Vans Books

I love the recipe for Margarita Pies. I was a little skeptical that a pie could taste like a margarita, but it was great! Even my husband liked it and he doesn't like to try new things too often.

Another must for your book collection. Cute ideas for teacher gifts, class parties, a special "something" for that friend who needs cheering up. Elementary teachers would love a book like this for classroom ideas!

Great receipes and idea's! This book will make you crafty, even if you're not. Simple instructions with wonderful photo's. Worth the price.

This is easily one of my favorite quilt books. The directions and diagrams are easy to understand and follow. The pictures in the book are beautiful. Many thanks to the authors for sharing their talent and thank you to Larkspur Farm for sharing your beautiful paradise.

Gorgeous garden photography and beautiful quilts combine in the new book release, Quilts from Larkspur Farm. The book was photographed at, and inspired by Larkspur Farm, a lovely garden spot near LaConner, WA. All in all there are 15 quilt projects plus tips on garden collecting, drying flowers, garden art, hosting a tea and more. A "tabletop" book for quilters and gardens alike.

I can sum up this book in one word...GORGEOUS! I purchased "Quilts From Larkspur Farm" for the great projects and it hasn't left my coffee table because everyone enjoys the spectacular photos in it. The instructions are very easy to follow due to the many helpful diagrams. If you enjoy quilting, appreciate beautiful gardens, or love photography, this book is for you. Kudos to the authors, Pam Mostek and Jean Van Bockel...when is your next one coming out?!

I am very pleased with this book. I have been to Rajasthan and this book does a wonderful job of incorporating the vast and colorful culture of that region of India. This book does a great job of detailing the miniture details that can be easily missed in an landscape that is overwhelming to the 5 senses. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Rajasthani culture and encourage them to visit there as well.

Tons of fantastic pics, details of fabrics, places etc. If you like Rajastan sty;e, you will fall head over heels for ths heavy "coffee table" book!

When I was the in-house stylist for Style Guide I had this incredibly beautiful Indian girl with dark eyes for an intern. She wore the brightest colors to work everyday and spoke in this rich lilting voice. One day I finally asked her where she got it - "the clothes or the accent?" she asked, "Both", said I. Well, she said, the colors are from my mother's land and the accent is from my father's land. Turns out that my pretty intern's mom came from the desert state of Rajasthan, in the North Western part of India. I have since then browsed innumerable coffee table books on Rajasthan, but Pauline Van Lynden's Rajasthan is certainly a notch above the rest. The photographs are lavish, the details touching, the effect spellbinding. Royals, artisans, dressmakers, housewives - Van Lynden gives us a breathtaking glimpse into these myriad lives.

Another plus is Van Lynden's tone - always inquisitive but never condescending. There might be other books which will give you a lot of information about Rajasthan but Van Lynden's Rajasthan shall remain a front runner due to its evocative prose and dazzling photographs which seem to leap off the page. I recommend Van Lynden's Rajasthan as an antidote for any colorless day.

I got this book as a textbook for a class that I subsequently dropped, but I decided that as long as I had it, I might as well read it. I'm glad I did! This book is a wonderful overview of the greatest Chinese philosophers. Each section begins with a few pages recounting what is known about each philosopher covered and what their central beliefs are. In addition, the actual texts are heavily footnoted with explanations of the language, pertinant cross references, and other little facts that make the reading both more informative and more enjoyable. This is a wonderful book for anyone who's looking to get a decent understanding of the 'big name' Chinese philosophers, and will help anyone looking to show off at parties ;) Even if you're not taking a class, this is a wonderful book.

Being interested in Chinese philosophy, I recently purchased this anthology, edited by Drs. P. J. Ivanhoe and Bryan W. Van Norden, which contains excellent translations of the selections of seven classical Chinese thinkers: Mozi, Han Feizi, Kongzi, Xunzi, Mengzi, Laozi, and Zhuangzi.

