From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

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After reading this book, I guarantee that you will never visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art (or any wonderful, old cavern of a museum) without sneaking into the bathrooms to look for Claudia and her brother Jamie. They're standing on the toilets, still, hiding until the museum closes and their adventure begins. Such is the impact of timeless novels . . . they never leave us. E. L. Konigsburg won the 1967 Newbery Medal for this tale of how Claudia and her brother run away to the museum in order to teach their parents a lesson. Little do they know that mystery awaits!

Book Description

Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away...so she decided not to run FROM somewhere, but TO somewhere. And so, after some careful planning, she and her younger brother, Jamie, escaped -- right into a mystery that made headlines!

Customer Reviews:

I Want to Go There!.......2007-09-15

I want to go to New York to see this museum. This book was incredible and I loved the style of writing and the way the story unfolded letting each character have their own voice. I loved the notes at the end from the author. I really could tell she loved these characters and did care about their ever after. Every child should read this book. Wait, every adult should read this book!

Children's Classic.......2007-07-08

I bought this book for a class that I was student teaching for, and to my dismay none of them heard of it. Thanks to standardized testing books like these collect dust. My class loved it, and I highly recommened having it on the bookshelf for future generations

midnight museum magic.......2007-06-13

Do you like adventure, mystery and fun? Well then this is the book for you. It is about a girl named Claudia (11), and her brother, Jamie(9); they decided to run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They worked together which helped them to survive many days and nights in the museum. I learned that you should work together no matter who it is you are working with; your brother, your sister, a friend, or even Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler! I'd love to tell you more, but I can't spoil the story befroe you read "From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler."

From the Mixed up Flies of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler.......2007-06-12

From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler
E.L Konigsburg

Twelve year old Claudia Kincaid, is bored with her life - being an "A" student all the time, not having a big allowance, and having to deal with being the only girl and oldest of all her brothers. So, she decides to change things a bit to make them exciting. She takes all her allowance, her brother's allowance, her brother (Jamie) and a trumpet and violin case and heads off on an enjoyable, fun adventure to the Metropolitan Museum of art in New York City. There, they take tours everyday, sleep in queens' beds and do whatever they please while being careful not to get caught. One day, they uncover a beautiful, exquisite statue of an angel. As they get to know more about this angel, they find out that it is a mystery. No one knows who actually created this angel. Claudia is determined to find out who the artist is. But will she ever figure it out without getting caught?

This book was full of adventure, and filled determination and concentration. I really enjoyed this book because I felt like I was in the story with the characters through their good and bad times. Konigsburg makes this story become so realistic, it comes to life.

I recommend this book for anyone who loves a good adventure. The plot and setting of Konigsburg's book makes it an incredible, thrilling quest that I am sure you will enjoy! I know I enjoyed it!

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E.Frankweiler.......2007-04-17

E.L. Konigsburg wrote, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, a Newberry children or teens book. The book is about two children running away from their house and staying at the Metropolitan Museums of Art. The obstacles they go through to live independently include regrets from going anyway. It reminds you how much you care about your parents. While at the museum the kids find a mysterious puzzle that has clues that to an unexpected conclusion. There are no weaknesses in this book. I read this book because my Aunt is the author. I am not saying this book is good because I am related to the Author but because it is a fantastic and interesting novel. I totally recommend this book to anyone. There is also other books of hers that have won Newberry medals. A movie has been made to go with the book if you are more of a movie kind of guy.

Makers of Modern Strategy from Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age

Average customer rating:

Makers of Modern Strategy
Mandatory Reading for Army Staff Majors
Good general military history overview.
Still, this is a good book.....
Newer is Not Necessarily Better

Makers of Modern Strategy from Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age

Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0691027641

Customer Reviews:

Makers of Modern Strategy .......2005-09-22

"Makers of Modern Strategy" is a scholarly collection of high quality papers on strategy since Machiavelli to the present nuclear age. The beauty of the book is that one can focus on the era that one is interested in. There is no need to read the book cover to cover as the various essays are stand alone although they are presented sequentially and related papers are adjacent to each other. I have read and re-read some of the papers. The book is about strategy and the realities of war. The essays are clearly balanced and not biased. The phenomenon of war was clearly explained from the studies of past wars. It is clear that war has been a fundamental reality of social and political existence from an early stage of political organisation to the present times. The tragic aspects of war and the intellectual and emotional disturbances it creates could be discerned from the essays.

