Nightspawn (Gallery Books)

Customer Reviews:

Great book - same book as Night Warriors.......2002-02-16

This is the same book called Night Warriors. I guess the publisher changed the name originally called Nightspawn and changed it to Night Warriors at later years. This book is prequel to Death Dream book by same author. The story consists 4 heroes fighting againt evil in someone's dreams. I still use one of my favorite characters in the story as my screen name.

Book Description

Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent, bestselling novels have garnered him a revered position in the halls of parody next to the likes of Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen.

In The Light Fantastic, only one individual can save the world from a disastrous collision. Unfortunately, the hero happens to be the singularly inept wizard Rincewind, who was last seen falling off the edge of the world.

Customer Reviews:

Terry Pratchett is a master at plot, humor, characters, and satire.......2007-04-24

You can never go wrong, will never be disappointed, and I guarantee you'll laugh out loud when you read any book by Terry Pratchett. I scoured the internet to purchase all his books in hardback, now I've hooked my 20 year old on his books and I have to keep what's left of my collector's items hidden.

First book I read, "Witches Abroad". Favorite, "Monstrous Regiment."

You can turn a horrible day around with his satire on our world and culture. Better than Douglas Adams, which is a compliment because I love everything by Douglas Adams. I often answer questions with, "42."

Charlene Clancy

Average customer rating:

Great
Not Free SF Reader
Glow of the Octavo
Discworld Decoded
No Bad Books

The Light Fantastic (Discworld Novel)
Terry Pratchett
Manufacturer: Corgi Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0552128481

Book Description

As it moves towards a seemingly inevitable collision with a malevolent red star, the Discworld has only one possible saviour. Unfortunately, this happens to be the singularly inept and cowardly wizard called Rincewind, who was last seen falling off the edge of the world...

Customer Reviews:

Great.......2007-09-17

This book lives up to all the noise regarding the Discworld series. Its humorous. Really funny - I'm not kidding. Its a great read because of its humor and because of its zany, quirky material - it isn't predictable. Rincewind and The Tourist (& Luggage) are back again and getting themselves involved in lots of trouble.

The best worst thing about the series (so far) is that it makes you want to make jokes and reference the silliness in the stories... which makes you seem insane to all your friends who have, unfortunately, not read the books! Needless to say, this one was memorable and enjoyable. Well worth the cover price.

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

While not as funny as the first Discworld book, this follow-up is still pretty funny, and some of the Cohen the barbarian bits and other things like that definitely get a laugh.

Pratchett is continuing his Douglas Adams style fantasy rift, and it is pretty enjoyable, overall.

Glow of the Octavo.......2007-02-27

Octavo is the name Unseen University gives a book with eight of the most powerful spells in the universe. Seven these days, Rincewind the wizard has one of them stuck in his head...

Discworld #2 is "The Light Fantastic", first written in 1986. Goes pretty well straight after "The Colour of Magic" I think, as it has a lot of the same characters and plot points. Was listening to the Isis audiobook for this one (with Nigel Planer). Terry Pratchett's a bit wordy for me. Can see why he does it though. From what I've read, he's pretty passionate about the idea of storytelling, and the wordier it is, the more time spent with the storyteller. Guess so...

Discworld Decoded.......2007-01-31

Having introduced the Discworld to Roundworld readers with "The Colour of Magic", Terry Pratchett enhances our knowledge of it through this volume. New characters, previously unexplored regions of the Disc and deep questions about The Great A'Tuin almost garner answers. Rincewind, the failed wizard, is still acting as a guide to Discworld's first tourist, Twoflower. It's not always clear however, who's doing the leading and who the following. Twoflower, who is thrilled by everything and refuses to feel threatened by anything, absorbs all the novelty introduced to the reader. Through it all, Pratchett's delightful wit and innovative abilities keeps the reader's full attention. Only your laughter will interrupt the flow of narrative.

There's magic to this book, and no little magic in the story. Rincewind, having been catapulted over the Rim marking the edge of the Disc, inexplicably finds himself lodged in a pine tree. The entire universe has been rearranged to let him survive. Why should one timid outcast be so favoured? Twoflower, in a side gesture of cosmological justice, isn't far off. Rejoined, the pair struggle to find a way home to Ankh-Morpork. A sense of urgency over that return has appeared in the sky - and the Disc is likely to be destroyed soon.

