Amazon.com
Like his elegant debut, An Instance of the Fingerpost, Iain Pears's The Dream of Scipio is an inventive, gloriously detailed historical novel told from multiple viewpoints. But Pears has set himself an additional challenge by spreading his narrators over several centuries: there's the fifth century French nobleman and bishop, Manlius, a civilized man who has embraced the uncouth Christian faith in order to protect what he holds dear; an 11th-century scholar and troubadour named Olivier de Noyen, the famously ill-fated admirer of a married girl; and Julien Barneuve, an early 20th-century scholar of de Noyen who discovers, through him, a magnificent manuscript of Manlius's called "The Dream of Scipio." Though all three men come from the same small Provençal town, it is this manuscript, derived from the teachings of a wise woman, that links the three narrative threads of Pears's story. At the heart of The Dream of Scipio and, one suspects, at the heart of its author, is the conflict between a classical ideal of learning and the contemplation of beauty, and the noisy, uncivilized, democratizing impulses of the Christian era. A novel of ideas like its predecessor, The Dream of Scipio is neither chilly nor didactic and doesn't shy away from depicting the costs of its narrators' unpopular devotions. --Regina Marler
Book Description
In The Dream of Scipio, the acclaimed author of An Instance of the Fingerpost intertwines three intellectual mysteries, three love stories-and three of the darkest moments in human history. United by a classical text called "The Dream of Scipio," three men struggle to find refuge from the madness that surrounds them...in the final days of the Roman Empire, in the grim years of the Black Death, and in the direst hours of World War II.
Customer Reviews:
A great read but flawed in some respects.......2007-09-25
Let me say right off that the story itself was a very good read. The plots of three narratives flowed very well. If the entire book was centered on only one of the three stories, it would have not been as interesting. I actually learned much detail about the Avignon exile, Neoplatonic philosophy, Black death, Vichy France, etc. That being said, the average reader without a good grasp of history will miss much in reading this novel. Not that it is very highbrow but the author assumes the reader has passing knowledge of many of these topics. So, strictly on a story level the author manages to twine three separate stories in time periods extending over 1500 years very well. My problem is that the stories have a interlocking themes which at times seem very contrived: Catholics (usually bad), hate Jews (always good and innocent) and given the opportunity the former will kill the latter with the slightest provocation; Christianity is equal to ignorance and agnosticism is a normative state for intelligent people; truth is relative and people will always act in their own self interest regardless of what they believe. I could go on but I believe that the author has a philosophical bias that integrated into the plot and themes of the three stories. So even though the author has the typical 21st century prejudices of an upper class British education, the story is still a good one and one that I would recommend highly.
Layers of History.......2007-08-16
The Dream of Scipio visits France during three separate time periods, the fall of Rome 450AD, the black plague in 1348 and the Nazi occupation 1940. The three periods of upheaval test the motives and morals of the people there. The message I came away with is the measure of a life is not in what you think or say, but what you do. The reading was somewhat complex at times but the observation of the three layers of history creates a fascinating effect that is well worth the effort.
Highly enjoyable read.......2007-05-10
A historical novel with philosophical aspirations that worked well for this reader. Three periods of western civilization are examined in the book. The most interesting for me was the story set in the sunset years of the Roman Empire or Romanesque France. Wonderful insight and langauge there. For those who know Pears from his earlier books, this ranks up there with the more serious works. Well worth the time.
Perspectives from the edge.......2007-03-19
This is a complex triptych portraying the internal conflicts fought by three initmately interwined scholars, each separated by nearly a millenium. Each of them faces the imminent reality of the collapse of our civilization in their time. Iain Pear's intricately woven vision of their personal choices and dialogues across the centuries, as each confronts their sliver of time with Europe at the brink, is a compelling testament for all those consciously engaged in the same civilizational journey.
This multi-layered tale both helps contextualise our own disproportionate bias towards today's existential threats and, simultaneously, reinforces our continuing responsibility to make choices that honour our hard won civilizational values, for the sake of our forebears as well as our progeny.
A frighteningly ambitious work that Mr. Pear's actually pulls off. Worth 6 stars for its extraordinary degree of difficulty, yet consummate execution.
