The School of Whoredom (Hesperus Classics)

Book Description

Bawdy and thoroughly risqu&#eacute;, this 16th–century masterpiece is the work of Pietro Aretino, widely regarded as the originator of European pornographic writing. With a Foreword by Paul Bailey.

Determined that her daughter should not be ignorant of the ways of men and love, Nanna seeks to “educate” the naïve Pippa. She tells of women—whores, housewives, and nuns all being essentially the same; and of how to win men—discreetly and with good manners. But mostly, she reveals to Pippa the secrets of her art as a courtesan. The ensuing dialogue, laden with satiric twists and naughty puns, offers a fresh and lively example of the harlot’s world, displaying a frankness that confides in today’s reader as shrewdly as it was intended in 16th–century Rome. Italian satirist and poet Pietro Aretino (1492–1556) was one of the most versatile writers of the 16th century; the author of plays, poetry, and letters, he is now principally remembered as the originator of European pornography.

Customer Reviews:

Learning More than Being a Whore.......2003-09-23

If you want to read a work that is literally pornography, you are in luck. Remember, pornography literally, etymologically, is "whore writing", or writing about or by prostitutes. Of course we have grown away from this literal standard, but _The School of Whoredom_ (Hesperus Press) by Pietro Aretino meets it. It consists of a classic dialogue (from the time when dialogues where the choice way of explaining ideas in astronomy and philosophy) between a whore and her daughter who will become a whore. This makes it sound quite a bit coarser than it really is. While the book is not without frankness and the translator has not spared four-letter words, it is a sophisticated satire on the morals of men and women. It is full of jokes, robust humor at the expense of courtiers, clerics, men, women, and different ethnicities of the sixteenth century. It has some advice to a daughter that works just fine in modern and less meretricious settings.

_The School of Whoredom_ (written around 1535) is not a work like Aretino's famous _I Modi_, called the world's first "stroke book". While it treats of the erotic endeavors of men and women, it could hardly be called an erotic work itself. Basically, it is instruction more on how to be a courtesan than how effectively to engage in coitus. As such, it is more about manipulation of the emotions of men than of their anatomy, and might be read as a prescient call to feminist solidarity. Whoring, mother Nanna reminds daughter Pippa, isn't easy: "So, you see, becoming a whore is no career for fools, well I know it..." She also advises, "You'd need more skills than a doctor to be a courtesan." There is plenty of other advice, some proverbial. "Never mock at the truth and never do harm with a joke." "Don't take pleasure in upsetting friendships by reporting gossip; avoid scandals; and whenever you can make peace do so." By such means, Pippa is to ensure her position of relative esteem in society, but always she is to be mindful of the bottom line: "... a courtesan whose heart pounds for anything other than her purse is like a greedy, drunken tavern-keeper..." who eats his own fare instead of selling it.

While the liveliest parts of the book are the descriptions of ruses for parting punters from their extra cash, there are many pictures here of a vibrant society, one which valued good food and entertainment. Aretino's work shows they also liked satire. There is much here to expose those in power, and plenty that makes fun of the sexual peccadilloes from cardinals to monks and nuns. Nanna discusses the merits (or lack thereof) between Frenchmen, Spaniards, Romans, Florentines, and Germans, giving pride of place to the Venetians ("If I said everything they deserve to have said about them, people would tell me: 'Love has blinded you.'"). Nanna has triumphed over men for years, and is delighted with Pippa's prospects: "My heart swells so much with pride at seeing you at home in these affairs that I'm in raptures." Careful reading, though, almost five centuries later, shows she has instructed about far more than the ways of whoredom.

Customer Reviews:

YOU THINK I'M A CLOWN? .......2005-10-07

After the epic and city destroying battles of the first 7 volumes, I guess Myung-Jin Lee wanted to take things in another direction. Not only does Volume 8 radically redesign all of the major characters hair and costumes, it also injects a lot more humor, in fact TOO MUCH humor, and even throws in a cliched fan service bathing scene with Fenris and Iris. And Loki's caption bubbles are now done in squares, as if to indicate his lack of humanity? Who knows. And the cap-off rip-off from Inuyasha is that our heroes must collect all of the shards of Ymir's heart before the forces of evil, lest the whole world be remade in their image. So they book flight to Schwarzwaard, to ask a sage how to find the shards. What better way to get there than to board a blimp piloted by walking talking moose? I mean, come on, can we put a cap on the goofiness. And wait till you see the aerial attack of the Gremlins!

