Book Description
Henri Cartier-Bresson's famous scrapbook from the 1940s, published in its entirety for the first time.
Henri Cartier-Bresson was taken prisoner by the Germans in 1940. After two unsuccessful attempts, he managed to escape in 1943. During this period, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, assuming that the photographer had died in the war, started preparing what they thought would be a posthumous exhibition of his work. When he reappeared, Cartier-Bresson was delighted to learn of the exhibition and decided to review his entire oeuvre and curate it himself.
In 1946 Cartier-Bresson traveled to New York with about 300 prints in his suitcase, bought a scrapbook, glued in the photos, and brought that album to MoMA's curators. His exhibition there, a celebration of his survival, opened on February 4, 1947.
In the 1990s, Cartier-Bresson once again turned his attention to this scrapbook. Following his death in 2004, the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, the present owner of the prints, finished the job of restoring them, making it possible to bring a large body of his extraordinary work to the public, images that have now become a memorial collection after all.
Customer Reviews:
An essential book.......2007-07-14
For a photographer, one of the few necessary books. HCB enacted a miracle in the 1930s w/his Leica, and here's the record of how this genius did it--a record that makes his accomplishment seem only that much more extraordinary. I think the printing of the book could have been a shade better, but that's mere grousing. If you want to understand late 20th-century photography, start here.
Process of Selection.......2007-07-02
I have liked HCB for about six years. I first saw his picture where a man, caught in mid-air,jumps across a puddle. I still think that this is one of the best photographs ever made.
In the scrapbook, the reader gets to see the many different shots, that made up the bundle from which one image got selected to be published.
While quite a few of the images not selected have their own charm, the finally published image does usually stand. A great look behind the scene of HCB photos, but also a great visual retrospective of his life.
Excellent book with superbly printed photographs.
a dissapointment.......2007-06-12
Most photos are much smaller than a full page - I returned this book.
Excellent buy.......2007-05-28
One of the most profound books to come out from such an eminent photographer. Long due and much awaited. You can never get tired of looking at his work.
Book Description
From the familiar painted turtle basking on a log to the majestic long-lived giant tortoises, turtles are among the most fascinating animals on the planet. For many years Franck Bonin, Bernard Devaux, and Alain Dupré have traveled the world together to study turtles in their natural habitats. In this complete guide to the world's nearly 300 species of turtles, the authors reveal intimate, little-known details of these intriguing reptiles in their native habitats: what they eat, where they live, how they behave, and when and where they lay their eggs.
Originally written in French, the text has been translated by one of the world's leading turtle experts, Peter C. H. Pritchard. The result is a beautifully written and illustrated book that belongs on the shelf of every library, public and private. Written for the millions of turtle lovers and nature enthusiasts who will find answers to their questions within its pages, this book is bound to become the standard reference for years to come.
Customer Reviews:
Turtle of the World.......2007-07-12
I highly recommend it a must-have reference for all people serious about turtles. It is up-to-date with the most recent taxonomy.
Key to any serious turtle researcher........2007-05-17
College-level holdings, many an aquarium shop, and any serious natural history collection must have TURTLES OF THE WORLD. It's a definitive survey originally written in French and translated by a leading turtle expert, Peter C.H. Pritchard. Nearly 300 species of world turtles are covered including their habitats, lifestyle, and maps and photos. Co-written by a veterinarian expert with turtles, a nonprofit turtle research foundation and an avid conservationist, TURTLES OF THE WORLD's color photos pack every page and its information is well-rounded and key to any serious turtle researcher.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Turtles of the World: a companion book for turtle fanciers.......2007-02-27
Turtles of the World by Frank Bonin, Bernard Devaux, and Alain Dupre was originally published in French in 1996 and was followed by two editions. Peter Pritchard, a well-known turtle biologist and conservationist, translated the third edition into English for Johns Hopkins University Press. The hardback book is printed on coated paper and bound well for moderate use. It is more of a reference book than something one would carry in the field. In general, Turtles of the World is a good reference to all known species of turtles.
The front matter takes up 9 pages and covers general biology, paleontology, anatomy, physiology, behavior, and conservation. None of these sections is thorough, so readers should find other sources for in-depth information on these subjects. Each section to follow contains short species accounts that includes distribution, description, natural history, and protection. The distribution maps are shaded portions of continents showing country and major river outlines. One to two color photographs accompany each account. The maps are only generalizations and should not be considered accurate. The photos are attractive but provide only one or two views that may or may not be useful for identification because of the variation in color and pattern commonly exhibited by turtles. Some photos are much better than others.
