I ordered this book because I love stained glass designs and there were two pictured on the cover. I had been hoping for more of them inside but was disappointed to find that there weren't any others.

However, it is a nice book with background on art nouveau and designs inspired by artists such as Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt, and Louis Comfort Tiffany. Also included are instructions for basic cross stitch, cleaning your work, stretching needlework, and turning your piece into a cushion.

If you have a preference for either color or b&w charts, you should be aware that the charts in this book are in color with symbols.

I have always wished I could make a cross stitch project that looked like a Tiffany or Art Nouveau. This book provides some of the most beautiful and artistic patterns I have found. I'm sure I will find a lifetime of inspiration from the patterns provided in this book as well as enjoying the interesting reading.

I love to cross-stitch, yet I have trouble finding patterns that interest me. This book is such a wonderful find. It has a wide variety of patterns (the Klimt doesn't look anything like the Tiffanys on the cover) which are challenging enough for a stitcher who likes a more intricate pattern (like myself.) The patterns in this book are some of the best I've ever seen as far as artistry goes. The small motifs and decorative borders included at the back of the book encourage us to use our own creativity. I can't wait to make more of the projects in this book - right now I'm working on a pillow with one of the decorative borders.

As one who spent his life in the UPC and who has a father and other relatives who are and were officials in the organization this book goes along way to explaining the facts as they are in the UPCI. I cannot tell you the last time I heard a sermon on the benefits of the cross, justification by faith, the sinfullness of man, or many other important doctrines of the church and I think if UPC members were honest most would say that has been their experience. What you do hear is a barrage of self-help sermons, talks on outward standards of dress, and a three part magical save-yourself formula of salvation. All Christ has done is to make it possible for you to save yourself. He doesn't actually save anybody. Now the officials in St. Louis will deny that this is their position but this is the way that it is practiced in most UPC churches. I have heard it done this way for over forty years.

Again, I believe that most members of UPC churches would be able to attest to this fact and Dr. Fudge has given MUCH food for thought.

Thank you, Dr. Fudge, for providing an excellent perspective on the historical significance of the PCI. It was refreshing to see another point of view about the UPC.

On another note, I find it interesting to see parallels between the UPC, the Jehovah's Witness, and Latter Day Saints organizations. All three believe they and only they have the truth. Directions come from headquarters. Doctrines are not questioned by the ministry or laity. All have their documents (books, manuals) to support their beliefs. Members who leave are ostracized. Members are not permitted to have any association with Christian organizations. Members are required to give their complete allegiance to the organization. All have come into existence within the past two centuries. All are performance based religions. Maybe its just coincidental!

Finally, a work that undoes the myths perpetrated by a Protestant denomination on itself and its adherents. I was amazed to read what many Oneness Pentecostal "pioneers" really believed... which runs contrary to the histories written by themselves post-merger. The two groups that merged in 1945 (PCI and PAJC) did NOT believe in the absolute necessity of oneness theology, baptism, nor the sign of "tongues" for salvation, as is purported in said "histories." This book, the result of MANY interviews and obviously tedious, painstaking research (it is profusely footnoted)sheds light on the history of a movement that self-claims to be "the true" bride of Christ. Names of good men, often pushed aside in the mythologized histories created by the UPCI are finally given their due, as major more mainline evangelical contributors to a union of Pentecostals gone awry in the past 3-4 decades. They did NOT all believe as the UPCI does today, and they were not the exclusive band of believers they are portrayed to be by their current UPCI biographers. As a former member and minister of this denomination, I can only say thanks to the author for unraveling the web of misrepresentations and letting the facts shed light on these formerly unchallenged revisionist self-histories. Although the title initially seems a bit harsh, it seems more appropriate after a thorough read.

