Vans Books


Books-Under-Review-->Home-->Consumer Information-->Automobiles-->Purchasing-->By Class-->Vans-->5
Related Subjects:
More Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250
Vans Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Vans
Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen (Sammy Keyes)
Published in Paperback by Yearling (2006-04-11)
Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
List price: $5.99
New price: $2.00
Used price: $1.97

Average review score:

Look out for the Psycho Kitty Queen!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-17
The book Sammy Keys and the Psycho Kitty Queen written by Wendelin Van Drannen is an exciting adventure! I would give this book 5 stars because it was a page turner and there were exciting events in every chapter. I just couldn't put this book down.
Join Sammy on a quest to find a mischievous cat killer. On the way she is chased down an alley by a man with a butcher knife and gets hosed down by a psycho kitty queen. If that isn't enough her archenemy Heather Ascota has the same birthday as her! Heather's brother gives Sammy a lucky horseshoe and Heather will do anything to get it back- even fight Sammy for it.
If you're looking for a story filled with adventure, laughs, and a psycho kitty queen, this is the book to pick!

Sammy Keyes
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-28
Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen was written by Wendlin Van Draanen. It all started when Sammy found a dead cat in the dumpster. She thought a lot about the cats after she found another one in the garbage. After her own cat went missing, Sammy had to see what was going on.
This book was exciting and suspenseful because of all the action. I liked the ending because the problem was solved. Sometimes I find myself a lot like Sammy and I can picture myself as her in the book. The main problem was very unique, weird, and interesting because the author used dead cats. The characters seemed very real to me because the whole book was realistic fiction.
Wendling Van Draanen uses a deep voice throughout the book. Very few of the words she used were unknown to me. It was interesting that every time I came to an unusual word she described it. Unlike other authors, Wendling ended every chapter in a suspenseful way. I think she has a lot of creativity to come up with this great book.
Out of all the books I've read, this one is one of my favorites. I liked it because between the rising action there are many problems. Every time Sammy solved a problem, I thought the book was going to be over. I recommend this book because it's suspenseful, thrilling, and funny.
Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen might be a little weird at the beginning. You'll want to stop reading because a couple of cats died and there's a weird wrestler that doesn't take off his cat suit. There's a reason to all that, and you need to find out.

Look out for the Psycho Kitty Queen!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-17
The book Sammy Keys and the Psycho Kitty Queen written by Wendelin Van Drannen is an exciting adventure! I would give this book 5 stars because it was a page turner and there were exciting events in every chapter. I just couldn't put this book down.
Join Sammy on a quest to find a mischievous cat killer. On the way she is chased down an alley by a man with a butcher knife and gets hosed down by a psycho kitty queen. If that isn't enough her archenemy Heather Ascota has the same birthday as her! Heather's brother gives Sammy a lucky horseshoe and Heather will do anything to get it back- even fight Sammy for it.
If you're looking for a story filled with adventure, laughs, and a psycho kitty queen, this is the book to pick!

GreAt BoOk!!!!!!!!!!!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-02
This book is written very well and the end is, as always pretty surprising. Now to the story...Sammy's life is a disaster: She lives in her Grams' apartment which is only for seniors, so she always has to sneak up the fire escape. Her mom left her for a career in Hollywood and then suddenly she shows up on Sammy's birthday. She came to tell Sammy that she isn't turning fourteen, she's turning 13 because her mom had made a fake birth certificate. Sammy is really upset but then she and her friend Holly find dead cats all over town in garbage cans and they start solving the mystery. At a new wrestling school, Slammin' Dave's,(where Sammy also learns some nice wrestling moves) there's a wrestler, El Gato who looks very scary since he always has a cat mask and costume on and never takes it off, so Sammy and Holly become very suspicious. In the end El Gato turns out to be someone totally different than they would have thougt. How they solve the mystery and find out who the cat killer was, will grab you and make you want to keep reading and reading. I really enjoyed the book and read it in only two days and I recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries. The characters are described good and likable except for Heather and her friends,Sammy enemies. The book is also a real page-turner and i would recommend the other Sammy Keyes books as well. I hope this review helped and that you enjoy the book as much as I did.

one of the best....
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-31
sammy keys and the psycho kitty queen was one of the best books I have ever read. If you haven't read it READ IT! I have read it over and over again and each time it gets better. Other sammy keys books are good but this one is the best. I cannot wait for the next book to come out.

