The Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs

Book Description

This first complete account of all the bulbous plants of the Cape Floral Region is an essential aid to the identification of all species presently in cultivation.

The Cape Region, at the southern tip of Africa, is easily among the richest centers for bulbous plants and probably the most famous. Nearly 1200 species of bulbous plants find their home there and almost three-quarters of them occur nowhere else. This first complete account of all the bulbous plants of the Cape Floral Region is an essential aid to the identification of all species presently in cultivation as well as the many others that are potentially valuable horticultural subjects. The book is richly illustrated with high-quality color photographs of more than half the species of Cape bulbs, many of which have never been illustrated before.

Customer Reviews:

Great refference book........2003-07-26

An excellent reference book on cape bulbs. A wealth of photo's and information. Aspects of the book are on the technical side for a layman. But worth having.Highly recomended.

A magnificent guide to a magnificent group of plants.......2003-07-24

The flora of South Africa is a stunning example of bio-diversity in the world. Due to a large variety of habitats many plant families have developed a wide range of species, a lot of them endemic to this region. While botanical enthusiasts worldwide focus on succulent and caudiciform plants the unbelievably rich geophytic flora of the Cape (including the orchids) is not fully discovered for cultivation yet.

The Color Encylopedia of Cape Bulbs is a wonderful approach to overcome this situation. The authors present essential information about everything concerning this topic. Their book provides a general survey of the physical and biological features of the habitats. The topics cultivation and gardening are included as well. The information given is concise and precise and a very helpful background for botanists and cultivators, too. A glossary, a key to the species, a table of synonyms and a suppliers list at the end of the book finish the bulk of basic information.

The encyclopedic part of the book offers detailed descriptions of a wide range of bulbous plants of different monocot families. It is built up following an alphabetical order of the genera which allows to quickly find a species without expert knowledge about botanical taxonomy. Specified information about habitat and cultivation is given in the genus description.The species descriptions include all necessary items and are accompanied by wonderful photographs of many of these impressingly beautiful plants. It is astonishing to see what a variety of different looking species some genera have produced, for instance Gladiolus and Moraea from the Iridaceae family.

In summary, I highly recommend this book for botanists, for travellers to the Cape region with botanical interests and for gardeners as well. When I opened the encyclopedia for the first time I was fascinated for hours. The species descriptions and pictures alone are worth the prize of this book, in my opinion! Along with Karsten Wodrich's books about the South African orchids, the Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs gives an impression of the geophytic plant treasures this region offers to all enthusiasts. And, last but not least, these books are an indispensable help to successfully cultivate them.

Average customer rating:
Wildflowers of the Blue Ridge Parkway
J. Anthony Alderman
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Flowers | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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Ecotourism | Specialty Travel | Travel | Subjects | Books
South Atlantic | South | Regions | United States | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains

Wild Flowers of North Carolina, 2nd Ed.

A Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of the Southern Appalachians

Southern Appalachian Wildflowers

Newcomb's Wildflower Guide

ASIN: 0807846511
Release Date: 1997-04-30

Book Description

The Blue Ridge Parkway, winding along the backbone of the southern Appalachian Mountains, is cherished for its grand vistas and massive mountain peaks, but nestled in the recreation areas, overlooks, and hiking trails that line its length are a wealth of smaller, equally beautiful gems. Hundreds of species of colorful wildflowers thrive among the misty glades, open fields, and marshy streambanks along the Parkway. J. Anthony Alderman's invaluable Wildflowers of the Blue Ridge Parkway will help the visitor locate, identify, and enjoy many of these seasonal treasures.

Average customer rating:

Includes some information that I didn't find elsewhere

Not much beyond what's in cruise ship brochures

Hunter Travel Guides Cruising the Mediterranean: A Guide to the Ports of Call (Cruising the Mediterranean) (Cruising the Mediterranean)
Larry H. Ludmer
Manufacturer: Hunter Publishing (NJ)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Cruises | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Mediterranean by Cruise Ship: The Complete Guide to Mediterranean Cruising (Mediterranean By Cruise Ship)

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Cruise Guide to the Europe & The Mediterranean (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

ASIN: 1588435865

Book Description

A concise guide for cruisers, with ship details given in easy-to-read format and no-nonsense descriptions of ports en route. You can see at a glance the itinerary, passenger/crew ratio, dining options, berth layout and capacity. Ludmer profiles the shore excursions thoroughly. He points out what you can afford to miss and what you should make every effort to see. Major ports covered are: Lisbon, Gibraltar, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Monte Carlo, Livorno/Pisa, Rome, Naples, Venice, Athens, Malta, Istanbul.

