Book Description
A feat of historical detection--the most significant, andcertainly the most enthralling, book on American prehistory to appear indecades.The greatest "unsolved mystery" of the American Southwest relates to theAnasazi, the native peoples who by the 11th century converged on ChacoCanyon (now New Mexico) and built a flourishing cultural center thatattracted pilgrims from far and wide, a vital crossroads of the prehistoricworld. The Anasazis' accomplishments--in agriculture, in art, in commerce,in architecture and engineering--were astounding, rivaling those of theMayans in distant Central America. By the 13th century, however, the Anasazi were gone from Chaco. Vanished.What was it--drought? pestilence? war? forced migration? mass murder orsuicide? Craig Childs draws on scholarly research and a lifetime ofadventure and exploration in the American Southwest to pursue the mysteryof their disappearance. Considering many possibilities, he points the wayto a new understanding of how a vibrant civilization collapsed.
Customer Reviews:
Childs has done it with this book..........2007-09-11
It's been a long time since I was thoroughly captivated by a book but House Of Rain has managed to do just that. Craig Childs is arguably one of the finest non-fiction writers today. For those of us who live and breathe the Great Southwest, Child's descriptions will bring back vivid memories of Sleeping Ute mountain in the distance and standing where the Ancients stood at Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, and Chaco. For those reviewers who felt like they needed maps and an answer, you can get maps at the visitor centers all bound up in glossy little books with equally glossy descriptions of people and places. This is not one of those books - it's so much deeper. This book is not a souvenier, it's a vehicle that takes you to places that a relative few will ever see and even less will understand. Sometimes, there is no final answer - there's just the lingering questions. That's part of what makes it so interesting.
Excellent Read With Interesting Personal Point of Views.......2007-09-06
This is the first book by Craig Childs that I've read. I will say it is an excellent book on the Anasazi. Craig has spent his whole life in the desert Southwest and appears to be quite knowledgeable about his subject. If you are the least bit interested in knowing a bit more about the Anasazi but don't want to read a "dry" scientific book about the subject, this is "the book" for you. Craig has travelled, worked and talked with many southwest Archaeologists who study the Anasazi. His discussions on the Anasazi are not boring and dry and his writing style is superb. I have a passing interest in the subject matter and this is one of the newest books on the subject and based on reviews of his other books, bought this one. I'm glad I did. Craig covers some controversial areas in regards to the Anasazi and where they went. They didn't disappear, their ancestors are still here, spread out over the southwest. He hits on a few quite creditabal possibilities and presents material to support them. I not being an expert on the subject but none the less interested and with some of my own ideas, I think Craig is on to something in regards to some of the reasons for the abandonment of the ancient sites across the entire southwest not just the Four Corners area commonly attributed to the Anasazi. Craig's descriptions of his backcountry travels are excellent and gives the sense that you are there with him which makes it even more enjoyable to read. This one is a keeper which I know I will read over and over again.
House of Rain, A Great Read.......2007-08-16
If you'd like to take a journey into the SW United States looking for the "missing" Anasazi, you should crack open this book, and delve into Craig Child's riveting journey. Child's style of writing puts you there with him, and he's very skilled at creating images that draw you into the adventure.
House of Rain .......2007-07-07
Craig Childs and "House of Rain" took me to places I've been and most importantly, to places I've been unable to experience. As I was reading this descriptive narrative of the Southwest that I love so much, I felt I was walking right beside him...excellent!
Exception read for the non-archeologist interested in the Anasazi.......2007-07-06
I already own several of Craig Childs books which I enjoy reading so that I can vicariously explore the canyons with him. This book is Exceptional. I bought it just last week at the Anasazi Heritage Center near Mesa Verde and Canyons of the Ancients while vacationing there with my wife and granddaughter. Living in Utah, we make yearly trips to the Moab area and southeastern canyons of Utah always hopeing to find a ruin to explore and photograph. This book is great for the non-scientist but those interested in the cultures of the Southwest like me!
