ON BOARD THE USS MASON: THE WORLD WAR II DIARY OF JAMES A. DUNN

Customer Reviews:

Recommended for military buffs and Black Studies students........2000-04-07

During World War II, James A. Dunn was a signalman on the USS Mason, a destroyer escort and the only ocean-going warship in the American navy to employ African Americans in positions other than cook or messmate. Manned by African American seamen (and commanded by white officers), the USS Mason made ten crossings of the Atlantic from 1944 to 1945, escorting convoys of merchant ships to and from the United Kingdom and North African, and operating in hunter-killer groups searching for German submarines. Dunn kept a day-to-day diary during his spare time on board the Masson. He recorded the daily life aborad the ship, including the duties and pastimes that made shipboard life endurable. The diary also reveals what it meant to be an African American in a white navy within a segregated American society -- including the shipboard tensions, cooperation and sense of unity. On Board The USS Mason is a unique and invaluable contribution to the growing body of World War II literature and eye-witness accounts, and will be of immense interest to students of Black Studies and American military history.

Unexcusible Intentionable Oversites of War.......2000-02-25

The crew of USS Mason's action in the North Atlantic was a showing of a well disiplined well led brave group of men. Being from Boston, Mass. I am aware of thier heroic actions,the DE Mason was built here at the Charlestown Navy Yard when I was about 6 years old. I personally feel the Captain on down took a real royal screwing.The Captain's log showed reason enough to be reconized but it was ignored by some predjudice Brass higher up the chain of command. The book well presented! A USMarine(caucasion)Korean Vet

Book Description

What's going on behind the closed doors of a data center? What do computer people do when no one is looking? Read and find out.

Book Description

How does the brain work? How different is a human brain from other creatures' brains? Is the human brain still evolving? In this fascinating book, Michael O'Shea provides a non-technical introduction to the main issues and findings in current brain research, and gives a sense of how neuroscience addresses questions about the relationship between the brain and the mind. Chapters tackle subjects such as brain processes, perception, memory, motor control and the causes of 'altered mental states'. A final section discusses possible future developments in neuroscience, touching on artificial intelligence, gene therapy, the importance of the Human Genome Project, drugs by design, and transplants.

Customer Reviews:

A brainy introduction, but not picture perfect.......2007-09-16

O'Shea's book provides a very broad overview of the structure and function of the most complex object known to Man. The biochemical and physical interactions of neurons, the formation of memory, brain-machine interaction, and a range of other topics, are all touched upon in a readable and informative manner, pitched at the level of an intelligent beginner, and requiring just an elementary grasp of physics and chemistry. The book has one significant shortcoming: Most of the illustrations are copied from other publications, and are a poor match with the text. For example, on page 45 there is a diagram illustrating avoidance behavior in unicellular animals, a simple concept not requiring a diagram, let alone one that occupies almost an entire page and contains labels that are not referenced in the text. Yet when we come to the discussion of the large-scale structure of the human brain, in Chapter 4, which cries out for a detailed diagram, there is none. I was reduced to finding one online, to refer to as I read the text. I agonized long and hard about whether to deduct a star from the rating, because I do recommend this book, but in the end I decided I had to. I hope OUP reissue it with more relevant illustrations.

A great introduction.......2006-05-26

This is one of the best books in the VSI series, and I've read well over thirty by now. It gives a very good introduction to the basic neuroanatomy of the brain, and explains many important brain functions. The book is intended for laypeople, but even those (like me) who are familiar with the subject can benefit from reading it. Oftentimes neuroscience textbook overwhelm with details, and it is sometimes hard to see the forest from the trees. This book provides a good bird's eye perspective on the field, and its many references and recommended books make it a valuable reference. Very importantly, the book is up to date in some of the more recent discoveries, including some current controversies like grandma neuron, the idea that the brain has a neuron devoted just for recognizing each family member.

A good, well written and well organized book. I highly recommend it.

