Product Description
Which animal swims the fastest? Who has the most acute sense of smell? Which is the smallest mammal? Who lays the largest egg? Discover the weirdest and most wonderful creatures ever to have lived on Earth with this riveting family reference. The book includes world record holders from each of the main animal groups including mammals, reptiles, birds and insects, with intriguing stories and fascinating facts throughout. There are also special features that highlight the superstars of the animal kingdom - the blue whale is not only the heaviest and longest animal on Earth but has the largest babies, the biggest appetite and makes the loudest noise! Find out which mammal can boast a top-selling record in the pop charts, who built a nest that weighed nearly three tonnes, and which dinosaur made the world's largest footprint. With stunning photographs and all the latest discoveries, this up-to-date and accessible book will enthrall and astound both children and adults alike. ... Read more

Product Description
Written by Lois Wyse, the author of "Funny, You Don't Look Like a Grandmother", with her 10 year-old granddaughter, Molly Rose Goldman, this is a charming story of an adventurous little girl and her willing and eager grandmother, and the things they discover during a museum outing together. It mixes color photos with whimsical full-color illustrations for a realistic view of the museum, and includes two pages of additional information about the exhibits. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great gift for a grandchild
This is a wonderful book!I purchased it for my 8 year old grandson who loves dinosaurs, which he has seen at a museum, and he loved it.
The idea of the child showing the Grandmother around the museum is brilliant! Nicely constructed, well written, educational, funny and colorful!
I highly recommend the book.

enjoyable for the whole family
we borrowed this book from the library and we fell in love with it. when it was time to return it my little girl cried, so now we own it. it truley is a great story.

"Remember to wear comfortable shoes."
I only checked this book out from the library because the cover illustration included some dinosaur fossils (my son is always looking for new dino books), but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this story of a girl taking her grandmother on a visit to the Museum of Natural History.

Molly is accustomed to going to "Interesting Places" with her grandmother, but after a school field trip to the Museum of Natural History, she is delighted to realize that at last, she has found an Interesting Place her grandmother has never visited.She offers to take Grandma to the Museum and takes charge, right down to reminding Grandma of the importance of comfortable shoes and using the bathroom before leaving the house.

The illustrations are drawings incorporating photos of items on exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History (NY), which I thought was a nice touch.Molly and her grandmother visit many exhibits--dinosaurs, Africa, the Arctic, ocean life, rocks, bugs, human biology, the Ice Age--and their conversation about what they see presents many interesting facts without sounding too didactic.

This might have a bit too much text for younger readers/listeners, but there are plenty of interesting pictures to look at.A fun read for both me and my 4 1/2 year old son.

How to Take Your Grandmother to the Museum
One of my first grade students brought this book into school one day.I read it and decided I had to have it.Lois Wyse wrote a humorous story perfect for a Grandparents' Day Celebration or just for casual reading for children of all ages.

A great book
A cute and heart worming story about a girl and her Grandmother.I love this book with all my heart.The book was fantastic! ... Read more

Product Description
Where do you find Nabokov's butterflies, George Washington's pheasants, and the only stuffed bird remaining from the Lewis and Clark expedition? The vast collections of animals, minerals, and plants at the Harvard Museum of Natural History are among the oldest in the country, dating back to the 1700s. In the words of Edward O. Wilson, the museum stands as both "cabinet of wonder and temple of science." Its rich and unlikely history involves literary figures, creationists, millionaires, and visionary scientists from Asa Gray to Stephen Jay Gould. Its mastodon skeleton -- still on display -- is even linked to one of the nineteenth century's most bizarre and notorious murders.

The Rarest of the Rare tells the fascinating stories behind the extinct butterflies, rare birds, lost plants, dazzling meteorites, and other scientific and historic specimens that fill the museum's halls. You'll learn about the painting that catches Audubon in a shameful lie, the sand dollar collected by Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle, and dozens of other treasures in this surprising, informative, and often amusing tour of the natural world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Interesting Book
I had looked forward to getting this book for a while and have enjoyed it very much. This would make a nice gift book for a museum or natural history lover. It makes a lovely coffe table book as well but not just for looks but for reading.

A big disappointment
The idea behind this book was great: pick some of the more interesting specimens out of the thousands held at the Harvard Museum of Natural History & write the story behind each. Alas, the outcome is boring & unimaginative. Most accounts are simplistic & unsophisticated. Moreover, the photos of many specimens were taken on distracting backgrounds such as human hands, maps, notebooks, etc. I am glad I bought a cheap secondhand copy.

Great subject, great text, great photos.
I've wandered through that musuem and been impressed, but this book brings my appreciation and awe to an entirely new level. I don't know whether to make a return visit or just reread the book whenever I need to be reminded of that treasure house in Cambridge. Nancy Pick's text is like a curator tour of the collection highlights; the best tour you could imagine.