Book Description
From the day it opened in July 1955, in an event given live TV coverage, Disneyland has been a key symbol of contemporary American culture. It has been both celebrated and attacked as the ultimate embodiment of consumer society, a harbinger of shopping-mall culture, a symbol of American hegemony in entertainment, the epitome of fantasy, simulation, pastiche, and the blurring of distinctions between reality and mass-media imagery. Yet for all the power of Disneyland as metaphor, almost no one has discussed the making of this unique place, with its far-flung colonies in Florida, Japan, and France. Written to accompany an exhibition at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, Designing Disney's Theme Parks: The Architecture of Reassurance is the first book to look beyond the multiple myths of Disneyland.
Uniting a roster of authors chosen from wide-ranging disciplines, this study is the first to examine the influence of Disneyland on both our built environment and our architectural imagination. Tracing the relationship of the Disney parks to their historical forbears, it charts Disneyland's evolution from one man's personal dream to a multinational enterprise, a process in which the Disney "magic" has moved ever closer to the real world. Editor Karal Ann Marling, Professor of Art History and American Studies at the University of Minnesota, draws upon her pioneering work in the Disney archives to reconstruct and analyze the intentions and strategies behind the parks. She is joined by Marty Sklar, Vice Chairman and Principal Creative Executive of Walt Disney Imagineering, historian Neil Harris, art historian Erika Doss, geographer Yi-Fu Tuan, critic Greil Marcus, and architect Frank Gehry to provide a unique perspective on one of the great post-war American icons.
Customer Reviews:
Disneyland Revisited: The Reassurance of Scholarly Research.......2007-04-23
This book is a must have for enthusiasts and interested scholars. The book is filled with many pictures, illustrations and original renderings of Disneyland, and the subsequent other parks. The conceptual development of the original Disneyland is the focus of the book that admirably discusses the many details involved in the process. The amazing part for me was the scholarly research and the well written quality of the text. The subject is well examined for the volume of information it covers. It is the first book I have come across that credit's Walt Disney's innovative process of applying stage set design to 3D proportionality using an over-ridding narrative to connect it all. The scholarly research by art historians and architects for the Canadian exhibition is impressive, which is done without the control of the Disney Corporation. The scholarly nature of the book lends a new dimensionality to the understanding of Disneyland as an innovative artistic development, and a new architectural expression.
Unlike other texts I have read about Disney architecture, this one takes on the subject from the art historical perspective examining the process that creates a new architectural form. Other books seem to veer away from this in favor of the new, celebrated corporate architecture at Disney company headquarters, or on these applications at newer Disney parks. By concentrating on the original development of Disneyland as a concept of Walt Disney's, and his special team of designers, the idea is well established as creating the foundation for everything else that comes after. This difference is insightful, and makes the understanding of the original conceptual design clearer.
I highly recommend this book for the wealth of information it provides and the good read it is. Even for a seasoned Walt Disney enthusiast, like me, it provides a new awareness of the multi-dimensional qualities of the form created, and it makes a rich addition to the information previously unknown.
Fabulous Book on Disney.......2004-03-16
This book is great! I also want to be a Disney Imagieer. I already designed some cool, new rides. I hope I become an Imagineer! See Ya!
One of our TOP TEN Books on the Walt Disney Studios.......2003-03-14
While created as a companion text to the 1997 exhibition hosted by the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA), this remarkable record is as fascinating to Disney fans and collectors as it is valuable to researchers and scholars. One feast at this banquet table will never be enough. Readers will be returning to this masterwork for decades to come.
From the project's genesis in meetings between Nicholas Osberg (Chief Curator, CCA) and Marty Sklar (Creative Director, Walt Disney Imagineering), an agreement was reached whereby every historic file and document at The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Attractions, and Walt Disney Imagineering was made available to the exhibition's research team. Together, they met the awesome challenge of providing an in-depth analysis of the cultural phenomenon that began with Walt Disney's original theme park known as Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
As the project's director of research and curator of the exhibition, Karal Ann Marling has assembled a text that not only details the architectural elements of creation and design, but integrates the historic backstory and visual wonderland that led to the creation of the Disney theme parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Tokyo, and Paris.
