Product Description
Ellen Gallagher has emerged as one of the most acclaimed youngartists in the United States over the past decade, and this book will be thefirst to present a significant body of recent work in one volume. Gallagherinflects the surface of her layered drawings and paintings with unique ironyand wit. They refer obliquely to a history of African American stereotypesthrough minute interventions on the canvas: tongues, eyes, wigs, and lipsappear like individual musical notes. Their lack of fully formed bodiesunderlines the manner in which these stereotypical images were used:appearing as disembodied parts in advertisements, toys, and other productsof the popular culture. It is through repetition of this limited vocabularyof signs that meanings are established and transformed in Gallagher's work.The large-scale paintings in the exhibition and this accompanying bookexplore her personal iconography of forms. Included will be Gallagher'srecent all-black paintings as well as a carefully selected group of drawingsfrom the artist's own collection. In addition, it features an extensiveinterview with the artist, for which she has executed several drawingsspecifically to illustrate this section, as well as critical essays on thework.

Ellen Gallagher was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and educated atOberlin College and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. She hashad solo exhibitions at the Gagosian Gallery in New York and Anthony D'OffayGallery in London. Her work has been reviewed in major art andgeneral-interest publications throughout the world, including "Artforum,""W," the "New York Times," and many others, and is in major publiccollections nationwide.She lives and works in New York City andProvincetown, Massachussetts.

Edited by Jessica Morgan. Essays by Robert Storr and Greg Tate. Interview byJessica Morgan. Foreword by Jill Medvedow.

55 color.

10.5 x 10.5 in. ... Read more

Product Description
How the Body Shapes the Mind is an interdisciplinary work that addresses philosophical questions by appealing to evidence found in experimental psychology, neuroscience, studies of pathologies, and developmental psychology. There is a growing consensus across these disciplines that the contribution of embodiment to cognition is inescapable. Because this insight has been developed across a variety of disciplines, however, there is still a need to develop a common vocabulary that is capable of integrating discussions of brain mechanisms in neuroscience, behavioral expressions in psychology, design concerns in artificial intelligence and robotics, and debates about embodied experience in the phenomenology and philosophy of mind. Shaun Gallagher's book aims to contribute to the formulation of that common vocabulary and to develop a conceptual framework that will avoid both the overly reductionistic approaches that explain everything in terms of bottom-up neuronal mechanisms, and inflationistic approaches that explain everything in terms of Cartesian, top-down cognitive states.

Gallagher pursues two basic sets of questions. The first set consists of questions about the phenomenal aspects of the structure of experience, and specifically the relatively regular and constant features that we find in the content of our experience. If throughout conscious experience there is a constant reference to one's own body, even if this is a recessive or marginal awareness, then that reference constitutes a structural feature of the phenomenal field of consciousness, part of a framework that is likely to determine or influence all other aspects of experience. The second set of questions concerns aspects of the structure of experience that are more hidden, those that may be more difficult to get at because they happen before we know it. They do not normally enter into the content of experience in an explicit way, and are often inaccessible to reflective consciousness. To what extent, and in what ways, are consciousness and cognitive processes, which include experiences related to perception, memory, imagination, belief, judgment, and so forth, shaped or structured by the fact that they are embodied in this way? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A sweet and sour blend of technical writing and great prose: not for the uneducated.
To begin, I must state: Buyer Beware. This text is involved and difficult to follow if you lack background in the field, be it even a class in university. I am currently taking a class that overviews subjects presented herein, and it seems if I were not I would only understand the book on a superficial level. With that said, How the Body Shapes the Mind is definitely a must-read for anyone interested in neuroscience, neuropsychology, and any related fields. The author spends a lot of time propping up popular or controversial interdisciplinary concepts from body image to the interconnectivity of the senses to free will itself and deftly taking them apart, rearranging them, and finding wholly new and interesting points of view. The book takes fields as varied as psychology, neurophysiology, and philosophy and weaves a web of facts, studies, and logic to present the author's viewpoint on a number of issues throughout the cognitive sciences and beyond to the philosophy of the mind.

I admit, there are moments in the book where I worried, "why is this book titled `How the Body Shapes the Mind'?" It felt like Gallagher was jumping from topic to disparate topic, with only certain chapters or sections actually pertaining to this overarching theme. However, by the end of each chapter, Gallagher masterfully and with genius execution brings each section into the whole.

The book is set up thematically into two Parts, which are subdivided into Chapters with sub-sections.
First, Gallagher delves into the realm of proprioception and revisits age old topics of body image and body schema. He also presents surprisingly insightful ideas on the nature of language and gestures. In my opinion this part held the most meat (empirical backing), taking two terms with convoluted meanings, and defining them in explicit and logical ways such that he can build and base further information in the book upon it.

To merely define is not enough, according to Gallagher, one must also explain how and why. The author spends a major section of his text describing in absolute detail, often referring back to prior sections in a way that may be defined by some as excessively self-referential (perhaps not to the level of an "infinite regress", but close) , the ontological precepts of body schema and body image. This is an admirable way to present information, which presents it in a clear manner which he juxtaposes against extensive research and academic thought. This skillful presentation gives the author sufficient freedom to present new ideas without being hung up on the complications of necessarily testing all aspects of it.

Part 2 of the book leaves the realm of empirical research almost entirely, and focuses primarily philosophy and pathology. Gallagher successfully represents the text in the title. Every chapter leads further into how the body shapes the mind. By the end, the weight of all text bears down on the reader, suffocating them under the breadth and width of the discussion. The text becomes at times tedious, while at others interesting and refreshing. Most of this is due to writing style. The author is a very thorough writer to such an extent that the reader may be bogged down in the details, searching for the final point of the section.

