Murder Unleashed (Dead-End Job Mysteries, Book 5)

Book Description

Helen Hawthorne has no choice but to take on a series of dead-end jobs to make ends meet. Unfortunately, they're exposing her to a lot of people who end up dead. Her latest gig at the Pampered Pet Boutique isn't proving to be a warm and furry exception-and now she's got a murder to solve and a kidnapped pup to find, all before a Category 3 hurricane hits.

Customer Reviews:

quick read.......2007-06-27

Another quick read by Elaine Viets. You know, some of the mysteries take so long to complete, others, such as Elaine Viets series, do not. I would suggest waiting for the paperback, but sometimes you just can't wait to see what the heroine gets into next.

Not Very Good.......2007-06-22

I really like Elaine Viets, but this book was pretty much a flop...that, despite the fact I'm a dog lover.

I realize that Helen is supposed to be on the run, thus keeping most of her persona a mystery, but so many books into the series, I still don't even have a picture of this character in my mind -- what she looks like, how old she is, etc. And I also really can't stomach the Phil relationship, which I feel moved way too fast, and now has the two characters madly in love after just a couple of months, coming up with lines such as Phil saying, "I can save you!" when he finds out Helen has been accused of carelessness. The whole relationship feels forced and phony.

I think the thing that bugged me most about this book was the horrid excuse for fact checking and realism. Helen puts a bag of dog food into the back seat of someone's Miata -- yet anyone with a pair of eyes knows that Miatas don't have back seats. We hear about how the Ft. Lauderdale pet boutique flooded in Hurricane Andrew -- Andrew was a dry storm with very little rain, and I barely had any water at my house in central Miami. A store in Ft. Lauderdale certainly wouldn't have flooded in that hurricane. And no pet boutique would be open when a hurricane is bearing down and all other businesses are closed. I found these little irritating things very annoying.

And the way Helen "caught" Willoughby's murderer had to be the stupidest wrap-up I've ever read in a cozy. I don't know if the author was going for humor, but she should be ashamed at how ridiculous it turned out.

I really hope the next installment is better.

Yet another good book by Viets.......2007-06-18

As a light, humerous mystery story that is one of Elaine Viets' "Dead End Job" series, Murder Unleashed is an entertaining book. The main character Helen Hawthorne goes to work at a pet grooming and supply store. Helen is a bright, formerly-well-employed woman who is on the run from "justice" in St. Louis, Missouri. In order to stay away from situations that would bring her to the attention of the authorities she takes low-paying, off-the-books jobs while living at a quaint, "old Florida" hotel operated by an old, female owner who Helen can turn to for
advice and sympathy. Helen's jobs put her in proximity to murders that
investigators might believe were committed by her. Helen must look into
the murders in order to clear herself and thereby stay out of the news that might bring her to the attention of St. Louis authorities. Murder
Unleashed follows the formula in a manner that causes me to continue to
enjoy the writing of Elaine Viets.

Ms. Viets was a newspaper columnist in St. Louis for many years before
moving to South Florida to write books. I am from a St. Louis suburb
where I regularly read and enjoyed Viets' columns. I too moved to Florida for a number of years, and would like to move back there again.
Viets has much to say about the Florida lifestyle and also makes frequent
comment about St. Louis and its suburbs and inhabitants. Naturally I like Viets' frequent take on both places as part of her books. But even
were I not from St. Louis and familiar with Florida I would like Viets'
books. Elaine Viets is one bright lady with a fine sense of humor and a rare skill with words. She is considerably younger than I am;
so she is likely to continue to entertain me until I drop off the twig. Reading Elaine Viets' writing is one of my great pleasures.

Best of this series.......2006-11-15

Okay, so we don't all read heavy classics all the time. Sometimes we just want a fun book to read on a plane or on a beach. Elaine Viets books are light who-done-its. Her column used to be the reason I bought the St. Louis Post, and we all miss it. Now she writes murder mysteries with engaging, flawed female protagonists. Her Josie Mystery shopper books are more believable but Helen Hawthorne has interesting temporary jobs, and colorful Floridian neighbors. I just wish Helen could solve the murder of her louse ex-husband, then she could get a better job.

