The music of Stockhausen: An introduction

Book Description

Here is a catalogue raisonee of Stockhausen's complete output, involving no technical analyses, but rather an examination of the music's aesthetic, practical, and intellectual assumptions. The book contains plentiful citations from the history of radio, f

Customer Reviews:

incredibly comprehensive, a Good Read.......2006-01-26

For some time now there's been little published in English on Stockhausen, Maconie's work here makes up for lost time, You can however study with Stockhausen himself if you rather not simply read a book,that real-life, real-time reality fixes seems to be the "buzz" now. You can be a "Survivor" yourself after spending time with Stockhausen and his incredible approach to making music/art/time/space/timbre/mists/clouds/lines/texts; he offers courses each August in Kurten a suburb of Cologne.

Maconie studied with everyone in the European avant-garde,and has been there for premiere performances and knows both sides of the fence, the theoretical/conceptual and performative,and has wonderful insights into not only where certain works are situated within Stockhausen's creative evolution, but the performance problems, and responses to current or latter day reality.
The work here is organized situated around concepts,"polarities","revolution", "aleatory", "Contacts" "Uncertainty" or more functional items as "rhythmic cells",(dealing with early Boulez and Messiaen's concepts) of organizing musical moments(Stockhausen came to abandon this way of thinking in the early Fifties with the first four :klavierstuck: wirtten in Paris),or "Temperaments", as the use in electronic music as "Studie" :Gesange der Juenglinge:.

Chapters come to be like galaxies,"mists" where Stockhausen's music circles revolves around,like layers/swirls of functions,working premises. Maconie traces the breaking off points as well as realms of innovation,which can take odd turns as his ongoing disinterest in strings for example,(violins, cellos)culminated as the subverted "Helikopter Quartet".Strings, here the Arditti Quartet in motion flying away from each other.I wonder if $100,000 instruments were used for this journey?

Also surveyed herein was Stockhausen's early interest in Meyer-Eppler,"how time passes" and communication theory, his concepts of Zeit,densities of Time, and Cycles in music of "particles" of tones,points,"Punkt" "groups", "clusters",each work is given explanation,as for example the coordinated utilization of timbre in the early works, how instrumental color became associated with electronic tones as the sine wave(flute), sawtooth(brass), as in the early "Kontra-Punkte", and later "Kontakte", there was a set of problematics in the interface of electronic sounds with instrumental timbre which was not really resolved interestingly, each realm became unto itself, influence by the other but seldom inhabiting the same conceptual space, "Gruppen for three orchestras" for example was largely influenced by thinking of tones electronically, the complexity of timbral/textural modulations,but the work functions with pure instrumental timbre.
Not until the introduction of LIVE electronics as in the process pieces, as "Plus-Minus", or "Telemusik", "Kurzwellen", the use of short-wave radios", did this get resolved. Improvisation was also the "buzz"in the late Sixties, Seventies that Stockhausen adopted as in these works and "Aus dem Sieben tagen", a set of word pieces as a stimulant for improvisation."Take another's sound and follow it"
Stockhausen was always unrelenting in his search for the next thread of innovation be it any realm even transformations of timbre itself as in his various "klavierstuck", the overwhelming complexity of timbre in the :Tenth klavierstuck: for example, situates a subterranean realm in the extended uses of silences, as like a subverted mirror where the music can only be remembered,the discourse is transgressed; but the piano timbre then is like independent to itself not responsive to anything outside the moment when it occurs and then it is fairly continuous as an organ with the forcefulness,and the directedness of the acoustic piano capabilities,as large size cluster chords,brutal forearm and the cluster glissandi.

Maconie goes straight through the lifeworlds here with talks on the the various pieces from LICHT, all of it, and we get to know the various forms this opera has takened, with "franchises" of works from each of the operas that can be performed as an independently as an excerpt. Maconie writes well with metaphors created from popular culture, Buster Keaton,films to situate Stockhausen's rather austere,cold work at times within a larger context of the here and now. We learn however that deep down Karlheinz is a bit of a conservative,having his own fixed points of "comfort zones" throughout his massive oeuvre yet harboring an aesthetic still for innovation,for the unknown not ever succombing(arguably) to the vagaries of the marketplace with repeatable works and gestures, or throw-away art. He has takened issue for example with American Pop Art as a means of escaping the issues of contemporary expression, and Stockhausen always replaces escape into entertainment(popular forms, tunes, nefarious corrupted minimalism, improvisation copy-cats) with hard-work, the Protestant ethic as Weber has said.
But the operas under LICHT are in fact reponses to the current scene, of feminism,myth and cosmology of the moment "Montag",then childhood somewhat autobiographical in "Donnerstag", or war and violence in "Dienstag",Tuesday, the god of Mars,and the first opera on evil and corruption-darknesses, Lucifer's Dreams as in "Samstag". Each opera is given wonderful discussion,with verbal descriptions of what occurs on stage. Still this is an incredible book. . .

