Book Description
During the crusades, Ethiopians, Jews, Muslims, and Mongols were branded enemies of the Christian majority. Illustrated with strikingly imaginative and still disturbing images, this book reveals the outrageously pejorative ways these rejected social groups were represented--often as monsters, demons, or freaks of nature. Such monstrous images of non-Christians were not rare displays but a routine aspect of medieval public and private life. These images, which reached a broad and socially varied audience across western Europe, appeared in virtually all artistic media, including illuminated manuscripts, stained glass, sculpture, metalwork, and tapestry.
Debra Higgs Strickland introduces and decodes images of the "monstrous races," from demonlike Jews and man-eating Tartars to Saracens with dog heads or animal bodies. Strickland traces the origins of the negative pictorial code used to portray monsters, demons, and non-Christian peoples to pseudoscientific theories of astrology, climate, and physiognomy, some dating back to classical times. She also considers the code in light of contemporary Christian eschatological beliefs and concepts of monstrosity and rejection.
This is the first study to situate representations of the enemies of medieval Christendom within the broader cultural context of literature, theology, and politics. It is also the first to explore the elements of that imagery as a code and to elucidate the artistic means by which boundaries were effectively blurred between imaginary monsters and rejected social groups.
Book Description
What do you call a woman who knows where her husband is every night?
A widow!
Golf got its name because all the other four-letter words were taken.
Here's the most massive melding of mirth ever minted! Hundreds of jokes, stories, and other tomfoolery on every subject from cars to kids, from sports to business, from politics to the Pearly Gates. Tell'em to your friends or keep'em to yourself -- this book has more jokes than Lessie has fleas!
How do you save a drowning lawyer?
Take your foot off his head!
If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
C'mon. You can do it. Take this book to the cash register -- and take home enough jokes to meet your minimum daily humor requirement for the whole millennium!
Customer Reviews:
OLD,OLD,OLD and WORN.......2007-03-24
Perhaps one does reach a point in life where there is nothing new under the sun. Such was the case with this so-called joke book. I remember rocking my crib when I first heard some of what the book offers. The junk within its pages is OLD,OLD,OLD.
Somewhere along the way someone also forgot that TRUE humor/wit has intellectual appeal. When it is possible to guess the punch line after reading only a few lines of the "joke" that makes for pretty dull reading.
One of the best joke books.......2006-10-05
Unlike some of the joke books that only have a few hits among a lot of misses, this book has many, many very funny jokes!
One of the few joke books (and I have quite a few) that made me laugh out loud thoughout the book. Sure, there are some lame jokes in this book, but they are very few, most are soild gold!
Get it...it will make you laugh I promise.
This is a good joke book.......2006-03-26
This joke book has really good jokes. It's one of the better ones I've seen.
The Unsuitable Joke Book.......2005-09-24
I thought the book would have more material that I could use with preteens.
I'VE NEVER LAUGHED SO HARD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!.......2000-06-10
5 stars just isn't enough for this book! I was rolling on the floor, busting a gut with laughter. I hope Mr. Greene comes out with more books with this kind of humor!
Average customer rating:
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Greatest Giggles Ever
Matt Rissinger , and
Philip Yates
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Jokes & Riddles
| Humor
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0806990252 |
Book Description
There are plenty of chuckles, chortles, and cheer in this gloriously goofy collection of riddles, knock-knocks, and jokes. Roar with laughter with such "Zoo-Purr Dooper" zingers as "Why was the young whale sent to the principal? For spouting off at the teacher." Enjoy spooky fun like "Dilly: Do vampires act in movies? Silly: Yes, they get bit parts." You'll giggle about going to the doctor, school, computers, bugs, food, animals, jobs, and more!
Average customer rating:
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Greatest Kids' Comebacks Ever
Matt Rissinger , and
Philip Yates
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Humorous
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Jokes & Riddles
| Humor
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Humorous
| Literature
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Jokes & Riddles
| Humor
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 1402705603 |
Book Description
There are no stupid answers to stupid questions -- only great comebacks! With these hundreds of wacky retorts you can crack-up your friends and make your parents groan. Try some "Cool School Crack Ups" to answer questions like "Why were you absent yesterday?" Sorry, the government UFO scientists have sworn me to secrecy. Make a "Rapid Recovery" to something like, "Do you talk back to your parents, too?" Yes, we love classical music. You did say talk Bach, didn't you? Tired of hearing, "Didn't I tell you to clean your room?" Answer, Yes, but first you'll have to raise my allowance; renting a bulldozer isn't cheap. Plenty of zany illustrations add to the laughs. Whether you want to bust a bully, annoy your siblings, or just have lots of fun, these clever comebacks will make you a master wordsmith and the king or queen of comics.
