Amazon.com
Magnus Mills may have single-handedly invented a new fictional genre: the Kafkaesque novel of work. First, his Booker-shortlisted The Restraint of Beasts brought to fence-building the kind of black humor found in a Coen brothers movie. Now, in All Quiet on the Orient Express, Mills turns his deadpan prose on some very odd jobs, indeed. The unnamed narrator is on holiday for a few weeks, camping in England's Lake District before beginning an extended journey to India. He sees no reason not to agree when the campground owner--the sinister Tommy Parker, who seems mainly to engage in "buying and selling"--asks him to help out with a simple chore. As this is a Magnus Mills novel, however, no chore can possibly be simple. Through error or bad luck, one task leads to another, and the narrator quickly finds himself trapped by his own passivity and a very English reluctance to cause a fuss. Soon he's doing homework for Parker's daughter, being kicked on and off the darts team at the local pub, and learning how to perform a series of menial jobs. ("Have you ever operated a circular saw?" "Driven a tractor before?" "What are you like with a hammer and nails?")
There's a lot that's strange about this little town. Where have all the females gone? Why does everyone seem to think he should take over the town milk route? Why won't the shops stock his beloved baked beans? Both the grocer and the pub are oddly eager to let him run up tabs, and there's no sign of payment from Tommy Parker. It seems, in fact, that the narrator's early suspicions have been fulfilled: "I'd inadvertently become his servant." Like the Hall brothers from The Restraint of Beasts, Parker is volatile, irrational, and all-powerful--a primitive god ruling over his own creation. As the narrator falls further and further under his sway, All Quiet on the Orient Express becomes a striking allegory of labor and capital, purgatory and judgment, and the uncanniness of manual work. --Mary Park
Book Description
From the author of The Restraint of Beasts -- hailed by Thomas Pynchon as a "comic wonder" and shortlisted for the prestigious Booker and Whitbread Prizes -- comes a novel that proves Magnus Mills to be the master of pitch-black humor.
Told with insidiously beguiling, deadpan charm, All Quiet on the Orient Express gives us the story of an itinerant odd-jobber -- our narrator -- watching the dregs of the summer run out in a run-down campground in England's Lake District, and waiting to set off for the East. When the owner of the campground offers him a small painting job, our hero thinks it would be rude to refuse.
One job leads to another, however, and then another, each stranger and more inscrutable than the one before. Soon he is hopelessly and hilariously enmeshed in the off-season mysteries of a placid northern community, grappling with dark forces beyond his power -- some of which hang out at the local pub.
Customer Reviews:
Worth a Shot.......2005-07-14
I loved The Restraint of Beasts and in some ways this book is very similar. Once again it is told in a deadpan first person style by a nameless character who seems out of work but can financially afford to expect to travel eastern europe soon. As in Mill's first book our hero doesn't have any friends or family but we're not told if this is down to his nomadic lifestyle or vice-versa. He is pulled into the local community bit by bit due to his subconscious need for company, or the need to belong. Mill's shows that people this needy can be used n' abused to the extent where they can become unwitting servants. The books back cover suggests its about innocence against experience but I'd liken it to weakness against strength or an outsider against an insider. A few laughs again and, as in his first book, some of these will be up to the reader as it's all so subtle. One problem I had with the book though is that you lose the novelty a bit which is natural but I do wonder if Mills can keep this up and continue to be successful. For instance I loved Restraint of Beasts, liked AQon the O/Express very much and wonder if four or five books down the line I'll just find them okay. Anyway, this book is worth a shot!
Parable about Isolation.......2004-03-12
An unnamed narrator tells us he's about to embark on a quest to visit the Orient but he must, he explains, get his scooter repaired so he waits in a sort of limbo at pastoral campsite on the edges of a small town that is lorded over by the imperious Mr. Parker, a capitalistic patriarch who is at the center of all the town's commerce. Mr. Parker has a lovely daughter who arouses our narrator's senses but merely titilates him. One mishap after another makes the narrator feel obliged to stay longer in the town even though he keeps reminding us--and himself--that he wants to break free and begin his exotic travels. His major impediment to leaving, he would have us believe, is Mr. Parker, a brutal, intimidating man who demands that the narrator do all sorts of chores and odd-jobs for him, but gradually we realize that the narrator is afraid to adventure out of his comfort zone and would rather live in the relative prison of Mr. Parker's campsite tent, with its severely limiting rules, than inch his way into the flux of the vital, real, outside world. Thus the novel's theme is the conflict between our need to branch out and challenge ourselves vs. our tendency to roll up into the fetal position and die a spiritual death in our tiny world of comfort and familiarity. This theme is further explored in Mills' subsequent novel Three to See the King.