Despite being a beginner when it comes to Chinese philosophy, I find all the translations to be very readable and the notes and interpretative material, generally, to be sufficient. (more on this later)

The appendices--Important Texts, Important Periods, Important Terms, Important Figures--are also quite helpful if you need further information/clarification on a particular term or figure.

The only two things that disappointed me about this anthology are as follows:

(1) The use of "filial piety" as a transation for xiao (hsiao). The term filial piety was first used by James Legge back in the 1861. And, as scholars such as Dr. David Li have pointed out, Kongzi (Confucius) never in his life spoke about religion. So, why Dr. Slingerland, who translated the Analects section of the book, continues to use it (see Analects 2.7, p.5) mystifies me. (Dr. Van Norden, I believe, in his translation of selections of the Mengzi, also translates xiao as filial piety.)

(2) The notes accompanying Dr. Slingerland's translation of the Analects are, I think, somewhat banal. For example, he points out in 1.9 that Zengzi is a disciple of Kongzi; yet, he does not point out that 2.1 is the Analects first statement regarding government. However, his notes increase in frequency and quality as the translation continues.

I HIGHLY recommend this anthology; it is probably the best anthology and sourcebook of early Chinese philosophy currently available. This book is not only valuable to students and scholars but also general readers because never has there been so many great translations of so many thinkers in one reasonably priced paperback.

The anthology contains the complete "Daodejing of Laozi" which Dr. Ivanhoe has published as separate book, which makes it a even better deal because not only do you get very scholarly and readable translations of all major classical Chinese thinkers, you also get an entire book included within it.

Hopefully, in a future edition of the book, the editors will consider expanding the volume to include translations of selections of Zhu Xi's works (a very important Neo-Confucian), Dai Zhen (whose translated writings have never been published), and the writings of other Chinese philosophers.

- Jeff McCausland

I got this book as a textbook for a class that I subsequently dropped, but I decided that as long as I had it, I might as well read it. I'm glad I did! This book is a wonderful overview of the greatest Chinese philosophers. Each section begins with a few pages recounting what is known about each philosopher covered and what their central beliefs are. In addition, the actual texts are heavily footnoted with explanations of the language, pertinant cross references, and other little facts that make the reading both more informative and more enjoyable. This is a wonderful book for anyone who's looking to get a decent understanding of the 'big name' Chinese philosophers, and will help anyone looking to show off at parties ;) Even if you're not taking a class, this is a wonderful book.

It's about time that I found a (good) book on this subject. Rembrandts self-portraits (I feel) are of his most important work. The quality of the prints are wonderful...unlike 90% of the art related books floating around. The color reproduction is more accurate than most. This is a must have for any fan of Rembrandt...or for any true lover of painting.

This book is facinating. It includes three good and fairly dry essays on the topic of Rembrandt's self portraits. More interesting are the prints of all the works that are considered his self portraits, and the detailed commentary on these works. The prints are very good and quite useful for the lover of Rembrandt.

Rembrandt tells his own story as a series of self- portraits. He traces his life from early youth to sad old age. He presents himself posing as if he understands the self can be a social construct. He creates great masterpieces including the Frick self- portrait where he sits as master and ruler , king of the world of art. He in telling his story looks deeply into his soul and traces a single life as no other painter before or since has. Even his great countryman Van Gogh cannot in his hair and soul raising self- portraits touch the depth and broad humanity of the Rembrandt self - portrait and soul .This is human art at its highest, and most inspiring. Who reads this book reads a great painter and great soul, one of mankind's greatest gifts to itself.

What a great book. It is amazing how much correspondence reveals about people. This book was so interesting. It truly covers decades of Black artisitic history.

Emily Bernard's REMEMBER ME TO HARLEM has to main goals. One, Bernard attempts with success to show the cordial communication between two leading figures of the Harlem Renaissance inner circle, Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten. Two, Bernard hopes to reveal a friendship uncommon for the day and time it flourished, the friendship between a black man and a white man during a major period of segregation and inequality between the black and white Americans. Of course, all this is done through the letters of Hughes and Van Vechten.

