Trees of the California Sierra Nevada: A New and Simple Way to Identify and Enjoy Some of the World's Most Beautiful and Impressive Forest Trees in a Mountain ... (Backpacker Field Guide Series , No 1)

Book Description

For wilderness travelers and backyard naturalists alike, the sheer number and variety of North American trees can make identification a daunting task. For those who have struggled to distinguish the Pacific Yew from the Redwood or the Quaking Aspen from the Fremont Cottonwood comes Trees of the U.S., a user-friendly series of field guides. Ingeniously organized to allow for easy reference, each book in the series offers complete coverage of a given region of the United States and includes detailed and accurate illustrations of each species. Best of all, these guides are compact and lightweight, making them easy to throw in a pack and take along on a hike or camping trip.

Customer Reviews:

Good Laymans Guide.......2007-07-08

Great for the occasional hiker strolling thru the woods and wondering, "i wonder what kind of tree that is"? good illustrations esp. illustrations of bark(which are usually hard to draw). spend a couple of bucks, it will make you hike a whole lot more interesting.....

Book Description

Compact and pocketable, Bruges Directions is full of ideas for a holiday to one of EuropeÂ's popular city break destinations. Richly illustrated throughout, the full-colour introduction features 19 themed spreads Â- showcasing Flemish food and Belgian beer, Canalside Bruges and Musical Bruges. The main section of the guide gives a district-by-district account of the sights, restaurants, hotels, transport, shops and nightlife Â- all supported by specially commissioned photographs. There are detailed maps of each district, on which every listing and review is pinpointed.

Book Description

Before 1913, only three foreigners were invited to address the United States' Congress: Lafayette, Kossuth, and Hungarian statesman Apponyi, who was a member of Hungary's Parliament for over sixty years. In this 1935 book he describes his friendships with Liszt, Wagner and Theodore Roosevelt, his discussions with Mussolini, his work of the League of Nations, and his visits to America.

Average customer rating:

Purple Gang

Yes, many errors, but great photos

And purple they were...

The Purple Gang of Detroit

Could Have Been Better

The Purple Gang: Organized Crime in Detroit 1910-1945
Paul R. Kavieff
Manufacturer: Barricade Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Gangs | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Organized Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Michigan | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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The Violent Years: Prohibition and the Detroit Mobs (Gangsters and Rum Runners)

Motor City Mafia: A Century of Organized Crime in Detroit (Images of America)

The Life and Times of Lepke Buchalter: America's Most Ruthless Labor Racketeer

Gangster City: The History of the New York Underworld 1900-1935

But He Was Good to His Mother : The Lives and Crimes of Jewish Gangsters

ASIN: 1569802815

Book Description

Having sold through multiple printings, this gritty account of the Purple Gang--Detroit's most prominent organized crime ring during the Prohibition Era--is finally available in paperback. (Contains a new introduction)

Customer Reviews:

Purple Gang.......2007-06-01

No surprizes in this used book - got just what I expected. Great condition.
Book itself was a compelling read. I would recommend it to any adult.

Yes, many errors, but great photos.......2006-08-18

I agree with the other reviewers who were dismayed at the amount of spelling errors (especially with proper names), arbitrary capitalization, incorrect dates, etc. in the hardbound version. That said, the photo insert is excellent and well-reproduced. It's worth getting a used hardbound copy for the photos alone. My favorite is a group portrait of four of the Purples, with one sitting in a chair in front of the other three standing, looking more Hollywood-ethnic-gangster than Hollywood has ever been able to pull off. If a movie is ever made, Brad Garrett of Everybody Loves Raymond is the obvious choice to play Phil Keywell--a dead ringer.

I wonder if Barricade fixed some of the errors when they put out the paperback in 2005.

And purple they were..........2006-07-27

This books really brings to light some very interesting characters of the underworld in the early-mid 1900's. Joey Bernstein the smallest of the brothers, but the most feared! There is also a quick intro to Capone, Murder Inc, and a few other gangs that predated the Purples. To think that the Purple Gang got its start in a school of all places - simply amazing.

