The photographs by John Bigelow Taylor are wonderful, but this book has a paucity of explanatory text. I don't just like to look at pretty pictures. I want to know about the jewelry. Who made it? How was it made? Who wears it? How is it worn? Why was it worn? What is the human history behind it? I particularly want to know all this about ethnic jewelry. You won't get it here.

No people are shown wearing the jewelry, so the book is sterile. There is no cultural context. It's a lot to pay for no additional knowledge about ethnic jewelry.

This is, indeed, a very beautifully photographed book. The represented pieces are all exquisite.

Though, it's true that there could have been more background information provided, giving the book a rating of one star, as the first reviewer did, is grossly unjust - an act of spite rather than of informed criticism. Clearly, the book was never meant to be a exhaustive examination of all the ethnological aspects of each piece (though there is ample annotation); such a book would have run to 2000 pages rather than 250! So the Splendor of Ethnic Jewelry is not a doctoral thesis but rather a stroll thru a museum; in this case, the Ghysels Collection. A coffee-table book if you want, but beautiful none the less and of the highest standard.

If you have previously had no interest in ethnic jewelry per se, this book will open your eyes to the extraordinary artistry of these ornaments created by the world's non-industrial peoples. Each object in itself says much more than an accompanying treatise ever could, and I cannot imagine anyone coming away from this book without a desire to learn more.

A second copy purchased for a friend who deals in ethnic jewelry was very much appreciated.

This is a HUGE book filled with georgeous close-ups of really inspirational jewelry. A favorite of mine!

Read this book in two days. Pretty bad when all these fathers and mothers have to write books like this to establish their belief. To be arguing over God with your child is a twisted idealism that reeks of narcissim. This should have been agreed upon before the relationship and if two adults cannot agree or do not agree on worship then why did you have children? Books can seem immature and childish and this book was both.

Yes, this book takes TWO days to read, because it cannot be put down!! A story of a marriage gone awry by domestic violence and the final violence of the father abducting the children and hiding them away.

The author painstakingly describes her 6 year search for her children. She finds them absorbed into a religious community that resists their return.

This book is beyond differences of spiritual beliefs but the inhumanity of stealing children and withholding their return without justification.

I went through the book in one days time. It is very well written. The author managed, no matter the damage done to her and her family, to remain objective in her story.

I never understood why 'The Sorrow of Belgium/Het verdriet van België' created such a fuzz in the Dutch language community (Flanders + The Netherlands). Possibly, the fact that it was a 'must reed' in school, makes that I'm not that overwhelmed by it.
Mind you, it certainly isn't a bad novel, but (from my point of view) it isn't the highlight of twentieth-century Dutch literature that some people say it is. It does help to understand the Flemish feelings towards 'higher authorities' (like Belgium, like the (catholic) church), and maybe (given the correct interpretation of the whole background regarding the German occupation of Belgium during WWII) it can give this novell an universal angle.

I would like to point out that Hugo Claus is a much better poet than he is a novellist. If he'll ever get the Nobel Prize (for the last ten years his name is mentionned), it should be for his poetry, which is (without any exeption) extraordinary and amazing. Obvious problem: it's easier to translate a novell than a poem...

I review this book reluctantly because I read it over 11 years ago. Frankly there is little that I remember about except two things. The first is that there is an hilarious part on pre-pubescent boys sharing their misconceptions about girls. The second thing I remember about it is my disappointment that the book lacked what I was looking for. I had fairly close relatives in The Netherlands during WWII and some of the stories I heard from them (and others) gave me a totally different picture from what I found in Claus's book. From them I got a sense of being occupied by a sinister enemy. Clandestine meetings, people being hauled off to forced labor, and a sense of fear were among the impressions that I was left with. From "The Sorrow of Belgium" I got a sense of life somewhat altered but still pretty much like normal. Perhaps that was the point. Perhaps the residents of Belgium experienced a different life than my relatives. Perhaps my relatives embellished their tales of woe. Perhaps I only heard what was interesting to me when my great aunts and uncles shared their experiences with me. All I can say is, this comfortable life style caught me by surprise and left me disappointed. I have read a number of books by European authors trying to get a sense of life in Hitler's Europe. Maybe I have already found it in "The Sorrow of Belgium" but just don't realize it. If so, I'm disappointed in Belgium.

