Genetic Improvement of Cattle and Sheep (Cabi Publishing)

Book Description

Humans started domesticating farm livestock over 10,000 years ago. For much of this time, livestock have been changed genetically by subjective means. In the past 50 years, the application of scientific methods to animal breeding has led to major improvements in the output, cost and quality of animal products in the last few decades. This book describes the principles of genetic improvement of farm livestock and the practical application of these principles to dairy cattle, beef cattle and sheep breeding. Originally published in 1998 by Farming Press.

Customer Reviews:

Get This Book.......2000-01-23

This is one of the best books I have read on genetic improvement of livestock. It covers everything from basic molecular genetics to statistical analysis of genetic progress. It gives a lot of terrific examples and I think anybody who is entertaining the idea of breeding livestock or working with livestock should definitely read this book. It is much more interesting than all of the old Animal Science books that have a lot of photographs of Showring Winners and little applied science. Get This Book!

Book Description

Make the great escape! With volcanic landscapes and subtropical forests, sun-drenched beaches and soaring peaks, the Canary Islands are Spain's paradise isles. Whether you want to sip sangria in the heat, make the most of the fiesta atmosphere or roam the islands' rugged terrain, our definitive guide gives you in-depth regional coverage for the perfect getaway.

* UNCOVER ISLAND SECRETS - detailed itineraries and insider tips allow you to discover the best of the islands * MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME - accommodation to suit all budgets, from charming pensiones to palatial paradores * SPICE UP YOUR PALATE - enjoy hearty local gastronomy in the top island restaurants * JOIN IN THE CARNAVAL - party Canarian-style with our comprehensive fiesta listings * FUN IN THE SUN - extensive options for walking, cycling, sailing, swimming, surfing, windsurfing and much more

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-09-15

This book was extremely valuable during our recent stay on the island of Tenerife, just outside of Puerto de la Cruz.
I would have liked to see more photographs but otherwise and excellent book and well worth the price.

Very helpful.......2007-07-02

this book has been very helpful to me with allot of good recomendations for hotels , restaurants and things to do on all the islands seperately .

As with most Lonely Planet books they are presice and honest . The only thing i would have hoped for , was a bit more pictures , but never the less i was very pleased with this .

Average customer rating:

A "must" item if you are to visit the islands, by fermed

Lonely Planet Canary Islands (1st ed)
Damien Simonis
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0864425228

Book Description

52 Maps

Customer Reviews:

A "must" item if you are to visit the islands, by fermed.......1999-07-19

I happen to know something about the Canaries, the birthplace of my parents and my stamping grounds until I left to attend universities elsewhere. I have read many books about the islands (in lieu of returning there, alas) and I must say that this little volume is a jewel. It is meticulously accurate, historically satisfying, full of intriguing trivia about the islands, and all in the size of a pocket book. It is by no means a "picture book," but a travel book with a few nice pictures thrown in. It is very well researched: are the birds named after the islands, and the islands named after the abundant dogs (canes) the Romans found when they visited? Or did they acquire their name from the Canarii tribe, a Berber group from N. Africa? Who knows, but the book addresses the birds and the dogs and Nelson's right arm. High above London's Trafalgar square is the one-armed statue of Nelson. Any Canary islander will inform you the missing arm was lost on the island of Tenerife, where the Admiral came ashore when he was not welcome.

Book Description

Mountain-hiking and surfing or all-night clubbing and feasting at the fiestas; whether you are a raver or a rambler, this is your essential guide to these diverse islands.

24 detailed maps
extensive coverage of the many activities the islands have to offer, from windsurfing to cycling
the lowdown on the best places to experience the islands' cuisine
everything you need to know about transport, whether hopping on a bus or hopping to another island
handy Spanish language chapter

Customer Reviews:

Do not get that one.......2006-12-23

I got the guide, because I like the Lonely planet books. Well, that one is an exception - there is nothing interesting or useful. use some other guide or go to turist information in the airport. Canaries are pretty civilized and there are not many surprises here, so maybe that is why the book is so thin and uninteresting.

This Guide Bites.......2003-12-02

I lived in the Canary Islands for 10 years. I am returning this winter for the first time as a tourist, and purchased Lonely Planet's guide, because they are normally good. Using this guide, I cannot find a single decent place to stay, any good restaurants, and even the activities list is pathetic. I know you're probably thinking that I'm just jaded because I lived there and know the spots, but from a basics perspective, not ONE of the major hotels that I know are good are listed, the three hotels that I did recognize are dumps, and the restuarant selections are crappy tourist dives without any real authenticity. Unfortunately, I don't have a good guide to recommend yet, but whatever you do, don't get this one!

