Francis Books

This is great for anyone who reads Foucault and wishes they were back in school so a professor could help explain what it all means.

More than any other writer, perhaps, Foucault is the poster-child of postmodernism. What little of him I knew I thought was accurate: his emphasis on the concept of power, for instance, I had mistakenly held to mean the dialectic of the powerless and disenfranchised against the rich and powerful. This book helped me to discover that this simplistic view of power is a serious misconception. Foucault's version is much more complex and profound. And I would go so far to say that until you have encountered his important ideas on this subject, you will be at a serious disadvantage in understanding the present age.

This book at first blush looks like an easy read, but rest assured it is not. The first page has a striking sentence, which I kept coming back to: "We do not believe that F provides a definitive theory of anything in the sense of a set of unambiguous answers to time-worn questions." I finally interpreted this to mean that the authors do not consider F to be a philosopher per se but rather a social theorist.

Without doubt, the most difficult chapter in this little book is the second, "Discourse." Discourse is a nebulous term, not only referring to an academic field of study such as history or psychology, but also, in F's sense of the word, to "a set of conditions which enables and constrains the socially productive imagination." Such discourses "can come into contention and struggle. This struggle is no more clearly seen than in the social sciences . . . where what Kuhn calls paradigms may compete for dominance in a particular field." The authors gradually relate discourse to what passes for truth at a particular historical period, and thence to politics and the subject of power.

Chapter three, "Power", is unquestionably the most rewarding. In brutally short terms, F writes: "We must cease once and for all to describe the effects of power in negative terms: it "excludes"; it "represses"; it "censors"; it "abstracts"; it "masks"; it "conceals". In fact, power produces; it produces reality; it produces domains of objects and rituals of truth." F's conception of power provides "a far more complex picture of modern society than Marxism allows". And: "He does not ask who is in power? He asks how power installs ITSELF and produces real material effects, where one such effect might be a particular kind of subject who will in turn act as a channel for the flow of power itself." Thus F sees the rich and powerful as channels, subject to the same unpredictable flows of power as are the powerless.

The book as a whole is a little on the dry side. And if you are looking for philosophy per se, you will find yourself disappointed; this is more about the analysis of society. But it is an unquestionably valuable resource, and a very challenging read. If you don't have the patience to read through F's works but want to get a non-trivial grasp of F's main ideas, there is no better place to look.

No more bird bath type view of who Francis is. With the most up to date scholarship, Franciscan scholars have put together the best English translations with a commentary that can guide you through the medieval world in wich these early documents of Francis of Assisi were written. I find the commentary particularly useful in my own personal study as well as meditation so as to make Franciscan spirituality meaningful to today. The Volume Two focuses on Francis as the founder of the Franciscan movement of communities of lesser brothers (friars minor), poor ladies (poor Clares nuns) and the tertiaries (regulars and seculars). This is essential reading for Franciscans and franciscans-at-heart to find out what Francis has wanted his followers to do.

The second in a projected three-volume series, this well-crafted tome brings together the early sources on Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), arguably one of the most popular saints among Christians and non-Christians alike, shedding light on his role as religious founder. The writings of Francis himself were collected in the first volume, as were the earliest lives of Francis and some liturgical documents. The editors represent the three branches of traditional Franciscanism, and together offer what are as far as I can tell all of the primary sources dealing with the first years of the Order, along with introductions and copious notes. While much of the material is repetitious, what emerges is a portrait of Francis from several different perspectives, not all of them flattering. The documents collected here represent that period of time in the life of the Order when the followers of Francis were trying to determine how to live the life that he had left them. They show various attempts to interpret his wishes for his followers. Even the different biographies were written with a view toward advancing one or another interpretation of the Franciscan Rule. Presented in roughly chronological order, the documents show the developing views on Francis and his legacy. The first, The Beginning or Founding of the Order, treats of the development from a group of companions informally gathered around him to the beginnings of what would become the Order of Saint Francis. The Assisi Compilation, dated 1244-1269, collects personal reminiscences of Francis, and offers a multi-faceted portrait. In introducing the legends and sermons by Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, the editors show how Bonaventure used the information at his disposal to a certain extent to his own ends. They note that Bonaventure's portrait of Francis became normative for a time, but was later contested. What results is a fascinating collection of documents illustrating the influence of this great man, and the struggles his followers went through in their attempts to interpret his rule in changing circumstances. Scripture quotations are put in italics, and the reference supplied in the margin. I did note one mistake: On p. 168, the reference is given as Rv. 4:12, a verse that does not exist. Surely the reference is to one of Paul's epistles. The editors have critically examined the documents, and indicate where one is dependent on another. The footnotes make reference to varying interpretations of certain passages, and relate the works to earlier Christian writings. An appendix has eleven maps, some showing the geographical or political features of the area, and two showing Assisi at the time of Francis. While the critical apparatus make this work especially valuable for scholars, all those interested in Francis of Assisi or the history of Christianity at the time will appreciate having all of these text gathered into a convenient volume.

