Book Description
The fourth and most comprehensive of Dr. Dee Strickler's wildflower books, Wayside Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest is a floral delight. A colorful guide to the Northwest's most stunning plants, this book helps hikers, cyclists, and motorists identify nearly 400 flower species found along the trails and roadways of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and southwestern Canada. With notes on habitat, range, and plant features and an outstanding glossary of botanical terms, Wayside Wildflowers is an essential reference work for flower enthusiasts and professional botanists. Like Dr. Strickler's three earlier guides to the showy wildflowers of the northern Rockies, this volume features extraordinary sharp and vibrant full-color photographs of each flower. In addition, Wayside Wildflowers boasts a handy visual guide to flower shapes and colors, a map of the region, line drawings, and an informative introduction. For any nature-lover who has asked, "What flower is that?" Wayside Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest holds the answer.
Book Description
The wonders of Vanuatu and New Caledonia are combined in one book here for the first time. Laze on New Caledonia's beaches or trek through Vanuatu's jungles; climb high on active volcanoes or dive below to coral gardens and WWII shipwrecks. Our authors have checked out all the resorts, hostels and traditional homestays; they've surfed the breaks and chilled out in kava bars - leaving you free to just enjoy yourself.
o COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE of all the islands and regions, from the total isolation of Vanuatu's Banks islands to the bustle and savoir faire of New Caledonia's Noumea
o CANDID REVIEWS - find out what our author thought of your resort before you book your stay
o TWO DIVING CHAPTERS - our Pacific scuba specialist reveals rarely-seen coral reefs and historic WWII shipwrecks
o ORDER KAVA OR UN CAFE with our easy-to-use language chapter
Customer Reviews:
Updated edition, poor overall quality.......2006-10-26
I used this guide for travel in New Caledonia, so my comments don't apply to the Vanuatu section.
I was very disappointed in the quality of information presented in this "completely" rewritten edition. Most historical, political, or other contextualizing information is now gone (I suppose due to space constraints?). Some descriptions were oddly incomplete. For instance, the guide did not specifiy how long a certain hike might take, or how far you would need to walk in what sort of conditions.
Since this edition is both a guide on Vanuatu and on New Caledonia, the index and other shared sections of the book are extremely confusing to use. It was not always clear which country a particular entry or health comment was talking about.
However, this edition contains updated telephone contacts and other new information that is simply not available elsewhere. My recommendation is to buy both this AND the previous New Caledonia edition.
Book Description
This comprehensive guide to Vanuatu is packed with advice for travellers on all budgets. Get the most out of the archipelago's many attractions, from the alluring capital of Port Vila to the white-sand beaches, lush rainforests, and traditional Melanesian culture, including land diving - the original bungy jump.
- 47 maps including full-colour country map
- concise French and Bislama language section
- historical background and information on Ni-Vanuatu culture
- information on spectacular coral reefs, marine life and dive sites
- full range of places to stay and eat including complete resort information
Average customer rating:
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Diving and Snorkeling Guide to Vanuatu (Lonely Planet Diving & Snorkeling Great Barrier Reef)
Bob Bowdey ,
Judy Beaty , and
Brian Ansell
Manufacturer: Pisces Books
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ASIN: 1559920807 |
Book Description
30 dive sites in Port Vila and the outer islands, including Espiritu Santo, Tanna, Tongoa, Malekula, Pentecost, Tutuba, Malo, Sakao, Mota and Reef Islands.
Dive highlights: WWII wrecks, including the world's largest diveable wreck, the S.S. President Coolidge.
