Editorial Review

Adolescent girls today face the issues girls have always faced: "Who am I?" and "Who do I want to be?" Unfortunately their answers, now more than ever before, revolve around the body rather than the mind, heart, or soul. "The body is at the heart of the crisis that [Carol] Gilligan, [Mary] Pipher, and others describe.... The fact that American girls now make the body their central project is not an accident or a curiosity," writes Brumberg, "it is a symptom of historical changes that are only now beginning to be understood." The historical photos, thorough research, and political even-handedness make this a book of worth and sincerity. Read more

Reviews (42)

Fair Attempt to Explain a Growing Problem
I bought this book because I see how girls/young women stuggle to achieve a very unrealistic ideal of beauty and how middle aged women stuggle to hang on to what they had as young women.As I approach 50, I know I am expected to stay trim, fit and muscular in spite of the fact that my body struggles mightly against it, especially since pregnancy and child birth.
Why "beautiful on the inside" doesn't seem to matter anymore
What happened to American girls, to women, over the past hundred years, that caused a quantum shift in how they present themselves to the world?
Unworthy of "American" in its title
The Body Project provides very selective leeway into the societal effects of African-American adolescent girls and their personal body projects. The main focus of this book is on the evolution of the white middle-class adolescent girl throughout American history. African-American and Jewish girls are mentioned briefly in a few chapters, while other ethnic groups are simply never discussed. Are these other various ethnic groups not worthy of their equal place in Brumberg's book?
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Subjects:  1. Body, Human    2. General    3. History    4. Life Stages - Adolescence    5. Social Science    6. Social aspects    7. Sociology    8. Teenage girls    9. United States    10. Women's Studies - General    11. Young women    12. Adolescents    13. Social Science / Women's Studies    14. Social history    15. USA    16. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (14)

Brilliant Analysis, but poor edition
Foucault employs an exacting and yet artistic methodology of historical-sociological interpretation of the history of madness in the age of reason. In this impressive work, he discovers that the origin of insanity, of psychological confinement, corresponds with the diminution of leprosy in Europe, and that the sectors of institutional power sought to find another means of normalization and social control through the imprisonment, and public degradation of the mentally ill, the poor, and the homeless. This power dynamic later manifests itself in the form of absolute confinement and normalcy, in which the insane were subjected to physiological experimentation, which marks an apparent disregard for Descartes' mind-body distinction. Foucault skillfully outlines the means of psychological repair through the exploration of the balancing of the four humors, to the revealing of insanity's non-being and non-reason through its release to the ultimate freedom of nature. Foucault then examines the transition of psychology from the real of biological-intellectual non-reason, to the imposition of moral and religious absolutism and the birth of the asylum, and finally to the (perhaps salvation) of Freud and psychoanalysis, in which the patient-doctor relationship is recreated as a mode of observation, not judgment or condescension, "he made it the Mirror in which madness, in an almost motionless movement, clings to and casts off itself" (pg. 278). Foucault's Madness and Civilization represents an important breakthrough in the field of post-modern philosophy; it is truly an excellent work of scholarship and profound insight.
category mistakes
Certain reviewers of this book seem to confuse the categories of operation Focualt addresses in this book and others. He is not making the simplistic argument that "madness" is socially constructed but rather that certain concepts, including the medicalized model of insanity, only become possible under cetain conditions and operate within a specific, historical and culutral formation of knowledge. Understanding what these conditions are, and how these change is important both to become critical concerning the limitations of current organizations of these concepts, but also so that one does not anachronistically project present concepts into the past, ie, seeing 18th century discourses as premature versions of today's ideas. The problem of madness as an object of knowledge is his task within the history of ideas, not discerning its reality. Revising Foucaultian Revisionism
Immensely popular and influential among left-wing American cultural critics, this book has been critiqued ravishly by French psychologists.The gist of their critique is that the book represents more of the values and concerns of Foucault rather than an accurate and responsible history of mental illness.Foucault's central argument that society defines sane and insane behavior is an old cliche in cultural anthropology.Furthermore, recent advances in cognitive science and psychiatry challenge Foucault's position by affirming that mental illness is exactly that, namely, "an illness."Simply stated, there is so much cross-cultural evidence that certain psychiatric disorders are univeral and not, therefore, specific to cultures but biologically grounded.Various mental illnesses have been verified biologically as illnesses in the same way that biologically illnesses are also recognizable as physical illnesses.Foucault is sometimes touted as a "cutting-edge" thinker, but his ideas were dated before he wrote them down.Erving Goffman's book "Asylums" is an earlier and far better treatment of the cultural dynamics of mental institutions, and Ruth Benedict argued (in 1930) that insanity is often a cultural construct rather than a physical malady.The basics of Foucault's ideas can also be seen in the writing of Shakespeare, Cervantes, Montaigne, and other Renaissance writers--about 400 years ago.The moral dimensions of Foucault's fraud are only now being explored, and this writer's currently trendy reputation is not likely to stand the test of time.This book is a good example of ways in which trendy writing and intellectual fads can quickly be discovered to be mere cliches.Intellectual dubiousness aside, the major problems with this tome deal with Foucault's romanticization of mental illness.In placing "insanity" in quotes, Foucault is arguing that it is one more mental condition -- no better nor worse than sanity.This view is intellectually suspect, at best, and downright dangerous at worst.It seems that Foucault is writing to shock and self-aggrandize his own self.This shouldn't be surprising when even a cursory read of his biography reveals that Foucault had all sorts of loathsome predilections, including praise for Mao, Stalin, and Khomeni as well as stated opposition to age of consent laws and support for eugenics, not to mention his passionate involvement in S&M and LSD trips. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Europe - General    2. History    3. History & Surveys - Modern    4. History: American    5. Mental Illness    6. Psychiatry    7. Psychology    8. History / Europe / General    9. Social history    10. USA    11. World history   

