I have read the Spanish version of this classical book by Stephan Potter. It is a must, really! After reading it, you'll never see a game the way you used to. Whether you are going to put into practice Mr. Potter's suggestions or not, after reading the book you'll certainly get a different, more comprehensive view of the world of games... you'll be introduced into the world of gamesmanship.

'Gamesmanship' is the first and (in my opinion) best of the inimitable '_manship' series that Stephen Potter wrote in the early 1950's. Other works include 'Lifemanship', 'One-Upmanship', and 'Supermanship'. What makes this so funny is the absolute deadpan style. The text is buttressed with ample illustrations, diagrams, charts, and a thorough index.

I shall never forget the great gambits, ploys, hampers, such as Nice Chapmanship, Jack Rivers Opening, Simpson's Statue, Snooker-player's Drivel, the author's 'Potter's Opening', to name only a few.

Stephen Potter's series of semi-tongue-in-cheek works (Gamesmanship, Lifemanship, One-Upsmanship) are among the funniest and most accurate books of their type ever written. They have been justifiably in print for over 50 years, and deserve to be discovered by yet another generation. These are not 'how to' books, although they purport to be dispatches from the 'Lifemanship Institute'. Rather, they are exquisitely dry and droll riffs on the games people play in interpersonal [non-romantic] relationships, set in early- to mid-twentieth century England. If you like things such as Parkinson's Law, or The Peter Principle, or even the works of Evelyn Waugh, you will get a real kick out of these. Try the current omnibus reprint edition which includes all three works. It's the kind of thing that either (a) you will be quoting for the rest of your life, or (b) you just won't understand why anyone would find it even the least it amusing. I'm obviously in the former camp.

Being the big fan of Beatrox Potter, the woman and not just the author I was overjoyed to get this as a gift recently and the book is a treat for the eyes. While it has pages and pages of stunning photographs as well as her own water colours, it is the text and complete history of her farms that is awesome.

That and reading and seeing photographs of her as well as her farms and reading why she bought each property and the breeds of sheep she raised was of special interest to me. I loved seeing the inside of her farms, although I had seen the inside of a few, via the National Land Trust to whom she left her properties.

I loved the photographs of Beatrix and how she was so eccentric, kind yet firm and a woman ahead of her time. And it was nice to read that she was a true homestead style woman who had the waste not want not mentality, as well as a deep appreciation for quality and hated to see old bridges torn down for modern ones, although she was quick to make sure the stones and plants, wood and other things being discarded by some, didn't end up in some dump area but were recycled into new walls and buildings and plantings on her property.

This is a book a cottage gardener, keeper of sheep. painters, stone masons and anyone who loves working with their hands will love. As well as sincere environmentalists and organic gardeners and farmers.

AT HOME WITH BEATRIX POTTER is a delight to the eye and the spirit for those who love this children's author and her "little books." It is written by Susan Denyer of Britain's National Trust. (Potter's property was left to the National Trust.) The focus of the book is Hilltop Farm, the first farm Beatrix Potter acquired. Although she lived across the road in Castle Cottage, Potter often used Hilltop for its library, guestroom, and workplaces. She also used it to display her "treasures." This book reveals her love of nature, the English Lake District, and of old things--carved dressers, chests, spinning wheels are a few of the "gems" portrayed. Two-page color spreads convey the beauty of the Lake Area, where Potter became a major landowner, sheepfarmer, and a happily married woman. It is wonderful to see the original places, buildings, and objects that she incorporated into her books (examples are shown side by side). The book's layout, photographs, and design are first-rate. Reading this book reminded me of THE PRIVATE WORLD OF TASHA TUDOR and its wonderful photographs by Richard Brown. Like Tudor, Potter drew what she knew and preferred country to city life. (Tudor also was a working farmer in New Hampshire.) Finally, this book presents information about Beatrix Potter and the things and people she loved in an informative and respectful way. This book is not a biography, and Denyer avoids the biographer's temptation to "sum up" or "explain" Beatrix Potter. Rather, we draw our own conclusions after being exposed to the things Potter loved. The select bibliography at the book's end provides a list of works on and by Potter (her journals and letters have been published) that is very helpful to those who want to know more about this author. This is a book to treasure.

This book is a balanced combination of biographical information, Beatrix Potter's sketches and paintings, and exceptional scenic photography of the Lake District she helped preserve. It also details the exterior and interior of a house she owned which provided the backgrounds for many of her book illustrations. The side-by-side comparisons were interesting, even though the house seemed to be more of a showpiece than her actual residence. (Thus, the book title is somewhat misleading.) I found this book to be of exceptional quality and, although the text was sometimes overwrought with property, town and house names, the book includes many captioned photos and a map that allow the reader to appreciate the area in which she lived.

Lots of interesting facts I never knew about the internet. Made my internet experience a lot more enjoyable and productive than I ever imagined!

