Average customer rating:
- Had to put in my 2 cents worth...
- I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS WAS EVEN PUBLISHED
- Simply shocking
- Do not waste your money
- One star - and that's being generous.
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Life in the Foreign Service Diplomatic Corps
Charles McKinnon
Manufacturer: American Literary Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Political
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
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General
| Military
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
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Military & Spies
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ASIN: 1561677280 |
Book Description
From snacking on raw pork in Yugoslavia to being detained as a spy in Kuwait, "Life in the Foreign Service Diplomatic Corps" is an adventurous, exciting, and detailed memoir. Retired Foreign Service officer Charles L. McKinnon recounts some of the most memorable experiences from his twenty-two years of service. McKinnon offers readers a rare glimpse into the day-to-day lives of our ambassadors, Foreign Service workers, and their families. His fascinating descriptions of people, customs, and cultures in the countries in which he served are punctuated with his own candid viewpoints and reactions to the insulating and often isolating life of a diplomat.
Customer Reviews:
Had to put in my 2 cents worth..........2006-08-07
This book is to porely writen to waist 10 minoots fo your live on...
Uhh, sorry, but that is probably how McKinnon would have written his own review if he bothered to proof read it even once. I swear the guy must have written it in an hour. Worst writing I have ever had the misfortune of reading. But worst of all, doesn't give ANY insight into ITS OWN TITLE!!!!
Thank God I only got this from the library and didn't waste any money on it.
As an aside, I have to say that this man must have had some kind of luck going for him in order to get into the Foreign Service. It is not so easy now, and maybe he is to blame? I also think it's petty that he keeps mentioning things from the perspective of a black man. I don't care if he's purple! Why does it matter? If he were truly proud of this book and his personal black achievements, he would have had this unreadable book EDITED!
Get this from the library only if you want a painful experience.
I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS WAS EVEN PUBLISHED.......2004-10-30
This book is so poorly written it makes me seriously worry about the caliber of people our government sends abroad to represent us!!!!
Simply shocking.......2004-06-22
Shocking - that just about sums up this awful book. Appallingly written, littered with spelling mistakes, and extremely boring. McKinnon has nothing to say for his twenty-odd years spent serving the country overseas. Don't waste your money on this nonsense.
Do not waste your money.......2003-12-31
Trash. The reviewers below say all there is to say about this book. It really is THAT bad. Save your cash and don't buy this junk. Unless you're the sort of person who likes mocking the afflicted. I suppose it's worth a read just to laugh out loud and wonder how an illiterate like McKinnon survived 20 years in the US Foreign Service. Surely there's greater talent out there?
One star - and that's being generous........2003-12-26
Terrible, appalling, pathetic, sad, disgraceful, insulting........ you get the picture? I bought this book thinking it would tell me something about the Foreign Service. Wrong. It's a book written by a semi-literate buffoon who has nothing to say. The fact that he represented the USA overseas for 22 years says it all - no wonder we're hated by many foreigners if this is the calibre of our overseas representation. Pray that our current diplomats are selected for their abilities, not skin color.
Customer Reviews:
A real credit to the late Mr Heyerdahl [1918-2005], who is a real credit to Western Civilization!.......2006-07-14
The Norwegian born Mr Heyerdahl was an
athlete, explorer and writer par excellance,
who wroter twenty very good to great books
and this is his best. The greatest explorer
in our cultures history, I highly also rec-
ommend the books, 'On the Seventh Day' and
'Kon-Tiki'. Actually all his book s are worth
getting, provided the price is right here on
amazon.com or alibris.com.
Great read.......2004-03-11
This is a greatly written book. For all Thor's sense of humor and eye for the paradox often shines through. We hear a lot about his obstacles getting his travel adventures accepted in scientific circles as real research and also get a side of Thor indicating that he is a very determined man. We hear about his romantic life and philosophy about he important things in life. A great book that will teach you not only about geography and archeology but will make you laugh and think deeper about life.
Diary of an adventurous man........2003-12-22
To use Thor's own words...
