Killer Diller

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If you went to Campbell University...

Sequel Outshines the Original

Pretty near as good as Mattie's home cookin'

Lacked the Mattie Spunk

KIller Diller Is OK

Killer Diller
Clyde Edgerton
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Walking Across Egypt (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

Raney Raney

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ASIN: 0345410300
Release Date: 1996-09-29

Book Description

"Wonderful...Clyde Edgerton tells us another of his lovely tall tales."

LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK REVIEW

Listre, North Carolina, is jumping. The Sears twins, Ted and Ned, who run a Baptist college, have opened Nutrition House for overweight Christians. Meanwhile their Project Promise is busy matching the educationally disadvantaged with wayward youth who want to share their talents. Enter Wesley Benfield, a prime candidate for Project Promise, with a special place in his heart for Baptist songwriting, preaching, and a wide, iron-pumping girl over at the Nutrition House. The Lord only knows where Wesley will go from here....

From the Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

If you went to Campbell University..........2007-07-27

you will enjoy this book. Edgerton taught there and the similarities between the fictional Baptist university and CU are difficult to miss.

Sequel Outshines the Original.......2004-01-05

Eight years after the events of Walking Across Egypt, Edgerton resumes the story of now twenty-four-year-old Wesley Benfield, ex-con resident of a Baptist halfway house called BOTA (Back On Track Again). This sequel does what few sequels can: it outshines the original. I frequently laughed out loud and near the end, I was moved almost to tears. Edgerton is a Christian who can respectfully mine the foibles and humor of organized religion, specifically of his fellow Baptists, and more specifically of the men running Baptist colleges. The pompous Sears twins, Ted and Ned, are brilliantly drawn in their endless fund-raising and insensitivity to the genuinely disadvantaged. I was so pleased to find out that Mattie Rigsby was still alive at age 86, and that Wesley had promise despite his rocky start. As in Walking Across Egypt, though, Edgerton leaves us with a less than satisfying conclusion. Will Mattie be able to resume taking care of herself? Will Wesley end up back in jail? This time, there's no sequel, at least not yet.

Pretty near as good as Mattie's home cookin'.......2003-06-27

Personally, I liked Raney and Walking Across Egypt better than this one, but it's still pretty damn good. Wesley , the delinquent sort of adopted by Mrs. Mattie Rigsbee in Walking Across Egypt, is now 24, and still a bit of a handful. He's a resident in a Christian halfway house in rural North Carolina. There's a love interest, a band, and there's Vernon, who 'bout steals the show when he appears on the page. And of course Mattie herself, who is older still but still cooking up a storm.
Good story, great author; sequel to follow, surely.

Lacked the Mattie Spunk.......2000-11-03

I anticipated this novel to capture the uniqueness of Walking Across Egypt. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

WAE introduced me to Mattie Rigsbee, an energetic, high-spirited senior that loves to cook and bake her way through life. She took in Wesley, a juevile delinquent, and gave him the love and encouragement he needed to become a fine, young man. Which is where _Killer Diller_ takes up.

Wesley is now at a strict Christian School, enrolled in a Project Promise Program that restructures, rehabilitates, and reprograms disadvantaged youths in the "only" way, the Baptist way. He attends classes, is in a band, and is a preceptor to an autistic boy named Vernon (who says "Killer Diller", hence the title) teaching Vernon how to lay bricks as part of another administration inspired program.

Influenced by Mattie to the Christian life style, Wesley enthusiastically embraces their philosophy without question. His remarkable "recovery" attracts the attention of the manipulative Christian College Administration. They scheme to use him and his band to advertise their Christian college and ultimately, orchestrate fund raising to fullfill their self-serving purposes. He begins to ask questions and seek answers to the confusing and conflicting interpretations of the bible and the self-serving actions of the college administration.

What seems to be lacking is Mattie's presence in the story. While she is "there" her character is minimized. The ending feels rushed and somehow unfulfilling. Christian and Bible hypocrisy is explored deeply in this story as Wesley searches for answers. While I feel Mr. Edgerton explored this aspect very skillfully, somehow it collectively fell flat in the end.

