Natural Reality and Abstract Reality: An Essay in Trialogue Form/1919-1920

Customer Reviews:

Mondrian explains his esthetic.......2004-05-23

- or tries to. This brief book is a socratic conversation between three speakers: Mondrian's representative of the new, an agent of the old, and the naif in need of explanations.

The translator's notes quote Mondrian, in some other context, as saying that "writers are the worst criminals." Mondrian goes on to prove that in the example his own writing. The tone is strident and authorative. The line of development, however, has no apparent basis in logical reasoning. To my eye, it is barely comprehensible. (The two brief 'stream of consciousness' pieces at the end border on gibberish.)

As near as I can tell, Mondrian uses this book to predict some Edenic future where the arts have mostly passed away as separate activities. Instead, artistic expression would be fully integrated into the acts and artifacts of daily life. (OK, I'll go along with that.) He further insists that individual personality would be excised from art, replaced by self-working laws of esthetics and balance, somehow defined by the 'spirit of the times'. This writing dates from the era (1919-1920) when Bauhaus thinking was being developed and deployed, so I'm not surprised to hear Mondrian echo what was being said elsewhere.

What left me baffled, however, was a pair of assertions. First was that the new kind of vision was developing in the world, with historical inevitability, the vision that Mondrian attempted to explain. Second was that only a new kind of man (women were not named) would be able to share in this sensibility. It seemed that an esthetic that did not yet exist would be expressed only by a species that did not yet exist. Huh?

I did not pick this book up to be swayed by its logic or commentary. If I had, I would have been disappointed. Instead, I wanted to see the words actually set down by one of the twentieth century's influential thinkers, and I succeeded in that.

'Natural Reality' is fascinating as a historical document and as an exercise in rhetoric. Just don't expect to learn much about art from it.

Trialogue review.......2000-06-16

Subtitled "While Strolling from the Country to the City," this trialogue presents Mondrian's idealistic theories regarding art and life as a narrative occurring in real time rather than as a manifesto. The participants are identified only as "Y," a layman; "X", a naturalistic painter, and "Z," an abstract-real painter, obviously Mondrian himself. Taking place at six sites in the countryside at night while observing various natural and manmade phenomena, the trio discuss the relationship between art and life, and naturalistic vs. abstract art, finally ending in the studio of Z. The discussion is a re-working of Mondrian's ideas already presented in the previous essays "The New Plastic in Painting" (1917) and "Dialogue on the New Plastic" (1919).

Book Description

The CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) has revolutionised optical astronomy during the past 20 years, and specialised astronomical CCD cameras are now even more affordable, colour is standard, and they provide spectacular results.

Digital Astrophotography: The State of the Art, provides some examples of the best images, and gives readers hints and tips about how to get the best out of this extraordinary technology.

Experts in CCD astronomy from North America and Europe have contributed to this book, illustrating their help and advice with many beautiful colour images – the book is in full colour throughout. Techniques range from using simple webcams to highly technical aspects such as supernovae patrolling. Computer processing, stacking and image-enhancement are detailed, along with many hints and tips from the experts.

Customer Reviews:

Where's the beef?.......2007-07-30

I agree with other reviewers. There is a good section on imaging with CCD cameras but the other sections (Web cams, Digital SLRs) are weak. Not enough detail for the beginner that wants to get out and image. Too many photographs that don't provide substantial educational value. This is a multi-authored book and there is too much variability in the quality of the chapters. I own other books in Patrick Moore's series that I enjoyed, but this is not one of them.

Dissapointing.......2006-07-26

More like a small coffe table book than a comprehensive treatment of the subject. I expected more detail about How To and less glitsey pictures: Book is filled with " Here's a picture of...." and then a nice color photo. I'm returning this one.
Don

Covers a lot of ground.......2006-05-19

Let me start by saying - Do not make this your primary source for information on digital astrophotography. It has a ton of good info for a total beginner like me, but it also leaves out a lot on info.

It has a unique format in that each chapter has a different author (a claimed expert in each field). Some were much better than others. All chapters did a decent job of explaining the process of each kind of technology, but in almost all cases I was left with more questions than answers.

The book did give me a lot of ideas and areas to further research, but I was hoping when I bought it that it would give recommendations for type of equipment to buy and how to use it to get the best results.

BOTTOM LINE -- This book is a great source for info and ideas, just don't assume it will be your only source as it leaves a lot unexplained.