Good for nonscientists.......2006-05-16

I was somewhat disappointed by this book and did not think it was as good as most of the other volumes in the series. Most OUP "Very Short Intro" books go far beyond merely introductory material, but this book does not. It is truly written for the layman and not for anyone with a biological background. The best chapter was on memory; the parts on machine/brain interactions were also interesting. Overall, though, I got little from this book that I did not already know. If you have taken any neuroanatomy or neurophysiology classes (or even a good basic biology course), you will not get much out of this volume. However, If you know absolutely nothing about the brain, this is a reasonable introduction.

The Brain Box (Very Short Introductions)

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The Brain Box (Very Short Introductions)

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0199207976

Book Description

Very Short Introduction Boxed Sets Books that are perfect to pop in your pocket now packaged to make the ideal gift! Five of the best-selling introductory books on science from the highly acclaimed Very Short Introductions series packaged in a stylish case to make the ideal gift or way-in to the vast area of science. This boxed set gives a great introductory overview to the subject of science, from the mystery of consciousness and the central ideas of quantum theory to the important basic findings and procedures of evolutionary biology. Evolution: A Very Short Introduction by Brian Charlesworth and Deborah Charlesworth 0-19-280251-8 / 978-0-19-280251-4 Evolution provides a unifying set of principals for the whole of biology; it also illuminates the relation of human beings to the universe and each other. Brian and Deborah Charlesworth introduce the general reader to some of the most important basic findings, concepts, and procedures of evolutionary biology as it has developed since the first publications of Darwin and Wallace on the subject, over 140 years ago. Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction by Susan Blackmore 0-19-280585-1 / 978-0-19-280585-0 Consciousness, 'the last great mystery for science', has now become a hot topic. This is a clear overview of the subject that combines the perspectives of philosophy, psychology and neuroscience - unlike all the other books available on the subject. Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction by Ian Deary 0-19-289321-1 / 978-0-19-289321-5 Ian Deary describes what psychologists have discovered about how and why people differ in their thinking powers. The issues discussed include whether there are several different types of intelligence, whether intelligence differences are caused by genes or the environment, the biological basis of intelligence differences, and whether intelligence declines or increases as we grow older. Cosmology: A Very Short Introduction by Peter Coles 0-19-285416-X / 978-0-19-285416-2 'There is an embarrassment of books about the universe for the general reader, but few manage to pack so much, so elegantly, into such a compact space as this does. The book is generously illustrated.' The Guardian Quantum Theory: A Very Short Introduction by John Polkinghorne 0-19-280252-6 / 978-0-19-280252-1 This book gives a lucid, exciting, and accessible account of the surprising and counterintuitive ideas that shape our understanding of the sub-atomic world. The main text makes no use of equations, but there is a Mathematical Appendix for those desiring stronger fare.

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The Brain: A Very Short Introduction
Michael O'Shea
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OK7CN4

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Insight, Fine Recipes, and Gorgeous Presentation. Great Buy

Culinary Genius at its best

La Cuisine De Jo¿l Robuchon: A Seasonal Cookbook
Joel Robuchon
Manufacturer: Seven Dials
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
French | European | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

The Elements of Taste

Paul Bocuse's Regional French Cooking

Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing

Happy in the Kitchen: The Craft of Cooking, the Art of Eating

ASIN: 1841881341

Book Description

From France's greatest chef--and one of the most famous of the last 100 years--come the distilled principles of his cooking. From spring to winter, he selects over 50 of the freshest products of each season to work with. Using everything from asparagus to eggplant, lamb to hare, olive oil to mushrooms, tuna to scallops, he whips up detailed, delicious recipes. Starting with soups and ending with sorbets, and including wines to accompany it all, he presents gourmet tastes with a simple sophistication that makes haute cuisine accessible to all--even beginner cooks. Over 130 specially commissioned photographs and original prints and engravings display dishes that will make your mouth water--and send you straight to the kitchen.

