Book Description
In France in 1774, three men board a ship bound for Annam-the exotic land in South China that is now known as Vietnam. Led by a charismatic prelate (based on a legendary priest in Vietnamese history), the men's mission is to convert the primitive heathens to Christianity.What they discover in Annam is not the peasants and rice paddies they'd expected, but a culture both more sophisticated and more violently unstable than they imagined.Their dreams of colonial glory disintegrate quickly as the men are embroiled in civil war, terrorized by warlords on horseback, and overwhelmed by floods, famine, and other catastrophes.These men who have set out to show the Annamese a new way of life have to wonder whether they are the ones who are really being converted. Master storyteller Nguyen weaves a shimmering tapestry of swords and silk.Drawing from a richly layered history, LE COLONIAL is an unforgettable and romantic epic about faith, passion, and the perils of ambition.
Customer Reviews:
A Talented Writer Whose Words Are Worth Reading.......2005-01-05
Francois Gervaise, a talented but starving young artist in 18th Century France, warms himself at the same outdoor fire as common peasants. A dark past haunts him as he longs to flee his country.
Handsome Gervaise positions himself to do so with the help of staunch Jesuit Bishop Pierre de Behaine, a man recruiting missionaries to aid him in taking Christianity to the uncivilized shores of Annam, later called Vietnam. Gervaise befriends, poor yet hotheaded, teenager Henry Monange who signs on as the artist's assistant.
After a long journey, the three Frenchmen find themselves in the midst of real-life Asian history, as a civil war erupts between northern and southern Annam. The two younger men are eventually sentenced to death by rebel peasants due to unpaid taxes.
Gervaise steps forward to save the day and renounces Christianity for Buddhism. Behaine, who loathes Buddism and is committed to France's religious and political agenda, clashes with Gervaise.
In the midst of all the tension, young Henry falls in love with a servant girl named Xuan who has been selected as French-supported Prince Anh's concubine. Conflicts abound from issues of love to issues of territory and brewing politics.
Kien Nguyen's second novel allows the reader to consider the importance of similar conflict that takes place in the 1960s and 1970s in Vietnam. It takes an unflattering look at the way Christianity was introduced to places considered ignorant and uncivilized by early missionaries.
The changing tide of history.......2004-08-22
While selecting missionaries to send to Annam, just below China along the edge of the China Sea, Monsignor Pierre de Behaine encounters a young artist, Francois Gervais, who begs to be allowed on the voyage. De Behaine is determined to teach the infidels of Cochin China about the true God, in a land where the Christian faith has yet to take root in 1773.
Henri Jacques Monange is only fourteen when he makes his way to Marseilles, one step ahead of the law. Unable to find employment, Henri nearly falls into a life of crime when Francoise takes him under his wing, taking him as an assistant on the voyage across the sea, eventually rendezvousing with de Behaine in India. Thus the three men link their futures in a foreign country, only one of them with a real strategy to bring glory to their native France.
Whatever their expectations, after more than 8 months at sea, none of those who have come in service of the missionaries of Monsignor de Behaine, including Henri and Francois, are prepared for what awaits them in this unfamiliar place. When civil war breaks out, all are caught up in a tidal wave of violence. After a series of harrowing events befall Francois and Henri, they are left in despair, wandering an indifferent city. For all they know, God has abandoned them in this vast, pagan land.
Of course, the future is never predictable, and neither Henri nor Francois can predict their fate or when Monsignor de Behaine will come into their lives again. Warlords, kings, mandarins, peasants and natural disasters are all part of the strange world they have come to change; de Behaine has been there before, but the others have allowing their imaginations to construct a world that does not exist. In reality, they live in imminent danger of death or imprisonment.
In Nguyen's beautifully rendered and violent novel, Pierre de Behaine would appear to be the spiritual guide, privy to the whispered instructions of God, certainly in pursuit of his own vision. But it is Francois Gervaise and Henri Monange who are the most complicated and humane characters. Francois follows an inner voice, but is beset by doubts. His choices greatly affect his survival, but, more importantly, his spiritual condition. A gifted artist, Francois is Godly man, with the spirit of true religious fervor, forged by experience.
Henri is only sixteen when their most serious trials begin. Although he loves Francois, his teacher, he dearly misses his mother in France, whom he was forced to leave behind. Pulled in many directions by an innate sense of right and wrong, Henri is the most accessible and least ascetic of the three men. True to his youthful nature, undisciplined and given to anger, Henri also has the qualities that inspire trust in his judgment and sense of duty. Each of these men reacts differently to this constantly changing environment, where their fate can be altered momentarily by feast, famine or the whims of a king or warlord.
