The medicinal and poisonous plants of India

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The medicinal and poisonous plants of India
Jean Ferdinand Caius
Manufacturer: Scientific Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 8185046301

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A Review of work on Indian medicinal plants, including indigenous drugs & poisonous plants (Indian Council of Medical Research. Special report series)
R. N Chopra
Manufacturer: Indian Council of Agricultural Research
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007JEPNM

Book Description

This book equips women with a cache of valuable advice on how to gain awareness and stay centered in all situations to enjoy the pleasures, not the pitfalls, of travel. Revised and updated with new chapters and expanded information, the collection covers how to spot scam artists, choose safe travel companions, dress safely, employ trustworthy guides, and deal with hotel registration. Also included are wise suggestions on what to pack, such as extra rubber doorstops and copies of documents.

Customer Reviews:

Give the gift of safety to someone you love.......2001-12-01

Must reading for the ladies. It will help you avoid unwanted predators of all species.

Ladies: Stay safe, get moving!.......2000-07-29

Ever lie awake in a dark hotel room knowing full well that the 'safety chain' and pushbutton locks on the door couldn't stop a determined six-year-old from coming in, much less a predatory adult? Had your purse snatched on a trip and had to cut your trip short for lack of funds -- or waste two days' worth of prime sightseeing and shopping time trying to replace credit cards and travelers' checks? For women traveling alone or in groups, travel hassles ranging from annoying to outright dangerous can ruin a trip. This does not have to be the case! This book is full of common sense advice that I never would have thought up myself (flimsy chain lock? two rubber doorstops provide security, bring 'em in your carryon bag and safety is yours for approximately $5!), as well as seasoned-traveler insider information that most women have to learn the hard way (photocopy all of your documents, both sides, including photo ID..read why and you'll be glad you did). Reading this book was a pure shot of travel courage for me. If you have ever wanted to take an adventurous travel step but thought, "It would be safer if I did x instead even if it isn't as fun", grab a copy of of Sheila Swan's book and read it cover-to-cover. The book provides a host of steps women can take to increase their safety but uses a 'you can do it' approach rather than relying on scare tactics that too often keep women locked in their hotel rooms at night missing the fun. I don't want to give away any more of the handy tidbits, but as an added bonus I've used some of the tips in navigating my way out of sticky situations in my own city as well. Could *you* tell if someone was setting you up to steal from your purse, or to pick your partner's pocket? I can!

Book Description

As president of Washington's premier nanny placement agency, White House Nannies, Inc., Barbara Kline has spent the last twenty years handpicking and delivering nannies to elected officials, cabinet members, advisers to the President, and the media who report on their every move. In this hilarious account of her life in child care, Kline discloses the mayhem that ensues when these powerful parents find themselves at the mercy of tiny tyrants-and the nannies who offer their only hope of salvation. Offering "an especially insightful insider's perspective," White House Nannies also "addresses more serious questions, from what nannies really think of their employers and their young charges to the tricks of hiring a great caregiver for your family" (Child magazine).

In this "very funny, very insightful, and very well-done" (Kirkus Reviews) memoir, Kline casts a keen eye on one of the most complicated of relationships under the sun: that between extremely busy people and their nannies. Following the major events that launch powerful D.C. parents into parenthood (discovering they're pregnant; hiring a fabulous nanny; giving birth; hiring a second nanny in a pinch when the first one is nannynapped), this book goes behind closed doors in our nation's capital to reveal the laughter-and of course, the tears-involved when overworked professionals attempt to raise a child.

Customer Reviews:

Awful Read.......2007-08-27

I read quite a bit. This is the first book in years that I have actually disliked (it was a gift from a friend).

This book is what happens when someone thinks they have good stories (and the may have, to a degree), takes one writing course and proceeds to write what I would call a bloated, pompous expanded pamphlet for her business.

There were a few decent stories about crazy DC/VA/Maryland power elites...but even those could have been told much better.

But - egads - this book needed a competent editor, at least, to point out the repetitive statements, thoughts and self-congratulations this incompetent author dished out.

