Book Description
Creating memorable photographs is a process that starts before you edit an image in Photoshop, before you capture the image, even before you pick up the camera. You must first approach the subject with the proper sense of perception, with the ability to visualize the finished print before you commit a scene to pixels, but still be flexible and spontaneous. Master Fine Art photographer Vincent Versace has spent his career learning and teaching the art of perception and how to translate it into stunning images. In Welcome to Oz, he delves into what it means to approach digital photography cinematically, to use your perception, your camera, and Photoshop to capture the movement of life in a still image.
- Adapt your workflow to the image so you always know how best to use your tools
- Turn a seemingly impossible photographic scenario into a successful image
- Practice âimage harvestingâ to combine the best parts of many captures to create an optimum final result
- Create black and white prints that have the look, feel and ârichnessâ of traditional silver prints without ever leaving the RGB color space
Customer Reviews:
Dust collector big time.........2007-09-24
A postprocessing photoshop book. But a bad one of its kind. The first example he uses is a portrait of an female actor he tries to make better in photoshop. It ends up with very very yellow skintones. Im surprised he didnt see it himself before publishing. He uses a lot of time, too much, explaining about selective focus done with gaussian blur and layermasks. Why not get a fast lens and save all that paintwork- it didnt take me to OZ!!
3rd Party Req. not mentioned.......2007-09-12
After much anticipation and excitement....This book requires third party plug-ins, to complete the lessons as described..only good for 15 days. Sorry to say I am disapointed because nowhere in the Descriptions, Editorial reviews etc... does it mention this oversight!!!. I'm feeling kinda deceived right about now!!..... made it to page 17.
Not for the faint-hearted.......2007-08-27
In my opinion, this book is aimed squarely at the photographer aiming at exhibition quality work, with no concessions. Having said that, there is a lot of valuable information for others as well. It requires a willingness to push the philosophical boundaries of the ethics of manipulated image, because Versace's approach is to take multiple shots of the same subject from subtly diferent viewpoints, then combine them to produce a single image that matches his artistic vision. He is quoted as considering Photoshop an imagination enhancer, and says in his forward that one of his aims is to teach the reader to be able to make magic, starting at the point of capture. Indeed, this is what he proceeds to do. His methods require that you take pictures of subjects that move you, capture the image with spontaneity while being able to conceptualise the end result, and have advanced Photoshop skills. He then offers an insight into the ensuing conversation between photographer and image, with a great deal of the "how" and the "why" along the way. The final results are stunning, but the process is somewhat tortuous, and not for the faint-hearted. This is not your generic "how-to-do-it" Photoshop book, but a glimpse into what drives one man's quest for as near to perfection as possible. It wasn't what I expected - I bought it on the strength of the review in Photoshop User - and it won't be one of the books that lives by my Mac for constant reference. It will, however, be one to which I refer to be reminded of the potential of digital imaging towards which I might aspire for my art prints.
I gave it 5 stars because Versace succeeds in what he set out to do. It won't be for everyone, though.
Versace is amazing.......2007-07-24
This book is excellent. Rather than writing another how to use Photoshop book, Vincent Versace teaches you WHY you use Photoshop and some of the key techniques that can make an incredible difference in your digital photography. If you already have a basic understanding of Photoshop then this book will help you kick it up a notch!
No what I hoped for.......2007-07-23
This book is aimed at photographers who have never worked in a darkroom before. If you have started working as a photographer in digital, there is a lot to be learned from this book. However, if you know how to dodge and burn, and you know how to do it in Photoshop using layers, you will find nothing new here.
Book Description
No is perhaps the most important and certainly the most powerful word in the language. Every day we find ourselves in situations where we need to say No–to people at work, at home, and in our communities–because No is the word we must use to protect ourselves and to stand up for everything and everyone that matters to us.
But as we all know, the wrong No can also destroy what we most value by alienating and angering people. That’s why saying No the right way is crucial. The secret to saying No without destroying relationships lies in the art of the Positive No, a proven technique that anyone can learn.
This indispensable book gives you a simple three-step method for saying a Positive No. It will show you how to assert and defend your key interests; how to make your No firm and strong; how to resist the other side’s aggression and manipulation; and how to do all this while still getting to Yes. In the end, the Positive No will help you get not just to any Yes but to the right Yes, the one that truly serves your interests.
Based on William Ury’s celebrated Harvard University course for managers and professionals,
The Power of a Positive No offers concrete advice and practical examples for saying No in virtually any situation. Whether you need to say No to your customer or your coworker, your employee or your CEO, your child or your spouse, you will find in this book the secret to saying No clearly, respectfully, and effectively.
In today’s world of high stress and limitless choices, the pressure to give in and say Yes grows greater every day, producing overload and overwork, expanding e-mail and eroding ethics. Never has No been more needed. A Positive No has the power to profoundly transform our lives by enabling us to say Yes to what counts–our own needs, values, and priorities.
Understood this way, No is the new Yes. And the Positive No may be the most valuable life skill you’ll ever learn!
Customer Reviews:
Your Review.......2007-09-24
Wow, Mr. Ury hits the nail on the head and drives it clear home, unlocking the magic of what makes a good negotiator! Negotiation can be complex if you think about it. I truly appreciate the length Mr. Ury has gone to in order to make this so simple. Mr. Ury walks through step by step, coaching you and giving you a wealth of useful information. It's almost as though he's learned everything and woven it into one seamless, highly effective production. This book did more for my negotiations with less confusion then any other book I have ever read, period! It's far superior for someone who is truly trying to do better on this subject and is not sure how or where to go. If only this were available when I was a kid; or better yet, when my parents were kids! Perhaps this would be the bible of negotiation...