More than a mere listing or summary outline of specimens
Museum enthusiasts and natural history buffs alike will find the museum stories in The Rarest of the Rare: Stories Behind the Treasures at the Harvard Museum of Natural History are enhanced with nearly a hundred color photos by Mark Sloan as images accompany descriptions for some of the unusual specimens housed at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, with Nancy Pick explaining the special importance of each. The Rarest Of The Rare is more than a mere listing or summary outline of specimens as author Nancy Pick reveals just how the item was collected and where, as well as noting the diverse financial and collector contributors who often performed extraordinary feats to get the specimen to the museum.

A TRULY OUTSTANDING BOOK!!!!!!!
This is a gem of a book.A rare combination of science, history, and photography.The book presents the history of Harvard's Museum of Natural History and the great scientific treasures it holds.Nancy Pick's wonderful writing style includes historical information on how the specimens came into the collection and on the scientific importance of these specimens.You get to see material collected by Lewis and Clark, Captain Cook, Darwin, Nabokov, and many, many others. There is something here for everybody: birds, insects, orchids, mammals, fishes, reptiles, etc.This is truly an outstanding book. ... Read more

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Product Description
When Larry becomes a night guard at New York’s Museum of Natural History, he expects to have an easy job. But on his first night, he dozes off, then wakes up to the most amazing vanishing act in the museum’s history. The museum’s entire collection of dinosaur skeletons has disappeared! In a panic, Larry rushes from one room to the next—then dashes outside into Central Park, and next door into the planetarium. Where did the skeletons go? Who is the dinosaur thief? —And how in the world can Larry get those dinosaur bones back again? Originally published by Barron’s in 1993, this mystery-comedy for kids returns in print as a complement to the major motion picture that it has inspired. Night atthe Museum, scheduled for release by Twentieth Century Fox Studios in December ’06, promises to be one of the year’s biggest film hits for family audiences. The book features the author’s original funny, full-color illustrations on every page. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Other Than Being Set in a Museum Where Things Come to Life, Has Nothing to do With the Ben Stiller Movie, But Still a Good Book!
If you're buying this because you enjoyed the Ben Stiller movie of the same title and were looking for that story in a picturebook format you may be disappointed.There aren't really any similarities between the two other than both are based in a New York Museum (Museum of Natural History) where exhibits come to life and both have a guy called Larry who gets a job as a security guard there.In this adventure though Larry is not working alone, in fact there seem to be more security guards than exhibits.Most of the exhibits (characters) from the movie are not in this book and this earlier written book version is also a lot less realistic (overlooking the exhibits coming to life factor) than the movie was.Combined with soft non scary drawn illustrations this book definitely pretty much just appeals to a much younger audience than that which would watch the movie.

The basic plot of this picture book is Larry gets a job as security guard in the Museum of Natural History.Larry is not the brightest individual and likes his new job as he looks like an airline pilot or policeman in his suit uniform.His boss instead of giving him an induction to his new workplace and telling him what goes on there each night just assigns Larry to mind the dinosaur skeletons, telling him the other guards will look after everything else.Larry soon falls asleep and when he awakens discovers the dinosaurs have all gone, except for one bone.As he goes to report the theft he discovers all the exhibits have come to life but where have the dinosaurs he is responsible for gone?

First published in 1993 this book is still just as good today as it was back then.

Interesting Source Material for a Superior Motion Picture
I took my son to see the film Night at the Museum recently.The film was excellent, clean and original entertainment and my son couldn't stop talking about it.I noticed in the opening credits that the film is based on a children's book so I thought I would pick it up for him to tide him over until this movie appeared on DVD.
When the book arrived, I was pleasantly surprised that the basic premise and overall feel of the film is captured in this book.The illustrations are colorful and playful throughout.The book was written many years before the film came about but most of the main elements of the film are in there including playful dino skeletons, tricky security guards and of course the monkey.
If you enjoyed the movie then this book is a great companion piece to an outstanding family film (which is unfortunately a rare beast these days :(

Different from Movie but Really Good
This picture book is a great addition to those who may have seen the recent movie with Ben Stiller.The book, which the movie was LOOSELY based on, describes a newly hired night watchman's experience in a natural science museum on his first night.All the exhibits come to life!

This is a great story for the kids -- the drawings are goofy enough not to scare and the story is one of persevering and finishing the job.

A great book for your shelves.

The Night at the Museum
I thought the book was appropriate for a young adult. I ended up giving it to my neighbors three year old son because it was more of a toddlers picture book. I felt the book was misrepresented online.

Night at the Museum --a good read for all ages
This book has become a family favorite. A brilliant story by Milan Trenc. We read this story to our children before and after we go to the museum. We never get tired of telling the story--its not the normal kids book. The author does not dumb down his story --very refreshing. It really brings the museum to life. I'd love to purchase other books by this author.


NYC mom (2 children under 10) ... Read more

Product Description
The Natural History Museum, London is home to one of the world's most important and comprehensive collections of natural history specimens, literature and artworks. This book is a celebration of over 200 of the Museum's most exceptional possessions including world-famous specimens and little-known curiosities. The treasures are selected both from objects on display and those stored behind the scenes. Each one is chosen for its scientific importance, striking beauty or intriguing story - and sometimes all three. Among the many exceptional natural wonders featured are: a rare meteorite from Mars; Darwin's celebrated finch specimens; a lethal claw from the dinosaur Baryonyx; one of the first forms of life on Earth; and, some immaculately dressed fleas. The book also includes the magnificent Museum building itself with its many architectural treasures. With intriguing stories behind each entry, "Treasures of the Natural History Museum" is a fascinating insight into the best of the Museum's unrivalled collections. ... Read more

Product Description

In a series of richly detailed case studies from Britian, Australia and North America, Tony Bennett investigates how nineteenth- and twentieth-century museums, fairs and exhibitions have organized their collections, and their visitors.

