Holidays Books

I'm excited to get the new book. I wear the skirt I made from the first book, ALL THE TIME. I have used the techniques I learned in the book in several different projects and it was the best sewing education I've received.

I've been wanting to make a wrap dress but been too scared to try to figure it out on my own; this is just the kickstart I needed.

Thanks for your great books! I swear by them.

I have the first SewFastSewEasy book which is really the best book to learn how to sew from. This book is even better. The instructions are so clear and the illustrations are too. I love the new projects. The patterns alone are worth the $16 bucks for this book. If you want to learn to sew and progress, or need something a little more advanced, I suggest this book. Also I noticed the author has really good background and comes from the garment industry, which shows in her books.

My husband and I wanted to learn to sew and this book looked perfect for us. It was so easy to follow and enjoy doing it together. Even the part about the overlock machine was so helpful since we bought one a long time ago and never used it. We really love the illustrations in this book. They are so clear and easy to follow. Also there are a lot of good sewing tips as you go through the chapters. Yowser!--- I made Bob's T-Shirt and he made mine. It took us two trys to get it right but it was fun to do it.

I got this book because it looked guy friendly and there aren't any sewing books geared for guys who want to sew. This book has very easy instructions and the greatest illustrations. I just got up to the ottoman which is a bit of a challenge to make but I will be proud when I finish.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R32UK093KPF2JU Customer testimonial at Sew Fast Sew Easy. Service with a smile!

"Snappy Little Halloween" is a pop-up book featuring assorted Halloween characters (witches, ghosts, mummies etc).

The illustrations are incredible. The children love to see the scary creatures spring out. Each page contains a short verse on a character.

"Halloween's a time for spells. This witch makes strange things grow.
But - oops! - she's made her nose too long - OH! OH! OH!"

I wasn't happy with the verses. I felt that the author wasn't making a genuine effort to describe these characters. In particular, there is a suit of arms, yet young children (two's and three's) who may not have ever seen one, wouldn't know what the characters name was because it is not mentioned. The same can be said for Frankenstein.

This is another great book in the Snappy series. The pop-ups are big, colorful, and amusing. My 13 month old daughter loves it and we do too.

When I first saw the book, I thought the mummies,witches and monsters might scare my 2 year old daughter. I was so wrong. She loved the rhyming, repetative words at the end of each page. "Halloween's a time for spells, this witch makes strange things grow. But OOPS she's made her nose too long, OH OH OH!" Long after Halloween was over (much to mom's chagrin) we still want the Halloween book. And she could recite it word for word to me, without my prompting her. She would bring it out at times other than bedtime and want to read it to me- or vice versa. The pop -ups were colorful and animated. I would recommend the Snappy series to all moms of toddlers. We had the Christmas and Snowtime versions last Christmas ( my daughter was 18 months) she would sit for half an hour as long as someone read them to her over and over. A great way to introduce kids to reading!

Everything in the previous reviews is absolutely on the mark! An additional joy to this book for my 4-year-old is the way in which many of the pages can be made to "perform" -- the skeleton dances, the haunted suit of armor can "clank" up and down, etc. My son is a great fan of puppetry (my girlfriend is a professional puppeteer, which helps), and this brings a little of a show into bedtime (or any time) reading. Several of his friends also have the book and love it!

These books are wonderful!.. I am a school teacher, specifically I teach French to the elementary level. The children love these books. I translate everything into French and it really helps the kids to remember their numbers, colors etc.
Thanks for such a wonderful teaching aid.

Frank Hurley's book is a mastepiece of photographic art. Having read many Antarctic books already, particularly "South" the story of the endurance expedition, I devoured this book to see the whole story in detail.

The book is a work of technical genius and without artistic equal among work of that era, particularly when you realise what awful conditions he worked under.

The notes accompanying the pictures relate the epic tale in only slightly less detail than the South book, but you still fully appreciate the efforts which went into it's production.

Other members of the crew could have been more resentful of Hurley, due to the time he spent in his darkroon (he was not part of the ship's crew, therefore was not obliged to stand watch) and shooting film. Instead they regarded him with great respect, especially the numerous occasions he risked his life for the best shots. The true measure of the respect he engendered from the crew is the book itself. When the ship went down and the crew faced an uncertain future, all personal possesions bar a few photos and each man's personal journal were lost. Shackleton still insisted that many heavy glass plates be preserved dragged across the ice and sailed to South Georgia via Elephant Island. Still more were smashed by Hurley, once prints were taken (see "Green Collection" in Scott Polar research Library Cambridge UK) as he could not bear them to be left behind.

