Peliculas de Mi Vida, Las: Una Novela

Book Description

Beltrán Soler es de Chile, una tierra que se mueve. Es, además, un sismólogo que sabe más sobre las placas tectónicas que de la vida. Camino a Tokio, hace escala en Los Angeles, donde pierde el avión y se enfrenta a un temblor que lo remece. De pronto, las cincuenta películas más importantes de su vida, aquellos filmes que vio durante su infancia y adolescencia en los 60 y los 70, lo acosan.

Desde Willy Wonka y la Fábrica de Chocolates a Encuentros Cercanos del Tercer Tipo, pasando por las ruidosas cintas de catástrofe como Earthquake! y los filmes futuristas de los setenta como Soylent Green, Beltrán se conecta con su pasado y su excéntrica y disfuncional familia. De recuerdo en recuerdo, de película en película, Beltrán descubre la dimensión casi épica de la historia de los Soler. Ambientada en los dos mundos extrañamente paralelos de la suburbana California de Nixon, y el frío Santiago de Chile de Pinochet, esta ágil y contemporánea novela es sobre dos idiomas, dos mundos y dos familias que ven las mismas películas.

Average customer rating:

Excellent book, lousy editing
Don't judge this book by its cover
Excelente

Las Peliculas de Mi Vida: Una Novela
Alberto Fuguet
Manufacturer: Rayo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0060559403
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Book Description

Beltrán Soler es du Chile, una tierra que se mueve. Es, además, un sismólogo que sabe mucho sobre las placas tectónicas pero poco de la vida. Encerrado en su universo de datos sísmicos, libros científicos y catástrofes naturales, se protege del mundo que lo rodea. Pero a miles de kilómetros por encima del suelo que tanto analiza, en un avión camino a Los Ángeles -- la capital del cine, y la ciudad en la que creció -- tiene una conversación que le gatilla un sismo interno. De repente se le vienen a la mente las cincuenta películas más importante de su vida, aquellos filmes a la vez divertidos y absurdos que más lo afectaron durante su infancia y adolescencia durante los años sesenta y setenta.

Desde Willy Wonka y la Fábrica de Chocolates a Encuentros Cercanos del Tercer Tipo, pasando por las ruidosas cintas de catástrofe como ¡Terremoto! y los filmes futuristas de los setenta como Fuga en el Siglo XXIII, se conecta con su pasado, acordándose de las películas que vio, las personas con las que las vio y hasta de los teatros a los que fue. De recuerdo en recuerdo, de película en película, Beltrán reconstruye la historia de su excéntrica y disfuncional familia, y descubre que las películas que vio -- las que le gustaron y las que no -- fueron las que lo definieron como persona.

Ambientada en los dos mundos extrañamente paralelos de la suburbana California de Nixon, y el frío Santiago de Chile de Pinochet, esta ágil y contemporánea novela nos precipita en el universo cinematográfico de un adolescente que busca escapar de una existencia fragmentada, atrapada entre dos idiomas, dos culturas y dos familias que sin embargo ven las mismas películas. Escrita en el lenguaje dinámico y vivaz que ha hecho de Alberto Fuguet un escritor reconocido a nivel mundial, Las Películas de Mi Vida es una novela sobre el cine y sobre cómo las películas que vemos se vuelven parte de quienes somos.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book, lousy editing.......2005-12-29

This is another of Alberto Fuguet's intense and incisive works of fiction. He breaks with the myth of the "good Chilean exile" by having his protagonist closely relate to Pinochet supporters. His criticism is subtle and therefore more effective. His outsider's perspective on both Chile and the U.S. offers very unexpected insights on both countries and cultures.

As much as I can rave about the book I must complain about what amounts to the worst edition I have ever seen coming from an American publishing house - and this is Harper Collins! I was exited about the Rayo concept - books written by Hispanic authors appearing both in English and Spanish versions. Naturally, I was looking forward to reading my first of these. However, the Spanish edition is so bad it has probably a typo per page. It is a shame that Rayo was unable to hire Spanish speaking editors of quality. As if they did not exist. Makes me wonder if Latino editors get the same income as their English language counterparts.

Don't judge this book by its cover.......2004-08-12

As well as being the first book I read by Fuguet, the back flap of the cover was the first reference to McOndo that I have ever heard. Judging by the brief definition of the genre, I was expecting a work that blatantly attacks Gabriel García Marquez, Alejo Carpentier, Isabel Allende and other writers of magic realism while celebrating McDonalds and Coca-Cola. After all, McOndo declares the death of magic realism in Latin America. What I found was a work that agrees wholeheartedly with the uniqueness of Latin American and Chilean culture but is speaking from a different generation.