Their adventures are extraordinary and exotic, far removed from the structured European values of their native France, as Christianity batters at the doors of the Far East, determined to infiltrate this land and claim their souls. In the late 1770's, change is wrought by men like these three Frenchmen, who cross cultural boundaries, their pale faces blooming among the crowds like strange flowers in a sea of others.
By 1777, all three are living with factions of a government threatened by revolt and internecine war, their positions precarious. All of them are drawn into the folds of a slowly evolving cultural upheaval of peasants vs. nobility. Carefully tended, the seed of Catholicism continues to grow. Clearly, the political treachery de Behaine employs is necessary to accomplish his long range goals, but he is not a likeable character.
This fascinating piece of pre-history, the arrival of the French in Cochin China, begins an era of political development in a country torn by dominance of one faction over another, an unending chess game with much at stake. Le Colonial is a portrait of a continent in search of peace and beset by exploitation. Luan Gaines/2004.
Book Description
'Lushly lyrical writing, and a splendid grasp of that contradictory atmosphere of the Highlands, where matter-of-factness and myth live hand-in-hand.' -Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlanderseries H ow far would you go to make your lover's dreams come true? This bittersweet love story concerns lively Perdita Miggs, whose bland American professor husband, Perry, gets a grant to spend the summer studying Loch Ness. When the couple arrives at the famous loch, who shows up to serve as the local guide but Perdita's long-lost first love, a sexy Scottish poet whose allure has only improved with age. A beautifully written, heartbreaking novel, this is a must-read for lovers of things Scottish, brimming with totally authentic Loch Ness lore.
Customer Reviews:
I write in the margins.......2007-07-01
Now you know -- I write comments in the margins of books. The books I like, that is. My copy of THE POET OF LOCH NESS is filled with jottings that I wrote the second time I read it. The first time I was far too engrossed to waste time writing "Exquisite" (page 94), "Integrity, simply stated" (page 112), an exclamation point on page 158 (next to the underlined phrase "with the dour disapproval of two Presbyterians watching a church burn").
Brian Corrigan shows an uncanny ability to get into the mind of a woman. If you don't believe me, see Chapter 32. When Perdita admits to never having tried to understand men, Meg repies, "I consider that verra wise. It's a bit like making up your mind no' to disembowel yourself."
Wit tempered with compassion. Insight peppered with humor. Corrigan is a real winner.
Poet Doesn't Disappoint.......2007-05-06
The Poet of Lochness was an absorbing read, with rich prose, romance, and several layers of mystery underlying the basic love story. To fully appreciate the outcome, it is necessary to "suspend disbelief" regarding several plot lines along the way. If you can do that, I think you will be best able to appreciate the heartwrenching beauty in the message of this novel.
Lovely Little Book . . . ........2007-04-30
The book is about mysteries within mysteries and love within love - how far will you go and how much will you sacrifice for those you love? Who do you trust? The story is well-written and unfolds at a leisurely pace, (quite a feat for such a small book), which of course reflects the idyllic setting. Truly a gem. I read it in two sittings and then passed it on to my daughter.
The Poet of Loch Ness.......2006-11-03
This book takes place mostly in Scotland. It is about love, triangles, and sacrifice. It was hard to put down. The language was skillful and beautiful. I found myself thinking about various aspects of the book long after I finished it. Corrigan captured how a person presents herself/hiself and one makes judgement based on what is seen. Dig a little, not much even, and a whole other entity exists with complications you could never imagine. You realize what you have seen is the armor used to hide what is really there. I was moved by a note at the end of the book written by the author indicating one notion in the book was from his personal experience. As a person who loves to write, I was inspired but the skill of the author to take a personal thread and weave it into the cloth of the tale. I highly recommend "The Poet of Lock Ness."
Not for me.......2006-10-31
This was not my type of book. I thought the story itself was original and interesting. My problem with this book was that over 1/2 of this book is literary fluff. The author would go on and on for paragraphs about the landscape. Too much poetry for me and I know that it has the word "poet" in the title so what should I expect. I expected a little more about the story and a little less about how pretty Scotland is.
However, if you enjoyed "Outlander", which I did not. I think you would like this book. Very similar IMHO.
Book Description
This collection includes the Hugo and Nebula Awardwinning novelette Fermi and Frost and the Hugo Awardwinning The Meeting (written with C. M. Kornbluth). It also includes Pohls Hugo and Nebula finalist novella The Gold at Starbows End, Nebula finalists Shaffery Among the Immortals, Growing up in Edge City, and The Greening of Bed-Stuy, and Hugo finalist Servant of the People.
