Lanza del Vasto is a voice crying in the wilderness. He gives a vision of a spiritual life which encompasses *all* of life without compromise. Nonviolence from the inside out, and a vision of a way out of the labyrinth of modern technocracy and incipient omnicide...

The cover sports one of the worst picures of Columbo available to the author. almost as bad as the one on the cover of RCA's Legendary performers album.That picture can be found on page 108 of the book.While there are many interesting pictures, anticdotes and some facts the pseudo-analysis plus the innuendos about Columbos romances etc. gives a tabloidish air to what could have been a better book.It does not compare with Lou Miano's "The amazing life and mysterious death of a hollywood singing legend."

A wonderful portrait of the dashing, romantic Columbo. Virtually forgotten for the last half-century, Columbo was as popular as Bing Crosby in the early 1930s and considered a heart-throb on a par with actor Rudolph Valentino. But at age 26, he was shot and killed by his best friend in a freak accident, ending one of the most promising careers in music and film. Columbo was the archetypal 1930s "crooner," who gave "an impression of emotional restraint, of power in reserve." Despite the co-author credit, the book was in fact written by Lanza, a master wordsmith (and author of Elevator Music, The Cocktail, and Gravity). Penna supplied the copious archival photographs, letters and news clippings that beautifully augment the text. Lanza, who calls Columbo "an enigma wrapped inside a press release," treats his subject with respect, yet with a proper historical detachment that avoids hagiography. Columbo was as talented and charismatic as he was troubled, flawed, ambivalent, and stubborn, and Lanza makes no excuses for him. At the same time, the chronology is authoritative, and there's abundant humor, even when considering Columbo's inner torment (referring to Columbo's pet name for his adored Carole Lombard, Lanza refers to the singer's despair at not getting enough "quality Pookie time"). Lanza describing Columbo emerging from a swimming pool: "...a sight no less mythical than Venus rising from her half-shell. His dark eyes sparkled as the refracted sunlight grafted a halo around his wet hair, the water pouring like pearls of amniotic effluvia from a chlorinated incubator." Such vivid images tantalize on every page, but the book never bogs down in literary preciousness; it represents solid, well-researched journalism. Columbo's love letters to Lombard are revealing in their pathetic desperation, demonstrating that the adoration of a million wistful female fans cannot allay unrequited passion. An excellent read, and the cast of characters are richly drawn.

Definitely brings this neglected singer and mysterious show biz legend into the third dimension. It not only tells more than I ever hoped to know about the man but also takes it to another creative level which could have been a disaster, but in fact works very well. The graphics and overall design of the book are also superior. Its an amazing yarn and a wonderful introduction to this underated musician. Highly recommended

The book is mistitled as 'Principles' since it does not really do justice to the foundations of the field. It is more of a compilations of the research work of a 'few' investigators in the field.

This is a great book, covering most details of its field. It describes the physicians (and their patients) dream of substituting organs and cells and it also shows, how mankind could not solve problems ' up to now. History of artificial organs lacking the full function is one point, but the focus is on cells and their ability to build complete organs ' and therefore the book looks on the pathway for the future of organ substitution.
The introduction covers some main ideas of tissue engineering ' what do we want ' what are we able to do ' what do we still have to get knowledge of. After a short review of the history, the essentials of cell biology (Growth, Differentiation) are being introduced. The reader should have an idea of developmental biology to be able to follow topics like induction and morphogenesis. The authors emphasize the importance of the extracellular matrix as one of organ-prosthesis' main building blocks (ECM = scaffold; cells = function; cell signalling = integration and physiology).
The second part describes technical aspects of in-vitro organ synthesis: tissue culture and ECM, tissue culture und growth factors, bioreactors and vascularization. The third part continues with in-vivo techniques of organ reparation, exemplified by methods for substitution of the ECM of skin, peripheral nerves and meniscus.
Parts 4 ' 6 develop models for the substitution of the ECM (Collagen, BioPolymers), their implantation in the receiving organism and the resulting immunologic problems (emphasized).
Parts 7 ' 20 are concerned with the organs themselves. After few words about stem cells and gene therapy the book explains reconstruction and substitution methods for breast, heart and blood vessels, Cornea, endocrine glands, liver (very good), kidney and haematopoietic system. Biomechanical problems are outlined in the part about the musculoskeletal system. On this place tissue engineering celebrates its oldest success (cartilage substitution). Today innervation processes are being focused.
The book continues with substitutes for the senses (ear and eye), nerve cells, nerve regeneration and neural stem cells. Dents and skin could be all to make an ill patient 'healthy' by substitutes, one might think. But no, western medicine also knows something about substitutes for womb and placenta'
On me the book made a good impression. The only point is: it's quite too much text and too few pictures. It addresses medicals after their exams, practicing physicians and biologists. Chapters focus on the basic principles. There is a large number of links to more detailed publications.

A vast, detailed summary of the latest advances in tissue engineering.

A brilliant account of Roeg's films by the author of "Elevator Music". It takes a profound overview of an almost unknown filmmaker - a very cult one. Roeg's gems such as "Performance", "Petulia" and "Walkabout" are here criteriously analysed. Roeg is an authentic creator of surreal landscapes and plots, often mixing dreams and drug trips. If you're into mind-blowing stuff, that's well worth a look.

Ever since viewing Roeg's masterpiece 'Don't look now', i became obsessed by the man.

