Book Description
Orchids are the largest family of plants in the world. With 30,000 known species, you could acquire a different orchid every day for eighty years and still not grow them all. Back in the realm of reality, readers of this beautiful book can quickly and easily find the orchids that are right for them -- which ones will thrive on a windowsill, which prefer artificial lights, and which need a greenhouse; which are for beginners, which for experts. And you can pinpoint the species within a particular genus that are the best ones to start with. Once you select your orchid, William Cullina's authoritative guide explains what to do to keep it alive and healthy. Featuring more than two hundred color photographs, Understanding Orchids covers everything you need to know to grow orchids successfully, whatever your level of interest or experience. With improved tissue-culture techniques making orchids more affordable, and the Internet making them readily available to consumers, growing orchids is more popular than ever: membership in the American Orchid Society has more than doubled in the last fifteen years. This is the book orchid fans have been waiting for.
Customer Reviews:
Understanding Orchids........2007-10-14
This book has all the information that I need to successfully grow orchids.
It is the ideal book for all orchid enthusiasts, from the beginner to the experienced orchid grower.
very practical information.......2007-09-19
This book has alot of practical information and has much more detailed culture information about many different orchid families, also has information about small orchid families that I have not found in any other book about orchids.This book also gives step by step instructions on how to repot or divide several different types of orchids including paphiopediliums and Phrags.
Great book, lots of good ideas and beautiful pictures...........2007-02-10
I am an amateur orchid grower and have read a variety of books on the subject. So far, this is the best book I encountered and the most comprehensive. Not only that, it is a work of art, printed on high quality of paper. The pictures are outstanding and so is the carefully written text. This book is also just loaded with inexpensive ideas on various small projects that you can do to improve your results. If you are going to get one book on orchids, this should be it!
The best.......2007-02-06
I believe that this is the best book out there on orchids. Mr Cullina covers the important and often allusive culture issues confronted in growing orchids in real depth. He provides thoughtful, comon sense explanations for his reccomendations that go way beyond those found in other books I have read on the subject. The second half of the book details the cultural requirements and rates the difficulty level of 100 species of potential interest to growers with experience levels from beginner to expert. Much more than a coffee table book, Understanding Orchids is a valuable reference that belongs in every orchid enthuiast's library.
Friendly and useful.......2006-11-20
As a relatively new orchid grower, I found this to be one of the most useful books for a beginner. In addition, it is written is a very accessible, friendly style, with many examples of the author's struggles to succeed with orchids. I highly recommend it!
Amazon.com
Iain Gately's Tobacco is a sweeping cultural history of the world's most prevalent addiction, and it's probably the best book ever written on its subject. Gately begins in pre-Columbian America, where the natives made tobacco "their most popular gift to the rest of humanity," and continues through all the cantankerous smoking litigation of the 1990s. The story touches on just about every subject imaginable: tobacco in literature, the movies, and society. It would be wrong to call Gately an advocate of smoking, but he clearly takes pleasure, for example, in noting that Hitler's Nazis launched one of history's most vigorous anti-smoking initiatives. The book is full of delicious trivia: Many of Shakespeare's contemporaries smoked, but there's no evidence that the Bard himself did, and none of his plays make any mention of smoking; he "kept his writing a smoke-free zone." Nevertheless, reports Gately with a smirk, there is "archaeological evidence proving that smoking was going on around the Shakespeare household in Stratford-upon-Avon during his life." Smoking aficionados won't want to miss Tobacco, and it's a much healthier gift for them than a box of cigars. --John Miller
Book Description