The book is divided into the following five parts:

Part One: The Origins of Modern War.
Part Two: The Expansion of war
Part Three: From the Industrial Revolution to the First World War.
Part Four: From the First to the Second World War.
Part Five: Since 1945.

The eminent contributors include Peter Paret, Felix Gilbert, John Shy, Gordon A. Craig, Maurice Matloff, Condoleezza Rice, Lawrence Freadman, Michael Carver and D. Clayton James. Their essays showed the role of force in the relations between states. It is now very clear to me that war has always been a compound of many elements ranging from politics to technology, to human emotions under extreme stress. Strategy is one of the critical elements of war.

The various essays trace the ideas and actions of past generations, as they used war to achieve their national goals, an analysis of military thought and policy in the recent past and present

My favourite part is Part Two. Here three great historical figures are highlighted namely Napoleon, Jomini and Clausewitz. I can now see the genius of Napoleon as one of the greatest soldiers in history in its proper strategic context. I think history need to rescue Jomini from the obscurity he is now relegated since it is largely him who has clearly related the greatness of Napoleon and the attempt to reduce war to some sort of science.

Makers of Modern Strategy add immense value to any study of warfare and strategy. I recommend it to Army Staff Colleges and those studying military history at postgraduate level.

Mandatory Reading for Army Staff Majors.......2002-03-13

As the title indicates, the Army's Command & General Staff College requires students to read Makers of Modern Strategy in the core history class. Professors can make best use of this book as a supplement. As other reviewers have noted, the chapters are disjointed with each other. Taken separately, however, many of the chapters help the history student or enthusiast to develop a depth of understanding on a particular subject. Authors such as John Shy, Douglas Porch, Michael Howard, and Condoleeza Rice, just to name a few, explore many of the strategic issues involved with the evolution of military thought.

From Machiavelli and Clausewitz to strategies of world wars and colonial wars, Makers of Modern Strategy adds value to any serious study of warfare. The high quality academic research and thought that underlies many of the articles is worth the price of the book. Highly recommended.

Good general military history overview........2001-03-05

One of the essentials, a good starting point for the study of military history and strategy.

Still, this is a good book............2000-08-12

Although I agree with the reviewer preceeding me that this might not be as strong of a book as was the masterpiece which preceeded it (by Earle), it is still a strong book and does (generally) what it sets out to do: to provide an accounting of major developments in military thought (i.e. western military thought) from the Renassance to the modern age.

As a text or as a reference, this is still a powerful and useful book. Each of the chapters discusses a major figure's thought in a fashion that can be dealt with easily in a sitting: for those people who don't want to sit and sort through Jomini (though everyone reading this should sit down with Clausewitz! ) or Douhet, to see their rights and wrongs....

I like this book. I bought my copy for $8.00 in NYC and have had it with me through a number of moves since....

Newer is Not Necessarily Better.......2000-07-18

This second version of the book is disappointing. I would have thought that it being edited by an historian as good as Peter Paret would have improved on the original, which was edited by Robert Earle. However, it is weaker both in scholarship and accuracy, especially John Shy's essay on Jomini. Old myths are resurrected about the Swiss renegade whose own works are generally historically inaccurate.

Many of the older, more professional, historians, who are unfortunately no longer with us were much more careful in their research and writing, hunting down sources that newer historians either refuse to look for or refuse to use. they also were more blunt, calling a spade a spade, and weren't worried about offending people or in 'revisionist' (read inaccurate) history. Political correctness was unknown to these stalwarts.

