This is an excellent reference book for any of the types of printmaking methods out there. I'll be student teaching next semester, and I'm definately taking this book for my inclass library!

Perhaps the current art market is not so preoccupied with the fine art of printmaking that thrived in the 1980s and 1990s, but the democratization of making available works by artists best known for their unique art will always have a justifuable niche among art collectors of all strata. This well written and well illustrated volume about the various forms of print making is as fine as they come. Though centuries old as an art form, "prints" are still looked at as "copies" by the neophytes. The differences and techniques of etchings, lithographs, sereigraphs, etc are all discussed with great facility. The examples are very fine. This should be not only in every art school library, but also in the librairies of fine art collectors who want to really understand what Fine Print Making is all about.

Okay, well, maybe I'm a little passionate about the things I like, but I'm a Leo and that should be expected. I borrowed this book today from my AP Art teacher, my budding interest in printmaking beginning to develop, and I'm floored by the thorough descriptions of so many different printmaking processes. As printmaking is such a broad art form, I had never found a book that satisfies my desires to learn about intaglio, woodcut, monotype, screenprinting and book arts (including a few pages on letterpress printing!), let alone all the other printmaking forms. Highly recommended for anyone in search of a Printmaking Bible.

A great book for those seeking basic information about medieval armor. Not real deep but enjoyable for both young readers and adults. A good companion for other sources.

Knights in Armor gives an overview of the history of knighthood from its beginnings in the early Middle Ages to its demise. The book also explains the feudal system, women's roles in the Middle Ages and quick history of the Crusades. Especially wonderful are the full-page color photographs of people dressed in medieval clothes and armor depicting scenes of yesteryear. I highly recommend this book for anyone, not just children, who are interested in the Middles Ages (if only for the photographs).

This book, and the others in the series are excellent material to supplement a study of ancient cultures. Actors dressed in period costumes reinact scenes set in authentic locations, to provide glimpes of daily life in ancient times. The photographs are vivid, and the book provides helpful information. A must for home-schoolers and children interested in ancient cultures!!

Clare is a true poet, and strangely neglected currently it seems. Really he is one of the essential poets of the wonderful romantic era which includes Wordsworth, Shelley, Blake, Coleridge, and Keats. Why is this just about the only book of his work being published? I think you're lucky to find this one, and you can find many poems of his on the web to see yourself. Cheers

The CD version of this book is very easy to use and the search function is wonderful. HOWEVER there is no way to copy text off the screen so you can paste it into other applications. I find this very frustrating and a big disappointment.

The CD version of "The Origin of Species" suffers from the same problem. Beware.

This was not the best choice for listening to in the car: too much tedious detail, and I found my mind wandering too often. Still, it was interesting, and I learned a lot.

Darwin was a promising but obscure student at Cambridge when he was suggested for the trip. By the time he returned, his reputation was made. It's not hard to see why: this book is packed with careful observations and attention to detail, as well as thoughtful analyses of topics from species extinction (though not origins at this stage) to the formation of coral atolls. Darwin is clearly very well-read and makes frequent references to the noted authorities of the time, sometimes supporting them and sometimes disagreeing.

I hadn't actually realized that the voyage of the Beagle was as long as it was. I saw it as a year or so, going from England to South America and back again. It was in fact a five-year, round-the-world cruise, covering the Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Australia, and numerous other locales as well as the well-known South America and the Galapagos.

My favorite parts are actually the more human anecdotes. Darwin is less than enchanted with New Zealand and Australia, and is not afraid of saying so, noting that most of the citizens are ex-convicts. My favorite single anecdote, though, is about the South American governor who is so dedicated to the rule of law that he has himself put in the stocks when he violates one of his own laws. Darwin also indicates his dislike of slavery and admits to feeling shame when he accidentally causes a male slave to flinch when he makes a threatening gesture to him. So much for that creationist conceit.

There are two appendices not written by Darwin. One is a summary of the orders given to Captain Fitzroy about the mission of the Beagle, which is very telling of the naval issues of the time. It focuses on getting accurate locations of known ports as well as the possible finding of new ones. As a Hornblower fan (and therefore with some interest in naval trivia), I found this very interesting.

The other appendix is Captain Fitzroy's attempt to construe their geological observations to be evidence of the Noachian Deluge. This is not on the same intellectual level as Darwin's writings, and I found it mostly of intellectual interest as evidence that creationist arguments have changed hardly at all in the last 175 years.

All in all, it's an interesting book and a classic of natural history, though not something I'd recommend listening to unless one has a passion for the subject.

Remember this says "Journal" and that is what it is. It is his first parson adventures on and off the Beagle. He even includes stories about the people on the ship, the ship's life, and maintenance. He is always going ashore and venturing beyond the ship charter to go where no Englishman has gone before. He makes friends with tyrants and the down trodden. Once, to get an animal to come to him, he lay on his back and waved his arms and legs in the air. Whatever you do, do not turn your back on him. He is always knocking something on the head and taking it back for study. It is fun trying to match the old names for places with the new.

This book is a must for anyone with an interest in County Clare history or genealogy. Included in this primary reference source are the personal letters and observations of the surveyors involved in making the Ordance Survey maps of Ireland. The material provided can not be found in any other source. Every parish is accounted for with descriptions of churches, castles, and significant topographical features. This text should be considered supplemental and more personalized than Lewis's "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland". One should not expect to find extensive genealogical information on 19th century farmers, but there the lords of castles listed and some older family pedigrees. While this is primarily a reference book it also contains comments of the travels of the authors and reads as an interesting and enjoyable novel.

As an elementary education major I believe The Vikings is an excellent resource to use in the upper elementary and middle school world history classroom.The text is rather advanced for elementary school children and some middle school children. However,the text contains interesting information that may not be contained in the child's social studies book. The photos are excellent! They depict living people dressed as vikings, in the viking setting, using viking tools,etc. The photos are very realistic. The photos alone are an excellent resource for the classroom. I highly recommend this book for teachers and students alike.