Easily the best reference on Delft and Makkum pottery. Includes color and b/w photos of pieces, markings, dating guides, and artist initials/signatures. Wonderfully researched and presented.

This book is a must have for anyone interested in Delftware or Makkum.

I visited Pennsylvania, (Pittsburgh) about 6 months ago. I found this approx 6x6" DELFT Flow Blue plate. The plate has in the center one tall house in the background and the front is a large wall. The mysterious thing is the back on the plate sits a man headed horse bodied creature with its front legs stretched forth. The creature is resting on a 1"x 1/2" box. Inside the box are the words Petrus Regoutact maastricht. Outside the box (right under it) The world "DELFT" and under that is the words "made in Holland" There is some crazing to the plate .also so spots of blue paint and one small irrelavant nick. (on the back of the plate. Do you have any information about this plate I know it is old, and I know that the Dutch settled in Pennsylvania. Thank you very much

An extremely well organized and informative book providing the basis for determining both the origin and collectible value of Delft articles. The book provides an understanding of the different manufacturing methods mixed with the history of each of the most common factories. It also provides the reader enough information about the different factories to help categorize their pieces into high quality, good quality, standard quality, souvenir and tourist classes. The factory marks provided are the most helpful because they allow the reader to immediately begin identifying real quality in the market like an expert. If you're into collecting Delft, this book will save you the cost of the book with the next Delft article you purchase!!!

I have to start out by confessing that I bought this book for the pictures. I am fascinated by the photography of the grotesque, and Rosamond Purcell holds high rank in this rarified genre. She is noted both for her own original work and her recording (museum, collection, etc.) work. Her photography in "Finders, Keepers" is remarkable, strong carefully composed images with lush color. Just as notable is her reliance on natural light and the simplest of Nikon cameras and lenses.

The only part of the book I originally read was Purcell's Afterword. It is a delightful exposition on her romance with collectors and museums, revealing a thoughtful, philosophical professional with a strong creative sense. After that much reading I was satisfied, and the book took its place on my shelves with Purcell's other works, to be referred to when opportunities of my own appeared.

Having decided to review it, I discovered, to my embarrassment, that the book was actually about something. The text, far from being the filler that often appears in photographic volumes, turned out to be a series of gemlike studies of eight collectors of note, consisting of Peter the Great, Phillip Von Siebold, Willern Von Heurn, Eugen Dubois, Walter Rothschild, Agostino Scilla, Thomas Hawkins and Louis Agassiz . Some of these men are popularly famous and others are known only to other naturalists, but they are all interesting. Their collections, sometimes known only from fragments are breathtaking.

The author of these essays is Stephen Gould, paleontologist and occupant of the Alexander Agassiz Chair of Zoology and Curator at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology. Despite these rather awe inspiring credentials his style is delightfully accessible as he reveals each collector's life and passion to the reader. If you like paleontology, or natural history, or glances into the strange mind of the collector you will find this a refreshingly pleasant volume, providing an equal share of education and delight.

One of the most beautiful books I own, combining Purcell's precise and beautiful photographs with Gould's intelligent and accessible writing. Finders, Keepers combines the diversity of living things, history, scholarship and art in an immaculately designed and printed whole. Absolutely stunning from start to finish.

After reading and owning most of the reference books on carnival glass, I highly recommend this book to fully understand this era. The Thistlewoods cover the entire industry, focusing not only on the various companies, but also go into depth on colors, patterns, and the various influences of both. MOST IMPORTANT to me, they successfully took me back in time to the carnival glass era. This book sheds new light on the marketing of this glass and really captures the influences of the day that helped decide the various patterns. I now have a much better understanding and a much, much deeper appreciation for the pieces in my collection.

They also cover the little known carnival glass produced overseas during this era. The illustrations are outstanding. Through their identification of this glass, I am now keeping my eye out for this glassware, when in the past I would have just passed it over.

