The Secrets of Star Trek: Insurrection (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

Book Description

New Ships! New Aliens! New Worlds! New Adventures!

This is the chronicle of how they come to be -- the story behind Paramount Pictures' newest cinematic epic, the third feature film starring the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation®!

Follow the making of the movie as told to Terry J. Erdmann by its actors and creators. Look behind the scenes at the creative process from inception to finished work, as seen through the eyes of Rick Berman, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Michael Piller, and many others. Learn about everything from the initial story concepts to designs, set construction, makeup, costuming, visual effects, and much, much more.

Filled with hundreds of behind-the-scenes color photos and sketches, The Secrets of Star Trek: Insurrection is an intimate account of how the phenomenal ninth Star Trek feature film became a reality.

Customer Reviews:

Nice background material on the movie.......2005-10-18

Star Trek: Insurrection proves to be one of the most lackluster of Star Trek movies and this book which is well written and full of nice photos, tells a good story how this movie came to be and how it was produced. Its a movie promotion book for sure so you can count on all the positive aspects of the film. The book itself was enjoyable although upon reading it, I can understand why the movie failed with both the Star Trek fans and the general public.

Reading how this movie was developed proves to be most interesting in the way they went about it. It pretty obvious that the scriptwriters and its supporters had totally no clue what we Trekkies wanted and no idea how dated the script was. During the time when this movie was being released, Deep Space Nine was pushing the limits of scriptwriting and character development for Star Trek universe. The Dominion War where the Federation was fighting for its dear life was going on while Voyager was dodging the Borgs and other unfriendly species. All that made the script and the movie looking very stale and standing still. The book revealed that no where any of what was going on TV was in consideration. It showed how they wanted to get Picard a girlfriend, get some Gilbert and Sullivan in and all kind of stuff that sounds cute but in actual sense, boring. Exciting things were happening on the TV for Star Trek and this book shows why the movie totally and cluelessly missed the boat.

Overall, an informative movie promotion book where the director, producers and cast slapped each other on their backs while making a not so successful film. You would think that after First Contact, these people will understand what we Trekkies like.

A suitable companion to the film.......1999-10-02

I don't know if it was a problem with a particular print run of this book, but the copy I bought from a local bookstore was very badly bound, and several pages came adrift while I was reading it. This struck me as highly unusual, since most S&S books are excellently bound. However, the book itself is beautfully designed, and has a wealth of information about the film making process. However, it is a little on the small side, and could have been more like John Eaves's "Next Generation Sketchbook". A good book in general, it loses stars because of the poor binding and small size.

The Best!.......1999-03-02

Insurrection is one of the absolute best star trek films there is. Data is the funniest ever in the film. I loved Picard, Worf and Data's musical number. It was really funny

This Book Is Awesome.......1999-02-23

The Pictures, The size everything you need to know about the new blockbuster movie. A must have for any avid Star Trek fan.

One of the best behind the scene books ever!!!!.......1999-01-15

I loved it it was the best one yet! I would also like to see one on voyager. I love the renderings and the concept sketches.

Book Description

`Complex and remarkably lucid, it's the first book dealing with punk to offer intellectual content. Hebdige is concerned with the UK's postwar, music-centred, white working-class subcultures, from teddy boys to mods and rockers to skinheads and punks.' - Rolling Stone

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Resource.......2006-03-14

Hebdige's book is an excellent text that is enjoyable and informative to read. It is academic and poetic all at once, mirroring certain aspects of the self-conscious scene he describes. He takes on the challenge of recording both the history and method of cultural creation and change in Britain, and leaves the savvy reader at a good place for interpreting later subcultural movements (US punk & hardcore, for example). I would say this is an essential read for the student or layman interested in subculture (past and present) or the history of punks, skins, etc.

Buy this book........2005-04-04

Professor Hebdige is a genius, and contrary to the other review he immersed himself in "this scene." He grew up right in the middle of the movement in England and witnessed firsthand the events and shifts that the book covers. He is a brilliant professor at UCSB and to take his class is an experience like no other. Reading this book is only a glimpse into the mind of one of the world's most exceptionally brilliant and artistic men.

