Book Description
In this famous work by a pioneer in the movement to free art from the bonds of tradition — a work long considered essential to understanding the evolution of 20th-century art — Kandinsky explores the role of the line, point, and other key elements of non-objective painting. 127 illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
this book shows how you can assign meaning to many aspects of art.......2007-07-11
I think this book is useful for understanding Kandinsky's art but I think it is most useful for artists trying to form their own ideas about art. The reason for this is that in ascribing characteristics to many aspects of art for example lines curves and planes, the author makes us as artists think about how we use these aspects of art in our work. So, in other words, he gets you thinking about the meaning of all those marks on paper we make. I think most artists will find their own explanations of the various types of line, curve, color and plane, what this book does is give you the idea for doing so in the first place.
EXCELLENT SERVICE........2007-01-26
This item was received in a very timely , and in excellent condition.
indispensable.......2004-01-14
Este libro se ha convertido en el indispensable para los estudiantes de artes plásticas, nos define el punto, la linea y el plano desde muchos puntos de vista además de explicar la generación y desarrollo de los tres elementos básicos del arte visual.
Kandinsky Reveals Secrets of the Drawing Universe.......2001-05-30
Reading this book is like entering the sanctum sanctorum of mark making. It is a first class journey through the thought processes of a major 20th century innovator as he introduces, evaluates and places in relationship the elements of drawing and composition. While not for the faint of heart, Kandinsky writes with such endearing specificity about the exact function of each component (point, line, plane) the marks take on lives of their own. His simultaneous portrayal of the function of marks through words and the distillation of words through marks offers insights into the creative process for artists at every stage of development. The organization of the material is logical, as expected from a man who started out as a lawyer, as well as magical, coming from a man who ascribed to the spiritual in art. For all its apparent simplicity it is well worth the time to savor in small portions. I particularly like the layers of meaning to be found in his concepts. There is a cascading effect to reading a description, applying the principle to an art process and then revisiting the text to have further meaning reveal itself. He literally views drawing from the inside out.
Book Description
Pinstriping is the signature art of Kustom Kulture, and the purest expression of a customizers style. Pinstripe Planet, authored by one of the arts most respected practitioners, is a photographic and textual celebration of this unique decorative art form, a genuine instance of motor-Americana now making its mark around the globe. A historical and visual overview of pinstriping culture, the book takes readers into all the great shopsfrom Circle City Hot Rods and Baron Speed Shop to Romance of Rust and The Paintboxand right into the action as a variety of rides ranging from hot rods and lowriders to old-school choppers and bobbers are striped up.Showcasing the distinct history and tradition of each region where the art flourishes, Pinstripe Planet features the work of todays most influential contemporaries, such as Art Schilling, Jimmy C, Steve Chazyeka, and Herb Martinez in the United States; Tom Plate, John Leeson and Neil Meillard in Europe; Makoto Kobayashi in Japan; and Simon Watts in Australia. It also provides a look at the origins of pinstriping and its revival at the hands of the great Kenny Von Dutch Howard, Tommy the Greek and Ed Big Daddy Roth.
Customer Reviews:
Stripes.......2007-09-02
Anyone who is a fan of the fine art of pinstriping will love this book. Herb has gathered photos and info on many of today's best stripers. A must read.
Excellent book on the art of pinstriping.......2007-07-26
Herb Martinez is to be commended for bringing together such a diverse amount of talent from around the globe. Yes, there are many more talented artists in the United States that went uncredited and selecting the ones for this book must have been quite a chore, but I think the general idea was to select those that had an obvious difference in styles in which to showcase. Needless to say, the work of all in the book is awesome. I used to think that pinstriping was of one or two styles but after looking through Herb's book, the creativity and artwork are very different indeed. Thanks for opening up the world of pinstriping to all of us admirers, Herb.
Coffee table Book.......2007-07-15
This is a nice hardback coffee table book. Nice layout. Great photography. Brief history on different stripers is good reading for someone interested in car art and striping.
