Every breed that I know is there, and there are a lot of dogs there that I didn't know existed. And the two pictures of the AMERICAN COCKER SPANIELS are great!!! I love the pictures, I think they are one of the best representatives of the breed. Even the very rare ones, even though the info is short, it still gives you an ides of what the dog is like. And the introduction is VERY helpful!!! GREAT FOR NEW DOG OWNERS, DOG LOVERS, DOG FANS, AND EVEN THOSE THAT JUST LIKES TO LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF DOG!!! My friends and I LOVE it!

.... Every purebread dog breed is in this thing. There is about 2 pages of written material for each dog! Oh, and let's not forget the pictures! Many dogs have 2 or 3 pictures in this book! It's alphabetical, so it's easy to find the perfect breed in the index or just by paging through. If you love to look at all the breeds of dogs, or are thinking about getting a dog, BUY THIS BOOK!

There are many books about dog breeds available, but The International Encyclopedia of Dogs is the most thorough and entertaining. The book features physical descriptions, historic origins, and full-color photographs of every breed currently recognized by the kennel clubs of the United States, Canada, England, and France. Open it up and fall in love with a dog you never knew existed!

This work is a splendid example of the new emphasis of the publisher on producing comprehensive works in a handy cheap format compared with the earlier broad brush treatments which covered too much in too little detail.
The new emphasis is on sets covering various national armed forces in as much detail as is available, consistent with the current purpose of the works in the series, which have evolved from an original emphasis on serving the military miniature maker market into works intended to enlighten the general reader in enough detail to satisfy the merely curious and to point the way to further reading.
Most of us, including myself, have little need for, or the patience to read, voluminous studies, often in foreign languages, covering many eras and nations. My main interest is in the US forces, their allies and their enemies in the twentieth century.
That said, these works should be purchased as presented, in sets within the series. Since they are produced as a set, the volumes cover only relevent parts of the general history and the clothing and individual equipment is covered as it appears in each period. The French Army, US Army, British Army, and Italian Army series all have three volumes, covering the major theatres and time periods of the war. The German set has five.
If you want an introduction to the fascinating variety of clothing and equipment of the forces covered, this set is for you.

There isn't a lot of publication focussed on the Italian Army in WW2 and Osprey's Men-at-Arms series finally decided to include it in its latest book.

Philip S Jowett has done a good job in describing the uniforms and rank insignia of the Italian Army and Stephen Andrew's colour plates are of very high quality. An interesting book for WW2 historian and modelling enthusiats. Photos and colour plates are very rare references.

I am looking forward to volume II in this series.

Uggh!Finally!it took osprey to reach volume #340 before the Very signifigant contribution of the italian army in ww2 was acknowledged.This volume is wonderful with intense color plates and information of Italian units (fanteria)in stunning detail.i am hoping to see many volumes (at least 4 ) on the other fronts of the italian war effort.This is a definite buy for those interested in one of the most ,overlooked negatively stereotyped(as well as France),and ignored major power of WW2.

This book delivers the goods as the title claims. Guitarists should also check out the following:
1) Mick Goodrick: The Advancing Guitarist (Hal Leonard)
2) David Keller: The Jazz Theory Handbook (Advance)
3) Scott Miller: Getting Into Jazz Fusion Guitar (Mel Bay)

I've been doing exercises from this book nearly everyday since I purchased it and it has improved not only my chops, but the way in which I approach improvisation as well. Although a beginner to jazz will profit from mere repetition of the studies, an advanced or intermediate player will find the harmonic ideas incorporated in the studies to be very advanced and original.

Particularly intriguing is his unorthodox approach to fingering, some of which I've incorporated into my playing.

Congratulations to Andrew Green for his "Jazz Guitar Technique." This book is unique amoung the many jazz guitar books in print because it addresses much more than what many guitarists might consider "technique." Starting from 1)developing assertive pick hand rhythmic control, 2) demonstrating how to see and hear the same melodic idea in many areas of the fingerboard and 3) laying down a concise series of excercises aimed at mastering cross string picking, the author develops excercises and lines that are free from guitar cliches. He includes immediately useful chord voicings from the diminished scale with lots of beautiful phrases that one can apply to tunes right away.

There is more and I am certain that anyone who works with this book will make discoveries leading to improvisational fluency. "Jazz Guitar Technique" is a workbook with no wasted words or excess musical examples. It's one of the really great ones that do not come along often. I for one am glad that it is not published by one of the mega-music publishers (although it deserves wide distribution) because it is not from the conventional mold. Thelonius Monk has been quoted as saying "Jazz is Freedom." Time spent working from Andrew Green's "Jazz Guitar Technique" will help develop the musical and instrumental chops that will lead to freedom.

