Biochemistry Of The Stilbenoids (BIOCHEMISTRY OF NATURAL PRODUCTS, THE)

Book Description

This book provides a comprehensive account of the distribution, chemistry, biological roles and pharmacological properties of this group of phenolic compounds.

Book Description

Travelers can make a day or a weekend in Northern France a memorable one with Cadogan's unique guide. It's the perfect companion for flying visitors.

Book Description

In 1851, a sixteen-year-old girl named Yehonala entered the Imperial Palace of China as a concubine third grade, leaving behind her family, the love of her life, and nearly all contact with the outside world. She emerged as Tsu Hsi, Dowager Empress of China and one of the most powerful autocrats in history. A fascinating tale of love, betrayal, murder, intrigue, and survival, The Last Empress offers remarkable insight into life behind the closed doors of the forbidden city.

Customer Reviews:

Quite well-written, but historically somewhat dubious.......2006-04-03

Keith Laidler's "The Last Empress" is not as bad as all that, even if his background as a writer of popular fiction does shine through here and there.
Mr Laidler writes in a nice, fluid prose style, and there are numerous footnotes and many generally well-chosen quotes. But there are certainly drawbacks, too, although I think two stars is a little too harsh.

"The Last Empress" is the story of Wang Xiaoqian, a young girl born in 1834 or 1835 in a village called Xipo. She joined the harem of the Xianfeng emperor at the age of 16 or 17, and bore him a son who became the Tongzhi emperor. During the boy's minority (he was only five when his father died), his mother reigned with a firm hand, and she continued to do so more or less until her death in 1908. You may have seen her portrayed with eerie charisma by actress Lisa Lu in a brief but memorable scene in Bernardo Bertolucci's classic "The Last Emperor".

Now, this sounds like an exciting story, right? Well, it is, and Keith Laidler tells it well, but he does rely an awful lot on anecdotal "evidence", and, in some cases, pure speculation.
And he constantly refers to the empress dowager as "Yehonala", as though this was her first name, when it was in fact the name of the clan into which she was adopted as a young girl. "Yeho-Nala", usually romanized as "Yehe-Nara", is not a given name, but rather like a surname (her actual name, post-adoption, was Yehe-Nara Yulan, that is "Yulan of the Yehe-Nara clan").
That annoyed me a first, until I got used to it. Especially because everybody in the Western world who has ever heard of "the western empress dowager", as she was called, probably know her as Cixi, or, in Wade-Giles' more pronouncement-friendly romanization, Tzu Hsi ("T'soo Shee"). That is "motherly auspicious" or "august mother".

But I'm losing my train of thought here. Again, as I said, the book is well-written and quite exciting, but unfortunately it is of doubtful historical value. Nobody really knows how the young Yulan became the emperor's favorite lover, but Keith Laidler makes up a fanciful story about her astounding abilities in bed, which is one of the low points of the book.
And there are few surprising mistakes as well, such as Mr Laidler's claim that "she (Tzu Hsi) came as close as any woman in Chinese history to ascending the Dragon Throne".
Honestly! If you're interested in Chinese history, you must read up on the fascinating story of the empress Wu Zhao (623 or 625 - 705), who took over the government when her husband, the Gaozong emperor, fell ill in late 660. She ruled "from behind the curtain" (quite literally, since regents traditionally sat behind a yellow curtain right behind the imperial throne and whispered their advise to the emperor) for 23 years until the death of the emperor. Then her son Zhongzong became emperor, but after a short reign his mother swapped him for her younger, and presumably more manageable, son Li Dan, the Ruizong emperor. And finally, in late 690, the old empress dowager deposed him as well, but not, like Tzu Hsi, in favour of a hapless child during whose minority she could continue to rule unopposed. Instead she took the title "Shensheng Huangdi", that is "holy spirit emperor", and ascended the Dragon Throne herself.

Anyway. You should borrow Mr Laidler's book at your local library and give it a try. It's a pretty good read.
Just don't consider it pure, unadulterated historical fact.

Book Description

Guillain Barre Syndrome is strange combination of symptoms that includes paralysis in varying degrees. It strikes men and women, young and old. Often the primary care physician has difficulty diagnosing a GBS patient. After the symptoms have peaked and recovery has begun, patients expect to regain their old routines. However, many find their lives have changed in some way. A quest for information and a need to be connected with other GBS patients led Ann Brandt to walk a different path, away from community college teaching and toward writing and liaison work with other GBS patients. Patients need to feel connected with others. They are hungry for information about others experiences with the disease. Read how a sense of humor, faith in God, and a stubborn nature can work in recovery.

