Resultaten voor 'ray robertson'

1. Ray Robertson

The Right to Be Wrong

The allure of us-versus-them fundamentalism is not unique to any single political persuasion or ideological viewpoint. But what do we lose if we all lose the freedom to disagree and learn from our mistakes? The Right to Be Wrong is a vigorous defence of independent thinking in an increasingly intolerant world.

1. Kenneth Ray Robertson

The Preservation and Management of Vegetation in Ravines in Highland Park, Illinois

1. Ray Robertson

Dust

Praise for Dust: More Lives of the Poets (with Guitars) "From the famous, to the forgotten, to the barely known, Ray Robertson combines a novelist’s eye for dramatic detail with an unapologetic fanboy’s obsession with the lives and lasting artistic achievements of his musical heroes."—Roots Music Canada “Robertson evaluates a dozen twentieth-century blues, rock, and pop acts that have shaped his tastes and revved his imagination’s engine. Yet he strives toward something deeper than just reliving memories . . . His central conceit is that in understanding these musicians’ catalogues and their mostly turbulent lives, one can discover the snatches of 'occasional transcendence that make human existence more than the sum of its oftentimes puzzling parts.' This elusive quality, more than lyrical complexity or technical virtuosity, is what imbues music with poetry. In our era of hyper-marketed, algorithmically defined culture, it’s refreshing to hear an impassioned voice wax on about what truly moves them.”—Rob Benvie, Literary Review of Canada "[Robertson] welcomes readers into a set of compelling narratives, sharing his perspectives while leaving space for the readers’ own reflections. Opinion never comes at the expense of dogmaticism; critique may be occasionally sharp, but is never mean and often leavened by a well-timed sense of humour. It opens familiar music in surprising and enriching ways while encouraging further exploration . . . Dust contains enough diversity of time, place and subject to provide something of interest to nearly any reader."—Jarett Myskiw, Winnipeg Free Press “[A] well curated, eclectic bunch of musicians, and I think there’s music for everyone in this book, whether it’s power pop, R&B;, prog-gothic rock, gospel, avant-garde, country rock, folk rock, or country blues . . . Ray Robertson’s storytelling skills are excellent and I felt like each story would make a great film or documentary . . . It’s not often I see books like this, and they’re real treasures.”—Angie Moon, The Diversity of Classic Rock "In Dust: More Lives of the Poets (with Guitars), Canadian author Ray Robertson’s has created a collection of twelve biographical and critical portraits of influential, innovative, and sometimes overlooked twentieth‑century musicians . . . It honours the artists who influenced him while encouraging readers to discover—or rediscover—their music."—Backbeat Books and Music Praise for Live of the Poets (with Guitars) “One part of Lives of the Poets (with Guitars) is a record guide revealing these undiscovered treasures, the other is Robertson’s gift of spewing out stories that simply shame most rock ‘n’ roll writers into the hacks they really are.”—Beat Route “There’s much to like about this book, but its real strength is in Robertson’s voice, which bobs and weaves throughout each essay. . . Robertson’s irreverent voice, his character-driven storytelling abilities, and his personal indebtedness to the lucky thirteen make the collection work. This isn’t a history lesson tethered to research--it’s a novelist’s exploration of pioneers and the high drama of their lives.”—The Alt “Although Robertson may not be as well-known to American music fans as most of the cult favorites he celebrates here, he brings a good ear and plenty of critical insight to essays aimed at helping readers discover new favorites or hear more familiar music from a fresh perspective.”—Kirkus Reviews Praise for All the Years Combine: The Grateful Dead in Fifty Shows “For all the talk about The Grateful Dead being primarily a band you need to hear live . . . the fact that there has not been a truly great book chronicling the band’s live shows is surprising. That is until now . . . Ray Robertson’s All the Years Combine tells the story of 50 of some of the best Grateful Dead concerts, chronicled in order from 1966 to 1995. But Robertson’s book is really more than just that . . . All the Years Combine, much like the music it heralds, transcends.”—Under the Radar “Robertson—writing at full, heart-exploding tilt—charts the course of the greatest American band (yes, I said it), from their humble start to their humbling end through capsule reviews of 50 shows. This is a glorious book, full of setlists and anecdotes and clear-eyed love.”—Toronto Star “All the Years Combine: The Grateful Dead in Fifty Shows is delightfully genre-fluid—part critique, part review, part biography, part journalism.”—Palo Alto Weekly

Exports to Improve Labor Markets in the Middle East and North Africa

Focuses on studying Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, estimating the impact of trade policy on exports and their relationship with local labor market outcomes. The book suggests that trade has successfully boosted trade flows, but the benefits from this have not necessarily yielded better labor market outcomes and have not been equally shared.