Vans
She Stays
Published in Hardcover by Thomas Nelson (1995-09-22)
Authors: Andy Landis and Bettye Shelton
List price: $16.99
New price: $0.25
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $16.99

Average review score:

Blessing From God
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-28
As I read this real life story of how God used Andy to bless Betty and her husband I found myself going through all the emotions that Andy and Betty experienced. Andy has a real love for Betty that shined in her eyes as we talked about the book and the song by the same title at a Christian Women's Retreat. A must read for every woman struggling to maintain God's will in her marriage.

God Is Always there.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-03
This is a true and wonderful story that shows the miracles that God can deliver if we are patient to let Him do His work in His own time. We can see, first hand, the power of prayer at work!

I started this book and could not put it down. Since I am going through much the same thing with my husband and have seen the changes that prayer can make in a relationship, I can attest to the truth that you will find in this book.

This book is a must read for anyone having difficult times in their marriage. It will give you hope and a model to follow as you pray for God to bring you together, closer, and more united than you have ever been.

Thank you Bettye and Andy.

God is Faithful
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-03
Once I began reading this book I could hardly stop. The Lord used her testamony to minister to me. I have been called by God to go through the same thing. I had to stop and cry several times because my prayers were her prayers and God has led me to do the very same thing in that I am to be still and trust the Lord with the outcome.

Love Is Not Always Easy.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-12-14
This book is partly autobiography and parly inspirational, depending on what you get out of it. It was published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, a Christian firm in Nashville, TN.

While country singer/songwriter Ricky Van Shelton was pursuing his dreams, the dutiful wife waited at home on their 150-acre ranch outside Nashville, in Davidson County. He'd collected fifties model cars, Coca-Cola signs, cowboy memorabilia, and a life-size cigar store Indian, but his absence hurt.

Bettye had earned a degree in music business from Belmont University, (called Ward Belmont College for Young Ladies initially) in a beautiful setting where a strange-looking metal statue of a phoenix has its home hid behind some magnolia trees there (almost unnoticed now) on campus. When my son Zach was a student of creative writing at Belmont, he introduced me to this mythological character which had arisen out of its own ashes and it was fairly new at that location. Perhaps Bettye thought of this statue as she tried to rescue her marriage from ashes (almost).

Before he became a star, they'd enjoyed happy, fun-filled, but simple, life. Afterwards, it became a struggle and turmoil in her personal life which threatened to destroy their marriage. She had the courage to endure and fight for what she knew was worth keeping.

She confided to a woman she scarcely knew who was engaged to her husband's producer. They became close friends and Andy Landis wrote: It was a privilege to have been called to your side; "I wouldn't have missed it for the world." I wrote those same words to a person I met three years ago, quite by chance, and value enough to try to tame some of my innate impulsiveness and enthusiasm. James Van Praagh wrote in his book TALKING TO HEAVEN: "So often in life it is our desire to be loved that we tend to fall victim to our own making. Because we believe it is what is expected in order to have the love of someone else, we compromise who we truly are. We create an image. We have given our power and a piece of ourselves to the beloved. We have left our centeredness and given away a part of our self-wholeness. We can never be truly happy until we live our own lives."

With the help of her new friend, Andy, Bettye discovered this and worked hard to salvage what she could from the ashes of a slightly-chipped (not broken) marriage to the person she truly loved. This intimate story shows that there is a way to 'heal an unmended hurt.'

It portrays a woman (two women, really) who have intelligence, compassion, integrity, and enough grit for 'tough love.' It takes a strong person to endure and perservere. Bettye's 'angel in the flesh' confesses to being a 'late bloomer.' So was I. It is as much her story as the Sheltons, as we follow her own personal demons and triumphs.

'She Stays' is a featured song on the 'Common Ground' CD (a duet sung by Andy Landis and Ricky Van Shelton), as they pay tribute to Bettye's courage and commitment to her marriage -- which she saved through the pain of forgiveness. The song was written by Allen Shamblin in collaboration with Andy Landis. It was included in this CD of 'Songs of Faith, Love and Inspiration,' a compilation including other country music singers.

IT CAN HAPPEN TO THE BEST OF US
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1998-07-19
I just finished Mrs. Shelton's book, "She Stays" this past month. Like my Mom, I read it all at once. I loved it. It is the greatest book I have ever read! I am so happy for Mr. and Mrs. Shelton. I am so pleased that they were able to find God like that. Also to Andy, I hope I can have a friend like her, through the miracle of God. I feel like Mrs. Shelton is my Aunt, and I am so happy for her. It is so great that she can have a happy marriage with Ricky Van Shelton, and share their awesome story with the world! I am 16 yrs. old, and plan to have my own daughter read "She Stays" some day.

