Andy Goldsworthy: A Collaboration with Nature

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 Nature and Properties of Soils (13th Edition)

Average customer rating:

Good, but weak about tropical soils
An Indispensable Reference
Good informative book will teach you a lot about soil
Simply excellent
A Fun, Readable, and Thorough Introduction to Soil Science

The Nature and Properties of Soils (13th Edition)
Nyle C. Brady , and Ray R. Weil
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Soil Science Simplified
Plant Pathology, Fifth Edition
Plant Physiology
Soil Fertility and Fertilizers: An Introduction to Nutrient Management (7th Edition)
Soil Microbiology, Ecology and Biochemistry, Third Edition

ASIN: 0130167630

Customer Reviews:

Good, but weak about tropical soils.......2006-11-09

I'm an agronomist.Here in Brazil, I read this book.
This book is long and has many informations.
Every agronomist must read, a book such as this.
At least in ediction that I read, this book has a big failure.This book is weak about tropical soils.
For american reality, I think this book deserves 5 stars.
Well, I live in Brazil.I'll give four stars for it.

An Indispensable Reference.......2006-02-12

This is the 13th edition of a text that has been the standard in this field for 84 years. Its durability lies in its solid information; clear presentation; and graphics that are as rich as they are numerous. It is peppered with fascinating sidebars. You can dip into it as a reference and find just what you need (assuming you have a foundation in soil science). Even after I moved on to advanced coursework in soils, I found myself referring back to this.

If you have been assigned a soils text for a class, do not go with the abridged version of this, Elements of the Nature and Properties of Soils. It is 1/2 the book for 3/4 of the price (and at discounters the books are priced identically). If you plan to continue studies in the natural sciences, you will want this unabridged version. It's indispensable.

Good informative book will teach you a lot about soil.......2005-08-09

I first bought this book when we bought a property with trashed-out soil. I've since grown attached to this book, which I find myself referring to. It's clearly written, well organized, and covers so much information. I really think that you can't go wrong with this book, if you want to know about soil (be warned: it doesn't really cover soil microbiology, the living aspect of soil - I'd recommend the book by Robert Tate III; the copy I have is Soil Microbiology 2nd Ed. (c) 2000)

With that said - I've gone through other books but haven't found one that I'd compare to this one. It's just really well done.

Simply excellent.......2005-07-09

The first time I ran into this book was at the public library, while serching reference material for my daughter's science project. I found the book so helpful that I checked it out again for my own use. The third time I said: "I have to have my own copy." The 13th edition is now on its way.

A Fun, Readable, and Thorough Introduction to Soil Science.......2002-06-12

My "Science of Soils" class at Stanford University (Autumn '01) used "The Nature and Properties of Soils" as our main textbook. It is clearly written, easy to read, and has lots of helpful figures (including graphs, diagrams, drawings, and black-and-white and color photos). The chapters are well organized, so that you can find exactly what you need to know. The authors include hundreds of websites for those who want more information, and make the book more readable by starting off each chapter with a quote and a "big picture" statement.

"The Nature and Properties of Soils" has a good mix of theoretical and practical information. Wherever possible, the authors do sample calculations and describe applications for agriculture, ecology, and engineering. They thoroughly cover every major topic in soil science, as well as delving into some more specialized ones (for example, symptoms of micronutrient deficiencies in plants).

In conclusion, I've found this textbook to be both very information-rich and very readable, and highly recommend it. (The other day I caught my boyfriend, who's a materials engineer, reading it for fun... that's about the highest accolade any textbook can get!)

Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business
Average customer rating:

Vintage Mamet with a twist

War Stories A Plenty

Disappointed

David Mamet on the movie business? Please?!

Great Beach Book

Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business
David Mamet
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Direction & Production | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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The Wicked Son: Anti-Semitism, Self-hatred, and the Jews (Jewish Encounters)

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Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity

ASIN: 0375422536
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

In Bambi vs. Godzilla, David Mamet, the award-winning playwright and screenwriter, gives us an exhilaratingly subversive inside look at Hollywood from the perspective of a filmmaker who has always played the game his own way.

