Art History Books

Although some reviewers list this book as over 500 pages, it is actually only 144 (see Amazon's Book Description). It has excellent illustrations, however, there is very little text. The introduction is approximately 15 pages and each illustration is accompanied by a short paragraph of text. If you are searching for visuals this is definately a good choice. However, if you are looking for information you may want to purchase an additional book (or different book). I am a art history student looking to broaden my knowledge of Egytian art and this is a great first step for those looking to do the same.

Wonderful Book
This book is a gorgeous and lavish catalogue of selected, exquisite, and little-known works of Egyptian art dating from the Old-Kingdom. I truly love it, and I recommend it to anyone interested in ancient art. I particularly loved the special devotion to fragments of statues and small works of art not usually seen, but as beautiful if not more pronounced than the usual art seen in other books. An masterpiece of art in itself.

You don't have to be an Egyptologist to appreciate the exhaustive research that went into the compilation of this catalogue that accompanieD a blockbuster exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

The amazing work of Old Kingdom (c.2650 - 2150 B.C.E.) artists is splendidly displayed on glossy fact filled pages.

The aim of the book is to capture the many artifacts of the old kingdom. in this regard, its aim is not to be informative by being detailed on the old kingdom history - there are many books which attempt to do this.

having stated the aim of the book, i should judge it on the quality of the pictures: they are superb!! one of the best pictures i have seen, especially considering that they are indoor pictures! the grain is non-visible, this makes a difference for such a relatively pricy book.

Many of the pictures fill the whole page and this creates a striking image! It is a great buy if you want to collect good pictures on egypt!

One minor disappointment is that they omitted some of the most interesting pictures or artifacts of the old kingdom, which you find in other books. For example and most importantly the bas relief of king djoser at the ny metropolitan museum. yet, i probably know why..

This magnificent volume devoted to the approximate 500 years that made up Egypt's Old Kingdom period(2649-2150 B.C.), is truly unsurpassed in information and artifacts that were brought together from collections in Egypt, France, Italy, Britain, the United States and elsewhere for a unique travelling exhibition titled: "Egyptian Art In The Age Of The Pyramids". As a lover of all things to do with Ancient Egypt I was amazed by this wonderful work that had as its focus not the frequently photographed treasures of Tutankhamen or the Valley of the Kings but instead on this much earlier period of Egyptian history that saw some of Egypt's most wonderous works of art and building accomplished.

For those not able to see the exhibition this book is a wonderful guide and source of information that can be enjoyed by people just developing an interest in early Egypt and also by those with a fairly advanced knowledge of this civilisation and its wonders. I was amazed by the terrific attention to detail and especially by the fact that many of the items featured have not been widely seen or examined in detail before. The volume begins with some detailed maps of the different regions of Egypt in the Old Kingdom period so that the reader can get a feel for where the various items featured originated from. A brief run down on the six dynasties of the Old Kingdom and their history including the Pharaohs who reigned during them is also included and certainly helps to give the items a proper time frame and place in the overall history of Egypt. The first chapters of the book cover specific areas of interest and vary from a detailed examination of the incredible Step Pyramid of King Djoser through various tombs of officials and court dignitaries to an examination of royal statuary, furniture of the old Kingdom, and the excavations that have taken place at old Kingdom sites. Each of these chapters contain a detailed commentary of the topic under discussion by various world wide experts and each include breathtaking colour and black and white photographs, maps and drawn ilustrations of tomb reliefs and wall paintings. The text in these chapters is clear and concise and easy to follow while still being incredibly informative with much background information included. These chapters really are a great introduction to all facets of cultural and religious life in the Old Kingdom.

The second section of "Egyptian Art In The Age of The Pyramids", deals with each individual artifact that was included in the travelling exhibition. Each item is accompanied by a beautiful colour illustration photographed often against a neutral background for maximum effect and also includes any other available photos that may have been taken when the piece was being excavated or from the site it was found in . Each item also has a detailed description and a background history and includes which dynasty of the Old Kingdom it comes from and who the reigning Pharaoh was at that time. Measurements and the loaning museum are also included to give a very detailed run down on the modern origins of each piece. The marvel of the items as stated is that both well known and quite rare items are included in the volume. We get to see such diversely famous pieces as the blue tile wall decorations from the under ground chambers of the Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser, and the majestic twin statue of Pharaoh Menkaure and his Queen, through to the extremely rare Silver and Turquoise inlaid braclets belonging to Queen Hetep-Heres, the mother of Pharaoh Cheops, and the extremely touching statue of Queen Ankh-Nes-Meryre nursing her young son, the boy Pharaoh Pepi II. Less well known pieces such as vivid wall paintings from some of the nobles tombs, wooden statues of farmers and alabaster vases in the shape of monkeys from unknown sources really bring to life the everyday existence of both the priviledged and the general population during the six dynasties of the Old Kingdom.

As an amateur Egyptologist I would dearly have loved to see this original exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art however having missed that this splendid book is a perfect way to enjoy the wonderful artifacts that were included and to learn in a detailed but user friendly way much about Egypt during the Old Kingdom. "Egyptian Art In The Age Of The Pyramids", is one of the most tresured books in my personal library and I highly recommend it to all readers interested in ancient history and in early Egypt in particular. This volume itself is a true treasure just like all the precious items it so lovingly features in its pages. Enjoy!