I must be in a slump with Elaine Viets books...........2006-08-02

I loved how this series started, but I had to force myself to finish this book. I hate to see this happen, I figure it's me not the author, so I will take a break from her. I recommend you start at the beginning of this series, secondary characters are wonderful as are all the job situtations that come up.

Amazon.com

"They don't make 'em like that any more!" say fans of the classic juvenile SF novels, Alexei Panshin's Rite of Passage (1968) and the run of Robert A. Heinlein novels that begins with Rocket Ship Galileo (1947) and ends with Podkayne of Mars (1963). Except--John Barnes has made one like that: The Sky So Big and Black. The book's brilliant teenage protagonist, hard science, brisk pace, didactic moments, and strong characterization make it clear that Barnes is working consciously in the tradition of Panshin and Heinlein (especially Heinlein's Red Planet [1949] and Podkayne of Mars). Like his models, Barnes does a superb job. The Sky So Big and Black is a classic. Read it, and give it to any smart, perhaps-outcast young reader whom you want to infect with the science fiction meme.

Terpsichore "Teri" Murray lives on Mars, an eco-prospector-in-training and the daughter of a widowed ecospector. Instead of gold, ecospectors seek underground rivers and gas pockets, which they blast to the Martian surface in hopes of earning fabulous wealth. The ecospector life is hard, primitive, dangerous, and perhaps doomed to extinction, as the Martian atmosphere thickens and the genetically engineered "Mars-form" humans increase their population. An Earth-form human, Teri doesn't want to give up ecospecting, which she loves as much as she hates the city and school where she's forced to spend part of every year. But she finds herself with new, far more ominous worries when a devastating planetwide disaster isolates the colonies from one another, strands Teri in the Martian outback with several injured young children, and opens the entire planet to attack by One True, the collective intelligence that rules Earth in a terrifyingly total dictatorship. --Cynthia Ward

Book Description

Terpichore Murray is growing up on Mars. She wants to quit school and become an eco-prospector like her father. He has other ideas; not only does he want her to stay in school, he wants her along on his next long trip conducting a group of younger kids from the highlands at Mars's equator back to school in Wells City. Early in the trip, disaster strikes-and it's up to Terry, without adult help, to get the survivors to safety, through several hundred miles of Martian wilderness. In the process, she will encounter the self-engineered "Mars-form" humans, usually shunned by the regular colonists-and One True, the collective intelligence that dominates Earth and from whom the Mars colonists are all separated. In the process she may well come of age and change the course of human history in the solar system . . . if Mars doesn't kill her first.

Customer Reviews:

A Good Book with Scary Concept.......2006-11-22

I didn't know there's a four book story arc involved with this book until now, while shopping for this copy online for a friend. The book starts off with a young girl's perspective of growing up as a prospector on a colony, but the events which her life revolves around gets bleaker and more dangerous as the book goes on. The author eventually paints a terrifying vision of a near-future science fiction that made me recollect the nightmarish possibilities mentioned in Orwell's _1984_.

I spent several days, after finishing the book, thinking about how his concepts are currently used in current events as much as Orson Scott Card's _Ender's Game_ concept of exploiting children as soldiers in the future to highlight the use of children in combat zones today. That's a sign of a great sf writer: to provoke the reader into thinking of the implications of his concepts regarding our real future.

I must say the cutesy vocabulary used by the settlers are distracting, but I gotta give the author some slack in his effort to creating a unique, future world. I also forgive him for not revealing a bigger scope of the story in the book since its limited to the view point of the lone girl. I guess the bigger scope of the "Meme Wars" will come about by reading his other books in the series.

What a mistake!.......2004-12-31

This was an exasperating book to read! Barnes has tried to make the story interesting by telling the story through recordings made by a patient of a psycologist of some kind. He has invented a lot of words like "skosh", "roo", "kim" etc which is not explaned and continues to annoy the reader by his lack of ability to actually tell a story through first person.

