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Out With the Stars: Hollywood Nightlife in the Golden Era
Jim Heimann
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0896595722 |
Customer Reviews:
A Real Treasure!.......2004-06-27
This is one of those books I can't recommend highly enough if you love old Hollywood or the flamboyant architecture and graphic design of Hollywood in the 20's - 50's. I picked it up on a cut-out table in New York about 10 years ago and have come to appreciate it as one of the best books in my library - in fact it's one of those books that is always getting borrowed from friends who are graphic designers or work at ad agencies looking for inspiration.
Jim Heimann deserves much praise for assembling what is obviously a huge labor of love with lots of great photos and illustrations that you will never see anywhere else - everything from cocktail napkins and matchbooks to beautiful interior photography and paparazzi pics of the stars at play.
Also I'd like to disagree with the review - I actually found the writing in the book to be pretty engaging. It's fairly straightforward and to the point., luckily since there is a lot of history to cover.
Anyway it's an amazing book that I would highly recommend.
Book Description
History is recorded in many ways. According to author James Deetz, the past can be seen most fully by studying the small things so often forgotten. Objects such as doorways, gravestones, musical instruments, and even shards of pottery fill in the cracks between large historical events and depict the intricacies of daily life. In his completely revised and expanded edition of In Small Things Forgotten, Deetz has added new sections that more fully acknowledge the presence of women and African Americans in Colonial America. New interpretations of archaeological finds detail how minorities influenced and were affected by the development of the Anglo-American tradition in the years following the settlers' arrival in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620. Among Deetz's observations:
Subtle changes in building long before the Revolutionary War hinted at the growing independence of the American colonies and their desire to be less like the British.
Records of estate auctions show that many households in Colonial America contained only one chair--underscoring the patriarchal nature of the early American family. All other members of the household sat on stools or the floor.
The excavation of a tiny community of freed slaves in Massachusetts reveals evidence of the transplantation of African culture to North America.
Simultaneously a study of American life and an explanation of how American life is studied, In Small Things Forgotten, through the everyday details of ordinary living, colorfully depicts a world hundreds of years in the past.
Customer Reviews:
Little things mean a lot.......2007-10-09
I enjoyed Deetz' newly updated introduction to Historical Archaeology in America. He makes clear that much can be gleaned from the seemingly insignificant material things that are left behind in the process of living. I greatly enjoyed his putting the pieces of the puzzles together. Sometimes the result was an interesting surprise. For instance, I didn't know that porches, which became so popular in America, were not a feature of European houses and were introduced by Africans. "Shotgun houses" also have African roots. Another surprising story is told by the changing styles of Colonial gravestones. They change subtly as the religious climate changes. The oldest being very stiff and stern and later ones becoming more decorative, replacing deaths heads with angels.
Non Fiction.......2007-09-03
This text looks at the recovery of everyday items from the past in the United States of America. Things like plates, cup, bowls, what stuff was thrown in the rubbish bun, all that sort of thing, as opposed to recovering things that are of highly significant historical, political or scientific importance. So, trying to piece together personal life.
Remember Small Things.......2002-04-01
The main thrust of Deetz's argument in this book points to the incomplete nature of the traditional historian's approach to understanding past societies. By focusing only on written documentation, traditional historians necessarily confine the groups they can examine to literate societies, thereby excluding most people in the history of human existence. Furthermore, written documents contain the bias of the author, and so cannot always be trusted.
Deetz argues that historical archaeology and the study of material culture opens the door to understanding a far wider band of human societies, and can further help us relate to the literate cultures we study, by providing corroborating evidence, in some cases, and filling in the gaps overlooked in traditional written documents in other cases.
This work focuses mainly on early New England societies, but the research methods Deetz puts forth readily adapt to studies in other areas. The fact that this book still stands as required reading on university course lists 25 years after its first publication testifies to its usefulness...
