|
Browse categories
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Amazon
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
|
*Amazon: £8.25
|
|
 Customer Reviews
Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!
Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.
The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.
I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!
Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.
Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).
|
|
|
 |
The Folklore of Discworld
|
Terry PratchettJacqueline Simpson;
;
|
|
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
|
*Amazon: £7.99
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!
Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.
The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.
I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!
Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.
Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).
Fascinating, 12 Nov 2008
While I was never a fan of the Science of Discworld series, I picked this one up since it seemed to approach things from an interesting new angle. I'm certainly not disappointed - there is a whole gamut of folklore covered within, showing the links and relationships between Discworld and the Earth. It's very well written, and flows like fine honey!
However...
There isn't an awful lot of 'meat' to a lot of the content. It's very much a case of 'Here's a thing from Discworld, and here's it's real world equivalent.', and then after a paragraph or so it moved on to the next thing. I would have liked it to be a bit more in-depth, but there is a bibliography provided at the end that helps flesh out the detail.
I wholeheartedly recommend it, though.
worthy of the discworld series, 05 Nov 2008
There have been a number of books recently that have tried to be guides to the discworld series, most of which have been truly awful. This and the "unauthorised" Turtle Moves are two of the best I have seen.
As suggested by the title the books looks at the lore and legend which are used in the discworld stories and their links to earth lore and legend.
I found it gripping from beginning to end, and there were points that I really wished the author had expanded on further. If I have one problem with the book it is that it is far too short. Maybe it should have been in 2 volumes rather than the one book.
This is a book that has been produced for the growing US market, and it shows. Every chapter has a beautifully drawn interpretation at the beginning. It only goes to show that when something is produced for the US market they put a little more effort and thought into it.
Outstanding book, a must for Discworld fans everywhere.
Nineteen versions??, 20 Oct 2008
Folklore, ancient or modern, is one of the major foundation stones of the Discworld books. Human nature being another, one assumes. Discworld folklore is a trivia test among Discworld fans who will slyly ask one another [generally over a pint], if they can identify the origins of a certain figure or idea. With some slight discrepancies between UK and North American versions, such exchanges can become, well, spirited. "Elves or elfs?" is always good for starting an evening.
Pratchett and Simpson sort all this out - and much else besides - in this delightful work on matters folklorish. Typically, the prompt for the book was Pratchett chanting as he signed a previous release: "How many versions of the Magpie Song do you know?" A distinguished-looking lady gave the query a moment's thought and responded "about nineteen" Thus began the wonderful collaboration leading to FoD. It's typical also of the theme of the book. Discworld and Roundworld [Earth] are linked by the universal presence of narrativium, which Dimitri Mendeleev inexplicably omitted from the Periodic Table. Pratchett knows all about narrativium, carefully explaining how it drifts between universes, carrying ideas or stimulating new ones. Folklore on the Discworld compared to that of Earth may demonstrate strong similarities, or just vague likenesses that have been severely modified. The process is unhelpful, the authors note, in determining which world is the source of the story, which is sometimes a let-down.
The book's organisation is appropriate for what it must cover - it begins with the entire universe. From there it works its way through Dwarfs and Elves, giving us an interesting account of how the Elves, feared and despised on Discworld for their dark and evil ways, have somehow become transformed in modern times into charming little creatures who make toys for children. Drifting through space, narrativium must form some bizarre isotopes. The two witch types - those from Lancre and the Witches of the Chalk Downs are described. The Nac Mac Feegle are given a full chapter, which might be viewed as insufficient as you read it. Granny Aching truly deserves a book of her own. The chapter on Heroes is extensive, justifiably, when you discover the variety of Heroes Pratchett has introduced to us. Finally, almost as icing on a delicious cake, the authors provide a "Bibliography and Suggestions for Further Reading". Plan your book budget carefully.
For those in North America who think this book might be too limited in scope to be worth the investment, think carefully of your own family ancestry. While much of the material is limited to the British Isles, no small part is derived from the rest of Europe and elsewhere. Those tales and legends your ancestors took on board ship to cross the Atlantic didn't go over the rail with breakfast at the first roll of the vessels on the high seas. Those stories survived to take root here and sprout new versions of themselves in the new environment. Go through this book and see if you can't find a few you recognise. Besides the bloody elves and the obese bloke with the demented laugh. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
A comprehensive overview of the stories and traditions that helped create Discworld, 06 Oct 2008
This is a great well of knowledge of the sources that helped inspire many of the Discworld characters, motifs and situations. It's really wonderful to have so much secondary information on the series in one book, an encyclopedia-esque store of the kind of cultural tidbits that are fascinating in their own right as well as in relation to to Discworld. However the writing style, while clear, is a bit dull and sometimes the line between human mythology and its Discworld counterpart is not exactly clear all the time, at least to me. I was also disappointed by a reference made to the Robin of Sherwood TV series in which the author dismisses a great reimagining of the classic folktale with some pedantic complaints about its apparently archaic use of the Herne the Hunted story. Nevertheless Ms Simpson is very knowledgeable and the book is comprehensive and very informative. A great way to dip one's toes in the pools of folklore. I can't wait to read some of the texts she and Terry have listed in the references.
A great read , 05 Oct 2008
Since buying this book I couldn't put it down. Its a great addition to my discworld collection.
I would recommend it to any Terry Pratchett fan. It an easy read that is broken down into different chapters covering the many facets of Discworld, using examples for the books to illustrate the point being made. The book explains why certain things occur in the discworld books like why there has to be 3 witches.
An example of Pratchett at his best.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!
Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.
The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.
I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!
Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.
Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).
Fascinating, 12 Nov 2008
While I was never a fan of the Science of Discworld series, I picked this one up since it seemed to approach things from an interesting new angle. I'm certainly not disappointed - there is a whole gamut of folklore covered within, showing the links and relationships between Discworld and the Earth. It's very well written, and flows like fine honey!
However...
There isn't an awful lot of 'meat' to a lot of the content. It's very much a case of 'Here's a thing from Discworld, and here's it's real world equivalent.', and then after a paragraph or so it moved on to the next thing. I would have liked it to be a bit more in-depth, but there is a bibliography provided at the end that helps flesh out the detail.
I wholeheartedly recommend it, though.
worthy of the discworld series, 05 Nov 2008
There have been a number of books recently that have tried to be guides to the discworld series, most of which have been truly awful. This and the "unauthorised" Turtle Moves are two of the best I have seen.
As suggested by the title the books looks at the lore and legend which are used in the discworld stories and their links to earth lore and legend.
I found it gripping from beginning to end, and there were points that I really wished the author had expanded on further. If I have one problem with the book it is that it is far too short. Maybe it should have been in 2 volumes rather than the one book.
This is a book that has been produced for the growing US market, and it shows. Every chapter has a beautifully drawn interpretation at the beginning. It only goes to show that when something is produced for the US market they put a little more effort and thought into it.
Outstanding book, a must for Discworld fans everywhere.
Nineteen versions??, 20 Oct 2008
Folklore, ancient or modern, is one of the major foundation stones of the Discworld books. Human nature being another, one assumes. Discworld folklore is a trivia test among Discworld fans who will slyly ask one another [generally over a pint], if they can identify the origins of a certain figure or idea. With some slight discrepancies between UK and North American versions, such exchanges can become, well, spirited. "Elves or elfs?" is always good for starting an evening.
Pratchett and Simpson sort all this out - and much else besides - in this delightful work on matters folklorish. Typically, the prompt for the book was Pratchett chanting as he signed a previous release: "How many versions of the Magpie Song do you know?" A distinguished-looking lady gave the query a moment's thought and responded "about nineteen" Thus began the wonderful collaboration leading to FoD. It's typical also of the theme of the book. Discworld and Roundworld [Earth] are linked by the universal presence of narrativium, which Dimitri Mendeleev inexplicably omitted from the Periodic Table. Pratchett knows all about narrativium, carefully explaining how it drifts between universes, carrying ideas or stimulating new ones. Folklore on the Discworld compared to that of Earth may demonstrate strong similarities, or just vague likenesses that have been severely modified. The process is unhelpful, the authors note, in determining which world is the source of the story, which is sometimes a let-down.
