Book Description
“Ries and Trout taught me everything I know about branding, marketing, and product management. When I had the idea of creating a very large thematic community on the Web, I first thought of Positioning....”—David Bohnett, Chairman and Founder of GeoCities
A handsome edition of the original 1981 text, this 20th Anniversary Edition makes available to business and marketing professionals—including tens of thousands of Ries and Trout groupies, worldwide—the work that forever changed the way marketing strategy is done. This new edition features commentary from the authors that offers fresh insight into why “positioning” a product in a prospective customer’s mind is still the most important strategy in business, and includes numerous examples of campaigns that followed, or didn’t follow, Ries and Trout’s thinking.
Customer Reviews:
Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, 20th Anniversary Edition (Purchased on 09/04/2007) .......2007-10-05
I still haven't received my purchase, so reviewing it will be a tad bit difficult...
Got inspired!.......2007-09-21
I've got inspired from the basics in positioning. It delivers good examples of many American companies' positioing. I got inspired so that I can get my paper done very soon.
The best book ever on marketing/advertising/brand management.......2007-09-13
I make every new employee read Positioning no matter what their job description because it is really a book about the "battle for the consumer's mind", and that battle is waged in every department of every organization.
Positioning is the rule book for marketing success and the great thing is all the examples. Yes they are somewhat dated, but they make the rules easy to understand.
This is the book nobody at Ford read before they redisigned the Taurus from number 1 in sales to a hole in the ground.
If you work in brand management or advertising you must read this book. It should be stashed in a "break-glass-get-book" thing at every exit of every ad agency.
If you are studying marketing at college, you should memorize every word in the book and major in something else, and come out with the equivalent of a double major.
The importance of perception.......2007-05-13
If there's one thing that makes Positioning a classic and something that should be on the reading list of any marketer is the fact that it highlights what is the core of any marketing- perception is reality. It doesn't matter how good your product `really' is, or how hard you try, what matters is how your target perceives you vs competition. That basic truth, and how you could occupy the most desired position in the target's mind is the crux of this book. Perhaps some of the examples could get updated, but bottom line, this is the definitive book to read for any aspiring marketer.
- Mainak Dhar, author, Brand Management 101: 101 Lessons from Real-World Marketing
outdated.......2007-03-30
Positioning makes a few basic points that are helpful for someone who is not familiar with marketing basics. However, the examples are so outdated that some now disprove the authors' arguments. The more detailed chapters make less sense in an electronic culture. This book is really only useful now for those broad, basic ideas in the first chapters.
Book Description
Bart Ehrman, author of the highly popular Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code and Lost Christianities, here takes readers on another engaging tour of the early Christian church, illuminating the lives of three of Jesus' most intriguing followers: Simon Peter, Paul of Tarsus, and Mary Magdalene. What do the writings of the New Testament tell us about each of these key followers of Christ? What legends have sprung up about them in the centuries after their deaths? Was Paul bow-legged and bald? Was Peter crucified upside down? Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute? In this lively work, Ehrman separates fact from fiction, presenting complicated historical issues in a clear and informative way and relating vivid anecdotes culled from the traditions of these three followers. He notes, for instance, that historians are able to say with virtual certainty that Mary, the follower of Jesus, was from the fishing village of Magdala on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (this is confirmed by her name, Mary Magdalene, reported in numerous independent sources); but there is no evidence to suggest that she was a prostitute (this legend can be traced to a sermon preached by Gregory the Great five centuries after her death), and little reason to think that she was married to Jesus. Similarly, there is no historical evidence for the well-known tale that Peter was crucified upside down. Ehrman also argues that the stories of Paul's miracle working powers as an apostle are legendary accounts that celebrate his importance. A serious book but vibrantly written and leavened with many colorful stories, Peter, Paul, and Mary Magdalene will appeal to anyone curious about the early Christian church and the lives of these important figures.
Customer Reviews:
and what did I learn ..........2007-08-22
Yep we get it, its hard to figure out exactly what happened 2000 years ago. So why write a book about it?
Sorry Prof., I've got to think your classes are snoozers not shockers. (but then I don't live in the bible belt.}
A MUST READ FOR SEMINARY STUDENTS.......2007-06-28
Whether one agrees with Erhman or not this is a fascinating read. He is a scholar who knows the Fundamentalist mind (with Moody Bible Institute in his background), and he takes the biblical text very seriously. He's a great writer and this book is easily accessible to the one who is not a professional.