The story can be believable at times, but pew, all these personal, non-relevant reflections only carry along an annoying feeling that the writer doesn't seem to have the nerve to write proper hard sci-fi. He seems to be hiding behind diversions, lame reflections and obviousness instead of driving the story forward.

I can hardly understand how this book can appeal to anyone looking for science fiction. On the front cover Arthur C Clarke is quoted "A master of the genre". Well, the quote doesn't specify which genre or even which author it relates to...

Intriguing and Surprising.......2003-12-17

This story is set on a future Mars. Earth is under the control of a group mind known as One True and Mars is slowly being terraformed by geoprospectors who are searching for and releasing water, CO2, methane, etc.

Our story centers around a young girl just as she becomes an adult. She and her father are geoprospectors and are very good at it. The story is told as memories she relates to a police shrink. This gives the reader plenty of foreshadowing for some of the later events but really leaves the ending as a surprise (although the hints are there, you don't realize it until after the fact).

The story moves quickly and you can really care about the characters. While most of the science is believable (no faster-than-light travel for example), much of the setting relies heavily upon synthesis and replication that may never be possible at those power levels (but it doesn't really detract from the book).

A fine book of hard science fiction with excellent character development. If you like that sort of thing, this one won't disappoint.

Good stuff in the Heinlein tradition.......2003-05-15

I've enjoyed John Barnes's novels for a while now. This novel takes place in the future laid out in the previous novels Kaleidoscope Century and Candle. In this future, the concept of Memes that can control the human mind are central to the story. They aren't memes like an idea that spreads across the internet and becomes part of the culture. We are talking about the concept of a method by which a Meme can take over and control a human mind.

In Barnes's future, the Earth is completely taken over by the Meme called One True. The rest of humanity, spread out in space on the Moon and on Mars try to make do without the Earth.

This story takes place on Mars with a group of ecospectors, ecological prospectors. Rather than hunting for valuable minerals, they hunt for ways to terraform Mars by releasing water or identifying other organic resources.

Mars is cast in the light of the seminal Heinlein Libertarian society. Few laws, much personable responsibility, and a huge focus on trust and reputation. It very much harks back to ideas from Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

Without giving out any spoilers, the Martians face a tragedy are must make choices between their lifestyle and dealing with One True for help. Barnes looks at how the libertarian world (Mars) and the socialist world (Earth) can interact and what price are the libertarians willing to pay to keep their way of life.

I recommend the book. It's a fast read and has plenty of neat technical ideas interspersed with the storyline.

First rate novel of terraforming Mars and disaster.......2003-03-23

The Sky So Big and Black is a first-rate novel, clearly a Hugo contender in my view. It's scary at times, sweet at times, it presents a fascinating social structure, and some excellent SFnal speculation about terraforming Mars. And it features one of the scariest SFnal ideas since Vernor Vinge's "Focus" (in A Deepness in the Sky).

It is very well structured, presented as a psychologist listening to a series of interviews he did with Teri-Mel Murray, a young woman on Mars who was working with her father as an "ecospector". It's clear from the start that something terrible happened, and indeed that the psychologist was forced to erase Teri-Mel's memory. It's also clear that he likes her a lot, and is really torn up by what has happened, and worried that he may have to treat her again, for some mysterious reason that takes a long time to become clear. The interviews tell of Teri and her father travelling across the lightly terraformed planet to a "Gather" of the "rounditachis", people who live more or less in the open on Mars, working to help advance the terraforming. Teri is hoping that she will be certified a "Full Adult" at the Gather, and be free to marry her boyfriend. Her father wants her to go back to school for one more year, because he's not convinced that ecospecting will remain a good living. As they travel, they plan to make one more attempt at a big "scorehole". And Teri is starting to worry about her boyfriend.

All the above is cute stuff, and interleaved with neat SFnal details about the terraforming of Mars. In the background lurk details about the future history up to this point, especially the takeover of ecologically ravaged Earth by a "meme" called "One True", or "Resuna", which more or less has turned Earth's population into a hive mind. Also we learn bits and pieces about the psychologist's feelings, which give us hints about the disaster which has clearly occurred. So it's a scary book, as we learn to like Teri more and more, while we just know that she's going to get hurt real real bad. And when the crisis comes, it's exciting, and terribly sad, and even scarier than I had first expected. The resolution is moving, real, and and open-ended.

