Mistletoes of Africa

Book Description

Discover the real outback of Australia on the road trip of a lifetime. Whether it's driving the Canning Stock Route or racing a boat on dry land in Alice Springs, this guide will get you there and back again.

including 57 maps covering over 10,000km of road
comprehensive advice and driving tips for 2WD and 4WD vehicles
history and highlights plus a special full-colour Aboriginal art section
survival tips and a comprehensive checklist
advice on fishing, fossicking, bushwalking and camping

Customer Reviews:

It Covered Everything Except..........2000-07-20

how to avoid breaking my ankle--which I did! The guide, like all Lonely Planet publications I've used to date, is ecellent.

Book Description

Ronald Reagan’s “Handwriting File” contains an archive of thousands of handwritten missives from the president to his constituents, written throughout his eight years in office. Historian Ralph E. Weber and his son have selected the highlights from this treasure trove, creating a uniquely intimate portrait of Reagan at work.

A fascinating glimpse at the issues facing the United States during the 1980s, Dear Americans is arranged chronologically to trace history in the making. Taking time each week to respond to dozens of Americans who asked him about a tremendous range of issues, Reagan delivered sensitive, eloquent messages to senior citizens worried about the Social Security program’s solvency, angry critics of the Star Wars missile defense program, parents of soldiers killed in Lebanon, and children inquiring about details of presidential life. Not all of the recipients were strangers; Dear Americans also features correspondence with close friends of Reagan, both famous and obscure.

Written in a down-to-earth, often gently humorous tone, the letters featured in Dear Americans reveal much about this president’s unshakable political convictions, religious faith, and concern for humanity. In the bestselling tradition of When Character Was King and I Love You, Ronnie, this compulsively readable collection will be on thousands of wish lists this holiday season.

Customer Reviews:

The Great Correspondent.......2004-11-06

All the letters published in this wonderful book were handwritten by President Reagan, typed by secretaries and mailed to the correspondents. The correspondence includes letters to private citizens, famous and obscure lifelong friends, and heads of state. They reveal a noble spirit, a kind and decent man who took a personal interest in the lives of ordinary people.

The book starts with an introduction and editorial notes. The correspondence is divided into chapters for every year from 1981 to 1988/1989. Each of these aforementioned chapters has an introduction of the year concerned, discussing the major evens of that year, thus providing a historical background to the themes of the letters.

The correspondence displays a tapestry of Ronald Reagan's wisdom, resolve, decency, optimism, humanity and humour in his replies to young people, unemployed workers, press columnists, Hollywood friends, Soviet leaders, sports figures, relatives of soldiers and critics of government policies. It shows his positive approach to the economy, his frequent frustration with the media and an obstructive Congress, and his determination to halt Soviet expansionism, to reduce taxes and to rebuild the military.

Reagan's style was warm and down to earth and often gently humorous. Replies to his critics were factual and respectful. There are 14 black and white photographs that include pictures of Reagan with William Buckley, Michael Gorbachev, chief of correspondence Anne Higgins, personal secretary Kathy Osbourne and Reagan's young friend Rudolph Hines.

Unlike the impression created by certain elements in the media at the time, Ronald Reagan was a highly intelligent man with a keen insight into domestic issues and international relations. Moreover he had the gift to translate those insights into language that everybody could understand. But most important of all, Reagan was wise.

Besides being the Great Communicator, he was also the Great Correspondent as this volume demonstrates. What a lovely and admirable human being Reagan was. I also recommend the books When Character Was King by Peggy Noonan and Ronald Reagan: How An Ordinary Man Became An Extraordinary Leader by Dinesh D'Souza. God bless the memory and legacy of Ronald Reagan, the greatest president of the 20th century.

Deep in the heart of Ronald "Dutch" Reagan lived a .......2004-08-20

truly warm and wonderful person and this book captures so much of his character! Only a sampling of the thousands of hand-written letters composed during his eight years as president; these documents give us an insight not only to a President and the issues of the times; but also an insight to the very human side of this remarkable man.

