Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer

Book Description

The Clash was--and still is--one of the most important groups of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Indebted to rockabilly, reggae, Memphis soul, cowboy justice, and '60s protest, the overtly political band railed against war, racism, and a dead-end economy, and in the process imparted a conscience to punk. Their eponymous first record and London Calling still rank in Rolling Stone's top-ten best albums of all time, and in 2003 they were officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Joe Strummer was the Clash's front man, a rock-and-roll hero seen by many as the personification of outlaw integrity and street cool. The political heart of the Clash, Strummer synthesized gritty toughness and poetic sensitivity in a manner that still resonates with listeners, and his untimely death in December 2002 shook the world, further solidifying his iconic status.

Music journalist Chris Salewicz was a friend to Strummer for close to three decades and has covered the Clash's career and the entire punk movement from its inception. With exclusive access to Strummer's friends, relatives, and fellow musicians, Salewicz penetrates the soul of an icon. He uses his vantage point to write the definitive biography of Strummer, charting his enormous worldwide success, his bleak years in the wilderness after the Clash's bitter breakup, and his triumphant return to stardom at the end of his life. In the process, Salewicz argues for Strummer's place in a long line of protest singers that includes Woody Guthrie, John Lennon, and Bob Marley, and examines by turns Strummer's and punk's ongoing cultural influence.

Customer Reviews:

A heart breakingly good book.......2007-09-18

I really enjoyed this book, it is a very honest and in depth look at Joe Strummer's life. What I found to be heart breaking was the amount he drank as a way to avoid the pain of his brother's death, and how it took him so long to come to terms with his own personal demons. A great read, but be ready.

Sometimes too much of a good thing.......2007-09-11

I would give this book three-and-a-half stars if I could.

This had all the elements of a great biography: a fascinating subject (Joe Strummer), an insider who was with him through many of his highs and lows (author Chris Salewicz), and a ton of interviews and research. But somehow, the whole is less than the sum of those parts.

I found two aspects of this book annoying: the way the author reads Great Social / Philosophical Meaning into almost anything Joe says or does, and the sheer quantity of minutiae included. Sure, some readers probably can't get enough of those tidbits, but it often reads more like source material than like an edited work. Somebody could have written a fine book half this length, by focusing on the most meaningful elements. (I greatly preferred the recent Warren Zevon biography _I'll Sleep When I'm Dead_, which had a lot of content but somehow made it a smoother, more readable narrative.)

You have to be a real Clash fan (as I am) to slog through to the end of this volume. It's a worthy read; still, because of its density and the author's fawning, it doesn't provide the type of raw thrills we were used to getting from Joe Strummer and the Clash.

A CLASH STORY.......2007-09-10

THIS IS A BIOGRAPHY OF ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL FIGURES IN ROCK, JOE STRUMMER OF THE CLASH. IT IS FILLED WITH MANY INTERESTING AND MOSTLY UNKNOWN, FACTS ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD AND ADVENTURES AS AN EARLY ADULT.THE BOOK ALSO DISCUSSES THE RISE OF PUNK ROCK AND HIS CONTRIBUTION TO IT. IF YOU ARE A BIG CLASH FAN I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

A revealing, up-close-and-personal account of the frontman's life..........2007-07-20

The lead sheet that comes with this book says "The importance of the Clash to modern music is almost impossible to overstate." A strong statement, to be sure, but one that is hard to argue. And while the band was certainly not solely one man's vision, Strummer (nee John Mellor) was the captain of it's apocalyptic view. Salewicz, a longtime writer for England's New Musical Express (NME) is in a fortunate position to write this revealing, up-close-and-personal account of the frontman's life as he covered the punk revolution from it's inception in the UK as well as having been a longtime friend of the subject at hand. (He even wrote his obit for the Independent in London.) In his three years of researching the book, Salewicz leaves no stone unturned - interviewing all of Joe's main band mates, managers, A&R men, etc. as well as a multitude of friends, wives, lovers and professional cohorts - taking us through his early days with the 101'ers all the way to the band's final stadium shows with the Who and even past the last show with Mick Jones at California's famed 'Us' festival. What comes across is a man full of contradictions - a sometimes angry spokesman for the beaten down proletariat, a man who when approaching his 'wilderness years' remained full of self doubt, through to his rebuilding of position with the Pogues and finally his latest band the Muscaleros. As both a journalist as well as a close friend, Salewicz gives perhaps the best view yet into this conflicted soul who fronted what many consider to be the most important band in rock'n'roll. Cheeseburger! - Blog on Books

