For several years I have been clipping magazine articles about their work as there was not a book available. Now comes one where you can see their magical, whimsy work, be it an ostrich bed, a hippo bar , a kingo leaf chair or see a child's head that is a cabbage, this child's finger's(her grandchild's I read), are poking out of a lily pad, the apple wears a smile. Welcome to wonderland

A Journey to Perdition

In 1298 a caravan travels from Turkey to Peking, to meet the Kublai Khan. They overcome the frozen heights of the Pamir mountains and the unrelenting heat of the Gobi desert. Many are the towns they visit on the way and the people they meet. It is a fascinating travelogue along the old Silk Road, through regions barely known even today.

The leader of the caravan is the Venetian merchant Montefoschi. He is accompanied by the monk Vartan, an illustrator of religious books, and the thief Hovsep. Later, he is joined by Arnaud de Roanne, the healer, and, towards the end, by Jebe, the Mongol warrior.

The main thrust of the book is not the travelogue, but the men who make up the caravan. The author digs into their innermost lives, turning them inside out to get hold of their dreams and their aspirations - and how they play against actual life during this voyage. These are all condemned men.

I would say that this is very much a French book, examining the psychology of the main characters against the backdrop of actual occurrence. It is a challenging book, well worth reading.

Mandelker's book describes in detail various restrictions placed on land use, zoning practices, historical court cases, and constitutional concerns in land use and its various restrictions. Covers free speech issues, the history of zoning, subdivision regulations, environmental law concerns in planning, and exclusionary zoning just to name a few. Although every topic covered has its own need to be examined individually this text serves as primer for those getting started in the academic study of or a career in the profession of City/Urban Planning, Law, or Public Administration. Not a recommended purchase for those with just a passing or casual interest in zoning, land use planning, and the law that covers both.

This series is easy to read and laid out conveniently. The puzzles are challenging without being insane. These are my mom's current favorites, and I would recommend them to fans of the crossword puzzles appearing in the NY Times or LA Times.

The Last Sunset by Daniel Jay Paul is a beautiful duel love story from one couples past and another couples present. The author brilliantly blends the to stories together, so that when you're reading about one couple, you're subconcious mind is yearning to return to the other. The details and descriptions are so real you almost feel as if you are there.

I'm so glad I read it! I hope his next book doesn't take too long to arive!

Daniel Goleman is co-chairman of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, based at Rutgers University. He is the author of the bestsellers 'Emotional Intelligence' (1995) and 'Working with Emotional Intelligence' (1998). This article was published in the March-April 2000 issue of Harvard Business Review.

This article is based on research by the author with consulting firm Hay/McBer (previously the late David McClelland) into the leadership styles of 3,871 executives. This research found six different distinct leadership styles: (1) coercive; (2) authoritative; (3) affiliative; (4) democratic; (5) pacesetting; and (6) coaching. The author discusses each style in detail, including the direct and unique impact the different styles have on organization climate, including financial performance. According to previous research by David McClelland "climate" refers to six key factors that influence an organization's working environment: (1) flexibility; (2) responsibility; (3) standards; (4) rewards: (5) clarity; and (6) commitment. The article introduces a table with the effect of each of the six leadership styles on the six key factors of organizational climate. The author advises readers to mix the different leadership styles: "Many studies, including this one, have shown that the more styles a leader exhibits, the better. Leaders who have mastered four or more - especially the authoritative, democratic, affiliative, and coaching styles - have the very best climate and business performance." It is not that these leaders mechanically match their style to fit a checklist of situations, they are sensitive to the impact they are having on others and seamlessly adjust their style to get the best results. For readers that worry about their own leadership skills do not need to despair, according to the author it is possible to grow your emotional intelligence whic "takes practice and commitment". The article is complemented by a short primer into emotional intelligence (also see the author's 1998-article 'What Makes a Leader?').

Great article on leadership, which will never become a clear science. This article provides clear insights into the different leadership styles and their impact on organizational climate, which has a great impact on financial performance. Do not forget to read his 1998-article 'What Makes a Leader?' that discusses the five components of emotional intelligence. I recommend this article to managers, people moving into management, and MBA-students. The author uses simple US-English.

This book contains valuable "hows" and "whys" for conducting today's funerals. It gives the philosophical framework and the practical "how-to's" that Pastors need to conduct a funeral that is honoring to the deceased and helpful to family and friends. Dan Lloyd has a tremendous amount of experience, which is evident in this book. You will find the basics you need to effectively minister in times of crisis and death. I heartily recommend this book!

In this exquisitely photographed volume of cutting edge (forgive the pun) floral decorator and Dutch flower shop owner Daniel Ost's innovative floral and leaf/branch/twig sculptures, this artist in greens, browns and multi-colored flora attempts to bring us into a totally new realm of plants and flowers as art and architecture. The narrative is written in three languages (depending on the edition, mine was in German, French and English). The photography demands that the reader extend his or her senses to try to understand how articles formerly animate could possibly be intertwined into seemingly brand new, even shockingly nouveau, inanimate statements of artistic freedom: some soaring sculptures of fine vines wrapped around deep purple stems and white.yellow lilies; other basketlike formations of plant material interwoven with flowers so small that one has to imagine the fine tiny winds gently rustling this very Japanese, Zen-like water lily (looks alive but isn't).

Daniel Ost is one of the European plant/flower artists, designers and photographers who have made such an impact on art-as-live material. You have to see these photos and carefully read the challanging narration to understand why you will never again be able to look at plants or flowers the same way you do now. Ultimately, Daniel Ost is telling us that although flowers and plants used for decoration must be cut from (separated from) life; the beauty and the architectural integrity of these materials in the hands of a contemporary master can work a miracle of design and function which results in forms that transcend everything we know about traditional floral arranging.

I love quilting, although I have only been learning the art for the past year. Quilting does not have a tradition in my family -- and this book was the wonderful teacher I had, since I did not have family who could teach me.

This book walks through step by step the process of "no-stress" hand quilting. From preparing the fabric, the controversey of knots in patchwork, to small projects to work on. A wonderful reference book for the beginning quilter, like myself (and with techniques that could also help more advanced quilters).

Chu Hsi (pronounced like "jew shee") is almost unknown in the West. However, he is widely recognized in East Asia as one of the most brilliant and influential Confucian philosophers of all time. Chu Hsi's interpretation of Confucianism became the basis of the civil service examinations in China in the early 14th century A.D., and remained so until the examinations were abolished in the early 20th century. Consequently, generations of intellectuals memorized Chu Hsi's views.

Gardner has done a terrific job translating selections from "The Conversations of Master Chu, Topically Arranged," a collection of Chu Hsi's sayings recorded and organized by his disciples. Gardner has translated a part of the massive "Conversations" dealing with methods of ethical cultivation. Gardner supplements these selections with excerpts from Chu Hsi's metaphysical comments. This is very helpful, since Chu Hsi's views on cultivation are connected to his metaphysical views. Gardner is a well respected scholar of Chu Hsi, and his introduction helps situate Master Chu historically.

People who are interested in Chinese philosophy usually go to the obvious places: the sayings of Confucius, the Tao Te Ching, or the Yi Ching. Why not read something by a figure as influential as Confucius, but less well known, and perhaps more accessible?