Vans
The Van Laven Oath
Published in Paperback by Infinity Publishing (2006-02-28)
Author: J. Nelson-Owens
List price: $20.95
New price: $13.48
Used price: $7.94

Average review score:

Loved the Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-31
A friend of mine recommended that I read this novel by J. Nelson-Owens. As some of the other reviewers have mentioned, I normally do not read books that are set in the future. However, based on the style of writing by the author, that did not create an issue with me reading the book. Some of the other aspects of the book like romance, family struggles, commerce, etc. pulled me away from the future setting and drew me into the characters and the never ending twist in the plot. It is amazing how the authors style of writing can draw in so many different types of readers. The authors attention to detail was amazing. The reader can definitely envision the characters and the actions that are being described. For her first published novel, I believe that J. Nelson-Owens has written a masterpiece. I'm hoping there are many more to come.

I'm anxiously waiting!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-24
To the reader who wants to be entertained by a world of love, hatred and a very, very controlling family member.

I was given the book "The Van Laven OATH" to read by a co-worker. I started the book during my lunch breaks at work and found myself not wanting to put it down. It's filled with a compelling commitment to "LOVE / RELATIONSHIP" between a man, woman and father.

It took getting through a few chapters before I could remember each character since their names are very different causing me to go back to a previous chapter to refresh my memory. I found myself yearning for a love like the one between Vaush & Comron and despising the father who is out to destroy it.

Let me sum it all up by saying, it moved my emotions in many ways as I read each chapter waiting patiently to see if a love for two people can conquer all .... Oh well we'll see .................

J. Nelson-Owens ......let me know when the next book is ready for publication .... I'm anxiously waiting! I could also envision this on the big screen.

Thanks for your love of writing.

Terrific Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-05
I loved it! It has everything you could want, romance, action, adventure. The book was very well written and captured my attention at once. I couldn't put it down. Can't wait for the second book to see how it ends!!

It was so good - I read it twice!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-26
I love to read, and thoroughly enjoyed this book! At first I thought, oh a book set in the future, I am not so good with those. But it was really wonderful! It was so good - I read it twice! Enjoyed it both times! It was easy to keep up with the characters, you got a good mental image of how the characters might look! The story really kept my interest throughout, not once did I find myself turning to the end pages to see how it turned out! What a twist! I loved the twist in the story - was really surprising! I can't WAIT for the next book to come out - I have to see how it turns out! Thanks for writing such a wonderful book!

I can't wait for the sequel!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-26
Action, Adventure, Romance, absolutely everything you are looking for in excellent reading. The book was well written. I can't wait for the sequel, I couldn't stand to put it down until finished. Patiently waiting on continuation of book two.

Vans
A Visual Dictionary of Architecture
Published in Hardcover by Van Nostrand Reinhold Company (1995-01-15)
Authors: Francis D. K. Ching and Francis D.k. Ching
List price: $44.95
New price: $111.26
Used price: $22.49

Average review score:

Most USEFUL Book on Architecture EVER!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-25
My husband bought this book for me when I decided to go back to school to study architecture, and it has turned out to be sooooo helpful. I have used it in every course I've taken; it makes studying for tests so much easier. It has a fabulous index so you can find what you are looking for right away, and the illustrations and page layouts are great. This book is a must for any architecture student. I really can't recommend it highly enough.

Easy to use and read and understand
Helpful Votes: 22 out of 24 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-14
Somewhere near the very beginning of my lecturing career, I showed a slide onscreen and was trying to point out a unique feature of a home. Gesturing toward the screen I said, "that thingie over the window..."

I was mortified. What a dreadful mistake for a "professional" lecturer to make!! Since I planned to give many more lectures, I came home and bought this book from Amazon.

When the parcel arrived, I quickly opened it and was delighted to find the easy-to-read drawings. Ching makes the most complex architectural graphics easy to see and understand. Using this book, I gave myself a crash course on "basic architectural terms" and since then, I've given 200 lectures and never used the word "THINGIE" again!!

Rose
author, California's Kit Homes
and "The Houses That Sears Built"

The Visual Dictionary of Architecture
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-30
As with other materials by Francis D.K.Ching, the illustrations are not only clear and precise but aesthetically pleasing. It is a pleasure to read through the material for a comprehensive understanding of architectural concepts, presented in an historical perspective which clarifies the how and why of modern day building technology. The Visual Dictionary of Architecture
is an invaluable reference for the student and architectural practicioner as well.

