Book Description
Bestselling photography author Lee Frost turns his attention to black and white photography, and demonstrates how it is possible to make beautiful black and white images and fine prints with the minimum of fuss.
Black and white photography has a reputation for being something of an esoteric art requiring lots of expensive equipment and an encyclopaedic knowledge of complex techniques. But here Lee Frost dispels this myth, and proves that it can be the most simple, expressive and rewarding medium. The book covers all the essential techniques of black and white photography from what equipment to use through to the finer points of printing and toning, thereby demonstrating how Lee Frost creates his own breathtaking photographs, and how you can too.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best B&W photo books I've read........2007-08-29
I've been into b&w photography for a little while now, and lately I've been doing a lot of reading on the subject. This is without a doubt one of best books I've read so far. I'm already familiar with all of the technical aspects of photography, and those are all explained in the book (except for the zone system, which Frost clearly states at the beginning he doesn't use). Along with all of the technical stuff, Frost also explains his creative techniques. I can't say I learned much of that technical stuff (I already knew it all. I'm sure a beginner could learn a ton), but it did open my eyes to take a much more creative approach on photography than I had previously taken. Also in the book that's great is a chapter on lith printing and using liquid emulsion. Along with all of the information are pictures taken by Frost with captions that explain anything relevant to the chapter. This book is a great read for anyone who wants to improve their photography skills.
The perfect book for beginners and pros alike.......2004-05-26
This is by far the best black and white photo technique book I have read. I am a pro photographer and always keep a huge collection of how to books and monographs for looking up styles and new ideas.
Lee Frost is a very down to earth photographer that really takes what he loves to heart. He preaches that it is not all the little technical things that people and teachers say you need to know that make good photographs, its your own imagination and creativity.
This is the perfect thing to say for a true artist. Lee Frost gives us his own examples of basic photo techniques and then shows us how easy it is to make a beautiful fine art photograph with simple household products and a NON pro camera set up. Of course, he does state that having good equipment will always help, but it is not always needed as so many say.
Just think of the world famous photographer David Hamilton, who only used one 35mm camera, one lense, only natural light, and no filters. It doesnt get much more basic than that, and he is bowed down to by thousands.
Lee Frost has the same idea, and it is very asuring knowing that you dont need to go out and spend thousands to be a pro.
Again, I believe that this is the best how to and reference guide on the market today. Get it.
Good but not brilliant!!.......2004-05-25
Ive always enjoyed Lee Frost's past endeavours in the written field but this one didnt quite get up there in my expectations. This is still a very good book for intermediate photographers but perhaps not quite as gritty as I had hoped for. Enjoyable nonetheless.
Average customer rating:
- Fresh, comprehensive, and unusual
- "Hard" is relative -- "Sketchy": Hardly! + GREAT PIX !!!
- Intriguing Art Form
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Making Paper & Fabric Rubbings: Capturing Designs from Brasses, Gravestones, Carved Doors, Coins & More
Cecily Barth Firestein
Manufacturer: Lark Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Arts
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Printmaking
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Papercrafts
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Textile Arts
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1579902324 |
Book Description
A longtime teacher of the art, whose work has appeared in galleries and publications, shares her intense enthusiasm and knowledge in a lavishly illustrated guide to techniques, materials (specialty papers, crayons, inks, waxes, graphite), and projects. She shows how to make rubbing projects with children, create souvenirs while traveling, and store and display the finished work.
Customer Reviews:
Fresh, comprehensive, and unusual.......2007-03-23
It's not easy to find a really good book about making rubbings. In fact, this is the only one I've seen.
This art form is accessible to almost everyone, yet few realize the resources around them.
"Making Paper & Fabric Rubbings..." covers a wealth of ideas and techniques. You'll enjoy this at home, but especially as you travel. If you keep a diary or journal, you'll find wonderful new ways to illustrate it with rubbings. If you're a fabric artist, rubbings can be great material for unusual quilts and wall hangings.
Even better, once you start making rubbings, you'll look at the world in a different way. You'll notice more than colors and shapes, but also textures.
I go through a lot of books. Some delight me at first, and then I don't refer to them again. This one is a keeper.
