четверг, 14 января 2010 г.

Norberto Bobbio - Old Age and Other Essays



Old Age and Other Essays

by Norberto Bobbio

This book by one of Italy's oldest and wisest intellectuals is a philosophical and personal meditation on ageing. The question of old age has preoccupied writers from Cicero to Améry, but in this volume Norberto Bobbio produces an account that is specific to our times. Born in 1909, Bobbio has lived through the major events of the past century, and his experiences of Fascism, Communism and the Cold War lend his reflections a melancholy that distinguishes them from earlier eulogies on old age and death. Bobbio's conclusions are often sobering, yet his investigation into memory and mortality is written with both humour and emotion. In the opening chapter, Bobbio reassesses the notion of progress from the perspective of an old man. Arguing for an understanding of historical change as the transfer between generations, Bobbio explains how the elderly are increasingly marginalized in contemporary society. Referring to the traditional idea of old age as the 'age of wisdom', Bobbio argues that our ever-accelerating technological progress has dramatically shifted the power of knowledge from old to young. This discussion of old age as a social problem is accompanied by a reflection on old age as a personal predicament. In his elegant and lucid prose, Bobbio confronts the facts of decrepitude and death. In taking stock of his life, he argues once again for the importance of democracy and human rights. This is a beautifully written book that will be of great interest to the academic and general reader alike. Its intellectual content renders it of particular value to students in the fields of philosophy, politics and the social sciences.

суббота, 9 января 2010 г.

Музей Невинности - Орхан Памук



Музей Невинности

Орхан Памук

Музей Невинности», новый роман самого известного турецкого писателя наших дней, заставляет переоценить все суждения не только о любви, но и о женитьбе, дружбе, плотской страсти, чести, семье и счастье …Это история вступающего в пору зрелости Кемаля и красавицы Фюсун, начавшаяся весенним днем 1975 года и обернувшаяся годами испытаний. Роман, в котором время, сотканное из мгновений блаженства и печали, прорывается к неустранимой в памяти и сохраняемой ею силе сбывшегося, которая и дарует человеку чувство обретения по-настоящему прожитой жизни.«Памук – эпохальный и значимый писатель, право обладать которым было бы честью и для Запада, и для Востока…»New York TimesОрхан Памук — лауреат Нобелевской премии по литературе 2006 года. За роман «Меня зовут красный» в 2003 году писатель был также удостоен престижной литературной премии IMPAC (Дублин). Произведения Орхана Памука переведены более чем на пятьдесят языков.

понедельник, 7 декабря 2009 г.

суббота, 21 ноября 2009 г.

Excrement in the Late Middle Ages: Sacred Filth and Chaucer's Fecopoetics




Excrement in the Late Middle Ages: Sacred Filth and Chaucer's Fecopoetics (The New Middle Ages)

By Susan Signe Morrison


This interdisciplinary book integrates the historical practices regarding material excrement and its symbolic representation, with special focus on fecopoetics and Chaucer’s literary agenda. Filth in all its manifestations—material (including privies, dung on fields, and as alchemical ingredient), symbolic (sin, misogynist slander, and theological wrestling with the problem of filth in sacred contexts) and linguistic (a semantic range including dirt and dung)—helps us to see how excrement is vital to understanding the Middle Ages. Applying fecal theories to late medieval culture, Morrison concludes by proposing Waste Studies as a new field of ethical and moral criticism for literary scholars.

среда, 4 ноября 2009 г.

Chuck Palahniuk - Pygmy




Pygmy

By Chuck Palahniuk
"What will he think of next?" asked the flabbergasted critic from the New York Times Book Review. Indeed, while several reviewers praised the novel as a darkly humorous commentary on American society, most agreed it contained serious flaws. Palahniuk's tenth novel seems designed to flummox readers with its extreme profanity, graphic sexual violence involving minors, and portrayal of adults as either brainless buffoons or shameless perverts. Critics were also split on the author's repeated use of an undefined syntax, reminiscent of pidgin English, throughout. What readers, after all, will have the patience to read sentences like, "Revered soon dying mother, distribute you ammunitions correct for Croatia-made forty-five-caliber, long-piston-stroke APS assault rifle"? Overall, critics acknowledged that diehard Palahniuk fans might savor Pygmy but that most folks would find it too stomach-turning.