Discussing the historical development of museums alongside that of the fair and the international exhibition, Bennett sheds new light upon the relationship between modern forms of official and popular culture.

Using Foucaltian perspectives The Birth of the Museum explores how the public museum should be understood not just as a place of instruction, but as a reformatory of manners in which a wide range of regulated social routines and performances take place.

This invigorating study enriches and challenges the understanding of the museum, and places it at the centre of modern relations between culture and government.  For students of museum, cultural and sociology studies, this will be an asset to their reading list.

Customer Reviews (4)

Dense but satisfying
Bennett's language may be theory dense, but it is rarely unclear while outlining the social and cultural trends which gave "birth" to the museum in its many formats, historical, anthropological, art, etc. This book is really a collection of essays previously written by Bennett on the museum and combined here; I would recommend not reading it all at once as it can be a bit much. However, it clearly looks at the historical and social reasons for how the museum came to be, particularly in its nineteenth century origins. It also relates museums to other social institutions: fairs and cabinets of curiosities as precursors, the 19th c. developments in prisons and the advent of expositions as contemporaneous to the birth of the museum, and amusement parks as a mix of the fair and the museum. Definitely located in the field of cultural studies.

More to it than theory-speak
It's true (as other reviewers have complained) that Bennett's analysis can be a little too slick at times. But even if the Foucault-inspired arguments are overstated, this book still offers interesting discussion of specific historical examples. If you take a "social control" theory too literally, this sort of analysis will become wrongheaded. But Bennett and other researchers in this vein are asking serious questions: how do the ways we order and represent knowledge (as museums are designed to do) shape what we can know?

Rediculously complex
As a museum professional with over twelve years experience designing and producing exhibitions for a wide variety of subject matter i was immediately interested in Tony Bennet's book. The summary on the back mapped out, in plain english, a book that detailed the social and political forces that resulted in and shaped the modern concept of the museum.
However once i had purchase the book and actually tried to read it I found myself drowning in Foucault -ian language that ultimately obscures any observations that Mr Bennet may have had. This book is only for those with a college degree in philosophy,as it seems more focused on showing us all how clever Mr Bennet is than actually dealing with the subject matter. Completely inaccessible to all but the most acedemic minded scholars

pop-Foucault
A glib account of the history of the museum, written in easi-Foucault language which simply adapts the traditional 70s sociological model of 'social control'- museums form part of the bourgeois plot to control thepeople, along with schools etc. In the end, the account is nothing morethan conspiracy theory. ... Read more

Product Description
THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. It seems like a regular field trip to a natural history museum - until Zack gets locked inside for the night and discovers what really goes on in those display cases when no one is watching. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

My Son's Favorite Series
I recently came across this book when cleaning out a shelf at home.My son is now a teenager, but this series was his favorite when he was a young child.This particular book, along with "I'm Out of My Body - Please Leave a Message" were his favorites.So much so that I kept them to give to his kids.I can't tell you how many times we've read these two, but it has to be somewhere near 30 times each.They grow so fast, but I have many memories of us curling up on the couch with our Zack Files.

A memorable museum visit with Zack
"Trapped in the Museum of Unnatural History," by Dan Greenburg, is number 25 in the "Zack Files" series for young readers.The book is illustrated by Jack E. Davis. In this installment, New York City schoolboy Zack becomes trapped in the Rosencrantz Museum of Natural History while on a school trip.

In the book's first paragraph Zack wonders, "And when the museum closes and the lights go out, do strange things happen?"Well, he finds out the answer to that question--an answer which is in keeping with the overall paranormal theme of the series.I found this mix of horror and humor to be a highly entertaining installment in the series.The suspenseful tale is well enhanced by Davis' whimsical drawings. ... Read more

Product Description
New York City's American Museum of Natural History is a national treasure, attracting four million visitors annually. Its dioramas-a dazzling mixture of nature, science, and art-have inspired young and old alike, and are world-renowned examples of the unique diorama craft: art in the service of science. Now, in the only book of its kind, readers get an insider's view of these "windows on nature," witnessing their creation step by meticulous step.

More than forty of the museum's finest dioramas are featured here, depicting the fauna and flora of myriad ecological environments. Stephen Quinn, a diorama artist at the museum, introduces the explorers, naturalists, painters, sculptors, taxidermists, and conservationists behind these three-dimensional marvels, and explains how their collaborations make the displays so lifelike. This enchanting book is the perfect gift for nature lovers, art enthusiasts, and museum goers everywhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

FANTASTIC ! Must have for NYC Museum of Natural History FANS !
If you like the Museum of Natural History and its dioramas and have seen the NY NY dioramas yourself,you will love this book. Some great insight on the background and history of creating the dioramas. Beautiful pictures of the dioramas that make it a great coffee table conversation starter, even if others aren't big fans of the idea of a diorama.

