Raw Creation: Outsider Art & Beyond
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • A Compilation Beyond the Ordinary
Raw Creation: Outsider Art & Beyond
John Maizels
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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  1. Outsider Art: Spontaneous Alternatives (World of Art) Outsider Art: Spontaneous Alternatives (World of Art)
  2. How to Look at Outsider Art How to Look at Outsider Art
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  4. Everyday Genius: Self-Taught Art and the Culture of Authenticity Everyday Genius: Self-Taught Art and the Culture of Authenticity
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ASIN: 0714840092

Amazon.com

Primitive, folk, naive, self-taught, outsider--branding art made outside of the conventional art world has become a tender task. What defines it? Who are its creators? No matter what you call it, there's no denying the visceral appeal of raw creativity unbound by rules, class, or education. Long-overdue attention is finally being awarded to self-taught artists--so often marginalized by race, economics, and social structure--allowing them to carve a solid place for themselves and their work in the world of high art. Maizel's book examines the history, study, and appreciation of this century's self-taught art, from the maniacal drawings of asylum inmates to found-object sculptures made by street people to homes surrounded by monoliths or covered in mosaic. The book bills itself as an introduction to the topic, but it is in fact quite a comprehensive study. It is divided into three sections: part one explores early studies of the work of the insane, Dubuffet and Art Brut; part two chronicles folk art and self-taught artists around the world; and part three delves into the world of visionary environments. The contemporary busyness of the design-small type, footnotes printed perpendicular to text, and seemingly random increases in font size can be frustrating, but plow through--the content is informative and inspirational.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A Compilation Beyond the Ordinary.......2000-11-24

Maizel has collected more than just the art of the emotionally disturbed and has illustrated, implicitly, the links between modernism and primitivism, folk art and creative genius. Both disturbing and provocative, his selections force one to confront and view these creations with a fresh perspective. Of particular interest is his writing on French artist Jean Dubuffet, who was among the first to recognize such works as real art with something worth exploring and accepting, on par with "formal" art. This book though is not overly intellectual and is primarily a collection of illustrations and prints, sometimes light on the text. I like the way the footnotes are treated on each page and would suspect that these footnotes could serve as a source for further explorations.

Without Boundary
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Without Boundary
    Homi Bhabha , Orhan Pamuk , Ghada Amer , Mike Kelley , Shirin Neshat , and Bill Viola
    Manufacturer: The Museum of Modern Art, New York
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    Contemporary ArtContemporary Art | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    Middle EasternMiddle Eastern | Regional | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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    5. Contemporary Arab Women's Art: Dialogues of the Present (Women's Art Library) Contemporary Arab Women's Art: Dialogues of the Present (Women's Art Library)

    ASIN: 0870700855
    Release Date: 2006-02-01

    Book Description

    The attention currently directed from the West to the Islamic world has profound ramifications for the art made by those who come from the region but live elsewhere: that origin is increasingly becoming a defining term in the consideration of works by artists such as Mona Hatoum and Shirin Neshat. Resisting any homogenizing impulse, Without Boundary recognizes a need to ask if this art is marked by an Islamic difference. Author and curator Fereshteh Daftari considers issues ranging from the aesthetic legacy of Islamic art to contemporary ideas of identity and faith. Essays by MoMA Director Glenn D. Lowry, whose own academic and curatorial background involves traditional Islamic arts; Homi Bhabha, the preeminent theorist and scholar of the postcolonial condition; and the Turkish writer and novelist Orhan Pamuk, winner of the German Book Peace Prize and author of My Name Is Read and Snow. Artists include Jananne-Al-Ani, Ghada Amer, Kutlug Ataman, The Atlas Group/Walid Raad, Mona Hatoum, Shirazeh Houshiary, Emily Jacir, Y.Z. Kami, Mike Kelley, Rachid Koraichi, Shirin Neshat, Marjane Satrapi, Shirana Shahbazi, Raqib Shaw, Shahzia Sikander and Bill Viola.
    Down the Garden Path: The Artist's Garden After Modernism
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      Down the Garden Path: The Artist's Garden After Modernism
      Julian Agyeman , Brigitte Franzen , Jamaica Kincaid , Joachim Wolschke-Bulmahn , Tom Finkelpearl , Ghada Amer , Mel Bochner , and Mark Dion
      Manufacturer: Queens Museum of Art
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      1. Drosscape: Wasting Land in Urban America Drosscape: Wasting Land in Urban America

