When I saw this well-priced Book which was originally published in two volumes, at higher cost with a slip cover, I had to have it. I am a collector of Dali Books and was hoping that this Book would be the Catalogue Raisonne of Dali's paintings I had been looking for for so long. In this respect the Book was no disappointment with a total of 1,648 illustrations, but a closer look at the book revealed some serious faults.

The worst fault by far is that the printing of the paintings is consistently too dark. Three examples: The blue colors of: "Myself at the age of Ten when I was a Grasshopper Child" (p.202) are much too dark. It is even worse with: "Ghost of Vermeer of Delft which can also be used as a Table" (p.222) Here the figure of Vermeer is in points indistinguishable from the backround and the sky is much too orange, instead of yellowish. The worst example is that of "The Last Supper" (p.488) where the apostles on the extreme left and right of the painting can barely be distinguished. There are many other examples of this. I made this comparison using several other books and exhibition catalogues, and have also seen the three paintings I mentioned as examples in person more than once.

A close examination also reveals that both paper and binding are not of high quality. I have a feeling this book will not stand the test of time. One way to tell a good Art Books when the paper is a higher weight. Judging from the paper, I have a feeling it will yellow in a few years. This is, incidentally, true for other Books that I own published by Taschen. Also, a book this heavy should really have a stronger binding.

Annoying also is that there is no alphabetic index of the paintings. Unless you know the year a painting was created, as they are in chronological order, there is no way to find it except by paging around.

Despite these complaints, I still like the Book because it includes paintings I have never seen before. If however, you want to see the paintings of Dali as they really look, get "Dali: The Work, the Man" instead. It suffers from none of the faults I have descibed, but is not as comprehensive. It's worth the extra money. In collecting Art Books I have found that higher quality Books stand the test of time.

a beautifully sized book that contained excellent text about the painter's life and superb reproductions of his work in the book

Being the owner of many books based on the works of Salvador Dali, which includes "Dali The Work, The Man", I admit to being somewhat skeptical about yet another "complete" edition; that it would probably have pretty much the same information and reproductions of his art as my other books. I now admit to being incorrect, because this is a well made edition with a truly fantastic bargain price. I have paid well over a hundred dollars for what I'd hoped was a book containing all of Dali's paintings with detailed biographical information, when I found that this is the book with all of that for around ($).
You will not be disappointed with this book and I think you'll agree that the quality is excellent, with a solid binding and beautiful reproductions of all of his paintings in chronological order. There are also a great deal of photographs (and paintings) that I've never seen before, and I thought I was a huge fan of Salvador Dali.
"Dali, The Work The Man" is also a very well-made book, which may be printed on a slightly heavier grade paper, at the most. However, the Taschen book is far more detailed and also excellent quality. "Dali, The Work The Man" costs ten times as much and only has half the content.
I truly thought there must have been some mistake when I ordered it.I still question the price as being far too low, so I advise you to hurry up and get this before the publisher realizes their huge mistake. Perhaps we are dealing with a publisher who really isn't greedy at all--that's my impression here.
I couldn't be happier with my purchase of this book and highly recommend it.

This is a good resource, no matter if you have your first survey to do or have a complex service problem to fix - there is some commonsense advice on the whole range between these.

For new or infrequent practitioners of surveys and service activities, this is a valuable resource - worth reading before you buy the more complex books.

There is no way just reading this book will turn you into a customer service professional. But it does contain hidden treasures for those who already our customer service professionals. I was able to take advantage of the preprinted forms in the chapter called "Taking your Company's Pulse: How to Survey Your Customers".

I was grateful for the chapter called " You're Never Too Old (or young) to Learn: Service Training"

This review was dictated using the ViaVoice (ASIN: B000031KIZ) with minor corrections by Microsoft Word.

I chose this book mainly because of its inviting format. Like so
many of the "Dummies" books, it's fun to read. Participants in my
customer service seminars heartily agree. I especially like the
summarizing "Cheat Sheets" of key points inside the front cover ... and the section on how to receive, not just give, good service. The cartoons and brief chapters also help make this a page turner. Fairly priced, too.

This is not one of Barth's greater works, but it thoroughly exploits his many gifts.

The reduction of the American Cultural Revolution to a Campus is a "nifty" idea - one which almost succeeds due to Barth's overwhelming prose and typically complex plot, but ultimately falls into the same philosophical category as a couple of stoners theorizing that each atom of their finger is a world of its own.