KIller Diller Is OK.......2000-09-06

Killer Diller is another book about Mattie and Wesley, almost a sequel to Walking Across Egypt. Wesley is in a home that places strict rules and curfews on him. He is in a band. He is in love with an overweight woman, who is staying at the Nutrition House on Ballard University campus. Wesley is searching for the meaning of the bible and he begins preaching. He's also become a part of Project Promise, a chance to teach a mentally challenged child his talents. He gets this boy in his band playing bass. Then Mattie has a heart attack and Wesley tries to sneak out. He ends up in the hospital with Mattie! Mattie gets put in a nursing home, and Wesley's roommate, Ben, has been talking about escaping... This novel is pretty good. I enjoyed reading it, even though Mattie seems to have lost her spunk. If you've read Walking Across Egypt, then you should read Killer Diller, just to catch up with old Mattie and Wesley.

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Killer Diller
Clyde Edagarton
Manufacturer: New York Algonquin 1991.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N1AM6I

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Killer Diller
Clyde Edgerton
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVGN0G

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Killer Diller
Clyde Edgerton
Manufacturer: Chapel Hill, NC Algonquin 1991.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OYG3P8

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Killer Diller
Clyde Edgerton
Manufacturer: Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books, 1991
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NVA09M

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Killer Diller

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

Product Description

Killer Diller (92112) MARC Record Unabridged Cassette (Product Type Info) 8.25 Hours/6 Cassettes Written By: Clyde Edgerton Narrated By: Norman Dietz Genre(s): Fiction ISBN: 1-55690-682-X Shuttled among orphanages and foster homes since he was 11, Wesley Benfieldnewly convertedis trying to turn over a new leaf. But two things are keeping him from a straight-and-narrow kind of existence: lust for Phoebe and a National Steel Dobro bottleneck guitar. Theres more than one way for an ungainly white boy to find a little soul, and Wesley strikes out on his own path of redemption.

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Killer Diller - A Novel
Clyde Edgeerton
Manufacturer: Algonquin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IUZHCS

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Killer Diller 1ST Edition Signed
Clyde Edgerton
Manufacturer: not applicable
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PZ9UUG

Killer Diller, By Clyde Edgerton, Unabridged 6 Audio Cassettes, 8.25 Hours, Narrated By Norman Dietz

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Killer Diller, By Clyde Edgerton, Unabridged 6 Audio Cassettes, 8.25 Hours, Narrated By Norman Dietz

Manufacturer: Recorded Books, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: B000HWZSHQ

Product Description

"It was like food. Blues music, good blues music, was like Mrs. Risbee's pound cake and apple pie, except he ate it with a different part of himself. He had to have it. He had to have the sweetness of it. Blues tasted sweet like her food and it was sad sometimes and there was something about it that sounded like a part of the feeling, the sweet ache in his body when the horses were twisting in the air, getting shot through with hot gold."---from Killer Diller "Wesley Benfield was already a Christian when he chanced upon a shiny white Continental with a tan interior, the keys left behind and beckoning in the ignition. Shuttled among orphanages, houses of detention and foster homes since he was eleven, Wesley has been trying to make good ever since. But two things are keeping him from a strictly straight-and-narrow kind of existence: just for Phoebe Trent, who is the most in the world woman he's ever met, and a National Steel Dobro, bottleneck guitar. Wesley's progress toward the sanctified life is temporarily waylaid while he's a resident of BOTA a halfway house near the campus of Ballard University. Ballard is one of the bible-belt's finger examples of Christian education. But there's more than one way for an ungainly white boy to find a little soul. When Wesley discovers what Ballard is all about, he strikes out on his own path of redemption. "Clyde Edgerton is a miner of considerable skill, burrowing into the hillside of humanity to find the ore of characters os pure and so real they might just sit down beside us and tell us a tale."---The Washington Post "Clyde Edgerton lives in Durham, North Carolina with his family. His previous novels are Raney, Walking Across Egypt and The Floatplane Notebooks." [from case]

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Killer Diller.
Clyde. EDGERTON
Manufacturer: Chapel Hill: Algonquin,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000U2DKAK

Customer Reviews:

An erotic anthology that's well written AND sexy.......2005-10-11

Winner of the 2005 Lambda Literary award for Best Anthology and in April 2006 in it's 2nd printing.

By far this will be one of the best anthologies you will read this year. The stories are terrific. This is not a book that you will read once and never pick up again - some will stay with you a long time like Radclyffe's 'Stolen Moments' which is one of the 32 stories.

