Book Description
"The path the slave took to 'citizenship' is what I want to look at. And I make my analogy through the slave citizen's music -- through the music that is most closely associated with him: blues and a later, but parallel development, jazz... [If] the Negro represents, or is symbolic of, something in and about the nature of American culture, this certainly should be revealed by his characteristic music."
So says Amiri Baraka in the Introduction to Blues People, his classic work on the place of jazz and blues in American social, musical, economic, and cultural history. From the music of African slaves in the United States through the music scene of the 1960's, Baraka traces the influence of what he calls "negro music" on white America -- not only in the context of music and pop culture but also in terms of the values and perspectives passed on through the music. In tracing the music, he brilliantly illuminates the influence of African Americans on American culture and history.
Customer Reviews:
An American Treasure.......2007-06-29
This is one of the most important books on America and American history, culture and citizenship. It would benefit the world if it were incorporated into public education. Someone said that nations are judged by their art and this book examines that subject superlatively. This study of the blues examines the evolving cosmology of the Africans and their journey and creation: the blues, one of the singular most powerful beauties of America. He shows how from the blues came all and embraced all other peoples and cultures. Baraka's ability to live the thoughts of the originators enables us to understand the profoundity of their sorrow and sublimity of their joy.
gone where the Southern cross the yella dog.......2007-02-22
The other day a friend rashly claimed that art and music were equally hard to describe in words. I asked him to tell me about a certain painting of Picasso's. He did, but claimed it wasn't accurate. "OK," I said, "you're right, but now tell me about Mozart's Jupiter Symphony." He opened his mouth, closed it, looked at me, and said, "Yeah, I see what you mean." Writing a book about the blues would be equally hard, it seems to me. So, LeRoi Jones did what he could, back in 1963, to tie the indescribable to the more concrete. He wrote a social history of African-Americans in the USA through the prism of music or---maybe on the principle of red and yellow tile floors (are they red with yellow designs or yellow with red designs ?)---he wrote a book on African-American music through the prism of social history. It is one of the most important books on American music (and American society) that you can find. It has stood the test of time. He begins from the Africans who came to North America as slaves bearing very different cultures, confronted by an absolutely different view of the world emanating from their new masters. Here he tries to show how African music became transformed into African-AMERICAN music and then American. He continues then up through the generations of slavery, to Emancipation, migration to the cities, World War I, the Depression, World War II and the bebop age of the Fifties. The book is pre-Civil Rights movement, pre-Martin Luther King. Jones may have looked down on the NAACP and its allies as "white liberal supported organizations", I'm not sure, but they don't appear. The times are symbolized by the use of "Negro" throughout. I agree, the tome is dated, but don't reject it, don't pooh-pooh the man. This is a very intelligent, very worthwhile book. Anyone, particularly from outside the USA, who wants to know the history of African-American music within its social environment ought still to read BLUES PEOPLE. He writes, "If Negro music can be seen to be the result of certain attitudes, certain specific ways of thinking about the world (and only ultimately about the ways in which music can be made), then the basic hypothesis of this book is understood." [p.153] Jones goes to great lengths to get to the bottom of those attitudes and thoughts.
My main criticism, apart from the fact that history dictates that we must be left a half century behind contemporary realities, is that though Jones obviously knew and loved the blues and jazz and all the various styles ( if not swing), his approach is coldly academic, highly dispassionate. He may criticize people who tried to make money, he may downplay all those who "abandoned" their roots, but my disappointment is that there is nothing of himself in the work barring a few mentions of his family. He does not share his enthusiasm. Music is beauty after all. I am sure he wanted the book to be taken as a serious essay, which it is. But in keeping himself removed from the discussion, being so analytic and professional in the style of the day, he has robbed us "readers of the future" of many insights.
African-American experience in the USA expressed itself most particularly in the blues, only later did that musical mode become part of the general American culture, often watered down, sometimes imitated by those who didn't wish to fit in or who wished to cash in. When conditions have changed, when the black middle class has entered mainstream America, and the urban underclass is wrapped up in hip-hop, gangsta rap culture, which is relentlessly commercialized by the powerful media, talking about the blues may seem a matter for historians or ethnomusicologists. Still, BLUES PEOPLE resonates strongly if we try to understand where we have been. As for where we are going---that old line sums it up---we're goin where the Southern cross the yella dog.
Blues People.......2005-09-22
This is a really interesting look at the evolution of black culture through the lense of music. Some of the author's opinions about later music (50's-60's) may seem out of touch to today's readers, but overall it is well worth reading.