copied directly from Scientific American Nov. 96.......1997-04-07
History is pretty much junk, one might conclude after finishing this breezy introduction to historical archaeology. Poring over estate listings, pottery shards, gravestones and excavated foundations, James Deetz reconstructs the changing face of American life during the colonial era, as immigrant traditions and aesthetics adapted to the New World. The book makes a powerful argument for an empirical kind of history far removed from the anonymous assertions of high school textbooks
Book Description
" The Night Club Era should rate as a Broadway Koran. Other books on the subject are unnecessary if they agree with it, wrong if they differ from it, and in either case should be burned." -- Alva Johnston, from the Introduction
Written in the aftermath of Prohibition, Stanley Walker's The Night Club Era is a lively and idiosyncratic account of the people and places that defined New York's night life during the era of "the great American madness." Here we meet murderers and millionaires, gangsters, bartenders, celebrities of the stage, screen, and society, and a host of other colorful characters who populated the city's diverse night clubs, from El Fey to the Cotton Club. Walker relives the "night of incredulous sadness" on which the Volstead Act went into effect, visits a classic speakeasy, discussing the owner's delicate arrangements with policemen, prohibition agents, and bootleggers, and details the frequently brutal swindles practiced in the city's numerous clip joints and the tactics of the era's crime organizations, explaining precisely what happens when one is "taken for a ride." Among the larger-than-life night club habitués Walker sketches are Owney Madden, the elder statesman of the city's rackets; Walter Winchell, America's most influential columnist and the "brash historian of our life and times"; Mayor James J. Walker, who typified the gaudiness, smartness, and insouciance of the city he ran, yet was never too refined to shoot dice on hotel room floors; and Texas Guinan, the beloved entertainer, hostess, and entrepreneur who greeted customers with her trademark phrase "Hello, sucker!" Vividly told, The Night Club Era offers a singular, serious -- though never sober -- history of New York City during Prohibition.
Book Description
The new edition: Two years after its original release, the new Obituary Cocktail has more bars, photos, drink recipes, and quotes. Six added spreads include the bar in the kitchen at Commander's Palace, The Circle Bar and its Herradura tequila shot with tonic--the Harry Tonic Jr.--and Butler's fantastically seedy interior.
WINNER Silver Medals, Publisher's Mktg Assoc & Ind Publ Assoc 2002! Book of the Year 1999 (New Orleans Gulf South Booksellers Association).
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic Book!.......2007-01-28
If you have ever visited the bars in New Orleans, you will appreciate learning of the little known history of the watering holes that you have spent many an evening drinking and laughing. It reminds you of the many who sat on the stools before you and what interesting things have occured before your presence! The book has beautiful photographs and is very much a necessity for any lover of the city of New Orleans. It is a great coffee table book, and can spark many interesting conversations!
It will make you thirsty.......2003-10-17
first of all, this is a beautifully produced book, with wonderful photographs of the great New Orleans drinking establishments and local scenary.
Secondly, it's a must for any bartender. Not much needs to be said on this topic except for the fact that many great drinks have come out of New Orleans and the bartender (professional or otherwise) should learn how to prepare them.
Finally, the book also presents some important historical information on New Orleans and its saloons. The two go hand in hand.
The Spirit of New Orleans.......2003-08-09
Ms. McCaffety has captured the essence of New Orleans with her wonderful book. The pictures are gorgeous, and the addition of a few traditional New Orleans cocktail recipes and the history of the saloons rounds out the book nicely. I can't wait to get back to New Orleans and visit the bars I've missed.
A Bourbon Street Hopper.......2002-11-08
I don't think I've ever experienced anything quite like the bars in New Orleans! They are fantastic! The press has given Bourbon St. such a negative view, but I had no trouble the two times I went down by myself! I mean if you use a little common sense, then there's no problem! The people were some of the nicest I've ever met! Everyone treats you like family and you have such a great time! This book shows that down-home, friendly atmosphere! It was interesting for me too, to see a lot of the places off of Bourbon that I didn't get to see! You know, the 5 star places that cost an arm and a leg, and require reservations! This is just another great book to relive memories of your trip to "Sin City."
Obituary Cocktail: The Great Saloon of New Orleans.......2000-05-29
Growing up in New Orleans is a rare experience. Living away often makes one nostalgic and wistful.. Reading "Obituary Cocktail" brings the sights, sounds, smells and tastes roaring back. This is a beautiful book. The photos are warm, romantic and evocative. The commentary is pure magic and the recipes are fabulous. Whether you live there now, once were there or have never visited - this book captures the charm, the quirkiness and the mystery of New Orleans and her great watering holes.
Book Description
Faced with the sale of the century-old family summer house on Cape Cod where he had spent forty-two summers, George Howe Colt returned for one last stay with his wife and children. This poignant tribute to the eleven-bedroom jumble of gables, bays, and dormers that watched over weddings, divorces, deaths, anniversaries, birthdays, breakdowns, and love affairs for five generations interweaves Colt's final visit with memories of a lifetime of summers. Run-down yet romantic, the Big House stands not only as a cherished reminder of summer's ephemeral pleasures but also as a powerful symbol of a vanishing way of life.