Book Description

Printed in the original Japanese right-to-left format, here is the first volume adventure in this runaway hit series. Goku discovers that his Saiyan enemy Raditz is really his brother! When Goku tries to rescue his son, Gohan, from Raditz, the adventure turns fatal.

Customer Reviews:

The continuation of Dragon Ball !!!.......2006-02-07

The first volume of DBZ is actually the continuation(not sequel) to the humorous dragonball series(vol.1-16)This one is really volume 17 in the overall story.The manga is vastly superior to the anime since it doesn't drag for too long the battles.Toriyama's original work let's you follow the plot,character development,and fights all in one package.I give this one four,because it only contains the first 10 chapters of DBZ and not twelve which is the average chapters per volume.The first two are in dragonball vol.16 since it closes that anime final arc.

A unique and compelling action series.......2005-01-28

Over the past few years, manga has been exploding into popularity. 'Main-stream' series, such as Pokemon, Yu-gi-oh, and Dragon Ball Z, are becoming scorned by more widely-read fans due to their overly-hyped status. Nevertheless, Dragon Ball Z still stands to be one of the most unique and fascinating action series in the shonen genre. If you aren't too tired of the anime, and have a taste for epic action, neat and yet detailed artwork, a suspenseful storyline, and villains who just won't die, then this series is for you. Dragon Ball Z was one of my first manga series, and later introduced me to the rest of the shonen genre.

While the anime has poor quality animation, a sluggish yet exhaustingly action-driven plot, and very little in the way of plot twists, the original manga more than makes up for this. There is much more evidence of a -storyline- (gasp! DBZ has a storyline??!) it is much more humorous, and the plot moves quickly without losing its pacing and flow. I have read the entire Dragon Ball series (the precursor to Dragon Ball Z) and have to say that I much prefer DB for its emphasis on character and humor, but still DBZ is a great series. Don't let the hype fool you: this is a series that deserves every bit of it!

this is a masterpeice.......2004-09-20

The Dragon Ball Z manga is a piece of art and should be in every collector's hands. This DBZ #1 is actually Dragon Ball #17 of 42, but this part of the story is fine to begin with; backstory is not a problem, since DBZ is a different stage of the lives of the characters. It is 160 pages of fun and wonder. Besides, for only $8 why would anyone pass up this opportunity? I guarantee this story will have you hooked. To buy more for less expensive prices buy used versions on Amazon, or buy new at ShonenJump.com

Dragon Ball Great!.......2004-04-25

Now I know alot of people are thinkin Dragon ball z is so boring. But if you read the graphic novel that just may change. You see since cartoon network doesn't play DBZ on tv anymore, its hard to see the first episode. But when I bought this book that changed and thinking it boring changed too.

I came to like it alot! its a perfect starting manga for any new manga fan. Since I just got into manga it was perfect for me. Now before you buy this book I should warn you there is some bad language in this book. So I would really recomend this book for any child 10 and up. Funny,action cool,martial arts, its got it all Dragon Ball z VOL.1 BUY IT NOW!

The best Manga... EVER!!!!!!.......2003-10-31

This was the first manga I had ever bought, now I'm hooked! I never really got into the TV series because I didn't watch any of the first episodes, and you can't just jump into the show in the middle, because nothing is really explained. That's why I dicided to get the manga when I found it in a book store.

Dragon Ball Z is a continuation of Dragon Ball, in which Son Goku learns that he is in fact a Sayian, a warrior-like alien race who destroy the inhabitance of planets for profiet, and Goku was to destroy all the humans on Earth. But when he got here he hit his head and lost his memory. Now he must defend his friends and the planet Earth from the 3 remaining Sayians.

I like Dragon Ball Z for its great characters and compeling storyline. And, of course, the ACTION!!! I believe the manga is better than the TV show, because it isn't that slow-paced. In my opinion, this is the best manga and the the best manga for newbie-otakus. If you want the story from the very beginning, I suggest the manga Dargon Ball Vol. 1. That one is more comedy than action, but still very good. Just buy it, you wont regret it. Siutable for ages 9 and up, for mild violence and language (not very much language, mind you).