Disappointingly mediocre.......2002-09-12

I took this book on my recent trip to Canary Islands. Most of the information contained in the book can be easily found on internet (or even more). The content is an encyclopedic compilation of facts (probably rehashed from other publications) with very little personal experience. This is another hastily written and impersonal guide book. I expected something like the Ultimate Kauai and got less than could be found on Ecanarias web site. The most irritating, in my opinion, were multiple references to another book by one of the authors about hiking trails. If you want to hike - buy another book, uh. There is no even basic walk described. I laughed pretty hard when I read about poorly marked trails in the National Park on La Gomera. The reality is quite opposite. The trail-heads have excellent markings and even area maps. You wander how many years it has been since they visited last time. (the signs start show age here and there). There is nothing outstanding about this book. No personal touch like Ultimate Kaui Guide or sumptuous visual information like in DK Eye Witness series that steers you to the best sights (too bad none on Canary Islands is available yet). Explanation for this mediocre performance dawned on me when I realized what a prolific author Damien Simonis is. He "fathered or better bastardized" guide books covering about 15 - 20 areas (depending how you count) and these include whole countries like Italy, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, southern Spain and even all of Africa. Doing simple math tells you that he could not work on updating each more than 3 weeks a year. Probably many tourists would beat him in this aspect.
I enjoyed other Lonely Planet publication but this one is a real disappointment. There is plenty of free guides in English, even hiking maps and trails, once you get to islands. Save your money and skip it.

The Best Guide to the Islands, by fermed.......2001-12-17

Damien Simonis wrote the first edition of the Lonely Planet's gide to the Canaries, and an excellent companion to the islands it was; now (May, 2001) Lonely Planet has issued the second edition of this work, and I am delighted to say that it is just as good (but more up to date) than the first version. Simonis was joined by Miles Roddis to prepare the current book, which follows essentially the same plan as the first guide, and which conserves intact much of the original writing about the islands. The current version displays and entirely new set of photographs by Simonis, who seems to have improved his camera work in the intervening years since he first published the guide.

The book is amazingly fruitful for its relative compact size and number of pages (271): it provides brief but essential information about the history of the islands, its dogs, its Canary birds, people, plants, transportation, medical services, its gay life, the island sports, and the means of getting there. It accurately describes each of the seven islands, and managest to convey the major and the subtle differences between them -- and those differences can be huge: from the dry Saharan landscapes of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, to the verdant La Palma, to the scraggly beauty of Hierro. The Pico de Teide, on the island of Tenerife, is the 3rd largest volcano on earth (after Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, in Hawaii)and rises from the sea to over 12 thousand feet. Its peak is covered with snow most of the year, but at sea level the islands have superb weather.

For those about to visit the Canaries, a Lonely Planet guide to them is essential. I don't think it is necessary to buy the second edition if one already owns the first: there are no dramatic changes between the books, and with a little flexibility the traveler will find the first edition just as useful as the second one. The travel tips are pricesless in both books and they will surely enhance the pleasure of visiting this strange and beautiful corner of the world. Don't leave without a copy.

Average customer rating:
Isole Canarie (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)
Miles Roddis , and Damien Simonis
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications - Italian editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
Travel | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
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ASIN: 8870635422

Customer Reviews:

Mary Draper Ingles my 5th Great GrandMother.......2003-06-28

This book and the book Follow the River are both excellent depictions of the life of my ancestor. She was a heroic woman who shall be remembered and honored by me and all my family members. We are proud of her and are happy to have such excellent books to share.

This is an exciting book!.......2001-07-18

Mary Ingles was courageous! I read it in one night and I'm going to read it again. I'd read about Mary Ingles in the book Follow the River, but I didn't know she lived in Lancaster or that her parents were Scotch Irish. This book tells about her whole life including escape from the Indians. That's the most exciting part though when she hikes 800 miles through rivers and mountains to get home and see her family. I think this is a very good book so I gave it five stars!

Book Description

From utilitarian to luxury, from sensible to chic, the evolution of air travel is one of the most dramatic and fascinating reflections of our changing culture, and it is colorfully and whimsically documented in this unique collection of photographs and entertaining text. Color and b&w photos and illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

For the nostalgic flyer or an Airliners library!.......2004-03-05

Who doesn't miss the "innocent days" of commercial airline travel? If you are even remotely interested in commercial flight, remember the days before the metal detectors, the Boeing 707 or simply enjoy a well designed book about fashion, food, design and airlines, this book is for you. I bought this book without hesitation and am 100% satisfied!

