Watchdogs of Democracy?: The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public

Book Description

In the course of more than sixty years spent covering Washington politics, Helen Thomas has witnessed a raft of fundamental changes in the way news is gathered and reported. Gone are the days of frequent firsthand contact with the president. Now, the press sees the president only at tightly controlled and orchestrated press conferences. In addition, Thomas sees a growing -- and alarming -- reluctance among reporters to question government spokesmen and probe for the truth. The result has been a wholesale failure by journalists to fulfill what is arguably their most vital role in contemporary American life -- to be the watchdogs of democracy. Today's journalists, according to Thomas, have become subdued, compromised lapdogs.

Here, the legendary journalist and bestselling author delivers a hard-hitting manifesto on the precipitous decline in the quality and ethics of political reportage -- and issues a clarion call for change. Thomas confronts some of the most significant issues of the day, including the jailing of reporters, the conservative swing in television news coverage, and the administration's increased insistence on "managed" news. But she is most emphatic about reporters' failure to adequately question President George W. Bush and White House spokesmen about the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq, and on subjects ranging from homeland security to the economy. This, she insists, was a dire lapse.

Drawing on her peerless knowledge of journalism, Washington politics, and nine presidential administrations, as well as frank interviews with leading journalists past and present, Thomas provides readers with a rich historical perspective on the roots of American journalism, the circumstances attending the rise and fall of its golden age, and the nature and consequences of its current shortcomings. The result is a powerful, eye-opening discourse on the state of political reportage -- as well as a welcome and inspiring demand for meaningful and lasting reform.

Customer Reviews:

VERY INTERESTING BOOK.......2007-08-23

Helen Thomas has covered the White House since JFK and her insight into how the media has failed in the recent years to cover the White House and be the Watchdogs of Democracy is "Right on Point." There are very few "Real" Journalists like hardworking Helen Thomas around anymore!!

What's going on in Washington DC?.......2007-05-13

The lady in the red suit scores again with this cogent comment on the Washington press corps. Ms. Thomas, who pitches hardball questions during press conferences if she is allowed to do so, has very coherently and successfully produced a well-reasoned text about why the press corps failed the American people by not investigating the shenanigans surrounding the present administration. This is a necessary read for journalism students and probably for those interested history and political science.

A misleading title on a journalistic memoir.......2007-04-26

This book sorely disappointed me for two reasons. I strongly agree with the thesis of the title, that the media largely abandoned their important duty as watchdogs of democracy in the run-up to the War in Iraq, HOWEVER, this issue amounts to a grand total of ONE chapter in her entire book. The rest is a bunch of anecdotes tied loosely together. In fact, it reads more like an anthology than a unified work.

The second thing that disappointed me was also something of a shock: Helen Thomas, Grand Dame, Dean of the Washington Press Corps, is a lousy writer! I am serious. I read on average one or two political/nonfiction books a month, and this is one of the most poorly written I have read yet. Some of the books I have read are by "regular" people, some by pundits, and some by politicians. Nearly all of them write in a more interesting and engaging style than Mrs. Thomas. Her tone is often conversational at best, and her stories seem to be told as much to discuss presidents' interactions with the media as to tell you what an interesting career she has had.

I could not in good faith give it one star. It isn't horrible. It is just extremely disappointing.

rambling, disjointed, biasd, personal, fun.......2007-02-08

This is a rambling, disjointed, biased, personal account
of what should be an important public issue. The title
has a question mark, and the subtitle identifies the
culprit and makes an accusation. So how does "Watchdogs
of Democracy? The Waning Washington Press Corps and How
It Has Failed the Public" measure up? Not very well on
the subject, but better as a collection of snippets.

The foreword drones on and on for ten pages. Chapter 1
tells us Journalism is an honorable profession in
spite of Jayson Blair and a few others.
Chapter 2 mentions several scandals uncovered by the
press. Chapter 3 has anecdotes about presidents with
the press. Chapter 4 is about press secretaries.
Chapter 5 is about spinning the news.
Chapter 6 is about leakers and whistle blowers.
Chapter 7 admits that the news business is a business.
Chapter 8 complains about the FCC. Chapter 9 is
the subject of the book, the press as lapdogs.
Chapter 10 covers war correspondents, Iraq wars,
and Vietnam. Chapter 11 covers her choice of the
greatest American journalists. There is over 11
pages of closely spaced, double column index,
but no references.

Thomas seems to think there is little in Washington
except the White House. The other branches, and the
bureaus and departments are seldom mentioned.

Some Republicans will be bothered by some of her
attacks, and some Democrats will be delighted.
There are attacks, and both Democrats and Republicans
are the targets, perhaps in equal numbers, but they
are treated differently. Democrats tend to get the
passive voice and quirky little adjectives.
Republicans tend to get the active voice and
malicious adjectives. Bush 43 gets the worst
treatment.

Still, it is an entertaining book. The only time
I was tempted to put it down was Thomas quoting
herself giving a speech disguised as a question at
a White House Press Conference.

Neither focused nor organized.......2007-01-14

This book was clearly written for profit. Many sections of the book are only weakly connected back to the main theme and nowhere does Helen Thomas make her case-in-chief directly. Instead, the reader is treated to a series of vignettes which all too frequently bear only a tenuous relationship to one another and which make no effort to maintain continuity. While each chapter has a reasonably strong cohesion (though those boundaries frequently intersect in a way which would make any Venn diagram lover proud), they work together not as a fine Swiss watch, but instead more like a Rube Goldberg machine.
There is one theme which appears time-and-again: the idea that an objective and vigorous free press is a necessary part of democracy. This point is made consistently throughout the book from a cornucopia of different, albeit predicable, angles, and is artfully shown both implicitly and explicitly through excellent and enjoyable anecdotes accumulated during the author's sixty years as a White House correspondent. Unfortunately for the reader, her anecdotes frequently seem to be included for their value as self-platitudes rather than for intrinsic value or thematic attenuation. Also unfortunate is the inconvenient truth that Helen Thomas is no longer the type of reporter she praises, but the type she opines against: an opinion columnist.
There are certainly gems in the rough scattered throughout the 201 pages, but the author's tendency both to ramble and babble makes them difficult to find and detracts from their value. With regard to Thomas' periodic attempts a historical organization, her comments at the conclusion of chapter four are revealing: "There were other press secretaries and other spokespersons. I have mentioned only a few who stand out in my mind, for better or worse." Indeed, it seems she deemed fit to simply write down a train of thought as it occurred to her in the shower; that is to say, while not devoid of organization, the linking up of subjects is tenuous at best. Perhaps the most interesting and enjoyable aspect of Helen Thomas' writing style in this book is her robust use of vocabulary, which includes a scattering of excellent words on every page (some of which I even had to look up).

