Vision Books

If you are interested in collecting and growing "fat plants" this book is an absolute must. I find myself just flipping through the book and looking back over the amazing pictures from time to time. The book also offers good general information on purchasing and growing pachyforms.

A must have book for everyone who's into this kind of plants. A great guide for beginners and pro's. Can't wait for the next one coming out.

Un livre qui devrait faire partie de la bibliothèque de tout amateur de plantes à caudex! Beaucoup de photos très représentatives de ces plantes cultivées en pots ou conteneurs, des conseils de culture bien choisis. Au Jardin Naturel nous connaissons bien ce type de plantes et ce livre est un excellent outil pour que nous progressions dans le domaine.
Thierry ALBERTO (baobabs.com)

I love this book. It is on Caudiciforms which are some of the most interesting and beautiful plants in the world. It is the only book on the subject that has information on cultivation of these wonderful plants. It is well worth having. I was thrilled to find it. Once I obtained a copy I couldn't put it down.

Another great book is by Gordon Rowley called "Caudiciform & Pachycaul Succulents". I wore out my first copy of this book and had to purchase another copy. It doesn't have information on cultivation but lots of other information. I let people borrow my copy and they couldn't put it down. They had to read the book, not just look at the pictures.

If you are a fan of Galen's work you will certainly enjoy this book. The concept, comparing and contrasting the two poles, is brilliant.

The photographs are typical Galen - beautiful, engaging, illuminating. The accompanying text provides context and insight.

There is an essay section at the back that provides some insight into how Galen thought about the photos that appear in this book. Very interesting reading and a great teaching aid for amateur photographers and photojournalists.

Wow, what a great and such awesome picture volume. This book not only shows you pictures from the Arctic and the Antarctic, it particularly reveals the true differences between the two polar regions...they ARE truly different and fascinating! This book also delivers very-high quality photography, which can easily tempt you into travelling to such exotic destinations.

In the book, you will find 2 pictures side by side-one showing the Arctic, the other showing Antarctic. That way, you will get an idea of its differences. In addition, there is a separate chapter that dedicates to interesting stories regarding these regions, anything from life in Siberia, Inuit life in northern Alaska, to the South Georgia Islands & the South Pole. Last, but not least, there is also a whole section reviewing all the pictures showed in the book, including background information describing each photo, etc.

This is truly an amazing picture volume that is a MUST-HAVE for any polar fanatic. Get prepared for over 180 pages of some superb photography and much info on these fantastic regions. For the money, it was quite worth it...

This is much more than a coffee table book, though its unique photographs of the pristine beauty of the Arctic and Antarctic would impress even the most casual of browsers. A short story about each photo is included, along with more general, thoughtful and poignant commentary from someone that is truly in touch with the global environment. Rowell is one of the great nature photographers, and this is a stunning collection

Turning to page 74, my Danish-born wife, Aino, was amazed to discover her little town of Scoresbysund. She spent her fomative years(age 5-12)growing up there, where her father, Dr. Werner Mortensen, served as the sole doctor for the area of 3 villages.

Galen Rowell's photography captures the typical beauty of a Scandinavian mileau, even though it is truly a facade for the garbage that the typical native Greenlander casts no further than his front door!

His words portray the many problems of the native Inuits, who have been unable to adapt to the influence of Danish culture and progress. For Rowell to elaborate on the problems of alcholism, violent crime, and the high rate of suicide in a village of only 500, distinguishes him as an author that researchs his subjects quite well! It brought back memories for my wife of the "Grundlander" that beat his wife with the carcass of a frozen seal, only to have his wife bite of his ear.

The large yellow building in the left foreground is the eight bed hospital; the little red house with white trimmed windows that is over to the immediate left is where family Mortensen grew up from 1966-72. This book really takes my wife back,and helps me see things that were only in her mind's eye. It also brings her up to the what the present day Scoresbysund has become. And now that my family will be moving to Fairbanks,Alaska, my wife can get a sneak preview of our future from this marvelous book. Having lived in Alaska myself, I definitely recommend this book for its shear splendid photography and candid commentary. Great job Galen!