Who really reads the scripts at the film studios? How is a screenplay like a personals ad? Whose opinion matters when revising a screenplay? Why are there so many producers listed in movie credits? And what the hell do those producers do, anyway? Refreshingly unafraid to offend, Mamet provides hilarious, surprising, and bracingly forthright answers to these and other questions about virtually every aspect of filmmaking, from concept to script to screen.

He covers topics ranging from “How Scripts Got So Bad” to the oxymoron of “Manners in Hollywood.” He takes us step-by-step through some of his favorite movie stunts and directorial tricks, and demonstrates that it is craft and crew, not stars and producers, that make great films. He tells us who his favorite actors and what his favorite movies are, who he thinks is the most perfect actor to grace the screen, and who he thinks should never have appeared there.

Demigods and sacred cows of the movie business–beware! But for the rest of us, Mamet speaking truth to Hollywood makes for searingly enjoyable reading.

Customer Reviews:

Vintage Mamet with a twist.......2007-09-09

This is vintage Mamet; sharp, insightful, renegade, taking potshots at sacred cows. Unlike earlier collections like 'Writing in Restaurants' there is a new ingredient running through most pieces- a knifetip of something angry and bitter.
That's made more noticeable by a chapter that starts with a genial, witty quote from 'Richard Weisz'... Richard Weisz being one of Mamet's alter egos. The world -and specifically that world- needs all the Mamet it can get.

War Stories A Plenty.......2007-07-29

As the title suggests, this is not a book that glorifies the movie business. Through stories from the trenches Mamet paints a vivid and realistic picture of what it's like trying to negotiate the turbulent rapids of Hollywood. I was a little afraid of this book at first, because I really thought the author, whom I respect very much, was going to trash the business, that I love so very much. But I was pleasantly surprised that he was able to present a balanced picture. Yes, there are some people that he hates (actors be ware), but you can tell that he has a true love for the business. Mamet also uses his humor to offset some of the more acidic anecdotes. All in all, a good book. A quick read. And his insights are very unique.

Disappointed.......2007-07-24

I love David Mamet's plays. He's an excellent writer. So I was enthusiastic about getting the chance to read his personal views of Hollywood. And while I agree with him that the studio machinery is all about profits and very little about art or craft - when was it ever different? - I was ultimately disappointed by his book. There were times when I just didn't know what he was talking about. I think his writing here is often inaccessible. I may not be the most erudite reader, but Mamet left me cold. I just couldn't get into the style of his writing. I felt distanced rather than drawn in. When I read a book like this, I want to devour it, not pick at its little pieces. You may feel differently, that's fine. The book didn't pull me in the way I'd hoped it would.

David Mamet on the movie business? Please?!.......2007-06-01

This book was so wonderful, I took it out from the library, read it, and then had to buy it. I never do that. It's a book you'll want to read over and over, have other people read (at least certain essays) and refer to the filmography repeatedly. Mamet is so amazingly astute about everything, but particularly about things relating to theater and the movie business. If you are a movie buff at all, read this book.

Great Beach Book.......2007-05-28

A bit of Hollywood background, some insightful comments on current culture, essays of a sort and one can pick up and put down but comforted that it remains there to continue to read. I read it on spring break in the South of France as did two other family members. Three generations enjoyed it on the terrace overlooking the Mediterranean.

Landscape Painting Inside and Out: Capture the Vitality of Outdoor Painting in Your Studio With Oils

Average customer rating:

Excellent examples
shadows
Not as much "color and light" in this one.
Wonderful instruction for the Plein-Air artist.
A "Must Have" Resource

Landscape Painting Inside and Out: Capture the Vitality of Outdoor Painting in Your Studio With Oils
Kevin D. Macpherson
Manufacturer: North Light Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

Landscape Painting | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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

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Oil Painting | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Fill Your Oil Paintings With Light & Color
Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting
Mastering Color: The Essentials Of Color Illustrated With Oils
Problem Solving for Oil Painters: Recognizing What's Gone Wrong and How to Make It Right
Brushwork Essentials: How to Render Expressive Form and Texture With Every Stroke

ASIN: 1581807554

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.