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Inspiring Thoughts of a Modern Musical Giant
exposition into a great musical mind of the 20th century. .
Excellent collection of articles

Stockhausen on Music
Karlheinz Stockhausen , and Robin MacOnie
Manufacturer: Marion Boyars Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0714529184

Book Description

If a genius is someone whose ideas survive all attempts at explanation', writes the well-known contemporary musicologist Robin Maconie, 'then by that definition Stockhausen is the nearest thing to Beethoven this century has produced. Reason? His music lasts.

With penetrating philosophical and spiritual insights Stockhausen describes, in this collection of lectures and interviews conducted in English, a whole new universe of sounds and events.

"Stockhausen's uncompromising attitude to conventional aesthetics has made him one of the world's most admired musicians."?The Independent

"Let there be no doubt that he is a giant, a monster cartographer of massive new spaces."?Tempo

"The great innovator of the 1950s and 1960s is still a fountain of ideas. Stockhausen on Music shows the extrordinary range of his mind."?The Sunday Times

Customer Reviews:

Inspiring Thoughts of a Modern Musical Giant.......2001-05-27

Looking back at the twentieth century, Stockhausen stands out as one of the most creative forces in music. In this book, the composer shares in prose his thoughts on the world and on music. He asserts his commitment to sound, and to the taking into account of all aspects of sound in his compositions. He also outlines his dreams of how music will relate to culture as a whole, how music will be presented, and the characteristics of future music. This book is, just as performances of his music are, an inspiration and a challenge to me as a composer and musician.

This is, though, just Stockhausen's hint as to the processes and content of his music. The real proof is in the music itself, which supersedes whatever anyone says about it.

exposition into a great musical mind of the 20th century. ........2000-12-04

. . . if you have no idea of the Stockhausen Haus of creativity, the genius who resides within, this is for you, although the material here is quite old,from 1981, interviews, and lectures even older from 1971 in London, this is/are materials: perceptive in teaching how his innovations,scourings,analyses,timbral combustions,and architectural musical plannings/ scores set in motion a set of musical problematics. I guess I've always abandoned that aspect of Stockhausen, the teacher side, and he has always been/ was fascinating: begging,demanding,requiring of his students to read the great works of world culture, from Asia and the ancient Aztec culture.One where Aztec priests in Oaxaca would shuffle between alters underground before thousands giving the impression of a multitude of priests, when in fact there was a handful. This thinking was utilized in his works for musical rituals.All the valuable material was the interview here with long a Stockhausen devotee Robin Maconie.

His entire life is here within these dicrete lectures discussing the/his primary works of this century,"Kontakte" where after grueling sessions for days with Gottfried Michael Koenig.tech assistant in Cologne,he informed him that "we need to do it all over again",also"Mikrophonie",(one of the first live electronic works to grace the world) excursions into momente form, intuitive music,word pieces "from the Seven last days", the hippie-like "Stimmung" "voicings" on a single chord, (very Germanic, Boulez had said.) Even the early music of "Zeitmasse" for five winds is talked about defined as "early lyric and dramatic" forms,Also the percussion solo"Zyklus".

Whatever you may think of Stockhausen he is a genius and music has not been the same since.(he at one time thought he commuted with extraterrestrial beings)

What's missing is excursions into the operas, "Licht" one( an opera)for each day of the week.

