Even though Mapplethorpe is better known for his controversial black and white nude photos, this book demonstrates his careful delicacy with not only the flowers but also the controlled lighting and the subtle colors. I have loved this book since the first time I leafed through it in studio photo class.

Unbelivable intensity out of such simplicity. Here is Mapplethorpe's ultimate genius, astoundingly powerful from such simple set-ups. The colour, composition, lighting, choice of vases and flowers: All the basics but brilliantly done.
I saw Mapplethorpe's famous exhibition in Philadelphia just before he died,the exhibit that was banned at the Corcoran in D.C., then siezed for a while in Cincinnati. The flower photographs were dye-transfer prints, which made the colour surprisingly intense; some were almost 3' tall. People would stand for a long time in front of those, enraptured, sensing the work on several different levels at once. This book does a good job of bringing that to you. You can look at this book over and over again, put in on a coffe table to start converstaions or, after having not seen it for a while, rediscover it to be awed and inspired anew once again.
The edition I have is a 1990 paperback 12" in height; the pictures are presented one to a spread, so that there is a blank white page accross from the flower, which is a very classy touch, completely the correct way to do it.

This book deserves more than five stars. It is the finest set of flower photography that I have seen before, and presents more dimensions of what a flower can mean that I would have thought possible.

I took a course of creativity from author Dan Wakefield a number of years ago. One of the many excellent exercises we did was to take a flower and write as much as we could about what we observed during an hour. At the end of the time, I was bursting with new ideas for all kinds of things. Try it sometime!

Seeing this marvelous book by Robert Mapplethorpe (that would earn a G rating if it were a motion picture) reminded me of that exercise. I had the same feeling as I examined each image, and had a great desire to start taking notes.

The essay, A Final Flower, by Patti Smith helps put these great works in perspective. Mr. Mapplethorpe found it "as easy to hurl beauty as anything else." "He came, in time, to embrace the flower as the embodiment of all the contradictions reveling within [him]." He was inspired by "their sleekness, their fullness, Humble narcissus, Passionate zen." As such, he found flowers to be "worthy conspirators in the courting and development of conflicting emotions."

The images themselves evoke more complicated views than any others of flowers that I have seen. The closest to his style is that which Georgia O'Keeffe used in her painings. But there are more dimensions to these photographs.

For example, a single flower may evoke a part of a human body, but it will also stimulate an impression of a human emotion contained in the flower image separate from the body part. Further, the shadowed background behind the flower will add movement and context that greatly expand the meaning of the overall image. Mr. Mapplethorpe also displays a genius for using varieties of color together to express complicated rhythms that make looking at the images a lot like listening to a drum beating a distinctive tattoo. He also employs juxtaposition (to make one thing appear to be part of something else), allusions to emerging and receding, and contrasts to great effect.

The technical quality of the images is superb. The lighting, detail, and composition of each image are precisely as must have been intended. Each image is an exquisite gem. Although I liked all of the images, some appealed to me more than others. Here are my favorites:

Irises, 1988; Rose, 1989; Orchid, 1977; White Longstem Flower, 1982; Orchids, 1982; Orchid, 1986; Flowers in a Vase, 1985; Orchids, 1987; and Poppy, 1988 (second one). I would like to specially praise the astonishing Calla Lilies (1985-1988) for their amazing beauty and inspiring qualities.

Where else can something simple display so much important meaning and complexity about nature and the viewer? I suggest that you consider looking at leaves, rocks, and feathers as possible additional sources of inspiration. Try your hand at arranging tableaux that use the vocabulary of Mr. Mapplethorpe's work here.

May your heart and mind be suffused with the wonders around you . . . creating a meditation inspired by nature!

Morivania, a young man from Austria, after having observed his father succumb to the powers of a mysterious man named Luther is out to avenge his father's death. Luther and his agents take on the form of wolves and follow Morivania, dog him, if you will, across Europe while he searches for the secret to destroy Luther. The wolf-beasts attack and devour unsuspecting victims while on Morivania's trail. (During my reading of this, I had to periodically check that my own black dog was still a big galoot and hadn't morphed into one of these frightening creatures!)

