Guide to the Aloes of South Africa

Average customer rating:

Truly outstanding

A good book for the aloe person

Guide to the Aloes of South Africa
Ben-Erik van Wyk , and Gideon Smith
Manufacturer: Briza
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1875093044

Customer Reviews:

Truly outstanding.......2002-07-23

This is a truly outstanding book for South African Aloe enthusiasts of any level from beginner to expert. The authors recognized an obvious vacuum in the literature on growing, collecting, and conserving South African Aloes, and this work deftly bridges the gap between peer reviewed botanical journals and elementary field guides. The book brings together information on plant characteristics, distribution, habitat, cultivation, uses, name etymology, and endangered status. Each species description occupies 2 facing pages with textual content on the left and 1 or more excellent photos of plants in habitat on the right. The content, format, and style harmonize to make this book hard to lay down. It is well worth its modest ...price. Highly recommended.

A good book for the aloe person.......2002-01-17

A good book for both beginner and expert. It puts the aloes in 10 groups, from Tree Aloes to Grass Aloes with detailed desciptions of most aloes. It does not, however, have aloes from anywhere but South africa...but that is the only falt I can find with it.

Customer Reviews:

The complete surf guide.......2000-04-20

Since I started surfing a few years ago, I have looked for a good guide book for my aim. I had not found one til i read this one. This is the complete surf guide for anyone going to Indonesia discovering its marvelous waves.

Amazon.com

Nobody can complain that the 1900s were boring. Author Stephen Van Dulken observes the transition away from industrial society and past the information age through the world's patent offices in Inventing the Twentieth Century. This collection of 100 brief glimpses into important or oddball inventions is organized by decade, so the reader can see that while some things have changed dramatically--from the electric washing machine to Dolly the cloned sheep in just 86 years--others remain static, like our still-fervent quest for the perfect teabag.

Each entry consists of a page of text describing the patent and a facing page of diagrams from the application, some of which are perplexing or amusing. From the frivolous (snowboard) to the deadly serious (genetic fingerprinting) and even lifesaving (Viagra--?), Van Dulken collects inventions with the widest interest to a general audience. Each decade's section is introduced with a brief contextual exposition that lays the groundwork for understanding the circumstances that permitted each inventor's inspiration to strike. Inventing the Twentieth Century is great fun to read, but it also challenges its readers and inspires thinking about technology and our collective future. Let's hear it for pleasant surprises! --Rob Lightner

Book Description

"Remarkable . . . get the book for yourself. It'll hold you for many hours."
—Wall Street Journal

"A fascinating compendium for trivia seekers."
—Publishers Weekly

"Highly entertaining . . . In addition to being able to tell a good story, van Dulken . . . easily assembles complex ideas from chemistry and engineering and makes them palatable for the lay person. Van Dulken has assembled a panoramic snapshot of the century. By giving us a picture of our past, van Dulken also presents our future."
—Boston Globe

"One more treasure trove for trivia addicts."
—Herald-Republic

Imagine your average day without zippers, airplanes or vacuum cleaners, without your clock radio or your personal stereo, without photocopiers. All of these devices were invented within the last hundred years and have since transformed our daily landscape.

Drawing on The British Library's vast and comprehensive collection of patents, this handsomely illustrated book recounts the history of 100 of the most significant inventions of the century, decade by decade.

From the photocopier to the Slinky, from genetic fingerprinting to the Lava Lamp, from the ballpoint pen to the fuel cell, Inventing the Twentieth Century is an informative, illuminating window onto the technology of the twentieth century. It's the perfect gift book for every inventor and tinkerer in your life!

"A wonderful book"
—L.A. Daily Breeze, Oct. 19, 2001

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-01-04

I got this as a gift for a friend who is an Engineer and holds many patents of his own. He loves this kind of stuff and thought this was a fantastically fun, interesting and informative book!

Past 100 years re-introduced.......2006-12-03

It is for certain that the world has taken gigantic leaps and bounds during the past one hundred years, making up what we know as the 20th century. Author Stephen Van Dulken successfully summarizes the major historical events and technological breakthroughs, starting with the year 1900 and leading up to 1999, in his enlightening book Inventing the 20th Century. It is an easy, fast, read keeping the reader continuously amused with numerous ground-breaking discoveries and the stories behind them.