I cannot emphasize enough that this book is an ABSOLUTE MUST for all collectors of glass. It will take you back to the early 1900's and give you an unprecedented appreciation for your glassware. The title really sums up the book. It was a magic time in the glass era and they have unlocked many of the mysteries of the industry. I can now pick up a piece of carnival and feel all the influences that went into the piece from start to finish.

If you love carnival glass, this book will give you a whole new perspective on your hobby!

This is a book you will read over, and over. I could not put it down. This book shows the westerner the humor, warmth and insight that can be gain by reading and understanding the Tao Te Ching.

The books illustrations go complement the translation. They are beautiful and inspiring. Sargent did a great job on the water colors. Just as Legge did on the translation.

This book is is very readable and its lessons about life are truelly fantastic. They are wriiten in a wounderful sage like style. I think that you will find that this book does one of the best jobs of tranlatting Lao Tzu's insights on the true working of the universe in a manner that is very clear to us in the west.

A must have book.

I am a long-time reader of Stephen Mitchell's books and have this title on his tape set. This book is a beautiful companion to his wonderful vocal rendition.

The Tao is a manual for life. Not a religion mind you, but a philosophy. As you read the Tao you will realize that you already knew the truths spoken of but overlooked them because they were so obvious. A must read for our age. By the way, it's not lite reading. Read only a few passages at a time and then reflect on them. This is one of the few books you can read over and over and still get something ne out of it. Also, I've read many versions of the Tao Te Ching. Many were not translated in to real world terms. Others were....well.... Dumbed down! Of all of these translation this version is by far the best. Real world language while allowing you to draw your own conclusions.
Enjoy!

The Dead Zone is an excellent book about Johnny Smith, a young man who wakes up from a four and a half year coma and has the ability to se the future, or know unknown things about people. There are many subplots in this book, some of them including a disturbing serial killer and a psychotic politician named Greg Stillson. Stephen King makes sure we hate this man, for in the prologue he brutally kills a dog, and does other evil things.

This book was very suspenseful and fast-paced, although it got overlongish in some spots, and when Johnny shakes the hand of Greg Stillson, it is not clear how Johnny comes to know about certain events, but overall The Dead Zone was an excellent book, and the characters are all likable enough: Sam Weizak, Sarah Hazlett, and Johnny's dad Herb. We of course hate the psychotic Stillson. Recommended

One of the most absorbing boks I've ever read, Stephen King's The Dead Zone is sure to please almost any reader. King keeps the reader turning the pages during this book. I read it in roughly two days, and for someone like me, who usually doesn't read unless it's required, that was quite a short time to read a book of this length. During most of my free time, I found myself picking up the book and continuing to read. King creates impressive characters to whom you soon feel yourself attached. The protagonist, Johnny Smith, was one of those characters that I began to appreciate and enjoy learning of his next action. The plot is most intriguing. Though it would be doubtful that the novel's events would occur in real life, I found it so interesting that I just had to keep reading. I spoke with my teacher about the book, and she decided to read it. Several days later, she said she finished it and said she believed it to be the best book Stephen King has written. I haven't read all of his books, nor have I read that many books, but I enjoyed this book and was able to actually finish it, unlike other books I've given a weak attempt at reading. I believe anyone would enjoy reading this book.

The Dead Zone is one of the best fictional novel ever written by Stephen King. The story grabs the reader's attention and sets a good imagery because of the suspense and descriptive details. John (Johnny) Smith the main character of the fictional novel is a psychic. As a psychic, John Smith uses his powers to help save people from catastrophes. For example; He had saved the life of a student who he was tutoring, Chuck Chatsworth, from attending a graduation party that was going to be struck down by lighting. Stephen King also wrote a book called It, a very powerful and scary story similar to The Dead Zone. For those of you who are a Stephen King lover, or who want to get a glimpse of a frightening and shocking thrill, then give The Dead Zone a try. I promise you that once you have picked up a copy and have read a few chapters of the book, you will not want to stop.