Ultimately, this novel is dated in a way that Barth's other works are not (which is ironic, considering the specificity of some of the other works' temporal settings). One cannot separate this work from the 60's. The whole metaphor upon which the book is based is fairly trite. Of course, if you like "Earth in the Balance," "The Population Bomb," or "The Sirens of Titan," then you'll probably absorb "Giles Goat Boy" into your own worldview and then go off on a pacifist riot through San Francisco.

Perhaps it is somewhat disappointing to see Barth lay aside his precious nihlism in favor of sweaty luddite pot-philosophy. It is certainly nice to see Barth avoid this tendency in his later works.

Compared to the disappointing "Letters: A Kind of Novel," which is artistic to the point of unreadability, or "Chimera," which is lacking in anything but the curiosity of being a Playboy pick, "Giles Goat Boy" is irresistably entertaining. The intricacy of the plot is vintage Barth (and of course, the whole "heroic cycle" thing is present, if you choose to reflect upon it). At moments (as in The Sot Weed Factor), Barth reveals glimpses of the perversions that he is to reveal more fully in later works (Somebody the Sailor, for example), but they are not as central to the story as they might have been.

All told, I would agree with other reviewers and suggest that those new to Barth steer clear of Giles Goat Boy until they have digested some of his other works. It is a fairly useful thing to understand Barth's structural tendencies when reading GGB, and an introductory reading of this book first is too likely to convince the reader that Barth is just another 60's type who writes a good piece of filth.

It took me a couple of starts to get past the first twenty pages of this book, but the persistence was well repayed. Over the course of a few works (Sot-Weed, End of the Road, Letters) Barth was one of the great powers of modern literature. Goat-Boy finds him in peak form. The longevity of his computer/campus framework, and the wisdom of his "if it ain't broke" philosophy are subject to worthy discussion, but anybody who can get away with slapping a Lord Buckley styled hipster take on Oedepus Rex right in the middle just to show off his emense skill is beyond bold. Brazen in all the best ways.

This was my first exposure to Barth but based on this it certainly won't be my last. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but what I can understand I find myself liking quite a bit. For those who have no idea about this book, it's basically the "quest" of Giles to reprogram the evil WESAC computer that is messing with the New Tammany College campus and even that brief blurb isn't enough to give this book ample justice. The plot is mostly straightforward, to me at least but the layers of satire that wrap around everything give the book greater depth, just when you think you've got it pegged as one thing, Barth gives a sly clue and it all shifts. Is it merely a big joke on the Cold War, or a comment on our culture in general. Or neither. The novel encompasses religion, sex, culture, war, just about everything you can think of and the humor is dark and bitter and at the same time hilariously funny, Giles is the perfect narrator and his observations are both hugely innocent and slyly subversive. The ultimate quest of stopping the computer becomes unimportant when you consider the events that it takes to get there and if there's any book with a more real yet wildly fantastic set of characters, I haven't read it, just when you think that he's treating them all as one big joke, a stray comment or an action reminds you that these are supposed to be real characters. As you can probably tell, this is a novel that you can't go in with any preconceptions, and if you do a lot of it will probably be lost on you. It's a massively dense read and took me almost two months (not because it was difficult, that weird time thing you see) but never once did I think of not finishing it. Definitely worth the time put into it and you can get the time, don't hesitate!

Through mere coincidense I had the opportunty to first meet Giles Thompson and a few weeks later get to know Ann Holaday. During my meeting with Giles he mentioned very little of his accident and his mother never talked about it, they both live a normal life. It was only through luck and a little bit of detective work that I discovered Ms. Holaday's book. I am thrilled that I did find it. Initially I was hoping for a book similiar to "Into Thin Air" in it's depth of the experience on the mountain. I quickly found that it was not the tale of the horrors on the mountain, however it is a story of survival after the disaster. The story really starts with Giles coming off of the mountain and finding the extent of the damage to his body and the difficulty in overcoming those challenges related to his recovery and learning to live again.

I think it is a great book for anyone who faces challenges in the life and an inspirational story for all. Ms. Holaday is a talented writer and a refreshing pen in the world of literature.

I know the expression "couldn't put is down" is not original, but that's how it was with this book. So often I had to blink back tears and swallow the lump in my throat as I read. The story of the devasting impact the Tragedy has on a family and the way courage, hope and prayer help them carry on is awe-inspiring.

