This is my first introduction to Greene & Greene's work. If you have never seen it before, think of Frank Lloyd Wright's work, except everything is allot more rounded, and comfortable looking, except for the exteriors. I would say though that Frank Lloyd Wright was a better architect, but he could have gotten Greene & Greene to make his homes interiors allot more homey looking, and less dated. If your a fan of Wright's or the Art's & Crafts movement buy the book.

The Greene brothers were architects who designed in the Arts and Crafts style. Like Frank Lloyd Wright, their style was so distinctive that they are not considered as examples of a type, but as architects whose style stands by itself. Unlike Frank Lloyd Wright, the Greene brothers' practice was almost completely limited to personal residences. This has probably limited the reach of their reputation. Outside of the Gamble house, which has been made into a museum, the work of the Greene brothers is generally not accessible to the public. All but one of their houses was in California, most of them in Pasadena. One wonders how well known Wright would be had he never designed the Guggenheim, or the Marin County Civic Center, or if he had never ventured outside of Chicago.

This book addresses the problem by taking us inside twenty-five examples of Greene and Greene's work. The text is accompanied by the breathtaking photography of Alexander Vertikoff. I own a large collection of books on the architecture of this period, and those illustrated by Vertikoff stand in a class by themselves. His photos are magnificent, doing justice to the material he portrays. I doubt if there is a finer photographer working in this field today.

With photos like these, it would have been easy to turn this volume into nothing more than a glorious picture book. Instead, Bruce Smith provides an engaging story of the careers of the two architects. The best writing is found in an extensive introduction, where the author discusses the Greene and Greene style in general terms. One can see at a glance how the style starts with Arts and Crafts. Indeed, there is a wealth of Stickley furniture in many of the houses. It is equally obvious how the two went beyond the plain craftsman designs so common further east. The Japanese influence was much stronger here, and the craftsmanship in the wood joinery was much more refined. There is more woodworking than carpentry here. The woods included Burmese teak, Honduras mahogany, Port Orford cedar, oak, maple and redwood. In some cases, the brothers were able to design furniture, landscaping and gardens to go with the architecture.

For the remainder of the book, we get a tour through twenty-five houses designed by Greene and Greene. Each house is presented in the order of its design and construction, with a history of the entire house to the present day. In some cases, this includes restoration after some abuse. Some of these houses were created on a budget; others were done with no apparent limits on the imagination of the architects. All are works of art, created as a labor of love by all concerned. For anyone unfamiliar with the work of Greene and Greene, this is an excellent introduction. For those who are already captivated, this book is a must, if only for those magnificent pictures.

As an aspiring woodworker with apparently very little natural talent, I can only view Greene & Greene's work with a mixture of awe and jealousy. While I find much of what Wright has done to be at times inaccessible and dated (primarily because so many others have attempted to copy or incorporate his style into theirs - and failed miserably by the way), the Greene's work is absolutely gorgeous, and would fit in with many current styles.....But then again you all know that. The question is why buy this particular book?

If you are looking for wonderful, full-page color photographs this is it. The first 50 pages are devoted to the G&G style; there is a page or two devoted to Materials, Joinery, Lighting etc. Descriptions are quite brief, and include a couple of pics.

The next 170 pages are devoted to 25 different houses with narration about the original design process, the ensuing history, and the current state. Again tons of color pics, and lots of shots of the furniture they designed to go with the particular house.

If you are looking for an in-depth discussion, check out Randall Makinson's "Architecture as a Fine Art/Furniture and Related Designs. These two books (now available in one edition) cover the G&G history in detail, but have less photos (many in black and white). They do have many front on center views of the furniture (as well as early drawings) so if you are interested in building their furniture, these books make a suitable companion to the one being reviewed.

Though not his best in the outstanding Sir John Fielding series, Alexander's ninth provides a lively view of British outrage and bafflement at the fractiousness of the American colonies as well as a rich portrait of crime and policing in 18th century London as the blind Bow Street Court magistrate Fielding oversees his Bow Street runners and investigates a murder/robbery with ominous political overtones. Young narrator Jeremy Proctor, Fielding's eyes and legs and increasingly mature assistant, tells the tale with verve, initiative, and wit, indulging in a little romance of his own along the way.