Book Description

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Social History of Modern Art, Volume 1: Art in an Age of Revolution, 1750-1800 (A Social History of Modern Art)

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A Social History of Modern Art, Volume 1: Art in an Age of Revolution, 1750-1800 (A Social History of Modern Art)
Albert Boime
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0226063348

Book Description

In A Social History of Modern Art, a sweeping multivolume social history of Western art from the French Revolution to World War I, Albert Boime moves beyond the concern with style and form that has traditionally characterized the study of art history and, in the tradition of Arnold Hauser, examines art in a broad historical context. Into his wide-ranging cultural inquiry Boime incorporates not only frequently studied mainstream artists and sculptors but also neglected and lesser known artists and unattributed popular imagery. He examines popular as well as official culture, the family as well as the state, and the conditions of the poor as well as of the affluent that affected cultural practice.

This inaugural volume explores the artistic repercussions of the major political and economic events of the latter half of the eighteenth century: the Seven Years' War, the French Revolution, and the English industrial revolution. Boime examines the prerevolutionary popularity of the rococo style and the emergence of the cult of antiquity that followed the Seven Years' War. He shows how the continual experiments of Jacques-Louis David and others with neoclassical symbols and themes in the latter part of the century actively contributed to the transformation of French and English politics. Boime's analyses reveal the complex relationship of art with a wide range of contemporary attitudes and conditions—technological innovation, social and political tensions, commercial expansion, and the growth of capitalism.

"Provocative and endlessly revealing."—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Herald Examiner

Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts (Llewellyn's High Magick)

Average customer rating:

a most recommendable first book
Full of interesting stuff
Very Effective, simply brilliant
A Great Course for Learning Ceremonial Magick
One of the only books youll need.

Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts (Llewellyn's High Magick)
Don Kraig
Manufacturer: Llewellyn Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0875423248

Customer Reviews:

a most recommendable first book.......2007-09-26

This was my first book I read about the subject and I still come back to it for reference, truly recommended for beginners at least.

Full of interesting stuff.......2007-08-31

Kool book. I haven't finished reading it yet (over 500 pages)But definitely makes for an interesting read.

Very Effective, simply brilliant.......2007-08-29

Well, I have for nearly all of my life been very wary of Magickal Arts. I'm Roman Catholic from birth, and so as you can appreciate, some non-sensical religious superstition is sometimes hard to push away. So buying this book was a huge and excellent life progression for me, and initially, enormously scary. This text has done two things, it has answered some of my personal questions, and improved my overall being. Donald Michael Kraig seems to be able to communicate the learning without all the hocus pocus, and provides very serious, practical and down to earth teaching and great explanations. Without this, I think that I would have simply thrown the book away.

I'm nearly three weeks into following the methods, and have noticed gradual and significant changes to my life. All positive and no negatives. Where I used to be weak, I now feel strong. Psychological maybe, but all the same, very very positive.

Simply put, I am really glad and very fortunate to have purchased this book.

A Great Course for Learning Ceremonial Magick.......2007-06-03

My current thought on this book is, "Why didn't I pick this up years ago?"

Learning about Ceremonial Magick has been rather difficult for me in previous years due to multiple factors. I came to it from a Wiccan and Pagan background, and at the time had a slight predjudice against anything Judeo-Christian. Even after that, however, I found solid information on the subject rather scattered and didn't know where to begin. What good, credible sources I did find were the type of authors from the early 1900's (like Crowley and Regardie) who felt it necessary to write in that "snooty scholar" style that leaves any ordinary person unable to comprehend even two sentences without going over it three times.

Donald Michael Kraig does not write like this. In fact, among books about Ceremonial Magick, his was a breath of fresh air to me. He writes in plain english and takes the time to explain some terms. Other terms he leaves to be understood as more text is read. This is understandable, and for me it's desirable, as I like to be left with a little bit of room to figure some details out. The 11-lesson format of this book makes it into a course of study on the topic. He states several times that his goal with this book was to allow the student to be able to pick up any book on these topics and essentially be able to grasp the concepts - or at least be able to follow. In this, he was a success. I had bought several books about High Magick before this one, most on specialized topics, and after reading through this book I've been re-reading the others right along with it. I could barely understand them before; I can understand them MUCH better now.

