Vans Books

This is an excellent book to share with a young person - age range three to about age eight. The lesson taught is one of never giving up. Adversity may make the task more difficult, but not impossible. Telling the story of Beethoven in this way was a brilliant move. Very highly recommended.

The author, an associate professor at Michigan State University, has already educated and entertained young readers with the lives of two composers in "The Farewell Symphony" and "Pictures At An Exhibition." When paired with rousing watercolor and ink illustrations by JoAnn Kitchel, both of those books are small treasures, as is "The Heroic Symphony," which relates the life of Beethoven.

As the story opens Beethoven has it all - fame, fortune, and the ability to play the piano better than anyone in all of Europe. However, the music lovers who flocked to hear him have no idea that he is slowly losing his hearing. Desperate, hoping for a cure in the spring of 1802 Beethoven fled to a remote clinic.. But there was no help for him.

As Beethoven despaired a melody began to fill his mind, and he realized that if he could no longer play the piano he could compose. He knew that he wanted to write music that would not only entertain but would also inspire, so he searched for inspiration. One name came to him - a war hero, Napoleon Bonaparte.

Later, upon learning that his hero, Bonaparte, had crowned himself Emperor of France Beethoven attempted to destroy his months of work, but was stopped by a close friend. At length Beethoven scratched the name Bonaparte from his manuscript and wrote a new title, "The Heroic Symphony."

A CD recording of Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 ("Eroica" is included. It is performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sir Georg Solti.

- Gail Cooke

The heroic symphony is a true story about Ludwig Van Beethovens symphony no.3 also called the Heroic symphony.THe book has cute well drawn pictures that are fun to look at. it gave good info and wasnt hard to read. it can be a book for all ages and many are sure to enjoy[this book]. it also comes with a cd which is the heroic symphony music

I am in love with this series of books for children! I own three of them and can't wait to get the rest. This is a perfect series for homeschooling families, or parents who want to supplement what their children are learning outside the home. This book not only tells the story of Beethoven's life and inspiration for writing The Heroic Symphony, but it also gives some of France's history at the time that Beethoven wrote it. The illustrations are beautiful and truly works of art in themselves. This book will be used by our family and passed down to be used again and again. The CD which accompanies it is very well done. My children love to listen to the music and love the story that goes along with it. I feel that the love of classical music is a great gift to give any child. This book is well worth the money, and hard to find at a lower price! Well done!

My son and I spent a week fishing in the high sierra before buying this book. The fishing was good but sporadic. When I read this book, I was amazed at how well Van Loek was able to explain why we caught fish when we did and vice versa. The principals will be of value to spin fishermen as well as fly fishers. Add to that, the book is written in a colorful, simple, well thought out, engaging manner, and I have come to consider this one of my indespensible reference works for western trout fishing, the High Sierra and beyond.

I've only glanced through "High Sierra Fly Fishing: Basics to Advanced Tactics" but already I know ....this is a superb book. It's far more than its title implies. How many times have you started to read a book like this and discover that it's 80% fluff and maybe 20% content? Van Loek is certainly an authority on the subject of high alpine trout fishing in the Sierra, and I have already learned much from my short time in his book. The photos of both the unbelievable country and it's wonderful trout make me ache to be there. Actually they take me there even now! This publication goes beyond it's peers and I'm going to enjoy digesting every word!

The intro says this book is meant primarily for folks new to alpine fishing. What is especially good is the de-emphasis on gear and strong emphasis on the natural history of both the Sierra Nevada and trout. Many of the ideas are new and original, such as the "Angler's Caloric Law." The author's approach leads readers right to the concepts that explain why good anglers cast where they do. You just couldn' beat this up-to-date book if you want to know how to catch a lot of trout on a backpacking trip. In fact, the excellent photos will whet your appetite for a summer trip!

