Book Description
The Spanish-style architecture of Southern California's seaside estates, canyon villas, and courtyard bungalows is central to its romantic image, one that has traditionally evoked a Mediterranean paradise. The details of this inexhaustively rich style-- ornate wrought iron and wood balconies, colorful tiles, graceful arches, and palm-dotted gardens-- reflect the region's Spanish, Mexican, and southwestern history and culture as well as its popular outdoor lifestyle.
This book showcases Southern California's most historically significant and beautifully preserved Spanish-revival houses of this century. Twenty-one private homes built between 1922 and 1991 are featured in stunning color photography that captures exterior and interior architectural details, Spanish and Mexican antique furnishings and folk art, and lush landscaping and tiled fountains. Among these are the Adamson House in Malibu, with its extraordinary collection of custom tile from Malibu Potteries; the contemporary Greenberg House in Brentwood, by Ricardo Legorreta; The Andalusia Courtyard Apartments in Hollywood; and Casa Pacifica, the former home of Richard Nixon, overlooking the ocean in San Clemente. Brief narratives highlight the history of each building and its design influences on the Spanish-revival movement in California.
The Spanish revival grew in popularity around the turn of the century when many young American architects traveled to Spain, Italy, and Mexico, bringing back sketches and, as the foreword notes, romantic memories of "graceful foliage...small Indian towns...tiled dome and rococo towers." Hundreds of Spanish-style houses, apartments, and bungalows were built throughout Southern California in the following decades, many of them commissioned for movie stars such as Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino.
The Spanish revival is marked by two main phases: the mission revival, which incorporates the white stucco, cloistered patios, tile roofs, and exposed-beam ceilings typical of eighteenth-century California missions; and the more elaborate Mediterranean revival, influenced by Spanish and Italian Renaissance sources, eighteenth-century Spanish plateresque and churrigueresque forms, and Moorish-Andalusian styles.
Customer Reviews:
Casa California evaluation.......2007-09-11
This book is a very useful handbook for any Architectural or interior designer, it contains a lot of ideas a lot of which (in my openion) are easy to be implemented and does not cost so much.
Best Regards
Tareq Azzam
Casa California: Spanish-Style Houses From Santa Barbara to San Clemente.......2007-03-09
Ideal for learning about the architecture and decortating styles of Spanish style homes. The photgraphs are beautiful. I will rely on this book when I design my new home.
Wonderful Book!.......2006-08-12
Great book! The minute I opened it I knew it was going to be a thrilling trip to another time in California history. Beautiful pictures of grand homes, grounds, and other structures built with Spanish and Mexican influence. If you want just one book covering this subject, this would be the one to buy. Highly recommend.
Images of California Style.......2006-06-09
CSAS CALIFORNIA is one of the coffee table books bound to please not only those who live in California and are eager to study examples of California architecture termed Spanish Revival, but also a fine gift for those out of state friends who wonder if California has any history before 1950!
After an informative foreword by art historian David Gebhard and a tasty introduction by former Architectural Digest editor Elizabeth Jean McMillian the pages of this beautifully designed and elegantly captioned book survey some twenty-one homes built between 1922 and 1991 from Santa Barbara to San Clemente. Not only are the homes photographed formally by photographer Melba Levick, but they also show details of tiles, arches, columns, floors, fixtures and other aspects of design. Each home is then shown with images from the gardens surrounding it as well as the vistas from every vantage. And of special note are comments from the architects (the homes all date from between 1922 and 1991) as well as anecdotes about the current and previous owners.
This book, though published in 1996, remains the most complete examination of the combined Hispanic mission and Mediterranean revival styles now termed Spanish Revival. This is a fine book for those with the California Dream, and for those living it! Grady Harp, June 06
Not that special.......2006-04-18
I didn't glean anything more from this book that I couldn't have gathered on a Sunday drive. Most of the pictures are of exteriors and amazingly enough, none of them really inspires appretiation of this architechtural style. I'm an absolute sucker for Spanish Colonial. There's almost nothing built during the classic era of the 1920's and '30's that I don't swoon over. This book, however, compiled some of the least attractive examples of that style and ends up being thoroughly disappointing. Definitely look elsewhere if your objective is designing interior details that honor the classics.