"Hard" is relative -- "Sketchy": Hardly! + GREAT PIX !!!.......2007-02-20
Yo,
I got one of these for my artist sister, then read the surprisingly high-ranking tempest-in-teapot review below, and immediately perused the book, including especially the "Methods" chapter. This title definitely rates 5 stars, without reservation.
First of all for the *superb* color reproductions of a huge variety of exceptional rubbings (i.e., rubbings of exceptionally beautiful objects).
Then I read the Methods chapter sections -- comprising 5 or 6 diverse methods (including wet and dry paper techniques and even Gyotaku -- Japanese "Fish Printing"!). Each is spelled out step-by-numbered-step (with up to 9 steps), including preservation -- of both the rubbing and the rubbed object.
"Sketchy"?? The first Methods chapter page sez it all: Here are the simple basics, now try them on a variety of objects around the house, and you'll quickly learn about the major problems and challenges (listed FYI), and the medium's opportunities. 'Nuff said, now go out and try your hand at one or more of the "field trip" methods so fully spelled out. This ain't rocket science, it's quick ramp-up fun!
The book also discusses rubbing's history, kids' projects, papers, crayons etc., and lays out a dozen crafts projects -- all on shiny white paper, compleat with pre-printed bookplate on the front fly!
What's not to like, or more to ask for?!? DO get this bargain title (through Marketplace resellers) if you're the slightest bit interested in this fascinating and potentially hugely educational craft medium. Enjoy, enjoy!...
Intriguing Art Form.......2000-11-15
Rubbings of Gravestones have been an art form for centuries and Ms. Firestein has researched her medium thoroughly. I just wished she had gone into more detail on how to begin. She needs to include details for first-timers. Her instructions were very sketchy and hard to follow.
Product Description
A Major Resource on the Techmique of Woodblock Print-Making, 176p., with original color woodcut frontis 18 color & b.w. plates + 103 figures, index,bibliography, appendix, co-author R Yuki, dj. An important book by a member of the famous Yoshida print- making family. With a preface by Oliver Statler. Some artist represented are: Hiroshige, Moronobu, Sharaku, Yamaguchi and Azechi. Co-authored by Rei Yuki. This work is an expository essay addressing the traditional & modern print making techniques: preparation, carving, printing materials & tools, printing process. Modern prints: the development of modern prints, principles of technique, effects produced by various blocks, certain special effects, effects from overprinting, from conception to realization. With useful appendices to beginners and collectors, use of block printing. A valuable reference for any student or collector of Japanese prints. This also contains solid instruction on color woodblock printing. Written and organized by the son of Hiroshi Yoshida, the celebrated mid-19th century color woodblock print artist. Toshi is also known as a successful color woodblock This also contains solid instruction on color woodblock printing.
Amazon.com
For the visual historians among us, An Atlas of Rare City Maps is a cartographic feast. It presents 40 map plans of cities in Europe, Russia, the United States, and Asia--all published in the 19th century by England's Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, and all commissioned and drawn within a period of 13 years. See Munich, Calcutta, Dublin, and Warsaw, Madrid, Moscow, and New York as they once were, and relish the hand-colored, hand-lettered steel engravings. The maps are artistic gems, representative of an era of skill, and reproduced in fine detail.
Book Description
The map-plans in this collection of forty cities in Europe, Russia, the United States, and Asia were first published in the mid- nineteenth century by England's Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. These maps were all commissioned and drawn within a period of thirteen years, presenting a unique opportunity to compare urban development among 40 cities in 19 countries at one moment in time. An exquisite feast for the eye, the hand-colored, hand-lettered steel engravings are artistic masterpieces in themselves, representative of an era of exceptional artisanal skill. They are reproduced here in fine detail in an oversized format.
The Atlas of Rare City Maps includes both well-known European and American cities such as Amsterdam, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, and Venice, as well as smaller cities like Calcutta, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Lisbon, Marseille, Parma, and Stockholm. An introductory essay by Melville C. Branch discusses the historical evolution of urban design, and provides a background on engraving techniques. Branch also evaluates each map-plan, remarking on the details of each engraving and the evolution of the forms of the cities, their histories, and demographic characteristics.
This rare collection first appeared in its modern form twenty years ago in a limited edition (Arno Press); long out of print, this book has been much sought after by architects, urban planners, and map enthusiasts everywhere. Princeton Architectural Press is proud to make available once again this valuable resource.