Dissapointed.......2007-08-02
I found this book is to over analytical of the simple word "no"....the author tries to prove it's importance, however he does it in a dry, wordy, and uninteresting manner. I wish there were more examples in it, to save time from reading the whole thing. The basics point is a "good" no is actually:
yes
no
yes
...now you know the no secret (haha), so save yourself some money and say NO to this book!
The Power of a Positive No: How to Say No and Still Get to Yes.......2007-07-19
No. Such a simple word yet it's so hard to use. Most of us take on far too much because we are afraid to say no and for good reason. We've all had experiences were we did actually muster the courage to say no and felt extremely guilty afterwards. Moreover, the person who we said no to often gets mad at us and that simple word starts a huge drama. In the end, it would have been much easier just to shut our mouths.
Evidentially, our problem wasn't saying the word but in how we go about saying No. The Power of a Positive No states that No actually starts with a Yes. Sounds confusing? Not really. This Yes is basically an affirmation of what you want to do rather than focusing on the negative. I want to spend time with my family at the beach rather than doing overtime this weekend. Thus, your aim now becomes how to get that time with your family. After that realization, the whole tone of the conversation changes. You can be more open and respectful of the other person while still being strong in what is most important to you. Some very useful skills to possess.
Good Life Habit to Learn and Use.......2007-06-30
The book guides the reader through the three-part process to prepare, deliver and follow through in getting to a positive No. No doesn't come easy especially when trying to please a client who asks to move up the delivery date. You're afraid to say No because it means losing future business, respect and perhaps, your job.
_The Power of a Positive No_ not only helps you improve your negotiating skills in such work situations, but it also applies to your personal life. With the tips in the book, you won't fear the consequences of saying No and you'll find ways to make the situation work out for everyone.
Have you fallen into one of the three-A trap? Tripping up in one of these traps means the person takes steps Accommodate, Attack or Avoid when encountering a No situation. These traps won't make anyone in the situation feel good about the solution. Accommodate means saying Yes when we want to say No. Attack means saying no poorly. Avoid means saying nothing at all and not taking care of the problem.
The book digs up situations that you know you could've handled better. Applying the concepts from the book to past situations will prepare you for doing better next time without worry of blowback. Self-help books face the challenge of encouraging their readers to change. The idea of a positive no sounds difficult -- and it isn't easy either -- will come to readers if they take the time to understand and apply Ury's advice. Don't expect bandage style advice that can fix anything with a simple stick-on.
Of course, you could prepare and set up a great response for a positive no, but what if the requestor doesn't take no for an answer? Ury shows how to prepare Plan B, a backup plan. He also shares a decent amount of real-life examples, large (court case involving a large company and a customer) and small (not having time to help), of how people handled such situations.
Crack the book and it takes no time to become engrossed in Ury's clear and breezy writing style. The book flows and the length satisfies. Fans of the Ury's classic best-seller will appreciate this one and won't feel a sense of déjà vu in having read _Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In_.
To be read in a learning mode.......2007-06-27
Brings to you the kind of advice "you already know...", but in reality do not regularly use, at least in a conscious manner. To make it more than a good plane reading you must be slow at going through it and acquire the trade through practice.
Book Description
Offers down-to-earth advice on painting gorgeous outdoors scenes through 10 step-by-step demos Teaches painters how to master the art of observation Shows readers how to translate field notes and sketches into fully realized studio paintings The overwhelming beauty of the outdoors is one of the most inspiring - and elusive - subjects for painters. With Landscape Painting Inside and Out, Kevin Macphearson first shows readers how to see like an artist, then teaches them how to recreate their vision into stunningly realistic outdoors scenes. His insightful process encourages readers to focus on the small details to achieve big results.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent examples.......2007-09-19
This book gives practical, specific advice on improving your landscape painting technique. I especially like the illustrations. The paintings are beautiful and "fresh." Not your average landscapes. They inspired me.
shadows.......2007-09-10
Great book Good information but Kevin seems to lose his separation of the lights and shadows in some of his demos in the back of the book He talks about it but then shadows start getting to light in value and too much detail. This could be from the reproductions of his painting
Not as much "color and light" in this one........2007-08-11
Having read this author's previous book on putting color and light in your paintings, I was a little disappointed with this one---I expected more. The book was well organized, (had, once again, pages of stuff about selecting your brushes, etc.); the author set forth his view of a limited palette, and said that you needed to be excited about your painting---but I don't believe that he was excited when he wrote this. If he was, he didn't convey it well. Had a number of exercises, some reasonable, others only for the wealthy (use an entire tube of cadmium red light on your painting (That is, really thick!)
Anyway, having read through the book, I would not buy this book again --- that's the bottom line.
Wonderful instruction for the Plein-Air artist........2007-06-27
Kevin Macpherson gives thorough instructions in his book from colors used to composition. A beautiful book with many demonstrations. I would highly recommend to the beginning or advanced Plein-Air painter in oil.
A "Must Have" Resource.......2007-05-23
If you are an oil painter or even if you are a want-to-be painter, Kevin MacPherson's book is a terrific reference. Personally, I'm a Plein Air painter and Kevin is a master at painting on location. He covers what supplies you'll need and techniques in painting. I've had this book for some time and still refer to it often.
Book Description
Some things change - and then again, some things don't. You can never take the hood out of the homegirl.
In this sequel to T.N. Baker's Sheisty, we find Epiphany, Keisha and Shana still trickin' for dough, still running off at the mouth and still being Sheisty. However, as they will soon see, what goes around will come around, and you can't stay in drama forever. It will all come to a head - one way or another.
Will death really come knocking on Epiphany's door?
Does Keisha give up her good girl image for good?
Will Shana find herself in a situation that will claim her man and her freedom?
