Gustav Klimt: Drawings & Watercolors

Book Description

The best of Klimt's drawings and watercolors, beautifully reproduced in full color.

There is no doubt about Gustav Klimt's greatness as a draftsman. Remarkable above all is the intensely sensual mood that he establishes in his limpid, fluid drawings and watercolors: the pencil or crayon line with which his subjects are described explores and caresses as though the act of drawing was itself a seduction. Klimt's drawings are often highly erotic and explicit, many to such an extent that they have rarely been reproduced. This has made for an unbalanced representation of his work as a draftsman, and a comprehensive survey of his graphic output is long overdue.

Rainer Metzger, a noted art historian, has brought together hundreds of Klimt's drawings and watercolors in a way that enriches our knowledge of the artist and enhances the visual impact of his oeuvre. Klimt's drawings and studies, and his elegantly direct and dangerously intoxicating preparatory sketches, reveal the underlying impetus for and structure of his elaborate canvases. 307 color illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Deep in the senses.......2007-05-25

Wonderful. Quick, immediate, and from the heart - or some other organ of animal intensity. Despite the title, there aren't so many watercolors, nearly none. The drawings are superb, though.

Klimt was an intense sensualist. He was often photographed in a floor-length painter's smock, probably wearing nothing underneath. Also, he was commonly seen in his studio amid models not just nude but naked, in intimate and revealing poses, often in couples and more-somes. Add in the fact that Klimt acknowledged three children out of wedlock, and posthumously faced claims of fourteen more. He was clearly a man profoundly moved by female beauty. His life ouvre of painting shows that.

Thousands of his drawings are available to scholars, but the few hundred here show Klimt's passion even more clearly than his lush paintings ever did. Some are studies for his well-known paintings; he was known to do hundreds in preparation for major works. Other sketches can also be traced to known paintings, though with less certainty. Still others are too vividly sensual to have been shown in his own time.

The author includes helpful and revealing biographical notes, largely at the beginning and end of the thick book. I must caution readers with eyes aging like mine are - although the lines of type have wide, airy spacing and low x-height, the text itself looks like 8-point or smaller. Some readers will be so physically uncomfortable from eyestrain that they will lose all the value, or at least enjoyment in those written words. Dear author and publisher: check the book's layout with graying readers before committing it to type, I beg you.

Outside of that, the physical presentation is impeccable. The book is thick, as I said, but that is largely due to the heavy, bright, opaque stock on which the pages are printed - it's a 400 page book with 600 page bulk. I am not criticizing. That quality of paper takes the fine detail of the reproduced drawings beautifully, without glare, and without showing through from the back. It looks and feels luxurious. The book's rich physical sense perfectly complements its visual sensuality. I recommend this book very highly, whether your interest is in Klimt, in arts related to Nouveau, or in simply womanly beauty.

//wiredweird

exquisite.......2006-10-25

This is a truly beautiful book, filled with lovely, erotic, sensual, and daring artwork in multiple stages of creation, and every other book I have seen on Klimt pales by comparison. My only wish is that the text could have gone more in depth - but I can forgive that small failing because of the sheer beauty of the presentation and of the pictures themselves. There are MANY pictures, making it far more satisfying than some of the other, cheaper books, and all nicely presented, glossy, with and without color but always with clarity of presentation. One aspect I particularly like is the way this book shows the evolution of Klimt's work - the gradations and sometimes combinations of different sketches into a finished product. There is also an interesting chapter towards the end that compares and contrasts the work of Klimt with some of his contemporaries, showing their paintings side by side with similar ones of his, and analyzing the differences. As far as text goes, that was the most interesting part. But really, when you are turning the pages and seeing sketch after glorious sketch, you don't care so much about what the text lacks.

I should also mention that of all the art books I have seen, this is the best if you want a wide and beautiful range of drawings of the female form (nude in particular).

slightly disappointed.......2006-08-13

I love the drawing style of Klimt and Schiele but the overall experience was spoilt by he poor text typeface and the miniscule point size. Buy it for the pictures, not the words!

Gustav Klimt: Erotic Sketches / Erotische Skizzen (Erotic Sketchbook)

Average customer rating:

Disappointed
Not worth the pretty binding and ribbons.

