Two English Girls and the Continent

Two English Girls and the Continent
Average customer rating:

A beautifully translated bon bon

Two English Girls and the Continent
Henri Pierre Roche
Manufacturer: Cambridge Book Review Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Jules et Jim

Two English Girls

Music for Films of Francois Truffaut

The Films in My Life

ASIN: 0966037634

Customer Reviews:

A beautifully translated bon bon.......2004-08-01

If you are a Truffaut fancier, an admirer of early 20th century French literature or a hard-core English major (or recovering English major) who enjoys non-contemporary literature, this is a delightful way to escape into a languid, evocative read. It's easy to see why Truffaut fell for this story as well as Jules et Jim by the same author; it begs to be told in an atmospheric French film full of meaningful glances, pastoral landscapes, cafe society, and forbidden desires. Although I haven't had the pleasure of seeing the film which is currently enjoying a resurgence of screenings, Two English Girls on the Continent was an excellent read constructed from the diaries and correspondences of a young Frenchman and two English sisters. Each makes very different choices about intimacy, love, art, and family life. This book is not for people who want a turbo-charged plot -- the story unfolds over decades, but like a fine French wine, is at its delightful best when savored slowly. If you enjoy immersing yourself in a good read that makes it easy to visualize the excesses and constraints of another time and place, give this a try. It's a great excuse to linger over coffee.

Challenges: Book Three of The Blending
Average customer rating:

Excellent

Love the plot; hate the descriptions and the repetition

In all honesty...

Better Than the Last

Challenges: Book 3 of the Blending
Challenges: Book Three of The Blending
Sharon Green
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Green, Sharon | ( G ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Series | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Competitions (The Blending, Book 2)

Betrayals: Book Four of the Blending (The Blending, Book 4)

Prophecy: Book Five of The Blending

Intrigues: Book One of The Blending Enthroned (Blending Enthroned, Bk 1)

Deceptions: Book Two of The Blending Enthroned (Blending Enthroned, Bk 2)

ASIN: 0380788098

Book Description

The competition has begun. The band of five which best combines elemental magics into the most powerful alchemy will be chosen to win the throne and ward off doom for the kingdom. But the stakes are much higher than anyone suspects.

Each magical adept possesses a potent preternatural talent. Stunning Tamrissa is Fire; Vallant the sailor, Water; Jovvi the lissome ex- courtesan, Spirit; farmer Lorand, Earth; and blue-blooded Rion, Air.

But their fragile union threatens to disintegrate when Jovvi and Tamrissa discover a secret sensuality that would make their Blending supreme. And the dissension within is nothing compared to the perils assailing the enchanted quintet from competing nobles and judges alike, all determined to see the peasant mages perish. For as they vie for the Palace of Five, the brave but unwary team rushes headlong into desperate danger...and unknowable jeopardy.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-08-18

Great Book, worth reading for anyone who likes this genre. The service was great

Love the plot; hate the descriptions and the repetition.......2006-03-09

I have a love/hate relationship with her books. I love the storyline; it's such a unique concept that I want to read her books even though her writing style is insulting to an avid reader. She tends to repeat everything - if it happens to one charachter, then it has to happen to all six...separately. She also has a tendency to overexplain everything. She doesn't give her readers credit for their ability to think and put two and two together. She has her characters do something and then she explains to the reader why they did it. I think it's her version of descriptive writing but it's insulting when you're reading 'and she smiled at him in that way that let him know that she was bemused prior to taking her leave of him.' Why couldn't she say 'and with a bemused half-smile, she turned and hurried away'? It's much more active and less prissy and stuffy. I'm amazed that she got past the editors with this writing style. And there's a recurring bathing and tea theme in all of her books. How many times is it interesting to read that her characters are taking yet another bath followed by yet another cup of tea? I was bored with that after the third instance. I'm guessing she's British. If only I didn't think the plot concept was a unique, intersting one....

In all honesty..........2003-12-28

The first two books in the story were absolutely intising. I am completely engrossed in the characters and I feel as if I have known them my whole life. I find the third book like the eye of a hurricane. I whipped through the first two, and I whipped through the last two, and this one was like a breather. I admit I started to put it down, but wound up reading it again a day later. Even though it is a bit slow, and you get exhausted with the action (or lack there of) It is a must read for the rest of the series, which IS worth it, I assure you.