If this is the new direction and look that the rest of the series is going to take, then you can count me out. You have new characters running about putting everyone in danger, yet having no connection with the plot as of yet. The humor and pitiful attempts at fan service parody fell flat on their face. You just can't go from life and death situations and then in the next panel to super-deformed characters without either undercutting the humor or the drama. Hopefully Volume 9 will return to the quality of the previous books.

Wicked Awesome.......2004-04-19

This has got to be the best book in the series, period. I can't say anything, cause that would be telling, but a surprising coupe is hinted at and I love the pairing and have stood by it since first reading it. Humpr, drama, and intrigue are all masterfully woven in this volume of Ragnarok. Buy it today.

Ragnarok Set Collection: Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Average customer rating:

Ragnarok Set Collection: Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Myung-Jin Lee
Manufacturer: Tokyopop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Ragnarok Online Vol. 8 (Ragunaroku Onrain) (in Japanese)

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Ragnarok Online Vol. 8 (Ragunaroku Onrain) (in Japanese)

Manufacturer: Studio DNA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic
ASIN: 4758001936

Ragnarok, Vol. 8: Revenge of the Valkyrie

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Ragnarok, Vol. 8: Revenge of the Valkyrie

Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 1417683325

Average customer rating:

Ragnarok: v. 8
Myung-Jin Lee
Manufacturer: TOKYOPOP LTD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable, But Padded.......2004-09-18

This is my second Jonathan Morris novel after Festival of Death. I enjoyed the book overall. The plot and story are orginal, inventive, and unique, yet still very Doctor Who. The dialogue is good, and the supporting characters are well-written. I especially liked the "monsters" The Doctor has to stop in this book. Morris has a very clever idea which is fleshed out well and explained satisfactorily at the end.

However, I noticed at times, the book felt padded in some places to meet the required number of pages by BBC Books. It seemed to get slow in certain places, and events seemed to drag on, and dialogue seemed to drag on, and nothing much would happen. Or the same things would happen, or it would take forever to explain how an event happened. Such padding, while annoying, is actually ironic for a story about time repeating itself, slowing down, or speeding up, but I don't think this irony was intentional.

Arc Fever.......2002-10-27

If you're reading this review, you probably already know author Jonathan Morris from his 4th Doctor story "Festival of Death". You also probably know that he looks to be one of the most brilliant talents churned out by the decade-old "Doctor Who" books series. Here's a guy who can tie together complicated sci-fi concepts, air-tight plotting, and nifty characterizations, all without breaking a sweat. After one chapter of "Anachrophobia" I was looking to petition Amazon.com to allow me to give this book 6 stars.

Then, I hit the rest of the book.

Make no mistake, "Anachrophobia" has a brilliant setup. The early scenery is crisp: a planet stuck in time on a winter's night in a leafless forest. The story background is Douglas Adams funny: a plutocratic empire wages war against a ragtag team of loan defaulters. And there's real horror, as characters are killed not by bullets, but by accelerated (or decelerated) bursts of time itself.

What bogs the book down is the lack of that something Extra. Maybe I was waiting too long for the book to tie back into the arc-changing events of "The Adventuress of Henrietta Street" a few books back. After the clock villains arrive... they simply lumber around for 150 pages, and become less menacing with each attack. It takes forever for the action to get out of the tiny underground bunker and back into the forest (or elsewhere). A character arrives on page 100 who's so obviously a decoy that I found myself skipping ahead (unsuccessfully) to the final pages in search of the name of the character he simply had to be.

When the climax finally arrives, the book returns to brilliance. The sequence in which the Doctor is offered a chance to reshape his own past is of high TV-quality (I'd love to see this filmed). However, the Big Revelation is saved for literally the final three pages, and I'm afraid I was left scratching my head more than I was picking myself up off the floor. Raising more questions than you answer is a good thing... but this one basically negates the entire book and, while it's not a cheat, I thought it could have been revealed 20 pages earlier.

In the final analysis, "Anachrophobia" continues the vast upward trend of the 8th Doctor books since the recent story arc began. Editor Justin Richards gets massive credit for his ability to link each of the books together, through well-placed references to the past 2 or 3 adventures. The events of "Adventuress" have paid off immediate dividends, unlike earlier EDA arcs which never quite managed to create cliffhanger tension from book to book. Add this to Morris's crisp writing and brilliant ideas (the Doctor's quote on pg 136 is possibly the funniest thing he's ever said) and you still have one of the best EDAs yet produced.

As good of an eight doctor story as you can think of........2002-09-30

I'm a pretty big fan of DOCTOR WHO. With the arrival of the internet (and the way it's made easier for a fan in Holland in obtaining WHO related items) my fandom has grown, and over the last few months I must admit it even has become kind of an obsession.
I really like the DOCTOR WHO novels the BBC has churned out these last few years (too bad the've cut back recently) and I am in awe of the more than brilliant writers that since have contributed to this series. Think of people like Mark Gatiss, David McIntee, Christopher Bulis and Lance Parkin.
...And now you can add Jonathan Morris to that list.

