Deconstruction For Beginners

Deconstruction For Beginners

Author: Jim Powell

Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser

Published: 2008-01-08

Total Pages: 122

ISBN-13: 1939994039

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Deconstruction is so labyrinthine (and rumored to be fatal) that it’s become the monster that murdered philosophy. When Jacques Derrida, the father of deconstruction, uses buzz-words such as “phallogocentrism” and “transcendental signified,” humanities students and aspiring philosophers may get weak in the knees. Following up on the success of Derrida For Beginners, Jim Powell’s Deconstruction For Beginners is an irreverent romp through deconstructive domains. Though Powell offers lucid explanations of the most important deconstructive ideas and texts, he also dive into lesser known works. One of these, The Right to Look, finds Derrida offering his thoughts on a photo-novella consisting of images of women making love with each other. Powell then goes on to explore how deconstruction, like an unruly mistress, has escaped Derrida, especially in the realm of architecture. Then, based on Derrida’s assertion that deconstruction happens differently in different cultures, Powell examines how – through Buddhism and Taoism – deconstruction took place in ancient India, Japan, and China.


Book Synopsis Deconstruction For Beginners by : Jim Powell

Download or read book Deconstruction For Beginners written by Jim Powell and published by Red Wheel/Weiser. This book was released on 2008-01-08 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deconstruction is so labyrinthine (and rumored to be fatal) that it’s become the monster that murdered philosophy. When Jacques Derrida, the father of deconstruction, uses buzz-words such as “phallogocentrism” and “transcendental signified,” humanities students and aspiring philosophers may get weak in the knees. Following up on the success of Derrida For Beginners, Jim Powell’s Deconstruction For Beginners is an irreverent romp through deconstructive domains. Though Powell offers lucid explanations of the most important deconstructive ideas and texts, he also dive into lesser known works. One of these, The Right to Look, finds Derrida offering his thoughts on a photo-novella consisting of images of women making love with each other. Powell then goes on to explore how deconstruction, like an unruly mistress, has escaped Derrida, especially in the realm of architecture. Then, based on Derrida’s assertion that deconstruction happens differently in different cultures, Powell examines how – through Buddhism and Taoism – deconstruction took place in ancient India, Japan, and China.

Derrida For Beginners

Derrida For Beginners

Author: Jim Powell

Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser

Published: 2007-08-21

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 1939994055

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In 1966, Jacques Derrida gave a lecture at Johns Hopkins University that cast the entire history of Western Philosophy into doubt. The following year, Derrida published three brilliant but mystifying books that convinced the pollsters that he was the most important philosopher of the late 20th Century. Unfortunately, nobody was sure whether the intellectual movement that he spawned – Deconstruction – advanced philosophy or murdered it. The truth? – Derrida is one of those annoying geniuses you can take a class on, read half-a-dozen books by and still have no idea what he’s talking about. Derrida’s ‘writing’ – confusing doesn’t begin to describe it (it’s like he’s pulling the rug out from under the rug that he pulled out from under philosophy.) But beneath the confusion, like the heartbeat of a bird in your hand, you can feel Derrida’s electric genius. It draws you to it; you want to understand it... but it’s so confusing. What you need, Ducky, is Derrida For Beginners by James Powell! Jim Powell’s Derrida For Beginners is the clearest explanation of Derrida and deconstruction presently available in our solar system. Powell guides us through blindingly obscure texts like Of Grammatology (Derrida’s deconstruction of Saussure, Lévi Strauss, and Rousseau), “Différance” (his essay on language and life), Dissemination (his dismantling of Plato, his rap on Mallarmé), and Derrida’s other masterpieces (the mere titles can make strong men tremble in terror – Glas, Signéponge/Signsponge, The Post Card, and Specters of Marx.) Readers will learn the coolest Derridian buzzwords (e.g., intertextuality, binary oppositions, hymen, sous rature, arche-writing, phallogocentrism), the high-and-low lights of deconstruction’s history (including the DeMan controvercy), and the various criticisms of Derrida and deconstruction, including Camille Paglia’s objection that America, the rock-n-roll nation, isn’t formal enough to need deconstruction. The master, however, begs to disagree: “America is Deconstruction” -Jacques Derrida