Rincewind's role in changing the universe and coping with a "new star" that's appeared soon become apparent. As a student wizard, one of The Eight Great Spells entered his mind. Those spells are the glue holding the cosmos together. To survive, the Spell must keep Rincewind alive - not out of danger, but a survivor of many dire threats. Even Twoflower has noticed Rincewind's special role in life. The tourist has actually counted the number of Rincewind's near-death experiences. Those threats keep the wizard in a state of tense expectation. Rightly so, since there are yet more to come. Including the end of the world.

In their attempt to return, Rincewind and Twoflower encounter some fascinating characters. Perhaps the most engaging is the aging hero, Cohen the Barbarian, the Disc's Greatest Warrior. He, too, is a survivor, having long ago shed the notion of a "fair" fight. Fast with sword and knife, he knows the value of treasure, the delight in rescuing virgins, and the comforts of "soft lavatory paper". Trolls are encountered - those night creatures who live backward in time and who "suffer from philosophy". Yet, the Discworld isn't lodged in some parallel of the Roundworld's Middle Ages. There are computers and hardware consultants serving them. The Ring of Stones on the Vortex Plains "has gone down again" - a phrase every computer user will recognise. Who but Terry Pratchett could so successfully broker a liaison between such disparate concepts? And adapt from a hotly contested work about the meaning of the Stonehenge monoliths? **

There are other elements Pratchett considers in this tale. Death, who can be seen by wizards, joins the party to observe people's reaction to the new star. Death's perplexity is manifest at encountering humans who fear him, yet will subject themselves to a "death of the mind" almost without hesitation or reflection. Pratchett will keep you pondering many paths as you wend your way through this book. It's a delight to read Pratchett at any time, but taking up this book again after a long hiatus proved even more enlightening. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

** Note: for young folks who find this meaningless today, Gerald Hawkins published "Stonehenge Decoded" in 1965, explaining that chalk- and charcoal-filled pits at Stonehenge provided a "computer" to forecast eclipses.

No Bad Books.......2006-11-10

Terry Pratchett does not write bad books. They are clever, punny, and funny. I laugh out loud every few pages. Read Terry.

Average customer rating:

The Light Fantastic A Discworld Novel
Terry Pratchett
Manufacturer: Harpertorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Terry Pratchett's the Light Fantastic Vol. 1 No. 1 of 4

Average customer rating:

Terry Pratchett's the Light Fantastic Vol. 1 No. 1 of 4
scott rockwell
Manufacturer: innovation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000MQHJ0Q

Product Description

Adapts the 2nd discworld novel.

Terry Pratchett's the Light Fantastic Vol. 1, No. 4 of 4

Average customer rating:

Terry Pratchett's the Light Fantastic Vol. 1, No. 4 of 4
scott rockwell
Manufacturer: innovation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000MQLC2C

Product Description

adapts terry pratchett's 2nd discworld novel

Terry Pratchett's the Light Fantastic Vol. 1,No.2 of 4

Average customer rating:

Terry Pratchett's the Light Fantastic Vol. 1,No.2 of 4
scott rockwell
Manufacturer: innovation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000MQJG6Q

Product Description

adapts 2nd discworld novel

Terry Pratchett's the Light Fantastic Vol. 1,No.3 of 4

Average customer rating:

Terry Pratchett's the Light Fantastic Vol. 1,No.3 of 4
scott rockwell
Manufacturer: innovation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000MQJIPU

Product Description

adapts pratchett's 2nd discworld novel

The Light Fantastic : A Discworld Novel (discworld Novels (paperback))

Average customer rating:

The Light Fantastic : A Discworld Novel (discworld Novels (paperback))
Terry Pratchett
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews:

The Star Trek Reader II.......2000-07-17

This is a good book. I like it because it has novelized eight different star trek episodes.

Average customer rating:

The Star Trek Reader II

Manufacturer: E.P. Dutton & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

The Star Trek Reader II
James Blish
Manufacturer: E.P. Dutton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

Star Trek Reader II
Brian Blish
Manufacturer: UNSPECIFIED VENDOR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The Star Trek Reader II, nineteen Novelized Episodes Based on the Exciting Television Series Created by Gene Roddenberry

Average customer rating:

The Star Trek Reader II, nineteen Novelized Episodes Based on the Exciting Television Series Created by Gene Roddenberry
James Blish
Manufacturer: E.P. Dutton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

The Star Trek Reader II: Nineteen Novelized Episodes Based on the Exciting Television Series Created by Gene Roddenberry

Manufacturer: E. P. Dutton & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Book Description

Peter Mayle, francophile phenomenon and author of A Year in Provence, brings another delightful (and delicious) account of the good life, this time exploring the gustatory pleasures to be found throughout France.

