History Books

My 1828 edition of Webster's is a wonderful addition to my resource library. It provides a valuable perspective
from which to compare today's culture with that of earlier times in America.

This book is not only beautiful, but a wonderful resource tool and a faithful reproduction of the original--no well-educated home should be without a copy!

The Webster's 1828 Dictionary is a unique and essential tool for educating Christians. It has the greatest number of Biblical definitions of any reference. Roots are traced in 26 languages. Usage examples come from classical literature and the Bible. This dictionary becomes not only a tool for defining words Biblically, it becomes a way of thinking that forms your worldview. It will equip you for Christian leadership, strengthen your vocabulary, give you an edge in communicating your view and become your foundation for thinking and reasoning Biblically. This tool can be the turning point for you to be more effective in communicating Christian principles used in government, economics, and marketing or for your student to clearly understand how the Bible has influenced every area of life.

This dictionary is a wonderful reminder of the spiritual foundations of our country and a sad reminder of how far we have strayed.

The American Deictionary of the English Language is a must have dictionary if one is to understand the correct intrepretation of our nation's founding laws. By stydying this dictionary, you will be amazed at how much our language has changed over the past centruy. We need to have a static language if our laws and our liberty are to survive. Get this dictionary, study the original definition of the words that make up the Constutution, and you'll have a better understanding of your own personal liberty.

I too read this book in my teens and loved it. Recently picked up a copy of The Dean.s Watch at a yard sale, which reminded me how much I liked her novels... got this and was enchanted all over again. Old fashioned..yes. Wordy...yes. Racially preduciced...yes. But, remember the context; just after WW II. We don't expect political correctness in Dickens or Wilkie Collins ...just consider the era it was written in and enjoy a well-written love story,

When I first read this book, as a teenager, I just loved it. I reread it many times over the years, and my husband and I read it outloud while camping when we were young. Sooo romantic! So, it was with much sadness that, after a break of about 15 years, I tried again and found that it now seemed sadly out of date and old fashioned. Oh well. Still, there may be some souls out there who find this wonderful story, full of sweep, journeying from the channel islands to New Zealand, from youth to old age, from cluelessness to profound enlightenment, quite nice. One of the nicest things about this book was that it led me to find the little book Marguerite is given by the nuns, and that book changed my life, too. Happy reading!!

I love this book by Elizabeth Goudge! The story of Marianne and Marguerite is touching and bittersweet. The truth glistens through the thrilling adventure!

This is the first book I have read written by Elizabeth Goudge - what a great writer! Her writing gives great visualization and brings everything to life. The character development keeps you interested from beginning to end. I will definitely buy more of her books.

I read this story once as a young girl, and upon rereading it today, nearly 30 years later, I found it to be just as soul satisfying. Creme brulee in book form.

Melora

Let me say at the beginning of this review that I am an unapologetic Calvinist. Olsen did not change my position, but he did correct and sharpen my understanding of Arminianism. I have believed and even promulgated some of the myths exposed in this book and for that chastisement alone I am grateful for his work.

More importantly, Roger Olson has done both sides in the Calvinism/Arminianism debate a favor in penning this work. He succinctly dispels the "myths" that have creped into the debate and history of Arminianism. The overriding disagreement according to Olsen is one that goes beyond the debate between predestination and free will--these are merely derived from the fundamental issue. The main area of dispute concerns whether the love or sovereignty of God should be the superseding principle in His dealings with humanity. The Arminian would stress the love of God and the Calvinist His sovereignty. (p. 73)


Olson gives the raison d'être for the book in his introduction: The purpose of this book is simple and straightforward: to correctly delineate true Arminian theology and to begin to undo the damages that has been done to this theological heritage by both its critics and friends. (p. 43) He examines 10 myths that are commonly believed and cited by both proponents and Calvinists regarding Arminianism, (see the TOC on Amazon's preview and other reviews). Most of these myths, if not all, deal with areas relating to soteriology.

He notes that Jacob Arminus did not adhere to a lot of the views that are commonly understood today as Arminianism by both Arminians and Calvinists. For instance some Calvinists maintain that Arminians do not believe in total depravity. Olson defends the position that in fact Arminius and true Arminians do believe this doctrine. The key difference surrounds the notion of prevenient grace (i.e. all mankind is in a fallen state that cannot be penetrated unless God awakens the deadness). The proper concept of prevenient grace for the Arminian states that God awakens all to understand the gospel, then each person makes the choice whether to accept or reject the gospel presentation and embrace Christ. Without this awakening, all would be dammed. (Of course, the Calvinist would maintain that this awakening and calling is absolutely efficacious and limited to the elect.)

Each chapter is structured basically the same with a general introduction to the issue at hand followed by an examination of Arminus's comments which both clarify true Arminian doctrine and refute the myth at hand. Next he explores the historical evolution of Arminus's teaching, citing such church personalities from Wesley to current thought that both adhere to and digress from Arminius.

Olsen writes with the following overriding concern and one that should be echoed and modeled by all in this and other doctrinal disagreements and debates: "One principle that ought to be observed by all parties to this debate is before you disagree make sure you understand. In other words, we must make sure that we can describe another's theological position as he or she would describe it before we criticize or condemn. Another guiding principle should be do not impute to others beliefs you regard as logically entailed by their beliefs but that they explicitly deny." p. 41.