The book's organisation is appropriate for what it must cover - it begins with the entire universe. From there it works its way through Dwarfs and Elves, giving us an interesting account of how the Elves, feared and despised on Discworld for their dark and evil ways, have somehow become transformed in modern times into charming little creatures who make toys for children. Drifting through space, narrativium must form some bizarre isotopes. The two witch types - those from Lancre and the Witches of the Chalk Downs are described. The Nac Mac Feegle are given a full chapter, which might be viewed as insufficient as you read it. Granny Aching truly deserves a book of her own. The chapter on Heroes is extensive, justifiably, when you discover the variety of Heroes Pratchett has introduced to us. Finally, almost as icing on a delicious cake, the authors provide a "Bibliography and Suggestions for Further Reading". Plan your book budget carefully.
For those in North America who think this book might be too limited in scope to be worth the investment, think carefully of your own family ancestry. While much of the material is limited to the British Isles, no small part is derived from the rest of Europe and elsewhere. Those tales and legends your ancestors took on board ship to cross the Atlantic didn't go over the rail with breakfast at the first roll of the vessels on the high seas. Those stories survived to take root here and sprout new versions of themselves in the new environment. Go through this book and see if you can't find a few you recognise. Besides the bloody elves and the obese bloke with the demented laugh. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
A comprehensive overview of the stories and traditions that helped create Discworld, 06 Oct 2008
This is a great well of knowledge of the sources that helped inspire many of the Discworld characters, motifs and situations. It's really wonderful to have so much secondary information on the series in one book, an encyclopedia-esque store of the kind of cultural tidbits that are fascinating in their own right as well as in relation to to Discworld. However the writing style, while clear, is a bit dull and sometimes the line between human mythology and its Discworld counterpart is not exactly clear all the time, at least to me. I was also disappointed by a reference made to the Robin of Sherwood TV series in which the author dismisses a great reimagining of the classic folktale with some pedantic complaints about its apparently archaic use of the Herne the Hunted story. Nevertheless Ms Simpson is very knowledgeable and the book is comprehensive and very informative. A great way to dip one's toes in the pools of folklore. I can't wait to read some of the texts she and Terry have listed in the references.
A great read , 05 Oct 2008
Since buying this book I couldn't put it down. Its a great addition to my discworld collection.
I would recommend it to any Terry Pratchett fan. It an easy read that is broken down into different chapters covering the many facets of Discworld, using examples for the books to illustrate the point being made. The book explains why certain things occur in the discworld books like why there has to be 3 witches.
An example of Pratchett at his best.
Patronising, one dimensional, 05 Nov 2008
I was given this by a Canadian colleague to read. She thought it was hysterical. I am irked that those from abroad will take this as truth. The "class system" here is ever changing and we really are not so archaic as this book would have others believe. We are not the quaint, backward group of red bus riding, "Blimey Guvnor" people that this book would have them believe. I think that this book has put us back 50 years.
Accurate but poor presentation, 25 May 2008
I think this is the most accurate book on English culture that I have read for a while. The main draw-back is the small dense font and academic style of the book. For non-natives I think this book would be too daunting to tackle.
Fox gets 'Margaret Mead' award from goths, 14 Apr 2008
This can be a helpful book for foreigners living in the UK who struggle with simple things like getting served in pubs because the etiquette here is often subtly different. Kate Fox does a good job at explaining the how and why of all that.
In places Watching the English is brilliantly insightful, but most of the points are laboured. I feel the book ought to have been about 1/3 as long.
It is very funny in places, but by far the funniest is that the author was 'Margaret Mead'-ed by the goths she spoke to. They cleverly told her hilarious rubbish ("You have to grow your hair long when you're a goth - people know you haven't been a goth very long if you have short hair"!), she believed it was an accurate portrayal of the subculture, no editor questioned it and you can read it all in the book. Brilliant.
Understanding ourselves, 09 Apr 2008
I recommend this book to anyone coming to England who wants to understand the locals and their strange behaviour. This book is a treasure. before I went to live in Africa I studied some social anthropology and how to prepare for culture shock. Here is the social anthropology of the English. It is acutely observed, fascinating and funny. I shall not forget the ironic gnome, the social differences in front and back gardens, how we apologise when others are in the wrong or the place we never queue. Most of us are seen as social climbers but the real upper and lower classes know their places and are secure in them.
Unbearable, 31 Mar 2008
I have never been compelled to review anything before, but this really is utter dross and people need to be warned to steer clear of it, unless perhaps you enjoy a spot of casual bigotry, Daily Mail reading or similar activities.
A hideous mish-mash of 'pop anthropology' and aspiration to genuine academia is best summarised by a footnote which refers to a paper that the author herself wrote, which in the context of a supposed light read seems rather pretentious, except don't worry: 'the paper is 'alot less pompous than the title makes it sound'. Well thanks for that little disclaimer, I would now rush out and find it, were I not already totally convinced of your pomposity thanks to reading the rest of Watching the English.
The book is a supposed overview of English etiquette, habits and behaviour: it doesn't fail totally in this respect, except that most English people would realise it all already, and most foreigners would be put off by the length and needless detail.
But it is the tone of the book that is, as the review title says, unbearable. I would hate to meet this woman. I cannot believe that she would ever want to mix with the 'lower classes', as she repeatedly calls them. An undeniable tone of snootiness permeates every page, and if you scan through the pages to see how many times the word 'I' appears, as I did when I first realised what was putting me off, you shouldn't be surprised to learn that she really does think alot of herself, and her husband who graduated with a First from Oxford, as she wastes no time in telling us.
Please leave it on the shelf.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!
Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.
The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.
I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!
Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.
Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).
Fascinating, 12 Nov 2008
While I was never a fan of the Science of Discworld series, I picked this one up since it seemed to approach things from an interesting new angle. I'm certainly not disappointed - there is a whole gamut of folklore covered within, showing the links and relationships between Discworld and the Earth. It's very well written, and flows like fine honey!
However...
There isn't an awful lot of 'meat' to a lot of the content. It's very much a case of 'Here's a thing from Discworld, and here's it's real world equivalent.', and then after a paragraph or so it moved on to the next thing. I would have liked it to be a bit more in-depth, but there is a bibliography provided at the end that helps flesh out the detail.
I wholeheartedly recommend it, though.
worthy of the discworld series, 05 Nov 2008
There have been a number of books recently that have tried to be guides to the discworld series, most of which have been truly awful. This and the "unauthorised" Turtle Moves are two of the best I have seen.
As suggested by the title the books looks at the lore and legend which are used in the discworld stories and their links to earth lore and legend.
I found it gripping from beginning to end, and there were points that I really wished the author had expanded on further. If I have one problem with the book it is that it is far too short. Maybe it should have been in 2 volumes rather than the one book.
This is a book that has been produced for the growing US market, and it shows. Every chapter has a beautifully drawn interpretation at the beginning. It only goes to show that when something is produced for the US market they put a little more effort and thought into it.
Outstanding book, a must for Discworld fans everywhere.
Nineteen versions??, 20 Oct 2008
Folklore, ancient or modern, is one of the major foundation stones of the Discworld books. Human nature being another, one assumes. Discworld folklore is a trivia test among Discworld fans who will slyly ask one another [generally over a pint], if they can identify the origins of a certain figure or idea. With some slight discrepancies between UK and North American versions, such exchanges can become, well, spirited. "Elves or elfs?" is always good for starting an evening.
