Curtis Books

this book, which i bought, is a very great book for all Mr. Bean Fans. I collect all Mr. Bean videos, various books from and about him. This book is a very great bonus to the bean cinema-film, especially the chapter of the outtakes from the film, is very recommended and neccesarry for all real Mr. Bean fans.

I like the book because I am a huge Mr Bean fan!! I love the movie and the videos and the book was an extra bonus! And I really like it.

Rowan Atkinson's Mr. Bean is one of the most engaging characters to come along. His bumbling, innocent, ignorant goodness is hard to resist. This book chronicles the process of bringing Mr. Bean from the telly to the movie screen. It includes: film stills, dialogue and blocking from the film, a forward by director Mel Smith, and behind the scenes tidbits. A must have for Bean-a-philes and anyone who wants to delve into the wacky and wild world of Mr. Bean.

Most guides to combat sports are hampered by poor quality photography. This short, good-value book is an exception. The large, full-color photos show clearly how to execute moves and the text contains lots of personal testimonies from experienced wrestlers past and present.

Only one word. Great!!! This book improved my wrestling skills. Wow, I loved the photo's too.

Phil

I've been wrestling for a few years and when I saw this book I was so excited to see a wrestling book in color. When I got the book I was quite pleased with all the advice from coaches and Olympic wrestlers. It's all really practical information and I feel like this will help me stay focused this season. I like the step by step instruction as well. Everything is explained so I can understand it and apply it. I think this is a great book for anyone currently wrestling.

I read "Bright Moon at Mid-Day." I loved it! It was easy to read and flowed very well.
Another thing I liked was there was always something happening. When one adventure ended another was in the works.
I like to be entertained when I read, that is the idea, and this book did just that.
I actually was left wondering how and what the family did when they came back to the lower forty-eight.
It is a good book!

Exciting! Every chapter is an adventure. The growth of this courageous and loving young couple as they raise five children in the inhospitable Northern Alaska town of Candle, near the Arctic Circle, is a wonderful book for all ages. I especially liked the love and caring for their sled dogs. The change from a chauvenistic male to a loving and caring husband and father is the underlying theme as far as I was concerned. A fine read!

This is a book I hated to put down and looked forward to getting back to - I wanted to see what would happen to this family I had grown to care about. Living in Alaska at the turn of the 20th century wasn't easy under the best of circumstances, yet William Miller's growing family thrived during their 10-year stay. Of course Miller's phenomenal luck was more than a little helpful here.

Though the story is fiction it is based upon the lives of the actual Miller family, and to me that made the characters all the more interesting.

Excellent book. If you do not understand boxing, you will when you finish this book. Very good story at the end about the painting on the cover.Not very many men go back to the neighborhood they came from to help underprivileged youths become great boxers.

Co-authored by a former Welterweight Champion, basic boxing techniques: stances, punches, fight strategy, training, and equipment selection are covered well. A surprisingly candid discussion is included to guide young boxers in selection of manager and promoter...good buy.

Yes Curtis Cokes is a member of the boxing hall of fame and a former welterweight champion but he is also an exceptional trainer. This is simply the best book on "how to box" out there. It is not another boxing book about Mike Tyson, nor is it a boxing fitness anthology. Curtis goes through step by step, how the jab should be thrown, how to put the right hand behind the jab properly, correct foot placement, etc. Curtis also gives you a glimpse into the mind of a champion, his work ethic, his fears and some pitfalls for the young prospering boxer to watch out for. If you are a young amateur, you really should read this book to make sure that you are being taught the correct way to box. Not all trainers are created equal...

In addition, this book is short and to the point; you may want to read a lot of the passages a little slower and think about what he is actually telling you. Every bit of information he has included on things such as the step-over left hook are critical to perfecting the movements. You may think that you know how to throw a punch, but your technique may need improvement.

Don't let the dated appearance of the book mislead you; this book is solid instruction from the mind of a great champion.

I loved it....

I can't wait for my 5 year old to be old enough to read it himself. I now he will like it as much as I do.

I especially enjoyed the the conclusion to the book it was definately a delightful surprise.

DC

The Coolest Nerd was a wonderful read. The story of Chuck is one that many people, young and old, can relate to because many of us face issues of self-esteem and self-love. What I particularly like about this book is that is does not talk down to the child reader that it targets. It's full of humor and many lessons to walk away with. I hope Mr. Easley continues to write. I especially hope to read more about Chuck, Shannon ad the rest of the crew.