This book had the feel of a classic! The style and language literally transported me to the 1800's during the time of the French Revolution. Smith's first rate talent as a writer will keep you in bone-chilling suspense as Morivania enters ghastly catacombs and numerous dark wooded trails. There are plenty of moments which will make your hair stand on end and which develop into outright terrifying events!

The Prey is a magnificent novel that is sure to please fans of classic horror. I can't recommend it highly enough!

ONE OF THE TOP 5 I HAVE EVER READ. I RATE THIS MAN'S WORK RIGHT ALONG WITH W.W.JOHNSTONE, BRIAN LUMLEY AND A CHOICE FEW OTHERS.COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN AND HAVE KEPT IT IN MY COLLECTION FOR OVER 25 YEARS NOW. THANK YOU "MR. SMITH"

A very well written horror story. A great cast of characters that come to life within the historical backgrounds the author creates so vividly. Great addition to any horror collection.

"If I had to choose just two books to own, I'd have the Holy Bible and this collection of Smith Wigglesworth sermons. Smith was an unexceptional Yorkshire plumber who was saved as a boy, and grew into a stout-hearted Christian. But after receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in the 1907 Sunderland revival, at the age of 48, the Lord transformed Wigglesworth into England's greatest evangelist. For the next 40 years, Jesus' ministry and power flowed through Smith, healing, delivering and saving countless souls around the world. His life practically became a continuation of the Acts of the Apostles, with at least a dozen people raised from the dead, and all manner of sickness healed.

His electrifying preaching was taken down in short-hand, and carries the most powerful anointing of anything I've read outside of the Bible. His sermons and teachings are still reaping results today in ever-increasing measure. When you read them, you'll understand why.

There's no 'side' to Wigglesworth, no show, just the Living Christ and Holy Spirit working through a yeilded servant. He truly deserves the accolade, 'Apostle of faith', but like all genuine Holy Ghost preachers, his message is Christ, and leaves his hearers healed, saved, and hungry for righteousness. The Lord confirming His Word with signs miracles and wonders.
Look at these sermon titles, and buy the book now.

Our Risen Christ.
The Power in the Name.
I AM The Lord Who Healeth Thee.
Wilt Thou be made Whole?
What it means to Be Filled With the Holy Spirit

If you have ever needed to know just how full of faith one would need to be to obey God and drop-kick a dead baby across a stage, believeing that God would have it alive and unharmed as it landed on the other side - you need to read this book!

There's nothing really spectacular about the life of this plumber in turn of the century England - God made him the world shaker that he became.

This collection of sermons has become part of my daily devotions. Wigglesworth has a unique gift for illuminating Jesus. The lessons and stories are saturated with the annointing of the Holy One and will enliven your faith, quicken your spirit, and increase your hunger and thirst for the things of God. This is must reading for every child of the Lord who wants an "ever-increasing faith"!!

Striper is one of the most well developed characters in the world of Shadow Run. She is extremely exciting to read and the story keeps you in suspense until the very end. This awsomely written book is a defiant 'must read' for any fan of SR.

Striper Assassin was the first Shadowrun I ever read, and though there are others that might be easier to start with, such as Shadowplay, I must say that this one's really cool. With Striper, Nyx Smith has created one of the best Shadowrun characters ever, and it's just great to watch her run the shadows, looking for prey ... Also, the book fits in nicely into the Shadowrun universe - Nyx Smith even has Dodger, the Elf decker out of the Secrets of Power trilogy, as a guest star in it.

If you've ever played shadowrun and wanted to be really enthrawled in a good shadowrun book this is for you! it reminded me vagually of the sega genesis game. great read!

Robert Ellis Smith colors the historical settings for the many pivotal developments, cases and treatise related to privacy. From a description of the Puritan "Tythingmen", who were charged with keeping their eyes on ten families (including the right to inspect the inside of homes), through Madison's early drafts of the First Amendment, forward all the way to the "DoubleClick" controversy, "Ben Franklin's Web Site" covers the myriad of privacy related issues with great elan.