1. Ray Robertson

All the Years Combine

Praise for All the Years Combine "You do not need to drop acid, get high, or be a Deadhead to enjoy Robertson’s long strange trip ... Through the author’s research, knowledge, passion and critical analysis you will gain new insights about this unique group."—David McPherson, Toronto Star "Robertson—writing at full, heart-exploding tilt—charts the course of the greatest American band (yes, I said it), from their humble start to their humbling end through capsule reviews of 50 shows. This is a glorious book, full of setlists and anecdotes and clear-eyed love."—Robert J. Wiersema, Toronto Star "Robertson has written an ideal companion for the devoted Deadhead while charting intimidating territory for the curious ... books like this one help enshrine (the music) with the reverence it deserves."—Michael Strizic, Literary Review of Canada "Ray Robertson's All the Years Combine is part love letter and part band history, showing why—and how—Deadheads really talk (and feel) about their favorite band."—Peter Conners, author of Growing Up Dead and Cornell '77 “Ray weaves short stories around fifty shows—and altogether they tell the story of the The Grateful Dead’s timeline.”—Karim Kanji, Welcome to the Music "Ray Robertson ... walks listeners through the endless thicket of music. At points, his crackling prose froths over into hyperventilating superfan’s rants—an approach that befits a band with such a passionate following. Sometimes ... more is more."—Spin "Impressively insightfully informative, exceptionally well organized and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation, All the Years Combine: The Grateful Dead in Fifty Shows is a 'must read' history for the legions of Grateful Dead fans."—Midwest Book Review “Author Ray Robertson delves into a staggering fifty Grateful Dead shows in his new collection … embark on a wild trip with Robertson and follow the trajectory of one of live music’s most groundbreaking acts.”—Gabriel Sigler, Bad Feeling Magazine "Delightfully genre-fluid—part critique, part review, part biography, part journalism."—Ashwinin Gangal, Palo Alto Weekly "If life were a Grateful Dead concert, Chatham author Ray Robertson would be its philosopher archivist."—Dan Savoie, 519 Magazine "All the Years Combine is a fast, enlightening read but it is also something to savor, like one of the Dead's notorious hour-long jams."—Kevin Wierzbicki, Anti Music "There is a huge amount of useful information collected in this book. And it was written as a serious criticism with love and affection and a large portion of honesty and humor thrown in for good measure."—M. Sarki, The Rogue Literary Society "As any Deadhead worth their weight in hemp and LSD will tell you, there’s nothing like a Grateful Dead concert, and the author capably demonstrates the good, bad, and ugly elements that followed the band around for decades ... A must for devoted Deadheads."—Kirkus Reviews "The great thing about this book is that if you know the Grateful Dead’s music, it’s a hum-along, sing-along tome ... His summaries of Dead concerts often display elements of verve, invention and colour in the telling ... Robertson’s other object is corrective—to change the focus of the Grateful Dead’s legacy in our culture. And in this, he succeeds admirably."—Winnipeg Free Press "This collection celebrating fifty concerts by the Grateful Dead shows them to be tougher and more complex than you might think ... meticulous readings of the band's concerts (alongside track listings) are impressively extensive but crucially they also build a surprising picture too."—Louder Than War "All the Years Combine is a superb book."—Shannon MacLeod, The Miramichi Reader "All the Years Combine is perhaps the first truly great book chronicling The Grateful Dead through the band’s live shows ... And for the Grateful Dead live neophyte ... the book provides a roadmap, a guide, a place to start and finish and explore the music while you read. And for these reasons, All the Years Combine, much like the music it heralds, transcends."—Frank Valish, Under the Radar “One of Canada’s most prolific writers ... one thing that’s always made Ray’s work stand out is how he seamlessly blends his favourite music into his prose, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction.”—Jason Schneider, Roots Music Canada "Fascinating and provocative."—David Gans, "Tales from the Golden Road" on Sirius Satellite Radio "Author Ray Robertson ... put[s] it all in perspective."—Greg Prato, Ultimate Guitar "Robertson ... tell[s] the story of one of the most loved and bewildering bands of all time."—Trevor Wilhelm, Windsor Star "A fascinating chronicle of the band’s history told in a series of essays."—Ottawa CitizenPraise for Ray Robertson's Lives of the Poets (with Guitars) “On North American shores, writing about music and its cultural spin-offs has largely been defined by the snarky authority of Pitchfork and trash-talkin’ teardowns of VICE giving birth to the new, new cool. Whereas those writing for music publications in Britain, although still cheeky, offer far more in the way of literary craft, storytelling and historical insight compared to the brash Americans. Ray Robertson, a Canadian novelist, aligns himself closer to the British tradition reinforcing that smart, lively prose and a bit of wit go a long, marvelous way. One part of Lives of the Poets is a record guide revealing these undiscovered treasures, the other is Robertson’s gift of spewing out stories that simply shame most rock ‘n’ roll writers into the hacks they really are.”—Beat Route “Lives of the Poets (with Guitars) should come with a warning label: May cause significant increase of spending on music. Readers are strongly advised to avoid record stores within 72 hours of reading. There is much to love and admire about Lives of the Poets (with Guitars). Robertson brings a discerning ear and keen passion, a sly sense of humour and a deep sense of philosophical questioning to each of these pieces. [It] is a powerful book and one to which music fans are likely to often return.”—Toronto Star “Robertson toils for a higher purpose: to reveal the transcendent, enduring qualities of the artist and their importance to society. He establishes his intentions in the introduction: 'One wants to convey in words what it is that makes for a musically-transformed, more-alive human being.' With this collection of essays on 13 remarkable figures, Robertson leaves no doubt about the success of his endeavor.”—Elmore Magazine “Crossing a number of musical genres, Robertson is often effusive in his praise, but consistently provides a stirring rationale for the strong emotional impact that each artist elicits with their music ... Robertson offers the whole picture, warts and all. In doing so, he honors the music of artists who have enriched his life—and opens the door for his readers to experience the same magic.”—Blues Blast Magazine "Robertson brings a good ear and plenty of critical insight to essays aimed at helping readers discover new favorites or hear more familiar music from a fresh perspective.”—Kirkus Reviews

