Once again Mem Fox has captured an essential humancondition. Like so many of her previous picture books, Feathers andFools, lyrically pulls us into a story rich with meaning. We use this allegory in our Unit of Inquiry focusing on 20th Century Conflicts. Students are full of observations which they apply to history and to their personal lives. Perfect for use in IB-PYP schools. The beautiful illustrations by Nicholas Wilton successfully augment this tale of fear and new beginnings.

This book is great. I would recommend this book to everyone. In this book the swans and peacocks are enemies. This book is for all ages. The peackocks and swans had a fight, but some swans flew away. If you like great illustrations read Feathers And Fools by Mem Fox.
By: Lauren M.

A good range of essays from the poetic to the scientific - but all written with feeling. The topic of Gaia brings forth very powerful life changing thoughts about the word we live in. However, the last essays really go beyond the boundaries of the strict sientific mind. A highly recommended book.

I really enjoyed reading my roomate's copy of this book. All the essays revolve around the concept of as living world. The essays come at the topic from a variety of angles: spiritual, scientific, esoteric...

This is one of my new favorite books, that really helps explain the living world concept.

Nicholas K. Coch provide in this book a very clear and informative look at the causes and effects of the natural world around us. He gives explanations and provides charts in a format that is easily understandable to any person regardless of scientific background. Overall it is a very readable book and sheds new light on some of the most terrifying events nature can present to the human condition on Earth. Coch provides a very thorough treatment of geohazards going not only from the causes for most natural disasters, but covering ways to lessen the effects of the disasters on the way humans live.

This text book, used in Geology classes led by Dr. Nicholas Coch himself, offers an array of useful information that any future or current geologist can appreciate. The book contains a brief history of how our wonderful planet Earth came into existence and what makes it work. Basically, everything you need to know in life that is important can be found here. Real estate decisions, where to be when a natural disaster occurs, what causes these occurances, what to invest in, how we can prepare for the future, are just some examples of what can be gained. Instead of working against the Earth, we can work with the Earth if we only understood how it works.

I do not have this book at present, thus I can only write what I remember.

Overall I would say that anyone interested in history, particularly milleniarism, should read/buy "The Great Year." The book is an engaging, comprehensive survery of milleniarism along with a great deal of history to boot.

"The Great Year" and "The Great Week" are views of history that have been accepted by many cultures/religions - Hebrews, Christians, Platonists, etc. According to this view, history is predetermined and fulfills itself in phases of various lengths. In the Hebrew book of Jubilees a "year" is 49 years, for example. In another culture a 4-phase historical cycle may involve completely different time scales. The Hebrews tended to see their "Great Year" cycles as successive renewals with God's covenant through prophets like Moses, with alternating cycles where the covenant is broken and people suffer, the explanation given as not following God's laws. Everyone is certainly familiar with how Christians believe their destiny will be fulfilled!

The author of "The Great Year" argues that history is not predetermined, that human behavior and events are not so predictable, and that historians often bias their accounts using various filters, especially the theory that history and humanity are always progressing.

Very broadly speaking, what the author seeks to accomplish in this very large survey are three things: 1) To define "The Great Year" concept and pinpoint how and when it manifested itself in various cultures. Millenarian movements in Christianity and other cultures are discussed thoroughly. Some readers may be surprised at how widespread and pervasive milleniarism has been over time in many cultures and religions. 2) To show that historians who view history in terms of progress are in error. Karl Popper wrote a book called "The Poverty of Historicism" that Campion and others have cited to show that historical accounts are often biased by false preconceptions. 3) To demonstrate that a number of currents in history, such as Marxism, are actually millenarian movements themselves, describing history in their own terms of fulfillment of their predetermined goals.

I feel that the author suceeds very well with these aims. I was particularly impressed with his insight in observing that adherents of the more modern movements such as Marxism and Nazism indeed act exactly like those who claim that a select group of people will be "saved" because they believe in a "Saviour," that history is following their version of a predetermined conclusion.

In the end, however, I found parts of this otherwise excellent book unsatisfactory because the author, while accurately depicting the fallacies of other historical views, himself falls into what I would call the trap of reason, that reason and material "proof" are the sole arbiters of "truth."