You'll either love it or hate it - I loved it.......2002-10-14
We just discussed this book in our book club, and the group split in the same way as the reviewers here - some found it unique and gripping, and the rest found it hopelessly dull, and even frustrating (they kept willing the central character to DO SOMETHING). From our small sampling, it didn't appear that you have to be 'artsy fartsy' (as stated by another reviewer) to enjoy this book.
'All Quiet', in my opinion, credits the reader with being able to (a) fill in missing pieces of the story as needed and (b) let the story unfold by itself without trying to impose a particular direction on it. Of course the main character could leave if he wanted to. Of course he could tell Mr Parker to shove it. Of course he could demand his baked beans and custard creams from Mr Hodge. But then it wouldn't be the same book, and that's the point.
If you happen to like it, I highly recommend 'The Restraint Of Beasts', Mills's first novel. If anything it's even more of a page-turner. The ending is a bit disappointing but who cares?
Out of thousands I've read, this is the worst.......2002-07-06
I don't often take the time to review books here, but I felt it a duty to humanity to warn readers about this one. After a lifetime of reading novels--thousands of them--I've come to expect a story to begin within the first five or ten pages (and more often within the first five or ten paragraphs). In ALL QUIET ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, no story begins within the first hundred pages, which are about a man being inveigled into doing dull, strenuous odd jobs around a camp ground. The rest of this nonstory is clearly indicated: he will continue to be inveigled into dull, strenuous odd jobs around a camp ground until the end of the book. Judging from other reviews here, many readers find a novel without story, suspense, action, or surprise--a novel in which nothing of interest happens--to be quite a refreshing change. I wish them well. Unless you're in the mood for mind-numbing boredom, however, I'd recommend staying well clear of this book.
Some very odd jobs indeed . . ........2001-09-06
There?s something about British humor that no other English-language literature will ever be able to supplant. The narrator -- whose name we never learn -- is a young odd-jobs-man who is presently on holiday with his motorbike and tent in the Lake District. It?s late summer, he?s been at the campground a week, and he?s about to depart, when Tommy Parker offers him a bit of temporary employment painting the front gate. One thing leads to another, and the narrator finds himself responsible for painting a flock of rowboats, cutting firewood (on loan, as Mr. Parker seems to have rented him out), spending his evenings at the local pub (where he?s recruited for the darts team), and being drafted by 15-year-old Gail Parker to do her homework. But money almost never changes hands. Everyone in the area knows everything about everyone else -- including him, he discovers. And then Mr. Deakin, the milkman disappears into the lake while helping locate the new mooring raft, and the narrator finds himself with the milk route, as well. The story is perfectly deadpan, in a very sly, droll way, and the effect is cumulative and almost Hitchcockian -- especially the last page! Even though one might get annoyed with the narrator for allowing himself to be so thoroughly taken advantage of, this is a most delightful yarn.
Customer Reviews:
A great book!.......1999-08-09
I thought this book was extremely good. The characters seemed alive, and the plot was very entertaining. I couldn't put it down! The authors did a good job of building upon the previous book, but I'd have liked to read more about the dragons. Hopefully they weren't left out of the book on purpose! I can't wait for the third book to come out, I hope it's soon! If you've read the first book, you have to read this one!
neck breaking adventure.......1999-06-03
IF you read the first one you have to read this one. And if you didn't read the first one you have to read this one. The breakneck speed this story runs at made it impossible for me to put the book down. And there are absolutely no characters you could care less about in this book. The only thing I could find wrong was that I wondered if the authors had maybe too many characters, because I want to know what happens to Kelyan? He was there, and then after everything he does for the Elvenbane she just ups and forgets he's around? Please tell me that was an oversight! But this will be one that will keep you up until the dawn finishing it.
Average customer rating:
- Quakers in Space?..."Pennterra" says ..It can happen!
- Humans encounter a living planet
- Complex and wonderful, challenging and insightful!