After a long wait, a monumental effort.......2007-07-01

Wow, it seemed like I had this book on pre-order FOREVER. It was well worth the wait. After reading the book I'm glad it wasn't rushed out and can see why it took a long time to compile. This bio is a monumental project and certainly wasn't thrown together in haste.

If I were hypercritical I might complain that there were times I found it hard to follow just who was being quoted, or if the author was simply relating his own experience, but I won't dwell on that. The subject matter is simply too precious and the anecdotes told just too special to quibble over the small stuff. Though Joe barely made it past 50, the book relates the experiences of many folks in Stummer's life and certainly has a huge amount of ground to cover. I just couldn't put it down. When I reached the end I felt almost as sad as the day...well, you know.

If you are a fan of Joe Strummer, The Clash, punk rock or grew up through the late 70's-early 80's, you cannot and should not avoid this book!

Customer Reviews:

Not West's finest work.......1999-12-03

There are some medium-high points in this volume, but in general the quality of the work is not what I would expect from one of the US's preeminent scholar on race relations. I would describe the tone of this work as very *comfortable*--too comfortable to engage his readers fully. The pieces seem thrown together rather haphazardly, and none really advances much of a claim. For better work by West, try _Keeping Faith_ or his new _Cornel West Reader_.

Canadian Political Philosophy: Contemporary Reflections

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Canadian Political Philosophy: Contemporary Reflections

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Political | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0195414489

Book Description

The essays collected in Canadian Political Philosophy reflect a broad range of contemporary political and philosophical issues: liberalism and citizenship; equality, justice, and gender; minority rights, multiculturalism, and identity; nationalism and self-determination; and finally, topics in the history of political philosophy.

Coat of Many Colors: Reflections on Diversity by a Minority of One

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Coat of Many Colors: Reflections on Diversity by a Minority of One
Eugene Eoyang
Manufacturer: Beacon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0807004200

Book Description

Argues for a new understanding of what is "foreign" in America--with implications for racial categories, the status of the English language, the treatment of immigrants, and the structure of higher education.

Journey of Purpose: Reflections on the Presidency, Multiculturalism, and Third Parties (Castle Lectures Series)

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A Great Anecdote to Passionless Candidates
A wonderful work on generational and moral responsibility

Journey of Purpose: Reflections on the Presidency, Multiculturalism, and Third Parties (Castle Lectures Series)
Paul Tsongas
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Ethics & Morality | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Federal Government | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

In this inspiring book, one of the most respected senior figures in American politics discusses why the country should strive to achieve economic growth, fiscal responsibility, and social inclusiveness. Senator Paul Tsongas reveals the lessons he learned as a presidential candidate in 1992, suggests why Americans may turn to a third party in 1996, and articulates principles that this party might follow.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Anecdote to Passionless Candidates.......2000-11-27

It's nice to be reminded that there have been, and hopefully will be again, presidential candidates who are more driven by the passion to serve than a vague and often misguided ambition to merely hold office. Senator Tsongas' work more than serves that purpose as it outlines his reasons for running in 1992 as well as his blueprint for a party that promises to effectively serve the compassionate core of America. What's most refreshing is that Tsongas is fair and reasoned in his approach and, whenever necessary, critical of his own party in his attempt to stear it in bold new directions. Whether you embrace Tsongas' political leanings or not, this is one of those works that should be considered essential reading nevertheless.