Lacking in-depth analysis.......2003-10-01

This book lends itself to the idea that some subjects are best written about when one has experienced them first-hand. Lauraine LeBlanc's book Pretty in Punk, for example, offers an academic AND an experiential view of the movement. Hebdige could have benefited by letting more members of the subculture speak for themselves in his book or if he had actually lived in a subculture scene. While it is important to maintain some distance between your subject and yourself, too much distance leads to too many gaps and too much assumption. Although I enjoyed reading the book and think it is a good brief overview of many subcultures and styles, it might have been better to dedicate a separate book to each subculture and their particular style rather than trying to encompass them all in such a small space. The result would have been a more in-depth study of each group instead of a stereotypical glossing over - to understand the style one needs to understand each group more in-depth. I need to read his latest version to see if he addresses some of these issues.

fun, interesting, complex.......2003-08-15

this book takes an awesome and serious look at punk as a social and cultural phenomenon, and examines the roots that made punk into what it was. it is a very enlightening read, but is the kind of book you must read in the front and the back at the same time to have it all sink in. hebdige uses a number of endnotes throughout the book, which made me have to jump back and forth to understand what he was saying. i think a second reading would provide an even deeper understanding-- there were definitely times on the first read when i had to reread passages. i definitely recommend this book and have greatly enjoyed it.

Art Primer.......2002-02-06

This book is fundmentally the the bases for anyone who is studying art theory. This books goes into how subcultures like the punk movement to hip hop and gang cultures got started and why they are important to understanding diverse social structures.

Book Description

What motivates people to dress in a manner that marks them out as different to the conventional norm? Is it true that, with dress, 'anything goes' in our mix-and-match postmodern culture? Have easily recognizable, authentic subcultures imploded in a glut of ironic revivals and stylistic fragmentation? Does this supposed 'post-subcultural' generation actively celebrate ephemerality, transience and disposability, merely casting off and trying on one alternative identity after another in an ever-accelerating fashion frenzy? This exciting book is a considered sociological examination of such questions. By listening to the voices of the subcultural stylists themselves - their subjective perceptions of their style and the ideas that lie behind them - the author provides original insights into issues of subjectivity and identity.Situating an empirical case study within a wider consideration of postmodernism and cultural change, the author rejects cultural studies perspectives that attempt to 'read' subcultures as texts. Drawing on extensive interviews with people who dress in what might be deemed a stylistically unconventional manner, he seeks instead to establish whether contemporary subcultures display modern or postmodern sensibilities and forms. He argues persuasively that they do both - a stress on postmodern hyperindividualism, fluidity and fragmentation runs alongside a modernist emphasis on authenticity and underlying essence. He concludes that a Romantic libertarianism has permeated working-class culture and that the distinction between 'individualistic' middle-class countercultures and 'collectivist' working-class subcultures has been over-emphasized.

Customer Reviews:

At last, somebody shows empathy, not just sympathy. .......2004-09-03

Muggleton's biggest strength is that he tries to understand subjective experiences of subculturalists in their neverending conquest for differentiating themselves from the conventional. Unlike Birmingham scholars, Muggleton does not start with a pre given, dichotomous assumption about materially opressed subcultures against a totalizing dominant culture, but rather has a nominalist cultural orientation. So, if you are a materialist or structuralist, his perspective might put you off.

This book is indispensable if you are studying subcultures/youth cultures/microcultures/etc. However I suggest you read Hebdige before this, because Muggleton builds most of his arguments against his. Otherwise, it is hard to see where all this comes from.

Although it is a short text, it is quite dense and packed with references, so it might not be an enjoyable read if you are not very familiar with theories of culture.

Reviewings hard..........2003-06-23

Well i don't have much to say on this one. I ordered it as a help for my media assignment. Found it useful but a little long-winded and a little too specialised in terms of examples.
I'd recommend Sarah Thornton's "Club Cluture" as a good partner to this book.

Subcultura/ Subculture: el significado del estilo/The Meaning of Style (Communicacion)

Average customer rating:

Subcultura/ Subculture: el significado del estilo/The Meaning of Style (Communicacion)
Dick Hebdige
Manufacturer: Ediciones Paidos Iberica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Communication | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Subculture : The Meaning of Style
Dick Hebdige
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KX2JX8

Average customer rating:

SUBCULTURE the Meaning of Style
Dick Hebdige
Manufacturer: Methuen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JVA5NC

Average customer rating:

Subculture. The Meaning of Style

Manufacturer: Methuen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I33YKM

Customer Reviews:

Grob the great, .......2005-04-14

This opening is very strong, in the right hands... its clearly not for everyone, it has it all, it can be played as a closed position, semi closed, or open. "what more do you want"
Very! Very! Fun. it will be part of my repertiore for life
Long live THE KILLER GROB.

:~-( Bad idea !!.......2001-08-01

Many people are impressed by the fact that IM Michael Basman win by playing stuff like sct. georges defense, the global opening (1. a3 2. h3) and finally, the GROB (1.g4). HOWEVER, I am personally of the opinion, that if you as a mediocre 12-1400 player look at these openings and think that they're all that, and play 'em, you will learn your lesson ! The Grob Opening is probably the WORST opening on the board, except for the EVANS BLASTOFF (1. h4), seeing they both severely weaken the kingside. IM Michael Basman may play these openings - and win!- but it is not thanks to some strange opening that he wins, he is a strong middlegame and endgame player, and that pays off. Finally there's the so called "psychological effect" which one might aim at, like one might aim at catching a meteor with one's tongue. My advice is play solid and safe ! If you are going to play agressive play 1. e4, but of course 1. d4 can also be very aggressive. Do this, seeing they are just as aggressive, instead of playing silly, weird and unsound openings. And remember, you see so many games with Basman winning with these crazy attempts of openings, but you never see the one's where he loses... Wonder why?? Well let me just tell you, he does not go down in style...