Gustav Klimt: Erotic Sketches / Erotische Skizzen (Erotic Sketchbook)
Gustav Klimt
Manufacturer: Prestel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3791333968

Book Description

This unique and intimate treasure of a book captures the sensual pleasure of an artist's sketchbook as well as the genius behind Klimt's vision of women.

Throughout his career, Gustav Klimt completed hundreds of paintings and drawings of delicate beauty, many of them featuring the female form. Designed to imitate an artist's sketchbook, this exquisite volume culls the artist's most beautiful erotic sketches and watercolors. The experience of viewing it awakens the senses, while affording the reader the guilty pleasure of leafing through an artist's most private visions. The stunning color reproductions, embossed cover and calf binding make this a perfect gift for lovers of art and for lovers everywhere.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed.......2007-07-07

I bought this book because I saw the exhibit at the Musee Maillot in Paris in 2005 and stupidly didn't buy their book of the drawings as I thought I could buy it here it here in the US. (Which isn't possible). This is an extremely disappointing pick of very few of his drawings, all of which were certainly not my favorites. There were so many which better demonstrated his skill in catching the expression, the sexuality and the beauty in very few lines I am surprised at all the inclusions and the exclusions. In my mind he picked the weaker drawings. And yes, they didn't even catch an obvious drawing inserted upside down, which unfortunately states a lot since there are so few of them.

Not worth the pretty binding and ribbons........2005-12-12

The presentation is great - I thought this would be a treat. Great binding, nice ribbon, and maybe this would make a good introduction to Klimt's erotic figure-work BUT . . .! There are only 56 drawings, most of them have been seen and reproduced in other books. An index gives specific information about the images but since the pages are unnumbered, good luck trying to match a drawing with its description.

The drawings are not in chronological order so you can't see Klimt's style change. The drawings are cut off and cropped sloppily and set on the page arbitrarily; some in the middle of the page, others shoved to the top or bottom for no particular reason. Actual image quality varies since the drawings are taken from a variety of sources; some look as if they were hastily run through Photoshop to clean them up. (But if you tell this was done, if you can SEE the digital manipulation, that doesn't say much, now does it?) Judging by the screen dots and other indicators some drawings show, a lot of these drawings were scanned from other books, run through a Photoshop-type of program to fill out the page - and not very diligently. I think the publishers were trying to be artistic. Or something. They've failed miserably.

Thames & Hudson did an Egon Schiele book a while ago that shows you CAN do this kind of thing well, at a great price and with tons of illustrations, not just 56. In April of 2006, they are going to release a Klimt book. Skip this feeble Prestel book and wait for the T&H book.

One last observation about the book at hand: the drawing on page 34 is badly placed at the bottom of the page . . . and is UPSIDE DOWN.

Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele: Zeichnungen und Aquarelle : 1. September bis 14. Oktober 1984, Pfalzgalerie Kaiserslautern

Average customer rating:

Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele: Zeichnungen und Aquarelle : 1. September bis 14. Oktober 1984, Pfalzgalerie Kaiserslautern
Serge Sabarsky
Manufacturer: G. Mazzotta
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 8820205866

Gustav Klimt: Paintings, Watercolors, and Drawings

Average customer rating:

Gustav Klimt: Paintings, Watercolors, and Drawings
Gustav Klimt , and Serge Sabarsky
Manufacturer: Rizzoli
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 091882558X

Book Description

Talk about making an impact: Apple's Shake compositing and visual effects software has been used in every Academy Award-winning film for visual effects since its debut. It's no wonder that trained Shake artists are in high demand, and there's nowhere better to begin getting that training than with this fully updated (for Shake 4) and comprehensive Apple-approved guide (which includes a free 30-day trial version of this multi-thousand dollar software) Using step-by-step, hands-on instruction, Hollywood effects wizard Marco Paolini takes you through Shake's interface and features, including its color correction tools, tracking and stabilization capabilities, integrated procedural paint, powerful new floating point technology, advanced keyframing, blue and green screen techniques, rotoscoping tools, and more. As with the other titles in the Apple Pro Training series each chapter in this guide represents a complete lesson, with a project to complete, a review section, and bonus exercises to help test what you've learned. The accompanying DVD includes the lesson files needed to complete the book's projects. You can work through the book from cover to cover to get an entire course or you can go straight to the lessons that interest you most. Either way, you'll find the coverage you need to confront even the most daunting compositing and effects tasks with Shake.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect.......2007-07-21

It is perfect for anybody wanting to learn shake. I bought the book with zero experiance and now i not only understand the program but I can relate nearly every "real" job to certain lessons in the book.