Customer Reviews:

Insight, Fine Recipes, and Gorgeous Presentation. Great Buy.......2004-03-29

This book of 52 articles on food products, both natural and man-made, is a perfect model of what can be done with culinary subjects in books with a lot of commitment to quality of both the intellectual material and the production values in its presentation.

Be perfectly clear that this book, as available from Amazon by the item within this review appears is most definitely in English, with a lot of care taken so that units are also translated into those familiar to American and UK readers. There is even a little list of synonyms for translating European terms such as aubergines into the more American friendly term, eggplant. I was so interested in seeing this book that I was willing to put my college French to the test and read it in French. That exercise is unnecessary.

The best thing that can be said about the book is that it lives up to Joel Robuchon's rather considerable reputation. He is probably even better known to Americans than his eminent countryman Paul Bocuse through his occasional appearances on the Food Network show `Iron Chef'.

The 52 articles in the book are divided into thirteen (13) articles per season. Of the 52 articles, 48 deal with raw foods such as Asparagus, Lamb, Lobster, and Grapes. Two (2) deal with refined products, salt and olive oil. Two deal with primal `compound' products, leavened bread and pastry crust. As the book was based on a collection of journalized articles first printed in a French periodical, it is entirely understandable that the selection of products is based entirely on products raised or gathered in and around France. The varieties of fruits and vegetables and the sources of meats are also all French. This is not parochialism; it is simply that the material was originally written for a French audience.

The first thread running through all the articles is the emphasis on what constitutes the very best samples of each product, how to judge the best products, how to pass on lesser samples, and how to do the very best preparations of these products. The chapter on haricot beans is a perfect example of how best to treat this very, very French product. As Robuchon states in this article, these are little things, but that is what excellence in cooking is all about, an attention to a lot of little details.

Let me not give the impression that the book is a collection of dry details on cooking techniques. Whether through Robuchon's skill with words himself or through the efforts of an excellent (albeit uncredited) translator, the text is a very easy read, quite capable of holding ones attention, as long as one has the least amount of interest in the subject at the outset.

I must also say that I have rarely seen any book so well served by its color illustrations as this. The first comparable work that comes to mind is the Larousse Gastronomique. The French (Europeans?) really know their stuff when it comes to creating an evocative mix of photographs, color plates, and black and white engravings to pair the best possible picture with the text and achieve a mix of media which entertains the eye as much as the text engages the mind.

Each of the 52 articles is accompanied by a recipe featuring the subject of the article. Some recipes such as the one for leavened bread is quite involved, it being a method for creating the leavening from natural yeasts rather than using brewers yeast. Other articles, especially those for vegetables, are very simple such as with the simple glazed carrots. Yet, even these most simple of recipes include techniques which expand one's appreciation of matching techniques to the product.

When the legions of culinary workers and writers babble as if by rote about the best and freshest ingredients in season, this is what they are really talking about, if they would just apply the level of care Monsieur Robuchon has put to his subject.

Very highly recommended for the library of anyone interested in food.

Culinary Genius at its best.......2003-03-05

I would like to take this opportunity to complain about the people who have ordered similar books, and then been disappointed with the contents. I have read several reviewers who complain about the author using "hard-to-find" ingredients, such as demi-glace or foie gras. I mean no disrespect, but what did you expect? Chefs like Joel Robuchon, Alain Ducasse and Freddy Giradet use such ingredients on a very regular basis, and with a very generous hand. Even if you were unaware of that fact, then the editorial review should have tipped you off. Secondly, these sorts of ingredients are not hard to find. There are several very good internet food suppliers that will provide all sorts of exotic, and not-so exotic game. Just type 'game meat suppliers', or 'gourmet food suppliers', into an internet search engine.

That said, anyone expecting this book to give the inexperienced chef the opportunity to discover professional secrets should keep looking. However, for the experienced home or professional chef, or even an inexperienced chef who would like to add to their cookery library, this is a book that should be treasured. Not only does Robuchon provide stunning recipes, he also gives a detailed history of each seasonal ingredient, along with beautiful pictures. He talks about each item with such passion and quiet respect that you immediately become absorbed. He describes in such a way that you feel as though you are sitting listening to him talk. He is not a chef that explodes with noise and excitement (Emeril Lagasse springs to mind) but instead his words are calming, passionate and deeply descriptive. He doesn't rely on any gimmick to sell you food; instead he lets the food speak for itself.

