Book Description
Italy is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and this beautiful, useful volume is an ideal reminder for those who have been there and fallen in love with the country, as well as a book to stir the expectations of those who plan to travel there. Lavishly illustrated with photographs, this collection captures the local color of every remarkable corner of this richly diverse land-the clamor and vitality of Naples, the idyllic enchantment of Lago Maggiore, the intriguing cultural contradictions of Genova, the breathtaking (if terrifying) cliffside trails in Cinqueterre.
Contributors include Oliver Bernier, Rachel Billington, Frank Bruni, Shirley Hazzard, Paul Hofmann, Alison Lurie, Malachi Martin, Alastair McEwen, Michael Mewshaw, Jan Morris, Francine Prose, Barry Unsworth, Muriel Spark, and William Weaver. Essays full of history, philosophical ruminations, humorous anecdotes, cultural musings, and useful travel information-in short the best of The New York Times talent-will make you want to drop everything and fly to this land that continues to inspire writers, artists, and casual visitors alike. AUTHOR BIO: Umberto Eco is the author of four novels as well as numerous works of criticism, philosophy, and literary theory. His fifth novel, The Mysterious Flame, will be published in June. He is professor of semiotics at the University of Bologna.
Customer Reviews:
WONDERFUL COLLECTION!.......2007-07-05
There are many interesting articles in this wonderful collection of travel articles from the New York Times. This great book covers Italy from top to bottom and it includes articles of some well known cities such as Rome and Venice as well as some unknown villages and islands. This book shows how diversfied a small country such as Italy is. The photos are gorgeous and the writing is superb from the many different talented writers. I highly recommend this book to any fan of Italy or of travel. This is much more than a coffee table book. Also, a great price through Amazon!
italy !.......2007-04-11
this book is superb. plenty of great photos and informative writing. if we get to italy we will feel comfortable in a foreign speaking country as we will have learned heaps about the people and more about this interesting destination. this book covers all the areas from top to bottom and places in between. thanks to amazon for this purchase as i could find nothing like it in new zealand with such interesting information ! yes it is a must weather you get to italy or not and has pride of place in the travel section of our library.
Great Gift.......2006-02-28
I got this beautiful book for two dear friends, brilliant musicians, who will be traveling to Italy soon. They were entranced, and have thanked me several times, saying the book makes them feel "as if we are already in Italy."
Italy Coffee Table Book.......2006-02-25
The book is beautifully photographed. It has pictures of some out of the way places that some of the other brochures and books don't touch on. If you are looking for information, this is not the book for you.
Discovering/ Revisiting Every Corner of Italy: THE Book To Read Before Travel.......2005-11-19
This is one of those books that defies description. Formed as a joint project between the Italian Tourism people and the New York Times, this generously illustrated volume covers all of Italy, not only photographically but also with immensely readable and helpful articles about the regions, the people and their idiosyncrasies, the culture, the history, the sights not to be missed, the foods, and an ebullient flow of gentle humor that makes this the first choice of reading in preparation for a visit to this popular country - or an invaluable memento for perusing once home from the pleasures Italian.
Not only are there superb 'articles' by NY Times staff writers about the famous places (Milan, Rome, Venice, Florence, Sienna, etc), but here are also vignettes about the tiny secrets of Italy like Posillipo, the Aeolian Islands, Trieste, Portofino and on and on. Forty articles do far more than describe a place: these articles are written by people who can define the flavors so clearly they leap from the page.