This book is an artful blend of practical how-to fishing advice and wonderfully lyrical descriptions of the high Sierra. There are plenty of photos that will make you hanker for a fishing trip just as surely as using one of the handtied flies the author describes should lure an elusive golden trout out from his hideaway. I have a much better idea now of how inexpertly I have been fishing all these years. The author knows his fish and walks the reader through such useful info as the science of how trout see through the refraction of water and their favorite hangouts.

Armed with such really specific advice, I'm looking forward to a chance to outsmart some fish this summmer!

I read a lot of books but this one is definitely one of the most thought provoking. The authorgives a very personal look into her journey of "seeing how the God of hope fits into the sick, needy world around us". The book is a 5 week journey where the reader reads a chapter, reflects on it, journals and is led in very specific applications and then prayer. This book is a journey in understanding the poverty of the world, prayer and how YOU can be the messenger of God's hope and love to a dying and lost world in need of a Savior. Read it and EXPECT to be changed.

This is a wonderful book!!! You really can make a difference in this world! We have become so accustomed to nodding our heads in agreement that action needs to be taken to alleviate the suffering in this world, and sit on our hands waiting for someone else to do it. This book should be required reading for every congregation in America. "If you think you're too small to make a difference, then try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito." (African Proverb).

This book is really special. It's laid out as a five week read, with each week broken down into five daily readings (along with some space for questions and reflections at the end of each reading). It's about poverty, but in a more general sense than some books. It's not just about one problem (or solution) or one kind of poverty; it's about the general problem of living in a world with people who have real, desperate needs, be they monetary, food-related, housing-related, emotional, spiritual, opportunity-related, physical, or what have you. The five chapters are: Poverty of the Heart (which is about our own attitudes and beliefs), God is Not Silent (what the Bible says about poverty), Understand Poverty, Prayer, and Be the Change (which is about how to take action).

The book stands on its own, but it's also part of an all-church curriculum (kits for pastors, small groups, children, and youth) that's supposed to last 5 weeks and includes a dvd, lessons, sermon suggestions, promotional materials, etc. I haven't seen the kits since they're not out yet, but the book is really great.

First off, this is a very attractive book. It has lots of fun art and lots of pictures and even pictures of the people that the stories are about, which is neat. The pictures really help reinforce the tone of the book, which is about poverty, but is meant to be encouraging. And even though the pictures are of tough things, kids living in poverty, they're really nice pictures and really help to humanize the subjects, instead of just making you feel guilty and presenting you with a world so different from yours you can't identify with it. The writing is really good, too. It's written in a sort of personal reflection type of form, almost like a conceptual journal, which softens the blow of some of the hard stuff being said a little (if you want to take it straight on just replace the "I" with "we" in your head). The way each chapter is broken up helps you to digest the material (this book covers a lot in a short space) and keeps you from being overwhelmed. The attitude of the book is really positive, which is nice, and the stories are really powerful.

Overall, a really great book, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the dvd. Poverty is kind of a hot button topic right now, so this book is very timely. It's a great treatment of the fundamentals of the subject; instead of focusing on just one temporary problem or one limited solution, it goes for the eternal core of the problem and how it relates to ourselves, our faith, and our world. It takes a tough subject and tackles it in a way that anyone could handle. If you have any interest in the subject or want to help someone else understand it better, this would be a great choice. Five stars.

I have some confessions to make.

First off, I'm one of those millions of Christians living in America who donate time and money out of guilt and obligation. I have found peace of mind knowing that when I wrote a check, I could cross that off my list of "Christian things to do." Kind of a, "Whew! I'm glad that's taken care of" sort of attitude.

My next confession is that I'm absolutely paralyzed by the sheer enormity of the needs that exist in the world. I would often think to myself that I SHOULD do something more and would often talk about doing something more but was filled with self-doubt thinking, "what difference is it going to make anyway? I mean really, how is my pittance of a donation going to end poverty or cure aids or feed the World's hungry?"