The French celebrate food and drink more than any other people, and Mayle shows us just how contagious their enthusiasm can be. We visit the Foire aux Escargots. We attend a truly French marathon, where the beverage of choice is Chteau Lafite-Rothschild rather than Gatorade. We search out the most pungent cheese in France, and eavesdrop on a heated debate on the perfect way to prepare an omelet. We even attend a Catholic mass in the village of Richerenches, a sacred event at which thanks are given for the aromatic, mysterious, and breathtakingly expensive black truffle. With Mayle as our inimitably charming guide, we come away with a satisfied smile (if a little hungry) and the compelling desire to book a flight to France at once.

Download Description

The French celebrate food and drink more than any other people, and Mayle shows us just how contagious their enthusiasm can be. We visit the Foire aux Escargots. We attend a truly French marathon, where the beverage of choice is Château Lafite-Rothschild rather than Gatorade. We search out the most pungent cheese in France, and eavesdrop on a heated debate on the perfect way to prepare an omelet. We even attend a Catholic mass in the village of Richerenches, a sacred event at which thanks are given for the aromatic, mysterious, and breathtakingly expensive black truffle.

With Mayle as our inimitably charming guide, we come away with a satisfied smile (if a little hungry) and the compelling desire to book a flight to France at once.

"Delectable... as satisfying as a meal in a Michelin-rated three-star restaurant."
   USA TODAY

"Mayle's descriptions are as mouth watering as the food he samples."
   ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

"So evocative you can almost feel the bib tied around his chin and sip the last drop of Bordeaux at the bottom of his glass."
   THE WASHINGTON POST

Amazon.com

Peter Mayle, author of the bestselling A Year in Provence has done it again--but differently. Traveling this time beyond his adopted Provence throughout France, the food and travel writer has produced French Lessons, a celebration of many of that country's gastronomic joys. Whether pursuing La Foire de Fromages, the annual cheese fair at Livarot; a Burgundian marathon offering runners Médoc refreshment; or a village truffle mass that concludes with a heady dégustation of the newly blessed tuber, Mayle takes his readers in hand and shows all. Wide-eyed yet knowing, ever affable but with a touch of mischief, he's an ideal companion, the best possible narrator of his lively food adventures.

Mayle's gastronomic baptism occurs when, as a 19-year-old, he dines for the first time in France. "At the first mouthful of French bread and French butter," he writes, "my taste buds, dormant until then, went into spasm." The paroxysm leads to serious food-and-wine perambulations--and, finally, to chapters including "The Thigh-Taster of Vitel" (a frog-eating fete); "Slow Food" (snail love in Martigny les Bains) and "The Guided Stomach" (an investigation of the Michelin Guide restaurant inspection), among others. Readers are also present for a debate on the secret of the perfect omelet; a search for the best possible chicken in Bourg-en-Bresse; and a visit to a St. Tropez restaurant notable for its scantily clad habitués. Those familiar with Mayle's work, and those yet to discover it, are in for a treat. --Arthur Boehm

Customer Reviews:

A Tasty Read.......2007-08-28

As a former (and once-again) food writer, I must say this book is deliciously entertaining. I'm still in process of devouring the entertaining writing. Very well done. Any serious foodie will enjoy it!

Gastronomic Tour de France.......2007-07-18

In this wonderful look at Gallic Culture and Cuisine, British Francophile Peter Mayle visits several food fairs and celebrations in the French countryside and takes us along for the ride in this tale that is part travelogue/ part food guide. The tales are usually funny, interesting and mouth watering. I nearly drooled on some of the pages reading his description of the elegant dishes that were served.

I've never learned so much about Frog Legs, truffles, snails, or cheeses. I only regret is that he missed the festival celebrating the sausage that my Canjun relatives call Boodat.

Conviently there is an appendix with addresses and phone numbers for anyone contemplating a trip to France to attend one of the festivals themselves.

When does the plane leave for France .......2006-11-05

I am ready to go back to France after reading this book. Anyone with a love of good France, light humor and beautiful countryside of France, should read this book.

