I have no experience with art at all, but from my point of view this book is a jewl. Printings are so beautiful and relaxing, and they are numerous in this book. Also the book is well organized with explanations about the paintings.

Buy this book for the reproductions if nothing else. If you have seen good Hiroshige prints in their original condition, you know how much is usually lost in most reproductions. This book gets you about as close to the real thing as you are likely to find. The colors are magnificent.

A very comprehensive catalogue of Hiroshige's greatest prints. The book also includes some prints that are more obscure, as well as preparatory sketches and several printing blocks. Attractive as a coffee-table style hardback for those with a passing interest in Ukiyoe, it also is a must-have for those devotees wishing to understand the art of Japan's great landscape print artist.

This is a simple Bible. Because of this, I bring it to church. It lacks the study Bible attributes I enjoy in other editions, but, in church, I am not likely to spend the time required to utilize those features.

What I have it a sturdy paperback with a few footnotes to indicates translations variants, or to define an odd term or two. It is flexible, and can withstand (as mine has) being tossed into a briefcase or handbag without worry.

The margins are about the size of any novel, and so notes are difficult to write, but this its best use is as a second or third Bible, not for primary study. Its strength is its clean presentation and portability.

A basic, 62-page concordance is in the back, listing a few citations for key terms for easy lookup during Sunday school.

A section called "Biblical Backgrounds" surveys in a few paragraphs the function and history of all 66 books. This brief introduction says who is believed to have written, for example, I and II Chronicles (Ezra) and how it relates to other books (Samuel and Kings). Short and sweet, the reader will be able to get a quick look in the middle of a sermon and track better the context of the references.

The words of Jesus are in red. Others might find this distracting, but when I am ooking something up, knowing Jesus said something, but unable to remember the verse number, this helps.

The paper is of a decent width without making this book 100 pounds. Set in a Times New Roman or similar typeface, at what appears to be a 10 pt font, I find it easily readable.

It is a paragraphed Bible, meaning that contiguous ideas are connected using paragraphs, much in the same way we do in modern English, complete with indentation. This makes the reading more natural.

There are a few short introductions explaining the principles of translation (how Hebrew tenses were considered, for example), and an "Explanation of General Format," which succinctly presents the ways the publishers of this version managed Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic translation difficulties and what modern punctuation was employed that was unknown during the time of the Bible's writing.

A note on the translation:
The New American Standard translation claims to "adhere as closely as possible to the original languages of the Holy Scriptures, and to make the translation in a fluent and readable style accordingly to current English usage." There are paraphrased editions, like the New International Version (NIV) or New Living Translation that are both more reader friendly. In buying any translation, I suggest looking over samples of each to see which best fits your purposes. Ask your pastor which your church uses if reading along during the service is your goal.

A good way to make comparisons is to read the first few chapters of John from several translations. The differences will be obvious.

I fully recommend "Holy Bible New American Standard: Red Letter Edition, Paragraphed."

Anthony Trendl

I have used and looked at many, many versions of the Bible, but this one is the only one I like anymore. First, this is the version that the scholars say is the most accurate (Greek and Hebrew experts and scholars). Second, I find it to be the most readable one there is. I don't like the updated version--just the New American Standard. This one keeps the flavor of the King James with out the unreadability and is accurate to boot. It's readable, understandable and beautiful all at the same time. I don't like the way that people can change the words and meaning in the Bible (including the people who wrote it all through history, even for the King James version). I feel much more comfortable using a version that scholars in the ancient languages have arrived at as the most accurate, since I am unable to make that determination. I can're recommend this version highly enough!...

Even my 17 year old son likes this one. I have one for my own use and he picked it up and after reading for awhile said to me "If I had a bible like this one I'd even read it". So I'm here looking for a new one just like it.