The book is divided into the four seasons (as you might have gathered from the title), with each food item receiving a thorough history and a single recipe. He also suggests a wine that best complements the recipe, which is helpful if you have little knowledge of wine and its relationship with food. If for no other reason, this book a fantastic library addition for its pictures. Not only are there full color pictures for each recipe, but the book is peppered with old-fashioned color plates of ingredient in question. A beautiful and highly impressive book.

Customer Reviews:

CatMarket.com.......2004-08-16

Unlike many other books that attempt to provide a roundup of the different cat breeds available to fanciers, this book is intended to provide text and photographic coverage of strictly American Breeds. It portrays (in almost every case in color as well as black and white) every breed recognized by cat associations in the United States and Canada, and it shows strictly U. S. and Canadian animals.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic Book

What to Know about the whole process.

Great reference for beginner

Inspiring yet practical

Great for 1st time dyers & those looking for a refresher

Fabric Dyeing for Beginners
Vimala McClure
Manufacturer: American Quilter's Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Dye | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Quilts & Quilting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Chemical | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Color by Accident: Low-Water Immersion Dyeing

Dyes & Paints: A Hands-On Guide to Coloring Fabric

The Basic Guide to Dyeing & Painting Fabric

Transforming Fabric: Thirty Creative Ways to Paint, Dye and Pattern Cloth

Handpainting Fabric: Easy, Elegant Techniques

ASIN: 1574328131

Book Description

For the many people who love hand-dyed fabrics but think they are too difficult to make, Vimala McClure presents an easy to do technique that is convenient and gentle on the pocketbook. The author says, 'I use methods that are simple to understand and that can be broken down into steps to be completed on separate days.' Because her dyeing process is done in small batches, there is minimal mess to clean up. Worked in small jars or a plastic bin, luminous fabrics with exciting patterns can be made in a total of two to three hours. Using widely available dye products, which are listed in the resources section, the author provides dye recipes for mixing batches of 12 different colors or, for more variety, 24 colors. She shows how to make intriguing color mixtures, single-color gradations and multiple color gradations. With a cookbook approach and step by step photos, the author demonstrates tie dyeing, Shibori-like dyeing, fold dyeing, and overdyeing, each method illustrated with examples of wonderful fabric swatches and quilt blocks. She also describes how to make simple stencils for sponging or spraying to add pizzazz to any fabric. AUTHORBIO: "Quilting gave me a creative outlet when I was raising my children. Each quilt I made fueled my creative fire. Soon I was making 3 and 4 quilts at a time." Today Vimala McClure writes and inspires creativity. It is her mission to promote creative quiltmaking. REVIEW: McClure approaches the somewhat daunting prospect of chemicals, rubber gloves, and stained sinks wi th enthusiasm, but also with practical sense. She knows that busy women need ways to fit these processes into their other responsibilities, and so breaks the processes up into small, manageable pieces that can be done over several days....The technical details are nicely balanced by photos of many styles of quilts that make use of hand=dyed fabrics.- Planet Patchwork Brookbriefs No. 20

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Book.......2007-05-13

Love this book. Instructions are very clear and procedures are quite easy. Detailed instructions for dyeing fabric. Love it!

What to Know about the whole process........2006-03-03

This book tells you all of the details of fabric dyeing. It will allow you to decide whether or not you even want to attempt it. In my case I decided that I don't. Unless there is a fabric you really can't find, (hard to believe) or you simply like big messes, why bother.

Great reference for beginner.......2003-07-09

This book is an excellent reference for beginners. It treats the subject like a cookbook, walking you step by step through each "recipe" so you can proceed with confidence.