What you seek is what you get.......2007-03-19
The reviews I have seen of this historical novel range from gushing to sneering. This should not surprise the (prospective) reader. Rather, the spectre of opinions should be taken as evidence that this novel is worth reading. Understandably, the author's intent is to convey a set of philosophical concepts -- Platonism, gnosticism, humanism -- as concrete (but fictional) historical figures acting in the context of three specific eras. I would submit that, as historical fiction, Mr. Pears' attempt is largely successful. If the reader is seeking unvarnished philosophical tracts on these themes, then please consult Plato, Origen, Spinoza, Pascal, etc. But if the reader is seeking a delightful, slightly challenging but still enjoyable novel that incorporates significant elements of these historical/philosophical schools, then 'Dream of Scipio' is probably a book worth reading and enjoying. As a writer, Iain Pears provides a credible, even enviable treatment of these themes in the three centuries-apart contexts. By and large, he manages to avoid the greatest criticism made of other philosophical novelists such as Dostoyevsky; i.e., assigning philosophical positions to individual characters and spreading a thin plot over what is essentially a series of essays on philosophical themes.
Customer Reviews:
That's "Macrobius," not "MacRobius".......1999-12-13
Indespensible edition of one of the most important books of late antiquity. If you like this, don't miss his translations of Martianus Capella.
Average customer rating:
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Dream of Scipio, The
Iain Pears
Manufacturer: Riverhead Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000NAPSAY |
Average customer rating:
- A serious and stimulating novel for our times.
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The Dream of Scipio
Manufacturer: Riverhead Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0965439933 |
Product Description
An impressively original and imaginative psychological thriller.
Customer Reviews:
A serious and stimulating novel for our times........2005-10-17
In this remarkable and hugely conceived novel of ideas, Pears gives us three intense, emotionally gripping stories set in Provence during the fifth, fourteenth, and 20th centuries. In each of these, a sensitive and thoughtful man of letters faces not only a crisis of belief, but also of action, as outside forces threaten to destroy civilization as he knows it. As each man fights to save the values he finds important, Pears explores the ethical underpinnings of western thought and history, those ideas first proffered by Plato which continue to influence men and governments two thousand years later.
A mysterious 5th century manuscript by Manlius Hippomanes connects the parallel plots and eras: the waning days of the Roman Empire, as the barbarian hordes attack Gaul's borders and Manlius Hippomanes writes The Dream of Scipio; the 14th century in Avignon, when poet Olivier de Noyen discovers some of Manlius's writing and deals with papal intrigue, the Hundred Years War, and the Black Death; and the Vichy government in France during World War II, when Julien Barneuve, a scholar who has traced the Manlius manuscript, joins the Vichy government in an effort to "civilize" the German occupiers and prevent deportation of the Jews.
This is not a beach book--its excitement is far more thoughtful than sensational. Pears' characters are real, flawed people living and loving in times of crisis and experiencing conflicts with parents, teachers, friends, and mentors. These conflicts clearly parallel those in the wider world of their political alliances and governments, and ultimately affect their attitudes toward humankind in general. Beautiful love stories, which bring warmth to the narrative, are portrayed with the delicacy such fragile relationships deserve and the strength which allows them to endure. As we, too, face uncertain times and threats to our own civilization, Pears offers a reflective and thought-provoking framework for contemplating our own future. Mary Whipple
Customer Reviews:
A Lonely Torch of Knowledge.......2006-12-19
"The Dream of Scipio" is perhaps THE most important link in the NeoPythagorean tradition that survived the book-burnings of the early Church and the Barbarian hordes.
Cicero studiously investigated the earlier Pythagoreans, while his books on "Laws" and "The Republic" were modelled on Plato's own books of similar titles.
The "Dream of Scipio," at the end of Cicero's "De Republica," is in fact a re-working of the "Vision of Er" in Plato's 'Republic" (with varied elements, of course).
The Commentary of Macrobius, on the "Dream of Scipio," luckily ensured its survival through the dismal Dark Ages, when 90 percent of Plato's works simply ceased to exist in medieval Europe.
Book Description
Were I to deny that I feel the loss of Scipio, while I leave it to those who profess themselves wise in such matters to say whether I ought to feel it, I certainly should be uttering a falsehood. I do indeed feel my bereavement of such a friend as I do not expect ever to have again, and as I am sure I never had beside. But I need no comfort from without, I console myself, and, chief of all, I find comfort in my freedom from the apprehension that oppresses most men when their friends die, for I do not think that any evil has befallen Scipio.
Download Description
Were I to deny that I feel the loss of Scipio, while I leave it to those who profess themselves wise in such matters to say whether I ought to feel it, I certainly should be uttering a falsehood. I do indeed feel my bereavement of such a friend as I do not expect ever to have again, and as I am sure I never had beside. But I need no comfort from without, I console myself, and, chief of all, I find comfort in my freedom from the apprehension that oppresses most men when their friends die, for I do not think that any evil has befallen Scipio.
