A World of Art (Revised 4th Edition)

Customer Reviews:

Fast Delivery, ok Product.......2007-07-24

Although I received this product in a timely manner, an entire chapter was missing from the book. I went ahead and kept it only b/c i did not have time to reorder another one due to my needing in for a class. Make sure to ask if any pages are missing!

Excellent Overview of Art and Art History.......2007-06-25

Excellent overview of art history, major movements, and various media. Both the western and global development of art are included.

The accompanying cd has artwork "flash cards" as well as video clips illustrating how various media are used.

This book was the required text for my university course, but I will also be using it with my children as a homeschool resource. Some discernment and parental input will be required using it with younger children.

Bad shipment.......2007-01-05

Received an opened package w/ no item enclosed. Have emailed this company several times about my problem w/no response. A total emails consisted of 5. They have NEVER responded. Please choose another company to order from. It will save you time and money.

Art was Boring........2005-08-03

Until I got this book for Fine art appreciation, I didnt think much about art. Now I cant hardly put it down, which is good considering that I have to read the whole thing for class. I cant think of a better way to present the material.

very pleased.......2005-05-29

I was under stress to get this book asap for my summer semester class, I explained this to the seller and she ups'd to me and took on the expense herself. EXTREMELY GENEROUS!!! definately a great seller my highest recommendations

Artforms: An Introduction to the Visual Arts, Revised (7th Edition)

Average customer rating:

8th Edition:
too much highlighting
Artforms by Preble and Preble
worth it
Great introductory book

Artforms: An Introduction to the Visual Arts, Revised (7th Edition)
Duane Preble , Sarah Preble , and Patrick L. Frank
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Artforms: An Introduction to the Visual Arts (7th Edition)
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ASIN: 0131830902

Customer Reviews:

8th Edition:.......2006-03-06

This book is, as far as I can tell, the same as the 8th Edition. The only difference is the cover of the book. Page numbers are the same, pictures are all the same. I accidentally purchased the wrong book, but turned out it worked just fine and I paid 1/10th of the price.

too much highlighting.......2005-09-25

From the outside, the book appeared to be in great condition, but when I opened it, it was full of highlighting on almost every line of every page. I guess I will not be able to sell it back at a reasonable price. Had I known that it was full of highligting, I probably would not have purchased it.

Artforms by Preble and Preble.......2005-09-14

This is an exciting excellent book in the area of art and the forms that art is inpacted by. The illustrations to this book are exciting and colors are radiant.

worth it.......2005-09-13

great condition. like new. shipped on time in a good manner. very satisfied.

Great introductory book.......2005-01-14

This is a super book for anyone looking to get a quick introduction the the basics of art history. It also has beautiful picture pages.

Modern Art, Revised and Updated (3rd Edition)

Average customer rating:

Modern Art, Revised and Updated (3rd Edition)
Sam Hunter , John Jacobus , and Daniel Wheeler
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Theories of Modern Art A Source Book by Artists and Critics (California Studies in the History of Art)
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Women, Art, and Society (World of Art)
The Architect's Studio Companion, 3rd Edition

ASIN: 0131895656

Book Description

Richly illustrated and clearly focused, this book surveys the genesis, development, and culmination of modern European/American painting, sculpture, architecture, and conceptual art—from Post-Impressionism through the most recent developments in the 1990s. It avoids the typical encyclopedic approach of surveys in favor of examining selected but highly representative works in greater depth and from an enlarged spectrum of critical discourse. Organized along chronological lines, topics explore the ideas, forms, events, artists, and works—with each chapter devoted to a style, movement, or decade—from Cézanne, Seurat, Gauguin, and Van Gogh through Minimalism and the general reaction known as Post-Modernism. Ideal for readers with a general

New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society

Average customer rating:

Excellents Resource for Students of Cultural and Media Studies
Another model for Taxonomy and Classification of Information

New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society

Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society
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ArtSpeak : A Guide to Contemporary Ideas, Movements, and Buzzwords, 1945 to the Present (Speak Series)

ASIN: 0631225692

Book Description

Raymond Williams ' Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society is justly renowned for its role in providing a whole generation of students and intellectuals with trusty and cogent distillations of the language of cultural studies. First published in 1976, the text played a pivotal role in both academic and public understandings of culture and society and the relations between them. New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society updates Williams 's classic text by reflecting the transformation in culture and society over the last quarter century.New Keywords includes many of Williams 's original entries, but with new discussions of their history and use over the last 25 years. Several other entries encapsulate the practices, institutions, and debates of contemporary society. The editors have assembled an international team of scholars to write from a variety of disciplines and interdisciplinary fields - cultural and media studies, feminism, post-colonial and subaltern studies, the history of science, sociology, gay and lesbian studies. The result is a state-of-the art reference for students, teachers and public intellectuals everywhere.

