Well, if two points determine a line then Mike Venezia is making an effort to include more works by the artists he is writing about this year for his Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series. This volume on Johannes Vermeer includes sixteen works by the artist, who only produced about 40 paintings in his life, along with almost a dozen other works by his contemporaries. Apparently there is less known about the life of Vermeer than any other artist in this series, so this particular volume is precluded from providing a decent biography. This works out fine because Venezia makes more of an effort to explain how Vermeer's paintings work and I always like it when the books in this series can provide some substantive "art appreciation" lessons along with the cartoons. It is interesting that Vermeer's works were mistaken for those of Rembrandt and Pieter de Hooch because when you compare their paintings it is clear Vermeer's work is unqiuely different. In fact, given the senese of quiet and stillness he creates in his works, you may well end up thinking that Vermeer was the best of the bunch from the Golden Age of Art that reigned in Holland during the 17th century. Rembrandt is a great first name (or last name for that matter), but I sure am surprised to discover I think Vermeer was a better painter.

I was fortunate enough to have seen the now-legendary Vermeer exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. during the winter of 1995-96. 21 out of the 35 (or 36) extant paintings by Vermeer were included in the show, offering a unique opportunity to see the bulk of Vermeer's amazing works in a single space, something that no one has experienced since 1696, when @20 of his paintings were auctioned in Delft. Given the rarity and fragility of Vermeer's works, it is unlikely that such an event will ever be repeated. All who were unable to make it to the show, however, have this splendid book as a document of this unique event. This book will remain the standard work on Vermeer for many decades, and represents the fruit of several years' labor by art historians on two continents. Because so little is in fact known about Vermeer the man (in truth, we have no idea at all what Vermeer's education, interests, and personality were like), the catalogue essays fill this gap by contextualizing Vermeer's work within the history of Dutch painting, the development of perspective, and the fascinating tale of Vermeer's "rediscovery" in the 19th century and his richly-deserved rise to worldwide fame. The essays and catalogue entries may be too technical for some readers, as the authors have expended a lot of effort to reconstruct Vermeer's exact technique, something which can only be gleaned from careful study of the paintings themselves (no drawings by Vermeer have survived, nor have any statements he may have made about painting). This extensive scholarly apparatus, while illuminating and occasionally even riveting (the essay dealing with Vermeer's rediscovery is a great detective narrative!), tends to obscure the strange, even uncanny emotional charge that his images are suffused with. Vermeer's personal world - so limited in content yet unforgettably haunting and evocative - is one of stillness and peace suffused with tension. Each image contains remarkable spatial and temporal ambiguities that make simple scenes like a lady writing a letter while her maid looks away or two people standing near a piano (The Music Lesson) vibrate with dramatic tension. Sadly, the somewhat passionless writing encases the pictures (all of which are superbly reproduced) in a rhetoric that does not address the fundamental issue: What is it about these paintings that is so powerful that their maker was rescued from total obscurity and has inspired poetry, novels and countless studies? I was hoping to find some discussion of the psychological meaning of these images, but the traditional (overly scholarly and dry) art history within did nothing to help me understand my passion for the "Sphinx of Delft." That said, the book is a masterpiece of empirical research on the artist (barring some new discovery, it is unlikely that we will ever have any more facts about Vermeer and his world than can be read here), exquisitely designed, and distinguished with beautiful reproductions. The volume is certainly one of the few bestsellers in the field of the art book - when I attended the show, the paperback print of the book was totally sold out and the hardcover was flying off the shelves (it is odd that the book has not been reprinted in paperback). Johannes Vermeer is THE text to have on this artist and is unlikely to be superseded anytime soon. Immerse yourself in Vermeer's world and you will be transformed. Seeing this exhibition changed my life, and I treasure this book as a means of recapturing the awe and joy that overwhelmed me at the time. I hope you will enjoy this book as much as I have.

