Product Description
Peter Jackson made cinematic history with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, presenting J. R. R. Tolkien’s story onscreen with drama and visual majesty, while shattering box office records. On the surface, his background as a director of low-budget New Zealand splatter movies would seem to make him an odd choice to direct a multimillion-dollar Hollywood film adaptation of a literary epic. A closer look at Jackson’s approach to filmmaking reveals why he was the one of the few directors who could successfully meet the challenge. This collection, the sixth title in the Ultrascreen series, includes the best reviews, essays, and features on Jackson’s films, plus interviews with Jackson himself, offers a comprehensive examination of his career to date, from humble beginnings as a child filmmaker, shooting movies in his backyard, to early successes like Bad Taste and Dead Alive, to his current position as one of the world’s most feted directors. ... Read more

Product Description
The first section of this volume brings together five studies on the Mongol empire. The accent is on the ideology behind Mongol expansion, on the dissolution of the empire into a number of rival khanates, and on the relations between the Mongol regimes and their Christian subjects within and potential allies outside. Three pieces in the second section relate to the early history of the Delhi Sultanate, with particular reference to the role of its Turkish slave (ghulam) officers and guards, while a fourth examines the collapse in 1206-15 of the Ghurid dynasty, whose conquests in northern India had created the preconditions for the Sultanate's emergence. The final three papers are concerned with Mongol pressure on Muslim India and the capacity of the Delhi Sultanate to withstand it. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

no less than 200 lessons for the aspiring film maker!
no less than 200 lessons for the aspiring film maker! Must have book if you want to bring Hollywood to your home town!

A must have for PJ fans and admirers
Its probably not fair that I write this review so early as I am only on chapter 3.But... this is a most informative and entertaining book to read.There is obviously a good collaboration between Sibley and PJ as much of it is not only written with PJ's cooperation, but in his words from personal in depth interviews. Great personal family photos also.

I ordered my copy from AmazonUK.Its too bad it is not more readily available here in the U.S. but do try and get a copy.You won't be sorry.

Weighty and worthy
The book is on the shelves in New Zealand right now. It's a remarkable journey he has made, from struggling apprentice printer to mogul.

The book, like his movies, is long, and rewarding for it. The emphasis is more onpre-LOTR work and life, and it really focuses on the movies - no business or personal exposes here.

Three things struck me:
The first is his overwhelming passion for movies - passion that led him to just do it, rather than learn first by going to university. The results speak volumes, and he is in good company with this approach.

The second is that he is a leader with an ability to gather large amounts of people around him - from the first movie made with a bunch of mates on weekends, to LOTR with over 24,000 kiwis involved.

And the third is that he is an astute businessman - the book only hints at this, but it is clear from the continuous improvement in his Film Commission submissions, and the improvement in the deals struck with New line and Universal.

Read it. ... Read more

Product Description
The architecture firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson believes that “the sensuality of place, the emotive qualities of materials, and the ability to give pleasure and insight, to comfort and to transport can produce humane and spirited architecture.”Whether designing corporate headquarters for Pixar Animation Studios, the Software Engineering Institute for Carnegie Mellon University, the new Apple Stores in New York, Chicago, and Tokyo, or the twelve wooded retreats shown in this book, the firm’s architecture is alive to the subtleties of place, man-made or natural, and to the rich possibilities of materials and the means of construction.
The houses in Arcadian Architecture are exquisitely crafted of wood and stone and other natural materials, and are all sited within beautiful wooded, mountainous, or lakeside locales, from New York State to Washington State, and from the woods of Connecticut to the mountains of Montana. One of the highlights of this book is that it publishes, for the first time, the extraordinary, huge, extremely private and secluded, residential complex in Washington State that was built for Bill and Melinda Gates. Each house is presented on at least thirty pages, and is depicted by sumptuous new color photography, richly detailed conceptual sketches, presentation drawings, and construction documents. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Well executed architecture, poorly executed binding!
The content and houses in this book are of great quality, but the book fell apart the first time I read it!It's really ashamed as this is a 5-star quality book based on content alone.

Fantastic, but frustrating
BCJ's attention to detail, honesty in materials, and consideration of site and light come through loud and clear in this beautifully photographed and printed tome. And it is a tome--it's impressively substantial. This is in fact one of my favorite architecture books, and continues to influence and inspire us as we develop our own house plans with our architect.

In addition to the photography, I also love the construction document details, the complementary booklet of build and unbuilt works, cabinet sections, etc.

BUT...like some others have mentioned the binding begins to disintegrate the moment the book is opened. I'm now returning mine for the second time. This shouldn't be the case for such an expensive piece, and I haven't had a similar problem with other Rizzoli books, including Searching for True, which is similarly bound.

