Being someone not of the catholic faith, at first i was driven from anything with the word "Pope" on it, but those religious inhibitions were shortly erased when I saw thise book! i had no idea the vatican contained such spectacular works of art, and from periods which i adore such as the Boroque! The collection is not just a few alter pieces from Byzantium, but rather is a study of art itself and a study in the masterpieces of the periods in its history. This book is incredibly inspirational, i would recomend it to anyone! even someone who doesnt like art! this fabulous volume is worth every penny one pays for it, and is one of the great finds of my endless book collecting

It is a real pity that this book is out of print. I have a copy(that I bought on sale)and had hoped to get another as a present for a friend. The text is very informative and well written and arranged. The paintings are well printed both as to detail and colors and presentation on the pages. I have perused mine many times and loaned it to my watercolor instructor who was as taken with it as I am. If you can find a copy of this in a bookstore and are interested in watercolors, snap it up. You will be pleased many times over to have it in your collection.

Erna Furman is already familiar to therapists working with children who have lost a parent. This volume expands on the work she has done as a consultant to preschool teachers and early education progams. Her sensitive and clear psychoanalytically based guidance addresses all of the usual dilemmas that any caretaker of toddlers faces. Her strong sense of mutual respect for the difficulties of all parties models what well prepared "day care" providers need to know.

Scholars and hobbiests interested in central asian and early chinese silk must read this text.

The authors have gone into great detail on techniques and methods used by the great craftsmen of the great silk trade.

The structure of major pieces is presented in sufficient detail to seperate styles of manufacture and artistic traditions.

The beauty of the material and the method pf graphic presentation make this text a must have.

This is definitely one of my favorite books! I first read "The Cat Who Came for Christmas" when I was eight, and now that I'm in my twenties, I like it all the more! The Cat Who Came for Christmas is about Polar Bear, a scrawny cat found and adopted from the streets of New York by a self-professed "dog man". Cleveland Amory's tales about his cat, Polar Bear, are both witty and touching, and the struggles/arguments he has with Polar Bear will remind you of every cat you've ever known or had (they battle over, among other things, whether Polar Bear should come when called, take a pill, or walk on a leash - and I don't think it'll surprise any cat lover to find out who wins those battles!). I highly recommend this book, along with its sequels "The Cat and the Curmudgeon" and "The Best Cat Ever" to everyone who has ever had a pet they've loved.

i found this book in the back of my closet when i was about 10 years old and when i first read it, i thought some parts were funny but i didn't understand most of the humor or vocabulary.

i just picked it up again this past year and its now my favourite book. it goes through some history about animals,(not just cats) some literature, lots of quotes and some of Amory's own history. the humor is cynical and hilarious, ranging from pill-ing cats to california to diets to relations between him, his cat and his friends (pobre Oso Polar)
this book is one of my all time favourites and even though i have reread it many times, excerpts i have memorized still make me laugh.

"The Cat Who Came For Christmas" is the best book I have ever read. I am a cat person, and I have two cats. Cleveland Amory wrote a book that I can really relate to. Polar Bear (The cat) is extremely intresting to read about. I accidently stumbled upon this book at the library, and I decided to see if it was any good. When I learned that, yes, it was extremely good, I rushed right back to the library to get the rest of the trilogy! This is one book you don't want to miss!

Ginny is an oxymoron: she's a dog who not only DOESN'T hate cats, but one who rescues and protects them.

Philip Gonzalez was injured in an industrial accident. His best friend, Sheilah, encouraged him to adopt a dog to pull him out of his depression. While Ginny wasn't love "at first sight," it was love within an hour.

Ginny not only forced Philip to care about life again, but she also opened his eyes to the plight of stray cats in his Long Island neighborhood. Ginny has a sixth sense when it comes to cats with a handicap or illness. Fighting her natural instinct to attack, she "talked" (barked?) Philip adopting many unfortunate cats.

There is almost no conflict, no climax, in this book; rather, it's a collection of anecdotes. It's a little sappy but, for a non-author, Philip tells a great story. I do hope its sales supplement his income. It is of note that Philip, Ginny, and Sheilah have caught many strays, gotten shots for the strays and had them neutered, and then re-released them -- out of pocket, even though this is a great service to their community.

I'd like to know what comes next (after the sequel "The Blessing of the Animals") -- is Ginny still alive, have either Sheilah or Philip found love interests (ahem!!!), and if, perhaps, Ginny has been able to train other dogs to do her work?

