISAND FAN
Can't wait to explore New York City with this book in hand
Huh?
A serious must-have for any Barbrafile
Kathy Russo Loves It!!!!!!!!!

BARBRA STREISAND IN NEW YORK CITY: A Self Guided Tour of Landmark Locations in The Career of Barbra Streisand
Bernie Ardia
Manufacturer: Outskirts Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Actors & Actresses | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1432700995

Book Description

THE GUIDE TO WHERE BARBRA STREISAND-DID-WHAT-WHERE and WHEN in NEW YORK CITY

* Where she lived-sang-dated-dined

* Where Barbra's father lived

* Where Barbra went to school

* Where was The Lion, the place she won a talent contest

* Where she filmed

* Where Barbra worked as a receptionist

* A journey on the sidewalks of New York City, following in the incredible footsteps of BARBRA STREISAND

Customer Reviews:

A MUST READ FOR ANY BARBRA STREISAND FAN.......2007-07-04

INGENIOUS AND ENTERTAINING FOR ANY BARBRA STREISAND FAN. EASY TO READ WITH FABULOUS PICTURES. FROM COVER TO COVER TAKE A WALK THROUGH NEW YORK CITY, WHERE THE ONE AND ONLY "MS. STREISAND" GREW UP. THANK YOU FOR LETTING US FOLLOW ALONG.

Can't wait to explore New York City with this book in hand.......2007-05-14

What a treat !
An awful lot of research has gone into this book, and very well laid out too.
I cannot wait to explore New York City with this book and see the places for myself.
I am sure Barbra would be proud !!

Huh?.......2007-05-02

What sort of publisher would publish this trifling book? A waste of money and paper on a book whose information can be found online for free.

For Barbra crazies only.

A serious must-have for any Barbrafile.......2007-03-21

Known for a unquenchable appetite for gobbling up anything in print regarding Barbra, I ordered this book the very second I heard about it, and let me assure everyone- from the biggest fan to the mildly curious- that this is THE most interesting, totally absorbing, detailed account of Barbra's life in New York yet- literally an account from womb to tomb. Like myself, you will find yourself pulling on your walking shoes, grabbing a subway map and heading out onto the streets to have a look at every landmark that author Bernie Ardia has so painsakingly accounted for in photos and text. Mr.Ardia hints that there is more in this serier of chronicling early celebrity lives- I cannot wait to see who will be next on his own personal "This is Your Life" show....

Kathy Russo Loves It!!!!!!!!!.......2007-03-18

Every Streisand devotee must read this very interesting book by Bernie Ardia. Even after being a lifelong fan of La Streisand, I have learned things I didn't know before.
This will be a perfect Christmas gift this year, or just pick one up for yourself if you love Barbra!

Average customer rating:

Beautifully documents buildings of the turn-of-the-century
The original and the still the best!
Indispensable.
Flat and uninspiring history of a great city.
invaluable for anyone interesting in NYC architecture

New York 1900
Robert A.M. Stern , Gregory Gilmartin , and John Massengale
Manufacturer: Rizzoli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Criticism | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0847805115
Release Date: 1992-01-15

Book Description

This book is the middle volume of a three-part work devoted to the evolution of New York's architecture and urbanism in the Metropolitan Era, the three-quarters of a century from the Civil War's conclusion through the depression of the 1930s.

Customer Reviews:

Beautifully documents buildings of the turn-of-the-century.......2001-11-18

This is an excellent treatment of New York architecture, 1890-1915, divided into chapters by building type. It's substantially thinner than Robert Stern's other books in this series (New York 1880, New York 1930, New York 1960), but there's enough meat here that the reader feels the topic has been fully covered. The book has a particularly attractive page format, with numerous photos that beautifully document the era (averaging approximately one per page). There are also roughly 60 floor plans, although most page space is used for text.

The original and the still the best!.......2000-01-04

This is a groundbreaking work that unearthed the contemporaneous understanding of events that, because of the advent of modernism, was never recorded in books. It has paved the way for more specialized studies, but its breadth of learning and expertise has never been surpassed.

Indispensable........1999-08-09

The twentieth-century items by which New York City is usually synechdocally identified, the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center and what have you, are arguably just later iconic ornaments set atop the massive base formed during the earlier period covered in this book. The character New York has today was really in good part formed by the turn of the last century, by the structures and systems here presented. Gimlet-eyed Robert Stern and his apparently omnivorous assistants, Gilmartin and Massengale, have sorted, digested and made available enormous amounts of information. _New York 1900_ is an indispensable starting point for architects, historians, preservationists and others serious about understanding the City of the era.

