Clyfford Still

Wikipedia - "Clyfford Still (November 30, 1904 – June 23, 1980) was an American painter, and one of the leading figures of Abstract Expressionism."
Wikipedia, Clyfford Still, Google, YouTube - Clyfford Still Unveiled, at the DENVER ART MUSEUM

A State of the Flowers Report - Joe Brainard

Flower Painting IV, 1967, mixed-media collage
"Well, the apple blossoms are gone of course. No more tulips. No more daffodils. No more dandelions. (Such big ones I’ve never seen before.) Nothing left of them now but random white balls of fuzz, lurking in obscure corners the wind finds hard to get at, evidently. And the forget-me-nots are decidedly on their way out. Though not to be forgotten. As we love them just that much. Some modest lavender irises have just bloomed. ..."
The Paris Review, amazon: The Collected Writings of Joe Brainard (Library of America)

2010 November: Joe Brainard - "I Remember"
2010 August: Angel Hair / Joe Brainard
2009 February: Joe Brainard

Robert Wyatt - "Sea Song"

"Robert Wyatt & Annie Whitehead's Soup Song play the 'Sea Song' from the most popular RW record 'Rock Bottom', which had been released in 1974 as the 2nd Robert Wyatt Solo Album."
YouTube - Robert Wyatt & Annie Whitehead "Sea Song", September the Ninth, Gharbadzegi, Left on man, FREE WILL AND TESTAMENT

Broken Strings, Plastic Tubes and Bedside Serenades - Neil Wiernik

"These may be the least drone-like drones in recent memory -- or, perhaps more to the point, the most drone-like melodies in recent memory. Certainly the music on Neil Wiernik's Broken Strings, Plastic Tubes and Bedside Serenades has the thick slow-motion ooze of the best down-spectrum haze, of the most bass-veering ambient music: dense figurations that hover just above the ground, more Tule fog than cumulous cloud. "
disquiet (Video), phoniq (Video)

Hurt - Johnny Cash

"Johnny Cash died less than four months after his wife, on September 12, 2003, while hospitalized at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. He was buried next to his wife in Hendersonville Memory Gardens near his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee."
YouTube - Hurt

6 Decades Books

"I drove up to the NY Book Art Fair last weekend with Brian Cassidy. I was very impressed with 6 Decades Books. A great selection of material that is a bit more representative of the art market than the mags and mimeo that we post here, but the focus on artist's books and the book as an object is right on point. 6 Decades reprinted Germano Celant's Book as Artwork 1960-1972, which I was ashamed to be unaware of."
MimeoMimeo, 6 Decades: BOOK AS ARTWORK 1960/1972, by Germano Celant, 6 Decades Books

RRRecords

Wikipedia - "RRRecords (based in Lowell, Massachusetts) is a used and new record shop. RRRecords is distinguished as being the first American record label to specifically publish underground noise music in the early 1980s, and published the first American vinyl by Merzbow, Masonna, The Hanatarash, Violent Onsen Geisha, and many more artists who have subsequently become well known in the world of noise music. In its first 20 years, RRR has issued hundreds of releases. The label's owner, Ron Lessard, is a tireless supporter of new artists, and created several sub-labels and series to specifically highlight unknown and underground musicians."
Wikipedia, RRRecords, Tumblr, YouTube - RRR

Bert Jansch (November 1943 – October 2011)

Wikipedia - "Herbert Jansch (November 1943 - October 2011), known as Bert Jansch, is a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and, in the 1960s, he was heavily influenced by the guitarist Davey Graham and folk singers such as Anne Briggs. He is best known as an innovative and accomplished acoustic guitarist but is also a singer and songwriter"
Wikipedia, YouTube - Reynardine, Moonshine, There comes a time/Fresh as a sweet sunday morning, Blues Run The Game, It Don't Bother Me, Fool's Mate, Katie Cruel, The Auld Triangle

April 2010: Bert Jansch

Robert Filliou

"MAI 22, 1973 8:29 to 8:32 A.M. CALENDAR, 1973"
Wikipedia - "Robert Filliou (Born January 17, 1926, in Sauve, France - Died December 2, 1987, in Les Eyzies, France) was a French Fluxus artist, who produced works as a filmmaker, 'action poet,' sculptor, and happenings maestro."
Wikipedia, Art's Birthday/ Mississauga, Google, Real Space-Time Poipoidrom No. 1 - Extension, Six Fillious Reading, YouTube - And So on, End So Soon: Done 3 times (1977), L'esclave