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Arthur Conan Doyle: Beyond Baker Street (Oxford Portraits Series)
Janet B. Pascal
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
ASIN: 0195122623 |
Book Description
Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) is best known for his Sherlock Holmes stories and novels, yet he considered them only a small part of his literary output. He expected to be remembered for his historical fiction, especially The White Company. He also wrote science fiction novels, short stories, and horror tales. He was knighted for a pamphlet he wrote justifying England's actions during the Boer War, in which he served as a physician in a field hospital. After one of his sons was killed during World War I, he turned to spiritualism for comfort. He became a prominent spiritualist, lecturing and writing frequently on the subject. This book--the first biography of Arthur Conan Doyle written for young adults--provides a lively account of the writer's fascinating life. Pascal considers the overlaps between the fictional Holmes and Watson and their creator, and draws a memorable picture of late Victorian society. Sidebars containing excerpts from Doyle's writings, and numerous photographs and illustrations invigorate the captivating narrative. Oxford Portraits is a new series of biographies for young adults. Written by prominent writers and historians, each of these titles is designed to supplement the core texts of the middle and high school curriculum with intriguing, thoroughly informative and insightful accounts of the lives and work of the notable men and women who helped shape history. Each book is illustrated with numerous graphics, photographs, and documents. A unique feature is the inclusion of sidebars containing primary source material, mostly excerpts from the subject's writings. A chronology, further reading list, and index rounds out every volume.
Average customer rating:
- A few Baker's (Street) Dozen
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Beyond Baker Street: A Sherlockian anthology
Manufacturer: Bobbs-Merrill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
British
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| 18th Century
| 19th Century
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ASIN: 0672522071 |
Customer Reviews:
A few Baker's (Street) Dozen.......2005-09-25
On the dedication page, Sherlock Holmes scholar Michael Harrison has honoured Julian Wolff with high Sherlockian praise (giving him the title of 'Sherlockian Herald Extraordinary') - one can see from the start the passion and dedication Sherlockians devote to their subject.
This text is a collection from twenty-five writers and an artist (hence, two Baker's dozens) of essays and ideas surrounding the canon of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. Notable names include Isaac Asimov and Martin Gardner; other names are less well known publically, but still known to the Sherlockian crowd.
This book was put together in the early 1970s, prior to the time when Sherlock Holmes works, studies and anthologies of extra-canonical writings became more commonplace. Michael Harrison, author of several Holmes-related books and articles, writes in the introduction, 'This is not the first Sherlock-oriented anthology to have been collected and published. It is, however, the first to have been put together with a larger public in view than the dedicated membership - however large - of the various Sherlock Holmes societies now scattered throughout the world.'
These are essays analysing elements in the Holmes stories, or the characters themselves. David Pearson asks the theological question - did Holmes believe in God? A worthwhile question, given the general philosophical and theological tone of the time. Some look at biographical anomalies, or psychological quirks. A few investigate the science behind the stories - remember that Conan Doyle had medical training, but still was prone to making mistakes in the details.
Then, there are those such as Isaac Asimov, who take the smallest detail and spin an entire case out of it, in true Holmes fashion. 'The Dynamics of an Asteroid' is both Asimov's and Moriarty's title - 'The Dynamics of AN Asteroid', not '...of Asteroids' generally, but of one, and to what sinister purpose?
Every Holmes fan will have his or her favourite stories - S. Tupper Bigelow gives reasons for his top ten, but also explores the idea of listing the top ten (this is long before David Letterman made 'top ten' a regular feature). Bigelow states that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was the first to do this kind of list - in this case, the twelve best.
These are wonderful articles, which serve to demonstrate 'the unifying quality of the Holmes fellowship - bringing persons of every faith, profession, occupation, race and social standing together in harmony.' There are biographical notes on each of the contributors that help demonstrate this diversity of the appeal of Holmes.
The evidence is clear - this is a great collection.
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Cinemas in Britain
Richard Gray
Manufacturer: Lund Humphries Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover
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All Titles
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ASIN: 0853316856 |
Product Description
Architects and Designers for Commercial and Public Spaces in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
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Did: The International Directory of Architecture and Design
Rotovision
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill Publications
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0823063216 |
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IDD5: Interior & Furniture Design: International Directory of Design, volume 11
Editorial Board
Manufacturer: Penrose Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1885225369 |
Book Description
Contact information for schools, colleges, universities, journals, magazines, organizations & associations in the interior design & furniture industries.
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IDD6: Architecture & Construction: International Directory of Design, volume 2
Manufacturer: Penrose Press
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ASIN: 1885225393 |
Book Description
Contact information for conferences, festivals, schools, colleges, universities, journals, magazines, organizations & associations in the architecture, building & construction industries. This new edition also includes a calendar of events.