      ASIN: 1929641060
      Release Date: 2006-01-01

      Book Description

      An international array of artists including Isamu Noguchi, Jenny Holzer and Vito Acconci have been using the garden as a vehicle for commentary on social and political issues, in both public and private realms. The lush Down the Garden Path offers a critical history of their and other artists' garden work from the 1940s to the present, and verdant examples in categories including paradise; the memorial; private and public gardens; and ecologies, their alternatives and Schreber gardens. Among pieces that readers won't likely see elsewhere are Paula Hayes's Plantpack 2000, a miniature garden in a Snugli, and five newly commissioned gardens for Queens. With essays by Jamaica Kincaid among others.
      Looking Both Ways
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Looking Both Ways
        Lauri Firstenberg , Salah Hassan , Simon Njami , Ghada Amer , Kendell Geers , Wangechi Mutu , and Yinka Shonibare
        Manufacturer: Snoeck Publishers, Ghent
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

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        5. Beautiful/Ugly: African and Diaspora Aesthetics Beautiful/Ugly: African and Diaspora Aesthetics

        ASIN: 905349443X
        Release Date: 2004-03-02

        Book Description

        Description: Looking Both Ways: Art of the Contemporary African Diaspora considers the work of artists from North, South, East, and West Africa who live and work in Western countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States. As its title indicates, Looking Both Ways refers to the artists' practice of looking at the psychic terrain between Africa and the West, a terrain of shifting physical contexts, aesthetic ambitions, and expressions. It examines the relationship between physical contexts, emotional geographies, ambition, and freedom of expression while focusing on the increasing globalization of the African Diaspora. Looking Both Ways is not a survey, but rather an intimate consideration of the work of twelve artists: Fernando Alvim, Ghada Amer, Oladala Bamgboya, Allan deSouza, Kendell Geers, Moshekwa Langa, Hassan Musa, N'Dilo Mutima, Wangechi Mutu, Ingrid Mwangi, Zineb Sedira, and Yinka Shonibare.
        Ghada Amer: Pleasure (Perspectives)
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Ghada Amer: Pleasure (Perspectives)
          Ghada Amer
          Manufacturer: Contemporary Arts Museum
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Unknown Binding
          ASIN: 093608068X
          Jahresring 50
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Jahresring 50
            Wolfgang Tillmans , De Rooij & De Rijke , Peter Fischli , David Weiss , Ghada Amer , Richard Wright , Francis Alys , Olafur Eliasson , Ellen Gallagher , Isa Genzken , Gerhard Richter , Rosemarie Trockel , and Franz West
            Manufacturer: Walther Konig
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover

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            ASIN: 3896111043
            Release Date: 2004-01-02

            Book Description

            A multi-generational selection of 31 artists was invited to contribute work for this 50th anniversary issue of Jahresring, the Cologne journal of art criticism. After 49 issues dealing in various aspects of art criticism, the editors decided it was time to let art itself take the limelight. Artists such as Fischli & Weiss, Rosemarie Trockel, Richard Artschwager, Diana Thater, On Kawara, Ellen Gallagher, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Gerhard Richter contributed that deals with questions about the potential of art, the importance of aesthetics, the conditions needed for Beauty today, and whether or not Beauty and Sensuality are still relevant.
            Threads of Vision: Toward a New Feminine Poetics
            Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
            • Fascinating exhibition and essays.
            Threads of Vision: Toward a New Feminine Poetics
            Roxana Marcoci , Kristin Chambers , Ghada Amer , Nicole Eisenman , Fatimah Tuggar , and Lin Tianmiao
            Manufacturer: Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback

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            CriticismCriticism | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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            ASIN: 1880353199
            Release Date: 2001-10-02

            Book Description

            This book examines threads that link five celebrated female artists from around the world: Ghada Amer, Nicole Eisenman, Shahzia Sikander, Lin Tianmiao, and Fatimah Tuggar, whose work mines the fertile fields of politics, patriarchy, religion, and culture.