From the Introduction: "Historians do their best to reconstruct past events based on surviving evidence, but history is not an empirical science that can establish high levels of probability based on assured results obtained by repeated experimentation. History is as much art as science" (xiv).
From Chapter 7: "Has there ever been a Christian figure as controversial as the apostle Paul? It was a new understanding of Paul's letters that led Martin Luther to split from the Catholic Church, leading to the Protestant Reformation and a division within Christendom that continues down to our own day. Churches of all description continue to wrangle over Paul's teaching: some insist that his writings oppose women in the ordained ministry, while others argue just the opposite. . . . Debates over Paul--and over who can claim him--are not, however, a product of the modern age: they go all the way back to New Testament times. . . " (89).
Seminary students are not educated until they're read stuff like this--and not just to laugh and snicker and poke holes. Calvin Theological Seminary, where I was given the boot ("My Calvin Seminary Story") sends students out without seriously interacting with such literature. Here is a good book to seriously explore.
ALL ABOUT JESUS'S CLOSEST FOLLOWERS.......2007-06-27
Professor Bart Ehrman has written another engaging and insightful book on early Christianity. He examines three of Jesus's most influential followers through the lens of historical perspective, the bible, and early external writings. He shows great insight in the influence each of these figures had on the history of the Western world. Did you ever think about the fact that the historical Peter had to have been an illiterate peasant who spoke Aramaic and it is impossible that he wrote perfect Greek Epistles that applied more to the later church than the 1st century? We must understand that Paul never met the historical Jesus and barely mentions any history of the real man, instead evidence points to the fact that he was the one who began the "Christ" myth. All the gospels and outside sources agree that Mary Magdalene was the first to witness the empty tomb or the risen Jesus, that makes her the first Christian and the pivot point that began the Christian religion. Buy this book for an education on these three figures and what we can really know about them and their impact on Christianity and Western Civilization. Curious minds will not be disappointed.
EXCELLENT ACCOUNT ACCOUNT OF MARY MAGDALENE.......2007-05-08
WONDERFUL WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE LIFE OF MARY MAGDALENE
As always, Ehrman gets you thinking.......2007-04-04
Bart Ehrman has written a number of analyses of early Christian church writings, trying to help the reader to understand historical context and how this shaped what was included, and excluded, from scripture. In Peter, Paul and Mary Madalene, he keeps up this tradition. His discussions of reading the books of the New Testament horizontally, as opposed to vertically, to show the contrasts between them, should be required reading. Such highlighting may offend literalists, but that is the nature of religious discourse if questioning is not allowed. Finally, Ehrman's writing style makes such reading easy to do. On top of being easy to read and well-informed, Ehrman is genuinely funny. Comments regarding, for example, the six people in the English speaking world who have not yet read The Da Vinci Code come at you from nowhere and help to keep everything moving and entertaining as well as enlightening.
Book Description
Since its original publication in 1995, The Courageous Follower has been put on reading lists everywhere from corporations and the military to unions and churches. This guide helps transform passive followers into active players who can help right leadership wrongs and support and foster a values-based organization.
Customer Reviews:
Important Concept; Format Distracting.......2007-08-30
The concept of followership is important and often ignored in a sea of leadership materials.Chaleff has tackled an important issue, and for that he should be applauded. Most of the book is clear and easy to follow, with many lists that can be used to conduct training on being a strong follower. The ways in which followers support leaders and interact with each other are useful to anyone working with teams. Chaleff has also made changes in the second edition that make it easier for followers to take a stand instead of walking away.
Where the book falls short is primarily in design, in my opinion. The switch from single- to double-spacing made me feel like the editors were trying to stretch the material to meet a pre-set number of pages.Overall, though, the book provides much to think about.
Transforming!.......2004-10-04
This is a significant contribution to the workplace no matter the environment. Chaleff integrates sound principles of human decency with enormous respect for human potential. The result is a practical approach to managing yourself and your leader especially when the stakes are high.
The Fine Balancing Act of the Courageous Follower.......2004-09-08
In The Courageous Follower, Chaleff focuses on the relationship existing between the formal leadership of an organization and the followers, all the people who ultimately report to the leadership team directly or indirectly. Chaleff also examines the interaction among followers within the leadership team in their relationship with the ultimate leader of the organization (pg. 14, 32).
Like Peter Drucker in The Essential Drucker, Ira Chaleff acknowledges right away that leadership may be informal and distributed throughout an organization (pg. 14). Knowledge workers, who are considered partners rather than employees, can only be helped. The close supervision of knowledge workers is often illusory because of their unique expertise.