Product Description
Book is Edited and Annotated. A Revised Edition.
Average customer rating:
- Filled with Real Horror -- and Real Insight
- The best book that you aren't reading
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Hard Time: 50 to Life
Steve Gerber
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Mystery | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
DC Comics | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1401204716 |
Customer Reviews:
Filled with Real Horror -- and Real Insight.......2005-06-26
Brutal, bleak, despairing, filled with real horror ... these words come to mind as I survey this `comic' book about an innocent 15 year old boy's life sentence in the grimmest of penal institutions. Other images also come to mind. For here is a searing indictment of contemporary `justice' and the prison system. Here is acute commentary on themes such as religious fundamentalism, ethnic hatred, social stratification, among other elements of contemporary society. Here too, is compassion for the oppressed. And here also, for a comic book, is an amazing amount of vivid characterisation and acute understanding of human psychology. In the world of the American comic book, this is another masterpiece by Steve Gerber, author of Howard the Duck and Nevada (which I've also reviewed). Brian Hurtt's artistry also effectively and beautifully illustrates Gerber's vision.
Still, be warned - the vision here is very, very dark. In the prison milieu Gerber creates is a portrait - stunningly realised - of one particular kind of microcosmic human `community' among the millions of different kinds of human communities that constitute our world in toto. There are indeed many, many worlds within the World. There are worlds like that of Hard Time, especially deprived of the ozone of love and hope. Such worlds of human activity exist in abundance, in the prisons, in the mafia, in cults of evil... It is salutary never to forget this. And Gerber's penetrating writing can serve to awaken our hearts to the fact of this matter.
On the other hand, it is also salutary to have hope. Though human beings are deeply dysfunctional and broken everywhere -in more traditional language `fallen' - there are also countless communities in the world, in which there is far, far more aspiration to the firmament. That is to say, as Oscar Wilde said, `We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars'. Some communities, be they loving families, religious houses, idealistic societies and so on, are still in the gutter, but possess amazing depths of commitment towards reaching for the stars of hope and charity, and integrating them in daily life.
I am sorry to say, I am sorry to say indeed that Steve Gerber, who emerges as a very human, very flesh and blood figure with real tenderness of feeling beneath layers of cynicism, this same Steve Gerber seems to have lost sight of human communities oriented to the stars, seems to be caught by worlds of loveless despair ... and writes - brilliantly - according to what he sees.
But there are other worlds out there. There are other worlds out there. Still for those of us fortunate enough to encounter worlds committed to the stars, while ever in the gutter, Hard Time can have a most salutary effect. It can serve to remind us never to be complacent, but to remember the horror that prevails - to greater and lesser degrees - everywhere. Hard Time enjoins us to remember the horror ... and thus the need for Ora et Labora.
The best book that you aren't reading.......2004-11-02
Hard Time was launched as part of a new comic line under DC comics, the Focus imprint. It was one of three books when it was released, now it's the only one left. There's a reason for that, this book is incredible.
It's Oz meets Superman, Oz meets My So Called Life, well, actually, any comparisson is going to go to Oz because this is the only prison drama currently in comics.
The main character is Ethan Harrow, a 15 year old kid who is serving 50 to life after taking part in a school shooting. The story follows him in a maximum security prison, from his time in his cell with his cell-mate Curly, to dealing with Swift and the Aryan's, and even the crazed preacher Gantry.
Steve Gerber is a master at developing his characters, as he juggles an ensemble cast evenly, no character is forgotten, and you learn to care about each and every person introduced.
Brian Hurtt's art is perfect for this book as well, creating an appropriate feel for the enviroment, the fact that he inks his own pencils makes it that much better.
Not sure what else I can say, it's not an easy book to explain, but it's an easy book to love. Give it a chance, I guaruntee that you'll fall in love with it before you even finish the first issue.
Product Description
In 5th-century pagan-dominated Ireland, Brigid is born a slave to her own father and is separated from her mother. Desperately seeking love and acceptance, Brigid becomes a believer in Christ. Knowing how the Irish people cling to superstitions and fears, can Brigid overcome them? Will her hatred for her father and a scheming evil sorcerer destroy her faith? Set in the era of St. Patrick, this fantasy-filled novel will captivate readers as Brigid must choose between GodÂ’s will and the desire to save her family.