As a university theatre instructor, I feel that Gordon Farrell's "The Power of the Playwright's Vision: Blueprints for the Working Writer" is highly valuable not only students of playwriting, but also to students who are just beginning to study dramatic literature. Farrell offers various tools by which the student can intelligently approach plays written in a variety of modern styles. Among the playwriting styles that Farrell renders accessible to even the most inexperienced student are surrealism and expressionism. Farrell also illuminates some of the differences between realism and naturalism--a muddy point that baffles many students. The historical background sections that are strategically placed AFTER the description of each playwriting style allows the student to perceive the manner in which social developments have influenced the art of playwriting. As a text that connects artistic style with history, Farrell's book offers students the knowledge and terminology necessary to begin a meaningful discussion about drama in the modern era. University instructors should consider assigning "The Power of the Playwright's Vision" in their Introduction to Theatre courses, as well as their playwriting courses.

As a university theatre instructor, I feel that Gordon Farrell's "The Power of the Playwright's Vision: Blueprints for the Working Writer" is highly valuable not only students of playwrighting, but also to students who are just beginning to study dramatic literature. Farrell offers various tools by which the student can intelligently approach plays written in a varriety of modern styles. Among the playwriting styles that Farrell renders accessible to even the most inexperienced student are surrealism and expressionism. Farrell also foregrounds some of the differences between realism and naturalism--a muddy point that baffles many students. The historical background sections that are stratigically placed AFTER the description of each playwriting style allows the student to perceive the manner in which social developments have influenced the art of playwriting. As a text that connects artistic style with history, Farrell's book offers students the knowledge and terminology necessaery to begin a meaningful discussion about drama in the modern era. University instructors should consider assigning "The Power of the Playwright's Vision" in their Introduction to Theatre courses, as well as their playwwriting courses.

I have taken Professor Farrell's classes at NYU. This book distills his class teaching in a readable if sometimes repetitive way and will utimately be useful to more than just practicing playwrights. Anyone studying how plays are made will find his Yale Drama School-influenced method quite informative.

Farrell's basic thesis is that playwrights communicate their philosophical visions of the world through their plays. Not exactly ground-breaking. But neither is Aristotle when he says plays must have a beginning, middle and end. Farrel is not entirely artsy, either. If a play fails to capture an audience, he says, it has failed.

So, how to go about capturing an audience with your vision? Farrell gives the blueprints of successful plays and dramatic genres and provides commentary on their uses in communicating certain basic ideas like:

One person can change the world.
One person can't change the world.
Only groups of people can change the world.
Things change, but for the worse, and people can't stop this deterioration.

He talks a lot of isms (Naturalism, Realism, Expressionism...) but keeps them extremely distinct, one of the advantages of how he teaches his classes. He also keeps you excited and engaged, even if it requires prose that resembles the patter of an infomercial.

For those who can't make it to NYU or Yale to study drama, this is a highly-readable version of the basic curriculum and a good companion to play anthologies like THEATRE ALIVE! by Norman A. Bert. Some will take exception to Farrell's simplifications and omissions. In my opinion, what THE POWER OF THE PLAYWRIGHT'S VISION loses in simplification, it makes up for in inspiration.

I studied with Gordon Farrell as a graduate student at NYU's Dept. of Dramatic Writing. His lectures on classical drama and dramatic analysis were astounding. I'm not kidding; everyone in the class wrote notes like crazy. We'd never heard anything like it, esp. not applied to stage and screenwriting. Now that I am teaching dramatic writing myself at Austin Community College, I still draw upon what I learned about dramatic structures from Gordon to teach my own classes. His book, The Power of the Playwright's Vision, is the clearest analysis of the structures used in writing drama I have read. Not only is this invaluable knowledge for playwrights, but it also builds a foundation for screenwriting as well. If you think you know everything there is to know about structure, read this book and really get a grasp of it from a new angle. I only wish the book had been longer and gone into Gordon's analysis of classic drama and how to apply that to writing today for the stage and screen. Maybe that will be part II. I hope so. My notes from his classes are too messy to read, so I eagerly await his next book!

I love this book. The pictures are awesome, many of which were taken in the early 80's. Farms dominate the pictures. If you like pictures of barns, prairies, or trees you'll want to buy this book. It's just too bad these pictures aren't large and ion frames.