Keeping the book in the realm of art, the introduction is by none other than the brilliant Italian novelist Umberto Eco who puts a spin on the wealth of pleasures that follow, basking in Italy's history and the reasons the people are so unique. It is a joy to read. Highly Recommended for both active and armchair travelers! Grady Harp, November 05
Book Description
Praise for Fourth Generation R&D "A sweeping and insightful analysis of an architecture for innovation in the knowledge economy. Technologists, strategists, and organizational architects will all find this book worth reading, as will students of the modern organization." —John Seely Brown Chief Scientist, Xerox Corporation "The new realities of competition beg a new approach to innovation and R&D; Fourth Generation R&D answers that challenge. With lucid arguments and detailed case studies, Fourth Generation R&D sketches a powerful new paradigm for planning and managing innovation. Every manager concerned with innovation and its role as a strategic resource—that's to say, every manager—will profit from this new understanding." Lawrence Wilkinson President, Global Business Network "Fourth Generation R&D is a tour de force. Its sweep, depth, and use of graphics are all truly remarkable (not to mention its command of the literature on innovation). The distinctions it draws between continuous and discontinuous innovation—and between tacit and explicit knowledge—are fundamental." —John Yochelson President, The Council on Competitiveness
Customer Reviews:
Strategic management of innovation.......2002-09-27
You might be curious about what the title of this book refers to. It¡¯s rather simpler than you might guess. In a common vocabulary in business, it refers to the ¡®radical innovation¡¯. Then, you might infer that the 3rd generation R&D should be the incremental innovation. Yep. You¡¯re right. But those conventional terms don¡¯t fit completely into what authors argues. There is sufficient reason to coin such neologisms. The argument of this book goes like this. Traditional market research tends to deal with explicit knowledge. Focus group, survey, structured interview, all tackle what is pre-definable or expressible in word. But could such approaches spot the next generation product? authors question. No. customers can¡¯t put into words their gut feeling needs. They could spot it only when it appears on the market. The real breakthrough in product development, more often than not, comes in unexpected way. Thus, authors pose the question, ¡®How we should manage the uncertainty?¡¯ Put in other way, ¡®how we should manage the innovation?¡¯ R&D or product development must include incremental innovation. But in this turbulent environment, it¡¯s not enough. To be the leader in the market, not follower, one should ride ahead the tide. Then the question of R&D should be the radical innovation. Break with the identifiable trend. Then what product should be devised? All R&D begins with the product concept. But now the concept should be based on what customer¡¯s gut feeling or their tacit needs. Don¡¯t make what customer wants today. Make what they want tomorrow. At this point, you might retort: ¡®Yep. You¡¯re right. But it¡¯s easier to be told than to be done. How I could do so?¡¯ Here comes the knowledge management. Customers¡¯ tacit needs tend to be buried in noise of day-to-day information flow. There are numerous reasons for such filtering out. But all in all, to be sensitive to that kind of info, the authors maintain, is to manage the organization innovative. Knowing is not doing. Doing needs the capability to do. Then innovation requires the capability building. But it¡¯s not that simple to build up. It must face resistance inside the firm itself. Radical innovation tends to be the capability-destroying one. so developing innovative product usually comes with organizational innovation.
Above is the problem authors pose to us. I think the better title of the book is ¡®Strategic management of innovation¡¯. This book is not about the specificity of R&D, but about how to manage the firm innovative. Overall tenet of the book is so close to Nonaka & Takeuchi¡¯s ¡®The Knowledge-Creating Company¡¯. But this book is written not for academic researcher but for managers in the field. Points are made in graphic way with various case studies by authors. Nonetheless, it lacks the depth of Nonaka & Takeuchi¡¯s book. I recommend to read this book with Nonaka & Takeuchi¡¯s.
great content, not so great style.......2002-01-04
The book starts out with theoretical constucts and eventually uses examples to show their relevance. I found the authors' style of writing rather awkward. The organization of the material also makes the book somewhat difficult to follow. However, the well researched material presented is worth buying the book.
Sustainable Innovation!.......2000-12-06
Authors Miller and Morris have nailed the impending transformation of R&D from its historical, product-centric past to its emerging knowledge-centric future. In addition, their focus on 'discontinuous' and 'fusion' innovation promises to lead the way for industry, in general, whose R&D functions typically produce less than one new product innovation per decade and whose new products, when they are produced, tend to fail in under four years. The authors' explicit embrace of knowledge management is also welcome, as the value of most companies now tends to rest more on the weight of their intellectual assets than on so-called 'hard' assets. Finally, this book's focus on distributed, enterprise-wide innovation signals the tearing down of R&D's overly centralized and compartmentalized profile in most firms, and offers strong support for the view that innovation should be structured as a distributed, whole-firm social process, not an administrative one. I highly recommend this book to readers interested in R&D, innovation, knowledge management, intellectual capital, organizational learning, and sustainable innovation.
Provocative Analysis of Innovation.......2000-04-05
Fourth Generation R&D makes explicit many of the concepts and processes of innovation that often seem mysterious and complex. The author's framework for innovation applies to organizations competing in accelerated and dynamic markets.
Innovation algorithm.......1999-12-25
Most business leaders today understand that innovation is survival. This book gets beyond the usual trivial pablum about *being more creative* to show the kinds of mechanisms and methods that give R&D traction. If you want to stop wasting your R&D dollars and get better ROI, this book offers clear, actionable, and reliable insights.
