1990 Books

If you must have only one book on Berlin, this is it. Few cities have experienced the massive upheaval that Berlin has, and trying to compare and understand the pre-World War II city with that of today is often a frustrating labyrinth. Mark McGee's book offers clarity. While other books have a similar before/after format, McGee does it with greater clarity, superior images, and with a lively and informative text. I like that individual buildings are given a distinct section, as opposed to being scattered throughout. McGee's text offers plenty of pertinent information, as well as trenchant architectural criticism, and odd asides that are greatly enjoyable (commenting on the Potsdam rail station, McGee notes that the old graveyard in front of the station was paved over after the lease on the last grave expired). Yes, this book is a must for any reader interested in the architecture and urban planning of a unique city. All that is missing is a map highlighting the location of buildings detailed.

Mark R. McGee has assembled an impressive collection of photographs to demonstrate the changes that have occurred in twentieth-century Berlin. Any student of history will be interested to see the minute details captured in these images. The texts included with each sequence of photographs flesh out the history of this fascinating city.

The only way to safely express the feelings Bill Clinton's conduct produces is the editorial cartoon. The man just defies words. So this was a vintage year for cartoonists - and it shows. The cartoons in this book are just great. They canalise wrath into laughter, but also - on social issues - create the awareness that some matters are too serious to be laughed at.

A very good reason to buy this book: it features some of my own work. Really, this is reason enough to buy this excellent volume. Trust me.

It's remarkable how well Reed's lyrics work as poetry. The lyrics encompass his work from 1965 to 1990, from "I'll Be Your Mirror" (Velvets) to "A Dream" from the Songs For Drella album. Many are illuminated with notes, eg. "PR shoes" in I'm Waiting For The Man refers to *"puerto rican fence climbers", All Tomorrow's Parties, *"This was Andy's favorite song", Candy's Song (with a short biographical note on Candy), Pale Blue Eyes (written for someone whose eyes were hazel), How Do You Think It Feels ("By speed I mean injectable liquid Methedrine") and so forth. Many lyrics are from albums panned by the critics (Legendary Hearts, The Bells, Sally Can't Dance, Mistrial, Growing Up In Public). There is one poem from a literary magazine: The Slide, from Unmuzzled Ox. Then there are the interviews with Vaclav Havel and with Hubert Selby. The Bells ends the book, in Reed's own words: "... it remains my favorite to this day." The discography/index lists all the lyrics and the albums on which they appear. The hardcover edition has a classy black & gold dust jacket. This book is essential for all Lou Reed fans, for pleasure reading and as a reference.

I've been a Lou Reed fan for about a year now. This book has a lot to do with it. When I heard one of his songs, I thought it was just so beautiful. A person I care about very much let me borrow this book, and told me to read it since I loved that song so much. This book really touched my heart, and I read it the whole thing in one day. I've never read more achingly beautiful poems and lyrics in all my life. No other person has Lou's gift for writing lyrics. This is a wonderful book that made me see life in a totally different way. Anyone who doesn't own this book should buy it now. You have to read it yourself to know what I'm talking about.

Having served a number of times as an officer in Northern Ireland, this book filled in a number of gaps in my own knowledge. The reading of this book should be compulsory for anyone wishing to comment on the fight against Irish terrorism and the methods employed by each opposing side.

An overview of the SAS fight against the IRA, it appears that a shoot to kill policy may have been in place as the SAS killed many IRA terrorists during their covert operations.Great insight into the skill and sophistication of the IRA and the SAS.

This book was published to accompany the exhibition Black Male Representations of Masculinity in Contemporary American Art 1994. It comprises a collection of thirteen essays by different writers, a Bibliography, lists of Works in the Exhibition and Film and Video Programs, and Notes on the Contributors. There is also a section of Plates.

The book covers all aspects of the visual arts, painting, film and photography and three dimensional art; the essays discuss a wide range of subjects with perhaps the emphasis on film and screen, but there are also essays specifically on social and political issues, music, gang culture, pornography and gay issues. The contributors, a mix of men and women, while predominantly university professors also include a writer and a critic and film maker. They are intelligently written and very illuminating.