Still Sheisty will live up to its predecessor, all that and then some. So get ready for the drama.
Customer Reviews:
Better Than The First.......2007-08-13
OMG!!!!! This book is so so good and full of drama. I was mad about how Keisha the good girl went out in the end though. Great book!
About Still Sheisty, Part 2.......2007-08-11
This book was a lil longer than the first of course but I also enjoyed reading this book!
SHEISTY AS HELL!!!.......2007-07-13
WOw i love how this book sums up the first one u really get to see how everything with he girls played out and how freinds can be sheisty as hell!!!!
A Good Read.......2007-07-13
I enjoy the second book it was well written. It basically ended very well. I would recommend book 1 & 2.
Exlposive.......2007-06-22
Wow I can't believe howthis book ended all I can say is I was speachless. And that LEA girl I would kill her if I could I had to remember it was a book. Go get it you won't be mad.
Average customer rating:
- Finally a book for me and my family!
- Worth it
- Important read if you've been unsuccessfully treated for depression...
- Nothing New In Spite of Title
- Fantastic
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Why Am I Still Depressed? Recognizing and Managing the Ups and Downs of Bipolar II and Soft Bipolar Disorder
Jim Phelps
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Depression
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Soft Bipolar: Vivid Thoughts, Mood Shifts and Swings, Depression, and Anxiety of the Mild Mood Disorders Affecting Millions of Americans
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Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know (Living Well)
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The Bipolar Workbook: Tools for Controlling Your Mood Swings
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Bipolar II: Enhance Your Highs, Boost Your Creativity, and Escape the Cycles of Recurrent Depression--The Essential Guide to Recognize and Treat the Mood Swings of This Increasingly Common Disorder
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The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know
ASIN: 0071462376 |
Book Description
Tried everything but still not feeling better?
If your depression keeps coming back or is even getting worse, then you may be suffering from bipolar II or “soft” bipolar disorder. Commonly misdiagnosed, these mood disorders are characterized by recurring bouts of depression along with anxiety, irritability, mood swings, sleep problems, or intrusive thoughts.
Why Am I Still Depressed? shows you how to identify if you have a nonmanic form of bipolar disorder and how to work with your doctor to safely and effectively treat it.
Author James R. Phelps, M.D., gives you the latest tools and knowledge so you can:
- Understand the Mood Spectrum, a powerful new tool for diagnosis
- Know all your treatment options, including mood-stabilizing medications and research-tested psychotherapies
- Examine the potential hazards of taking antidepressant medications
- Manage your condition with exercise and lifestyle changes
- Help family and friends with this condition understand their diagnosis and find treatment
Customer Reviews:
Finally a book for me and my family!.......2007-08-24
I read this book at the suggestion of my doctor, who is a genius with bipolar 2. It addressed many of my concerns, misconceptions, and questions in a very reader-friendly way. It's a relatively easy read, considering the subject matter. Dr. Phelps has written in a comprehensive way about this often misunderstood subject, and he managed to make me laugh along the way. After my husband read it, he said he had a much better understanding of the way bipolar 2 works. Don't let the word "bipolar" scare you! I was misdiagnosed for most of my life because I never had "highs." Please read this book if you are not sure you have been diagnosed correctly or if your treatment is not working for you. I hope you will find it as helpful as I have.
Worth it.......2007-07-21
This was the first book my psych recommended when we first began toying around with the idea of Bipolar II vs. Major Depressive Disorder. It is an amazing book, especially for those people who just can't seem to shake their depression. Not every person who has treatment-resistant depression is bipolar, but this book helps delve into the topic. I have over 20 books about Bipolar II, and this is in my top 5.
Important read if you've been unsuccessfully treated for depression..........2007-07-20
My doctor suggested this book as good reading to familiarize myself with the various treatments for depression. Perhaps his recommendation was off, but clearly, this book IS about bipolar disorders. While I didn't gain much for myself, it did open my eyes about someone close to me and why various treatments have failed to improve that situation.
Phelps is very good with helping the layreader understand neuro/psyche disorders that are classified as depression and/or bipolar disorder. He gets a little 'out there' as far as splitting hairs; I concluded that most of the population, according to Phelps, must have some degree of mood disorder. But, I DO strongly recommend this book for anyone who has been diagnosed with depression but failed to respond to the many good medications developed to treat common depression. Phelps also offers a very good explanation as to why some anti-depressants have caused suicidal thoughts/actions in some. Very likely, they have bipoar disorder and the type of chemical support provided by this class of drug was just wrong.
If you've struggled with "depression" and its related treatments, trust your doctor and can take the time to read this book, you might find you don't really have depression, after all. Bipolar disorder and it's cousins are more common in society than we know. There are excellent drug and cognitive therapies available to help people who haven't been able to find the light at the end of their tunnel. Possible a different diagnosis will help them.
Nothing New In Spite of Title.......2007-06-12
If you're already diagnosed bipolar 2, you're better off getting The Bipolar Workbook or a better basic bipolar book than this. So much of it is directed at people who don't even know if they have bipolar 2 or soft bipolar disorder, it was a total waste of my money because I KNOW I have bipolar 2. The section on treatments doesn't cover some of the best medications I have experienced, gives the same old "walk" exercise advice, and has many chapters based on ruling out bipolar altogether. I think the author just wanted to say he wrote something new, when this is really a long-winded rehash on what we already know if we are already diagnosed correctly. I was terribly disappointed as I thought there would be some helpful, new information on treatments just for us with bipolar 2 that is different from bipolar 1. Boring.
Fantastic.......2007-06-09
I've suffered with anxiety and depression for many years, only to discover recently (through an astute doc) that I'm BP II. I decided to buy this book to further my understanding and I felt like I was reading my lifestory! It's an excellent read.