Average customer rating:
- Not exactly what I expected, but nice
- Weak. Great idea, lacks substance
- Beautiful Photo Essay
- An Absolute Beauty! A must read.
- Santa Barbara Style is a must have...
|
Santa Barbara Style
Kathryn Masson
Manufacturer: Rizzoli International Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Residential
| Building Types & Styles
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Interior Design
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
United States
| International
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Travel
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
West
| United States
| Travel
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Decorating
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Pacific
| West
| Regions
| United States
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| California
| States
| United States
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Casa California: Spanish-Style Houses From Santa Barbara to San Clemente
-
Red-Tile Style
-
Pure California: 35 Inspiring Houses in the New California Tradition
-
Napa Valley Style
-
Tuscan & Andalusian Reflections
ASIN: 0847823741
Release Date: 2001-09-15 |
Book Description
Santa Barbara. For centuries this temperate, inviting locale has glowed with subtle but unmistakable light-- a beacon of warmth beside the profound blue of the Pacific. From the Chumash, whose predecessors can be traced to 11,000 b.c.e., to the present-day resident, vacationer, and tourist, diverse and countless peoples have been enchanted and enraptured by Santa Barbara's spell.
In Santa Barbara Style, author Kathryn Masson and photographer James Chen, invoke this magic and invite us to walk with them through winding and abundant gardens, onto the grounds of grand estates, and into the great houses of this region. Here we find the work of such architectural luminaries as Addison Mizner, Bertram Goodhue, and Reginald D. Johnson. We wander from the historic adobe mansion Casa de la Guerra-- built in the early-nineteenth century by town patriarch Jose de la Guerra-- to the spectacular, and aptly named, Villa Lucia (House of the Light)-- built in 1989. We are given an intimate look at George Washington Smith's Spanish Colonial Revival masterpiece, Casa del Herrero; and a broad view of Lotusland, the thirty-seven acre horticultural paradise. With each turn of the page, we see the beauty, grace, and style of Santa Barbara.
Customer Reviews:
Not exactly what I expected, but nice.......2007-09-21
As an interior designer, several of my colleagues mentioned that this was the most requested style from their newer clients. I thought there would be more current interiors, referring to a new style. It was more of a historical chronicle of design in Santa Barbara, for exteriors and interiors. It is a nice book, but not exactly what I expected.
Weak. Great idea, lacks substance.......2007-08-24
Im building a santa barbara style house and I was disappointed. Not a lot of details. Sure some pics of some SB mansions but not enough photos or details to actually do anything with this book. I guess if you are into SB history it might be OK, otherwise save yourself the $. You will be done browsing it in about 10 minutes and never use it again.
Beautiful Photo Essay.......2007-05-13
This is an amazing photo essay about the Spanish Architecture of Santa Barbara. I own several books like this and this is my favorite.Casa California: Spanish-Style Houses From Santa Barbara to San Clemente
An Absolute Beauty! A must read........2006-05-26
Such a beautiful book, recommended by our architect and builder for obtaining ideas on building a real Spanish Colonial or Revival house. The landscape designs were fantastic as well. Another reader wanted to see "beach shacks" and was disappointed by this book. I lived in Santa Barbara for 6 years and I can tell you have never traveled there. No beach shacks in Santa Barbara. Try along the eastern seaboard coastline.
Santa Barbara Style is a must have..........2005-08-15
Santa Barbara Style is a must have for anyone who has ever had the opportunity to visit this gorgeous city. It is a wonderful reminder of the beauty and serenity that Santa Barbara has become famous for.
Sven Klein - Santa Barbara, CA
Book Description
Cafe Pasqual's, a small, bustling, and perpetually jammed restaurant in the heart of Santa Fe, draws on a wide range of Southwestern and Mexican culinary traditions to create an original menu based on fresh, authentic ingredients and emphatic flavors. This first collection of over 60 recipes from Cafe Pasqual's includes an enticing variety of easy-to-prepare dishes for every meal of the day, from simple breakfast quesadillas to all-out dinners. Illustrated with hand-tinted photographs and bright, kitschy Mexican calendar art, complete with a glossary of ingredients and a mail-order source guide, Cafe Pasqual's Cookbook celebrates the spirited flavors and irrepressible appeal of what is fast becoming the nation's most popular regional cuisine.
