Icons of the 20th Century: 200 Men and Women Who Have Made a Difference

See Larger Image	Manufacturer: Overlook Hardcover Written By: Barbara Cady,Jean-Jacques Naudet Average Customer Rating:


Binding: Hardcover Dewey Decimal Number: 920.00904 EAN: 9780879518936 ISBN: 0879518936 Label: Overlook Hardcover Manufacturer: Overlook Hardcover Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 432 Publication Date: 1998-11-01 Publisher: Overlook Hardcover Studio: Overlook Hardcover
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Editorial Reviews: Who becomes a legend most? For more than two years, a panel composed of such arbiters of culture as Leo Castelli, Rita Dove, Bruce Jenner, Joyce Carol Oates, Daniel Schorr, Gay Talese, Pierre Trudeau, and Eli Wallach pondered that question and came up with a list of the 200 most important icons of the 20th century. Their choices are compiled in this wonderfully designed book. Each icon merits a tall, vertically oriented, two-page spread. A full-page portrait is expertly reproduced on the right-hand side, and, given its length, a surprisingly informative biography takes up the facing page. Uncommon photos of the usual suspects are here--Marilyn Monroe, Martin Luther King Jr., James Joyce, Babe Ruth, Bette Davis, Jesse Owens, Marlon Brando, JFK, Anna Pavlova, even Michael Jordan. But some of the most pleasing inclusions are the surprises--the people who shaped the century but whose faces are less recognizable. This group includes philosophers Hannah Arendt and Carl Jung; South African doctor Christiann Barnard, who performed the first successful human heart transplant surgery; scientist Enrico Fermi, whose work led directly to the discovery of nuclear fission; Maria Montessori, who revolutionized early childhood education; legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini; and James Watson and Francis Crick, who discovered the shape of DNA. This is a well-timed book, for as the century draws to a close, one can hardly think of a better way to take stock of the dramatic events, advances, and--arguably--declines that have shaped the human experience over the past 100 years.
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: A Good Book, Despite Certain Omissions Comment: This isn't really that bad a book. The text was well written for each individual mentioned and the photographs were quite good, my favorite was the one with Mikhail Gorbachev hand feeding a squirrel on a tree. Still, there are certain individuals this book left out who I thought should have made it. Below is a list of those who I feel should have been in this book. Pope John Paul II Nikita Khruschtev J. Edgar Hoover Ayatollah Khomeni Wayne Gretzky Vince Lombardi Howard Stern Jimi Hendrix Thelonius Monk The Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen Lenny Bruce George S. Patton Joe Montana Gloria Steinman Janis Joplin Harrison Ford Irving Berlin Bill Clinton Charles Manson Howard Cosell Customer Rating: Summary: Barbara Cady is the best! Comment: This book, I think is ine of the most influential books of the 20th century, and certainely one of the most entertaining! Mother Theresa, and Micheal Jordan were certainely, and are included in this book; but the thing that impresed me most is that I found Um Kolthum on the list. I thank Barrbara Cady for including her in, I greatly appreciate it. If you find a customer that disagrees with the content of this magneficent, beautiful book, don't agree with him. He is certainely a bad reader. People trust me with this! A great read! Customer Rating: Summary: A real collectors Item Comment: Unlike a number of other books about the ranking of the "greatest" of the 20th century, this book does not rank anyone. This book lists the 200 men and women, in alphabetical order, who have made a difference during the last 100 years. Cady blends detail with a personal touch in each biographical synopsis. The photos, in black and white, give the reader a face to put to the story. Photographer Jean-Jacques Naudet is a master of capturing the essence of the person on film. While the price of the book is a bit hefty, your money is well spent in this collectable piece of work. For the past hundred years you have read stories about JFK, Ali, Mother Theresa, Michael Jordan now you can own a part of history. I was most impressed by the author's ability to remain unbiased in the reporting. While I may not have include some of the people, I was no doubt impressed by the list. I am certain that this book will be real family or school crowd pleaser well into the next century. Customer Rating: Summary: Big Big Book Comment: This is a massive book in terms of physical size. It has to weigh at least 5-10 pounds and could probably be used as a home protection device. Great gift idea. Giant! Customer Rating: Summary: An excellent, well-designed & -illustrated book Comment: But, alas, too American in the perspective. The selection includes people who are only of importance in the U.S. area. I.e. baseball & football players and t.v. entertainers (Oprah!)And in choosing Oppenheimer and Fermi instead of the far more important Niels Bohr. Further, Karen Blixen is presented by her alias Isak Dinesen - quite embarassing. The photos, though, are phantastic and the layout creative. In spite of an American chauvenism in the selection, the book makes a brilliant statement heading for the millennium. More Reviews