A very important book about one of the founding fathers. That may be a cliched phrase for a man who was repelled by the stale cliches abounding in pop music at the time of his career kick-off in 1954.
But once again we have a biography written by two people - why would a poet like Carl need anybody more than an "editor"? Same goeswith Sun label buddy Scotty Moore - his book too had that unecessary naarrator - an excellent piece of prose, like with Carl, but the thought of it gets me depressed. Do you think Dylan or Costello would need a helper?
'50s friend Chuck Berry did his all by himself. The defiant Rocker wrought the defiant Writer. (And baby, that is Rock and Roll....).
Love reading about that Sun to Columbia to British career "rescue" period.
As a CP fan/collector I was natuarlly disappointed in the lack of deatils as to the lesser-known should-been-million-sellers and the conspicuous absence of a much-needed sessionography. A Perkins *Discography* is always helpful. But when in the world am I gonna learn when and where he
cut "We Did In '54?"

I really enjoyed this book. Unlike others that I have read (Little Richard, Chuck Berry, etc), this book is not an attempt to stake a claim to the title of "King of Rock and Roll". This book offers what appears to be an honest and humble look into the life of the King of Rockabilly. Perkins gives due credit to his influences and songwriting assistants, and honestly discusses his alcoholism.

I personally believe that Carl was one of the truest talents in early rock and roll, and his importance as an innovator/songwriter/performer is vastly undervalued. Get this book, and the "Complete Sun Recordings", and you can't go wrong.

An excellent and, what I feel honest (by both the narrator and writer) review and impression of one man's journey through life. Though Carl Perkins story is almost parallel to that of Johnny Cash's (if not "harder") this book goes beyond telling stories and conveys the emotions and impact of Mr. Perkins decisions and experiences.
"They" really should make this life story a movie!

I'll admit it -- I'm biased toward Carl Perkins. I lived several years in his hometown of Jackson, TN and met him many times. Having those experiences, I was curious how this book would portray Mr. Perkins. After reading this book, I have more respect for Mr. Perkins. True, he wasn't perfect (who is?), but he had reason to be bitter about his career and his life, instead he never gave up. He pulled himself up after each setback and kept on striving. When you think about it, what would be the alternative? He was not only a great musician, but an active humanitarian. His work with children and their causes is nearly as impressive as his musical career, yet most people don't know of this. I went to Carl Perkins' funeral, and in the little city of Jackson, TN you would have thought time stood still. This book will give you the feeling of getting to know a true American success story . . .

What a story!! This should be a must read for all of us who get to feeling sorry for ourslves. Carl Perkins came from abject poverty,a racially discriminating South,was known as "white trash",wrote one of rock n rolls seminal tunes,was on the brink of superstardom,lost it all,became a sideman to another Sun records stablemate,delved into the pit of addiction,rose again,had alot of his early work recorded by a group known as the Beatles,played with the likes of Eric Clapton,loved performing with his own family,lived his life humbly,nursed somewhat of a grudge against Sam Phillips,Jerry Lee Lewis,and Elvis,made peace with himself,and left behind the legacy of a man who had seen the beast within and had conquered it.
This is a must read for anyone who has any interest in music,or for that matter,the sociology of the South during the late 1940's and 1950's. It is also ,quite simply,one of the most inspiring books that I've ever read,Thank You, Carl Perkins!

Even if my dog ate the cover off of the book (he only eats books that I love), this is a great reference for the true Gunsmoke fan. Too many folks don't realize that the first 11 years were the best, and they need some reference to those. This is a great history of all of Gunsmoke, not just the TVLAND "scrubbed" version.

This book is AWESOME. It is filled with the history of Gunsmoke from the radio days through the TWENTY YEARS it was on TV. Also a very interesting history of Dodge City, Kansas.

This was a very good, very well written and very informative book to buy and read.
Janet Nazer

I am a huge gunsmoke fan, since it first was shown in 1955. i thought it was interesting on how they auditioned and chose the main charcters, I enjoyed this more than the 50th year, due to the fact that Miss Kitty, was alive and others that were guest star were also. It was not a boring book and the layout was very good. They also had an interview of Roger Ewing (Thad) Which was informative. I highly recommned paying the price for it to all Gunsmoke fans. )

I never thought I'd ever pay $85 for a book, but this book is worth every penny to anyone who is interested in the Gunsmoke radio and TV show characters and stories. The 836 page book is divided into sections about Gunsmoke history, photos of the cast and supporting crew, episode descriptions, and several appendices. The TV series ran from 1955 to 1975. Reruns are still shown on TVland.

The history tells why they didn't use the radio actors for the TV series and how James Arness was selected to play Matt Dillion. I was surprised to learn that Denver Pyle was a strong candidate for the job.