Customer Reviews:
The Big House.......2007-10-02
"The Big House" is best when author Colt is talking about the history and appearance of the Cape, or evoking a picture of the summer days he spent there, but as the memoirist of his family, he seems only in the elementary stages of his struggle to find his true relationship to Boston Brahmanism. Certainly part of maturity is trying to figure out what of the heritage we've been landed with we accept and what we reject; this is neither an easy nor a straightforward task. But Mr. Colt's discomfort about his Wasp-iness is such that the reader is uncomfortable too--we don't quite know where Mr. Colt is coming from.
There are, however, many nice moments in this book. I owe to Mr. Colt the happy surprise of meeting, in his apparently vigorous old age, Penrose Hallowell, a Civil War hero of mine, riding out on a summer morning to pick up his mail from the post office in Pocasset. And if you summer (or used to summer), on the Cape, especially if you've spent time on Buzzard's Bay, you will find much to enjoy.
(If this book interests you, you may enjoy "In My Blood," by John Sedgwick, about a rather similar family in another big house, with some of the same challenges.)
NICE STORY.......2007-08-16
I liked this book. I read it while I was on the beach in Misquamicut. Its about a man who brings his family to Cape Cod to spend the last summer in a summer home owned by his family that has to be sold because they could no longer afford to keep it. It told of his parents, the story behind the house, his grandparents, and his memories of the house when he was young. I liked it.
A Sense of Place.......2007-07-16
Partway through this memoir, one of George Howe Colt's friends uses "a sense of place" to describe what seems most important about Colt's family summer house. I could not agree more. The Big House is a huge, rambling monstrosity of a place, seeming more like the Addams Family's house than anything else. But the Colts and the Atkinsons have lived in and loved the Big House for a century, and its easy to see why. It provides an anchor and a gathering point for the generations to come together every summer. But its too expensive to maintain, and the family has to decide what to do with it, causing some members to fear that it may be lost forever.
This is a memoir both of a house and of a family. The Atkinsons and Colts were Boston Brahmins, WASPS who were once wealthy and prosperous but who now have fallen on leaner times. They endured much unhappiness over the years, but found the Big House to be a place of healing for them. I recognized many traits they shared with my own extended family, which is to be expected since we are WASPS, too, though we are Southerners rather than New Englanders and much less prosperous. I understood the need for "a sense of place" too, since I feel it strongly when visiting areas where my own ancestors lived.
I picked this book up on a whim, but once I started it I could not put it down. It is a fine memoir of a place and way of life that has almost disappeared, but it is also an evocation of much that is still important: family, heritage, and memory.
LOVELY.......2006-11-29
THIS IS A LOVELY BOOK THAT MAKES ME REMEMBER MY OWN FAMILY BIG HOUSE. ALTHOUGH IT WAS IN THE NORTH WOODS OF WISCONSIN AND NOT ON CAPE COD, I REMEMBER THE SAME FAMILY DYNAMIC WITH KIDS EVERYWHERE AND AUNTS AND UNCLES READY TO DO SOMETHING FUN. THANKS FOR THE WONDERFUL BOOK.
Wonderful!.......2006-11-03
I couldn't put this book down! A perfect blend between well written history and personal family narrative. Also, it was pretty creepy how similar their family is to mine! Highly recommended for anyone who's ever had a summer house, been to a summer house, been to Cape Cod, or enjoyed summer in any capacity.
Average customer rating:
- Reliving the Past
- PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST IN THIS GENRE
- NO IDEA what they're saying
- buy it and use it
- An incredible resource of "oldtimer" wisdom
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The Foxfire Book: Hog Dressing, Log Cabin Building, Mountain Crafts and Foods, Planting by the Signs, Snake Lore, Hunting Tales, Faith Healing, Moonshining
Inc. Foxfire Fund
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Foxfire 2: Ghost Stories, Spring Wild Plant Foods, Spinning and Weaving, Midwifing, Burial Customs, Corn Shuckin's, Wagon Making and More Affairs of Plain Living
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Foxfire 3 (Foxfire)
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Foxfire 4 (Foxfire)
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Foxfire 5 (Foxfire)
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Foxfire 6 (Foxfire)
ASIN: 0385073534
Release Date: 1972-02-17 |
Book Description
In the late 1960s, Eliot Wigginton and his students created the magazine Foxfire in an effort to record and preserve the traditional folk culture of the Southern Appalachians. This is the original book compilation of Foxfire material which introduces Aunt Arie and her contemporaries and includes log cabin building, hog dressing, snake lore, mountain crafts and food, and "other affairs of plain living."