"There is nothing for modern man to return to. Our wonderful time in the wilderness had given us a taste of what man had abandoned and what mankind was still trying to get even further away from. Progress today can be defined as man's ability to complicate simplicity. Nothing in all the procedure that modern man , helped by all his modern middlemen, goes through before he earns money to buy a fish or a potato will ever be as simple as pulling it out of the water or soil. Without the farmer and the fisherman, modern society would collapse., with all its shops and pipes and wires. The farmers and the fishermen represent the nobility of modern society; they share their crumbs with the rest of us, who run about with papers and screwdrivers attempting to build a better world without a bluprint."
All this author's books are GREAT reads! If you are a city dweller you will especially appreciate his adventures as he asks the question- "Were we meant to live in jungles made of plants or concrete?
Average customer rating:
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In the Footsteps of Adam
Thor Hyerdahl
Manufacturer: Warwick Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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Adventurers & Explorers
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Memoirs
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ASIN: 1894622804 |
Book Description
"This wonderful book brings East and Westand ancient and modern worldstogether and provides profound wisdom and guidance for anyone struggling with stress, anxiety, anger, fear, or loneliness. Beautifully written, funny, warm, and filled with unusual, wonderful exercises. A real miracle."Rabbi Gary Moskowitz, Director of the Institute for Violence Prevention
"A healing journey into the inner conflicts and contradictions that separate spirit from self." Armand DiMele, the DiMele Center for Psychotherapy
"Dr. Brenda Shoshanna is a versatile, creative, warm, and truly excellent teacher." Rabbi Joseph Gelberman, founder of the Interfaith Seminary and Director of the All Faith Seminary
"Zen Miracles is an inviting and inspiring message for those looking for a more simple and powerful way to enhance their lives and for those who want to integrate a practical way of peace in today's distorted and increasingly violent world."Bob Goff, NY Naturally
"Zen Miracles is a book that is invaluable for anyone seeking to bring a profound, yet genuinely joyous, experience to life. Brenda Shoshanna explores the spiritual and therapeutic aspects of Zen practice in a way that is acceptable to anyone, no matter what their faith, philosophy, or religious beliefs. With her warm and compassionate style, she exhibits the unique ability to explain even the most difficult ideas in understandable terms. Her approach is readily accessible and applicable to even the most mundane of activities. This book is a must for anyone seeking the secrets for attaining a balanced life and true peace of mind."Lewis Harrison, Director of the Academy of Natural Healing
Download Description
This book explains the Zen philosophy and shows beginners how to meditate. Besides instructing readers, this book also includes stories of how Zen has improved people's lives.
Customer Reviews:
My Zen Friend.......2007-06-18
Since reading this book and practicing zazen, I have come to believe that miracles are not only possible, they're inevitable with continued sitting. Although I'm a beginner, I love noticing the moments of "newness" Zen has brought to my life - laughter ready to bubble up inside me, connecting with people I thought I had nothing in common with, and more delight than resistance in changing circumstances. With every sitting I feel like I'm reviving a love of life that I haven't enjoyed since childhood.
I'm reading Dr. Shoshanna's book for the second time and recognizing the beauty of the truth that she knows from experience. While she artfully weaves psychology with Zen stories and mysteries, her message is down-to-earth and practical in our daily lives. I particularly love the chapter, "Walking Through the Gateless Gate," where she describes communion with a person, a flower, a tree, an animal. Those moments are fleeting glimpses of living in harmony with all of life, with every moment received as a gift. This book is a gift, a treasure, and a life-long friend. As my practice ripens, I trust this wisdom to be my guide to life.
Enlightening... but contradictory in parts.......2007-03-01
I would actually rate this closer to 3.5 stars, but rather than rating it at a 3 and pointing out that it's better than that, I decided to do the opposite. Why? Because this is an enlightening and eye opening book that many, many people could stand to benefit from reading. The writing is crystal clear and insightful, as it fleshes out abstract Zen riddles and philosophies with practical, common sense exercises for incorporating Zen ideals into your everyday life.
