. A few stars are twinkling. I take a deep breath and think. What to do at 3 a.m.? I take down a book I had been intending to read: Chauvet Cave--the oldest paintings in the world. It was a great choice. I am astonished by the gorgeous cave paintings, the oldest found yet--they are some 30,000 years old. I am awed by the shapes and colors of animals: mammoths, rhinoceros, lions, horses, bears and one owl. Maybe just like the owl I am listening to right now.
When the cave was discovered in France in 1994, specialists were astonished by its location and the beauty of its art. Who would have guessed that people that long ago could be so sophisticated in their drawing. They used contours of the cave to dramatize the shapes of animals. The unknown master artist used perspective to show great herds of animals running and used shading on their bodies. There were a few hand prints outlined in red and the imprints of a pair of hands in the clay on the floor of the cave.

Even more astonishing were the huge footprints of cave bears and mixed in their tracks were paint pigments used on the walls. Imagine painting a masterpiece and having huge bears tracking through the paint. How distracting. In some places, the bears had incised the paintings on the cave walls with thier huge claws.
Cave bears are now extinct. They were larger than even the largest bears we know of today. Chauvet Cave was littered with many bear skulls and bones. If the bears had died while hibernating, that might explain part of it. But one bear skull had been deliberately set on a huge stone that had fallen from the ceiling as if an altar.
What had these early people been thinking to paint running herds of animals, bison, and ibex, all beautifully, poetically rendered, and solitary bears in a cave stunning in its beauty with calcite stone draperies and ochre colored walls. All of this remained in pristine condition for 30,000 years and then it was discovered by expert cavers not very long ago. The government of France is making sure that none of it is destroyed by eager tourists or even research teams who may inadvertantly destroy the evidence of early man and the animals they obviously admired.

The work is still being carried on and there is a lot to learn there.
I was thrilled to find the book, even though it is not a brand new book.

In December 1994, three speleologists were exploring in the Ardèche region of France when they discovered an underground system of caves that came to be known as the Chauvet Cave (named for one of the three). Because these individuals were highly aware of the potential for finding ice age cave art in this region and extremely responsible human beings, they behaved with the utmost propriety, taking care to preserve their find for scientific research. As a result, they have ensured the protection and continued existence of a treasure trove of paleolithic art. In DAWN OF ART: THE CHAUVET CAVE, Jean-Marie Chauvet, Eliette Brunel Deschamps and Christian Hillaire tell the story of the discovery that has rocked the art world.

The Chauvet Cave paintings were executed sometime during the Aurignacian Period. Radiocarbon dating indicates the wall art is probably about 30,000 years old, making it twice as old as Lascaux. CHAUVET CAVE (the book) includes over 100 pages of stunning photographs of this fabulous art. Literally hundreds of Aurochs, Bison, Mastodons, Horses, Lions, Bears and other animals have been depicted.

The Chauvet Cave paintings are extremely well executed, leading many archeologists and art historians to completely reformulate extant theories concerning the evolution of human art. It would seem our forebears were not clumsy louts who drew stick-like versions of organic life. The wall art at Chauvet shows perspective, modeling, color, line, form, and other visual aspects associated with post-Renaissance representational and abstract art. In my estimation, the Chauvet wall paintings -executed in charcoal, ochers, and other material - are comparable to the chalk drawings of Leonardo da Vinci and Picasso.

The caves seem to have been the dwelling place of Cave Bears and perhaps humans, at different times. Bones of cave bears litter the floor of the cave and many cave bears have been drawn on the walls. In one chamber, a bear skull rests on an alter-like rock formation. Whether the skull was laid there for magical or religious or secular purposes related to art, or simply tossed there by a child is not known.

Scientists are attempting to determine the order of events in the Chauvet cave by studying the formation of overlying levels of sediment and accretions of calcite material on the walls, ceilings, and floors. Some of the wall paintings have been scratched by bear or lion claws indicating animal activity after the pictures were drawn. In other instances, paintings overlay earlier damaged surfaces. Several different artists apparently worked in the cave chambers over an extended period. The most beautiful paintings on the horse panel and elsewhere seem to have been executed by a master and/or his "school" of apprentices.

