Editorial Review

Reviews (2)

Halloween: Romantic Art and Customs Of Yesteryear Postcard B
When I first got this book, I flipped through it and thought,"hey,where's the 'wish list' postcards(Winsch,etc.)?". After I started reading it I realised that the postcards shown were perfect in illustrating the subject matter in each chapter. Also, the "reason" for some of the unusual images (cabbage people, etc.) I had seen on Halloween postcards became clear. A fun and informative book.

Reviews (13)

I do believe in Faeries... but...
This book did not live up to its potential... sure it told the facts but it lacked in interest and good art. If you want a book that renews/brings the faery faith into you, then I would suggest Good Faeries Bad Faeries by Brian Froud. Now that man knows what he is talking about!

Welcome to the REAL Fairyland!
This is a MUST for any true lover of the Faerie world. By this I do NOT mean the prissy Victorian idea of Faeries as twee little tinkerbell types. This is the real stuff. The Red and Black ladies, the Selkies and all the other nasty little members of the un-Seelie Court. Here you will find the good with the bad, the beautiful with the ugly. If this was a map, there would be 'Here be Monsters' written on it. (but then it would be too late!) If you ONLY like the Brian Froud stuff (and I do as well) then you will be dissapointed. The line drawings are perfect for this book. They give an edge. The scope is worldwide, although predominetly Eurocentric. The bibliography is enormous and the research extensive. Of course there is nudity. Faeries are nature spirits - they don't NEED clothes.
As to the question of it being a children's book. If you want to mollycoddle your children, then no, but if you want to teach them to be aware that appearances can be deceiving in both the real and faerie world, then go right ahead. They'll thank you for it later (unless of course ther're a changeling!!).
I have just returned from France and was delighted to find the out-of-print companion volume to this - "encyclopedie des Lutins" - basicallly the male-ish side (pixies, brownies, Bogeymen (my favourite). Same style. no punches pulled. The ISBN is 2905292482 (there is also a volume on Elves (available this time at Amazon.fr -its ISBN is 2842301838)
Sadly for those that don't read french, these latter volumes haven't been translated, but for those of you that do read it, enjoy.

Reviews (1)

He's done it again
Peter Marchand's "Autumn," an accessible account of the biology of fall, describes the many changes that define my favorite time of year.

As in "Life in the Cold," Marchand does his best to describe sometimes complex processes in plain language, and for the most part he succeeds.His depictions of leaf senescence, cold adaptation, and migrations are excellent.I especially appreciate the literary contributions (from Thoreau and others), which help balance the generally technical presentation.

For most of us, autumn is a time of contrasts, with brilliant colors fading to winter's gloom.So Marchand's decision to use black-and-white photographs, intended to help us "see beyond the sometimes distracting color of the season," is a bit puzzling.His photographs are beautiful, but I can't help but wonder how they would have looked in color.Apparently black-and-white is distracting!

Reviews (2)

It's Franck...
What a subject! What a terrible book!

At first I thought it was a bad translation. But no, the French version is just as disjointed, poorly edited and nearly unreadable as the English version.

just two examples from among the many:
1: Franck recounts an auction, noting that Picasso kept his silence throughout the auction. We later learn that Picasso wasn't there... so, did he keep quiet? or did he stay away?

2: We get a detailed account of Arthur Cravan's boxing exhibition with Jack Johnson, after which, Mr. Frank notes: "Jack Johnson never stepped into the ring again." Of course, he meant Cravan, but that"s not what he said. In fact, the entire book is like that.

An author, by the way, is responsible for reading own proofs, so the faults of editing are the faults of the author.....

As I said the topic is fantatic, and when I could sift through the author's drivel, I found it interesting, though he probably provides more information about Solomon and Max Jacob than I would like and not enough about some of Picasso's mistresses, which I think would have been interesting...

Ah, Franck est francais... what else can i say??

VIVID WORD PICTURES OF A SIGNIFICANT ERA
Part fiction, part art history, Bohemian Paris is a fascinating read.How can it be otherwise when the pages are inhabited by such colorful figures as Picasso. Modigliani, Jean Cocteau, Henri Matisse, Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein?

Franck, the author of 15 books, escorts readers on a wide-screen tour of magical Paris during a period of30 years, 1900 - 1930.That was a time of new birth in the world of artistic creation when painters, sculptors, writers, and versifiers struggled to covey revolutionary ideas and images.Some of these creators were feted at opulent, devil-may care galas while others worked in the direst poverty.