John Zorn - Filmworks Anthology : 20 Years of Soundtrack Music

"With Zorn's half century birthday bash being celebrated through all manner of wonderful releases, this fantastic anthology brings together a hand-picked selection from the man himself including pieces composed over a twenty year period for well over 30 soundtracks and commercials. Standing at the regal total of 16, Zorn's 'Filmwork' series has contained some of the most engaging music ever committed to tape, ranging from desolate soundscapes and haunting orchestral dalliances, through to hillbilly punk and avant-jazz introspection."
Boomkat, amazon, YouTube - Ruan, Shaolin Spirit, Shanghai, Vocal Phase, Bamboo Forest, Tashlikh, Marking Time, Filming

Warm and Cool - Tom Verlaine

"Tom Verlaine borrows his name from the 19th century French symbolist poet Paul Verlaine, and nowhere in his 20-year catalog does Tom Verlaine's music more closely follow his namesake's poetic philosophy than on 'Warm and Cool'. 'Warm and Cool' was recorded with the help of Television band-mates Fred Smith and Billy Ficca (also of Verlaine's earlier band, Neon Boys), as well as Jay Dee Daugherty (The Church) and Patrick A. Derivaz, who helped engineer Television's 1992 self-titled album."
Thrill Jockey, amazon, YouTube - Spiritual, Saucer Crash, The Deep Dark Clouds

House of the Vettii

Wikipedia - "In Pompeii one of the most famous of the luxurious residences (domus) is the so-called House of the Vettii, preserved like the rest of the Roman city by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. The house is named for its owners, two successful freedmen: Aulus Vettius Conviva, an Augustalis, and Aulus Vettius Restitutus."
Wikipedia, BBC, Google, YouTube - Meditation on the House of the Vettii, Pompeii

Tuxedomoon

Wikipedia - "Tuxedomoon is an experimental post-punk/New Wave group formed in San Francisco, California, consisting of core members Blaine L. Reininger, Steven Brown and Peter Principle."
Wikipedia, Tuxedomoon, Paris Transatlantic, YouTube - In A Manner of Speaking..., Desire, In Heaven, Everything you want, Atlantis, Holy wars, The Waltz, Victims of the Dance, Incubus(Blue Suit), 59 to 1
UbuWeb: The Super-8 Years With Tuxedomoon

Sun Ra: Lectric PreVue

"On Tuesday, November 9th, Philly-based audio-visual innovator duo, Rucyl Mills & King Britt of SATURN NEVER SLEEPS (SNS) are returning to Brooklyn's Knitting Factory along with DJ Spinna, Mike Slott, Snack n Cmish, and Moustachio in support of Paris-based producer, ONRA's much anticipated debut performance (check out my interview with him later)."
SOUND IS VIBRATION: INTERVIEW with Rucyl Mills & King Britt of SATURN NEVER SLEEPS (Video), vimeo - Sun Ra:Lectric Sun Ra Tribute at ICA, Saturn Never Sleeps

100 Days of Summer

"I’ve spent two summers pacing up and down the boiling blocks of Brooklyn and the Bronx trying to capture the playful festival-like energy of these New York City streets, and fire hydrants are what best exemplify this energy. When the valves are open, they release an incredible amount of happiness, pride and mischievous ingenuity. Water brings communities together, crystalizes a moment of euphoria, and relieves its liberators from the summer heat."
Charles Le Brigand, flickr

Low-Life - New Order

Wikipedia - "Low-Life is the third studio album by English rock band New Order. Released in May 1985 by Qwest Records, Low-Life is considered to be among New Order's strongest work, displaying the moment in which the band completed its transformation from post-punk hold-overs to dance rock pioneers. The album shows New Order's increased incorporation of synthesizers and samplers, while still preserving the rock aspects of their earlier work."
Wikipedia, YouTube - Perfect Kiss, Perfect Kiss (10 minutes version), This Time of Night, Sunrise, Subculture, Shell Shock, State Of The Nation