- Well-thought out story of human and alien cohabitation
|
Pennterra
Judith Moffett
Manufacturer: Worldwide Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Moffett, Judith
| ( M )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 037330305X |
Customer Reviews:
Quakers in Space?..."Pennterra" says ..It can happen!.......2000-11-19
There is quite a bit of information about the Society of Friends (Quakers) out there, but none as in a more unlikely location as Judith Moffett's "Penterra". The information she provides about the Quaker's stand on non violence, sexual mores and dealing with an entirely different lifestyle are fascinating. The book moves quickly along the lives of George Quinlan, his son Danny, the Hrossa who are allowing the Quakers to set up their colony " Swarthmore" and the new group on the planet " The Sixers". (named for the ship they arrived in on Pennterra)
Danny reaching puberty is handled well, although I blushed at some of the more "graphic" parts of this section, and I'm no prude! That Danny becomes a integral part of the next step in the Quaker/Hrossa world is only fitting to the process.
Ms. Moffett is a gifted author and her many and varied works show this.
As for the Asimov opening..I started to read it, but found it too ponderous. Judith Moffett said pretty much the same thing as Asimov, and FAR more entertaining!
Humans encounter a living planet.......1998-09-06
A group of Quakers reach a distant planet, encounter the sentient hrossa, and work out a way to live in peace with these beings. Then they must deal with a second group of humans arriving (non-Quakers) who do not have the same penchant for peaceful co-existance. I found the study of Quaker process in an alien place a delightful unearthing of the human spirit. The hrossa are a sexy lot, and their effect on humans is fun to observe. My favorite part, however, is the unfolding of a new, dynamic, and (not so) alien theory of evolution. If peace and cooperation are your thing, you'll enjoy participating in the world of Penterra.
Complex and wonderful, challenging and insightful!.......1998-07-26
I agree with the first reviewer, except that I found the Quaker issues fascinating - what non-violence toward other sentient beings than humans really means, for example.
I also found the presentation of sex and society issues worthy of the best science fiction: clear yet not heavy-handed.
I recommend this book strongly to anyone who likes science fiction that makes them think.
Well-thought out story of human and alien cohabitation.......1998-04-20
Pennterra is the story of a human colony on an alien planet, to which the first group of colonists (Quakers, but more of that is made than needed) have adjusted, but against which the new group of colonists are resisting. The story is interesting from the Gaia planetary lifeform theory, as well as seeing two stages in normal human response to aliens.
There is an important subplot about a young boy reaching puberty, and adjusting to a different set of sexual mores lived by the aliens. This is probably the least interesting part of the story, but is part of the larger story of a completely differently biological imperative for the aliens. While the sexual coming of age is too easy and too limited, the emotional coming of age is well done, and supportive of difficult adolescent issues.
Since the book was published in 1987, it is compared to Ursula LeGuin (probably because of the sexual subplot associations to The Left Hand of Darkness -- has no one read her other books?), but I think that it is more in line with the Octavia Butler books.
Average customer rating:
|
Pennterra
Pennterra Judith
Manufacturer: Congdon & Weed Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LBBMB4 |
Book Description
Each title in this award-winning series offers an exquisite region-by-region taste tour filled with culinary specialties and surprises. Included in each large-format volume are gorgeous food and landscape photographs.
Customer Reviews:
If it's good enough for the De' Medicis.............2007-03-13
I received this book as a gift when the Frances Mayes Tuscany book (ugh!)was all rage. I flipped through it thinking "what a dumb format for a coobook" then slipped it into a bookshelf where it lay buried for a couple of years. I did however remember seeing in it (& liking the idea of) a recipe for "Elder Flower Flat Bread" (p.34) and I had an elderberry shrub in bloom so I dragged the book out, plucked the 1/2 cup of elderflowers and made the bread. It was good. I started actually looking at the photographs and then read through it. I kinda liked it. Then, to go on an antipasti (as Lorenza suggested) I made the "Stuffed Eggs with Tarragon" (p.35). Big hit! I tried, like an earlier reviewer, the "Chickpea Flat Bread"(p.45) Big-gloppy -mess- disaster! But, Lorenza had my attention with her great commentary on the culinary regions of Tuscany and the food styling is so irresistable and appetizing I forged on. Also VERY LOVING photographs of Tuscany. I've tried: "Naked Ravioli" (p78) Great! "Meatloaf of Arrezzo"(p.148 ) Nice suprise. "Fennel Cake" (p.242) Indispensible, I bake one a week! Light Apple Cake (p. 246) Delicious! So, long story short I really enjoy this book. The format is very large, rather absurd for the kitchen but I just slap it down on the counter, keep it open with a marble pestle and happily cook away.
