Francis Books

This book describes communication between the real and the virtual.
In the real world,@we come and see together to do something such as doing collaborative work together. However when we exchange information in cyberspace, we usually use textual messages.@We can not see together in cyberspace.
It is desirable to see together when we do some thing.
This book gives suggestions how to interact between real people and virtual people such as avatars and/or computer agents.
It is very informative for us to think about communications in cyberspace.

This title gives informative and instructive views about communication environment toward the future. Through HyperReality,, people,real or virtual,mem or women,come together in the cyberspace where they see,talk and work together as if they were gathered at the same place.
Now we can only exchange information such as mail messages through the Internet.
However it poses many problems such as illegal transactions and merchandising.
Because they can not see together in cyberspace.
This title gives a great hint to solve these kinds of problems.
The real world and virtual world are intermixed seamlessly.
Not only real people but also virtual people such as avatars or computer agents come together in the intermixed world and work together.
It gives a solution how to construct communication environment in cyberspace.

In seeking to discover a future not yet known, the writings collected by Tiffin and Terashima offer a vivid and enthusiastic dream of a world where the line between what is real and what is artificial has no relevance or meaning.

Drawing from various disciplines and areas of study, a complex new society emerges throughout the varied essays. Nanotechnology, Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality form the building blocks of a future of `HyperReality'. The nature of this future is carefully sketched out: everything from descriptions of technology and software, through to predictions about the extent of technological penetration into human life at an institutional, cultural and personal level.

The future that is laid out is not exactly a Utopia - although it is discussed with distinct enthusiasm - but rather, more of a realistic portrayal of human life in the Third Millennium, with some of the same old problems. At times the discussion can seem a little far-fetched, and dangers or concerns are not always addressed, but it must be remembered that this is a forward-looking piece, a set of predictive essays. Any prediction about human life 1,000 years from now is bound to have its critics and detractors. The strength of the work collected here is that clear connections with current technologies and understandings are drawn, enabling possible future trajectories to be explained clearly and believably.

The essays all hang together very well, drawing on each other and remaining cohesive as a whole: there has obviously been close collaboration around the concept of 'HyperReality'. If you can handle the occasional foray into academic and technical writing, the overall impact of the essays is one of quiet optimism.

An ideal read for anyone interested not just in technology, but also in science-fiction, the degree of `suspension of disbelief' that the reader has to make is small. The possibility of seemingly impossible technologies is made probable through Tiffin and Terashima's text "HyperReality." It is a future that I wish would happen sooner, so that I can actually experience it!

I was born in Assisi, in Italy 800 years ago. And eight centuries later I still remember a thing or two.

You can tell from that opening sentence of Carretto's book on St.Francis that you are going to enjoy it and find it easy reading. it. Francis is an imaginary dialogue between the reader and the saint of Assisi.

The book outlines Francis' life in a chatty and breezy style, and as he tells the bare details of his story, he makes provocative comments on modern issues with a singular simplicity and clarity. Who else but one speaking in the voice of Francis could describe the parodox of the Church with such direct insight?

"Until now I had not properly understood what the ministry of the Church consisted of: sinfulness and infallibility; bad example and safety on the march along the road; fearful blindness in the shepherds, and .the certainty "of reaching the Promised Land with them.
Now I saw, and was glad to . . . have had Rome's approval.
I felt a peace.
I felt myself to be on solid rock.
I felt myself to be in God's design."

There's real comfort to be gleaned from that brutal honesty.

I found the book gave great enjoyment by combining the narrative of Francis' life with the comment. The account of Francis' wealthy upbringing and bourgeois aspirations to knighthood, his conversion, the beginnings of his little band is accurate. How the 800-year-old Francis now feels about his young manhood is told with the perspective and amusement of old age.

As is usual in Lives of St. Francis, the rest of his life takes less space in the book, but at least Carretto takes the middle years seriously and sees in them more depth and struggle than some other writters have done.

The author makes much use of the charming legends in the "Little Flowers of Saint Francis". He takes them with an uncompromising literalness which helped me see greater strength in Francis' spirituality.