This moving and poignant story begans on Monday afernoon, May 12, 1986, when a routine climb on Mt. Hood, Oregon, turned into a nightmare. Ten students from Oregon Episcopal School and three adults were caught in a freak snowstorm. With no visibility and at least one student suffering from hypothermia, the party dug into a samll snowcave. The next morning, the guide and a student managed to decend the mountain, thus begining a frantic search that would end up lasting well over two days.

Ann Holoday, the author, was one of the parents who saw hope fade as the storm left any sign of the cave and its climbers buried under an emmense white blanket, while another approaching storm left rescuers with a dwindling timeline. Her son, Giles Thompson, was one of the sophomores on the annual climb. As she recalls those dark hours of gazing at Mt. Hood from Timberline Lodge (Built as one of F. Roosevelt's WPA projects), Ann recalls the circumstances that led her family to the Pacific Northwest, from England, Puerto Rico, and Texas. The author recalls times of joy, but also uncertainty about leaving England, guilt about a career that left too little time for her three children, and a bitterweet recollection of a marriage that almost ended, but came together before her husband's death from cancer. Remarriage led her family to Longview, WA, and her children to OES in Portland, OR.

As rescuers were about to end their search on Thursday afternoon, May 15, a probe struck a backpack near the cave's entrance. Of the 11 who had been in the cave 72 hours, only two would survived; Giles, and a girl, Brittany.

For Giles, recovery would be especially grueling. For a week he was unconsious with his survival in doubt, before doctors were forced to ammutate Gile's legs. The proceedure worked, freeing his system from the toxins brought by dead tissue, but the following weeks brought more compications, infections, and multiple surgeries. One feels the pain of Giles as his mother recalls in detail the long ordeal.

Finally, in August, Giles was able to return home, and, the following month, to OES. Memories of the climb, trying to study with nerve damaged hands, and learning to walk with prosthetics provided more challenges.

Giles adjusted, though, and Ann recalls with pride her son's success at learning to ski again, even participating in the Handicap Olympics and becoming active in Ted Kennedy Jr's (who lost a leg to cancer) organization, Facing the Challenge.

Giles gruaduated from OES and Colorado College and now lives in Seattle with his wife and two young children. His brother and sister are doing well, too, as are Ann and her husband. Yes, there are happy endings.

Ann's ending for her book includes this statement: "If this book leaves the reader with any one thought, I would like it to be the celebration of this human spirit which brings us closer together in times of trouble. I don't think we will ever completely recover from the accident, but it is possible to move on and get on with life."

Surley, that is a thought all of us need to ponder. In any life there are storms and sorrows, struggles and sacrafices, but with faith, hope, and the love of family and fiends, we can endure. Ann Holoday does a marvelous job of sharing her son's great struggle, and how their family endured. I would highly recommend that everyone read, "The Mountain Never Cries."

Fast, fun & colorful poems about the ocean animals for the pre-school set. Very simple, so if your child knows a lot about marine animals you may want something more detailed.

This is an excellent and delightful book! What a pleasure to read about ocean creatures instead of the usual farm animals. By age 3, my nephew could identify and chat about all the ocean going creatures in this book. It is one of his favorites. The pictures are beautiful and very colorful. I can't say enough great things about this book!

This book is an adorable addition to anyone's book collection. A different ocean animal is featured on each page. Along with the picture is a short poem about the animal. Children love the pictures and the rhyming text. Also check out Rumble in the Jungle by Giles Andreae. It has the same type of text and illustrations but involves jungle animals.

Note to teachers: I use this with my ocean unit. Your students will ask you to read this over and over again. Trust me!

Ellis Peters' "The Leper of St. Giles" starts off as, and continues to be, more of a pure love story than any of its predecessors. Since it is a Cadfael story, murder and mystery do indeed rear their ugly heads. Once more, Cadfael is called (with the support of his nifty new abbot) to do more than mix herbs.

Cadfael's former apprentice Brother Mark has left the nest as the story begins. One of the great joys in this book is to see the continued growth of Mark as a minister. In fact it is Mark, more so than Cadfael, who finds himself in the center of the action in "The Leper of Saint Giles."

This is a story that has a lot to do with the meaning of identity and the impact of deception. The basic plot revolves around a lowly squire who loves a wealthy heiress. The problem is, the heiress' wretched relations are intent on marrying her off for financial gain. From this rather nasty situation springs murder and false accusation. It is the job of Cadfael and Mark to make things right.

