Books

Looking for Class: Days and Nights at Oxford and Cambridge

Average customer rating:

Seconding "Utter tosh"
Oxbridge unraveled and a great novel to boot!
Feiler: A Safe Bet
Looking for class, finding an education
Utter tosh

Looking for Class: Days and Nights at Oxford and Cambridge
Bruce Feiler
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

College Guides | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Teen Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan
Under the Big Top: A Season with the Circus
Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths
Where God Was Born: A Daring Adventure Through the Bible's Greatest Stories (P.S.)
Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses (P.S.)

ASIN: 006052703X
Release Date: 2003-06-03

Book Description

An irresistible, entertaining peek into the privileged realm of Wordsworth and Wodehouse, Chelsea Clinton and Hugh Grant, Looking for Class offers a hilarious account of one man's year at Oxford and Cambridge -- the garden parties and formal balls, the high-minded debates and drinking Olympics. From rowing in an exclusive regatta to learning lessons in love from a Rhodes Scholar, Bruce Feiler's enlightening, eye-popping adventure will forever change your view of the British upper class, a world romanticized but rarely seen.

Customer Reviews:

Seconding "Utter tosh".......2007-06-22

This book primarily concerns an American student's efforts to meet girls in his year abroad at Cambridge, interspersed with dry excerpts from his thesis and smug observations of upper class college students behaving badly. When he gets dumped by a Canadian, he blames it on her pretentious British attitude. Not much introspection, here.

If anything, this book convinced me that Cambridge students are no different from their American counterparts. All college students want to do is get drunk and get laid.

Oxbridge unraveled and a great novel to boot!.......2006-08-05

Feiler has developed a great combination with his insightful investigative journalism in novel form. From the perspective of both an Oxford and Harvard alumnus, this book paints captivativating dichotomies between academic life on either side of the pond (Feiler being a Yalie). In essence, he distills the frank truth that Oxbridge still lords over British intellectual and cultural life, and that its students define themselves as the heirs or failures to this 800 year plus tradition in a way that no longer holds for American schools. An excellent read for any future Oxbridge student, or for elite American graduates who are looking to see what it is like on the inside of Britain's ultimate proving grounds.

Feiler: A Safe Bet.......2006-07-14

Bruce Feiler has proven that he is a fine writer. This is my second selection of his bibliography. Not only does he introduce the reader to an interesting destination, he competently contrasts the place and its people to his own culture. The resulting information has more depth and clarity than a mere travel piece. "Looking For Class" reads like a novel, with interesting characters and situations, while illuminating the educational systems of two of the world's most prestigious institutions. For anyone considering college in the near future, any reader who has interest in understanding culture and higher education across the pond, or just an armchair traveller this is a great read.

Looking for class, finding an education.......2004-12-15

This is an imminently readable, well-written and informative book. Bruce Feiler did a wonderful job of describing his experience at Cambridge in 1990-1991, sometimes in incredibly lucid detail. You won't learn much about what he actually learned pursuing his master's of philosophy in international relations, but you will learn volumes about British upperclass society (through the eyes of an American), their social interactions, and most importantly, about how higher education shapes people's lives indirectly. An excellent book.

Utter tosh.......2004-07-10

Bruce Feiler was "Looking for Class" at Cambridge University - he didn't get it. Well, in the sense of seeking out a location at which to study, he seemed to get the hang of that, gaining an M.Phil degree in a year as a mature student. A member of The Class of Sometime in the Early 90's, I presume. But the fact that he entitles this book "Looking for Class", and that one suspects he means "Searching for Social or Economic Status", implies that he missed the point of the institution altogether.

Feiler is a professional author, and uses language competently (although some of his metaphors are clumsy - "Feeling as lonely as a chimney in a burning wooden house..."). He would be able to make comparison with an American university, having attended Yale. And whilst his descriptions of Cambridge University life are perhaps factually accurate, the spin he puts on them result in a book about a place I scarcely recognise. I should say that I am an American citizen and attended Cambridge University as an undergraduate, albeit in the late 70's rather than the early 90's.

By over-emphasising perceived eccentricities and peccadilloes, he populates his Cambridge with chapter upon chapter of stereotypes and caricatures. Whilst I recall some unconventional types, most of the people I met were as normal as... well, as only Feiler seems to be in the book. In consequence, an air of his superiority permeates. He is well travelled and educated, but he uses a faux naiveté as a device to highlight the cultural differences which bemuse him. The one sequence which rang true was his drubbing at the Union debate. And whilst he appreciates sarcasm, inevitably he fails to grasp the ironies.

