Rackham's Color
Illustrations for Wagner's "Ring" Paperback –
by Arthur
Rackham (Illustrator)
"His pictures, which
seemed to me then [aged 13] to be the very music made visible, plunged me a few
fathoms deeper into my delight. I have seldom coveted anything as I coveted
that book." — C.S. Lewis
Before portraying Wagner's "Ring," Arthur Rackham (1867–1939) had
become England's leading illustrator through his interpretations of fairy and
fantastic books: Grimm's Fairy Tales, Rip van Winkle, Peter
Pan in Kensington Gardens, A Midsummer-Night's Dream. With his
insight into elves, twisted oaks, and bearded heroes, Wagner was the logical
step: with the "Ring," Rackham brought his talent for ethereal
watercolor and line into new realms of adult mythology.
This edition reproduces, in full color, all 64 watercolor illustrations
from Siegfried & The Twilight of the Gods (1911) and The
Rhinegold & The Valkyrie (1912). The original English and American
editions also contained black-and-white vignettes and tailpieces, a selection
of which appear here: the original text, a dated English translation of the
libretto, has been replaced by comprehensive descriptive captions and an
introduction by James Spero.
Rackham poured all his mature fancy into the "Ring." The gnarled
Nibelung Alberich sports with teasing Rhinemaidens, fiery Loge and lordly Wotan
tussle with giants and serpents. An ecstatic Brünnhilde is finally consumed on
Siegfried's funeral pyre in perhaps the most successful representation of this
scene anywhere, either graphically or theatrically. Wagner's Teutonic forests
and caves give Rackham free reign for his brooding, haunting nature
backgrounds; characters, costumes, and all the tiny details are painted with
such textual accuracy and empathy that today's opera companies who wish to
return to staging the "Ring" in the traditional manner turn to
Rackham's paintings for guidance.
The painstaking reproduction of these artworks brings Arthur Rackham's most
heroic visions to the many collectors and admirers who cannot obtain the
expensive out-of-print editions. With the aid of the clear captions, the
Wagnerian cycle may be followed once again in its most time-honored and rich
interpretation. - Amazon
Reframe Your Brain: The User
Interface for Happiness and Success (The Scott Adams Success Series) Paperback
by Scott
Adams (Author), Joshua
Lisec (Editor)
In Reframe Your
Brain, Scott Adams, the contrarian genius behind Dilbert and
author of the most influential personal success book of all time—How to Fail
at Almost Everything and Still Win Big—gives you the complete operating
system for lasting happiness.
Are you familiar with this
old saying?
“All publicity is good
publicity.”
That’s a classic reframe.
The quote shifts your thinking from the shame of whatever you did wrong to your
probable benefit. You can’t change the past, but you can change how you feel
about it.
Trained hypnotist and
persuasion expert Scott Adams has packed more than 160 new, counterintuitive,
and effective reframes into Reframe Your Brain. For example:
Usual Frame:
Manage your time.
Reframe:
Manage your energy.
Usual Frame:
Success depends on who you know.
Reframe:
Success depends on how many people you know.
Usual Frame:
Your critics are evil monsters.
Reframe:
Your critics are your mascots.
Usual Frame:
The universe is acting against you.
Reframe:
The universe owes you.
Usual Frame:
Luck is random and can’t be managed.
Reframe:
You can go where there is more luck (more energy).
These instant
perspective-shifters will help you feel better on demand and succeed at any
endeavor without the usual pain or pitfalls. The reframe collection covers
personal fulfillment, business and career success, mental health, social
activities, and physical well-being. If only 10 percent of the reframes work
for you, your life will never be the same.
Prepare to embark on a
journey of transformation as Scott Adams shares his most invaluable insights
and practical techniques to date, empowering you to reprogram your own reality
using words alone. - Amazon
I have had Rackham's 'Ring' Illustrations on the Wish List for a long time, but I must confess that I only finally ordered it so I would be eligible for free shipping. Still, it is nice to have all the pictures in one place.
But I was really intrigued with Scott Adams' Reframe Your Brain, not least because he has been reading thee reframes out on his show, Coffee with Scott Adams. They impress me as alternate narratives by which to understand one's life, not mindless peptalks but alternate and valid ways of looking at a situation. As he says, not all of them may apply to your situation, but if ten of them do your life will be improved. Maybe so, if I can remember to apply them.
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