AIRLINE: IDNETIIFY, DESIGN AND CULTTURE.......2002-01-15

WHO DOESNT LOVE FLYING?
THE INDUSTRY HAS CHANGED SO MUCH OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, BUT IT IS STILL ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO BE IN THE AIRPORT AND IN THE SKY.
WORKING FOR AN AIRLINE FOR 8 YEARS AND STILL ENJOYING EVERY MINUTE OF IT. THIS BOOK WAS A PLEASURE READING AND LOOKING AT ALL OF THE WONDERFUL PHOTOS OF CHANGES OVER THE YEARS.
BOY DO I WISH I WAS AROUND BACK THEN TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ENJOY SOME OF THOSE WONDERFUL UNIFORMS AND TICKET COUNTERS. I LOVE ORANGE AND BROWN!!
HAVE FUN AND KEEP ON FLYING!

My Review.......2001-06-09

You really have to be interested in the food, culture, and design. When I saw this book at the Air & Space museum in Washington D.C. I thought there was more info about the interior designs of aircraft. However, it was mostly about the food and clothing style throughout the years. I would only reccomed this book to a person who is intersted in these topics.

Frequent flyers take note.......2000-12-09

For those of us who have spent thousands of hours in and traveled millions of miles on airplanes, take a look at Airline. It will turn that permanent scowl of jaded airline travel back into a playful grin (at least for a while). It's fascinating to see where the various features we take for granted came from - drink carts, flight attendant uniforms, airline company logos, the color schemes of the planes themselves. Fortunately, Lovegrove took an international perspective and not just a domestic (either UK or US) one. OK, so do I take the book on my next trip (AA BOS to LAX tonight)? Sure, and then when the plane is delayed (due to air traffic control the pilot will say) I'll lean back, smile and consider what it used to be like...

A winner!.......2000-11-30

Lovegrove's excellent book covers everything that is kitsch and stylish about life at 40,000 feet - from stewardesses in mini-skirts and hot pants to the best and the worst of airline food - from the interior of Hugh Hefner's Love Bunny private jet to airline logos and posters of today and yesteryear. Buy it and wallow in the strange world of air travel. This is a must gift for anyone who has ever traveled by airplane.

Book Description

First published in 1949, the author's own knowledge and wisdom are evident in this systematic training system, which takes horse and rider to the most advanced movements.

Customer Reviews:

Academic Equitation is a classical work.......2005-05-13

Academic Equitation by Albert Eugene Edouard Decarpentry (1878-1956) is a masterful piece by a classical dressage rider. The man who brought us the axiom "When hands, no legs; when legs, no hands." This is one of my most favorite dressage books. I own a previous edition of this masterpiece. General Decarpentry (a Colonel in the French cavalry when he wrote his other excellent book, Piaffer and Passage) rode at the French Dressage School of Saumur. He served in the Federation Equestre International (FEI). Although a follower of Baucher, Decarpentry taught his horses to move forward with impulsion. Besides being a practitioner, Decarpentry was thoroughly acquainted with the teachings of other dressage masters, and in my opinion, his contributions to dressage are as important as those of any of the masters. As an avid reader myself, owner of an extensive dressage library, and am the author of A Passion for Dressage (a free on-line publication on classical dressage http://pages.sbcglobal.net/bielikov/dressage/), I list Academic Equitation in my short list of the best 6 dressage books ever, along with works of Podhajsky, Seuning, and Klimke. I give this book five stars! --[...]

Academic Equitation: A Preparation for International Dressage Tests

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Academic Equitation: A Preparation for International Dressage Tests
General Decarpentry
Manufacturer: Sydney R Smith
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0851310362

Book Description

Rich archive of 108 handsome illustrations, selected from rare 1920s French portfolios, features elements characteristic of Art Deco interiors, among them built-in furniture, cleverly arranged living areas, open and uncluttered spaces, clean, straight lines of furniture and rooms and much more. Of immense value to artists, interior designers, craftspeople and others.

Customer Reviews:

Dissapointed .......2005-09-08

Expected real photos of art deco interior design and the book contains only cartoons.....and cartoons of very poor designs.