Book Description
For those on both sides of the dreaded dentist's chair, James Wynbrandt has written a witty, colorful, and richly informative history of the art and science of dentistry.To all of those dental patients whose whine rises in tandem with that of the drill, take note: You would do well to stifle your terror and instead offer thanks to Apollonia, the patron saint of toothache sufferers, that you face only fleeting discomfort rather than the disfiguring distress, or slow agonizing death oft meted out by dental-care providers of the past.The transition from yesterday's ignorance, misapprehension, and superstition to the enlightened and nerve-deadened protocols of today has been a long, slow, and very painful process.For example, did you know that: *Among the toothache remedies favored by Pierre Fauchard, the father of dentistry, was rinsing the mouth liberally with one's own urine. *George Washington never had wooden teeth.However, his chronic dental problems may have impacted the outcome of the American Revolution. *Soldiers in the Civil War needed at least two opposing front teeth to rip open powder envelopes.Some men called up for induction had their front teeth extracted to avoid service. *Teeth were harvested from as many as fifty thousand corpses after the Battle of Waterloo, a huge crop later used for dentures and transplants that became known as "Waterloo Teeth."
Customer Reviews:
Humorous and Informative.......2007-02-11
This is a fun read. A must have for any oral health professional.
Well researched, and brilliantly funny.......2004-02-17
From its quirky title through the painful truths of the profession, the writing is masterful. If you have a mind for tongue in cheek humor beautifully written, the book is for you. Not a subject you ever cared much about? It doesn't matter. This author makes it fun.
Interesting history book.......2000-07-30
I enjoyed this book, but it was rather a slow read most of the time. Some really funny incidents are chronicled here. Best for people in the dental profession and not just the medical profession at large (like me.)
Amazon.com
Seven-year-old Café Pongo has made Tivoli, New York, a culinary destination. Located in the fertile Hudson Valley, the restaurant offers American fare with an international twist: food enjoyed equally by a loyal local clientele and visitors from all parts. The Café Pongo Cookbook, the work of Valerie Nehez, the restaurant's founder, captures the food and flavor of the restaurant (named after her beloved dog) in over 200 approachable recipes and many diverting anecdotes. Readers seeking formulas for countrified fare that also packs a flavor punch should welcome the book.
The chapters reflect the restaurant's morning-to-night menu: an opening section on breakfast specialties includes such winners as Poached Eggs with Zucchini Fritters and Roasted Red Pepper Coulis, and Fresh Cranberry Pancakes with Caramelized Pineapple and Ginger Compote. Other chapters--which include recipes for soups, salads, sandwiches, entrees, starters, and sides--offer such treats as Spicy African Soup with Yams and Shrimp and Hominy Cakes with Cilantro Crème Fraîche. A special section of dishes for non-meat eaters makes the book universally useful, while all will enjoy baked goods and desserts like Chocolate Espresso Torte, Maple Brioche Sticky Buns, and Crispy Crawly Blackberry Pudding (as it bakes, the batter "creeps" into the berry crevices). With drink recipes and photographs that introduce readers to the restaurant's "family," the book should become a favorite resource for simple yet sophisticated eating. --Arthur Boehm
Book Description
North of the hustle and bustle of New York City lies an oasis of small-town America, the quiet Hudson River Valley hamlet of Tivoli. Virtually abandoned after its boom years at the beginning of the twentieth century, when steamships carried workers across the river to factories in Saugerties, this "no stoplight" town has gone through a renaissance along its main thoroughfare, and visitors find themselves relaxing and eating great food inside the welcoming doors of funky, casual Café Pongo.
The Café Pongo Cookbook captures the relaxed style and sophisticated cuisine of the restaurant with more than 220 recipes adapted for the home cook, including Poppy Seed Almond Hot Cakes with Maple Cream and Almonds, Beet and Shaved Fennel Salad with Clementine Vinaigrette, Shrimp and Hominy Cakes with Cilantro Crème Fraîche, Pan-Seared Penne and Greens with Feta and Pine Nuts, Barbecued Lemon Chicken with Crushed Cumin and Coriander Seeds, Steak with Caramelized Onions and Merlot Reduction, and Bread Pudding with Golden Raisins and Apricot Glaze.
In her warm and inviting voice, Valerie Nehez, the original chef/owner of Café Pongo, recounts her memories and brings her culinary know-how to each dish, making you feel almost as comfortable re-creating the recipes as you would be relaxing in a wooden chair inside the restaurant.
With over 25 black-and-white photographs throughout, The Café Pongo Cookbook will make you feel nostalgic for the restaurant and the Hudson Valley, whether you've been there before or only visited vicariously through this book.