The sorrow of Belgium is a long, rich and stunning novel, poetic and at times heart-rending. The book is obviously the masters (this is how they call Hugo Claus in the newspapers and reviews here in Belgium and Holland) most impressive and most beautiful novel and has everything in it to become (if it isn't it already) a classic, also outside Belgium. Anyone who likes 20th century literature should read this book, it has everything in it from Proust, Joyce, and Faulkner to Garcia Marquez and ... Claus. Just read the book and make your own opinion.

Pretty good map. Sometimes very confusing though. Quite possible that it is the Dutch language. I found that they left the street prefix and suffix off of the name which made it rather hard to look up streets. Also the coordinates on the map were large areas leaving you searching a large part of the map for a street, once you were finally able to find it in the street locator section. I did order other maps because I wasn't to sure how this one would work with me once I was in the heart of it all. One other good thing that I found about it was the material the map was made of. It was a plastic that could hold up to the rain and also the wear and tear. It was also great because you could write on the map with dry erase marker which made it handy for noting the special "shops" incase you wanted to return later in your vacation.

relied on this map heavily while in Amsterdam and didn't have a single gripe about it. It's compact and sturdy and fairly easy to pinpoint the area you are wanting to find.

I understand that this book is only two years old, but I was surprized how much was missing. I scrolled to the last page of the search and got the 2002 instead (it's now 2003 when I'm writing this) per a suggestion I read. It was more on target about things friends had said and suggested.

I was looking for a guide book about the Netherlands, but this had very little about this area. It is mostly devoted to France. I also didn't feel it was organized in a clear fashion.

It will give you the courage to go, and that's a big plus. I found fault mainly with the limited number of places he covered (none of which I was going to be near), and his sense that it would be very easy to get around France with minimal French because English is so widely spoken. This was not my experience at all. Perhaps the places he likes are that way (and maybe that is why he likes them). I found instead that I was getting along very barely with my minimal French, some signs, but very rarely any English spoken even though I always started in French.

I've used a fair number of travel guides, and this one is destined for the trash long before I take my trip. I find it extremely user UNfriendly, and short on lots of vital information. While there are some nice maps and some pieces of good data, the organization is appalling. Instead of a division by regions, it is in encyclopedia fashion -- alphabetical place names. Places that get 3 stars (their top rating -- must see) on some of the maps don't show up in the index or as a place heading. When you find something interesting in the text, you have to wonder, where is it in the country? Good luck finding further data. Prices and estimated costs? Forget it -- there are none. I suppose that reduces their costs of updating versions. Data on hotels and restaurants? No -- you have to buy Michelin's separate book, their "red guide." Meaningful information on any form of travel other than by car? Not here. Trying to plan a trip with this guide? Lots of luck.

I like the rating system used by the authors to evaluate theinterest of a prospective tourist site. It's helpful in trip planning. On the other hand, the detail given in describing individual cities or sites should be sufficient for the casual tourist. The book includes brief history lessons that increased my interest in the historical sites described. It's worth [the price].

Michelin's "Netherlands" guide is a compact and comprehensive companion when travelling in the Low Countries. It is pleasant to read and gives you the necessary historical, geographical and cultural background of the country as well as on its provinces and towns. It basically gives you the information, proposition for itineries etc. which you need and expect, without being too lengthy. Complemented with Michelin's 1:400.000 map, it is an excellent basis to plan a trip and then follow it through. The only point, which could be improved is the index, which does not reference all the sites marked as worth visiting on the overview maps on the first pages of the guide. Some sites (example Muiden castle) are not referenced in themselves but as excursions, which can be done in the environs of a town (such as Amsterdam).

A very well-written book, and presumably well-intentioned. Unfortunately, many, many mistakes which undermine the project. It may be great for a casual reader, but for those sincerely interested in the art and history of the time and place, I would not recommend it.

Honig's superbly researched book breaks new ground in relating an important period in the history of European (especially Dutch) painting to the social and economic transformation of early modern society. She establishes, in a new and impressive manner, meaningful connections between the subject matter, composition and style of characteristic market scenes (Aertsen, Beucklaer, Jan Breughel and others) and the emerging conventions of the marketplace. This exemplary study, rich in insight and scholarship, breathes new life into the historical sociology of art and deserves a much wider readershiip than its descriptively accurate but uninspiring title is likely to attract!

Honig is shear genius. Comprehensive and exquisitely written

I have to agree with the review below - there is nothing alternative about this guide. And the writer is so sarcastic about some of the places reviewed, that I wonder why they were in the book at all.

