Product Description
"So many categories!" Andy Warhol would complain during his rigorous, nearly obsessive daily shopping regimen of antique stores, galleries, auction houses, and flea markets. Though best known as a proponent of the avant-garde, Warhol was also passionately engaged with the historical past, an interest which found a direct yet imaginative expression in the serious collecting he undertook from the mid-50s until his death. "Possession Obsession" proposes that collecting was another form of artistic practice for Warhol, one that provides as much insight into his interests, tastes, and ideas as do his other myriad art forms. Accompanying essays examine the how, why, and what of Warhol's collection, the crucial role it played in his life, the aesthetic quality and historical associations of the objects themselves, the psychological and sexual aspects of collecting, other artists' use of collecting, and the relationship between collecting and mass culture. Also included are Robert Mapplethorpe's photographs of Warhol's home, with an introduction by Patti Smith.
Edited by John W. Smith. Essays byPamela Allara, Kenneth Arnes, Frederick Brandt, Sascha Chermayeff, Ralph Coe, Jonathan Flatley, Allen Kurzweil, Michael Lobel,Alexandra Rhodes & Stephano Papi, Thomas Sokolowski, Patti SmithMatthew Tinkcom and Pilar Viladas.

8 x 12 in.
100 color, 20 duotone illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

cool concept
I bought this as a gift for my girlfriend, who loves Warhol (although now it seems everyone loves Warhol).She was not very intrigued by the book, even though she also loves collecting knick-knacks.So I looked closely at the book trying to figure out why, and I have to say that the book just doesn't have enough in it.I think that the text is well written and shares some interesting anecdotes, and philosophical/psychological discussion of collecting, but that's not really why I thought the book would be cool.I think we wanted to see those Time Capsule boxes opened up, more shots of his home (there are some, but not many), and then there is a whole chapter on random people who collect things--why is this chapter included?Do I care what some unkown goofball finds interesting?I think this book was a great concept, but it falls flat in my mind. ... Read more

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A biography of Africa's conqueror takes the reader into the life of Cecil Rhodes, an English patriot and racist who, by the age of thirty-four, had added a million square miles to Britain's empire and who set the stage for apartheid. 20,000 first printing."Amazon.com Review
Anthony Thomas, a South African exiled in 1977 after he madean anti-apartheid documentary, approached English empire builder CecilRhodes (1853-1902) with just the right attitude. Thomas stronglycriticized the racially unjust and politically corrupt methods bywhich Rhodes built the white-dominated states of Southern Africa, buthe was also fascinated by the forceful personality that enabled Rhodesto charm, cajole, and finagle his way into wealth and power. Vigorousprose and a propulsive story line do justice to Rhodes's action-packedlife, which is also the subject of a Masterpiece Theatredramatization by Thomas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

The Father of the New World Order
Move over George Washington. You may be the father of the US, but the father of the New World Order developing before our eyes in the 21st century is Cecil Rhodes. Why? Because it was Rhodes who founded the secret society in 1891 and funded it with immense wealth from his South Africa gold and diamond mines. Rhodes stipulated that this secret society has but one object: "...the furtherance of the British Empire and the bringing of the whole uncivilised world under British rule, for the recovery of the United States, for making the Anglo-Saxon race but one Empire"! Additionally, Rhodes stated, "The society should inspire and even own portions of the press for the press rules the minds of men". And this, ladies and gentlemen is why we find us in the mess we are in today. Rhodes was so wealthy, he bought governments, bankers, media and universities. He made it happen as fully explained in the book, Don't Weep for Me, America: How Democracy in America Became the Prince (While We Slept). "Rhodes: The Race for Africa" is a good read on the mind of Cecil Rhodes. Additionally, it collaborates the secret society language most scholars pick up on when reading about Rhodes. Now you all know what forces are in motion and what the results will be: North American Union, remapping the Middle East, the building of a massive millitary to fight both Russia and China...

Look For Another Biography
Cecil Rhodes, claims Antony Thomas, in a torturous attempt at historical comparison, shares the same qualities as Heinrich Himmler because both were taught by Jesuit priests. Really, now. While few people would ascribe any saintly qualities to Rhodes, statements like this do a disservice to serious students of history. As a result, Thomas' book is a mundane recitation of facts punctuated with generalized observations that come from nowhere and seem designed only to astonish.

The drama of Rhodes' life figured prominently in the story of the British Empire. Antony Thomas fails to capture this essence. The outsized historical character Cecil Rhodes deserves a less timid biographer (Robert Massie comes to mind) who understands the man and the majesty of times in which he lived.

Thing or Two...
Mr. Rhodes knew a thing or two about a thing or two...

Solid study of moral ambiguity
Antony Thomas states up front that he is certainly no fan of Cecil Rhodes, and from that statement, the reader might expect to be treated to a real chop job.Instead, one gets a remarkably even-handed treatment of Rhodes.It would be easy simply to characterize Rhodes as evil, but to Thomas' credit, he does not take the easy way out.He is more than prepared to exam what can be best described as Rhodes' moral ambiguity.

I would not call Rhodes amoral in the strictist sense.He knew well enough when he was doing wrong to want to conceal his activities.Nor would I call him a ruthless pragmatist.His devotion to his friends was quite real, and in the case of Neville Pickering's death, Rhodes' all-consuming grief ultimately kept him from purchasing land that he knew was rich in gold.His personal feelings kept him from making a second, utterly massive, fortune in gold.That is hardly the action of pragmatist.

