Video Books

When the University of Alabama's Hudson Strode Program in Renaissance Studies, helmed by luminary Gary Taylor, chose hotshot University of California Professor Bryan Reynolds as one of the "the six most brilliant Renaissance scholars in the world under 40," I begrudgingly decided to read Performing Transversally. I had already heard too much buzz about his book on criminal society, and was confident that his kind of flashy scholarship -- a la his Harvard teacher-thaumaturgists Marjorie Garber and Stephen Greenblatt -- would be of little interest to an old-historicist like me. But now I must confess that I've read both books and found them to be more than impressive.

Reynolds is driven by a desire to mine the subterranean, which leads him to reveal such things as the bogus history of gypsies in Tudor-Stuart England, Shakespeare's anticipation of Stalinism, and the uncanny relationship between Shakespeare and American celebrity killer Charlie Manson. Along the way, Reynolds wrestles with almost every major critical tradition, and explains what he sees as their shortcomings and benefits for future research. His "transversal" approach is enhanced by his wit and chutzpah. In this, he reminds me of Leslie Fielder, or Susan Sontag (God bless them). Reading the work of Reynolds and his collaborators is like revisiting the 60s and 70s when literary theory aspired to ethical ideals and was fun to explore and do.

This book has not only emerged brilliantly out of the new historicism's wake, utilizing everything productive the new historicism had to offer, but it creates a wake in which new historicists -- especially the more myopic ones -- continue to flounder. Reynolds and his fellow transversal movers and shakers launch cogent critique after critique, both implicitly and explicitly, of new historicist criticism (while improving upon the Althusserian and Foucaultian theory behind it), supplanting its often fly-by-night and defeatist rhetoric with optimism, rigor, and relevance to concerns of today the likes of which most new historicists never imagined or cared to imagine possible. Reynolds' performance-oriented and expansive method enables analyses of Shakespeare's plays and adaptations of them -- of the "Shakespace" (one of his many playful coinages) through which they move -- that are far-reaching in value and application across history, cultures, and academic fields. I would even go so far as to say that Reynolds is a visionary with the scope of Raymond Williams, and, like Williams, Reynolds envisions and wants to inspire -- with his "transversal poetics" -- a better future. For Reynolds, although clearly a lover of Shakespeare, Shakespeare is just one of many points of departure for transversal adventures to elsewheres of learning, empowerment, agency, and evolution. There is no book on Shakespeare that I would want my students to read more than this one.

This is a great book. I bought it because everyone was talking about it at the Group for Early Modern Cultural Studies Conference last fall, and as I did it could not believe that I was spending $65 on a book, something I have never done before. But since I am a Shakespeare scholar -- I suppose I can call myself that now even though it is only my third year in grad school -- I figured that I need to have the new hot thing. What I did not know is that all the hipe was more than justified. Reynolds et al. are unrelentingly captivating in every respect: funny, smart, rigorous, engaging... Most important to me, however, is that this book is about change, responsibility, and empowerment. Shakespeare is just Reynolds' vehicle, that he uses to take his readers into "Shakespace," a conceptual and emotional space of expansion and learning, an other world where we can all move transversally. Thanks Reynolds et al. for getting my brain reeling, and getting me excited about my work!

Performing Transversally constitutes a major intervention in early modern studies that will no doubt be as important as Dollimore's Radical Tragedy but at the same time infinitely more useful to the future of critical inquiry across disciplines, ranging from theater studies to film studies. Reynolds' transversal poetics is the most exciting approach to lit-crit since deconstruction emerged on the scene in the 60s, and I am certain that the impact will be no less great. If it sounds like I love this book, it is because I do. It is rare in this profession to be truly inspired by scholarship, and Reynolds -- along with his many brilliant collaborators -- never ceases to inspire, with page after page of scintillating wit, groundbreaking ideas, and unwavering dedication to ethical and pedagogical concerns. This book has changed the way I think about authorship, performance, Shakespeare, and my selves, all the while reminding me of my responsibilities as a academic and even as a citizen. Buy it, read it, live it, you will be happy you did.

