What a timely book!! Too bad that Cuba is no longer on the UN Security Council--its revolutionaries are badly needed to tell the truth, as they did thirteen years ago when the US was poised to attack Iraq in the Gulf War. As the documents in this book show, they were the only ones who had the guts to take on the US in the United Nations--not from a fake antiwar stance as the governments of France and Germany do today--but from the standpoint of international working-class solidarity. This books shows why the US is once again beating the war drums and it also shows why the US government can't stand Cuba. Viva Cuba! Bring the troops home NOW!

An excellent background to the current U.S. plans to attack and occupy Iraq. Drawn from the debate in the United Nations Security Council in 1990, this book highlights the revolutionary role of Cuba, which was then a member of the Security Council.

Cuban Representative Ricardo Alarcón asked, "Is it really the need to promote respect for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of states that motivates the United States? Or is it the ambition of the United States to intervene and dominate the Middle East?"

This book, which includes speeches by Fidel Castro as well as Alarcón, will help clarify the real aims of the imperialists' first war against Iraq, as well as the second one.

With US Imperialism preparing a war in the Middle East that will dwarf the Gulf War discussed here, this book is needed just as much as it was needed during the Gulf War. The leaders of the Cuban revolution in the UN and beyond pointed out then, and point out today that the real objectives of imperialism in this war are nothing less than a colonial conquest of the one of the richest oil countries on Earth. Listen to these voices, not the lies of Emron-paid-for-my-campaign Bush when you consider what the coming war is all about. Listen to these voices and understand that no matter how bad the regime in Iraq is, the struggle of the Iraqi people is part of the struggle of all the peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America to throw off the economic and political domination of the imperialist countries of Europe, North America, and Japan. Read these words and join the struggle against imperialist war and for the self-determination of the oppressed of the Earth!

A brief note to say how thoroughly entertaining this book truly is. Its a honour to be able to read the quotes of Soke Hatsumi on many wide topics, ranging from training through to life and the budo spirit. Sadly, I doubt I will ever get a chance to train with the great man, but I believe this is as close as it gets. Do not hesitate to buy this if you are a true student, however, if you are looking for glossy photos and a flashy easy read, look elsewhere.

As the above review says, this isn't a conventional book, but a collection of quotes from Masaaki Hatsumi, Grandmaster of Bujinkan Taijutsu. If you are a casual reader it will be hard to place many of these quote in context, or even understand the terms that are used.

However, if you study the martial arts this book is a wonderful companion. It's hard to describe why I enjoy this book, but I have found it to be an invaluble reference tool in training. If you don't train in a Japanese art some of the japanese phrase may throw you, but most of the book should still be understandable.

I highly recommend any martial artist to pick this book up and enjoy it. The wisdom contained on these pages will keep you content for many years.

This is not so much a conventional book but more a collection of thoughts, quotes and ideas put forward by Hatsumi over the more recent years. This book is a must have, as Hatsumi feels that only now he understands what Takamatsu taught him.

It is part practical information on taijutsu and a large part philosophy. You will take from this book that what is right for you. If you are at all interested in matters beyond pure technique then this will amount to far more words than are actually in the book! Ideas that are put forward are optimistic, universal and reflect the true nature of people.

It also reminds me of what a funny guy he is, even though he has all these terribly earnest people coming to see him from all round the world who hang on his every breathe (me included). You have to have a sense of humour, its what makes us human and indeed its what makes good Budo. Hatsumi has never fogotten to laugh or play.

For anyone who has trained in Japan at the Hombu dojo this book will have great resonance. I can best explain it by saying that it's like the faint echo's of Hatsumi's words are suddenly made clear and sharp again. Words where you missed there significance at the time become re-evaluated as Hatsumi speaks to you again from the pages of this book. This is why I say its like a pocket Hatsumi. Strange concept yes, but oh so true...

This is the amazing story of how Brother Teklemariam came to know God and of the mighty revival that is sweeping Ethiopia even as I type this. The stories may seem unbelievable, but they are true nonetheless. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.

I met Brother Teklemariam over two years ago and spoke and prayed with him and his wife. He is a humble man very much in love with God and very much in tune with the Spirit of God.

If you enjoy Unseen Hands (only a corpse couldn't) I highly recommend you read the sequel Then Came the Glory. Just as awesome and power-packed and inspirational as Unseen Hands.

This book puts a supernatural hunger in your soul ! The events in this book are remarkable. One mans journey, not only to become a mouth peace for God, but how he leads thousands to the One God, Acts 2:38 message. This is how the revival in Ethiopia was started.

This book was strongly recommended by a friend a few years ago. Since that time I have read it many times, and I have given it as a gift often. The story reads like the book of Acts in its miracles, signs, and wonders. I will never forget the first time I read it, lying in bed sick, I shook as the power of God filled the room where I was. The story has in many ways changed my life as I realized that Jesus is still very much the same today as he was in the Bible, also the "strong", "deep", "fervent", prayer life of Bro. and Sis. Tekle challenged me to go far beyond where I was in my walk with the Lord. Only one other book has done as much for me as "Unseen Hands" that of course was the Word of God. I can't recommend this book enough!