Pratchett and Simpson sort all this out - and much else besides - in this delightful work on matters folklorish. Typically, the prompt for the book was Pratchett chanting as he signed a previous release: "How many versions of the Magpie Song do you know?" A distinguished-looking lady gave the query a moment's thought and responded "about nineteen" Thus began the wonderful collaboration leading to FoD. It's typical also of the theme of the book. Discworld and Roundworld [Earth] are linked by the universal presence of narrativium, which Dimitri Mendeleev inexplicably omitted from the Periodic Table. Pratchett knows all about narrativium, carefully explaining how it drifts between universes, carrying ideas or stimulating new ones. Folklore on the Discworld compared to that of Earth may demonstrate strong similarities, or just vague likenesses that have been severely modified. The process is unhelpful, the authors note, in determining which world is the source of the story, which is sometimes a let-down.
The book's organisation is appropriate for what it must cover - it begins with the entire universe. From there it works its way through Dwarfs and Elves, giving us an interesting account of how the Elves, feared and despised on Discworld for their dark and evil ways, have somehow become transformed in modern times into charming little creatures who make toys for children. Drifting through space, narrativium must form some bizarre isotopes. The two witch types - those from Lancre and the Witches of the Chalk Downs are described. The Nac Mac Feegle are given a full chapter, which might be viewed as insufficient as you read it. Granny Aching truly deserves a book of her own. The chapter on Heroes is extensive, justifiably, when you discover the variety of Heroes Pratchett has introduced to us. Finally, almost as icing on a delicious cake, the authors provide a "Bibliography and Suggestions for Further Reading". Plan your book budget carefully.
For those in North America who think this book might be too limited in scope to be worth the investment, think carefully of your own family ancestry. While much of the material is limited to the British Isles, no small part is derived from the rest of Europe and elsewhere. Those tales and legends your ancestors took on board ship to cross the Atlantic didn't go over the rail with breakfast at the first roll of the vessels on the high seas. Those stories survived to take root here and sprout new versions of themselves in the new environment. Go through this book and see if you can't find a few you recognise. Besides the bloody elves and the obese bloke with the demented laugh. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
A comprehensive overview of the stories and traditions that helped create Discworld, 06 Oct 2008
This is a great well of knowledge of the sources that helped inspire many of the Discworld characters, motifs and situations. It's really wonderful to have so much secondary information on the series in one book, an encyclopedia-esque store of the kind of cultural tidbits that are fascinating in their own right as well as in relation to to Discworld. However the writing style, while clear, is a bit dull and sometimes the line between human mythology and its Discworld counterpart is not exactly clear all the time, at least to me. I was also disappointed by a reference made to the Robin of Sherwood TV series in which the author dismisses a great reimagining of the classic folktale with some pedantic complaints about its apparently archaic use of the Herne the Hunted story. Nevertheless Ms Simpson is very knowledgeable and the book is comprehensive and very informative. A great way to dip one's toes in the pools of folklore. I can't wait to read some of the texts she and Terry have listed in the references.
A great read , 05 Oct 2008
Since buying this book I couldn't put it down. Its a great addition to my discworld collection.
I would recommend it to any Terry Pratchett fan. It an easy read that is broken down into different chapters covering the many facets of Discworld, using examples for the books to illustrate the point being made. The book explains why certain things occur in the discworld books like why there has to be 3 witches.
An example of Pratchett at his best.
Patronising, one dimensional, 05 Nov 2008
I was given this by a Canadian colleague to read. She thought it was hysterical. I am irked that those from abroad will take this as truth. The "class system" here is ever changing and we really are not so archaic as this book would have others believe. We are not the quaint, backward group of red bus riding, "Blimey Guvnor" people that this book would have them believe. I think that this book has put us back 50 years.
Accurate but poor presentation, 25 May 2008
I think this is the most accurate book on English culture that I have read for a while. The main draw-back is the small dense font and academic style of the book. For non-natives I think this book would be too daunting to tackle.
Fox gets 'Margaret Mead' award from goths, 14 Apr 2008
This can be a helpful book for foreigners living in the UK who struggle with simple things like getting served in pubs because the etiquette here is often subtly different. Kate Fox does a good job at explaining the how and why of all that.
In places Watching the English is brilliantly insightful, but most of the points are laboured. I feel the book ought to have been about 1/3 as long.
It is very funny in places, but by far the funniest is that the author was 'Margaret Mead'-ed by the goths she spoke to. They cleverly told her hilarious rubbish ("You have to grow your hair long when you're a goth - people know you haven't been a goth very long if you have short hair"!), she believed it was an accurate portrayal of the subculture, no editor questioned it and you can read it all in the book. Brilliant.
Understanding ourselves, 09 Apr 2008
I recommend this book to anyone coming to England who wants to understand the locals and their strange behaviour. This book is a treasure. before I went to live in Africa I studied some social anthropology and how to prepare for culture shock. Here is the social anthropology of the English. It is acutely observed, fascinating and funny. I shall not forget the ironic gnome, the social differences in front and back gardens, how we apologise when others are in the wrong or the place we never queue. Most of us are seen as social climbers but the real upper and lower classes know their places and are secure in them.
Unbearable, 31 Mar 2008
I have never been compelled to review anything before, but this really is utter dross and people need to be warned to steer clear of it, unless perhaps you enjoy a spot of casual bigotry, Daily Mail reading or similar activities.
A hideous mish-mash of 'pop anthropology' and aspiration to genuine academia is best summarised by a footnote which refers to a paper that the author herself wrote, which in the context of a supposed light read seems rather pretentious, except don't worry: 'the paper is 'alot less pompous than the title makes it sound'. Well thanks for that little disclaimer, I would now rush out and find it, were I not already totally convinced of your pomposity thanks to reading the rest of Watching the English.
The book is a supposed overview of English etiquette, habits and behaviour: it doesn't fail totally in this respect, except that most English people would realise it all already, and most foreigners would be put off by the length and needless detail.
But it is the tone of the book that is, as the review title says, unbearable. I would hate to meet this woman. I cannot believe that she would ever want to mix with the 'lower classes', as she repeatedly calls them. An undeniable tone of snootiness permeates every page, and if you scan through the pages to see how many times the word 'I' appears, as I did when I first realised what was putting me off, you shouldn't be surprised to learn that she really does think alot of herself, and her husband who graduated with a First from Oxford, as she wastes no time in telling us.
Please leave it on the shelf.
Fascinating book, 20 Oct 2008
This is a fascinating book for anyone who loves London, and an eye-opener if you have ever wondered whether cities have any folklore apart from ghost stories. Steve Roud divides London into seven regions, and finds an amazing variety of tales and customs (past and present) to discuss in each one, and links them to the buildings and streets. In the section on the City of Westminster, for instance, you get gruesome tales of hangings at Tyburn, conspiracy theories surrounding the fate of Cromwell's corpse, the custom of wife-selling, May Day celebrations by chimney sweeps, plague pits, the fair at Mayfair, gypsy fortune tellers, a school Pancake Day custom, the famous ghosts of 50 Berkeley Square and Newgate Gaol, and much more.
Roud doesn't just tell the story or describe the custom. He looks into its history and assesses the evidence, quoting directly from old or influential accounts. He has a rational, often amusing, way of dealing with nonsense and wild theories. We may have to wave goodbye to some favourite notions (about Sweeney Todd, or the Tower ravens, or Ring a Ring o' Roses), but the reasons behind them are always interesting. London's real traditions are even more entertaining than the fictions.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!
Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.
The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.
I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!
Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.
Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).
Fascinating, 12 Nov 2008
While I was never a fan of the Science of Discworld series, I picked this one up since it seemed to approach things from an interesting new angle. I'm certainly not disappointed - there is a whole gamut of folklore covered within, showing the links and relationships between Discworld and the Earth. It's very well written, and flows like fine honey!
However...
There isn't an awful lot of 'meat' to a lot of the content. It's very much a case of 'Here's a thing from Discworld, and here's it's real world equivalent.', and then after a paragraph or so it moved on to the next thing. I would have liked it to be a bit more in-depth, but there is a bibliography provided at the end that helps flesh out the detail.