Title should be: Authentic Art Deco Desings in Full Color.......2005-02-01

This book is nice to have for the low price however, it was not what I had expected. The book contained only the illustrations of the designers' concepts for the rooms. It would have been better if it had included photographs of the rooms or any information about the designs or designers.

Great illustrations........1999-11-17

The title might be somewhat misleading. It is indeed art deco interiors, but it contains only illustrations, so don't await to see real homes or interiors. The illustrations of Ruhlmann, Mallet-Stevens, Chareau and others are very nicely executed though, and it is interesting to see how they imagined rooms to be arranged. There is a small introduction and biographical notes only. It would have been nice to see the illustrations together with photographs of authentic art deco furniture and furnishing.

Amazon.com

The Looking Glass Garden is an ambitious book; author Peter Thompson hopes to change the way westerners imagine a well-designed landscape. According to Thompson, for too long the English style has dominated in America and western Europe, resulting in a uniformity that edges out possibility and strangeness. The prevalence of gardening with "native plants" has also limited creativity: Thompson argues that as long as plants are well situated and well cared for, they can come from anywhere in the world. The book's title refers to the moment when Alice moved through the looking glass into Wonderland. In this context Wonderland flourishes in the gardens of New Zealand, Australia, Chile, and South Africa. Chapters concentrate on specific southern hemisphere design elements and distinctive plants--"Oases with Trees," "Tropical Drama"--and are accompanied by enticing photographs. Thompson writes like a man on a mission: "This book tells of the challenge from south of the equator to these entrenched and long-accepted ideas," he explains. Once the challenge is accepted, "we will look back and recognize ... the start of another revolution." --Emily White

Book Description

Just as Alice's looking glass revealed a world where nothing was as expected, Peter Thompson's "looking-glass garden" offers readers a glimpse of a world of new plants and possibilities by crossing the equator. The floras of countries as diverse as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Chile offer adventurous gardeners palettes, forms, textures, and effects that have no parallel in the garden offerings of the north. As well as offering useful suggestions on interesting plants that can be incorporated in a variety of gardens in our latitudes, Thompson's book is also a travelogue of the wild landscapes of faraway lands and a tour of some of the great gardens to be found below the equator.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyed the book........2007-07-16

This was a very interesting book about plants we are just beginning to see in North America. I thoroughly enjoyed all the photos too.

Book Description

This is a socio-historical study of schooling at Chikuni, a Jesuit mission station in Southern Zambia. It includes an examination of the dynamic processes operative at the mission over a 75 year period. During these years, the Jesuits interacted with successive generations of students and converts and with the representatives of successive political regimes, all of which were secular but each willing to use the mission as a means to its own ends. For many years Chikuni was the major representative of the Catholic church in southern Zambia. The emergence of a Catholic community is of its making. As its educational role expanded it also helped to form many who became leaders in post-independence Zambia. Though the Jesuits had not planned a political revolution, unwittingly they helped to bring one about. While the study identifies some of the difficulties connected with running a denominational school in present day Zambia, it argues for a more pivotal positioning of conversion as a socio-personal religious phenomenon in the curriculum if the mission school is to continue to be an effective agent of transformation.

Conversion and Jesuit Schooling in Zambia. (book reviews): An article from: International Bulletin of Missionary Research

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Conversion and Jesuit Schooling in Zambia. (book reviews): An article from: International Bulletin of Missionary Research
Frans J. Verstraelen
Manufacturer: Overseas Ministries Study Center
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from International Bulletin of Missionary Research, published by Overseas Ministries Study Center on October 1, 1993. The length of the article is 476 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: Conversion and Jesuit Schooling in Zambia. (book reviews)
Author: Frans J. Verstraelen
Publication: International Bulletin of Missionary Research (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 1993
Publisher: Overseas Ministries Study Center
Volume: v17 Issue: n4 Page: p187(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

An overnight sensation for her 1943 comedic role as "The Girl Who Falls Down" in the groundbreaking musical Oklahoma!, McCracken established the prototype dancer-comedienne, headlining in ballet, stage, film, and television productions before her life was tragically cut short by complications from diabetes.

Author Lisa Jo Sagolla draws on extensive interviews with McCracken's friends, family, and colleagues to paint a complex portrait of the petite, blue-eyed, and sprightly entertainer as a woman exploiting her mesmerizing beauty and magnetism to succeed in the man's world of entertainment, yet always retaining the persona of childlike pixie she portrayed on stage. McCracken's comic exuberance and athleticism also epitomized a new ballet form that married the European ideas of aristocratic grace and movement with a uniquely American spirit and style.

