Grass Roots: From Prairie to Politics : The Autobiography of Alice Sachs Hamburg

Book Description

ALICE SACHS HAMBURG became active early on in left wing politics. She campaigned for socialist Henry Wallace's presidential, was subpoenaed by the State Committee on UnAmerican Activities, and was active in Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Alice numbered Martin Luther King, Linus Pauling, and Joan Baez among her many working associates. Alice Hamburg passed away in November 2001.

Book Description

A marvelous rediscovery: the compelling story of the strange and noble life—and dream—of nineteenth-century utopian social revolutionary and self-taught engineer Narcís Monturiol, who invented the world’s first fully operational steam-powered submarine, not as a weapon of war but as a means of saving human life and spreading democracy.
Matthew Stewart tells the story of Monturiol from his childhood to his years living the dangerous life of a revolutionary. We see him at the bloody barricades and fleeing—one step ahead of the Barcelona police—to the remote coastline of northern Catalonia. On that shore, watching teams of divers risk their lives gathering coral from the water’s depths for use in the making of jewels, candelabras, and crimson pigment, he finds the true purpose of his life. He saves a man presumed dead from drowning and conceives of a craft that will protect the divers who harvest coral—a safe, hermetically sealed underwater vessel that will make the ocean’s bounty available to the common man.

Stewart writes about the building of Monturiol’s submarine: how, without scientific education (he was a lawyer by training), Monturiol read books on physics, chemistry, and biology; how he launched a hand-powered prototype submarine capable of reaching depths of sixty feet; how his efforts to gain government support for building a larger submarine were thwarted (his invention was dismissed by one official as having “no useful applications”). We see Monturiol, unwilling to give up on his dream, turn to the artists, poets, and musicians of Barcelona to help him mobilize the public to fund his project, and how he launched his second, much larger vessel five years later: the most advanced submarine of its day; at more than fifty feet long it displaced seventy-two tons and navigated reliably at depths of up to one hundred feet, with a unique system for eliminating carbon dioxide, replenishing oxygen in the interior cabin, and enabling its crew to remain underwater indefinitely. It had a steam engine for propulsion, a chemical furnace to heat the engine as it generated oxygen for the crew, external lights, portholes, and pincers for harvesting coral and other objects from the deep. It was the first true submarine; the world would not see its equal for another twenty years.

And we watch as Monturiol’s revolutionary friends, making use of his utopian ideals and notions of urban planning (a term he originated), forge a new culture for Catalonia and its capital city and create the radical design that resulted in an entirely new Barcelona.

Customer Reviews:

The Don Quixote of submarines.......2005-09-02

I'm Irish and live for some years now in Berlin. On a recent trip to Ireland, I came upon this book in a bookshop. I enjoyed reading it so much, I ordered a copy of it through Amazon to be sent to my eldest son who lives in the USA - I wanted him to read it, but I didn't want to give away my copy.
This is a great story. I always enjoy a well written history book, particularly because a good one can take a potentially boring subject (history!) and bring it to life. Monturiol is the Don Quixote of submarines, and I really felt for him and his band of dreamers as he followed the call of his quest.
Next step for me is a plan to some day go to Barcelona and see the remains and replica of his submarine.
There is a quote I heard somewhere; 'A man's reach must exceed his grasp, or what's a Heaven for'. So is it with Monturiol. But in writing this book, Matthew Stewart never fails his reader.
Read the book and enjoy.

A Forgotten Submariner.......2004-08-19

Narcís Monturiol dreamed of bringing peace and democracy to the whole world. He did not just dream, but he acted. He was an inventor, and he meant for his great invention to become the revolutionary spark to bring humankind into the rosy and egalitarian future. His invention: the most advanced and only reliable submarine of his time, the mid-nineteenth century. In _Monturiol's Dream: The Extraordinary Story of the Submarine Inventor Who Wanted to Save the World_ (Pantheon), Matthew Stewart has written an entertaining biography of the forgotten submariner, whose name is absent even from many histories of the submarine. There are many contingencies that conspired to keep him an unknown, and many tiny events that could have gone differently so that his invention would have descendants and we would know him as "The Father of the Modern Submarine." As it turned out, he was one of those inventors that didn't get the recognition he deserved, and his life only seems successful in retrospect. Nonetheless, he was a fabulous dreamer, thinker, and tinkerer, and deserves the rescue from oblivion provided by this volume.