Only rarely does Olson deviate from his gracious and irenic discussions with his Calvinistic brothers. One such instance was his comments regarding the meaning of "all" in John 3:16; 2 Pet 3:9) and the Calvinistic interpretation of its meaning (p. 223) I will forgive him "for this momentary lapse of kindness." One other concern I did have was his passing remark in a footnote to his openness to "open theism" (p. 198, note 65) other than that I heartedly recommend this book to both camps in the debate for both a proper understanding of the issues at hand and a paradigm for future engagement.

If more Arminians talked about grace the way Arminius did and his consistent followers (Arminians of the heart, as Olson puts it), there would be friendlier "discussions" between Reformed and Arminian brothers and sisters in Christ. As Oslon describes it, Arminianism is believes in "evangelical synergism", but as I understood it, one could label this as "resistible monergism." That is, faith and salvation are all done by God, but this only happens if the individual doesn't resist the grace given (but even then, the ability to resist grace is only possible because of grace!). I would like to see the scriptural backing for the Arminian beliefs as Olson explained them and be able to evaluate the claims for my self and my own beliefs, but this book is a great introduction and the de-mythification of what exactly true Arminians believe.

The Calvinist/Arminian debate is often conducted in a way that is hurtful and lacks grace. If you are looking for a book that explains the Arminian view and at the same time treats the Calvinist view with respect, then this is for you.

This book is not a rejection of Calvinism, but instead is an explanation of why Arminians believe the way they do. Olson does not set out to disprove Calvinism.

I appreciated that Olson is not afraid to tackle those from his tradition if he believes that their theology is flawed in any way. For example he points out some of the shortcomings of the later Remonstrants (like Limborch) and he also points out some of the weaknesses of John Wesley.

The book was not an easy read. It was written at a level where I had to struggle at times to fully comprehend. The chapter on the theories of atonement was the most difficult.

This excellent book clearly explains why many Calvinists falsely identify Arminianism with semi-Pelagianism or even worse identify Arminianism with Pelagianism.

With "Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities" (2006) Professor Roger Olson asserts that "Arminianism is a legitimate evangelical theological option" for the 21st century. Through this well documented 250-page hardback (with dozens of footnotes in each chapter) he intervenes on the "myths" attacking Arminianism.

Olson's adroitly refutes each "myth" posited on Arminianism primarily by classical and contemporary Calvinists. (This theological genre is named for the early 16th century Dutch reform theologian and pastor, Jacob Arminius.)

Speaking from the "classical Arminian" camp Olson ranges over the vast surface of Arminius' beliefs: from human free will, to the sovereignty of God, to election and predestination, to Justification and the Atonement. By the end, Olson convincingly confirms that Arminius, as a Protestant, is significantly different from Calvinists, Catholics, and Anabaptists of his era and today. (Arminius seems to have appreciated Luther.)

Each chapter is helpfully composed and presented in the same way. Olson posses a "myth" (an untruth), rebuffs it, documents what Arminius himself say on the topic, and then presents various Arminian thinkers reflections on the theological issue. Episcopus, Wesley, Watson, Pope, Miley, Wiley, Theissen, Oden and many more over the past 400 years are variously considered and extensively quoted. The author poignantly recommends that Arminianism's critics would do well to study it before condemning it. Finally, he rightly challenges Arminians and their critics to work together for proclaiming the mission of Jesus Christ.

Olson's is a good read teaching much about theology, the via salutis, and God's love. Although somewhat technical this book is recommended to any with interest in various Christian doctrines (such as free will vs. predestination, irresistible vs. resistible grace, original sin, prevenient grace, imputed righteousness, forensic justification, penal substitutional atonement, etc.) Olson is a must read for all reform theologians, Arminians, and Calvinists.

Happy Reformation Day!

We often do praise trips to places of special beauty, where we sing songs of praise and worship to the Creator, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
We go to the Grand Canyon, one example, but also to the lakes and other canyons in Arizona. I have often been to Oregon and experienced the beauty of the water falls and to Colorado to enjoy the Rocky Mountains.
This book is a praise trip for the reader, each page is an experience of worship. How great is our God, who created such magnificent beauty for us to enjoy. How blessed I was to receive this book as a gift and I immediately bought copies for my family. May many enjoy the beauty of God's creation. We are to fill our hearts and minds with praise and this is a wonderful way to start!

The most visually beautiful book I know of, THE ART OF GOD is in appearance a nature photography book of the most glorious sort, but upon closer look it is so much more. Ergenbright pairs brilliant awe-inspiring photography with artfully presented text and scripture verses that precisely match each photo and combine to make the heart leap, the soul rejoice. Though written in the spirit of worship, whether intended or not, the beauty, range, selection, and presentation of the book end up also being an apologetic making a visual case for a Creator that's both an intelligent and artistic designer. The photos are arranged purposefully, with the story flowing seamlessly thru the categories Elements, Design, Environments, and Ebb & Flow. The adjective "stunning" often's used to mean just really beautiful, but with this book it's beauty really does stun or take a bit of breath away. THE ART OF GOD is wonderful for a gift or to put on one's own coffee table for visitors to enjoy. Truly an aesthetic and spiritual masterpiece (and a bargain too).