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IDD6: Urban Planning & Landscape Design: International Directory of Design, volume 1
Manufacturer: Penrose Press
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1885225385 |
Book Description
Contact information for conferences, festivals, schools, colleges, universities, journals, magazines, organizations & associations in the urban design, regional planning & landscape architecture industries. This new edition also includes a calendar of events.
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Image Buyers' Guide: An International Directory of Sources for Slides and Digital Images for Art and Architecture
Manufacturer: Libraries Unlimited
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1563086581 |
Book Description
This standard reference source updates and expands on the previous edition (Slide Buyers' Guide), with information on 50 digital image providers in addition to more than 300 slide providers. The book is designed to assist scholars, librarians, teachers, media professionals, and others in identifying and locating sources for slides and digital images of art and architecture. It lists, describes, and indexes by subject slide and digital image providers in the United States, Canada, and other countries. Individuals, museums, institutions, and consortiums are included. Photographic and digital reproduction methods are also described and information is provided on the completeness and accuracy of the identifying information, general price ranges, and quality and service that will assist purchasers in allocating acquisitions funs. Sponsored by the Visual Resources Association.
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The International Directory of Architecture and Design
Manufacturer: Rotovision
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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French
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ASIN: 2880461634 |
Average customer rating:
- Don't judge THIS book by its cover!
- how to train horse race
|
The Ideal Horse: How to Train Him and Yourself
Burt Phillips
Manufacturer: Authors Choice Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0595153852 |
Book Description
Any horseman would agree with Burt Phillips that the ideal horse is obedient, responsive, well balanced, and pleasant to ride. In The Ideal Horse, he describes a step-by-step training program directed at producing such a mount. Basing his methods on an intimate knowledge of equine anatomy and psychology, Mr. Phillips explains that "we are always training a horse, for better or worse, when we are working with him," since horses learn by direct association of ideas.
From the initial work in hand through lungeing, driving, and the various stages of mounted training, precise photographs and in-depth drawings enhance the text, making this book a valuable guide to riders and trainers alike. Years of practical experience and personal observations balance uniquely with a deep appreciation of the classical principles of riding and of the world's great teachers. Readers may compare the terminology to that of Waldemar Seunig, as exemplified by such phrases as "unconstrained" to denote a lack of mental and physical tenseness; "gallop departs" in place of "canter" to avoid the careless use of the term "canter" (the "collected gallop") for the "natural gallop." But linguistic differences will not detract from the common-sense approach and explanations of the rider's responsibilites. The basic exercises progress into lateral movements, two-tracking and other advanced work, with the flexibility of the theory making it both practical and correct. Mr. Phillips also is careful to emphasize that the basic nature of the horse must be considered in his training.
In all, this is a complete picture guide that will help make your horse-whether it be a competitive dressage, a western reining, a show jumper, or a pleasure horse-the ideal horse for you.
Customer Reviews:
Don't judge THIS book by its cover!.......2001-12-20
If you need a glitzy presentation to get you interested in spending time with your horse, DON'T get this book. If you are looking for a big, beautiful, and colorful book about horses to display on your coffee table, DON'T get this book. But if you are seriously ready to spend time with your horse(s) and are ready to tackle the subject of training far beyond any superficial level, THIS BOOK WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU! Though the print is small,the book is a jewel in which you will find the procedures (HOW to do everything) carefully explained and systematically laid out for you "simply for the taking!" The basic black and white photos are just that, very basic photos inserted into the text to clearly make a point. Phillips presents all the components of elementary dressage training. I have found most of the other books on horse training which have flooded the marketplace recently,to rely heavily on gorgeous photos, presumably to boost sales. Many of them seem to have holes and gaps in the information presented. Armed with Phillips' book, which is a 1982 reprint, you will need NO additional training books in your personal library...Yes, he says it ALL!
how to train horse race.......2001-09-10
i need more information and methods how to tain your horse race
and what is a new idea for tain your horse racining.