Dubbing the 20th century as the age of `energy,' Van Dulken crafts a highly entertaining text, giving us a brief glimpse of 100 influential inventions categorized by decade. During this century, we journeyed into space with invention of the jet engine, split an atom, created the transistor radio, cloned a sheep, and came up with the ideas of wind and solar energy.

Each invention is introduced with a one page description of the how the idea came about, describing the patent process, as well as, a facing page of very interesting diagrams. The inventions are prefaced by a two page, stirring, historical, summary of the decade from around the world. Unfortunately, the majority of the history and inventions mentioned in the book are primarily focused in North America and Europe. Understandably, as the international super-powers, resources were more prevalent, as Phillips acknowledges in the introduction. However, it would be nice to see some inventions coming from less powerful areas of the world.

As a whole,Van Dulken does a suburb job of giving the reader a panoramic view of the 20th century, re-introducing us to the past 100 years with an emphasis on the creative ideas people have developed. From the invention of the television to the Post-it note, each has impacted the world greatly. Van Dulken has re-invented our history through his book, allowing the reader to visualize how certain innovative ideas have come into existence, some changing throughout the years while others remaining static. Ultimately, we are challenged to meditate on technology and the exciting future before us. Where will we be after the next 100 years? We will just have to wait for Van Dulken's next fascinating book.

100 Inventions that shaped the world? Hardly........2001-06-12

The subtitle to Van Dulken's "Inventing the 20th Century" is "100 inventions that shaped the world." True, the airplane, jet engine, automatic transmission, and microchip, among others, certainly have changed the world. But I find it hard to accept that Silly Putty and the Slinky fall into that category. His 100 inventions include many other inventions of questionable worth and pedigree, including several British ones that few Americans would recognize. In many instances the inventions cited by patents were not the ones that turned into the products that we are now familiar with, and his discriptions were often difficult to follow, in part because the auther writes more like a patent attorney than a historian or storyteller. The stories of many of the most significant inventions were already well known to me ---- their stories have been better told in other books, articles or documentaries that I've seen or read over the years. The more obscure inventions were not presented in any more exciting manner. The fault may have been in the author being limited by the format of one or two pages of narrative for each invention. The overall effect was that of a bland, incomplete and unsatisfying meal. You're left feeling hungry but without a desire to consume any more.

"Intellectual Capital" with Global Impact.......2001-03-18

This is one of those rare books which is as entertaining as it is informative. Van Dulken selects and discusses "100 inventions that shaped the world", organizing his material within ten chapters to correspond with the ten decades of the 20th century:

1900-1910 (e.g. aeroplane, air conditioning, and the vacuum cleaner)

1910-1919 (e.g. Formica®, neon lighting, and the self-service supermarket

1920-1929 (e.g. the bread slicing machine, power steering, and television

1930-1939 (e.g. the jet engine, the photocopier, and radar

1940-1949 (e.g. the ballpoint pen, the computer, and the transistor

1950-1959 (e.g. the geodesic dome, the microchip, and Velcro® fasteners)

1960-1969 (e.g. implantable pacemaker, the mouse, and the Workmate® workbench) 1970-1979 (e.g. the artificial heart, Post-it® notes, and the smart card)

1980-1989 (e.g. cellular phones, genetic fingerprinting, and the video game)

1990-1999 (e.g. cloning animals, fuel cells, and programmable materials)

Customer Reviews:

Could have been better.......2007-04-14

I bought this book in the belief that it would describe 100 selected inventions that shaped world history and also analyze how and why. However, the descriptions of the inventions were brief, they did not spend a lot of thought on the selection, and there was no analysis of why a certain invention had shaped history. It was a thin book written for children and young adults rather than adults. This is not necessarily bad, but was not what I expected. I still found the book useful and I am reading it to my kids. However, I have two major complaints which compel me to drop some stars.

(1) The selection of the inventions could have been better. The Video Disc, Velcro, Xerography, Teflon, the piano, the Dewar flask, the sundial and the inclined plane are all in here, but not paper (T'sai Lun), irrigation, the alphabet, the electric generator, stainless steel, integrated circuit, internet, or air conditioning.