Former agnostic and nature photographer Ric Ergenbright spreads before us a stunning visual feast of God's glory, as reflected in creation. Travel through gorgeous views of air, water, fire, forests, stones, and more. Not just a coffee table book, The Art of God provides a theology of creation as part of a two-fold design (the second part being the story of Christ played out through history). We can even learn about the complexity of creation, as in Ergenbright's discussion of how freshwater rain needs undrinkable seawater to send it on its journey.

The Art of God by ric Ergenbgight is my most favorite book after the Bible. Even people who do not know Jesus can appreciate the beauty found in this book through the outstanding nature scenes that were photographed all over the world. Mr. Ergenbright is truly gifted by God to bring to life in paper form all of these magnificent places.

Eden may be lost, but Ergenbright's insightful eye for beauty proves that much of paradise is still to be found. Amazingly beautiful nature photographs of every element can be found in this book: skies, bodies of water, cliffs, and even lava flows present the viewer with beauty that only a Supreme God could create. Ergenbright's modest introduction in the beginning of the book and his Biblical passages leave no doubt in regards to his devotion to God as the true artist here, but Ergenbright's own artistic talents certainly cannot be overlooked! I'm a huge lover of beautiful art and Ergenbright's uplifting Christian messages greatly added to the peacefulness of his breathtaking images, luring me into a state of blissful lethargy. This book is truly a wonderful testament of nature's beauty and I recommend it even if you are not a Christian; everyone can appreciate the beauty here, no matter what faith they are.

This is really two books. One a memoir of Leila Ahmed growing up in Cairo and how she finally settled in the USA. It is a fascinating story, involving and informative about life in Egypt, much more diverse and interesting than I had ever realized.

The second theme of the book is an analysis of the concepts of Arab identity and the experiences of Arab women. It is interesting,more academic in tone.

Well worth reading both for evocative descriptions of Cairo and growing up and for Dr. Ahmed's thoughts about her identity as an arab, as a woman and as a moslem.

I needed this book for a course I'm taking, and not one local bookstore had it in stock. I logged on to trusty Amazon, ordered it, and had it in my hands (with assigned reading completed) before my next class. The memoir itself had started pretty slowly (alot of Egyptian history), but has taken off quite nicely.

I thought that this book was amazing. I've read many books about Islam but I think that this book actually gave me a sense of what it means to be a Muslim. Sometimes when reading about religions we often only get an overview of the practices and beliefs of a religion but we rarely hear from believers of a particular religion and how they incorporate the beliefs of their religion into their everyday lives. For me, it was also interesting to read about Egypt during the 40's and 50's because it was something I have never studied before. It was interesting to see the religious diversity in Eygpt and how quickly that all changed with the rise of Nasser. Another thing I had never realized that Egyptians practically had the title Arab forced upon them, but most would never otherwise identify themselves as Arab. I think this book really exposed me to a world and a lifestyle that I had never known existed, and I think this is a must read for anyone who is open to seeing a new perspective on their world.

I enjoyed very much reading this book. The level of description used is capable of transporting you to Leila's birthplace and enjoy her life's journey. This book reads like a novel even though it is a biography. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the Pre- and Post-Nasser era in Egypt and how it affected the Egyptian middle class of the time. Another book about Egypt during that era I would recommend is Samia Serag El-din's The Cairo House. Happy reading!

I wasn't sure what I would find when I chose this book. But Dr. Ahmed's thoughts on creating her identity and the societal forces that crafted her upbringing are astounding. Her tale of defining herself as a woman, an Egyptian, an Arab, a Muslim, and an American resonated very deeply with me.....

Did you know that in 1859 Americans consumed about eight pounds of coffee per year, per capita? Or that by 1939 it was fourteen pounds? If this is your cup of tea, then I think you will like this book. This is not a criticism, I liked the book because it looks at the growth in demand which was supplied by the entrepreneurs who formed the brands described in the book. Indeed this demand-side view is part of the book that made the biggest impact on me.
Some of this is obvious, but somewhat in the backround of our knowledge - "between 1860 and 1920 the population of the US grew from 31.5 to 107 million" - and some of this is well extracted in this book - e.g. "in 1844 (when Henry J. Heinz was born)less than 10% of American's lived in towns of greater than 2,500 population, 75 years later (when he died) 50% were urban dwellers and 20% lived in cities of greater than 250,000 people". Koehn builds up this demand side very well in each of the six cases she uses to illustrate who entrepreneurs build up branded business - Wedgwood , Heinz, Marshall-Fields, Estee Lauder, Starbucks and Dell.
Koehn, a Harvard business historian, is also quite good at showing how developing technology is put to use to serve this demand (or does it create it?) - "In 1830 it took three weeks to get calico from New York to Chicago, in 1860 it took three days, by 1880 ... less than 24 hours"
Again we all knew the importance of the railroad, but here its phrased in a way that makes sense of the dynamic growth and gentrification of the Mid West. She illustrates well the need that urbanisation created for prepared food that could be trusted and describes very well the increasing sophistication of industrial level food preparation - " by the 1860;s the introduction of calcium chloride to boiling water cut sterilization times from five hours to 25 minutes". She can even make innovations in canning technology sound exciting.