Vincent van Gogh is one of the truly influential painters of his day and painted art revealing complex spirituality and intense emotion that continue to impress art students, connoisseurs, and artists today. He was able to imbue his work with his own psychological presence as is especially evidenced in his many self-portraits. In Van Gogh, art historian and Post-Impressionist expert Belinda Thompson has assembled his paintings and works drawn from the archives and collections of the Art Institute Of Chicago including such famous works as an 1887 Self-Portrait, The Bedroom, and Madame Roulin Rocking the Cradle. Thirty of the images are reproduced in full color, together with another twenty-two duotone comparative illustrations. Van Gogh is further enhanced for the reader with an informative account tracing the great artist's development as a painter in Holland, England, and France in a career that was to last less than a decade. Van Gogh is a very highly recommended addition to any personal, academic, or community library Post-Impressionist art history reference collection in general, and to Vincent van Gogh enthusiasts in particular.

These stickers are approx. 1 3/4" x 2 3/4" and include the title of the painting and artist name.They are clear, good quality despite being sticker size. There are many applications for these including stationary, envelopes, etc. or make great stocking stuffers.

Beautiful and affordable. They make wonderful additions to letters for friends, and my young son likes to make his own stationery with them. We also contributed some art stickers by Matisse and Degas to his classroom for a celebration of spring.

This is a great reference book - entertaining to read and tons of valuable information. You will never get this information at a hardware store, from a friendly plumber or another do-it-yourselfer. The breadth of information on water heaters and their operation and installation is amazing. I enjoyed the writing/layout style which is akin to that found in the old reference book, "Idiots Guide to Volkswagen Repair"

This is an awesome book very helpfu

After stumbling across the subject of water heaters in another book (that author had read Larry and Susan's book), I decided to go to the source, "The Water Heater Workbook".

It seems that there is a great deal of ignorance out there by both homeowners and plumbers on residential water heaters. Maybe its just that the plumbers would rather get the $$ to replace your water heater than make sure you know how to make it last for decades.

This book fills that knowledge gap quite well. It should come included with every home purchase!

Our 4 year old son started asking why we have rain, snow, cloudy and sunny weather. As an active sailor, I am constatnly confronted with the forces of nature and I explain a lot of the mysteries of weather to many adults. I tried to unveil the magic of weather to my son but he did not quite comprehend what I was talking about. After recieving this book he took great interest in looking at the pictures and playing with the transparencies on each page to better understand the environment around him. The author has created a small, informative and entertaining book with illistrations that allow children to remember through pictures. This is a great book for young children and adults to read together.

I found this book while looking for books to use in my seasons unit. I automaticaly fell in love with it. The author does a wonderful job using plastic paper images to represent the changes that occur throughout the seasons. This helps children visualize everything from spring showers and thunderstorms, to rainbows, to the freezing of a pond in the winter. I used this book in my kindergarten class, and they were fascinated by the illustrations that went along with the literature.

The book Weather in the 'First Discovery Book Series' provides a fun introduction to weather that is suitable for children of a wide range of ages. It is an clever concept to use transparent flaps to demonstrate how weather can change the feel of a scene. Although my son is only two, he loves to flip the clear plastic leaves and watch the weather turn from cloudy to rainy or from frosty to snowy. He has learned many facts about weather from this book and loves to comment on what the current conditions outside are. Clearly, though, this book will be even more appropriate for an older child as it includes fun scientific facts which help them understand a few basic concepts about weather. Thus it should provide entertainment and education for many years to come.

I haven't done much weaving in the past 15 years, so I looked for my old favorite, Key To Weaving. Along the way, I ran across this book and found so much great, technical info. It was especially inspiring as I was looking to learn about color-and-weave effects, and huck lace. Forget Key To Weaving. This book has taken its place.

Helene Bress' incredible accomplishment in THE WEAVING BOOK can hardly be understated. She has compiled thousands of samples of handweaving that illustrate the basic weave structures, and the myriad variations thereto that make handweaving a lifelong avocation of learning and discovery.

Weaving theory is presented in a clear & straight-forward text. What is the most valuable are the photos of the samples themselves (the weaving the work of a small group of weavers, including Doromay Keasbey, and the photos the work of Allen Bress, the author's son). As a beginning weaver, it is often very hard to visualize a fabric from a draft, and until you learn to do that, drafts are nearly useless. These thousands of samples are presented in a way that makes the relationship between draft and fabric clearer. Not only will a novice find plenty of inspiration here for original projects, but will come away from working with this book better able to understand and productively use the classic pattern books, as well as those books which treat in depth the weave structures introduced here.