A wonderful work on generational and moral responsibility.......1998-05-15

This is, simply put, one of the better works I have read. The late, great American, Paul Tsongas, did a wonderful job in articulating his belief that we are a socially progressive yet fiscally responsible nation. In doing so, the former Senator and Democratic Presidential Candidate does not forsake his Democratic roots but instead embraces the New Democratic theory on government, which seeks to have both a fiscal and morally responsible government which empowers citizens.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Independent Review, published by Independent Institute on June 22, 2004. The length of the article is 4321 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: Black teachers for black studies? A philosophical critique of multiculturalist pedagogy.(Reflections)
Author: Max Hocutt
Publication: Independent Review (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2004
Publisher: Independent Institute
Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Page: 127(9)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The message or the messenger: reflection on the volatility of evoking novice teachers' courageous conversations on race.(Viewpoint essay): An article from: Multicultural Education

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The message or the messenger: reflection on the volatility of evoking novice teachers' courageous conversations on race.(Viewpoint essay): An article from: Multicultural Education
Funmi A. Amobi
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Multicultural Education, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2007. The length of the article is 5823 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: The message or the messenger: reflection on the volatility of evoking novice teachers' courageous conversations on race.(Viewpoint essay)
Author: Funmi A. Amobi
Publication: Multicultural Education (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 14 Issue: 3 Page: 2

Article Type: Viewpoint essay

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Reflections on multiculturalism in developmental education.: An article from: Journal of College Reading and Learning

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Reflections on multiculturalism in developmental education.: An article from: Journal of College Reading and Learning
Patrick L. Bruch , and Jeanne L. Higbee
Manufacturer: College Reading and Learning Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of College Reading and Learning, published by College Reading and Learning Association on September 22, 2002. The length of the article is 5581 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: Reflections on multiculturalism in developmental education.
Author: Patrick L. Bruch
Publication: Journal of College Reading and Learning (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2002
Publisher: College Reading and Learning Association
Volume: 33 Issue: 1 Page: 77(14)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Reflections on multiculturalism, social justice, and empowerment groups for academic success: a critical discourse for contemporary schools.(EXTENDED DISCUSSION) ... article from: Professional School Counseling

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Reflections on multiculturalism, social justice, and empowerment groups for academic success: a critical discourse for contemporary schools.(EXTENDED DISCUSSION) ... article from: Professional School Counseling
Fred Bemak
Manufacturer: American School Counselor Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000ALUEOG
Release Date: 2005-07-25

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Professional School Counseling, published by American School Counselor Association on June 1, 2005. The length of the article is 4540 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: Reflections on multiculturalism, social justice, and empowerment groups for academic success: a critical discourse for contemporary schools.(EXTENDED DISCUSSION)
Author: Fred Bemak
Publication: Professional School Counseling (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2005
Publisher: American School Counselor Association
Volume: 8 Issue: 5 Page: 401(6)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Tired of the same old picture puzzles? Looking for a new twist on brain teasers? Then try these on for size! These puzzles challenge your ability to perceive and manipulate forms and shapes. Learn to use logical deduction and spatial perception as puzzle-solving weapons! "...true brain food..."--Chicago Tribune.

Customer Reviews:

The "challenge" is to pick out the errors in the book.......2007-07-13

The first page introduces the puzzles with a simple example. In explaining the logic, the book claims that when the long hand on a circular clock moves a quarter of an hour, it's a 45-degree turn. Not in my world - that's a 90-degree turn. A cirlce is 360-degree's, and a quarter of that is 90.

Amazon.com

If you can read this review (and voice your opinion about his book on Amazon.com), you have Tim Berners-Lee to thank. When you've read his no-nonsense account of how he invented the World Wide Web, you'll want to thank him again, for the sheer coolness of his ideas. One day in 1980, Berners-Lee, an Oxford-trained computer consultant, got a random thought: "Suppose all the information stored on computers everywhere were linked?" So he created a system to give every "page" on a computer a standard address (now called a URL, or Universal Resource Locator), accessible via the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), formatted with the HyperText Markup Language (HTML), and visible with the first browser, which did the trick of linking us all up.

He may be the most self-effacing genius of the computer age, and his egalitarian mind is evident in the names he rejected for his invention: "I thought of Mine of Information, or MOI, but moi in French means 'me,' and that was too egocentric.... The Information Mine (TIM) was even more egocentric!" Also, a mine is a passive repository; the Web is something that grows inexorably from everyone's contributions. Berners-Lee fully credits the colorful characters who helped him get the bobsled of progress going--one colleague times his haircuts to match the solstices--but he's stubbornly independent-minded. His quest is to make the Web "a place where the whim of a human being and the reasoning of a machine coexist in an ideal, powerful mixture."

