Humanities Books

On With the Show is a great book for anyone involved in theater production! It is filled with rehearsal tips and ideas that give guidance on how to rehearse successfully. This is also a great resource for kids in musicals or plays. Kids need to learn what to do when they get home from rehearsal. On With the Show gives practical ideas for kids on what to work on at home, which I haven't seen anywhere else. Sheri Bestor also provides ideas on how to memorize your lines. Everyone can use help in this area. I highly recommend this book for adults and kids involved with theater!

I am glad that I found this book! This book provides the essential and practical tools needed to execute the tasks of directing. I have seen that directors often have a lot of "creative" ideas but need some help with the "practical" aspects. This book is so practical that it will make the job of directing so much easier for anyone. Almost every community puts on productions from time to time. I recommend this book as a staple to keep referrring back to. The templates within the book are also very useful.

Hideo Takahashi is a great poet and gives so much insights to his poems. It's best to read this book when you are wondering on your new direction in your life or when you are feeling down.

His idea of making harmony with all creatures on earth, universe, and each true self is full of wisdom and positive energy. This book is great for new and old poem lovers in all ages.

This books guides the reader towards a goal of knowing that all is from one great divine source, that all follows a universal law of harmony. Takahashi's poetry attempts to bring down the barriers of separation so a feeling of oneness can be felt.

(...)

This book consists of interviews with about a dozen CENTENERIAN women (women 100+ years old!) in Montenegro compiled in 1990 by A Serb-American. One woman is a Serb muslim, the other a Catholic Albanian and there's a Muslim Albanian and the rest are Serb women.

The women all think back to the Balkan Wars, WWI and WWII. This book shows what Serbs were really about at the turn of the century and what the forces that invaded Serb Montenegro (Turks, Austrians, Germans) were really like.

You hear detailed stories of wars, death, hunger, torture, decapitation. You think the Balkans are a scary place on the news now? Listen to a dozen women 100+ YEARS OLD tell you about how bad it was when they were young.

Only in this book, you get to hear about the cruelty inflicted ON SERBS not by Serbs for a change. Those called "Turks" are in fact Serbs whose ancestors converted to Islam, today's "Bosnian Muslims" and "Austrians" refers to Croats and these same
"Turks" who - together with the Austrians descended on Serb Montenegro in WWI.

The book also talks about how patriarchy made life a grueling nightmare equally for all the women: Serb, Muslim, Catholic Albanian and Muslim Albanian women. You honestly have to read it to believe that women were actually treated this way by husbands and other family members. It is the ugliest side of Balkan life told by those who experienced it personally. The women are so candid, frank and forthright that you really get into their head and sort of grasp the outdated mentality with which they saw the world until their very last days. These women were young when the greatest technological marvel their mountaineer society could ever see was the wonder that is the sowing machine.

Made me so proud to be a Serb.

This is an exraordinary book that reminds women everywhere of the unbelievable struggle of our ancestors to survive. The women in this book could have been from anywhere in a different time, enduring the worst that the world had to offer, yet they emerge from these pages with a unique strength and dignity in spite of it all. I'd highly recommend this book, not simply as an athropological study, but to anyone seeking where they came from. Because this is a book about the history of us all.

This is a great source to have! It is easy to read and covers everything all the major music history text books cover. Overall it is a faster, eaiser, and more interesting read than other texts. World history is also linked with music history to help the reader understand what actually happened. I strongly suggest this book for Graduate students reviewing for comprehensive exams!

Concise, but inclusive. Would make a valuable text for undergrad Music History or for general graduate study.

Reading the words of Papaji (also known as Poonjaji) is like eating a beautifully ripe mango. I won't even try to explain that ... but those who've eaten a beautifully ripe mango will understand what I am getting at. There is an ease about the way Papaji responds to the questions in this book, which in a way reminds me of Jean Klein (another great modern teacher of Advaita). His answers are often very simple and direct ... for instance: "Poonjaji, what is freedom?" .... to which he replies: "Freedom is to know your own fundamental nature, your own Self. Nothing else. Freedom is the easiest thing of all to get. You don't even need to think". I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Advaita/Non-Duality. Papaji is one of the essential teachers to read, if you are interested in this subject (along with Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Jean Klein and Ramesh Balsekar, to name but a few).
Roy Whenary (author of 'The Texture Of Being')

This is one of the most illuminating spiritual books I ever read. Poonjaji was an enlightened disciple of Ramana Maharshi. In this book, various people ask Poonjaji questions regarding all kinds of spiritual matters. What comes from Poonjaji are priceless gems of spiritual wisdom which can only originate from the Supreme. The mind is nothing but thoughts. Without thoughts, there is no mind. And behind "no-mind" is the fountain of the Source we long for. It is right within us. We don't have to seek it somewhere else. By questioning "Who am I", one reaches the root of the thought from which arises all other thoughts. Poonjaji makes it so simple and so loving. His love, compassion and laughter emerge right through the pages of the book. My spiritual quest ended when I read Ramana Maharshi and Poonjaji. All questions were answered. The path was shown. No more complexities. If you believe me, this is the one book you must read. You will fall in love with Poonjaji.

