Book Description
Randy Lee Eickhoff, the award-winning translator of the epic Ulster Cycle, continues his retelling of Ireland's spellbinding history and folklore in He Stands Alone. For the very first time, Randy Lee Eickhoff has combined several translations of the tale of the Irish Achilles, Cuchulainn, to provide a new and searching look at the warrior whose dedication to his country became the inspiration for Irish rebels in 1916, providing them with a rallying cry heard throughout all of Ireland.Beginning with Cuchulainn's mysterious birth, Eickhoff skillfully weaves the tale of the magical warrior; from his training with Scathach, the dreaded woman warrior, to his first encounter with the war-goddess, Morigan, a story that foreshadows Cuchulainn's heroic action the Cattle Raid of Cooley.Cuchulainn's adventures unfold as he grows in battle to become the king's champion, but, all the while, he struggles with his mortal side, and with human failings that inevitably draw him away from his wife, Emer, and under the spell of the mystical Fand, wife of the Irish sea-god, Manannan Mac Lir.In a style that is often compared to Nobel Prize winner Seamus Heaney's, Randy Lee Eickhoff demonstrates his knowledge and storytelling ability and once again introduces readers to a truly fascinating aspect of Irish mythology with He Stands Alone.
Customer Reviews:
It was a good death........2007-05-20
Eickhoff's works are all very well done. This work is no exception. He has taken the Celtic epic the Tain and dissected the work, giving it a proper and detailed treatment in telling the tales of Cuchullain, the Hound of Ulster, the single most important hero in Irish myth/history. I recommend getting all these books in the Ulster Cycle in hardback form because you will want to keep these and display them, then reread them again in a few years. Excellent work.
Exceptional Work.......2002-04-24
It is extremely difficult for one to become as immersed in a culture as complicated as Ancient Ireland, but I must say that Randy Eickhoff has emerged as what I would call the authority on The Ulster Cycle. The prolegomenons with which he introduces each work in the cycle are succinct observations that are made with the clarity of a seasoned scholar and his treatment of the texts is unique and priceless to the scholar. Eickhoff shows an incredible insight into the language, art form, and historical ambience of the period and is such that I would dearly love to hear him deliver a series of lectures upon this subject. I have heard his lecture on Interpolator H and was mesmorized by his distinct grasp of this complicated problem that exists within corrupted texts. When I accessed the his website and discovered the depth of his scholarship and his extremely prolific output, I was thoroughly amazed. The label "genius" was become too common to use lately but I would not hesitate at all to apply it to Eickhoff and his capabilities as a translator. He is breaking new ground with his intrinsic application of the translator's art and must be admired for his daring and innovation.
Engaging vignettes starring Cuchulainn.......2002-03-03
Dr. Randy Lee Eickhoff's fifth Ulster Cycle book provides his fans the story of legendary Irish warrior Cuchulainn, who served as the rallying cry for the 1916 rebellion. HE STANDS ALONE is a series of vignettes as opposed to a novel; thus readers obtain more tales, but will find difficulty with the flow and transition between the stories. Each contribution is fascinating on its own so that the book should be treated like a short story collection. The tales involving the hero's warrior training and subsequent battles are exciting and insightful, but it is the romance with Emer that engages the audience. The notes provide scholarly insight for those who enjoy a bit more. Dr. Eickhoff will elate his audience with his latest Ulster tale.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
The second volume of the towering fantasy epic, The Pearlthe sequel to The Ring of Five Dragons.Having staked his claim as a master of epic fantasy with The Ring of Five Dragons, Eric Van Lustbader now returns to his world of Kundala to unearth new riches of wonder and excitement.With the help of her friends, Riane, the prophesied redeemer known as the Dar Sala-at, saved their world from annihilation, preserving native Kundalans and Vornn invaders alike. Together, they avenged terrible crimes and secured the Ring of Five Dragons, but their struggles have only just begun.The Ring averted doomsday, yet it did not open the magical Storehouse Door as expected. It remains sealed because of the spell cast by Giyan and her sister to migrate Annon Asheras male Vornn spirit into Rianes dying female Kundalan body. By combining them into a single being, it saved them both and fulfilled the prophecy that the Dar Sala-at would be born at both ends of the cosmos. But the spell also breached the Abyss, releasing daemons imprisoned there. Now the fiends must be vanquished, not only so the quest for the Pearl can continue, but to save Giyan, who has been possessed by an archdaemon. Their only hope is the fabled Veil of A Thousand Tears.