Better Than the Last.......2001-03-21

As with the prior two books in this series, I tore through this one, finding it difficult to put down even when it was at its most exasperating. However, I was not disappointed when I finished the story--as was not the case with _Competitions_.

_Challenges_ has everything its predecessor did: lovable protagonists, a fabulous magic system, an interesting world, plus plots and plans and endless cups of tea. It also has quite a bit of romance. This time, though, the interactions are more plausible (even if I did groan at Jovvi and Tamrissa's 'sensual secret'); I actually found myself not repelled by the idea of Vallant and Tamrissa as a pair, and began to understand what she might see in him. There's much less repetition; the characters have each undergone their individual trials, and we no longer see essentially the same tasks performed in five different perspectives. Though the villains remain a bit stereotypical (and the insistance that *all* of the nobilit!y is evil continues), they've become much more interesting, and pulled off a twist towards the end that truly delighted me.

That's not to say that this is a perfectly written book by any means. Its protagonists and antagonists continue to be either entirely pure of heart or entirely evil to the core, which is starting to become frustrating. Also, there's enough obsession with sex that one might be turned off if they're more interested in the magical plot than the characters' relationships. All in all, though, I really did enjoy it, and look forward on getting my hands on the fourth book when I can. Anyone who's been reading this series and considered stopping after book two might want to give this one a try first!

Challenges: Book 3 of the Blending.......2001-01-04

I love this author. Sharon Green writes a wonderful fantasy story. I would recommend all of her books to anyone, if you like fantasy.

The Blending, (Convergence, Competitions, Challenges, Betrayals, Prophecy, Volume 1, 2 , 3 , 4, 5 Book one two three four five)

Average customer rating:

The Blending, (Convergence, Competitions, Challenges, Betrayals, Prophecy, Volume 1, 2 , 3 , 4, 5 Book one two three four five)
Sharon Green
Manufacturer: Harper/Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000Q9N0SY

Product Description

They are the five greatest talents on a beleaguered world of magical adepts-and its only hope for salvation. But first Lorand, Rion, Tamrissa, Jovi, and Vallant must prove themselves to be the Chosen Five of the ancient Prophecies. Which means they must first compete in a series of deadly contests designed to reveal the full scope of their powers...and place them at the center of a corrupt nobiity's lethal schemes. And there are those who wish them to fail. But defeat is unthinkable...because failure is doom.

Customer Reviews:

The end draws nearer.......2007-01-08

What I really used to like about the New Adventures was how they formed a continuing narrative even as the stories themselves were reasonably self-contained. This way you had a sense of progression and that things were slowly leading somewhere, small plot threads carried over and became bigger plot threads, characters grew and developed over the course of novels, it kept in with the show's theme of constant change. With the Doctor regenerating into his eight incarnation on television and the BBC taking the license back from Virgin, the publisher did their best to draw things to a close and give their line a decent ending. This is the next to last book featuring the seventh Doctor, who they had been playing with over the last six years and nearly sixty novels and the first thing anyone notices about this novel is the everpresent air of doom surrounding it. The Doctor knows he's going to be regenerating soon and that his body is wearing out and he's not looking forward to it. He's afraid, because his previous incarnations aren't so thrilled with what he's been doing and they have something in store for him when he does finally regenerate. In the midst of this, the TARDIS drops Chris and the Doctor into feudal Japan, on the trail of a strange pod that has dropped out of nowhere, the presence of which is stirring up local rivalries. Orman was one of the best writers that the New Adventures stable had, and definitely among the most consistent. Her stories were always engaging and she knew how to get to the emotional heart of the characters. And regardless of the setting (which would have worked without the SF elements, but they do add a sense of fun) that's what the story is really about. The Doctor is winding down, and Chris is still coming to terms with the fact that Roz died and he couldn't save Liz Shaw. The scenes where the Doctor and Chris talk about his regeneration and Chris says, "I can't watch you die too" are heartrending, you get the sense of a man who has been through a lot and can't do it anymore. Add to that hordes of samurai, some intrigue and a few errant time travellers (the Victorian Penelope Gates and Joel Mintz, who comes from another book I read ten years ago and thus don't remember) and there's enough to keep the reader more than occupied. It's a solid enough story on its own and with the addition of the twin griefs of the Doctor and Chris and how they each work through it, it becomes something else entirely, more than graceful. I think this one gets lost in the shuffle between the bloody, Liz Shaw-killing Eternity Weeps and the Grand Revelation that is Lungbarrow, but it's a lovely little book, showing things as they were, one last time before it all goes to pieces and ends.

