Encyclopedias Books

This guide is on a par with the older Roger Phillips "Mushrooms" and very similar in size and format. Unlike Phillips, all photographs have been shot in situ. With so few guides to fungi available, and each covering a particular selection, it's best to assemble a good library - and this should be one of the major works. Even though the focus is Europe, many of the fungi have much wider ranges and this book is invaluable in the Western Hemisphere too.

This is a very useful book because it has well-taken pictures that show the habitat where the fungi was found. Also, the beginning of the book has pictures of spores as they look under a microscope and a color chart for the colors described in the text. The description of each fungi also lists any chemical reagent useful for identification and the expected result. A wonderful identification guide. He should write a similar book for fungi of the United States.

Susan Pickering Rothamel is one of the most brilliant people in crafts. This book showcases her excellence. Get it!

Clocking in at more than 300 pages, this inspiring reference book from Sue Pickering Rothamel includes great, precise definitions of an encyclopedic range of card-making terms and, more importantly, hundreds of card images from a wide range of artists. Processes such as thermal embossing and stenciling are explained in short how-tos, an interesting history of card-making timeline is presented, and extensive card-sentiment suggestions are offered in the appendix. But make no mistake: The colorful cards, presented in a clean layout on bright white pages, are what make this wonderful volume an absolute delight and treasure-trove for artists and lay folk alike who are looking for ideas to personalize their cards and correspondence.

Ms. Dohner has written a well-researched book on a topic that has begun to catch the attention of many -- historic (and now rare) breeds of livestock. In the past, people dug up roots and bulbs from the old family homestead and transplanted them to new locations. They could go to grandpa and get some of those "dominicker" chickens that his daddy started with.

For many, the homestead and the dominickers are gone now, just like the items the Smithsonian that were once part of every day life. But for some, like the author, "dominickers" and other historic livestock are still a part of life on the farm.

Perhaps that is why Jan Dohner has been able to write a very readable book, giving the reader the profiles and histories of over 200 breeds of poultry and other livestock (goats, sheep, swine, cattle, horses, other equines)and even accounts of their original domestication along with their current status. The illustrations only add to the text.

If you are interested in agriculture or farmsteading, if you have been thinking about becoming involved in small farm livestock, poultry raising, or rare breeds conservation, I recommend this book. Or if you are interested in these endeavors and cannot find the book in your local library, ask your librarian "Why not?" Maybe the local library needs a donation!

An eyeopening look at the diversity of livestock we may lose if we're not careful. Looking for stock that has survived the test of time, but has been left behind in the handful of homogenized varieties beloved by big farming? This is the book for you! This book is a must have for recreation and historical groups throughout the states, and I firmly recommend it.

This is a very good black & white book. It covers what it covers in considerable detail, and I enjoyed just reading some parts of it for the heck of it. It might be good to check out this book at a library, in order to be sure its your cup of tea.

Generally speaking, no one book can cover all the intricacies of home improvement and construction. So it's best to try to look at the book you're thinking of buying before you purchase it. Try a bookstore or library or home inmprovement store, if possible. I have purchased the following books and found them to be very helpful to me:

Encyclopedia of Home Maintenance & Repair - This is a black & white book, but has very good explanations, especially of electrical.

New Complete Guide to Home Repair & Improvement (Better Homes & Gardens);

Do It Yourself Home Improvement: Step by Step Guide to Home Improvement;

Ultimate Guide to Home Repair & Improvement (Ultimate Guide);

Popular Mechanics When Duct Tape Just Isn't Enough: Quick Fixes for Everyday Disasters (Popular Mechanics) - This is kind of a "Hints from Heloise" for the home fix'r up'r.

This work contains detailed engineering diagrams of building
foundations and components for water meter valves, valve repair
and electrical repair. The author explains how to light a
propane torch. The presentation explains how to shut off the
water flow via the main valve. Electrical tools are described
in detail; such as, the lineman plier, continuity tester, neon bulb and volt tester. Simple electronic definitions are
provided. For instance, energy flows in circuits and a load
utilize electrical current or "I". A short circuit
interrupts electrical flow. A volt tester may be utilized
to test the current. In addition, the author describes
paints; such as alkyd oil paints utilized in many popular
applications.

I was looking for an illustration book with different techniques and stumbled onto this one. It's got great color photos and good explaination on how to use the mediums. It's very inspirational. I can't wait to explore more.

