There are not too many books on Jade, so I'm glad I found this one. It was pretty informative and had very nice photographs illustrating the author's points. It's worth it if you're in the jewelry business and want to know more about jade, and it's good for any jade collector. I found the information to be accurate.

Like all of the Fred Ward Gem Books Series, this is an instant classic. It features National Geographic quality photos, no surprise since Ward has photographed/authored a number of articles for that magazine. My favorite section deals with the jade from Meso-America, used by the Olmec, Mayan and Aztec civilizations. But it also contains much on Burmese and Chinese jade. This is simply an outstanding book. Buy it.

Fred Ward is the author of the classic series on gems published in National Geographic magazine and this book displays similar quality. Meticulously researched, wonderfully photographed, it is a marvelous introduction to the subject.

Fred Ward has a clear and concise writing style. This book is comprehensive, despite it's slender size. It is stunningly illustrated, with fabulous photos of well-known, and ordinary, gemstones and objets d'art. A must for the fan of jewels and gemstones. I'm collecting all his books now.

I just finished reading the Fred Ward books "Diamonds" and "Rubies and Sapphires" in his gem series, and I was very pleasantly surprised. These books are entertaining as well as informative, and found myself telling obscure facts about the different gemstones to my friends and family. I was in the market for a ring with my fiance, and so found the books particularly insightful. Along with the writing, the color photography was absolutely sinful, with the most striking pictures of jewelry I have ever seen. Breathtaking. Definitely a must read, even if you think you aren't that interested in gems in the first place. I did think that the price of the books was exceedingly high, however, and I wish they would market them as an entire collection instead of just the separate books.

But all in all, wonderful read!

These short little stories, most of them not even a page long, are little sermons in themselves, for those who have ears to hear. Surely not all of them actually happened (unless you think dogs and birds talk back to Fred when he talks to them), but all of them are true. Several stories are printed twice in slightly different forms, making a different point altogether. Then again, if you put the book down for awhile and re-read it several months down the road, you may get a different point out of the same story! Some seem to have no point at all, except to make you think. The author assumes some intelligence on the part of the listener/reader, so he doesn't usually make the point or points obvious. Read, learn, and marvel at this wonderful collection!

Dr. Craddock has the ability to draw you in to his stories in such a way that you can picture and relive the story over and over in your mind. It is as though it were the readers story to own after reading it. With a slight smile Dr Craddock relates sometimes funny but always meaningful stories. I liken this book to Tuesdays With Morie. It needs to be read once every year. I am buying copies for my children.

The stories, although out of context, are examples of the giftedness of a great story teller. I've heard many of the stories before, either as a student, in live sermons or taped sermons. Many of the stories find there way into sermons on very different subjects -- because each event in life has to do with more than one thing. Read the stories for the enjoyment of the stories. Certainly they can have spiritual application, but for each of us it is our job to make the connection.

great pictures and interesting information. I enjoyed this book. It packs a lot of interesting information in a small, easy to read, book.

This book with 62 pages explains everything you need to know about Pearls. In addition to the knowledge of pearl for a consumer, this book also goes into great details in the trade of pearls. It covers the geographic sources of pearls, the competitive producers, and logical prediction of future market.
I enjoyed it a great deal.

I don't know what impressed me more, the spectacular photography or the effortless and fascinating way Fred Ward helped me understand pearls. He takes the mystery out of buying pearls. I will not buy pearls again without reviewing this book.

This book won't teach you how to specifically play the piano. No book will but what it will do is give you a very wide scope of knowlege on the piano and the concept of music. There is quite a lot of text for a musical book. The songs are old but is understandable given the time it was written. I have several books about learning the piano but I must say this book is worth it. Very interesting page for page.

Everyone from beginner to advanced will benefit from this read. Highly recommended. It may be an old book but a proven one. If you only have only one piano book (I have 5 in piano theory/learning) this should be it.

At least read it.

Explains how music works and how to make music in a way that is easy to understand but also pretty thorough. Although primarily about piano, the information is easily applicable to other instruments or groups of instruments. This book is easily the best book about music I have ever read. I think with enough practice and patience, just about anyone could learn to play piano very well from this book. My only complaints are (1) alot of the songs used as examples are unfamiliar to me, and (2) too much attempt at humor. These may not be considered weaknesses by others, and both are easily offset by the quantity and quality of information in the book -- information that I've never seen in such a clear form anywhere else.

There are some books that are so good, that you can't help but sound like a brainless, gushing idiot when praising them. This book is one of them.