It contains the best authors in fiction, to name a few -

RADCLYFFE
KALLMAKER
THERESE SZYMANSKI
JEAN STEWART
LYNN AMES
KIM BALDWIN
RONICA BLACK
GUN BROOKE
GEORGIA BEERS
LESLEY DAVIS
MEGHAN O'BRIEN

As a bonus we are treated to outstanding stories by authors I was not familiar with -

'Lunch Break' by Saskia Walker

'Tour Guide' by Sylvia Avante

'Covet Thy Neighbor' by Renee Strider

'Appalachian Canticle' by Saggio Amante

'The Blue Line' by KI Thompson

'Season Pass' by LC Jordan

'Time to Wake Up' by Cliodhna O'Bannion

'Laid' by Kathryn Wolf

'Zooscapade' by Aunt Fanny

from the publisher's web site - A new entry in the Bold Strokes Erotic Interludes collection, this anthology offers no-holds-barred erotica from some of today's best lesbian authors. Love on the run, in the office, in the shadows...women stealing time from ordinary life to make passion a priority, if only for a moment. Fast, furious, and almost too hot to handle.

Book Description

Experience one of television's greatest science-fiction series, The Twilight Zone, fully dramatized for AUDIO! The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas feature a full cast, music and sound effects and today's biggest celebrities in modern audio dramas of creator Rod Serling's classic scripts. Hosted by Stacy Keach, The Twilight Zoe Radio Dramas will keep you glued to the edge of your seat whether listening in your home or while driving in your car.

This collection features 10 stereo recordings: The Fear starring Jane Seymour and James Keach; The Parallel starring Lou Diamond Phillips; A Hundred Yards Over the Rim starring Jim Caviezel; One for the Angels starring Ed Begley, Jr.; The Midnight Sun starring Kim Fields; The Rip Van Winkle Caper starring Tim Kazurinsky; A Most Unusual Camera starring Mike Starr; Twienty Two starring Andrea Evans; Walking Distance starring Chelcie Ross; The Passersby starring Morgan Brittany.

Book Description

Few teachers in the West possess both the spiritual training and the scholarship to lead us along the path to enlightenment. Robert Thurman is one such teacher. Now, in his first experiential course on the essentials of Tibetan Buddhism, adapted and expanded from a popular retreat he led, Thurman -- the first Westerner ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself -- shares the centuries-old wisdom of a highly valued method used by the great Tibetan masters. Using a revered, once-secret text of a seventeenth-century Tibetan master, along with a thorough explanation for contemporary Westerners, The Jewel Tree of Tibet immerses you fully in the mysteries of Tibetan spiritual wisdom. A retreat in book form as well as a spiritual and philosophical teaching, it offers a practical system of understanding yourself and the world, of developing your learning and thought processes, and of gaining deep, transforming insight.

Tibetans think of their cherished tradition of Buddhism as a "wish-fulfilling jewel tree" for its power to generate bliss and enlightenment within all who absorb its teachings. Happiness, in fact, is the true goal of Tibetan spirituality, and the wish-fulfilling jewel tree will put you on the road to that reachable goal. This beautiful jewel-tree imagery, which acts like a mandala or a yoga pose to focus your attention on truths larger than yourself, will help you break through worn-out ideas and habits, strengthen positive abilities, develop more energy and creativity, and change your life -- and future -- for the better. As Thurman writes, "Readers learn to cultivate the sensitivity and appreciation to love more fully, feel compassion more intensely, and become a fountain of cheerfulness for all they meet and know."

Because the path to enlightenment requires more than sitting in meditation, The Jewel Tree of Tibet offers a rich, intellectually riveting course with many specific spiritual practices, including: eleven steps to create the spirit of enlightenment, here and now; the truths and stories of the ancient Indian and Tibetan sages; and guided meditations to experience the blessings of the wish-fulfilling jewel tree. You can do these practices with others or on your own, while living your daily life. And as you travel this road to deeper self-realization, self-understanding, and infectious happiness, you will also learn how the principles of Tibetan Tantra can open the doors to "infinite compassion and continuity," and how to discover states of consciousness that transcend even death.