Here's my last confession. I've held the opinion that I also struggle financially and my family's needs come first before anyone else gets a slice of my financial pie. Afterall, I've worked hard for what I have and I'm not about to put myself in dire straights because someone else didn't put in the same effort.

OK. Now that I've come clean, I have to admit that reading Hope Lives has changed my life and I don't make this statement lightly.

What this book has done for me is open my eyes and revealed to me what God has asked me to do; not from a position of guilt but rather from an expression of love and grace. Truth be told, I'm blessed. I mean truly blessed. Blessed that I live in America, blessed that I have the opportunities that I have and blessed that I've been given the God-honoring privilege to serve him. Through this book, my eyes were opened to the causes of poverty and I can honestly say that my heart has been changed and I'll never quite be the same.

In short, Hope Lives helped me recognize that God is on the move and he's weaving an amazing fabric that I play a small role in helping to weave. He isn't asking me to do EVERYTHING but he has put me in a time and place and has given the means to do SOMETHING. What I do with this opportunity is ultimately up to me.

The cover of Hope Lives refers to a "Journey of Restoration." I assumed "restoration" meant that the poor would be restored to self-sufficiency. What I didn't realize was that I was being restored and the greatest transformation was occuring within me.

I pray that this book does the same for you.

This book was introduced to me by our pastor's wife. It follows the journey of a begrudging camel and his lack of enthusiasm to do as God's angels asked him and take gifts to the new baby King. Just when Hoshmakaka can't seem to bear anymore, he takes one last piece of straw and that brings him to his knees in front of the Baby Jesus and he forgets his burdens. This is a beautifully told and illustrated story that delights my four year old and brings tears to my eyes as I realize the parallel for our everyday lives.

A proud camel is selected to accompany the Magi described in Matthew to carry gifts for Jesus. He tries to get out of the journey (he has other commitments), but is convinced otherwise by some sand-blowing voices. As his journey continues, so does his burden, as gifts are added to his back. A young child even adds a straw for the baby's bed, that, well, I don't want to spoil the ending ("Will this straw cause me to fall?").

We used this book as the basis for our church's family Christmas Eve service. The children participated in a recreation of the Christmas stories in Matthew and Luke, and then settled in for a reading of this great book. During the story, we had two people in a camel costume come through the aisles, as "presents" were loaded onto baskets on the "camel's" back. It was a great success, and helped bring alive the oft-repeated Bible stories.

Thury has a great skill of weaving in enough adult humor to keep the attention of even the most holiday-weary parent (this camel complains of his joints, gout and sciatica, which all parents and granparents can relate to after weeks of holiday shopping, eating and "assembly-required" efforts). My seven year old has requested it again and again. Original, enchanting and a great twist on both the Christmas story and "the straw that broke the camel's back." Or did it? The pictures are outstanding.

This is such a wonderful book! Every year I look for a special book to share with my family, this year it will be The Last Straw. It is a humorous tale that also teaches a valuable lesson about humility. The Last Straw is right up there with Santa Calls and The Red Ranger Came Calling. I highly recommend this book!

I love this book. I read it to my Sunday school class every year (preschool & kindergarteners) -- I still get teared up when the camel arrives at the manger...it is so touching and awe inspiring! The children are completely entranced by the story -- no one stirs as we read the story -- even the 3 year olds will be still with their little jaws open.

Together we wonder... will the old camel make it to the manger? Will the camel accept the little boys gift at the end of the journey?

It should be on every child's bookshelf at Christmastime. It is the spirit of the season.

This one had been difficult to get hold of for a whle and was also slightly in need of an update. However the authors have done a splendid job at re-working this classic book on neuroanatomy, It is absolutely indispensable to understand the organization of the CNS. It has been expanded and it is not too expensive.

in a simple way, a milestone in neuroanatomy. Not only for the accurate decriptions, but especially for the beautiful pictures.

