Reconstructing Woody: Art, Love, and Life in the Films of Woody Allen

Book Description

For too long, the films of Woody Allen have been interpreted as expressions of deconstructionism, nihilism, and postmodern angst. In this pathbreaking new book, Mary P. Nichols challenges this, arguing that Allen's work, from Play It Again, Sam to Deconstructing Harry, is actually an attempt to explore and reconcile the tension between art and life. As witty and complex as its subject, Reconstructing Woody shows that Allen is immensely concerned with human ethics, goodness, and virtue.

Customer Reviews:

A good review of the artistry of Woody Allen.......2000-11-02

As a big Woody Allen fan I really enjoyed reading Mary P. Nicols "Reconstructing Woody". Nicols is a professor of political science at Fordham University, and this book is basically her in-depth study or "thesis" on the cinematic art of Woody Allen. She digs deeply into 12 of Allen's films, namely "Play It Again Sam", "Annie Hall", "Interiors", "Stardust Memories", "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy", "Zelig", "The Purple Rose of Cairo", "Another Woman", "Crimes and Misdemeanors", "Manhattan Murder Mystery", "Bullets Over Broadway" and "Mighty Aphrodite". She looks at the artisty and craftsmanship of Allen's works and gives her own interperetations as to their deeper meanings, uses of symbolism, and Woody's obvious homages to classic art and literature. She also points out what I've told people all along...that whether he is using comedy or drama as his vehicle, Woody Allen is master storyteller who creates characters of great depth! The chapters on "Crimes and Misdemeanors" and "Stardust Memories" are especially intriguing and enlightening, so much so that Nicols has actually deepened my appreciation of those films. (Not that they wern't favorites already!) I would have liked to have seen what she had to say regarding "Manhattan" or "Broadway Danny Rose", but for some inexplicable reason they were not included. Now that four more Woody Allen fims have been released since the publication of this book, it would be nice to see Nicols do a follow-up which could cover "Deconstructing Harry", "Celebrity", "Sweet and Lowdown", "Small Time Crooks" and some of the older titles that were overlooked here. If Amazon ever offers such a book, I'll be the first here to buy it!

Thesis.......2000-06-24

Nichols has basically written the equivalent of a term paper on the films and life of Woody Allen. That is not to say that the book is dull or only a collection of non-emotive facts about Allen. It delves deep to examine the many facets of his life and the films that he has created. For anyone who really appreciates Woody Allen's films, this would be the book for you.

The Best Woody Ever.......1999-08-15

Nichols has made an exemplary contribution to film studies by integrating that mushy discipline with the rigor of political philosophy. She's surely smarter and better than Woody, but with her help we can see what is best about his art as moral and philosophical illumination.

A profound and provocative meditation on life and art........1999-04-27

Professor Mary Nichols's "Reconstructing Woody" is a profound and provocative meditation on life and art that gazes at these issues through the lens of Woody Allen's films. Nichols's treatment is unique for its insight and readability. Moreover, she succeeds in establishing three truths in her book: 1. That film is as complex, philosophic and insightful a medium for reflecting upon life as any other literary genre, combining especially the novel's ability to recreate a detailed world and drama's ability to have visual impact. 2. That the literary/dramatic reflection of life in art is not simply "reflective" or "passive," but instead represents the artist's ability to see the world through "a" world. If that artist is thoughtful and talented enough, then we do ourselves a service by trying to enter into his or her lens to view our own world. Nichols persuasively demonstrates that Allen is an artist of that rank. 3. That (and this is a very old issue in the Western world) the "sophisticated criticism" of certain intellectuals may, in fact, be less profound than the art it tries to explain. Allen himself has clearly and funnily portrayed this in his films, and Nichols, by presuming that Allen has something to teach her and us, has produced an intellectual commentary that does not distort or render shallow his dramatic corpus. In short, in confronting Allen's art through Nichols's book, the reader will emerge with a greater ability to appreciate a worthy artist's work and the world that that work represents.

