From the films of such towering directors as Luis Bunuel, Carlos Saura, Victor Erice, and Pedro Almodovar, Kinder traces influences to the paintings of Goya and Ribera and the writings of Lorca and Galdos and to the political events in Spain's turbulent history. Most original are her explanations of what makes the melodrama and violence in these films specifically Spanish. It argues convincingly that in order to understand world cinema, one has to know the history of Spanish film. Illuminating and engaging, it is a highly readable, and well written exploration of Spanish art, history, and culture.

As many times as I have explored this amazing multimedia CD-ROM, I constantly find something new to appreciate. A photograph in a collage that links to an artifact with the voice of John Rechy revealing new meaning...a path through a thicket of trees that reveals the author standing shirtless above his beloved city.... Mysteries and Desire is a masterful, extraordinary work whose technique rises to the level of its subject. Anyone interested in John Rechy, literature, digital content or new media should not miss this experience.

This highly original analysis of children's interaction with media combines detailed descriptions of shows like "Muppet Babies" and "Garfield" with a sophisticated commentary on the global economy. In an age when most authors writing about children and the media talk only about violence, this book presents a much more comprehensive account of how media shape the way children perceive the world. It includes a fascinating and at times humorous description of her own son's interaction with media (television, movies, and video games) from infancy to age eight. It provides the only convincing account of why the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were so popular. No wonder "Mother Jones" chose it as one of a hundred books recommended to President Clinton on his assumption of the presidency. What is so satisfying about this book is that it is as entertaining to the layman--a must for parents--as it is to the specialist in cultural studies. In clear prose, Kinder makes all her material entirely accessible, without jargon.