This book is very well illustrated, well layed-out, easy to use, and the pictures are very beautiful. It's full of information, explains more than I expected, and it is a MUST for Hummel collectors.

not only is this a complete guide -- but it is so easy to use -- anyone owning or buying Hummel's should have this -- I only wish I could find Guides like this for my other collectables --

Even though it's proclaimed by expert collectors as the absolute source of information about Hummel figurines, Robert Miller's reference work is easy for amateurs as well. He provides insightful guidance in determining value and quality as well as interesting tidbits about production and variations in the figurines. His work is referenced by many sellers in internet auctions, but is also helpful in figuring out just what you already have. As a rank beginner, I had no problem in following his material and ascertaining the value of an inherited collection. It was also useful in helping me determine additions that I wanted to make to the collection.

This giant of the 20th Century, will be known as John Paul the Great by future historians. Today, his teachings are considered "out of touch" with the modern world by the mouth pieces of worldly power, especially on sexual morality. He is considered worthy of derision by them, how wrong they are.

The thought of JPII is trans-modern, it is a bold and sophisticated philosophical approach to the problems that afflict our world. His insights penetrate into the philosphical and spiritual roots of the modern crisis and has found the solution. His approach is a rigorus engagement with modern thought and transcends the dead-end thought that has emerged among intellectual eliets and poisons our universities.

For those who would gloss over his writings, they would miss the mystical import and profound depth of this thinker and leader. So subtle, so rich, it is easily missed.

John Paul II is a prophet to the world, a prophet whose message has largely been ignored.

In the not too distant future, when our need for the TRUTH presses upon us ever more heavily, those who search will find John Paul's writings and be liberated and ennobled by this man's potent seed.

Take this and steep yourself in the truth and allow this man's spirit, the spirit of the Father, Child and Love to fill you.

Here they are, in one collection. Why buy them individually when you can have them all in one place?

This important book provides a study of 12 of Pope John Paul II's encyclicals, from the first of his pontificate, Redemptor Hominis, through the much discussed Evangelium Vitae and Veritatis Splendor, the not-to-be-overlooked Redemptoris Mater, and Ut Unum Sint.

Scholars and non-scholars will be pouring over the Pope's gifts for the next century to come. The encyclicals offer Pope John Paul II's brilliant blueprint for the third millennium. It is a blueprint fashioned from Scripture itself, but with modern insights to carry us forward across the "threshold of hope."

J. Michael Miller, C.S.B. offers an excellent introduction to Papal encyclicals and helpful notes prior to each chapter. In addition, an exhaustive index makes this a superb reference for pastors, teachers, writers, theologians, researchers, and the average layperson desiring to know more about the Church.

Father Miller has captured an entire set of the most significant written works of the Papacy of John Paul II. Clearly the present pope has been a religious and geopolitical figure of first importance in the past 22 years, as has been amply documented in such works as Weigel's 'Witness to Hope' and Bernstein's 'His Holiness.' The universal intellectual achievement however of JPII is understandable most readily in his encyclicals. These documents speak from and reveal a philosopher and theologian of the first quality; indeed, as with Leo XIII, it may take at least a hundred years for the importance of his work to be understood. Fr. Miller has the qualifications on all fronts, as a philosopher, a theologian, and his former employment in the Papal Secretariat of State, to gather and remark on these works. Students of the times and their deepest roots will doubtlessly find here a collection of primary source materials that are indispensible to their understanding.

Romanyshyn explores the assumptions regarding person, others, body, and world, that are the cornerstones of scientific psychology, anad he compellingly dissolves these in terms of the metaphors of our cultural history. In doing so her articulates the irreducibly metaphorical character of psychological life and opens the possibility of a phenomenological depth psychology. This little book is a classic in phenomenological psychology and metabletics. Its gifts are numerous, and it is essential reading for anyone concerned with the meaning and direction of psychology.

Of all the books I have read, very few so profoundly affected me so as to literally change the way I see the world. This is one of them, among a select few. I am amazed how Dr. Romanyshyn can write with such lucidity about ideas that are so profound and otherwise complex; it speaks to his essence as a teacher, who knows how to provide a perfect balance between the concrete and the abstract.

In the very beginning of the book, Dr. Romanyshyn begins with the example of looking in a mirror, and from there he unravels with apparent ease the basic assumptions of modern psychology, and in its place, builds the foundation for a different "psychology" that is concerned with "psychological life." Such a psychological life is profoundly metaphorical in nature--and yet unmistakably grounded in concrete experience.