The Ronin With No Sword.......2004-05-04

THE ROOM WITH NO DOORS is thankfully weightier than Kate Orman's previous solo outing, and is so much the stronger for it. ROOM is an atmospheric, thoughtful and enjoyable story which has only improved with age.

The story is set in Sixteenth Century Japan, where enigmatic samurai stalk the land on horseback, and feudal lords dream of defeating their rivals. Into this fascinating setting has landed a strange chunk of science fiction -- an alien pod with mysterious powers of healing and restoration. Naturally, this causes all kinds of chaos, and it turns out that the Doctor and Cwej aren't the only time travelers visiting this location.

The alien pod is, of course, mostly a big McGuffin, designed to give the local warlords something to scheme and stage huge battles over. Frankly, I preferred the pod when we weren't getting its scientific explanations and it was merely an excuse to make the plot move in a given direction. In fact, my favorite parts of the novel were the ones devoid of any science fiction elements at all (in other words, the sword-fights and archery were more interesting than the laser blasts), leading me to believe that I would have enjoyed the book even more if it had been done as a pure historical. It would certainly have knocked the spots off of SANCTUARY, the previous Doctor Who story with no sci-fi elements. For instance, take the opening sections of the book concerning the three samurai (two warriors, one of whom brings his son along to learn the ropes) on a mission, who stylishly go about their business being all cool and samurai-y. If the whole novel had been done in that manner, I would have absolutely adored it.

Not that I disliked the rest of the book. On the contrary, there's a lot to enjoy here. The Seventh Doctor's life is drawing to a close, his regeneration having aired on TV screens the previous year and his book series concluding in a matter of months. He can feel Paul McGann's wig approaching, and he worries about the unfinished business in his current life. Tying up some loose ends from this incarnation is handled quite well here. We see the Doctor's troubles reflected in his own meditations and in his relationships with the book's secondary characters.

Chris Cwej is also given a lot to fret over, finally coming to terms with the events of the previous few books. I wasn't reading these last few NAs in order the last time around; I ended up not having a complete collection, and read the ones I did have in a fairly random order. Now that I have finally read them all in the order they were meant to be experienced, I'm quite impressed with what they did with Chris during the end of the series.

The comic relief in this book comes in the form of the alien Kapteynians who are described as being giant space chickens. I found this funnier than I did the last time I read the novel, mostly because this time I was reading it while the Subservient Chicken was entering minute seven of its fifteen minutes of fame. I dare you to take one look at subservientchicken.com and tell me that the guy in the cheap chicken costume isn't exactly what the BBC would have produced had this been a television adventure.

As with many of Orman's novels, the secondary characters are delightfully memorable. Penelope, the time-traveling Victorian woman, comes across as a solid creation, interesting, but not overpowering. I think the temptation might have been to give her more of the spotlight, but she works a lot better as a one-woman Greek chorus, occasionally chiming in on the perils and ethics of time travel. The Zen monks are fun -- grinning a lot and saying counter-intuitive things, just as we expect them to. Kame, the ronin, is also a major source of entertainment. I wish he could have been brought along at the end of this adventure.

The only character who didn't quite work for me was Joel, and that's mostly because he was also in Orman's RETURN OF THE LIVING DAD. Not that there was anything wrong with him there. The problem I had was that he's supposed to be significant older in this book than he was then, yet I had to continually remind myself that he is no longer a kid. I could stomach the teenage angst'n'fanboy stuff when he actually was a teenager; it made sense in that context. But it seemed odd to see the exact same stuff coming out of a person who is now supposed to be older than Chris (thirteen years have passed from Joel's subjective point of view since RETURN, while Chris has only seen a couple of years go by). Maybe there was something about this character that I just didn't get.

I've seen a few posts in various on-line forums where the author claims that "very little about ROOM was deliberate". I certainly couldn't tell that from reading it. In fact, it came across to me as the opposite; it felt very deliberate and focused. The themes of isolation, punishment (self-inflicted as well as from outside sources) and redemption permeate throughout the whole book, and are revisited in a variety of ways. I enjoyed this book the first time I read it. I appreciated it much more this second time. And I fully expect that the third time I read it, my enjoyment will increase again.