My rewrite of the book. There are wealthy power couples in the town that are very, very important. I will drop names beginning now and will not stop until the end of the book. I am very important and am almost as wealthy as these power couples. I roll my eyes at the mishaps of my minority nannies, while my clients are fairly racist/classist and often treat the nannies like animals, even though their entire existence depends on them.

Believe me, I would not be picking on the content of the book (attitudes of the clients or the nannies), if it weren't for the terrible writing.

I loved it!.......2007-05-28

I loved reading this book! As a 'new' nanny, I found this book very useful. At first i said I wouldn't want to work with a family like these mentioned in the book, but then I thought more about it, and I actually wouldn't mind getting the 'experience'. I live in So cal, so we do have families like those D.C. families. This is a must read!!

Cute Read.......2007-05-07

While the title of the book is kinda misleading (I thought this was a book about actual nannies of the White House) it is a cute read. I personally wouldn't have wanted to be the families picked in this book but then again, she had to get their permission to write it!!

Entertaining read.......2006-08-22

I found this book to be entertaining and engaging. I thought the other reviews were a bit harsh and it seemed like maybe the book hit a bit too close to home for them. Ok, this book won't change the world, but it was interesting and fun to read. I live in the midwest and apart from a brief trip to DC, I am completely unfamiliar with the city, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the book one bit.

Bravo - what honesty.......2006-06-16

I loved reading Barbara Kline's book on nannies. I have worked in this industry for over a decade and found this book to be informative, honest but fun. This is a tough career. I have read all the books recently written about nannies, they all have something to offer. Barbara's book showed us this world from the agency perspective which was new to us. I have to make a comment about everyone that noted the "name dropping" as something negative. This is too small a world for Barbara not to get permission from each client and employee. So before you go pointing fingers, don't. Just read the book and enjoy!

WHITE HOUSE NANNIE: My Years With Caroline and John Kennedy, Jr.

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WHITE HOUSE NANNIE: My Years With Caroline and John Kennedy, Jr.

Manufacturer: NAL
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000EWZZUY

Product Description

With close-up photo of Caroline looking at baby John.

White House Nanny : My Seven Mementous Years with Caroline and John Kennedy Jnr.

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White House Nanny : My Seven Mementous Years with Caroline and John Kennedy Jnr.
Maud Shaw
Manufacturer: leslie Frewin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IA7Z3M

Average customer rating:

White House Nanny
Maud Shaw
Manufacturer: The New American Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000L37Q3K

White House Nanny; My Years with Caroline and John Kennedy, Jr.

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White House Nanny; My Years with Caroline and John Kennedy, Jr.
Maud. Shaw
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JMC2J6

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A well-written attempt to get into the mind of a serial arsonist

Amazing Story

Strange book about a strange character

Too long

Totally biased, arrogant author

Fire Lover: A True Story
Joseph Wambaugh
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Criminals | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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Hollywood Station

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ASIN: 006009527X
Release Date: 2002-04-30

Book Description

From master crime writer Joseph Wambaugh, the acclaimed author of such classics as The Onion Field and The Choirboys, comes the extraordinary true story of a firefighter who may have been, according to U.S. government profilers, "the most prolific American arsonist of the twentieth century."

Growing up in Los Angeles, John Orr would watch in awe as firefighters scrambled to put out blazes with seeming disregard for their own lives. One day he would become a fireman himself, and a good one. As a member of the Glendale Fire Department, he rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a fire captain and one of southern California's best-known and most-respected arson investigators, as well as a writer of firefighting articles and finally of a fact-based novel. But there was another, unseen life, one that included many women, a need for risk, and a hunger for recognition.

While Orr busted a string of petty arsonists, there was one serial criminal he could not track down. The fire lover used the same simple yet devastating device and was unerring in his execution. His lethal handiwork led to the death of four innocent people and countless millions of dollars worth of property damage. Homes, retail stores during business hours, fields of dry brush in stifling summer heat -- little was safe from his obsession to see them burn.

