Ashley Johnson Books
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Ashley Johnson Books sorted by
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Consider Jesus: Waves of Renewal in Christology
Published in Paperback by Herder & Herder (1992-03-25)
List price: $18.95
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Collectible price: $24.96
Used price: $1.23
Collectible price: $24.96
Average review score: 
Catholic Lay Mininstry Resource
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-19
Review Date: 2007-03-19
A text that aids your understanding of Christology that is well written and informative. Good complementary book to "Jesus the Christ: A New Testament Portrait" by Thomas Zanzig, ISBN: 0-88489-621-8. Both text used in our dioceses Lay Ministry training program.
Compelling and readable intro to contemporary Christology
Helpful Votes: 16 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-17
Review Date: 2004-05-17
I have been using Elizabeth Johnson's Consider Jesus in introductory theology courses for at least a decade now. As far as I know, there is no book in its class for introducing undergraduate university students to contemporary theological issues in language that is understandable and stimulating.
Indeed, one of Johnson's great gifts as a theologian is her crisp, clean writing style. Her work is a model of clarity.
I always appreciate Johnson's ability to work on the boundaries of contemporary issues (e.g., religous plurality, theodicy, sexism, political and economic injustice, environmental abuse) with full and rich recourse to the wealth of Christian tradition. She's just good at it!
For a readable, introductory text on the doctrine of Christ during the past half-century, you cannot improve on Johnson's book.
A Classic in the Study of Jesus
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-09
Review Date: 2007-08-09
"Consider Jesus" is a rather short, deceptively humble book that covers every theory in answering that crucial question Jesus asks his followers and those who may have heard of him: "Who do you say I am?"
I have studied this book as part of a college theology class and then more slowly read it on my own. Elizabeth Johnson presents a well-considered feast for the intellect and the soul in presenting her own theological reflections in answer to that important question.
This book is small but it is a classic in modern theology.
I have studied this book as part of a college theology class and then more slowly read it on my own. Elizabeth Johnson presents a well-considered feast for the intellect and the soul in presenting her own theological reflections in answer to that important question.
This book is small but it is a classic in modern theology.
AN EXCELLENT AND COMPLETE INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTOLOGY
Helpful Votes: 56 out of 57 total.
Review Date: 1999-12-16
Review Date: 1999-12-16
Elizabeth Johnson presents a very well written and easy to read introduction to Christology for the new student of theology. She clearly explains the Christological definitions at the early Church councils, showing the errors that plagued the early church.
She presents a clear explanation of the meaning and implications of both: Ascending Christology and Descending Christology.
There is also a clear trace of the developments in Christology from the 50's up to the present time with Liberation and Feminist theology.
Johnson writes in the end, "Out of our own experience of salvation, our own telling of the story, our own praxis and prayer, we must name Jesus Christ again and claim him again for our own people, so that a living christology will be handed on to the next generation into the twenty-first century." I found these words to be encouragement for the reader to apply the story of Jesus of Nazareth to our everyday lives.
This is a MUST reading for any student of theology.
24seven Volume 2
Published in Paperback by Image Comics (2007-08-15)
List price: $19.99
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Average review score:
Robotic Redux
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-19
Review Date: 2008-01-19
In 24seven, Vol. 2, Ivan Brandon has once again gathered a wondeful stable of writers and artists from the comics biz who inhabit our very real world to weave tales about a city-world where robots are its inhabitants and robot sensibilities guide their lives. As before in Vol. 1, the list of contributors reads like a who's-who of talented, soon-to-be and established comic book illuminati who've been given free reign to their imaginations and in many instances, improve on the work that was done in the first offering.
In Vol. 1, the stories often used robots to provide insight as to what it means to be human. In that book, more than a handful of stories could have been played with human characters, but in Vol. 2, we're shown what it might be like to think and live more like robots and to understand a futuristic "robot-ness". By that, I don't mean stoic, unfeeling, homogeneous and mechanical. These robots have very human qualities and foibles but their existence and abilities (and foibles) are enhanced *because* they are robots. Their robot-ness is capably exploited in these stories as we see robots age, deal with broken relationships, become victims and participate in crimes, and very likely work through malfunctioning circuits.
It's easy to relate and equate the experiences of the mechs in these stories, but moreover, we're given more of an opportunity to imagine how we, as human types, could react to the human condition as robots. Losing your memory because of old age? Plug in and reboot from a back-up file. Feeling the loss of former lovers? Bolt on bits of metallic ephemera to your robot wings. Always wanted to be a dancer instead of say, a doctor (thereby disappointing your hopeful parents)? Submit to a kind of robotic genitoplasty to be the diva you've always dreamed of becoming.
And so on.
Some stories rise above the others as with any collected works of this nature, but there is well enough to please everyone. Writing and artistic styles vary from story to story, and that's the way it should be as we are provided a broad, imaginative vision from some very gifted human types.
In Vol. 1, the stories often used robots to provide insight as to what it means to be human. In that book, more than a handful of stories could have been played with human characters, but in Vol. 2, we're shown what it might be like to think and live more like robots and to understand a futuristic "robot-ness". By that, I don't mean stoic, unfeeling, homogeneous and mechanical. These robots have very human qualities and foibles but their existence and abilities (and foibles) are enhanced *because* they are robots. Their robot-ness is capably exploited in these stories as we see robots age, deal with broken relationships, become victims and participate in crimes, and very likely work through malfunctioning circuits.