пятница, 16 октября 2009 г.

Dan Brown - The Lost Symbol




The Lost Symbol

by Dan Brown


Let's start with the question every Dan Brown fan wants answered: Is The Lost Symbol as good as The Da Vinci Code? Simply put, yes. Brown has mastered the art of blending nail-biting suspense with random arcana (from pop science to religion), and The Lost Symbol is an enthralling mix. And what a dazzling accomplishment that is, considering that rabid fans and skeptics alike are scrutinizing every word.
The Lost Symbol begins with an ancient ritual, a shadowy enclave, and of course, a secret. Readers know they are in Dan Brown territory when, by the end of the first chapter, a secret within a secret is revealed. To tell too much would ruin the fun of reading this delicious thriller, so you will find no spoilers here. Suffice it to say that as with many series featuring a recurring character, there is a bit of a formula at work (one that fans will love). Again, brilliant Harvard professor Robert Langdon finds himself in a predicament that requires his vast knowledge of symbology and superior problem-solving skills to save the day. The setting, unlike other Robert Langdon novels, is stateside, and in Brown's hands Washington D.C. is as fascinating as Paris or Vatican City (note to the D.C. tourism board: get your "Lost Symbol" tour in order). And, as with other Dan Brown books, the pace is relentless, the revelations many, and there is an endless parade of intriguing factoids that will make you feel like you are spending the afternoon with Robert Langdon and the guys from Mythbusters.
Nothing is as it seems in a Robert Langdon novel, and The Lost Symbol itself is no exception--a page-turner to be sure, but Brown also challenges his fans to open their minds to new information. Skeptical? Imagine how many other thrillers would spawn millions of Google searches for noetic science, superstring theory, and Apotheosis of Washington. The Lost Symbol is brain candy of the best sort--just make sure to set aside time to enjoy your meal. --Daphne Durham

среда, 14 октября 2009 г.

Умберто Эко - Таинственное пламя царицы Лоаны



Умберто Эко

Таинственное пламя царицы Лоаны

Умберто Эко, крупнейший современный писатель, ученый-медиевист, семиотик, специалист по массовой культуре, автор интеллектуального бестселлера "Имя розы" (1980), представляет нам роман совершенно нового типа. Текст в нем опирается на иллюстрации, причем каждая иллюстрация - это цитата, извлеченная из контекста не только личной истории героя, но и истории целого поколения. Лопнувший кровеносный сосуд, пораженный участок мозга, начисто стертая личная память. О своем прошлом шестидесятилетний торговец антикварными книгами Джамбаттиста Бодони не помнит ничего. Он даже забыл свое имя. Но сокровищница "бумажной" памяти остается неразграбленной, через нее и лежит путь к себе - через образы и сюжеты, средневековые трактаты и повести для подростков, старые пластинки и программы радиопередач, школьные сочинения и книжки комиксов, - туда, где брезжит таинственное пламя царицы Лоаны.

пятница, 25 сентября 2009 г.

Sexuality and Gender in the Classical World



Sexuality and Gender in the Classical World: Readings and Sources (Interpreting Ancient History)

by Laura K. McClure (Editor)

This book explores the fascinating world of sex and gender roles in the classical period. It provides readers with essays that represent a range of perspectives on women, gender and sexuality in the ancient world. They are accessible to general readers whilst also challenging them to confront problems of evidence and interpretation, new theories and methodologies, and contemporary assumptions about gender and sexuality.
The essays cover a broad spectrum of scholarly perspectives, and trace the debates and themes of the field from the late 1960s to the late 1990s. They also address a range of literary and non-literary genres, including some non-canonical sources such as medical writings and inscriptions, to elucidate ancient ideas about sexuality and the discourses that shaped these ideas. The book also provides translations of primary sources to enable readers to confront the evidence for themselves and assess the methodology used by historians. It includes Greek literature and society, Roman culture and the legacy of classical myth for modern feminist scholars. It includes and examines not only women in antiquity but also masculinity and sexuality to provide a comprehensive account of this fascinating topic.