My main problem with this book is that I found it to be a tad contradictory at times. Bear with me here, because I am only just now beginning to learn more about this stuff, but it is my understanding that perhaps the most fundamental tenet of Zen and Buddhism in general is that we all need to look within for our own answers, rather than trusting teachers and other authorities to spell everything out for us. However, there are a few parts of this book where the author seems to contradict this by becoming a bit overly dogmatic and spelling out exactly what various aspects of Zen are supposed to mean. The tone bothered me at times because I felt like I was being force-fed her views on certain things, and so I had to remind myself that all of these ideas are meant to remain open to interpretation.
Of course, I do realize that a book of this sort might not be all that worthwhile if it didn't dole out at least some concrete answers. For one thing, it seems intended for newcomers to Zen who stand to benefit from more than just abstract sayings and philosophies. And, overall, there were only just a select few parts that I found to be a bit too imposing, maybe 5% of the overall text (although they did stick out like a sore thumb to me).
At the end of the day, the author has done a commendable job of stitching together various Zen sayings, stories, and anecdotes... weaving them together with her own (mostly) gentle interpretations to present a readily understandable account of it all. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for new perspectives on life.
Not for Aspiring Buddhists Only.......2006-12-22
For me, this book has served as much more than an introduction to Buddhism. It actually has convinced me to start practicing meditation and has transmitted the how-to's so that now meditation is part of my daily life. Meditation has made me receptive to goodness and blessings that are all around me!
What I like about this book is its ecumenism. It covers the very abstract aspects of daily meditation practice and makes them real through illustrations from many different cultures and religions.
This book presents a pathway to faith and now I can see many more of the daily miracles in my life rather than focusing on difficulties and problems. It makes me say thank you over and over each day as I recognize these miracles - thank you to God and thank you to Brenda for showing me the way.
Outstanding primer on Zen from an outstanding author.......2006-04-04
I had previously read several books on Zen prior to coming across this particular book from Brenda Shoshanna. Unlike many of the other books I read, which tended to be bland and sometimes diffficult to follow and apply to one's own life, Dr. Shoshanna takes an entirely different approach in helping us to understand the common concepts of Zen. Her book is very well written. It is clear and concise, even for someone not entirely familiar with Zen, enjoyable to read, and most importantly, she conveys her own experiences with Zen, some of which are quite humorous, to assist the reader in understanding and applying Zen principles to his or her own life. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject of Zen.
Great Primer.......2006-03-21
If you've read a lot of Zen before this book would be an easy read for you. If you haven't it could be a seminal work. Brenda does an exceptional job of explaining (clearly for a Western mind) the basic points and benefits to approaching the external world from a Zen philosophy. There are exercises as well for the unguided.
Average customer rating:
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Eating to Save the Earth: Food Choices for a Healthy Planet
Linda Riebel , and
Ken Jacobsen
Manufacturer: Celestialarts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature
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The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
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Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor
ASIN: 1587611163 |
Book Description
EATING TO SAVE THE EARTH shows you easy and healthful ways to choose and prepare foods with the earth in mind. EATING TO SAVE THE EARTH also explains how to reduce waste, conserve water, and use less energy in preparing meals. The authors discuss composting, cleaning, recycling, and other activities after meals that affect our environment. They show us how t be earth-friendly when eating away from home, whether at work, at play, or in restaurants. Best of all, they show that choices that are good for our health are also good for the planet.
Average customer rating:
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The Call of the Siren: Manatees and Dugongs
Tim Dietz
Manufacturer: Fulcrum Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
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Mammals
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Mammals
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ASIN: 1555911048 |
Book Description
Time-honored quilt designs for home decorations, wearables, and accessories
Additional decorative projects and patterns for wall hangings, lap throws, baby quilts, table runners, and more
Easy-to-follow charts offer alternative sizing options
Removable full-size pattern pack in pocket folder bound in the back of book
Customer Reviews:
One of the best!.......2002-07-12
This is a great quilting book! One of the best I've seen. There are patterns from easy to experienced with great color pictures. I like the way they show multiple project ideas for each pattern, from framing one block to making a queen-size quilt. I couldn't wait to get started on a new project after picking up this book- a must-have!