It's easy to relate and equate the experiences of the mechs in these stories, but moreover, we're given more of an opportunity to imagine how we, as human types, could react to the human condition as robots. Losing your memory because of old age? Plug in and reboot from a back-up file. Feeling the loss of former lovers? Bolt on bits of metallic ephemera to your robot wings. Always wanted to be a dancer instead of say, a doctor (thereby disappointing your hopeful parents)? Submit to a kind of robotic genitoplasty to be the diva you've always dreamed of becoming.
And so on.
Some stories rise above the others as with any collected works of this nature, but there is well enough to please everyone. Writing and artistic styles vary from story to story, and that's the way it should be as we are provided a broad, imaginative vision from some very gifted human types.
The Ambiguity of Play
Published in Paperback by Harvard University Press (2001-05-15)
List price: $29.00
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Used price: $19.87
Collectible price: $29.00
Used price: $19.87
Collectible price: $29.00
Average review score:
Serious scholarship on the not-so-serious topic of play
Helpful Votes: 26 out of 29 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-30
Review Date: 2000-03-30
In a novel approach to an understanding of the everyday phenomenon that we call "play," Professor Sutton-Smith tackles this slippery subject by analyzing the persuasive techniques that researchers use to define play. "We all play occasionally, and we all know what playing feels like. But when it comes to making theoretical statements about what play is, we fall into silliness," claims Sutton-Smith. In his attempt to bring some coherence to past scholarship of the ambiguous field of play studies, Sutton-Smith not only challenges conventional definitions of play but manages somehow to succintly summarize all major and minor theorists in a mere 231 pages. The text is laced with numerous examples to support Sutton-Smith's contention that all theories of play to date fall into one of seven rhetorical categories. He clearly points to the problem of consensus on the definition of play in a field that is divided among different disciplines each claiming that its own kind of play is the one that is central to the phenomenon. Although the book is not directed to a popular audience, it is an excellent text for classroom use in many academic disciplines.
Reading Instruction That Works, Third Edition: The Case for Balanced Teaching (Solving Problems In Teaching Of Literacy)
Published in Paperback by The Guilford Press (2005-11-30)
List price: $38.00
New price: $30.00
Used price: $25.00
Used price: $25.00
Average review score:
Definite Must-Read
Helpful Votes: 12 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-22
Review Date: 2006-06-22
Pressley's stated goal is to provide a "reader-friendly review of the research evidence pertaining to beginning reading, one that doesn't require [readers] to have technical background knowledge in reading research." In this he succeeds admirably. While the text is chock-full of references to studies and analyses, it is by no means a dry, dense tome. It is most definitely reader- and teacher-friendly.
As denoted in the subtitle, Pressley argues for balanced instruction. "Whole-language theorists," he writes, "had it about half-right with respect to the development of reading skills. Yes, authentic reading and writing are important in the development of literacy, but systematic instruction in skills is also very important." Both whole language and skills only instruction are incomplete models, notes Pressley. What is needed is a balance of the two.
Throughout the book and in numerous ways, Pressley makes several points that any teacher (no matter what his or her grade level or subject area) should keep in mind:
-reading is an extremely active process
-the point of reading is not to simply read the words but rather to construct meaning
-students can and should be taught comprehension strategies beginning even in the primary years
-effective reading instruction includes skills instruction, immersion in a rich literacy environment, and the explicit teaching of comprehension strategies
Readers will find a gold mine of information throughout the text. Especially helpful, for example, is an overview and discussion of an analysis that he and Peter Afflerbach did in 1995. The two reviewed studies published up to that point and constructed a summary of what good readers do. In short, good readers:
-overview the text
-are "clear about what they want to get from it"
-make a reading plan
-decide which parts of the text should be read first; which parts should be read with care
-relate their prior knowledge to what they are reading
-vary their speed
-stop to reread when necessary
-draw conclusions while reading (conclusions which might eventually change as they read further)
-"integrate ideas encountered in different parts of the text"
-look for cause and effect connections
-make many interpretations as they read
-form mental images
-use fix-up strategies when understanding breaks down
-create summary comments
-reflect on the text
Unlike some books of this type, Reading Instruction That Works is not simply an overview of current reading research. Rather, Pressley includes much discussion of what the research means to the individual classroom teacher. There are, for example, two especially helpful (and inspiring) sections on outstanding teachers. Pressley takes the reader into real classrooms and offers a fly-on-the-wall perspective of what is happening in both exceptional as well as typical classrooms. It is certainly an eye-opening, and ultimately encouraging, discussion.
One particularly cogent chapter of the book is titled "Before Reading Words Begins." If you have ever wondered what phonemic awareness is and how to develop it in your students, you will come away from this chapter informed and motivated. Here Pressley notes, "Many kindergarten and grade-1 children lack the awareness that words are streams of sounds that can be disentangled and that sounds can be assembled to produce words." In other words, they lack phonemic awareness. "Fortunately," writes Pressley, "phonemic awareness can be developed through instruction, with clear benefits to subsequent acquisition of reading skills."
