Music Through the Floor: Stories

Amazon.com

Erik Puchner's Music Through the Floor is a hauntingly beautiful collection of stories recounted by a diverse group of similarly alienated heroes and heroines. While the thinly veiled lesson at the end of each tale may remind some of childhood fables, Puchner's characters, whose struggles are remarkably genuine, are likeable enough to make this a welcome debut.

At times hilarious in his irony, Puchner also has a serious side that infuses many of these stories with an unexpected heaviness. Among the most memorable is "Children of God," a story about a seriously depressed young man who becomes the caretaker of two mentally retarded adults whose daily routine, while tragic, is also triumphant. "Mission" is the story of an ESL teacher whose need to please his students, and the immigrant community in which he lives, is so strong that it tows the line between heartbreaking and pathetic. In the end, a student's real heartbreak is so poignantly rendered that the teacher, and the reader, are left speechless.

Not all of Puchner's stories are created equal--some lack depth, and others can drag at times. Still, on the whole, Music Through the Floor is a mentally and emotionally rewarding read, and most will look forward to more from this talented newcomer. --Gisele Toueg

Book Description

Includes a new story, "Body Language"!

Now in paperback, Eric Puchner's celebrated debut collection, a finalist for the New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award, established him as one of our most brilliant and promising new literary voices.

Writing from an impressive range of perspectives -- men and women, children and adults, immigrants and tourists -- Puchner deftly exposes the dark, tender undersides of his characters with arresting beauty and precision. Here are people fumbling for identity in a dehumanizing world, captured in moments that are hilarious, shocking, and transcendent, sometimes all at once. Unfailingly true, surprisingly moving, and impossible to forget, these stories make up an extraordinary and strikingly original collection.

Customer Reviews:

My Highest Rating.......2006-07-04

Best short stories I've ever read. You'll love the writing and more you'll be thoroughly entertained.

Book Description

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR WEAVES A MAGICAL SPELL.

To save a young woman from his villainous brother, a retired spy marries her-and that's just the beginning of their adventures together.

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR WEAVES A MAGICAL SPELL.

To save a young woman from his villainous brother, a retired spy marries her-and that's just the beginning of their adventures together.

Download Description

Rafael Carstairs, the mysterious sea captain who worked against Napoleon in Calypso Magic, returns in this final novel of the Magic Trilogy. He's a civilian now, and travelling to Cornwall to see his twin brother, Damien Carstairs, Baron Drago. In the middle of a moonless night, Rafael rescues a young girl, Victoria Abermarle from smugglers -- only to find out that she is trying to escape his twin, Baron Drago, who tried to rape her. What's a retired spy to do with a young girl whose nubile body and sizable fortune are threatened by his own brother? He does the noble thing, finally: he marries her.

Customer Reviews:

moon spun.......2005-09-22

This is one of three books and everyone of them kept my interest. It made me laugh and cry. One of the best books I have read lately. I highly recommend to read.

A hero saves the heroine only to not believe her...........2002-10-22

I really didn't like this one as much as many of the other Catherine Coulter stories I have read. The main hero Rafael is an ... He continues to jump to conclusions whenever he does anything, which only gets him in trouble. Not only that but why would you stay at the home of your brother (a twin) when he has tried to assault your wife?

Victoria is trying to escape from Damien who is bent on taking her innocence. So she runs away and tries to make it to London where she may actually not be a poor as she has been led to believe. Along the way she comes up against smugglers and is saved by who she thinks is the man she fears. But, why is he being kind. Well he is the good brother. Things continue and in the end he marries her (Rafael) but he listens to the lies of his brother and accuses her of unspeakable things, when all she was trying to hide was an injured leg.

As usual there are a few sub plots with this one but I recommend that you should read the Song Trilogy instead.

