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Books to read if you're planning a vacation in "James", sorted by average review score:

The Ego and the Id (The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud)
Published in Paperback by W.W. Norton & Company (September, 1990)
Authors: Sigmund Freud, James Strachey, and Joan Riviere
Average review score:

A new terminology for things already known
Despite being a very small book, with good introduction and preface, this is not an easy book to read and in my opinion the more the reader is well acquainted with the evolution of Freud's terminology the better. In this regard The Interpretation of Dreams is a prior reading which will give substance for the later reading of The Ego and the Id.

Some concepts already presented in earlier books are developed more soundly in this opus, despite some confusion between the terminology, a situation acknowledge by the editor and even by the author.

The Ego and the Id was written in 1924 and, contrary to some earlier books by Freud which could be read by the lay person (" The Interpretation of Dreams" , "The Psychopathology of Every Day Life" , "Jokes and Their Relations with the Unconscious" , " Totem and Taboo" and many others), this one was not written for the non-scientific person, due to a lot of psychanalitical lingo he uses in the text and the difficulty faced in the conceptualization.

Despite all this, I think it is an useful reading to everyone interested in the history and theory of psychanalisys. The figth between the Id (which equals the Unconscious plus some conscious departments), the Ego (mainly inputed by senses perception) and the Ideal Ego (or Super-ego), who represents a kind of moral agency who reviews and criticizes all the actions by the Ego, is of special beauty and are quintessential Freudian. A pretty much intereting reading for anyone interested in the history of psychanalisys and in concepts already of working value.

An intro into ones self
Id- Unconscious part of the mind which consists of natural instincts, urges, and drives that are repressed. It includes "internal events" which stem from the influence of heredity. Although the id is the cause of all activity, the thoughts are often unconscious and repressed. The id represents biological forces. It is also a constant in the personality as it is always present. The id is governed by the "pleasure principle", or the notion of hedonism (the seeking of pleasure).
Ego- A defense mechanism that is partly conscious and contains the capacities to calculate, reason, and plan. As the Id relates to internal events, the Ego is occupied with the external world. Its task is to regulate and control the instincts provided by the id. However, in times of sleep, the ego detaches itself from the outside world and changes, its organization. The prime function of the ego is determined by the individuals experiences. The ego is the surface of the personality, the part you show the world. The ego is governed by the "reality principle ," or a pragmatic approach to the world. For example, a child may want to snitch a cookie from the kitchen, but will not if a parent is present. Id desires are still present, but the ego realizes the consequences of brazen cookie theft.
Super-ego- the connection between the id and ego. The super ego is the minds link to reality and society. It contains the influence of what is learned from other people. The super-ego, unlike the id, is not intuitive from birth, but acquired from childhood. Once established, one begins to feel guilt. The superego consists of two parts, the conscience and the ego-ideal. The conscience is the familiar metaphor of angel and devil on each shoulder. The conscience decides what course of action one should take. The ego-ideal is an idealized view of one's self. Comparisons are made between the ego-ideal and one's actual behavior. Both parts of the super-ego develop with experience with others, or via social interactions. According to Freud, a strong super-ego serves to inhibit the biological instincts of the id, while a weak super-ego gives in to the id's urgings. Further, the levels of guilt in the two cases above will be high and low, respectively.

The ID strives for the needs, wants desires; as the ID strives for pleasure it encounters experiences of frustration. The desires and needs of the ID do not get responded to as soon as the individual would like; in essence the reality of life; this results in the development of personality that governs orientation to reality. During early development of a person there are other influences as moral and ethical expectations of family and society. As the ID strives for gratification it encounters these moral and ethical expectations that tend to frustrate the ID; as a result of this the SUPER-EGO develops which represents the individuals moral orientation. Also known as the conscience. Family and society play an important role in defining for a person what these moral and ethical expectations include. Unresolved conflicts between ID-EGO-SUPER EGO can lead to fixation or blockage in development and can result in excessive dependence in manipulation. The resolution of each crisis depends on the interaction of the individual's characteristics and the support provided by the social environment.