One section that teachers of disadvantaged, at-risk children will identify with is a discussion concerning weak readers' failures to make inferences. Pressley notes, " . . . inferential skills depend in part on the possession of prior knowledge related to text. Poor readers are often very deficient in their knowledge of the world relative to good readers." One reason--although certainly not the only reason--poor readers are deficient in their knowledge of the world is because they are poor readers. They do not learn as much content from reading as their peers who are better readers. It is an unfortunate cycle. Comprehension depends of prior knowledge. Poor readers are not absorbing that knowledge from texts because they are poor readers. Thus, as Pressley notes, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
One point that our study group found especially fascinating is "rather than trying to sound out an unfamiliar word, poorer readers rely on textual and picture cues and clues to make a guess about a word's meaning . . . Although such students might process the letters somewhat and use some letter-level information in making their guess, their processing of the letter cues is much less complete than it could be, with the picture and semantic-contextual cues given priority." This, we agreed, was something that we had witnessed over and over in our classrooms. So, while semantic-contextual cues are helpful for determining the meaning of the word, "[l]etter-level cues," notes Pressley, "are the primary means of recognizing words."
It is impossible to do justice to this wonderful work in a brief review such as this. We strongly encourage you to get the book for yourself and spend some time reading and reflecting upon it. Highly recommended. A rock-solid, impressive work.
Reviewed by the Education Oasis Staff
As denoted in the subtitle, Pressley argues for balanced instruction. "Whole-language theorists," he writes, "had it about half-right with respect to the development of reading skills. Yes, authentic reading and writing are important in the development of literacy, but systematic instruction in skills is also very important." Both whole language and skills only instruction are incomplete models, notes Pressley. What is needed is a balance of the two.
Throughout the book and in numerous ways, Pressley makes several points that any teacher (no matter what his or her grade level or subject area) should keep in mind:
-reading is an extremely active process
-the point of reading is not to simply read the words but rather to construct meaning
-students can and should be taught comprehension strategies beginning even in the primary years
-effective reading instruction includes skills instruction, immersion in a rich literacy environment, and the explicit teaching of comprehension strategies
Readers will find a gold mine of information throughout the text. Especially helpful, for example, is an overview and discussion of an analysis that he and Peter Afflerbach did in 1995. The two reviewed studies published up to that point and constructed a summary of what good readers do. In short, good readers:
-overview the text
-are "clear about what they want to get from it"
-make a reading plan
-decide which parts of the text should be read first; which parts should be read with care
-relate their prior knowledge to what they are reading
-vary their speed
-stop to reread when necessary
-draw conclusions while reading (conclusions which might eventually change as they read further)
-"integrate ideas encountered in different parts of the text"
-look for cause and effect connections
-make many interpretations as they read
-form mental images
-use fix-up strategies when understanding breaks down
-create summary comments
-reflect on the text
Unlike some books of this type, Reading Instruction That Works is not simply an overview of current reading research. Rather, Pressley includes much discussion of what the research means to the individual classroom teacher. There are, for example, two especially helpful (and inspiring) sections on outstanding teachers. Pressley takes the reader into real classrooms and offers a fly-on-the-wall perspective of what is happening in both exceptional as well as typical classrooms. It is certainly an eye-opening, and ultimately encouraging, discussion.
One particularly cogent chapter of the book is titled "Before Reading Words Begins." If you have ever wondered what phonemic awareness is and how to develop it in your students, you will come away from this chapter informed and motivated. Here Pressley notes, "Many kindergarten and grade-1 children lack the awareness that words are streams of sounds that can be disentangled and that sounds can be assembled to produce words." In other words, they lack phonemic awareness. "Fortunately," writes Pressley, "phonemic awareness can be developed through instruction, with clear benefits to subsequent acquisition of reading skills."
One section that teachers of disadvantaged, at-risk children will identify with is a discussion concerning weak readers' failures to make inferences. Pressley notes, " . . . inferential skills depend in part on the possession of prior knowledge related to text. Poor readers are often very deficient in their knowledge of the world relative to good readers." One reason--although certainly not the only reason--poor readers are deficient in their knowledge of the world is because they are poor readers. They do not learn as much content from reading as their peers who are better readers. It is an unfortunate cycle. Comprehension depends of prior knowledge. Poor readers are not absorbing that knowledge from texts because they are poor readers. Thus, as Pressley notes, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
One point that our study group found especially fascinating is "rather than trying to sound out an unfamiliar word, poorer readers rely on textual and picture cues and clues to make a guess about a word's meaning . . . Although such students might process the letters somewhat and use some letter-level information in making their guess, their processing of the letter cues is much less complete than it could be, with the picture and semantic-contextual cues given priority." This, we agreed, was something that we had witnessed over and over in our classrooms. So, while semantic-contextual cues are helpful for determining the meaning of the word, "[l]etter-level cues," notes Pressley, "are the primary means of recognizing words."
It is impossible to do justice to this wonderful work in a brief review such as this. We strongly encourage you to get the book for yourself and spend some time reading and reflecting upon it. Highly recommended. A rock-solid, impressive work.
