Tales of an American Culture Vulture

Book Description

Too much has been written about relations and negotiations between the governments of the United States and the former Soviet Union. But, what about the ordinary people-to-people contacts between the two countries? How were young, Russian-speaking Americans treated in the Soviet Union? Why did Soviet citizens stand for hours in the cold, rain and snow to visit American cultural exhibitions? What elaborate trips for Soviet dignitaries were organized by the US State Department? What happened when a Soviet delegation met with the John Birch Society in Iowa? What caused the Voice of America to stop hiring Russian-speaking Americans and to replace them with recent Soviet

Book Description

Even after hundreds of mountaineering ascents, serving in the 10th Mountain Division during WWII, attaining both geographic poles, and establishing some of the most sought after climbing routes in alpine history, Bill Hackett still looked forward to a life of continual adventure.

CLIMB TO GLORY chronicles his most ambitious and historic ascents, using Bill's own words and those of his climbing companions to paint vivid pictures of high-attitude mountaineering. He tells of the drudgery and multitude of dangers facing mountaineers, yet still captures the excitement and rewards of extreme climbing. Narrow escapes, historic ascents and panoramic vistas are all explored in vivid detail.

CLIMB TO GLORY introduces you to the pioneer of the Seven Summits Dream—the attainment of the highest summit on each of the world's seven continents! Hackett's effort laid the foundation for one of the most sought-after goals of extreme adventures.

A wonderful blend of humorous climbing stories and military achievements, CLIMB TO GLORY is storytelling at its best, revealing the dreams and adventures of the most misunderstood climber of his generation.

Customer Reviews:

Quite the adventure.......2003-01-07

Even though I'm not a climber, I have a great appreciation of the mountains. Bill Hackett was a man that packed a lot of life into his given time. The authors did a great job of sifting through a myriad of diaries, interviews and references to select events to help you get a sense of who Mr. Hackett was. Not only did he make mountaineering history, but had an edge that fully embraced being alive. I have also never known anyone who summitted a hotel (from the exterior). A very entertaining read.

Quite the adventure.......2003-01-04

Even though I'm not a mountain climber, I have a great appreciation of them. Bill Hackett packed a lot of living into one lifetime while changing the world of mountaineering. The authors do an amazing job of combining Bill's diaries, interviews and a plethora of references. A very entertaining read. I have never known someone to summit a hotel before.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2002-03-09

A great human interest story that teaches what not to do in the stock market and saves you from losing money.

Book Description

Z. Christopher Mercer, ASA, developed the New Quantitative Marketability Discount Model (QMDM) software users manual. Chris Mercer is the founder and CEO of Mercer Capital Management, Inc., one of the leading independent business appraisal firms in the country.

Marketability discounts often represent the largest adjustment made to the value of a business. This superb Excel® based financial model assists appraisers in developing, quantifying and defending marketability discounts.

There are numerous approaches and studies that are currently used to determine appropriate marketability discounts. However, little exists in theory or practice to assist appraisers in applying the existing research to the specific circumstances of business appraisal scenario. Subsequently, most appraisers use "average" premiums or discounts, tempered with modest, or no adjustments predicated on the specific facts of a case. QMDM addresses these situations by allowing the appraiser to very closely model specific scenarios to accurately determine an appropriate marketability discount.

What will QMDM do for you?

With QMDM, you'll be able to calculate marketability discounts based on a specific factual situations rather than just averaging results from various marketability studies.
You'll gain a solid understanding of the theoretical precepts for developing sound marketability discounts, as well as specific instructions on using the QMDM model included in the on-line user's manual.
The resultant discounts produced by QMDM can be incorporated into these Wiley-ValuSource valuation programs: ValuSource Pro (Versions 2001, 2000 and 1.06) and Value Express (Versions 2001 and 5.0)
You'll probably encounter QMDM in the courtroom or while reviewing valuation reports. Since so many practitioners in the valuation community use this methodology, shouldn't you, at the very least, be familiar with its theory and application? This is particularly true for those who choose not to use it in their appraisal methodology.
This software is based on Z. Christopher Mercer's book, "Quantifying Marketability Discounts". The software is the perfect way to put the book's comprehensive discussion on this issue into real-world practice.