Quote from Dr Freud:
"...the ego seeks to bring the influence of the external world to bear upon the id and its tendencies, and endeavours to substitute the reality principle for the pleasure principle which reigns unrestrictedly in the id. For the ego, perception plays the part which in the id falls to instinct. The ego represents what may be called reason and common sense, in contrast to the id, which contains the passions. "

Language Barrier
Sigmund Freud is not known for his easy-to-read writing style. Those that translated Freud's works have recently been under fire for being misleading or inaccurate. When I set out to read this book, I felt it neccessary to make as many notes neccesary and to dig beneath and between to bring out what Freud really meant by "ego" and "id." To my conclusion, the reason Freud is argued against so much is because of the confusion that surrounds his theories.

The words "ego" and "id" are Greek, and we have carried them into the English language and then nominalized. By doing this our consciousness solidifies them as things within our brains. The word "ego" means "I" or "self". The word "id" means "non-I" or "non-self", or "it." We dont say "the I" when we refer to ourselves. But so often we say "the ego" as if to refer to a specific part or thing of our minds.

The other confusion that adds to nominalization is then believing the rest of the book is about things in space. Yet, Freud specifically says, "The state of things which we have been describing can be respresented diagramatically, though it must be remarked that the form chosen has no pretensions to any special applicability, but is mere intended to serve for purposes of exposition (p. 18)." What Freud is saying is that in order to communicate clearly what is happening in ones psyche, or mind, there needs to be a working model of the psyche.That is to say, a model meaning a diagram with its parts that do not act as the psyche itself (or of reality), but shows what the psyche consists of. He does this by discerning that which is "descriptive," and that which is "dynamic." The descriptive only describes through language or imaginative use, while dynamic is more at the process that actually occurs.

Now the model Freud eventually used as a diagram is not a very good model. In fact it is a bit unwieldy and clumsy and in the end served little purpose (later in he updated the model in 'New Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis', 1933). Because Freud is the first to devise the model, it is primitive and modifications would be neccessary. Actually Freud seemed to have modeled what looks to be an ill-defined organ giving way to the idea that it functions like a heart would. While reading the book, I chose not to use the model he drew, but rather found it useful to create my own based on his descriptions of where things are in relation to each other. This does not mean I believe the model is a literal drawing of my mind or anyone elses, but rather a means in which we understand how one part of the psyche works with another. Similarly is Neil Bohr's model of the atom. He did not draw what he actually saw, he created a model only for communication purposes. When a group understands the parts, and the relationship of those parts, then you create a vernacular, or as Freud called it, a "shibboleth of psycho-analysis." Then we can clearly understand what we are talking about when referring to these parts.

The book is only psychological in language, where Freud describes his theories of ego and id. He raises other aspects of the psyche that one may need to already understand, such as cathexis, the Oedipal complex, displacement, reaction formation and so forth. He sets out essentially how ego is created in relation to id, and by creating our ego we also create repression. It is sometimes misconstrued that ego is associated with egotistical, or egotism, or even conceit, however, Freud is aware that our ego is as much benevalent as malevalent.

"The Ego and the Id" was written in 1923, so the language is sometimes archaic, even in the translated form. Its more popular to be adverse with Freud, usually due to the claims Freud made regarding childhood sexuality, and that all of his theories are based upon sexual experiences in our youth. I believe if one set that opinion aside and read as if you never heard of Freud, you might think differently. I found it useful while reading not only to understand the times Freud wrote in, but to also update the language in more modern terms. If ego does not suit you, choose another word, as long as the relationships and understanding of their functions remain constant. But what you call them may reveal that Freud really hit the mark in describing the functions and processes of our minds. When you observe as he did, you will discover how memories are repressed, what your consciousness holds, what you observe in your consciousness and what you are holding out on in your unconscious. How our ego's and super-ego's (ego-ideal) serve and protect, yet hinder potential. For me, updating the language allowed me to understand Freuds work much better than if I kept his work in the past and attempted to apply it to today. I dont feel that works for any author. It would be like knowing how to fix an Apple IIe and expecting to be able to fix a Macintosh G3 computer.

