We believe strongly that the arts aren't somehow an extra part of our national life, but instead we feel that the arts are at the heart of our national life.
--First Lady Michelle Obama
"Dunes with Fence"
This textbook was nominated for the 2010 Text and Academic Authors Association's (TAA) "TEXTY" Textbook Excellence Award. Winners announced in June 2010.
Featured Textbook: "Smarthistory: Art History Conversation" (2009) Authors: Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker (plus many other contributing editors) Textbook URL: http://www.smarthistory.org Reviewer: Kate Jordahl. Professor, Photography and Digital Imaging Foothill College Fine Arts and Communications Division http://www.foothill.edu/fa/index.html
Category/Rating
Avg*
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Clarity&comprehension
4.5
Accuracy
5.0
Readability
4.6
Consistency
4.7
Appropriateness
4.7
Interface
4.8
Content usefulness
4.8
Modularity
4.9
Content errors
5.0
Reading level
4.9
Cultural relevance
4.7
Overall Average
4.8
*Average of all chapters. Maximum rating is 5.0
Reviewer's Comments I recommend this excellent site. I do have concerns about the accessibility of the site and see room for improvement. I mention this knowing that Smarthistory is free and wonderfully ad-free. This resource grows from volunteers and grants and represents a great accomplishment. In a time when textbook companies are trying to charge extra for students to access web support materials or offer sites that are visually primitive, it is wonderful that this rich, dynamic resource is freely available for students anywhere there is high-speed internet.
Textbook: "Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy" Author(s): Lawrence Lessig Textbook URL: http://www.bloomsburyacademic.com/remix.htm Reviewer: Lani Smith, Librarian/Adjunct
Professor, Ohlone College
Category
Avg*
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Clarity&Comprehension
4.0
Accuracy
4.0
Readability
3.4
Consistency
4.1
Appropriateness
4.1
Interface
4.0
Content usefulness
4.8
Modularity
4.0
Content errors
4.0
Reading level
4.0
Cultural relevance
4.6
Overall Average
4.1
*Average of all chapters. Maximum rating is 5.0. Top
Reviewer's Comments
I recommend this book for community colleges and university
students as well as general interest.It is suitable for business, technology, art and law majors. This book details how digital technology has,
among other topics, created conflict with existing copyright laws.In sum, the author proposes that we need to create a copyright law that leaves “amateur creativity” free from regulation. That regulation could be avoided most simply by exempting “noncommercial” uses from the scope of the rights granted by copyright. Amateur remix, he believes, should be deregulated (free).