Customer Reviews:
Reliving the Past.......2007-09-04
If you are interested in learning how our forefathers lived without the modern day conveniences that we enjoy today, this book is a must read. You will learn how they survived without much income and you could learn something beneficial that you never knew.
PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST IN THIS GENRE.......2007-03-26
The Foxfire books are a wonderful thing and we are so lucky to have them. Many of the ways, crafts, planting lore, animal lore, and as the book says "affairs of plain living" are preserved here. This particular volume includes different wood and it's uses, Mountain Recipes, Slaughtering Hogs, weather signs faith healing and so very, very much more. this is a wonderful recording of life the way it was and probably never will be again. The book is quite well written and has faithfully recorded even the dialect of these wonderful people, from which so many of us sprung. That is a big part of the charm of these works. This book includes actual interviews with folks from that region of the country which I am sure are long dead now. Their knowledge would be completely lost without works such as this. Another generation or two and it will all be completely gone. Thank goodness we have recordings such as this. Recommend this one highly.
NO IDEA what they're saying.......2007-01-18
I heard about this book and thought, "OH I'm from the South and this book will be lovely to read to find out about how things used to be." And I would probably have been right if I could have made out what they were talking about. The slang is much too thick for me. I'm not sure anyone could understand it except people who actually are from this region. Thumbs down for no translation.
buy it and use it.......2006-06-18
Don't get me wrong the entire series is amazing. Book one is the best and one of the more practical. The chapter on log cabin building was my inspiration to build my own cabin. At least 75% of the cabin was directions from this very book. Reading a Foxfire (any of them) does something to you that's hard to explain. I think of Foxfire books as almost a self-help guide that teaches you how to slow down for a minute. I recommend this book for anybody with high blood pressure or some kind of anxiety problem. It's therapeutic. These students met some really neat people of Appalachia. We can't let this way of life fade away as it almost has in my hometown, Knoxville.
An incredible resource of "oldtimer" wisdom.......2006-04-15
I've inherited the first seven, origional print books from my dad, and bought 8 and 9 for myself just a year ago, and I must say that I've always enjoyed reading these books. The people who contributed their knowledge & wisdom to these books are a resource that has largely been lost to us, and it's a shame that more of us don't realize the wisdom that is missing in this world with the deaths of these oldtimers (as the books were written in the 70's primarily).
I rate this book right up there with Carla Emery's books, as a great resource for folks trying to get back to a more self-sufficient way of life and providing for themselves, their families, and even friends & neighbours. These books definitely give a sense of old-fashioned camaraderie and willingness to help your neighbour in time of need (and in times of plenty).
Amazon.com
An award-winning science fiction writer, esteemed professor of comparative literature at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and celebrated essayist and memoirist, Samuel Delany is one of America's keenest observers. He was also a longtime habitué of many of the sex theaters in New York City's Times Square, spending, by his own estimate, "thousands and thousands of hours" at the Capri, Variety Photoplays, the Eros, and the Venus. In the 1990s all of these theaters were shut down through new restrictive zoning laws, part of a combined effort by the Walt Disney Corporation and the administration of Mayor Rudy Giuliani to gentrify the area, replacing these seedily memorable institutions with antiseptic, innocuous architectural and cultural creations in the name of health safety. But as Delany reveals in his new book, Times Square Red, Times Square Blue, the decision to clean up Times Square had little to do with public health, and everything to do with corporate greed.