Not what I expected.......2002-05-01

Although I wasn't entirely impressed with this book, being my first Catherine Coulter book, I will read more of her work only because people seem to like her and I think I've come to expect too much from historical romances after reading Julia London's books. The story started out wonderful, with Rafael coming to her rescue and he was so caring toward her, but as the book progressed, I was a bit turned off by the way he handled her, their conversations. I think he was much too full of himself and the way he spoke had me thinking he was somewhat of a nerd. I thought the book focused too much on her injury, in fact, that was what most of the book was about. The brother did inexcusable things to Victoria and to her and Rafael and Rafael didn't deal with it hardly at all. I expected much more from such an acclaimed author. But, I will read another one of her books and see if it is any better.

How About Other Books?.......2000-04-24

Fist of all, this book was great, I don't have anything against it. The only thing I hate is how Rafael repeatly doubts Victoria. But like my title suggests, I'm curious about her other books. I read all the reviews of her other books and most people like them. There are also people who don't. Before I read them(the reviews), I was planning to go buy more of her books. Now I'm not so sure, her books sound like they sure have a lot of cruelty and rape in them!

Moonspun Magic......a great story!.......2000-01-28

This is the last book in the Magic Trilogy. Coulter writes of a sea captian, Rafael Castairs (introduced in "Calypso Magic"), and his journey to London. On the way, he saves Victoria Abermarle, none other than his hated twin's ward. Of course, a romance bloom between the two. Rafael is loving and gentle, although very stubborn, and of course, worms his way into Victoria's heart. Just as Victoria, with her innocence and beauty, worms right into his heart. Sit back and enjoy the love story as it grows between the two. The fight scenes are halirious, the sex scenes steamy, and the mystery and dealings of Damein, Rafael's twin, are twisted. I find this one a highly enjoyable story written by Coulter, which allows us to revisit all the characters from the first two books, however briefly.

The Magic Trilogy: Midsummer Magic, Calypso Magic, Moonspun Magic

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The Magic Trilogy: Midsummer Magic, Calypso Magic, Moonspun Magic
Catherine Coulter
Manufacturer: Topaz
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000JZ9UP2

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MOONSPUN MAGIC (MAGIC, NO 3)
CATHERINE COULTER
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LJMKDU

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Moonspun Magic
Catherine Coulter
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000N289RQ

Book Description

The Pollutians invade the Wump World and turn the green meadows into a concrete jungle.

Customer Reviews:

ten stars.......2006-06-25

this book is great, it is easy to read and teaches a great lesson in environmental consciousness!!!!

A must -read for all !.......2006-03-26

This was a favorite of mine as a child and I was so glad to find it again. A must-read for all ages. Very insightful when written in 1970 and very true for today in teaching the lessons of pollution and the environment and how we must respect and save nature. Wonderful!

I Love the Wumps.......2006-03-04

I loved this book when I was a little girl - introduced to it in first grade - and I love it as an adult. It made me teary then, and it makes me teary now. But hope is the central theme - the wumps, in the end, survive, return to the surface, and take up their lives, repairing the damage done by the invaders.

The wumps themselves are modelled after a South American rodent called the capybara, which I had never heard of until I was visiting a zoo as an adult and said, "Oh my gosh, a WUMP!" (My husband thought I was crazy.) I hadn't thought about the wumps for years, but it all came rushing back, and the book was JUST as good now as it was when I was a child.

The Peet family cared for a capybara for a while, and you can read about THAT in "Capyboppy," a "chapter book" for young readers. But the wumps are cuter.

Spectacular, Spectacular.......2005-11-03

As a kid, I remember checking this book out of the library again and again. I loved the story, and I would sit outside under my trees reading it, wondering how people in the world could read books like this and not want to be more cautious about our environment. Now, as a freshman in college, it's one of the 2 childrens' books that I have with me. It's a great book, touching story, important issue, and let's face it-the wumps are just adorable.

You have to love Bill Peet.......2004-11-07

This was my favorite book as a child. I had a very difficult time learning to read and the Whump World held my attention (great text and great pictures). I still own my childhood copy- which is very well worn. I love to share this book with children who visit and look forward to sharing it with my son. It is always a huge hit with everyone and it has a great message to boot. The Whump World still puts a simle on my face.