Without the botched binding I'd certainly give the book a 5-star rating.

Commercial binding?
Beautiful work, beautifully presented.The binding, however, is hopeless. Particularly surprising coming from a publisher like Rizzoli.If you're looking for a loose portfolio of some of the best architectural design of today in a heavy cardboard box without dust jacket this is highly recommended.The work deserves better.

Great Content - Poor Book Construction
Consistent with several other reviews, the book I purchased is coming apart at the binding.The content of the book is great with the exception of an image or 2 that are out of focus or print alignment.

great book
this is a fantastic book....setup like a portfolio, it is full of excellent pictures, drawings and sketches...from all phases of design and construction.i would recommend this book to anyone. ... Read more

Product Description
This fascinating look at the now celebrated director tells of the inspiration that have led to the making of the three world-famous Lord of the Rings films - and the six other films that preceded them. This unauthorized biography traces the journey of a young movie fanatic, from Sunday afternoons spent fooling around with a camera, through low-budget cult movies, to control of the most ambitious film project ever, on what is probably the best-loved fantasy novel ever written.

This in-depth biography explores the many talents of the young Peter Jackson: the making of Bad Taste; Meet the Feebles; Braindead; Heavenly Creatures; Forgotten Silver; The Frighteners, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The story behind the Rings - which tells how Jackson got the rights to make the film and the permission and funding to make three films rather than collapsing the story into just one or two films, interviews, and other behind the scenes material from the making of the landmark films. Past and future - in which the author considers Jackson's achievements and possible future - including his remake of King Kong.

From casts of zombies, traumatised puppets and murderous teenagers, to deal-making in Hollywood, this book is about following one's visions wherever they might lead. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Keen Insight into Pre-Rings Jackson
I couldn't help but notice this in one of the above reviews of the book..."This book is ridiculous as the writer doesn't even know his subject, Peter Jackson, in person."

I find that statement interesting because the book discusses at great length the relationship between the author and Jackson.At various points in Jackson's early movies, the author actually helped out on his movies.

As to the un-authorized biography question, the author was given access to write the book on all Jackson films up to the Lord of the Rings.I just can't imagine how you could read this book and come to the conclusion that the author didn't even know Jackson.

As for my opinion, I'm often facinated by the early careers of men like Jackson.There's already a ridiculous amount of info out there on Lord of the Rings, but this book gives you a peek at Jackson's beginnings, and I enjoyed that very much.

If you're buy this book for some kind of Rings Insider, go elsewhere.If you want to see Jackson before his epic, this book is for you.

biographer who does not know his subject
This book is ridiculous as the writer doesn't even know his subject, Peter Jackson, in person. He was refused interviews and visits on the set of LOTR. All he knows are information through magazine articles that have been published and read many times before. He criticizes Fellowship of the Ring without a real knowledge of Tolkien or the story itself. The writer is somewhat fascinated by Jackson but a biography must contain information that has not been published in movie magazines and in tabloids. There is no information on the person, only on what Jackson has done so far in the movie business. The timeline of this biography is cut off after the release of The Two Towers, meaning there is no word on Return of the King and its worldwide success and critical acclaim. Actors are quoted without their knowledge, things are taken out of context and the style of writing is poor. While the research of the films made prior to LOTR is interesting, those are all information that is avilable elsewhere as well.A very disappointing read, if you are a true fan of PJ and LOTR.

Bad taste
Somehow it's always a little alarming to see "An Unauthorized Biography" on the dust jacket of a book, and Ian Pryor's "Peter Jackson: From Prince of Splatter to Lord of the Rings" is no exception. This crazy quilt of magazine articles is obviously a rush-job, and leaves a "bad taste" in the mouth."

Peter Jackson is best known for co-writing and directing hit movie trilogy "The Lord of the Rings." But he started off as a young Kiwi boy experimenting with a camera, and later getting together with his buddies to film the low-budget horror/SF-comedy "Bad Taste." An understated indie career led to the brilliant docudrama "Heavenly Creatures," which kick-started the career of star Kate Winslet. And from then on, he started the sprawling adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved epic fantasy, which has been embraced as a worldwide phenomena on par with "Star Wars."

Peter Jackson (who reportedly condemns this biography) is a fascinating figure in modern filmmaking. Unfortunately, since this biography is unauthorized and unapproved, Pryor has to stitch together just about every magazine article or press release ever written about Jackson. It's very unsatisfying since all of it has been said before. And the first time around, it didn't sound so.... well, smarmy.