Average customer rating:
- Fangtastic Book!
- Be Still My Vampire Heart
- Hilarious!
- Be still My vampire heart
- Really Good
|
Be Still My Vampire Heart (Love at Stake, Book 3)
Kerrelyn Sparks
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Vamps and the City (Love at Stake, Book 2)
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The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires
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How To Marry a Millionaire Vampire (Love at Stake, Book 1)
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Bite Me If You Can (Argeneau Vampires, Book 6)
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All Together Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 7)
ASIN: 0061118443
Release Date: 2007-03-27 |
Book Description
Emma Watson has made it her mission to get revenge on the monsters who killed her parents. As a member of the CIA's Stake–Out team, Emma's got no time to distinguish betweeen good vamps and bad. They're all bloodthirsty murderers and she will not rest until they're defeated.
When Angus MacKay is assigned to find a vampire slayer, he never expected to meet anyone like Emma Watson. Now, deeply attracted to the young woman, Angus must convince her that not all vampires are evil––before she finds out who he is and adds him to her hit list. But Angus and Emma soon have bigger problems when someone from Angus's past resurfaces with an agenda of her own to fulfill...
Customer Reviews:
Fangtastic Book!.......2007-08-24
This book is as great as the previous two. I can't wait for #4 & more.
Be Still My Vampire Heart .......2007-07-24
Angus MacKay is a Scottish vampire who owns MacKay Securities. He provides protection for coven masters such as Roman Draganesti. Roman has sent Angus to investigate a vampire slayer who has been killing the vampires known as Malcontents. The Malcontents are ruled by Casimir, a very old and evil vampire. Katya Miniskaya is a Russian coven leader who needs to stop the slayer before Casimir kills her for not protecting her coven.
Emma Wallace is a vampire hunter. She works for the CIA as a member of the Stake-Out Team. When she meets Angus while hunting in Central Park one night, she can't help but be attracted to him. When she realizes he is a vampire, she tries to keep her distance from him.
Angus doesn't just want to keep Emma safe, he wants her for his own. Somehow he'll have to gain her trust. As they fight against Katya and Casimir, Emma is torn between her hatred of vampires and her feelings for Angus.
Kerrelyn Sparks has created her own unique vampire world with Be Still My Vampire Heart. She made up new rules and scenarios for these vamps that are different than most other vampire stories, creating this amusing and interesting tale. Angus' Scottish accent, combined with his brawn and power are very seductive, and Emma is strong, capable, and beautiful. They make one tough couple! Be Still My Vampire Heart is funny, sexy, exciting and a blast to read!
Nannette reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
Hilarious!.......2007-07-18
This is the first book i've read from this author and it was sooo GOOD!! I have never laughed so much reading a book!! This book leaves a smile on your face. This was fast paced and soooo entertaining!! I will definitely be reading more from this author!
Be still My vampire heart.......2007-05-13
"Sub-genre fans will want to take a bite out of this Big Apple supernatural delight and seek other sparkling 'supernormal' thrillers by this entertaining author (see VAMPS IN THE CITY and HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE VAMPIRE)."
Really Good.......2007-05-13
This book was really funny, for being the 3rd in the series you usually get a good book but not as good as the first. It was just as good. There were some really funny moments. It was good to see the other characters, exspecially Roman and Shanna and they also have a good moment. The hero was really sexy and his Scottish accent makes my heart melt. The heroine, is also sexy but very determined not to have anything to do with the hero but of course you know that never works out. A very great read...
Average customer rating:
- Beer, Wine and booze book
- ok,,, but title is misleading
- Fantastic book!
- Great Book
- Great read, all-around fun
|
The Alaskan Bootlegger's Bible
Leon W. Kania
Manufacturer: Happy Mountain Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
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Beer
| Drinks & Beverages
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Spirits
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Wine & Winemaking
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The Secrets of Building an Alcohol Producing Still.
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Making Wild Wines & Meads: 125 Unusual Recipes Using Herbs, Fruits, Flowers & More
ASIN: 0967452406 |
Book Description
Book Description How to make beer, wine, liqueurs, cider and moonshine whiskey. The author dusts off over 30 years of experience to tell you how it's done. He not only tells how to make darned near any kind of beer, wine, liqueur and whiskey you can imagine, he also tells you how to make the equipment to do it with. Ever wondered how a still is made? There are 8 types illustrated in this book and though it's illegal to build or possess a still, the illustrations are so complete, you could easily do it! This book includes plans and operating instructions from underground moonshiner manuals used in Mid East oil fields. Some are built with components found in most home kitchens. From moonshine, homebrew, wine and liqueur recipes, to stills, make your own cappers, kegs, scales and even a malt factory from an old freezer, it's all here!
Easy to read and humorous, this book entertains you with Alaskan tales and bootlegger's lore while you learn to make everything from beer and blossom wines, to horse turd whiskey and bathtub gin. If you could buy only one "make your own" book for the rest of your life, this is it. It's like getting a whole shelf of books for the price of one!
Customer Reviews:
Beer, Wine and booze book.......2007-09-13
I wanted to like this bokk and I have used it's content many times over and it works. I was a bit dissapointed in the fact the book refers to something like "You can easily make your own yest culture to save money and we will show you how later in the book" forget it you will never find it.
When it comes to recipes on beer even how to malt and make your own gear it is great. For the wine section a lot of very interesting receipes there. For the moonshine, well let's put it like that, there is very few receipes on moonshine, there is a lot of still ideas and they are a good starting point. If you want to just give it a try you should search for "the amazing still" on google and built that first, it takes you 5 minutes to set up and dismantled to no incriminating parts in two minutes, There is little about carbonizing but instead they go the distill 4 times approach, which might be good but it is very time consuming so the most common approach which is carbonizing is not covered at all. So all in all it is a good book on the subject but is lacking a bit information to be a bible really.
ok,,, but title is misleading.......2007-08-06
this is a good resource for a beginner beer or wine maker,,, but is very light on construction and operation of a still for "ethanol".