Book Description
"The Bare Facts Video Guide" helps you locate actresses' nude scenes on video tapes and DVDs. The entry for each actress lists their film and television credits. The films they have disrobed in appear in bold face followed by a rating on how "good" the scene is, the hours and minutes when it occurs and a description of what's uncovered. There are no photographs and it only reviews "mainstream" actresses in their G through R-rated films.
There are sections for actresses and their cross-referenced titles only—no actor information. The page count is over 1,000 pages. There are over 3,900 actresses and 4,000 film titles listed. This edition was printed in October 2001. (The 1998 Edition was printed 3 years before.)
Some of the new entries for the 2001 Edition are:
Maria Bello (TV's ER)
Julie Benz (Jawbreaker)
Halle Berry (X-Men)
Saffron Burrows (Deep Blue Sea)
Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense)
Ellen DeGeneres (TV's Ellen)
Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting)
Alison Eastwood (Midnight in the Garden of Evil)
Carmen Electra (TV's Baywatch)
Farrah Forke (TV's Wings)
Mira Furlan (TV's Babylon 5)
Carla Gugino (Spy Kids)
Angie Harmon (TV's Law & Order)
Jennifer Hammon (TV's Port Charles)
Schae Harrison (TV's The Bold and the Beautiful)
Jessica Hecht (TV's Friends)
Jane Kaczmarek (TV's Malcolm in the Middle)
Leah Lail (TV's V.I.P.)
Virginie Ledoyen (The Beach)
Hudson Leick (TV's Xena: Warrior Princess)
Samantha Morton (Minority Report)
Catherine Oxenberg (TV's Dynasty)
Tara Reid (Josie and the Pussycats)
Keri Russell (TV's Felicity)
Rene Russo (Lethal Weapon series)
Chloë Sevigny (The Last Days of Disco)
Aida Turturro (HBO's The Sopranos)
Michelle Williams (TV's Dawson's Creek)
Olivia Williams (Rushmore)
Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde)
Customer Reviews:
Decent enough, but not the ultimate.......2006-04-10
This book is a good alternative to Mr. Skin's Skincyclopedia, but alas, is still not as complete as Mr. Skin's website. Therein is a very complete, and constantly updated database of nudes throughout film history. For a fee, you can even see videoclips and still photos of all there is to see. Okay book.
Great site. Go there now!
Walt D in LV
What you Want to See is What You Get.......2005-08-04
Mr. Hosada has been publishing this information since his earliest version in 1989. The earlier versions included "Actors" as well as "Actresses." In the late 1990s he released "Updates", additions to previous volimes. This edition has "Actresses" only. He has continued to update the filmographies of the actresses, so you can see other works, as well as the "Bare Facts", which makes it useful as a reference. I have not cross-referenced from the earlier editions, but the book doesn't seem to have dropped earlier information to add new information (other than the deletion of "Actors") unlike some reference books on films on TV and Video, where older movies get dropped to allow room for new ones.
His ratings are factual, and he doesn't use "cutesy" terminology.
Desirable addition to a movie documentation collection as well as an incentive to look for obscure movies to see some of the "Bare Facts."
GREAT RESOURCE MATERIAL.......2005-01-04
Absolutely the best resource material for videos. The amount of detail and exact time sequences is unrivaled. This is the type of job I want. The only downer is that this book is not updated on a yearly basis and we have to wait every 3-4 years for new material. I keep up on the releases and am always one of the first to order the book.
Product Description
These fifteen artistic, challenging, and beautiful solos have been arranged for the intermediate to advanced-level violinist. Keyboard accompaniment is included. Some of the pieces contain double stops. The selections include both pieces originally written for violin and idiomatic transcriptions. These familiar melodies are from the works of J.S. Bach, Borowski, Brahms, Debussy, G.F. Handel, Marcello, Moszcowski, Mouret, Mozart, Purcell, Saint Saens, Strauss, and Tchaikovsky.