I wholeheartedly recommend it, though.
worthy of the discworld series, 05 Nov 2008
There have been a number of books recently that have tried to be guides to the discworld series, most of which have been truly awful. This and the "unauthorised" Turtle Moves are two of the best I have seen.
As suggested by the title the books looks at the lore and legend which are used in the discworld stories and their links to earth lore and legend.
I found it gripping from beginning to end, and there were points that I really wished the author had expanded on further. If I have one problem with the book it is that it is far too short. Maybe it should have been in 2 volumes rather than the one book.
This is a book that has been produced for the growing US market, and it shows. Every chapter has a beautifully drawn interpretation at the beginning. It only goes to show that when something is produced for the US market they put a little more effort and thought into it.
Outstanding book, a must for Discworld fans everywhere.
Nineteen versions??, 20 Oct 2008
Folklore, ancient or modern, is one of the major foundation stones of the Discworld books. Human nature being another, one assumes. Discworld folklore is a trivia test among Discworld fans who will slyly ask one another [generally over a pint], if they can identify the origins of a certain figure or idea. With some slight discrepancies between UK and North American versions, such exchanges can become, well, spirited. "Elves or elfs?" is always good for starting an evening.
Pratchett and Simpson sort all this out - and much else besides - in this delightful work on matters folklorish. Typically, the prompt for the book was Pratchett chanting as he signed a previous release: "How many versions of the Magpie Song do you know?" A distinguished-looking lady gave the query a moment's thought and responded "about nineteen" Thus began the wonderful collaboration leading to FoD. It's typical also of the theme of the book. Discworld and Roundworld [Earth] are linked by the universal presence of narrativium, which Dimitri Mendeleev inexplicably omitted from the Periodic Table. Pratchett knows all about narrativium, carefully explaining how it drifts between universes, carrying ideas or stimulating new ones. Folklore on the Discworld compared to that of Earth may demonstrate strong similarities, or just vague likenesses that have been severely modified. The process is unhelpful, the authors note, in determining which world is the source of the story, which is sometimes a let-down.
The book's organisation is appropriate for what it must cover - it begins with the entire universe. From there it works its way through Dwarfs and Elves, giving us an interesting account of how the Elves, feared and despised on Discworld for their dark and evil ways, have somehow become transformed in modern times into charming little creatures who make toys for children. Drifting through space, narrativium must form some bizarre isotopes. The two witch types - those from Lancre and the Witches of the Chalk Downs are described. The Nac Mac Feegle are given a full chapter, which might be viewed as insufficient as you read it. Granny Aching truly deserves a book of her own. The chapter on Heroes is extensive, justifiably, when you discover the variety of Heroes Pratchett has introduced to us. Finally, almost as icing on a delicious cake, the authors provide a "Bibliography and Suggestions for Further Reading". Plan your book budget carefully.
For those in North America who think this book might be too limited in scope to be worth the investment, think carefully of your own family ancestry. While much of the material is limited to the British Isles, no small part is derived from the rest of Europe and elsewhere. Those tales and legends your ancestors took on board ship to cross the Atlantic didn't go over the rail with breakfast at the first roll of the vessels on the high seas. Those stories survived to take root here and sprout new versions of themselves in the new environment. Go through this book and see if you can't find a few you recognise. Besides the bloody elves and the obese bloke with the demented laugh. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
A comprehensive overview of the stories and traditions that helped create Discworld, 06 Oct 2008
This is a great well of knowledge of the sources that helped inspire many of the Discworld characters, motifs and situations. It's really wonderful to have so much secondary information on the series in one book, an encyclopedia-esque store of the kind of cultural tidbits that are fascinating in their own right as well as in relation to to Discworld. However the writing style, while clear, is a bit dull and sometimes the line between human mythology and its Discworld counterpart is not exactly clear all the time, at least to me. I was also disappointed by a reference made to the Robin of Sherwood TV series in which the author dismisses a great reimagining of the classic folktale with some pedantic complaints about its apparently archaic use of the Herne the Hunted story. Nevertheless Ms Simpson is very knowledgeable and the book is comprehensive and very informative. A great way to dip one's toes in the pools of folklore. I can't wait to read some of the texts she and Terry have listed in the references.
A great read , 05 Oct 2008
Since buying this book I couldn't put it down. Its a great addition to my discworld collection.
I would recommend it to any Terry Pratchett fan. It an easy read that is broken down into different chapters covering the many facets of Discworld, using examples for the books to illustrate the point being made. The book explains why certain things occur in the discworld books like why there has to be 3 witches.
An example of Pratchett at his best.
Patronising, one dimensional, 05 Nov 2008
I was given this by a Canadian colleague to read. She thought it was hysterical. I am irked that those from abroad will take this as truth. The "class system" here is ever changing and we really are not so archaic as this book would have others believe. We are not the quaint, backward group of red bus riding, "Blimey Guvnor" people that this book would have them believe. I think that this book has put us back 50 years.
Accurate but poor presentation, 25 May 2008
I think this is the most accurate book on English culture that I have read for a while. The main draw-back is the small dense font and academic style of the book. For non-natives I think this book would be too daunting to tackle.
Fox gets 'Margaret Mead' award from goths, 14 Apr 2008
This can be a helpful book for foreigners living in the UK who struggle with simple things like getting served in pubs because the etiquette here is often subtly different. Kate Fox does a good job at explaining the how and why of all that.
In places Watching the English is brilliantly insightful, but most of the points are laboured. I feel the book ought to have been about 1/3 as long.
It is very funny in places, but by far the funniest is that the author was 'Margaret Mead'-ed by the goths she spoke to. They cleverly told her hilarious rubbish ("You have to grow your hair long when you're a goth - people know you haven't been a goth very long if you have short hair"!), she believed it was an accurate portrayal of the subculture, no editor questioned it and you can read it all in the book. Brilliant.
Understanding ourselves, 09 Apr 2008
I recommend this book to anyone coming to England who wants to understand the locals and their strange behaviour. This book is a treasure. before I went to live in Africa I studied some social anthropology and how to prepare for culture shock. Here is the social anthropology of the English. It is acutely observed, fascinating and funny. I shall not forget the ironic gnome, the social differences in front and back gardens, how we apologise when others are in the wrong or the place we never queue. Most of us are seen as social climbers but the real upper and lower classes know their places and are secure in them.
Unbearable, 31 Mar 2008
I have never been compelled to review anything before, but this really is utter dross and people need to be warned to steer clear of it, unless perhaps you enjoy a spot of casual bigotry, Daily Mail reading or similar activities.
A hideous mish-mash of 'pop anthropology' and aspiration to genuine academia is best summarised by a footnote which refers to a paper that the author herself wrote, which in the context of a supposed light read seems rather pretentious, except don't worry: 'the paper is 'alot less pompous than the title makes it sound'. Well thanks for that little disclaimer, I would now rush out and find it, were I not already totally convinced of your pomposity thanks to reading the rest of Watching the English.
The book is a supposed overview of English etiquette, habits and behaviour: it doesn't fail totally in this respect, except that most English people would realise it all already, and most foreigners would be put off by the length and needless detail.
But it is the tone of the book that is, as the review title says, unbearable. I would hate to meet this woman. I cannot believe that she would ever want to mix with the 'lower classes', as she repeatedly calls them. An undeniable tone of snootiness permeates every page, and if you scan through the pages to see how many times the word 'I' appears, as I did when I first realised what was putting me off, you shouldn't be surprised to learn that she really does think alot of herself, and her husband who graduated with a First from Oxford, as she wastes no time in telling us.
Please leave it on the shelf.
Fascinating book, 20 Oct 2008
This is a fascinating book for anyone who loves London, and an eye-opener if you have ever wondered whether cities have any folklore apart from ghost stories. Steve Roud divides London into seven regions, and finds an amazing variety of tales and customs (past and present) to discuss in each one, and links them to the buildings and streets. In the section on the City of Westminster, for instance, you get gruesome tales of hangings at Tyburn, conspiracy theories surrounding the fate of Cromwell's corpse, the custom of wife-selling, May Day celebrations by chimney sweeps, plague pits, the fair at Mayfair, gypsy fortune tellers, a school Pancake Day custom, the famous ghosts of 50 Berkeley Square and Newgate Gaol, and much more.
