Inside Rhinoceros

Book Description

Master the ins and outs of building curved surfaces and organic shapes while sharpening your knowledge of the mathematics used in contemporary computer-aided engineering applications. Inside Rhinoceros provides readers with an all-inclusive introduction to 3D computer modeling using the newest release of Rhinoceros ? Rhino?, Release 2 ? with special emphasis on understanding NURBS surfaces and boundary-representation methods. Real-world projects and step-by-step Rhino tutorials acquaint novices with key features and functions of the software, which is rapidly gaining acceptance in the corporate market as well as in the classroom. These hands-on exercises provide a direct path to learning how to generate free-form NURBS curves for creating surfaces and solids, construct polygon meshes for coping with other applications, and outputting photo-realistic images and 2D production engineering drawings from 3D objects.

Customer Reviews:

OK, but not great.......2006-08-12

As some of the other reviewers mentioned, this book is lacking in some critical details. I am only about 120 pages into it and have found some parts to be very confusing, particularly when it comes to the sequence of operations. Unfortunatly there are not many books about Rhino so I felt cornered into buying it. Do not pay full price to get a new one. I paid $8.00

For beginners only.......2004-08-22

The best thing about this book is it's colorful cover; the contents disappoint. When compared with a top-tier technical book such as the excellent "AutoCAD Bible", it is poorly organized, it's examples are confusing, and many explanations are downright befuddling. One example: one draws in viewports similar to AutoCAD's. The default layout is the standard Top, Front, Side (left or right), and perspective. The actual drawing entities are either established with the pointing device or entered as X,Y,Z coordinates via the command line. So far, so good. However, using the mouse to add entities to an existing object in 3D space yields unexpected results because Mr. Cheng has neglected to tell you that unless you pick the object using OBJECT SNAP, your entities will be drawn on the viewport's default construction plane which is at the origin. You overcome this by moving the construction plane through space to the location where you want to draw, but this crucial bit of information is inexplicably withheld until page 437!
Most readers will move to a 3D drawing program having at least a passing familiarity with a 2D product, and will want to become productive quickly. If you're on of these, if you are a professional and want to build on your 2D knowledge to create, render and present 3D objects quickly without having to wade through the sort of droll presentations typical of high school drafting classes, then you should look elsewhere.

Inside Rhinoceros Is the best book for BEGINNER !!!.......2003-06-18

100% a great book for beginner to start how to use Rhinoceros Version 2.0
This is the best book with a lot of pratical example,picture & very detail instruction.
It will be great tht if Mr.Ron K. C. Cheng can write the version 3.0 in future with a hard cover book.
Thank you !!!

Outdated.......2003-05-22

This book is for Rhinoceros Release 2.0 however the current version of Rhino is 3.0. This might sound like a minor detail but a lot of the illustrations in the book will not match what is showing on your screen which makes learning frustrating.

One of the Best Self study books I've ever read!!!!.......2002-11-30

Being a person who does alot of self studying (All Technical materials from networking to 3d)I would say this is one of the best books I've ever read. The explenation matches step by step to the excersizes given to practice. I've finished the book once and will try it one more time because of the volume of the info that has been explained in the book. There are very minor misstakes where a step or two have been droped by the author and makes the reader a little confuse ( the result of the excersize will not match the one in the book). But I have not seen or read any other book without those small misstakes.
Good Job Mr. Cheng.

Average customer rating:

If you want to learn Rhino ....
Horrible
Save your time and money
Somewhat Helpful

Inside Rhinoceros 3
Ron K.C. Cheng
Manufacturer: OnWord Press (Acquired Titles)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1401850634

Book Description

A balanced presentation combining theory, concepts, and tutorials is at the heart of this introduction to 3D computer modeling that is written to the latest version of Rhinoceros„µ, Release 3. Special emphasis is given to understanding theoretical issues on NURBS (nonuniform rational B-splines) curves and surfaces as well as practical issues on the use of Rhinoceros to construct and design 3D free-form models. Real-world applications of NURBS modeling and step-by-step Rhino tutorials help acquaint novices with key features and functions of the software. Advanced users will enjoy the comprehensive nature of the material as a reference for using Rhinoceros to work on their industrial and engineering design projects.

Customer Reviews:

If you want to learn Rhino ...........2006-09-08

This book provides plenty of examples, grouped in a context in which they will be used. Some Nurbs, modeling theory and troubleshooting tips. Enough to answer questions as you go through the text but not so much as to be overwhelming.