Do not read this from a partisan point of view because it was not written for that purpose. The authors compiled this work to show the many facets of the man chosen for the highest office in the United States. His love of country, his love for his country's people, his fantastic sense of humor, his concern for every issue that passed his desk and his sincere desire to answer all who wrote to him in a clear and concise manner (from children to the aged), show the full picture of Reagan, the person, Reagan the President, Reagan the husband and father and Reagan the flag bearer for this country.

You don't have to agree with him; you don't have to be Republican nor do you have to see him in any particular light. I believe that if you read his letters, you will find it both enlightening and fulfilling. I enjoyed and hope you will also.

Insight into the Character of Reagan from his own Words.......2004-01-13

It turns out that Ronald Reagan, often derided for intellectual shortcomings, was a vociferous letter writer throughout his eight years in the White House. This collection pulls together in a single book, many of the letters he wrote on all varieties of subjects and to all manners of persons. There are letters to supporters, letters to opponents, letters to world leaders and letters to Americans who wrote either in support or critically. Most incredibly, there are letters Reagan wrote to a child with whom he maintained a "pen pal" correspondence throughout his time in Washington.

These letters, many with handwritten additions or paragraphs were Reagan's personal correspondence, not edited or ghost written by speech writers or other advisors. They reveal a man who was not detached from either the day to day workings of his administration or the policy arguments the administration was engaged in. Many of the letters are touching or filled with humor. Many times I found myself chuckling. For example, when Reagan gently let down a boy who was hoping to receive federal cleanup funds because his mother had declared his room a "disaster area." Some have a hint of anger or defiance. Many of the letters are responses by Reagan to individual citizens who wrote to him critical of a certain policy. His replies were always polite and respectful of alternative opinions. But he seems to have made the effort to convince these people of their mistakenness. The letters reveal much about Reagan the man. The book is arranged in chronological order with an introduction written by the editors detailing each year of the administration and the main issues Reagan faced both personal and professional. In this manner the book reads like a memoir of Reagan's time in Washington. I do not intend to discuss whether Reagan was right or wrong in his views or his actions. Obviously, Reagan believed he was correct and his letters reflect this belief. Others certainly disagree and may well be right to do so. But it will be helpful to an understanding of Reagan and his times to put to bed the myth that Reagan was a scripted movie actor. These letters prove this is not so. History will be served if Reagan's opponents can criticize the actions he took or the views he held and not re-hash a phony mythology. I recommend this excellent collection to anyone, friend or foe, interested in Ronald Reagan and his times.

Heartwarming.......2003-12-11

Great insight into the heart and mind of a great American. The letters contained in this book illustrate Reagan's convictions, humility and sense of humor. His letters to ordinary citizens are the best - gracious responses to both complimentary and negative letters he received. Reagan's love for his country and his fellow citizens is evident throughout. This is a truly heartwarming read.

Dear Americans - Letter from the Desk of Ronald Reagan

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Dear Americans - Letter from the Desk of Ronald Reagan

Manufacturer: Doubleday-Adivision of Random House,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739438484

Product Description

Let me say i'm very lucky and the Lord really had his hand on my shoulder.

Dear Americans: Letters from the Desk of Ronald Reagan (Large Print)

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Dear Americans: Letters from the Desk of Ronald Reagan (Large Print)
Ralph E. & Ralph A. (editors) Weber
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TR8GSW

Average customer rating:

Dear Americans: Letters from the Desk of Ronald Reagan
Ralph E. Weber
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MHPXNU

Book Description

This is the true story of Félix Valencia, who, as a young, restless, rebellious Communist Party leader living in the lowland jungle northwest of Quito, Ecuador, participates in a robbery and is sent to prison. There, God completely changes his life, and he dedicates himself to Christian ministry. After his release, he attends a seminary while working in prison ministry. He emerges as a very effective, highly respected evangelist and pastor. He is offered a plush pastoral position in a large church in Quito, but the Lord leads him back to his own people in the Christ-less primitive jungles of his youth. There Félix overcomes many spiritual obstacles to build a highly effective ministry in the villages he knew as a boy. He and his wife organize a Christian school, which proves to be a very effective evangelism tool. Again, Satan tries to destroy the work, but Félix perseveres and is victorious.