A great book, check out my Shake Support site.......2006-10-20

Marco, as always, has created another great Shake book. But as many of you know, Apple has recently stopped support of Shake. But thankfully they also reduced the price to nearly nothing making this powerful software available to everyone. But what do you do if you need support as a user? Check out [...]

learning shake4.......2006-03-16

One of the best books in this field.Very comprehensive tutorials that make you understand shake in a minimum of time.

Nice book for beginers and students.......2006-02-25

This book is really good for someone who wants to start of with shake, gives you nice intro and then takes you all the way up, this book is not only full of tutorials but it also talks about the technical side, the humor makes me feel as if I am talking to the author. Its a good buy at the price and also there is no other material available on shake, I would like to see a part 2 of this book which is for film crew (compositors) who work with real difficult challenges cause each shot is different from the other.

Good Book.......2006-02-21

Ho letto i primi 6 capitoli. Per ora sono soddisfatto e deve ancora arrivare il bello. Ottimo. Lo consiglio a tutti.

Apple Pro Training Series: Shake 4 Quick-Reference Guide (Apple Pro Training)

Average customer rating:

Quick guide, quick info
Compositors must have book
quick, concise
Cool but not OK

Apple Pro Training Series: Shake 4 Quick-Reference Guide (Apple Pro Training)
Peachpit Press
Manufacturer: Peachpit Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

MacOS | Operating Systems | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0321382463

Book Description

Shake 4 is a world-class compositing package, but it's also complicated. And sometimes you just need to know how to get around a great piece of software fast. The Shake Quick-Reference Guide is a compact little book that includes every cheat-sheet and quick-glance table a professional visual effects artist could hope for. The book includes a concise explanation of the Shake 4 interface, workspace, and various views and tools, plus at-a-glance summaries of everything from the Color tab (including all those Operators and Correctors) to the Transform tab. It also includes handy tips such as how to access Shake commands from the Terminal, and a Basic Keying Survival Guide. An indispensable reference for visual-effects studios.

Customer Reviews:

Quick guide, quick info.......2007-01-05

This is a great quick way to understand the basic functions of the various nodes in shake esp when you are new to the software. If you want to dig through the 1000 page user manual when your learning the basics, go ahead, but if you to cut the fat and get a basic understanding this book is right for you.

Compositors must have book.......2006-12-23

This is like a mini shake guide, Very well written and broken down a must have for compositors

quick, concise.......2006-01-20

An expensive but necessary little book. There's really nothing else on the market that shows expanded views of the (deep, very deep) Shake interface. Damian Allen ought to be commended for so clearly mentioning on page 3 how the Unix-based browser and $HOME works. I couldn't find my desktop in Shake till he explained it and had nobody to ask. Thanks! Looking forward to Allen's next Pro Training volume.

Cool but not OK.......2005-12-30

Shake is very full of tools and this book will help you in production line but remember this is quick-reference that some helper very shot and many picts and texts too small. Quality of print are drop in many pages, I think publisher should redesign layout of this book.

Average customer rating:

Apple Pro Training Series: Shake 4
Marco Paolini
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N7GKHW

Book Description

These eighty-five cartoons provide a hilarious perspective on everything from reincarnation to mindful--or perhaps mindless--ness. Over the centuries, Buddhism has offered the world a clear-eyed, down-to-earth approach to life and death. This irresistible little book of teachings is no exception. It demonstrates that wisdom can--and often should--be taught through humor. Buddha Laughing is a healthy recipe for lightening up, the path to true enlightenment.

Customer Reviews:

The best.......2001-05-10

The cure for those who take their spirituality too seriously. Like the laugh of the Dalai Lama, the cartoons uplift and enlighten and teach us to lighten up. Page 27 , the cartoon by Mari Gayatri-Stein, depicting two dogs at a Vipassana retreat, questioning whether they are at a zombie convention is precious and worth the price of the book!!!!