Turtle taxonomy is in a state of flux. Name changes are published yearly due to our increasingly better understanding of relationships and geneaology. Some of the names in this book are stable but others; some are outdated. Kinosternon odoratum on page 173, for example, was used only temporarily in the scientific literature, as the long-standing name Sternotherus odoratus has remained otherwise stable for over a century. Nowhere in the species account is the more commonly used name mentioned. Thus, the names in this book should be checked against other, more scientific sources. Note that only scientific names are used in the book. Common names are not provided except in some accounts where they are deep in the text. The scientific names are followed by the authority, the name or names of the person or persons who provided the scientific name used here and the year in which that name was published. Readers unfamiliar with taxonomy will wonder why some of these names are in parentheses and others not. Nowhere in the book is that explained. Those in parentheses signify that the scientific name was originally placed in another genus by the authority, but that later changes put the species name in a different genus. Note here that a species name consists of two words: a genus and a species combined. The species name must always be accompanied by the generic name.
This book gives short shrift to the extreme plight turtles face around the world. They are declining at an alarming rate, especially in southeast Asia where nearly all species are threatened with immenent full-blown extinction. Why? Two reasons: consumption of turtles in China and other oriential markets, and loss of habitat. Readers should search for other sources to learn about the problems and efforts being made by people who love turtles to keep species from declining further.
Turtles of the World is a book that all turtle hobbyists and many professionals will want on their bookshelves for reference and comparative photographs. It should be used in conjunction with other books on turtle biology and identification. Peter Pritchard should be thanked for making this book available to the English audience.
Good reference, but doesn't replace previous works........2007-01-29
Bonin, Devaux, and Dupre's book takes on a big challenge in cataloguing world turtle diversity and will serve well as an impressive addition.
The introduction is 9 pages and concise. Phylogenetic history, a couple of ancestral species, anatomy, senses, metabolism, behavior, and threats are summarized in prose oscillating between introductory and expert. The rest of the book is comprised of species accounts.
Pictures in this book are better used for fun than identification. The picture of savannah sidenecks (Podocnemis vogli) is awesome. Quite a few species are not pictured and subspecies/ regional variations are not visually comparable. There is not consistency in shot angles for practical comparison between species. Some species are pictured only as hatchlings, some are depicted only by a close zoom on the head, and at least two species appear to have their photographs switched. Picture captions don't include species' names, which may cause confusion. This book's visuals could be aided by Vetter's pictorial "Turtles of the World" multi-volume Terralog series.
Range maps are blobbed in. The map outlines are crude, and range outlines do not respect watersheds or other important distributional boundaries. A general idea of where species occur can be drawn.
Species' Description's are good, although no dichotomous keys are provided. The Natural History section for many species is shorter than current information necessitates, while for some (especially some tortoise species and the marine turtles) this section is disproportionately long. Details on reproduction (laying season, egg size, etc.) are given for some species, but absent from many for which information is available. The Protection section is very inconsistent between species. For some, IUCN and CITES information is included, while for others, it's left out. National protection status is discussed for turtles of France and French Guyana, but absent for virtually every other nation's turtle fauna.
There are virtually no citations throughout the book even though it's written in relatively diagnostic lingo. The bibliography is very short (page and a half) for the amount of information included, and information from the authors' experiences should have been noted where appropriate.
The French-to-English translation must be well done, because the book reads very cleanly, especially for a semi-technical reference. The book's construct is just like a textbook; cover, paper and print should survive many years of steady use.
This reference is not a replacement for the previous "Turtles of the World" by Ernst and Barbour (1989) or "Encyclopedia of Turtles" by Pritchard (1979), but it will serve well in the possession of anyone with an interest in turtle diversity. It may well do a stronger job than both previous works in sparking interest from future turtle enthusiasts through its more accessible nature.
Excellent new reference work.......2007-01-10
This is an indispensable book for any ardent turtle lover or biologist. It updates and improves on the standard works of the past, such as Peter Pritchard's much-quoted Encyclopedia of Turtles. This latest and most up-to-date encyclopedia, originally written in French, has been translated into English by the same Dr. Pritchard, one of the world's foremost turtle experts, and contains every single turtle species still in existance, about half of which will be completely new to most people with an interest in these animals.