This collection of timeless photographs eloquently expresses the strength and sustenance we midwesterners draw from our environment. "Praireiscapes" reveals what many of us would never have taken notice of or been able to explain with words on our own--that the midwestern landscapes are glorious, and beautiful in a profound, enduring way. Kanfer has another book, "On Second Glance" which picks up where "Praireiscapes" ends, and there is an annual calendar of photographs widely available.I recommend them highly for anyone who appreciates fine art photography.

This is the book that I show to people when I try vainly to explain in words why a prairie view or a prairie skyscape is more inspiring to me than a mountain range. Although a few of the photos are a little too posed and sentimental, the finest of them convey the power and austere beauty of this often-dismissed part of the country. Akin in their severe beauty to Zen or to Shaker design, the finest of these photographs will catch at your heart and your mind.

Kanfer certainly has an eye for the little details that give the scenery of the Midwest its own particular charm. Beautiful landscapes captured by a master photographer. A "must" for those living in the region, as well as those like myself who've moved on to other places and enjoy reacquainting ourselves with surroundings once familiar.

In giving this book a second read, its importance finally dawned on me: it is one of the few if only books that provides a well-rounded theoretical (i.e. mathematical definitions and proofs) perspective on pattern recognition. Although other books, such as Duda et al's "Pattern Classification", have a significant degree of mathematical rigor, very few can claim to be based on the solid mathematical foundations of Lesbesgue measure theory, as this book is. This book has been a big inspiration for me, in that most pr papers I come across provide some method X, and show how experimentally it is more efficient or effective than methods Y and Z. Such papers, although possibly generating interest in the subject or method, do little if anything to advance the theory which in the end will have the final say of how, when, and why something works or when it doesn't. On the other hand, by making the assumption that the data comes from an unknown (i.e. nonparametric) probability measure space which induces an inherent optimal Bayesian error on the classification problem, this book shows how the theory of probability can be used to prove some very interesting results.

As an example, the authors define what it means to have a universally consistent classifier; i.e. a classifier which converges to the optimal Bayesian classifier as the amount of training data approaches infinity in the limit (irregardless of the data distribution). Moreover, one of the important results is that such classifiers exist and are often quite easy to devise (e.g. nearest-neighbor methods). And to be able to mathematically prove this is indeed inspiring.

In closing, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has the mathematical prereqs (probability from an abstract measure-theory point of view)
and is interested in doing high quality mathematical research in pattern recognition. For that audience this book will provide a good foundation for literally an unlimited number of interesting questions; many of which remain unanswered.

For those who are more interested in the practice of pattern recogition, the above mentioned book by Duda et al. (ISBN 0471056693) will do just fine as a reference. The book "Pattern Recognition" by Theodoridis et al. is also of high quality (ISBN: 0126858756).

This is an awesome book, the best in-depth book on statistical classification to date. Filled with theorems and proofs on classical nonparametric techniques plus neural networks and learning. Standard reference for anybody doing serious pattern recognition and learning. Destined to become a classical reference in the field.

This book provides a solid theoretical foundation for pattern recognition and statistical learning. If you consider yourself and expert, or want to be an expert in this field, this book is a must read. It will make you think hard about the concepts (and may be question whether you are or want to become an expert!).

The book is great but the notations the authors employ will make you want to drop it on a first reading. Despite the generic title, it is really a reference book for the experts.

Issues in generalization are presented better in the book by Anthony and Bartlett but overall it is the best book available (for learning theorists).

Great book! I am a general ophthalmologist and read this book and found it very helpful in my understanding of the various treatments and vitamin therapies for macular degeneration. I then gave a copy to my mother who has severe macular degeneration. She loved the book and found it very useful reading it before her last retina evaluation. I applaud Dr Folk and Wilkinson for their work on this great and hopeful guide for patients with this frustrating disease.

This book is written for the person who is afraid he or she might have age-related macular degeneration (AMD), for people who already have AMD, and for family and friends of AMD patients. The authors are an ophthalmologist and an optometrist, giving the book points of reference from two similar but distinct disciplines. Dr. Folk covers the mechanisms of AMD and medical treatment while Dr. Wilkinson covers topics about making the best of the vision you have.
The illustrations are clear and help with the understanding of this complex topic. The tone is conversational, making it easily read but never condescending. The type is large enough with lines far enough apart to be easily read by people whose vision is not optimal but is not as large as a large-print text.
I recommend this to any person who might be faced with AMD and has been told they can't do anything about it. Physicians, particularly those who see older patients, may also want to consider using this book as a waiting room book.