Customer Reviews:
The Mother of all cookbooks........2007-06-25
You may be new or old at cooking, either way you will find recipes in this book that you will remember fondly forever. Nehez will teach you things along the way that will expand your own menu and improve your skills in the kitchen. She is gifted and sincere. Her book is a delight to behold. I like cooking and pleasing others with food even better than I like eating. This is my favorite cookbook.
Here is a classic!.......2002-04-14
I've eaten (in the company of my wife & our 2 dachshunds) at Cafe Pongo, a joyous place with delicious food & a terrific communal feeling among staff & patrons. But even if I'd never heard of Pongo, this cookbook would have blown me away. Everything about it, the organization & layout (so very critical in cookbooks, which are, after all manuals of survival) & particularly the recipes themselves: original & imaginative & delicious. Here's a sample my wife & I have tried so far (plus a few chosen at random): Poached Eggs with Zucchinhi Fritters and Roasted Red Pepper Coulis; Chilled Sugar Snap Pea Soup with Fresh Mint; Romaine Salad with Lentil Croutons and Lemon-Tahini Vinaigrette; Beet and Shaved Fennel Salad with Clementine Vinaigrette; Potato Pancakes with Peppered Ginger Applesauce; Sesame-Crusted Shrimp; Roast Beef with Preserved Lemons, Figs and Fennel; Baked Cauliflower and Turnips (Yes! Delicious!!). There's lot's more, too. This cookbook now takes precendence over the 75 or 80 of its companions on our shelves. Thank you, Ms. Nehez!
A wonderful resource.......2002-01-04
I thought The Cafe Pongo Cookbook was extremely well written and very informative. The author's style and the book's layout made the recipes come alive. I could almost taste the various dishes as I read and couldn't wait to get into the kitchen to try them myself. I found that the directions were very easy to follow and the dishes turned out to be every bit as good as they sounded. I highly recommend this book for anybody who lives to try something just a little bit different from the 'run of the mill'. I even gave an entire dinner part based on the recipes in the book and it was a huge success! Give this book a try, I can guarantee you wont be disappointed!
Reads Like a Letter to a Friend.......2001-12-22
Delightful cookbook with personal notes from the author which gives the feeling of shared treasures. The recipes are the product of a very inventive chef with an eclectic approach and an obvious passion for food. Also interesting were the comments about the sleepy Hudson Valley Village of Tivoli and the renaissance created in that town by the author and her former partner when they opened the doors to Santa Fe, her first restaurant.
Customer Reviews:
Indispensable Price Guide.......2007-02-28
When it comes to concise and easy to use price guides to Lionel Trains I have found Greenberg's Guides to be invaluable. It breaks the catalogue numbers down into eras or distinct ranges of years of production and lists price ranges based on condition in a very orderly fashion. If you sell or buy on eBay this is a valuable tool. Greenberg's Lionel Trains Guides and publications are all first rate and come highly recommended.
Indispensable.......2006-03-17
This is an indispensable, pocket guide for identifying Lionel Trains at train shows. It's easy to use and obviously handy because it slips easily into a back pocket. I use the pricing only as a way of identifying general area of value. Any one item could be worth more or less. Guide is great for keeping track of train items you own or are looking for.
Greenberg's Guides Lionel Trains 2006 Pocket Price Guide.......2006-03-17
Excellent book! Get resource! My last one was falling apart from all the times I used it.
Greenberg's Pocket Price Guide to Lionel Trains 2006.......2006-03-10
A great book for the casual buyer or serius collector. A wealth of pricing information. Wouldn't buy without it. The only thing that keeps it from a 5 star rating is lack of pictures.
Greenberg's guide to vintage lionel pricing.......2006-03-01
A must have for every collector, offered at a great price.
Book Description
Of the many toy books on the market today, only one tackles this enormous and varied field head-onSchroeders Collectible Toys, Antique to Modern! This large format, 512-page book contains values for over 20,000 toys in every category imaginableaction figures, cast-iron and paper lithographed toys, wind-ups, Barbie dolls, model kits, diecast banks, games, playsets, character toys, and many other categories of childrens playthings dating from the nineteenth century to the twenty-first. Compiled by the editors of the countrys bestselling antiques price guide, Schroeders Collectible Toys has been highly acclaimed and enthusiastically accepted by toy collectors and dealers all over the country for ten years! Backing the editors is a fantastic team of researchers and advisors who carefully check every line for up-to-the-minute accuracy. The book also contains coded dealer listings devised to help the reader track down and purchase those hard-to-find items. This easy-to-use guide also lists reference books, clubs, and newsletters that cover specific fields of collector interest. Thats why Schroeders Collectible Toys is the #1 book the toy field has to offer.