In the most distant chamber, lies the "sorcerer's chamber" where a creature with a bison head and human-like form has been painted in conjunction with a 'Lion Panel'. The authors apparently are referring to the 'sorcerers' of Trois-Freres in the Ariege and Gabillou in the Dordogne. My favorite work is the 'Great Lion Panel', a wondrous mural showing a group of grazing bison followed by a pack of lions. The lion heads and shoulders are massive, modeled, and menacing. The authors CHAUVET CAVE appear to have been most captivated by the 'Horse Panel' which is also incredibly beautiful.

As is usually the case, Abrams has done a stellar job depicting beautiful works of art. Since very few of us will ever be allowed to visit the Chauvet Cave, this book may be the next best thing to being there.

I found out about the Chauvet cave and this book in the gift shop of another French cave with cave paintings (Font du Gaume). The idea of being within arm's reach of cave paintings was fairly overwhelming. Then to see the book on Chauvet and the paintings found there! What an amazing day!

Looking through this book is a constant joy. The paintings were made by a true artist. They are magnificent. If you have an interest in cave paintings, this is the book for you. It is an excellent record of what has been found in the cave to date.

I do wish for more expository text but that will come with more study of the paintings, handprints, footprints and other artifacts found in the cave.

Until then, I will have to be content to look at beautiful photographs of some of the most amazing art work ever seen.

I am writing this as a sony evangelist, although the cover of the book is diffrent to the one which is shown here. the content of the book is amazing, The dazzling pictures and photography in the book is an eye opener, The book takes about the cluture and the art of the japanese sony designers. How they get their inspiration from stories and from the world around them. An extreammly good showcase of the arts and industrial developnment and design. The book is also rather new tackling subjects on memmory sticks and the newest Sony MD. However the most impressive part of the book was the chapters on the sony playstation and the sony viao subnote book computers. They explain such indept on how the designers used their inspiration and creativity to craft out wonders of high tech art. They also explained how sony tackled the many problems face when designing the playstation. Overall it is the best sony book i have bought. A wonderful inspirtational book filled with creativity which makes you "wow" at sony's design process and designs. "wow"

Beautiful photographs and explanatory text help make this book a must buy.

But in no way does it sit on my coffee table - it's in my studio, in my home office - inspiring. The tight detail shots of real products to concept products make you wish all man-made objects had this attention to quality. This book is a must for designers because there are words that go with the pictures. They tell a wonderful story - whether you agree with the philosophy or not - it helps explain the design decisions, the strength of the Sony identity and their success. The timeline diagrams and text explaining the business trends of product entry to saturation really is a reflection of someone thinking and analyzing the system - something not really expected in pretty-picture books.

I can't believe the excellent price point too - most decent design books gouge you on cost. For those who appreciate beautiful form+function, get it.

This is a rare coffee table type book that you'll want to take the the bedroom or study, or wherever you do your serious reading.

You can easily enjoy the book simply for the wonderful images of the ingeniously designed products that Sony has and continues to develop. But what sets this book apart from most in its genre is that it provides the reader with a surprisingly rich context within which to view the design work, not only with regards to industrial design, but also the history of Sony the company.

Reading the text, one gains a deeper appreciation for the level of thought put into the design of each and every product throughout its entire lifecycle.

Finally, the book also provides a unique look into the future of consumer electronics, at least from the perspective of the leaders at Sony. It's a rare opportunity to see the future as defined by a company which has much to do with the shape of our present.

This is definitely a great buy or gift!

In the book Confessions of a Teenage Baboon, a kid named Chris waits 'til the day he can wear his father Chesterfield coat. His father died a couple of years before the book began. He has to live in a house with a dying woman and her bad son. A lot of weird things go on in the book that often make you wonder, what is going on in the book. Chris also gets involved with a lot of different things.
A few suggestions to the author would be to use some better wording and description. Most of the book describes a lot but I think that you could make it better. Other than that, everything in the book is excellent. I hope to see more of those good books.

This book was good- just regular, straight-up Zindel. Chris is an interesting character and Lloyd is fairly interesting too. I haven't read this in a while, but I do recommend it for any longtime Zindel fan. Do not begin with this one, however; start with I Never Loved Your Mind or The Pigman.

If you read my other two book reviews, you'll notice that I am a fan of Paul Zindel's writing. And after reading The Pigman and The Pigman's Legacy, I wanted to get my hands on anything the man's written. I picked up Confessions Of A Teenage Baboon one day, and I haven't put it down since.