"Are you astonished if the wood of St Mary of the Angels seems to catch fire at night while we are praying.

Does it seem strange to you that roses should bloom in winter?

And that wolves grew tame?

And that fish would listen to us?

No, brothers and sisters, rather be surprised if the opposite occurs,' be astonished if you see the sky unmoved and indifferent to your joy."

In an original and entertaining way, Carlo Carretto has given a lot of food for thought on issues as diverse as Christian feminism, non-violence (which he calls the twentieth century expression of true poverty), death and . suffering, and the signs that really speak of the Church's love.

"Every Christian house . . . should keep a door open to welcome those in trouble. And if possible, the door should be easy to find and not too frightening for the poorest, with halls not too brilliant, staircases not too mammoth - signs rather of might and grandeur than of humility and truth."

An underlying theme in this book deserves mention. Carretto sees in Francis part of the madness of being a saint - a follower of Jesus.

"Look at what Peter of Bernadone's boy has got into his head!
He has certainly gone mad.
Yes, my friends of Assisi, I have gone mad.
But if you only knew my madness!
I am mad with love.
I can no longer help it.
I can no longer resist.
If I but look Jesus in the eye, I am on fire right down to my insides.
Don't you know that my Most High Lord is God's Son?"

My criticism of "I, Francis" is that Carretto doesn't explore the dark side of this madness, certainly present in Francis of Assisi - the ruthlessness and the irresistible urge sometimes to bully the brothers under his authority, and the irritating inconsistencies within the company of brothers caused by Francis' violently wavering temperament.

Using the device of speaking as Francis, Carrretto has given us an entertaining, provocative and inspiring book, but one which is strangely unsatisfying. Perhaps, as Francis himself would, Carretto is forcing on us the conclusion that the obsessive study of Jesus, not of Francis of any other saint, brings true satisfaction.

© Ted Witham, 1983. First published in the Anglican Messenger, July 1983.
.Published in "Span", the journal of the Society of St Francis, Australian Province, August 1983..

This book describes the life of Francis of Assisi, his humanness and his deep spirituality, told through the eyes of Francis in modern times. You truly come to know Francis, and are inspired by his actions to lead a more simple and spiritual existance and to draw yourself completely into the arms of a loving God. This is one of the best short books that I've read in a long time. I'd read it again in a heartbeat and refer to it whenever I need to be rejeuvenated in my faith.

This book is simply wonderful, written by a man who knew very well and loved the places where Francis lived his life, and knew so much of His spiritualty. This book is a way to discover the life and beliefs of the man of Assisi, to make it nearer to us, to refer his culture to the culture of our days. After having read this Carretto's book you couldn't love Francesco D'Assisi, no matter what your faith or belief is.

If you are looking for a book that actually SHOWS pictorial work in color, this is the one to buy. It has an incredible number of images of all the greats. It is 100% a "must have" for the photography shelf--and I share no connections to the author/editor/company.

I was lucky enough to see the once-in-a-lifetime exhibit for which this book is the catalog, and for that alone it is outstanding. The Pictorial movement produced some of the finest photographs by some of the greatest masters ever to pick up a camera. Impressionist Camera does a great job explaining the motiviations, tribulations and triumphs of the likes of Steichen, Kasebier and Coburn. This loving and detailed examination of the genre makes a great addition to the library of any fine art photography practitioner, collector or historian. A good companion work is Steichen's Legacy

Pictorial photography flourished at the turn of the 20th century and crossed genres, styles and international borders as it produced celebrated artists and fostered artistic change. Here to celebrate these changes is Impressionist Camera: Pictorial Photography in Europe, 188-1918, a narrowed focus on European community photography approaches. Selections consider how photographers created unique works and visions, how they influenced on another, and how they contributed to the fusion and symbolism of pictorial photography as a genre. This book represents the first comprehensive country-by-country examination on the topic and draws together contributions by an international team of art and photography scholars and historians. Sepia and black and white photos throughout capture the creations and sentiments of the era.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book is an essential tool to better understand the process in which Francis Bacon produced his master works. As an artist, this book demystifies the painter while testifying his genius.