Average customer rating:

Shonen Jump Series 1 Books

Shonen Jump Manga Magic

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh

This is AWSOME!!!!

cool stuff

Shonen Jump Graphic Novels Power Pack, Vol. 1 (Contains Volume I of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, One Piece, Shaman King, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and YuYu Hakusho)
Shonen Jump , Akira Toriyama , Masashi Kishimoto , Eiichiro Oda , Hiroyuki Takei , and Kazuki Takahashi
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Comics & Graphic Novels | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Viz | By Publisher | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Dragon Ball | By Series | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Naruto | By Series | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Fantasy | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Naruto, Vol. 2

Naruto, Volume 7

Naruto, Vol. 5

Naruto, Vol. 4

Naruto, Vol. 3

ASIN: 1591162114

Book Description

This boxed set contains the first volume in seven of mangas most popular adventure series, from the superstars in the field. Akira Toriyama's great quest stories, Dragon Ball and Dragon BallZ, star the monkey-tailed boy Goku, whose quiet life is interrupted when he's enlisted to save the world. Masashi Kishimoto's award-winning Naruto takes readers into the whirlwind of the Ninja Academy with its brutal tests and challenging competitions. Then Eichiro Oda's shonen sensation One Piece features a treasure hunt like no other, triggered by some very strange gum-gum fruit. Hiroyuki Takei's teenage shaman battles ghosts and monsters in Shaman King, while Kazuki Takahashi's mega-hit Yu-Gi-Oh! finds a lonely tenth grader solving a three-thousand year puzzle, hurling him into one bizarre game after another. Finally, there's Yoshihiro Togashi's thriller YuYu Hakusho, about a teenage boy whose good deed turns him into Tokyo's toughest ghost.

Customer Reviews:

Shonen Jump Series 1 Books.......2007-01-04

This was a gift for our son for Christmas!It was great he has read most all of them and now wants most of the series.

Shonen Jump Manga Magic.......2005-11-09

This is easily the best collection of Americanized manga out. As most know, Shonen Jump was at one time a Japanese exclusive magazine that made its hop across the Pacific in 2003 for American fans to enjoy. Since that moment, it's become the best in manga and now contains a majority of the manga juggernauts.

This collection is a great start for those of you who are interested in reading manga, or for those of you who missed out on some of the earlier issues of Shonen Jump and want to catch up on what's going on. It also has the beginnings to the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z mangas, which can't be found in Shonen Jump.

Below is a listing of the manga in this box, as well as a small description of each:

(1) Dragon Ball: This is the start of the Dragon Ball world. It explains the origins of Goku and his relationship with the Dragon Balls.

(2) Dragon Ball Z: The beginning of one of the greatest animes ever in its purest form. Unpolluted with minutes-long shouting and infested with excellent action and story, this details the story of Goku as a father and a husband, as well as following some of the other favorites of the Dragon Ball world.

(3) Naruto: Probably the best in Shonen Jump, Naruto is a tale of a boy fox-demon who wants nothing more than to earn his place in the world, and does so by training to become a ninja, despite the mistrust directed at him by some of his teacher and the hatred he receives from his fellow students.

(4) One Piece: A boy eats the mysterious Devil Fruit at a young age, making his body into rubber and also cursing his body: should he ever fall into water, he would sink instantly to the bottom. Despite that, he wants nothing more than to be the pirate king of a world of oceans.

(5) Shaman King: Yoh, a boy who can not only see ghosts but control them, comes to Tokyo to train to become a powerful shaman in the hopes that one day he'll win the title of Shaman King.

(6) Yu-Gi-Oh!: A story of constant morals and themes, it details a young, pint-sized, pointy-haired boy's struggles with a mysterious puzzle/necklace that grants him dark super powers as well as an alter-ego.

(7) YuYu Hakusho: A juvenile delinquent dies saving a child and finds out that his next was entirely unexpected and therefore gains a chance to come back to life. What he later finds out is coming back to life also makes him a spirit detective.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh.......2005-05-29

this is too awesome.. I think I'm goonna crrry... uhhhhhhhh... huu huu. Okay calm down, you're a pimp, you're a pimp. This is too awesome I'm gonna barf uhhhhhhhhhhhhh... I'm fine.

This is AWSOME!!!!.......2005-03-30

This pack is totaly awsome!If your obsessed about anime than this is the thing for you! I collect and read Shonen Jump magazine, and I kept getting curious about how all the stories had started. So I got this and it answered all my questions.

cool stuff.......2005-01-26

I think that this is one of the best manga/anime comics that I have ever read.

