Vans Books

Ask the average person to name a song by Duke Ellington and if you get a response it's apt to be 'uh, A-Train'. Wrong, since it has long been known that Strayhorn wrote it. But who wrote which parts of 'Black, Brown and Beige'? Unknown generally until now; Strayhorn wrote Beige; Ellington wrote Black and Brown.

All true fans of Duke Ellington know of Billie Strayhorn, but few know anything of his real contributions across half of the Dukes career. This book has gone back to the original manuscripts and studied the handwriting to see who wrote what parts. The results of these studies and massive other research provide a true look at the work of Strayhorn. This is not a biography; 'Lush Life : A Biography of Billy Strayhorn' by David Hajdu is a wonderful companion to this book. This book is musically oriented and has some discussions way over my head; none the less its a welcome addition to my library and one that I read non-stop. There is lots of fine data in apendicies as well.

Superb! Thank you, thank you, Walter Van De Leur.

After reading this book you will have a technical understanding of why Billy Strayhorn's music sounds so good and why Strayhorn needs to be recognized as one of the giants of American popular music. After having spent over 10 years performing in depth research and examining over 3,000 manuscripts Walter Van De Leur seperates Billy Strayhorn from Duke Ellington and analyzes how their musical styles differ. The book provides the reader with a technical dissection of a number of Strayhorn's and Ellington's music and gives, from a musicologist's point of view, the uniqueness of Strayhorn's music. Anecdotes about Strayhorn and Ellington are infrequent and instead Van De Leur provides a scholarly examination of one of the most important of American composers. However, Van De Leur can be eloquent in his examination of Strayhorn's work and this belies the love he has for his subject. Analyzing Strayhorn's Day Dream Van De Leur writes " The introspective Day Dream is less radical in its harmonic and melodic design, although chromatic chord relations again play an important role...On beat three this flat supertonic for the target proper, which now functions as the delay for the dominant E7, for A. Turning this pattern into a sequence, Strayhorn again liberates the music from its tonal gravity..." That last sentence says it all, Billy Strayhorn liberated music from its tonal gravity!

This book is a landmark is jazz scholarship. The way van de Leur mixes few biographical details, business forces, archival reserach and music analysis helps to better understand the art of Billy Strayhorn as a personal and individual composer and arranger. With a smooth literary style, van de Leur opens to us the gates of an unknown and underrated musical genius, and help us to distinguish the true from the false, the right authorship of compositions and arrangements and the way the Strayhorn musical style changed throught the years; more, it helps to distinguish him from Duke Ellington and to better understand Ellington, too. From;these pages, Strayhorn emerges as a major composer with a distinguished musical personality.
The four appendixes are one the most useful tools in jazz reseraches appeared in last years.
This book is a reference one for any jazz researcher or learned amateur. A masterpiece in scholarship, an enlightning effort in understanding a great musician and an enjoyable reading. A must.

There are not enough stars that can adequately rate this book. Van de Leur has given us the first truly thorough analysis of a composer of jazz (although Strayhorn was much more than a jazz composer). You do need some musical knowledge to understand what he is talking about, but his discussion and analyses of Strayhorn's music are clear, concise and well-reasoned. The appendices alone are worth the price of the book, where he lists every scrap of music currently known of Strayhorn's, where it is, when it was recorded, and what was played (in many cases, Ellington only used parts of Strayhorn's arrangements of pop tunes). The sheer amount of work it took to complete this project is startling and awe-inspriring.

For years we wondered what Strayhorn's real role was in the Ellington organization. Now we know without any doubt. Bravo Walter!!!!

Well, I enjoy any read by Ken Kesey but I can't really be objective here because my nephew contributed.. STILL.. it's a great, fun book..

Do you love the writings of Ken Kesey? Buy this.

Do you want to relive a magic moment in the past, or want a better understanding of what the spirit of the 60s was all about? Buy this!

Do you want to laugh, cry, and have a great time? Buy this!!