Customer Reviews:
Pohl is a national resource.......2007-03-09
Fred Pohl has been writing and/or editing science fiction since 1939, and he's still at it. That's a career of 68 years -- so far. This collection shows why he was voted the title "Grand Master." Most of these thirty stories, actually, were first published in the 1970s or later; the most recent in 1996. And among his later stories are some of his best. Keeping the best for last is the Hugo-winning "Fermi and Frost," a somberly realistic and very engrossing nuclear war story. (Who else would have thought to point out that Iceland is the best equipped place in the world to survive a nuclear winter?) Also very, very good is "The Gold at the Starbow's End," about politics and the basic mechanism of intellectual creativity, and "The Greening of Bed-Stuy," about a future New York City. Just below those, in my opinion, is "Saucery," a rather gentle yarn about two con men dealing with an interplanetary threat to their livelihoods. On the other hand, "The Day the Icicle Works Closed" has always been popular but I don't regard it as one of Pohl's stronger efforts. "Some Joys Under the Star" is another swipe by the politically astute Pohl at American political realities -- very on-topic when it first appeared at the end of the Nixon Administration and getting that way again. Pohl does great adventures, too, and one of the best of those is "The Merchants of Venus," an early Heechee story. Of course, some stories don't age as well as others, and foremost among those -- in this collection, anyway -- are "The Celebrated No-Hit Inning," "The Middle of Nowhere," and "Servant of the People," all of them affected badly by the ways in which the world actually has changed since they were published. By and large, though, this is a collection of very high quality, showing off the author's stylistic elegance and ingenious plotting. Nor does he worry overmuch about whether something he wants to say is technically "science fiction" or not. Younger readers especially, those who didn't grow up with Pohl's stuff in the 1950s and `60s (I remember reading _The Space Merchants_ a few years after it appeared in 1954), will profit from it.
A quibble over a few missing stories.......2006-10-19
I'm happy to see a new printing of Pohl's short fiction, but it difficult to understand the exclusion of widely acclaimed stories like "The Tunnel Under the World," "The Midas Plague," and "The Man Who Ate the World."
If you like Pohl's style, you'll be in heaven..........2006-07-13
Frederik Pohl has been writing sci fi for a LONG time. Thus, it should come as no surprise that he has written many, many short stories, novellas, and books. We all have our favorites. For me, it is Gateway, hands down. I'm not sure Pohl would agree. Sometimes the favorite of the fan is not the same as the favorite of the author.
Platinum Pohl: The Collected Best Stories, is, obviously, a collection of stories. The hardback version is 464 word-packed pages of adventure. For Heechee fans, the opening story, "The Merchants of Venus," is a must... a prelude to Gateway. For the remainder of the book, it is a mixed bag.
Pohl has a style, and you sense it throughout. He focuses on people and behavior, and many of his stories tend to have an odd twist at the end. I like it, and find his stories very readable. However, a number of these stories seem not to fit the "sci fi" label. They are not bad, they're just not... "out there." A minor complaint.
Here's where it counts. I've read a number of his books. And when I saw this book in the library, BAM! I had to grab it and put it at the top of the reading pile.
How could a Pohl fan do anything else?
A sampler of 50 years of superb writing........2006-02-06
Frederick Pohl truly is one of science fiction's Grand Masters in a career that has provided us with some of the most beloved novels (The Gateway/Heechee series) and short fiction as well. This collection gathers some of his finest works of the past 5 decades and gives a good taste of the wide range of plots, characters and world-building that has made him a master of his craft. A few of my personal favorites include the cautionary tale "Growing Up in Edge City," which was a Nebula finalist in 1975, and the 1955 tale "The Mapmakers" about navigating hyperspace--which lead to my own exploration's of Einstein's theories when I was a younger man... Highly recommended.
entertaining thought provoking cautionary tales.......2005-12-13
Selecting only thirty tales from the fifty year career of Grand Master Frederik Pohl had to seem impossible as you want representation from the five different decades to show trends as well as quality. Obviously with a science fiction hall of famer like Mr. Pohl several editions of his best stories could easily be produced. No one will have any negative comments on the chosen thirty though some might feel a personal favorite was left out. As he has done throughout his career, most of the selections warn humanity about excesses that lead to a dark catastrophic future using hyperbole to make the case that there is no inclusive in extremism only a deadly future. Personal favorites include the "The Greening of Bed-Stuy" and "The Merchants of Venus". All the contributions are terrific, but stories like "Let the Ants Try" written in 1949 but set in 1960 has an eerie nuclear war time twist that make the audience think what if. A superb collection (based on last week in Montreal - probably banned in the White House as anti-patriotic), science fiction fans will appreciate that the greatness mantle fits Mr. Pohl; as demonstrated by these entertaining thought provoking cautionary tales.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
Esther de Waal, one of Celtic Christianity's preeminent scholars, shows how this tradition of worship draws on both the pre-Christian past and on the fullness of the Gospel. It is also an enlightening glimpse at the history, folklore, and liturgy of the Celtic people.