* A fully illustrated, step-by-step guide to more than 50 illustration techniques, from watercolors and pen-and-ink to collage and wood engraving

* Offers professional guidance on all aspects of illustration, from mastering basic techniques to developing an eye-catching personal style

* Provides information on getting the best reproduction results for your illustrations and tips on time-saving methods

* INCLUDES A GALLERY OF MORE THAN 70 FINISHED WORKS FROM LEADING CONTEMPORARY ILLUSTRATORS
[from the back of the jacket]

This third updated edition of Encyclopedia of Infectious Diseases is recommended both for college-level health libraries and for any public lending library where health is a strong part of the reference collection. Over 30 new germs affecting human health has emerged in recent decades, making this update necessary: over 600 entries provides the latest information, from new treatments and research to rising disease threats. These are more than just definitions: discussions include risk factors, outlook, diagnostics, and the latest treatment options.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Easy to understand then other similar books. Informative for the lay person in regard to todays common illnesses and prevention ie, Lyme disease, food borne illnesses, childhood diseases.

This is an incredible one volume insect encyclopedia. It covers all the important topics and covers them with appropriate thoroughness. This encyclopedia would be useful to the entomologist and serious enthusiast alike.

This is one of the most beautifully presented books of this kind I have seen. Anyone involved in entomological issues of any kind should have this book in their collections. From the photographic beauty of the cover to the extensive, well presented organization of the various "families" of insects, this is a wonderful book.

This is a wonderful cookbook. It is easy to follow, authentic, and has lots of pictures. There are also some recipies that are similar to old family recipies I have.

I heartily recommend this cookbook. It contains beautiful photographs, and most of the recipes are simple, and authentic country recipes. The recipes are rated from 1 to 3 for increasing diffculty, and the estimated preparation and cooking times are given. In addition there are many background sections on how to make pasta, stocks, which are great. With 1001 recipes you will never be bored trying something new at the dinner table. Buon appetito!

No period of American history is so rife with myths, legends and half-truths than the American West. And no part of the Western experience has been more inaccurately chronicled than the exploits of the lawmen, outlaws and gunfighters that roamed the Wild West. The aim of Leon Metz' informative encyclopedia is to separate the wheat from the chaff and give readers an accurate portrait of the men and women who lived - and often died - by the gun in those bygone days. He succeeds admirably!

Metz' book contains over 500 entries, about 90% of them on famous, infamous and little-known Westerners including Billy the Kid, the Earps, 'Black Jack' Ketchum, Butch Cassidy, John Selman, Willie Boy, Old Man Clanton, the Youngers, Luke Short, Bat Masterson, Bill Tilghman, Elfego Baca, Kid Curry, John Behan, etc. The remaining entries cover a variety of western subjects such as Horse Theft, Plains Rifle, Arizona Rangers, Jayhawkers, Law and Order, Navy Colt 1851, Saloons, Pinkerton Detective Agency, Cherokee Strip, Gunfight at the OK Corral, Road Agent Spin, etc. Entries range from a single paragraph to three/four pages. Metz is a well-known and respected author and authority on the Wild West and his expertise and literary skills are much in evidence.

My only beef with THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LAWMEN, OUTLAWS AND GUNFIGHTERS is the small number of photographs included in the book. About 70 entries are illustrated with photos. The book sells for $60.00 so the publisher, Facts on File, should have been able to incorporate more illustrations.

In any case, anyone interested in the Wild West will welcome and enjoy this interesting, authoritative and informative book. With apologies to Dutton Peabody, Metz' book demonstrates that fact is more interesting than legend. Highly recommended.

First of all I'm not an old west officianado, and most every critique of old west books I've seen people always want to go into some rant about the voracity of this story or that. Well, I'll bet even the experts will own a copy of this book even if they claim not to like it. The wealth and wide range of old west personas in this book is everything I hoped it would be. Every entry offers something interesting and you get a real feel of how things must have really been based on all the bits and pieces of information when taken on a whole. I don't know if the experts will ever agree on one perfect old west book, but until they do, I recommend this one.

The 2-volume set Encyclopedia of Love in World Religions is a top pick for any high school to college-level collection strong in world religious studies. It packs in an A-Z listing of articles on sociology, religious studies, and philosophy, surveying various religious traditions, beliefs, mind/body/spirit connections and philosophies, and more. Each article comes with a bibliography for further reading, perfect for supplemental religious studies review, and important as introductions to world religious beliefs on love.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I won't feign objectivity ... I believe this invaluable resource will prove to be amazingly helpful for anyone who is interested in the great religious traditions of the world. That's why I signed on to the project with Yudit Greenberg, and why I'm honored to have two articles in this encyclopedia (on the topics of Christian Teachers of Love and Hospitality Across the Religions).

There are few subjects that interest us more than love, yet for all the ways we use and abuse the notion, just what is love? It bears such profound importance in so much of human religiosity yet are we prepared to offer a definition for it? This volume will surely be of great use to those of us who are thirsting to understand love's place in the teachings of the great religions. Every library should invest in a copy. I believe it's destined to be one of those important, comprehensive resources that must not be overlooked.