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Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture
by David Kushner"To my taste, the greatest American myth of cosmogenesis features the maladjusted, antisocial, genius teenage boy who, in the insular laboratory of his own bedroom, invents the universe from scratch. Masters of Doom is a particularly inspired rendition. Dave Kushner chronicles the saga of video game virtuosi Carmack and Romero with terrific brio. This is a page-turning, mythopoeic cyber-soap opera about two glamorous geek geniuses--and it should be read while scarfing down pepperoni pizza and swilling Diet Coke, with Queens of the Stone Age cranked up all the way." --Mark Leyner, author of I Smell Esther Williams. Masters of Doom is the amazing true story of the Lennon and McCartney of video games: John Carmack and John Romero. Together, they ruled big business. They transformed popular culture. And they provoked a national controversy. More than anything, they lived a unique and rollicking American Dream, escaping the broken homes of their youth to co-create the most notoriously successful game franchises in history--Doom and Quake--until the games they made tore them apart. Americans spend more money on video games than on movie tickets. Masters of Doom is the first book to chronicle this industry's greatest story, written by one of the medium's leading observers. David Kushner takes readers inside the rags-to-riches adventure of two rebellious entrepreneurs who came of age to shape a generation. The vivid portrait reveals why their games are so violent and why their immersion in their brilliantly designed fantasy worlds offered them solace. And it shows how they channeled their fury and imagination into products that are a formative influence on our culture, from MTV to the Internet to Columbine. This is a story of friendship and betrayal, commerce and artistry--a powerful and compassionate account of what it's like to be young, driven, and wildly creative.
Masters of Modern Soccer: How the World's Best Play the Twenty-First-Century Game
by Grant WahlIn Masters of Modern Soccer, Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl asks: How do some of the game's smartest figures master the craft of soccer? <P><P>By profiling players in every key position (American phenomenon Christian Pulisic, Mexican superstar Javier "Chicharito" Hernández, Belgium's Vincent Kompany, Spain's Xabi Alonso, Germany's Manuel Neuer) and management (Belgium coach Roberto Martínez and Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc), Wahl reveals how elite players and coaches strategize on and off the field and execute in high pressure game situations. <P>Masters of Modern Soccer is the definitive thinking fan's guide to modern soccer. For a supporter of any team, from the U.S. national teams to Manchester United, or any competition, from Mexico's Liga MX to the World Cup, this book reveals what players and managers are thinking before, during, and after games and delivers a true behind-the-scenes perspective on the inner workings of the sport's brightest minds. <P>America's premier soccer journalist, Grant Wahl, follows world-class players from across the globe examining how they do their jobs. This access imbues Masters of Modern Soccer with deep insight from the players on how goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards function individually and as a unit to excel and win. <P>Wahl also shadows a manager and director of soccer as they juggle the challenges of coaching, preparation, and the short- and long-term strategies of how to identify and acquire talent and deploy it on the field. <P>A book that will stand the test of time, Masters of Modern Soccer is the most in-depth analysis of the craft of soccer ever written for the American fan. For any fan, player, coach, or sideline enthusiast, this book will change the way they watch the game.
Masters of Mystery: The Strange Friendship of Arthur Conan Doyle & Harry Houdini
by Christopher SandfordRenowned mystery author Arthur Conan Doyle and famous illusionist Harry Houdini first met in 1920, during the magician's tour of England. At the time, Conan Doyle had given up his lucrative writing career, killing off Sherlock Holmes in the process, in order to concentrate on his increasingly manic interest in Spiritualism. Houdini, who regularly conducted séances in an attempt to reach his late mother, was also infatuated with the idea of what he called a "living afterlife," though his enthusiasm came to be tempered by his ability to expose fraudulent mediums, many of whom employed crude variations of his own well-known illusions. Using previously unpublished material on the murky relationship between Houdini and Conan Doyle, this sometimes macabre, sometimes comic tale tells the fascinating story of the relationship between two of the most loved figures of the 20th century and their pursuit of magic and lost loved ones.