"In Camera" is one of the most interesting books on Francis Bacon, one of the greatest painters of the 20th century, ever published for several reasons: First, it takes good advantage of the meanwhile fairly large array of books, catalogs and articles which have been published on Bacon. Second, Harrison had access to materials, mainly photographs that have not been published before. Third, he was able to interview several persons close to Bacon, notably John Edwards, Bacon's last companion. Fourth, and most importantly, the book has a clear thesis that the author is able to present convincingly. It is Harrison's position that Bacon used mainly photographs either taken by photographers by his request or from books and magazines to the effect that they: "triggered decisive turning points in his stylistic development" (from book jacket).

In five chapters Harrison explores different type of media and images and how these affected Bacon's painting: Motion pictures, Interior Design, different artists such as Picasso and Michelangelo, the photography of Eadweard Muybridge, and the photographers that he hired to take photographs for him such as Deakin and Edwards. From the thousands of objects found in Bacon's studio at his death many were photographs from the above mentioned sources, but also taken from magazines and torn from books. Of these many had paint splatters and finger smudges in paint proving that Bacon used these for his paintings. A cut out photo of George Dyer, Bacon's lover from the 60's until his suicide in 1971 was even used as a template for several paintings. For many paintings Harrison shows the painting and the image or photograph that it was based on side by side. For example the Triptych (1991) used a front cover of "The Correspondent Magazine", a Muybridge photograph of mane wrestling, and a photo of Bacon. The book has over 270 excellent illustrations, of which at least 100 I saw for the first time and I own an extensive collection of Bacon books and catalogs.

The fact that Bacon used other images for inspiration does not mean that he merely copied these. One look at Bacon's paintings will prove that this is not the case. It is well-known that Bacon did not use models for his paintings and the images acted as catalysts for Bacon triggering other images, emotions or memories which then manifested themselves in his extraordinary paintings. Bacon was always reluctant to discuss the meaning of his paintings, insisting that they had none. Harrison goes farther than any book since the Sylvester interviews in proving that this is not the case and that the paintings were highly personal. The following two quotes from the end of the book are in my opinion right on the mark:

"..it should be remembered that most of Bacon's paintings were explorations of selfhood". (p.228)

"He conveyed his inner life without compromise, but in code, in his paintings." (p.229)

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Bacon's art and Bacon the artist and man. The book is well presented, written and organized and the many images are fascinating. Though published by Thames & Hudson, it is printed and bound by Steidl an excellent German printer.

For more information on books about Francis Bacon, please see the listmania list I compiled. Readers are also welcome to email me for more information on Bacon books and web sites.

Review by Walter O. Koenig

It seems the number of books about British artist Francis Bacon, both biography and art monograph, grows each year, an indication of just how important this innovative and strange painter is in the spectrum of art history. IN CAMERA FRANCIS BACON: PHOTOGRAPHY, FILM AND THE PRACTIVE OF PAINTING is an erudite and fascinating work that opens previously sealed windows into the dark life and immensely controversial creativity of this daring genius.

Bacon, unlike most artists of his time and even of the present, had no problems discussing the fact that he utilized the art of photography in gathering information and inspiration for his huge canvases. Bacon saw the camera as a ready resource of information from which products he then could study, cut and paste, distort and wildly mix as the impetus of his own painted creations. But the extent to which Bacon immersed himself in the images he collected and deposited in the ungainly mess of his studio at 7 Reece Mews is now brought to light by author Martin Harrison.

Harrison not only understands photography's history and impact, he also understands painting. He wisely interviewed Bacon's last lover and inheritor of Bacon's estate until his death, John Edwards, and through Edwards' auspices Harrison gained access to many of the never before seen images that grace this book. Here are sketches, manipulated and notated photographs, photographic images of some of Bacon's destroyed canvases and plates of drawings and paintings not included elsewhere, making this volume of information invaluable to the Bacon devotees, no matter the number of volumes on their library shelves!