Basically the book revolves around fifteen-year-old Chris Boyd and his struggles with his dysfunctional mother and the memories of his late father. His mother is a nurse, and whenever she gets a new patient, she and Chris move into the patient's home to take care of him/her. This time around the patient is an elderly woman named Carmelita Dipardi. And the members of the Dipardi household make the families in the movie "American Beauty" look normal. There's Carmelita's drunk son Lloyd and her disturbed husband, as well as Harold, a kid from the neighborhood that always seems to be around.

Here Chris battles love, hate, pain, violence, and especially depression, while temporarily living in the madhouse that is the Dipardi residence. The book can be shocking at times, but all the way through it's very enjoyable. It's filed under YOUNG ADULT, but adults can enjoy it just as much as teens...even more so, I think. I'm 21 and I enjoy it. In fact, I literally read it almost every day and I still never get tired of it. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.

A very kiddie approach to Feng Shui. A very broad basic overview of Feng Shui in simple terms, but definitely kid oriented. Nothing really practical here.

If you want an introduction to Feng Shui, this book is
fantastic. It explains everything is a very simple language (it's like a story told by a little boy). Very clear and easy.
A great place to start!

It pretends to be for kids, but this book has a clearer, more sensible, and more concise handle on feng shui than anything else I have read. With great cartoons that illustrate the important points, and explanations that show exactly WHY feng shui has all these strange rules, it is an excellent book. Heartily recommended for anyone interested in feng shui, from ages eight to eighty!

I don't understand the good reviews this book got. I was excited about this book and thought I scored a hit when I found it at my library. What a dud! If you are going to start an e-business, you need to find a place to host your site. NOT COVERED! You should expect a book this expensive to point out what to look for in a hosting site, tip you off to bad deals on hosting, expectations on pricing, pricing structures, etc. How on earth can you set up a site without this information? Will you have physical access to your server (should you)? or will you simply upload from a distance? What about hackers? Do you protect the site or do they protect. Is it possible to go it alone (i.e. host the site at your business with a T1 line)? What's involved with going it alone? How do you get a T1 line to your business? None of these things are covered. And the biggie most people want--Credit Card transactions. Not much here either. Cursory information you can glean off the web. There's some information on what happens to the data during a credit card transaction (reads like a TIME-LIFE book), but again, no information on how to choose a Merchant provider, or what to look for in such providers. CyberCash and a few big name players are listed with their web addresses, but you can get this info on the web yourself. Just try, as a startup, to sign on with cybercash. The fees will be outrageous. No ratios as to cost/cc transactions in line with your business is discussed, just dry reporting on how others do it. You come away saying to yourself, ok so that's what's going on (in a very general way), but there's nothing to tell you how to do it yourself. No guides whatsoever. No example business plan, nothing. There are some nice chapters on XML, DynamicHTML, ASP etc., but you can get this in more depth in other books and still pay less than this book. There are some really stupid things in here too. Like a history of computers? What the ... is this doing in here? An introduction to Internet Explorer? If you need an introduction to IE, you shouldn't be thinking about e-commerce yet. Marketing info and business info is provided to the level that you'd understand what people were talking about if you joined a firm that needed to do this. But you would not be in any position to actually do marketing, or e-business. If you read this book cover to cover you will come away with a lot of information, but still be unable to do e-business, e-commerce, or even run a busy website. Boy am I glad I didn't buy this book.

Hi. I currently own the 'e-Business & e-Commerce How-to-Program' book by the authors. If anyone out there currently owns the XML book by Dietel & Associates, and is interested in making a trade, please send me an email. The trade can be either permanent, or just a temporary swap. Which ever you prefer.

GenerationExcel@aol.com

It doesn't come better then this, I purchased this book a week ago and I can not put it down. I am simply amazed at the way this book tackles complex issues in such a simple and straightforward manner. It eases you in so that you fully understand the laws, ethics, asthetics, marketing and solutions to every E-business question ever asked, on top of that it teaches the programming languages of all major languages for the web. Whether you want a profitable business on the web, or just a fantastic site with the most modern abilities, then look no further. This is the ONLY book you'll ever need. The Marketing section alone makes this book worth the money.

I first encountered "Elementary Training for Musicians" when I was a teenager, several decades ago. It was recommended by a couple of professional musicians whom I admired as role models. They must have had a grudge against me. I approached the book with an open and eager mind, as if it were the Bible, and by the fifth page it had absolutely dashed my hopes and dreams. This book would have represented a major setback for me, had I not had the courage to say, "Hindemith, you're full of [it]," and moved on with my life.