One of the most explicit teachings of the steps to the path of enlightenment available, explained by a skilled Western teacher, The Jewel Tree of Tibet will enable you to honor the full subtlety and hidden depths of the Tibetan Buddhist path and realize at last its deeper mysteries and rewards -- for yourself and others.

Download Description

"Few teachers in the West possess both the spiritual training and the scholarship to lead us along the path to enlightenment. Robert Thurman is one such teacher. Now, in his first experiential course on the essentials of Tibetan Buddhism, adapted and expanded from a popular retreat he led, Thurman -- the first Westerner ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself -- shares the centuries-old wisdom of a highly valued method used by the great Tibetan masters. Using a revered, once-secret text of a seventeenth-century Tibetan master, along with a thorough explanation for contemporary Westerners, The Jewel Tree of Tibet immerses you fully in the mysteries of Tibetan spiritual wisdom. A retreat in book form as well as a spiritual and philosophical teaching, it offers a practical system of understanding yourself and the world, of developing your learning and thought processes, and of gaining deep, transforming insight. Tibetans think of their cherished tradition of Buddhism as a ""wish-fulfilling jewel tree"" for its power to generate bliss and enlightenment within all who absorb its teachings. Happiness, in fact, is the true goal of Tibetan spirituality, and the wish-fulfilling jewel tree will put you on the road to that reachable goal. This beautiful jewel-tree imagery, which acts like a mandala or a yoga pose to focus your attention on truths larger than yourself, will help you break through worn-out ideas and habits, strengthen positive abilities, develop more energy and creativity, and change your life -- and future -- for the better. As Thurman writes, ""Readers learn to cultivate the sensitivity and appreciation to love more fully, feel compassion more intensely, and become a fountain of cheerfulness for all they meet and know."" Because the path to enlightenment requires more than sitting in meditation, The Jewel Tree of Tibet offers a rich, intellectually riveting course with many specific spiritual practices, including: eleven steps to create the spirit of enlightenment, here and now; the truths and stories of the ancient Indian and Tibetan sages; and guided meditations to experience the blessings of the wish-fulfilling jewel tree. You can do these practices with others or on your own, while living your daily life. And as you travel this road to deeper self-realization, self-understanding, and infectious happiness, you will also learn how the principles of Tibetan Tantra can open the doors to ""infinite compassion and continuity,"" and how to discover states of consciousness that transcend even death. One of the most explicit teachings of the steps to the path of enlightenment available, explained by a skilled Western teacher, The Jewel Tree of Tibet will enable you to honor the full subtlety and hidden depths of the Tibetan Buddhist path and realize at last its deeper mysteries and rewards -- for yourself and others. "

Amazon.com

Robert Thurman is probably best know for his translation of the sacred text The Tibetan Book of the Dead, although he has published many works of both translation and exploration of Tibetan Buddhism. The Jewel Tree of Tibet is a significant addition to Thurman's contribution to this field of spiritual scholarship. His deep knowledge and devotion are in evidence on every page. His style is straightforward and inviting. He also provides a short introduction to the history of Buddhism which is as clear and straightforward as possible for what can be an exceptionally complex and entangled topic.

In short, Thurman writes for real people with an interest in (perhaps longing for) a deeper understanding of themselves and their place in the world. In addition to a clear and inviting style and providing the reader with an accessible understanding of important spiritual matters, this book is exceptionally openhanded and openhearted. While Thurman wants us to share the dharma of the Jewel Tree he also wants the reader to know that they are already on their path- no matter what their faith or non-faith, political beliefs, no matter what manner of thinking may appear to divide, separate, or individualize us: Thurman presents a view of the self in which we can see that it is possible to overcome these limitations and alienations and to see ourselves as inhabiting common ground with the suffering, the joy, and the seeking of others. His bias is ecumenical in the best and most generous sense of the word.

This is an excellent book for the person just awakening to their spiritual path and for the seeker of many years.--Julian Riepe

Customer Reviews:

Publisher error - defective book.......2007-01-23

Tremendous book - Thurman is a great teacher. He tells us "the steps of thought toward enlightenment." Now that's what I'm talkin about! But be advised, copies of a first printing of the hardcover edition of this book are defective. Pages 117 - 148 are repeated twice, while pages 149-180 are missing. So, buy the softcover unless a seller certifies the book was inspected and contains all pages.

