This is a great mix of old photos, new photos, and history. It makes a great companion piece to the more popular "Colorado 1870 - 2000" and in some ways it is superior to that book. For one thing, "Colorado Yesterday and Today" costs half as much as the Jackson/Fielder book. Also, Collier takes the time to talk about each and every place that is featured in his collection of photographs, something which is sorely missing in the other book.

Collier's re-shoots are right on the money, and when they are not, he tells us (access issues pop up from time to time). The connection to his great-great-grandfather is touching. Most importantly, this is a book that you can read and enjoy. It is not a ponderous 'picture book' that won't fit in your bookcase.

Although most people who live in Colorado have a vague idea of how much the state has changed in the past century, to see it shown so starkly in beautiful photographs like this is fascinating. Grant Collier has created an amazing testimonial to the march of history and the turbulent growth of the Centennial State. Collier's love of his subject is obvious on every page and the reader can't help but be drawn into a story, not only of Colorado, but of Collier's search to understand his stoic great-grandfather, the famous pioneer photographer Joseph Collier. Buy it!

Colorado: Yesterday & Today is a truly compelling look at Colorado through the eyes of one of our state's pioneer photographers and his great-great-grandson, Grant Collier. Everything about this book is first-rate, from the then-and-now photos and the text to the very impressive leather cover. I highly recommend this book to anyone who lives in, or enjoys visiting, Colorado.

I was blown away upon finally viewing and reading my copy of Dragonhenge. I had seen slides of some of the art, along with portions of the text as it was in final creative stages. But now, all together at last, it is a seemless and timeless masterpiece. Bob's glowing and stunning images flow beautifully within and around John's mesmerizing text, creating a visual and verbal feast for the imagination. This lovely book whispers the reality of the wisdom of the ancients, the dragon-like mythological beings who existed before the beginning of time itself. You must get a copy of this book.... no get several copies to share with everyone. It will become a classic!! Jael

Dragonhenge is a mesmerizing collaboration between Author John Grant and Artist Bob Eggleton. Both of these creators are well known for their many other ventures. John Grant/aka Paul Barnett, is a Chesley award winning art director, Editor, as well as being a brilliant and prolific Author. John Grant also wrote the lovely text for my book _Perceptualistics_. Then there's our Bob who's earned so many Hugo and Chesley Awards with his astonishing art through these many years.

Dragonhenge, however, is something starkly unique, a seamless blending of text and art, softly framing lyrical mythological tales, passed down for thousands of years by ' the master story tellers', "Dragons".... many of them having been created well before time itself. You must pick up a book. Be sure to read it under soft lights, where multi-layered shadows will reflect the glowing imagery, and where the words will leap off the page and enter your soul. It's a wonderful wonderful book. Jael

This is an extraordinary book; a book that takes a concept and builds legends around it. In reading it, you feel as though you have stumbled on a long-lost trove of lore from a vanished race.

The book is presented as a series of legends about a race of dragons, from their "how we came to be" origins tale through mythic explainations of where their powers came from and how their society developed. Eggleton's illustrations are beautiful, running from very tightly-sculpted depictions to much looser work that evokes a sense of time and space while presenting only form and color for the eyes.

This is a book that is sure to end up on all the dragon lovers' "wish list."

I rate this book a close second to The Ashley Book Of Knots,as a must-have for serious knot enthusiasts. Less pleasing artistic- ly, this book nevertheless delivers instructions for construct-ing truly beautiful and functional things. From rings, to brace- lets,to hatbands to belts--they're here. Need a quirt, a whip, a lariat,a horses headstall--they're here. How about a pair of "galooses?"--they're here. For me, the woven buttons are the most fascinating of all. Intri- cate and beautifully symmetrical, these knots are easy to make by following the ingenious method that Mr. Grant explains. (I copy the pattern, match and tape the ends to produce a cylinder, then I slide the cylinder over a rolled piece of cardboard or lino- leum and pin the bites with carpet tacks.) If you like this book, and I know you will, you might want to get Mr. Grant's two other books on the subject: Leather Braiding and How To Make Cowboy Horse Gear. Enjoy. Happy birthday.

