Back when Fashion photogs shot 8x10 and retouching was done by hand. These prints are fantastic. Every shot is a work of art - unlike the fashion created today. This is Composed, settled, undefinable beauty.

I have been a fan of Mr. Sokolsky for quite some time. His work is always fresh and inventive. Whether the photos are 20 years old or were shot yesterday, they are timeless. He is so much more than a fashion photographer. He is the eye of an artist. He sees a world of emotion and beauty, he captures the essence of the spirit. When I look at one of his photos I am drawn into a world that only he knows. His pictures move me into a place of pure pleasure. Mr. Sokolsky's love for women and his appreciation of beauty that is real, not perfect but real beauty is what distinguishes him from any other photographer. I only hope that he will publish another book soon. I wish he would photograph me the way he did Ali Mcgraw or Mia Farrow. Such a beautiful, soft, and sensual tribute to his models. Wow! The man is truly a GENIUS!

I could begin by highly recommending this photography book with all the superlatives that it certainly deserves, but this still would not describe these photos adequately or do this publication true justice. For as the saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words and all the brilliant photos in this book one would need thousands upon thousands of words and even then one could never say enough about this extraordinary collection of photograph. I will say this much, rather than having called this book 'Seeing Fashion' --- 'Seeing' would have been enough and a far more appropriate title. For it is about seeing and seeing in a way (or fashion to play on words) that is unique, inventive and an utterly original in the sense that no one takes and took (because much of these photos were taken more than 30 years - a point I will return to a bit later) picture then or now quite like Sokolsky. Photos that first reveal in spite of the fact that were for the most part taken to illustrate the haute couture fashion of the day for Harper's Bazaar, that they are photographs that stand alone for their technical virtuosity but more than this they are work of great inventiveness and a truly personal sense of composition and use of space. They are unique works of art that transcend their time and in turn are timeless in their vision. A vision that still influences photographers in general and the fashion photographers of today. One need only look at today's magazine to see the repetition of his original 'flying' pictures, the use of lighting and also the physical way models pose -- before Sokolsky models simply repeated the poses that had become so common, and yes even boring, from the fashion house's runway. Sokolsky changed all that by posing them in graceful angular articulation that represented a contemporary idiom that could be called sensual cubism, that is a cubism combined with a highly charged sexual aura permeated by the psychological impact of freedoms from social and spiritual oppression and conformities which in its way anticipated the women's lib movement that followed. And again as I looked at these photographs it was difficult to realize that they were taken more than 30 years ago and were indeed taken to illustrate fashion, for these photographs,that also include many portrait of celebreties as well as unknowns and assorted photographic studies, stand on their own merit as extraordinary works of photographic genius and art.

Also another point that I will not elaborate on, besides this publication being long overdue, some elements about this book will make it a collectors items one day.

This is a superb book for any practitioner working in primary care. It covers all important subjects completely and concisely. I used it to review for my boards with the review book that goes with it and I was very prepared. I highly recommend this text.

I found this review book an excellent source of knowledge and simple to understand. This book by passes all the intricate biochemical details and present the meat and potatoes so to speak. The wisdom of the pearls make this book unique. I recommend this book to any professional in a primary care setting.

This is the most comprehensive and concise medical text that I have ever used....so reader friendly. It has over 70 contributors from all over the country.

Finally, someone has published a guide to dealing with my backyard foes. For years, master gardners, nursery workers, etc. have told me there was absolutely nothing I could do to protect my flowerbeds and bird feeders from squirrels, pesky birds and roaming cats. After reading this book, I know what works and what doesn't. This book not only tells me what to do, I now have some good insight into what's going on in the minds of those little critters (I wish more authors would do this). Yeah!!

My only complaint: the title is a little misleading. I got this book so I could deal with squirrels. This book covers many more backyard critters than squirrels such as cats, crows, deer, raccoons, and so on.

An invaluable book for any homeowner who's ever had problems with squirrels (enemy number one), rabbits, racoons, skunks, possums, deer, cats, rats, dogs, even birds, etc. Each section is dedicated to solving a problem with your animal of choice. And that's just it. It could have easily been called "skunk wars" or any other "animal wars" mentioned in this book. I guess he chose squirrels because they seem to be the most persistant animals to invade our backyard. They are truly clever. However, there's another "Squirrel Wars" book that deals with squirrels only, written in 1996, and the author's attempt to outwit them from raiding his birdfeeders. It's funny and serious. I highly recommend both Squirrel Wars. Enjoy while learning.