Barnes' future is on the one hand full of hope, and of cool SFnal stuff, and on the other had it is very very scary, and much of it dominated by something purely evil, yet not sneeringly evil. I should note that this is a sequel to three earlier novels: Orbital Resonance, Kaleidoscope Century, and Candle. But it reads just fine alone.

Average customer rating:
Sky So Big & Black
John Barnes
Manufacturer: ST MARTINS MASS *
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000Q1JS1K

Average customer rating:

Buy it!! I am a psychologist and sufferfer myself. This is the only thing that helped me!!!!

Never too old

Revelatory

No wonder I am so stressed!

For All Those Who Find Stimulation too Much

Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight: What to Do If You Are Sensory Defensive in an Overstimulating World
Sharon Heller
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Integration Issues

The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder, Revised Edition

The Sensory-Sensitive Child: Practical Solutions for Out-of-Bounds Behavior

The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun, Revised Edition: Activities for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder

The Highly Sensitive Person's Survival Guide: Essential Skills for Living Well in an Overstimulating World (Step-By-Step Guides)

ASIN: 0060932929

Book Description

In the publishing tradition of Driven to Distraction or The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing, this prescriptive book by a developmental psychologist and sufferer of Sensory Defensive Disorder (SD) sheds light on a little known but common affliction in which sufferers react to harmless stimuli as irritating, distracting or dangerous.

We all know what it feels like to be irritated by loud music, accosted by lights that are too bright, or overwhelmed by a world that moves too quickly. But millions of people suffer from Sensory Defensive Disorder (SD), a common affliction in which people react to harmless stimuli not just as a distracting hindrance, but a potentially dangerous threat.Sharon Heller, Ph.D. is not only a trained psychologist, she is sensory defensive herself. Bringing both personal and professional perspectives, Dr. Heller is the ideal person to tell the world about this problem that will only increase as technology and processed environments take over our lives. In addition to heightening public awareness of this prevalent issue, Dr. Heller provides tools and therapies for alleviating and, in some cases, even eliminating defensiveness altogether.

Until now, the treatment for sensory defensiveness has been successfully implemented in Learning Disabled children in whom defensiveness tends to be extreme. However, the disorder has generally been unidentified in adults who think they are either overstimulated, stressed, weird, or crazy. These sensory defensive sufferers live out their lives stressed and unhappy, never knowing why or what they can do about it. Now, with Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight, they have a compassionate spokesperson and a solution–oriented book of advice.

Customer Reviews:

Buy it!! I am a psychologist and sufferfer myself. This is the only thing that helped me!!!!.......2007-10-01

This book is excellent for anyone who expereinces any type of anxiety. As a psychologist, I myself become unnerved, deeply anxious, and have my quirks. I react quickly to certain smells. I can't clean or be near any chemicals. I can only wear skirts because I can't stand anything on my waist. Crowds and loud noises bother me. I just thought I was a difficult person. This book explains exactly why I am the way I am. I almost want to push this push book in front of everyone's face I know and say "See I'm annoying because I have sensory problems." For those who don't believe in sensory problems- get on the boat or you are going to sink. It is amazing that as an adult I am just realizing after working with children with behavioral and autism problems that I have the same sensory-related problems. Buy this book. Your life will change for the better. I recommend it to everyone in this world. If you want a calmer lifestyle- then please spend the money and take the time to read this book. If you don't do it for yourself at least do it for your children.

Never too old.......2007-08-03

I've always been a bit sensory defensive, but it has escalated a lot in the past year, and I'm 62. This book may be geared to kids and young people, but I found it relevant to my situation, both in understanding what's going on with me, and how to cope with the anxiety. I think it's an excellent book on a subject that not much is being written about.