The book focuses on the lives of these animals in the wild, so people wanting to read about keeping turtles in captivity will not find answers to their questions here. The work contains a wealth of color photos, geographical maps and preservation statuses for all species. As all species had to fit into one volume, some are not described in as much detail as others, but as these are mainly subspecies, this is a minor quibble.
Warmly recommended.
Book Description
This is a remarkable book that every student and parent should read before applying to college. It explains the rules and how to play the game successfully. Well-written and up-to-date, Admission Matters offers important insights into the college admission process, as well as important practical advice they can implement all along the way.
Customer Reviews:
good book.......2007-07-15
The best book I read so far. As an admission consultant, I think it covers the basic information that parents and kids should know. I even met her in person this year. There is one little problem about this book - it is two years old. So new things happened within these two years have not yet been covered, such as the SMART grant (new for year 2007).
Amazing resource for anyone with admissions question.......2006-10-11
As a high school senior, I've been having the usual problems with finding a college that I feel is right for me, and then actually going about the process of applying. Not only was this book helpful in answering nearly all of my questions, but it is written in an interesting, friendly manner that I found heartening in the midst of a process that has been incredibley stressful! I recommend this book not only to high school students but their parents as well - my Mother read it and she loved it too!
Admission Matters.......2006-02-25
This book is clearly written and an excellent guide for the high school student and parents.
the best college admissions book I've seen.......2005-12-16
This is an outstanding book. What I appreciate most about it is its thoughtfulness. Where other books present statistics and give only brief attention to very important topics, this book presents a fair, smart, and thorough account of the World of Admissions and encourages you to sit down and think about things, guiding you along each step of the process.
Wonderful Resource!.......2005-11-03
"Admission Matters" attracted me for a number of reasons--the background, experience and knowledge of the authors is compelling, but moreover I chose this book because as the parent of three with two already in college and the third an applicant now, I was hopeful that I would find new details and advice regarding the competitive hurdles that my youngest will be facing. My hopes were more than fulfilled! This book is an engaging and informative resource that blends just the right amount of humor, candor, anectodal details, encouragement and reality for parents and their college bound kids. It is also organized to facilitate quick reads of sections and question areas of greatest interest. This is a refreshing and valuable guide in the high-anxiety sea of college planning.
Book Description
A thirty-year career has made Jacques Garcia a worldwide name in interior design in the French tradition. In Paris, chic crowds flock to his celebrated Hétel Costes and Ladurée tearoom, and to his many fin-de-siécle brasseries. Garcia's designs also grace the interiors of the Musée Carnavalet and the Musée de la Vie Romantique-and his most recent tour de force is the restoration of Paris' Hétel Mansart. Garcia's most ambitious project to date, the refurbishment of the Chéteau du Champ de Bataille in Normandy, attracts visitors from across the globe and has become a monument to his art and celebrity. This new edition of the 1999 book is a continuing tribute to the restoration of the chéteau and to its magnificent garderns, seen here for the first time. Sumptuously illustrated and updated to include Garcia's latest creations, this new edition provides the reader with a privileged view of true French style.
Customer Reviews:
Par Excellent.......2006-03-21
I first saw this book at a Baker Furniture showroom which sales the Garcia furniture line. The furniture on display did not capture the genius of Garcia which, on the other hand, the book does. I have not had the opportunity to read but a few lines from this book, as my busy schedule has not permitted. However, from what I have read, I am in for a treat.
I have, however, scanned the pictures. I have stickey notes, every few pages of my favorite decors. This book is nothing short of a visual feast. Garcia, like many gifted individuals, comes from another planet where his talent for his profession could not be learned from a text book or a class room. You either have it or you don't.
I am delighted with this book. Damn that beige color pallet. I truely appreciated his opulent use of the rich coloring of European aristocracy. If I could give it more stars, I would.
A touts les glories de la France.......2006-03-08
Most American designers who would persuade that they present us with so called 'French' design, actually show us American interiors with a few traditional French furniture pieces thrown in the loupe - but this doesn't make them French. (Generally they come across more English country house, really; chintz et al.) Jacques Garcia is very different! He knows the traditional interiors of France as if they are tattooed blueprints on his mind; the panelling, floors, carvings, mantles, proportions, the furniture and accessories, fabrics, architecture and art - but most importantly he has that extremely rare ability to know those idiosyncratic and intangible differences, those transcendent and ethereal distinctions of the French intellect regarding aesthetics. He has found the French soul and is sharing it with you. It is not even slightly American! If you wish to know what France IS see Garcia's book!