During a one year stay I had the good fortune to stumble across a second hand bookstore where the library of Bruce Grant was for sale. Among the joys for a knot friend where the Ashley book of knots, the Encyclopedia of Knots and fancy ropework, Whips and Whipmaking, and more notably Leather Braiding and The Encyclopedia of Rawhide and Leather Braiding, both by Bruce Grant. To get your first impression of the subject by the authors own copies of the books is of course a trip in itself, but as the delicious shock subsided, the books continued to shine on their own. Using drawings, rather than photographs, is a superior way to guide the reader through apprenticeship of the art. This book serves the important purpose of preserving an old craft, and it does it well; the text is clear, and the development from the simple to the more complex eases the reader over all obstacles. This is the Ashley of leather braiding.

Bruce Grant shared his genius with the world by writing the "Encyclopedia of Rawhide and Leather Braiding. This book has text and illustration, for how the knots and plaits are constructed. Patterns also included for items that may have been lost forever if he never wrote them down.

Sevie and Jessie have got a case! But it's half-way across the contry in sowy Winnipeg. The case is: Who really stole some valuble meat-eating plants? They've got a handfull of suspects, but which one did it but their prime suspect is Jessie's sixteen-year-old uncle! Could someone in the family really have done it? Watch out! Stevie and Jessie are hot on the trail!

I recently went to writer's camp. Every day an author came. One of the authors was Linda Bailey. She talked about her books. I read "How come the best clues are always in the garbage?"and it was absolutely incredible. Who can write about dumpsters, robberies, mail slots, chicken body parts and make it funny? Linda Bailey can?

it was great! i liked the book a lot! it has some nice parts and funny parts. i read all the books, i think and they are allgreat. i recomend this book to readers of all ages.

There's a serious crime happening but Stivie and Jessie have to babysit! What are they going to do? They've got alot of suspects but they manage to narrow it down and the little kid they have to babysit ends up being a help! His trailor and hose end up being torn apart by somebody on known. Try to figure out the mystery by reading this book!

i love the stevie diamond mysteries!! they're all such great mysterie novels..!! and with stevie's sense of humor, it'll keep you laughing all the way through..! if you're looking for a good mystery and some laughter, than this is certainly the book for you!

great book realy funny and enjoyable to snuggle up and laugh with. it may be easy to read but i could not put it down!!

from a fellow reader: meredith chenser *_*

I'm an aspiring promoter and I found this book simply outstanding. This book gave me a vivid picture on how to put on a fund raising event. It was very easy to read and gives valuable information for organizations to build a fund raising concert. I really don't like to read and I found Mr Hollan's personal experiences very interesting. I was further intrigue by the planning and professionalism outline in each chapter. For anyone wishing to put on a fundraising concert, I highly recommend this book. Thanks Mr. Hollan for writing such a great book!

I love cher's concert book becouse i love her and i love her concerts.cher is a GREAT person to be a singer,a acter,and to make her own books. Cher was so luck do be married to Sonny.

The author dispenses a complete and concise guide that can be used by any organization in planning the benefit concert. The arrangement of chapters allows the committee to walk through the process knowing full well what is involved. Hollan's sense of humor is evident throughout the book and it is apparent that he has an uncanny ability to attend to detail without losing sight of the goal. Much of the book can be used by individuals or organizations in planning events other than concerts; his tips for dealing with sponsors and the media are very helpful. A great resource for any event planner!

I took a break from Davies fiction this month to read this collection of non-fiction, culled from over thirty years of essays, and grouped into three broad categories: Characters, Books, and Robertson Davies. I say broad because Davies was not thinking of these categories as he wrote these essays. Instead, these were written to fill his column at the Peterborough Examiner ("A Writer's Diary") or book reviews for various American publications such as Harper's, The Washington Post, or The Atlantic Monthly. Characters, however, tends to be about "lives"--either the lives of authors (including Wodehouse and Freud), literary creations (mehitabel), or theater figures (Emma Calve and Melli Nelba). Okay, I'll admit it--I didn't know who Calve and Nelba were either, but that's because I'm a book person, not a theater person. Even so, some of the authors and books covered here do stretch even my prodigious reading (not to mention my memory), partly due to the age of some of these essays (some as early as 1942) and partly due to Davies quite eclectic interests. That's why I like him, however. Eclecticism is the mark of someone not afraid of change.