Given Amsterdam's seedier side, you would think this Back Door Guide would help you sift through all the shops and scenes to give you some cool spots. But the guide was sorely lacking in this department. While giving diverse offerings for daytime fare, the book skimped on the nighttime activities, only listing a few 'highlights,' which were probably in the front door guide anyway. References to the seedier side were left at that - only references. No recommendations. Perhaps their back door guide to a more sedate town like Brussels helps you find the hidden jewel at nights, but this back door offering might have well just said to wander around and go in what looks appealing. Thanks for the help.

My husband and I bought both the Amsterdam and the London versions as we planned our honeymoon. What a great read! Reading the Irreverent Guide further fueled our excitement about Amsterdam and our trip and we found the city to be true to the book's description.

The style of the books are very easy to read, with useful information and a slightly sarcastic, biting tone. The information is presented in a funny manner and it definitely differs from the dry-as-a-bone descriptives that classify so many travel books. Because the book is written based on information from locals, and even partially by locals themselves, this travel guide has more of a travelogue feel than a travel guide feel, which definitely appeals to me. It offers good information about how to really *see* a city or a place the way its seen by people who live there, even if you are only there for a few days.

We used the Amsterdam guide to find our hotel, look up attractions, learn enough about the culture so that we weren't annoyed with the slow wait service, and many other things. We did not have a single negative experience in Amsterdam from following any of the book's recommendations.

A useless attempt at a guide book. The writing in unengaging, the maps distorted and misleading, the information given on sights and accomodation far from reliable. It seems the guide is at pains to try to tell the traveller what they can do in Amsterdam--I say, find another guide, or do it on your own. This guide won't help, it will make you a few bucks poorer (and won't list good budget housing--I found accomodation not mentioned in the guide at a fraction of the lowest price published in the guide--complete with a room of my own), and more frustrated.

I read most of this book through before I travelled to the Netherlands, but didn't end up using it while I was there. I used the Rough Guide far more while tramping around. It does have lots of great background information, so it was worth the time I spent reading. But it does lack spirit. If you choose this guidebook, supplement it with Joe Pauker's Cool Guide to Amsterdam, which will get you into the coffeeshops and the underground culture.

I am on holiday in Amsterdam as I write. This book has been invaluable in my stay. I am residing at the Hotel Prinsenhof. I doubt I would have had the good fortune to find this cozy hotel without the Lonely Planet Guide. It is faithful to the Lonely Planet format, providing detailed information including address, phone and fax numbers. There are also tips which have saved me money. One was to purchase a Year Pass for the museums. I now may visit any of the major museums as often as I like, for free. I like free. ;D If you are planning a trip to Amsterdam, or would simply like to find some things you may not have tried, yet, this book will be interesting to you.

Total agreement with the first 4 reviewers. Van Welleghem should not be writing, and if he has an editor, the editor should find another occupation. Eddy Mercxx was an idol of mine as a teenager, and still inspires my riding and racing today, several decades later. Unfortunately, this book is very poorly written--utterly repetitious, without inspiration or insight--it's making a fascinating subject a chore to explore.

Don't get me wrong: in cycling terms, Eddy Merckx is and will be the greatest rider who ever lived (Jeannie Longo another candidate, arguably). It is impossible to imagine anyone else being able to win 30% of the races he entered in a sport where just finishing is often a big deal, let alone owning the yellow, green and polka dot jerseys at the end of a single Tour de France. Eddy Merckx was a prodigious talent but, judging from this book, an astonishingly dull person. The author concentrates on Merckx the man rather than the racer and we find a lower-middle class Belgian with no schooling, no outside interests and a tendency towards complete silence. At the end of this poorly-structured and repetitive book, we feel nothing about the great dramas of the Cannibal's sporting life, his motivitations, his training methods. It seems he got on his bike, won the race and got off. Nothing heroic about any of this yet Merckx rode some of the most dramatic bike races ever.

The definitive Merckx book remains to be written. Save your money until then.

It's a shame that Rik Van Walleghem's abilities as a writer fall so far short of Eddy Merckx's brilliance on a bicycle. This book is flabby, repetitive, poorly edited and, in the end, not very informative. The only other book I have read on bicycle racing is the equally dismal An Intimate Portrait of The Tour de France by Phillippe Brunel. In my experience, cyclists aren't stupid. They deserve better than this.