Chaleff is conscious of the potential negative baggage associated with the word follower by making clear that a follower is not the same as a subordinate (pg. 15). Chaleff recognizes that being a courageous follower can be a risky proposition. Contingency plans are in any circumstances a necessity, whether the follower is courageous or not, in a fast-changing global economy (pg. 20-21, 163-165). However, a respectful individual who is not afraid to speak and act on the truth, despite the inequities in the relationship between employee and employer, is a force to be reckoned with (pg. 20, 25).
Not everybody is called upon to become and remain a courageous follower. Chaleff divides followers into four profiles that he calls respectively, implementer, resource, individualist and partner. Only the partner, who sooner rather than later dares to challenge on a regular basis the orthodoxy of the leadership team in a constructive, non-confrontational mode, can be counted on as a courageous follower (pg. 40-43, 51, 66, 103-104, 147-148). Readers cannot conclude from this assessment that the contribution of the remaining profiles should be downplayed. However, working closely with an existing or new leader open to the feedback from courageous followers is on its own an excellent growth opportunity (pg. 45, 217-218). Chaleff reminds his audience that well-balanced professionals should take ownership of their career and look for growth opportunities both inside and outside their organization (pg. 45, 47-48).
Reasonably, Chaleff recommends that the follower take an incremental, step-by-step approach to becoming a courageous follower (pg. 22). There is no silver bullet for developing the profile of a courageous follower. Credibility must be earned during the process. As Chaleff states, service is an art and art is developed through commitment and discipline (pg. 85, 150-152).
Passion for the job, initiative, buy-in, loyalty, trust, open mind and communication skills are some of the key ingredients in the establishment and development of a relationship based on courage (pg. 29, 48-50, 53, 62-63, 74, 84, 157). These ingredients take on an even greater importance when a conflict arises between different leaders. Often, these adversaries put pressure on their respective constituencies to build a strong alliance against the "enemy (pg. 81-82)."
Courage cannot lead to disobedience unless special circumstances such as the preservation of life and the respect of the law are deemed important enough to supersede the human tendency to follow orders (pg. 101-103, 170-171, 178-181, 183-185). Leaving the organization will sometimes be the only option left to the courageous follower to maintain his/her integrity after having exhausted other options (pg. 155-187). However, courage does not need to be absolute. The courageous follower could decide to stay after trying in vain to convince the leadership team or leader about the perceived right course to follow (pg. 185-187).
Courageous following is a two-way street. A great leader is not afraid to develop courageous followers because of his/her sense of self-worth (pg. 29, 50, 106-116, 125-128, 189-212). Similarly, the courageous follower is willing and able to directly or indirectly comfort and confront the leader, at the right time and at the right place (pg. 61-62, 97-98). The courageous follower should not abuse his/her access to the leader. Otherwise, access will diminish over time (pg. 64). Developing this talent pool can be critical to the success and/or survival or an organization because of the dangers of groupthink, self-censorship and lack of concern for legal niceties (pg. 99-101, 122, 130-131, 189-193). Unfortunately, a common response is to devalue the individuals taking the stand with potentially disastrous consequences as the recent wave of corporate scandals convincingly demonstrates (pg. 215-217).
Courageous followers, conscious of the importance of buy-in, are flexible enough to see their ideas tested on a small scale with good measurements before a full-blown implementation is considered (pg. 55-56). Furthermore, courageous followers offer if possible at least three different options with their respective pros and cons to get this buy-in (pg. 74-76). Acting along these lines encourages consensus building in pursuing success.
Although leaders receive much value from courageous followers, leaders also need to keep their channels of communication open with their peers as Chaleff rightly points out (pg. 76). A leader's peers, especially those who do not belong to the same professional circles, can provide him/her with an extremely valuable service in further refining the leadership skills in a multitude of settings (pg. 76-77). Alternatively, an outside facilitator can be called in to coach the leader (pg. 139-140).
Changing a leader's behavior is usually more challenging than altering his/her policies for these people gravitating around the leader (pg. 87, 93-94, 132-134, 145-147, 183-185). In all these interactions, the negative feedback should not be directed at the leader himself/herself in order to keep communication channels open (pg. 94-95). When genuine transformation happens, it should be acknowledged and celebrated (pg. 152-153).