Average customer rating:
- Definitely A Must Have!!!
|
Perfect Plants: Profiles of Special Plants for Your Garden
Rosie Atkins
Manufacturer: Hylas Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
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Ornamental Plants
| Gardening & Horticulture
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ASIN: 1592580548 |
Book Description
Perfect Plants brings together a wealth of information about 25 all-time favorite plants in one beautiful illustrated volume.
This is a new breed of plant book, written by a team of leading plant experts, botanists, nursery owners and plant hunters. The profiles are divided into five sections-Early Risers, Sun Seekers, Show Stoppers, Strong Performers and Curiosities-followed by a comprehensive list of international suppliers and collections recommended by the plant experts. With its compelling combination of inspiration and knowledge, Perfect Plants will open gardeners' eyes to the diversities of the plant families featured, enabling them to introduce new species into their gardens that will not only look at home, but will also really flourish. Perfect Plants features 200 color photographs from the world's most dedicated horticultural photographers. The photography and design combine to create a spectacularly beautiful book.
Customer Reviews:
Definitely A Must Have!!!.......2004-12-07
When I first got my review copy of this book, I thought, not another coffee table book full of pretty pictures and drivel. But was I in for a surprise. Very few garden books have the incredible photography of this book. Combine that with great articles on the plants, seasoned plants and people and I was very happy.
I am glad to have a beautiful book with equally insightful information on the plants. As Beth Chatto speaks about Sarracenias in the introduction, I may not be able to or want to grow the plant, but the pictures and information let me dream.
This book was very well done and is a great gift for any gardener, even the arm chair kind.
Average customer rating:
- first printing
- A Very Important Book
- Outstanding New Book
- A Wonderful Informative Source for Parents Needing Answers!
- A Wonderful Informative Source for Parents Needing Answers!
|
ADHD, Revised Edition: The Great Misdiagnosis
Julian Stuart Haber
Manufacturer: Taylor Trade Publishing
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Binding: Paperback
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Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers
ASIN: 1589790472 |
Book Description
This new edition includes a complete revision of the chapter on medication, detailing when to use certain drugs and the side effects that can be expected, and includes a thorough review and update of older medications.
Customer Reviews:
first printing.......2001-08-04
This book is in its third printing. If your used books are from the first printing there are additional facts in the next two not presened in the first one.
A Very Important Book.......2000-09-09
I wish every doctor in America who treats children could read this book. Dr. Haber battles conventional wisdom and comes out on top. The over-prescribing of drugs and faulty diagnosis of ADHD has turned into a national epidemic. "The Great Misdiagnosis" makes an urgent call for rationality.
Outstanding New Book.......2000-09-01
Controversial and thought provoking, Dr. Haber has challenged my long-held beliefs on ADHD and forced me re-examine the conventional wisdom. A very important book.
A Wonderful Informative Source for Parents Needing Answers!.......2000-08-31
I have read ADHD: The Great Misdiagnosis and feel it is a VERY Informative book for Parents beginning the diagnostic process of having their child evaluated for ADHD, and even for parents of children who have already been diagnosed. I suspect this book will be one of the best books on the market soon! After reading this, I have become a much more informed parent and a better advocate for my child.
It is UNBELIEVEABLE how little parents, teachers, and physicians know about the ADHD disorder. I believe many problems related to ADHD happen because the public is not educated enough about ADHD, and because of this, we seem to have a big outbreak of ADHD today. Many problems with ADHD center around the fact that there are also MANY descrepancies in how children are being tested, and even who thinks these children are ADHD. Many physicians aren't trained to look at other symptoms that mimick ADHD, and end up often misdiagnosing our children, or prescribing medications that they didn't need in the first place. Teachers are not professionals in diagnosing these types of problems either!
