Investigative mycology

Book Description

This book is a narrative by Roy Chapman Andrews of his work and travels in Mongolia and North China. The book is written entirely from the sportsman's standpoint and has purposely avoided scientific details which would prove uninteresting or wearisome to the general public.

Asia is the most fascinating hunting ground in all the world, not because of the quantity of game to be found there but because of its quality, and scientific importance. Because of unceasing native persecution, lack of protection, the continued destruction of forests and the ever increasing facilities for transportation to the remote districts of the interior, many of China's most interesting and important forms of wildlife are doomed to extermination in the very near future.

Customer Reviews:

Unique document on the Mongolian plains, zoology, ethnography in the 1920's.......2007-07-31

This edition is the anastatic copy of the original 1920's book. As all attempts of this kind it has its drawbacks, that in this case consist mostly of the absence of the photographs, that in the original edition were by Andrews' wife Yvette.
This book is the abridged journal of what was successively known as the Second Asiatic Zoological Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History carried out in 1920 in Mongolia and parts of China. Roy Champman Andrews was a great explorer and comunicator and had already written two books one on whale hunting and another together with his wife of a previous expedition in China in 1916-17.
After a brief introduction on the history of Mongolia and its political turmoils, the book is essentially a journal of a year of roaming through the rolling plains of Northwestern China and Mongolia, with the intent to hunt animals for the Museum's permanent exhibitions. The first journeys are by car, from which it is easier to shoot at the fast antelopes and wolves of the plains. After a stay in Urga (the modern Ulan Batar, capital city of modern Mongolia),that is maybe the book's most interesting part because of the description of the temples and cerimonies that do not exist anymore, Andrews and his wife decide to spend some time as the nomads do on horse back. They hunt marmots and enjoy the plains among the friendly nomads.
Successively Andrews decides to visit the Northern Forest above Urga, but the hunting is to dangerous for his wife, that is left back. Together with Harry Caldwell they look for and savagely hunt roe buck, waipiti, argali, goral and whatever else moves.
This book is obviously dated, and if a modern naturalist reads it the hair will surely stand strait on his head. The last chapters are really a slaughter house of some of the worlds most beautiful animals with the intent of conserving them for knowledge of the future generations. However, if read in the appropriate frame of mind it is a fantastic documentation of long ago ideals, mentality and facts, that are described with impartiality but absolutely no empathy differently to what will successively be done by for example Lattimore and others.
Andrews reaches almost a poetic evocation when he describes landscape and colors, expecially that of the fur of the animals he kills.
This book reminded me of the film "Dersu Uzala".
A very interesting antiquarian read.

Ian Myles Slater on: A Period Piece.......2005-01-07

I have a copy of the 1921 Blue Ribbon "popular' edition (possibly an undated later reprinting) of "Across Mongolian Plains," and will not contribute to the debate on the quality of the paperback edition (see the two earlier reviews). I do think it is important to point out that the book belongs to the early twentieth century, and reflects its values. Readers should be prepared to make allowances for this, or not bother. Of course, those who pass it by will be missing some first-class storytelling.

Andrews, who first came to the attention of scientists as a skilled taxidermist, shows his enthusiasm for turning live animals into specimens for mounting. Despite praise of individual Asian acquaintances, he falls into ethnic stereotypes whenever he deals with nations or groups for any length of time. Some of his judgements on foreign cultures must have seemed odd, even at the time. Maybe the decline of Lamaism would restore the "virility of the Mongol nation" -- whatever that means. But if it means anything, why would he find it so desirable? If Andrews didn't remember Genghis Khan, the Chinese and the Russians certainly did!

Ironically, the expedition seems to have made both the first and last Western observations of some traditional Mongolian Buddhist religious observances, later swept away in the aftermath of Russian and Chinese revolutions.

Anyone hoping for accounts of fossil-hunting in the Gobi Desert will also be in for an unpleasant surprise. That belonged to subsequent expeditions, in later years.

Readers interested in the context of this and later Andrews expeditions will probably find Charles Gallenkamp's "Dragon Hunter: Roy Chapman Andrews and the Central Asiatic Expeditions" their most helpful guide.

(Reposted from my "anonymous" review of September 10, 2003.)

A great book.......2001-09-18

I found nothing wrong with either the book or the printing. This is a simply fabulous book, from either the viewpoint of a real-life adventure story, or for historical details for somebody studying the period.