Among the 126 pictures are Milburn Stone (Doc) when was the bad guy in over 100 B Westerns, Sam the bartender when he played in monster and cowboy movies, photos of guest stars like Charles Bronson, Mariette Hartley, Alex Cord, Loretta Swit, Robert Lansing, Michael Learned, Anne Francis, Ed Asner, George Kennedy, Cloris Leachman, Harry Carey Jr., Katharine Ross, Forrest Tucker, Warren Oates, John Saxon, Bruce Durn, Bette Davis, Gilbert Roland, Lee J. Cobb, Andy Devine, Ralph Bellamy, Jack Elam, Pat Hingle, Gary Busey, Rory Calhoun, and many others. Appendix G lists 14 pages of actors who were on Gunsmoke TV. Appendix A lists 8 pages of famous quotes from Gunsmoke characters. The Gunsmoke history includes 41 pages of interesting reflections by Gunsmoke guest stars and crew.

The TV episode descriptions list the title, date, rerun date, production number, synopsis of plot, and cast members.

There is only a brief mention of a few women in Matt's life besides Kitty. I would have liked to see a brief mention of all the episodes when a woman tried to get herself involved with Matt.

The 44 page index is complete and well done.

If your any kind of fan of gunsmoke , you have to own this book !

How fun would it have been to have been on the set of this amazing show? This is a great book with a lot of interviews, anecdotes, and pictures. I wish more shows today had the quality of Gunsmoke...maybe I'd watch them more than the Gunsmoke reruns!

In "Gunsmoke: An American Institution Celebrating 50 Years of Television's Best Western", author Ben Costello has provided the legions of fans for America's most popular and long-running television western series with an exhaustive compendium showcasing and celebrating all twenty seasons (comprising a total of 635 episodes) of Matt Dillion and his many friends and foes. Profusely illustrated with literally hundreds of photos about what went on both in front and in back of the cameras, "Gunsmoke" covers the major cast members, as well as the producers, writers and directors, and features an especially insightful interviews with Dennis Weaver, Buck Taylor, and Burt Reynolds. There are even sections featuring Dean Martin Celebrity Roast Highlights; reminisces of distinctive guest stars; Gunsmoke memorabilia, the post-television series Gunsmoke films, and so very much more. Certain to be a popular addition to any community library American Popular Culture collection, "Gunsmoke" is a 'must read' for anyone who grew up with Matt Dillion, Miss Kitty, Doc, Chester, Festus, and all the other denizens of Dodge City and the Old West.

This book is a pleasure to read. The background stories and photos really enhance the episodes presently shown on TV Land cable channel. The volume is both informative and entertaining.

This about covers every aspect of that 20 year phenomenon "Gunsmoke"The personal insights from everyone associated with that show from the writers to all the great and soon to be great actors.As a die hard fan of this show I was incensed by some of the decisions made by a couple of producers who made I think,some very bad decisions based on personal feelings and insults made to some key actors.

But the bottom line is thats what a good book does.Gets the reader wrapped up in the story and triggers emotions of both good and bad.This book did all of that and if you are like me and still enjoy watching all the re-runs then you should buy this book and put it all in a wonderful perspective..

Now a note to all that stations that are airing these shows:Where are all the black and white episodes?

When I read this book sometime back, I was reading it just to read.As I got into the book I found it hard to put down. I cried, I got angry,I hated HATE. I lost two brothers in this mess! Whose loss is greater. Are we not all equal? What these people went through just to survive was dispicable. We take advantage of life! I fell in love with Haing Ngor, I wish I could have met him and hugged his neck. Not in a sexual way, but as a loving sister. This was the most precious kind of man. He gave of himself in a way we should all be doing.What he went through we could only imagine. To watch babies be ripped out of the wombs of women and to go from rich to poor, to watch your world crumble before your eyes and still have love for your fellow man. I have a respect for all life, we all need to open our eyes and look around. Life is a blessing and we should count ours. I love my country,and our people, but that doesn't mean I can't love others to. Haing S. Ngor was a great man who gave for all countries, and all men. He had a heart of gold. May God forgive us all for the Hate we hold.

Enter into the compelling story of a truly remarkable man, Haing Ngor, living through the Cambodian holocost of the late 1970's under the Khmer Rouge. Be prepared, however, for some of the most gruesome torture that a man could suffer - both physically and mentally. If you have any heart at all, you will be changed by this book.

The story begins with a history of Haing's early life in a peaceful Cambodian existence that would be no more. You see a life that is transformed into that of a frial, hungry, tortured and battered peasant. He has everything physically and materially stripped away from him and only his wife to live for. And the story gets even worse. But, through it all, this man clings to hope and a faith in his God that defies all sense reason.

The story does not end painfully. You will see how this one man's deep scars and loss literally transform him into something greater than what he began as. It is not an easy read, but a very compelling one.

I'm sorry that it took me so long to find this book, partially because the book is actually entitled "SURVIVING the Killing Fields: The Cambodian Odyssey of Haing S. Ngor" (and after all this time it took only a few days to read it). Aside from that, it's probably the most intense memoir about life under the Khmer Rouge. Also gives thorough insight into the social and political maze that led led to Pol Pot's reign of terror, and what happened to Cambodia afterwards. Ngor also told not only the *deeply* disturbing details of his life as a war slave, but also the difficulties of starting a new life in America. In addition, he clearly portrayed the bizarro-ness of life as a celebrity, as opposed to the life he lived in his homeland. The reader gets a real sense of the isolation he must have felt, even after his successes in America. All this, along with his spiritual beliefs in karma, which helped him explain some of the madness, make this a beautiful and haunting story. By the way, reading this will make you want to see 'The Killing Fields' again, just to see his performance one more time. It's clear that this memoir served in part as a therapeutic device for him personally, but it's also a truly inspiring book for anyone to read. Reading about his journey was weirdly prophetic, bittersweet and sad because ten years after this book was published, Ngor was killed in a senseless act of violence in L.A.

