Book Description
'What happens to people like me who were once "pop" stars? Am I destined for a life of daytime television appearances, reunion tours and well-meaning strangers struggling to recognize me before hestitatingly asking "didnt you used to be Marc Almond?"' Despite an impending 45th birthday, a milestone age that can often result in some sort of mid-life crisis, Marc Almond, singer and songwriter for Soft Cell, is not quite ready to take his place on the they were once famous line-up. In Search of the Pleasure Palace is Marc Almond's quest for meaning in life now that he is in the Indian summer of his career. In this rollercoaster journey, Marc goes in pursuit of the thrills, spills and bellyaches that made each day of his youth memorable and created an image of him that was decadent, outrageous, and worryingly misunderstood. Almonds vivid and often wittily acerbic pen candidly records insights about his thoughts, the nature of being who he is, his often bizarre lifetyle, and the places he visits, as he attempts to navigate a course through mid-life. From swingers nights in Croydon to the lost haunts of Barcelona, from Russias surreal underbelly to the pre-Giuliani clean-up of New York, Marc is your observant guide to a world he was once part of and few of us have access tothrough fantastic, wry anecdote.
Customer Reviews:
Most fun book I've read in years.......2006-09-13
I gotta tell you, I just fell in love with this book. Marc Almond, better known to Americans as half of the 80's group Soft Cell, whose one hit in the States was "Tainted Love", has really hit the nail on the head with this book.
I picked up the book as a lark; I'm not a Soft Cell groupie, I'm not gay, and I haven't read any of Almond's other books. But I'm sure glad I bought this.
It's simply tremendous. As Almond hits his mid-life crisis, he revisits places he'd been earlier (New York, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, etc.), and offers his insights into life and love, now seen through none-too-nostalgic eyes. He's an admirer of the bizarre and the tacky, and sure knows how to look for it, but I think to his own dismay, the general seediness of it affects him differently than he expected.
Still, it's an unflinching look at himself, reflected in his introspective observations (almost a Nietzschean "Wie man wird, was man ist" thing).
I find myself agreeing not so much with his experiences as his reactions to them. One of the things I find most enjoyable is how I can understand how he feels; being at a kind of mid-life crisis myself, I share his sense of emptiness and disappointment. (But at least I'm happily married, not a gay fading recovered-drug-addict pop star.)
Some parts of the book I can't relate to at all, especially his comments about gay-sex clubs, but I was a bachelor a long time, and I certainly had more than my share of empty experiences; when he writes in a what-was-I-thinking-then-and-what-are-these-people-thining-now mode, boy, do I know what he's talking about. And when it comes to the tedium and mediocrity all around us, well, the less said the better. I have laughed myself silly at some of the passages, winced at others, and overall found the book hypnotic; I can't put it down.
Anyway, it's funny, sad (when talking about sex in the media, he uses the phrase that "explicit has replaced erotic," which sums it up), and insightful. Most amazingly, it's never dull. I can't remember the last time I thought that about any book (except my own, of course).
Almond can't really write a coherent narrative to save his life, but he turns a clever phrase, and compared to the other stuff I've been reading lately (second-rate thrillers and sci-fi novels, all of which seem like they're written by a computer program, and I forget the instant I put them down) this is like Tolstoy.
Well, okay, not that good. But pretty damn good.
Book Description
Northern China, 1899. As the Boxer Rebellion erupts, a cast of innocents, fanatics, sinners, and lovers are drawn to the Palace of Heavenly Pleasure - an infamous brothel that overlooks an execution ground - where the fury of the East will meet the ideals of the West and all will face their destiny. Adam Williams's first novel is a historical tour-de-force and a triumphant return to traditional storytelling on a truly grand scale.
Customer Reviews:
The definition of sensuous.......2006-08-27
I have read this book maybe four or five times since I bought it last year. Yes, the book is that good.
The story flows seamlessly as it describes life at the turn of the twentieth century in China. It details the culture, lifestyle and politics of the time beautifully. The book weaves the politics of the Boxer Rebellion, which was a peasant up-rising against the foreign rulers of the day, into a detailed love affair between a Victorian agent/spy and a goody-two-shoes, covent-raised young woman.
The story jumps back and forth between the foreigners attempting to modernize/dominate China and the happenings in The Palace of Heavenly Pleasure (A brothel in the city). The author makes these jumps effortlessly and manages to entwine the two into one majestic tapestry of story-telling.