Many favorite wildlife species wreck havoc on backyard gardens: Squirrel Wars tells how to solve a range of problems, from birds which raid bird feeders and squirrels which are geniuses at food to creatures which nest in chimneys and dig holes in lawns. Deer, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, skunks and opossums are covered, with some remedies more effective than others.

Kim knows what she is talking about! ...find me, Kim.

Mark's first effort is superb. Wonderfully developed characters for whom your really care... set with the exciting backdrop of true events and people in aviation history. I am also an airline pilot, and had a hard time putting this one down... An absolute must read for any aviation enthusiast - or for that matter anyone who enjoys a truly entertaining tale! I look forward to his next book.

Read this book!

A page-turner with more plot twists and bumps than the taxiways at Newark! Non-stop action and adventure set in early 1930s. The author has created a solid and true American hero -- a former Ace Pilot from World War I who has great wit, charm and good looks -- and will stop at nothing to uncover the truth in an accident investigation. Great characters: from lovely warm friends to evil nemesis and sexy love interests.

I learned a bit along the way too about what it would've been like to fly in those days.

Fast and fun like a John Grisham book, but with more character development.

I live in England and have no idea how I first came across this book apart from the fact I bought it from Amazon! But am I so glad that I took the plunge and ordered it. I have not enjoyed a mystery novel as much as this one in a very long time. The plot twists and turns with as many potential murderers as stars in the sky. Combine this with a wonderfully laconic sheriff, Jules Clement, great scenery, a large dose of romantic tension plus a lot of wit, sarcasm and humour, and you have one of the best crime novels you will have read in a while. I could not recommend it enough and am going to spread the word about Jamie Harrison to all my friends.

This is outstanding writing, not merely an outstanding mystery, and is, in my opinion, the best novel of the year. The plot - and that word does not convey the depth of this story - would be marvelous by itself, but Harrison adds almost a dozen characters that stick in your mind and then melds them into a literary event. The writing's top-quality and there's not a hint of a wrong turn in this masterful performance. We all know her Dad's the better writer... uh, don't we? Don't we?

The characters are all believable, the writing is literate and witty, and the growing sense of evil makes this book well worth reading. Ms. Harrison gives a clear sense of place (Southwestern Montana) that never detracts from the book's pace or plot. She handles the large cast of characters and their complicated relationships so deftly that I almost never had to remember who was related to whom. A real pleasure.

Being a beginning watercolorist I knew I needed some help, so I searched all over for a good book on the subject but was unsuccessful. Then I found this book and I'll have to say it is excellent. It covers many of the techenics that new watercolorist need to know like how to stretch paper, the use of masking fluid, how to set up a still life, and how the watercolors work. I recommend this book to everbody that's interested in becoming the serious watercolorist.

As a novice watercolour painter and devoted bibliophile, I have found a new way of spending my hard-earned money: Watercolour books. However, this one might be one of the last I buy, as it's really useful. bought the book yesterday and I am delighted with it. The advice on how to do things is sound, and this is a book that encourages you to find your own style and shows you how the same image may be rendered in such a different way by different people. Unlike other books I own, this one is not only a set of beautiful pictures. In fact, I didn't like some of the art displayed in it, but this is in fact a plus, as it shows the variety of styles and effects you can achieve with watercolour. I know that there are other techniques not displayed in this book, but as a beginning step it's definitely worth every penny. It's got a lot of demos (which are implicitly exercises) and it might end up being a classic on the subject.

This book is an exceptional resource for the watercolorist. I highly recommend this book for both beginner and advanced artists. Terms are explained in plain English. Many watercolor techniques are reviewed and numerous artist's works are described in detail. Hazel Harrison has also written Acrylic School and Pastel School for Readers Digest, and they are all excellent reference sources. I recommend them to all my students.

This is without doubt the best daily devotional book I have ever used. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for meaningful, thought-provoking, insighful, and challenging devotionals. The book should be appropriate for a wide range of age levels. We received one as a Christmas gift last year and I am ordering four for gifts to give this year.

I purchased the book for my 8 year old daughter because I wanted to help her with today's challenges in society. She and I sat down and read the first 15 days of January and she was filled with wonderment! Although we are supposed to only read one day at a time, the flowing quality of the quotes with Scripture and synopsis were easily followed by child and adult alike! Recommended for anyone trying to deal with the madness in today's society and searching for the right answers!