The first of the Jessie trilogy by Christine Pullein-Thompson, A Home For Jessie begins when ten-year-old Matt Painter finds a black Labrador puppy being drowned in a stream. The pup has a speck of white on her chest, which is unthinkable for show dogs, but Matt rescues her and takes her home. His parents insist that he cannot keep a dog, not when they're moving to America, so he leaves her with his Uncle Eric. When a car accident sends Eric to the hospital for months and Jessie into kennels, she escapes, determined to find Eric and Matt.

While early parts of the story focus on Matt and Eric and, at the end, Matt again, the majority of it is told from Jessie's viewpoint. Pullein-Thompson is well known for her horse stories, which is probably why she's able to write a good story from a dog's point of view. Jessie is determined and loveable and stubborn, but she's also a dog. She doesn't understand things the way people do - and you don't expect her to, either. She doesn't get it when Eric is taken away to the hospital and she doesn't see him, or when she goes back to their London flat and can't find him. That's okay. It adds to her doggy-ness.

Jessie's trek from the kennel through a bad home, into the woods where she is injured and then mates with a big stray named Tinker, is beautifully done, sad but honest. This is the classic coming of age from a dog's point of view.

Matt is also a well-drawn character, as is his mother and Eric, who is so poor that he sells handmade scarecrows for a few pounds each, but they are all people, who come in second to Jessie, the dog.

Pullein-Thompson's writing is solid and poignant, from the way she depicts Jessie's confusion when she is injured and dirty and sore and scared and doesn't even know Matt anymore, to the way she gracefully handles Tinker's death in a way that won't scare any kids.

TEN YEAR OLD MATT WENT DOWN TO THE LAKE WITH ANNE . ALL OF A
SUDDEN WHEN THEY PLAYING MATT SAW BUBBLES COMING WATHER.
"THERE'S SOMETHING IN THERE," MATT SAID. MATT PULLED THE BAG OUT OF THE LAKE, HE PUT HIS HAND ON IT. IT WAS BARELY BREATHING BUT MATT COULD STILL FEEL THE HEART BEATING. WHAT WAS IT? HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN IN THERE WHO DID IT? NOW DANGER IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. I THINK THIS BOOK IS FUNNY, SAD KIND BOOK.
THIS IS FOCUSES ON MATT AND HOW AII OF THIS AFFECTS HIM

A Home for Jessie was a very good book. I enjoyed it very much, and it made me mad, cry, and be happy, i reccomend this book to all animal lovers such as me.

I'll keep it short and sweet. I am one of the authors of SIP and
of many of its related technologies that are discussed in
this book. As such, I am frequently asked by people how they
can quickly understand the benefits of SIP technology, why
it is important to them, and what it can enable. The answer is
simple - read the Sinnreich/Johnston book. The book helps you
understand how SIP, its extensions, and related technologies
all fit together, and why SIP is revolutionizing communications.
This is a fabulous piece of work, written by two recognized
leaders. I highly recommend it.

This book is wonderful because this is not a textbook for SIP protocol itsself but is a book representing what SIP being characterized and how different from other voip protocols and what we can do using SIP focusing to the INTERNET COMMUNICATION not just voice over IP nor video over IP. This book is very helpful when we systems engineers propose our customer what additional applocation services can be provided by the system using SIP.

I've been involved in the development of the SIP specification for several years, and currently co-chair the Internet Working Groups overseeing its continued evolution. I'm closely involved with the application of SIP to next-generation mobile phone networks. Between standards work and speaking on SIP frequently at trade shows and conferences I've seen a lot of SIP books and tried to explain SIP to many people. Most of the books on SIP cover the dry technical details of the specification and implementations. This book, "Internet Communications Using SIP" goes into an entirely different realm.

Henry Sinnreich and Alan Johnston are two of the most knowledgeable authorities and notable figures in the SIP world. I expected a lot from them them. They've greatly exceeded my expectations, doing a surprisingly good job of explaining WHY the SIP protocol works the way it does, WHAT sort of advanced services it is making possible, and HOW service providers can use it to enrich their business offerings.