Customer Reviews:

The struggle for information, and guidance.......2004-01-23

I became engrossed with the book 'Learning to Walk Again' as soon as I began reading it. I read it in one sitting. I learned about the difficulty of getting a correct diagonosis when dealing with various doctors and hospitals.And how you have to be persistant. It was a nightmare for Ann because of the pain she felt, until a diagonosis was found.Patients must not be seduced in believing that they just need therapy, and that it's all in their head! This book is on the cutting edge when it comes to information about Guillain Barre disease. Ann's first hand experience with the disease will help patients and families struggling with similar issues. It will act like a road map for them. It will help them to push and ask questions of their doctors. The book is well-researched about this little-known disease.
In addition to the excellent information this book shares, it also delves into the important relationship between family members and how supportive and helpful they were to each other. Caregivers carry a heavy burden, and this book discusses the give and take that is necessary between partners and other family members.
I also liked the writing style. Although the topic was difficult, the writing style was easy and conversational and even touched on humor. I visualized many of the scenes, a great indication of a good book, which this certainly was.
I recommend this book to anyone who has a family member or friend suffering with this disease or other challening body problems.

A Fascinating Miracle of Recovery.......2003-08-24

Ann's personal story is an an amazing meld of
knowledge of Guillain Barre and the painful (and
humorous)process of her Recovery. A good read
for anyone seeking hope and progress through a
chronic illness, whether patient or caregiver.

A beneficial book for survivors and caregivers.......2003-03-11

As a fellow GBS survivor, I was eager to read Ms. Brandt's account of her experience. This disease does not discriminate when it strikes, and every person has a different journey. I suppose when you've been struck with such a life-altering experience, from out of nowhere, you seek connection and explanation.

The book touches upon the elementary aspects of GBS, and poses some important questions. Like Ms. Brandt, I spent a good deal of time while in my recovery stage trying to prevent what had happened to me from happening to others. She reaches out to others who are in the acute phase of the disease through patient visitation, to other survivors through meetings and symposiums, and to the medical community through this book.

Why had we been promised that we'd "get it all back"? Why isn't post-rehabilitation fatigue addressed as a separate phase of the syndrome?

This book asks some important questions, and I hope that its publication will serve as a catalyst to get them answered.

A healing book!.......2003-01-30

I am going through recovery from GBS. Reading this book has been a great experience for me; once a received it, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Ann's experience is very similar to mine and her book helped me in a therapeutic way; I re-lived many emotions, situations, funny moments, etc., and learned a little bit more about this syndrome. I recommend this book for people who are going through recovery as well as for those caregivers around them.

Average customer rating:
Lion Prides and Tiger Tracks
Don Torgersen
Manufacturer: Children's Press (CT)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 051640654X

Book Description

Looking for instructions in bladesmithing that'll put you on the cutting edge of the custom blade market? Then this definitive guide to forging world-class blades is for you. Written by a master bladesmith, this book tells you how to set up your forge, select your materials, fashion grips and hilts, grind edges and much more!

Customer Reviews:

A good read.......2007-09-05

So far I have found this book to be very straightforward, easy to understand, and quite helpful. Not only do I find it informative, but I enjoy reading it too.

Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way To Perfection.......2007-03-09

This book is about how to make knives by different materials, for example 1050 steel. It's a quite good book, especially for beginners with reasonable price. Highly recommended to all!

Good but dated information........2006-11-10

A great book for the beginner, but not to be taken as a metallurgical point of reference. Antiquated theories such as 'edge-packing' and other misconceptions are taught in this text. This is not a problem, assuming the reader does enough research - either before or after reading this book. It offers great explanations of techniques, complete with well-explained drawings, diagrams and pictures, as well as plenty of good information on intelligent shop layout, tool selection, etc.

Certainly worth owning, just BEWARE the dated information!

Helpfull and perfect !.......2006-10-25

When i received this book i see much more detais, and contents that i have expected. Details about the forge to the finishing of a sword. I'm a new blacksmith in pratice but i recomend this book to anyone who want to progress in the art of bladesmith !

Great instruction manual.......2006-02-27

This book is great for anyone interested in makeing small blades. It gives a complete run down of all the required gear you will need, how to set up a workshop, where to source your materials from, how to make a forge and most importantly of all, how to actually make a blade out of a lump of steel. Very interesting, even if you have no intention of actually making knives.