French Opulence in Interior Design.......2005-10-22
This stunning book presents the residential and commercial work of the French interior designer Jacques Garcia. The printing quality and paper stock are superb. Though written in a subjective, praising and uncritical style, the book still provides insights into Garcia's background and design philosophy. As one who has visited Champ de Bataille, the book truly captures the beauty and grandeur of the place.
Jacques Garcia Furniture Collection.......2004-09-22
Excellent reading, a must have for your own book collection. His newest furniture collection is now available through Baker Furniture trade showrooms or authorized dealers or you can visit JacquesGarcia.com for more information on his collections.
Book Description
A Dutch artist offers his concept of seeing and drawing as a discipline by which the world may be rediscovered, a way of experiencing Zen.
Customer Reviews:
The Zen of the Pencil.......2007-08-10
Although the whole `Zen and the Art of [fill in the blank]' shtick seems rather tired nowadays, this book was written back in the day before it had been done to death. And even though many of the insights in *Zen of Seeing* may now seem as trite as they are timeless, its hard to give this classic anything less than four stars, for it still manages to inspire, enlivened as it is by Franck's irascible spirit and sheer zest for life and the practice of drawing. What's more, this oversized trade paperback is filled with Franck's own uniquely beautiful pen and wash drawings--delicate, suggestive, almost calligraphic, they depict people, landscapes, animals, leaves, anything and everything that caught Franck's enlightened eye. And that's pretty much the point of *Zen of Seeing,* that all the Ten Thousand Things are worth seeing--and drawing--and by drawing even the lowliest insect or common weed, we see it and marvel at its inexpressible wonder for the very first time.
This is really not a book about creating "Art." It's a book about the reverence of life for those who would use a sketchpad instead of a prayer book. Franck doesn't teach you about perspective or negative space, anatomy or shading--he's not teaching you *how to draw.* He's doing something far more important. He's showing you the *why of drawing.*
You can draw on anything with anything and in the end it doesn't matter what your drawing looks like--or doesn't look like! What's important is the act of drawing itself, the quiet contemplation of the thing drawn that engages you fully in the moment and opens your eyes and your heart to the world around you. Have you ever seen--really seen--a sparrow, a turnip, your child's face? Chances are you haven't until you've sat with them, a pad on your lap and a pencil in your hand, and traced their outline as if you were touching them with your heart's own flesh. Chances are you'll see things in each that you've never seen before, that you'll never forget, that will become a part of you forever. For those moments when you draw an object, a person, or a landscape you become a part of what you see--and it becomes a part of you. In this way, drawing becomes a form of meditation, the Zen of Seeing.
For those who already love to draw, this book will serve as inspiration; for those who think they'd like to draw, it will encourage you to do so. For both, it's the sort of book one should have on one's shelf even if it sits there untouched and forgotten for many years. On a rainy day of the heart, on some idle restless afternoon of the spirit, it's the sort of book one stumbles upon again and maybe that's exactly the time you need it most, when what Franck has to say sets off that lightning flash of understanding and you pick up your pencil and begin to see for the very first time the heretofore invisible world all around you.
Draw what you see.......2007-07-13
The Zen of Seeing is exactly what it says in the title: Seeing/Drawing as Meditation. It is not a "How to Draw" book. It is intended for artists who love to draw, but are stuck in the "academic" theories of Art. This book will teach you how to free yourself from your high-school or college art instruction, and enable you to look at the world in a more precise and creative way. In addition, it provides techniques that will introduce you to the subject of meditation, or enhance your current meditation process. I highly recommend this book!
great buy!.......2007-04-10
i ordered two, and they came out perfect! in excellent conditions, great quality and delivery!
Suggests a way to begin.......2007-02-07
This book suggests an approach and a point of view for art. The approach is a direct, no-holds-barred grasping of what you see with the eye and letting the hand do as it will. The point of view is the Zen attempt to remove your small mind to make way for the real one. If you are comfortable with the idea of drawing from the basis of nothing more than your being, the subject's being, a pencil and paper, this book will give you moral support in that direction. But that is all this book is -- a nudge. This is a good nudge. And for some, a nudge is enough.