The more I read of Ellis Peters, the more I admire her work. She had a unique literary voice. So much wisdom is imparted in each story. This is doubly true in "The Leper of St. Giles." The reader is left questioning the actions of Cadfael and pondering the meaning of Justice.

While I am left with many questions and I missed Cadfael's old buddy Hugh, I found this book to be one of the more satisfying Cadfael stories. I highly recommend "The Leper of St. Giles."

In many ways this is a classic in the Cadfael series. I say that in the sense that this book puts forth most of the best elements that are found (more or less) in every book in this series.

There is the sense of place. In this case, the book lets the reader into the world of the lepers. Set aside by humanity, the leper colony of St. Giles proves a multi-dimensional world with an integral role in the plot.

There is romance. As in most of the books in this series, Cadfael lends a sympathetic ear to a smitten pair. In this case, their obstacles are many and it's a fun read as things are unraveled.

And then there is Cadfael seeing what others miss. It is Cadfael that notices a twig of a rare flower near the dead body. Likewise, Cadfael sees some bruising on the body that could only be caused by a certain ring. And more than once, Cadfael simply applies his experiences to discern what human nature is most likely to do.

My gripes with the book are worth a point off. Foremost, the author seems to have forgotten rule number one of detection (surely as applicable then as now) - who would benefit financially from the death? I also missed Hugh's presence. And a most minor quandry -- were they really able to tell time to the point of distinguishing between 6:15 and 6:20 back then???

Bottom-line: a very solid and pleasant read for fans of historical mysteries. Reading of earlier books in the series would be helpful but isn't necessary.

The Leper of Saint Giles the fifth book in Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series, exemplifies everything which is laudable in her series. Peters' shines in creating characters who we love, and excels in the ability to set the stage in the medieval world. Balancing mystery with romance is never an easy matter and Ellis Peters has created an entire series where this is her forte. In addition this series does not cling to the traditional sense of justice found in many other mysteries.

Brother Cadfael is at his best. He is both a spiritual being and a worldly one. He is as comfortable in the church as he is talking with a knights mistress. Cadfael has an innate ability to sense what is good in true in a person and works actively to support those with just causes. In the instance of this novel it is a young squire, Joss and a wealthy heiress Iveta. Iveta is a pawn of her aunt and uncle who plan to marry her to an aging knight and divide her land between them. Joss loves Iveta and plans on finding away to protect her. when a murder halts the marriage, Joss is the first suspect.

The setting is once again the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Shrewsbury, but this time it also includes the leper colony of Saint Giles. the reader is introduced to some of the horrors and indignities which the lepers lived through. Brother Mark works among them and recognizes the dignity of the human spirit.

I suggest this book as reading for those who love medieval mysteries.

I Recommend this, because talks about treesabout trees and the snow. In one scene, a few tree hog all the sun and grow bigger. I highly recommend for people who need to know more about being selfish Like this book in many ways I like how each tree get to choose what it became. We will try to be unselfish to teach kid how to be kind for the rest of the next line.

I recommend this book just for the poetic beauty alone. It rhymes and has a rhythm that's probably metered. The illustrations are striking and you'll look forward to the colorful trees and the stark, bare, greedy trees.

I recommend the book "The First Forest" written by John Gile. The story explains how greed is not good and it caused fighting among the trees.
The story also explains how and why the evergreen trees got their name and why they are green year round.

The first 6 chapters are ok....but the information is very repetitive...from chpt 7 on is for hormonal little girls. The book does chronicle Derek's life but the author could not find enough material to fill the book...it repeats throught the book, a teenage girl would love this book, a person who is a baseball fan will find this painfull, a Jeter fan can get through it. Derek Jeter: A Yankee for the New Millennium is a much better book for baseball fans over the age of 17.

Derek Jeter The PRIDE Of The Yanks is the best book I have ever read. It is full of great discription. I LOVED IT!

This book was really cool! I am a founder of a newsletter, called sHoRtStOp2 which is about Derek Jeter. I read this book because I wanted to tell other Jeter fans about this book. This book was really cool!! Lots of cool pictures of Derek Jeter, and lots of information that I found out about this amazing shortstop. I would recomend this book!

