Filmmaker Errol Morris offers his perspective on the world and his powerful belief in the necessity of truth. In 1972, philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn threw an ashtray at Errol Morris. This book is the result. At the time, Morris was a graduate student. Now we know him as one of the most celebrated and restlessly probing filmmakers of our time, the creator of such classics of documentary investigation as The Thin Blue Line and The Fog of War. Kuhn, meanwhile, was—and, posthumously, remains—a star in his field, the author of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, a landmark book that has sold well over a million copies and introduced the concept of “paradigm shifts” to the larger culture. And Morris thought the idea was bunk. The Ashtray tells why—and in doing so, it makes a powerful case for Morris’s way of viewing the world, and the centrality to that view of a fundamental conception of the necessity of truth. “For me,” Morris writes, “truth is about the relationship between language and the world: a correspondence idea of truth.” He has no patience for philosophical systems that aim for internal coherence and disdain the world itself. Morris is after bigger game: he wants to establish as clearly as possible what we know and can say about the world, reality, history, our actions and interactions. It’s the fundamental desire that animates his filmmaking, whether he’s probing Robert McNamara about Vietnam or the oddball owner of a pet cemetery. Truth may be slippery, but that doesn’t mean we have to grease its path of escape through philosophical evasions. Rather, Morris argues powerfully, it is our duty to do everything we can to establish and support it. In a time when truth feels ever more embattled, under siege from political lies and virtual lives alike, The Ashtray is a bracing reminder of its value, delivered by a figure who has, over decades, uniquely earned our trust through his commitment to truth. No Morris fan should miss it.
Soon to be an FX Docuseries from Emmy® Award-Winning Producer Marc Smerling (The Jinx) featuring the author Errol Morris! Academy Award–winning filmmaker Errol Morris examines one of the most notorious and mysterious murder trials of the twentieth century In this profoundly original meditation on truth and the justice system, Errol Morris—a former private detective and director of The Thin Blue Line—delves deeply into the infamous Jeffrey MacDonald murder case. MacDonald, whose pregnant wife and two young daughters were brutally murdered in 1970, was convicted of the killings in 1979 and remains in prison today. The culmination of an investigation spanning over twenty years and a masterly reinvention of the true-crime thriller, A Wilderness of Error is a shocking book because it shows that everything we have been told about the case is deeply unreliable and that crucial elements of case against MacDonald are simply not true.
Standard Operating Procedure is an utterly original collaboration by the writer Philip Gourevitch (We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families) and the film-maker Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line, The Fog of War). They have produced the first full reckoning of what actually happened at Abu Ghraib. Standard Operating Procedure reveals the stories of the American soldiers who took and appeared in the haunting digital snapshots from Abu Ghraib prison that shocked the world – and simultaneously illuminates and alters forever our understanding of those images and the events they depict. Drawing on more than two hundred hours of Errol Morris’s startlingly frank and intimate interviews with Americans who served at Abu Ghraib and with some of their Iraqi prisoners, as well as on his own research, Philip Gourevitch has written a relentlessly surprising account of Iraq’s occupation from the inside-out – rendering vivid portraits of guards and prisoners ensnared in an appalling breakdown of command authority and moral order. Gourevitch and Morris have crafted a nonfiction morality play that stands to endure as essential reading long after the current war in Iraq passes from the headlines. By taking us deep into the voices and characters of the men and women who lived the horror of Abu Ghraib, the authors force us, whatever our politics, to re-examine the pat explanations in which we have been offered – or sought – refuge, and to see afresh this watershed episode. Instead of a ‘few bad apples’, we are confronted with disturbingly ordinary young American men and women who have been dropped into something out of Dante’s Inferno. This is a book that makes you think, and makes you see – an essential contribution from two of our finest nonfiction artists working at the peak of their powers.
Academy Award–winning director Errol Morris turns his eye to the nature of truth in photography In his inimitable style, Errol Morris untangles the mysteries behind an eclectic range of documentary photographs. With his keen sense of irony, skepticism, and humor, Morris shows how photographs can obscure as much as they reveal, and how what we see is often determined by our beliefs. Each essay in this book is part detective story, part philosophical meditation, presenting readers with a conundrum, and investigates the relationship between photographs and the real world they supposedly record. Believing Is Seeing is a highly original exploration of photography and perception, from one of America’s most provocative observers.
