The Inner History of Devices
Contemporary science has done a great disservice to Sigmund Freud, suggests Sherry Turkle, who believes the psychoanalytic tradition can teach us much about the often concealed connections between physical objects and our thoughts and feelings. On the occasion of the publication of her latest book, The Inner History of Devi
Celebrating James Marshall and Humor in Children’s Books
Friends, colleagues and fans unite in loving praise of a children’s author who, though renowned, never got his due. James Marshall was writer/illustrator of the George and Martha and The Cut-Ups book series (he also illustrated Miss Nelson and The Stupids series, among many others). He died at ag
enChanting Musical Artifacts in Unlikely Places: Rare Resources in MIT’s Lewis Music Library
There are times when it’s necessary to judge a book by its cover, or a single page, because that’s all that remains. Michael Scott Cuthbert and Nancy Schrock reveal some treasures from MIT’s early music collection which, while often incomplete or damaged, sing volumes about their origins and use.
How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone
From the publisher:
“Heralded as a “sorcerer of narrative” (Foreign Policy) with an instinct for “poetic and intoxicating language” (Freie Presse), twenty-nine-year-old Saša Stanišić bounded onto the international literary scene to great fanfare and acclaim. How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone—the tale
Report Card on the War on Terror
Gary Hart wields his national security expertise to query these two authors in detail on their latest collaboration. Benjamin summarizes the book this way: “By pursuing the policies we have, we are hastening the next attack. I’m not talking about a run of the mill attack, the kind society could learn to live with, but a really big
The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
Perhaps no one comprehends the roots of depravity and cruelty better than Philip Zimbardo. He is renowned for such research as the Stanford Prison Experiment, which demonstrated how, in the right circumstances, ordinary people can swiftly become amoral monsters. Evil is not so much inherent in individuals, Zimbardo showed, but e
Institutional Perspectives on Storage
European archivists grapple with the legal obligations, civic responsibilities and future prospects of their collections, which, thanks to the Internet and other new technologies, are increasingly awash in image and sound. As William Urichhio notes, “tradition-bound institutions know what we should be gathering: feat
Pursuing The Endless Frontier: Essays on MIT and the Role of Research Universities
At the conclusion of 14 years at the helm of the Institute, Chuck Vest discusses the challenges and opportunities involved in guiding a major research university through tumultuous times. Vest’s new book, outlined in his remarks, provides a detailed and intimate view of his MIT “adventure.” Some key chapters: At the start of hi
Yes We Must: Achieve Diversity through Leadership-Keynote
Two “sisters” -- both university chiefs -- celebrate the victory of the first African-American U.S. President, but remind listeners that American institutions have not yet achieved the full measure of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream.
MIT, which prides itself on inventing the future, says Susan Hockfield, must
Ama, a story of the Atlantic slave trade
The website 'Ama' is essentially an advertisement for a book of the same name by the American author Manu Herbstein. As such it contains two sample chapters from the book as a taster, as well as details of how to order the book. There are also details of the writing of the book and background information detailing the research which went into its writing. The site also provides reviews of the text (not all favourable). Of most interest to scholars of Africa and the slave trade, however, are the
Fundamentals of paper model design
'Fundamentals of Paper Model Design' is a free 2010 ebook by Angel David Guzman. Freely available in PDF format with additional Blender scripts, the 226-page book details how folded paper sculptures can be created using advanced 3D software such as the free open-source Blender suite. The book also gives an overview of other software used to create complex paper models. The book is clearly written and illustrated, and will be of use to a range of professions including contemporary fine artists,
Tabula rasa
Tabula Rasa is a website providing "a compendium of material on a number of esoteric subjects" with an emphasis on the history of horror in Australia and beyond. The site covers a number of topics, including: 'Dark Ages'; 'horror on screen'; Australiana; comics; and role playing games, with special sections on Stephen King and Doctor Who. The site would interest those researching science fiction and horror literature, as well as those studying media and television. The horror section typifies
Tank Man
The accompanying online resource to the PBS Frontline programme, The Tank Man, follows the image of a young man standing in front of a tank used to quash the Tiananmen protests in 1989 to interrogate the progress of political and ideological freedoms in modern China. Users will find a brief introduction to the programme, and sections on the Tiananmen Square protests and their aftermath, which include: eyewitness accounts and press reactions to the 1989 protests; a timeline of key events in the s
London Chinese cultural centre
The London Chinese Cultural Centre stages film, education and music and performance events in the capital. Its simple homepage lists a guide to current and future events, of which users are able to read a brief summary, and be navigated to a new page for further visual and textual information (in English and complicated Chinese characters). One of the main annual events run by the centre is the London Chinese Film Festival, which shows Mainland Chinese, Hong Kong and Taiwanese films, often witho
Perspectives Chinoises
Perspectives Chinoises (Chinese Perspectives) is a French language quarterly revue of modern Chinese politics, economics, society and culture published by The French Centre For Contemporary China (CEFC). From a menu bar on the main page, users can access the mission statement of the publication, along with links to full text online versions of articles from the journal from 2003 to 2005. Summaries of articles from 2006 to 2008 are also provided, with plans to publish full text versions of more r
Graphic arts in Finland
'Graphic Arts in Finland' is a full-text online journal, published by the Graphic Industry Research Foundation. At April 2010 there are 44 issues freely available online, dating from 1995 to 2009. Articles are primarily technical or workflow-oriented, with example titles being: 'An Overview of Currently Implemented Metadata and Metadata Related Practices in Cross Media Editorial Processes'; 'Digital Watermarking Technologies Based on Color Modulation for Linking Applications'; 'Smartbook - the
Digital comic museum
Digital Comic Museum is a very large website archive of U.S. comic books known to be in the public domain. As such, it includes a wealth of high-quality scans of vintage ("Golden Age", in the terminology of comic book collectors) comics, freely available for reading. Most comics are from the 1940s and 1950s. Some newspaper comic strips are also included. Files are in the standard CBR (Comic Book Reader) format, for which Comical is possibly the best free viewer. Free registration is required to
Jews and the graphic novel
'Jews and the Graphic Novel' is a 22-page documentary comic book created and written by David Gantz. This comic is free to read online, and offers a condensed history of the immense contribution made by American Jewish men to the art and craft of the comic book in the 20th century. The author has the advantage of having worked in the industry since the 1940s, and there is particular focus on the impact of the Second World War on the industry. In 22 pages, this free online comic can only scratch
J. Sheridan Le Fanu : a database
'J. Sheridan Le Fanu: a database' is comprehensive website on this Victorian writer of ghost and mystery stories, compiled by Gary William Crawford. This free service serves as an online expansion of the 1995 book 'J. Sheridan Le Fanu: A Bio-Bibliography', and the records are very usefully and copiously annotated. The website also includes the archives of the free full-text academic ejournal, Le Fanu Studies. This database and journal archive will be of great interest to anyone interested in t
Cultures of health : a historical anthropolgy
This is a lively and fluid web site with a featured article spot, articles, research notes, posts and links to related sites for historically-minded scholars of medicine and health. There are many book recommendations and features and discussions on such topics as new approaches to VD treatment in Toronto, 1968-75 and smallpox eradication in Brazil, 1967. The site is maintained by the Department of History at the University of Windsor, Canada, and tackles ancient through to modern time periods o