Average customer rating:

He's telling the story that entrepreneurs need to hear.

Not so useful

Brilliant with basic fundamentals and entertaining!

Mandatory For Your Business Library

Engaging, real life saga of a successful and funny guy.

Stop and Sell the Roses: Lessons from Business and Life
Jim Mccann
Manufacturer: Random House Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

General | Business | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0375401849
Release Date: 1998-04-14

Book Description

Lessons from Business and Life

Everybody knows Jim McCann. He's the "flower guy," the CEO of 1-800-FLOWERS, who appears in all those terrific television ads. McCann is actually a unique corporate leader who in less than a decade took his company from the verge of bankruptcy to a $300 million business that ranks as the world's largest florist. Now in this upbeat, engaging book, McCann tells the amazing story of how he bootstrapped his way to phenomenal business success--and how you can do it too.

Forget the hard sell, the killer instinct, the power suit, and the iron handshake. If you want to make a business take off these days, you need to base it on relationships--warm, real, human contact with the people you work with and sell to. McCann says it best: "Like all human relationships, business involves a need to make contact. Satisfy that need and the money will follow."

In Stop and Sell the Roses, McCann shares the secrets he learned along his unique road to success, a journey that began in one of New York's toughest neighborhoods and resulted in a multimillion-dollar business. Learn from McCann how to:

Build invaluable loyalty through emotional bonds
Pick the technology that frees up your creative time
Harness the awesome power of the brand
Prepare for crunch times and stay tough when business is slow
Make money on the Internet by reaching beyond the computer screen
Hire passionate people
Leap-frog from job to job with an eye to your long-term success

And much more!

Funny, insightful, brimming with McCann's irresistible wit and street-smart wisdom, this is a business book like no other you've ever read--a book that will make you laugh as it gives you the tools you need to build your own winning business today.

From the Hardcover edition.

Amazon.com

In less than a decade, former social worker Jim McCann turned a nearly bankrupt florist into a $300 million enterprise that dominates the field. Stop and Sell the Roses: Lessons from Business and Life is his brightly written story of 1-800-FLOWERS, the failing company he turned around through business savvy and personal insight. Weaving the tale of his firm's odyssey with observations on his own management style, McCann offers a prescription for success centered upon individualized customer interaction that encompasses everything up to and including the Net (where 1-800-FLOWERS now does 10 percent of its business). --Howard Rothman

Customer Reviews:

He's telling the story that entrepreneurs need to hear. .......2005-10-01

If you're an entrepreneur, I think you'll find this tape encouraging.

There's a ton of ways to run a business. You can follow the advice of some marketing guru or pay thousands of dollars for the counsel of a business consultant.

But nothing beats hearing how someone who's been there done that, and still doing it tell you have to run your business from start to finish.

McCann gives wise business counsel including how to hire people and how to treat your customers.

Also, his prediction that businesses of the future will be ran like large movie productions is not off base.

If you have a sentimental side and the success of your business depends on forging immense trust between you and your would-be customer, I suggest you listen to what McCann has to say. He's business has to overcome several customer barriers and he maneuvered them well.

Moreover, McCann lets his previous work as a student counselor, or "cultural engineer", play a big role in how he manages 1 800 FLOWERS.

He's telling the story that entrepreneurs need to hear.

Not so useful.......1999-01-23

If you like listening to an arrogant braggart pretend to be life's guru, this book is for you. However, that not being MY cup of tea, I spent the last half of it skimming it to get done with it, and it was like, gag me, you arrogant, full of yourself man who has found a scam, skimming money from flower purchasers, thereby contributing to the demise of flowers being good gifts.

If you want to learn how to scam people, and then brag about it, maybe you'll like this, but for me it was not only non-educational, but rather disgusting.

Brilliant with basic fundamentals and entertaining!.......1999-01-03

Jim McCann's book is entertaining, enlightning, and a great tune up for business people and anyone interested in an easy read. He offers the basics in the best business philosphy that people will do business with people they like, respect and trust. Jim also offers a unique perspective and feel for New York City. Sharing of his family experiences and the lessons learned both good and bad make this work genuine and fun to read. I've shared this book with family, friends and business associates. Treat yourself and Enjoy!

Mandatory For Your Business Library.......1998-09-29

Jim McCann confirms the value of relationship selling. Be sure to read and maintain in your core library of business reference books.