Step Inside the Dioramas
I have been going to the American Museum of Natural History since about age 4 (I am long past four...and even forty!) Unlike other things that were fun in childhood and diminish in interest with age, the American Museum of Natural History continues to fascinate me. This book has added a whole new dimension to that fascination.

I never fully appreciated the artistry that went into these dioramas - and it is not a hyperbole to say blood sweat and tears as several exhibition leaders were attacked by animals or died of illness collecting these specimens.

This book is a combination of beautifully done photographs (far better than anything you can get with your camera there), stories of the people that made the dioramas and extensive information on how the dioramas were made, covering the taxidermy, scene painting, and other modeling.

Read this before you visit and it will enhance your trip there. Read it after and you'll want to go back! Highly recommended.

A Gem
A beautiful gem of a book. Fantastic photographs and great stories about the wonderful displays at the museum. A must for anybody who's spent some happy hours in the museum.

Memento Mori
The best memento you can get from your visit to this astonishing museum. My only regret is that, fifty years from now, these dioramas will be the only remains of a beautiful natural world that once was.

Beautiful and informative.
I enjoy the fact that this book not only has great photos, but also gives excellent insights into the entire process behind how the displays were made. Great. ... Read more

Product Description
The concept of "living history" can take many forms, from military reenactments to skill, craft, and trade demonstrations presented by guides and interpreters dressed in period clothing. This book provides the first extensive directory of living history exhibits, programs, and events--nearly 600 institutions, from houses, plantations and villages to decommissioned battleships, battlefields, trading posts and settler/ military forts. All entries include a brief description of the site, an overview of its living history exhibits and programs, and contact information, fees and hours. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great Book!
This is a big book, definitely NOT a field guide, but our favorite nonetheless.Each page includes both drawings and photos of the bird, as well as listing similar birds.It describes flight patterns and calls of the birds, as well as in-flight diagrams so you can ID a bird that's in flight.It's a big book, but FULL of information!

Excellent Bird Reference
Too bulky for a field manual, but an excellent reference. Clear identification and illustrative photos and distribution maps. Helpful discussion of similar birds.

birds
This is a great book. I have lots of bird books but like the format of this and the comparison to other similar birds.

Clear, authoritative, well organized
This is not a field guide. It is a tome, i.e. a reference book to check out with your notes or photos when you return from the field. On the topic of birds of a continent, one hesitates to call any reference work "exhaustive", but surely this one is close.

What makes this book so useful?

* Its large format -- about 8" x 10.5" -- means that the main photo is a large one and that there is still plenty of room on the page for other illustrations, comments, and (an admittedly small) range map.

* Each page is organized identically, both in text and in illustrations. It makes the book easy to use effectively.

* A superb scope of information is included for each bird: brief narrative, voice, flight habit, nesting, feeding, similar species, range map.

* A summary on each page provides concise information about length, wingspan, weight, social habits, lifespan, and status (secure, declining, or what).

* The editors made a marvelously wise choice in excluding all backgrounds from the bird illustrations. The main illustrations show the bird, the whole bird, and nothing but the bird: splendidly simple pictures that show the markings and proportions peculiar to a particular bird.

* In addition to the main illustration, small pictures appear of variations -- for example: breeding, non-breeding, juvenile --, with explanations of differences in plumage, anatomy, and so forth.

* A brief, but excellent introduction provides an overview of evolution, bird anatomy and flight, migration, courtship and mating, nests and eggs, and identification tips.