Flat and uninspiring history of a great city........1999-05-19

The book attempts to be more that an architectural history and fails miserably. They tried to use architecture as a way of intertwining the political and social history of the city. Needless to say, this type of scope is best in the capable hands of Robert Caro. In addition to the wooden text, the photographs, while rare, are uninspiring. The publisher produced a well-bounded book, so the most useful place for it would be on a coffee table.

invaluable for anyone interesting in NYC architecture.......1998-07-19

This work (the first in a projected pentology on New York architecture in 1876, 1900, 1930, 1960 and 2000) is a dead-on account of NYC high-style architecture from 1890-1915. A must have.

An Actor's Guide--Making It in New York City

Average customer rating:

Good book for Actors anywhere
This book is extremely helpful.
Very informative book
Oy, someone's done all the work for you...

An Actor's Guide--Making It in New York City
Glenn Alterman
Manufacturer: Allworth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1581152132

Book Description

For any actor in or on the way to New York City, this is the definitive source for advice, winning strategies, marketing techniques, and invaluable insights to being a successful New York actor. Aspiring and established professionals will find this thorough and up-to-the-minute volume chock full of resources and advice about auditioning, making professional connections, promoting one's self, seeking opportunities in nontraditional venues, finding an apartment, securing "survival jobs," understanding actor unions, getting headshots, and furthering one's actor training in New York. This guide also details working as a film extra, careers in print modeling, scams and rip-offs to avoid, opportunities for actors with disabilities, and using the Internet to the fullest advantage. Included are in-depth interviews with legendary show business figures such as actor Henry Winkler, casting director Juliet Taylor, and theater director Joseph Chaikin as well top talents from the fields of film, television, stage, commercials, and talent agencies. Written by a professional New York actor with over thirty years of experience, this meticulously researched guide will give actors the tools they need to survive and thrive in New York show business.

Customer Reviews:

Good book for Actors anywhere.......2004-04-25

A good book with great advice for any actor- whether you're from a sprawling Metropolis or from Dahlgren, Illinois! It definitely caters more to the aspiring New York Actor (like myself), but there are some good lessons in here for anyone looking to make a career in this exciting yet intimidating field. i recommend, as this was one of the very first books that I read when i was thinking of making acting a full time career.

This book is extremely helpful........2004-03-03

I stumbled on this book by accident and boy am i glad i did! This book tells you step by step how to make it out there as an actor. If you're a actor and is not quite sure on how or where to start this book is your key.

Very informative book.......2002-11-13

I like this book alot. I can't say this is better than "How to be a Working Actor", but you actually need both books because some information that is found in one book is not found in the other. Like regular acting guides, you get tips on resumes, auditions, and unions. One useful tip for actors is to not over-rehearse a scene or monologue. This will make it stale. You should actually "forget" it and let it "happen". This is what you called acting. If you are familiar with Mr. Alterman's books, he always include interviews with industry people. I find them very helpful especially the interviews with several New York actors. This book is just as good as "Working Actor" and thinner too for faster reading.

Oy, someone's done all the work for you..........2002-07-22

While I didn't move to New York specifically to become an actor, I've sort of found myself happily "in the business" now. I randomly stumbled onto this book while looking for new wisdom to add onto must-reads by Uta Hagen, Michael Shurtleff, Stanislavski, etc. After having done a lot of research on how to be a successful actor in NY the "hard way", I think I agree with most of Alterman's suggestions - just wish I'd had this book in the beginning =)

An actor should always be reading, attending a lecture or workshop - you know, doing *something* to learn. New York has its particular nuances, and this book simplifies some of the hassles that a newcomer might find overwhelming. It gives some useful advice on dealing with the three most important things you'll have do when you get here:

*finding a place to live
*finding a job you like ('cos you have to eat)
*finding acting work, any and all kinds of work

Having a thicker-than-average skin here is an absolute must, for rejections run a-plenty, and they have your name on them. But this place is also (in my view) the most exciting, rewarding endeavour you'll make in your performance career.

This book has got lots of juicy info on auditioning, headshots, unions, different sorts of acting jobs (such as voiceover work), casting directors, agents, useful internet urls, etc. There are several interviews with casting agents & directors on dos-and-donts for actors - nothing beats knowledge from the professionals.

Good luck, and welcome to the greatest theatre city in the world...

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