In the two essays that comprise this eloquent, provocative book, Delany grieves for the loss of this strip of sexual release. Though he is careful not to romanticize or sentimentalize the peep shows and porn theaters, he does illuminate the way in which these venues crossed class, racial, and sexual orientation lines, providing a delightfully subversive utopia--and a microcosm of New York life. In the first essay, "Times Square Blue," Delany details his shared erotic and conversational encounters with working-class and homeless men in the theaters (which primarily showed straight porn films) and the genuine friendships that resulted; these immensely personal reminiscences also provide a social history of late-20th-century Times Square. Drawing on historical and theoretical resources in the second essay, "Three, Two, One, Contact: Times Square Red," Delany next builds a thoughtful and passionate argument against the gentrification of the area and the classist, characterless direction in which he sees New York heading. Read together, the essays of Times Square Red, Times Square Blue are both heartfelt homage to a beloved city and lament for a quirky vitality increasingly phased out by encroaching capitalism. --Kera Bolonik
Book Description
"Measured but emotional, illuminating but challenging." -The San Francisco Chronicle
"Remarkable." -Salon
"Essential." -The Nation
"In a provocative and persuasively argued cri de coeur against New York City's gentrification and the redevelopment of Times Square in the name of 'family values and safety,' acclaimed science fiction writer Delany proves himself a dazzlingly eloquent and original social commentator. . . . This bracing and well-calibrated blend of journalism, personal history and cultural criticism will challenge readers of every persuasion." -Publishers Weekly[starred review]
Both a celebration of the kaleidoscopic possibilities inherent in urban diversity and a eulogy for the plurality of human contact and stimulation squelched by the Times Square makeover." -Village Voice
If one street in America can claim to be the most infamous, it is surely 42nd Street. Between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, 42nd Street was once known for its peep shows, street corner hustlers and movie houses. Over the last two decades the notion of safety-from safe sex and safe neighborhoods, to safe cities and safe relationships-has overcome 42nd Street, giving rise to a Disney store, a children's theater, and large, neon-lit cafes. 42nd Street has, in effect, become a family tourist attraction for visitors from Berlin, Tokyo, Westchester, and New Jersey's suburbs. Samuel R. Delanysees a disappearance not only of the old Times Square, but of the complex social relationships that developed there: the points of contact between people of different classes and races in a public space. In Times Square Red, Times Square Blue, Delany tackles the question of why public restrooms, peepshows, and tree-filled parks are necessary to a city's physical and psychological landscape. He argues that starting in 1985, New York City criminalized peep shows and sex movie houses to clear the way for the rebuilding of Times Square. Delany's critique reveals how Times Square is being "renovated" behind the scrim of public safety while the stage is occupied by gentrification. Times Square Red, Times Square Blue paints a portrait of a society dismantling the institutions that promote communication between classes, and disguising its fears of cross-class contact as "family values." Unless we overcome our fears and claim our "community of contact," it is a picture that will be replayed in cities across America.
Customer Reviews:
hey, reader! stop giving no-star ratings to this book!.......2004-01-31
A confused "Amazon Customer" is repeatedly inserting blurbs from other periodicals into the "customer review" section of this page, AND failing to give "star" ratings to these inserts -- thus steadily dragging down the star-rating of this book. Since the blurbs are positive and have been repeatedly entered, I assume this "Amazon Customer" wants people to be interested in the book. Well, by failing to give a star rating, you're doing exactly the opposite! So either stop inserting blurbs altogether, or start giving them star ratings. This book is too cool to be muddied up by your confusion.
Prelude and fugue.......2000-03-11
Samuel Delaney has done the near imposible - he has written a book that is both titillating and informing. Dividing his cogent 21st Century social philosophy into two parts is at first disconcerting: Why are we reading (buying) a book that lets us in on the gossip of firsthand observation of Times Square New York, then in a page turn becomes a sophisticated academic treatise on our current social problems, in the City, and in a Country? Once past this mirage of a hurdle Delaney makes it patently clear why he chose this format. If we are introduced to a problem in a seductive manner, we pay closer attention to the bigger issues. This superb little book is illuminating in its exploration of where we are in our interpersonal relationships, our interplay with those around us (street, neighborhood, city, country), and our current drive to homogenize our world. Beautifully written, immensely readable, and a very important contribution to our social perceptions!
An intelligent, touching book.......2000-01-06
I always thought of Samuel Delaney as a writer of science fiction, my least favorite genre, so this is my first book by him. I was impressed and delighted. The worst thing I can say about it is that Mr. Delaney has a love of dependent clauses strung along inside comma-copious sentences that were sometimes hard to read. But he has awesome insights too, and compassion and wisdom lace every page. Makes me wish I was old enough to partake of that culture.
Sex and the City.......1999-11-24
A remarkable book, with both the frankest discussion of people's sexual desires and needs of any book I've read in years, and a compelling argument about the crucial role places like the old Times Square play in the life of a city. A paeon to America's cities and an intimate history of a culture being destroyed. Delany's masterful prose makes this brief book a treat to read. A great stocking stuffer for the intellectually and sexually adventurous.
Not worth it.......1999-11-20
This book promises to be a history and social commentary on Times Square's sleazy recent past. But in reality the book is told from a very narrow and restrictive point-of-view (. . . )There's nothing wrong with that except he practically ignores the fact that the West 42nd Street sex shops, peep shows, and massage parlors were also an attraction for heterosexual men. The reader will get painfully tired of reading endless descriptions of Delaney's sexual exploits among the XXX theater crowd. Additionally, the handfull of black and white photos of the empty storefronts of the "Forty Deuce" were taken after most of the shops had been driven out of business. Without good photos of the way 42nd Street used to be, the vibrant nature of the area is greatly diminished and Delaney's text doesn't make up for it. If you are looking for a social history of the old Times Square, something balanced and better illustrated, try Josh Alan Friedman's "Tales of Times Square" instead.