Since Amazon.com can't be bothered to list the contents of all the books, I thought I'd be helpful: this book contains The Maid's Tragedy (Beaumont and Fletcher), The Maiden's Tragedy (Middleton), The Tragedy of Valentinian, and The Insatiate Countess (from a draft by Marston).

Oh my goodness! What a wonderful gruesome collection of early 17th century plays! Jacobean drama is conventionally characterized as "decadent," and this anthology seems to justify the appellation. How about nymphomania, necrophilia, incest, murder, poison, blackmail, adultery, and rape? Although the subject matter is sensational, these are also serious psychological studies, well-written and well-plotted dramas. These fascinating plays are not widely available, but they should be. Anybody interested in 17th century English drama and culture will enjoy these plays. The plays are especially provocative in their treatment of monarchy; the royal court is typically portrayed as deeply corrupted, tyrannous, and decadent. Amazingly, for an age of royal absolutism, these plays seem to justify regicide. David Lynch, more over, here come the Jacobean sex tragedies.

I agree with the comments of the previous reviewer that the editing leaves much to be desired. The use of endnotes instead of footnotes is horribly distracting. I finally just stopped using the notes. Most of the notes are unnecessary and add little to the understanding of the text. If you're familiar with reading Shakespeare, you can probably comprehend these texts without looking at the endnotes.

He apply methodology already frame by the fractal's matematichians to the best understandig of mechanism of fracture in rocks, as well as brittle and ductile behaviours of rock materials.

His description of brittle damages is very interesting because he start from the microdamage linking to the macro damage, using the physical properties of the initial microvoids as well as geometrical relations between mineral crystals, and microcrystalline weak surfaces and orientation of the stresses field.

Another good topic analyzed for the author is the dynamic damage in brittle rock. To relate temporal changes with fragiles conditions is an excellent starting point to understand processes of deterioring on physiscal properties of the rocks.

In the topic of description of the fractures in practical rock masses, the use of the Fractal Dimension (Df) is very sucessful because the relation between different rock masss conditions is easier using statistical distributions of numerical values of geotecnical descriptions of geometrical features in fractures than classical descriptions of qualitative numbers assigned using conventional methods. Of course if your target is a fast initial correlation.

Fabio Antonio Gil Escobar Special Graduate Course Department of Geoscienc Faculty of Science and Engineering Japan (Asia)

He apply methodology already frame by the fractal's matematichians to the best understandig of mechanism of fracture in rocks, as well as brittle and ductile behaviours of rock materials.

His description of brittle damages is very interesting because he start from the microdamage linking to the macro damage, using the physical properties of the initial microvoids as well as geometrical relations between mineral crystals, and microcrystalline weak surfaces and orientation of the stresses field.

Another good topic analyzed for the author is the dynamic damage in brittle rock. To relate temporal changes with fragiles conditions is an excellent starting point to understand processes of deterioring on physiscal properties of the rocks.

In the topic of description of the fractures in practical rock masses, the use of the Fractal Dimension (Df) is very sucessful because the relation between different rock masss conditions is easier using statistical distributions of numerical values of geotecnical descriptions of geometrical features in fractures than classical descriptions of qualitative numbers assigned using conventional methods. Of course if your target is a fast initial correlation.