But after years of terror and destruction, he would make a mistake. He would leave behind a precious clue that investigators would use to lead them to the true identity of the fire lover, to the shock and disbelief of the firefighting community.

Chilling, colorful, and vivid, Fire Lover is Joseph Wambaugh at his best. He explores the making of a deviant personality, the fascinating intricacies of fire science, the uneasy relationship between firefighting and law-enforcement communities, and a legal system gone haywire.Based on his trademark meticulous research, interviews, case records, and thousands of pages of court transcripts, Wambaugh fashions a powerful narrative. You will never look at fire the same way again.

Customer Reviews:

A well-written attempt to get into the mind of a serial arsonist.......2007-06-05

In Fire Lover, Wambaugh attempts to get into the mind of a convicted serial arsonist, one who nevertheless has never (at least as documented in this book) admitted to his crimes. The story is well-written, intriguing, and at times even a page-turner. The few occasions when the story drags are most often in the telling of Orr's trials, when Wambaugh seeks thoroughness in telling the story of the trial, but occasionally at the expense of the reader's interest. But all told, this is a good, even haunting story of a true case.

Amazing Story.......2006-01-19

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed four of Wambaugh's earlier books, I was sure this one would be a page turner; however, it was strictly the story and not the writing that kept my interest. So my feelings are mixed and my rating is lukewarm. Wambaugh tries too hard to depict John Orr as evil, yet without the hard-sell, the reader would come to that conclusion anyway. I finished the book still feeling that there is more on John Orr that could have been included in the book. An additional thought - one reviewer mentions that Wambaugh copies Truman Capote's style of not including photographs of the characters, yet Wambaugh's own picture is on the back. I'd much rather see who I'm reading about.

Strange book about a strange character.......2004-06-12

This is an unusual book. I don't think I've ever read a book about an arsonist before, certainly not a non-fiction book, and the story that it tells is so fantastic that it's one of those stranger-than-fiction tales that defies belief.

The book tells the story of John Leonard Orr. Orr was a frustrated individual, from a split household, who tried to become a policeman and failed, and wound up becoming a firefighter, both in the Air Force and then in the city of Glendale here in Southern California. He rose to become Glendale's senior arson investigator, actually teaching classes that other arson investigators, even Federal ones, attended. He was considered one of the leading authorities on arson fires and arsonists in California. Then suspicion fell on him and his activities, and he was arrested and accused of being an arsonist himself. The accusation was followed by a pair of trials.

Now I live in Montrose (yards from the border of the city of Glendale) and used to actually live in Glendale, so it was interesting to read about the locale and the people of my new home (I've lived here for five years). Everything's reasonably well-recreated, though I didn't think Glendale was made that unique compared with other Southern California cities. Orr comes across as something of a nerd, a doofus who's always trying to fit in while never quite making it, and always cheating on the current wife with the prospective one, while paying child support to the ex.

Wambaugh's writing style is interesting, in that he uses a lot of slang and emphasis to show what he means, and has a very conversational style. It'd be interesting to hear Ken Howard read this book: it reads as if it would sound better than it looks on the page. I will confess that the cast of characters is large enough that I had trouble keeping track of all of the investigators and attorneys involved, and I think it would have helped if the author provided a dramatis personae at the beginning of the book.

One note: several of the other reviewers presented the idea that the author thinks cops are somehow better than firefighters. This is erroneous. It's his position, stated and restated through the book, that the crime spree was solved by a firefighter turned arson investigator, and that he was ignored by his cop colleagues until the evidence confirmed his suspicions. He does say, several times, that cops themselves sometimes think themselves firefighters, but he's clear that he thinks this is unfortunate. Strange when people have read the same book as you, and come to a different interpretation of what was written. Altogether a good book, though.

Too long.......2003-12-20

I think he could have written in 200 words or less that he hated John Orr, thinks cops are better than firemen, and thinks prosecutors should always have the upper hand.

One thing he could have included was photos, to make the book less boring. And, he could have explained just how we went from the judge disallowing Orr's manuscripts into evidence to the prosecution being allowed to use them as evidence.

