This is the accompanying book to the exhibition by the same name. It is classified by country and covers from Ireland on the Western edge of Europe to Turkey on the East. Within each country there no further classification by date, location or any other criteria. Photographs are less striking than his usual magnum style but has a certain peaceful effect to most of them. Photos from Russia are exceptionally good.

Cartier-Bresson is a God of Photography. This is his best album that I know.

Review Summary: This book is a brilliant expansion of M. Cartier-Bresson's 1955 show designed to emphasize the similarities that exist from country to country throughout Europe in the way people live together. M. Jean Clair has done a marvelous job of adding earlier and more recent images to extend and magnify this theme. As a result you will see an "unquestionable family likeness" for the Europeans that emerges from "the obstinate reworking of a chosen subject." The book contains 200 duotone images to make that point.

Reader Caution: While there is relatively little nudity in this book, there is one final image of two female models resting on a couch that would probably cost this material an R rating if it were a motion picture. If you skip that photograph, you will probably not find the other partial female nudity offensive. This one work is actually asexual, in portraying posing nude as hard work from which one needs a totally relaxing break.

Review: Since World War II, Europeans have been struggling with their common heritage and how to balance it with the national, religious, and cultural ones. Gradually, the differences are being homogenized. Brilliantly, Henri Cartier-Bresson understood early on that the connections were stronger than most other people probably realized. By showing the similarities across countries and cultures, he creates an awareness of potential for friendship that would escape those who had never visited all of these countries.

The work revolves around unnamed themes. But any casual viewer will spot children playing, men and women enjoying a relaxed moment together, public observances of religion and politics, how humans are dominated by nature, the contrasts between rich and poor, and the artificial nature of much modern life. His work also explores the subtle ways that natural and human-made objects display the same forms and outlines.

Here are my favorite images in the book: Guilvines, Brittany, France, 1956; On the banks of the Seine, France, 1936; Palais-Royal, Paris, France, 1959: Amarante, Alto Douro, Portugal, 1955; Lamego, Beira Alta, Portugal, 1955; Madrid, Spain, 1932; Ariza, Aragon, Spain, 1953; Aquila, the Abruzzi, Italy, 1951; Torcello, Italy, 1953; Zurich, Switzerland, 1953; Ridnik, Serbia, Yugoslavia, 1965; Gyor, Hungary, 1964; Near Linz, Upper Austria, 1953; Tug-boat pilots on the Rhine, Germany, 1952; Warsaw, Poland, 1931; Moscow, USSR, 1954; Fishermen, near Suzdal, USSR, 1972; George VI's Coronation, London, England, 1937; Queen Charlotte's Ball, London, England, 1959; and Break between drawing poses, Paris, France, 1989.

You will also be intrigued by how much of the political content of what is portrayed here has changed since it was photographed. The scenes of celebrating Soviet Communism and its founders are gone. The Berlin Wall is gone. The positive identification with everything royal in England is diminished.

Naturally, there's a less pleasant side of this convergence that M. Cartier-Bresson did not choose to portray -- the dominance of mass culture with world brands and forms of entertainment, often from outside Europe. In fact, some have argued that the gravity pulling Europe together is that people like to have more choices when they shop. Isn't it interesting that this dimension was ignored?

M. Cartier-Bresson has a masterly touch for composition that is seen again and again in these photographs. The large two-page landscapes with small people in them show the kind of sophistication that only the most successful painters achieve in the oversized paintings you see in the Paris museums. M. Cartier-Bresson also shows his love for people by portraying them in attractive, positive ways . . . even when they come from different ends of the religious and political spectrum. How wonderful it must have been for him to see people so positively!

Those who are long-time Cartier-Bresson fans will be disappointed a little in the images here. You are probably used to seeing them reproduced in somewhat larger sizes. The sizes used here work, but bigger in this case would have been better.

After you read this book and enjoy its wonderful images, I suggest that you think about how people can make connections with one another that move from a deep spiritual commitment to helping one another, regardless of the basis for that commitment. Otherwise, all we may find we have in common in the future is that it will look like we all shopped in the same mall.

Stand taller by assisting those who want to receive a willing heart!