Beautiful book. "State of the Art".......2007-05-31
As stated in another review, the US section is a little thin, but overall, this is a well balanced book with many different artists represented. Superb photography. Presenting "how to" pinstripe is very nearly a waste of time in book form. It's a physical task that is strictly hands on. However, this book is full of inspiration for experienced stripers and those who appreciate the art. Bravo... this one will live on the coffee table for a long time.
Little more..........2007-05-13
the USA section is a little slim for what "we" as a country have as far as very talented stripers... but all in all its a wonderful book. Great pictures.
Book Description
The first and only book completely devoted to designing the quilting stitch
A quilt becomes a quilt only when its layers--top, batting, and backing--are stitched together. Unfortunately, comprehensive instruction in this key area has been sadly lacking, leaving many unfinished heirlooms relegated to a dusty closet shelf. A Fine Line is the first full-length source for expert guidance on putting it all together with confidence and creativity. Step by step, both hand and machine quilters will learn how to find inspiration for designs, choosing a quilting design that is both achievable according to skill level and appropriate in style to the quilt top in question. They will learn to implement the principles of design as they apply to the quilting stitch, and execute the design--choose materials, mark the quilt top, and make the stitches. Special features include:
- "Let's Play Quilt" section shows multiple ways of quilting the same top to achieve different effects
- Stunning color photographs by an award-winning nature photographer provide inspiration
- Visual examples--quilts, stitched fabrics, and sketches-illustrate each step in the process
- Complete chapter on finishing features techniques routinely neglected elsewhere
Customer Reviews:
Finally....answers to "quilt as desired".......2007-02-16
This book has added volumes to my quilting library....just in and of itself. If you are a quilter who is sometimes "stumped" as to the term 'quilt as desired' I do believe you will not regret acquiring "A Fine Line." The authors have done an outstanding job...if anyone needs help....here you go! It's hard to describe in this review area, space is limited...but I thoroughly enjoy this "book."
Expert help in creating your own quilting designs........2001-12-16
At last a book to guide you past the dread "quilt as desired"!
It would be a useful and inspiring addition to the library of any quilter. The quilts are lovely and the reader is given clear explanations as to why each was quilted the way it is and alternatives are discussed. Designing the quilting will never be easy, but the authors will help you create a design that will best complement your pieced or appliqued top.
A Fine Line.......2001-12-15
I have known Melody Crust and Heather Tewell for over ten years and I have spent many wonderful hours quilting and learning from these two ladies. I have read their book from cover to cover and I am delighted to share with those of you out there who love quilting as much as I do my review of this book.
"A Fine Line" is excellent for even the new quilter and yet it has a great amount of information for the long time quilter. The book has wonderful and very interesting pictures by Charles Crust and show the quilter lots of examples of different things (mountains, sky, and places all over the world) that are inspirational and terrific starting points.
The quilting line examples Heather and Melody show in there book are marvelous and keep your interest in learning their examples of fine line quilting. "A Fine Line" shows very good examples and projects that Melody and Heather have created just for this book and a goodly number of their award winning quilts they have shared with the quilting community.
If you want to add a very good quilting book to your quilting library this is the one. It would make an excellent gift for the quilter in your life. Hope you enjoy "A Fine Line" as much as I have.
A Fine Line.......2001-12-10
A Fine Line was an early Christmas present to myself when I was ordering books from Amazon. I usually don't allow myself to open
it until Christmas...But I couldn"t resist. It is a beautiful book filled with glorious photos of quilts made by Heather and Melody. It came just as I was trying to choose a quilting design for a special quilt and it inspired me to see the quiilting design in a new way. Thank you for that and for making so many spectacular quilts. A Fine Line is a real treasure.