Esther de Waal introduces readers to monastic prayer and praise (the foundation stone of Celtic Christianity), early Irish litanies, medieval Welsh praise poems, and the wealth of blessings derived from an oral tradition that made prayer a part of daily life. Through this invigorating book, readers enter a world in which ritual and rhythm, nature and seasons, images and symbols play an essential role. A welcome contrast to modern worship, Celtic prayer is liberating and, like a living spring, forever fresh.
Customer Reviews:
Very Good Introduction to Celtic Christianity.......2003-05-26
Esther de Waal provides readers with a very good overview of Celtic Christian spirituality by examining the subjects of their prayers. Wisely, she lets the prayers themselves do most of the talking; she refrains from long explications of them, a practice that allows the reader to project himself or herself into the situation and make personal applications more easily. This book particularly serves as a good introduction to Celtic Christianity for those unfamiliar with it.
If I have one major complaint with the book, it concerns de Waal's style: she responds to the prayers more from her head than her heart. Also, it might have been helpful to include a historical overview at times, but that's not the purpose of this book. (For a good historical overview, see Oliver Davies' introduction to Celtic Spirituality in Paulist Press' Classics of Western Spirituality series.) These are minor complaints, however, for a book that contains so many Celtic Christian prayers from down through the centuries.
Prayer is every step, every breath........2002-05-27
Wow! This book is not what I expected. I was looking for a "how to" on prayer the "celtic way." What I got was a deep, and sometimes profound, look at prayer as a way of life. This book is not about sitting down to pray. It is about praying - morning, noon and night.
I was especially moved by the focus on the trinity and the cross in the prayer of the celtic people. De Waal devotes a chapter to each of these topics. She thoroughly demonstrates what she has to say, what she has come to practice in her own prayer life, with excellent examples from the prayers and poetry of celtic Christians and monks.
Another aspect, the one that took me deeper and farther than I expected to go, is the celtic idea of journeying. We journey through life (we all know this), and prayer is a living part of that journey (we often forget this). So true is her statement, "I shall not find Christ at the end of the journey unless he is with me along the way."
The final chapter on praise in the celtic prayerlife was wonderful. I found myself longing to hear the examples of praise put to music today. I think it would enrich the worship at my own church.
I enjoyed The Celtic Way of Prayer tremendously. Coming from a Protestant background I disagreed with the celtic worship of Mary that is sometimes revealed in De Waal's examples. However, anyone should be able to read beyond such a disagreement and be edified in their spiritual growth by applying the rich ideas from the celtic way of prayer in their own life. There is much to be gleaned from this book.
Integrated vision of faith and life........2001-04-03
While guiding us through the beauty of Celtic prayers, Esther De Waal reveals the path to making faith and prayer a part of every part of our day. This book will renew your sense of wonder and celebration of God's presence in all things.
A spirituality that is often overlooked in today's society........1999-03-22
As Chairman of the Irishroom Committee of the Nationality Rooms, University of Pittsburgh, I took great interest in sharing with the members of our Committee this wonderful book by Esther DeWaal. The Celtic Way of Prayer emphasizes a spirtuality that is too often overlooked in our society today. The ancient Celtic poetry contained in each chapter was carefully indexed as to author and time in the Notes at the conclusion of the book. I found it significant that the book contained a wealth of Blessings that come from the oral tradition that made praying a part of everyday life. It helps the reader to appreciate the many Blessings that we do not count and are often even unaware that they exist. This indeed is a book I highly recommend to all who are interested in the recovery of the religious imagination.
A spirituality that is often overlooked in today's society........1999-03-22
As Chairman of the Irishroom Committee of the Nationality Rooms, University of Pittsburgh, I took great interest in sharing with the members of our Committee this wonderful book by Esther DeWaal. The Celtic Way of Prayer emphasizes a spirtuality that is too often overlooked in our society today. The ancient Celtic poetry contained in each chapter was carefully indexed as to author and time in the Notes at the conclusion of the book. I found it significant that the book contained a wealth of Blessings that come from the oral tradition that made praying a part of everyday life. It helps the reader to appreciate the many Blessings that we do not count and are often even unaware that they exist. This indeed is a book I highly recommend to all who are interested in the recovery of the religious imagination.
Book Description
Yummy and easy! It only takes 7 ingredients to make Lemon Caramels or Simple Pecan Roll-Ups, including sugar and butter.
Lollipops need only 6 ingredients, and one of them is water!
Whether you're a chocoholic in need of a fix or planning ahead for a hostess gift, try any one of these 50 easy-to-follow mouthwatering recipes for hard and soft candies, and you'll be an instant success!
There's after-dinner Cream Cheese Mints, Amaretto Truffles for any
occasion, or petite Marzipan Pumpkins for Halloween. "Demystifies what goes into making one of the world's best loved foods. If you're merely curious or ready to give candymaking a try, there couldn't be a better place to start."--Independent Publisher.
Customer Reviews:
Making Great Candy: A Sweet Selection of Fun Recipes.......2007-01-09
This was a Christmas gift for you daughter. She loved it. This is a great book for my aspiring confectioner. Thanks
Average customer rating:
- An Excellent Book for anyone buying or selling a diamond!
- TO DIFFERENTIATE A NATURAL DIAMOND FROM SYNTHETIC
|
Diamonds: Know What You Are Buying & Selling
B. J. Tadena
Manufacturer: Rough Stones Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Jewelry
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Jewelry
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Rocks & Minerals
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Rocks & Minerals
| Field Guides
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0967514800 |
Book Description
In layperson's terms and simple language, it explains facts about the diamonds as a gem and as an industrial component.
Customer Reviews:
An Excellent Book for anyone buying or selling a diamond!.......2000-02-05
B.J. Tadena's book on buying and selling diamonds is truly an execellent and vital resource for anybody in the market for buying and selling diamonds. I would recommend this book especially for guys looking for engagement rings for their significant other. Tadena gives a very informative and in-depth look at the finer points of picking out diamonds and their good qualities and how to spot imperfections, without boring the reader but giving inciteful knowledge a consumer can understand. I would defintely recommend this book to anyone in the market for diamonds, be it personal pleasure, an investment, or just a special way to say "I Love You"
TO DIFFERENTIATE A NATURAL DIAMOND FROM SYNTHETIC.......2000-01-27
THE BOOK IS AIMED AT INFORMING THE RIGHT CONSUMER AND DIAMOND BUYER ABOUT NATURAL GEM-QUALITY DIAMONDS.THE AUTHOR 'S INTENTION IS TO EDUCATE THE READERS TO KNOW HOW TO EVALUATE THEIR OWN DIAMONDS.IT ALSO SHOWS THE READER THE PRACTICAL WAYS TO IDENTIFY A FLAWED DIAMOND WHEN BUYING ONE.
Book Description
An illustrated treasury for Lionel enthusiasts. Highlights include an overview of product development, 20 track plans for the floor and tabletop, advice on building scenery and structures, wiring and track how-to, help in choosing locomotives and freight or passenger operations, maintenance and restoration tips and techniques, and instructions for all kinds of prototypes. - Hobby Merchandiser, September 2004Author and hobby veteran Robert Schleicher presents an illustrated treasury of practical advice for the Lionel enthusiast. Included in this volume are: an overview of product development, track plans for the floor and tabletop, advice on building scenery and structures, wiring and track how-to, help in choosing steam or diesel locomotives and freight or passenger operations, maintenance and restoration tips techniques, and instructions for operations that best emulate prototype railroads.Officially Licensed by Lionel- Only comprehensive, hands-on Lionel book to take technological developments of the last decade into consideration.- Schleicher's previous Lionel Train Book was published by Lionel in 1986 and has sold an estimated 20,000 copies LTD.- All techniques and topics discussed are fully illustrated.- 2004 will mark the 25th anniversary of General Mills' resuscitation of the Lionel name.About the AuthorBob Schleicher of Niwot, Colorado, is a veteran hobby industry writer and publisher, and the author of several MBI titles, most recently 101 Projects for Your Model Railroad and Slot Car Bible.
Customer Reviews:
Great foundation book.......2007-08-23
This book lays a great foundation for anyone starting out. Practical ideas and methods are shown for wiring track and accessories. Care and maintenance. High quality book with very thick glossy pages and many many color photos along with some B/W photos. This would be helpful for anyone interested in 3 track O-gauge even if they are planning on using non-Lionel trains and accessories.
ideal.......2007-03-09
if you are serious about lionel trains this is a must have for info
Big Book of Lionel.......2006-07-11
The book covers a wide range of subjects on planning, building and operating a Lionel O-guage layout, but does not go into a lot of detail. Both Post-War and Modern Lionel trains and tracks are covered as is the newer TMCC electronic controls. The photos of existing Lionel O-gauge layouts are excellent, but the book did not describe the type of track nor were track layout diagrams provided, which would have been very informative. Nevertheless, the book is interesting and provides a good overview of what to consider when planning and building a Lionel O-gauge layout.
Great for beginner and expert Lionel train fans.......2006-03-22
This book with its excellent pictures and detailed descriptions will satisfy the model train neophyte as well as the old veterans.
It is geared especially to the famous "O" gauge Lionel trains of yesteryear. It can serve as a reference book for those just starting out or rediscovering the joys of model train collecting and operating layouts.
The Big Book of Lionel.......2006-02-26
A very good book, full of interesting tips and facts. Full of good information on Lionel trains.
Book Description
Lionel survives the Depression, thrives in the 50s and undergoes ownership changes.
Customer Reviews:
Favorite Book about "America's Favorite Toy Trains"?.......2000-11-17
The fresh, exuberant expression of the Souters' writing continues throughout the book as a look at a paragraph from Chapter 7 attests: "Lionel has survived competition, inflation, two world wars, the Great Depression, financial scandal, receivership, rampant nepotism, material shortages, off-shore production experiments, dubious corporate acquisitions, management blunders, marketing blunders, the decline of the railroads, Roy Cohn as CEO, loss of its distribution network, loss of its primary customer base, Sputnik, acquisition by a cereal company, spin-off to a toy company, purchase by a millionaire hobbyist, and the computer chip revolution. Today, the name Lionel still means `electric train'."
Spicing the book further are enticing glimpses at the competition that Lionel often felt nipping at its heels. Here and there throughout the book, sidebars pop up to give views of Carlisle & Finch, Ives, Hafner, American Flyer, Dorfan, Marx, and today's competing brands. Each of these peeks at the "other brand" relates that manufacturer's production to the fortunes of Lionel and helps the reader understand Lionel's response to the threat.
The book does have some shortcomings. It really could have been proofread more closely. A photo caption describing the introduction of the operating cattle car states that it arrived in 1948 but goes on to say that it was pricey for 1947. If this weren't confusing enough, the typesetter mistook the year for the price, and the caption actually states that the car "was pricey for $1,947 but sold well." And we thought that today's prices were high!
Another gaffe comes when OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is twice misnamed the Occupational Safety Hazard Administration. Sharp-eyed readers will also catch other errors such as an occasional misspelled or repeated word. These are not often frequent or blatant enough to detract greatly from the enjoyment that the book offers, but they do suggest an inferior proofreading effort.
Perhaps some readers will be willing to overlook the affronts upon the language from uncorrected typographical errors; however, they may be less willing to overlook factual errors in the history and description of Lionel's products. During the discussion of Lionel's brief post-war venture into HO scale trains, the Souters state that "Lionel came out with a strange three-rail HO gauge track that was anathema to its primary hobbyist market." The fact is that Lionel never "came out with" any such track during the Post War or any other era. In the late Pre War Period, the company did catalog and sell both two and three-rail track in OO gauge for a brief time. American OO gauge track is wider than HO and is not compatible with it. The book is confusing not only two different track gauges but also two different time periods.
Discussion of Lionel's fortunes in 1959 includes a description of the No. 3435 Aquarium Car, part of which reads, "Inside, a strip of 35mm clear film with fish painted on it moves past the windows when the activation button is pressed as the car passes over the magnetic track section." The authors must be terribly impressed with the capabilities of Lionel's remote control track section with its electromagnet to ascribe to it the capability of activating the car's vibrating motor! In reality, the car is equipped with an off-on lever to start and stop the motor. With the lever in the "on" position, the motor moves the film strip continuously and with total disregard as to whether or not a remote control section of track is even installed on the layout.
While these examples reveal some of the questionable historical research and knowledge of the authors, they are neither so severe nor so numerous as to sentence the book without parole. There is much that is very good about it: sharp, large photographs of prototypes and their O gauge models; a text that is replete with wonderful turns of phrase that make it a joy to read; an honest willingness to tell all; and the fact that the discussion extends to Lionel's current ownership. On the other hand, occasional textual errors, some factual discrepancies, and the absence of any citations or bibliographies identifying sources limit the extent to which the reader can trust the material.
Is the Souters' book worth its cover price? Probably. After all, who can quibble with the accuracy of these observations from the concluding chapter:
"Today's toy train market is driven by an aging population of nostalgia-loving adults who collect and run joyful remembrances of their youth.
"Where Lionel will find itself in 2001 and the years to come is a guessing game, but whoever is making the decisions, whoever is designing the products and marketing them has one supreme advantage over all the competition. They have the name that has come to symbolize durability, value, and imagination for 100 years. They have the loyalty of fans around the world. They have Lionel--America's Electric Train."
Average customer rating:
|
Charleston Style, Then and Now
Susan Sully
Manufacturer: Universe Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Interior Design
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Architectural
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Travel
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
South
| United States
| Travel
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
South Carolina
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| South Carolina
| States
| United States
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Charleston Interior
-
Charleston Interiors
-
Savannah Style: Mystery and Manners
-
Charleston Style: Past and Present
-
The Buildings of Charleston: A Guide to the City's Architecture
ASIN: 0789308312
Release Date: 2003-02-22 |
Book Description
From its earliest days as a burgeoning colonial port blending European, Caribbean, and Asian influences, Charleston has maintained a unique brand of southern cosmopolitanism. Charleston Style, Then and Now, a condensed edition of the bestselling Charleston Style: Past and Present, traces the city's allure through its exquisite and sometimes eccentric architecture, decorative arts, and garden designs, which express a wide range of European and American styles, including Georgian, Federal, Chinese, Chippendale, Gothic and Greek Revival, Queen Anne, Eastlake, and more. Author Susan Sully explores Charleston as a medium through which this spectrum of styles becomes transmuted into a distinctive regional mode.
Sully's Charleston is a place where antique and modern, fantasy and reality, playfully intersect. During Charleston's ascendance as one of America's wealthiest cities, its most privileged citizens acquired sophisticated, even decadent, tastes that continue to infuse their homes and gardens. After the Civil War, hardship, pride, and nostalgia shaped an aesthetic in which peeling gilt and tattered lace became badges of honor. Thanks to one of the earliest and most energetic American preservationist movements, the past extends into the present in Charleston, and the city's spaces reveal its complex spirit.
Charleston Style, Then and Now features fourteen residences ranging from archetypally gracious antebellum mansions to cottage-like dependencies to the iconic Charleston "single houses," with their sweeping piazzas, high ceilings, and tall windows. Also featured are some of the city's most charming gardens, inspired by the formal and picturesque landscape designs of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe as well as by the exotic gardens of Japan. With rich color photography by John Blais and a delightful foreword by acclaimed novelist Josephine Humphreys, Charleston Style, Then and Now delivers an evocative portrait of this fascinating city.
Customer Reviews:
Where's Charleston?.......2005-04-30
*Chareston Style Then and Now* is, as I undertand it, an abbreviated version of a larger book. (*Charelston Style: Past and Present*.) I ordered the book sight unseen, and it is the first book that I have returned to Amazon. com.
My problems with this book are two: first, there is Susan Sully's prose style. It is, to my ear, painfully affected. And, while there is, perhaps, some useful information contained in her essays, getting through them wasn't worth the effort. Second is the selection of photographs. While technically excellent, many of the images are of rooms that have little relation to "Charleston Style". They are simply rooms--most of them tattered and run down--that happen to be in Charleston, SC. They are aesthetically of no interest to me. And that they happen to be located in Charleston is simply irrelevant.
The book is not a complete loss. Some of John Blais's photographs really do capture the glory of old Charleston. And Josephine Humprey's "Introduction" is lovely. Still, those interested in either the history or architecture of Charleston are advised to look elsewhere.
Average customer rating:
- Extremely useful resource
- excellent
|
Emotional Digital: A Sourcebook of Contemporary Typographics
Sybille Schlaich
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Arts
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Typography
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Desktop Publishing
| Graphic Design
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Publishing & Books
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0500019258 |
Book Description
Here is a selection of today's most beautiful and exciting typefaces, introduced by the designers and publishers themselves. From electro-type pioneers Emigre to renegades [T-26] in the USA, from the experimentation of Holland's LettError to Typomatic in London, there is a new-media world of typographic possibilities in Emotional Digital. A wide range of fonts devised by international graphic design companies is stylishly presented in full-color spreads. Each short profile includes information on where and when the company originated, awards won, and particular themes and characteristics of their work. Some of the designers themselves, including Erik Spiekermann, Suzanna Licko, and Michael Horsham of Tomato, have contributed essays that examine how they have influenced the world of graphic design and advertising, and demonstrate the diverse opportunities for digital type design. Contemporary type designs are illustrated in the context of their first use, showing their importance to the message itself. Emotional Digital is an essential book for students and practitioners of typography and graphics and a great resource for anyone working in the field of design.
Customer Reviews:
Extremely useful resource.......2004-10-14
A beautiful book showcasing an index of typographics, icons and shapes galore. Complete inspiration for use of colour, type and shape. Essential to any serious graphic designer whether working online or offline. When you run out of ideas for colour palettes, type or compositions, this is the book to turn to.
excellent.......2000-04-04
This book displays great usage of typography, and typographic styles. An excellent book for graphic designers.
Average customer rating:
- Definitely not a Hollywood tell-all!
- The charming story of a pioneer tv writer/prodcuer's life.
|
Whistling Girl
Ann Marcus
Manufacturer: Mulholland Pacific
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Authors
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Entertainers
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Women
| Specific Groups
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Journalists
| Professionals & Academics
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
History & Criticism
| Television
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Screenwriting
| Television
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1880867001 |
Book Description
How does a woman balance marriage, kids, and a demanding career in the highly competitive field of writing for TV and still maintain a sense of humor and an almost normal life? Ann Marcus lets it all hang out in her warm and witty memoir, WHISTLING GIRL, in which she shares her often funny, sometimes scary, but always adventurous private and professional lives taking you behind the scenes on some of TVs most popular series, including PEYTON PLACE; KNOTS LANDING; FALCON CREST; SEARCH FOR TOMORROW; DAYS OF OUR LIVES; GENERAL HOSPITAL; SUSAN FARR, MD; WOMEN AT WEST POINT; ALL THAT GLITTERS; FERNWOOD 2NITE; MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN (for which she won an Emmy); and the mini-series RETURN TO THE CUL-DE-SAC.