I appreciate a good horse as much as the next guy. Looking at horses through Keith's eyes makes me love them. I'm not going to run out and buy tight pants and a helmet because of this book, but you get the idea. The images are well made and seen. Not all of the pictures have the tilt-shift look which has been overdone so that's good. The layout is great. A square book for a square image. Keith's little ditty about Ezekiel's Horse is a warm piece of writing. If you're a Keith Carter fan, buy the book. If you like horses, buy the book. If your interested in photography, buy the book. If your name is Mr. Ed, look for your portrait on page 29, then call your lawyer.

Whoa! No one can begin to describe Keith Carter's style and vision. You have to experience it. It's not just what he sees, it's how he renders it, making it new and timeless too. This is a book you'll want to open often.

i admit i was skeptic when i first heard about this book, and i had no intentions of buying it. i'm not that crazy about horses. but i got a look at an advanced copy, and i saw the the work was just beautiful and i had to have it. be sure to look at orange tree and nude and arabian, which are my two favorite pictures.

Since I was diagnosed with Clinical Depression, I have read every book I could get my hands on. This one was by far one of the best. It has places for you to write down your feelings on the subject being discussed. I read a chapter, answer the questions then put it down. The next day, I reread the chapter, reread the answers, and sometimes add stuff, the next day, I do the 2nd chapter. I suggest you do it this way too, but it is up to you. This book helped me realize that I had a lot of built up anger.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Usually I buy books based on recommendations from others or from Amazon. This book I bought spur-of-the-moment because it was so inexpensive and I was looking for any and all workbooks at the time. I have Bipolar Disorder and, though it does not address mania much, I found this book extremely helpful in picking apart my poor defense mechanisms. It made me realize why I act and react the way I do to certain situations. The questions the book posed really made me think about my depression in ways I had never tried. The only problem I had with the book was the poorly written case stories. As an English major, I just had to accept that the author is a wonderful technical writer but possibly lacks experience in the creative fiction area. However, the quality of the rest of the book was so beneficial that I could overlook these flaws (and it was easy to flip over the short case studies that began each chapter).

This book has been invaluable to me. I have learned at lot of things that I didn't know about myself.

I have been reading stories to Head Start pre-schoolers for four years and children LOVE this book! The sentences are easy for them to repeat and the three dimensional figure that pops out at the end of the book thrills the children every time!

I teach first grade and my students couldn't get enough of this book! It's very short, and just a tiny bit scary...especially in the dark! It's a cute story, one your kids will surely love!

My 5 year old's entire Kindergarten class has wanted to hear this story over and over. The class was so enthralled by this wonderfully spooky little story with a big surprize at the end, that the teacher used the storyline as a Halloween craft project. The story is very quick to read, and so easy that a pre-schooler can have it memorized in no time. Your little ones will be thrilled when they can "read" it to you complete with the "scary" ending.
Perfect for 3 to 6 year olds.

This heavily packed artbook of John Singer Sargent's work is worth buying for any American impressionist fans. Every page is full of excellent descriptions and backgrounds of his work and life. Not to forget the colourful pages of Sargent's painting and drawings. However, if you want a complete book or at least a heavy packed bible about Sargent and his works, well, this book wouldn't satisfy you much. This is a book more of an introductory and coffeetable book for the regular art audience.

Most likely the best book about Sargent published to date. The colours are brilliant. The text well constructed. The visual detail is quite thorough. If one's to purchase only one book about Sargent this is the one.

It's nice to find a book on the subject of painting wherein the writing is almost as good as the painting described. Carter Ratcliff has a fluid, no-nonsense style that helps the reader to understand J.S. Sargent and his milieu.

This book provides and easy to read, simple to grasp method of scoring a baseball game that virtually anyone can master. My only criticism is that the book fails to emphasize that there is NO single "right" way of scoring. So long as you can retrieve all of the significant details of a particular game from the scorecard, then any method is correct. In any event, I highly recommend this book to beginners and intermediate scorers alike.

This book did what it claimed it would do. What else could you expect. I wanted to learn to keep score and that's what it showed me how to do. As a novice (Little League) score keeper I was glad that there really is a written system to help those of us who don't have a baseball background. My son found the section on compling statistics very readable and he now keeps up with all the players on his team. I suppose my only complaint is that this book wasn't readily available in bookstores. At least Amazon managed to track it down and ship it quickly.