Average customer rating:
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St. Tammany Parish Postcards: A Glimpse Back in Time
Ashleigh Austin
Manufacturer: Pelican Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Postcards
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ASIN: 1589802470 |
Book Description
In "St. Tammany Parish Postcards: A Glimpse Back in Time," Louisiana native Ashleigh Austin presents more than one hundred vintage postcards from her extensive personal collection. These images, originally published from the 1900s to the 1960s, capture many familiar sights and landmarks from this historic region north of New Orleans.
From the several bridges spanning Lake Pontchartrain to gone-but-not-forgotten eateries such as the White Kitchen in Slidell to lost hotels such as the Mugnier Hotel in Mandeville, the memories evoked by this collection are a priceless part of Louisiana's past.
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The Art of Spiritual Rock Gardening
Donna E. Schaper , and
Simon Dorrell
Manufacturer: HiddenSpring
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Japanese Gardens
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Exploring the Labyrinth: A Guide for Healing and Spiritual Growth
ASIN: 158768005X |
Book Description
The Art of Spiritual Rock Gardening is an inspiring and practical guide for both garden lovers and spiritual seekers. The uses of the rock garden as a site of beauty, reflection and spiritual nourishment are many. Building a quiet corner of stones and plants slowly and meditatively over time is its true meaning. Process over product, journey over destination, forever a work in progress-rock is the best metaphor we have of everlastingness.
From choosing the right rocks and plants to weeding and night gardening, this book shows how to start or maintain a rock garden, whether one has access to acres of land in the country or a window shelf in the city. At the same time it describes the sacred meaning of stones and rocks in many of the world's cultures and spiritual traditions, including Stonehenge and Ayers Rock, the Western Wall in Jerusalem and the Ka'ba in Mecca, Japan's Zen gardens, Europe's cathedrals, America's temples and Egypt's pyramids. Both practical and inspirational, it will appeal to everyone who loves gardens, rocks and the transforming power of nature.
Customer Reviews:
Rock Solid faith.......2001-08-20
A great little, easy-to-read book that applies basic gardening techniques to one's spiritual well-being. Whether you are an avid gardener or a beginner, a spiritual person or just trying to improve, this little gem can give you the push in the right direction. Having just finished building a rock garden (using almost 24 tons of rocks!) I was given this book as a gift and truly enjoyed its common sense insights, its brief history of rock-gardeing in the United states, and its practical gardening tips.
Average customer rating:
- A Must for John O'Hara Fans
|
John O'Hara's Anthracite Region (Images of America (Arcadia Publishing))
Pam Macarthur
Manufacturer: Arcadia Publishing (SC)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Photography
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General
| United States
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General
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| Americas
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ASIN: 073850341X |
Customer Reviews:
A Must for John O'Hara Fans.......2001-07-11
This book is a must for all John O'Hara fans. Historical pictures and notes on this author - a great work!
Amazon.com
When Chang Yu-I was three her mother tried to bind her feet. But the child's cries so tormented her brother that he convinced their mother to stop. This break with convention foreshadowed the extraordinary life Yu-i was to lead. After following her husband, poet Hsu Chi-Mo, a noted philanderer, to Oxford, she made history by becoming the first Chinese woman to have a western-style divorce at age 22. Determined to make her own way, she moved to America and served in a series of prestigious positions, including president of a bank. Written by Yu-i's great niece, Pang-Mei Natasha Chang,
Bound Feet and Western Dress chronicles the life of this exceptional woman.
Book Description
"In China, a woman is nothing."
Thus begins the saga of a woman born at the turn of the century to a well-to-do, highly respected Chinese family, a woman who continually defied the expectations of her family and the traditions of her culture. Growing up in the perilous years between the fall of the last emperor and the Communist Revolution, Chang Yu-i's life is marked by a series of rebellions: her refusal as a child to let her mother bind her feet, her scandalous divorce, and her rise to Vice President of China's first women's bank in her later years.