After guessing wrong at the tone of the book, I repeated the mistake after taking a look at the format. Flipping through the pages, the format looks like a list of movies that the protagonist has seen. I got excited thinking that maybe I would read an intellectual perspective on several classics. As it turns out, this is not the case at all. Rather, the narrator uses the films, many of them forgettable B flicks, to locate the times in his life where formative events occurred. The list has nothing to do with building a relationship with the reader and is completely introspective and therefore autobiographical. There are no obvious ovations made to the reader, the ending is neither epical nor moral.

This is an exorbing portrait of a Chilean adult looking back at his life and past passions. I get the sense that many of the events described come straight from Fuguet's own experiences, but at this point I don't know enough about the author to be sure. In a way, it is not represenative of all or even most young Chileans. The narrator spends most of his childhood in California and holds a PhD in seismology. But it has a very subtle and captivating style that keeps the reader turning the pages and enjoying what she finds.

Excelente.......2003-11-04

Vengo leyendo a Fuguet desde la epoca en que escribia como Enrique Alekan, y aunque se podria decir que el autor a veces peca de autoreferente (si, Matias Vicuna tambien aparece aqui), en este libro se aprecia una forma de escribir y de estructurar la novela mucho mas depurada. El paralelo entre la sismografia y los "terremotos personales" de cada uno, la encontre excelente. Creo que es lo mejor que ha escrito, aunque con esto no quiero menos preciar sus otros libros: Tinta Roja y Mala Onda son relatos con merito propio.

Desde mi punto de vista, creo que Fuguet logra lo que Matias Vicuna (de nuevo) describia despues de leer The Catcher in The Rye. Una identficacion tal con el personaje que a uno le gustaria sentarse a conversar con el, y saber que fue de su vida, que que paso despues del punto final...

Lo recomiendo sobre todos a aquellos que han criticado a Fuguet por la crudeza de algunos relatos, y lo decadente de alguno de sus personajes.

Excelente lectura.

Average customer rating:
Las Peliculas De Mi Vida: Una Novela
Alberto; Fitz, Ezra Fuguet
Manufacturer: Rayo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEWCJO

Average customer rating:
Peliculas de Mi Vida, Las: Una Novela
Alberto Fuguet
Manufacturer: Rayo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OF094S

Customer Reviews:

An excellent info source..........2002-05-06

This is either a book you'll love or hate, and I LOVED it! I noticed that a few other reviewers rated this source poorly due to the "graphic content". Well that's what the Giovanni are all about, pure unadulterated EVIL. This book contains little mini-stories, just like any other White Wolf book, and just like in all their other books the stories are related to the info and statistics contained within, and as previously stated the Giovanni are PURE EVIL, so of course the stories aren't pretty. Besides, doesn't it say "Games for mature minds" on all White Wolf books? Of course this isn't a book you'd want a little kid to read (or even a your teenager for that matter) but the game in general is not intended for young audiences. Bottom line is, if you're a storyteller that wants to include Giovanni in your campaign, or justs want more backgroud info about the World of Darkness, then this book is for you. If you want to play a Giovanni, then most diffinetly READ THIS BOOK, you've gotta realize what kind of clan you're going to be involved with, and how challenging of a roleplaying experience it will be. However if there are young role players in your group or your house hold, then for the love of god put it someplace safe, so that you can use it for a reference, but they won't be able to browse through it (I find it had to think of many things that could warp a young child more than a story about the making of a snuff film). Or...if you're just squemish or easily offended, perhaps a copy of the Salubri handbook would be a better choice for you ;)

Insular Necromancers Reviewed.......2001-08-21

The revised version of Clanbok: Giovanni is truly impressive. It's very well written and the graphic part is algo good. It contains a in-depht history of the Clan (since the Roman Empire, when their name wasn't Giovanni yet) like the previous version, and much information on the modern affairs. The lesser families (like the Dunsirn and the Pisanob) are explained with much more detail than it was in the previous version of this book. There's also more and new information on the Endless Night, and be prepared: it's shocking news!

It features much more interesting character templates (not just the generic "necromancer-business men" like before), including a Dunsirn and a Pisanob. The only thing that's missing is any follower from the Path (of Enlightment) of Bones, however. There are however revised rules for using Necromancy in the times of the Maelstrom, as well as new Necromancy Rituals, Pisanob Necromancy Rituals and mechanics, and a new Path for Ghilberti Necromancers. It also features rules for using Wraiths and Spectres without the need for Wraith: The Oblivion, a new Background and really interesting Merits and Flaws. All the rules also described in the MET system.

The previous book was a blast, and this one it much, MUCH better. A must buy, whether you're a Giovanni player or not. It's succesful in its task to provide in-depth and accurate information as well as picture how inhuman, dark and complex the Giovanni are.

Hard to read, harder to stomach.......2000-07-18

First of all, this sourcebook should have been identified as part of the "Black Dog" series ('Adult' rated White Wolf supplements), then I would have completely ignored it on the shelves.