There is also a fantastic addendum list of selected 16 mm films made throughout Karlheinz's life with addresses supposedly where obtainable.This list includes excerpts, fragments from the FORMULA from "Licht". "Samstag" is available in colour. Also a complete discography and list of works, until 1988. When queried on what a new music students today needs??, the reply was stuff for the ears, exercises, like transcribing an unknown musical work onto paper,cold,right now,"Hoerbildung" something he did with his monumental "Hymnen". Also playing more than one instrument is preferable to only one, and singing in a choir is helpful. For composition he relates a time in Rome teaching 120 participants for 19 Days,where he had each write a "Formula",(a pre-compositional-like planning), from his own work at such structural lunar planning, he would then criticize, make suggestions,then when the actual work was done, Stockhausen would play them all himself,again highlighting where a bad rhythm, a bad note, a bad pause may occur.Acoustics should also be a requirement, and dancing, dance within anyone any kind, disco,folk,get down. He also has very practical advise on just writing music,saying for instance how a Boulez score makes him tear his hair out, being so(Boulez's scores) "overdetermined". and Boulez had a meticulous musical mind.

This is a wonderful capsule OF a great musical mind of this century, and perhaps for those to come.

Excellent collection of articles.......2000-05-01

This is an excellent collection osf articles wich focuses on differents aspects of Stockhausen musical thinking. Make a good read of "Ponts and groups", "Composing statistically", "Moment-forminng and MOMENTE" and "Microphonie". It was specially fruitful for me, despite I have benn reading differents books about Stockhausen before. It is also strongly recommended for those who want to read about him for the first time. There are several of allusions to his bests works, specially the one he composed in the 60's, like Kontakte or Gruppen. It is not a strongly "ego" book like the interview of Mya Tannenbaum, so you may enjoy it, and, certainly learn a lot about him and about music too.

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Cosmic or Commercial
Cosmic or Commercial

Towards a Cosmic Music
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Manufacturer: Element Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1852300841

Customer Reviews:

Cosmic or Commercial.......2001-02-20

Not actually written by Mr. Stockhausen, this series of interviews challenges any aspiring musician/composer to be rid of cliches and knee jerk reactions, and to pay homage to the 'sound,' not the dollar. He is faithful to the end to the sovereignty of music, will draw your attention to the banal treatment given to sound design both in and out of the music industry, and will expand your sinusoid apperception, well... to a cosmic level. If you've ever wished you could construct an orchestra hall to meet your composition's specifications, you'll do well to read this extremely insightful dialouge.

Cosmic or Commercial.......2001-01-10

Not actually written by Mr. Stockhausen, this series of interviews challenges any aspiring musician/composer to be rid of cliches and knee jerk reactions and to pay homage to the 'sound,' not the dollar. He is faithful to the end to the soverignty of music, will draw your attention to the banal treatment given to sound design both in and out of the music industry, and will expand your sinusoid apperception, well... to a cosmic level. If you've ever wished you could construct an orchestra hall to meet your composition's specifications, you'll do well to read this.

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The Works of Karlheinz Stockhausen
Robie MacOnie
Manufacturer: Marion Boyars
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0714527068

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A lightweight and unfortunately dated biography, but useful enough
FASCINATING TILL LICHT
very thorough biography of stockhausen

Stockhausen: A Biography
Michael Kurtz
Manufacturer: Faber & Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 057117146X

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A lightweight and unfortunately dated biography, but useful enough.......2006-11-26

Michael Kurtz's STOCKHAUSEN: A Biography was first published in German in 1988. This English translation by Richard Toop appeared in 1992, and includes a few brief remarks on events which occured between the two editions. The book is emphatically a biography, for while it is understood that one can best describe the composer's life by the works he turns out, there is little heavy analysis of Karlheinz Stockhausen's music. In fact, it's almost as musicologically lightweight as Toop's biography of Ligeti, though it is illustrated not only with photos but also with many samples from the scores.

After a preface that vaguely descibes the mature Stockhausen's long writing of his opera LICHT (which was finally completed years after this biography appeared), we start with Stockhausen's birth. The history of his family and the interesting landscape of his ancestral lands is presented and, while coverage of Stockhausen's childhood and adolescent is limited, the reader learns how the young man first wrote a variety of literary works before deciding to become a composer.

Most of the book covers the period 1951-1975. We meet first the Darmstadt serialist, and see him become a electronic wizard. Entering the 1960s, Kurtz tracks Stockhausen's impressive world travels, including frequent visits to the U.S. and a highly significant first visit to Asia. The formation of the Stockausen Ensemble and its notable performances in a Lebanon cave and at the Osaka World Fair get detailed examination. Along the way, there are a few references to Stockhausen's personal life, such as his marriage to Doris Stockhausen, followed by his relationship with Mary Bauermeister and eventual parting. Kurtz never outright judges Stockhausen to have become an increasingly eccentric and bizarre figure, but enough details are there that the reader can understand why critics many feel this way.