Water Dog: Revolutionary Rapid Training Method

Average customer rating:

Was a great book in its time.
Great Book
Old but still correct
waterdog book
classic dog training

Water Dog: Revolutionary Rapid Training Method
Richard Wolters
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Game Dog: Second Revised Edition
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Water Dog 2nd Edition
Gun Dog: Revolutionary Rapid Training Method
The 10-Minute Retriever: How to Make an Obedient and Enthusiastic Gun Dog in 10 Minutes a Day

ASIN: 0525247343

Customer Reviews:

Was a great book in its time........2007-09-20

There is no question that the author was a world class dog trainer. It is just as obvious that the book was written decades ago when beating the dog was an acceptable form of discipline. We are a little more sophisticated than that today.

The training techniques and protocols are timeless and I highly recommend them. I used them to train my Lab and the results have been great. But I don't beat him!

Great Book.......2007-07-16

This book is awesome, although it was writen a long time ago it is a great guide on how to go about training a retriever for waterfowling. I read this book after reading "Game Dog" by the same author and they are great complements to one another. Game Dog is more structured by the pups age, but "Water Dog" gives more detail on some of the instruction and also talks alittle more about disipline and what to do if the dog refuses your commands.

Old but still correct.......2007-06-08

Mr. Wolters was really the first to strongly urge that puppies should start being trained at a very early age. What stands out about this old book is the emphasis on common sense. Short training lessons for puppies and consistency in how the owner trains and what he/she expects from the dog. I've used this book several times in the past and think it's just as good now as it was in the early '60's.

waterdog book.......2007-02-12

had this book along time ago lost it just got my three boys a white lab from santa it is only 12 weeks old already doing commands on a whistle

classic dog training.......2007-01-03

This book is easy to read and contains a ton of great information about dog training. Be forewarned, that if you plan on using a training collar you should get a book that covers those basics as well since this book was written before that training tool became available.
This is one of his later books and as such contains improvements in technique and his writing style. This is _the book_ if you're training a retriever. His methods for teaching a dog to do blind retrieves are a little logistically difficult and I'd suggest not using them unless you have the resources nearby.

Average customer rating:

Technical Communication
Mary M. Lay , Billie J. Wahlstrom , Carolyn Rude , Cindy Selfe , and Jack Selzer
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Communications | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Web Style Guide: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites, Second Edition
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Traffic Engineering, Third Edition

ASIN: 0256220581

Book Description

Technical Communication represents the works of five highly respected authors, all writing in their areas of expertise. Scientific examples and assignments within a social context are used for a realistic view of communication issues. This is the only text to extensively address argument, including reasoning, credibility, persuasion, decision making, problem solving, and critical thinking. The topic of audience is also addressed more thoroughly than in any other text. The book covers the traditional parts of the technical communication course but has been updated greatly to respond to the demands that the computer places on communicating.

John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide

Average customer rating:

Great content and easy to read.
Ease of Use
Simply the best
Detailed Photos and Attention Grabbing Techniques.
must book for Nature Photography

John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide
John Shaw
Manufacturer: Amphoto Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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Nature & Wildlife | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)
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Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography (Updated Edition)
Creative Nature and Outdoor Photography

ASIN: 0817440593

Book Description

An updated bestseller, this book of extraordinarily beautiful photographs of nature contains state-of-the-art instruction on how any photographer can aim for equally impressive results every time a camera is focused on the great outdoors. Even highly skilled photographers are often baffled by the problems facing them when they work outdoors. But with this exceptional field guide in hand, every photographer-beginner, serious amateur, semi-pro, and pro-can conquer the problems encountered in the field. Using his own exceptional work as examples, the author discusses each type of nature subject and how to approach photographing it. Specific advice and information cover selection of equipment and lenses; how to compose a shot; how to get close ups; and other tips covering a range of techniques to enrich various types of nature photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Great content and easy to read. .......2007-08-29

I bought three photo books at the same time. This one was great for understanding the basics again but more in depth. Everything about his discussion on exposure relates to being outside and shooting outside.

This book is a good book to teach from if needed. I found myself highlighting many many statements and excited about reading the next chapter. I will be re-reading this book.

I would have liked to see more on blinds, building them, and stalking techniques. However, the first part of this book is very very good. I was thinking this was all about field techniques for getting close to the subject but there is little about that. However the content about stalking, etc., is very good. Now that I read the book, I see how this is a field guild. Learning how to have correct exposure in the field and get the shot you was wanting.