This book is an absolute "must read" for anyone in the industry, especially for people familiar with traditional telephony who are trying to design, market, or implement new telecom services of any kind. If you haven't read this book and Gonzalo Camarillo's new SIP book, don't argue with the old-timers on the SIP mailing lists -- they're likely to just tell you to "RTFB" . . . and this is one of the books they're referring to.

Hebeler's approach answered for me my most challenging questions: 1] Will my retirement assets allow me to spend what I need (want) to spend each year during my years in retirement? 2] Can I grow my assets at my desired rate while simultaneously lowering the risk of my portfolio? 3] How can I evaluate my financial health each year in a meaningful and action-oriented manner?

All your family members should read it. And if after reading Hebeler's book you still feel the need for professional financial planning, insist that he/she read it as well.

Mr. Hebeler was a practicing engineer and manager at Boeing for many years before he retired and his engineering mind with its attention to details shows through. Of significant note is his discussion of reverse dollar-cost averaging and his retirement autopilot method to provide a feedback mechanism. Nothing more than simple mathematics is used and his principles can be used without buying expensive software. This is one of the best investment books I have read in years!

I read everything I can get my hands on about retirement and this book is one of the best. Best because it's one of the most objective and factual accounts I've read. Hebeler backs up what he's talking about with fairly easy to understand charts giving different case senarios so you're bound to find your particular situation. His autopilot program explains how to keep your pre-retirement program on course. For the already retired, he shows what's necessary to keep from "out-living" your money, a fear many of us have in trying to decide when to retire. Hebeler provides worksheets at the back of the book for you to copy and do your own planning. Been thinking of hiring a retirement planner; now I think I can try it on my own. At the very least I'll be better prepared if I do decide to go to a financial retirement planner.

This book is outstanding! Far from being for just the pre-school/younger elementary set, it has a wealth of information which even older kids can benefit from. In addition to the text based on the House That Jack Built, it has labeled drawings of garden tools, insects in the soil, seeds, clouds,parts of plants, plants, butterflies, birds, and other insects. We (my kids ages 4 thru 10 and I) had fun pointing out the things we know and learning the ones we didn't. The illustrations are excellent- colorful and detailed. This book is a wonderful addition to homeschool unit studies on plants.

Whoever coined the proverb, "a picture is worth a thousand words" could have been talking about Jack's Garden by Henry Cole.
This book is an excellent illustration of how, step by step, a garden is planted and what the seeds and living creatures do from that point on. We get to see above and below the soil as the garden progresses throughout the season. There are all the names of the plants and creatures labelled neatly next to each, on the main page and in the margins. Best of all, the classic children's poem about the house that Jack built is modified into a catchy text for each picture that makes understanding the magic of a little garden ecosystem effortless for kids as young as three years.

Top notch illustrations and a unique format set this picture book apart and earned it a permanent place in my collection. I only wish I had it in hardback!

I wish this book had been available for me when I was a young child. I'm delighted to be able to give it to my son, age 3. This book shows so many things to be found in a garden - from the first scene where Jack stands shovel in hand in an empty garden through the final page where Jack is surrounded by the beautiful outcome of his work to grow a beautiful garden. Along the way we learn the names of so many creatures and gardening items and see how a garden grows. Buy this book. It's a jewel.

Just Imagine: 250,000 Americans encompassing every race- standing up to be counted in the struggle to fight the demons of inequality. For many, the march for freedom was their chance to make that stand. Of course I've seen countless rolls of footage and viewed PBS specials documenting the March on Washington in 1963 but nothing compares to my reading first hand accounts of committed individuals who threw caution to the wind while enduring the threat of possible bodily harm, sacrificed their jobs and alienation from friends and family who deemed the march "a path for fools to follow" or something worse as the committed and concerned journeyed against the current.
Whether by plane, train, bus, bicycle, or automobile- one thing was certain for those Americans during a warm August in 1963, "They were gonna March on Washington come Wednesday mornin'."