The Books section is just as varied, covering Graves' King Jesus and Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles. What was interesting for me is his comment on the Mervyn Peake's fantasy classic, The Gormenghast Trilogy, which I have tried to read several times and never found it to catch my interest. I must have another go at it sometime in the near future. In this section of book reviews, it is interesting to note the progression (the articles are arranged in chronological order) of how the writer views the writing of his forebears and his peers, especially in the light of the wonderful writer Davies himself was becoming. The essay that hits closest to home is his essay on Joyce Cary's novels and their inventive method of retelling tales using the same characters, which Davies was to modify for his three trilogies.

Finally, the section entitled Robertson Davies gives you a personal glimpse into the writer at work, as well as the curmudgeon at play. The essay entitled "A Chat with a Great Reader" alone is worth the price of the book. In it, Davies recalls a conversation with a fellow at a party who claims to be a "Great Reader" and is delighted to meet Davies, a "Critic." The distinctions are quite telling, and an indictment on those who play at the game of knowledge and entertainment. While not everything here is as funny or insightful, these two to five page essays are the perfect compliment to your bedstand or reading chair, as bon bons to your main meal of words.

Robertson Davies lives up to his reputation as Canada's distinguished man of letters of the twentieth century. In addition to establishing his abilities as a novelist and a playwright, he reveals in the showcased selections in "The Enthusiasms of Robertson Davies" how talented and perceptive a reviewer he was, covering a wide variety of writers and books.

Davies' superb economy of expression shines as the reader is treated to pristine vignettes about Thomas Mann, Vladimir Nabokov, James Agate, P.G. Woodehouse, Somerset Maugham, D.H. Lawrence and many others. His wit sparkles and he effectively and succinctly pinpoints the elements which made these writers succeed.

For the reader who has yet to read any Robertson Davies, this book is a great place to start. It is informative, easy reading that will frequently make you laugh. I recommend it highly.

Very useful for organizations working with an interactive agency to imporve their efforts on the web...

A fantastic collection of resources! Warwick, Hart, and Allen brought together an amazing array of experts to assemble a practical, hands-on book full of interesting case examples. As an application service provider working almost exclusively with non-profits, we found the book particularly useful as a source book for guidelines and best practices. Our clients who have read the book were enthusiastic about everything from the specific strategies to the fundraising tips.

This is an all-encompassing, basic guide that makes fundraising on the Internet accessible to the most inexperienced nonprofits but gives insightful advice to veterans. I wholeheartedly recommend the book and plan to make this required reading for our customers and employees.

If the events of Sept. 11th proved anything it is that fundraising via the Internet has come of age. Witness the incredible success of online fundraising by many of the nation's top relief agencies. Now, nonprofits across America are saying not if they will adopt on an online fundraising presence but how fast they can tap into this new technology in ways that meet an agency's needs but stay within their budget constraints. Fundraising on the Internet, 2nd Edition, could not have come out at a more opportune time. As the editor of a weekly on-line email newsletter directed at nonprofits throughout Arizona and the Southwest I was particularly impressed with the chapters on recruiting and renewing donors online. I can always stand to learn more about effective recruiting and promotion techniques to build an even bigger sense of community between our donors who, as the book carefully explains, are much more likely to open an email or click on a website before calling us or responding to a survey they receive in the mail. At almost 300 pages this book is a bargain. The authors do not shy away from providing any number of resources that can help a nonprofit create an Internet presence or expand upon whatever success they have already achieved with their online constituents. The book also includes 4 case studies and a number of resources including such important topics as ethical online fundraising standards and practices and how to use the Internet to both promote and manage donor advised funds. I heartily recommend this book. The authors have spent considerable time and energy to provide a definitive text on this most important subject.

Bruce Catton is arguably the greatest Grant biographer and is largely responsible for changing the negative views about Grant in the 1950's and 60's. Catton wrote several books about USG and this is the third and final part of a grand Grant trilogy begun in 1949 by Lloyd Lewis with "Captain Sam Grant."

Bruce Catton thoroughly understand Ulysses Grant and became his vociferous proponent. He correctly grasped that Grant was the preeminent strategist of the civil war and was also the war's greatest, most innovative and most determined general. Those who errantly believe Grant won with brute force or superior numbers need to read this book. Others who espouse the line that Robert E. Lee was the real genius of the war also need to consult this volume. At its conclusion, you will change your mind and realize that Grant was not only a magnificent soldier, he was also a highly intelligent, humorous and marvelously humane man. He has been unfairly maligned and Catton sets the record straight.