The characters are so well drawn and the words so well-balanced that this book is impossible to put down. It is the ultimate page-turner.
This is the book you've been waiting to read.
Good read but too long.......2005-12-28
I agree with the other reviewers that this book is a good read. It is an interesting evocation of China around 1900 and its English community. Readers interested in China, its history and cultural clashes between the Chinese and the English settlers will definitely enjoy this book. I wouldn't give it more than 3 stars however, because I think that the book is too long - often I skimmed entire paragraphs of superfluous or overlong descriptions of scenes and main characters' thoughts. I think the author could easily have skipped 200+ pages. Also I had trouble sympathising with the main characters in the book, particularly Henry (whose motives remain unclear), Helen (I couldn't shake off the feeling that she had it all coming) and fussy Dr Airton. The other characters remain a bit of a caricature, and the victims of the Boxer rebellion are not well developed in the book, so it's hard to be very shocked by what happens to them. The mandarin is a great character though, and the almost spiritual/ritualistic scene in which he meets the rebels in the forest is the best in the book.
An adventure story with history to boot . . ........2005-10-30
A well written account of the Boxer rebellion, the book centers on the lives and fates of a small group of europeans in the fictional chinese city of Shishan. I found the first few chapters a bit slow but once the book picked up speed it was a gripping read. The characters weren't that well developed. Henry's dialogues are reminiscent of Bogart and while his character as charming spy/ne'er do well is well done, Helen Frances seems a petty little wretch most of the time. I was surprised at how the book ended. Not so much at how the events unfolded but at how the author chose to convey them. Instead of following the characters as he had throughout the book, he suddenly switched to a dialogue between two new characters to give us an idea of how Henry and Helen Frances finally ended up. Have to say I felt a bit cheated at that. After being shown every nuance of the relationship it felt like the end was cut short. Still a good read with some hefty skimming on my part. I particularly enjoyed the character of the Mandarin and the enigmatic Mongol Shaman. And I learned a lot about the Boxer rebellion too :)
One of the best.......2005-08-01
Interested in Chinese history? Even just a little? Do you also like a novel that`s a real page-turner? Whether you know a lot about Chinese history or not, this novel will captivate your imagination throughout. A longer novel than most, I didn't get bored anywhere! The vivid portrayal of characters in constantly imaginative, challenging situations combined with what is obviously thoroughly researched historical context make this novel absolutely unforgettable!This is a good chance to learn about Chinese history and culture and enjoy every minute of it!
It was a dark and stormy night . . ........2004-12-25
I bought this book last summer because it was the only English-language book available in Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris that I had not read and was not written by Jacqueline Susann. As my plane lifted off for the States, I was at first afraid that I had made a mistake. The style is much more like something from the Victorian era than 2004. However, I soon became entranced by the story, and the anachronistic prose just made it better for a long flight. The characters are well-developed, even when not totally credible, and the reader soon comes to care about their trials and tribulations. Mr. Williams displays a thorough knowledge of Chinese history as he paints a panoramic portrait of a country in turmoil. If nothing else, the book should be nominated for a Bulwer-Lytton award, since it really does begin on a "dark and stormy night."
Book Description
The city-state of Estra is thriving port and trading centre. ruled over by a Sultan who finds relief from the pressures of power amidst a selected bevy of intimate Companions. Carria, a mysterious and striking young woman arrives one night aboard a trading ship and rapidly finds herself offered the opportunity of joining the Companions. However, before she can join she has to pass the schooling and selection, run by the Sultan's mistress Jnie. The training is, of course, very rigorous, and discipline is maintained with a firm hand. There are many different uniforms and articles to wear, and there are many strange and elaborate punishments for failure, including both humiliation and pain. Carria, however, has her own agenda. When it comes to fruition, nothing in Estra will be quite the same again.
Customer Reviews:
Man oh man!.......2004-04-26
Man oh man if i had discovered this erotic series for men sooner i wouldn't hesitated to pick it up! The palace of pleasures is such a yum of a book that i couldn't put it down and then some! this is the hottest book out there! man oh man oh man......
Book Description
In The Future, Pleasure Has No Limits...
Peace Control Officer Shaina takes on a dangerous off-planet mission: to infiltrate the infamous Pleasure Palace on Syrus Six. Ready when you are. Tyson, her commanding officer, just so happens to be the sexiest guy in the galaxy.