Stalled in the introduction/history.......2006-04-17

I will probably go back to it, but I stalled in the first pages (introduction/history). Mr. Thurman's use of English is a little off, making it awkward to follow some concepts and sentences, and some concepts themselves are a little "off".
He states that Buddha invented the monastic system ("ordained as a monk or nun so that the people would be supported by the collective to escape from the collective". I've read Buddha avoided the issue of allowing women for a long time and, historically, many cultures placed their priests and priestesses in separate compounds to learn and practice, supported by the community. He states that Buddha chose India for this "because India was the wealthiest place then", when of course, Gautama was in fact born in India. He states "this system caught on like wildfire in India", something I'd never read before. I'd always had the impression that Buddhist practice was small compared to historical practice and local Deities. "It was as if Buddha created holes in the cheese of societ-he Swiss-cheesed the society". And the holes were the Sangha, the community, the renunciate institution, where people could go for a lifelong free lunch", (page 19). "At first Buddha...didn't dictate to his fellow warrior kings..."you better stop doing this, and you better not do that". My understanding is that he never did and he had renounced being a "warrior king".
In his History the Indian people became so non violent, wise and pleasure loving, there was no harsh discipline in the schools or conflict in families or between families, they were no longer ruthless (and this is why they were invaded), as opposed to the west, "permeated with that violence, and our minds are permeated with the violence. Even our physical posture is permeated with that violence". In fact, "We are the most militaristic society history has ever seen." I imagine while he was involved on his personal quest (and became enamored of other cultures) he bypassed reading many history books.
I was even more concerned by his description of how, once one reaches the "bliss state", "nothing is wrong in that universe. It is perfect" Except that "others don't see it that way...You may automatically wish to free them, which could lead to frustration if, in your initial glimpse of this awakening, you lacked compassion".
I've been there a few times and, in seeing that nothing was wrong, nothing was wrong including others not seeing it and compassion seemed a complete part of the experience. I hope someday I'll be able to stay there for longer periods.
On page 4 he says, "I have grown older and become less sure about everything---and even confused and discouraged when my inherited negative personality traits reemerge in the heat of relationship."
I'm wondering if this is a teaching I want to follow through this book.

Great Introductory Overview of Tibetan Buddhism.......2006-03-14

This book is a modified retreat transcript, so it has the strengths of an experiential emphasis. But it also is intelligent and quite readable. Thurman covers the entire scope of the Buddhist path from a Tibetan perspective, and he does this in the order that one would learn and practice these teachings developmentally. The reader is invited regularly to participate in the meditations along the way and to adapt them to his or her own religious background. But the book is also a lively guided tour with a number of brief visits to important teachings.So it progressively maps and highlights a path that actually takes years to experience. This is a classic approach, called Lam-Rim in Tibetan, that Bob Thurman makes accessible, even for beginners.

An American Buddhist speaks from his heart.......2002-01-12

This is a six cassette, nine hour designed-for-publication recording of a retreat conducted by renowned American Buddhist Tibet-o-phile, Robert Thurman, whose many credentials are too numerous to mention. The recurrent theme of the recording is a relatively simple visualization excercise, whereby the meditator draws inspiration and compassion from revered beings--the Buddha and his lineage descendents of enlightened teachers, for example, (although according to Thurman, a non-Buddhist might draw equivalent inspiration from the likes of Christ, Moses, etc.)--and then extends such heartfelt loving kindness to others. Thurman guides the listener through this meditation several times through the tape, making it familair and workable. However, in my estimation, the brilliance of the tape rests in everything else Thurman wraps around this meditation, which turns out to be a condensed discussion about the history of Buddhism, its contrast to much of Western scientific, materialistic, philosophical and psychological thought, and how the major tenants of Buddhism, in a very practical sense, can become believable and workable for your everyday common-man Western-raised student.

Thurman, by anyone's estimation, is a compelling speaker, who somehow blends passion, eloquence, intellectual challenge and humor in trying in discussing the most complex of subjects, and he largely succeeds on this tape. His mission, seemingly, is simply to make Buddhism more understandable by interpreting it into a more American/Western idiom, without changing the 2500 year message. Nevetheless, in accordance with the subject, much of the material discussed is mature and intellectually and emotionally challenging. These talks are almost the antithesis of typical "new-age", feel-good type Jacuzzi-Buddhism relaxation tapes, (although I believe Thurman intends these talks to be accessible to the beginning--but serious--Buddhist).