Reviews (66)

Yes, he's kidding
Una interpretaci�n absolutamente falaz tanto de la historia como de la filosof�a pol�tica. Un sinsentido que lamentablemente ha tenido enorme repercusi�n en la formulaci�n de pol�ticas desde el imperio hacia la "periferia". Un deseo de teleolog�a desde la imposici�n del poder. En fin, hay que leerlo s�lo para re�rse un rato con tanto absurdo.

Fukuyama's Teleology & Eschatology =A LIBERAL WORLD DEMOCRACY OF IMPERIAL EXCESS & CULTURAL VOID
The reviewer below me is obviously ignorant and philosophically unfamiliar with the terminal grand narrative of which Fukumaya celebrates in this optimisticly dead-wrong opus, and that is?
History, philosophy, and the question of human nature.
Fukuyama is Director of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Relations, and is thus in a position to directly influence the thinking of the rising generation of diplomatic professionals, those who will conduct American foreign policy for the next several decades.Therefore, this book is of great significance, whatever its other merits may be.
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Subjects:  1. 1945-    2. Historiography    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Philosophy    7. Political Philosophy    8. World politics    9. History / General    10. History: theory & methods   

Reviews (1)

It was fascinating!
I don't agree with the reviewer for Library Journal because I found McClintock's book thorough and solid. She situates the book in a very clever way in the myriad of "isms" and scholarly debates on post-colonialism. She argues that one cannot talk about colonialism without at the same time investigate how gender,race, sexuality, class etc, has shaped the colonial discourse and discussion.Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Colonies    3. Europe - Great Britain - General    4. Gender Studies    5. Great Britain    6. History    7. Man-woman relationships    8. Sex    9. Sex role    10. Sociology    11. Art / Popular Culture    12. British Empire    13. Cultural studies    14. Ethnography    15. Imperialism    16. Social history   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. American - General    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Art, American    6. History - Contemporary (1945- )    7. History - General    8. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    9. Art / General    10. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    11. Social history    12. USA   

Reviews (2)

Incomplete
Book itself is very informative, however there is a problem with representation of it being passed off as "new". First copy came without a dust jacket, hard cover had corner bumps and scuffs. Replacement copy came the exact same way, in the same condition and without the DJ. Cost of book is $50.00 NEW, had we wanted the book in used condition without the original DJ, we would have ordered it as such. The minimal refund Amazon offered was not to our satisfaction and the reps and/or management are too busy to make personal contact with their business customers. There appears to be an internal problem with receiving/quality inspection of their supplier's goods.