Now they'll have to pose as a wealthy mistress and her obedient slave. And Shaina wants nothing more than Tyson's hot, sculpted body against hers, his hands on her skin, his touch branding her. Controlling her desires will be impossible. But she has to surrender to the intense pleasure only he can bring her. Tyson's sensual skills are out-of-this-world...
Product Description
3 volume-set by Dover Publications.
Average customer rating:
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Delamotte's Crystal Palace: A victorian pleasure dome revealed
Ian Leith
Manufacturer: English Heritage
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Palace of the People: The Crystal Palace at Sydenham 1854-1936
ASIN: 1850749493 |
Book Description
This book presents 47 photographs, which were all taken in 1859 by Philip Henry Delamotte and showed the interior of the Crystal Palace after it had been rebuilt in Sydenham, London and before it was destroyed for the first time by fire in 1866. These photographs are now housed in English Heritage's photographic archive, the National Monuments Record.
All 47 photographs are beautifully reproduced in this book, as well as shots of the building in its original Hyde Park site where it was built for the great exhibition of 1851. Also included are views of the Crystal Palace when it was rebuilt after the 1866 fire and then when it was destroyed again by fire in 1936. The book also tells the story of this legendary Victorian pleasure dome and its many incarnations.
Much of our previous knowledge of this important building and its contents came almost entirely from engravings. The reproduction of these high quality original photographs allows, for the first time, a much fuller appreciation of one of the most important architectural and cultural features of mid-Victorian England, which in its heyday was visited by many millions of people.
Book Description
Entertainment & Society: Audiences, Trends, & Impact is the first comprehensive, theory and research-based text for upper-division courses in entertainment studies. The book provides an overview of leisure and travel in our society in a way that no other textbook accomplishes. The first of its kind, it is an intelligent tourist's guide to entertainment in modern life. The reader is treated to discussions about audiences of live and mediated performance, sports, and tourism. The use of theming is presented for its contribution to our postmodern society.
Various aspects of the entertainment industry are explored, including entertainment economics, theories of entertainment, entertainment research (consumer & advertising research), and types of entertainment. These include media (chat rooms; cybersex), sports, gaming, theme entertainment (malls & restaurant experiences; shopping), travel and tourism, live performance, and television and film. The final chapter in the book covers 'future-tainment' including health & fitness, religion (Trinity Broadcast Network), and Technology.
Features:
- Each chapter presents the history, current trends, and effects of a specific entertainment area
- Questions for discussion and review, exercises, and recommended readings are provided for each chapter
- Each chapter takes "A Closer Look" at an aspect of the subject that expands upon the ideas and concepts presented
- "Focus on" boxes highlight interesting or unusual information and presents questions for student reflection and class discussion
The authors focus on examples that illustrate how everything in life--from driving our cars to shopping for food--is crafted to provide an entertaining experience. They demonstrate how dramatic tension has been introduced into all of our experiences for both learning and enjoyment. The book confirms that modern Americans define ourselves not by what we own but what we do. Also appropriate for general education programs, this text is directed at undergraduate courses involving media, culture, psychology, sociology, American Studies and entertainment.
Book Description
In 1924, Simon & Schuster published its first title, The Cross Word Puzzle Book. Not only was it this new publisher's first release, it was the first collection of crossword puzzles ever printed.
Today, more than seventy-five years later, the legendary Simon & Schuster Crossword Puzzle Book series maintains its status as the standard-bearer for cruciverbal excellence. Published every two months, the series continues to provide the freshest and most original puzzles on the market. Created by the best contemporary constructors -- and edited by top puzzle master John M. Samson -- these Sunday-sized brain-breakers offer hours of stimulation for solvers of every level.
Can you take the challenge? Sharpen your pencils, grit your teeth, and find out!
Book Description
Podcasting does for Internet audio listeners what TiVo does for television viewers--it puts you in charge of when you enjoy a program. Podcasting is a web-based broadcast medium that sends audio content (most commonly in the MP3 format) directly to an iPod or other digital audio player. You subscribe to audio feeds, receive new files automatically, and listen to them at your convenience.
As you can imagine, podcasting is taking the "blogsphere" by storm. A podcast is a professional-quality Internet radio broadcast, and like blogging and HTML before it, this revolutionary new way of publishing to the Internet has become the new outlet for personal expression.