Customer Reviews:
Gave it to City Administrator.......2006-11-14
Discovered Atlas of Rare City Maps at Micawber books in Princeton, NJ. The college student/clerk said it was her favorite book in the store. I read it. Loved it. Gave it to the City Administrator in our town. He's so delighted by it that, after skimming it, he decided to read it one city at a time; like a morning devotional reading!
Comparative design.......2000-06-10
This book contains some of the loveliest reproductions of old maps I have ever scene. Aside from the beautiful pictures, the author includes interesting and valuable commentary to help the reader understand these city plans in the context of history and geography. All those interested in urban design should read the eloquent forward of this book. It would be highly beneficial if more of our political leaders, and just people in general, understood this era in urban design- the end of the traditional and the beginning of the modern. With the help of this book, perhaps we can bring about a new commitment to intelligent and beautiful urban planning for the future.
Book Description
Now you can do even more with panels, borders, and theme fabrics than they are "preprinted" to do! Rely on these easy techniques to showcase everything from detailed scenes to whimsical novelty motifs in your quilts.
• Make your own creative decisions as you build beautiful quilts around your favorite fabrics; ten step-by-step projects show you how
• Choose from wall quilts, lap quilts, and a table runner, plus projects that use holiday and seasonal prints
• Learn how to selectively "fussy cut" your fabrics and choose the right fabrics to frame and finish images
Customer Reviews:
Awesome.......2007-01-30
Just what I was looking for. This book contain so many idea on what to do with my novelty fabrics and panels. I'm stuck no longer. I have started to create my quilt with great success. Thanks
What a neat book!.......2006-12-27
Have you ever been to a fabric store, spotted a panel print of a favorite subject, brought it home, then wondered what on earth to do with it? This book helps the quilter who wants to explore quilting using fabrics with, for example, panel pictures, large-scale prints, or border prints. The author goes way beyond simply quilting up the panel as it was cut from the bolt. She shows you ways to explore cutting, setting, and quilting your panel fabrics in ways that enhance and preserve the original artwork of the fabric. I especially enjoyed seeing one quilting pattern completed with two different fabrics. Her instructions are clear, concise, and utilize color so that even the beginner quilter can successfully complete a quilt using those great panel fabrics. You'll never shop for fabric the same way again!
quilting with panels.......2006-03-17
This is a good guide for quilting printed panels and borders as it offers different ideas on how to make up the panels for a variety of projects.It is the only book I have seen that deals solely with printed panels.
Want to know what to do with that theme fabric you bought?.......2004-01-10
Susan's book will give you great ideas for using that theme print in beautiful quilts. It's one of those "why didn't I think of that?" books with plenty of instructions and color ideas. Her second book MORE CLEVER QUILTS gives you more and different quilts, well worth the purchase.
Amazon.com
Weighing in at 750-plus pages, Adrian Johns's sturdy tome is several books in one. At one level, it is a close study of print culture in early modern England, a time of civil war in which social and civic relations were being remade from the mores of feudal monarchy to a politics approximating modern democracy. In this transformation, the printing press was an essential vehicle for empowering the common people, and control over the publishing industry was contested among several parties--the government, authors, booksellers, the printers themselves. At another level, Johns's book is a study of the role of printing in the formation of scientific knowledge, a means whereby scientific discoveries could be widely circulated and codified. At another, it is a contribution to the sociology of communication, concentrating on changes in English society thanks to the press, through which a literate but remarkably isolated people who, an 18th-century writer observed, knew no more of the city and countryside outside their immediate neighborhood than they did of France or Russia, could become aware of the larger world--often over the objections of power-makers like Sir Francis Bacon, who urged that the people not be given access to information that did not immediately concern them.
Johns's book is dense with facts and quotations from the contemporary literature, but his prose is lightened by keen observation and telling anecdotes. (In one, Benjamin Franklin tried to make his way across Europe as a journeyman printer but grew so disgusted at the copious drinking of his fellow tradesmen that he switched careers, an accident that would change the course of history.) The Nature of the Book will be especially useful to those now tracking the communications revolution of the late 20th century, in which new technologies are once again changing power relations and supplanting old media. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
In The Nature of the Book, a tour de force of cultural history, Adrian Johns constructs an entirely original and vivid picture of print culture and its many arenas—commercial, intellectual, political, and individual.