Revelatory.......2007-08-02

I didn't even know what sensory defensiveness was until I was 32, even though I've battled with it all my life. When I did finally discover it, I was given all the books about sensory integration (dysfunction) for parents and children, which were not that helpful. It was hard to apply the information for a 5 year old to my 32 year old life. This book was exactly what I needed. So glad I found it... even more glad that she wrote it!

I've been unable to find any occupational therapists anywhere near me who work with adults and sensory issues. I thought I was doomed to struggle with this on my own until I found this book. It's no substitute for OT, but it's better than nothing. It has opened my eyes to a whole new way of life, and whole new level of functioning.

It's not just for moderately or severely defensive people, either. There's something here for every sensitive person who's sensitivity gets in the way of their joy, I believe.

I highly recommend it. And yes, the cover is sort of a sensory nightmare (to me), but then... that's what grabbed my attention. I may not have found this book without it.

No wonder I am so stressed!.......2007-02-08

This book is excellent. It will give you a great deal of information to help you with children, others(and even yourself) who get overloaded by the things of this world. I knew some of the things that made me crazy, but this book showed me even more.....and gave ideas of how to lessen the overload. Very well done and very informative.

For All Those Who Find Stimulation too Much.......2007-01-12

This book is great - not just for kids, but adults too, who find that life is just too much at times. Does your child hate tags on clothing, anything with long sleeves, even in winter, anything tight that's not thin and soft? Hates too bright lights (mushroom cave preferred), or any loud sound that isn't theirs?
I have an 18 yr old with Asperger's, and I wish I had this book years and years ago. Then I might have "gotten" what upset her. Why she wants quiet at all times. Why she goes ballistic if the pets/her sister start running around the house, thumping. Why she removes all tags, wants only certain clothes, and has a brown room (brown sheets, blankets, and dark posters/pictures). I found an old black metal sign with a bat on it, and she loved it.
This book helps you to understand the child's needs, and why they seem so outrageous at times to you. And you may find yourself in the book - I did, and realized my reactions to things fit as well.
Great resource for any parent with out-of-sync children, autistic/Asperger's, or those who are just not fitting into the skin of the world.

Average customer rating:

Decent book, but not what I would call an Encyclopedia

From a gourmet cook by hobby, and former Educator

Worth a read.....

Book should be called the History of Peppers, With Receipes!

Slightly exaggerated claim.....

The Chile Pepper Encyclopedia: Everything You'll Ever Need To Know About Hot Peppers, With More Than 100 Recipes
Dave Dewitt
Manufacturer: William Morrow Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0688156118

Book Description

The Chile Pepper Encyclopedia has the answer to just about any question one could ask about chile peppers. Which chiles are the hottest? What country did the first chile plants come from? What popular brand of dandruff shampoo is made with chile peppers? Can chiles really be used to cure headaches? Even the most devoted "chile-heads" will be satisfied. The encyclopedia is researched and written by Dave Dewitt, the country's foremost expert on hot and spicy foods and longtime editor-in-chief of Chile Pepper magazine.

In addition to entries on chile species, culture, terminology, and agriculture, the encyclopedia includes more than one hundred fiery recipes like Madras Fried Chile Fritters from India and Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings are sure to please any hot-and-spicy food lover. Black and white drawings and photographs, charts, and graphs appear throughout, and an eight page insert includes color photographs of dozens of varieties of chiles, invaluable for identification. The Chile Pepper Encyclopedia is an indispensable sourcebook for chile aficionados, gardeners, cooks, and anyone else who has a burning interest in fiery foods.

Customer Reviews:

Decent book, but not what I would call an Encyclopedia.......2007-01-09

I purchased this book with hopes of having some detailed information and color pictures of about most of the major types of peppers out there. That is not in this book.

As a book goes, it's a fairly decent book, plenty of interesting information about peppers, recipes, information about different types, South American cultures and so on, but the photos are only black and white, and no detailed photos of peppers or plants are in the book. I think that calling it an encyclopedia was a misnomer.

From a gourmet cook by hobby, and former Educator.......2007-01-07

I returned this book to Amazon, because there were no color pictures of any of the myriad hot peppers discussed therein. There is no real way to identify a particular type of pepper with only a black and white drawing/photo.