Customer Reviews:

Excellents Resource for Students of Cultural and Media Studies.......2005-09-14

The editors, Tony Bennett, Lawrence Grossberg and Meaghan Morris are well known academics and scholars in cultural studies. The New Keywords is a comprehensive resource for everyone furthering their studies in cultural and literary theory. In addition, students involved in anthropology, sociology and philosophy may find it very useful.

Another model for Taxonomy and Classification of Information.......2005-05-18

View the Contents of this book to see how it fits as a re-newed model:
Acknowledgements Abbreviations
Introduction

Aesthetics, Alternative, Art, Audience
Behaviour, Biology, Body, Bureaucracy,
Canon, Capitalism, Celebrity, Citizenship, City, Civilization, Class, Colonialism, Commodity, Communication, Community, Conservatism, Consumption, Copy, Country, Culture
Deconstruction, Democracy, Desire, Development, Diaspora, Difference, Disability, Discipline, Discourse,
Economy, Education, Elite, Emotion, Empirical, Environment / ecology, Equality, Ethnicity, Everyday, Evolution, Experience
Family, Fashion, Feminism, Fetish, Freedom, Fundamentalism,
Gay and Lesbian, Gender, Generation, Gene/genetic, Globalization, Government
Heritage, History, Holocaust, Home, Human, Human Rights
Ideology, Identity, Image, Indigenous, Individual, Industry, Information, Intellectual
Justice, Knowledge, Liberalism
Management, Marginal, Market, Mass, Materialism, Media, Memory
Mobility, Modern, Movements, Multiculturalism
Narrative, Nation, Nature, Network, Normal
Objectivity, Orientalism, Other
Participation, Person, Place, Policy, Political correctness Popular, Pornography, Postcolonialism, Postmodernism, Poverty
Power, Pragmatism, Private, Public, Queer,
Race, Radical, Reason, Reform/revolution, Relativism Representation, Resistance, Risk,
Science, Self, Sexuality, Sign, Socialism, Society, Sovereignty,
Space, Spectacle, State,
Taste, Technology, Text, Theory, Therapy, Time, Tolerance, Tourism, Unconscious, Utopia, Value, Virtual, Welfare, West, the
Work, Writing, Youth,

About the Book:
Over 25 years ago, Raymond Williams' Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society set the standard for how we understand and use the language of culture and society. Now, three luminaries in the field of cultural studies have assembled a volume that builds on and updates Williams' classic, reflecting the transformation in culture and society since its publication. New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society is a state-of-the-art reference for students, teachers and culture vultures everywhere.

In the Blink of an Eye Revised 2nd Edition

Average customer rating:

Seasoned professional's wisdom of his craft: film editing
A Must Read
It's a book about Story Telling and narrative design
In the Blink of an Eye
a editing classic

In the Blink of an Eye Revised 2nd Edition
Walter Murch
Manufacturer: Silman-James Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film
The Visual Story: Seeing the Structure of Film, TV and New Media
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Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film & Television

ASIN: 1879505622

Book Description

In the Blink of an Eye is celebrated film editor Walter Murch's vivid, multifaceted, thought -- provoking essay on film editing. Starting with what might be the most basic editing question -- Why do cuts work? -- Murch treats the reader to a wonderful ride through the aesthetics and practical concerns of cutting film. Along the way, he offers his unique insights on such subjects as continuity and discontinuity in editing, dreaming, and reality; criteria for a good cut; the blink of the eye as an emotional cue; digital editing; and much more. In this second edition, Murch reconsiders and completely revises his popular first edition's lengthy meditation on digital editing (which accounts for a third of the book's pages) in light of the technological changes that have taken place in the six years since its publication.