Customer Reviews:
SCHROEDERS COLLECTIBLE TOYS: ANTIQUE TO MODERN PRICE GUIDE.......2001-11-29
THIS BOOK IS HIGHLY INFORMATIVE AND UP TO DATE WITH ITS DESCRIPTIONS AND PRICES. I USE THIS BOOK AS MY BIBLE FOR TOYS BECAUSE IT CONTAINS NOT ONLY THE EASY TO GET PRICES, BUT ALSO THE HARD TO FIND TOY PRICES. THE ONLY DRAW BACK THAT I CAN SEE IS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE PICTURES. THIS IS A MUST FOR YOUR TOY COLLECTIBLE LIBRARY OF PRICE BOOKS.
A must have for toy collector's.......1998-01-14
Of all the books in our library ~ this one never gets 'recycled!' Wonderful souce book with excellent information. This book sells out fast in our area! Glad to know that we can now order it on line!
Book Description
More photos, updated prices, collecting tips and practical advice from leading toy experts make this the most comprehensive reference. As the leading annual price guide on the market, this resource gives collectors, dealers, historians and fans of these childhood favorites the updated pricing and identification details they need.
2006 Toys & Prices features analysis from experts across the United States, plus more than 2,000 photos to provide collectors with ease in identifying toys. Listings cover the historic toys of post-World War II through the present. This comprehensive resource includes chapter on Action Figures, Fisher-Price, GI Joe, Lunch Boxes, Robots, View-Master, Barbie, and Battery-Operated toys and more. From the publishers of Toy Shop magazine, this is THE guide for any and every collector.
-Updated and revised categories keep collectors abreast of changes in the market
-More than 31,000 listings give key collecting details
-Current market values offer collectors the latest pricing
Customer Reviews:
THE BEST TOY PRICE GUIDE ON THE MARKET.......2006-03-21
It's difficult for any one Toy price guide to be the definitive, sole source of pricing and listing information for every toy. There are simply so many toys out there that you'll always find something that may be in one guide and not in the other. But if you want to start somewhere, or if you're content to choose only one guide, then Toys & Prices 2006 is the best choice. First, it comes from a great source, Krause Publications, who have been putting out excellent price guides for many years as well as publications like Toy Shop, Toy Cars & Models, etc...Second it's written by people who are knowledgeable in the field and in the various types of toys in the book.
The latest edition is 824 pages with over 31,000 toy listings with multiple prices. The book is sectioned by toy types from Action figures, Games, and Lunch boxes to Pez, Robots, Space Toys, and Vehicles, 23 different sections in all. Specific brands such as Barbie, G.I. Joe, Star Wars, and View Master get sections all to their own. The toys can overlap from section to section so if you don't find it in one be sure to check another. Each section starts with an introduction by an expert in the particular type of toy and includes notes on recent market trends. The Barbie section includes information on various resources, publications, websites, books, and clubs for the collector. The G.I. Joe section has a short, but concise history of each of the various Joe action figure lines. The book averages 3 - 4 black & white pictures per page with some 2,100 plus pictures in all. There is also a 16 page color photo section.
Testing the book out I didn't find many things that were not in the guide. One interesting omission was the Lord of the Rings action figures from Toy Biz based upon the recent films. Interesting because the book DID contain the older lines from Toy Vault and Knickerbocker toys. My only real disappointment was that in eight pages of Transformer toys listings there were only five photographs included. Heck you can easily find MIB pictures off the internet of most, if not every Transformer toy. OK, I guess that may be nit-picking just a bit. As will all Krause books the layout is very clean and well laid out. They don't sacrifice readability by making the type so small you can't read it like some other guides do. This is one book I always take along with me when I go out to flea markets or garage sales. Great as usual!
Reviewed by Tim Janson
Book Description
Each year Linda Crowsey updates values and listings and adds new color photographs to produce a completely revised book. The alphabetical listings include nearly every Madame Alexander doll, and the newest store specialissues from Belk Legget Department Stores, Madame Alexander Doll Club Convention dolls and those exclusive to members only, Neiman-Marcus dolls, QVC/Home Shopping Network exclusive, United Federation of Doll Clubs, and many more. All of the Alexander favorites remain, with updated prices given for the classic Cissy, Little Women, Wendy, Scarlett OHara, Alexander-Kins, and Ballerina dolls, plus hundreds more. The sizes, dates, outfits, and current values given for every doll listed, as well as the representative sampling of sharp color photographs, assist the collector in identification. This book is sure to continue to be one of our most popular doll titles.