This book of daily devotionals is outstanding. Nick Harrison takes a scripture reading, adds a fitting quotation, and then sums up in a reflection. When I received my copy, I intended to start with that day's devotional and then continue daily as the year progressed. However, I was unable to keep from looking at some of the other entries. They are marvelous - easy and interesting to read, but challenging to put into practice. The quotations have obviously been carefully selected and a section in the back of the book lists the authors and tells us something about them. I would not hesitate to give this book to anyone who wishes to expand his or her spiritual life.

Excellent book focused on the Longitude act's of the 1700's. The primary emphasis is on the two technologies Lunar-distance and chonometer for determining longitude with a precision under 1 degree. The relative percentages are: 50% chonometer, 30% lunar distance, 10% Jupiter's moons, 10% general history pre-1600's. I gave it four stars instead of 5 because I thought the book was going to be a balanced discussion ( i.e. equal time)encompassing all methods of determining longitude irrespective of a 1 degree precision. All that said, I would still recommend the book to anyone interested in the topic.

This beautifully presented large hardback is actually a series of essays covering the story of the search for Longitude from the 16th century to the 19th. The essays deal with a range of subjects from the mathematical to the absurd, from astronomy to cartography and has 4 excellent appendices. The book is well laid out with both black&white and color photography in a manner that means you don't need to be a student of the sea of chronology to understand it. A good book to have on the shelf.

This review is top notch and comprehensive. It's the book of choice to cover the background and the technology. I'm not a watch or clock fanatic, but I slam dunked this whole book in just a couple days; a 15 hour Qantas flight kept me captive. I wish there was more discussion on the nature of astronomy and how the clocks were calibrated. I want to read up on octants, sextants and basic navigation now. This book deserves five stars. The A&E four hour documentary, "Longitude", this month also deserves high marks. If someone knows of a good read on navigating with astronomy that's more layman oriented, please email me (thanks).

Here is a charming book containing the insights of one of the greatest theologians of the age, an architect of the Second Vatican Council and friend to the current pontiff. Cardinal Ratzinger does not like much of the mischief that has been perpretated since the Council in the name of aggiornamento (I think that means "trendiness" in Italian), and makes it clear that the Council was not a license to go on making frivolous tinkerings with the sacred liturgy, ad nauseam, ad infinitum.

Many Church "progressives" (persons who believe that the editors of Commonweal Magazine have the charism of ex cathedra infallibility) enjoy depicting Cardinal Ratzinger as a fiend from the depths of hell. Don't believe this hyperventilating hype; in the name of "collegiality" and "liberty" and "fraternal collaboration," the leftist jacobins have almost succeeded in destroying the reputation of a fine man and a first-rate thinker.

Ratzinger demonstrates how the current breed of liturgists -- like Ezra Pound, pathologically intent on "making it new" -- often claim to represent the interests of the poor and the unlettered, all the while running roughshod over their wishes. The poor and unlettered are derided by the innovators for their naivete, their unsophistication, and their old-fashioned devotional practices. In fact, Ratzinger cites an instance where the poor parishioners of an Episcopalian church in New York City were instrumental in stopping the drastic "renovation" of a church they loved just the way it was.

"Mark my word," Thomas Merton once wrote to a friend, "there is no uglier species on the face of the earth than progressed Catholics, mean, frivol, ungainly, inarticulate, venomous, and bursting at the seams with progress into the secular cities and the Teilhardian subways." And Thomas Merton was not to be confused with Cardinal Ratzinger, who has been called every name in the book by those who pride themselves on their tolerance. Read the Ratzinger Report and don't believe the hype.

I came to this book--or, rather, interview--as a person feeling the pull to Catholicism. This was probably not the best book to read this early in the journey to Rome, since it presumes something of a knowledge of the Church and its "crisis" in modern times, particularly after Vatican II--unlike, say, an introduction to Catholic theology or liturgy. In that respect, then, not being a Catholic, I was probably limited in what I could take from the book.

Nevertheless, I found it extremely fascinating and worthwhile. For starters, Ratzinger's understanding of the Church speaks directly to why I was drawn to it in the first place. He conveys a sense of the Church's community of believers, the communion of saints, emphasizing the very important communal aspects of the Catholic faith and suggesting that theology is not just a matter for individuals and academicians and "theologians"--it is pursued as a community. He describes this community, this unity quite wonderfully, I think: "harmonic wholeness."

