Independent Books

This book moved me deeply, and I'm a *lapsed* Western conventional believer. It is a women's spirituality must-have and a gorgeous compact fine art book, documenting the communal living facilities of an obscure but fascinating category of radically religious yet deeply service-oriented female contemplatives.

These Medieval-era Beguinages (the source of the term "Beguine" is unclear) are small, fully walled "cities within a city", enchanting in their human-scale architecture and layout.

The modern feminist-interest hook: they were the domains of *very* atypically independent women, often well-born and highly educated and always vitally socially engaged, who nevertheless sought closeness to God through a semi-reclusive lifestyle of their own making. And all this without any by-your-leaves from the official Church hierarchy, and often in direct confrontation with it.

The Beguine lifestyle is well summarized by one of the distinguished authors as a "rich and specifically feminine art-de-vivre", and that last phrase is the clincher for me. The authoritative text is accompanied by superb high-quality color photos of the buildings, details and interiors. Together they make one drool with nostalgia for a life in these hauntingly beautiful, tidy and snug-looking spiritual environments.

Said nostalgia pangs are not utterly incurable (unless one is male), because, of the relatively few remaining Beguinages -- astounding rare survivals, peculiar now to the Southern Low Countries -- a few are still functioning institutions and open to new recruits!

The text is historically and culturally comprehensive and touching as well, but it's the the pictures (of the 13 extant facilities in Belgium) that are the real knockouts: they seem to breathe the otherworldly serenity of these recherche (pun intended) places and lives.

The semi-magical effect on the modern reader/viewer, regardless of one's religious persuasion or lack thereof, is to open a window on a people truly living life as art -- and thereby prompt us to aspire to a similar level of sublimity, whatever our lifestyle details. A real sleeper ("waker"?!) of a coffee table book, whether the table's in a convent or a condo!

Interesting, easy to read summation of events by a leader of a group of Chester County Republicans who felt the 'old' way of politics...based on favor, not on ability...had to go. Should be a required book for high school students when they study local politics. The 'can do' attitude of this group is very inspiring.

Greta follow-up to Indie Fonts 2 - the CD with free fonts alone is worth the rest of the cost!

I am extremely pleased with this book. Of all the math-centers books I have, I keep coming back to this one. (As well as the K-1 version, which I also highly recommend.) The centers are easy to set up and don't take any weird, hard-to-find materials. Also, they are not very complicated so my students understand how to do them after me showing them just once. The centers are also really relevant-- relating perfectly to the standards I teach. The students enjoy the hands-on math action and I see how much it helps the students get a deeper understanding. I highly recommend this book!

The introductory, body, and conclusion of the book is coherently written, and the topics are clear and concise. This leads me to conclude that the overall review of the book has a high rating.

In addition, the author's professional background dictates that he has the knowledge, skills, and working abilities, couple with his education, that has led to the successful publication of this book.

I came across one small work by Jess while visiting a small museum recently, and was utterly taken by its mysterious quality, both erotic & ominous, achieved through collage of kitschy figures with more subtle, understated images. I'd never seen anything quite like it & immediately wanted to know more about the man & his work. This volume is the perfect introduction to both.

The longtime companion of poet Robert Duncan, Jess dropped his last name when he cut ties with his disapproving family. Openly gay long before it was common or safe, his art reflects his life -- although sexuality is just one of his subjects. He was clearly a student of surrealism, incorporating it into his art, sometimes for individual pieces, sometimes to illustrate small magazines.

And his interests are definitely wide-ranging! For example, he recreates text in several Dick Tracy comic strips, creating the satiric & thought-provoking new comic strip, "Tricky Cad." Many of his magazine covers & illustrations have an eerie, otherworldly atmosphere drawing upon alchemical & occult sources. All of his work is infused with intelligence & vision.

Some may believe that anyone can create collage, that it requires no real talent. Well, anyone can create bad or inept collage, and all too many do -- formulaic Victorian fluff & dunce caps, alas! But this is collage at its finest, truly raising the bar, demonstrating that it's art. Highly recommended!

...next time you stroll through a museum. You might make a discovery. I did, this morning. The De Young Museum of San Francisco has three paintings by "Jess", two of which I think are staggeringly good, figurative paintings built with almost bas-relief impasto. I bought this book at the museum store, and I've just begun to live with it.

Much to my surprise, I knew this guy Jess years ago in San Francisco. He was the marriage-partner of the poet Robert Duncan. I didn't enjoy Duncan's poetry, and I suppose I let it show. In any case, we were civil but no more, and I completely ignored the partner's art openings.

My loss.

Jess was born in 1923. His birth name was Burgess Collins. He was a brilliant chemist and worked on the Manhatten Project in the production of plutonium. After 1945, he continued in plutonium science with the Hanford Atomic Energy Project. In 1949, he had an epiphany; he found himself conscience-stricken over the destructive powers of nuclear weapons. He abandoned science entirely and turned to art.

Our gain.

The early chapters of the book -- which admittedly rely heavily on sources from THE leading PIL site ( Fodderstompf ) and other interviews from 3AMMagazine are really good -- entertaining and atmospheric.

Overall, a well put together autobiography on one of THE cultural icons of the entire 20th Century.

If anyone changed the way we hear, think and percieve culturally, musically, artistically in the latter part iof the 20th Century John Lydon has to be considered and respected way up there with the best of them.

Ben Myers has done a good job, and has also commendably carefully set out his bibliography, so the more inquisitive readers can go to his original sources to read deeper into the subject.

This book was the product of the University of the Pacific's Muir Conference, a wonderful meeting of Muir scholars. It delivers insight into Muir as family-man, spiritualist, and, of course, naturalist. Especially fascinating is the essay on Muir's in-laws, the Strentzels. They form much of the context in which we commemorate him in the California town of Martinez. A must for aspiring scholars!

Ryan really did his homework in pulling together the many pieces of Sayle's vision in a comprehensive,thoughtful,and provocative manner. Terrific for any student seriously wanting to explore the mind of this great artist.

This text adds depth, perspective, and improves one's appreciation for the New Testament. Josephus was a valid historical witness to the fist century, the century of New Testament writings. Josephus, the Jewish warrior-Pharisee-historian, was captured by Vespasian before the fall of Jerusalem and was ordered to write "what he observed." For the remainder of his life he recorded this history. While he began as a captured slave of Vespasian, he eventually served Vespasian's two sons when they became Emperors. Josephus' loyalty was rewarded by freedom and officially becoming a Flavian dynasty client, Titus Flavius Josephus a Flavian dynasty client. This book is attempts to explore these factors in history and in the New Testament and does so in a succinct, easy to read style. Having this additional historical perspective complements Scriptural understanding with an additional historical validity.