The final chapters of the book take philosophical concepts such as Theory of the Mind and free will. It then takes these concepts, and argues successfully against all prevailing (presented) viewpoints. The deftness of the writing should be applauded. If there ever were a hole or weak spot in the author's own argument, it is exposed, poked, and prodded in kind with the rest. Having no background in either topic, these sections were of particular interest for their introduction into the concepts, and then subsequent explanation of the body-mind duality and interactions which subsist between them.

As books go, this book is information dense, and definitely food for thought. The sections are ordered in such a manner that one creates a foundation for the next, and information flows bi-directionally, yet smoothly between chapters. The book will change your perspective on how you individually interact with the world, and will make you consider every action, thought, and movement with a new perspective. This book would have been one of those that simply cannot be put down until the end for me, except the flow and ease of reading were interrupted by two things. One, as mentioned earlier, is the distracting level of self-reference to other sections of the book, and the information provided therein. There are one or two studies in that book which were mentioned in sufficient detail to stand alone four or five times. Gallagher's habit of doing this may convince you to skim. Be careful, though, as new points interspersed or at the end of the reiteration may be missed. Second is Gallagher's ubiquitous use of footnotes. Personally, footnotes destroy the flow of a narrative, and make it difficult to keep track of the point throughout a monologue. Worse yet, the footnotes in this text can extend over a couple of pages, and often present lots of information that is integral to the actual book itself, so they cannot be skipped successfully.

Though the book is set up with architectural precision, and a distinctly scientific bend and tone, Gallagher allows himself some artistry. One poetic example from the book: "The body generates a gestural expression. It is, however, another person who moves, motivates, and mediates this process. To say that language moves my body is already to say that other people move me." Read it yourself to find the other gems.

In summary: read this book if the title interests you. The book covers exactly what it says it covers. If you like footnotes, and the character they bring to this book: enjoy. Otherwise I recommend reading them after you've gone through a section. You will find the book much more readable, and thus enlightening. If you don't have $30, hope that they lower the price down to a more reasonable level, it is definitely worth to buy if you can afford it.

The most important book yet written on cogition, embodiment, development, and sociality.
Shaun Gallagher's How the Body Shapes the Mind serves as the gold standard for lucidity and persuasiveness of argument in the cognitive sciences and philosophy of mind.This work focuses on embodiment and its essential role in informing and constraining mind(s).

If you're looking for a book which covers, in depth, all of the essential topics, while providing a rigorous, clear, and often times quite entertaining conceptual framework for thinking about the mind, this is your best bet.

Good technical presentation
This book is aimed mainly at workers in the field and in related aspects of brain functioning. It is solid, important and well worth reading. ... Read more

Product Description
With the advances in digital technology, musicians can now produce their own music at home. Over the years the gear has gotten much better, and musicians have learned a great deal about recording. So why do so many musicians and engineers have difficulty getting truly professional-sounding results? One reason? Acoustics. If the room you're working in has poor acoustics, it will be extremely difficult -- if not impossible -- to produce excellent results. You can't capture a true sound if the microphones don't hear the instruments and vocals correctly. You have to be able to hear what's truly going on with your tracks to make the proper decisions about editing, equalizing, processing, and mixing them. Acoustics can be a complex, math-laden science, but treating a room to make it sound great and function optimally as a recording studio needn't be difficult nor require hours in front of a calculator or computer screen. Improving a studio's acoustics can be simple and inexpensive -- all you need is some guidance. Acoustic Design for the Home Studio focuses on creating a greatsounding home or project studio in an existing room. It teaches the basic principles of acoustics that affect you in your home or project studio and how to solve any acoustical problems you may have without laying out much (or any) money. Whether you're converting abedroom, a garage, a basement, or a corner of the living room, this book will help you improve the sound of the environment in which you're making music.The principles are easy to understand and the materials used for treating a room are readily available. Diagrams and photos of actual rooms created with the designs are included to illustrate concepts. Whether you want to pursue a no-cost solution, use "off -the-shelf" acoustic materials, or even splurgewith an unlimited budget, you'll learn how to put your room together easily and effectively. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Easy reading and essential for a home studio
Easy, quick read that sort of gives you what you need to know in order to build you own home recording space.I would have preferred a bit heavier on the technical side, but it does give you what you really need to know with plenty of practical examples.

Great book with the answers you need for in-home studios
I found this to be the only book that specifically deals with how to best treat an in-house studio without having to completely overall the construction and materials of the space.It had all the answers I was looking for and was a very easy and to the point read.

The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is the discussion and explanation on sound physics is fairly brief and could have been used further into the book, but that also could be overkill for some.Definitely recommended!

top notch book very informative
this is great book but you'll need money, time and space to build
the rooms to have proper acoustics. I also recommend calling John Hile at the Soundproofing Company to get a great deal on Green Glue and sound isolation clips

Excellent instructional and reference book
This book demonstrates very simple and cost effective ways to improve any space in your home for critical listening.Highly recommended.