Nice Gift Book.......2007-01-16
A large, attractive book that I gave as a gift. Nice pictures of the food and the recipes looked interesting and not too difficult.
Best In Many Ways.......2007-01-06
I received this book as a gift a few years ago and have used it often. The recipe's are imaginative, easy and always well recieved by family and guests. The recipe's ingredients are basic and credible. And of course, the presentation in this book is a knockout! The food, the scenery, the dishware. All top drawer.
Ah, Tuscany!.......2006-09-27
This is a book that lives up to its name in all respects. The color photos (250) are warmly, rustically lit. These carefully composed still lifes entice the earthier senses with taste and aroma and give the reader a yen for this beautiful region.
And the recipes, arranged by course, highlight regional dishes from the simple -- Chicken in Red Wine, Chestnut and Rice Soup to the unusual -- Salt Cod and Mint Soup, Spaghetti with Sea Urchin Sauce to the sublime -- Snails with Sausage and Tomato Sauce, Pheasant Broth, Ricotta Tart.
for the coffee table, not the kitchen.......2006-01-10
I got this as a gift from my son, since I had just visited Tuscany last year and loved the food. I am an experienced gourmet cook. This book needed a test kitchen in the worst way. I tried two recipes: one for polenta (as basic as pasta) and a Garbanzo bean bread. The proportions for both were totally wrong. The polenta balled up in the pan, and the "flat bread" was like a soft egg dish. I checked in one of my favorite chef cookbooks (Sheila Lukins of Silver Palate fame) and the proportions were very different for the polenta. the other recipe couldn't find anywhere. I'm donating this one to the library for the Friends of the Library sale.
Book Description
Disposable Dogs is an unforgettable collection of 70 captivating, true stories of dogs from across the United States who were outcasts until they met up with caring people who recognized their worth--in some cases just hours before the lovable animals were scheduled to die.
Readers will meet dogs who are smart, heroic, funny, loyal--all sorts of special pets with extraordinary experiences to share. There's the young Saint Bernard who was adopted from a shelter at the eleventh hour and went on to become the mascot for a professional football team...the neighborly golden retriever who was abandoned when her owner died and soon afterward saved a toddler from falling off a cliff...the elderly blind mutt and deaf old mongrel who found each other near the end of their lonely lives and remained soul mates forever.
These and scores of other tales are sure to make the reader laugh, reflect, admire and, perhaps, swallow hard when an unexpected lump wags its tail in the reader's throat. Disposable Dogs celebrates the meaningful, wondrous lives that have been rescued by good people who make a difference.
Customer Reviews:
Worthwhile reading. Very touching........2007-02-23
I found the stories touching and at the same time heartwarming. In a time when the world as we know it can be cruel to mans best friend, it lets the readers know how kindness and compassion is still prevalent. It makes you realize how much hope and love abandoned dogs and cats can still give us after their hard and sometimes heartbreaking events.
Disposable Dogs.......2007-01-09
The precious face on the cover of this book sets the tone perfectly. And the description beneath the picture says it all. Heartwarming, True Stories of COURAGE and COMPASSION. Seventy dogs are written about and you'll feel like you've known each one of them. You'll laugh and you'll cry about them and for them. A particular favorite is Keeley who was shot and left for dead, but she always had the will to live, and did. "Humans could take a lesson from dogs who have suffered but refused to give up. They never look back. They just pick up and go forward." Amen to that.
Special stories of special dogs!.......2007-01-09
For the dog lover - an insight in to the stories and lives of very special dogs.A must read for dog lovers.
Great book on dogs who did not give up........2007-01-05
I enjoyed this book about "throw away" dogs and how they persevered through lots of suffering. Many had very rough starts and it is amazing to me how these dogs really do live in the moment and don't let a rough start keep them from trusting again.
Disposable Dogs.......2006-11-10
Too juvenile for adults, and not likely that children would really enjoy it.