As someone who taught school from elementary to university level, I can say that learners, especially me, would greatly benefit by viewing color photos of the various hot peppers discussed in this publication.

Worth a read............2005-09-20

This is truly an encyclopedia, giving more detail and history than most folks would ever want to know about the chili pepper. For the chili-head, though, it is must have knowledge. I enjoyed it.

Book should be called the History of Peppers, With Receipes!.......2004-10-19

This books gives a history of peppers, not a cooking encyclopedia. I think the editors realized this so they threw in receipes as an after thought. When I first opened opened up the book I anticipating to see titles of chapters on different kinds of peppers, preparation, growing, cooking techniques etc...instead i got a history of several species of peppers that frankly didnt interest me.
I guess I will have to write a true pepper cooking encyclopedia book myself.

Slightly exaggerated claim............2004-07-04

The CHILE PEPPER ENCYCLOPEDIA by Dave DeWitt, should be an encyclopedia, right? I picture an encyclopedia about peppers as a comprehensive book with many sections each illustrated with a colorful photo of the subject. That is not the case with this book, however. DeWitt's encyclopedia is yet another cookbook. He included many recipes which he has organized origin not by dish, or type of pepper.

For example, "A" is for Africa and African dishes such as "South African Hot Lamb Curry" which include American peppers and probably originated with natives from India using British lamb. "A" contains a section on `Aji' peppers (of interest to me), but I did not find the Aji pepper I grow in my garden and want to know more about (Aji Colorado). From Africa, we move onto Amazonia, which digresses into African slaves and Catholic saints.

DeWitt is obviously quite knowledgeable about peppers. I just wish his editors could help him get organized. And, pictures of Chinese peasants sorting peppers is interesting, but please add color photos of the peppers or don't call this an encyclopedia about peppers.

Average customer rating:

Good starter book

Colorful book, but not a wealth of information

Buy this book

Superb laymen reading!!!

Very basic cichlid starter book.

The Guide to Owning Malawi Cichlids
T F H Publications , and David E. Boruchowitz
Manufacturer: TFH Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Fish & Aquariums | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0793803594

Customer Reviews:

Good starter book.......2000-05-22

This book is excellent for the price. It contains basic knowledge with a bit of advanced aquarist practices. Most pics are of good quality, with the exception of some fish that are in terrible condition. This was my first African Cichlid book and I would recommend it to newcommers to the hobby.

Colorful book, but not a wealth of information.......2000-04-14

This book is about what you'd expect for the price - it's full of fantastic pictures, but doesn't have much more information than you could find just browsing the internet.

Buy this book.......2000-01-13

This book is the most superbly written refrence on Malawi Cichlids that it has ever been my privilage to read.

Superb laymen reading!!!.......1999-10-01

I highly recommend this book! The pictures are high quality and information is presented in an easy, cookbook fashion. Well worth the small price.

Very basic cichlid starter book........1999-06-24

Good entry level Malawi cichlid aquarist book dealing with only the most common species.

Konings' Book of Cichlids and All the Other Fishes of Lake Malawi (Guide to Owning A...)

Average customer rating:

Not worth the money
Confusing layout but good coffee table book
A must have book for the cichlid enthusiast!
Cichlids and all other fishes of lake malawi
A Fantastic African Cichlid Reference Book!

Konings' Book of Cichlids and All the Other Fishes of Lake Malawi (Guide to Owning A...)
Ad Konings
Manufacturer: TFH Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0866225277

Customer Reviews:

Not worth the money.......2005-07-12

This is one of the most poorly produced books I have ever encountered. At least 25 text pages have been left in German--what was the publisher thinking?--and the design is atrocious. It will be a cold day in Hades before I buy another TFH Publications book.