One of the best books on designing the quilting pattern.......2001-12-06
Before reading the book, I gave Heather and Melody rave reviews based on a class with Heather. The book is even better than anticipated, and the photography superb. It covers fully all facets of the quilting and designing the quilt pattern, including two facets I've not seen anywhere---and I read voraciously. Perhaps the most innovative technique, which almost doesn't receive enough emphasis for its ingenuity, is the use of 2x3 foot mylar sheets which you lay on top of your quilt top. Using a wet-erase marker (available even here on my rural island!), you can sketch a possible design right on your own quilt top, life-size, and see immediately if it has potential or not. If not, wipe and try again! In the book, each chapter has a "let's play quilt" segment which shows the use of this technique with different options for the top, discusses the pros and cons of each design both from a design viewpoint and from the hand vs. machine quilting method. Then you see the finished quilt, with the option the authors chose.
The other subject I haven't seen treated anywhere is the use of thread--both from a color/design standpoint and from a technical perspective. Some of what is contained I have gleaned through extensive work, but really welcomed the new info on the strength of differrent thread weights and how they affect use (OK for wall, but thinner thread might not be a good choice for a baby quilt, unless quilted densely, etc) and appearance ("thready" for heavy threads -- 40 weight -- used densely when machine quilting).
The style of quilts in this book runs the gamut from traditonal pieced and applique to dramatically innovative--I think the only styles not represented are crazy quilts and Baltimore albums, tho the book could easily help you work on the latter, too. No matter what your personal preferences, the information here on how various quilting techniques (background grid, feathers, free-form, etc) affect the quilt and how it is to be used will be informative. The only complaint I have about the book is that on the blurb for each quilt it does not say when it was made--I love to watch a quilter's progression in their work, and miss being able to see the evolution or dual-tracks of their designs. This is a minor quibble, and I would recommend this book without reservation.
If I had to pick three books on quilting and quilt design, they would be this one, Quilting with Style by Gwen Marston and Joe Cunningham, and Harriet Hargrave's Machine Quilting, if you want a full treatment of the machine quilting process. Early in my quilting career, I was fortunate to have a class with Gwen, and she shows that what appears to be complex drafting is actually quite easily achieved. Quilting with Style complements but does not duplicate A Fine Line, and they make a great pair on the shelf.
Book Description
Adventurers are among the world's most celebrated heroes, but cross a line and potential glory can become derision, madness and death.
· Explores the darker psychological drama behind the exploits of eleven adventurers, famous and lesser-known
· Written by a practicing clinical psychologist
· Accounts include heretofore unpublished information provided by archival witnesses, friends, and family
Every culture, in every era, has its adventure myths: The golden hero willing to walk through fire elevates us all beyond our fears and limits. But more often than readily seen, there are darker reasons for dangerous pursuits. Where falls the line between adventure and madness? Geoff Powter, a practicing clinical psychologist, looks into the stories of eleven troubled adventurers, divided into three categories: The Burdened, The Bent, and The Lost.
Polar explorer Robert Falcon Scott has been called a "willing martyr" ready to die for the mystical deliverance of adventure.
Meriwether Lewis, convinced that he had failed to achieve the objectives set by mentor and father figure, Thomas Jefferson, died by his own hand.
Maurice Wilson's plan for climbing Everest included deliberately crashing his plane as high as possible on the mountain.
Jean Batten was a remarkably driven early aviator whose clothes and make-up were always more perfect than her flying technique.
Polar balloonist Solomon Andrée was certain that his rigorous understanding of scientific principles would overcome any challenge posed by nature or equipment failure.
Aleister Crowley, a brilliant mountaineer who founded the Golden Dawn cult, was labeled pathologically, and even fatally, arrogant.
In each of these stories, darkness of some kind—ambition, ego, a thirst for redemption, the need to please others—carried these characters in a perilous direction. In the end, understanding these difficult but utterly human stories helps us comprehend the deepest purpose and allure of adventure, and, ultimately, to more honestly measure ourselves.