Although I am lucky enough not to have to give up other bird references to make shelf space for this one, right now if I had to choose just one reference, this would be it. In the few months since its release, we've used it heavily enough that I am already wishing that this were available as a sturdy hardback. The price would be much higher, which is the reason I'm not inclined to remove a star. But it is hardly a criticism to say that this excellent book is, in our household, already well-used. It's the best modern bird reference we own. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Museums in the context of historical scholarship
Nazi Germany in 1934 established the Gestapo museum, to help educate the public about the "Red menace."The museum displayed confiscated weapons from the German Communist Party, and displayed the methods they were concealed.The political motivation for this museum is apparent, to instill fear in the public about the communist threat.This is an extreme example of political influence on museums, but also an example of how museums can be manipulated to present an obscure message.Part I of Warren Leon and Roy Rosenzweig'sHistory Museums in the United States deals with the constraints imposed on museums, and the necessity for them to be evaluated like any historian would judge written work.The structure of Part I is separated by essays that deal with: gallery exhibitions, big-city museums, outside gallery, historical homes, and case studies concerned with the Gettysburg battlefield and EPCOT Center at Disneyland, and are evaluated like a book review.Despite the various methods of presenting and evaluating history, these essays, and their authors, hold a common purpose of critically evaluating museums as the "central means of presenting history to the public" (xiii).
The constraints of institution politics, audience, and financing influence museum presentations, and bind these museum critiques (xx).Part I covers different types of museum presentations, which range from gallery exhibitions to Disneyland.One of the fundamental problems of these presentations is the idea of museums as "shrines" (31).Whether the museum is trying to illustrate progress through technology, or promote the "great man" theory through historic houses, these presentations do not deal with the conflict and darker sides of history.To the credit of these presentations their employees are relatively trained and attempt to represent history accurately, but like professional historians can never get to the truth, because history is not about truth but the pursuit of it.The fundamental problem is when corporate ventures become involved as is the case with Gettysburg and more interestingly EPCOT center.
Michael Wallace argues, "The past is too important to be left to the private sector.If we wish to restore our social health, we had better get beyond Mickey Mouse history," and is the main argument of his essay, "Mickey Mouse History: Portraying the Past at Disney World," (179).Wallace's essay presents the fundamental problems of presenting history to the public, and a fundamental flaw in reviewing Disneyland as museum.Walt Disney's portrayal of history was utopian in nature; Disney wanted to improve the past not reproduce it; a Disney designer refers to this as "Disney Realism," which is possibly influenced by the Soviet Union's idea of "Socialist Realism," or the idea that art can mold the human soul (161).This is a fundamental problem with Corporate Disney, and their presentations at EPCOT center, which takes audiences from the dim past to a model society of the future; the audiences become participants in the corporate vision of the past and future (169).The problem resides with the audience.Is the audience there becomes of some fascination with the past or just entertainment?Wallace is correct that history should not be left to the private sector, but I doubt the majority of people view the world through the idea of "Disney Realism."
Leon and Rosenzweig's compilation of essays effectively place museums in the context of historical works that need to be reviewed and scrutinized; especially given the fact that museums are one of the core methods of presenting history to the public.The essays in Part I demonstrate the constraints of museum presentation, and the ultimate problem of corporate intervention and entertainment on historical presentation.History should not be in the hands of corporations, or authoritarian regimes, but the people who question, evaluate, and attempt to synthesize historical documentation, to obtain the closest interpretation of truth.

History Museums in the United States : A Critical Assessment
A must have! Being a new student to the museum studies field this book's importance can not be understated.The editors collected 15 essays from the most predominant scholars in the field of museum studies.If youdo not know who they are you will after reading this book.The bookprovides a great indrodution to all the problems, or another way of sayingit philosophical thinking ,that goes into developing museums and exhibits. Once you read this book you can concentrate on a specific area, but thisbook is a great overview. ... Read more

Product Description
- First official guide to American Museum of Natural History to be published for several years.- Fully illustrated- Includes colossal dinosaurs, multimedia exploration of the Universe and re-created habitats of mammals and birds.- The only publication to explore all the ... Read more

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: Over the past 150 years, Japanese photographers have created an impressive body of work that ranges from dignified imperial photographs to sweeping urban panoramas, from early ethereal landscapes to modern urban mysteries. Despite the richness, significance, and variety of this work, however, it has largely been neglected in Western histories of photography. This gorgeous and groundbreaking book—the first comprehensive account of Japanese photography from its inception in the mid-nineteenth century to the present day—reveals to English-speaking audiences the importance and beauty of this art form. Written by a team of distinguished Japanese and Western scholars, this book establishes that photography began to play a vital role in Japanese culture soon after its introduction to Japan in the 1850s. Illustrated essays discuss the medium’s evolution and aesthetic shifts in relation to the nation’s historical and cultural developments; the interaction of Japanese photographers with Western photographers; the link between photography and other Japanese art forms; and photography as a record and catalyst of change. Handsomely designed and generously illustrated with beautiful duotone and color images, the book emphasizes not only the unique features of Japanese photography but also the ways it has influenced and been influenced by the country’s culture and society.Amazon.com Review
Except for the rare international superstar like Araki Nobuyoshi, known for his gamy shots of nude young women, Japanese photography is a closed book to Westerners. Yet it has a distinguished and vital tradition that has enriched every genre, from portraits to landscapes, with a unique blend of lyricism and candor.In The History of Japanese Photography, a wealth of captivating images and essays by seven scholars trace 140 years of stylistic and cultural evolution. In 1857 a local ruler had his portrait taken with a daguerreotype set brought to Nagasaki by a foreign ship. Eleven years later, official photographs of the emperor--never glimpsed in person by his subjects—became widely available. Photographers were increasingly called upon to document new Japanese territories, natural disasters, and wars. Visitors hankered after studio shots of geishas and other exotica. Beginning in the 1890s, upper-class amateur photographers contributed a new emphasis on aesthetics. In the 1930s exquisite Pictorialist images of natural beauty gave way to modernist influences from Berlin and Moscow, and then—in wartime—to a conservative emphasis on traditional rural life. Individual expression dominated postwar photography, as seen in such images as Tomatsu Shomei’s haunting "Beer bottle after the atomic bomb explosion." Recent work reflects the dislocations of urban consumer society. Beautifully produced, with 356 color illustrations, this groundbreaking volume accompanies an exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (March 2-April 27, 2003) that travels to the Cleveland Museum of Art (May 18-July 27, 2003).—Cathy Curtis ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Beautiful and interesting book
I must say that this book is beautiful and I hightly recommend it to anyone who is interested in Japanese photography.I have started reading it and the writing is refreshingly lucid and informative while the photographic reproductions are impressive.At times, the authors do presuppose a knowledge of Western photographic history that may be daunting for some readers. If you are not familiar with that history you may not find the arguments or explanations as productive or interesting as they are. However, even if you are a unfamiliar with the history and you are just curious about the topic, this book has a lot to offer if you just skim the essays.The more academic-minded readers will find the essays to be critically and historically illuminating, intriguing, and thought-provoking. Plus the book is so beautiful.