This book contained crucial information aboout the Dutch genre painter Johannes Vermeer. It would be helpful for both a reseach paper or report,as well as for educational purposes. It ranged from biographical information to his professional work. The book was well done and nicely written as well. This one source provides vast information. Included are paintings done by the artist. I think most readers would be able to handle the vocabulary of this book. When finished with this book you will definetly be informed about the artist Jan Vermeer.

Great, simple recipes that come out right the first time, many have become staples at our house.Good book to plan meals for entertaining friends as well . The grilled pizzas are great(once you get the technique learned)! Also, try Rosemary Chicken, "Georges Pasta"(great as written in the book or made with ground turkey and without butter as a low fat daily meal),Pasta with lentils and prosciutto,or Delmonico steaks with home made catsup. You won't be dissappointed!

Cucina Simpatica is not just another book of Italian cooking...it is a new way of looking at foods and ingredients. There is a magic in the way the chefs put together ingredients simply, yet with an outcome that is complex and tantilizing. This book has changed the way I feel about cooking; from a pastime to a passion. It is amazing how simple ingredients can transcend to a indelible masterpiece without any special training or tools. I have over 500 cookbooks in my collection, and if I had to get rid of

If you have sophisticated taste in food, love to cook, but don't have much time this is the book to add to your collection. Most recipes have only 5 or so ingredients and are simple to make, but they taste like you've been cooking for days! If you are in Providence, R.I. don't miss Al Forno, the restaurant that the authors own

I have read this book twice in my early childhood in Switzerland. Lieven's adventures fascinated me and his skill for cooking turned me almost a chef. Thirty years later, ..., I'm working on a study, how the combination of cooking, food, family can have a crucial function in our society of today.
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I read this book a few years ago in Swedish ("Inte bara kaviar") or "not only caviar". Here, we follow Thomas Lieven, a banker, around Eurpe during WWII. He constantly gets dragged into a war he finds ridiculous. All sides keep recruiting him against his will and he gets into hilarious and dangerous situations all the time.

Often, to get out of tight places, he cooks the most extraordinary meals and the recipes are given to the reader in detail. The onion soup is remarkable, I can guarantee you.

This is one of my favorite books with an enormous amount of humour, lots of action and numerous detailed recipes in one.

Our hero Thomas Liven is intelligent and easy to admire. In fact the entire book keeps you happy for a long time.

I have tried some time now to buy my own copy, either in Swedish or in English but to no avail. Anyone knows where to get a copy?

This is an eccentric, outstanding novel, an excellent mixture of comedy and tragedy, full of humor and wit, written by a German writer. One of the book I love best. I read it many years ago and I read it again now.

The story is mainly in World War II. Thomas Lieven is a young German banker. Intelligence agencies of several countries trap him and force him to work for them. Thomas obeys them superficially, but at heart he never does. He brilliantly makes a fool out of them. He is an indomitable pacifist, but not a theoretical, fanatic idealist. I particularly love his practical attitude; he racks his brain and even risks his own life to save people from bloodshed regardless their nationalities. That's very brave and nice of him. I love him so much!

What makes this story outstandingly eccentric is that Thomas loves cooking. He cooks many times to make friends, to dazzle enemies, to find a good idea and so on. Even the detailed recipes are inserted in the novel. That's so funny! Oh, who says Germans have no sense of humor?

The title "Es muss nicht immer Kaviar sein" means "It need not always be caviar". Not smooth but meaningful. In Japan, the title is "Shiroi Kokuseki no Supai", that means "The Spy of White Nationality". I don't know the English title.

Like the other reviewers have said, this book is simply the best combination of an account of Kepler's life, theories, and works.

Although written in 1948, Caspar's biography is today still the most comprehensive attempt to portray the person of Kepler in a unified manner. This work reflects Caspar's lifetime of work dedicated to Kepler's many publications, manuscripts, and correspondences, and, thanks to additional citations made by editor Owen Gingerich, the reader may now find where nearly all of these passages derive from. Both the common reader and serious student may benefit from this book, for it combines Kepler's scientific studies with the deeply personal conflicts of an early modern genius. Caspar's biography is fundamental not only for studies made on Kepler, but also for the Scientific Revolution in general.

....about Kepler, you must have this book. Period.

This is the first of the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3). The subsequent ones are merely variations on this first one. Accomplishing this one will accomplish them all.

To be poor in spirit is to shed oneself of all security, identity, importance, power, etc., anything that separates us from our humanity, and from God himself. The last days of Christ reveal the true meaning of what it is to be a human being, completely defenseless, stripped even of one's clothing, and abandoned by one's supporters. He resisted all temptation to call upon his divine powers throughout, choosing instead to embrace and experience in full the humann experience. To complete this experience is the cornerstone of Christ's Victory, and the cornerstone of the path of salvation for his followers.

When Christ utters the words "Eloi, Eloi, why have you forsaken me?" the impoverishment is complete, his victory is complete, his life is complete, and the new covenant is established.

This is a book to read in a single evening. It is only 60 very small pages. But it is a book that will take a lifetime to really understand. It is a map to the kingdom of heaven.

Metz singles out poverty as the key to salvation and union with God because poverty as he sees it is the summit and fulfillment of our natures and our participation in creation. Poverty of spirit recognizes the essential unfulfillment of the present human state, the poverty of lacking union with God. God is humanity's highest and only good; poverty of spirit recognizes the forlorn state of humanity. All pride and accomplishment which does not tend towards spiritual poverty is mere vanity and self-reliance. It is, as Metz points out, a devastating realization to become poor in spirit if one puts great stock in pride and oneself; the point of poverty of spirit is God and our need for Him, not some self-glorification or accomplishment. This book preaches an understanding of how humanity substantially relates to God: we are poor and broken and have an infinite longing for nothing but Him. Metz does an outstanding job of relaying these very difficult concepts in a clear and concise fashion.

An intelligent,conscise book that get's straight to the point about the message and proper insight into the teachings of Jesus without useless filler. This is a book to be read and studied in its simplistic, clear cut instructions on how to obtain purpose and fulfillment in this life. I would compare this book with Emmet Foxs' "Lord's Prayer" Short but full of wisdom!

When I first read 'Toward the Light', I lived some days in a state of the greatest happiness - for it answered all my deepest questions. I, like so many others, have sought answers in the belief that they do indeed exist, and I believe that I found many of them in this book. It encourages tolerance and love, it tells us, that YOU and I alike, my friend, are also among the children loved infinetely by God, no matter race, sex, age, beliefs. Such is God, not angry, not evil, but loving beyond comprehension. Read 'Towards the Light', and learn more good news.

This book has become the most important book in my life. Among all the books I have encountered that claim to be authentic messages from the transcendental world, this is the REAL one. It is also the only truly logical one, and explains with great clarity the origin of mankind, man's relationship to God, how we evolve through many lives on Earth, how we are ALL God's children - of equal value - and how no spirit is ever condemned to eternal damnation but is rather embraced by God's love no matter how terrible one's misdeeds, and much, much more. It is a message that strikes a chord of truth, and will surely resonate far and wide. I could not recommend this book more highly!

In the great confusion of today's spiritual book offers, Toward the Light is THE book: probably the only text stating to be a message to mankind from the transcendental world - and giving you the biggest mindblowing experience of your life trying to prove it is not.... The book lets you truly understand lots of things, you always wanted to know, but weren't able to connect satisfactorily with other studies/texts. Such as the origin of mankind, even the origin of God himself/herself - lots of perfectly logic surprises here! Atlantis, ghosts, paranormal phenomena, astronomical realities we know little about as yet - you name it, Toward the Light tells you about it. Including illuminating information on the life and thought of Jesus Christ. A warning: do not read this book with a superficial mind, and do try to leave out your personal ideas about life, just for a while. You'll be surprised about how much you'll find.

Practically every old alchemical emblem ever peeled of the printing block is included in this wonderful collection, which is invaluable for this reason alone. The text is a rather muddy analysis along Jungian psychological lines and amounts to little. But the pictures! What a spectacular theatre of bizarre imagery! Indeed the need to interpret is ineluctable. Many volumes have been written offering equally plausable, and mutually exclusive, solutions to the cypher-babble of the alchemists. Since there is no reason to suppose that the medieval sages themselves were all on the same page, no single modern interpretation is sufficient to explain their strange symbols away. Fortunately it's not really necessary to understand these pictures in order to enjoy them - in fact it might easily be said that their very impenetrability is the key to the fascination they hold. All enthusiasts of curious antiquities, students of comparative religion and the migration of symbols, latter-day mystics interested in magic and the occult, could loose hours and hours rapt in close contemplation of this spectacular book. A must-have!

Similar in scope, containing many of the same plates and including a few others exclusively, is "The Golden Game: Alchemical Engravings of the Seventeenth Century" by Stanislas Klossowski de Rola.

A readable and thorough explanation of the alchemical arts; comes with quality pictures and, even better, commentary on the psychological symbolism of alchemy from both a Jungian and a psychoanalytic perspective.

"Archaeology - The Comic " is an introductory book for archaeology students or for introducing archaeology to any beginner - but - and here's what's different - it is in COMIC form.
The book covers a vast number of topics including how to survey, excavate, analyze, interpret, and preserve archaeological sites and their material remains. The main character learns about site protection laws, consultation, museum exhibition and a variety of other public archaeology topics. She visits experts who explain the complexities of carbon dating, ground-penetrating radar, flotation, and thermoluminescence, among other analytical methods. And she develops an understanding of how all these tools allow archaeologists to make confident interpretations of the past.
There is a complete glossary and bibliography too, which makes this book a great reference book.
Anyone seriously interested in Archaeology, young or old, will enjoy this book, and learn a lot from it.

A very original approach to introducing the science of archaeology is taken by Johannes H. N. Loubser in Archaeology: The Comic. A professional archaeologist working for New South Associates (a contract firm in Georgia), Loubser is an expert on rock art, having done extensive field research in North America, South Africa, and Australia. Loubser draws upon his considerable expertise to provide readers with a graphic novel approach to explaining archaeology in terms of what it is and how it's done. Readers will follow young Squizee after some antiquarian pots are discovered on her family farm. Squizee learns from professional archaeologists how to survey, excavate, analyze, interpret, and preserve archaeological sites and their material remains. Also covered are the site protection laws, consultations with native peoples, museum exhibitions, radiocarbon dating, ground-penetrating radar, plant flotation, thermoluminescence, and more. Ideal for school classroom curriculums, Archaeology: The Comic would also serve as an ideal template for presenting other science disciplines!

Anthony Bailey's somewhat misleadingly titled Vermeer not-quite-biography is meticulously researched, lovingly detailed, and suffused with a powerful affection and appreciation for both Vermeer's painting and Dutch history. It is only ever less than fascinating when dealing with the old master himself.

So little is known of Vermeer as to leave his biographers only slightly better off than those of Shakespeare, imagining that this document indicated this mood, this painting signifies that political opinion...such supposition is not terribly interesting to the lay reader.

But in his detailed recreation of 17th century Delft and his lush and delicate descriptions of the major canvases, Bailey makes up for the limitations of his subject. This period of Dutch history is so rich it seems almost a shame to spend so much of the text on a figure about whom so little is known, and Bailey recounts it beautifully.

An excellent book, then, unless one really wants a biography of Vermeer.

Anthony Bailey is the ideal author to write about Vermeer: like his subject's paintings his prose is quiet, calm, introspective, and serene. He illuminates Vermeer and his work, but as in the paintings discussed the light is gentle, and golden, never harsh - like a good poet, Bailey leaves plenty of room for the reader to reflect on his/her reality as he describes his subject.

It's wonderful to think of Vermeer painting his silence-drenched, calm and mysterious images amid the noise and tumult of his house filled with eleven children. Perhaps his paintings were a world of perfect order and quiet that he could retreat to when his messy and noisy surroundings became overwhelming. I also liked Bailey's point that perhaps Vermeer painted so few images because almost all of his best work had sunlight streaming through a window, and the Dutch climate doesn't offer too many sunny days to paint from!

The book opened with a bit more 15th and 16th century Dutch history than I would have cared for, but hold tight, once he switches his focus to Vermeer's paintings the book takes flight, and you will never look at the paintings in the same way again. The black and white reproductions don't do the paintings justice however - I'd recommend having a book of color reproductions of the paintings (there are only 37 known Vermeers!) next to you as Bailey gently helps you see these familiar images in wonderfully new ways.

I'm certainly no expert on the non-fiction genre and definitely no expert on art history but I do know a well-researched and enjoyable piece of work when I come across it. I came in the backdoor on this one having become fascinated by Vermeer after reading Tracy Chevalier's Girl With A Pearl Earring. I followed that one up with Susan Vreeland's Girl In Hyacinth Blue and then came across Anthony Bailey's book. What a wonderful way to continue my journey into this author's own portrait of this master painter and what a surprise to find that it contains black and white and some color pictures of Vermeer's paintings as well.

While very little is known about Vermeer's life, through the genius of Bailey, you come away from this book feeling you know the man. What we do know is that he lived in the mid 17th century, was a Reformed Protestant until he married the Catholic Catharina Bolnes and fathered 11 children as well as 35 masterpieces. At a time when painters were in abundance in Delft and industry was striving, the picture of Vermeer is still that of a struggling artist trying to feed and clothe a large family. It is a wonder, Bailey points out, that amidst all the noise and commotion that must have gone on in his house and the financial problems that must have weighed heavily on his shoulders, that he was still able to paint such masterpieces that put the beholder at ease merely by their stillness. Vermeer was never an "all-inclusive artist" notes Bailey and none of his paintings incorporate a single flower. He favored the use of the "local colours" of yellow, white and blue. Bailey also notes that he was "fond of rendering the effects of sunlight and sometimes succeeded to the point of complete illusion."

The author mentions the trademarks found in Vermeer's paintings -- the white wine jug, the map on the wall, the bowl of fruit on a carpeted table, finials in the form of a lion's head at the back of the chair and, my personal favorite, the black and white floor tiles that helped the artist establish perspective. He also explains Vermeer's possible use of the camera obscura to focus his view. There were so many interesting things presented by the author, one of which was the different way Vermeer signed his name. Bailey shows five different signatures all playing around with the V and M in Vermeer's name. Another thing I found engrossing was how Vermeer put things into his paintings and then painted them out. We can only see this now because of modern X-ray and infrared equipment.

I could go on and on about all I learned after reading this book but some of the more interesting parts occur after Vermeer's death and have to do with Hitler's possession of some of these masterpieces as well as Van Meegeren's forgeries of Vermeer's works in the 1900's. Of the 35 known Vermeer works, one painting, The Concert, is still missing, having been stolen in 1990.

I culminated my fascination of Vermeer with a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art this week to see the Delft/Vermeer exhibit. Having just read Bailey's book, I felt quite knowledgeable not only concerning Vermeer but all things Delft in general. Upon exiting the exhibit, I walked directly into the gift shop where Anthony Bailey's book was not only on sale but being purchased by all those around me. So not only do I congratulate this author on a work well done, but also on the best timing possible for publication that one could imagine.

I'll end this review with my favorite lines from the book -- those that sum up Vermeer's life in the eyes of Anthony Bailey. "He remains in some respects, the missing man in some of his own paintings: the person who has just left the room, or who is expected at any moment. He is impatient to be found, to be seen, but while he waits, he paints stillness."

Anthony Bailey has made Johannes Vermeer come alive for me with interesting stories, things that might have been and a wonderfully descriptive Delft region by which Vermeer was obviously inspired. To me he is no longer lost, but found on the pages written by Bailey.