A wonderful yet small collection of reproductions of Manet's last works. A very great artist, at the end of his days, paints exquisite small works of flowers. What else could you want?

As an art student studying the techniques of the masters, this little book has been invaluable to me. This is for anyone who seriously wants to experience Manet's genius. His little florals leap off the page! The printing is good, too. Faithfully shows detail and tone well. While nothing replaces seeing these works in person, this book is one every artist should have.

During the last months of 1882 Edouard Manet was gravely ill. This was to be the last year of his life. He no longer had the strengh for large ambitious work. With frequent rest periods, he had just completed "A Bar at the Folies-Bergere."

Due to his ebbing energy he began to paint on a smaller scale, simple bouquets of flowers in a variety of glass vases. Often these were the flowers friends brought to the convalescing artist.

"The Last Flowers of Manet" is a little gem of a book presenting 16 of these elegant, magical paintings. There are ethereal white lilac blossoms and slashes of pink peony petals shimmering before rich, black backgrounds. There are roses and tulips in warm, golden shades.

Just as Matisse in his last days could not make a false stroke when creating his cutout compositions, so Manet brings total mastery to these exquisite, soulful still lifes.

This book describes very useful tools for bringing about constructive organizational change, based on a view of organizations as living systems. The 'process enneagram' at its core is a remarkably effective and compact tool for mapping the elements needed to bring about desired change in a way that is transparent for all stakeholders. It will be valuable to anyone concerned with organizational effectiveness.
How you should approach the book, and in what sequence, depends heavily on your own learning preferences. It is written for those who like to move from (very lengthy and detailed) anecdotal examples to principles and concepts. If you prefer to move from concept to such brief example as you feel you need (as I do), you could easily reject a valuable book - as I very nearly did. For example, the thesis depends on a particular use of the enneagram, a tool that will be unfamiliar to many readers. The first systematic explanation of what the process enneagram is, its origins and uses and its dramatic difference from the much more familiar form of enneagram which the author calls 'the enneagram of personality', occurs 2/3rds of the way through the book in Chapter 7.

When I read the fine book, The Soul at Work, by Roger Lewin and Birute Regine, my favorite example involved Dr. Knowles in his role as a plant manager before he became a consultant. The Leadership Dance takes that anecdotal evidence and expands it into a deep understanding of how to define and continuously improve management processes.

Anyone who thinks that leadership cannot be carefully defined and described will find this book to be a revelation. What makes it all the more remarkable is that Dr. Knowles is extremely humble and bends over backward to give everyone else as much credit as possible. When was the last time that you read a business book like that?

Let me caution you that this book is not for the casual reader. It's more like a dissertation done by a Ph.D. candidate in management. Dr. Knowles does a brilliant job of combining many sources of theory and practice into constantly developing examples that make the two sides of the perspective come together well.

The fundamental insight he had was that in times of crisis things get done effectively through self-organization. People pitch in, and the work gets done. When the crisis is over, people go back to being hierarchical and ineffective. A typical approach in most companies is to wait for a crisis or try to cause one to reinstitute that effectiveness. Dr. Knowles shows how self-organization can be working effectively all the time. And it's not just theory. He actually did it himself. Nice going!

Actually, Dr. Knowles has a bigger idea here than he realizes. In the examples, he is looking at narrow issues such as replacing damaged equipment quickly, improving safety, or cutting operating costs. His same concepts could be applied much more productively to the entire enterprise for processes such as continuous business model innovation, which Carol Coles and I address in our new book, The Ultimate Competitive Advantage.

Anyone who loved Leadership and the New Science, The Goal, The Fifth Discipline, or The Soul at Work will add greatly to their knowledge if they read and apply this book. Be prepared for some challenging reading and thinking though. But it's worth it!

Anyone who wants to be a truly effective leader must master these disciplines. By repeatedly studying and applying this book, anyone can do it! In the process, you will learn to banish all those thoughts about needing to become a hero leader.

Donald Mitchell, co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage

Dr. Knowles gives a thorough and logical explanation of the science and systems involved in leadership. He takes the additional unusual step of describing his personal journey which led him to these revelations. It is riveting reading! Parents, pastors, CEO's, governmental officials, school leaders and managers on all levels should read this and adopt these strategies.