This is an enjoyable story, and contains the all-important lessons of life after accidents -- not only for Philip, but for many of the cats that he and Ginny have saved.

This wonderful book will touch the hearts of dog and cat lovers alike! Meet Ginny, a dog whose compassion for stray cats turned the author's life around. After adopting Ginny, Philip Gonzalez was transformed from a depressed, jobless, disabled person to a man with a mission. Ginny's ability to locate needy stray cats, particularly injured or disabled ones, is definitely uncanny and almost angelic. Get a copy not only for yourself but also for your pet-loving friends!

I am a lover of cats, dogs, and people who care for them. Philip Gonzalez and Ginny are two truly special beings who rescued each other, and continue rescuing special needs cats. Even if you don't like animals, I think you will find Philip's story an inspiration. No one can read this book and not feel that something wonderful is happening between this man and his special little dog. I am ordering Philip's second book right now!

Some baseball seasons are more important than others- the 1941 season saw the twin feats of Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak and Ted Williams .406 batting average, the 1951 season saw the incredible comeback of the New York Giants and Robby Thomson's miracle home run, and the 1964 season saw the final decline and fall of the New York Yankees.

The 1949 season is a special one for baseball as well. The New York Yankees, poised to begin their glory years, would square off with a talented Boston Red Sox team and defeat it in dramatic style thanks to the heroics of an injured Joe DiMaggio.

Summer of '49 is David Halberstam's story of that astounding season. More than a simple account of the season's wins and losses, Halberstam delves deep into the background of the players and coaches. The picture that comes into focus is a fascinating look at the way baseball was played in the 1940s and 50s, when players (many of whom had grown up on small farms in the Great Depression) fought hard to win and played every day as if it were their last. While not quite as interesting as his "October 1964", Halberstam has nevertheless written a wonderfully exciting account of what baseball was like over a half century ago.

This is a book that will make any baseball enthusiast smile.

As an American history buff who has long admired the books of David Halberstam ("The Fifties", "The Best and the Brightest"), I would argue that the "Summer of 49" is one of Halberstam's best works to date. I was visiting a friend's house when I noticed a copy of the "Summer of 49" on his bookshelf. My friend, a passionate baseball fan, told me what the book was about. Although I'm not a huge baseball fan (growing up in North Carolina and following the Duke-Carolina rivalry gave me more of an interest in college basketball), I was enough of a fan of Halberstam that I borrowed the book. And, was I pleasantly surprised! Even if you're NOT a big baseball fan you'll still love this book if you're at all interested in American history. Instead of focusing on ERAs, bases stolen, and the other statistics that would appeal only to baseball buffs, Halberstam focuses on the human side of a great sports rivalry - the New York Yankees versus the Boston Red Sox. And in the "Summer of 49" he gives the story of one of that rivalry's greatest moments - the breathtaking, down-to-the-wire showdown between Joe DiMaggio's Yankees and Ted Williams's Red Sox. As always, Halberstam evokes a sense of nostalgia for the past that's almost overwhelming - reading about DiMaggio's health problems, or William's running battles with the vicious Boston newspapers, or Ellis Kinder's bitterness at Red Sox manager Joe McCarthy - you get the feeling that you're right there with them. When I finished I felt awed by DiMaggio's quiet pride in winning the pennant and World Series after all of his difficulties in 1949, and a genuine sadness at the emotional devastation the Red Sox felt after coming so close two years in a row, only to lose in such cliffhanging finales. If you enjoy Halberstam's style of writing, and you enjoy reading about a golden age of American sports (even if you're not a baseball fan) then you'll LOVE this book. A great read!

"Take me out to the ballgame..." One might find themselves singing the endearing, catchy tune after reading, Summer of '49 written by Pulitzer-prize winner, David Halberstam. The reader is drawn into the baseball universe in a time when it truly was "America's favorite pastime." The era Halberstam captivates is a time when young children played outside the stadium in hopes to catch a glimpse of their favorite players. It was a time when even Red Sox fans cheered for DiMaggio when he was back in the game after recovering from an injury. The era was surrounded with the glamour of baseball in the purest sense. There was something captivating about being at the game, cheering for the team while eating peanuts and hot dogs. From the New York Yankees greatest player, Joe DiMaggio to Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox and the less famous names in between, Halberstam pulls us into the good times and hardships that came with being on two of the most successful teams of the sport. As readers, we are attracted to everything about this great sport because Halberstam makes us care about the individuals and the teams contributing to its success. The great players portrayed in this book not only shape baseball, but are a major aspect in shaping part of US history in the 20th Century as well. Halberstam brings the players to us and makes us appreciate their hard work and love of the game. This book is about excellence, the joy of being a part of a team. We see the importance of not just being good, but being better. Better than you thought you were or what others think you can do. It is about human nature and the nature of baseball.