I learned leadership principles by learning to be a follower.......2003-01-23
The Courageous Follower is one of the most important books on leadership I've ever read. It is clear that in one way or another, we ALL face the challenges of leadership, perhaps daily. However, it is rare that someone who has been designated a 'leader' considers that they are also a follower with a 'constinuency' - someone they answer to. This book discusses principles designed to encourage the follower AND leader to become assertive, communicative and accountable. Bravo to these brave authors for enlightening us to the art of followership!
This book is how everyone should view the follower!.......1997-07-22
Our society's focus on the top dog and our incessant desire to "develop the leader" has left our organizations developing only the management and then blaming leadership when the follower doesn't follow. It's time to re-define the importance and responsibility of the follower. This book is a beautiful, well-written and much-needed approach to defining the leader-follower relationship and the importance of this relationship to the organization. I highly recommend this book for anyone who finds themselves wondering what their role as a follower should be and how to develop the people in your staff who are doing the following.
Customer Reviews:
Movilizing, Activiating and Connecting Individuals around the world! .......2007-10-01
The book is vital because it brings personal experience of a man that has put a side his old mental models and traditions in order to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. The book is not written in systematic style, but rather in a pragmatic way.
The author does a good job of engaging his readers. He develops a framework to describe the importance of focusing on a particular "people group" for the purpose of establishing true relationship, which in turn will produce transformation from the inside out.
Glocalization offers an exciting opportunity for those churches and individuals who are seeking a different approach in touching others people's life through relationship, respect and acceptance to impact this changing world for Christ.
Cutting edge missiology.......2007-08-27
I truly enjoyed this book. It is not a typical "how to" missions book that merely confirms what probably you are already doing in your church. Bob Roberts pushes the boundaries. His perspective and approach to short-term missions is different from anything that I have ever read. From cover to cover, I felt as if my missiological practises and leadership as a pastor were being tested and refined.
A Church Which You Must Understand.......2007-06-08
There is only a handful of people whose life demands a read and careful study. Bob Roberts is one of those persons. What his church has done is unique. It is one of the few churches in the United States that has taken cultural transformation global while maintaining an Evangelical message. This book reveals the heart of such a pastor and presents many practical points of application.
I'm puzzled by the critical review of Isaiah. He's disappointed by a local church only adopting a few locations? Bob teaches that churches need to learn to specialize, pick a city or country and develop a relationship-better, a friendship, and encourage another church to do the same thing. To try to everything is to do nothing.
Isaiah's opening line, "If you believe you can just tell people about Jesus without caring for their physical needs, you may want to read this book." suggests he hasn't read the book very well. The book is all about cultural impact which is completely about ministry to the whole person.
It is especially disappointing to see a reviewer use pejorative terms--"self indulgent" does not describe this book or Bob Roberts.
Obviously there is a vital issue at stake. Read the book.
I rate the book with 4 stars, because I would like for it to be a little more systematic in its approach. While not being a systematic treatise, it is the heartfelt cry of a pastor who is doing something very significant and inviting many others to go along on the journey. As I think about it, perhaps the lack of system is a plus in a post-modern world. I guess my professorial habits have found me out.
Nothing new.......2007-04-07
If you believe you can just tell people about Jesus without caring for their physical needs, you may want to read this book. If you have always believed that you have to address a culture, society, and the whole person instead of just telling someone about Jesus, you may want to skip this book.
The first quarter of the book is reiterating Friedman's assertions that the world has gone global. (This seems to be a surprise for people over the age of forty.) He jumps from this idea of globalization to his word "glocalization" as the response of the church. He uses the words "glocal" and "glocalization" like it's going out of style. (Or maybe more appropriately, trying to move it into style.) It seems a bit pretentious and self indulgent.
The thrust of this book is centered around what he and his church is doing in a couple of places over seas. It's about the social development that is taking place in closed areas. These are all very commendable things.
The high point of the book is in discussing interfaith dialog and respect. He has some good things to say about interacting with other faiths by walking in the "front door." Some circles should take note of this method.
There's one chapter where something like 22 of 24 quotes are from Stanley Jones. It would be easier if you just skipped the chapter and read Jones rather than read the filtered version. If you've read Thomas Friedman (The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century), Dallas Willard (The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God), and Stanley Jones (Mahatma Ghandi. An Interpretation.)--then you've read this book and you'll want to pass. And if you haven't read those authors, you may want to read them instead.
5 Stars +++++++++++.......2007-03-07
And I thought Transformation was great. . .Glocalization Rocks! I won't be going back to Asia until late summer. This book has put me on pins and needles. I would jump on an airplane today if I could.