Harrison writes with the style of the scholar he is and at times the writing itself is rather dry and academic. But if the reader perseveres these thick passages of documentation, the reward is new knowledge of just how Bacon utilized photos, newsprint snaps, movies, and all manner of the camera's output to gain the spark of brilliance that resulted in his amazing output. The book is on the finest paper and is filled with superb reproductions of the photographic stimuli and the resultant paintings. This is an invaluable volume for the study of Bacon's art. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, January 06

Excellent buy for the price! These four books offer not only a glimpse; but a beginning into the study of In Christ's Image Training. Those of you who enjoy Francis Frangipane's work will not be disappointed, his compilation of the curriculum and teachings truly are a blessing.

I read one of Frangipane's book years ago and felt I should dig it out and read it again. It touched me where I was at so much I had to get more of his writing. My wife and I are reading the books slowly, for the concepts are, to me, like spiritual fudge- so rich and deep that you need to give yourself time to meditate on them. This is true knowing Him Christianity- not the me-first stuff that is pushed so much now as spiritual maturity. Taken seriously I believe the concepts can be used to make a true difference in one's life.

Going through this program was the best thing outside of reading my bible that I have ever done to grow closer to Christ. I would recommend this program to anyone.

As a small business owner I wanted to study up on marketing techniques and this book was recommended. I wasn't looking forward to it; I figured it would be tough work forcing myself through some text book. But this book was great! In an easy-going style with a pinch of wry humour the author took me through the strategies and jargon of marketing. It has very intelligible diagrams and some cute cartoons too. I learned a lot and enjoyed it. It was like eating something that tastes great and then finding out that it's good for you!

"Indispensable Marketing Strategies" by Paul Francis Musgrave is a very pleasant surprise. From the outside, the book may not look like much, but, as the old saying goes, never judge a book by it's cover. Musgrave makes learning about such concepts as "cognitive dissonance" and "cyclical demand fluctuations" easy to understand, and even fun. The author has a great sense of humour that takes the dryness out of the subject matter, and makes you feel eager to keep reading.

Author Paul Francis Musgrave takes the reader down a provocative journey to analyzing the various stages and considerations of marketing your own business. Many useful tools and ideas are discussed in a logical order that allowed me to grow and open my horizons towards my goal of achieving ultimate success with my plans and objectives. From developing new products and markets, profit structure analysis and to pricing strategies and more, this information presented has proven quite valuable to me in the further development of my overall marketing strategies. Running a profitable business is a challenge in any economic climate, and I found this information invaluable in giving me that competitive edge that is needed in today's economic world.

I found this book to help me with studying for the differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

The virus section was also very helpful for my college microbiology class.

For test preparation I used also "Microbiology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers" also on Amazon. (author Patrick Leonardi.) This study guide showed me the type of questions asked by college professors of microbiology. This helped a lot because now I knew what to expect.

However, a good knowledge source like "Instant Notes in Microbiology" provided a very good way to first learn the facts.

"Instant Notes in Microbiology" is a cheap and cheerful alternative to the proliferation of glossy microbiology textbooks which the North American market has spawned over the last decade. If cheap and cheerful puts you off, it shouldn't. The book is comprehensive, well written, well illustrated (in black and white), and importantly, reasonably priced. Unashamedly concentrating on a non-medical approach to microbiology (although medical microbiology is covered as well), the book lives up to it's title and presents a wide range of material concisely in an extended note format.
So what's the downside? I wonder if students can be weaned away from the Technicolor extravaganzas which compete for their attention, or if lecturers can be persuaded to adopt this minimalist volume as opposed to the competition? Also, while this is an excellent introduction to microbiology, to progress to a deeper understanding of specific topics, students will need to be persuaded to undertake extra reading and research. As we know, back to basics can have it's pitfalls, but put to the purpose for which it is intended, this is the most useful microbiology textbook it has been my pleasure to read for many years.....

I have been traditionally schooled as a molecular biologist and had not dealt with microbiology since an intro course in college. When a new job landed me in a bacterial research lab, I panicked. This book has provided me with a great review of microbiology and prompted me to remember things I didn't know that I knew! The text is clearly stated and easy to understand. There are many cross references to other sections of the book which help to tie concepts together in a quick and concise manner. The diagrams are well drawn and very concise. I would recommend this book for those who have had some micro, but feel the need to brush up on the basic concepts.