"A compelling exposition of how authors, printers, booksellers and readers competed for power over the printed page. . . . The richness of Mr. Johns's book lies in the splendid detail he has collected to describe the world of books in the first two centuries after the printing press arrived in England."—Alberto Manguel, Washington Times
"[A] mammoth and stimulating account of the place of print in the history of knowledge. . . . Johns has written a tremendously learned primer."—D. Graham Burnett, New Republic
"A detailed, engrossing, and genuinely eye-opening account of the formative stages of the print culture. . . . This is scholarship at its best."—Merle Rubin, Christian Science Monitor
"The most lucid and persuasive account of the new kind of knowledge produced by print. . . . A work to rank alongside McLuhan."—John Sutherland, The Independent
"Entertainingly written. . . . The most comprehensive account available . . . well documented and engaging."—Ian Maclean, Times Literary Supplement
Customer Reviews:
mistitled.......2002-03-21
Adrian Johns tells us much less about the nature of the book than about the origins of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Natural Knowledge, the physical conditions in which books were printed and distributed, and the architecture of the Royal Stationers Hall. These subjects are lovingly treated with, as another reviewer noted, Johns's prolix style -- not only could the book have shaved a third of its length were the language pared down even slightly, but there could easily have been 3 very interesting books made of this one, and none of them would have borne the title 'The Nature of the Book.'
Johns's ostensible purpose in tying all these themes together is to attack Elizabeth Eisenstein's theory that fixity is an inherent effect of the advent of print culture; however his argument isn't supported by the evidence he so ponderously provides. He does not in fact compare print culture with manuscript culture, as an earlier reviewer stated; and without this comparison it's hard to say Eisenstein's theory suffers any damage as a result of Johns's book. His point is merely that fixity (of authorship, edition, form) was a problem for authors and printers in seventeenth century London, one that the Royal Society and the Company of Stationers both worked to solve; if anything, this rather supports Eisenstein's theory, since her point is that prior to the printing press the very notion of 'fixity' was impossible to imagine, nevermind realize.
Despite the fact that the book is mistitled and its unifying argument is not especially choate, it does contain a wealth of interesting information about the gritty physicality of printing in seventeenth century London, and its later chapters are excellent intellectual/scientific history. I only wish the editors at the University of Chicago Press, whom Johns praises so highly in his acknowledgements, had been a bit tougher with the manuscript.
Why do we trust books?.......2001-10-09
We uncritically accept that a book which says it has been written by so-and-so an author is, in fact, an accurate representation of that particular author's ideas. We believe that a book claiming to be published by such-and-such a publisher on this-or-that date has, in truth, come from that claimed publisher on that given date.
Most historians of the printed word have considered our acceptance of these claims as a pre-destined result of the factory-like uniformity of print. A printed page can be exactly reproduced over and over again through printing, and this consistency lead the reading public to trust the claimed provenance of a printed materials in comparison to manuscripts.
Adrian Johns' "Nature of the Book" disputes the inevitability of a trusted print culture. It did not arise as a mechanistic result of the printing process. Rather, Johns' argues that it was the individual and collective efforts of printers, booksellers, authors, and others who successes and failures prepared Western society to accept a print culture based on propriety and trust.
Focusing on the Stationers' Guild of London in the mid-to-late 1600s and the British Royal Society of the early-to-mid 1700s, Johns highlights critical conflicts, collusions, competitions, cooperations, and crises which directly contributed to the trusted print culture we share today. Johns is an historian of science and he uses the development of experimental philosophy as championed by the Royal Society as a prime example of how diverse interest groups struggled with the dilemma of trusting books the printed word.
In nine carefully focused chapters covering over 600 pages, the author builds his case that there was nothing inevitable about how our print culture evolved. The corollaries to our modern struggles over the veracity of electronic media are obvious. Western society has been in this position before and Johns does a wonderful job of telling the tale. If history is going to repeat itself, it will ultimately be the meatware rather than the hardware which defines the trustworthiness of our electronic information culture.
Different.......2001-01-24
(I used this book in a graduate seminar on early modern printed books at the Newberry Library. It's worth delving into if you are seriously interested in the subject.)