Average customer rating:
|
Holidays: Toys and Decorations
Margaret Schiffer
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Toys
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Toymaking
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Manufacturing
| Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0887400388 |
Book Description
The more than 1,250 holiday keepsakes brought together in 253 lavish color pictures here have come from the collections of people who could not resist saving their favorites. These ornaments have been cherished for years and now are presented for all to enjoy. The beautiful color photographs all were taken new specifically for this book; most of the items never before have been seen in print. Each section of this book is devoted to a different holiday with full explanations of the toys and ornaments that are shown. The historical backgrounds of each of the holidays are very informative, explaining how some of them evolved from ancient celebrations and religious events. Through the book, the reader begins with New Year's Day and progresses chronologically to Valentine's Day, Washington's Birthday, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Book Description
The 30 colorful wooden puzzles presented in this collection of scroll saw projects commemorate religious, natural, and civic occasions. Basic scrolling techniques are included, as are veterans' tips and special instructions for unique painting and staining effects. Each puzzle is constructed by making several interlocking cuts and produces three to four individual pieces of wood that fit together in the completed project. The ready-to-cut patterns include a nativity scene, leprechaun, pumpkin, Menorah candle scene, birthday cake, and Santa Claus.
Average customer rating:
- Kid tested, kid approved!
|
How to Make Holiday Pop-Ups
Joan Irvine
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Crafts & Hobbies
| Arts & Music
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Holidays & Festivals
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Activity Books
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
| Coloring Books
| Cut & Assemble
| Diaries
| Dot to Dot
| General
| Hidden Picture
| Mazes
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Ages 4-8
| Christianity
| Religions
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0688136109 |
Book Description
Celebrate all year long with cards that slide, spring, and snap! From a Chinese New Year dragon through Fourth of July fireworks and pop-up greetings for Chanukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa, here are dozens of joyful ideas for three-dimensional fun. Easy-to-follow instructions and illustrations help make each dazzling pop-up card as they learn about thirty holidays around the world.
Customer Reviews:
Kid tested, kid approved!.......2000-04-20
I love Joan Irvine's books. I am an art teacher and I use it in my classroom from middle school on up! The kids like it and find the instructions easy to follow. Everyone can be successful and creative. They find they don't think they know how to do it until they've tried. Joan gets them started and then the kids take off from there!
Book Description
In this merry tale, Raggedy Ann, Raggedy Andy, and their friends celebrate the many joys of the Christmas season. Strong sturdy flaps accompany this adaptation of the traditional song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas."
Customer Reviews:
Perfect for flap book lovers.......2002-11-01
I ordered this book for my seven year old not even realizing it was a flap book. It's a sturdy board book suitable for young children. Very easy reading for a seven year old but my daughter loves anything about Raggedy Anne. The illustrations are sharp and colorful. A great stocking stuffer.
Average customer rating:
|
Making Holiday Folk Toys and Figures
Sharon Pierce
Manufacturer: Sterling Pub Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Decorative Arts
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Toymaking
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0806966041 |
Average customer rating:
- a great re-usable sticker book for 2 - 4 year olds
|
Rosie Rabbit's Easter
Harriet Ziefert
Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book
Fiction
| Rabbits
| Animals
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Easter
| Holidays & Festivals
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Baby-3
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1564029743
Release Date: 1997-01-06 |
Customer Reviews:
a great re-usable sticker book for 2 - 4 year olds.......2000-10-13
This is a great re-usable sticker book for 2 - 4 year olds. It's a simple story of a Rabit who is getting ready for easter and has simple re-usable stickers. The stickers are to help the Rabit decorate a easter cake, put cookies on the table, decorate an "egg tree", put some goodies in a basket, help the rabit get dressed, and give toys to each of her friends. My daughter loves this book year round, over time she has become more precise as to where she can put the stickers in the correct places. A fun book to do together.
Average customer rating:
|
Christmas Tree
DK Publishing
Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book
Board Books
| Baby-3
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Baby-3
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Pop-Up & Movable
| Baby-3
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Nonfiction
| Christmas
| Holidays & Festivals
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Board Books
| Baby-3
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Baby-3
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Pop-Up & Movable
| Baby-3
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| Christmas
| Holidays & Festivals
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Christmas Snow
-
Christmas Angel
-
One Shining Star: A Christmas Counting Book
-
Baby Einstein: Dogs (Baby Einstein)
-
Open the Barn Door, Find a Cow (A Chunky Book(R))
ASIN: 0756620341 |
Book Description
These sparkly Christmas board books make perfect stocking stuffers-and each one holds a Christmas surprise to hang on the tree!
