This book could probably be shortened to 100 pages max.

There are TOO many pictures/tables in the book that have nothing to do with the text and the pictures/tables aren't even explained.

This book lacks organization.

Was not what I expected. Only a handful of sentences helped me understand how we arrived at the modern alphabet from pictograms (pictures that represent words)

If you want a book that explains the evolution of written language from pre-history, this is NOT the book for you!

Is it just me who thinks this whole concept of 'archaeography' in the last chapter is utterly ridiculous?! Surely the way a word is spelt alphabetically has nothing to do with its meaning and etymology?!

As for the rest of the book, it's a nice overall intro into the origins of the alphabet -not too technical and yet combines a lot of research.

I found the ideas presented in this book very interesting, however I was dissappointed to see too many "decorative" images more than details. It provides very general information about the roots of each letter and how they evovled in time, but it does not go into too much detail. I believe those who have done some reading on the subject of alphabet and its roots may find this book elementary. I also thought that there were too many graphics that did not relate to the book.

To much theory and not enough application. At the end of the book I was still looking for the "practical guide" part. If you want to learn to build a CCD camera this book is for you. If you want to learn how to use one with a telescope, don't waste your money on this book.

This book has many good items in it that help you understand what you should look for in pixcel size and other features. It also goes over the different applications. The key issue is that this is too Technical. I am a Computer Science person, and I found it too technical. I would prefer to see more set up, exposer issues, tracking hardware, tricks and tips. I expected more at a different level with a title that had "Practical" in it.

A combination of an technical introduction to CCD cameras and their use for astrophotography by the great french amateur. Very detailed description of the construction and operation of CCD cameras and their use in different kinds of astrophotography projects -planetary, photometry., etc. A great book on the subject!!

The only drawbacks I found were a)several too technical, yet incomplete diagrams of the construction and operation of the CCD chip and electronics which did not help in understanding the subject (i.e the clock diagram of a CCD chip); b)the desciption of the CCD camera use in astrophotography is very good, but would have profited from a more graphic approach; and c) I found some of the explanations about the use of the CCD camera repetitive and somewhat obscure.

However don't be disappointed: it's a great book, well worth the price.

this book should be called - introduction to hindu religion.
most of the book deals with explanations how hindu religion
connected to hindu temple.low quality pictures dont add
anything.some two pages talk about eroticism.

Alain Danielou's Hindi Temple is here translated into English for the first time, and provides a fine spiritual and travel guide to the major temples of India. The focus on their erotic sculptures and Hindu faith makes for an excellent set of insights.

This book maybe How to learning VHDL about analog signal component so maybe how to make, design and simulation analog component like resistor, capacitor etc, not like digital gate ? and how to learn description about analog component design with VHDL, because until now I don't understand detail about this book. Because I need book that to learn about how to discus analog component designing with VHDL ,, I'm trying to looking for some book about it Or maybe you can help me to find some book about it ? please. Thank you Dedy K

This book is very informative on such subjects as what makes up the earth and the different types of rocks. It goes very in depth with many facts and is not for those who aren't very interested in this area of science.

This is a very nice book, that teaches you to make French pastry-chef quality letters and borders to decorate your cakes. It has extensive examples and instructions for modelling animals and flowers in marzipan. It also has a gallery of special delicious looking cakes, unfortunately though, if you want to try those, you are referred to the author's other volumes for the recipes.

Yes, the patterns are very appealing. But they are all for a 13 1/2-inch bear, with a few thrown in for a 9-inch bear. If you happen to have a 15-inch bear, or an 18-inch bear, or any other standard size, you are going to have to adjust every pattern you want to knit for your bear. And since the patterns all are written for one specific brand of yarn, with little indication of the weights of the yarns used in the patterns, you will also have to figure out from the gauges given what yarns you can use with these patterns. None of this makes for a quick or simple start to a knitting project.
Postscript: the first project I began had errors in the diagrams for the Aran cables. You'll have to correct instructions, too.

Alain Robbe-Grillet, one of the greatest 20th century writers, and arguably the most important living one, teamed up with the paintings of Rene Magritte, another superlative figure in 20th century art. How could this possibly go wrong? For starters, the translation is not by Richard Howard, who translated The Voyeur, Jealousy, and basically all of Robbe-Grillet's greatest works. No other translator has ever achieved the precision, polish and perfection of Howard's efforts, which have the effect of making even Robbe-Grillet's most Gothic passages seem incomparably elegant.