I especially recommend this book for quilters and stitchers who want to know enough to get the desired results for their projects without drowning in more information than they need.

Inspiring yet practical.......2003-05-01

Fabric dyeing is one of those things that appeals to our primitive finger-painting urges. It's messy, colorful, and very satisfying. Vimala McClure's book for beginners, which grew originally from a popular magazine article, is just the ticket if you've been contemplating giving this a try. McClure approaches the somewhat daunting prospect of chemicals, rubber gloves, and stained sinks with enthusiasm, but also with practical sense. She knows that busy women need ways to fit these processes into their other responsibilities, and so breaks the processes up into small, manageable pieces that can be done over several days. Several different dyeing techniques are explored, including pickle-jar, fabric-fold, tie-dye, and stencil methods. The technical details are nicely balanced by photos of many styles of quilts that make us of hand-dyed fabrics.

Great for 1st time dyers & those looking for a refresher.......2003-03-18

This is a terrific new book on dyeing fabric. If you've ever thought about trying to dye your own fabric but were afraid of the mess or complicated steps involved, read this book and try out the recipes. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy, fun, and relatively mess-free it can be.

Vimala gives clear, step-by-step info on "pickle dyeing" in small quantities and with a minimum of space and mess, as well as info on tie dyeing, stencilling, and fold dyeing. The steps are well illustrated and several samples of each technique are shown. In addition, a gallery of Vimala's quilts, which use fabrics she's created, is in the back of the book.

I'll admit to being biased. I made two of the samples used in the book - it was great fun having a chance to play with Vimala's fabrics and dream up ways to show them off. Also, I own two of Vimala's quilts. The fabrics she created for those quilts is splendiferous as are the quilts themselves (Sarasvati is one of the most amazing pieces of artwork I've seen). One of the methods I've used for dyeing my own fabric is a variation on Vimala's pickle dyeing.

Even though I'm an experienced dyer, I plan on spending some time going through the recipes in the book and "cooking up" some fabrics using the techniques Vimala beautifully describes. While I don't expect to abandon my Ann Johnston books on dyeing, this book certainly can share the shelf with them.

Average customer rating:
Beginner's Guide to Fabric Dyeing and Printing (Newnes Technical Book)
Patricia Robinson , and Stuart Robinson
Manufacturer: Focal Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0408005750

Average customer rating:

maps in lycopersicon and capsicum

Application of Rflp & Rapd Molecular Technologies to Plant Breeding: A Project Listing & Bibliography

Manufacturer: Diane Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Plastic Comb

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0788114956

Customer Reviews:

maps in lycopersicon and capsicum.......1998-06-11

mapping of Lycopersicon, Capsicum, and Solanum. Construction of molecular linkage map of Lycopersicon, Capsicum and Solanum

From the publisher

Frank answers to women's deepest health concerns. From menstrual problems to menopause, you'll find the latest information on a full range of gynecological infections and disorders, plus timely facts on AIDS prevention, recovery from rape, contraceptive technology, osteoporosis, heart disease, diet, cancer, the latest facts on estrogen, and a complete encyclopedia of vital information women need to keep their health at its peak.

It includes 41 illustrated chapters, each devoted to a specific women's healthcare issue, complete in-depth profiles of 140 prescribed women's drugs most commonly used, a unique table rating drug risks in pregnancy, a dictionary of common medical terms, a disease and disorder index listing medications available for specific medical problems, and a comprehensive directory of key self-help and women's support groups.

Customer Reviews:

Must for every Woman!.......2001-11-28

The PDR Family Guide to Womens Health & Prescription Drugs was very informative and easy to read. Covers a wide range on important subjects, Lots of answers to many Womens concerns. In this day and age we cant afford to not take charge of our health.I think every woman should have this book.It a very simple book to read and understand. Gain knowledge about what your Dr's talking about and have questions for him.