The essays are illustrated throughout in black and white, mostly quite small images, but one or two are about half page size. They include many stills from films, photographs of personalities and other individuals, art photographs; too many to count they appear on almost every page. The section of plates contains 39 full page images in full colour, with the exception of a few originally black and white pictures; they include original art works and photographs and stills from films. The artists include Basquite, Leon Golub, Lyly Ashton Harris, Barkley L Hendricks, Jeff Koons and Robert Mapplethorpe.

This is a well presented book with a very smart matt-black card cover with minimal white lettering (probably screen-printed) on the front and spine and the words BLACK MALE blind embossed on the front. The book is attractively laid out. My only complaint is that I would like to have seen more and larger images.

This collection of essays may have come from a particular exhibit or conference. It is a book that discusses black men's status as objects of art. Don't sleep! The art world is racist. Coco Fusco and bell hooks have effectively documented this. So this anthology is a very needed intervention. Articles cover topics such as gay black men in movies, the visual representation of gangsta rap, Mapplethorpe, etc. The contributors analyze numerous art mediums, not just painting or film. What I love about this book is how straight black men and gay black men are treated equally; a discussion of one does not marginalize the other. I especially love the article "The Gangsta and the Diva." This book is incredible!

I'd had this book on my bookshelf for many years, having bought it after seeing an excellent review. But I never seemed to get around to reading it - perhaps it would be hard going, a harrowing tale ... Finally, I picked it up. It's an amazing read - you really get to know Keenan, and his companion for much of his incarceration, John McCarthy, and what's more his captors too. (The American hostages they spend time with are less well drawn in many cases) How could we cope in this situation? Keenan tells us exactly how he and McCarthy made it through - nearly five years in his case; more than five for McCarthy. Occasionally, Keenan veers towards becoming a little too cerebral about it all, but then pulls back, leaving us which much to mull over about the strength but also sheer honesty of this man. One of those books where you finish feeling like you have really come to know someone - perhaps more than you know the people in your own life. I closed the book (a little surprised at where it ended ... I wanted more ... but that's Brian) and immediately sought up to date information about Keenan -- to discover that he only recently returned to Lebanon for the first time (see the Times Online, March 08, to complete the journey after you've read the book).

Keenan takes the reader from the heady, exciting, politically influenced atmosphere of Belfast during the troubles to the not too disimilar atmosphere of Beirut. While I do not wish to demean Belfast, it is a city where you need to be careful and on your guard. I know, I have been there many times. (For the love of a beautiful Irish girl, I met on holiday many years ago.)

Keenan relaxes a little bit too much one day and finds himself kidnapped by a fundamentalist group who by all accounts, don't really know what it is they actually wish to demand, and who it is they wish to demand it from.

So you find yourself turning page after page (rather quickly) wondering when the hell the poor man is going to be released.
A wonderful frank, vulgar, blunt, violent account of a horror, none of us mere mortals could ever imagine.

I'm just bowled over by the coverage in this book, it gives the complete range of contemporary photography from toe-curlingly throwaway fashion shots to grimy and harrowingly intimate documentary and breathtaking concept snaps.

Easy-reading commentaries from the Curators are useful (but to be taken or left according to taste), and most dangerous of all are the select bibliographies and reference materials for each artist. 100 new book purchases become very tempting. Curse this ...ordering.

Immaculate presentation and beautiful idea. I'd buy a new coffee table for this one.

Blink proves to be an indispensible overview of contemporary world photography as organized by ten curators. They defend their rationale for selection and the 100 photographers clearly serve to define where this art form currently exists. This is not a retrospective but an introspective look at how and why. The images are exciting and the dialogue is cogent. This is the best photographic book in recent memory.

Right now, my social life is pathetically nonexistent, but if you're looking for a guide to local eateries for that special first date, this guide is absolutely priceless. It has all the information you need to know about the most popular and acclaimed restaraunts in the local area. The book doesn't dig deep and tap into other, smaller places that may have passed the radar screen, but it's still an important guide that's as essential as a dictionary.

The Zagat guide gives a good general overview of the Boston restaraunt scene, with ratings and quotations submitted by diners themselves. What a great idea!! It also has excellent crossreferenced indices. The one flaw in the system is that the guides tend to exclude the smaller, newer, or lesser known restaraunts... but perhaps this is because we Bostonians are a secretive lot who want to keep the real gems for ourselves... just kidding! In the back of every Zagat guide is a response card to send back to Zagat, so that your opinions can be included in the next issue.