Great book
This is a really good book.I am in the process of acoustically treating my home studio right now and this book was like my Bible haha!If you are wanting to learn about acoustic treatment and/or are needing to know what to do with your home studio I highly recommend this book!It's really easy to understand and a good read! ... Read more

Product Description
This extensively illustrated book presents the astrophysics of galaxies since their beginnings in the early Universe. It has been thoroughly revised to take into account the most recent observational data, and recent discoveries such as dark energy. There are new sections on galaxy clusters, gamma ray bursts and supermassive black holes. The authors explore the basic properties of stars and the Milky Way before working out towards nearby galaxies and the distant Universe. They discuss the structures of galaxies and how galaxies have developed, and relate this to the evolution of the Universe. The book also examines ways of observing galaxies across the whole electromagnetic spectrum, and explores dark matter and its gravitational pull on matter and light. This book is self-contained and includes several homework problems with hints. It is ideal for advanced undergraduate students in astronomy and astrophysics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An excellent Undergraduate Textbook about Galaxies
This is one of the clearest and best written undergraduate-level textbooks on galaxies, requiring a fair amount of mathematics and physics to fully appreciate the harder sections. However, things are very well explained in the clear prose, even if you don't want to grapple with the (not over-numerous) equations. Sparke and Gallagher are "good practical extragalactic astronomers" who distil for the reader much of the everyday knowledge used by the observational extragalactic astronomer, with a stronger focus on easier-to-appreciate observational results than on their complex and difficult derivations. This textbook sensibly begins with several chapters on the Milky Way galaxy, as our own Galaxy represents "baseline truth" in humankind's quest to understand the galaxies.
This book is easy to read and very well structured. But it is at the university level; so the reader must have some prior algebra, and the ideal reader of this book should also be comfortable with graphs and physical argument.

Be Sure to Work the Problems
Galaxies in the Universe is an absolutely wonderful book.That being said, it is the type of textbook written so that the problems are an integral part of the text.That's not my personal preference because my schedule is such that I don't always have time to work them.The other problem with that style is that if you get stuck on any one problem, you run the risk of getting very little out of the rest of the book.Even so, most of the problems are very fun and not so difficult that someone who is strong in math and physics won't be able to get through them.

It is very definitely an introductory text intended to get one started on the basics before going to a different book to tackle harder material.By the end of the book you'll have done things like calculate the amount of dark matter that must exist within a given galaxy.My favorite part of this book is the section on gravitational lensing and dark matter.A long time ago I tried to decipher the original Kaiser and Squires article on the topic, and never really succeeded.This book explained the material with wonderful clarity.

The mathematical content of the book is relatively simple.Anyone familiar with multivariable calculus should be able to work through it without too much trouble.Some of the key results and ideas will be familiar to physics majors who've already taken a classical mechanics course or a thermostatistics course, but applied in a sufficiently different context that they don't seem redundant.This would be a good book for someone who has strong basics in general physics, is strong in undergraduate calculus, and has an interest in galactic astrophysics.

Galaxies in the Universe review
This book does an excellent job of delineating the many observations of galaxies, not only in the present but also in the formation of galaxies and clusters of galaxies since the big bang. Much of the contemporary theories about galactic structure and star movements is backed up with math. Since this is a textbook, there are many problems to work on, and there are solution hints in an appendix. I would recommend it to any serious student of astronomy and physics.

Good, but not great
This book is a little dense and its homework problems are especially confusing because of the poor framework laid out to solve them. ... Read more

Product Description
In the highly praised memoir Things Seen and Unseen, Nora Gallagher reflected on a year of spiritual renewal and the fact of mortality with uncommon wisdom and grace. We rejoin her in Practicing Resurrection as Gallagher searches for direction in the wake of her brother’s death. A desire to reclaim her own “wild life” and a sense of the sacred in the worldcompels her to assess everything: her marriage, her writing career, and her commitment to parish life. A profound testimony to the urgency of living with meaning, to the natural world’s solace and sacredness and a beautiful and often harrowing account of the search for vocation. Gallagher bears witness to the way death yields new life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Beautiful stories. Frequently made me cry.
Beautiful stories. Frequently made me cry.

Gallagher is discerning a vocation from the priesthood in the context of the Episcopal church, so some of it is strange to me whose church home is a radical queer Methodist church (and whose secondary church home is a UCC church) -- reading the book I sometimes retort, "You don't have to be ordained to do that! _I_'ve done that!" I feel confident that I'm not Called to ordained ministry (at least not right now -- I'm allowing for...more Beautiful stories. Frequently made me cry.

Gallagher is discerning a vocation from the priesthood in the context of the Episcopal church, so some of it is strange to me whose church home is a radical queer Methodist church (and whose secondary church home is a UCC church) -- reading the book I sometimes retort, "You don't have to be ordained to do that! _I_'ve done that!" I feel confident that I'm not Called to ordained ministry (at least not right now -- I'm allowing for the possibility that this will change at some later point in my life), but I like the stuff she says about discernment -- the reminder of the value of practicing silent contemplation, active listening for the Spirit.

practicing resurrection
Nora is a wonderful writer who describes both her inner and out worlds in such a way that both the lay and professional minister/follow will identify herself or himself.She is honest about her struggles and in her transparency brings comfort and a deja vu experience for the reader.Whether you are a new or 'old' Christian I think your will be inspired and encouraged by Gallagher's journey.

Learning Resurrection
I wish Nora Gallagher lived next door to me. I'd like to hear more about her courageous faith. I wanted more about practicing resurrection. She left me hungry. What a great title! Gallagher writes so wonderfully about matters unspeakable, ineffable, silent and deep. She puts words to hidden yearnings. The glimpse into the clerical side of the Ep[iscopal Church was fascinating too, and her critique enlightening. It's so gratifying to read a book about God that is real, touching, and grounded.

Beautiful memoir that lacks focus and direction
In Practicing Resurrection, Nora Gallagher writes movingly and spiritually about the various crises facing her and the world around her. Her book has a lot to say about living in community and finding spiritual direction; unfortunately, the structure of her tale does not contain a similar direction. It is riveting in the middle, but suffers from a muddled, boring beginning and a rambling, uncertain ending. It contains a lot of good thoughts hidden in the midst of irrelevant chatter. Perhaps the problem is more than structure, for Gallagher seems to travel from uncertainty to uncertainty and, though this is a journey, in the end, doesn't change all that much. Maybe she just wanted to write another book.

what if it's true?
In this sequel to her bestseller Things Seen and Unseen (1998), Nora Gallagher continues to explore what a life of Christian faith marked by authenticity and integrity might look like in our contemporary world. She compares her journey of faith to the swimming lessons she took as a child: "The life of faith [is] amorphous, ephemeral, a glimpse, a moment. Trusting it [is] like my early swimming lessons learning to float." In particular, her brother Kit's diagnosis of bladder cancer, a prognosis for a "zero percent" chance of recovery, the horrors of surgery and chemotherapy, and eventual death all forced her to ask life-altering questions about God's call upon her own life.