Acoustical Imaging V.22 (PDR FAMILY GUIDE TO WOMEN'S HEALTH & PRESCRIPTION DRUGS)

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Acoustical Imaging V.22 (PDR FAMILY GUIDE TO WOMEN'S HEALTH & PRESCRIPTION DRUGS)
PIERO, ED. TORTOLI
Manufacturer: Plenum Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Acoustics & Sound | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Optics | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

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buy a newer book!
Cluttered and difficult to find information you need
Very Good Reference for IBD
Handy Reference Book on Prescription Drugs

Family Guide Combo Pack
PDR
Manufacturer: MEDICAL ECONOMICS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Reference | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Drug Guides | Reference | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Updated and revised to include a host of important new breakthroughs for such common problems as high blood pressure, diabetes and osteoporosis, this drug guideis based of Physician's Desk Reference, America's leading professional drug guide. Featuring a full-color insert with photos of leading prescription drugs, this book profiles each drug giving a wide range of essential information.

Customer Reviews:

buy a newer book!.......2000-04-02

The PDR family guide series is okay, but not the best.

A set of color photographs of many prescription drugs is included, to help you identify what your pills ought to look like.

For each drug, the guide tells us the brand name, generic name, reason for prescribing the drug, "most important fact about this drug" (according to whom?), how it should be taken, what side effects might occur, limitations and special warnings, possible food and drug interactions, information about pregnancy and breastfeeding, and recommended dosage.

One thing I think is lacking here is an indication of which side effects we can safely ignore and which ones we should monitor closely or report to a physician.

I'd also like some indication of how likely each side effect is. I've seen other books that explain just what "common", "uncommon", etc. mean, in statistical terms, and where the statistics came from. That would be helpful here.

In any case, this book is now outdated! It's from 1993 and not only are there plenty of new drugs since then (and maybe some that have gone off the market?) but also the indications for some drugs have changed. For instance, some antidepressants are now approved for the treatment of problems other than depression; this book tells us that Zoloft is used to treat depression and never mentions that Zoloft is used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorders and other anxiety disorders. It wasn't in 1993 (not officially, anyway), but it is now.

If you do want the PDR family guide, BUY THE NEWEST VERSION, not this one!

Cluttered and difficult to find information you need.......1999-09-26

I found that this book is not nearly as easy to use as some of the websites out there. Also, when looking for any problems with taking several different medicines, the web is preffered.

Very Good Reference for IBD.......1997-07-04

I got this reference book soon after I was diagnosed to check all the prescriptions that I was bombarded with from my doctor. Based on the Physician's Desk Reference, this guide is the most comprehensive reference on medications and essential for patients with IBD. I've used it probably a hundred times, mostly to prepare for questions about medications for my doctor. It contains a wealth of information on thousands of medications: indications for use, how each drug works, potential side effects, and interactions with other medications. The PDR is also indexed by manufacturer, category, and brand and generic names. It will definately help you gain more control over your medical care. On CCFA's book list

Handy Reference Book on Prescription Drugs.......1997-03-04

This book condenses all the information from the Physician Desk Reference that doctor's use into an understandable guide for everyday people. I take about 10 different medications at any one time and this guide helped me sort it all out and make sure that I was safely taking my meds. Also has detailed information about potential side effects of hundreds of drugs. A handy reference book.

The PDR Family Guide to Women's Health and Prescription Drugs

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The PDR Family Guide to Women's Health and Prescription Drugs
David W. (ed.) Sifton
Manufacturer: Medical Economics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K1CRDW

Book Description

This Companion of specially-commissioned essays offers a comprehensive account of his life and work, providing a rounded contemporary appraisal of Central Europe's most distinctive Modernist. Contributions cover all the key texts, and discuss Kafka's writing in a variety of critical contexts such as feminism, deconstruction, psychoanalysis, Marxism, and Jewish studies. The essays are enhanced by supplementary material including a chronology of the period and detailed guides to further reading. They will be of interest to students of German, European and Comparative Literature, and Jewish Studies.

