English Bookbinding Styles 1450

Book Description

The author, David Pearson, is the Librarian of the Wellcome Library and worked previously in the National Art Library and The British Library. His well-received books and articles on bookbinding history have established him as one of Britain's leading authorities on the subject. English Bookbinding Styles is an important reference tool to all scholars of British bookbindings and collectors. Co-published with The British Library. SALES RIGHTS: North and South America; available elsewhere from The British Library. Available in May 2005.

Book Description

The scent of lavender fills the air in the French region of Provence. Hans Silvester, who has lived in Provence for almost 40 years, has photographed lavender in all four seasons, capturing the changing colors, shapes, and formal beauty of the plant. This vibrant new edition of the 1996 original features an updated design and a smaller format. The stunning photographs, 40 of which are new to this edition, are complemented by a revised text and the addition of informative captions.

As Silvester's photographs show, the fields of lavender encapsulate the sometimes contradictory nature of Provence: the rich, potent purple of summer contrasting with the subdued amber of autumn; the hard, gray earth of winter giving way to the tender green of spring. His images also reveal the area's varied terrain, from broad plains to hills and mountains, where scattered farms form a lavender patchwork on the rocky slopes. The text, by fragrance expert Christiane Meunier, recounts the history of lavender, which, as this sumptuous volume demonstrates, remains an essential element of the character and beauty of Provence. AUTHOR BIO: Hans Silvester, an acclaimed photographer and member of the Rapho agency, lives in Provence. He has published close to 20 photography books, including Abrams' Horses of the Camargue, Desert Eves: An Indian Paradise, and H2O: The Beauty & Mystery of Water. Christiane Meunier is a professional in the fragrance industry. She has published several books and articles on the history and economy of lavender.

Customer Reviews:

lovely book of photos.......2007-01-10

Very good photos of the lavender fields in all seasons. Excellent, informative and well-researched introduction. My only regret is that the print seems a bit gray and the brightness of the fields and contrasting colours in the photos are not optimized by this.

Stunning book and informative as well for any lavender lover.......2006-03-03

A true lavender lover should own this book in my opinion if for no other reason that its beautiful lay out of the lavender of Provence thru all the seasons, in photographs and words. The books cover grabs your attention and as I sat and savoured the richness of the colour of the lavender I found myself actually smelling the growing flower, as if I were right there. On pages 56,57,58 I smiled as I looked at the almond trees that were dotted throughout the fields of lavender. Almonds being another delicious treat in France as well as here in California.

The one photo on page 83 of the old stone building in the midst of the fall lavender that has been harvested and the plants now resting, reminds me a great deal of a painting that Georgia O'Keeffe would have painted had she seen the lavender field shown.

Love the photos on pages 94 and 95 showing the sheep grazing amongst the lavender and the large field of lavender surrounded by vast fields of wheat, which remind me of areas around me, here in California. No wonder so many French settlers came to my area of California in the 1800's.

Then there are the winter photos of lavender fields at rest, with on beautiful photo on page 112 showing a man with his herd of goats, which is another reminder of the beautiful simplicity of life in Provence. Page 113 show a large over view of sleeping lavender field with sleeping vineyards and nut trees as well. Anyone who thinks nature is dead in winter need on view this photo as well as the one on page 115 with the fresh snow, tops of lavender plants under mounds of fresh snow and a path of what appears to be rabbit tracks in the snow.

The photos in combination with the beginning text of the book where one reads about the rich history of lavender in this region of France and how it is cultivated and used makes this a book that I am so happy I bought.

STUNNING pictures plus comprehensive text on a fascinating subject...........2005-11-15

This is a SUPER-sleeper of a coffee table book. The info on this valuable herb is fascinating (do you know the difference between lavender and lavendin?), BUT the pictures of the countryside -- especially the ones taken when the lavender rows are in brilliant purple (okay, lavender) against the surrounding greenery, soil, and trees -- are of a rare and surreally stunning beauty. Great production quality on heavy, semigloss stock. Get this bargain book for the visual exhilaration alone!