Mr Easleys work is most enjoyable. The book is very user friendly for the age in which he targets. As an adult, I read the book to preview before using it with my students and family members and couldnt put it down. I was substituting kids I deal with everyday for the characters in the book realizing how they would relate to the mission of the story. Job well done, Mr Easley...looking forward to your next piece of work!!!

This book is an excellent piece of herpetological literature, and a must for any serious herpetological enthusiast or anyone with an interest in snakes. It offers somewhat detailed species description on African taxa, and is a valuable source of information about the continent's venomous species. The descriptions are divided into sections for each species, including identification, distinguishing characteristics, races (subspecies), similar species, behavior, distribution, habitat, natural history, venom, snakebite, case histories and treatment. Herpetologists, serious naturalists and herpetoculturists will especially appreciate the detailed information provided on behavior, venom and case histories, while casually interested readers will enjoy the sections on distinguishing characteristics and natural history. This book should be a part of every herp library! It is also pretty hard to find, so if you see it, grab it!

This is a very interesting and informative book. Rich in information aswell as magnificent photographs adding to the overall class of the book. A definte MUST for anyone seriously interested in snakes, especially african species.

The book is well written and very informative. The information regarding snakebites and how to address them is very good. It is a good field guide but the photographs are really too small. Also may times the photos show the head of the snake and not the whole animal. The information is top notch and it really shows the lack of documented information on african snakes. I would highly recommend it to anybody with an interest snakes

There aren't many titles about the Venus de Milo, and far fewer in English yet.

Gregory Curtis has written an entertaining and informative book that tells more than the usual cut and dry history and dates for the Venus de Milo. He has written a book that introduces a whole range of characters that had a direct influence on the statue from the time of her discovery on Milos through her arrival at the Louvre and her subsequent history.

I've always fancied myself as an armchair student of the Venus, but learned some new and fascinating things.

The book is a breeze to read. I only wish there had been many more illustrations and preferably some color shots.

Mr. Curtis is convincing in his opinion that the somewhat rough and crude arms found with the statue were probably the originals, but unfortunately, there is no illustration to show how the statue would have looked when she was finished.

This will make an excellent addition to art history libraries and enthusiasts bookcases everywhere.

What a remarkable book, especially for a "first-time" author! There is so much fascinating information contained in the space of 200 pages, it's a tribute to Mr. Curtis (and his editor) that he was able to sandwich everything in - and to keep the sandwich neat and tidy. The book is a joy to read, from when the statue is uncovered by a farmer on the Aegean island of Melos right up until the final flourish, when Mr. Curtis presents his conclusions concerning who sculpted the Venus, when it was done, and what makes the statue a great piece of art. At first, there was a dispute about who was going to get possession of the Venus - the Turks or the French. Mr. Curtis explains why it was so important for the French to bring home this prize: Greek works were considered the epitome of art, if they were from the classical period (around the 4th century B.C.). It was thought that you could do no better than to imitate what the Greeks had done, and the best way to imitate the Greeks was to have their works where your own artists could study them, copy them, and gain inspiration from them. The British had the famous Elgin marbles and the Vatican had the Apollo Belvedere (which was removed from the Louvre and returned to Italy after Napoleon's final defeat), so it was very important to the French that they "bring home the bacon" and get the Venus to Paris. Mr. Curtis did extensive research and it really shows: in addition to the story of the Venus, we learn a lot about Greek society, including the role of women and female sexuality. Mr. Curtis also gives us a crash course in Greek mythology (we need this information in order to understand his conclusions about why the statue was located where it was, its purpose, and what position the missing arms would have been in and what they were doing). The author also gives us a blow-by-blow description of the "battles of the scholars." French scholars were desperate to prove that the sculpture came from the "right" (classical) period and was not carved at a later date. (This was due to the huge influence of a thinker named Johann Winckelmann, who stated that Greek art from after the classical period was inferior.) Battling against the "French School" was the highly respected Adolf Furtwangler, who concluded (based on physical evidence found at the same site where the Venus had been unearthed) that the statue was created during the Hellenistic period, sometime around 100 B.C. This argument seems silly to us - after all, if the Venus is a great work of art, what's the difference? But it points out the importance of historical context and frames of reference. At that time, it was important to the cognoscenti that the sculpture have the right pedigree. This all allows Mr. Curtis to have a lot of fun showing us the mental "loop-the-loops" the various scholars went through trying to prove they were right and their opponents were wrong. This included much wishful thinking and groundless speculation, in addition to selective use of the available data. (Does this sound surprisingly modern to anyone out there?) Another section of the book I really enjoyed was where Mr. Curtis explained how the Venus de Milo would have been displayed back at the time she was created. Based on standard practice of the time, she would have been adorned with bracelets, earrings and a necklace; her hair would have been painted blonde and her lips would have been painted red; likewise, her drapery would have been painted. Mr. Curtis explains that nowadays we would think all of this would ruin the statue, but to the Greeks it all would have made her more lifelike. Over the years many people were involved with the story of the Venus de Milo, and the author doesn't miss out on the chance to humanize the story by letting us in on their idiosyncrasies. For example, one of the Frenchmen who went to Melos to try and get possession of the statue after the discovery was the comte de Marcellus. He was very eager to sail to the island, but not because he was an art lover. He had happened to see a beautiful girl in a painting by a Viennese painter by the name of Johann Ender. Marcellus was obsessed with the girl in the painting, and found out from Ender that she lived on Melos. So, Marcellus was interested in beauty - but not of the inanimate kind! The aforementioned Furtwangler was also a rather interesting specimen - he proposed to his future wife, Adelheid Wendt, on the first night he met her. As with many brilliant men, Furtwangler had no use for brains that he perceived as operating at a lower wattage. Thus, he referred to a fellow scholar as a "complete ignoramus" and he was never happier than when he was able to pick out a museum's prize piece and label it a fake. The book is full of people such as Marcellus and Furtwangler - brilliant, odd, and entertaining. There is one last thing I should mention: the title of my review refers to the artist who sculpted the Venus, a Greek man named Alexandros of Antioch. He also wrote poetry, and composed and sang songs. Those works are all lost to us, but we still cherish his greatest creation.