In the first part of the book Mr. Campion critisizes Jung for the latter's writings which stated that excessive materialism had corrupted mankind and made it more bellicose, hence 2 world wars in an era of great technological progress. He claims that there is no "proof." It's a shame that Dr. Jung can't defend himself, as I'm certain he could. But let me say, if the lack of spiritual values - compassion, tolerance, humility, a bond with something Divine, etc., which have in no way kept up with our material development in this century - is not one of the major causes of our almost total preoccupation with materialism, then we might as well discard the timeless teachings of many teachers, theologians, and others, who have attempted to bring some civility and purpose into this often Godless, corrupted world. Personally I am not willing to do this.

I also found the author's attack on "New Age" thinkers, like Helen Blavatsky and others, only too typical of the trite criticisms of materialistic thinkers. I even checked out one of his sources, who wrote a trilogy debunking Blavatsky and others (I can't remember the author's name), and parts of the 2 books I perused were in my opinion sadly failed attempts to attack the messangers while not attempting to take on the far more difficult and important task of evaluating their messages. Not at all surprising, for how can we "prove" that there is a God, or that there are Masters of Wisdom, karma, reincarnation, etc., which would point to some spiritual meaning for life? There are those who try to prove these things, even doctors, scientists, etc., but from what I could tell from this book, to Mr. Campion and his sources it's doubtful that any proof would ever suffice. To me a purely materialistic reading of history, where there is no ultimate Purpose and meaning - which I would claim can be pursued by trying to grow spiritually, often through multiple physical incarnations - is itself in one important sense lacking in purpose.

Campion convincingly ties together the stands of historism, astrology, and millenarianism into a tapestry spanning time from Babylon to modern Marxism, seeking to explain how ancient beliefs about the cosmos have influcenced modern views of the future. The amount of material the author marshals is truly impressive.

The book is a general reference guide to the world of hazardous materials, its particular vocabulary, and as a quick reference to precautionary measures to be used with chemicals. Also, a great deal of information has been compiled in a series of useful tables, as explained below.

An introductory chapter provides an explanation of terms used in the handbook, particularly useful for interpreting the data given in the later tables. This classified arrangement helps one easily comprehend related terms used in the later chapters. There is also a 30+ page alphabetically arranged glossary at the end of the text. Other features of the introductory chapter include a bibliography of references used to compile the data tables, and a separate bibliography of further recommended readings.

Chapter 2 focuses on industrial hygiene. After a brief section on the chemistry of hazardous materials, the bulk of this chapter deals with sampling techniques to determine exposure levels and personal protective equipment. The contents of this chapter make particular reference to OSHA (U. S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration) guidelines.

The third chapter is essential for using the tables in the rest of the work, as it consists of a table of synonyms for chemical name showing the common name that is used in the remainder of the work. Each of the remaining chapters focuses on one aspect of chemical safety. Chapter four is a guide to reactivity, fire, and explosion data and includes tables on mutually reactive chemical groups, fire/explosion data, and summary data on individual chemicals. Chapter five gives summary data on health risk information and Chapter six focuses on chemical spills (with data from the Department of Transportation's Emergency Response Guidebook). Finally, Chapter seven deals exclusively with safe distances for fires and spills. After the glossary, an appendix shows the chemical structure and CAS Registry number of selected compounds (primarily aromatic hydrocarbons and halogenated hydrocarbons). A short index of subject terms round out the work.

Overall, the book seems to be a useful compendium; however, the organizational structure seems lacking. Rather than being organized with all information on a single compound together, the reader is forced to find data across many chapters, without the use of cross-references or a chemical name index. Often the same data is reproduced in a table and a summary paragraph for each chemical. Additionally, the many disclaimers given in the preface (though undoubtedly there for legal reasons) leave one skeptical of the true audience for this reference. In the end, this book is recommended for chemical laboratories and academic research libraries, especially those without access to the many governmental publications that govern the use, transportation, and storage of chemicals.