Customer Reviews:

Seasoned professional's wisdom of his craft: film editing.......2007-08-04

This book was a required reading for my national university on-line class in digital video editing. The book is a short read that can be accomplished in two sittings. I read the second part of the book on digital editing first, as I have been editing for the past 10 years and have made the leap from analog to digital, myself. Murch relates the changes from a professional's point of view. He compares analog versus digital editing He outlines how the workflow of the editor and, indeed, the whole industry, as filmmaking is such a collaborative art, is changing due to the inevitable transition to a totally digital medium. I read the first part of the book next. Smartly, this saved the best for last as his most profound advice for editing is contained in the middle of the text, at the end of part one. Here he explains a moment in editing when he understood the essence of his editing choices on a particular movie, thus revealing the title of the book. This is a gem of a read for anyone interested in the working mind of a seasoned editor. I recommend it to film fans, students, and anyone interested in getting into the industry professionally.

A Must Read.......2007-03-13

Whether you have a passing fancy with movie editing, or just want to understand the anatomy of one of our greatest media achievements, you will like this book.

It is brief, clear and drops you into the world of film in a blink of an eye.

It's a book about Story Telling and narrative design.......2007-02-23

Sometimes a book's own hype kills people's appreciation of it.

With Murch's classic, the problem is that it is considered a classic text about editing, simply because it is a biographical account of an editor at work.

It is not about the techniques or tools or modern equipment necessary to edit a film. If you seek a functional book to learn the fundamental skills of visual film editing, this is not something you should purchase.

It's very much more a story telling book. Most specifically if you are a writer, or, if you consider your film directing as 'writing with pictures,' this book will elevate your ability and understanding of 'writing with film.'

The old adage that 'film is a visual medium' is wrong.

Maybe that's why a get a little uppity about catchall phrases. Like "Film is a visual medium." It's not. Not really. It has music. It has dialogue. And, it exists over time.

One painting, is a visual medium.

Film, is 24-paintings per second with noise, weight, drama, visual, action, cognitive momentum, magic, and trust and hope. Film, as the casual and professional observer speaks of it, is more likely a cognitive medium. Film more closely approximates our external reality more than any other media, and it is Murch's perspective -- as the ultimate unifier of the other filmed elements -- that reminds us of that. He casually reveals what he knows about his art and how to design a dramatic narrative based on upon cognitive principles.

If you stumbled across this book just because you just dig making and writing films that much, than this book will excite you for the price of a Starbucks lunch. And it's better for your body than crumbcakes and coffee.

In the Blink of an Eye.......2007-02-16

It's a quick read, and somewhat entertaining. Not something I would recommend as a schoolbook for an editing class, but if you are interested in the editing process, it's a good read.

a editing classic.......2007-02-13

Every editor needs to read this, it will change the way you think about editing.

Reading Course in Homeric Greek: Book One (revised)

Average customer rating:

The best entry into Epic Greek language
A most welcome 2006 edition of a classic text!
An enlightening pleasure
volume 1 now available again (at long last!)
Useful if you already know some Greek

Reading Course in Homeric Greek: Book One (revised)
Raymond V. Schoder , Vincent C. Horrigan , and Leslie Collins Edwards
Manufacturer: Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Homeric Greek: A Book for Beginners
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ASIN: 1585101753
Release Date: 2004-12-16

Book Description

This text is a revised edition of the well respected text by Frs. Schroder Horrigan. A Reading Course in Homeric Greek, Book One, provides an introduction to Greek language as found in the Greek of Homer. Covering 120 lessons, readings from Homer begin after the first 10 lessons in the book. Honor work, appendices, and vocabularies are included. Volume II is due later in 2005.

Customer Reviews:

The best entry into Epic Greek language.......2007-01-08

If you want to read ancient texts in Greek, the best way, now pleasantly-surprisingly feasible with this book, is to start in Homer (however many individuals you believe actually composed the works under that name). I say this for two reasons:

1. Literarily, Homer's works function in almost all ancient Greek and Roman literature in the same way that the King James Bible and Shakespeare's works function in English literature.

2. Linguistically, it's always easier to go forward in time through linguistic changes than to go backward. English speakers today have to work at first to get the right feel for Shakespeare's English, and even the later ancient Greeks (after the time of Alexander the Great) depended on their scholars to explain "difficult" parts of Homer's language for them.

This textbook is good. It rewards you with frequent, and real, accomplishment at each step. However, if you're a complete beginner in Greek who has never "declined" nouns and adjectives in any other language, you'll get much better results by taking a class based on this book or else by meeting frequently with a qualified private tutor. If you are comfortable declining nouns, and you are able to teach yourself a language efficiently, you can profitably work through this book on your own.