Ils sont fou, ces Gaulois!.......2006-05-13

I didn't think I would enjoy this book so I kept putting it off. Boy, was I wrong! What I enjoyed even more than the detailed descriptions of his degustations, were his extremely accurate descriptions of Frenchmen. I studied in French schools throughout my young adulthood and this book brought back so many memories... To top it off, I'm a big cheese lover and cheese plays a big role in this lovely work.

Peter Mayle.......2006-03-05

My son is very into the french language and culture and this book is excellent is filling in gaps that he does not get at school and through french movies and videos. Thank you.

Customer Reviews:

Opinion from a totally new guy in dog-behavior-world.......2007-08-18

First lets say loud and clear: This is a great book to understand dog's behavior. It has absolute credibility since it is backed up by years of research and experience.

I bought it in part influenced by other reviews stating this was a "COMPREHENSIVE" book on dog training and behavior. Not so. You see I looked up the meaning of the word comprehensive. Basically, saying this book is comprehensive is equal as saying it covers everything you would need to know about dog training and dog behavior. Again, it is not the case.

Does it cover a lot more than most books? Well, it covers a lot of information... probably more than most books. But it does not cover ALL kind of training. This is important because you might be looking for specific advanced training methods that are just not covered in here. Don't believe me? Just look in the "Index" and you'll see that many advanced training (sport, protection, guide dog) are not covered.

This is the main approach of the author (as I understood and in my very simple own words): Dogs can show very different behavior problems (fearful dog, aggressive dog, etc.). To overcome such problems the dog should receive basic training so that he develops further attention and control of impulses.

Of course, it covers much more than just basic training. Basically it addresses a vast amount of dog behavior problems and then show you how to proceed to change the situation.

So, the author tells you about basic dog training principles to help dogs overcome behavior issues -which is great! It is just that I expected to find an explanation of advanced training techniques. Still, this book is fabulous and it will certainly be of great help to understand dogs and their behavior.

I wish someone could tell me about a book that does cover advanced training techniques.

There are a lot of illustrations in the book but most are conceptual maps (or mindmaps if you wish) that try to represent behavior processes. But if you want to learn more about training 101 you might very well feel the illustrations could be way better.

The book is certainly a must to become a better trainer or owner and to really begin understanding dog behaviour. So, it sure is a 5 stars book. Probably it is above any thing else written about dogs. I don't know if the others two first volumes cover advanced training techniques or if you should look elsewhere for that. I guess I'll find out latter when I read more books on dog behavior and training.

Finally, here is a quote from the author (steven R. Lindsay) that pretty much sums up what this book is about and what are its limits:

"No compendium of instructions can take the place of competent professional help for properly assesing canine behavior problems and prescribing behavior-therapy and training recommendations. The assessment procedures, instructions, guidelines, recommended devices and uses, behavior-therapy protocols, and training techniques described in Volume 3 assume that the user is appropriately experienced, knowledgeable, skilled, and qualified to apply them in a selective, competent, and safe manner".

So, don't you dare think this is the only source of information you need. Read everything you can, but the real fact is that you will need to find proper training in a good school and study under the guidance of experienced people. I know that's just what I'll have to do.

One last thing, don't fool yourself. This is a book writen with scientific language. I'm sure the publisher must be very aware how scientific language highly reduces the market for the book. I don't have a problem with that because I've read several scientific books. But if you don't like heavy reads... this might be one of them. So, be prepared for that.

Ah, did I say I absolutely love this book? It is entertaining, insightful, full of interesting facts about dog behaviour. I just love it! If you love dogs or work with them, this is probably one of the most valuable source of information you can get your hands on!

Well researched, objective, and scholarly.......2007-06-29

Steven Lindsay's three books are the ultimate reference guide for any dog trainer, breeder, veterinarian or serious dogsports competitor. Unlike most dog training books, these volumes are unique in that they do not describe the author's pet method for training a dog. Rather, Lindsay has collated information from scientific studies in order to give the reader an unbiased, scholarly reference guide to dog behaviour and training methods.

The information contained here is exhaustive, unbiased, up-to-date and very well researched. Although the books are an intensive read (to say the least!), Lindsay's style is very readable, and the books contain many diagrams and photographs to elucidate his points.

Although most useful as a complete set, since the later books reference material and methods covered in the earlier volumes, it is not necessary to read the first books before using the last. The material is well separated into topics and each chapter can stand alone.

