~>Free Download Better Living Through Criticism:

<b>The <i>New York Times </i>film critic shows why we need criticism now more than ever</b><br /><br />Few could explain, let alone seek out, a career in criticism. Yet what A.O. Scott shows in <i>Better Living Through Criticism</i> is that we are, in fact, all critics: because critical thinking informs almost every aspect of artistic creation, of civil action, of interpersonal life. With penetrating insight and warm humor, Scott shows that while individual critics--himself included--can make mistakes and find flaws where they shouldn't, criticism as a discipline is one of the noblest, most creative, and urgent activities of modern existence.<br /><br />Using his own film criticism as a starting point--everything from his infamous dismissal of the international blockbuster <i>The Avengers</i> to his intense affection for Pixar's animated <i>Ratatouille</i>--Scott expands outward, easily guiding readers through the complexities of Rilke and Shelley, the origins of Chuck Berry and the Ro