Customer Reviews:
The Female Dar Sala-at.......2006-09-15
The Veil of a Thousand Tears (2002) is the second Fantasy novel in The Pearl series, following The Ring of Five Dragons. In the previous volume, Giyan removed Annon's mind from his body, stored it in Riane's body, and surrendered Annon's body to the V'oorn hunters so that the search for Annon will end. Kurgan played his father against Kinnnus Morcha until both are dead. Riane deactivated the Tymnos device by inserting her finger into the Ring of Five Dragons, but the Storehouse Door did not open. Riane then stabbed Malistra with a shard of oily heartwood and the sorceress died.
In this novel, the Dar Sala-at and her friends settle into the abandoned Abbey of Warm Current. Riane and Annon have become accustomed to residing in the same body, but Riane's mind is still producing moments of vivid memories from her forgotten life. Annon is uncomfortable with still loving Eleana in his female body. Giyan is also uneasy with her son residing in a female body, but she soon learns to love Riane as much as Annon.
Rekkk is still Rhynnnon, dedicated to Giyan's protection, and is now her lover, but her secrecy makes him doubt her love. Eleana is beginning to suspect Annon's presence within Riane. Both are Rekkk and Eleana are becoming impatient with their passive role in the Dar Sala-at's retinue.
Riane wonders why the Storehouse Door did not open for her to retrieve the Pearl. Giyan responds with the warning that the Portals between their realm and the Abyss must have been breached. Riane has actually seen a Tzelos possessing Rekkk. But this means that an Archdaemon has taken a host in this realm and is at work on Kundala.
As they are speaking, a daemon takes possession of Giyan. Riane is hit by a spell and knocked off her feet. Giyan levitates out the smashed window into the courtyard. Riane grabs her ankles, but cold fire forces her to let go. Rekkk and Eleana attack Giyan, but are driven off. Riane crosses over into Otherwhere and sees Ras Shamra, Giyan's sorcerous avatar, caged, with its powerful wings pinioned at its side. As Riane tries to release the avatar, an Eye of Ajbal opens and she flees the Otherwhere. In the normal world, Riane discovers that Giyan is gone, taken by the daemon.
Kurgan is now Regent, but he feels stifled by his duties and ignores them as much as he can. He has been encouraging the Kundalans to plot against the V'oorn, fanning the flames of resistance. All is a game to him.
The only inconvenience to his game is Nith Batoxxx, the Gyrgon who has secretly trained him from childhood. Batoxxx views him as one piece in the game. Kurgan tires of being yanked around by the Gyrgons, especially by Batoxxx. Now Batoxxx interrogates him about the Dar Sala-at and commands him to search for the seven Portals and to resume construction of Za Hara-at. Kurgan carefully notes the interest that Batoxxx has in these subjects, but also resolves to work toward domination over the Gyrgons.
During his father's Rescendance rite, Kurgan talks to Sornnn SaTrryn about the Korrush and his plans to rebuild Za Hara-at, the ancient Kundalan city; Sornnn invites him to travel with him to the site. Then Kurgan asks Olnnn Rydddlin, the new Star-Admiral, about the investigation of thefts of military equipment. Kurgan also talks to his sister, Marethyn, who chastises him for not inviting their older brother, Terrettt, to the ceremony.
Olnnn Rydddlin circulates among the mourners searching for Line-General Lokck Werrrent, but first he encounters Bronnn Pallln, a self-appointed candidate for the position of Prime Factor. Olnnn has been looking for a stalking-horse to implicate Sornnn SaTrryn in the theft of V'oorn weapons and Bronnn seems the ideal person for the job. He sets up an appointment to brief Bronnn and then goes on to set up another appointment with Lokck Werrrent.
In this story, Kurgan is playing everybody against each other, with Nith Batoxxx being his primary target. Sornnn SaTrryn and Marethyn become lovers and he introduces her to the Resistance. Marethyn also learns that someone, probably a Gyrgon, has tampered with Terrettt's brain as an infant, causing him to have seizures and to be unable to talk; yet Terrettt is not really mad.
Riane and her friends are racing the clock to free Giyan before the Archdaemon takes over her soul. Meanwhile, the possessed Giyan is being used to infiltrate the Ramahan in the Abbey of Floating White. Konara Inggres feels that something is wrong with the leaders of the Abbey; even her friend Konara Lyystra seems to be acting weirdly.
