Marco Breuer: Tremors, Ephemera

Book Description

Marco Breuer: Tremors, Ephemera documents two groundbreaking projects by Marco Breuer. Tremors consists of Icamera-less pictures:' working in the darkroom, Breuer employs an assortment of household tools-- a hot plate or an electric pan, for example--and moves them with varying degrees of pressure across photographic paper, registering their movement as an irregular, seismographic trace. The paper responds to the heat from the tool by recording a latent image, which, once developed, turns the emulsion a range of colors from deep umber to burnt sienna and charcoal black. In Ephemera, Breuer goes one step further in relinquishing his commitment to a particular medium and literally attacks standard drawing paper, using the format of generically-designed, handmade books. The pages document direct activities taking place deep within the book cavity--an ignited fuse creeps through the book gutter, leaving a snake-like trail, fanning out in a smudge of brown smoke; an electric shock mars the heart of a centerfold in an explosive display of colorful splashes.

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Tremors, Ephemera
Marco Breuer
Manufacturer: ROTH HOROWITZ L.L.C.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SSSYE8

Book Description

 Offers the first detailed analysis of Deng Xiaoping's "Grand Compromise"

 Profiles the political will and tenacity of one of the greatest transformational political leaders of the twentieth century

 Written by a top Department of Defense specialist in China issues

China and the Legacy of Deng Xiaoping documents a turning point in the Chinese communist revolution that elevates Deng to a role equal to that of Mao. Dr. Marti explores post-Tiananmen domestic political wrangling and offers the first documentation of Deng's efforts to link all the major elements of society—the PLA, the Party, the revolutionary elders, and the regional governors—into a coalition whose survival depends on the success of his economic policies.

Understanding this sense of commitment to China's long-term goals has significant implications for predicting the outcome of the current struggle between the hardliners and reformers. By providing a new interpretation of Chinese behavior, China and the Legacy of Deng Xiaoping adds to the current debate among policy makers and academicians over the future direction of Chinese policy.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent detailed look at Chinese politics.......2002-05-16

Everyone knows that Deng Xiaoping dramatically altered China's political and economic landscape. Few, however, realize to what great lengths he stretched himself to do so. Dr. Michael Marti gives a detailed inside look at the factional wrangling that dominated Chinese political affairs in the early 1990s, which set China upon its current developmental path. Well-written, well-documented research, easy-to-read despite the density of information provided, I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Chinese politics.

Detailed look at Chinese politics.......2002-05-09

Deng Xiaoping: Portrait of a Chinese Statesman (Studies on Contemporary China)

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Deng Xiaoping: Portrait of a Chinese Statesman (Studies on Contemporary China)

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0198289332

Book Description

Deng Xiaoping has been one of the late-twentieth century's preeminent statesmen. His impact will be felt well into the next century as China's economic reforms begin to have impressive effects, and China's international power grows. The life of Deng Xiaoping mirrors the history of China in the twentieth century - beginning with a rural upbringing, then militant revolutionary activities until the CCP seized power in 1949. By 1954 Deng was one of the inner circle of CCP leaders and although he endured six years of internal exile during the Cultural Revolution, by 1977 he had contended for ultimate political power in China. His actions since then have been devoted to deconstructing the Maoist state, introducing economic reforms while keeping a firm hold on the party-state political system, and building China's international and military stature. This volume analyses the effects of Deng Xiaoping's leadership on China, dealing with his role generally in foreign policy, in politics, in the economic system, in social reforms and in his relations with the military. It will be invaluable to students and readers requiring an evaluation of Deng that is both comprehensive and authoritative.

The New Emperors: China in the Era of Mao and Deng

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The personalities, the influence...
what's shaped modern China
a great reporter with a long history of China interest
Awesome on Mao, Ok on Deng
A book that needs to be read by more Americans

The New Emperors: China in the Era of Mao and Deng
Harrison E. Salisbury
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316809101

Customer Reviews:

The personalities, the influence..........2002-10-19

This book set me off on a binge of Chinese history reading. I had to know more about Kang Sheng, for example, and "Claws of the Dragon" helped shed light on this "immortal". Then there were: Zhou Enlai's hagiography 'Eldest Son' at the hands of Han Suyin; The White Boned Demon, about Jiang Qing; Mao's doctor's self-glorifying account; Deng's biography. Nothing compares to this book for readability and sense of magnitude. You meet the twenty or so people who decided the fates of a billion Chinese. Modern democracy has nothing to compare. The personalities in recent Chinese history, the importance of them, are staggering. The Great Leap, the Cultural Revolution--these hellish mass movements affected hundreds of millions of people. You get to see the tiny coterie which ordered the lives of a significant portion of the Earth's inhabitants for fifty years. An amazing book.
I wish Harrison Salisbury were still around to write an update. TNE stops in 1991 as the economy is slowing and the hardliners are asserting themselves. Deng visited the "new cities" on the South China Sea in 1993-4, invigorating them and the "capitalism with Chinese characteristics" which they represented. What followed, of course, is our recent history of China thinking itself as a great power.

what's shaped modern China.......2002-09-21

What Mao and Deng did as China's "new emperors" are well known. For Mao, the Korean war, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and the establishment of China as a nuclear power; for Deng, the Reform and Opening, and the Tiananmen Massacre.