Marketability Discounts Software: Quantifying Mar Ketability Discount Modeling

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Marketability Discounts Software: Quantifying Mar Ketability Discount Modeling
MERCER
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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One of a kind guide!

How to be a Jewelry Detective

A Must Have For All Jewelry Collectors or Sellers Beginners and Experinceded

A Must Have for Collectors, Jewelry Dealers, & Beginners

I Own It, I Use It, I Like It.

How to Be a Jewelry Detective (Antiques Detectives How to Series)
C. Jeanenne Bell
Manufacturer: A.D. Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Answers to Questions About Old Jewelry: Covers 1840-1950 (Answers to Questions About Old Jewelry)

Collecting Costume Jewelry 101: The Basics of Starting, Building and Upgrading (Identification & Value Guide)

Inside the Jewelry Box: A Collector's Guide To Costume Jewelry, Identification And Values (Identification and Values)

Warman's Jewelry (3rd Edition)

Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry: Identification and Values

ASIN: 0970337809

Book Description

It's elementary, my dear Watson. This book helps any would-be Sherlock Holmes solve the mysteries that shroud the jewelry world. C. Jeanenne Bell, one of the nation's leading jewelry authorities, puts her 30 years of experience to work providing clues that help separate the old from the new, the gold from the gold-plated, the diamonds from the rhinestones and the junk from the jewels.

Combining logic with step-by-step proven techniques, How to be a Jewelry Detective is the one book that will help make hunting for jewelry not only fun, but also profitable.

- More than 300 illustrations and 160 photos
- 32 pages of color
- Comprehensive list of designers and marks
- Invaluable clues about fine, costume and Mexican jewelry

Customer Reviews:

One of a kind guide!.......2007-04-02

I love this guide! I actually picked it up in a antique store but I decided not to buy it that day because I had too much already to buy. I regretted that from the moment I left the store. I then spent the next three months trying to remember what the name of it was. I happened onto it while searching for jewelry on the internet. If you collect costume jewelry, then you must get this guide because she teaches you all about how to tell the difference in Bakelite, pearls, etc., vs. fake/faux stones or materials. A must-have for the serious collector who will refer to it again and again.

How to be a Jewelry Detective.......2006-03-30

This book has NOT been shipped at all, so I cannot in any way honestly review this book.
Amazon keeps promising this book to ship and it never does.
I am looking forward to it and to check it out.

A Must Have For All Jewelry Collectors or Sellers Beginners and Experinceded.......2005-09-12

This book has most of the basic information that you need in order to identify metals and stones as well as other valuable information. Written in clear,easy to understand language. This is one that you need to read over and over again . It has already paid for itself.

A Must Have for Collectors, Jewelry Dealers, & Beginners.......2005-06-23

I found this book to be invaluable as both a collector and jewelry dealer on Trocadero. I write my jewelry descriptions every day with this book sitting at my side. A very good idea to carry it with you while going shopping for your treasures. If you are a beginner putting a collection together, it is a must have.

I Own It, I Use It, I Like It........2005-02-28

As a vintage jewelry dealer at Atlanta Vintage Jewelry dot com and one who is always in need of information to further advance my knowledge, this little book by Jeaneanne Bell fits the bill nicely.

The tests she gives the reader are invaluable. Not just 'how' to test, but she actually 'tests' the reader to see how we're absorbing and retaining the information in the book. If you don't know the answers to her questions, you can always go back and review. This is an excellent method for teaching us how to identify materials, marks, and substances in old jewelry to discover their origin or value.

This little book has big rewards.

Gail Gupton, Author: The 31-Day Diet of Spiritual Enlightenment and Seekers of Truth.

Book Description

Over 1,400 heraldic designs depicting shields, coats-of-arms, seals, logos, flags, insignia, scrolls, mottoes, and many other motifs will add a touch of medieval flair or aristocratic ambience to almost any graphic project. Use royalty-free or as a source of design inspiration for an infinite number of print projects.