Sexuality in Greek and Roman Literature and Society



Sexuality in Greek and Roman Literature and Society: A Sourcebook

by Marguer Johnson

This volume contains numerous original translations of ancient poetry, inscriptions, and documents, all of which illuminate the multifaceted nature of sexuality in antiquity.The detailed introduction provides full social and historical context for the sources, and guides students on how to use the material most effectively. Themes such as marriage, prostitution, and same-sex attraction are presented comparatively, with material from the Greek and Roman worlds shown side by side. This approach allows readers to interpret the written records with a full awareness of the different context of these separate but related societies. Commentaries are provided throughout, focusing on vocabulary and social and historical context.This is the first major sourcebook on ancient sexuality; it will be of particular use on related courses in classics/ancient history and gender studies.

A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy



A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy: 2 Volume Set (Blackwell Companions to Philosophy)

by Robert E. Goodin, Philip Pettit, Thomas W. Pogge (Editors)

Product DescriptionThis new edition of A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy has been extended significantly to include 55 chapters across two volumes written by some of today's most distinguished scholars.
New contributors include some of today’s most distinguished scholars, among them Thomas Pogge, Charles Beitz, and Michael Doyle
Provides in-depth coverage of contemporary philosophical debate in all major related disciplines, such as economics, history, law, political science, international relations and sociology
Presents analysis of key political ideologies, including new chapters on Cosmopolitanism and FundamentalismIncludes detailed discussions of major concepts in political philosophy, including virtue, power, human rights, and just war

The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics




The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics

by Alex Preminger, Terry V.F. Brogan, Frank J. Warnke (Editors)

The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics is a comprehensive reference work dealing with all aspects of its subject: history, types, movements, prosody, and critical terminology. Prepared by recognized authorities, its articles treat their topics in sufficient depth and with enough lucidity to satisfy the scholar and the general reader alike. Entries vary in length from relatively brief notices to substantial articles of about 20,000 words. The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, published in 1965, established itself book as a standard in the field. Among the 215 contributors were Northrop Frye writing on allegory, Murray Krieger on belief in poetry, Philip Wheelwright on myth, John Hollander on music, and William Carlos Williams on free verse. In 1974, the Enlarged Edition increased the entries with dozens of new subjects, including rock lyric, computer poetry, and black poetry, to name just a few. The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics accounts for the extraordinary change and explosion of knowledge within literary and cultural studies since the 1970s. This edition, completely revised, preserves what was most valuable from previous editions, while subjecting each existing entry to revision. Over 90 percent of the entries have been extensively revised and most major ones entirely rewritten. Completely new entries number 162, including those by new contributors Camille Paglia, Barbara Herrnstein Smith, Elaine Showalter, Houston Baker, Andrew Ross, and many more. New entries include those on cultural criticism, discourse, feminist poetics, and Chicano poetry. Improvements cover several areas: All the recent developments in theory that bear on poetry are included; bibliographies of secondary sources are ex-tended; cross- references among entries and through blind entries have been expanded for greater ease of use; and coverage of emergent and non-Western poetries is dramatically increased. Indeed, a hallmark of the encyclopedia is its world-wide orientation on the poetry of national and cultural groups. The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics is a comprehensive reference work dealing with all aspects of its subject: history, types, movements, prosody, and critical terminology. Prepared by recognized authorities, its articles treat their topics in sufficient depth and with enough lucidity to satisfy the scholar and the general reader alike. Entries vary in length from relatively brief notices to substantial articles of about 20,000 words. The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, published in 1965, established itself book as a standard in the field. Among the 215 contributors were Northrop Frye writing on allegory, Murray Krieger on belief in poetry, Philip Wheelwright on myth, John Hollander on music, and William Carlos Williams on free verse. In 1974, the Enlarged Edition increased the entries with dozens of new subjects, including rock lyric, computer poetry, and black poetry, to name just a few. The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics accounts for the extraordinary change and explosion of knowledge within literary and cultural studies since the 1970s. This edition, completely revised, preserves what was most valuable from previous editions, while subjecting each existing entry to revision. Over 90 percent of the entries have been extensively revised and most major ones entirely rewritten. Completely new entries number 162, including those by new contributors Camille Paglia, Barbara Herrnstein Smith, Elaine Showalter, Houston Baker, Andrew Ross, and many more. New entries include those on cultural criticism, discourse, feminist poetics, and Chicano poetry. Improvements cover several areas: All the recent developments in theory that bear on poetry are included; bibliographies of secondary sources are ex-tended; cross- references among entries and through blind entries have been expanded for greater ease of use; and coverage of emergent and non-Western poetries is dramatically increased. Indeed, a hallmark of the encyclopedia is its world-wide orientation on the poetry of national and cultural groups.