What is point?.......2006-11-10
When I start reading book, I was enjoying it. I thought it is new view about life and art. As soon as I moved forward, I realize than nothing new was introduced except book appearance (very inconvenient by the way). If you want to learn drawing and see world around you differently, better to take book The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards (brilliant book). If you looking for philosophy or meditation, I think you will find much better books. Also original drawing in the book does not inspirit.
Book Description
Egypt's Sunken Treasures Franck Goddio
Photographs and images from a landmark underwater excavation that changed the maps of history.
In the shallow waters of Aboukir Bay off the coast of Egypt, the ruins of three ancient cities—-Alexandria, Heraklion, and Canopus lie along with valuable clues to the way their citizens lived and worshiped. Underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio discovered these relics, which include statuary, jewelry, pediments, stone tablets and fragments of buildings, all lost for nearly two thousand years. In addition to remarkable photographs of the excavation process, this illuminating volume connects the artifacts to the lives of Helen of Troy, Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. It discusses the interactions among the three cities, between Egyptians and ancient Greeks, and the influences each civilization had on the other. An exciting volume for anyone interested in ancient history, this richly illustrated book is the most comprehensive examination to date on the excavation of the lost cities below Aboukir Bay.
Franck Goddio is founder and president of the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology in Paris. He is the author of numerous books and scientific articles, and has been the subject of numerous television documentaries.
Exhibitions:
Customer Reviews:
Sternstunde.......2007-01-15
Eine Sternstunde der Unterewasserarchaeologie wird in Wort und Bild auf hoechstem Niveau spannend und auch unterhaltsam dokumentiert.
Extensive color photos and historical background is accessible to all.......2006-10-14
The price tag's a bargain for an oversized presentation of nearly five hundred pages perfect for both general interest public library holdings and those specializing in Egyptian history or archaeological discoveries. The ruins of not one but three ancient cities off the coast of Egypt have contributed important clues to the culture, life and sentiments of early Egyptian civilization, and author Franck Goddio as key discoverer of these relics is in a prime position to present images of the excavation process in EGYPT'S SUNKEN TREASURES. His survey not only documents the process of excavation and research, but Goddio's role as founder and president of the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology in Paris lends an authority and background to the discoveries which is unique and well detailed. One would think this would result in a survey too weighty for general audience interest, but the extensive color photos and historical background is accessible to all.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Book Description
Pacem in Terris tells the story of Frederick Franck, world-reknown artist and spiritual thinker, and the building of his sanctuary and sculpture garden, Pacem in Terris.
Customer Reviews:
The story of a rare and beautiful place.......2002-05-19
Frederick Franck has the rare gift of honesty in communication, telling stories from simple to amazing to give us the tale of the sculpture, art and music filled sanctuary he created out of an abandoned mill and garbage dump. Filled with beautiful pictures, this is a quiet gem of a book that I highly recommend as a sign of hope in these difficult times.
After September 11th Franck kept Pacem in Terris open everyday for prayer and meditation, and always flew a flag representing all peoples, refusing to give in to the stance of one nation against another. He has always stood for the true human.
Book Description
The Oxford Philosophical Texts series consists of authoritative teaching editions of canonical texts in the history of philosophy from the ancient world down to modern times. Each volume provides a clear, well laid out text together with a comprehensive introduction by a leading specialist, giving the student detailed critical guidance on the intellectual context of the work and the structure and philosophical importance of the main arguments. Endnotes are supplied which provide further commentary on the arguments and explain unfamiliar references and terminology, and a full bibliography and index are also included. The series aims to build up a definitive corpus of key texts in the Western philosophical tradition, which will form a reliable and enduring resource for students and teachers alike. This volume contains Leibniz's most important texts, starting with the Discourse on Metaphysics (1686), which marks the beginning of maturity in Leibniz's ideas and ending with the Monadology (1714), written in response to requests for a systematic, organized account of his overall philosophy. In between fall other key works including the New System of Nature (1695), the Specimen of Dynamics (1695), Nature Itself (1698), and the Principles of Nature and Grace (1714). Also included in the volume are critical reactions to the Discourse and the New System by Leibniz's contemporaries, Antoine Arnauld, Pierre Bayle, and Simon Foucher, together with Leibniz's responses. All the texts are newly translated into English for this edition, and each is preceded by a summary explaining its background, structure, and content. Also containing a substantial introduction, notes, and bibliography, the volume offers a comprehensive introduction to Leibniz's philosophy.