I came across this book long ago while studying criminal tendencies among student and professional athletes. This is an excellent book that examines the purpose and effect of organized school sports on children and young adults from the elementary to college level. The old addage that "sports builds character" is strongly challenged here as myth after myth regarding the beneficial aspects of school sports is exploded by the authors. In the post-Columbine era, when the detrimental aspects of obsessive sports culture have been finally pushed into the spotlight, these issues regarding athletics and sports-guided adolescent development are more relevant than ever. The authors show that while sports do provide a basic outlet for physical education, the idea that sports build leaders and create better students is shown to be false. In fact, they show that what results are students who tend to be more violent and have a warped sense of morality as a result of so-called "game reasoning" indoctrination. Organized school sports also encourage standardization, conformity, and an unquestioning submissiveness to authority, while denegrating individuality, creativity, self-expression, and academic acheievement. They tend to reward violence and punish weakness. The result is that in high schools today we find athletes who have an over-developed sense of superiority and arrogance that manifests itself as violence and intimidation against those peers viewed as weaker, whether it's a nerdy bookworm or a young coed who says "no". These are issues that have been ignored for far too long and this book addresses them well. The "boys will be boys" mentality must end. As others have already said, it should be required reading by high school teachers, coaches, and students to get a better understanding of the many problems that face kids today and how school sports contibute more to the problem rather than the solution.

An excellent book that "pulls no punches," to use a sporting phrase. It has been known among those who study youth sports that especially among high school male athletes, excessive alcohol use and deviant behavior (fights, unprotected sex, etc.) have been present to a greater extent than among those not invovled in sport. Miracle and Rees clearly describe the genesis of the myth that sport builds character, and how it has been propogated by those who just want to believe. They clearly point out the problems that can occur, based on research. Competitive sport is not the same as exercise or physical education, activities that promotes health. The next time you read about coaches brawling over a youth hockey game, or parents attacking umpires after a "bad call," you might want to read Lessons of the Locker Room. It will explain to you why this is so. A must read for all parents of children who participate in sport and their coaches.

Lessons of the Locker Room

Sports build character. At least, that's what we've always heard. Why else would our schools invest so much time, effort, and money in student athletics? Andrew W. Miracle, Jr. and C. Roger Rees aren't so sure.

Historically, sports were introduced to public schools to attract students who would otherwise attend private schools. After public schools became the norm, as they are today, sports continued to be valued as an opportunity for community involvement and positive publicity for schools.

The authors suggest that sports serve other, less obvious purposes as well. Sports encourage conformity by requiring players to act as group. Sports may also promote submissiveness, in that players do as they are told, taking orders rather than making their own decisions. Sports also increase the authority of those in charge. They are the experts, and credit or blame for success or failure goes to coaches as much as or more than to players.

Research shows that, while many athletes have more positive attitudes towards school than other students, they also have decreased independence and self-control. So, what is touted as an opportunity for individual achievement may actually produce better followers than leaders.

Morality and sports is an issue as well. "Game reasoning" refers to a sense of right and wrong that changes according to the situation and a belief that the winner is morally superior to the loser. In some cases, game reasoning seems to flow over into everyday life.

Rees and Miracle propose that game reasoning accounts for many incidents of violence among athletes. Tests of moral reasoning of athletes show a willingness to believe that aggressive behavior is okay in any situation, if it serves the purpose at hand. What begins as a friendly rivalry can degenerate into violence if it is not checked by that slippery value called sportsmanship.

Miracle and Rees, while definitely on the side of classroom education over sports, present a fair assessment of school sports, presenting benefits as well as problems, and raising some interesting questions. The conclusion? Sports do not build character, they reveal it.

I never truly understood post-modernism until I read this book. In college, I read some of the post-Modernist thinkers, but somehow through humor and concise sayings, Andrew Boyd has distilled the essence of post-modernist thought. I've given it as a gift to some of my academic friends --and its the instant hit. I've been in a number of settings where people read them aloud and laugh and discuss them.

this book has encapsulated my undergraduate education at a small liberal arts college, for a fraction of the price. to truly appreciate the book, however, the college education helps.

I found this book entertaining. After all, the heady world of deconstruction and postmodern thought is in serous need of a little humor. It is also in need of clarity. And for this I would recommend 'Derrida for Beginners,' and also 'Postmodernism for Beginners.'

Noelle's and Daniel's resurrection stories are symbolic of someone else's and will stay with you long after you place the book lovingly on the shelf. I cannot recommend this one highly enough.

Again, Greeley paints a picture of the lives of an Irish Catholic family. Strangely enough, I read this book before I read Ascent Into Hell, and I have yet to read Thy Brother's Wife. I'm moving backwards in the series, but it still makes sense. I liked this book a lot more than Ascent. It is more down to earth, familial, and just plain easier to understand. I can relate pretty well to the girl. I can't seem to remember her name, but the green eyes, long red hair, pale irish skin are what graced the cover of the edition that I read. It's horrible the things she has to go through, but the book is worth it in the end. A must-read for anyone who likes their faith and would like to see it tested.