Freud's "Ego and the Id" is a great book to begin to understand his theories. Its a small book (62 pages) and will create the foundation of understanding for any of his other works. Having a good working knowledge of this book will also aid you in reading other authors who discuss ego functions as well as your ability to discern how the word is used in relation to Freud's understanding.


The Egyptian News (History News)
Published in Library Binding by Gareth Stevens (September, 2001)
Authors: Scott Steedman and James Putnam
Average review score:

A history lesson cleverly disguised as an Egyptian newspaper
The sudden death of Tutankhamen stuns the nation of Egypt and the question is whether the boy king died of natural causes or whether there was indeed foul play. "Boy King Murdered?" is the banner headline for "The Egyptian News," a creative way of tricking students age 9 and up into learning about Ancient Egypt from 3000 to 1100 B.C. Other exciting stories included "A Soaring Success!" as Zoser's pyramid sets a new tomb trend, "Wrapping It Up!" an in-depth interview with the royal mummy maker, and "Let's Party!" a beginner's guide to fashionable feasting with the chariot set. You will find all the traditional forms of journalism, from news stories and interviews to editorials and advice columns, all of which provide young readers with information about the history of ancient Egypt. Chief Scribe Scott Steedman also includes dozens of ads for Egyptians who need to have a boat built, buy a new wig or new Senet set, or want a job as a district governor or lady's maid. Other volumes in the History News series include editions on the Romans, Greeks, Vikings and Aztecs, as well as news of the Stone Age, Medicine and Explorers. Of course, once students see how creatively "The Egyptian News" has been put together, they will probably want to undertake a project like this for some other period of history. The combination of information and creativity is certainly irresistible.

creative way to present history
This book presented some events from Egypt's history in the form of newspaper articles. It was a very creative way to give children an introduction to Egyptian history. It presented lots of interesting informationa, and also some neat pictures. This book is good at sparking a greater interest in history in children while entertaining them at the same time.

This book captured my child's attention
As a homeschooling mom, I highly value books that inform my child about historical facts, while captivating them with exciting stories. I highly recommend this book as a supplement to any Egyptian studies. Written in "newspaper format", it is a joy to read aloud to my children. Using imaginative headlines and wonderful illustrations and photos, this book has definitely captured my child's attention. The plethora of historical facts presented are accurate and entertaining. I would recommend this book for children between the ages of 5-12.


eHypnotapes: Tension Relief
Published in Audio CD by LAtherapist (26 June, 2001)
Author: James E. Walton
Average review score:

Wonderful
Based on the other 3 reviews I purchased this CD and I am glad I did! Dr. Walton's voice is wonderful to listen to and I too find the CD extremely effective after a stressful day. I highly recommend it to anyone

Soothing and effective
This CD really surprised me. I find it engaging and effective. It really helps me after a stressful day or to fall asleep on nights I have trouble. The audio quality of this CD is very good. I especially like the tones he uses during the hypnosis.

I'm a believer - it's REALLY relaxing...
Jim Walton has one of the most seductive voices I've ever heard! He sounds young, but very mature and authoritative and caring - so I just melted and let my mind do exactly what he said, which was basically learn how to hypnotize myself to relax. I thought it was hopeless for me, but this really does work. And I have to say, this CD is like having a deep therapy session right at home for whenever you are stressed out! Talk about a great investment... Don't miss out on this.


El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de La Mancha
Published in Hardcover by Pegasus Press (January, 1998)
Authors: Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra, and James A. Parr
Average review score:

la bellaza del idioma
Quando empese a leer el quijote, empese en espanol. Pero, en una clase de ingles mundial en la universidd me hisieron leerla en ingles. Lo que me sorprendio mas que qulquier cosa es que, mientras tenia todos los temas intacto en la tradusion en ingles, el libro perdio la bellesa de la utilisation del idioma como solo lo puede hacer cervantes. Para serles sincera el libro me confundio al empesarlo y la primera ves no entendi todo lo que habia que entener (como en todo libro bueno) pero desde la primera pajina me enamore de como cervates utilisaba las palabras simples del idioma. No usa palabras grandes y dificiles en si (aunque si hay algunas palabras antiquadas que tuve que buscar en dictionario) pero es como las junta que hace el libro la bellesa que es. Leerlo es un placer hasta si al principio no entiendes quienes son todos los personajes y porque estan haciendo lo que hacen, la belles de su idioma y las esenas que te pinta en tu mente, son suficiente.