I'm an english/creative writing major at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio and I loved My Cleveland Story. Anyone can relate to this novel because it is about everyday people going through everyday life. While reading about these characters, one recalls his or her own high school friends and loves. One remembers a time when one was trying to figure out where exactly they fit in the grand scheme of life. Mate, Greg, and Beth will become part of your group of friends and through reading this book you will feel all of their triumphs, failures and heartbreaks. I recommend reading this book with a box of tissue in hand.

If you grew up in the Greater Cleveland area, this book will strike a chord with you. That chord will ring truer if you happened to be a high school jock--Ceilic's story pivots on the athletic defeats and triumphs of his glory days, which spill over into his teaching career as an adult. But "My Cleveland Story" will touch anyone who came of age in Cleveland in the 60s,70s, and 80s because it's really a story about people--about friends and lovers growing up and trying to make some sense of it all. Native Clevelanders will find themselves back in the Old Agora watching Bruce Springsteen in '79. They'll visit Fagan's in the Flats, the Tam in Lakewood, and just about every high school in the area. Ceilic brings us back to the old Stadium for warm beer while watching "the worst team in baseball." He also revisits the days of the Kardiac Kids and takes us to the Dawg Pound for (gasp) Red Right 88 in 1981 and The Drive in 1987. You'll come to know Greg, his best friend Mate, and Beth and share their joys, fears, and tears. You'll also rediscover sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll all over again and won't feel quite as guilty the second time around.

Great book.

True to the title, "My Cleveland Story" follows the author and his colorful cast of pals as they come of age in Cleveland circa 1970-85, at a time when the Kardiac Kids packed the Dawg Pound and the Indians counted their losses. One need not be an alumnus of Coach Ceilec's Streetsboro High to appreciate his universal themes of lost love, teen angst, and twenty-comething uncertainty. Local readers will smile at the familiar sights and sounds: the old Agora, Bruce Springsteen live in concert, the Tam, the Flats, Michael Stanley, Municipal Stadium (Red Right 88), Friday night football, cheap beer and a whole lotta Led Zeppelin. But Ceilec does more than take a trip down memory lane. His novel packs some unexpected twists, real life drama and tragedy to offset the basketball victories and notches on dorm bedposts. It's visceral prose without the fuss. "My Cleveland Story" is the modern Midwesterner's "Catcher in the Rye," "Outsiders" and "Huck Finn" wrapped in one juicy enchilada, and isn't to be missed.

Excited about the "new" Browns? Join Ceilec as he relives the glory days. Can't get into Jacob's Field? Take any seat you like at the old stadium with Greg and Mate as they watch the Tribe take another licking. Tired of that alternative-metal-rap garbage on the airwaves? Crank up some Southside Johnny on old WMMS and stop by Mate's house for brats and beer after work. Grapple with the awkwardness of your first sexual experience once again and revisit your reckless teenage years, guilt-free, in these captivating pages. You'll identify with these people because you and your friends once did the very same things. If you're a Cleveland native, this book is as much your story as it is Ceilec's. Great stuff (I'm waiting for a sequel).

T. Jefferson Parker's The Blue Hour captures two unusual police detectives at work on a series of murders. Tim Hess is an old school cop, recovering from cancer surgery, aware his days are numbered. Mercy Rayborn is today's policewoman. She is young, energetic, ambitious, and, some say, ruthless. Her career is mapped out clearly ahead of her, date by date for future promotion after future promotion are already inscribed firmly on her heart. The developing relationship between Hess and Rayborn is perhaps the facet of this thriller I most enjoyed. Mr. Parker spins his usual complicated plot, and my native Orange County is captured perfectly. Excellent book, and I plan to read his follow up, Red Light, soon.

