Boggs: A Comedy of Values (Passions and Wonders Series)

Rating:
Summary: entertaining and thought-provoking
Review: A well written artistic adventure story of sorts, this book was fun to read. Sublime moments of high-minded, philosophical delight highlight a book that reads like a crime-caper novel. Left me eager to meet Mr. Boggs and anxious to see if art will triumph over governmental stupidity.

Rating:
Summary: Please HELP!
Review: I have until the end of September to convince the SUPREME COURT of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA to hear my case. Please HELP!

If you believe in FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, or JUSTICE, please send me an email now so I can tell you how you can help.

Don't let the SECRET SERVICE seize and destroy my art. You deserve the right to decide for yourself. Don't let them make that decision for you!

If you don't know what I'm talking about, please buy this book and READ IT. (while you still can).

Then write me at - [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Artist as Monetary Jester -- The Fool Who is No Fool
Review: I've admired Lawrence Wechsler's work for many years. My first exposure to it may have been his first piece on JSG Boggs in The New Yorker, a piece that's part of this anthology.

This book is somewhat cobbled together. It collects a handful of Mr. Wechsler's articles on Boggs (as he prefers to be called), and not all the articles are of equal heft or merit. But the story of Boggs is sufficiently quirky and intellectually provoking, I found myself captivated by these pieces all over again.

Boggs, through Wechsler (who is an excellent reporter and accomplished writer), challenges the reader to ponder value, art, and how one thinks about money. When artists begin talking theory and the intellectual foundation of their work, I usually get off the bus, but not this time. Boggs, under his somewhat bent personality (and I mean that as a compliment), is genuinely thoughtful, and provocative in the best way.

I urge you to read this book, and to seek other of Mr. Wechsler's work, most of which seems to be available again.

Rating:
Summary: Honest
Review: It's honest, dispite the quasi-legal aspects of Mr. Boggs livelihood...the proof that the barter system still exists for intellectual property!

Rating:
Summary: Art as money - a great story.
Review: The debate about what constitutes value has been tackled numerous times, but this may be the most humorous and interesting take on the subject. JSG Boggs shoves the question of value into our faces by drawing money and trying to pass it off - not as real money, but as real value. The book follows Boggs as he takes his "what is value" sideshow on the road, and into several court appearances. By the end, you'll see money in a whole new light as Boggs rides into the sunset with a pocket full of "cash."

The book loses its touch (and its uniqueness) when Mr. Weschler wanders into a generic discussion of the history of money. Overall, the author's treatment does just what it should - get out of the way and let Boggs paint a marvelous story.

Rating:
Summary: Slightly scattered, but very interesting
Review: The story told in this book is fasccinating -- of a man whose art directly addresses the questions: what is money? what does money mean to us? how does money work? Boggs is an artist who creates beuatiful work, and does it in a way that it also drives to the heart of the American monetary system. The transactional part of his art is fascinating, and is told in an engaging amnner in this book.

The book suffers from being an enlargement of a fascinating article on the same subject. The borders between the original material and that added to make it a book-length piece are sometimes glaring. The book would have been more successful if the text were limited to the original article, and the collection of images were expanded.

Rating:
Summary: Slightly scattered, but very interesting
Review: The story told in this book is fasccinating -- of a man whose art directly addresses the questions: what is money? what does money mean to us? how does money work? Boggs is an artist who creates beuatiful work, and does it in a way that it also drives to the heart of the American monetary system. The transactional part of his art is fascinating, and is told in an engaging amnner in this book.

The book suffers from being an enlargement of a fascinating article on the same subject. The borders between the original material and that added to make it a book-length piece are sometimes glaring. The book would have been more successful if the text were limited to the original article, and the collection of images were expanded.

Rating:
Summary: Buying Boggs-Bills
Review: This is a great book. If you are the owner of a BOGGS-BILL, please contact us immediately. We want to buy as many as we can.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting look at Money
Review: What is money? This book explores that seemingly simple question as explored through the art of Boggs. Reading this book leads one to realize that figuring out money is not simple at all. The reader must think about all sorts of uncomfortable questions like: What is value? How do you know what something is worth? Why is money worth anything?

I found the most interesting parts of this book to be those detailing the transactions where Boggs attempted to spend his art. Those transactions were fascinating. (I'm still amazed by one clerk who looks at a Boggs drawing and says that it's worth far more that five dollars but still refurses to accept it in lieu of five dollars.) The decriptions of Boggs' on going legal entanglement are similarly stimulating. However this book has some dry sections where the author details the history of art and money.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting look at Money
Review: What is money? This book explores that seemingly simple question as explored through the art of Boggs. Reading this book leads one to realize that figuring out money is not simple at all. The reader must think about all sorts of uncomfortable questions like: What is value? How do you know what something is worth? Why is money worth anything?

I found the most interesting parts of this book to be those detailing the transactions where Boggs attempted to spend his art. Those transactions were fascinating. (I'm still amazed by one clerk who looks at a Boggs drawing and says that it's worth far more that five dollars but still refurses to accept it in lieu of five dollars.) The decriptions of Boggs' on going legal entanglement are similarly stimulating. However this book has some dry sections where the author details the history of art and money.