Literatura universal desde España!
Cuando yo estaba en la escuela y leí el Quijote por primera vez, la edición tenía un comentario que decía: "A Cervantes le bastó un sólo brazo para edificar la catedral de la literatura universal". Un poco exagerado (los españoles exageran casi siempre), pero no cabe duda que el Quijote a dejado huellas en la literatura universal y ha influenciado a tantos autores, como por ejemplo a Tolstoi. Muchos frases idiomáticas han sobrevivido los siglos no sólo en Castellano, sino también en otros idiomas tan exóticos como Alemán (mit Windmühlen kämpfen = acometer molinos de viento) o Ruso. Sinceramente El Quijote exije mucho del lector. Es una novela que hace que uno piense sobre muchos los fines de la vida. Y aunque no lo crean a veces se entiende mejor en otro idioma. Yo lo he leído en Alemán y Ruso y puedo afirmar eso.

Virgilio Krumbacher

comentar lo incomentable de un clasico
Don Quijote de la Mancha

Que autoridad me ampara a mi un escritor de oscura estirpe a dedicar una parte de mis esfuerzos y devaneos literarios a escribir sobre el quijote?. No lo sé, y aun menos que otro puedo hablar pues no he osado terminar la tarea de leerlo. No sé que me detiene ante este clásico, es muy bueno en las partes que he leído, pero quizás su fama es lo que me no he ha dejado en paz para sentarme a leerlo y por eso he hecho como el mal amante o como el marino que deja la novia en el puerto y zarpa por otros rumbos. Esta novela, marca una división, un comienzo y un fin en las letras españolas y es increíble que tanta genialidad tuviera espacio en un hombre, que supo ver la vida desde las mazmorras, pues barrotes no hacen cárceles ni paredes fronteras para una imaginación que germina como pasto salvaje. Estamos llenos de quijotadas algunos, como yo que pretendo llegar a la cima a fuerza de lecturas y puedo quedar si la fortuna y una mano amiga no me ampara cazando molinos, que quien no es tonto se da cuenta de que los molinos de ahora no usan el viento, pero llevan señales por todo el orbe. El quijote debe usarse y reusarse, interpretarse y reinterpretarse a la luz de las modernas sanchezas de un pueblo que como Sancho sigue dormido a unos quijotes mucho menos sinceros detrás de una dulcinea de color verde que no es una marciana.... Lupus est homo homini ahora y siempre.

Luis Mendez


Engineer's Guide to Matlab, An
Published in Paperback by Prentice Hall (11 August, 2000)
Authors: Edward B. Magrab, Shapour Azarm, Balakumar Balachandran, James H. Duncan, Keith E. Herold, and Gregory C. Walsh
Average review score:

The best
This is one of the best books out there. I not only used it in my vibrations class back as an undergraduate (and I had vibrations with Magrab too!), I have continued to find new ways to use it in the work world today. Dr. Magrab and the others have written a very useful book that definitely relates engineering to this program.

hit the bullseye
This one is really for engineers, it goes over the basics first, subsequently it goes into more details. It has handy examples of mechanics, dynamics...etc. if you are a mechanical or an electrical engineer, and you are a matlab user, this book would mean a lot to you.

Great title for mechanical and other engineering fields
Many 'engineering' matlab books don't live up their titles. They are simply written as general introductions to matlab with a few useless thoughts about engineering thrown in.

In my opinion, a good matlab engineering book focuses less on general tips that you could get anywhere, and more on practical problem solving techniques and methodologies that provide insight into a paticular engineering problem and its solution.

This books succeeds in that respect. Though it gives space to the more general issues of using matlab, it gives ample room to specific engineering problems. I found its information and examples very useful. The topics are focused on mechanical engineering fields, such as vibration and control; however, the math used for such topics are used across engineering and science disciplines. Thus, any scientist or engineer will find this book useful.