Dub Box: 14 Killer Dubs From The Dubmaster 7x7" - King Tubby

"14 sides of killer analog dubs from the dubmaster himself, King Tubby! Dub Box is a beautifully presented set of seven 7"s featuring rare version sides taken from Bunny Striker Lee's original 70's 45 releases and a few bonus tracks from King Tubby's first four albums. These are excellent early examples of the master at work , dubbing out classic tracks from Horace Andy, Johnny Clarke, Cornell Campbell, Linval Thompson, and others."
Turntable Lab, YouTube - Roots Of Dub, Dreadlocks Dub, A Better Version, A Good Version, Declaration Of Dub, A Truthful Dub, The Jahovah Version, Conversation Dub, Waltzing Mathilda, Move Out Of Babylon Dub, Don't Cut Off Your Dreadlocks, A Rougher Version

Photograph Database

"The Photograph Database contains more than 500 photographs of Charles Olson and his family, friends and correspondents. The Collection includes original photographs owned by Charles Olson, original photographs or copies of original prints donated to the Archives, and reference prints (copies) made by the Archives for publication or preservation."
Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center

LL Cool J

Wikipedia - "James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), better known as LL Cool J (abbreviation for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor. He is known for romantic ballads such as 'I Need Love', 'Around the Way Girl' and 'Hey Lover' as well as pioneering hip-hop such as 'I Can't Live Without My Radio', 'I'm Bad', 'The Boomin' System', and 'Mama Said Knock You Out'."
Wikipedia, GQ: Exclusive: The Arrival of LL Cool J, YouTube - I Can't Live Without My Radio, I'm Bad, Going Back To Cali, Jingling Baby, The Boomin' System, Mama Said Knock You Out, Hey Lover, I Need Love, Around The Way Girl

"Autopsicografia" - Fernando Pessoa

"There are at least 16 English translations of the poem 'Autopsicografia' by the late Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa (1888 - 1935). In fact, one translator, George Monteiro, has perpetrated two distinct versions. This web site allows one to view any three of these translations, or the original, simultaneously. Simply select a translator (or Pessoa) from the index. Click here for more information on Pessoa, 'Autopsicografia,' and this site."
Passoa's Trunk - 13+ ways of looking at a poem

Big Science - Laurie Anderson

Wikipedia - "Big Science is the 1982 debut album by avant-garde artist Laurie Anderson and the first of a 7-album deal she signed with Warner Bros. Records. It is best known for the 8-minute epic 'O Superman', which reached #2 in the UK."
Wikipedia, Pitchfork, YouTube: O Superman - Laurie Anderson - as displayed in the MOMA, New York, Let X = X, Strange Angels - Laurie Anderson Live in San Remo 2001, Walking & Falling

Posters from the Paris Protests, 1968

"Two hundred posters from the May 1968 protests are collected in Beauty Is in the Street, published by Four Corners Press."
The Paris Review, May 1968: A Graphic Uprising, amazon: Beauty Is in the Street: A Visual Record of the May '68 Paris Uprising

Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain

Wikipedia - "The Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, often known simply as the Fondation Cartier, is a contemporary art museum located at 261 boulevard Raspail in the 14th arrondissement of the French capital, Paris. It is open daily except Monday; an admission fee is charged. The foundation was created in 1984 by the Cartier SA firm as a center for contemporary art that presents exhibits by established artists, offers young artists a chance to debut, and incorporates works into its collection. In 1994 it moved to its current location in a building designed by architect Jean Nouvel with garden landscaping by Lothar Baumgarten."
Wikipedia, Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, YouTube - L'homme Miroir / Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain

Winged boy with Dolphin - Andrea del Verrocchio

Putto with Dolphin del Verrocchio
"Somewhere between 1465 and 1480, Andrea del Verrocchio created a bronze Putto (winged boy) with a dolphin, which was intended for a fountain in the Medici villa of Careggi. It was later brought to Florence for a fountain in the Palazzo della Signoria by the Grand Duke Cosimo de’Medici."
Wikipedia, W - Andrea del Verrocchio