If you've got Internet access and a copy of Podcasting Hacks, you can find out just how easy it is to listen to and create your own Internet audio programs. With Podcasting Hacks, Jack Herrington, a software engineer with 20 years of experience developing applications using a diverse set of languages and tools, delivers the ultimate how-to of podcasting for anyone looking to get the most out of this hot new medium.
Since August 2004 (the month that iPodder.com editor Adam Curry considers the start of podcasting), audio blogging has exploded. Podcasts cover every conceivable topic, including sex, relationships, technology, religion, home brewing, recreational drugs, rock 'n roll, food, entertainment, politics, and much more. There were podcasts from the Democratic National Convention in Fall 2004, and some programs on Air America and NPR are also podcasts.
Podcasting Hacks offers expert tips and tools for blogging out loud--for transmitting (and receiving) audio content worldwide with ease. This groundbreaking volume covers both entry-level and advanced topics perfect for aspiring and experienced podcasters. Herrington shows you how to get started, create quality sound, use the right software, develop a great show, distribute a podcast, and build an audience. More advanced topics include audio editing, podcasting on the go, and even videocasting.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent collection of tips, tricks, and explanations about making, publishing, and enjoying podcasts........2007-03-07
Jack Herrington's "Podcasting Hacks" (O'Reilly) is an excellent collection of tips, tricks, and explanations about making, publishing, and enjoying podcasts.
Although the book is primarily aimed at people who are creating podcasts, it also contains some info on the tools and techniques for finding and listening to them.
The O'Reilly "Hacks" books are structured as a series of specific projects, "hacks", that you can implement, but most every hack also includes a valuable explanation of the technology or expertise it uses.
The hacks in this book fall into both technical and non-tech categories. There's plenty on microphones, mixers and mp3 files. But also a lot on interviewing, blogging and getting publicity for your 'cast.
The book's first Chapter is the only one specifically for podcast listeners. It talks about sites and directories for finding the podcasts that are of interest to you. It also describes systems for downloading them, and the software for listening. Although the chapter contains much good info, it seems a bit out of place to me, in a book which is mostly of interest to people already looking to produce podcasts.
Chapters 2, 3 and 4 are "Starting Out", "Quality Sound", and "Formats". They dive into the gear and technology of recording and producing your podcasts.
Chapter 5 "Interviewing", and 7 "Publicity", tell about how to collect valuable and useful content, and how to get the word out to your potential audience.
Chapter 6 "Blogging" covers how to use a blog to publicize and distribute your podcast. It covers the most popular blogging systems like Movable Type, WordPress, Drupal and others. It covers using an existing blog, or setting up a new one. Also creating and managing the all-important RSS feed for your podcast. It also talks about internet hosting services which specialize in providing online storage and bandwidth for podcasts, which, because they are larger-sized files, can be a burden on traditional hosting arrangements.
Chapters 8 & 9, "Basic Editing" and "Advanced Audio", expand upon the post-production and audio tech material already covered. And Chapter 10 "On the Go" talks about recording podcasts out in the field.
"Podcasting Hacks" was first published in 2005, before the boom in video on the net, so it is short on info for video-podcasters. Though much of the discussion on interviewing, distribution, publicity, and hosting are directly applicable to video 'casts. Chapter 10 "Videoblogging" touches briefly on what was then an infant medium.
All in all, "Podcasting Hacks" a very useful and informative book, for both new and experienced podcasters.
A Remarkable Breadth of Topics.......2007-02-27
Introduction
From the title, my impression was that this book would provide several specific technically-advanced strategies to maximize efficiency and enjoyment of podcasts. The strategies covered wouldn't necessarily be comprehensive, but rather serve as additional specialized tools one could add to the toolkit. Contrary to my impression, I was pleasantly surprised at the range of topics covered. I assumed from the term "hacks" in the title that the book's focus was going to be on adapting software and hardware for easier podcasting creation and consumption. However, there was plenty of focus on soft-skills as well, like methods of hacking your voice to sound better in a recorded format, or how to hack an experience you've had into a well-told and interesting story for a podcast.
Things I Liked
The book's foreward, believe it or not, contains the most succinct and accurate description of what podcasting is -- and isn't -- that I've read anywhere. I am mistrustful when a technology is advertised as "the hot new thing that everyone is doing!" because it usually seems to be a solution in search of a problem. That the foreward took a realistic tone made me favorably anticipate what would come in the rest of the book. The other thing that set this book apart was its range of contributors. There are hacks supplied by professional newscasters, popular podcasters, technologists of all stripes, and developers of podcasting tools and applications. These wide-ranging perspectives allowed the author to cover everything from writing Perl scripts to understanding basic copyright law to setting up a home studio to marketing your podcast - all in all, having this book is like getting to pick the brains of the top people doing podcasting, and having concise written documentation upon which to refer.