The themes of vocation and call loom large in Practicing Resurrection. Through her many involvements at Trinity Episcopal Church in Santa Barbara, Gallagher began to wonder what might God have for her. To what could she devote her passion and considerable skills? Where did her joy and gladness intersect with the world's needs, as Buechner once put it? Sensing a possible call to the priesthood, her church formed a "discernment committee" of four saints. They met once a month for three hours across the year, plying Gallagher with questions, telling their own stories about vocation, reading the Scriptures, praying, and, perhaps most important of all, "honoring listening." What voices should she listen to? Which ones should she tune out? What about her husband's deep ambivalence? Was the priesthood any more sacred than her identity as a writer that she had nurtured for over thirty years? After negotiating the labyrinth of the Episcopal bureaucracy and its application process, Gallagher was "exiled" to a very different parish with a very different priest for a year as a ministry-study student. At first she felt like she and the priest were on a "bad blind date," but across the year she gained a deep appreciation for her mentor's faithfulness.

While Gallagher was trying to discern how she might hear God's call, Trinity Episcopal grappled with how as a church they might extend a call. Their interim pastor had informed the vestry that he was gay. Should that impact whether they called him as their regular priest? How did they guard issues of confidentiality once the vestry knew but the congregation did not? How to tell the congregation? What about feelings of distrust and betrayal? Should the church wrap the different but related matter of gay marriages in with the possible call of the pastor? How might the denominational officials respond, if at all?

You'll have to read this fine memoir to learn about Gallagher's call to church and the church's call to their pastor. In the end she likens herself to a friend who was listening to an unctuous priest ask, "what do you really want for Christmas this year?" Her friend responded, "What I wanted to do was to stand up and call out, 'I would like to really believe in the resurrection.'" Her remark reminded me of the words of the eminent church historian Jaroslav Pelikan, who near the end of his life said, "If Jesus rose from the dead, nothing else matters. If Jesus did not raise from the dead, nothing else matters." In practicing resurrection we thus inaugurate a tiny bit of God's eschatological future into our lives today.

Gallagher's fans, and their numbers are considerable, will want to note the release of her first novel, Changing Light, in early 2007.

... Read more

Product Description
The distilled essence of Tai Chi philosophy and practical training tips from legendary masters past and present. What every serious Tai Chi student must know to really benefit from Tai Chi practice. Yang Cheng Fu's 'Ten Points,' priceless guidelines for Yang Style practice from the source of the art.Master J.J.Sung's 'Twelve points,' further elaboration and refinement of Yang's Ten Points. Ten Steps in training, a systematic guide toward greater achievement in Tai Chi. Nine ways for students to multiply the effectiveness of their training. Translation of the four major Tai Chi Classics, considered by many masters to be the foundation of the art. Taoist tales, showing the inner 'mystical' dimension of training. Translation of the Classics of the famed 'Five Animal Frolics,' precursors of Tai Chi, dating back more than 1800 years. What is the entire Tai Chi System and best ways to learn it. How to find a qualified Tai Chi Teacher. 'Secrets' of Chinese martial arts etiquette. And more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Still holds its own today, but no longer a standout...
Level: Beginner to Intermediate

The author describes this book, even this new edition, as a compilation of materials gathered together for himself and his students over the course of many years.The material was put together in the 1970s and 1980s, and originally released in and around that time.After reading it, I'm guessing that at the time of its original release, this book must have been somewhat revelationary to the English-speaking Tai Chi practitioner.It includes an impressively clear, practical interpretation of the "Tai Chi Classics"-- among thesetreatises the author's interpretation ofthose seminal works as outlined in Amazon's "Product Description" above.Today, however, there are several other interpretations available, and each provides a slightly different perspective, and therefore insights.Still, given that this interpretation in approaching 30+ years old, I am certainly impressed by its simple, down-to-earth clarity on how to utilize these admonitions for Tai Chi practice.To me, this is the meat of the book.

The author clearly intends this book for the beginner and intermediate practitioner, in that he opens with a long chapter on the "Five Animal Frolics"-- a simplified set of forms that enable the beginner to nail down basic concepts and biomechanics before embarking on the more complex Tai Chi set.I must say, I had never heard of the Frolics before, but a quick visit to the Internet and YouTube clarified things.Personally, I don't think that the Frolics are an absolute necessity, and certainly not without an instructor pointing out the key concepts.Instead, I'd rely more heavily on finding a good teacher, then focusing on single movement exercises to accomplish the same thing.Although not particularly taught this way in the West due to economic and cultural constraints, my instructor has told us stories about how his instructor would teach the form, one movement at a time, and wouldn't teach the next movement until he was satisfied that the pupil had achieved a high-level of competence in the movement before.In retrospect, this may very well have defeated my patience as a student, but also, again in hindsight, I can appreciate the value that such a method would bring.

The book also has an interesting chapter on Chinese instruction/school etiquette.My instructor, for example, is likely a hybrid with respect to this, so it will be interesting to view his actions/interpretations with these insights in mind.

Also a section on how to find a school, what to look for in a teacher, that was fairly rudimentary, but probably beneficial to the beginner.I'm heading into my tenth year of Tai Chi study at this time (12th in internal martial arts, and 28th in martial arts in general), and finding a great instructor is key.Unfortunately, it's definitely a Catch-22 for the uninitiated.Until you know something, it's hard to judge the wheat from the chaff.