From her beginnings in Philadelphia and New York, to her meteoric rise to fame, to her life long struggle with the little understood and devastating effects of diabetes, The Girl Who Fell Down chronicles McCracken's spirited yet poignant life, including her training at Balanchine's seminal School of American Ballet, her blossoming as a "ravishing talent" with a "crackerjack dance technique" under Agnes de Mille, her supremacy as a performer, her marriages to novelist Jack Dunphy (who left her for Truman Capote,) and Bob Fosse, and her ultimate diagnosis with heart disease. Touching and inspiring, Sagolla's account describes McCracken's lasting influence through her nurturing of husband Fosse's provocative career, her dramatic coaching of actress Shirley MacLaine, and her inspiration for the many dancer-comediennes that followed -- Gwen Verdon, Carol Haney, and Sandy Duncan, to name a few.

Rich with the social and cultural history of a golden age in show business and teeming with colorful choreographers, dancers, and entertainers, this comprehensive and carefully researched biography will introduce Joan McCracken to a new audience of dance enthusiasts.

Customer Reviews:

Terrific bio of forgotten legend.......2006-03-12

This is a fascinating book about an artist who participated in some of the most significant moments in American cultural history. Joan McCracken was just a name to me before I read this book. I knew she had been in a minor Rodgers and Hammerstein show called ME AND JULIET and that she was Bob Fosse's second wife, but that was it. She catapulted to fame in the original cast of OKLAHOMA, was a founding member of The Actors Studio and an early performer in the new medium of television, as well as being an active mentor to many artists including her husbands Jack Dunphy (later Truman Capote's lover) and Bob Fosse. As a performer, Joan McCracken created a whole new "type" in the American musical-the hoydenish comic pixie who could dance up a storm. She was the prototype for a long line of sensational entertainers that includes Carol Haney, Shirley MacLaine and Sandy Duncan, among many others. But there was a lot more to Joan McCrakcen than her professional credentials. Personally she was a complex individual usually described as a loner. James Mitchell said, "she was wonderful to work with...however, she was not a stable woman." She liked to paint and walk on the beach rather than party. Although she never went to college, she nonetheless (through the influence of Dunphy) developed a formidable intellect. She was a political Conservative, which seems to upset author Sagolla, rationalizes, "like her antiunion statements, McCracken's tirade against taxes was more likely the result of political naïveté than of true conservative leanings." She was prone to fantasy and some thought she experimented with hallucinogenic drugs. As a diabetic in the days before much was known about its treatment, her health was always precarious and she tried to keep her condition a secret. Ultimately she died of its complications at age 44. In her brief life Joan McCracken left a lasting influence on American culture. Lisa Jo Sagolla's excellent biography pays McCracken the tribute she truly deserves. This is one of the most interesting books about a woman I've read since THE DIARY OF ANAIS NIN. Sagolla provides detailed notes at the end of the book. (And by all means read the acknowledgements at the end of the book. That's quite a story in itself.)

THE GIRL WHO FELL DOWN is a must-read for anyone interested in the Broadway musical. Really. Five stars.

Fascinating Bio For Entertainment & History Fans.......2004-11-18

From its opening pages about the Broadway debut of "Oklahoma!" to the tragic last days of its subject, THE GIRL WHO FELL DOWN is a wondrous profile of the "Zelig-like" Joan McCracken. At every crucial moment, at every critical juncture of dance in America, Joan McCracken was there making vital contributions. When one of America's early ballet companies is taking its first, formative steps, McCracken is there as a leading dancer. When Agnes de Mille is revolutionizing Broadway choreography, Joan McCracken is there, bringing de Mille's work to life while stealing the show at the same time.

During the first glittering moments of television's Golden Age, McCracken is an early star of its finest dance and dramatic productions. When it comes to situation comedy, she "out-Lucy's" Lucille Ball before there is an "I Love Lucy."

In the early fifties, Joan McCracken bluntly tells a gifted young dancer he'll never be "the next Fred Astaire" and should instead focus on becoming a choreographer. She goes on to marry the dancer while nurturing and guiding him to a successful career. He goes on to become Bob Fosse.

Lisa Jo Sagolla's comprehensive research interestingly and entertainingly leads the reader through McCracken's entire life, from her childhood as the fortunate daughter of a popular Philadelphia sportswriter, to her successes and failures in every medium of show business, to her final loss in a lifelong battle against diabetes. Dr. Sagolla's precise prose provides a passport to the past, making the reader feel he or she has stepped into a time machine and is not just reading about history, but is there watching it unfold.