Bernard does an excellent job at showing the relationship between these two icons of the Harlem Renaissance. Initially, their friendship starts off as sort of a patron, Vechten, helping to support a struggling artist, Hughes. As revealed in these compiled letters, this working relationship evolves into a friendship where Hughes often defends Vechten agianst distractors who view him as an exploiter and currupter of certain members of the Reaissance literatti (e.g. Hughes himself). Through Hughes, Vechten is shown morphing from an attitude of ignorance and paternal racist assumptions about the primitivism of blacks to one of "some" understanding but definite admiration for the black community. The two men were friends, but it must be stressed they were not best friends. Hughes best friend/almost brother was Arna Bontemps. I stress this difference because the tone of the letters differ when Hughes is writing to Vechten and Bontemps. Therefore, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND the purchasing of the letters between Langston Hughes and Arna Bontemps edited by Charles H. Nichols were Hughes is much less reserved than he is in his letters to Van Vechten on certain matters intimate to two men dealing with trials, tribulations, and triumphs of being black during the early and mid 20th century.

A characteristic of the letters is the sign off. Vechten had a habit of grandiose and flowery sign offs in his letters to Hughes. He chastised Hughes for his cordial but distant ending of his letters with "Sincerely." In letters to Van Vechten only, Hughes eventually adopted the grandiose sign off in his letters but with a difference. Hughes was a socially consicious man and early civil rights activist and this is reflected in some of the ways he ended his letters to Vechten where the two men initially engaged in gossip about friends like Bessie Smith, DuBois, Ethel Waters, Countee Cullen, Richard Bruce Nugent, and so on and the goings on in their lives to the mundane aspects of business. Sadly, after Vechten writes to Hughes that he compiling Renaissance works for the beginning of the James Weldon Johnson Collection at Yale, the letters between the two men, Hughes especially conscious of posterity, become almost tedious.

The wealth of the Bernard's compilation of the letters is in the notes following each letter where she provides bits of information about a person mentioned in the letter or current
event of that day. This is were her book shines its brightest. The notes mentions one of Van Vechten's lovers, a white man. In mentioning Mangus Hirschfeld, Bernard fails to indicate Hirschfeld was gay and leading proponent of gay rights that was widely known in the 20's. Pay special attention to the footnote from the letter dated 12/20/40 concerning the Amsterdam News pick of eligible bachelors, one or two men besides Hughes is gay
and paper makes a coy remark about Hughes "thin cloud of mystery," a reference to the "open secret" of his being gay.

Also, Bernard and reviews of the book have noted that you will not find any overt references to Hughes being gay unless you are willing to read between the lines of the letters and "notes". Well, the evidence is there if you know what to look for. But, you must be acquainted with Arnold Rampersad's excellent and thoroughly meticulous and accurate two biographies of which Bernard is indebted and that of Faith Berry and even the letters between Hughes and Bontemps. Van Vechten sends Hughes a photograph of two very handsome black sailors with interesting text about one of them. Other black men featured in the book, not all, are more associated with Hughes and his "preference" for black men than Van Vechten who one professional reviewer incorrectly said were Vechten's lovers.

Ms. Bernard's book provides an interesting window on two figures important to literaturein the U.S.

Bernard gathers and edits the letters of Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten, written between 1925-64, presenting a notable work of Hughes' mentor and the friendship which evolved between the two men. From discussions of literature and the publishing world to politics and gossip, these letters hold important keys to the personalities and concerns of two great men of the Harlem Renaissance.

Allready since my early teens i have seen drawings from Carel Pieter Brest van Kempen in different reptile magazines (Vivarium) and on the cover of different reptile books.
They allways struck me as being realistic, accurate and colourfull.
The extra element seen in a lot of the drawings is the interaction between more than one species of animal, hunting python, hippo with turtles,predator and prey,camouflage etc, which is great in my view and gives the drawing an extra dimension and makes you look twice at the drawing.(which i allready would anyway...)