Why did they do it? This is a question that is seldomly asked and when asked, never satisfactorily answered. Salisbury has attempted to answer such a qusetion with more depth than the simple-minded answer "because they want to stay in power". Salisbury carefully laid out for the readers how Mao and Deng's acts were shaped by their personal histories, by attitudes of other countries toward China, and by the burden of Chinese history and culture (unlike America, the Chinese leaders did not start from a clean slate, instead, they carried 5,000 years of history with them). In short, this book is about how history, culture, international hostility and personality has shaped modern China; how these factors brought out the "emperor instincts" in Mao and, to a lesser extent, Deng.

Indeed, what Mao did was almost right out of history books. The emperors' attempts to annhilate their enemies when they sensed danger, the emperors' attempts to better people's lives using means that were totally naive and against human nature, has happened numerous times in Chinese history. China has been too burdened with its history, and Mao was simply an emperor fulfilling his roles while the whole world was watching.

The book also touched upon an interesting (and sad) question: what blames should be placed on ordinary people? It was Mao who unleashed the darkest aspects of human nature during Cultural Revolution, but the darkest sides of some Chinese people were so dark that one has to wonder: why were these people worse than beasts? The Red Guards and the on-lookers who readily cheered as thousands and thousands of people were tortured and beaten (or drowned, pushed from high-rise buildings) to death has to make one wonder: why did they do it? why did they have no judgment of their own and could become the worst creatures on earth simply because of a few words from their leaders? I believe that, if China wants to prevents something like the Cultural Revolution from happening again, it will not be enough to openly admit Mao's role in these atrocities. Ordinary people will also have to do some soul-searching.

After reading this book, I felt extremely sad. I sensed that the disasters that happened to the Chinese people in the past decades could have been avoided. If only Mao had studied Western politics instead of focusing entirely on the deeds of Chinese emperors; if only Kim Ii-Sung wasn't such a fool as to start the Korean War; if only the Chinese people were exposed to Western culture earlier and possessed more qualities than blind patriotism and loyalty; if only more of Mao's subordinates were willing to be outspoken; if only Stalin was a bit less sinister toward China; if only America was a bit more open-minded and not refusing Mao's request for negotiations outright... The list is endless. History is full of missed chances, and ordinary people suffer. Although no reversal is possible, we may be able to learn from the past and avoid some disasters in the future. Because of this, I highly recommend this book.

I am a fan of Salisbury's works for a long time, and this book has not disappointed me. The writing is compelling, the materials well organized, and his unbiased reporting is as good as ever. This is one of the best books on the modern history of China.

a great reporter with a long history of China interest.......2001-04-24

Salisbury's book is so good, his reporting so valuable, that it will provide ample basic information to future historians as they attempt to sift through this period with some scholarly distance. Just prior to Tiananmen "incident" as it is called in China, he went and talked to the last surviving people who remember Mao and Deng, the two most powerful leaders of Communist China. It was a unique time, as China was open for just a moment during a reform period before shutting down again after Tiananmen and those people were about to disappear forever. Salisbury found them and recorded their memories.

The result is a masterpiece of reporting, bringing Mao and Deng to life and in detail like no other account that I have read - and I have read a lot of them! The book concentrates on government and power politics, leaving the details of policies to others, which strikes just the right balance.

Highly recommended.

Awesome on Mao, Ok on Deng.......2001-01-03

I recently read the new Philip Short biography on Mao. A long and good book. However, I did not learn half as much about Mao from Short's book as I did from the New Emperors.

Salisbury writes a highly readable, brilliant book on Mao, the founding of the people's republic of China, the Great Leap Forward, and the Cultural Revolution.

The book does a great job showing the personal side of Mao, how he treated other people, and how he changed over time between 1949 and 1976.

The book also does a great job on the early career of Deng Xiaoping. However, feel the book falters on covering the demise of the Gang of Four and the early rule of Deng. As great as the book was up to this point, I feel he does not thoroughly cover how the gang of four was defeated and the early rule of Deng.

The book recovers in its coverage of Tianaman Square and in its conclusions about China.

This book is 3/4 brilliant and 1/4 ok.