Really cute and funny.......2000-04-14

...since it only consists of about 50 or so cartoons, I decidedto read it. From the very first page, which has (I think) caricaturesof Buddhist mice, it made me laugh. I often found myself giggling...One showed a picture of a Buddhist vacuum cleaner and, of course, it didn't have any "attachments." :) Overall, I think this little book was very amusing but not exactly worth the [it]...I think it's even funnier than Zen Comics (I & II) but I wish the editor had included more strips! It would make a great little gift. :) END

Average customer rating:

He nailed it... So to speak.

Typical

hysterical!

No surprises.

Skip the imitator and try the real thing

God's Other Son
Don Imus
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Two Guys Four Corners:: Great Photographs, Great Times, and a Million Laughs

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ASIN: 0684801663

Book Description

Imus is back -- by popular demand -- with the Second Greatest Story Ever Told, the hilarious novel about the most outrageous TV evangelist of them all -- Billy Sol Hargus.

"God had two sons. Jesus was His first, and I, Billy Sol Hargus, am His second." Thus begins Don Imus's riotously funny story about the life and times of the lecherous, corrupt, hustling, huckstering television evangelist who claims to have a 2,000 year old brother named Jesus. From his backwoods Texas country-preacher roots, Billy Sol rose to dazzle the nation as a Superstar Minister -- preaching at sold-out stadiums and traveling across the country.

Reverend Billy raked in the dough, the fame, and the women. And then it happened -- just like Amelia Earhart and Jimmy Hoffa, Billy Sol vanished one day into legend, disappearing from the face of the earth. But unlike anyone else in the Family, Billy kept a diary -- and now his tapes, believed lost, can finally be heard. Praise the Lord!

Customer Reviews:

He nailed it... So to speak........2007-04-13

I grew up in the part of the world where this book is set, and Mr. Imus nailed it. People who compare it to "Elmer Gantry" need to quit showing off their Liberal Arts degrees and bring me another beer chop-chop if they want a full 15% gratuity.

Its best parts happen inside Billy Sol's head as he steers his life based on the twisted morality he learned out in a part of the world where people believe in God because the land is too godforsaken to have happened by chance. He got the voice and the tone down really well. And any straight man who doesn't wish for his own Step-Edna has no soul.

Typical.......2005-12-31

By "typical" I'm referring to the quality of vanity pieces written by celebrities for the purpose of enriching bank accounts rather than the body of literature. A friend and I were discussing the reasons why I haven't listened to Imus in the Morning for several years. He offered the book as an example of Mr. Imus' true genius. I couldn't finish the thing. The narrative reads like snippets of alcohol-induced smarminess concatenated from scribblings on cocktail napkins. The editing is appalling. No one bothered (dared?) to tell Imus that the craft is intended to create something to amuse the reader, not the writer. This muck goes beyond insulting. Through "Son" we get an unhealthful glimpse of Mr. Imus' hatreds and prejudices. This book will tell you far more about the author than the subject. More than you ever wanted to know. Spare yourself the experience. I presume the people who actually liked "Son" are sympathetic to Mr. Imus' point of view and share his profound ignorance of and contempt for people of faith.

hysterical!.......2005-03-19

this book captured my attention the whole way through. read it non-stop from cover to cover. now THATS a good book. and it definitely IS laugh out loud funny.

No surprises........2004-05-08

I've actually watched the Imus show at various times for the same reason I can get hypnotized by TV preachers -- they're so unbelievably bad that I can't believe anyone buys it. I have never heard "the I-man" say anything that was remotely witty, insightful or urbane. I may have missed it amidst the mumbles and gum snapping but I doubt it. So I certainly picked up this book with some prejudice, wondering if I might find myself surprised by a talent on the page not in evidence in his other venues. Nope. Clumsy phrasing, telegraphed gags and heavy-handed critiques. As another reviewer remarked this ain't Elmer Gantry. But then Elmer Gantry was written by a writer.

Skip the imitator and try the real thing.......2004-03-16

I loved this book the first time it was published--under the title "Elmer Gantry" (by Sinclair Lewis). Imus' book, while mildly amusing, is dwarfed by the masterpiece that he is obviously cribbing from.