From reducing compulsive licking and canine aggression to different types of dominance issues and impulsive aggression behavior.......2005-11-07

The weighty price tag might limit this title to all but the most serious pet library holding, while its nearly 800 pages of information will appeal to professionals rather than casual owners - but any serious dog trainer will find Handbook Of Applied Dog Behavior And Training V. 3: Procedures And Protocols essential. It's all here: from reducing compulsive licking and canine aggression to different types of dominance issues and impulsive aggression behavior.

A must have.......2005-10-19

WOW!

I have been waiting for years for such a masterpiece. For anyone in, or thinking of entering, the field of dog training and behavior this book must occupy your shelf, along with volumes one and two. I can see why it took Steve so long to get this published. I second Mary's comment...

BRAVO!

Kris Kates
ANIMAL MANNERS

Lindsay's Vol 3 is a must-have.......2005-08-10

Classic, monumental and destined to be a historic work, Steve Lindsay's 3 volume Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training should be on every dog owner and instructor's bookshelf.

Lindsay hits another home run with Volume 3, "Procedures and Protocols." This book provides comprehensive coverage of how to teach dogs new skills and how to handle canine behavior problems. Behavior problems such as housetraining (lack of it), destructive behavior, fears & phobias are addressed. The book provides detailed, science-based information about aggression. Additional topics include electronic
training, clicker training, and puppy temperament testing. In Vol. 3 Lindsay has done a magnificent job combining science with a practical approach that can be easily used by practitioners.

This 3 volume series, the writing of which was a 25 year labor of love, sets Lindsay apart as perhaps the leading scholar in the field today. If I could only have 3 books, I'd choose this whole set. If I could only own one book, I'd choose Steve Lindsay's Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training, Vol 3, Procedures and Protocols.

BRAVO.

Dr. Mary Burch
Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist

Customer Reviews:

A Nice Reference.......2006-10-11

This book is layed out by Marque alphabetically. A handy guide to the many builders and evolutions of British sports cars. It is important to note that this book focuses on sports or sporty cars produced for sale to the public. The general formula used to define a sports car is a production vehicle of light weight and relatively high BHP when compared to other vehicles of the time. Most are offered as open top roadsters. Racing history and early motorcars are not covered very much except as side notes. However, those cars that are covered are given rich color pictures and clear writing that typically will detail the design history as well as provide context regarding the time frame of the car design and information about the builder.

Average customer rating:

Not a good book for anyone under 30

Not a Beginner's Book

more beautiful bliss...

Nice collection, well photographed

Debbie has done it again

Family Knits--Over 25 Versatile Designs for Babies, Children and Adults
Debbie Bliss
Manufacturer: Trafalgar Square Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Knitting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Textile Arts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Debbie Bliss | Expert Advice | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Junior Knits

Easy Knits: Over 25 Simple Designs for Babies, Children and Adults

Country Knits

Great Knits for Kids

How to Knit: The Definitive Knitting Course Complete with Step-by-Step Techniques, Stitch Library and Projects for Your Home and Family

ASIN: 157076123X

Book Description

From best-selling author Debbie Bliss, a wonderfully versatile collection of knitwear designs for the whole family, from infants to adults. Debbie Bliss has often been asked why her stunning children's knitwear designs are not available in adult sizes. Now, at last, here is her first collection for the entire family. Many of the designs in this exciting new book include patterns for a complete size range, so that a classic guernsey sweater, for example, can be knitted either for a two-year-old or an adult man. A number of the designs also include variations and different colorways; a woman's cabled sweater, for instance, is also featured as a child's cardigan using the same stitch patterning. Family Knits is presented in four strikingly styled sections: Seashore, Outdoor Living, Country Weekend, and City Living, with projects ranging from simple knits to cable stitches and color patterning. With its stylish and versatile designs, easy-to-follow patterns and charts, and gorgeous color photos, Family Knits is a welcome new addition to the Debbie Bliss knitwear series. Debbie Bliss is a leading designer of children's knitwear and a highly successful author; among her books are Nautical Knits for Kids, Great Knits for Kids, Bright Knits for Kids, and Classic Knits for Kids. 80 pp 8 1/2 x 11 35 color photos, patterns & charts

Customer Reviews:

Not a good book for anyone under 30.......2003-04-01

The book cover is nice, the pictures are nice, but the desgins are very disappointing.

Even though most of the designs can be knitted for the whole family.. they don't appeal to a young adult like me.

The sizes for adults are all large and baggy. They don't fit well at all! They are just supersized version of toddler sweater.