Great Book Ruined by Publisher.......2001-06-07

Across Mongolian Plains is one of the classic accounts of early 20th Century Hunting in Central Asia. It is also an excellent account of Mongolia prior to the Communist takeover in 1923. I can find no faults with the book as written by Andrews. However, my personal opinion of this edition is that it is not worth the money asked for it. It is a poorly made paperback, and the publisher has not reproduced any of the original photographs with the one exception being the frontis, which in my copy looks like a cheesy Xerox. This book is still available in the 1920's Blue Ribbon reprint, in hardback with photos for less than this "new" paperback. I am VERY dissapointed with this edition. Save your money and search out an original copy, you will find it far more satisfying. The first edition D. Appleton & Co. edition is still available as well.

Across Mongolian plains;: A naturalist's account of China's "great northwest", by Roy Chapman Andrews ... photographs by Yvette Borup Andrews

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Across Mongolian plains;: A naturalist's account of China's "great northwest", by Roy Chapman Andrews ... photographs by Yvette Borup Andrews
Roy Chapman Andrews
Manufacturer: D. Appleton and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Customer Reviews:

Unique presentation.......2001-12-14

What sets this book apart from the usual book of beautiful paintings is the text. Every painting is accompanied by a statement from the artist addressing some aspect of the creative process, ranging from why the scene was chosen to difficulties encountered in executing it. In addition there is a statement by a professional naturalist giving interesting natural history information about each location. You would expect a book of paintings to be a pleasure to view, and this one is. But it is also a pleasure to read.

Door County Spirit Captured In Paintings And Text.......2001-10-01

Door County, Wisconsin, combines the natural beauty of bluff-defined shorelines, northern forests, quiet meadows, secluded wetlands, and an astonishing array of wildflowers. This coffee table book features the work of 70 artists who set out to capture the wildplaces of Door County. Most of the paintings were selected by a nationally-known jury. Some invited works are by well-known artists such as Charles Peterson, Karsten and Ellen Topelmann, James Ingwerson, and Gerhard Miller. Paintings represent the artist's impressions of the special wildplaces of the peninsula, and there's not a painting in the book that I wouldn't wish to frame and display in my home. A truly special book for a special place.

Awesome Work by incredible artists.......2001-08-26

An outstanding variety of fantastic work. Any Door County fan will appreciate the true beauty of Door County and the incredible talent of the artists in the area. Charles Peterson, Bridget Austin, Jack Anderson, and other talented artists contributed to this awesome book. Worth double the price and for a great cause...

Book Description

Water has featured prominently in garden designs for thousands of years, and its appeal to the senses still attracts the imagination of gardeners worldwide. Ponds and other water features need careful planning, and though there are other books with wonderful ideas, many of them lack the very practical information that water gardeners need to know.

"The Master Book of the Water Garden" is the most comprehensive book on the subject. It includes detailed step-by-step illustrated instructions on all aspects of water garden construction and maintenance--from building a raised pond to propagating marginal plants. Philip Swindells also provides advice on choosing a style based on the reader's budget, time constraints, available site, and proposed function.

Customer Reviews:

ONE OF THE BEST.......2004-06-26

This book has all the information needed to build and maintain a pond. There is everything you need to know from A-Z including maintaince, plants, fish, etc. A must have.

Great coverage for building ponds and water gardens.......2001-07-19

This is an excellent book for building water gardens, ponds, pools and streams. The subject is covered thoroughly with detailed descriptions about installing fountains, lighting, islands, and landscaping. There are lots of lovely photos that will let your imagination grow as to the kinds of ponds you can design and build. You are only limited by the size of your yard. There is a large section about adding different types of water plants to specific areas of the pond. Plus, there is good coverage about adding fish, attracting wildlife, and performing seasonal maintenance. Construction techniques vary from simple to more complex designs, including waterfalls and ripple effects. Another book, Nash's The Complete Pond Builder, seems to have slightly better construction detail and also more examples of smaller ponds. However, Swindells' book is much more comprehensive and it contains a lot more information about maintenance, fish, and plants.

COMPLETE!.......2000-04-08

This Book has GREAT content. Not only does it have clear, and easy to understand diagrams of plants, but it supplied me with information to build my own pond. Now, my pond is filled with koi that rest underneath some waterlilies . The water hyacinths, (which I did not know about until reading this book) , smell soooo wonderful. My pond would never be complete without this book. I say you buy it, because it is worth it's price!

Book Description

Playing cards have been around a thousand years or more and are infinite in their variety. This makes playing cards and complete decks rich in history and every bit as collectible as coins and postage stamps.

The Price Guide for Collectible Playing Cards is intended to be a basic resource for collectors of playing cards and decks of playing cards and to give at least some idea of what different decks of cards may be worth among other collectors.

Volume I presents examples of different decks in the categories of Advertising, Humor, Patience, Pinup, and Transportation.

