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Omikron: The Nomad Soul is so vast, so deep, and so multi-threaded that the Prima Official Strategy Guide is an absolute must have. No matter what your level of familiarity with Omikron is, you really do need this guide. There are many places that you've never visited in Omikron, many characters you've never met, and many sub-plots you've never followed. And they are all here in the Prima guide. The incredible level of detail, the descriptions of the numerous elements encountered in the game, and the why and how of doing what you do while in Omikron are all here.
Page after page of full color screen shots, maps, descriptions, character studies, hints and tips, and much more are to be found in the guide. It is beautifully done with 175 full color glossy pages packed with information about Omikron that the serious devotee has to have to get the most out of the world/game.
Omikron: The Nomad Soul is sure to become a classic in interactive entertainment, and the Prima Official Strategy Guide is a great accessory to the world/game, and is also quite beautiful in it's own right.
Buy this book, you will not be disappointed.
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As for this book itself, the photography is stunning and lavish. Each time you look at one of these magnificent works you see something new--it's hard to believe that these are woven objects, the detail and color is so vivid...no wonder the NY Times listed it as a holiday gift buy. (I think they rated the accompanying exhibition one of the year's best too)
Well worth the price and a steal at Amazon's price.
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This book is a lovely exposition of some of the most interesting (if not always beautiful, or welcomed) architecture of the past couple of decades.
The black and white photograps enhance the text and add great mood. The text is interesting, sometimes very opinionated (you probably won't agree with all the opinions - but it will perhaps challenge some of your assumptions).
Discover how, after heavy criticism of the then proposed glass pyramid and massive underground entrance to the Louvre, critics came to be won over when a fullscale model was erected. The daring of Parisian projects has brought us the sublime - the aforementioned Louvre entrance, and the vile - Les Halles, for example.
The book is written so that you need have no background in architecture to find it thought-provoking, interesting and very, very readable.
I left it at home when I recently visited Paris (well you can't take everything), but enjoyed delving into it again as soon as I returned. If you can fit it in your luggage, it would be a great companion.
The book is, agreed, more of a fan's thing, but anyone who's just getting to know this wonderful band should have a peek....it always fascinates me when I read or hear about other people's interpretations of what they think a song means, or what the track means to them personally.... it deepens the whole meaning of a song, and helps you look at the track with a different perspective, from a new angle....
Anyway, the book's a gem, highly recommended, I just hope it's not been deleted?
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Why 4 stars and not 5? I felt the writers were too enthusiastic about everything, and that made it hard on the traveler to decide what was worth visiting and what wasn't. Let's face it, every location is not the most attractive town in Turkey, yet the authors claim that for way too many towns. So take their praise with a grain of salt and you will be fine. Also, the amount of hours bus trips take are not all that precise. (+-20% in my experience).
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I am Turkish and I see women wearing that scarf quite rarely. In this case the book is misleading. Most Turkish women dress in 'Western' clothes, and the 'turban' has been prohibited at universities and all state buildings since the beginning of this century.
I ask Tom to put more realistic pictures next time, those women are maybe exotic for foreigners, but they are exotic for most Turkish women, too. It would not be fair if I put pictures of the Amish to my New York guide as an example of "American women".
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While he chronicles his personal decline, however, he never really discusses his professional decline. After "Southern Nights" hit No. 1, his Top 40 career went south, ironically just as other pop/country crossover artists like Ronnie Milsap, Kenny Rogers and Eddie Rabbitt were beginning to take off. He remained a chart contender in country until about 1990. His efforts to keep selling records and open doors at radio would have been interesting to read. It would also have been interesting to know what, if anything, many of his most famous songs meant to him. The discography would have been more informative had it included dates and chart positions.
Campbell's excellent taste in music is evident in the classics he recorded during the late 60's and early 70's. But some of his most self-congratulatory moments in the book come when he gushes about his bagpipe rendition of "Amazing Grace" and his annoying habit of inviting various not-famous family members on stage to jam with him. Having witnessed these peculiarities in person, I can say that these are not the high points of his show.
This book will answer some questions and inspire those who have followed his career. Reading about his childhood is especially enlightening. But Gen-Xers like me who learned about him from hearing his oldies on the radio may prefer blissful ignorance about some aspects of his career. I didn't particularly need to know about his stints in Vegas or his memories of cornballs like the Smothers Brothers, Pat Paulsen and Buck Trent.
While he does not gloss over his own flaws, the dirty linen of some other players-most notably Tanya Tucker is likewise held up for all to see. Arguably, he should have been less open in revealing maligning details about her, but their relationship kept tabloid readers engrossed for years and it legitimately was a salient chapter in his life. Furthermore, he does not condemn Tanya despite attributing less than wholesome motivations to her interest in him. He seems very sincere when he writes of his one-time paramour "I'm inclined to pray for the woman with whom I shared a poisoned relationship. I have since found another love that offers not the threat of death but the promise of eternal life. I pray that Tanya might find that too."
As Glen experienced his twilight maturation, he achieved the rank of solid citizen. Becoming a Branson regular appropriately accentuates his embrace of Christianity and advocacy of traditional values. By spelling out his staunch opposition to abortion and opposing special rights for homosexuals, he takes some daring positions for a celebrity tell-all, but it is refreshing to see a performer courageously step out of rigid show biz boundaries.
One unintended drawback concerns some details of his childhood. Glen is to be commended for the tremendous respect he displays toward his parents and also for admitting his failures as a father to his older children-even accepting significant blame for his middle-aged son's drug problems. However, he relates some paternal behavior that shows his father possessed a cruel streak. From his laudatory portrayal it is easy to see that was not the image he wanted to present, and he would probably disagree with such an assessment. A more prudent tactic would have been to remain mum on some of these mean actions.
Overall, "Rhinestone Cowboy" is a well-orchestrated rendition of a child born into poor Southern Nights but who eventually went "riding out on a horse in a star-spangles rodeo."