Very Good Graphics Book
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-15
This book was recommended to me by an architect for reviewing possible material on architecture license examinations. Graphically it's an excellent book. Bigger type letters would make it easier to read. Other than that, it's a great buy!

Ching's books are great!
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-27
This book is really good for architecture students. I do not use the book every day, but when I need it, it proves very usefull. All books from this author that I purchased are really good so far. This one has a lot of details drawings which are great.

Vans
The Best of Robert Service
Published in Paperback by Hancock House Publishing (2003-10)
Author: Robert W. Service
List price: $9.95
New price: $10.72
Used price: $0.93

Average review score:

A great book of Photos and Poetry
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-07
I am very happy with this book. It combines a lot of Service's greatest poems with great Photos of the land and people he wrote about. It is a lovely book that you can be proud to have in your collection.

Great Poems from the heart of the land...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-06
I love Robert Service's raw tones and poems. He tells them with a grit that is true to heart and really just gives you a feel for what is going on and what it was like to be in the real wilderness days. I have heard he described as crude and if that's how you want to view it...go ahead but these poems aren't crude...they tell the true spirit of the classic days with great detail and life.

A Poet for the People
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-12
I first stumbled upon Robert W. Service when I found a small volume of his poetry from before and during World War One in an antique shop in Maine. I hungered for more, searched the internet, and was thrilled to find this book available, as well as others. Service's poetry is what poetry should be, at least in my mind. It flows evenly, it rhymes, it tells stories about human beings' lives, feelings, and struggles. Plus, he deals with people, places, and times in history that interest me, especially World War One, northern North America, Europe, etc. This is an excellent, excellent collection of his works.

An astonishing bargain!
Helpful Votes: 13 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2002-08-15


They say that Robert Service was not a 'poet's poet'. The effete literati sneered at his work, and accused him of writing doggerel. But, the people have always loved his work. He was truly a 'people's poet.'

His first volume of poetry, The Spell of the Yukon and Other Verses, sold out while it was still on the presses. Two of his ballads, The Shooting of Dan McGrew and The Cremation of Sam McGee, are among the most memorized poems in history.

The Shooting of Dan McGrew alone made him a half-million dollars, which was a sizeable fortune in his time. He never had to do manual labor for his bread again, after its publication.

This volume of his work contains not only all of his best-known poems (those contained in both The Spell of the Yukon and his second, longer collection, Ballads of a Cheechako), but also many of the photographs of the famous Northwestern photographers, Clarke and Clarence Kinsey -- famous not only for the photography of the Klondike gold rush, but also for Clarke's later photographs of Pacific Northwest logging, some of which were included also in my father's book, When Timber Stood Tall.

This is a high quality coffee table book that you will not only delight in reading before the fire on a winter's evening or when that confining office job is getting you down, but it will also display well on your coffee table, where it will draw friends' attention like a magnet.

For Robert Service is, without a doubt, one of the best-loved of the world's poets. His poetry stands alongside that of Kipling, Coleridge and Poe in the public's affection.

Joseph Pierre

A POET AT THE TOP OF MY LIST
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-24
Robert Service, if anyone, could be called "the grandfather of cowboy poets." This has been a popular genre over the past few years and much of the work done by these wonderful men and women can be traced back to Service's poems and style. Being called the "Bard of the Yukon" is certainly true, but sells this particular writer short. His works include so much more that just the delightful poems of the Canadian Territory. Simply written, with a story, they are quite a delight for both old and young alike. I recent years, some of our elitist in our academic world have been less than kind to this poet. This is all well and good with me. They simply don't get it. Service's work will quite likely endure far longer than some of the ranting I read in the professional journals. I read these poems to young folks in my classes, and they seldom fail to delight and indeed, inspire. It is difficult to go wrong with this one. Highly recommend.

Vans
Dropback: A Story of the Intrigue and Villainy behind the Cocaine Trade
Published in Hardcover by Palancar Company (2000-09-01)
Author: Piet Van Alder
List price: $24.95
Used price: $36.97

Average review score:

Puts you right in the cockpit!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-12-06
This is a great book for the one who loves the details about big-game fishing and large boats. Great, puts you right in the cockpit with the crew and on the bridge with the Captian. This was one book that was hard to put down.