Although this is the eight and last incarnation of the Doctor (so far anyway, I heard rumors about a new BBC tv-series coming up) ANACHROPHBIA is almost vintage WHO with it's claustrofobic/ under siege/ Pat Throughton kind of setting and the science based theories concerning timetravel and future societies.
I must say I really like the Doctor's latest companions Fitz and Anji and Morris makes the most of them, along with a few great supporting annex guestplayers. There's betrayal, mutations and transformations everywhere.

I won't go into the plot (for this please read the Amazon description and the other reviews) I just have to tell you there's some great concepts (something evil lurking in time itself, the greed and profit based future etc) and the icy, snowcovered planet and abandoned, bunkerlike facility as locations really work.
Also worth mentioning is the very creepy bad guy, as represented as a typical English administrative clerk, complete with bowlerhat and umbrella. Man that works! I always thought of DOCTOR WHO as a marriage between science fiction and horror and that guy sure scared me witless.

On the strenght of this I also bought Jonathan Morris' other BBC DOCTOR WHO novel; FESTIVAL OF DEATH (featuring another favorite of mine, the fourth doctor). I just can't wait to gobble that one up!
Meanwhile, please take it from me. This is the best WHO there is.

Time-twisting Who.......2002-07-07

Anachrophobia is a plot that's searching desperately for some interesting characters to inhabit it. Fortunately, unlike the previous Who book, Hope, this plot is interesting enough to compensate for it.

The Doctor, Anji, and Fitz arrive on an unnamed planet after the TARDIS is forced to land by some unknown force. The crew gets taken to Isolation Station Forty, an outpost in a very strange war. Neither the Plutocrats nor the Defaulters have been able to make any progress in the war in over 100 years.

Another unusual thing about this war is that Time itself is used as a weapon. Areas of accelerated time (where a person can age, die, and turn to dust in the space of seconds) and decelerated time (where a second of time can last days) dot the landscape. Isolation Station Forty is a research base where the residents are trying to send soldiers back in time to break the impasse. Unfortunately, something appears to have come back with them during the tests. Something that could make the war itself meaningless.

I loved Jonathan Morris' first Who book, Festival of Death. It did wonderful, twisty things with time and causality. This time, Morris tells a more straightforward tale, and it's not as good. The lack of interesting characters detracts from the plot instead of the wonderful plot making up for the lack of good characters. Don't get me wrong: the story contains plenty of strange, interesting things. It's still a good book. But Morris' weakness for original characters asserts itself. Hopefully, if he writes a third book, he will be able to rectify this weakness. He does try to give some of them a bit of back story, but it just doesn't seem to work.

The main characters are a bit better. The Doctor is the best of the bunch, with his manic energy manifesting itself as he tries to solve the problem. He's a virtual dynamo as he goes from situation to situation. Unfortunately, there are times where he's not like this, where he's instead tired and weak. This ties in with the ongoing storyline about his illness, and makes a nice counterbalance to his energetic periods. It also provides a nice clue to the ending.

Anji and Fitz aren't nearly as good, but they are passable. There is a brief reference to Hope, which gives some nice moments to Anji. But mostly, they are pretty basic. They react to events, wondering what's going on, and having to have the Doctor explain it to them. There isn't a lot that is new to their characters. However, they are definitely in character, and what there is of them in this book is pretty good.

The highlights of this book, though, are the wonderful ideas that it contains. Throughout the entire series, I can't remember Time ever being used as a weapon like it is in this book. The idea of intentionally accelerating and decelerating time is great. This also provides some nice imagery, as the Doctor and friends journey through parts of this world in vehicles that are insulated from the effects. They stumble upon a decelerated scene where a man is in the process of being shot, and it's chilling. Then there is the idea of getting part of a body into one of these fields. It can really make you shiver.

Then there are the creatures that end up invading the base. They can do so many things with time that it seems they are impossible to stop. Some of the things they can do defy logic, but they are so interesting that you don't mind. This forces the Doctor to come up with new and creative ways of dealing with them, which just adds to the sense of impending danger. While the characters aren't very interesting, the fact that there's so few of them does add to the menace as the station is attacked.

One neat aspect of the book, at least for long-time Who fans, is that this is basically a base-under-siege story. Early in the TV series, there was almost an entire season where the Doctor and companions arrive at some sort of base just as it's about to be attacked. It became a bit of a cliché. Fortunately, Morris puts enough of a spin on it that you don't really notice it. He also adds to it, as they then leave the base to prevent an even greater catastrophe.