Maximum Reich 2.0

"To celebrate the 75th birthday of Steve Reich (born October 3, 1936) and the second birthday of Q2 Music (born October 8, 2009), we're presenting a renewed and rejuvenated version of our first full festival, Maximum Reich: A Celebration of Steve Reich. With additional pieces, live performance recordings, interviews and hosted segments, Maximum Reich 2.0 promises a nexus of activity, nostalgic and forward-looking, all celebrating this major composer's major career."
WQXR, Slate: Looming Towers, Nonesuch: WTC 9/11 (Video)

2008 February: Steve Reich
2010 October: Double Sextet
2010 December: South Bank Show
2011 February: Different Trains
2011 June: Music for pieces of wood

Hassan Khan

"Hassan Khan is one of Cairo´s young multi-talents. He studied English and comparative literature at the American University in Cairo and now makes video-films and -installations, composes music (e.g. for plays staged by the director Ahmed El Attar and the choreographer Karima Mansour), and writes as an author, journalist and translator."
culture base, Hassan Khan, YouTube - The Big One at The Queens Museum of Art, part 1, part 2, 100live electronic music festival 2009">100live electronic music festival 2009, Discusses his show The Hidden Location at The Queens Museum of Art, Art Biennale 2011

James Blagden

"Cookie-cutter, Mickey Mouse, DIY visual artists pop-up like windows in an Explorer Web browser; fortunately, an intelligent artist named James Blagden, a professional illustrator, can bridge current events, race and raw coolness through illustrations that offer greater insight than an hour of bubble gum news with Anderson Cooper."
Format Mag, James Blagden, Full Frontal Fashion, YouTube - No Mas Presents: Dock Ellis & The LSD No-No, No Mas Presents: GFOS vs GOAT

Crooked Stills - EP Friends Of Fall

"If you’ve been following the world of nu-folk and bluegrass, you already know all about Crooked Still. The critically acclaimed band (The Boston Globe has called them Boston’s most important folk group) is about to go on hiatus – Aoife O’Donovon, who wrote 'Lay My Burden Down' for Alison Krauss on Paper Airplane, will focus on her songwriting career."
American Songwriter (Video)

Craig Thompson

Wikipedia - "Craig Matthew Thompson (born September 21, 1975 in Traverse City, Michigan) is a graphic novelist best known for his 2003 work Blankets."
Wikipedia, doot doot garden, Habibi, Guardian: Habibi by Craig Thompson – review, Top Shelf Productions

Shannon Ebner

The electric comma (A language of exposures) (2011)
"Shannon Ebner’s work centers on a do-it-yourself alphabet of handmade letters and signs temporarily placed—and strategically displaced— in public contexts. The artist sets language in the service of photography, her cryptic messages captured and fixed in black-and-white photographs."
Whitney, WALLSPACE, ARTFORUM, YouTube - Shannon Ebner's Giant Ampersand - Washington/Centinela (long), vimeo: Shannon Ebner - Between Words Pause

d.a. levy

Wikipedia - "d.a. levy (October 29, 1942 – November 24, 1968), born Darryl Alfred Levy (later changed to Darryl Allan Levy), was an American poet, artist, and alternative publisher active during the 1960s, based in Cleveland, Ohio."
Wikipedia, RealityStudio, The d.a. levy collection, Literary Kicks, Deep Cleveland, a d.a.levy satellite, The Epic of d.a.levy, jacket 34: Reading levy in Cleveland, The Dhrma Eye of d.a.levy by Gary Snyder, YouTube - d.a. levy film trailer

Funkadelic - One Nation Under A Groove (a DeeJ. Valavanis promise2funk edit)

"Funkadelic and its sister act Parliament, both led by the genius George Clinton, are the P-Funk pioneers (P-Funk is an idiosyncratic yet fruitful mix of psychedelic rock, soul and funk) and responsible for the funk music explosion in the 70s. Their live shows were c-ra-zyyy…"
Soundcloud

The Beat

Wikipedia - "The Beat (known in North America as The English Beat) are a 2 Tone ska revival band founded in England in 1978. Their songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock, and their lyrics deal with themes of love, unity and sociopolitical topics."
Wikipedia, YouTube - Mirror in the Bathroom, Doors of Your Heart, Tears Of A Clown, Save It For Later, All Out To Get You, Big Shot, Save It For Later, Too Nice To Talk To