Customer Reviews:

A peculiar view on heraldic designs.......2000-10-09

John Bergling's 1,400 heraldic designs, published in 1913, walks a thin line between trying to depict heraldic designs in a pleasing simple way, and the truly awful 'victoriana' as done by the likes of Fairbairn. His historic interpretation leaves something to be desired (like showing shields with crests only, which is simply 'not done'), and a lot of the American arms are drawn with slightly more Hollywood than Heraldry in mind. But sometimes you can feel some of the original power of heraldry flowing underneath his drawings.

I recomend this book to everyone!.......2000-07-09

Very nice book, cheap and educational! I'm happy to have it.

High Quality Line Art.......2000-01-12

A varied selection of black and white line art featuring heraldic devices, charges, crests, helmets, shield designs, and full achievements from all over the world. Perfect for scanning and adaptation in graphics programs.

Heraldic Crests: A Pictorial Archive of 4,424 Designs for Artists and Craftspeople (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)

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Without Blazon or Reference
Not for Heraldic Reference
Victorian Heraldry on its Best... and Worst
Good collection of high resolution, black-and-white images.
resource book for designing new crests, not finding old ones

Heraldic Crests: A Pictorial Archive of 4,424 Designs for Artists and Craftspeople (Dover Pictorial Archive Series)
James Fairbairn
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0486277135

Book Description

Rich selection of royalty-free motifs from famous British reference. Striking, varied designs suitable for any number of graphic projects. Images include lions, tigers, wreaths, falcons, rosettes, human figures, mythical creatures, crowns, and much more. Add aristocratic flair to book and magazine illustrations, advertisements, newsletters, etc.

Customer Reviews:

Without Blazon or Reference.......2006-03-14

Moderately useful, but all of the images are Victorian era lithograph in style, and have lost a lot of whatever flair they might have had. Color was not expected, but without blazon (heraldic description) or any other reference other than plate number, only the images are of any use. There is no table of contents, and although the images are grouped according to their central character (lion, tree, etc.), that is the extent of it. There is some mention of another archive, but not in a complete context. Hunting for it may be more of a chore than throwing your hands up and finding something else. I'm not even going to try. Also, since the images are in roughly the same style, an estimate of time period or place from one's own judgement of history is nearly impossible.
Still, there are a lot of images, and by themselves are inspirational to some extent.
Overall, not a complete waste, but not worth it, either.

Not for Heraldic Reference.......2005-08-23

While this volume provides thousands of clip art purporting to be heraldic Crests, you will not find any reference to identify which name the Crests are registered to. You will not find any reference to what the charge in the Crest means, nor will you find reference to the colors that the charges should be. What you will find are generic images resembling heraldic charges in black and white. Please note that those who are expert in heraldic Coats of Arms and Crests (and there is a distinct difference if you do not know), or those interested in improving their knowledge of them, will be deeply disappointed in this book, if you are looking for reference material. Coats of Arms are frequently and mistakenly referred to as Crests. Coats of Arms are the shields carried by knights, cavaliers, etc. during the Medieval Age, which were determined by the monarch of the country for which the knight served. To use the images of this book to put together a unique Coat of Arms for one's own family is to do so without any thought to the meaning of the charges. Each charge and each color determines a virtue recognized and honored by the monarch in the presentation of the Arms, while Crests (always displayed above the knight's helmet) are colors and charges chosen by the patriarch of the family to represent the virtues he wished to preserve in the family line. Most Western European names have coats of arms already registered with the College of Arms of that nation to represent their families and responsible dealers of these can provide them - this book will not help anyone find their own coat of arms or any explanation of their meaning.

Victorian Heraldry on its Best... and Worst.......2000-10-09

A set of over 4,000 crest designs, but what a disappointment! The true heraldic craftsmen drew their inspiration from true heraldic sources, i.e. the Middle Ages. After 1600 or so heraldry went into a steep decline, culminating in the truly awful Victorian concept of depicting the 'real' thing, as opposed to the brutal and wonderful power of the symbolic art of earlier craftsmen. Thus we're stuck with 'real' lions and dragons and any kind of object, complete with shadowing. Well, the book was published in 1859, so I should have known better.... If you're interested in Victorian heraldry, it's a wonderful book. If you're interested in real heraldry it's a waste of money. Try the compilations of Sir Anthony Wagner instead. Now t h a t is true heraldic power.