This novel introduces the daemons from the Abyss as major players in the Kundalan crisis. Several characters are possessed by daemons of one sort or another. In the worst case, the only way to return a daemon to the Abyss is to kill the host. That could be the fate of Giyan unless Riane can free her with the Veil of a Thousand Tears.
This volume continues the violence of the first novel. In many respects, the V'oorn are like the Shogunate Japanese in their treatment of inferior races. The Kundalans are treated much like the Koreans and the Okinawans were treated by the Japanese. Torture and murder were the methodology of that time, imposing order through fear. Both the method and its results are evident in this story.
The author uses a short, choppy style in this novel. Every segment seems to end with the hero/heroine in dire straits, like The Perils of Pauline. At least one segment is less than a page in length. This approach maintains the suspense, but leaves too many plot lines up in the air until the author returns to that element. Longer plot segments would probably reduce the confusion level.
Recommended for Lustbader fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of high adventure, impromptu violence and intuitive magic.
-Arthur W. Jordin
Really good........2006-07-12
When I read the 1st book (The ring of five dragons) several years ago I never thought that this one would turn out like this. Now after reading this one and the thrid book (The mistress of the pearl) I am completely dumbfounded and simply cannot wait for the forth book to come out.
The Veil of a Thousand Tears is a really good book for Adults. It is desriptive but not overly borining in doing so. It gets to the point and haves alot of good plot lines in it. I would really recommend this book if you enjoyed the 1st (The ring of five dragons) and if you like Fantasy\Science Fiction novels. Its sorta like Star Wars with Magic overtones.
Its a book for both Woman and Men and its over all good in the plot line, and keeps you interested so it doesn't get overly borning so you just want to skip the boring parts (because there isn't any) You want to keep reading so that you will find out what happens to Annon/Raine and you want to know more about "Rianes" past and try and figure out who exactly she is and who she use to be.
I couldn't help feel sorry for Raine in the 1st book because Annons personality just over ran hers all the time. This book gives the real Raine more of a chance to come out and blend in with Annon.
Its a really good book and I give it a big 5! I have already let one of my friends borrow the 1st book and she is already planning on buying a set of her own.
I just can't wait till the forth comes out and hopefully it will tell what happens to the Vorrn and The Kundlans I wait with baded breath.
A terrible book.......2006-05-09
I'd have to agree with the editorial review of this book. It was very bad. The character names are completely unpronouncable by anyone from this planet that I can think of. Triple consonants stuck in the names to give it that "otherworldly" feel, well Eric, it fell flat. The story line was incomprehensible as well. References to beings, and beasts of this world with absolutely no context as to what the heck they are, or what they look like. Endless repetition of information that was covered in an earlier part of the story. I think he was under a contract to come up with a certain number of words or something, because it makes no sense otherwise.
I couldn't feel for the characters in the story either, he jumped around from one group to another so often you forget who he's talking about from chapter to chapter. I'm not sure who the professional reviewers are that are quoted on/in the book but they truly need to get a new job, because they're shills for the publisher if they gave this one an endorsement other than merely ok.
Save your money, it would be better spent elsewhere, this one is only for the truly rabid fan of Van Lustbader.
Disappointing........2004-02-28
I loved The Ring of Five Dragons. This book was a bit of a disappointment for me. It was well written and was pretty interesting, but it wasn't as good as the first book, and it was too...graphic.
Back to His Original Love.......2003-07-29
With Fantasy/Sci-Fi being his original writing roots, Lustbader's latest saga is truly awesome. I am a fan of all of his works, and this is definitely a refreshing change from the deep adventures of Nicholas Linnear. I could not put down this or the previous book, and I cannot wait for the next in the series to come out...
Book Description
The Federated Commonwealth balances on the brink of civil war as opposing forces wrestle for control of the WarShip fleet stationed near the planet of Kathil. Now, one man vows that he won't fail the people of his homeworld, even if that means leading untested MechWarriors against overwhelming firepower-and dredging up memories of a war he'd rather forget...
• #50 in the popular series.
Customer Reviews:
A Good Battletech Novel, Despite Some Minor Problems.......2001-12-06
Veteran "Battletech" author Loren L. Coleman doesn't dissapoint Battletech fans with the this tale of the developing civil war within the Federated Commonwealth. There is plenty of action in this tale of the universe 1,000 years in the future. However, the book misses out on a 5 star rating because of the underdevelopment of minor romantic subplots, and the breaking of the credulity meter due to the actions of one of the characters.