An interesting story...more quesitons.......1997-12-07

Chris is feeling down because of what has happened on the moon in the previous story (Eternity Weeps). The Doctor knows that he's going to regenerate soon. This book is okay: not Kate's best work however. There are a few great points: when the Doctor is conversing with Chris about regeneration and what it's like. There is also a point in the book where the Doctor is (faking) dead and buried. A few chapters are from his point-of-view while he's under the ground (very interesting). I think the basic plot is clouded out by the fact that the Doctor is constantly worrying (foreseeing?) his regeneration and Chris' emotional problems. Oh yeah, this is another PSI story, just so you know. (Come on Kate, find another plot device. I'm tired of Chris having funky dreams!)

Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen
Average customer rating:

Barely discuess cooking!

Entertaining and thoughtful memoir

Slow service!!!!!!

I did not like this book

Made me cry

Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen
Julie Powell
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Essays | Gastronomy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

Don't Try This At Home: Culinary Catastrophes from the World's Greatest Chefs

My Life in France

Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously

ASIN: 031610969X

Amazon.com

Julie & Julia is the story of Julie Powell's attempt to revitalize her marriage, restore her ambition, and save her soul by cooking all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I, in a period of 365 days. The result is a masterful medley of Bridget Jones' Diary meets Like Water for Chocolate, mixed with a healthy dose of original wit, warmth, and inspiration that sets this memoir apart from most tales of personal redemption.

When we first meet Julie, she's a frustrated temp-to-perm secretary who slaves away at a thankless job, only to return to an equally demoralizing apartment in the outer boroughs of Manhattan each evening. At the urging of Eric, her devoted and slightly geeky husband, she decides to start a blog that will chronicle what she dubs the "Julie/Julia Project." What follows is a year of butter-drenched meals that will both necessitate the wearing of an unbearably uncomfortable girdle on the hottest night of the year, as well as the realization that life is what you make of it and joy is not as impossible a quest as it may seem, even when it's -10 degrees out and your pipes are frozen.

Powell is a natural when it comes to connecting with her readers, which is probably why her blog generated so much buzz, both from readers and media alike. And while her self-deprecating sense of humor can sometimes dissolve into whininess, she never really loses her edge, or her sense of purpose. Even on day 365, she's working her way through Mayonnaise Collee and ending the evening "back exactly where we started--just Eric and me, three cats and Buffy...sitting on a couch in the outer boroughs, eating, with Julia chortling alongside us...."

Inspired and encouraging, Julie and Julia is a unique opportunity to join one woman's attempt to change her life, and have a laugh, or ten, along the way. --Gisele Toueg

Book Description

Julie Julia is the story of Julie Powell's attempt to revitalizeher marriage, restore her ambition, and save her soul by cooking all 524recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, VolumeI, in a period of 365 days.The result is a masterful medley of BridgetJones' Diary meets Like Water for Chocolate, mixed with a healthy dose oforiginal wit, warmth, and inspiration that sets this memoir apart from mosttales of personal redemption.When we first meet Julie, she's a frustrated temp-to-perm secretary whoslaves away at a thankless job, only to return to an equally demoralizingapartment in the outer boroughs of Manhattan each evening. At the urging ofEric, her devoted and slightly geeky husband, she decides to start a blogthat will chronicle what she dubs the "Julie/Julia Project." What follows isa year of butter-drenched meals that will both necessitate the wearing of anunbearably uncomfortable girdle on the hottest night of the year, as well asthe realization that life is what you make of it and joy is not asimpossible a quest as it may seem, even when it's -10 degrees out and yourpipes are frozen.Powell is a natural when it comes to connecting with her readers, which isprobably why her blog generated so much buzz, both from readers and mediaalike. And while her self-deprecating sense of humor can sometimes dissolveinto whininess, she never really loses her edge, or her sense of purpose.Even on day 365, she's working her way through Mayonnaise Collee and endingthe evening "back exactly where we started--just Eric and me, three cats andBuffy...sitting on a couch in the outer boroughs, eating, with Juliachortling alongside us...."Inspired and encouraging, Julie and Julia is a unique opportunity tojoin one woman's attempt to change her life, and have a laugh, or ten, alongthe way. --Gisele Toueg

Customer Reviews:

Barely discuess cooking!.......2007-10-09

I picked up the audio book version of this unfortunate tome hoping to hear something in the Ruth Riechl vein, but instead was treated to the self obsessed ramblings of a bored secretary with family issues. The novel bore very little relation to its title. Additionally, my wife who is more sensitive to obscene or "adult" topics found this book very offensive, and whenever I vainly attempted to fast forward past the offending passage, I inevitably encountered another. Don't buy this book!