Tobacco was first cultivated and enjoyed by the indigenous inhabitants of the Americas, who used it for medicinal, religious, and social purposes long before the arrival of Columbus. But when Europeans began to colonize the American continents, it became something else entirely -- a cultural touchstone of pleasure and success, and a coveted commodity that would transform the world economy forever. Iain Gately's Tobacco tells the epic story of an unusual plant and its unique relationship with the history of humanity, from its obscure ancient beginnings, through its rise to global prominence, to its current embattled state today. In a lively narrative, Gately makes the case for the tobacco trade being the driving force behind the growth of the American colonies, the foundation of Dutch trading empire, the underpinning cause of the African slave trade, and the financial basis for our victory in the American Revolution. Informed and erudite, Tobacco is a vivid and provocative look into the complex history of this precious plant. "A rich, complex history ... Deeply engaging and witty." -- Carmela Ciuraru, Los Angeles Times "Ambitious ... informative and perceptive ... Gately is an amusing writer, which is a blessing." -- Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post "[Gately] documents the resourcefulness with which human beings of every class, religion, race, and continent have pursued the lethal leaf." -- John Leland, The New York Times Book Review
Customer Reviews:
Robusto!.......2007-05-21
I really do not understand the objections that other reviewers had to this book. Gately put together a lively, enchanting narrative concerning the history of tobacco. He covers a great many things and does not fail to include the words of those who once sung its praises. That's what should be done whenever one wishes to tell a "complete" story about anything. He does not self-censor his prose which is exactly what those of us most interested in the truth deeply desire. This book isn't titled "Quit Smoking," it's a cultural history of tobacco. Anyway, Gately presents statistics and analysis elucidating the dangers inherent to using the infamous weed. He outlines the positions of the state and depicts lung cancer as the private hell it clearly is. Smoking is a personal choice and there's no reason to ban it as the prohibition of substances has not met with much success over the years. I'm sure the author would agree with my conclusion but that does not mean he is depicting tobacco in a favorable light. This book was a serious page-turner and I enjoyed it very much. I recommend it without reservation.
Praising a poison, ignoring its toll on humanity.......2007-05-10
This book should carry a label - just like a cigarette box: WARNING ! Reading the next 370 can be hazardous to your (mental) health !
The author paints a rosy picture of smoking as a "pleasure", of tobacco as a stuff that brings out the best in soldiers, writers, hunters, lovers - hardly ever is it associated with something vile, deplorable. And of course the millions who have died and will die in the future are hardly worth mentioning. Those who warned against the dreadful habit through the ages (starting with King James I. who called it "dangerous to the lungs" - in 1605 !) are rdidiculed and belittled, the scientific evidence emerging after the 1950 landmark studies by Evart Graham and Ernest Wynder in the US and Richard Doll and Austin Bradford Hill is a mere footnote and not worth further elaborating. No, smoking is a wonderful experience - and haven't you heard it: "Tobacco has recently been discovered to protect against some of the most devastating ailments of old age, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease." So that superb pleasure is on the way to become a wonder drug ! It's an insult to the readers' intelligence.
A recent study from the Harvard School of Public Health estimates that approximately 1 billion (yes: BILLION) people will die of tobacco-related diseases over the course of the 21th century. Gatley predicts that tobacco habits (translation: rude and ignorant people forcing their fellow human beings to inhale carcinogens by exposing them to secondhand smoke) will be with us for centuries to come. Good Lord - or wise lawmakers everywhere - protect us from this dark future !
For a medical doctor and a historian like me, "Tobacco" is one of the must repulsive books I've ever read. It makes you wonder which Big Tobacco company sponsored it - or whether it was a joint venture by the whole industry.
Easy to read, but hard to believe.......2006-10-26
In the begining, the historical information was interesting and quite believable, but by the end accuracy and credibility were suspect. Perhaps an update to include studies released since the book's publication (i.e. the 2006 Surgeon General's Report on Secondhand Smoke) would correct the book's biased slant towards tobacco.
entertaining but partisan to point of silliness.......2006-09-04
A very entertaining and well written history, but the passionate arguments against government taxation and regulation of smoking (hot political topics these days) are hard to take seriously.
Gately denies that second hand smoke poses any danger at all to non-smokers. He is convinced that advertising restrictions, cigarette taxes, public smoking bans, and public service ads have no effect on how much people actually smoke. (They merely infringe on the "rights of smokers.") He ridicules the notion that cigarette smoke could be harmful to children.