The Best Starting Point.......2005-08-24
I actually purchased the first paperback edition this book a long time ago, and I learned that it had been out of print for quite some time. It was a time when I was a casual listener of blues and jazz, and didn't think about the roots of the music I was listening to. The book was interesting enough, but it didn't have information about more contemporary stuff, as it was printed in 1963.
Recently, I found this book in the upper shelves of my library, having completely forgotten about it in spite of my infatuation with the blues for the better part of the last two decades. It was a most welcome surprise for me, as it contained a compact but comprehensive introduction to the time period from the first Africans came to America to the 1920s when their music was first recorded, and laid the groundwork to how this music evolved in a sociological context. The rural lifestyle, the reflections of the exodus from the south on the music and subsequent refined, urban sound are discussed in this framework.
Although it would not really appeal to the casual reader and listener, "Blues People" is invaluable for the serious blues and jazz fan for setting the music into the general context of social life and external effects that made this music what it is today.
Very honest&breaks all chains.......2003-01-16
this book not only puts the music into perspective but also the struggle that still goes on too this day.very upfront&honest about problems that still linger.it traces the journey&challenges it's reader too better understand the reason for the whys??one of the best Books that I have ever read from start too finish.
Product Description
On the back cover, Langston Hughes says that it is the first book on jazz by a Negro writer, new and highly provocative.
Average customer rating:
|
The Constructivist Moment: From Material Text to Cultural Poetics
Barrett Watten
Manufacturer: Wesleyan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Schools, Periods & Styles
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
| Abstract Expressionism
| Ancient & Classical
| Art Deco
| Art Nouveau
| Baroque
| Byzantine
| Constructivism
| Contemporary Art
| Cubism
| Dadaism
| Expressionism
| Fauvism
| Folk Art
| Futurism
| German Expressionism
| Gothic
| Impressionism
| Mannerism
| Medieval
| Modern
| Neoclassical
| Pop
| Post-Impressionism
| Pre-Raphaelite
| Prehistoric & Primitive
| Realism
| Renaissance
| Rococo
| Romanesque
| Romantic
| Surrealism
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Popular Culture
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Cultural
| Anthropology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Classics
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
20th Century
| History & Criticism
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| History & Criticism
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Russian
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
General
| Criticism & Theory
| History & Criticism
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
History of Ideas
| Historical Study
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside History Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Progress/Under Erasure (Green Integer)
-
Bad History
ASIN: 0819566101 |
Book Description
As one of the founding poets and editors of the Language School of poetry and one of its central theorists, Barrett Watten has consistently challenged the boundaries of literature and art. In The Constructivist Moment, he offers a series of theoretically informed and textually sensitive readings that advance a revisionist account of the avant-garde through the methodologies of cultural studies. His major topics include American modernist and postmodern poetics, Soviet constructivist and post-Soviet literature and art, Fordism and Detroit techno--each proposed as exemplary of the social construction of aesthetic and cultural forms. His book is a full-scale attempt to place the linguistic turn of critical theory and the self-reflexive foregrounding of language by the avant-garde since the Russian Formalists in relation to the cultural politics of postcolonial studies, feminism, and race theory. As such, it will provide a crucial revisionist perspective within modernist and avant-garde studies.
Book Description
The Sicilian Accelerated Dragon succeeds by focusing attention on how Black can break the Maroczy Bind and create dynamic possibilities. Studying these general principles can enhance any player's game. Intermediate.
Customer Reviews:
The best!.......2003-03-13
This is the best book I have seen on the accelerated dragon, including Silman and Donaldson's book, as well as Silman's Winning with the Sicilian Defence (actually, I like all these books). But this one is the best combination of complete games, lots of theory, enthusiasm, and good writing. It is one of those "labor of love" books. Highly recommended--you will be playing the accelerated dragon if you buy this book.
Complete and instructive coverage of the Accelerated Dragon.......2000-04-12
This book covers all lines of the Accelerated Dragon including the variety of systems played vs. the Maroczy Bind and alternative set-ups. It has the added plus of using research from an earlier book (Silman and Donaldson) on the same subject. While the use of complete games may not appeal to all readers, themes are covered and explained in every line and there are loads of suggestions with improvements in certain lines and reassessments of others. Both authors play the Accelerated and Heine-Nielsen, the 1999 Danish Champion, has a lot of his games on display.