This book has been written by two Dutch Neurologists and the illustrator. The content of the written text is absolutely phenomenal. It is clear, to the point and most of the times gives a clear explanation on "how the brain works".
The illustrations are, in my modest opinion, as clear as the ones drawn by Netter (believe me).
This is an excellent book for any medical student interested in Neuroanatomy, any Neurosurgeon and Neurologist (in-training) studying for his/her boards.
I highly recommend it.

Prepared my very own neuroanatomy exam with this book and passed with an A +. Precise, concise and always quoting the latest research.

Simply a Must have!

I am an avid reader of Alaskan literature, having lived there for several years working in resource management. Dr. Van Ballenberghe has compiled a wonderful collection of photographs, combined with a literate - yet easy to read - essay on this wonderful animal. This book is a great read, not only is the text on moose inspirational, but a reader obtains a sense of the wildness and primacy of the land.

This would be a wonderful gift for readers of all ages, educational, factual, and gripping. BUY IT!

Dr. Van Ballenberghe shares his intimate knowledge of moose behavior as one who deeply respects his subjects. Each chapter deals with a basic aspect of the moose life-cycle: surviving winter, getting prepared for the fall rutting period throughout spring and summer, the rut from the perspective of the bull and the cow, and surviving predation from wolves and bears. The chapters are not labeled as such but van Ballenberghe's engaging prose lets these themes seek up on the reader. His first hand observations of nearly 30 years of moose research reveal an understanding of individual moose probably unrivaled by today's computer-jocky statistics oriented wildlife biologists. He emphasizes instances of decision-making in individual moose which lead to good or poor survival strategies -- a subject one rarely encounters in scientific works today. This alone is quite an accomplishment but, in addition, the book is replete with full page color photos of moose in all their glory and in all stages of life. Most are full body close-ups. Many are breath-taking scenes of Denali National Park and the Alaska Mountains. The quality of the photographs is exquisite. There are so many photos that the book would be suitable for the coffee table. My only criticism is that the book is only 122 pages in length.

Fans of hunting as well as fans of wildlife biology in general and moose in particular will relish Victor Van Ballenberghe's gorgeous color photos and in-depth studies of wild moose, backed by his thirty-five years in the field. Images pair well with text which describes the habitats, habits and features of wild moose in not only North America, but the forests of Europe and Asia. In The Company Of Moose is a unique, gorgeous, and highly recommended specialty book and a welcome addition to school and community library Wildlife Studies collections.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Not only were the pictures breathtaking, but the author's style of writing made me feel as though I was walking through the woods with a friend, a friend who knew alot about moose! a real eye opener about these gentle creatures. would make a great gift.

Delightful conversation between two friends on heaven and other "heavy" matters-- rings true/ the right amount of light-heartedness.

I first heard this read on NPR by Daniel Pinkwater (great author!) and Scott Simon. I immediately bought it for our 7 year old. It is a sweet little story about friendship. The simple line drawings add to the charm. Daniel Pinkwater picked it as a children's story that he loves, and I agree!

We ordered the book after hearing excerpts from it on NPR, read by Scott Simon and Daniel Pinkwater. We found it touching in its simplicity, and thought-provoking for both adults and children. The schematic drawings reminded us of the illustrations to *Pat the Bunny.* It's a disarmingly artless way of getting parents and their offspring to express and compare their ideas about death, loss, and the permanence of love.

I have never done a review, but this one moved me to do so. This book has quiet eloquence that tries to answer some lofty questions. I purchased it for an adult friend. The simplicity is actually forceful.

Dutch diplomat Robert van Gulik wrote the Judge Dee mysteries (in English!) to introduce the West to the Chinese version of the mystery story, which arose centuries before the English detective story. Judge Dee is an actual historical person, a magistrate of the seventh century during the T'ang dynasty, who was renown in China for his ability to solve crimes. In Judge Dee at Work, van Gulik presents us with eight short stories each of a single case (the novels, in the Chinese tradition, involve 3 intertwined cases) that take place throughout the judge's long career (magistrates were usually moved to a new post every three years). A table at the back of the book, places each case and all the novels within the timeline of Judge Dee's life.

