Book Description
During the 1910s, motion pictures came to dominate every aspect of life in the suburban New Jersey community of Fort Lee. During the nickelodeon era, D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford, and Mack Sennett would ferry entire acting companies across the Hudson to pose against the Palisades. Theda Bara, "Fatty" Arbuckle, and Douglas Fairbanks worked in the rows of great greenhouse studios that sprang up in Fort Lee and the neighboring communities. Tax revenues from studios and laboratories swelled municipal coffers.
Then, suddenly, everything changed. Fort Lee, the film town once hailed as the birthplace of the American motion picture industry, was now the industry's official ghost town. Stages once filled to capacity by Paramount and Universal were leased by independent producers or used as paint shops by scenic artists from Broadway. Most of Fort Lee's film history eventually burned away, one studio at a time.
Richard Koszarski re-creates the rise and fall of Fort Lee filmmaking in a remarkable collage of period news accounts, memoirs, municipal records, previously unpublished memos and correspondence, and dozens of rare posters and photographs—not just film history, but a unique account of what happened to one New Jersey town hopelessly enthralled by the movies.
Distributed for John Libbey Publishing
Customer Reviews:
BEFORE HOLLYWOOD THERE WAS FORT LEE.......2005-07-02
Fort Lee Film Commission member Richard Koszarski's book "Fort Lee: The Film Town" is the first comprehensive book on the first "film town" in America. Scholars now will be able to reference the role this New Jersey community played in American film histroy. The world's first studio was built in New Jersey - Thomas Edison's "Black Maria." America's first studio town was Fort Lee, New Jersey. This book will serve to inform scholar and general reader alike that the film industry did not go from New York to Hollywood but actually from New Jersey to New York & Hollywood.
Book Description
A rich, colorful history of California centering on the untold story of America 's biggest farmer, J.G. Boswell, who controls more than $1 billion worth of water rights and real estate in the heart of the state.
J.G. Boswell is the biggest farmer in America. Over the past fifty years he has built a secret empire while thumbing his nose at nature, politicians, labor unions and every journalist who ever tried to lift the veil on the ultimate "factory in the fields." Now eighty years old, with an almost pathological bent toward privacy, Boswell has spent the past few years confiding one of the great stories of the American West to Mark Arax and Rick Wartzman. The King of California is the previously untold account of how a Georgia slave-owning family migrated to California in the early 1920s, drained one of America 's biggest lakes in an act of incredible hubris and carved out the richest cotton empire in the world. Indeed, the sophistication of Boswell 's agricultural operation--from lab to field to gin--is unrivaled anywhere.
Much more than a business story, this is a sweeping social history that details the saga of cotton growers who were chased from the South by the boll weevil and brought their black farmhands to California. It is a gripping read with cameos by a cast of famous characters, from Cecil B. DeMille to Cesar Chavez.
Customer Reviews:
The king of California.......2006-11-04
This book is way too long and somewhat redundant and boring. The basic story is good, but the author takes too much time and too many pages to tell it.
History, Biography and Expose?.......2006-06-23
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in politics, agriculture, or water rights. It is a well-written and very readable.
It follows four generations of the Boswell family to trace how they assembled the largest industrial farm in the world. Along the way, the authors explore the history of the San Joaquin valley and those who came there to farm it, those who left and those who got left behind. For every group that made a fortune, there were many others who were disappointed. There are plenty of interesting stories of Washington and Sacramento politics, and stories of common people following dreams.
The book examines the effect of large scale farming on farm owners, on those who work the farms now and those who worked them in the past. It provides some good background on the politics of water rights and government involvement in farming, and on the involvement of agriculture in local, state and federal politics.
If you are interested in the politics and history of water in the western states, Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner is one of the best books I have read on any subject.