Confusing layout but good coffee table book.......2004-12-27

While this book has some great pictures in it, and the information about the species and lake is good, the arrangement of the species could really use some work. For some reason, Konings has decided to to arrange the species based on outdated classifications, something he acknowledges doing. The reasoning for this is not entirely clear, maybe its because he's an old fuddy-dud who insisted on using archaic and inaccurate classifications. This alone could be forgiven, after all, the book was published over 10 years ago, at a time when the more accurate classifications were still relatively new. However, what is more confusing is that konings has changed the names of the species to reflect the new system of classification. So while the species are arranged in the order of the old classification their names do not reflect this. For example, under the outdated naming system the Cyrtocara group of fish is arranged alphabetically as Cyrtocara ahli, Cyrtocara anagenys, Cyrtocara anaphyrmus and so on. However, Konings does not label these species as Cyrtocara xxxxx, rather he names them using their accurate names of Sciaenochromis Ahli, Exochromis anagenys, Maravichromis anaphyrmus and so on. Thus when you try and look up Otopharynx lithobates, rather than looking for the names starting with "O" you must flip randomly through the book (all 495 pages of it) or look it up in the index at the back. Needless to say, this becomes very frustrating. Oh, by the way, I hope you can read German, because about 10 pages of the book are written in it. I'm not sure if this is a problem with only my copy or with all of them but it too is very annoying. (maybe that explains why the book sold for almost 40% off) Anyway, despite these problems the book does contain some good info and pictures and as a coffee table book it succeeds wonderfully, particularly if your guests don't know much about fish. However, as a reference book it is inferior to much of the information and pictures that can be found on the internet. My adice: check out www.cichlid-forum.com for some good info on the species, then pick this book up to impress your friends.

A must have book for the cichlid enthusiast!.......2000-12-14

This is one of my favorite books. Once again Ad Konings does a wonderful job of presenting the fish of Lake Malawi.

This book provides the Konings typically wonderful photos of virtually all of the fish and color morphs. The information provided on each fish is excellent as well.

This is a must have for the serious cichlidiot.

Cichlids and all other fishes of lake malawi.......1999-12-31

This book is excellent for someone who is more interested in identifying lake malawi fish as opposed to general information on how to properly keep these fish in a home aquarium. For someone who is not a beginner, this definitely is a must have book. The pictures are great and there is a whole lot of information on lake malawi and the general characteristics of each fish. Buy this book, it will be a decision you will not regret.

A Fantastic African Cichlid Reference Book!.......1999-12-20

Mr. Konings has provided the african cichlid enthusiast with a lavishly illustrated reference work that covers the vast majority of mbuna encountered in the hobby as well as rare open water cichlids. Also included are photos of many non-cichlid species of fish (catfish,etc.) found in Lake Malawi. Detailed descriptions of each type of cichlid are given including size, spawning behavior, diet, and habitat. An excellent book!

Book Description

Accurate representations of period apparel depict 21 Confederate uniforms, 24 Union uniforms, different ranks, states, units; historical figures include Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, David G. Farragut, and others — shown in color on covers. Descriptive captions.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable, educational, and informative!.......1999-04-12

"Civil War Uniforms" by Copeland is one of my favorites. The color guidelines and details of the uniforms allow them to come alive. Each page tells about the unit that the soldier would have served with. The pictures are very detailed, yet can be enjoyed by children as well as adults. I have become a collector of coloring books, and this one is certainly at the top of my list.

Customer Reviews:

From a scientist and artist.......2000-07-21

After seeing so many books on candlemaking which promote the use of string as a wick and crayons as colorants (which one should never, ever, do), this book is like a light unto the darkness - it is the difference between child-level research on one hand, irresponsibly printed as "how-to" instructions, and the work of a literate scientist on the other. Nussle shows photos of every aspect of modern candlemaking technique as practiced at the home-craftsman level on up to small-to-medium industry. Every other book I have found depends largely upon luck or trial-and-error on the part of the candlemaker if any changes are made in any aspect of the candle design. Nussle's book shows how wick size and melting point, etc., affect the results, and explains about modern additives for even more control of results - to allow the use of a wider range of waxes and to create special effects in the candle. I vote for this book to be republished.

This is my candlemaking bible.......1999-08-01

If your just starting out making candles or your an old pro that just wants to make a better candle. This book shows the techniques and methods that will improve your understanding of candles from start to finish. A must for the serious candlemaker.