Comprehensive, enjoyable.......2004-11-18

Dr. Sagolla's meticulous research reveals an exacting study of the life and person of Joan McCracken. From McCracken's beginnings in ballet to her Broadway debut to her experiences in Hollywood and the Actor's Studio, The Girl Who Fell Down chronicles an inside look at the dance and theatre world from the perspective of a free spirit whose bohemian nature occasioned her to be at times ahead of the women of her generation. The factual history is highlighted with contextual vignettes that are socially enlightening without the sensationalism of 'the business.' Includes the often inconstant life of theatre, her lesser-known mentorship to Bob Fosse, her debilitating illness, her frustrations with Hollywood and the many personalities along the way, as well as privy notes on McCracken's love of painting, decorating and fashion and her changing personal relationships over the years. The book paints a generously informative portrait of the dancer-comedienne pioneer. Historically thorough and enjoyable.

Juicy read for theater buffs.......2004-06-05

This extremely readable, informative biography is both the hauntingly sad tale of an enchanting brief candle of a performer and an inside, knowing evocation of the New York theater world of the 40s and 50s. Joan McCracken's singing and dancing eight times a week on Broadway while diabetic, and her premature demise no doubt accelerated by her stage exertions, are heartbreaking to read. The author's explanations of dance steps and narrative accounts of ballets and show choreography are extraordinarily well done in converting dancer shop talk into something palpable and understandable for the lay reader. This book is a reminder that history, artistic and otherwise, is made not just by the superfamous. A show business career like McCracken's is more typical, and more illuminating to read about, than made-to-order rehashes of Stars A to Z. In the retrospect of fifty years, it is fascinating to read Sagolla quoting McCracken commenting on early television being too "commercial" and the servant of too many masters. Sagolla's book becomes not just a portrait of a singular performer but an oblique statement about changing times in the American entertainment industry. A well researched, engaging read to the end.

Average customer rating:

Many themes great book

Great read

Understanding smokers

Try, try, try again

A Life in Smoke: A Memoir

A Life in Smoke: A Memoir
Julia Hansen
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743289587

Book Description

"I accepted the certainty of my untimely death with gallows humor and a calculator. I'd read somewhere that each cigarette you smoke knocks seven minutes off your time on the planet. To amuse myself, I did the math: 153,000 cigarettes = two years of my life, up in smoke."

Julia Hansen first lit up at nineteen. Twenty years later, she was editing books about health -- and smoking a pack or two a day. She denied her son fast food, but smoked in the house and car; curtailed his video games, but lit up at his soccer matches. Despite repeated attempts to quit, she always crawled back to her beloved menthol lights. Smoking had become a metaphorical chain around her neck, shackling her to an early death.

Haunted by a nightmarish vision of her future -- her son at her deathbed, begging her not to leave him -- Hansen devised a drastic quit method. She bought a 72-foot length of chain that was "unwieldy as a corpse" and locked herself to a radiator in her dining room. What followed: seven days of cold-turkey misery, comic absurdity, and revelation as Hansen stepped from behind her wall of smoke to face her addiction to nicotine -- and some painful truths.

Clanking around her house like Marley's ghost, white-knuckling cravings, and struggling to understand tobacco's unyielding grip on her, Hansen confronted her life in smoke: fractured relationships, lifelong battles with alcohol and depression, and a profound sense of emptiness. On day 1, the chain was her addiction to nicotine, each link a story about cigarettes and self-loathing. By day 7, it had revealed its ringing, rattling truth -- that every smoker has a story, and it always centers on clinging to a comfort that can kill you. In the end, Hansen's story was painfully simple: She smoked to survive her life. And then, to save it, she quit.

Fierce and funny, honest and utterly absorbing, A Life in Smoke is Julia Hansen's evocative and inspiring account of the extreme measures she took to quit smoking -- decidedly not recommended by the medical profession.

Customer Reviews:

Many themes great book.......2007-09-05

I loved this book. There are so many life lessons that all hum into one beautiful book.

Great read.......2007-01-08

Wow! As a Respiratory Therapist, I work with people everday who are suffering the debilitating pulmonary effects of years of smoking. Most of my patients want to quit and just can't. From a scientific point of view I can understand how difficult it is to quit but I never thought about the emotional hold smoking has on people until I read "A Life in Smoke".
I was hoping that Julia's book would help me obtain some insight of how my patients feel about their smoking and their many failed attempts to quit. It did just that. I never realized the intimate friendship that people have with their cigarettes and what a important part of their survival those cigarettes are. I believe the book helped me to become more understanding, more empathetic and less judgemental. I'm going to recommend it to all of my co-workers.