Roud doesn't just tell the story or describe the custom. He looks into its history and assesses the evidence, quoting directly from old or influential accounts. He has a rational, often amusing, way of dealing with nonsense and wild theories. We may have to wave goodbye to some favourite notions (about Sweeney Todd, or the Tower ravens, or Ring a Ring o' Roses), but the reasons behind them are always interesting. London's real traditions are even more entertaining than the fictions.
Something My Own Granny Used to say, 05 Oct 2007
I just ordered this book -so I haven't yet read it. I do remember some of my Scott's grandma's sayings. When my friends & I were playing noisily inside she would eventually say" Haud your wheesht...my brain's like train oil" This was a reference to the oil in the wheels of the old steam trains & I've always felt it is extremely accurate in describing the condition of one's brain when discordant noise overwhelms your ability to think.
All the Promotion Scottish Grannies Will Ever Need, 17 Jan 2002
Another very enjoyable volume by Allan Morrison. If you are familiar with his unique brand of wit and wisdom, you will not be disappointed. A whole lots of smiles packed between two covers. Makes me sad my own Scottish Grannie passed away before I could meet her but, with the examples in this book, I can imagine her in full verbal swing & vivid detail.
|
|
|
 |
|
No Logo
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
|
*Amazon: £1.95
|
|
Product Description
We live in an era where image is nearly everything, where the proliferation of brand-name culture has created, to take one hyperbolic example from Naomi Klein's No Logo, "walking, talking, life-sized Tommy [Hilfiger] dolls, mummified in fully branded Tommy worlds". Brand identities are even flourishing online, she notes--and for some retailers, perhaps best of all online: "Liberated from the real-world burdens of stores and product manufacturing, these brands are free to soar, less as the disseminators of goods or services than as collective hallucinations". In No Logo, Klein patiently demonstrates, step by step, how brands have become ubiquitous, not just in media and on the street but increasingly in the schools as well. The global companies claim to support diversity but their version of "corporate multiculturalism" is merely intended to create more buying options for consumers. When Klein talks about how easy it is for retailers like Wal-Mart and Blockbuster to "censor" the contents of videotapes and albums, she also considers the role corporate conglomeration plays in the process. How much would one expect Paramount Pictures, for example, to protest against Blockbuster's policies, given that they are both divisions of Viacom? Klein also looks at the workers who keep these companies running, most of whom never share in any of the great rewards. The president of Borders, when asked whether the bookstore chain could pay its clerks a "living wage" wrote that "while the concept is romantically appealing, it ignores the practicalities and realities of our business environment". Those clerks should probably just be grateful they're not stuck in an Asian sweatshop, making pennies an hour to produce Nike sneakers or other must-have fashion items. Klein also discusses at some length the tactic of hiring "permatemps" who can do most of the work and receive few, if any, benefits like health care, paid vacations or stock options. While many workers are glad to be part of the "Free Agent Nation" observers note that, particularly in the high-tech industry, such policies make it increasingly difficult to organise workers and advocate for change. But resistance is growing and the backlash against the brands has set in. Street-level education programmes have taught kids in the inner cities, for example, not only about Nike's abusive labour practices but about the astronomical mark-up in their prices. Boycotts have commenced: as one urban teen put it, "Nike, we made you. We can break you". But there's more to the revolution, as Klein optimistically recounts: "Ethical shareholders, culture jammers, street reclaimers, McUnion organisers, human-rights hacktivists, school-logo fighters and Internet corporate watchdogs are at the early stages of demanding a citizen-centred alternative to the international rule of the brands ... as global, and as capable of co-ordinated action, as the multinational corporations it seeks to subvert". No Logo is a comprehensive account of what the global economy has wrought and the actions taking place to thwart it. --Ron HoganWe live in an era where image is nearly everything, where the proliferation of brand-name culture has created, to take one hyperbolic example from Naomi Klein's No Logo, "walking, talking, life-sized Tommy [Hilfiger] dolls, mummified in fully branded Tommy worlds". Brand identities are even flourishing online, she notes--and for some retailers, perhaps best of all online: "Liberated from the real-world burdens of stores and product manufacturing, these brands are free to soar, less as the disseminators of goods or services than as collective hallucinations." In No Logo, Klein patiently demonstrates, step by step, how brands have become ubiquitous, not just in media and on the street but increasingly in the schools as well. The global companies claim to support diversity but their version of "corporate multiculturalism" is merely intended to create more buying options for consumers. When Klein talks about how easy it is for retailers like Wal-Mart and Blockbuster to "censor" the contents of videotapes and albums, she also considers the role corporate conglomeration plays in the process. How much would one expect Paramount Pictures, for example, to protest against Blockbuster's policies, given that they're both divisions of Viacom? Klein also looks at the workers who keep these companies running, most of whom never share in any of the great rewards. The president of Borders, when asked whether the bookstore chain could pay its clerks a "living wage" wrote that "while the concept is romantically appealing, it ignores the practicalities and realities of our business environment." Those clerks should probably just be grateful they're not stuck in an Asian sweatshop, making pennies an hour to produce Nike sneakers or other must-have fashion items. Klein also discusses at some length the tactic of hiring "permatemps" who can do most of the work and receive few, if any, benefits like health care, paid vacations or stock options. While many workers are glad to be part of the "Free Agent Nation" observers note that, particularly in the high-tech industry, such policies make it increasingly difficult to organise workers and advocate for change. But resistance is growing and the backlash against the brands has set in. Street-level education programmes have taught kids in the inner cities, for example, not only about Nike's abusive labour practices but about the astronomical mark-up in their prices. Boycotts have commenced: as one urban teen put it, "Nike, we made you. We can break you." But there's more to the revolution, as Klein optimistically recounts: "Ethical shareholders, culture jammers, street reclaimers, McUnion organisers, human-rights hacktivists, school-logo fighters and Internet corporate watchdogs are at the early stages of demanding a citizen-centred alternative to the international rule of the brands ... as global, and as capable of co-ordinated action, as the multinational corporations it seeks to subvert." No Logo is a comprehensive account of what the global economy has wrought and the actions taking place to thwart it. --Ron Hogan
Customer Reviews
Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!
Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.
The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.
I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!
Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.
Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).
Fascinating, 12 Nov 2008
While I was never a fan of the Science of Discworld series, I picked this one up since it seemed to approach things from an interesting new angle. I'm certainly not disappointed - there is a whole gamut of folklore covered within, showing the links and relationships between Discworld and the Earth. It's very well written, and flows like fine honey!
However...
There isn't an awful lot of 'meat' to a lot of the content. It's very much a case of 'Here's a thing from Discworld, and here's it's real world equivalent.', and then after a paragraph or so it moved on to the next thing. I would have liked it to be a bit more in-depth, but there is a bibliography provided at the end that helps flesh out the detail.
I wholeheartedly recommend it, though.
worthy of the discworld series, 05 Nov 2008
There have been a number of books recently that have tried to be guides to the discworld series, most of which have been truly awful. This and the "unauthorised" Turtle Moves are two of the best I have seen.
As suggested by the title the books looks at the lore and legend which are used in the discworld stories and their links to earth lore and legend.
I found it gripping from beginning to end, and there were points that I really wished the author had expanded on further. If I have one problem with the book it is that it is far too short. Maybe it should have been in 2 volumes rather than the one book.
This is a book that has been produced for the growing US market, and it shows. Every chapter has a beautifully drawn interpretation at the beginning. It only goes to show that when something is produced for the US market they put a little more effort and thought into it.
Outstanding book, a must for Discworld fans everywhere.
