Berg Books

I wanna read this book. This book is good. I have no money and time. If possible, I send money later. please...

This is old-school-is-new-school film history, taking a well-worn genre in film studies (adaptation studies) and turning it inside out by looking closely at Hollywood's multiple attempts at turning Theodore Dreiser's unwieldy novel 'American Tragedy' (which forecasts much about today's reality TV & celebrity tabloid culture) into film - everybody, it seems, took this story on - most famously in 'A Place In the Sun.' Merck's is the sort of book that you can't put down - the engaged and engaging prose of 'In Your Face' and 'Perversions' is directed here at a behind the scenes history of politics and film production. This book is packed with great storytelling - about the film-makers, studio executives, and jaw-dropping details about Dreiser himself. A must read for film historians, for Am Lit folks interested in the collision of writing & film-making, but also just a great read for film buffs!

This excellent book, which I recently taught in an upper level undergraduate course, examines Belizean food from the time of Europeans' arrival to the present. It moves beyond the dichotomies of cultural homogenization and hybridity or resistance to show that globalization and localization are part of the same process and this has been true for several centuries. It is without a doubt the best thing I have read on globalization and consumption and I'll be thinking a lot about it as I develop my research on consumer culture in Latin America. I particularly liked the analyses of the symbolism of meat among pirates, respectability and reputation, the style sandwich, and the rise of Belizean cuisine. The idea of "home cooking" conterposed to the fast vs. slow food debate is terrific, and closing the book with the "beans and rice" recipe was a delightful touch. I would strongly recommend it to readers interested in globalization and consumer culture in Latin America as well as food studies.

Home Truths has been an important aspect in my Honours Thesis, Home and the Practices of Home Making in Gerringong, NSW. The idea of the sensory home has become quite apparent in my interviews of women in Gerringong and Pink's comments coorelate with these women's ideas.

I think this is an excellent book because it allows average folks with little or no idea of how to bulid their money,how to do it. The book gives realistic ways of going about doing that very thing.

Ever wonder why those old farms and classic homes look so good? Donald J.Berg uses beautiful old-time plans and illustrations, and quotes from yesterday's builders and architects to show you. I breezed through the pages, enjoyed every one and was amazed at how much I learned. I wish I read this book before I built my county cabin. Now I'm building a barn (designed by Berg!!!) out back and I won't make the same mistakes.

not a day goes by that i don't kick myself for leaving this book behind in my old apartment. not a day goes by that i don't wonder where our expressions and phrases come from, and this book explains the origin of them all. as a matter of fact I would "BEND OVER BACKWARDS (??)" to get it.

I've Forgotten Your Name is a brutal novel, made even more brutal by the starkly beautiful prose of the Dominican poet Martha Riviera.
Winner of the Casa De Teatro International Novel Prize, this is the story of two friends as they grow up and become young women. They wildly experience the freedom of their young adulthood, a freedom afforded them by their status in the upper class, a freedom without limits and sanctions as the old ways and traditions which once rooted their lives in purpose and identity, fall apart with the onslaught of US culture onto their island nation. Vaguely aware of the losses their country is undergoing, they flirt with the idealism of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Marxism, poets and philosophers of rebellion, but they flounder in finding purpose and happiness.
Riviera employs an alternating point of view as each chapter unfolds. First, one friend, supposedly and questionably the `survivor,' reflects on the life of the other, addressing her with the "you" pronoun. She recalls the exploits and explorations of her friend, often expressing frustration in failing to understand her.
Then the friend speaks, supposedly through journal entries, poems and letters written but never mailed, and these reveal the inner workings and motivations underlying the exterior actions described by the first speaker. This part of each chapter is in italics to aid the reader in understanding the shift in point of view. We learn of two deeply personal losses, the death of her father and the abortion of her daughter Rubiyait. These losses torment and persecute her throughout her attempts to achieve something positive and meaningful in her adult life.
Riviera masterfully controls the two voices of her speakers. It is difficult to maintain a prose written in the pronouns "you" and "I" but the author does so without any awkwardness. She even surmounts the obstacle of writing without ever naming the protagonists, who could well be the two voices, one external, one internal, of the same person.
The novel reflects the times of the young protagonists and is reminiscent of the existential angst of Julio Cortazar's Hopscotch (Rayuela). The central action of the novel takes place on the eve of the new century; the 20th is dying, the 21st has an uncertain future.
The language of the novel is exquisitely lyrical, giving voice to deeply felt emotions without ever being melodramatic. For example, the novel concludes "All was scarlet wetness, an impossible cry, a still and translucent pupil which no longer gazes at the ceiling or at the occasional bird. And without closing her eyes, she slipped beyond oblivion" [142].
This is not a cheerful book with a happy ending. But it is an insightful novel, making the reader think, ponder, and question the values of the various societies we live in, values which often isolate us from community. The first speaker quotes Maurice Blanchot and then comments: "`Machines try to make the nonfunctional function.' I agree absolutely with that. Nowadays, if you want to see an art exhibit, you turn to the internet. If you want to see a movie, you rent it and watch it at home; if you want information, you write an email message or you check the web; and if you want to sleep, you have to take sleeping pills because the stepped up volume of the noise of life keeps you wide awake" [114].

This wonderful book is written like Pilgrim's Progress. It is the story of some children on their life journey with the King. They are worried about their father who has left the kingdom, and aren't sure if they can do anything to help him. By faithfully spending time with the King, and making their requests known Him, the children are able to have an impact on their father's life.

A work of unremitting genius, by the foremost scholar of our age. Insightful and informative, this original masterpiece should be owned by every household.