Customer Reviews:
So Far So Good.......2007-09-01
I have tried the green chili recipe and love it. Looking forward to trying many others. Fun book to read as well.
Cafe Pasqual's Cookbook.......2007-03-08
Excellent recipes and instructions with sources for ingredients identified for southwest dishes.
Can You Fall In Love With A Cookbook?.......2004-09-20
I saw Sandra Pinckney's review of the Sante Fe restaurant recently on her FOOD FINDS program. The restaurant was so adorable that I immediately went online to amazon.com to see if they had a cookbook. They did. I ordered it. When it arrived at my office I started reading it and couldn't put it down. From the front cover to the last page, the artwork is exceptional. Hand-tinted photographs along with photos and murals really make this a cookbook to keep and cherish and pass down to family. I can't wait to visit Cafe Pasqual in person and hopefully get the book autographed by Ms Kagel and Ms Simpson who was the photographer. The receipes are lovely, but the book is exquisite.
Great place, exuberant cookbook.......2003-04-06
Pasqual's is kitty-corner across Water Street from the St. Francis Hotel in Santa Fe; we time our trips to get into town late at night, but before the St. Francis' bar closes, so we can check in, grab a quick drink, and then roll out of bed the next morning and hit Pasqual's for breakfast. Tamal dolce, big mug of coffee, newspaper, see if the rocking horse is still in the second floor window of the store across the street (hasn't moved in four years, so far, and counting.) We love Pasqual's, its food, its Ann-Arbor-in-the-Southwest feeling ... and the cookbook is a nice souvenir thereof. The recipes? Well, plan on mail-ordering a lot of different kinds of chile powder unless you live in New Mexico. Great stuff, though, if you have the ingredients and the patience.
Yum.......2003-01-03
I make a point of visiting Cafe Pasqual's each time I am come to Santa Fe. This cookbook is excellent . The recipes are concise and delicious and the artwork in the book is beautiful. I only wish they had a second cookbook focusing strictly on the killer breakfast menu at the Cafe. Hmm...
Average customer rating:
- Georgia O'Keeffe Would Have Loved This Book!
- A TREASURE FOR ALL
|
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum Collections
Barbara Buhler Lynes
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Schools, Periods & Styles
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
| Abstract Expressionism
| Ancient & Classical
| Art Deco
| Art Nouveau
| Baroque
| Byzantine
| Constructivism
| Contemporary Art
| Cubism
| Dadaism
| Expressionism
| Fauvism
| Folk Art
| Futurism
| German Expressionism
| Gothic
| Impressionism
| Mannerism
| Medieval
| Modern
| Neoclassical
| Pop
| Post-Impressionism
| Pre-Raphaelite
| Prehistoric & Primitive
| Realism
| Renaissance
| Rococo
| Romanesque
| Romantic
| Surrealism
United States
| Regional
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
O'Keeffe, Georgia
| ( M-O )
| Artists, A-Z
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Artists, A-Z
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Museums & Collections
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Museums
| Museums & Collections
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Exhibition Catalogs
| Museums
| Museums & Collections
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Painting
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Georgia
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
New Mexico
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
All Deals
| Blowout Books
| Stores
| Books
Arts & Photography
| Blowout Books
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Georgia O'Keeffe: Circling Around Abstraction
-
O'Keeffe's O'Keeffes: The Artist's Collection
-
Georgia O'Keeffe: A Life
-
Frida Kahlo
-
Full Bloom: The Art and Life of Georgia O'Keeffe
ASIN: 081090957X |
Book Description
Georgia O'Keeffe is one of the great artists of the twentieth century, and one of the best loved. The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico, holds the largest collection of her work, her archives, and her houses at Ghost Ranch and in Abiquiu.
This lavishly illustrated volume presents a magnificent selection of O'Keeffe's paintings, drawings, and sculptures, all reproduced in faithful color. It also offers a generous portfolio of photographs—some previously unpublished—by O'Keeffe; many by Alfred Stieglitz, her husband and mentor; and others by such renowned photographers as Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter, Philippe Halsman, Yousuf Karsh, and Todd Webb.
In addition, there are a number of works by American Modernist painters who painted in New Mexico—George Bellows, Thomas Hart Benton, and Edward Hopper, among others.