One major downside of the work is the skimpy coverage of Stockhausen's life after the middle of the 1970s. Granted, Stockhausen had ceased to grant many interviews at this time, and was working with an intimate circle of family and close friends who aren't too talkative, so these decades would be a challenge for a biographer. But there's not even much talk of the musical output. We're repeatedly told that the LICHT cycle is a significant piece of work, but details about the operas complete up until that point are missing.

And while we see Stockhausen's place in the wider Darmstadt circle in the 1950s, there seems little attempt to place him in a larger context afterward. For example, the German composer was not the only one to turn to astral mysticism in 1968, as Per Norgard in Denmark did the same, but there's no such discussion of such trends. Stockhausen's close friendship with Boulez in the 1950s is mentioned, but the reader does not find out how the two men viewed each other in later decades.

If you are looking for serious analysis of Stockhausen's music, Robin Maconie's OTHER PLANETS is the book to get. Kurtz's biography is a good resource for anyone wanting a short overview of this highly influential and eccentric composer's life, in spite of its faults.

FASCINATING TILL LICHT.......1999-09-18

KURTZ' BIOGRAPHY IS EXCEEDINGLY RECOMMENDABLE FOR BOTH PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST HEARD ABOUT THIS GREAT COMPOSER AND WANT TO KNOW MORE AND FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIS MUSIC BUT DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HIS LIFE EXCEPT STRANGE MYTHS (RELIGIOUS GURU WHO COMPOSED MASTERPIECES IN HIS EARLY YEARS BUT WENT MAD AFTER HE HAD COME IN TOUCH WITH EASTERN RELIGIONS). HOWEVER, THE PHOTOS AND KURTZ' MORE THAN JUST ENTERTAINING STYLE (ALTHOUGH PROFESSORS WILL MISS AN ANALYTICAL APPROACH) GIVE A GOOD IDEA OF STOCKHAUSEN'S CHARACTER AND HOW HE WORKS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE BOOK LOSES MUCH OF ITS FASCINATION AND RICHNESS WHEN IT COMES TO THE "LICHT-OPERN". BUT (AND THIS IS A BIG BUT) IT'S A SHAME THAT THIS BOOK WHICH IS THE ONLY BIOGRAPHY ON STOCKHAUSEN SO FAR ISN'T AVAILABLE ANY LONGER.

very thorough biography of stockhausen.......1998-10-09

this book does an excellent job of covering stockhausen's life from birth to present, and probably most importantly how his life experiences affected and continue to affect his music. very comprehensive, an entertaining read, and very informative.

Comprehensive Study of Music: Anthology of Music from Debussy Through Stockhausen Vol. IV

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Comprehensive Study of Music: Anthology of Music from Debussy Through Stockhausen Vol. IV
etc. Brandt William
Manufacturer: Harper & Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0061614203
Release Date: 1977-03-01

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Conversations with Stockhausen
Mya Tannenbaum
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0193154676

Book Description

Karlheinz Stockhausen, the most controversial composer to have emerged from postwar Germany, has had a powerful influence on contemporary music. This intriguing series of interviews between Stockhausen and Mya Tannenbaum, a reporter for the noted Milan newspaper Corriere della Sera, reveals
the human personality behind the music, touching upon his working methods, his family, his attitudes toward the various arts, and his outspoken views on religion, mysticism, astrology, humanity, and the universe. We hear polemics against many members of the music profession, from the great
conductors and performers to the anonymous electricians and technicians, and yet, despite Stockhausen's intolerant and opinionated criticism of others, one cannot put the book down without having acquired a greater interest in, and sympathy for, his music.

Die Reihe, A Periodical Devoted to Developments In Contemporary Music, Volume 1 Electronic Music

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Die Reihe, A Periodical Devoted to Developments In Contemporary Music, Volume 1 Electronic Music
Herbert & Stockhausen, Karlheinz Eimert
Manufacturer: Theodore Presser Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000L3H400

The Electriconic Music of Karlheinz Stockhausen. Studies on the Esthetical and Formal Problems of its First Phase.