Volume II presents examples of different decks in the categories of Standard and Souvenir.

Volume III presents examples of different decks categorized as Non-Standard.

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Price Guide for Playing Collectible Cards Vol II
Harry Wastrack
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Books | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Consumer Guides | Reference | Subjects | Books
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Price Guide for Collectible Playing Cards: Non-standard

Price Guide for Collectible Playing Cards: Advertising, Humor, Patience, Pinup, Transportation

ASIN: 1413493270

Book Description

Volume I presents examples of different decks in the categories of Advertising, Humor, Patience, Pinup, and Transportation.

Volume II presents examples of different decks in the categories of Standard and Souvenir.

Volume III presents examples of different decks categorized as Non-Standard.

Customer Reviews:

Don't know what the others thought.......2001-08-27

I bought this book for somebody else and THANK GOD! i didnt buy it for my self. The book contains NO inspirational designs/concepts, beats me how they came up with the title there are certainly NO Outstanding bars/restaurants, NONE WHAT SO EVER!

Restaurant & Shop Facades 3: 296 Outstanding Restaurants, Cafes, Bars & Retail Shops, Stores (Shop Design Series)

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Restaurant & Shop Facades 3: 296 Outstanding Restaurants, Cafes, Bars & Retail Shops, Stores (Shop Design Series)

Manufacturer: Shotenkenchiku-Sha Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Reference | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Advertising | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Decoration & Ornament | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 4785802669

Cafes and Restaurants 4: 62 Outstanding Cafes, Tearooms, Cafe-Bars, Restaurants (Shop Design)

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Cafes and Restaurants 4: 62 Outstanding Cafes, Tearooms, Cafe-Bars, Restaurants (Shop Design)

Manufacturer: Shotenkenchiku Sha Co Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 4785801336

Amazon.com

Richard Sheridan is primarily remembered for three brilliant plays: The Rivals, The School for Scandal, and The Critic. With these elegant comedies of manners, he almost single-handedly revived the comic spirit of the Restoration, deemed too coarse by the more refined society of the latter 18th century. In Sheridan's work, the clichés of traditional melodrama are turned on their heads (The Rivals, for example, features a man who forces his son to marry the woman he himself is in love with), and romantic intrigues become a forum for discussing political issues and the nature of theater itself. Sheridan's major plays were all written by the time he was 28. While melodramas, adaptations, and pantomimes followed, his career as a playwright was just a prelude to a long involvement in other fields, most notably managing London's Drury Lane theater and a political career that eventually led to a seat in the House of Commons. Little has been written about his later political and business life.

There are romantic intrigues, political battles, and dodges from the debt collectors aplenty in Sheridan's later life, though they seem but a lengthy epilogue to the wit and creativity of his early years. O'Toole is wonderfully lucid, however, in explaining the struggles for Irish autonomy in this period (Sheridan would all his life, to the detriment of his social standing, identify himself as Irish), and he offers an in-depth analysis of the elaborate political and social arena of the time. Particularly well drawn are Sheridan's complex romantic relationships with his wives, involving infidelities and duels. But when compared to the brilliance of his early plays, the historical details of his later life seem somewhat lackluster. --John Longenbaugh

Book Description

The great Irish-English playwright--his politics, his impassioned life.

A tale of stunning literary success, political celebrity and intrigue, early death, murder, treason, and revolution, this extraordinary book takes as its subject one of the most exciting and enigmatic figures in Irish and English history.

Dramatist, politician, entrepreneur, philanderer, duelist, and revolutionary (or traitor), Richard Brinsley Sheridan was a man of many contradictions: a Protestant gentleman who cared about the rights of the Irish Catholic peasantry; a creative writer who was best known as a politician; a believer in sincerity yet a role-playing chameleon; a radical who masterminded the crisis following the madness of King George; a member of Parliament who associated with insurrectionists against the Crown.

His unusual and still-relevant life has been captured superbly by the masterful young scholar Fintan O'Toole, in an innovative work that opens up a radical new perspective on a great writer. O'Toole shows that Sheridan must be understood as an Irish writer and dissident, a complicated man who walked a thin line between success in London and extreme danger as a supporter of democratic reform and Irish independence.

Customer Reviews:

A wit, poet and a gentleman........2004-09-16

This is a wonderful biography of a fascinating and engaging personality. Sheridan is a fine poet and an honorable politician (a nearly impossible achievement in the eighteenth-century as it is today), a genuine wit, he was also one of the greatest playwrights in the London theater of his day.

Sheridan was a man of fashion and society, but not a fop. He wrote clever, romantic comedies, liked to live on the edge and yet always held fast to his principles -- supporting the American colonists, for instance, in their struggle for independence -- while refusing to be bought at any price.