The only fly in the ointment in my opinion was the chapter on Flamingo. I thought that chapter was organized in an awkward manner.

Horrible.......2004-06-06

Do not buy this book. Instead buy the online Rhino video tips from Mcneel. I bought this book expecting to learn something only to discover that the stuff I learned was useless.

The author spends the majority of the book explaining in detail--like the help menu--the various functions of Rhino, and NURBS in general. He then attempts to use every possible command to create the joystick, toothbrush, toy car, and shoe projects.

Save your time and money.......2004-03-25

Numerous omissions and typos made for a very frustrating read. Mislabeled drawings and missing or erroneous instructions made exercises difficult to follow. Fundamental exercises were superficial and fragmented without logical development or context making retention difficult. Rhino's supplied Level 1 and Level 2 Training Materials are far superior in all regards. Don't waste your time and money. The publisher and author were e-mailed regarding problems but no response.

Somewhat Helpful.......2003-12-13

This book has a good overview and general explanation of how things are designed in 3D. It takes you through the commands and tools step by step, with surprisingly few misprints. The CD that comes with it has the free demo program, and some tutorials. However, the lack of a glossary makes it an unnecessarily tedious read for anyone not familiar with advanced geometry and math. My dictionary wasn't much help. More serious omissions became apparent as I tried to use Rhino, like the very short entry on Boolean Unions. He doesn't even mention that they can fail to work, much less offer any solutions. This book saved me some time learning basic tools, and helped with general concepts, and is probably better than not having a text at all. I haven't bought Rhino yet, so I can't compare this to the manual that comes with the program.

Average customer rating:

Ho Humm.
Finest kind of escapist reading, woo hoo!
Good solid adventure tale set in post WWI Africa
Period Details Elevate Wanton, Violent Tale of Colonial Kenya
Lots and lots of adventure here!

The White Rhino Hotel
Bartle Bull
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0786707984

Book Description

Historic romance and adventure do not get any better than in this companion novel to the top-selling A Caf on the Nile. The Great War has ended, tragically for many, but for some, Africa holds the prospect of vast estates, fabulous wealth, and limitless opportunity in this powerful, wonderfully crafted novel of the natural and human perils that await pioneers in a promised land. In colonial Kenya the paths of these new settlers cross at Lord Penfold's White Rhino Hotel. Here they meet the cunning dwarf Olivio Alevado, a man whose lustful desires and vengeful schemes make him a formidable adversary to his enemies and a subtle ally to his friends. Here the destinies of the gypsy adventurer Anton Rider and courageous, war-hardened Gwen Llewelyn intersect. Here hope is corrupted by greed, love by revenge, and loyalty by betrayal as the future is trampled into history. "A wing-ding adventure story.... The kind of book that creates one of the elemental delights of fiction - a complete other world where, unlike our own, all the parts add up to something." - Boston Globe; "A genuine epic centered in Africa, by a writer who knows how to write, who knows his terrain intimately, who knows how to paint his characters convincingly, and who knows how to spin a good yarn." - Forbes Magazine.

Customer Reviews:

Ho Humm........2007-07-11

If you go for gratuitous violence and sex, and can identify with characters who are not credible, this is the book for you. Despite these faults something kept me reading on, perhaps just curiosity as to what outrage might occur next. Also, a friend whom I respect had sent it to me and I felt a certain obligation to read it so I could comment on it when I saw him next. If you have time for purely escapist reading I guess it's OK. I'm a slow reader and don't have time for this sort of stuff.

Finest kind of escapist reading, woo hoo!.......2006-08-16

I recently have blown through a quartet of novels by a writer with the unlikely name of Bartle Bull (he's said to be a former publisher of the Village Voice). The politically incorrect but somewhat historically accurate novels set mostly in Africa in the 1918-1943 timeline are quite a delight, assuming one goes for African Adventure and I do, boy howdy. These novels are fun, intriguing and semi informative. And, they're about AFRICA.

For those largely ignorant (as was I) of the Italian invasion of Abysinia (aka Ethiopia) in the mid-Thirties, Cafe on the Nile is especially interesting.

The White Rhino Hotel
A Cafe on the Nile
The Devil's Oasis
Shanghai Station. OK, so it's not Africa; it's Shanghai. Sue me, do.