Saint Mark's Place

Wikipedia - "Saint Mark's Place is a street in the East Village neighborhood of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is named after St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery on 10th Street at Second Avenue. St. Mark's Place, which is a section of 8th Street, runs from Third Avenue to Avenue A."
Wikipedia, Google, YouTube - Saint Mark's Place East Village

Simon Reynolds

Retromania
Wikipedia - "Simon Reynolds (born June 19, 1963 in London, England; raised in Hertfordshire) is an English music critic who is well-known for his writings on electronic dance music and for coining the term 'post-rock'. Besides electronic dance music, Reynolds has written about a wide range of artists and musical genres, and has written books on post-punk and rock."
Wikipedia, blissout, Guardian, Pitchfork: Retromania, Rip It Up and Start Again, Is Pop Culture Consuming Itself? Simon Reynolds Discusses Retromania, FACT: Five minutes with… Simon Reynolds, YouTube - Simon Reynolds discusses Rip It Up and Start Again

What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

Wikipedia - "The first Marvin Gaye album credited as produced solely by the artist himself, What's Going On is a unified concept album consisting of nine songs, most of which lead into the next. It has also been categorized as a song cycle, since the album ends on a reprise to the album's opening theme. The album is told from the point of view of a Vietnam War veteran returning to the country he had been fighting for, and seeing nothing but injustice, suffering and hatred."
Wikipedia, YouTube - What's Going On / What's Happening Brother, Mercy Mercy Me / What´s Going On, Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)

Mance Lipscomb

Wikipedia - "Mance Lipscomb (April 9, 1895 – January 30, 1976) was an influential blues singer, guitarist and songster. Born Beau De Glen Lipscomb near Navasota, Texas, he as a youth took the name of 'Mance' from a friend of his oldest brother Charlie ('Mance' being short for emancipation)."
Wikipedia, Mance Lipscomb, Pictures of Mance Lipscomb and Michael Birnbaum, YouTube- Jack of Spades, See See Rider, Baby Please Don't Go, Alcohol Blues, Take Me Back / Goin' Down Slow, pt 1, pt 2

ANTIVJ

"ANTIVJ is a visual label initiated by a group of European artists whose work is focused on the use of projected light and its influence on our perception. Clearly stepping away from standard setups & techniques, AntiVJ presents live performances and installations, providing to the audience a senses challenging experience."
ANTIVJ (Video), Synthesthetic Illusions (Video)

RiseUp

"We'd like to give a huge shout out to Reggae Magazine for hosting the recent 48-hour film screening of RiseUp exclusively for its online audience. The film was made available to readers for 48 hours only, and hundreds of people logged on to watch. They were also given the chance to see the companion short film about the incredible Jamaican music artist Brushy, the 'King of One String,' and got the opportunity to purchase both films before they are available to the public."
RiseUp, RiseUp - Movie (Video), IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Prefab77

"Prefab77 is a collective of artists based in the North East of England. From an area steeped in a volatile history of unions, struggles and movements we create fast, hard-edged, stripped down artwork; often political, sometimes anti-establishment, always beautiful. We weave small pieces of modern popular culture, vintage NME headlines, pure British rock ‘n’ rebellion into traditional iconic British imagery. Our work has never felt so relevant as it does now, media coverage of student riots, Hung parliments and rising taxes have brought our themes and subject matter to life. As you can see in our PROJECTS page, we’ve worked on various collaborative projects and are always keen to reach new audiences and find new applications for our art."
Prefab77, Art Asyum Boston, Google, flickr, vimeo: Prefab77 'Soul on Fire'

Beirut Outtakes (2007) - Peggy Ahwesh

"Composed entirely of film scraps salvaged from a closed Beirut cinema, Beirut Outtakes is a collage of sensational visions. Ed Halter writes in the Village Voice: 'Outtakes appears to be a ready-made, albeit one tailor-made for Ahwesh's career obsessions, pre-filled with her signature elements: gleeful disruptions of high and low, affection for decayed textures, a peeping eye for lurid sexuality, and a fascination with unlikely images of the Middle East. Just one sequence of a go-go-booted belly dancer wriggling in an Arabic-language cinema advertisement for home air conditioners alone has the power to shatter more stereotypes than 500 pages of Edward Said.'"
UbuWeb, The Ubuweb Experimental Video Project - Colin Marshall