The book also includes three anecdotal stories that the author is clearly fond of.While not boring, and perhaps even philosophically interesting, these were clearly more about philosophical interpretation than in anything directly related to the practice of Tai Chi.Oh, I know this statement might make some readers angry, but it's the truth.It's one thing to read the Tao Te Ching-- it's another thing altogether to have it help your Tai Chi practice.That's the same kind of thing here.The stories may have helped the author in his Tai Chi practice (and even he did not say this)-- it has not directly helped me so far.

In summary, while definitely ahead of its time, this book, 30 years later, despite the updated edition, is simply good today.It is no longer great, simply because it does not add anything new or groundbreaking, but is just another perspective among many now out there.As another reviewer has noted, this is not an instruction book-- no pictures, no movement descriptions or pointers on specific movements or forms.Just the major concepts from a number of noted "ancient" Tai Chi Masters and some other practical insights and a few philosophical stories.

Drawing Silk: Masters' Secrets for Successful Tai Chi Practice
That the book is well written is not to be disputed. However in this day and age the old adage: A picture is worth a 1000 words ...holds especially true in this discipline. The book is not written for the novice practitioner of Tai Chi, but rather for advanced students.

So my question is, what was the target audience for this book?

A Rich Tapestry
As a student of tai Chi for 15 years, my introduction to "Drawing Silk" has been a pleasure far beyond my anticipation. Master Gallagher weaves a rich tapestry from threads drawn from the Taiji classics, Taoist tales, philosophy, and culture. It is further spiced with ancient poems, translated by the author from the original Chinese.
Master Gallagher creates an atmoshere, simultaneously, of authority, authenticity, generosity, caring, guidance, inspiration and reflection which significantly impacted me.
This volume helped me identify gaps in my personal Tai Chi curriculum and provided direction for addressing those gaps. I can offer no greater recommendation. Enjoy...and benefit.

A Modern Tai Chi Classic
Everything the other reviewers have said about Drawing Silk is true. I have many books about Tai Chi, but this is the one I keep referring back to, sometimes to find advice on a problem and sometimes to clarify a point which has become fuzzy. Like the Tao, it continues to provide and is never emptied.

Excellent
Thank heavens this was reissued.Every T'ai Chi player needs this collection of essays. ... Read more

Product Description

Well-researched and applied, this best-selling text provides school officials the “how” and the “why” for effective communication with their staff and the community to improve school quality and student learning.

Customer Reviews (6)

Good Book
Bought this book for my wife who is in grad school.She has found it very useful and will be using some ideas in the classroom.

Just What I Needed
The book was just what I needed, and the price was right. Even including the shipping charges, the price was much more reasonable than purchasing it from my college bookstore.Kudos to you, Amazon!!! You came through once again!

School and COmmmunity Relations
This book would be an excellent text book for Teacher Leadership candidates, or anyone in the Leadership capacity.

School/Community Relations
I bought this book for my educational & administration supervision class.If you are in an administrative position working closely with the community of your local school, then this book is a great resource to guide you on speaking, presenting, editing, and negotiating tips.

The Schools and Community Relations
School and Community Relations, The (9th Edition)The books arrived early and in great condition - tks ... Read more

Product Description
Rory Gallagher, Steve Marriott, Rick Derringer and Robin Trower are guitar legends. The glue behind legendary barn-busting, hard-touring outfits like Taste, The Small Faces, Procol Harem and Humble Pie, and later realizing their full potentials as solo artists, this is the first biography - group or otherwise - of four players whose dedication to music and screaming virtuosity has been inspirational to a generation of fans and admirers. Gallagher, Marriott, Derringer and Trower is a candid look at the lives of four men who combined have sold more than 60,000,000 albums. Each has a unique musical story to tell, from roots in American rhythm and blues and rock 'n' roll to the joys and perils of life on the road, as well as the pitfalls of fame and the music business. What makes their stories unique is their intense dedication to their art and the fact that the careers of these trailblazing guitarists have never been thoroughly covered in print. This is not a linear, album-by-album study. Rather, it is an in-depth conversation with the artists themselves and those closest to them, including band members, management, record executives, road managers, crew, producers, studio engineers, family and friends: fully authorized, revealing and straight from the source. Features fantastic photographs throughout, many never before seen. Dan Muise has spent his entire 25-year career in the music business covering radio, band management, production and record company promotion. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Sex Drugs and Rock'n' Roll stories.
A cool book about four talented guitarists and what they have been through, it's all there the good the bad and the ugly.
Well written,cool photos and startling facts,check it out.

good, but not 5-star
While I appreciate what the author was doing here in letting the interviewees tell the stories, I agree with reviewer Wilhelm Emilsson about the less-than-stellar editing.I found a number of instances where I couldn't quite figure out what a particular interview paragraph was referring to in context, and had to go back how many ever paragraphs to acquire that context.It interrupted a smooth reading "flow" for me, if you will.

That aside, the lives and careers of these four artists told mainly from the persepectives of those closest to them was extremely interesting, and in a few cases, quite revealing.As much as I've always admired Steve Marriott the artist (my main interest of the four), Steve Marriott the person was decidedly something less than admirable quite a bit of the time.Of course this is nothing new in that arena..... muscial genius does not always go hand-in-hand with being a "nice guy".Very often their own worst enemy as well, as is evidenced in Steve's case.

I also want to add my voice to the reviewers who said that reading this book inspired them to go back to the music of one or more of these guys that maybe they hadn't listened to in a while.Me too!And replacing a number of my vinyl pieces with CD's!