This book is well-written and provides current information on the diagnosis, management, and treatment of macular degeneration.

The authors of this book are very knowledgeable on the subject but they have managed to write a book that is not over my head. It has some important information for all ages on how to prolong the life of your eyes. I would recommend this book, not only for those who are already at risk for age related vision loss, but for parents who want to teach thier children good habits now so they will be able to see as clearly, and for as long, as possible.

With so many attacks on Christmas and on Santa Claus, this book is a breath of fresh air.
This man truly embodies not only the spirit of St. Nick but the true and real Christmas spirit. He relates how he got to be "Santa", stories about children and their parents, about his service to the disabled and about how children and adults do a double take when they see his real beard. Judging by the picture on the jacket of the book, I can see why. The man looks like Santa!
He also talks about the real miracle of Christmas, the birth of Jesus and how when Christmas is put in that perspective, it makes everything else about Christmas more wonderful.
It will make you laugh, it will make you cry but most of all, it will make you believe!

I was told about this book right before Christmas 2004. I bought two copies and sent one to my mom. We both read and cried about this book! This is such a heart-warming book! This brings back the magic of Christmas. I really loved the end where Santa tells us grown ups why he thinks Santa helps kids have faith. It teaches them to help others, to think of others, and puts God's love and face on a very special time of year. I really liked the part when Santa is talking to a young girl that is asking him how he flies. Santa tells her that with all of God's love, her Parent's love and her love, it gives Santa the magic he needs to fly on Christmas Eve. There were several things that Mr. Butchart shared in this book that my Husband and I will use when we have kids. If you have anyone in your life that thinks telling their kids that there is a Santa is lying to their kids tell them to read this book before telling their kids that. Also if you are one of those parents that ruin the magic of Christmas for their kids please tell them to keep the information to themselves. I can't tell you how many times I've had a niece, nephew, or family friends children come home crying because some kid at school told them there is no Santa. By reading this book you will understand that most of us use Santa to help us teach our kids about God. Its a very easy quick read. I bought several copies last year to give as gifts to all of our friends and family. My Husband was transferred to GA last year and my Christmas present was to go to Stone Mtn and see Santa!! I was so excited. I waited in line with all the kids and then it was finally my turn! I went and sat on Santa's lap and told him how my family really enjoyed his book. He said that he appreciated the compliments but had to share with me some sad news. On Christmas Day 2004 Santa's wife Annie Butchart passed away and this Christmas was very hard for him. His wife worked with him at Stone Mtn and was very active being Mrs. Claus. From reading his book it is very clear how much he cared for his wife even though I'm quite sure it doesn't even show the half of it. I wanted to share this news so you can appreciate the book a little more. Please buy this book and share it with everyone in your life. I have two copies so when we have guests during Christmas they can read the book and enjoy the season as much as I do.

Ed Butchart is an amazing man. The gift of love he brings to others through his ministry is amazing. The Red Suit Diaries is a wonderful heart-warming story that will surely make you laugh and cry!

This is an inspiring true account of one man's journey from Marine to real life Santa. Ed Butchart recounts moments in his life he choose to reach out to other people in need which is one of the true forms of giving. This book will move readers through laughter and tears as you meet many children (and some adults) who have shared their hopes and dreams with Santa. The similarity between Ed and Santa is uncanny from his photo in the back of the book to the fact he has been Santa for over 15 years at a park and has an organization that distributes wheelchairs to kids in need...this book is one you will give year after year to inspire and encourage those in your life.

William Lee Rand is my teacher's teacher, and I enjoy that he seeks to provide up-to-date and original Reiki information relevent to our current state as a planet. Much of the information contained in this work is useful, in the form of short vignettes, which makes it an easy read.

There are numerous pointers available for all practitioners of Reiki. Some of the information provided in a historical context could use an update, and the terminology needs a little correction. Despite this, it is still a pretty basic book that anyone may find benefit in.