Carolina boys give 2 thumbs up
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-17
Having known Piet for 10 years now I have been fortunate enough to bear witness to his unique storytelling style in many venues. Whether it is spoken from atop a sawed off dock piling in P.A. or craftily typed from a laptop on Easy St., the substance of Piet's stories always grab those who read or listen and hold on to them until all their senses are satisfied. He is very thorough in detail and makes it easy to follow with the terse natue of each chapter. I thought the imagery was great throughout this story as well as his descriptions of the settings. His characters were great; real people, the kind of people that you find on boats and in less reputable bars; the kind of folks I like. Why, I can see ol' Dan Larsen stumbling down the steps of the disco right now......

Pretty Work Piety and thanks for mentioning the 'Tequila Tree', I'm looking forward to your next work! JJ

Carolina boys give 2 thumbs up
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-17
Having known Piet for 10 years now I have been fortunate enough to bear witness to his unique storytelling style in many venues. Whether it is spoken from atop a sawed off dock piling in P.A. or craftily typed from a laptop on Easy St., the substance of Piet's stories always grab those who read or listen and hold on to them until all their senses are satisfied. He is very thorough in detail and makes it easy to follow with the terse natue of each chapter. I thought the imagery was great throughout this story as well as his descriptions of the settings. His characters were great; real people, the kind of people that you find on boats and in less reputable bars; the kind of folks I like. Why, I can see ol' Dan Larsen stumbling down the steps of the disco right now......

Pretty Work Piety and thanks for mentioning the 'Tequila Tree', I'm looking forward to your next work! JJ

Highly recommended
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-22
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a masterful blend of classic intrigue interwoven with the glamorous high end sportishing world. Superb character development, keenly accurate details and location descriptions enhance the thrills of following the undercover agent through South Florida and Mexico. A real page turner!

I look forward to the continuing adventures of Dan Larsen!

DROPBACK: A Great First Effort
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-20
This book is chock full of action, suspense and intrigue. From the opening pages you can sense that the author really knows his stuff. The sense of realism makes it seem like you are in the middle of the action. This book succesfully mixes the underworld of cocaine trafficing and the men who fight the drug war with the exciting world of Sportfishing. At first you wouldn't think this combination would be a natural fit, however Van Alder makes it work so well you wonder why this formula hasn't been tried before. The characters are horrifically realistic. In the words of the author, the main villian, Amado Carillo Fuentes "makes Pablo Escobar and the rest of the Colombians look like f...ing Boy Scouts!" Carillo's sidekick, Paco Herrera is pure evil. Reading this book is like taking a whirlwind tour of the best of the Yucatan Peninsula, but you see the sites from a perspective no tourist will ever get. You may even pick up a few fishing tips. I can't wait for the author's next effort.

Vans
The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking
Published in Hardcover by Van Nostrand Reinhold (1977-04)
Author: James Krenov
List price: $16.95
New price: $149.95
Used price: $3.93

Average review score:

Must Read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-30
A must read for all new woodworkers before accumulating all the power tools they think they need.
More than a great instructional book; it is also a philosophy.

Some people just call it furniture - author and craftsman James Krenov, however, believes it be an art form
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-08
Some people just call it furniture - author and craftsman James Krenov, however, believes it be an art form. "The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking" is a guide to turn what's nothing more than storage space to some into a work of art that can be appreciated for something far more than just a place to put things. Going over everything readers need to make a masterpiece of a cabinet, such as wood quality, good hinges, and more, "The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking" leaves nothing to guesswork, making it highly recommended to any woodworking enthusiast and community library woodworking shelves.

More James Please
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-31
Mr. Krenov's work speaks for itself. What is great about this book is he shares with us his feel for wood , and it's spirit. He is a wood fanatic. He is excited by its touch, look and feel. How long should I keep a piece of wood before I use it? Moisture content? Integrating the wood and the piece I am making?

Each persons experience of wood and woodworking is different. I have technical books, written well, and some poorly.

This could be called "Zen and the art of woodworking."

When I need inspiration I look to the masters. Mr. Kenov connects me to the wood.

Must have for every woodworker
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-27
I love all of Krenov's books. It's easy to find better books on tools or techniques but nowhere will you find books that breathe a love for wood and craft more than Krenov's (Nakashima's "The Soul of a Tree" comes closest.) I've read through each of his books several times and always pick up on something new. "The Fine Art of Cabinet Making" is a bit more advanced than his earlier works in that he covers coopered doors and frame-and-panel work but his philosophy is always evident. Krevnov's love for wood is infectious. After reading his books you find yourself `playing' more with wood. Wondering how things will work if you move this one way and that another. Instead of churning out furniture I instead start to think about the piece I want to make: what wood would look nice? What kind of pulls will fit? How will it sound when the door closes? Somehow all of this combines to make the journey (the making) as nice as the end product. Frankly I think most furniture makers will go broke trying to work like this unless you have a whole lot of cash behind you or can charge very expensively for your work. I really think, though, that these books should be on every woodworker's shelf.