A book that needs to be read by more Americans.......2000-07-18

Let's face it, China is rapidly replacing Russia as the chief rival of the U.S. in world affairs. And anyone who wants to begin to understand modern China must start with this book. Harrison Salisbury is an excellent journalist and writer who chronicles the tragic history of China from the beginning of the communist regime through the early 1990s. He focusses on the two leaders, Mao and Deng, who guided China into the modern era, causing at least as much if not far more destruction to their country the good that came from modernity. The irony is that while Mao was an egomaniacal madman, Deng was at heart a decent man who rebounded from being jailed and humiliated by the Cultural Revolution only to ruin his more benevolent legacy at Tianamen Square in 1989. Salisbury's account is readable and insightful and is essential for anyone with an interest in the country.

Deng Xiaoping and the Chinese Revolution: A Political Biography (Routledge in Asia Series)

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Deng Xiaoping and the Chinese Revolution: A Political Biography (Routledge in Asia Series)
David Goodman
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0415112532

Book Description

David Goodman reaches beyond China's spectacular economic success of recent years to understand the sources of Deng's political power. This is a balanced evaluation of the career of one of the century's great political survivors.

Deng: A Political Biography (East Gate Books)

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Has negatives, but interesting all the same

Deng: A Political Biography (East Gate Books)
Benjamin Yang
Manufacturer: East Gate Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1563247224

Customer Reviews:

Has negatives, but interesting all the same.......2004-10-31

Interesting to read a Chinese biography that didn't just talk about how great the person was and all the achievements they accomplished. Enjoyed reading this book as it is more 'honest' in its story telling than others.

Didn't enjoy what seems to be amateurish writing, especially when the author is not an amateur. The author is personally connected to the Dengs, so this provides insights that may not be available to others. But it is clear that despite the attempt to be balanced, the author is a fan of Deng. Using his favourite tool, the exclamation mark, quite liberally - in fact, hardly a page goes by without one, eg. talking about returning to Chongching with his bodyguard "What an awesome sight!" Reading this type of writing constantly does detract from the content of the book, which is extremely well researched - and I think that's a shame.

The other aspect, which is negative, was the constant critisism of other biographers. As if the author needs to reaffirm that his book is clearly better.

Despite these 'negatives', I still enjoyed reading the book, as the research is clearly there, and it is more 'balanced' than other material I have read on Deng.

Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China: Revised Edition

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Excellent, truly valuable biography
This is a solid account of the vicissitudes of Deng's life.

Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China: Revised Edition
Richard Evans
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140267476

Customer Reviews:

Excellent, truly valuable biography .......2005-10-08

I enjoyed enormously this book: it doesnt try to sell a myth or an epic and doesnt "side" with Deng. The author is a former diplomat and an "old china hand" and the reader can fully benefit from a deep, thoughtful and unemotional analysis by an insider.
The book is factual, doesnt try to prove any theory and gives you also an excellent overview of the whole Chinese history in this century. I particularly enjoyed the shrewd analysis of all the characters and of their motivations, as you would expect it from the eyes of a professional diplomat gauging his counterparts.

This is a solid account of the vicissitudes of Deng's life........1998-11-12

This is an excellent account of the numerous ascents and descents that characterized Deng Xiaoping's remarkable political life. Evans is ultimately telling us a story within a story. Deng's political life spanned the bulk of the twentieth century, and it is against this backdrop that Evans tells us his story. He does a fine job of illuminating how Deng spent his time during the Cultural Revolution, as well as informing the reader what the logic behind his reforms was. As a whole, I liked this book very much and would reommend it to anyone interested in learning more about contemporary China. The writing is consistently concise and to the point. This book does not confuse or bore the reader with lofty theoretical arguments that try to prove causation for various events in Chinese history, it lays out the facts as they are known. This book is both captivating and instructional. However, for those who are well read in Chinese history, much of this book will be redundant. Yet, its redeeming qualities are in ample supply.

Deng Xiaoping: Leader in a Changing China (Lerner Biography)

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Deng Xiaoping: Leader in a Changing China (Lerner Biography)
Whitney Stewart
Manufacturer: Lerner Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 082254962X

Book Description

When Deng Xiaoping was born on August 22,1904, China was still ruled by the Qing dynasty, but many people longed for a new China. Although Deng was in and out of favor during his eventful life, he became one of China's most powerful and influential leaders. Deng's life spans the Japanese invasion, the rise of Communism, the Long March, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and the Tiannanmen Square confrontation. Perhaps more than any other person, Deng Xiaoping is responsible for shaping modern China.