Get this book for the interesting details and perspectives... just know that the read is a little "bumpy".

guitars and more
i bought this because i'm a big fan of one of these guys...but i read the whole thing...the style employed is relaxed...talking to the artists and those who knew them best. found out lots about the music business and the price of fame. the author has a knack for keeping himself out of the way. it left me feeling like i met these guys...i did meet two of them...ok rory gallegher stopped me on a nyc street and asked me if i knew where there was a guitar store...i did. not your typical rock and roll bio...this is well worth the money.

Four often overlooked greats
Without going into any deep analysis of this book I just want to add that while I was reading I went back and listened to the music that these guy made throughout their careers.
Each musician featured is an outstanding guitarist and I have been greatly influenced by most if not all of their work.
Humble Pie was one of the finest British Rock band of all time, and with so little available information about them, I was completely absorbed by their chapter.
This book is a simple treasure.

An interesting romp and a good read
Having listened to all of these musicians at one time or another throughout my life, I found this book fun, entertaining, and interesting.Using interviews with actual players on the scene, Muise gives some good insight into each of the musicians.The only real problems I had with the book were a lack of pictures, as well as missing dialogue from Marriott and Gallaher, both of whom were dead at the time of writing.While Muise did include some dialogue from Gallagher and just a tiny bit from Marriot, I felt as though he could have dug up some other interiews and included some other material to beef it up and round out the portraits.

Steve Marriot was one of the greatest of all singer/guitarists to emerge out of the sixties, and he was sorely overlooked by the media during his tenure.Had he been given more deserved attention I can only wonder what he might have become.While Peter Frampton was truly a key ingredient of Humble Pie, it was Marriot who made that band sizzle.I would say, however, that the band was never as good after Frampton left.I would have really liked to have read what Marriot would have had to say about that, and that is what was really missing from the book.We never really get to find out what how Frampton's departure impacted Steve Marriot; we only learned that through the eyes of others, whose perception may or may not have been accurate.

Of all of the musicians featured, I was very disappointed in the attitude of Rick Derringer.He seems to think that he was denied super star status.I listened to all of the major players of the day, and most of the minor ones, and Derringer was easily a minor leaguer, and he ought to be grateful for the fame he achieved.Hereally came off as a whiner.I really liked much of what he did in the 60s and 70s, but I don't think he was ever a big leaguer; and it should be remembered that there is a reason why there was a top tier of guitarists and singers.For example, he never, ever reached the singing ability of Steve Marriot or the guitarmanship of Rory Gallagher or Robin Trower.

Robin Trower's career, as depicted in Muise's book, was really disappointing.He seems to have mishandled it at every step.Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects was the rationalization of one of his manager, Derek Sutton.Talk about a self absorbed, self serving idiot.It's no wonder musicians get screwed by managers.Reading about Sutton truly made me want to read a good book about rock managers.What a dolt.And the treatment of Jimmy Dewar was just incredible.This was all very interesting.Trower seems to be surrounded by some kind of emotional protective shield, because if I had his behavior, I'd be ashamed.

I really liked this book, and I'd recommend it to anyone with any familiarity of these musicians.I will warn you, however, that reading it will send you to the used record store trying to dig up some of the gems about which they discuss. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Basic material
I've read other books by this author and found them wonderful! I am half way through this book and I'm disappointed. I keep wondering when the 'meaty' material will begin. It's too basic for what I was expecting. Although it may be a good introduction to lectio divina for beginners.

Considering Ignatian Prayer Mehtods
This is a very useful introduction to Ignatius'approach to praying with Scripture.The idea of "praying" with Scripture is not widely familiar among American Catholics.This boiok explains whn the method is important and how is can be practiced.

Interesting and exciting
I didn't know what to expect when I ordered this book. It was an easy read. I found the experiences shared by those who used this method of meditation to be very helpful. I am a huge fan of Guided Meditation and this seems to offer further means of spiritual growth. I am sharing the book with a friend right now, so we can discuss it and give it a try. It really sounds exciting.

A practical and reliable spiritual guide
This volume is a practical, experience-based guide to the twin Ignatian practices of meditation and contemplation.Distilling from years of spiritual direction and retreat work, and drawing freely from the insights of well-known figures in the Catholic mystical tradition, Fr. Gallagher walks the reader through the various moments in Ignatian spirituality.The use of actual stories helps keep the presentation easy to understand and shows how, in practice, a person of prayer will often move gently from one stage of reflection to another, depending on the needs of the heart.

Readers of the author's other works will find this one closest in style to his Examen Prayer(The Examen Prayer: Ignatian Wisdom for Our Lives Today), with its weaving together of experience and Ignatian theory, though Meditation and Contemplation proves to be even more accessible than that volume.As well, its treatment of various forms of spirituality, including the often ignored colloquy, expands upon the single-topic focus of the earlier book.

Those with little experience in the life of prayer might wish to start with Fr. Gallagher's Examen Prayer, which outlines a practice remarkably easy to begin and endlessly varied in its fruits.Those who already have some experience but are wishing to move deeper in their practice, including Catholic practice related to daily and weekly Mass and the reading of scripture, would find many of the lessons in this volume easy to apply to their lives, as well as gaining reassurance when, as often happens, their own experiences follow patterns so well identified and articulated by Ignatius centuries ago. ... Read more

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Our intuition tells us that we, our conscious selves, cause our own voluntary acts. Yet scientists have long questioned this; Thomas Huxley, for example, in 1874 compared mental events to a steam whistle that contributes nothing to the work of a locomotive. New experimental evidence (most notable, work by Benjamin Libet and Daniel Wegner) has brought the causal status of human behavior back to the forefront of intellectual discussion. This multidisciplinary collection advances the debate, approaching the question from a variety of perspectives.