Customer Reviews:

Includes some information that I didn't find elsewhere.......2004-08-24

While I have to agree with the previous reviewer that the Ship Itineraries section of this book could easily have been dipensed with, I did find some value in this book, taken as it was. The most major ports have a map (not detailed) that gives you some idea of the locations of major sites of interest in relation to each other. I did find this helpful in planning what it was reasonable to expect to be able to get to. It gives an opinion on what ports are best explored on your own, and which are best seen through a purchased excursion. It also gives some tips on getting around; but these are not always consistently detailed for each location. "Highlights Tours" are provided for those ports that you would want to explore yourself.

I found reading this book to be like sitting down and having a conversation with someone who knows these ports...not always detailed enough, or consistent in information, but interesting mostly because it gives you a bit of an opinion on which to base choices and some information that I didn't get elsewhere about the ports that I visited.

Not much beyond what's in cruise ship brochures.......2003-05-11

Pages 1-134 contain rapidly outdated information--best got off the web on what cruise lines go where.

Larry Ludmer then fails to deliver on his promise (p152, Cruising the Med) to indicate the location of each port and give some information on getting there. Two examples: Larry please tell us how equipped with a Eurail pass, one gets
1) from the Venice train station to the cruise terminal,
2) from Livorno cruise terminal to Florence??

Book Description

André Le Nôtre, chief landscape gardener at Versailles, enjoyed a thirty-five-year relationship with his patron, Louis XIV, the Sun-King. Born in Paris, grandson and son of gardeners, he grew up in the Tuileries and amid the flourishing of the decorative arts—sculpture, gardening, painting, architecture—in the nearby workshops of the Louvre. This book recounts his life and achievements in a distillation of facts and musings. Le Nôtre was recognized as a genius in his time, particularly in his innovative use of perspective and reflective water surfaces. His services were sought by the rich and powerful, and he was responsible for an "archipelago" of gardens surrounding Paris, including Fontainebleau, Marly, and Chantilly. This book focuses on Versailles and the unlikely association of "the most powerful of monarchs, to whose will everything must bend" and a master gardener who never for a moment claimed to be anything else. The search for happiness is a recurring theme, implicit in the title and in remarks such as "any walk [in Versailles park] is a peaceful pursuit of happiness." If happiness comes from fulfilling one's potential, Le Nôtre was a happy man in his calling to give pleasure to others. He created an enduring legacy in a fragile medium.

Book Description

China's drive into the 21st century has been fueled by the relationship—and competition—between Beijing, considered by some observers to be the capital of capitals in China, and Shanghai, the nation's economic growth engine. The political and cultural history of China since 1850 has, in many ways, been shaped by Beijing's exercise of policy over what was once a small shipping port and fishing centre. In little more than a century, Shanghai has cast off these nets and is rising to be the region's leading economic metropolis, a position it seems determined to hold, this time with Beijing's blessing. As Beijing bounds forward to host the 2008 Olympics, its majesty, well reflected in its cultural gems—the Forbidden City, The Temple of Heaven and the Ming Tombs—remains unfettered by the country's economic development.

This vibrant second edition of Beijing & Shanghai brings readers up-to-date on what's hot and what's cool in China's twin cities. Combining the latest information about restoration, entertainment, transportation and accommodation with historical writing, Beijing & Shanghai is the sophisticated guide to urban China that travelers have always wanted. 230 color photos, 17 maps.

Customer Reviews:

A Good Companion.......2007-05-29

I always travel with two guides to a place--one to read and the other to tell me where to eat. With "literary excerpts" and topical features on the naming and renaming of Beijing and the "singsong houses" of old Shanghai, this is a book to read before, during, and after a trip to the two cities. Each of the two sections is written by a resident of the city, and each takes a different approach, as these very dissimilar cities demand. Illustrations and maps abound. Listings of hotels, restaurants and shops are limited and likely to be out of date, as the books by this publisher seem to be updated every two or three years.