Customer Reviews:
Georgia O'Keeffe Would Have Loved This Book!.......2007-09-11
Georgia O'Keeffe would have loved this book! Not only does Barbara Buhler Lynes, curator of Santa Fe's Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, respect her subject's astonishing eye and craftsmanship in this book, she respects Ms. O'Keeffe's wishes regarding displaying her works of art. During her lifetime, the artist often mounted her own shows, e.g., at An American Place, her husband Alfred Stieglitz's gallery in New York. Ms. O'Keeffe was adamant (a) that her creations be hung on white walls, and (b) that her artwork be arranged by type rather than chronology.
Lynes abides by both of the artist's rules here to great effect, and her meticulousness, in terms of the notes she provides about the artist's work and also the tags she associates with the plates (where she identifies the type and size of the surface used and also the type of medium: charcoal, graphite, oil, watercolor), add another layer of enjoyment for the reader.
Lynes' notes attempt to steer the reader away from stereotypical interpretations that haunted Ms. O'Keeffe during her career. For instance, regarding "Blue II" (Plate 3, Page 19), the curator states: "The . . . womblike spiral of 'Blue II' seems to substantiate connections crtics in the 1920's made between O'Keeffe's work and female sexuality. Yet when she made this watercolor, O'Keeffe was intensely involved in playing the violin, and . . . the form . . . of the spiral in her watercolor most likely derive[s] from the scroll-shaped termination of the neck of the instrument . . ."
Categories in the book include abstractions, still lifes, architecture, animal and human forms, and trees. Every reader will find his or her favorite here; mine are the artist's representations of feathery kachina dolls and New Mexico's Pedernal. The last category in the book contains works by other artists at the museum whose careers, in some way, parallelled that of Ms. O'Keeffe. Stieglitz photographs (including a Georgia O'Keeffe nude) are here, as well as Ansel Adams' memorable "gelatin silver print" of Georgia O'Keeffe and Orville Cox at Canyon de Chelly National Park.
A TREASURE FOR ALL.......2007-03-28
For those of us not fortunate enough to be going to Santa Fe this year for the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum (which houses the largest collection of her work), here is an able substitute. Those who have visited the Museum in the past will relish this opportunity to revisit not only her art but her houses at Ghost Ranch and in Abiqiu, New Mexico.
It need not be said that O'Keeffe is a preeminent artist of the twentieth century, one of the most respected and loved. An American modernist she is acclaimed for her compelling abstractions, so elegant and vital. Her visions are often enlarged. Inspired by the natural she once said, "When I found the beautiful white bones in the desert I picked them up and took them home too...I have used these things to say what is to me the wideness and wonder of the world as I live in it."
This gorgeous volume is rich with illustrations - 335 in full color and two eight-page gatefolds. It also includes numerous photos, some previously unpublished, and works by others who embraced modernism and painted in New Mexico.
Curator of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, author Barbara Buhler Lynes is the leading authority on this artist. She has done a meritorious yeoman's task in compiling this glorious volume which is a treasure for all.
- Gail Cooke
Average customer rating:
|
Savor Santa Barbara: Waterfront to Wine Country
Manufacturer: ASSISTANCE LEAGUE of Santa Barbara
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
California
| U.S. Regional
| Regional & International
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0971002908 |
Book Description
"Savor Santa Barbara - Waterfront to Wine Country" is a cookbook featuring recipes from members, and local well-known chefs. There are color photos by nationally recognized photographers David Muench, Marc Muench and Kirk Irwin. Food photography by Michael Brown. The foreword is written by Sue Grafton, author of mystery novels.
Product Description
GREEK COOKING WITH A CALIFORNIA FLAIR. A collection of more than 200 recipes from the families of St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church. Classic Greek dishes, including avgolemono soup, spanakopita, moussaka, holiday breads, and vegetarian specialties.
Plus a very special section of delectable Greek desserts served at the annual Santa Barbara Greek Festival -- baklava, kataifi, kourabiedes, and many more.
Enjoy your own traditional Greek feast at home all year long!
Book Description
A sonata in four movements, each associated with an aspect of Santa Barbara, California in the summer months (when the Music Academy of the West is in session). Movements include: Cakewalk on a Tightrope, Preacher on the Pier, Magic Horn Tango and State Street Stomp.