Overturning Elizabeth Eisenstein and Marshal McLuhan, Johns argues that the emergence of print technology did not stabilize and thus give authority to texts -- on the contrary, print culture could be even messier than manuscript culture. Authority and fixity were attributes and values that had to be constructed and ascribed to printed texts over a substantial period of time.
The book reads like it is the product of a gang of Umberto Ecos--avoiding a grand narrative of 17th century English print culture, Johns describes famous and marginal characters as well as their physical milieu with incredible detail. If this doesn't fascinate you, it will at least inform you with a more concrete grasp of the subject than one normally receives from academics.
On the other hand, the length of the book can become tedious and its argument elusive. Avoiding a grand, teleological narrative is one thing; losing sight of your thesis is another. But if you don't mind working with this book in interpreting a ton of data and fascinating events, you will find it a rewarding read.
disappointing.......2001-01-08
I bought this in the expectation of something a bit like Haskell's 'History and its Images': an examination of the ways that people have come to terms with books and other printed materials in the past, and the ways that it differs from what we do today. And I believe that that is also what Johns wanted to write, and maybe even believes he has written. Unfortunately, he hasn't: early modern readers never really get a look in, and in spite of (or even because of?) more than 600 pages of main text, he fails ever to get to the point. In essence, this is not really a book, so much as large pile of stuff - it is as if, having done all his research, he could not bear to throw anything away.
Thus, for instance, we get to learn a great deal about the finer social points of the printers/publishers guild in London, even about who should pay for dinner. But this information is on a scale, and left in a state, where it is more interesting to someone researching a novel set in a printing workshop in England in the middle of the seventeen century, than to someone wondering what, in 1650, was going through the head of someone settling down with a newly acquired book.
Similarly, we learn a great about the publishing arrangements and politics of the Royal Society, and in particular about the 'Philosophical Transactions', as a lead up to a description of the bust-up between Christiaan Huygens and Robert Hooke over the invention of the spring escapement watch movement (David Landes' account, in 'Revolution in Time', which I would have thought definitive, and fairly well known - it is certainly more concise, and much clearer about the technical issues of who may or may not have been in the right, and to what extent - is not cited in the bibliography). But again this chapter leads nowhere, except to a conclusion about how the virtues of the Royal Society and the Philosophical Transactions, and the model of science they embodied, were not 'obvious' to contemporaries. This would be an interesting point to argue (it is certainly one with which I would be fascinated to engage). It might well be possible to build a case that a society that included Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle, Robert Hooke, Christopher Wren and many similar others among its members, corresponded regularly with the most learned men in the rest of Europe, and published a journal where articles were admitted for publication only after review by members, had no obvious virtues as a clearing house for scientific information in comparision to, e.g., a journal that solicited materials to be dropped of at a specified coffee house, but I'm afraid Johns is going to have to work a bit harder if I am to accept such a claim seriously as an argument rather than as wishful thinking. (He even admits that all competitors to the Philosophical Transactions took it as a model, and also that most of them failed completely and almost immediately, though he does not discuss in satisfactory detail why).
This book does, however, convince me that there is a fascinating book to be written on the relationship between readers and texts in early modern Europe, a book that follows up properly on a sentence that tantalized me in the introduction: 'It seems that nobody in 1660's Europe built an air-pump sucessfully by relying solely on Boyle's textual description of the engine. Some we know, tried; all, we think, failed.' There is also the book that is actually to be found at the core of this one: a monograph on the the issues an author in early modern Europe had to deal with in getting a book published, and securing credit for his ideas. Such a monograph would be the result of throwing away the stuff about, for instance, who paid for dinner at Stationers Hall, and tightening up the text and the supporting materials (Johns - who, in passing, accuses technical philosophers of 'canting speech' - has a pompously prolix style: rewritten, the text could easily, among other things, lose a quarter of its length).
Revisit every assumption you brought to the act of reading.......1998-11-28
This rich study asks the reader to revisit every assumption s/he brings to the act of reading a book. Provides a sound history of the process of book publishing, revealing what a wonder it is that books actually manage to be published. A wonderful account of the history of intellectual property, copyright, authors' claims, and the rise of print culture in Europe (particularly England) during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. All in all, an enlightening read.