He lived in grand style from the first moment that he arrived in London (despite having nothing but his wife's dowry), spending all of the money that he made as quickly as he earned it -- sometimes MORE quickly than he earned it. He was passionate about few women but appreciative of the beauty of many, and he was a devoted and caring father. (His poem "If a Daughter You Have" is a small gem.)

When he came home one night to find his theater burning as a result of a fire (probably set by his enemies in parliament), he calmly sat and sipped some wine, explaining to shocked witnesses: "Surely a man can have a glass of wine by his own fire."

Toward the end of his life, although he was burdened by crippling debts, he refused an offer of a large sum of money in compensation for his support offered by the American colonists. He explained that his support had been a matter of principle.

Read this biography and anything by Sheridan himself.

What an excellent book!.......2002-07-24

It's enough to say that a major artist has met with a superb biographer and this happy marriage has produced a very moving and absorbing account of this great man's life. Thank you Mr O' Toole!

a terrific book.......1999-04-25

I was familiar with Sheridan from his theatrical comedies, plays that have become standard in the repertoire. I was dimly aware of his service in Parliament. I wasn't aware of his extensive involvement in the great political questions of the day, particularly the Irish questions, nor of his centrality in the great debates of the late 18th century--the American war for independence, the expanding power of the East India Company, and many others.

The book covers all of this, but what elevates this bio from the typical is the author's focus on Sheridan's rhetoric--his use of language. The richness of wordplay, situation, and satire in his plays turns out to be just a special case of a characteristic lifestyle of thought and interaction. It's just splendid to read this sort of thing from an intelligent writer. The book gets you thinking, and there are points at which you may challenge the author's conclusions, but you're not going to find many biographies of this depth, thoroughness, and thoughtfulness. A great read!

a really good biography that could have been much better.......1999-03-17

Sheridan (1751-1816) is best known for a few plays, superficially comedies of manners and morals, mainly The Rivals and The School for Scandal. O'Toole's work explores beneath the surface of these and other literary works, showing them as the products of Sheridan's personal and political life.

Widely praised in the English and American press, this biography portrays Sheridan as a passionate (and compassionate) politician. He was a major player in a struggle for various complicated and sometimes seemingly contradictory causes and parliamentary power in the era of the American Revolution, King George III's intermittent madness, the French Revolution, and troubles in the British empire.

Sheridan is shown to be a humanitarian, and, less convincingly, an Irish patriot in the guise of an English politician who happened to be Irish by birth at a time when Ireland was at times openly rebellious toward England. The family heritage in Ireland was actually Protestant, but tolerant of Catholicism to the point of having Jacobite tendencies, i.e. favoring the return of the Stuart monarchy that had ended with James II in the so-called Glorious Revolution of 1688. Sheridan's father, Thomas, was a man of the theatre, and also a scholar, concerned particularly with propriety in matters of language and spoken discourse. Richard was not his father's favorite and his mother, herself a writer, died while Richard was still a young boy.

O'Toole's biography manages to relate the playwright's works to his family circumstances without indulging in psychological speculation. For example, the memorable character Mrs. Malaprop, in The Rivals, (immortalized by our word "malaprop" or "malapropism") is shown to be in part based on Thomas, who had pedantic tendencies. (Malaprops are best when they come from pretenders to perfection in language. An especially good one appeared a few years ago in The Smithsonian magazine when James J. Kilpatrick, a conservative political commentator and sometimes word policeman, referred to a mistake in diction as a "solipsism" instead of a "solecism".)

The many portrayals of hypocrisy and venality in Sheridan's plays are well explained by reference to the politics and society of the period, but are timeless in their effectiveness. The book is most interesting in describing the realities of theatrical performances, whether the particulars are staging details, audience characteristics, or financial exigencies. But this is a political biography of a character whose political accomplishments and enlightened ideals outshine his well known literary works.

Many of Sheridan's Irish contacts and English partisans in the intrigues within England in the years after 1789 were openly sympathetic to, or even allied with the French revolutionaries. Yet Sheridan was during this time a prominent member of the House of Commons and close to the Prince of Wales, later George IV. Some of his personal and political friends were tried as traitors during the peak of Sheridan's political prominence; he survived primarily because of his political acumen, eloquence, and insight.

To the general reader, not well acquainted with the intricacies of English history, the work will nevertheless be interesting and convincing in portraying Sheridan as a politically adroit and ingenious man, even an Enlightenment figure. Sheridan's speeches and writings were well known to the American revolutionaries, and remained popular even after his death. He eloquently advocated religious toleration, freedom from colonial oppression, even feminism, and opposed slavery so effectively as to influence the young Frederick Douglass.