Average customer rating:
|
Santa Maria style barbecue
R. H Tesene
Manufacturer: Olive Press Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General
| Gastronomy
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0933380119 |
Average customer rating:
|
Sumptuous Santa Barbara
Devereaux Santa Barbara
Manufacturer: Devereux Santa Barbara
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Hospitality, Travel & Tourism
| Industries & Professions
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
California
| U.S. Regional
| Regional & International
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Food & Lodging
| Reference & Tips
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
| Bed & Breakfast
| Dining
| Hotels & Inns
| Parks & Campgrounds
Santa Barbara
| California
| States
| United States
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0964924501 |
Book Description
Alexis Rockman's Manifest Destiny translates into haunting yet inspiring simplicity the environmental crisis of global warming. In conjunction with the opening of the Brooklyn Museum's new entrance pavilion in April 2004, the distinguished American artist Rockman (born 1962) was commissioned to paint a visionary 8-by-24-foot mural about the distant future boroughs. Rockman's project suggests what geological, botanical, and zoological changes might transpire in the ecosystem of the area thousands or even millions of years ahead. Believing that the past provides clues to the future, Rockman drew from the museum's historical paintings collection for source material, including such works as Albert Bierstadt's A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie (1866), a monumental Hudson River School landscape. The artist is also not without humor--humans may have drowned Brooklyn, but the world survives, and here and there, life's indomitable spirit prevails. On top of a floating oil drum, its antennae rapt with attention, is that ineradicable symbol of eternity--the cockroach. This book looks at preliminary drawings and research by the artist for Manifest Destiny and contains a full-color foldout image of the mural.
Book Description
Alexis Rockman, born in 1962, is a leader among a young generation of artists who have returned to figurative content. Inspired by the natural sciences, he creates perverse yet seductive paintings that explore the intersections between biology and technology, reality and fantasy. Rockman's earliest work deals with natural history in ways that are eerie but believable; his latest work is inspired by a trip to Guyana and by late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century science expedition narratives. The graphic presentation of this full-color monograph is a tour-de-force, with striking reproductions of Rockman's beautifully rendered and thought-provoking paintings.
Book Description
Packing an off-kilter sense of humor and keen scientific minds, authors Margaret Mittelbach and Michael Crewdson take off with renowned artist Alexis Rockman on a postmodern safari. Their mission? Tracking down the elusive Tasmanian tiger. This mysterious, striped predator was once the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial. It had a pouch like a kangaroo and a jaw that opened impossibly wide to reveal terrifying choppers. Tragically, this rare and powerful animal was hunted into extinction in the early part of the twentieth century. Or was it?
Journeying first to the Australian mainland and then south to the wild island of Tasmania, these young naturalists brave a series of bizarre misadventures and uproarious wildlife encounters in their obsessive search for the long-lost beast.
From an ancient cave featuring an aboriginal painting of the tiger to a lab in Sydney where maverick scientists are trying to resurrect the animal through cloning, this intrepid trio comes face-to-face with blood-sucking land leeches and venomous bull ants, a misbehaving wallaby who invades their motel room, and a crew of flesh-eating, bone-crunching Tasmanian devils gorging on roadkill.
They bond with trappers, bushwackers, and wildlife experts who refuse to abandon the tiger hunt, despite the paucity of evidence. Sifting through local myths, bar-room banter, and historical accounts, these environmental detectives sweep readers into a world where platypus’ swim, kangaroos roam, and a large predator with a pouch was–or perhaps still is–queen of the jungle.
Filled with Alexis Rockman’s stunning drawings of flora and fauna–-made from soil, wombat scat, and the artist’s own blood–Carnivorous Nights is a hip and hilarious account of an unhinged safari, as well as a fascinating portrayal of a wildly unique part of the world.
Customer Reviews:
A ROLLICKING ADVENTURE.... FUN!.......2007-10-02
This book is a wonderful celebration of wildlife--what's lost and what still survives--in a beautiful and strange part of the world. But what makes Carnivorous Nights great is the oddball voice of its narrators.