Amazon.com
Voodoo. Decadent socialites packing Lugars. Cotillions. With towns like Savannah, Georgia, who needs Fellini? Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil takes two narrative strands--each worthy of its own book--and weaves them together to make a single fascinating tale. The first is author John Berendt's loving depiction of the characters and rascals that prowled Savannah in the eight years it was his home-away-from-home. "Eccentrics thrive in Savannah," he writes, and proves the point by introducing Luther Diggers, a thwarted inventor who just might be plotting to poison the town's water supply; Joe Odom, a jovial jackleg lawyer and squatter nonpareil; and, most memorably, the Lady Chablis, whom you really should meet for yourself. Then, on May 2, 1981, the book's second story line commences, when Jim Williams, a wealthy antique dealer and Savannah's host with the most, kills his "friend" Danny Hansford. (If those quotes make you suspect something, you should.) Was it self-defense, as Williams claimed--or murder? The book sketches four separate trials, during which the dark side of this genteel party town is well and truly plumbed.
Book Description
Read John Berendt's
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in Large Print.
* All Random House Large Print editions are published in a 16-point typeface
Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty,early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. John Berendt's sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative reads like a thoroughly engrossing novel, and yet it is a work of nonfiction. Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case.
It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story is a sublime and seductive reading experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city is certain to become a modern classic.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Customer Reviews:
oustanding read.......2007-09-21
This was a very well written and funny historical book. Inspired my recent trip to Savannah Georiga, to actualy visit some of the places described in the book.
Hello Savannah!.......2007-09-18
One of my favorite books. I am one of the few that actually liked the movie as well as the book. The book goes into great detail much more then the movie. The characters are so crazy I actually considered moving to Savannah...seriouly! An excellent read, highly recommended!
Nothing special.......2007-09-03
First, the characters are somewhat interesting in the way that many alcoholic, affluent types are, but the storyline never weaves them together in a way that makes the book itself intersting. Second, the author is trying to strike a balance between 1. historic integrity and theme, 2. his first account experiences, and 3. what might make for an interesting read. I think he relies heavily on his first account experinces at the expense of history and an interesting story. My real motivation for finishing the book was to see if I knew any of the characters - I grew up not far from Savannah.
Non Fiction.......2007-09-03
Truth is stranger than fiction.
The bizarre cast of characters in Savannah, Geporgia, or thereabouts has to be seen to be believed. This is probably why it makes a decent book, as any novelist would have been happy to come up with stuff as whacky as guys walking invisible dogs, and other oddities, as well as having an interesting murder mystery in the middle of it.
Plenty of Evil, but "Good?".......2007-09-03
So, having survived my 10 and 11 year old daughters' recent Girl Scvout trip to Savannah for the pilgrimage to visit the Juliette Low birthplace, the troop leader(one of my best friends)and I decided to revisit the book we read a few years ago for our book group. I didn't really like it much the first time. I enjoy nonfiction, but I've come to since learn this book isn't all "non fiction" anyway. Lots of artistic license taken here!
Savannah is a beautiful old city, very historic and charming. I usually first think of Ellen O'Hara when I think of Savannah, being a big GWTW fan. BUt while on my first trip to Savannah, the Mercer name and Jim Williams' name as well is mentioned over and over on various tours of the city and local cemetaries. You can't help but be reminded of the book, especially if you've read it before your visit. It had been a few years though, so not all the locations/squares of the various famous homes mentioned in the book were very fresh in my mind.
The book itself is a montage of "Life in Savannah." Jim Williams, the "Lady" Chablis, Danny Hansford, Lee Adler, Minerva, Jim Odom and Mandy, Luther Driggers and Serrena Dawes, The Married Ladies' Club and Sonny Seiler are interesting enough characters. My problem with the whole story was really that I didn't like or feel any sympathy with any of these characters. Except maybe Uga. I'm partial to English Bulldogs. But really, there was no plot, except for the killing of Hansford and the subsequent trials of Jim Williams. I found little to laugh at concerning Chablis; in fact I was not a little repulsed by her behavior. I can handle a drag queen, but so ill mannered and ill behaved! I wouldn't want to be aquainted with anyone like that! I didn't really like John Berendt's "character" either. I guess the voyeuristic tone was supposed to be engaging, but I really had a difficult time getting through this book for a second time without falling asleep.