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Music and Image in Classical Athens
Sheramy Bundrick
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521848067

Book Description

Sheramy Bundrick proposes that the depictions of musical performance in fifth century BC Athens were intimately linked to contemporary developments in the field of music itself, such as the debate over music in education, theories of musical ethos, and the growing popularity of professional musicians. Moreover, she argues that music became a visual metaphor for the harmony or disharmony of the city. Her book is the first to consider the broad range of musical images in the dynamic classical period, as well as their sociocultural and artistic implications.

Book Description

Dr. Gerald P. Marinoff created the "New Sight" playing cards with enlarged, outlined indices, achieving a major breakthrough in helping the visual impaired to see printed letters and numbers.

Average customer rating:

Good read for HR...

Highly Recommended!

Neet to read before talk on HR practice review and goals

The Human Dimension of ROI

If we don't know how to measure, we can't manage.

The Roi of Human Capital: Measuring the Economic Value of Employee Performance
Jac Fitz-Enz
Manufacturer: AMACOM/American Management Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The HR Scorecard: Linking People, Strategy, and Performance

The Workforce Scorecard: Managing Human Capital To Execute Strategy

How to Measure Human Resource Management (3rd Edition)

The Hr Value Proposition

The Future of Human Resource Management: 64 Thought Leaders Explore the Critical HR Issues of Today and Tomorrow

ASIN: 0814405746

Book Description

We all know that people--not cash, buildings, or equipment--are the lifeblood of any business enterprise. Yet, astonishingly, there has never been a reliable way to quantify the contribution of human capital to corporate profit...until now.

In THE ROI OF HUMAN CAPITAL, Jac Fitz-enz draws on years of quantitative and qualitative research by his prestigious Saratoga Institute to provide a breakthrough methodology for measuring the bottom-line effect of employee performance. A prolific author, whose previous work includes Human Value Management, named Book of the Year by the Society for Human Resource Management, Fitz-enz has also been called "the father of human performance benchmarking."

This new book offers a rare blend of management expertise and quantitative metrics, showing executives and HR professionals how to gauge human costs and productivity at three critical levels: * Organizational (contributions to corporate goals) * Functional (impact on process improvement) * Human resources management (value added by five basic HR department activities).

With today's employee costs often exceeding 40 percent of corporate expense, measuring the value of this human capital is essential. Here, at last, is a resource that reveals how to do it and that helps managers determine how to invest most effectively in human productive potential.

Customer Reviews:

Good read for HR..........2006-11-06

... but only an average read for a seasoned Leader. Although, if you are looking for another read for the month it has some valid reminders.

Highly Recommended!.......2003-03-19

Jac Fitz-enz presents a breakthrough approach to measuring your return on investment (ROI) in human capital. This book could have been dull, dry and dusty in someone else's hands, but instead is absorbing and a pleasure to read. Using studies done by the Saratoga Institute - his own facility - and drawing upon the work of other researchers as well, the author places this new methodology in the context of today's business challenges, including e-commerce. He pinpoints satisfaction as the baseline value employees pursue, and shows how you will profit by working toward employee fulfillment. We from getAbstract highly recommend this book to those in human resources, and to managers, executives and entrepreneurs who run their own businesses.

Neet to read before talk on HR practice review and goals.......2001-10-03

This book is one of the most interesting publication come across. As a BIG 5 Consultant to implement HUman Capital Solutions, its important to have a new world picture for Human Resource. Away from the traditional practices of reporting HR performance and standard set of reports, this book highlights the new views and ideas.

It is worth to have in your bag, when you are going for a HR assignment. It impress the HR professionals...