Totally biased, arrogant author.......2003-12-20

This is the first Wambaugh book that I've read. I've heard lots of good things about his books. I work in law enforcement and have enjoyed other true crime books written by former law enforcement personnel, so thought I would Wambaugh as well. I had seen the documentary about John Orr and wanted to know more.

However, although the author is an excellent writer, this book was very biased and Wambaugh comes across to me as very arrogant -- a trait that I cannot tolerate under any circumstance. In fact, his bias that police officers are better than firefighters is downright cocky.

Although I knew the story of John Orr and felt he was guilty, while reading Fire Lover, I found myself wanting him to get off from page to page because of the cockiness of the writer.

I would NOT recommend this book to anyone.

Average customer rating:
Fire Lover: A True Story
Joseph Wambaugh
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000Q3LFXC

Product Description

This book answers all of the questions ever asked about owning a ferret. From housing to feeding, handling to health concerns, The Guide to Owning a Ferret is the book for you.

Customer Reviews:

Better books are out there! Though this looks good, it's not.......1999-01-23

There are several health, behavioral and care mistakes in this books, subtile, so that an uninformed owner would miss them. I've been recommended not to buy this book by several petstores who are required to carry a 'complete' line of ferret books. 'Training your Ferret' and 'Ferrets, a complete guide to a healthy happy pet' are both superior books to this one in accuracy and up to date knowledge (many facts in this book are out of date!)

Average customer rating:

Guide to Owning a Ferret

Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 1417655410

Average customer rating:

Fun and Inspirational

Best guide for collage

Definitely has some inspiration but...

Portable Inspiration

So many ideas!

Alphabetica: An A-Z Creativity Guide for Collage and Book Artists (Quarry Book)
Lynne Perrella
Manufacturer: Quarry Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Mixed Media | Other Media | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Papercrafts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery : Mixed-Media Techniques for Collage, Altered Books, Artist Journals, and More

Visual Chronicles: The No-Fear Guide to Creating Art Journals, Creative Manifestos and Altered Books

Collage Unleashed

Collage Discovery Workshop: Beyond The Unexpected

Fabric Art Journals: Making, Sewing, and Embellishing Journals from Cloth and Fibers (Quarry Book)

ASIN: 1592531768

Book Description

Mixed media techniques have come to forefront again, with artists in every field combining materials and effects to create journals, altered art, collage pieces, memory art and more. With all the creative experiementation developing at such a fast pace, it is pertinent to know how various techniques and combinations work and whether they are right for your latest project. Alphabetica illuminates new techniques through detailed visuals and rich, explanatory text. From cover to cover, readers absorb the specialties of each contributing artist, such as Judi Riesch's use of vintage photographs, and Lesley Riley's sophisticated fabric transfers, and are able to get an "over the shoulder" glance at how these artists work.

Customer Reviews:

Fun and Inspirational.......2007-08-09

This book is loaded with fun and funky ideas for any artist. Some reviewers mentioned that they believe the ideas contained here to be geared more toward altered book artists, but I disagree. Any artist can adapt the principles found in this book to inspire their own work. This book is a go-to resource for me on a regular basis. Love it!

Best guide for collage.......2007-07-30

This book is well laid-out and easy to follow. The illustrations are exciting and explanatory. This allows me to use a little or a lot of collage in my artwork.

Definitely has some inspiration but..........2007-05-18

I collect a lot of books as an artist because I like to have multiple avenues of inspiration around me when I'm creating. This book definitely has many ideas but my one problem with it is that it's not that well organized. It covers each letter in the alphabet, like the title suggests, but jumps around, is not sequential, and the connections to each letter are not predictable so you really have to look through the whole book to find each idea. Letters for key words are repeated throughout the book...though the ideas are all original. For example: B is for buckle; B is for blocks; B is for brainstorming...etc.