Born Divine: The Births of Jesus & Other Sons of God

Average customer rating:

The Gospels as Hellenistic Biographies
My favorite book on the infancy stories of Jesus
Refreshing, crtical analysis of the birth stories of Jesus
Don't waist your money
Could have been better

Born Divine: The Births of Jesus & Other Sons of God
Robert J. Miller
Manufacturer: Polebridge Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Apocrypha | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 094434495X

Book Description

In this compelling study of the birth and infancy of Jesus, Robert Miller separates fact from fiction in the gospel narratives and relates them to stories about the miraculous births of Israelite heroes and of Greek and Roman sons of God. Born Divine analyzes the Christian claim that the birth and childhood of Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. The historical and theological dimensions of the virgin birth tradition are discussed with honesty and insight. This wide-ranging book also presents additional infancy gospels from the second century through the Middle Ages.

Customer Reviews:

The Gospels as Hellenistic Biographies.......2007-06-28

Miller's central thesis is that the Gospels of the New Testament were part of larger genre of literature known as Hellenistic biographies and so shares a number of common characteristics with them. Hellenistic biographies were shaped by the two beliefs. The first is that the achievements of heroes so surpassed the achievements of ordinary people that heroes cannot be merely human. The second belief is that "human life is determined by Fate." So heroes were the sons (daughters) of a god, whose greatness was discernible early in life and it was an essential function of a Hellenistic biography to reveal this greatness.

Quite often the biography would portray events which announced the coming/birth of a hero. These events could be in the form of a genealogy, a message from a god in a dream or in a vision, or supernatural signs which heralded the coming of the hero. Then Hellenistic biographies moved rapidly from birth to adulthood often spanning those years with a single event. People in the ancient world believed that heroes were the children of gods because of the extraordinary events of their adult lives. So stories about divine paternity/maternity were not informational but symbolic.

Infancy narratives are found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Each uses elements of a Hellenistic biography to tell its story. Both Gospels identify the divine sonship of Jesus. Both use lengthy genealogies. Both have angelic messengers which reveal the coming birth of Jesus. And both have celestial signs; Matthew has the story of the magi and Luke has the glorious radiance in the night sky. Most Christians are aware of the fact that the only event from the childhood of Jesus is Luke's story of Jesus impressing the teachers in the Temple.

Miller draws comparisons with such sources as Plutarch's Life of Alexander. Alexander the Great was a descendant of Herakles (Hercules) and son of Philip of Macedon and his wife, Olympias. On the night before they were to be married, Olympias had a dream that foretold of the birth of Alexander. Apollonius of Tyana was a holy man born a couple of decades after Jesus. He was a healer and a teacher who traveled from city to city going as far as India. He taught the teachings of Pythagorus and strict morality. Many miracles are attributed to him including raisings from the dead. Prior to the birth of Apollonius his mother had a vision in which the Egyptian deity Proteus appeared to her. Apollonius was to be the incarnation of the shape-shifting Proteus. Miller includes Hellenistic biographies of Theagenes (an Olympic champion), Caesar Augustus, Plato, Cyrus the Great, Pythagorus, Herakles, and Josephus who writes a precocious childhood story about himself. (When he was 14, the leading men of the city consulted him for his learning.)

Origen once wrote that it was not absurd to use Greek historiai when talking to the Greeks in order that Christians might not seem to be the only ones using such incredible historiai as Jesus being born of a virgin. For it seemed proper to record that Plato was born while his mother was prevented from having sexual intercourse. However these stories are mythos. People fabricate such stories about a man they regard as having greater wisdom or power than most others. So they say that at his composition, he received a superior and more divine sperm as if this were appropriate for those who surpass ordinary human nature.(Paraphrased from _Against Celsus_ I.37. See _Documents for the Study of the Gospels_, p 130.)