The first comprehensive book in more than twenty years of the artist’s haunting and textural photographic work, published to accompany a major retrospective at the Addison Gallery of American Art. A definitive monograph to accompany the first museum survey of the renowned photographer and conceptual artist Rosamond Purcell (b. 1942), known for her strangely beautiful, often unsettling photographs of objects from the natural and man-made world. With more than 150 illustrations, the book reflects the breadth of the artist’s career from the late 1960s to the present day, and includes photographs, assemblages, collages, and installations that serve to illuminate and explore the shifting boundaries between art and science. From large-format Polaroid prints to objects rescued from obscurity, Purcell’s empathetic, evocative, multifaceted work explores the interstices between the unsettling and the sublime, the beautiful and the bizarre, the natural and the manufactured. With thoughtful and insightful texts from an eclectic list of critical voices—including the acclaimed documentary filmmaker Errol Morris and the writer Christoph Irmscher—and featuring an interview between Purcell and fellow contemporary artist Mark Dion, this book rejuvenates the critical approach Purcell’s work and brings to light the evolution of a remarkable career.
Late November 1954, a young domestic helper with dreams of becoming the best domestic helper she could A young baker with a brand new bicycle, dreams and desire of becoming the best sperm donor the district produced They both met by coincidence and ever since the young baker swear his undying love for her, It was a crush she knew nothing about. Then one fateful night, destiny beckoned. After weeks of eyeing the young helper from afar, he got his chance. She was on her way home from work when he rode up beside her and offered to take her home. She refused his kind gesture. He wanted to be her friend, but she was furious in rejecting him. His voice roared with anger, she began trembling, and he couldnt imagine being rejected in such a manner and held on to her. A fight ensued. With the powerful flow of his adrenalin, and the mighty blow to his ego, he did the unthinkable. He overpowered her and had his own way. She felt worthless and demeaned and cried in agony, but only the stars above were in sympathy with her cry At first he was proud of his conquest, but a guilty conscience began to prick his soul. He moved closer to the crying young helper, with an intent of consoling her, but the wounded lioness she was, she leapt at him with ferocious might and inflicted severe blows to his head with a stone that she found at the side of the road So began the story of the Roots Radical, that Jamaican son of a . . . . . .
Filmmakers have honed their skills and many have achieved critical and popular success at home and abroad, as have actors and other crew. American filmmakers and companies have found it cheaper to make films in Australia because wages and salaries are lower, tax rebates have been attractive and the expertise in most areas of filmmaking is comparable to that of anywhere in the world. At the same time, Australian audiences still enjoy watching Australian films, making some of them profitable, even if this is a small profit when considered in Hollywood terms. New Zealand filmmakers, cast and crew have shown that they are equal to the world’s best in making films with international themes, while other films have shown that the world is interested in New Zealand narratives and settings. Increased support for Maori filmmakers and stories has had a significant impact on production levels and on the diversity of stories that now reach the screen. It has also helped create more viable career paths for those who continue to be based in their home country. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Australian and New Zealand Cinema contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on leading films as well as many directors, writers, actors and producers. It also covers early pioneers, film companies, genres and government bodies.
Clinical management algorithms for common and unusual obstetric problems have been developed to help guide practitioners to the best treatment options for patients. In this quick-reference guide, clear diagrams and concise notes show treatment options and evidence for over 80 high-risk obstetric complications, presented in two-page full color spreads to promote quick decision making in time-pressed situations. This new edition includes sections on obesity, late-preterm and early term delivery, and pregnancy termination. As a clinical manual, the book provides guidance to many common and less common obstetric situations in which either the mother or her fetus is at risk. An algorithm for each situation provides obstetric care providers with a step-by-step guide of necessary actions for any given clinical case. Written by internationally renowned experts, Clinical Obstetric Algorithms enables all obstetrics care providers to ensure delivery of a healthy mother and a healthy baby.