"Farmer Giles of Ham" is a fast paced fantasy adventure by the same author of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings." However, don't expect an epic like the ones of the other two books here. Tolkien here gives a fantasy adventure in a long ago Britain that is inhabited by supernatural beasts such as giants and dragons. The book is very short and can be read in one sitting.

Farmer Giles is a farmer of Ham, just as the title of the book suggests. When a huge giant comes into the village that he inhabits one night he fights it off and is recognized by the King. Farmer Giles is given a sword, named Tailbiter, and was used by a long ago hero that was a dragonslayer. When the giant spreads rumors of there being nothing in the lands that he came from to dragons, a curious dragon wanders down toward Ham. It is Farmer Giles' job to take care of the dragon. Read this fun filled fantasy adventure to find out the fate of the dragon and Farmer Giles.

This book is basically one very long chapter as it is not broken down into parts and can be thought of as a little part to a much bigger story. This is what differentiates this book from the classics "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings." At the end of the book there is an original text of how the original story was told. There is also a section of notes that were put together for people that are extra curious. The book also has many cute pictures that will get you along through Farmer Giles' adventures.

This is a super short read that can be enjoyed by adults as well as children, who I'd say this book would be liked by most. This simple tale was originally written for J.R.R. Tolkien's children and is like a fun fairy tale. This is a wonderful read that would be enjoyed by fans of Tolkien's other works. Just don't expect another "Lord of the Rings."

Happy Reading!

"Farmer Giles of Ham" (in the vulgar tongue) is an entertaining little tale, maybe the first real comic fantasy novel (actually, more like novella). It's certainly not on par with his tales of hobbits and elves, but it's still cute, funny and very well-written.

Aegidius de Hammo (or in the "vulgar tongue," as Tolkien archly tells us, Farmer Giles of Ham) is a pleasant, not-too-bright farmer (a bit like Barliman Butterbur) who leads a fairly happy life. Until the day his excitable dog Garm warns him that a giant (deaf and very near-sighted) is stomping through and causing mayhem. Giles takes out his blunderbuss and takes a shot at the giant, and inadverantly drive him off.

Naturally, Giles is hailed as a hero. Even the King is impressed, and sends him the sword Caudimordax (vulgar name: Tailbiter), which belonged to a dragonslaying hero. By chance, the not-so-fierce dragon Chrysophylax Dives has started pillaging, destroying and attacking the nearby areas. Can a not-so-heroic farmer drive off a not-so-frightening dragon?

It's a fast, fun little adventure story with blundering giants, greedy dragons and unlikely heroes (the last one is what Tolkien always does best). It's not epic and it's not deep, but it is entertaining, especially for people who enjoy comic fantasies. You'll like this if you enjoyed the cuter moments of "The Hobbit" and stories like "Roverandum."

Tolkien's writing always seems to be winking at the reader. There are a lot of in-jokes for people who know Latin (the "vulgar tongue" comments) and a lot of cute moments, like the young dragons exclaiming that they always knew "knights were mythical!" And the illustrations resemble old tapestries and paintings, but they usually have a funny sort of twist to them.

"Farmer Giles" is not the deepest or most riveting of Tolkien's works, but it's a straightforward, cute little adventure that kids, adults, fans and non-fans of Tolkien will enjoy.

This is a great little book. I can just see that grand old man Mr. Tolkien throwing bottles at his hound & Edith telling him forthrightly to drown the poor thing on the morrow. I'm going to go off-path a bit:Lots of folks say not to read this, that it makes you some kind of mindless Tolkien junkie if you appreciate his non-Middle-Earth material; I simply read on. I haven't spent a fortune on Tolkien: I bought the Hobbit & the Rings Trilogy when I was in sixth grade for $7. Everything else of his, including this, I've gotten at the local library. Smith of Wooton Major, Leaf by Niggle & Roverandom are just neat books worth reading in and of themselves. I read the Silmarillion & enjoyed it. I won't wade through Unfinished or Lost Tales because I'm not a junkie, just an enthusiast. The movies haven't been the most faithful adaptions, but I think Tolkien would have gotten a kick out of them. I'm not a mindless automoton addicted to capitalistic Tolkienia. I just like him because he was a man of faith, a lover of good beer & old yarns, a friend of C.S. Lewis, a fan of Robert E. Howard, & a great writer; he wasn't the smartest, the quickest, or the most academically prolific man, but was expectionally kind, thoughtful and enjoyably creative. Just give his non-Hobbit works a chance; they're good stuff.