Ultimately, this book is a satisfying read. While good characters are missed, the plot more than makes up for it. The beginning has a marvelously creepy feeling, and the tense atmosphere continues to a very surprising conclusion. It's definitely a must read for fans of the series, and it's still a pretty decent read for non-fans.

Anachrophilia.......2002-05-13

For the first thirty or forty pages, I wasn't sure if I was going to like ANACHROPHOBIA at all. The beginning felt slow and unengaging. The characters that Jonathan Morris introduced initially failed to interest me. But as the book progressed I found myself becoming more and more intrigued by the story-line and the carefully constructed plot. By the time I reached the end, I had become completely engrossed, and I was still thinking about the complexities of the plot for some time after I completed the book.

ANACHROPHOBIA is mainly a plot-driven story and it seems clear that there must have been a very complicated outline behind this book. It's a story that involves a lot of messing around with time travel and related temporal jiggery-pokery, but everything fits together just perfectly. The plot has been meticulously structured, yet it is never obscure or confusing. While it takes a little time to get started, once you get into the story, it never lets you go. Even some spots in the middle of the book that seemed like unrewarding padding take on a new meaning as later events unfold. It's a clever and well told story that carefully reveals just enough of the plot along the way to keep one's interest, but not so much that the reader figures out what is going on before the characters do.

The characterization of the Doctor is another aspect of the novel that I initially thought I was going to hate. The Doctor spends far too much time at the beginning doing little apart from a lot of grinning. I was hoping that this wasn't going to be an unwelcome flashback to the ineffectual, smiling Eighth Doctor Idiot of many of the pre-BURNING books. My fears were for naught. Morris manages to slowly increase the Doctor's role as the story progresses until, by the time one reaches the end, the Doctor has taken the center stage and is the powerful, intelligent and eccentric character he always can be. The Doctor is the center of the Whoniverse, and the last forty pages do a marvelous job of demonstrating this.

On the other hand, many of the secondary characters fall into the trap of being distinguished almost solely by their job description. Near the halfway point in the story, Morris attempts to give some of them a dose of much needed humanization, and only has mixed results. This additional characterization (done almost purely for plot related reasons) manages to triumphantly pull some of the individuals out of the whitewash, but for others the undertaking mostly falls flat. I enjoyed the clever attempt to base some of the plot around key moments in the lives of the characters, but I don't think it was an entirely successful effort.

Still, the thoroughly engaging plot and the wonderful use of the Doctor more than make up for any misfires on other fronts. It's great to get a book on time travel that makes heavy use of the device and manages to stick so well to its internal logic. Morris made the art of explaining complicated plots look easy, and he effortlessly constructed an engaging, compelling tale. Definitely a book to enjoy.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent comparative study.......2000-03-30

Comparative studies of religion can yield invaluable, unexpected insights not always discernible in studies that focus on a single religion. Anyone who doubts the value of the comparative approach should consult this excellent book. For those interested in Judaism, I especially recommend Barbara Holdrege's chapter "Veda and Torah", which is a fine distillation of contents from her book of the same name.

Book Description

Out of the melting pot of French, Africans, and other groups who made their home in Louisiana over the centuries, there has emerged a true American original--a unique culture, cuisine, and way of life known as Cajun. Full of spice but with a touch of elegance, Cajun cooking is now spread its roots, served up across the country and abroad. From traditional boudin blanc, dirty rice, jambalaya, and bread pudding to innovative new interpretations like a Cajun Thanksgiving feast and a Creole-inflected brunch, Cajun: A Culinary Tour of Louisiana brings the heart of the bayou and its culinary techniques to the kitchen of the home chef. Author Judith Bluysen, owner and operator of a restaurant in Paris that specializes in the dishes of that region, leads you through making the perfect roux, extracting the most flavor with Cajun spices, and preparing seafood to best highlight its freshness. Cajun classics are included alongside inventive new dishes that draw on the rich heritage of this cuisine.

Part cookbook, part cultural tour, Cajun both informs and inspires. The enticing step-by-step recipes for appetizers, main courses, desserts, and lagniappe--those additions to the meals such as sauces and breads--are paired with brief essays that explore the history of the Cajun and Creole people, the distinctive culture of New Orleans, and the author's personal reminiscences of Louisiana. Anecdotes about the rhythms of daily life and beautiful photographs of the area's plantations, indigenous ingredients, and inhabitants evoke all that is magical about Cajun country. A useful list of area inns and restaurants provides the basis for a trip to experience this singular culture firsthand.