Spit in the Ocean #7 brings to a conclusion a project Ken Kesey started more than a quarter of a century ago. In 1974, he laid out plans to self-publish seven issues of a literary magazine by this title, each issue to have a different theme and editor. By 1981, six issues had appeared, but the leader of the Merry Pranksters was ready to move on to other ventures.

Now, two year's after Kesey's departure at age 66, his friend Ed McClanahan has edited that final issue of "Spit," appropriately all about the man who gave the world so much joy. There are contributions from famous names like Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Wolfe and Larry McMurtry, but there's also lots from others who were touched by Kesey's boundless spirit and zest for life.

There are letters, interviews, memoirs, song lyrics, photos and more between these covers. I bet Kesey would have loved it. If they could have somehow included a DVD and scratch-and-sniff, he would have loved it even better. This book does a wonderful service in keeping alive the spirit of the writer, painter, filmmaker, jester, teacher, activist, wrestler, leader and lover of life named Ken Kesey.--William C. Hall

Only two reviews for this (well, now three)? How unfortunate. A lovely, insightfully odd, and sometimes twisted tome. Good reading for this distant admirer of the thoughts and processes of the time, the place, and the man.

This book is loving remembrances of people who knew Kesey. Halfway through the book I forced myself to slow down, because I did not want to finish the book so fast. I wanted to savor the innate wisdom and humor of Ken Kesey for as long as possible. The world is a richer place because of his passing through it, and this book shares some of his life with us. He truly fought the good fight. His spirit is carried on by the many friends he had, and I thank them for sharing with us.

A clever title and a very clever book. Wide ranging in scope, with many unusual insights. At the present bargain price it is a must have. Makes you think, and not in the usual way you think.

T.A.P. van Leeuwen, a teacher of mine, has written a book about all the different aspects of the swimming pool. TAP van Leeuwen manages to evoke new kinds of interesting emotions concerning water- and he manages to fill the pool with these emotions. After all, the pool, as he himself describes it, has no very interesting shape: it's just a floating boarding or a concrete hole-in-the-ground.

TAP van Leeuwen has made an excellent choice to show as much as possible in different media, all shattered around on the spread: notes next to the text next to pics. The very thorough and beautiful design of the book itself makes this possible- and points back to its archetype, the "Bauen in Frankreich"-book by Sigfried Giedion (a lifelong teacher for van Leeuwen). I liked very much the part about all the fifties-Hollywood-stars, sitting besides or floating atop of the water, in their expensive tweed costumes, afraid of the water and proud of their success (of owning a pool?). Let's all take a dive into the richness of this book, a book definitely not about architecture, only, architecture is the only housing into which these stories have a room.

Oceanomare of all feeling & thoughts connected with the pool, T.A.P. van Leeuwen, a teacher of mine, has written a book about all the different aspects of the swimming pool. TAP van Leeuwen manages to evoke new kinds of interesting emotions concerning water- and he manages to fill the pool with these emotions. After all, the pool, as he himself describes it, has no very interesting shape: it's just a floating boarding or a concrete hole-in-the-ground.

TAP van Leeuwen has made an excellent choice to show as much as possible in different media, all shattered around on the spread: notes next to the text next to pics. The very thorough and beautiful design of the book itself makes this possible- and points back to its archetype, the "Bauen in Frankreich"-book by Sigfried Giedion (a lifelong teacher for van Leeuwen). I liked very much the part about all the fifties-Hollywood-stars, sitting besides or floating atop of the water, in their expensive tweed costumes, afraid of the water and proud of their success (of owning a pool?). Let's all take a dive into the richness of this book, a book definitely not about architecture, only, architecture is the only housing into which these stories have a room.