The book is written so that engineers at many levels can benefit from it. For example, as a former graduate student, I found the treatments of vibration response analysis insightful. However, an undergraduate or otherwise inexperienced user would benefit from this book as well, because there is alot of general discussion of how to effectively and efficiently use matlab and write m-files.

All in all, I found this book excellent for both its treatment of high level engineering analysis issues and its more general matlab tips and discussion.


Evoke
Published in Hardcover by Xlibris Corporation (26 September, 2000)
Author: James Freeman
Average review score:

A Good Book About A Bad Future
The sub-title of Evoke is "a political novel". At first glance, this story of a computerised system that transmits pre-packaged experiences to people over the phone lines via implants in their brains might look like a science fiction story, but actually the technology is only a small element in the book. The Evoke system is as much a metaphor for what is happening already with television and the internet as a speculation about what technology might bring in the future. The main theme of the book is politics. It is at once an exposition of Freeman's understanding of the way American politics works - the relationships between big business, lobbyists and organised crime and the official structures of Congress and the White House inform the bulk of the plot - and a vehicle for his own views about the development of American society more generally. These are not presented in a heavy-handed or didactic manner, but through the discussions among his characters over the implications of the Evoke system. Among the themes that come up are overpopulation, disappearing resources, inequality, and what is in a way the central subject of the book: the power of big business to buy convenient policies, at whatever cost to the rest of society. It is a well-crafted book, with a great story of interwoven plot lines that leaves the reader guessing until the end. The characters cover a wide spectrum: a billionaire, a Senator from Virginia and his family, a middle-class Evoke user, a black church leader and political activist and others. The essential idea is that the experiences provided by the Evoke system are so much more compelling and attractive than real life, that once people start using it, they lose interest in doing anything else. The parallel with television is obvious, but it is an important subject, and this is a fresh way of looking at it. One thing that struck me about the political aspect of the book was that the rest of the world - the world outside the United States, that is - hardly exists. This is an accurate reflection of the attitude of most Americans, of course, and certainly of Washington politics, but still, the themes of depletion of resources, pollution, and overpopulation that arise in the book have an international or global dimension, and this is something that none of the characters ever discuss. One image from the book is that of the billionaire character (Lonny Romeri, who wants to be able to advertise his company's products in the Evoke system's direct-injection fantasies, but comes up against the Senate Committee which is responsible for regulating it), cruising with his mistress in his luxury mega-yacht up the Italian coast. The rest of the world floats past outside: it is attractive, but it is not American, and it doesn't count. What counts is the real world of billion-dollar corporate take-overs, the Los Angeles drugs business and dynastic politics in Virginia. Also peculiarly American is the Evoke fantasy world itself. The idea is that the system allows you to have any experience you like, as if you are temporarily living inside the other person's head. What Freeman's symbolic Evoke user chooses, presented with this possibility, is a pedestrian mix of Playboy Channel sex fantasies, expensive holidays and gourmet meals: plus of course sport. He plays golf as Tiger Woods, and wins wins wins. It is an image of the American Dream. The suburban loser's view of heaven. The more up-market characters don't need this kind of escape, and their world is a different kind of luxurious fantasy: of private aeroplanes and private hunting parties, all thoroughbred horses and enormous mansions. The riding sections are some of the most attractive parts of the book, with long and lovingly-written descriptive passages of cantering about in the great outdoors. The characters are well-drawn and believable on the whole, though Marty, the token Evoke user, remains something of a cipher. After the hefty suspension of disbelief that is necessary at the outset for the reader to swallow the enormous, rapid changes that are supposed to have been brought about by the Evoke system, this is a direct, realistic novel. One could perhaps lament that the Evoke users discussed don't go into the intellectual or artistic possibilities of the dream machine (the commercial possibilities being the main point of discussion). A plan for using it for educational purposes is discussed, to be fair: but might not one or two users dream of being Einstein or Picasso rather than Tiger Woods? So, corporate America wants to start running people's dreams by direct wire into their brains, and a number of important players in business and politics want to get in on it, principally for the sake of the money. Their wives, mistresses and children get caught up as the wheels grind around, and millions of people slump into apathy as they eat their virtual lobster and are pampered by their virtual Playmates. A page-turner, and full of interesting observations and ideas about American life and society, Evoke sets out a grim agenda for the century.