The Tin Collectors is Cannell's sixth novel. At first blush it seems to be just another basic, good, cop story; but it develops into something more, going beyond the action and plot into relationships. LAPD detective Shane Scully receives a call in the middle of the night from Barbara, his one-time girl friend who is married to his ex-partner, super cop Ray Molar. Ray has gone berserk and she needs help. Shane dashes the five miles to their house and finds Ray about to kill Barbara. When Shane intervenes, Ray tries to shoot him. Shane returns fire in self defense and kills Ray. This is a difficult situation, but Shane knows he is in the right and expects that all will work out. Ha! For reasons Shane cannot figure out, the top administration of the police department quickly elevates the situation to a major affair and turn it over to Internal Affairs. The Internal Affairs Division is informally known as "The Tin Collectors" because of their high rate of convicting cops and collecting their "tin" (badges). Shane's case is assigned to an IAD prosecutor brought back from another assignment. An earlier investigation of Shane in which he was exonerated was one of her few defeats. Several young cops for whom Ray was something of an idol are assigned minor roles in the investigation and make things difficult for Shane. Why are these cops even involved-their normal assignments are far from IAD business? In the end justice prevails, although it takes some skillful writing to resolve the situation without artificial solutions. Along with the standard cop story, Shane is involved with a fifteen year-old problem child. The boy's single mother has asked Shane to let her son, Chooch, stay with him for a month or so in order to have a good male role model. The relationship between the mother, the boy, and Shane is slow to develop, but adds significantly to the overall impact of the book. I thought the book was very slow in the beginning, and almost put it down. I am glad I didn't. It was not until I was nearly through that I realized that Cannell is best known for his screen writing (The Rockford Files, Hunter...). The early pages probably work better on screen than on paper. In retrospect, they visualize very well and do set the stage effectively.

In The Tin Collectors, Stephen Cannell offers the first in a new series that is also very much a police procedural. With 5 successful prior novels, Cannell is still best known for writing/producing such television hits as the Rockford Files, Baretta, The A-Team, Renegade, Silk Stalkings and many others.

Officer Shane Scully gets a frantic call from the wife of his ex-partner Ray 'Steeltooth' Molar. Molar is beating her. Again. ("You don't get the name 'Steeltooth' just because your last name's Molar") In self-defense, Scully is forced to kill the abusive husband. The killing of the popular, virtually legendary cop brings Scully more grief than he ever imagined. Put in charge of Scully's Internal Affairs prosecution is Alexa Hamilton, the department's "number one tin collector." When he is accused directly by the Chief of Police of taking files from Molar's house and threatened with facing a murder charge if the material is not returned, Scully is convinced he's being set up.

Scully begins his own investigation and soon uncovers evidence of corruption in high places. Hamilton is the only one he can turn to who just might believe him.

Some glib prime-time dialog does seep in. (When Scully's house is hit in a drive by shooting he says, "I got enough lead in the walls to go into strip mining.") Cannell keeps the tension and pace at high levels so a bit of cliché doesn't really detract. There is no mistaking Cannell's mastery of story telling. The same sense of character and dialog that have made his television shows hits, guides him here. The Tin Collectors is a sure winner.

Los Angeles Police Sergeant Shane Sculley sleeps peacefully in his bed with no major cares haunting him until the call at 2:16 AM comes. Barbara Mular, the wife of Shane's former partner pleads with him to save her life from her husband Ray who is beating her up. When Shane arrives at the Mular home, the door is open so he enters. He sees Ray knocking Barbara around with his nightstick. Shane tries to diffuse the situation, but is forced to kill Ray when the latter draws out his gun.

Instead of the normal channels, a high up in the department forces Ray to go before a review board. Ray happens to have been the mayor's driver and bodyguard. "His Honor" wants Shane to go down preferably with a murder conviction. Shane learns that things are soon missing form Ray's home and if they discretely reappear all charges would be dropped. Shane knows corruption has been a way of life for LAPD, and he has to uncover it if he wants to clear his name.

Stephen Cannell starts this novel with a fast-action tale that continues to build up momentum until the story line exceeds the speed of light. Readers will empathize with Shane, an endearing hero struggling to regain his idyllic life lost in the corruption maelstrom. THE TIN COLLECTORS is an exciting story that leaves the audience wondering who will police the police when IA is corrupt?

