The Genus Rhododendron: Its Classification & Synonymy

Book Description

Providing detailed coverage of Ireland—from the island's cultural history to its landscape, this is an informative, useful guide for anyone visiting one of Europe's most unspoiled landscapes. Arranged by region, Blue Guide Ireland provides extensive practical information on where to stay and how to travel through the country. Color maps, 25 maps and plans, 25 illustrations.

Blue Guide Dublin, First Edition (Blue Guides)

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Blue Guide Dublin, First Edition (Blue Guides)
Brian Lalor
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Blue Guide | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0393322092

Book Description

Whether your interests lie in literary Dublin, the splendid Georgian architecture, or the city's famous bars (the Guinness brewery is given a full description!), this is the guide for you. Includes fifteen guided walks and essays on the history of the city and the arts. 20 illustrations, color map, 18 black-and-white maps.

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Useful, But Not Fully Up to the Usual Blue Guide Standards
The best, most current guide to Ireland available.

Blue Guide Ireland (Blue Guides)
Brian Lalor
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Blue Guide | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 039331801X

Customer Reviews:

Useful, But Not Fully Up to the Usual Blue Guide Standards.......2002-02-23

As my other reviews will indicate, I'm normally a big fan of the Blue Guide series. Alas, this volume isn't up to the standards of many of the others in the series. It needs revising and retooling.

The problems with this guide aren't necessarily the fault of the current author. Brian Lalor, an artist and archaeologist with some significant accomplishments to his credit, appears to be potentially well-qualified to take over the stewardship of this volume, which is now in its 8th edition. But a lot of the current text dates back to earlier editions and other authors, and thus it is hard to know who was originally responsible for some of the mistakes I noticed. Other mistakes reflect a failure to update this volume adequately. Given the sheer amount of data a Blue Guide includes, I'm sure that updating a volume is an incredibly daunting task. But some of the problems here are nevertheless hard to excuse.

For example, if you're interested in touring the Waterford Crystal factory, the text advises you (p. 202) of the following: that you have to apply at the main tourist office on the quay in Waterford (you don't); that tours are offered only on weekdays (this is wrong); that children are not admitted (they are); that photography is not allowed (it is, except in certain areas where the craftsmen are actually cutting the glass and don't need to be distracted by camera flashes); and that glass is not sold at the factory itself, but only in shops in town (actually, the company energetically hawks its crystal on the factory premises, and good buys are to be had there).

Even when I first read all this before arriving in Waterford, I found these assertions hard to believe. Yes, there was a time in Britain and Ireland when they would have been capable of being obtuse enough about commercial matters not to sell Waterford Crystal at its own factory, but I found it difficult to imagine that had been the case since, say, about 1985. And, indeed, this particular block (blot?) of blatantly erroneous text dates back to at least the mid 1980's - I found it in the 1988 edition of this Guide at the local library after returning from our trip. But it is a major embarrassment that it had not been corrected by the time this edition came out in 1998.

Another big complaint I had about this volume was the dearth of town maps. There are only 9 in this volume - Derry, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Armagh, Belfast, Cork, Kilkenny, Waterford. In contrast, the Blue Guide to Greece has more than 70. At a minimum, this volume should also include maps of towns like Cashel, Tralee, Kilarney (and its environs), and Ennis, among others. There are some good maps of old priories, but there could stand to be even more. It is partly because of its abundance of useful town maps that I would recommend getting the Lonely Planet Guide in addition to, or even in place of, this one. (The Lonely Planet Guide is also very detailed and often more accurate about historical matters, locations of archaeological sites, etc. It definitely isn't just for the young backpacking set.)

Other illustrative errors and complaints:

(1) I passed on seeing the celtic crosses at Kilkieran because this Guide said they were mere "remains." Later I saw photographs of these crosses, and they appeared substantially intact.

(2) The Guide indicates it takes 30 minutes to reach Skellig Michael by boat from the mainland. Actually, it takes more like 90 minutes.

(3) The Index is incomplete and error-ridden. Skellig Michael isn't listed at all; Craggaunowen is on page 281, not 294; and some key people who have a number of references in the Guide (e.g., St. Brendan) are completely omitted.

(3) One of the easiest ways to reach the monastery island of Inchagoill in Lough Corrib is by boat from Ashford Castle in Cong, but the Guide indicates that boats are only available from Oughterard.

(4) There is often an absence of adequately specific directions to help you reach referenced sites: for example, how to reach Ross Erilly friary from the main road, or the ring fort where the Clare gold hoard was found on the grounds of Drumoland Castle.