Customer Reviews:
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz: the mind, the monad........2004-08-19
Leibniz is indeed one of the most important and influential of philosophers and also one of the least examined, perhaps even among students of philosophy. He is most known for his contributions to mathematics, theology, and physics while his philosophical views are most often perceived through Voltaire's popular, but rather superficial mocking of his arguments regarding "possible worlds." But Leibniz' "best of all possible worlds" view is more subtle and robust than Voltaire was willing to see. The argument is not that the world is perfect -- certainly not if taken from any single, topical point of view, but that "in producing the universe [God] chose the best possible design, in which there was the greatest variety, together with the greatest order." One may dispute Leibniz' general view and/or aspects of his justification of it, but as Leibniz developed the argument along the lines of possibility, contingency, and necessity, it is difficult to see how one would logically disprove it. It has had to be enough for detractors to declare that they disagree with, or dislike the argument.
The famous argument is a recurring thread and summation in this Oxford Philosophical Texts volume edited by Woolhouse and Francks. Here is certainly a book that belongs in the library of any student of philosophy. As is noted in the editor's introduction, a recent biographer has written of Leibniz -- "Even if he had only contributed to one field, such as law, history, politics, linguistics, theology, logic, technology, mathematics, science, or philosophy his achievement would have earned him a place in history. Yet he contributed to all these fields, not as a dilettante but as an innovator able to lead the specialists." But even in the reasoning of such a magnificent mind there are problems and weaknesses (which tells us a great deal about philosophy and the human mind!). I won't explore the main difficulties that I found. I share one of the concerns expressed by Antoine Arnauld in his correspondence with Leibniz, as well as a few others.
Leibniz draws first from classical schools of thought, the Pythagoreans, Platonists, and Peripatetics (while wise ancient philosophers will always need rehabilitation, they "were not so far from the truth, nor so ridiculous as the common run of our new philosophers suppose."). He mostly rejects the Scholastics as well as the popular influences of European thought, Hobbes and Spinoza. With modification, he rehabilitates Aristotle's "entelechies," which become his "monads" (from the Greek, 'monas', meaning unity, or that which is one). A monad is the universe "from a point of view". Matter is understood as phenomena, not substance. Substance (for example number or mind) is irreducible, matter is a composite. Leibniz' view is amenable to Pythagoras and in many ways to both quantum theory (in the "quarks and gluons" model, the "solidity" of matter is merely a phenomena of the gluon force, and voids in space-time are not exactly voids) and to so-called string theories. One might say it is amenable to grand unification theory as well. Leibniz also hinted bluntly of Einstein's Relativity, repeatedly stating that there is no such thing as a physical state of absolute rest, motion, or time, as they are all "relativities." Newton, for all his genius, got that wrong (as regards time, that is).
I could go on and on, there are many pregnant themes in this collection of essays, articles, and correspondence (for example, "the present is big with the future"). Trying to keep this brief, I will simply suggest you read Leibniz (but do not skip the excellent introduction in this volume). Histories place him in Newton's shadow, which is unfortunate; as a philosopher, he certainly does not belong there. As regards the comparisons, Leibniz' mathematics was more elegant, his physics more far-sighted, his theology better by almost any standard. It seems he had a nicer personality too. His influence on such divergent thinkers as Kant, Russell, and Plantinga indicates his continuing importance.
For once the publisher's boasting is spot on........2002-06-08
This is a superb edition of Leibniz, the best I've found yet. If you want to get seriously into philosophy you should really have this book. For some reason Leibniz is the most ignored of all the great philosophers and so introductory works are difficult to find, which is the space this book admirably fills.
Like all the books in the Oxford range, it contains a long and helpful introduction, and individual notes for each work here, which are very helpful for Leibniz. Leibniz has a tendency to write for his friends, and thus you'll find he often assumes you already know something about his system, making his works very difficult to get into. Reading the introduction first completely clears this difficulty away and allows you to fully grasp his ideas (he's not a particularly difficult thinker once you get into him).
In terms of the texts on offer here, they have included all of his most important short texts, like the Discourse, Monadology, New System and Principles. As well as this, they've included some correspondance and replies from Arnauld and Bayle which is interesting since it had a big influence on Leibniz - and the correspondance to Arnauld also forms an effective introduction to his thought. If you need to study Leibniz or you're just into philosophy, you can't do better than this.