Average customer rating:

Dragon Ball - The King of Manga
Dragonball 1 Review
A pleasant surprise
A must have!!!!
The best manga ever!

Dragon Ball, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Popular Culture | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1569319200

Book Description

Printed in the original Japanese right-to-left format, here is another adventure from the megapopular Dragon Ball series. The quiet life of a monkey-tailed boy named Goku is disrupted when he meets blue-haired Bulma, who is on a quest to collect seven Dragon Balls. If she gathers them all, the Eternal Dragon will grant her one wish. With the precious orbs scattered all over the world, Bulma could use Goku's help.

Customer Reviews:

Dragon Ball - The King of Manga.......2007-06-05

Okay, while Dragon Ball isn't my favorite manga, it is probable the most well-known and most celebrated manga to date. And for good reason.

Volume 1 tells the story of when Bulma first met Goku, and they decide to hunt down the dragon balls. Goku's grandfather has died, and he is living alone in the wilderness, so he really has nothing to lose. The stories in this volume leave you wondering about Goku's origin (Bulma is constantly suprised by his mysterious monkey-tail), laughing at Goku's innocence, Oolong the pigs diarrhea, and Yamcha's shy perversion. Dragon Ball is a great manga. It will have you laughing and marveling at Akira Toriyama's unique artwork. If you're a fan of shonen manga but have not read Dragon Ball, do yourself a favor and try it out.

On a side note, Dragon Ball: Volume 1 is rated T for teen (ages 13 and over). I have heard that there are censored versions of the book as well as uncensored ones, and I'm not sure if this is true, but I know that I own an uncensored book. Uncensored, Dragon Ball contains some mild language, some mild violence (a cartoonish monster is decapitated),many sexual jokes (Goku is often "patting" strangers out of curiosity to whether they are male or female), and a generous amount of nudity (Son Goku is seen completely nude, Bulma has a shower scene where breasts and bottom are exposed, etc.) I'd recommend Dragon Ball for those ages 16 and over, despite the teen rating it received.

Dragonball 1 Review.......2007-04-29

Akira Toriyama's 1984 manga series "Dragonball" has got to be one of my favorites. While a lot of people in America think (negatively) of Dragonball as Dragonball Z or GT (manga/anime), I think of the classic Dragonball that has entertained me for the last couple years.

I first found Dragonball when browsing through manga at my local bookstore. The dragon on the cover was just one of the things that caught my eye. Inside, there was a whole world to be explored! I fell in love with Toriyama's detailed art, the ironic and entertaining storyline, the characters, the jokes...everything has made it a wonderful manga for me.

While it has its good things, it also has its bad. I would not reccomend Dragonball for people younger than 14, or to people who don't like manga, or even can't take a joke. Dragonball contains some violence (but no blood), crude humor, and sexual references.

In conclusion, Dragonball is just one of my favorite manga series, but perhaps my most valued. I hope you will like Dragonball, too!

A pleasant surprise.......2006-04-06

I've been a long time manga fan, but Dragonball Z was the one series I never could get into. There was just too much testosterone and muscles and screaming for my liking, and it tainted my view on Akira Toriyama himself.
Little did i know the Dragon Ball, the prequel to DragonBallZ, is in fact very different. I read it at my school library and was very pleasantly surprised, what I found was a fun adventure series that is often very racey but always hilarious.
Akira Toriyama has a fabulous gift for characterisation, and the ones he presents in this manga are extremely fun. Goku is a little monkey-tailed, uncivilized kid who has never seen other people before, and is somewhat shameless, Bulma is rather superficial and full of herself but tries to keep Goku in check, and Oolong the shape shifting pig is comedy gold.
As the other reviews can probably tell you, this isnt for the kiddies, but I myself was laughing my head off at some of the 'inappropriate' humour, such as Goku asking Bulma why she has 'a butt on her chest', and his horror-struck realistation that girls are different from boys as they have...'parts missing'.
The reason I give this book 3 stars however, is because of VIZ's english release. I do not like their habit of replacing the original japanese SFX with english, I feel it ruins the art. Aside from that, some of the speech was a little iffy, characters like Goku and Chi-chi were given oddly accented voices which didnt sound right to me. I am glad that for once VIZ DIDNT tone down any sexual jokes or censored any nudity as they have done in other Shonen Jump titles.