So much for the good stuff, I did find the tone of the descriptions of each entrepreneurs a bit fawning. Each had the feel of a business case, with the usual tone of awe and deference to the wit and wisdom of the main characters. With the exception of the Starbucks case - where Howard Shultz openly tells of his mistakes and wrong turnings - each case seems to highlight the wisdom of the main character, whereas it seems to me its their determination that marks them out, more than anything else. Henry Heinz went bankrupt three times in food products, before he became successful, Michael Dell was still seen as a cloner into the late 1980's.
Koehn makes no judgements about the more unpleasant side of this determination - Estee Lauder staged a meeting with the Duke of Windsor, which she had photographed and publicised, in order to make it appear she had high-society connections, Josiah Wedgwood supplied free gifts to royalty in the certain knowledge that the aspirations of the middle classes to emulate royalty would drive demand for this his products.
There are good insights into how these individuals drove modern marketing techniques - Wedgwood emphasized showrooms, Estee Lauder the free gift. And all had tremendous energy for customer service and production detail. However in each of the early cases we are told that 20th Century techniques were unknown to the industry " Brand marketing was virtually unheard of in the 18th Century" [ Wedgwood]; " Between 1869 and 1899, real per capita income increased at an annual compound rate of 2.1%. Henry Heinz had no access to these statistics. These numbers are based on economic concepts developed in the 20th Century". This kind of clumsiness crops up in each case, ok we get the point that these pioneers instinctively did something which is now solidified into great theory, but surely this point could be illustrated with more deftness.

This apart, a very useful and interesting book, a book for anyone interested in the general history of business. Some excellent details, too much fawning and praise too little criticism of the central characters who built the brands. A fascinating story.
If you liked this book, check out books by Arthur Chandler and John Drewer.

One final fact, Charles Darwin had the time and money to devote to his famous voyage on the Beagle - which laid the basis for the theory of Evolution - because his wife's grandfather was Joshua Wedgwood. Was this financial evolution at work?

Koehn has produced a weighty and informative look at the way successful entrepreneurs have used brands to achieve a number of goals. These goals include long-term differentiation from competitors, internal quality control, profit margin protection, and facilitation of additional product introduciton.

To make her case, she chose three cases from the past (Wedgwood, Heinz, and Marshall Field) and three cases from the present (Estee Lauder, Starbucks, and Dell Computers). Finally, she concludes the book with a chapter which addresses the issue of historical forces and entrepreneurial agency.

I particularly found the cases from the past persuasive in their argumentation for a long-term differentiating factor in brand. The newer cases are obviously harder to make in that (particularly with Starbucks and Dell) how long-term the success will be remains to be seen. One of the best features of the book is the depth with which she treats each case-- she provides enough information to build her thesis (and often entertain with the anecdotes) but not so much that the book becomes bogged down. The excellent footnotes provide whatever's necessary to someone looking for further information.

One minor quarrel is that I would have liked to see the further reading pulled out into a better organized bibliography. There were obviously quite a few good sources scattered amongst the footnotes and if you were interested in a particular subject matter it required some patience to pull all of the citations out.

professor koehn presents the subject of branding in a fascinating historical perspective; a interesting, insightful and sometimes surprising read. a very useful book for anyone who is managing a brand, trying to understand the value of brands, or wants to understand how branding fits into the lore of business.

an excellent reference and clearly meticulously researched

It's probably a result of less-than-fully applying myself during my college years, but I tend to pre-judge any book by an academic as boring. I'm glad that didn't stop me from reading Nancy Koehn's book, "Brand New: How Entrepreneurs Earned Consumers Trust From Wedgwood to Dell."

Koehn is a professor at no less than the Harvard Business School. She is also an excellent writer, and she understands that the essence of getting good information across is stories. Brand New is a book of stories about branding. It is anything but boring.

Koehn divides the book into two giant sections, The Past and The Present.

In The Past, she includes the stories of Josiah Wedgwood, H. J. Heinz and Marshall Field. All the stories are told in detail enriched by facts, insights, and quotes. All of them contain lessons for today's businessperson. Most of the lessons are about branding, but there's a lot more.

Read this book and you will find out all about how Josiah Wedgwood changed the common practice by impressing his own name in the unfired clay of his works. That's impressive. But you will also learn how his partnership with Thomas Bentley took Wedgwood's strengths and his insight about branding and turned them into a highly profitable business.

You'll learn about why H. J. Heinz packed his product in glass jars and how he kept control of his distribution. You'll hear about the 1902 giant opening at Marshall Field's and you'll learn about Field's varying relationships with his partners.

In the section on The Present, you will get the story of Estee Lauder and how she changed not only her name and image but also the face of cosmetic marketing through magnetism and incredible persistence. You'll hear how Howard Schultz wound up at Starbucks Coffee and why it bears his imprint, and you'll hear about Michael Dell without overmuch mention of the legendary dorm room.

The stories themselves make delightful reading, but the learning is probably even more important than the enjoyment. These stories illustrate how specific, successful entrepreneurs took a look around at things that were happening in society and developed products and brands and marketing and distribution systems to take advantage of them. These insightful and inspiring stories will help you understand your own business and find ways to make it more profitable.