Every city has its characters and intrigues, even small historical ones, like Savannah. If you go, visit Bonaventure Cemetary--it truly is a beautiful and haunting place. Forget about Williams and Hansford and the "Lady" Chablis, though. Don't let their spirits ruin your visit to a lovely historical city. The intrigues that went on in the founding and growth of the city (i.e. the ban on liquor, lawyers and Catholics, the pirates, the Gordon and Low families, literary greats Flannery O'Conner and Conrad Aiken, [who did get cursory mention in the book] the Civil War history as the gift the city became to save itself, etc.) are much more interesting than the Peyton Place soap opera presented in this rather sullying book. Not bad writing, but a little dull, if you ask me. I just wasn't all that interested in these folks and their problems. They seemed to be dedicated to creating them.
Average customer rating:
- Non Fiction
- a useful reference
- FINALLY, Answers to all my Knoppix/Linux questions
- Great book for data recovery and fixing MBR
- Great book, - dogeared already
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Knoppix Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips and Tools
Kyle Rankin
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
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Linux Server Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips and Tools
ASIN: 0596007876 |
Book Description
Knoppix is a portable Linux distribution with a collection of hundreds of programs and utilities--a veritable Swiss Army knife in CD form. This practical and flexible Linux distribution runs on the fly from a single CD with no need to install anything to your hard drive. Knoppix's excellent hardware detection, collection of programs, and ease of use help explain why Knoppix is radically changing the face of Linux. Though Knoppix is the most popular live CD Linux distribution available, until now there have been no books on the topic. A weighty theoretical tome or a book for dummies won't do--the perfect Knoppix book, like Knoppix itself, must be as useful and clever as a Swiss Army knife. Clearly, Knoppix calls for an O'Reilly Hacks book. Knoppix Hacks is a collection of one hundred industrial-strength hacks for new Linux users, power users, and system administers using--or considering using--the Knoppix Live CD. These tips and tools show how to use the enormous amount of software on this CD to troubleshoot, repair, upgrade, disinfect, and generally be productive without Windows. With Knoppix you can:
- Test drive a Linux desktop without the need to install Linux
- Troubleshoot and repair Linux and Windows systems
- Create a thin client network with just one CD
- Replace a web server or firewall in an emergency
- Perform a security audit on your entire network
- Virus scan a Windows computer from the safety of Linux
- Customize Knoppix for personal or business use
- Easily install the popular Debian GNU/Linux distribution with all of your hardware detected and configured
Knoppix Hacks provides ingenious fixes, clever customizations, and time and resource-saving tips. If you want more than the average Knoppix user, this invaluable book is a must-have.
Customer Reviews:
Non Fiction.......2007-09-03
Firstly, Knoppix is very cool, and this takes the usefulness and niftyness of that live distribution on a disc and throws a bunch of ideas at you that you can consider using it for.
Some are of the fun stunt variety, but that is what you want in a book like this.
a useful reference.......2006-08-09
I bought this book to give me a quick boost on Linux and Knoppix as a whole. As with a number of these "Hack" books there is usually a good pearl or Hack to make the book worth while.
This book certainly does that and for someone who need quick tips this book certainly helps. I would consider this a key book for any sys admin's tool kit as it is very useful in support MS OS systems.
FINALLY, Answers to all my Knoppix/Linux questions.......2006-02-24
First, I have been trying to accomplish several things in the Linux environment that I knew could be made much easier:
- Make "kiosks" for a trade show environment
- Loading Knoppix on the hard drive
- Set up an all Thin Client network for use in public library or k-12 environments
I did all of those things (And many more) the same day I got my Knoppix Hacks book.
Knoppix has proven itself to be an excellent vehicle for promoting the "Usability" of Linux to those who still feel it is beyond the grasp of non-geeks.
The Knoppix Hacks book has proven that advanced knoppix functions are not beyond the geek.
I highly recommend this book to anyone exploring the Linux world and specifically the Knoppix distro. I still have more hacks to try, so I'll be back in a bit ;-)
Robert K. Ruby II
Founder NWSIG
www.aprinciple.org
groups.yahoo.com/group/aprinciple
Great book for data recovery and fixing MBR.......2006-01-02
I work in data recovery and this book has some great tips. It shows you how recover files from a bad disk. This book also teaches you how to repair the MBR which saved me from reinstalling Windows. Well worth the price.