Reviewed by the Education Oasis Staff
The Ten Commandments
Published in Video Download by ()
List price:
New price: $9.99
Average review score: 
A Classic
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-21
Review Date: 2008-05-21
No matter how many times I see this movie, I enjoy it every time! The cast is spectacular as is the set. If you haven't seen it, don't miss it.
A great film - and time to watch it!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-19
Review Date: 2008-05-19
I always loved trying watching this movie, but it's very long and if you add TV commercials? -who can allow all that time and stay up that late? Having the DVD allows me to share one of my favorites with my children and we can watch it at our convenience - with as many breaks as needed. I catch more details each time I watch it - a truly great film to share with the family!
very moving
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-18
Review Date: 2008-05-18
Great classic that everyone has probably seen but this collection has the silent film as well which I had never seen.
Ten Commandments
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-17
Review Date: 2008-05-17
This is such a classic. I enjoy the movie very much and I love
charlston Heston for he is such a wonderful actor.
charlston Heston for he is such a wonderful actor.
The video quality of this 2006 re-issue is no better than the first 1999 DVD release
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-16
Review Date: 2008-05-16
I love this film. But as I see older films getting re-issued with an improved mastering effort, I expected this film to look better than it does since this is its third re-issue. I've got DVD's of films older than this 1956 classic that look alot better than this DVD.
So, don't waste your money if you think the copy you have looks like it should be improved in video quality because this latest release looks no better than the 1999 first DVD release.
Repurchase this film only if you want to have the extra "special features" DVD. Most people may only watch those "special features" (documentaries, the making of..., profiles from the starring actors, etc.) maybe only once anyway so is it really worth it to buy the same movie again? Rent the "special features" DVD from Netflix or Blockbuster if you absolutely have to see them. I wish I did instead of buying it again like I did.
So, don't waste your money if you think the copy you have looks like it should be improved in video quality because this latest release looks no better than the 1999 first DVD release.
Repurchase this film only if you want to have the extra "special features" DVD. Most people may only watch those "special features" (documentaries, the making of..., profiles from the starring actors, etc.) maybe only once anyway so is it really worth it to buy the same movie again? Rent the "special features" DVD from Netflix or Blockbuster if you absolutely have to see them. I wish I did instead of buying it again like I did.
Biology
Published in Hardcover by Benjamin Cummings (2004-12-23)
List price: $169.00
New price: $52.00
Used price: $17.00
Used price: $17.00
Average review score:
Boring and overpriced
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-03
Review Date: 2008-05-03
Sometimes text books can be so fascinating that you can't wait to read the next paragraph and learn something new. This is not one of those text books. It is filled with lots of junk that only makes the book thicker and heavier but contributes nothing to your understanding. So you must actively read and take notes on the important stuff or you will fall asleep a lot. This book contains some very nice images and helpful diagrams so know them and use them as a guide when you take notes. This is just a general introductory text, so it's a shame that it's so large. Future editions should be released in cheaper smaller volumes that deal only with certain topics, or they could just cut out all of the junk. You might consider buying an earlier edition or a cheaper international paperback edition because they aren't much different from this edition. I haven't seen the latest edition, but I'm sure the only changes were the pointless interviews and some new and more expensive pictures.
Great
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-02
Review Date: 2008-05-02
Good Condition, no scratches, pages perfect, slightly bent corner of the cover but nothhing big. Fast shipping
Biology book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-15
Review Date: 2008-03-15
Deceiving description, book was torn and highlighted all over, but description said it was in good condition, price did not match description..
Good book.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-03
Review Date: 2008-03-03
I bought this book for my Introduction to Biology class. It's quite affordable and I've no intention of selling it back once my course is done. The book is quite heavy, it's got very heavy and durable covers protecting the mammoth of a book. So hauling it to class with me is not really a delight.
The CD that comes with it is alright but I rarely really look at it. Most of the content is online. You can pretty much read the whole book online, if you have the access code, which comes with this book.
The material itself is excellent. The illustrations, all are very well done. I doubt that many people are haplessly looking for a book on Biology, if you're looking at this it is probably because you need one for your class. Either way, this book is definitely worth the low price it is selling for.
The CD that comes with it is alright but I rarely really look at it. Most of the content is online. You can pretty much read the whole book online, if you have the access code, which comes with this book.
The material itself is excellent. The illustrations, all are very well done. I doubt that many people are haplessly looking for a book on Biology, if you're looking at this it is probably because you need one for your class. Either way, this book is definitely worth the low price it is selling for.
Regarding Science-Ejected Vitalism, 2004:
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-27
Review Date: 2008-02-27
Vitalism is a profoundly science-ejected concept, though many CAM or 'natural health' cabals falsely claim that vitalism survives scientific scrutiny.
I quote:
"[historically] the new discipline of organic chemistry was first built on a foundation of vitalism, the belief in a life force outside the jurisdiction of physical and chemical laws. Chemists began to chip away at the foundation of vitalism when they learned to synthesize organic compounds in their laboratories [...e.g.] Wohler [...] made urea [...] Kolbe [...made] acetic acid [...] the foundation of vitalism finally crumbled after several more decades [...when] Miller [...] helped bring the abiotic (nonliving) synthesis of organic compounds into the context of evolution [...] the[se] pioneers of organic chemistry helped shift the mainstream of biological thought from vitalism to mechanism, the view that natural phenomena, including the processes of life, are governed by physical and chemical laws [...] the same rules of chemistry apply to inorganic and organic molecules alike. The foundation of organic chemistry is not some intangible life force, but the unique chemical versatility of the element carbon [p.059]."