This is an authoritative, up-to-the-minute reference which provides vital safety information on over 1000 commercial chemicals. The volume exhaustively explores the current data on fire and chemical compatibility, response methods for incidents involving chemical spills and fires, and personnel and worksite safety monitoring and sampling. Shows professionals working with hazardous chemicals, how to prevent accidents, and how best to respond to accidents when they occur. The handbook draws on research from both industry and government. Also including: describes risks associated with fire and explosion, chemical reactivity, and long-term chemical exposure, coordinates chemical hazards data with relevant emergency response information, defines key internationally used terms, in addition to those used by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), outlines emergency medical protocols for dealing with chemical exposure, as well as procedures for containing an incident, highlights material safety data sheets (MSDS) that reflect actual practice of specific companies, evaluates personal protection methods and field monitoring instrumentation. This handbook has served as a major source of safe handling information that our company has used for numerous industrial consulting assignments. We have found this to be an invaluable reference for our technical library.

Though this is a 650+ page history book, Hammond does a great job of telling the tale of ancient Greece with excitement in addition to providing detailed information. If you need a one-book history of Greece from its beginnings to the death of Alexander the Great, this will probably suit your needs. There are some pictures and maps, but if you actually want to know what's going on, an atlas of ancient Greece might help.

Interestingly, Hammond is especially thorough where battles are concerned and sometimes includes maps to illustrate the placement of ships or soldiers in a given battle. He is also adept at describing the intellectual and artistic achievement of the Greeks and fitting them into the narrative of events. The book is well organized and the table of contents show clearly what each segment of the book is about.

There are some books which merit a far wider recognition and respect than they will ever receive. Admittedly, the subject matter of Hammond's book is not only daunting, but downright unfashionable. To my mind, this only contributes more to its already tremendous value. As histories of Classical Greece go, Hammond's 'History of Greece' is a marvel of clear, authoritative writing, compelling scholarship, and overall mastery of a difficult and still intriguing topic.

While one could perhaps make the case that the book is now some fifteen years old, and therefore somewhat in need of revision, the overwhelming detail and clarity of the work must mitigate that concern. Hammond has presented what may fairly be called a masterpiece of Classical Greek history. His coverage of subjects ranging from politics to the arts, from the Persian to the Peloponnesian wars, or from Alcibiades to Xenophon (although biographical details are, perhaps of necessity, somewhat lacking) all combine to form a coherent, thorough accounting of the rise of Greece.

Enhanced by black&white photographs and an assortment of excellent maps, Hammond's 'History of Greece to 322 B.C.' should be considered an essential volume not only for the shelves of the Classical scholar, but for anyone who wishes a better understanding of one of the founding nations of the Western world.

In the Country of Country strikes a compelling balance between first-person testimonial and straight history text. In a series of chapters focusing on early "country" artists & groups, Nicholas Dawidoff travels to meet musicians in their own environment, often travelling with them to the towns they grew up in. The book records the surroundings both through the eyes of Dawidoff, seeing the place for the first time, as well as through the eyes of his subject and their memories of the place. Through this mix of perspectives, the book gives a great sense of the effect of history in the present day, as well as the enduring power of the music described. His careful choice of subjects also helps define and articulate what many hold valuable in both country music, and music in general. One gets the impression he takes the role of author as through he is the curator a historical exhibit, showing a common thread among country artists of the last 80 years. This is of course with the notable exception of Hank Williams, which at first I wondered about, but later accepted, seeing as plenty had been written about him already as well as the fact that the invocation of his legend might well overshadow the other artists featured. He is though, like Elvis, a constant presence in the book, whether explicit or unspoken. In the Country of Country can serve as a great introduction to many who know they like country music, but get lost in boot-scootin' commercialism or monochromatic alt-country. The companion compliation CD sounds like a great start towards further investigation.

I can't believe no one has reviewed this book yet! It is really a fascinating series of encounters with the greatest developers and innovators of country music. Dawidoff writes extremely well, and manages to engross you, whether you are a fan of country music or not. (In all fairness, however, I think that having a familiarity with country would make the book somewhat more enjoyable.) After receiving this book as a gift, I was not sure how interesting I would find it, but I was truly not able to put it down. Dawidoff has picked excellent exemplars for country music, and to hear their stories and their words is a real treat. Add in insightful and precise commentary from Dawidoff, and you have the recipe for an excellent book. Get yourself a copy!

This is a great book but I think more explanation could have gone into it. Unless you have already been decorating cakes and can make the logical assumptions, some things are left unexplained. Other than that, I think this is an awesome book along with all his other books. Nicholas Lodge is the Bill Gates of Cake Decorating.