Masters of Sex
by Thomas MaierIn Masters of Sex, critically acclaimed biographer Thomas Maier offers an unprecedented look at William Masters and Virginia Johnson, their pioneering studies of intimacy, and the sexual revolution they inspired. Masters and Johnson began their secret studies in a small Midwest laboratory, and soon became the nation’s top experts on sex. Over the course of more than forty years, they analyzed and explained the secrets of orgasm, emotional fulfillment, and sexual dysfunction. But they divorced after twenty years amid a clash of success, betrayal, and jealousies. Weaving interviews with the notoriously private William Masters and the ambitious Virginia Johnson, Maier offers a titillating portrait of the legendary couple. Entertaining, revealing, and beautifully told, this groundbreaking book sheds light on the eternal mysteries of desire and intimacy, and their complicated roles in the American psyche.
Masters of Sex
by Thomas MaierIn Masters of Sex, critically acclaimed biographer Thomas Maier offers an unprecedented look at William Masters and Virginia Johnson, their pioneering studies of intimacy, and the sexual revolution they inspired. Masters and Johnson began their secret studies in a small Midwest laboratory, and soon became the nation's top experts on sex. Over the course of more than forty years, they analyzed and explained the secrets of orgasm, emotional fulfillment, and sexual dysfunction. But they divorced after twenty years amid a clash of success, betrayal, and jealousies.Weaving interviews with the notoriously private William Masters and the ambitious Virginia Johnson, Maier offers a titillating portrait of the legendary couple. Entertaining, revealing, and beautifully told, this groundbreaking book sheds light on the eternal mysteries of desire and intimacy, and their complicated roles in the American psyche.
Masters of Sex
by Thomas MaierIn Masters of Sex, critically acclaimed biographer Thomas Maier offers an unprecedented look at William Masters and Virginia Johnson, their pioneering studies of intimacy, and the sexual revolution they inspired. Masters and Johnson began their secret studies in a small Midwest laboratory, and soon became the nation’s top experts on sex. Over the course of more than forty years, they analyzed and explained the secrets of orgasm, emotional fulfillment, and sexual dysfunction. But they divorced after twenty years amid a clash of success, betrayal, and jealousies. Weaving interviews with the notoriously private William Masters and the ambitious Virginia Johnson, Maier offers a titillating portrait of the legendary couple. Entertaining, revealing, and beautifully told, this groundbreaking book sheds light on the eternal mysteries of desire and intimacy, and their complicated roles in the American psyche.
Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How to Love
by Thomas MaierNow a New Showtime Original Series Showtime's dramatic series Masters of Sex, starring Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, is based on this real-life story of sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson. Before Sex and the City and ViagraTM, America relied on Masters and Johnson to teach us everything we needed to know about what goes on in the bedroom. Convincing hundreds of men and women to shed their clothes and copulate, the pair were the nation’s top experts on love and intimacy. Highlighting interviews with the notoriously private Masters and the ambitious Johnson, critically acclaimed biographer Thomas Maier shows how this unusual team changed the way we all thought about, talked about, and engaged in sex while they simultaneously tried to make sense of their own relationship. Entertaining, revealing, and beautifully told, Masters of Sex sheds light on the eternal mysteries of desire, intimacy, and the American psyche.