Customer Reviews:

Outraged Customer.......2007-04-20

A Cambridge Companion for Kafka (used and new) for over $70.??? What are the publishers thinking? Obviously anyone interested in Kafka is an academic, a scholar and thus inherently poor or, at the very least, not wealthy enough to be downright insulted by the price of this book. Cambridge companions are valuble texts. I've purchased some on Faulkner, Philip Roth and Nabakov. Those, however, were rougly $20. What gives? Is the Kafka companion printed on golden paper? Are they autographed by Kafka and Brod themselves? I'd love a reason on why a normal book is $80. with shipping?

Solid introductions, thoughtful elaborations.......2003-08-16

With no table of contents on the Amazon site, it's difficult to guess at what's inside. I've read Kafka's work with nearly no critical assistance, so finding this collection afterwards only stimulated me towards re-readings of his texts. Like the Cambridge Companion to Joseph Conrad (and unlike much within the Companions to Joyce or Beckett, for instance), this volume in the series guides both newcomer and veteran reader of an author whose symbolic, portentous themes may discourage first-timers.

The editor clearly introduces Kafka within his wider European context; David Constantine shows how we can read Kafka more open-endedly as opposed to the straightjacketed interpretations of scholars, and emphasizes a recurrent theme: K's search for truth demonstrates how his work must slip out of any closed meaning anyone can attempt to lasso around a slippery critter like Kafka.

Anne Fuchs tries, anyway, with a psychoanalytic take on "The Man Who Disappeared" [aka "Amerika"]; Rolf Goebel's exploration of the flaneur in the modern city of The Trial (I too prefer German connotations of the "Process" better as its title) works better to show off an element overlooked to many for a fresher interpretation than Fuchs' for her chosen text. Elizabeth Boa's examination of matriarchal household vs. patriarchal "Castle" provides a convincing look at Heimat, myth, and quest in that novel; Ruth Gross inevitably must cram too much in too little space for her dash past the short fiction, but her focus on the divided self of Kafka who must write to survive despite a job shows an author many of us can understand as truly one of us.

Stanley Corngold (whose translation of the Metamorphosis should be studied by all readers to compare against the Muirs' version)
offers a complex examination of the metaphysical division in the later prose and aphorisms; Bill Dodd revives the political aspects of Kafka to counterbalance the common religious-mystical readings, and places Kafka within the nationalist, Zionist, labor, and technological issues of his time, usefully reminding us of his occupation in the new field of worker's accident insurance and the clashes between the company's interests and those of the everyday claimant.

Iris Bruce for Jewish folkloric elements and Dagmar Lorenz for gender issues both explain well the relevance of these themes in accessible essays; Anthony Northey's examination of biographical myths vs. realities usefully suggests to non-specialists how we should revise the ideas that Kafka was some working man's crusader within the limits of his job, and how the Castle's women illuminate the place of the real women in K's life.

Osman Durrani's chapter on editions, translations, [stage] adaptations compresses fascinating issues arising from these three elements; Helen Hughes and Martin Brady's Kafka and film adaptations, however, suffers from its self-consciously clever style at the expense of detailed analysis (Welles' "The Trial" gets the best critique, but deserves more in-depth treatment); Iris Bruce's chapter on Kafka and popular culture likewise gives far too little detail and focus mainly on "The Fly" and "Naked Lunch"-type homages while barely noticing, say, the whole effect of K. on the tourist industry in Prague or the impact on a wider audience beyond these two movies and a R. Crumb comic biography.

All in all, worth a read; the jargon of these specialists should not detract from the insights which open up new depths for readers outside the classroom and the seminar as well.

Average customer rating:
The Myth of Power and the Self: Essays on Franz Kafka.(Book Review) : An article from: The Modern Language Review
Carol Tully
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000FA4XOE
Release Date: 2006-04-04

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Modern Language Review, published by Thomson Gale on April 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1110 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: The Myth of Power and the Self: Essays on Franz Kafka.(Book Review)
Author: Carol Tully
Publication: The Modern Language Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 100 Issue: 2 Page: 559(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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