I have been referring to this book for nearly 20 years ! As I have risen in the ranks of Corporate Events, I have leaned heavily on Jan Darling's knowledge to make both my client and me look good. Yes, some of the suggestions are a little dated ( Godiva chocolate is not the status purchase it once was) but knowing how to behave in unfamiliar situations, knowing what to say and displaying beautiful manners never, ever go out of style. And,no, I am not selling my copy for love nor money - would love for Ms. Darling to issue an updated edition, though!

I can't believe this book is out of print. My copy of this edition has been circulated to several executives who lacked the time or training to perform skillfully in social events such as formal dinners and parties. This is the ideal book for the folks who had to spend their energy in university learning mathematics rather than learning how to survive in formal social settings.

Are you uncomforable in certain social settings because you were not taught certain skills others take for granted? Are you surrounded by people with money that seem to know thingss they take for granted that you do not? This book helps in so many areas, that I have given it as a gift to many friends in the past. It is simply a a book which is rich in details for social survival for those of us that grew up with tv dinners and one fork..and now...for whatever reason, find ourselves in uppercrust surroundings and feel out of place. The book is getting a bit dated, but I recommend it to anyone. Some items covered are: how to pronounce wine names..basic wine knowledge..how to conduct yourself at a very formal table setting...how to be waited on...what a wine steward is...pronouncing designer names correctly...like do you really know how to correctly pronounce Givanchy? It's in the book and much, much more....If you read this book, you can pick up small things like putting your silverware on your plate in an "x" to show that you are finished with your plate. It is endless with advice for all of us that were not raised with proper social knowledge and helps you in business settings,,gives advice on gifts, tipping, clothes. My only complaint is that the book is getting outdated. Tips in the book that were very clever, like giving a box of Godiva as a thoughtful gift with class..are showing their age. I wish the demand was there for the author to update her book, which I believe handled correctly, would have been a major best seller. The book is easy to read, and divided into major areas of concern. Even though it may be difficult to buy now,,,get it! You will have no regrets.

Most of my several thousand volume library consists of serious books, works of literature, literary criticism, philosophy, history, theology, political science, and so on. But I also have a shelf or two devoted to "fun" books, books that I pick up and just lose myself in having fun. This is one of my favorite fun books. Not a masterpiece. Probably won't be in print twenty years from now. But the photographs are spectacular! And in just under 300 pages, almost every major city and structure of Europe has been photographed from the air. It is not merely the famous sights and buildings that makes this such a fun book, but some striking photographs of relatively unknown features. For instance, one of the most stunning photographs for me is what would appear to be a gigantic green field in Denmark that has been punctuated by a series of large housing circles, each cut off from one another, and each surrounded by the same green field.

The text has been provided by noted travel writer Jan Morris. The book is largely structured by starting with Italy and proceeding clockwise through the entire European continent, ending with Greece, Romania, and Turkey.

I really can whole heartedly recommend this book to anyone except those who don't like to look at anything. But if you have any interest in the world, in traveling, in Europe, in history, in photography, or in just having fun looking at awesome photos, this book will prove to be an utter delight.

I stumbled upon this title in a competitor's bookstore and was astonished that I hadn't read a review anywhere. With a 1998 imprint and Jan Morris as the author of the text, it doesn't seem like it should be an obscure tome, yet even here on Amazon.com, only one other person has reviewed it!

The photos are designed to provoke a sense of wonder and awe in the reader/viewer, and they succeed aesthetically, emotionally, and psychologically. From the rock of Gilbralter to a dense set of "potato row" houses in Copenhagen; from snowfields near the Arctic circle to Turkey--it's all here, images snapped from blimps, airplanes, helicopters, almost any method by which one might be "over" Europe.

One will not be able to glimpse most of these sites from comparable vantage points on a typical trek across the continent unless one plans to do so in a biplane. The images here are unusual in their breadth and majesty. ... The text is literate and fun. Buy it and marvel.

If you regard this book as just another coffee table book you aren't even half right. This is one of the best photo books I have ever seen. The pictures are outstanding. Nearly every photo takes you to the alter of the church, the edge of the cliff, or the gate to the castle. Not only is it a photo book, but a great travel book. These aren't just descriptions of what to see, but beautiful pictures showing you what you will want to see when you get there. You won't even need to take a camera or change for postcards-- the best pictures are right here. Get this book before you plan your vacation to Europe.

