Book reviews for "Johns,_Linda" sorted by average review score:
Andy Warhol Nudes
Published in Hardcover by Overlook Press (1997)
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Try Thinking of This Like Jane Fonda Joining F.T.A.
I bought this book as a political act, if an attempt to relate on a personal level can be considered political. I was living in Minneapolis at the time and went to a major chain bookstore in the city of Saint Paul to order it, in a reversal of my usual (new wave vs. old hat) stereotypes of those two cities. If anyone considers the cover too shocking to reveal to internet shoppers, be glad that the back cover is not what is shown. Most of the book is about male sexual objects, and the back cover has male thighs forming a V with no attempt to hide what Rilke called "manhood's crest" in a famous poem about an archaic torso of Apollo. (The poem appears in 20 German Poets, translated by Walter Kaufmann, p. 221.) Plate 33 in Andy's "Paintings of the 1970s" has six repetitions of what appears to me to be the display of a fist as a sexual object, given its proximity to what is typical in this book. What helped me most to gain my appreciation for the contents of this book was the text at the beginning, which begins with a direct Andy Warhol quotation, "Sex is So Abstract." Some of the information in the text is extracted from a book by Bob Colacello called "Holy Terror: Andy Warhol Close-Up." On the actual quality of the artwork, the text says, "His secret is his profound and enduring aestheticism, . . . burning with a hard, gemlike flame, but veiling this taste in a cool, laconic front of Coke bottles, soup cans," and the bodies in this book. The final page of text before the drawings explains Warhol's use of fingerpainting on Polaroid photographs, which appear to me on Plates 44, 45, and 46 to be the artist's way of searching for erogenous zones. On a political level, Jane Fonda must have thought that F.T.A. shows would be entertaining, as well as conveying a particular message about militaristic thinking. Whoever thought of calling those shows "F.T.A." must have realized that the best communication involves some form of ecstatic flow, which gives people something somewhere between what people are used to and what they would really desire. Art stands up under this kind of scrutiny, while politics might mean getting involved with the kind of people who would like to treat it as unmentionable. This book seems to be about art, but writing helpful reviews may involve a lot more politics than shoppers would want to know. Don't let me tell you where this book doesn't belong.
you need this on your coffee table
sorry that i'm reviewing this. I'm somewhere between the gay and the artist...but it's wonderful to flip through. I didn't pay as much as most and am very happy with about $32.00
Crimson Skies: Aircraft Manual
Published in Paperback by McGraw Hill - NTC (01 January, 2001)
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FUN TO LOOK AT BUT THESE AIRCRAFT ARE IMPRACTICAL
This book nicely rounds out the 'Crimson Skies' series, but an actual fighter pilot should have been consulted -- in my case, my brother in the Marines. None of the aircraft depicted had good situational visibility, like the real-world P-51 Mustang. Worse yet, the large number of models is inconsistent with the series' premise of an America split into several countries, because of the enormous engineering manpower and production capital required for even a single plane. America's vast warplane production of WWII came nowhere near having this many different planes. A multi-countried America certainly could not.
Not bad designs throughout...
The Crimson Skies Aircraft Manual is a must for anyone remotely interested in the Crimson Skies universe. The manual details the history and armaments of each aircraft as well as any weaknesses. The only problem I have with the book is that the diagrams of each aircraft are far too similar. If the planes were really made by competing manufacturers and countries, the designs would reflect that. Other than that, the book is fantastic for casual enjoyment or hardcore gameplay.
The Olmec World: Ritual and Rulership
Published in Hardcover by Art Museum at Princeton University (1996)
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Reconstructing a culture entirely from religious art
Mesoamerican archaeology is a little world by itself - I know, because I used to live in it. It has a very cosy relationship with museums and the "art" collectors who buy the objects that are looted from archaeological sites, which lie destroyed, torn into shreds under the forests all over Central America and Mexico. But it has almost no touch with reality any more. The things they say about the ancient Olmec are almost fantasy, because in truth we know so little about these people. Almost all the objects in this book were stolen from Mexico, ripped from the archaeological context that might tell us something about their real meaning. These are probably religious articles - we may never know. But imagine trying to reconstruct the rich life of rennaisance Italy by looking at reliquaries in Catholic churches! If you are still persuaded by the "mysterious Olmec" propaganda spouted by Coe and his looter buddies, go read Flannery & Marcus in the first 2000 issue of the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, and think it over.
A Must Have for any Olmec Enthusiast
The Olmec World is an amazing resource for those who study or have an appreciation of early Mesoamerican Art. At its most basic level The Olmec World is the catalogue of the 1996 Olmec Exhibition at the Art Museum at Princeton University the first comprehensive show of Olmec art in America. Drawing upon nearly all of the major Olmec museum collections in North America from Dunbarton Oaks to Princeton's own expansive holdings, the exhibition also drew heavily from many private collections never before shown to the general public. For instance, John Stokes' amazing collection of ceramic babies and jade masks are showcased in this catalogue. However, almost as impressive as the pictures are the essays in this collection. Michael Coe has done a marvelous job of soliticing and editing a myriad of papers on the mysterious Olmec.
The Complete Guide to Contract Management for Facilities Services
Published in Paperback by Pt Pubns (1996)
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More of a form-letter book than a complete guide
I was somewhat disappointed when I got this book. From the title, I expected it to help me actually determine how to evaluate my contracts. Instead I found that it only has information on how to draft a contract. I think the title is somewhat misleading.
Some Memories of a Long Life, 1854-1911
Published in Hardcover by Modern Library (07 May, 2002)
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Not very interesting
There are only a few pages worth reading in this volume, and the editor who passed it up the first time ( around 1914) knew his business. She is at her most interesting when describing some of the minutae and customs of 19th century life. When she starts descibing people, places and events, she falls flat. Very superficial, very stereotyped.
Waterboy
Published in Paperback by Morris Pub (1996)
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1-2-3
Published in Paperback by Que (1997)
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1-2-3 for Windows
Published in Paperback by Que (1997)
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The 100 Best Treatment Centers for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Published in Paperback by Avon Books (Pap Trd) (1988)
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2004 Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Guide
Published in Paperback by Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry (2003)
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