The very first page of this book made me wary. In an anecdotal style representative of the book as a whole, the author tells of her surprise at learning of the "American" version of Aesop's fable of the ant and the grasshopper (cicada) in which the ants turn the grasshopper away during winter because he played all summer. She offers an alternative "Japanese" version in which the ants invite the grasshopper in to join a party because they worked so hard during the summer doing their "role" singing. She uses this to justify two polarized paradigms of communication (though not merely communication) for each culture: Japanese are interdependent and Americans are independent. (For some reason she never uses Westeners or even English speakers but always Americans). Interesting story but I thought it sounded suspicious. Well, guess what? After interviewing DOZENS of Japanese people from a variety of backgrounds and asking them to finish the story, I have YET to find anyone who can even believe the "nice ant" ending much less anyone who had heard it previously or offers it. Even when asked to brainstorm alternative endings, this ending never appears, however, grasshopper/cicada raids on the ant community do. Yamada disingenuously offers this footnote "I have been told that a more literal translation of the original version exists in Japanese where the rejected grasshopper sadly walks away at the end of the story." Exists? Have been told? It doesn't merely exist but is the only version anyone seems to know. Furthermore, somehow she interprets this story as showing idealized American independence and "the importance of fending for yourself." According to her, "the point is that each person is responsible for his or her destiny" while the Japanese version shows "everyone has a role in society." Really? How can one justify that? How is the work ethic of a collective ant colony about fending for oneself? It would seem much more apt to describe some kind of socialist system. If this kind of interpretation of endings is valid, what about the endings offered in which the cicada invades the ants' mound? Sounds like Manchuria to me. The first page is indicative of the whole book. Things are overly stylized and distorted for academic symmetry. Anecdotes are highly spurious and sometimes only tenuously related to the point at hand. After the first page I simply couldn't accept any of them so that now looking back at the points of this book requires a pillar of salt. In fact, one gets the very distinct impression from the personal anecdotes given that, despite being a trained linguist specializing in cross-cultural communication, Yamada often just doesn't get the REAL point behind what people are saying or the genuine motivation for their actions. Exaggerations, misrepresentations, and stylizations abound obscuring what would otherwise be interesting points. Nonetheless, the book reads like an article from Ophrah's magazine (or what I would imagine they read like) if you inserted a bunch of romanized Japanese words with constant parenthetical translations (also the subject of some disagreement for many of the native speakers with whom I spoke). You finish the book almost as soon as you start. In particular, the "quotes" of parents instructing their children in each language were amusing. I have heard very similar things myself. The notes from the business meetings are interesting (particularly the Japanese section-head meeting) but watching her dissect the American meeting raises doubts in my mind about the validity of her Japanese analysis. She does introduce some interesting points but the sample is so small one feels distinctly disappointed in not getting to see these "principles" at work in other situations. It reminded me of the perfunctory "labs" that might go along with a Junior High science class. One of the things I enjoyed most about the book is the abundance of Japanese present. I actually learned a few useful words from this book, however, as most things in the book, they too become stylized. The discussion of AMAYAKASHISUGI (too sweet), WAGAMAMA (spoilt), TSUMETAI(cold), AND KATTE(selfish) is a good example. No one I spoke to agreed with the sharp opposition she set up among these terms. While this did provide for many interesting discussions, she should not have introduced these as terms defined merely by nurturer/nurtured over/under indulgence. For example, AMAYAKASHISUGI, to my understanding, might be better thought of as "doting" and used almost exclusively for parents. WAGAMA is not merely spoilt in the taking sense that we normally think of. In fact, the first situation I was given defining WAGAMAMA had a person giving a gift in expectation of a certain response and being disappointed not to receive it. Not what we expect exactly. TSUMETAI and KATTE simply aren't polarized in the way defined in the book. KATTE is not merely selfish but also snobbish. I was told a KATTE person may even get mad at the rain. TSUMETAI is used not only for under indulgent nurturers but also for the nurtured. Of course, a lot of the time nurturing is not the correct metaphor for the relationship and so this whole system breaks down anyway. Overall I found the book worth reading but not because it gave me answers. Quite the opposite. I found that it made me ask questions. Unfortunately, if you don't happen to have access to a large group of Japanese people to discuss these propositions with, I don't think you'll get nearly as much out of it. I actually think the central conceit of the book is correct, namely that Japanese communication grows out of a culture of interdependence and American communication from a culture of independence, however, the support for this thesis is mixed and often counterproductive.

My dissertation is on US-Japan relations, so I've had to read a lot of these types of books. Its a shame more of them aren't like this. Granted, its not perfect, but if you had time to read only one book on the Japanese before jumping on a plane to negotiate your company's deal, I would hope this might be one of the books on the Airport bookstore's shelf... which it probably isn't.

As an intercultural communication researcher, I can safely say that Ms. Yamada's book is one of the true rarities in this field. She is truly bi-cultural as well as bi-lingual and this makes her insights into the intricacies of Japanese/American communication far more meaningful and astute. By all means buy this book!

Brazos Fortune is determined to find his dream under some type of cross. However, he is forced to leave behind his youngest child, beloved Dacee. An adventurer herself, she runs away.