Make no mistake, Dr. Romanyshyn's thesis, if taken seriously (as it should be) has widespread significance for what it means to understand, teach and practice the discipline of psychology. Psychology from the perspective of psychological life will be a psychology that is not reducible to a natural science, nor to philosophy, nor to literature. But, rather, psychology as a way of seeing comes into its own--and for the first time in the history of the discipline, would finally come home, in the sense that it would for the first time have its own identity.

Certainly, Romanyshyn is standing on the shoulders of giants: Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Sigmund Freud, Paul Ricoeur, Carl Jung, Martin Heidegger, Edmund Husserl, Wilhelm Dilthey, Michel Foucault, and many other thinkers in the history of the philosophy of the human sciences. But no one has quite synthesized and formulated psychological life the way Romanyshyn does so in "Mirror and Metaphor." I have no doubt that if Dr. Romanyshyn's text were to be read widely and carefully, psychology as we know it would never be the same.

It is a must read! Don't miss it!

I've long wanted something with artwork by James Christensen. His work is magnificent, his art geared to fantasy usually. This book however was given as a present by my sister. I use it for teaching the parables to my Sunday School class, and as one of the few books laying out where others can see it. The book is well-done, and well-laid out. Of course, the pictures draw the eyes and the amount of detail is fascinating to children. The parables are classic stories, no matter what religion you are...like many other religious stories, they teach everyone the same thing. In this day and age, when so many children and adults need basic training in kindness, in charity, in placing your trust in right things (rather the wrong ones such as money)...this is a beautiful way to reteach those lessons. Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

We received this book for Christmas last year, and I recently bought a copy as a gift for a relative. It makes a nice addition to our coffee table, and we have received many positive comments about the book.

The artwork is what makes the book special. Look at the picture accompanying this book and of other books by the same artist to get an idea of the type of art this book includes.

I've enjoyed Millet's writing in the past, and "Parables" didn't disappoint. He takes a nondenominational approach to the parables of Jesus, offering insight about how they can apply to our lives today. There's no deep theology here -- just useful observations and commentary. We've used the book as the basis for family devotionals, and the children seemed to enjoy it.

In my view, this book would make a fine gift for any Christian family or anyone who likes that style of art.

Breaking Open the Gospel of Mathhew ia an outstanding addition to any library. This book focuses on the Gospel of Matthew in a way that just about anyone can understand. It allows one to act as if they are conducting an interview with Matthew and questioning his reasons for writing things and what the Beatitudes really mean. This book spoke to my spiritualy deprived soul and brought out all the questions that I had about his Gospel. I also enjoyed the other three books in this series. I purchase the group to give as gifts to all my family and friends. This one is a must!

An excellent book for the principles of ecology, especially community and population ecology. Provides an introduction to all the basic concepts in ecology and reviews all the milestone studies in the field. Further, it indicates recent trends in research in the field. The language has been kept simple and equations listed are explained very well. Graphs, pictures and diagrams support the the text and useful in enlightening the reader on key concepts. I would say that it is currently the best text book available in ecology for students and ecologists

Exceptional photography by Walter Pfeiffer brings the beloved Goebel figurines to the page in amazing detail, while Joan N. Ostroff and Manfred Arras economize on words to convey the essence of the art so many of us collect. These are the best 320 pages you can own if you simply love looking at Sister Hummel's little children. This is not a price list or catalog, but rather a masterful presentation of the best ceramic figurines anyone could hope to own.

The third chapter alone, "The People Behind the Figurines," is worth every penny of the price of this book. The Goebel tradition of fine craftsmanship is articulated in photo essay form. Master sculptors, moldmakers, casters, assemblers, kilnsmen, glazers, and painters are captured like never before, and the complicated and many-stepped process of making the figurines is brought to your study for thoughtful appreciation. As many as forty molds are required to make some of the pieces, shedding light at last on why these beautiful little children can cost more than your new wide-screen TV.

If you collect Hummels, you owe it to yourself to buy this book. You'll love it as much as you love any of your figurines.

I originally purchased the book with the hopes of learning more about the French occupation of Algeria. I was not looking to read the memoir of an assassin and torturer. Although the book did not provide much in the way of history, it did provoke much thought about terrorism, colonization, and to what lengths a nation is willing to go in order to crush terrorism...or rebellion (depending on one's definition).

During the 1950's, numerous North African nations were granted independence from colonial rule, but France maintained a hard-line in regards to Algeria. After Tunisia was granted independence, nationalists throughout Algeria began to attack French citizens, properties, and government troops in the hopes of securing their own freedom. General Aussaresses was given the task of stopping the attacks on French citizens living in Algeria, and subsequently destroy the nationalists as an entity.

The majority of the book discusses how Aussaresses developed a program of executions, assassinations, and torture in order to stop the FLN. He discusses how his secret mission was hidden from the majority of the French populous and even from some major government officials. Then, the book abruptly ends, with out giving the reader a real conclusion. There is no real explanation as to what occurred following the departure of Aussaresses, or what happened to Algeria as a nation. Certainly an epilogue would have been appreciated.

Nevertheless, the book did provide food for thought. How does a nation fight terrorism? It would seem that Aussaresses would argue that we fight terror with terror. Kidnapping and summary executions solve the dilemma, Aussaresses would say. But with the use of these tactics, a different dilemma arises. Who is the terrorist when both parties act so similarly?

This book poses many questions. What does a nation do to fight an enemy that will indiscriminately kill innocent civilians (including women and children)? How do intelligence forces get the information they need to prevent further attacks? Do the ends justify the means? General Aussaresses attempts to answer these questions in this book and I think, does so very convincingly.

It's important to understand the context of the situation. French Algeria was a colony populated by a number of ethnicities. Many muslims were pro-French and wanted Algeria to remain a French department. In addition, you had a significant French colonial population, the Pieds Noirs (the black feet) that wanted Algeria to remain French. Additionally, there were groups that wanted independence - those willing to work within a political framework, and those willing to engage in terrorism.

Aussaresses and his methods (as described in the book) were successful in subduing the rebels. France voluntarily left Algeria. De Gualle made the decision to give Algeria its independence in 1962-- the French were not forced out. In fact, many elements of the French army mutinied against De Gualle as a result of his decision -- but that's a different story.

This book describes the means by which information was gathered and applied in order to combat a foe that was willing to bomb civilians, engage in what we now call terrorist acts, and could conceal themselves within the population. The methods included torture and summary executions. But these were not the only methods employed. What Aussaresses established was a process of intelligence gathering and the application of military and police resources to act on that information. He used torture in interrogations in order to gather information. Aussaresses used the information gathered from these interrogations to eliminate operatives, foil terrorist plots, and systematically dismantle the FLN. These methods succeeded.

I think there are tough lessons to be learned from this book. How are our intelligence and military forces fighting the war on terror gathering their information to prevent further attacks? Are America and its allies prepared to do what is necessary to protect our populations? Do the ends justify the means?

Those who consider the French to be wimps who have no idea of how to handle terrorism should read this book. General Paul Aussaressess will certainly make you reevaluate your opinion France and how its military handles difficult situations such as urban guerilla warfare and terrorism. General Aussaressess was placed in charge of destroying the FLN terrorist infrastructure in the Algerian capital during the critical 1956-57 period. As impossible as this assignment was, he succeeded in dramatically reducing urban attacks during his tenure for several reasons. First, he was not afraid to employ tough measures against his enemy, including torture, assassination, and summary execution. Second and more importantly, he developed a superb human intelligence network to tracks down and eliminate the FLN. Finally, General Aussaressess worked extremely hard to get inside his enemy's head to predict when and where that enemy would strike next. Whatever people think about Aussaressess's methodologies, he definitely comes across as a thoughtful warrior. Like a good detective, Aussaressess was a man who could think on his feet to solve problems. His experience demonstrates how one person can make a difference in a war against terrorism. I recommend this book to anyone struggling with intelligence and terrorism issues, from the police officer on the street to high-level officials in Washington.

Having previously read "Netware Professional Reference" by Karanjit Siyan, I hoped this edition would follow in the same light. This book is a real help for network administrators as it gives good examples and solutions of day to day problems.

This book is designed as a reference not a study guide.This is one of the best Intranetware books I have read to date.

I have all of my "favorite places" marked for quick reference. The book is not organized to study for CNE exams. However, it has the information for Intranetware Network Administrators need for managing their networks. It contains a great index for quick look-ups.

This book does a very good job of reviewing how the City of Dallas developed from its beginning. It hightlights many of the projects and programs that many people may not have heard about that had serious implications for the future. I wished that it would have gone further than 1965. I found the information very informative.