Masters of Sex: Vida y época de William Masters y Virginia Johnson, la pareja que enseñó a Estados Unidos cómo amar
by Thomas MaierUn excitante retrato del ginecólogo William Masters y la sexóloga Virginia Johnson, la pareja que cambió la forma en que todos pensamos, hablamos y participamos del sexo. Las investigaciones del ginecólogo William Masters y la sexóloga Virginia Johnson supusieron toda una revolución en la década de los 60. A lo largo de más de cuarenta años, a través de la observación directa de miles de encuentros sexuales entre cientos de hombres y mujeres, analizaron y explicaron temas hasta entonces tabú como los secretos del orgasmo, la homosexualidad, la satisfacción emocional o la disfunción. Thomas Maier ofrece una mirada sin precedentes sobre la pareja que cambió la forma en que todos pensamos, hablamos y participamos del sexo. Reseñas:«Un relato perspicaz y bien escrito sobre Masters y Johnson, que, en un sentido clínico, probablemente sabían más sobre el sexo y el amor conyugal que cualquier otra pareja en Estados Unidos.»Gay Talese «Narrada con paciencia y esmero... Maier escribe bien, y con humor.»New York Times «Una mirada, maravillosamente escrita y totalmente absorbente, a una pareja increíble.»Booklist «El galardonado biógrafo Maier... ofrece el primer examen en profundidad de la compleja pareja que ayudó a revolucionar el estudio de la respuesta sexual humana.»Library Journal «La reveladora biografía de Maier se adentra en la vida de la pareja que inició la revolución sexual.»Discover «Absorbente. Masters of sex es un libro de lectura obligada para aquellos que quieran conocer los embriagadores comienzos de la revolución sexual.»The American Prospect «Puede que debido a su tórrido tema, Masters of sex [...] pueda impactar a algunos lectores por resultar extraordinariamente gráfico tratándose de una biografía, pero este perturbador relato de sexo y ciencia en la teoría y la práctica es en realidad más aleccionador que excitanteO, The Oprah Magazine
Masters of Warfare: Fifty Underrated Military Commanders from Classical Antiquity to the Cold War
by Eric G. PinzelliIn Masters of Warfare, Eric G. L. Pinzelli presents a selection of fifty commanders whose military achievements, skill or historical impact he believes to be underrated by modern opinion. He specifically does not include the household names (the "Gods of War" as he calls them) such as Alexander, Julius Caesar, Wellington, Napoléon, Rommel or Patton that have been covered in countless biographies. Those chosen come from every period of recorded military history from the sixth century BC to the Vietnam War. The selection rectifies the European/US bias of many such surveys with Asian entries such as Bai Qi (Chinese), Attila (Hunnic), Subotai (Mongol), Ieyasu Tokugawa (Japanese) and Võ Nguyên Giáp (Vietnamese). Naval commanders are also represented by the likes of Khayr al-Din Barbarossa, Francis Drake and Michiel de Ruyter. These 50 "Masters of War" are presented in a chronological order easy to follow, with a concise overview of their life and career. Altogether they present a fascinating survey of the developments and continuities in the art of command, but most importantly their contribution to the evolution of weaponry, tactic and strategy through the ages.
Masters of sex
by Thomas MaierThe definitive biography of the famous sex research team who dramatically transformed American sexuality yet whose private relationship was just as complex and dysfunctional as any of their patients
Masters, Slaves, and Exchange
by Kathleen M. HilliardThis book examines the political economy of the master-slave relationship viewed through the lens of consumption and market exchange. What did it mean when human chattel bought commodities, 'stole' property, or gave and received gifts? Forgotten exchanges, this study argues, measured the deepest questions of worth and value, shaping an enduring struggle for power between slaves and masters. The slaves' internal economy focused intense paternalist negotiation on a ground where categories of exchange - provision, gift, contraband, and commodity - were in constant flux. At once binding and alienating, these ties endured constant moral stresses and material manipulation by masters and slaves alike, galvanizing conflict and engendering complex new social relations on and off the plantation.
Mastery, Tyranny, and Desire
by Trevor BurnardEighteenth-century Jamaica, Britain's largest and most valuable slave-owning colony, relied on a brutal system of slave management to maintain its tenuous social order. Trevor Burnard provides unparalleled insight into Jamaica's vibrant but harsh African and European cultures with a comprehensive examination of the extraordinary diary of plantation owner Thomas Thistlewood.Thistlewood's diary, kept over the course of forty years, describes in graphic detail how white rule over slaves was predicated on the infliction of terror on the bodies and minds of slaves. Thistlewood treated his slaves cruelly even while he relied on them for his livelihood. Along with careful notes on sugar production, Thistlewood maintained detailed records of a sexual life that fully expressed the society's rampant sexual exploitation of slaves. In Burnard's hands, Thistlewood's diary reveals a great deal not only about the man and his slaves but also about the structure and enforcement of power, changing understandings of human rights and freedom, and connections among social class, race, and gender, as well as sex and sexuality, in the plantation system.