In the alternating voices of two generations, this dual memoir brings together a deeply textured portrait of a woman's life in China with the very American story of Yu-i's brilliant and assimilated grandniece, struggling with her own search for identity and belonging. Written in pitch-perfect prose and alive with detail, Bound Feet and Western Dress is the story of independent women struggling to emerge from centuries of customs and duty.
Customer Reviews:
Top-Hats, Half-Moons, and the Painful Glint of Changes.......2007-07-17
Change can be a frightening affair, and looking back at change can be something that seems almost alien when beheld in the light of certain convictions. That seems to encapsulate the whole of the experience that Chang Yu-I talks about as she tries to explain something of who she is to her granddaughter, Pang-Mei, and it is one of the things that seemed to haunt me as a reader as I listened to Yu-I's tale. The chapters switch from Yu-I to Pang-Mei to give you and idea of how things have changed and to try to identify one person with the other, and I have to say that I found myself glued to the pages and not able to stop reading this book. At first I simply thought it was a story about a granddaughter wanting to explore her grandmother's life because she was the first person to have a Western-style divorce in China, and maybe that was her reason beginning the book. Still, the book goes well beyond that and touches on the dynamics of change and strength and how strong a person can be even when they think they are at their weakest.
Honestly, I thought I could vicariously feel my heart cracking under the weight of some of Yu-I's confessions, amazed by some of the things she was able to tell her granddaughter.
One of the best things about this tale is the detail that Yu-I goes into about China, and about the way things were seen in the past versus the way things became seen as war loomed on the horizon. Yu-I gives a great amount of detail about what it was like to be a child in a country like China, and she vividly recollects what its like to have one's feet bound and the reasons why this practice took place. All that breaking and rebreaking, the tying of the big toe over and over again; when I read this I cringed because it seemed so debilitating just to have a crescent-shape added to the foot. Furthering this are pictures in the book, showing what the feet actually look like when this happens - you can see the shriveled remains of feet that look almost mummified, and you can tell some of the extremes that went into making a foot look like that. Yu-I talks about the pain that's she, herself, experienced because of this practice, too; she tells her granddaughter about being three and having her mother try to bind her feet, and then talks about the torment of those moments and how it was her brother that made her stop this because he couldn't deal with her suffering. Yu-I goes on to tell of the pain that this caused her, too, with her always feeling as if she were ugly because she had "big feet" and "big feet" made a person almost untouchable when it comes to marriage. Still, she does marry the poet Hsu Chi-Mo and, for a time, she thinks this is perfect and learns the rites of being a wife. She cares for the mother-in-law, she takes care of the husband's family; basically she becomes a slave and thinks that this dedication is seem by her husband as love. It is only when she moves to a foreign country with her husband that she finds out what he is like and how she is alone, and when she understands that she is utterly abandoned she explains how it feels to want to die.
There are other painful things in the book, too, things I can't disclose without messing up part of the tale, but I can say that when she is in Germany and loses something more dear to her than anything that this was devastating to read, making the book almost too heavy to pick up because its honesty was like a barb in the soul. I appreciated that, to be honest, and can say that I have read a lot of pieces of literature but that I have rarely encountered a person like Yu-I that both loves the world she lives in, understands the things that she has experienced, and even knows what forgiveness is like.
While this normally would not be something I would recommend, it has my highest recommendation and the most humble form of respect I can give, thinking it an enduring read that really has something to say.
I cannot give the book or the voice behind it enough praise.
Let's See by Clare M........2006-12-13
Bound Feet and Western Dress by Pang-Mei Natasha Chang is about a young girl who has a unique relationship with her great aunt, Chang Yu-i. She first meets her great aunt in 1874, at a family dinner. Chang Yu-i had just come to New York after having lived in China, and then Hong Kong. Several family members had come to these dinners in the past, but this was the first time Pang-Mei had met her great aunt. Pang-Mei explains how the family refers to Chang Yu-i as "half man" because of her strength and persistence. Pang-Mei grew closer to her great aunt as time passed, but she still knew very little about her. She first discovered some of Chang Yu-i's secrets while studying Chinese History at Harvard University. She learned that her great aunt had been married to a well-known romantic poet in China, as well as issued the first "real divorce" in Chinese History. After Pang-Mei learned of this, she asked Chang Yu-i about it at once. Her great aunt told her hundreds of stories about her life in China eventually unraveling over a long period of time. Pang-Mei and Chang Yu-i build a strong relationship together and learn about each other, as well as themselves. Pang-Mei comes to love and grasp the heritage she once tried to hide and Chang Yu-i understands herself better after having told her own stories. They are finally brought together even closer by a major phenomenon that takes place in the end.