Also -- DO look into lavender essential oil, if you think this is just another lightweight "fragrance" herb. Lavender, besides having near-magical deodorizing properties, yields an essential oil so mild it is said to be usable on infants, ingestable in small quantities, and can be (usefully) poured on open wounds. Only sandalwood oil is reputed to be so innocuous, in addition to having potent healing/balancing properties.

In my experience, lavender can disinfect gum conditions, and a drop in the mouth in the evening cuts all craving for late night snacks! A few drops diffused in a room (or just brushed over the bedding, etc.) can transform stuffiness into a light, clean ambiance. Why not go for the whole knowledge/experience package?...

Nice Book.......2005-03-17

I like this book better than the first edition. It has more pictures of lavender in actual bloom! This is the only book that I've found of it's kind, so if you are a lavender enthusiast, go ahead and buy this!

Average customer rating:

Lavender: Fragrance of Provence
Hans Silvester
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KX7VVS

Average customer rating:

Lavender: Fragrance of Provence
Hans and Christiane Meunier Silvester
Manufacturer: Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KUR562

Book Description

Hot on the paws of his successful Scotch and Toilet Water: A Book of Dog Cartoons, beloved New Yorker cartoonist Leo Cullum returns with a whole menagerie of creatures faced with surprisingly human predicaments. Tequila Mockingbird brings us a passel of chickens and ducks, assorted fowl and fish, cows, monkeys, penguins, snakes, sharks, and others in 125 hilarious cartoons that show just how highly evolved even the lowliest creatures have become.

Whether they portray two black widows chatting over tea ("Of all my husbands, I believe the first one tasted best"), a bewildered-looking therapist diagnosing his latest manic-depressive patient ("Apparently you're a bi-polar bear"), or a chicken and an egg in a new take on the which-came-first controversy, the cartoons in this book will have Cullum fans laughing out loud, and also provide tidbits of advice from the animal kingdom that even the wisest humans can benefit from.

Customer Reviews:

great book.......2007-01-31

This book will make you laugh. A nice easy read. Great to have where someone might need to read just a little at a time. Hospitals and bathrooms come to mind. This was a great book for the money !!

Buy Two Copies - One for Yourself and One for a Good Friend.......2005-03-08

Readers of THE NEW YORKER or even individuals who occasionally just peruse the magazine's wonderful cartoons will be familiar with the talent of Leo Cullum, who has had over five hundred of his cartoons published there since 1977. This marvelous collection of his animal cartoons from the pages of that magazine provides the reader with 124 separate opportunities (including the cartoons on the front and back cover) to smile, chuckle, laugh out loud and occasionaly sympathize and commiserate with the animals portrayed. As the author states in his introduction, "animals are masters of metaphor...[and] the area of the cartoonist [is] to take an animal's personal cliche and blow it out of all reasonable proportion" or to cause us to see it in a new light. Of course we have the chicken crossing the road and the early bird ordering the worm, but we also have the unexpected grazing buffalo on his cellphone confiding that "I love the convenience, but the roaming charges are killing me".

It's impossible for me to pick a favorite from among this universally good collection, but I will mention a few others to provide some further flavor. While difficult to choose among the several which include political commentary, my favorite is probably the lion looking with regret at his paw and exclaiming to his mate - "He damaged a nerve when he pulled ther thorn out. I'd have a surefire malpractice suit if I hadn't eaten him." There are also several that simply include marvelous wordplay, such as the cowpoke explaining to his sidekick as he stands over the hogtied calf while brandishing his branding iron, "this part is easy. The tough part is instilling brand loyalty". But is is hard to top the title cartoon on the front cover, the TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD dressed in Mexican garb and enjoying his drink at Jose & Rosa's Cantina.

As I hope it is clear, this book is highly recommended whether you are an avid reader of THE NEW YORKER or just one of the multitude of us who engage in anthropomorphism with regard to our coinhabitants of the animal kingdom. Warning: this book does not include any of Cullom's cartoons involving dogs; those are in the companion volume SCOTCH AND TOILET WATER (review 10/18/2004), which captures the essence of dogdom and which dog lovers will enjoy but is not quite as highly rated due to the more uneven quality of that collection. in summary, as the title of this review advises, this is a book to share with others. If you need a gift that will bring a smile to the face of the recipient, this is a wonderful choice. But you'll want a copy for yourself after perusing it, so you might as well just purchase two now.