Nineteen versions??, 20 Oct 2008
Folklore, ancient or modern, is one of the major foundation stones of the Discworld books. Human nature being another, one assumes. Discworld folklore is a trivia test among Discworld fans who will slyly ask one another [generally over a pint], if they can identify the origins of a certain figure or idea. With some slight discrepancies between UK and North American versions, such exchanges can become, well, spirited. "Elves or elfs?" is always good for starting an evening.
Pratchett and Simpson sort all this out - and much else besides - in this delightful work on matters folklorish. Typically, the prompt for the book was Pratchett chanting as he signed a previous release: "How many versions of the Magpie Song do you know?" A distinguished-looking lady gave the query a moment's thought and responded "about nineteen" Thus began the wonderful collaboration leading to FoD. It's typical also of the theme of the book. Discworld and Roundworld [Earth] are linked by the universal presence of narrativium, which Dimitri Mendeleev inexplicably omitted from the Periodic Table. Pratchett knows all about narrativium, carefully explaining how it drifts between universes, carrying ideas or stimulating new ones. Folklore on the Discworld compared to that of Earth may demonstrate strong similarities, or just vague likenesses that have been severely modified. The process is unhelpful, the authors note, in determining which world is the source of the story, which is sometimes a let-down.
The book's organisation is appropriate for what it must cover - it begins with the entire universe. From there it works its way through Dwarfs and Elves, giving us an interesting account of how the Elves, feared and despised on Discworld for their dark and evil ways, have somehow become transformed in modern times into charming little creatures who make toys for children. Drifting through space, narrativium must form some bizarre isotopes. The two witch types - those from Lancre and the Witches of the Chalk Downs are described. The Nac Mac Feegle are given a full chapter, which might be viewed as insufficient as you read it. Granny Aching truly deserves a book of her own. The chapter on Heroes is extensive, justifiably, when you discover the variety of Heroes Pratchett has introduced to us. Finally, almost as icing on a delicious cake, the authors provide a "Bibliography and Suggestions for Further Reading". Plan your book budget carefully.
For those in North America who think this book might be too limited in scope to be worth the investment, think carefully of your own family ancestry. While much of the material is limited to the British Isles, no small part is derived from the rest of Europe and elsewhere. Those tales and legends your ancestors took on board ship to cross the Atlantic didn't go over the rail with breakfast at the first roll of the vessels on the high seas. Those stories survived to take root here and sprout new versions of themselves in the new environment. Go through this book and see if you can't find a few you recognise. Besides the bloody elves and the obese bloke with the demented laugh. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
A comprehensive overview of the stories and traditions that helped create Discworld, 06 Oct 2008
This is a great well of knowledge of the sources that helped inspire many of the Discworld characters, motifs and situations. It's really wonderful to have so much secondary information on the series in one book, an encyclopedia-esque store of the kind of cultural tidbits that are fascinating in their own right as well as in relation to to Discworld. However the writing style, while clear, is a bit dull and sometimes the line between human mythology and its Discworld counterpart is not exactly clear all the time, at least to me. I was also disappointed by a reference made to the Robin of Sherwood TV series in which the author dismisses a great reimagining of the classic folktale with some pedantic complaints about its apparently archaic use of the Herne the Hunted story. Nevertheless Ms Simpson is very knowledgeable and the book is comprehensive and very informative. A great way to dip one's toes in the pools of folklore. I can't wait to read some of the texts she and Terry have listed in the references.
A great read , 05 Oct 2008
Since buying this book I couldn't put it down. Its a great addition to my discworld collection.
I would recommend it to any Terry Pratchett fan. It an easy read that is broken down into different chapters covering the many facets of Discworld, using examples for the books to illustrate the point being made. The book explains why certain things occur in the discworld books like why there has to be 3 witches.
An example of Pratchett at his best.
Patronising, one dimensional, 05 Nov 2008
I was given this by a Canadian colleague to read. She thought it was hysterical. I am irked that those from abroad will take this as truth. The "class system" here is ever changing and we really are not so archaic as this book would have others believe. We are not the quaint, backward group of red bus riding, "Blimey Guvnor" people that this book would have them believe. I think that this book has put us back 50 years.
Accurate but poor presentation, 25 May 2008
I think this is the most accurate book on English culture that I have read for a while. The main draw-back is the small dense font and academic style of the book. For non-natives I think this book would be too daunting to tackle.
Fox gets 'Margaret Mead' award from goths, 14 Apr 2008
This can be a helpful book for foreigners living in the UK who struggle with simple things like getting served in pubs because the etiquette here is often subtly different. Kate Fox does a good job at explaining the how and why of all that.
In places Watching the English is brilliantly insightful, but most of the points are laboured. I feel the book ought to have been about 1/3 as long.
It is very funny in places, but by far the funniest is that the author was 'Margaret Mead'-ed by the goths she spoke to. They cleverly told her hilarious rubbish ("You have to grow your hair long when you're a goth - people know you haven't been a goth very long if you have short hair"!), she believed it was an accurate portrayal of the subculture, no editor questioned it and you can read it all in the book. Brilliant.
Understanding ourselves, 09 Apr 2008
I recommend this book to anyone coming to England who wants to understand the locals and their strange behaviour. This book is a treasure. before I went to live in Africa I studied some social anthropology and how to prepare for culture shock. Here is the social anthropology of the English. It is acutely observed, fascinating and funny. I shall not forget the ironic gnome, the social differences in front and back gardens, how we apologise when others are in the wrong or the place we never queue. Most of us are seen as social climbers but the real upper and lower classes know their places and are secure in them.
Unbearable, 31 Mar 2008
I have never been compelled to review anything before, but this really is utter dross and people need to be warned to steer clear of it, unless perhaps you enjoy a spot of casual bigotry, Daily Mail reading or similar activities.
A hideous mish-mash of 'pop anthropology' and aspiration to genuine academia is best summarised by a footnote which refers to a paper that the author herself wrote, which in the context of a supposed light read seems rather pretentious, except don't worry: 'the paper is 'alot less pompous than the title makes it sound'. Well thanks for that little disclaimer, I would now rush out and find it, were I not already totally convinced of your pomposity thanks to reading the rest of Watching the English.
The book is a supposed overview of English etiquette, habits and behaviour: it doesn't fail totally in this respect, except that most English people would realise it all already, and most foreigners would be put off by the length and needless detail.
But it is the tone of the book that is, as the review title says, unbearable. I would hate to meet this woman. I cannot believe that she would ever want to mix with the 'lower classes', as she repeatedly calls them. An undeniable tone of snootiness permeates every page, and if you scan through the pages to see how many times the word 'I' appears, as I did when I first realised what was putting me off, you shouldn't be surprised to learn that she really does think alot of herself, and her husband who graduated with a First from Oxford, as she wastes no time in telling us.
Please leave it on the shelf.
Fascinating book, 20 Oct 2008
This is a fascinating book for anyone who loves London, and an eye-opener if you have ever wondered whether cities have any folklore apart from ghost stories. Steve Roud divides London into seven regions, and finds an amazing variety of tales and customs (past and present) to discuss in each one, and links them to the buildings and streets. In the section on the City of Westminster, for instance, you get gruesome tales of hangings at Tyburn, conspiracy theories surrounding the fate of Cromwell's corpse, the custom of wife-selling, May Day celebrations by chimney sweeps, plague pits, the fair at Mayfair, gypsy fortune tellers, a school Pancake Day custom, the famous ghosts of 50 Berkeley Square and Newgate Gaol, and much more.
Roud doesn't just tell the story or describe the custom. He looks into its history and assesses the evidence, quoting directly from old or influential accounts. He has a rational, often amusing, way of dealing with nonsense and wild theories. We may have to wave goodbye to some favourite notions (about Sweeney Todd, or the Tower ravens, or Ring a Ring o' Roses), but the reasons behind them are always interesting. London's real traditions are even more entertaining than the fictions.