Pryor paints Jackson in extreme colors, apparently so his adoration won't seem "fannish." But it doesn't make Jackson seem like a three-dimensional person. It makes him seem either like a saintly genius, or a creep. His personal life, friendships and interactions with actors aren't really dealt with, which makes him seem a lot more distant than he is. At least there's no dirt-dishing -- Jackson seems to have led a pretty much blameless life.

Pryor's writing style leaves something to be desired. He misspells some of Tolkien's words like "uruk-hai" (which he spells "urak-hai"). And Pryor uses overwritten gushing to cover up the book's biggest flaw: He doesn't know what Jackson is like. Pryor only describes his behavior, his words, and what other say about him -- the man himself remains an enigma at the book's end.

The saving grace of "Peter Jackson" is how it shows off the impact Jackson has had on his native New Zealand, both as a filmmaker and as a worldwide celebrity. However, this can't gloss over the opportunistic, slightly sneering tone that pervades Pryor's book. If you like Jackson -- as a director and a person -- it will make you squirm.

Fans of Peter Jackson may be hungry for more info on this beloved director. But you're better off waiting for the official (and approved) biography by Brian Sibley. Ian Pryor's "Peter Jackson: From Prince of Splatter to Lord of the Rings" has the slippery feeling of a rushed-to-print biography to cash in a filmmaker's fame.

Who Is This Guy and How Did He Pull It Off?
Before LOTR,who ever of Peter Jackson?You know the legendary story....a somewhat successful maker of 'B' monster movies(from a foreign land)gets the chance of the century,to make a titanic epic with a titanic budget from an impossible to film book. Certain personal failure is forcast which will not only end his career but will ruin one of the world's largest studios. To the stunned amazement of all,Jackson successfully makes 'LOTR' and is immently successful in ever way that can be measured....a new benchmark that all other films will be judged against. Who is this guy and how is it so few people outside New Zealand knew of him? It's a biography so you learn lots about who Peter Jackson is and where he came from. Surprisingly, the author doesn't spend large amounts of time on LOTR filming technicalities. His emphasis is on how Jackson and his filming companions went about learning film, new technologies and how to apply these to their art. What the author spends a bit of time on is the realities of Hollywood studio politics and how that affects the sort of movies we see. I found that to be fascinating. In the PJ/LOTR saga there are 2 questions for me that never got answered to my satisfaction. The first is why did the first Aragorn,Stuart Townsend, det dismissed 1 week before shooting with no replacement in sight? With all the research that went into casting, it seems like a big mistake to go looking for a new leading character in a week with so much money and chance riding on that choice. Second is the exact reason New Line decided to invest so much of it's company's success or failure into a relatively unknown producer? Usually the reason is stated that the studio head just liked what he heard and saw, but that doesn't sound like solid business practice in America and not a technique a hardnosed CEO would use.Both questions get asked in the book and are sadly glossed over. It's still a good book and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. ... Read more

Product Description
In Frank Jackson's famous thought experiment, Mary is confined to a black-and-white room and educated through black-and-white books and lectures on a black-and-white television. In this way, she learns everything there is to know about the physical world. If physicalism—the doctrine that everything is physical—is true, then Mary seems to know all there is to know. What happens, then, when she emerges from her black-and-white room and sees the color red for the first time? Jackson's knowledge argument says that Mary comes to know a new fact about color, and that, therefore, physicalism is false. The knowledge argument remains one of the most controversial and important arguments in contemporary philosophy.

There's Something About Mary—the first book devoted solely to the argument—collects the main essays in which Jackson presents (and later rejects) his argument, along with key responses by other philosophers. These responses are organized around a series of questions: Does Mary learn anything new? Does she gain only know-how (the ability hypothesis), or merely get acquainted with something she knew previously (the acquaintance hypothesis)? Does she learn a genuinely new fact or an old fact in disguise? And finally, does she really know all the physical facts before her release, or is this a "misdescription"? The arguments presented in this comprehensive collection have important implications for the philosophy of mind and the study of consciousness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Too many syllables
This book contains thoughtful essays that critique Frank Jackson's story about Mary.The selections offered what seemed to my unprofessional viewpoint to be wide-ranging and comprehensive.I thought Frank Jackson's own commentaries were among the most readable and penetrating.Excepting Jackson and maybe one or two others, the various authors, all professional philosophers, seem helpless when offered opportunities to use big words when small ones would serve.Did they want to be understood, or admired at a distance by lesser beings?If I were grading the essays, writers in the habit of using words greater than 6 syllables would be encouraged to revise their sentences.Or hanged. ... Read more

Product Description
Focusing on urban and rural environments, and also on popular culture and vernacular architecture, this draws on the literature of contemporary social and cultural theory to create a departure from traditional approaches to cultural geography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Ignore the previous review: wrong book
The reviewer is reviewing Maps of Meaning: the architecture of belief, not Maps of Meaning: an introduction to cultural geography.