Book Synopsis Derrida For Beginners by : Jim Powell

Download or read book Derrida For Beginners written by Jim Powell and published by Red Wheel/Weiser. This book was released on 2007-08-21 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1966, Jacques Derrida gave a lecture at Johns Hopkins University that cast the entire history of Western Philosophy into doubt. The following year, Derrida published three brilliant but mystifying books that convinced the pollsters that he was the most important philosopher of the late 20th Century. Unfortunately, nobody was sure whether the intellectual movement that he spawned – Deconstruction – advanced philosophy or murdered it. The truth? – Derrida is one of those annoying geniuses you can take a class on, read half-a-dozen books by and still have no idea what he’s talking about. Derrida’s ‘writing’ – confusing doesn’t begin to describe it (it’s like he’s pulling the rug out from under the rug that he pulled out from under philosophy.) But beneath the confusion, like the heartbeat of a bird in your hand, you can feel Derrida’s electric genius. It draws you to it; you want to understand it... but it’s so confusing. What you need, Ducky, is Derrida For Beginners by James Powell! Jim Powell’s Derrida For Beginners is the clearest explanation of Derrida and deconstruction presently available in our solar system. Powell guides us through blindingly obscure texts like Of Grammatology (Derrida’s deconstruction of Saussure, Lévi Strauss, and Rousseau), “Différance” (his essay on language and life), Dissemination (his dismantling of Plato, his rap on Mallarmé), and Derrida’s other masterpieces (the mere titles can make strong men tremble in terror – Glas, Signéponge/Signsponge, The Post Card, and Specters of Marx.) Readers will learn the coolest Derridian buzzwords (e.g., intertextuality, binary oppositions, hymen, sous rature, arche-writing, phallogocentrism), the high-and-low lights of deconstruction’s history (including the DeMan controvercy), and the various criticisms of Derrida and deconstruction, including Camille Paglia’s objection that America, the rock-n-roll nation, isn’t formal enough to need deconstruction. The master, however, begs to disagree: “America is Deconstruction” -Jacques Derrida

Bukowski For Beginners

Bukowski For Beginners

Author: Carlos Polimeni

Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser

Published: 2015-04-07

Total Pages: 162

ISBN-13: 1939994381

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Charles Bukowski, poet, novelist, short-story writer, journalist, and cult figure of the dissident and rebellious was born in Germany in 1920 and died in the USA in 1994. During his life he was hailed as "laureate of American lowlife" by Time magazine literary critic Adam Kirsch of The New Yorker wrote: "The secret of Bukowski's appeal...(is that) he combines the confessional poet's promise of intimacy with the largerthan-life aplomb of a pulp-fiction hero." Bukowski was one of the most unconventional writers and cultural critics of the 20th century. He lived an unorthodox, idiosyncratic life and wrote in a style that was unique—one that is impossible to classify or categorize. His work was at times cynical or humorous, but was always brilliant and challenging. His life and work are distinguished not only by a remarkable talent for words, but also by his rejection of the dominant social and cultural values of American society. Bukowski began writing at the age of forty and published forty-five books, six of them novels. He is also considered one of the great literary voices of Los Angeles. In Bukowski For Beginners, playwright Carlos Polimeni evaluates the life and literary achievements of the cult writer whose voice of dissidence and discontent is still heard and appreciated by readers worldwide.