Average customer rating:

The Wump World

Manufacturer: macmillan/McGraw-Hill School Pub. Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0021794944

Average customer rating:

The Wump World
Bill Peet
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin, 1970
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GPDY7K

The Song of the Zubble-Wump (The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss)

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Leave Well Enough Alone
Rip-off

The Song of the Zubble-Wump (The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss)
Tom Brannon
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 067988419X
Release Date: 1996-12-30

Book Description

There's only one Zubble-wump egg, from the Zubbulous Valley, and that one belongs to the Mullally family. This egg hatches only once every 82 years, and young Megan Mullally is actually going to be lucky enough to witness the great event, which happens to be tomorrow. To make sure no harm comes to the precious egg, Grandpa Mullally brings in the egg-watching expert, Horton the elephant. But not even the hawk-eyed Horton can stop the thieving, nasty green Grinch, who pulls a switcheroo and snatches the egg. After a series of breath-holding near misses, Megan herself retrieves the egg and receives a classic Seussian lesson in tow: that beauty and truth can never be the property of just one family--they belong to all of us!

Customer Reviews:

Leave Well Enough Alone.......2005-09-30

Masterpieces and grandmasters are who they are because they are unique. Derivative works should remain just that, a complement to style, but no more. This is more than a request to this one author, but to the entire publishing industry. Enjoy Ted Geisel's work as it was meant to be, by yourself or with your kids. Trying to re-create it, in particularly, for monetary gains is ethically questionalable. Ted's work transcends markets and brands, it is a reflection on humanity, our strenghts and failures. Failure to understand this makes you no better than the Wickersham brothers.

Rip-off.......2000-11-17

Although Amazon has listed Dr. Seuss as one of the authors of this book, he is not!

Instead, the other authors/illustrator are attempting to boost their sales by stealing some of Seuss's characters--the Cat in the Hat, Horton the elephant, and the Grinch.

This plodding, predictable story totally lacks the wild plot twists and off-the-wall craziness of true Seuss. The trouble-making Cat in the Hat is transformed into a bland voice of authority lecturing about the importance of sharing. Evidently the authors haven't read "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", or they would know that the Grinch reformed at the end and is not the incorrigible villain he is depicted as in this book. Even the artwork is not a convincing imitation of Seuss, lacking the bold black ink strokes and wild details. The new characters in the book, Megan Mullally and her grandfather, look like Muppets rather than Seuss characters.

Get a *real* Dr. Seuss book.

Average customer rating:
Wump World
Bill Peet
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000V92Y2M

Average customer rating:
THE WUMP WORLD (BY BILL PEET) (NOT A CD!) (AUDIOTAPE CASSETTE AUDIOBOOK) 1991 BRILLIANCE CORPORATION/ HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
BILL PEET
Manufacturer: BRILLIANCE CORP./ HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

General | Children's Books | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
Peet, Bill | ( P ) | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000VDO2X2

Product Description

NOT A CD! THIS IS THE HARD-TO-FIND AUDIOTAPE CASSETTE AUDIOBOOK OF THE STORY BY BILL PEET! 1991 BRILLIANCE CORPORATION/ HOUGHTON MIFFLIN. SIDE 1 HAS TURN-THE-PAGE SIGNAL FOR READING ALONG WITH THE BOOK. SIDE 2 IS STRAIGHT NARRATION.

Zubble-Wump's Song (Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss)

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Zubble-Wump's Song (Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss)
Steve Haefele
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Crafts & Hobbies | Arts & Music | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0679885145
Release Date: 1997-05-20

Book Description

An elegant collection of portraits of the distinguished wubbulous cast of characters-- the Grinch in his Grotto, Horton the Explorer, and more--for kids to color with markers, crayons, paint or pencils. Over 40 pictures to color make this an exceptional value. Pages are perforated for easy removal so kids can give them away to friend and family!

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THE WUMP WORLD

Manufacturer: Scholastic Book Services
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GQIA6O

Average customer rating:

The Wump World
Bill Peet
Manufacturer: macmillan/McGraw-Hill School Pub. Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8TSXS

The Wump world: Activities and ideas (LINK pak)

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The Wump world: Activities and ideas (LINK pak)
Sherry Wise
Manufacturer: LINK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00072B8UC

Average customer rating:

the role of music in spirituality

Music as affirmation

Well Written and a Must for Fans!