A must have!!!!.......2006-02-06

I got my copy four years ago,first printing,cause I wanted to read Goku's childhood since I always missed the show on cartoon network.I was thinking,okay I'll buy all 16 volumes of dragonball since shonen jump was publishing the later half better known in the US as DBZ.Boy, was I wrong,after half way reading the first chapter I was hooked and sayed to myself I'll buy all the volumes 1 through 42.Right now I am in volume 27(DBZ vol. 11)

The best manga ever!.......2006-02-06

Dragon ball is the best manga i've ever read it has good action humor and adventure.This is the first volume of the whole 42 volume series(incluidng dragon ball Z)it shows how goku meets all of his friends.However parents should beware thare are parts In here that are not for kids thare is some nudity viloince and languge and alot of dirty jokes this is probley the funneist one in the series but defintilly the most inproproit one also.The pepole that are relly bad are master roushi and oloung.This is defnitlly the best manga I have ever read anyone 13+ should read it enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Dragon Ball (Viz Graphic Novel, 1)

Manufacturer: Viz Communications, Inc. CA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Product Description

Dragon Ball Vol. i: This graphic novel, No.#1 in a series of 42, contains the monthly comic serie Dragon Ball #1 through #6 in their entirety (from the book)

Dragon Ball, Vol. 1 (VIZBIG Edition) (Dragon Ball)

Average customer rating:

Dragon Ball, Vol. 1 (VIZBIG Edition) (Dragon Ball)
Akira Toriyama
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Shonen (Boys) | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1421520591

Dragonball (Perfect version) Vol. 1 (Dragon Ball (Kanzen ban)) (in Japanese)

Average customer rating:

Dragonball (Perfect version) Vol. 1 (Dragon Ball (Kanzen ban)) (in Japanese)
Akira Toriyama
Manufacturer: Shueisha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

All Japanese Books | Japanese | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Dragon Ball, Vol. 1 (Dragon Ball (Viz Paperback))

Average customer rating:

Dragon Ball, Vol. 1 (Dragon Ball (Viz Paperback))

Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Shonen (Boys) | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Amazon.com

Eighteen creepy, icky, and downright weird faces by artists Charles Burns and Gary Panter have been cut up and bound into Facetasm, so you can mix and match to your heart's content, exploring more than 7,000 possible mutations. From robots to monsters to things that look like mutant rejects from some twisted Disney cartoon, the faces are strange enough before you start mixing them up, but once you begin flipping you'll be hooked. There's even a space on the back page for your own photo, so you can see what you'd look like with a new hairdo. Or fangs. Facetasm is good old-fashioned fun with a healthy dose of the avant-garde, and giving it to your kids is like inviting William Burroughs to baby-sit. A good thing. --Simon Leake

Customer Reviews:

Facetastic.......2001-04-15

Remember those books you played with when you were a kid where on each page would be an ordinary drawing cut into three sections, but if you turned only one or two of those sections to a different page, you would create a new picture meshing together two or three different scenes? This is the same basic concept, but geared towards adults with the hearts of children (in their desk drawer).

Combining their skills are two of the greatest renderers of the strange and grotesque, Charles Burns and Gary Panter. My one complaint, however, is that what really made this type of book great as a kid was that you could take the ordinary and make it extraordinary and bizarre, however with Facetasm, each original picture is already bizarre as is. This takes away from the fun of such subversive acts as, e.g., combining a picture of a macho testosterone filled body builder with those of a dainty ballerina and a withered old man. Here, the artists themselves have already committed the acts of subversion with each original drawing. But it is still fun to play around with and it contains great artwork by both contributors.

Factastic.......2000-06-01

This book is well worth the price and the time it take to reach you home. It's just a lot of fun. Charles Burns is one of the greatest illustrators it shows that he is very careful with his pen strokes. Gary Panter on the other hand wasn't a real good match for Burns but he doesn't ruin the book. They both did a terrific job. The whole idea is terrific.

Facetasm: A Creepy Mix & Match Book of Cross Face Mutations!

Average customer rating:

Facetasm: A Creepy Mix & Match Book of Cross Face Mutations!
Gary; Burns, Charles Panter
Manufacturer: Gates of Heck Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K3S9P0

Average customer rating:

Facetasm: A Creepy Mix & Match Book of Cross Face Mutations!
Gary; Burns, Charles Panter
Manufacturer: Gates of Heck Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K3P3OU

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books