This book was my first exposure to what had happened in Cambodia. I saw a man go through a typical childhood for his class abnd become a doctor and meet the woman of his dreams. His life was perfect. Then on April 17,1975 it all came crashing down. He and the rest of his family were plunged into some of the worst conditions to ever exist in history. He survived almost his whole family. Then, he had the courage to show the whole world what had happened to his people. Sadly, this man was killed in a "random" murder in his home in LA. We promised the survivors of the Holocaust that we'd never let it happen again, but we did in Cambodia. Read this book and see why again we must try and keep it from happening ever again.

This is an outstanding portrait of a man who survived the barbaric reign of terror of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Anyone who has seen the movie "The Killing Fields" has a cursory understanding of the Khmer Rouge and their attempt to transform Cambodian society during their control of the country from 1975 to 1979. However, this film omitted most of the astounding atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge as anyone who has visited Tuol Sleng S-21 in Phnom Penh (as I have) can tell you. In this book Dr. Ngor relates his horrifying experiences of life under the Khmer Rouge in detail and in the process educates the reader as to just how horrible an existence it really was.

This book is remarkable because of the detail related by Dr. Ngor and the personal nature of its content. Many Cambodians to this day will not talk about his period in their lives. For many, the mental and physical abuse they suffered during this period was too painful to re-live ever again. As I read this book, I could not help but wonder how Dr. Ngor was able to keep himself together.

Dr. Ngor effectively puts the period of Khmer Rouge rule in historical context by explaining the historical events and forces which led to their capture of the country. These events and forces included the People's Republic of China, North Vietnam, the Vietnam War, the United States, and of course, the C.I.A.

I admire Dr. Ngor for his extraordinary courage, and I regret that I did not have the opportunity to meet him during his lifetime. May he rest in peace.

This book is great. It is easy to read. This is one to keep for reference. It was extremely helpful for me regarding finding a niche for my work. I highly recommend this book!

This book is wonderful!!! I don't even usually read but I've gotten halfway through in about 2 weeks. It's so great! I thought I couldn't really learn anything, but I was amazed at the helpful info in here. Now I am totally in love the Barbara Brabec!! I'm about to order 2 more books now! and I already got Creative Cash too. She is wonderful! The book is so well written and informative!! More then worth the money it cost. It should be on artist/crafters bookself.

Barbara's new book is awesome! Lots of new information and quotes from "real" folks. Reading the first edition encouraged me to change direction in my business and has introduced my handmade glass beads to an entire new buying public on the internet!
Lots of side bar information to explain concepts and thoughts in detail, and lots of humor. It's a book that will go everywhere with you... to be browsed, read and re-read as you grow your home-based business! Every tool you ever need is in this new, 2002 edition!

This book has been a wealth of knowledge for me. I have just started selling my craft and had very little experience with a business of my own. While some of the information is less technical or web savvy the general ideas and business structure information is well presented in a human and positive way.
This book is easy to read cover to cover (minus a few typos) or to jump into a specific section. Barbara Brabec seems to have done some really useful research with this book.

I didn't hear about this book since long, but beleived at once it was the book of an experienced author.IT JUST WAS WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT : very clear,logically constructed,giving a lot of links and the best last observed trends about selling crafts.
It has to be read in the order offered at first,then it's going to help really accuratly following needs : I didn't see more complete a book about its subject .A book we can be confident with, truly !

Learn who's Jewish and who's not, who pretended not to be Jewish and who led with Jewishness. Learn who had it really, really tough and who had it relatively easy. Discover who could work together and who couldn't. Get the skinny on some really poor, skinny comedians. Rodney Dangerfield's true story seemed stranger than fiction. Find out who whacked Sinatra with a pie and got away with it. Find out how Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis really got together. Be privy to literally dozens of stories about famous people and get the history of radio, movies and television as a bonus.

I ended up liking some people I didn't know well enough to like. Some overt dishonesty shocked me. All the stories were at least interesting, many exciting and a few really disgusting.

What more could you possibly ask of one book?

This is one of only a few books which, after having read it, I wish I had written it. Of course, I am wholly unqualified to undertake such a task. However, I would have thoroughly enjoyed completing the research required and taken full advantage of every opportunity to interview, personally, as many of the Jewish comedians as possible. Also, as many as possible of the (non-performing) Jewish writers of comedy such as Larry David, Larry Gelbart, and Neil Simon. In a brilliant Introduction, Epstein observes: "The story of Jewish comedians in America is one of triumph and success. But their stage smile is tinged with sadness. It is haunted by the Jewish past, by the deep stains in American Jewish life -- the desire to be accepted and the concern for a culture disappearing -- by the centuries of Jewish life too frequently interrupted by hate, and by the knowledge that too often for Jewish audiences, a laugh masked a shudder. The comedians' story in America includes bitter encounters with anti-Semitism and the lures of an attractive culture along the way. The jokes these comedians told, their gags, and their nervous patter need to be set alongside the obstacles they overcame."