Designers, Disney-fans, Architects, Dreamers...listen up!.......2001-12-29
This book is amazing. It immediately captured me. It gives valuable insight on the vison of disneys world and on how this vision becomes tangible.
Not only it talks abou the history of the themeparks but it shows the sketches, maps, plans of different parts and attractions of the disney world. An amazing resource full of phantasy and a joy to watch. The photographs and illustrations are very well chosen and it is a plasure to flip through this pages every once in a while. A very inspiring book, showing that often it is enough to dream it and then it becomes reality.The most peculiar shapes and interior spaces are built to be reality.
I highly recommend it.
Engaging Thoughts about Disney.......2001-01-26
Many books on Disney's art and achitecture try to convey its appeal primarily through the visual. Other books, particularly those that whole-heartedly criticize Disney, try to ignore the appeal of Disney altogether. This book attempts to integrate the visual evidence (photos, concept art) with academic writing on Disney (Karal Ann Marling, Erika Doss, Greil Marcus, etc.). Together, these aspects make for a solid inquiry as to the appeal of Disney's architecture.
The book was written to supplement an art exhibit of the same name and, in many ways, feels a bit incomplete without its exhibition, partly because the book tries to cover a lot of territory in its two hundred or so pages. And a lot of the book's pages are used for the essays. But the essays also provide the readers with another "way of seeing" the imagineers' works, something that other books of this type tend to forgoe for more pictures. The essays are irreplaceable for this book--and many are useful for re-examining other books' materials as well (Try it!).
Particularly useful for the Disney enthusiast is the criticism of Disney criticism by Greil Marcus. He astutely summarizes much of the current criticism of Disney: "All [the works mentioned earlier in the essay] have their moments of interest and all devolve quickly into a kind of critical voice that can perhaps best be called spite. This is not a good posture from which to practice criticism--an angry defensiveness, a fear that somehow one's faculties or tools of analysis are not up to the job disguised as contempt for the job itself...." What Marcus calls for is a real attempt to understand Disney for what it is and for how it affects people/American culture, something too few critics have done without falling into an either all-good or all-evil knee-jerk reaction. Worse, many critics make no attempt to experience Disney before making up their minds. This essay is an excellent reminder to those critics and a call to action.
The other essays are interesting and useful, as well. The interview with Frank Gehry seems a bit brief, and perhaps Karal Ann Marling takes too much center stage in the interview (as with the entire book). Still, this book opens the door for an appreciative examination of Disney and one that embraces Disney by attempting a "thick description" of its materiality and appeal. This book will not provide an exhaustive look at Disney's theme parks but it will offer the interested reader materials with which to look at Disney's parks in a new way.
Book Description
If you think Saddam and Satan make a kinky couple, wait till you get a load of South Park and Philosophy. Get your Big Wheels ready, because we 're going for a ride, as 22 philosophers take us down the road to understanding the big-picture issues in this small mountain town.Is Dan Rather real? Should Big Gay Al be allowed to marry Mr. Slave? What does philosophy have to do with flatulence? Addressing the perennial questions of the show, and looking at the contemporary social and political issues that inspire each episode, this book unravels everything that might be wrong and could be right about South Park. Are American voters inevitably forced to choose between a turd and a douche? Does South Park 's blasphemous humor go too far? If it 's OK to ridicule Islam, is it OK to skewer Scientology? And how does Cartmanland present the problem of evil? Grab a bag of Cheesypoofs and take a seat, because you 're about to find out.South Park and Philosophy is a smart and candid look at one of television 's most subversive and controversial shows. If you like Chef 's salty balls, you 'll love this book.
Customer Reviews:
eh.......2007-06-10
More focus on philosophy than South Park--- not that there's anything wrong with that, but it makes for rather dry reading. I prefer "South Park and Philosophy" as edited by Richard Hanley. Much lighter, and often laugh-out-loud funny.
You know, it COULD'VE been better..........2007-06-09
But then so could a lot of other things. Like the government... people's attitudes... the taste of a lot of tacos...
You can't really help it; some things fall expectations.
When you look at this book's cover, you brace yourself for hilarious comedy. If you read enough you know that there was a book for the Simpsons relating the show to philosophy. It was just South Park's turn.