Gold fever, hunger and hardship mark the adventures and close calls suffered by Brazos and his friends. Bly certainly does a good job of painting the surroundings clearly to the reader.

This is the first book of the series, Fortunes of the Black Hills.

This was the first book I've read by Stephen Bly, and I am more than anxious to read the next in the series. As a former resident of the Black Hills, I found Bly's descriptions of the Dakota landscape accurate enough to make me homesick. His characters are well developed and sympathetic, and I especially enjoy his sparkling dialogue passages that help develop the characters and bring comic relief and a sense of comraderie between the characters not unlike the good natured humorof a good John Wayne movie. I look forward to reading the second book in this series.

Brazos Fortune sets out on a journey for a new home after locals threaten the lives and property of his family. He follows a vision he receives of a Dakota cross and faces corrupt lawmen, wild outlaws, and a bitter winter as he wrestles with the temptations of gold and a burning desire to be reunited with his family. Each family member seems so real and alive. Reader is pulled in to care about what happens to them.

This book provides numerous projects, ranging from small to large. The variety and adaptability of the patterns offer many choices. The patterns are easy to follow, making it nice for a novice or experienced craftsman. Great book -- keeps you going back for more!!

I really have enjoyed this book. This book is not for those who are looking for a historical perspective. The designs are Celtic in spirit and have a great variety of designs. This book is easy to follow with the charts being in color, which is always preferable to symbols. This book has a range in difficulty of projects that are sure to please most.

My girlfriend just gave me a great coaster using a design from this book. Although I haven't seen all of the designs in the book, I'm already pleased just from the cross stitching design used for this gift.

Bert is still trying to get back on her feet after her divorce. Living next door to her identical twin, Nan, she's currently working as a secretary for a nasty divorce lawyer, Stephanie. The only reason she hasn't quit in search of a better boss is that her Mom and Stephanie's Mom are good friends. But one morning, she goes into work to find that her boss has been shot. Having solved two previous murders (DOUBLE MURDER and DOUBLE EXPOSURE), Bert and Nan try to sift through the many people with grudges against Stephanie to find the killer. Meanwhile, Bert is feeling insecure about her relationship with her boyfriend, homicide detective Hank Goetzmann.

It's great to see the twins back in action. As always, they tackle their latest case with humor. However, this book was a bit slow compared to the others, which is why I'm only giving it four stars. It's enjoyable, but just not quite as good as the first two.

Some books are right for reading in front of a fire on a rainy day, some for under the covers on a winter night. And some are indulgences, made for the day you played hooky from work because it was the first spring day of the year and you wanted an afternoon on the deck in the sunshine. "Double Cross" is just such a book: it's light, funny, and well-plotted. It features identical twins who are opposites, mothers who are all too believable, a witchy murder victim who deserves what she got, a hint of feminism, and some decent writing--not the least of which is the technique of using a twin to tell the story in alternating voices. I got just what I wanted from this book: amusement, entertainment, and escape.

The terrific twin authors give us lively, funny and very real twin protaganists: Nan and Bert. Alternating chapters give each twin's point of view. It is the skill of the authors that makes Nan and Bert each a distinctive character. In this third episode of their adventures, the twins find themselves embroiled in the murder of a tough divorce lawyer who had developed a unique way to make the ex-husband pay dearly for his freedom. I agree with the reader who recommended that you read them all. The first two are available in paperback. Wonderfully entertaining, these authors do it right.

The Great American Elephant Chase

This charming novel, set around 1900, tells about a boy of 15 years who unintentioanlly escapes from a miserable existence and ends up in the company of a girl and an elephant being chased across America by a proper villan. I won't tell you how it ends.

The wriing is excellent. It is readable by children age 12 up and adults who enjoy youthful adventure stories. I enjoyed it immensely

This story about a young girl who believes an elephant is rightfully hers is well worth reading.

This charming novel, set around 1900, tells about a boy of 15 years who unintentionally escapes from a miserable existence and ends up in the company of a girl and an elephant being chased across America by a proper villain. I won't tell you how it ends.

The writing is excellent. It is readable by children age 12 up and adults who enjoy youthful adventure stories.

It was the basic source for my MSc project. Very helpful and very modern in its writing.Nancy Adler reached her destination. Recommendable for cross-cultural social and business analysis

I have had the pleasure of using Adler's book for several years now. Simply put, it is far more enjoyable to read than the average textbook and is packed with useful information for those wanting to learn.