Well written, interesting book
Yes, I have also read Diesel's Engine by Lyle Cummins, the youngest son of Clessie Cummins, the co-founder of Cummins Engine.If, in reading DE, I am a proven crazy person, then I am, so discount what I say next.If one is fascinated by diesel engines, then this is a "must read."I have not completed the book yet, but having read 300 or so pages and I must say there is much beyond the engines.If you are a Harvard Business Review type, this will have much for you about entrepreneurism, the family business, enterprise capitalization, growth, corporate strategy, the inventor and his role in a technology driven business, timliness, single business small town employers, transportation trends, product quality, employee relations and more. I like reading about successes, but feel like this book portrays an almost charmed life of something impossible to duplicate.If every corporation were as successful as Cummins is portrayed, then we would reach corporate nirvana.Can what has been written here be true?Buy the book, write your own review, and we'll see what you think. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Automobile Industries (Economic Aspects)    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Corporate & Business History - General    6. Cummins Engine Company    7. Diesel motor industry    8. Entrepreneurship    9. History    10. History Of Specific Companies    11. Industries - General    12. Infrastructure    13. Internal combustion engine ind    14. Internal combustion engine industry    15. United States    16. Construction & heavy industry    17. Inter-war period, 1918-1939    18. Management & management techniques    19. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    20. Road vehicle manufacturing industry    21. Second World War, 1939-1945    22. Social history    23. USA   

Reviews (6)

Understanding Vietnamese writers
I bought this hoping to learn more about the Vietnamese people and their history. I got bogged down with all the poetry and prose quoted by the writer. While he brushes off the importance of the battle of Dien Bien Phu in a couple of lines; he drones on quoting (translating) obscure Vietnamese writers until the reader becomes weary. His premise seems to be that if you understand some writer (who he thinks is interesting) and attach importance to what he said then you will understand Vietnam. His annoying treatment of Yin and Yang finally caused me to put the book down and look for another way to understand Vietnam. If you like words such as "efficacy" and "entropy" you will love this writer; if such words irritate you, give this book a pass.

WOW
This book's focus on contemporary Vietnamese literary sources through the years makes it absolutely unique in the field. Its blend of straight history narrative and multiple-voice literature excerpts fleshes out Vietnamese society in a way that was sorely needed in the field. To those well-read in Asian studies: this book can almost be seen as a Vietnam analog to Patricia Ebrey's book "Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook," which is a collection of contemporary Chinese sources through history. Excellent!!! Very accurate!!! Must Read!!!!!!!!
I think this book is amazing! Jamieson accuately protrays Vietnam and Vietnamese culture through the eyes and views of the Vietnamese in a way never before written by a Westerner. He is articulate of the moods and feelings faceing the Vietnamese, well educated in the arts and literature of Vietnam, understands the importance to the core family structure, and scholarly in his research of what it means to be Vietnamese. I highly recommend this book if you want to understand the Vietnamese people who live in Vietnam, in the US, or anywhere... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. History - General History    3. History: World    4. Military - Vietnam War    5. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    6. Anthropology    7. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    8. Social Science / Anthropology / General    9. Social history    10. USA    11. Vietnam    12. Warfare & Defence   

Reviews (2)

good book
this is a good introductory book for western civilization. if u r new tothe field of western civilization, then read this book before any moreadvanced or complicated books...

Western Civilization: A Brief History
I used Spielvogel's _Western Civilization: A Brief History_ when teaching a Humanities I course._A Brief History_ is a shorter, paperback adaptation of Spielvogel's longer _Western Civilization_. Of the WesternCiv texts I've used before (including the longer version of Spielvogel, Ithought _A Brief History_ was the most successful.Spielvogel did a goodjob of choosing the most important historical events and culturaldevelopments to include in his shorter version, at least those most likelyto be included in a Western Civ course.Important information is clearboth from subheadings and from the text itself, and short samples ofprimary texts that give students a taste of the past are included. Students also seemed to enjoy reading the _Brief History_ more otherWestern Civ texts I've taught.Women's history is well-represented.Onlycaveat:Because the text is a shorter version, not much of Asian, African,or Indian history is included. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civilization    2. Civilization, Western    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Textbooks    7. World - General    8. History / Civilization    9. World history   

Reviews (11)

Shooting probes
This is the first McLuhan book I read, back in the late 1960s. It took me about a month to get through, because each short chapter contained so many new ideas and insights I had to think about them before going on. I didn't always understand them, but what I did comprehend was intoxicatingly exciting.
An Academic Read
Definitely more of an academically written book than McLuhan's more famous "Understanding Media."For new McLuhan readers, I recommend reading "Understanding Me" or "Understanding Media" first.