That said, this volume still has a wealth of information. I did use it with profit on our trip, and I found Brian Lalor's pen-and-ink sketches throughout quite charming. If I could give this book 3.5 stars rather than 3 stars, I would. But if a book is part of the Blue Guide series, it has very high standards to live up to. And I'm afraid that the current edition of this Guide doesn't entirely measure up.

The best, most current guide to Ireland available........1998-06-13

Brian Lalor has written a charming, witty guide to Ireland. Lalor, trained as an architect, and a marvelous artist, shares his intelligent insights on his home country in this up-to-date Blue Book. Included are the well-known as well as unusual places. This is an indispensible guide for a novice or experienced traveller to Ireland. Brian Lalor is a fine writer and a grand observer.

Blue Guide: Ireland (Blue Guide Ireland)

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Blue Guide: Ireland (Blue Guide Ireland)
Ian Robertson
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Blue Guide | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0393303675

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THE BLUE GUIDES: IRELAND.

Manufacturer: Ernest Benn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HG7VVI

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Ireland (Blue Guides)

Manufacturer: A & C Black Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0713634758

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Ireland (Blue Guides)
Ian Robertson
Manufacturer: W W Norton & Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0393308413

Literary Britain and Ireland (Blue Guides)

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Literary Britain and Ireland (Blue Guides)
Ian Ousby
Manufacturer: A & C Black (Blue Guides)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Blue Guide Literary Britain and Ireland
Ian Ousby
Manufacturer: W W Norton & Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Blue Guide | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0393304906

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BLUE GUIDE IRELAND BENN
L RUSSELL MUIRHEAD
Manufacturer: ERNEST BENN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S38ZXI

Book Description

"I have written less than most writers. But I have drunk far more than most drinkers.

"All my life I have seen only troubled times, extreme divisions in society, and immense destruction; I have joined in these troubles.

"My method will be very simple. I will tell of what I have loved; and, in this light, everything else will become evident…

"Over the years, more than half the people I knew well had sojourned one or several times in the prisons of various countries; many, no doubt, for political reasons, but all the same a greater number for common law offenses or crimes. So I met mainly rebels or the poor.

"Our only manifestations, which remained rather rare and bried in the first years, were meant to be completely unacceptable; at first, expecially by their form and, later, as they acquired depth, especially by their content. They were not accepted."

Guy Debord, as founding and pivotal figure of the Situationist International, pursued one of the twentieth century's most arch and exciting assaults on modern life. Panegyric is Debord's audacious autobiography, and here for the first time in English is the second, beautifully illustrated volume published together with the spare and classical text of the first. A rare combination of poetry and precision, it tells of something even rarer: a life that refused to adjust to the dominant malignancies of its time.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting but Gruff.......2007-06-22

Former FBI agent Jules Bonavolonta describes departmental efforts to investigate and prosecute member of the mob/mafia in New York City. We see how the FBI used legal surveillance means like wiretaps, bugs, and undercover agents including the legendary Joe Pistone ("Donnie Brasco") in their oft-successful efforts to bring down top mobsters including the "Teflon Don" John Gotti and many other figures. Bonavolonta has quite a bit of scorn for mobsters, plus FBI employees who collect their paychecks without any extra effort. This readable book gives a nice view of the mob workings and FBI opposition, but I'd have preferred less cursing and machismo from the author.

English 001.......2004-03-18

This book is an embarrassment to law enforcement personnel and to Itatlian Americans in particular. The author must have paid someone under the table to obtain a college degree. I counted the use of the "F" word and gave up around 150. The author, a managerial factotum in the FBI is forever worshipping his superiors (Louis Freeh and His Eminence James Kallstrom) to a degree ad nauseam. No wonder, now in the private sector, this flunkie and illiterate is now again serving his masters (Freeh/Kallstrom)in bank security. Perhaps he should have started there.

Lots of information; too much profanity; written for low IQ.......1998-05-15

Overall, I enjoyed Mr. Bonavolonta's story of the breaking up of the Italian Mafia. There were many facts I did not know, especially those told from an insider's perspective, plus interesting insights into the day to day operations of both the F.B.I. and the Mafia.

However, I found several of what I considered glaring weaknesses.

First, the excess profanity. Believe me, I am not a prude by any measure, and I definitely believe that profanity has its place in literature, especially when used in quotations. However, I found Mr. Bonavolonta's excessive and promiscuous use of it to be, at first offensive, then boring, and finally insulting to my intelligence. Is it that Mr. Bonavolonta felt that his audience is made up of the dense and unsophisticated, unable to understand frustration with the burocracy and unimaginative, stodgy time servers within the F.B.I. unless he calls them motherfuckers and the system bullshit, over and over and over again? Mr. Bonavolonta needs to be aquainted with the concept that, sometimes, less is more.