Go Bob! To my knowledge, no one has ever written a book quite like this. I closed the last chapter pumped and ready to go serve in our Asian country again, and yet I also felt a profound sadness at the fact that the thoughts inside this book are so foreign to the majority of Believers. I definitely plan to do my part in sharing this book with many.
Bob, I love it that you are a practitioner first and an author on the side. That alone is one of the things that makes your book so profound.
Book Description
The first book in The Navigator Reference Library, The Complete Book of Discipleship, is the definitive A to Z resource on discipleship and disciple making for every Christian.
Customer Reviews:
Comprehensive Manual on Holistic Discipleship.......2007-08-19
This is Bill Hull's opus! Hull, who has spent his entire life discipling disciplers, and is a life-long learner, has composed a comprehensive manual on holistic discipleship. Readers will fine a biblical theology, spiritual theology, historical theology, and practical theology of discipleship. Written in a lucid style and well-organized, this can become a classic volume to return to again and again.
Reviewer: Bob Kellemen is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, Spiritual Friends, and Soul Physicians.
Best Book of Discipleship!.......2007-06-27
Bill Hull's book The Complete Book of Discipleship is one of the best books I have seen on the topic of discipleship. It is a thorough, well written biblical description of what it means to be a follower of Christ no matter where one is on their faith journey. It also shares the history from which discipleship comes, what it means to be a disciple and practical ways to implement it in your life or a church setting. His ability early on to merge classical discipleship, spiritual formation and environmental discipleship in such a way to convince the reader that the best possible way to find a full bodied discipleship is to involve all three was refreshing.
Discipleship And Making Disciples As Followers Of Jesus Christ.......2007-01-12
This book gives a clear explaination of being a true believer which must incorporate following Jesus and continue as a Disciple.
It gives very practical instructions on how to develope the life as a Disciple and fulfilling the Great Commission by Making Disciples.
Book Description
This insightful, easy-to-grasp Bible study helps you understand and put into action the internal qualities and values that should drive your life as a disciple of Christ.
Book Description
Christ’s command to the church is clear: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations...” It is in building disciples--helping others to embrace Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, mature in him, and then lead others to do the same--that the Kingdom grows. And when the Kingdom grows, churches do, too.
In Growing True Disciples, respected author and researcher George Barna helps pastors and leaders assess how their churches are doing in fulfilling their role as disciplemakers. And he reveals models and examples that will equip churches to dramatically increase their effectiveness. As a result, your church can begin to see more involved members who want to live out their faith in submission to God, and joyfully share their resources to fulfill Christ’s commission.
Customer Reviews:
A key study on discipleship for church leadership.......2006-12-03
This is the first George Barna book I have read, although I have heard of his writings in discussions within the church I attend. I look forward to reading more of his work. This was one of two texts used in my Discipleship Ministries course in my master's seminary study.
Barna begins the book with the need for this writing, and the need to focus on disciple making within the church. He notes how the word "disciple" has lost its meaning and that today anyone who semi-regularly attends church without any outside study or work can be called a disciple by today's definition. He describes what Scriptural discipleship is and how it is much more than doing a few things for God. Instead, discipleship is devoting one's whole self to God, and the teachings of His Son, Jesus Christ.
He then discusses the importance of discipleship and gives a brief look at discipleship exemplified in Scripture. He lists the marks of discipleship according to the Bible, and in the next chapter gives the results of his individual surveys of Christians. He asks basic questions of the central dogmas of Christians to determine what the goals and knowledge level of people in the church. He surveys the discipleship activities of people, and their belief in what constitutes success spiritually. Some of his more surprising findings are that more than half surveyed have no specific goal in spiritual growth, and almost half believe that anyone can get to Heaven regardless of spiritual belief, despite most having a very high view of Scripture as the Word of God. He looks at different aspects of discipleship including service, study and evangelism. (Evangelism is a key aspect because many churches equate evangelism and discipleship, when Barna states from Scripture that it is only an aspect of discipleship.)
Then Barna describes how we as a church got to this point of discipleship (i.e. from Scriptural discipleship to the variations of concentration and different levels of commitment). His conclusion is that this is a leadership issue. He goes about describing the changes without being harsh or singling out any individuals or denominations. He describes the need for holistic discipleship rather than the partial discipleship views many churches have.