Now, it's true that the individual writers could've gone more in depth with a few topics. Personally, I feel like the "gender and sexuality" chapter should've been MUCH longer. But it did explain relevant aspects of philosophy in terms the layman could understand. I mean, come on, what better concept is there than using South Park to relate to philosophy? It bares the bones on a lot of terminology and historical (as well as contemporary) figures in the field and it even lets you feel like you're smart for watching South Park (because it's SO philosophical, really!)
I may sound sarcastic, but I'm a fan of the show. There's a reason why they resort to that humor a lot of the time - you've just got to poke fun at both sides in the most extremist of fashions.
The book is divided into chapters, whereupon those chapters are written by different people, Arp himself included. Different writing styles, different lengths to the chapters, and always a unique voice that keeps in mind how absurd the series is - and loves it.
If you're a fan and you'd like to know more about philosophy, pick up the book - it wouldn't hurt. Philosophy majors might see things wrong with the book, but come on, 261 pages can't honestly harness all philosophy has to offer. And it's South Park. There's only so much material you can milk out of it to compare to Nietzsche.
All in all, it was a good book. Entertaining. Certainly not a textbook on the subject but then again, it's not meant to be. It's comparing a cartoon show in which a character dies at every episode and comes back to life mysteriously in the beginning of the next with no questions asked.
Pick it up!
Southpark taken Seroiously.......2007-04-30
I enjoy both South Park and the book. The show has been around for over ten years now and over that time it has dealt with many pressing issues with the trademark uncouth wit and dark humor. The show is a great deal of fun but is still a show and the opinions of two people. Surprising, you don't get those opinions in many other places because it attacks the sacred cows of the rest of the media. Saying all that this book takes the show seriously and points out that there is a strong message that is rooted deep in western thought and culture.
I am familiar with many ideas and authors of philosophy and this book connects some of the ideas of the show with some philosophers. I think they could do about two or three book more to better explore the meanings and episodes of South Park and reflect that this crazy show has a powerful and both radical and moderate view of the world. They reflect the many radical and outlandish ideas that are accepted in our culture we now see as normal.
South Park and Philosophy Hits the Mark!.......2007-01-29
Walter DeRoeck says,
"I was thrilled when I got this book, as I am a longtime South Park fan. The philosophy dealing with South Park is very interesting. Of course, I was expecting this book to be about what other philosophers thought of Matt and Trey's ideas through South Park. The great news is that I was right.
Honestly, I do think that the book has MORE to do with South Park and Philosophy than any other book on South Park and Philosophy. The chapters are written by the likes of people doing work in philosophy, political science, literature, and musicology, with South Park playing a huge role in each section. The synopses of the episodes are anything but piss-poor.
The authors have an obviously thorough knowledge of South Park, giving very complete analyses. Especially elucidating is the chapter relating to the "Vote or Die, Bitch" episode; the author must have watched it many times.
Also the way the author handled the "Gay Marriage" section is thought-provoking. In fact, that chapter presents one of the fairest and most elucidating analyses of gay marriage I have ever read.
What I like most about the book, however, is the fact that the authors were not just using the South Park name to sell some books.
In short: the book is great, and has everything to do with South Park; the sections are accurate and true to the show; and the authors didn't twist things around to make things say what they wanted them to. It's a must read for any South Park fan."
Disappointing, Because It Could Have Been So Much Better.......2007-01-15
South Park and Philosophy is a mixed bag.
Myself, I'm a fan of both topics--as are probably you--and I was interested to see some professionals dissect the philosophy as presented in South Park. After all, as any fan of the series knows, South Park is awash in ideas and debate.
A few of the essays included are pretty good--they present a light overview of some philosophical argument and then show how South Park has approached it over the years it's run.