Written primarily in the voice of a stereotypical mafioso Giovanni, the book is worthless as it is vulgar. The only point of value I found in the whole thing was the information on the Endless Night (why the clan is so interested in the afterlife).

Where did the quality go?.......2000-02-18

This is the last of White Wolf's clanbooks for the Vampire game -- and thank heavens, because the quality has gone steadily downhill. Though this is a definate improvement over the Clanbook: Tzimisce, it's still far too vulgar and disgusting to bring into a family household. I hope that, with the release of the new edition of the game, the darkness and brooding mood will remain, but the vulgarity will be done away with.

Makes interesting a frigtening concept.......1999-12-21

Considering the nature of the Giavonni, this book actually makes them somewhat attractive to play. It has it's share of disgusting descriptions(the front story for example) but that is part of the point.

Clanbook - Giovanni - A Sourcebook For Vampire, The Masquerade

Average customer rating:

Clanbook - Giovanni - A Sourcebook For Vampire, The Masquerade
Justin Achilli
Manufacturer: White Wolf Publ.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RIUOQA

Customer Reviews:

Good short stories of war.......2000-01-03

Most of these stories were pretty good. I was surprised by the fantasy parts in some of these stories because I expected all of them to be mostly sci-fi / military. The stories that were set in Viet Nam were all pretty good. Drake's leaning on Mech. Infantry gets old, he should write about light fighters too. The story about fraging the LT was great. The soldier justified killing another man because his buddy was killed while sneaking a joint while on a mission. He was sneaking it cause the LT wouldn't allow dope. So his buddies death is blamed on the Lieutenant. Classic!

I like that Drake doesn't make villians out of many of his officers. Most are soldiers that have earned the confidence and respect of their men by being charismatic and competant. We would all like to work for that kind of officer.

I give this 3 stars because I like it. The 4th star is for great and the stories just didn't get me there

Truly wonderful..........1998-07-27

This is a wonderful collection of Drake's works. It provides an insight into what makes his work truly stand out from the crowd. The Vietnam stories are among his earliest works and are stunning. "Have you ever seen a Sheridan burn?" is forever etched into my memory.

An excellent introduction to military science fiction........1998-07-03

One of Drake's earliest works. A mixture of true science fiction and fantasy wrapped around a Vietnam backdrop. A terrific collection of military science fiction short stories. Well worth the price.

Average customer rating:

Military Dimension: Mark II
David Drake
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GHDCZC

Average customer rating:

As a wedding gift...

I Could Have Used This Twenty-some Years Ago

Great book for beginners

Help! My Apartment has a Kitchen

Help for First Time Cooks

Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen Cookbook: 100 + Great Recipes with Foolproof Instructions
Kevin Mills , and Nancy Mills
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Quick & Easy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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The Healthy College Cookbook: Quick. Cheap. Easy.

Help! My Apartment Has a Dining Room Cookbook: How to Have People Over Without Stressing Out

Cooking Outside the Pizza Box: Easy Recipes for Today's College Student

The Starving Students' Cookbook

The Absolute Beginner's Cookbook: or, How Long Do I Cook a 3-Minute Egg?

ASIN: 0618711759

Amazon.com

"I had always known of the existence of the kitchen," begins Kevin Mills. "It was the room with the fridge in it. As for cooking, it was somebody else's problem. It was Mom's." When Mills went to college, however, it became his problem as well. After extensive phone coaching from Mom, he learned enough rudimentary recipes to keep from starving. And now you can learn them as well, along with a handful of not-so-rudimentary ones.

Book Description

For all kitchen-phobes and cooking illiterates whose pizza bills are higher than their rent, the mom-son duo of Kevin Mills and Nancy Mills make "cooking as simple as PBJ with the crusts cut off " (Seventeen), dispensing useful cooking tips and laughs in equal measure.

Customer Reviews:

As a wedding gift..........2007-08-09

I bought this book as a wedding gift for a couple who moved out of their parents house into their own apartment after their wedding. I figured they probably hadn't had much experience with cooking. Well she said she loved it. So I say it is a great book!

I Could Have Used This Twenty-some Years Ago.......2007-04-05

As a culinary-challenged Mom coming from a long line of terrible cooks, I was happy to stumble upon this. Even after many years my cooking is still hit and miss. I confess I didn't know even one eighth of Mrs. Mills' "Mom Tips." Shame on me. Happily I salted the corn water (makes the corn tough) and cooked the garlic on high heat (Wow! I used garlic, how creative.) So with my second-oldest son a week away from moving into his own place, I figured he needed some desperate help. Cup-a-noodles and Jalapeno Lays are his steady diet outside of the college cafeteria. And help he will get with this fine book, if only he will apply himself. It has the right touch. It's thorough but not daunting, has lots of info but isn't confusing. Plus there's plenty of comfort food to go around. (Pot roast included. When's the last time I made pot roast?) It's a good idea presented lightheartedly. And I actually got a "thanks, Mom" when I gave it to him.