Average customer rating:

Book Review - ON WRITING by Stephen King
A Way With Words
Book review of "On Writing"
From writer to writer
A Great Read

On Writing
Stephen King
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743455967

Amazon.com

Short and snappy as it is, Stephen King's On Writing really contains two books: a fondly sardonic autobiography and a tough-love lesson for aspiring novelists. The memoir is terrific stuff, a vivid description of how a writer grew out of a misbehaving kid. You're right there with the young author as he's tormented by poison ivy, gas-passing babysitters, uptight schoolmarms, and a laundry job nastier than Jack London's. It's a ripping yarn that casts a sharp light on his fiction. This was a child who dug Yvette Vickers from Attack of the Giant Leeches, not Sandra Dee. "I wanted monsters that ate whole cities, radioactive corpses that came out of the ocean and ate surfers, and girls in black bras who looked like trailer trash." But massive reading on all literary levels was a craving just as crucial, and soon King was the published author of "I Was a Teen-Age Graverobber." As a young adult raising a family in a trailer, King started a story inspired by his stint as a janitor cleaning a high-school girls locker room. He crumpled it up, but his writer wife retrieved it from the trash, and using her advice about the girl milieu and his own memories of two reviled teenage classmates who died young, he came up with Carrie. King gives us lots of revelations about his life and work. The kidnapper character in Misery, the mind-possessing monsters in The Tommyknockers, and the haunting of the blocked writer in The Shining symbolized his cocaine and booze addiction (overcome thanks to his wife's intervention, which he describes). "There's one novel, Cujo, that I barely remember writing."

King also evokes his college days and his recovery from the van crash that nearly killed him, but the focus is always on what it all means to the craft. He gives you a whole writer's "tool kit": a reading list, writing assignments, a corrected story, and nuts-and-bolts advice on dollars and cents, plot and character, the basic building block of the paragraph, and literary models. He shows what you can learn from H.P. Lovecraft's arcane vocabulary, Hemingway's leanness, Grisham's authenticity, Richard Dooling's artful obscenity, Jonathan Kellerman's sentence fragments. He explains why Hart's War is a great story marred by a tin ear for dialogue, and how Elmore Leonard's Be Cool could be the antidote.

King isn't just a writer, he's a true teacher. --Tim Appelo

Book Description

"Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Weekly upon the publication of Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer's craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King's advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported near-fatal accident in 1999 -- and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it -- fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.

Download Description

For years I dreamed of having the sort of massive oak slab that would dominate a room.... In 1981 I got the one I wanted and placed it in the middle of a spacious, skylighted study in the rear of the house. For six years I sat behind that desk either drunk or wrecked out of my mind.... A year or two after I sobered up, I got rid of that monstrosity and put in a living-room suite where it had been....In the early nineties, before they moved on to their own lives, my kids sometimes came up in the evening to watch a basketball game or a movie and eat pizza....I got another desk -- it's handmade, beautiful, and half the size of the T. rex desk. I put it at the far west end of the office, in a corner under the eave....I'm sitting under it now, a fifty-three-year-old man with bad eyes, a gimp leg, and no hangover. I'm doing what I know how to do, and as well as I know how to do it. I came through all the stuff I told you about ... and now I'm going to tell you as much as I can about the job.... It starts with this: put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down there to write, remind yourself why it isn't in the middle of the room. Life isn't a support-system for art. It's the other way around. --

Customer Reviews:

Book Review - ON WRITING by Stephen King .......2007-09-26

I picked up On Writing because you can't do it much bigger than Stephen King has. Most books on writing are by grammarmongers or literary types, and I was interested to get the perspective of a writer of popular fiction. Previously, I'd only skimmed through Terry Brooks's Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life, but I don't think Terry Brooks is a very good writer, so that was the end of that.

Half the book is King's autobiography, and he focuses on the points in his life that he feels helped shape him as a writer. I felt like I didn't need most of this, although it was nice to know even Stephen King worked at some terrible jobs before he made it big. Those reading this book just for the writing lesson, and who care not for Stephen King, can skip this whole section, although there are some interesting tidbits on the publishing process.

King's points are several. The two keys to good writing, he says, are mastery of the fundamentals and hard work. A good writer should write all the time and read all the time. I agree with this.

King's strategy for writing is this: to come up with a foundational situation, not worry about the plot, and make it up as you go. There certainly is something to be said for this kind of writing, and it has a very romantic ideal, but I think this also explains why quite a few of King's otherwise-amazing novels have lame, deus ex machina endings.

On Writing is written in King's distinctive, conversational, foul-mouthed style, which is just as engaging in non-fiction, although he runs a bit long-winded at times. The book is pretty short, though, and it's a fairly quick read.

I can't say I learned anything new about writing, but I did have some concepts reinforced (like don't use dialogue attributions), and it was nice to hear it from the most popular novelist of our time.

King says you can't make a good writer great, and you can't make a terrible writer competent, but you can make a competent writer good. If that's you, then to you this book might just be

RECOMMENDED

A Way With Words.......2007-09-17

Stephen King has the gift. The gift is a way with words that makes readers of his novels (and his non-fiction) FEEL what he is trying to convey.

