The photography and the text of this book has been described in other reviews, but I want to add that this is now one of the most beautiful books that I own. The typesetting is flawless, the paper is of a much higher weight than I have seen in other monographs, and, of course, the reproductions are class. These points are magnified by the sheer size of the book-- check the dimensions given in the details above. The book is a work of art.

This book clearly deserves many more than five stars. It is one of the most remarkable expressions about and by an artist in any genre that I have ever seen.

Before going further, let me caution those who are offended by all forms of nudity that this book contains many female nudes. These are all tastefully done, and will not offend those who look with a desire to see the essence of beauty.

Alfred Stieglitz was a seminal figure in 20th century art. One of the foremost photographers in the century, he also helped other photographers define what the aesthetic means in photography. He also was a champion for many of the best known photographers, and seriously boosted their careers. In painting, he was an early advocate of important 20th century artists like Arthur Dove and Georgia O'Keeffe. In addition, he published two influential journals about photography, and exhibited art in his famous gallery in New York. Clearly, though, photography was his first love. "I have all but killed myself for Photography."

This book focuses on his central vision of photography ("search for objective truth and pure form") which increasingly was about "antiphotographs" or images that move beyond simple representation. This concept is examined both in 73 of his best images and through numerous excerpts from his voluminous writings on the subject (over 200 essays).

This book is based on the famous 1983 show of Stieglitz's work, and has been reproduced with amazing care and quality. The images are produced in tritone to give more texture and detail. The paper is of archival quality. Most people's diplomas are not on paper this good or this thick. There is a luxurious feeling to just hold the pages.

The 73 images were selected by Ms. O'Keeffe, Juan Hamilton (her friend and assistant), and curator Sarah Grenough from approximately 1600 images in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Ms. Grenough selected the writings to be used, and wrote the wonderful introduction.

From looking at these remarkable images, I came away with the impression that Stieglitz was at his best (for my taste) when he was doing portraits, abstractions, and cityscapes. Those subjects seemed to allow him to strip away the unessential better than the others he used. My favorite images in the book are:

Sun Rays -- Paula, Berlin, 1889

From the Back-Window -- 291, 1915 Self-Portrait, 1907

Marie Rapp, 1916

Arthur G. Dove, 1911-1912

Charles Demuth, 1915

Hodge Kirnon, 1917

Marcel Duchamp, 1923

Georgia O'Keeffe, 1918 (3)

Margaret Treadwell, 1921

Waldo Frank, 1920

Dancing Trees, 1922

Music -- A Sequence of Ten Cloud Photographs, VIII, 1922

Equivalent, 1931

His writings are as rewarding as his photographs. I was particularly interested in his ideas about how humans make progress. "Progress has been accomplished only by reason of the fanatical enthusiasm of the revolutionist . . . ." "Experts . . . are the result of hard work."

After you have finished enjoying this astonishingly revealing volume, I suggest that you think about how you like to express truth and beauty in your life. How can you be more direct and simple in this expression?

Be sure to live a life of "constant experimenting" like Stieglitz did!

This is far more than a picture book; it contains 73 high-quality plates and its real treasures can be found is the twenty page introduction and the fifty pages of selections from his writings about his work and views on photography. As a full time artist, I found this book to be both rich and inspiring. If you have lost sight of why you shoot pictures, try this as a reminder of clearer moments.

Archipelago is an excellent book on several levels. First, as a photo essay of the biota of the Indonesian islands it must be beyond compare. The photos are simply awesome, leaf through it and see for yourself. Second, it tells the story of one of the worlds least known but greatest scientists, Alfred Wallace. Wallace was just as responsible for developing the theory of evolution through natural selection as Charles Darwin. If you are interested in the history of science or a biology student at any level you should be aware of Wallace's work. This is as good a book to learn about it as any. One slight complaint, in reading this book I felt that the authors felt that Wallace received a raw deal from Darwin and the rest of the scientific community. I don't know if it's true or if the truth will ever be known. I know that Wallace didn't feel that way so why include it here? Third, this book is so much a trip through time. Each chapter on Wallace in the islands is mixed with modern essays on life in the islands and what is happening to the environment there. As an environmentalist "call to arms" it is great, because it is backed by better science through a broader range of disciplines than any I have seen.

I'm not a big fan of the "Coffee Table Book" but this is an exception. While it might be tempting to only look at the pictures, the text is in such a interesting format that reading it turns out to be such a breeze that you will be done before you notice.

this is a great book. It covers in detail the jouneys of that great explorer/naturalist/thinker Alfred E. Wallace through Indonesia and addresses the current state of affairs and threats to its natural treasures.