Great book for beginners.......2007-01-19

This book is very helpful for people (college students, in particular) who have to make all their own food for the first time, and are tired of boxed macaroni and ramen. It has recipes for basic dishes, easily explained, including "mom tips" which are helpful hints about basic cooking or kitchen notions (like "make sure not to thaw the chicken on the counter" or "watch out, the steam from straining the spaghetti is hot and will fog up your glasses!"). There are several more complicated/"impressive" recipes for when company's coming.

This is a nice, friendly cookbook that doesn't aim to make beginners make really complicated stuff, just the things that they might've been used to at home and have no actual idea how to make once out from under parental supervision.

Help! My Apartment has a Kitchen.......2006-12-31

Kevin and Nancy (authors) make cooking sound approachable and possible. Humor helps the book when the recipe is difficult without belittling the reader. Unexperienced Cooks will enjoy the simple recipes, but may be dismayed at the ones that are "For Company", as they seem unlikely to be used by the college student and seem expensive to prepare. However, the authors do warn the reader which recipes contain expensive ingredients. Photographs would be helpful for the harder recipes as the illistrations are not all that helpful. The book has a nice start in the recipe variety area, but I would like to have culturally different easy recipes. Overall, I would suggest this book to most Beginner Cooks!!

Help for First Time Cooks.......2006-09-17

Some of my friends took an interest in cooking when they were young, and can whip up fabulous desserts without batting an eye. I always joked that my best friend and I would have to live together, since I didn't mind laundry and she didn't mind cooking. Now that I'm miles away from her food and can't live on cereal, I decided to pick up "Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen."
If you're like my friend and already have a basic idea of cooking, this probably isn't for you. But if you don't know how to boil water, Kevin and his mom are here to help. The cookbook is often funny and has a lot of helpful tips that will make things far less daunting for the culinary-challenged. They also provide recipes for everything from Quesadillas to Vegetable Stir Fry to a Turkey dinner, so no matter what kind of food you're in the mood for, you'll be able to find something. Plus, most of the time the recipes for entrees include a suggestion for what to serve with it to make a more complete meal.
Also, one thing I've found most helpful is that most of the recipes in this book make two servings. For someone cooking for him/herself, this is ideal. After two meals with the same dish, it's going to get old. This way you'll be able to have leftovers without eating the same dinner for breakfast two weeks later.
So far "Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen" has made cooking a far less daunting task for me, and provided me with a healthy alternative to pizza every night. If you're afraid of your oven and don't know how to make those pink blobs of uncooked chicken itnto a meal, this book is definitely for you.

Average customer rating:

It Was Good But....

Learning about pigs

Geared toward farmer, not homesteader...

A must for Raising Pigs...Tonasket, WA 2002

Great Book

Storey's Guide to Raising Pigs: Care/Facilities/Management/Breed Selection
Kelly Klober
Manufacturer: Storey Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books | Animal Production | Bees | Breeding | Dairy Science | Livestock Management | Meat | Nutrition | Poultry | Range Management
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Raising Pigs Successfully

Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle: Health/Handling/Breeding

Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens: Care / Feeding / Facilities

Storey's Guide to Raising Sheep: Breeds, Care, Facilities

Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats: Breeds, Care, Dairying

ASIN: 1580173268

Book Description

Practical advice for buying, feeding, and caring for hogs, plus modern breeding and herd management.

Customer Reviews:

It Was Good But...........2007-03-14

I learned some about pigs in this book but... have you ever tried to render your own lard??
This book says just to boil pig fat in water for awhile
That won't make lard
Took me four tries to finally get it right
Practical experience taught me more than this book

Learning about pigs.......2007-01-10

This is a great starter for raising pigs. It gives a lot of the basics on different breeds of pigs. The book is very helpful. Thank you.

Geared toward farmer, not homesteader..........2004-05-23

Overall, I would consider this a good but not great book. I was left with a vague feeling of incompleteness after reading it.

For example, it had several pictures of pigs with 'good muscling' (or 'nice topline' or 'great frame' or whatever). Granted, I'm a novice at pigs but it would be nice if it had pictures (preferably side-by-side) of an example of 'poor muscling' (or whatever) so I can see the difference.

I also found the 'butchering' section to be lacking. For example, when 'scalding' a carcass, it only talks about dipping the entire carcass into the hot water. Nowhere does it even mention dipping out the hot water and pouring it over the carcass (which is more manageable for a large pig). And the actual butchering (cutting up) part is minimal ('separate the carcass into the larger primal cuts with a butcher's knife').

My impression is that this book is geared more toward a small farmer wanting to raise a small herd for profit as opposed to a homesteader wanting to raise 1-3 pigs as food. It's just a different mindset. So - if you're a farmer - I would rate this book a '5'. A homesteader would still find it useful but not complete.