It's no different in this wonderful writing guide. One of the most important points he makes to aspiring writers is that "most writing books are full of bs."
(Listen to that one, and learn, constant reader, especially if you want to be a writer!)

Part autobiography, and part instruction manual, this oh-so-fine guide to the writing craft will give astute readers the confidence and tools they need to become the writer THEY were meant to be.

Highly recommended!

Book review of "On Writing".......2007-09-16

Review of "On Writing"

Stephen King's book, "On Writing", is a fascinating and informative read. The beginning of the book is a short memoir of his life and soon evolves into some helpful rules of advice for writers.
In the beginning of his book, he tells the brief story of his childhood leading up to his first novel. We are introduced to his mother, a single parent of two young sons and their life moving from one place to another. Then his wife Tabitha, who is truly the love of his life and best friend. I found parts of his memoirs to be humorous, sad and full of determination. One realizes that King's desire to write began at a young age and his determination to continue what he enjoys was never halted. His creativity is fantastic and extremely suspenseful. His passion for writing fiction is truly unmistakable. The second part of the book, King shares techniques on how to become a good writer. This
interested me because I enjoy writing fictional stories. I was able to relate to a few of the techniques and welcomed every piece of information he had to offer. Although, some people may not look at him as a true writer, I am inspired by his works and amazed with his talent.
I would highly recommend this book. This is a great book for fiction writers just starting out. Stephen King's memoir's were inspiring, and his lessons on writing were vastly informative.

From writer to writer.......2007-09-14

As the title suggests, Stephen King's novel "On Writing" is a descriptive look into the writing process from one writer to another. Part auto-biography, part composition course, King skillfully weaves together his experiences in becoming a writer with advice for the reader on the do's and don'ts of good writing practices. Reminiscing about his childhood and adolescence in the first part of the book, King takes the reader back to a few experiences with a horrific babysitter, excruciating ear infections, critical old-maid teachers, and his growing fascination with the weird and fantastic through sci-fi books and movies. Through his various encounters with writing for home, school, and town newspapers, King develops his early literary framework that eventually becomes the basis for his famous fiction. He elaborates upon his college days, his family, and the publication of his first books, Carrie, and The Shining, as well as exposing the sensitive issue of his drug use and alcoholism while still early into his career as a writer. In the second part of the book, King gives the reader the necessary 'tools' of the craft including vocabulary, grammar, structure and style. He then goes even further with the lesson by inserting various pieces of writing which have been reviewed and edited and he also gives the reader exercises to practice with. The last part of the book is a detailed account of King's terrible accident in 1999 followed by a long recovery and rediscovering the strength to keep writing because "sometimes you have to go on when you don't feel like it." "On Writing" is a valuable piece of work for all writers of all stages to have in their collection. King's dark humor and sarcasm flow nicely with his practical, to-the-point approach. He does not intend to hurt the reader's feelings but he speaks the truth when pointing out not all writers are good writers; but with the correct tools, a little revision, and self-determination, a decent writer can look forward to becoming a good writer.

A Great Read.......2007-09-11

Part memoir, part guide to writing, Stephen King's On Writing is an enjoyable, fast paced, and easy read. King tells his life story in a frank and funny manner which is almost certain to coax laughter from readers. Near the end of the book, when King recounts his near-death experience, the tale is almost heartbreaking, but it is a tale of survival, love, and determination. Even readers who have never read any of Stephen King's work before can appreciate this book. I had never read any of Stephen King's work before, other than a wonderful short story entitled "The Reach," but I found On Writing to be interesting and informative. King's life story is fascinating, and his instruction on the art of writing is invaluable.

This book is a must-read for anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming a writer or who is currently an aspiring writer. On Writing has great tips about the writing, editing, and publishing process. King gives readers a rare look at his creative process, discussing changes he has made in his work and his struggles to complete some of his stories. His advice about the art of writing is simple. If you want to write, you have to be committed to writing. Becoming an author does not happen overnight, and it does not happen without a great deal of effort. Do what you love, and if that happens to be writing, then read and write to your heart's content. Writing should be for enjoyment. If writing reaps greater benefits that the sheer joy of writing, then so be it, and welcome.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream

Average customer rating:

I know, I know...
A must read for anyone
Good stuff, but less important than his other work
Buy the ticket...take the ride
A wild and extraordinary ride down a lost highway ...

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream
Hunter S. Thompson
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679785892
Release Date: 1998-05-12

Amazon.com Reviews

Heralded as the "best book on the dope decade" by the New York Times Book Review, Hunter S. Thompson's documented drug orgy through Las Vegas would no doubt leave Nancy Reagan blushing and D.A.R.E. founders rethinking their motto. Under the pseudonym of Raoul Duke, Thompson travels with his Samoan attorney, Dr. Gonzo, in a souped-up convertible dubbed the "Great Red Shark." In its trunk, they stow "two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half-full of cocaine and a whole galaxy of multicolored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers.... A quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls," which they manage to consume during their short tour.

On assignment from a sports magazine to cover "the fabulous Mint 400"--a free-for-all biker's race in the heart of the Nevada desert--the drug-a-delic duo stumbles through Vegas in hallucinatory hopes of finding the American dream (two truck-stop waitresses tell them it's nearby, but can't remember if it's on the right or the left). They of course never get the story, but they do commit the only sins in Vegas: "burning the locals, abusing the tourists, terrifying the help." For Thompson to remember and pen his experiences with such clarity and wit is nothing short of a miracle; an impressive feat no matter how one feels about the subject matter. A first-rate sensibility twinger, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a pop-culture classic, an icon of an era past, and a nugget of pure comedic genius. --Rebekah Warren

Book Description

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the best chronicle of drug-soaked, addle-brained, rollicking good times ever committed to the printed page. It is also the tale of a long weekend road trip that has gone down in the annals of American pop culture as one of the strangest journeys ever undertaken.

Now this cult classic of gonzo journalism is a major motion picture from Universal, directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro. Opens everywhere on May 22, 1998.