Engaging, real life saga of a successful and funny guy........1998-05-28

Jim McCann has built a national image and reputation and it is fascinating to hear him describe his roots and the things that went into making him a success. You can just imagine being at his kitchen table with his family and working the late shift at 800-Flowers. I also really liked his blend of tongue in cheek humor and business advice. After reading this you sure want to buy stock in his company.

Amazon.com

Can a mother nurse after nipple piercing? Is it okay to name a child after a beverage? What's the best music to divorce by? Ariel Gore answers these and other tough questions in her hilarious and highly informative guide to pregnancy and early parenting, The Hip Mama Survival Guide. Gore gave birth to her daughter, Maia, at age 19, raised her on welfare while getting a college degree, and went on to create her own zine and Web site (and now, a parenting guide) devoted to non-nuclear-family moms everywhere. Gore's book uses straight-from-the-trenches experience, friendly encouragement, and a hearty dose of humor while covering the basics for mamas who may not have the comforts or privileges (like generous health insurance or state-of-the-art strollers) many traditional baby-care manuals presume to be accessible. Chapters include "Childbirth Sucks," "Beauty and the Gender Beast," "Poverty Without Despair," and "Guerrilla Mothering," and cover topics as diverse as nutrition, trimester development, circumcision, custody battles, domestic violence, co-parenting, political activism, working moms, and nervous breakdowns. Gore does not hide her feisty, liberal political bent, and she devotes a whole section to skewering the conservative right's vision of "family values." Each chapter ends with interview answers and advice from "rebel moms," ranging from Gore's friends to famous feminists like Mary Kay Blakely and Susie Bright. While Gore's advice may ring especially true for young single moms, her funny, realistic approach to mothering will show mamas of all races, ages, and means that hipness is well within their reach. --Brangien Davis

Book Description

Can a mother nurse after nipple piercing? Is it okay to name a child after a beverage? What's the best music to divorce by? Ariel Gore answers these and other tough questions in her hilarious and highly informative guide to pregnancy and early parenting, The Hip Mama Survival Guide. Gore gave birth to her daughter, Maia, at age 19, raised her on welfare while getting a college degree, and went on to create her own zine and Web site (and now, a parenting guide) devoted to non-nuclear-family moms everywhere.Gore's book uses straight-from-the-trenches experience, friendly encouragement, and a hearty dose of humor while covering the basics for mamas who may not have the comforts or privileges (like generous health insurance or state-of-the-art strollers) many traditional baby-care manuals presume to be accessible. Chapters include "Childbirth Sucks," "Beauty and the Gender Beast," "Poverty Without Despair," and "Guerrilla Mothering," and cover topics as diverse as nutrition, trimester development, circumcision, custody battles, domestic violence, co-parenting, political activism, working moms, and nervous breakdowns. Gore does not hide her feisty, liberal political bent, and she devotes a whole section to skewering the conservative right's vision of "family values." Each chapter ends with interview answers and advice from "rebel moms," ranging from Gore's friends to famous feminists like Mary Kay Blakely and Susie Bright. While Gore's advice may ring especially true for young single moms, her funny, realistic approach to mothering will show mamas of all races, ages, and means that hipness is well within their reach.--Brangien Davis

Customer Reviews:

The Hip Mama.......2007-03-12

I purchased this book as a gift, but have reconsidered due to some of the language in it, especially the "F" bombs. I'm fine with it, but don't think it would have been the right fit for the intended recipient (baby shower for a church friend!). If you can get passed that, the book is informative, offering the usual parenting advise, but in a much more entertaining, real-life way.

not just for pregnant teenagers.......2007-02-02

i don't agree with everything in this book, but if you find like i did that most pregnancy and parenting books seem to be speaking to someone from a different universe than yours, then i would give it a try. i'm 28 and married and still felt this book to be the most relevant to my life that i have found.

Great Book!.......2007-01-30

I loved this book. I practiced birth control during my teens and 20s and my former husband practiced it for me in my 30s. Now, at 37, I'm seriously considering the fact that I'm not going to have a Family -- I'm going to have a child, probably by myself. Do I feel regret having put pursuit of $$$$ ahead of my fertility? Hell yes! Books like this just go to show that you can make it, even when making it doesn't look like a Vogue ad. I don't have piercings or what have you, but knowing there's someone who hasn't been completely brainwashed by modern capitalist culture is a help. As Martha says, it's a good thing.