Monturiol, born in 1819, was a surprise entry into the submarine inventing game. By 1856, he was "pretty much your typical utopian socialist revolutionary." He was not an engineer. He had much to learn, teaching himself the chemistry by which he could produce oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the air. He developed thick glass for portholes, and once he realized how dark it was down there, he developed an external lighting system that worked just fine. He was the first to insist on double hulling for a sub; the external one protected the craft and gave it a hydrodynamic shape (these were good-looking, streamlined vessels that resembled giant fish), while the inner one had the safety sealing to protect the crew. It could dive to 20 meters, although with his perfectionism for safety, he made the craft far more pressure-resistant than that. It was steerable, and was propelled by its crew of sixteen cranking a shaft connected to a propeller. The propulsion system was not up to Monturiol's standards, as it could not reach what he thought was an acceptable minimum speed of three knots. When he realized this, he looked for another way of powering the ship; electrical motors (which would be used on the first military subs of the twentieth century) were not yet feasible, and steam had the hazard of fire within the confines of the vessel. Monturiol performed thousands of experiments to find a heat-producing chemical reaction that would generate steam and also produce oxygen as a useful waste product.

It was a brilliant solution that never got a good try. Monturiol, never a good business planner, eventually had no funds for further prototypes. He had spent years of trying, and had sacrificed parts of his utopian dream to bring his machine into reality: a pacifist, he had tried to get military support; a communist, he had tried for capitalistic backing; an internationalist, he had tried to mine local Catalan enthusiasm. It did no good in the end, as eventually _Ictineo II_ went for scrap, breaking the inventor's heart. He scraped by for himself and his family by taking hack writing jobs and then a job in a brokerage house, eventually working his way up to being a cashier. He continued to invent; one of his later inventions, a method of preserving meat for export, ought to have made him millions, but it only made millions for the man who stole it from him. When submarines became practical in the next century, engineers had to re-learn many of the ideas Monturiol had pioneered, so his actual influence was slight. Nonetheless, after a century of neglect, Barcelona has a street sculpture of his sub, and a life-size mock-up to show just what the graceful craft looked like, and a street named after the inventor. Now with this admiring and well-illustrated biography, Monturiol further takes his belated but rightful place within the ranks of those who developed the submarine.

A utopian's submarine.(History)(Book Review): An article from: American Scientist

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A utopian's submarine.(History)(Book Review): An article from: American Scientist
Cindy Lee Van Dover
Manufacturer: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: B0009GKCS0
Release Date: 2005-08-01

Monturiol's Dream: The Extraordinary Story of the Submarine Inventor Who Wanted to Save the World

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Monturiol's Dream: The Extraordinary Story of the Submarine Inventor Who Wanted to Save the World
Matthew Stewart
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MC2N2Y

Book Description

Your capacity to achieve, to have the life you want to have, to be the person you want to be will increase tenfold, because after reading this book you will then possess the keys to a better life. Knowing these special tips will make you more powerful and your life will change for the better. "God Wants You HEALTHY, WEALTHY, AND FULL OF LIFE" is a complete guide to help people feel good, increase their income, and it gives them the tools to believe that they deserve to be Healthy, Wealthy, and Full of Life.

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God Wants You To Be Wealthy
Kenneth Hammonds
Manufacturer: Kenneth Hammonds Success Enterprises
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0971698937

Book Description

Expert, comprehensive resource lists all GAAP pronouncements with intepreations and applications of the authoritative accounting literature
The latest edition of this definitive, annual guide includes both AICPA accounting Standards Executive Committee Statements of Position and Emerging Issues Task Force Abstracts, explains with relevant terminology an practice-oriented, real-world examples. Each chapter contains a through analysis of its topic, sources of GAAP, definitions of terms, concepts, and rules, and specific appendices when appropriate. This indispensable staple of corporate and public accountants and CPA candidates also provides a detailed index for easy reference use.

Customer Reviews:

The Only Book You Need.......2003-02-09

If you work in accounting, this is the only reference book you need.

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Comments on the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EARLY AMERICAN AND ANTIQUE SEWING MACHINES

The Encyclopedia of Early American & Antique Sewing Machines: Identification and Values (Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines)
Carter Bays
Manufacturer: Collector Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:

Old Sewing Machines (Shire Albums)

The First Conglomerate: 145 Years of the Singer Sewing Machine Company

Sewing Tools & Trinkets: Collector's Identification & Value Guide (Sewing Tools & Trinkets)

The Sewing Machine Guide: Tips on Choosing, Buying, and Refurbishing

The Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines: Identification & Values (Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines)

ASIN: 1574325272

Customer Reviews:

Comments on the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EARLY AMERICAN AND ANTIQUE SEWING MACHINES.......2006-10-29

I was looking forward to buying and reading this book because I purchased the first two editions and thoroughly enjoyed them. Even my wife, who does not totally share my interest in sewing machines, enjoyed this book. I really liked the more detailed photographs of these early sewing machines and the abundance of color photographs were right on. Everything about this carefully researched book is first class and a great deal for the money. I would have enjoyed seeing more photographs of early trade literature, but I am not complaining. So, to Mr. Bays I say, "CONGRADULATIONS for writing another informative, collectable book about antique sewing machines." James W. Slaten

The Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines: Identification & Values (Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines)

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Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines
Great book!

The Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines: Identification & Values (Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines)
Carter Bays
Manufacturer: Collector Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Americana | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1574324160

Book Description

Collectors are bound to love The Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines, Second Edition. The first edition of this book, self-published by author Carter Bays in 1993, sold more than 3,000 copies, and he has totally revamped it for this printing. American sewing machines from 1850 through 1920 are featured in more than 450 large, detailed photographs, half of them in color, and current collector values are estimated. The book traces the history and development of the sewing machine industry from 1800 to after 1900. Almost all known U.S. manufacturers of sewing machines up to 1875 (and several beyond) are highlighted: Singer, Wheeler Wilson, Shaw Clark, Weed, Howe, and Holly, to name just a few. Do you own your great aunt's antique treadle sewing machine? This book will identify and give the history of the manufacturer. Specific information is provided on restoring antique sewing machines, and toy sewing machines are also given coverage. This title is sure to become the standard reference for early American sewing machines.

Customer Reviews:

Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines.......2005-09-28

Excellent resource book - in new condition. Very thorough!

Great book!.......2005-04-17

This is an outstanding book. It replaces the first edition,
which has been the standard reference for early sewing machines
for the past several years. I am not a serious collector, but I had a
couple
of Ca. 1910 sewing machines whose maker I wanted to identify. Not
only does the book identify the maker, it also gives an indication
of the approximate value. I tend to disagree with
the author's assertion that the values for 20th century machines
are "at the low end of the scale." Perhaps he is comparing
their value with much earlier machines (1850 - 1900) - the
area which is the main focus of this book.

an interesting chapter on the history of the sewing machine
is included. And if you want to restore a machine, one short chapter
takes you thru the restoration process. Though short, this
excellent chapter details exactly what one needs to do to restore
a 100 year old sewing machine (or for that matter, any antique
consisting of wood and metal).

There is a chapter on toy sewing machines; for some reason, the
author included several German examples (I thought this book was
about American machines).

Also, several other related appendices are present - the last one
is cute. It contains early photos of sewing machines and their
users, & many are quite amusing.

All-in-all, this has to be the absolute best book on the topic,
despite a few shortcomings.

Collector Books.(Field Guide To Fishing Lures)(Encyclopedia Of Barbie Doll Exclusives 1972-2004)(Encyclopedia Of Vogue Dolls)(Doll Directory)(Electric ... Review): An article from: Library Bookwatch

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Collector Books.(Field Guide To Fishing Lures)(Encyclopedia Of Barbie Doll Exclusives 1972-2004)(Encyclopedia Of Vogue Dolls)(Doll Directory)(Electric ... Review): An article from: Library Bookwatch
Gale Reference Team
Manufacturer: Midwest Book Review
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Library Bookwatch, published by Thomson Gale on February 1, 2005. The length of the article is 506 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: Collector Books.(Field Guide to Fishing Lures)(Encyclopedia of Barbie Doll Exclusives 1972-2004)(Encyclopedia of Vogue Dolls)(Doll Directory)(Electric Christmas Lighting Identification and Values Guide)(Antique & Conte Porary Advertising Memorabilia)(Guide to Coca Cola)(Fenton Art Glass Colorsa and Hand-Decorated Patterns 1939-1980)(Encyclopedia of Early American Sewing Machines) (Book review)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Library Bookwatch (Newsletter)
Date: February 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: NA

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Bouquets from Beads

This is a wonderful book for a beginner to have......

The BEST book on beaded flowers that I have used!

This book covers everything!

Bouquets from Beads (Dover Craft Books)
Virginia Osterland
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

The Art of French Beaded Flowers: Creative Techniques for Making 30 Beautiful Blooms

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Bead Flowers

New Patterns for Bead Flowers and Decorations

Making Bead Flowers and Bouquets

ASIN: 0486435458

Book Description

A bible for beaders, this guide applies principles and techniques of both Oriental and Western styles of flower arrangement to beadwork. Full instructions, including step-by-step diagrams, show how to create 44 different varieties of flowers. A chapter on Christmas ornaments features beadwork renditions of mistletoe, stars, trees, and other seasonal motifs.

Customer Reviews:

Bouquets from Beads.......2005-08-19

This book is a huge help with color, design and balance. Thanks.

This is a wonderful book for a beginner to have.............2005-01-15

Although it is dated from the 1960's nothing about this forgotten craft has changed. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. The pictures, although mostly in black and white, are large, and show what the flower is supposed to look like when you are done. Each and every phase of the process of making French Beaded Flowers is discussed in detail. There is a section on arrangement and the kinds of containers you can use. I bought this book to add to my collection of books on this subject and was pleasantly suprised by how good it was.