Catton writes with perception about Grant as a father and devoted husband, but the thrust of the book is painting an incise portrait of Grant in the pivotal period 1861-1863 when his greatness was forged. This is a "must have" book for anyone interested in U.S. Grant or the American civil war. There are few, if any, factual errors and the narrative flows smoothly from beginning to end. Highly recommended.

As a avid reader of Civil War material, I have found that a number of people have emerged as immortal from this conflict. Lincoln clearly emerged as a the most tragic figure in American history. Lee has been immortalized by reasons that have been made obvious to the point where I don't need to elaborate. But Grant has always been downgraded in the conflict as a man who just put it together long enough to finish off a job that could have been done years ago. He is considered a beneficiary of overwhelming resources and military advantage - a person who simply didn't screw it up the way the previous Union commanders did: the Barry Switzer of the Civil War. This misconception comes about because of his failed presidency, his simple way of speaking and writing (thus producing nothing of note or of anything possessing generally accepted grace or eloquence), and his historical portrayal as a drunk. This period study of the man goes a long way in debunking that perception, and sheds light on his Western career, a history that escapes most deriders. The book flows well with an engaging narrative that easily moves from event to event, battle to battle. It portrays Grant as a determined and smart man who recognized the failures of his predecessors and the weaknesses of the Confederacy forces, and sought to take advantage. It doesn't gloss over his own failures and weaknesses - it chronicles his miscalculations in the Wilderness, Cold Harbor and other costly Union advances as well as his reluctance to confront his subordinates, leading to occasional sloppy troop management. However it paints them in a light that neither praises or criticizes but allows the reader to understand the circumstances and make his or her own conclusion. Grant's early failures in the east show that defeating the Army of Northern Virginia took more than flinging Union troops at Confederate lines, and Union disasters in battles such as Fredericksburg show that he wasn't the first Union commander to try that strategy. The evolution of his strategy outlined in the book, along with the realities of the shortcomings of his own Army of the Potomac goes a long way in debunking the myth that Grant simply outlasted Lee, and deserves little military credit for doing what couldn't be done in four years prior. A great read that portrays Grant in a better light simply by telling the whole story.

Bruce Catton's Grant Takes Command is a wonderful look into the role U.S.G. played in reversing the fortunes of the Union. Operating quite independently in the West, Grant's career was not always in ascendency, but his tenacity in the seige and capture of Vicksburg certainly earned him an opportunity to command at a higher level (though this was not necessarily what he had in mind). That meant a transfer east to the politically charged world of wartime Washington, as well as a 3rd star, placing Grant in the position of General-in-Chief of the Union Armies. How he mastered the assignment that so overwhelmed those who came before him is beautifully retold in this book. In the end, there can be no doubt that the humble General Grant was a man of remarkable political and military judgment, without whom it is almost certain the Confederacy would have prevailed.

I've been a grantmaker for approximately five years now. During the course of my on-the-job training, I've heard certain maxims over and over again until they've become ingrained in my mind and in my responses to applicants for grant funds -- now, after reading this book, I actually understand the philosophies behind them.

Every grantseeker who bemoans the fact that foundations don't want to fund ongoing operating expenses should read this book simply for the explanation of the difference between charity and philanthropy and where foundations fit in.

Likewise, the tips on meeting etiquette, attributes of a good grant proposal, and top four reasons proposals are denied will benefit professionals on both sides of the proposal.

Had the opportunity to see the author speak -- if you get the same opportunity, don't pass it by.

Dr. Joel Orosz continues his tireless efforts on behalf of philanthropy and those interested in philanthropy in his current book.

The Insider's Guide to Grantmaking is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in seeking funds from a foundation, or anyone interested in a career in a foundation. His years of experience give both experienced and inexperienced readers a window into a sometimes-shadowy world. Orosz lets the light shine in a way that is understandable and justifiable.

This long over due body of work is a must have for everyone in the third sector and especially should be required reading for those working in and leading foundations.

It's an art, it's a science, and it doesn't need to be a mystery -- since there's no academic training for a career in philanthropy (it's harder than you think!) Insider Orosz bridges the gap with this warm and rewarding User's Guide.

Outsiders will read it for its clear-cut description of philanthropy worklife and practice; insiders will find themselves affirmed or inspired. Both will enjoy the author's mix of humor and scholarship. Sure to be a classic in its field.