Customer Reviews:

I know, I know..........2007-09-30

I know, it's THE Hunter S. Thompson book. It would be like having the gall to write a review for the Grapes of Wrath or Slaughterhouse Five and think you'd be doing anything other than blabbing just to see your own words on a computer screen.

That said, read this book this instant. Whatever good anyone's ever said about this book, it's twenty times better. I read it in two sittings and only stopped myself from reading it again because it was a library book and had to be returned.

The late HST's gift for gonzo, that strange mix of fiction and nonfiction, is ultimately realized in this book. Reality is seamlessly mixed with a bizarre fantasy world of sentient reptiles and split personality through the medium of hard drugs that serve to clarify (and sometimes amplify) a violent and twisted town in a strange time.

This book will have you laughing hysterically at parts, so don't read it around other people unless you're okay with passing it to them. This book will have you cringing at the brutality of human nature at points, so have your wits about you.

I really can't say anything else, other than that this book must be purchased and read this very instant if you haven't already done so.

A must read for anyone.......2007-09-21

Thompson's book helps create a vivid picture of the drug fueled 60's and early 70's a way no one else has before.

Good stuff, but less important than his other work.......2007-09-14

¨Fear and Loathing¨ is a great ride for sure. A drug-addled, hilarious, disturbing romp through Las Vegas in search of the American Dream. Thompson is definitely a skilled writer and an outlaw and this stuff comes through in this book. I don't want to shrug this work off by any means, but I definately prefer his other work, such as ¨The Great Shark Hunt,¨ because it truly brings out Thompson's outlook on the world, his hatred of wealth, power and greed, etc. This book is fun, but Thompson is definitely capable of more depth and thought. While this work might be what gave him his big break, he definitely went on to better things.

Buy the ticket...take the ride.......2007-08-23

A bizzare journey to the heart of the American Dream, funny, witty and full of memorable episodes. The illustrations by Ralph Steadman are also superb. Raul Duke says it clearly : "buy the ticket...take the ride"

A wild and extraordinary ride down a lost highway ..........2007-08-20

The lost highway of the American Dream.

I wasn't old enough to remember much from the late 60's early 70's let alone the political aspects of Nixon's presidency or the drug culture of the time, so this review won't have any profound social or political commentary, except that comparisons can well be made to the drug culture of today, and it is glaringly apparent that not much has changed.

Considering the climate of the time: Nixon's presidency, the war in Vietnam, and the country's young men succumbing to the draft, it was no wonder that an entire generation wanted something more, for this was not the American Dream they had been sold. And for some, the only way to drown out the hypocrisy gnawing at your brain is to give your brain an escape. Expand your mind, as that might be the only part of you that is truly free. Whatever it takes to get you directly out of your head -- the higher the better. This story chronicles a journey utterly devoid of restraint and reason as these two men, Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, and their trunk full of felonies set themselves loose upon Las Vegas -- the last vestige of the American Dream. However, their idea of the American Dream is not how most of us would understand it, but somehow, through the fog of hallucinatory metaphor, we can actually see and feel what the main characters are searching for so desperately.

All that aside, even if the 60's culture is beyond your age group, Thompson's writing is worth the read -- Brilliant, sarcastic, and frighteningly funny: Bars seething with has-been lounge lizards, tearing the patrons to shreds, blood soaked tacky hotel rooms, police car chases, kidnapping, gambling, excess, and debauchery ... not to mention the Narcotics Convention. The dialog is brilliant. Harrowing experiences abound; it is amazing that the two main characters make it out of Vegas alive.

Definitely a wild ride for all.

Andy Goldsworthy: A Collaboration with Nature

Average customer rating:

Awe inspiring photography from the master of nature.
Beautiful
Absolutely superb
When I had lost all hope ...
So Beautiful it brings tears to your eyes

Andy Goldsworthy: A Collaboration with Nature
Andy Goldsworthy
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0810933519

Amazon.com

Scottish artist Andy Goldsworthy uses a seemingly infinite array of purely natural materials, from snow and ice to leaves, stone, and twigs in the creation of his one-of-a-kind sculptures. Unlike such artists as Christo and Michael Hiezer, whose works leave definite marks on the landscape, Goldsworthy's approach is to interrupt, shape, or in some other way temporarily alter or work with nature to produce his fragile, mutable pieces. To create "Broken Icicle," for example, Goldsworthy was only able to work on the sculpture in the early morning, when temperatures were below freezing. As with most of his works, ultimately, the materials used to create this piece returned to their natural state, leaving no trace of the artwork's existence save for the stunning photos in this book.

Customer Reviews:

Awe inspiring photography from the master of nature........2007-09-17

This is classic Andy at his finest. A must have for your coffee table, bookshelf or any tucked away corner or your home. Fantastic intro book to get anyone to know Andy and his work. A great gift. Pick up a few for yourself.

Beautiful.......2007-07-30

This is a beautiful and original look at nature as art. Gorgeous photos and well put together, insightful commentary by the artist.

Absolutely superb.......2007-07-12

I cannot reccomend this book enough. It is one of the freshest and most unique photo / art books I have ever seen. Goldsworthy's ideas are rock solid and the book will amaze anyone with even the slightest desire to see good art.

When I had lost all hope ..........2007-05-12

I have tried to find Andy Goldsworthy's 'Ice and Sno' for quite a few years without any luck. I had already given up on ever finding it again at a reasonable price when this new title appeared. This books contains photographs of Andy's many and various creations, including quite a few in ice and snow. I am really happy with it!

So Beautiful it brings tears to your eyes.......2007-05-03

Some of the work is so beautiful I could cry. Some delight, some amaze, some leave you reflective. It makes you want to go out and experiment in the world yourself or take a walk. It is truly an amazing book.

The Enlightened Bracketologist: The Final Four of Everything

Average customer rating:

OK, but uneven
Give It a Try
Quite Fun to Read and thought provoking
Bracket Play
great fun!