Grobs the Attention.......2001-03-10

Basman's Grob book is a fun read, with real-life wins so bizarre they seem to come from a fantasy chess game. One leaves this book convinced that one should add the Grob to one's blitz repertoire. Although Basman spends a fair bit of time trying to explain the theory, the "ideas behind the opening" sections of the book just don't hold up as well--but is this Basman's fault, the reader's lack of subtlety (I'm only a B player), or the simple that fact that the Grob, while immense fun, does not really line up as a good old fashioned linear opening? I'm not sure.

I love unorthodox openings, and I cannot deny the fun this book injects into chess with the Grob. But I think I'll stick to the Lengfellner System, and leave the Grobmaniacs to their party!

Very Fun.......2000-08-24

Published in 1991, this 170 page book has more entertainment value than actual solid positional play. IM Michael Basman has won a number of Master games with it, so regardless of Raymond Keene's opinion on this being a horrible opening, The Grob is not without logic. If you're looking for something different, this is definately it, as 1.g4 or as Black 1.e4 g5 (1.d4 h6, 2.e4 g5) can be a great 'shock value' opening for the intermediate and club player. I have won with this opening many times, but i will admit, i can't see it being a major part of my opening repertoire. It would be nice if Basman wrote a follow-up to this book for more current treaments, as well as the Gambit line of 1.g4 d5, 2.Bg7 Bxg4 which is not addressed here. This book will not appeal to all, but i am the type of player that loves to throw 'odd' lines at my opponent. There's also a small section of 3 games touching on the 'Global Opening' which deals with 1.h3 and 1.a3 or 1.h6 and 1.a6 for Black. I would like to see Basman write a book with more detailed analysis of this as well. In closing, i have to give this book 5 stars, partially because it's not as bad (at least at the intermediate level) as most people think, and it's extremely entertaining. Many people i have faced comment on how much they hate facing the Grob quite simply because they are unsure how to play against it. Most people are not 'serious' chess players, so why not go for a little gusto now and then?

The gross Grob -- defending the indefensible.......1999-12-13

None other than three-times world champ Botvinnik had a high opinion of the young Basman in the 60s, saying that he reminded him of Simagin.

Now Basman is achieved notoriety by advocating the antipositional Grob. A cynic might claim that this gives him a win-win situation -- if he wins, the game is heralded, while if he loses it's put down to his choice of opening (I think a GM has made this point but I can't recall who).

Indeed, Basman is an International Master so is a strong player, so is bound to have netted some scalps.

In the 1992 New Zealand Championship, the defending champion played the Grob (or reversed Grob) in every game. He was clearly strong enough to extricate himself sometimes from a number of the messes he got himself into. But still he scored only 50% although he would clearly have been one of the favorites, and this was flattering for the opening.

In a review of the opening in Spectator some years ago, Grandmaster Raymond Keene claimed that the Grob had to about the worst first move on the board, except maybe h4. It does nothing for development or the center, commits more time to be lost by h3 in Basman's line, and weakens the K-side. And Keene backed up his judgement by a severe thrashing of Basman, which he noted was unlikely to appear in pro-Grob books ...

I couldn't give a book only one star, when it has such entertainment value, and might even help a few club players net some points. But be warned: the novelty will wear off, and it will be necessary to learn a proper opening.

When I see the opening used in 2600+ events, then I might revise my opinion. I really doubt that I'll need to change my mind.

Amazon.com

Understanding and Changing Your Management Style, by psychologist and business consultant Robert Benfari, is a hands-on guidebook for determining the type of leader you are--and becoming the kind you want to be. It includes methods that you can use to influence others, problem-solving techniques, and exercises that reveal your psychological nature according to the widely used Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Using the resultant patterns, the book suggests practical ways to maximize your strengths, overcome weaknesses, and deal with difficult employees, such as hostile-aggressive Sherman Tanks ("Give them time to run down") and supremely confident Bulldozers ("Do some serious research so that you are on top of the problem"). "Good management is not in-born in some, nor is so-called bad management a fixed state for others," Benfari writes. "Changing your management style is possible once you understand what can be changed (and what cannot) and are willing to do the work to shift your assumptions, perceptions, and behavior." --Howard Rothman

Book Description

Are the best managers born that way, while the rest of us must struggle with the role and its responsibilities? According to Robert Benfari, our ability to manage effectively is based on a mix of characteristics that can be analyzed, understood and, most importantly, changed. In this book, he identifies six ingredients of successful management and uses the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to show readers how they can devise personality-specific strategies for improving their ability to resolve conflict, solve problems, manage stress, positively influence others, and handle difficult situations at work.