I had the pleasure of enjoying this wonderful book over the Thanksgiving holidays and I will always remember the March on Washington and be thankful for the sacrifices made then I'll pay my respects to those who thought enough of me to do so.

Just Imagine: 250,000 Americans encompassing every race- standing up to be counted in the struggle to fight the demons of inequality. For many, the march for freedom was their chance to make that stand. Of course I've seen countless rolls of footage and viewed PBS specials documenting the March on Washington in 1963 but nothing compares to my reading first hand accounts of committed individuals who threw caution to the wind while enduring the threat of possible bodily harm, sacrificed their jobs and alienation from friends and family who deemed the march "a path for fools to follow" or something worse as the committed and concerned journeyed against the current.

Whether by plane, train, bus, bicycle, or automobile- one thing was certain for those Americans during a warm August in 1963, "They were gonna March on Washington come Wednesday morning."

I had the pleasure of enjoying this wonderful book over the Thanksgiving holidays and I will always remember the March on Washington and be thankful for the sacrifices made then I'll pay my respects to those who thought enough of me to do so.

Like a Mighty Stream is not merely a book about the greatest march on Washington. It is a portal; a literary doorway into the not so distance past using the detailed accounts of actual march participants. The author Patrik Henry Bass, with his fluid style and well researched writing, details a time when we as African-Americans were denied the most basic freedoms and decisions, such as where to live, what schools to attend or what jobs we could hold. His writing evokes the reader to remember our present day lifestyles and freedoms were bought with a price. And the emotionally stirring accounts of the marchers invoke us to make sure the present civil rights ledger is not owing. A truly great read!

Jessica Kruczynski English 385.04 Dr. Michelle H. Martin March 29, 2000

Keats, Ezra. John Henry: An American Legend. Toronto, Canada: Random House, Inc, 1965.

John Henry, written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats, tells the story of a fictitious American legend. Through the powerful illustrations, Keats portrays John Henry as a heroic man with much importance in society. Keats uses bold colors throughout the story, which help stimulate the reader's emotions. John Henry's importance is first revealed in the opening of the story. Unusual, marbalized paper illustrations accompany the words that tell of the night noises welcoming John Henry into the world. Even as a newborn child, he is the focus of the story, taking up an entire page in the book. When John Henry realizes his own strength, he makes the decision to leave his family and go out into the world. The illustration during this part of the story shows that a change is because of the bright colors and the image of waves rolling into the next page. When a storm strikes, John Henry's first act of bravery comes into play. Black and grey colors give a feeling that things are not quite right. The storm nearly causes a ship to sink, but John Henry is able to gain respect and admiration from others by bringing their ship to safety. John Henry, who was born with a hammer in his hand, feels called to go help build railroads. The illustration of him helping with the railroad tracks is much different thtn the other illustrations because John Henry is not the center of attention. Perhaps the reason for this is because helping build the railroad with a hammer in his hand is where John Henry belongs. Henry's next opportunity to be the hero occurrs when a lit fuse burns closely to dynamite in a cave, causing a very dangerous situation. Trying to put out the fuse, John Henry first trips and falls, but recovers by putting out the flame with his hammer. In this illustration, the hammer takes up and entire page! This shows that the hammer and John Henry are of equal importance; without his hammer, he is only an ordianry man. After proving himself to be a hero, John Henry develops a feeling of much confidence in himself. When told about an extremely powerful steam drill, John Henry states that he is more powerful and can drill more holes faster than six men combined. The illustrations of Henry's "race" with the machine are very effective in portraying motion. The hammer appears to be moving so fast that it becomes almost a blur. The pictures show how tired John Henry is becoming, and eventhough the steam drill is ahead of him at one point, he continues to work harder and faster. With much determination, John Henry picks up another hammer so that he can get twice as much done. In this illustration, John Henry and the two hammers take up two pages. Keats uses a bright orange color to offset Henry and the hammers. The bright color gives a feeling of excitement and makes the reader feel confident that John Henry can beat the steam machine. Througout John Henry's battle with the machine, people watch with admiration. John Henry continued to hammer, even after the steam machine collapsed. His goal was to break through the tunnel and when light began to shine through, everyone saw that his goal was reached. With hard work and determination, John Henry once again proved himself to be a hero. He died while walking out of the tunnel, carrying not one, but two hammers.