Book Description
“A remarkably creative and inspiring book for beginning printmakers and crafters....Beyond the usual sections on materials, tools, and techniques, it offers one and two page vignettes on Gauguin, Munch, 19th-century Japanese woodcuts, etc....explores eraser prints, carving linoleum blocks, woodcuts, and making printing blocks out of polymer clay.”—Library Journal.
Customer Reviews:
Great Starter Book on Printmaking.......2007-10-11
Although the book indicates developing prints from other media than wood blocks, those are very few. Yet the guide to using wood to produce amazing print blocks, with imagery from those made in the past, encourages an artist to use this media. The beautiful projects, tools needed, step-by-step instructions gave the book a 5-star ranking. There is even a project that shows the steps in simple book-making. You won't be disappointed in this book on printmaking/stamping, particularly in the modern frenzy in multi-media artwork.
Get your feet wet!.......2003-10-09
Never took a printmaking class in college...I've been carving erasers and wondering about this new world of relief printing. This book is wonderful.
Not too much information on complicated techniques. Enough info to have me working on new ideas. If you're beyond the commercial rubber stamps and/or are an artist hoping to incorporate printed images into
multimedia work...buy this book! Great reference! It'll fill in the blanks for those who have an art education but no basic printmaking.
Simple prints, excellent results.......2001-05-14
This book is aimed at relief printmaking without a press using a range of techniques from linocuts through to using found objects. The techniques are clearly described and are applied to a number of simple but attractive projects such as single pamphlet books. pillows or cards. The photographs are clear and helpful. I particularly liked the fact that Gwen Diehn went through the clean up process, which is often not covered in much detail, and that she used vegetable oil rather than the more noxious kerosene. Throughout the book are a number of inspiring examples by past and present printmakers which help to extend the processes described. Whilst this book is aimed primarily at beginners, it offers stimulus and information of use to the more experienced printmakers too.
Book Description
From billboards to lunch boxes, environmental print offers a powerful springboard to literacy!
While learning to read and write takes time, there are effective ways to tap into what children already know and to use that information to jump start the literacy process. One way is through environmental print (EP), the print that surrounds children in their daily lives.
Integrating Environmental Print Across the Curriculum, PreK–3, provides a wealth of activities that build literacy skills during time devoted to language arts, math, science, social studies, art, and dramatic play. Highlighting research from the National Reading Panel, the authors demonstrate that by activating prior knowledge and creating opportunities for authentic learning, EP is an effective tool in developing the early literacy skills of all children, including English language learners and those at risk for, or identified with, special needs. Each activity specifies grade range, materials, and instructions to help you:
- Meet the goals of Early Reading First and Reading First
- Assess children’s ability levels in performing the activity
- Strengthen concepts with related literature and songs
- Communicate ways that parents can use EP with their children
This friendly, research-based book is designed to assist you in creating an environmental print program that promotes the development of strong literacy skills for every child!
Book Description
In this unique craft book, outdoor enthusiast and former teacher Ellen B. Senisi encourages children to create art with colored objects found in nature. In alternating spreads, she shows the beauty of each color, its special significance to the plant and animal world, and related crafts. Kids can put away their store-bought supplies-here are more than a dozen projects, all made with plants, fruits, and other natural objects that they can find in yards, parks, gardens, or the grocery store. Children will discover that green leaves make printed patterns, spinach can be simmered into ink, certain flowers and berries work like paint, and more.
Nature inspires so much of art. In this book it provides the materials, too. For young artists, this is a new, intimate way to think about color and its essential role in nature and art.
Customer Reviews:
Naturally colorful.......2001-06-27
As a librarian, I am always looking for great craft books that will appeal to children and their parents. This one is so captivating that I bought a copy for my niece! The instructions and illustrations are clear, and there are a variety of projects to choose from. Some projects require more adult supervision that others, and some require extensive preparation or effort. However, curious elementary students will hardly be able to wait to try these ideas. Because only ideas and instructions are given, rather than patterns and specifics, the results will be sure to reflect the individuality and creativity of the child doing the project.