Wao - everybody thinks they know the Internet! But they have not seen even a fifth of it until they have gone through the exercises in this book. Gopher and Archie? Most people have never heard of these services. They are out there and are very useful. I downloaded a ton of documents for my research paper this weekend.

The step by step intructions in this book make it easy to use. It taught me a lot about the Internet. It is a very user-friendly manual. A must have.

This is a great introduction into clay and glazes for anyone with even the slightest interest in the medium. It's easy to read and gives tremendous amounts of information. I'll be referring to this text for years to come.

This is the book we all learned from, over the years i have re-read parts that started to make sense to me, I was growing with the book. People ask me questions all day long, 90% are answered in this newly updated book, gone are the lead glazes of yesterday, welcome are new ingredients like cadycal.

This book has been my"ceramic bible" for the last 30 years.The best book on the market if you are really interested in clay and glazes technology. I have read it over and over during the last 30 years and it is at the base of my own book: "Substitutions for raw ceramic materials", for sale on Amazon.com. Every ceramist should own one.

Jean has a nice touch of reality...she has triplets, so maybe that's why!!

I bought this book wondering what it would contain. The imagination in this book is incredible. The activities are easy to use and so much fun. The children immediately went to work. We have used it every day for a month and I am now ordering more books by this author.

This is a book we use throughout the year. Every month we get it out and do several activities. I have had this book for several years and my children still do not tire if it. It is full of fun activities to do out of doors any time of the year. It also encourages children to protect nature. There are so many fun activities to do, that the book never tires. I like teaching children the science concepts to. I am going to look for more books by Ms. Potter.

I love this book. I have been to Oaxaca several times and have visited most of the potters in the book. On my last trip, I asked each of the women to sign my book near her picture. This is now one of my most treasured posessions along with my memories of Oaxaca. The photographs are great and the stories are beautiful.

Born and raised in México and having a deep appreciation of its diverse and rich folk arts traditions, and guided by the reviews, I bought this book. What others say is true- this softbound book is lavishly illustrated and is a wonderful introduction to the contemporary ceramics covered, as well as the six women potters dealt with. Thise with a love of Oaxacan ceramics will likely love this book as well.

There is but one, very significant problem: the title is, to me, completely misleading. The book actually covers two villages- Octolán de Morelos, and the reigning family of potters, as well as Santa María Atzompa and two of the many potters who work there. San Bartolo Coyotepec and the creator of world-renown black pottery, Doña Rosa Real de Nieto, and her descendants, for example, have no coverage in this book, nor do older more traditional forms.

Oaxaca is an incredibly beutiful state, with many traditions and crafts. This book covers a small fraction of them- and in my opinion misleads with a title implying it covers all the ceramics of Oaxaca. With that caveat, I highly recommend (and give a restrained five stars to) this book, within the scope of its limitations.

Having been to Oaxaca approximately ten times in the past 20 years, I can appreciate the quality and beauty of this fine book. The reasonable price of this "paperback" belies its perfect format/size and its gorgeous photography, text and printing quality.

I've rarely been satisfied with "crafts" books, but this one has been so perfectly written and executed, that it makes me want to jump on a plane and immediately fly to Oaxaca, to find and meet the fantastic artists presented here.

I met one of these women several years ago (Angelica Vasquez), and this glorious book will create an urge in many of its readers to meet her and the other artists that are included here.

"The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit" is one of Beatrix Potter's weirder children's books. The plot is set in motion when the nasty title character attacks another rabbit and steals his carrot.

This book is a violent and surreal morality tale. It's not one of my favorite Potter books. A warning to parents: gun violence is depicted in this tale.

This is a very cute story about how being good and being bad has different outcomes. This would teach a very important lesson for young children to learn. The illustrations are also very cute, showing exactly what you'd picture the story being. The good, innocent rabbit is just sitting there with his little carrot, happy to have it to eat. A bad, fierce rabbit is hiding in the bushes, just waiting to pounce on the sweet, little rabbit. All of a sudden, he pounced! That poor sweet one had to go running and hide in a cave. Seeing what happens to the fierce, bad rabbit is very Beatrix Potter like. It is so sweet how it ends, how being good always works out and being bad isn't always going to go your way, no matter what you think.
~Camille

i am a big fan of the fierce bad rabbit, as well as all of beatrix potters works. However, the main characters are better, ( i'm very fond of bunnies) and the outcome and plot are less distrubing than the whole rolly-polly pudding thing, and the patty-pan. Still, one must wonder what social allagorie does "the man with the gun afford". Buy this book, get the whole series, they really are very nice to read, and if you think it would be detrimental to your maturity, buy it for a younger sibling, nephew, niece, cousin, etc. and see if you can bring yourself to give it away. I bet you won't be able to, and if you can, than there is something big wrong with your head...

My children love to have this book read to them at bedtime!! They love the story of the to competing brothers and the silly ending. The pictures are beautiful and very colorful. A wonderful childrens book!