Book Synopsis Bukowski For Beginners by : Carlos Polimeni

Download or read book Bukowski For Beginners written by Carlos Polimeni and published by Red Wheel/Weiser. This book was released on 2015-04-07 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charles Bukowski, poet, novelist, short-story writer, journalist, and cult figure of the dissident and rebellious was born in Germany in 1920 and died in the USA in 1994. During his life he was hailed as "laureate of American lowlife" by Time magazine literary critic Adam Kirsch of The New Yorker wrote: "The secret of Bukowski's appeal...(is that) he combines the confessional poet's promise of intimacy with the largerthan-life aplomb of a pulp-fiction hero." Bukowski was one of the most unconventional writers and cultural critics of the 20th century. He lived an unorthodox, idiosyncratic life and wrote in a style that was unique—one that is impossible to classify or categorize. His work was at times cynical or humorous, but was always brilliant and challenging. His life and work are distinguished not only by a remarkable talent for words, but also by his rejection of the dominant social and cultural values of American society. Bukowski began writing at the age of forty and published forty-five books, six of them novels. He is also considered one of the great literary voices of Los Angeles. In Bukowski For Beginners, playwright Carlos Polimeni evaluates the life and literary achievements of the cult writer whose voice of dissidence and discontent is still heard and appreciated by readers worldwide.

C.S. Lewis For Beginners

C.S. Lewis For Beginners

Author: Louis Markos

Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser

Published: 2022-06-05

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 1939994810

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C.S. Lewis For Beginners is a thorough examination of C. S. Lewis, the greatest Christian apologist of the twentieth century, throughout his career as an author and as a professor at Oxford University. A Christian apologist defends Christianity as a consistent and coherent worldview that squares with human reason, history, and desire. It offers answers to every facet of our lives on earth as well as answers to our questions about what happens after we die. What makes C.S. Lewis unique as an apologist is the way he balanced so perfectly reason and imagination, logic and intuition, and head and heart. In addition to writing such non-fiction apologetics books as Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, and Miracles, he wrote eleven novels: the seven Chronicles of Narnia, a trilogy of science-fiction adventures, and a haunting retelling of an old myth set in the ancient world. All eleven tell wonderful, captivating stories that stand on their own as fiction but that also support and bring to life the kinds of apologetical arguments he makes in his non-fiction. He also wrote two utterly unique works of fiction, The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce, that offer a fresh, highly original take on sin and temptation, angels and devils, and heaven and hell. And that’s not all. Lewis the apologist and novelist had a day job. He was a celebrated English professor at Oxford, and then Cambridge, University who wrote works of literary criticism that are still famous today. C.S. Lewis For Beginners takes the reader through the wardrobe of his complete catalog of writing.


Book Synopsis C.S. Lewis For Beginners by : Louis Markos

Download or read book C.S. Lewis For Beginners written by Louis Markos and published by Red Wheel/Weiser. This book was released on 2022-06-05 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: C.S. Lewis For Beginners is a thorough examination of C. S. Lewis, the greatest Christian apologist of the twentieth century, throughout his career as an author and as a professor at Oxford University. A Christian apologist defends Christianity as a consistent and coherent worldview that squares with human reason, history, and desire. It offers answers to every facet of our lives on earth as well as answers to our questions about what happens after we die. What makes C.S. Lewis unique as an apologist is the way he balanced so perfectly reason and imagination, logic and intuition, and head and heart. In addition to writing such non-fiction apologetics books as Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, and Miracles, he wrote eleven novels: the seven Chronicles of Narnia, a trilogy of science-fiction adventures, and a haunting retelling of an old myth set in the ancient world. All eleven tell wonderful, captivating stories that stand on their own as fiction but that also support and bring to life the kinds of apologetical arguments he makes in his non-fiction. He also wrote two utterly unique works of fiction, The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce, that offer a fresh, highly original take on sin and temptation, angels and devils, and heaven and hell. And that’s not all. Lewis the apologist and novelist had a day job. He was a celebrated English professor at Oxford, and then Cambridge, University who wrote works of literary criticism that are still famous today. C.S. Lewis For Beginners takes the reader through the wardrobe of his complete catalog of writing.