In addition, the exercises and rituals he provides are easy to follow. And following his eclectic bent, have substance without being weighted down and layered over with material that can easily be done without to the same effect. Best of all, Kraig himself has been practicing this stuff for over a decade (at LEAST), and so has the wisdom of experience to share. He knows what it's like to practice and study this stuff. He knows what kinds of experiences may crop up, and he knows how frustrating this path can be. He conveys this understanding to the student.

Now for some downsides to this course. First, there's one part where he later admits he purposely messed up to see if the student would catch it. Personally, I don't appreciate playing around like that (that's not one of the things I feel should be left to figure out). There are some other things that he presents differently when compared to other sourceworks on High Magick (like which color band on the Rainbow Wand to grasp when consecrating the elemental weapons). Lastly, there are certain things that I feel should have been better explained, although they were few and can be supplemented by checking out other sources.

All in all, if you're a beginner in Ceremonial Magick and want to know more from a comprehensive source, this is a fine book to pick up for just such a purpose!

One of the only books youll need........2007-04-29

This is one of the only books you'll need to begin your journey on the magical path. This book is a good primer to The Golden Dawn System in that it deals with the Kabalah, ritual magic, and some of the eastern traditions. I would recommend one read this alongside "Initiation into Hermetics" by Franz Bardon. If one PRACTICES the methods laid before them in these volumes they will indeed acquire the skills needed to perform real magic. I would also say that a great deal of magical philosophy and their practices could be learned by the curious dabbler as well, who intends only on reading but not doing. Good luck and farewell.

Latin Palaeography: Antiquity and the Middle Ages

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Very Useful for Palaeographers

Latin Palaeography: Antiquity and the Middle Ages
Bernhard Bischoff
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521367263

Book Description

First published in 1979, this work, by the greatest living authority on medieval palaeography, offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date account in any language of the history of Latin script. It contains a detailed account of the role of the book in cultural history from antiquity to the Renaissance and outlines the history of book illumination. By setting the development of Latin script in its cultural context, it provides an unrivalled introduction to the nature of medieval Latin culture.

Customer Reviews:

Very Useful for Palaeographers.......1999-09-27

Bischoff is one of the greatest and ablest scholars for such a work. The volume's 289 pages gives a good overall picture of the Latin scripts in the period covered. Very good facsimiles of actual manuscripts accent the text. Though not acid free (apparently), the paper is very fine and the paperback seems sturdy. It has all of the necessary indexes, including MSS referred to, but no index of Latin terms within the text. Bischoff could have devoted more space to ligatures and tachyography at least the topic is not ignored. The representations of the various scripts are clear, and the volume is well referenced. It is most likely the best text on Latin palaeography for this period of Latin. The price is also right. Mr. Gary S. Dykes (Sept. 1999)

Minimus Pupil's Book: Starting out in Latin (Cambridge Latin Texts)

Average customer rating:

A little frustrating
Good for schools and homeschools
Excellent Resource - BUT you must have the audio for pronunciation (more)
Long live Minimus
Great for beginners

Minimus Pupil's Book: Starting out in Latin (Cambridge Latin Texts)
Barbara Bell
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521659604

Book Description

This elementary Latin course for 7-10 year olds combines a basic introduction to the Latin language with material on the history and culture of Roman Britain. Highly illustrated, the book contains a mixture of stories and myths, grammar explanations and exercises, and background cultural information. Pupils are drawn into the material as they read about the lives of a family living in a community at Vindolanda; the adventures of the children and the family cat and mouse provide interest throughout. As well as offering a lively introduction to Latin and classical studies, Minimus also has cross-curricular relevance. The material on the community at Vindolanda can be used to supplement studies of the Romans at KS2. The grammatical content helps to develop language awareness, and provides a solid foundation from which learners can progress to further English or foreign language studies. The Teacher's Resource Book provides support, particularly for non-Classicists. It includes teaching guidelines, English translations of the Latin passages, and additional background information, plus photocopiable worksheets.

