What's great here, in addition to stellar photos and high production values (what kind of paper is this?) is the surprising quality of the selection of the people. I like seeing boxers and map makers, basketball players and glass blowers set next to each other.

Wayne Gretzky's retirement from hockey seems a fitting occasion to remark on the phenomenal collection of virtuosos Ken Carbone has gathered together in his new book. The gift of a Virtuoso like Gretzky, and of this book, is the realization that absolute focus and dedication to a passion can lead one beyond oneself. That message resounds like a gong through the handsomely designed pages and expressive photographs of The Virtuoso. The thrill of sharing a Virtuoso's talent is the transcendence it offers, the visceral feeling that one is witnessing, in the Eastern sense, life lived fully in the moment. Inspiration, indeed.

Joseph Campbell's sadly over-used expression "Follow your bliss" is personified in the 40 profiles that fill the pages of The Virtuoso. What a revelation to find that the world possesses such remarkable individuals in places we might least expect to find them. The Virtuoso says much about taking risks, about going as far as you can to arrive at a place that is larger than yourself. Love, and a dash of madness, are at the core of every choice a Virtuoso makes, shaping the lives of these extraordinary talents in the most unimagined ways, and those who come into contact with them. It takes a vision to see the vision in others. Clearly this author has that. Bravo!

I found a copy of this book at my local library and my son fell in love with it after reading it only once. There is a pronunciation guide in the front, so the parent can be assured they are pronouncing everything correctly. My son has been talking about "Borreguita" non-stop and this is a book that I'm for sure going to add to his collection.

What fun I had reading this book out loud to my daycare kids and watching them giggle and howl each time the borreguita tricked the coyote.

This book is a classic to read aloud and share with all kids.

This is a delightful Mexican Tale that my children and I continue to enjoy. The glossary in the front of the book adds to the delight of the story by helping the parent read with a wonderful Spanish accent. We have read this book more than any other book we have at home. I highly recommend it.

You will find O'Brien's to be one of the very best commentaries on Philippians, but you will get more out of it if you are familiar with New Testament Greek. The author writes from a theologically conservative viewpoint, but is always prepared to evaluate other views, while also clearly articulating his own.

The long section on Philippians 2:5-11 has been painstakingly researched. It is thorough and magnificent.

If you read commentaries to help you to understand the text, so that you can better serve Jesus Christ, you will really appreciate this one, as well as the author's commentaries on Colossians and Ephesians.

Highly recommended.

I have used this commentary on Philippians for several years now in my classes. The students enjoy its balance between scholarship and devotion. It contains a wealth of insights into and applications of the text. It also shows an awareness of those discourse features of New Testament Greek that can make a real difference in interpretation. Highly recommended!

This is an outstanding commentary. It is obviously intended for pastors and students who know their Greek well. The commentary is very challenging and extremely exhausting, but it richly rewards those persistent enough to read it with many exegetical and theological insights.

For anyone who struggled to understand why the nephron concentrates, then dilutes, then concentrates again the urine, this book will do much to ease your pain. Since medical school I've purchased Editions 1, 3, & 5, just so that I could keep up with my interns & residents. Here's how he does it:
#1: short book, (you know how intimidating those tomes can be)
#2: lots of diagrams
#3: end-of-chapter questions (with answers & explanations)

If you want to understand the Kidney, no matter where you are in your studies or practice, I wholeheartedly recommend this text.

Renal physiology can be very difficult to truly understand, and yet an understanding of it is essential to understanding so many aspects of physiology, pathology, and pharmacology. Studying diuretics for cardio pharm is nightmarish unless you understand the physiology of the loop of Henle. Vander takes this difficult yet important subject and makes it easy to understand. The book reads extremely quickly, and the flow-charts and diagrams are amazing. I never even opened Berne & Levy for renal phys--I read Vander's book (which is no longer than B&L's renal chapters) and cruised through renal phys. I am writing this review now, a year after I took physiology, because I am now studying for the USMLE Step 1. I have not looked at Vander's book in a year, but I still remember renal phys, and reviewing it now is the easiest part of my studying (the only easy part, in fact). That is because, thanks to Vander, I actually understand renal physiology. A great book!!

For any medical student that needs a comprehensive, but easily understood explanation of the structure and function of kidneys, I highly recommend Renal Physiology by Vander. It is very well written, and covers all the basic principles that you will need to know to understand pathologies associated with the kidneys.