Stanislavski For Beginners

Stanislavski For Beginners

Author: Allen, David

Publisher: For Beginners, LLC

Published: 2015-03-17

Total Pages: 185

ISBN-13: 1939994357

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Stanislavski was the first person to develop a cogent and practical system of acting. Throughout his life he sought the answers to such fundamental questions as: "What is great acting?" and "How can you find inspiration in every performance?" Stanislavski remains the most important influence on actor training today, and yet many of his ideas are little known, or even misunderstood. Stanislavski For Beginners charts the development of the Stanislavski system. It includes a clear exposition of the key elements of the system and explores his Method of Physical Actions, which he worked on in the years before his death, and which he called “the result of my whole life’s work.”


Book Synopsis Stanislavski For Beginners by : Allen, David

Download or read book Stanislavski For Beginners written by Allen, David and published by For Beginners, LLC. This book was released on 2015-03-17 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stanislavski was the first person to develop a cogent and practical system of acting. Throughout his life he sought the answers to such fundamental questions as: "What is great acting?" and "How can you find inspiration in every performance?" Stanislavski remains the most important influence on actor training today, and yet many of his ideas are little known, or even misunderstood. Stanislavski For Beginners charts the development of the Stanislavski system. It includes a clear exposition of the key elements of the system and explores his Method of Physical Actions, which he worked on in the years before his death, and which he called “the result of my whole life’s work.”

Proust for Beginners

Proust for Beginners

Author: Steve Bachmann

Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser

Published: 2016-05-01

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 1939994446

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Proust For Beginners is a compelling biography of French novelist Marcel Proust and a vivid portrait of his times. It also serves as a concise guide and critical review of In Search of Lost Time (� la recherche du temps perdu, 7 volumes, 1913 -1927), one of the most difficult "yet widely taught" works of French literature. With extensive passages from In Search of Lost Time and other essential works, Proust For Beginners highlights the defining themes and unique literary style of a modern master whom many have heard about but few fully fathom. It portrays Proust and the milieu in which he wrote in vivid detail, bringing to life the "Proustian moments" at the heart of his greatest work - and our own everyday experience. Proust's masterpiece "begins in a series of rooms in which he unlocks themes, styles, references, and foreshadows," writes Harold Augenbraum in the foreword. Proust for Beginners will provide the key.


Book Synopsis Proust for Beginners by : Steve Bachmann

Download or read book Proust for Beginners written by Steve Bachmann and published by Red Wheel/Weiser. This book was released on 2016-05-01 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Proust For Beginners is a compelling biography of French novelist Marcel Proust and a vivid portrait of his times. It also serves as a concise guide and critical review of In Search of Lost Time (� la recherche du temps perdu, 7 volumes, 1913 -1927), one of the most difficult "yet widely taught" works of French literature. With extensive passages from In Search of Lost Time and other essential works, Proust For Beginners highlights the defining themes and unique literary style of a modern master whom many have heard about but few fully fathom. It portrays Proust and the milieu in which he wrote in vivid detail, bringing to life the "Proustian moments" at the heart of his greatest work - and our own everyday experience. Proust's masterpiece "begins in a series of rooms in which he unlocks themes, styles, references, and foreshadows," writes Harold Augenbraum in the foreword. Proust for Beginners will provide the key.

Chicano Movement for Beginners

Chicano Movement for Beginners

Author: Maceo Montoya

Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser

Published: 2016-09-13

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 1939994640

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As the heyday of the Chicano Movement of the late 1960s to early 70s fades further into history and as more and more of its important figures pass on, so too does knowledge of its significance. Thus, The Chicano Movement For Beginners is an important attempt to stave off historical amnesia. It seeks to shed light on the multifaceted civil rights struggle known as "El Movimiento" that galvanized the Mexican American community, from laborers to student activists, giving them not only a political voice to combat prejudiceand inequality, but also a new sense of cultural awareness and ethnic pride. Beyond commemorating the past, The Chicano Movement For Beginners seeks to reaffirm the goals and spirit of the Chicano Movement for the simple reason that many of the critical issues Mexican American activists first brought to the nation's attention then#8212educational disadvantage, endemic poverty, political exclusion, and social bias#8212remain as pervasive as ever almost half a century later.