Miller writes much about the Virgin Birth. He includes a mini commentary on the Gospel of Luke which demonstrates "step parallelism." John the Baptist was born of an old woman. This was uncommon but not unheard of. (Abraham and Sarah.) But Jesus was born of a woman who had know not a man. That was really something. Miller addresses the question of whether Jesus fulfilled prophecy. Miller finds that the Gospel of Matthew commits such errors as ripping verses out of context such as Isaiah 7.14. Could Matthew have been fascinated by Emmanuel rather than by parthenos/virgin? Miller points to Romans 1.3ff and argues that Paul understood Jesus as having a biological father descended from David and that Jesus became God's son by "virtue of his resurrection, not his birth." Had Jesus had a Virgin Birth, Paul would have heard of it from James and Peter when they met in Jerusalem. Mark has Jesus becoming God's son at his baptism. It is Matthew and Luke who extend this idea by introducing the idea of the Virgin Birth. John extends it further by having Jesus as God's son before his conception. Later Christian theological reflection blended these ideas and developed the composite doctrine of the Trinity.

There is a very interesting question that should be raised here. Each of these historical figures has a handful of stories which portray their greatness. For example, the mother of Augustus asserted that he had been fathered by Apollo. But these stories do not compare to the number of stories about Jesus. Most of the New Testament was written within two generations (Miller likes later dating) after the death of Jesus. These include at least the four Gospels, the Pauline epistles, and the Epistle to the Hebrews. Why was there such as explosion of stories about Jesus?

One might remember Robert Miller as the editor of _The Complete Gospels_, a collection of canonical gospels, non-canonical gospels, and gospel fragments, which is also a noteworthy book.

My favorite book on the infancy stories of Jesus.......2007-05-14

I am a seminary student writing a paper for a class on the gospels. I chose to write on the virgin births and I found this to be a great book to really dig into the details of this in an acessible manner. Its more detailed than Tatum's The Quest for Jesus or Borg and Wrights The Meaning of Jesus. (Although both are good resources for more basic overviews on the issue) and it is more acessible than Raymond Brown's commentary on The Birth of The Messiah (although that is a great resource for material with more depth if you are doing research on this kind of subject). It is easy to read and has good detail. If you are new to the historical crtical method of looking at the Bible, it may be a difficult book to start with. Consider taking a course or reading a more basic book as an introduction if you do not have a background iin this. However if you are a college or seminary student or a church worker in a tradition that honors the historical critical tradtion this is a valuable resource.

Refreshing, crtical analysis of the birth stories of Jesus.......2007-02-28

Born Divine: The Birth of Jesus & Other Sons of God by Robert J. Miller questions popular Christian understanding regarding the birth and life of Jesus. Miller's honest and critical insight concerning the biographies of Jesus challenges and refutes conservative thought that views Jesus as a God conceived, divine-human hybrid who fulfilled Jewish Bible prophecies that were seemingly foretold about him many years before his birth. He argues that stories told about Jesus, particularly those concerning his birth and childhood, are not unique when compared to those of other prominent and celebrated figures of ancient civilizations from the Hellenistic and Roman periods. He claims that the infancy narratives found in Matthew and Luke are not example of historical-factual accounts, but rather created myth used to convey Jesus' greatness. Miller's Born Divine is a refreshing presentation of historical evidence not tainted by religious belief.

Miller's attempt to separate historical evidence and religious belief is well executed. Scholarly work regarding Jesus and the Bible is often tainted by personal presuppositions regarding the faith. Historians generally agree that the history of a particular period or set of events is best left to those on the outside because these outsiders usually possess little bias. I believe it to be same for the study of religion. Furthermore, the study of the history of Christianity should especially not be carried out by apologists. Miller's work is not a work of apologetics. He examines the evidence and draws conclusions. Miller's paradigm of the Bible is much different than the more conservative scholars however. Miller apparently does not feel obligated to defend popular Christian doctrine, biblical infallibility, or the divine origin of the Bible. This freedom allows for a clear examination of the material through critical thought; he does not intend to reconcile error and discrepancy because of preconceived beliefs about the status of the text.

I appreciate the work of Miller and his very detailed and critical examination of the birth stories of Jesus. I enjoyed his focused analysis on the gospel writers and their agendas, and his analysis of the similarities between the Christian and Hellenistic infancy narratives. Born Divine is an example of critical scholarship not tainted by traditional religious views regarding theology, biblical origins and doctrine.

The organization of this book is poor. It could be more concise in a few areas such as prophecy. I also would like to have seen more evidence to support the claim that Luke and Matthew were influenced by Hellenistic biographers aside from the fact that the biographies share a distinct pattern.