Finest kind of light reading, perfect for escapist holidays, beach reading, flight numbing and generally out-of-the-loop fare. To be enjoyed.

Good solid adventure tale set in post WWI Africa.......2005-12-03

The author has captured the time period in this sometimes rousing and gripping adventure tale. The book is peopled with some mighty odd characters, some ruthless and cunning, others heroic and tough. Some of the scenes are downright incredible as the characters try to carve out a new life in the danger-filled Kenyian jungles and fields. Colorful local flavor, some good old fashioned fist-fights, daring-do, narrow escapes and the tasty flavor of revenge as all the interwoven tales come together. The star of this book is the mis-shapen dwarf who plans, simmers and befriends his way through the various characters. The first in a series of three novels with over-lapping characters, some of whom perish in the process.
Check it out.

Period Details Elevate Wanton, Violent Tale of Colonial Kenya.......2005-08-25

Bartle Bull's "The White Rhino Hotel" is the first novel in his series of historical fiction about colonial Africa ("A Cafe on the Nile" and "The Devil's Oasis" follow), and "White Rhino" gets the series off to a rip-roaring start.

Starting in 1919 as WWI closes, "White Rhino" follows a varied band of intrepid heroes, trusty sidekicks, and dastardly villains as the British start to assert their control over Kenya. Thanks to British arrogance and a fundamental misunderstanding of Africa, chaos abounds. Fortunes can be made and lost for the daring, the cunning, and the ruthless.

Anton Rider is arguably the "hero" if the tale, and he is a young English gypsy seeking his fortune on the Dark Continent. En route to Africa, he meets Gwenn Llewelyn, the beautiful Welsh ambulance driver who is heading to Kenya to meet her fiance, Alan, who suffers cruelly from his wounds sustained in the British army but still dreams of starting a farming life in Kenya. Adam Penfold is a small-time English lord who thinks he runs the White Rhino Hotel in Kenya, which is the focal point for much of the tale as the local bastion of European civilization. But the hotel is actually run by Olivio Alovedo, Bull's greatest creation, a dwarf majordomo who schemes triumphs and vendettas while having some of the kinkiest sex imaginable.

As the story follows these characters and several others through the struggles to start a new life in Africa, Bull displays a commanding knowledge of the unique pulse of African life. Regardless of whether he's describing a lonely safari far from the trammels of civilization, the smelly optimism on a steamer ship from England to Africa, or the melting pot of various nationalities, agendas, and ambitions of the players in the White Rhino Bar, Bull transports the reader to another time and place with effortless efficiency.

That he peppers his story with copious amounts of sex and violence is a plus, for Bull is spinning a yarn here. Look for sly seductions, profound loves, heart-breaking losses, and above it all, sudden swift death that can reach out for anyone at any time. The pages will fly by as you get deeper and deeper into Bull's world, and you care more and more for his rag-tag bunch of misfits and explorers.

The only reason that I don't give "White Rhino" five stars is that I want to distinguish it from "A Cafe on the Nile," which is in the same vein as "White Rhino," but is an even more epic and enjoyable read.

Lots and lots of adventure here!.......2004-10-10

What strikes me first about "The White Rhino Hotel" is the almost surreal cast of characters that engulfs one's interest immediately. They are eclectic beyond the definition! And while the cast and crew rush headlong into and through all kinds of dilemmas, intrigues, complications, and predicaments (and even funny situations!) that would otherwise be chaos, Bartle Bull certainly is in control of the entire literary picture here.
Perhaps "fascination" is the noun to name my reaction to the book. Clever and creative, the book is more than a story line, more than just this collection of characters, as Bull gives us a reading experience worthy of our time.

It's Kenya, just as World War I is ending, this part of the globe to British at the time represents a brave new world-one without the ravages of the Great War, politically, socially, economically, you name it. And it is to the White Rhino these expatriots and others gather, the "civilized" watering hole of Africa, all of the characters with personal agendas (and hangups!) of their own. Truly, Bull's characters make the book as adventure combines with romance which combines with a circus full of "exhibitions."