Book Synopsis Chicano Movement for Beginners by : Maceo Montoya

Download or read book Chicano Movement for Beginners written by Maceo Montoya and published by Red Wheel/Weiser. This book was released on 2016-09-13 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the heyday of the Chicano Movement of the late 1960s to early 70s fades further into history and as more and more of its important figures pass on, so too does knowledge of its significance. Thus, The Chicano Movement For Beginners is an important attempt to stave off historical amnesia. It seeks to shed light on the multifaceted civil rights struggle known as "El Movimiento" that galvanized the Mexican American community, from laborers to student activists, giving them not only a political voice to combat prejudiceand inequality, but also a new sense of cultural awareness and ethnic pride. Beyond commemorating the past, The Chicano Movement For Beginners seeks to reaffirm the goals and spirit of the Chicano Movement for the simple reason that many of the critical issues Mexican American activists first brought to the nation's attention then#8212educational disadvantage, endemic poverty, political exclusion, and social bias#8212remain as pervasive as ever almost half a century later.

Literary Theory For Beginners

Literary Theory For Beginners

Author: Mary Klages

Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser

Published: 2017-05-15

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1939994616

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Have you heard the terms structuralism and deconstruction and postmodernism but aren’t really sure what they mean? Have you taken a whole course on literary criticism but are still feeling lost? Here’s the book you need to sort it all out—and enjoy doing so! In Literary Theory For Beginners, Mary Klages takes you into her classroom, cuts through the jargon, and explains the ABCs (and the DEFs as well) in terms you can get your head around. Her breadth of knowledge, her unique skills as a teacher, and the delightful illustrations of Frank Reynoso help us understand why literature matters, how it affects us, and how it reflects history, culture, and diversity. Here are ways of thinking about literature—not just reading it—methods of study and frameworks of interpretation from classical humanism all the way up to psychoanalysis, gender and queer theory, race, postcolonialism, and, yes, postmodernism With wit and wisdom, Klages takes on the two most frequently asked questions about literature and makes it all fun: What does the work MEAN? (What is the deeper, hidden, or symbolic meaning? Did the author intend all these meanings? Are any and all meanings present in the text? Are all meanings equally valid?) What does the work DO? (Why is literature important? What effect does it have on the reader? How can literature be a force for social change?) So sit back, relax, and take it all in!


Book Synopsis Literary Theory For Beginners by : Mary Klages

Download or read book Literary Theory For Beginners written by Mary Klages and published by Red Wheel/Weiser. This book was released on 2017-05-15 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Have you heard the terms structuralism and deconstruction and postmodernism but aren’t really sure what they mean? Have you taken a whole course on literary criticism but are still feeling lost? Here’s the book you need to sort it all out—and enjoy doing so! In Literary Theory For Beginners, Mary Klages takes you into her classroom, cuts through the jargon, and explains the ABCs (and the DEFs as well) in terms you can get your head around. Her breadth of knowledge, her unique skills as a teacher, and the delightful illustrations of Frank Reynoso help us understand why literature matters, how it affects us, and how it reflects history, culture, and diversity. Here are ways of thinking about literature—not just reading it—methods of study and frameworks of interpretation from classical humanism all the way up to psychoanalysis, gender and queer theory, race, postcolonialism, and, yes, postmodernism With wit and wisdom, Klages takes on the two most frequently asked questions about literature and makes it all fun: What does the work MEAN? (What is the deeper, hidden, or symbolic meaning? Did the author intend all these meanings? Are any and all meanings present in the text? Are all meanings equally valid?) What does the work DO? (Why is literature important? What effect does it have on the reader? How can literature be a force for social change?) So sit back, relax, and take it all in!