Customer Reviews:
Not well organized and incomplete listing.......2006-11-13
I purchased this book specifically to look up the value of my 1991 limited edition porcelain bride and the porcelain collection wasn't even listed. This listing is not complete and poorly organized.
Useful reference for this niche collectable..........2000-05-27
This book is full of good information. It has lists of (seemingly) every Madame Alexander doll ever made. It has relatively accurate pricing (although be aware that online auctions often make such price guides irrelevant). My only quibble is that I wish it had many more pictures than it does, so as to make identifying dolls easier. Other than that, it's a fine book.
An important, seminal doll collector's guide........2000-04-06
Linda Crowsey's Madame Alexander appears in a pamphlet-style booklet which may be lost without spine lettering, but which provides an important, specific doll collector's guide to this series.
Book Description
Anna Griffin’s a scrapbooking star whose stationery, invitations, and decorative papers are popular with paper crafters everywhere. A regular on QVC and a special guest on the DIY Network’s show Scrapbooking, she has an elegant design style that has a widespread appeal. Scrapbookers will love learning the secrets behind her “sophisticated and feminine approach” (Scrapbooking & Beyond) from Anna herself.
Average customer rating:
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200 Family-Favored Home Plans: Move-Up Designs from 2400 to 4000 Square Feet (Blue Ribbon Designer)
Manufacturer: Home Planners
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Residential
| Building Types & Styles
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Design & Construction
| Home Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
House Plans
| Home Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1881955079 |
Average customer rating:
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Home Designs for Move Up Families
Homestyles
Manufacturer: Homestyles Publishing & Marketing, Incorporat
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Home Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0945471483 |
Book Description
A collection of over 275 feature-packed affordable designs for homes ranging from 1500 to 2500 square feet. Features distinguished exteriors, dramatic interiors, designer kitchens and marvelous master suites. Complete construction blueprints available.
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The Dog Sense That Changed My Life (Gestures of Kindness)
Sandra Magsamen
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- Humanizing a legend
- Engaging Bio Of A Pioneering Diva
- Talent and Grace
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Marian Anderson: A SINGER'S JOURNEY (Music in American Life)
Allan Keiler
Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
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Binding: Paperback
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The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards))
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Spirituals
ASIN: 0252070674 |
Amazon.com
Marian Anderson is often perceived more as a civil rights legend than a singer. In this first complete biography, Allan Keiler, a music professor at Brandeis University, gives his primary allegiance to Anderson the artist. In the first decades of the 20th century, a time when black classical musicians were rare, she rose from a poor neighborhood in Philadelphia to a level of supreme accomplishment. Although she came to be identified with spirituals, she resisted being pegged as a black singer and emphasized her mastery of the European art song.
Virtually all of Anderson's career took place on the concert stage; opera was even harder to break into. She was in her late 50s when she became the first black singer to appear at the Metropolitan Opera. In any period, though, opera would not have suited her personality. She preferred the intimate engagement she could achieve with a song and a single accompanist.
Anderson's most indelible moment came in 1939, when the Daughters of the American Revolution refused her the use of its segregated Constitution Hall in Washington. In response, her supporters organized a huge concert at the Lincoln Memorial, an emotional event that propelled her to iconic status. But Anderson was neither outspoken nor comfortable in the political limelight. After World War II, she was criticized for not refusing to perform in the segregated South. In the last decades of her long life (she died at 96, in 1993), she was revered as a symbol of humanitarianism and restrained dignity--a quality that made her seem remote to younger, more impatient generations.
Keiler is a methodical rather than inspired writer. His prose can be flat-footed, and his chronology is often murky. But he successfully evokes what made Anderson's singing unique: the "opulent" tone and the interpretive ability that cut to the heart of a varied repertoire embracing spirituals, folk songs, and pieces by Schubert, Brahms, Handel, Sibelius, Purcell, and de Falla. And his sympathetic portrait transforms her from a civics lesson into a woman of her time, one who believed the most valuable contribution she could make to a better world was to offer it her gift. --David Olivenbaum
Book Description
Marian Anderson was a woman with two disparate voices. The firstÐ-a powerful, majestic contralto spanning four octaves--catapulted her from Philadelphia poverty to international fame. A second, softer voice emanated from her mere presence: an unwavering refrain of opportunity and accomplishment in the face of racial prejudice.
Anderson was born in 1897 to parents who made the long journey north from Virginia to escape the clutches of Jim Crow. Her musical genius was apparent from an early age, but even tremendous community and familial support could not shield her from the blows of economic hardship and bigotry she encountered in her early performing days.