Customer Reviews:

A little frustrating.......2007-09-23

We do not "homeschool" but I wanted to use this book to teach my daughter Latin as a supplement to what she's learning in school. So far I have found it to be frustrating. Mostly because all the words are not defined. I have been having her translate the cartoons but she is not able to do it completely because of the lack of definitions. It would also be helpful to have a comprehensive glossary at the end. I have a Latin dictionary but it's not terribly helpful. For instance, they introduce "est" but none of the tenses. So along comes "erit" and I'm not sure how they're supposed to know that that is the future tense and means "is going to be"? And "erit" is not in the Latin dictionary. I am now going to have to sit down and write up a spreadsheet with definitions of all the words.

The mouse is cute and I like the addition of Roman culture and history.

Good for schools and homeschools.......2007-08-23

This is an excellent alternative to Prima Latina and Latina Christiana. It is engaging and fun without being gimmicky. I have taught Latin using a variety of texts for over 10 years-- this is the perfect textbook for elementary school students or homeschoolers looking for a solid introduction to Latin language and ancient culture. This book is also perfect for students studying the ancient Mediterranean (perhaps using Story of the World or another such text). It has much useful and fascinating information on daily life in the ancient world.

The teacher's manual that accompanies this book is fraught with ideas for projects and classroom activities.

Excellent Resource - BUT you must have the audio for pronunciation (more).......2007-07-04

This is very entertaining, very versatile -- there are so many activities to be used for reinforcement that one truly will not be able to do them all. Even though I had Latin in High School, I had to purchase the audio CD - I found it to be the missing component to the kids' enjoying their lessons thoroughly. The Audio is an enormous help -- easy to understand and a practical learning aid. I also used photos off the internet of present day Vindolanda which gaves the kids an excellent perspective of the area about which they are learning. Because of the great versatility of the series and the many ways to branch out and make the lessons interesting, relevant AND still have your students learn Latin, I would definitely recommend this series AND the audio component.

Long live Minimus.......2007-05-14

This book is a very entertaining way to introduce basic latin for young and inquisitive minds. I liked the humerous stories coupled with the classic mythology.

Now I look for latin words in everyday life with a lot more awareness than before. Long live minimus!

Great for beginners.......2007-02-17

My husband reads this book to our toddler and both enjoy the simple words and concepts. It's perfect for little ones or beginners.

Average customer rating:

USEFUL ANALYSIS OF CULTURE
Old as the hills, and language has moved on
Out of date
Another winner from Hall, but maybe not his best
a critique of the silent language

The Silent Language
Edward T. Hall
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0385055498
Release Date: 1973-07-03

Book Description

Leading anthropologist Hall analyzes the many aspects of non-verbal communication and considers the concepts of space and time as tools for transmission of messages. His stimulating work is of interest to both the intelligent general reader and the sophisticated social scientist.

Customer Reviews:

USEFUL ANALYSIS OF CULTURE.......2005-08-21

Mr. Hall expounds a couple of key thesis. First, culture is not just the medium of communication. It is a method of communication all on its own. Second, if one "maps" cultural characteristics in ten "primary messaging systems", one can gain insight into the formal, informal, and technical aspects of that culture. Those ten primary messaging systems are: (1) Interaction, (2) association, (3) subsistence, (4) bisexuality, (5) territoriality, (6) temporality, (7) learning, (8) play, (9) defense, and (10) exploitation.

This book is indeed somewhat dated, but one can certainly see that the use of this monograph is that it provides a systematic way of analyzing culture. This can be useful when traveling or working abroad. Likewise, one could use these templates to improve ones understanding of his own culture. It is this latter purpose that makes this book relevant today.

The Silent Language is short enough to be easily read. However, for the sake of brevity, it sacrifices a more systemic or detailed analysis. As such, the author resorts to a limited amount of anecdotal information to support his framework. Anecdotal information is useful, but some more statistical analysis might be worthwhile. Indeed, one could argue that defining each primary messaging system as a collection of "sets", it would be possible to apply set theory from mathematics to anthropology.

While I have trouble believing that culture is a form of communication vice a medium of communication, I will probably use Mr. Hall's framework to analyze the "culture" each job and workplace that I deal with in the future. Likewise, I think anyone who works in management or leadership jobs would find this book useful.