Great music!!! The hot spots of this book are the pieces: "Big my Secret" and "The Heart Asks Pleasure First", which is NOT as difficult as it seams when you hear it on the CD or movie, but is impressive when you play it. The other 4 pieces are not on the soundtrack CD, at least their names aren't. Some information about the author and his work on the movie soundtrack.

This buy was MOST definitly worth the purcahse. I'm obviously a huge fan of Nyman's but i was blown away by the notes he writes on page. THE PIANO sheet music only contains 6 songs, and two of them i have already commited to memory, and its only been 2 weeks. In fact, all of the songs except DEEP SLEEP PLAYING are on the soundtrack. The sheet music seems to have about 10 measures not contained on the soundtrack somewhere, but all of the main themes in the sheet music are on the soundtrack. Learn THE HEART ASKS PLEASURE FIRST, i have never had so many compliments playing song before until i learned this one. It's worth it.

I was really impressed with the entire purchase and selection of the sheet music from Amazon. I was able to print a sample of music to determine if it was proper for my level of play, and Amazon then delivered it flat as a pancake (in mint condition) to my door within three days.

This is a good book with notes and fingering suggestions that are clear. I play by sight and it is important to me to have clear, visible notation. The music is fantastic and it is rather easy to learn.

I purchased the book solely for Big My Secret, and on this song, Nyman writes his music very well. His style can be anticipated while you play. When you are going up an Arpeggio, there are not unique variations for the sake of being cute. Other composers will often throw in double sharps or double flats to make their music look different. Not with Nyman. An Arpeggio is an Arpeggio. The beauty is in the simplicity. The various scales and Arpeggios are written into Big My Secret as if Nyman laid them there with a delicate touch.

His use of accents and changing tempo allow the pianist to provide expression. Big My Secret is a small, but fantastic piece to add to any repertoire.

This book is amazing, although it doesn't have all of the songs from the film it has a wide variety of styles. Silver fingered fling is very energetic compared to The pedalling ankle. The most beautiful is Big my secret , the way it combines the slow but flowing melodies with the scale like interludes is very impressive. The heart asks pleasure first is the main them of the film but it is never played the way which is written in this book, which combines the different variations into one incredibly atmospheric theme.

The genius of Peter Greenaway is found in the pages of this book which provides some of the text glossed over in his edit process of the film, The Pillow Book. Most delightful is the process of this curator, painter, poet, film maker and author as he crafts the film loosley based on the writings of Sei Shonagon. In adding the text of the thirteen poems which are illuminated so vibrantly in the film, a new dimension is added to a film that is a jewel. In particular, the words of the main character, Nagiko to her dead lover, Jerome are in themselves, a poem of immense beauty and visual splendor. The companion to thefilm, it is a must for every library

This is an awesome book. If you are a fan of the movie, this is the perfect companion for it. It has the script for the movie and it has the translations of what is written on the character's bodies. I am a big fan of actor Ewan Mcgregor and this was the perfect addition to my collection. Take my advice buy it.

This is a hard book to review on its own for me, as it is the book of one of my most favourite movies, of the same name.
Peter Greenaway set out to make a movie very loosely based on the Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon, a court lady of the Heian period of Japan. This book contains the script of the movie, along with pictures. But it is more than a movie script, it stands alone as a work of art. It is, for me, an exploration of the beauty of the written word, for both what it represents (the story told by the word)and the sheer beauty/art of the words (the calligraphy).

It is hard to write about this book (and movie) without sounding like a pretencious tosser! But believe me, if you love art, beauty, the orient, or Ewan McGregor (there are a lot of you out there)you are sure to appreciate something from, if not all of,the Pillow Book.

