Gauguin's Nirvana provides an examination of the work of painters at Le Pouldu from 1889-90, considering Gauguin's friendship with Jacob Meyer de Haan, Van Gogh, and other contemporaries. Previously unavailable sources are used by experts who examine Gauguin's relationship with de Haan, their mutual interests, and the symbolist paintings they produced. An intriguing, involving survey.

The never has been, probably never will be, a finer, more stimulating utopian than Paul Gauguin. Unquestionably his life was a mess, but he was driven by angels, and transcendence, if not divinity, flickers from the pages of his journals as much as his paintings. Much revisionist bunk has been written about his modus, but Gauguin was an unashamed romantic - profoundly selfish, yes, but such is the call of the muse - and motivated solely by the drive to destroy hypocrisy and reinvent painting. He had the appetites of a satyr, and, while it lasted (and it lasted 20 years, while Van Gogh burned out in ten), a comparable animal energy. This slim book sums up his philosophy in aphorisms and boozy yarns and is the most elevating distraction for any grey day. It is crammed with jokes and visions, and has the feel of a roller-coaster - soaring from diatribes against corrupt Christian missionaries to the joy of unbridled sex in the sun, from the sanctity of humble animals to the prize of Confucius. Gauguin's son Emil edited this volume for publication in 1921 and insists that it is the true voice of his father, as opposed to the watered-down "Noa Noa" which, in its Dover edition, a reprint of the 1919, is equally interesting, if a little stilted. The bottom line, of course, is that Cezanne, Seurat, Van Gogh and Gauguin invented modern painting and all paid a huge personal price for their pursuit of the new way forward. All suffered great anguish, but none retained the buoyant irreverence of boyhood that twinkles in all of Gauguin. Read this, and see the difference.

No home should be without this. Quality art books with authoritative
texts and non-partisan integrity are rare as gold dust. This is
one. Originally published in the early eighties, it assembles a
variety of mini-texts that amount to an eloquent biography of Gauguin,
one of modern art's most endearing and confusing personalities. The
second printing of this fine book was widely remaindered, so ...
copies are available. Seek one out, and give it pride of place on your
conversational shrine. Gauguin was massively gifted, and massively
courageous in his self-sacrifice for art advancement (yes, also
arrogant and cranky and, yes, abandoned his family for a beachcombing
life in the South Seas). But ambling through his universe - the flat
planes, the violent color juxtapositions, the pithy titles - renders
one helpless. He was just magnificent. Picasso discovered tribal art
in 1907 or so, but Gauguin lost his virginity long before. There are a
few fold-outs in this volume - including the seminal What Are We etc?
and Riders on the Beach. I wallowed in this with my 11-year-old son
who practiced his Polynesian phrases while we lost our woes (his,
school; mine, life) in Te Nave Te Nave Fenua (the delightful land). I
can't watch Van Gogh without pain. I bathe in Gauguin.
 -à

Without doubt, this book contains a lot of painful truth. It should not only be read by non-Americans but by a lot of Americans too!

This book tells everything about the world of soccer hooligans, not by some scholar, but by a man who joined the ranks of the hooligans and was integrated in their group for quite some time. By reading this I began to understand more about hooligans than I ever knew, by reading the newspapers. Can't wait until this Van Gageldonk writes another book about the subject. This book should be translated in English and German, so that my friends over there would be able to read it.

I read the manuscript when it was first printed and heard the sermons preached from the pages of it. Each one of these scripture gems is inspiring & uplifting. They have reached the hidden corners of my heart and carried me through many up and down times, giving me encouragement. I'm sure when you read it you'll feel the same. Based heavily on the scripture, with a touch of personality, this book is sure to be one you'll read again and again. You can use it for a small group bible study as we have, or as a personal uplifting devotional. Mr. Dzerigian still shares the same hope from God's word as he did using these pages. He's a gem and so is this book.

i have read the female initiation about the Manam group.the'aine izimoari'is the girl who went through the rituals when they first menstruation.i like to read the aspect of rituals involved in order.especially the scarified at their body.

Collaboratively written by knowledgeable genealogists Linda Jonas (Director of the McLean Family History Center specializing in British Ancestry) and Paul Milner (a professional family historian specializing in British research), A Genealogist's Guide To Discovering Your Scottish Ancestors: How To Find And Record Your Unique Heritage is a useful and user friendly "how-to" manual that teaches beginning genealogists the basic guidelines they need to follow in the research process of tracking down their family history. From combing a database of Scottish origins, to extracting useful information from census and church records, to avoiding common genealogical research pitfalls, A Genealogist's Guide To Discovering Your Scottish Ancestors is a very highly recommended resource for anyone of Scottish descent interested in learning more about their family origins and genealogical linkages.

This 'How To' book is truly that! I was able to not only understand what was being said, but I understood how to follow the advice. Having always wanted to search for my ancestors and find out about their lives, I never knew how to start. I am still using it and have made some good progress in my search. Thank you!

Okay, okay, playing through Morphy's games will delight you and improve your chess; but many chess books rise or fall on the writer. Here, we are given Chris Ward, and to go righ to the matter: he writes warmly, with humility (something not seen too often in chess writers) and with humor. Its refreshing to hear someone who is honest, but doesn't make the reader feel like an idiot. My only criticism of the book? More text! I would love to hear more personal touches from both Morphy's life and the authors! Let's hope we get much more of this author!