While appalled by the destructive forces that pushed the Tasmanian tiger to the edge of extinction, the authors manage to find beauty and humor in the amazing creatures--and people--that still populate this far-flung island.
The illustrations are black-and-white watercolors of Tasmania's animals. And they're like ghostly photos of a long-lost world.
This book really stuck with me, and made me want to travel to Tasmania.
Great disappointment due to the filthy language and crude humor.......2007-08-05
Being an avid fan of the Thylacine, I had great hopes for Carnivorous Nights. Boy was I disappointed!!!!! "The Last Thylacine" 2005 by Terry Domico ISBN 1883385156 is a far better book.
There is some very good information in Carnivorous Nights but it is covered by filthy language (the F word every few pages) and Middle School level humor (nipple clamp joke on page 111, many references to scat or other bodily functions in a so-called humorous manner, etc...) Additionally, I did not like the glorification of illegal drug use by one stoned adventurer who seemed to focus his life around his next hit of weed.
I also did not care for the artwork. It was simplistic and not especially inspiring. The black and white images were just basic and nothing special. I thought some of them looked like they were traced over old photos.
A truly good book could have been here if the authors had just had some common decency and maturity. Not everyone speaks with a potty mouth, nor do all adults think of mating habits and sexual issues all the time about all of nature. Unfortunately, reading Carnivorous Nights was more like digging through a dung heap looking for treasure. Too bad that in this case the treasure was not worth the garbage it was covered in.
An informative book but unfortunately bad choices in writing style.......2007-05-04
Carnivorous Nights on the Trail of the Tasmanian Tiger follows three New Yorkers, authors Margaret Mittelbach and Michael Crewdson and their artist friend Alexis Rockman as they search for the Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger. The thylacine is presumed to have been hunted to extinction with the last known individual dying in Beaumaris zoo in 1936. There have been many sightings since then and many still hold hope the Thylacine persists somewhere on the island of Tasmania.
As you might expect, the trio find little evidence of the Tiger in their travels but provide a lot of information on its natural history and some of the more credible recent sightings. They also spend a lot of time checking out Tasmania's many other non-extinct weird and wonderful animals, and I believe they give a good feel for the general atmosphere on the Island. I read this book a few months prior to my own trip to Tassie and it lead me to visit Marakoopa caves and check out the glow worms, which was really fantastic. As far as an informative and interesting book on the wildlife of Tasmanian goes, it earns five stars.
I had to take two stars off however for what are basically stylistic reasons. Normally this doesn't bother me too much, but in this case it turned what would have been a great book into something that was a bit of an effort to read.
The first problem is that this book intends to be a bit of a wacky-travel-adventure read. That in its self is fine (check out Redmond O'Hanlon's "Into the Heart of Borneo" for a perfect example of how it can work) but the problem here is that we have three Americans traveling in Australia, a first world English speaking country. Let's face it, they don't have any really wacky adventures. In fact the attempt to have wacky adventures seems to distract from the book and dumbs down the text a bit. (see pg. 10 "... we were happy to find out that English was spoken on the island.") Nevertheless the authors try to keep the humor up by making lots and lots of quips. Mostly unfunny quips in my opinion. Most other reviewers found this book funny, and I usually enjoy a humorous travel book (Bill Bryson) but most of this was just off for me. Most of the 'humorous' dialog is attributed to Alexis, which resulted in my wishing about halfway through the book that he'd just keep his mouth shut. But I have to admit I took an early disliking to Alexis due to what was probably the worst part of the "travel adventure" side of the text, his purchase of pot (illegal in Australia as in the US) and his smuggling it around the country. There is something about a tourist abroad willfully committing a crime that is also a crime in his own country that I find really distasteful, and I was sorry to see it treated as a sort of comic aside in this book. To be even handed to poor Alexis, his artwork featured in the book is beautiful and I loved his choice of media.
The second problem and really the worst aspect of the book for me was the narrative voice. Since the book was written by two authors and covered their personal experiences, they opted to refer to themselves as 'WE'. Bad idea. While I can't really offer a better suggestion for two authors to have an equal say in a tale, using 'we' is a bad way to go. At times it was fine, at times it sounded like a married couple, at times it sounded like a olde time king, and at times it sounded like a missive from the Borg. To see how bad it gets one can read the dream sequence on page 118 "That night we dreamed about wombats and feral cats..." Actually I recommend using the search inside function to read a few pages and see whether or not this style will bother you.
