A visual and intellectual feast!
937330
This catalog is the Metropolitan Museum at its best. It is a textbook in the best sense of the word. It has comprehensive essays on the later history of the Byzantine Empire, and documents the religious and artistic flowering that marked a civilization in decline.  It is almost as if the Byzantine Empire (or what was left of it, which continued to shrink as time went on) turned its back on the world an looked inward intensely. This, along with the other catalogs of the exhibitions the Metropolitan has done on Byzantium, is a must have for anyone interested in this significant part of European history. The selection of icons and other artifacts is first rate, and the quality of the printing and reproduction of photographs is to the high standard the Metropolitan has for its catalogs. Get it while it is still available!
3443774
I found the book to be an amazing visual treat, with such intricate weaving that really enhances the experience of the story.  The stories conclude quite satisfactorily, after a necessary break as the reader is led through the different layers, in and then back out again.  The story of Sonmi, in particular, has so many "quotable quotes" that are philosophically profound or just simply beautiful.
2363317
LIke its sister volume,Sevilla Forma Urbis, this luxuriously produced coffee-table sized book is a feast for the eyes. Each glossy, highly-detailed photograph, in gorgeous color, is one of hundreds of arial  views of Napoli, Italy. Atlante Di Napoli is an outstanding example of  photography as art. Each crisp, sharp photograph has an accompanying page  with a non-detailed outline or template of the featured area, and these  outline pages would provide hundreds of fascinating design elements for  many art mediums. What sets this book apart is the apparently artless  arrangements of the buildings, objects and natural formations that comprise  Napoli. In the end, these photographs become less a factual record of the  current metropolitan and coastline real estate and more an artistic  exploration of color and pattern--a sort of arial example of Chaos Theory.  Coastal lines, strings of bright red taxicabs, buildings snuggled next to  each other all constitute a brilliant, chaotic design that somehow seems  artifical and natural simultaneously. Artists, photographers, travelers and  students of life will treasure this gem of a  book!
2484474
Pick up a copy of this book, and you won't put it down until you've savored every page.
In most cases, I am annoyed by visual adaptations of my favorite written works.  Movies, tv specials, and graphic novels have always disappointed me they never have measured up to my own imagination -- until I got hold of HARD LOOKS.
This graphic adaptation of Andrew Vachss' short stories stands as eloquent testimony to the enrichment that illustration can give to excellent writing.
159314
For seekers of knowledge, this DVD brings together a wide variety of subjects both spiritual and scientific into an artistically and emotionally appealing presentation. The depth and breadth of subject matter as well as the quality of the style of presentation, should place this DVD on PBS and Discover Channel and on academic bookshelves.