This beautiful coffee table book goes far beyond presenting the tropical and exotic beauty of this complex archipelago. True, outstanding photos highlight the natural splendor, rich culture and exotic architecture. But the authors also explore its historical significance, beginning with Wallace's 19th century discoveries in biogeography, continuing through the current, looming ecological crisis wrought by exploitation of the islands' natural resources. For those who have traveled to Indonesia, or have ever wished to, this book is a must.

Lots of interesting facts I never knew about the internet. Made my internet experience a lot more enjoyable and productive than I ever imagined!

Wao - everybody thinks they know the Internet! But they have not seen even a fifth of it until they have gone through the exercises in this book. Gopher and Archie? Most people have never heard of these services. They are out there and are very useful. I downloaded a ton of documents for my research paper this weekend.

The step by step intructions in this book make it easy to use. It taught me a lot about the Internet. It is a very user-friendly manual. A must have.

In ancient Greece, dance was seen as a gift. Dance is simply a series of movements performed in patterns and set to music. Every human society has some form of dance. It is a way to pass on history, exercise and express yourself in a way words can't.

In this colorful guide, the magic and beauty of dance is shown in step-by-step sequences and full-color photographs. The costumes are spectacular and children can see the costumes, learn the stories of the great classical ballets and discover why Javanese dancers "flow like water."

Dances include:

Ballet
Tonga - poetry interpreted in dance in the Pacific Island of Tonga
Flamenco - Spanish
Ghost Dance - Native American
Morris Dance - England
Gharata Natya - Classic Indian Dance (if you enjoy this - watch Lagaan)
Orissi, Eastern India - originally performed by temple dancers
Georgian Ballet - the costumes are amazing!
Modern Ballet
Ballroom Dancing
and many more...

There is a section on footwear and they show how a ballet shoe is made. They explain the process of creating costumes all the way from the drawings to the finished product. Makeup and set design is briefly discussed.

A section on famous dancers and choreography shows what it takes. Finally, they discuss dance crazes through time.

A trip around the world in dance!

DK eyewitness books are some of the greatest non-fiction books around. The distinctive white background and high-quality photography gives this book an edge over any other nonfiction picture book. And -- these pictures are real! They're beautiful photos of all things related to dancing, accompanied by informative captions and text.

Learn about many different styles of dance, costumes and shows, performers, and many other dance-related topics (all augmented by beautiful museum-quality photos).

If you know someone (young or old) who is fascinated dancing, then you must introduce them to this book! It's a great lesson about dancing, and a beautiful book.

This book is excellent for the education of all types of dance. The pictures are colorful, the information is accurate, and it keeps the readers attention. It covers a variety of dances, and goes into detail about costumes and shoes. It is a good book for those interested in the art of dance, and dances from around the world.

After spending literally thousands of hours reading true crime books, I can say that this is the real thing. I was absolutely thrilled to see that it is available because I am going to make it required reading for the students in my Criminal Investigation classes! They may grumble at first about having another book to read, but when they start on "The Evidence Never Lies", they'll not want to put it down!

As the spouse of an award-winning crime reporter, we found "The Evidence Never Lies" to be a compelling, thought-provoking analysis of the incredible career of Herbert MacDonell. For those whose careers focus on crime, crime buffs, and seekers of great reading, this is a must-buy.

I first found this book in 1992...and it changed my life. I am not kidding. Because of this book, I went on to studying serial killers, profiling and forensics...I was a paralegal major before that. The Evidence Never Lies is one of those treasures that should not be lost....never mind out of print!! I searched for it to see if there were a newer edition; I cannot believe it is out of print. Please Mr. MacDonell, write another like it. It is truly great

I have been searching for this book for 7 years. I could only turn to the libraries and the government Parks Board for reference. So i would very much appreciate if your company could make it available in the market.
It is a brilliant book for reference especially if one is in the industry. I have not come across any books that could come close to Graf's compilation of plants. I am also very interested in his other book Tropica which is also not been made available in the market. So please could i at least order the book from this review column

I have the Series 3 Seventh Edition. It is the best pictorial book on identifying plants that is out and if you are so lucky to purchase one, you will be envied by your fellow gardners. They are scarce and those who have these books treasure them and do not give them up.

I bought my version in 1967 and consider it to be the best illustrated horticultural book I have seen. I still have it. It does suffer a major disadvantage in that it is too thick for one volume making it very unstable to read on your lap,the danger being that it's weight will cause it to drop off while you are holding a page. I have not seen Exotica 4 and would appreciate knowing what changes were made if that is possible. I have to be fair though and tell you that I will not be buying. Thankyou.

Reading this book again, as I usually do on New Years Day, I started having an ether image of Doctor Faustroll, Poet and 'Pataphysician, meeting Dr. Norem, Personality Psychologist. Not to debate, but to discuss. I feel that Alfred Jarry and the good Dr. Faustroll would both understand and find etherially amusing the absurd title of her book -- the positive power of negative thinking. And they could help explain to the rest of us how psychology works. That would be nice. Or perhaps we need 'Patapsychology to stand above Freud's Metapsychological Papers. In any case, we need Dr. Faustroll to be perceptive.

This is a very great book, but I could hardly recommend it. Would you enjoy it? I think it is skies above the Ubu books in its range of vision, and I certainly didn't see any baboons with gluteal musculature grafted to their cheeks starring as commentator in those more famous works . . . well, I don't know what to say this "sort of thing" is exactly . . . if you are unfamiliar with this man (a drinker in the line of Rabelais, except I would say he was much more sincerely dedicated, a scholar, a scientist, a metaphysical swine, a bicycler, an eccentric above the heavyweights of French nincompoops, a novelist, -- also he did decent woodcuts, too) and his work then I would recommend the Supermale as a better beginning. If that is indeed your brand of entertainment, than hoist this flag up on the mast of your soft and sticky palm that never picked an axe to chop a block or made a fist to fight for your principles nor did anything else in all your life except to pick up another foreign book we can all be grateful for to have been translated, and sail it gently down the seas of your eyes until you land where you were looking for . . . this is a traveler's book.

Faustroll is a Hallucinogenic cross between Lewis Carroll & Jules Verne. Magnificently dense style of a prose poem, images as strange as Lautremont's. It also reminded me of Flann O'Brien's Third Policeman, the only book that has done that.

Final exam is a hazy book . What the eyes of Andres Favas shows us is not only a foggy Buenos Aires but a journey into the labyrinths of the late 50's intelectuality. Where does it take him? nowhere of course... inertia is the result of extenuating thinking , so Andre and his friends talk , read , define and redifine life but go nowhere while a surreal city burns.

Cortazar always enjoyed playing with words ( much like Borges) but mostly he played with time. The book has brilliant words but also silence and a stream of consciousness flows through the entire book and through an impossible Buenos Aires , a constelation of metaphores and specially a fast and corrosive intelectually challenging book.

Final Exam is a darkly funny novel set in a surreal Buenos Aires. Juan and Clara, two students at a Faculty called "The House" meet up with their friends Andres and Stella, as well as a journalist friend called "the chronicler". Juan and Clara are getting ready to take their final exam, but instead of preparing, they wander the city with their friends, encountering strange happenings in the squares and pondering life in cafes. All the while they are being trailed by the mysterious Abel, apparently a former lover of Clara's. Final Exam features stream-of-consciousness narrative techniques and is one of Julio Cortazar's best works. Ably translated from Spanish by Alfred MacAdam, Final Exam will serve to introduce English readers to a major literary talent.

Reminding one of what would later develop into the style usedby Cortazar in "Hopscotch" and "62: A Model Kit,""Final Exam" is a nightmarish journey through Buenos Aires. As with 62, many of the most disparaging questions are left unanswered, and the reader is left wondering why this decaying reality seems so familiar. Another great novel from the Master!

This 556-page volume raises extremely important questions about the first major terrorist attack on U.S. shores, which was unfortunately not the last.

In hindsight, some observers wonder whether the devastating 1995 attack was both precursor and connected to the Sept. 11, 2002 attacks on New York and Washington which took more than 3,000 lives.

This research--conducted by the Oklahoma Bombing Investigation Committee, and funded by private citizens--raises many unsettling questions.

For starters it provides clear evidence that U.S. Federal authorities never found all of the perpetrators of the Oklahoma City attack, that they did not pursue every lead, and that they did not utilize all available physical evidence. Substantial evidence surfaced that dozens of crucial eyewitnesses were neither interviewed nor called at federal trials.

In October 1995, Oklahoma State Representative Charles Key petitioned the District Court of Oklahoma County for a Grand jury to be formed to investigate the bombing. His petition was denied in February 1997.

Nevertheless, an FBI agent swore in an affidavit included in this volume that Abraham Abdallah Ahmed, a Jordanian-born naturalized U.S. citizen detained by American Airlines security personnel in Chicago on April 19, 1995 met the description of one of the male suspects seen running from the scene of the bombing. Ahmed flew from Oklahoma City to Chicago after the bombing. The FBI man further swore that Ahmed's luggage, which continued to Rome, contained several car radios, substantial amounts of shielded and unshielded wire, a small tool kit and other tools. While these could be used for everyday work, they were also "consistent with use" for "explosive devices." Ahmed was requested to appear before a Grand Jury, but had fled.

The Grand Jury indicted Timothy McVeigh, along with "others unknown." Composites of two "others," each called "John Doe," are shown here. They were never found.

In addition, actual evidence from terrorist attacks in Columbia in 1989, Saudi Arabia and Lima Peru in 1996 proved that a car bomb alone could not destroy reinforced concrete supports like those in the Alfred P. Murrah building. Chemical and electrical engineers, physicists and a U.S. Brigadier General all concurred that the damage to the Murrah Building on April 19, 1995 could not be ascribed to a single truck bomb containing 4,800 pounds of ammonium nitrate fuel oil.

A former military man at the scene on April 19 to search for victims witnessed fire department teams removing two devices that were placed in bomb disposal units. These were described as "military olive drab in color," the size of "round, five-gallon drums, with black lettering designating the contents as fulminated mercury," a high grade explosive. He saw mercury switches on devices which he recognized as detonators.

Had complete work been done in 1995, might 2001 have been prevented?

Read this book, and weep for the victims of both heinous attacks.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

If you want to know the truth about the bombing of the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, this is the source. The author was one of the eminently qualified people who pursued the study of the bombing and produced this book. It is well researched, well written, and quotes research by many extremely well qualified individuals, including several eyewitnesses and victims of the bombing. The only qualification I would add is that it comprises 364 pages of fine print, with an additional 184 pages of pictures and supporting documentation.

You have not read the complete story until you've read this. The "official version" is nothing like this.

Rep Charles Key really steps up to the plate while investigating the controversial Oklahoma City Bombing. He throughly looks at all aspects and possibilities as to how the bombing could have taken place. He has many official documents to back up all of the text in the book. It is a thorough look at OKC through the eyes of a group of individuals who just want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. They did this for the victims and I think they did a wonderful job. Great job Charles!

In the search for resources dealing with the great flood of scripture, I've found this book to be an excellent resource. Although written in the 50's, the content is still surprisingly up to date, well reasoned, well presented, and well documented. Mr. Rehwinkle deals with pre and post flood material as well. Concordia Publishing House is still publishing this book in paperback almost half a century later for good reason. If you're interested in the topics of the deluge, pre or antediluvian man, or just want to read a book that provides overwhelming evidence of a worldwide flood, this belongs on your bookshelf.

While you may ask why anyone would want to read a book about "The Flood," to me the possibility of one day actually being able to see the remains of the ark for myself has always intrigued me.

Some believe the event to be a myth or legend. Alfred M. Rehwinkel explains how nearly every nation and tribe in the entire human race has a flood myth. The peoples of Egypt, Mexico, America, India, Pacific Islands, Asia, Australia and Africa all have a story to tell. It seems to deny the existence of a flood rejects the most ancient and most sacred traditions of universal humanity.

One of the most fascinating discoveries is also recorded in this book. The great Gilgamesh Epic was found in the ruins of the Assurbanipal library in Nineveh. The narrative bears a striking resemblance to the writings of Moses in Genesis. It was in fact written centuries before.

According to the author, there are many reasons modern man has rejected the possibility of a flood. Many scholars do however believe it to be the greatest catastrophe in the history of the earth.

Alfred M. Rehwinkel goes into great detail and shows how the ark was in fact quite capable of holding a great number of animals. He explains how many of the animals at the time could be found in the vicinity and that the climate, animal and plant life, where vastly different in Noah's time.

He answers the following questions in detail:

1. Where did all the water come from? 2. When did "The Flood" begin? 3. What was the population of the earth before "The Flood." 4. Why was there a flood and why was Noah saved?

He also goes on to show how the earth would have in fact been a virtual paradise with a warm climate and food for all. In his opinion, the earth was rich with resources and most likely sustained a great number of people. He also believes they had reached a high level of civilized culture. He basis his opinions on archeological discoveries.

A diagram on page 10 also explains how if the earth was perpendicular to the plane of its orbit, there would have been no change in the seasons. The seasons may in fact be a result of the earth tilting 23 1/2 degrees at the time of the flood.

If you are interested in archeology, you will enjoy reading about the fossil remains and how many different species were found all in one location in mass graves. This goes against modern geology, which is based on a system of biological evolution. (Oh, by the way, I have a Trilobite fossil my father brought me from Russia.)

This book does in fact succeed in bringing to our attention, the most outstanding evidence for a universal flood from a geological and archaeological standpoint. The most fascinating part of this intellectual work was the story of a Russian aviator named Mr. Vladimar Roskivitsky. He actually claims to have seen the remains of Noah's Ark on Mount Ararat in 1942. If anyone knows where I can find more information on the evidence for this claim, I would love to hear from you. I have only begun my research on this topic!

Hullo, I had to read this book b/c my mom forced me to. But I ended up enjoying it. My mom took care of the Aurthor until he died. He left his bible to my mom. He was a great guy and i reccomend the book to anyone.