I know of many instances where parents have taken school information to a General Pediatrician, and walked out in 15 minutes with a prescription for Ritalin, without their child ever being appropriately tested. THIS IS SO MISFORTUNATE!!!
Dr. Haber has included some very important material in this book about ADHD - What it is, and What it isn't, how the many different medications and treatments work - or don't work, and most importantly WHY OUR CHILDREN ARE BEING OVERDIAGNOSED AND LABELED ADHD. Knowing what symptoms look like ADHD but aren't is SO important.
I am glad to have found a source of information like this.
Mother of 8 year old child diagnosed with ADHD Combined (Inattentive and Hyperactive)
A Wonderful Informative Source for Parents Needing Answers!.......2000-08-31
I have read ADHD: The Great Misdiagnosis and feel it is a VERY Informative book for Parents beginning the diagnostic process of having their child evaluated for ADHD, and even for parents of children who have already been diagnosed. I suspect this book will be one of the best books on the market soon! After reading this, I have become a much more informed parent and a better advocate for my child.
It is UNBELIEVEABLE how little parents, teachers, and physicians know about the ADHD disorder. I believe many problems related to ADHD happen because the public is not educated enough about ADHD, and because of this, we seem to have a big outbreak of ADHD today. Many problems with ADHD center around the fact that there are also MANY descrepancies in how children are being tested, and even who thinks these children are ADHD. Many physicians aren't trained to look at other symptoms that mimick ADHD, and end up often misdiagnosing our children, or prescribing medications that they didn't need in the first place. Teachers are not professionals in diagnosing these types of problems either!
I know of many instances where parents have taken school information to a General Pediatrician, and walked out in 15 minutes with a prescription for Ritalin, without their child ever being appropriately tested. THIS IS SO MISFORTUNATE!!!
Dr. Haber has included some very important material in this book about ADHD - What it is, and What it isn't, how the many different medications and treatments work - or don't work, and most importantly WHY OUR CHILDREN ARE BEING OVERDIAGNOSED AND LABELED ADHD. Knowing what symptoms look like ADHD but aren't is SO important.
I am glad to have found a source of information like this.
Mother of 8 year old child diagnosed with ADHD Combined (Inattentive and Hyperactive)
Book Description
Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) was one of the great composers of the twentieth century. The premiere of the French composer's Quartet for the End of Time on January 15, 1941 at -4 degrees Fahrenheit in Stalag VIIIA, a Nazi prison camp, has been called one of the great stories of twentieth century music. A devout Catholic with an interest in mysticism and the supernatural, Messiaen was also a poet and an accomplished amateur ornithologist. He mixed sounds as a painter mixes colors, associating specific shades with certain modes and chords.
This book is the first comprehensive history of the composition and premiere of Quartet for the End of Time. Based on testimonies by the musicians and their families, witnesses to the premiere, former prisoners, and documents from Stalag VIIIA, For the End of Time examines the events that led to the Quartet's composition, the experiences of the musicians in the camp, the contradictory accounts, the composer's interpretive preferences, and the musicians' problems in execution and how they affected the premiere and subsequent performances. Rebecca Rischin explores the musicians' life in the prison camp, their relationships with each other and with the German camp officials, and their intriguing fortunes before and after the momentous premiere.
For the End of Time is distinguished by Rischin's extensive interviews and intimate correspondence with survivors of the Quartet's premiere and members of the Messiaen circle, including the cellist Etienne Pasquier and the violinist Jean Le Boulaire, relatives of the clarinetist Henri Akoka, and Messiaen's widow, Yvonne Loriod. The book is generously illustrated with photographs of the musicians, press releases from the premiere, autographs, letters, and pen-and-ink drawings of the camp's layout. Included are wartime photos of the camp and its prisoners along with present-day views of the camp site, which Rischin visited in 1995.