            Customer Reviews:

            5 out of 5 stars Fascinating exhibition and essays........2004-06-11

            Thoughtful and imaginitive look into the state of post-feminist art from around the word.
            Ghada Amer: Breathe Unto Me
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Ghada Amer: Breathe Unto Me

              Manufacturer: Gagosian Gallery
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover
              ASIN: B000G1N9VA
              Ghada Amer
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                Ghada Amer
                Andrew Renton
                Manufacturer: Gagosian Gallery
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback

                GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
                ASIN: 1880154757
                Ghada Amer
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Ghada Amer
                  Ghada Amer; With An Essay By A.M. Homes
                  Manufacturer: GAGOSIAN GALLERY
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Hardcover
                  ASIN: B000OKD7O2
                  Ghada Amer
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    Ghada Amer
                    Selene Wendt
                    Manufacturer: Henie Onstad Art Centre,Norway
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback

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                    ASIN: 8290955472

                    Producing Industrial Films: From Fade-in to Fade-out
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                      Producing Industrial Films: From Fade-in to Fade-out
                      Jack DeWitt
                      Manufacturer: A.S. Barnes & Co
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Hardcover
                      ASIN: B000GK2BDI
                      Producing industrial films;: From fade-in to fade-out
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        Producing industrial films;: From fade-in to fade-out
                        Jack De Witt
                        Manufacturer: Barnes
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Unknown Binding

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                        ASIN: B0006BU288

                        Do Penguins Have Knees? An Imponderables Book
                        Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                        • Even someone who hasn't read a book in years will like this one.
                        • Feldman does it again!
                        • Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know..And Then Some
                        • Pondering the Imponderables
                        • Answering all of life's deeper questions...
                        Do Penguins Have Knees? An Imponderables Book
                        David Feldman
                        Manufacturer: Collins
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Paperback

                        TriviaTrivia | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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                        3. How Does Aspirin Find a Headache? (Imponderables Books) How Does Aspirin Find a Headache? (Imponderables Books)
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                        5. Do Fish Drink Water?: Puzzling and Improbable Questions and Answers Do Fish Drink Water?: Puzzling and Improbable Questions and Answers

                        ASIN: 0060740914
                        Release Date: 2004-11-02

                        Book Description

                        Ponder, if you will

                        What happens to your Social Security number when you die?
                        Why are peanuts listed as an ingredient in plain M&Ms?
                        Why is Barbie's hair made out of nylon, but Ken's hair is plastic?
                        What makes up the ever-mysterious "new-car smell"?

                        Pop-culture guru David Feldman demystifies these topics and so much more in Do Penguins Have Knees? -- the unchallenged source of answers to civilization's most perplexing questions.

                        Part of the Imponderables® series, Do Penguins Have Knees? arms readers with the knowledge about everyday life that encyclopedias, dictionaries, and almanacs just don't have. And think about it, where else are you going to get to the bottom of how beer was kept cold in the Old West?

                        Customer Reviews:

                        5 out of 5 stars Even someone who hasn't read a book in years will like this one........2006-12-04


                        Feldman keeps producing these books of imponderables;and they just keep
                        getting better all the time. His books just go on asking questions and producing answers about those unlimited number of things we've all wondered about,and even many that we have come to accept as "that's just the way it is". Feldman encourages his readers to send in their own imponderables to answer ;much in the same way that Allan Funt did with Practical Jokes on "Candid Camera " and Robert Ripley did with his Oddities with his "Believe It or Not". I have been a fan of this sort of thing and their "stuff" has intrigued the curious,entertained the joker in us all and amazed all who are surprised to see the rare or unbelievable.
                        This is the type of book that can be left hanging around, and anybody who picks it up will become engrossed in it in no time at all.Many of the imponderables you'll read about are not earth shattering,won't make much difference in your life,but nevertheless grab your interest and provide enjoyable pastime entertainment.Maybe the time spent waiting at the Dentist's,Doctor's ,Barbers or any other waiting room would be a little less painful if books like this were available rather than those awful magazines.
                        Who wouldn't be interested in questions like these?

                        "Why do straws in drinks sometimes sink and sometimes rise to the
                        surface?"

                        "Why is Rhode Island called an island when it obviuosly isn't an
                        island."

                        "How did they keep beer cold in the saloons of the Old West?"

                        "Why are 25-watt light bulbs more expensive than 60-,75-,and 100-watt
                        bulbs?"

                        "Why do hospital gowns tie in the back?"

                        "What causes the green-tinged potato chips we sometimes find? Are they
                        safe to eat?"

                        And how about thisimponderable that never seems to die?

                        "Why are so many restaurants,especially diners and coffee
                        shops,obsessed with mating Ketchup bottles at the end of the day?
                        Believe It or Not,it prevents Explosions! Thats right!;you'll find out why,right here in this book!