Customer Reviews:
Good Songs.......2007-06-30
A simple selection of simple songs. If you're looking for some songs to play, just to play then this book is O.K. If you really want to improve your skills, I suggest a more advanced book than this.
Book Description
Sudoku fever is on! Which book in the Martial Arts Sudoku series will provide the perfect challenge for you? The skill level recommended to solve these puzzles is ranked in the same way as Japanese karate levels—by different colored belts. Easy sudokus bore you, but The Black Belt collection never will. It’s the ultimate thrill for pros like you.
Book Description
SUDOKU:
The hotter-than-hot puzzle phenomenon that everyone wants to play!
Sudoku’s everywhere these days, and winning millions of converts worldwide. And why not? It’s irresistibly good brainteasing entertainment, the rules are simple (even when the particular game isn’t), and it requires no math skills…just logic.
Sterling has a book for everyone eager to get in on the game, no matter what level. There are puzzle collections to keep sudoku lovers occupied for hours, guides to strategy for the perplexed, series that take solvers from novice to expert, and compilations packaged in fun shapes.
“The new international craze!”—The New York Times
“Puzzle fans are playing the numbers with sudoku...the underlying complexity is what attracted millions worldwide.”—USA Today
“People are wild about it...”—Sherry Stern of the Los Angeles Timees
Customer Reviews:
Definitely NOT 'Black Belt'.......2007-07-22
I have worked many many other Sudoku puzzles that are much more challenging than the ones in this book, though I've worked easier as well. I would say these are just middle-of-the-road in difficulty, which makes the title extremely misleading.
If you love working all types of logic puzzles and are looking for a fantastic challenge, try Dave Tuller's Mensa Challenge Your Brain Math & Logic Puzzles. They were great!
Too easy to claim a "Black Belt" title.......2007-07-21
I was looking for a challenging book and the booked looked promising as the book cover rated the "super tough" and the back says it will test even the best, most proficient experts" NOT!!!
I would give the puzzles a "moderate" rating and the difficulty does not increase toward the end of the book which was disappointing. I did improve my solving speed and honed my pattern recognition skills but did not encounter or require any of the more advanced solving techniques.
Difficult?.......2007-03-29
I've worked all four books, white, green, brown and black, and I'm not sure why these were supposed to be difficult. I actually found some of the ones in the green belt bookSecond-Degree Green Belt Sudoku (Martial Arts Sudoku) were much more difficult than these. In any case, they're still fun and easily worked with whatever technique you generally employ to solve them. I did find that mixing my techniques tended to lead me more often astray, and that I didn't generally discover my error until I had nearly finished the thing. My method has become one of see if the cross-overs find a lot of results then finish it that way. If you don't get a lot of results on your first pass through the columns and rows, then start over and do it the old fashioned list-the-numbers way!
Lilly white belt more like it.......2007-03-20
This was a disappointment - talk about easy. Don't waste your money on this one if you want a real challenge. I would say Black Belt is a White Belt here.
Easy but expected.......2007-02-14
The common complaint of this book seems to be that the puzzles are easy. Well, that's true. Sudoku puzzles can all be solved in polynomial time, which in layman's terms means that a computer can quickly solve one by blindly following an algorithm. They as a genre are not challenging.
Doing these are fun when you have time to kill, for example I would do some while waiting for a flight. If you're looking for "hard" problems, quit whining about the polynomial time complex nature of Sudoku and try your hand at something actually HARD, like cryptography.
Customer Reviews:
Help for Black Belt Sudoku.......2007-08-01
A previous reviewer suggested the Dell montly publication for solving tips. I found it online at www.dellmagazines.com. It was very helpful, and gave me a clue to the last step for solving I haven't found on my own. If you are bored with the usual sudoku, this is the book for you, but be forewarned, it is tough, and most puzzles can't be solved without penciling in possible answers.
A super challenge befitting the title.......2007-07-17
I wizzed throught the first Black Belt Sudoku book by another author and was getting bored toward the end. But Second Degree Black Belt by Frank Longo is awesome. These are real tough puzzles requiring an understanding of the X Wing, Unique Rectangles, Swordfish, XY Wing, XYZ Wing and other advanced strategies. Many puzzles use multiple strategies. I really liked #28 with a double X Wing based in 1's. So if you really want to dig into the more difficult strategies and avoid guessing then this is a good book to consider.