I think Debbie bliss should just stick to designing children's wear. Please don't add more rows and stitches to children wear's pattern and call it adult wear.

Not a Beginner's Book.......2001-08-27

I really like this book. The designs are beautiful and the photography is gorgeous (although I would agree it is not incrediblly helpful to the serious knitter trying to follow the pattern. I just love the look of Debbie Bliss' designs. But I have some complaints. The prevalence of designs intended for Rowan brand denim yarn and Rowan cotton glace yarn, for example, is somewhat annoying. It is impossible to find Rowan brand in my area. Apparently, non-Rowan denim yarns do not shrink up nearly as much as Rowan's does, as I have discovered the hard way. And I am still searching for a yarn I can use in place of the cotton glace. Also, the designs are just plain huge. I made a sweater for my 2 year old that I ended up giving to my 5 year old--and it's very big on him! I wised up and made my 9 year old niece a sweater supposedly sized for a 6-8 year old. Frankly, I think I could wear it, it's that big--but it will be pleasantly loose on my niece. I hope. I've spent a lot of time complaining. You'd wouldn't think that it is my favorite pattern book and has been on my bedside shelf for about 8 months straight, but it is and it has. It is a beautiful book. You will look at the pictures and wish you could make everything in it. It's not easy to use. But in the end, after you make all adjustments needed (pay close attention to gauge, and the measurements given in the patterns), you will be the proud creator of a sweater that will earn you many compliments--and make all the members of your family request ones for themselves.

more beautiful bliss..........2000-05-02

As always, this book from Debbie Bliss is beautiful enough to be a coffee table book. Gorgeous pictures (although they don't always show enough detail, a complaint that is common about Bliss books) of adorable children and real families, including Debbie Bliss's own children--I think we have watched her daughter grow up through her books. Again, the same advice I always offer when it comes to patterns by Debbie Bliss--read the whole pattern over a few times, with a more experienced knitter's input if you're a beginner, before even starting. Then read it again as you go along.

My only complaint about this book is that the cutest sweaters, of course, only come in baby and toddler sizes, although many of the others are sized for a wide age group. I'm referring to the little Scandinavian-looking jackets--one of which is pictured on the cover.

Nice collection, well photographed.......1999-11-23

Debbie Bliss has produced a very nice book on knitting for the entire family. Her designs for children are still more stunning than those for adults, but there are several nice men's and women's sweaters here. Instructions are simple. Worth owning.

Debbie has done it again.......1999-04-11

Debbie Bliss has proven to me time and time again that each of her books have incredible and timeless designs. Debbie's Family knits is no exception. It is a fabulous book, because now you can make sweaters for the whole family from the same pattern, changing the colors to suit everyone's personalities. Anyone who enjoys knitting will find new patterns that they can now make for the grownups, as well as, the kids.

I highly recommend this book. It is a must have for any knitter.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Renaissance Quarterly, published by Renaissance Society of America on September 22, 2001. The length of the article is 917 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: "In the Footsteps of the Ancients." The Origins of Humanism from Lovato to Bruni.(Review)
Author: WILLIAM McCUAIG
Publication: Renaissance Quarterly (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2001
Publisher: Renaissance Society of America
Volume: 54 Issue: 3 Page: 928

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

In the Footsteps of the Ancients: The Origins of Humanism from Lovato to Bruni

Average customer rating:

In the Footsteps of the Ancients: The Origins of Humanism from Lovato to Bruni
Ronald G. Witt
Manufacturer: Brill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NDH69W

Average customer rating:

Snapshot of American popular advertising from the carnival midway

Freaks, Geeks, And Strange Girls
Teddy Varndell , Johnny Meah , and Jim Secreto
Manufacturer: Last Gasp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

United States | Regional | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Pop Culture | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Freak Show: Sideshow Banner Art

Seeing Is Believing: America's Side Shows

James Taylor's Shocked and Amazed: On & Off the Midway

American Circus Posters

Wild, Weird, and Wonderful: The American Circus 1901-1927 as seen by F. W. Glasier, Photographer