While the book shows a bias for Black in that they try to prove that the opening is playable, they do evaluate the positions objectively and games feature wins and losses for both sides and clearly show critical lines, especially in the end of chapter summaries. In addition, the Hyper Accelerated Dragon with (2 ....g6) and the Semi Accelerated are covered (4 .... Nf6).
I noticed that a line in NCO in the Semi Accelerated was not given and it seemed superior to the line given by this book as a model. However, this is a well written and thorough guide on the Accelerated Dragon and related systems and is recommended if you need only opne book on the opening.
Customer Reviews:
Quite good, but not the definitive book on KIA.......2005-01-10
I bought this book three years ago. The key concepts of KIA are well explained so I started to use this opening in my games. After been playing this opening for three years I've arrived to some conclusions. First, it's a very good book to understand the key concepts, which help you to start playing the KIA very soon. Second, as another reviewer has already pointed, it's too much White-Biased. Too much optimistic, the practice has showed me that there are a lot of black schemes that were not included in the book. For example, don't expect to find games with the flexible black structure c5-d6-e6 with knight on e7... a very usual position that I have to face quite often on the board. Another example: with the black structure c5-d6-e5 don't expect to find a well-played game by black, that is, h6 first (preventing Ng5) in order to play Be6 and then expand with f5 and sometimes with d5. It's a very common development plan, and I think it deserved attention on it in the book.
Well, to cut a long story short... if you want to play KIA this is a very good book, I recommend it to you. A fantastic starting point... but there is more behind the scenes, other work and research needs to be done to complement the material of the book and for to cover all the possibilities that you'll have to face playing this very interesting opening.
Good luck!!
Didn't help much........2004-11-05
I own 4 opening books including this one. One of the books (Pirc Alert) was written in a way that's extremely conducive to learning. The other three, this one included, was not. It only covers a few Black responses and does not give any guidance whatsoever for most common Black responses. I've been playing the KIA for about 8 months and probably haven't faced one of the "book" Black responses more than once or twice. Most of the time, my opponents just develop pieces without wasting a tempo on a c-pawn move. I'm sure that there's a way to refute these non-book openings, but it's easier said than done. Some guidance in the book would be helpful. I'd say the most common line that I face is 1...d5 2...Nc6 3...e5 4...Nf6 5...Bc5 6...Bg4. I don't think there's any guidance in the book for smashing this simple development scheme. This seems to be a general trend in all opening books that I've seen. They only cover typical, "good" plans by the other side, and don't give clear guidance for how to punish amateurish opening ideas by the opponent. Some of these amateurish lines can be more difficult, to me anyway, than the "book" lines. A good example of this would be in the Pirc if White does not play d4, but plays d3 instead, then follows up with something like a Yugoslav Attack. Pirc Alert's only big idea for how to deal with a Yugoslav-type attack is to attack the d4 pawn and generate queenside counterplay. What does one do if they played d3 instead? This book, along with the other three are full of crap like this. This book is also loaded up with game miniatures -- what a pain to go through compared to the text-rich Pirc Alert. I think it's easier to learn an opening if they spend more text describing the general idea that's trying to be accomplished than by vicariously looking at what happened in hundreds of snippets of games.
Build your opening repertoire.......2003-02-03
I wrote the below reviews over a year ago and while I've had some fun with some sharp openings, I still feel the KIA is an excellent opening. While I was trying to sharpen up my rep - I noticed that the amount of time I spent on memorization went way up - The amount of time spent on more important aspects of the game went way down. Yasser Seirawan mentioned in his Winning Chess Openings book that [studying sharp openings]he felt he was playing less original chess. I agree - though I'm no Seirawan, I like feeling like I'm playing my own game, and I honestly feel that I learn far more testing out my own ideas(thinking for myself), rather than memorizing the latest in the Yugoslav Attack. Its a good base for applying Silmans ideas as well. And I have so much more time to study the fun stuff. Now, there are a number of systems that will cut down on the opening theory, the Torre, the Colle, the London etc, however you will not be able to transpose into any of them if your sharper opening invites an unwanted defence. And as I mention below this is a selling point for the KIA beyond the other systems mentioned. For instance, I really like sharp 1.e4 e5 repertoire Max Lange, Evans Gambit etc. But after 1.e4 c6 (d6,e6) I can transpose into the KIA, However if your a 1.d4 player , after 1.d4 and 2.c4, you cannot transpose back into a London/Torre/ Tromp or whatever. Again if your sharper openings are in for maintenence, no worries. The KIA is not a Ferrari - Its a Chevy, maybe not so flashy but reliable and cheap.