This is the second in an anticipated series of four unorthodox books by a Dutch historian on architecture in relation to the classical elements: sky, water, fire and earth. The first volume, about the metaphysics of the American skyscraper, was published in 1988; while the third, which will focus on buildings destroyed by fire, is in preparation. This second volume, which is illustrated by more than 200 drawings, plans and vintage photographs, is a wonderful visual and verbal review of the origin and evolution of the domestic swimming pool, which is, as the author describes it, "the architectural outcome of man's desire to become one with the element of water, privately and free of danger." To swim in a hole in the backyard, he continues, "is a complex and curious activity, one that oscillates between joy and fear, between domination and submission, for the swimmer delivers himself with controlled abandonment to the forces of gravity, resulting in sensations of weight- and timelessness." This is a history of architecture, as exemplified by a single building type; while, at the same time, it is a rich, multi-faceted social history in which the behavior of humans toward water is shown in relation to religion, sex, art, psychology, engineering and architecture. (Copyright by Roy R. Behrens from Ballast Quarterly Review, Vol. 15, No. 1, Autumn 1999.)

This really was an inspiring book. For anyone who has had to deal with injuries, much less a chronic debillitaing illness, this book shows how to approach such situations with courage and humor. It also brings up the importance of letting others help you through crises, whether they be teammates, friends, doctors, psychologists, or the clergy. I especially liked the insights into other National soccer team members. And it was very interesting to read about specific National team games, games which I watched in person or on television. I had no idea the struggle Akers had just to continue playing, much less competing at a high level. I would recommend this book for any athlete, whether or not they are dealing with injuries or illness, and I would certainly recommend it for young girls to show them what it means to be a committed athlete.

For those who battle hard and never quit, Michelle's story is a great inspiration and story of hope, faith and perseverance. Great details about the Olympics and the US Women's Team as well.

Michelle's story is one of courage and determination. Soccer fans in particular will be interested in what she has to say, but even those who don't appreciate the sport should be touched by what she's endured.

I especially enjoyed her teammates' input and the humorous stories about their time spent together. I'm a big fan of the Women's National Soccer Team in general and really appreciated these insights. Michelle also shares thoughtful remarks about family and team staff members who have inspired her to pursue her dreams despite her fight with CFS.

Sometimes you don't realize how good you have it until you hear what someone else has dealt with. This book is a very worthwhile read and may even help you to organize your own priorities!

I am a young soccer player who suffers from CFS. After reading this book I became inspired to work even harder. It is a great read for any soccer player or anyone who suffers from CFS. A wonderful book! Thank you Michelle!

This book is terrific, with a narrative that is well integrated with the math. As noted by previous reviewers, van Kampen does a particularly good job of spelling out the necessary conditions for using Langevin techniques. My only complaint: some of the derivations are fast-and-loose, with typos that lead to confusion.

Van Kampen's book is a must-have for anyone interested in stochastic processes. The presentation is masterful and there are numerous thought-provoking examples and exercises. The author's remarks on "abuse" of methods (such as the Langevin technique) are well worth understanding, even if one does not agree with him in all cases. The price is a bit steep which is unfortunate since this book is really ideal for advanced undergraduates and graduate students.

Van Kampen's book is a must-have for anyone interested in stochastic processes. The presentation is masterful and there are numerous thought-provoking examples and exercises. The author's remarks on "abuse" of methods (such as the Langevin technique) are well worth understanding, even if one does not agree with him in all cases. The price is a bit steep which is unfortunate since this book is really ideal for advanced undergraduates and graduate students.

Van Kampen is that rare book that has enormous utility while being very clear and readable. It is perfectly suitable for sitting down and reading; the ideas flow together in a seamless way. Yet if you need to use it as a reference, you can flip to the appropriate page and the ideas will still be clear! It's amazing to me how Van Kampen manages to have the topics of the book stand alone, yet be woven together in such a logical, and even pedagogical, way.

This book is recommended for anyone working in statistical physics and is a must for anyone studying nonequilibrium phenomena in chemisty or physics. Even moreso than Kubo's excellent book on nonequilbrium statistical mechanics, this is the most clear and complete volume.