Spiritually Uplifting

A Song to Sing, A Life to Live: Reflections on Music as Spiritual Practice (The Practices of Faith Series)
Don Saliers , and Emily Saliers
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religious & Sacred Music | Musical Genres | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Music | Judaism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Worship | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Spiritual | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Testimony: Talking Ourselves into Being Christian (The Practices of Faith Series)

Practicing Our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People (The Practices of Faith Series)

The Hospital by the River: A Story of Hope

Receiving the Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time (The Practices of Faith Series)

In the Midst of Chaos: Caring for Children as Spiritual Practice (The Practices of Faith Series)

ASIN: 0787983772

Book Description

In this rich exploration of music, authors Don and Emily Saliers interweave their own stories as well as those of others to reflect on the what, the how, and the why of music as a key aspect of spirituality in our lives. As an Indigo Girl, folk-rock singer-songwriter, Emily performs in primarily secular settings, while her father, Don - composer, cantor, and church musician - writes and arranges for church congregations. Their audiences may differ but both father and daughter understand the profound spirituality of music and have personally witnessed how their music brings healing to people no matter what the setting or circumstance. A Song to Sing, A Life to Live bridges two generations, two approaches to spirituality, and two genres of music - the music of Saturday night and Sunday morning. Don and Emily Saliers reflect on such topics as music and justice, music and grief, music and delight, and music and hope. They open the way for those who seek to embrace new spiritual practices by creating music, sharing music, and developing their musical skills as a spiritual practice.

Customer Reviews:

the role of music in spirituality.......2007-08-16

Authors Don and Emily Saliers, father and daughter, write from very different but equally fascinating places. He is a noted church musician and composer and university professor at a major Protestant divinity school; she has left behind her traditional church upbringing and practice and now writes music and performs as part of the maverick singing group Indigo Girls which has been around for nearly 2 decades. If you are a church musician this book will especially speak to you I think. If you're not -- and I'm not -- many of the sections written by Don may leave you confused. At least that was the impact on me. Consequently, I wasn't able to connect to his spirituality in the way I'd expected, despite my longtime church background. Emily's contributions to the book, in which I was especially interested because of Indigo Girls' social justice activism, were far fewer up to the point, about half way through the book, where I finally quit reading. I was just plain bored, and I realized I'd been skimming through pages, hoping for but finding nothing that really touched or inspired me. I felt I was reading a college textbook. There was an emotional distance that seemed odd to me for a book about spirituality. Or maybe it really is a book about music, and I'm not a musician, though I love music and it is the source of my greatest spiritual growth and comfort. Because I admire both Emily and Don Saliers so much, I keep thinking it must be me that's the problem where this book is concerned. Maybe so. Maybe no. But I never finished it.

Music as affirmation.......2006-11-04

This book supports what many of us have long felt: that music is perhaps the best medium to express joy and affirmation of life. The thoughts and experiences of this father-daughter pair, one a church musician and the other a popular performer, resonate with those of us who are neither, but who love to sing and/or listen to and/or play music. Sometimes the prose gets repetitive, but it's always clear. You'll find yourself nodding vigorously, and probably smiling too, throughout.

Well Written and a Must for Fans!.......2005-06-16

I thoroughly enjoyed this book since I am an Indigo Girls fan-particularly of Emily's song writing. This book is about tolerance of all music and how it affects just about all that we do. It talks about some of the stories behind Emily's song lyrics which I find fascinating, but also gives a great history behind many of the hymns that her father plays in their church. I would have liked to have seen Emily mention her mother and her impact on her song writing, but overall...the language and the ideas expressed in this book are beautiful and wonderful. I was sent this book as a gift, and it truly was. What a delightful treat to read.