This is the first time I've had the pleasure of reading one of Parker's books. I was impressed. This was not only a riveting and complex murder mystery, but the choice of two very opposite lead characters was a masterful stroke. Tim Hess, a 67 yr. old semi-retired detective is in the twilight of his life. He's recovered from surgery for lung cancer and is undergoing a very draining course of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Merci Rayborn is in her 30's, a brash,ambitious offficer who is having some problems in the Department after filing a long overdue sexual harassment charge against a fellow cop. Tim's boss asks him to work with Merci on a missing persons case where the only clues found are the victims' purses, blood soaked ground, and parts of human intestines--but no bodies. Merci lays down the ground rules. It's her case and she's in charge. As the two gradually mesh together, Tim tries to help Merci by giving her the benefits of his years of experience. At first, all she sees is a dying older cop she's been partnered with, but her growth begins as she comes to know and admire him for his vast knowledge and dedication to the job and his courage in dealing with his illness. Merci soon finds herself enjoying Tim's company, sharing meals and offtime with him, and looking at him with new respect and genuine affection. Their relationship is one of the aspects that sets this story apart from other serial murder mysteries. THE BLUE HOUR should go to the top of your reading list if you enjoy an unusual and innovative thriller, with an ending that leaves you with a lump in your throat and an appreciation of a well written keeper to add to your collection of outstanding books.

in this serial killer mystery. Parker has such great definition of the characters and such mastery ot the plot that it becomes impossible to put it down.

Tim Hess and Merci Rayborn are at different ends of the spectrum in emotions and temperment.She is young with much to learn...he is older and has learned too much of life which colors his attitude but also makes him much more knowledgeable,patient and understanding.

At the time of the killings he is fighting a caner, and one cannot help but fight with him.

I felt all along that a romance would and should happen between the two.Sorry but you must read it to find out.

Parker's knowledge of the many facets of the law and criminology add zest to the story and I find him fascinating as well as his characters,Tim and Merci.

The ending is suberb and soooo unexpected and that in itself is refreshing.

Thanks for a great read..I will read Red Light next..then Silent Joe..and on to the newest Merci adventure.

Written with compassion for his characters, humor for the foibles we all have, and respect for caring people, Mark Weingardner has written an original, involving and heartfelt historical fiction about the peak of mid-20th century Cleveland to its river-burning decline circa 1970. With heart-capturing chapters about Dorothy Fuldheim, (read the book to learn about this eccentric cultural character and her important firsts), the Cleveland Indians glory days, and the sad repercussions of Willie Mays's (in)famous catch in the '54 World Series, Carl Stokes, the first African-American mayor of a major American city, and other tales of a city long ridiculed, but also a source of pride for its residents, including the leading fictional characters who find love amongst the steel mills, polluted river and ethnic neighborhoods. Who learn that life is something one learns to live while living it. A happy, bittersweet and memorable read. The story will stay with me for quite sometime.

My own time growing up in Cleveland corresponds with the latter portion of the book. Winegardner captures the tone of the time perfectly and the rest of the book has wonderful set pieces, as well. The seques into Dorothy Fuldheim and other subjects are well worth the effort, but may be more useful for Clevelanders than for "foreigners" and sometimes he simply tries too hard with these sections. There also are some minor inaccuracies. A better story would have come from an east sider perspective (just kidding, my roots are in Willowick & Cleveland Hts), but someone else can write that one. Still, the book was evocative and it's derpth in Cleveland lore reminded me why I still feel affection for Cleveland.

Mark Winegardner's epic novel takes Cleveland as not only its setting, but also as an integral character, in Crooked River Burning. Taking place over more than twenty years in the city's history, the characters weave in and out of touch with factual events and legendary figures (Allen Freed, Carl Stokes) in a way that's both self-conscious and proud. In the midst of Cleveland's terrible problems with pollution, race riots, and corruption there is always a sense that the author loves this city right along with its mistakes.

The two main characters, Anne and David, come from opposite sides of the city (which, in this case, might as well be opposite sides of the world). David is poor and dreams of a day when he will be mayor of his city and Anne is rich and trying to be a society girl without giving up her career-mindedness. Without giving anything away, it's really refreshing to see how these two keep going in and out of each other's lives without the novel spiralling into hopeless romantic mush. After all, this book isn't about them, not really. It's about Cleveland.

Enjoyable and surprisingly informative, I breezed through Crooked River Burning without much to complain about. Winegardner lets his literary tongue wag a little too much as the book goes on, perhaps, and it's not without pretense. The footnotes he uses get in the way and seem lazy...not to mention the most unreadable typeface I've ever seen (in the hardcover edition). However, tackling a subject like this and keeping it enjoyable is quite a task to begin with, and it's pulled off with much style.