(I can't believe that pot-bellied pigs aren't even mentioned anywhere.)

A must for Raising Pigs...Tonasket, WA 2002.......2002-05-02

This is a must for pig raisers! I should know, I raise 5 breeding sows and write my own farm books, and I even mention this book in my resources section! It's that much of a needed book for pig farmers. Every subject you want to know about pigs is found in this book, from showing at the fair, breeding the pigs, to the business aspect of running a farm...

Great Book.......2002-03-28

My husband and I were thinking about raising pigs and bought this book. We read it cover to cover and found a lot of valuable information. We raised two pigs last summer and referenced this book constantly; it is always close at hand. If you are considering raising 1 pig or 50 this book will come in handy.

A Guide to Raising Pigs: Care, Facilities, Breed Selection, Management (Storey Animal Handbook)

Average customer rating:

A must for anyone with pigs!

A Guide to Raising Pigs: Care, Facilities, Breed Selection, Management (Storey Animal Handbook)
Kelly Klober
Manufacturer: Storey Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Veterinary Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1580170110

Book Description

Practical advice for buying, feeding, and caring for hogs, plus modern breeding and herd management.

Customer Reviews:

A must for anyone with pigs!.......1999-08-30

This is the best and most complete book on swine I have found! It covers every question I had and answered some I never thought of. Excellent.

Average customer rating:
Five Centuries Of American Costume
Wilcox
Manufacturer: Charles Scribners Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HHSSYG

Average customer rating:
Five Centuries of American Costume
R. Turner Wilcox
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Textiles & Costume | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Costume Through the Ages: Over 1400 Illustrations

Vintage Hats & Bonnets 1770-1970: Identification & Values

ASIN: 0486436101

Book Description

Depictions of everyday wear of Vikings, Mayans, Aztecs, Incas, and principal North American Indian tribes, plus the varied costumes of the Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, German, and Scandinavians who settled on the American continents. Military uniforms from the 16th to the mid-20th century are also portrayed. 404 black-and-white illustrations.

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Five Centuries of American Costume
R. Turner Wilcox
Manufacturer: Scribner's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NZ3OH8

Average customer rating:

Five Centuries of American Costume

Manufacturer: Scribners
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0684147114

Average customer rating:

Five Centuries of American Costume
Ruth Turner Wilcox
Manufacturer: Macmillan Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MYPYM8

Average customer rating:

Five Centuries of American Costume
R. Turner Wilcox
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MU83O8

Book Description

With a little do-it-yourself magic—and the help of master DIY author William Spence—you can make a big difference in the look of your house. Window and door casings, baseboards, chair rails and wainscoting, cornices, mantels and other interior trims can change a room’s character, insert period detail, create a focal point, and add warmth. The author gives plenty of guidance on choosing wood; hand and power tools; and stock and custom moldings made from plastic, fiberboard, and other materials. Proper safety procedures are emphasized throughout, and plenty of expert tricks of the trade go a long way toward ensuring success.

Customer Reviews:

Terrific book to have for weekends with creativity to express in beautifuing your home.......2005-12-06

This is a hardbound version of the paperback books others are selling here. I enjoyed having this book so much. It is expecially good for people who can take anything and make something special out of it to decorate their home. It is hardbound and contains drawings and a paper bookcover that is in pristine condition.

Customer Reviews:

Not even for Warhol fans.......2006-08-08

The main problem with this book is the layout of each page into three columns, thus all the pictures are quite small. So this is not a book to really enjoy the art. The text is also often far from essential, for example it contains relevant quotes from "The Andy Warhol diaries" or "Popism", which any Warhol fan will already have. It is worth remembering most of the original prints/paintings are measured in meters, so there is little satisfaction in looking at passport-photo sized pictures. "The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonne" is really only a reference book for art galleries or perhaps art collectors, and I'd recommend Warhol fans to stay away from this extremely expensive purchase, it contains zero enjoyment compared to leafing through the superb "Giant Warhol", where the appreciation of the immensity of Warhol's work can be much better appreciated.

GREAT! (except for the design).......2002-04-15

WOW. This is a real work of research. The amount of detail and care that has gone into this study of Warhol's early paintings is not to be believed. The editors have compiled a completely staggering amount of information about each work shown here--and who knew there were so many original paintings?

My only complaint is the book's design, which doesn't seem to have anything to do with Warhol's own aesthetic. The pictures are beautiful, but the words are tough on the eyes--the table of contents is especially awful. This is really a shame, because you can see pictures of Warhol paintings in lots of places. I don't know where you'd find all this wonderful data, though. (Put it on CD-ROM!)

It's definitely an expensive book, but unmatched, as far as I can tell, in its field. Bravo!

