This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen.

Let me start off by saying that I'm a huge fan of this book publisher Taschen. If you go to any book store and find yourself flipping through some spectacularly illustrated book that seems very cutting edge, there is a good chance it is a Taschen. Taschen is a company led by Benedikt and Angelika (last name: Taschen!). These people are pure and simple revolutionaries. I've been collecting books for close to 20 years, and it has really only been with the advent of Taschen that I've found myself excited by anything newly published.

This book specifically: Does the price seem a little spendy?? To the contrary. If you buy it you will be so utterly astonished at the imposing size and the overall high quality that you will find it to be the best bargain of your bargain-hunting and book-buying lifespan. This book is a work of art in its own right. The content is fabulous: spectacular color plates that reveal nature as the most creative (if not downright psychedelic) of artists. It truly is amazing to see a display of awe-inspiring bio-diversity documented in this fashion. If you are not an eager advocate for the environment, you very well may become one upon flipping through these pages. It is impossible to not feel affection for these various small and beautiful creatures, and one feels a mandate to recognize their rightful place on the planet when you have them introduced to you in this fashion. I would personally buy a copy of this for George W. Bush if I could rest assured that he would flip through every page if only once. He would have to re-examine his approach to the planet as a result, or he simply is not human.

Okay, one gripe, one mistake I see Taschen making: a book of this magnitude needs a cloth or "buckram" cover, not a mere "finished cardboard" cover. The cover is nicely decorated and textured, but it is essentially of the same quality as a Dr. Suess book. It is the only aspect of the book where Taschen has cut a corner in an obvious attempt to save money. It is sad that they did so. I think Taschen needs to keep the quality of the bindings high and traditional. Taschen content is so innovative and progressive that they don't need to get too clever with the covers. I have another Taschen book with a "shiny cardboard cover"; it appears to be coated with some type of plastic or resin. Already, after only two years or so, it is making creaking noises when you open it. I envision after a few more years those synthetic molecules quite simply giving up and the entire book falling apart in my hands. Taschen, listen up: most of us are happy to spend a few bucks more for top quality all the way across. This "Cabinet of Curiosities" in particular is insulted by the compromise cover. But despite this caveat, I can not imagine any enlightened person being anything other than fully blown-away by this book. It truly doesn't get much better than this in the world of contemporary books.

I saw this huge beautiful book at a store today and nearly bought it on a whim -
even with the $150 price tag. Then I thought I'd check on Amazon
and maybe get it at a discount - no such luck.
They said they don't discount such hard-to-find titles. Well, it's certainly not hard to
find, as it is published by Taschen, and any decent bookstore has plenty of Taschen
books. It is however huge, and expensive, so there's the trouble. Here is some info on the
book directly from the publishers:

Albertus Seba's "Cabinet of Curiosities" is one of the 18th
century's greatest natural history achievements and remains one
of the most prized natural history books of all time.

Though it was common for men of his profession to collect natural
specimens for research purposes, Amsterdam-based pharmacist
Albertus Seba (1665-1736) had a passion that led him far beyond
the call of duty. His amazing, unprecedented collection of animals,
plants and insects from all around the world gained international
fame during his lifetime. In 1731, after decades of collecting, Seba
commissioned illustrations of each and every specimen and
arranged the publication of a four-volume catalog detailing his
entire collection-from strange and exotic plants to snakes, frogs,
crocodiles, shellfish, corals, insects, butterflies and more, as well
as fantastic beasts, such as a hydra and a dragon.

Seba's scenic illustrations, often mixing plants and animals in a
single plate, were unusual even for the time. Many of the stranger
and more peculiar creatures from Seba's collection, some of which
are now extinct, were as curious to those in Seba's day as they
are to us now.

Our superb, complete reproduction is taken from a rare,
hand-colored original. The introduction offers background
information about the fascinating tradition of the cabinet of
curiosities to which Seba's curiosities belonged and an additional
annex, written by contemporary biologists, provides descriptions of
the specimens.

I'll most likely save my dollars until I can buy this without feeling too guilty: By the way - it's 646 pages and about 18 inches high.

This book is simply beautiful. The essence of spring is captured in beautiful prose. Illustrations are terrific but the words themselves conjure up such lovely images themselves. So much of "the little things" that often go unnoticed are brought to light here. The ticking of time is so quiet because we don't see what is around us. This book pulls out some of those transitions. So lovely.

This book is the age-old story of winter's end and the glad return of spring. It takes place at that one magical turning-point that comes every year when suddenly you notice spring has crept in and claimed the earth again. Most of the action takes place after sundown of the last day of winter. During the quiet night that follows spring unfolds and we are involved in the lovely stirrings of a greening world and her wild creatures. The lyrical text entices our senses to rise and remember spring. We are treated to very, very beautiful illustrations just filled with subtle and exquisite light from sunset to sunrise, to starry full-moon skies and soft lamplit lanes in the park. This book is a jewel and it will either make you long for spring or tide you over until it returns.

Well That's The Name Super Simple, This Is For Children Who Aren't Good Enough For The Tough Stuff. If Your Friend Says to You That You Stink At Origami. Well, If they Say That Than That Probably Means They're Way Better Than You. But After You Read This Book , You Will Be One Step Closer To Making The Tiger Your Friend Can Make But You Can't!

Simple origami is not necessarily boring origami. While the models in this book are simple enough for children to learn many adults will find plenty of models to add to their repertoire. The illustrations are large, the photographs of the finished model are very detailed and the instructions are easy to follow. This book will provide many hours of fun for teachers and students, parents and children and the origami enthusiast.

After having become interested in eating more soy products, I was delighted to find this cookbook. Discover Tofu is an excellent way to introduce tofu to ones diet. Thank you.

This book is jam-packed with everything you need to know to get started building the body you've always dreamt of. It has guides to bodybuilding, endurance training, streching and diet. The book is laid up into sections and it is easy to locate the exercise you want. I've built myself a training program using the exercises in this book, and only after 4 weeks I notice a great increase in my abilities.

This book is an excellent introduction to Zen thinking for the traditional Western mind. Through an easy to understand introduction and explanation, followed by examples of Zen wisdom the reader is started on the path to an understanding of Zen philosophy.