The subject itself is so exciting that you must be really bad writers and photographers to miss the point. "Italian style" authors are both very creative persons. Read "a new look at country style" from photograph Simon Upton. You might be shocked by the green carpet on the floor of a very simple white classical house. These guys play with colors, concepts, modes. They drive us to new approaches. Buy this book or ask somebody to offer it to you.

This is a monumental achievement. It is grounded in classic, historical, orthodox Christian theology, but with a perspective that uncovers layers of cultural bias to reveal the unvarnished Biblical truth underneath.

There is an impressive list of international contributors from a variety of denominational perspectives. In addition to the excellent commentary, there are 77 supplemental articles that enhance understanding of Biblical concepts, people, and culture. The supplemental articles alone would be worth the price, but the IVP Women's Bible Commentary is a complete, scholarly Bible commentary. It is incredible that a resource this valuable is available for such an affordable price.

The IVP Women's Bible Commentary is the by far the best women's Bible commentary that has been published. I spent a great deal of time comparing the IVP Women's Bible Commentary to other women's commentaries, and the IVP Women's Bible Commentary more fully illuminates the true liberating message of the gospel. The IVP Women's Bible Commentary contains an abundance of research, including analysis of the original languages, historical context, and references to all related Biblical passages. This is exactly the sort of in-depth study required by people who take the Bible seriously as the authoritative Word of God.

While this might not adequately serve as a primary Bible commentary, it should be THE required supplementary commentary for all Christians, men and women, who desire to know and understand Holy Scripture.

A fine informative and historical account of a quality small furniture builder in upstate NY. They were making Arts and Crafts (the first true American design) furniture long after Stickley stopped. A must for any fan of craftsmanship

For a long time, Tolkien scholarship has had an uneven character. This isn't the time or place to explain why or give examples, but the appearance of this book, along with the recently published _Tolkien's Legendarium_, suggests that things may be changing and for the better. This collection of a dozen essays, all written by top-notch Tolkien scholars, possesses the highest degree of intellectual rigor and operates within a genuinely scholarly framework of interpretation. (You won't find any fan fluff here!)

The essays may be loosely divided into three main sections. The first comprises essays on the poetics and sources of Tolkien's fiction. The standouts here are Sullivan's "Tolkien the Bard", which suggests and that Tolkien's style may be best understood as an application of oral poetry and orally told story to written medium, and "The Dragon-Lore of Middle-Earth", which takes a close look at what Tolkien took from medieval (and specifically Norse) dragon stories and how he specifically adapted the material to his own purpose. The articles on Tolkien's verse and on his use of _Sir Gawain and the Green Knight_is also quite insightful.

The second section tends to be 'comparative' and places Tolkien and his work in juxtaposition with other authors. The most intriguing article here is one that compares Tolkien's "On Fairy Stories" with the Sir Philip Sydney's "In Defence of Poetry". What is so exciting about this is not so much the comparison of Tolkien's 'story theory' with that of Sydney, but the analysis of how, for Tolkien, creative writing-- and indeed the very act of subcreation itself-- is gendered masculine. Other articles touch on Tolkie and Lewis, _The Hobbit_ and _King Solomons Mines_, and Tolkien and Milton.

The third and final section is a more eclectic hodgepodge of articles on different subjects, ranging from Tolkien's legacy (and in particular, the ways in which female fantasy-writers have adopted, adapted, and responded to the overwhelming and masculine "shadow of the Ring"), to the elegeic quality of Tolkien's fiction and its concernw ith loss, to the nature of evil, to Tolkien's literary treatment of trees. Of all of these, the last, written by Verlyn Flieger is the most illuminating and advances the most excitin argument. Flieger carefully notes that the representation of trees and forests in _Lord of the Rings_ is *not* so universally favorable and sympathetic. By juxtaposing the Old Forest (and Old Man Willow) with Fangorn Forest (and the Ents), Flieger shows that this issue is more complex, ambiguous, and filled with internal tensions than has generally been assumed. It is, perhaps, the most important essay in this collection-- and may represent Flieger's finest work yet as a Tolkien scholar.

This is an academic book, published by a smaller press, so it's got a hefty pricetag on it-- but it's an outstanding collection of new Tolkien scholarship and I unqualifiedly recommend it to any serious Tolkien scholars. Those with an aversion to scholarly inquiry (a la _Tolkien's Legendarium_) and who prefer more fannish modes of discourse(e. g._Visualizing Middle-Earth_), however, might want to give this a pass.