Spiritually Uplifting.......2005-02-06

Can't get that song out of your head? Neither can they. In their new book "A Song to Sing, A Life to Live" Don Saliers, renowned professor of theology at Emory, and his daughter Emily Saliers, Grammy award winning singer/songwriter of the Indigo Girls, sing in harmony the praises of music and its connection to the soul. They remind us that it is music which generates the vibrating strings of energy connecting us to all living things. Their discussions of how music helps to shape us by connecting us to memories, people, places, and the Divine Source is both uplifting and inspirational. Both Don and Emily provide insights into how music has inspired them and directed their lives not only on a path of self-discovery, but a path of discovering the world around them; a world made visible only through music. This book will make you stop and look at the music you enjoy in a different light. I was deeply moved by the story of a young girl, Sarah, on her death bed waiting to hear Emily, and Indigo Girls partner Amy Ray, sing Emily's "Southland in the Springtime"; dying only hours after the duo finished their song. It made me question why even in death we long to fill our soul with our favorite music, but as Don and Emily point out, the cycle of life moves to music. They remind us that we cannot escape the rhythms with which daily life moves; whether it is the bustle of traffic, the roar of the ocean, or the singing of the birds. Our own bodies would not exist without the heart's intricate beating and the exact rhythm of our breathing. In essence, we are born in rhythm and die in song. I highly recommend this book as a primer in understanding the connection between music and the soul. This book is enlightening, uplifting, and fun. As an added bonus you'll also be treated to the personal stories and anecdotes of Don and Emily's encounters with music. Thank you Don and Emily for your courage and openness. Rock on!

Average customer rating:

Soy is no good, for people with immune disorders

Soy is an ANTI-nutrient

best book I've bought for soy recipes

A great book for anyone interested in learning about soy!

'Amazing' is the Word!

Amazing Soy: A Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking This Nutritional Powerhouse With 240 Recipes
Dana Jacobi
Manufacturer: William Morrow Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Vegetables & Vegetarian | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Vegetables | Vegetables & Vegetarian | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Natural Foods | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Whole Soy Cookbook, 175 delicious, nutritious, easy-to-prepare Recipes featuring tofu, tempeh, and various forms of nature's healthiest Bean

Soy of Cooking: Easy-to-Make Vegetarian, Low-Fat, Fat-Free, and Antioxidant-Rich Gourmet Recipes

This Can't Be Tofu!: 75 Recipes to Cook Something You Never Thought You Would--and Love Every Bite

The Soy Dessert and Baking Book: Add Soy and Nutrition to Your Favorite Cakes, Cookies, Pies, Tarts, Muffins, Puddings, Quick Breads, and Other Desserts

More Soy Cooking: Healthful Renditions of Classic Traditional Meals

ASIN: 006093381X

Book Description

Dana Jacobi, the undisputed "Queen of Soy," revolutionizes the art of cooking with soy -- the amazing, versatile power food.

This definitive cookbook on soy includes

240 great-tasting recipes for every occasion and eating style, including instant break-fasts, energy-boosting snacks, working lunches, elegant entertaining dishes, authentic Asian meals, and luscious desserts
A comprehensive guide of soyfoods -- from familiar foods like tofu to lesser-known ingredients such as soymeat, soy cheese, miso, tempeh, and much more -- with helpful tips on how to buy, prepare, and cook with 36 of them
Nutritional information for each recipe
A directory of more than 105 soyfood companies with their websites and mail-order addresses.

Customer Reviews:

Soy is no good, for people with immune disorders.......2006-01-08

IF you have an immune disorder like hypothyroidism, soy is not your friend. It can cause allergies, weight gain (severe weight gain), aches, pains, headaches, nausea, tiredness, and the list goes on. Please do your research before deciding to consume soy. I loved soy for years and ate it in the form of tofu, soy milk, veggie burgers, veggie dogs, etc. and it only did damage to my body. I know several people whom soy did damage to them, but yet to find one person soy helped someone. I think it is whoever is behind the "soy industry" that is making the health claims of it.