Learning From A Perfectionist
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-26
James Krenov is one of woodworking's treasures - an acknowledged master craftsman who is open about both his aesthetics and his techniques. For many of us he is a role model who started out on a shoe string in Sweden and has gone on to create a whole style all his own. He is as devoted to teaching as he is to his work and has a gift for inspiration and straightforward exposition.

Unlike A Cabinet Maker's Notebook, The Fine Art of Cabinet Making spends most of its time talking about technique. The first 50 pages is a vast, rambling essay on wood and how to relate to it. His point, an important on, is that the process of selecting and using wood is every bit as important and any other creative process. If you pay attention you will get a deep dive into the way Krenov's designs come to be - a whole new level beyond buying some dimensioned lumber and whipping up a cabinet.

Then he introduces you to his workshop and tools. Krenov actually does use power tools, but sparingly. Many of us have been taught to value the clean, sharp edged work that a modern power woodshop can produce. Krenov is just the opposite, to him the marks of craftsmanship are part of the harmony of the work. Krenov makes his own planes, and spends a great deal of time explaining how to do the same yourself. I have to admit I'm quite happy with my Lie-Nielson's, but one has to admire the intensity of a man who wants everything 'just so.'

The remainder of the book covers details of Krenov's cabinetmaking, and it is here that you discover the extent of his quality. Whether it be dovetails, delicately curved doors, or cabinet backs, Krenov never settles for less than the best he can do. I admit to a few moments of extreme jealousy when he explains that he never clamps dovetail joints, but, as his discussion demonstrates, his attention to detail is such that he shouldn't have to use clamps. I just wonder how many years of practive it will take to accomplish the same thing.

For all that this is a technically focused book, it is also an inspiring one. A book that will have you eyeing potential lumber completely differently, and making yourself take the time to get things right.

Vans
For a Lost Soldier
Published in Hardcover by The Bodley Head Ltd (1991-01-24)
Author: Rudi Van Dantzig
List price:
Used price: $366.68

Average review score:

a good menter
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-28
This sounds like a story that is happining all over. How many men could tell the same type of story. I needs a continuation story

Brilliant work for the non-PC set
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-15
This piece is a brilliant work. If the reader is able to remove himself/herself from the rattle that has become our society, and enter Joeron's WWII world, you can surely appreciate such honest writing. This is not a story of child abuse. It is a true story of a young person, and his experince. There is a clear difference in the way this work is presented.

Compelling, unforgetable
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-01
For a Lost Soldier is an artfully told story of love and loss during wartime. The author skillfully creates the mood of uncertainty and lurking danger in the opening pages when eleven year old Jeroen is about to be separated from his family for the first time in his life, due to food shortages in German-occupied Amsterdam. The dangerous journey to Friesland, the homesickness he feels upon his arrival, his introduction into a family mildly disappointed that they did not receive the expected girl evacuee, and the insensitivity of a pious teacher who humiliates him when, overwhelmed by the changes that have been forced upon him, he breaks down in tears in class; these are all conveyed in painfully believable scenes in this English translation of the original Dutch.

Van Dantzig makes 1944 Friesland so rich in detail--visual, auditory and olfactory--that the reader experiences palpable fear when months pass without young Jeroen hearing from his parents. So we are as vulnerable as Jeroun when, in the giddy days of liberation in 1945, he meets Walt--a young Canadian (erroneously believed by Jeroen to be American) who, with his status of liberator, is a God-like being who could theoretically do no wrong. Much has been said about the relationship between Walt and Jeroen, as it should be, for it is the most forbidden possible. But approaching For a Lost Soldier as literature rather than social commentary, one has to admire van Dantzig's ability to coerce the reader into assessing what happens between these two humans from Jeroun's point of view. And from that perspective, we see that exploitation is only one of the calamitous things that can happen to a child during wartime. There is a startling revelation about how the events of 1945 color the world of an adult Jeroen thirty five years later. It is impossible to go any further with that thought without spoiling things for the reader.

For a Lost Soldier leaves its reader with that unsettled feeling that comes over us when we have become so immersed in the life of a protagonist that when the novel ends we hardly feel capable of setting the book aside and going on with our own lives.