Western Cultural bias
The author starts with a detailed and well-diagramed analysis of how humanity's ideas evolve through stages such as ritual, myths etc, beforethey finally reach religion and philosophy. Deep-rooted archetypes storevarious psychological fixations, which he shows with art from around theworld. The conclusion is in a diagram with various pictures. It shows`anxiety-threat' on one side, and this is depicted with Kali in all herdetails. On the other side of the diagram is `hope-promise' depicted by apicture of the Greco-Roman Goddess Diana. The message of several hundredpages basically boils down to the conclusion that one must rise above theevil-terror-anxiety-threat side that drives humans (i.e. the archetype ofKali) and move to the positive side depicted by Diana. This is a collegetextbook on psychology by a major publisher.

Nobody would argue with thesuggestion to move from negative to positive archetypes. But a bettermethod of illustration would have been to use another Hindu deity also asthe hope-promise archetype in the diagram. Hinduism is rather rich indeities depicting positive aspects, and there is no need to switch to thecontext of the West when depicting the positive side. The Hindu Goddess hasmillions of forms in which people have conceived of her, of which four areespecially popular: wisdom (Maheshwari), strength (Durga-Kali), harmony(Lakshmi), and perfection (Saraswati). Within the `strength' aspect, Kaliis but one of her many manifestations, Durga being another popular form.And even within Kali, there are at least three levels of worship: asterrorizer to be feared and placated is the lowest view; as Shaktiexpressing herself as the power of nature is the middle level; and at aneven higher level she is the divine power operating through the devotee.The book's author's understanding of Kali is incorrect. But even if shewere the icon of evil, it would still not justify in a textbook onpsychology to make the contrast with Diana. He should not have departedfrom Hindu symbolism when it came to explaining the positive outlook onlife. His methodology portrayed the West as the positive culture while theEast as the proverbial `world negating' burden on humanity. In fact, anyreligion could supply the author with both kinds of art, the dark side andthe light side.

If he wanted to remain in Western iconographythroughout, he could have chosen negative pictures from the holocaust,witch burning, and genocide of the Native Americans, the list of candidatesfor negative imagery being rather long. So why would a college text depictthe dark side using an Eastern tradition and the positive side usingWestern tradition, unless there is also a subliminal message intended toposition one culture better than the other. This is a case where the factsin isolation might be correct but their juxtaposition and context creates afalse impression. The effect of this psychology book might be that clinicalpsychologists will attend weekend seminars on diagnosing and treatment"Kali syndrome", as the archetype afflicting clients who suffer fromnegative conditions.

Amazingly, other colleagues of this psychologisthave been very busy appropriating the pioneering knowledge of Indicspiritualists precisely in the realm of higher states of consciousness -including Jung, Wilber, Maslow, etc. So one team of psychologists takes thecream of Indic contribution an re-labels it as their own, while the otherteam such as this book's writer, are busy enhancing the negativestereotypes about the same source tradition. ... Read more

Product Description
He is one of the most amazing, popular, and iconic characters in the history of motion pictures. His 1933 debut was a legendary piece of pure cinema - simultaneously a terrifying monster movie, epic fairy tale, tragic love story, and deeply resonant cultural myth. His name is King Kong.Ray Morton's King Kong - The History of a Movie Icon is the first book to chronicle the making of all seven feature films in which the character of Kong has appeared, including the hotly anticipated Peter Jackson version. It is generously illustrated with photographs, production art, and promotional materials from the author's extensive private collection. Morton has interviewed the surviving members of each major film. A colorful overview of the tremendous amount of collectible Kong merchandise is also on view for all the fans of Kongdom to devour. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

King Kong Lives!
Real quick, this is a GREAT book that doesn't skip anything to do with King Kong. Great effort and detail is applied to the original 1933 film, but then it goes on to explore and explain the Dino De Laurentis King Kong films in great detail. Not to be missed if you are a fan of Kong!

Worth it for Kong fans.
Great book for fans of every incarnation of Kong. I thought I knew everything about the making of the original but Morton supplies facts and accedotes that I had never heard before.
The chapters about the '76 Kong,the Japanese Kongs, and the unmade Kong projects was fascinating. Even the detailed chapter about the horrible "King Kong Lives" was fun to read.
I don't entirely agree with Morton with all the respect he shows for the '76 Kong and I think the book could have benefitted by more photos and illustrations, but it's still worth getting.