Average customer rating:
|
Christmas Is Coming
DK Publishing
Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Crafts & Hobbies
| Arts & Music
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Nonfiction
| Christmas
| Holidays & Festivals
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Activity Books
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
All Deals
| Blowout Books
| Stores
| Books
Arts & Photography
| Blowout Books
| Stores
| Books
Children's Books
| Blowout Books
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0756622166 |
Book Description
Christmas is Coming is a delightful and imaginative Christmas activity book. This will be a book for children to cherish and will remind them of their childhood for years to come. This inspirational high-quality novelty book sums up the magic of Christmas with its bright colors, charming illustrations, and entertaining text. It also encourages children to be self-motivated and pro-active about the build-up to Christmas! Encourages imagination and creative play. Narrated by Santa in an inviting and lively style. Includes pop-out Christmas tree and mailbox, stickers, cards, envelopes, and a special Santa's Little Helper certificate.
Average customer rating:
|
Holiday Decorations : Toys & Favors
Manufacturer: L W Publishing & Book Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0895380625 |
Book Description
On Christmas Eve, Holly is ready to join the other ornaments in celebration. But disaster strikes when naughty Bad Cat bats the tree's branches: Holly loses her wooden arm! Cloth Bear and Tin Horse rush to help her find it, meeting danger and becoming good friends along the way.
Wendy Watson's paintings glow with excitement as the trio hurries to get home safely before Santa arrives.
This heartwarming story, filled with adventure, is perfect for reading aloud by the light of your own tree at Christmastime.
Average customer rating:
|
Wood Turning for the Garden: Projects for the Outdoors
Mike Cripps , and
Jeffrey B. Snyder
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Woodworking
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Projects
| Woodworking
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0764300326 |
Book Description
Using over 230 color photographs, an introductory text about basic wood turning techniques, and step-by-step instructions, Mike Cripps guides his reader through the turning of bird houses, planters, and bulb planters known in England as "garden dibbers." The bird house and planter projects are turned from unseasoned lumber. New hobbyists and seasoned professional wood turners alike will enjoy this book and the freedom they will derive from turning unseasoned timber, which is free from dust and needs virtually no sanding or difficult-to-apply glossy finish. A color photo gallery will fire the wood turner's imagination. Patterns are provided for each project., 234 color photos, 8 1/2" x 11"
Customer Reviews:
A cheap and good start for beginners.......2000-05-26
Since the time this book was published may others detailed various aspects of american country style. We know of more than 100 titles that include "country style". You might prefer buy a "country style" book about "shaker style", "menonite style", flowers, .... Amazon is full of such books.
Book Description
Pottery, once it appears in the archaeological record, is one of the most routinely recovered artifacts. It is made frequently, broken often, and comes in endless varieties according to economic and social requirements. Moreover, even in sherds ceramics can last almost forever, providing important clues about past human behavior. The contributors to this volume, all leaders in ceramic research, probe the relation between humans and ceramics. Here they offer new discoveries obtained through traditional lines of inquiry, demonstrate methodological breakthroughs, and expose innovative new areas for research. Among the topics covered in this volume are the age at which children begin learning pottery making; the origins of pottery in the Southwest U.S., Mesoamerica, and Greece; vessel production and standardization; vessel size and food consumption patterns; the relationship between pottery style and meaning; and the role pottery and other material culture plays in communication. Pottery And People provides a cross-section of the state of the art, emphasizing the complex interactions between ceramic containers and people in past and present contexts. This is a milestone volume useful to anyone interested in the connections between pots and people.
Book Description
This unique, profusely illustrated, inspiring tribute sweeps through world history to celebrate the courage, commitment, and accomplishments that link the daughters of Africa in a 3,500-year heritage, from ancient queens to the modern Black women who command respect and renown in every field of human endeavor. Now, in the first collection of its kind, Dr. Cynthia Jacobs Carter of Howard University gathers these stories in a book that is at once an unprecedented group portrait of Africana Woman and a stirring chronicle of Black women's impact and influence.