Book Description
An indispensable guide to Blake's ideas and symbols is once again available in paper, with a new foreword and annotated bibliography
Customer Reviews:
An essential reference work for Blake scholarship........2000-06-08
Prophet? Madman? Or philosopher? The mythological characters in William Blake's prophetic poetry present a conundrum for the reader who confronts these characters with the traditional literary expectations of a symbolic reading. Indeed, the vanguard of contemporary criticism would argue that the very complexity of Blake's mythology precludes an all inclusive schemata.
Yet S. Foster Damon's A BLAKE DICTIONARY offers compelling testament that there was methodology in Blake's madness. In addition to providing a detailed enunciation of virtually every character in Blake's poetry, Damon further offers an exposition of the major themes and symbols which Blake repeatedly returned to in his longer prophetic works. Along with both Northrop Frye's FEARFUL SYMMETRY and David Erdman's PROPHET AGAINST EMPIRE, Damon's meticulously cross-referenced dictionary is an essential reference work for anyone who dares delve into Blake's complex mythology.
Customer Reviews:
interesting sidebars.......2006-11-11
The book covers both history and the current political framework of the US. The history is covered briefly in the early chapters. In enough detail to explain key ideas and debates that shaped the nation. Federalism especially. We see how the early United States cobbled together an initially fragile federal government, that gained strength with the passing decades. Enough to prevail in the Civil War.
Most of the text describes many aspects of the contemporary scene. Including factors like the role of the media in effecting the political debate, by investigating issues. Here, the narrative delves into subtopics like a possible ideological bias by journalists.
The book also has sidebars that raise thought-provoking questions. These actually make the book distinctive, since the main narrative can be found in several other books on the subject. One interesting sidebar is why aren't Senators elected from subdivisions of their states, instead of state-wide? While this is commonly seen as immutable, it is actually not explicitly defined in the Constitution, and there were once Senatorial districts. What the sidebar omits, perhaps for space considerations, is that the establishment of these districts nowadays would open up an entirely new source of gerrymandering.
Book Description
A poet, painter, and engraver, William Blake died in 1827 in obscurity. Yet he has become one of the most anthologized writers in English and one of the most collected British artists. His urge to create masterpieces of revelation has left complex (and sometimes bizarre) works of written and visual art. The essays in this Companion and a chronology, guides to further reading, and glossary of Blake's terms identify the key points of departure into Blake's diverse world.
Customer Reviews:
Haunting.......2007-07-19
I really enjoyed this book - I felt it was particularly haunting at the end when I realized it was based on a true story (afraid I never took art appreciation). To me the story was appealing partly due to the "Ugly Duckling" beauty is in the eye of the beholder theme but tragic at the end in a sort of Gone with the Wind way too. I felt that the story was believable and interesting at the same time. I noticed that the cover art didn't match the content but just goes to show you once again that you can't judge a book by its cover.
Wayward novelist.......2007-05-20
Perhaps because the actual lives of the Pre-Raphaelites were so over the top, most attempts to create their lives in fiction have been failures. Nonetheless, having spent decades of my academic career teaching Victorian literature and art, I ordinarily welcome any attempt to give fictional life to Rossetti and his circle. I had thought that Nerina Shute's "A Victorian Love Story" was destined to be the nadir of these failures, but Hickey here out-nerinas Nerina. "The Wayward Muse" reads like the worst of romance novels. The situations Hickey sets up are ludicrous: Rossetti deflowers Jane high up on the scaffolding in the Oxford Union, in full sight of the other painters; Morris in bed doesn't know where to put "it" and pokes around for awhile before finding Jane's "most sensitive part"; George Eliot asks about Morris's table manners. I find no evidence that Hickey read the many, many, many available primary sources (not to mention such secondary sources as Violet Hunt and Hall Caine): they might have helped her better plot this silly novel. Hickey additionally messes with the facts. For instance, she screws up the exhumation of Lizzie's body. One of Hickey's basic problems is that she doesn't seem to know who her audience is. She drops surnames with neither first names nor identification. She hints at the founding of the Kelmscott Press and meanders around the highlands of Scotland with Ruskin and the Millais'. For better use of your time read "The French Lieutenant's Woman" or watch Ken Russell's "Dante's Inferno."