Good collection of high resolution, black-and-white images........1999-03-21

Enlarged versions of the black-and-white heraldic designs common to most coats of arms and crests. Perfect for scanning and easily adaptable by experienced graphic designers. Originally published in smaller versions in Fairbairn's Book of Crests.

resource book for designing new crests, not finding old ones.......1998-09-28

This book includes hundreds of components of potential crest designs shown in black and white on plates. It does not include any family names, family crests, or or any type of index to the images included in the book.

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Free-style Ikebana Modern Japanese Flower Arrangement
Stella Coe
Manufacturer: Barrie and Jenkins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OOQUXS

Book Description

One of the greatest and most celebrated performing artists of the twentieth century, Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989) dazzled, intrigued, and intimidated the music world. As the young Karajan told his brother, "Whether it's conducting, skiing, or motor racing, I simply want to be the best."

Richard Osborne draws on his own extensive conversations with Karajan, interviews with those who knew the conductor, and a treasure trove of primary sources to bring into focus the flamboyance and flaws of an extraordinary musician as well as the turbulent international music scene over six decades. The author debunks many legends about Karajan, particularly those relating to his membership in the Nazi Party, which he opportunistically joined in 1935 to obtain a conducting appointment. While the decision haunted him throughout his life, Karajan's career flourished after the war. A jet-setting superstar, he once held, simultaneously, six of the world's most prestigious musical posts, including director of the Salzburg Festival, artistic director of the Vienna State Opera, and conductor for life of the Berlin Philharmonic. After signing with legendary producer Walter Legge, Karajan achieved international fame through his best-selling recordings. He also embraced the challenge of adapting to rapidly changing technologies, and quickly mastered each new medium -- television, vinyl LPs, tapes, and CDs.

This comprehensive, well-balanced, and objective biography will stand as the definitive work on this exceptional maestro.

Customer Reviews:

Karajan with thought and style.......2006-11-16

I have to be honest and say that I had this book for quite some time before I read it, but I am glad I did take the time. It was a pleasurable and engrossing read. Osborne is well known to British lovers of classical music for his work for Grammophon magazine. Osborne knew and interviewed Karajan, interviewed people connected with Karajan privately and publicly, researched contemporary evidence, and as far as one can tell listened to and evaluated all Karajan's monumental musical output (audio and visual/audio).

In a style that is intelligent and highly readable, Osborne treats all aspects of Karajan's life and evaluates his recordings and films. The bulk of the book treats Karajan's early and middle years, whilst the later years are dealt with more leanly; endnotes provide additional comment and all the necessary references and recording details.

Osborne is clearly sympathetic to Karajan, but not in such a way that he cannot be critical when necessary. He is sober and balanced on the question of Karajan's status and movements during the Third Reich, and, importantly, he quotes relevant documentary evidence. For these reasons this is an important biography. Too much of what has be written about Karajan's life and conducting is blatantly and thoughtlessly hostile and a corrective has long been needed. This book provides it.

a masterly biography.......2006-02-04

This is a glorious,all encompassing book which lives long in the memory and repays re-reading.Osborne succesfully demolishes a number of myths about Karajan's assosciation with the Nazi's and gently suggests that we shouldn't be excessively righteous with the benifit of hindsight (Rubenstein used to dine out on stories of his refusal to work with karajan).It must be remembered that we don't think anything less of Shostakovich/Oistrakh for their complicity with Stalin's equally tyrannical regime.
Interestingly,karajan's sexuality (more than a hint of bi-sexuality emerges) is tackled in some depth but without ever being scurrulous or insensitive.This is typical of the even-handed,flowing manner of Osborne's writing.
Perhaps the maestros enthusiasm for avant-garde music is slightly understated:I once heard from a good source that Karajan financially backed either the first recording of Stockhausen's Gruppen (on DG)or the initial performance of that work: most admirable when you consider the reactionary tastes of all too many conductors.An even more colourful picture emerges!

The definitive biography of Karajan.......2004-11-15

The late Herbert von Karajan was and still is a controversial musician in many circles. Now that 15 years have passed since his death, perhaps the time has come for a calmer reappraisal of the maestro and his work.