In this volume, Epstein combines the skills of a disciplined historian and cultural anthropologist with a writing style which has Snap! Crackle! and Pop! Obviously, he also delights in the comic art of so many who "exemplified two great themes of American Jewish life: assimilation and the search for an American Jewish identity....Also, they made Jews proud" while entertaining them as well as ever-increasing numbers of others who also went to the movies, turned on radios and then television sets, sat in nightclubs of various sizes, and bought albums. I am so grateful to Epstein for providing throughout the book an abundance of comic material from scripts, films, published interviews, recordings, and other primary sources. He covers a period from 1890 until the present, organizing his material within four sections:

The Golden Door and the Velvet Curtain (1890-1930)

NOTE: Epstein creates a context frame-of-reference within which to begin to examine "the two great themes" as countless immigrants arrived in "the land of hope and tears." He then shifts his attention to The Age of Vaudeville.

The Years of Fear (1930-1950)

NOTE: This was a period during which there were many fears (e.g. poverty, world war, nuclear weapons, Communism) shared by most Americans. Epstein examines what he calls radio's "finest hour" as well as films which had their audiences "laughing in the dark." He then shifts his attention to the rise of the Borscht Belt.

The Years of Acceptance (1950-1965)

NOTE: Epstein examines the American Television Revolution and then the emergence of stand-up comedy, devoting special attention to Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, and Jack Benny as well as to Lenny Bruce, Myron Cohen, Jack E. Leonard, Buddy Hackett, Alan King, Jackie Mason, Shelley Berman, and Woody Allen.

The Years of Triumph (1965-Present)

NOTE: In this final section, Epstein traces the further development and refinement of "the two great themes" of American Jewish life (i.e. assimilation and the search for an American Jewish identity) and I enjoyed reading this section more than any of its three predecessors. In it, Epstein takes a close look at the films of Woody Allen and Mel Brooks (among several discussed) and then shifts his attention to Rodney Dangerfield, Don Rickles, Andy Kaufman, Howard Stern, various Jewish comediennes, Jerry Seinferld, and (in the final chapter) an emerging generation of young Jewish comedians.

In the Appendix, "Schlemiels and Nudnicks," Epstein shares his final thoughts which help the reader to re-establish an overall perspective on material which covers a period of more than 100 years. (It could reasonably be claimed that Epstein has examined certain themes and forces which have been active within Jewish culture for several thousand years.) He concludes that "the comics who emerged from this Jewish background were not aware of psychological or sociological theories. As George Burns noted, they were not hungry for recognition, "they were hungry for food. They did not question their humor but rather just recognized and used it. Nevertheless, the roles comedians played and most particularly the contributions of Eastern European Jewish culture shaped the personalities of these comedians and lay, either hidden or not, in their minds."

For me, a Gentile, it is impossible to determine to what extent Jewish comedy became assimilated within American society, and, to what extent Jewish comedy helped American society became assimilated with Jewish values. Let's all call it a tie and consider ourselves that much the better for it.

I just finished reading "The Haunted Smile" and I loved it! I thought it was a perfect combination of history, story telling and wonderfully applicable joke excerpts. Not only did I laugh but I learned a great deal about the history of Jewish comedians in America and about the Jews who immigrated here as well. As a 30-year-old Jew living in America, I've never experienced the same issues which my great grandmother experienced upon immigrating to the United States. I remember her speaking Yiddish but I never could fully appreciate her sacrifices. This made me understand her background a little better and made me proud to be part of a people who took adversity and turned it into laughs. What a beautiful weapon!

On the back of I believe the first paperback edition of Salinger's 'The Catcher in the Rye' it is written, "It will make you laugh. It will make you cry. And you will never forget it." So I feel about that remarkable list of American Jewish comedians who gave so much pleasure so much joy to millions of people. From the time of vaudeville, the Marx brothers, Gallagher and Shean, Ed Wynn up to the golden age of Television, its real beginning with Uncle Milty and Sid Caesar's 'Show of Shows' with that amazing gang of writers Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Woody Allen, Neil Simon. And then down to more recent times with Gary Shandling and Seinfeld, Andy Kaufman and the late Gila Radner. -these wonderful people made America happy.
In this richly informative work Lawrence J. Epstein tells the stories of many of the true greats, Jack Benny, George Burns, the Marx brothers. He too provides some explanation of why the Jews became America's principal comic entertainers.
In an interview about the book Epstein says "The Jewish immigrant's child came from a family that had to confront hatred, persecution and attack. This made the Jews anxious and fearful," Epstein explains. "They needed a way to cope. This way had to be portable because the Jews kept being kicked out of places and had to be rooted in language because Jews so prized words over physical activity. Humor could be taken from place to place and was based on language. The humor also was useful in dealing with anti-Semites. If Jews could deflect hatred with laughter, people wouldn't hurt them."
This to my mind makes some sense but is certainly not the whole story. True a good share of Jewish humor is self- reflexive and self- critical, but there is also the explosively abusive humor of a Lenny Bruce or a Don Rickles, humor in which the language becomes a weapon to injure and win laughs.
Yet to tell the truth the great gift of this book is in the particular stories and anecdotes it gives, and less in the 'theory'.
The truth is each of these comics is a great 'character'. And I believe the real strength of these comics as a whole , is that each one of them is so much of an individual, so much of a 'character'. And each has a particular humor and style all his own.
This is a wonderful book, and I recommend it highly. I cannot really capture its spirit in this review, and certainly cannot capture the spirit of each of the great comedians it is about.
But I am thinking of one most famous radio humor story. It is the one in which for the first time in the history of commercial radio there is a period of silence of several minutes. It is when the robber comes to the skinflint of all skinflints , Jack Benny and says, 'Your money, or your life". There is silence and then more silence. And then after several minutes, comes the plaintive voice of Jack Benny, " I 'm thinking, I'm thinking."
We love you guys . You were the greatest.

