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DIGITAL BABYLON

Name: DIGITAL BABYLON
Author: John Geirland
ISBN: 1-55970-483-7

HOW THE GEEKS, THE SUITS, AND THE PONYTAILS FOUGHT TO BRING HOLLYWOOD TO THE INTERNET

by John Geirland & Eva Sonesh Kedar ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1999

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Another peek inside the unfolding universe of the World Wide Web. A broad cast of characters from a variety of backgrounds and work experiences (hence the subtitle) populates this short chronology, which looks at what has been accomplished in the brief history of interactive entertainment on the Internet. Geirland, who writes for Wired and the Los Angeles Times, and Kedar, a management consultant, cover only a few ventures and give little background or explanation as to why some are included or what might be left out. The introductory section covers the birth and short life of “The Spot,” a quirky Web-based production that combined elements of television soap opera and call-in radio. Another start-up, “The Greenhouse,” helped pioneer some of the tools and interactive uses of the Web environment. Larger ventures, such as the Microsoft Network, (MSN) did not suffer from lack of capital or talent but erred in their premature assessment of which way the Internet was developing. Rapid growth, deadline crunches, shifting competition, and lack of business savvy were shared problems as these and other companies struggled to succeed. Many of them generated material while grounded in creative bases in southern California that were awkwardly opposed to the technology-based teams working to the north. The authors claim that “online entertainment failed” in these and other efforts because it was too different from established practices, but they add that it’s already “coming back” because of demand from the huge Web audience. All this may be true, but their poorly organized presentation makes the argument hard to follow. Meandering and erratic; rarely imparts any meaningful understanding of the topic it covers.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999

ISBN: 1-55970-483-7

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Arcade

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.