I read a lot of books on Compression, but this is indeed the best one I ever bought. I love this book and read it frequently.

The authors of this well balanced textbook succeed admirably well in teaching the subject to the union of students in math and in cs, and to engineers. The danger with subjects that cut accross fields is that they might appeal to the intersection of audiences involved rather than to the much larger union. The authors seem to be at home with all the types of readers, they realize that the lingo and the aim is different for the different and diverse groups of students. Indeed, the tools of information theory, data compression, and arithmetic coding are widely used in science. While the mathematical parts of the subject is old[Shannon, Kolmogorov..., measurements of information, entropy, channel capacity], the applications are still going strong, with new things coming out at a fast rate right up to the present. So the emphasis in the book on data and image compression is very appropriate. There is even a JPEGtool user's guide in the appendix.

I am a gradute student in computer science and I have read a lot of books on this subject, including 1- Digital Image Compression, by Weidong Kou, 2- The Data Compression Book, by Mark Nelson, 3- JPEG Still Image Data Compression Standard, by Pennebaker. I have also browsed few other books on this subject, but one thing I can say for sure, that this is the best book ever written on the subject of Compression. It explains the information theory and data Compression in the best possible way, with best examples. Once read, you will never forget the algorithms. I just love this book, and read it every once in a while.

This book is suitable for all undergraduates on either Pharmacology or Toxicology- single or joint honours. The wording is simple;his message, short and sharp. The content is not too dense, and, unlike the other textbooks, does not assume that the student has already acquired an authoritative grasp of the underlying principles- a step-by-step approach is Professor Timbrell's style, which makes this book a very effective read before moving on to the more advanced texts, of which there is no shortage of in the library. It is possible to read the whole book in a week so it makes a very effective companion for a quick revision of the lecture notes for those of us who left it till the last minute!

This book is suitable for all undergraduates on either Pharmacology or Toxicology- single or joint honours. The wording is simple;his message, short and sharp. The content is not too dense, and, unlike the other textbooks, does not assume that the student has already acquired an authoritative grasp of the underlying principles- a step-by-step approach is Professor Timbrell's style, which makes this book a very effective read before moving on to the more advanced texts, of which there is no shortage of in the library. It is possible to read the whole book in a week so it makes a very effective companion for a quick revision of the lecture notes for those of us who left it till the last minute!

easy to understand, interesting topics, classic case studies. Overall, a comprehensive guide for basic toxicology

I have the pleasure of studying under Fr. Gignac at CUA, and this textbook is a terrific introduction, especially for those who plan to acquire NT Greek for work in textual criticism as opposed to simply acquiring reading comprehension. As the other reviewer pointed out, most of the more techinical linguistic discussions are boxed off, so the absolute beginner does not have to worry him- or herself with these at the outset. However, the information they provide are valuable for acquiring the ability to read other forms of Greek besides Koine, by discussing how particular forms developed from their Indo-European roots (and some simple comparisons with analogous forms in Latin and occasionally English or Sanskrit). The text is rigorous, and the diligent student will be reading actual NT Greek quite early on, which provides a sense of encouragement that is so helpful in studying a new language.

Not really a review, just an error I noticed by accident. They have 1000 copies of this book in stock.

Francis Gignac's Introductory New Testament Greek Course is a classic that will long be of tremendous value to anyone wanting to begin New Testament Greek. Strengths of the book include: (a) For each vocabulary item an English word derived from the Greek is put in brackets; this helps vocabulary building and creates familiarity with the language. (b) Somewhat technical discussions are put in boxes so that students realize the information is not essential. The student can gloss over, skip, or come back to these boxes at a later time. (c) The student begins reading actual New Testament Greek from John's Gospel in Lession Six. Thus the student feels a sense of accomplishment and "light at the end of the tunnel" as she progresses through each lesson. Explanatory notes accompany the readings from John's Gospel.