Don't waist your money.......2006-03-17

This book is just like the Jesus Seminar. A sham. It is a bunch of egotistical atheists trying to rid the world of Christianity. They like to pick and choose what is true from the Bible based of their great wisdom of the first century. They really like to remove anything that would convict them of any wrong doing in their lives.
If you enjoyed the Davinci Code; IE. You are easily entertained and like to believe lies rather than the truth, this is a book for you. If you want the truth about Jesus try, "More than a Carpenter," by Josh McDowell or "The Case for Christ," by Lee Strobel.

Could have been better.......2005-12-14

The viewpoint of this book is obvious from its subtitle: The Births of Jesus & Other Sons of God. Miller compares the biblical infancy narratives with similar stories that were extant in the time of Jesus, and concludes that the virgin birth didn't happen. Of course, anyone who can view the narratives with even a bit of detachment will come to the same conclusion. Miller also concludes that the prophecies in Matthew aren't prophecies at all. Although these conclusions are not novel or surprising (and Miller doesn't claim that they are), the discussion is interesting and often lively. However, I can only give this book three stars, for several reasons:

1) The book is poorly organized. The chapter topics jump around, and the chapter that reads like the main summary of the book (chapter 16) isn't the last one.

2) The book is a scholarly lightweight compared to Raymond Brown's "The Birth of the Messiah."

3) In the book's Introduction, Miller states that the reader will have no doubt about where he stands on a given issue. Although he usually doesn't mince words (an admirable trait, in my opinion), he nevertheless states (p. 257) that "one can take the virgin birth seriously, and believe in it with integrity, no matter what one thinks about Jesus' biological origins." In this part of the book he uses the words "believe" and "true" in a subjective way --- as Bertrand Russell wrote about William James, his "... doctrine is an attempt to build a superstructure of belief on a foundation of skepticism ..." If Miller had been content to say, "The virgin birth isn't true, but it symbolizes something important," I might disagree with his assertion but I wouldn't argue with the way he expressed it. But for some reason he feels compelled to imply that because the myth of the virgin birth symbolizes something important to him, it is "true". I suspect he would adopt a more mundane definition of "true" if the issue at stake were whether he had received his paycheck for the month.

Average customer rating:

Outstanding
Ludicrous and meaningless
Imus' book help's me understand why he is 2nd to stern
An in-siders look into radio, power, and religion.
Imus can do better

God's Other Son
Imus
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0671656600

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......1999-10-08

Don does a great job on this book. It is very humorful & interesting. This is even better than the "Billy" on his radio show.

Ludicrous and meaningless.......1998-11-07

The story and underlying theme were completely inane

Imus' book help's me understand why he is 2nd to stern.......1998-10-10

Imus proves to one and all that even while he's at war with Howard Stern he can still ride Howard's wave to the best seller list. The re-release of this book during the explosion of Howard's book on the scene is just a little to suspicious.

An in-siders look into radio, power, and religion........1998-09-12

The liner notes said the book was 'insanely funny' Funny, I didn't go insane reading it.

I read the entire thing at one sitting before realizing it was a work of fiction.

Billy Sol stack-whacker is Imus from a religious per[spective] or per[version]. Take your pick.

Every time this guy preached the gospel something caught on fire.

Imus can do better.......1998-05-14

Don Imus is a brilliantly funny guy who rose to the level of his incompetence in trying to write a novel. The story rambles, flinging wildly between pure satire and earnest storytelling, as if it were two books cobbled together. Imus is a genius on the radio, but an elementary class in plot contruction would have helped enormously.

Average customer rating:

Super funny

Gods Other Son
Don imus
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Super funny.......2006-12-13

Thiis has to be one of the most funny and riveting satirical works of literature I have ever read. I remember from my younger days listening to Don Imus, on the morning radio show on WNBC mornings, with not only Dr Hargus, but legendary greats like Moby Worm and others.

If you want a fantastic non-stop laugh, read this book

Average customer rating:

Backpack Books: The Son of God
Incorporated Barbour Publishing
Manufacturer: Barbour Publishing, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1586601334

Book Description

Here's some great literature to fill your young reader's book bag. Backpack Books combine four complete stories--whether biographies, classics, or fiction--into one cool package. They're great for reading at home, school, in the car...anywhere! All stories are wholesome and God-honoring, and ideal for kids ages eight to twelve.