The contributors begin by examining recent research in neuroscience that suggests that consciousness does not cause behavior, offering the outline of an empirically based model that shows how the brain causes behavior and where consciousness might fit in. Other contributors address the philosophical presuppositions that may have informed the empirical studies, raising questions about what can be legitimately concluded about the existence of free will from Libet's and Wegner's experimental results. Others examine the effect recent psychological and neuroscientific research could have on legal, social, and moral judgments of responsibility and blame—in situations including a Clockwork Orange-like scenario of behavior correction.

Contributors:
William P. Banks, Timothy Bayne, Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, Suparna Choudhury, Walter J. Freeman, Shaun Gallagher, Susan Hurley, Marc Jeannerod, Leonard V. Kaplan, Hakwan Lau, Sabine Maasen, Bertram F. Malle, Alfred R. Mele, Elisabeth Pacherie, Richard Passingham, Susan Pockett, Wolfgang Prinz, Peter W. Ross ... Read more

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The core clinical competencies in anesthesiology can be pretty blurry - just how do they apply to real life?This book answers this question, incorporating the core clinical competencies into an engaging format that anesthesiologists like - case studies.So, far from being a "dry and dusty volume of forgotten lore," this book actually makes learning the competencies fun!Written in the same engaging style as a number of other anesthesia books (specifically, the Board Stiff opus) by leading anesthesiologists from leading medical centers across the United States, this book will bring the core clinical competencies to life for residents, attendings, and medical students alike. ... Read more

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This text is part of the "Oxford Revision Guides" series, which are reissues of the two series, "GCSE Revise Through Diagrams" and "Advanced Revision Handbooks", now combined with newly branded covers. The GCSE titles have extra 16-page sections on revision techniques and sample questions for the new GCSE syllabuses, first examined in June 1998. This book covers the GCSE physical education syllabus and can be used for group work or individual study. Each topic is summarized on a single page and diagrams and concise notes help students to revise. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

A Must Read For Any Mystery and Romance Lover
It made my flight back from San Diego fly by. I fell in love with her protagonist, Savannah Martin, a southern belle who did everything right but ended up divorced and cash strapped. So she starts out in the real estate business.

Ms. Gallagher does a great job here of giving just enough detail to make it realistic without inundating the reader with realtor lingo. She made me interested in real estate. I think that is the mark of a great author, when they can make you curious about the career they give their protagonist.

In Savannah, you have a likeable heroine whose got her quirks and flaws, but I immediately signed up to see where the story went because of her. There is amazing voice from page one. I tend to favor protagonists with a sense of humor and Savannah definitely has that too.

Rafe Collier is the bad boy that Savannah gets embroiled with because of the murder at a listing she was showing him. He's dreamy to read and their chemistry is undeniable. The supporting characters are also well crafted and you get a vivid image of the other realtors and Savannah's family.

The writing is top notch. A fun read, great pacing, and snappy dialogue.

So onto the plot--really well thought out, I had no idea who the killer was, and I loved following Savannah and Rafe as they looked into things and tried to put the pieces together.

I had 100 pages left last night and I couldn't put the book down. Seriously, I was up until 3:10 AM finishing it. I won't spoil the ending but I will say it was highly satisfying. Now I'm dying for the next Savannah Martin Mystery.

The blurbs on the book are completely true! If you only have time to read a few mysteries this Fall, add A Cutthroat Business to your list.

Cozy Southern Charmer

First in a new series featuring Savannah Martin, self admittedly green real estate agent, even greener sleuth. Southern belle, Savannah, is fresh from a short lived marriage and is pretty much fresh to working. She has just started the "paying your dues" stint of being a real estate agent, "haunting the office like a proverbial ghoul", as she says.

This pays off, or so she thinks, when one weekend morning, a customer of "the Empress of Everything" Brenda Puckett, one of the most successful real estate agents in Nashville and cohort agent, calls because Brenda has failed to show up for an appointment to show him 101 Potsdam Street, an over priced Italianate Victorian with acreage.

Unable to locate Brenda,Savannah offers to "open the door."Foot pushed to the metal, Savannah roars over hoping this is the big break she needs to get her selling career rolling along.

She's in for a few surprises and one of which is not to write an offer as she hopes, but rather to discover the customer is none other than handsome bad boy Rafe Collier, "ne'er-do-well" bad boy, former inmate ( Savannah knows not what for), and one of her former high school mates. If this isn't shock enough, minutes later, she's floored when she finds her real estate cohart, Brenda, dead in this overpriced "diamond in the rough."

Why would one of Nashville's most successful real estate agents, who knows all the ropes, price this run down house at such a high price and why would someone want to kill her in her own listing? While Savannah is trying her hand at sleuthing, yet another murder happens which complicates Savannah's life even more. Why are people at Walker Lamont Real Estate Agency winding up dead and if Savannah keeps asking questions is she going to wind up like them... "downsizing" permanently?

This is a fast paced read that keeps you guessing. As a real estate agent, I enjoyed the backdrop to the story. I'm looking forward to the 2nd in the series.

Using the pen name of Jennie Bentley, the author also writes the national best selling DIY cozy series.

Jenny Hanahan
Moderator, Mystery Most Cozy (on Yahoo and Facebook)

A Fun Mystery that Keeps you Guessing
A Cutthroat Business is a fun fast-paced mystery that keeps you guessing until the last page. ... Read more

Product Description
As biotechnology and the benefits it can offer are playing an increasingly important role in all areas of clinical rehabilitation, this text is intended to help all those who encounter biological innovations within their practice. The content aids the reader is moving beyond the suspicion and mistrust biotechnology is often regarded with, and it helps them to attain a better understanding of its potential and the benefits it can offer for patients. The book presents comprehensive coverage of the topic, offering a full range of explanations of technological developments and their relevance in the field of clinical rehabilitation. Clinicians who understand the potential of the innovations and are able to deal with the emotional responses of the patients will be well-placed to achieve faster and more effective rehabilitation for those in their care.

