Beauty Books

Greg and Mary Beth Dimijian have produced a book full of wonderful images of animals, animal behavior, and animal habitats around the world. Each image is coupled with a short but insightful essay which expounds upon the behavior illustrated, or the circumstances of taking the photograph, or simply makes a point about the environment, evolution, or biology. Greg Dimijian, a former clinical psychologist, and his wife, Mary Beth, have travelled the world from the tropics to antarctica and present a dazzling array of dynamic and beautiful images. The essays, with their up-to-date discussions of behavioral theory and biology are written for the layman, but are fascinating and concisely written. There is also a delightful foreward by Jane Goodall. A wonderful gift for anyone with a love of animals, biology, or photography

The autobiographical thoughts (Zagajewski himself does not like describing this volume as "memoirs") collected in "Another Beauty" are truly delightful. I am not sure if they can make a reader who never experienced life in the Communist system understand it (hardly anything could...), but at least they make a valuable source and can explain a lot of its mechanisms and difficulties of people living in Poland then. Probably this was not the main purpose of this tome (which appeared in Poland at the end of the 1990s) anyway...

The memories of the author's student life in Krakow (which seems similar to the Krakow I know, although I was always there only as a tourist and much later) are mixed with thoughts on music, poetry, people and life, and with short images of the surrounding world, all written in a subtle yet sharp manner, which reminds the reader that Zagajewski is a poet. His metaphors and vision of the world are fresh and original. While reading, I was tempted to write down many sentences as they are universal and wise.

Adam Zagajewski is one of the most important contemporary Polish poets, and although he is erudite, being a philosopher, a writer and a man of great personal culture (a representative of Polish intelligentsia, a class, which hopefully is not extinct yet), he is also very modest and critical towards himself. His prose is full of subtle irony and humor.

"Another Beauty" is a pleasure to read, and, although I have read the original, I am sure that Claire Cavanagh's translation (she is also a translator of many of Zagajewski's poems) does it justice.

Dr. Marios Kyriazis gives you a crash course in anti-aging, complete with the specifics you need to begin a healthy path to a life of increased wellness and longevity. These tips on preventing age-related complications and antidotes to the impact of aging are particularly useful for busy, stressed-out professionals who have days when they feel 20 years older than they actually are. The author, a leading British physician and founder of the British Longevity Society, beautifully explains complex medical processes, He is clear and offers great detail, so you don't have to be a doctor to understand everything he writes. If you are under 25, and therefore invincible, you aren't ready for this book yet, but we [...] heartily recommend it for the rest of us.

This book will never feature in an Al Gore lecture. Hofer will never get the Nobel Prize. What you will get from reading this very well illustrated book is the politically incorrect information that part of Greenland has had flowers in summer for as long as we have had direct knowledge. Some glaciers have run fast for an equally long time. Further, that there are other theories out there, though presently unfunded, to understand climate change. Climate change, by the way, was not invented by Al Gore either, but rather, maybe, by Thomas Jefferson. My copy of this book was culled, or censored, from a university library. "Who controls the past, controls the future; who controls the present, controls the past." - Orwell

I recently picked up this book on my way to a festival. At the festival I was just overwhelmed and found myself down with a headache (not to mention numerous other aches). This book has a GREAT "aromatherapy travel kit" section that no trip should be without. Within minutes, I was back in the festive mode. After the days of travel it took to get to the festival, I know this book was the best purchase I'd made that whole weekend (and for a long time before that).

This is by far the most complete book I have read on hand and machine applique I have reviewed. Explanations are clear and concise for the beginner as well as for the intermediate and advanced quilter. The pictures are drawn to thoroughly explain each step in applique. Jeanne Benson's book should be a definite addition to anyone's collection who is seriously into the art of applique.

do you think you are serious about tattooing? consider yourself a bit of an expert on it? and you don't have this book? (not even any of the other tattootime issues?) then re-think and re-consider! anyone serious about tattooing, its backgrounds, its history should have this book. and all the other four issues. they are all out on hardy marks publications; the publishing company owned and run by don ed hardy. whom you should know.

this volume is entitled "art from the heart" and goes into a bit of a different direction than the previous four "tattootime" books; which also has to do with the fact that it has a lot more pages. it goes more deeply into works of artists (with lots of photographic examples): tattoo legend bob shaw, thomas woodruff (paintings, not tattoos!), thom de vita, cynthia witkin (very unusual and unique style of tattooing!) and michael malone (a very respected figure in the tattooing community). all of them are very interesting artists. there's an article (and photographs) about "weirdo art and the rebirth of bold american classics" (meaning classic tattto designs). another one by tricia allen (who has done a lot of great research on lots of tattooing traditions!) entitled "european explorers and marquesan tattooing - the wildest island style"; very informative and educating. the second last article is dedicated to samoan tattoo chief suluape petelo, and the last one takes a look at how tribal tattooing has developed over the years, since it had first gotten big-time attention in "tattootime 1", back in 1982!

again, i feel, this book is worth the money for the photographs alone!

This book really helped me. Before I missed out on a lot of information covering toners and the law of colours.

I'm a cosmetology student who has had a few months of "basic" hair colouring. This book gave me some new ideas and tools to expand my knowledge. I highly recommend it!

Whilst searching for bath beads, bath bombs, and other assorted goodies that would make my bathing experience entirely more lovely, I came across this resourceful 96-page book. I am certainly glad that I purchased this over a five-dollar bath bomb, as "The Art of the Bath" is chocked full of marvellous, yet simple and cheap ways to enhance a bath.

The first chapter, entitled "The Perfect Bath," is basically a rundown of, well, the perfect bath! Whether it would be beneficial to have a cool, tepid, warm, or hot bath; different types of towels and body brushes; the benefits of salts, mud, fruit, herbs, essential oils, as well as that of steaming and massages.

"The Art of the Bath" offers up detailed descriptions of six different types of baths:

1. floral baths
2. aromatic baths
3. detoxifying baths
4. pampering baths
5. relaxing baths
6. aphrodisiac baths

There is the simple "rose bath," which includes rose petals and essential oil of rose; the extravagant Balinese flower bath, in which handfuls of jasmine, ylang ylang, patchouli, hisbiscus, or frangipani blossoms are strewn into hot water; the "zesty bath" which makes use of citrus zest to lift your spirits; mud baths and facial steaming; shiatsu footbath, Japanese hotsoak, fizzing champagne bath, and Eastern wedding bath are some favorites that come to mind as well.

The only real problem that I encountered with the book was that some bathing routines called for you to fill a tub, rub down with a homemade scrub, and shower. At the moment, I do not have a separate shower in which to do that. Not to mention, that a shower massager is preferable in one or two of the procedures, whereas I have a fixed showerhead that I cannot move. Some bathrooms are simply better than others.

"The Art of the Bath" was filled with historical and scientific facts about baths from all over the world, including Japan, Russia, Finland, as well as the ancient baths of Rome.

The other books that the author has used as resources include:

"Cathedrals of the Flesh: My Search for the Perfect Bath" by Alexia Brue

"Some Like it Hot: the Lure of the Sauna, its Lore and Stories" by Nicolyn Rajala

"Spiritual Bathing: Healing Rituals and Traditions From Around the World" by Rosita Arvigo and Nadine Epstein

"The Healing Energies of Water" by Charlie Ryrie

"Undesigning the Bath" by Leonard Koren

So, while there are many works that are much more detailed than this short book, it is certainly a good quick resource to possess.