His humor is usually enjoyable, but it is sometimes inappropriate (smoking-related deaths are actually a fairly serious matter), and it is sometimes hard to tell when he is joking. For example, he cites UK government data that smokers die 16 years earlier than non-smokers and talks about all the money this saves the government in pensions, adding, "It follows that it would be financial madness for the British government to ban smoking, and unless a better argument than its official estimated death toll of 120,000 smokers per annum can be found, smoking is unlikely to be prohibited in the British Isles." Is this funny? Am I supposed to laugh or cry?
Gately frequently comes across as a loving mother who has discovered her son is a killer and has not quite come to terms with the fact. She can't help wishing for him to succeed, even while acknowledging her sympathy is problematic and recognizing the irony of her situation.
Still, only a true tobacco believer could write in his concluding paragraph that "to the 1.2 billion smokers of the world, tobacco is not just a killer, but a pleasure, a comforter, and a friend... Tobacco has recently been discovered to protect against some of the most devastating ailments of old age, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. It has also been shown to guard against cancer of the womb.... Many great men and women have left elegant testimonies to their tobacco habits, which will be joined, I believe, with others made in centuries to come."
History and Perspective that's Easy to Read.......2005-07-07
I really enjoy these kinds of books. Unlike others that are painfully academic to read, this one moves along smoothly while providing the history and background on the cultural, social, agricultural, economic, and political aspects of this plant. Get some seeds and try growing your own - even if just for ornamental reasons.
Average customer rating:
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Exotic Paradise: A Photographic Journey to the World's Most Intriguing Resort Hotels
Kazuyoshi Miyhoshi , and
Kazuyoshi Miyoshi
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Architectural
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Nature & Wildlife
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Photo Essays
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Travel
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
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General
| Manga
| Comics & Graphic Novels
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Viz
| By Publisher
| Manga
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Hotels & Inns
| Food & Lodging
| Reference & Tips
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1569316597 |
Book Description
Kazuyoshi Miyoshi spent several years traveling the Pacific Rim searching for and photographing the most beautiful and exotic vacation resorts he could find. Locales portrayed here include balcony views of the Himalayas, endless cabana rows in Hawaii, the coral reefs of Borneo, and the white sands of the Seychelles. Also included is current information about each hotel's accommodations, prices, and reservation process.
Average customer rating:
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Exotic plants of the world
Marcel Belvianes
Manufacturer: Rathbone Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General
| Plants
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Botany
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B0007J1MJW |
Average customer rating:
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The Rough Guides' Lisbon Directions 1 (Rough Guide Directions)
Matthew Hancock
Manufacturer: Rough Guides
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Europe
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Spain
| Europe
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Lisbon
| Portugal
| Europe
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Guidebooks
| Reference & Tips
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Rough Guide
| Guidebook Series
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1843533154 |
Book Description
Slim, stylish and pocketable, Lisbon Directions is full of ideas for short breaks and flying visits. Providing accurate, up-to-date coverage, the guide Â- with a third in full colour Â- is fully illustrated. Browse the "Ideas" section with 28 themed spreads Â- "Sporting Lisbon", "Literary Lisbon", "Clubbing", "Get Moving" with each caption cross-referenced to the pratical part of the guide Â- and you''ll know what you want to do, 24 hours a day. Flip to the practical "Places" section and explore the city district by district, with every sight, restaurant, bar and shop located on user-friendly maps. Comprehensive basic information, accommodation and language sections provide all the practical info you need. Further afield the guide also covers daytrips to Sintra, upmarket Estoril and the popular beach resort of Cascais.