Book Description

Proclus of Constantinople was an outstanding pulpit orator who established the rhetoric and rationale for the Byzantine devotion to the Mother of God. In this book, the critical editions of Proclus' most celebrated Marian sermons (Homilies 1-5) provide the point of departure for a far-reaching study of the rise of the Virgin's cult in Late Antiquity. The homilies are supported by a historical introduction to the life and work of Proclus, situating him within the larger religious culture of fifth-century Constantinople. Richly documented chapters explore the symbolism of the incarnation and virgin birth, including the notion of virginal "conception through hearing," and the image of Mary's womb as a textile loom wich weaves a veil of flesh the bodiless divinity.

Customer Reviews:

One of my all time favorites.......2002-02-13

Beautiful artwork, beautifully reproduced. I somehow stumbled on this guy and bought the book based entirely on the cover image displayed here. Boy, I am not sorry - the rest of the images are just as great: striking subjects, with fantastic colors

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Appealing and Authoritative Book about Japanese Print Master.......2001-03-22

Steeped in traditional Japanese culture and trained early in Western art techniques, Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950) combined these two sensibilities to revive and renew the ancient art of Japanese woodblock printing on the verge of its disappearance as Japan embraced modernization at the beginning of the 20th century. This book is a comprehensive introduction for those new to Yoshida's work, and a valuable aid to the sophisticated print collector. Excellent color reproductions of 259 woodblock prints plus 20 works in other media shine in a generous and uncluttered format that encourages leisurely enjoyment of each masterpiece. The cosmopolitan Yoshida recorded his travels in India, China, Korea and the United States in his art. A passionate mountaineer, Yoshida translated sketches from his climbing expeditions into stunning prints, in such series as "Twelve Scenes in the Japan Alps." He also captured scenes of Japan's disappearing traditional life in evocative prints such as "Honest Grocery", "A Small Restaurant at Night" and "Farmhouse." In perhaps his greatest works, Yoshida combines his skill in rendering both the monumental and the domestic to show that human existence is at once small and precious. He uses vast mountain landscapes as backdrops for intimate groups of climbers gathered around evening fires or sheltered in tents or caves as they sing and tell stories. Text and captions are in both English and Japanese. Inclusions of full margins on each print reproduction permits study of Japanese and English titles, signatures, dates and seals. A chronological survey of the prints, an illustrated artistic and personal biography, memoirs by Yoshida's artist sons and short essays on Yoshida's career round out this lovely book.

The Complete Woodblock Prints of Yoshida Hiroshi

Average customer rating:

The Complete Woodblock Prints of Yoshida Hiroshi

Manufacturer: Tuttle Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 4900090891

Book Description

"With new conceptions and interpretations, this book is a significant contribution in a number of fields: California history, México and the Southwest, pre-colonial California, Chicano studies. It is also an example of the finest of memoir literature.... Murguía is an elegant stylist reminiscent of Hemingway in his deceptive simplicity."

—Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Professor of Ethnic Studies, California State University, Hayward

"People who live in California deny the past," asserts Alejandro Murguía. In a state where "what matters is keeping up with the current trends, fads, or latest computer gizmo," no one has "the time, energy, or desire to reflect on what happened last week, much less what happened ten years ago, or a hundred." From this oblivion of memory, he continues, comes a false sense of history, a deluded belief that the way things are now is the way they have always been.

In this work of creative nonfiction, Murguía draws on memories—his own and his family's reaching back to the eighteenth century—to (re)construct the forgotten Chicano-indigenous history of California. He tells the story through significant moments in California history, including the birth of the mestizo in Mexico, destruction of Indian lifeways under the mission system, violence toward Mexicanos during the Gold Rush, Chicano farm life in the early twentieth century, the Chicano Movement of the 1960s, Chicano-Latino activism in San Francisco in the 1970s, and the current rebirth of Chicano-Indio culture. Rejecting the notion that history is always written by the victors, and refusing to be one of the vanquished, he declares, "This is my California history, my memories, richly subjective and atavistic."

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