One of the last things I wanted to learn in painting watercolor was painting portraits because quite honestly, I didn't care for it mainly because I didn't know how. But after reading this book, I no longer feel apprehensive about painting portraits. Jan Kunz's book is a terrific instructional guide on how to start, as well as what colors to use and where to use them. The book even includes some step-by-step samples based on real-life models Ms. Kunz has used that you can start off first as a guide.

For beginners, this is a very good book to use to get started.

This is the one portrait book I would recommend for artists at ANY level of expertise and for all media., but especially for watercolor artists.

Jan Kunz has written a thoughtful, well-organized, presentation on how to paint watercolor portraits. Her realistic style of painting still manages to be expressive due to her emphasis on careful planning of how the image will be painted beforehand, allowing the artist's brush to put in correct values and hues with freedom and control at the same time. It's where I look whenever I get in trouble painting a portrait.

I was just amazed at what I was reading and couldn't put it down. And neither will I part with the book. I plan to read it again. Don't miss this one. A Must read.

Kryon is a loving entity currently on earth to help us move into the next phase of a new era. These parables are stories told by Kryon and translated by Lee Carroll to show how many persons are reacting to special circumstances as we move deeper into this century and begin to receive the new gifts of God. You will not find the negativity or cynicism of some channeled entities, and no hard lessons here. This is truly an inspired and inspiring book helping you discover how to come closer to the Great Reality, which seems to some to be a fairy tale like "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." I hope you have an opportunity to read and share this book with those you love.

I have re-told these parables countless times to friends, children, people in pain and so on. The spiritual & psychological insights are wonderful and important. The parables read quickly and the messages are very easily grasped. I would recommend it to anyone.

my son started reading this series last year when he was in forth grade... he is a good reader but can easily be *turned off* when the book appears too hard (ie words too small...too many pages...picture on the cover too seriious) he really enjoyed this book from cover to cover and actually did a report on it in school... i like that the series is in paper back (it saves money)...i like that some are *special* titles and are a bit longer (it encourges him to read longer books than normally he would) he likes that they are about children solving problems/mysteries.. and that they have animals in them... this book, and the others have been something to look foward to for him

I really liked this book alot! I think it is better than all the Petsitters Club books I have read!

The petsitters provide an enjoyable adventure to share with your children. Every chapter gives you clues to the "monkey puzzle" until the mystery is finally caught. A true delight to read.

My favorite tutorial books for software are the Hands On Training and the Classroom In A Book series. And, if forced to choose one series or the other, I'd choose H O T.

Authors Lynda Weinman and Jan Kabili have done a great job.

Although I remain a devotee of CIB methods, my library will include the HOT books for all complex software.

Discussion of animated GIFs, automation and integrating with other programs, such as GoLive, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Acrobat and QuickTime [Chapters 13, 14 and 16] are of especial importance.

This book is a must for users of Adobe's ImageReady and Photoshop.

The most comprehensive tutorial you're likely to find covering PhotoShop's "little web sister", leave it to Lynda.com to come up with THE ImageReady book. Don't let the title mislead you, especially if you're already a long-time P-Shop veteran. The information contained in these pages, accompanied by outstanding tutorials and full color illustrations, is NOT a rehash of stuff you already know; it is a means of making the transition from traditional publishing to creating full-blown web pages with minimal compromise.

Even seasoned users of Adobe's cornerstone image editing tool may find some new and useful tips in streamlining graphics production - I certainly did. Instructor Jan Kabili makes the journey such a pleasure (not to mention a productive use of time), one could actually become converted to working in lo-res art! As in other titles by this publisher, the exercises are straighforward, economical and plentiful - the reader is presented with a great deal of material in relatively short order, yet in a way that is not at all difficult to retain practical information.

Granted, Adobe ImageReady is not a web management tool ..... that's Macromedia Dreamweaver's job, and though it may not integrate with that program as closely as, say, Fireworks, it contains no shortage of tools for fully preparing, creating, optimizing and animating raster images for web use. This entry in the highly-praised Hands-On-Training series is as good an introduction as you'll find on making full use of ImageReady in a short time, and a genuinely enjoyable one at that.

Acquire, read, and get thyself web-ready.

This is by far the best and most informative and detailed book of its kind. It covers every aspect of "everything you ever wanted to know about" rollovers and rollover animated menus! It does not leave you 'missing something' or saying: 'yes, but it really doesn't cover...' - It covers everything! The accompanying CD is excellent!

It is a VERY good book on Jini. This is my FIRST jini book. I am a jini newbie. This book has answered lot of my questions on Jini and has guided me, step by step, to develop my first Jini project. I realize this book isn't complete ... but as a software developer, I need a book which can guide me to write effective & good code AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I like it a lot ... really.