Average customer rating:

Shanghai Odyssey

Manufacturer: Dewi Lewis Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 1899235140

Book Description

As Shanghai enters the 21st-century, this most dynamic of Chinese cities looks back over a decade of phenomenal growth. It is a focus for foreign investment and futuristic architecture, yet the city's international past is still very much in evidence. In the crowded streets and shopping malls there is an unabashed enthusiasm for consumer-ism and a great capacity to enjoy whatever life has to offer.

Syke's pictures range from moments of personal intimacy to industrial projects, and his work achieves a subtle chemistry between photo-journalism and fine art photography. The photographs are accompanied by perceptive captions and a lively chronology of historical events.

Homer Sykes travels widely on assignment throughout the world.

Beijing and Shanghai: China's Hottest Cities (Odyssey Illustrated Guide)

Average customer rating:

Head and Tale of Two Cities

Beijing and Shanghai: China's Hottest Cities (Odyssey Illustrated Guide)
Peter Hibbard , Paul Mooney , and Steven Schwankert
Manufacturer: China Guide Series
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 962217728X

Book Description

China's drive into the 21st century has been fueled by the relationship—and competition—between Beijing, its ancient political and cultural capital, and Shanghai, its economic growth engine. The history of modern China, since 1850, has in many ways been defined by Beijing's exercise of policy over what only a century and a half ago was a fishing village. In a century, Shanghai cast off its fishing nets and rose to be the region's leading economic metropolis, a position it seems determined to re-take, this time with Beijing's blessing.

Travelers to China will almost inevitably visit both of these dynamic cities. The first edition of Beijing and Shanghai is a vibrant guide to what's hot and what's cool in China's twin cities. Combining the latest developments in restoration, entertainment, transportation and accommodation with historical writing by acclaimed authors describing each city's high and low moments, of Beijing and Shanghai presents a sophisticated guide to urban China the traveler has never had before.

Few China guidebooks are written by authors resident in the cities they are covering. Most "parachute" in for a few weeks to cover one city. This guide covers its subject matter with a local resident with an intimate knowledge not only of historical monuments but of contemporary city life and culture.
• China's rapid economic development, fueled by its entrance into the World Trade Organization, and Beijing's hosting of the 2008 Olympics have led to wholesale restructuring of large parts of each city's infrastructure
• Covers improved tourist and residential infrastructure, including the pedestrianization of China's two most famous shopping promenades, Beijing's Wangfujing and Shanghai's Nanjing Road
• Pinyin phonetic translations of Chinese place names help make it easier to communicate with taxi drivers, hotel staff and others about the location of sights
• Detailed bibliography
• A select list of Internet websites covering both cities
• 95 color photos supplemented with archival material bring the present, and past, to life
• 12 maps show exactly where the key sights are located

Customer Reviews:

Head and Tale of Two Cities.......2005-08-02

While providing a lot of inside background on these cities, this book dispels alot of 19th and 20th century myths that have grown up about China centered around the unprecedented modernization of Shanghai and the ongoing modernization of Beijing in view of the Olympics in 2008. With a quick language primer in the back, rich pictures of various sites and an emphasis on people traveling with views to those expatriates who have lived there over the years, without a doubt this book makes for an excellent read as you go behind the scenes of each city to see the old and new.

Comments on restaurants and lodging are good. Shopping comments are great. For anyone interested about China or planing on going to China this is the must read book to see both yin and yang of mainland Chinese culture through the eyes of Heads of Government and Commerce Tales in Two Cities.

For the well seasoned traveler, a current year Lonely Planet guide is a bit better. However, this book combines two cities saving money and time.