Customer Reviews:
Psychological probe meets adventure story.......2007-03-12
The history of adventure and adventure travel has many stories and heroes: so how is the search for adventure defined, and what makes seekers distinct? STRANGE AND DANGEROUS DREAMS: THE FINE LINE BETWEEN ADVENTURE AND MADNESS covers the lives of eleven selected adventurers, some well known and some more obscure, covering two centuries. Chapters categorize these explorers by the emotional turmoil that drove them out into the world - and their common connection is that each has been called 'mad'. Psychological probe meets adventure story in a collection highly recommended for general library acquisition.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
A Great Mix of History and Psychology, and Historical Psychology.......2007-02-18
From the perspective of someone who has a terrible mind for history (the kind of person who forgets about most historical figures soon after learning about them), I found this collection of histories to be surprisingly memorable and genuinely interesting. Author Geoff Powter does a great job of choosing some historical figures we have all heard of (like Meriwether Lewis) and throwing in several we haven't (like Solomon Andree). Each adventurer's life is covered relatively thoroughly from birth to death, but at a pace that keeps each segment interestng. With journalistic accuracy (and impartiality), Powter presents several sides to the most crucial or questionable events of each character's strange and/or dangerous path.
Although it's true that many of the author-imposed categories for these troubled adventurers could be switched or overlapped, I don't think that takes away at all from the telling of the stories themselves. They all struck me as fascinating and quite worthy of being included in this volume.
I found Strange and Dangerous Dreams to be an engrossing read when I had the time (sometimes I would read through three segments in a sitting) and at other times, a very easy book to pick up and put down at will. The organization of the book into differently-themed chapters and larger sections made each individual story more of a complete unit, and therefore easier to read in shorter sittings. Either way, if you're a history buff or a psychology enthusiast, this is a fascinating and informative read- no matter how much time you have on your hands. I highly recommend it.
Very Interesting Read.......2007-02-04
Given the cover graphic and book title this is not a book that I would normally have picked up and started to look at. However, after reading through it I find that it would have been my loss. The author points out that there is often a fine line between the quest for adventure and madness. To make his point he examines the lives and dreams of several adventurers and how something in their character caused them to cross that line into madness or at least come very close to it. Some of the adventurers examined include Meriwether Lewis, Robert Scott, Donald Crowhurst, Jean Batten, and Aleister Crowley. This is a really interesting account of each of these people and an insight into their personal lives. Strange and Dangerous Dreams is a recommended read for people with a passion for adventure and history.
It is a thin line........2006-11-21
The real key to this book is in its sub-title. The author is a psychologist and a veteran of thirteen climbing expeditions to the Himalaya. Perhaps he, himself, is his first patient as he examines what makes people take on dangerous hobies, sports, or jobs. He is examining 'the fine line' that marks the difference between striving for your best and carrying it so far that it becomes maddness or even suicidal.
We all know people who have trouble because of 'an old football injury,' or bone spur's from throwing a baseball to many times, or hearing loss from loud music. Where does the thrill of the sport cross over?
It's a most interesting book, but as with the case of most psychological analysis, it doesn't give really a solid answer. It's easy to say this is an example of a person gone too far, and the other end of the scale is also easy to see. But inbetween?
strangely dissapointed.......2006-10-31
A great and exciting topic but the book was very unexciting and seemed superficial--the three categories---lost, bend, burdened--totally arbitrary. Many of the subjects could have easily been mixed and matched in any of the other categories.
The author often gives a rather long general overview of his analysis of the particular individal without thorough biographical data. The subjects/individuals are covered in approximately 12 to 20 pages. I would have appreciated more biographical facts and/or some type of clinical anaylsis rather than the superficially "psychology" presented--the writing reminds me of a bookstore cafe--the combination usually results in mediocre books coupled with mediocre coffee. Here we have a mediocre book about adventurers coupled with mediocre psychology.
Maybe he should have justed written about several mountain climbers and their dangerous dreams rather than race through so many different subjects. I was hoping for something more indepth--the book could easily have been 400 pages longer if the subjects were as fascinating as they initially seemed to be. I was ready for a roller coaster ride and I got putt-putt golf instead.