In chapter 6, George Barna switches from discussing his research of individuals to that of churches. He discusses the keys that effective discipling churches have and the methods that they employ. With Barna, the key is not a single method, but principles that underlie a given method. The method should be tailored to a congregation, and not something generic. In the methods, he focuses on 5 highly effective churches and their programs that have caused discipleship growth. He finishes with his "best of" model that takes the best attributes from each model, and creates a generic, principle-driven model for churches to use. This model is not a how-to, as each church has different needs, but is the framework in which to build a model that can best work in a given church. The onus is on the pastor to build it based on his knowledge of the community and congregation.
We see many books on effective church growth and effective evangelism, but this book on effective discipleship is the best way to cause a church to grow and to evangelize to the lost.
This is an important book. It is grounded on the Bible and utilizes observations of the church and of society to draw conclusions on the state of Christian discipleship in America. The underlying principles are designed for church leaders, but the book is supremely beneficial to people who are not in leadership roles, yet, as it discusses the needs of individuals in seeking true discipleship as well as giving guidelines for pastoral leaders in designing church-wide discipleship ministries.
Usually, I provide any negative things I note in the writing or organization, but with this book I had no such impressions. The book is logically organized, and is a highly edifying book, despite the controversial topics discussed. Never did I get a hint that Barna was being negative in his writing, but simply points out the needs of individuals and of churches.
Gotta Have It.......2006-07-13
If you are serious about descipleship development you really need to read this book. George Barna has a way of expressing the truth in this book that I find refreshing. I have read a number of books on discipleship and spiritual development but I have never seen the simple truth and direction stated so clearly. If you are looking for adult or older youth study material this book will provide plenty of material. Small group development can also work with this material.
Decent but doesn't deliver.......2005-11-22
While I very much valued the objective data presented in this book, I really felt disappointed at the depth of content. It took me a mere hour and a half to read and honestly felt that much of that were simply flowered sentences that left you wanting for content.
It was helpful to be pointed toward congregations that seem to be doing a good job of "growing true disciples," but for me there seemed to be a competing thought in this work. On one hand, you've got Barna talking aobut the organic dynamics present in the early church, but then goes on to recommend profiles and documentation to attempt to measure spiritual growth.
So, definitely some value here as a reference, but not as a book for strong practical content, in my opinion.
Survey of Christian Beliefs vs Practice worth the price.......2005-04-28
Barna didn't invent the idea of growing disciples. Instead, Barna's surveys and statistics, amply provided and discussed in Growing True Disciples, provide the EVIDENCE and CLOUT needed to move leaders in any church off their programming butts and toward a more vital disciple-building ministry.
In many ways, Barna's books are like the TV show "Mythbusters." The myth is that "the program church" was getting the job done.
Nothing new about this.......2004-07-03
I was dissapointed that many of the practices and strategies Barna says in this book is almost identical with strategies of the church I know. Regrettably, he fails to mention about the church.
There is nothing new or surprise about the standard of disciple Barna says in the book as it is same standard required to the church where I belong to.
Barna did not mention anything about this nor listed in bibliography. I am sure he has researched the church before he wrote this book and I would like to know the reason he did not mention it.
Average customer rating:
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Pre-Raphaelite Prints: The Graphic Art of Millais, Holman Hunt, Rossetti and Their Followers
Rodney Engen
Manufacturer: Lund Humphries Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0853316562 |
Customer Reviews:
More than pimps and dealers..........2003-03-20
I picked up CB: FoS to help round out a character I was playing in a Vampire LARP, in large part because I had never actually tried to play a real Settite before. All clans are hobbled by excessive stereotyping, but the infrequency of the minor clans and bloodlines makes such stereotypes even more difficult to break out of successfully. The Clanbook helps bust through the "traditional" view of the Followers of Set, barely even mentioning the base pandering that most people would associate with the Clan.
The Revised V:tM books as a whole are a major improvement over the stumbling in first and second edition, and this clanbook is no exception. An updated Path, while less strenuous in it's hierarchy of sins than some, gives much more character to the Followers of Set, while a review of history and pre-history of the world through the eyes of the cult provides a depth that suits so ancient a following.
The updating of the dogma of the Followers of Set does a great job of transforming them from a group of fundamentalists into a vital if dark religion. The style of writing also keeps the message fluid enough that one finds it hard to get locked in to a single interpretation of the message of the Followers of Set, empahiszing once again that their faith is one to be experienced, not simply one of words.
What I would have liked to see more of:
examples of the founding of a temple
more on akhu and specific ritualistic practices
Another Excellent Revision.......2002-11-11
Lets face it. The previous clan books were pretty [bad], so the Revised clan books have a lot to make up for. Well this one certainly does an excellent job of making the Followers of Set actually playable. After you read this book, you will actually be able to incorporate Setites into your games without disrupting it.