I found Bound Feet and Western Dress to be rather tedious. Personally, I find books that dives right into the plot to be the most enjoyable. Bound Feet and Western Dress eased slowly into the excitement. However, I found this book be written with great enthusiasm and detail. Pang-Mei Natasha Chang used delightful details that gave me a perfect picture of the context. On Page 9, Chang Yu-i tells her grand niece about the strict rules she grew up with, "Chinese paintings required admiration form above, Baba said, explaining that the perspective of Chinese paintings differed from Western ones. The best paintings were only hung when your grandfather, Eighth Brother, and I cleaned them, passing tiny feather dusters over the surface of the rice paper. Of all the children, you grandfather and I were the two that Baba allowed near his paintings, and her would hover behind us as we worked, explaining the genius behind a musty mountain landscape or historical portrait." This excerpt shows the details the author used to represent her great aunt's stories.
The stories of Chang Yu-i told were also extremely touching. Not only did they paint a precise image in my mind of her life but were also genuine. For instance, when she was telling of her childhood and growing up with her large family her descriptions were beautifully written and conveyed. I loved hearing of her two favorite brothers personalities and what each of them gave her. I fully understood her thoughts and joy while talking about her brothers.
Generally, I think Bound Feet and Western Dress is a thoughtful and well-written book. It is historical and educating as well as a good read. I would suggest it be read.
A Filial Memoir.......2005-06-20
From what I've read about Chinese culture, the ties that bind a family together are one of its strongest and most enforced traditions. "Bound Feet and Western Dress" is an interesting memoir for the fact that it does not read like a memoir at all. It is the story of a great-aunt told to her great-niece, who mixes in her own observations about her aunt's life and her experience as a Chinese-American among her narrative.
"Bound Feet and Western Dress" tells the story of the author's great-aunt, Chang Yu-i. Born in 1900, Yu-i was the first woman in her family to refuse to have her feet bound. Despite being modern in this aspect, she is stunted and traditional in her upbringing, her education, and the way she acts in her first marriage. She is famous for having perhaps the first "modern" divorce in China and is determined to make it on her own from that point on. No one in her family truly knows her story until her great-niece asks her to tell it.
What passes between the two of them may not be a ground-breaking, fascinating story but is rather a quiet reflection on growing up in a changing time. Yu-i struggles through a great majority of her life to be both modern and traditional, to do what is 'right and expected' and to do what she wanted to do. She is an inspiration to her great-niece, a first generation Chinese-American who feels at home with neither nationality. The intersections of the author's remembrances of past encumbrances fit nicely with Yu-i's struggle to bridge the past with the new. "Bound Feet and Western Dress" offers a poignant look at the role that women have played in China and how they are defining themselves today.
Irritating narrative, badly written book.......2005-04-04
The idea was good but Natasha simply didn't have the talent to put it in written and understandable text. She switches all the time the "I", got me confused about who she was talking about, her or her aunt.She mixed both stories, suddenly she wants to explains her "great destiny" (narcissism) at the same time as she tells the strory about her great aunt. Those second, third, fourth, xth brother's wife, sister, uncles, all irritating narrative. I really tried to like the story, to pick and read and just gave me headaches trying to figure it out whose story she is talking. Go back to school. I don't know how the editor accepts this kind of book to be published, need a lot of editing. Maybe someone in the publishing house is her relative.
A good book, because it is a true story........2004-04-05
I enjoyed the auuthor's simple writing style. The story is about a woman who decides whether or not to make her own life, or allow it to be decided for her. The best thing about this book, is that it is a true story. The book was fast reading, and very inspirational. I would reccommend it.
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