A greedy reader (like myself) could wish that the samples were illustrated in color -- the color pages of examples are tantalizing -- but the author and her colleagues wisely understood that color reproduction would have made the book far too expensive. Even with the significant discount available from Amazon.com, THE WEAVING BOOK is still a serious investment. If you are a novice weaver, buy this book before almost any other. If you are an experiecned weaver, there is plenty within its covers to make it a valued reference and idea source.

The Weaving Book is one of the most used volumes in my fiber library! Ms Bress illustrates four common threadings on the loom and then demonstrates the myriad possibilites by altering only the treadling and tie-ups. The book has many, many photographic illustrations and is easy to read. A tremendous resource.

This is a great book! I had always wanted to do a quilt, but it just looked too involved and time consuming. I still consider myself a novice sewer and shy away from anything too complicated. But when I finally decided to do a quilt for my mother for Christmas this year, I spent countless hours seaching for the right pattern. I am one of those people who doesn't quite what they are looking for, but once they find it, BINGO! And that is what happened when I saw the Winning Hand. First of all the pattern was beautiful in its simplicity. But what was even better were the instructions. Talk about easy to follow!! I could not believe it! If you are a beginner and want to try your hand a quilt, I highly recommend this one. I love the card idea and the labeling of the different cards. It had made making this quilt some much fun and easy. My mother's is still in the working stage, but I can see that it will be beautiful. I have even started making plans to make myself one.

After picking this book up and then putting it down at least a dozen times I finally jumped in with both feet. This was the second quilt I had done and I was a bit worried about my sewing abilities to maintain a proper seam allowance,but nonetheless I did it. My son is a John Wayne fan so it seemed only natural to use horse fabrics exclusively. May I say that it is so cute. If you want to do something flashy but easy, you really need this book. Every time you look at the finished product you'll feel yourself start swelling up with pride.

The pattern, card trick, had always fascinated me, but was never tried - not until I purchased the Winning Hand. This book proved to be extremely easy to follow, was thorough in its how to instructions, and helped me create a very enjoyable wall hanging/lap size quilt. Most patterns are not made a second time - this one will be made up several times in the future.

This book does a great job of building a cross-cultural bridge between music and literary analysis. In explaining the form of a Mexican corrido, Paredes lays the groundwork for a musicological study of an oral tradition. His text is also useful in understanding the form of contemporary rap and hip-hop (both politically conscious and commercial).

My one reservation about this text is the fact that it ignores the role that women play in creating this artform. Though not a misogynist, Paredes tends to treat women as invisible in terms of the corridos...

This is a must-read, but if you enjoy the study of music look up Lydia Mendoza.

This book is a fine study of Mexican-American folklore. Paredes takes a "literary ethnographic" approach to studying the ballad singer Gregorio Cortez. Paredes develops interesting and rich ways of applying literary analysis to the ballads. He also uses the study of history along with ethnographic inquiry to challenge the image of the Texas ranger as a knight in shining armor. For anyone interested in social history, ethnographic study, and literary approaches to studying culture, I would highly recommend seeing how this fine folklorist integrates all three approaches in a fascinating story. What is especially interesting is that he was taking this approach three decades ago.

This outstanding book gives a wonderful look at the rich culture that developed in the geographic region between Mexico and the United States. The people that lived on either side of the border were a mix of religious ideals, values and cultures joined by need,location and lack of powerful policitical presence from either nation.

This book outlines the similiarities and the differences among the people of this region and explains the rich forklore and presence of this unique culture ...not quite Texan and not quite Mexican.

One remarkable feature of the book is an explanation of the development of the Border Ballad called the "Corrido" as a means of transmitting news, building interest, spotlighting injustices and creating legends. It presents a detailed study of the various version of the focal "Corrido de Gregorio Cortez" as an example. The legend, the facts and the politics are given equal emphasis allowing the reader an overview of a different age.

The facts are well documented but much like the "corrido" itself is very entertaining and well researched by this talented author. It presents much needed background for Mexican-Americans whose cultures were seeded in that land that straddled the politics and sentiments of two nations. This book should be required reading in every high school in states along the US Mexico border!

I'd tried applique for the first time using Ami Simms's Invisible Applique, and although that wasn't entirely an unsuccessful attempt, I put down applique as something that was just not for me--it was hard and my first few tries were messy. But Sinema's Applique Applique Applique was amazing--I bought it and the light turned on. My first attempt after reading her book was an amazing success--perfect! Her descriptions and patterns are fantastic, and she fully explains decorative stitches as well as the applique stitch with careful diagrams. And the inclusion of many different types of applique, as well as many types of projects--was exactly what I needed. This is the ULTIMATE applique book!

This is a great book if you are interested in learning different applique techniques. I think that it is clearly written and easy to understand. The patterns are full size and easy to use for many of the applique pieces. There are many different styles and patterns to choose from. A great "basics" book.