Harold Bloom - The Anxiety of Influence



The Anxiety of Influence: A Theory of Poetry

by Harold Bloom

Harold Bloom's The Anxiety of Influence has cast its long shadow of influence since it was first published in 1973. Through an insightful study of Romantic poets, Bloom puts forth his central vision of the relations between tradition and the individual artist. His argument that all literary texts are a strong misreading of thise that precede them had an enormous impact on the practice of deconstruction and poststructuralist literary theory. The book remains a central work of criticism for all students of literature.
Written in a moving personal style, anchored by concrete examples, and memorable quotes, this second edition of Bloom's classic work maintains that the anxiety of influence cannot be evaded--neither by poets nor by responsible readers and critics. A new Introduction, centering upon Shakespeare and Marlowe, explains the genesis of Bloom's thinking, and the subsequent influence of the book on literary criticism of the past twenty years Here, Bloom asserts that the anxiety of influence comes out of a complex act of strong misreading, a creative interpretation he calls "poetic misprision." The influence-anxiety does not su much concern the forerunner but rather is an anxiety achieved in and by the story, novel, play, poem, or essay. In other words, without Keats's reading of Shakespeare, Milton, and Wordsworth, we could not have Keats's odes and sonnets and his two Hyperions.
This new edition is certain to find a responsive audience among the new generation of scholars, students, and layreaders interested in the Bloom canon.

четверг, 24 сентября 2009 г.

Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Photography



Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Photography

by John Hannavy

Supported by an international board of advisors and contributors, editor Hannavy has produced an impressive and authoritative, albeit somewhat expensive, resource encompassing the photographers, techniques, equipment, theories, literature, exhibitions, history, and organizations involved in photography during its early development. There are also regional and country overviews. Along with the alphabetical list of entries, entries are grouped into 12 thematic areas: “Companies,” “Formats,” etc. Entry length ranges “from shorter 200 word entries that provide snapshots of photographic figures and other key elements of nineteenth century photography to large, 5,000 word entries that provide detailed, analytical scholarship.” Some 850 of the approximately 1,200 signed entries treat people—photographers, inventors, patrons, and critics. Many entries have see also and further-reading references. Both volumes contain the detailed 64-page index. Illustrations are few and far between but do include unique, seldom-seen images. They are not always next to an appropriate entry. The list of contributors does not include their affiliations. This is wonderful set to browse as well as to search for information on the obscure as well as the famous photographers of the period. Information sometimes refers back to photography’s predecessors and forward to lives that extended into the twentieth century. As with any large, comprehensive work, there is missing information, which some readers will notice. When comparing the finished work with the planned list of entries published in 2005, it is apparent that some did not attract contributors, others were added, and editorial decisions were made, as the planned one volume grew to two substantial ones. However, the wealth of information found here, and in no comparable work, will be used by photographers (including instructors, experimenters, and students); historians of art, science, and technology; genealogists studying old family images; and interested general readers for many years to come. This a fine reference work deserving inclusion in all libraries having large art/photography collections. --Linda Loos Scarth

Archaeological Chemistry



Archaeological Chemistry

by Mark A. Pollard, Carl Heron (Authors)