I have been searching for a book like this off and on for years, but just recently came accross it. What a great collection of essays and interviews from the artists! I am a teacher/artist myself, not a researcher, and it is so wonderful to have all this information at my finger tips. I hope the editors do more work like this. If you are interested in finding out about what a contemporary artist was thinking, check this book first!

and not only can I not live without it, but I can feel comfortable recommending it to anyone interested in art (especially contemporary art). it is the kind of book I dream about. I want more like it. there are certain genres left out and some of the groupings are too tight, and some too loose, but the fact that the artists are the ones giving the information means that I can research them more accurately, instead of researching other peoples research. A wonderful compilation of essays and interviews.

I have used this text with grad. students and with advanced-level undergraduate art majors. In an era dominated by some pretty thick-headed critical writing, I value the relatively jargon-free essays by a good variety of contemporary artists. More photos, even B/W ones, would be a help however.

Stare at the beautiful underwater photographs. Sitback, relax and gently discover the Ocean Realm with the still images of Howard Hall and his wife Michele, images that, as Peter Benchley (Jaws, The Deep) writes in the foreword, are among the finest in the world. Dive. Wander through the Kelp forests of the northern Pacific. Get a close-up of sharks and squids in magic detail. Enjoy the vivid colors of the reef and watch lobsters and sea turtles, dolphins and whales in an exciting photographic journey! Since this book is not a reference work, you will also enjoy reading it slowly and in the direction of your choice, diving at pleasure through the light text that describes the Hall's adventures as filmmakers and marine photographers. And then you will also find some information about the sea-life captured in the images and poetic hints about scuba-diving and underwater photography. A nice dive, a pleasant reading and, at the price that Amazon.com is offering it, a real gift. Buy the book!

For those of us who read everything we can on underwater photography, this book provides an added dimension and delightful reprieve from the technical how-to's of most underwater photography books. This book is a series of fascinating stories about the adventures and mis-adventures Howard and Michelle and their staff encountered when shooting different subjects. A fascinating and stimulating book, it provides anecdotal insight into how they approach certain projects without dwelling on the technical "how to's" found in most underwater photography books. Everyone studying underwater photography or just enjoying the sport of diving should surface long enough to give themselves this present. It sure made me want to grab my fins and camera and head off to points all around the world. Thanks to Howard and Michelle for putting together such a compelling read. And of course, it has beautiful photographs.

The last decade of the 19th century produced revolutionary changes in architecture, painting and sculpture. These new forms shaped many features of the art of the 20th century. A general statement of the art of our times is that one by one the old criteria of what a work of art ought to be has been discarded in favor of a dynamic approach in which everything becomes possible.

The author brings the distinctive aspects of each work into focus by means of visual juxtaposition. Contrasting works gives insight into differences in approach, purpose and form. No restrictive labels are affixed to styles. Artistic development is placed within its general cultural framework, not separated from political and intellectual concerns during the period in which the artists lived and made their art.

This book with 1,600 illustrations of which 300 plates are in full color is a comprehensive and inclusive visual record of the nine individual decades from l890 - l980. The emphasis is equally divided among the three specialties - decade by decade.

The text is so interestingly informative indicating formidable research and a high degree of selectivity and sensitivity in the use of the material. Each page adds immeasurably to ones knowledge and background.

This volume would provide comprehensive material for any teacher of art as well as unlimited possibilities for a student.

Highly recommended as most definitive and detailed and marvelously illustrated - really a pleasure to peruse. I love this book a lot.

THIS IS A TIPTOP REF FOR THOSE OF US WHO NEED TO PUSH OUR FACT-DRIVEN PROGRAMS THROUGH THE BARRIERS THAT READ: "I'VE MADE UP MY MIND & I'VE GOT MY OWN PRIVATE AGENDA, SO DON'T CONFUSE ME WITH THE FACTS!" THE CHICAGO 'HOMELESS' RESEARCH (EXHIBIT 10) IS A CLASSIC. EMPHASIS IS ON 'SOCIAL' PROGRAMS, BUT EVERY BUSINESS POLICYMAKER SHOULD OWN & READ & RE-READ THIS BOOK AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.

This book examines how China's legal system really functions. It focuses on explaining the difference between what appears on the face of the law in China and how it really operates in practice. He demonstrates how the discrepency is not just due to a clash in Western inspired legal concepts and Chinese culture, but by a concerted attempt by various actors to contrive a legal system which maximises discretionary power of administrative authorities to make and interpret law.

Topics covered include the creation and application of law, consistency, interpretation, and supervision over enforcement and lawmaking.

The book is well regarded in academic circles, and is on the reading lists of most Western law schools that offer Chinese law within their curriculum.

A basic book for anyone that requires to make decisions and quantitative modelling in Forest Production.