Customer Reviews:
I think I see.......2007-09-23
This book started out badly for me. The author said up front he doesn't call himself an artist. Only smug people do that. If you are an artist without a purpose, then you probably aren't really an artist, so I believe him. Then he goes on a rambling journey explaining how no one can do art like him, that all the modern art and the people who view it are unenlightened and he is enlightened and you can be too. All you have to do is a bunch of blind contour drawings and then modified contour drawings. Do them in ink. Don't pay attention to light and shadow. Apparently really being able to "see" means seeing ink lines around everything in one color even. Mkay. Apparently it's all part of the Zen thing. I wonder if crass comments around everybodies art but you own is part of the Zen philosophy. He obviously likes eastern art and he keeps talking about eastern religion at the same time admitting he isn't religious. Now I'll say something positive. He does have some nice ink drawings and they do kinda remind me of Rembrandt ink drawings. But Rembrandt followed though and he was famous for his use of light and shadow. I guess he wasn't Zen. He's right about blind contour drawings helping your eye-hand coordination so he did take something away from all the teachers who came before him. But that's about all you are going to get in this book, along with some lessons in ancient eastern philosophy and a strong sense that he knows something nobody else does but can't really explain it too well.
....REMINDS HUMANS THAT THE JOURNEY IS ABOUT CREATION.......2007-03-02
We get caught up in "does it look real" as we draw and make pictures and Franck reminds us that our scrawling lines are like heartbeats and that we must quiet ourselves and focus calmly, with serenity to fully expand our vision and express ourselves with lines and tones. Meditation in Action (subtitle) certainly implies the author's intentions as he draws upon Eastern philosophy and age-old quotes to fully illustrate and expound his ideas. I enjoyed the "journey" of this book and Franck's relaxed insights and stories about putting pen to paper, the getting "lost" in our cognitive shifts as we sketch and perceive the "ten thousand things" that surround us. A little bit of technique is discussed about drawing and picture-making too! A fine, spiritual and percolating brew!
A life changer.......2002-07-31
This book changed my life. I can now "see". As a begining art student, I was having difficulty "seeing". I read this book 3 times in a row when I first got it. It changed the way I look at everything. People, places, life. Such a passion for life, drawing and humanity comes through Frederick Franck's drawings and words. Frederick Franck is an amazing conduit. I'm grateful he wrote this book. Highly, highly recommended.
Be aware of what you see.......1999-07-29
No, it's not a book about Zen or drawing, but it is an ispiration for both. This book inspires the reader to see the world for the first time, not just look at things for the sake of avoiding them while driving. Franck's style is not bombastic, but his entusiasm for drawing, for life, and for awareness shows through every word he writes.
Delightful book about SEEING as opposed to "looking at".......1999-01-12
This book is one of the few that has had a profound impact on my life, and one of the very, very few which will always have a place on my bookshelf. I go back to this delightful book again and again when I need to be inspired and refreshed.
"Zen Seeing / Zen Drawing" is neither a primer nor a thorough discourse on either zen or drawing technique, and thank goodness - the last thing we need is more "talking" about zen or "how to's" about art. This book, plain and simple, is about the experience of SEEING, truly seeing, not just with ones eyes, but with all of ones senses, ones heart and ones spirit.
If you have always wanted to draw but somehow never have, then this book may be just what you need to get started, especially if you have any inclination towards things "zen" or spiritual.
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PRINS and In Situ PCR Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology)
Manufacturer: Humana Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1588295494 |
Book Description
This completely revised and updated edition takes advantage of the many new developments and applications that have occurred in PRINS and in situ PCR technology, including a new fast multicolor PRINS method for identifying human chromosomes, PRINS protocols for in situ detection of unique sequences and point mutation analysis, a new dideoxy PRINS procedure, and in situ PCR and PRINS protocols for plants. The authors describe in detail various applications of PRINS in human (detection of gene deletions in cancer detection of fetal cells in maternal blood, and assessment of aneuploidy in brain tissues and embryos) as well as plant cells. Readily reproducible in situ PCR techniques are also presented for the detection of cytomegalovirus, and for use in combination with microdissection. In situ RT-PCR techniques are also given for use in plant or cancer investigation.
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