This book is full of history, anecdotes, personal stories, samples from comedians' stand-up material and movie dialog, and immigrant sociology and circumstances. He even gives details tying Yiddish language to Jewish American humor. He tells of vaudeville artists adapting to radio, then tv. So many details provided! At first I was not going to buy it (I am a frugal African American who buys paperbacks), but I am glad I did. Also, at first, I thought it was going to be too scholarly and dry, but once I got INTO IT -- I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!! BUY IT, BUY IT, BUY IT! And share it with your friends.

I love the writing in this series, it's such a pleasure to read, I wonder why are so many other textbooks so boring?

I'd love to give it five stars, except that there are recurring themes I find grating - some of her "fan club for the US government" stuff is just in totally inappropriate places. For instance, "American slavery was a horror. We should never pretend it was anything else. But the American system of government lets us correct mistakes. When you study history you see we usually do. Of that we can be proud." Gag me with a spoon, slavery was not abolished until more than 240 years after the first slave was delivered in 1619! Hakim does such a great job of fairly telling the story, why ruin it?

Another place I found disappointing was the perpetuation of the myth that the first settlers at Plymouth were called "Pilgrims" and that the Europeans started Thanksgiving. She has a box on Thanksgiving saying the story of the first Thanksgiving is a "real turkey", lists some other European Thanksgiving celebrations, and then neglects to mention that the Indians had been conducting Thanksgiving celebrations at harvest time for generations. I'd love to see someone do such a great job TELLING the story, who could also not perpetuate those irritating little false stories that schoolchildren are always taught.

Gosh, this doesn't sound like the positive review I inteded, but I see others have already told the good stuff. It's wonderfully well written!

This book is very fun and imformative. It gives us information, but in a fun way...I recomend this book to anyone under the age of 13, and who enjoys history...if you get this book in school, dont be scared it is fun!

I just borrowed this book from the library and now plan to buy the whole set. As a home schooling parent, I am always struggling to find quality materials and this series is just that. Hakim's books are easy to read and comprehend. Most importantly, they give a realistic view of history, not the politically correct one so often taught.

As I teach my children U.S. history, I want them to know that, yes, the white people were sometimes violent and unfair to the Native Americans, but some Native Americans were that way too. Before the Europeans came, they kidnapped and killed each other. I want my kids to know the whole truth and these books are very fair. No matter what the race, some people are good and some are not.

I highly recommend these books for teaching history to children and even adults.

"Making Thirteen Colonies: 1600-1740" is the second volume in Joy Hakim's "A History of US." The first volume covered how the first Americans crossed over from Asia to become Indians and the first Europeans, mainly the Spanish but also the French and English, began settling the New World. This volume focuses on the narrow string of settlements established by the English that became the thirteen colonies whose people began moving westward and who also started to question the relationship they had with England (there is a small amount of overlap between this and the next volume, which covers period of American history from 1735-1791).

Hakim begins with a preface that looks at the vast mixture of ideas that were brought over from the Mediterranean world and took root in the Americas. Along with the first chapter, which talks about the comet that appeared in 1607 as a portent of great changes for the world, this preface sets up several key themes that will be revisited throughout this and future volumes. "Making Thirteen Colonies" has 42 chapters and it the book is divided into five main sections. The first (chapters 2-12) tells how English settlers came to stay by establishing the first permanent colony in Jamestown, Virginia. The second (chapters 13-23) looks primarily at the Puritans arriving in New England, although Hakim also touches on what was happening between the Indians and the Spanish in the southwest. The third section (chapters 24-30) tells about the mid-Atlantic colonies, most notably New Amsterdam/York and Pennsylvania. The fourth section (chapter 31-39) returns to the South, looking at not only Ole Virginny but also the two Carolinas and Georgia. This unit also looks at the Triangle Trade and other considerations that united the four southern and nine northern colonies. The final section (chapters 40-42) is a transitional unit, that looks at how the colonists began to move westward and the stage was set for the period of history that would make those thirteen colonies into a new nation.

One of the great advantages to writing a ten-volume history of the United States is that unlike most standard American history textbooks "A History of US" is able to clearly establish the unique identities of each of those original thirteen colonies. I recently finished reading an excellent series of books, each of which was devoted to an individual colony, and Hakim ends up being closer to those volumes than she does the standard textbook. Consequently, in addition to the traditional stories about Pocahontas and John Smith in Jamestown, William Penn and the Quakers of Pennsylvania, the Salem witch trials, Ben Franklin as the quintessential American, and Daniel Boone finding routes through the mountains, Hakim establishes an individual identity for each colony.