Learned and repressed poet Guillaume Apollinaire hovered on the periphery of this circle; Jean Cocteau might trip a friend to advance himself but how brilliant he was!Amedeo Modigliani gave to others when he had naught for himself; Gertrude Stein presided over her unparalleled salons.

And from these minds and from that time sprang cubism, Fauvism, dadaism and surrealism.Paris, both public and private, sizzled with creativity.

With Bohemian Paris author Franck has painted vivid word pictures of that significant era and collected numerous vignettes about the private lives of those who dramatically influenced art as we now know it.

Reviews (5)

Mexican Country Stlye
Mexican Country Style was received as a a Christmas gift in December, 2000.Originally used as a "coffee-table" book, once I started to read the descriptions with each photograph I was hooked.Not only will you be able to navigate the architectural terminology like a pro, you will also get a glimpse of the past as only a tourist does when he travels with a guide from the area.Joe and Karen's personal travels' are documented with breathtaking color photos and detailed accounts of their visits into the heart of Mexico.Once you begin reading the book, you will not want to put it down until the very last page!!Mexican Country Style is a great read and an educational journey for the soul.

The definitive book on Mexican country decor!
Beautifully photographed with a pallete of colors that invite you to decorate a small space or an entire home.Mexican Country Style is the definitive volume for those of us who seeksouthwestern/south of theborder interior design, furnishings and accessories.Sumptuous photos thatinvite you to sit down with a margarita and explore this comfort feeldecorating style.Authors, Witynski and Carr, have an enthusiastic loveand flare for this style decorating and this book showcases their skills.

A Stylish Presentation on Style
With the proliferation of websites offering Mexican furniture, it has become difficult to tell the real from the ersatz - and especially when it comes to antique furniture, and in the colonial style.The authors havetaken all of the doubt out of the search process through an amazinginventory of furniture, accessories, and hints for discovering provenance. It's a must-read for those considering furnishing and decorating theirhomes in the Mexican style.

It is also an important companion volume toMexicolor; and to those years-ago titles published by ArchitecturalPublishing.

Reviews (5)

This is great!
I loved this book, it's very funny and quite fun to read.

How to have fun alone without a buzzing device
Do you take care of yourself?I mean, do you treat yourself to just "Me" time? If you've forgotten how to, pick up this book and learn to take time out of life to reward yourself for surviving another day.There are some great ideas that you can do with your girlfriends to remind you all that you deserve to give yourselves a good time.

Editorial Review

"Your first boyfriend should be like the first pancake. Just a tester to see if the griddle is hot enough." If this sounds like good advice, throw out that book of horoscopes and get some real advice from Girl Press. This publisher has already put out some pretty swell titles, from Cool Women: The Thinking Girl's Guide to the Hippest Women in History to Zine Scene, a book about how to produce your own zine, coauthored by that very cool woman, Francesca Lia Block. Now those Girls are at it again, with their own irreverent advice for young women on work, life, love, and impossible parents.

Isbn: 0743229207
Sales Rank: 152887
Subjects:  1. Conduct of life    2. General    3. Happiness    4. Motivational & Inspirational    5. Personal Growth - Happiness    6. Personal Growth - Self-Esteem    7. Psychology    8. Self-Help    9. Body, Mind & Spirit / General   

Reviews (8)

A gift to myself
The author notes on page 11 that 'This book is a traveling pleasure companion and a reminder to seek out pleasure and lightly scoop it up. It is also a guide to finding pleasure in all of the difficult places: during illness, at the periodontist, facing our aging and mortality, and all the challenges of being human. Pleasure and Joy live in all the corners and crevices too, not just bright sunlight. We must learn to cultivate pleasure and invite it into ALL (her emphasis) the places in our lives no matter what else is happening. It is our birthright to enjoy ourselves and find all the pleasure in our lives. Pleasure loves company and delights in being discovered. I frequently forget about pleasure. It is easy to become consumed by work and by doing'.

She then proceeds to remind 'us' where and how to find and rediscover pleasure both simple and more complex, and she writes about the pleasure of giving AND receiving which has been a hard one for me I admit since as a caregiver for over a decade I was so busy helping someone be happy that I sorta forgot the me that once was a SARK like person.This is a treasure of a book and like her other books is one that I keep within easy reach.

Opening the door to pleasure
This is such an uplifting and liberating book. I bought it as a gift to myself while going through a break up. I was feeling pretty numb and blue but this book revived my own sense of passion for life. It liberated and inspired me to indulge in all the pleasure I could take. And I can handle quite alot more than I thought. I was reminded how to spoil myself rotten and most importantly...that I deserve it. Reveries are common daily occurences now. And this book helped me remember how to find it wherever whenever. This was the best gift I could've given myself. I also recommend her nap book.