-r.c.
I quote:
"[historically] the new discipline of organic chemistry was first built on a foundation of vitalism, the belief in a life force outside the jurisdiction of physical and chemical laws. Chemists began to chip away at the foundation of vitalism when they learned to synthesize organic compounds in their laboratories [...e.g.] Wohler [...] made urea [...] Kolbe [...made] acetic acid [...] the foundation of vitalism finally crumbled after several more decades [...when] Miller [...] helped bring the abiotic (nonliving) synthesis of organic compounds into the context of evolution [...] the[se] pioneers of organic chemistry helped shift the mainstream of biological thought from vitalism to mechanism, the view that natural phenomena, including the processes of life, are governed by physical and chemical laws [...] the same rules of chemistry apply to inorganic and organic molecules alike. The foundation of organic chemistry is not some intangible life force, but the unique chemical versatility of the element carbon [p.059]."
-r.c.
The American Promise: A History of the United States, Volume II: From 1865
Published in Paperback by Bedford/St. Martin's (2004-10-13)
List price:
New price: $26.00
Used price: $19.99
Collectible price: $17.50
Used price: $19.99
Collectible price: $17.50
Average review score:
very imformative
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-06
Review Date: 2007-06-06
i read some of this book for a class.. but it is well written.. but its history,,,, so its boring.. u know?
Excellent Service
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-28
Review Date: 2004-08-28
I purchased this book from Richard Taylor and received the book in a speedy manner. The book was in new condition and it was stated on Amazon.com that the book was in new condition. I had questions about the order and emailed Mr. Taylor. He responded to my email in a speedy, excellent manner! I'm very happy about my purchase.
Outstanding edition! Excelent job!
Helpful Votes: 13 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-15
Review Date: 2000-04-15
The reading structure allow the reader to visualize and understand American History from outside and inside. Wonderful maps, statistical charts, great photos, and a very good section titled: historical question. If you are the type of person in exploring new perspectives of the American History, do not hesitate to look this book.
Needed for a class, found it put together very well
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-02
Review Date: 2007-05-02
As far as textbooks go, it was the formatting that make it what it is. Lots of pictures & primary sources compliment the information being covered in the text. Makes it not as boring a read as most history books. You actually find yourself reading all the little extras.
What makes this series truly great? The fact that they give you a choice on book format to purchase. In a college this textbook would be for a US history 1 & 2. You can chose to purchase the expensive and heavy Hardback if you know you are going to take both parts. Or you can buy a softback of Vol 1 or Vol 2, depending on which class you are enrolled in.
As an adult student, who only recently returned after over 10 year gap I had no reason to want to buy the big textbook. Already had US History 1 credits from the last time around. Through Amazon.com I was able to find the correct edition of the book, while the college bookstore refused to carry it!
Thankful that Amazon.com exists. :)
What makes this series truly great? The fact that they give you a choice on book format to purchase. In a college this textbook would be for a US history 1 & 2. You can chose to purchase the expensive and heavy Hardback if you know you are going to take both parts. Or you can buy a softback of Vol 1 or Vol 2, depending on which class you are enrolled in.
As an adult student, who only recently returned after over 10 year gap I had no reason to want to buy the big textbook. Already had US History 1 credits from the last time around. Through Amazon.com I was able to find the correct edition of the book, while the college bookstore refused to carry it!
Thankful that Amazon.com exists. :)
Rent
Published in Video Download by ()
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New price: $9.99
Average review score:
" No Day But Today "
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-21
Review Date: 2008-05-21
I love, love this film. I have to say that it is better than the actual play. I saw the play in NYC when Joey Fatone was cast as "Mark" in August 2002. Joey was great. You could tell he really wanted to get into the part. I think he should do more plays. I fell in love with the characters since then. Rent is such a moving story. Roger and mimi are my two favorites. I only wish I could have gotten to seen Adam pascal on broadway. I love his voice. I think Manely pope was there when I went to see it at the theater. Not too sure. If you have a chance to go to the play in NYC ,I would go. you can truly see how amazing this story is. Rent is closing - last show September 17 th 2008 !!! if not the movie is just as good. buy this dvd.
No Day But Today
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-06
Review Date: 2008-04-06
I don't have much to say about Rent except for that it was well directed and has a great story line. It's definitely not a "for everyone" movie, but for the right person it definitely tugs at the heart strings. I cannot count the number of times I have watched it and/or listened to the soundtrack. The movie was very well cast and the addition of Rosario Dawson & Traci Tomms as JoAnne and Mimi were exquisite - I actually prefer them over the originals.
Who knew
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-05
Review Date: 2008-04-05
I have never seen the play, i wasn't all that interested in Rent as a whole until i actually saw it. I fell in love with this instantly and wouldn't mind seeing the play sometime now. Just goes to show, never judge a book by its cover.