Fantastic book!.......2007-06-18
This is absolutely the best homebrew, winemaking, and distilling book I've ever read. You can easily tell that the writer has many years of practical experience, from living in remote parts of Alaska, where making your own is the difference between have and have not.
The recipes are simple, cheap, and natural. You'll save so much money and time. I highly, highly recommend this book.
Great Book.......2007-01-18
What a great book - easy to read but very informative. While I would recommend reading Papazian for beer, the wine and liquor sections are very useful. Unfortunately, primarily covers "thin mash" liquors, which are made with sugar, and is a bit lacking on all-grain. Still, it helps you learn the procedures and concepts behind brewing and distillation from which you can experiment. Contains many recipes for beer, wine, whisky. A good read and introduction to distillation.
Great read, all-around fun.......2007-01-16
On a lark, my wife purchased for me a home brewing kit. Wanting to learn more about the subject, I decided to do some reading. The book's title is what brought me to it, but the content is what kept me reading it. It is funny and practical. It is by no means the decisive authority on home-brew, but its all around nature from real-life experiences makes it a good read. Despite the name, most of the book focuses on home beer and wine making (both legal) with just a little devoted to the theory and possible practical side of home distilling (illegal in the U.S.). As I continue to try out new things in home brewing, I find myself referring back to this book time and time again. If you have a few hours free one afternoon, and are every slightly interested in the subject, I suggest this as a great place to start.
Book Description
Cindy Sherman's Untitled Film Stills, a series of 69 black-and-white photographs created between 1977 and 1980, is widely seen as one of the most original and influential achievements in recent art. Witty, provocative and searching, this lively catalogue of female roles inspired by the movies crystallizes widespread concerns in our culture, examining the ways we shape our personal identities and the role of the mass media in our lives. Sherman began making these pictures in 1977 when she was 23 years old. The first six were an experiment: fan-magazine glimpses into the life (or roles) of an imaginary blond actress, played by Sherman herself. The photographs look like movie stills--or perhaps publicity pix--purporting to catch the blond bombshell in unguarded moments at home. The protagonist is shown preening in the kitchen and lounging in the bedroom. Onto something big, Sherman tried other characters in other roles: the chic starlet at her seaside hideaway, the luscious librarian, the domesticated sex kitten, the hot-blooded woman of the people, the ice-cold sophisticate and a can-can line of other stereotypes. She eventually completed the series in 1980. She stopped, she has explained, when she ran out of clichas. Other artists had drawn upon popular culture but Sherman's strategy was new. For her the pop-culture image was not a subject (as it had been for Walker Evans) or raw material (as it had been for Andy Warhol) but a whole artistic vocabulary, ready-made. Her film stills look and function just like the real ones--those 8 x 10 glossies designed to lure us into a drama we find all the more compelling because we know it isn't real. In the Untitled Film Stills there are no Cleopatras, no ladies on trains, no women of a certain age. There are, of course, no men. The 69 solitary heroines map a particular constellation of fictional femininity that took hold in postwar America--the period of Sherman's youth and the starting point for our contemporary mythology. In finding a form for her own sensibility, Sherman touched a sensitive nerve in the culture at large. Although most of the characters are invented, we sense right away that we already know them. That twinge of instant recognition is what makes the series tick and it arises from Cindy Sherman's uncanny poise. There is no wink at the viewer, no open irony, no camp. In 1995, The Museum of Modern Art purchased the series from the artist, preserving the work in its entirety. This book marks the first time that the complete series will be published as a unified work, with Sherman herself arranging the pictures in sequence.
Customer Reviews:
Inventing Situations.......2007-07-24
Cindy Sherman has been called the most important female photographer of the 20th century. You'd never know it if you should happen to run into her on her bicycle in New York. If you've seen her recently, you might have found her riding around with an avid bicyclist and gray haired fellow who used to be in a band....can't remember "the name of this band".
Both Sherman and her beau, David something or another, have been at the forefront of the post or modern avant garde movement. What's striking about Sherman aside from the fact she looks at least a decade younger than she is, is how she blends in, and looks much like a "regular" handsome thirty or forty something (as opposed to my, at least, definition of a "performance artist").
The series of photos in this book are from her early days. In them, I guees she's portraying all the different characters who live in her mind. The range of personas she embodies is bewildering. If you didn't know it was her, you'd think they were photos of a series of different women, and if you didn't know they were staged, or that she's an artist, you'd think they were actresses from a bunch of different 60s movies. The photos are alternately mysterious, profoundly strange and beautiful, always emotionless, and at times hints at hidden eroticism.
She's been riding bikes and opening a more complete retrospective of her work in Europe this spring and early summer, a 300+ page book of which was published in March.
This book is a great introduction to Cindy Sherman. If you like it, go see her show, and buy the new book.
This book shows what is great about Cindy Sherman.......2006-05-03
At first glance, you might see ordinary, banal photos that resemble out takes from studio stills. Look deeper and you will see works of genius that expose a new way of seeing and exploring the inner self that have been highly influential in the art world. This book has the images that started it all for Cindy Sherman and for that reason, you should start with this book if you want to learn about this artist.
Who will like this book? I think just about anyone with an interest in art or photography would consider this a "must have" book for their personal library. Nothing in this book would embarrass you if you gave it as a gift; it is edgy, but not to the point of weirdness. I just gave a copy to my 10-year-old daughter for inspiration and she really enjoyed it (though probably not at the level of an adult). If you are willing to look, this book will reward you.