The Venus de Milo has become a symbol of great art, as well as kitsch. It has been used in advertising throughout the world because of its ease of recognition. While everybody knows the identity of the statue almost immediately, few know the story of its discovery, transport from Melos in Greece to the Louvre, and the controversy that followed. Gregory Curtis has given "flesh" to the marble by his often masterful descriptions of the actions of a few all too human men who were associated in some way with the statue after its discovery. From Voutier, who actually recognized the stature as something of value after it had been discovered by a local farmer, through d'Urville who successfully took credit for the discovery, to Reinach and Furtwängler who argued over the history of the Venus, the story is one of intrigue and curiously eccentric people.

We now know the Venus was a Hellenistic rather than a classical Greek sculpture. French pride kept that truth from emerging for many years, but also it was burdened with the idea that Hellenistic art was inferior. Indeed, so set was this idea that anything of such notable merit as the Venus must have come from the studio of a great of the classic age of Greece. The inscription found with it on an associated piece that fit the base had to thus be unassociated! Wishful thinking is a hallmark of humanity!

This is a well-written piece and should find readership with those who like to not only appreciate art, but to understand its history as well.

I'm Not Me Book Review
In the the book, Ecstatic Writing, the author, Maurice Horn, successfully explores who he really is which turns out to be very convenient for all concerned. In his own story he successfully plays out a role in a world which is denying its own existence. He avoids the pain of seeing who he is by showing the reader in 151 pages an accurate description of himself.
The author turns out to be an impostor and faker of such outlandish proportions that he is worth knowing. The book is highly recommended to anyone interested in learning first hand how to set out on the path of self inquiry and ultimately to know the self. The process of self denial is right there in the book for anyone doing their self work to see first hand. The work is not boring at all and is such a startling discovery that, I for one, have begun denying my own existence as practice for self discovery.
As it turns out, self denial has become a fad of epidemic proportions which we all enjoy as culture and world community. We all do this. The refreshing discovery in this book is well worth exploring.

This is a curious and mysterious book, at times straight forward, often transcendental. The reader is led into the world of the poetic mind, where matter and spirit, reason and inscrutability, willfulness and spontaneity often change places.

There is beauty and adventure. The author has spent much of his life exploring wilderness few people hear about, and rarely visit. He is a mountain climber, trekker and world traveler, and many of the stories draw from his sometimes youthful, often spiritual appreciation of such places. The story "Adventuring With Greg Bourassa" introduces us to the free-spirited character the reader can't help but think is the author himself, with his penchant for raw terrain and treacherous climbs. There are cowboys and mountain men. There is a boy raised on a Wyoming ranch who treats us to his boundless curiosity and appreciation for the natural world. There are dreams too, and questions answered only by an inner voice.

Throughout, the reader joins the author as he explores who he is. He often appears to be playing out a role in the world while at the same time denying the intrinsic reality of his own existence, and in that, perhaps he avoids the pain of seeing who he is. One is reminded of the tricksters of old, imposters and fakers of outlandish proportions who by their example teach us to take ourselves and the world a little less seriously.