The opening fiction gives us plenty of hints that what we think about them might not be so accurate after all. And then we get the kicker. The first chapter about history is written by a skeptical Setite! Theres a heavy focus on Egypt, and it looks like the authors really did some homework here. It starts off in pre-dynastic times, with the conflict between Osiris and Set and continues throughout dynastic Egypt into the Persian invasion and Alexander's liberation of Egypt. From then on, we get some stuff on Carthage, Cleopatra, Roman north Africa, the Coptic period and Set's disappearence. Byzantine and Muslim Egypt, along with the Crusades in the Holy Land, are then explored, with lots of juicy little tidbits. It goes on to the Ottoman era and the slow spread into Europe (the "Dark Continent"). We finally get into the modern era, along with some hints at non-Egyptian Setites! And then we are left with a disturbing ending.
The next chapter is the meat, explaining the role of the Setites, Egyptian mythology and the Pah of Typhon-Set. We learn that the Setites are not base corrupters, but religious fanatics, servants of a dark and terrible god who offers freedom and scholars who seek to preserve forbidden lore. Definately a better motivation than undead pimps and drug lords. We get some hints for "Playing a God", a revision of the Path of Typhon (and the new Path of Sutekh), cult structure and some sample temples (mainly in northern Africa). Aside from the stereotypes of other clans and supernaturals, we also get to learn that the Setites are indeed not exclusively Egyptian. Aside from the orthodox cults, other ones exist, drawing from other cultures. We learn of the Norse Setites who revere the great serpent, the African Children of Damballah, the Sabbat's Serpents of Light who follow Voodoo and Santeria, the Shaivite Daitya of India and the Tlacique, ancient Aztec, Mayan and Incan vampires who now challenge the Sabbat.
The chapter closes out with some mechanical stuff. New knowledge called Setite Lore, which draws upon the forbidden lore from ancient Egypt, and some new discipline powers. We get higher level Serpentis powers, along with some Obfuscate, Presence and multi-discipline powers. Plus we finally get a look at the hoary magics of ancient Egypt. The Setites can boast blood magicians just as potent as the Tremere. And not only are there Egyptian blood magics, but also Hindu magics of the Daitya, voodoo and santeria magics from Serpents of Light and the sacrificial magics of Mesoamerica used by the Tlacique.
And of course, it closes out with the standard character templates, signature characters and a Setite specific character sheets. Surprisingly, the character templates are all pretty unique and original, a rarity for a clan book. Things like prophetic artist, business man who sells cheap Egyptian-style art, psychology, techno-mystic and gladiator. Plus we get the non-standard ones: Native rights activist Tlacique, voodoo queen Serpent of Light and debunking scientist Daitya. Pretty cool actually. The signature characters include a brood of Setites who repair other's reputations, as well as the signature character Hesha Ruhadze. More interesting, for me anyway, was the Daitya "devil-Brahmin" Sundervere. From what I've been told, he's going to become a major signature character in the upcoming Victorian Era Vampire. Regardless, hes a cool character.
Check out this book if you want to make Setites with any real depth to them. Its an excellent clan book, and well worth the buy. Afterwards, you will actually be able to run them in your chronicles. The section on Egyptian history was extremely well written, even without the Setites, plus the new non-western bloodlines like the Children of Damballah, Daita and Tlacique were all neat additions too. Check out Blood Sacrifice for more on non-western blood magicians (especially Setites).
A more comprehesive veiw.......2001-06-22
All I can say is way better than the origial Clan Book. This book gives a much better telling of the tenits of the Followers of Set, and a telling of there history, from a realist of the clan. It also for me answered the questions like why do the other cainites put up with the snakes. It plays more on the keeping of "dark secrets" than the first book did, takes a stance of knowlege can bring coruption, and not all favors are payable to the giver.
I think this is good resource if you are a Story Teller, or a player intresed in running a snake, this book realy helped me get what they are all about. It also makes the snakes more playable in any game (MET or Table Top).
Finally depth is added to this clan........2001-04-19
This book is a cultural and historical study of one of the darkest of clans. The focus is one the culture and the mindset of the "snakes." This book discards the worn out stereotype of "Servants of Set" and gives them more depth. They are still his servants, but the are more... main stream. They still have thier dark goals, but they are protrayed with more human motivations. They are seen as religious, not mindless fanatical worshipers who cant think about anything beyond Set and snakes. Set colors everything they do, but he no longer appears to dictate everything that they do. If you read the clan novel, you will see that this clan book better describes Hesha, the previous work made it hard for me to imagine how a clan of fanatics could create such subtle schemeing sellers of secrets. This work paints a picture that makes it clear.