The BEST book on beaded flowers that I have used!.......2000-09-15

This is a phenomenal book for the beginner or intermediate flower beader! I tried other "newer" booklets when I first started beading and was so confused. This book is very easy to understand with concise illustrations and instructions. This is a must have if you want to learn the beautiful Victorian craft of beaded flowers! Happy beading!

This book covers everything!.......2000-04-11

There are very few books on the market about this subject. Luckily, this one is excellent. The author covers all topics very extensively-- supplies, techniques, color theory. The variety of flowers is phenomenal, and the directions are easy to follow. Many of the illustrations are in black and white, but the color plates (there are 21 of them) are beautiful. If you are at all interested in creating lovely flowers from beads, you need this book.

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BOUQUETS FROM BEADS.

Manufacturer: Dent
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0460078585

Book Description

In the romantic city of their youth, two lovers face the most heartwrenching decision of their lives--can they leave their families and begin a new life once more?

Betty Schimmel's memoir has already sparked the enthusiasm of publishers around the world and is destined to receive similarly great acclaim from the broad audience of readers who will no doubt be captured by her powerful story. This true story of love and devotion begins in Budapest during World War II. Two wartime lovers vow that, if ever separated, they will find each other no matter what happens, and no matter the cost. Thirty years later--having survived life in a concentration camp, and now married to another man--Betty Schimmel returns to Budapest to confront her past and rediscovers the lost love that has shadowed her life for decades.

Customer Reviews:

Nix the puppy love angle..........2007-04-11

An avid reader of historical fiction and non-fiction, especially pertaining to the Holocaust, I found Betty Schimmel's story to be a strong, engaging read. The story of her survival in a concentration camp as a teenager is nothing short of miraculous, as well as the way she rebuilt her life in the years following the war's end.

However, the one thing I *didn't* care for was Schimmel's romance with Richie Kovacs -- the key plot description on the back cover and the situation referenced by the title. Essentially, Richie is young Betty's first love. The two meet when she is only twelve, and their relationship intensifies by the time she is 14. When wartime relocation of Jews caused the couple to become separated, Richie is the only thing that keeps the traumatized Betty going. If only they could find one another, she believes, they'll have their storybook wedding and live happily ever after.

Soon after the war's end, Betty meets Otto Schimmel, another young Holocaust survivor who begs her to marry him. She agrees -- largely because her family adores him, and she believes Richie is dead.

As the years pass, Schimmel remains emotionally withdrawn from the marriage. Her husband slaves away, working endless hours trying to earn enough money to give her and the children a good life, but Schimmel seems to act like she's doing him some kind of favor by sticking around. Otto Schimmel is not Richie Kovacs and never could be, so obviously he's not worth any love or affection.

Eventually, Schimmel does realize that her relationship with Richie is in the past, and that she has a good man in Otto. But overall, her "reminiscing" about Richie tends to take on the feel of sappy teenager, not really looking at reality. Perhaps Richie Kovacs was indeed Betty's "one true love"; or, more realistically, she simply idealized him, because he symbolized the happy life that was so horribly snatched away from her.

Regardless, Schimmel's memoir *is* written in a strong, clear voice, and is truly a story readers are bound to remember for years to come. It would just be much better without focusing upon the Richie angle so much.

Absolutely marvellous and breathtaking.......2006-07-26

I have never ever read a book that touched my life like this one, I read this over 12 months ago now and it still has a place in my heart, I wanted the end to be different but I could understand why she did what she did, loved it that much, I am going to visit the area, to anyone thinking about reading this, don't think no more, it is the best book you'll ever read.

Love Amanda

You couldn't make it up if you tried.......2006-07-08

What an amazing true story. Incredible, I could not believe how Betty's life has unfolded. I truly great story to read and I highly recommend it.

WOW!.......2005-02-25

I have read most of this book and it is amazing! Before i read or even heard about this story i met otto and Betty. Their stories are truly amazing and i believe it is wonderful that they are sharing with the future.

Saw the Schimmels at my school.......2004-12-22

I am a high-school student in Arizona. We had to read this book for school, and the Schimmels came to our class to talk about their experiences as Holocaust survivors.
I didn't really care that much about the Richie love story once I met them in person. Mr. & Mrs. Schimmel are people devoted to each other and, no matter how it happened, found an incredible love story of their own. I hope someday to have a relationship like theirs is now.
Their survival really made a difference to the world, since they are here to tell their story. There are a lot of people my age that think the Holocaust never happened. I know it did because I met people who lived through it and spend all their time telling students about the war. It was really touching, and a lot of us were crying hearing about all the terrible things that happened to them and we were all thinking about how we might have been in the same situation.
I guess the best part of the book is what people will do to survive, but the really cool thing is that Betty took the time to write it and tell everyone about her story.

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