Some of this material, but not the visualization, is contained within his recent book "Inner Revolution, Life , Liberty and the Pursuit of Real Happiness", although the tapes gladly spare the listener of all the political commentary of that book. I can imagine many future listeners, much as myself, revisiting these tapes repeatedly because of their authentic message delivered through a delightful human voice.

Robert MacLachlan

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Irish Country House Cooking

Irish Country House Cooking: The Blue Book Recipe Collection
Georgina Campbell
Manufacturer: Georgina Campbell Guides
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Irish | European | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Irish Traditional Cooking: Over 300 Recipes from Ireland's Heritage

The Irish Pub Cookbook

ASIN: 1903164133

Book Description

The fourth edition of this popular book gives a new range of best-loved recipes from over forty historic Irish country houses, country hotels, and restaurants throughout the country. The establishments featured are all members of the original association of country houses, The Irish Country Houses and Restaurants Association (known as "Ireland's Blue Book"), which is a member of the European Federation of Historic Houses, and committed to the highest standards of accommodation, food, and hospitality.

This new edition reflects changing times in the Irish hospitality industry: three of Dublin's top restaurants are now Blue Book members, thus elegant dishes from L'Ecrivain, Chapter One and Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud are included: Classic Country / City Chic!

As in earlier editions, however, most of the recipes selected celebrate the natural riches of Irish land and sea that influence the cooking at Ireland's finest country houses: local seafood, freshwater fish, game, fruit, vegetables, herbs, and farmhouse cheeses are all featured, often from their own gardens, farms and rivers. The recipes selected are typical of each house and vary greatly in style, yet all are clearly described for home cooks to make with confidence, with stunning original photography by the acclaimed photographer, Rai Uhlemann.

Customer Reviews:

Irish Country House Cooking.......2007-01-08

Avery good cookbook for tradational Irish cooking. Wish there were more "everyday" ideas in it.

Average customer rating:

not particularly useful, with unrealistic pricing

Read this book if you love Vintage!

But I still have 1980s clothes in my closet!

The Official Price Guide to Vintage Fashion and Fabrics (Official Price Guide Series)
Pamela Smith
Manufacturer: House of Collectibles
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Reference | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Textiles & Costume | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Fashion | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Virtual Vintage: The Insider's Guide to Buying and Selling Fashion Online

Secondhand Chic: Finding Fabulous Fashion at Consignment, Vintage, and Thrift Shops

Antique Trader Vintage Clothing Price Guide (Antique Trader)

Wearing Vintage

Vintage Style 1920-1960 (Schiffer Book for Collectors)

ASIN: 0609808133
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Book Description

Within the world of vintage fashion and fabrics, the knowledgeable collector reigns supreme; here guru Pamela Smith offers her years of expertise as an industry insider. From the elegant and extravagant 1900s to the streetwise sophistication of today, The Official Price Guide to Vintage Fashion and Fabrics lists the most current values of hundreds of pieces with more than 200 photographs. Everyone agrees–this is the one guide you must own!

Customer Reviews:

not particularly useful, with unrealistic pricing.......2002-01-11

This book has a bit of a split personality. On the one hand, its decade-by-decade approach that lists (and describes the importance of) designers is well-done, if brief, just as it was in the previous incarnation of this book. Designers are also listed in multiple decades, which gives a good idea of the vigor of the designer.

Each decade is also given a good-sized overview. Quite useful and were well-done. The photos are mostly clear and one can see the garment, even when in black and white. The center of the book has glossy pages inhabited by a handful of color photos, but since the book is done in b&w and on (very) inexpensive/cheap pulp paper, the extra expense incurred for these glossy pages would have been better spent to include some mention of Victorian clothing (see below).

However, there's absolutely *no* inclusion of any Victorian fashions -- a *huge* omission as the Victorian era spans at least 5 decades. Additionally, if the author decided to include the decades 1900 and 1910 separately (many books lump them together) why not include at least a couple of Victorian decades? Frequently, the collector of Edwardian/teens fashions and even the 1920s also is a collector of at least some Victorian fashions. To take the trouble to include the decades of 1900 and 1910 but exclude anything that comes before it seems silly and incomplete to me.