Above all, it is outrageous that this book perpetuate the myth that modern Oxbridge is a world of "the British upper class, a world romanticized but rarely seen". Yes, in the late 70's, the Cambridge student intake did not fully reflect the socio-economic structure of the country, with a preponderance of students from private schools. But 95% of my colleagues were "upper class" in only one aspect, that of being academically bright. The true nature of the British class system totally escaped Feiler after a year long scrutiny. "Brideshead Revisited".... yeah, right.

The book gets one star because I did finish it, despite never being so annoyed at a book before. This is not journalism; it is either an inept investigation or an arrogant hatchet job. Read something else if you wish to "part the curtains on the mysterious firmament of British education".

Looking at Art People at Work (Looking at art)

Average customer rating:

Looking at Art People at Work (Looking at art)
Patrick Conner
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0689502532

When We Liked Ike: Looking for Postwar America

Average customer rating:

An artificial depiction of life in America after World War II
A middle class flashback.

When We Liked Ike: Looking for Postwar America
Barbara Norfleet
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

TV Wonderland: The Enchantment of Early Television

ASIN: 0393019667

Book Description

A historical record in words and pictures of American society in the years following the Second World War. After World War II, the prevalent self-image among America's white middle class was one of affluence, moral superiority, and contentment. This image is reflected in photographs in both advertising and the media during the late 1940s and 1950s showing perfect citizens and their families at work and at play. Many of these apparently candid photographs were in fact created by professional studio photographers—to portray the way most middle-class Americans wanted to present themselves. But what many contemporary artists and intellectuals saw instead of this idyllic picture was widespread complacency and conformity, as well as racism, poverty, political witch hunts, and alienation. Their writings are excerpted here, juxtaposed with images depicting domestic bliss and wealth. This dissonance between the words of the social critics who emphasized our problems and discontents and the photographic images of how we wanted to see ourselves make the subsequent upheavals of the 1960s understandable. 170 duotone photographs.

Customer Reviews:

An artificial depiction of life in America after World War II.......2007-01-21

The fifteen years between the end of the Second World War and 1960 are years that are often portrayed as idyllic. America was supreme in the world, television was in its infancy and a harbinger of technological progress and most of the photographic record was one of happy people, lifelong and sound marriages and children who behaved.
The reality was far different. Many of the housewives were suffering from extreme angst, a large number of the returning soldiers were suffering from what is now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), there was paranoia over the Communist threat, segregation was nearly universal, and there was enormous social pressure to conform. This book is a collection of photos that depict America as described in the first paragraph.
Very few of the photos display a non-Caucasian face and only one shows a black family in their home. There are photos of the latest household appliances, new cars and the growing suburban sprawl. Smoldering cigarettes are in the hands of many of the men and a few of the women. In looking closely at the photos, few of the people appear to be really happy. There are smiles, but not the kind that project joy.
The author is very forthright in the introduction, explaining that these photos were deliberately designed to show an idyllic environment. To look at them, you would not realize that there were many people living in dire poverty. It appears that everyone got along, while there is mention of political tension in the captions you cannot see it in the photos. While the photos are of excellent quality, there is a certain artificial nature to the life that is depicted. In many ways, there is a great deal of "just faking it."

A middle class flashback........2002-12-15

Barbara Norfleet concentrates on a rather under-appreciated aspect of American photography, the local commercial photo studio found in most towns across the country. This book is an extension of her first book `The Champion Pig', which examined studio photography from 1929 to 1960. `When We Liked Ike', with 170 excellent photos, covers the years from 1945. The author explains how these photos were taken to please those who commissioned them and they basically show the attitudes, values and aspirations of the white middle class. There are plenty of family gatherings and social events but also examples of outdoor commercial activity, the Florida studio of Joe Steinmetz produced excellent architectural work like the drive-in hamburger unit on page 126.

Nearly every photo is worth studying for the detail they contain, they are not blurred, grainy or gimmicky, this is a record of what the subject wanted (and paid for) not how the photographer felt about the subject. The only details provided about the images are the photographer's name and sometimes a date, this lack of information can be annoying at times, page eighty-seven shows a woman smoking a pipe, her head surrounded by smoke, just why did Jack Gould take this picture in 1946? Page thirty-three shows a (pin-sharp) photo of a traffic jam in Main Street, Somewhere USA, why was this moment captured for ever?

