Z Books

This book is a must have for anyone who is trying to teach themselves embroidery.

The book is a step by step guide with fabulous photos and instructions on how to perform the stitches. This is the first book in a growing series put out by the fine folks at Country Bumpkin down in Australia. I own 7 out of the 10 books in the series :-)

I own the spiral copy- and it's great, there are newer versions with a covered spiral, and that is great as well. Those newer versions make it easier to view your collection when it's on the bookshelf - that's the only difference.

BTW, most of the stitch diagrams came from issues of Inspirations Magazine, a fabulous and pricey magazine. The title sounds pretentious, but it's for real. You will be inspired when you look through the magazine. To save paper, the folks at the magazine only include stitch diagrams for new stuff - so you need this book if you don't have all the back copies. It seems like a marketing ploy - but it's not - the book & the magazines are all worth the money.

I bought this book a few years ago and it is THE definitive how-to book of embroidery stitches, for the beginner and more experienced stitcher alike. The photos are clear and show each step of the stitch so that you really get it -- and because of that, I have purchased all of the other A-Z series books to expand my needlework interests and skills. The price is well worth it -- a superb publication from which I have taught many students here and overseas.

If you embroider, want to learn, or just appreciate the beauty of this handcraft...You NEED this book! It leaves no stitch undone and even the novice will find it easy to understand and follow. This all color book features close ups of every detail one needs to know to become an expert in this fine art.

I really like all of the color photographs of the stamps and how the series are grouped together. It makes it easy to find the stamps and country you are looking for.

Any one who has ever thought of collecting stamps in the US, is familiar with the Scott stamp catalogs, the backbone of the collectors world. Yeah, they're a bit pricy, but then look at the work that has gone and continues to go into them! NEW for 2007.....COLOR!!!!! OMG!!!!! Most of the illustrations are now in COLOR!!!!!

I am in the process of inventorying my Grandfather's massive stamp horde to try and sell it off. At ChicagoPex this year, I was drooling over the new catalogs, mumbling something about "color......". My sister wasn't overly impressed with the concept (she's since changed her mind!) and balked at spending that much money for a new set of catalogs. We've been working out of a 1999 set.

Needless to say, I won! Hallelujah! Especially for the "not so informed" or anyone with not so good eyesight, the color makes a HUGE difference! It is SO much easier to find a stamp that you're looking for! I can not thank Scott enough for their huge effort in rescanning every single stamp in existence (that they could get their hands on).

Bottom line......if you're thinking about it, but doing the "well, my catalogs aren't that old yet" or "boy, that's a lot of money to shell out", my advise is BUY THEM!

:::2020 Vision::: Stan Davis and Bill Davidson Simon & Schuster (c) 1991 ISBN 0-671-73237-4 I just finished the book last week, and I think I want to read it again already. There are so many new ideas and concepts that it's hard for me to really remember them. Besides, this new economy that the book is about is such a different way of thinking for me that it's not just a matter of incorporating some new suggestions into the same mindset that I've always had -- 2020 Vision is really about looking at business and management in a whole new way; the mindset itself is different. When I read phrases like "the new economy," or "informationalize your business," I'm usually a more than a little skeptical. "Yeah, right," I used to think all this talk about an "information economy" was about looking up answers to questions and trying to sell each other last week's baseball scores. I no longer think so. I took the book home largely because one of the promotional blurbs on the back cover was by Tom Peters, who said "If Stan Davis' Future Perfect was the 'book of the decade' for the '80s (and I think it was), then his and Bill Davidson's 2020 Vision may well be the 'book of the '90s.' 2020 Vision is not for the faint of heart. It is a provocative masterpiece that puts almost all other 'futurist' treatises to shame." Well! How could I resist a challenge like that? Besides, I read Future Perfect back in the '80s, and it was indeed brilliant. I'd have to agree with Tom Peters about Davis and Davidson's book. Not only did I begin to understand that we really are in the midst of a new economy -- and thus a new era of mankind's social relationships, thinking and enterprise -- but even as I was reading through the chapters my mind began to be crowded with all sorts of new ideas not just for improvements in the way I'm already doing business, but whole new businesses! Now, how many books have you read lately that both stimulate the imagination and suggest immediately practical solutions for everyday problems, all at once? Practical and exciting, 2020 Vision has important lessons for virtually every business, not just those we may first think of when things "high tech" or "computerized" are mentioned. Officers of large corporations as well as one-person home-based business-people will all be doing themselves, their customers, and their businesses a tremendous favor by reading this important and entertaining book.

This book uses a search light to enable understanding the full picture of changing economy (as we read about the world that would be in the year 2020).

The book is about: "Information management is reshaping the basic structure of American enterprise, and biotechnology will be the next industry to be affected. In this pioneering analysis, Davis and Davidson explain what these changes mean and how entrepreneurs, executives, and others responsible for implementing business decisions are preparing today for the challenge of tomorrow."