Decent history of the Kong legend,but fans have been here before.
This is a well written and interesting book for anyone interested in Movie Monster,King Kong,but it reads like a bit of deja-vu to fans.

The book offers a excellent history of the genesis of the 1933 film and includes some great,rare photos to accompany as well as some behind the secnes information.
There is also chapters on other versions and rip-offs as well,leading up to the reason this book was published,the than recent remake by Peter Jackson in 2005.

Technically it's a good read,but anyone who has George Turner's "The Making of King Kong" or "The Girl in the Hairy Paw" has read it all before.
Still,my sympathy for the younger or uninitiated who will ceratainly find this to be a great read.

Not essential to me as the earlier Turner book,but others may love this book.If so,please add an additional star.

A survey of everything from the masks and making of the films to their marketing.
Fans of the legendary 1933 monster will relish the first book to detail the making of all seven feature films about Kong in KING KONG; THE HISTORY OF A MOVIE ICON. From how the character was first created and developed to the sequence of films which starred Kong and produced a host of variants and spoofs, including reviews of the Kongs that never made it to screen, KING KONG packs in vintage duotone and color photos from movies, ads and scene shots to accompany a survey of everything from the masks and making of the films to their marketing.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Funner than a barrel of monkeys . . .
While I consider myself more a modern horror afficianado I found this book to be a fascinating read.The opening portion which details the making of the original KING KONG offered enough intriguing tidbits to convince me to watch the classic for the first time.It also features an equally detailed on the much maligned 1976 KONG remake as well as his occasional bouts with a variety of ovesized Japanese mutants.However, my favorite section had to be a tongue-in-cheek exploration of the handful of godawful monkey ripoffs.With all this, what more could you really ask for . . . Except possibly for the author's precise yet fun exploration of other classics.I myself would love to see his version of all things JAWS. ... Read more

Product Description
Slipcased, and in decorated box. Includes 4 limited edition prints, 2 DVD's, and removable softcover flip book, and certificate of authenticity ... Read more

Product Description
This volume brings under one cover the dozens of essays and lectures that first began appearing at the website HollywoodJesus.com in December of 2001. Since then, Greg Wright has analyzed and anticipated the cinematic choices of director Peter Jackson with almost prophetic critical insight. He rightly attributes the success of Jackson's trilogy to the power of film itself, the power of Jackson's artistry and the original power of J. R. R. Tolkien's literary masterwork. In so doing, Wright provides an educational, entertaining and respectful look at the process of bringing a much-loved novel to the screen.

With his first book, Tolkien in Perspective (VMI, 2003), Wright stepped forward as a "moderating and non-reactionary guide" to the confusion of voices regarding The Lord of the Rings. In assembling a comprehensive and engaging discussion of Peter Jackson's award-winning adaptation, Wright now moves to the front of the pack. Nowhere else in print is there to be found such an extensive examination of the spiritual and artistic implications of the 21st Century's first cinematic masterwork. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Review or religious sermon?
I bought and read this book and was quite taken aback that although the author did bring out some very interesting insights and reviews about Peter Jackson and the adaptation of Tolkien's works, too many references to Christ and religious revelations supposedly "hidden" in LOTR made it sound more like an Evangelist sermon. I didn't need an editorial how Gandalf's fall at Khazad-dum and later return represented Jesus rising from the grave or Aragorn ushering in the Messianic era, or Sauron representing the anti-Christ.
Perhaps the book should have been titled "Peter Jackson in Christian Religious Perspective."

Religious take on Tolkien
Unfortunately, despite the title, there is no "behind" the movies at all. No background as to the making of or powerbrokering of the movies. Furthermore the book is infused with a whole lot of religious mumbo-jumbo - one lot of fairytales trying to compare itself to another lot of fairytales.

Kept in perspective
Perhaps the biggest controversy among J.R.R. Tolkien's fans is: Are Peter Jackson's films masterpieces, or travesties? Greg Wright tackles this question in his second book on Tolkien and Middle-Earth, "Peter Jackson In Perspective: The Power Behind Cinema's 'The Lord of the Rings.'" And Wright handles it with remarkable objectivity and grace.

Wright starts with an examination of novels vs. movies -- after all, the flow and content of each is completely different -- and the disastrous past attempts to film "Lord of the Rings." He even tells the story of his first viewing of Ralph Bakshi's infamous rotoscoped cartoon.

He then takes a hard look at what Jackson cut out, what characters are MIA (Tom Bombadil, for good or ill), whether it helps or hurts the story, the presence of love and romance, the way that Jackson filmed the three stories, and compares Jackson's efforts to the Rankin-Bass cartoons. I give you three guesses which Wright declares to be better, and the first two don't count.