                        4 out of 5 stars Feldman does it again!.......2006-07-23

                        As a kid, asking inumerable "stupid" questions was sure to get a weary "Go look it up" from a parent. Unfortunately, as a kid, I didn't have the innumerable resources at the fingertips of the Imponderables crew. As always, David Feldman and his team of information hunters have compiled questions from all over, some of which kept me going until I read the answer!

                        If you want to have an interesting afternoon while it's raining outside, get together some friends. Open up the book to a random page. Read out the question on that page, and have everyone come up with what they think the answer is. Then, read out the answer, and see who came close (or even spot on!). You'll be surprised (sometimes) to see some of the answers that your friends came up with be popular urban legends, which Feldman goes on to discredit.

                        Imponderables books are a riot for pleasure reading, or in large groups of people!

                        4 out of 5 stars Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know..And Then Some.......2006-03-29

                        Do Penguins Have Knees? is a great book with a great concept. It answers all of life's little imponderables that you always wanted to know the answer to but never knew who to ask. The questions range from, "Why do cats like to be scratched behind the ears?" to "How did they keep beer cold in the Old West?". In the back of the book are Frustables (Imponderables that have not been solved), a Frustable update (new answers to old Frustables), an index to this book, and an index to all of the other Imponderables book. Why someone would put all of that in a book beats me. You look at the big book only to find that 1/3 is spent on things other than Imponderables (such as the complete index to all of the books, which I think is a stupid idea). The only flaw in this book is that there might even be too much information. They give you the answer and they keep rambling on. Some of the answers took up 2-3 pages when they had answered the Imponderable on the first page. Also, all of the names and places where they come from, for example: Bob Smith from the University of Learning Things in Yourtown, USA, seemed to clutter up the page and take away from the answer. I think this book had a great concept, but with a poor format.

                        5 out of 5 stars Pondering the Imponderables.......2005-12-06

                        The author has a good formula going here. He takes an offbeat question and consults various experts, coming up with a plausible answer. Most of these I never would have thought to ask, but I still found myself intrigued by the answers.
                        The questions include such topics as:
                        *How do 3-D movies and 3-D glasses work?
                        *Why do the rear windows of taxis only go part way down?
                        *Why does grease turn white when it cools?
                        *Why can't they make the flavor in chewing gum last longer?
                        It's a handy book to keep around when you
                        have interrupted or distracted reading times (doctor's waiting room, during TV commercials, etc.). It's entertaining.

                        5 out of 5 stars Answering all of life's deeper questions..........2005-06-08

                        The Imponderables book series by David Feldman is the pinnacle of interesting and useful bathroom reading! Since the beginning of the series, Feldman has been highlighting questions that we didn't even know we had (like exactly why is it that a mile is 5,280 feet? and where is Donald Duck's brother?) then he finds "the experts" on any given subject to answer the question. At the end of each question and answer, you are left with a little better insight into the world around you (and you can go out and impress your friends with an expanded catalog of obscure anecdotes).

                        These books are fantastic overall. They are one part almanac, one part encyclopedia and one part a book form of the show Mythbusters. Many of the questions Feldman seeks the answers to are sent to him by his many readers who want to know about these little-known facts (like why there are 18 holes in a golf course and why tennis balls are fuzzy). Okay, these may not be the most important questions in the world, but these are the things we take for granted in everyday life that we normally don't take the time to stop and think (why is that little finger on our hands called the pinky?).

                        Feldman has been answering these questions since the first Imponderables in 1986. He has a masters degree in popular culture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and taught to first ever college course on Soap Operas. If you enjoy trivia, David Feldman is the man for you. He uncovers the hidden meanings and lost history of sports, food, words, science, politics, and everything in between, often in a humorous and insightful way.

                        So where did Oreos get their name?
                        What is the difference between Dead End signs and No Outlet signs?
                        Why does the letter K mean Strike Out in baseball?