Anderson first garnered major acclaim while studying in London and Berlin. Her breakthrough in America commenced when impresario Sol Hurok took her under his wing, and her broad repertoire included Bach and Handel, spirituals, German lieder, French melodies, and the art songs of Scandinavian, Russian, and Spanish composers. In 1955, she became the first African-American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera.
Since she was more comfortable as artist than activist, Anderson's intense privacy and devotion to her work distanced her from direct roles in the civil rights movement, but she remained a symbol of possibility throughout her career. Famously, Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolution when the organization refused to let Anderson perform at Constitution Hall. Images of Anderson singing at the 1939 Easter concert, subsequently moved to the Lincoln Memorial, established her immediately as an icon in the struggle against discrimination.
From meetings with Anderson before her death in 1993, as well as interviews, reviews, and early coverage in the black press, and personal diaries and letters, Allan Keiler has assembled a massive and magnificent study of Anderson's life. Now in paperback for the first time, this edition features separate appendices for Anderson's repertory and discography, and thirty-two photographs of the singer's incredible life and career.
Customer Reviews:
Humanizing a legend.......2001-11-27
Allan Keiler's biography of the great African-American contralto Marian Anderson is meticulously researched and detailed. Having exhaustively consulted contemporary sources neglected by other researchers, such as black newspapers, and personally interviewed many people, including the singer herself, Keiler sheds new light on the familiar story of Anderson's life and career.
Of particular interest is his detailed chronology of the famous events of 1939 that began with the refusal of the Daughters of the American Revolution to allow Anderson to give a concert in Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., and ended with her outdoor concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, a performance that propelled the singer to iconic status in the civil rights movement. His recounting of this and subsequent events, including her eventual success in obtaining a performance in Constitution Hall years later, reveals Anderson to have been surprisingly hesitant and passive in combatting segregation, and by no means unequivocally in favor of some of the bolder, more confrontational moves of her supporters.
Likewise, Keiler probes her personal relationships, something Anderson was reticent about in her own autobiography, and reveals a human being with faults and frailties, one who could be dictatorial and impatient toward members of her family, and aloof and uncommunicative when terminating relationships with lovers and artistic collaborators (notably Billy King, her first regular accompanist, who never recovered from the pain of being replaced by Kosti Vehanen). In no way do these revelations detract from Anderson's accomplishments as a musician; rather, they form a touching picture of the real sacrifices she had to make in the service of her talent.
The one major area in which this book falls short is a detailed examination of Anderson's vocal art. Despite her unique status in American history, the singer comes from and joins several well-defined artistic traditions--the low-voiced female classical singer, a vocal species now almost extinct; the singer who makes a career through concert and oratorio work rather than opera; and the African-American classical singer. With her well-documented performance history and large recorded legacy, the time is ripe for a definitive study of Anderson the vocal artist, writing of the kind John Ardoin and Michael Scott have published about Maria Callas and her work. Despite its many virtues this volume does not pretend to, nor does it accomplish this task.
Engaging Bio Of A Pioneering Diva.......2000-11-20
In 1939 world-class contralto Marian Anderson was barred -- because of her race -- from performing an Easter concert in Washington's Constitution Hall when the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to rent her the space.
Instead, supported by the NAACP and Eleanor Roosevelt, Anderson sang at the Lincoln Memorial. In so doing she brought attention to both her magnificent voice and the reality of segregation in the capital.
This absorbing authorized biography puts Anderson's career before her skin color, but Brandeis University music professor Keiler, who interviewed the singer shortly before her death in 1993 at age 96, carefully documents both her musical evolution and civic triumphs.
Though clearly awed by the stately vocalist who dressed in white satin, Keiler celebrates the humanitarian who served as a U.N. delegate, funded scholarships for black youth (both Jessye Norman and Leontyne Price auditioned for one but lost), mastered works by Brahms, Schubert and Sibelius and became the first African-American to sing at the Metropolitan Opera.
An important read of a voice which sang so true.
Talent and Grace.......2000-03-13
Though Mr. Keiler does a tremendous job of putting Ms. Anderson's life on paper, at the end I still felt I did not know her. I don't know if it was because he had the cooperation of her family and was overly cautious, or if she is just a personality to complicated to really get to know. Anyway, a great read, but just left me wanting to know more.
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Marian Anderson (Journey to Freedom)
James Meadows
Manufacturer: Child's World
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
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ASIN: 1567669212 |
Book Description
A biography of African-American concert singer Marian Anderson, discussing her happy childhood in Philadelphia, her early involvement with music, her attempts to perfect her art, her European success, the discrimination she encountered in the U.S., and the impact of her fame on racism.
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