His description as the Church going up against the powerful cultural forces of our time was also quite convincing and appealing. Indeed, the Church stands virtually alone against the tide of permissivity. Ratzinger discusses the difficulties the Church was facing in the mid-1980s, from feminism and liberation theology to the dangers of extreme individualism. His proposed solutions are probably not surprising to those familiar--among others: not an abandonment of Vatican II but a discovery of its true spirit; a re-affirmation of traditional doctrines (such as the Virgin Mary); a recognition that the Church is not democratic but sacramental and hierarchical instead; and a restoration of the virtues of motherhood and virginity.

All in all, a great survey of the Catholic Church's position in the modern world, which deals with problems as well as possible answers. Moreover, Ratzinger speaks, either directly or indirectly, to the problems facing the world in general, and his solutions could just as easily be applied in that broader context. This book, then, in many ways, transcends its intended Catholic audience--a true achievement.

In this interview, Cardinal Ratzinger, perhaps the second most influential person in the Catholic church, shows everyone to be wrong about him. He is less conservative than the conservatives think and progressives fear. Ratzinger is an example of how the Catholic church is something entirely different, such that you cannot fit it's mission into a 'progressive' or 'conservative' form. Rather, there is simply Catholicism. Ratzinger's main goal is to make us, progressives and conservatives, understand that Vatican II cannot be ignored, but must exert its full affect upon the Church.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was an interesting book to read. The imagery of nature throughout the book played an important role in Gawain's quest. There was also more focus on Gawain's struggle between being a man and a romantic hero than in other tales. His inner conflict came out in little actions and words and Harrison really tries to let the reader see the emotional conflict while Gawain is searching for the Green Knight. The twisted ending also makes the book appealing because it is unlike most Arthurian literature which directly glorifies the knight. In comparison to other Arthuirian literature, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight praises Gawain in the end not only for his combative skills but also for his beliefs and strong dedication to honor and faith. He comes out a hero not only because he accepts a quest but also because of his beliefs after he fails in his faith.

Arthurian literature is laced with double meanings and allegories, especially in The Green Knight. It's a great representation of what medieval literature focued on and the basis of great knights. In comparison to Wace's Roman de Brut, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a much better read. :)

Over the years I've read versions of this poem by numerous people: Brian Stone (the best before this), Tolkien, Raffael, Silverstein, and the archaic and almost unreadable version by Marie Boroff, and more. This is by far and away the best I've come across so far. For one thing, it's astonishingly accurate. Second, it's in a highhly crafted and subtly alliterated modern English. It SOUNDS like someone telling a story not putting on a literary manner and trying to sound important. I despaired of ever being able to introduce my students in reading groups to a convincing translation of this marvelous tale, and here it is. I listened to this version on Public Radio years ago and was captivated. Now I have the book and will delight in sharing the story with my students with a confidence I never had in any of the other translations. Fine introduction too - by the author and by Helen Cooper. Very highly recommended.

Many would-be readers are put-off by the word "classic," inferring that anything tagged with that label is necessarily dry, inaccessible, and out-of-touch. Sadly, they're often right. But the immortal tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one book from Oxford World's Classics no fan of Arthurian literature can afford to miss. You want it, it's here: action and romance, mystery and suspense, a heroic quest and a seemingly diabolic villain, and some of the most beautiful word-play ever put to paper, all wonderfully rendered in a fine easy-to-grasp translation by Keith Harrison.

Readers expecting the same Gawain from Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur may be in for a bit of shock. The titular hero of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is far more valiant than later writers chose to present him. Indeed, even the mighty Lancelot pales next to Gawain here. When the inscrutable Green Knight thunders into Camelot to challenge the King, none but Gawain dares step forward to accept the challenge on Arthur's behalf. It's clear that in the eys of this poem's author, Gawain--not Lancelot--was chivalry's greatest champion.

Though a story told in verse, Harrison's Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is actually easier reading than any edition of Malory I've seen, while the strong introduction and explanatory notes take care of most of the trouble spots. Acccessibility was clearly a major priority.

Like all the best stories, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is never the same twice. I first encountered this timeless tale years ago in college, but reading Harrison's edition was a whole new experience. The poem is full of symbolism and raises many questions about the nature of chivalry, heroism, courtesy, sin, success, failure, and duty--someof which the poet leaves to the reader to answer for himself.

For those of you who haven't read this poem for a while, Harrison's translation is a great way to get reacquainted with an old friend. And to those who have never read it, fearful of yet another barren "classic," give it a shot. It's definitely worth it.