Simply stunning
This is one of the finest photography books I've seen recently. Filled with page after page of gorgeous photographs spanning a range of over one hundred years, from rare vintage images to fascinating contemporary work, this volume tells the story of a vastly understudied area of artistic work. Everything about this volume--its design, its production, its content--does beautiful justice to the subject matter. Finally--a worthy book on Japanese photography!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Intrigued with the possibility of integrating texture in his work, American landscape photographer Robert Glenn Ketchum has a long-standing collaboration with the Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute (SERI) in China. This splendidly designed volume describes the history of SERI with illustrations of its traditional embroidery and then proceeds to pair Ketchumís stunning photographic images with their exquisite embroidered counterparts. Essays locate the achievement of the Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute within the context of traditional Chinese embroidery and trace the willingness to innovate that has long characterized this remarkable institution. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Breathtaking
I had the privelige of viewing the Threads of Light exhibit.It was so beautiful. Some of the pieces looked almost as if they were really made of light.The photos in the book capture the physical items as well as any book could and better than most.I was impressed with the piece from....I don't remember the year but it was centuries old sewn with hair.This beautiful book is good for the soul and I recommend it highly.

ok - but a bit overrated I think
I bought this book, sight unseen purely from the rave reviews listed.To be honest I was a bit disappointed with the book.Firstly, Robert Glenn Ketchum's photographs are very average.In fact any 15 year old with a good camera and decent eye could take photo's of this quality.The thing that redeems them is the skill of the needleworkers.Secondly, I just think the book is overated. There's several western needlework books that cover this type of embroidery and have better images in my opinion so I just don't understand the rave. An interesting read, but..........yeah.I wouldn't have paid this much if I'd been able to flick through it first.

Most embroidery doesn't impress me, but.....
I'm not all that interested in embroidery, but I enjoy visual excitement.One day while gallery hopping, we came upon a small portion of the work depicted in this book. We were both blown away by the work!Absolutely amazing.I would really like some posters of this work.

For those interested in the embroidery details, it is done with fine silk threads, hand dyed, on various fine fabrics, some of which are so fine you can see through them.Much of the interesting texture and effect is from what they call random stitch embroidery, in which the scenes are depicted by various colored stitches .5 cm (1/4 inch) long running in various random directions, yet they all come together to make the image.Other parts of the images are done by carefully controlled stitch direction to give crisp images.They pick up the light and are quite luminous, some are displayed as screens with light coming from behind.Only the enlargements in the book give a sense of the beauty and amazing technique of the actual pieces.

Oh, and the book is good too.Definitely a 5 star quality coverage of the work, with background information, as described in other reviews.But the work itself is beyond 5 stars.(In the gallery they were priced around the $10,000-$150,000 range, some took several years to complete.)

5 is not even close to enough
Words cannot even begin to describe the beauty of the works of art contained in this book. If you only ever buy one book in your life to just look at the pictures let it be this one. I could sit entranced by this embroidery for hours. I agree with another reviewer who stated that you can't conceive of this art being created by human hands. If you need proof simply look at the cover. That is not a photograph folks, it is embroidered.
The photographs are also quite beatiful. Consider as you look at them that the photo's are trying to capture texture...something very elusive in that medium. In many cases you can barely tell the photo from the embroidery and in others the embroidery is an interpretation of the photo.
I cannot state this enough... this book is truly, truly extraordinary and I don't think that there is anything else like it out there.

WOW!
This is, by far, the most beautiful embroidery book I've ever seen anywhere, at any time. It seems impossible that such impressive works of art could have been created. Robert Ketchum's photographs are beautiful, but the embroideries are, indeed, so breathtaking that it's hard to believe real human beings could have worked on them. This is the kind of embroidery I would love to be able to do, but it is so amazing that I know I'll never reach such a high level of expertise (at least not in this lifetime). My thanks to all the people involved in this project for sharing their special gifts with me and anyone else fortunate enough to have purchased this book or, better still, to have seen these works in person. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (9)

Could have been much more: nice photos, but overall derivative
The large color photos are nice, especially one before-after set showing how badly theft damaged Rubens "Tarquinius and Lucretia" (1610).

However, I'm reading "Rape of Europa" by Lynn Nicholas, pretty much at the same time, and the similarity of phrases is disappointing. For example, compare

page 56 of MoM (published in 2006)
"Hitler had ordered the destruction of all infrastructure in the occupied countries as German troops retreated so that the Allies would find only a devastated wasteland."

with

page 316 of RoE (published in 1995)

"...in August 1944 Hitler had ordered all military installations, utilities, communications, archives, monuments, food stores, and transportation facilities destroyed as the German armies retreated, so that only a wasteland would await the Allies."