With more than 25 years of experience writing on privacy issues in his newsletter, Privacy Journal, Smith has written a clear, readable history of privacy in America that weaves the various threads of and threats to privacy together in a well-documented fashion. From Americans' insatiable curiosity to the tabloid press, from mistrust of the census to the endless collection of personal information we face today, Smith examines it all thoroughly and cogently. Certainly the best book on privacy I have read. Highly recommended both for those who know something about the area already and those who would like to know more.

Robert Ellis Smith brings the privacy debate back home and to an understandable level in "Ben Franklin's Web Site : Privacy and Curiosity from Plymouth Rock to the Internet." Many privacy books dwell on obscure legal cases that bore the reader to a near state of torpidity. Not so with Mr. Smith's common sense descriptions and explanations of privacy issues throughout the American experience. Aside from giving the reader the ability to understand the importance of privacy in a number of critical facets, this book is just plain fun to read.

Robert Smith's lyrics are of another world. He is the only true poet of our generation. His words can create emotions that Dickinson would be jealous of. The Cure Songwords is an incredible book every Cure fan must own. As for those who do not know of the Cure. Just read the book and you'll know the beauty of Robert Smith.

Robert Smith is undoubtably one of the most gifted songwriters of our time. His lyrics are full of unique imagery, with emotions that range from the highs of elation to the depths of dispair... The words are sometimes soothing-- other times bordering on disturbing and bizarre-- but always honest and thought-provoking. His lyrics stand alone beautifully as modern poetry.

This is the collection of emotions, more than words... a collection of thoughts an history of the Cure. Lyrics to everything up through Disentigration, it is a must for any die hard Cure collector. Ever wonder what the lyrics to some of those b-sides on the Kiss Me album, they're in here!!!

If you want to learn about history it is best to read the reflections, diaries and memoirs of those who lived it. Samuel H. Sprott, 40th Alabama Infantry, Army of Tennessee, wrote his memoir 34 years after the War Between The States for a now defunct southern newspaper. This memoir was recently discovered tucked away in county probate records and probably not studied by historians for details about the W.B.T.S. in the deep South.
Sprott, tells the story of the 40th Alabama Infantry, Stone's Battalion and Ector's Brigade. I was especially interested in information about General Ector and his brigade as little is written about this unit especially at the battle of Chickamauga. He will educate you about the everyday life of the Confederate soldier in the Army of Tennessee. His and fellow comrade's trials and jubilations are all there.
The editors do a fine job coordinating Sprott's manuscript, filling in his thoughts and corroborating historical evidence.
Highly Recommended!

Any Civil War buff will find Dr. Louis Smith's "Cush" to be an outstanding addition to his/her personal library. It is an account that brings countless historical facts that will enrich that library in terms of the military engagements fought by Samuel Sprott and his men. But there is more to this work than the simple regurgitation of historical fact -- this is a book that reflects the struggles and privations of the everyday Civil War soldier as he endured the reality of his world: rotten weather, whizzing minnie balls, the deaths of his comrades. "Cush" is a look at the humanity behind the facts. It puts the reader in the Civil War -- fighting next to Sprott and his compatriots.

As a high school US History teacher, I have found that it is books such as "Cush" that makes history come alive to students. They can feel the emotion with which Sprott's story is told. And, because it is a primary source - straight from the "horse's mouth", it has much more credibility to it than the facts they can glean from their text books.

Dr. Smith has done a marvelous job of editing Sprott's papers. The work was no doubt tedious but at the same time must have been intensely rewarding when it was finished. After reading the book, I have come to feel like I knew Samuel Sprott on a personal basis!

This is an excellent primary source for a soldier's eye view of the daily experinece of the civil war. Unembelished with romantic bravado or the mythology of causes, Captain Samuel Sprott's journal of the experiences of the 40th Alabama regiment presents the reality of war for the common soldier- general bordome and petty detail alongside short episodes of battle, tragedy, and confusion. Smith and Quist do an excellent job of providing essential supporting information in the preface and appendix while avoiding the temptation to intrude upon Sprott's narrations. The book should be a hit in the classroom as a primary document that is brief, easy to read, and relatively inexpensive. For the same reasons it is recommended to the general reader.

