Finally. A well thought out and well executed book about a major movement in American art that is often dismissed as being one dimensional. Dennis' introspective look into the most revered "Regionalist" artists not only offers engaging scholarship, but a very good education in American social history as well. A must read for anyone who thinks they know what "Regionalism" is.

This book makes you rethink any ideas you might have about Regionalism. Whether you agree with James Dennis or not is up to you, but he certainly does bring up some very interesting ideas. The basic ideas of the Regionalism school are initially laid out for the reader, and from this beginning it is already possible to see the weak foundation of the very definition of "Regionalism," as it was defined NOT by the artists, but by their critics and the public. The sterotyping generalities inherent in this 'school' set the stage for Dennis' questioning of the similarities of the work of Thomas Hart Benton, Grant Wood, and John Steurat Curry, the triumvirate of Regionalism. The author proceeds to explicate the inherent differences between the 3 artists' work, as well as the eventually obvious flawed general definition of "Regionalism." Dennis breaks down his discussions into realism vs. abstraction, realistic subject matter vs. fantasies, the ideas of nationalism and fascism in the artists' work, their varying depictions of women, and finally compares the three Regionalists to three contemporary modernists, Charles Demuth, Charles Sheeler, and Marsden Hartley. Dennis concludes with the assertion that the so-called "Regionalists" are in many ways more "modern" than their modernists contemporaries. The book has plenty of pictures, sadly only in black and white, and thus the book is a surprisingly quick read. Each chapter is thorough however, and must be studied to be fully understood. The reader should have some art historical background, and some knowledge of the history of the first half of the 20th century. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Regionalism, and the history of American art. Makes you think.

This book is THE complete guide to building an intranet. Killer examples and techniques.

Very impressive compendium of Intranet information and the latest HTML techniques

This is a very satisfying book... the author has interwoven the story of a 19th century arctic expedition with the modern-day mystery of a man obsessed with the "terrors of ice and darkness." The descriptions of the vast and desolate arctic landscapes are lyrical and moving; after an hour of reading, you may feel so pulled into this world of darkness and ice it is difficult to return ! A must read for any arctic history buff...

The Kirkus review does not do this book justice. It is quite good, especially for fans of historically accurate novels.

The most stunning photography of warblers you will ever see, bar none. The pictures are worth the price alone. The author lives on the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico and setup a blind with strobes near water in his backyard during migration. If you love warblers, buy this book.

Schorre has taken some of the finest photographs of warblers ever seen. Unlike some of the other bird photographers, he has pictures of wild birds, not mist-netted or aviary warblers. A stunning achievement. Warblers are, next to rails, the hardest birds in North America to photograph, and Schorre has superb photographs of them including the rarest, most secretive warblers. When reading this book, you can sense Schorre's passion for these most-beautiful of birds and for photography.

The photographs are accompanied by some introductory information on each warbler and this book would serve as a richly illustrated guide to these birds.

There are a number of guides to the zone system and many have something to offer. The Zone System Craftbook (paperback) by J.C. Woods is one of the best. Much of the book is relatively elementary in the sense that people who know the zone system will find it light (but still worthwhile) reading - e.g. zones, zone relationships, placing gray tones, moving them, expansion, contraction, contrast, etc., etc.. The discussion of expansion and contraction is particularly picturesque and transparent. People who are learning the system will find very few books that are clearer. Wood's book has a modest number of illustrations, but they are entirely adequate to support the presentation. What this book does very well is cover the subject in extremely practical terms that can be immediately put into practice. Much of the presentation is not technical and it is unencumbered by elaborate details of testing or sensitometry. But, for those who wish to refine their technique, later chapters are devoted to a detailed approach to testing and calibration, with and without the use of a densitometer. The books will be very useful to people who are refining their use of the zone system as well as to folks who elect not to delve into a high level of perfection with technique. All in all, if you are interested in learning about the zone system, this is a book you will be very glad you decided to buy. There are others, of course. The Ansel Adams Guides (books 1 and 2) by John Schaefer are also well-written and really loaded with illustrations and useful information. They are much bigger than the book by Woods. Out of print now but also excellent is Schaefer's earlier (paperback) book, How to Use the Zone System for Black and White Photography.