Tucker Andersen

It's a Cartoon Jungle Out There and Leo's the King.......2004-10-02

I was thrilled to discover this new volume of animal cartoons by New Yorker cartoonist Leo Cullum!

Like Scotch & Toilet Water?: A Book of Dog Cartoons, Tequila Mockingbird is further evidence that Cullum's first name is so appropriate. It's a cartoon jungle out there, and Leo's the king.

A wonderful 128 page volume, the book is stuffed with wonderful animal cartoons from Smokey the Bear on the witness stand testifying that "Absolutely! Where there's smoke there's fire," to a businessman commenting to his suit clad simian counterpart "You've had enough 'monkey see,' Edwards. We want some 'monkey do.'"

By far my favorite though is one in which a doctor with his stethoscope on a giant raven's back is asking the bird to "quoth." Its cartoons like that that continue to challenge me to write better.

Please pick this up in hardcover (my mother-in-law and I agree that the only real books are hardcovers) as soon as your cartoon book budget will allow. And if you don't currently have a cartoon book budget, then shame on you.

Witty fun.......2004-08-19

You know who you are -- those of you out there who pick up "The New Yorker" only to read the cartoons. There have been priceless collections through the years, from James Thurber to volumes such as "The New Yorker Book of Dog Cartoons", and so on.

Leo Cullum fits into that group of cartoonists for the thinking person, inspiring everything from a wry grin to a burst of laughter. Typical is the mouse on the psychiatrist's couch who says, "Do people go 'eek!' when you enter a room?" or the cow in the lone ranger mask who proclaims that he is mystery meat.

A fine group of cartoons, as is his other collection, "Scotch and Toilet Water" (picture a dog at a bar...).

Average customer rating:

Slightly scattered

Cathedral Child
Lea Hernandez
Manufacturer: Image Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1887279865

Customer Reviews:

Slightly scattered.......2003-05-21

Originally to be published by the now-defunct and much-missed comics publisher Eclipse, later released as part of Image Comics' "no-line," and now reprinted in one volume by Somerville-based Cyberosia, Cathedral Child is a manga-styled missive that'd reputedly the first volume in a sequence called Texas Steampunk. While there are some steampunk elements present -- a sentient cathedral that communicates via pipe organ -- I found the comic to be slightly scattered. Part lifelong romance, part mystery, and part political powerplay, the story's ideas are important, but the sequence suffers from unclear characterization and too twisted a narrative thread. Hernandez's Author's Notes are helpful, but a comic shouldn't need footnotes to be forthright. That said, the vision is viable. It's the execution that could have been cleaner.

...

Book Description

The Cambridge Clarinet Tutor is a comprehensive and stimulating introduction to clarinet playing. Through the sixteen progressive stages the beginner will develop the technical skills and musicianship necessary to establish a love and understanding of the clarinet and its music. Each stage comprises thorough technical exercises, scales and arpeggios where relevant, a study, duets for pupil and teacher, a piece with piano accompaniment and a work introducing the player to the more traditional repertoire. The studies and pieces composed by Paul Harris for the tutor are the result of many years’ teaching experience, and will add significantly to the music available for the early stages of clarinet playing. The colourful melodies, rhythms and harmonies combine to make valuable teaching material and, from the beginning, excite the musical imagination of the pupil.

Book Description

If you've mastered the New York Times crossword; and have been searching in vain for puzzles worthy of your skills...your search is over!

Get ready for the ultimate challenge with Random House UltraHard Crosswords "TM" To conquer these crosswords, you'll need a superior vocabulary, a broad base of general knowledge, and Sherlockian cleverness to decipher some of the trickiest clues ever devised!

And wait till you try puzzles 48 through 50 -- they're Ultra-UltraHard crosswords that you'll need an industrial-strength eraser for!

We're so sure that Random House UltraHard Crosswords are the toughest crosswords ever put between two covers that we guarantee it!