"Flashpoint" tells the story David McCarthy, a hero of the Inner Sphere invasion of Clan space. At that time, David had held the equivalent rank of major and was a battalion commander in the Kathil Uhlans, an elite Federated Comonwealth regiment based on David's homeworld of Kathil.
Upon his return to the Inner Sphere, David learns that the Federated Commonwealth has been taken over by Katherine (Katrina) Steiner-Davion, the sister of it's rightful ruler, Victor Steiner-Davion, who had lead the expedition which had rescued the remnants of David's unit, and had won the victory against the Clans which had ended the Clans' invasion of the Inner Sphere.
Although the rest of his unit had decided to join the new Star League Defense Force, following Prince Victor into exile, David wanted to return home to his native Kathil. Reduced in rank to a captain, David arrives on Kathil to find tensions building between the supporters of Katherine, and the supporters of Victor. The Militia unit David reports to is loyal to Victor; but on planet is another unit, whose loyalty is to Katherine. Trouble is brewing.
But David has troubles of his own. Named a hero of the Inner Sphere invasion of the Clan worlds, he is scarred by the memories of a hopeless battle that wrecked his last command. Can he re-train his new Militia command to understand the reality of war, and put his own demons to rest?
There's more, of course. Political intrigue, lots of action, on the ground and in space, and even a li'l bit of romance. The romance angle falls flat, as that subplot is poorly developed. You can see it coming, even though the author gives little reason as to why it is coming.
But this book's worst flaw comes from the actions of the main villian of this tale, an unscrupulous and ambitious officer who is a battalion commander in the unit loyal to Katherine. This guy's a lot of fun, but a certain decision on this character's part is totally unbelievable.
Still, Battletech fans probably won't mind to much. This is a good book, McCarthy a likeable character, and unlike the prior book in the series, "Path of Glory", the author is given enough space to tell his story.
"Flashpoint" is one of the better recent books in this series. Battletech fans will approve.
The Long Overdue War.......2001-07-02
I've been following the Battletech saga for nearly 4 years now and I have to admit, this civil war is LONG OVERDUE. I'm sure glad that the Clan Wars are over so the storylines could more or less focus on the Federated Commonwealth question: Who gets to be Archon-Prince/cess for good?
Flashpoint definitely lives up to its name as it jumpstarts the war on the FedSuns side. (I believe Illusions of Victory and Measure of a Hero are on the Lyran front). Now its hard to believe that a lot of FedSuns units are actually loyal to Katherine like several FedCom RCTs considering that she is so identified as Steiner intrigues me. I would have expected that the majority of these units would still side with Victor and that Katherine would be forced to send in Lyran units to pacify Davion planets.
Anyway, the book is a good read as it highlights the sheer chaos of the civil war pitting the local authorities, line units, planetary militias, heads of states and general populace of each FedCom world. Makes you wonder if the Free Worlds League and Capellan Confederation would attempt opportunistic incursions on both Lyran and FedSuns territory as the war progresses.
Solid Action!.......2001-06-14
Any freebirth who don't read this book will regret it. Action packed freebirth with no trueborn (heehee). Really bring back the feeling that Battletech isn't dead yet! Big scaled action - regiment versus regiment. It can't get any better. Lovely, thrilling and mystical (whether the capellan dragoons will land savely with a blockage set up by a Fed Com Warship).
An interesting edition to the Btech Library.......2001-05-30
This is one book that pretty much sets you up for things to come. It also gives you an idea on the political climate. It is a good addition to your Btech Library.
End of the Beginning.......2001-05-04
Coleman is the best writer involved with the Battletech Universe today. Flashpoint lacks the depth of character to make it the beginning of the next great Battletech trilogy, but if given a chance I have no doubt Coleman could do extremely well taking the Battletech Universe into it's next era. Flashpoint's storyline is a must read for Battletech fans. It wraps up the series of authors/storylines which have been the beginning of the coming Civil War. The battle scenes will appear very detailed and "realistic" even to those who haven't played the game.
Book Description
An up-to-date handbook of 11 denominational funeral, burial, and memorial services, as well as grief counseling aids.