(2) There are some glaring errors in the book. An example is #68 the theory of relativity. First it is a little odd that a scientific theory/discovery is listed together with inventions, but let me quote some errors.

First they claim that the theory of relativity was published in its basic form in 1909, the correct year is 1905.

Last sentence of the first paragraph: "He also theorized that the speed light travels, which we understand as 186,000 miles (299,330 km) per second, is not absolute". Too bad it is exactly the opposite. The theory of relativity is based on the fact that the speed of light in vacuum is absolute.

First sentence third paragraph: "The essence of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity is that if matter is converted into energy, the energy released can be shown in the formula E = mc2". Too bad, but that is NOT Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. E=mc2 is a consequence of the special theory of relativity and the E=mc2 paper was published in Annalen der Physik 1905 (p639-p641). The General theory of relativity was published 1915 and had to do with Gravitation and space/time curvature. The authors are mixing up the theories.

The Laser #88: In the second paragraph they try to explain stimulated emission which is the principle behind the Laser. Well this paragraph is not even wrong, it's nonsense.

So in conclusion, it is not a bad book, it is useful, but it could have been a much better book if the authors had tried a little harder to get it right.

Nice little book.......2001-11-29

This is a nice little book, easily read in one or two sittings, about mostly technological inventions. There are great pictures and/or prints, and clear explanations, even for those who are technologically-challenged. Each invention takes up only one page. Quite suitable for kids ten and up, and adults who want a quick introduction or reference book. I enjoyed it, and passed it on to my unix supervisor son. Some really interesting stuff here.

This is a great book........1999-02-19

This book contains inventions from all around the world from microchips to fire. This is a really good book if you are going to do research on inventions.

Inventing the 19th Century: 100 Inventions that Shaped the Victorian Age, From Aspirin to the Zeppelin

Average customer rating:

Inventing the 19th Century: 100 Inventions that Shaped the Victorian Age, From Aspirin to the Zeppelin
Stephen Dulken
Manufacturer: NYU Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

19th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Patents & Inventions | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books
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Inventing the 20th Century: 100 Inventions That Shaped the World

ASIN: 0814788114
Release Date: 2006-11-01

Book Description

"This book should help advance the use of patent literature for historical research."
—Choice

"This publication is an interesting work that could be useful for reference purposes as well as pleasant for browsing."
—ARBA online

Dishwashers, electric light bulbs, gramophones, motion picture cameras, radios, roller skates, typewriters. While these inventions seem to speak of the 20th century, they all in fact date from the 19th century.

The Victorian age (1837-1901) was a period of enormous technological progress in communications, transport, and many other areas of life. Illustrated by the original patent drawings from The British Library's extensive collection, this attractive book chronicles the history of the one hundred most important, innovative, and memorable inventions of the 19th century. The vivid picture of the Victorian age unfolds as inventions from the ground-breaking—such as aspirin, dynamite, and the telephone—to the everyday—like blue jeans and tiddlywinks—are revealed decade by decade. Together they provide a vivid picture of Victorian life.

This follow-up volume to Stephen van Dulken's acclaimed Inventing the 20th Century will be compelling reading to anyone interested in inventors and the "age of machines." From the cash register to the safety pin, from the machine gun to the pocket protector, and from lawn tennis to the light bulb, Inventing the 19th Century is a fascinating, illustrative window into the Victorian Age.

Inventing the 20th Century: 100 Inventions That Shaped the World from the Airplane

Average customer rating:

Inventing the 20th Century: 100 Inventions That Shaped the World from the Airplane
S. Van Dulken
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

20th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0613915410

Customer Reviews:

generic book does not address the needs of artists.......2003-01-07

The focus of the book is on the mechanics of website construction. Over 100 pages are devoted to short (very basic) tutorials on a number of website authoring programs, including PageMill, GoLive, DreamWeaver, and Fireworks. There is some good general discussion of website design, and some links for additional information and resources.

Very little in this book is specific to the art world. Most readers, whether or not they are artists, would be much better served by other books on website construction.