Tomas Aarrestad's new book is a great bedtime story for our children. Boys and girls will love to hear this story. The illistrations follow along well with the story for little eyes to watch and wonder. Enjoy!

I read this book to my child's first grade class. The children were very enthusiastic. They very much enjoyed the illustrations and the resolution of the conflict generated by the greed of the two competing kings.

1. It was interesting finally to see a book on Indian philosophy beginning with Bhagvat Gita and four Purushaarthas for a change. These are the hallmarks of Indian philosophy, especially Hindu thought. I particularly liked his notion of attitudes about the Purushaarthas. That was a new approach towards Dharma, Artha, Kaama and Moksha. However, his sequence is different. He places Artha, Kaama, Dharma and then Moksha which is different from the traditinal sequence. Also, his description of Artha and Kaama was little inadequate. Artha and Kaama have been regarded as two powers in Hindu thought. Artha (Wealth) is deemed necessary so that all the economic resources can be spent for charities, donations and other spiritual/social works. Similarly, Kaama is treated as God's creation also in BhagwatGita Chapter 4, only if it is according to prescribed Dharam/scriptures. This information is missing from pages 5-10 (chapter 1).

2. In the same chapter, page 15 - 19, he talks about Renunciation and Resignation. I found it very very bold defence of Krishna's advise to Arjuna to fight. It is indeed a controversial topic and I am glad that Potter did support Krishna's advocacy for freedom and performing one's duty without attachment to results. And here, Potter has defined Karma Yoga so beautifully.

3. But in the very next chapter, page 40 in the section for Paths for freedom, while describing Karma Yoga, he misses the important points he just mentioned in the previous chapter pages 15 - 19 (as above). He confuses Karma - Kaanda(rituals) of Vedas with Karma Yoga, how sad!

Like the previous reviewer I was lucky enought to have been taught by Professor Potter himself, though I met him at a latter stage in his career while attending the University of Washington. His book, especially the first four chapters, presents the foundations upon which the Indian philosophical mind turns better than any other book I know. I strongly believe that this is the best place to begin one's studies of Indian thought, not because it provides the best systematic account of the history of Indian philosophy but because it provides the clearest articulation of its most basic presuppostions. Highly recommended reading for both its insights and quality of writing.

This book is a must-read for those interested in Indian philosophies. Like ancient/medieval Western philosophies, Indian philosophy is hard to grasp unless one has a clear sense as to what sorts of problems the philosophers are trying to answer. In this work Potter does a very good job at this-- he lays out the fundamental problem that all (speculative) Indian philosophies attempt to solve: How is complete freedom possible? As explained very clearly by Potter, complete freedom is understood by classical Indian philosophers as BOTH freedom-to (i.e. we can effect changes in the world so that we can be free from bondage by karma) and freedom-from (i.e. the world leaves us with sufficient room that we don't HAVE to stay bounded or become free). Put under this fundamental understanding, Potter was able to provide a clear survey of a myriad of ~20 most significant philosphers' views-- their logics, ontologies and epistemologies-- under a very handy framework of classification. Potter's classification is philosophically-oriented and is infinitely more useful than the standard scheme (Materialists, Buddhism, Jainism and the 6 Hindu 'Orthodox' schools). This classification is both very insightful and original. As someone who is fairly well-acquainted with the different strands of classical Chinese philosophy (which asks a slightly different question: 'how is becoming a possible?' where the interpretation of the sage as end-goal is more diversely understood than in the Indian tradition), I feel that Potter's framework gives me a powerful tool to help me acquire a much deeper philosophical understanding of the Chinese traditions.
As a clear thinker, Potter writes with sharp clarity and is able to express difficult ideas in fairly accessible terms. In fact, it's a real accomplishment to complete such an ambitious survey of major Indian philosophies in a manuscript of less than 300 pages. I only wish that Potter had revised this work after his editing of the encyclopedia of Indian philosophies! (This work was originally published in 1963, and does show his lack of a good first-hand understanding of Buddhist philosophies. If Potter had revised this after his editing of the Encyclopedia, I'm sure this book will be longer and with more thorough analysis on the Abhidharma philosophies.)

What a wonderful and unique approach to science education! This book is jammed full of one-page "art experiments." The key is to use art projects to learn some science principles. Among many of the ideas to learn are dissolving, symmetry, reflecting light, gravity and friction. The only drawback is that the book could benefit from an introduction on the inquiry-based approach to learning...From The Science Spiders(TM) Newsletter.

This book is simply great. I bought several of Jean Potter's other books so when I found her name on line, I decided to buy this one. It is everything I thougt it would be and MORE! I love art, but never thought the two mixed. This is a book for every kid, teacher and parent!

I had never really thought how beautiful and mysterious and colorful and delightful science could be. This book inspires me, a person who has never really liked science all that much. Now I do! And I will pass that on to my kids when we do the Chromatography Art Experiment and separate colors on absorbant paper. Can't wait!