This book is beautifully illustrated with step-by-step instructions. It covers all the basic essentials of sugarcrafting, including the baking of the cakes, piping techniques, modelling and simple decorations.

I found this book extremely useful and easy to follow. It has also given me the knowledge and inspiration to pursue my skills further. I highly recommend this book to all those who are thinking of taking up the art of sugarcraft.

The life we lead today is very different from the one we grew accustomed to twenty, ten, or even five years ago. Information that took centuries to accumulate can now be sent from Singapore to San Antonio at the click of a button. More and more, our digital culture is depending on non-textual imagery to translate this information into a vast collage of cultural messages. It is the study of these images and the culture that interacts with them that Dr. Nicholas Mirzoeff is concerned with in his book An Introduction to Visual Culture (1999, Publisher: Routledge). Much of Mirzoeff's book is dedicated to examining the expansive manner in which the image is playing a role in the development of our global culture. While in the midst of this examination, the reader will soon find him or herself amazed by what the naked eye can now see. From the creation of the x-ray in 1895 to the Hubble telescope's visualization of distant galaxies, our technology creates a culture that has the capacity to, as Mirzoeff writes, "make visible things that our eyes cannot see." What is more, it is not the images themselves that intrigue Mirzoeff the most; rather, he is interested in the manner in which these images create a new reality. Or, as he puts it, "visual culture does not depend on pictures themselves but the modern tendency to picture or visualize existence." As an example, by simply turning on CNN the audience has the capacity to see images from parts of the globe that may have been unknown to them when they awakened in the morning. Not only that, but now the world can see the travesties that occur in these far away places. In Kosovo, the world was alarmed by video feeds of the very young and the very old being forced from their homes in the name of ethnic cleansing. Twenty years ago, this is something most of the world would have only read about. Depending on someone else to visualize the event as he or she saw fit, the textual relay of the event would have seemed distant or even nonexistent to the person who simply chose to quite reading. Today's images not only make Kosovo very close, they make what's happening there very real. It is up to students of visual culture to decide what kind of impact this visualization will have on the formation of the global community. The most important part of this book, however, is the claim Mirzoeff stakes for "visual culture" in the traditional and monotonous universe of academia. It is true that anything new is a threat to everything old. Knowing this, Mirzoeff guides his reader gently into the theory of "visual culture" by showing how it is both a relevant and necessary study in the afore mentioned digital arena. There are, of course, those who will charge that Mirzoeff's interests are cast too broad and his manner of interpreting them too fluid. To this valid concern, Mirzoeff argues that a fluid interpretive structure is paramount if academia wants to understand the world that lies beyond the gates of the university (like Kosovo). Visual Culture, writes Mirzoeff, "hopes to reach beyond the traditional confines of the university to interact with people's every day lives." In other words, visual culture is an attempt to ask a set of questions entirely alien to the modern university. Mirzoeff proves himself quite capable of setting out these new questions while keeping the avenue wide open for the reader or the "viewer" to answer them.

This is a fascinating reader that will appeal to the novice and academic alike - providing a broad overview of how vision has come to dominate all of our senses. No one way of seeing is ever accepted and this book demonstrates how history and convention has altered the way we look at the world. From perspective in the Renaissance world to sculpture, painting, TV, the internet, to issues of race, gender and sexuality and even to the global visual impact of the death of Princess Diana - this book will inform and open your eyes in ways you couldn't imagine.

Larissa Yermilova's book, The Last Tsar, captured, through its many extremely rare photographs of earlier Tsars, Tsar Alexander II, Tsar Alexander III, and the last Tsar, Nicholas II, the sheer majesty of the Romanov house and the opulence of the life of the family. The only reason I did not give the book a five star was because of various slight mistakes and the fact that in the captions, Ms. Yermilova did not mention all of names of the people in the photographs.

This book is principly a photographic essay of the Romanov dynasty in the 19th century. The title is misleading, because you get the impression that it is all about Nicholas 2nd. However, a large chunk of this book is also devoted to earlier reigns.

Full of clear and uncommon photos of the Romanov dynasty, this book is worth buying if you have any interest in the last imperial family of Russia. I covers not just Nicholas and his family but also other memebers of the extended Romanov clan, his parents etc.

Reccomnded.