Jorn Utzon is one of those Danish architects that rarely gets the attention of those familiar with Danish architecture and design. Although he indeed worked with the likes of Arne Jacobsen, Kay Fisker, Sverre Fehn, Gunner Asplund, and Alvar Aalto; his Opera House, still to this day surrounded in the cloud of it's controversiality, remains where Utzons's name most often appears. Of course there isn't an overabundance of material on Utzon either, which makes Fromonto's book something of a rareity and a special treat. The book thoroughly discusses how the Opera House came about, of course from both Utzon and the Sydney sides. It also finnishes with the circumstances to which Utzon and Opera House are on difficult terms, but Fromonot does not sacrifice the years of heart and soul that Utzon put into this masterpiece with typical tabloid stories of his incompetence. No, this book present the Opera House in every detail of it's inception and construction. I would have liked to see some finished images of the interiors, but I would imagine in the chronology of the book that the presentation of the Opera House ends where Utzon no longer worked on the project and instead moves onto some of his later accomplishments. Anyone interested in the Opera House will be amazed at how complex and how fundamentally beautiful the structure really is.

Francoise Fromonot does not only write a book on the Sydney Opera House, she unveils with mastery the works of a great architect who was unknown through the fame of his masterpiece(the Sydney Opera House). The book maps an ingenious trajectory of the complex relationship of one mans' lifetime work through a central piece (the Opera house) and his other projects. Fromonot is an architect-writer who undrestands and heighlights the delicate relationship of Utzon's Oeuvres necessary for understanding this one and only architectural symbol of Australia. She is miles ahead of the recently published Ph.Drew's soap opera account of Utzon's personal life for the comprehension of his architecture. Perhaps Drew mistakes Soap and Sydney, since the only common denominator is the Opera. Fromonot makes a piece of architecture and a film wrapped in a book, it is a gift to Utzon for all his contribution to architecture.

For each generation of chefs there is one who has profound influence the culinary world. For the new millenium it is Chef Ducasse.

L'Aterlier of Alain Ducasse is less of a book on Ducasse himself and more of a tribute from Chefs who have worked and learned under his exacting standards.

Ducasse presents recipes on specific ingredients which are then followed by recipes from Chefs who have worked under him and gone onto greatness of their own.

Jean-Louis Nomicos, Sylvain Portay, Franck Cerutti Jean-Francois Piege and Alessandro Stratta all show how their style of cooking has been influenced by time working for Alain Ducasse.

Ducasse presents us with ingredients and takes us on a their journey to the table. Every ingredient has a point at which it is at it's height of flavor and quality. Ducasse shows us how to prepare them to reach that point so their indentity is distinct and uncomplicated by other flavors.

L'Aterlier of Alain Ducasse is a must have for all professionals and "foodies. This book will provide great inspiration and hours of entertainment for anyone serious about food and cooking.

Alain Ducasse is nothing less than a "master" in the kitchen, when he brings dining to a whole new level. Anyone who liked his past book "Flavors of France," will surely like this book just as much.

Alexis de Tocqueville is, of course, the most perceptive observer of American democracy ever to grace our shores, his Democracy in America one of the most important books ever written about democracy in general and the American Republic in specific. Here, in a less read work, he takes on the origins of the French Revolution and the peculiar French form of democracy it brought and proves an equally keen observer of his own country and countrymen.

De Tocqueville makes several vital points about the French Revolution: first, that it built gradually and, given circumstances in France, was inevitable; second, where the American Revolution had as its lodestar the ideal of freedom, the French Revolution was motivated by a passionate hatred of inequality; third, the demise of all insitutions other than the monarchy in France made it certain that when Revolution came, it would be violent and unchecked; finally, this combination of factors lead to the bizarre nature of the French Revolution, with no developed institutions to turn to once the King was gone and with no great emphasis placed on freedom, the French people were willing to tolerate the nihilism of the Terror and the authoritarianism of the governments that replaced the monarchy. He does not make the case, but it lies before us, that the American Revolution was fundamentally a positive action, a demand for greater freedom, but the French Revolution was a negative action, a demand that the few not own more than the many.