Average customer rating:
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The Politics of Equity Finance in Emerging Markets
Kathryn C. Lavelle
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| International
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Stocks
| Investing
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Finance & Investing
| Finance
| International
| Accounting & Finance
| Professional & Technical
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General
| Finance
| Accounting & Finance
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
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All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
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ASIN: 0195174097 |
Book Description
Emerging market stock issuance relative to GDP rose in the late twentieth century to levels that roughly matched that of advanced, industrial markets. Nonetheless, the connection between owning shares of emerging market stock and the ability to influence the management of these firms remains
fundamentally different from the analogous institutional connection that has evolved in industrial markets. The reasons for the differences in emerging markets are both historical and political in nature. That is, local equity markets have had the objective of providing for some degree of local
ownership and control of large economic entities since the late nineteenth century. However, local markets have operated under different global political structures since that time, ranging from imperialism, to world wars, to sovereign developmental states, to neo-liberal states. Shares issued
under these different structures have been reconfigured over time, resulting in a lack of convergence along either the Anglo-American or Continental models of corporate governance. The author uses a political science paradigm to explain the growth of emerging equity markets. She departs from
conventional economic explanations and examines politics at the micro-level of large issues of emerging market stock. The second half of the book presents case studies dealing with emerging market countries in Latin America, Asia, Russia and Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The case
studies connect the regional, state, and firm levels to detail the multiple ownership and control arrangements, and to dispel the notion that mere quantitative growth of these markets will lead to a convergence in financial institutional structures along the lines of the industrial core of the world
economy.
Customer Reviews:
POLITICS vs. MARKETS.......2004-11-18
Professor Lavelle has done the world of business and economics a service by explaining the political considerations that often impact emerging market stock markets of which some people have become so enamored during the past ten years. The chapters dealing with Latin America are particularly good. It would be an excellent idea if for the next edition of this book the author would discuss at length spontaneous privatizations in former communist countries. These in turn have resulted in "mafia capitalism" in some countries, a phenomenon worth exploring. Generally though the book is quite good and thought-provoking. Nestor Enrique Cruz
Customer Reviews:
Pray to God..........2003-11-19
...that you are never, ever required to work through this case. The book is incredibly vague and overall is the most terrible thing i've ever had the misfortune of laying my eyes upon.
In other news, my Auditing professor is a huge jackass who could easily make a career out of being a putz.
Average customer rating:
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American Water Spaniel Champions, 1968-1999
Jan Linzy
Manufacturer: Camino E E & Book Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
Breeds
| Dogs
| Animal Care & Pets
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Animal Care & Pets
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 1558930620 |
Customer Reviews:
All-around excellent.......2007-09-25
Edward Schmid has created an excellent book that not only thoroughly covers the subject of glassblowing, but is a work of art unto itself. The entirely hand-written book is filled with artistic flair, from stylish emphasis of text to beautiful and fun full-page illustrations of key concepts. The book's consistent informal and friendly tone ensures that the learning process is as painless and enjoyable as possible.
My only complaint is that there doesn't seem to be enough detail about how to shape the glass. Mr. Schmid seems like the type to simply suggest lots of experimentation, but some more inexperienced readers may have difficulties thinking of ways to do so.
Contrary to an earlier review, this book most certainly does cover glassblowing.
waste of money.......2007-05-15
I though this book was about glassblowing, its more about working in a hot shop. Not helpful unless that is what you want to do.
Ed Schmid knows his way around a blowpipe.......2005-12-07
This is flat-out the BEST book currently available on learning how to blow glass. Ed has been working with and teaching others how to work with hot glass for years. Buy it. Read it. Do it!
Best place to begin.......2005-11-28
This was my first book, and I have recommended it to students since. Hand-written (not typed) and very personal, he lends a good sense of humor and personality to an otherwise intimidating medium. It gives you the feeling that you're hanging out listening to a good friend describing a casual hobby instead of an overly serious instructor. It's just fun to read, and gets you really excited about digging in to some good old molten glass. The second book is just as good as the first. I'd give them 10 stars if that was an option.