Book Description
In American Gospel (literally meaning the "good news about America"), New York Times bestselling author Jon Meacham sets the record straight on the history of religion in American public life. As Meacham shows, faith --meaning a belief in a higher power, and the sense that we are God's chosen people-- has always been at the heart of our national experience, from Jamestown to the Constitutional Convention to the Civil Rights Movement to September 11th. And yet, first and foremost, America is a nation founded upon the principles of liberty and freedom. Every American is free to exercise his own faith or no faith at all. And so a balance is struck, between public religion and private religion; and religious belief is distinct from morality. As Meacham explains, the well-known "wall" between church and state has always separated private religion from the business of the state, yet religious belief is part of the basic foundation of government. Brilliantly articulating an argument that links the Founding Fathers to an insightful contemporary point of view, American Gospel renews our understanding of history, and what public religion has meant in America, so that we can move beyond today's religious and political extremism toward a truer understanding of the place of faith in American society.
From the Compact Disc edition.
Customer Reviews:
American Gospel - No Answer.......2007-09-28
I have to admit, after reading A Peoples' History of the United States, I had much concern about this book. It seems that it was either going to state that the United States was founded on Christian beliefs or it was going to say that it was absolutely not founded on Christian beliefs. Much to my surprise, the answer was 'sort of.'
As much as one could, Mr. Meacham seems to have taken a middle road, analytical view of the topic. From the origins of separation of church and state to discuss what God and maker were the founding fathers speaking of, the book was found to be most informative an interesting. It seems that some readers will get annoyed because they want the book to pick a side and argue it but instead he presented both parts of the argument and follows history to where we are today with respect to faith, God and government.
His citation system is far superior to that found in A Peoples' History though it was still lacking. He provided a long citation list but only by page with no corresponding reference on said page. I don't know...maybe in popular history books editors feel that when a reader sees a superscript number that they will be turned off. What I would hope is that two editions could be published, one as the book currently is but also one with exact citations so the reader, if she so chooses, can look up a quote or fact and see if it is presented in an appropriate context. Another good thing was the inclusion of entire documents within the appendix to allow the reader to see the source material as it was and to either agree or disagree with Mr. Meacham's interpretation.
Pablum.......2007-09-13
Jefferson, Washington, Franklin, Adams, and Madison were Deists, not Christians. Deism, not Christianity, was the religion of the enlightenment and of the early American intelligentsia. This work is well-intended, but superficial, and only feeds into the big lie that America is a "Christian country." That charade needs to be played out, not played into.
Finally, a Balanced Truth.......2007-08-18
American Gospel tells the truth of the history of religion (primarily the belief in Christianity) in the United States. It is very satisfying because it tells the whole story.
I have been an evangelical (born-again) Christian for almost 30 years. In that time, I have heard people say "America is a Christian nation," and I even went to a lecture by David Barton, founder of Wallbuilders, who claimed that the founding fathers were all Christian men.
I love the Lord and I love to study American history. But when I would hear and read about how Christian the nation was (and many evangelicals want to ensure that it remains so), I always think, "How could this Christian nation have tolerated slavery? How could these Christian men say 'thou shalt not steal,' and then take land away from Native Americans?" I often felt like those I've heard go on about how America was founded by Christians would like for people to forget our country's greatest sins, or believe that Christians had nothing to do with them. In fact, on Independence Day weekend 2007, I went to Church and my pastor gave a message about America, and he said "The battle cry of America has always been freedom." That's a nice thought, but it's just not true.
The truth is that the founders wanted a nation where people could be free in every aspect, including their spiritual beliefs. I'm glad for a book that respects Christianity but does not justify, minimize or ignore America's sins.
Bad history written by a journalist.......2007-08-15
If you want a real historical account and worth while scholarship, I would suggest reading "The Faiths of the Founding Fathers." Meacham is an amateur. Any senior in an undergraduate history course should be able to point out the glaring omissions, half truths and shoddy scholarship. His thesis is not even original. It seems to me Meacham is a reporter who found a way to make money during a time where religion and government are of more concern to Americans. Meacham should stick to reporting and let historians write history.
Meacham has done excellent research.......2007-08-09
Jon Meacham has researched the history of religion (mostly Christianity) in the colonies and in the founding fathers writing. His detail is excellent, and his intrepretations are thoughtful and well supported.
The debates that occurred with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were carried out with the spirit of allowing religious freedom, yet acknowledging that religion played an important role in the lives of citizens and politicians alike.
Before anyone concludes that we declare the U S a Christian nation, it would be well worth your while to review the accounts of our founders as presented by Meacham.
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