Buy it

This book helped med get hands-on-experience with Jini.

I say no more. Enjoy it!

Among the JINI books, this book can be considered as very informative to learn about JINI technology.

This book covers the following topics nicely:

1. JINI lookup service 2. Entry Objects 3. Service Registration 4. Discovery Management 5. Interesting Jini Examples

I think this book provides good insight to the JINI technologies. I recommend this book highly

This book has practical helps for parents to teach children about sex from God's point of view. Pornography violates that, and parents need to know how pervasive pornography is: sex-ed materials in public schools, dial-a-porn, the Internet, magazines, comic books, videos. If children don't learn about good sex from their parents, they'll learn about bad sex somewhere else. Highly recommended!!!

A better parental handbook will be hard to find. The authors have drawn from their own life experiences and decades of professional involvement to produce a volume that should be required reading for every parent.

Protecting Your Child sounds the alarm on an issue that should be alarming to every parent. The authors point out that there has been a 500% increase in rape over the 19-year period from 1980 to 1999, the decades during which the U. S. porn industry grew from a $4 billion annual business to a $10 billion dollar business. Worldwide, it is estimated that pornographers profit $56 billion a year.

York and LaRue document countless law enforcement records that tie pornography to sex offenses. Other disturbing statistics add to the cause for concern. For example, the authors write, "A report in the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1993 noted that nearly half of the nation's child molesters were children. In addition, in 1983 there were only 22 juvenile sex offender programs nationwide; in 1993 that number had grown to 755. Today there are more than 1,200."

Readers should not overwhelmed by the barrage of statistics and tragic stories told in the opening pages. LaRue and York always provide an antidote including concrete steps for action.

Both authors are honest and straightforward in sharing how they were themselves victims of pornography at a young age.

"I am fighting pornography for the sake of our nation's children who are becoming the primary consumers of pornography," says LaRue. The book documents how children are, indeed, being exposed to hard-core pornography at younger and younger ages.

York was first exposed to pornography as an 11-year-old in 1955 when a local drugstore began carrying the brand new Playboy magazine. "Pornography was not widely accessible in those days," he says, "or I might have become a seriously addicted child." Today York is editorial director of Traditional Values Coalition.

In Part 1, York and LaRue detail why pornography is a danger to families, then take a look at its pervasiveness. They illustrate how it has infiltrated even our homes, public schools and libraries largely via the Internet.

Part 2 gives practical responses for the challenge to stop pornography from destroying our children and communities. The chapters on how to keep it out of your home, and how to help the child who has already been exposed to porn are invaluable resources for parents.

Protecting Your Child may paint a scary picture of the present, but it also offers a vision of hope for the future.

This is an excellant book to equip parents with up-to-date information on how to protect our children from pornography. The authors include resources for internet filters, counselors, and groups that can provide additional support.

I think this is a 5 star book because it inspires kids to take real good care of their animals. It teaches them how to take care of their animals. It tells them what they need to do just that, that they should put their belongings up and keep it off the floor or they can get torn up because your animal may chew on it. I think this is a great book and all children should read it.

Both of my children love this book. I began reading it to my daughter when she was nine months old. She loved it. The pictures are darling. Now my 21 month old son won't go to sleep until we have read it a couple of times. We too love The Kitten Book.

A great book. Just the right level for a child who is just old enough to be read to. Great pictures, too. We also love Jan Pfloog's The Kitten Book.

Sacred Wounds: Succeeding Because Of Life's Pain is another blend of spiritual and psychological insight: this demonstrating how people can succeed because of pain. Among the central steps to success are acknowledging the pain, letting go of guilt, accepting wisdom and embracing hope. Each chapter has a 3-step approach to positive living and self-enhancement.

I am a very critical book reviewer and somebody help me, the beauty of Jan's words, his lessons, and his stories have helped me to laugh, cry, and uncover what has been holding me back all these years. I will be reading this again and sharing it with many. A MUST READ!!!

Jan Goldstein builds on the international success of "Life Can Be This Good" and forces his readers to take off their clothes and look in the mirror. This non-fiction work based on a life time of experinces and overcoming his own emotional scars is a must read for anyone who has ever suffered death,despair,depression,aniexty,anger or frustration in their life and wants to break away and teach themselves how to take advantage of their time on earth. His stories of average people overcoming life shattering events will bring tears of hope and joy to anyone who picks up this book.
Andrew Chase
CEO Peak Performers Inc.