Book Description
Baxter residents fear upheaval when a regional tire plant announces it's coming to Baxter. Rumor says mayor Charlie Kirby's signature on the deal was influenced by an affair with the tire company's corporate attorney - who dies suddenly after the agreement is finalized. Charlie, a pillar of the community and a father of seven, faces the court of public opinion and the biggest moral dilemma of his life. Meanwhile, newspaper editor Ellen Jones goes looking for a feature story, collides with the brick wall of the late attorney's past - and is stalked by someone pursuing the same track!
Customer Reviews:
A Fine Line..........2003-11-03
Baxter's city council voted to let Thompson Tire Corporation build a plant in town. Most of the residents were glad about it. Some were not.
Sheila Paxton was the company's lawyer. Sheila made a move on Charlie Kirby, Baxter's mayor, even though she knew he was happily married and had seven kids. Charlie seriously considered it, was very tempted, and refused the offer. When Sheila suddenly died, dark rumors spread of an affair between Charlie and Sheila. Charlie's marriage became threatened and the small town was heavy with gossip.
Worse, Sheila was part of the Witness Protection Program. A killer from her past was interested in finding her parents. Since Sheila (a.k.a. Mary Angelina Risotto) died in Baxter, that was where he went. The lives of Charlie and Ellen Jones, the editor of the town's paper, were about to become nightmares!
***** This is the last book in the Baxter series. I did not read the first four, but it does not matter. The story was able to stand alone. I was never confused or felt that I was missing anything. I love books of a series that manage to please no matter in what order they are read.
The story is filled with the warmth of a small town where everyone knows each other. That could be a good thing! However, the author shows that there are times that it could be a problem as well. There is a lot of suspense with all the mob, FBI, and local police involvement. The story also focuses on family matters, as well as, their faith in God. A wonderful story that will keep you hooked! Recommended! *****
strong suspense inside a small town drama.......2003-10-29
The city council led by mayor Charlie Kirby voted to allow the Thompson Tire Company to relocate to Barter, which means more jobs for the resident. Not everyone is in favor of the plant being built. Some residents fear that the new business will destroy the ambiance of the town and in turn the downtown shops. Charlie's most vocal enemy Avery Stedman starts a rumor that the reason the mayor pushed for the plant to be built was because he was having an affair with Thompson Tires attorney Sheila Paxton.
The rumor threatens to destroy the Kirby marriage. When Sheila is shot, her picture is plastered in newspapers across the country and comes to the attention of a Mafia hit man, searching for her father for eighteen years. He is a deadly sociopath who kills with no remorse and threatens to harm the town's newspaper editor if she doesn't locate Sheila's father who is in the witness protection program. It will take a miracle to save the Kirby's marriage and keep the editor safe after a trap to catch killer fails.
This is the last book in the Baxter series and it is a powerful story filled with characters readers have come to love and cherish. Two of the main characters of this series are traveling to a new town and will be starring in The Seaport series so the audience won't lose touch with Guy and Ellen. A FINE LINE shows how gossip can hurt people and push people to the breaking point. Kathy Baxter is a master at writing suspense within the parameters of a small town drama.
Harriet Klausner
Amazon.com
Walter Duffy was the world's leading bird photographer until an accident crippled him. So Boston lawyer Brady Coyne, an old friend, makes a point of visiting him in his bird-filled garden terrace--until the day Brady finds him lying next to his crutches, fatally bashed in the back of the head. Was it an accident or murder? Where is Walter's college-age son, who was also his much abused household helper? Who keeps calling Brady at odd hours, tipping him off to upcoming arson fires? And what's it all got to do with a packet of letters allegedly written by Meriwether Lewis?