The 12 coolest libraries in the world

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University
"5. The library is located at the centre of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The public exhibition hall surrounding the glass stack tower displays contains, among other things, one of the 48 extant copies of the Gutenberg Bible."
Vancouver Sun

Paul Resika

Colored Boats
"Paul Resika first came to Provincetown in 1947, at 19, to study with Hans Hofmann. Now 71, Resika himself has become the master of color and gesture, balancing freedom of gesture within tightly organized composition, with an eye as true as a sailor's compass to the relationships and contrasts between colors, shapes, and textures. "
Berta Walker Gallery, Berta Walker Gallery - 1, artnet, NYT: A FRESH LOOK AT A QUARTER-CENTURY OF PAUL RESIKA.
vimeo: LORI BOOKSTEIN FINE ART (Video)

Janis Joplin - Dick Cavett Show, 1969

"Janis Joplin performs "Try (just a little bit harder)" Live!! The Dick Cavett Show, July 18, 1969"
YouTube - Try (just a little bit harder), 1969, To Love Somebody, 1969, Get It While You Can, 1970, My Baby, 1970, Move Over, 1970, Half Moon, 1970, Interview (1969)

[The User]

Quartet for dot matrix printer, 2004
"[The User] is a contemporary art collective comprised of architect and installation artist Thomas McIntosh, and composer and sound artist Emmanuel Madan. The duo’s collaborative projects re-imagine relationships between technological systems, culture and human experience in striking ways." (Mike B.)
/u, /u - Works, vimeo: Quartet for dot matrix printer, 2004, vimeo: The Symphony for dot matrix printers - Pittsburgh 2001, vimeo: The Symphony #1 for dot matrix printers - 1998, vimeo: Silophone @ The Kitchen (NYC) 2001, vimeo: Coincidence Engine One - Universal People's Republic Time

The Berlin Walls - Charles le Brigand

"In 2005, Berlin was designated 'City of Design' by the Unesco. I looked-up on-line as I was curious to see which criterion and characteristics were taken under consideration by the specialized agency to appoint the distinction. According to them, it is a blend of cultural landscape fueled by design (architecture, urban planning, monuments, public spaces, signage and information systems, typography) as well as design schools, design-driven creative industries and experience in hosting international events. Needless to say that uninhibited graffiti, vibrant street art and vandalism were not part of the list."
Charles le Brigand

Brian Eno - China My China - 1974

"Video from the 1974 album, Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, By Brian Eno. Island Records"
YouTube: China My China - 1974, St. Elmos Fire - 1975, Kurt's Rejoinder - 1977, No One Receiving - 1977, Kings Lead Hat - 1977

The Medieval Garden Enclosed - The Cloisters

"Welcome to The Medieval Garden Enclosed, a blog dedicated to the plants and gardens of The Cloisters, a branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Enter and explore the role of plants and gardens in medieval life and art, learn how to find and grow medieval herbs and flowers, discuss the long histories of many familiar garden plants, discover which roadside weeds were once valued medicinals, and encounter legendary plants like the mandrake (Mandragora officinarum.)"
MetMuseum: The Medieval Garden Enclosed, YouTube - The Cloisters Museum and Gardens: The Gardens, The Cloisters Museum and Gardens: Behind the Scenes with the Director, A Brief Look At The Cloisters

Giuseppe Vetrano

Alone in New York
"Filmmaker and editor for many years, director with a big passion for filmmaking and photography, since he was a child Giuseppe demostrated a strong interest in videomaking and editing."
Giuseppe Vetrano, Inspiration – Giuseppe Vetrano (Video)

Soap - Francis Ponge

"But Ponge's isn't a rigorous, pedantic obsession. This isn't a book that considers everything that soap is and means; indeed, it is exhaustive only in the most limited way. It's nothing like the currently popular books that consider a very small subject in all its detail and history. Instead, Soap is a playful-poetic (and personal) variation on the theme -- some froth and bubbles, a good deal of repetition (as he warns there will be), and certainly very little technical or historical information about soap."
the complete review, Google - Soap, amazon, Powells Books