Hard-core tech types may wish Berners-Lee had gone into deeper detail about the road ahead: the "boon and threat" of XML, free vs. commercial software, VRML 3-D imaging, and such. But he wants everyone in on the debate, so he wrote a brisk book that virtually anyone can understand. --Tim Appelo

Book Description

Named one of the greatest minds of the 20th century by Time, Tim Berners-Lee is responsible for one of that century's most important advancements: the world wide web. Now, this low-profile genius-who never personally profitted from his invention -offers a compelling protrait of his invention. He reveals the Web's origins and the creation of the now ubiquitous http and www acronyms and shares his views on such critical issues as censorship, privacy, the increasing power of softeware companies , and the need to find the ideal balance between commercial and social forces. He offers insights into the true nature of the Web, showing readers how to use it to its fullest advantage. And he presents his own plan for the Web's future, calling for the active support and participation of programmers, computer manufacturers, and social organizations to manage and maintain this valuable resource so that it can remain a powerful force for social change and an outlet for individual creativity.

Customer Reviews:

If ever a man deserved a royalty check..........2007-06-21

As one of the millions of people whose lives have changed for the better as a result of Berners-Lee's invention, I was more than happy to do my part to pad the man's checking account.

Ever since Berners-Lee wrote and released the first public versions of his CERN Web server and browser programs in the early 90s, he has watched his brainchild evolve and mushroom into a world-changing technology. What's remarkable about Berners-Lee is that in the ensuing era of crazed wealth creation, he has consistently resisted opportunities to cash in, electing instead to play a statesmanlike role as chairman of the non-profit World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the international body that governs (or at least attempts to govern) Web standards and ensure that the Web remains a level playing field with open standards, indomitable by any one company.

Berners-Lee begins his tale recounting his earliest experiments with hypertext information retrieval systems at CERN, the Swiss particle physics laboratory. He describes an early prototype application called Enquire which was, alas, lost forever as the result of a calamitous diskette mix-up in the early 80s (one can't help but wonder how things might have played out had the original program survived). Berners-Lee began work on what become today's World Wide Web in 1989, finally releasing his first Web server and browser programs to the public in 1993. And the rest, as they say, well, you know...

Most of the book centers on the seminal early days of the Web in the mid-1990s, when Berners-Lee made the all-important decision to release his code to the public and eventually allow commercialization by young companies like Netscape and Spyglass. He recounts his fateful early meetings with a young Marc Andreessen, and well-told anecdotes of his early struggles to forge the World Wide Web Consortium in the Byzantium of the software industry, wrestling consensus from recalcitrant giants like IBM, Microsoft and Sun.

Berners-Lee talks most passionately about his struggles to maintain standards ? with decidedly mixed success - in the face of growing competitive pressures among consortium members, and the onrush of new Web-centric technologies like Java and XML.

The book closes with a few chapters outlining his vision of a future Web - less dependent on the desktop PC, expanding through increasingly persistent, universal customer access, device independence, and of course continuing evolution in Web standards. Most interesting are his closing ruminations on the unfulfilled aspects of his vision: of a highly collaborative, participatory environment, less driven by the consumerist imperative of the commercial software industry - a Web that might offer users not just the palliative sop of "interactivity," but of more enriching "intercreativity" in the form of interactive and egalitarian environments for collaboration between individuals and organizations.

The book provides a solid accounting of Berners-Lee's life in a straightforward chronological narrative. If at times edging towards self-aggrandizement (it's an autobiography, after all), this book nonetheless affords a rare first-hand glimpse into the early formative days of the Web, as well as a few provocative ideas about what might come next.

A Good Read About the Web.......2007-05-24

I love this quote from Tim Berners-Lee, the man responsible for the World Wide Web. He's a low profile genius who never profited from his invention. I often think about him when i talk to my investment banking friends, or other people who are placing monetary gain over what really makes them happy. This is a quote from his book Weaving the Web which is a pretty good read if you're interested in how the web came about, what the original thoughts were about it, and how it's survived attempts by private industry (Microsoft, IBM, etc.) to control it.

