Do not be misled by the title. This is more a detailed encyclopedia of glass than a simple dictionary, with many in depth articles covering the history, art and technology of glass working.

All forms of glass craft are represented, including blowing, lamp work, stained glass, etching and engraving. Raw materials, chemicals, tools and techniques for industrial and artistic uses are described.

Styles & important historical pieces are also covered. The book is well illustrated with b/w photos & diagrams. Two sections of color plates showcase some beautiful & unusual artistic pieces in a wide variety of techniques.

Lists of periodicals, suppliers, societies, schools and museums provide a great source for further information. This is a complete and essential reference for anyone interested in glass.

Frederick Carder and Steuben Glass by Thomas P. Dimitroff is a monumental book. The photographs are fully documented with dates, shape numbers, descriptions, measurements, etc. The text is complete with footnotes. It is a beautiful coffee table book as well as a scholarly text. Information relating to identification and the relative rarity of the various types of glass Carder designed is examined in detail making it a "must have" for collectors, appraisers, or anyone with an interest in Steuben glass.

An enthralling chronical of the career of a remarkable man, Charles Tuthill, founder of Tuthill Cut Glass of Middletown, New York, and his family. Beginning as an apprentice at T. G. Hawkes & Company in 1887, Tuthill went on to become both a master glass cutter and a master engraver. He rose to foreman at Hawkes by the time he was 24 years old, resigning in 1895 to set up his own glass-cutting shop in his father's carraige house in Corning. From there he moved to Middletown where he was joined in the business by his sister-in-law, who served as general manager, and his brother. Well known for its original designs combining engraved fruits and flowers with geometric cutting, the Company prospered and, in 1915, was awarded a gold medal for its display at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.

Written in the you-are-there style of the "new journalism," the book is a lively read. Drawing heavily on interviews with Tuthill family members, it fills a large gap in our knowledge of the cut glass industry. Cut glass collectors will recognize the names of the players in this unique American success story and get to know them better through the many anecdotes offered by author Maurice Crofford. The book should appeal also to those interested in American business history, in general, and the unique period around the turn of the 20th century when brilliant cut glass decorated the tables of the rich and famous. It would make an excellent reading assignment for upstate New York high school students.

This book is an excellent work for identification of cactus. It describes the proper growing conditions separately for each species, including sun vs. shade, kind of soil and hardiness to cold.

Nearly every variety of nearly every genera is listed and shown, with more than one picture of the cactus, if necessary, to facilitate identification (generally, one of the whole plant, one of the flower). Very complete descriptions of the cacti are provided, including the number and color of the thorns and other minutae.

The book has a handy finding-guide in the front, arranged by gross features (columnar vs. barrel vs. sprawling, etc.) to make it as easy as possible to identify an unknown plant.

Cactus from all environments are covered, including tropical, epiphytic and desert varieties.

Note that cacti, like all plants, are ultimately identified by their flowers; in particular, two cacti from much different native climates - and requiring much different cultivation environments - often look very similar; it is the flowers that distinguish them. This book cannot erase that reality - many cacti (again, like any other plant) cannot be fully identified unless they are in bloom.

This book is also not a tutorial for growing cacti. ...

This Illustrated Encyclopedia is a reference work, though the beautiful pictures make it an excellent coffee-table book as well. Indeed, opening the book randomly to nearly any page reveals breathtaking photography of cacti at their finest.

If you want to have no more that _two_ books on growing cacti, I recommend this Illustrated Encyclopedia ....

I'm an avid cactus collector and I get most of my cacti from the local supermarkets and greenhouses. Most of these stores will sell you the plant but will not give you any information about it. This is the reason why I needed a book that would help me identify my cacti and give me care instructions specific to each species. Well, that is exactly what this book will do for you.

The author of the book makes no assumptions about your background (you don't need to be a biologist or anything to benefit from it).

The very first section provides a guide that helps you narrow down the possible genera of your cacti by simply looking at its basic shape and other visible characteristics (like type of spines, number of ribs, type of clustering, etc.). Once you've chosen a set of possible genera, you go to the main section and look inside the chapter corresponding to each of the genera you chose. Inside each chapter you will find an item for each species that belongs to that genus. Each of these items contains a color photograph which will make it very easy to make a final decision about what species your cactus belongs to.

Each item will give you additional information like a list of synonyms for the species, a brief paragraph describing the plant, its country of origin, cultivation details, the shape of the plant (when fully grown), it tells you whether it is day or night flowering, the length of the flowering period, how much light it needs, the type of compost it needs, and the minimum temperature required.

As a bonus, the book contains a brief section about cultivation techniques (only four pages long).

This is the most detailed source of cactus infomation that I have come across in the past eight years. The descriptions are very precise, especially; size, cultural habits,and all the basic growing necessities, with a great number of column cactus included. That's terrific! Most cacti enthusiasts will be overwhelmed by the photos(over 1200), which can captivate anyone into the beauty of cacti. Details such as: number of spines,ribs, and projected size can be a novelty for the ameteur collector. Also, there is added information about growing requirements,such as; light, temperature, water, and different soils mixes to be used for certain cituations. Mr. Innes and Mr. Glass have put together the best book on cacti that I had found,nevertheless, the price is very affordable.

this isnt the best versoin of cinderella i've heard!
but it is all i could find for a school project
if there was any good pictures from the book that i could have down loaded it would get 5 stars

the Book was good but i do wish they showed the picuter of the second ball whith cinderella in her gown

Cinderella lived with her two step-sisters. They gave her the nickname Cinderseat. They were really mean to her and made her do things for them. The king's son was to give a ball and everyone was invited. When the day came Cinderella began to cry and her godmother appeared and made her get a pumpkin, which she turned into a coach. She then turned mice into horses, and a rat into a coachman. Then dressed her in a beautiful dress and glass slippers. When she arrived she danced with the prince, but she had to leave before midnight. She left without telling anyone her name or anything. The next night they went to another ball and she left right before midnight in rags, and left one glass slipper behind. He checked around trying the slipper on everyone. When Cinderella tried it on it fit her perfectly, and the prince realized she was the mysterious girl he had danced with before and they were to be married. I think this is a good story for kids to read, because Cinderella was really nice to her step-sisters who were always so mean to her after everything.

I very much enjoyed this book because it was full of pure fun reading. Some books drag from the very beginning, but this children's story didn't. There were surprises from the start. This book is an all original example of using your imagination. Lewis Carrol was gifted enough to let his imagination go wild, and to write it down on paper. This book inspires me to write any sort of crazy thing that is worth writing. This book is about Alices adventures from the time she saw the peculiar White Rabbit with a waistcoat and watch. She meets thrilling but very arguementive creatures and charectors such as the caterpiller who smokes, the Duchess and her baby which turns into a pig, a Mock Turtle, a gryphon, and the most famous the Chesire cat and the Queen of Hearts. This book is a bit different than the Disney movie. There are other charecters in the book that are not mentioned in the animated movie. and I think the book is more bizarre.

I read the book "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and I really enjoyed reading it. Lewis Carroll is a magnificant author and the story he writes is wonderful. Alice is a little girl who journeys to a magical land where everything is full of non-sense. She incounters many people and creatures along the way. She is told many stories and riddles while she travels through wonderland. My favorite thing throughout the story, was when Alice kept saying that she would have to write a book about this place when she got home. Even though it was a dream, Alice still loves her world of non-sense.

Let me put it this way: I have yet to meet someone who does NOT like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Some people have less affection for it than others, but it engages everyone, kids and adults alike.

While Carroll's work appears at first to be an eccentric and unfocused work of children's literature, closer study reveals a much more elaborate text, which is variously a satire on language, a political allegory, an attack on the flawed English educational standards of the time, a parody of children's literature, and much, much more. As Alice ventures into the world behind her mirror -- Wonderland -- she encounters some of the most remarkable figures in literary history: the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and the Queen of Hearts, to name a few. (I have no proof of this, but I would bet that these characters continue to rank among the most popular and memorable of all time.)

But while the story is thoroughly enjoyable, I find the writing style even more significant. Alice is delivered in such a simple, honest, stream-of-consciousness manner that it does indeed work as children's literature. The absolute freedom with which Carroll lets his events twist and turn has been beneficial to me, particularly in my creative and personal writing, teaching me how to loosen up when attempting stream-of-consciousness, and how to let my writing go where it will. In terms of pure writing style, I think Carroll ranks among the most influential and invigorating of the authors I've read.

And, as a postscript, the original illustrations by John Tenniell are fantastic, and rank among my favorite illustrations ever. I cannot recommend this one too highly.

Solid, ok plot, ok characters, which I hope develop more in later works. I agree fully with the other reviewer. The author writes solidly- short, to the point-, not really well like a PD James or other literary style writer, but it's ok for a procedural. The only odd thing about this book is that it seems to have been originally written in the 1980s -everyone is dressed in 1980's clothes, such as suits with vests, track suits, etc. Most people are still using cassettes, and the references to Hill Street Blues and other 1980's pop culture are only offset by occasional disconcerting references to 1990's music, culture and CDs. This does not really work. If it was originally set in the 1980's it probably should have been left there.

This is a pretty solid debut police procedural with both feet firmly set in the Camden Town area of London. Much like John Havey's Charley Resnick series, the reader follows the professional and personal travails of D.I. Christy Kennedy as he solves a few murders and feels his way though a relationship. Kennedy is decidedly less troubled and dark than Resnick, however. The central case is the murder of the head of a local independent record label who has recently sold out to a major for big money. There's some sort of music insider stuff mixed in, but none of it particularly enthralling in and of itself. It's more fun to watch Kennedy trawl the past and present of the Irish promoter to track down the killer. It moves pretty smoothly, although it'd be nice if Charles managed to make his chapters a tad bit longer (60 chapters over 240 pages = 4 page chapters!), as all the breaks get rather intrusive. His love of music gets the better of him with the rather silly inclusion of song lyrics at the beginning of each chapter (the book's title is that of a Nick Lowe song). These minor annoyances and few bits of a sloppy prose aside, it's a good beginning and I'll definitely look for the next in the series.

Whether you are at teetotaler alcoholic-on the way to becoming an alcoholic, the loved one of an alcoholic or just someone who wants to understand,you will find this book totally compelling reading.

"Through A Glass Brightly" is about a most remarkable man who trod the long downhill road into alcoholism and found himself in a life of degradation and sorrow that most people could never begin to understand. Yet despite becoming one of the dregs of society he managed to make a remarkable turnaround into a most admirable person who passionately cares about people who are in the same situation that he found himself many years ago. His dedication to to the cause of alcoholism has no boundaries, rich, poor, famous, through the years he has tried to help them through the Chaucer Clinic which he founded in 1989. To have the courage and conviction to tell the world the real story of alcoholism and the terrible effect it has on the lives of the alcoholics themselves and their families and friends around them was a truly wonderful action.

The book at times can be very funny, it can also be heartrending and sad. The book dispels the myth that most people believe tht all alcohoics are down and outs, vagrants and winos. This is not true, alcoholics come from all walks of life, Alcohol like Drugs is an addiction, it is also a very serious illness that in some cases leads to the death of the drinker. As I avidly read through the chapters I found that I could relate to many of the things that were happening to the author, because I have a loved on, a daughter who was alcoholic and was treading the long downhill road herself, but thanks to my reading "Through a Glass Brightly" and her eventual acceptance of her alcoholism she entered the Chaucer Clinic, and with their help she is climbing the uphill road back into society.

On reading "Through A Glass Brightly"it will put your views on alcoholics into a diffeent perspective. This book is not fiction-it is true life shown at its worst and sometimes its best.

Wonderful look at an area which is often overlooked for it's beauty and rich culture because of all the constant turmoil of the region. Glass grew up with some of the language and culture. This is obvious as he explores in-depth the areas he travels to and attempts to reproduce the travels of those before him. I thought the book was a good mix of history and culture intertwined into his daily travel and musings. The book is somewhat of a cathartic reminiscence as he relates his humbling time of kidnapping. But as such the recounting helps to bring stark reality back to the nature of that region and force us to consider the reasons 'why' pain and suffering are necessary in such a mythical and adventurous place. I've recommended this book to two friends who are news correspondents and love to travel. Thumbs up!

If you want to know about Native American trading blankets your money would be better spent on Kapoun's book titled "Language of the Robe" which tells it more like it is. I believe that Chihuly purchased the Kapoun's collection and became an overnight authority on the subject, if you catch my drift!
I have photographed Pendleton blankets for years, and Chihuly and Lohrmann should be more accurate in their detailing of what is and isn't made by the Pendleton Woolen Mills. The photos are good, but there is still room for someone to do a thorough and interesting book on this very important topic. This isn't the one to waste money on, in my opinion.

Chiluly's Pendletons is an interesting book. It shows the early career of Dale Chiluly-who has become one of the pre-eminent artists in America. Chiluly's trademark is his flamboyent, contorted glassworks, which are displayed around the world.

This book consists of two parts: The first part shows pictures of trade blankets. The second part shows how Chiluly incorporated ideas from his interests in Native American Arts into his early work...during his starving artists phase.

Chiluly was interested fiber arts, he could not afford the expensive native American blankets; so he collected indian trade blankets...the most enduring trade blanket manufacturer being the Pendleton Woolen Mills. As his fame and fortune grew; so to did his collection.

This is a very good book for people who wish to study how artists evolve in their work. You have a nice juxtaposition of indian art, photographs of native Americans, and pictures of Chiluly's earlier works.

What the book is not: It is not an adequate scholarly treatise on trade blankets (it has a lot of nice pictures). The book shows his earlier works. These are all well done, but not quite as large and flamboyent as you might see in his later periods.

All in all, I give the book high marks. Chiluly fans will enjoy this coffee table book. It helps you see the influences on this artist. It will also get you interested in trade blankets.

My comments to distinguish what this book plays in the world of contemporary art, is not my intent. Rather I wish to acknowledge the sheer beauty and aesthetic warmth I get from the pages of this large sized book by Dale Chihuly. The rich and colorful geometric patterns that record the decoration and simplicity of the Pendleton Blankets is understood and achieved with out the necessity of additional text in the images. The unpretentious or incidental record that these black and white photographs of the American Indian provide as a documentary technic blends well together with sheer beauty of the American Trade blanket designs. The enchantment and functional magic of glass with it's extraordinary range of form and color linking past to the present, is uniquely profound as well. Chihuly brings to this mix of history and art by acknowledging the reader to move effortlessly from textile to photography, to glass. As an artist, Chihuly takes the fundamental and intangible and blends each together in his truly extraordinary glass cylinders to enrich our eyes and spirit. It's quite simply, a beautiful book.