The book is well designed and printed though I think the cover design is unimaginative and the photo (two senior citizens in swimwear enjoying a smoke) rather inappropriate to sum up post-war America. As well as the fascinating `The Champion Pig', `Wedding' is another Barbara Norfleet book using work of the local studio photographer.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

Looking At The White Working Class Historically

Average customer rating:

Looking At The White Working Class Historically
David Gilbert
Manufacturer: Abraham Guillen Press/Arm the Spirit
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet

Reference | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1894820185

Book Description

A sober examination of the historical role of the white working class and its place in the US imperialist system. With suggestions for the possibilities of developing this class into a revolutionary class as part of a broad social movement. Includes commentary from Settlers author J Sakai. Gilbert was a member of both SDS, and the Weather Underground.

Mercedes is already looking ahead to '07 with new S550.(Benz Car innovation) : An article from: San Diego Business Journal

Average customer rating:

Mercedes is already looking ahead to '07 with new S550.(Benz Car innovation) : An article from: San Diego Business Journal
Cordell Koland
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Industry | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Luxury | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Foreign | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000FNVTFC
Release Date: 2006-05-10

Book Description

This digital document is an article from San Diego Business Journal, published by Thomson Gale on March 27, 2006. The length of the article is 863 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Mercedes is already looking ahead to '07 with new S550.(Benz Car innovation)
Author: Cordell Koland
Publication: San Diego Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 27, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 27 Issue: 13 Page: 12(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

PATENTS FOR INVENTIONS: ABRIDGMENTS OF SPECIFICATIONS IN THE SERIES NUMBERED 155,801-244,800: CLASS 52(iv) UPHOLSTERY, WALL FURNITURE, SCREENS, AND LOOKING GLASSES. (1921-25).

Average customer rating:

PATENTS FOR INVENTIONS: ABRIDGMENTS OF SPECIFICATIONS IN THE SERIES NUMBERED 155,801-244,800: CLASS 52(iv) UPHOLSTERY, WALL FURNITURE, SCREENS, AND LOOKING GLASSES. (1921-25).
No Author.
Manufacturer: HMSO
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HIA1TU

Looking at Class: Film, Television and the Working Class in Britain

Average customer rating:

Looking at Class: Film, Television and the Working Class in Britain

Manufacturer: Rivers Oram Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Workplace | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

History & Criticism | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Media Studies | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1854891219

Book Description

Television and film not only entertain and reflect social change, they may also participate and influence these changes-the recent success of The Full Monty and Billy Elliot- show popular British comedy based on such painful social transformations.

Looking at Class brings together film and television practitioners with academic students of cultural and economic change to examine the media representation of the British working class in the twentieth century-a time of decline for the manual working class when a complex service-based economy emerged. The book covers a large range of genres from documentaries to soaps and shows that complex cultural transitions can be communicated clearly in prose as well as in screen drama.

PATENTS FOR INVENTIONS: ABRIDGMENTS OF SPECIFICATIONS IN THE SERIES NUMBERED 100,001-155,800: CLASS 52(iv) UPHOLSTERY, WALL FURNITURE, SCREENS, AND LOOKING GLASSES. (1916-20).

Average customer rating:

PATENTS FOR INVENTIONS: ABRIDGMENTS OF SPECIFICATIONS IN THE SERIES NUMBERED 100,001-155,800: CLASS 52(iv) UPHOLSTERY, WALL FURNITURE, SCREENS, AND LOOKING GLASSES. (1916-20).
No Author.
Manufacturer: HMSO
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HI839U

Ducks' top class is back in session.(Sports)(Oregon is looking for contributions that match the junior class' talent): An article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)

Average customer rating:

Ducks' top class is back in session.(Sports)(Oregon is looking for contributions that match the junior class' talent): An article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)
Gale Reference Team
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000KQGS14
Release Date: 2006-11-20

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by Thomson Gale on November 10, 2006. The length of the article is 1100 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Ducks' top class is back in session.(Sports)(Oregon is looking for contributions that match the junior class' talent)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: November 10, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: C1

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Looking for Class: Seeking Wisdom and Romance at Oxford and Cambridge

Average customer rating:

Excellent!

Looking for Class: Seeking Wisdom and Romance at Oxford and Cambridge
Bruce Feiler
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

College Guides | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

Europe & Eurasia | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0679414924
Release Date: 1993-09-14

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......1999-03-19

super

Books:

Books