An interesting/alternative approach is that prices are given for actual items. Many books present an item with a suggested price, but it is unclear whether this is the price asked by the dealer or thought appropriate by the author. Now while I find the "approximate going rate" approach a solid one, it was interesting to see what dealers actually charge(d) for specific items. Both approaches are worthwhile.

Another 'however,' however. The dealers chosen to represent current prices are pretty much Internet-only or Internet-mainly dealers, which might give a skewed idea as to prices. MUCH more significant is that the dealers chosen are the dealers who charge THROUGH THE ROOF for items. I can see charging a few thousand dollars for a Gallenga velvet cape, but many of the garments offered by these dealers have no label (or no significant one) and though very nice or beautiful are not unusual enough to warrent the high prices given.

My sneaking suspicion is that the dealers represented have an *extremely* exclusive clientele -- Hollywood stylists, fashion designers, perhaps even rich collectors and museums -- that seem to patronize these dealers heavily and the relationship built up with them allows the dealers to charge these (in my humble opinion) frequently outrageous prices.

So using these (very few) dealers so heavily to establish the market value of vintage is a highly problematic approach, and a big flaw of the book that limits its usefulness.

Lastly, there's a problem with the dealers offered as available via the Internet. Many of the websites listed are "under construction," or completely not there (not to mention the ones whose sites are very poor). As I write this it is January 2002. The book was published in October 2001. I think it is useless to offer a dealer as an Web source or to include the dealer's Web site if there's nothing there. Bad follow through.

I won't return the book, but I'm not sure it adds much value to my library, given it's flawed approach to pricing and its limited dealer scope.

Read this book if you love Vintage!.......2001-12-27

This is a very informative read! Lots of pictures and samplings from vintage clothing stores all over the country. As a vintage dealer, I highly recommend it for reasearch and as a way to get your finger on the pulse of vintage fashion.

But I still have 1980s clothes in my closet!.......2001-11-29

The Official Price Guide to Vintage Fashion and Fabrics focuses on the decades from 1900 through the 1990s. This handbook is divided into chapters by decade. Each decade is introduced by a quick summary of its styles and a list of common fabrics and manufacturer labels. The meat of each chapter is the list of garments and accessories with prices. This consists of the garment name, one sentence of description, price, and source. Although there are some black-and-white photos throughout plus eight pages of color photos in the middle of the book, most garments are not illustrated. Five pages at the beginning very briefly discuss buying and conserving vintage clothes. A "special interests" chapter at the end skims Victorian, children's, bridal, and Western wear.

Unlike some price guides, the author actually gives the specific price listed for a specific garment by a specific dealer, rather than slapping on a price and leaving readers to wonder where it came from. Unfortunately almost all the prices are from Internet stores. The rest of the vintage clothing market (brick-and-mortar vintage clothing stores, non-Internet mail-order dealers, thrift shops, vintage clothing shows, flea markets, and live auctions) is not really discussed. This gives a skewed view of pricing. Aside from the wildly fluctuating Ebay market , vintage clothing prices tend to be higher on the Internet than most other venues. Furthermore, many of the sites the author most relies on are ones I browse often--but never buy from, because they consistently have the highest prices I've seen anywhere.

In other words, this book enables you to gasp at the $2,200 simple 1920s lace evening dress and the $3,000 piano shawl and be glad you bought yours a lot cheaper. Hopefully, the current recession (like the last one) will bring down vintage clothing prices. Stay tuned to the prices currently listed on the websites the author used--not to mention prices in the cheaper venues!

Book Description

A whole clan of colorful characters comes to life in this collection of rustic carving patterns. The carving lessons demonstrate how to use the quick and easy clean-cut method to impart warmth and personality to each of the ten Ozark folk style caricatures—from Ma and Pa to Ol' Blue the coon hound. Very few tools are required and technical notes advise artisans on how best to experiment with tool sharpening. Stains and paints are also addressed, including an easy formula for wood stain that can be mixed in a blender. There are even a few down-home tales along the way, bringing a little bit of country into the woodshop.