For a quick reference however, it's great. Nice imagery and exemplars, with some inspirational ideas. If you are a book artist looking for more ways to alter and express your ideas, this is a great resource. If you are an artist looking to enhance your journals...this is a great book. If you are a teacher, this is also a great resource.

The back end of the book has 27 pages of workshops with detailed ideas. Here are some examples: Faux & Ancient Surfaces; Transparencies; Attachments; Building a Surface with Patterning; Metal Tape and Altered Images; Creating with Recycled Papers; Working Intuitively.

Each workshop page has an inspirational related quote, what to try, how to get started, tips, creating, a list of influences/exemplary artists, and studio essentials- a list of materials needed to complete this workshop.

Portable Inspiration.......2007-03-24

I love the ability to take this book with me wherever I want to go to fuel my inspirational fires whenever needed. This slim book is about the size of a magazine, so it'll go into a backpack or any other kind of "carrying bag" with ease. Even though there are few pages compared to some art books, this book is FULL. Not one centimeter of this book was left untouched by the talents of the artists collaborating on this project. I'm hungry for more and will certainly be making future purchase from any one of the artists listed in this book.

So many ideas!.......2007-03-08

A very interesting book. I have only tried one idea from it so far, but I was impressed with the results.

Book Description

Worthwhile Places is a fascinating inside look at the history of some of our most treasured national parks. The book illuminates a remarkable public-private partnership that helped to shape our national park system. The close association and warm and lasting friendship between John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Horace M. Albright is documented through 211 letters covering a 36-year period. The letters portray a common concern for and love of our nation's natural heritage and efforts which preserved countless scenic wonders for future generations. Horace Albright joined the National Park Service at its inception in 1916. He was superintendent of Yellowstone National Park and later director of the National Park Service. After he left government service, he remained active in the conservation movement until his death in 1987. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., a generous supporter of the national park system and other conservation and preservation activities, was one of the earliest proponents of private sector cooperation with the national government's preservation efforts. The letters provide insights into the plannings and problem solving which led to the creation of Acadia, Grand Teton, Grand Smoky Mountains, and Virgin Islands national parks as well as other conservation/preservation efforts for the California Big Trees, Florida's Bald Cypress Swamp, and Colonial Williamsburg. Dr. Joseph Ernst's Overview and Elilogue place the letters in their historical perspective and provide glimpses into the lives of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Horace M. Albright. This selection of letters highlights the sweep of their vision for America's outdoors, which literally stretched from coast to coast.

Average customer rating:

Made a Huge Difference in How I Feel

Relief At Long Last

Life Saver

BUY IT! Save yourself tons of grief and toilet paper :)

This Book & It's Companion Gave Me My Life Back

The First Year: IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)--An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed
Heather Van Vorous
Manufacturer: Marlowe & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Irritable Bowel Syndrome | Disorders & Diseases | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Gastroenterology | Internal Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1569245479

Book Description

Like the other titles in the “First Year” series, The First Year—IBS offers two distinct advantages. First, it is written by a patient-expert, Heather Van Vorous, who has managed her IBS for more than fifteen years and knows firsthand what’s required to manage her condition. Second, it guides readers through their first seven days following diagnosis, then the next three weeks of the first month, and finally the next eleven months of their first year, offering answers and advice to guide those with IBS into their new lifestyle. Starting with the day of diagnosis, Van Vorous provides detailed information about trigger foods, safe foods, soluble versus insoluble fiber, tips for eating and cooking, traveling, eating out, exercise, and much more. The First Year—IBS will inspire and educate those with IBS as no other guide does.