Nadya S. Neal Hinson, Ph. D.&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Science-of-Soul-The-End-Time-Solar-Cycle-of-Chaos-in-2012-A-d/dp/0979175011/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Science of Soul: The End- Time Solar Cycle of Chaos in 2012 A.d.</a>
2226815
In many ways this massive Yellow Pages-sized book sums up what I have always suspected about the visual arts in our time as such: That their greatness comes from the collective force of one-liners which are not all that arresting taken individually. This book really shows that the function of art in our time is that of a collective commentary on the Sutra of Art, and as such necessarily way more verbose than the original "sacred" text. Here all the eminently forgettable one-liner images made in the name of art, anti-art, art-taboo, and art voodoo throughout history---from all cultures--are gathered and presented in the full glory of their collective greatness.
But, do take note that this book is not an "art book" as such, and certainly not a coffee table variety. It belongs on your desk along with your dictionaries and encyclopedias. This is a textbook at its finest. The meat of this book is really the essays, with the images---many of them small but very clear-- inserted to augment the discussion, not the other way around.
So then what are some of the things discussed? A set of essays is grouped under a particular question, and there are some 12 plus questions that cue you in right away as to what is going to be discussed. It is like having a seminar program showing the topics to be discussed, time, and room numbers.
Some of the questions asked and responded to: WHY DO IMAGES TRIGGER SO MUCH FUROR? WHY ARE IMAGES SO AMBIGUOUS? WHY DO GODS OBJECT TO IMAGES? WHAT IS ICONOCLASH? WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MODERN ART? HAS CRITIQUE ENDED?
What intelligent person could possibly resist the temptation to find out what people have said in response to these questions? I would be a liar to say that I have read through every single essay in the book. I have not. But what I have read so far--a huge chunk--have all been very thoughtful and sincere. Now that's rare in a book whose subject matter concerns art-talk!
With over fifty people writing, talking, interviewing, there is a huge range of styles of discourse, some delightful, some witty, some funny, some dry. But, all in all, this is a very thoughtful and timely presentation of an important subject with minimum pretentiousness. As the subtitle indicates, it concerns all who take interest in the problem of images in art, religion, and science. Highly recommended.
747999
What a fun, beautiful and intelligent book. I'm so glad this exists!
2412949
Dear God! What a rip-roarin' wild romp through postmodern perversity and Beyond Ken Wilber's latest is! Dust off those egos and let the polishing began before the author makes short order of such perishables in the fire of an intellect so blazingly brilliant it renders transparent the most opaque narcissism and reduces to ash the politics of pathology! Wilber's uncharacteristically polemical, take-no-prisoners approach leaves even the most sacred cow sizzling on the barbecue (no hypocrite, he shishkabobs himself while he's at it), emitting the distinct aroma of reason and compassion so concentrated it stings the eyes to tears. A joyride (albeit an intentionally two dimensional one) through the grating gates of irony and searing sweetness of ecstasy, this gem of panoramic vision represents the maverick marriage of the best of Wilber's integral theory with quasi-fictional characters so madly endearing as to make sarcasm the international language of love. A postmodern cut-and-paste montage of pop culture, transcendental philosophy, frenzied anticipation of a silicon-to-soul revolution, enough robust scholarship to satiate the most rumpled academic, and sexual scenery sufficient to entice the colossally voyeuristic, Boomeritis is a strange and wonderful concoction, shaken like hell, insistently rousing you into the wakefulness of a Reality so radiant it could only be described as JUST THIS. Viva la Wilber!
3812686
Why explain something with an image when you can use three or four!!!
A surprising intellectual tour de force, with some interesting cliffhangers
601568
Ah, if only Dore could have lived a lifetime, so many works would clamour for his illustrative hand, if they could but speak! This selection of his works cross-sections so many of his woodcuts, engravings, and illustrations that it is a veritable feast for the happily-critical eye! Covering a sample of many of his better-known as well as scarce-discovered subjects, this celebration of one of the greatest illustrators ever should hold an honored place on every art-lover's bookshelf! Dore covered subjects from Fairy-tales to the Crusades, such towering pillars of literature from Poe's "Raven"and Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" to Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy" and John Milton's "Paradise Lost". They don't get much bigger and grader than that, unless it were The Holy Bible itself....and wonder of wonders, he even depicted numerous scenes from that! Angels and Demons, lovers and knights, dragons and other whimseys--such diversity and always spot-on to portray not just a picture, but a mood, an emotion, an atmosphere that fills not just the panel but the room with it's meanings! I wish Dore could have had many more years and generations: how wonderful it would have been to see the works of a Raphael Sabatini, a Sir Walter Scott, an Alexandre Dumas, a Robert Louis Stevenson, a Bram Stoker, or a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with designs by this wonderful master!  Oh, but life is fleeting, and we must clutch and cherish what we can while we mayst, and what better icing on a literary cake to clutch and savor with our literary pallets than these wonderful, wonderful depictions?
1964971
First of all, this book is a feast for the eyes!  The illustrations are so gorgeous and the colors are breathtaking!  This alone makes this book worthwhile to pick up!

The story, too, is quite enchanting.  It starts off like the typical "Beauty and the Beast" - but instead of a rose, it's a lark that "Beauty/The Lady" desires, and the beast is actually a lion.  The specifics of the enchantment vary, as does the second half of the book (complete with a fight between a lion and a dragon, a seven year trek, talking wind, and a griffin!).

