In this book Lev Manovich offers the first systematic and rigorous theory of new media. He places new media within the histories of visual and media cultures of the last few centuries. He discusses new media's reliance on conventions of old media, such as the rectangular frame and mobile camera, and shows how new media works create the illusion of reality, address the viewer, and represent space. He also analyzes categories and forms unique to new media, such as interface and database.
Manovich uses concepts from film theory, art history, literary theory, and computer science and also develops new theoretical constructs, such as cultural interface, spatial montage, and cinegratography. The theory and history of cinema play a particularly important role in the book. Among other topics, Manovich discusses parallels between the histories of cinema and of new media, digital cinema, screen and montage in cinema and in new media, and historical ties between avant-garde film and new media.
TMS - Understanding the Holocaust
Professor David Engel (New York University)
14 lectures [30 minutes/lecture]
In Understanding the Holocaust, Professor David Engel of New York University examines the encounter between Germany’s Third Reich and the Jews of the twenty European countries that fell under Nazi domination between 1933 and 1945.
Over the last two decades the historical focus has shifted from viewing events in a simple historical context to a more integrative perspective. This set offers a multidimensional picture of primarily Western civilization, covering
Ancient Egypt (2675-332 B.C.E.),
Ancient Greece and Rome (1200 B.C.E.-476 C.E.),
Medieval Europe (814-1450 C.E.),
Renaissance Europe (1300-1600 C.E.), and
The Age of the Baroque and Enlightenment (1600-1800 C.E.). Similar in organization to Gale's American Eras and World Eras lines, the work exposes readers to each historical period through the study of nine different arts and humanities topics: "Architecture and Design," "Dance," "Fashion," "Literature," "Music," "Philosophy," "Religion," "Theater," and "Visual Arts." Each topic area is treated in a different chapter, but the connections between topics are highlighted both in the text and through cross-referencing. The result is a broader and more inclusive picture of the culture of each period, emphasizing connections between, for example, religion, dance, and literature or between the visual arts and architecture...
The Encyclopedia of Science and Religion reflects the breathtaking scope and pluralistic character of this ongoing dialogue. It is the most comprehensive work of its kind, and it is designed to be accessible to a wide readership from high school students to independent researchers and academics. Anyone fascinated by the ever-evolving impact of the sciences on religious belief in a global context will find the Encyclopedia a rich resource, for the historical relationship between science and religion certainly ranges from harmony and mutual support to stormy periods of intense conflict.