This author has a unique ability to create in your mind's eye a colorful vision of what was an often hilarious and, most certainly, an odd and unusual father/son relationship that becomes even more bizarre with the unset of mental illness.
The level of detail remembered and conveyed to the reader allows you to live the experience as he grows to find his relationship with his father is not normal and continues deteriorating until it becomes almost unbearable. The writing style and structure of the book makes for a most enjoyable reading experience. Great writing, you won't be disappointed.

The gist of this book is about a son's relationship with his artist father, who is dealing with a progessive mental illness. I picked this book up because my father has alzheimers. What is unusual about this book is the writing style - it's coloful, dynamic and reflects the emotional states of both father and son, while enveloping the reader within the time period and maturity of the relationship. I couldn't put the book down, and I normally don't like books based on relationships. I again want to say that the writing style of the author is distinct and something that I quite enjoyed. It's analytical and expressive, but not flowery. I would highly recommend this book!

I bought this book thinking it would be a story about a painter..his life complete with struggles and challenges. You know, the ususal biography. Boy, was I surprised! Yes, the book is about a painter but instead of HIS struggles, the reader is taken on a journey into the life of the painter's family...particularly his son. I couldn't put the book down! The author's writing style (son) has a way of drawing you in and really "painting a picture" of how life was growing up in a household where his father and he could just not connect. AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ! I experienced many similarities with my own father and reading this book really helped comfort me knowing "I wasn't the only one."

The title alludes to oil painting, but the picture on the cover hints at the artist himself. Having taken many psychology classes in college 30 years ago, this book would have been welcomed reading. The dynamics between a father and son in dealing with mental illness is both captivating and educational. As the book progresses from a child to a man to a father, the writing style follows. Excellent reading!

I bought Summer Smarts along with another series called, Summer Bridge Activites. Both books support practice of school skills over the summer. I love how this book looks sort of like a coloring book. My son has enjoyed coloring the pages after he completes them. Unlike the other series I mentioned, this book also encourages critical thinking. My son and I have had great conversations while he was working on his pages. I think this is a great book for kids because it isn't too difficult or frustrating.

As a former second grade teacher, I found this book an excellent preparation for second graders. There are many concepts and skills that are normally taught in late first grade or in second grade. The pages are well presented and have a fun element to them. The book would be appropriate to use throughout the second grade year as some of the sections may be somewhat difficult for before the school year starts. I bought it for a child who will start second grade this year and he loved it. His comment was that it was "pretty easy".

This is a really cute workbook, filled with sweet illustrations and a diverse selection of excersises. The book starts with a section on "who am I" and continues with math excersises, easy science projects, geography quizes and language arts questionaires sprinkled randomly throughout the book. One of my favorite things about "Summer Smarts" is the reading selection. There are three main books to read through the summer with questions for your child to answer located at the back of the workbook. Other cute books are recomended throughout the workbook.

Having giving the book a glowing review I cannot say that my daughter agrees with me. She really dislikes worksheets in general and getting her to sit and do the excersises in this book has been next to impossible. The recomended reading is wonderful for reading to her, but they are far too difficult for her to read by herself. I purchased this book because she has been struggling in school and I thought this would help her keep from falling further behind this summer. I still recommend the book though, especially if you have the kind of child who enjoys working independantly. Like one of the other reviewers I agree that this book would be best for a child who is already doing well in school and who enjoys this sort of thing.

This book is perfect for a smart child waiting for second grade. It provides a chance to review basic skills needed in second grade without being boring or tiring. Other books of the same kind tend either to be too easy or to have too many exercises. A child who has worked hard needs some rest! This book also suggests titles for summer reading, which is great because summer reading are the ones that teach a child how nice it is to stop and read a book, and it also provides worksheets for four books. I would recommend this book to any student whose grades are C or above. For those children who are behind schedule, however, I would propose "Summer Bridge Activities" because it provides many more exercises.