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The Electriconic Music of Karlheinz Stockhausen. Studies on the Esthetical and Formal Problems of its First Phase.
Seppo. Heikinheimo
Manufacturer: Musikvetenskapliga Sallskapet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UWYZO0

Book Description

nce a paradise for artists, slackers, and utopians, Seattle's spectacular ocean and mountain scenery has long bec-koned to those seeking an ideal city. Seattle and the Demons of Ambition tracks the astonishing ten years during which Seattle became the 'it' destination for new urbanites-and began to lose the struggle for its soul. Tracing the rise of Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon, and other avatars of the new economy, balanced against the growing homelessness, child abuse, and cultural disenchantment that culminated in the 1999 World Trade Organization riots, Fred Moody offers a remarkable account of urban boosterism and underground rage. Seattle's struggle with itself mirrors our larger American dilemma, where technology and development build wealth, but leave behind troubling human consequences that go unnoticed at our peril.

Customer Reviews:

I'll have some grunge with that frap, please.......2006-09-28

I think this book captures the Seattle native perspective pretty well. I really enjoyed it. Fact checking would've helped, though. For example, on page 168 it says: "Two DIY bands from elsewhere in the country who eventually were accorded mainstream stardom earlier in the 1980s were the B-52s from Athens, Georgia, and R.E.M. from Austin, Texas...." But both of those bands were from Athens, and use that fact quite extensively in their publicity (also, the B-52's spell their name with the apostrophe). Nitpicking, especially because it was more of an aside in the main name-dropping narrative? Maybe. But it's pretty easy stuff to check, and this kind of thing always makes me nervous about other "factual" assertions made in a book.
This does not seem to have been corrected in the paperback version.

If you know Seattle you will love this book!.......2005-03-29

As a Northwest native, (I've lived in Seattle since 1975) I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and couldn't put it down. I find the criticisms of the writing by some of the revieweres to be unimportant in the context of the book, and I enjoyed the casual popint of view. This is informal Seattle after all... relax!

Fred Moody has articulated the conflicted feelings many long-time Seattlites have had while witnessing the changes that Seattle has gone though in the last few decades. Emotions ranged from allure and fascination to envy, sorrow and loathing as we saw the character of our town forever altered. Moody documents our the destruction of our city's laid-back aura as Seattle's lifestyle is gradually degraded by the "most livable" hyperbole, the pretensions of self-importance, a constant influx of newcomers, the rise of the youthful noveau-riche, skyrocketing housing costs, the increasing crime, and terrible traffic. At the end of the book, Moody asserts that "lesser Seattle" still remains, hidden under all the hype, but I'm not so sure. A great deal of what made Seattle "livable" has been lost forever, and this book documents this process very well. If you are looking for the old Seattle, try Portland.

all over the place .......2004-12-28

Very disappointing as the author lost me when he began talking too much about either his own life or the Seattle Weekly he worked for. There is plenty of interesting stuff about the usual Seattle stuff (Ivar's, the M's and Seahawks, the grunge music scene, Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon.com, etc.) but it's all over the place. This book needed serious editing and more focus on what exactly the author wanted to say about Seattle. It read more like a series of disjointed essays.

As far as Seattle goes, I got more out of the "politics" of the place reading Art Thiel's Out of Left Field and that book had a focus--specifically the history of the city's MLB team, the Mariners.

Seattle and Fred Moody Lose Their Innocence Together.......2004-12-22

After reading several novels featuring Seattle as a main character, I decided to read a nonfiction book that is unabashedly about Seattle. I didn't know I was going to get such a wonderful view of the city I grew up in and returned to after twenty-eight years away. At first I thought I was just being ethnocentric in my desire to read about Seattle. Then I thought about all the other cities involved in navel-gazing. "The New Yorker" magazine is far more self-involved than this or any other material I've read on Seattle. And in my years in Madison, Wisc. I saw the same phenomenon. There's a human need to understand better the places where we live.

And Fred Moody's love story to Seattle does that in an incredible way. To start with, he's a wonderful writer. Those who live here, or have lived here, or who are curious about the city, may enjoy it the most. But anybody who wants to know about what happened in the dot com boom and bust, anywhere in the country, or to understand grunge music, will get a non-technical understanding from this book. And if you want to get a picture of the beginnings of Microsoft, Starbucks, or Amazon.com, this is the place to get the inside scoop. Moody's job at the "Seattle Weekly" gave him stories at all those "important" places, as well as many other minor but fascinating places as well.