Customer Reviews:

Made a Huge Difference in How I Feel.......2007-07-24

I have not yet been diagnosed with IBS, as I am going through testing. However, regardless of what I have (symptoms are consistent with IBS except for typical age on onset), following this author's suggestions for controlling IBS has made a huge difference in how I feel. For months, I have had all kinds of GI issues, some of which were beginning to interfere with work and all of which made me worry on a daily basis that I might get "caught out" somewhere. After beginning the dietary advice in this book, I feel very close to absolutely normal again. The core of my diet is based on soluble fiber, low-fat, non-dairy foods. I am also taking a probiotic supplement and am using Citrucel. This has made all the difference to me! My thoughts are no longer constantly running to what kind of trouble my GI tract is in. With very few days as exceptions, my thoughts are now back on life in general, although I have a new awareness of the importance of what I put in my mouth. How liberating! Highly recommended to anyone who has symptoms consistent with IBS, although as the author responsibly urges, don't accept a diagnosis of IBS without ruling other things out. And, I might add, don't accept a self-diagnosis, either. This book is extremely helpful, but make certain you do obtain a diagnosis of exclusion from the medical profession just to make certain you are not overlooking something critical.

Relief At Long Last.......2007-02-23

I've been suffering for over 15 years with abdominal pain and wretching which lasted for days and days at a time. After having numerous bouts of emergency room visits, gastroenterologists, upper GI series, which are among some of the tests I've taken over the years, since my first attack that awoke me out of a sound sleep in 1991 (all with normal results), it wasn't until last February 2006 my doctor was finally able to put a "label" to these attacks, which was Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I purchased the book by Ms. Van Vorous along with her companion book on how to eat. Both books have helped me enormously! I am truly, truly grateful and thank Ms. Van Vorous for sharing her plight in a book to assist us all. It has been like a "new lease on living".

Life Saver.......2006-10-06

Nothing I tried made a positive difference in my severe IBS until I read this book and followed the guidelines. Though at first it seemed a daunting task to change my attitude about what (and what not) to eat, I soon felt so good that the change in diet became effortless. I highly recommend this book to anyone suffering from IBS.

BUY IT! Save yourself tons of grief and toilet paper :).......2006-08-18

This book is awesome. I learned what I could/could not eat over 4 years of trial and error. I wish I had this book when I was diagnosed so I could have been saved lots of pain, suffering, grief and frustration.

This Book & It's Companion Gave Me My Life Back.......2006-06-27

Having been diagnosed with IBS 6months ago, after months & months of uncontrollable BM's & fear of even leaving my home, I was glad to have a name for it. But like most IBS sufferers my Dr. simply said "We don't know a cause or a cure. Go home and take Citrucel 2 times daily."

While this helped a little, it wasn't until I purchased and read, "The First Year: IBS" & "Eating for IBS", by the same author and put the concepts to work that I finally got my life back, feel well and go out without fear.

Amazon.com

Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) is best remembered today as a landscape designer, well known for his plans for New York's Central Park and Prospect Park, the grounds of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and the campus of Stanford University, among other noteworthy sites.

But, writes urban studies professor and accomplished author Witold Rybczynski, Olmsted was an American original, a 19th-century success story who packed many careers and wide learning and travel into a long life. He spent time in China and Europe, managed a California gold mine, edited The Nation, commanded a medical unit in the Civil War, and crisscrossed the United States many times over, writing long reports and articles all the while. (One series of reports urged, for instance, that the then-remote Yosemite region of California be made a national park.) Olmsted, Rybczynski suggests, changed the face of America: he had a vision of the American landscape as a reflection of the national character, with its broad vistas and open skies, and he was concerned to make America's urban spaces livable, bringing "trees and greenery into the congested grid of streets." At Olmsted's urging, many American and Canadian cities adopted his system of parks, broad avenues, and greenways, which encouraged the appreciation and preservation of nature; his influence is felt today in the so-called urban ecology movement, and in dozens of public spaces across the continent.

Rybczynski's fine and illuminating biography of Olmsted shows him to have been a man of many parts, an important historical figure whose legacy remains strong nearly a century after his death. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

In a brilliant collaboration between writer and subject, the bestselling author of Home and City Life illuminates Frederick Law Olmsted's role as a major cultural figure and a man at the epicenter of nineteenth-century American history.

We know Olmsted through the physical legacy of his stunning landscapes -- among them, New York's Central Park, California's Stanford University campus, Boston's Back Bay Fens, Illinois's Riverside community, Asheville's Biltmore Estate, and Louisville's park system. He was a landscape architect before that profession was founded, designed the first large suburban community in the United States, foresaw the need for national parks, and devised one of the country's first regional plans.