Consider a time where a gangster could kill anyone, including authority figures, namely: a policeman, or even a senator and ultimately get away with it. Most of the cases got thrown out simply for lack of evidence, witnesses were too frightened to testify, and other witnesses merely wound up dead. The Purples had connections in high places to match their ferocity. These men ran the prison system to the point where they could conduct business openly, and leave the jail for periods at a time. The sky was the limit!

All of the stories unraveled in this book are the very essence of what the underworld was all about! Money, Power, Greed, Connections, Politics, Loyalty, Childhood Friendship, Backdoor Dealings, and let us not forget Murder, and Mayhem for the slightest Insult! The Purples were ultimately feared because they lived by no code. It didn't matter who you were, or what gang you belonged to - that was their edge against any competition who stood in their way! They were as blind as the justice system itself!

Very well rounded book, and a quick read that dives right into 1900's Detroit! A world for better or worse, that we'll probably never see again... I read this book in one day and I'm going to jump into Kavieff's second volume: "The Violent Years"...

The Purple Gang of Detroit.......2003-02-24

As another reviewer pointed out, this is an important book because it is the only book on the Purple Gang. How this gang has escaped serious study is beyond me. Growing up in the Detroit area their name has popped up over the years many many times, as some oldtimer recollects or a house that once was a Purple Gang hideout is bulldozed, stuff like that. One time in the Detroit Public Library I went into the history room and they asked for my ID and I jokingly said, "what do you think I am in the Purple Gang or something?" The guy who asked laughed and said "funny you should say that. A writer has been trying to research the Purple Gang, and is having a hell of a time. It seems like most of the police files on them have somehow disappeared". I cannot vouch for that info, but I suppose that it was the author of this book that was doing the research and maybe that explains why there is so little info available. For that reason alone, despite the grammatical errors that others found annoying, I give it 5 stars. I found it a fascinating read.

Could Have Been Better.......2001-10-10

I eagerly awaited Paul Kavieff's The Purple Gang and in some ways it was worth the wait. It's certainly the best book written on this notorious gang but mainly because it's the only one. There's a lot of good background info on the gang and some great photos. Because of this, unlike some reviewers, I won't quibble about the writing style and the typos. I read the book from cover to cover and this did not bother me in the slightest. One thing I, as a fellow crime historian, found highly annoying, though, and which detracts from Kavieff's obvious research, is his vagary on dates. A serious history providing otherwise detailed accounts of murders or other events should not begin with "one fateful day in 1923" or "early in 1933." Times, places, etc. are given in detail but dates are maddeningly few in this book on the sordid side of Detroit's history. The latter phrase, leading into the murders of Purple Gangsters Abe Axler and Ed Fletcher, is also way off. Axler and Fletcher were slain on November 26, 1933, certainly not early in the year. Many crime historians also wonder if there may have been a connection between their killings and that of Verne Miller, triggerman in the Kansas City Massacre, who was also slain in Detroit just three days later. These three homicides were heavily covered in the Detroit press at the time and it's a wonder Kavieff didn't delve into this further. The Purples' alleged connection to the St. Valentine's Day Massacre is also highly doubtful. It's a worthwhile book for crime historians and deserving of a second edition but with considerable rewrite.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent resource for lory information.......2001-03-08

As a breeder of lories, I find myself reffering to Ruggles' book constantly. The species information is easy to locate and she provides good visual diagrams for nestboxes, and some of the more difficult species to identify (Black Caps and Rainbows). The other thing I really enjoyed about her book is that the pictures were largely original and not duplicated like most of the other, smaller lory books. This is not a great work of literature for casual reading. I found her writting style to be repeatitive and the diet information is not applicable to the diets available in the U.S. (the author lives in Australia).

I consider this to be a 'must-have' for anyone interested in lories. I found no serious misinformation that is common with other lory books that I have seen published... and the information, visuals, she provides makes this a very handy guide.

Book Description

Write your loved one a private note. Hide a secret message in your child's lunch. Unsettle your rival at a business meeting. Now you can practice your espionage skills--without leaving a paper trail!