As I got to know my musician friends better, I could see that what made them good had little to do with the torturous training in this turgid tome. I suspect that the same is true of Hindemith, who probably wrote his music with his right brain, and wrote this book with his left. I think he secretly penned this particular monument to obtuseness to dumbfound his professor peers, as if to say, "You see? This is what is 'elementary' to a genius like me."

You probably won't take to this book unless you happen to have perfect pitch and an appetite for unmusical exercises. Even if the latter description fits you, you would probably find the layout boring and confusing, a relic from the pre-War era, when pools of type swam in undifferentiated masses on the page. In this case, the pools are notes. The type enshrines an authorial voice that is professorial and pedantic. There is little sympathy on Hindemith's part for the "beginner's mind" -- yours, presumably -- so if you are really a beginner at music, seek your elementary training elsewhere. I would suggest going to the bookstore of a major university and seeing what is available now in music fundamentals. Avoid all texts that do not have at least one accompanying CD. Why be cruel to yourself? Your progress will be easier and faster if you can hear what the symbols mean.

One other recommendation: David Lucas Burge's Relative Pitch Ear Training Course (I have no financial interest in Burge's courses). Burge seems to be a bit of a showman, but this course is indeed meticulously worked out. I think there are some drawbacks to it, but it is truly Elementary Training for Musicians, and it will serve you well for a lifetime. As for his Perfect Pitch course, there may be something to it, but I haven't seen (or heard) any confirmation.

Good luck!

This is by far the best book on its subject that I've ever worked with. For some reason it wasn't used until the second year second semester of Ear Training where I went to school, and I wonder why the college made us waste time and money on previous texts when this one had it all.

That being said, it's definitely written without self-teaching in mind. From Hindemith's mindset, and that of many pedagogues both living and deceased, the idea of teaching oneself musicianship is about as nuts as teaching oneself surgery or carpentry. Even if it were possible, the same results could be achieved with less time and effort through proper instruction, which Hindemith sought to facilitate with this text. So if you're looking for a self-teaching text, look elsewhere - you are outside the scope of this book.

My only concern about this book, and this could be simply the edition I have, is that it's in desperate need of a facelift. Taking advantage of computer layout techniques could make the exercises easier to read and the pages easier to navigate. Other than that, it's a teacher's dream for working on the nuts and bolts of musicianship.

Paul Hindemith is probaly the greatest teacher, composer, and author of the 20th Century. This Book gives insight to many students (such as myself). It is a great source of help for music theory and composition, history and literature majors. Buy the Book and I gurantee you will not regret it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Boyadjian and Paul have combined their talents in an effort to revolutionize how Americans view work and the workplace. Their book challenges each of us to ask, Why must work be treated as such a serious endeavor? Can't we work hard, make money, hold high standards for how we treat customers and shareholders AND still enjoy ourselves?

But the authors go beyond merely causing readers to ask this question. They expect anybody who would like to enjoy working to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND BE PROACTIVE! This book is filled with numerous ideas for how each and every one of us can start being a change agent for creating Fun@Work.

Ron Paul's cartoons touch a nerve or two. Many of the situations he pokes fun at have happened at least once to all of us. But instead of getting you angry or sad, Paul helps you laugh your way through the bureaucratic muck you are so used to.

Berge Boyadjian is a fountain of ideas on approaches you can try for bringing The Golden Smile into the corporate dungeon. Nothing is presented as a must-do. Rather, you can treat this book as source material for your own creativity and experimentation.

This book is not a polished piece of literature. But that really isn't the point of it. Ask yourself, Am I being a change agent for Fun@Work? Then pick up this book.

"This book should be the handbook for every office. It's fun, it's practical and it's indispensable. Having fun at work is a key ingredient for living a fulfilled life."

-- Robert G. Allen
4 NY Times bestsellers:
"Multiple Streams of Income"
Co-author with Mark Victor Hansen, "The One Minute Millionaire"

"This book is great! Create Fun @ Work gives the tools to create a productive and fun atmosphere that everyone can benefit from. Through humor, practical ideas and principles you'll want to go to work everyday!"