Civil Rights For Beginners

Civil Rights For Beginners

Author: Paul Von Blum

Publisher: For Beginners, LLC

Published: 2016-01-12

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13: 1934389897

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A large swath of literature on the civil rights movement exists in the United States. Much of that literature focuses on the dramatic events of the African American resistance to Jim Crow and oppression from the mid 1950s through the early 1970s. Frequently, this material is scholarly and, at best, only marginally accessible to the general public. Moreover, many of the books on the modern civil rights movement focus exclusively on a narrow historical time frame and often on widely recognized public figures like Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King. Civil Rights For Beginners fills a major gap by placing the modern civil rights movement into a broader historical perspective. It also discusses the civil rights and liberation movements from the 60s to the present that the African American freedom struggles helped to catalyze including the Chicano Movement, the American Indian Movement, the Asian-American Movement, the Women's Movement, and the Gay Liberation Movement. Unlike most civil rights books, Civil Rights For Beginners focuses less on major leaders and more on the ordinary African Americans who provided the backbone of the successful protests and demonstrations. Moreover, it deals with the expressive culture of the movement, surveying key developments in literature, music, visual art, and film, all of which served both as integral features of the movement as well as contributing to its enduring legacy.


Book Synopsis Civil Rights For Beginners by : Paul Von Blum

Download or read book Civil Rights For Beginners written by Paul Von Blum and published by For Beginners, LLC. This book was released on 2016-01-12 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A large swath of literature on the civil rights movement exists in the United States. Much of that literature focuses on the dramatic events of the African American resistance to Jim Crow and oppression from the mid 1950s through the early 1970s. Frequently, this material is scholarly and, at best, only marginally accessible to the general public. Moreover, many of the books on the modern civil rights movement focus exclusively on a narrow historical time frame and often on widely recognized public figures like Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King. Civil Rights For Beginners fills a major gap by placing the modern civil rights movement into a broader historical perspective. It also discusses the civil rights and liberation movements from the 60s to the present that the African American freedom struggles helped to catalyze including the Chicano Movement, the American Indian Movement, the Asian-American Movement, the Women's Movement, and the Gay Liberation Movement. Unlike most civil rights books, Civil Rights For Beginners focuses less on major leaders and more on the ordinary African Americans who provided the backbone of the successful protests and demonstrations. Moreover, it deals with the expressive culture of the movement, surveying key developments in literature, music, visual art, and film, all of which served both as integral features of the movement as well as contributing to its enduring legacy.

Toni Morrison for Beginners

Toni Morrison for Beginners

Author: Ron David

Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser

Published: 2016-10-01

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 1939994543

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Many people consider Morrison s novels difficult to read. Most of her readers have at least one book on their shelves that they couldn t finish or, when they did finish one, just scratched their heads in confusion. And when we think we are sure we know what she s writing about, it turns out we are half wrong or only getting the tip of the iceberg instead of the whole, beautiful, brooding thing. Toni Morrison For Beginners is about the woman, her books, her mission, her word music, and all that subtext in her writings. Morrison s books are like the ocean: the surface is beautiful but everything that gives them life lies beneath. She s the kind of writer who can change your life and this book is here to help you navigate the words and the woman. "


Book Synopsis Toni Morrison for Beginners by : Ron David

Download or read book Toni Morrison for Beginners written by Ron David and published by Red Wheel/Weiser. This book was released on 2016-10-01 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many people consider Morrison s novels difficult to read. Most of her readers have at least one book on their shelves that they couldn t finish or, when they did finish one, just scratched their heads in confusion. And when we think we are sure we know what she s writing about, it turns out we are half wrong or only getting the tip of the iceberg instead of the whole, beautiful, brooding thing. Toni Morrison For Beginners is about the woman, her books, her mission, her word music, and all that subtext in her writings. Morrison s books are like the ocean: the surface is beautiful but everything that gives them life lies beneath. She s the kind of writer who can change your life and this book is here to help you navigate the words and the woman. "