Mata Amritanandamayi: Life and Experiences of Devotees
by Swami Amritasvarupananda PuriThis book vividly portrays the Holy Mother's courage and intense devotion to God in the face of attacks by unsympathetic relatives and hostile detractors who feared the changes brought about by Her universal love. From Her childhood itself, Amma was endowed with an ineffable love for God, and She immersed Herself in that quest, even without a Guru. Treated as a servant by Her family, Amma continued in that role until Her conscious absorption in the bliss of God-Realization made it impossible for Her to discharge Her endless chores. She spent Her time in meditation, devotional singing and dancing, totally absorbed in God Consciousness. In due course, sincere seekers of Self-Realization sought Her out in Her remote village in Southern India and found guidance and gained the strength to walk in the spiritual path. Millions have received contorting reassurance and love.
Mata Hari's Last Dance: A Novel
by Michelle MoranFrom the international bestselling author of Rebel Queen and Nefertiti comes a captivating novel about the infamous Mata Hari, exotic dancer, adored courtesan, and, possibly, relentless spy.Paris, 1917. The notorious dancer Mata Hari sits in a cold cell awaiting freedom…or death. Alone and despondent, Mata Hari is as confused as the rest of the world about the charges she’s been arrested on: treason leading to the deaths of thousands of French soldiers. As Mata Hari waits for her fate to be decided, she relays the story of her life to a reporter who is allowed to visit her in prison. Beginning with her carefree childhood, Mata Hari recounts her father’s cruel abandonment of her family as well her calamitous marriage to a military officer. Taken to the island of Java, Mata Hari refuses to be ruled by her abusive husband and instead learns to dance, paving the way to her stardom as Europe’s most infamous dancer. From Indian temples and Parisian theatres to German barracks in war-torn Europe, international bestselling author Michelle Moran who “expertly balances fact and fiction” (Associated Press) brings to vibrant life the famed world of Mata Hari: dancer, courtesan, and possibly, spy.
Matar al mormón: La inseguridad pública, el narcotráfico y el magnicidio que impidió la DEA
by Gabriel PereyraUn jefe policial en medio de la guerra entre dos narcos. Sicarios extranjeros buscando explosivos militares en Montevideo. Un topo de la DEA que atina a dar una alerta providencial. Gabriel Pereyra rescata un episodio hasta el momento desconocido del periplo profesional del implacable policía antidrogas Julio Guarteche, dejando en evidencia la perversión de límites que maneja el narcotráfico. A través de sus columnas que durante 25 años aparecieron en El Observador y en Búsqueda, el periodista ilumina los vericuetos del siempre sensible debate sobre la seguridad pública, fijando posición, en muchas ocasiones, contra la corriente mayoritaria que piensa que este complejo asunto se soluciona con un cambio de autoridades. En estos textos, la seguridad adquiere perfiles tanto de crónica policial como de denuncia social. Y el discurso de que la pobreza y la delincuencia no tienen un vínculo entre sí se da de bruces con un dato indiscutible: casi la totalidad de los presos son pobres o provienen de hogares marginales.
Matar el nervio
by Anna PazosMatar el nervio es una descarnada revisión de una juventud que está llegando a su final. «La turbulencia de en medio es difícil de explicar. Queremos pensar que las decisiones irracionales las toman los demás y que nosotros actuamos con entereza, lucidez y amor propio. Después nos encontramos en medio del ciclón y el mundo se pone del revés. Lo quedesde fuera parece una profanación imperdonable tiene ahora una explicación plausible. La decisión recta y evidente ahora resulta cobarde y la que habríamos dicho que implicaba negación y abyección denota generosidad y grandeza de espíritu». Matar el nervio es la descarnada revisión de una juventud que busca su final. Es el lugar de expiación de una década vital, la de losveinte, ansiosa por obtener respuestas. Son fragmentos de una autobiografía sin secretos donde la literatura se funde con la vida. Un nervio indómito, huidizo, caprichoso, conducirá a la autora a Grecia, Israel, Turquía y Estados Unidos para finalmente sumergirse en la historia de su propia familia. Su atracción por los personajes extremos hará el resto.La mirada de Anna Pazos es desafiante e incisiva: periodística. Liberada y talentosa, osada y fiestera, Pazos abre interrogantes que deja flotando en una atmosfera formada por la potencia portentosa de su escritura. Quién sabe si, sin pretenderlo, ha escrito un retrato generacional de primer orden.