Overstuffed but Worth Reading.......2005-11-26
I grew up in Fresno, in the shadow of agribusiness. The story behind "King of California" is a fascinating and important one but I'm not sure this "biography" does it justice. I disliked the awkward mixture of history and journalism. Is this an expose, a biography or history? Its never really clear and the way the book is organized, around the four seasons, is particularly opaque. What does it mean to call a section, "winter?" when it is covering history spanning decades and contains interviews with living people? That said, the material is fascinating. From the role the Boswell's played in taming Tulare Lake, to the development of modern cotton farming, the politics of agriculture and the way big business in general got access and results in subsidies and favorable policy. Early on, Tulare Lake and by extension, the San Joaquin Valley in its pre-U.S. days is described with a vividness I've rarely read elsewhere. However, the description of the Boswell's roots in racism and its legacy in the Central Valley is definitely worth telling but I think it gets too little space here and competes with so many other subjects. Frankly, I'm surprised that this book has gotten the acclaim that it has. While its clearly well researched, the writing is spotty lucid in some places and sensationalized elsewhere. I think the book tries to cover far too many topics; Water politics, cotton farming, racism in California, family history, corporate intrigue, labor issues, flood control and company towns. Had it narrowed it focus to just water, cotton and corporate intrigue, I think it would have been a far more powerful book.
Surfaced and Harpooned.......2005-04-26
This far-reaching book is quite an accomplishment in biography and investigative journalism. Arax and Wartzman cover the history of the immense Boswell farming company of California, and the two guys named J.G. (the founding uncle and the current chairman, his nephew) who built the company into the largest cotton operation on Earth. Through cutthroat competitive instincts and political wheeling-and-dealing, the Boswells amassed tens of thousands of acres in California's Central Valley, and were instrumental in eliminating what was once the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi, as the former Tulare Lake was transformed into a festering network of levees, canals, and cesspools dedicated to the mass production of cotton. Thus, the Boswells built the area's environment, culture, and economics for their own profitability.
The book also serves as a great exploration of the business of factory farming, detailing the racism and poverty experienced by Black and Mexican workers, as well as the shifty agricultural and hydrological politics of Big Ag in California - as the Boswells and their competitors/allies buy politicians, stack laws and regulations in their favor, and claim flood control as a reason to alter the natural course of rivers and to completely drain the vast Tulare Lake. Best of all, we see how big business really works out West, with the hypocrisy of so-called rugged outdoorsmen (actually pampered CEO's) who incessantly rail against government interference while also taking in millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies that are meant to help the little guy. This book is immensely informative but does often get tied up in unnecessary details, such as descriptions of petty political shenanigans in the construction of a nearby dam. But the motto of the Boswell clan has been that a whale can't be harpooned if it doesn't come to the surface (a legacy of silence and obfuscation), but Arax and Wartzman have deftly cracked into the wall of secrecy surrounding the Boswells and their often ill-gotten empire, [~doomsdayer520~]
Tremendous historical, political, and social epic.......2004-11-09
The book centers around three generations of Boswells as they migrated from Green County Georgia to Kings County California and became the largest producers of cotton in the world, without becoming a household name.
The book also tells of the natural, social, and political histories of the San Joaquin Valley from the days of indigenous peoples and the first Spanish invaders to the present day.
The epic is a fascinating study of twentieth century American history, society, economics, business, finance, management, politics, public policy, labor relations, mechanization, technology, modernization, and nature.
The more personal stories of family, romance, crime, and punishment read more like a good novel.
Some have found the authors liberally biased, but as a conservative, I found the authors well balanced in their presentations of all sides of the stories.
As others have said, the scope is huge and the research extensive. As someone who was born and raised in Kings County California, I found this heretofor unknown local history to be quite fascinating. Nevertheless, I believe this book will have broad appeal to many readers.
Book Description
Rick Griffin began his career drawing for Surfer and Hot Rod Cartoons. By the mid-1960s, his work was appearing in posters designed for the Fillmore and album covers for the Grateful Dead. Descended from dada and surrealism, Griffin's art expresses psychedelic and religious themes.
Customer Reviews:
A Modern Master.......2007-05-13
This is a fabulous treat for the eyes.
