Watching Paint Dry


Book Description

John Burbidge has aimed his brush, roller, and spray gun at everything from ritzy mansions to trashy trailers. He's gone underground to paint sewage-treatment plants and risked death to paint factory ceilings. He has no doubt inhaled enough noxious dust and paint fumes to shorten his life. But he's not dead yet. And the captivating characters he has encountered along the way have more than offset the toils of painting for a living. Ex-cons, addicts, drifting college grads, even a guy with a hole in his head-that's your typical paint crew, bonded only by the fact that they're caught in a job society thinks is for simpletons. In Watching Paint Dry, John Burbidge scrapes beneath the surface of painting's reputation for monotony while intimately portraying the men and women who craft the backdrop to our civilization. "Informative, funny, and sometimes heartbreaking . . . this is a book you will want to recommend to everyone you know." --Sharon Barrett, Chicago Sun-Times book critic for 28 years




Grammar: It's More Fun Than Watching Paint Dry


Book Description

Are you tired of grammar books that put you to sleep? Look no further! "Grammar: It's more fun than watching paint dry" is here to inject some excitement into your language learning journey. In this book, you'll find a refreshing take on grammar, with witty examples and clever explanations that will help you master even the trickiest concepts. Okay, they’re mostly “dad” jokes but at least I try. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, this book will help you conquer grammar in a way that's engaging and enjoyable. Say goodbye to the days of dry, tedious grammar lessons and hello to a new, exciting way of learning. You'll be amazed at how much fun grammar can be when you have the right tools and approach. Well, maybe not, but it is more fun than watching paint dry! So, what are you waiting for? Let's dive in and discover the joy of grammar together!




Unwatchable


Book Description

"We all have images that we find unwatchable, whether for ethical, political, or sensory-affective reasons. From news coverage of terror attacks to viral videos of police brutality, and from graphic horror films to incendiary artworks that provoke mass boycotts, many of the images in our media culture strike as beyond the pale of consumption. Yet what does it mean to proclaim a media object "unwatchable": disturbing, revolting, poor, tedious, or literally inaccessible? Appealing to a broad academic and general readership, Unwatchable offers multidisciplinary approaches to the vast array of troubling images that circulate in our global visual culture, from cinema, television, and video games through museums and classrooms to laptops, smart phones, and social media platforms. This anthology assembles 60 original essays by scholars, theorists, critics, archivists, curators, artists, and filmmakers who offer their own responses to the broadly suggestive question: What do you find unwatchable? The diverse answers include iconoclastic artworks that have been hidden from view, dystopian images from the political sphere, horror movies, TV advertisements, classic films, and recent award-winners"--




The Significance Impulse


Book Description

Why should we strive to be important? Does it make our lives go better if we are especially significant? The Significance Impulse argues that the common impulse to seek exceptionally high levels of significance is misguided. Although many people strive to be extraordinarily significant, ultimately cosmic importance is out of reach for us. And though we do matter somewhat, it can be a liberating relief to take a more irreverent stance towards our lives and embrace our unimportance. This book is a testament to being ordinary.







Your Life is Not a Label


Book Description

Jerry Newport, diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome / High Functioning Autism at age 47, wrote this book for those with developmental disorders, but it resonates with people with any disability. His message: everyone has the power, and the right, to improve the quality of their lives despite their disability. Don't believe you must be "normal" to be happy; learn to co-exist with neuro-typicals, and become the best human being you can be. Jerry candidly reveals his own failures and successes. His heartfelt advice stems from a deep sense of caring for "his people" on the spectrum. If you read only one personal account about autism, this should be it!




Unlocking English: Essential Idioms for Fluent English (part 1)


Book Description

Discover the charm of English idioms with this easy-to-understand guide! Ideal for beginners and intermediate learners, this book makes learning idioms simple and fun. Unlock the secrets of idioms to make your English more colourful and exciting. Each idiom comes alive with helpful examples and stories, helping you sound more like a native speaker. Start your enjoyable journey into the fascinating world of English idioms today!




Art & Science


Book Description

For the first time, the award-winning Education Department of the J. Paul Getty Museum is making one of its much-lauded K–12 curricula available nationwide in an attractive and inexpensive print format. Art & Science was developed by the Getty’s expert educators, scientists, curators, and conservators, and tested by classroom teachers, and it connects to national and California state standards. Teachers and parents will find engaging lessons and activities divided into beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels for step-by-step learning. Art & Science mines the treasures of the Getty Museum to explore the many intersections of the visual arts with scientific disciplines. Full-color images of antiquities, decorative arts, drawings, manuscripts, painting, photography, and sculpture illuminate lesson plans about, for example: • The laws of physics that keep a bronze sculpture of a juggler from tipping over • The science that allows photographers to manipulate light and capture images on paper • The processes of radiation and convection that turn clay into porcelain • Scientific observation of the natural world as the subject for art • How scientists removed 2,000 years of oxidation and encrustation to reveal a priceless ancient sculpture The curriculum also contains a trove of resources, including handouts, “Questions for Teaching,” a timeline, glossary, and list of print and web sources for further research. There are also links to additional related lessons and images available on the Getty website. The full-page color images and special “lay flat” binding of Art & Science make it ideal for use with a digital document reader.





Book Description




Greatest Poems On Planet Earth in the 21st Century


Book Description

These are the greatest Earth poems of the Early 21st Century as determined by The League. The most obscure fictional critics who have appeared in the pages of the Great Space Alien Novels of yore have, in their machinations, also lent tacit-ephemeral, imaginary praise to this magnificent tome of verse. Alice says strat-tea-tackfully, every poem must have a pie thrown at it to lend it color and flavor, but there are rumbles in the world where every blade of grass cries, and as we run through it, it tries to comb the hair of our sorrows. By the Poet Laureate of the Primitive Planets, (Milky Way Division), Category 15297xt7388. Recommended study manual for the curriculum of the Backward-Planet-Studies Department of the League of Benevolent Galaxies.