In short, "Forecasts the realities of American business for the next three decades and explains how companies can reap profit through the use of information and biotechnology "

The book adds another jargon in the field of information management: 'informationalize.'

I like the formulae:
"Informationalization= customized products + rapid response."
"Informationalization= Manufacture at point of delivery"
"Informationalization= Shrinking overhead, inventory, and working capital"
"Informationalization + Direct Access= Higher Service Standards"
"Informationalization= Interorganizational bonding"
"Informationalization + logistics= Globalization" (pp. 63-78)

To understand these, one has to read the book.

The reason I like this book so well is because it has some great songs in it that was sang in the church choir I was in for years. They are beautiful songs.

This book has a great selection of hymns. If you are into gospel music, you'll find some real classics, from the old traditional songs to newer gospel music. The arrangements are quite simple, comparable to any hymnal I've ever played from, easily learned.

Although many games were not particularly applicable to my content-heavy training classes, each activity was clearly explained and well organized with several possible variations included at the end. I found plenty of creative and applicable material for any size group and subject matter. Definitely belongs on the bookshelf of every trainer.

58 1/2 Ways To Improvise In Training is an anthology of games and activities especially designed to create an environment of active improvisation, experimentation, imagination, and energy. Physical and verbal activities alike serve as icebreakers and means to shake people out of their morning doldrums, whether for a team meeting or workshop training session. Each activity is presented with a recommended number of participants, estimated time, and a star rating indicating how focuses that activity is on bringing out a high energy level, individual strengths, team coordination, or visual, verbal, and physical skills. Instructions for the trainer to say aloud to the participants, sidecoach recommendations, debriefing questions to ask of the participants after the activity, and suggested variations or developments for each activity make 58 1/2 Ways To Improvise In Training easy to understand and apply to immediate practical use. An extraordinarily handy warm-up and focus guide for bringing the best out of groups of people.

I have to admit that I was mystified by many of the common phrases I'd hear in my meetings. This book really helped me understand what people were talking about. It has a lot of what the meetings have too--humor, touching stories, and profound insight. Next to the big book, this one is my favorite 12 Step book.

Christopher Cavenaugh has done an excellent job of explaining various terms and slogans heard through out the 12 step journey. It is an easy to read dictionary format. Everything from the serenity prayer to the steps is broken down into easy to find definitions.

I bought this book as something my 14-month-old son might like in the future since we travel to Boston often, but he's really enjoying it now. He keeps picking it out of his book basket and flipping through the pages. I think the photos really capture his attention, and I've learned a few things about Boston, as well. So, I think this book has a wide appeal - for very young kids who may enjoy the photographs to pre-schoolers learning the alphabet to older children who will enjoy matching the photos up with visits to those sites.

Recommended for families with young kids. I bought the ABC New York City book for my twin three year olds and loved it. I've bought this b/c I love the city of Boston, and it helps my kids learn their alphabet while enjoying the pictures--a rare win-win for parent and child. Also love the book size and paperback format--easy for a toddler to handle.

I have admired Nicholas Pennell's work since I saw him in the Forsyte Saga when I was in high school. I was glad to be able to find out more about his carreer in a book where the author was not trying to sensationalize anything but just give the facts.

This is a charming and readable biography of a man who dedicated himself not only to theater but to one remarkable theater in particular-the Stratford Festival in Ontario. Despite the beginning of a good career in London, Pennell, British by birth, once accepted a limited engagement with Stratford. Almost immediately he became fascinated with the theatrical opportunities that that repertoire company provided an actor, to say nothing of the rich dramatic offering it presented to an international audience.
As a result, Pennell became a Canadian citizen and spent a professional lifetime acting and teaching at Stratford. His work took him elsewhere, including the United States, England, and the West Indies, but his base remained always at Stratford, where he quickly became and remained one of the stars of the company.
Maher, who knew Pennell, bases her biography on his correspondence, interviews with his friends and associates, and interviews that Pennell himself granted to her and to others. The book is full of amusing anecdotes, as one always hopes to find in a book about theatrical personalities. It could also serve as a useful teaching aid for young actors because Pennell talks compellingly about the demands and techniques of acting.
Finally, you don't have to know what has been going on in English-language theater since at least the mid-20 century to enjoy Maher's book. But if you do, it is even more fun.
Henry Butterfield Ryan, July 29, 2005.

A great, handy reference book, "The Address Book: How to Reach Anyone Who Is Anyone" by Michael Levine is a helpful book for anyone looking to write celebrities, politicians, businessmen, and other notable personalities.

Each contact is alphabetized by last name, and contains the address, person's occupation, and in some cases, birthdays (for celebrities only) and webpages (for companies). As an avid letter writer, I found this book helpful in providing me with addresses at demand instead of hunting them down through the Internet by doing searches or going to company webpages.