A most welcome 2006 edition of a classic text!.......2006-09-17

This excellent 3rd edition, including some well-chosen revisions and supplements, retains all the advantages of Schoder and Horrigan's measured approach while improving typography and readability, expanding the (extra-Homer) readings, and speaking more clearly to the preparation-deprived student of our time (earlier editions pretty much took for granted conceptual understanding of grammar and syntax). The book's pace is excellent and so is its well-phased introduction of new concepts as the student progresses. Self-correcting exercises are also included for the first time. Selections from the Odyssey begin halfway through the book, after the student has acquired sufficient knowledge and cultural background to appreciate them.
Highly recommended. I hope that Collins Edwards, the reviser, is even now working on Book 2, last republished (2nd edition) in 1986.

An enlightening pleasure.......2006-08-05

"A Reading Course in Homeric Greek" is a wonderfully-written text, filled with warmth and wisdom. This is a key to the genetic code of Western Civilization!

volume 1 now available again (at long last!).......2005-02-02

update: The publisher has made the first eighty pages (which go up to the middle of Chapter 24) of this book available as a free sample to download, on their website "pullins dot com." So you can order the book now and start studying today with the free sample while you wait for your hard copy to arrive.

Useful if you already know some Greek.......2004-07-23

As others have mentioned, you need book 1 first. It took me about a year to track it down, but I did find eventually.

The strong point of this book is that there are a lot of exercises. Your vocabulary really gets a good work-out.

On the down-side, the book was written assuming that students would have a teacher, so important things like the difference between the aorist and the imperfect are handled in only one paragraph.

The other issue I have is that a lot of the exercises are drawn from the New Testament, which is Koine Greek, and translated into the Homeric dialect. This is a bit like a Latin course giving quotes from Dante translated into classical Latin--sure, it can be done, but it makes more sense to use the original language. (Other exercises are drawn from Plato, Aristotle, et al, also not Homeric, but not as distant as Koine)

Average customer rating:

A real Gem
True Colors
Five stars aren't enough.........

Hans Hofmann: Revised and Expanded
Sam Hunter
Manufacturer: Rizzoli International Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Abstract Expressionism | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Richard Diebenkorn
Willem De Kooning: Paintings 1960-1980
Clyfford Still
Hans Hofmann
The Paintings of Joan Mitchell (Whitney Museum of American Art)

ASIN: 0847823806
Release Date: 2006-02-14

Book Description

Nature's purpose in relation to the visual arts is to provide stimulus-not imitation....From its ceaseless urge to create springs all Life-all movement and rhythm-time and light, color and mood-in short, all reality in Form and Thought." -Hans Hofmann

This book is the only comprehensive treatment of one of Abstract Expressionism's most important forefathers: Hans Hofmann. Hans Hofmann attends to every stage of his prolific career. Nearly 300 gorgeous color plates reveal this modern master's extraordinary sense of color: beautifully vibrant greens, rich blues and brilliant reds organized in strikingly powerful patterns. Sam Hunter, Professor Emeritus at Princeton University, writes a substantive essay on every aspect of Hofmann's distinguished body of work. Five important essays by the artist himself are included, revealing his philosophy of art which was so influential to the generations that followed him. Frank Stella, an important painter who deeply admired his work, also contributes an essay.

Customer Reviews:

A real Gem.......2007-01-17

I knew this would be a great book when I ordered it but when I received it I was overwhelmed by its quality, a slip-in hard cover and beautifully bound hard cover book inside.
It containes a large number of high quality colour plates (possibly all his work), and an excellent description of Hans Hofmann's thought processes in the introduction by Sam Hunter and as a bonus, 5 essays written by Hans Hofmann. A real asset for any artist who has an interest in the development and progression of abstract painting from the 1920's to 60's.

True Colors.......2004-11-07

This is the finest Hofmann book I have seen.

The combination of hue clarity, nuance, and sharp focus of the plates acurately recreates the space of the paintings and really lets them sing.

The brush and knifework, even the weave of the canvases are all crystal clear in the reproductions.

This solidly constructed book is a work of art in itself.