Average customer rating:
Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonne: Paintings and Sculpture, 1961-1963
Georg Frei
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MUDSQ6

Book Description

"An extraordinary book . . . invitingly written and brisk."
--Chicago Tribune

"Perhaps no one has ever told the tale [of Robinson's arrival in the major leagues] so well as [Simon] does in this extended essay."
--The Washington Post Book World

"Scott Simon tells a compelling story of risk and sacrifice, profound ugliness and profound grace, defiance and almost unimaginable courage. This is a meticulously researched, insightful, beautifully written book, one that should be read, reread, and remembered."
--Laura Hillenbrand, author of the New York Times bestseller Seabiscuit

The integration of baseball in 1947 had undeniable significance for the civil rights movement and American history. Thanks to Jackie Robinson, a barrier that had once been believed to be permanent was shattered--paving the way for scores of African Americans who wanted nothing more than to be granted the same rights as any other human being.

In this book, renowned broadcaster Scott Simon reveals how Robinson's heroism brought the country face-to-face with the question of racial equality. From his days in the army to his ascent to the major leagues, Robinson battled bigotry at every turn. Simon deftly traces the journey of the rookie who became Rookie of the Year, recalling the taunts and threats, the stolen bases and the slides to home plate, the trials and triumphs. Robinson's number, 42, has been retired by every club in major league baseball--in homage to the man who had to hang his first Brooklyn Dodgers uniform on a hook rather than in a locker.

Customer Reviews:

Alibis for the Red Sox.......2005-08-20

Mr. Simon is an esteemed radio journalist, but this book hardly qualifies for even the low standards of sports journalism. Many factual errors, and Mr. Simon spends almost as much time coming up with excuses for why the Red Sox were the last team to integrate, as he does celebrating Jackie Robinson and those who spurred the re-integration of "Organized Baseball." This dashed-off effort completely overlooks that Blacks WERE previously in Organized Baseball, but were booted out.

Don't Miss This LIttle Gem!.......2003-05-16

This little book--small in dimensions and hardly over 100 pages in length--should be on everyone's bookshelf. Whether you remember watching Jackie Robinson play (as I do), or whether he's just a name from the distant past; whether you're white (as I am), or black, or any other race, creed or color; whether you're a baseball fan (like me) or someone who couldn't care less about the National Pastime, Jackie Robinson's story is for everyone.

The only reason I didn't give this book a 5-star rating is that there's really nothing new in it; if you already know the saga of Robinson's integration of baseball you aren't likely to learn a lot of news things about it here. But Scott Simon writes beautifully and movingly and retells this great American story with verve and directness.

I've read that there are professional baseball players today (even black players!) who barely have any idea who Robinson was or what he endured. His story should never be forgotten and this wonderful book will help assure that Robinson's memory endures.

Derivative and amateurish book.......2003-02-04

This book offers nothing in the way of original research or new conclusions about the integration of organized baseball; it is full of errors, special pleading, and misplaced nostalgia. It also fails to acknowlege its debt to the superior work of others, especially Jules Tygiel (*Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and his Legacy*) and John C. Chalberg (*Rickey and Robinson: The Preacher, the Player and America's Game*). Purchase either of the latter books (or both) and give this misconceived vanity effort a pass.

Perfect read for a Saturday morning.......2002-10-18

This book is a perfect two-hour read for a Saturday morning after listening to the author on NPR's Saturday Morning Edition. The reader can hear Mr. Simon's distinctive and familiar voice when reading the pages. The book is not intended to be a comprehensive history on baseball's integration or a biography of Jackie Robinson, as noted in the opening pages. Rather, it provides just the right amount of background on Mr. Robinson and Mr. Richey, as well as the context surrounding events. Mr. Simon's notes and examples stimulate readers to learn more about particular people and events. I particularly recommend this book (and possibly the series from the list of forthcoming books) as a quick read for adults and teenagers who desire to read about the people and events that shaped our nation, yet must balance the responsibilities of family, work and community, which may prevent them from reading longer books.

Wonderful book / series.......2002-10-11

This is the second book I've read in the series (after Columbus in the Americas by William Least Heat-Moon). They are both vivid, concise accounts of extraordinary moments. I came to this book without knowing much about Jackie Robinson. I couldn't put the book down. It's a remarkable story and so beautifully written. I highly recommend it and look forward to others in the Turning Point series. It's a wonderful idea, to get great authors to offer their insights about a particular historic event in a pocket size book.

Lucent Library of Black History - Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball (Lucent Library of Black History)

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Lucent Library of Black History - Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball (Lucent Library of Black History)
John F. Wukovits
Manufacturer: Lucent Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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Book Description

African-American history is significant and integral to the larger history of the United States. Emboldening this dynamic, the Lucent Library of Black History places important topics in context so that readers will understand the connection between black history and the broad sweep of America?s story. This high-quality series focuses on both broad movements like Civil Rights, as well as more narrowly defined events such as the Tuskegee Study.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Southern Historical Association on August 1, 2000. The length of the article is 801 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Brushing Back Jim Crow: The Integration of Minor-League Baseball in the American South.
Author: Joel Wolfe
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Refereed)
Date: August 1, 2000
Publisher: Southern Historical Association
Volume: 66 Issue: 3 Page: 682

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Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season (Unabridged)

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An engaging and elegantly written account of Jackie Robinson's groundbreaking rookie season with the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers
Walking in Jackie's shoes
The opening day of my memories...
a Must read
RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "I LOVE JACKIE ROBINSON!"

Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season (Unabridged)
Jonathan Eig
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
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ASIN: B000PGTMYE

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An engaging and elegantly written account of Jackie Robinson's groundbreaking rookie season with the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers.......2007-09-08

By the time the middle of the 1940's rolled around Branch Rickey, President of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was already widely acknowledged as one of the smartest, most innovative executives in all of baseball. After all, it had been Rickey who had conceived the notion of a system of minor league farm teams to supply talent to the major league club. In addition, Rickey knew how to evaluate talent like no one else. It got to the point that other general managers did not want to deal with him for fear of getting snookered again. It was sometime around 1944 that Branch Rickey made up his mind that he was going to be the one to integrate Major League Baseball. Always seeking an advantage, Rickey was the first to fully understand that there was a wealth of untapped talent playing in the Negro Leagues. And so it was that before the 1946 season Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson to a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was Rickey's plan to bring Robinson along slowing with the hope of Robinson contributing to the big league club in a year or two. After a magnificent season at AAA Montreal in 1946 it was apparent to most observers that Jackie Robinson would likely find himself suiting up for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. "Opening Day" is Jonathan Eig's splendid account of that historic and memorable season. It is a book that will grab your attention immediately and never let go.
I was quite surprised to learn that Jackie Robinson had really not played all that much baseball before signing with the Dodgers. While in college at UCLA Jackie Robinson had run track and been a star football player. He only dabbled in baseball. But Robinson was widely recognized as one of the best all-around athletes in the nation. It was this athleticism that intrigued Branch Rickey. On August 28, 1945 Robinson and Rickey would meet for the very first time. After taking careful measure of the man Rickey was convinced that Jackie Robinson had the proper temperment to endure the difficulties that were sure to arise as major league baseball attempted to integrate its game. After just one year in the minors Branch Rickey deemed Jackie Robinson ready to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In "Opening Day" Jonathan Eig introduces us to Burt Shotten, the unassuming manager of the 1947 Dodgers and to the men who would be Jackie's teammates. Make no mistake about it. There was a ton of pressure on these men as well. Players like Eddie Stanky, Dixie Walker and Pee Wee Reese really had no idea what to expect in 1947. You will come to understand how the players coped with the drama unfolding all around them. And you see how a team that little was expected of would come together over the course of the long season and make this the most memorable season in the history of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
But of course it is important to understand that "Opening Day" is not just a book about baseball. For this is a story of courage and tenacity.
For one very special season Jackie Robinson took the whole world upon his shoulders. Rickey and Robinson were gambling that if this experiment was successful Major League Baseball would finally see the error of its ways and integrate the game. And it proved to be a risk worth taking. "Opening Day" managed to hold my interest from cover to cover. Jonathan Eig is a wonderful storyteller and I simply could not put this one down. One of the best sports books I have read in a very long time!
Highly recommended!

Walking in Jackie's shoes.......2007-08-04

Author Jonathan Eig does an excellent job of putting the reader in Jackie Robinson's shoes for the 1947 season. You get a good sense of what life was like for Robinson, on and off the field. He and his wife Rachael and young son, Jack Jr., shared a small bedroom in the Bedford-Stuyvesant apartment of a woman in a black neighborhood. The living conditions only added to the stress of Robinson's rookie season. Can you imagine any rookie living that way today?

Eig details how teammates and opponents treated Robinson. Many of his teammates were aloof, at best. Many were Southerns who didn't care for him. The role Dixie Walker played in supposedly circulating a petition protesting Robinson's addition to the Dodgers is covered.

Eig recounts each series of the 1947, detailing how opponents treated Robinson, how he performed on the field, and how he had to room with black families when he was on the road. It's interesting to see how some things changed as the season progressed.

This book is essential for any fan who wants to know more about Jackie Robinson and the 1947 season. It will increase whatever admiration you have for Robinson.

The opening day of my memories..........2007-07-18

indeed the book is about baseball, however it is about soooo much more.
From my perspective of someone who was four years old in 1947 Eig's work instantly turned the shadows on my wall of rememberances into a vivid dance of joy.

There was MacArthur, Rickey, Flatbush Ave, stars earning a few bucks more than Ralph Kramden, a guy named Moses who lead NYC to international prominence and forced "them Bums" out of Brooklyn. I can not tell you how much I signed bitter sweet tears of joy through out this Illid.