Most of the essays, however, don't do such a good job. A sadly high number of the authors (a collection of Associate Professors, and a few full ones) seemingly have only seen one episode of South Park, and so they write based on that very limited knowledge. Some of the essays are just explanations of a philosophical argument, with only South Park character names or quotes put in to pander to the reader. Allow me to cite a couple of the worse offenders:
John Scott Gray, writing about voting and democracy in South Park, breaks apart his discussion (almost exclusively about "Douches and Turds") with subtitles, the first of which being "Douches and Turds, Y'all." Alright, understandable subtitle. Acceptable. But note the others: "Yeah, Boy...Getting, Keeping and Using the Right to Vote"; "Gettin' Schooled at College, Dawg"; "Yo...Your Candidate is In the House"; "The C to the H to the O to the I to the C to the E"; "You Wanna Third Party, G?"; and, best of all, "Stability in the Political Ghetto, My Homey."
It's obvious that Gray neither watches South Park, nor even understands its place in the culture. Whatever South Park is, it isn't "gangsta'", and it wouldn't take watching that many episodes to get that... although, if the *one* episode you've seen features Puff Daddy (as does the Douche and Turd episode), then it's maybe more understandable. The inclusion of this essay, and its betrayal of the author's fundamental ignorance about the subject he's writing on, is just insulting.
The last essay included, Dale Jacquette's discussion of the portrayal of Satan in South Park, is arguably worse. Jacquette has, quite obviously, only seen the South Park movie, because his discussion revolves only around Satan's appearance there. Actually, "discussion" is generous; Jacquette essentially spends the whole time *recapping* the movie, including transcribing entire conversations. It provides no insight. Absolutely worthless, and disheartening especially considering that an actual examination of South Park's theological cosmology (including Christ & the Super Friends, Santa's role, etc.) might have been very interesting....
These faults might be due to poor choices made by the editor of the collection, Robert Arp, who shows little regard or understanding for the subject, especially, in his mock interview with Trey Stone and Matt Parker at the conclusion of the book.
That said, some of the essays are pretty good, and its clear that some of the writers are deep fans of the show (as they should be, to contribute to a collection like this). Most of the essays wind up somewhere in the middle.
I enjoyed reading this collection, but at the same time, I was slightly disappointed. It could have been more. It could have been better. If an editor had been selected with more belief in the show and the subject than Robert Arp, then essays might have been selected that display a greater knowledge of the show. As it stands, this is a lukewarm presentation apt to disappoint hardcore fans of either South Park or Philosophy.
Three Stars.
Book Description
The first of its kind – a heavily illustrated, all-you-need-to-know book about the cult hit TV show, for both rabid fans and anyone who enjoys a hot toasted chicken finger.
To the storied and pastoral locales of great Canadian fiction – Leacock’s Mariposa, Lawrence’s Manawaka, Montgomery’s Avonlea – readers can now add the many splendours of Sunnyvale Trailer Park. With this lovingly designed volume, to grace even the finest toilet-side magazine basket, Ricky, Bubbles, Julian and the whole TPB crew stumble, bewildered and slightly aggravated, from the screen to the page – without spilling a drop of rum and Coke.
Working in concert with the show’s creators Matthew Sibiga and Don Wininger have developed a wide range of interpretive devices, helpful lists, historical mementoes, legal advice, wrestling, kitty-care and grooming tips, and more, to aid in any fan’s appreciation of the show – or substitute for it when the cable is out. Added to these features is a two-page synopsis of every episode, including stats, air dates and best lines. Numerous photos and sidebars scattered throughout include quotes, philosophical gleanings and tidbits from the series.
Just in time for the next season of one of the most popular television shows ever created in Canada,
The Complete Trailer Park Boys truly will be a resource no fan can do without.
Some sample chapter topics:
Ricky:
-A list of Rickyisms
-Map of areas in the park where he has passed out
-A detailed pictorial of his car/home
Bubbles:
-Bubbles’s shopping cart chop shop–behind the scenes
-Go-cart performance specs
-Bubbles eye chart
Julian:
-Julian’s fashion tips (how to match black with black)
-Best money-making schemes
-T-shirt wearing and the art
of seduction
-Julian’s bartending mix book
Other characters:
-J-Roc rap lyrics
-Ray’s tips on beating the government on disability
-Corey and Trevor’s gas siphoning tips
Customer Reviews:
wow great book!!!!.......2007-06-10
if your a fan , you will enjoy this immensely! much better than I had thought. It's also available on The Traier Park Boys website! gotta get me a Sunnyvale hockey jersey!