A moment of respite in the sea of nervous pregnancy books.......2006-11-20

I found this book to be so reassuring that it was all going to be ok. That I was going to be able to be a mom and not sacrifice my sense of identity. That being an SUV-driving Soccer Mom was not the inevitable result of my pregnancy. It is a good reminder that "you are enough" and that being an edgy, alternative, opinionated socially progressive mom is a great thing.

Are you kidding me?.......2006-11-10

At first, I thought this book would be a good idea. Being a liberal and a labor and delivery nurse, I thought it would be nice to see it from a patient's perspective. Wrong. It goes on a BOOK LONG anti-establishment rant. Some of my favorite topics included the author's opinions on breast feeding vs. bottle feeding and discipline. Against any form of feeding that is not from the breast? That's fine. Don't make the rest of us who don't want to breast feed (or who physically CAN'T, thank you very much) look like beasts from hell. And my favorite, "when your child is throwing a fit in the middle of a grocery store, be glad that they are able to and know how to express their opinions at a young age". Oh no. No, no, no. At that point, I would like to say that there is nothing wrong with giving your child a firm reminder who the parent is and just how they are to BEHAVE in a public place. It's not "repressing" your child's basic needs of expression, it's responsible/respectful parenting. Sounds to me like Ms. Gore needs a time out herself.

Book Description

A true story of a twisted marriage presented in photographs and personal narratives from three points of view. This stark and painful story roves through the 1940's, 1950's, and 1960's from Kentucky to Louisiana and Texas.

Customer Reviews:

EXCEPTIONAL.......2000-06-19

In this day of memoir overkill, this book stands out as exceptional in the genre because of its brutal honesty and fabulous photos. Author Blue interrogates (no other word) her mother about the reasons she stayed in an abusive marriage until the father (not the mother) decided enough was enough. The answers aren't obvious, but they are there--in the culture of the 40s and 50s, pre-feminism. I am sure there were many such dysfunctional families at that time, but who knew? Dirty laundry was not aired in public, let alone written about (that is, until Mommie Dearest smacked us in the face; maybe that book was more than merely sensational, after all). This book is painfully honest. The photos (most taken by the father, some by the author) give truth to the tale. Her whole life, the mother could barely manage a smile. One can only hope she is happy at last. (I found book because of the fabulous "links" and reader reviews on Amazon. I know now I will never run out of "good books", as I used to fear when roaming the isles of my local, small bookstore. Amazon is the greatest!)

Wince, Laugh, but Read it.......2000-03-30

Living On a Dream will keep you turning the pages with a wince and a certain hunger. Author Patt Blue's account--tragic, comic, searingly true-- is told through her own and her mother's words (from interviews). The book asks subliminally, why do women stay with men who are pathologically controlling? Finding the answer is akin to exploratory surgery. Blue is skilled with the literary scalpel. Her mother wears high heels and eye-shadow to greet her husband when he comes home each night from sales calls or sex calls.She wears heels to dance and sing while mopping the floor. She lives on a dream, losing hope long enough to divorce the man and remarry him three times. This life is an extreme case, yet it is not unfamiliar. The reader sees things amplified that she had perhaps not examined before. Read this book! Then be glad author Patt Blue got through her own childhood with the ability to seek health as she apparently has.

A sensational combination of photography and dramatic story........1998-10-20

Patt Blue's book about her parents stands apart from the many memoirs I have read in the past seven years of memoir overkill. The appeal was in the way she allowed her parents to speak for themselves, adding her voice as counterpoint. (The father speaks through his photographs) The mother's voice is plainspoken. Blue's voice is reflective. Together, with a powerful story of submission and dominance (the parents married each other three times and divorced three times), the author has woven a personal story that reads like a novel. It was a page turner for me. As a woman not in the same dour position as Louise, Blue's mother, I was fascinated with her struggle to survive as the wife of a man who questioned her every move and kept her penniless while he played around as a Don Juan. Some of the bizarre scenes are as hilarious as they are depraved. Her daughter takes what she has learned from her mother's sad life and runs with every bit of positive energy she can carry. I was inspired by her will to overcome the heavy odds weighing against her. This book is her success.

Average customer rating:
The Stalker Affair, the Shocking True Story of Six Deaths and a Notorious Cover-Up
John Stalker
Manufacturer: Viking
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H574SO

Average customer rating:
The Stalker Affair: the Shocking True Story of Six Deaths and a Notorious Cover-UP
John Stalker
Manufacturer: New York Viking 1988.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O1XJ94

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