A nice book to show the lengths someone will go to in order to help a loved one.  And again, it's worth looking at if just for the the illustrations!
2537098
intellectually provocative and sophisticated, mixing insights about artificial intelligence, advanced quantum theory,and interrogations over the nature of self conscience, I taste this book little bit by little bit,to extract the most from this intellectual feast. The best opus of the "Spin" series.  But Beware, it is not a reading for morons
2158534
This book speaks to the evolving landscape of architecture with beautiful images and captions capturing the essence of architecture today. Breathtaking views of colored glass invite the reader while the critical commentary provokes thought and sparks further dialogue. This text is a must read for any aspiring architects, artists, or lovers of the arts. Very clear, beautiful, and evocative.
281570
The combination of beautiful graphics and a curious mind make this book a fantastic educational experience.  I just happened to see it in a bookstore, picked it up, and couldn't stop reading it until the end.  The quality of the book, even though it is a paperback, is fantastic, and each chapter opens up a new and fun idea.  I notice that Amazon is nearly out of stock.  I suspect that means it's really selling well.  It should.
2657936
My 20-something daughter suggested I watch "Mad Men" on [...]:  Like a 13-hour movie, she said.  So well done.  Originally, she thought I would love the depth, excellent production values and of course, the fashion.  It was so much more.  You see, I majored in Philosophy at a major State university from 1968 - 1972 and went on from there to law school and a wonderful career that spanned poverty and technology law from the late 70s to early 90s.  This book is a marvelous survey of the existentialist presentation that permeates "Mad Men".  I'm only halfway through (reading on the Kindle; absolute pleasure), and savoring every chapter.  Memories of Heidegger, Camus, Sartre, Nietzsche, de Beauvoir, and company flourish through this book.  If you didn't major in philosophy, it will all come alive for you in the context of this excellent TV series.  And a secret be told, we've never had a TV --- I watch subscribing to iTunes and then purchasing the DVDs for the fascinating commentaries.  Enjoy!
2702558
Oh, i was just so wonderfully excited when i was informed that this visual extravaganza,one of Fellini's most famous, and, daring movies, was in fact getting the "Criterion's treatment"! What a perfect choice: this time, Fellini goes wild telling of Rome at its rowdy ancient times, with a formidable, and visionary reconstruction, perfectly served by the 'maestro', who doesn't worry about the budget, obviously, but creates, and, invents segments , that are truly art in motion and become a feast  for the eyes composed of exquisitely presented, designed, and photographed beauty! This is a movie that is truly one of a kind, thanks also to the contributions of an excellent, ensemble work from a first class international cast, and crew: they achieve such visuals and momentum, sometime you'd think to be watching a master's painting instead, it's that kind of luxury fascinating all audiences with the most beautiful, and vibrant colors, just stunning to look at ! And, there's hardly a dull moment in "Satyricorn": it is a delightful, and never less than compelling, Art Film you get to watch, and to taste, almost as if it was a very fine wine,  as intoxicating as it is highly dreamy. A cast of a thousand faces helps the show to take off, too, while Martin Potter and Hiram Keller,  are quite unforgettable, as the two lead characters who never seem afraid to live in the moment some of the most outrageous parties the days had to offer, but you realize soon they are tragically lost, always looking for something that isn't  clearly there: they are two adventurous young men open to all what life has to offer, but, ultimately, missing love and communion, faith and hope. After all they are portrayed as icons of the most exuberant, and most decadent days of  the fierce Roman Empire and of its greedy and deceitful society who does never stop wanting more and more, ignoring others, and rarely giving or caring, as they are selfishly way too engaged in facing the present, to be able to worry about the future! They live on, spending all the strength and wealth, brought by the power, to exhaustion, and, without remorse, but,  actually, almost consuming themselves through an array of increasingly incessant, mysterious, isolating functions, often enforcing cruel mores and laws, while a perpetuating restlessness and its visible lack of justice and sensibility, often it's haunting the narration as an omen hinting to this insane living at the search of the ultimate pleasure, as a darker sensation that is obviously suggesting the advent of much less lavish and carefree days ahead! The harrowing wild crowd however seems way too addicted to the luxury, and to a somewhat sick and insatiable desire for whatever they can get a kick out of living, to be able to expect, or even to care for the end of their foolish run. Fellini is excellent indeed in recreating that world with all of its damnation, greed, and despair that eventually will take the Empire to its ruinous fall. And, i will add that Criterion delivers as usual, and this version of the movie is restored to be indeed a true spectacle, and a joy for the eyes. If you haven't seen this movie before, this is certainly the best way to see it today, and, if you already have seen it, instead, this is the opportunity for a second (or third ..) experience of this unique piece, one of the gems encrusting the work of outstanding genius director, and true master, Federico Fellini, a man who highly, and so successfully, contributed to change the movies and their art, revealing a whole new world of winning creation, amazing and arresting visuals, finding a whole new sense of the media and ways to modern storytelling.
2149579
I suppose it's difficult enough to reveal one's life on the page, but it must be quite another to then augment the dissertation with personal graphic illustrations that might carry the danger of simultaneously adding dimension while subtracting imagination from the reader's experience. But Alison Bechdel has achieved a triumphant balance with startling fecundity in FUN HOME, her autobiography that's both an explanation of her coming of age and of her father's coming out, sort of. The "fun" is in the observations of life with father as we romp through her pre-pubescent diary and consider the axioms she posits regarding the nature of her burgeoning sexuality.

Ms. Bechdel flits from one year, back to another, forward to another, yet offers the reader a soft landing each time. Within one chapter we find Alison as a young, cut-off wearing child eager to gain favor from her distant father by vacuuming the Fun Home and without warning, boom, she's in her college library, thumbing through lesbian literature. The flippant chronology somehow works to the advantage of the unfolding story, and she displays fabulous, tight literary prose, although I could do without rushing to the dictionary every fourth page to learn the meaning of "welter" or "tautology." She didn't propose that one medium explain the other: the graphics, composed with a brilliant eye for the emotional range of the characters in her life, primarily her father and herself, feed on the written narrative and our imagination, a task made tougher by the intimate subject matter that translated to the comic while stepping along the borders of pathos. It's like Rembrandt adding masturbatory commentary to his muddy self-portraits. The result is a magnificent, if fractured fairy tale.

The only rub was the liberal use of literary analogy to explain her innermost discoveries as she grapples with her father's nature and demise. Even she battled her English professors' propensities for drawing far reaching parallels from simple narratives, which tickled me. She's a smart cookie, and Fun Home is a brave, new work, but I might have thought that her observations of a father who spent the bulk of his free time flowering his garden, reading Fitzgerald and Joyce, decorating his library and ignoring her mother, all while she made a hobby of studying other men in her life might have led her to an inescapable conclusion, but then rationalization is a powerful process. Look at Zelda, for Chrissakes.