Product Description

A handbook of what judges look for in over 100 of the most popular breeds. Covers all the variety groups, the breed characteristics, temperament and general size. Each breed is illustrated in color. Highlights important differences in breed standards and variations in practice across countries. Whether you show dogs professionally, as a serious hobby or wish to enter your family pet for the local dog show, this complete at a glance guide to judging the points of fine dogs is an essential handy reference.

Customer Reviews:

MAJOR Disappointment.......2003-09-11

In short, the information you need on the breeds can be found in the AKC Complete Dog Book. The photos are horrible and do not represent the breeds as they should be represented.

Disappointing, especially the photos.......2003-06-29

This COULD have been a great book. The concept is wonderful: a book of "illustrated standards" for the dog-showing-going public, the serious dog fancier, or the merely curious. Unfortunately, the execution is very disappointing. The dogs that were chosen for the photograph of each breed are decidedly NOT stellar examples of breed conformation. In addition, the dogs are not posed ("stacked") to show off what qualities they do have. This is a puzzlement. Why put together a book of illustrated standards and then so poorly illustrate them? At times, the text of the standards says one thing and the photograph shows something different. (Example: Belgian Sheepdog hindquarters "Length and substance well proportioned to size of dog" but photo shows a fine boned, leggy specimen.) In addition, readers should be aware that in some cases this book illustrates the British interpretation of breed standard. (Example: the Shetland Sheepdog pictured is of the decidedly finer boned and "snipey" type, not the dog of substance and angles that is more commonly strived for in the United States.) It must be said that the text is VERY well presented--in the style of Richard Saul Wurman (of the "Access" travel books fame). This book WOULD be an extremely useful reference, if not for the poor, and downright misleading, photographs. In short: not recommended.

Average customer rating:

Mariners Compass Quilts

mariner's compass quilts setting a new course

MARINERS COMPASS QUILTS:SETTING A NEW COURSE;NEW PROCESS,NEW PATTERNS,NEW PROJECTS

Quilting information

Great book!

Mariner's Compass Quilts: Setting A New Course; New Process, New Patterns, New Projects
Judy Mathieson
Manufacturer: C&T Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Quilts & Quilting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Stellar Journeys: Flying Geese & Star Quilts

Bella Bella Quilts: Stunning Designs from Italian Mosaics

WedgeWorks II: The 3-D Mariner's Compass

Radiant New York Beauties: 14 Paper-Pieced Quilt Projects

Mariner's Compass Quilts: New Directions

ASIN: 1571203001

Book Description

• 2 projects with clear, step-by-step instructions

• 13 full-size patterns—no need to enlarge!

America's expert on the classic mariner's compass quilt design has an all-new method—a freezer paper foundation. It sounds funny, but since the quilter doesn't have to sew through the paper, the foundation is reusable—and crafters will certainly want to reuse it for the two step-by-step projects and thirteen full-size patterns, featuring geese, checkerboards, and more

Customer Reviews:

Mariners Compass Quilts.......2007-09-20

Easy to understand, clear & concise. A very useful tool to be able to draft your own compass or use one of the included pattern pages. Loads of ideas for setting quilts and colour choices.

mariner's compass quilts setting a new course.......2007-08-24

This book was an eye opener for a paper piecing and showing one a new and easier way of doing this method, I highly recommend this book.

MARINERS COMPASS QUILTS:SETTING A NEW COURSE;NEW PROCESS,NEW PATTERNS,NEW PROJECTS.......2007-03-23

A VERY INFORMATIONAL BOOK. I WOULD RECOMEND IT TO ANYONE WHO LOVES TO QUILT.