The case involves the theft of inflammatory letters and the collateral murder of a footman at the home of an arrogant British lord, secretary of state for the American colonies. Though Lord Hillsborough refuses to divulge the letters' contents, it's clear they connect with the rising colonial foment. Dinners with Samuel Johnson and Benjamin Franklin speed Fielding's cogitations while Jeremy scouts the back alleys and low taverns for the hired miscreants. The central mystery is a bit weak, but it hardly matters as Alexander brings history to life from the perspective of those making it and Jeremy continues to charm and provide the action, from disarming a mob to battling a ruthless assassin. Franklin appears in all his warts and brilliance and only the British aritsocracy comes off worse. Well-written, atmospheric and intirguing, the series continues to delight.

Most series go into a decline long before they reach the ninth installment. Not so with Bruce Alexander's wonderful creation. This latest volume is my personal favorite thus far. The characters and richness of period detail would be enough to make the books worth reading, even without the mystery plots. The characters have become like old friends. The books have an appeal much like Sherlock Holmes, which make you want to visit just for the atmosphere and interaction among the characters. Jeremy is back, but alas, he has outgrown his green coat. Sir John is as formidable and perceptive as always. Bruce Alexander has the ability to include actual historical figures (Ben Franklin in this case) without seeming contrived. Since the plot has already been summarized, I will only add that these books are worth buying--in hardback--because you will want to re-read them and pass them to friends. I hope this series continues, because I am hooked!

This series has replaced Anne Perry's series as my choice for the best historical detective fiction around. The mysteries are always tightly plotted and believable and the characters, from the stars to the supporting players, are intricately drawn and unforgettable. These books are just a tremendous reading experience.

I chose this title, because it was true, at least for me. As Americans, we (some of us, not all) "think" Russians are not "very intelligent", "backward" and even, "less than human."
After reading this book, I tend to "get on my soapbox" to help people understand what few choices, the Russian people ever had in the outcomes of their lives! I never knew this before purchasing and reading Mr. Lincoln's book!
If you cannot be convinced by the poverty imposed on the Russians through Mr. Lincoln's words, you will be convinced by the heart-wrenching photographs; the children who appear as hopeless, hovels designed as homes with animals living within, death from starvation was not uncommon. And all the time, Russia refused (those in power prior to the Revolution)to feed her people, wheat was being shipped to other European countries.
And the Russians never questioned the motives of the Tsar; after the Revolution, they still starved and were murdered by Stalin and Hitler.
We need to change our attitudes and this book did it for me.

In the forward, W. Bruce Lincoln states the book is "...an effort to explore the lives, thoughts, hopes, and dreams of the men and women who lived in the world's largest empire and to convey some sense of the tensions that tore at the fabric of their existence on the eve of the Great War and the Revolution of 1917." In this effort he succeeds brilliantly.

We see portraits of Tsar Alexander III, Nicholas II, Pobedonostsev, Lenin, Rasputin, and a host of other generals, officials and ordinary people who shaped that era.

We get an insider's look at what life was like in a peasant community, inside the peasant's izba or house, and their attitudes towards schooling, medicine and religion. We go inside the growing factories and the slums the workers inhabited in the cities with rapidly developing industry. We see the new nobility of the industrial barons, the revolutionaries fighting the tsarist autocracy, the defenders of the Old Order...all come to life in these pages.

Graphic descriptions are given of the vicious pogroms against Jews. The impact of the Trans-Siberian Railroad in both economic and a political aspects is covered. The 1904 war with Japan is there with its criminally incompetent generals and and admirals and the war's impact on the development of the Revolution of 1905 as well as the mood of the populace as the nations slides toward the Great War.

This well written, illuminating, detailed and well documented book is a classic work on the Russian society of those years and fleshes out the soul of Russia as few other books do. 16 pages of photos. Highly recommended.

The book I ordered, In War's Dark Shadow, was exactly as the seller described it - in perfect condition. Since the book is not longer in print, I feel lucky to find one that looks as if it has never been used. The book was shipped promptly, and the seller was a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend this seller!

thanks!