Customer Reviews:
Very helpful.......2007-02-18
As a greenhorn pastor who just did his first funeral yesterday, I thank God for the Baker Funeral Handbook. When the time came to meet with the widow to talk about options for the memorial service, I had good ideas to present to her. When the time came to consider hard questions about how to frame the sermon, I had helpful advice. And while I was still nervous when the time came, I was prepared.
Thanks, Dr. Ken Swetland (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) for your teaching on conducting funerals, and for your recommendation to purchase the Baker Funeral Handbook.
Average customer rating:
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Fat-Burning Foods Cookbook: Menus and Recipes for Fat-Burning Success
Manufacturer: Contemporary Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Low Fat
| Special Diet
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Low Fat
| Diets
| Diets & Weight Loss
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Weight Maintenance
| Diets
| Diets & Weight Loss
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
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Low-Fat Diet
| Special Conditions
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| Health, Mind & Body
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Sociology
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| AIDS
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| Men
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General
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Accessories:
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Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor
ASIN: 0809230364 |
Product Description
Heres an entire book of recipes to help you incorporate fat-burning foods into your meals! With recipes for soups, salads, breads, entrees, side dishes and desserts, youll always have fat-burning food ideas on hand.
Average customer rating:
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Discover Enchanted Woods: A Fairy-Tale Garden at Winterthur (Discover Winterthur)
Denise Magnani
Manufacturer: Winterthur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Garden Design
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
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Tourist Destinations & Museums
| Reference & Tips
| Travel
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General
| Travel
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General
| Arts & Photography
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General
| Art
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
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General
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
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Garden Design
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
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General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
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General
| Travel
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
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Tourist Destinations & Museums
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| 4-for-3 Books Store
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All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
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ASIN: 0912724587 |
Book Description
"Faerie folkes live in old Oakes."
According to German folklore, the holes found in oak trees are fairy pathways. At Winterthur, three acres of the incomparable garden on Oak Hill have been developed into a veritable fairy playground -- a garden especially for children. Enchanted Woods, canopied by majestic red, white, and scarlet oaks, has become a place of enchantment, mystery, and discovery.
In Discover Enchanted Woods, the sixth volume in the museum's Discover Series, landscape curator and author Denise Magnani takes us on a journey through the garden, offering a "behind-the-scenes" look at its creation. Shaped by the imagination and given substance by sculptures, child-size structures, serpentine walks, and "found" bits and pieces of the Winterthur estate, Enchanted Woods delights the visitor with a Troll Bridge, Faerie Cottage, Bird's Nest, Frog Hollow, Tulip Tree House, Story Stones, and Fairy Flower Labyrinth.
Magnani's in-depth involvement with both the development and interpretation of the garden serves her well in this "insider's" look at the newest Winterthur offering.
Average customer rating:
- Samplers of weave structures in your clothing, blankets, etc
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Samplers You Can Use: A Handweaver's Guide to Creative Exploration
Penelope Drooker
Manufacturer: Interweave Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Textile Arts
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
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| Books
Weaving
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Needlecrafts
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
| Crocheting
| Cross-Stitch
| Embroidery
| Knitting
| Lace & Tatting
| Needlepoint
| Needlework
| Patchwork
| Quilts & Quilting
| Sewing
ASIN: 0934026130 |
Customer Reviews:
Samplers of weave structures in your clothing, blankets, etc.......2000-04-13
Penelope Drooker is a master weaver and the projects in her book reflect that. She uses both loom controlled and weaver controlled fabrics. There are sections on planning your sampler project, exploring yarns and setts, and color. A dozen sampler projects with instruction are included and colorful pictures of others. There is a color gamp baby blanket,color and weave gamp hand towels and weft faced twill rug, twill and huckaback sampler placemats, etc. I learned a lot from this book.