Quilting information.......2007-03-12

This book tells you all the information you need to make a beautiful Mariner's Compass quilt with patterns included. Very good instructions.

Great book!.......2007-01-13

I love mariner's compass quilts and this book has a new way to piece the blocks that is different from Judy's first book. I haven't made the projects, but find myself just looking at all the wonderful photos. The instructions seem very clear and there are a lot of illustrations to show the steps of the process.

Book Description

These tales capture all the hilarity, magic, and chaos of raising the complex little people we call toddlers. Poised between the baby’s and the child’s world, toddlers teach us to take joy in the roundness and the texture of a ball, in the comfort of a blanket, in the beauty of a spider web. They help us see the world differently with their wacky interpretations of everyday objects. They exasperate, defy, and devastate us, yet they fill us with a profound sense of awe. Readers share in the joy a father feels when his daughter looks at him and exclaims “dada!” (and the disappointment that follows when she addresses her sippy cup by the same name); in the struggle of a blind mother in keeping track of her very mobile two-year-old; in the frustration a mother—a family doctor—feels when the potty-training advice she routinely gives to worried parents doesn’t work with her four-year-old triplets; and in the hilarious resignation of a father who comes to realize that even his bathroom time is now a family event. Toddler mirrors the commonality of raising toddlers and reflects the joy and wonder that define this vital time in a child and parent’s life.

Customer Reviews:

TAKE OUT 2 Chaters and you have a GREAT book!.......2007-07-15

First off I want to say -- buy this book! It's perfect for busy Mom's in that it's filled with short essays each written by a different author. Some are laugh-out loud funny, some truly heart-warming and other's make you think "thank goodness I'm not the only one who's made that parenting mistake!".

I wasn't sure I would like the essay format of the book but I ended up really enjoying it. After a long day of racing after the kids the book's format made it easy to relax by reading one chapter before collapsing in bed from exhaustion. :-)

OK so the one reason I didn't give this book 5-stars is that there are two chapters that bring the book down. The chapter "Why Does Your Son Have a Phallus on His Head" written by the books editor came across as Jennifer Margulis's public way of getting some type of revenge at her mother for issues they have. The comments about her mother were embarrassing to hear from a grown woman and had NO relevance. It was just a weird thing to read and again I felt embarrassed for the editor that she added that to her book.

But that was minor compared to the chapter "Slow to Warm". This is the chapter that the reviewer "Shame, Shame" was referring to. (Ok -- who actually says "shame"???...) Wait until you read this chapter! Your jaw is going drop to the floor and you'll be stunned you just read that in a PG rated Toddler book. Don't get me wrong -- I use more than my fair share of swear words! I'm actually surprised my kids first words weren't something that was made up of four letters! :-) But the chapter "Slow to Warm" is basically a porno put into words. Perhaps the author of that chapter is an 800-sex-line operator or works on the HBO set of Real Sex -- but that chapter should NEVER have been added to the book. Hopefully in future additions this chapter will be removed.

Overall DO buy this book. You'll love it. Just be sure to rip out the chapter "Slow to Warm" before you give this as a gift or pass along to your friends!!! :-)

When you are done reading this book and would like a laugh-out-loud hysterical parenting book try:
What's the Matter With Mommy?: Rantings of a Reluctant Stay-at-home Mom

Cute book.......2006-11-02

Nice little book, full of short stories on toddlers. Very entertaining coffee table reading.