                        You'll have to read the books to find out.
                        Do Penguins Have Knees & Other Imponderables/Mysteries of Everyday Life
                        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                        • Answering life's deeper questions...
                        Do Penguins Have Knees & Other Imponderables/Mysteries of Everyday Life
                        David Feldman
                        Manufacturer: Hallmark
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Hardcover
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                        ASIN: 0060957727

                        Customer Reviews:

                        5 out of 5 stars Answering life's deeper questions..........2005-06-09

                        The Imponderables book series by David Feldman is the pinnacle of interesting and useful bathroom reading! Since the beginning of the series, Feldman has been highlighting questions that we didn't even know we had (like exactly why is it that a mile is 5,280 feet? and where is Donald Duck's brother?) then he finds "the experts" on any given subject to answer the question. At the end of each question and answer, you are left with a little better insight into the world around you (and you can go out and impress your friends with an expanded catalog of obscure anecdotes).

                        These books are fantastic overall. They are one part almanac, one part encyclopedia and one part a book form of the show Mythbusters. Many of the questions Feldman seeks the answers to are sent to him by his many readers who want to know about these little-known facts (like why there are 18 holes in a golf course and why tennis balls are fuzzy). Okay, these may not be the most important questions in the world, but these are the things we take for granted in everyday life that we normally don't take the time to stop and think (why is that little finger on our hands called the pinky?).

                        Feldman has been answering these questions since the first Imponderables in 1986. He has a masters degree in popular culture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and taught to first ever college course on Soap Operas. If you enjoy trivia, David Feldman is the man for you. He uncovers the hidden meanings and lost history of sports, food, words, science, politics, and everything in between, often in a humorous and insightful way.

                        So where did Oreos get their name?
                        What is the difference between Dead End signs and No Outlet signs?
                        Why does the letter K mean Strike Out in baseball?

                        You'll have to read the books to find out.
                        Do Penguins Have Knees? : An Imponderables Book
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          Do Penguins Have Knees? : An Imponderables Book
                          David, Illustrated by Schwan, Kassie Feldman
                          Manufacturer: HarperCollins Children's Book Group
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Paperback
                          ASIN: B000MFJFHM
                          Do Penguins Have Knees? An Imponderables Book
                          Average customer rating: Not rated
                            Do Penguins Have Knees? An Imponderables Book
                            David Feldman
                            Manufacturer: Hallmark/Harper-perennial
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Hardcover
                            ASIN: B000VBA9HC
                            Do Penguins Have Knees? an Imponderables Book
                            Average customer rating: Not rated
                              Do Penguins Have Knees? an Imponderables Book
                              David Feldman
                              Manufacturer: Perennial Books
                              ProductGroup: Book
                              Binding: Hardcover
                              ASIN: B000W0PM10
                              Do Penguins Have Knees?: And Even More Imponderables
                              Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                              • Answering life's deeper questions...
                              Do Penguins Have Knees?: And Even More Imponderables
                              David Feldman
                              Manufacturer: Harper Audio
                              ProductGroup: Book
                              Binding: Audio Cassette

                              GeneralGeneral | Children's Books | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
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                              ASIN: 1559944838

                              Book Description

                              Single-handedly explaining life's Imponderables™, Feldman's bestsellers should be heard by anyone with a fascination for these peculiar, lesser mysteries.

                              Customer Reviews:

                              5 out of 5 stars Answering life's deeper questions..........2005-06-09

                              The Imponderables book series by David Feldman is the pinnacle of interesting and useful bathroom reading! Since the beginning of the series, Feldman has been highlighting questions that we didn't even know we had (like exactly why is it that a mile is 5,280 feet? and where is Donald Duck's brother?) then he finds "the experts" on any given subject to answer the question. At the end of each question and answer, you are left with a little better insight into the world around you (and you can go out and impress your friends with an expanded catalog of obscure anecdotes).

                              These books are fantastic overall. They are one part almanac, one part encyclopedia and one part a book form of the show Mythbusters. Many of the questions Feldman seeks the answers to are sent to him by his many readers who want to know about these little-known facts (like why there are 18 holes in a golf course and why tennis balls are fuzzy). Okay, these may not be the most important questions in the world, but these are the things we take for granted in everyday life that we normally don't take the time to stop and think (why is that little finger on our hands called the pinky?).

                              Feldman has been answering these questions since the first Imponderables in 1986. He has a masters degree in popular culture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and taught to first ever college course on Soap Operas. If you enjoy trivia, David Feldman is the man for you. He uncovers the hidden meanings and lost history of sports, food, words, science, politics, and everything in between, often in a humorous and insightful way.

                              So where did Oreos get their name?
                              What is the difference between Dead End signs and No Outlet signs?
                              Why does the letter K mean Strike Out in baseball?

