What We Are Reading Today: Portrait of the Art Dealer as a Young Man: New York in the Sixties

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Updated 20 September 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: Portrait of the Art Dealer as a Young Man: New York in the Sixties

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  • On the subject of his birth, he writes: “I wriggled out of my mother’s womb in Dunoon, a fishing village on the River Clyde an hour from Glasgow, just as the Second World War was ending”

Author: Michael Findlay

If you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall during the New York art scene in the 1960s and 1970s, Michael Findlay’s memoir, “Portrait of the Art Dealer as a Young Man: New York in the Sixties,” provides a front-row seat on the happenings of the time.

Findlay, a high school drop-out who grew up in Scotland, found himself in the company of arguably one of the most famous — or infamous — American artists at the time, Andy Warhol. They became friends. Findlay also rubbed shoulders with some of the most influential artists and art collectors of that era and became one of the most seasoned art dealers, acquiring pieces from some of the most sought-after artists. How did this happen? Why did it happen?

In this book, he shows and doesn’t just tell.

On the subject of his birth, he writes: “I wriggled out of my mother’s womb in Dunoon, a fishing village on the River Clyde an hour from Glasgow, just as the Second World War was ending.”

Each of the pages is full of colorful antedates that are just as animated and articulate.

Fans of his work might know him from his previous books, “The Value of Art: Money, Power, Beauty,” as well as his other book, “Seeing Slowly: Looking at Modern Art.”

As one of the first art gallery directors in trendy SoHo in New York City, an industry he is still very active in, Findlay offers insights into the vibe and energy at the time, with intimate recollections about famous painters, sculptors, art deals and collectors, as well as anyone from the creative industry during those decades. Findlay certainly found himself in the middle of the action. His book is candid, descriptive and full of surprises.

He dedicates the book to “Victoria, my wife now and forever,” who is an art conservator and writer.

Today, Findlay is a director of Acquavella Galleries in New York and considers himself to be a “poet, essayist and author.”

Twentieth-century cultural history buffs — and those who are invested in the post-World War II art market or the crazy and chaotic art scene of 1960s and 1970s New York — will find this book a page-turner.

 

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Yuan’ by Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Yuan’ by Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt
Updated 25 September 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Yuan’ by Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Yuan’ by Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt

The Yuan dynasty endured for a century, leaving behind an architectural legacy without equal, from palaces, temples, and pagodas to pavilions, tombs, and stages.

With a history enlivened by the likes of Khubilai Khan and Marco Polo, this spectacular empire spanned the breadth of China and far, far beyond, but its rulers were Mongols.

Yuan presents the first comprehensive study in English of the architecture of China under Mongol rule.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Joy of Quantum Computing’

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Updated 24 September 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Joy of Quantum Computing’

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  • The only prerequisite is precalculus; readers need no knowledge of quantum physics

Author: JED BRODY

“The Joy of Quantum Computing” introduces quantum computing succinctly, and with minimal mathematical formalism.

Engagingly written — a feast for the reader’s inner nerd — it presents the most famous algorithms and applications of quantum computing and quantum information science, including the “killer apps,” Grover’s search algorithm and Shor’s factoring algorithm.

The only prerequisite is precalculus; readers need no knowledge of quantum physics.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Ministry of Time’

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Updated 23 September 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Ministry of Time’

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  • In the story he is assigned to a female bridge who starts teaching him about life in the present day and how he can manage to live in the modern world, despite the major lifestyle changes he experiences throughout his day

Author: Kaliane Bradley

Kaliane Bradley’s 2024 novel “The Ministry of Time” invites readers along on an interesting adventure of time travel which also investigates the complexities of human emotion.

Set around a secretive organization that controls time, the story explores themes of destiny, choices, and the consequences of dealing with historic events.

The story follows a secret project designed to rescue some well-known characters from the past and transport them to the future.

In the future each visitor will be assigned a “bridge,” who is an officer to help them adapt to their new era.

One of the visitors from the past is Cmdr. Gore, an explorer who died in a failed Victorian Arctic expedition, according to history books.

In the story he is assigned to a female bridge who starts teaching him about life in the present day and how he can manage to live in the modern world, despite the major lifestyle changes he experiences throughout his day.

One of the strengths of this book is the author’s writing style, which is lyrical yet accessible. It takes the reader to different times and places easily. Each chapter is carefully crafted and contains clear descriptions that allow the reader to live the historic event.

Moreover, the dialogue is written with humor and awareness of the unfolding drama, which in some ways keeps readers engaged, while adding twists to maintain the tension without losing track of any character’s development.

Bradley’s story also explores how a simple change in history can create damage through time, leaving an impact not only on historic events but also on how the events affect personal relationships.

Some readers may find the timeline and character count a little overwhelming, but the author weaves these concerns together to a satisfying, thought-provoking conclusion.

Bradley’s imaginative storytelling and captivating writing skills make this novel a must-read for people who enjoy fiction and are fascinated by the possibilities of time travel.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Modeling Social Behavior’

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Updated 23 September 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Modeling Social Behavior’

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Author: PAUL E. SMALDINO

This book provides a unified, theory-driven introduction to key mathematical and agent-based models of social dynamics and cultural evolution, teaching readers how to build their own models, analyze them, and integrate them with empirical research programs.

“Modeling Social Behavior” equips social, behavioral, and cognitive scientists with an essential tool kit for thinking about and studying complex social systems using mathematical and computational models.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Cobalt Red’

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Updated 22 September 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Cobalt Red’

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Author: Siddharth Kara

This book offers details of an investigation into the human rights abuses behind the Congo’s cobalt mining operation — and the moral implications that affect us all.
“Cobalt Red” is the searing, first-ever expose of the immense toll taken on the people and environment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by cobalt mining, as told through the testimonies of the Congolese people, according to a review on goodreads.com.
To uncover the truth about brutal mining practices, the writer investigates militia-controlled mining areas and gathers shocking testimonies of people who endure immense suffering and even die while mining cobalt.