A final gripe that is probably worth a third of a star or so is that this book lacks an index, which is probably indicative of its trending to pulpy mass media marketing as opposed to a more intelligent natural history text. And yet it does have a decent set of notes and further reading in the back. While I haven't read any other works by these authors, it feels like they are smart natural history writers lead astray by an editor asking for a dumbed down text in the hope it will have a boarder appeal.
In short, if you have an interest in Tasmania, the Thylacine, or Australia travel in general I can recommend purchasing this book, but I was sorry to see a potentially fantastic book severely damaged by some bad editing decisions.
Everything you want.......2006-10-02
Funny, deep and educational. Environmentally aware and a fantastic travel story. What else could a person want?
The book centers on the Tasmanian tiger but threads through cloning, giant lobsters and other strange Tasmanian beasties, extinction, hope and, of course, all manner of strange Tasmanian scenes.
funny and depressing.......2005-10-29
The book is depressing because it's about extinction and endangerment; it's funny because our authors manage to stay optimistic and cheerful in the face of extinction. They have an extremely clear eye for the foibles of humans, as well as for the traits of the animals they see. It takes talented writers to make roadkill amusing; these guys manage it.
If you've ever read Gerald Durrell, then you would find this book similar, both in the attitude toward travel and the observations of native humans. The humor is somewhat similar, too, although of course Durrell's is a bit dated by now. If you read and enjoy this book, then I'd strongly encourage you to go find and read anything you can by Gerald Durrell, especially his earlier books.
Completely by coincidence, during the same week that I read this book, I read a story by Harry Turtledove in a science fiction magazine, and an article in a newspaper about lemurs. Turtledove's story was about an alternate history where the island of Atlantis did not sink, and it has a great deal of unique island wildlife, like Tasmania or Madagascar. The plot of the story was that John James Audubon goes to visit Atlantis to sketch and paint all the endangered wildlife there - because of course, the incursion of man onto the island has endangered most of the species. The story highlights the casual cruelty of 19th-century practices, killing rare animals just to pose and paint them and stuff them for museums; I contrasted that to the care that Mittlebach et al. take not to kill anything, and Alexis' efforts to connect to the animals he is painting by using their bioproducts to make paint. Then the article in a Maine newspaper was about a 14-year old who had saved money since she was 6 years old to go to Madagascar and work on lemur conservation; she accomplished her trip finally, and I felt that the viewpoint of the young generation on the many endangered island animals also added to my appreciation of what the authors of "Carnivorous Nights" were seeing on Tasmania.
The paintings in the book are wonderful; I only could wish some were in color. I have always been fond of wombats, echidnas, and platypodes (or platypuses if you want to simplify it), and have stuffed toys of each (yes, I am half a century old and have a large collection of plush toy marsupials, insectivores, extinct reptiles, and assorted endangered species) and had the fun of meeting an echidna face to face once; it was the short-beaked kind, not the long-beaked one, but still odd enough.
A short "family-reading" alert: while the topic is ideal for kids, there are a few things some parents might object to - assorted unmarried people sharing hotel rooms, more than a few four-letter words, a lot of discussion of blood, gore, and animal parts. I personally don't think there's anything here an 11-year old wouldn't already have met, but your children may vary, and I suspect that more than one 8-year old would have nightmares after the scene about feeding a Tasmanian devil. But definitely, the whole family should get to see the pictures, and get to hear about baby pademelons and Bennett's wallabies!
Book Description
What if an ordinary little coloring book were to be upgraded with a set of 54 energetic line drawings by some of today's best-known contemporary artists instead of the usual dumbed-down pedagogical renderings? And what if the proceeds from the sale of this high-art coloring book were to go to a worthy charitable organization that seeks to install upbeat, original contemporary artworks in participating hospitals? Well, then you would have Between the Lines, this lively new collection of work by Vito Acconci, Rita Ackermann, John Baldessari, Jeremy Blake, Will Cotton, R. Crumb, Keith Haring, Sol LeWitt, Robert Longo, John Lurie, Robert Mapplethorpe, Jason Middlebrook, Julian Opie, Laura Owens, Alexis Rockman, Kenny Scharf, William Wegman and John Wesley, among others. And what if this same coloring book were to include four vibrant pages of original stickers by Assume Vivid Astro Focus and Ryan McGinness? Well, then you would have a collector's item. RxArt is a not-for-profit organization that curates contemporary art installations in hospitals and outpatient centers. The organization's goal is to create more energetic and therapeutic environments for patients, staff and visitors engaged in the act of healing. RxArt donates coloring books to children in participating healthcare facilities; like the installed artworks, the coloring books are meant to give children and their families something new and stimulating to think about under sometimes quite trying circumstances.