Ignoring the redundancy of "devastated wasteland," the two phrasings seem quite similar to me and therefore "Museum of the Missing" seems a bit of a re-hash. Yet the "Rape of Europa" is not included in the Selected Bibliography of "Museum of the Missing".

I agree with other reviewers of "Rape of Europa" that photos would have filled a need to see the works Nicholas describes so intriguingly. However, I also see why -- her book was quite a feat, and adding photos would have likely doubled the timeline for publication.

While "Museum of the Missing" has nice photos and some charming anecdotes, I get the uneasy feeling that they've been told elsewhere, better.

Sorry to be unfriendly!

Notes for the "Art Thief"
This books seems to serve as the underlying notes for the novel and just published book, "The Art Thief", by Noah Charney, which is a very twisty and complicated "Who Done It" about multiple art thefts.

This one is an interesting read. However, I would leave "The Art Thief" on the shelf for someone else to steal.

Museum of the Missing
Noiw this is better than fiction! Exciting!Real life adventures of missing art and I enjoyed this book immensley and purchased several for friends.Don't miss it.

Beatifully Made Book
This is a book you will pick and and leaf through just for the art history if nothing else. What makes it so much more than just your average coffee table book is the little known details of famous art thieves and their craft. I loved the glimpse into the world of auction houses and collectors who are too rich to be famous in the usual sense. The subject matter is fascinating when presented in such a lucid and well organized manner. The illustrations are top-notch. A must for serious museum goers and art history aficionados.

Museum of the Missing
I thought the topic was very interesting but the book skimped over the deatils - either it was trying to cover too broad a topic oreach missing object was not covered in enough depth...there are fascinating stories behind these thefts and I got no sense of who had stolen the art works or why they had taken such 'criminal' risks. ... Read more

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Celebrating the lives of famous men and women, historic house museums showcase restored rooms and period furnishings, and portray in detail their former occupants' daily lives. But behind the gilded molding and curtain brocade lie the largely unknown, politically charged stories of how the homes were first established as museums. Focusing on George Washington's Mount Vernon, Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, and the Booker T. Washington National Monument, Patricia West shows how historic houses reflect less the lives and times of their famous inhabitants than the political pressures of the eras during which they were transformed into museums. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Fashionable academese
Domesticating History contains a lot of dubious, theoretical musings about the "cult of domesticity" and such written in fashionable academese.The interstices provide worthwhile information about the creation of Mount Vernon, Orchard House (the home of Louisa May Alcott), Monticello, and the Booker T. Washington National Monument.One problem with West's interpretation is that she isn't critical enough of her sources.If they argue for something that's not politically correct today, she pounces on them and takes them literally.Some of the author's own pronouncements follow this sort of literalistic logic: "The fact that `the most beloved house in America' was `falling to ruin' tapped into the fear that traditional home life itself was under siege." (67)

Too Many Tangents, Not Enough Evidence
The main problem with Domesticating History is that it claims to show that the historic houses "reflect less the lives and times of their famous inhabitants than the political pressures of the eras during whih they transformed in museums" -- but then barely discusses the museums themselves and the messages they conveyed.We get a lot of detail about the other political efforts of the people who tried to found these museums, but we have no way of knowing to what extent those other political beliefs manifested themselves in what visitors saw, because we never really learn *what* they saw.That many of the organizations that sprouted up to restore and maintain these homes had deep ideological divisions makes this omission even more glaring, because the reader has no way of knowing which agenda, if any, eventually won out.There is interesting and informative material here, but what argument there is, is poorly presented.

Domesticating History: Women�s early political involvement
Patricia West's interesting book, Domesticating History, explores the idea and origination of the house museum industry.She counters the idea that "house museums were founded strictly to memorialize a glorious past separable from politics" (xii).House museums reflect the social and political context in which they were developed and that to truly understand a museum, one must understand the historic context in which it was developed.As West states, "house museums are documents of political history, particularly of women's relationship to the public sphere" (159).As such, West takes her reader through the development of house museums and women's active political stance in this industry by siting four examples from the first hundred years of America's history in this area.She uses the homes of Mount Vernon, Orchard House, Monticello, and Booker T. Washington National Monument to "tell us about the crucial issues of gender and social diversity" (xi).Thus West challenges her readers to re-examine interpretations of house museums within their political, social, and historic context. West brings her expertise to the area of house museums in her new book, Domesticating History.She is currently curator of the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site in Kinderhook, New York, and has been involved in different aspects of museum work since as early as 1978.She lectures at various universities on the East Coast and at the Smithsonian.She obtained her Ph.D. at SUNY in Binghamton, 1992, in American History with minor fields in Women's and Public History.She has served as a consultant for the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, the Saratoga National Battlefield project, Friendship Hill National Historic Site, and the Chapman and Roberson museums.She continues to teach as an Adjunct Professor in the Public History Graduate Program at SUNY in Albany while holding her position as curator.Substantial notes at the end of her book and numerous articles indicate her extensive research into this field and thus offers us an interesting look into the political involvement of women in the development of house museums.West states that "although this is not a book about house museum interpretations, there are implications to the history of historic house museums for interpretive and curratorial planning" (162). I enjoyed the book and find it useful in many ways.First, it serves as a history text of women's involvement and political roles in the development of house museums.Second, it is a great introduction into the field of house museums and preservation from historic, political, and social viewpoints.And third, it serves as a catalyst for revisiting interpretation of house museums in the context of social and political atmospheres that existed at the time of preservation.West's book, thus, is an excellent history of the museum house movement using fine examples from different periods that represent main eras of the museum history movement.West brings up interesting questions of what has been preserved and why.Perhaps we should re-exam historic artifacts in light of new information and within the context of the political and social construct of the day.