Things I Liked Not So Much
A minor point, but as someone who does not use Macs, PCs AND Linux boxes on a daily basis, I really only care about stuff available for the platform I work on. But the format of the book didn't allow me to easily locate the information relevant to me. When the book discussed software and hardware options, it wasn't clear which platform a hack was for until late into the description. A small addition to the hack title, like "Mac Only", would have remedied this.
In addition, the organization of the hacks was surprising and a little frustrating at times. For example,
Hack #2 is writing a perl script to re-assemble feeds of your choosing from other sites as a customized rebroadcast. As I was reading the hack, I thought about several questions one might be expected to have, such as "What is perl?", "What do I need to utilize this script?", and "How can I tell if this script will work with my web server"? These issues weren't covered until Hack #7. In another example, chapter 3 explores how to get quality sound; , the author uses terms like "condenser microphones" and "phantom power" early on, which he doesn't really explain until later on in the chapter when he discusses the various types of microphones.
O'Reilly Doesn't Disappoint.......2006-03-01
As usual, Oreilly's combination of technical tips and tricks with straightforward implementation is excellent. I hadn't tried any of the Hacks series yet, and found that I'm thoroughly enjoying it. They are an excellent way to quickly get important pieces of information, while still comprehensively covering the topic.
The only downside is that it may not be a great book for those without some computer skills. But, if you know computers and don't know Podcasting, this is an excellent find.
Absolute Necessity. Complete. Well thought out........2006-01-19
Disclosure: my podcast is mentioned in his book. I find myself reaching for this book nearly every episode I create. I thought I was doing fine with my little show before Jack came out with this book. When it was published, I was shocked at how much he had gathered, and how much I had to learn! Jack has covered a very broad area, and yet kept a balance so that you feel like every page can be applied to your podcast. I find the guidance he gives on everything from equipment to environmental noise, to show format, to legal music use to be relevant to each episode I create. I continue to go back and find new tips to improve my show. I highly recommend it.
THE INVASION OF THE PODCASTING HACKS!.......2005-12-02
Do you know how to listen to a podcast and produce one of your own? If you don't, this outstanding book is for you! Author Jack Herrington, has written a great book about how to find great podcasts and subscribe to them without filling your hard disk.
Herrington begins by showing you how to listen to podcasts through your browser and on a variety of different devices. Next, the author takes you through the basic hardware and software setup required to make high-quality podcasts. Then, he covers in depth how to pick the right audio hardware for your podcast; as well as, how to reduce noise to get that elusive clean sound. The author continues by covering the formats of various shows, and provides examples of formats; as well as, case studies of many popular podcasts. In addition, you'll also learn how to interview people, and how to edit the interviews. The author also concentrates on the mechanics of posting your podcasts to the Internet. Next, the author shows you how to market your podcast, make some money off it, and work with the podcasting community. Then, you will learn the basics of audio editing, what applications are available, and how to understand and use audio effects and filters. The author continues by taking things a step further and shows you how to build your own home studio, integrate audio feedback, add sound effects, and more. In addition, the author shows you how to take your show on the road with the hacks. Finally, he covers the basics of videoblogging and shows you how to create a teleprompter to give your videoblogs a professional feel.
So, if you want to get the best sound with the lowest noise, read this most excellent book. Herrington, has gone in great detail in this book, to help you produce a podcast that people will want to listen to, because of what you say and do.
Books:
- In Short: A Guide to Short Filmmaking in the Digital Age
- Jibberboosh (Jibberboosh, Brain Games & Silly Stuff)
- Kyozon: Mariko Mori, Takashi Murakami
- Lost in Space: The Ultimate Unauthorized Trivia Challenge for the Classic TV Series
- Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: A Musical Journey
- Media Courses Uk 1998
- Memories of Underdevelopment and Inconsolable Memories (Rutgers Films in Print)
- Monty Python: Complete and Utter Theory of the Grotesque (BFI Film Classics (Paperback))
- Mortal Kombat: The Movie: Behind the Scenes
- Movie-Struck Girls
Books Index
Books Home
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Tainted Life
Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters
The Art of Falling Apart
Heart on Snow
In Session, Vol. 2