****************************************************************
The KIA can be used on its own or as a starting point for building a sharp 1.e4 repertoire. The advantage is you can add slowly, within your own time constraints. The first thing is to find a reply to 1...d5 (1.e4 d5) as that's the one defense which rules out transposing to the KIA. The point is you can go at your own pace. OR NOT! The KIA is plenty fine by its self. Throw in some Reti (same Author)or some English (Kosten) for Varity. Check out the French section on chesspublishing.com to see the KIA in action. Now about the book. Dunning ton cares about what he writes and it shows. Lots of explanatory prose, helps get the message across. The KIA is not the sharpest opening (but it can be, remember its a KID with an extra move!)
but you don't have to file for divorce to keep up with the latest developments either. By the book!
Why play the King's Indian Attack.......2002-08-12
If you play the King's Indian Defense against 1.d4, and if you are not a chess professional who has time to study the latest novelties on move 20 of the main-line Najdorf or the Smyslov variation of the Slav, the King's Indian Attack is, in my opinon, an excellent choice for an opening repertoire for White.
Let us be clear on what the King's Indian Attack is not. It is no miracle opening, which will promise you a clear advantage against best play for Black. However, even if you are a professional chess player, and you have time to learn the latest theory concerning (for example) all replies to 1.e4, your search for a clear opening advantage against players of equal strength and knowledge is likely to lead to disappointment. I am a FIDE 2360 player ("Geof" on ICC) who personally dreads studying openings (like many chess players, I have a job and a life in which chess plays a small but not insignificant part) and who would rather spend what limited time I have to study chess on studying endgames and tactics.
What the King's Indian Attack does offer you is an opening in which understanding of key King's Indian themes and positions, as opposed to rote memorization, and the existence of a variety of viable options for White, will provide you with opportunities for creating positions, often asymmetrical and double-edged, which you understand better than your opponent. It is an opening which has been employed by players of the highest level, which is unquestionably sound, and which abounds in strategic and tactical subtleties. You could do worse.
I have been playing the King's Indian for many years (15+) and, although my knowledge of the latest developments in main-line theory may be lacking, I believe I have a fairly good understanding of many of the standard King's Indian structures. When I started playing the King's Indian Attack as White several years ago, I was pleasantly surprised at the way in which my understanding of the King's Indian as Black translated into an understanding of many of the themes of the King's Indian Attack as White.
The above is in the way of an introduction to my review of Angus Dunnington's book "The Ultimate King's Indian Attack." I personally found that this book to be an excellent combination of theoretical lines, strategic insights, and (last but not least) some very nice games. While it appears to me to be targeted, in terms of analysis, to players of the 2000+ level who have some familiarity with King's Indian positions, I also believe that weaker players (or those less familiar with the King's Indian) will find it rewarding if they spend the time to closely examine the complete games that are included and Dunnington's excellent notes.
If you want an opening repertoire which will lead to many victories straight out of the opening, I suggest you choose 1.e4 and spend the 4 or 5 years of full-time study (if you are a reasonably strong player) which are necessary to give you a solid understanding of all the possible defenses thereto. If you want a flexible opening for which you can achieve the same level of understanding in a small fraction of that time, but which is nevertheless replete with tense and tricky positions, you cannot do better than choose the King's Indian Attack. And, in my personal opinion, Dunnington's book is the best one to have been written on this opening. I highly recommend it.
- Geof Strayer
e5 and f5 for black, the end of an era for me and the KIA.......2002-02-15
is a good book, but like a previous reviewer points out, what if black don't make any mistakes and avoids passive defence? there are good games in here (one by dolmatov that just blew me away) but this is an optomistic book at best, statistics for white with this opening are not good. Me, i leave it to 1 min games on the internet, play d4 and c4 as white these days, but praps to players 1600 KIA is a good tool until they advance
Average customer rating:
- Great book for chess teacher and chess parent.
|
Improve Your Chess Results (Macmillan Chess Library)
Vladimir Zak
Manufacturer: Collier Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Chess
| Board Games
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Sports Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0020290802 |
Customer Reviews:
Great book for chess teacher and chess parent........1999-06-28
This book should be read by anyone who gives chess advice. All chess parents would gain tremendous chess insight into what is necessary for sound success in chess learning.