My 3 kids request I read this book every night. Its good enough that I don't MIND.

Guess which is one of the books I'm using for Black History Month this year?

For those who go to klez-kamp and those who don't.....this is a G-R-E-A-T book for the Klez-Fan

A delightful and informative romp through the footstomping, handclapping world of Klezmer music that's perfect for both experts and novices -- you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy klezmer and this book! Mazal Tov Henry Sapoznik!

For a history of Yiddish instumental music in America this is the Book to get. Hank Snow(poznick) live's and breaths the music in the pages of this must have book.

This is one of the best and most useful cookbooks by a great chef that you are likely to find. Too often such books aren't suited for the home cook and are more about ego than food. That is definitely not the case here. Andre Soltner was the owner and chef of the renowed Lutece, a New York institution, for three decades. In this book he shares some of the history of the great restaurant as well as his Alastian heritage. The focus of the book, however, is the food. Significantly, Soltner recognizes that he is writing for the home cook. He thoughtfully provides tips on how to find ingredients or acceptable substitutes for those of us who don't have access to an exotic wholesaler and suggests the best kinds of kitchen accessories to use. It is obvious that Soltner cooks these recipes in his own home. You don't need a first class professional kitchen to enjoy these recipes. Also, the recipes are designed for suitable portion sizes; these aren't recipes to feed a crowd that have been shrunk to fit the cookbook. Just because this book is practical, however, doesn't mean that it doesn't focus on the most sophisticated kind of food. There is plenty of classical French cooking in this book, but it all seems like something you can accomplish in your own kitchen. There are plenty of things in here that you won't want to cook - there's an abundance of organ meats - but you will thoroughly enjoy anything that you do prepare. This is a great addition to any kitchen library.

The collaboration between Britchkey and Soltner is a long one and began when the former became a food critic at large. He continually gave Lutece the highest award year after year for the very reasons found in this book: No fancy dancy, inside out topsy turvey "presentation", no exotic mixing of Indian and Southern cooking, no "tricks". What he admired was the sheer artistry behind the dish, the always fresh ingredients, the simple yet complete recipes that harken back to the chef's days as a boy in France and in particular, the Alsace region.

Many of these offerings are peculiarly French with ingredients that may not be common to average American cooks. Yet almost all can be prepared at home with a little bit of time and effort. This is NOT food for the diet crowd although Soltner's use of creams and butters and oils is entirely reasonable and serves to accentuate rather than hide flavors. Particularly appealing are the many stories of his childhood and early cooking days that are shared throughout the book.

If, like me, your idea of culinary hell is quinoa blini with kimchee "tartare", wasabi sorbet in a pesto tuile, and a two-inch stick of "roasted" tuna on an acre of herb sprigs, then this is the cookbook for you. Soltner's recipes appear remarkable today, since they are both delicious and totally unpretentious, almost simple. These recipes are classically French, from the Alsace region, and despite the fact that they were regulars in one of the world's greatest restaurants, many are also easy to prepare. There is neither fusion nor fussiness in this food, just respect for good ingredients and some tried and true techniques. You don't need to be a highly experienced or highly equipped amateur to try many of these; all you need is a bit of patience and a good appetite. Try the mushroom-Gruyere salad or the grilled trout. Of course there are some very sophisticated and difficult dishes as well. I never ate at Lutece and probably neither did you, but at least all our favorite entertainers did. So if you like true French food and would rather beat eggs than fend off paparazzi, you should buy this book.