There is poetry here also, and snapshots of a dreamlike and puzzling reality where we see into the authors mind. In the remarkable poem "The Footbridge"-truly one of the best-the author weaves a pattern of simplicity lost and found, and indeed this defines "Ecstatic Writing." For it is in the leaving and returning that a life is fabricated, and Mr. Horn deftly and at times mystically leads us though his. Highly recommended.
- J. C. Amberchele, author of the novel "How You Lose"

Ecstatic Writing is an eclectic collection of free form poetry and short stories that celebrates life's trials and tribulations. The words contained in these pages examine a life of adventure. The author's inimitable voice and the voices from his past are evident throughout. I think the book will be of particular interest to poetry enthusiasts and readers interested in Plains literature, as well as family and friends of the author.
With a photographer's eye the author captures some of his fondest memoirs of growing up in Wyoming that he can share with friends and family and relive time and time again. The author's use of metaphor symbolizes significant life lessons and his course to self-identity. The author also pays particular attention to place and his ranch memories which is intriguing to learn about as a reader-for me it was like discovering a new world.

This book gives a well rounded look at the work of Edward Sheriff Curtis in a size that is easy to handle.

After viewing on PBS, a documentary of Edward Sheriff Curtis, I was moved to purchase this excellent work.
I was touched to my soul, by the photos, and how well they conveyed a race of people who have all but vanished.
The text that goes with the pictures is also quite good, and tells a remarkable story of a man obsessed to tell the world a story which we all need to hear and see. Curtis sacrificed his own finances and marriage, and did succeed in completing a very exhausting pilgrimage.

This is perhaps the greatest book authored by my uncle, Victor Hugo Boesen. He worked diligently with Curtis' daughter and other members and friends of the Curtis family to research and to write this book. The photographs are stunning. It is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the American Indian and Curtis' crucial role in recording this history. This book has been translated into French and German. Victor Boesen served as a war correspondent for Liberty Magazine during World War II and was present at the signing of the peace treaty on the USS Missouri. His writings appeared in Life, Look, the Los Angeles Times, and other major periodicals and newspapers.

Entrenched power is when people in authority, in business, government or religion, serve themselves instead of those they are supposed to represent.

In the beginning, God created the Universe and Natural Law. The author is not talking about any particular conception of God, but means "God" as a more general term. People discovered many of these Laws (Known Law) through spiritual reflection and scientific experimentation. Among the major Natural Laws are basic morality, individual freedom, change and the progress and consequences that result from that change. As time went on, leadership and social organization came about. Religions developed to help explain man's place in the overall scheme of things.

The major religions were established using the same general concepts of morality, like right and wrong, good and evil, etc. The author advocates the creation of a society based on these spiritual concepts, which are common to everyone, instead of basing it on any particular God.

How can entrenched power happen in present-day religion? They are part of the social fabric that organizes people into effective societies. On the local level, they teach moral and ethical values. They support the development of good character in children. They provide understanding and comfort in times of loss. As one goes up the hierarchy (a feature of most organized religions), leaders are more interested in the organization and holding on to power than in serving the faithful. An example of entrenched power is the Catholic Church molestation scandals. It would have been painful to deal with the problem years ago, but sweeping it under the rug, as the Catholic hierarchy did, has made the problem many times worse.

On the subject of entrenched power in politics, need we say more than "term limits?" A major flaw in the system as designed by the Founding Fathers was not setting a limit on terms in Congress. The author advocates a system where average citizens can actually run for Congress (currently impossible), serve two terms, then make way for someone else. It would go a long way toward helping America to lead the world toward the fulfillment of "God's" destiny for Man.

This is quite a book. It's a really interesting read for people of any political or religious viewpoint. The reader may not agree with all of it, but it is still well worth reading.

Strongly recommended reading, Ending Entrenched Power: Spiritual Renewal, Political Change, And America's Destiny is a manifesto by Curtis L. Harris putting forth the opinion that America is at grave risk for decline, and that the key to renewal lies in using the institutions of religion, government, and commerce side by side. Warning that the process of separating religion from government entirely only serves to turn governments into power-obsessed beauracracies, Ending Entrenched Power may be a stark contradiction to the principle of separation of church and state, yet it does bring to light serious and troubling social issues with respect to the aftermath of tearing those two social institutions apart from one another.

This book overall is an excellent recap of what has happened in the world to bring us to our current place in time; in regards to religion, government, and commerce. I think it would be an excellent reading exercise for any learning institution, in Economics, or Political Science. I found it very informative and yet concise, with plenty of meat in it for discussion or debate; and backed up with foot notes. It really got me thinking and changed my mind too on some issues... and that is saying a lot!