Entertaining and thoughtful memoir.......2007-09-10

A lot of people were turned off by Julie Powell's sailor mouth and irreverence. However, neither of these things bothered me. I thought she had an engaging voice and an admirable quest. Even though I'm vegetarian and the thought of boiling a lobster alive sickens me, I liked the idea of a downtrodden secretary taking the reins and finding some meaning in her life.

Powell does ramble sometimes, but the book has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments to make up for it. And her stick-to-it-iveness makes her a fun protagonist to root for.

I would recommend this to anyone who has a sense of humor and is not Republican (she does whale on the GOP a lot).

Slow service!!!!!!.......2007-08-23

It took almost a month to get the book and it was not quite what I expected. I was hoping for a fun book to read and its borderline boring!!

I did not like this book.......2007-08-05

After reading some of the reviews I see that there seem to be two sets of camps regarding this book: folks either loved it or hated it. I guess I'll have hang out with the haters. Julie Powell comes off as an extremely unpleasant, immature little princess. It's a good idea: a year cooking from Julia Child's French cooking book but it's just so hard to read. The whole thing is snark and whine and it tiresome after a few chapters.

Made me cry.......2007-07-28

Mastering the Art of French Cooking was an important part of my childhood. My Mom had a copy that was always on the shelf in the kitchen, and it turns out she gave copies to all her friends when I was little. I was visiting one set of godparents recently and they showed me their copy, which was actually inscribed from me, aged about 1 1/2, saying "Thank you for babysitting me." And when other other godparents both passed away last year, my sister inherited the dining table, china and cookbook, including a copy from my Mom saying, "Thank you for being such a gracious hostess."

So we could relate to Julie - a second-generation inheriter of the book but hapless cook and confused about the direction of her life. I thought it was rollicking good fun all the way through, but then as she got closer to her goal and talked about the impact it had on her, I found myself weeping uncontrollably. I cry all the time at movies, but almost never when reading a book. I found this book not just funny, but an inspiring tale about pursuing excellence and conquering difficult challenges, and about giving meaning to your life at a time when you're feeling lost.

Julie & Julia, 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen [[Paperback] 2005]

Average customer rating:

Julie & Julia, 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen [[Paperback] 2005]
Julie Powell
Manufacturer: Little Brown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0739467018

Average customer rating:

Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen
Julie Powell
Manufacturer: Little, Brown, and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LEJPRY

JULIE AND JULIA: 365 DAYS, 524 RECIPES, 1 TINY APARTMENT KITCHEN.

Average customer rating:

JULIE AND JULIA: 365 DAYS, 524 RECIPES, 1 TINY APARTMENT KITCHEN.
Julie. Brown
Manufacturer: Little, Brown & Co.,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000P3Q1GE

The Book of Ramen : Lowcost Gourmet Meals Using Instant Ramen Noodles
Average customer rating:

GOURMET FOOD AT A McDONALD'S PRICE!!!

The Book of Ramen : Lowcost Gourmet Meals Using Instant Ramen Noodles
Ron Konzak
Manufacturer: Turtleback Books (WA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Pasta | Cooking by Ingredient | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

101 Things to Do with Ramen Noodles

Everybody Loves Ramen: Recipes, Stories, Games, & Fun Facts About the Noodles You Love

101 Things to Do with a Tortilla

101 Things to Do with a Casserole (101)

101 Things to Do with a Slow Cooker

ASIN: 1883385148

Book Description

The Book of Ramen is a fun-filled cookbook containing over 75 easy- to-follow recipes that turn an ordinary packet of instant noodles into a gourmet meal. Humorously illustrated with original cartoons. 144 pages with 41 illustrations and appendix.

Fun, simple-to-follow recipes make this book a "must" for college students, bachelors, or anyone wanting to eat well, quick and cheap.

Customer Reviews:

GOURMET FOOD AT A McDONALD'S PRICE!!!.......2001-10-17

This book allows you to eat like a king for less than a dollar! Kudos to the writer, and the great effort it took to produce such a helpful tome!

Fake, Fraud, or Genuine?: Identifying Authentic American Antique Furniture
Average customer rating:

One ofthe best antiques books I own!

buy this first

Worthwhile Basics

One of the Best Antique Furniture Guides.