ASIN: 086719622X

Amazon.com

Sideshows sprung up alongside traveling circuses across the United States in the mid 19th Century after the railway system linked both coasts, and they fully flourished in rural areas after the turn of the century. With their inexpensive promises of lurid delights, fantastic feats, and horrific "monstrosities," they were part magic show, part raunchy B-movie, and part wunderkammer, all in one. The barker and music might draw a customer close, but a well-executed banner might make or break an act. Firms sprang up across the country to handle demand, and the works are often astounding and lurid combinations of text and image. These works stand as one of the more fascinating cross-pollinations of illustration, signage and self-taught / vernacular art in American history. They're also very un-PC and strangely beautiful. As with all modern advertising, the promise of the images rarely lived up to their accompanying pitches; the "Alligator Girl" just suffered from a dreadful skin condition, while the "Feejee Mermaid" was, you guessed it, not really a mermaid. The accompanying essays are all terse, fascinating, and tackle different aspects of the sideshow arts, the color illustrations plentiful and crisp. Even the most casual fan of tattooing knows that having Don "Ed" Hardy write an essay is a major coup. In the introductory essay, Lisa Stone and Randy Johnson rightly connect the lurid works to creations by margin-walking artists such as Ed Paschke, Karl Wirsum, and Joel-Peter Witkin. The photos of banners on location, as they looked back in the day, are especially interesting. While not the first or most definitive sampling of this work, it is easily the best. --Mike McGonigal

Book Description

Sideshow banners and freak show culture of the American carnival.

Customer Reviews:

Snapshot of American popular advertising from the carnival midway.......2005-11-27

Freaks, Geeks and Strange Girls is an overview of the gaudy advertising developed on American fair grounds to convince patrons to spend their hard earned nicker on the often dubious attractions inside the tent. Banner painting developed its own vernacular and traditions over the years, and the material presented here runs the gamut from the naive to the highly sophisticated. The illustrations are accompanied by essays on various aspects of sideshow culture, but what I find the most interesting are the firsthand accounts provided by banner painter and performer Johnny Meah.

[Note: My copy of this book is from the original 1996 Hardy Marks pressing. I haven't seen the new Last Gasp version yet, so I'm not sure whether the content has been updated from the original.]

Freaks, Geeks and Strange Girls: Sideshow Banners of the Great American Midway

Average customer rating:

Strange But True

Freaks, Geeks and Strange Girls: Sideshow Banners of the Great American Midway
Randy Johnson , Jim Secreto , and Teddy Varndell
Manufacturer: Hardy Marks Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Freaks, Geeks, and Strange Girls presents a colorful history of the carnival sideshow and its distinctive banner art. With 100 color photographs, the book lovingly surveys this now vanished icon of early rural America, counterpointing classic freak show art with contemporary interpretations. 50 archival black-and-white photos of sideshows provide a historical context for the banner illustrations. These essays and the heady, often un-PC images recall a time when compassion and restraint collapsed in the face of the exotic, the erotic, and the exploited, and present an interesting reference point to the current voyeuristic appeal of television shows such as Jerry Springer.

Customer Reviews:

Strange But True.......2000-09-26

This is one of the best collections of banner art I have seen. They are reprinted is glorious color- beautiful oranges and reds. Book is organized as people researched and ideas progressed- very logical yet whimsical progressions. Essays are very personal and very informative. Highly recommended.

Freaks Geeks & Strange Girls 1ST Edition

Average customer rating:

Freaks Geeks & Strange Girls 1ST Edition
Randy Johnson
Manufacturer: HARDY MARKS PUBLICATIONS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UCYVSU

Freaks, Geeks & Strange Girls: Sideshow Banners of the Great American Midway

Average customer rating:

Freaks, Geeks & Strange Girls: Sideshow Banners of the Great American Midway
Randy Johnson , Jim Secreto , and Teddy Varndell
Manufacturer: Hardy Marks Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Folk Art | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0945367155

Freaks, Geeks & Strange Girls: Sideshow Banners of the Great

Average customer rating:

Freaks, Geeks & Strange Girls: Sideshow Banners of the Great
LISA (ED.) STONE
Manufacturer: See notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RQPTIA

FREAKS, GEEKS & STRANGE GIRLS: SIDESHOW BANNERS FROM THE GREAT AMERICAN MIDWAY

Average customer rating:

FREAKS, GEEKS & STRANGE GIRLS: SIDESHOW BANNERS FROM THE GREAT AMERICAN MIDWAY
Randy, Jim Secreto & Teddy Varndell Johnson
Manufacturer: Hardy Marks Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFTMJ6

Average customer rating:

Freaks, Geeks, and Strange Girls
Randy Johnson
Manufacturer: TURNAROUND PUBLISHER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K7E7ZW