Harriet Klausner

This book has a certain personal relevance for me because we have a Cujo of our own - a tiny little Bijon Frise (if you're not familiar with the breed, think of a toy poodle, only one specifically designed for wimps). We selected him based on the unlikelihood of his devouring our newborn twins - although now that they have grown up a bit, our concerns tend more in the direction of the twins devouring him, particularly our son, who has exhibited exotic dietary preferences. I initially sought to give our pet a fitting name along the lines of Bitsy, Poofblossom, or Fluffmuffin. However I was overruled by my wife, who insisted on Cujo. You see Carlotta is far younger than me, and occasionally hatches little pranks that play on my relative ignorance of popular culture (true story: I almost consented to naming our slightly pudgy infant son "Cartman" after she persuaded me that this was the name of a faded but celebrated aristocratic family from Maine).

Anyhow, Cujo the book is another gripping tale from the venomous quill of Steven King. In it, a friendly Saint Bernard is bitten by a rabid bat. Soon enough he's demonstrably losing his mind (foaming at the mouth, biting without provocation, stalking small children, even campaigning on behalf of the local Democratic Party in one particularly unsettling scene). The finale is a dramatic showdown between Cujo and some family members that he corners in a parked car. As Cujo starts bashing the car's windshield in with his head, one is forced to think of one's relationship with one's own dog. I once thought that our Cujo was the devil's own seed due to his penchant for pilfering food intended for me and as well as his occasional gassy episodes. But on the balance I suppose we're doing just fine with the old boy.

Once again, thrill-horror-shock master Stephen King has managed to write yet another masterful horror piece.
In this novel about a good, oafish, loveable dog named Cujo who has gone and gotten himself bitten by a rabid bat, we are introduced to a woman and her young son's journey through hell. How would you like to be trapped in a Pinto in the blazing heat with a 150 pound rabid dog after you?
As always, Mr. King manages to convey the full scope of the fear, horror and revulsion these two trapped individuals feel in their ordeal with the bloody Cujo (who is bloodied since he has already snacked on two other people and now see Tad-pole and Donna as dessert). This is definitely a fine example of Stephen King at his absolute best.
For a book that you can't put down, yet you are afraid to turn to the next page, pick up Cujo - you will never look at dogs in quite the same way again!

I first heard about this book by hearing about the movie. As a rule, I always try to read the book first. This book did not disappoint.

The book begins with a side story of a man who is going through many of life's problems. His wife is cheating on him, his company is going under, and his son is suffering from nightmares. Eventually, the family meets Cujo, a loveable dog owned by a auto repair guy and his family.

Then, Cujo is bitten by a rabid bat. He then goes on a rampage of death and terror, written in King's unique style, which somehow makes you able to picture the gruesome deaths and dismemberments in your head. Things really get serious when a mother and her little boy are trapped by Cujo in a hot car that will not start. It then becomes a mother's fight to save her child and herself.

One of the best horror's I've read yet. Don't dare see the movie before you read the book!

I'm not sure exactly how this guy came up with his criteria for what to include in this book and what to leave out. There is no Kurt Vonnegut, no Toni Morrison, no Saul Bellow, and no J.D. Salinger. Morrison and Bellow are both Nobel laureates in "20th century fiction"! And Salinger's first edition of Catcher in the Rye is probably one of the most sought-after books in this category. On top of this, the book is full of editorial errors. Not worth the trouble.

a very shoddy and error-filled attempt at a reference manual for modern firsts. has peter benchley, but not james ellroy, dean koontz, but not dennis lehane, micheal dorris, but not robert crais. a waste of money.

Some useful info but it's absurd that this is a "2000 edition" and covers books up to about 1993! What did he do when he updated this book, close his door and stay inside from 1993 to 1999 writing this book, ignoring any books written after 1993? Weird.

What boggles my mind is how few books there are on pricing and grading first edition books, and the ones that do exist are not very good, including Aherns. Why can't someone come out with a decent one like they do for comic books (Overstreet, etc)?