Something My Own Granny Used to say, 05 Oct 2007
I just ordered this book -so I haven't yet read it. I do remember some of my Scott's grandma's sayings. When my friends & I were playing noisily inside she would eventually say" Haud your wheesht...my brain's like train oil" This was a reference to the oil in the wheels of the old steam trains & I've always felt it is extremely accurate in describing the condition of one's brain when discordant noise overwhelms your ability to think.
All the Promotion Scottish Grannies Will Ever Need, 17 Jan 2002
Another very enjoyable volume by Allan Morrison. If you are familiar with his unique brand of wit and wisdom, you will not be disappointed. A whole lots of smiles packed between two covers. Makes me sad my own Scottish Grannie passed away before I could meet her but, with the examples in this book, I can imagine her in full verbal swing & vivid detail.
would recommend, 09 Apr 2008
pretty hard reading at times, but the content is excellent and certainly gets one thinking about ethical shopping!
Fluent, Thought-provoking but breathtakingly superficial, 21 Jan 2008
As a rule, I am very suspicious of the sharp left-right divide that beclouds any political or economic discussion; there must be truth on both sides. Therefore, I bought this book in order to understand the rage felt by the anti-globalisation movement. I finished the book with the feeling that the book spectacularly failed to deliver. Naomi Klein breezily argues that:
- Multinational corporations have become more powerful than governments and somehow usurped the functions of the government without the accompanying accountability to the electorate
- Multinationals have "stolen" our public spaces and branded them beyond recognition
- These corporations have been responsible for the Post Cold War neoliberal agenda and have exploited the Third World in order to deliver ever cheaper goods to the First World.
The author brilliantly captures the sense of listlessness many people feel in an increasingly interconnected world and how these feelings have coalesced into various anti-corporate movements since 1989. The cozy world in which a person worked for the same corporation for 35 years, vacationed at the company resort and retired at a grand old age of 65 is no more. This feeling has been compounded by the fact that the posterchildren for this New Economy, multinational corporations, do not want to manufacture "stuff" anymore. Instead the corporations have moved into the "image" game. Ms Klein argues that in making this shift that the corporations have demanded ever lower production costs, pushing them to the emerging economies of the Third World. On further examination, this makes sense. Doesn't it? If Western consumers wanted to pay 100% extra for the Made-in-USA tag on a T-shirt then surely they'll fork out the cash at the mall. Instead, consumers have opted for cheaper clothing, food, electronics etc. The multinationals are only responding to the market.
As a Nigerian I was pleased that Shell's operations in my native country were scrutinised in view of the barbaric killing of Ken Saro-Wiwa. Ms Klein, however, paints an perversely unbalanced picture. While many in the West may instinctively blame Shell for dealing with despotic regimes such as Nigeria under Sani Abacha, Ms Klein provided precious little evidence that Shell actively colluded with the Abacha government in the killing of Mr Saro-Wiwa. Shell seemed to be a target because it has a visible and highly valuable brand name. The real culprit in the pillaging of Nigeria's mineral resource is not Shell but the faceless, amorphous Nigerian government. Hey, but since we cannot target General Abacha, why not crucify Shell instead?
When discussing economics Ms Klein is clearly out of her depth. The concept of comparative advantage-that firms (or countries) should focus on doing what they do best-was completely lost on her. It stands to reason that Western multinationals should focus on what they do best like branding, which is high-skill, capital intensive and leave the low-skilled task of actually making , say shoes, to countries with abundant low-skilled workers in the Third World. Ms Klein rehashes misguided populist notions such as that globalisation erodes democracy in far off lands while stripping First World workers of their God-given jobs in multinational corporations. One problem with this arguement is that it fails to show how much wealth these globalising corporations have generated for their home nations. Have the US and the UK not become richer in the last 15 years? Moreover, several studies have shown that these off-shored jobs are a small percentage of the total number of jobs generated in the West. Furthermore, she depicts the export Processing Zones in the Philippines as the old Wild West, where militaristic, multinational corporations pay little tax and are a law unto themselves. Can this really be true? If locating factories in Export Processing Zones were so bad for The Philippines, why does the government allow them?
The book ignores the successes of trade liberalisation in the Third World. There was no mention of the millions of people who have been lifted from back-breaking poverty by the relocation of factories such as Nike's in Indonesia, Vietnam and China. Instead, we are asked to feel sorry for narcissistic, middle-class, Western suburbanites who have lost their "space" to branding. Interesting argument, but I did not buy it. Fact is trade has been proven to be the best way to lift peoples out of poverty. Since, Ms Klein does not have the foggiest idea what pre-industrial rural poverty really feels like, I will excuse her oversight.
In exposing the factory conditions in which Nike sneakers are made in Indonesia, Ms Klein describes these factories as some Oriental Hell, where no one would want to work. Yet, despite, the horrible conditions people still flock to these export processing zones. I suspect that one of the reasons why a 19-year old Indonesian woman would rather work in the factory than on the land is that factory work pays better. Was this not the case during the Industrial Revolution in Europe? Why did the mills of the English Midlands continue attracting peasants from the country side? I can tell, from personal experience, that working for a Western multinational corporation in my native Nigeria is so much more rewarding than working for a local company.
The book romanticises some time in recent Western history when corporations were employers of choice, the Third World was some distant place where you went to on an exotic vacation or perhaps sent some aid dollars to and where we in the West could live sheltered, cocooned lives. Unfortunately, such an idyllic past (if it ever existed) is unlikely to return soon. The fact is that we are connected more than ever before. It is no surprise that the Third World wants in on the action also. Afterall, material wealth is not the exclusive preserve of the "North".
In conclusion, the book is quite readable and made me stop to think about how powerful multinational corporations have become. However, it seethes with self-righteous anger and provides very little new ideas on how to help the individual losers in globalisation. If you want a balanced account of the impact of open markets (globalisation) then I would recommend you read No Logo in addition to Legrain's Open World and Nayan Chanda's Bound Together. Trashing G8 and WTO Summits make for catchy headlines but it does nothing to lift people out of poverty.
No Longer, 12 Jun 2007
It's worth remembering the stir created when this book came out 6 years ago. Looking at it again now is a great measure of how quickly culture has moved. No Logo will be remembered as a truly ground-breaking book that galvanised the attitudes of a generation who had a sneaky feeling that something wasn't right but struggled to articulate it. That's a nice way of saying that it now feels quite dated - although perhaps that's the perfect compliment as it clearly did it's job of waking us all up to our global responsibilities.
The Third World has always existed for the comfort of the First, 03 Nov 2006
Naomi Klein sketches perfectly the major shift in corporate strategy today: transnational companies are not interested in production anymore, only in branding: products are made in factories, brands in the mind. Branding creates big margins, production in home countries meager earnings.
This strategy causes monstrous layoffs in the First World and creates EPZ (Export Processing Zones) in the Third World.
In the First world, corporations transformed themselves in `engines of wealth growth' for their shareholders, instead of `engines of job growth'. `CEO's of the 30 companies with the largest announced layoffs saw their total compensation increase by 67%.'
The jobs they need are predominantly outsourced, or are McJobs (no `adult wages') and temporary stop-jobs.
The First World stirs fierce competition between Third World countries in order to get rock-bottom prices for their `branded' products, creating colossal margins in the home countries.
Wages in EPZs are so low that most of the money is spent on shared dorm rooms and basic food. Workers cannot afford the consumer goods they produce.
Another aspect of our branded world is the sheer size of the (trans)national corporations created by relentless mergers and acquisitions. Their size permits them to decide what items (also magazines, DVDs) should be stocked in a store, in other words, they create a new kind of censorship.
Big mergers in the media landscape allow conglomerates to produce their own news and in this sense jeopardize basic civil liberties.
While Naomi Klein's analysis of our consumer planet is very revealing, the remedies she proposes are rather innocent, epidermic, symptom healing or too general: ad and brand busting, radical ecology (Reclaim the Streets), anti-globalization and anti-corporate mass protests, boycott, building greater critical social consciousness. Individual actions like attacking in court (Shell in Nigeria), revealing Nike's sweatshops or denouncing McDonald's food are ultimately not more than temporary needle pricks in elephant skins.