It is Lord Adam Penfold who brings together these characters. His hotel is the magnet that attracts them, for better or for worse, providing them with just about everything they hope for, within reason. The symbolism, of course, is not lost here. The clever and dangerous dwarf Olivio Alavedo, the Gypsy Anton Rider, and the Welch femme fatale Gwenn Llewelyn -they bring their private agendas to the front (lust, revenge, greed, jealousy-you name it!). They all see Kenya as the fulfillment of their dreams. Of course, Bull does justice to all his characters, readily throwing realism with the melodrama into their fantasies, which makes the novel seem even more empowering.
"The White Rhino Hotel" is one of the more interesting books of my summer. (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

Have a Nice Decade: The 70's Pop Culture Box with Book(s)

Average customer rating:

Time Travel in a Seven CD Box!

Have a Nice Decade: The 70's Pop Culture Box with Book(s)
Rhino
Manufacturer: Rhinoceros Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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Customer Reviews:

Time Travel in a Seven CD Box!.......2000-05-20

This is AMAZING. Everything from the thorough documentation in the liner notes to the way the chronological presentation gives an audio history of pop music in the decade is perfect. Even though licensing restrictions exclude a lot of significant music, it's still a really fun musical history lesson. It's also a powerful mnemonic. Put it on and be transported to wherever you were when these songs were popular!

Average customer rating:

Great rhymes and illustrations
A MUST HAVE!
Buying Our 2nd Copy!
A delight to read
Worth the wait!

I Know a Rhino
Charles Fuge
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 1402708610

Book Description

NOW IN BOARD

These are my friends
I know them, you see.
I know them quite well...
because they live with me!

Charles Fuge's delightful rhyming text and absolutely adorable images bring to life a little girl and her charming animals as they play all day. She spins round with her hippo, blows bubbles in the bath with giraffe, and picnics on brown bread and honey with her bear when it's sunny. And, did you ever meet a leopard in top hat and tail? He's simply the best, as anyone can see. It's the most delightful menagerie imaginable, and the sweetest story--with a little twist at the end.

Customer Reviews:

Great rhymes and illustrations.......2007-06-27

This was liked by my son but my 2 year old daughter absolutely LOVES it. She has memorized all the rhymes and I hear her "reading" it to her animals after lights out. Any kid with a crib full of animal friends can relate to this charming story. And like all GOOD toddler books, it ends with SLEEP.

A MUST HAVE!.......2007-06-14

GREAT illustrations, a wonderful story, a book you can take anywhere! If you don't own this book, buy it now! My son LOVES this book!!! He's had it since birth, he's heard the story a 1000 times, and no one in the house is sick of it!

Buying Our 2nd Copy!.......2007-04-19

Our 15-month old daughter loves books. For her birthday we purchased all of the Dr. Seuss board books, plus she has many others. However, "I Know a Rhino" is her favorite by far. She received this book as a gift when she was born. 15-months later, my husband and I can recite it by heart and the front cover has finally started to tear. We're buying our 2nd copy. Every night she will find this book, bring it to one of us, then back up to sit on our laps. "I Know a Rhino" is cute, has great illustrations, and won't drive you insane when you read it for the 10th time that night!

A delight to read.......2007-03-08

I came across this book accidentally and have since purchased six copies for friends and their children. It is a delight to read and we don't grow tired of the sweet rhymes. The pictures are fantastic and the end closes with a nice pitch for imagination.

Worth the wait!.......2007-03-05

It took weeks for this book to finally ship, but it was well worth the wait! The story is so cute, and the illustrations are perfect. This is a great, catchy classic!

Horses and Rhinos: What They Have in Common (Animals in Order)

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Horses and Rhinos: What They Have in Common (Animals in Order)
Sara Swan Miller , and Jose Gonzales
Manufacturer: Franklin Watts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Zoology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Advanced Rhinocerology (The Rhino Books)

Average customer rating:

From a seasoned Rhino
Personal Development
Advanced Rhinocerology
Unenlightened
No Alimony - Hey I know that guy!

Advanced Rhinocerology (The Rhino Books)
Scott Robert Alexander
Manufacturer: Rhino Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0937382019

Customer Reviews:

From a seasoned Rhino.......2007-04-25

I've been a Rhino for more than 20 years. I have a shelf full of rhino statuettes and when people give me gifts, it's ususally with a rhino theme. Am I obsessed? No, I'm passionate about the subject matter. Some people call the information dated but I say its as fresh as today. Jesus Christ and the Bible never go out of style despite what the ACLU may think.

The books are a great read and will give you a sense of the entitlement mentality that is sucking the life out of our country.