Reviews (77)

Sark is amazing...
I picked up this book a few years ago when I was going through my divorce.It was one of the lowest points in my life.When I started to read this book, it empowered me to be who I really am...not what others think I should be.I still have the book in my nightstand and pick it up and read some of it when I'm not feeling great about myself.I think every woman should read Sark....especially this book.Every woman should feel succulent!

the best of SARK's books
I hadn't thought about this book for a while, but in going back to some old thoughts I began to ponder it again.

SARK peaked with this book. It seemed to me to be the fullest, most open of her books. Other readers have dismissed it as too fluffy or overly "look-on-the-bright-side", but sometimes we need those things (and it isn't always true of this book; read on). SARK even says that she is not always a positive person, though because of her books and her public demeanor people tend to think that it must be easy for her.

On the surface the book looks rather simple: bright colors, little drawings. It's relaxing to look at and generally invokes a positive vibe.
However, upon investigating deeper the reader learns of some of SARK's past: sexual abuse by an older brother, various addictions and such. I've seen some reviews that say that the readers felt uncomfortable about purchasing the book after seeing the incest and abuse parts. Unfortunately, these forms of abuse are a very real (and sad) fact of life for many people; I am lucky that I have never experienced this, but I know people that have, and yes, it is ugly and uncomfortable. If we ignore it, or in this case throw out the book because there are uncomfortable issues in it, that cycle will all the more easily continue. This aspect of the book helps SARK to iterate that her life hasn't been all about rainbows and eating mangoes naked. People *should* feel an emotional response to this part, but it should be anger (for her sake, not at her) rather than discomfort.
It's somewhat difficult to reconcile the two images of SARK -- her darker past and her current, seemingly better-adjusted self -- but it is a sign that even someone with such issues can get out of that state.

SARK also delves into her imperfections, and it can be a little intense to see all the therapies that she has partaken in; this again emphasizes that she is not perfect and that life is not easy, though it does come across as a little obsessive at times.

A definite plus is her encouragement for women to further flower in their own femininity. This can inspire those who are repressed, depressed, confused, in a slump or just need to remember. I also don't think that this book is restricted to women only; there is plenty of information that can apply to men too, and can also help them to realize some of the issues that women face and ways that they can respond. I do tend to think though that many men would feel rather self-conscious carrying around this book, which does have a distinct female flair. I applaud those who are strong enough in themselves that they can move beyond this feeling and read the book anyway.

In addition to the printed book, I used to have the audio casette version, which in some ways was even more fulfilling, as you get to hear her speak the actual lines, as well as some improvisational expansion. I wish that it was out on CD.

I must say, I was amazed that I was so receptive to SARK's sometimes gregariously positive messages, since I am a pretty cynical person. Some of her suggestions for being "succulent" are a little too New Age for my taste, but I incorporated a few of her ideas when I was at a bad spot and they did help me. I would suggest that the reader pick what personally feels best and blend it with their own beliefs, traditions or meditations.

Could I subsist on a constant diet of SARK? No. But in many ways this book is a nice little vacation from a lot of the aspects of daily reality. I'm disappointed that her more recent books didn't feel as lush and often seemed hurried or *too* lightweight ("Change Your Life Without Getting Out of Bed" in particular). I drifted off from SARK for a while and thus haven't read her most recent book ("Make Your Creative Dreams Real"), which looks more calculatedly self-help-y, and I probably won't. Among the books of the SARK oeuvre, "Succulent Wild Woman" is the one to come back to. Enjoy it.

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Reviews (99)

Splendid First Book, Excellent Second One!
Not realizing that this book existed, I read the sequel first -- What Southern Women Know About Flirting. The Flirting sequel was so wise and witty, I couldn't wait to read the first one. I liked it a lot, too, and can recommend it to any woman who wants to celebrate her femininity or to increase her femininity. It's hilarious in places, thought-provoking in others. While I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be giving it as gifts, I think I have to choose the Flirting sequel as my favorite. In fact, it's probably going to become my favorite book of all time. The ability to flirt is the best accessory that a woman can possess (that and a little fluttering and a lot of flattering!)
How did this woman get so smart? Lots of lessons, apparently. The kind of lessons she shares with her reader in both What Southern Women Know (That Every Woman Should) and What Southern Women Know About Flirting.
I just discovered that she has written a novel so I must now grab my shopping cart and buy The Town That Came A-Courtin'. How funny. In less than a week, I have bought THREE Ronda Rich books but seven days ago, I had never heard of her!
Just goes to show that you never know when you'll dig up a hidden treasure chest.