Mark Pollard and Carl Heron have set out to produce a text that will bring together an interdisciplinary readership in the fields of chemical conservation, restoration, archaeological excavation, historical provenancing, and chemical analysis. It is perhaps the latter area that will appeal most to chemists, but it must be appreciated that the application of chemical analytical procedures to artefacts and archaeological materials has several unique restraints which demand, in particular, minimal sampling, or preferably non-invasive and non-destructive analysis. These pose major challenges for analytical chemists due to the special nature of the specimens presented.
One of the first chemists to analyze ancient pigments was Sir Humphry Davy, who published his results from the analysis of wall paintings from Pompeii in the Proceedings of the Royal Society in 1815; this paper stands as the first example of the application of chemical analysis to ancient art and archaeology. Even then, Davy appreciated the fact that his analyses completely destroyed the valuable specimens presented to him. In the 1920s, a seminal study of English porcelains by Eccles and Rackham produced some very important analytical information but again at the expense of the sacrifice of whole items of chinaware, such as plates, cups and saucers. These analytical protocols would just not be acceptable today.
Many of these aspects are addressed in this book and it will provide a fascinating introduction to experienced analytical chemists interested in applications of their techniques in new areas. It will also be a source book for experienced archaeologists and conservators who are interested in information about the use of ancient materials and their degradation in the depositional environment using modern analytical techniques. This book is also highly recommended for students across a range of chemistry and archaeological science degree courses.

Nazi Cinema as Enchantment



Nazi Cinema as Enchantment: The Politics of Entertainment in the Third Reich (Studies in German Literature Linguistics and Culture)

by Mary-Elizabeth O'Brien

ReviewO'Brien carries the reader into the world of Babelsberg, the German Hollywood, where the reader sees Nazi filmmaking as a form of amusement that carries the Nazi message. CHOICE The readings are integrated within a larger, compelling argument about the function of entertainment within the framework of Nazi culture so that the focus convincingly broadens the understanding of the complexities in this crucial period of German film history. MONATSHEFTE O'Brien's book is the product of extensive archival research and provides numerous services to the reader... (Her) readings convincingly show how films not generally viewed as propaganda films were produced with explicit ideological goals in mind. GERMAN QUARTERLY clearly structured, ... the film interpretations are embedded in well-summarized historical contexts.... The book's eminent readability makes it enjoyable and accessible to the non-specialist. GERMAN STUDIES REVIEW Product DescriptionHitler's regime not only terrorized its citizens; it also seduced them, offering stability, a traditional value system, a sense of belonging, and hope of a better standard of living. Nazi cinema was part of this seduction, expressing positive social fantasies and promoting the enchantment of reality, so that one would want to share in the dream at any price. This interdisciplinary study, based on exhaustive research in German archives, examines how thirteen films from five genres -- the historical musical, the foreign adventure film, the home-front film, the melodrama, and the problem film -- enchanted audiences and enacted shared stories that can tell us much about how family, community, history, the nation, and the war were imagined in Nazi Germany. MARY-ELIZABETH O'BRIEN is associate professor of German at Skidmore College.

The Opera Lover's Companion



The Opera Lover's Companion

by Charles Osborne

Review"'A loving and expert guide to the great operas in the repertoire, written from many years of experience. A must for all opera lovers young and old. I love it.' Dame Joan Sutherland 'An erudite, instructive and unpretentious guide.' Michael Kennedy, The Sunday Telegraph 'This book is exactly what the title claims: an opera lover's companion. Reading it is like going to the opera with a knowledgeable friend who tells you enough to make you want to see the piece but not so much you're drowned in superfluous detail.' Richard Fawkes, Opera Now" Review
"A loving and expert guide to the great operas in the repertoire, written from many years of experience. A must for all opera lovers young and old. I love it."—DAME JOAN SUTHERLAND