Like any great artist, she makes it look easy. Her singular vision is apparent in the location selection, "set" design, makeup and costuming. If you have ever tried to do this yourself, you will respect what she has accomplished. The end result is that Ms. Sherman reveals what she wants us to believe are her innermost thoughts and emotions. Like great cinema, these photos achieve true suspension of disbelief and challenge the viewer's own framework of emotional identity. In the end, we believe.
Arguably, these are the best work ever done by Ms. Sherman. One complaint about her newer work is that it seems to continue to retread the same themes and variations. Sure, her newest works are bigger and colorful in keeping with the latest trends in photography -- personally, my favorites are the images in this book. There is a freshness I don't find in her later work. But this human story, like her imagery, will always continue to be explored by artists as long as there are humans to explore.
Untitled Film Stills.......2006-03-08
This book along with the "Centerfolds" hardcover exhibition book provide the essential Cindy Sherman images. The film stills presented here are all in black and white, and her next project "Centerfolds" were all in color. Taken together you get the complete picture on Cindy Sherman.
Great Buy.......2006-02-22
This is a GREAT book. The pages are large and sturdy and show off her artwork well. A huge plus is the introduction written by Sherman...it gives you an inside look at some of the stories behind and the inspirations to some of the photographs. The book features a variety of her work through time. It is arranged very well.
wonderful........2006-02-21
great book and great artist. not sure what the person who wrote negative review was comparing it to, but she/he is a freak show who has way too much time on her/his hands. obviously bitter about something...possibly crazy?
Amazon.com
Many mothers have long suspected that they're getting the short end of the deal--and finally, a highly respected economics journalist proves they're not just griping. Despite all the lip service given to the importance of motherhood, American mothers are not only not paid for all the work they do, but also penalized for it. "The gift of care can be both selfless and exploited," writes Ann Crittenden in this intrepid and groundbreaking work. Motherhood is dangerously undervalued--it's now the single biggest risk factor for poverty in old age. Mothers lose out in forgone income if they stay at home, an inflexible job market makes part-time work scarce or inadequately paid, and in the case of divorce, they're refused family assets by divorce laws that don't count their unpaid work.
Crittenden is fond of pointing out the hypocrisies plaguing America, and one is the belief in a welfare state enabling single mothers. The true welfare state, she says, protects paid workers from unforeseen risks through social security, unemployment insurance, and workman's compensation. Mothers who work part-time or not at all have no such safety net and typically take a nosedive into poverty, along with their children, after divorce or the death of their spouse. Married working moms are also punished--they pay the highest taxes on earned income in America. Crittenden's impassioned argument is based on research in a variety of fields, from economics to child development to demography. She shows how mothers were demoted from an economic asset to dependents, why welfare for only a certain group of mothers bred bitterness among the rest, and why there is currently an exodus of highly trained women from the work force.
Crittenden also travels far and wide for solutions. She finds them not only in such European nations as Sweden--which has abolished child poverty by giving mothers a year's paid leave, cash subsidies, and flexible work schedules--but in the U.S. military, which runs the best subsidized child-care program in the country and knows the value of providing special benefits to those who selflessly serve their country. Ultimately, Crittenden insists, the equality women have been fighting for will only be achieved when mothers are recognized as productive citizens creating a much-needed public good--human capital, or in layman's terms, well-raised children who grow into productive, law abiding citizens (and who pay into social security). This is an admirable--and charged--defense of motherhood, reminding us that unpaid female labor is "the priceless, invisible heart of the economy," and those who engage in this labor deserve the same rights, and the same respect, as other workers. --Lesley Reed
Book Description
In the pathbreaking tradition of Backlash and The Second Shift, this provocative book shows how mothers are systematically disadvantaged and made dependent by a society that exploits those who perform its most critical work. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and the most current research in economics, history, child development, and law, Ann Crittenden proves that although women have been liberated, mothers have not.The costs of motherhood are everywhere apparent. College-educated women pay a "mommy tax" of over a million dollars in lost income when they have a child. Family law deprives mothers of financial equality in marriage. Stay-at-home mothers and their work are left out of the GDP, the labor force, and the social safety net. With passion and clarity, Crittenden demonstrates that proper rewards for mothers' essential contributions would only enhance the general welfare.Bold, galvanizing, full of innovative solutions, The Price of Motherhood offers a much-needed accounting of the price that mothers pay for performing the most important job in the world.
Customer Reviews:
One of the most important books EVER........2006-12-21
I'd give this book 10 stars if I could. Ann Crittenden does an amazing job arguing for the rights of mothers (and women in general), backed with the kind of evidence you would find in scholarly journals.
More than convincing, and more than infuriating (though you won't want to stop), because with every page you realize that all the things you never really paid attention to or thought was fair (a wife getting less than half of her ex-husband's assets, etc.) are really just another subtle way our current system reinforces women's secondary place in society. I never really considered myself a feminist (even though I have taken numerous courses on sociology, anthro, and the like, and read up quite a bit on the subject) because I thought the idea was more or less outdated. We women have come a long way, have we not? I have certainly been convinced that I was wrong and short-sighted, and that there is another crucial step toward true equality, and other countries already have successful models of it in place (countries whose economies Americans envy - this is not a coincidence). I encourage everyone to read it. It will without a doubt open your eyes, and you will never see motherhood in the same light again.