As she completed her research and then began to write this book, Nancy Koehn made several important decisions. First, she placed her primary objective in clear focus: to explain "how entrepreneurs earned customers' trust." Next, she limited her attention to only six. Finally, she then examined them within an historical context from the late-18th century until the present time. As Koehn observes, "Before 1750,...most Britons ate off wood or pewter plates. Then came Josiah Wedgwood. In antebellum America, the majority of women made their own pickles. Then came Henry Heinz. Until the Civil War, urban retailing was a specialized activity with a wide variety of small shops offering particular kinds of goods. Then came department store entrepreneurs such as Marshall Field." It is important to stress that Koehn is a biographer and cultural historian only to the extent that the material she provides helps to advance the narrative of her core themes: how six individual entrepreneurs dealt with the "imperatives" to quality goods at reasonable prices, communicate the virtues of her or his products to potential buyers in effective ways and thereby maintain and grow a viable customer base, and, how to develop organizational capabilities to learn about their respective customers and then earn their trust.

Before 1945, Koehn observes, "few American women wore premium lipstick or facial creams, and those who did [when they could] bought them in beauty shops along with elaborate treatments administered by trained cosmeticians. Then came Estee Lauder. Prior to the late 1970s, Americans bought ground coffee mostly in one-pound cans sold in supermarkets and supplied by large food processors. Then came [Howard Schultz and] Starbucks. Before 1980, most businesses used only typewriters and copy machines for paperwork. Large companies relied on mainframe and midsize computers to handle extensive calculations and data processing. Only a small number of households owned a personal computer or printer. Few if any of these users expected to be able to specify a particular computer's configuration. Then came Apple, IBM, Compaq, and Michael Dell." It is also important to stress that each of the six entrepreneurs whom Koehn discusses fully understood what rapid social and economic change in their respective era meant for consumers' needs and desires. Moreover, as she carefully explains, all six used their knowledge of both the supply and demand sides of the prevailing economy to create high-quality goods,, meaningful brands, and other connections with customers..." and they built elite organizations that worked to [in italics] satisfy and then [in italics] anticipate buyers' changing preferences."

In Chapter 1, Koehn provides a brilliant overview on "Entrepreneurs and Consumers," then devotes an entire chapter to each of the six entrepreneurs. In her final chapter, she shifts her attention to "Historical Forces and Entrepreneurial Agency," followed by 104 pages of notes. In that final chapter, Koehn points out that the six entrepreneurs "lived and worked in different contexts. Yet they all shared a powerful gift: the ability to discern how economic and social change affected consumer needs and wants. They also understood that these demand-side shifts presented critical business opportunities -- opportunities that each exploited by creating new, best-of-class goods and strong brands." She goes on to suggest that they were "institution builders who were not interested in riding the wave of a short-lived trend or forcing their young brands on buyers. They wanted to [in italics] earn consumers' trust and keep it."

It remains to seen which entrepreneurs emerge during the next few years but it seems certain that they will also encounter "economic and social change affected consumer needs and wants" and in a global marketplace yet to be developed. There is much that they -- and we -- can learn from Josiah Wedgwood, H.J. Heinz, Marshall Field, Estee Lauder, Howard Schultz, and Michael Dell. Thanks to Nancy Koehn, those "lessons" are provided in a single volume, one which will continue to be of interest and value for decades to come.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to read Wolf's The Entertainment Economy, Schmitt's Experiential Marketing, Gobe's Emotional Branding, Gilmore and Pine's The Experience Economy, and Brands: The New Wealth Creators co-edited by Hart and Murphy.

This is small format book! Simply put, this is not a then and now picture book considering that photos were taken at various distances from different angles. For those who love Chicago, an outstanding book is "Chicago at the Turn of the Century in Photographs", A large format book with great clear photos!

I just received this book as a gift from a friend who has heard me talk about relocating to Chicago. Well, after reading this book, I really want to visit this city and seriously think about moving there. This book was a nice addition to my library

I just found this book at my local bookstore and was excited about reading it cover to cover. I just loved how informative this book was and it is a great tribute to a great mid-western city. Having lived here for the past 20 years, there are many facts that I didn't know until I read this book. I just loved the selection of photographs contained in this book. Thank you for several enjoyable afternoons reading this book.

Just purchased this book that really gives you a good feel of Chicago, past and present. The photographs are wonderful and I enjoyed reading about this great midwestern city. A must-have to complete any collection of Chicago History Books.

I just purchased the book online and after reading it cover to cover, I now want to visit Chicago. A real nice introduction to a great city. I found the many descriptions of the various historic places in the commercial district extremely fascinating along with the very interesting "old" and "new" photography. I loved the book!!!!

This lady has spent years researching ancient techniques and it is to her credit that granulation and woven chain has finally come to America.

These chains are not soldered; they are fused and woven. I recommend you have at least a semester of college level jewelry or several years of soldering under your belt before jumping in with this one. But it worthwhile if you want to make chains that are worthy of royalty, or have a chain for a piece of art jewelry that will do it justice.