Contributions from a multidisciplinary team of experts lend a great deal of diversity to the material.
Generously illustrated with case studies, the book has a fresh, bold style.
Common chapter structure makes the text easy to use and dip into.
Information addresses latest innovations in biotechnology and their impact on both the practitioner and the patient. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Half genius. Half... not.
Tess Gallagher, Dear Ghosts, (Graywolf, 2006)

Tess Gallagher, when she's writing intensely personal, imagist poems, is perhaps one of America's better poets currently working. And about half of Dear Ghosts, is comprised of exactly this sort of thing. Unfortunately, the reader must also contend with the other half of the book, which treads, and sometimes falls flat on its face over, the line of message poetry, over which very few poets can walk and still produce anything even remotely related to poetry. Worth reading, but beware a few pitfalls here and there. ***

The Best of American Poetry
You can do nothing better for yourself than to read Dear Ghosts,.Tess Gallagher has always been among the best of American poets.Her most recent work continues to add jewels to the crown of great poetry.As the poems engage us, we become aware why poetry is so necessary to the human spirit.Dear Ghosts, opens us to emotion.Within its enacted drama, we walk the difficult but necessary terrain of reaching out to others, thereby realizing ourselves.Finally, Gallagher explores the frontier of language itself, continually reminding us that in words we discover self.The best books of poetry, no matter how deeply we linger and meditate, no matter how we value them for their ability to yield in reading after reading, are also page-turners, and this is a book, once begun, you won't want to put down.And one you'll pick up again, year after year.--Alice Derry, Peninsula College

She just keeps on getting better
A book of poems by Tess Gallagher is an event. They're beautifully presented and beautifully written. And they are powerful. The poet doesn't seem satisfied to write about pretty things; she wants her poems to matter. And they do. Poems about murderers and refugees and sad, tragic lives; poems about war and childhood and marriages and joy; and poems about the dead (those "dear ghosts"): a sparrow, her father, her mother, her husband. This is a book to savor. Read it slowly, then read it again. And again. It's so easy to miss the nuances, the subleties. Tess Gallagher writes of enormous themes, and she does so in small and striking language - intimately. You will devour this book and crave to "take the next bite / and say, I believe it."

Featuring poems in which ghosts of the past are summoned and discoursed with in the present day
Published fourteen years after the author's previous poetry book, Dear Ghosts is the seventh collection and long-awaited return of Tess Gallagher's poetic voice. Featuring poems in which ghosts of the past are summoned and discoursed with in the present day, Dear Ghosts speaks with such spectral figures as the deceased beloved, the long-dead father, and victims of holocaust and war. Gallagher confronts her own aging, illness, and mortality with grace, modesty, and good humor in this insightful and reflective collection. "Knives in the Borrowed House": Don't sharpen them. / Expectation, more dangerous / than any blade.
... Read more

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Someone stole Annas money, and she thinks it was Claudia and her friends! Claudia knows theyre innocent, but how can she crack the case and clear her name? Plus, she also has to study for the quiz show, figure out whose dog is pooping in her neighbors lawn, babysit annoying Nick, and somehow get tickets for the Bad Dog show? ... Read more

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Best-selling author Ann-Marie Gallagher has penned the authoritative guide to practical spellcraft with The Spells Bible. This can't-miss title shows readers exactly how to improve their lives with natural magic.

Whether the problem is related to love, work, home or family, there's something here to cure what ails. This practical, step-by-step book includes clear instructions for casting more than 150 spells.

Readers will also learn about the impressive history of witchcraft and its relevance to everyday modern life. The Spells Bible is perfect for anyone who wants to move through life in a more positive direction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Great Ideas
This book is great for different ideas for the holidays.The food is good.

Fun and Varied Collection of Spells
This book is small in size, but large in its range of content and contains a little bit of everything. If it's your first time looking into the realm of spells, this would be a good purchase for you. The book is well organized and easy to understand. I was very pleased with the range of origins that the spells themselves came from and I'm glad to add it to my collection.

Good for understanding spells.....
I took off one star because I found almost every spell required in it's instructions a charcoal disk. I have used them before but don't like them because they are messy and frustrating for me to light ( I find it messes with my concentration)

But I have to say, for the price, this glossy book is packed with useful information for the beginner as well as presented in a lovely well constructed book containing glossy photos in a handy-take-with-you size.

It has a description of the three-fold-law, she seems to think it is not literal. I think it is but find some people confuse revenge with the three-fold-law, instead of letting go and letting the goddess or god take care and do what energy naturally does.

I think it can also be a lovely coffee table book as well.

The Spell Bible
I have only been able to thumb through it but it looks very interesting & I can not wait to really check it out. Right now I am reading other magical books & trying them out. I will get to this one soon.

Very colorful and helpful.
I loved this book because it was accompanied by photos, and it also told you when it would be best to do the spells inside the book.It was also not a Wiccan spell book per se, so you do not have to listen to a morality speech in the beginning of the book, or at least, not so much of one as many.

Don't get me wrong, I am a good witch, but it is our nature to and my religion that I choose my own morality and decide for myself what is going to affect my karma.So I really get annoyed when I get a morality speech.

The spells were good, and some were cute, I really enjoy the book.It is a small book, I was surprised at that when I received it, only about as big as my hand.I actually usually make my own spells but I like to get inspiration from spell books, and this one I really liked.
... Read more

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Humorous first-person narratives. These honest, humorous, and hopeful stories, told by Claudia herself, give readers a glimpse into the life of a regular 21st-century girl.Claudia handles every situation with confidence, cleverness, and a serious dash of cool. ... Read more