Griffin perfected the late 60s San Fran poster art style in his work for the Dead and others (cover of Aoxomoxoa, for instance, or the immortal surfing eyeball poster for the GD with It's A Beautiful Day), and he was also a phenomenally gifted painter, spraybrush stylist, and pen and ink man. He takes the art deco influence of the SF school and melds it with a classicist's sensibility, creating a beautiful synthesis of mind and Mother Nature.
There is no doubt that Michelangelo or DaVinci would smile in appreciation at Rick's Omo Bob Rides South, a six-page black and white masterpiece where each page is an absolutely perfectly composed gem that stands on its own as a true work of art. He exhibits the total control of a master, and his eye for symmetry is astounding, as is the depth of his chiaroscuro. Griffin is also one of the great letterers of all time; it's a real joy to read words written in his inimitable script (but imitated ever since, including almost every decent graffiti artist).
To top it off, his writing is genius in Omo Bob, reflecting a deep understanding of life's many paradoxes. If you've never experienced this work, get good and ready in your favorite way (RG was an early fan of Dr. Hof, and that influence is clearly felt) and then spend at least ten minutes on each page, letting your eyes bathe in the serpentine brilliance; you will be endlessly rewarded. I still enjoy it at least once a year, decades after my first exposure to it, and never tire of its mellifluous lines and incredible detail.
The book also highlights some of his early surf work (a surfer through and through, Griffin's work embodies the grace and flow of a true waterman; no one has ever visually conveyed the joy of a wave like RG), his album covers, his paintings, and various pieces.
But it is Omo Bob and a couple other pen and ink pieces here that ensure his artistic immortality. Griffin was by all accounts a wonderful friend and a very spiritual man, and those qualities shine through in his art.
It is somehow very comforting and reassuring to gaze upon his work;
there is proof here that a deep and perfect form lies beyond the seeming chaos of the physical plane.
What more can you ask from art than that?
Great bang for the buck.......2007-01-10
This book was out of print for a while and ebay prices were not cheep. To get it for under $20 seems like a steal. It is exactly as I remember from the late 80's. Beutifully reproduced on nice paper.
simply beautiful.......2005-09-07
This is an excellent printing on heavy stock of some of the finest works from a master of poster and comic artist from the San Francisco Haight Ashbury era. I think it is a wonderful addition to any collection of psychedelic ephemera, and an admirable part of my own art library.
the master of the underground pen and ink movement.......2003-05-22
rick 's art is excellent in quailty and presentation and i had no problem buy this book and was very pleased with the result
Paint & Drugs & Rock'n'Roll.......2003-04-03
Whew, that guy digged drugs! Definitely! When Rick Griffin died in 1995 the world lost one of its most talented alternative artists. This book gives a good overview on his work with dozens of examples of cover artwork for bands, concert posters, comics, flying eyeball...
The printing quality is alright, although colors could sometimes be more saturated. I'll never understand why art books like this are still sold as cheesy paperbacks instead of hardcovers. Also the size could be a little bigger. Nevertheless: Highly recommended!!
Book Description
A wonderful tale for Christmas about the origin of the hanging and filling of Christmas stockings. This story has universal appeal across the world.
Customer Reviews:
A wonderful Christmas story.......2005-10-11
This is such a sweet, classic book with a wonderful lesson weaved throughout it. It blends fiction and history together seemlessly and provides children with a better understanding of what Christmas really means.
Highly recommended!!
Product Description
Frivolous Fables to Foment Frenzy
Product Description
Presented in a lush oversize format, this comprehensive, career-spanning catalog features work from an exhibition organized by Laguna Art Museum. Heart and Torch: Rick Griffin s Transcendence is the first book and major museum retrospective to focus exclusively on Griffin s life s work. A cult figure that set the iconographic terrain for three distinct west coast subcultures, Griffin has been hugely influential on contemporary visual culture. Rick Griffin's poster art for seminal psychedelic era rock concerts is the stuff of legend, simultaneously his illustration work for surf magazines and cartoons for underground comics have arguably had equal impact in their respective genres. Less well known, but equally compelling is the impressive body of work Griffin created as a born again Christian starting in the early 1970's up until his untimely death in 1991. This fascinating book includes in-depth essays by Doug Harvey and Greg Escalante a foreword by Bolton Colburn, an interview with Chuck Fromm and further writing about Griffin by Chaz Bojorquez, Gordon McClelland and Jacaeber Kastor.