It's the best zone system book that has been written so far. It is interesting and very easy to read. It doesn't get bogged down in useless information that fills up so many other books. It's concise and accurate. If you're serious about photography in the least, it's a required reading. It's a must for anybody who cares about his/her photography, unless you're Ansel Adams.

These books are unusual in their focus on the history of technology, explaining how it works, and how it changed over time. It gives a comprehensive account of the development of these cars with many fine pictures.

"American Gothic" appears opposite the title page in "Artist in Overalls: The Life of Grant Wood," but John Duggleby makes it clear to his young readers that the artist's most famous painting is also perhaps his most atypical. First, there is a more realistic depiction of the faces than you find in the vast majority of Wood's paintings (e.g, "Woman with Plants" or "Appraisal"). However, what was always most striking for me of Wood's art was his stylized landscapes, ever since I first saw "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere." This is especially true of many of his farm paintings, such as "Spring Turning" and "Fall Plowing." The first half of the book talks about how Woods grew up in Iowa farm country and then turns to his art career. Although Duggleby talks about how Wood struggled to find his style and has an epilogue on how to draw and paint like Grant Wood, this book is primarily a biography rather than an effort in art appreciation. For the latter I would suggest Mike Venezia's volume on Grant Woods for the Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series. However, if you are just looking for a juvenile biography of one of the most American of American artists, then "Artist in Overalls" is what the book you want.

Treat colleagues as customers ,then smile and be helpful and supportive ,caring,innovator, sociable good listener, creative patient .

Sir John Appleby and his wife, Lady Judith accept an invitation to a house-party at Charne, the country estate of the Martineaus. Their friend, Grace Martineau is dying of cancer and she wants her friends about her one last time.

This particular Appleby is mostly dialogue. Almost all of the action (several deaths, drug dealing, statutory rape) takes place off stage. Innes paints very believable psychological portraits of his protagonists, a talent that may have been strengthened by the year he spent in Vienna, studying Freudian psychology. The characters' interactions tend to be both erudite and revealing, as in this mystery's opening scene when the guests have gathered in the loggia at dusk to hear a nightingale sing:

"'O Nightingale, that on yon bloomy Spray/ Warbl'st at eve, and when all the woods are still.'

"This was Bobby again, and it ought to have been harmless and agreeable. But it wasn't, Appleby thought--or not quite. Grace Martineau could be sensed as stiffening in displeasure as if she felt Bobby--her husband's nephew--to be guying this new poem, and so guying the bird. And it was quite possible--one suddenly perceived--that Grace didn't much like Bobby, anyway.

"And Diana Page, too, seemed not pleased, for she launched another attack on the young man.

"'Fancy spouting poetry about the nightingale,' she said, 'when one can sit still and listen to it!"

The deaths don't take place until the latter half of the mystery. Meanwhile the reader becomes well-acquainted with Grace Martineau and her machinations to have her husband remarry after she has died. Her guests, already on edge because they know this is the last time they will see their hostess, are shocked by her insistence that her husband should wed another after her passing. They are even more shocked when they learn Grace's choice of bride.

"The Bloody Wood" is a somber Appleby, almost more tragedy than mystery. Nevertheless it is a good mystery, where the reader is challenged to discover a killer, after the author has furnished revealing psychological portraits of the murder suspects.

John Dugdale is one of America's finest photographers. We must celebrate his artistry--he is still a young man with so much more work and so many dreams still in him, although he is 80% blind from HIV.

This volume, published by Leo and Wolfe Photography could not possibly be more beautiful. At a full 13 1/2" x 13 1/2" it is magnificently hardbound with beige/grey linen covered boards and the artist's self-portrait on the front cover.

John Wood, poet and photography critic, has supplied a lengthy, wonderful appreciation of Dugdale and an investigation into his works: images of transcendental beauty. Poet Morri Creech has contributed "The Pilgrimage of Lazarus" (after the photographs of John Dugdale) and, perhaps, best of all, Pulitzer Prize winning novelist, Robert Olen Butler, gives us "A Prayer for John Dugdale" which begins "Saint Ludwig pray for me. I am going blind. Just as you went deaf."

Dugdale's cyanotypes are superbly reproduced in this once in a lifetime volume. They take us to another time, another place and a new spirituality. Even at this very high price, it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED