Conversation with Spinoza: A Cobweb Novel (Writings from an Unbound Europe)

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INTERESTING, CHALLENGING TEXT ON SPINOZA

Conversation with Spinoza: A Cobweb Novel (Writings from an Unbound Europe)
Goce Smilevski
Manufacturer: Northwestern University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0810123762

Customer Reviews:

INTERESTING, CHALLENGING TEXT ON SPINOZA.......2006-09-08

Baruch Spinoza is one of the best known 17th century thinkers, as his philosophy of secularism was far ahead of his time. This book aims to create the world at the time through conversations with Baruch and through depiction of the meanders of his life.

His community was of Spanish/Portuguese Jews who fled to Holland. There we know that Baruch was excomungated from the Jewish community, but it is not clear why. Baruch's philophy empashized pure reason as a way to achieve salvation, and not the major religions of the time. His questioning of the existence of a deity were too much for his time, and the book presents such occurences by imagining such a situation.

This is an interesting book, but I am not sure this would be a good intro duction to Spinoza. There is too much that the book takes for granted that the reader knows; this book is recommended to those familiar with Spinoza's philosophy and wanting a better feel for what it must have been like at the time to hold such thoughts. Not for the beginner.

Goce Smilevski. Conversation with Spinoza: A Cobweb Novel.(Book review): An article from: The Review of Contemporary Fiction

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Goce Smilevski. Conversation with Spinoza: A Cobweb Novel.(Book review): An article from: The Review of Contemporary Fiction
Jeffrey Twitchell-Waas
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000W4R6QU
Release Date: 2007-09-18

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Review of Contemporary Fiction, published by Thomson Gale on June 22, 2007. The length of the article is 410 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Goce Smilevski. Conversation with Spinoza: A Cobweb Novel.(Book review)
Author: Jeffrey Twitchell-Waas
Publication: The Review of Contemporary Fiction (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 27 Issue: 2 Page: 149(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Amazon.com

Bridge of Birds is a lyrical fantasy novel. Set in "an Ancient China that never was", it stands with The Princess Bride and The Last Unicorn as a fairy tale for all ages, by turns incredibly funny and deeply touching. It won the World Fantasy Award in 1985, and Hughart produced two sequels: The Story of the Stone, and Eight Skilled Gentlemen. All present the adventures of Master Kao Li, a scholar with "a slight flaw in [his] character", and Lu Yu, usually called Number Ten Ox, his sidekick and the story's narrator. Number Ten Ox is strong, trusting, and pure of heart; Master Li once sold an emperor shares in a mustard mine, because "I was trying to win a bet concerning the intelligence of emperors."

Number Ten Ox comes from a village in which the children have been struck by a mysterious illness. He recruits Master Li to find the cure and comes along to provide muscle. They seek a mysterious Great Root of Power, which may be a form of ginseng. Of course, nothing turns out to be as simple as it seems; great wrongs must be avenged and lovers separated must be reunited, from the most humble to the highest. And even in the midst of cosmic glory, Pawnbroker Fang and Ma the Grub are picking the pockets of their own lynch mob, who are frozen in awe and wonder. --Nona Vero

Book Description

When the children of his village were struck with a mysterious illness, Number Ten Ox found master Li Kao. Together they set out to find the Great Root of Power, the only possible cure, and together they discover adventure and legend, and the power of belief....

Customer Reviews:

A Recent Favorite Discovery.......2007-09-05

This novel of an 'Ancient China that Never Was' is a brilliant gem of interweaving storylines that made me both smile and cry. It was alternately silly and beautiful, so much so that I want to use overblown adjectives to describe it. Basically, it was about a man looking to find a cure for a disease affecting the children of his village, but it turns out to be so much more.

When first starting the novel, it seemed a simple quest novel, usual for the fantasy genre. As it went on, it seemed more like a series of connected short stories with the same characters with perhaps an overarching goal for the main character. Then it went on some more, and it began to quickly connect. Characters once met were met again, and again. They changed, told their stories, and moved on, leaving the book and the main character changed.

By the time the book was over, I just sat there crying yet smiling with happiness at having read it and at the gorgeous ending. If you are not sobbing at that time, or when one of the characters has his letter to his daughter read, you are a much stronger person than me. I turned this book over to my husband who upon finishing agreed that it was a shame that the author did not have a large list of books for us to dive into.

Someone who reviewed this said it was not an accurate representation of ancient China. It truly is no more accurate in describing ancient China than modern fantasy novels describing medieval life or the Dark Ages, but as you read it, you realize that's not what you're reading it for. The way it glosses over facts and grittiness makes it a stronger work.

I never fail to cry.......2007-05-09

This is, without a doubt, one of the best books I've ever read.
I have 2 copies. One to treasure and one to lend.

Funny Literature about Chinese Legend.......2007-05-07

I just loved this book. I don't know how to describe it, other than fantasitical literature told in the first person with a very funny main character.

If you like like literature, ancient peoples, and fantasy, you'll love this book.

clever.......2007-03-30

What in my opinion most reviewers fail to notice is how little fantastic and fairytale-like this story is.

Set in an ancient China that perhaps never was but sounds incredibly alike the one described in the medieval Chinese literature I have read (translated of course) up to now, this novel presents us with the customary quest of the fantasy novel and two typical characters: the brave youth and the wise elder.

These two fantasy stereotypes are meshed with what to my uneducated eyes appears to be authentic Chines lore not to mention the traditional and world-spread storytelling structure of the short stories framed in a larger story: Chaucer, Boccaccio, 1001 nights, etc.

Problem is -or maybe it is an asset?- the two characters have a rather strong personality: Ten Ox is pure of heart but neither stupid nor naive and Li does not refrain from violence or even murder.
This novel, while telling us what looks like a fairy tale, is harsh to the point of being cruel. People die here, most horrible deaths. People are gready, mean, violent, stupid, real.

The main asset is certainly the plot, very clever, well structured, apparently digressive while really coesive and self contained. In the second half all the lose threads begin to intertwine and we discover how interconnected all the details are.

The main problem is the style. Not that the writing is bad, but while to the point, it fails the soft feathery touch this genre imperatively requires even in the most gruesome moments. I am ready to agree that it is very rare to be able to master such a style but I feel it is necessary in this kind of mithological, folklore tale.

Entertaining and unusual.......2007-02-24

This unusual book about seventh century China is a strange combination of historical novel, adventure, mystery, fantasy, fairy tale, and myth, with the best attributes of each genre. It is crammed with colorful characters and wonderful bits of folklore.

At first, I wasn't sure I liked the book. The pacing seemed a bit off, and some key story elements were so subtle and oblique that I had to re-read passages to make sure I understood what what going on. I also found the killing of one of the minor characters to be cold and incredible (as in "not credible"). However, I stuck with the story, and it really started to grow on me. The pace picked up, the story became far more involved, and the ending was stunningly beautiful. In short, I'm really glad I read it. I'll definitely be trying another of Hughart's books.

Bridge of Birds: A Novel of An Ancient China That Never Was

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Bridge of Birds: A Novel of An Ancient China That Never Was
Barry Hughart
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

China | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000UY2OGE

The Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was

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The Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was
Barry Hughart
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

China | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000OT1KS8

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable classic SF romps.......2006-03-24

KEITH LAUMER: THE LIGHTER SIDE combines two novels along with a number of short stories written by the SF classic author Keith Laumer.

In the Queue tells of a planet-wide waiting list. People wait their entire lives to move up, holding their places not only for themselves, but also for their children. A nice twist at the end makes this one memorable. The Planet Wreckers confronts an every-man with a galactic movie crew intent on staging the world's largest disaster film. The Body Builders explores a future where people (except a few fanatics) have abandoned their bodies for robots. The Devil You Don't is a romp with a demon. The Exterminator explores America's fascination with violence as a unversal solution. The Big Show blurs reality with entertainment. Gooberreality mixes an every-man with a government/business society where independence is impossible. Protothap confronts an every-man with the impossible--he can't buy life insurance (the twist is in why). Reflecting an earlier era in SF where the short story was a key part of the genre, these stories demonstrate Laumer's skill, provide insights into the America of the 1960s (most of which apply today), and generate some nice chuckles.

TIME TRAP, the first novel in the collection, puts Roger Tyson on the spot. When he tries to flag down a beautiful woman on a motorcycle, she crashes. Dying, she insists that he take her "hearing aid" which turns out to be a futuristic computer device. Roger discovers that the world has been segmented and that, unless he can do something, Earth's entire existance will come to an end. He faces an apparently immortal giant rutabaga, and is both aided and opposed by futuristic scientists--including the dead woman.

THE GREAT TIME MACHINE HOAX is the gem in this collection. Chester W. Chester IV has a tax bill due and nothing but a moth-eaten circus and an estate with an expensive computer to pay it with. Checking out the computer with his friend Case, they realize the potential to make some money in entertainment--by faking a time machine. What they don't realize is that the computer takes them very literally. The strength of this story comes when Chester is forced to confront his own weaknesses. In an accelerated learning program, which Laumer suggests might have benefit to all of us, Chester learns confidence and overcomes fear and pain.

Keith Laumer is one of the great writers of the 1960s and this is a fine introduction to his non-series work. Laumer definitely lacks a progressive attitude toward women, generally treating them as prizes rather than as intelligent players, but if you're willing to overlook this outdated perspective, you'll find a lot to enjoy in THE LIGHTER SIDE.

Humorous Scince Fiction Adventures.......2005-09-20

This book contains adventure tales that are a fast read, light yet satirically wild. There are two novels about hapless heros caught in a world with changing time streams out of their control. We follow the heros as they travel through these differrent times and deal with the obstacles they encounter, as they try to get back to where they started from.

This collection of Mr. Laumer's works even contains three short stories which are worth reading on their own merit. One has Satan asking a professor to aid him save Hell. Another is a movie production studio using Earth as a set, and they plan to blow the set up at the end of the movie. and the final short story is about a time where you can purchase any body you can afford.

If you do not have this book, buy it. If you have it, read it. You will be glad you did.

Laughs and fun..whit a black arriere-gout.......2003-02-12

These stories are a gas, but they often verge on the dark...think only of the poor guy in Time-Trap, maybe the best story in the book. This guy may be the predecessor of Paul Jonas, the Otherland character who was hurled from a strange environment to another, and who was also pursued by ghastly creatures. Thanks to Eric Flint for having made us rediscover these classic stories!

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Lighter Side
Keith/flint Laumer
Manufacturer: SIMON & SCHUSTER @ TRADE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000Q1BNCC

Amazon.com

Few Americans heard about it, but the story gripped Europe (and especially France) during the summer of 1996: The mysterious kidnapping and murder of seven Trappist monks living in the Algerian village of Tibhirine at their monastery of Notre-Dame de l'Atlas. John W. Kiser III tells their story, or at least what parts of it can be known; much of what happened to them remains unclear, including the motives of their captors. Parts of The Monks of Tibhirine are grim, but this is an unavoidable fact of the case. The monks' bodies, for instance, never have been found--except for their heads. Kiser describes the scene: "The monks' desiccated faces, hollow eye sockets, and exposed teeth made them look like mummies." (Apparently they had been buried, then disinterred.) Readers looking for a nonfiction thriller won't find it on these pages, however. Much of the book is a history of monks living in Algeria, and much of the rest chronicles the good relationships the seven doomed monks shared with their Muslim neighbors. Their devotion to both their faith and their neighbors is inspiring; the way they died is abhorrent. --John Miller

Book Description

A true story of Christian love set against political terrorism in contemporary Algeria.In the spring of 1996, militants of the Armed Islamic Group, today affiliated with Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, broke into a Trappist monastery in war-torn Algeria. Seven monks were taken hostage, pawns in a murky negotiation to free imprisoned terrorists. Two months later, the severed heads of the monks were found in a tree not far from Tibhirine; their bodies were never recovered.The village of Tibhirine had sprung up around the monastery because it was a holy place, protected by the Virgin Mary, who is revered by Christians and Muslims alike.But after 1993, as the Algerian military government's war against Islamic terrorism widened, napalm, helicopters, and gunfire became regular accompaniments to their monastic routine.The harmony between these Christian monks and the Muslim neighbors of Tibhirine contrasts with the fear and distrust among Algerians fighting over power and what it means to be a Muslim. Woven into the story of the kidnapping and the political disintegration of Algeria is a classic account of Christian martyrdom. But these monks were not martyrs to their faith, as preaching Christianity to Muslims is forbidden in Algeria, but rather martyrs to their love of their Muslim neighbors, whom they refuse to desert in their hour of need.AUTHORBIO: John Kiser is the author of Communist Entrepreneurs and Stefan Zweig: Death of a Modern Man. A former international technology broker, he now lives with his family in Sperryville, Virginia.

Customer Reviews:

A Bridge between two Cultures .......2007-07-05

From a tragic and almost incomprehensible act of barbarity, the author has fashioned a beautifully nuanced work of art that succeeds in bridging a good portion of the chasm now separating the Judeo-Christian and Muslim worlds. With great sensitivity and understanding of these seemingly antagonistic cultures, Kiser has succeeded in constructing an uplifting and heart-felt story that not only instructs the reader, but successfully addresses and perhaps heals some of intercultural bitterness rampant today.

Difficult, but worth reading.......2006-04-23

This is an enjoyable, but slightly dry book. It is definately hard to actually sit down and read without ones mind trailing off! But as I labored through it I came to enjoy the writers style, and actually feel the importance of the information about the trappist monks of Algeria!

Awe Inspiring.......2005-08-11

This book recounts the heroic faith and works of "ordinary" monks living in dangerous times!

Mired in detail.......2004-04-10

On the strength of published public reviews, I added this book to my 'must' reading list, and finally ordered it after numerous positive customer reviews.

I am sorry that I can't join the enthusiastic chorus. Whatever its merits as a historical reconstruction and analysis of a great tragedy, the book itself never gets off the ground in terms of being a gripping read, and I found myself giving up after both false starts and, alternatively, trying to skim through the book. The mind-numbing detail and philosophical navel-gazing killed any interest I brought to the table.

For a good example of my perception of the problem, read the excerpt available in 'search inside the book,' which features page 1 of Chapter 1, Mourning. If you like this page, you'll most likely like the book; if not, look elsewhere.

A beautiful book!.......2002-11-11

The story of these trappists who died in Algeria in 1996 is a remarkable one that is told very well by the author. It is rare that such a sad event, the kidnapping and decapitation of these good, harmless men can generate such a feeling of hope and optimism. I lost a lot of my prejudices against Muslims reading this book. What a good and hospitable people most of the folk were. I cannot ever forget the reaction of the imams, refusing to condone such a murder, and even suffering death themselves rather than issue fetwas against innocent people. What a wonderful witness to the gospels these men showed. They were good neighbors who didn't deserve this kind of death. But none of the muslim victims of these terrorists deserved it either. The death of the monks brought attention to all the nameless people who had already died. And finally, I cannot read Christian de Cherge's final testiment without crying at the beauty of it: The forgiveness, the fraternal love shown even to his murderer. I will pray with brother Christian that, as he said, one day he and his murderer will meet with forgiveness before God, two good thieves.
Read this book!

The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism. (book review): An article from: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life

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The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism. (book review): An article from: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life
Andrew J. Bacevich
Manufacturer: Institute on Religion and Public Life
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, published by Institute on Religion and Public Life on April 1, 2002. The length of the article is 1929 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism. (book review)
Author: Andrew J. Bacevich
Publication: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life (Refereed)
Date: April 1, 2002
Publisher: Institute on Religion and Public Life
Page: 54(4)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Memoirs of the way we war: honest war books show that war is not the answer in the search for a path to the Garden of Eden.(Fall Book Section)(Book Review): An article from: U.S. Catholic

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Memoirs of the way we war: honest war books show that war is not the answer in the search for a path to the Garden of Eden.(Fall Book Section)(Book Review): An article from: U.S. Catholic
Peter Gilmour
Manufacturer: Claretian Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from U.S. Catholic, published by Claretian Publications on November 1, 2003. The length of the article is 2152 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Memoirs of the way we war: honest war books show that war is not the answer in the search for a path to the Garden of Eden.(Fall Book Section)(Book Review)
Author: Peter Gilmour
Publication: U.S. Catholic (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2003
Publisher: Claretian Publications
Volume: 68 Issue: 11 Page: 32(4)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Monks of Tibhirine, The: Faith, Love and Terror in Algeria

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Monks of Tibhirine, The: Faith, Love and Terror in Algeria
John W. Kiser
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTMQ5E

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From a Monastery Kitchen: A Practical Cookbook of Vegetarian Recipes for the Four Seasons Complete from Soups to Desserts with Breads
Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette , Elise Boulding , and Daniel Marshall
Manufacturer: Harper & Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Vegetables & Vegetarian | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Delicious Four-Season Vegetarian Cuisina
China
Manufacturer: China
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 7533114809

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The Four Seasons Vegetarian Cookbook: Nutritionally Balanced Recipes Making the Best Use of Seasonally Available Food
Susan Thorpe
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Vegetables & Vegetarian | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0722512708

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Great Book for Vegetarioan

Rose Elliot's Vegetarian Four Seasons
Rose Elliot
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Vegetables & Vegetarian | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 000412913X

Book Description

A vegetarian celebration of the seasons from the author of COMPLETE VEGETARIAN CUISINE, with over 180 recipes and full-color photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book for Vegetarioan.......2002-06-23

This book has great illustrations and easy to follow steps to help you cook up amazing vegetarian dishes. It is broken down to four different seasons and use the seasonal ingredients for best result. I love cooking, and this is a great book for vegetarian cooking.

Average customer rating:

Vegetarian Four Season
Rose Eliot
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K19KEG

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VEGETARIAN FOUR SEASONS
ROSE ELLIOT
Manufacturer: BOOK CLUB ASSOCIATES
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S7QTMI

Book Description

Covering everyday objects from chromium cocktail shakers to Bakelite radios, this colorful book traces the Art Deco marriage of art and industry.

Production-line objects from the 1920s and '30s are increasingly sought after as icons from a crucial era in American industrial design. The ornate style promoted by the 1925 Paris exposition dramatically affected design down to the most utilitarian level, ranging from dime store rouge pots to kitchen utensils, from advertising graphics to book and fabric design, from wallpaper to furniture. This richly illustrated volume, with its comprehensive survey of the style that revolutionized mass marketing, will appeal not only to collectors, designers, and decorators but also to the general reader who seeks guidance to the increasingly important Art Deco marketplace.

Other Details: 410 illustrations, 200 in full color

Customer Reviews:

Downmarket Deco on Main Street.......2005-01-10

Most books about Art Deco rightly cover the fine art aspects of the movement but the authors of this lovely book explore the way commerce used deco styling in mass produced products available on any Main Street. It would be a good few years before an art style was used again to sell things, namely pop art in the mid-Sixties.

Look at the many photographs of everyday items in the book and it is clear that manufacturers copied whatever deco style elements they wanted to enhance the sales potential of their products, at the same time a group of industrial designers where developing America's unique design style, streamline and contributing more elements to be copied, a good example are the three speed lines that popped up on many products.

I think the illustrations in the book are well chosen and they really do cover everyday items in use during the Depression years and nicely the text is broken up with various interesting sidebars like the one on Dolores Del Rio's moderne house or festive season graphics or Deco Mexicana. To compliment this excellent survey have a look at 'Streamline' (ISBN 0811806626) by Steven Heller and Louise Fili, basically a visual book with several hundred examples of everyday graphics. Both books cover so well two exuberant art styles that everyone could share and so were truly democratic.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

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Enjoyable Quilt Blocks

Sew One And You're Done: Making a Quilt from a Single Block

really nice book

Instant Gratification

Unbelievably Easy

Sew One And You're Done: Making a Quilt from a Single Block (That Patchwork Place)
Evelyn Sloppy
Manufacturer: Martingale and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Needlework | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Patchwork | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Quilts & Quilting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Fast Quilts from Fat Quarters

Clever Quarters, Too: More Quilts from Fat Quarters

ASIN: 1564776654

Book Description

In the time it takes to make a single block, you can have a finished quilt top! Each super-quick quilt features one supersized block—with just three to five fabrics and large pieces, you can whip up a beautiful traditional quilt in no time.

• Twenty projects range in size from 45" to 56" square and are perfect for charities, table toppers, lap quilts, and wall hangings

• Add plain or pieced borders to make designs even larger—even piece blocks together to make bed-sized quilts

• Find tips for organizing charity quilting groups, plus ideas for simple machine quilting and fast machine binding

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable Quilt Blocks.......2007-09-10

I originally saw this book in my local quilt shop after admiring one of the quilts on the wall that was made from the book. Since purchasing the book, I've only had a chance to make one of the blocks. The block I did make was a triple bear claw and turned out very nice indeed. Though I should have paid more attention to just how big it was going to be, it turned out a big larger then I expected.

The size of the block was clearly noted (I just didn't pay attention to it) and the directions are extremely easy to follow. Most of the blocks take more half square triangles then I like to use but that is only a personal preference. Each block appears to be just as easy to follow and make and can with ease be made into either baby quilts or lap quilts as is or combined together to make larger quilts.

The only problem I have with the book is the title "sew one and you're done". The only reason is the fact that each large block is in fact a number of smaller blocks, the title is catchy, but not that true.

Over all the book is wonderful and I strongly recommend it.

Sew One And You're Done: Making a Quilt from a Single Block .......2007-05-14

This is a great book for a beginner or someone who is looking for projects that are not terribly complicated.

really nice book.......2007-03-09

this is a really nice book. Lots of good color pictures and good instructions. Big blocks so quilts go together faster. Great book for beginners.

Instant Gratification.......2007-01-05

This book contains several quick, easy-to-accomplish quilt patterns, which still manage to look like they required lots of work. It's a great resource for those gifts you need in a hurry.

Unbelievably Easy.......2007-01-05

This book offers some great easy patterns that can be done quickly and look like you have spent alot of time on them. You will be working with big pieces, therefore you need a large mat and large size ruler for most. Finished quilt top will allow you to showcase your quilting techniques. A must have for any beginners through intermediate sewers. Great to make quick quilts that you can give as presents.

Book Description

Includes all-new rooms from Trading Spaces never before seen in a book.

Dozens of ideas for facelifts to living rooms, family rooms, bonus rooms, kitchens, and multipurpose bedrooms.

Photo tours of 15 rooms show how to use fabrics, flooring, furnishings, and color effectively.

Decorating strategies feature ready-made items and inexpensive ideas for quick, low-cost success.

Special Style Primers introduce the furnishings, colors, and surfaces that characterize five popular decorating styles: classic, chic, casual, romantic, and funky.

Unique Lessons for Living sections offer planning ideas and creative solutions for common decorating challenges.

Customer Reviews:

Well, what book about creative writing is really brilliant?.......1999-07-05

This book was pretty okay, for a book about creative writing. I mean, it was cheesy and simplistic, but what book about creative writing isn't? It won't make you into F. Scott Fitzgerald overnight, but it might help. We used it as a textbook for a creative writing class, and it was a good class, so it did its job.

Average customer rating:

TH E BEST

Imaginary Gardens
Charles Sullivan
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters (Kohl, Mary Ann F. Bright Ideas for Learning.)

ASIN: 0810911302

Customer Reviews:

TH E BEST.......1999-12-18

An exciting and beautiful way to expose readers aged 9 through 18 to real poetry and art . Drawings , paintings and photos, in wide range of style, are sensitively selected to match poems. Most of the poets and painters are well known. The best this assistant school librarian has ever seen. I only wish that the cover, featuring two lovely little girls, were less gender specific. There are great things in there for guys, too.The editor's introduction can help teachers start lively discussions.

In the Garden of Iden: A Novel of the Company

Average customer rating:

Poignant beginning of a beautiful series
Definitely Not Paradise
painful!!
Interesting Premise
A Romance with a Little Sci Fi Thrown in

In the Garden of Iden: A Novel of the Company
Kage Baker
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0151002991

Amazon.com

In 16th-century Spain, everybody expects the Spanish Inquisition, as they have a well-known tendency to cart people off to their dungeons on trumped-up charges. What 5-year-old Mendoza, on the brink of being tortured as a Jew, is totally unprepared for is to be rescued by the Company--the ultimate bureaucracy of the 24th century--and made immortal. In return, all she has to do is travel through time on a series of assignments for the Company and collect endangered botanical specimens. The wisecracking, mildly misanthropic Mendoza wants nothing to do with historical humans, but her first assignment is to travel to England in 1553--uncomfortably close to those damn Inquisitors--with Joseph and Nefer, two other Company operatives. Their intent is to gather herb samples from the garden of Sir Walter Iden, a foolish though generous country squire. (Kage Baker knows her Shakespeare: Sir Walter is the descendant of Alexander Iden, loyal subject of Henry IV, who slew the hungry rebel Jack Cade in that very garden in Kent.)

The cyborg trio poses as Doctor Ruy Lopez, his daughter Rosa (the irrepressible Mendoza, now grown), and her duenna, Doña Marguerita; Sir Walter's hospitality and discretion are bought for the promise of restored youth. (There are hilarious moments that call to mind the Coneheads, who claimed to be from France when caught doing anything peculiar.) Sir Walter's secretary, Nicholas Harpole, is immediately suspicious of and hostile towards the strange "Spanish" visitors, which prompts Mendoza to fall in love with him. Nicholas has his own badly kept secret: he's proudly Protestant at a time when Queen Mary and Philip of Spain are on a Catholicizing rampage. Mendoza knows Nicholas is probably doomed, and that as a Company operative she cannot meddle with his fate, but love makes people do desperate things. Baker surpasses even Connie Willis in humor and precision of period detail in this fresh, ingenious first novel.--Barrie Trinkle

Book Description

In this “highly impressive and thoroughly engrossing” (Kirkus Reviews) debut novel of the Company, Mendoza is sent to Elizabethan England to collect samples from the garden of Sir Walter Iden all in an effort to save the Company. But her quest is jeopardized by Nicholas Harpole, who stirs unfamiliar emotions within her about her future-with a man she will long outlive. “If you’re reading something by Kage Baker, fasten your seat belt-you’re in for a wild ride” (Gardner Dozois).

Customer Reviews:

Poignant beginning of a beautiful series.......2007-05-09

In this first novel of the Company series by Kage Baker, we see the inception of young Mendoza, a poor spanish children saved from the maws of Spanish Inquisition, as a temporal cyborg in the Company of Dr Zeus. Inc. We follow her in her first mission with Joseph, her inceptor, and young Latif, in England, under the sway of Her Catholic Majesty Bloody Mary Tudor. They are to visit the Garden of curiosities of Sir walter Iden to retrieve some soon to be extinct botanical and zoological specimens. At sir walter Iden's Mendoza finds her first hopeless love, a stern, roguish protestant called Nicholas Harpole. We see history unfold as the doomed love story between Mendoza and Nicholas reached its most bitter end. As dramatic as it is, this novel is historically sound, with many notations of wry humour. A great first!

Definitely Not Paradise.......2006-10-16

Mendoza, as a young girl, is clutched from the jaws of Inquisition-mad Spain. It doesn't take Mendoza long to learn that her savior is a future corporation, most simply known as the Company. The Company was founded in the 24th century. It sends operatives back in time to recruit further employees to preserve specimens of anything rare or prized.

Trained as a botanist, Mendoza's first assignment is in Kent, England, at the estate of Sir Walter Iden. Iden's garden has numerous samples of flora that simply would not survive the centuries if it were not for the efforts of the Company.

But Mendoza's first assignment leads to her first love...and with a mortal (someone who has not been altered by the Company to be immortal) nonetheless.

The conflict Baker sets up between the young immortal Mendoza and the older, mortal Nicholas Harpole provides most of the tension in Baker's story. Mendoza is genuinely in love with Harpole, but there is a large facet of her life that she must keep secret.

For the most part, I enjoyed Baker's story. I enjoy an author who is not only knowledgeable about the era/subject they are writing about, but presents their setting with wit and flourish. Despite the fact that parts of the book could get tedious with little happening that moves the plot along in a substantive way; I found the underlying story interesting enough to keep me moving through the slower parts. On the whole though, I enjoyed Iden and I look forward to picking up the sequels.

painful!!.......2006-08-03

I have to give the author credit for having a very original idea, but that's where it ended. The book is slow paced to a point where you just want to scream "get one with it!". I mean for being an immortal with such wisedom and skills, you would think that there would be clever ideas and with an attitude "I am a demi-god", but Mendoza as well as her collegues are boring and stupid.

The sci-fi part of the book did not entertain me past her leave from "The Company". As for the romance, written like a couple of teenagers in love. This book is the first in a series, the question is why are there even more??

Interesting Premise.......2006-07-28

It is 16th century Spain and a small girl is bought from her family by mysterious strangers. She is too little to even know her own name, so she is dubbed Mendoza by the people she eventually ends up with, "The Company", a mysterious organization that can time travel, and makes young humans in all periods immortal and trains them to be company agents. Mendoza is trained as a botanist, and she is assigned to recover specimens of plants which are extinct in the distant future. Sounds really interesting, right?

No, not really. Mendoza and a team of Company agents travel to England to collect samples from the famous garden of Sir Walter Iden. That's where the story hits a wall. Instead of paying attention to her job, Mendoza gets involved in her first love affair, and tells about it in a diffident, bitchy, boring way. Nothing interesting or really revealing about "The Company" happens again. I understand there are quite a few books in this series, but I have no desire to continue reading them.

A Romance with a Little Sci Fi Thrown in.......2006-04-20

I agree -- they should have had a picture of Fabio on the cover so people would know what they were getting into.

The first couple chapters were ok, after that it got really slow and painful.

If you like to turn on PBS and watch yet another slow English period drama that takes place on a declining English manor/estate, then you might enjoy this book.

Bali: The Imaginary Museum: The Photographs of Walter Spies and Beryl de Zoete

Average customer rating:

Beautiful book

Bali: The Imaginary Museum: The Photographs of Walter Spies and Beryl de Zoete
Michael Hitchcock , Lucy i L. Norris , and London Horniman Museum and Gardens
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 9676531014

Book Description

Photography has long been associated with travel in Bali, and the images favoured by the tourism industry were often those that dwelt with the exotic and more extreme aspects of the indigenous culture. Bali was seen as the meeting-place of the South Seas and the mysterious Orient, an island of bare breasts, exotic dancers, and malevolent witches. The establishment of colonial rule saw the birth of Bali as a romantic holiday destination. Walter Spies, the German artist who lived on the island in the inter-war years, challenged the more lurid aspects of Bali's image, and together with British writer and dance critic Beryl de Zoete helped to transform Bali's image in the eyes of the West. Their classic Dance and Drama in Bali (1938) has never been surpassed. In this book, the authors present many hitherto unpublished photographs (now in the Horniman Museum Library) dealing with rural life in Bali, the dance-drama traditions of the island, as well as a series showing Spies and de Zoete conducting research in Bali. The photographs, which are accompanied by an informed text, are not only of aesthetic interest, but also reveal much about the work of Spies and de Zoete and their relationship with Bali.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful book.......2003-08-24

I am Balinese and live in Ubud. Walter Spies lived here in the Thirties, just opposite where my restaurant now is. My mother worked for him.

I was therefore delighted when this book came out. The text is clear and well-written and interesting on many counts. It sets out the history of early tourism to Bali when many famous people visited the island and they all met Walter Spies.

Many of the photographs have not been published before. Walter Spies was an excellent photographer and he had an intimate knowledge of Bali and the Balinese. He was involved in all aspects of Balinese life.

Book Description

Maureen Whitebrook argues that literature, through both its form and its content, can expose and criticize liberal theory and point beyond it to a new political theory. She describes how "literary political criticism" might be done, and demonstrates such criticism in four essays that expose the connections between specific political and literary texts. Fiction, Whitebrook concludes, does a better job than liberal political theory of examining the relationship between the individual and the State.

An imaginary interview on the delicate subject of a moral approach to writing children's books (based on arguments raised in real life). (Compass Points).(Brief ... An article from: The Horn Book Magazine

Average customer rating:

An imaginary interview on the delicate subject of a moral approach to writing children's books (based on arguments raised in real life). (Compass Points).(Brief ... An article from: The Horn Book Magazine
Nancy Garden
Manufacturer: Horn Book, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Horn Book Magazine, published by Horn Book, Inc. on November 1, 2001. The length of the article is 677 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: An imaginary interview on the delicate subject of a moral approach to writing children's books (based on arguments raised in real life). (Compass Points).(Brief Article)
Author: Nancy Garden
Publication: The Horn Book Magazine (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2001
Publisher: Horn Book, Inc.
Volume: 77 Issue: 6 Page: 725(2)

Article Type: Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Sky Gilbert is loved by fans of his novels, plays, poetry, and columns; hated by the Toronto Sun and by some members of the gay community. His alter ego Jane, a drag queen, was charged with not wearing a seat belt in a cab, took the case to trial, and won: "The judge said I was a reasonable person." Gilbert's theatre, Buddies in Bad Times, was almost closed by The City of Toronto for sponsoring S/M workshops in 1990, and yet he was awarded the Pauline McGibbon Award for directing in 1985, has directed two plays at the Shaw Festival, and had his work performed across North America. The Religious Right has campaigned against him, yet some men argue that his work has changed their lives. So, what's Gilbert all about, what makes him tick? Is he a drag queen? An award-winning artist? A complete slut? Or, maybe, all three? Many are going to be angered by this book, many more will be entertained.

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