This book could have used a sharper eye for editing, for there are numerous errors. Much of it is simple, though it does get a little distracting at times. Avid readers of Reiki News Magazine may recognize many chapters as articles that appeared in said publication.

A great book about how Reiki can be used to help heal the planet. William is a very perceptive author and the informaition in this book would be helpful to all Reiki people. It is clear that he truly loves Reiki and has expressed his best ideas and Reiki techniques in this book. I loved every chapter. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Mr. Rand's book is an excellent coverage of Reiki, both for beginners and those with Reiki experience. It is very clearly written and gives one a new perspective on healing energies. Highly recommended.

William Lee Rand opens the way to exploring an exceptional world where balance and wellness unfold and we undertake the mission of healing our hearts and spirits. Rand shares a unique view of Reiki in this context and offers food for thought along the way.

A must read to anyone who is planning to create a successful life for themselves!

I grew up with very low self esteem, and it has affected my adult life in a very negative way, ie...settling for less than what I want, relationships ending, no self respect, etc.
I bought this book about a month ago, and the impact on my way of thinking and behaving is awesome! I know I will always have to fight my bad habits from the past, but this book has given me the tools to change my life!

Restore Your Magnificence: A Life-Changing Guide To Reclaiming Your Self-Esteem by Joe Rubino is a superbly presented and "reader friendly" self-help instructional which is enhanced with a series of psychological and emotional exercises geared toward better understanding oneself and freeing oneself from the morass of low self-esteem and self-sabotage. A powerful and uplifting guide to improving one's outlook and capabilities, Restore Your Magnificence is a welcome and recommended addition to personal self-help, self-improvement reading lists and reference collections.

This is an excellent life-changing book. It is easy to read and follow the exercises. You will have a different perspective and better self-esteem by the time you finish the book. I wish I had this book in my teens. Definitely worth reading!

What would one do if he or she had the power to completely change the social, cultural, political, religious, and economic structure of an existing society and create a utopia? Richard Stites, professor of history at Georgetown University, offers a fascinating look into the "revolutionary dreams" and fantasies of utopian thinkers articulated in the "feelings, thoughts, words, and actions that express, evoke or symbolize what has been called 'the utopian propensity'" (p. 3). This spiritual and mental expressionism of the revolution, encompassing the people, the state, and the radical intelligentsia, was deeply rooted in the "traditions of popular and religious utopia" and "manifold layers of previous [Russian] history" (p. 3). These utopian visions were enormously altered by Russia's industrialization, what Stites calls its "technological revolution" that resulted in an almost religious worship of the machine and American icons Frederick Winslow Taylor and Henry Ford. (p.3, 252). Stites culls from a vast array of imaginative sources including science fiction, to illustrate the experimental "programs and designs" in city planning, communal living, dress, speech, art and culture of a perfect society that could have been but was doomed by Joseph Stalin's scalpel and systematic "fantasctomy" (p. 235).                 Various conflicting emotions and ambiguities surface throughout Stites work. The essential conflict stems from the polarization of rationality versus far-flung daydreaming. To further illustrate this friction, the author introduces the variety of forms in which utopian visions take and an equal number of social/political groups that adhere to its varied manifestations. For example there are administration utopia, "a rational light beamed into the perceived darkness of the barbarous village world" versus popular/peasant utopia, based on the concept of Pravda (truth) and volya (freedom) (pp.15-18). The revolutionary iconoclasm that declared war on the luxury and symbols of the old regime, culture (Nihilism), and intellectualism (Makhaevism) through wanton vandalism, had to eventually be stifled by the very establishment that implemented it (Bolsheviks) lest every national treasure be destroyed. The conflict over urban versus rural life also presented a quandary. Cities were known for being centers for cultural and political activity as well as havens for crime, vise and the squalor of industrial waste. There was even thought of eliminating the cluster of cities all together in favor of a continuous avenue of modular housing that stretched in a straight line far into the vast Russian hinterland. Stites seems to not take a stand against the more absurd side of utopian daydreaming. The author does, however, differentiate between its two main political protagonists, V.I. Lenin and Stalin. Stites perceives Lenin as sympathetic to the utopian propensity, however, with one rational foot firmly placed in reality. Stalin, on the other hand, had both feet cemented in a realist agenda of "spontaneous euphoria and terror" (p. 227). Perhaps the oddest ambiguity of all is a "fantasy state" or "panegyric utopia" under Stalin, rising from the ashes of the revolutionary utopia Stalin supposedly hated so much. According to Stites, Stalin "detested disorder, freedom of expression, experimentation for its own sake, and especially experimentation in building autonomous communities and promoting equality," all of the attributes of revolutionary daydreaming. Stites concludes, "Stalin's intense hatred of revolutionary utopianism and his emerging totalitarian system were not simply two independent ingredients of Stalinism but inextricably related" (p. 246). The most important theme of the book is "the Russian Revolution drew on a rich tradition of ritual culture, of forms traditions and motifs rooted in the past" (p. 79). Stites draws from an impressive list of Russian and western literature to stress this point. One comes away with a better understanding of the connection between the old peasant traditions and what was to become some of the basic tenants of communism, yet, like other scholars before, Stites does not succeed in bridging the gap between peasant and revolutionary intelligentsia. Nevertheless, Stites has contributed a provocative analysis that should stand the test of time. Stites acknowledges the lack of primary sources but hopes that his work will invite similar scholarly works. Stites, himself has contributed a significant sequel with _Russian Popular Culture: Entertainment and Society Since 1900_ (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992) as well as, his previous work: _The Women's Liberation Movement in Russia_ (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1978). Stites has also edited a number of anthologies dealing with Russian history.