Pre-Raphaelite Entanglements.......2007-04-29
Hickey is to be commended for trodding a road less traveled, focusing on the seldom-talked-about-in-popular-culture painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti and his favorite model, Jane Burden Morris. Told in third person from Jane's perspective, Hickey's story is well-paced and well-researched. She does what good historical novel authors should: start with the facts but veer into fictional territory in order to flesh things out. Her prose is lean and spare, which suits Jane's character. Most importantly, she does these colorful characters justice by capturing their essence. The fictional characters mesh convincingly with what we know of the historical ones.
I read Painted Kiss last year, and thought Wayward Muse better. The author seems to have really found her groove with this one!
Not the author's fault at all, but the publisher should have put a Rossetti painting on the cover.
terrific historical biographical tale .......2007-04-29
Jane Burden knows she is ugly having heard that from her mother as well as family, friends, and neighbors. She is too tall, with a freakishly long neck, arms and legs that belong on someone even taller, which leads to clumsiness and dresses that just never fit right. Adding to her being considered the ugliest female in the Oxford slums is that at seventeen she has no breasts. She expects to wed physically abusive Tom Barnstable as her mother reminds her that he is the best she will ever have.
Everything abruptly changes when noted artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti sees Jane and thinks she is a rare beauty he must paint as his Guinevere in a mural. Her mother agrees to allow her to pose because of the fee Rossetti provides. Jane enjoys her short time each week with the painter and his colleagues. She soon realizes she loves Rosetti, but is heartbroken when he weds his ailing fiancée Lizzie. Jane accepts wealthy William Morris' proposal mostly because he as Rossetti's friend and protégé will enable her to remain near her true love. Over the next few years Jane gives birth to two children, but when Lizzie dies, Rossetti makes it clear how he feels about his Guinevere, which upsets her spouse William, who has always known he was a second choice.
The key to this terrific historical biographical tale is the ability of Elizabeth Hickey to bring to life four real people from the latter half of the nineteenth century. The story line is driven mostly by the heroine who thanks to the artist turns from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan considered the ideal of pre-Raphaelite beauty and the muse for her spouse and the artist. Fans of period pieces will enjoy this deep rich Victorian Era tale starring real persona.
Harriet Klausner
Rich writing well worth reading.......2007-03-20
(Historical fiction)
The artiste world of 19th Century London is shown in lush colors, the brush strokes of Dante Gabriel Rosetti and his muse, a poor Oxford girl who is tall, willowy and plain according to her drunken mother. Rosetti discovers Jane Burden, and with the promise of payment, she becomes his model for a painting of Guinevere. His vision is that of Lancelot and the Holy Grail, the knights Galahad, Bors, and Percival receiving the precious Grail and Sir Lancelot in the Queen's chambers.
Rosetti becomes enamored of Burden and takes her virginity while on the scaffolding in the Debating Hall. He proclaims his love and Burden thinks she shall marry him, but he leaves Oxford the next day for London because his first love is ill with consumption. This leaves William Morris to finish the paintings in Oxford. Morris is overweight, but Burden's mother, a town gossip, finds out he is wealthy and receives an allowance from copper mines. Morris falls deeply in love with Burden, but her muse-like powers exert themselves over him poetically. He begs for her hand in marriage and her mother gives her an ultimatum, marry Morris or you will be kicked out of the house.
Still longing for her dark horse, Rosetti, she marries Morris hoping she will eventually love him. After two years they move to "Red House," a stunning brick home that Morris has built for his wife. Her life is full of artists of all persuasions: painters, tapestry makers, poets and others. Burden is the talk of London, designing her own clothes for her figure, and she often sits for Rosetti and his paintings. They begin an illicit affair that whispers its way through their circle of friends and those that find them interesting. But Burden is happiest in the company of Rosetti. As he falls into the throes of mental illness, Burden goes back to her husband, Morris, and takes care of her two children, maintaining a life-long friendship with Rosetti.
A must read for the voluptuousness of Hickey's writing and the casualties of love and desire.
Armchair Interviews says: A richly descriptive book of the life and times of the mid to late 1800s.
Average customer rating:
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William Morris (Studio Book)
Linda Parry
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Book Description
Series premiere special price!
Two families--the Wakefields of nobility and the lower-class Morgans--are the focus of this sweeping generational saga, joined by intriguing personalities such as Elizabeth I, William Tyndale, and John Bunyan. Linking the people and events through the ages is the struggle of men and women who sought God as the answer to their difficulties.