This is a workbook, progressing from the simplest and easiest to progressively more complex chains. After the first couple hundred fused links you become pretty adept. After fusing the links, you will learn to weave links into patterns. These are not your ordinary chains. They are strong, beautiful and flexible.

Jean is obsessively precise in her work, so this book is very precise. She goes over what gauges work for which patterns, as well as all the little tips that make a chain look superb. It's a lovely book, very well-written and one to be included in a goldsmith's library.

To get a better idea of the creativity and precision of this lady's work, go to Randy Smith's website: http://www.rocksmyth.com/ and look for Jean Stark's work. Prepare to be amazed at all the lovelies and realize that pictures do not do her work justice, as good as the pictures are. Many of the chains are made with 30 ga. wire, which is not much thicker than sewing thread. Her chains feel like silk.

If you're serious about making fine quality chains, then you need this book. Jean Stark is the guru.

This was just what I was looking for. Clear instructions with photos. A great find!

This is great information with very east to read instructions. Not for the lazy or faint of heart.Great ancient traditions brought back to life.

Classical Loop-in-Loop Chains & Their Derivatives is the full title which I find still does not adequately describe the book.

This book is an instruction manual rather than a reference source. The instructions presented have been tried and tested on a number of students, and incorporates feedback from the students. The black and white photographs shown are of the chain work produced by the students as well as the author.

Loop-in-loop is the description of how chains are constructed with each chain link looping within each other to form a chain. Examples of this type of chain are on the front cover of the book.

The classical chains covered in this book are described as single loop-in-loop, side-weave single, single though-bead, basic pinched loop, roman pinched loop, pinched loop with wrapped beads, pinched loop through-beads, basic double loop-in-loop, double with wrapped beads, weave-off double, two-way double loop-in-loop, three-way double loop-in-loop, four-way double loop-in-loop, multiple soldered single, multiple soldered pinched loop, pinched loop with spacers, multiple woven single mesh, multiple woven double. In all 34 chains are described, 16 derivatives of the 18 definitely attributed ancient style of chains.

The main emphasis of this instruction work is on using fine silver and fusing to form whole links incorporating annealing, and then shaping into the links, and then forming the chain. Detailed step-by-step instructions are given on forming links up front, and then each chain has instructions on how to shape the required link, and then form into the chain. This book clearly explains and demonstrates these techniques and processes.

Each chain has a list of the materials needed (in inches and gauges (thickness) - appendices contain conversions) to make it at a given length. These can be used as references for links/inch or used to adjust as necessary to form a necklace or bracelet of given length. An appendix is supplied which gives recommended dowel diameters for the wire gauges for making variations to basic chains. The authors viewpoint is that making chains is an art form, and this book is to develop the students abilities and to encourage their own subsequent development and personal refinement of explained techniques.

Although primarily based on fine silver work (sterling is unsuitable for these techniques - if you solder links that is a different technique), the book does cover how to produce fused chains in 22K gold (including 22k gold metal alloy composition that was used in antiquity and for which these techniques work best).

There is a 25 page chapter on clasps and terminations, cross referenced with what chains they are suitable for, and the chains are cross referenced with what clasps and terminations are suitable.

This book does not have colour photographs. It has diagrams (at enlarged sizes for easier viewing) showing how to form the chain links and join with the next link and or terminate. Black and white photographs show finished chains and/or portions of finished chains. There are no photographs of ancient chains, and very little information on any apart from the detailed instructions on how to make them. Occasionally there are snippets about the existence of such an ancient chain, and even where it is located.

If you do not currently possess silverworking/chainworking tools you will need to purchase them to make the chains in this book, as well as needing work bench space. There are details in the book about what tools you will need, and for the USA where to obtain them. This book does not go over any of the safety aspects of using blowtorches or kilns. Please make sure you have on instruction on these before proceeding.

With the price of silver (and gold) the making of the chains will not be inexpensive, but if you wish to learn how to make a number of chains, this book will explain how.

This is a well organised, well presented instructional book. I would suggest to re-read the two pages covering "Weaving" and "Achieving best results" with "common problems and how to avoid them" before commencing each chain.

i find this book to be a great help when i am desiging necklaces, bracelets and even drop earrings. this is something every jeweler needs in their library.

I bought the set years ago (actually decades ago) and got through the first two before I gave up. I was "done in" by all the Henrys, Edwards, Eleanors, etc. that my head spun. However, being bullheaded, I started again (since I love history) and this time I went straight through.

English and French history can be extremely difficult for someone new to that period of time. There are a lot of players with the same name (Isabella, the most hated queen of England and wife of Edward II; Isabella of Spain, Henrys I, II, III, IV, etc., not to mention the Henrys (Henris of France). However, plugging away is definitely worth it and reaps great rewards because what could be more fascinating as the truth (as far as it can be told after hundreds of years after the fact). John is more famous as being forced to sign the Magna Carta, not for the fact he murdered one nephew and imprisoned his niece as being threats to his throne while Richard III gets pilloried for his "supposed" murder of this nephews. It was John who had the country excommunicated a few times for his actions (no burials, no communion, no marriages, etc.) until people realized that nothing terrible happened. And it was when I came to the last part and reach about Richard III and the difference between the "real" character and Shakespeare's Richard III when I decided to pursue the case further and then read Josephine Tey's famous book on Richard, The Daughter of Time, that started me on the road to becoming a Ricardian. Eleanor of Aquitaine, the first (to me) feminist.