Five stars aren't enough................2002-10-03

This book deserves 7 stars. The plates are superlative, and the coloration is excellent. Coloration is a problem that plagues most books about Hofmann (among others). His use of reds and magentas can be difficult to reproduce with proper balance. Frequently, the results are that the plates appear somewhat anemic or the reds take on an exaggerated neon character that is hard on the eyes. Here, then, is a feast for the Hofmann enthusiast with nearly 300 pictures, practically all of them in exquisite color. This is an experience second only to actually viewing a Hofmann exhibit first hand. In my opinion, the plates alone make this book a worthy acquisition. But there's more.

Other particulars making this book a great addition to any bookshelf dedicated to Modern Art are five essays by Hofmann on art: "Plastic Creation", "The Search for the Real in Visual Arts", "The Resurrection of the Plastic Arts", "The Color Problem in Pure Painting" and "Sculpture". This is not to mention an excellent Introduction by Sam Hunter and wonderful essays by Tina Dickey and Frank Stella. Of course, there are the requisite features of a monograph: a brief (perhaps a little too brief, but who can complain at this point) chronology of Hofmann's life, and a selected list of exhibitions. Add to all of the above the attractive binding, a sturdy and handsome slipcase (which is what is pictured above), and what you have is a unique and appealing presentation of Hans Hofmann, his life, his work, his thoughts and his place in Twentieth Century Art.

Book Description

One of the most respected and widely used books in its field, A GUIDE TO DRAWING is a classic, comprehensive, and systematic introduction to the art of drawing, focusing on the mastery of traditional skills as the basis for expressive drawing.

Average customer rating:

In Need of a Third Revision
The one to get
Great, insightful book on a living legend
A must have for any Lynch fan
The sum of one's FEARS

Lynch on Lynch, Revised Edition

Manufacturer: Faber & Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Short Films of David Lynch

ASIN: 0571220185
Release Date: 2005-03-24

Amazon.com

You know David Lynch as the director of terminally weird movies such as Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, and Wild at Heart, as well as the bizarre and highly influential television series Twin Peaks. But did you know that it was Mel Brooks who gave him his first big break? That the idea for Blue Velvet grew out of a fantasy Lynch had about sneaking into a private room and learning the secret to a murder mystery? That Twin Peaks came about because co-creator Mark Frost was obsessed with Marilyn Monroe?

In Lynch on Lynch, a 250-page interview book, editor Chris Rodley does a superb job of getting Lynch to talk at length about the high and low points of his life and career. Their conversation covers his early work as a painter through the making of his major films of the 1980s, the fiasco of Dune ("It is what it is."), and the recent and very obscure Lost Highway ("I just *loved* this title.").

Lynch is particularly interesting when he talks about the creative process: "I don't want to give the impression that I sit around thinking up horrible things. I get all kinds of different ideas and feelings. If I'm lucky, they start organizing themselves into a story--then maybe some ideas come along that are too eerie, too violent, or too funny, and they don't fit that story. So you write them down and save them for two or three projects down the road. There's nowhere you can't go in a film--if you think of it, you can go there." Lynch on Lynch is a treat for Lynch fans of all shapes, sizes, and fetishes.

Book Description

David Lynch erupted onto the cinema landscape in 1977 with Eraserhead, establishing himself as one of the most original and imaginative directors at work in contemporary cinema. Over the course of his career, he has remained true to a vision of the innocent lost in darkness and confusion, balancing hallucination and surrealism with a sense of Americana that is as pure and simple as his compelling storylines. In this volume, Lynch speaks openly about his films as well as about his lifelong commitment to painting, his work in photography, his television projects, and his musical collaborations with Angelo Badalamenti.

Customer Reviews:

In Need of a Third Revision.......2007-08-14

This book is a thorough and inspiring look into David Lynch's head. The original (which ended at Lost Highway) was a good read, but I think they were a little too fast to put out the second version. The newest revision ends right at Mulholland Drive. This is great for the reason that you get to read about him doing an unexpected Disney movie and also his battle with ABC over Mulholland Drive. You even get to read a little about his practice of Transcendental Meditation, which is kept graciously short as the man could usually (and has) filled books on the subject. However, I feel they jumped the gun here. Just after Mulholland Drive, DavidLynch.com and DV recording changed the man's entire approach. Any aspiring film maker and/or Lynch fan would completely benefit from his insight on such endeavors. For someone who went to the American Film Institute to completely do away with film is phenomenal and demands discussion. The internet has really put a spin on his work as well, considering his newfound freedom. This book, while masterfully executed by Chris Rodley, needs at least one more revision on the aforementioned topics. Before that happens, we're not given the entire glimpse into the man's complete range and utter ability to adapt to the times. By all means, read this book, you just might want to wait for the third revision.