While it cannot match the visual orgy that characterizes the movie, this book (and what else to call it? names are complicated, in the interplay between cinema and print) serves to reveal some of the skeleton beneath the flesh: anatomy of the limits of language, the ordering of a work concerned with the order we confine our thoughts to. Handy for those who aspire to Greenaway's puzzle-box classicism; quote fodder for those who seek to dissect his repetitive themes of sex, catalogues, fat men, water, and repetition (to name a few); but nothing in this book can do more than hint at the luscious sensuality of wet paint on bare skin, the towering beauty of written characters, and the disaster than comes when we pin all on a medium of communication that is ultimately without value or significance.

I am intrigued by the intimacy of Ricki and the young minds in her ethnographic experience. Capturing these moments on video preserves the developmental sketches of their time. Often time, the points of view of children are ignored. However, Josh, an inciteful child,who queries the elements of his environment, brings both the mundane and obvious into an asynchronous focus that creates constructivist dialogue.

The author formulates a community in which you share the learning of two seperate and diverse schools. She invites you into the thinking of the children through digital media and takes you with her as you watch these children develop their understanding of the world around them. Watching this constructivist approach captures the inquiry of the reader and brings out the importance and significance of this type of learning in education.

This book takes a unique view of documenting a classroom setting through the use of video. I found the interplay between the descriptions in the book and the web site videos an enlightening experience. Ms. Goldman-Segall takes you into the Hennigan school (among other places) and lets you feel what is happening in this experimental educational setting. Her observations of the MIT project give a new and different perspective to the roles of the students and teachers in these settings. This is a book that takes full advantage of the tools of technology that we would like students to be using. This will give teachers a better understanding of their role in implementing technology and how it can make them more effective educators.

Goldman-Segall addresses issues and concepts relevant to today's new generation of educators. The context for her research focuses on two very different schools in British Columbia and Massachusetts. Her role as a video ethnographer uncovers some of the social-historical and ethical issues both students and teachers must address in today's post-modern era. Goldman-Segall documents these issues through the use of video and the Internet. In doing so she offers a refreshing medium for discourse and understanding.

The guide is very helpful aven though some of you might not need it. But to find some of those hard to get secrets you might just want to give this book a chance.

The Guide arrived quickly and helped me get through some tricky areas. Thanks.

My youngest daughter, who is 12, loves Pokemon! My son used to like them years ago, and he is almost 17! I feel like we get to "recycle" some of the Pokemon cards and other things that he has!
A happy customer

My 9 year old son has a number of the Prima Game Guides, including this one and loves to get them for all of his games. He has found that it makes the games more interesting as he finds "clues" to do new things that he was not aware of in the game (apparently there are secrets in most games that you just might never see unless you know the way to get to them). He also spots easy-to-understand help on screens that he was having difficulty with so that he does not get frustrated and stop playing the game. He and his friends all use the books, so I DEFINITELY recommend them for your favorite gamer.
BONUS- They can spend quite a bit of time reading over them to get the most from their games, and reading, no matter what the source, is always a great thing. Though he hates to read the directions that come with the games (he says they are not worth the time and do not have any helpful information anyway...and he is right) he ENJOYS reading these and sharing tips with his buddies.

This magazine is one of the best. Have all the tricks that you need to help you with the game. Buy it and proves it yourself.

This guide is very helpful and it was worth the price i paid for it.

the strategy guide has pics for all scenes and gives many good tips throughout.

The official MediEvil II guide is a rarity among most of Prima's recent strategy guide offerings--it's EXTREMELY good. Everything the game has to offer is greatly detailed by way of clear maps, screenshots, walkthrough directions, and enemy strategies. All of this is presented in a very nice layout which takes full advantage of all 160 pages--no wasted space to be found here. Highly recommended if there's anything stumping you about this game.

Mr. Reppen writes exceptionally well in any genre, whether informative, argumentative or persuasive. This volume is no exception. A welcome respite from the slew of mediocre fare that characterizes much of this type of stuff.