Richard Osborne has produced an exceedingly well written and well researched book. I was impressed by just how much of Karajan's personality he was able to capture. His focus on Karajan's use of technology is highly appropriate. Karajan helped to develop the compact disc, was one of the earliest conductors to switch over to digital recording, worked to develop a market for classical music home videos, and was very much interested in musical/medical research.

This is a calm and measured approach to Karajan's legacy. In this biography, we find that Karajan the man was quite different to the stories told about him. It also deals with the highly controversial aspects of Karajan's membership in the Nazi party.

Fascinating, But Could Use Less Pedantry..........2003-05-06

I recently got this book and have read 100 pages so far. It's full of fascinating tales of Karajan. For instance, I did not know he was a devotee of the "rehearsal-free" concert, that he believed in "spontaneous" music-making. I also didn't know he was actually a very shy person who preferred solitude and not the "jet-set" life-style. Also interesting that he sometimes suffered a sort of speech impediment -- stammering. Seems his words couldn't keep up with his mind.

Though I'm eager to finish this book and view it as a terrific addition to my library, I have some qualms with the writer's style. On the cover flap it's said how Mr. Osborne's writing is lauded for its "readability" to both musicians and non-musicians. And being a NON-musician myself I was hoping to see clear, clean English. Yet, Mr. Osborne never fails to use a lot of pretentious lingo such as Latin and French ("annus mirabilis" and "anuus horribilis"?), as well as highfalutan words like "ratiocination" and many others (be sure to have a Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary on hand!). He also uses many arcane musical terms like "re'pe'titeur" yet fails to translate them for the non-musician. Terms like "legato" and "cadenza" -- albeit not as arcane -- also remain untranslated.

Perhaps a truly "readable" book on music is impossible? Given the gigantic ego of so many writers of music?
Still, all in all, this remains a magnificently researched and put together book.

A treat, from cover to cover.......2001-12-28

This is probably the ultimate biography of a complex and controversial personality in recent musical history. The book is conventionally structured: it is based on a detailed chronology supported by a rich factual database on Karajan's accomplishments as an orchestra builder and manager, recording artist and film maker. Stretching to more than 700 pages, the rich detail of Osborne's account certainly is one of the main attractions of this book. We learn a tremendous amount about Karajan's working methods, contract negotiations, concert tours, recording schedules, casting policy, press reviews, etc. As the story progresses Osborne branches out in all kinds of directions, gradually weaving more and more threads into the basic narrative. Given the quality of Osborne's prose this never becomes tedious. And it really does learn us something substantial about the breathtaking speed, economy, tenacity and versatility of the Karajanesque genius. There is no doubt that the book as a whole transcends the merely anecdotal. What emerges is a rich, multifaceted, holographic image of a great artist. What is even more impressive about Osborne's book is that it gives us an idea of what constitutes the essence of great conductorship. Instead of being confronted with woolly and simplistic generalizations about a certain 'Factor X' that allows an individual to coax exactly the right sound from a full symphony orchestra, we see the conceptual foundations of this most elusive of disciplines emerge in all its technical, psychological and somatic richness. Therefore, this book is definitely a must-read for any classical music lover, irrespective of personal predilections with respect to the man himself.

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Herbert Von Karajan; a Life in Music
Richard Osborne
Manufacturer: Chatto & Windus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Wo Sprache aufhört...: Herbert von Karajan zum 5. April 1988

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Wo Sprache aufhört...: Herbert von Karajan zum 5. April 1988

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 3540191534

Book Description

Die einzelnen Beiträge aus den verschiedensten Wissensgebieten der Natur- und Geisteswissenschaft geben ein biographisches Abbild von der Vielfalt der Interessen des Jubilars:

Herbert von Karajan: A Life in Music. (Book Reviews).: An article from: Notes

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Herbert von Karajan: A Life in Music. (Book Reviews).: An article from: Notes
Gary A. Galo
Manufacturer: Music Library Association, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Music Library Association, Inc. on December 1, 2001. The length of the article is 1249 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Herbert von Karajan: A Life in Music. (Book Reviews).
Author: Gary A. Galo
Publication: Notes (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 2001
Publisher: Music Library Association, Inc.
Volume: 58 Issue: 2 Page: 386(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Herbert Von Karajan : A Life in Music
Richard Osborne
Manufacturer: Northeastern University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OLSL24

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