Mataron a Flores: Intriga y poder en los albores del Uruguay moderno
by Fernando KleinUna novela narrada con rigurosidad histórica y ritmo de thriller sobre uno de los episodios más enigmáticos y violentos que vivió el Uruguay. El 19 de febrero del año 1868, las vidas del general Flores y del ex-presidente Prudencio Berro se jugaron en un escenario minúsculo de Montevideo: entre las calles Mercedes y Uruguay y el llamado Fuerte o la antigua casa de gobierno, en la actual plaza Zabala. Berro inició una aventura revolucionaria con un plan que preveía el ataque simultáneo a seis objetivos: el Fuerte, el Cuartel de Dragones, la fortaleza de San José y las comisarías de Manga y la Unión, pero la revuelta rápidamente se hundió en el fracaso, rechazados todos los intentos revolucionarios. Flores buscó acudir al centro de los acontecimientos, pero su carruaje fue prontamente interceptado por «emponchados con sombreros», quienes con armas de fuego y luego puñales terminarían con su vida. Su imagen agonizando sería inmortalizada en una pintura por Juan Manuel Blanes. Don Berro fue detenido y llevado a la jefatura de policía, el actual Cabildo, negando haber intervenido en la muerte del general: fue asesinado en las mazmorras del edificio. «¡Mataron a Venancio Flores!», fue el rumor y luego el grito ensordecedor que se extendió por toda la ciudad de Montevideo. Esa jornada pasaría a la historia como «el día de los cuchillos largos»: desde ese entonces la autoría de los asesinatos de Flores y Berro sigue siendo una incógnita que este libro procura develar.
Match Day: One Day and One Dramatic Year in the Lives of Three New Doctors
by Brian EuleThree new doctors—all women—struggle to balance professional ambitions and personal relationships, triumphs and crises, uncertainties and decisions, through one pressure-packed day and the first year of their careers in medicine Each year, on the third Thursday in March, more than 15,000 graduating medical students exult, despair, and endure Match Day: the decision of a controversial computer algorithm, which matches students with hospital residencies in every field of medicine. The match determines where each graduate will be assigned the crucial first job as an intern, and shapes the rest of his—or, in increasing number, her—life. In Match Day, Brian Eule follows three women from the anxious months before the match through the completion of their first year of internship. Each woman makes mistakes, saves lives, and witnesses death; each must keep or jettison the man in her life; each comes to learn what it means to heal, to comfort, to lose, and to grieve, while maintaining a professional demeanor. Just as One L became the essential book about the education of young attorneys, so Match Day will be for every medical student, doctor, and reader interested in medicine: a guide to what to expect, and a dramatic recollection of a pressured, perilous, challenging, and rewarding time of life.