Just What I Needed To Hear!
This book was just what the doctor ordered for me. Thank goodness, I ordered it! I was raised in the South and taught manner and extreme courtesy. However, after graduation, I moved from the South so slowly but surely I got away from the roots of my raising. I'm embarrassed to say that I got away from doing thoughtful things like -- as the book suggests -- taking magazines to families waiting with loved ones at the hospital. I also neglected myself. No more lipstick or mascara. While on a trip back to the South, a friend recommended What Southern Women Know so when I returned, I bought it.
Well, I'm glad I did. It's back to being thoughtful to others and, just as importantly, to myself. Hurray for a book that celebrates Southern womanhood and holds us up for an example to all.

Reviews (9)

fantastic book for both professionals or coffee table
Beautiful pictures depict romantic spaces with clear details, they helps me as an architect to re-create the Spanish living environment with many examples from different projects. The 20 houses in this book are gorgeous and inspiring -whether you are looking for ideas or merely relax reading. This is not a book showing only pieces of details for decorator use, it's an awesome architectural book as well as a perfect collection for my coffee table.

A MUST!
One of those books that is just full of great images of the Spanish Revival/Moorish style architecture of So. California.While not heavy on text, this book is a very important visual reference for designers, etc. who want to see how it used to be done.Many photos are of the interiors, but most are of the gardens.

If interested in the glazed Malibu tiles seen throughout the book, check out "Ceramic Art of the Malibu Potteries: 1926-1932" by Ronald L. Rindge.

Gorgeous book!
This is a gorgeous book full of color photos and description of Spanish Colonial Revival style architecture in Southern California.The beginning of the book provides a review of the style with information on stylistic influences and historical setting.As another reviewer mentioned, the homes in this book are mostly huge, and it really would have been nice to see some well-done modest homes (i.e. the 1000 or 1600 square foot variety).Nevertheless, this is the ONLY full-color book I have been able to find on this style, and I do think it provides helpful elements for use in smaller houses, but one needs to beimaginative to find them.If you are living in a smaller house, you can't just lift a whole room out of this book.For example, the cover photo features a huge staircase and fountain.It is very difficult (and would be inappropriate) to duplicate this type of thing in a smaller home, but I might notice that the decorative tile on the stair risers and the saltillo tile on the steps could be used on the steps up to my own modest front porch, for example.We have used a number of individual elements from this book in our own home, and we've used the photos to get an idea of what "works" and what doesn't in this style.I do really wish, though, that there was a companion book that showed how this style can be used to advantage in smaller homes, since the vast majority of homes of this style are in the 1000-2000 square foot range.

Editorial Review

If asked where you got your coffee beans, you'd probably say the corner Starbucks or your local grocery store. Rich and fragrant, piles of beans wait in bins for you to pack, grind, and take home (or pack, take home, and grind--whatever your preference). Before arriving on your kitchen counter, though, your coffee beans have passed through the hands of manyworkers. In The Birth of Coffee, Daniel Lorenzetti and Linda Rice Lorenzetti visit countries where the harvesting of coffee is not just a job or a valuable export but a way of life.

"There is something endlessly fascinating about coffee. It is almost magical in its lore, dynamic in its history, and rich in its countless traditions," says Rice Lorenzetti. "To tell the story of coffee is to tell much about the nature of humankind.... The story of coffee rests in the faces of these people--in their labor, in their lives, in their hands." In Ethiopia, women ring a huge mound of green coffee beans, picking through them rapidly and tossing inferior beans into shallow metal bowls. While they work, they sing, as they have for many centuries of sorting. In the evenings, they roast beans and brew strong, sweet coffee in long-necked clay vessels called jebenas. In Java, young women pulp coffee cherries using hand-cranked grinders, which, though heavy, separate the bean from the fruit pulp in just one pass. Since the 1700s Brazil has been perfecting the art and science of coffee harvesting and is now the world's largest exporter.

Editorial Review

You start with Duck Breast and Fuji Apples on Watercress, and end with a glass of Moroccan Apple Sharbat--and it's all apple all the way in between. Such is the slim wonder called An Apple Harvest, courtesy of award-winning authors Frank Browning and Sharon Silva. Both authors grew up with apples in the family--acres of apples--Silva north of San Francisco, and Browning in Kentucky. Browning, in fact, co-owns and operates an orchard with his brother. So these are not supermarket food writers. The appreciation both writers bring to their task begins with the seasons of labor that go into growing and harvesting a good apple.