After doing all the puzzles, if you don't agree, just return the book to us with your receipt and we'll send you a full refund. The address:

Random House UltraHard Crosswords

201 East 50th St. #11-1, New York, N.Y. 10022

Customer Reviews:

Maybe not "Ultra-Hard" but better than most........1997-09-08

Finding a book of hard puzzles shouldn't have to include the fact that "Celibes ox" is "anoa". I've done all four Ultra-Hard puzzle books and they are clever and pretty challenging. Some of the interlocks are awe-inspiring; Eric Albert's Ultra-Ultra Hard puzzles are true-brain teasers, but always innovative. (For instance, the clue "sales pitch" turned out to be "pie". Get it? Like Soupy Sales throwing a pie.) highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Weird and Wonderful

Agitate, Isolate & Be Ridiculous... Oh, and AGITATE

Routine right and wrong

Productive New Concepts

Not so weird ideas for innovation labeled weirdly

Weird Ideas That Work: 11 1/2 Practices for Promoting, Managing, and Sustaining Innovation
Robert I. Sutton
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Consulting | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Decision-Making & Problem Solving | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't

The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge into Action

Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths And Total Nonsense: Profiting From Evidence-Based Management

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's Leading Design Firm

ASIN: 0743212126
Release Date: 2001-10-30

Book Description

Stanford professor Robert Sutton is an authority on innovation and a popular speaker. In Weird Ideas That Work he draws on extensive research in behavioral psychology to explain how innovation can be fostered in hiring, managing, and motivating people; building teams; making decisions; and interacting with outsiders. Business practices like "hire people who make you uncomfortable," "reward success and failure, but punish inaction," and "decide to do something that will probably fail, and then convince yourself and everyone else that success is certain" strike many managers as strange or even downright wrong. Yet Weird Ideas That Work shows how some of the best teams and companies use these and other counterintuitive practices to crank out new ideas, and it demonstrates that every company can reap sales and profits from such creativity.

Weird Ideas That Work is filled with examples of each of Sutton's 11 1/2 practices, drawn from hi- and low-tech industries, manufacturing and services, information and products. More than just a set of bizarre suggestions, it represents a breakthrough in management thinking: Sutton shows that the practices we need to sustain performance are in constant tension with those that foster new ideas. The trick is to choose the right balance between conventional and "weird" -- and now, thanks to Robert Sutton's work, we have the tools we need to do so.

Download Description

Creativity, new ideas, innovation -- in any age they are keys to success, but in today's whirlwind economy they are essential for survival itself. Yet, as Robert Sutton explains, the standard rules of business behavior and management are precisely the opposite of what it takes to build an innovative company. We are told to hire people who will fit in; to train them extensively; and to work to instill a corporate culture in every employee. In fact, in order to foster creativity, we should hire misfits, goad them to fight, and pay them to defy convention and undermine the prevailing culture. Weird Ideas That Work codifies these and other proven counterintuitive ideas to help you turn your workplace from staid and safe to wild and woolly -- and creative. Stanford professor Robert Sutton is an authority on innovation and a popular speaker. In Weird Ideas That Work he draws on extensive research in behavioral psychology to explain how innovation can be fostered in hiring, managing, and motivating people; building teams; making decisions; and interacting with outsiders. Business practices like "hire people who make you uncomfortable," "reward success and failure, but punish inaction," and "decide to do something that will probably fail, and then convince yourself and everyone else that success is certain" strike many managers as strange or even downright wrong. Yet Weird Ideas That Work shows how some of the best teams and companies use these and other counterintuitive practices to crank out new ideas, and it demonstrates that every company can reap sales and profits from such creativity. Weird Ideas That Work is filled with examples of each of Sutton's 11 1/2 practices, drawn from hi- and low-tech industries, manufacturing and services, information and products.

Customer Reviews:

Weird and Wonderful.......2007-07-20

"Weird Ideas That Work" works! This is one of the most compelling books I've read in a long time. Sutton manages not only to come up with ideas that seem weird at first glance, but to actually prove them useful and logical at the same time.

The author instructs readers on how to build a creative company by using his 11½ weird ideas, which range from hiring people who make you uncomfortable to deciding to do something that will probably fail. The list looks hilarious until you read the sense that he makes. Of course, Sutton points out that there are different kinds of companies - some aim for innovation and some for efficiency. (He makes it clear that the weird ideas are not for those who require precision -- like airline pilots, for example!)

