Before I read "Living With Change: The Semantics of Coping" by Wendell Johnson, I read his earlier book "People in Quandaries--The Semantics of Personal Adjustment" (Harper & Row, 1947) around 1976. I was amazed by the clarity of his expression, the compassion of his writing, and the subject matter itself: General Semantics. I have re-read it several times and routinely open it at random and read for enjoyment

Johnson didn't create General Semantics. The pioneer of General Semantics, Alfred Korzybski, a Polish engineer, published his book, "Science and Sanity," in 1933. As I understand it, the book grew out of Korzybski's WWI experiences. The story goes that the war made Korzybski wonder if scientific principles could be incorporated into language, better verbal "tools" for "evaluat[ng" and "reacting" to communication with others in a more sane, less tense and anxious manner. His development of the scientific use of language has been criticized by some and highly commended by others. I highly commend it --and recommend to anyone interested in why human communication at times seemingly fails so easily and un expectantly to look at "Science and Sanity."

While "Science and Sanity" is the bedrock for General Semantics, I prefer the later intellectual strata deposits of Johnson's "Quandaries," in my opinion the best G.S.popularization, followed by the works of S.I. Hayakawa and Irving Lee and Neil Postman.

Johnson's book, "Living with Change: The Semantics of Coping," is a 1972 collection of essays based on some transcriptions of Johnson's public lectures, including his University of Iowa classroom, in the decade before his untimely death in 1965.

In the preface of the book, Johnson is quoted as saying, "On the basis of everything I know from all kinds of sources, I think that this is the best assumption that I can make. We talk to ourselves. That is what we do largely when we think. It is largely what we do when we feel, when we say we are emotional...The point is that what we tell ourselves is what we react to. When we tell ourselves something, we act accordingly."

And later, "We create our world linguistically. How else? We can make a world of constant combat with the shadows. We do this with language. Or we can create a world of peace and harmony and efficiency of progress. We do this with language. We eliminate almost all the human frictions with people who know what they are talking about, whether they are talking about themselves and their feelings and the world they make for themselves inside their skins or whether they are talking about the world outside. They know which are their feelings and which are their facts and they know the difference. It seems to me that an understanding of how we make and use words and other symbols is the most important approach to an understanding of the human being that anybody has ever tried to use. We haven't learned to use it very well yet."

In his book "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" author Steven Covey, in my opinion, uses General Semantic concepts to explain techniques for better communication, and encourages readers to always check their assumptions about each other, to match their verbal notions to reality. I am sure that Johnson would be pleased to know that fifty years later, the work that he helped popularize and teach contiues to be discovered to be applicable in a world of increasing tensions and anxiety. For me, Wendell Johnson's work is a reminder that we can talk and react sanely, and we can reduce human tension and anxiety.

In the 1980s, I once looked up and called Wendell Johnson's son Nicholas Johnson, the former FCC Commissioner and author of "How to Talk Back to Your Television." Why? Because I wanted to tell him how much I appreciate his father's writing.

I still do. "Living With Change" is a great introduction to General Semantics, but don't forget "Quandaries." Check out the web site for the International Society of General Semantics. There is more to communication than just waiting for our turn to talk.

I saw his painter already. whoever that day not accepted his painter of me. someday when his color saw it review.

i actually had the privilege to study under this author at drake university. i did not fully appreciate her knowledge. now i am raving on her because this book covers everything you need to know to produce a magazine. there are always things you learn from experience, but this book aides you in producing a publication that will turn heads. i recommend it to everyone in the magazine profession, especially people like me who want to start their own publications. this book is a part of my permanent library.

Media, Education, and Change    Jill Jameson University of Greenwich

     ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Main Article ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Media literacy education reflectively and purposefully delivered has the power to transform the lives of teachers and students in beneficial ways, enabling greater self-knowledge, personal growth and useful professional insights. This is the restorative vision of Media, Education and Change - an excellent book delivering media literacy education vividly in a direct way for those wishing to engage with the possibilities of media literary education as a change agent for teachers, and "how and why they teach." Lesley Johnson's well-researched, diligent, and passionate exploration into the connectivity possible among media theory, teachers' reflections on media representations of their identities, and the application of media to classroom practice has resulted in a useful interdisciplinary study offering personal and professional insights for media educators. Johnson's work adds considerably to scholarship in the field of media literacy education by extending the boundaries of the theoretical framework conventionally considered applicable in this area to include significant new contributions provided by receptive aesthetics, intermodal expressive therapy, and the technologies of the self relating to video production and analysis. The main focus for Johnson's research is the case study narratives of the personal psychological changes experienced when her teacher-participants and students were involved in media literacy education practices. Engaging our interests directly with the personal histories of her subjects, Johnson reifies the link between a complex multi-disciplinary theoretical perspective and the practical elements of media literacy education delivered in teacher-practitioners' classrooms.

Using qualitative methodology, Johnson's study traces the ways in which media literacy education can act as a catalyst for a process of self-empowerment through an encounter with "the self" in which self-knowledge is gained by analysing objectivised representations of oneself through the surrender of self-control enabled in video production. A narrative perspective is given on the personal and professional changes resulting from this application of media literacy practice. This perspective was applied principally to five teacher-participants, and secondarily, to four students of the teachers who participated in the research.

------------------------------------------------------------------------ ....

If you want to understand Messiaen's music in depth, this will be the best choice so far, though this is an old book. It has many good analysis on Messiaen's music.

Ancient Egyptian art was the star attraction of the Mediterranean world for 3000 years, only for some of it to be transported to various museums across the world. This book examines those scenes in over 25 American museums as well as private collections which serve to shed light on the role of Ancient Egyptian women in their society. Objects such as mummy cases, coffins, statues and other sacred items also hold much information. The book contains essays by Egyptologists Janet H. Johnson, Catherine H. Roehrig and Betsy M. Bryan. A chronological index, map, beautiful photos, bibliography and index have also been included. It is an excellent book, recommended for all serious students and scholars to have in their private libraries.

I recommend this book for teachers who are teaching grades K-6. It has excellent, easy to apply ideas! The author writes in a very clear, fun to read manner.

Futuristic lamps your passion? Then get this book. Sure, these babies are all almost fifty years old but what a collection. This is obviously a labor of love for the author. He even gives the reader display sheets used by department stores. The color photos are magnificent. Even if you are just a lover of the wild and crazy fashions and designs of the 1950s, this is a must own book. Who knew that tools for lighting could be so much fun and so imaginative.

First I should say that I read this book in three days. Once I started, I could not stop reading anymore. It is definitly the best book I read in the last year. P.K. really made it to build an exciting thriller on the one side but also give a lot of financial details on the other side. As far as I am able to judge he leaves the impression that he had visited all these countries mentioned in the book (at least he shows many details about Germany's financial capital Frankfurt). Last but not least I would like to point out that this book is worth reading not only for people interested in finance and investment banking. Although Paul K. shows many details about these subjects he always knows how to explain them in a very simple and understandable way. To cut a long story short: it is an incredible book really worth reading !

I read this book the first time over thirty years ago, and just re-read it, as I get ready to go back into the World of Dance as a Flamenco teacher. Papa Shawn's descriptions of the events and places he found himself as an American MALE dancer (when nice boys did NOT dance!) are hilarious. He goes into great detail about going to the local hardware stores to find "authentic Asian Headpieces" (FUNNELS turned upside down!), and how he and his companies brought dance to the Wild Wild West...Colorado!
This is a delightful read for anyone who has ever danced or loves dance, but a MUST for every "nice boy" who is dancing today!