My introduction to the Irish-American mileu, and what fun it was! This story comes across as a 1940's movie plot with a modern twist. It's a wonderful journey into nostagia for anyone who remembers the Korean War, or grew up in that era (like me) , but it's a mystery, too, and so much more. Father G. has an an uncanny ability to enter a woman's mind and let the reader in at the same time. I've often wondered how he developed such insight and compassion for the human condition and I think I've figured out his source--the confessional! If you like the series "Touched By An Angel," you'll love Andrew Greeley's books. I've read them all and all I can say is "Keep 'em coming, Father G!"

I happened on this journal in a little bookstore in Black Mountain, NC in August of 1999. At the time my Dad was terminally ill. My brother, my Dad, and I were going through a most difficult time, emotionally. Anyway, I started working in this journal the first of September, 1999. It is a very wonderful tool for healing and uniting our inner selves. It requires DEEP introspection and therefore offers DEEP healing. I positively recommend this book, but remember before you start the journey be ready to do some real, sometimes painful, rewarding work. God Bless You!

Okay, so I haven't completed reading the book yet (which takes a year if you do it properly, I might add! plus it was only published in 1999), but I just had to say that so far this book is a beautiful experience. Lynn's spirituality radiates through to the reader and it truly a life-affirming experience.

The book weekly meditations that inspire you to reflect deeply on yourself, and to make changes in your life where necessary. It includes journal writing, some spiritual/meditative ritualising that even the most conservative reader could find enlightening.

A word of warning: if you aren't ready for a journey towards discovering your true self, don't buy this book! However, if you feel ready to confront your inner shadows, go for it. Buy it, approach the book (and your life) with an open & investigative mind and you won't regret it. Cheers!

This is a great gift for yourself or others. It's attractive, so it really makes one want to get involved with this life-enhancing path. The author , as you probably know, is well-immersed in this field. In this book/journal, she offers a weekly lesson for introspection and illumination. These lessons include a thought for reflection that is the essence of that week's journey. The last half of the book offers lined journal pages for your use in exploring journal topics, etc. Every page is nicely decorated with shamanistic symbols. Each week's topics are not just random; they are designed in an order to lead the reader on a year-long quest for better Self-hood. It's really an exciting opportunity packaged in an enticing workbook.

This book was originally published by Bicycle Books in San Francisco. I would hope that it would still be available, even though 5 years ago hardback copies were selling at chain bookstores for as little as $4 a copy. The Ritchie book is written not just from the perspective of bicycling history (although it is well-researched from that point of view), but as an important social history. In addition, it reminds us of the history of the development of transportation and how bicycles were eventually pushed out of the public vision of having right-of-way to being relegated to the closed track of the velodrome so they wouldn't get in the way of the growing automobile culture. Major Taylor's career is important in the history of racism and attempted and often effective exclusion of Blacks not just from racing opportunities, but from the subsequent business opportunities that followed on the heels of the age of the turn-of-the-century racers. The largest reason that Major Taylor died a pauper was because he was not allowed to participate on an equal level with White businessmen in the developing automobile industry, according to Ritchie's research. Turn of the century bicycle racers, as Ritchie points out, were instrumental in contributing to the design of the shock system and the use of pneumatic tires, among other features, of the emerging American automobile. They also were some of the large investors in the industry upon their retirement from active racing status. Taylor wanted to participate in the design process and applied to a university for formal education in engineering, but was denied access, despite his hard-won efforts, previous inventions in bicycle design and testing, and celebrity status. The fact that the man died early of a stroke and alienated from his family and community in the end can only speak of a man who, after putting out his entire life, had finally been broken by the pressure of living in a racist society. Yet, writing his autobiography and selling it door to door evokes the phoenix-like quality of many members of the Black community who survive and thrive in spite of great hardship, even in our present times.

This is a very enjoyable book. Very well researched and documented (almost to a fault). Anyone who is serious about the history of bicycle racing in the USA must add this book to their library. After reading this book one must wonder how great Major Taylor would have been if the playing field was equal. Highly Recommended!!

I found this story of a black man in this early 1900 era extremely fascinating. His beliefs in fair play, extrodinary dedication to his faith and his hobby made him a role model for any and all to follow. his persistance in perfecting his beloved sport despite all of the negativity of this era, to me was unbelieveable. I read few books cover to cover but I have had the pleasure of reading this one 4 times. Ritchie has this book so well documented that anyone reading it would have no problem of becoming totally engrossed in it. A well done from me.