Great book, - dogeared already.......2005-12-12
When it comes to Live CDs Knoppix is by far one of the most popular. So much so that many of the other Live CDs are remasters of the basic Knoppix system. This book contains a lot of hacks that can better be described as how to do all the things you were wonder if Knoppix could do. This includes booting Knoppix with cheat codes, working with the Knoppix desktop, installing Knoppix onto your desktop computer, repairing a Linux installation, repairing a Windows installation, creating your own remastered Live CD, copying the system to RAM so the CD player becomes available, using it as an emergency router, file server, or web server, using it for forensics, and scanning a Windows file system for viruses. An excellent resource and useful guide for the person who wants to go beyond the basics, Knoppix Hacks is highly recommended.
Book Description
It is best to travel slowly along the roads and highways of Texas. Not because of speed traps, though they are there. But because if you travel slowly, you are less likely to miss the turns that will take you to the heart of this great state. Take these turns, and they will lead you to stories and places of faith.
The Amazing Faith of Texas is an exploration in words and pictures of people and places that represent the strong, abiding belief that sustains faith-filled Texans. A belief that transcends the boundaries of religion. Transcends the dogma. Transcends the differences.
We have heard all we need to hear about what divides us.
The Amazing Faith of Texas is about what unites us. From tiny churches on dusty back roads to the mega churches along our cities' highways, from temples, mosques, and synagogues—
Amazing Faith is a look at our places of worship and a listen to the stories that bring Texans to their faith. From the desert of West Texas to the pines of East Texas, from the Panhandle to the border,
The Amazing Faith of Texas is an exploration of common ground on higher ground.
Customer Reviews:
The photographer makes it happen........2007-02-28
The photographer, Randal Ford, is amazing. He captures the essence of everything he shoots -see his website and no, I'm not related... I can't judge the stories, although they seem pretty good to me.
Just the photos are worth the price of this book. For a little bit more of Texas check out books by Wyman Meinzer and John Graves. Texas - it's a big place.
Beautiful photos, inspirational text.......2007-01-10
I thought this was going to be primarily an art book. I purchased it as a gift for my in-laws, but of course I had to glance through it before I gave it to them. I loved it - the stories that go with the lovely pictures are short and well-written - I couldn't put it down. My in-laws loved it, too. Now I want one for me!
Regular reader of books.......2007-01-05
It is amazing, with all the different faiths, that we all are working for the same thing: higher ground. Pictures in the bok are great.
The Amazing Austin Area and a few strangers.......2006-12-18
This book proves that if you have enough money, you can publish a book that includes your family and friends. Add to that a few more of the rich and famous of the Austin area, throw in a few out-of-town strangers for authenticity (unbeknownst to them), then call it art. Mike Blair wrote that he "crisscrossed the state, searching for stories of faith..." And the book is by "Roy Spence with the People of Texas." Hmmmmm... The photographer's work is incredible, but many of the stories are not. This is a good example of what Chogyam Trungpa calls spiritual materialism at its best. I'd be curious to find out the number of people who are native Texans--since it seems that many are not. C'mon. Don't Mess with Texas.
A buddy of mine also loves this book..........2006-11-21
This book will fill you with hope for the future! The absolutely breathtaking photos of holy men and women were taken by Randal Ford, and the stories were collected and edited by Mike Blair. Some motivational pieces are as follows: A quote by St. Ignatius Loyola, "For those who believe, no explanation is needed, for those who do not believe, no explanation is possible" is positioned opposite a photo of a stark white metal cross in a Texas field. Sister Angela, a Catholic nun who lives in a monastery and raises miniature horses, says, "God is the boss, and I'm just an employee." There is a great photo of Gerald Mann, who was the founder of Riverbend Church, and he is quoted, "The dirtiest word in the English language is they." Alan Graham of Mobile Loaves and Fishes in Austin, is pictured on the streets with a homeless friend and he states, "When you walk through the wall of prejudice, you will find that we are all indeed children of God." Carol C. Walker, Ph.D., is listed as "Missionary, Humanitarian, Texan" and her words quoted are, "We need to always be able to step back and say, 'There might be another way of thinking than mine.'" If you need a spiritual boost as I did, leaf through these pages and know that God is with us.
Books:
- Palm Springs Modern: Houses in the California Desert
- Photovoltaic Systems Engineering, Second Edition
- Pure Sea Glass: Discovering Nature's Vanishing Gems
- Really Bad Girls of the Bible: More Lessons from Less-Than-Perfect Women
- Red Moon Rising: How 24-7 Prayer is Awakening a Generation
- Return of the Children of Light: Incan and Mayan Prophecies for a New World
- Rewind, Replay, Repeat: A Memoir of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
- Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers
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