Customer Reviews:
Rather insubstantial and repetitive, but may be of interest.......2005-10-15
FOR THE END OF TIME is Rebecca Rischin's story of Olivier Messiaen's piece "Quatuor pour fin du Temps", written mainly when the great French composer was imprisoned in Stalag VIII A as a prisoner of war in 1940-1941. While many people connected to the quartet are now deceased, Rischin was fortunate to interview Etienne Pasquier, the cellist, and Jean Le Boulaire, violinist. Since Henri Akoka, who performed clarinet, passed away in the early 1970s, she interviewed his family.
There is little analysis of the music, and nary a score sample can be seen. For those wishing to know more about the actual music, I'd recommend Anthony Poole's work (Cambridge University Press, 1998) in the Cambridge Music Handbook series. Rischin is concerned with the environment in which the piece was written. She begins with the composer's meeting Pasquier and Henri Akoka on military service in early 1940. It is there, Rischin shows, that the quartet began. Messiaen had already begun to compose the "Abyss of the Birds" movement, and Akoka performed it for him in the middle of a field after the trio had been captured by the Germans and were awaiting transport to the camp.
The description of Stalag VIII A and the various characters and events there makes up the middle portion of the book. Rischin tracks the writing of the quartet, but notes again that not all of it was written on the spot, as two movements are based on earlier compositions. The story of the work's premier is generally in line with what Messiaen has stated: a freezing makeshift concert hall, an out-of-tune piano whose keys stuck, and an audience of all walks of life who, because of their shared suffering, understood him perfectly. She doesn't stop there, however, but tells of how the four musicians left the camp (Akoka daringly escaped) and what they did after the war. The final chapter, "Into Eternity" attempts to describe how the piece continues to touch the hearts of listeners when the generation in which it was composed passes away. Two appendices are provided, one begin Messiaen's own preface to the work, and the second a discography.
The book attempts to correct some of the distortions spread by Messiaen himself about the piece's origins, including that it was played "before thousands" (the barracks serving as concert hall held only around 400 people). However, I find it strange that she relied so much on the testimony of the composer's widow Yvonne Loriod, for Mrs. Loriod did not meet the composer until after his liberation and wouldn't know anything about the writing of the piece beyond what the untrustworthy Messiaen had told her. Beyond that, I found that Rischin's book contained enormous amounts of repetition, which is very noticiable in a work of hardly more than 100 pages. It could have used tighter editing and review by other scholars; there are some mispellings and a non-standard transliteration scheme for Sanskrit which could have easily been ironed out. There is also a hero-worship which is inappropriate in an academic work.
If you love Messiaen's quartet, a great work which served as a basis for the much greater works which were to come over the following fifty years, I'd recommend first the book by Poole, which will expand one's appreciation of the piece greatly. Rischin's history can be left to those who want to read everything possible about the quartet.
Remarkable research on an overlooked subject.......2004-04-30
By illuminating the personalities and circumstances of the Quartet's composition, first performance, and eventual place as a seminal 20th Century work, the author increased my appreciation of it as no amount of musical analysis could have. This story needed to be told, and perhaps what is most surprising is that no one had conducted research on this level or interviewed the participants before. In the end, the Quartet is about the incredible richness and beauty of life. This book is indispensable for anyone interested in Messiaen or the Quartet.
A revalation about Messien's Quartet For the End of Time.......2004-01-13
Rebecca Rischin masterfully describes the terrible ordeal that confronted Messien when he wrote and presented his Quartet -The End of Time while he was a POW in a German camp.
She gives musical insights into the complexity of Messien and his music. She also brings to life the differing personalities of the three musicians-violints, cellist and clarinets who performed the quartet on January 15 1941 in barracks of Stalag V!!!.
Average customer rating:
|
For the End of Time: The Story of the Messiaen Quartet.(Book Review) : An article from: Notes
Leslie Sprout
Manufacturer: Music Library Association, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B0009GT0EW
Release Date: 2005-08-01 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on December 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1648 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: For the End of Time: The Story of the Messiaen Quartet.(Book Review)
Author: Leslie Sprout
Publication:
Notes (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 2004
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: 61
Issue: 2
Page: 423(3)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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