2006 Questions and Philosophical Thoughts A Chronological Listing of Verses taken from: FFHD 2006 Questions and Philosophical Thoughts - A Chronological Listing of Verses taken from the authors' main text: Five Foundations of Human Development (FFHD). It is their way of presenting their primary text to readers in a new and innovative ("Reading by Verses") format. This simple to comprehend "Body of Knowledge," unique, analytical, compelling and philosophical helps the reader to better understand that human beings are not helpless bystanders watching the "past" unfold in the "present." The authors postulate that we are capable of making "new history," enabled by God's "Spiritual Intelligence" when we "seek" it to illuminate our path and guide us. Despite the human genius and our scientific progress of the past century, nations still struggle to find peaceful co-existence. Without God's guidance, our capacity to exercise patience, tolerance and self-control will diminish in light of increasing global competition for the world's finite resources. Our 21st century visionary leaders have ushered us into the "global village" - unprepared. Our vision of a "global village" could become another fleeting illusion in our eternal quest to govern ourselves and engender hope for "all" humanity. The authors urge the reader not to dismiss this "frame of reference" as "mere idealism." Gibbs and Grey predicate their hope for a better world on "new understandings" of the great inspirational, religious enlightenment and philosophical learning discerned from the teachings of Jesus Christ and the great prophets. The authors take the reader on an unforgettable journey of discovery of a "new hope" for humanity, with "new knowledge" to illuminate our path and guide us. Their work is nonetheless, only a minor contribution to the vast "Body of Knowledge" penned by notable philosophical giants of yesteryear and the modern age. The authors stand on the shoulders (of these giants) as they PAN (take a 'panoramic view' of) the 21st century and the new millennium with "new hope" and "optimism" for the future of our world. Genre: (Christianity, Religion/Inspirational, Religion/Enlightenment & Philosophy (General)
A lavishly illustrated celebration of these glorious animals—and a poignant lament for their future Elephants are among the most beloved of all creatures. Their behavior can seem almost human, from their complex social interactions to their need to mourn their dead. They are also among the most persecuted of animals, subjected to untold cruelty at the hands of humans through the ages. In this stunningly illustrated book, Errol Fuller provides a rich and moving portrait of elephants, exploring their natural history, the legends that have grown up around them, their unique place in art and literature, and their urgent need for protection today. Fuller traces the evolution of these majestic animals from prehistoric mammoths and mastodons to today's African and Asian elephants, and looks at their behavior, herd dynamics, and social life. He examines the role of elephants in cultures around the world, from folklore and fine art to the exploitation of elephants as war machines and circus animals. Fuller also discusses the importance of conservation, warning that continued poaching and habitat degradation could send these iconic animals the way of the dodo. Featuring many evocative photos never before published, Elephant is a fittingly exquisite tribute to these breathtaking creatures.
This third edition of Building a Better World offers a comprehensive introductory overview of Canada’s labour movement. The book includes an analysis of why workers form unions; assesses their organization and democratic potential; examines issues related to collective bargaining, grievances and strike activity; charts the historical development of labour unions; and describes the gains unions have achieved for their members and all working people.
When the depression of the 1890s prompted unemployed workers from Los Angeles to join a nationwide march on Washington, “Coxey’s Army” marked the birth of radicalism in that city. In this first book to trace the subsequent struggle between the radical left and L.A.’s power structure, Errol Wayne Stevens tells how both sides shaped the city’s character from the turn of the twentieth century through the civil rights era. On the radical right, Los Angeles’s business elite, supported by the Los Angeles Times, sought the destruction of the trade-union movement—defended on the left by socialists, Wobblies, communists, and other groups. In portraying the conflict between leftist and capitalist visions for the future, Stevens brings to life colorful personalities such as Times publisher Harrison Gray Otis and Socialist mayoral candidate Job Harriman. He also re-creates events such as the 1910 bombing of the Times building, the savage suppression of the 1923 longshoremen’s strike, and the 1965 Watts riots, which signaled that L.A. politics had become divided less along class lines than by complex racial and ethnic differences. The book takes stock of the rivalry between right and left over the several decades in which it repeatedly flared. Radical L.A. is a balanced work of meticulous scholarship that pieces together a rich chronicle usually seen only in smaller snippets or from a single vantage point. It will change the way we see the history of the City of Angels.
Five Foundations of Human Development (FFHD) "Is our Materially Driven Life a Threat to the 'Spiritual Purpose' of our Existence?" The book is a philosophical, religious and practical discourse on Five Foundations of Human Development. It offers compelling philosophical, analytical and empirical arguments for a better world, which is inherent in the worship of God, service to humanity, obedience to governing authorities and management of God's creation. The authors examine problems that we encounter daily, and they postulate solutions from Spiritual, moral, social, intellectual and physical perspectives. They essentially explore some of our past and present approaches to solutions to human problems. They propose new "revolutionary" approaches to human development that call the reader's attention to a new "enlightenment," new "hope" and new "optimism," informed by a new "Body of knowledge." The authors strive to explain the Christian message of God as delivered and taught by Jesus Christ, however it is not a work that is exclusively for Christians. Their discourse recognizes the comparable message and desire for the unity of humanity by other world religions. They present their discourse not as experts or giving expert advice, but simply as individuals with a desire to add another dimension of thought and enquiry to the vast storehouse of human knowledge. The primary purpose of their discourse is to demonstrate the positive benefits to humanity when Biblical (religious) perspectives underpin every human endeavor. These endeavors include (but are not limited to) family relations, national and international relations, engineering, science and technology, economics, history, education and health. These endeavors dictate human progress. Gibbs and Grey contend that humanity can realize the greater ideals of leadership and authority in the world through the application of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the great prophets. The authors appeal to leaders of the 21st century - educational, political, scientific, and business to seek the knowledge, wisdom and understanding of God in using our vast global "natural" wealth, science, technology and human capital to educe relevant and applicable strategies for the betterment of "all" humanity. Genre: (Christianity, Religion/Inspirational, Religion/Enlightenment & Philosophy (General)
The definitive guide to all things Mardi Gras . . . past and present! From Twelfth Night to Ash Wednesday, New Orleans is transformed. Queens and fools, demons and dragons reign over the Crescent City. This vividly photographed book is a lively, comprehensive history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Fascinating and intimate, this book seamlessly intertwines the past with the present.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable and lucidly written book. The author provides an accurately reconstructed history of his family from an African slave trader named Jasinto in the eighteenth century to the year 2013. Also a series of lessons on doing genealogical research is supplied in the appendixes. It is a riveting and a must read for those who study the African American experience and the history of slavery in America.