I really enjoyed the tone of the book. It is low key and easy to follow. Each time there is a term that may be unfamiliar he would define it and use an example. Easy to see John is a good teacher.

This is not an "all in one" book but close. However that is not the aim of the book. This one with another good basics book and I would say someone just starting out could really start taking wonderful pictures that make a mark.

-Jeff
[...]

Ease of Use.......2007-05-07

When you see a terrific photo, it screams "great" at you. For those of us who love great photos but have a difficult time with all the numbers, combinations, and what changes to make on the fly, this book was a breath of fresh air. Shaw tells you in plain English what makes a photo good while bouncing along in a Land Rover in the wilds of Africa or comfortably entrenched behind a tree with your telephoto lens trained on a native village in rural Mexico. He writes simply, with lovely concision. The two of you could be sitting in your living room chatting photography. I love that approach! Because the book is fairly heavy and wouldn't fit in my camera bag, I copied the needed chapters and stuffed them in. Perfect!

Simply the best.......2007-05-07

After reading several other books on nature photography, most were good, but this one is without reservation, the very best. Although written for film, most of the book is still valuable for digital photography. I was hooked on the book by the chapter on exposure. His treatment of the subject is clear and simply rang true. It has heped me to think of exposure in ways that have improved my photography significantly.

The book covers a wide range of topics and does so consistently and clearly.

Detailed Photos and Attention Grabbing Techniques........2007-02-28

Let me just thank [...]

Now to the book. I made a cursory reading of Nature Photography Field Guide and I can already tell that I did not make a mistake ordering it. It is like a course in photography itself on first glance with specialization in nature and outdoor photography. All the main stuff that I wanted to know are there: exposure, what type of lenses to use, equipment and film, composition, etc.

I especially like the fact that tricky lighting situations and exposure are addressed and techniques recommended. This is the chapter that grabs my attention at the moment, as this is my weakness: how to compensate exposure manually based on scene lighting. I will try out Shaw's suggestions as soon as I can. His photos are breathtaking and detailed with camera, lenses and accessories used.

I shall be updating this review once I made thorough reading of it. Meanwhile, thanks again Amazon for the speedy delivery of my copy of Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide and Immortal Beloved DVD!

must book for Nature Photography .......2007-01-07

I am an armature photographer, which studied photography for one academic year in Camera Obscura (one of Israel's leading photography schools). Reading the book was equal to a second year. The book covers basic photography concepts and technique (DOF, lenses ect.)as well as a very practical what you need to know and get in order to start working in the field. I must say that a great deal of my equipment was bought and upgraded based on the recommendations of John Shaw. One of the import issues the book deals with (including some very good examples) is horizontal vs. vertical positioning of the camera and the issue of cropping effect on how the image "feels".
Any new photographer that wants to start nature photography should read this book, whether he uses a DSLR or a point and shot. I go further and recommend it to any one planning a nature vacation, so when he shows his pictures to family and friends it will amaze them instead of bored them.
Great and practical book.

Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape

Average customer rating:

Home Ground
A Beautiful Book
Home Ground
Nature Lover from Portola Valley loves Home Ground
Landscapes and Language

Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape

Manufacturer: Trinity University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

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Arctic Dreams
Life Is Meals: A Food Lover's Book of Days
Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog: The Quirky History And Lost Art of Diagramming Sentences
Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American West
The Echo Maker: A Novel

ASIN: 1595340246

Book Description

Barry Lopez asked 45 poets and writers to define terms that describe America’s land and water forms — phrases like flatiron, bayou, monadnock, kiss tank, meander bar, and everglade. The result is a major enterprise comprising over 850 descriptions, 100 line drawings, and 70 quotations from works by Willa Cather, Truman Capote, John Updike, Cormac McCarthy, and others. Carefully researched and exquisitely written by talents such as Barbara Kingsolver, Lan Samantha Chang, Robert Hass, Terry Tempest Williams, Jon Krakauer, Gretel Ehrlich, Luis Alberto Urrea, Antonya Nelson, Charles Frazier, Linda Hogan, and Bill McKibben, Home Ground is a striking composite portrait of the landscape. At the heart of this expansive work is a community of writers in service to their country, emphasizing a language that suggests the vastness and mystery that lie beyond our everyday words.