The down side is that the list of disciplines is weak.
Book Description
The Paris of the 1860s and 1870s was supposedly a brand-new city, equipped with boulevards, cafés, parks, and suburban pleasure grounds--the birthplace of those habits of commerce and leisure that constitute "modern life." Questioning those who view Impressionism solely in terms of artistic technique, T. J. Clark describes the painting of Manet, Degas, Seurat, and others as an attempt to give form to that modernity and seek out its typical representatives--be they bar-maids, boaters, prostitutes, sightseers, or petits bourgeois lunching on the grass. The central question of The Painting of Modern Life is this: did modern painting as it came into being celebrate the consumer-oriented culture of the Paris of Napoleon III, or open it to critical scrutiny? The revised edition of this classic book includes a new preface by the author.
Customer Reviews:
Rutting In Nascent Pop Culture .......2004-11-10
Seurat's,'La Grande Jatte' spelled the limits of petti-borgeoise modernity. For the previous 20 years, the Impressionists, led by the incomparably gifted, Manet, had attempted to make images describing this class, their appearance & behaviour. However,the Impressionists were bourgeoise & inevitably more aligned to their own class, and with the simultaneous rise of the dealer-critic system. Thus the steady sequence of shows, interviews & promotional literature issuing from managed,'creative' artists became the commonplace we experience in the arts today. The new class disappeared from Impressionist art when it was absorbed into the bourgeoise.Witness Monet's shrewd disavowal of the figure as he opted for his less offensive, touristy canon of landscapes. The detatchment of Manet's barmaid at the Follies, 1882,and the inanimate, even catatonic people in Degas's pictures of this period exemplify the new class. Clark argues that the emergence of this class was a product of the rebuilding of Paris by Baron von Haussmann. The old work centre of the city was guttered during the rejig, the trades & graves moved to new peripheries, and commercial entertainments, leisure & pleasure grew in their place to cater for this new white-collar mass public. The questionable role of prostitution is crucial to Clark's claims for this class and it is on this question that Manet is pre-eminent. This era announced the rise of capitalism and the spectacle society of which Clark is a major critical voice. Prodigious scholarship, marvellous insights, with fascinating, rarely reproduced 'secondary' art works to flesh out the theme; I can't think of a better way of teasing back the past to view the present.
As perfect as the paintings he discusses?.......2003-03-08
As a student of nineteenth century French painting, I think this may in fact be the finest book ever written on Parisian painting in the time of Haussmanization. Clark manages to offer an intelligent Marxist-based claim about class and the emerging Parisian landscape in the 60's without losing sight of the paintings themselves. While most scholars feel the genius of this book lies in his wonderful discussion of "what couldn't be seen in Olympia", I find the first chapter "Environs of Paris" equally fascinating in its discussion of Manet's Exposition Universelle of 1867. A MUST read for any lover of Parisian history or Manet.
An Art History Book For Anyone Interested in History.......2001-06-12
I like to think of myself as a person who is curious about a wide range of things, especially in the realm of culture and the arts. Most art history books, however, put me right to sleep, with their endless catalogs of curatorial details about brushstrokes and paint textures and influences and provenance. These detailed analyses almost never situate the paintings in any sort of context and almost never explain WHY we should be interested in these details, other than to prove ourselves worthy connoiseurs to others in the know. Clark's book is a refreshing change from such mandarin drivel. Clark begins with a lengthy discussion of the social context of the paintings he is about to discuss and only then proceeds to extended analyses of particular paintings. Clark is interested in the larger ideas and trends of the period and, most important of all, actually USES the details of the paintings as evidence in the course of making an ARGUMENT about what the paintings mean (hint to other art historians: having an argument contributes significantly to the interest of a book or article). In addition, Clark's argument about the nature of the social changes occuring in France in the 1860's and 70's is compelling and thought-provoking (be forewarned: some Marxism is involved). I found myself actually learning things about the paintings Clark discusses, and looking at them over and over again, trying to find more in them, in much the same way as I would go back to a book or a poem after reading a good piece of literary criticism. I think this book will appeal to anyone who wants to learn more about either 19th-century French painting or 19th-century France. Clark is a stimulating and perceptive guide to this crucial period in the history of painting. Bravo!
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