Average customer rating:
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Architectural Morphology (Architecture & Design Science)
Philip Steadman
Manufacturer: Pion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
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General
| Interior Design
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
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Building Construction
| Construction
| Civil
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
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| Books
General
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
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| Books
ASIN: 0850860865 |
Average customer rating:
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The Hermeneutics of Sacred Architecture: Experience, Interpretation, Comparison, Vol. 2, Hermeneutical Calisthenics: A Morphology of Ritual-Architectural Priorities (Religions of the World)
Lindsay Jones
Manufacturer: Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Criticism
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
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| Books
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
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| Books
General
| Building Types & Styles
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
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Religious Buildings
| Building Types & Styles
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
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General
| Religion & Spirituality
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Ritual
| Other Practices
| Religion & Spirituality
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Comparative Religion
| Religious Studies
| Religion & Spirituality
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Similar Items:
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The Hermeneutics of Sacred Architecture: Experience, Interpretation, Comparison, Vol. 1, Monumental Occasions: Reflections on the Eventfulness of Religious Architecture (Religions of the World)
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American Sanctuary: Understanding Sacred Spaces
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Spaces for the Sacred: Place, Memory, and Identity
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The Production of Space
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The Poetics of Space
ASIN: 0945454236 |
Book Description
The two volumes of this investigation into how we perceive sacred architecture propose an original interpretation of built environments as ritual-architectural events. Exploring the world's cultures and religious traditions, Volume One maps out patterned responses to sacred architecture according to the human experience, mechanism, interpretation, and comparison of architecture. Volume Two, an exercise in comparative morphology, offers a comprehensive framework of ritual-architectural priorities by looking at architecture as orientation, as commemoration, and as ritual context.
Average customer rating:
- Enjoyable, but flawed
- The genius of things
- TRAINING A SPOTLIGHT ON TANGIBLE REALITY
- Interesting ideas, hard to follow.
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The Sand Dollar and the Slide Rule: Drawing Blueprints from Nature
Delta Willis
Manufacturer: Perseus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biology
| Biological Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
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General
| Biology
| Biological Sciences
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General
| Science
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Natural History
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0201632756 |
Customer Reviews:
Enjoyable, but flawed.......2007-02-28
What's to enjoy: Wide-ranging and approachable essays on many different sciences and scientists. Willis has a light and fluent style that really pulls the reader down into the analogy between a sea urchin and a blimp, an athletic stadium and a soap bubble, and more. Along the way, the author constructs roadside memorial shrines to great thinkers who are not memorialized in the main stream of the history of ideas. A few facts in every story invite the prepared reader to search more deeply, but do so without snubbing the intelligent and interested layman.
What's not: A few maddening faults of phrase, and one profound blooper - at least, one that I caught. In one (p.22), the word "captives" appears where "captors" would have made sense. In another (p.56), the relationship between aeordynamic stalling, lift, and horizontal braking breaks. Speaking from my own skydiving and parachuting experience, "veering up" doesn't directly create the stall. Instead, the induced stall creates a tradeoff that buys upward acceleration (lower downward speed) at the cost of forward velocity - a tangible tradeoff of kinetic and potential energy. Yet another (p.114) confuses the theories and theorems of Pythagoras. The one that truly galled me, though was the assertion (p.213) that Goedel's theorem involves randomness. It does not. It pulls undecidability (or 'unreason' if you must)surgically and certainly out of the fundamental structure of reason itself, once "reason" meets certain criteria. Its inexorable, inevitable nature is what makes Goedel's theorem so profound and beautiful, not a hand-waving appeal to a roll of the dice. Willis would have us bury decidability alive under piles of probabilistic Nerf balls. Goedel's stiletto cuts to the heart of decidability in one straight stroke,and pierces it.
This book really is a rich feast for the intellect. Willis has done a good job of presenting science - strong, deep science - in a way that appeals and excites. She proves, on nearly every page, that deep science isn't necessarily obscure. The simple shape of a tree, for example, emerges from a profound set of design goals, including survival in normal kinds of exceptional winds, and including survival of another kind under even more exceptional wind loads. The few glitches (very few, I admit) just weakened all of this book's good, at least for me.
//wiredweird
The genius of things.......1999-06-13
This book is worth every penny. In an era when we're lucky to glean one or two inspiring ideas from a book of nonfiction, Delta Willis has packed this one with dozens-- possibility space, tensegrity, morphodynamics... And the details: did you know that a fly has a three-speed gear shift for its wings? Or that the branches of an oak tree are frequently longer than the tree's height? Nature's designs are not always ideal, but they have uncanny ways of dealing with the conditions of this planet, using a great economy of means. The author introduces us in a very personal way to the researchers, inventors, and engineers who've tried to understand and/or use nature's schemes, and continue to do so. At the center of the book is the patriarch of "growth and form," D'Arcy Thompson, whose legacy is perhaps still not fully realized. His predecessors (Leonardo da Vinci, Fibonacci...) and successors (Fuller, Seilacher...) are juxtaposed more on the basis of pertinence than conventional plodding chronology. The author shows a natural playfulness, weaving her own experiences into the explanations, and allowing her personages to speak for themselves. Dolf Seilacher's words occasionally shows signs of nature experimenting on the spot.