The Human Dimension of ROI.......2000-11-14

Perhaps you have already read The 8 Practices of Exceptional Companies. Fitz-enz adds substantially to his international renown with this more recent book in which he suggests all manner of ways to measure the economic value of human capital. In the Preface, he suggests that (in business terms) human capital be described as a combination of factors such as these:

* The traits one brings to the job: intelligence, energy, a generally positive attitude, reliability, commitment

* One's ability to learn: aptitude, imagination, creativity, and what is often called street smarts", savvy (for how to get things done)

* One's motivation to share information and knowledge: team spirit and goal orientation

As Fitz-enz then explains, Chapter 1 takes the first steps toward a methodology for measuring the return on investment (ROI) of human capital. Chapter 2 launches the process of finding the ROI of human capital from an unusual "starting point": rather than begin with process improvement at the lower organizational levels, focus at the highest possible levels on "the goals of the enterprise." Chapter 3 is the "bridge" between the enterprise and the human capital management levels. Chapter 4 brings us to "the drivers of all enterprise success": people." Chapter 5 integrates the three levels (enterprise, process or function, and people), combining them "in one end-to-end system of human capital valuation reporting." Chapter 6 moves to the next level: trending and predicting. Chapter 7 dissects five of the most common human resources and human capital initiatives, demonstrating HOW to find economic value in the workings of each. Chapter 8 reports on two of the longest-term, largest-scale studies of human capital management. Chapter 9 explains what is required for an organization to take a quantum leap" over its competition. Chapter 10 provides a "compilation" of eleven "guiding principles" which serve as "The Foundation Stones of the Human Capital Measurement Pathway." And then in the final chapter, Fitz-enz brilliantly sums up the basic measurement system. Note in particular Figure 11-1 ("Composite human capital scoreboard") which provides an excellent model to guide and inform the efforts of any organization, regardless of its size or nature.

With very few exceptions, an organization's greatest assets do indeed "walk out the door" at the end of each business day. For those who are eager to measure human capital more accurately, who then wish to create for their organization a much greater return on investments in its human resources, this is an absolutely indispensable resource to help achieve those objectives.

If we don't know how to measure, we can't manage........2000-07-21

"In the closing years of the twentieth century, management has come to accept that people, not cash, buildings, or equipment, are the critical differentiators of a business enterprise. As we move into the new millennium and find ourselves in a knowledge economy, it is undeniable that people are the profit lever. All assets of an organization, other than people, are inert. They are passive resources that require human application to generate value. The key to sustaining a profitable company or a healty economy is the productivity of the workforce, our human capital...Drucker claims that the greatest challenge for organizations today and for the next decade at least is to respond to the shift from an industrial to a knowledge economy...This shift toward knowledge as the differentiator affects all aspects of organizational management, including operating efficiency, marketing, organizational structure, and human capital investment...Since employee costs today can exceed 40 percent of corporate expense, measuring of the ROI in human capital is essential. Management needs a system of metrics that describe and predict the cost and productivity curves of its workforce" (pp.1-3).

Within this general framework, Jac Fitz-Enz argues that without measurement we cannot:

* communicate specific performance expectations.

* know what is going on inside the organization.

* identify performance gaps that should be analyzed and eliminated.

* provide feedback comparing performance to a standard or a benchmark.

* recognize performance that should be rewarded.

* support decisions regarding resource allocation, projections, and schedules.

In short, he argues that "if we don't know how to measure our primary value-producing assets, we can't manage it".

On the other hand, in Chapter 1, he displays many of the management panaceas that have hit the market in the past fifty years as follows:

** 2000 ? ? ? ? ?

-Intellectual Capital-Learning Organization

-Rightsizing-Balanced Scorecard-EVA

** 1990 -TQM-Reenginering-7 Habits-Delayering

-Downsizing-Customer Service-Benchmarking

-Kaizen-Empowerment-Continuous Improvement

** 1980 -Corporate Culture-Change Management-MBWA

-Intrapreneuring-Relationship Marketing-Excellence

** 1970 -Quality Circles-Diversification-One Minute Managing

- Work Simplification-Needs Hieracchy-Statistical Process Control

- Organizational Renewal-Value Chain-Portfolio Management

** 1960 -Managerial Grid-Matrix-Hygienes and Motivators-Theory Z

-Theory X&Y-Plan-Organize-Direct-Control-Human Relations

** 1950 -Management by Objectives-Management Science-Decision Tree

I highly recommend this 'must' reading study to all executives and HR practitioners.

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