Personal Development.......2007-03-04

adhealthandwellness recommended this as one of the books that was essential for my personal development when I continued my quest for personal improvement in network marketing. I have found it very helpful, as it goes into detail of defining situations and offering viable solutions. Alexander is deep.

Advanced Rhinocerology.......2005-08-25

Although some of the examples are a little dated at this point the book is a pretty good read. Basically it says to get off your butt and make something of yourself. Comparing successful people with the traits of Rhinos and the lazy people with the traits of cows. There is definitely some good knowledge to be gleaned from this book.

Unenlightened.......2004-06-30

I cannot believe, in this age, one is still able to purchase a book with such hideously backward and uninformed views. The underlying message of the text is profoundly alarming. Alexander is wholly consumed by the hollow notion of the American dream: that, somehow, everybody can succeed if only they worked that bit harder. Unfortunately, life is not so simple. Millions of Americans are born in to poverty; millions die in poverty. Alexander's quasi-religious principles betray his personal background and his simplistic solutions do not address the realities of those who really do need 'motivation'.

If you prefer to be comforted by such views as, 'It is actually the poor who sponge off the rich,' then this book is for you. But if you have any kind of modern social perception, understanding or awareness, then this book will sicken you as it did me.

A disturbing read.

No Alimony - Hey I know that guy!.......2001-10-17

I'm the kid that Scott Alexander mentions in his book in the chapter called "No Alimony". What can I say... Being a Rhino is a great way to live your life. I love to try and turn my ideas and hobbies into new businesses. Scott Alexander has been a great friend over the years and I treasure his books. (especially this one). I give the Rhino book series my highest recomendation.

Average customer rating:

3 1/2 Great Plot and Resolution; Illustrations A MIxed Bag
Nice guys are always misunderstood
Few words, fun pictures
A Work of Art!
Great picture book

Hippo! No, Rhino
Jeff Newman
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 031615573X

Customer Reviews:

3 1/2 Great Plot and Resolution; Illustrations A MIxed Bag.......2007-09-19

The familiar confusion of the hippo and the rhino sets the action for "Hippo, Not Rhino," a clver but mixed bag of verbal and visual treats. A lowly zoo-keeper (not necessarily a union worker, nor a summer intern, as another reviewer surmised), places a "Hippo" sign in front of the Rhino enclosure, and walks off, whistling. (It's not clear whether this is an act of ignorance or mischief, my own assumption is that he simply doesn't know, but doesn't take the time to check either--the surprise conclusion offers more fodder for debate.)

Rhino certainly knows he's a rhino and not a hippo, and looks aghast at the sign. When two pairs of mostly unattractive people (what, for humorous effect? to show that people may look as strange as zoo animals?) walk by and, also ignorant, call the rhino a hippo--the rhino answers angrily. A nearly bald blue-face women wearing a gaudy purple and fruited (garlic?) hat accompanies a green-jacketed elderly man whose pants look like an artichoke. Above them are messy, purposefully ugly splotches of paint, as if their presumably ugly personalities have leak into the air above them. Natually, they get the treatment:

"Hippo" [the woman]
"No, Rhino" [turn the page]
"FIX the SIGN-O!" [a very angry rhino]

I mention the aesthetics of the "pencil, ink, marker, watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, pastel, and cut paper" (from the publisher's information sheet preceeding the book) illustrations because consumers and potential readers may not enjoy Newman's persistant smudgy and garbaged-out illustrations. If you're a Ralph Steadman fan, or you liked Chris Raschka's pictures for Jules Feiffer's "The Hello, Goodbye Window," you're ready for these, but Steadman draws primarily for adults and Raschka's skilled atmospherics mesh well with the story's theme. There's sometimes unappetizing about this effort, as shown by what happens after the Rhino sends the first couple scurrying: After failing to move the sign with his tail, he hurls one of the two birds on his back at the sign. This doesn't work either, and the bird falls--slapstick-like--to the ground.

A second, younger couple arrives, a pleasant young woman, and a young man who might be every father's nightmare. With his green face and fingers (the latter resemble a reptile), and looking like an older "Pigpen" with his dirt kicking around his bell bottoms, he coos "...HIPPOOO." In sequence sure to draw laughs, the Rhino quietly replies, "Nooo...Rhinooo. [turn the page], then yells,"THAT's NOT MINE-O!," motioning towards the offending sign. Finally, one helpful, familiar sort of boy (although he's wearing dayglo yellow-green clothing; there goes my theory of the colors expressing personalities!), who obviosuly paid attention during school, helpfully changes the sign, and the blue rhino finally smiles, the pages look cleaner, the two birds sleep peacefully on top, perhaps even the lion sleeps tonight...