I love this book....I think it teaches children to think before they act...a lesson they all need to be taught. Sometimes our actions have negative outcome, and sometimes that causes accidents......Children love these books....My daughter often refers to Quacker. She will remind me not to scare her!!! Way to Go Ricky great books....We Love them

Country singer Ricky Van Shelton tells a warm fable in this brightly illustrated effort. Quacker is a duck who likes to wag his tale like a dog. Told in rhymes this short story should hold the interest of even the youngest child. It presents a positive message of acceptance and brotherhood in a manner that will not be lost on small children. However, parents should be careful. This book's overall moral could be distorted by schools with a politically correct axe to grind. The message of acknowledging individual differences could be twisted into an endorsement of alternative lifestyles. That was clearly not the author's intent.

Each Ricky Van Shelton book contains humor and love. Mr. Van Shelton adds an important moral to each book. My wife's pre-K class at the public school loves all of the Quacker stories.

This is a great book, with the morals that I am happy to teach my children. I was a RVS fan already, but this book just makes me an even bigger fan!

I like this book, I own both K-2 & 3-5. There's alot of overlap so I recommend which ever age group you would use it with more.

Van de Walle breaks down problem based classrooms in an understandable format. This book really helps teachers hone their skills in hands on/problem based teaching for mathematics. There are lots of activities to help you teach your students. This book is a must have for 5-8 Mathematics teachers.

A professor recommended Van de Walle's books to me so I bought this one. This book explains how to teach math so that students build on existing knowledge, rather than learn sets of algorithms without understanding their meaning. It offers a range of specific lessons for all math topics for grades 5 - 8, it explains how to teach the same topics to diverse learners, how to teach to the standards. It comes with amazing templates that are downloadable. It shows you how to take advantage of your existing math textbook, supplementing it to make it more student-focused.

Very worthwhile purchase for anyone who teaches math to intermediate students. The suggested activities are not found in any other math books I have seen and should help create math learners who are not "formula" driven.

Don't be turned off from buying this book. I consider it a fine addition. I relate better to the simple, common names of mushrooms. Not the scientific names. Also, I found some huge mushrooms in my pasture identified as "horse mushrooms" elsewhere. I could find no mention of them in this book and they are supposed to be excellent for eating. If I were a novice, I would add this book but not rely on it for my sole information source. Never assume anything concerning wild mushrooms. Do your research and proceed with extreme care.

This book really does Texas wild mushrooms well. Susan and Van Metzler present Texas mushrooms in a vivid format with many pictures, and information. You can tell these two have a passion for hunting mushrooms. They take a conservative approach when it comes to what types of mushrooms are edible, and which ones are not.

Their book has pictures of every type of mushroom they mention. They give time of year they may appear and where you may find the mushrooms. Careful details is added to whether or not the mushroom may be edible. I like that they mention some are edible, but they caution against eating a particular type of mushroom. They also mention which mushrooms it is not known if they are deadly or not.

You can tell these two have a passion for mushroom hunting and it shows in this book. Vivid color photographs, detailed information about their growing seasons, locations, are all included. They also slip in some recipes with this mushroom guide. I would recommend adding this book to your collection if you are hunting mushrooms in Texas.

Fall 2000 and so far this Spring 2001, I have found thirteen types of wild mushrooms growing on my ranch in Bandera Texas (amazing what some good rains can do!). So far, I have been able to identify all of them with this single reference book. Pictures are clear, and descriptions are detailed. I highly recommend this book. By the way, I found morels---first time they've been seen in over 20 years here in the Hill Country, according to the locals.

This book is wonderful. A thorough guide by the legendary Metzlers, famous experts on the subject. Color photos of every mushroom are beautiful and helpful. Complete descriptions, including interesting history, tips and cooking advice, make this book a fun, fascinating aid to any mushroom hunter. Other books will not suffice. Texas mushrooms are unique and strange, with many species that only occur in Texas. Other books will have dangerous gaps. You need this book. I'd buy it again, if I didn't already have it. The Deity-Man Van deserves our worship.