Olmsted's contemporaries knew a man of even more extraordinarily diverse talents. Born in 1822, he traveled to China on a merchant ship at the age of twenty-one. He cofounded The Nation magazine and was an early voice against slavery. He wrote books about the South and about his exploration of the Texas frontier. He managed California's largest gold mine and, during the Civil War, served as general secretary to the United States Sanitary Commission, the precursor of the Red Cross.

Olmsted was both ruthlessly pragmatic and a visionary. To create Central Park, he managed thousands of employees who moved millions of cubic yards of stone and earth and planted over 300,000 trees and shrubs. In laying it out, "we determined to think of no results to be realized in less than forty years," he told his son, Rick. "I have all my life been considering distant effects and always sacrificing immediate success and applause to that of the future." To this day, Olmsted's ideas about people, nature, and society are expressed across the nation -- above all, in his parks, so essential to the civilized life of our cities.

Rybczynski's passion for his subject and his understanding of Olmsted's immense complexity and accomplishments make this book a triumphant work. In A Clearing in the Distance, the story of a great nineteenth-century American becomes an intellectual adventure.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting study of a powerful man.......2006-05-10

A Clearing in the Distance is a great biography about a man who had great strength and deep sorrows. The first half of the book covers Olmsted's life before becoming a Landscape Architect. He was basically a very talented man who could not find his calling. Once he found it, he pursued his passion with commitment and daring that changed the way that subsequent generations have thought about their environment and surroundings.

The book provides valuable insights into both Olmsted the man and the world in which he lives. There are musings that are the author's thoughts and are obviously not historical, but they are interesting too in that they give us insight into the author's biases and interests.

Overall, A Clearing in the Distance is well worth reading.

good enough.......2002-06-28

Olmsted's life is fascinating and Rybczynski does an adequate job of presenting the highlights, but the writing style is something less than engaging. In addition, the author spends too much time on trivial matters while neglecting more important things. For example, he writes page after page about Olmsted's failures to connect with a romantic mate. Goodness, he wasn't much of looker or a lady schmoozer and this plagued him for years. There, I said it in one sentence. Had the author done likewise we might have learned more about the details of some of Olmsted's projects. If the author wanted to play up relationships to give the reader a fuller appreciation of Olmsted's psychological make-up, he would have done better to delve deeper into the parent-child relationship.

"A garment of beauty around our homes".......2002-03-05

Olmsted and Rybcznski seem somehow destined together, and this book is a thoroughly readable and engaging introduction to both of them. If they had been contemporaries, they probably would have somehow connected as friends or collaborators or both. Through his work, Olmsted came to define the American public space as distinct from the English or French styles. Early on he was influenced by farming, the English countryside, naturalism, notables such as Carlyle and Ruskin, and by the American pursuit of happiness: our need for recreation and spectacle. In his works, he combined "economics, nature, aesthetics, moral and intellectual improvement, and salvation." He spoke of throwing "a garment of beauty around our homes."

Author Rybczynski doesn't limit his chronicle to Olmsted the Designer, though. Rather, he devotes ample space to covering Olmsted as a man of letters, Olmsted's brushes with politics and social reform, his travels to the West, his marvelous mind for engineering (everything from pumps to drainage systems and pipes), and his varied and important organizational and administrative accomplishments. Of particular interest are the chapters in the book devoted to the slavery issue and Olmsted's voice in the anti-slavery movement; Olmsted was an idealist who felt that slavery corrupted society. He once leaned once toward joining a group of German settlers in Texas who did not recognize nor condone slavery.

Olmsted is best remembered though as a designer who brought us the seeds of a national park system through a lifetime of projects, public and private: Stanford and Berkeley, Belle Isle (Mi), Prospect Park (Brooklyn), Central Park, park systems in Boston and Chicago, huge projects in Washington, DC, and many more. Olmsted also deserves credit as the creator of the parkway. The reader will find many familiar names mentioned here, evidence that Olmsted was an extraordinary man who lived in extraordinary times. James Hamilton (the son of Alexander), Charles Dana, William Cullen Bryant, Frederic Church, the Vanderbilts, and others all played a role in his life and work.