Thoughts to Enlighten and Empower the Mind is a compilation of two thousand and one questions and philosophical thoughts extracted from the authors seminal work, Five Foundations of Human Development. These thoughts follow the same chronology of information that helps to promote fulfilling lives through human development from spiritual, moral, social, intellectual, and physical perspectives. The authors proffer that human beings possess the capacity to rise to a higher state of civilization when we allow our thoughts to permeate our minds with hope and optimism for the future of humanity. Gibbs and Grey support the premise put forward by many great writers who contend that our thoughts determine happiness and effectiveness in life. Our thoughts and our emotions have a great influence on our carnal impulses and desires. We nurture good and bad thoughts, and human effort alone is insufficient to properly manage them. Negative thoughts establish barriers to communications and harmonious living. Positive thoughts radiate harmony among individuals and nations. More importantly, those in positions of great power who lead humanity, must, by their thoughts, help to create a better world, or inadvertently plunge humanity into great chaos as has been recorded in six-thousand years of human history. Only a mind that is free of unhealthy thoughts transcends a life of fulfillment. Positive thoughts permeate our beings and open up new frontiers of positive leadership for the modern age. The global significance of this book is that it informs a more communal view of our world by virtue of the conditioning of our thoughts. It will help inform, enlighten, and empower the minds of leaders to embrace every field of endeavor, including engineering, science, religion, politics, the military, and the environment. This will be accomplished with the most vital, creative, and positive thoughts that rise to a high level of responsibility for the betterment of all humanity.
This book presents new insights into the etiology and pathogenesis of systemic diseases recently discovered to be due to specific defects in molecular assemblies, organelles, or other subcellular structures. This new information, of great importance to medical students, physicians, and basic scientists, has not been incorporated into major medical textbooks.The volume will be an important resource for medical or graduate students, investigators and physicians, as it covers major new insights into diverse diseases and concepts missing from pathology textbooks. Each of the eight chapters in the book is written by a leader in the field.
Caught on camera prior to their demise, this book reveals the surprisingly rich photographic record of now-extinct animals. A photograph of an animal long-gone evokes a feeling of loss more than a painting ever can. Often tinted sepia or black-and-white, these images were mainly taken in zoos or wildlife parks, and in a handful of cases featured the last known individual of the species. There are some familiar examples, such as Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon, or the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, recently fledged and perching happily on the hat of one of the biologists that had just ringed it. But for every Martha there are a number of less familiar extinct birds and mammals that were caught on camera. The photographic record of extinction is the focus of this remarkable book, written by the world's leading authority on vanished animals, Errol Fuller. Lost Animals features photographs dating from around 1870 to as recently as 2004, the year that saw the demise of the Hawaiian Po'ouli. From a mother Thylacine and her pups to now-extinct birds such as the Heath Hen and Carolina Parakeet, Fuller tells the tale of each animal, why it became extinct, and discusses the circumstances surrounding the photography itself, in a book rich with unique images. The photographs themselves are poignant and compelling. They provide a tangible link to animals that have now vanished forever, in a book that brings the past to life while delivering a warning for the future.
Whether it was Jane Campion's The Piano, Mel Gibson in Mad Max, Paul Hogan in Crocodile Dundee, or The Lord of the Rings saga, we have all experienced the cinema of Australia and New Zealand. This book is an introduction and guide to the film of Australia and New Zealand. With entries on many exceptional producers, directors, writers and actors, as well as the films indicated above and many others, this reference also presents the early pioneers, the film companies and government bodies, and much more in its hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries. Through a chronology that shows how far these cinemas have come in a short time and an introduction that presents them more broadly, a clear portrait of the two countries' motion pictures emerge. The bibliography is an excellent source for further reading.
Now in its fifth hardcover printing, Deadline Artists celebrates the relevance of the newspaper column through the simple power of excellent writing. It is an inspiration for a new generation of writers— whether their medium is print or digital—looking to learn from the best of their predecessors. Contributors include: Jimmy Breslin, Ernie Pyle, Dorothy Thompson, Thomas L. Friedman, David Brooks, Ernest Hemingway, Will Rogers, Langston Hughes, Woody Guthrie, Ambrose Bierce, Mark Twain, H.L. Mencken, Art Buchwald, William F. Buckley, Dave Barry, Anna Quindlen, George Will, and Pete Hamill.
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