Matchbook: The Diary of a Modern-Day Matchmaker
by Samantha DanielsFans of Sex and the City and Bridget Jones's Diary, and anyone who loves to date vicariously, will fall in love with Matchbook. In this irresistible read, America's hippest Matchmaker borrows from her real-life experiences to create an urban love story about searching for "The One." When people learn what Samantha Daniels does for a living, they have to know more: How did she become a Match-maker? How many matches have led to marriage? How does it work? Who's her craziest client? And most of all, how can a Matchmaker be single? Samantha Daniels is unlike any Matchmaker you've ever heard of. Young, ambitious, and, yes, single, she's the founder of Samantha's Table, an introduction service that caters to singles in New York and Los Angeles who are ready to invest seriously in the task of finding The One. After handpicking their matches, Daniels works with her clients as their cheerleader, part-time therapist, dating coach, voice of reason, and closest confidante as she helps them down the road to happily ever after. Readers learn how Daniels started her Matchmaking business (How much do you charge for finding the love of someone's life? How do you screen out the Undatables?) and get to know the colorful cast of characters whom she fondly refers to as her "Desperados." There's Mr. Cheapskate, Miss Manhunt, and Looks Good from Afar Guy. There's the 39-year-old female corporate exec who wants a husband yesterday; there's the guy who will only date women worthy of Brad Pitt; there's the gazillionaire who offers a $60,000 bonus if Samantha can find him a supermodel wife; there's the very well endowed woman who's having trouble finding men attracted to her mind; and a host of others. Will Samantha be able to make them a match? And more importantly, will this Matchmaker find herself a match? You would think that meeting hundreds of single men would make dating a snap, but not even a Matchmaker can avoid the pitfalls of single life. Readers are introduced to another lively cast of characters -- the men that Daniels herself dates. Readers meet the many Not for Me Guys and a few Maybe for Me Guys, to see that even a celebrated Matchmaker can be a Desperado herself. Throughout the book, Daniels also offers real dating advice (such as the most common first-date mistakes and tried-and-true conversation topics) and secrets of the trade (why September is the best month for Matchmaking). Like a real-life episode of The Bachelor, Matchbook is a wild ride through the flirty, unpredictable world of urban dating, with a wise and witty guide at the helm. For those who love romance and anyone looking for love, Matchbook is a perfect match.
Material Witness
by Ted LeighAmerican painter Fairfield Porter (1907-1975) was an iconoclast who developed a singular style that was outside the politically correct boundaries of both left and right. This collection of letters sheds light on Porter's personal views and displays his acumen as a political critic. It encompasses letters from his early travels to the Soviet Union (including a description of an interview with Trotsky) as well as later correspondence with close friends. The volume features an introduction by poet/critic David Lehman and notes by Justin Spring, author of . Editor Leigh is an artist, writer, and teacher. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)
Material de construcción
by Eider Rodríguez«Una poética implacable contra el dolor, una mirada al mundo que redefine el pasado, un modo de entender la literatura fuera de la norma».Pol GuaschEn esta novela hay veranos, cigarrillos, piscinas, hospitales, caballos, azulejos, cemento, arena, cartas, plantas, fuego, vacaciones, amores, mentiras, verdades, vergüenzas... y también alcohol, que lo impregna todo, estropeándolo y deformándolo. Porque el padre es alcohólico. Y ella, la hija de un alcohólico. Pero ¿qué más hay detrás de ese hombre que vendía materiales de construcción y fabricaba muebles reciclando palés?A pesar de haber vivido en la misma casa durante muchos años, padre e hija apenas tienen trato. No se hablan ni se tocan, pero las miradas, los olores y los sonidos les sirven de vínculo. Y el silencio, eso que no se quiere y no se puede decir, es más un campo de batalla que una fortaleza.En su primera novela, Eider Rodríguez ha recogido los fragmentos de un padre para reconstruir, desde diferentes perspectivas y con un estilo brutal y descarnado, el relato de una familia, de una época y de un lugar, sacando a la luz los cauces subterráneos por los que circulan el amor y la vida dentro de los estrechos márgenes del entorno familiar. La crítica ha dicho:«La prosa de Eider Rodríguez, deslumbrante y afilada, nos ayuda a imaginar, pensar y sentir nuestra propia relación con la violencia no desde la denuncia moral o la ideología, sino desde espacios afectivos de incomodidad e incertidumbre».Edurne Portela«Una prosa inteligente, precisa, sin concesiones».Kirmen Uribe«Una maravilla. Una carta al padre, honesta y dolorosa, a corazón abierto. Una excavación y una construcción escrita con mucha inteligencia y valentía».Sara Mesa«La literaturasirve para desentrañar y comprender, y Material de construcción, escrito desde una honestidad incondicional, responde a ese objetivo desdeelconvencimiento de que algunas cosas solo se pueden entender si se escriben».Natxo Velez, EITB Radio Televisión