Captured History
Description
"How would it be if what we take for human advance were simply a technological progress which literally leaves us out of its equations? What if Progress is not humanity striking out bravely towards the future, but an ultimately destructive force?" "In a remarkable tour d'horizon, Paul Virilio paints a bleak picture of current scientific, cultural, social and political values. Art has succumbed to the techniques of advertising, while in politics the battle for hearts and minds has become a mere 'synchronization of opinion', and TV ratings have triumphed over universal suffrage. The events of September 11 reflect both the manipulation of a global sub-proletariat and the delusions of an elite of rich students and technicians who resemble nothing so much as the 'suicidal members of the Heaven's Gate cybersect'. And, in this post-humanist dystopia, we are morally rudderless before the threat of biological manipulations as yet undreamt-of."--Jacket.
How the series evolves
Books in this Series
Ground Zero
"How would it be if what we take for human advance were simply a technological progress which literally leaves us out of its equations? What if Progress is not humanity striking out bravely towards the future, but an ultimately destructive force?" "In a remarkable tour d'horizon, Paul Virilio paints a bleak picture of current scientific, cultural, social and political values. Art has succumbed to the techniques of advertising, while in politics the battle for hearts and minds has become a mere 'synchronization of opinion', and TV ratings have triumphed over universal suffrage. The events of September 11 reflect both the manipulation of a global sub-proletariat and the delusions of an elite of rich students and technicians who resemble nothing so much as the 'suicidal members of the Heaven's Gate cybersect'. And, in this post-humanist dystopia, we are morally rudderless before the threat of biological manipulations as yet undreamt-of."--Jacket.
Migrant mother
"Explores and analyzes the historical context and significance of the iconic Dorothea Lange photograph"--Provided by publisher.
Hitler in Paris
Discusses the iconic photograph of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler in front of the Eiffel Tower in 1940 taken by his personal photographer Heinrich Hoffmann. World War II was in its early days when brutal German dictator Adolf Hitler paid a visit to Paris, the capital of France. Only days before, on June 14, 1940, German soldiers had overrun the city, shocking the world. Hitler now viewed the city s cultural t.
Summiting Everest
Discusses team photographer Alfred Gregory's pictures of the May 1953 expedition during which he captured Hillary and Norgay, with the imposing Himalayas spread out behind them, as they neared the summit of Mount Everest.
Civil War Witness
Mathrew Brady recognized that the new art of photography could be more than just a means of capturing people's likenesses in portraits. Beginning with the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861 and continuing through the entire Civil War, Brady and his employees chronicled the long, bloody conflict, bringing images of war directly to the people. Brady knew the photos would create valuable historical records for later generations. More than any other photographer of his generation, Brady understood photography's great potential —and through his influence, he taught others to understand it as well.
The blue marble
Discusses the iconic Blue Marble photo of Earth taken by the Apollo 17 astronauts in December 1972. The astronauts headed to the moon in December 1972 thought they knew what to expect. They would soon be exploring the moon s surface in a lunar rover, traveling farther than anyone before them. They would be collecting soil and rock samples for study back.