I had kept this Father's day gift ominously staring at me from my bedside night table for two weeks as I had declared it's purpose in life was to be my companion on a transatlantic trip w/my son to Spain and Italy.

It turned out to be the best traveling companion I ever had so I knew the era forgave me for letting it linger in the brink for those weeks.

I was reminded that in the late forties why my family, sterotypical Italianos, were die hard Yankee fans and why I had to be different. I flashed back to 1949 when I got a Leaf bubble card and opened to see a black face with a mesmerizing smile looking at me and how nonplused I was when I asked my dad who this "Negro" was since living in San Antonio at the time my exposure to there culture was next to nil.

My foggy view of the Korean "conflict" came to light as did all the references to Caro's _The Power Broker_ started to make sense. How social change evolved and the sturm un drang (sp)of the times accelerated the process. This and so much more kept me enchanted across the pond and I was only jarred back to 2007 when we touched down at Frankfurt and I had so kiss my friend farewell, blinked my eyes and uncremoniously place him in my overnight bag all the while thanking him for sixty years of memories brought to life.

a Must read.......2007-06-18

Jackie Robinson was a true Ambassador of the game of Baseball. it's well known about Branch Rickey signing Jackie to the Dodgers and the Historic Impact of Jackie Robinson being the first Black Baseball Player to break the Color Barrier in Major League baseball 60 years ago. Jackie Robinson was also a 4 letter Athlete at the University of UCLA. He was a Gifted Athlete and a Smart Man whose first Season hadn't been fully told until now. this is a Great Book and it answers so much about just how things went down 60 years ago. Jackie Robinson is a true Civil Rights Leader and a Ground-Breaker who paved the way for so many.

RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "I LOVE JACKIE ROBINSON!".......2007-06-12

I am a born and raised Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodger fan. In fact my family moved from New York to Los Angeles the same year as the Dodgers. Before my brothers and I were born, my parents went to Ebbets field every weekend. I still have a box full of Brooklyn scorecards from those days. I was too young to see Jackie in his prime, but my Dad took me to some games in 1956 and I got to see Jackie and all the "Boys Of Summer"! I was a Brooklyn Dodger fanatic even at that age. Besides watching the Dodgers, I read everything available on them, and still do, 50 years later. I can unabashedly say I love Jackie Robinson. One of my many fond memories of my Dad, was him talking to me in front of our tiny black and white TV watching the Dodgers. He said "I have gone to hundreds of baseball games, and have seen 1,000 players, and the most exciting player I ever saw was Jackie Robinson!" "What Jackie did, was not displayed only in the statistics. Over the history of baseball, many players stole more bases. (Such as Ricky Henderson stealing bases with a 7 run lead in the 8th inning.) But no one unnerved every player on the team just by leading off the base and dancing on his pigeon toes, like Jackie. This book points out little, subtle, beneficial affects, on the whole Dodger team, that the average fan wouldn't see. The pitcher and catcher would be so nervous with Jackie dancing around on the base paths, that they would be afraid to throw curve balls, so the batters got better pitches to hit. Jackie stole home more times, than just about anyone except Ty Cobb. When we moved to Los Angeles there was a program on called the "Million Dollar Theatre", in which they showed the same movie on TV every day for a week. When the "Jackie Robinson Story" was on, I watched it every night, and literally memorized the dialogue. People forget that the Brooklyn Dodgers were the "original America's team". And that was because of Jackie. When Jackie broke the color line, he wasn't only fighting for the blacks, but he also was fighting for the Jews, and every minority that has been suppressed. When I watch old sports shows, when they talk about Jackie, I actually get tears in my eyes, because I know what he went through. I've read just about every meaningful book on Jackie and the Brooklyn Dodgers. I would rate this book as the 2nd best Jackie book of them all. (My personal favorite is "Great Time Coming".)

This book was interesting to me as compared to many others, because it not
only zoomed in on his first year as a player, but also went deeper into
his personal life during that first year. All the way to the size of a little room he and Rachel rented, along with their infant son. If you were to ask me, what, with all my knowledge, I have on Jackie's playing, was the biggest thing I learned from this book, I would say his affect, and dominance, in every facet of the game, that didn't appear in his batting average, in a losing cause as a rookie in the 1947 World Series against the hated and despised Yankees. This is a great book and I recommend it to everyone. P.S. In my opinion Jackie was the greatest all around athlete since Jim Thorpe. A lot of people forget that Jackie was the first 4-sport letterman at UCLA. He was an All American football player, the top scorer on UCLA's basketball team, a record setter in the long jump, and of course baseball, which was actually his weakest sport at that time. Duke Snider tells a story about when Duke was in high school in Compton California, and Jackie was playing for Pasadena City College (A junior college). Duke went to see Jackie play a baseball game. One inning Jackie hit a homerun, and then in his full baseball uniform, with spikes on, ran over to the track field between innings, won the broad jump, and ran back to the baseball field in time to play the next inning!

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