This is Brady Coyne's 19th solo outing, and fans will find their hero just as likable, even-tempered, and incorruptible as ever. They'll also appreciate his growing relationship with companion Eve Banyon (who may be unrealistically gorgeous and devoted, but whose presence gives rise to one of the best sex-in-a-thunderstorm scenes you'll read this year). The suspense in A Fine Line is on the mild side, and the slightly disconnected plot concludes with a too-neat wrap-up. But you'll still enjoy reading Tapply for his fully fleshed people, his evocation of Boston, and his lean prose, which--as always--goes down as smoothly as 16-year-old single malt. --Nicholas H. Allison
Book Description
Walt Duffy spent his life traveling the world, documenting the beauty and wonder of nature through the lens of a camera. But there was nothing natural about the ugly way he died, his skull fractured by an unknown assailant, his broken body left sprawled right in his own backyard. The irony wasn't lost on Boston attorney Brady Coyne. He first met Duffy while handling his divorce a decade earlier, and their relationship evolved into a working friendship. He knew Duffy well, or so Brady thought. That belief is about to be put to the test when Coyne is brought in for questioning by both the local police and the FBI, who reveal Duffy's ties to a notorious ecoterrorist group that is currently setting fires to homes and offices around the Boston area. And when Brady begins to get mysterious calls in the middle of the night, warning of the next fire to be set, he knows that he has become an unwilling pawn in a chess game with the deadliest of consequences.
Customer Reviews:
A Fine Line.......2004-01-07
"A Fine Line" is the 19th Brady Coyne novel by William G. Tapply. Walt Duffy, a renowned ornithologist who was left paralyzed by a fall, asks his attorney and friend, Brady Coyne to deliver some letters supposedly written by Meriwether Lewis to Benjamin Frye, a rare book dealer, for authentication. Shortly after Brady delivers the letters, he finds Walt Duffy dead in his backyard. The police think it is murder. Duffy's son, Ethan, is also missing. Benjamin Frye gives the letters back to Brady, and shortly thereafter Frye is found dead in a warehouse fire. Brady feels that his life may be in danger because it appears someone will stop at nothing to obtain those rare letters. Brady needs to find Ethan Duffy and the murderer who appears to be a member of the radical ecoterrorist group, SOLF (Spotted Owl Liberation Front.) "A Fine Line" is also important concerning Brady's relationship with Evie. This is an excellent novel by William Tapply. Even after 19 Coyne novels, his plots are fresh and the suspense is riveting. "A Fine Line" is highly recommended.
A fine Brady Coyne novel.......2002-11-17
Every Tuesday, Boston lawyer Brady Coyne visits his friend Walt Duffy, once the foremost bird photographer in the country until he too had a bad fall and ended up a paraplegic. Now he lives in his Boston townhouse and spends much of his time bird watching in his garden. He lives with his college age son Ethan and their dog Henry. On Brady's latest visit, Walt asks him to get some letters appraised by antiquarian book dealer and fellow bird lover Ben Fyre.
The next day Walt asks Brady to visit him at his home but when the lawyer arrives he finds his friend/client dead with the police calling it a homicide. Ethan is nowhere to be found and Ben insists Brady take back the letters. When Ben is murdered too and Ethan remains missing, Brady finds himself in the middle of a FBI investigation involving eco-terrorists.
A Brady Coyne novel is always a treat and A FINE LINE is especially fine. It's cute watching Brady taking care of Nathan's dog Henry and decide whether or not he's brave enough to make a commitment to his girlfriend Eve. The plot is a clever adventure in misdirection and readers will find themselves caught up in the non-stop action of William G. Tapply's latest work.
Harriet Klausner
Amazon.com
Some stories regularly refresh themselves. The Walter Mittyesque tale of the dreamer chasing the dream is one of them. In The Fine Green Line, John Paul Newport's dream is a golf dream, and he relates it with good grace and humor, quite willing to analyze its inherent improbability and interpret the mysteries at its core. In his mid-30s, recently remarried, a new father, and playing to a handicap of less than 3, he sets out to focus on his game for a year, take his lumps on the minor-league tours, see how much he can improve, and finally test how he and his game stand up by trying to qualify for the PGA Tour via the murderous Q School tournament in the fall.