The Price Isn't Right...This is an Interesting Read.......2006-12-02
What you get in The Price of Motherhood is an interesting look at what has become a "hot topic" among what seem to be an endless stream of women leaving high-paying jobs to devote more time to raising their children...they are discovering what the rest of us already know and they aren't any happier about it than the rest of us. Crittenden presents us with information drawn both from her personal experience and from those of dozens of women all over the world and she looks at systems that support (or fail to) women and children in countries the globe over. Distilled, Crittenden's message is that women who have children in the United States sacrifice at least some level of professional advancement, societal status, leisure time, and economic security and/or independence. She believes that college-educated women, who have (or had) the best shot of "having it all", lose the most. If a highly educated women leaves the workforce to have a child, Crittenden cites data that estimates she will lose about a million dollars in overall lifetime earnings; additionally, she will not be economically compensated for parenting and running a household. In this end, she will receive no social security benefits for the work she does at home; she faces an inflexible job market that offers minimal opportunity for adequately paid part-time work; and if she divorces, most state laws will deny her family assets because divorce laws do not count unpaid work.
The Price of Motherhood is interesting and informative while also managing to be deeply depressing. Above all else, I think it is a book all young women should read...this one or one VERY like it. The message that becoming a mother basically incurs a penalty for the rest of a woman's life whether she has "career aspirations" or not is one that I don't think enough young girls and women get. We're all led to believe that motherhood is the highest calling, that it and keeping a solid household is something that's inherently women's work and this work, while being touted as all important, is largely undervalued and unappreciated. Girls and Women everywhere should be going into motherhood with more foreknowledge of what it really means for their long term career goals.
I like that the book acknowledges that the wage gap between single, childless men and women is all but non-existent and that it really doesn't come into play for men or women until they decide to have children. While there is definitely a mommy tax for women (with children) which is not present for men (with children) making 40,000 or more a year, with a stay-at-home wife, I would have liked more time devoted to the fact that there is also a parent penalty (just a mommy tax) for those people who can't or won't put in the hours that single, non-married, childless individuals do. Men are also penalized for taking time out for their families, for going home at the scheduled end of the day and for not having as great a scheduling flexibility as their single co-workers. Crittenden focuses almost solely on women/mothers...but I feel that there is a penalty for both men and women with children in the workplace today. Reading The Price of Motherhood is a good starting place for those people considering undertaking the daunting task of becoming parents. Most of us go into it thinking about the benefits and not so much about the cost or penalties that are also a part of that decision...or we falsely underestimate what being a parent can truly mean long term.
While I feel that Crittenden elucidates the problem quite well, her solutions are bound to stir up controversy, like The Motherhood Manifesto, I found myself cheering on one had and booing on the other. I'd like to see many of the benefits that she lists, but single, childless people already have a big enough problem with paying taxes to support public schools, I just don't see a majority of people (even mothers, working or not) embracing these types of policies/changes and frankly, some are just unrealistic in my opinion. I agree that change is needed and we need women who are willing to work to make these issues more visible and people in office that will be able to take that visibility a reality, I just don't know how quickly that is likely to happen.
I'd recommend this book without reservation, though as I said above, I don't think all of her solutions are viable this IS information that women considering having children should have before they make that decision...which means Crittenden's message needs to be delivered early to young women. I give it an A-, it's well written, easy to understand and highly informative, but falls short on the solution side. A great start, but don't stop here.
Raging Sense of Entitlement in the name of Motherhood.......2006-09-09
Believe it or not, I do agree with some points that she makes in this book. Motherhood is a very undervalued job, and we certainly still have a long way to go to acheive equality between men and women when it comes to childrearing. I also agree that mothers should have a decent maternity leave and that there should be better laws for deadbeat dads.
However, the writer's proposed solutions to these issues are absurd, and not very well thought out at all.
First of all, parenting is a choice, and as the saying goes-with choice, comes responsibility. In the same way that it is your choice to have children and parent them as you wish, it is your responsibility to pay for them. You would not like others telling you how many children you can have, or IF you can have them at all, and god knows how many parents are upset if anyone even sounds like they're telling them how to raise them, so you can't just turn around and make those same people responsible for paying for your child. There is no doubt you will be forced to make financial sacrifices if you choose to have a child and stay at home, but let me get this straight- as a childless by choice woman, I should have to have more money taken from my paycheck (that I work hard for too) so that I can fund your personal choice? That on top of all of the other taxes I pay that benefit you and your children (especially after being insulted and basically called a "freeloader" in society), in what way is this fair?
Like I've said before, there is no doubt in my mind there are many inequities between women and their husbands when it comes to childrearing, and you rightfully deserve more support. That support needs to come from your husband (who also chose to have children), not the government. Not your boss. Not the childless. We are not your enemy simply because we have not made the same choices you have made.
I see in this book the many tasks stay at home mothers perform in a day's work that the author proposes they be paid for. Most of these, aside from childrearing duties, are the same household chores that await me when I get home from a 9+ hour day at work. Am I demanding that someone pay me to do these things because they are a drag and I would like more free time? No. Many of these things in the past have been seen as "women's work". Want to make sure they remain viewed that way forever? Insist that stay at home mothers be paid for them!
It is debatable at best, to say that procreation benefits society. With overpopulation becoming a growing concern, are you really afraid no one will be around to pad social security (As if there will actually be social security when we're older)? Do you really believe that all of us who have not chosen to have kids are somehow not doing our bit for society? And are you really afraid there will be a shortage of people providing services? Are your children going to be working for free as a special benefit to me? Is that why you had them? Or did you have them for your personal enjoyment, as you should have, like I believe? It's wonderful if you did that, but please stop acting like you did it as a favor to mankind.