Christopher Lord

A great read, hard to put down.
EVOKE is a great read with unforgettable characters. Freeman makes a valid point about where we are (or might be) headed and does it in such a way that traditional, science-fiction or mystery readers will all find their interests served.

A real page-turner!
Any Robert Ludlum fan will love this book. I made the mistake of starting it at bedtime, and ended up finally turning out the light at 3AM. The characters are well defined and the plot fascinating -- if a little scary. Think it couldn't happen? Think again. This was an unknown writer to me, but I will be looking forward to his next book, for sure.


Extreme Stars
Published in Hardcover by Cambridge University Press (09 April, 2001)
Author: James B. Kaler
Average review score:

Good Astronomy Reading
This is the second book by James Kaler I have read. Prior to this I read his book Cosmic Clouds. A very good book, but this one on extreme stars is much better. If you like astronomy you owe it to yourself to read this book. I have never read such a full and comprehensive analysis of stellar evolution prior to this. Many other books treat star types as if they were like worms or dogs - one never evolves into the other. This book clearly ties together the progress of stars form one form to another. I can not recommend this book highly enough!

Extreme Stars
Kaler's book is a rarity--a genuinely fresh approach to a well-studied subject. Each chapter covers extreme stars of a different kind, including the faintest, the coolest, the brightest, the largest, the smallest, the youngest, the oldest, and the strangest. By grouping stars in this way, Kaler (Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) piques the curiosity of the novice, while encouraging knowledgeable readers to think about stars from a different perspective. There is a wealth of information, much of it not available elsewhere at this semipopular level. Kaler is a highly respected researcher in the field, and his insider's knowledge shows in comments such as the description of a subject as one "... that can produce a good argument at a meeting of variable-star astronomers." The style is concise, graceful, and sometimes quite imaginative. (In one caption, Kaler speculates that the galaxy in the picture might merge with another one, perhaps providing "... a confusing mixture of evolutionary properties for that galaxy's future astronomers.") The illustrations--most of them in black and white--are clear, informative, and well integrated with the text. Highly recommended for all libraries. All levels.

Taxonomy of Stars
So much of the Universe is unseeable by native human eyesight. Nobody knew of craters on the moon, of Saturn's rings, of the moons orbiting Jupiter, of galaxies or nebulae, of the types of stars..... until the telescope was invented. What fascinates me about this is that it was such a modest telescope that first started revealing these wonders. And once we started to see, we have refined our ways of looking which leads to seeing more, looking harder, seeing more ..... Perhaps if we saw nothing new we would stop looking but that just hasn't happened. In some ways, it seems to me that the rewards for looking are immensely greater than the effort required to see.

Our understanding of stars as being huge thermonuclear explosions constrained in space by the force af gravity is so simplistic. (But even that is a very refined view compared to the understanding prior to a knowledge nuclear physics.) In 'Extreme Stars' we are taken for a journey to the limits of what it actually means to be a ball of gas - not necessarily hydrogen - that is ignited to nuclear burning by the force of gravity. We learn of stars that are big, bright (big does not necessarily mean bright), small, young, old, dirty, decreasing in size as they shed gas via a stellar wind, decreasing in size as they expand and shrink - leaving behind a ring of gas.....

We also learn of the generation of the elements as they are created in the fires of the nuclear ovens that the range of star types create. We learn of stars that collapse to nothingness in a black hole, that blink out in a final extinguishment of their nuclear reactions, that explode leaving tiny remnants that are truly extreme - neutron stars and pulsars.

When I stand outside on a clear night and see the stars gleaming down - distinguished by brightness (which may be due to the star's properties or simply its closeness) and colour only - I marvel at how our understanding of these remote and tantalising objects has developed. This book enormously enhances that sense of the marvellous.


Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids
Published in Hardcover by Yale Univ Pr (September, 1999)
Authors: Dorothea Arnold, Christiane Ziegler, and James P. Allen
Average review score:

Long Overdue
It seems that the Old Kingdom and it's works of art are many times overshadowed by later periods in Egyptian history. This book will go a long way in changing that. This book is beautifully illustrated and very well written. There are a multitude of sections going into many aspects of Egypt at this point in time. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to get a good overview of the Old Kingdom and it's treasures. It will be money well spent.

Wonderful Pictures
The aim of the book is to capture the many artifacts of the old kingdom. in this regard, its aim is not to be informative by being detailed on the old kingdom history - there are many books which attempt to do this.

having stated the aim of the book, i should judge it on the quality of the pictures: they are superb!! one of the best pictures i have seen, especially considering that they are indoor pictures! the grain is non-visible, this makes a difference for such a relatively pricy book.

Many of the pictures fill the whole page and this creates a striking image! It is a great buy if you want to collect good pictures on egypt!

One minor disappointment is that they omitted some of the most interesting pictures or artifacts of the old kingdom, which you find in other books. For example and most importantly the bas relief of king djoser at the ny metropolitan museum. yet, i probably know why..

Nothing lasts, but if it did, it would be Egyptian
This book is oversized, thick (560 pp), densely illustrated, and has a scholarly text that is fascinating and detailed. It contains photos of plenty of ancient art, mostly sculpture, and the large part of it will never again be available for viewing beyond the walls of the museums which have collected it. I recommend it for reading, from the library if you don't feel the need to purchase it. I also recommend it for purchase, because it is quite up to date from the standpoint of conventional Egyptology. Another great book for the coffeetable. Turn off Total Request Live and just read this.


Encyclopedia of Northwest Music: From Classical Recordings to Classic Rock Performances, Your Guide to the Best of the Region
Published in Paperback by Sasquatch Books (November, 1999)
Author: James Bush
Average review score:

A Good Reference Tool
Having been away from the Pacifc Northwest 60's music scene too long, I was pleased to see many familiar names of bands and musicians I knew from those years. At the same time, I was disappointed to see that the late 50's to mid-60's music scene in Tacoma was largely missing. This seems to be the norm for books on PNW rock history.

Except for the standard Wailers, Sonics, Ventures, and Bluenotes, it seems Tacoma continues to be skipped over. That is a shame, because Tacoma also had a huge and vibrant rock music scene during those years. I was pleased to finally see more written on the Dynamics and Frantics, but only a "mentioned by name" for the Statics, and no mention at all for the Galaxies, Beachcombers, and dozens of other really fine bands.

Still, this is a valuable reference and resource tool for those wanting to learn more about Rock music history of the PNW, particularly if your interests are Seattle or Portland. Eventhough disappointed in content because of my Tacoma roots, I am glad I bought this book. I know how hard James Bush must have worked on it, as my research into the Tacoma rock scene of the early to mid 60's has also consumed much of my time and I'm not even writing a book (yet).

Sammy Carlson, bassist for The Regents (Tacoma), 1963-1967. SamCarlson@TheRegents.net

A superb reference for students and fans of American music.
From classical recordings to classic rock, Encyclopedia of Northwest Music identifies the unique sounds of Northwest musicians, revealing the lives and influences of those who have made not only a regional name for themselves, but who've influenced music around the world. Profiles of the Kingsmen, Treepeople, Quincy Jones, and others are provided in a fine guide to a range of local styles from rock and pop to jazz and folk.

THE FRAGILE LIME,CITY ZU,GABRIEL-NORTHWEST BANDS
FINALLY A BOOK ABOUT NORTHWEST MUSIC, ESPECIALLY ROCK AND ROLL OF THE 60'S AND 70'S.THE PREVIOUS DON ROGERS BOOK IN 1989 WAS GOOD FROM THE OREGON PERSPECTIVE BUT THIS BOOK COVERS A LOT OF BANDS WHO HAVE NEVER REALLY BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED IN PRINT. BANDS LIKE MARK GALLAGHER & THE FRAGILE LIME, THE CITY ZU, AND GABRIEL.NEIL SKOK HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB!I SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE WRITERS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO MR.BUSH'S BOOK!


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