Understanding smokers.......2007-01-01

For the first time, I have a glimpse into what it's like to be a smoker and why they do it. I've never understood the call of cigarettes--the few times I've tried one, I haven't felt a 'rush' or anything compelling me to have another, just a smokey icky taste in the mouth. Julia Hansen's tales of smoking and how she used the habit as a way to keep people and emotions at bay touched me deeply. There's a twist at the end that's both not surprising and disappointing, but you'll have to read it. An author who has found her voice, I hope she writes more.

Try, try, try again.......2006-12-12

As an avid never smoked non-smoker, my eyes were opened to the complexities of trying to break this one little habit. I have much more respect for my friends and family members that have accomplished this feat through the years. Hats off to Julia for not letting past defeats lessen her determination. This book is a thumbnail view into the highs and lows of her very interesting life. It is a great read for anyone interested in how other people handle everyday life.

A Life in Smoke: A Memoir.......2006-12-02

Fantastic Read! I found this to be a completely heartfelt realistic view of the life of a smoker trying to quit. The tongue-in-cheek humor actually comes across as a coping mechanism instead of snarky storytelling. It is easy to find yourself truly caring about this person and wanting them to succeed!

Volunteer: Twenty-five Years of Smoke and Sirens

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Volunteer: Twenty-five Years of Smoke and Sirens
Barry Furey
Manufacturer: Booklocker.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1591137721

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Writers Notes 2004 Book Award Winner
beautiful. moving.
"Stay Human"
No words to say what a gem this book is
If you were here, there or anywhere

The Smoke Week: Sept. 11-21, 2001
Ellis Avery
Manufacturer: Gival Press, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Teahouse Fire

ASIN: 1928589243
Release Date: 2003-10-02

Product Description

Notable Award 2004 Writers Notes Book Award for Culture & Winner of the Ohioana Library\'s Walter Rumsey Marvin Award--A New Yorker\'s personal account of the events of the worse terrorist attack the USA has ever faced.-- \"Here is Witness. Here is Testimony.\"--Maxine Hong Kingston

Customer Reviews:

Writers Notes 2004 Book Award Winner.......2005-04-28

In the form of a refined diary, Avery provides a nearby view of the falling of the World Trade Center. A brief window of ten days reveals the immediacy and raw emotion of a gathering opinion, and as the smoke clears, she passes through panic, fear, grief, and a bit of naivety, while her life, city, and country change forever.

beautiful. moving........2003-12-26

I read this book slowly: it was too compelling to not want to read, too beautiful to stop and too hard to read in one swallow. It is personal and intimate. But it gives a much deeper appreciation of not only one woman's experience of that trauma, but also what the nation must have felt. I recommend it to anyone who wants a personal account of that time. Something much deeper, more heartfelt and ultimately more sane and thoughtful than any kind of "war on terror" reactionary work that might be out there.

"Stay Human".......2003-12-17

Ellis Avery's The Smoke Week is an extraordinary book. By turns telegraphic, conversational, intimate, and lyrical -- even, around the edges, a little funny -- she writes of the first hours and days after the destruction of the World Trade Center with an attention to detail and a refusal of cliché that puts most other accounts of those days to shame. It's as though, right there downtown with disaster coming on, she began to observe as carefully and compassionately as she possibly could, to keep herself sane -- and the fine sentences here, the precisely rendered stories, are the result.

I see a bumper sticker sometimes in San Francisco: STAY HUMAN. The pressure, nowadays, in the jingoistic frenzy of the so-called "war on terror," is to become something else, "patriots" or "dissidents," or some other super-charged category. But Avery's book is a reminder that, on September 11, 2001, the people in downtown New York weren't just "America Under Attack," or some other hollow slogan; her prose makes you see something like the human experience of that day. That's no small achievement; and I can't recommend this book enough.

No words to say what a gem this book is.......2003-12-10

I completely agree with the other reviewers that this book is *not* one of those "let's celebrate the heroes" books about the World Trade Center Attacks. Instead, it's a beautiful, spare-but-luxurious, honest memoir of the day it happened and about a week afterward. I stopped counting the number of times I started crying because something Avery wrote was *exactly* the way I remember feeling. The writing is absolutely gorgeous, but the real draw of the book is the humanity. In 20 years, *this* is the book people will read to understand the effects of September 11, 2001 on the people of New York City.