Average customer rating:
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It's a wide, wide wired world for advertisers. (Internet)(Special Report: Computers): An article from: San Diego Business Journal
Rick Griffin
Manufacturer: CBJ, L.P.
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Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B00097KIK6
Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from San Diego Business Journal, published by CBJ, L.P. on February 10, 1997. The length of the article is 1118 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: It's a wide, wide wired world for advertisers. (Internet)(Special Report: Computers)
Author: Rick Griffin
Publication:
San Diego Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 10, 1997
Publisher: CBJ, L.P.
Volume: v18
Issue: n6
Page: p17(2)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
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Newmann: The Pioneer Mentalist
James B. Alfredson
Manufacturer: David Meyer Magic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0916638421 |
Product Description
C.A. George Newmann was one of the true mystery men of magic. To three generations of Americans in the heartland, "Newmann the Great" and his show of hypnotism, mentalism, "fun and wonders" meant first-class entertainment. Alfredson offers glimpses of all phases of Newmann's life, from the early blindfold buggy ride stunts to the big show under the tent, through his last irascible years waging war with rival magic book collectors or recalling with admiration his fellow road show performers. The 88-page, 6" x 9" book is handsomely printed and bound, stamped in silver foil, and illustrated throughout with photographs, posters and examples of Newmann's varied advertising art. The second edition is limited to 250 copies.
Amazon.com
Usability design is one of the most important--yet often least attractive--tasks for a Web developer. In Don't Make Me Think, author Steve Krug lightens up the subject with good humor and excellent, to-the-point examples.
The title of the book is its chief personal design premise. All of the tips, techniques, and examples presented revolve around users being able to surf merrily through a well-designed site with minimal cognitive strain. Readers will quickly come to agree with many of the book's assumptions, such as "We don't read pages--we scan them" and "We don't figure out how things work--we muddle through." Coming to grips with such hard facts sets the stage for Web design that then produces topnotch sites.
Using an attractive mix of full-color screen shots, cute cartoons and diagrams, and informative sidebars, the book keeps your attention and drives home some crucial points. Much of the content is devoted to proper use of conventions and content layout, and the "before and after" examples are superb. Topics such as the wise use of rollovers and usability testing are covered using a consistently practical approach.
This is the type of book you can blow through in a couple of evenings. But despite its conciseness, it will give you an expert's ability to judge Web design. You'll never form a first impression of a site in the same way again. --Stephen W. Plain
Topics covered:
- User patterns
- Designing for scanning
- Wise use of copy
- Navigation design
- Home page layout
- Usability testing
Book Description
Five years and more than 100,000 copies after it was first published, it's hard to imagine anyone working in Web design who hasn't read Steve Krug's "instant classic" on Web usability, but people are still discovering it every day. In this second edition, Steve adds three new chapters in the same style as the original: wry and entertaining, yet loaded with insights and practical advice for novice and veteran alike. Don't be surprised if it completely changes the way you think about Web design.
Three New Chapters!
- Usability as common courtesy -- Why people really leave Web sites
- Web Accessibility, CSS, and you -- Making sites usable and accessible
- Help! My boss wants me to ______. -- Surviving executive design whims
"I thought usability was the enemy of design until I read the first edition of this book. Don't Make Me Think! showed me how to put myself in the position of the person who uses my site. After reading it over a couple of hours and putting its ideas to work for the past five years, I can say it has done more to improve my abilities as a Web designer than any other book.