Like all worthwhile journeys, the destination is of less consequence than the trip itself. Newport's is a long and strange one, filled with small successes, big humiliations, reality checks, the kindness of strangers, and a colorful cast of wannabes on the golfing fringe, guys who live from week to week out of the back of their cars. Ultimately, Newport must come to terms with his own obsession with the game as he tries to figure out exactly where the fine green line of his title falls. He searches on and off the course for this abstract and invisible--and, he finally accepts, insurmountable--barrier that keeps the game's aristocracy on one side and those who can post the occasional 69 on the other. It's a search that takes him within himself and to anyone--such as Golf in the Kingdom's Michael Murphy, respected teaching pro Michael Hebron, swing doctors, and psychologists--who might be able to shed enlightenment, improve his swing, or focus his mind with laserlike intensity. It also sets off on some pretty memorable rounds of golf and the kind of grip-it-and-rip-it soul-searching that every hacker who's ever hit a ball with purpose--and shanked it anyway--is bound to understand. --Jeff Silverman
Book Description
What happens when a man leaves home for a year to pursue his dream?
One day, playing a particularly spectacular round of golf, husband and father John Paul Newport suddenly tastes what it?s like to be a pro. Deciding to take a year off and hit the road playing golf's mini-tour circuit, Newport embarks on a wild trip through America's fairways. Over the course of his journey inside the somewhat shady, often hilarious underbelly of professional golf, he uncovers a world of people so totally addicted to golf, to the delusion of achievable perfection, that they sacrifice everything else to the quest. He also discovers the nature of his own obsession with the game, and how this constant pursuit of perfection on the golf course reflects the same challenges and frustrations one encounters in life. What does it take to master such an intricate, unpredictable game? In golf, as in life, why is one so consistently incapable of acting up to one's clearly established potential?
As Newport struggles to cross that
Fine Green Line--the infinitely subtle yet critical difference between the top golf professionals and those who never quite make it--he realizes that life, like golf, doesn't let you get away with anything. This is a story about letting go of fear, facing challenges, and embracing risks--a compelling personal journey that captures many of the frustrations and elations of midlife both on and off the course.
Customer Reviews:
Worst Golf Book Ever?.......2007-06-11
This book is painful to read. Ending up skipping many paragraphs that were the author totally overanalyzing his swing or own mental state, as I wanted to finish the book figuring it would be fun to learn about the mini-tours -- golf's single-A leagues. Learned a little, but most of the book is the author self-flaggelating blather about his mental state, or lack thereof. Was hoping to hear about the background and dreams of the various cast of characters on the tours -- there might be five pages of that in a 300-page sleep-aid. Spends a full page explaining how his choice of socks ruined his round. This book is incorrectly titled. It should be "Fine Green Gap: The Pipe Dreams of a Three-Handicap and How He Got to Write a Book About It."
A look at the frustrating game that avid golfers love........2006-11-26
I picked this book up with relish as I found myself relating well to it as I read the outside flaps. (I have a handicap index identical to that of the author's AND what avid golfer wouldn't love to take a year to work on their game in order to make a run at the PGA Tour.) Author John Paul Newport is presented with that opportunity when he gets a book deal to show the preparation and effort required to attempt to qualify for the PGA Tour via the Tour's qualifying school (or "Q School"). Along the way he expresses quite well all of the frustrations that vex golfers who try to master the game.
Starting with lessons, hours of practice, then new equipment, then participation in various "mini-tours" across the country, Newport succeeds in validating Grantland Rice's quote about golf that it is, "...twenty percent mechanics and technique. The other eighty percent is philosophy, humor, tragedy, romance, melodrama, companionship, camaraderie, cussedness, and conversation."
Along the way, the reader gets to experience all of Newport's ups and downs during what he refers to as "The Year" while trying to balance life with a new wife and a brand-new baby. He finds that his mental "game" is not quite as developed as his physical "game" as he doggedly pursues his goal. It's hard not to feel real sympathy for Newport as he struggles with all of the various facets of the game. The reader will go away from this book with a greater appreciation for the game of golf and the effort that goes into trying to master it.