I have read about half the novels and this book of short stories, and I have enjoyed them all. Early on, Judge Dee employs three different men to be his lieutenants, and they do much of the legwork for him. However, Dee is also very hands-on, going to the crime scenes and sometimes even going about in disguise. In some of the short stories here, he solves the mystery on his own. van Gulik has created a good detective in Dee; he is very, very smart, fair, compassionate to victims and stern with criminals. The cases are varied and interesting, and difficult to solve. I especially like the setting of ancient China. van Gulik really seems to know the era he is writing about, and he brings it alive through the actions and dialog of the story. There is no exposition here. If we need to know the differences of Taoism to Buddhism, we find out through a conversation of Dee with a monk or other character. That really makes the stories glide along. Sometimes a choice of phrase seems a little odd or modern for the setting, and I assume that arises from the fact that van Gulik was Dutch writing about China in English. In any event, these quirks become rather fun and don't detract at all from the stories. van Gulik also made illustrations in the traditional Chinese style of the time, and they add to the stories. I am very glad I have found the Judge Dee mysteries, and Judge Dee at Work is an excellent way to meet the judge and his world. You will be glad you did.

The wonderful thing about these stories is the sense of time and place which comes through in all of them. We find ourselves easily transported to seventh century China, and the world of a highly organised empire, with its representative in the various cities which serve as venues for the stories, the Magistrate, in the person of Judge Dee.

Robert Van Gulick's picture of Chinese life, crafted from his own extensive study of China, both underpins and overlays these elegant detective stories. Those inhabiting these stories are truly the inhabitants of the places: walking through the streets, eating at the restaurants, working in the Tribunal, and interacting with all classes of their highly stratified society.

The characters are well developed, from Judge Dee himself to his various colourful assistants and lieutenants, who do most (but not all) of the Tribunal's leg work. Criminals, victims, witnesses, and others along the way complete the fascinating tableaux.

There are references to the various Judge Dee novels at the beginning of each story providing a context within the magistrate's career. Numerous line drawings by the author gently illuminate the stories.

Indeed, during China's glorious Tang Dynasty (AD 618-960) - the golden age of China, under the reign of Empress Wu Tzi Tien, there was a great judge whose actual native name was Pao Kung (Judge Dee). He was compassionate and full of wisdom and many well-known cases were judged and solved by him and his loyal subordinates. Sometime Justice Pao Kung would commence his judgement at night in his magistrate under candlelight which surely added mystery and awe to the solemn occasion. One of his most celebrated cases was the judgement of a murdered baby prince in which the murderess substitited the corpse with the body of a civet cat...! Legend had it that Magistrate Pao or Dee (as translated by Van Gulik) was born inside a coffin of her deceased mother and therefore half of his face was black and the other half white. Reputedly, he had the supernatural ability to converse with gods and departed souls in the Spirit World which would assist him in delivering judgement. Judge Dee was revered and respected by the throne as well as high officials and he travelled a great deal from province to province to supervise difficult to solve cases. The late Robert Van Gulik had translated many cases of the famous Judge Dee and derived most of his stories from the files of the Tang Dynasty archives and then embellished them somewhat for excitement and drama. Even today, in the tea houses of China, professional storytellers would enthrilled their audience with stories of Justice Pao...! When I was growing up in the then British Malaysia in the 1950s, I had listened to an old storyteller, under a bean oil lamp, telling exciting tales of Judge Dee. He would charge a penny each from the audience Presently, I have had read many of his translations by Van Gulik - notably the Chinese Murder Series which are now classics and give both the Western and Oriental readers an insight into the lives and times of the glorious Tang Dynasty. Justice Pao or Judge Dee was an honest official, incorruptible, learned, a good homicidal investigator and judge of human characters. His judgments, as translated by Van Gulik, is firm and without the slightest error. I urge readers of mysteries and crimes to read the translated works of Judge Dee - never a dull moment and please go for them to while away your time...Cheers.