Book Description
John Emms reveals the secrets of how to maximize potential and improve results in competitive play. Drawing upon years of his own experience, Emms tackles the all-important practical aspects of chess playing: studying ones own strengths and weaknesses, and those of prospective opponents; concentration and manner at the chessboard; handling time trouble; tackling cheats; playing for a win or a draw; saving difficult positions; avoiding silly mistakes; building an opening repertoire; using chess computers and software; choosing the right tournaments and much more besides.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting and valuable even if the title is hype.......2007-08-15
John Emms is an excellent chess writer; I have many of his books. He does not tend toward the spectacular or hyperbolic (he's not Eric Schiller, for instance), or even the overly exciting. So I suspect he did not choose this extravagant book title.
I would hardly call this a survival guide. Instead, I would call it an improvement guide (making the second part of the title at least mostly correct, although "now" is quite soon). Mr. Emms presents some basic but easily overlooked principles ("check every move" is one) and illustrates them with games and examples, often from his own play. He is up-front about his own losses and how he drew lessons from them, and this is perhaps the best of the book. It's something we can all relate to and begin to do on our own, with much beneficial effect.
There's a lot here about staying focused in the heat of the battle and especially about recovering focus and concentration after making an error, something most of us mortals do more than we might like in tournament games. There are further chapters about preparation, but these come into play, I think, when we have first learned the more basic lessons of the earlier chapters.
I'm about to play in a 3-day event. Having just read this book, will my results improve "now"? We shall see. But I do intend to take some of those principles ("check every move") as a mantra, and I suspect that will be a good thing. I can certainly recommend this book. It's interesting, engaging, and ultimately, I think, it's useful.
Book Description
A book for experienced Java programmers who want to build robust, scalable, distributed Web and enterprise applications. Detailed coverage of XML programming with Java, including DTDs, DOM, SAX, and XSL. Softcover. CD-ROM included.
Customer Reviews:
there are good examples !.......2006-06-23
this book is not suit for j2ee beginners, no detail explanation to build basic j2ee idea; but if you have some concepts about web components and ejbs but no sense in real world projects and how to deploy projects into a server, there are a lot of examples in this book, it is a good practice.
Pleased!.......2005-10-14
Book looked brand-new even though it was used. Very pleased with what I got.
worst ever.......2004-05-21
Dont buy "ants" books. Terrible style, bad explanations, urgh ... There are a lot of tutorials to spend money for.
Outstanding Textbook!.......2004-04-20
I am a big advocate of the HTP series. I've been reading this series since your 2nd Edition of the Java SE. I've also owned the HTP Visual Basic books when I first started programming. I don't think I have seen a better programming textbox on how to learn any language the "proper" way. It is because of the HTP series that with just an A.S. CIS degree, I am currently in a 6 month internship with IBM Global Services as a Java Web developer. The task given to me has been challenging. I'm responsible for migrating an ASP application to JSP and also developing another JSP application from the ground up.
Waste of money.......2003-11-20
This book was a text book for one of my advanced java classes. Unfortunately, there is very little to learn from this book. Filling the book up with pages of examples without sufficient explaination of concepts makes this book a complete waste of money. Most of the chapters were rushed, students will have a tough time grasping important concepts unless they buy some good books as well (OReilly, Addison-Wesley). I will not recommend it to anybody.
Books:
- Bt-Star Wars Album
- By Any Means Necessary (Malcolm X Speeches & Writings)
- Celine Dion: For Keeps
- Classical Music for Dummies
- Critical Dictionary of Film and Television Theory
- Crustaceans (Our Living World)
- D.H. Lawrence on Screen: Re-Visioning Prose Style in the Films of "the Rocking-Horse Winner," Sons and Lovers, and Women in Love (Literature and the Visual Arts)
- David Cerone Performs Suzuki Violin School (Volume 2)
- de La Fuga a la Fuga: Diccionario de Films Policiales
- Definition The Hidef Sourcebook
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace
- History: Fiction or Science
- Accountants Guide to XBRL
- Christian Wisdom of the Jedi Masters
- Enterprise SOA: Service-Oriented Architecture Best Practices
- History: Fiction or Science
- History: Fiction or Science
- Advanced Automated Accounting for the Microcomputer,
- Capitalizing on Knowledge: From E-Business to K-Business
- Death in the Cards: A Stain-busting Mystery
Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday
Deep Blues: A Musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads
The Spirituals and the Blues: An Interpretation
Stomping the Blues (Da Capo Paperback)
Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development (History of Jazz)