Average customer rating:

Freaks, Geeks, and Strange Girls: Sideshow Banners of the Great American Midway
Randy Johnson; Jim Secreto And Teddy Varndell
Manufacturer: HARDY MARKS PUBLICATIONS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OJL826

Average customer rating:

Freaks, Geeks. & Strange Girls: Sideshow Banners of the Great American Midway
Randy Johnson; And Jim Secreto And Teddy Varndell
Manufacturer: HARDY MARKS PUBLICATIONS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OK1HLC

Book Description

This compelling look at the wellsprings of cultural vitality during one of the most dehumanizing experiences in history provides a fresh perspective on the African-American past. "A classic. The most cogent and detailed attempt to think through what acculturation of Africans in the Americas was like." -Albert J. Raboteau

Customer Reviews:

Old Wine/New Bottle? Depolarizing African-American Culture.......2003-08-19

'The Birth of African-American Culture: An Anthropological Perspective' is an early 1970s reaction to the `swift' establishment of Afro-American and Black Studies programmes within the U.S. American Universities, in the aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement. Its authors-Sidney Mintz and Richard Price-feared that, with the `explosion' of general interest in Black History, ideological concerns might sidetrack the invaluable `scholarly quest' previously established by the likes of W.E.B. Du Bois and Zora Neale Hurston (in the U.S.A.) Jean Price-Mars (in Haiti) or Fernando Ortiz (in Cuba) to name a few. Therefore, 'The Birth of African-American Culture' cautiously offers strategies/approaches to study the Afro-American past that would do justice to the complexity of the subject. Its central thesis, supported both by documentary material and speculation, is straightforward: continuities between the so-called `Old' and `New' Worlds must be established on a comprehension of the `basic conditions' under which the migrations of `enslaved Africans' took place.
Today, that the analysis of the development of Afro-American culture should focus on `process' is no longer an issue; the works of renowned scholars such as Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Lawrence W. Levine are a testimony to it. In a sense, these academics vindicate Mintz and Price who, two decades earlier, have emphasised the need for more analytical subtlety, flexibility, and sound socio-historical research in Afro-American Studies. What is more, Mintz and Price are aware of the book's achievement, even though, in its 1992 re-edition, caution is still strong in the way they reassert their belief in a two decade-old thesis. For example, in the new preface, Mintz and Price repeat that the unavoidable fact in the study of Afro-America is `the humanity of the oppressed, and the inhumanity of the systems that oppressed them.' Both believe that such oppression `has by no means ended should be clear to everyone, as it is to us.'
The text of 'The Birth of African-American Culture', including introduction and conclusion, is eighty-five pages long; yet amazingly it covers a broad range of complex issues focused on slave society, from the origins and beginnings of Afro-American societies and cultures to questions of kinship and sex roles therein. In their rigorously balanced, albeit too tentative at times, analysis of Afro-American Culture the authors rightfully argue that the transfer of culture intact from Africa to the Americas is more fiction than reality. Mintz and Price believe that `Retentions' and `Survivals' are more the exception than the rule in any group's transport of beliefs and values from one locale to another (Europeans included).
The Birth of African-American Culture is thought provoking; it is still very useful in the scholarship on slavery, and issues of the origins and development of Afro-American culture. It is also a must-read for those Africans who refuse to be carelessly melted in the pot of global Blackness. Because of never-ending and multifaceted oppression, contemporary Africans and Afro-Americans still need to negotiate an awful number of complex issues before being `brothers' and `sisters': it has been so for centuries despite the numerous bonds that (do) exist between members of the Black Diaspora. Like Mintz and Price, it is my profound conviction that `the nature of oppression, while obvious in its most familiar forms, involves subtleties as well, one of these being the way it divides and confuses honest [souls] by perpetuating suspicion and fear.' However, in its future editions, 'The Birth of African-American Culture''s authors need to:
(1) Go beyond offering startegies/approaches to the study of the Afro-American past, and present results of such studies, albeit selectively, if only to corroborate and strengthen their own thesis/be bolder in their arguments. I believe that Mintz and Price missed this opportunity two decades after the first publication of their book but, still, it can be done;
(2) Spend time to explain to the reader how `Caribbeanist' scholars like themselves can write about (Afro-) `American' culture. In other words the intertwined issues of what `America' is, what `Americans' are and how they relate to the subject matter of 'The Birth of African-American Culture' must be tackled in much detail and clarity.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books