The other glaring problem with the book is the quality of the painting reproductions. Printed in low-detail black and white, they function schematically as narrative signposts, but convey little beauty in their own right. Having viewed almost all the original paintings, I would say that even full-color glossy reproductions generally fail to convey their surprising sensuousness, and that the reproductions in this book fail miserably. They're just plain ugly.

This is not a bad book, by any means, but it does fall very far short of what it might have been.

Taking photographs in Morocco was done historically, but the limitations were greater than in many other places. Religious beliefs have always restricted the willingness of Moroccans to appear in photographs, as well as how much of themselves they will reveal. Although the light (as painters have impressed us) is remarkable there, that light does little to help black and white images. Until fairly recently, the technology of color photography was not good enough to attract serious work by photographers.

The introductory essay provides many interesting perspectives on Moroccan photographers. "Morocco is a snare for photographers." "It seduces them with its light . . . ." "It attracts them with its mystery and lavishes its legendary hospitality on them . . . ." "The subject is difficult, and therefore fascinating." "Instinctively, it [Morocco] keeps its secrets and its inner life."

Despite this, most of the photographs focus on the people of Morocco. There are lots of luscious landscapes there, but few appear in this volume. Also, Morocco seems rich in architectural detail in its mosques and palaces. These are reasonably well represented. The markets are amazing in their vitality, and the volume has one remarkable panorama that captures this. You feel like you're on the set of some big budget Hollywood movie.

In the beginning, these photographs had to be of people who were willing to be photographed. So the models are usually blacks, Jews, and people who practice the lowest professions. Even with this, most people are covered up so that few glimpses of the person emerge. That only increases the sense of mystery.

The essays give a good sense of each of the major photographers presented in this volume, and add to your understanding of the work.

Why, then, did I grade the book as a 3 star book? Well, while the photography is often good, little of it is outstanding. The relative lack of color photographs and landscapes is a missed opportunity.

For example, Harry Gruyaert's color "Essaouira" from 1976 is brilliant and makes you ache for more. This image has a man in an alley way with his red fez standing out in making him an individual. The rich colors of the ground and the walls are similar to the color of his skin, and provide a sense of continuity between nature and man. The composition is wonderful, and the execution is close to perfect.

Similarly, Michael Kenue's "Clouds in the Desert" from 1996, (while in black and white} makes you yearn for more images of sky and desert. Surely, there must have been more photographers who were drawn to that subject matter in this nation with large deserts.

I suspect that the book's concept evolved around the difficulties of doing human studies, and tried to stay with that area as much as possible. Perhaps the book should have been titled to reflect that focus on the hidden face and body behind the voluminous clothing.

Here are my other favorites in this extensive collection:

Henri Duveyrier, Fez, 1885

Anonymous, Moroccan Woman, c. 1880

Anonymous, Woman Dressed in a Haik, c. 1880

Attributed to A.J. Valentine, Young Man and Tambourine, c. 1890

Anonymous (monogrammed J.P.), Countrywoman, c. 1880

Gabriel Veyre, Fantasia, 1901

Marcelin Flandrin, In the Souks of Marrakech, c. 1910-1930

Marcelin Flandrin, Casbah of Talaat N'Yacoub in the Goundaja, c. 1910-1930

Rene Bertrand, Marrakesh, after 1933

Andrew Steiner, Snake Charmer, 1933

Andre Steiner, Untitled, 1933

Jean Beaucenot, Moulay-Idriss, c. 1934-1939

Bernard Rouget, Fantasia Horemen, c. 1950

Bernard Plossu, Untitled (second one), 1975

Alain Coccaroli, High Atlas, Mossneat Tin Mel, 1994

Bernard Deschamps, High Atlas, Former Casbah of Ali Benhouddou, 1999

After seeing this collection, I encourage you to return to that eternal question: Which is more intriguing, that which is fully accessible or that which is virtually inaccessible? Most people would argue the latter. See what your reaction is to the mystery of who the Moroccans are.

Enjoy the lure, but focus on the beauty and the truth that are available to you!

An excellent book which uncovers the use of retuching to produce propaganda images. It covers the Soviet Union, the Eastern Bloc, China, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Castro's Cuba.

It will be an eyeopener for many naive people.