Adler does a superb job of addressing the various dimensions of culture. She explains culture quite clearly and makes many connections to management practice. But maybe what I like best is that Adler goes beyond explaining. Each chapter contains vignettes discussing different cultural experiences. The short descriptions are interesting and lively. I have also noticed that the quantity and quality of vignettes has improved in the fourth edition.

Overall, the scope of this book seems quite thorough. National culture, workplace behavior across cultures, communication differences across cultures, creating synergy, multicultural teamwork and negotiation, global leadership, and the expat experience are all discussed. My favorite chapters tend to be early in the book (culture, teamwork, and synergy). It appears that these areas represent the author's greatest strength. The research informing each chapter is thorough and quite up-to-date. Maybe the weakest chapter, in my view, is chapter three which deals with communication. I suspect that maybe the author steps a bit beyond her expertise and is not able to touch on the deeper issues of cross-cultural communication (as she touches on the deeper issues in teamwork or other chapters). The result is a good chapter and sound discussion that maybe lacks the richness found in other parts of the book. She sets the standard so high in other chapters and I was hoping for the same here.

I have used this text for several years in intercultural management courses for undergraduate business students. The students seem to enjoy the book and encourage me to keep using it. I guess that is the highest praise we can give any text--students like it.

As a cross-cultural trainer based in the United States, I needed to find a pragmatic book that both students and sophisticated business people would find helpful. At the same time, it had to provide a lot of solid information in an easy-to-read format. Dr. Adler's book is it at ERUdyne! Actually, we have had to replace our copies many times as they keep disappearing after positive reviews from our clients!

My copy is dog-eared. I recommend it to anyone who needs to understand how culture impacts global business organizations today. It contains excellent questions for reflection, charts, summaries and references.

Dr. Adler's book makes a positive difference in one's perception and understanding of the real challenges facing global businesses. It also provides good case studies with a step-by-step guide for addressing global organizational behavior issues. I couldn't ask for more in one text.

FOR ALL THE READERS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN ARQUEOLOGY.

Although it is less than 100 pages in length, don't let the size fool you. This book is power-packed with information about the art of Roman crucifixion and how the cross is foolishness to those who perish, in former times as well as today. The book is a translation from German, and as in many translations, the flow seems very uneven, making it hard to keep pace. In addition, Hengel uses plenty of technical terms and refers constantly to other languages, especially Latin and Greek, so some laypeople may have a hard time wading their way through it all as well as the numerous footnotes at the bottom of the page (which sometimes takes up half a page or more). But, if you work hard, you will find a number of excellent items to highlight. In the end you will realize that crucifixion was anything but a bloodless punishment. From the whipping that normally took place beforehand to the way people were stapled onto the crosses, this was torture at its worst. This was the method that the Son of Man paid the ultimate price for our sins. This message is the central theme of the historic Christian faith. Amen.

Translated from German, this is outstanding look at this practice in the ancient world and the cross of Christ.

The great reversal of God's Son crucified and this is good news? is a scandal to the natural mind of humankind.

Hengel shows these two aspects well, carefully documented his sources from ancient history and Scripture.

The theology of the cross vs. that of glory is reflected in this theologian's writing, e.g. "The heart of the Christian message, which Paul described as the 'word of the cross' (logos tou staurou--transliterating the Greek), ran counter not only to Roman political thinking, but to the whole ethos of religion in ancient times and in particular to the ideas of God held by educated people."

Still true today. This is excellent reference for your shelf, also try and obtain Paul Maier's "In Fullness of Time," and Eric Kiehl's "The Passion of Our Lord."

The publisher says that this book is appropriate for grade 6-12. I disagree. While I feel the book is well written and informative - I strongly suggest that educators think twice before putting the book in an elementary school library.
Perhaps have it available in case an advanced 6th grader has a need for detailed information regarding the topics.
My 9 year old - 4th grade son brought the book home from school yesterday. While AIDS is an important subject for him to learn about - I do not feel that the details of specific high-risk sexual contact needs to be available to him at his age.
I feel the book would be more appropriate for grades 9-12.

This book was fun to read and it was really easy to get a book report out of.

We read this book in class and it is an excellent source of information as well as interesting, and offers all points of view on each "plague" as well as the facts. Covers a lot on the little known parts, and victims of AIDS, and a short kind of Bio on Ryan White.