In the spirit of her controlling metaphor, the sand dollar, Willis gives immediate delight like the flower design etched on a sand dollar's back, and deftly reveals the underlying intrigue such as the sand dollar's intricate food grooves, tube feet, and system of sand ballast under the thin etched dome.
Faced with this abundant evidence of genius in nature's designs, I found myself asking what exactly this genius could be. As Stephen Jay Gould has said, these are "paths that a sensible God would never tread." But while physical laws describe a trend to disorder (entropy), life plays with designs and moves toward greater order, as if consciousness were not an exclusive property of the brain.
This book is full of "possibility space" and it's a good read.
TRAINING A SPOTLIGHT ON TANGIBLE REALITY.......1999-02-12
Delta Willis has mastered the art of making scientific concepts easy to understand. Her celebration of our natural universe and enthusiasm for the scientists who inspire her is infectious. A joy of discovery, steeped in a sense of the absurd, makes her writing both knowledgeable and niave -- and devilishly fun. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Interesting ideas, hard to follow........1998-06-09
The book is interesting, but could use a rewrite -- I found it hard to follow the language. The logic is sound, the examples a bit obscure. Maybe there will be a revised edition. The book has a lot of valuable references.
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Thinking About Urban Form: Papers on Urban Morphology, 1932-1998
Manufacturer: Peter Lang Pub Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 3039102761 |
Book Description
This digital document is a journal article from Acta Oecologica, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Description:
Plant transpiration has a key role on both plant performance and ecosystem functioning in arid zones, but realistic estimates at appropriate spatial-temporal scales are scarce. Leaf and tiller morphology and crown architecture were studied together with leaf physiology and whole plant water balance in four individual plants of Stipa tenacissima of different sizes to determine the relative influence of processes taking place at different spatial and temporal scales on whole plant transpiration. Transpiration was estimated in potted plants by leaf-level gas exchange techniques (infrared gas analyzer and porometer), by sap flow measurements, and by integrating leaf physiology and crown architecture with the 3-D computer model Yplant. Daily transpiration of each individual plant was monitored using a gravimetric method, which rendered the reference values. Leaves on each individual plant significantly varied in their physiological status. Young and green parts of the leaves showed five times higher chlorophyll concentration and greater photosynthetic capacity than the senescent parts of the foliage. Instantaneous leaf-level transpiration measurements should not be used to estimate plant transpiration, owing to the fact that extrapolations overestimated individual transpiration by more than 100%. Considering leaf age effects and scaling the estimates according to the relative amount of each foliage category reduced this difference to 46% though it was still significantly higher than gravimetric measurements. Sap flow calculations also overestimated tussock transpiration. However, 3-D reconstruction of plants with Yplant and transpiration estimates, considering both the physiological status and the daily pattern of radiation experienced by each individual leaf section within the crown, matched the gravimetric measurements (differences were only 4.4%). The complex interplay of leaf physiology and crown structure must be taken into account in scaling up plant transpiration from instantaneous, leaf-level measurements, and our study indicates that transpiration of complex crowns is easily overestimated.
Customer Reviews:
Epic Fables Tale.......2007-08-11
The fourth volume of Bill Willingham's Fables sees the pace of the story pick up significantly. Once again Fabletown is in jeopardy, this time by mysterious black-suited agents. At the same time a refugee arrives from the Old World: Red Riding Hood. No Fable has escaped from the Empire in centuries, so her arrival stirs tensions in the community. In addition we learn more about Boy Blue's past, the last days of the Fables in the Old World, Pinocchio, and the witches. This is bar far the most action-packed storyline so far.
Bill Willingham's re-imaging of classic fairy tale characters continues to amaze and avoids becoming stale. Another great entry in what is already a phenomenal series.
Demented fairy tales, but in a good way.......2007-06-11
The premise of this wonderful series is to rewrite and expand the world of fairy tales. They characters of which has entered our world fleeing a great evil. Lost of fun, smart and witty, typical american style illustrations for the most part, but nice. Some similarities of premise to the Sand Man series, but not quite as inventive or as extensively research and deep. Start at #1 for the best read.
Excellent Book.......2007-05-13
This was just as advertised and an excellent book. I would purchase from this seller again.