This book was to be followed by a second volume dealing with the the Revolution itself, but he died before he could continue the work. That is a shame; it would have been interesting to have some more insight from him into the French, it seems unlikely that anyone has ever rendered a better description of his people than the one he offers in his Conclusion:

When I observe France from this angle [their temperament] I find the nation itself far more remarkable than any of the events in its long history. It hardly seems possible that there can ever have existed any other people so full of contrasts and so extreme in all their doings, so much guided by their emotions and so little by fixed principles, always behaving better, or worse, than one expected of them....Undisciplined by temperament, the Frenchman is always readier to put up with arbitrary rule, however harsh, of an autocrat than with a free, well-ordered government by his fellow citizens, however worthy of respect they be. At one moment he is up in arms against authority and the next we find him serving the powers that be with a zeal such as the most servile races never display.

In the context of this paragraph, we can begin to understand Vichy France and the bureaucratic tyranny of the modern French nation. I say "begin"...

GRADE: B+

Tocqueville has always been, and probably always will be, known as the author of "Democracy in America," a wide-ranging and perspicacious study of the early republic. However, it's when he writes about his own France, and its political system that he knows so intimately, that Tocqueville is at his best. Unlike "Democracy," "The Ancient Regime" is neither sprawling, judgemental, nor inaccurate. These are excusable lapses, of course, in a grand work of poignant analysis, but such deficiencies do not mar "The Ancient Regime." This book is succinct, beautifully written, expertly researched, and incredibly original. Because Tocqueville was French and worked in the French government, this work is much more focused, specific, and accurate than "Democracy" (written hastily after a 9-month tour of America in 1830-31). It is simply a brilliant work, the creation of a curious and sometimes eccentric mind.

This book is full of photos and detailed and clear descriptions of the moves. I plan to use the book a great deal and work the moves into my yoga routine. Even so, I'm not sure that it would be enough for someone who has no yoga experience. Also, I was looking for recommendations about other yoga moves I'm more familiar with (eg, "Don't do the cobra" "the cat is great for pregnant women") and it wasn't there.

I highly recommend this book to women 14 weeks pregnant and on. I actually took yoga classes with Francoise in Cambridge, UK during my second pregnancy. The preparation was exquisite and prepared me and baby for a glorious childbirth experience. The book is well organized and easy to read so that you can prepare for a natural birth as it is meant to be. No one can predict a birth experience, but this book helps to take the experience into your own hands and avoid medical intervention.

I really wanted to like this book since I had loved Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo" and the first two books about the musketeers so much, but unfortunately, I found it to be a big disappointment.

The main story in this book is a love story involving Louise de la Valliere and King Louie XIV. This story could have been very good and interesting but it wasn't because of the poor characterization. Louise and Louie were both dull and uninteresting. Dumas entirely failed to make me feel what these two characters felt. This whole story was just very weak and lacked thought.

Another story in the novel involves Aramis and a prisoner in the Bastille. The scenes that were spent on this story were good, but there were too many dull and uninteresting parts packed in between these scenes to make the read flow really well.

Then there were just several other stories thrown into the book that had no business being there. They were boring and pointless and added nothing meaningful whatsoever.

Also, Dumas seemed to have developed a fondness for long paragraphs while writing this book. There were quite a few paragraphs in the book that went on for two or three pages and they were very difficult for me to read.

And like "The Vicomte de Bragelonne", this book does not have very much to do with the four musketeers. This time, Athos is hardly in it, which annoyed me extremely since he is my favorite. D'Artagnan, Aramis, and Porthos are in it a little more than Athos but not much. The first several chapters of the book involves at least one of the four musketeers, but don't let this fool you. If you're reading this book for the characters, you will be greatly disappointed by the amount of time they have in the novel.

And I DID NOT think that "The Man in the Iron Mask" was worth reading through this one to get to. That book was an appalling disaster in my opinion.

I read the Vicomte of Bragelonne, and the story is about Raoul, son of athos. The book contain all the three stories, Bragelonne, La Valliere, and The man in iron mask. This is the original book, some editors, split the book in three, and La Valliere is the second part of it. In my opinion is not the best story of Dumas, because like a reader you simpathetic, whit Raoul and Louise cheat him whit the king. I recomend read the entire book of bragelonne.

However, despite the fact that the title character does nothing for me (my sympathy is all with Raoul), I do recommend this book. It is part of the Musketeer Cycle, after all, and that connection in and of itself is enough to keep this book in a place of honor on my shelf. As another reviewer said, you really do have to read the series in order; and I'd like to add that, with Le Vicomte de Bragelone/Louise de la Valliere/The Man in the Iron Mask, you should be certain that your books are of the same edition and from the same publisher. Different publishers tend to break these three books (which are intended to be one book) at different chapters.

Louise de la Valiere is the least action-oriented of the Musketeer novels, but the writing is brilliant and the characters are true to themselves. Also, the translation is well-done. Queen Margot is the Dumas novel that has never been properly translated in my opinion. (And yes, I do speak French and have seen the novels in their original languages.)

Just remember that Dumas is not a fan of "Happily ever after . . ."

this book is really well done, apart from the fact that there are a lot of covers shown from saul steinberg, but his MOST IMPORTANT one, the view from 9th ave westwards, is missing. this is a clear draw back of this book, and hence, since it's title is "cutting-edge covers", i think it only deseverves two stars.

This is a fitting supplement to the granddaddy of New Yorker cover books: The Complete Book of Covers of the New Yorker, put out by Knopf, which covers the NYer through 1989. This new volume mostly includes covers from the 90s, and many of the reproductions are big, sharp, and colorful. Covers are often grouped thematically (say, New Years covers), which lets you ponder the NYer's evolving style over the decades. There's even a section with a half dozen pull out covers, suitable for framing.

Some quibbles: editor Francoise Mouly is a bit precious in her introduction and conversation with Lawrence Weschler. Her take on the history of the NYer is a bit off in places; the book omits listing the arrival of EB White and Katherine White in its timeline(!), and she gives perhaps too much play to her husband/artist Art Spiegelman. One interesting aside, noted by others who have this volume: the old covers (mostly from the 30s) that she prints side-by-side with the work she commissioned in the 90s is almost always superior to these newer covers. A few new artists, such as Sempe and Spiegelman stand out; but most run a distant second to the likes of Arno, Thurber, and Steig from an earlier era. --robert luhn

I,m very much an avid fan and collector of New Yorker cartoon and illustrator art. Whilst this may bias my opinion it also, I think, makes me nerdishly critical. However, I have been completely won over by the beauty of this book. The quality of the reproduction is first class. It does focus on the 90s covers. However, I now have a renewed respect for Tina Brown et al for introducing a sharper commentry edge to the cover. I also like the rather individualistic choice of covers and the personal perspective of Francoise Mouly. I think we can allow her a little bias towards Art Speigelman - her partner (also he did after all produce the most profound cartoon book of all time in Maus). This is one of those books which raises a paradox - it will be thumbed through by old and young alike. There will be debates around its coffee table home about the relevant merits of this cover or that. But it is also a book which its owner (me!) wants to keep in pristine condition. A family heirloom indeed.

I wasn't really amused by it, it was only vaguely interesting, and it's not worth the price you have to pay to get it. I like dark humor, but I don't think this was very well done. It starts with Amy and Jordan losing their jobs. Everything goes wrong for those two, and Amy ends up in the hospital several times (once from having her head ripped off by a ghoul, once because toxins were causing the flesh to fall off her bones, and another time because a prison guard beat her up). If you don't mind reading about characters who have one awful thing after another happen to them for no apparent reason and with very little connection to reality, then you might like this book, but I didn't. Still, at least the things that happen to them make at least some strange sense throughout most of the book. By the end of the book, however, things completely stop making even the slightest bit of sense. Apparently, the author can't think of any reasons why the events at the end of the book are occuring either, because he doesn't even attempt to give one of his usual strange and unrealistic explanations.

I bought two copies I liked it so much. A terrific story of what can go wrong and does.

For years I kept this book on my nightstand just so I could look at the cover every night before I went to sleep and wonder how come there are no others from Mr. Beyer. If you can find a copy, congratulations!

Skip the text in this little book. Instead, read the jacket notes. There is no new information about Mademoiselle Chanel and the already well-known history of her life is so obtusely written the text seems like an outline of a romance novel.
This is a book to own only for the archival photographs and the "select chronology" of Coco's fashion house that still thrives--some 25 years after her death. Snapshots of some of the male influences in her life finally put faces to names. However, a photograph of her best friend, Madame Misia Sert, is noticeably missing and should have also been included.
Interspersed with the photographs are whimsical montage illustrations by Karl Lagerfeld, the current design director of Chanel. There are also a few photographs from modern advertising campaigns epmphasizing, even more, that this is not a must-read

A simple, yet elegant remembrance of the twentieth century's most influential fashion designer. The 1930's photographs of Chanel are classic, and her resurgance in the late 1950's and early 1960's was nothing less than spectcular. The concise text is filled with archival photographs depicting memorable Chanel styles and designs. Karl Lagerfeld has contributed his own interpretation of timeless Chanel fashions with illustrations that truly set this book apart.

To a die hard Chanel fan, this may seem a rudimentary account of Gabrielle Chanel's accomplishments. However, there is no discounting the concise yet impactful way the information is presented to the reader. Baudot is not afraid to acknowledge the evolution of the CHANEL name to the entity known today,the most viable independent fashion house of this century. She discreetly recognizes Karl Lagerfeld for breathing new life into Gabrielle Chanel's classic designs.The magnificent photos and drawings are reflective of this progression and provide the reader with a visual timeline.As with the entire "Universe of Fashion" series, this book is definitely a keeper. These books make a great addition to any fashionphile's library.

Einstein: Decoding the Universe is a short,nice little book about Einstein that can be read in a matter of hours. I found the book quite interesting but I admit that I have never read a book on Einstein prior to this one. Thus, I cannot accurately compare this book to another on him. Main details about his life are covered without going into an intricate life story. Over 20 pages in the back were devoted to letters he had written or others had written about him. I gave the book only 4 stars because I thought there could have been a little more mathematical jargon included. But, for the price and the brevity, I recommend this book as one to take and read while at an airport or what not.

The Abrams Discoveries series delivers another gorgeous book, with slick paper and beautiful photos and illustrations on every page. From drawings, graphs and pictures to Einstein's own scribblings-- even a Magritte painting and newspaper comics of the day-- the publishers have pulled out all the stops, giving the reader a kaleidoscopic visual treat. All of this brings to life the concepts in a punchy and and intriguing way. However, the text itself, translated from French physics professor Francoise Balibar's original, is insubstantial and only valuable as an overview and survey of Einstein's life and thought. While the author explores the political and scientific climate with sureness and ease, and illustrates particularly well Einstein's unique contributions-- vast as they are-- to 20th Century physics, the text never goes too deep into its subject.

I'd recommend this book to someone wanting a painless summation, introductory or otherwise, of Einstein. For someone wanting to get deep into the ramifications of relativity theory or the disharmony between it and quantum physics, I'd recommend another book-- perhaps Brian Greene's _The Elegant Universe_ or a book by Einstein himself.

I am finding the English translations predominantly British and scores of American English words and expressions missing. I thought this was because I bought mine in France but my LaRousse pocket dictionary doesn't have the same problem. I am writing a series of books and use this constantly, hours and hours every day, and so I am further able to see a disturbing trend: the things females talk about, the words and expressions they use tend to be the shortest entries in the book! This is making my research very rough going since half my audience is female! This may be a function of the American vs. British thing; maybe British females aren't as fluent with psychology, for example, as American women... but I doubt it. Talking about emotions and relationships is a pretty globally female trend, yet many of the words describing these things are labelled "Psych", as though they are used only by professionals when in fact in the US they are part of the vernacular. This is forcing me to cross-reference three or four times to be sure I'm using the correct form of the word.

My next complaint is that the meanings are sometimes inaccurate. For example: the second connotation of the word "appreciation" is "gratefulness" and the onlyFrench word they supply is "reconnaissance." The sense "like, admire" is not addressed at all. There are many examples like this and I am not really sure to what it can be attributed but I can't imagine it would be a good resource for college students if it doesn't work for a writer.

This is my experience and I would love to hear an American provide some tips because I bought 2 versions of this brand!

"Harper Collins Robert French College Dictionary" has a rather long name, but that is the only big blame I have for it. It quickly opens the door at the request of any French enthusiast.
This well-compiled lexicon covers almost all the contemporary words that French natives use in daily conversations. It has a good structure, and its double-spaced outlay makes it easy to locate words. However, intending (American) buyers should bear in mind that this edition paid more attention to the Queen's English than it did to the American one.

Robert is a competitor of Larousse, who edits a very academic dictionary.

The Robert French dictionary is not allowed in Catholic schools, and there is a good reason for this: all the words that make the French language are in there, including the slang words that are so capital in this language (you usually meet at least one slang word per sentence in spoken French) and, of course, the dirty ones, so that you know them and can avoid using them ;)

Collins did the same job in Britain and, of course, these two people had to meet one day and decide to give their own two centimes and pennies on how to improve the Entente Cordiale, linguistically, of course.

If you had to buy only one French dictionary, make it monolingual or bilingual, I would recommend the Robert, or the Robert & Collins dictionary.