                              You'll have to read the books to find out.
                              When Do Fish Sleep? And Other Imponderables of Everyday Life
                              Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                              • Good Reading When You Have Nothing Else To Do
                              • Answering life's deeper questions...
                              • Entertaining book filled with useless trivia
                              • Belongs in Everyone's Bathroom!!
                              • I don't know
                              When Do Fish Sleep? And Other Imponderables of Everyday Life
                              David Feldman
                              Manufacturer: audible.com
                              ProductGroup: Book
                              Binding: Audio Download
                              Similar Items:
                              1. Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise? : An Imponderables Book (Imponderables Books (Paperback)) Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise? : An Imponderables Book (Imponderables Books (Paperback))
                              2. Why Don't Cats Like to Swim? : An Imponderables Book (Imponderables Books (Paperback)) Why Don't Cats Like to Swim? : An Imponderables Book (Imponderables Books (Paperback))
                              3. Do Penguins Have Knees? An Imponderables Book Do Penguins Have Knees? An Imponderables Book
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                              5. Are Lobsters Ambidextrous?: An Imponderables Book (Imponderables Books) Are Lobsters Ambidextrous?: An Imponderables Book (Imponderables Books)

                              ASIN: B000NUOJEA

                              Book Description

                              Another great collection of the answers to life's little mysteries, from the bestselling author of Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?

                              Download Description

                              "

                              Ponder, if you will ...
                              Why are tennis balls fuzzy?
                              How come birds don't tip over when they sleep on telephone wires?
                              What makes yawning contagious?
                              Why, oh why, do roosters have to crow so early in the morning?

                              Pop-culture guru David Feldman demystifies these topics and so much more in When Do Fish Sleep? -- the unchallenged source of answers to civilization's most baffling questions. Part of the Imponderables® series and charmingly illustrated by Kassie Schwan, When Do Fish Sleep? arms readers with the knowledge about everyday life that encyclopedias, dictionaries, and almanacs just don't have. And think about it, where else are you going to get to the bottom of why Mickey Mouse has only four fingers?

                              "

                              Customer Reviews:

                              4 out of 5 stars Good Reading When You Have Nothing Else To Do.......2006-04-17

                              Provides interesting information on a number of topics that you never realized you needed to know - like "Why do horses in an open field always seem to stand head to tail?" Then there's "Why do roaches always die on their backs?" And "Why do women in the U.S. shave their armpits?"

                              5 out of 5 stars Answering life's deeper questions..........2005-06-09

                              The Imponderables book series by David Feldman is the pinnacle of interesting and useful bathroom reading! Since the beginning of the series, Feldman has been highlighting questions that we didn't even know we had (like exactly why is it that a mile is 5,280 feet? and where is Donald Duck's brother?) then he finds "the experts" on any given subject to answer the question. At the end of each question and answer, you are left with a little better insight into the world around you (and you can go out and impress your friends with an expanded catalog of obscure anecdotes).

                              These books are fantastic overall. They are one part almanac, one part encyclopedia and one part a book form of the show Mythbusters. Many of the questions Feldman seeks the answers to are sent to him by his many readers who want to know about these little-known facts (like why there are 18 holes in a golf course and why tennis balls are fuzzy). Okay, these may not be the most important questions in the world, but these are the things we take for granted in everyday life that we normally don't take the time to stop and think (why is that little finger on our hands called the pinky?).

                              Feldman has been answering these questions since the first Imponderables in 1986. He has a masters degree in popular culture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and taught to first ever college course on Soap Operas. If you enjoy trivia, David Feldman is the man for you. He uncovers the hidden meanings and lost history of sports, food, words, science, politics, and everything in between, often in a humorous and insightful way.

                              So where did Oreos get their name?
                              What is the difference between Dead End signs and No Outlet signs?
                              Why does the letter K mean Strike Out in baseball?

                              You'll have to read the books to find out.

                              3 out of 5 stars Entertaining book filled with useless trivia.......2004-11-11

                              "When do Fish Sleep" is a book of "Imponderables" (a term invented by the author meaning a question that cannot be answered by conventional means of reference books, calculations, or tangible means such as measuring). An example of an imponderable is "Why don't birds tip over when they sleep on a telephone wire?" or the like the title, "When do fish sleep?"