An Apple Harvest opens with combined reminiscences that give the reader a sense of how large, how grand the world of apples can be, given access to good and varied fruit. The introduction includes a brief history that traces the apple back to ancient origins in what is Kazakhstan today, a section on choosing apples, how to keep apples, a peel/don't peel debate, and a little something on cooking with cider, cider vinegar, and Calvados or applejack. The "Culinary Pomarium" that follows is an illustrated guide to modern apple possibilities. And then there are the recipes.

Reviews (1)

Unbelievably fabulous
I just saw this book on my sister's kitchen counter. We both have lots ofapples from our apple trees and are always looking for interesting anddelicious ways to use them.

Editorial Review

Slack-My-Girdle. Never has a fruit been better named. It's an apple, in this case, favored in Devonshire, England, by apple cider makers. A few pints of their good cider and you may want to slack your girdle, too. Crack the cover of Ben Watson's Cider, Hard and Sweet and you may find yourself planting apple trees against the day you too can fill your basement with jugs of fermenting apple juice. You would be following in a long, long tradition.

Watson's history of cider starts with the apple itself in the Tien-Shan mountains of far off Kazakstan. Alma-Ata, formerly the Kazak capital, translates as "father of apples." There have been a number of apple-centric books published of late, all of them echoing similar historic details. Watson distinguishes himself by focusing on the place of cider--the alcoholic beverage--in human history, particularly American history. "In 1726," the author tells us, "it was reported that a single village near Boston, consisting of about 40 families, put up nearly 10,000 barrels of cider. One historian stated that in the year 1767 a per capita average of 1.14 barrels of cider were consumed in Massachusetts." That'd be 35 gallons per person!

The arrival of breweries and brewers with German and eastern European immigration in the late 1800s, the codling moth, the exodus from farm to city of the majority American population, Prohibition, bad winters--all these factors and more led to the decline of cider making in America. A few farmers continued in the tradition; everyone else made and sold apple juice and called it cider. The tradition hung on in Britain and Europe, however, and new American cider makers are taking advantage of this living body of knowledge, planting European cider apples and trying some of the old varieties still available in this country. A book such as Cider will encourage the movement.

Editorial Review

Reviews (32)

Fabulous!
This was an excellent read for anyone interested in Belly Dance.Funny and well written with vivid characters.The only thing I didnt like was that the author seemed to lack confidence and kept putting herself down.That got old real fast.I do love the book and have reread it- I would definatly recommend it.

Wish the author was in MY dance class!
I LOVED this book; it had me laughing out loud.I've only been belly-dancing for a few months, and already I can identify with some of the things the author went through (i.e. reading all you can about belly-dancing; deciding that you need to do a performance to rationalize buying a new costume from ebay).The belly-dancing aspect made me pick the book up, but I think I would have liked the book had I read it before I started dancing.Everyone can relate to dating-disasters and clique-drama.Very upbeat!

Reviews (3)

A must for Oriental dancers and students of Muslim women
This highly documented, academic book is essential to anyone wishing to better understand how the native Egyptian Muslim audience views women, particularly but not exclusively, women who sing and/or "belly dance". It provides an excellent history of female entertainers in Egypt throughout history - following the Ghawazee, wedding and festival performers, and the rise of nightclub culture. After providing that history - which I feel is very important for all Oriental dancers to understand - this book undertakes the challenge of trying to understand how performers are viewed by themselves, their families and neighbors, and the community at large. By looking at these women with an "experience near" insider's eye, rather that an outsider's eye which may misunderstand or romanticize the situation, this book lays out plainly the challenges for the average female entertainer. She focuses mostly on the "common" dancers and singers -those who dance and sing at weddings and festivals, not as much on the nightclub or TV/movie/ radio stars, although they are mentioned.
This book is not focused only on the entertainment part of these women's lives, however, but on their family lives and how they enter and exit the business, and in this capacity it serves as an excellent window into the lives of Muslim women in Egypt. What is expected of an Egyptian woman, how feminine and masculine are defined and why, what is respectable or not, and why and how these women work in this framework in their daily lives. Is it the Muslim view of women, or of entertainers in general, or of female entertainers that is responsible for the challenges these women face? This book answers these questions, and in the process gives greater insight into Egyptian Muslim culture from the inside out. It isn't a light read, but it is very educational and may even challenge women of all cultures to look at their own cultures, morals, and values regarding women differently.

The best on its subject
Too many books about Oriental/belly/Middle Eastern dance lean toward fantasy rather than scholarship.Van Nieuwkerk's book explores the seemingly paradoxical love-hate relationship many people have toward Egyptian belly dancing and dancers anddetails the history of the dance over the past few centuries.