I only recently became aware of this great book and bought the special leather cover limited edition.
Carel pieter was so kind as to include a personal text in the book along one of his drawings with it, wat makes the book even more unique to me.

In short this book has some of the most beautiful wildlife drawings/paintings available today, all together in this great book.
It will give you many many hours of viewing pleasure !

With the publication of this rather phenomenal book we are at last privy to not only some of the secrets of nature, but we are also introduced to a very important American artist. This beautifully designed and produced book defies classification: it is not only an artist monograph (though the artworks generously presented and well-reproduced merit comparison with some of the finest monographs on the art shelves of the libraries and bookstores!), it is also an insightful, sensitive, well-written survey of the creatures of nature found wondrous by an artist who seems spiritually bonded to his subjects.

Carel Pieter Brest Van Kempen is an American artist of enormous talent. Though some would doubtless classify him as a 'wildlife painter', his paintings range far beyond depictions of the many subjects he elects to 'portraitize'. Van Kampen also happens to be a fine still life artist, a painter of realism so unique that it approaches magical realism or photorealism, a landscape painter of unusual vision, and an observer of the minutiae of the natural world unfortunately oblivious to those of us with less tender eyes. He draws with consummate skill, and his paintings utilize both watercolor and the more demanding gouache medium. The product of his talent is amazing: the concurrent mind that enhances his paintings with the spirit of the creatures is a full of miracle.

After a fine set of introductions by Carl Brenders and Dr. David J. Wagner, Van Kempen opens his narrative with a Prologue 'Affecting Nature' with statements such as the following: 'The body of work contained within this book is by no means a representation of the natural world, but of the relationship between that natural world and a single somewhat peculiar little man, of his response to that natural world as an artist, an American, a human, a mammal.' This is the tone of the writing that follows, writing that is simple wisdom to be treasured.

The book is then divided into four sections: 'Spineless Wonders' enters the world of the invertebrates - spiders, snails, moths, butterflies all depicted in the natural state found where Van Kempen's travels have taken him; 'Slithering towards Gomorrah' which lingers over reptiles and amphibians - frogs, lizards and others of the broadest spectrum of peacocking color and secretive chameleon state rarely painted; 'The Song of Icarus' surveys birds of both common and exotic types in paintings that use as matrix the land, the water, and the sky; and 'A Class To Call Home', his shortest chapter (!) on mammals from anteaters, bats, shrews, cats and eventually the ape family. And he ends his book with an unusually fine appendix in which he details each of the genus and species of the wildlife he has honored in each of the many paintings in the book.

RIGOR VITAE is a book that will provide amazement and awe of the world of nature, admiration for an artist of enormous talent, entertainment, education, and endless hours of pleasure. The coupled quality of art with the wisdom of a gentle observer makes for a perfect introduction for young people to appreciate the mysteries that remain in this world we seem bent on corrupting. It would be difficult to recommend a finer book of this kind. Well worth the price! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, April 06

I am neither a professional zoologist nor an artist; I have, however, studied the beauties of the natural world intensely since early childhood. From my point of view, then, this book is a treasure. I was previously unfamiliar with the artist, but I quickly felt as though he were a friend, sharing his love and respect for the animal kingdom with me. The book features informative and innovative text to accompany the incredibly realistic art work.

I was moved by the beginning chapter, titled "Affecting Nature" because it neither ignores the problems with which the human race has inundated our planet nor does it fall into the all-too-typical mood of pessimism so prominent among many writers dealing with such subject matter. It shows an exhilaratingly positive approach and is an excellent introduction to a most unusual work.

I took delight in the little "surprise" details the artist includes in some of his paintings; it was not until I reached the appendix to the book that I found that he enjoys including them as well! The volume is filled with many such personal touches that make it a delight to read.

This book is much too good to languish on the coffee table. It is an adventure in itself. I recommend it heartily!