Soy is an ANTI-nutrient.......2005-08-27

I wonder if the author of this cookbook is aware of the mounting evidence of the dangers of soy. Go to the reviews of "The Whole Soy Story" by Kaayla T. Daniel, and you will see that the hyped claims of soy are just that. It will not be long before soy is recognized for what it is: an anti-nutrient. Most of the way soy is processed is so far gone from nature, that the human body cannot assimilate it. It is a myth that Asians consume lots of soy; what they do is in the form of miso, tempeh, soy sauce (which are all fermented and properly prepared), and miniscule amounts of tofu.

best book I've bought for soy recipes.......2003-05-13

very well written and the recipes are very tasty. I'm trying to replace meat in my diet and there are many recipes that taste just like meat, such as meatless tacos p.191 made with soy crumbles, tofu stir fry p.258.
I actually use this cookbook more than any other. It goes way beyond just addding tofu to vegetables to create gourmet healthy meals.
I also highly reccomend The Soy Zone book by B. Sears to explain why soy is so important a factor in living healthier.

A great book for anyone interested in learning about soy!.......2002-01-23

While I'm sure that hard-core vegetarians and other food purists will complain about this book, which contains a few recipes containing eggs, dairy products, as well as meat and fish, this is a superb book for anyone wishing to learn more about soy foods. This book is especially useful for cooks, like me, who eat meat, but who are interested in exploring ways to add economical and nutritious soy foods to their families' diets. With careful descriptions and explanations of a broad range of soy foods, from miso to tofu to tempeh and everything in between, this book offers recipes for many meals and occasions, using easy-to-understand and easy-to-follow instructions. Substitutions are often suggested, and most of the recipes can be created from ingredients readily obtainable in most supermarkets. The recipes are both imaginative and tasty. I'd recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone who loves to cook and is interested in alternative sources of protein.

'Amazing' is the Word!.......2001-09-07

This is a superb cookbook! This is a collection of the best soy recipes I've ever seen. There is also an abundance of information about the various forms of soy foods. This is a comprehensive cookbook with everything from breakfast to desserts, and everything in between. All of the recipes have excellent instructions that make each recipe a success every time.
For anyone who wishes to incorporate soy into their diet - vegetarian or meat-lover- this is the perfect cookbook. I highly recommend the Double Chocolate Bread Pudding, Roasted Tomato Bisque and Southwestern Bean Spread!

Book Description

The proud history of one of America's most prolific and best known dinnerware manufacturers is presented with over 500 color photographs and new research from the company archives. Today the popularity of Fiestar and many other Homer Laughlin dishes from the 1870s to the 1930s is well known to ceramics collectors. This book gives the factual history of all the shapes, decorations, and variations that have been found. Current market value ranges are given in the captions.

Customer Reviews:

good.......2007-02-19

A very good book for reference. I have used it many times looking at thing I'd like to bid on and wanted more information on the origin and value

Well written and presented; wonderful photos.......2005-04-03

Wonderful book about a wonderful company. HLC is one of the oldest companies in the USA which continues to operate successfully. It's famous for Fiesta and restaurant china, and in earlier years for an endless array of household patterns. In this book Jo Cunningham does a sensational job of documenting company history, along with hundreds of popular as well as rare patterns made from 1873 through 1939.

Great book for Homer Laughlin collectors.......2000-09-06

A well researched and well written guide. Readers like pictures and this book has lots of bright and colorful pictures with descriptions and information. The book gives insight into Mr. Laughlin and his pottery. I recommend this book to all collectors of Homer Laughlin.

Homer Laughlin A Giant Among Dishes.......2000-07-21

This is a must have for Homer Laughlin collectors. Get a feel for the life,times and area that produced the largest American manufacturer of dinnerware. This book is packed with information that you just can't digest in one setting. I'm constantly referring to it and learning something new everytime.

A must have for the serious collector.......1999-11-03

This book is indispensable for indentifying the older pieces of Homer Laughlin. While not a price guide per se it does give the reader an idea of the value of older pottery shapes.

Book Description

A comprehensive design source book of all types of Celtic spiral designs by leading exponent of Celtic art, Courtney Davis.

The 101 spiral designs cover the whole history of Celtic design from the earliest examples found on rocks and ancient stone monuments to Courtney Davis's own celebrated modern interpretations. With spiral designs from the famous Celtic manuscripts such as the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Book of Kells and from intricate Celtic jewelery.

