Mark Lambert

The Republic of Texas founded the General Land Office (GLO) in 1836 to map out land grants and manage public lands, a role it maintained after United States annexation in 1845. The GLO produced cadastral maps from its inception, but also collected other maps and documents for reference and to further its work. Beginning in 2010, the GLO broadened its collection of maps to include “over 400 rare printed and manuscript maps of Texas” to help illuminate and contextualize the history of the show more state (18). The authors of Texas Takes Shape, staff members at the GLO, utilize their collection to illustrate that: “maps could function as straightforward tools of exploration, warcraft, and administration” while they also, “influenced territorial contests by representing the land (and its peoples) in particular ways” (17). Texas Takes Shape is, ultimately, a history of Texas through maps.

Texas Takes Shape is a large, beautiful book packed with images and information about the history of Texas as told through the medium of cartography. The authors accomplish their goal in an erudite, but readable and engaging, manner. The GLO played (and plays) a central role in the history of the state, and this book demonstrates the important truth that maps are more than mere neutral illustrations, but serve as an adjunct to empire, settlement, and governance. Texas history buffs and historians of cartography and discovery will find much amusement and knowledge in Texas Takes Shape. show less

. How Our Bodies Work The Brain and Nervous System, by Mark Lambert copyright 1989, Schoolhouse press, is an informational chapter book about our brain. This is a good book that easily breaks down the brain into a language that children can understand. Three things that stood out to me were the relation of the brain to a computer, the language, and the use of pictures of the brain networks. Even though this book was written in 1988 it is still applicable to today’s youth. The youth today show more seem to be connected to computers everywhere they go. Their cell phones are small computers, there are computers at home and there are computers at school. What better thing to relate a brain to then a computer. If you think about it there are a lot in common. The Central processing unit (the brain) has wired (nerves) that send information all through the computer (body). I think this was a great idea to relate the brain to something as common as a computer. This is something that we use every day and is very relatable to the subject.
The brain can be a complicated subject to go over. There are numerous lobes and parts to the brain. The author does a great job of boiling down the information to the point where a grade school student can read the information but still understand the complicated workings of the brain. This is evident when they talk about the nervous system in chapter 3. The author breaks down the type of nerves: sensory and motor. The author goes on to explain how the nerves work. He gives the example of seeing a snake and how this affects the sensory nerves. This tells the muscles to move. The author does a great job, again, relating the sensory nerves to the wires in a mouse and how when the mouse moves the wires in the mouse tell the arrow on screen to move.
The pictures in this book are very neatly presented. I hesitate to call theses illustrations because these go beyond typical illustrations. An illustration is more like a painting of a house. The detailed picture of the nervous system, then the sensory and motor nerves go beyond that of illustrations. The detailed picture shows how the nerves travel through the body but is simple enough to the point where a young reader can understand what is going on in the picture. What really helps the reader is the simple labeling that some pictures have. A great example is the brain picture on page 14. This picture is neatly organized showing parts like the Cerebrum and the Cortex. These illustrations help us to understand what is going on in the picture.
The theme to this book is expanding knowledge. It is really important for children to learn how the brain operates and how it sends knowledge to the body. The theme is present through the book in how easy it relates to children. show less

The Killing Pits of Ponar is an immersive 360° film exploring a little-known story of the origins of the Nazi genocide—and the daring escape by prisoners who resisted.

Written and directed by Mark Lambert working with Lone Wolf Media and NOVA/PBS and based off their documentary “Holocaust Escape Tunnel”

To see more of our collaborations with PBS/NOVA, check out The Last B-24 or Mercy Street: A Letter Home. (fonte: Vartisans.com)

Videoinstallazione sulla storia delle fucilazioni di massa degli ebrei della zona di Vilna e deportati nel ghetto di Vilna nella foresta di Ponary.