RENT IS MY LIFE!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-01
Review Date: 2008-03-01
Rent is the most amazing and touching movie I have ever seen in my entire life! The songs, the characters and the story are all completely real. The songs are catchy, the characters are colorful, and the story is beautiful. This is the most beautiful movie I have ever seen and it is AMAZING!
Incredible strong points; major flaws
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-19
Review Date: 2008-02-19
The musical RENT is a film adaptation of a Broadway play. I've recently seen a pretty dang good Chicago production of it. It's got no shortage of heart, lots of energy, and lots of laughs and tears. It's also got some weaknesses that are precariously close to being its death blow. Its flaws don't kill it, but they come close.
The performances are absolutely amazing. I don't have a single critical thing to say about any of the actors.
Musically, I know this music has made the global rounds and it's huge. I don't think there's anything bad to say about the musical score either.
But looking critically at RENT, both as a story and as a film, reveals glaring flaws that keep me personally from falling head-over-heels in love with it and becoming a full-fledged RENT-head. This story has some problems that are both unfortunate and major, paradoxically leaving me with a sense of disingenuousness. Which doesn't make sense considering its origin, where it came from, Larson. I shouldn't be able to call 'BS' on RENT and be justified, and yet I can.
RENT assumes rather than earns its authenticity.
RENT has an unflinching, unapologetic self-centeredness that both serves it and cripples it. It has devoted so much focus and effort into being Gen-X'y, bohemian, and anti-establishment, that it has overlooked having a genuine identity of its own. Its uniqueness is stereotypical. It's confined to its freedom. Its portrayal of village artists and photographers is obvious, clunky, one-dimensional, cliché. The film is far too self-congratulatory to even consider noticing this.
RENT is trying (plaintively?) to make its characters' last year on Earth a celebration, but the thing is, I feel like a terrible situation of tremendous gravity, urgency, and despair has been turned into something of a 3-ring circus. On some level I feel like I have to question how seriously this was meant to be taken. Only its origin saves it from being creatively bankrupt. The exact same story coming from any Hollywood writer would rightfully get burned at the stake. Ultimately, these decisions ARE Larson's prerogative. I guess that being homeless and your imminent AIDS-related death doesn't automatically require an uptight documentary-style treatment.
RENT's excessive prettiness is also a big detriment to the film's authenticity, honestly. These people are awfully beautiful to be homeless AIDS victims. These are all designer characters. Their appearance is a deliberate, calculated, manicured image designed to make the idea more digestible. I rather suspect some watch this so they can feel like they've adopted some of the suffering of an underprivileged group of people. Do those individuals spend any actual time with the homeless? Who's to say. This mentality has infected other visual aspects of the film, too. Everything is so manicured and staged it becomes false. Everything is designer and Hollywood and perfect, including--nay, ESPECIALLY the abandoned buildings and alleys. The cinematography is a technical masterpiece and everything happens much too perfectly for me to believe in the world of RENT. It's not to be unexpected in a musical, but the nature of the subject matter changes the game quite a bit. Would I apply that equally to all films everywhere? Unfortunately, we're in the territory of art criticism here and it's subjective--and context matters, so no. For instance, Chicago has all the exact same traits, but they work for the film it instead of against it. And, say, a maverick cop out to kick some butt lacking authenticity is an entirely different ball game than being fake about THIS.
The entire scene with Sarah Silverman is the epitome of what I'm talking about. It fails to be the stark contrast with the rest of the film that it's trying to be. Furthermore, the entire subplot is an absurd non sequitur, but that's beside the point. It's trying to contrast how perfectly neat and tidy this corporate world is with how free and loose the world of the rest of the film is, but the entire film is actually neat and tidy--the spontaneity and freedom are artificial. I don't buy it.
But thanks to the performances, damn, RENT sure does have a fire in its britches.
In a way, it is simultaneously justified and questionable to call this film fakey, as it is just Jonathon Larson's feelings on the subject rendered in musical form. It really has an energy to it, no denying that. It really challenges you to drop your hangups and relax and enjoy the ride.
I'm not a RENT-head, nor do I hate it. I don't think it's mediocre, canned, or kitsch. I don't think it's amazing or enlightening. Calling it pretentious isn't exactly fair, though there is a pretentiousness to it. I do, however, feel confident in saying both that it has flaws and has something to it.
So, how you feel about RENT will always come down to how deeply you connect to the characters and how much you're feeling the music. Is it an electrifying, heartbreaking celebration of life and love, or is it a mockery? Both cases could be made. My bottom line opinion: RENT is successful in spite of itself. The actors work harder than they should have to to sell a story that's working against them, confined by excessively stiff character molds--and they are so good, they pull it off. What's strong is incredibly strong. But to pretend its flaws didn't exist would be, for me, an intellectual suicide.
The performances are absolutely amazing. I don't have a single critical thing to say about any of the actors.
Musically, I know this music has made the global rounds and it's huge. I don't think there's anything bad to say about the musical score either.
But looking critically at RENT, both as a story and as a film, reveals glaring flaws that keep me personally from falling head-over-heels in love with it and becoming a full-fledged RENT-head. This story has some problems that are both unfortunate and major, paradoxically leaving me with a sense of disingenuousness. Which doesn't make sense considering its origin, where it came from, Larson. I shouldn't be able to call 'BS' on RENT and be justified, and yet I can.