                              As with any book that covers a myriad of information, there are fascinating parts and there are parts that seem to drag on. I felt some of the imponderables in the book seemed a little elementary, such as "Why is one side of a halibut dark and the other side light?" (the dark side is for camouflage and the light side is down so it does not need to be camouflaged), "What is the purpose of corn silk?" (for pollination), and "Why are bowling shoes ugly?" (so people don't steal them). Other questions were fascinating such as "Why do roaches always die on their backs?" (this is not always true, but it has a lot to do with the shape of the roach) and "Why do recipes warn us not to use fresh kiwi or pineapple in gelatin?" (the fruits contain an enzyme that break protein down). The book even has a section of "Frustables", questions where readers have mailed in theories or questions that do not yet have an answer. The author even provides a way to contact them to answer frustables or to propose new imponderables.

                              As a geek that likes to learn, even useless information, I enjoyed the book. However, the book had no format. I felt the book could have benefited from a table of contents or have the questions divided into related sections instead of aimlessly wander from topic to topic in the book.

                              If you have a friend who sits and reads the cards from a "Trivial Pursuit" game, this is definitely a book for them. I'd recommend the book for people whose joy in life is the pursuit of knowledge or a teenager/young adult that is curious about the world around them. The book is not really a thrilling read, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to a person who is looking for an interesting read.

                              While I think the content of the book was worth a solid 4 stars, I found the lack of structure in the book distracting enough to deduct a star.

                              4 out of 5 stars Belongs in Everyone's Bathroom!!.......2003-11-02

                              One of my best friends has assembled a rather amazing library of some 200 books: quote books, trivia books, fact books, you name it. The most interesting facet of his collection is the place where it resides--in his bathroom!!! Furthermore, David Feldman's wonderful series of Imponderables books has a place of honor in his library--right next to the toilet paper! (Needless to say, he is a bachelor as of this writing!) When Do Fish Sleep? is Feldman's third book in the series, and one of the best, in that more time is spent pondering questions that people really do care about, such as: "Why do gas gauges take an eternity to go from registering full to half full, and then drop to empty in the speed of light?" (I think we've all been there!) Feldman receives most of his imponderables from readers of the previous volumes, seeks out experts in the relevent fields to answer them (In the above example, that person is Anthony H Siegel of Ametek's US Gauge Division), and prints their response. If no one expert knows the definitive answer, Feldman will print the most prevalent theories instead. There are also many charming and funny illustrations to keep the material from getting too dry. There is also a section in the back called Frustables, which deals with Imponderables that are not easily solved, and their corresponding theories. Finally, the most important feature of this and any other Imponderables book: The articles are just the right length to read when seated "upon the throne." (Well, most of them are, anyway!) So, get When Do Fish Sleep and other Imponderables books right away. Feldman's ready wit will keep you entertained and keep you from having to make that sometimes painful search for reading matter the next time nature calls!

                              5 out of 5 stars I don't know.......1999-10-03

                              I don't know. I haven't read it. I just like all the trivial facts that I get in my daily email from trivia mailer
                              Do Penguins Have Knees? An Imponderables Book
                              Average customer rating: Not rated
                                Do Penguins Have Knees? An Imponderables Book
                                David Feldman
                                Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
                                ProductGroup: Book
                                Binding: Paperback

                                Humor, Comics & Pop CultureHumor, Comics & Pop Culture | Bargain Books | Stores | Books
                                GeneralGeneral | Reference | Bargain Books | Stores | Books
                                Curiosities & WondersCuriosities & Wonders | Fun Facts | Reference | Subjects | Books
                                ImponderablesImponderables | Fun Facts | Reference | Subjects | Books
                                TriviaTrivia | Fun Facts | Reference | Subjects | Books
                                Similar Items:
                                1. Why Don't Cats Like to Swim? : An Imponderables Book (Imponderables Books (Paperback)) Why Don't Cats Like to Swim? : An Imponderables Book (Imponderables Books (Paperback))
                                2. Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise? : An Imponderables Book (Imponderables Books (Paperback)) Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise? : An Imponderables Book (Imponderables Books (Paperback))
                                3. How a Fly Walks Upside Down...and other curious facts How a Fly Walks Upside Down...and other curious facts
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                                ASIN: B000F7BP7K
                                Do Penguins Have Knees? an Imponderables Book
                                Average customer rating: Not rated
                                  Do Penguins Have Knees? an Imponderables Book
                                  David Feldman
                                  Manufacturer: Perennial
                                  ProductGroup: Book
                                  Binding: Paperback
                                  ASIN: B000NW6H0W

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