Customer Reviews:

Home Ground.......2007-07-17

Everything Barry Lopez touches is guaranteed quality reading. "Home Ground" a wonderful reference for understanding various geographical/landscape features. Pulling the reference to same from literature onto the same page as the definition is a brilliant idea. I enjoy opening it and reading it at random and also referring to it to refresh myself on terms.

A Beautiful Book.......2007-05-23

If you have a passion for the land, for the language, for fine writing, for earth's mysteries, and for peculiarities of places; and especially if you like books that are simply well-wrought objects, this is a truly beautiful volume. Trust to accident, and crack it open anywhere - you will be enlightened about some little place or feature you likely never knew existed. A true treasure.

Home Ground.......2007-04-04

The format of this interesting exploration of the landscape lends itself to those occasional free moments when one wants a connection with something of worth. Here is a wonderful blending of history, language and the land. Home Ground deserves a permanent place on the coffee table.

Nature Lover from Portola Valley loves Home Ground.......2007-01-23

I'd recommend this book to anyone who reads widely and loves to discover the derivation of geographical terms pertainig to nature. What is unique about this book is the input from 45 well known writers to define unique American landscape terms. I ordered 3 copies for all my family located in the Pacific Northwest and they agree that this book is a great resource.

Landscapes and Language.......2007-01-12

The book defines (with illustrations) terms used to describe land features, such as barranca, grand bois, quaking bog. It is primarily a book to dip into for fun or to consult as a reference. If you like descriptive terms (e.g., meander scar) or puzzling friends with new words, you will like this book.

Average customer rating:

Galen Rowell Unplugged
Galen Rowell: A Retrospective
Galen Rowell was the man
Photography at its best.
Must own for any fans of Galen or the outdoors

Galen Rowell: A Retrospective
Galen Rowell
Manufacturer: Sierra Club Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 1578051150

Book Description

Galen Rowell was the archetypal adventure photographer, his iconic images published in leading magazines and scores of books, exhibited in major galleries, and cherished by fans ranging from the Dalai Lama to news anchor Tom Brokaw. When he and his wife and business partner, Barbara Cushman Rowell, perished in a small plane crash in 2002, he had just completed a landmark assignment for National Geographic and had begun making stunning new images of his favorite old haunts in the Sierra Nevada.
Fortunately for us, his productivity was immense and his photographs meticulously archived, making possible this first and only comprehensive retrospective of his work. Rowell himself had no time for looking back: his creative energies went into books that combine his images and writings on a wide range of subjects including, climbing and expeditionary feats; exotic cultures; endangered wildlife and places; celebrations of light, color, and rare natural phenomena; and visionary interpretations of landscape.
All are magnificently on view in this retrospective, which includes more than 175 images representing all phases and dimensions of Rowell's singular career, chosen by the editors with whom he worked most closely, overseen by his family and studio colleagues, and reproduced to the highest standards of lithography from digital masters of his 35mm frames. Complementing and illuminating the pictures are essays and commentaries by Rowell's friends and associates from the worlds of mountaineering, conservation, photography, and publishing, along with an in-depth biographical introduction by Robert Roper and an appreciation of his work by photography critic Andy Grundberg.

Customer Reviews:

Galen Rowell Unplugged.......2007-07-20

Spectacular Photos and what an athlete. His death was a loss, but he lives on in these images

Galen Rowell: A Retrospective.......2007-06-13

This is more a short biography with too few of the beautuful photos this talented outdoor photographer made. I would have like to have seen more full page photos and more of them.

Galen Rowell was the man.......2007-05-30

this book was amazing, the pictures are stunning, and the stories about him are almost unbelievable. I highly recommend this book for fans of photography or anyone who loves the outdoors.

Photography at its best........2007-05-13

If you are familiar with with the work of Galen Rowell I don't need to elaborate on the beauty and quality of his work, if you aren't familiar with this man and his work it will be a valuable addition to your knowledge and enjoyment of photography. Galen Rowell had an unfortunate and untimely death
after a very active life of globe trotting for photography that transcends
the material plane. The book presents many of his best works in a lovely format. A coffee table book that will get noticed.

Must own for any fans of Galen or the outdoors.......2007-03-27

If you have every looked at Galen's photos and wanted to see more, this is it. With his life cut short, at least we still have archived material that can be released in a book this nice to bring us more glimpses of his world. The color is amazing, the subjects grand, and Galens storys bring it all alive in my livingroom.

Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas

Average customer rating:

She writes convincing material, but
Well written
An Argument for Gnosticism
Orthodoxy vs. Gnosticism
The Gospel of St John is more accurate

Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas
Elaine Pagels
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Apocrypha | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Gnostic Gospels
The Nag Hammadi Library
The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle
The Origin of Satan
Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity

ASIN: 0375501568
Release Date: 2003-05-06

Amazon.com

Shortly after Elaine Pagels' two-and-half-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare lung disease, the religion professor found herself drawn to a Christian church again for the first time in many years. In Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas Pagels, best know for her National Book Award-winning The Gnostic Gospels, wrestles with her own faith as she struggles to understand when--and why--Christianity became associated almost exclusively with the ideas codified in the fourth-century Nicene Creed and in the canonical texts of the New Testament. In her exploration, she uncovers the richness and diversity of Christian philosophy that has only become available since the discovery of the Nag Hammadi texts.

At the center of Beyond Belief is what Pagels identifies as a textual battle between The Gospel of Thomas (rediscovered in Egypt in 1945) and The Gospel of John. While these gospels have many superficial similarities, Pagels demonstrates that John, unlike Thomas, declares that Jesus is equivalent to "God the Father" as identified in the Old Testament. Thomas, in contrast, shares with other supposed secret teachings a belief that Jesus is not God but, rather, is a teacher who seeks to uncover the divine light in all human beings. Pagels then shows how the Gospel of John was used by Bishop Irenaeus of Lyon and others to define orthodoxy during the second and third centuries. The secret teachings were literally driven underground, disappearing until the Twentieth Century. As Pagels argues this process "not only impoverished the churches that remained but also impoverished those [Irenaeus] expelled."

Beyond Belief offers a profound framework with which to examine Christian history and contemporary Christian faith, and Pagels renders her scholarship in a highly readable narrative. The one deficiency in Pagels' examination of Thomas, if there is one, is that she never fully returns in the end to her own struggles with religion that so poignantly open the book. How has the mysticism of the Gnostic Gospels affected her? While she hints that she and others have found new pathways to faith through Thomas, the impact of Pagels' work on contemporary Christianity may not be understood for years to come. --Patrick O'Kelley

Book Description

Special edition including the complete text of the Gospel of Thomas

Elaine Pagels, one of the world’s most important writers and thinkers on religion and history, and winner of the National Book Award for her groundbreaking work The Gnostic Gospels, now reflects on what matters most about spiritual and religious exploration in the twenty-first century. This bold new book explores how Christianity began by tracing its earliest texts, including the secret Gospel of Thomas, rediscovered in Egypt in 1945.

When her infant son was diagnosed with fatal pulmonary hypertension, Elaine Pagels’s spiritual and intellectual quest took on a new urgency, leading her to explore historical and archeological sources and to investigate what Jesus and his teachings meant to his followers before the invention of doctrine–and before the invention of Christianity as we know it.

The astonishing discovery of the Gospel of Thomas, along with more than fifty other early Christian texts unknown since antiquity, offers startling clues. Pagels compares such sources as Thomas’s gospel (which claims to give Jesus’ secret teaching, and finds its closest affinities with kabbalah) with the canonic texts to show how Christian leaders chose to include some gospels and exclude others from the collection we have come to know as the New Testament. To stabilize the emerging Christian church in times of devastating persecution, the church fathers constructed the canon, creed, and hierarchy–and, in the process, suppressed many of its spiritual resources.

Drawing on new scholarship–her own, and that of an international group of scholars–that has come to light since the publication in 1979 of The Gnostic Gospels, Pagels shows that what matters about Christianity involves much more than any one set of beliefs. Traditions embodied in Judaism and Christianity can powerfully affect us in heart, mind, and spirit, inspire visions of a new society based on practicing justice and love, even heal and transform us.

Provocative, beautifully written, and moving, Beyond Belief, the most personal of Pagels’s books to date, shows how “the impulse to seek God overflows the narrow banks of a single tradition.” Pagels writes, “What I have come to love in the wealth and diversity of our religious traditions–and the communities that sustain them–is that they offer the testimony of innumerable people to spiritual discovery, encouraging us, in Jesus’ words, to ‘seek, and you shall find.’”