Real stories about real little people .......2006-06-24

I loved this book! I loved it because it is real, full of real stories about real people. Having kids, and especially having toddlers, is not all sunshine and roses all the time. Sometimes it is very trying, sometimes it is hysterically funny. Sometimes you shake your head and think, "I can't believe someone who is only as tall as my knee rules my life!" But it is always an honour and a privilege to part of this amazing stage in your child's life. This is a collection of stories, told with love, about the good bits, the scary bits and the hysterically funny bits. Every parent who has ever lived through the toddler years will be nodding their heads and laughing in recognition. And for those who have yet to get to the toddler stage..... don't say you haven't been warned ;-)

Good read, but horrible language.......2006-06-14

This book does capture a fairly diverse view of parenting toddlers, and I am really enjoying seeing myself and my friends in the stories that are aimed specifically at this crazy age group. However, I wasn't prepared for the language I found in several of the stories. If you routinely yell, "f---" or "s---" in response to your kids actions, then you might not think twice about it. I'll admit to letting "damn" slip out a couple of times, but I have never used some of these other words in front of anyone, especially my kids. And I agree with the previous reviewer who was a little shocked by the story where the mom is thinking of graphic sexual phrases in response to a teacher's comment about her preschooler. "Shame, shame," indeed. Overall, this an okay read if you can get past some of it's shortcomings.

Top of my baby book list.......2005-12-21

I really did forget how exhausted living with a toddler makes me. I should have taken better notes with my first when I raised him through toddlerhood a decade ago, kept a list of things to remember.

~You will not be allowed to move an inch outside of the toddler's orbit without then having to listen to and deal with the terrified wails of a child who sounds like their toenails are being peeled back.

~Forget about getting anything all the way done, and try not to get too frustrated by the piles of half-finished things everywhere. If it gets too bad you could always just push it into a heap in the middle of the living room and light a fire-use it to roast the toddler.

~Nobody wants to listen to your kid scream on the other end of the phone. Nobody. So forget about maintaining any long-distance friendships.

~If the toddler doesn't have a chance to run around like a possessed pony for at least three hours a day, you shouldn't be surprised by the way the living room looks when the kid finally lets go of the ceiling fan and goes to bed.

One thing has recently given me a wonderful hit of sanity, and a much-needed reminder that I'm not the only person with a toddler in her life who sometimes has to fight the urge to throw herself in front of a speeding bus: Toddler: Real-life Stories of Those Fickle, Irrational, Urgent, Tiny People We Love, edited by Jennifer Margulis.

This book is full of open and frank essays about life with the little heads. The writing is wonderful, and reading it gave me a feeling of renewal and connection to my parenting, and reminded me that this part will have passed into something else before I even know it. It allowed me to give myself permission to hate this stage as much as I love it, and to not beat myself up for wishing it would move just a little bit faster so I can get on with MY life already. It makes a great gift for anybody who has a toddler ruling their life, so get it, read it, and spread it around.

Even though this book won an Independent Publisher's Award, there's talk of it going out of print, and that should not be allowed to happen. Plus, the book got banned at Jennifer's own hometown school! Intrigue aside, the writing rocks the house. I promise, you won't be disappointed.

Customer Reviews:

a pre-raphaelite fan.......2003-05-31

Highly recommend this book. The text is well written and it gives a nice overview of Jane's life and the Pre-Raphaelite artists she came to know personally through the years. Photos and prints are an asset to the book.

Book Description

The reign of King Stephen (1135-54) is famous as a period of weak government, as Stephen and his rival the Empress Matilda contended for power. This is a study of medieval kingship at its most vulnerable. It also shows how individuals and institutions enabled the monarchy to survive. A contemporary chronicler described the reign as "nineteen long winters in which Christ and his saints were asleep". Historians today refer to it simply as 'the Anarchy'. The weakness of government was the result of a disputed succession. Stephen lost control over Normandy, the Welsh marches, and much of the North. Contemporaries noted as signs of weakness the tyranny of the lords of castles, and the break-down of coinage. Stephen remained king for his lifetime, but leading churchmen and laymen negotiated a settlement whereby the crown passed to the Empress's son the future Henry II. This volume by leading scholars gives an original and up-to-date analysis of these major themes, and explains how the English monarchy was able to survive the Anarchy of King Stephen's reign.

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ANARCHY OF KING STEPHENS REIGN
Lowell King
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OL9P10

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