Except, over at another part of the zoo, an annoyed purple hippo (not a rhino) glares at a new sign--left by that same whistling same staffer-- pointing at him unforgiveingly: "Porcupino-O." It's a glorious finishing touch that adds some needed cohesion and good-natured fun.

I imagine that this book that will be admired by adults more than it is liked by small kids. The imagery is clever, but it can be confusing as well (e.g., a through-the-viewfinder picture of the rhino, the profiles of the visitors including a decapitated profile of blue-faced woman's head, the overall artistically skilled but unappealing grundge sensibility). The motivation of the sign misplacer is confusing as well. Perhaps the best element of this story is the one that's not entirely told--what other confusions and person/angry animal confrontations will the misplaced signs leave in their wake. Of course, that's the story you may want to talk about with your young audience, and that stimulation may be the best thing about this imaginative but mixed collection of comedy and humorous melodrama.

Nice guys are always misunderstood.......2007-08-06

Just plain excellent illustrations in Hippo! As with the precedent set in Reginald (his other book) there is a lot to see on every page. While the story line in Reginald was hysterical, Rhino might be even more clever. The whole story is told through the facial expressions of the hilarious characters...and not a lot of text. Very fun to read and a book that withstands the over and over test.

BD

Few words, fun pictures.......2007-07-18

This book is soo much fun to look at and read. There are not many words, but soooo much is said!

A Work of Art!.......2006-11-10

This is a beautiful picture book, richly illustrated by Newman, who lets his artwork tell the story of a rhino suffering from mistaken identity. Newman's colorful and expressive characters are not only fun, they guide the reader smoothly through his touching tale, allowing the reader to sympathize with poor rhino and cheer for the little hero who may help him. Add this book to your child's library and it will remain a favorite -- a perfect example of how art (and just a handful of words) is used to express feelings and experiences.

Great picture book.......2006-10-14

This book is filled with great pictures for kids just reading to too young to read for themselves. The story is told through the pictures, so it is fun and easy for them to follow along. Our son really loves us to read it to him, and I highly recommend it as a first book.

Hammett's Moral Vision: The Most Influential In-Depth Analysis of Dashiell Hammett's Novels Red Harvest, The Dain Curse, The Maltese Falcon, The Glass ... Man (The Ace Performer Collection series)

Average customer rating:

Disappointed. Here's why:

Hammett's Moral Vision: The Most Influential In-Depth Analysis of Dashiell Hammett's Novels Red Harvest, The Dain Curse, The Maltese Falcon, The Glass ... Man (The Ace Performer Collection series)
George J. "Rhino" Thompson
Manufacturer: Vince Emery Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Reference | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 097258983X

Book Description

Previously only available serialized over seven issues of The Armchair Detective magazine, this examination is the single most influential book-length analysis of Dashiell Hammett’s novels. Spanning all sections of his career, the book discusses five novels: The Dain Curse, The Glass Key, The Maltese Falcon, Red Harvest, and The Thin Man. Detailed analysis shows how the author and his work changed over time. Each novel is discussed in its own chapter with comparative criticism, and there is a list of resources for further reading and research. Additionally, this compiled text includes a new chapter in which the author discusses the impact Hammett has had on his own life.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed. Here's why:.......2007-10-01

I love Hammett, and I think Thompson has some valid insights, but I'm kind of disappointed with this book. But it depends. If I were a regular reader of "detective fiction" (i.e., if Hammett didn't happen to interest me intellectually, and if I read any other detective fiction with arbitrary delight), I might have actually loved this book. So don't base your judgment entirely on what I have to say about this book.

But what I will say is this: as a student of philosophy and English literature, and as someone who has read some literary criticism in his day, I will say this book is disappointing. Part of the problem is, Mr. Thompson tries to cover way too much. What I mean is this: he takes you through the novels entire. What he might have done is taken a more specific theme and found the places in the novels that fit with that theme. What you need, in that case, is not the entire novels: you need only "pieces" of each novel, and more speculation, more imagination. Not explication. The assumption should be that your reader is reading you because they've already read the author's books already.