The Enlightened Bracketologist: The Final Four of Everything
Mark Reiter , and Richard Sandomir
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 159691310X
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Book Description

Introducing the ingenious, addictive tool for judging everything under the sun: ENLIGHTENED BRACKETOLOGY, the new science that makes opinion a sport.

Political battles are won and lost by popular vote. Great movies are nominated and chosen by committee. The rest of the world is more or less up for grabs. As a cure for the resulting confusion, Mark Reiter and Richard Sandomir have organized the world's most haunting and maddeningly subjective questions into a scheme of binary pairings that finally reveal what is truly the best in its class: What's the greatest

American beer? The best Elmore Leonard novel? The most reliable economic indicator? In each bracket five Darwinian rounds of binary matchups leave a lone survivor; textual notes explain the details.

Experts and subjects include: Ken Jennings on Game Show Catchphrases; Roz Chast on Animation Characters; Mo Rocca on Political Hot-Button Issues; Stefan Fatsis on Scrabble Words; Kurt Andersen on Conspiracy Theories; Jeff MacGregor on NASCAR Phrases; Will Blythe on Sports Rivalries; Henry Beard on Latin grammar; the editors of The Bark on Dogs for the Ages; Jesse Sheidlower on Punctuation; Rick Meyerowitz on Dodosaurs; and many more - 101 in all.

Go forth and adjudicate!

Customer Reviews:

OK, but uneven.......2007-09-28

The premise for this book is great, but more thought should have been put into selecting the subjects that were "bracketed." I found some of the brackets enjoyable, but others were just baffling. Alt-Country Songs? Freshwater and Saltwater Flies? I realize that the authors were trying to get a little bit of everything into the book, from NASCAR Phrases & Pickup Lines to Opera Arias & Latin Grammar, but the result was that I found myself skimming or skipping many of the brackets. A fun concept that could have been carried off better.

Give It a Try.......2007-09-04

The overall concept behind THE ENLIGHTENED BRACKETOLOGIST is that people can figure out the best of everything by putting together a bracketed tournament, similar to what is done during the NCAA basketball tournament. 102 different subjects are bracketed (101 are listed, but there is a bonus category of Baby Boy Names in the Coda). The bracket selections and their ultimate winners have been selected by over 90 different people and those people are usually experts or are heavily associated with their chosen field. So Ken Jennings put together the brackets for Game Show Catchphrases, the authors of THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GUILTY PLEASURES put together the brackets for Guilty Pleasures, and former Presidential speech writer Curt Smith put together the brackets for Presidential Speeches. The categories of brackets in the book are:

March Madness Moments
Where Were You When Moments
Animation Characters
Ad Slogans
Alt-Country Songs
American Beers
American Plays
Bald Guys
Black-and-White TV Programs
James Bond Gadgets
Dodosaurs
Bob Dylan Cover Songs
Candy Bars
Mondegreens, or Misheard Lyrics
Celebrity Sports Couples
CEOs
Spokescharacters Who Will Shill for Food
Cheese
Chick Flicks
Crosswordese
Classic Comedies
Conspiracy Theories
Corporate Jargon
Dogs for the Ages
Marital Arguments
Elmore Leonard Novels
Elvis Costello Songs
Emoticons
Endangered Species
Cooking Tools
Economic Indicators
Film Deaths
Frank Sinatra Songs
Freshwater and Saltwater Flies
Fruit
Game Show Catchphrases
Sportscaster Signature Calls
Memorable Speech Lines
Golf Swing Thoughts
Horses for the Ages
Jock Films
Guilty Pleasures
Guitar Solos
Hairstyles
Hip
Indie Rock Albums
Innovations in Sports
Inventions
Investment Strategies
Most Likely to Survive the 21st Century
Jew/Not a Jew
Kings and Queens of England
Latin Grammar
Long Songs
Longevity Strategies
Magical Sports Numbers
Male Vices
Meaningless Sports Statistics
Most Jersey
Mythological Figures
NASCAR Phrases
Newspaper Headlines
Opera Arias (Male)
Paul Simon Songs
Perfect Book Titles
Pickup Lines
Punctuation
Short Books
Plastic Surgery Disasters
Political Blunders of the Last 50 Years
Political Hot Buttons
Presidential Speeches
Priceless Things
Rednecks
Red Wines
Rivalries
Samuel L. Jackson Films
Scrabble Words
SEX AND THE CITY Wisdom
Shakespeare in Film
Sidekicks
Simple Things
Sins Against the Language
Sport/Not a Sport
Sports Books
Sucker Bets
Talk Show Hosts
Tell Me Again Why They're Famous
Troll Models
TV One-liners
Typefaces
Underdogs
Video Games
Wedding Gifts
White Wines
Women's Magazine Sex Cliches
Women's Undies
Your Boss's Annoying Habits
Yiddish Phrases
Shakespeare Insults
Baby Boy Names

The book does have a few drawbacks. There was no overall standard of how "contestants" were chosen therefore there is an overall lack of connection to the book. Different bracketeers used different criteria for their choices and some apparently just used their own personal preferences without any thought at all. Some of the categories are so limited in their appeal that it was very difficult to even care about what had been written, for example Opera Arias (Male)--I had heard of three composers and that was it; the rest made no sense to me. Lastly, though this is more a book of entertainment, at times it is political and leans towards the leftist side.

Despite these drawbacks, I found THE ENLIGHTENED BRACKETOLOGIST to be entertaining and at times informative.

Quite Fun to Read and thought provoking.......2007-06-02

This book inspires one to apply bracketology to just about any multi-option conundrum. Fun to read, can't necessarily agree with every one of their conclusions but that is what makes the book fascinating.

Bracket Play.......2007-05-16

I was inspired by what I see as new sort of mindmapping... A wonderful look see into the minds of others and the decisions they make.

great fun!.......2007-05-13

I heard an interview with the author of this book on NPR. I didn't think it would be that great, but then it was on one of the morning news shows, and in a magazine that I read. So I bought it. I'm so glad I did, it's SO much fun! It makes a great coffee table book, it easily starts a conversation.