This book explains how to shatter old habits by giving advice on enhancing variation, seeing old things in new ways ("vu-ja-de"), and breaking away from stifling routines. Sutton also points out that one should not go hog wild - there is a balance between productivity and creativity which everyone must find for themselves.

"Weird Ideas" offers great wisdom mixed with humor and pure entertainment. If you're a rebel, a brat, or just plain anyone who wants to try completely new management techniques, then you'll love this book. So whip the tablecloth right out from under that crippled, jaded system you've got going and try at least a few of these wild weird ideas.

Agitate, Isolate & Be Ridiculous... Oh, and AGITATE.......2006-12-01

I was a big fan of Sutton's Knowing-Doing gap that offered a real solution to a real problem. This book had an unreal feel to it for me though.

He offers 12 practices for fostering innovation. The first four of these have to do with Human Resources. Hire slow learners. Hire people that make you feel uncomfortable. Hire people you probably don't need. Now forgive me if I am wrong, but as imperfect as Human Resources is anyway, don't we already do some of that? Also recommended is to interview job applicants to get new ideas. What about the people?

The next two have to do with office manners. Encourage people to ignore and defy superiors. Isn't ignore a little strong? Find some happy people and get them to fight. No comment.

The next is to reward success and failure, but punish inaction. OK, we already fire non-producers, but is it really so that success and failure deserve the same billing?

The next two are on the edge of silliness. Decide to do something that will probably fail and be 100% certain of its success. Think of some ridiculous or impractical things to do.

The next is avoid, distract and bore customers and critics.

Then, don't try to learn anything from people who say they have solved the problems you face.

Finally, forget the past success of the company.

This book says some pretty wild things that will get you thinking. Although these counterintuitive ideas are offered as 'proven', you won't find the proof in this book. By the normal lottery of hiring, you will certainly get a mix of the above. There are many better books on the philosophy and practical application of innovation available.

Sorry to disappoint some with this review, but don't let this stop you from reading Sutton's Knowing-Doing Gap which I found excellent and have also reviewed it here on Amazon.

3 Stars

Routine right and wrong.......2006-10-24

All activities need both effective routine and regular innovation. Consider the difference. There are times when it makes sense to do the same thing right, over and over again, without slipping. But there are also times, and types of activities, where doing something in a very new and different way is essential. The real-life examples in this book support these 11½ methods for finding new ways of doing things, and producing new kinds of products and services. Worthwhile reading for anyone who wants to inject a little spice into the routine of software development and delivery.

Productive New Concepts.......2005-11-23

This is a wonderful but dangerous book. The 11 and 1/2 weird ideas it contains are terrific, exciting and slippery. Use them right and you could transform your company into a hotbed of innovation. Use them wrong and you could also transform your company into a disorganized mess. Author Robert I. Sutton clearly explains that some situations do not require innovation - that they are, in fact, terrible settings for new things. Companies focus on the routine for an extremely logical reason: it makes money now. Identifying situations that can make money with routine work versus circumstances that require change is a tough distinction, particularly since innovation requires many failures, disrupts your culture and forces you to take a rough look into the future. We thus recommend this book to a select group: those who know their fields and organizations extremely well. If you can see clearly through both the current jargon that promotes innovation and your organization's often unspoken prejudices, you will find this book exciting and extremely productive.

Not so weird ideas for innovation labeled weirdly.......2005-11-16

This book is a useful and fun read. It offers some solid ideas for innovation but the ideas are labeled in order to draw attention. For instance, the first idea is, "Hire "slow learners"", however the intention behind this is just hire stubborn people who are unaffected by others opinions and norms. These people will go against the standards and breed creativity. Another idea is "Find some happy people and make them fight" with the basic idea behind this technique being get optimistic people, who are naturally more creative. Put them in a room together and let them bounce ideas together until a new and improved idea is created.

Another thing to be prepared for with this book is that the ideas all go against commonly accepted business practices. That is because the ideas are admittedly not for present success but calculated and proven risks for future innovation. So anyone interested in changing their business and preparing to get an edge on competitors in the future will benefit from this book.

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