Customer Reviews:
Biased, Mocks the spirit of Philosophy itself.......2007-08-17
I recently purchased both South Park & Philosophy books, and I was disturbed to find out that this edition was populated almost entirely of articles by the editor, Richard Handly. Fully of typos and biased, political diatribes, this book completely sacrifices the libertarian/moderate tone of the show as a whole for the primary author/editors personal beliefs.
I Kill Kenny, Therefore I Am.......2007-06-08
I love all the books in the Pop Culture and Philosophy series, and the "South Park" installment was no disappointment! Making the subject of philosophy applicable to those of us who were raised by an electronic box, the book is a spectacularly intellectual look at one of the most provocative shows in TV history!
A pick for high school contemporary philosophy collections .......2007-05-13
SOUTH PARK AND PHILOSOPHY: BIGGER, LONGER, AND MORE PENETRATING pairs the long-running and controversial Comedy Central cartoon hit with ideas gained from philosophy, applying a classical philosophical analysis to a show which offends many and which would seem to defy classical interpretation. In drawing connections between the popular show and classic philosophy, readers gain not only a better understanding of the show's controversies and approaches, but will find the entire approach and contentions of philosophy more appealing as it links well to contemporary experience. A pick for high school contemporary philosophy collections as well as for general-interest and college-level fans of South Park.
Average customer rating:
- Awesome book!
- FASCINATING BOOK!!! don't miss!
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Making of the Lost World
Jody Duncan
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
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Similar Items:
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The Making of Jurassic Park
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The Lost World
ASIN: 0345407342
Release Date: 1997-05-27 |
Book Description
SOMETHING HAS SURVIVED . . .
Steven Spielberg wowed the world with his film version of Michael Crichton's blockbuster Jurassic Park. That film's breakthrough special effects really brought dinosaurs back from extinction. Now the mighty dinosaurs are about to rule movie theaters again, with Steven Spielberg back in the director's chair and his team of brilliant effects wizards back on the job. Here is your chance to slip behind the cameras and into the studios, workshops, and locations for a look at this summer's most eagerly anticipated film, The Lost World: Jurassic Park!
Share the excitement as dino-mania stirs again when Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment announce the film project and storyboard artists set to work
Follow the amazing process of bringing dinosaurs to life--from the preliminary sketches to the Stan Winston Studio sculptures
Watch a computer-generated dinosaur learn to walk . . . and run . . . and eat . . . courtesy of Dennis Muren and Industrial Light & Magic's Academy© award-winning team of SFX geniuses
Join director Steven Spielberg and cast members, Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Pete Postlethwaite, Arliss Howard, Vince Vaughn, Vanessa Lee Chester, Peter Stormare, Lord Richard Attenborough, Harvey Jason, Richard Schiff, and Thomas Duffy, and producers Gerald R. Molen and Colin Wilson on the sets at Universal Studios and on location in Northern California and Hawaii
Something Has Survived. . . . Be among the very first to see just what that "something" is!
From a tiny gleam in the director's eye to a magical feature release, Cinefex magazine editor Jody Duncan takes you on an eye-popping, fully illustrated whirlwind tour through a process as amazing and entertaining as the finished product.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome book!.......1998-07-13
This book is as good, if not better than the "making of" book for the first Jurassic Park Movie. It's filled with great pictures, and stories of preproduction, and production. If you want a good look behind the scenes, this is what you'll want!
FASCINATING BOOK!!! don't miss!.......1998-02-18
I enjoined this book very much and I think that every one who saw this movie (The Lost World: Jurassic Park) and saw all those amazing special effects that where used in the movie, will love to read it and impress even more!
Customer Reviews:
Prepare to be boarded!.......2007-02-22
Know this first: I'm a huge fan of all things Disney, especially POTC the ride.
Imagineer Surrell's book is very well-done. This is one of those (along with his earlier work on the Haunted Mansion) that I go to again and again, like watching a favorite movie or listening to a favorite album. Maybe I'll notice on the 50th reading ONE MORE DETAIL I somehow missed...