There are a million different categories--best chick flick, best Denzel Washington movie, most commonly misspelled word, most commonly misstaken song lyric (one of my favorities, it says only the wrong words, so it's fun to figure out which song it's from), most annoying grammatical error. There's something for everyone. It gets you discussing which candy bar is really the best, or which is more annoying--bogus apostrophes or its/it's confusion. The book is wonderful--I highly reccomend it!

Vitamin D: New Perspectives in Drawing (Themes)

Average customer rating:

Emperor's New Clothes
On reproductions
Great book!
Collectable
If you have any sort of an interest in art...

Vitamin D: New Perspectives in Drawing (Themes)
Emma Dexter
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0714845450

Book Description

Drawing has recently experienced a renewal of importance in the art world; in fact, it has rarely been as widely represented in the biennials, art fairs, and exhibitions as it is now. Similar in concept, scope and structure to Phaidon's successful volume Vitamin P, Vitamin D presents, in A to Z order, the work of 109 artists who have emerged internationally since 1990 using the medium of drawing. Whether representational or abstract, small or large in scale, using only one line or rich in colors and pattern, drawings have a highly descriptive and meticulously detailed quality that is being explored by an increasing number of contemporary artists. Extending beyond the traditional image associated with this medium, Vitamin D hopes to illustrate the complexity, variety, and relevance of the practice of drawing today.

Customer Reviews:

Emperor's New Clothes.......2007-09-25

Anyone who would call this art is either lacking an objective sensibility or has some measure of vested interest in the sales of this book. The "drawings" (lol) in this book are fine examples of why mainstream Americans no longer care about the fine arts.

One reviewer actually used the word "refreshing" in describing the contents. Are you kidding me? Refreshing, perhaps, if I had only been exposed to blank pages my entire life.

This is not art. This is the Emperor's New Clothes.

On reproductions.......2007-06-07

Vitamin D is an outstanding publication of drawings from contemporary artists which shows great depth in both subjectivity and theme, the one overwhelming issue seems to be the quality of the reproductions within. Context gives us the reason for this.. in that these are works by CONTEMPORARY artists and as such have not been digitized as throughly as say the often if not OVER reproduced imagery of Leonardo or Michelangelo, so yes some of the reproductions are less stunning however they are more than adequate and what is more important, they are reproduced well enough to spark interest in seeing the original. Artwork can never truly be reproduced, you must experience the original to truly appreciate the pieces. However Vitamin D does what it was designed to, as did it's predecessor Vitamin P, giving a contemporary overview of works and the artists who create them which have yet to be studied. These books are history in the making and that alone gives them more merit than most art publications. This series is more than worth owning and will prove to be volumes you will return to again and again.

Great book!.......2007-04-03

If you are interested in a wide range of edgy drawings..this book is terrific. It is inspiring, informative and current...not a "how-to" but a survey of all the wonderful and strange drawings being done today.

Collectable.......2007-02-04

Vitamin D, is complete inside and out. The binding is terrific, the type, the torn paper edges, the layout, everything that went into designing this book was well thought out. Its not only fabulous, but a pleasure to look through. The artists chosen are all exceptionally talented, and each with a unique edge. Nevertheless, all work presented will be a definite point of reference for many many years to come, including the work by my own mentor,and teacher.

If you have any sort of an interest in art..........2006-11-12

Then you will absolutely fall in love with this book. This book is full of images from a wide range of media and artists. The short bios on the artists are short but informative and don't take up much space (more room for pictures). If you're something of an artist yourself then you can certainly pull lots of ideas from this book. I definitely am glad I bought this book.

Pictures of Nothing: Abstract Art since Pollock (A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts)

Average customer rating:

overrated and wordy
They really need a Zero Star category for books like this one
Review by P Hutchings, Melbourne, Australia
Abstraction clarified
If You Could Have Only One Art Book...

Pictures of Nothing: Abstract Art since Pollock (A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts)
Kirk Varnedoe
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 069112678X

Book Description

"What is abstract art good for? What's the use--for us as individuals, or for any society--of pictures of nothing, of paintings and sculptures or prints or drawings that do not seem to show anything except themselves?" In this invigorating account of abstract art since Jackson Pollock, eminent art historian Kirk Varnedoe, the former chief curator of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, asks these and other questions as he frankly confronts the uncertainties we may have about the nonrepresentational art produced in the last five decades. He makes a compelling argument for its history and value, much as E. H. Gombrich tackled representation fifty years ago in Art and Illusion, another landmark A. W. Mellon Lectures volume. Realizing that these lectures might be his final work, Varnedoe conceived of them as a statement of his faith in modern art and as the culminating example of his lucidly pragmatic and philosophical approach to art history. He delivered the lectures, edited and reproduced here with their illustrations, to overflowing crowds at the National Gallery of Art in Washington in the spring of 2003, just months before his death.

With brilliance, passion, and humor, Varnedoe addresses the skeptical attitudes and misunderstandings that we often bring to our experience of abstract art. Resisting grand generalizations, he makes a deliberate and scholarly case for abstraction--showing us that more than just pure looking is necessary to understand the self-made symbolic language of abstract art. Proceeding decade by decade, he brings alive the history and biography that inform the art while also challenging the received wisdom about distinctions between abstraction and representation, modernism and postmodernism, and minimalism and pop. The result is a fascinating and ultimately moving tour through a half century of abstract art, concluding with an unforgettable description of one of Varnedoe's favorite works.

Customer Reviews:

overrated and wordy.......2007-09-19

a disappointing book - pretentious and unenlightening - get hilton kramer's "the trium of modernism" instead!

They really need a Zero Star category for books like this one.......2007-07-24

I watched the excellent series on art on DVD called "Power of Art" by Simon Schama. The last episode of the series is on Mark Rothko, an abstract painter. It made me want to learn more about abstract art, so I bought this book. Annnt! Thanks for playing. This book is a dog. It didnt help me understand abstract art one bit . In fact, it goes on and on about pieces of "art," but does not explain them beyond being smears or smudges or works of technique. The basis of abstract art is not explained at all.