I have always been interested in (properly) scoring a game, but have been unable to find a system that was easy to remember and useful to refresh my memories after watching a game. Carter and Lee have done a masterful job of explaining and demonstrating their scoring method in this book. I recommend it for anyone looking for a scoring system that is easy to use, from beginner to expert scorers.

The book gives a nice overview of black geneology but it's not the only book you'll need. It's an introduction to the subject. Unless your family kept marvelous records in the old family bible this book won't get you too far.

I couldn't put this book down. It provides tips for both the novice and the experienced researcher. It was just the information I needed to begin my family history search and I'm sure I will use it often.

This book will get you far whether your family kept excellent family records or NOT. It discusses and addresses the difficulties most African Americans face in tracing their family history. It provides many tips and resources for obtaining family information.

A good portion of what Hawaii for Free covers is also covered in many of the better Hawaii guidebooks, like my favorite: the Unofficial Guide to Hawaii. The real question is whether the added tips, like the time and place for free Celtic Pipes and Drums practice is worth the book's price. I thought no.

You know, there are people who Want to know where they can find free Celtic Pipes & drums practice opportunities. . . .

This book is a must for all tourists going to Hawaii. It has everything from concerts, to factory tours, best beaches, parks, art gallerys, gardens, lessons, sports,historical sites ,annual events and more. All for no admission. Also phone numbers to call for more information.

I was a caregiver for a few years for my father and wish I had had a book like this then. If only I had known about all the resources out there that could have helped us! It also would surely have helped to know there were many others out there facing the same situation we were - the comments from caregivers in Georgia mirrored what I felt here in Pittsburgh. Caregiving is the same everywhere - we all have to cope with the same thing. For anyone who is or may ever be a caregiver, this book is a nice and simple read.

Mrs. Carter begins her book with the following statement: "There are only four kinds of people in this world: Those who have been caregivers * Those who currently are caregivers * Those who will be caregivers * Those who will need caregivers". The definition of who a caregiver is, that follows that statement, is one of the most succinct descriptions I have read. This is a book everyone facing the prospect of long term care with a loved one must read and possess. She talks about caregiving as a time honored tradition, that although inherent with great stress and isolation, nevertheless holds the possibility of satisfac-tion if positive attitudes are nurtured and support services and help are attained. No one can do it alone. She provides a list of places to start for information and planning when long term care becomes a challenge in your life. I highly recommend this reading.

My five star rating for this book is because when it was published - and when I first read it - it was uptodate and a leader for resources. Very few books were written to give those who care for loved ones places to find answers. Most available books concentrated on specific conditions and the patients. Also at the time, the web didn't have the helpful, informative sites of today. Personally, I would love to see Mrs. Carter update the book to include the email adresses and web sites for the sources listed.

My mother had been having a series of TIA's when I found this book. Several months later she had a full fledged stroke. I was her main caregiver until she required full time skilled care outside the home. When she was hospitalized and then in a nursing home setting, I continued to be her medical surrogate. As such, I found this book not only a wealth of information, but also a great inspiration. Much of the encouragement and advice given, falls in line with the Hospice literature I received in the final month of my mother's life. It is important for caregivers to understand there are places to receive help to let them care for themselves besides the patient. It can all be so overwhelming to try to do it all and so unnecessary to be alone. Beyond that, the book helps to educate to be able to ask questions about medical, social, emotional, and economic issues to insure the best quality care.

This volume is filled with love and respect and I cannot recommend it enough. I even donated a copy to our local library.

I've read several Angela Carter novels--all of them great, but "Heroes and Villains" disappointed. After the glorious reading offered by "The Magic Toyshop" and "Several Perceptions," I had high expectations for "Heroes and Villains" which it sadly did not meet. A decent novel altogether but it lacks Carter's magical prose and she fails to create a convincing post-apocalyptic world. Furthermore, Marianne and Jewel are not very interesting characters. It is an ambitious story clearly influenced by the guru movement of the 1960's, and although its message is still pertinent, the novel itself feels more like an artifact of the flower power generation. Instead, I would recommend "The Magic Toyshop," "Several Perceptions," "Nights at the Circus" and "The Bloody Chamber" for anyone deeply interested in Angela Carter.

beautiful, haunting, thought provoking..

An astonishing little book describing the throes of a woman caught up in a hopeless post-apocalyptic world. Beautifully written, in a dark, haunting, extistential style.