Second, I found that Mr. Bonavolonta's apparent view that the F.B.I. operated in a virtual vacuum while investigating organized crime and the Italian Mafia to be ridiculous and pedestrian in the extreme. There were many other law enforcement organizations involved in these wars, and to minimize or exclude them from the telling of this story does a great diservice to them, to Mr. Bonavolonta's reputation as a accurate reporter of facts, and especially to the reader.

A Gang of Mutineer FBI Agents Brings Down the Mafia!.......1997-07-22

Very few Americans realize the reach of the Mafia. For decades, the FBI even refused to admit to the presence of a Mafia. The Mob thumbed their noses at law enforcement. Punks like John Gotti became cult heroes. Then came an incredible confluence of a new breed of FBI agents and a new law, the RICO statute. RICO only required that the government prove a pattern of racketeering activity. This allowed them to go after the bosses, who had only issued orders. "The Good Guys" is an enthralling story of how a group of FBI agents in New York, and a few prosecutors, made an all-out assault on the Mafia, using wiretaps, bugs, undercover agents, and surveillance. How they brought the Mob to its knees.

The author of the book, FBI agent Jules Bonavolonta, grew up in an Italian family in which his father's tailor shop was a target for Mafia intimidation and extortion. Some of the other players you know well. Rudy Guliani, now Mayor of New York. Louie Freeh, now director of the FBI. Not known at the time, but agent Joe Pistone played a key role. He was undercover in the Mob for six years and got so tight with one of the bosses, that he, Joe Pistone, FBI agent, was asked to carry out a contract for a Mob killing!

And my favorite, Jim Kallstrom, who was the FBI agent in charge of the squads that did the bugging and wiretapping of the Mob in the New York City area. Kallstrom is the sometimes gruff, and always intimidating, spokesman for the FBI on the TWA flight 800 crash. I relate more to him because I did some lock picking and bugging of the Mafia as a criminal investigator for the U.S. Treasury Department - and later the same kind of work as a CIA agent in several foreign countries.

The book is a behind-the-scenes look at how Mob figures were targeted, bugged, wiretapped, and surveilled, and is like no other real-life story I have seen in print. It is full of gripping suspense and unexpected humor, like when an agent got caught under the bed of a bigtime mobster and told the wiseguy that he was the exterminator man. And the guy bought it! No Einsteins in this group.

But too, this is a remarkably frank book in which Jules Bonavolonta and other agents express their complete contempt for the "pencil-necked geeks" at FBI headquarters. They rail against the bean counters who want instant statistics to parade before the Congress and the press. This group of mutineers put their careers on the line every day in their passionate belief that they had to do some long-term work to infiltrate and expose the Mob. As a man who worked for both Treasury and CIA, I respect this small group of FBI agents as much for their willingness to tell the bosses to go climb a rope, as their determination and courage in finally making the cases that brought down the Mob families in New York.

I'm a novelist, but I would have a tough time topping the story told in "The Good Guys." At times, it is hard to believe that it is a true story. It would be impossible for you not to enjoy this book.

Richard C. Rhodes rcr@gte.ne

A riveting read.......1997-06-03

The author grabs your attention from the opening words and you are sucked into the inside workings and politics of the FBI as you have never before seen. The book does an excellent job of describing what makes the mafia tick, how agents from the FBI made it their job to figure this out and develop a strategy to bring down the mob. Jules Bonavolonta tells an emotionally charged personal account of his war against an organization that gave all good, hard working Italians a bad name. By the end of the book, you are cheering for Jules and revelling in his eventual triumph. This book is filled with exciting first person stories which take you on a roller coaster ride - from hearbreak to fear to discouragement to elation. A must read

Customer Reviews:

Westies are wonderful!.......2001-05-26

I think that anyone who writes about westies is wonderful because I used to have one and the picture on the cover of this book looks just like him. I also have a collection the McDuff books by Rosemary Wells which began with one as a gift.

Average customer rating:

Big Mistake

Eener 3000

Very, very outdated

Very Complete from start to finish

Be cautious about this book!