Average customer rating:

Enlightened Text!
Prepare for a Challenge
Healing

Dominus Satanas The Other Son of God
Michael Alexandra Davida
Manufacturer: CLSM, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

This book presents the thesis that there are actually two "Satans" - first, the immortal Archangel Sataniel who is a faithful and loyal servant of the Most High, and second, the human-created Satanic Thoughtform that is the cultural "Satan" and serves as humanity's repository of evil "out there".

This is not just another book about Satan by an exorcist, a Satanist, or a satanic abuse survivor. It is written from a Neo-Pagan perspective by a practicing High Priestess and elder of the Denver/Boulder Pagan community. It presents a number of new and fresh images of the Dark Lord such as the spiritual seeker's "ultimate worthy opponent" and "the guardian to the gateway to Enlightenment" in addition to interpretations of Satan's traditional roles.

Customer Reviews:

Enlightened Text!.......2003-07-08

Not only does the author rekindle the Archangelic Light of Satan-iel, Lucifer etc, but she does so in an erudite and religiously syncretistic manner which illuminates the basic (mis/)concepts of Christianity, Wicca, Buddhism, and many other Paths. The section on Kabbalah is superb, and Davida does a great job explaining the Qlipoth. Incidentally, the diverse diagrams of the Tree of Life are an excellent prop to the text.

Any occultist who's ever had a Dark Night of the Soul should read this book. Heck, there's even a diagram showing the Dark Night Paths on the Tree! And it should certainly be compulsory reading for Theologians of all schools, particularly Christian.

Despite dealing with such subfusc subjects, Davida is always crystal-clear in her explanations. She also offers her personal experiences of the two Satans - the true Archangel and the Thoughtform.

'Dominus Satanas' emanates the personal integrity and experience of the author. She'll certainly help all who read this book to effectively rethink 'the Bad Boy of the Cosmos'.

Prepare for a Challenge.......2002-12-23

The contemporary idea of Satan rests somewhere between the perfect subject of a horror movie and the epitome of evil. Davida's book will change your mind.

Satan is first redefined as two separate beings: one, a thoughtform that acts as a repository of evil so that humanity can keep a comfortable distance; two, the ultimate spiritual challenger, an archangel who works faithfully at the left hand of God to force spiritual growth. For those who choose to accept the challenge of the archangel, Davida provides a framework encompassing the mythology, the form, and the pursuit of "the Satan." Davida's own journey down the left hand path helps the reader to understand the paradigm the author brings forth, and also guides readers through their own journeys.

I would not recommend this book to those looking for a how-to on Satanism. Only readers who truly wish to challenge themselves, to grow immeasurably, and to understand the place the Satan holds in every person's life will benefit from this book.

Healing.......2002-12-17

I know of no other writting, research or personal experience about The Satan, as I found in this book. This is a Must Read, for all Christians. We who have walked our spiritual path and searched for wisdom and clarity, have been thwarted by the "Thoughtform" of Satan that has been propogated by the church. We have been taught and held in the grip of fear, of Satan so have lived like drone's, swallowing the pablum of fear.
Now we all have the opportunity to see the entity and personality and purpose of Satan. What a relief and healing I recieved especially in Section 2, chapters 2&3. Michael did incredible research regarding, Christian, Buddism, Neo-Pagan to bring it all together. It is worth the effort to read it all.
I appreciate that she has done her academic studies with master degrees in Electrical Engineering and Mastered in Divinity.

Average customer rating:

God's Other Son
Don Imus
Manufacturer: SIMON AND SCHUSTER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OLKEVA

Average customer rating:

God's Other Son
Don Imus
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H2MZK4

God's Other Son: The Life and Times of the Rev. Billy Sol Hargus

Average customer rating:

God's Other Son: The Life and Times of the Rev. Billy Sol Hargus

Manufacturer: S&S
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HZ90Y0

God's Other Son: The Link Between Science and Religion

Average customer rating:

God's Other Son: The Link Between Science and Religion
James Brettell
Manufacturer: Writer's Showcase Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0595129579

Book Description

A unique approach to the history of science and solutions to the riddles of the universe.

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