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Flying High out of a Tibetan Valley
Flying High out of a Tibetan Valley
It's True to Life
Walking th walk in Mao's China
Still rising

Flying High Out of A Tibetan Valley
Liming Jing , and Liming Jing
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1552125351
Release Date: 2006-06-30

Product Description

This is a narrative autobiography about Liming Jingís struggle to discover her independence and to fulfill her dreams in the hostile and unforgiving regime of Mao Zedong\'s Great Leap Forward and Ten Years of Madness. The book is illustrated throughout with historic black & white photos.

Customer Reviews:

Flying High out of a Tibetan Valley.......2001-10-21

Many people in the US take democracy for granted. They never give a thought about it. Or they think democrary is nothing important. However, they can freely criticize the US government without any fear. They don't realize that they have been enjoying democracy.

Liming knows how important democracy is. As she was growing up during the Cultural Revolution in China, even a joke might put you in jail. Chinese people at that time had no freedom of speech. If you criticized the government, you would be killed or get a life sentence.

China has changed a lot since Mao died. But still, people in China today do not have the freedom of speech that Americans have.

Flying High out of a Tibetan Valley is a great book. After you read it, you will realize the true meanings of freedom and democracy.

Flying High out of a Tibetan Valley.......2001-04-24

I read this book after returning from a China trip. This author wrote from her heart, in stunningly simple prose that actually made her words feel like a conversation between the author and the reader. The more I read, the more I wanted to meet and know her. To find out more about this person who, coming out of extremely adverse conditions, pulled herself up to the extent that she succeeded in breaking free of the bondage of her people into a free society. Her book is a revelation. I do so admire her fortitude and dedication to rising above the suffocating circumstances within which her life was formed. I lived in freedom all of my life and knowing what she went through makes me very thankful that God placed me where he did, when he did. Thank you, Liming, for sharing with us the hardship of your life and the continued, unending love for your China!!

It's True to Life.......2001-03-05

I am a Chinese and I experienced the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Flying High Out of a Tibetan Valley is a wonderful book because it's true to life. Any Westerners who want to know real China in the past and today should read this book.

Walking th walk in Mao's China.......2001-02-20

Liming Jing has walked the walk and tells her story that has elements common to the lives of millions of middle-aged Chinese citizens. Yet, it is also a uniquely personal story of surviving the craziness of China's dictator, Mao Ze Dong. What were the personal ramifications of Mao's grim determination to hold onto power? Mao caused perhaps as many deaths as in all of World War II, but few Americans understand that simple reality.

Liming Jing's Flying High Out of a Tibetan Valley provides an excellent view for those who want to step into another culture and understand the restricted options of growing up under Mao. Yet this book is really about how Liming, her family members and many others managed to escape the totalitarian constraints that communism tries to impose on the human spirit and life..

Jing shows how hope exists as long as individuals persist in pursuing their private dreams. Mao and all his clones have clearly not subdued the Chinese people. Individual Chinese find innumerable quiet ways to help their family members and friends to travel on paths that are contrary to the limited conceptions of dictators. Jing's efforts to study English demonstrates anew that only fools and madmen can believe that they have the power to extinguish the capacity of individuals to make choices.

Choices made by Jing and her friends, lead in a diversity of directions. Flying High Out of a Tibetan Valley illuminates how the long-term consequences of these choices will always exceed the limited imaginations of dictators. It is a book well worth your time and money.

Still rising.......2001-02-13

This is a story about definition. This is a story that defines courage, aspiration, and hope. Liming's tale is not just a meticulously chronographed story of one Chinese girl's struggle to find equality and humanity, but a first-person chronicle of similar oppression, fanaticism, and tyranny suffered by millions of people throughout history. Liming's ability to relate the multitude of emotions she experienced during Chairman Mao's rule is a testament to mankind's ability to overcome adversity. We need only to read the headlines of the newspaper to see that Liming's dream has not come to fruition for many people, however, we can take solace in knowing that at least one person was able to rise above the despotism. Liming has also been gifted with the ability to describe her complex tribulations into an easy reading page-turner. In addition to the personal value and understanding we get from Liming's story, we should also never lose sight of the fact that these events occurred not so long ago and many stories like Liming's are being written every day by countless unfortunate souls. Liming has given us a keen insight into the historical, if not tragic, consequences of Chairman Mao's Great Leap Forward. It is up to the individual who reads this book to gain their own understanding and compassion for those who have given more of themselves then even they thought possible and yet continue to fly high. Kudos Liming!

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daughter loves FATHER (HER CAPS)

Deng Xiaoping: My Father
Mao-Mao , and Deng Maomao
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

daughter loves FATHER (HER CAPS).......1998-10-04

clearly loves Father very much. His life is very adventureous, and he is in this stage of the nation building game, not interest in the money.Later he would be labeled 'capitalist right roader'. Certainly much later in life would view the capitalist road to success the 'way'.

Brave, heroic, and the model for Li Fong.

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