And as in his first book "Tolkien in Perspective: Sifting the Gold From the Glitter," Wright gives his analysis a faith bent. For example, when talking about Gandalf's fall into Khazad-dum, he reflects that many have noticed the crucifix-lookalike pose that Gandalf falls in.

Wright doesn't overburden his narrative with rambling or ponderous opinions. Instead he writes like an intelligent pal who's telling you his thoughts on the movies he's seen recently. However, he never loses sight of the important themes in either the movies or books.

What's more, he's able to keep a balanced, calm look at the novels and movies. Although some points can be debated (one can argue that there is some religious presence in the films), his attitude has an objectivity that many fans and authors cannot fully achieve.

""Peter Jackson In Perspective: The Power Behind Cinema's 'The Lord of the Rings'" is a solid read for anyone wanting a balanced look at the movies vs. the books.

Book meets movie and expands the mind
The great thing about The Lord of the Rings is what J. R. R. Tolkien called "applicability," or the ability of his myths to speak to everyone who reads them where he or she is.Too often those of us who love his work, and those who write up big explorations of his themes and symbology act as though we have found THE key to understanding Tolkien.That's trying to cram his myth into allegory, which he would have hated passionately.Tolkien's genius is that his myth sustains many of these explanations simultaneously because it is myth and encompasses much more reality than mere fact or truth could.(See On Fairy Stories for an explanation of this.)

Greg Wright has the ability to explore Tolkien's themes and yet not set his explanations in stone.Then he highlights these themes as they did or did not show up in the film.My enjoyment of Tolkien and insights into his work, and the ways in which it was interpreted in the movies directed by Peter Jackson was expanded in Greg's collection of ongoing musings.Greg also has a great gift for keeping it short, sweet, and clearly logical-which means there is more to continue thinking about after he's got you started.He also has a good feel for how literature, image and culture intersect to bring about our engagement with this story in both book and film.If you want an exploration of Tolkien that comes in small bites and opens up new vistas in Middle-earth for you and sends you off on new mental quests, this book is a winner.
... Read more

Product Description
Thrilling adventure stories introducing young readers (ages8-12) to Christian heroes of the past.

Gilbert Hamilton isleft alone on the frontier when his father is killed and his mother iskidnapped by Sauk Indians during the War of 1812. The orphaned boy istaken to Kentucky to live with his wealthy uncle and aunt on theirplantation, but Gilbert will never really be a part of his uncle'sfamily.

Haunted by memories of his mother and feelings ofloneliness, Gil attends a camp meeting led by Peter Cartwright, aMethodist circuit-rider evangelist.

The kind-hearted Cartwrightallows the boy to move with the Cartwright family to Illinois, whereGil can begin the search for his mother. Settlers in the area haveheard rumors of a blue-eyed squaw living among the Sauk. Could she behis mother? As Gil sets out on his quest, he begins to questionwhether his mother is alive. What if he is too late?

Saukwarriors had kidnapped his mother long ago-is she stillalive?

Product Description
Peter Jackson’s film version of The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) is the grandest achievement of 21st century cinema so far. But it is also linked to topical and social concerns including war, terrorism, and cultural imperialism. Its style, symbols, narrative, and structure seem always already linked to politics, cultural definition, problems of cinematic style, and the elemenal mythologies that most profoundly capture our imaginations.From Hobbits to Hollywood: Essays on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings treats Jackson’s trilogy as having two conditions of existence: an aesthetic and a political. Like other cultural artefacts, it leads a double life as objet d’art and public statement about the world, so that nothing in it is ever just cinematically beautiful or tasteful, and nothing is ever just a message or an opinion.Written by leading scholars in the study of cinema and culture From Hobbits to Hollywood gives Jackson’s trilogy the fullest scholarly interrogation to date. Ranging from interpretations of The Lord of the Rings’ ideological and philosophical implications, through discussions of its changing fandoms and its incorporation into the Hollywood industry of stars, technology, genre, and merchandising, to considerations of CGI effects, acting, architecture and style, the essays contained here open a new vista of criticism and light, for ardent fans of J.R.R. Tolkien, followers of Jackson, and all those who yearn for a deeper appreciation of cinema and its relation to culture. ... Read more

Product Description
Buddhadasa Bhikkhu (1906–1993) is widely regarded as modern Thailand’s most influential Buddhist philosopher. His thought had a profound intellectual impact in Thailand in the second half of the twentieth century. His life mission was to undertake a complete reexamination of Theravada Buddhist teachings. By returning to the Buddha’s original teachings in the Suttapitakaand bydrawing on aspects of Zen Buddhism, Buddhadasa crafted a vision of Thai Buddhism as a socially, politically, and intellectually progressive force. This vision of a modern Theravada Buddhism fit for a modern, democratic, and socially just Thailand continues to inspire large numbers of Thai people in the twenty-first century.

