Second Takes presents the history of English language cinema by focusing on cinematic remakes and on how cinema has been replaced by new forms of "media." Remakes, with their innate plurality, offer the most substance for concentrated cultural analysis of how movies reflect and shape American culture. Analyzing the archetypes that recur in this culture reveals how movies are an increasingly dangerous surrogate for the actual. Close readings are presented of such works as popular favorites as Cronenberg's Crash, Disney's The Parent Trap, Ferrara's Bad Lieutenant, Hitchcock's Psycho, Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, Lynch's Twin Peaks (the film) and Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons, while unearthing pictures ripe for rediscovery such as One More Tomorrow, Strange Illusion and Andy Warhol's Vinyl. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

The first collection of essays devoted to the phenomenon of the film sequel.

When General Robert E. Lee took command of the Confederate forces defending Richmond in June of 1862, he was famous yet little known. How Lee's background and training prepared him for his supreme trial is shown on the following pages. - from the book.

If you like Downton Abbey, you’ll love Mrs. Jeffries! NOW IN ONE VOLUME—THREE VICTORIAN MYSTERIES FEATURING MRS. JEFFRIES A DETECTIVE IN THE HOUSE Everyone’s awed by Inspector Witherspoon’s Scotland Yard successes, but they don’t know about his secret weapon. Her name is Mrs. Jeffries, and she keeps house for the Inspector—and keeps him on his toes. No matter how messy the murder or how dirty the deed, her polished detection skills are up to the task. Because as she knows all too well, a crimesolver’s work is never done…. Mrs. Jeffries Takes Stock A businessman has been murdered—and it could be because he cheated his stockholders. The housekeeper’s interest is piqued…and when it comes to catching killers, the smart money’s on Mrs. Jeffries. Mrs. Jeffries on the Ball A festive Jubilee celebration turns into a fatal affair—and Mrs. Jeffries must find the guilty party… Mrs. Jeffries on the Trail Why was Annie Shields out selling flowers so late on a foggy night? And more important, who killed her while she was doing it? It’s up to Mrs. Jeffries to sniff out the clues…

Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.