The one to get.......2006-07-19

In this revised edition of "Lynch on Lynch", two new sections have been added: one on the Straight Story and one on Mulholland Drive. As with the rest of the book the updated sections consist of Chris Rodley interviewing David Lynch. While some of the dialogue does become a bit repetitive, the questions really are well posed. In his answers Lynch gives a glimpse of his creative process and more; for example, he discusses the links between Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard and Mulholland Drive, talks about both his frustration with the TV medium and his attraction to it, as well as divulging more about his partnership with composer, Angelo Badalamenti (one of the most productive relationships between director and composer since Fellini and Nino Rota). Black and white photographs from sets are also included throughout.

Considering the book in its entirety, it is a very comprehensive work, covering everything from the aforementioned material to Lynch's childhood, his early work in painting and the first experimental films he directed. This book is still THE one to get for fans of David Lynch. Reading it one comes away with the sense of having actually met and talked with the man himself -- none of the other books on Lynch really capture this feeling.

Those who already own the old version of the book may want to think twice about purchasing the revised edition. The sections added are not all that lengthy and much of the material has already been discussed elsewhere.

Great, insightful book on a living legend.......2006-05-10

This is a great book written by Chris Rodley that is basically a series of interviews with living legend David Lynch. If you're not into Lynch or his movies at all, I doubt you'll find anything insightful in here but if you appreciate the man at all, this is definitely a must read. It covers a lot of ground on his upbringing, film and art projects. What makes this book such a good read is that Rodley asks great questions to which Lynch answers in a very entertaining fashion. Reading this is probably the closest thing to actually speaking to him and he has an incredible, warm personality. While he doesn't give up his secrets too readily, he does share personal opinions on art in general (film, painting, photography, etc.) and what makes art powerful. He offers invaluable insight on the filmmaking process and some details on what it took to get his films made. He talks about his successes and debacles with equal parts candidness as well. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates Lynch and anyone who digs offbeat filmmakers.

(NOTE: Make sure that if you pick this up, you get the edition that has been revised and updated to include "Mulholland Drive")

A must have for any Lynch fan.......2005-08-05

This book is a 300 pages interview with David, so you hear what he wants to say and you do not hear the stuff he likes to keep for himself. I think it is great to have Lynch's vision "unfiltered" that is why this book is a must have for anyone interested to know more about the artist/filmaker and his works.

The sum of one's FEARS.......2002-08-28

A fascinating read. In these extensive interviews, David Lynch tells of his journey from painting student to filmaker. He refuses to interpret his films, as he believes this strips them of their power. He reveals a lot of personal stuff like his fascination with piles of dirt and his obsession with building sheds out of found wood. Through his revelations you become acquainted with the motifs that drive him on. I especially enjoyed his explanations of his urban fears and how they transform themselves from city to city.

Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons; Revised and Updated (Plume Books)

Average customer rating:

A Fairly Thorough History of Animation
Textbook Excellence.
The history of cartoons (to the 1980s)
SHOULD BE ENTITLED "HISTORY OF US THEATRICAL ANIMATION"
Excellent and informative!!

Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons; Revised and Updated (Plume Books)
Leonard Maltin , and Jerry Beck
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452259932

Customer Reviews:

A Fairly Thorough History of Animation.......2007-06-12

I purchased this book for a class, it was the textbook we used. It was interesting and seemed to encompass a fair amount of history. I do wish he'd expanded more on the history of computer animation, but it's pretty extensive in and of itself.

Textbook Excellence........2007-03-14

The book I ordered was in perfect condition and delivery right away. I got it about half the amount of business days I was supposed to get it. Plus the book isn't mind-numbing to read as it's about the coolest subject ever.

The history of cartoons (to the 1980s).......2006-05-26

When I think of the history of animation, I tend to divide things into three periods: The Golden Age, noted for early Warner Brothers cartoons and the classic Disney movies such as Snow White and Fantasia; The Age of Mediocrity, where creativity seemed to reach its nadir, as seen most notably in the bland Hanna Barbera cartoons; and the Modern Era, with the resurgence in cartoon creativity, which, starting with The Little Mermaid in the movies and the Simpsons on TV, animation reached a new level of popularity and respectability. Leonard Maltin's book, Of Mice and Magic, shows that my own view of cartoon history is roughly correct but also overly simple: there was plenty of mediocrity in the Golden Age and plenty of decent stuff in the Age of Mediocrity.