Sheridan's personal flaws (he was a drunk and an adulterer), theatre life in London, political intrigues, the struggle for religious and political freedom in Ireland, and the impeachment trial of Warren Hastings for mismanagement of affairs in British colonial India, all well explained, make this book accessible and interesting. I offer three points of criticism.

First, and most importantly, characters, terms, or events not known to the general reader or history reader, should be explained briefly. The English reader may know what a "rotten" borough was, and what a "pocket" borough was, in the days before parliamentary reform, but a sentence or two would explain this and give the reader a better understanding of the electoral politics involved.

Second, an attempt at a definitive biography, published by a prestigious house such as Farar, should include illustrations. It is frustrating to read descriptions of presumably extant political cartoons of the day, some involving Sheridan's Drury Lane theatre, or major political figures, and not be able to see reproductions-surely the private collection or library would give permission. (In fact, the New York Review of Books included one cartoon in its review of this book.)

Finally, O'Toole's prose is afflicted with some of the unfortunate mannerisms of academic style. He repeatedly uses the awkward, almost always disruptive "former...latter" construction, and equally often uses the term "context" when referring to real relationships or circumstances-the term should be reserved for relationships between words. These usages may be epidemic in doctoral dissertations or in the "scholarly" journals no one reads, but that does not excuse their appearance in a work like this-the author is the drama critic of the New York Daily News. In the age of word processing, surely an editor at Farar should have caught these irritating errors of style, possibly in preparation of the American edition. Then again, a careful editor might have noticed that at the end of the "Preface to the American Edition" the date is incorrectly listed as May 1988.

If this clever and talented author had made his entertaining book more accessible, he would be open to the charge of "popularizing", anathema in academic and some literary circles. But it is a measure of his success in eliciting the nature of Sheridan that one wishes he had done so. After all, the political and religious difficulties in Ireland persist, and one could as well look beyond the Emerald Isle and argue that we too live in an age of comparably flawed, but ultimately noble political actors and causes, in need of better understanding of their human qualities.

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A Traitor's Kiss: The Life of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, 1751-1816
Fintan; Farrar Straus & Girouxt Otoole
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OXCK6U

Customer Reviews:

Another fantastic work!.......2000-03-13

Another fantastic work by the author of the Unknown Arthur! Very highly reccomended for Arthurian story fans. Not mainly intended for children, these stories unearth gleaming gems in the Arthurian tradition known mostly to scholars, and otherwise languishing in obscure manuscripts. Thoughtfull commentary preceeds each story, which is retold/arranged to be clear and readable, but retain the authentic components of the story and the original flavor. Nothing bad to say about it, except that there aren't more in this series!

The Book of Arthur: Lost Tales From the Round Table

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Book of Arthur-Lost Tales by John Matthews

The Book of Arthur: Lost Tales From the Round Table
John Matthews
Manufacturer: Vega
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

In this volume, leading Arthurian scholar and storyteller John Matthews has gathered a rich collection of "forgotten" Celtic and medieval tales and retells them as thrilling new stories in fresh, readable prose. Tracing the richness, color, and vibrancy of the Arthurian traditions, this illustrated anthology reaches back before the familiar tales of chivalry and romance to unearth surprisingly savage tales. Funny, dark, and revelatory--depicting Arthur as a wild warrior who leads a ragtag band of heroes into battle against the Saxons and in a timeless struggle against the forces of the Otherworld--these little-known stories will delight any Arthur aficionado.

Customer Reviews:

Book of Arthur-Lost Tales by John Matthews.......2005-06-12

This is a book of little-known Celtic tales of yesteryear. Forgotten tales include Gawain's strange birth and life times.
A classic literary sequence describes a battle scene.

" Merlin in battle Bravest of youths.
Your courage has taken the years of your lives.
A moment ago, you fought beside me.
Now you lie (dead).

On the earth, fresh blood upon you. "

King Arthur had a habit of not dining until hearing of a wonder
or seeing it in person.

A classic quote from Gawain states:
" I'll marry this hag, even if she is as ugly as Beelzebub."

This volume has unique literary tales of the Book of Arthur.
It is a wonderful acquisition for anyone interested in fine
literature.

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The Lost Legend of Arthur
Steve Blake , and Scott Lloyd
Manufacturer: Rider & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1844132226

Secret Camelot The Lost Legends of King Arthur

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Secret Camelot The Lost Legends of King Arthur
John Matthews Robin Williamson
Manufacturer: Blandford
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UHP8YG

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