Old as the hills, and language has moved on.......2004-08-05

Recently I was in Japan, and I had some food with me, and I went to shake the hand of my hosts, and in doing so, put down the food on a convenient shelf, and instead of shaking my hand, the host turned away, and ran out of the room in a dignified way. I had read SILENT LANGUAGE by Twitchell Hall, and it definitely did not cover this faux pas. My translator, a young Russian woman, informed me that it is not polite in Japan is leave food observable in plain view. It would be like going to a business meeting in a US boardroom with your zipper undone and your genitals left visible as a result. Whether or not this is actually the case, I don't know, but again this subject was not treated in Twitchell Hall's book.

On the back of my edition of SILENT LANGUAGE it says that this is the book used in Kennedy's NEW FRONTIER to fight the image of the Ugly American then prevalent at the dawn of international mass tourism and the coming transnational age. Well, time has moved on and I believe that Twitchy's masterpiece has seen better days. They could do with far more ways to save embarrassment. Otherwise it's red faces all around and that sinking feeling of having done something wrong, and you don't even know what it is you've done! Also, I agree, there might be one for people coming to the USA for the first time, perhaps a book of photos showing different people's body language.

Out of date.......2004-02-24

This book may have been important in the 1950's, but it's rather quaint and dated now. It contains many interesting anecdotes about the differences between cultures, but very little of it is systematic or scientific. The idea that other cultures are not like us and that their communication systems are different as a result is not very revolutionary at a time when one can read the blogs of Iranian students on a daily basis.

The book lacks rigor. In the third chapter, for example, the author introduces us to a formal concept of "Primary Message Systems" (such as "learning", "play", "territorality", etc), but the concepts aren't carried forward into the rest of the book and the reader is left hanging. Besides, one has to be pretty suspicious of such concepts when it turns out that there are exactly ten - not nine or eleven - of these primary message systems.

Many of the anecdotes are interesting and illustrative, but they're mostly limited to the cultures that Hall has experience with; which turns out to be Americans, the Hopis, middle eastern Arabs, the Japanese and one or two others. It would be more interesting to see examples drawn from all over the world. Better would be a systematic comparison of, say, the concept of being on time for a meeting covering a dozen or more cultures. Instead we get only anecdotes about the fact that Arabs and Latin Americans don't find it rude to be an hour late for a meeting while being an hour late infuriates Americans. What about Russians? What about Japanese?

The book is dated and this shows one of its biggest flaws. It's hard to read about the American male greeting ritual of pounding each other on the back and exchanging cigars or the American female desire for dominance within her kitchen with a straight face these days. The very fact that culture is transient and changes over time is hardly addressed in the book, but it's one of the most obvious points the 21st century reader takes away from the book.

Lastly, Hall tries to keep value judgements out of his comparisons, but fails at the task. Over and again he slips and lets us see his disregard for American culture. Americans are too conscious of time compared to more laid-back cultures. Americans are too strict in their concept of personal space. And so on. Whenever he slips and lets his opinions show, he invariably finds American culture lacking, no matter what it is being compared to.

This book is an interesting trip into the mind of a 1950's academic, but it's not very informative on modern culture or modern thought about culture.

Another winner from Hall, but maybe not his best.......2001-03-12

If you only read one Edward Hall book, I think that "Beyond Culture" is a better read, and more lucid. Although the two texts overlap somewhat, there are many concepts in this book that do not appear in the other (the idea of "High Context" vs "Low Context" cultures is only hinted at in this text).

The basic concept of "Silent Language" is that much of our communication is non-verbal, but that it consistently follows cultural and linguistic patterns, just as spoken and written communication does. The major difference in non-verbal communication is that it is mostly subconscious.

The book revolves around the idea that all cultural conventions can be classified as either formal, informal, or technical. Although he spends an entire chapter introducing this concept, I personally found the distinctions a bit confusing, although I do believe that the author has an important insight.

One of my favorite concepts was the idea of 'spacial accent,' which describes the size of and culturally-specific behaviors associated with that invisible zone we all carry around with us. This concept helps explain why Europeans (outside of the British) generally don't queue, and why this so aggravates Americans (and presumably Brits). The concept of 'order' also helps explain different behaviors in forming lines (American belief in 'first come, first serve, is culturally relative). Besides speaking about space, he also discusses the cultural aspects of time, which he also describes in terms of an 'accent'. (He deals with both space and time more fully in two of his other books.)