Home Book of Picture Framing: Professional Secrets of Mounting Matting, Framing and Displaying Artworks, Photographs, Posters, Fabrics, Collectibles, Carvings and More
Kenn Oberrecht
Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Furniture Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Furniture | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Framing | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Mat, Mount, and Frame It Yourself (Crafts Highlights)

Matting and Framing Made Easy

Basic Picture Framing: All The Skills And Tools You Need To Get Started (Stackpole Basics)

How to Make Your Own Picture Frames

Picture Framing, Vol. 1 (Library of Professional Picture Framing, Vol 1)

ASIN: 0811727939

Book Description

8 full-color pages, 450 b/w photos, 20 drawings 8 x 11.A new and updated edition of the highly popular first edition New sections on using power tools and framing fabric art Complete directory of suppliers Over 40,000 copies of the first edition sold Framing a favorite picture, whether a gallery piece or a childs drawing, can be easy and inexpensive thanks to this revised and updated edition of the classic bestseller. Home Book of Picture Framing is the most comprehensive guide to mounting, matting, and framing oil paintings, watercolors, posters, photographs, calendar pages, and greeting cards without spending a fortune. Complete with sections on safety, tools, materials, and techniques, the book contains all the information needed to prepare homeowners for their first project. For those wanting to turn this skill into profit, the author gives advice on starting a business. Guidelines for framing three-dimensional objects are included, and new sections on using power tools, framing needlework, and creating hinged and easel-style frames demonstrate the most recent trends in framing. Kenn Oberrecht is the author of several woodworking and photography books, including the popular first edition of Home Book of Picture Framing. He lives in North Bend, Oregon. Recently, my wife, Patty, and I were brousing in a gourmet shop in Florence, Oregon, when she noticed a large, framed poster and asked the woman behind the counter if it was for sale. The proprietor said she had unframed copies available and began to tell her about getting it professionally mounted and framed. When Patty told her that Im a framer, the woman turned to me and said, Maybe you can tell meI think I paid too much, but I didnt ask ahead of time. So I didnt complain when the framer charged me $250. I gulped and took a second look at the poster. . . . I made a quick assessment and told the woman that she could have framed it herself for about $50. from Chapter One, Home Book of Picture Framing 2nd Edition

Customer Reviews:

Big Mistake.......2007-09-28

These questions are misleading - I ordered one book, and received and paid for two - I have sent emails complaining, and all I get back (weeks later) is this stupid email asking me to rate the book - which book? - where were you when I asked how I got two books? And how do I correct this? - but NO, instead you send me this idiotic questionaire about "the book" I received - is anybody there? Are you people there, or am I talking to a computer? You pretend to care, but it appears you are just robots - HOW DID I GET TWO BOOKS, AFTER ORDERING ONE, PAY FOR TWO and GET ZERO RESPONSE TO MY QUESTIONS?!! Your computer generated concern is phony - the books were fine, Amazon is suspect!

Eener 3000.......2007-07-28

Treat this as an encyclopedia. There is a lot of good information in this book, but a lot more than you need to get going. I have only just finished wading through this thing (after six months) and would have been better off with a book 1/8 the size of this one. For a "How To" book, the author is way too verbose on his way to getting to the bottom line--if he ever does. Only because I am very good at puzzles was I able to pick out the things I really need and the best methods to complete anything - otherwise, you can get terribly confused. The author wastes a lot of time on "you could do this" and "some people do this" when the most helpful advice would be just to say, "Do this."

Don't take this as too harsh an indictment of the book. Afterall, I Learned Everything I Need to Know About Picture Framing from the book. There is A LOT of stuff in it. But I could have done, and you can do, without the exhaustive descriptions of differences between various manual, as well as, power tools. It's a hobby, I expect to spend some money...just tell me what do.

Very, very outdated.......2007-01-20

I bought this book as one of several to get started in framing. After lots of reading and research and actual framing, I realize how out-of-date this book is. The state of the framing art has advanced a lot since 1988. Much of the book is devoted to techniques, tools, and materials that have been superceded by far superior ones. A much better book is "Mat, Mount, and Frame It Yourself" by M David Logan.

Very Complete from start to finish.......2007-01-18

Book is in depth instruction & will be very helpful from start to finish for any project. The only negative is that it is in black & white. Color photos would make it much easier to look at.

Be cautious about this book!.......2006-12-14

This was the first book I bought when I became interested in picture framing. Since then I have read many other books on the subject, met many professional picture framers, taken courses in the subject, joined the Professional Picture Framers Association, and basically learnt much much more about the subject. I CANNOT recommend this book to any one who is new to picture framing. First, the information is scattered between many chapters, and is difficult to pull together. Second, many very important topics receive very little coverage. Third (the major problem for me): the author is first-and-foremost, a wood worker, and this is reflected in the book. Thus, there are many chapters discussing tools that most professional picture framers would never buy, methods that most professional picture framers would never use, inadequate discussion of conservation framing vs. non-conservation methods, mat cutting, etc. If you are interested in making your own wood picture frames, this is the book for you. If you are new to the subject or are interested in many of the other aspects of picture framing, you would be much better off with one or more books by David Logan, Vivian Kistler, or others.