-Mark Victor Hansen
Co-creator, #1 New York Times best-selling series Chicken Soup for the Soul®
Co-author, The One Minute Millionaire

Great photography and sculptures, but the writing style is fool's gold. Too expensive as well, even with the Amazon reduction. It's great but not that great.

as good as the book is, i must say that it pales in comparison to seeing his work in person. i saw some of it at the renwick gallery in washington d.c. and it's just incredible. he's come out of his shell in the last few years but has been producing great stuff for a long time.

nevertheless, the book is worth it. but if you ever get the chance to see his work, by all means do so. there was an interesting piece on him by the "sunday morning" cbs news show. you may be able to get a tape of it from them.

As a professor of Art History at an Afghani University, I would like to congratulate, extol, and exult Daniel Brush's masterpiece of a monograph. Its insight and vivid explanations are invaluable and I am discussing with my colleagues about including it as an elective course for my students. Its sheer brilliance exemplifies its utter domination over any other art book. Congratulations to Daniel Brush for enhancing the art world. He will surely go down in history as the pioneer of gold sculpting and as example for all.

In general the approach of this book is definitely a good one for a beginner as well as a student well versed on the subject.
The material covered in this book does require one to put the "full" effort forward, but with great effect. The only negative
part of the book is that the SAP-2 model is not done correctly. Other then this, the book is great for learning digital logic.

I'm not sure if this is a later edition of the book I used or not 20 years ago, because it was just titled Digital Electronics back them. But if it is, and it's as good as the original edition, it was probably the best introduction to the subject I'd ever read. Clear and concise explanations of basic principles and digital circuit components made this a valuable reference and study book for me. In fact, as a result of reading this book on my own, I was able to test out of the introductory digital circuits class at my college and get into the second semester class. The book was a standard textbook for years at the colleges near my home, and it has taught thousands of electronic hobbyists, technicians, and engineers over the last 20 years this important field of electronics. Truly a great classic by an outstanding teacher.

I read this book back in 80's while doing my bachelor in electronics engineering.
This book gave me a solid understanding of the heart and sole of a computer.
Later I used this book for my lectures at various levels. A must have book for every one who wants a real foundation in computer science career.

Although my philosophical interests are mostly in 20-century analytical thought and the philosophy of science, I've still read my share of theologists, including Kierkegaard, Barth, Bultmann, Rosenzweig, Marcel, Mauritain, Buber, Berdyaef, and Niebuhr, and Tillich is perhaps the greatest of them all. So I still have considerable respect for Tillich, and I thought I'd make a few comments about that.

This little book (only about 140 pages) is still packed with much of the best that Tillich's subtle and profound mind had to offer. The chapter, "The Truth of Faith," is probably the greatest essay on the attempt to reconcile faith with reason, and how an intelligent man can be religious, ever written, a subject which goes back at least to St. Augustine's The City of God over 1500 years ago.

Tillich's basic idea is that faith can become a transformative and even transcendent force in people's lives. As one reviewer here put it so perceptively, "Faith is creative precisely because we act even though we cannot be entirely sure of the outcome. This is the Faith that creates science and art, and produces miracles in everyday life. When that Faith is attached to life's ultimate concern, it becomes sacred and holy."

Overall, a great book from a great philosopher that itself perhaps transcends its subject matter.

The last time I read Tillich was over 20 years ago in the Seminary. Frankly, I read what was required, memorized enough for the tests, and then dumped it - Wow did i make a mistake!
My current academic advisor / clinical supervisor structured a summer reading program of several of Tillich's books. The 'Dynamics of Faith' will challenge the reader to re-examine the depths of their emotion, focus / energy, and being. Woven through each chapter is the concept of faith as a 'total and centered act of the personal self, the act of unconditional, infinite and ultimate concern.' In our fast paced - immediate gratification - superficial age that impacts all that we do (From the foods we eat to the God we worship); Tillich challenges us to go deep, to savor, to discover the glory of The Ultimate. A 'Must Read' or 'Must Reread' for Pastors.

Reader from NJ -- Wake up and open your eyes, Tillich is talking about YOU (...the idea "faith" that rests solely on belief and demands the elimination of doubt is the antithesis of true faith). Tillichs' views on symbolism and faith do raise "questions" about all symbolism in religion, but
those questions prompt us to look more closely at the nature of our own relationship with God, and thereby fortify that relationship!

I read this book in college, and it was the best book on the subject of philosophy of religion I have ever read. I am going to buy another copy to replace my old college edition!