This slim volume is sprinkled with photographs primarily by Robert Mapplethorpe. They are well chosen to grace the poetic prose elegy by Patti Smith. The prose reminds me in a strange way of the writings of H.D. - the story of facing death is told in mythic terms - in terms of the sea, the search for the Hercules moth, the sighting of the Southern Cross as his uncle had promised, of Greek gods. Its strength is in the description of Mapplethrope as artist - fascinated by arranging, estranged from nature. The writing is not without flaws but it is interesting and telling.

What a wonderful book. Patti Smith's poetry is full with an intense personal feeling. I can only echo the comments of previous reviewers; this book shines a bright and pellucid beauty, both in its poetry and in the sublime photographs. Spending an afternoon with The Coral Sea took me into a serene, meditative, dreamy state. It has that quality. Something of it reminded me of Visconti's film, Death in Venice. This is a book I shall always have.

Patti Smith his come aways since HORSES. Or maybe not very far at all. Lurking beneath the poet/punk of the famous mapplethorp cover was a woman of profoundly mystical bent. In this, a fable and an elegy , for Robert as she writes in the dedication, Patti smith imagines a man searching for the southern cross, and a man dying. Each of the very short capters are accompanied by a mapplethorpe photograph. Profound, wrenching prose, which caused me to wince in pain and recognition, and ultimately, which delivers a coda to a life. This is amazing stuff, the kind of book that should be passed to loved ones wrapped in a ribbon of silk,, cherished as a gift. It is that good. It moved me like few books have in my life.Nothing in Patti smiths work had prepared me for the overwhelming beauty of this book. A staggering book of wonder.

While looking for a book by Dr. Bob Arnot, I accidently came to this book review for Dr. Bob and The Good Oldtimers. Well, I read the reviews and then asked an AA friend of mine of he had the book in his library. He did, so I borrowed it.

There's no author listed in the book, so I gather it might have been written by a group of archivists? The writing has that dry, "committee" like feel to it. Which is a little sad, because Bob Smith lived one interesting life! His story is very inspiring.

I read it in one sitting, about three hours, so it's not long. From my perspective, you don't have to be an alcoholic to enjoy this book. Cause I enjoyed it.

The only historical work out of GSO worth reading. Brings home the powerful message that the good Doctor carried. Gives one puase to think of what AA could have become if Bob had outlived Bill.

This is a very interesting biography. His life took many fascinating twists and turns. Some of the other reviewers noted that the writing is a little bland, but it really doesn't get in the way of a good story!

As a beginning Taiji student, I've found this book to be a great tool for further developing/practicing at home. It is a great guide to those studying the short Yang 37 form style. I've found it supplements training by helping you remember the essential footwork, handposition, and weight transfers from class. The pictures can be a little challenging as they are 'mirror' images of what you are actually doing. However, they are all there in a complete pull-out form as well, including footwork. The writing is to the point and descriptive. The book does NOT provide the transitions between each form very well though and thus I recommend it a supplemental tool to going to your taiji class. It will be a well-worn book though!

This book is really comprehensive. It has many pictures and descriptions of them to help you along with the forms. I'm taking a Tai Chi class at my college, and this book is the perfect companion. It is very well layed out and can be easily followed. Of course it is always necessary to have an actual master, but this book is probably the best on the market. Many Tai Chi books are confusing and poorly made, but this is one of the few that is not. Learning Tai Chi straight from a book is a little silly, at least look for classes or a video. But this is the perfect companion piece to perfecting your Tai Chi. If you want to buy the best, this is the one - no question about it.

The photos on the cover have varied over the thirty years this book has been printed. My preference is the original one with Chen Man Ching vice the leotard clad dancers, old people, etc. that had evolved from marketing. This book is a classic. The highest point are the photographs of Chen Man Ching. What an example of elegant and correct Tai-chi.