Average customer rating:
The Internet and Art: A Guidebook for Artists
Barbara Houghton
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OI9IBA

Book Description

A real fun book told in a humorous and entertaining fashion describing the behind scenes stories of how to succeed with your pet in show-biz. Step by step Captain Haggerty will tell you how to turn your pet into aq star, explaining the whole process, from training a pet to work on cue, to networking and negotiationg contracts. Even inter-acting with human stars you'll be working with is covered. Read this booik and you'll look and sound like a pro. There are tricks of the trade and a glossary of show business terms, including Yiddish definitions which the Captain explains is the second language of show business.

Customer Reviews:

Zzzzzzzzzz............2004-06-20

Can't this author stay on the subject material?
Reading this book is like having your forgetful Grandpa read you a story.
A book that doesn't cover the subject matter is just not worth the time to read.

Naming dropping doesn't help this book..........2004-04-22

A book full of cobbeled together dull stories just isn't very helpful.

Save yourself some bucks and pass on this loser of a book.

Great, easy to read, fun and informative........1999-09-08

This was a great book. Haggerty helped me realize that even not living in a large city I can still put my dog into show biz. I haven't come across anything that wasn't answered in this book.

Lots of practical information and fun to read.......1999-08-29

I really enjoyed this book. It is very thorough and informative. The author even gives lists of most cat and dog breeds and what type of part the are usually cast in. Great training guide, shows exactly what you need to teach your pet for roles in commercials, print ads, tv, etc... Lists many organizations to get your dog `gigs'. There are even some funny stories about the author or famous animal thrown in, along with some humor!

Average customer rating:

Outstanding

The Official Hake's Price Guide to Character Toys, 6th Edition (Official Hake's Price Guide to Character Toys)
Ted Hake
Manufacturer: House of Collectibles
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Toys | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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The Official Price Guide to Disney Collectibles, Second Edition (Official Price Guide to Disney Collectibles)

ASIN: 0375721053
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Book Description

America’s leading toy dealer and collector presents the most comprehensive reference and price guide devoted to character-themed toys—a nostalgic virtual history of American entertainment from the 1890s to the present.

• Based on cartoons, comic strips, and advertisements from Dick Tracy to SpongeBob SquarePants.

• Market report on the latest toy prices

• Brief histories of the characters

• Guides readers in building valuable collections

• Prices for 40,000 toys in over 370 categories

• Over 100 pages with brilliant, full-color images of collectible toys, from Captain Marvel to Garfield to Toy Story

• Tips on caring for a collection and determining its value

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2007-05-13

As with all of the Hake's guides, this is easy to use, pricing seems fair and not overstated and all catagories are easy to find thru the contents and index.

Book Description

Informative and easy to use, this annual directory-the only book of its kind-provides a state-by-state guide to hundreds of rarely seen private gardens whose lush plantings, tranquil resting spaces, and stunning vistas are open-on specified days only-to the public. The 2003 edition features over 400 exceptional gardens and provides area maps, descriptions, dates and opening times, and detailed driving instructions.

Amazon.com

Photoshop 4 Type Magic 1 is a cookbook for creating effects with type and fonts in graphics. I confess that I am a complete sucker for such gadgetry, and find this book an absolute must-have. It offers 45 specialty type effects including flaming type, chrome, chiseled, beveled, and neon. You'll recognize many of these as the standard fare of graphical typeface all over the World Wide Web. Each effect is precisely documented in carefully laid-out sequence and is equally applicable for Mac and PC users of Photoshop. Some effects that can be enhanced with the use of filters and third-party plug-ins to Photoshop are discussed in alternative versions. The enclosed CD-ROM includes a generous sampling of plug-ins, presets that can be used in Photoshop directly, plus clip art and stock photography samplers.

Customer Reviews:

Good book.......2001-07-05

I am in college and while learning new photoshop techniques, this book comes in quite handy. The full color examples are just the thing if you are a visual learner like me, and they are easy enough to understand. They go step by step through the various techniques, and it can be learned quickly, if you pay attention. This is also a good reference book if you already know the techniques

Original and usefull texture effects.......2000-06-23

Chuck full of texture effects for words. There are about 40 effects and which are described step by step. This book isn't for the cheaters who just want to do Eyecandy plugin's fire effect. Each step is explained in detail and has a picture with it. After all the steps are shown, there are 2 or 3 examples on how to make the same effect look slightly different to give it a more custom look just for your needs. This is one of the few Photoshop books I keep. I've sold more than 1/2 of the Photoshop books I've boughten, so that does mean alot.