Recommended for all golfers, but especially for those who ever aspired to play on the PGA or Senior Tours, in particular.
Great beginning, but bogs down later in the book.......2006-04-11
I really enjoyed the first 1/3 of this book, and laughed out loud many times while reading it. The writing is very lively and funny as he describes his obsession with golf, how he enjoys hitting balls anywhere he can (an open field, in the garage during the winter), how he was a late bloomer in golf, etc.
However, once the author gets into playing in the mini tours (about one third into the book) on through to the end of the book, it's not as humorous as he wrestles with the mental aspects of the game over and over and over and over (get the point?). If you're big into the mental side of golf and you're like the author and believe that motivational tapes will improve your game, you may like all the endless discussion about it. But I'm not into that, and I thought it really slowed down the book.
The book is also anticlimactic ... about half way through, you can kind of tell how it's going to end.
I did enjoy the book's explanations and inside stories of how the mini tours worked and the characters who play on the mini tours. But one of the final chapters of the book talked about him entering Q School, and he doesn't go into much depth about what that is all about. I would have liked to have read more inside details about Q school and how that works.
Overall, the good parts of this book are entertaining and many times hilarious, but the last two-thirds of the book would have benefitted from more humor, and less introspective analysis of the mental parts of his game.
My Futile Aspirations Confirmed.......2004-11-05
Anyone that loves golf and shoots a good round here and there has experienced the "why can't I do that every time" mentality. In "The Fine Green Line", John Newport takes that belief to the next level and puts into proper perspective the difficulty of "mastering" the addictive and occassionally rewarding game. I recommend this book for the regular or avid golfer who may be helplessly addicted and wants a humorous and very real account of just how mentally difficult consistently good golf can be.
A Great Golf Book.......2004-04-28
If you are really into golf, you will love this book. It has a lot of insight into what makes golf so addictive, as well as many first hand accounts of what it's like on golf mini-tours. The author explores what it is that separates the very good golfer (under 5 handicap), from the tour player. In the process, he examines, in a way that most golf nuts can relate to, why golf has the attraction it does.
Reading this book was validating, fascinating, and entertaining. I highly recommend it.
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Despite Straight Lines
Josef Albers
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0262510154 |
Book Description
Eviatar Zerubavel argues that most of the distinctions we make in our daily lives and in our culture are social constructs. He questions the notion that a clear line can be drawn to separate one time or object or concept from another, and presents witty and provocative counterexamples in defense of ambiguity and anomaly.
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It is a good book.......2007-02-20
I enjoyed reading this book. It is about the everyday distinctions we make in our life. Zerubavel talks about how we always arrange things and how we become dependent of this order. He shows that our whole world is divided by our mind into islands. that is because we can't understand the world as a whole without dividing it into smaller pieces. Also he talks about the three types of minds: rigid mind, fluid mind and flexible mind.
In rigid mind he talks about how the rigid mind can't accept new things and different things in his life. I guess this is the problem of many people in our world people who can't adjust easily to different life conditions and to different people from themselves. We always tend to create our small groups of people who share the same ideas and the same ways of life. For this people is impossible to accept a different kind of life and different ways of life. It is due to our rigidity that we had wars in the past and we still have today. It is due to our rigidity that there is still so much intolerance in our world. There are people who still make distinctions between black and white people, between men and women and so on.
Thank you
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Picasso Line Drawings and Prints (Dover Art Library)
Pablo Picasso
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
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Degas' Drawings
ASIN: 0486241963 |
Book Description
44 drawings from many periods, styles show master 20th-century draughtsman's incredible line. 1905 circus family, portraits of Diaghilev, Balzac, cubist studies, neo-classical nudes, mythological scenes, many media: lithograph, drypoint, etching, pen-and-ink.
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