Best volume in the series.......2007-02-26
This volume of Fables is the best in the series. I've read through volume 7 and love the series, but this is the one stands out and is the volume I chose to review. The artwork was fabulous, some editions of Fables have semi-cartooning work and there is a hint of that here, but I found the artwork perfectly matched that of the subject matter. The story arc here hits on several levels, there is the big fight/war sequence which all of us, with the heart of a teenage boy, have been waiting for. The series has been building up to a big battle, and this isn't the big one, bit it'll hold us over until that comes. There is also an emotional element behind each side of the battle, maybe even more so the side of the wooden soldiers.
I find the writing in this series to be unbelievably great. I know some people are turned off because of the subject matter and find themselves lost in the due to unfamiliarity, but I haven't written a thesis on the Brother's Grimm or Mother Goose and I still find the subject matter deep and refreshing and continually interesting.
Long live Fables!.......2006-10-02
This is definately a great volume in one of the best comics series I've read.
In this one, the fables are attacked an army of wooden soldiers sent by the enemy that forced them to leave their fairy tale world and reside our world. A battle is fought, I won't give away much else, but it definately seems that a larger story is developoning in the series. I definately feel the suspense to check out the next volume.
Product Description
History: Fiction or Science? is the most explosive tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by solid scientific data. The book is well-illustrated, contains over 446 graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays, which never cease to amaze the reader. Eminent mathematician proves that: Jesus Christ was born in 1153 and crucified in 1186 The Old Testament refers to mediaeval events. Apocalypse was written after 1486. Does this sound uncanny? This version of events is substantiated by hard facts and logic - validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources - to a greater extent than everything you may have read and heard about history before. The dominating historical discourse in its current state was essentially crafted in the XVI century from a rather contradictory jumble of sources such as innumerable copies of ancient Latin and Greek manuscripts whose originals had vanished in the Dark Ages and the allegedly irrefutable proof offered by late mediaeval astronomers, resting upon the power of ecclesial authorities. Nearly all of its components are blatantly untrue! For some of us, it shall possibly be quite disturbing to see the magnificent edifice of classical history to turn into an ominous simulacrum brooding over the snake pit of mediaeval politics. Twice so, in fact: the first seeing the legendary millenarian dust on the ancient marble turn into a mere layer of dirt - one that meticulous unprejudiced research can eventually remove. The second, and greater, attack of unease comes with the awareness of just how many areas of human knowledge still trust the three elephants of the consensual chronology to support them. Nothing can remedy that except for an individual chronological revolution happening in the minds of a large enough number of people.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
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March of the Wooden Soldiers
Mandi McDonald
Manufacturer: Unicorn Publishing House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0881012610 |
Product Description
Your little ones will love to lift the flaps to find the hidden surprises underneath. Adorable Christmas story from the publisher of "The Christmas Gingerbread Man".
Product Description
Modern Simplified Piano Series.
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- If you like the Spice Girls you have to read this
- If you like the Spice Girls (like me) you should read this!
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Spice Girl: Giving You Everything
Rebecca Aplin
Manufacturer: Omnibus Pr
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1873884958 |
Customer Reviews:
If you like the Spice Girls you have to read this.......1998-03-02
It was not very up to date but other than that it was a good book.
If you like the Spice Girls (like me) you should read this!.......1998-01-27
This book is FULL, I mean FULL of pictures of the girls. This book isn't bursting with information, but it has millions of full-color pictures with captions. I love it! The reason I gave it a 9, is because it doesn't have that much information.
Books:
- Heavenly discourse
- Hundred Brothers, The
- Jack Frusciante Has Left the Band: A Love Story- with Rock 'n' Roll
- Jokerman 8
- Key West Tales: Stories
- Kilbrack: A Novel
- La dalia negra
- Last Flight Of The Flamingo
- Les Recres Du Petit Nicolas
- Lichtenberg and the Little Flower Girl
Books Index
Books Home
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- Art in Service of the Sacred
- First Aid for a Teenager's Soul
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The Destruction of the Inn (Ulster Cycle)
The Feast: A Dramatic Retelling of Ireland's Epic Tale (Ulster Cycle)
The Sorrows (Ulster cycle)
The Raid: A Dramatic Retelling of Ireland's Epic Tale (Ulster Cycle)
The Red Branch Tales (Ulster Cycle)