A collection of primary documents concerning the revolt of 1381. Dobson's collection and informative introduction are the starting points for any serious analysis of the events of 1381. Also included, a useful extended bibliography. A must for any student of the revolt.

This book offers an exstensive collection of primary documents relating to the Peasant's Revolt of 1381. In addition to the documents themselves, it offers an in-depth analysis and background information for each source.

This is an invaluable resource for any student of history who does not have access to the original documents. As a college student in the US, I found this book useful for a few classes, and always managed to impress my professors with the sources in here.

How can one religion be both personal and universal? Many people of all religions put their religion on a lofty plain separate from their personal lives. Such people, usually trapped in a concept of unity which says unified people all think alike, cannot conceive of how both unified action and individuality can coexist within the same organization, not even when they belong to such an organization. This concept of intertwined personal identity and unity among people who think, act, look, and believe differently about significant ideas is demonstrated honestly and lovingly throughout Justice St. Rain's "My Baha'i Faith." So also are difficult ideas such as how can the same faith espouse both individual salvation and regeneration of the entire human race, how can both science and religion actually be right, not only how can many religions come from one God, but also how can one distinguish truth from falsehood. The language in which he explores these concepts (and more) is simple and clear without talking down to the reader. This is an intelligent book written by an intelligent man who helps the reader see how to live a life in which mind and heart, body and soul function as a unified whole -- how to practice science without shutting down faith, how to practice religion without denying the truths science teaches, and how to be an individual in a faith which stresses unity. I highly recommend this book to people with any of these questions.

This is a nice story of one journey to spiritual fulfillment, but the Baha'i Faith belongs to no one. It is Baha'u'llah's Faith. No one can own it. Can one have a personal relationship with the prophet-founder? Yes,indeed! St Rain has a habit of using I, me and mine, which is the antithesis of the Baha'i attitude of "us and we"...true unity.

This is the best studio lighting textbook I have ever found. It's well written, concise, and well illustrated. Kolb and Overturf do an excellent job of explaining everything from the most basic lighting setup to the most complex. Natural light, hot lights and strobes are all covered. In addition there's a significant amount of information on set construction and excellent suggestions for designing your own studio. Best of all Kolb has put a great deal of effort into explaining why one would want to choose a particular approach to lighting a subject. The underlying message being - just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Unfortunately the publisher has chosen not to reprint this book. As the current used prices indicate - it's in demand. Someone in the McGraw-Hill sales department needs to take notice. Too bad they're not because I'm trying to adopt a new book for my large format photography and lighting class and no other seems to fit the bill quite as well.

This is an excellent studio photography textbook.It does not use the dry "how to" approach which is the downfall of many photography books.Full of stimulating theory and helpful specifics this book has changed the way I work in the studio and teach photography.

I learned photography in college years ago with Davis' book as the textbook. I was delighted to find an update, though I still have the original. Davis is an authority on photography, and his book is a must for anyone serious about learning all aspects of photography.

If you can only take one photography book to that desert island, take "Photography" by Phil Davis. The subject is endless and there are many, many books that cover all the facets of photography, but I have found Mr. Davis's book the one I go back to for explanations of the art and science of photography. It aint cheap, but you get what you pay for.

Process drama is a wonderful teaching tool that I use regularly as a teaching artist in the classroom. I find that it makes the lessons (and therefore the students) come alive and I know many teachers who use them regularly.
Cecily O'Neill's books are excellent resources for specific process dramas, and I recommend them as a starting place if you're new to process drama (especially Drama Structures), but Bowell's book provides a highly useful structured way of creating your own process dramas. She walks you through each step and asks you the questions you need to consider to create a successful process drama experience. A must for anyone interested in arts integration in the classroom!

As a teacher who believes in the possibility that education can help to transform a society, I have always wanted to use drama as a medium for my students to explore issues and concerns.

I never knew how to do this. All I knew was "I'm no good at drama. I couldn't act to save my life."

This book is written for people like me - I read it all in one go. Then I read it again slowly, working out how I would make a small start with just one class, in my next project.

What I find helpful is that, because they are writing from a depth and breadth of classroom experience, the authors are able to de-mystify the processes. They do not talk down to the reader however and the book is not just a "cookbook" of useful tips. Their advice is always grounded in educational theory and they make these foundations explicit.

Another helpful feature of their approach is that they attach the story of the development of three dramas in three different schools, to each chapter. These three stories are threaded through the entire book. As our understanding of the process grows, chapter by chapter, so the story of the three schools is gradually expanded, until at the end, the readers feel confident that this thing can work, they can try it for themselves.