A must have book for anyone who collects antique furniture!

Fake, Fraud, or Genuine?: Identifying Authentic American Antique Furniture
Myrna Kaye
Manufacturer: Bulfinch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Furniture | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Reference | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Old Furniture: Understanding the Craftsman's Art (Second, Revised Edition)

Evaluating Your Collection: The 14 Points of Connoisseurship (Winterthur Decorative Arts Series)

Four Centuries of American Furniture

Field Guide to American Antique Furniture: A Unique Visual System for Identifying the Style of Virtually Any Piece of American Antique Furniture

Is it Genuine?

ASIN: 0821218255

Customer Reviews:

One ofthe best antiques books I own!.......2003-11-23

After we moved into our house (and jad no furniture to speak of) I decided to take the time to buy antiques and find really cool "stuff". This became quite a fun adventure and boy have I learned a lot. This book was one ofthe first that I picked up because I was noticing so much reproduction furniture in the seemingly antiques stores. After awhile you can just look at something and see if its reproduction or not but this book really helped me in fguring that out - fron talking about different types of wood that were popular in different eras, to what to look for in joints/workmanship, to identifying original upholstry, and I could go on and on. This is just an incredible resource and the pictures/drawings that are throughout are fantastic. It's like sitting on the shoulder of an antiquing guru as you walk through a shop and they are able to go right to the key indicators to see if its original or not. The writing style os fun and easy to read too. Excellent book.

buy this first.......2003-04-04

Before you spend a lot of money on antique furniture buy this book and study it like a text book. This well written, well researched guide will save you from being made a fool of or cheated.

Worthwhile Basics.......2000-02-27

I worked hard to really read this book. It has been worth it, because it covers the basic story on how to examine a piece of furniture to determine whether or not it is really old, or even if it is old, whether or not the piece itself is original as seen today, or has been pieced together from several incomplete pieces of old furniture, or even other sources of old pieces of wood. It is fairly fascinating, but it is also a lot like studying. I seem to be coming into contact with antiques through inheritance, and while this book hasn't told me much about the source of the pieces I have, I at least now know enough to turn my furniture upside down, and inside out to find out just where it may have been before it came to me! You have to really look at the many photographs (not every one was perfectly clear no matter how hard I looked -- 1 out of 30 were unclear I estimate) while reading the narrative. And I had never realized the extent to which 18th and 19th century pieces are researched for provenence, including looking through very old advertisements in newspapers, etc., to find the names of furniture makers of the past. Quite technical, but worth the effort.

One of the Best Antique Furniture Guides........1999-12-02

I was given this book when I first became interested in antique furniture around 5 years ago. I am an antique dealer and avid collector now, and I still use it frequently as a reference. Although it focuses on 18th c. American furniture, the concepts apply to all periods and types.

This is a great book! I highly recommend it to all collectors.

A must have book for anyone who collects antique furniture!.......1999-10-18

Long overdue, this book provides the reader with the skills needed to correctly date American furniture. Numerous clear, closeup photos help the reader to understand exactly what to look for when examining antique furniture.

Paintings: Genuine, Fraud, Fake: Modern Methods of Examining Paintings

Average customer rating:

Paintings: Genuine, Fraud, Fake: Modern Methods of Examining Paintings
Roger Hendrick Marijnissen
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Art Identification | Reference | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Preservation of Art | Reference | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Anyone involved in the world of painting, whether amateur or professional, is faced with the problem of authenticity and in times like ours, in which the prices of works of art have risen to dizzying heights, it is tempting to try to pass off fakes, which is not to say that such practice is anything new. R.H. Marinjnissen, long associated with the famous Institut royal du Patrimoine artistique/Koninklijk Institut voor het Kuntstpartrimonium in Brussels, provides both the layman and the expert with an exhaustive series of criteria by which a judgment about a painting can be made. His observations are confined to the painting of the Low Countries, with which he is thoroughly conversant.

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

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.

Southern Living Ideas for Great Wall Systems (Ideas for Great)

Average customer rating:

Only worth a quick glance
Pretty pictures, useless book
terrific ideas,no plans

Southern Living Ideas for Great Wall Systems (Ideas for Great)

Manufacturer: Sunset Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Carpentry | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Furniture | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Household Hints | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decoration & Ornament | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Ideas for Great Wall Systems
Complete Home Storage
Sunset Ideas for Great Kitchens (Ideas for Great)
Built-In Furniture: A Gallery of Design Ideas (Idea Book)
Shelves & Cabinets

ASIN: 0376090723

Customer Reviews:

Only worth a quick glance.......2002-12-14

Pluses: The book gives you a general overview of what types of wall systems are available.