This book, in its deft construction which alternates interviews and analysis, pays hommage to the director and its sources of inspirations.

I wanted to like this book. Whatever its aesthetic merits, "elevator music" and its cognates -- easy-listening, Muzac, mood music, etc. -- have been such a pervasive phenomenon that the subject deserves serious investigation. Unfortunately, Lanza wants to extend his case beyond the seriousness of the subject to arguing that elevator music deserves to be regarded as serious music.

Maybe someone out there is capable of sustaining that argument; Lanza can't. For starters, his grip on other forms of music that many of us do take seriously (such as classical, jazz and rock) is shakey at best. What do you make of an author who describes the jazz trumpeter Bobby Hackett's stints with Muzak as a departure from "improvisation dementia"? In addition to being a broad and inaccurate swipe at jazz, the comment demonstrates complete ignorance of Hackett, a musician famed for his golden tone and smooth, melodic interpretations of Dixieland and popular songs.

Or consider the following regarding easy-listening interpretations of famous rock songs: "Many from Bob Dylan, the Doors, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Mamas and the Papas, R.E.M., the B-52s, U2, and Van Morrison have been refurbished from loud, plodding, adolescent thunder to something tasteful, airy, and mystical." Dylan, adolescent? Van Morrison, plodding? The Mamas and the Papas, loud? But the root problem -- and authorial prejudice -- is in his assignment of the adjectives "tasteful, airy, and mystical" to music that's best described as bland, flat, and deliberately unengaging.

"Mystical," is a term Lanza frequently applies to elevator music. Bottom line: he cannot distinguish the amniotic state of neutered consciousness that Muzak acheives from the genuine achievement of goodness, truth and beauty that can be enjoyed in better music, whether it be folk, rock, jazz or classical.

In the end, Lanza's posture shifts from being one that provokes curiousity to one that seems downright perverse. Lanza concludes his book with a sympathetic reading of the "emotional engineers" in Huxley's "Brave New World." As I read Lanza's praise of the artificial ("most of us, in our hearts, want a world tailored by Walt Disney's 'imagineers'") I couldn't help but think of George Orwell and the sad conclusion to "1984" in which the hero, numbed by falsehood, confesses his love for Big Brother.

Despite the fact that this book is endorsed (on the back cover) by no less than Wendy Carlos (a fairly well-known composer and musical traditionalist), and despite the fact that I personally like a lot of "easy listening" type music, Lanza still fails here in his attempt to write a good book.

Part of the problem, in my opinion, is that there really is no definable genre that could be called "moodsong." All music creates a mood of some sort, when it comes right down to it (whether by accident or design, what's the real difference?). And Lanza does a poor job of covering the history of the Muzak Corp. or any specific area of "easy listening" (all are drastically short-shrifted in a mere 233 pages). In defining the genre, it seems Lanza defined it too broadly -- it would take a thousand pages at least to really do justice to the material he covers -- not to mention, a lot more in-depth research than he apparently did or was willing to do.

What's more, his speculative arguments fail to convince me... I do enjoy most of the music (aesthetically) and am not ashamed to say so, but it's my right-brain, emotional side that likes it. Lanza's attempts to analyze or 'justify' easy-listening and mood music in general fall flat, and his utopian speculation just ends up sounding silly and contrived. I agree with most of the points the previous reviewer made.

Lanza's exploration of elevator music, easy listening and all things moodsong is the definitive book for anyone who has an interest in a very misunderstood genre. As someone very close to the Easy Listening and Mood Music programming that quietly ruled FM radio for much of the 70's, let me tell you... Joseph Lanza nails his subject matter impressively. Whether you consider yourself a Percy Faith, Roger Williams or Mantovani fan... or are just curious about these plush, melodic sounds, "Elevator Music: A Surreal History Of Muzak, Easy Listening and Other Moodsong" makes for enjoyable reading. This isn't a book that seeks to cash in on what someone recently decided to call lounge music but an evenhanded evaluation of fascinating, mostly instrumental adult pop music with melodies that always lingered on.

While this book is interesting to read, written in a prose style that keeps one reading, and flows logically through a wonderful historical framework, I felt at the end of every chapter that the author should have done a more thorough job. He should have developed his theses more, provided more depth to his topics, and offered information that is less general and more useful. This is an excellent introduction to the history of cocktails and drinking in the United States, but as a useful research tool, "The Cocktail" is of little value. But, as a strong point, I doubt that there are historical errors in the book - Lanza did do some research, that much is certain. But I still have the inclination that Lanza wanted to get another book in print without having to strain too hard writing it. I give this book two stars under the assumption that two stars means "okay reading for the subway", and one star ratings are solely for romance novels.

Somehow I expected more. Why? I don't know but it seemed the cocktail might present someone which a very interesting and diverse subject on which to write. Don't get me wrong there are some interesting things here both of an observation nature and some interesting historical facts but it just didn't keep my attention. The author has covered pretty much what I expected but not in a very interesting and enjoyable way. On the good side, it's not expensive.

This fun book has it all: histories of popular drinks, recipes, rituals. Written with humor and a unique perspective, Lanza's book explores the cocktail culture and its influence on America. From James Bond to Hugh Hefner, Elizabeth Taylor to the Rat Pack, this book charts how cocktails have influenced everything from politics to popular songs. Learn about Atomic Cocktails, see a Human Cocktail Shaker, and puzzle over Girl Drinks. For drinkers and tee-totalers.