The Media City



The Media City: Media, Architecture and Urban Space

by Dr Scott McQuire

Review'If only more new media commentators had this level of historical-critical reference, engaging, good stories, and a degree of wonder at what media and windows bring to the city, to life...' - John Hutnyk, Academic Director, Centre for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths University of London
'Just when you thought the last word had been said about cities and media, along comes Scott McQuire to breathe new life into the debate. When revisiting existing pathways, his always ingenious eyes produce startling and original insights. When striking out into new territory, he opens up before us inspiring new vistas. I love this book' - James Donald, Professor of Film Studies, University of New South Wales
'A book that contains sometimes audacious segues, that crams into a single chapter more insights and illustrations than seems feasible, yet which ties all threads together through a consistent, theoretically rich analysis of the interplay of media and city... Writing with effusiveness uncharacteristic of back-cover blurbs on academic tomes, James Donald says "I love this book". But I will end by echoing his praise, and make a promise to readers: you will love The Media City, too' - European Journal of Communication
'Compared to the urban studies literature of say David Harvey or Ed Soja, McQuire writes with a much greater architectural sensibility. His argument is that we move from a rather centred space of the classical renaissance city to a 'relational space' where past and future are juxtaposed not in simple Newtonian chronology but in complex relation to present. Such a transformed urbanism and media (compared with say Renaissance and Beaux Arts perspective) moves from what might be seen as the panoptic to a serial succession of photographic shots, of film frames, of movements along vistas at speed.
At stake is a city that is continually redefined by the media and understood along the lines of McQuire's quite novel media theory. At stake is a vision of media, which are too ubiquitous in the multiplication of screens, surveillance and other devices/interfaces in private and public space to primarily function any more as representations. Media in this (McQuire's) context are no longer primarily a set of representations, but constitute the very substance and fabric of urban public and private space' - Scott Lash, Goldsmiths, University of London
'…refreshingly clear, getting to grips with some of the key concepts of urban sociology in a way that moves beyond the wistful evocation and splatter of undigested terms that characterises so much academic writing on culture and cities… a clear historical and theoretically informed look at the city over the last 200 years… give us one of the most cogent accounts we have had for some time' - Media, Culture & Society

среда, 23 сентября 2009 г.

Walter Benjamin - The Arcades Project



The Arcades Project

by Walter Benjamin

"Quite simply, the Passagen-Werk is one of the twentieth century's great efforts at historical comprehension--some would say the greatest." --T. J. Clark, author of The Painting of Modern Life The Arcades Project Walter Benjamin Translated by Howard Eiland and Kevin McLaughlin "To great writers," Walter Benjamin once wrote, "finished works weigh lighter than those fragments on which they labor their entire lives." Conceived in Paris in 1927 and still in progress when Benjamin fled the Occupation in 1940, The Arcades Project (in German, Das Passagen-Werk) is a monumental ruin, meticulously constructed over the course of thirteen years--"the theater," as Benjamin called it, "of all my struggles and all my ideas." Focusing on the arcades of nineteenth-century Paris--glass-roofed rows of shops that were early centers of consumerism--Benjamin presents a montage of quotations from, and reflections on, hundreds of published sources, arranging them in thirty-six categories with descriptive rubrics such as "Fashion," "Boredom," "Dream City," "Photography," "Catacombs," "Advertising," "Prostitution," "Baudelaire," "Theory of Progress." His central preoccupation is what he calls the commodification of things--a process in which he locates the decisive shift to the modern age. The Arcades Project is Benjamin's effort to represent and to critique the bourgeois experience of nineteenth-century history, and, in so doing, to liberate the suppressed "true history" that underlay the ideological mask. In the bustling, cluttered arcades, street and interior merge and historical time is broken up into kaleidoscopic distractions and displays of ephemera. Here, at a distance from what is normally meant by "progress," Benjamin finds the lost time(s) embedded in the spaces of things.

Faulkner and Love




Faulkner and Love: The Women Who Shaped His Art

by Prof. Judith L. Sensibar


"We know a lot about William Faulkner''s drinking, his philandering, his struggles with race, sexuality and history. We know much less about why Faulkner was so spectacularly talented and so spectacularly troubled. Judith Sensibar''s magisterial new book tells how the fraught, obsessive relationships with the women in his life permeated every aspect of his art and life. Faulkner''s critics and biographers too often dismiss or caricature his mother, his "mammy," and his wife. But by uncovering important new information about Faulkner''s family life, and integrating it with intelligent readings of his fiction and poetry, Faulkner and Love places Maud Butler, Caroline Barr, and his wife Estelle Oldham Faulkner back where they belong at the center of his work and illuminates the obsessions that impelled him to write the greatest novels of the 20th century." - Diane Roberts, author of Dream State (Diane Roberts )

понедельник, 14 сентября 2009 г.

Ancient Greek Music - Ensemble Melpomen




Ancient Greek Music - Ensemble Melpomen


Ensemble Melpomen

Conrad Steinman,aulos - direction

Arianna Savall,soprano - barbitos

Luis Alves da Silva,altus - kymbala

Massimo Cialfi,tympanon,krotola - salpinx