BTW, it appears from this book that these guys were often making paintings just as rude jabs at one another's work.

I found the book a total waste.

Review by P Hutchings, Melbourne, Australia.......2007-06-13

Kirk Varnedoe's Pictures of Nothing is a masterpiece of empirical art chronology/criticism. It is gritty and on the ground. This is a relief after Danto's warmed-over Hegel and Clement Greenberg's star-spangled marx with a small M. If one might venture any hypothesis about the artists about whom Varnedoe wrote it would have to face, square on, any counter-instances. No Zeitgeist, just Popperian falsifiablility. Good. It is of course a pity for those of us who were not in New York at the right time. But, that's life.

Patrick Hutchings
Department of Philopsophy
University of Melbourne
Australia

Abstraction clarified.......2007-02-07

A brilliant and thorough explication of contemporary abstract art. The lectures were not intended for
arts professionals but are a literate and enjoyable guide to the visual arts since Jackson Pollock.

If You Could Have Only One Art Book..........2007-01-14

I'm married to a librarian and between the two of us, we have at least 8,000 books (we both love books just about more than anything), but if I could only have one book - this would definitely be it. The late Kirk Varnedoe, former Chief Curator of MoMA, has so clearly, easily and deliciously put into one gorgeous volume the whole picture of what I've been studying my you-know-what off to understand over the past 7 years. I've been The Menil Collection's Twombly Guard during those 7 years, so you can believe that I am especially enthusiastic with Varnedoe's illuminating explanations on Cy Twombly's art! Buy this book and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. The reproductions are also first-class. Varnedoe gave these lectures knowing that he was dying of cancer; his last sentence is "And now I am done." Three months later he did die and was never able to see them published. This book may be the best book that has ever been written about abstract art.

Average customer rating:

EXHIBIT IN A BOOK...
Wonderful book-great exhibit
a little gem of a book

Monet in Normandy
Richard Brettell
Manufacturer: Rizzoli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Impressionism | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0847828425
Release Date: 2006-06-27

Book Description

An extraordinary new look at the world's most beloved Impressionist, this catalogue examines some of the artist's most important paintings, including the famed Giverny canvases, the iconic haystacks, and the Rouen cathedral series. Many rarely seen works are also featured and illustrate Monet's enduring ties to the Norman region. It was in Normandy that Monet began his painting career, and it was there that he met his first great mentor, EugÃ¨ne Boudin. Monet developed a deep affection for the region. He would return time after time to depict its dramatic coastline, picturesque villages, and seaside resorts. Normandy has been a source of inspiration for artists over the centuries, and the catalogue puts Monet's work in context with those who came beforeâCorot, Millet, Courbet, Whistler, and Boudinâand his fellow revolutionariesâMorisot, Pissarro, Renoir, Degas.Featuring more than sixty master works, Monet in Normandy marks one of the largest Impressionist exhibitions to be on view in the United States. Illuminating the essays are works by other great contemporaries such as Pissarro, Morisot, and Degas.

Customer Reviews:

EXHIBIT IN A BOOK..........2007-07-01

I had the good fortune to see this exhibit when it traveled. I don't usually like to listen to the commentary on a headset, but I did so this time, and it really enhanced the experience. Looking through the book 3 months later, all that I heard came back to me as I recaptured the good feelings that come from all this beauty in one volume. It is organized nicely and a "must" for a coffee table book in the home of impressionist fans.

Wonderful book-great exhibit.......2007-05-02

I was able to see the Monet in Normandy exhibit in Cleveland, and for any Monet lover, it was fantastic. This companion book has beautifully done reproductions of all of the paintings in full color. The text associated with each painting is very interesting, and even though I have read many books about Monet, there is quite a bit of new information provided.
This book is the next best thing to being in the museum, seeing the paintings in person.

a little gem of a book.......2007-04-14

For those of us who were not able to travel to see the exhibition, this is a wonderful catalogue which shows many of Monet's best canvases of Normandy (haystacks, the Rouen cathedral, the Coast...). Each of the paintings is very well described with a complete listing of its provenance. Top-quality illustrations make this book a valuable addition to the already extensive literature on Monet.

Phaidon Design Classics (3 Volume Set) (Design Classics)

Average customer rating:

Literally Drew Blood!
Phaidon Design Classics (3 Volume Set)
Phaidon Design Classics (3 Volume Set
Superb book with ironic packaging
Five stars for content; 0 stars for shipping

Phaidon Design Classics (3 Volume Set) (Design Classics)
Editors of Phaidon Press
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Museums & Collections | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Furniture Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 0714843997

Book Description

PHAIDON DESIGN CLASSICS is the first comprehensive and authoritative collection of classic design objects. This beautifully illustrated three-volume set of books presents 999 industrially manufactured products, carefully selected by a group of experts. It is the first definitive illustrated sourcebook on the evolution of design to include such a wide scope of objects in detail.

From cars to furniture, from tableware to cameras, from everyday objects to airplanes, this breadth of design has never before been collected in such a way before. PHAIDON DESIGN CLASSICS tells the story of design's evolution around the world from the late 1600's to the present, bringing together patents, prototypes, old advertisements, original drawings, images showing the process of manufacturing, as well as rare archival photographs. The anthology features an astonishing 4,000 images.

The objects are presented chronologically, beginning with an elegant pair of Chinese bonsai scissors from the early 1600s, still in production today, and ending with Barber Osgerby's Lunar bath accessories, destined to become a classic. Glancing through the volumes, the reader will gain an understanding not only of the history of design, but a history of taste and culture. The book is an extraordinary journey through the objects that have shaped our society, from the first attempts to combine function and beauty in the nineteenth century, through the machine aesthetics of the thirties, the advent of plastic and other new materials in the fifties and sixties, up to the classics-to-be of the last ten years.