Customer Reviews:
Fabulous artwork....needs better paper.......2007-07-25
This coloring book is most suited for teens or adults and has a variety of styles of contemporary art. I've had a lot of fun coloring the images, and I can choose a page that suits my mood. I would give the art to color 5 stars. However, it is printed on very poor quality paper. The printing itself bleeds through, let alone colored pencils are any other medium. Within a very short time, pages began falling out as I colored. I wish they had printed this on thicker paper with better binding....spiral bound would be even better.
Customer Reviews:
Their rainforest is ours.......2000-05-23
Dion, Rockman, and Ross show us what is in front of most of us, the dwellers of the urban landscape, in a way we all might like to think about looking at the world. This is a great, thought-provoking book which is a must for every rural and urban school, city, and town library around the globe. If hundreds of curious people pick it up to buy and read, and give it some consideration, all the better. I loved it. - Loren Coleman
Urban life..........2000-04-08
A great book, with a general overview of the urban dwellers and the habitat they transform by interactions beetween species, space, history and the human perpective of the life in the cities.
Its real achivement is the explorations in to urban ecosystems, with an accesible language for everyone.
Average customer rating:
|
Alexis Rockman Second Nature: Second Nature
Alexis Rockman , and
Portland Art Museum (Or.)
Manufacturer: Distributed Art Pub Inc (Dap)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Painting
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Artists, A-Z
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Exhibition Catalogs
| Museums
| Museums & Collections
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| New Age
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0945558236 |
Customer Reviews:
mad man/soothsayer.......1999-07-29
I have not yet seen this particular book, yet I give this man's work the deserved stars above from what I have seen about and around. He brought to me the same feelings that Abdul Mati Klarwein's work did when I first saw it. This man and Walton Ford are sending a message in different ways yet show us our fallible nature and perhaps prophecy some things to come. A good night would involve reading D. Quinn's Ishmael and perusing Rockman's images...
Product Description
With essays by Robert Rosenblum and Bill McKibben,
published in collaboration with Leo Koenig Inc.,
48 pages, hardcover with jacket,
full-color throughout,
9-3/4 x 8-1/2 inches,
Average customer rating:
|
Concrete jungle
Mark Dion
Manufacturer: s.n.]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 0929687124 |
Books:
- Commonwealth Caribbean Property Law 2/e (Caribbean)
- Confessions of a Wall Street Analyst: A True Story of Inside Information and Corruption in the Stock Market
- Constitutional Law and the Criminal Justice System
- Construction Specifications Writing: Principles and Procedures
- Craftsman Homes: More than 40 Plans for Building Classic Arts & Crafts-Style Cottages, Cabins, and Bungalows
- Critical Jurisprudence: The Political Philosophy of Justice
- Design Details for Health: Making the Most of Interior Design's Healing Potential (Wiley Series in Healthcare and Senior Living Design)
- Detail Practice: Translucent Material: Glass, Synthetic Materials, Metal
- Details in Contemporary Architecture (AsBuilt)
- Digital Tectonics
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Killer Angels
- Ralph Compton Trail to Cottonwood Falls
- Evolutionary Aesthetics
- Heterotrimeric G Proteins
- John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide
- Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators
- On Beulah Height
- Rome Alive: A Source-Guide to the Ancient City, Vol. 1
- Hello World: A Life in Ham Radio
- Genetic Prehistory in Selective Breeding: A Prelude to Mendel
Santa Barbara Style
Mediterranean Style: Relaxed Living Inspired by Strong Colors and Natural Materials
Mediterranean Inspiration: 125 Home Plans Inspired by Southern European Style (Inspiration (Homeplanners))