Pública Vasca«Eider Rodríguez vuelve con una obra que resultará ser una marca de agua nueva e importante tanto en su trayectoria como en la memoria de sus lectores. Se trata de un libro intenso, profundo y al mismo tiempo valiente, de una honestidad salvaje. Literatura con letra mayúscula, urgente y necesaria. Desconcertará, turbará y conmoverá a quien lo lea».Harkaitz Cano«Un hermoso trabajo literario que llevará al lector a esa zona brumosa situada entre la desesperación y el recuerdo. Escritura contenida y calibrada. Un estilo excepcional. Es conmovedor presenciar de qué manera influyó la muerte del padre en la protagonista. Un desnudo psicológico profundo. Quizá algunos lectores definan este libro como la protagonista define a su padre: salado y agrio. Sin lugar a dudas, una obra maestra».111 Akademia«Este libro es un ejercicio de memoria, de duelo, y al mismo tiempo una carta de amor».Amaia Álvarez«Un libro que genera estupor».Mikel Asurmendi
Material: Making and the Art of Transformation
by Nick KaryA master craftsperson explores the ways in which working with our hands reveals the essence of both our humanity and our relationship with the natural, material world In our present age of computer-assisted design, mass production and machine precision, the traditional skills of the maker or craftsperson are hard to find. Yet the desire for well-made and beautiful objects from the hands (and mind) of a skilled artisan is just as present today as it ever has been. Whether the medium they work with is wood, metal, clay or something else, traditional makers are living links to the rich vein of knowledge and skills that defines our common human heritage. More than this, though, many of us harbor a deep and secret yearning to produce something – to build or shape, to imagine and create our own objects that are imbued not only with beauty and functionality, but with a story and, in essence, a spirit drawn from us. Nick Kary understands this yearning. For nearly four decades he has worked on commission to make fine, distinctive furniture and cabinets from wood, most of it sourced near his home, in the counties of South West England. During this time, he has been both a teacher and a student; one who is fascinated with the philosophy and practice of craft work of all kinds. In Material, Kary takes readers along with him to visit some of the places where modern artisans are preserving, and in some cases passing on, the old craft skills. His vivid descriptions and eye for detail make this book a rich and delightful read, and the natural and cultural history he imparts along the way provides an important context for understanding our own past and the roots of our industrial society. Personal, engaging, and filled with memorable people, landscapes and scenes, Material is a rich celebration of what it means to imagine and create, which in the end is the essence of being human, and native to a place. As Kary puts it, “Wood and words, trees and people, material and ethereal – it is here I love increasingly to dwell.”
Material: Making and the Art of Transformation
by Nick Kary"An important book, brimming with insight."—Nicholas Evans, author of The Horse WhispererA master craftsperson explores the ways in which working with our hands reveals the essence of both our humanity and our relationship with the natural, material world.In our present age of computer-assisted design, mass production and machine precision, the traditional skills of the maker or craftsperson are hard to find. Yet the desire for well-made and beautiful objects from the hands (and mind) of a skilled artisan is just as present today as it ever has been. Whether the medium they work with is wood, metal, clay or something else, traditional makers are living links to the rich vein of knowledge and skills that defines our common human heritage. More than this, though, many of us harbor a deep and secret yearning to produce something – to build or shape, to imagine and create our own objects that are imbued not only with beauty and functionality, but with a story and, in essence, a spirit drawn from us.Nick Kary understands this yearning. For nearly four decades he has worked on commission to make fine, distinctive furniture and cabinets from wood, most of it sourced near his home, in the counties of South West England. During this time, he has been both a teacher and a student; one who is fascinated with the philosophy and practice of craft work of all kinds.In Material, Kary takes readers along with him to visit some of the places where modern artisans are preserving, and in some cases passing on, the old craft skills. His vivid descriptions and eye for detail make this book a rich and delightful read, and the natural and cultural history he imparts along the way provides an important context for understanding our own past and the roots of our industrial society.Personal, engaging, and filled with memorable people, landscapes and scenes, Material is a rich celebration of what it means to imagine and create, which in the end is the essence of being human, and native to a place. As Kary puts it, &“Wood and words, trees and people, material and ethereal – it is here I love increasingly to dwell.&”Perfect for fans of The Hidden Life of Trees or Norwegian Wood, Material is a rich, inspiring read for woodworkers, potters, craftspeople, bibliophiles and anyone who enjoys working with their hands.