The Microsoft and dot com stories fascinated me, perhaps because they started in the years when I was gone. When Moody first went to interview Bill Gates, the building was full of kids and chaos, but things were laid back in spite of all the hard work. Moody was groomed for his interview, and told what to ask and not ask. He got as nervous as if he were interviewing a head of state. Then this unprepossessing kid walked into the office. Talk was hard at first until Gates got into the swing of things, and then he answered every question and more. What impressed Moody most: You have to be modest, because everybody contributes their piece. Moody should have remembered that, when, years later, during the boom, he got swept off his feet by two truly crazy kids who kept telling him what geniuses they were. They talked him into leaving his low-paying but stable job at the "Weekly" to get rich quick with their start-up. Of course it went belly-up in short order, just as so many others did. He dropped into a deep depression that took his daughter's scorn to pull him out of.

When I returned to Seattle to live in 1997, I thought the city had gone crazy. The pace was frantic, the place was rich, and everyone wanted their piece of the pie. If you didn't have it, you must have a character flaw (I was disabled and couldn't work, so what was wrong with ME?) I still loved it, but felt like Seattle was cruisin' for a bruisin' as my brother used to say when we were kids. Turns out he was right. I loved Moody's chronicle of his life in the Seattle of my childhood, and the years I wasn't here for.

Strong exposition on the sociopolitical aspects of Seattle.......2004-10-03

Fred Moody's _Seattle and the Demons of Ambition_ is one of the best works on contemporary Seattle history and sociopolitical development. When combined with Murray Morgan's _Skid Road_, Sallie Tisdale's _Stepping Westward_, Roger Sale's _Seattle: Past to Present, Clark Humphrey's _Loser_, and Emmett Watson's _My Life in Print_, one gains an exceptional understanding of what the land and culture of Seattle was and currently is like; knowledge that many current-day Seattlites do not seem to exhibit.

Moody's analysis of Seattle as a city slowly pulled into the abyss of hype and "overshoot and collapse" cycles is effective and well-documented with historical examples and other sources. One becomes aware that nearly any small town with improvident civic "boosters" is potentially doomed to a fate similar to Seattle's rise and fall, and that Seattle itself is simply a current manifestation of a perpetual problem in human societies. If one looks hard enough, perhaps some of the symptoms of ambition can be found in one's own town.

My main two criticisms of this work concern the writing style and Moody's analysis of "grunge" music. Moody's writing style is informal, often too informal for my tastes. At times, I found myself surprised at the poorness of this veteran journalist/writer's sentences. I agree with some other reviewers that Moody seems to write a bit too much in some areas: Microsoft, his experiences in the computer industry, and his life with some dot-commers. Those chapters could be edited to be tighter and shorter, cutting out what seems like irrelevant paragraphs that contribute little, but still containing all the prose that supports the theme he is trying to expose, that of ambition slowly emerging, grasping, and encompassing Seattle.

Grunge, I posit, is not a "psychological manifestation of our [Seattle's] meteorological condition," contrary to what Moody says. There is no reasoning to support this; Seattle as some eternal place of clouds and gloom is a myth. Furthermore, many other geographic locations across the world display similar "meteorological conditions" as Seattle and have not necessarily developed a musical style analogous to it. The creation of grunge, as I see it, was a very considered reaction to the vast political and sociological changes occurring in Seattle and the United States at that time. That it had local and national music influences is a given; that the weather somehow influenced the music is not.

Book Description

This informative and engaging book chronicles Lucy Lawless's journey from a budding opera singer to the surprising story of her landing the role of Xena. The book also tells the story of Reneé O'Connor, the blond-haired Texan who plays Xena's storytelling sidekick, and the undying support of Reneé's mother, who helped garner a fan base for her daughter that rivals Lucy's. Focusing on the unprecedented fan phenomenon that surrounds this highly inventive show, this book features a guide to various Xena Internet web sites, fan clubs, and e-mail listserves, including interviews with many of the fans who run them. It also includes reports by fans about the infamous subtext issue that has lured in the biggest single fan demographic, experiences of seeing Lucy in the Broadway production of Grease! in fall 1997, and why they love or hate Joxer. Also featured is a detailed episode guide. Using the show's references to various ancient myths, Stafford offers a historical background and analysis of each episode to enrich viewers' experience of each episode. Featuring a 16-page color photo section, exclusive photos from conventions, appearances, and autograph signings, and original illustrations, this is a fascinating book that Xena fans won't want to miss.