Customer Reviews:
Definitely not a Hollywood tell-all!.......2004-10-03
I was excited about reading this book because I thought I would gain more insight into Hollywood and television in general, especially after reading the rave review that TV Guide writer Michael Logan gave it. Unfortunately, juicy details are sparse regarding Ann's experiences at Knots Landing, Search for Tomorrow, Days of Our Lives, Falcon Crest, etc. In fact, not only are details sparse, she's inaccurate as well! For example, Ann describes working on Knots Landing in season two, but she actually worked on season three. When describing how she got the job at Falcon Crest, she is totally wrong about why her predecessors were fired (they weren't fired b/c they were gay, they were fired because the audience hated the storylines they created and ratings went down). Her description of a confrontation with Search for Tomorrow leading lady Mary Stuart takes all of a few sentences, and instead of elaborating how she came up with certain plots on these shows, she condenses her tenure at each show into just a few paragraphs. As a memoir, it's an okay read, but if you're looking for Hollywood tidbits (like I was, based on Michael Logan's review), this out of print book isn't worth looking for.
The charming story of a pioneer tv writer/prodcuer's life........1999-01-07
This is the fascinating story of the life and times of the co-creator of MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN covering almost three-quarters of a century. Ann Marcus writes about her life with wit, humor, and pithy observations of everything from growing up in a Sinclair Lewis-type small town to graduating from college in the middle of WW II, working as the first female copy "boy" on the NY Daily News, covering the homefront for LIFE Magazine, marriage, motherhood, and a successful career in tv for almost forty years It's a page turner as she copes with illness (cancer), male chauvinism, leaky faucets, ageism, network "suits" etc. etc. etc. She takes you behind the scenes on the soaps she headwrote and introduces you to the wacky and wonderful creative people with whom she worked. It is a terrific read. A total blast!
Average customer rating:
|
Whistling girl
Helen Lawrenson
Manufacturer: DoubleDay
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
Journalism
| Writing
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0385115733 |
Average customer rating:
- Please write another book - fantastic!
- A thoroughly satisfying romance novel
|
Whistling Girl (Five Star First Edition Romance Series)
Ardell L. D. Taylor
Manufacturer: Five Star (ME)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| African American
| Asian American
| Classics
| Collections & Readers
| Drama
| General
| Hispanic
| History & Criticism
| Humor
| Jewish American
| Letters & Correspondence
| Native American
| Poetry
| Short Stories
| Women Writers
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Historical
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0786228547 |
Customer Reviews:
Please write another book - fantastic!.......2006-06-28
I really liked this book, and was disappointed that Ms. Taylor hasn't written other books - if I'm wrong, and she has, please post and let me know! Thanks! :)
A thoroughly satisfying romance novel.......2001-06-07
Anita Aldon is a clear-headed girl and the daughter of a California ranchero who feels a mild disdain for the narrow Victorian rules of genteel conduct for young ladies. Then she meets John Vanderberg, a youngest son of a wealthy New Your Family and something of a rebel. These two are destined for love -- but not without complications, challenges, and obstacles! Ardell Taylor's Whistling Girl is an especially well crafted and thoroughly satisfying romance novel from first page to last.
Average customer rating:
|
Whistling girls and jumping sheep
Edith E Cutting
Manufacturer: Published by Farmer's Museum in cooperation with New York Folklore Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General
| Mythology
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Agricultural Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B00072FQ32 |
Books:
- Lord of the Barnyard: Killing the Fatted Calf and Arming the Aware in the Cornbelt
- Memories of Pure Spring
- Music for Torching
- Never Go Home Again: A Novel
- Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All: A Novel
- Once Were Warriors
- Pages for You: A Novel
- Peder Victorious: A Tale of the Pioneers Twenty Years Later
- Philadelphia Fire: A Novel
- PIGTOPIA
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Skin: The Complete Guide to Digitally Lighting, Photographing, and Retouching Faces and Bodies
- Paula Pryke's Flower School: Mastering the Art of Floral Design
- High Throughput Screening for Novel Anti-Inflammatories
- Lattice-Gas Cellular Automata: Simple Models of Complex Hydrodynamics
- History: Fiction or Science
- Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law
- Jenny Jellyfish: A Tale of Wiggly Jellies
- Complete Works of Robert and James Adam - Built and Unbuilt
- Glass in Structures: Elements, Concepts, Designs
- Minor in Possession
The Tapestries: A Novel
The Unwanted: A Memoir of Childhood
Paradise of the Blind: A Novel
Perfume Dreams: Reflections on the Vietnamese Diaspora
Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam
