Wonderful book!!! I collect watercolors and have one of Skip's. His is clearly my favorite of all of my many watercolors, aside from one by my son. I was especially excited to find and to read Skip's book. What a great teacher he is! The book is clear and easy to follow and apply. Incidentally, I have it as one of my coffee-table books, and find myself regularly re-thumbing through it. Many of its illustrations are very pleasing to the eye, and capture the essence of points he makes so well in the text. Oh, to have just a small fraction of his watercolor talent!!!!

Whether you're a painter who has worked for years, or a 'newbie' you will appreciate and be inspired by Skip Lawrence's fresh and candid approach to more powerful painting via the tools of light and shadow. This is not a 'paint-like-I-do" guide, it's an intelligent conversation with examples of his and other terrific artists, to show how color and light and design all work together to create compelling and meaningful art that truly expresses your vision as an artist. This is a most essential and useful addition to any painter's resources, and it's valuable for both watercolorists and painters of other media as well.

This book is much different than the usual technique books because it clearly stays with one goal - light. Everything in the book is organised around achieving the perception of light and shadow in your paintings. It is a wonderfully elegant and logical approach.

A lot of quote books focus on the timeless and famous or the "witty" and not-so-meaningful. Peter's Quotations is a clasic among public speakers and essayists because it focusses on what these people are likely to need. It addresses broad, abstract topics such as "kindness" but also lays out the lawyer jokes. The topics are a good mix of the immortal and the current and, while often witty, are never ridiculous or campy (well, almost never campy). I've used it for years as a debater and public speaker, as a coach, and as a teacher. The best indication I can give you of its outstanding usefulness is that I buy a new copy for my speech team every year because a graduating senior always steals the old one. I'm on my third personal copy because I've worn two others out.

Not a "real" quotation reference like, say, Bartlett's, but a great compendium of mostly modern quotes. The book has a sharp, sassy, punchy, pointed sensibility (which only lags, unfortunately, in Dr. Peter's own added asides which are uniformly below the standard of the rest of the book). This is a quotation book that you will read cover to cover. Organization is handy so that when you want to find that pithy bon mot that struck you the last time you read the book, you'll be able to locate it easily. Highly recommended.

I have had this book for 9 years and it continues to be my favorite. I have several other quotation books, but I always keep coming back to this one. It covers many topics that are categorized in a user friendly format which makes searching for the perfect quote a breeze. I recommend this book for the quotation fanatic!

At 49, I finally began my dive certification classes and had many questions regarding the physiology and the effects of pressure on the body of moving in a liquid world. This book was an invaluable source of information and easy to read for the layperson without a medical background. From the early orgins of diving to modern scuba equipment, the medical aspects of pressure on your body, effects and prevention of squeezes, and information on decompression sickness is explained clearly and understandably for the reader. It also contains quizzes and interesting facts on diving. If you are a new diver or a seasoned one and if you can find this book, add it to your library. It is a wealth of information for the scuba diver.

This book explains in detail what is only given a cursory review in most open water SCUBA classes. It thoroughly explains the physics, physiology and medical aspects of SCUBA in a detailed, but easy to understand way that any open water diver can understand.

While sitting on a dive boat in Turkey on the last day of my PADI Open Water Course, I was disturbed by several stories of experienced divers being "bent", "narked" and "dying" well within the recreational diving limits, many within 30 metres and often breathing air as opposed to "mixes". When I returned to Ireland I decided I needed to find out more about why such incidents occured (because I don't want to be a statistic!). I came across the online version of Lawrence Martin's book, and read it from cover to cover. And boy where my eyes opened! To put is simply, anyone who dives without really understanding the effects of breathing gases under pressure, may as well put on a blindfold and swim with the sharks. Lawrence's book is well written and easy to understand, and quite frankly, could save your life someday (probably, I joke not). Ignorance can kill, and I really do not want to place my life in the hands of an instructor or buddy ever again. This book is a MUST for every diver, particularily recreational divers. Ignore it at your peril!!

Robert Irwin is a wonderful artist, and this is a must-read for anybody interested in his work, or in his West Coast brand of conceptualism. But this book is also a fantastic biography in its own right - Weschler, who now works for the New Yorker, writes like an angel, and reading this book is a pleasure indeed. To say that this is one of the best biographies of an artist ever would be far too faint praise: this is one of the best biographies ever, period.

This was an amazing read. Not only did it open my eyes to the concept of abstract art, but it opened my eyes to a different way of thinking. I highly recommend this book.

Whether you know Irwin's work or not, are an art afficionado or not, this is a great read for the curious and perceptually
aware.Weschler translates visual concepts into easily understandable language. His writing is clear and insightful and never falls into boring art jargon. This is no simple task for Irwin's work which is all about looking is not necessarily transferable on paper, but ultimately Weschler's writing does it justice. Weschler gives insight not only into the mind and heart behind this work but the personality that comprises Robert
Irwin. The book is like being in a restaurant and overhearing a really interesting conversation at the adjacent table so you don't resist the urge to eavesdrop and you stay and listen 'till the end.

Robert L. Holt's "STOP Skyjackers" is a must-read for all who fly the once friendly skies as a passenger. Since 9/11/01, every passenger must be extremely aware of the fact that your own life may depend on your own reactions to a radical or radicals' attempt to takeover a plane in the air, or on the ground, while you are a passanger on that aircraft. STOP Skyjackers gives you the many concepts and planning tools to be prepared to save your own life, if needed during a skyjacking. This book, if read by most air passengers, could create the bond we all need as customers aboard the world's heavily traveled airlines. If you think that the devastating skyjackings of 9/11 were a one-time-event...think again! The War on Terrorism has just begun, and we, all residents of earth, are a part of it. STOP Skyjacking is the first truly training manual of this long-term war against terrorism.

Until I read this book I had never thought that just a few simple common-sense precautions might someday save my life. Thanks to the author I now plan what I wear on a flight and what I take along in my pocket, just in case. I now know exactly what to be aware of and what I have to do, personally, should the unimaginable happen. We all think it won't ever happen to us, don't we? The author has opened my eyes. One of these hints alone is worth the price of the book.

This is for real... if you're going to be traveling you must read this book. Knowledge is power. Gain all the power you can! Even if one is not traveling, this book is important to read. We need to know all we can to better understand the situation which we are all dealing with against any and all terrorists. The author gives us serious tools to deal! Thank you Mr. Holt!

Their are a wide variety of translations here; in both quality and fidelity to the original spanish. The fact that the poems are presented with both the original and the translation makes this book worth it. The Miller Williams and William Carlos Williams translations are wonderful, but some translations, like those by Ginsberg suffer from perhaps too much beat aesethetic co-oped into the work. Still, Parra is wonderful, full of grit and strange images; yet the Spanish, aside from a few words that are only found in Chilean Spanish, is clear and easy to read. I have even translated some of these poems myself. This is amazing work.

Theodor Adorno claimed that to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric. If so, then Parra is the one man who can justifiably escape the charge of barbarity. What Parra writes is nothing less than a full-scale assault on poetry, or as he calls it, "anti-poetry". Parra's work stands in violation of everything that poetry has ever been. If you are used to lyricism and poetic embellishment and will accept nothing less, you will hate this book. Either that, or it will revolutionize how you see the poetic art. Parra is for poetry what the WWF is for entertainment: it is raw, crass and, as people say, "in your face". It is also brilliant. It is not poetry, but it is, in its own unique way, poetic. And like much of the best poetry always has been, it is immersed in life. Its themes are those we all recognize: crooked police, pestering grandchildren, the morning alarm. It expresses for us what we would all like to express but do not or will not. I suppose one could call it catharsis through anti-art. And perhaps in our post-holocaust world, the most genuine art IS anti-art.

This book is truly magnificent. Parra has one of the most clever minds in poetry today. His antipoems are very attractive as they move away from the old traditional poetic style. I understand Parra will be proposed for the Literature Nobel Prize next year (2001). I couldn't agree more.

This is a gorgeous book of southwest photographs. It has many examples of how to take great photographs. An interesting feature is the photographers comments about each photograph, found in the back of the book. There are only a few flaws in my humble view. Some of the photographs were printed with very exagerated color saturation. This is painful in some cases. Another problem is Mr. Muench's use of a split density magenta filter for several of the photographs. He tries to give the scenes a warm glow but the magenta color looks totally fake, especially when one sees it only across the top of the photograph. Please throw that split density magenta filter away and let the southwest present its beauty naturally. Still a great and valuable book to own.

This book offers a breathtaking view of the Colorado plateau. The full-page color photos are so incredibly vivid they almost jump off the page. It really makes you feel like you are there.

You get a look at towering mountains & magnificent nature made stone sculptures. Cascading waterfalls, meandering steams, peaceful snowscapes, brilliant autumn leaves, beautiful flowers & endless skies take your breath away.

Muench is a master at capturing detail and light, and this setting shows off his talent to the maximum. A narrative by James Lawrence provides a history of the area and conveys the feelings inspired by this natural wonderland.

Some images have small quotes & poems under them. In the back, each photo is shown in miniature with comments from photographer and technical details. This book provides a beautiful world to get lost in.

Besides the several landscape books from Muench, I have collected quite a few other landscape books from other famous photographers. By far, this is the one I like most (together with one by Apse called "New Zealand Landscape"). The photos in the book fully demonstrate that one can always breathe new life to old scenes with enough skill, perception and perseverence.

2 noted ex-users turned full time cranks Biafra-speed, Rollins-ritalin fronting 2 good punk bands DeadKennedys and BlackFlag are getting old. Their legacies are questionable.
They both never met a microphone they didn't like. They talk more than little girls. Both are way too serious and need to lighten up. They're in the entertainment industry yet yearning for artistic integrity (then stick to arts and craft shows).

Rollins complains about book/album sales, his business, and his own niche marketing scheme. The guy brags about hard work, working out, and dislike of everything hokey and cheesy. Typical manic depressive straight edge loudmouth. Relax buddy, you need a rest guy. He turned out just like his parents, but he can't settle down. Hence the mass confusion running out of his head. Every job has it's ups and downs. They get monotonous and draining. Worrying about money [stinks], so you compromise nearly everything up to and including you're very being. Hank likes being "commercial" because big corporations pay well and promptly. Movies and commercials are money on the table. It's easy and if he doesn't take it someone else will.

Biafra is one man publicity stunt show. Running for mayor(truly funny and creative). Including a poster of sodomy in records and calling it artistic freedom under the holy grail of free speech. I don't know anyone who buys a record expecting or wanting such a thing. The poster is funny but is by all definitions pornographic. Not everyone has a dirty sense of humor. Jello fought and lost for our right to do such silly things. Now he worries about his company's future as a b-music distributer especialy with the rise of this internet file sharing thingy (more punk than the whole punk movement combined). He's made a living as a paranoid alarmist worrying people to death.

Bottom line, everyone's replacable, independent. Past succes doesn't guarantee future success, but that's who gets better odds. Like it or not. Whether your stuff has critical mass approval or not. Carrying the torch will get you burned both up and out. These guys are one trick ponies branching off into other areas. A good perspective on 2 long winded spotlight hogs. Their music speaks or itself. JB's album with no means no and doa are worth buying or downloading. Black Flag is good clean fun. RESEARCH/VSEARCH always put out good stuff.

Wow. This collection of interviews is amazing. Though I had heard very little about any of these men when I picked the book up, I found their words very interesting. Even where I disagreed with their messages, they caused me to think about why I disagree. Many times I felt like putting down the book and going out to either create or protest. Even though all four of these men are politically active and radical, they each provide very different perspectives that, when presented together, have much more power than they could on their own. I recommend this book for anyone in search of inspiration to question and act.

I've been familiar with Biafra/Rollins/Childish and Ferlinghetti for a long time, but can't say I'm a huge fan of any of the four, but in reading through these interviews, I have a whole new respect for all of them. Vale talks about so many issues of political importance, artistic integrity, life, and everything with them. What comes through is not esoteric or academic, not something only appealing to punks or poets, but a feeling of being alive. All four are very smart, funny, engaging and interesting individuals and Vale really knows how to bring out their personalities. This is like a bible of common sense from 4 great prophets of the eternal underground. If you yearn to be creative and find your own happiness outside of the constraints of a 9-5 job and mainstream culture, this book will hopefully be an inspiration to you. It's also refreshing to hear people talking about important political and philosophical issues in a way that makes you believe that you can be involved and help make culture and live how you want. We also glimpse into their lives outside of the public eye through some wonderful storytelling. Vale helps to put the nail in the coffin of the "dumb punk" notion: these guys are geniuses. You need this book!

Excellent book. With so many "here's what's wrong with your company" books available, this is one of the best. Not only does the author suggest what's wrong...i.e., which part of the life cycle is your company in, he tells you how to do something about it.

If I'd only been able to read just one book, I am glad I choose this one.

It's not necessarily that as a company grows from the garage into the boardroom that bad things happen . . . it's that some things are inevitable and are a function of growth.

This book sumarizes the multiple facets involved in such growth and allows the reader to compare the growth cycle of companies at varying stages. It's impact on people, org behavior, culture, awareness and other areas that the "garage shop" does not need to consider at early stages. It's a key read and assessment as companies find themselves in transition from a heavily entrepreneurial spirit to a more entrenched corporate being and notes many of the patterns such growth requires. Read between the lines and you may find companies who are currently faltering because of a lack of transition mindset to allow them to sustain managed growth or the new "size." Overall, it's a great academic read.

By comparing the lifecycles of corporations to those of civilizations, this book helps to explain how all sorts of organizations, not just corporations, can become "sick" through bureaucracy and poor leadership. This book helped me to understand why there is so much institutional opposition to correcting even localized corruption and dissolution in a large, bureaucratic GOVERNMENT institution. It helped save my sanity. I with the author would write a similar book dealing with governmental organizations.

Another book which may help if you are trying to "fight city hall" is Stanley Milgram's Obedience to Authority.

I read this book at age 9 and couldn't put it down. This book is perfect for girls ages 7-10 who still have yet to master the art of reading. The story is about a girl who's parents are separated and she moves around very often. She is so witty and good- natured that she finds an adventure in every move she makes. The illistrations are simple and yet unique and I would recommend this book to any girl, around the age of 7-10.

I read this book when I was younger, and I absolutley loved it. I'm 15 now, and I still have to say this is probably the best book I have ever read. I love all the titles by Jaqueline Wilson, but this one is my favourite. Probably because this story covers all emotion. It is at times sad, but others very funny. The main character is great, and Jaqueline Wilson captures the emotion perfectly. You can see the character clearly in your head. If this is an adult reading this review, considering buying it for a child, do! This is an excellent book, and even if your child does not like reading they will find it very hard to put this book down!

It usually takes me ages to read a long book but I could not put this book down. It is one of very best books I have ever read!!!!!!!!