I especially enjoyed the look at the other parks' version of the ride. Rock on, Jason!
Con: Woulda liked it in HARDCOVER.
Now, as with any OTHER topical subject, some of the info goes out of date the day the book is published, and will continue to "go stale". The 2nd, 3rd, and even talked-about 4th movies are, of course, not included. The much-publicized ride rehabs are not either. This is the same with Jason's earlier Disney's Haunted Mansion book (a good companion piece, by the way). That said, the HM book goes off into a hopeful description of the actually-miserable HM movie, touting it as the best thing since Bela Lugosi. This was written well in advance of the actual public release of the HM movie, I guess, so they were gambling the public would love what turned out to be a huge embarrasment. ( When I need cheering up, I sometimes imagine HM Director Minkoff at what I hope is his new day job, asking people if they want to add a cherry turnover to their order for just 50 cents more ). Okay, here's your soapbox back.
They shouldn't have pushed the HM movie so hard in THAT book.
Not so in THIS book: Because they "got burned" on the HM movie, there's a decidedly less-throat-cramming push for Curse of the Black Pearl, which, of course, in hindsight, they could have laid on thicker, now that the movie has generated some kind of Star-Wars-level cultural shift.
Buy the book. You know you want it.
I know I want more books on CLASSIC Disney attractions, and I only want 'em writ by Jason Surrell. Amen.
Daughter loves it!!!.......2007-01-12
My daughter just loves all the background information. She's very happy with it.
Updated version now available!.......2006-12-12
As of November, 2006, a newer, updated version of Mr. Surrell's book is now available! Look for the version with the compass rose in the upper right corner of the cover.
Cheers!
Beck
BIG BIG BIG BIG fan of the movies :).......2006-10-01
I love Disney world and I love love The Pirates Of The Carribbean! Great if you like both!
Fascinating read for Disneyland fans.......2006-09-13
I really enjoed the first chapter on how the concept translated into the final product of a ride. Amazing how these things come together. The second chapter comparing the ride throughs between the four parks I found a bit frustrating - hard to really picture it unless you're there (for me). I was more interested in the ride portion than the movie chapter myself. Worth the buy (though I bought it used).
Book Description
Welcome, foolish mortals, to The Haunted Mansion, one of the most popular attractions in Disney theme park history. The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies fleshes out how the Mansion's 999 grim grinning ghosts were brought to life. Rare early sketches and story concepts, and stunning architectural drawings illustrate the Mansion's evolution as it was constructed at each Magic Kingdom Park around the globe. The attraction has now been brought to an afterlife like never before in a movie starring Eddie Murphy, with special effects by Rick Baker. Readers will get an insider's view of uncanny costume creations, spine-tingling set developments, and the latest in CGI (computer ghost imaging) technology. This is one book you'll be dying to have on your shelf!
Customer Reviews:
Welcome foolish mortaals, to the haunted mansion!.......2007-08-17
THis book was great! A ton of information on the ride! I couldnt put it down! It was great.
A SPIRITED TRIBUTE TO A DISNEY CLASSIC.......2006-07-18
This book is a must read for ALL ages and ANYONE interested in Disney theme park attractions around the globe. Any Disney fan knows that the Imagineers are very particular about what is revealed to the general public in terms of how they make their Disney 'magic' and I was pleasantly surprised (being an avid Disney fan myself) by the research that went into the making of this book and the amount of knowledge shared with the reader - it DOES in fact reveal some secrets of the mansion and never before seen history of the making of the attraction. (It confirms and dispels some rumors about the attraction once and for all too!) A pattern of discussion is followed throughout the book as you are verbally walked through the mansion's corridors and rooms. Surrell consistently covers the Haunted Mansion in a logical order (Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris) in every chapter. He takes the subject matter full circle by including information about how the attraction was translated to the big screen, and gives the reader insight to how decisions were made pertaining to set design, costume design, and casting for the movie of the same name. If you want an intelligent, thorough and enjoyable read about a classic Disney attraction, and especially an insight to the magic that is Imagineering, this is a MUST READ!