Aha! So there IS a portion of California, beyond San Francisco and the wine country worthy of a visitor's exploration. Ms. Weisbrod writes of her discoveries in an entertaining fashion. She interweaves history's passages with the rugged and winding terrain of today, storytelling at it's best. Which way to go? What to see? Where to stop? Where to stay? Whether you carry along "Scenic Byways of Northern California" as a guide to your next adventure, or savor the read from the cozy cushions of your armchair, you will enjoy owning it--and giving it as a gift!

Marie Weisbrod shares from her experiences traveling the history-rich northwest corner of California, visited by few modern Californians. This is an excellent guide for those interested in exploring quiet backroads, away from vacationing crowds.

Ms. Weisbrod has written a wonderful travel book that belongs in every vagabond's library. She has traveled extensively in the Siskiyou-Cascade region, which serves to make the area spring to life through her personal observations and lively retelling of historical events. I can't wait to see more from this gifted author.

I've become very interested in sea otters just recently, and this book piqued my curiosity even more. The author masterfully combined facts and details along with his own interesting real-life encouters. It also has great pictures, some of which are just downright adorable! I highly recommend this book.

I got this book for my sister's 35th birthday and she loved it! She is a big fan of sea otters and this book has great photos.

Ideal for people who like sea otters, or for people who need to obtain information regarding sea otters.

I was fascinated throughout. Sounds and looks "dry" when you see it on the shelf, but so full of juicy bits that make his life very real. You cheer for him when he manages to think his way around the obstacles that apartheid and his own nature put in his way and you are continually forced to confront the "What would I have done here?" question.



Yes, it is long. But when you are through you want to know still more. What has happened to the rest of the family since the book was published? What was the effect of those years of scrutiny on their "real" lives?



I stared at the pictures and studied the faces. I have been selectively pushing the book on all the thoughtful people I know. It wakes up your brain.

The daily life of Kas Maine over 90 odd years on the high veldt of South Africa says more about the history of that part of the world than all the history books and newspaper articles and military actions that could ever be recounted. I felt as though I myself had lived those same 90 years, breathed the dust, lost my crops, driven my livestock from farm to farm trying to find sharecropping work, put up and taken down my corregated metal shack, been hounded by bureaucrats, maintained my dignity and kept my family together against incredible odds. Although the place names and indigenous family names were difficult and their abundance presumed some familiarity with South Africa, I learned to visualize rather than pronounce them, and they became like one of Kas's stony fields in the story and I liked the "rough footing." A unique experience in book form.

I have been taking my time with this book, savouring it while I can. The rhythms of the prose and the world it describes are so seductive, that I have often found myself reading "just a few more pages" at 3AM despite having to get up for work the next day. If you wish to have a sense of what life in rural South Africa was like over the past century, I can't think of a better book (or any other book for that matter). Kas was an exceptionally gifted farmer, a traditional herbalist and healer, and a patriarch who struggled against the almost impossible odds of being a black man in South Africa. As the insanity of apartheid took hold, he and his family were forced to move from place to place, his dreams of agricultural success and land ownership gradually eroding. Yet the book also portrays the rich, multicultural environment of the Transvaal, the varied relationships between Blacks, Boers, Englishmen, Jews and Asians; the shift from a paternalistic but, in many ways more egalitarian society to a racist police state. Kas is a complex man: wise, cruel, patient, tender, pragmatic, apolitical, opportunist, and honourable. The portrayals of his relationships with his ever expanding family are as complex and engaging as one could wish from a fine novel. Van Onselen makes no apologies for him: he simply gives us the man and, above all his humanity. Perhaps his greatest achievement with this book is in bridging the gap between the Western reader and an illiterate African farmer, in underlining our human commonalities rather than our differences. Despite occasional passages that are a tad purple, the author's prose is clear and flowing. He manages to make the ebb and flow of the seasons with their triumphs, tragedies, and ignominies absolutely gripping. I never thought that I could be enthralled by descriptions of the complexities of plowing and harvesting, or the purchase of agricultural equipment, but I was. No it's not too long as the reviewer in the New York Times claimed. In fact one often wishes that one could know more about this extraordinary yet very ordinary man.