Average customer rating:
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Country Diary of Garden Lore
Julia Jones , and
Barbara Deer
Manufacturer: Summit Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Landscape
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
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General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
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Landscape
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
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| Books
Folklore & Mythology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
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Folklore
| Mythology
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
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General
| Mythology
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
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Calendars
| Formats
| Books
| Block Calendars
| Engagement Calendars
| Advent
| Animals
| Architecture
| Arts
| Astrological
| Automotive
| Boats & Ships
| Business
| Children's
| Cooking
| Crafts
| Diet & Health
| Family & Relationships
| Flowers
| Foreign Language
| Games
| Garden & Home
| General
| History
| Humor & Comics
| Inspirational
| Lighthouses
| Maps
| Movies
| Multicultural
| Music
| Nature
| Photography
| Pop Culture
| Quotations
| Readers & Writers
| Regional
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Sports
| Television
| Trains
| Women's Interest
ASIN: 0671728822 |
Amazon.com
There are a ton of books that offer child-rearing advice, and only a few less that describe research on childhood emotional and learning problems; this is one of the few books that combines the two. Edward Hallowell brings readers into his consultation rooms to meet his clients--and the descriptions and dialogue are effective in bringing the situations to life. When You Worry About the Child You Love will help you understand why your child is unhappy or underachieving, will help you help your child to manage her emotions, and perhaps most important, will help parents do what they can and stop blaming themselves.
Customer Reviews:
Objective and information packed resource.......2000-05-26
This was the first book of it's kind that I've read that didn't "take sides" on this controversial issue. Everything else I've read either focused entirely on the biochemical aspects of psychiatric disorders, and recommended the use of medication, or took the opposite stance that medication for such things is bad, and puts our children at a disadvantage so that life will be easier for parents and teachers. This book clearly describes various mental disorders- it presents criteria for diagnosis including symptoms checklists and detailed examples. It shows which conditions are likely to require medical intervention to improve, and which could benefit from alternatives. The descriptions of how a child with each disorder behaves are extremely helpful. If your child has one of the diorders covered in this book, you will recognize it easily when you read it's description.. Am informative book in a clear, inderstandable style.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent source for documenting family history...
- A great way to document family history!
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Our Family History: Thomas Kinkade Painter of Light, 11 1/4" X 91/8, Gift Box
Manufacturer: C.R. Gibson Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Artists, Architects & Photographers
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0766750612 |
Customer Reviews:
Excellent source for documenting family history..........2001-12-20
My sister-in-law bought this for my mom to fill out and I found myself ordering it as well for my mom to fill out for me. It has such beautiful illustrations and is a great keepsake for your most cherished family memories. If your mom is like mine, she can't remember too far back so this is a good purchase for that reason.
A great way to document family history!.......2001-12-20
My sister-in-law bought this book for my mom to fill out and I found myself buying one as well for my mom to fill out for me. It has such beautiful pictures and is a great keepsake for your most cherished family memories!
Customer Reviews:
Hawkshaw Book by E. Hawkshaw Rogers.......2004-02-08
The prestigious NATIONAL GENEALOGICAL SOC. QUARTERLY of Arlington, Va., in its march 1998 issue, featured a full page review of this book which reads in part:
"The author presents data she has accumulated over eighteen years and five trips to Ireland...and is the work of an expert storyteller breathing life into her subjects. The maps, letters and photographs are beautifully done and help further to understand these real people."
"Extensive biographical and historical information is presented throughout, with discussions of research findings, problems and interpretations."
"There are also chapters which deal with additional Hawkshaw families in England, Ireland and the United States."
Books:
- Unforgettable Journey: A World War II Memoir
- We Will Not Be Strangers: Korean War Letters between a M.A.S.H Surgeon and His Wife
- Whistling Thorn
- Wild Flowers of the World: A Thousand Beautiful Plants Painted by Barbara Everard
- Wildflowers of Houston and Southeast Texas
- Willow Bark & Rosehips: An Introduction to Common Edible and Useful Wild Plants of North America
- 40 Australian eucalypts in colour,
- A Field Guide to Australian Wildflowers
- A Neighborhood of Eagles
- A Very Intimate Occupation
Books Index
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Orchids for Dummies
Taylor's Guide to Orchids: More Than 300 Orchids, Photographed and Described, for Beginning to Expert Gardeners (Taylor's Gardening Guides)
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids
Ortho's All About Orchids (Ortho's All About Gardening)
Botanica's Orchids: Over 1200 Species (Botanica's Gardening Series) (Botanica's Gardening Series)