#1: The Sword of Truth
Myles Morgan's discovery of his noble heritage introduces him to a fascinating new life in the English court and to the political conflict surrounding the translation of the Bible into English.
Customer Reviews:
My Favroite Book Ever!!! : ).......2007-04-24
A wonderfully captivating book about a young man and his struggle with the Truth. Myles Morgan begins his life as a sheltered serf under the care of his mother and a kind nobleman. The truth of his heritage is revealed as the heir to the Wakefield estate and through rather tragic circumstances Myles' life is turned upside down as he enters into the world of nobility. During the reign of King Henry VIII, Myles finds himself torn between the never ending pleasures of the Court and his childhood friend Hannah Kemp and her fascinating tutor, William Tyndale. When witnessing the troubles between King Henry and the Catholic Church firsthand, Myles realizes the importance of getting the Bible translated into English, making it available to everyone, rich or poor. The power of the Court draws Myles into its dangerous web and threatens to undo all the hopes of his strong Christian family.
Morris does a wonderful job of integrating the history and intrigue of the infamous King Henry VIII with the hidden struggles and hardships of his Court and Christians of the time. There are enough facts that you understand the historical context, but it is written so well that it doesn't feel like a history book. By introducing Myles to Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon, we see how easily even the most powerful can fall prey to the greed of this world. Even though the stories of both Henry VIII and Tyndale are widely known, Morris builds a personal connection with both men through his words and leaves readers with a better understanding of the conflict between the two. It's hard to imagine a time when just owning a Bible in English was punishable by death, but Morris is able to show the true sacrifices that were made so that the Word of God is available to all.
This has been my favorite book for many years and it seems like I've read it at least 10 times!! Gilbert Morris is one of the best Christian Fiction authors around and I would definitely recommend this book along with the next six in the series to anyone! This book has peaked my interest in this remarkable point in history and has given me a lot of appreciation for the freedoms we often take for granted today. It will defiantly have you thinking twice about leaving that family Bible gathering dust on the bookshelf.
Everything I ever wanted in a series.......2006-01-29
I read the Wakefield Dynasty books as a young teenager, and they awakened not only an interest in Christian literature but an avid curiosity about Christian history. I never resented the history lessons involved, but rather felt the important historical characters were much more real and memorable for me when I studied them later on because I had first encountered them in an interesting, narrative context. I was wrapped up in nearly every character in this series, and I was sad when it ended.
Excellent Series Opener.......2004-01-06
At first glance of the cover, I was a bit turned off. But as the old adage goes. "One should not judge a book by it's cover".
I'm glad I didn't let the cover sway me. In my opinion the cover tends to yell "romance". This, however, is not the whole picture.
Sure there is romance in the book, as well as the series as a whole, but the action and historical events covered make this an enjoyable series for everyone (even us guys).
If you like historical fiction with substance this is a treat.
I thank my dad for getting me started on this amazing series.......2001-12-14
My father gave me this book to read after he finished it, and it BLEW ME AWAY! I have since finsished the second, and look forward to polishing off the rest of the series! Mr. Morris is truly an amazing writer. My definition of an excellent book is one that not only tells a story, but puts you there. You feel as if you can see everything in detail, even the things not described, because the author puts so much feel into it. Well this book series does it for me. NO ONE would ever regret buying this book, the others in this series.
An interesting historical read.......2000-09-29
This is a interesting series about the Wakefield family. I would have enjoyed more depth to the Wakefields as well as more romance. There is ALOT of historical information and detail. If you can skim past some of it, it is a good read. If you are a romance reader though, you may want to skip this series.
Book Description
From a rare sourcebook: more than 250 superb designs depicting decorative letters, elaborate floral borders, body type, and delicate woodcut illustrations. Together with a smaller selection of full-color designs once used in wallpaper, tapestries and other domestic accessories, the handsome motifs offer a vast storehouse of ideas. 291 designs, 40 in full color.
Customer Reviews:
beautiful images which print very well.......2007-02-19
This book includes a selection of black & white picture frames in both narrow and wide styles. The narrow ones have turned out to be very useful for innermost frames of pictures and other images, then surrounded by color frames. I've even used the black & white picture images for hand-coloring. But the color images in this book are magnificent, and they print exactly as well as one would hope. This dover collection is a credit to them.
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Italy From Above