Buy Dell's "Sudoku Challenge" as a companion to this book:.......2007-02-12
My biggest disappointment with Second Degree Black Belt Sudoku is the introduction. It provides very basic, simplistic solving techniques which barely scratch the surface of the advanced techniques required to solve these puzzles. No where are terms like "X Wing" "XY Wing" or "swordfish" mentioned, much less illustrated with an example. This is a real shame as you'll need to know these techniques to truly enjoy the puzzles contained in this book.
As a companion to this book I'd recommend also picking up Dell's monthly publication "Sudoku Challenge". The Dell magazine contains the most wonderful 2 page double-sided insert. This insert contains real puzzle examples and explanations of what "X Wing" "XY Wing" and "swordfish" entail.
Prior to reading the Dell publication I felt the aforementioned techniques were too advanced for me. I attempted several times to research and learn these techniques by visiting various websites with alleged examples and definitions of said techniques. What these websites actually contained was logic-jargon and math notation that was over my head. All of these websites used theoretical as opposed to real puzzle examples of each technique which only added to my confusion and frustration. The end result was me leaving the website even more confused than before I came.
Kudos to the Dell publication for being clear and concise and explaining these techniques to me in a language that was simple enough for me to understand. It was this newly learned knowledge that enabled me to overcome my frustrations with having to outright guess at some of the puzzles in Second Degree Black Belt. I'm now able to elegantly solve all the puzzles in this book, the way Sudokus were meant to be solved.
Once you have a firm grasp on X-Wing, XY Wing, and Swordfish the puzzles in Second Degree Black Belt become quite enjoyable. Not all puzzles contained in Second Degree Black Belt require these techniques, but the ones that do I consider to be on the "easy" end of the X(Y) Wing/Swordfish spectrum. These puzzles are right on par with Dell's "super tough" level puzzles, and are nowhere near as hard as Dell's "brainbuster" level puzzles.
In summary to fully enjoy Second Degree Black Belt Sudoku you'll need to understand X Wing, XY Wing, and Swordfish which unfortunately the preface of the book doesn't tell you. Otherwise you'll just be blind guessing at certain stages of each puzzle as a previous reviewer of this book alluded to.
more than one dimension.......2007-02-02
This is the most challenging classic Sudoku book I've found. It's a pleasure to spot the solution--some of which require tracing patterns in multiple dimensions. Frank Longo knows a beautiful puzzle.
Having mastered front headlock crossover elbow break..........2006-06-20
These are tough Sudokus. I think these are even tougher than the "Beware! Very Challenging" sudokus from the Will Shortz series. I don't know how they compare to the ones designated "Diabolical," I haven't attempted those yet.
I'm working my way through this book and solving the puzzles successfully about 70% of the time. This seems to be just right to create tension and challenge me without overly discouraging me (again I refer you to Bandura's Self Efficacy theory).
But these are puzzles where you have to plug in numbers at some point and just see what happens. Here's what I do: I start off with a pen, doing all the numbers that can be deduced through logic alone. Then, I switch to a pencil. I find a box with only two options, and guess, write in a small 'A', and then follow it out to see where it goes, labelling the boxes with consecutive letters as I go so I can follow my steps backwards in retreat if necessary. Let me know if you've got a better idea.
The problem with these sudokus is knowing when to abandon logic and start muscling through. It's for this reason that I think I prefer sudokus that can be solved with logic alone (although some make the case that the trial-and-error guessing is just an extension of the logical steps you are taking in your head when solving simpler puzzles). But I got this book as a gift, a little retribution for all my tough Sudoku talk, and I will not back down.
Nice puzzles, well constructed for those of you into symmetry (I'm not sure why you care, but I've seen your critiques of other sudoku books). These books are also a good illustration of the fact that the number of clues filled in to start with is not directly correlated to the difficulty level of the puzzle. These look like easy puzzles at first glance, lots of numbers filled in to start with. But there is very little redundancy in the clues. I always start off hot and then hit a wall.
I like the martial arts metaphor of this series. I'm flattered to be at the second degree black belt level of something I've been at for about eight months. But I saw that he has a book called second degree white belt. What is that? Some kind of veteran neophyte? Or do you have to actively unlearn something to be a second degree white belt?
Average customer rating:
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Black Belt Sudoku
Pete Sinden
Manufacturer: Crombie Jardine Publishing Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Logic & Brain Teasers
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Sudoku
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1905102461 |
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