Shanghai in the 1920's and 30's must have been the single most difficult city in the world to govern. Shanghai's reputation as a center of vice and corruption was legendary in its own day. At the beginning of the Twenty First Century, the Shangai of this period still holds its own romantic appeal.

Frederic Wakeman's book is a study of the Nationalist Government's attempt to bring order and discipline to a city through a program of national renewal. Their goal was to one day recapture the city's full sovereignty by showing the West that the Government could effectively govern Shanghai. This book is the story of how this worthy goal was subverted to the political and monetary needs of the Nationalist Government.

Although written for an academic audience, Wakeman's story of the Green Gang, secret Comminturn Agents, turncoat Communist Assasins and corrupt police officials has an appeal that goes far beyond the merely academic. I loved this book because I enjoyed reading about the intricate details of some of the greatest crimes and criminals of this truly golden age of crime.

Avast mates! Never has a finer tale of the sea to be had. Meet Long John, Captain Flint, Ben Gunn, and some of the other scurvy crew from 'Treasure Island'. Learn where the treasure came from. Fights at sea and ashore aplenty.

A great book. A wonderful collection of images coupled with well-written essays.

Fr. Faber calls it "the price of our salvation," for Our Lord died from loss of blood. says, "it is out of the Precious Blood that men draw martyrdoms, vocations, celibacies, austerities, heroic charities and all the magnificent graces of high sanctity." Says the Sacraments are God's machinery for keeping His Precious Blood always flowing in the Church and that the evils on earth and the pains of Hell would be much worse without the shedding of Our Lord's Precious Blood. Full of keen insights into our entire religion from the standpoint of the Precious Blood. Wakes us up to points of our Faith we may have forgotten or never thought about before! 278pp. PB. Imprimatur.

A comprehensive reference on the sourcing, cultural context, and ideological significance of jade in the world of the ancient Maya and other Precolumbian peoples of Central America. This is a "must have" for anyone interested in the topic. It is destined to become a classic source on archaeological jade.

This is a good old fashioned adventure story-- right along with lines of "King Soloman's Mines", "Allen Quartermain", "Beau Gests", "The Sea-Hawks","She", "Scaramouche","The Scarlet Pimpernel", etc.

"Prester John" is based on a character/myth of the same name. Thoughout the Middle Ages it was rumored that a priest named "Prester (Father) John" had traveled to Africa to convert the natives. But instead emassed a huge fortune and made himself king of this mysterous part of Africa. So as you can expect this story is full of lost civilizations, hidden treasures, deepest-darkest Africa, great friendship and ruthless betrayal, explorers of spooky places, tigers and lions, witch doctors, and just plan good old fashioned late-victoria adventures. And despite it being written 100 or so years ago, it is still very,very readable.

So if you just want 100% escapism, or to introduce a child to the joys (and excitement) of reading, you can't go wrong with this story...esp. at this price!

I just finished reading Pride and Fear. What a great read! It kept me captivated from front to back. I was interested to find out more about the religion of Islam and how it has come to have such an impact in all of our lives. This book has helped by showing how a number of African communities have integrated their religion into their political and daily attitudes. It was both accesible and informative. I have found a handful of books in the last couple of years that have helped expand my understanding of our global community and this is one of them.

I highly reccomend this book. This book divided into several short chapters providing concise reviews on basic science and clinical diseases of bone. The book is well written and has many useful tables. This book is the official primer published by the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. It is writen by many intenationally known scientists in the field of bone and mineral research. It is a book that belongs to any physician caring for patients with bone diseases not limited to osteoporosis.

From Camus to Kafka to all the great Existentalist thinkers who ever lived and who have somehow died. Great for beginners. This gives a base for further reading into the philosophy of Existentlism. A must, must have!

When I studied drafting in school, we used a text by the same authors. I found it great, as it gave enough detail on how to draw, without being wordy, and there were ample pictures & diagrams to help. I'm no artist, by the way, but every now & then I did a couple of problems to do something different.

Time came when I wanted to get back into re-learning drafting, but due to family, and time constraints, there's no way I could again take courses. So, I bought the book.

If you're a beginner, don't be put off by the title.
This is exactly the same as the text and workbooks, by the same authors.
Start at the beginning, and pay attention to basics.

If you're a pro, it will refresh your skills.
This has a workbook with it, so practice isn't a problem.
It's all too true, that one shouldn't attempt to draw CAD until the "Board" has been mastered. Without the basics, you're building on a house of cards. My husband works in an engineering firm and sees this all the time. Some of the ideas inside, may seem outdated, but trust me, the priciples are still the same.

I highly recommend it. Personally, I found it practical, challenging and affordable.