Now in an fully updated and expanded second edition, General Aviation Marketing And Management by Alexander T. Wells (Adjunct Professor of Aviation Business Administration at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) and Bruce D. Chadbourne (Professor in the College of Business, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) is a truly comprehensive survey of the general aviation air transportation system and its impact upon the American consumer oriented economy. Focusing on the late 1970s through the present day, notable laws such as the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994, management processes as applied to aircraft and much more, General Aviation Marketing And Management is seminal, inherently fascinating, meticulously detailed, and strongly recommended study which is enhanced throughout with extensive research, tables, and black-and-white photography.

Aviation safety Programs A Management Handbook,
Human Factors in Aviation
Airline Management,Strategies for the 21st Century
Practical Aviation Law
Airport Operations
An Introduction to Airline Economics
Transportation
General Aviation Marketing and Management

In North America, Thomas Hardy is better known for his novels than for his poems, but Hardy himself prized his verse more, and this recording demonstrates the breadth and depth of his achievement as a poet.

It features compelling performances of more than 70 of Hardy's poems by two distinguished British actors, Bruce Alexander and Janet Maw. Hardy wrote the earliest of these as a teenager and the last of them some seven decades later. Carefully-chosen excerpts from Hardy's autobiography and the writings of his first wife, Emma, help place trace the biographical sources of many of the poems.

What's most impressive is Hardy's versatility: of the 70-odd poems here, no two use the same form, and the subjects range from the joys of young love to the wistful resignation of the poet, in his eighties, musing on fate and change.

When the Academy of American Poets asked me to name ten poetry recordings that every library should have, for a feature on their web site, this was one of my choices.

In North America, Hardy is better known as a novelist than as a poet, but it was his poems that Hardy himself prized most, and they are highly regarded in Britain today.

This recording features performances of more than 70 of Hardy's poems by two distinguished British actors, Bruce Alexander and Janet Maw. The poems are accompanied by carefully-chosen excerpts from Hardy's autobiography and the writings of his first wife, Emma.

The result is a compelling program that makes an excellent introduction to newcomers to Hardy's work and will also delight those who have already discovered this wise and compassionate poet. What is most impressive is Hardy's versatility: of the 70-odd poems here, I don't think any two use the same form, and the content ranges from the joys of young love to the widtful resignation of the poet, in his eighties, musing on fate and change.

When the Academy of American Poets asked me to name ten poetry recordings that every library should have, this was one of my recommendations.

What fun! I began at Florida Southern College in 1998, and during my years there I heard stories, sure, but nothing like this! Dr. Bruce takes us through decades of folk tales about the college, you know--those ghost stories and such that we all loved telling over and over again. I never knew there were so many--it makes for a great read! He also makes you think about why the stories get told--what's going on with the tellers. I finished it in one long (kind of spooky) night! I never had Dr. Bruce for a class--boy, I wish I had!

This textbook is an excellent resource for those students interested in developing a knowledge base in aviation insurance and risk management. The text descibes the various policies available for pilots, and aviation related companies. It also outlines the many types of risk management techniques used to ensure company solvency. The authors have made a very large and complicated subject into something more understandable.

Aleksandr Pika is a great northern anthropologist, and I am greatful that his work has been translated into English. This book is an excellent study of USSR policy as it has affected (and continues to affect) Native Siberians.

Alexander (psycholgist) discusses the nature of addiction and drugs in the larger context of society. Drawing on some clear consequences of the United States' "war on drugs" (e.g., constraints on individual liberties, the proliferation of pseudo-scientific claims, and the exacerbation of drug addictions), Alexander hopes to prevent prohibitionist mentality from spreading North of the border. This book is refreshing, lucid, and enjoyable to read. The author is well read in areas that range beyond the pharmacological and psychological literature (e.g., philosophy, political science, and sociology). Alexander's balanced perspective on drugs and addiction provides a challenge to convetional claims made in the media and 'scientific' literature.

This book is a classic study of Jesus' teaching and training of his disciples (first published in 1871). When I first read it, I was fascinated by the light it shed on my reading of the Gospels. It is a very valuable study for any Christian who serves in any form of leadership capacity or anyone seeking to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

The book's 31 chapters give an absorbing commentary on selected passages of the four Gospels, following in chronological order Jesus ministry and teaching among his disciples. The writing style will take a bit of getting used to for the average modern reader, but it's well worth the effort. There is also a table of Scripture references discussed in the book that make it useful reference work. Read it cover to cover first.