Book Description

Many people did not grow up in a Christian home, and many more do not consider their childhood experience a good model. Robert Wolgemuth presents this inspiring, practical book for people who want to have a Christian home.

So, what's so great about a Christian home? There's redemption. There's forgiveness. There's hope. Laughter and genuine happiness. There's discipline and purpose there. And there's grace . . . lots of grace.

The Most Important Place on Earth covers eight answers to the question "What does a Christian home look like?" It's filled with stories and practical ideas that will convince any reader that a Christian home is not an elusive stereotype. It's something that really can be achieved. And it's something worth having. You'll see.

Customer Reviews:

A must read.......2007-05-18

Raising our children in a Christian home is an important part of our responsibilities as parents. However, sometimes it is difficult to know where to begin, especially when you might not have been raised in a Christian home yourself. Robert Wolgemuth lays out simple definitions, principles and ideas to help you be intentional and successful in creating a healthy, God-centered environment for your family.

One thing I love about Robert's style is that he is not sharing the "10 Principles for creating a Christian Home" or "How to Create a Christian Home in 3 Easy Steps." He shares key values - like the power of words and the importance of laugher - and then he shares practical ideas that have worked for him. He gives you some vital components of a Christian home and a starting point for implementing ideas that work for your family.

As we build our Christian home, we develop not only a ministry to our children, but to everyone who visits our home. As Robert notes, "God is exactly what a Christian home should smell like. The moment folks walk through the front door, there should be something - although completely invisible - that reminds them of the God of the universe. And when your kids show up at work or school, there shodl be a trace of secondhand smell that others can quickly detect."

As parents, we cannot leave the responsibility of the spiritual development of our children to the children's or youth ministry at church. We must begin at home. The Most Important Place on Earth is a great resource in helping us to do just that.

The Most Important Place on Earth.......2007-01-17

This book is an absolute must for any Christian home. I love it!

I'll read this again..........2007-01-12

I loved this book, so much that I'm buying it for gifts! Written with the traditional family in mind, Robert Wolgumuth uses honest,personal examples & stories from his own life to illustrate much needed do's and don't's for successful family relationships. Along with the Biblical references and explanations, this book is a "must own" encouragement for every family. Reading it was like talking with a friend. I was deeply moved.

Uplifting, encouraging and challenging - great read........2006-06-26

An absolutely outstanding read - very uplifting, very challenging. Author of She Calls Me Daddy!, Wolgemuth explores the various unique elements that make a Christian home different than just any other home. While the book has many practical suggestions that Wolgemuth shares from his own experience (good and bad), the primary emphasis of this book is to get the reader to feel, not think, about the importance of the Christian home. Wolgemuth begins with the smell of a Christian home - the aroma that brings back memories of family, food and fellowship within the home. He talks about the words that are used in the home - how they need to be encouraging, loving and tender. And he talks about the home being a safe place, one where children feel like they can be themselves, even if that isn't always perfect.

Wolgemuth probably says in the book a dozen times that he's "old school," and he is. He believes that the family ought to sit down for dinner together, he believes that electronic devices (TV, video games, etc) disrupt family conversation time and result in disconnected children, and he believes that the parents should view themselves as the "priests" of their home. I guess I would have to say that I'm "old school" as well and wish that more people would be!

Wolgemuth is also very honest about his own learning curve as a parent and gives numerous examples of where he blew it as a dad and a husband. The book is an excellent read - slows down a little in the final couple of chapters, but still one of the best books I've read on the importance of the home and the family...especially in our culture today!

A book rich with motivating encouragement for the home.......2006-06-04

I am only halfway through this book, not because it is a tough read, but because everytime I pick it up, I read something that calls me to get up and go do something. This book is so rich (the best word I can use to describe it). The author, Robert Wolgemuth, uses a very casual tone and talks about what works to build a Christian home in everyway. It really is motivating and it gives good reminders and habits to practice everyday. I would recommend this to new parents, old parents, and basically anyone who comes in contact with children who want to be of Christian influence. Wonderful! I will try to read it every year.

Book Description

Mickey Mantle, a brooding, sentimental kid from Oklahoma; Howard Cosell, a sensitive and intelligent companion; Bobby Layne, a party animal or a devoted family man? Mingling with Lions offers a rare look into the lives of America's superstar athletes and sports figures of the past half century. Written and illustrated by the celebrated sports cartoonist, Murray Olderman, Mingling with Lion's is a unique sports book. Mr. Olderman's personal memoires, insights, along with his unique and memorable illustrations take us behind the scenes to witness the real person behind the legends and to experience facets of their lives that never made the sports headlines.

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