In these pages, meet magnificent figures from ages past: Hatshepsut, the female Pharaoh who built some of Egypt's greatest monuments; Makeda, the fabled Queen of Sheba, whose royal dynasty ruled Ethiopia until the 20th century; and Nanny, Queen of the Maroons, who led escaped slaves in forging a realm in Jamaica's wild mountains in the 1700s. Learn also about the courageous women who escaped from centuries of slavery, such as Coincoin, who amassed a 2,000-acre estate in 18th-century Louisiana, and Mary Prince, author of an autobiography that created a sensation in England in the 1830s. Trace the rise of abolitionism and the unforgettable figures who fought for Black freedom -- Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and others -- along with the groundbreaking leaders who struggled to turn emancipation into true equality, a battle that lasted over a century, from Reconstruction to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and beyond. These women -- dedicated educators like Mary Church Terrell, business pioneers like Madam C. J. Walker, daring journalists like Ida B. Wells-Barnett, and determined activists like Rosa Parks and Fannie Lou Hamer -- devoted their lives to social justice. Finally, meet those who have made modern history, from politicians like Shirley Chisholm to media stars like Oprah Winfrey.
Filled with extraordinary illustrations and rare photographs, as well as evocative selections from diaries, memoirs, songs, and poetry, this is a fascinating tale of cruel fate and unflagging creativity, profound tragedy and uplifting triumph -- a testament to the astonishing strength and spirit of Africana Woman throughout the ages and all over the world.
Customer Reviews:
Gorgeous to browse.......2004-04-14
This is a rich browsing book. It presents a diverse array of Africana women, from those you'd expect (images of slavery, for example, or famous people like Oprah) to those that might surprise you; my favorite features two sportingly-dressed Nebraskan women at the turn of the century, smiling broadly as they hoist some trophy-sized fish. Such everyday images of black women just aren't part of our collective memory, and it's a delight to find them here. Most of the images are half page, many are full page, making it useful for classrooms.
I'm withholding the fifth star because I'm not as thrilled with the text as I am with the images, and several places made me pause. For example, in a section about black women as mistresses to powerful white men, we find the Jefferson/Hemings story. The text says this:
"In 1998, DNA evidence proved that Jefferson most likely sired one, if not more, of Hemings's children."
But the sidebar says this:
" Although some people still debate the issue, DNA evidence has shown that a Jefferson - it could have been Thomas's brother - fathered at least one child by Hemings."
One wonders why the sidebar vacillates by introducing "Thomas's brother" when even the research scholars at Monticello agree (as stated at their web site monticello.org):
"The DNA study, combined with multiple strands of currently available documentary and statistical evidence, indicates a high probability that Thomas Jefferson fathered Eston Hemings, and that he most likely was the father of all six of Sally Hemings's children appearing in Jefferson's records."
But still, this is a wonderful book for libraries, as teachers will find it a useful supplement and students will find much to inspire projects and reports. (...)
Books:
- An American Girl, and Her Four Years in a Boys'
- An Imperative Duty
- Bad Man Blues: A Portable George Garrett
- Ben, In the World: The Sequel to the Fifth Child
- Blood on the Dining Room Floor: A Murder Mystery
- Burke, Paine, Godwin, and the Revolution Controversy (Cambridge English Prose Texts)
- Cast a Pebble in the Ocean
- Collected Novellas: Leaf Storm, No One Writes to the Colonel, Chronicle of a Death Foretold
- Cuentos Completos "Sergio Ramírez"
- Dr. Neruda's Cure for Evil
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- HARLEM RENAISSANCE, THE: Hub of African-American Culture, 1920-1930
- F.I.A.S.C.O.: Blood in the Water on Wall Street
- Biochemistry of Lipids, Lipoproteins and Membranes, 4th edition
- Brooklyn Follies CD
- Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition
- Edwin Hubble and the Expanding Universe
- Crossing Over: One Woman's Escape from Amish Life
- The Marvel of Maps: Art, Cartography, and Politics in Renaissance Italy
- Art Ed Books and Kit Roy Lichtenstein
- Animals of Africa and Europe: A Visual Encyclopedia of Amphibians, Reptiles and Mammals in the Asian
The Restraint of Beasts
Three to See the King: A Novel
The Scheme for Full Employment: A Novel
Explorers of the New Century
Once in a Blue Moon