My daughter LOVES (LLLLOOOOOVVVEEESSS) this book! She has other Baby Einstein books but this one is her favorite - as soon as we finish with it she will want to read it again (and again and again). She is 16 months old and already hisses at the snake, roars at the tiger and lion, growls at the bear, and hoots at the owl. Two days ago she floored me when she pointed to the tiger and said "tiger." The great thing about this book is that it has animals from many habitats (jungle, savanah, artic, forest, ocean, desert) and tells you a little about each habitat. The story is cute - Jane is looking for an elephant and travels all over the world trying to find it - and entertaining for children. My daughter listens to the story and loves lifting the flaps to uncover the animals. She has ripped two of the flaps off (the book has for ages 18 and up) but I do not regret giving it to her at a younger age. Her love for this book has grown her love for animals. A definite "must buy."

Often books about Japanese culture speak as much about the cultural biases and beliefs out of which they were written than about the Japanese themselves. There aren't many I'd recommend - Ruth Benedict is still useful, as is Suzuki and Oiwa's THE JAPAN WE NEVER KNEW. Few of the books dealing with cultural difference that I looked at prior to coming to live in Japan were as well-written as this one, however -- JAPAN: A VIEW FROM THE BATH --and few chose as interesting a perspective from which to view Japanese culture and customs -- by focussing on bathing in history and in present times. Customs surrounding bathing here are very different from those in the west; public bathing is still popular, and families will often share water within a single household -- sequentially bathing in the same tub, with the senior members going first. It is considered proper even when bathing alone, however, to wash oneself BEFORE getting into the tub, so that one doesn't end up soaking in dirty water; to serve this end, there is a grate in the floor of every bathroom in Japan, so that one can simply stand outside the tub and splash oneself. Most houses also separate the "bathroom" from the "toilet" and Japanese find it strange and not particularly appealing when they discover that toilets and tubs are usually in the same room in the west (at the very least, they find this inconvienient; what if someone has to use the toilet while another person is bathing? -- a problem that seldom comes up here, though smaller, western-style apartments often now have western bathrooms, too -- though they still have the floor-grate). The points of difference between east and west are sufficient and significant enough that the choice of focus makes perfect sense. Clark writes clearly and intelligently and has done his homework. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in Japan, and certainly for anyone coming to live here (where you will no doubt be eventually asked either to bathe communally or share water, if you stick around long enough).

This book take a tradional Pattern , folding the material as you do with paper and then quilt it as you go. Thus making a difficult pattern easy. This can be done anywhere, A take along project.

Graham Gauld was a personal friend of Jim Clark, who was probably the second best race-car driver of all-time (only Mario Andretti was better in my opinion). Jim Clark won the 1965 Indianapolis 500 and the 1963 and 1965 Formula 1 World Championships while driving for Colin Chapman and the Lotus team. Jim is also the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 with a rear-engine race car. I have three of Graham Gauld's book including "Jim Clark: The Legend Lives On", "Jim Clark Remembered" and Jim Clark: Portrait of a Great Driver". All three books rate as 5-star books in my opinion. If you like the glory days of the Indianapolis 500 or the Formula 1 World Championship, you will love these 3 books. My oldest son is named after Jim Clark.

Jim Clark was first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 with a rear-engine race car, which he did in 1965. In 1963 and 1965, he won the Formula 1 World Driving Championship. Eric Dymock's book helps keep Jim Clark a legend. This is an excellent book on one of the greatest race car drivers of the 1960s. The spirit of Jim lives in this book.

Graham Gauld was a personal friend of Jim Clark, who was probably the second best race-car driver of all-time (only Mario Andretti was better in my opinion). Jim Clark won the 1965 Indianapolis 500 and the 1963 and 1965 Formula 1 World Championships while driving for Colin Chapman and the Lotus team. Jim is also the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 with a rear-engine race car. I have three of Graham Gauld's book including "Jim Clark: The Legend Lives On", "Jim Clark Remembered" and Jim Clark: Portrait of a Great Driver". All three books rate as 5-star books in my opinion. If you like the glory days of the Indianapolis 500 or the Formula 1 World Championship, you will love these 3 books. My oldest son is named after Jim Clark.