1. Ray Robertson

Estates Large and Small

Praise for Estates Large and Small "This wry novel follows a struggling used bookstore owner and Grateful Dead fan as he grudgingly moves his store online, decides to teach himself two millenniums of Western philosophy, falls in love and attempts to pin down the point of life."—New York Times "With the publication of Estates Large and Small, novelist Ray Robertson succeeds in reminding his readers just what it means to live, love, and (when the time comes) to say goodbye. Deftly crafted and memorable characters, a narrative storyline laced with humor and acute observation."—Midwest Book Review "Ray Robertson asks us to think about life as a rental, and to make the best out of it before our lease runs out."—Literary Review of Canada "Estates Large and Small is a thoughtful book that manages to make its serious existential themes both entertaining and, yes, hopeful."—Ottawa Review of Books "The issues, relationships and real-life collisions in the novel keep reminding the reader that an intellectual exercise by itself doesn’t offer much beyond intellectual satisfaction. Estates Large and Small offers so much more if you can handle the trepidation it shares."—Winnipeg Free Press "This novel takes you on a rollercoaster of heartwarming and melancholic moments that will leave you contemplating what your own journey is and how you can make the most of your life."—White Wall Review "Chatham-born author Ray Robertson likes to tell a story in his novels that makes his readers ponder their own lives. He’s hit the mark again with Estates Large and Small."—Chatham Daily News "Ray Robertson's novel Estates Large and Small is both poignant and heartwarming."—Largehearted Boy “A warmhearted and unconventional love story that's also an opportunity for a gentle encounter with some of life's fundamental questions ... With Phil's droll humor and world-weary cynicism, and Caroline's clear-eyed determination to live her final days on her own terms, the two make for an appealing couple. Like the philosophers they encounter, Estates Large and Small only hints at answers to life's deepest mysteries, but it's a wise reminder that the journey is really the point."—Harvey Freedenberg, Shelf Awareness Praise for Ray Robertson “While How to Die is a slim book, it offers some hefty insights, leavened with frequent, self-effacing humour. There are numerous passages here which, while quick to read (the book is very accessible, despite its philosophical bona fides), nonetheless take hours to fully internalize … Brilliant.” —Toronto Star “Robertson is a moral writer and a bitingly intelligent one, a man who writes with penetrating insight of what needs to be written about: beauty, truth and goodness.”—Globe and Mail “Heartfelt, funny, rigorous, practical without ever being preachy . . . a book that feels like a friend.”—Montreal Gazette “One of the country’s finest literary voices."—National Post “Many of us sense that the world has too many moving parts and can become utterly defeated. Ray Robertson has found a road back in this splendid and intriguing book [Why Not: Fifteen Reasons to Live].”—Jim Harrison