For a good example of what I mean, read the Introduction to THE CONTINENTAL OP collection by Steven Marcus. His theory of the truth/fiction dichotomy in Hammett is very fruitful, and very short.

This book is advertised as "in-depth" and "influential." I don't know how influential it has been, as I have not read ALL the criticism on Hammett over the past forty years. But I really don't think it is "in-depth": it's more of an introduction.

There really is, I think, too much focus out there on "Hammett's Development As A Writer." To HELL with his "development"! He was a writer; that is all. There is no "development": everything he wrote was good. He might have changed over the years, sure. But it's not as though he started out as a hack writer and ended up as a brilliant novelist in the end. The fact of the matter is that Hammett was able to say in very few words what it takes other writers pages and pages and pages to say. It is simply more difficult to write something short than it is to write something long. This may be especially true of detective fiction. For instance, why is it that we have so little of Hammett and Chandler, but they are still considered the best? Whereas we have volume after volume of Parker, Spillane, Burke, Grafton, etc., and don't seem to be an "Influence" on anyone.

But by all means, if you want a good introduction to Hammett's worldview, or if you're a book collector, or if you are really unfamiliar with literary analysis, you might love this book.

But I wouldn't read a mediocre book on Hammett for the same reason I wouldn't read a mediocre book on Shakespeare or Aristotle.

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Dump Evan!
pathetic
Outstanding color digest of those days!

Rhino's Psychedelic Trip
Alan Bisbort , and Parke Puterbaugh
Manufacturer: Miller Freeman Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

History & Criticism | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0879306262

Book Description

Woven of flashbacks by musicians, artists, authors, radicals and folks who "were there" in the '60s, this book by author Alan Bisbort (The White Rabbit and Other Delights) and Rolling Stone staffer Parke Puterbaugh travels through: San Francisco's rock revolution, with bands like the Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead; the British underground scene, with Pink Floyd and Cream; the phenomenon of The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper"; the dawn of psychedelia in Los Angeles, with the Doors and Frank Zappa; and rock's festival years, from Monterey to the Isle of Wight. It also explores psychedelic literature, journalism, posters, films, fashion, lingo and more, plus the impact of politics and the rebuff of radicals such as Abbie Hoffman, Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg. In full color throughout, the book features lots of photos, a helpful index, and a foreword by Howard Kaylan of The Turtles.

Customer Reviews:

Dump Evan!.......2007-01-27

Some clueless dolt from LA called "Evan Dump" has chosen to attack this book, which I co-authored with Parke Puterbaugh. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course, but my mother always told me to "consider the source." So, let's "consider" what "Evan Dump" finds worthy of 5 stars, based on his other reviews prior to this one. He gave five stars to Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music. Anyone with even a tiny grasp of rock 'n' roll history knows that Reed released this 2-LP mess--nothing but feedback from his guitar, produced mostly when he was out of the room because even he couldn't bear to listen to it--in order to get out of a recording contract with RCA. It worked! They dropped him, and he went on to Arista. Dump also gave 5 stars to two "musical" acts that produce "sound collages." (Read: obnoxious noise). This, of course, makes him eminently qualified to pass judgement on a book that covers the music, art, journalism, literature, spiritual quests, drug taking and politics of an epochal time in American cultural history. At least it does in his own mind and, with easy access to a keyboard and mouse, on the Internet. Our book has received rave endorsements from John Sebastian, Felix Cavaliere, members of the Turtles and many others who have found it a spot on reassessment of those times. Dump's LSD fantasies have only exacerbated his tendencies to sulk and piss and moan because the music he loves has consistently cleared rooms and left him all alone, and sad. Boo hoo.

pathetic.......2007-01-25

These dorks waste 8 pages reassuring each other that they are cooler for never having dropped acid, focussing instead on record collecting and self-assigned reading programs to carry them through their late-60s adolescence.Then they go on to diss Silver Apples and Amon Duul. So very wrong.

Outstanding color digest of those days!.......2006-03-21

I was right there at the center of things in the SF Bay Area in the late '60s, saw Hendrix & Cream live, and of course all the SF acid groups, and I love this book, it is a quick, easy and colorful read of what was happening back then, entirely accurate and all the basics are covered. Well-written, well-designed, and full of interesting tidbits I never knew.

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