There's No Place Like Home for Understanding Our Past
Patricia West's "Domesticating History" serves a useful dual function in the study of history and museums.The book looks at four museum homes in the United States.The choice of homes allows fordiversity in geography, temporality, race and gender.What is mostimmediately striking about the book is that it is not about the homes, theinterpretation that occurs within the homes or the time period in whichtheir famous residents occupied them.Rather the book is about what wentinto making the home a museum, and more specifically, the politicalmotivations and confrontations that surrounded the acquisition anddevelopment of the house museum.The house museum, being an important partof material culture, allows us to study the process through which historybecomes preserved, interpreted, and emphasized for future generations. From the perspective of museum studies (a growing field in which how weinterpret the interpretation is as important as how we interpret thehistory) the book plays an important role in allowing the reader into theworld of the acquisition of some well known national landmarks.Theprocess and difficulties through which these locations were acquired makesfor an important understanding of just how difficult it can be toappropriate physical space into national myth. West states in herconclusion that "As inheritors of the material legacy of the housemuseum founders, we now see the proper functions of a museum as thepresentation of historically accurate interpretations of the Americanpast." Through understanding the historical context in whichthe properties were acquired we see the process through which figures fromhistory are debated and placed into the historical imagination where theythen become part of the national iconography.I do not use the words mythor iconography lightly and I believe that West would agree that there is inmany instances a sense of the creation of or addition to the national civilreligion.She makes clear reference to these aspects in the first chapterciting both the idea of domestic religion (Colleen McDannell) and Civilreligion (Robert Bellah) in he study of Mount Vernon.Throughout he book,and especially in the chapter on Book T. Washington there is clearreference to the importance of religion in the make up of everyday life inAmerican history. Her discussion of the Monticello campaign is anexcellent example of her detailed accounting of the historical growth ofthe property as museum.She does not dwell on the intricacies of the houseor the items displayed in the mansion.Rather takes the reader on ajourney through the fund raising campaign to purchase the house, includingthe appropriation of Jefferson as democratic model for the party in the1920s and 30s, to the establishment of a curator for the house. Sheclearly shows in her explorations that the appropriation of both theproperty and the historical inhabitants reflects in large part thepolitical climate of time.For example her discussion the Booker T.Washington birthplace, is filled with descriptions of the desegregationmovements in which the events were couched.The George Washington Carverbirthplace she seems to say would not have been appropriated had I not beenthe result of the need to acquire an African American location in order topacify African Americans in the 1940s. In these descriptions shepays great attention to details about the historical context of which shespeaks.Occasionally I believe she may have paid too much attention,leaving the intended subjects in order to emphasis the political fervor ofthe time.A god example might be the beginning of Chapter 4.The sectionis titled "The Bricks of Compromise settle into place: Booker TWashington's Birthplace and the Civil Rights Movement." The firstsubsection of the chapter however is a discussion of the growth of housemuseums under New Deal politics.The section is extremely illuminating asto the history and expansion of house museums in the 1930s yet it haslittle directly to do with the chapter heading.That is not to say howeverthat she does not provide further insight into areas that might previouslyhave been glossed over in survey course on such subjects as the civilrights movement and gender studies in the United States. Westhighlights the importance that women played in the acquisition, developmentand promotion of these house museums.Further she approaches although doesnot fully develop the exploration of the transition from women as curatorto men in the "professionalizing" of the filed.I think I wasdisappointed that the text was not more focused on the untold stories ofthe domestics and of women in these houses, but upon further reflection Isuppose West never promised that in her title. The text is extremelyuseful, not only as history of the house museum movement but also in itsexploration of race, gender and general history.How the Booker T.Washington birthplace became a landmark or when Monticello was dedicated asa house museum gives great insight in to the attitudes and politicalleanings of the country at times in history.There is a great deal ofinformation in the book that relates to theories of consumer culture.Westis only able to briefly mention these items in her book.I believe thather text could be a useful starting point for those interested in pursuingthis line of thought as an exploration of consumer culture in twentiethcentury United States. Through the exploration of the political environmentin which these homes became museums West illustrates well the power of themuseum to be used as not only a center for learning and cataloguing thepast but also of influencing the present and the future.As she states inher conclusion "early house museum founders knew the power ofhistorical imagination to inform perceptions of current problems, energizesocial action, and legitimate authority and principles." ... Read more

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