Fabio Antonio Gil Escobar Special Graduate Course Department of Geoscienc Faculty of Science and Engineering Japan (Asia)

A charming selection of warm, evocative portrayals in verse that evokes and honors its two good friends and fellow saints. With only a few slightly prosaic exceptions, this generous little anthology will repay the reader on many a visit. Its physical production does a particularly good job of delivering a durable, pocketable companion for an all but negligible outlay. I'm pleased to recommend this delightful compendium with enthusiasm. Its subjects live on its pages to embrace the reader.

The introduction to this anthology speaks of Francis and Clare as icons who have inspired "songs of homage, songs of veneration, songs that try to understand something of the mystery of their love of God and all God's creatures." Most of the dozens of "songs" in the anthology were written in modern times, thus such titles as "St. Francis in San Francisco" (Vachel Lindsay), and lines like "Speeding by rail through radiant woods/each day on my way to work/ I held Francis's words before me...." (Saint Francis in the City by Alexander Levering Kern). Marjorie Maddox writes of Clare as Patron Saint of Television: "On Palm Sunday in 1212 A.D., had there been T.V./ she would have been in the panoramic crowd...How she must pray now/for the remission of sins/of television..." The next poem (they are arranged alphabetically by author) is called "Black Truffles," and it begins with author Leo Luke Marcello's description of a meal at the Hotel Subasio. These contemporary themes are balanced by poems expressing the spirituality of Francis and Clare in more traditional language, and often set in the times the two saints lived.

As a browse through the topical index will show, this is a finely balanced anthology that would make a thoughtful gift for anyone who appreciates spiritual reflection and poetry.

Le style de Francis Bacon melange l'art d'antan, les artistes contemporains, le photojournalisme et le subconscient de Sigmund Freud. Par exemple, l'Etude d'apres le portrait du Pape Innocent X par Velazquez rappelle le Portrait du Cardinal Filippo Jacinto par Titian et, par des vetements ensanglantes, le style de l'egouttement par Jackson Pollock. Dans le Fragment de la crucifixion la figure qui bat les bras rappelle la Descente de la croix par Rubens et La chahut par Georges Seurat. Surtout dans ses peintures de la crucifixion du Christ, Francis Bacon devient photojournaliste, avec ses themes preferes de l'inhumanite, l'isolement, la trahison et le voyeurisme. Il devient psychanalyste dans le Portrait de Georges Dyer accroupi au style des baigneuses d'Edgar Degas, et dans l'Etude de la nue avec la figure dans le miroir c'est le style des voyeurs de l'arriere-scene par Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Alors lire le livre veut dire que l'on finit par apprendre un peu de l'histoire et de la technique de l'art.

FRANCIS BACON puts elements from the art of earlier centuries and the subconscious of Sigmund Freud into the bluntly powerful style of news photography. That style works for his themes of isolation, Peeping Toms, predatory people's inhumanity to others, and treachery, all of which can be found in his crucifixion scenes. I find his art cleverly disturbing, particularly in the way that he reworks Old and New Masters: Day- and Twilight-type figures from Michelangelo's de Medici tomb statues in "Triptych - studies of the human body"; Matthias Grunewald's "The mocking of Christ" in the bandaged eyes of the lone female witness to "Three studies for figures at the base of a crucifixion"; Titian's "Portrait of Cardinal Filippo Archinto" and Jackson Pollock-type drip in the curtain veiling and bloodspattered robe of "Study after Velazquez's portrait of Pope Innocent X"; Rubens' "Descent from the cross" and Georges Seurat's "La chahut" in the figure leaning over the T-shaped cross and the flapping arms showing successive motion in "Fragment of a crucifixion"; Diego Velazquez's "Las meninas" in the right panel-reflected artist of "Studies from the human body"; Rembrandt-type meat side in the European formal portrait-styled "Painting 1946"; Edgar Degas' tub-bathing women in "Portrait of George Dyer crouching"; Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec-type backstage observers in "Study of nude with figure in a mirror"; Marcel Duchamp's "The bride stripped bare by her bachelors, even (the large glass)" in the frustrated, mechanical love of "Three studies of figures on beds"; and Henri Michaux in "Statues and figures in a street" full of tiny dark figures. So Hugh Davies and Sally Yard's helpful text and well-chosen illustrations help reader understanding of what modern art is about and how one painter fits with other times. The authors help me go beyond theme, into art technique: their book applies Max Doerner's THE MATERIALS OF THE ARTIST AND THEIR USE IN PAINTING, Hazel Harrison's MASTER STROKES, and Waldemar Januszczak's TECHNIQUES OF THE WORLD'S GREAT PAINTERS.