You want parenting treated as a job, as in one that you're paid for? Wait a minute, I thought it was supposed to be seen as a rewarding gift. When I work at a job, I don't just walk in. I have to apply, be screened against other candidates, and be qualified for the position. Does this mean you're willing to go through the same things when you take on the "job" of raising a child? I am also subject to reviews based on my performance. Surely, the people paying you will want to make sure you're doing a good enough job. Would you be willing to listen to others telling you how & how not to parent? I can get fired at work if I do a poor job. How would that work for you? Do we get to take away your pay? Or your child? Let's talk about salary: Salary is based on whatever demand there is for that position, which is why a retail worker gets paid less than a surgeon- becuase there are more people who can perform the job out there to work in the mall than who can perform surgery. Being that everyone would be lined up for the job as mother, what end of the salary spectrum to you think you'll fall on? You'll be opening up a can of worms and inviting all of these questions when you expect motherhood to be considered your full time paid job.
By the way, how would this work for working mothers? You know, the ones who also love their children but choose not to stay home and whine that they're losing money? This book was written by a woman who had a child in her forties, fell in love with her son, and got upset that she wasn't earning money anymore from the job she chose to leave.
Another thought- what incentive does this plan give to teenage girls in high school to go to college and earn a degree, knowing she can just get knocked up, stay at home, and get paid?
This book starts out with a few good points, but ends up giving both feminism and motherhood a bad name.
Three cheers for mothers.......2006-03-15
Motherhood is the most under-valued job in the Western world today, argues economics journalist Ann Crittenden. While everyone may give lip service to the values of motherhood, the truth is, it is an unappreciated and un-rewarded job. Governments especially may sing the praises of mothering, but they do very little to actually support mothers.
Indeed, economists in particular pay little or no attention to the many important contributions made by mothers to society. If the input they made were included in our Gross Domestic Product calculations, the figures would vastly different. As Crittenden notes, in the modern world, two thirds of all wealth is created by "human skills, creativity, and enterprise - what is known as `social capital'." That makes parents the major wealth producers in most Western economies.
Not only does home care work receive no economic recognition, in many cases it is actually penalised. Women in the paid work force usually get subsidized day care, while mums who stay at home get nothing. This is but one example of how stay-at-home mums are discriminated against in most Western nations.
The value of a mother to a community is in many ways immeasurable. To raise and nurture the next generation, training them to become model citizens of the future, is no mean task. It takes years of sacrifice, commitment and fortitude. Yet this job goes unrecognised and under-praised.
Mothers on average are estimated to work more than eighty hours a week, more than anyone else in the economy. Yet all this labor is counted as nothing. As Crittenden explains, in a "culture that measures worth and achievement almost solely in terms of money, the intensive work of rearing responsible adults counts for little".
It is only when we put it in business terms that the picture becomes more clear. We should value a mother's work "at the level of a middle manager, plus the additional occasional services of a psychologist, a financial planner, a chauffeur, and so on." Indeed, a mum is also a chef, a teacher, a nurse, a child care worker, a sports coordinator, a cleaner, a wardrobe consultant, and much more. What wages in the paid workplace would a person with these combined talents bring in?
Crittenden cites the research of economists who have calculated the value of unpaid work done in the home to be equivalent to one half to two thirds of the GNP.
And of even more importance, a mother molds and shapes a child's character, hopefully rounding off the rough edges, curbing bad habits and promoting good ones. Children are being prepared for the role of a responsible citizen, and no social worker or government bureaucrat can replace a mother (and a father) in this regard.
However, Crittenden is certainly no conservative, and she shares most of the major feminist beliefs. For example, she argues for universal pre-school, more subsidised day care places, more workplace flexibility. All these are common feminist proposals. But she does recognise, unlike many feminists, that mothers really are important, and they deserve social, political and economic support.
Her feminist perspective shows up in many places. For example, she brings up the usual complaint about "deadbeat dads", that divorced men are often not making their alimony or child support payments. Yet she does not mention that the reason this is often the case is that many men are denied access to their own children, or even if they are allowed visiting time, many mums make it very difficult for them to do so. So the issue cuts both ways. Although it may not be right, one can understand a father being hesitant about dishing out money for the children he is often denied access to.
But Crittenden does point out that feminists have not always helped the lot of mothers. The truth is, the improvement of the conditions of motherhood, and a renewed push to revalue mothers, is just not on the feminist agenda. For too long feminists have argued that the only good woman is a career woman, and motherhood and homemaking are oppressive jobs, not worthy of liberated women. Says Crittenden, "women may have come a long way, but mothers have a lot further to go".
And she criticises conservatives for talking family values, but not really doing much to help mothers. To be fair, however, many conservative pro-family organisations have argued for years for proper recognition and support of motherhood.
Thus this book is neither wholly feminist nor wholly conservative, (although it clearly is closer to the feminist worldview). But it is refreshing for taking motherhood seriously, and for standing up for mothers when so few others actually are. And whether all her proposals to relieve mothers (especially in terms of financial help) are the best options or not, at least she is giving in-principle support for the invaluable job mothers perform.
Why She Speaks The Truth.......2006-02-16
Here's the thing. People who are "child-free" or work for pay and resent the idea that "at-home" (ha!) mothers deserve any tax breaks or remuneration for their work seem to forget one thing: children do not stay children forever.
You ask why non-parents should subsidize the child-rearing work unpaid parents perform? Remember that one way or another, today's children are tomorrow's workers. Today's children are going to cure your cancer, fix your automobile, inspect the food you eat, push your wheelchair around the retirement home, solve the crimes in your neighborhood, and teach the next generation of human beings -- among other things.
Having children isn't just some petty, self-absorbed indulgence on the part of parents. It's a way to ensure continuation of the human species, for one thing.
And I don't care who's raising the children -- at-home parents, daycare centers, nannies -- it's a tough job that should be valued and respected for its crucial importance not just to our society but to the human race in general.
For those who think it's "communist" or "socialist" to value, and maybe even subsizide, the free (or very cheap) labor put out by people who do their best to raise the next generation of decent human beings, I say: I hope you have never needed anything from anyone. Though I doubt that's true.
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