"People have sometimes asked me whether i am upset that i have not made a lot of money from the Web. In fact, I made some quite conscious decisions about which way to take my life. These I would not change - though i am making no comment on what i might do in the future. What does distress me, though, is how important a question it seems to be to some. This happens mostly in America, not Europe. What is maddening is the terrible notion that a person's value depends on how important and financially successful they are, and that that is measured in terms of money. That suggests disrespect for the researchers across the globe developing ideas for the next leaps in science and technology. Core in my upbring was a value system that put monetary gain well in its place, behind things like doing what i really want to do. To use net worth as a criterion by which to judge people is to set our children's sights on cash rather than on things that will actually make them happy." - Tim Berners-Lee

Thoughts on the web from the man who invented it. .......2007-03-09

In a recent presidential election, Democrat Al Gore was ridiculed for "claiming" that he invented the Internet. While he was a significant player in the development of the Internet, no one can really claim to have invented it and there is a great deal of dispute over whether Gore ever really made the claim. The situation is quite different for the World Wide Web (WWW). Tim Berners-Lee did invent the WWW and there is no dispute about it. It was his vision of writing hyperlinked documents that began a revolution in human information storage and processing.
This book is less a historical recounting of the events that led to the invention of the web and more about his thoughts when creating it and where it will go. Berners-Lee is quite correct when he is adamant about the lack of control and standards being a precondition for the development of the web. While others were lobbying for the more rigid format of SGML, he kept to the simpler tag structure of Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML). The simplicity of HTML made it possible for most people to learn how to write web pages and this helped fuel the explosive growth.
In the last part of the book, he discusses what he thinks the web should be become, describing what he calls "the semantic web." This is a web that understands the non-obvious links between different topics. In other words, the web understands the meaning of the data. For example, if you are interested in statistics on breast cancer a search will return data that is truly about breast cancer and not be blocked by a filter because it contains the word "breast." This is a difficult task, although a great deal of progress has been made. A short time ago, most searches using common keywords returned a large number of inappropriate sites because the search engine could be fooled. The situation is much better now, although it is still difficult to determine the quality of the sites returned.
Tim Berners-Lee will probably always be considered the person that could have most profited from the Internet yet chose not to do so. For those reasons, he should be a hero to us all. For, if he had decided to patent his invention and charge even the smallest amount as a licensing fee, he would now be rich enough to buy his own country. He explains that in this book as well.

The web has never been so boring..........2006-12-05

Yes, the book is important because of the role that Tim played in creating the web. It has scattered pieces of trivia and background information that I enjoy digging up from these techno-biographies. But let's be honest: this book is a real snooze-fest. It is only engaging in the mildest sense of the term. One must concentrate hard to keep the mind from wandering. There is no color to it.

Insightful but ends in obscurity.......2006-11-21

This is a must-read for any postmodern Web developer. Helps keeps your eyes from succumbing to tunnel vision ideas like web 2.0.

TimBL tells his story and provides a great explanation of his intention for what the Web really is. Points out that really the Web is only half done, and should spawn some really great killer app ideas for any smart developer.

The latter half of the book seems filled with Tim's unclear ideas for the future, which are unclear because he doesn't know. Getting too old to see any further perhaps? Such is the fate of all visionaries.

If you're a developer, read this book. It's a quick one.

Weaving the Web : The Original Design and Ultimate Destiny of the World Wide Web

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Weaving the Web : The Original Design and Ultimate Destiny of the World Wide Web
Tim et al Berners-lee
Manufacturer: HarperSanFrancisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O61OEQ

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Weaving the Web : The Original Design and Ultimate Destiny of the World Wide Web
Tim et al Berners-Lee
Manufacturer: HarperSanFrancisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O5ZKJC

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Weaving the Web: The Original Design and Ultimate Destiny of the World Wide Web
Tim Berners-Lee
Manufacturer: Harper San Francisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OF07JA

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