Great history and worth reading and pursuing if you don't manage it the first time. It's worth the effort. (A genealogical chart would be helpful.)

Costain writes 4 history books about the early British Royal Families.The books are very clear, nicely written, and follow the history of England.

The title of the book led me to believe that this book would encompass the entire "conquering" family of Normandy as they became the rulers of England. However, I was disappointed that the actual conquest was bypassed and the book opens with introduction of the first Plantagenets and not with William the Conqueror as I incorrectly assumed from the title. The book is very thorough where the author choses to be. For example, he can hit a few highlights of history and move the story along very rapidly and then suddenly spend page after page on one segment of one chapter of one person's life. I know I bought the book used, but the original publication date of 1949 and the republication in 1964 seemed obvious in the authors style and tone. I think the book is very informative, and if you are interested in the Plantagenets, it is something you'd enjoy. Just be aware of the "late" start of the book. The actual Conquest is over before this book begins.

These are some of the words that come to my mind when describing this work, but I am speaking of the entire 4 volume set - not just The Conquering Family by Mr.Costain who is a blest and gifted authorin my opinion. I first bought the 4 Volumes in paperback and after reading them cover to cover, I bought the hard cover set because I feared I wouldn't be able to get them later - they might go out of print or become more expensive. I have reread all of them 3 times and I would advise anyone interested in World History or an Anglophile to purchase all 4 Books because they are a must for your library. Each volume is thoroughly researched, full of dates, characters, events, battles, but at the same they are an easy read - never boring or drawn out and tiresome - you just want to keep reading and reading to learn more.

I am writing here for all four books instead just the Conquering Family. Its easier that way since most people who read the first book will definitely end up reading the rest of the three books.

This series by Thomas Costain have been around for a long time. Its one of the easiest to read written history on ruling family of the Plantagenats who ruled England from Henry II to Richard III. That's nearly 300 years of English history. Costain's story telling skills mixed with great history make this series one of the best set of books in introducing anyone to mediveal English history.

Having said that, it should be warned that Costain's history isn't exactly very scholarly. The author does take few liberties with the facts, even putting in few liners here and there to advanced the story. Even some events which may be more mythological then true, have been told as if they may be true. Costain also have his own bend to certain views and his sympathic views on certain events and personalities may not reflect history's. (The series almost does read like "historical fiction novels" and has been mistaken for such by the uneducated. Especially by those who worked in bookstores.)

But Costains' creative inputs should not distract from the fact the most of what written in his four books proves to be very entertaining and accurate history. Even those who may not care for mediveal history have enjoyed it since I have recommended this series to several friends who regards such subject as one of the most boring subject next to watching dust bunnies grow. By the time they were done with my books, they were ordering their own set.

As someone in the midst of trying to make a small business run within the lines of corporate social responsibility, I've really wrestled with the inherent problems with the whole "triple-bottom-line" movement. Primarily, I've wrestled with how one chooses which of the many bottom lines as they compete over and against each other. Yunus tackles this issue head on with his idea of the "social business" that is a single-bottom-line business: the bottom line of social transformation. I particularly like that he builds his case around the remarkable example of the Grameen-Danone social business partnership in Bangladesh. Time will tell if that experiment proves sustainable, but nonetheless, it's super helpful to have something tangible to point to rather than just a series of ideas or arguments. Because Muhammad Yunus' work with the Grameen Bank has won him the right to preach without real data, it's all the more inspiring to hear his examples from the dozens of other social businesses within the Grameen family. I should mention that the last 1/3rd of the book veers into some potentially "wishful-thinking" territory, I'd nevertheless heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in the field, and was glad to give it 5 stars.

"No one who cares about humanity," writes Muhammad Yunus, "is satisfied with a world in which a few hundred million people enjoy access to all the resources of the planet, while billions more struggle to survive." But that's our world. Yunus cites one study that concluded that in the year 2000, "the richest 1 percent owned 40 percent of the world's assets, and the richest 10 percent owned 85 percent. By contrast, the bottom half of the world's population owned barely 1 percent of the planet's assets."

This disparity of resource distribution is wrong in practice, says Yunus. With globalized capitalism devouring diminishing resources, it's unsustainable; it also threatens global security. But extreme poverty is wrong in principle, too, because it deprives billions of human beings of the most basic of all human rights, the right to live a decent life. For over thirty years, Muhammad Yunus has worked with remarkable creativity, perseverance and vision to rectify these stubborn inequities. Most people know him as the founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. Today the Grameen Bank gives collateral free micro-loans to 7 million of the poorest of the poor in Bangladesh (97% of whom are women). Since its inception they have made loans totaling $6 billion, with a repayment rate of 99%. Yunus tells this story in his autobiographical bestseller Banker to the Poor; Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty (1999, 2003).