This book would form an essential addition to any Antarctic library. The faces all became attached to the names I already knew so well, seeing them at the start of the voyage then lost and forlorn next to the upturned boat on Elephant Island tells it's own harrowing story.
This bleak tale is uplifted by the magnificent images, which match the joy felt by all when Shackleton, "The Boss", returned to collect them safe and well. Even as a first foray into Antarctic literature.
(NB earlier reviewer incorrectly stated that Shackleton went back to UK after South Georgia returning to rescue the crew from Elephant Island. In fact He could not rest knowing the men expected his return and after only a few days rest, when his crew from the "James Caird" were ill in bed he took a whaler and eventually got the men safely off the Island several weeks later, after two unsuccessful attempts.)

I found this book to be a wonderful companion to "Endurance" by Alfred Lansing. It includes plenty of material about the Endurance expedition as well as all of the surviving photgraphs of the expedition taken by Frank Hurley. The photographs are excellent (including a few taken in color), and we find out plenty about what equipment Hurley used at the time.

Not only are the photos impressive in their own right, they are also very informative about how the Antarctic looks and what life in that region can be like.

I like this book very much and I'm happy to recommend it to everyone.

This is the most defenitive retelling of Shackleton's adventure in pictures. Frank Hurley was an exceptional photographer who just happened to take pictures of a journey that without them would be simply unbelievable. Any Hurley's picture of the Endurance expedition is a treasure, and in this book are all of them!

I was fortunate that I could follow Shakelton on T.V. while reading and viewing these excellent pictures. This book is outstanding and I would urge anyone interested in either Shakelton or photography to get it. I could not help but think that every member of this expedition had story to tell. We have heard only a few. Amazing the limits of human endurance and to think that they had a photographer with them who realized what he was filming, and did so for all of us to see.To Hurley was far ahead of his time, and I am inclined to think that Ansel Adams had probably learned from Mr. Hurley.

This mammoth book is the definitive pictorial account of the voyage of Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the 'Endurance', on their death defying journey to Antarctica between 1914 and 1917 as told through the camera lens of master photographer Frank Hurley. The book is approximately twelve inches square, and can easily be mistaken for a (very large and heavy) coffee table book from afar. Once it is opened, though, it is obvious that this in no trifling work. It contains background and narrative on Shackleton and the expedition and all of the surviving Hurley photographs (almost 500 of them total) and in scope is the most complete and amazing account of the expedition I have ever seen.

The text is enlightening and wonderful, but the photographs are the unmistakable stars of the book. Hurley was taken along to document the expedition, and document it he did, despite the fact that it turned out completely differently than any of the men would have ever wanted or imagined. The photographs range from breathtakingly beautiful pictures of water and ice, to fascinating character studies, particularly of life aboard the ship, to poignant photos that are impossible to view without being choked up, of which I place the photos of the dogs and cat at the top, realizing that all the animals, their most faithful of friends, were ultimately killed on Shackleton's orders to conserve food (many of the dogs were eaten.) It is truly fortunate that Hurley was along to document the voyage; mere words alone could never do justice to one of the greatest survival stories ever told, and certainly the most harrowing that I can imagine.

The book is a timeless masterpiece and belongs on the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in the Antarctic, polar exploration, or man's ability to endure untold hardships yet emerge victorious over the elements.

I loved the stories; they were developed well, but I felt a let down by the end of the first story; It didn't really say for sure whether Elijah was free or not; it was just assumed; I would have loved to know how Kenneth felt watching that scene play out in front of his ex wife's house; I would have truly loved to see how the mother and sister felt but hey you can't get it all. The last story was interesting; my thing with this was it just left me hanging. no bow was tied.

In Taking Chances for the Holidays, Three talented authors, Adrianne Byrd, Donna Hill and Monica Jackson treats the readers to three very different stories that stirs, stimulates and makes you laugh. Adrianne Byrd's FINDING THE RIGHT KEY, is Hot and Sexy and should come with a label that says 'CAUTION CONTENTS ARE HOT". Donna Hill's "Out With the Old", adds an office romance that sizzles during the holiday and Monica Jackson's Merry Christmas, Baby completes the book with a sexy romantic/comedy that will have you bursting at the seams. Put the three together and you have the hottest read of the holiday. This one is definitely one to read and read again. For relief, have a cold drink and willing partner close by when you finish.

Taking Chances was a great book. Adrianne Byrd's "Finding the Right Key" was definitely off the hook and not for the faint of heart. We all wished we had a friend like Kimora. That story was the BOMB!! Being a die hard A Byrd fan I knew the story would be all that so I read the book backwards to save the best for last. Donna Hills "Out with the Old" was good also I like how she made reference to the "Pause" series. and Monica Jackson's Merry Xmas was funny I really enjoyed Sharyn's mother's character she was something else. Great Book. I suggest you pick it up.