Customer Reviews:

She writes convincing material, but.......2007-08-27

WOW! She really writes convincing material and writes it well! She made me scared to study Gnostic writings, I was afraid they'd be right and I'd have to rework my faith of almost 40 years. As another reviewer pointed out, she does not really explore the Gospel of Thomas in this book...instead she trashes the Gospel of John. I found this curious. If the Gnostic writings are so great, then let's study them! But I have come to understand that the modern Gnostic movement is not about believing in Gnosticism...it is about NOT believing in the books of the New Testament. For after reading her book, I went on a journey of studying Gnostic writings as well as how the New Testament Canon was formed. Some of the major themes that are ascribed to Gnosticism by Pagels and others today are simply incorrect. The Gnostics did not believe in tolerance, they were a 'holier than thou' elistest group. And they also believed that salvation was only for men (Jesus is quoted as saying that he would turn Mary into a man so she would reach her spiritual path). The Gnostics were also strongly antisemitic. But Pagels doesn't share this information. And all this was the opposite in the teachings and actions of the apostles and early church, who were open,tolerant, and believed all were equal in Christ-including women.
However, in accepting books as being holy and to be used for doctrine, the early church followed some basic rules. The book had to be written by an apostle or someone who had been with an apostle, and the book had to agree with the teachings the apostles had given. Paul's letters are the earliest documents, and the doctrines he taught are the basis of Christianity, and these doctrines agree with writings of the other apostles. These works were written while people who knew the apostles were still alive. The Gnostics writings came later and were recognized as forgeries. They completely disagreed with the earlier teachings of the apostles: they were not like a different denomination of Christianity, they were a different religion altogether. The early church was tolerant, except when it came to untruth, and therefore the early church leaders tried to expose the hoax of Gnosticism. George Washington worked to prove the letters which were supposedly from him as a spy to the English govenment were forged letters. He did not do this for power or in order to suppress some secret. He did it because the letters were forgeries. In the same way the early church denounced the writings of the Gnostics: they did so because the writings were forgeries.
But I as said at the beginning, Pagels writes very well and very convincingly. I'm glad I read the book, for it sparked an indepth study of the early church which I am still pursuing.

Well written.......2007-07-19

I found this book well written and compelling , but not over the top. A good work to introduce and explain the relevance and works discovered known as the Gospel of Thomas.

An Argument for Gnosticism.......2007-04-27

Raised within the confines of fundamentalist religion, we found that asking Biblical questions could be extremely hazardous to our religious existence. After being excommunicated for numerous such affronts to the sanctity of the written word, we are especially appreciative of Ms. Pagels and her untiring efforts to shed light on so many of the lesser known aspects of early Christianity. Some readers have expressed their disappointment, feeling the book devotes too much attention to the formation of orthodoxy, the evolution of the Gospel of John and the suppression of many books labeled Gnostic. But, as pointed out by Pagels, these events still play a role in our cultural history and untangling these, ". . .complex strands have practical consequences as well as intellectual ones." We may not be aware of the cultural wallpaper we have assimilated until it is pointed out that it is indeed wallpaper, and it may be in need of refurbishing. As noted in the book, "orthodoxy tends to distrust our capacity to make such discriminations and insists on making them for us." It would be difficult to fully appreciate the radical differences contained in the Gospel of Thomas if we did not examine the thought processes involved in suppressing it.

As Pagels develops her arguments, she demonstrates how orthodoxy created an ever widening chasm that placed God, His only-begotten son and the church fathers on one side, and the congregation of sinners on the other. The increased value bestowed on Jesus by the church, equaled the speedy demotion of a flock whose only hope lay in their unquestioning belief in him. The writer of the Gospel of Thomas had the effrontery to suggest that Jesus' real message lay in his knowledge that all men, including him, were one with God. And, "Thomas' Jesus directs each disciple to discover the light within" through gnosis, an experiential knowing gained through a connection with higher consciousness. Shockingly, this message took church fathers out of the loop by suggesting that each person had an equal opportunity to save themselves. It is not surprising then that heresy was originally defined as "the act of choice!"