Customer Reviews:

An incredible insight into Xena fandom.......2000-12-14

I was one of the people Nikki Stafford interviewed for this book. Sadly, the fan survey she conducted had to be cut from the final version, but a great deal of information was still included. Nikki's research into the show, its stars, and the fans who built an international community around Xena: Warrior Princess in the early years is unsurpassed.

Some other books have since come out which seemed to me to be nothing more than blatant attempts to capitalize on the success of one of the most popular syndicated television shows in history. This book always struck me as something different. But maybe that's just because the author took the time to see what the fans thought and cared about.

Fantastic critical guide to all episodes..........1999-09-20

One thing in this book that stands out from the others is that Nikki bothered to comment on the different episodes. This is better than the official book!! I like the way that there is a personal voice in the comments, and the way that the author dared to criticse it, and add some suggestions as well. Brilliant work!!

i loved it........1999-08-28

this book is great.it has every thing you need to know about xena.it has a chapter on the broodway production of grease that lucy was in.what lucy and renee were like as kids.it also has two or three pages of comics.if you love xena you'll live this book.

Very comphrehensive guide to the Xenaverse.......1999-07-23

This book is the best Xena book I have read, maybe even better than the official one. It contains their biographies and a complete script of one of Lucy and Renee's conventions. It also lists the most websites and groups. The episode guide was very informative. It contained some mistakes that the author found with the show. This book is worth every cent!

A must for any Xena and Lucy Fan!.......1998-12-18

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was very informative and by most accountants accurate. I would suggest this book to any Xenite! :) BATTLE ON!!

Customer Reviews:

Is This the Best There Is?.......2003-04-03

I am a very experienced C/C++ software engineer currently taking a community college class on WinSock networking programming. I'm used to dealing with difficult text books. However this is one of the worst I have ever wrestled with.

There are no exercises in the book. All their examples are long; no short examples of code to clarify any topic. Their way of explaining most subjects seems to me to be unclear, their wording such that I have to read a paragraph several times to figure out what they are trying to say. Finally and especially, their explanation of the key topic of socket states is flat-out awful. I have had a little experience dealing tangentially with socket states on my last project, and I still came away from this chapter confused and with my head spinning.

I hope that there are better WinSock books than this out there!

The worst book.......2003-03-22

I'd not recommend to read this book - waste of time. First 13 chapters contain tons of unimportant information about specifications, history and general words about how networking is great. Although these chapters contained a bit of example code - this didn't work at all. Since the 13th chapter there is a terrible example of a full scale FTP client that is totally unclear. At that point I closed the book. My friend had the same book, he went further - threw the book away.
In fact I learned basics of Windows sockets from the greatest book of Petzold "Programming Windows", where every code was working and then ported my knowledge of UNIX networking to Windows.

Secondary Reference, Even for Windows.......2003-03-03

Although this book is focused on Windows and most of my (current) programming focuses on that, I usually end up referring to two UNIX books instead ("UNIX Network Programming" and "Advanced Programming for the UNIX Environment"). Those books have nearly identical syntax, but do a better job of explaining things. For Windows, there are some peculiarities (i.e., shortfalls) that you need to be aware of, so you really should own all three books, as I do. The amount of time that you save will be well worth it.

Antiquated.......2001-06-22

While this book has a lot of good information, it is out dated, sometimes wildly so. It continually hampers itself with discussions of 16-bit Windows which, while still in use in 1995/1996, was clearly on the way out, contrary to what the writers assert in the first chapter. Having said that, it is well written and the book deserves a second edition, dedicated to Winsock2 with nary a word on 16-bit windows.

Outdated.......2000-11-08

This is a Winsock 1.0 primer. There is a hastily-written ending chapter on 2.0, but it is far too brief.