A great book many will find resourceful, "The Address Book: How to Reach Anyone Who Is Anyone" will help many find the contact information they seek without the need for a major Internet search or many telephone calls. It makes a great gift for students, business professionals, and for anyone who avidly writes letters.

A great, handy reference book, "The Address Book: How to Reach Anyone Who Is Anyone" by Michael Levine is a helpful book for anyone looking to write celebrities, politicians, businessmen, and other notable personalities.

Each contact is alphabetized by last name, and contains the address, person's occupation, and in some cases, birthdays (for celebrities only) and webpages (for companies). As an avid letter writer, I found this book helpful in providing me with addresses at demand instead of hunting them down through the Internet by doing searches or going to company webpages.

A great book many will find resourceful, "The Address Book: How to Reach Anyone Who Is Anyone" will help many find the contact information they seek without the need for a major Internet search or many telephone calls. It makes a great gift for students, business professionals, and for anyone who avidly writes letters.

Finally, Marvel is putting together these exhaustive handbooks in hard cover form. If you are a big Marvel fan you absolutely have to have these reference books. Also, finally, there are biographies for Marvel Golden Age characters which is very nice.

If you collected the Official Marvel Handbooks from the 1980s-1990s and enjoyed them then these updated versions are a MUST have. The matching spines and similar covers look good on the book shelf and the back covers give a list of all the biographies inside.

Pretty much perfect for what it is.

This *excellent*, high quality, full color series continues. I favor some volumes over others mainly due to the characters & teams included. A few favorites here: Eternals; Eternity; Falcon; Fantastic Four; Fight-Man; all the 'fire' characters; Emma Frost; Nick Fury; Galactus; Grey Gargoyle; and Guardian (Alpha Flight).

The contents here include: Earthmover; Elf with a Gun; Elixir; Elysius; Holly-Ann Ember; Empathoid; Emplate; Enchantress; Enforcers; Epoch; Equinox; Ereshkigal; Eric the Red; Ero; Eternal Brain; Eternals; Eternity; Euroforce; Euro-Trash; Eurth; Excalibur; Exemplars; Exiles (World War II); Exiles (dimension-hopping); Exodus; Eye Killers; Ezekiel; Faceless Ones; Factor Three; Falcon (Wilson); Fallen One (Galactus herald); Fantastic Five (MC-2); Fantastic Five (Spider-Man); Fantastic Force; Fantastic Four; Fantomex; Father Darklyte; Father Time (Scott); Fathom Five; Femme Fatales; Ferocia; Feron; Fight-Man; Fin (Noble); Fin Fang Foom; Firebird; Firelord; Firepower; Firestar; First Line; Richard Fisk; Vanessa Fisk; Fixer (Ebersol); Flag Smasher; Flex; Fly; Flying Duchman's Ghost; Flying Tiger; Folding Circle; Followers of the Light; Foolkiller (Everbest); Foolkiller (Gerhardt); Force (Wilson); Force Four; Force Works; Forge; Don Fortunado; Fox (Slinker); Frankenstein's Monster; Freedom Ring; Free Spirit; Friday (Iron Man's computer program); Frightful Four; Frog-Man (Patilio); Deacon Frost; Emma Frost; Rumiko Fujikawa; Fury (cybiote); Nick Fury; Fusion (Fusser twins); Fusion (Markley); Gabriel the Air-Walker; Gabriel the Devil-Hunter; Gaea; Galactic Guardians; Galactus; Galaxy Master; Gambit; Gamesmaster; Gamma Corps; Gamma Mutates; Gamora; Ganymede; Gargoyle (Christians); John Garrett; Gatherers; Geist; Vera Gemini; Generation X; Genesis; Genosha; Geshem; Ghost; Ghost Dancer; Ghost Rider (Blaze); Ghost Rider (2099 AD); Gibbon; Gilgamesh; Gladiator (Potter); Gladiators; Glob; Glorian; Gnobians; Ma Gnucci; Goddess; Goldbug; Golem (creature); Goliath (Bill Foster); Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Book; Gorgon (Shishido); Gorilla-Man (Hale); Grand Director; Grandmaster; Glory Grant; Graviton; Gravity; Great Game; Great Lakes Initiative; Great One; Grey Gargoyle; Griffin; Grim Hunter; Grim Reaper; Grizzly (Markham); Guardian (James Hudson); and Guardians of the Galaxy.

I'm happy they used the '85-'86 OHOTMUDE picture of Eternity in this volume- it's still great. I really hope people are buying these things- I'm in it for the whole series. From what I can tell, interest is picking up. Maybe Marvel will release the whole thing digitally at some point with a cheaper overall price? It'd be nice...