Average customer rating:
Start Your Own Interior Design Business and Keep It Growing!: Your Guide to Business Success : Touch of Design
Linda M. Ramsay
Manufacturer: Touch of Design
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Arts & Photography | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Home & Garden | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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Business and Legal Forms for Interior Designers

How to Start a Home-Based Interior Design Business, 4th (Home-Based Business Series)

The Interior Designers Guide to Pricing Estimating and Budgeting

Estimating for Interior Designers

Secrets of Success for Today's Interior Designers and Decorators

ASIN: 0962991805

Book Description

Are you thinking about starting your own interior design business? Do you want to make your present interior design business into a profitable success? Then read this information-packed book. The information is applicable for design professionals, interior designers, decorators, and consumers considering their own interior design business.

Packed full of successful, useful, practical, helpful, and profitable ideas for anyone starting or growing an interior design business! This easy-reading book will offer these solutions (and much, much more).

How to: Start your own interior design business Ensure business success Productively bid on assignments Provide quality customer service Troubleshoot the job Handle collection problems Avoid costly mistakes Charge for all your time Market without advertising Effectively answer customer objections Do credit checks Expand and relocate Make much higher profits Compete with your competition Pick an effective site location Write an exciting press release Constructively network to build your business Create and market a successful business image Supercharge your design business Eliminate legal problems before they arise Create effective advertisements Correctly price your products and services Minimize risks, maximize opportunities Design and implement and effective business plan Offer products/services so prospects buy them now!

This book also thoroughly covers: New sales strategies that work! Commercial design jobs Problem-solving information Residential design jobs Forms of owernship Shipping & installation Sources of business capital Personnel considerations Independent contractors Employee agreements Trade sources, trade journals All about contracts Paperwork, order expediting All about marketing and promotion Home solicitation agreements Successful direct marketing programs Money-making marketing & publicity approaches Understanding the business of interior design New strategies, tactics, weapons for big profits Starting a new interior design business Buying a franchise or existing ID business Management and financial considerations Successful telemarketing and seminars How to advertise a d promote your interior design business Nuts & bolts of running a successful interior design business Leasing property and business equipment Characteristics and rules for successful print ads All types of business equipment and supplies Types of taxes, governmental regulation Insurance, legal aspects, security Obtaining and preserving merchant accounts Directory of design programs, organizations

This book is a must for start-up interior design businesses - but should be read and absorbed by all interior design business owners who want to grow and earn more money in today's business climate. Extremely comprehensive, information-packed and complete.

This book is a real bargain! The smallest interior design problem that chan occur is more expensive than this book!

Anyone in the interior design business will gain vast knowledge and information from ownership of this book.

Book Description

MacPherson established his won unique niche' among the day's popular pin-up artists. He used pastels and colored pencils to create an eye-catching sketchy look that is both alluring and provocative.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2001-12-24

The pin-ups of days gone-by, still retain their classy beauty, their timeless appeal. Any lover of pin-up art, any lover of the girl-next door female form, any lover of classy and beautiful art of the ladies, ought to seriously consider adding this book to their collection. A+

worth getting !!! I just wish it were bigger.......2001-10-18

Like VARGAS Vignettes 1 and 2, I wish this was bigger. The book is small and that is the only reason it didn't get the full 5 stars. Although Vargas is my favorite artist, MacPherson is right up there too, and this book shows a lot of examples of his WWII era art. A lot of these pin-ups also appeared on the WWII bombers. There are about 30 works represented and they are all beautiful.

The book has a nice set-up as the pinups are printed nicely with good color reproduction. I use them as reference for painting nose art on A-2 flight jackets and the quality really allows me to get some really nice detail for my purposes.

At $10 it is worth getting but I would also recommend VARGA by Robothman which is a lot bigger format so it really allows you to fully appreciate the art with the bigger format. Also, check out THE GREAT AMERICAN PIN-UP as that has a lot of pin-up artists represented and shows the rich history of Pin-Up art

Another major book by Pin Up Art Specialist Max Allan Collin.......2000-07-30

Award winning Author Max Allan Collins is also one of the foremost collectors of original pin up art in the country. He combines his love of this media with the detailed research evident in his awardwinning Nate Heller and Eliot Ness historical novels to produce yet another outstanding pin up book similar to his award winning collaboration with artist Gil Elvgren's son Drake last year. Max comes to this project with the benefit also of having known Earl MacPherson in his final years of life. On top of all of this you get the high production quality known to most collector's press books. Highly recommended.

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