Erik is an excellent writer and a great undiscovered talent. Read his book!

I think the book that I wrote is great! I made these great diagrams with Microsoft Paint and I'm sure the hardest of hard core were blown away by my section on inertial space flight. Definitely buy this book... or steal it.

Erik Reppen

It's difficult to credit the grace and dignity of language which Mssr. Reppen brings to this strategy guide. The wealth of intelligence and tact which he bring to the task of describing Independence War is normally reserved for the finest of cathedral architects. A paean to you, fine craftsman.

I bought this book for a production class, and thought "Yet another book to sell", but after reading it, I decided to keep it. Each chapter goes to the point, and lists all the important facts needed for TV and film production. The CD that comes with it is full of generic production forms that can be modified easily. Overall, it has value, and it's cheap too.

I loved the speedy service. I needed the textbook for class, and it came early the following week, just in time for lectures and homework. The condition stated by the company said used and even claimed there is a high chance of some damage. I could swear this book is brand new. Not a single thing about it shows that it is warn, even the CD that came with it is unopened. Love it.

This great book should be a staple in every classroom. It instructs with clarity and insight, and gives real, practical, working knowledge from inside the world of TV and video production. It's conversational style makes ingesting the material a pleasure. You'll easily want to read and re-read it; and no holes will remain in your understanding, as it seems that every question was anticipated and then answered.

The book is extremely well written and very comprehensive. It provides a great entry-level introduction to the world of TV and Video Production while also managing to deliver thought-provoking and educational perspectives via "interviews" with many long-term practitioners.

Buy a book from a fifteen year old author? Sure, even if I am fifty two trying this out as a hobby. What I like about this book is that it teach's
by doing a host of low tech games. I learn better by direct full examples and even though the games are very low in scale it does teach me more than say "Head First Java" which is nothing but a bunch of snips an not very exciting at all. For the Amazon price you just can't go wrong. It's a no brainer.

This is a great book for parents to share with their kids who love video games and have an interest in computer programing. The design of the book is perfect and the conent is easy to apply, even for a computer programing novice. In fact, schools would do well to incorporate it into their computer curriculum as I never met a kid who didn't want to beat the game. I "used" the book with my son and we had a lot of fun developing a program together.

I cannot stress enough how helpful this book is. Since I got my first copy I have used I have learned a lot from it and used it for reference more times than I can count. Even if you do not know how to program, this book will let you create video games that you will have hours of fun writing and playing.

I enjoyed reading the book and it helped reinforce my programming skills, particularly with using graphics and sound. The games were cool and overall it was a fun and interesting book.

This book not only explains PSIP it also "connects the dots" for the broadcast and cable system. Mr. Eyer has provided a valuable resource that is easy to read and understand. Any engineer "worth his salt" should read this book.

The 13818 and the accompanying ATSC and DVB specs are powerful, flexible, inclusive, and incomprehensible. Mr. Eyer does a fantastic job of deciphering the important information and even provides sample streams which are more useful than any diagrams when you're sitting in front of a scope. Highly recommended if you are working with ATSC SI information -- engineers and technical managers alike.

A few people usually participate in the development of complicated systems standards. A few more learn directly from the standard. Most of us rely on books to understand what's really behind a standard like PSIP. Mark Eyer does a fantastic job explaining what PSIP is about and what it means for the digital television industry. PSIP is critical to making digital broadcast television work for consumers, and Mark's book wraps it up in a highly readable, complete package.

This book, written by one of the primary authors of PSIP, is a comprehensive look at what PSIP is, what the information carred by PSIP is, and how to use it.

There are very few books available that explain in detail the standards and specifications for the ATSC digital television system. This is one of the best, taking on one of the most complicated and confusing topics.

Anyone involved in digital television, including broadcasters, programmers, PC and receiver designers, technology journalists, etc., should have a copy of this book on his/her shelf.