If you were here, there or anywhere.......2003-11-16

Reading Avery's poetic documentation of the days before and after 9/11, I realize that she was able to paper what I could not. If you were in NYC or anywhere - this book taps into the uncertainty and sorrow that so many of us felt during this snapshot of time. I too was living in the E. Village at the time and I too did not know anyone who died. What I did (and still) know is that the community of NYC grieved, connected and undoubtedly has been altered. What struck me most about The Smoke Week was the displayed honesty noting a community in confusion mirrored with the personal. What to eat today? Is my phone going to work? Should we fly? Average tasks became grand activities. Avery's account is an honest fist hand peek into one New Yorkers perception on how a world-changing tragedy is just as significantly, a personal one.

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Smoke, Sand, & Rubber
Mel Anthony
Manufacturer: Sylvester Publishing #133
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Perfect Paperback

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ASIN: 0978772105
Release Date: 2006-09-22

Product Description

In this book lies a glimpse into the daring West Coast midget racers who led an early era in auto racing. Readers will learn how hazardous midget racing was in the beginning and how some were attracted to this risky business. Mel Anthony tells what it was like to start his first race in 1946. A select few accomplished drivers would go on to Indy: George Amick, Les Anderson, Bob Christie, Len Sutton, Shorty Templeman, Jack Turner, while the rest did not. In addition to the Indy drivers, cars driven by Chick Barbo, Bob Gregg, Allen Heath, Gordy Livingston, The Muir brothers, Don Olds, Paul Pold, Louie Sherman, Ernie Spalding, Cliff Spalding, and others have been restored, and some appear in vintage events today.

Fire Without Smoke: Memoirs of a Polish Partisan (The Library of Holocaust Testimonies)

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Fire Without Smoke: Memoirs of a Polish Partisan (The Library of Holocaust Testimonies)
Spencer Bright , and Florian Mayevski
Manufacturer: Mitchell Vallentine & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Glimpses through the Cannon-smoke
Archibald Forbes
Manufacturer: Adamant Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0543961192
Release Date: 2000-12-25

Product Description

This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1880 edition published in London.

Holy Smoke: Religion and Roots : A Personal Memoir

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Holy Smoke: Religion and Roots : A Personal Memoir
Libby Purves
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 034072160X

I Smoke Pot with My Family: Speaking Up at 85

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I Smoke Pot with My Family: Speaking Up at 85
Ruth Bergner
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

In her revealing book I Smoke Pot with My Family, 85-year-old Ruth Bergner speaks out about the valuable and positive experiences she began having with just one puff of marijuana. “Try it so you know what the hell you are talking about,” her valedictorian son challenged in 1970. Ruthie and her husband were surprised to discover that, contrary to what they “knew” about pot, the drug actually enhanced many areas of their lives instead of interfering. Excited about what she was experiencing, she began to write a book. Reluctant and fearful of what the exposé could do to her family's name, she kept it hidden beneath her bathroom sink.

Now, after more than thirty years of personal experience and secrecy, Bergner hopes to make an important contribution to the world by sharing her story. She insists that we control the drug; it doesn't control us. She writes that when used intelligently and responsibly, marijuana can promote comfortable intimacy, improve family relationships, dissipate anger and judgment, temporarily erase sexual hang-ups, make us less defensive, and give us a fresh perspective on life. Bergner wants marijuana reclassified from the “bad drug” category to the “good drug” category. She calls on other respectable people who smoke pot to stand up, speak out and smoke responsibly with her.

“Bergner's honesty…is one more step up the ladder to removing the lid of misinformation and dishonesty about (marijuana). She is, indeed, one brave pioneer.”—Wayne B. Whitmarsh, Medicinal Cannabis/Industrial Hemp Advocate

“(Bergner's) coming out makes it easier for the next person to do the same.”—Keith Stroup, Founder of NORML

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Kissing the Smoke Not a Career Guide
Robert Hilles
Manufacturer: Black Moss Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0887532837

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Life In The Smoke
Steve, Knibbs
Manufacturer: Jeremy Mills Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1905217358

Book Description

A collection of humorous true stories about some of the strange people and sticky situations encountered as part of a fireman's daily lot. The author's long experience as a firefighter lends him unique insight into the more bizarre side of life with the emergency services.

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