Weak information...a promo for the ride and the movie.......2006-07-10
You buy this book thinking it's a great "behind-the-scenes" resource, but it's not. Yes, there is some background information, but the book skips confusingly from park to park, and offers very little technical information on the special effects. The photos are all standard Disney promotional stuff...this book tells you what Disney wants you to know, and nothing else.
Go to doombuggies.com for a much better treatment of this classic ride.
This reader says "hurry ba-ack, hurry ba-ack".......2006-07-03
Lots o' great info on both the Ride @ the Disney Theme Parks + the Movie [which I loath - sorry but the Haunted Mansion wasn't meant to be made into a 2 hour episode of the Fresh Prince of Bellaire, mmmkay ?] + the Haunted Mansion Holiday ....
Future editions should drop all reference to the Movie, then spend more time on the Haunted Mansion Holiday [Nightmare Before Christmas Holiday makeover] + recent "changes" that occured in 2006 [I'd make it a 5 star if they did that] ....
If you don't want to read the book, please buy it for the artwork
[best priced Disney Merchandise vs. what you will pay @ the Theme Parks] ....
~(^)~
Great read!.......2006-06-18
I picked this book up at Disneyland and it's fantastic! I only wish I'd have read it before going on the ride, there's so many little details I didn't know to look for.
If you're a fan of the attraction, you'll love this book!
Book Description
`Alan Bryman has expanded on his internationally well-known work on Disney theme parks and Disneyization to create a fascinating and highly readable book. It should prove of interest to beginning students in a number of different courses and fields, as well as to scholars interested in culture and consumption. There is no question that the model created by Disney, and emulated in whole or in part by many organizations and in many settings, will continue to influence social structure and culture well into the future. This is an important book about a significant social process. And, it manages to be a fun read, as well!' -
George Ritzer, author of McDonaldization and Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland
`Bryman's analysis of contemporay consumption is full of detail and provides a host of examples ranging from restaurants and hotels, to theme parks, zoos and sports stadia. Without doubt students will find it an accessible text, one that should allow them to think about consumption, familiar consumer products, settings and activities, sociologically'
- Barry Smart, Professor of Sociology, University of Portsmouth
`Bryman's dissection of Disneyization is a timely and significant contribution to the growing literature on Disney. In fact, his excellent analysis of the extension of Disneyization throughout society explains why we should care about the Disney phenomenon at all. This is not only an important book for Disney scholars, but for any one interested in the future of modern society' -
Janet Wasko Professor of Communication Studies, University of Oregon
This is an agenda-setting new work in the sociology of culture and modern society. It argues that the contemporary world is increasingly converging towards the characteristics of the Disney theme parks. This process of convergence is revealed in: the growing influence of themed environments in settings like restaurants, shops, hotels, tourism and zoos; the growing trend towards social environments that are driven by combinations of forms of consumption: shopping, eating out, gambling, visiting the cinema, watching sports; the growth in cachet awarded to brands based on licensed merchandise; and the increased prominence of work that is a performance in which the employees have to display certain emotions and generally convey impressions as though working in a theatrical event. This insightful book demonstrates the importance of control and surveillance in consumer culture.
Of interest to a wide variety of students studying in business, sociology, cultural studies, media studies and leisure studies courses this will also be of interest to anybody interested in understanding the intricacies of modern society.
Book Description
Monterey Park, California, only eight miles east of downtown Los Angeles, was dubbed by the media as the "First Suburban Chinatown." The city was a predominantly white middle-class bedroom community in the 1970s when large numbers of Chinese immigrants transformed it into a bustling international boomtown. It is now the only city in the United States with a majority Asian American population. Timothy P. Fong examines the demographic, economic, social, and cultural changes taking place there, and the political reactions to the change.
Fong, a former journalist, reports on how pervasive anti-Asian sentiment fueled a series of initiatives intended to strengthen "community control," including a movement to make English the official language. Recounting the internal strife and the beginnings of recovery, Fong explores how race and ethnicity issues are used as political organizing tools and weapons.
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