I first became aware of the Judge Dee stories after reading the short story "He Came with the Rain" in a historical mystery collection. I loved the story so much that I promptly went to Amazon.com to find more Judge Dee novels and stories. This collection of eight short stories is particularly interesting as it covers about 20 years in Judge Dee's career through several of his postings. The stories are extremely interesting, both for the wealth of historical detail as well as the actual mystery content. Judge Dee as a District Magistrate is the leading civilian authority but I found stories such as "The Red Tape Murder" particularly interesting when he clashes with military authorities. This gives Dr. Van Gulik the opportunity to introduce snippets about ancient Chinese history, particularly about the clashes with Korea and the Tartar offenses on China's Western borders. This is a period of Chinese history where very little is known - almost a sort of Chinese Dark Ages - so it is wonderful to learn more about that time, also about the social customs of the era, which I found surprisingly modern, with the exception of the accepted practice of polygamy! If you are interested in historical mystery fiction, I would highly recommend the series. Also try the Sister Fidelma series about a mystery solving nun in Dark Ages Ireland - it is equally atmospheric!

Yes, this is the one! If you're faced with having to cook for a crowd and have little or no experience, this cookbook is a really great addition to your cookbook library. The recipes are laid out in a no-nonsense format, they're easy to follow, they give pan sizes and amounts, and most of the recipes are for 50 servings which really simplifies the math! It's a textbook for the food service industry so it gives a lot of good information, including weight and volume measures, substitution equivalents, food portioning aids, and more. Each chapter begins with useful information and extra tips on food prep. I plan menus for my church's Wednesday night suppers. We feed families, students, young and elderly members of our congregation and several homeless people in our church neighborhood. This book has helped take the guess-work out of figuring amounts and portions. It has really made the work easier. I feel as though I've found the Holy Grail of cooking for crowds!

When I found myself having to cook up food for large groups, I found this book invaluable. The book is well laid out, gives easy to follow conversions, and the recipes turn out well. The book has a wide variety so you are able to use this book for many different meals. Best of all the recipes turn out very well. I was able to use this book in helping me scale up other recipes as well. This is a definate must if you do large scale cooking!

This cookbook is an invaluable resource for my catering department as well as a basis for recipes for my culinary class. They are easy to follow and have both Metric and U.S. measurements for ease of conversions.

Since purchasing this book, I've enjoyed preparing many epicurean delights from within it's pages. I've been able to provide nutritious, eye pleasing meals for over 300 along with scaling several recipes down to meet the dietary needs of only 20 to 30 guests.

Cooking in bulk is a snap with this book, because it takes the guesswork out of the kitchen!

The recipes in this cookbook are all prepared in quantities of 50. It contains both US Standard and Metric weights and measures. The dishes are basic and easy to prepare. This is very important when you are dealing with feeding a large number of people. I have personally used many recipes from this book to serve over 200 people. All the dishes were well received. They turned out exactly as they should and the cookbook even has additional information to aid in figuring how much of each ingredient to buy. When it comes to cooking in bulk, this book is - hands downs - my favorite.

The bandwith of this book is impressive. The photos are better than the narrative, but this book contains some interesting surprises.

This books shows you the lighters and gives a history of the lighter company. Many lighters. It doesn't give values of lighters, but its practically an encyclopedia on lighters..

A must for every collector.

Ad's book includes phantastic photography and an interesting concept regarding matching the things. The focus is not the jewel stuff one can always find in such books. It is the reflection of pure fascination of lighters, their history, function and the thrill of fire making history. Most important is the fact that the book adresses to the NON-collector as well as to the collector but more to the former. People that do not know anything about the subject will be fascinated by it. Although I am a collector I always read it again and again.