This whimsically serious kit will delight fledgling spies. Included is an invisible ink pen with a miniature black light to reveal cryptic messages. The text in the 32-page book--drawn from the expertise of the International Spy Museum (the only museum of its kind, solely dedicated to espionage)--contains instructions on how to best utilize this covert device, and includes blank notebook pages for use with the pen. The kit also includes a set of 10 "Language of Espionage" cards to help the reader sound like a real secret agent.

Customer Reviews:

Not worth the money.......2007-03-23

This pen barely works... and is much too small. Look for a better product.

A cool little gift..........2006-08-01

My friends and I all bought this "Invisible Ink Pen Set." It came in a smaller box than expected and didn't have the quality product we were hoping for. It still worked quite well and served it's purpose. I guess that is what you get for five dollars!?!?

Book Description

Cultivated Power explores the collection, cultivation, and display of flowers in early modern France at the historical moment when flowering plants, many of which were becoming known in Europe for the first time, piqued the curiosity of European gardeners and botanists, merchants and ministers, dukes and kings. Elizabeth Hyde reveals how flowers became uniquely capable of revealing the curiosity, reason, and taste of those elite men who engaged in their cultivation.

The cultural and increasingly political value of such qualities was not lost on royal panegyrists, who seized upon the new meanings of flowers in celebrating the glory of Louis XIV. Using previously unexplored archival sources, Hyde recovers the extent of floral plantations in the gardens of Versailles and the sophisticated system of nurseries created to fulfill the demands of the king's gardeners. She further examines how the successful cultivation of those flowers made it possible for Louis XIV to demonstrate that his reign was a golden era surpassing even that of antiquity.

Cultivated Power expands our knowledge of flowers in European history beyond the Dutch tulip mania, and restores our understanding of the importance of flowers in the French classical garden. The book also develops a fuller perspective on the roles of gender, rank, and material goods in the age of the baroque. Using flowers to analyze the movement of culture in early modern society, Cultivated Power ultimately highlights the influence of curious florists on the taste of the king, and the extension of the cultural into the realm of the political.

Book Description

Nathaniel Branden's book is the culmination of a lifetime of clinical practice and study, already hailed in its hardcover edition as a classic and the most significant work on the topic. Immense in scope and vision and filled with insight into human motivation and behavior, The Six Pillars Of Self-Esteem is essential reading for anyone with a personal or professional interest in self-esteem. The book demonstrates compellingly why self-esteem is basic to psychological health, achievement, personal happiness, and positive relationships. Branden introduces the six pillars-six action-based practices for daily living that provide the foundation for self-esteem-and explores the central importance of self-esteem in five areas: the workplace, parenting, education, psychotherapy, and the culture at large. The work provides concrete guidelines for teachers, parents, managers, and therapists who are responsible for developing the self-esteem of others. And it shows why-in today's chaotic and competitive world-self-esteem is fundamental to our personal and professional power.

Customer Reviews:

The only book you need.......2007-09-30

I've read hundreds of self-help books. When I first read this book 10 years ago, it changed my life. No other book had that power. It gave me the insight to heal all my emotional problems. Partially because this book poses no "short cuts" and is very real. Any negative reviews on here--I've noticed--were written by people who didn't really read the book.

Learn from this expert.......2007-09-03

In every field, some books are considered classics. That's the case with The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem.

I bought this book when it first came out, have read it a couple times, and keep it in a bookcase with other valuable books that I re-read every few years. I think it's so important I recently bought it as a gift for my best friend.

One of the most important truths you will ever learn is in this book: "No one is coming to rescue me. If I don't DO something, nothing is going to change." Branden elaborates further, but that advice alone is worth the price of the book. If you sink that truth deep into your life and become your own rescuer, believe me, your life WILL change.

My only criticism of The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem is a personal one. Most of my self-esteem comes from my relationship with God. But this is a secular, not a Christian book, so I didn't really expect to hear that.

This is not fluff. It's not New Age silliness. It's solid, crucial information that will help you live a happier life. If you're trying to build or repair your self-esteem, you need this book.

