Books for Prep | |
 - A Buffet of InsightA buffet of insight, May 11, 2008 By T. Veneruso "film director" (los angeles, ca) - See all my reviews Delicious, mouth-watering, hysterical, smart, and scientific this book is directly in sync with my idea of a great book. I laughed, I cried, and I learned A LOT!!! Thanks so much to Jonah for putting these ideas together for me. I loved the book and am gushing too much about it. I'd love to tell you things I hate about it (since it is always nice to know the reviewer was being at least somewhat critical) but honestly I learned so much that I can't think of a negative thing to write. Thanks Jonah! I don't know you but wish I did for a nice cup of tea and a tasty biscuit. -Tara Rating: - MarvelousThis is a wonderful, incredibly thought-provoking work. It will change the way you think about Proust and Cezanne and great art in general. And it will also change the way you think about your brain. He's also a great speaker! Rating: - fabulous read This is an imaginative, interesting read and it's worth a try if you have any interest in the link between neurology and everyday experiences of the highly creative people written about. Rating: - BrilliantI'm an artist and I found this book to be extremely inspiring. Our culture has really devalued art. As the author notes, we associate art with entertainment and aesthetics. But this book is an inspiring survey of some great artists who were much more than mere entertainers. They did much more than just make pretty things. Rather, they used their art as investigations into experience and the mind. This book is a beautiful reminder that art can be an ally of science as we try to learn about human nature, how the brain works and the mystery of experience. I loved this quote from the book: "We are such stuff as dreams are made on, but we are also just stuff." Rating:  - Complete Fabrication of HistoryI am no neuroscientist but I can tell you this...Monet did not go blind at the end of his life; in fact he had had cataract surgery and his vision was restored. He didn't have glaucoma. Also, no one ever went insane in front of a Cezanne painting. Cezanne was not unsuccessful. He did not sell paintings on the sidewalk in Paris. He had many admirers and buyers for his art. Cezanne's early works were not non-representational -- they were very representational. It is so depressing that someone can write this crap and other people unquestioningly buy it. In association with Amazon.com | |