The 101 spiral designs are all hand painted by Courtney Davis and printed in full color. Each is accompanied by a black and white version of the same image on the adjacent page-- perfect for scanning or photocopying for use on an art, design or craft project. The introduction gives a brief history of the Celts and an explanation of the birth and development of their artistic style with particular relation to spiral designs.

Book Description

The design of the 1970s was distinguished by a strong confluence of creativity and functionalism in furnishing and decor. We already recognize many '70s furniture designs as icons of mid-century modernism-and the proof is the prices they command at fine furniture auctions today.Bony examines the works of international designers whose creations exemplify this period, from the ergonomically-focused designers working in America to the pure design movement in Scandinavia and design innovators in Italy led by Archizoom, Alchymia, and Gaetano Pesce. This indispensable reference book chronicles the period's interior design trends with over 200 photographs focusing on artistic and decorative innovations that created the first intelligent and informed design conversation between two continents.

Customer Reviews:

Gorgeous, but daunting..........2007-01-22

The photographs are amazing, and it's a lot of fun to have around just to flip through on a whim. But, unless this alone will justify the price tag for you, I wouldn't recommend it. It seems to be written for people already in "the know," and for a regular Joe it's nearly impossible to enjoy as text alone. For me, the reading was difficult, seemingly random, and saturated with references to alien individuals and organizations (I was using Wikipedia quite a bit).

So, if you're looking for a user-friendly primer on 70s design, I would try elsewhere first... but the pictures are fantastic.

Customer Reviews:

Good but flawed........2004-04-12

As opera buffs well know, Joan Sutherland was the greatest coloratura soprano of the second half of the twentieth century. This book, by the wife of recent British Prime Minister John Major, is a decent, competent, workmanlike biography, but not a truly excellent or outstanding one. Major has done most of her homework well, and there is much about the book that is attractive. It is readable and is about the right length (the biography itself is 248 pages long). The book includes a comprehensive catalog of Sutherland's performances (40 pages, with cast lists, conductors, locations and dates of performances, from her earliest public appearance in Sydney in 1946 to her farewell gala at Covent Garden on 31 Dec. 1990), usefully chronicling an exceptionally long, rich, and varied international career. It also includes a discography (14 pages) and a role listing, giving each role she sang, when she first sang it, and how many times she sang it. There are two sections of photographs, well chosen but fuzzily reproduced in the edition I have (the American Little, Brown edition of 1994).

Major makes a reasonable effort through most of the book to be fair and even-handed, not falling into the trap of being excessively partisan and uncritically laudatory (the gushing "fan" biography) but showing obvious sympathy for her subject. If anything, however, the balance is too strongly tilted to the sympathetic side, too eager to justify whatever Dame Joan did or didn't do, and in particular too eager to say kind things about her final performing years (when her voice was in decline), editing out negative review comments and quoting the favorable ones. (Like most prima donnas she sang too long and didn't retire until she was well over the hill at 64.) Sutherland's shortcomings as a singer (despite her excellence, she did have some) get minimal treatment, and one of them, the increasingly hooded, covered, hooty, or throaty quality of her midrange after the mid-1970s, is never mentioned at all.

The writing is for the most part utilitarian but undistinguished. There are too many small evidences of failure to edit/proofread carefully--carelessness for which the publisher is primarily to blame. The book has an index, although its usefulness is reduced because it indexes only proper names, the names of operas, and opera roles. In addition, it is arbitrary and unreliable (for example, the book does much quoting of reviews by critics, some of whom are indexed, while others are not). But the most substantial fault of the book, in my view, is the failure of the text of the biography to deal at all with a major component of Sutherland's life work: her very important and extensive recording career. This is a grave shortcoming, not to be glossed over, and for some it may be decisive. Given the book's subject, I find it inexplicable and inexcusable.

One example: the recording that announced to the world the arrival of a major new singer, Sutherland's groundbreaking, extraordinarily ambitious two-LP recital The Art of the Prima Donna (recorded in 1960), came as a revelation to opera buffs everywhere, who hadn't heard coloratura singing of this caliber since the days of Sembrich, Melba, Tetrazzini, and Galli-Curci (indeed, Sutherland proved to offer certain qualities that none of them could match). It would be hard to overemphasize its importance. It reached a far wider audience than Sutherland's live performances of the time, and aroused awareness of and interest in her throughout the operatic world. It is not even mentioned in the text.