Turf, trees, and lakes -- or grass, woods, and water -- to put it a different way, are the hallmarks of an Olmsted space. He abhorred clear distinctions and separations, flowerbeds and botanic beauty or decorative gardening. Instead, Olmsted embraced illusion and worked to "accommodate chaos and order." He incorporated science, theory, and art; accident and achievement. Architectural dwellings were minimized or hidden. There was careful composition of groups of trees against expanses of lawn. For us, we should be careful when visiting Olmsted's projects, for in the case of several, he lost interest due to squabbles and bickering with clients. Stanford University certainly stands out in this regard--to what degree is it considered a work of Olmsted's? Worn down by periodic bouts of depression and debt, Olmsted did not live an easy live and died from what is almost stated by the author as Alzheimer's disease. But for those that bear his mark, we can delight in the fact that they continue to survive.

A beautiful book about a remarkable man.......2002-02-20

This book strikes a lovely balance between describing Olmsted's life and personal history and his creations, parks that span the United States.

You may be surprised to learn, as I was, the vast number of projects he undertook. How Central Park was really his first significant project. How he had to fight political and economic battles to keep it from being ruined. How he was able to truly "get it right" with Brooklyn's Prospect Park.

Through the fascinating descriptions of the landscapes, the author also provides great insight into Olmsted's life. What struck me the most was how Olmsted, as with many of his contemporaries (U.S. Grant, Mark Twain) worried for most of his life about his finances and his career.

This is a first rate work, told in a clear and compelling fashion.

Landscape of Tea Leaves; The Vision of Landscape Design.......2001-07-14

One has the impression when reading Rybczynski's biographic sketch of the life of Law Olmstead there exist three problems for landscape architecture (or garden design in Europe) in America: 1) It is underappreciated; 2) It is underappreciated; and, 3) Something like the first two. Olmstead, who is best known for his developments upon Central Park, part of the Stanford campus and part of the immediate area near or around the Capitol grounds, is here shown in detail in a study which marks a departure from his earlier works: whereas the author's studies in the past centered around elements and observations of the minutae that went in making up the entirety (the part to the whole), here he focuses more broadly upon the designer himself and the varied phases of his life. Olmstead as a monumental (pun nonintended) historic American figure whose works were to influence lanscape in such a way as to mesmerize, even propheticly figure prominently in urban design and display (cf., Panama-Calif exhibitions 1900-1913 or the several Worlds Fairs); Here, it were as if a fortune teller took an enormous tea cup, spilled its contents onto the landscape and let all see the wonderous result and dream of still greater possibilities.

One had hoped there would have been far more illustrations, composites, sketches (even if by the author), documentary photos (Perhaps he could even have shown a series of transparent overlays detailing the before/after result of the development of Central Park in the way one recalls from childhood those spooky human diagrams in ancient Encyclopeda Britanicas). There are few illustrations, yet the whole holds up well. Recommend as a getaway book subsectional to American history.

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A Clearing In The Distance: Frederick Law Olmsted and America in the 19th Century
Witold Rybczynski
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RQH8DE

Average customer rating:
A Clearing in the Distance: Frederick Law Olmsted and America in the Nineteenth Century.(Review) (book review): An article from: Journal of the American Planning Association
Ignacio San Martin
Manufacturer: American Planning Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B0008IXDG2
Release Date: 2005-07-28

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This digital document is an article from Journal of the American Planning Association, published by American Planning Association on June 22, 2000. The length of the article is 879 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: A Clearing in the Distance: Frederick Law Olmsted and America in the Nineteenth Century.(Review) (book review)
Author: Ignacio San Martin
Publication: Journal of the American Planning Association (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2000
Publisher: American Planning Association
Volume: 66 Issue: 3 Page: 322

Article Type: Book Review

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