Average customer rating:

Living in Shanghai (Odyssey Guides)
Jennifer Jacoby Dawson , Douglas Dawson , and Douglas Dawson III
Manufacturer: Odyssey Publications,Hong Kong
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Job Hunting | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Odyssey Illustrated Guide to Shanghai (Odyssey Guides)

Average customer rating:

Odyssey Illustrated Guide to Shanghai (Odyssey Guides)
Lynn Pan
Manufacturer: Odyssey Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9622174132

Operation: Torah Rescue (The Miraculous Odyssey of Torah from the Fires Of the Holocaust to Safety In Shanghai)

Average customer rating:

Operation: Torah Rescue (The Miraculous Odyssey of Torah from the Fires Of the Holocaust to Safety In Shanghai)
Yecheskel Leitner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

Shanghai (Odyssey Guides)
Lynn Pan
Manufacturer: Odyssey Publications,Hong Kong
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 962217292X

Average customer rating:

Some Outdated Practical Info in a Hodge Podge Style

Shanghai (Odyssey Guides)
Lynn Pan
Manufacturer: Odyssey Publications,Hong Kong
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9622171982

Book Description

The cosmopolitan, decadent 'Paris of the East' during the Twenties and Thirties, and before that a beacon for Western entrepreneurs, Shanghai continues to fascinate visitors with its melange of European architecture and its reputation for style and sophistication. Today, amidst great change, Shanghai's famed energy is more palpable man ever as it evolves into a modern financial and cultural center. Buildings and infrastructure are rising at a dizzying rate, as are me dazzling new shopping and night-life venues that have come alive. In addition to covering all the major sites of the city, this guide offers a broad range of practical information, such as how to pronounce Chinese names, where to shop, advice on conducting business, and suggested excursions outside the city. Also included are excerpts from literature on Shanghai by such noted writers as Nien Cheng, Anchee Min, Orville Schell and J G Ballard.

* Overview of the history of Shanghai
* Fifth edition of this very popular guide
* Guide to pronouncing Chinese names
* Information on the many sights in and around Shanghai
* Advice on conducting business in Shanghai
* Essays examining, amongst other topics, the peasant painters of Jinshan
* Excerpts from literature on Shanghai from Aid ous Huxley, Simone de Beauvoir; Orville Schell and many more
* Superb color photography
* Chronology of Chinese history

Customer Reviews:

Some Outdated Practical Info in a Hodge Podge Style.......2000-09-14

Authors & publisher might wish there was a 2 1/2 star option, because that would be more accurate. But no way does this sketchy guidebook deserve a 3.

It's a good size to carry around and there are some really nice little tidbits of background reading. But there is a real lack of practical usefulness with this guide. I really needed my other guidebooks, too, which is a shame... if you're in one foreign city, one good guide book should suffice. This one didn't, quite. I think it would suffice for someone coming in on the kind of package tour where all decisions are already made about where to eat every meal, and where to go. But if you travel independantly, this book simply doesn't measure up.

The book provides a good, simple overview map of the city, which is good for the main streets and subway lines but I like to see neighborhood maps, too (which you will always find in the Lonely Planet guides). None were given. Transportation section in the beginning makes it sound like bicycling is a great way to get around, so it was very annoying to find, on the authors' suggested 3-day sightseeing itinerary, that a bicycle won't do, since so many of the crucial streets are closed to bikes. Why didn't they choose an itinerary that would include some of that cycling they espouse? No walking tours are suggested, either.

I found the local expat weekly pulp magazine, Shanghai Scene, I believe it was called, a lot more helpful for finding great restaurants, shopping tips, and other meaty, useful info. In fact, the weekly gave phone numbers for all the museums I needed to go. This book gives none. Granted, Shanghai is the world's fastest changing city and no book can truly keep up with all the new hotels and nightspots, but things like the lack of phone numbers (of museums and restaurants) meant I was always referring elsewhere for additional info.

The shopping tips provided were minimal and without embellishment. I passed lots of great neighborhood markets that would probably have been mentioned in other guidebooks but not this one. And text mentions the area where bookshops are to be found but neglects to mention that this same street is where you will see all the great traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting supplies. I wonder what other unique Shanghai gems are ignored.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Francisca.......2000-09-19

Francisca and the Boys is the true essence of growing up in a hispanic family during the depression years of the 30's. This book sets you in real life, as if you were actually living with the characters. The Delmonte family is gently unwoven with love and support that gives the reader a true understanding of what "family" really is. Reading this book to the end is not enough, you'll want more of Nick, Davy, and Francisca......

Average customer rating:

El Nino Y Globo/the Boy and the Balloon
Francisca Altamirano
Manufacturer: Editorial Trillas S.A. De C.V.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Spanish | Foreign Language Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9682418453

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