However, the main strength of this series is how Hakim engages young readers, the same way you would expect a "real" teacher to do in a "real" classroom. This shows up primarily in her ability to anticipate and answer questions that students might have (e.g., why the Indians were not enslaved). I can easily see why this series is popular with parents who are home schooling their children. The book is richly illustrated with dozens and dozens of historic paintings, etchings, drawings, maps, engravings, and assorted reproductions. The margins are crammed with interesting facts, definitions, and quotations, and features on topics such as Land Green and Africa: The Unknown Continent are sprinkled throughout the book. The After Words this time around are devoted to cartography and has some superb examples of 16h- and 17th-century maps. It is easily to see why this series has impressed so many people and why Hakim is able to get such good responses from young students who are used to getting their information from computers and the Internet.

"Making Thirteen Colonies: 1600-1740" is the second volume in Joy Hakim's "A History of US." The first volume covered how the first Americans crossed over from Asia to become Indians and the first Europeans, mainly the Spanish but also the French and English, began settling the New World. This volume focuses on the narrow string of settlements established by the English that became the thirteen colonies whose people began moving westward and who also started to question the relationship they had with England (there is a small amount of overlap between this and the next volume, which covers period of American history from 1735-1791).

Hakim begins with a preface that looks at the vast mixture of ideas that were brought over from the Mediterranean world and took root in the Americas. Along with the first chapter, which talks about the comet that appeared in 1607 as a portent of great changes for the world, this preface sets up several key themes that will be revisited throughout this and future volumes. "Making Thirteen Colonies" has 42 chapters and it the book is divided into five main sections. The first (chapters 2-12) tells how English settlers came to stay by establishing the first permanent colony in Jamestown, Virginia. The second (chapters 13-23) looks primarily at the Puritans arriving in New England, although Hakim also touches on what was happening between the Indians and the Spanish in the southwest. The third section (chapters 24-30) tells about the mid-Atlantic colonies, most notably New Amsterdam/York and Pennsylvania. The fourth section (chapter 31-39) returns to the South, looking at not only Ole Virginny but also the two Carolinas and Georgia. This unit also looks at the Triangle Trade and other considerations that united the four southern and nine northern colonies. The final section (chapters 40-42) is a transitional unit, that looks at how the colonists began to move westward and the stage was set for the period of history that would make those thirteen colonies into a new nation.

One of the great advantages to writing a ten-volume history of the United States is that unlike most standard American history textbooks "A History of US" is able to clearly establish the unique identities of each of those original thirteen colonies. I recently finished reading an excellent series of books, each of which was devoted to an individual colony, and Hakim ends up being closer to those volumes than she does the standard textbook. Consequently, in addition to the traditional stories about Pocahontas and John Smith in Jamestown, William Penn and the Quakers of Pennsylvania, the Salem witch trials, Ben Franklin as the quintessential American, and Daniel Boone finding routes through the mountains, Hakim establishes an individual identity for each colony.

However, the main strength of this series is how Hakim engages young readers, the same way you would expect a "real" teacher to do in a "real" classroom. This shows up primarily in her ability to anticipate and answer questions that students might have (e.g., why the Indians were not enslaved). I can easily see why this series is popular with parents who are home schooling their children. The book is richly illustrated with dozens and dozens of historic paintings, etchings, drawings, maps, engravings, and assorted reproductions. The margins are crammed with interesting facts, definitions, and quotations, and features on topics such as Land Green and Africa: The Unknown Continent are sprinkled throughout the book. The After Words this time around are devoted to cartography and has some superb examples of 16th- and 17th-century maps. It is easily to see why this series has impressed so many people and why Hakim is able to get such good responses from young students who are used to getting their information from computers and the Internet.

The Getty Museum's reputation for quality is upheld in this small format handbook. Chock full of reproductions, it includes obscure images.

The color quality shows egg tempera's true and intense hues on feel good low gloss paper.

Copy is like a short survey course-informative and addictive. This is a good reference book.

Good things: For the price, this book has a way more bang for the buck than most icon books. Look at the number of pages, and each of them has an icon. The paper is very nice, glossy and heavy. The icons are explained in depth, with indications of the meaings of each part, and a short history of the icon.

Nitpicks: I wish the book were a little larger, but then again I say that about all icon books. Also, I seriously wish someone would include Ethopian and Coptic and other Church icons in some of these books, especially one this size and this thorough. There were tons of the standard Byzantine/Greek/Russian icons, some of them redundant, which could have had some Syrian/Ethopian/Coptic/Arabic etc icons in there too. But these nitpicks aren't reason to not buy the book, or even deduct a star.

Although I agree with most of the comments made by the others who have offered critiques, I don't believe this book deserves a 5 star rating. This book has a lot of beautiful icons, and I enjoyed learning about the meaning of the imagery. There is high value in the diverse collection of beautiful icons. The book had three flaws that disturbed my enjoyment of the book:

1) Icons are tied together by some general imagery. I am fairly ignorant with regards to icon imagery, but I know a little. For example, the use of the mandorla. A mandorla (round or almond shaped device behind an image) is used to mark something that can only be seen through the eyes of faith. The general meaning of colors like blue and red on the icons of Mary and Jesus, as well. A short guide explaining some of these general rules of imagery would have been a spectacular aid to those, like myself, who are woefully ignorant on the topic.