Book Description

This volume answers the question "How does one use TCP/IP?"—focusing on the client-server paradigm, and examining algorithms for both the client and server components of a distributed program. KEY TOPICS: It presents an implementation that illustrates each design and discusses techniques like application-level gateways and tunneling. The book also reviews several standard application protocols and uses them to illustrate the algorithms and implementation techniques.

Customer Reviews:

A good network programming book.......2007-06-02

I want to set the expectations straight. This is not the best Winsock programming book. This book address higher level issues with network programming and it does a very good job at it. It is going to presents the different options for writing a server such as concurrent vs iterative or single thread vs multithread and explains carefully the tradeoff of each option. In my opinion that is the strength and the originality of the book. Another favorite part of the book is the presentation of the complete implementation of a telnet client where the author leads you through all the design and implementation process by explaining you the reasoning behind each decision.

What I did not like about the book is that like the volume 1, too many topics are covered so in many chapters the author barely touch the topic without going in depth into it and I am questioning the value of these chapters as reference.

good for beginners.......2004-02-04

If you're just a beginner, or you're moving to Winsock from Unix; then the book covers all you need.

But does not include the details of the Winsock (overlapped io, dealing with multiple providers (for different protocols), async io, etc). So I believe that the title should not include "windows sockets version"

Your Winsock book - by default - if you really need one!.......2002-08-02

I decided to write this note after a fourth person asked me about my favorite book for winsock programming.

The answer is, since winsock is built on BSD sockets, and what isn't in BSD sockets but is in winsock is mostly Windows operating system related, your best bet is still the MSDN reference material. That is, if you already have some background in TCP/IP from Unix platform. If not, and you insist on a winsock specific book, there are not that many choices I know of. So this is probably your best bet.

If you are a beginning TCP/IP programmer, this will help. Pretty readable and well organized. But most of the examples in the book are for the type of applications which have already been written and rewritten several times over in the world and you can always find those someplace on the web. I find myself going to back to Richard Stevens volumes and to the RFCs, online documentations at Microsoft and elsewhere. But then, that might be because I started my TCP/IP days from UNIX/SunOS/IRIX.

For beginning TCP/IP programming this can be a good book. There are some paragraphs here and there with sloppy editing - technical and otherwise - but within tolerable limits. And, that is why I did not give it five stars.

More about design than actual code.......2000-07-26

The book is much more about how to design a service than about TCP/IP. If you want detailed explanations about sockets, you will not find them here. But if you want different scenarios to design a service, this is the book for you. The code snippetes are trivial and poorly explained.

Great concepts, marginal examples.......1999-10-15

The book provides a good conceptual overview of how to do TCP/IP programming but some of the examples are flawed and don't work as the text specifies.

Network Programming with Windows Sockets (Bk/Disk)

Average customer rating:

Good Oldie
Fun to Read for a Beginner in TCP/IP Sockets Programming
Better than many books in this field, but still not great.
Good on theory, good samples to start out with

Network Programming with Windows Sockets (Bk/Disk)
Pat Bonner
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall Ptr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0132301520

Customer Reviews:

Good Oldie.......2001-01-04

Nice book in terms of content, probably one can learn much of the concepts, however it is too old. The examples could not be compiled anymore, without significant effort.

Fun to Read for a Beginner in TCP/IP Sockets Programming.......1999-12-10

I found that this book very helpful for me to get a good practical foundation on TCP/IP Sockets. The book is well-organized as a tutorial covering from the basics to ftp & telnet protocol and implementation. The real fun is with the program examples which is manageable to get all the great feelings and fun. One note to make it work, as it is complied with Visual C++ v1.5. It will fail with fatal error during linkage. To make it work with Visual C++ v6, one needs to change: (1) #include "winsock.h" to #include "windows.h" (2) change link option (in Project | Setting | Link) from winsock.lib to ws2_32.lib. This is explained in "INFO: README for Win32 Software Development Kit, Part 1 of 2 ID: Q167799" of MSDN library.

Better than many books in this field, but still not great........1998-07-15

At first, the book appears to present its information in a fairly intelligent fashion, but when the reader wants to get beyond simple demo applications or the basic principles of socket programming, Ms. Bonner offers little practical advice.

Good on theory, good samples to start out with.......1998-07-09

With this book, without any previous socket knowledge, I was able to write a functioning socket application for downloading instrument data from a ticker server...however, when it came to a crunch, the samples provided with the Windows SDK were more useful than this book. Still a good book, though.

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