A second example: in mid-career (1972) Sutherland took the unexpected, venturesome step of recording the Princess in Puccini's Turandot, a taxing, heavy dramatic soprano role, notorious for its demanding high tessitura, but far removed from the coloratura flights and bel canto roles Sutherland was noted for. Many found her assumption of it surprising, risky, even ill-advised. She confounded the naysayers, however, and opened a new chapter regarding her range and versatility by making a decided success of it. Although she never sang the role in the opera house, and had never professionally sung any other Puccini role up to that time, this success pointed the way to her taking on a dramatic soprano role like Leonora in Il Trovatore (as well as another Puccini role in Suor Angelica). This recording is also of particular interest in that, besides boasting a powerhouse cast including Pavarotti, Caballe, Ghiaurov, Krause, and Pears, it was the only recording Sutherland made since the early 1960s which husband Richard Bonynge did not conduct (the conductor was Zubin Mehta), and is regarded by many critics as the best Turandot ever recorded. There is no mention of any of this in the text.

These are but two examples. Her many other landmark recordings, her entire extensive, three-decade recording career (1958-1990) and enormous recorded output--so important in establishing an international audience for her, spreading her international reputation, and now comprising her living legacy--are either ignored or dismissed in cursory asides. Sutherland made a huge investment of time, energy, and dedication in her recordings. What were her recording sessions like? How did she and her colleagues feel about them and interact in them? Which ones went well and which ones didn't? How were her various recordings received by critics and public, and what impact did they have on her career? At first I thought that Major was saving this material for a separate chapter on Dame Joan's recordings, but alas, that chapter never arrives. Major is simply not interested in (or wasn't willing to research) this vital and enduring aspect of Sutherland's work; instead, her focus is unremittingly upon the live performances, and, to a lesser extent, the personal life. Even the discography is flawed, because it gives only year of release of recordings, not the much more important recording dates (which should have been readily available from Decca/London), and is therefore less useful than it ought to be.

Customer Reviews:

Good but flawed........2004-04-12

So be forewarned, this biography has much useful information to offer, and will be of interest to anyone curious about Sutherland's career, but it is also seriously flawed and incomplete.

A good companion to Sutherland's autobiography.......2002-09-10

After having read Sutherland's autobiography some time ago, I wasn't sure whether or not it was worth it to read Norma Major's book. Thankfully, there are enough anecdotes to set it apart from Sutherland's own account of her stratospheric career. Norma Major depicts, at the beginning, an awkward, ungainly Sutherland, in a manner that is almost embarrassing, but brutally honest. She also draws more parallels between Sutherland's career and that of Maria Callas. Sutherland only touched on the subject in her own book when she recalled being angry at a conductor who inferred that Callas was more disciplined at rehersal than she was (to which Sutherland retorted, "and look what happened to her!"). Major dwells on the topic a little more, giving her reader the idea of the karma that both of these great sopranos created for themselves.

Norma Major also, towards the end of the book, painstakingly recounts the tensions between Richard and Joan, and the Australian Opera. Although it's been some time since I've read Prima Donna's Progress, it seems that Joan Sutherland glossed over this subject.

In short, Sutherland's legendary rise to fame and operatic glory is certainly worthy of at least two accounts. Futhermore, as Sutherland was not a great "interpreter" of her roles, she also was not that great at analyzing her own career. Major goes beyond a simple listing of the many Normas and Lucias sung.

a good biography by a real fan.......1998-06-02

Norma Major is evidently a great fan of La Stupenda and it shows in the painstaking care she took,writing and researching this book.

I found this to be a fascinating read, informative and yet entertaining . I really enjoyed it and the illustrations were lovely. A job well done.

Average customer rating:
JOAN SUTHERLAND: The Authorized Biography
Norma Major
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OUA1TQ

Average customer rating:
Joan Sutherland: The Authorized Biography
Norma Major
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co. c1994
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ONV5VQ

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