2) The author expresses some theology in language that is inaccurate and likely confusing for the non-Orthodox Christian reader. For example, he uses the word "worship" to describe the Orthodox veneration of icons. Icons are never worshipped. Worship is for God alone. For the reader seeking to understand the Mystery of Orthodox icons, this would be a devastating and confusing statement. Icons are venerated (greatly honored), never worshiped. The teaching is that this veneration passes to the person represented in the image.

3) The book was so small it was difficult to see some of the details in the imagery that the author was trying to illustrate.

Overall, a very interesting and educational book with a wealth of knowledge about iconography, however, it could have been much better.

I have a lot of books about icons, orthodoxy, saints, and to be honest I never believe at I can find a new book that can teach me more. But miracles
happens and this little book was a revelation. So full of information and images, this book is a gem.I sincerely recommended.

When it comes to the Eastern Church's wealth of Icons, so many are near impossible for westerners to discover. Many were either hidden (and often lost) during the Communist rule of eastern europe, or many were destroyed by the powers that be during that era. Other Icons in the book come from Lebanon, Egypt (St. Catherine's monestary), and Greece, some dating back to the 6th century. So, for a complete overview of the Orthodox love of Icons, this book has a plethoria of icons not seen until now, and never in such a complete overview in one book. The only orthodox Icons not covered, are those from India, and Ethiopia, which are apparently outside the scope of the book. Some of these icons are beautiful beyond imagination. With each icon, all in FULL COLOR, and covering a single page, comes simple little remarks as to what the imagery represents in each Icon. Also, the book is divided into sections, with Icons of Christ, Mary, Saints that lived in towers, Saints who were martyrs, and so forth. This makes it easy to study the iconology of TYPES, and not a simple alphabetical approach, as in the western art book in this series does. (St. Ambrose, St. Boniface, etc.) I sadly have this warning to give however. I had a FIRST EDITION of this book. However, it was "Borrowed" from me against my will, and they refused to return it to me, and I had to replace it. I ended up with a SECOND EDITION of the book,and the color isnt right on the prints. THe red plates are supersaturated, and the black plates seem too saturated as well, on many of the pages. I so much enjoyed this book, that I bought the COMPANION BOOK in this GUIDE TO IMAGERY series. If you are interested in the artistic representation of religious figures, the book SAINTS IN ART does for the western religious art world, what this book does for the eastern religious art world. Both books are from Italy initially, and are printed by the PAUL GETTY MUSEUM in the USA. The big difference, is that the western art, is obviously well known to anyone with college level art history study, and access to big city museums. These icons are art not seen in other books until now, for the most part. My other beefs with this book, are as follows. Besides the problems with the color in the second edition, most of these pictures are just TOO SMALL to really examine properly. This book is about 6 inches by 8 inches, so the pictures are reduced too far, to see the smaller details, where many of the symbolic features of the Icon can be found. Also, when they show what the icon is about, they draw black lines thru the pictures. But the pluses outweigh the minuses, and its well worth the cost. I only hope, that if they go into a third printing, they will fix the color balance to the book. I can highly recommend this book without reservation.

When I first saw the book, I was stunned by the originality and beauty of the artwork. Then when I looked inside and read it, I just fell in love with the story. I love trees anyway, and don't we all often wonder what tales they could tell if they could talk? This wonderful old tree stands right along the Santa Fe trail and so has tales to tell of history that is fascinating to all ages. I bought several for my grandchildren, and I consider them heirloom books which they will pass down to their children. There is so much to fascinate children--the story, the artwork, the intriguing lettering, and most of all the idea that trees and nature are worthy of respect and care. I highly recommend this book.

If This Old Tree Could Talk To Me! is a children's picturebook featuring gaily ornamented rhymes and vibrant colored pencil illustrations to recount the wonderful moments an ancient tree has observed over the course of its life. "Buffalo once gathered / To graze beneath my boughs. / And once, a loving couple / Stood below to say their vows." A sense of wonder and longevity permeate this thoroughly enjoyable tale, ideal for read-aloud sharing with young people.

As an elementary teacher, this versatile book can provide a launch for obvious extensions in reading and history but also in writing (point of view/ voice) and science (conservation/ life cycle of a tree). The book is written in lyrical rhyme and the artwork is amazingly detailed. Students especially love that the inspiration for the story was from a real tree, whose picture is shown on the back sleeve. It allows them the opportunity to have a new perspective on the world around them.

This book is gorgeous and could be on display as a piece of art. The story is written well, and is not only easy to read with captivating rhyme, but educational, teaching children (and adults) about history and appreciation of nature and changing society. Buy this book for a loved one and you will not regret it! If you get a chance to meet the authors and have them sign your book, the signature they provide is unbelievable!

I recently purchased this book at a santa fe trail festival for my Grandchildren. I knew they would love the artwork because it was so different than any of their other books. When we read this book together for the first time, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the book too! I have lived in Kansas all my life, and I learned things that I am now very happy to know. The kids already love nature walks, animals, and trees, but this gave them a WHOLE NEW perspective! They are already little tree huggers at 6 & 8, recycling and everything. They really loved the artwork like I knew they would, it's breathtaking. We also loved that it's so elegantly handwritten! I don't think I have ever seen a book that was handwritten. This is a very special book, you won't be disapointed.