In this second edition, Steve Krug adds essential ammunition for those whose bosses, clients, stakeholders, and marketing managers insist on doing the wrong thing. If you design, write, program, own, or manage Web sites, you must read this book." -- Jeffrey Zeldman, author of Designing with Web Standards
Customer Reviews:
Mandatory reading for developing on the Web.......2007-09-28
As it promises, Steve Krug's Don't Make Me Think: 2nd Edition, is a quick, but extremely usable, guide to Web usability and design. The book took me less than a day to read (less than 3 hours), but has become, in my mind, a requirement for even beginners (like myself) of Web design. Since everyone who develops for the Web should have some idea of design and usability, this book should really be a mandatory requirement for said work.
In short, there's no reason not to read this book if you're developing for the Web (writing content, programming, etcetera), or working with a team that does so.
Good content, poor binding.......2007-09-27
Others have said that Krug's book (2nd edition) is for those with little experience. That is exactly why I found it so useful. There are lots of concepts that are common sense, sure. But until they were pointed out I had not even considered them. His point about the usefulness of tabs was particularly useful to me. I am creating a site now and will incorporate them into my design.
My only complaint is with the binding. The book was so poorly produced that pages began to loosen and fall out before I was finished with the first reading. I am now looking for a big rubber band to hold everything together. I just hate it when that happens.
Simple--Concise--Easy to Read.......2007-09-27
As an owner of two online businesses I found this book to clarify and outline what most owners and developers fail to understand...which is usability / navigation of their sites..this book nails it. A must read for anyone involved in managing of paying for a web site. JLW.
Not just for beginners-- a must have for website designers.......2007-09-26
It's a good sign when a usability expert's book is highly usable, and so this one is-- a fast read, very scannable, makes substantive points quickly, then follows them up with illustrative examples and lots of nice graphs and pictures. I've seen a couple people here comment that this book is only for beginners, but given the state of MOST sites that I find on the web (yes, this includes e-commerce sites and big brand sites that OUGHT to be very usable), I'd say this book is for ALL LEVELS OF WEB DESIGNERS. Consider it your basic reference for features that every site ought to have in order to be usable and marketable. Also, its a handy source to show to your boss/client when they want to do something silly with their site design-- it's highly quotable and is written to appeal to a business audience.
Impress your clients.......2007-09-16
Steve walks the talk with this beautifully laid out and wonderfully structured book about usability. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to understand how real people use the internet, indeed, how real people read just about anything. Steve provides lots of great examples you can use with clients who want a beautiful website design but have no idea that some of their choices will turn their customers off. This book is amusing and very easy to read - it's the best book on web usability I've found.
Books:
- From Grierson to the Docu-soap: Breaking the Boundaries
- GENE RODENBERRY: THE LAST CONVERSATION: A DIALOGUE WITH CREATOR OF STAR TREK (Star Trek Series)
- Gone, But Not Forgotten
- Hispanics and United States Film: An Overview and Handbook
- Hitchcock's Cryptonymies v1: Volume 1. Secret Agents
- Hollywood's Maddest Doctors: Lionel Atwill, Colin Clive, George Zucco
- Horror and Mystery Photoplay Editions and Magazine Fictionizations: The Catalog of a Collection
- Image as Artifact: The Historical Analysis of Film and Television
- Italian Neorealism: Rebuilding the Cinematic City (Short Cuts)
- Jane Austen on Screen (On Screen)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization
- Life Is So Good
- Capital Flows and Crises
- Common Sense and a Little Fire: Women and Working-Class Politics in the United States, 1900-1965
- Hardening Apache
- In the Company of the Courtesan: A Novel
- History: Fiction or Science
- Business Interest Calculations: A Practical Guide
- Econometrics in Theory and Practice: Festschrift for Hans Schneeweiss
- Fear And Miss Betony
Fort Lee: Birthplace of the Motion Picture Industry (NJ) (Images of America)
Before Hollywood, There Was Fort Lee, N.J. - Early Moviemaking in New Jersey
A History of the Hal Roach Studios