Maltin starts off with a chapter about the silent era, when animation was just beginning. Over time, experience would refine the process, but the big leap would occur with sound, in particular with Walt Disney's Steamboat Willie featuring Mickey Mouse. After the silent era chapter, there are chapters that serve as "biographies" of the major animation studios, starting with the biggest of them all, Disney.

The Disney characters are among the most popular in cartoon history (or film history in general). Mickey Mouse may have been the biggest name, but he didn't have much of a personality, so he started being pushed aside in favor of more developed characters, especially Donald Duck, the first major Disney character with any sort of edge. In fact, this is a constant theme in the book: that the weakest cartoons from any studio were the ones that featured characters with no distinct personalities.

Success would often come with the most offbeat and edgy characters, such as Donald Duck, Bugs Bunny, Popeye and Daffy Duck. But some of the studios had a mercenary nature that would put quantity ahead of quality; probably the worst in the bunch was Terrytoons where good cartoons were the exception, not the rule. Although even Terrytoons would have some memorable characters - in particular, Mighty Mouse and Heckle & Jeckle - even many of the cartoons featuring them were not very good (which is why in the world of cartoons, the Terrytoons characters will never outshine even some of the Disney or Warner Brothers second-stringers).

Space limitations prevent me from going as in depth on this subject as I would like, but suffice it to say that after reading this book, I still do feel justified in defining an Age of Mediocrity. It was not that every cartoon in that period was bad, but the good ones were few and far between and classics were very rare indeed. The Age of Mediocrity was filled with bland cartoons that were more cute than funny, often repeated the same gags over and over again, and had few remarkable characters.

What about what I call the Modern Age? It would have started right after this edition of the book was published (1987), so it is understandably, but sadly omitted. Also missing is any real look at TV cartoons, so Bullwinkle, Underdog, Yogi Bear and the Super Friends, among others, are only mentioned in passing. Maltin admits up front that this book won't cover these TV cartoons, nor non-American products, hence the omission of international fare such as the Italian Fantasia-like movie, Allegro non troppo.

The strengths of this book, however, far outweigh the shortcomings. While my opinions sometimes differ from Maltin's on the quality of various cartoons, these are a matter of individual taste (overall, he tends to go easier on the films than I do; for example, he has a more favorable opinion on the UPA cartoons than I do); besides, this book is more of a history of cartoons than a critique of them. In addition to good writing, we gets lots of pictures (only a few in color) and an extensive filmography for all the chronicled cartoon studios.

You probably need to be a certain age (probably at least 30) to fully appreciate this book, as younger readers may not have really grown up with these cartoons and may not have even seen them as adults (and since many of these cartoons were geared only to kids, they would not even have much appeal to those over 10). But if you remember these cartoons and look back at them with fond nostalgia, this is a great book.

SHOULD BE ENTITLED "HISTORY OF US THEATRICAL ANIMATION".......2005-04-08

I found this book to be an excellent reference source for cartoons produced to be shown in theaters. However, entitling it "A History of American Animated Cartoons" is not exactly truth in advertising. I think most people (except for perhaps some obsessive purists) would agree that the cartoons produced for television from the 40/50's onward would also be considered American Animated Cartoons. But none of these great cartoons (i.e., Gumby, Beany and Cecil, Clutch Cargo, Hanna-Barbara's Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Pixie & Dixie, and others through the present) are included here in any detail. Also missing from the appendices of studio output are the more obscure products like Warner's Private Snafu and other animation produced for corporate clients. Mr Maltin would do cartoon lovers well by commissioning a second volume to complete the story.

Excellent and informative!!.......2004-01-04

Leonard Maltin has a real knowledge of animation and his passion and enthusiasm for cartoons is apparent. The book traces animation from its beginnings at the turn of the century up to modern day. Extensive coverage is provided to all the major cartoon studios and many of the key directors. The illustrations are excellent. Maltin provides a fair amount of detail but not too much to overwhelm the casual fan. Anyone interested in the history of animation or just wants information on which films to see is well advised to pick up this very well written book.

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