Minuses: the photos are mostly boring and/or outdated.

Recommendation: Many of the books in the Ideas for Great series are useful. However, this book is not one of them. I would skip it or check it out from the library.

Pretty pictures, useless book.......2001-10-20

A written-by-committee book full of beautiful photographs, mostly of built-in bookshelves and cabinets.

You'll get no help PLANNING a wall system. There are lots of photo examples in rooms with soaring twenty-foot ceilings. Lots of examples designed by architects and built in when the mansion was constructed. None of this will help plan a wall system in an average home.

You'll get little or no help with BUILDING or DESIGNING a wall systems in an average home. The focus is on the pretty photos, the text is simply fill-in. No plans. No non-obvious design hints.

terrific ideas,no plans.......2000-02-21

I bought this book in the hopes that it would also contain plans for some wall designs. It did not. However the book did contain some excellent examples of designs. I guess I should have trusted the title

Average customer rating:

An impressive collection of ideas

Ideas for Great Wall Systems

Manufacturer: Sunset Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Design & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Carpentry | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Furniture | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Shelves & Cabinets
Cabinets, Shelves & Home Storage Solutions: 24 Storage Projects Plus Ideas for Organizing Your Home
Step-by-Step Cabinets & Shelves (Better Homes & Gardens Step-By-Step)
New Built-Ins Idea Book: Media Centers Nooks & Crannies Window Seats Kitchen & Dining Areas Work Centers (Idea Books)
Built-In Furniture: A Gallery of Design Ideas (Idea Book)

ASIN: 037601721X

Book Description

Home in on the wall system that's just right for you with this new, expanded, and thoroughly updated edition of IFG Wall Systems. Built-in vs. movable, storage vs. display, custom vs. ready-made-they're all covered. Plus, appropriate dimensions to store books, CDs, electronics, clothes, and more. From simple shelves to more complex entertainment components, the Photo Gallery provides a 60-page visual reference of the best available wall system options. The Shopper's Guide steers you through all of the components, including shelves and brackets, doors and drawers, hardware and accessories, and storage furniture and media centers, so you can create your own ideal configuration.

Customer Reviews:

An impressive collection of ideas .......2004-08-09

In Wall Systems, Scott Anderson and the editors of Sunset Books presents the non-specialist general reader with an impressive collection of ideas for truly great wall system options for creative interior design. Wall systems are an excellent way to organize and display one's possessions without becoming lost in clutter. From open shelves to extensive home theater systems, pullouts, lighting matters, and much more, Wall Systems presents ideas, and tips from what variety of wood to use to finding the right knobs, sample styles of storage furnature, and splendid full-color photographs to reveal a wide range of possibilities to embellish and enhance any home.

Souther Living Ideas for Great Wall Systems

Average customer rating:

Souther Living Ideas for Great Wall Systems
Lynne Gilberg
Manufacturer: Souther Living
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000R10QI8

Product Description

large softcover with glossy pictures and fantastic wall shelving ideas. Book may be 1992 but these are modern, classic looks. 96 pages.

Book Description

Talking Politics gives us an inside view of the relationship between journalists and candidates, one that shapes the way most Americans choose their president. In a series of personal and in-depth interviews, some of America's top broadcasters and political commentators talk about the extraordinarily influential relationship between the nation's most powerful journalists and political figures. Tom Brokaw, Larry King, Robert MacNeil, Linda Ellerbee, Bernard Shaw, and other media figures address issues such as: o When does a tabloid story become worthy of the attention of the serious media? o Can a talk show really give us a "closer look" at a candidate or is that closeness an illusion? o When can voters trust candidate images presented on television--network news, talk shows, or otherwise? Each chapter in Talking Politics features a frank, revealing interview with one of the nation's most influential broadcasters or political commentators. The result is a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the tension-fraught relationship between TV news and political candidates. In an age when the media has become as much a topic as the politicians it covers, Talking Politics will be fascinating reading for all who follow politics.

Talking Politics : Choosing the President in the Television Age

Average customer rating:

Talking Politics : Choosing the President in the Television Age
Liz Cunningham
Manufacturer: Praeger Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORJ28K

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