Brilliant But Hard to Rate
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-29
It's very hard for me to rate this book. Was it brilliantly written, insightful and honest? Yes, yes and yes. Was it entertaining, informative and thought provoking? Again yes, yes and yes. So what's the problem? The solider in this story raped the little boy. I'm not talking about statutory rape where you could argue that the boy was a willing participant and enjoyed the experance. The solider took the boy by force. I suppose that in war such things are not uncommon. I also suppose that in war there are greater acts of immorality. What troubles me is that after being ravaged the boy falls madly in love with the man who raped him! What sort of message dose this send? Have fun with whatever boy you fancy, even if he screams and cries you'll win his heart! However I'll have to admit that although we are influenced by the books we read at the end of the day each of us is responsible for his own actions. I give this book five stars because I admire the courage of the man who wrote it.

I enjoyed the book very much....
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2003-11-01
Like many others here, i first viewed the video and expected the book to be based on it,somewhat based on it but to my suprise, it wasn't exactly what i expected to be...The books takes a whole different view on the relationship between Jeroen and Walt and the what 'WE' see in the movie is in totally opposite from the book...

To start off, some of what we see from the movie is NOT even in or from the book, just added on by the writers/directors from the movie, i believe!!!I loved the movie very much but perfer the book since it's *REAL* compared to the movie...The movie gives you more of a fantasy to their story and love but still somewhat based on it, is the fact that Walt does love Jeroen but after reading the book, i really *QUESTION* if Jeroen does indeed LOVE walt as he claims he does in *REAL* life????

I keep questioning myself after reading it and i feel soo sad by the fact that *THESE* two human being haven't yet seen or meet each other after 1945..Sooo sad for them and also by the fact that Jeroen should of known or at least TRIED his very best and every effort to get clues as to whom and where Walt was from..The name from the photo should at least given him a clue and he should of kept the photo in a safe place but instead *FORGOTTEN* about it and Rudi Van Dantzig said in the book that he searched for his lost soldier for 2yrs but in Amsterdam but the soldier is obiviously from either the STATES or Canada and in the book he's referred too as a 'AMERICAN SOLDIER' so but near the ending it talks about a Canadian Biscuit which Jeroen refused to eat, which i really don't get why if he loved his soldier soo much..??

I have no doubt that that Walt does love him and by saying declaring his love it says it all but Jeroen NEVER ever said or reply or returned the love by saying it, and i'm a little disappointed by that...

I also wonder why he didn't search for his lost soldier later on in his life?? I know the soldier could do the same but why didn't Rudi Van Dantzig do so???This ? booogles my thoughts after reading the book..

Their age gap is very little becuz by what Jeroen says, walt and the other soldiers should be around their early 20 or even 18 and 19..

Walt is definitely not a child molester and not an abuser also.The first time maybe and afterwards,it's Jeroen that can't seem to keep away from the soldier and goes to him..While reading, i keeep telling myself, why is Jeroen always questioning himself when in regards to Walt and obiviously he wants walt and wants his attentions and wants his love and affection but the consistent questioning and doubting and somtimes ridiculous remarks when referring to walt is somwhat annoying..

I sooo hope that these two can meet after 50-60yrs of not knowing what happened to the other..I love this book and it's going to stay with me until i die..That's how much i love it..

When i get it!!!

I got a copy of the book from the library becuz i couldn't wait any longer and wanted to read it NOW!!!!

Another question comes to mind, how truthful is this book, it has been like 41yrs since the events happened and how can he remember everything sooo clearly and i say to myself that Rudi Van Dantzig doesn't need to lie to sell books, i hope that everything i read is true and not false and some ppl do have good memories and too bad that he didn't understand english when he was 12yrs old becuz we're not able to know what Walt said to him and how Walt felt..

While reading the book, Walt does the talking, somewhat and Jeroen didn't say a thing, that's a little disappointing also..I mean, he could at least said his name out loud more than once and tried to talk to him like in the movie but it's not the movie...It's real life!!!

Also a little disappointed that the dance scene and the teaching him to drive and the plane thing were all false and never actually happened..

The only true thing from the movie was bits and parts added into the movie and even then, it didn't match up with the book..

I wonder if the name given from the book is really the soldiers real name and if Jeroen whatever is really his name but later on changed to Rudi Van Dantzig??If anybody knows thy answer,please let me know...Thanks!!

LOVEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDD the BOOOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKKKKKK!!!It's coming with me to the GRAVVVVVVVVEEEEEEE when i die..