His newest book continues the story of the many and latest permutations of the Grameen vision to eradicate poverty. This includes a stable of twenty-five Grameen replicants that specialize in everything from solar energy and internet kiosks to fish ponds, textiles, cell phone ladies, and livestock breeding. But all these are mere "stepping stones" in Yunus's fertile imagination. The focus of his newest book is what he calls "social business." While normal businesses must focus on profit-maximization, and can even be sued by shareholders if they don't, a "social business" is what Yunus calls a "non loss, non-dividend" business whose primary objective is some social benefit. A social business competes in the market place with every other business, it must cover its costs, and it reinvests profits back into the company. This is a far more radical idea than mere corporate social responsibility, which in his mind tends to window-dressing and has an inherent conflict of interest between the requirement to maximize profit and the intention to do good.

Sound crazy? Well, read this book and its extended case study of how Grameen partnered with Groupe Danone of France to create what Yunus calls "the world's very first consciously designed multinational social business," launched in 2006. This was followed by Grameen's eye care hospitals. He thus envisions in social businesses a "giant leap" forward for addressing poverty in a scalable, replicable way. "Social business," he argues, "is the missing piece of the capitalist system." They do what government, NGOs, charity, and multi-lateral organizations like the World Bank can never do. Yunus is the quintessential dreamer--his wish list for the world of 2050 has nineteen bullet points; but read this book and his previous one and you'll also see that he's the consummate doer.

Yunus has refined the problems of the current capitalist structure by divulging common sense and promoting the new idea of a social business. Here is a book loaded with optimistic ideals for a brighter future that anyone will doubtlessly enjoy, though many may also be skeptical. One looks for meaning in life, a desire unsatisfied by the PMBs (profit-maximizing business) of today. Everyday, citizens of the developed world are bombarded with the onslaught of advertising promoting products, whereas Yunus suggests for the new social businesses to serve a similar function to public service announcements, promoting healthy lifestyles. In a world where the poor are shunned and poverty deemed an inevitable problem, nothing can be done. However, Yunus suggests that we rid society of the ills of poverty by rejecting this idea and striving towards a goal to end poverty. "Creating a World Without Poverty" is an engaging journey from front to back that serves as a beacon providing aspiring entrepreneurs with a chivalrous goal to solve the problems that too often are left for the next generation.

Dr. Yunas has taken some of the simplist elements of capitalism and coupled them in tandem with some of the higher level elements of human nature to form a framework for improving the quality of life on a massive scale. It is the improvement of one life, in one locale that builds a powerful statement of all things can change notably for the better. His ideas are translatable into action and he demonstrates the capacity to "get it done" in a remarkably simple way despite the complexity of the world as it exists today.

I know that my review will be unpopular, especially in light of someone else who said this book deserves 100 stars. When I first read that Mr. Yunus said that our children will one day go to museums and will talk about how people used to be in poverty, I was inspired. An optimistic view like this is exactly what this world needs more of I thought. Then I started to read exactly what this Nobel Peace Prize winner is doing to make poverty disappear, and I was let down. For all who do not know, Mr. Yunus is a pioneer in giving small loans to people, especially women, and charging them interest when they repay the loans. That is it, in a nutshell. While I believe it is a noble thing to give poor people money that would not be able to go to a bank to get a loan, I can't fully accept that interest is being charged because it conflicts with a verse in the Quran (2:275) which says that interest (riba) is a sin. Riba is a loan with the condition that the borrower will return to the lender more than the quantity borrowed.

Now what the heck does Islam have to do with saving people from poverty you might ask? God does not want these people to suffer. I agree with that. But he also does not want us to solve our problems through means which are considered sinful. Mr. Yunus has not fully addressed this issue and he has merely argued that the lack of excessive interest in micro-lending is consistent with the Islamic prohibition of usury. Islam has nothing against Capitalism and it encourages free trade, but Allah has made guidelines for trade and that includes not making a profit off of money itself.

There is debate in Islam on whether excessive interest or interest in general is forbidden with the latter being the majority opinion. But Yunus says that his microcredit is moderate and not excessive at all.
It has been reported that borrowers have become swamped with debt and it has brought some communities down. The interest charged by Grameen Bank is higher compared to that of traditional banks so if a person has trouble repaying the loan in a given time, he or she will suffer financially. He mentions on his website that the Indian Prime Minister called him a messiah, yet a former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, his own country, called him corrupt. I would refer you to read "Is micro-credit a macro trap?"

He says something on p55 that I think really brings the issue of poverty to its roots. He says when men make money, they spend it on themselves and when women make money, they spend it on the whole family. In Islam, a man must take care of his family. It is his responsibly, not the woman. When I say man, I mean, Father, husband, brother, etc. If he does not fulfill his duties, then I guess we need microcredit to save the day. My point is that Islam is the answer to poverty. It is the way and it is the light. Its not just about getting money to the poor, it's about a whole system of life that is consistent with justice. There should not be one woman in Bangladesh or anywhere in the world who must work for money. They should only have the option to work. We have men, who are Muslim,that are not taking their duties seriously and everyone suffers because of that. We have enough food in the world to feed everybody and still have some left over, but we still have people suffering from hunger. It is not a lack of resources; it is a lack of justice in the distribution process. Americans throw out 200,000 tons of food that can be eaten every day. There is so much that I can say on the economic conditions that we are facing but I wont. My advice would be to verify every piece of information that you get before you accept it.