In this book Peter Jackson examines Buddhadasa’s life work and thought, placing them in the context of the political, economic, and intellectual changes that transformed Thailand in the twentieth century. Combining biographical studies with critical philosophical and sociological analyses of Buddhadasa’s reforms of Thai Buddhist teachings, Peter Jackson emphasizes the path-breaking and often radical ideas of one of the greatest Buddhist thinkers of the last century. This book is a revised and expanded edition of Peter Jackson’s Buddhadasa: A Buddhist Thinker for the Modern World, published in 1988. It contains a new epilogue tracing the controversy surrounding Buddhadasa’s death in 1993 and reflecting on the philosopher-monk’s lasting legacy in Thailand. ... Read more

Product Description
This collection of essays addresses various aspects of Peter Jackson's film adaptations of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings including scriptwriting and the creative process, the place of the films in cinematic history, gender roles in the films and the books, wisdom and councils, hobbits and heroism, fan culture and fanfic, the use of Tolkien's languages in the films, and other issues. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The best book on the book/film contrasts
I found this book enormously helpful in figuring out what I had seen and how the material had been adapted for the screen. The authors of this book have a deep knowledge of the Tolkien texts and they have also viewed the films and DVDs very carefully. The assessments are balanced, well informed, and not likely to be surpassed as a commentary on the transformation.

Brilliant and balanced
This highly recommended title explores Tolkien's Lord of the Rings vs. Peter Jackson's film adaptation of it.The several essays chosen by the editors are all very convincing and well-researched.They're also immensely enjoyable to read for those who've read Tolkien and seen the film (or vice versa) and love to compare the two.The editors were also careful in presenting a balanced view, for both pros and cons are represented (sometimes even within the same essay.)And there are even some essays on Tolkienian fan-fiction (and slash) that's proliferated on the net.Truly an engrossing study of Tolkien's work and Jackson's successes and failures in adapting it!I hope a second volume is being considered...

very useful
Very interesting read, well written and witty.Recommend especially for people studying Lord of the Rings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

GREAT BOOK
I loved this book wonderfull pictures of michael jackson and the jacksons a must have for any jackson fan .

GREAT BOOK FOLKS MUST HAVE
If you've gotten on the road with michael it's kinda like that as far as the words, a summary of the show very brief (get more info like his loafer flipped off at this tour from on the road with michael) and then the 1984 grammy thing and stuff. pictures are from the same concert as the book victory tour it's about the same in that way, this one has better pictures and more distinct pictures of the show. basically a picture from each song michael did.Positives the pictures show billie jean unlike victory tour book as well as the "kreeton monsters" and the spider.Pictures tickle the imagination a lot more to. Some of the pictures if I didn't know anything about the victory tour would think that the picture was taken while performing "thriller."what that means is they're so good they set a tone. you can tell it was taken place during the eighties. it's not a hard back like victory but it's same size about 14 inches long and quadruple bigger ninety five pages. similarity to victory is that the pictures like the cover front and back are the same except you can tell from a different camera or a different shot.GO GET THIS THOUGH if you have the choice. ... Read more

Product Description
The third edition of Peter Jackson's book, Introduction to Expert Systems, updates the technological base of expert systems research and embeds those results in the context of a wide variety of application areas. The earlier chapters take a more practical approach to the basic topics than the previous editions, while the later chapters introduce new topic areas, such as case-based reasoning, connectionist systems, and hybrid systems. Results in related areas, such as machine learning and reasoning with uncertainty are also accorded a thorough treatment.Amazon.com Review
Written for the computer science student or more advanced developer interested in expert systems, the new edition of Peter Jackson's Introduction to Expert Systems provides a truly magisterial tour of several decades of artificial intelligence (AI) and expert system research. This comprehensive book compiles past efforts to get computers to reason like experts as well as explaining how today's expert systems work.

The notable strength of this title is the author's impressive command of the computer science literature in the field of AI and expert systems. In chapter after chapter, the author reviews research-quality (and some production-level) projects that have attempted to reproduce human expertise using computers in such areas as medical diagnosis. Besides explaining essential expert system topics such as knowledge representation and the rules used for arriving at decisions, this book also provides numerous samples using the CLIPS programming language.