It's hard to fully describe a book like this, except by saying that the author has really outdone himself in surveying his subject. And even that is an understatement. Richard Stites' "Revolutionary Dreams" is by far the best book on Russian utopianism ever written, and it is both impressive in its scope and quality and inspiring in its portrayal.

Stites' book describes the manifold ways in which utopianism, and revolutionary novelty, were introduced into every aspect of life and society in Russia during the revolutionary period (roughly 1917-1928). This goes from science fiction books depicting the utopias and dystopias of the future, to socialist burials and marriages, to children called "Melor" (Marx-Engels-Lenin-October Revolution), to communal living in apartments, to garden cities, to egalitarianism in dress and pay, to popular festivals, and so much more. Stites also pays extensive attention to the various top-down ways in which revolutionary reformation of society was attempted, such as the League of Time, the neo-Taylorists, the Godbuilders, the Atheist societies, and so on, all of which sought to remold the old society into a new and shining future.

The author does a fantastic job of showing how after the October Revolution there was, among artists and intellectuals but even among peasants and workers in Siberia, a general feeling that anything could now be done, that anything truly was possible. Now was the time to build the future on a better basis than anything that had gone before. Because there had been different utopian currents before the Revolution, as Stites describes in his opening chapter, this led to very different conceptions of what should count most in the new society; in particular the struggle between efficiency and modernization utopians on the one hand and the freedom and equality utopians on the other hand was a perpetual one. But in these days it was very well possible for societies to form and try to design and build Russia according to their own views of the future (as long as they were leftist), without this leading to repression or death, such as would later happen with Stalinism. In this, Stites also demonstrates the essential difference between Soviet society in the Leninist period and the later USSR from Stalin on.

We learn all about Constructivism and Futurism in art, about the symphony orchestras without director, about the peasant anti-landlord movement, about the ambivalent attitude towards the architecture and sculpture of the Czarist society, about Lunacharsky and his Commissariat for Enlightenment, about Zamyatin and "Engineer Menni", about iconoclasm and godless religion, and about Mozart's requiem for those fallen in the struggle against oppression. In short, this book is absolutely essential reading for anyone whose heart still goes out to the possibility of a better world.

A beautifully written and insightful exploration of political thought in Russia during the industrial revolution.

This is one of the best pieces of Russian History I have read, better than Billington or Pipes to be sure. Stites explores the long tradition of Russian Utopias and cultural myth, he digs up amazing bits of early Soviet cultural practice, and carefully analyzes it all with an impressive set of theoretical tools. Best of all this is an extremely enagaging book, nothing dry about its careful historical work, just fascinating subject matter in a clear, sensible form. I was so engaged by Revolutionary Dreams when I first saw it in a friend's library that he had to lend it to me to get me to go home. Finally, I know of nowhere else that you can learn about what made the Rosa Luxemburg chocolate bar special.