At least in the United States, the demographics of people who are just beginning to use the Internet have changed. The bulk of the new users are now either the very young, or older people who are more technically uncertain. As is generally the case with the youthful brain, the young people need a minimum of direction, most of which must be focused towards keeping them away from the bad stuff. However, the older people need assistance in the very basics, which is where books like this are invaluable.
In teaching a couple of sections of community education Internet classes for elders, two things became very clear. The people in the class really want to learn how to use the Internet and they are capable, but must be treated with more sensitivity than others. Ironically, the hardest problem is convincing them that the old adage about teaching old dogs new tricks does not apply to the Internet. With the proper approach, they can learn how to use it to solve their problems.
This book takes just the right approach in teaching people like them how to use the Internet. Using soft spoken tones and with just the right amount of humor without descending into cuteness, this book provides the helping hand that is needed to get beginners up and enjoying the fruits of the web. Many of the latest controversies are also dealt with, such as the flaps over Napster and the Instant Message (IM) wars. I often field questions about such topics when I teach beginners how to use the net. Most are regular followers of the news and take an interest in what is happening in the world.
The growth in the number of Internet users in North America is slowing down and the background of new users has changed to include more adults who are not computer literate. This creates a different market for beginning books and this one hits that market dead center. With the right approach and covering all the basics, this book will help insure that the Internet continues to expand and serve a broader based constituency.

"The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Internet" is an instrumental reference and tutor for anyone wishing to plunge or even tip-toe into the Information Superhighway world! I have found this book outstanding as an preparation aid for teaching an "Introduction to the Internet" class. Much of the information contained in the book may already be common knowledge among internet enthusiasts, but the added bits of information on many topics (including valid websites for help!) are invaluable. In covering the "history" of the Internet, the book even goes into specifics of the past accomplishments and failures, leading up to today.

It's best to have some knowledge of Microsoft Windows (preferably Windows 98) prior to jumping to Internet activity, however. This book covers a few Windows basics.

If you're looking to get a late start into electronic information-age, this book is a good start, and at a pretty decent price!

John D. Bell provides perhaps the best account of the history of the Bulgarian Communist Party available in English. Together with Richard Crampton's history of Bulgaria, it is also the best scholarly source of more general Bulgarian history in the 20th century. A must for anyone studying Bulgaria. The book uses interviews of dissidents who fled Bulgaria during the years of communist domination to supplement available archival sources. The result is a magnificently documented narrative that brings to light some controversial and unclear episodes in the history of Bulgarian communism. The book demonstrates, for example, that Zhivkov's power was not unchallenged and that internal dissent, even if it came from the Party or the armed forces, existed even here, in the country widely considered to have been the closest Soviet ally and follower. The book also demonstrates the reciprocity of alliance politics within the Soviet bloc. Challenging the existing convention, John Bell demonstrates that relations within the Warsaw pact were not unidirectional. The Soviet Union responded to various interests of the Bulgarian leadership and often helped their advancement. In addition, the book is thoroughly readable and, provides impartial insight into the almost century-old history of the Bulgarian labor movement and its political organizations.

John D. Bell provides perhaps the best account of the history of the Bulgarian Communist Party available in English. Together with Richard Crampton's history of Bulgaria, it is also the best scholarly source of more general Bulgarian history in the 20th century. A must for anyone studying Bulgaria. The book uses interviews of dissidents who fled Bulgaria during the years of communist domination to supplement available archival sources. The result is a magnificently documented narrative that brings to light some controversial and unclear episodes in the history of Bulgarian communism. The book demonstrates, for example, that Zhivkov's power was not unchallenged and that internal dissent, even if it came from the Party or the armed forces, existed even here, in the country widely considered to have been the closest Soviet ally and follower. The book also demonstrates the reciprocity of alliance politics within the Soviet bloc. Challenging the existing convention, John Bell demonstrates that relations within the Warsaw pact were not unidirectional. The Soviet Union responded to various interests of the Bulgarian leadership and often helped their advancement. In addition, the book is thoroughly readable and, provides impartial insight into the almost century-old history of the Bulgarian labor movement and its political organizations.