This textbook-style treatment of this subject features plenty of mathematical notation (such as the propositional calculus) and exercises at the end to stimulate your own thinking. For the general reader, the author's explanation of the history of AI (which has offered mixed results in the face of high expectations in the 1980s, for instance) is quite accessible and probably worth the price of the book. Rich with detail for the expert, this title shows off the best of expert systems--both in the past and today--as well as the reasonably bright prospects for the future of intelligent machines that think more like human experts. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: Introduction to expert systems; representing knowledge; history of artificial intelligence (AI) research: Classical, Romantic, and Modern Periods; knowledge representation: STIPS and MYCIN applications; symbolic representation and LISP; rule-based and canonical systems; associative nets and frame systems: graphs, trees, and networks; object-oriented programming and its usefulness in expert systems; programming languages: LOOPS, Flavors, CLOS, CLIPS, C++, and PROLOG; uncertainty and fuzzy logic; knowledge acquisition; heuristic classification; strategies for problem solving; blackboard architectures; machine learning; police networks; case-based reasoning (CBR); hybrid systems; and the future of expert systems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Pleasant Sommer Holidays Reading
Peter Jackson takes you by the hand through a vast and difficult subject. He explains even advanced topics in a surprisingly accessible form. But if you try to make some steps of your own and are not already well versed in that specific topic, be prepared to get lost immediately. If you are well versed, expect to be surprised by his elegant approaches.

This is an introduction through the breadth of Expert Systems. It is not a guide to get practical results fast. It doesn't please the mathematical minded readers. In fact it only contains very little explicit mathematics at all. But it delivers an enormous amount of material. The pages are filled to the rim with small but well readable print. The writing is moderately dense. "Introduction to Expert Systems" will keep you entertained for quite some time if you choose to read it all. For people in a hurry there are many shortcut tracks outlined and the chapters are quite selfcontained

Mediocre
The 1986 edition of the book starts out saying that it is not "a course in how to construct knowledge-based systems (page v preface)" and that is so true. As the book attempts to give an informative overview of various expert system techniques it fails to clearly communicate them due to its lack of clear "how to" instructions which are absolutely necessary to explain the complex principles covered. I have a Master's degree in Communications myselfand find this book to be one of the types assigned to students due to its industry status rather than because it gets the job of education done.

The book provides an excellent introduction to the subject.
I read all the editions of Peter Jackson's Expert System book. All the editions were equally good with respect to the developments of the subject at that time.The current edition covers a wide disciplines of subject witha very simple but elegant style of presentation. I liked the book for itscoverage and simplicity. Irecommend the book for my graduate studentsspecializing in knowledge-based computing. I wish you all to see the bookonce and recommend it to your colleagues. ... Read more

Product Description
With color photos and lively magazine-type layout, this book is tailored to catch the attention of teenagers preparing for confirmation in the Episcopal Church tradition. A resource for a group studying the tenets of the Christianity and an understanding of faith, the book is also a resource for the group's leader who can use the book to structure discussion and activity. This is an attractive and thoughtfully designed companion for all those preparing for confirmation. ... Read more

Product Description

Spanning gay and lesbian filmmaking from 1914 through present day, The Bent Lens showcases 2300 titles from 45 countries, including feature films, documentaries and short films. In addition to a synopsis of each film, other details included are cast, writer, director, genre, year of release, running time and even distributor contact details. All films are listed in an easy-to-read A-Z format, but each film is also indexed by country, director and genre. The Bent Lens: 2nd Edition also includes essays from experts Judith Halberstam, Barbara Hammer, Helen Hok-Sze Leung and Daniel Mudie Cunningham exploring gay and lesbian film traditions and how gay identity is viewed in Western and non-Western cultures. And finally, this remarkable guide includes a complete listing of gay and lesbian film festivals around the world, making The Bent Lens a must for all film and video aficionados.

Features more than 200 black-and-white photographs.

Lisa Daniel is director and Claire Jackson is president of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival.

Customer Reviews (2)

Very good reference book
For those who are interested in ggay movies, this is a must have book.It is very well written, and researched.One good thing, is that you can locate a movie via a number of way, by title, director, subject, etc.

An invaluable addition to your film library
Okay, so there's no subtext here.The editors have simply strung together an alphabetized listing of many (but not all) films touching on gay and lesbian themes.But, if you're wondering where to start in this specialized area, "Bent Lens" provides some pointers.A few caveats: the indices are limited to names of directors and genres (what about the stars?), there is no indication of what is and what is not available on video, and there are some factual errors (James LeGros is NOT the psycopathic killer in "Blood and Concrete," for instance), but Daniel and Jackson have provided a valuable service here, and I'm especially grateful for the wealth of information on the many foreign films--from Hong Kong to Reykjavik--that so rarely reach these shores.Thumbs up from this movie fan. ... Read more