The triple threat otherwise known as Adrianne Byrd, Donna Hill, and Monica
Jackson have pooled their collective talents into Takin' Chances For The Holidays. The result is a sharp, sexy story of three resourceful heroines looking to find a little holiday spirit! The stories were entertaining and the characters endearing. I would highly recommend this book for a fast paced and fun holiday read!

I am new to reading Ms Byrds books....So far I have read "Measure of a Man", When You Were Mine" and now this book "Takin Chances For The Holidays". I gotta say all three of these books I read in one sitting. They are all GREAT books. I am now a dedicated reader of Ms. Byrd's book. She has a great line up for 2007, I cant WAIT! I better get a jump on the older books because, she has so many other books that I heard are just as good as the ones I have already read. Keep up the excellent work....YOU GO GIRL!

Even the 1992 addition is still one of my favorite books in my library of over a few thousand books.

He is thorough, the graphics & typesetting are excellently done (i.e.. easy to read), he gives price ranges and star ratings, which also help.

The resources are abundant, yet not too much to be overwhelming (for us who have a difficult time deciding where to go).

Phenomenal book!

Doing one holiday from each chapter.....

this book brings excitement into my life each time I look at it. I use it for ideas about what adventures might interest me, as well as, for specific outfitters. I like the reviews and grading system of the outfitters. I also appreciate the inclusion of price expectations. It was published in 1992 so it is getting dated but still very useful. I logged on hoping for the revised edition only to find that it doesn't exist.

Please, please come out with an updated edition! This book is THE place to look before you plan any type of activity. I used it to get information before going skydiving, ballooning and snowmobiling. Unfortunately the book's data is getting old. We need updates!

I am the author of the original Ultimate Adventure Sourcebook. A new edition from National Geographic Books is in production and will be released in mid-2000. It will contain most of the features of the first edition, together with up-to-date web site listings and many, many new adventures, from bungee-jumping to family vacations.

This book was great for helping plan my son's kindergarten valentine party. The snack ideas were super and pretty easy to assemble. The highlight of the book is the valentine bingo game where everyone wins at the same time. The children just loved the game as they all shouted "bingo" at the same time. We also did the ice cube game and the cupid game. Both were also big hits with the children! I would highly recommend this book for any class parent needing some creative ideas for kids from 5+.

With all the crafts, snacks, and games, you will have everyone entertained for years to come. This book is great for classrooms, parents, day cares, work, & more. Perfect paired with Valentine Boxes.

Wonderful Book - Pleae make more like this!!

What a wonderful book. Valentine parties are always a favorite the crafts/activies are warming to ones heart. Every room parents or hostess/host needs this book for any type of party. Suggestion purchase the complete set.

I run an after-school program for a non-profit organization with children that range in age from 6 to 14. It's very difficult to plan holiday events that will interest all the kids, but I got some great ideas from this book! It covers everything from games, to crafts and special treats. While most of the activities are geared towards the younger crowd, I was able to extract some ideas for the older kids as well. A very well organized and creative book!

Venice for Pleasure is an off the beaten path sort of guide, filled with anecdotes, character sketches, and historic photos. Links takes his readers beyond the famous facades and brings the "theme park" to life. Fun to use then to keep and reread for reminiscence afterwards.

Terrific read for those intent on seeing the Venice that lies beyond Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge. Whether you follow the author's routes on his strolls thru the sestieres, or just use his walks as a source of inspiration (as we did), this book is an indispensable addition to the library of anyone planning a trip to Venice. Thanks in large measure to encouragement offered by this book, we ventured into some of the nooks and crannys of this amazing city... we'll see St Mark's Basilica next time we go.

What a strange and wonderful little book!

Venice for Pleasure is essentially four walking tours told in a charmingly conversational style by an author who is clearly in love with Venice. Stopping in a Venetian cafe to read a passage is like having a friend leaning over your shoulder to recall the local history and gossip, point out fascinating details that you probably wouldn't have noticed, and make you smile with his dry wit.

We did all four walking tours and thoroughly enjoyed Links' companionship along the way; I can't recommend it highly enough if exploring Venice on foot is your aim. We also found the directions infallible.

Please note that this isn't a conventional guidebook, so you shouldn't expect logistical information.

If there is no such thing for you as having too much information, then think about buying this book. This book has walking itineraries including places to stop for rest and refreshment, and wonderful details on things to look at while you are walking and even while you are sitting down. This book is not useful for restaurants or hotels or hours that sites are open. Includes history, and comments on Venice from famous writers of the past like John Ruskin. It is to be savored.