The orality/literacy debate and McLuhan's media theory
This book expands on the views of McLuhan's teacher Harold Innis, who distingusihed oral and written cultures. The book argues that oral cultures are synaesthetic and work with synthetic logic, while cultures of writing push the mind toward singulation of senses, logic and 'perspective'.
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Subjects:  1. Printing    2. Technical & Manufacturing Trades    3. Technology & Industrial Arts    4. Publishing industry    5. Social Science / Popular Culture    6. Social history   

Subjects:  1. Africa - East    2. Civil War, 1983-    3. Darfur (Sudan)    4. East Africa - History    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. History: World    8. Military - Other    9. Military History - Modern    10. Revolutionary    11. Sudan    12. African history: postwar, from c 1945 -    13. Social Science / Violence in Society   

Editorial Review

Psychologist Lucy Jo Palladino claims that 20 percent ofchildren have what she calls the Edison trait: "dazzling intelligence, an activeimagination, a free-spirited approach to life, Read more

Reviews (13)

Interesting book!
This book first lists traits that may or may not fit your child, but are considered to be part of "The Edison Trait".Then, they give ideas on how to deal with children who think differently than many other children.

This book was formerly titled _The Edison Trait_
We have been searching for _The Edison Trait_ online today since the copy we are using is due back at the library. We found it online at around $50 a copy to buy it used! Fortunately we discovered that it has been retitled and is now sold as _Dreamers, Discoverers and Dynamos : How to Help the Child Who Is Bright, Bored and Having Problems in School_.
Good reference but not a cure-all
Despite the lofty praise heaped on Dreamers, Discoverers, and Dynamos, this book is neither a cure-all or all-in-once resource. On the other hand, Dr. Pallandino has rounded up plenty of good information and strategies for motivating children to complete tasks, pay attention in school, and essentially get their heads out of the clouds. Read more

Subjects:  1. Child rearing    2. Creative ability    3. Creative thinking    4. Creative thinking in children    5. Divergent thinking    6. Education    7. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    8. General    9. Parenting - General    10. Special Education - Gifted    11. Special Education - Learning Disabled    12. Child & developmental psychology    13. Education / Special Education / Gifted    14. History of ideas, intellectual history   

Editorial Review

The "Langer Encyclopedia," as the professional academics call Read more

Reviews (14)

First rate quick reference
Not for reading, but for looking up details while reading other materials or quick confirmation of background information that comes up in discussion or newspaper/magazine articles or even historical details encountered in literature. There is very little detail, but almost everything gets a mention and can be put in context of other world events. I am on my third edition and would not be without it on my reference shelf.

Great Teaching Resource
I teach a 100 level art history at a univeristy and this is an excellent resource to accompany my lectures. My only complaint is not with the book but with whoever shipped it. Apparently this newer edition comes with a CD-ROM BUT mine had already been ripped out when I received it. I don't normally care about that sort of thing but I did pay for it and would have liked to have had the option of looking at it. Seemed too much trouble to send it back, plus I needed to have the book.

Leave this one at the library.
This is a wonderful encyclopedia, but it's so packed with general information that I believe it would be best kept at the library for a quick reference to dates and events. Not for the in debt researcher. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. History    3. History - General History    4. Outlines, syllabi, etc    5. Reference    6. World - General    7. History / World   

Reviews (3)