Customer Reviews:

this book will change you!.......2004-10-28

I am one of those lucky people that had him as an instructor at Harvard years ago. He is one of only three instructors that I admire and recommend to my friends.

We used this book's pre-published version as a textbook in a graduate-level course. You will find certain tasks that he asks you to do very time consuming, boring, ordinary. That's what happened in his first 3 classes. He made us to use our previous management experience and knowledge first few classes. Nothing was new and we followed what we were doing for years. That is exactly what he wanted us to do. He made us to make a mistake, -big wrong managerial decision- just as we would do in real life. Every student out of more than 70 made a mistake. All of us had different ideas, unique approaches, different backgrounds, different education, but we all fell on his trap. After our case -managerial decision- he explained our management style, and what would go wrong. He successfully pointed out our personality, type of management style, and our weaknesses. In that one class, I really understood what I studied in undergraduate business that I did not understand in 4 years.

Follow the instruction of the book, take your time to fill-out those tests in appendix. Do not quit when you get bored. If your life, the work you do is boring then it is how you should feel when reading first few chapters. Remember that you make your business decisions under same circumstances. That is the way to reach your true personality, and management style, not the one that your subconscious created.

After reading his book, you will see that you will look people, and problems differently.

Good book but don't go out of your way to get it.......2001-09-06

I began "Understanding and Changing Your Management Style" expecting just another book on management theory. While Benfari definitely is well versed in management theory, he's packed this book full of dozens of practical tools, advice, and descriptive case "studies."

After reading "Understanding and Changing Your Management Style," I've come to see that books on management are often like the three blind men trying to describe the elephant-they each describe focus on one aspect of the whole. Benfari attempts to take in the whole picture and help the reader understand all the aspects of managing. Quite a daunting task!

In the introduction, Benfari says, "The most fruitful way of working through the book is to take the assessment in the appendixes before you start your journey" (p. xii). I was already familiar with the Myers-Briggs profile but much less familiar with the influence inventory, and the assessments of needs, conflict resolution style, problem solving style, values, and stress. I spent so much time assessing; I almost gave up on the book without even reading the first chapter!

I'm glad I gave the book a chance. This book is Benfari's explanation of his "integrated management style." In his words, "Changing your management style is possible once you understand what can be changed (and what cannot) and are willing to do the work to shift your assumptions, perceptions, and behavior" (p. xi). We can't change our basic wiring-personality-but we can change most everything else. Benfari even offers techniques on influencing and temporarily flexing our personality tendencies.

At times, I found "Understanding and Changing Your Management Style" to be somewhat redundant. I think this stems from trying to describe the elephant from eight different angles. No matter how many ways you look at it, the elephant is still an elephant. Much of what Benfari writes about already appears in many management theory and pop psychology books. The value of this book is precisely in the "multiple views" packaging Benfari gives the material.

"Understanding and Changing Your Management Style" is more of a workbook than a textbook. Don't just read this book. Have a pen handy and be ready to flip back-and-forth between the section you're reading and the appendices in the back. The last chapter was a bit of a let down for me. Rather than "developing an action plan," it amounted to little more than re-recording the results of the assessments.

Nevertheless, if you're interested in developing yourself and your management skills, "Understanding and Changing Your Management Style" may be a useful book to have in your library.

The table of contents for this book is:

Introduction: What Makes a Good Manager?

Part One: A Model for Change
1 The Dynamics of Management Styles: What Can Be Changed?
2 Personality and Psychology: What's Your Type?
3 Practical Intelligence: How Do We Make It Work?
4 Mental Models: How Do We Make the Shift?

Part Two: The Elements of Management Style
5 Needs: The Drive Towards Competence
6 Power Bases: Influence, Authority, and Expertise
7 Problem Solving and Conflict Management: Catalysts for Change
8 Values: Clarifying What You Stand For
9 Stress: Managing Work and Difficult People
10 Putting It All Together: Developing an Action Plan for Your Management Style

Become a Better Manager.......2000-04-14

A practical guide to using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator geared toward helping the manager understand and change her own management style. I liked this book and heartily recommend it to anyone who would become a better manager or leader. Several tests are included to aid in understanding one's own values, problem solving preferences, and "practical IQ," as well as how one deals with conflicts and "problem personalities." This book allows an opportunity for managers to alter their behavior for the better. Good managers are made, not born, and Benfari offers good lessons for making them.

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