Maternal Megalomania: Julia Domna and the Imperial Politics of Motherhood
by Julie LangfordHow the maternal image of the empress Julia Domna helped the Roman empire rule.Ancient authors emphasize dramatic moments in the life of Julia Domna, wife of Roman emperor Septimius Severus (193–211). They accuse her of ambition unforgivable in a woman, of instigating civil war to place her sons on the throne, and of resorting to incest to maintain her hold on power. In imperial propaganda, however, Julia Domna was honored with unprecedented titles that celebrated her maternity, whether it was in the role of mother to her two sons (both future emperors) or as the metaphorical mother to the empire. Imperial propaganda even equated her to the great mother goddess, Cybele, endowing her with a public prominence well beyond that of earlier imperial women. Her visage could be found gracing everything from state-commissioned art to privately owned ivory dolls. In Maternal Megalomania, Julie Langford unmasks the maternal titles and honors of Julia Domna as a campaign on the part of the administration to garner support for Severus and his sons. Langford looks to numismatic, literary, and archaeological evidence to reconstruct the propaganda surrounding the empress. She explores how her image was tailored toward different populations, including the military, the Senate, and the people of Rome, and how these populations responded to propaganda about the empress. She employs Julia Domna as a case study to explore the creation of ideology between the emperor and its subjects.
Maternidad
by Sheila HetiCrees que lo has leído todo sobre la maternidad hasta que llega Sheila Heti Uno de los libros más esperados del año (The Millions), Uno de los 10 libros más excitantes del año (The Vulture), por una de las nuevas voces norteamericanas (The New York Times y The New Yorker). ¿Qué gana y qué pierde una mujer al convertirse en madre? ¿Puede una creación artística reemplazar a un hijo? Enfrentada al conflicto de toda mujer que se acerca a los cuarenta sin haber tenido hijos, mientras sus amigas se preguntan cuándo van a ser madres, la narradora de Maternidad se pregunta si realmente quiere serlo. La importancia de la creación en su vida, la relación fría que mantiene con su madre o la resolución tomada por su pareja de no intervenir en una decisión que considera que es ella quien debe tomar son algunos de los factores que Sheila Heti pone encima del tablero para llegar a la mejor conclusión posible. Aunque tal vez sea mejor que el azar resuelva las cosas: por eso arroja una moneda al aire cada vez que hace una pregunta esencial. Tras su aclamada novela ¿Cómo debe ser una persona?, lectura obligada para toda una generación, Heti aborda con franqueza, originalidad y humor la necesidad, o no, de ser madre. Un libro valiente, profundo y original que desencadenará animadas conversaciones sobre el feminismo, la paternidad y sobre cómo y para quién vivir. La crítica ha dicho...«La novela de Sheila Heti tiene todas las papeletas para convertirse en la obra literaria definitiva sobre la maternidad. [...] Se parece más a un tapiz que a un libro: puro arte, fino y delicado».Lara Feigel, The Guardian «Revelador, íntimo, conmovedor.»Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker «Heti es siempre original.»Library Journal «Una obra provocadora, creativa, victoriosa: ficción feminista filosófica. Heti escribe con coraje, curiosidad y una sinceridad poco común.»Booklist «Heti se enfrenta a este controvertido tema con una inteligencia asombrosa, planteando difíciles preguntas tanto sobre las responsabilidades y los deseos de las mujeres como sobre las expectativas de la sociedad.»Publishers Weekly «Impresionante. [...] Al escribir sobre maternidad,Heti también escribe sobre feminidad y vocación, personificación y mortalidad, historia y libertad... Una maravilla.»Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic «Al leer esta hermosa novela, sentí que estaba viendo una mente brillante inventar nuevas herramientas para pensar. Un libro emocionante, muy divertido y casi insoportablemente conmovedor.»Garth Greenwell, autor de Lo que te pertenece «Leí esta novela más rápido y con más ganas de lo que había leído enaños. [...]Su pensamiento es incisivo y totalmente original mientras lidia con el tipo de infelicidad que muchos, incluida yo misma, preferimos evadir en vez de mira rdirectamente.»Adelle Waldman, autora de Los amores fugaces de Nathaniel P.