Masterful Revelations of Egyptian Pharaonic Consciousness
The Temple of Man
Luxor Revealed
R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz spent 15 years at Luxor attempting to solve the riddle of Egytpian civilization. His final considerations are expounded fully in The Temple of Man. Lovingly translated by Robert Lawlor, this bookis at long last available in English. De Lubicz's masterwork in a stunning two-volume set!
De Lubicz's masterpiece, available for the first time in English, has been giving a beautiful translation and presentation.Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - Egypt    2. Ancient Egyptian Religion    3. Controversial Knowledge    4. Egypt    5. History & Surveys - Ancient & Classical    6. History - General History    7. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    8. Miscellanea    9. Occultism    10. Philosophy    11. Temple of Luxor (Luxor, Egypt)    12. African history: BCE to c 500 CE    13. Religion / Antiquities & Archaeology    14. Unexplained phenomena   

Reviews (1)

a clear, interesting introduction to the study of west civ
Writing an introductory Western Civ text is a daunting task.Maltby and Hause have done an excellent job of representing events accurately and clearly.They have included interesting details that help students gain afeel for the people and the periods discussed.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civilization    2. Europe - General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Social History    7. History / General   

Reviews (1)

When intellectuals wage war
Prof. Kuklick has written before about both philosophy and politics in America, and in his latest book, "Blind Oracles", he brings the two together in the most extreme of all political acts, the waging of war.Beginning with the theoretical underpinnings of the ideas about war in the aftermath of WWII, "Blind Oracles" follows the birth and increasing influence of the RAND corporation from the beginnings of the Cold War, through the Cuban Missile Crisis, and up to the Vietnam War, when a new breed of intellectual-adviser, many from Harvard's Kennedy School, came into prominence, attempting to transform their philosophies into policy.Finally, Kuklick ends with the realpolitiking of Kissinger who was "supremely gifted in translating ideas into politics," even if some of those ideas may be considered abuses of American power.
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Subjects:  1. 1945-1989    2. 20th century    3. Decision making    4. Foreign relations    5. History    6. History & Theory - General    7. History: American    8. Intellectuals    9. International Relations - General    10. Political activity    11. Politics - Current Events    12. Politics / Current Events    13. United States    14. United States - 20th Century    15. American History    16. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    17. European History    18. History / United States / 20th Century    19. History of ideas, intellectual history    20. International relations    21. Political Science and International Relations    22. USA   

Subjects:  1. Europe    2. Europe - General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. Reference    6. Research    7. Statistics    8. 20th century    9. European history: c 1750 to c 1900    10. European history: from c 1900 -    11. Local history    12. Reference works    13. Social history    14. c 1700 to c 1800    15. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Civilization    3. Civilization, Western    4. General    5. History    6. History - General History    7. Humanities    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Sources    11. World - General    12. Sociology, Social Studies   

Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. Greece    3. Health Care    4. Health Care Issues    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History Of Medicine    8. History: World    9. Medical    10. Medicine, Greek and Roman    11. Rome    12. Urban health    13. Ancient World    14. Anthropology    15. Death & dying    16. History / Ancient / General    17. Public health & preventive medicine    18. Social history    19. Urban communities   

Reviews (1)

World Historiography
World History is a daunting field... perhaps no single discipline asks so much of its practitioners and yet provides them with so little training or such vague methodology.With _Navigating World History_ Pat Manning helps to amend this failing by providing a concise, engaging, and erudite history of the field and also an analysis of its various paradigms, pitfalls and potentials.Read more

Subjects:  1. Education / Teaching    2. General    3. History    4. History: World    5. Research    6. Study & Teaching    7. Study and teaching    8. Teaching Methods & Materials - General    9. Teaching Methods & Materials - Social Science    10. World - General    11. Teaching of a specific subject    12. Teaching skills & techniques    13. World history   

Reviews (7)

a great book about a revolution in education
Mindstorms is not just about the programming language called Logo. It is about Turtle Graphics and it's application to education. The author explains Turtle Graphics which is combination of programming and geometry. He then puts Turtle Graphics to use explaining how to do draw complicated shapes with it. Finally the author explains the theory behind his insights which is built on the contributions of Piaget a important researcher into the way children understand the world. I greatly enjoyed this book. Papert explains how to combine the process of programming with the process of learning. He shows how to make what is cerebral into a concrete process that children can understand.

Children direct collaborative learning with computers.
This is a book that anyone interested in present-day education of children everywhere should find time to read. For a few weeks, in the summer of 2001, I introduced teenagers in the W. E. B. DuBois Scholars' Program, held on the campus of Princeton University, to the Logo computer progr