RENT assumes rather than earns its authenticity.
RENT has an unflinching, unapologetic self-centeredness that both serves it and cripples it. It has devoted so much focus and effort into being Gen-X'y, bohemian, and anti-establishment, that it has overlooked having a genuine identity of its own. Its uniqueness is stereotypical. It's confined to its freedom. Its portrayal of village artists and photographers is obvious, clunky, one-dimensional, cliché. The film is far too self-congratulatory to even consider noticing this.
RENT is trying (plaintively?) to make its characters' last year on Earth a celebration, but the thing is, I feel like a terrible situation of tremendous gravity, urgency, and despair has been turned into something of a 3-ring circus. On some level I feel like I have to question how seriously this was meant to be taken. Only its origin saves it from being creatively bankrupt. The exact same story coming from any Hollywood writer would rightfully get burned at the stake. Ultimately, these decisions ARE Larson's prerogative. I guess that being homeless and your imminent AIDS-related death doesn't automatically require an uptight documentary-style treatment.
RENT's excessive prettiness is also a big detriment to the film's authenticity, honestly. These people are awfully beautiful to be homeless AIDS victims. These are all designer characters. Their appearance is a deliberate, calculated, manicured image designed to make the idea more digestible. I rather suspect some watch this so they can feel like they've adopted some of the suffering of an underprivileged group of people. Do those individuals spend any actual time with the homeless? Who's to say. This mentality has infected other visual aspects of the film, too. Everything is so manicured and staged it becomes false. Everything is designer and Hollywood and perfect, including--nay, ESPECIALLY the abandoned buildings and alleys. The cinematography is a technical masterpiece and everything happens much too perfectly for me to believe in the world of RENT. It's not to be unexpected in a musical, but the nature of the subject matter changes the game quite a bit. Would I apply that equally to all films everywhere? Unfortunately, we're in the territory of art criticism here and it's subjective--and context matters, so no. For instance, Chicago has all the exact same traits, but they work for the film it instead of against it. And, say, a maverick cop out to kick some butt lacking authenticity is an entirely different ball game than being fake about THIS.
The entire scene with Sarah Silverman is the epitome of what I'm talking about. It fails to be the stark contrast with the rest of the film that it's trying to be. Furthermore, the entire subplot is an absurd non sequitur, but that's beside the point. It's trying to contrast how perfectly neat and tidy this corporate world is with how free and loose the world of the rest of the film is, but the entire film is actually neat and tidy--the spontaneity and freedom are artificial. I don't buy it.
But thanks to the performances, damn, RENT sure does have a fire in its britches.
In a way, it is simultaneously justified and questionable to call this film fakey, as it is just Jonathon Larson's feelings on the subject rendered in musical form. It really has an energy to it, no denying that. It really challenges you to drop your hangups and relax and enjoy the ride.
I'm not a RENT-head, nor do I hate it. I don't think it's mediocre, canned, or kitsch. I don't think it's amazing or enlightening. Calling it pretentious isn't exactly fair, though there is a pretentiousness to it. I do, however, feel confident in saying both that it has flaws and has something to it.
So, how you feel about RENT will always come down to how deeply you connect to the characters and how much you're feeling the music. Is it an electrifying, heartbreaking celebration of life and love, or is it a mockery? Both cases could be made. My bottom line opinion: RENT is successful in spite of itself. The actors work harder than they should have to to sell a story that's working against them, confined by excessively stiff character molds--and they are so good, they pull it off. What's strong is incredibly strong. But to pretend its flaws didn't exist would be, for me, an intellectual suicide.
The Bedford Reader, Ninth Edition
Published in Paperback by Bedford/St. Martin's (2005-05-18)
List price:
New price: $26.00
Used price: $3.24
Used price: $3.24
Average review score:
Good essay book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-27
Review Date: 2007-09-27
This is my secondary textbook for my college english course. But there are some essays and stories that I could see people reading just to read.
I was coerced into buying this
Helpful Votes: 11 out of 29 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-26
Review Date: 2006-11-26
What sort of psycho would ever buy a book like this if they weren't forced to, and where do these sadists get off charging this much for this load of crap? You can buy a handsome boxed set of the Iliad and Odyssey, Don Quixote, The Tain and Penguin's collection of the Norse sagas and still pay less than you would for the Bedford reader . Do you think the bedford reader comes close to being a fraction as significant, worthwhile, enlightening or entertaining as any of those books? Neither do I, but the ego-maniacal swine who publish this would apparently beg to differ with you.
About the book's contents? It's a bunch of watery, PC, multiculti crap. Do you think your fatuous, lefty professor would assign you anything that wasn't? I didn't learn a friggin thing from it, and I resent every second I had to spend skimming through it. The only reason I resold it instead of burning it at the end of the course (which I got an A in) was that the company that publishes it made one less sale thereby.
In summary, I assume that if you're looking at this book it's because it's been assigned to you. Poor you.
About the book's contents? It's a bunch of watery, PC, multiculti crap. Do you think your fatuous, lefty professor would assign you anything that wasn't? I didn't learn a friggin thing from it, and I resent every second I had to spend skimming through it. The only reason I resold it instead of burning it at the end of the course (which I got an A in) was that the company that publishes it made one less sale thereby.
In summary, I assume that if you're looking at this book it's because it's been assigned to you. Poor you.
The Brief Bedford Reader
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-14
Review Date: 2006-08-14
This book is filled with lots of different stories that are very interesting.The story that I liked was the Champion of the World by Maya Angelou.In this story she writes about how African Americans were treated and how afraid they were.She telling us about a fight between Joe Louis an African American and a white boy.She says if the white man wins they'll have to go back to slavery.The store they were watching the fight at was full with people watching the fight, who didn't leave until the fight was over.It was a close fight.But at the end Joe Louis is the winner.The blacks were afraid to drive home after the fight so they spend the night in town.Who knows what could of happened if they did drive home after Joe Louis had defeated the white boy.
A college instructor's perspective...
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-06
Review Date: 2007-08-06
As an English instructor at a community college, this collection as a text for essay writing offers great appeal with its diversity in voices, cultures, topics, and points of view (though the explanation of POV needs greater scope). In addition to the writer's bio before each story, one of my favorite features is the writer's shared insights afterward about his or her story, writing process, personal background, or career development (students enjoy this feature, too); and, there are discussion questions with "Suggested Journaling ideas," and suggestions for rewriting "Journals into Essays," that help students who always ask "What do I write about?" Story length as reading assignments are manageable for time-crunched, back-to-schoolers with already-full plates--juggling jobs, kids, and classes--and little time for 400-page novels. It may not be my text of choice for teaching argument and research, but as an introduction, it works.
The Power of the Essay
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-04
Review Date: 2005-08-04
The Bedford Reader provides the teacher of writing with a powerful tool. Provocative, interesting, varied essays are presented within a coherent framework of rhetorical strategies.
I have used it with 9th and 10th graders, but will use it with older students as well. If your concern is with rhetoric, if you want to teach your students to think and write effectively, this is a great resource.
I have used it with 9th and 10th graders, but will use it with older students as well. If your concern is with rhetoric, if you want to teach your students to think and write effectively, this is a great resource.
Biology
Published in Hardcover by McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math (2004-01-08)
List price:
New price: $19.50
Used price: $1.29
Used price: $1.29
Average review score:
Great Overall Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-25
Review Date: 2008-01-25
I bought this book freshman year of college and have used it well into my senior year. It's a great book to keep for reference and contains information covered in all the biology classes I have taken. Pictures of mechanisms are easy to understand and very helpful.
Lacking Needed Detail
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-17
Review Date: 2007-11-17
This text does not go into enough depth. I found myself going to other sources in order to further grasp required concepts. There is also an error in figure 45.17.
Excellent book for College Biology
Helpful Votes: 27 out of 27 total.
Review Date: 2004-12-23
Review Date: 2004-12-23
I utilized this book for my college biology classes. It was very complete and had great details on photosynthesis, Krebs cycle, glycolysis. I even liked the chapters on animal structure and function, quite interesting. However, the chapter on genetics was the hardest to read. I had to re-read pages over again to understand what Raven was trying to teach. If you want to know what is the best study guides for college biology to study from, get the following by Patrick Leonardi--
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 1)
Topics: Organziation of Living Things and Chemistry of Life, Structure and Function of the Cell and Energy Pathways, Reproduction and Heredity, Genetics.
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 2)
Topics: Evolution, Ecology, Kingdom Bacteria, Kingdom Protista, Kingdom Fungi, Viruses, Plant Form and Function
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 3)
Topics: Kingdom Animalia, Organization of the Animal Body, Animal Form and Function, Animal Reproduction, Development and Behavior.
The last three study guides prepared me for the kind of questions that were asked on my college exams. This helped me cut a lot of time in my studying because now I new what to focus on. Raven's book is a also a must buy.
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 1)
Topics: Organziation of Living Things and Chemistry of Life, Structure and Function of the Cell and Energy Pathways, Reproduction and Heredity, Genetics.
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 2)
Topics: Evolution, Ecology, Kingdom Bacteria, Kingdom Protista, Kingdom Fungi, Viruses, Plant Form and Function
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 3)
Topics: Kingdom Animalia, Organization of the Animal Body, Animal Form and Function, Animal Reproduction, Development and Behavior.
The last three study guides prepared me for the kind of questions that were asked on my college exams. This helped me cut a lot of time in my studying because now I new what to focus on. Raven's book is a also a must buy.
graphs are incredible, text is wordy
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-27
Review Date: 2006-08-27
The graphs summarize lots of important information in a clear and easy to understand format.
Some part of the text is wordy, not very concise. It helps to develop the breadth and depth of the text but meanwhile it's quite distracting and sometimes confusing for grasping the key concepts.
Some part of the text is wordy, not very concise. It helps to develop the breadth and depth of the text but meanwhile it's quite distracting and sometimes confusing for grasping the key concepts.
The best biology book ever
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-05
Review Date: 2005-08-05
I absolutely love this book. The explanations are thorough and understandable and the pictures and diagrams cannot be beat. Truly a great read. The book goes into enough detail, but not too much that you get confused. Thank you Purdue bio department for choosing this book!! Highly recommended!
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Related Subjects: Television Movies
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