Let both the new and classic meals included in Cajun: A Culinary Tour of Louisiana take you on a stimulating voyage through one of our country's most spirited regions.

Customer Reviews:

A suprise!.......2004-04-12

Having grown up in Louisiana, when I received this book as a gift I was sceptical that I'd find anything interesting or new in it. But what a suprise! Variations on the classic fare (gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee, etc)as well as recipes that seem inspired by our native ingredients such as sweet potato soup proved me wrong. The photographs are beautiful, and the recipes I've tried work.

A Charmer.......2003-12-05

This was not the usual cook book; it was a font of information on the history and culinary tastes of the area. The background information on food and preparation was told in a delightful manner and piqued my interest enough to try most of the recipes. The directions were easy to follow, the results marvelous. I would love to dine in Ms Bluysen's establishment in Paris, and if not that, please publish a book of the local Parisienne recipes.

Cane River's Louisiana Living: A Culinary Tour

Average customer rating:

Cane River's Louisiana Living: A Culinary Tour
Service League of Natchitoches Inc
Manufacturer: Wimmer Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Plastic Comb

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

More than a reference book: An interesting read as well.......2006-11-01

The most comprehensive references on transferware pottery are basically boring lists: You use them to reference a specific item, and not much else.
This book is so much more.
It's a top reference work, but is also the sort of book you can put on the coffee table - or curl up with in bed for an absorbing couple of hours reading.
Highly recommended.

The Dictionary of Blue and White Printed Pottery```````````1780-1880, Volume II

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The Dictionary of Blue and White Printed Pottery```````````1780-1880, Volume II
A.W. And R.K. Henrywood Coysh
Manufacturer: Antique Collector's Club, Woodbri
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PSTGLQ

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The Dictionary of Blue and White Printed Pottery 1780-1880
A. W. Coysh
Manufacturer: Antique Collectors Club Dist A/C
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MC13M0

Average customer rating:

Needs more detail

Barlow's Ornamental Plastering How To

Ornamental Plastering How To
Walt Barlow
Manufacturer: Walt Barlow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Reference | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Masonry | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Directories | Catalogs & Directories | Reference | Subjects | Books
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The Natural Plaster Book: Earth, Lime and Gypsum Plasters for Natural Homes (Natural Building Series)

ASIN: 0967703409

Customer Reviews:

Needs more detail.......2002-03-28

This book is short on pages and details. If you have seen plaster mold run once, you have all the information this book offers.

Barlow's Ornamental Plastering How To.......2000-08-26

This manual is a valuable addition to any plasterer's or moldmaker's library. I have been in the ornamental plastering trade in Texas for 35 yrs. Walt's book gives a very thorough view of ornamental plastering from his perspective working around the world. I picked up quite a few variations on techniques that I have been using, and some techniques that I was not aware of. I think a basic understanding of ornamental plastering would definitely be an advantage to the reader, but, the manual is written in such a way that I believe even a beginner would benefit greatly by reading Walt's book.

Customer Reviews:

This book is immensely informative and well prepared........1999-06-25

For anyone who is intrigued with the marriage of art and architecture in the design of living spaces, you should surely enjoy the works of this Indonesian design firm. They have impressed me with a creative sensitivity that is not normally considered nor enacted in the business of design and beyond all they show a very real design trademark that can be seen in all of their works. The book is very well written, giving the reader a educational tour supplemented with a good variety of well composed and detailed photographs. I really like the fact that the photographs are not the oft-expected tourist-like shots or the professional studio-like shots so prevalent in books of art and architecture. It appears to me that a lot of time and effort was put into this book. I am aware of the fact that the author is in fact an architect and for that reason he has a specific photographic sensitivity that makes his book even more interesting. I have learned more about Indonesian art and architecture, including a very informative section on building materials than I would have ever expected. This book is by far one of the best productions about the works of a design firm, anywhere on this planet.

Book Description

"a modern design classic"

Customer Reviews:

Amazon only allows for 5 stars?.......1999-02-08

If you are into graphics design or "techno culture", then this is the book for you. Loads of info on the history of techno music, as well as some of the most eye pleasing images you'll ever come across. It's got a really interesting navigation set up. It's just a great book to have. I really can't say enough good thing about this book.

A CYBER-Style Collection.......1998-08-03

A collection of Trance, Rave, and other music or advertisment materials. A "MUST HAVE" just to get the creative juices flowing - plus 50% text is in German where the scene is very big!!! Great if your doing Flyers or futuristic 3D Stuff Amazin layouts and typography use - Some may call this visual noise - I think it's great!!

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