Orthodoxy attempted to control the people through selective information and the lack of choice. We, on the other hand, can easily miss the gifts offered by the Gospel of Thomas because we are inundated with information and choke on the multitude of choices offered to us on a daily basis. If we dismiss the Gospel of Thomas as another curiosity, we will miss the invitation Thomas' Jesus extends," If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you." Books such as Pagels' "Beyond Belief" and Ehrman's "Misquoting Jesus" offer proof that there is little reason to take a literalist view of the Bible. This does not mean that Jesus' teachings are inaccessible. It does mean that we must each choose whether we will be one who accepts what is found outside us, or one who searches for the answers within. Pagels' book offers a great platform for exploration.

Lee & Steven Hager are the authors of Quantum Prodigal Son: Revisiting Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son from the Perspective of Quantum Mechanics

Orthodoxy vs. Gnosticism.......2007-03-19

My primary interest in reading this book was to better understand and appreciate the evolution of Christian thought and belief in the early church. On this score, Elaine Pagels definitely does not disappoint.

I found her choice of beginning this work with an intensely personal description of the spiritual journey she faced during her young son's fatal illness to be surprising at first, but through her book I came to understand why she introduced this work in such a way: all spiritual journeys are intensely personal. The authors of the "Secret Gospel of Thomas", the Gospel of John, and the later Church Fathers who built upon these writings, all faced challenging times. In seeking answers to the challenges they faced, they engaged in their own personal spiritual journeys, which resulted in their recording what they learned and believed in the texts that have been passed down to us.

Elaine Pagels engages us in the challenges and spiritual journeys of these early Christian writers, both known (mostly proponents of what became the roots of Christianity as we know it today); and unknown (mostly the authors of the Gnostic books found in the Nag Hammadi library, such as the Gospel of Thomas; and other works).

The Gnostic authors and their adherents found themselves marginalized if not actively persecuted as the well-organized and controlled universal Church took hold in the ancient world. Gnosticism is an intensely personal form of faith, where one seeks to find Spiritual truth for oneself instead of unquestioningly adopting an external authority's view.

Dr. Pagels referees for us the centuries-long debate between early Christian Fathers and their Gnostic counterparts - helping us see how the debate between control of doctrine vs. freedom of exploration changed and grew over time. She seeks to help us understand the complexities of the central question for us: What is truth, and what is lies? In making our spiritual journeys, how can we tell them apart? How do we find that truth for ourselves without falling into error?

The roots of that debate reach far back into Jewish history: centuries before Jesus started teaching. Therefore, Dr. Pagels knows she cannot answer the question. Instead, she seeks to help us understand the issues and the context within which we, as Christians, make our own journeys in search of spiritual truth.

The great authors of Orthodoxy - Tertullian, Athanaeus and Irenaeus, among others, all saw that allowing too much freedom of exploration often led to spiritual error and excess. On the other hand, they appreciated the importance of needing to explore one's own faith for oneself, and did not want to create a rigid and inflexible Christian faith that could not tolerate such journeys of faith. They understood that a balance between the two extremes must be found.

Ultimately, and as Dr. Pagels says in her book, it is not right, or wise, to accept spiritual authority without question, or to seek to eliminate the rich spiritual diversity found throughout the Christian world. Diversity brings strength and vitality, but too much diversity brings conflict and destruction. There is no simple answer to the question: we must each find an answer for ourselves.

Dr. Pagels' work is easy to read, well researched, well footnoted, and thought provoking. While I highly recommend this book, I would have to agree with what others here have said: that the title is misleading. This book focuses more on the evolution of orthodox Christianity than it does on the Gnostic tradition, or on the Gospel of Thomas itself. I give it a four star recommendation.

The Gospel of St John is more accurate.......2007-02-09

If you want a review of the gospel of Thomas look to the references cited in this book. The end notes are an excellent source of research in early Christian texts. This book is about the gospel of St John, how the politics of the time shaped what was written and how the work of Origen and the Emperor Constantine decided what gospels would constitute the New Testament. The writing is uneven or perhaps it needed tighter editing to have the work flow in a more even pace.

This mis-naming and awkward, read as uneven, pace seems to be characteristic of Pagels, her origin of Satan had similar problems. What she clearly possesses is the desire to ferret out the details and offer a plausible explanation.

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