THE BEST!!!.......1999-02-22

This book is great!! It tells you a lot of cool stuff. Aside from following the book exactly, you can learn about how everythign works, and experiment on your own. I can't wait to get Type Magic 2!!!!!

Tops for special effects!.......1998-04-30

This book is just loaded with terrific and imaginative uses for the effects in PhotoShop. What is really great about it is that once you get the hang of it you realize that you needn't limit yourself to just using the effects with type. You can apply the effects to photos, shapes, just about any image - which comes in really handy when creating for the web.
Just as an aside,the shatter map was left off the CD-ROM (at least in the PC folder), but upon contacting the publishers, they eMailed me the file within two hours. Great job!

Creating Magic with Photoshop has never been easier!.......1997-10-13

Have you ever wanted to set your type on fire? How about make it transparent? Or shake it apart like it's been hit by an earthquake? Now you can easily create spectacular type effects like those of the masters. Using step-by-step instructions and detailed, full-color examples, Photoshop 4 Type Magic 1 covers 45 type effects, such as chrome, beveled, neon, liquid, glass, swirling, transparent, shattered - and more! The companion CD-ROM is loaded with ... Lighting effects presets Stock images Plus, demo software and plug-ins from Adobe, Alien Skin, MetaTools, Xaos tools, and Andromeda!

Book Description

Emiliano Zapata was a hero to the poor and the oppressed of Mexico. Travel back to a time when the cries of revolution swept Mexico as Zapata's vision of an end to political corruption and land reform for poor Mexicans led to a violent and bloody struggle for power throughout the land.

Customer Reviews:

Emiliano Zapata and the fight for "LAND AND LIBERTY!".......2004-07-01

Emiliano Zapata is a celebrated hero of Mexico who was devoted to the poor farmers of Southern Mexico whom he led during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). "Emiliano Zapata: Revolutionary and Champion of Poor Farmers" by R. Conrad Stein begins by explaining the economic and social troubles that troubled Mexico at the turn of the century as Zapata was growing up. Things came to a head when Porfiro Diaz, an ex-army general, served as president of Mexico and ruled as an iron-fisted dictator, while for Zapata it was the decision to resort to violence when legal means proved futile.

Stein devotes chapters in this book to the start of the Revolution and the extent to which the war ravaged the entire country. Along the way Zapata's important role in the revolution is detailed and young readers will get a sense that if there was any one who had the right reasons for fighting in the war it was Zapata. However, the fate of Zapata and his Zapatistas is not what it should have been, and those young readers will be surprised and probably troubled by the bloody history of the Mexican Revolution in contrast to what they know about the American Revolution.

One thing I like about Stein's book is that he is works into the text such things as a quotation from a novel written during the revolution that provides an apt metaphor for the national turmoil and ends the book on a poetic note. Stein, a historian, has published more than 150 juvenile books, many of them on history, so I am well familiar with his work and this is one of his best books. He deals with a complicated situation in Mexico during this period, providing informative sidebars on Mexican history, tank tactics, the Mexican National Anthem, the Races of Mexico, and the Modern-day Zapatistas. He also uses sub-titles in chapters to highlight key parts such as the Plan of Ayala.

The book is illustrated with historic prints, photographs, and paintings (the cover is a detail from "Emiliano Zapta" by Diego Rivera). The first eight volumes in this series, "A Proud Heritage: The Hispanic Library," were published last year and "Emiliano Zapata: Revolutionary and Champion of Poor Farmers" is one this year's eight new volumes. The others are devoted to "Christopher Columbus: Opening the Americas to European Exploration," "Frida Kahlo: An Artist Celebrates Life," "Hernando Cortés: Conquistador and Empire Builder," "Mario Molina: Chemist and Nobel Prize Winner," and "Pancho Villa: Mexican Revolutionary Hero," as well as volumes on "The Conquistadores: Building a Spanish Empire in the Americas" and "The Changing Face of America: Hispanic Roots, Hispanic Pride" (the first set had a volume on Coronado). Given that Hispanics are now the second largest ethnic group in the country the value of a series like this is better than ev

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