Too bad, the two never got a chance to meet again.....Sad.......

Vans
Grace Falling Like Rain
Published in Hardcover by Two Story Publishing House (2006-10-15)
Author: Donna, C. Van Cleve
List price: $22.95
New price: $21.48
Used price: $21.89

Average review score:

Best Book Around
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-25
I was excited when I finally got my hands on this book. I wasn't sure what to expect because this is the first book the author has published. I thought that I would read it from time to time when I had spare time, but once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I got myself into trouble because I had homework due and I couldn't put "Grace Falling Like Rain" down long enough to finish it. I've have already bought the sequel but I'm saving it for a time that I'm not in school, like the summer or spring break because I know that once I start reading it, I won't be able to concentrate on anything else.

Not only is the storyline intriguing, but it is full of morals and is a great book that doesn't drag the reader through any disturbing or inappropriate scenes. The book has become one of my favorites and I recomend it to anyone looking for a good read!

Top Notch Storytelling - Carol Pylant - Luling, Tx.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-26
I have read both Grace Falling Like Rain and Mercy's Face. These books are filled with compelling characters, old fashioned romance, Texas history and family conflicts woven together with Christian values and scriptural teachings without being "preachy"! Donna truly "paints a picture" with words and can "turn a phrase" that remains in your thoughts for days! I eagerly await the next book(s) from Donna. I predict a great future for this master storyteller!

Captivating and well written.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-26
I was very refreshed to read a book with such talented writing. I could not put the book down after just the first page. Ms. Van Cleve's writing was very descriptive and allowed me to vision all characters and feel their emotions. I was entertained and challenged in my own life. I enjoyed this book very much. It has been a long time since a book could just take me in and help me escape from my stresses. I read it in one day!! My entire family enjoyed this novel and its sequel. I would recommend this book for any age and sex.

A great book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-23
I am director of our local library and select our books. When I received information about this book, I ordered it, and was not disappointed. It is so true to life, and our patrons (and I) really liked it, and looked forward to the author's next book.

Rich characters and a plot that delivers what it promises
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-29
In this historical fiction novel, eighteen year old, Alexandra "Allie" Blake is a true heroine in Central Texas in the late 1800s. From the first page, the author has us wondering what could've happened to our protagonist to make her leave her home and go live with her relatives. As the story unfolds, we're gripped in emotional turmoil rooting for our young heroine to succeed in finding love and change the course of her kidnapper's fate before it's too late. This novel is a fast-paced read from beginning to end with rich well-developed secondary characters and a plot that delivers what it promises. By the end of the story, you'll feel you're part of the fictional, Blake/Taylor, family and dying to read the sequel, Mercy's Fate. What's not to like about this story? There is betrayal, adventure, forgiveness, friendship, love, and a wholesomeness that is refreshing in a young adult novel.

Vans
In the Garden with Van Gogh
Published in Board book by Chronicle Books (2002-04)
Authors: Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
List price: $6.99
New price: $2.00
Used price: $0.31

Average review score:

Fantastic introduction to art
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-28
We bought the 4-box collection which includes this book, and have bought many of the others since. My daughter loves them, and they are a wonderful addition to any child's library.

interesting
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-16
My 16 month old son enjoys this book very much. He is fascinated by the images and he likes to listen to the rhymes as well. An excellent introduction to art.

Bright colors for baby, actual art for parents!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-16
Little ones love these colors, Van Gogh used a lot of vivid colors and they are just as stimulating as Seuss illustrations. Finally a book parents can ejoy reading to their kids!

In the Garden with Van Gogh
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-09
I am a preschool teacher and enjoy teaching three year olds about art and artists. One artist that we recently studied was Vincent Van Gogh. The children painted sunflowers just like Van Gogh. They loved looking at this book and hearing the story that went along with it. They spent a lot of time studying his sunflower painting in this book and then painted beautiful sunflowers of their own!

Wonderful book for toddlers!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-10-04
Our son has had this book since he was about 19 months old, but he's just now becoming really interested in it a year later. This book is fantastic. The rhymes are a little awkward, but they hold a toddlers attention. The best part though, is that it introduces children to the works of one of the great masters! My son can now see a print of a Van Gogh (or tapestry, or whatever medium the piece is recreated in) and he'll run up to it and yell "Van Gogh!" It's a pretty spectacular thing to see, and what a wonderful gift for early learning!


Books-Under-Review-->Home-->Consumer Information-->Automobiles-->Purchasing-->By Class-->Vans-->5
Related Subjects:
More Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250