Though there have been several excellent books written about the contents of Francis Bacon's 7 Reece Mews studio in London, the birthplace of his masterpiece paintings that still haunt the public and the historian minds, this hefty volume by Margarita Cappock offers more. Originally conceived as the book to document the 1998 move of Bacon's studio form Kensington, London to the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin where it remains an historic site, Cappock sorts and sifts through the bits of treasure and trash that influenced Bacon's inspiration for his future paintings.

Cappock betters the other books on this subject by illuminating the chards and tatters that most significantly influenced Bacon's thought development and because the book is so extensively illustrated, she is able to place side by side the instigating artifacts with the complete works. This book is by far the most intensive and exhaustive study of the influence of Bacon's studio and its detritus on the evolution of Bacon's paintings and as such belongs in the library of all Bacon scholars and enthusiasts. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, March 06

His London studio, portrayed on the cover of FRANCIS BACON'S STUDIO, may look like a mess, but Francis Bacon was one of the most significant post-war painters and his studio, both home and workplace, was key to producing his art. His studio housed thousands of items central to his works and has been untouched since his death in 1992: it was donated in 1998 to the Dublin City Gallery and today curators have made it into a showpiece and work of art itself. The studio's deconstruction revealed over 7,500 objects from photos to illustrated publications, slashed canvases and his final unfinished work: FRANCIS BACON'S STUDIO provides the first in-depth survey of the studio and is essential for art library holdings and any student of Bacon's works.

I found & read this book in a Church library and immediately decided to buy it. What impressed me most was St. Francis timeless teachings on how we can lead a devout life in whatever state where are in, whether we are rich or poor. He teaches how we can transform the disadvantages of material riches into spiritual blessings and likewise how to transform poverty into spiritual wealth. The teachings gave me a new perspective on how to lead a devout life in this modern world. The book is very contemplative and full of wisdom. You can read it over many times and still be able to learn new things.

St. Francis de Sales' book of spiritual direction is a very practical book for the lay person who wishes to lead a devout life without becoming a religious, and still attend to the necessary business that a lay person's life requires. Wendy quotes each of St. Francis de Sales' sections and then provides her commentary on that section. Her commentary is based on her extensive research on each of the sections; the spirituality of the times concerning the subject, its sources, and how that particular spirituality has changed as of today. She has done her homework and provides invaluable insight into her subject, including, in some cases, her own personal experience with it.

I find it striking that there are so many dumb people in the world. Like the person who wrote the review of this book and said "it's better than The Godfather...Mario Puzzo does an excellent job"! First, Editors Nick Browne & Horton Andrew wrote this book -- NOT MARIO PUZZO! Secondly, it analyzes the trilogy -- it's not an addition to the trilogy -- and thirdly, quit writing reviews about stuff you don't know. That's something I cannot understand, you write about something you know nothing about!

I could not stop turning the pages! I read & re-read the book, and I am still completly compelled with the Godfather! Much better than the movies! This is simply one of the best novels that has ever been written. It can hold its own among some of the greatest writers in history. Truly the defining novel of its genre. Mario Puzo has written the perfect novel and I for one will never forget his work.

What a wonderful book for the 9 -12 child. It goes the distance in providing INTERESTING historical information. This book has inspired my "non-reader" to investigate more on Francis Marion.

South Carolina was the setting of more battles during the American Revolution than any other state. This Palmetto State had its share of heroes, foremost among them Francis Marion. Veteran storyteller, Kay Cornelius, colorfully details Marion's life from his plantation childhood through his valiant fight for freedom and his return home after the war. Marion's Brigade made a name for themselves in outwitting the British by slipping in and out of their headquarters deep in the swamp. British cavalry who tried to pursue them sank into mud. A British commander said, "We'll never find that cursed Swamp fox!" From then on Marion became known as the Swamp Fox. This Revolutionary War figure deserves attention as a hero and worthy role model. Young readers need more books like this. The addition of a glossary, chronology relevant to Marion's life, Revolutionary War time line, index, and suggestions for further reading make this book enticing for classroom study.