Now what's the secret of How to Play Piano Despite Years of Lessons? Why does it get so many rave reviews here at Amazon and other places? Because it works. And it works by completely demystifying the music-making process in a completely irreverent and casual style, in stark contrast to the humorless, frowning, and stern music teachers we all may have had once or twice in our lives. In other words, it takes the mystery out of making music and says, "Hey-- don't sweat it. You can do it. It's not as hard or tedious or agonizing as you think-- honest. Don't listen to all those shnooks who made you feel that it was all esoteric and as hard to crack as the Rosetta Stone." This approach is perfect for those who were always the type who felt that playing instruments was only the property of the Talented Few, or that they were so hopelessly inept that they could never hope to understand how music works. If read, it will quickly dispell these feelings of ineptitude by the 2nd chapter. Trust me-- by the time you are halfway through the book, even if you skim through it, you will have gained more musical know-how than the average piano student who is forced to do scales over and over again to the dead tick tick tick of a metronome. Even better, you will find musical instruments suddenly being "opened" to you as if you had been given a magical key to unlock them. An example of this is with my learning the guitar. I had originally picked up this book to learn piano. But out of curiousity I also started picking up the guitar and found, to my surprise, that I found it easy to learn precisely because of what I had learned in this book. So, yes, folks, this book is that good. No matter what instrument you are trying to learn-- guitar, piano, flute, what-have-you, it is imperative that you pick this one up. It will give you a solid grounding in music theory and a feeling of greater musical competence. You can't go wrong with this one. Five stars from me.

I enjoyed Jokes from the Internet by Fred Ward, but I have just read better. McFool's Internet Humor has an incomparable collection of Internet jokes and stories. Ward's book is good, but McFool's is better.

I have been enjoying this book immensely. I don't buy much homor, but I find it's a delight to pick up when I want a laugh, or would like to share something with friends or a colleague.

Fred Ward, a serious journalist, has put together a zany,eclectic bunch of Net jokes that's practically impossible to resist.At first glance you're sure you've heard them all before, but stick with it. Many are classics retold, but many are new. Good medicine for what ails us, and a bargain at the price!

This slim little book taught me more about opals than rummaging around in the opal stores and book stores of Sydney ever did... Fred and Charlotte have managed to add lots of juicy information about opals - how they are made, history, cutting, what makes them special etc and present it in a very easy to read manner. A great book to give anyone an indepth knowledge of opals!

The book gives a good overall insight into how opals are formed, types of opals, where they are mined, how they are mined and many stories surrounding opals and opal miners. It was informative and entertaining. Would have liked to have seen a little more information that would clue you into how to select and price black opals.

This is the most informative and fun to read book on opals ever published. As a collector and opal dealer, I highly recommend this book to learn about the opal history of Australia with lots of great stories!

The fourth edition of the Gamma World game brings it back to the standardized TSR / AD&D style system. Although the rules include enough material to play a game or set up a campaign, significant work is required to build a fluid gaming environment from the materials provided.

This book contains the rules for the Gamma World role-playing game (as you probably know, if you're looking for it). The game is really cool and very original and interesting. The only problem with it is that some of the rules set-ups are bizarre and/or senseless. If you're going to GM it, I suggest you use some creativity in adjusting them a little. It shouldn't be difficult, and it makes the game run much better. Overall, with a little work it was one of the better systems I've played under

4th Edition was the best for Gamma World.
This Edition contains ruleset for playing animals, plants, mutatants and purestrain humans. Has cryptic alliances and chacter classes (esper,scout,fighter,tinkerer). All the hightech weapons and devices are collected together in one book( rather than a stack of modules and 1-3rd ed. rulebooks) Loot tables, radiation effects, and monsters. Kindalike a players' guide and GM guide in one. ... The Alternity ruleset is/was completely different. 7514 is classic Gamma World, if you're intersted in GW you better pick on of these up.

I was VERY disappointed with this gem-care book. It has nice pictures, but contains very little information about gem-care that isn't obvious already. The book does not address any of the more unusual gems and stones either. Do not buy this book! It's a waste of [money].

As a professional gemologist, this book plays an extremely important role in helping to educate my clients in the proper care of their gems and jewelry. It is beautifully illustrated, thorough in its research and mastery of the subject, and well written.

As a teacher of Gemology, I recommend this well written and researched book on gem care to all my students.The photographs, as usual in Mr. Wards books, are spectacular. Gem Care should be in everyone's collection and read for care and treatment of the jewelry and gem specimens in the reader's possession. This book is a must have.