Trying to figure out what made Rhodes tick becomes trickier the more one examines his deeds.Even Thomas is vexed at times at how easily Rhodes moves from one alliance to another, and completely reverses his stands on issues such as native rights.By the time of his death, Rhodes was lionized throughout the British Empire as being in the vanguard of imperialists, but Thomas shows that for most of his career, he was strictly pursuing his own economic and political interests, and did not cloak himself in the gard of British Imperialism until it was absolutely necessary.

Thomas does not only focus on Rhodes.He demonstrates that most of the men that Rhodes dealt with could be, at times, just as morally ambiguous as he.Rhodes knew well that every man has his price, and demonstrated it again and again.Men in positions of power were irreconcilably opposed to Rhodes & his plans, at least until Rhodes made the right offer.The Victorians would had one believe that they were paragons of virtue and rectitude, but reading of Rhodes' dealings with them makes such a claim hardly believable.

At the end of his life, Rhodes began to appreciate that a man's legacy would not be measured in the wealth that he amassed or in the deals that he made.For Rhodes, that realization came too late.Most of his accomplishments are now hardly remembered, and the man himself is remembered now more with scorn and revulsion that awe and respect.Yet Rhodes was a remarkable man.Thomas makes the distinction between being a remarkable man and a great man, and in this finds the true tragedy of Rhodes' life:he had the talents to be a truly great man for all ages, but instead used these talents strictly to serve his own interests.

The book is quite easy to read, and is well-organized.To Thomas' credit, he does not report all the stories about Rhodes as gospel, and if the historical record is unclear on certain matters, he will say so.He also examines the conclusions made by other scholars on certain subjects and deals with this quite competently.I was pleasantly suprised, since he is not a historian by profession.I do note with interest that some events (such as the famous story of Rhodes dumping loads of diamonds into a bucket, just after Barney Barnato has purchased them) are reported by Thomas in the book as being stories which may or may not be true and cannot be verified by the historical record, but are presented in the "Masterpiece Theatre" production as being true.It is a good indication that in the book at least, Thomas is trying his best to be a responsible scholar.

A Great Story!
This book is a great read for many reasons. On the one hand, it is well written and well argued. Thomas states his judgement on Rhodes in the beginning, which is a negative one, but then weighs what can and cannot be said about the man based on available evidence. He does not make sweeping statements of any kind. He also measures what past biographers have said against the evidence.

On the other hand, the story itself is fascinating. Thomas delivers a convincing portrait of Rhodes, one that punctures the heroic image of the "Colossus of Africa" while still revealing the clever and opportunistic nature of the man. We learn that Rhodes was a sickly child, whose frailty drove him to Africa when he was a teenager. Personal frailty lasted his whole life--and killed him in 1902. Rhodes was not much of a student, though he was driven to go to Oxford to acquire the right credentials. Rhodes had greater ambitions than amassing wealth alone, but we are led to wonder how committed an imperialist and an English chauvinist he was, given his opportunism. Thomas also presents an engaging description of the people around Rhodes. One of the more interesting is that of Barney Barnato, a British Jew who came to South Africa and amassed a larger fortune than Rhodes ever did and who appeared to be a better businessman than Rhodes as well.

The larger story of South Africa is also integrated into the tale. The diamond and gold rushes are described with great detail, including the largely tragic conflicts with native Africans. There is also much detail about the conflicts between the English and Boers, and even the role of Great Power interests (mostly British).

A general sense of adventure and opportunity about South Africa seems to exude from the story throughout. One of the most interesting examples in the book is the story of the relations between white prospectors--including Rhodes and his colleagues--and the native chief Lobengula, whole ruled in the north over the Matabeleland. The description of the massive and fearsome Lobengula, his treasures, his soldiers, his brutality and his ultimate defeat and suicide offer some of the most gripping narrative in the book.

There are not that many weaknesses to the book. A minor one might be that the book could benefit from more maps. There are 2 maps of southern Africa in the beginning of the book, but a few more maps throughout the book detailing the places where key events occurred would have been helpful. ... Read more

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Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, U.K. Third edition of a clinical reference for practitioners. Illustrated. 115 contributors, 41 U.S. ... Read more

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Product Description
The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
The Age of Enlightenment profoundly enriched religious and philosophical understanding and continues to influence present-day thinking. Works collected here include masterpieces by David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, as well as religious sermons and moral debates on the issues of the day, such as the slave trade. The Age of Reason saw conflict between Protestantism and Catholicism transformed into one between faith and logic -- a debate that continues in the twenty-first century.
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The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification:
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Library of Congress

W003249

Half-title: President Maxcy's sermon at the Warren Association, convened in Boston, Sept. 12, 1797.

Boston : Printed by Manning & Loring, 1797. 22,[2]p. ; 8° ... Read more

Product Description
The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
The Age of Enlightenment profoundly enriched religious and philosophical understanding and continues to influence present-day thinking. Works collected here include masterpieces by David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, as well as religious sermons and moral debates on the issues of the day, such as the slave trade. The Age of Reason saw conflict between Protestantism and Catholicism transformed into one between faith and logic -- a debate that continues in the twenty-first century.
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The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification:
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Library of Congress

W003083

Dedicated to the surviving afflicted widow and children.

Providence : Printed by Carter and Wilkinson, 1798. 15, [1] p. ; 8° ... Read more