Hall makes quite a number of connections between cultural behavior, these three types of cultural convention, and specific forms of expression. Examples include: --Why scientists are terrible writers (one of several digressions away from non-verbal communications) --A very believable explanation of why art is art --Why long-range planning is rare in America

--A concept of sacred place that anticipates the recent idea that men retreat to personal 'caves'

All in all, I found this an enjoyable and enlightening book. I wish that it could have been more clear in spots, and I think it is fair to say that some of his ideas are more fully worked out in some of his other books. My only real complaint is about the quality of Anchor's reproduction, which uses a cheap paper that cannot withstand normal highlighters at all (try the wax Textliners from Faber-Castell).

a critique of the silent language.......1999-11-27

The Silent Language was indeed an excellent book on the cultural influences on communication. Its definition of culture in the contexts of time and space were insightful. The most interesting thing was the breakdown of culture as communication into three categories. This is truly a breakthrough in defining theory for anthropology and related social sciences.

However, the book was limited in its focus, given that this phenomenon does not apply to North Americans only, but to anyone wishing to travel to a foreign country, whether on business, or recreation. One could say that in order to understand it, we may substitute our own experiences into those given by the author.

But culture can only be understood in social, economical, historical and political contexts. It is these contexts that shape or influence our perception, and the way we relate to others. Therefore, if Hall seeks to appeal to the intelligent , culturally diverse, non-technical audience, he should make the book more culturally relevant. In doing so, however, he must avoid generalisations that may make the text too simplistic and lose its focus.

Book Description

Already a proven home-study program, the Language for Children series is making noise with this updated, integrated book-plus-audio edition. Along with its charming visuals and lively activities, the series now provides in CD format the stimulating sounds of language to entice preschoolers through primary graders into learning a second language. Cute, catchy songs and the humorous, serial adventures of SuperCat are sure to captivate the imagination and foster language acquisition. Each set in the series contains an 80-page full-color activity book coordinated with two 60-minute CDs as well as a Parent/Instructor CD packed with helpful tips.

Together children and parents can master basic language skills, including making introductions, counting from 1 to 20, and describing objects. The perfect package for parents and teachers who want to familiarize three- to nine-year olds with foreign languages and cultures.

Customer Reviews:

Requires motivated parent and child.......2007-07-16

I was hoping for something that would catch and keep a young child's attention. This is kind of "last century" style of language learning. A motivated child over 6 could manage alone. Otherwise, an adult will need to be there to help the child along.

Your kids will love it!.......2007-05-29

I started the program about 3 weeks ago with my 3 1/2 year old son and he loves it! The exercise are fun, it is something we can do together, and he thinks it is "cool" that he can speak to Daddy in German. Good product.

My preschooler didn't like it, quality was average.......2007-04-09

Overall I thought it was cute although not as good as I had hoped. I was hoping for more of an immersion approach with less English on the CDs. The sound quality was average and I think that for learning a foreign language the sound quality should be excellent. It sounded like it had originally been on cassette tapes and transferred to CDs without enhancing the sound quality.

My 3 year-old didn't like it, but that's simply her personaly preference. I can see how other children might love it.

There are quite a few references to witches and ghosts (but not in a scary way) and some parents may wish to know that before purchasing.

Learn German easily and have fun.......2007-03-09

My daughter started taking German lessons from a German friend. After 1 lesson, we purchased the German for Children language series. My daughter has always responded to music and audio stimulation and has learned so much just by listening. We listen to the CDs in the car. My daughter just loves listening to the German for Children CDs. We listen just about every day and have been for at least a few weeks...she has mastered the 1st CD and we're working on the 2nd. I'm also having fun learning the language!