The book includes not only objects created by internationally renowned designers, such as Breuer, Le Corbusier, Dreyfuss, Eames, Yanagi and Castiglioni, but also anonymously designed pieces, such as the clothes peg, the corkscrew and the chopstick, which, in spite of lacking a specific designer, have achieved such perfection in design and functionality that they have eliminated the possibility of improvement.

PHAIDON DESIGN CLASSICS is a laboriously selected examination of some of the world's best products ever made, most of which are still in production. The objects truly encapsulate what design is and what it will be for decades to come. It is a key reference tool for the designer or architect, as well as a fascinating and accessible design history for the newcomer.

The collection comes in a specifically commissioned carrying unit exclusively designed by Konstantin Gricic.

Customer Reviews:

Literally Drew Blood!.......2007-10-02

I thought when I ordered the books that all this thrash about the packaging MUST be overblown. But this is, without a doubt the worst packaging I've ever dealt with. Though the plastic case was damaged in shipping it was still a struggle to free the books. When pulled apart (which is what a small sticker on one of the books advises) the plastic shattered. One piece dug into the palm of my hand and gave me a pretty decent gash. Other smaller fragments ended up all over my room. All I could think was thank God I didn't lose an eye! Even then I only succeeded in liberating one book.

The books themselves are very nice, and were only slighty damaged in the ludicrous struggle to liberate them from the case. It's comical that they come in the worst designed packaging you can imagine.

So while I would recommend the books, I also strongly suggest protective eye wear for the unboxing.

Phaidon Design Classics (3 Volume Set).......2007-09-21

Hello,
the Phaidon Design Classics (3 Volume Set) is state of art issue must have in any designer office/house, or those how like design.
it give you an whole review with pics & explantion.
i really love this product and its worth the money and even more.
brgds,
Eran

Phaidon Design Classics (3 Volume Set.......2007-02-22

Books are great overview of classic designs, but Amazon service is horrible. The carry case is one of the worst designs ever but customers would be lucky to see it. The way Amazon ships the product, the carry case (a flimsy pastic) breaks in shipping. Amazon refuses to ship the carry case alone and states that it is not their problem but that of the manufacturer. They will offer to send a replacement set once (books and carry case), but it will come broken again as they do not ship it differently and you have to set up return shipment of the original package.

Superb book with ironic packaging.......2007-02-10

Superlative book; goes well with the Domus 12 volume set for enough design related material to keep even an avid reader occupied for years to come...

The packaging understandably gets more comment than the books themselves. I suspect it is deliberately ironic - coverage of 999 objects blending form and function, coupled with a piece of something else.

I'm surprised at the complaints regarding the packaging being broken in shipment - I would have appreciated someone saving me the trouble, as mine went straight in the recycling bin. I'd rather liberate my books than imprison them.

Five stars for content; 0 stars for shipping.......2007-02-06

Beautiful books and production value, but the plastic carrying case--being especially vulnerable--didn't survive two shipping attempts. On both occasions, the books arrived with their carrying case shattered and the books damaged. You might do better getting these some other way. You'll take your chances if you decide to have them shipped via Amazon (or any other online shipper). Beware.

Average customer rating:

WACK!: Art and the Feminist Revolution

Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Vinyl Bound

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Themes | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Contemporary Art | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Feminist Theory | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0914357999

Book Description

There had never been art like the art produced by women artists in the 1970s--and there has never been a book with the ambition and scope of this one about that groundbreaking era. WACK! documents and illustrates the impact of the feminist revolution on art made between 1965 and 1980, featuring pioneering and influential works by artists who came of age during that period--Chantal Akerman, Lynda Benglis, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Valie Export, Mary Heilmann, Sanja Ivekovič, Ana Mendieta, Annette Messager, and others--as well as important works made in those years by artists whose whose careers were already well established, including Louise Bourgeois, Judy Chicago, Sheila Levrant de Bretteville, Lucy Lippard, Alice Neel, and Yoko Ono.

The art surveyed in WACK! includes work by more than 120 artists, in all media--from painting and sculpture to photography, film, installation, and video--arranged not by chronology but by theme: Abstraction, "Autophotography," Body as Medium, Family Stories, Gender Performance, Knowledge as Power, Making Art History, and others. WACK!, which accompanies the first international museum exhibition to showcase feminist art from this revolutionary era, contains more than 400 color images. Highlights include the figurative paintings of Joan Semmel; the performance and film collaborations of Sally Potter and Rose English; the untitled film stills of Cindy Sherman; and the large-scale, craft-based sculptures of Magdalena Abakanowicz.

Written entries on each artist offer key biographical and descriptive information and accompanying essays by leading critics, art historians, and scholars offer new perspectives on feminist art practice. The topics--including the relationship between American and European feminism, feminism and New York abstraction, and mapping a global feminism--provide a broad social context for the artworks themselves. WACK! is both a definitive visual record and a long-awaited history of one of the most important artistic movements of the twentieth century.

Essays by:
Cornelia Butler, Judith Russi Kirshner, Catherine Lord, Marsha Meskimmon, Richard Meyer, Helen Molesworth, Peggy Phelan, Nelly Richard, Valerie Smith, Abigail Solomon-Godeau, Jenni Sorkin

Artists include:
Marina Abramovič, Chantal Akerman, Lynda Benglis, Dara Birnbaum, Louise Bourgeois, Judy Chicago, Lygia Clark, Jay DeFeo, Mary Beth Edelson, Valie Export, Barbara Hammer, Susan Hiller, Joan Jonas, Mary Kelly, Maria Lassnig, Linda Montano, Alice Neel, Senga Nengudi, Lorraine O’Grady, Pauline Oliveros, Yoko Ono, Orlan, Howardena Pindell, Yvonne Rainer, Faith Ringgold, Ketty La Rocca, Ulrike Rosenbach, Martha Rosler, Betye Saar, Miriam Schapiro, Carolee Schneemann, Cindy Sherman, and Hannah Wilke.

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