Powerful insight.......2007-07-19

I had already been reading Nathaniel Brandon's books when I got this book in the mid-90s. I am endlessly interested in human behavior -- including my own -- and this book was extremely enlightening. One of the things I most remember being profoundly affected by is that self-esteem is not a one-trick pony. I had long wondered why I exhibited low self-esteem in some ways and not in others. When I came upon NBs discussion of efficacy, I got my answer because it was that branch of my self-esteem that pretty much sucked. I have always felt myself to be a kind, well-intentioned, compassionate person with a strong sense of self-responsibility and integrity, but I never finished anything I started, had stage-fright due to feeling inadequately prepared, unsure that I had marketable talents and skills. It was frustrating to feel, on one hand, deserving of good experiences yet, on the other hand, to believe I didn't have anything worthwhile to offer the world. Once I caught on to this issue, via this book, I had a focus for the self-work I needed/wanted to do. I don't want to mislead anyone that this is a quick-fix. It isn't. But, the self-work is well-worth it. I highly recommend this book for anyone who knows something is up with them but doesn't know what and also for parents to get a jump on how to nurture healthly self-esteem in their children -- right from the start. I also highly recommend NB's other books. His breadth of knowledge on this subject is invaluable and, perhaps, not quite to be found elsewhere.

Naw, this book is too scripted and inconsistent.......2007-07-11

One of my sons read this book and insisted that I read it. I had to let it go before I got a third of the way through. I think you could say it is idealistic, but in a way that is in many respects nonsensical. I know there are a lot of people who revere this author, but I found him quite inconsistent in places and somewhat contradictory. Self-esteem in the way our culture necessitates it, as a means of self-justifiability, requires almost an entire absence of doubt. But in order to make it work you have to begin from a place of uncertainty, meaning doubt and fear. The notion is that self-esteem is sufficient to displace such doubt and fears, so when their presence remains it renders the argument, the excuses, and the self justifications and self absolutions are useless and wobbly at best. But the problem is that the role of self-justification and self-heroism is so implanted and embedded in the (movement) that personal failure and weakness are ignored. So what this author does is make it possible to believe that if you acquire self-esteem in the version he pontificates, you will do perfect in your life. Of course this is a deception, and anyone who fully embraces this notion is not going to hold up in the long run because it discourages and avoids the growth of true ego strength and personal honesty. Thus when fright comes, the mind may blow. Plus there is this superiority over people who don't have it, meaning ego strength. It lends itself to a pathetic form of self-denial that attests to some delicious and/or sensual form of self worship that only works so long as you are able to keep yourself convinced that you are right and others are wrong or inadequate. True there is a valid argument for self-esteem in the way it can foster and nurture self-respect and so on, but that kind is devoid of pride and the neuroses inherent the quest for personal power that is so often present in the self-esteem movement. It is this kind of thinking that got people to pull the equities in their houses and presume the good life will last forever, while the dark shadows of foreclosure and insecurity nudge their way closer and closer. It is a sad thing. There is no doubt that many people underestimate themselves and doubt themselves unjustly, but this book makes no sense in that regard and simply provides a means to develop an excuse or purpose to think that one person is better than another by ignoring fundamental weaknesses that can never be fully resolved. I didn't like the book and I don't like its message although in parts it sounded good as it mingles and weaves strong principles within the masks and majesty of its deceptions.

Too wordy as other his books.......2007-05-28

I found this book as well as other books of Nathaniel and his former "teacher" to be too wordy and unconclusive. While certain things are interesting and worth open discussion they can be described much easier and in more straight forward terms.

Average customer rating:

Six Pillars of Self-Esteem
Nathaniel Branden
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000INH8Y0

Average customer rating:

Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, The
Branden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PD7TGK

Average customer rating:

The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem
Nathaniel Branden
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8D528

Average customer rating:

The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem
Nathaniel Branden
Manufacturer: Bantam Dell Pub Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NU4RYM

Average customer rating:

The six pillars of self-esteem
Nathaniel Branden
Manufacturer: BANTAM BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WE4DP2

Customer Reviews:

ANKERICH BOOK BRINGS STARS OUT OF OBSCURITY.......1999-02-14

This is best interview book ever done on silent cinema. Mr. Ankerich should be commended for a fabulous job well done. It is well worth the effort to track down a copy at the used bookstores. I'd pay up to $65 for it.

ANKERICH BOOK BRINGS STARS OUT OF OBSCURITY.......1999-02-14

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