What the world needs is a global vision, which we can find in the works of Joseph Stiglitz or (for a view from the South) Walden Bello.
Highly recommended.
Excellent but slightly flawed, 25 Oct 2006
At first glance, "No Logo" looks to be a real chore with some 430 or so pages, but actually turns out to be an informative, well-written and engaging insight into corporate culture and practice, into how multinational corporations are gradually taking over and how the society is beginning to fight back. Due to the concepts and ideas introduced and discussed, I also found it to be a genuinely useful book, having come in handy for uni studies, employment and even social gatherings in general, occasions when marketing or globalisation-related issues have cropped up in conversation.
One reviewer quite rightly mentioned "The Rebel Sell", a book in which, if my memory serves me correctly, the authors point out that Klein was once a resident of a rich, suburban area she herself criticises in "No Logo". Reading "The Rebel Sell" has put "No Logo" in a different light and calls Klein's motives for writing it into question - is it the rallying cry to fight against globalisation it claims to be, or has she just spotted an opportunity to make a killing? This is where the book comes across as flawed.
In spite of it, I'd consider "No Logo" essential reading, and I felt a lot more informed for having read it.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Product Description
Max Arthur's compilation of First World War memories, Forgotten Voices of the Great War, offers a reminder of the scale of human experience within the 1914-18 conflict. Arthur, a military historian best known for his history of the RAF and his account of the Falklands campaign in 1982, has assembled hundreds of excerpts from the sound archives of the Imperial War Museum. Officers, rank-and-file troops, Australians, Americans, war widows, women in the munitions factories, and German soldiers too, all left oral testimony of their experiences, and these interviews provide the basis of the book. Arthur has put them in chronological and campaign order, and provided a general commentary, but beyond that, has left the rich and moving record to speak for itself. The sheer humdrum ordinariness of modern warfare--the mud and rain, the relentless loss of life and inevitability of death, the pointless routine of attrition--come over in the matter-of-fact recollections of so many. But so too does the humanity and morality of the ordinary soldier--a factor that rather belies the recent emphasis amongst some historians on how soldiers loved to kill. Arthur might have intruded more. No biographical information is given about the owners of these "voices", nor does he say when, where and how this oral testimony was gathered. These quibbles aside this is a worthwhile read and should encourage people not only to observe a minute's silence on Remembrance Day, but also to spend a few hours in the Imperial War Museum itself. --Miles Taylor
Customer Reviews
Great!, 31 Oct 2008
Brought this for alot more than for sale here, from high street store. Grrrr! Anyway got to say Bruce is a legend and its a perfect crimbo present!
Bravo Bruce, 29 Oct 2008
I dont usually buy books that accompany a TV series or film, thinking of them as quite frivolous marketing ploys, however I was given this as a gift and have definitely reassessed my opinion.
The book is an insightful accompaniment to the show, delving deeper into the characters that we meet only briefly on screen.The photography provides candid shots of both Bruce,the landscape and the indigenous tribes he meets.
I would highly reccomend this book for anyone who has an interest in the enviroment and what is happening in the Amazon. It is also a great Christmas present for any fans of the charming Mr Parry!
Food for thought, 24 Oct 2008
This, perhaps unsurprisingly for followers of the series is an intelligent and thought provoking counterpart to the BBC series and another addition to the canon of admirable work Parry is undertaking. This is beautifully produced full of sumptuous photos but it does not shirk the harder issues tackled in the show. He has a knack of managing to raise awareness of all important issues without patronising or preaching. Buy. And buy Bruce's wonderful charity album too as well - might go some way to helping the human casualties of amazon exploitation - tribes.
Bruce rocks!, 10 Oct 2008
In his inimitable style Bruce is bringing attention to one of the biggest scandals in the modern world, no less than the destruction of the most important habitat on our planet. It's something our generation will go down in history for and nobody is doing anything to stop it. More power to Bruce for showing how even some of the people destroying the forest are just trying to survive. We won't begin to tackle this issue until we appreciate that there are no easy answers (if you want a good summary of why the Amazon and other environments are so precious I'm a big fan of Bruce's other book Serious Survival as well).
Fascinating, 12 Nov 2008
While I was never a fan of the Science of Discworld series, I picked this one up since it seemed to approach things from an interesting new angle. I'm certainly not disappointed - there is a whole gamut of folklore covered within, showing the links and relationships between Discworld and the Earth. It's very well written, and flows like fine honey!
However...
There isn't an awful lot of 'meat' to a lot of the content. It's very much a case of 'Here's a thing from Discworld, and here's it's real world equivalent.', and then after a paragraph or so it moved on to the next thing. I would have liked it to be a bit more in-depth, but there is a bibliography provided at the end that helps flesh out the detail.
I wholeheartedly recommend it, though.
worthy of the discworld series, 05 Nov 2008
There have been a number of books recently that have tried to be guides to the discworld series, most of which have been truly awful. This and the "unauthorised" Turtle Moves are two of the best I have seen.
As suggested by the title the books looks at the lore and legend which are used in the discworld stories and their links to earth lore and legend.
I found it gripping from beginning to end, and there were points that I really wished the author had expanded on further. If I have one problem with the book it is that it is far too short. Maybe it should have been in 2 volumes rather than the one book.
This is a book that has been produced for the growing US market, and it shows. Every chapter has a beautifully drawn interpretation at the beginning. It only goes to show that when something is produced for the US market they put a little more effort and thought into it.
Outstanding book, a must for Discworld fans everywhere.
Nineteen versions??, 20 Oct 2008
Folklore, ancient or modern, is one of the major foundation stones of the Discworld books. Human nature being another, one assumes. Discworld folklore is a trivia test among Discworld fans who will slyly ask one another [generally over a pint], if they can identify the origins of a certain figure or idea. With some slight discrepancies between UK and North American versions, such exchanges can become, well, spirited. "Elves or elfs?" is always good for starting an evening.
Pratchett and Simpson sort all this out - and much else besides - in this delightful work on matters folklorish. Typically, the prompt for the book was Pratchett chanting as he signed a previous release: "How many versions of the Magpie Song do you know?" A distinguished-looking lady gave the query a moment's thought and responded "about nineteen" Thus began the wonderful collaboration leading to FoD. It's typical also of the theme of the book. Discworld and Roundworld [Earth] are linked by the universal presence of narrativium, which Dimitri Mendeleev inexplicably omitted from the Periodic Table. Pratchett knows all about narrativium, carefully explaining how it drifts between universes, carrying ideas or stimulating new ones. Folklore on the Discworld compared to that of Earth may demonstrate strong similarities, or just vague likenesses that have been severely modified. The process is unhelpful, the authors note, in determining which world is the source of the story, which is sometimes a let-down.
The book's organisation is appropriate for what it must cover - it begins with the entire universe. From there it works its way through Dwarfs and Elves, giving us an interesting account of how the Elves, feared and despised on Discworld for their dark and evil ways, have somehow become transformed in modern times into charming little creatures who make toys for children. Drifting through space, narrativium must form some bizarre isotopes. The two witch types - those from Lancre and the Witches of the Chalk Downs are described. The Nac Mac Feegle are given a full chapter, which might be viewed as insufficient as you read it. Granny Aching truly deserves a book of her own. The chapter on Heroes is extensive, justifiably, when you discover the variety of Heroes Pratchett has introduced to us. Finally, almost as icing on a delicious cake, the authors provide a "Bibliography and Suggestions for Further Reading". Plan your book budget carefully.
For those in North America who think this book might be too limited in scope to be worth the investment, think carefully of your own family ancestry. While much of the material is limited to the British Isles, no small part is derived from the rest of Europe and elsewhere. Those tales and legends your ancestors took on board ship to cross the Atlantic didn't go over the rail with breakfast at the first roll of the vessels on the high seas. Those stories survived to take root here and sprout new versions of themselves in | | |