Excellent product for adults and children.......2007-01-26

Excellent product. My almost 4 year old and 2 year old have already started counting, saying hello, and saying simple greetings in German after only a few times listening in the car (with some reinforcement from me of course). I bought another CD for my husband and myself, which is very good as well but very tiring because you learn so much so quickly. Sometimes its nice to switch to this children's CD and learn in the more relaxing, carefree manner as a child would. The lessons are not at all annoying as children's programs can sometimes be. I find myself remembering from the children's songs the words that I am practicing in the adult CD. We have not gone to Germany yet, but from friends who have lived in Germany, we are finding that the lessons are useful for everyday conversation.

Cecilia Beaux: A Modern Painter in the Gilded Age

Average customer rating:

A Great Woman Artist
Good story, good art
Where's the beef?
Excellent Cecilia Beaux Monograph
Finally

Cecilia Beaux: A Modern Painter in the Gilded Age
Alice A. Carter
Manufacturer: Rizzoli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0847827089
Release Date: 2005-08-16

Book Description

“Miss Beaux is not only the greatest woman painter, but the best that has ever lived.”
―William Merritt Chase, 1899
Author Alice A. Carter expertly traces Cecilia Beaux’s fascinating and unconventional life, from her privileged Philadelphia childhood to her successful penetration into the male-dominated inner circle of the art world of Paris, Philadelphia, and New York. Carter reveals how Beaux’s passion for her work and her headstrong spirit enabled her to achieve professional success unrivaled by any other female artist―and the personal price she paid for it.
Born in Philadelphia in 1855, Cecilia Beaux pursued an artistic career with the same zeal as her male peers, and by the turn of the century she had established an international reputation and exhibited regularly. She worked with eminent artists of her day, including Claude Monet, Winslow Homer, and John Singer Sargent, and in 1895 she became the first full-time female faculty member of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
This is the first illustrated biography of Beaux’s work, showcasing more than 150 paintings and drawings, including her best known high-style portrait commissions of such notable figures as Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt and Georges Clemenceau, as well as later landscapes and still-life compositions. Much of this work has rarely been seen.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Woman Artist.......2007-09-13

I joined the Cecilia Beaux Society,Portrait Society of America, and I was interested in reading her life story and seeing some of her many paintings. This book has been an inspiration to me as an artist, and last week-end I was able to visit her exibition at the High Museum , in Atlanta, Ga.
What a thrill, and even more so because I had this book. The gift shop had some other books about her,but they did not compare with this copy.
As you can see I have given it 5 stars, as I would recommend it to any artist interested in her style of painting.

Good story, good art.......2006-08-21

Aside a wide range of reproductions of Beaux's work, this book also contains a compelling narrative arc. Rarely do you see such well-done storytelling in an artist's biography. The author doesn't simply rehash data in order to paint a portrait of Beaux, she uses beautiful images and diary excerpts to portray Beaux arduous rise to prominence. In reading this book, it becomes clear that despite the sheer brilliance of Beaux's artwork, the artist was full of self-doubt like the rest of us. The author, Carter, makes her subject gloriously human, and this makes for a good read.

Where's the beef?.......2006-08-20

This book left me hungry for more! Yes, there are some nice reproductions. However, the text is boring and lacking in content. I had the notion that the author simply culled insignificant passages from the artist's personal diary, focusing on interpersonal relationships with family and friends, and a few notable artists of her day. Unfortunately, the story reveals little about Beaux's deeper concerns as an artist.

If you're looking for some insight into the artist's particular philosophy of art, or of Beaux's creative issues and processes, and her motivation to paint, sadly, you won't find it here.

Given the fact that so little is in print about this great artist, it's probably worth a read ... but borrow it.

Excellent Cecilia Beaux Monograph.......2006-07-20

This well written book covers the life and work of Cecilia Beaux. All of her best know works are well illustrated with good color accuracy. The text is highly readable and provides solid insight to the artist's aesthetic goals and struggles. If Cecilia Beaux is of interest to you, this book is likely your best bet.

Finally.......2006-02-28

Until now there was not much in print about Cecilia Beaux. At least there was not much printed in full color of her work. This book is well written and it has many full color, quality printed, plates of her work to view and study. I was thrilled to find it. Thank you Alice Carter for putting this book and these images out into the world.

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