Fantastic Book!!! I bought this for my wife as a memento of our 25th Anniversary trip to Venice. It was perfect. I highly recommend it to any armchair traveler who wants to "visit" the world's most romantic city. David

The Blue Ridge Parkway, almost 450 miles long, connects Shennandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park astride the North Carolina - Tennessee border. In between it traverses some of the most beautiful mountain areas in North Carolina and Virginia. Although it provides splendid views from the road itself and from its many roadside overlooks, it is much more than a scenic drive. It is a ribbon of land administered by the National Park Service, at several places broadening into wider mini-parks. All of those parks as well as various other spots along the parkway's route have hiking trails that give visitors a closer look at the many natural wonders there. This book, as a comprehensive guide to those trails, is the one most indispensable guide to getting beyond your car and the overlooks in this remarkable National Park Service land. All of its official trails are rated in this book as to difficulty, from very easy to quite strenuous. Thus there are ample hikes for whatever level of wilderness adventure you're up for. Each hike is described in details, with points of interest described in the order you'll encounter them, with mileages to each from the trailhead. Some hikes described herein also get beyond the parkway's own lands, into National Forest lands that border the parkway in many places, as well as occasional adjacent commercial attractions such as Grandfather Mountain. Any visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway should be quite rewarding, and this book is one of the best resources for making it even more so, showing that you'll never be very far from places to park and take a walk for a more intimate view. And you definitely should sample at least some of the shorter and easier walks, if not the longer or more challenging ones, depending on what you're up to. This parkway is a natural treasure well-worth exploring, and this book may well be the quickest way to learn that there is so much more there than meets a casual eye.

for a day trip, a weekend trip, or a long vacation. We have hiked and camped in several of the places mentioned. I have lived in NC all of my life and did not realize there was such enriching trails and escapades off the parkway. I wish I had known about this book while attending WCU! Take it with you, it is very worthwhile.

Designed as a "drive awhile - stop awhile" recreational road, the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited unit in the National Park Service. It has 17 million visitors a year as compared to 10 million a year for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. But the Parkway is more than a beautiful drive; it is also a good base from which to hike. Adkins describes all the ways that we can get out of the car as we explore the Parkway. From a leg-stretcher to a view of Glassmine Falls Trail to the eighteen miles of the Shut-In Trail, Adkins gives a contextual introduction to the hike as well as step-by-step directions. He rates each hike from an easy leg-stretcher to strenuous.

My only objection to the rating is that the author considers too many hikes as strenuous. For example, Adkins labels the Snooks Nose Trail, eight miles round trip and described as "not well-maintained and hard to locate" as strenuous. The two-and-a-half mile round trip hike up to Mt. Pisgah, on a clear, well-marked trail, is also rated as "strenuous". Hikers will have to decide what strenuous means to them. Ratings aside, the book is necessary to anyone looking for a variety of hikes in the area. The appendices are also a wealth of information. He lists every feature on the Parkway along with its mileage, all the inns and campgrounds as well as a roadside bloom calendar

My wife and I have just come home from a 3 week trip along the entire parkway. We started the trip with Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway, but ended up buying Walking the Blue Ridge at one of the visitor centers. While Hiking was ok, we found Walking the Blue Ridge to be the better of the two. It was very easy to use, easy to find information, and full of wonderful tidbits. The way the mileage data was set up in a vertical way made it very easy to use while we were hiking the trails, simple to always know where we were. In the Hiking book we had to wade through a lot paragraphs just to match up the descriptions with where we actually were on the trail. Also, it was obvious that the author of Walking the Blue Ridge had actually walked every one of the trails he was writing about. It was also nice knowing that it gave descriptions of every one of the trails along the parkway, even if it was just a short pathway; the other book neglected some that we found to be truly delightful. In addition, its smaller weight and size made it much easier to carry while on the hikes.
All in all, we were happy to have found Walking the Blue Ridge and will be using it often.

The Blue Ridge Parkway, almost 450 miles long, connects Shennandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park astride the North Carolina - Tennessee border. In between it traverses some of the most beautiful mountain areas in North Carolina and Virginia. Although it provides splendid views from the road itself and from its many roadside overlooks, it is much more than a scenic drive. It is a ribbon of land administered by the National Park Service, at several places broadening into wider mini-parks. All of those parks as well as various other spots along the parkway's route have hiking trails that give visitors a closer look at the many natural wonders there. This book, as a comprehensive guide to those trails, is the one most indispensable guide to getting beyond your car and the overlooks in this remarkable National Park Service land. All of its official trails are rated in this book as to difficulty, from very easy to quite strenuous. Thus there are ample hikes for whatever level of wilderness adventure you're up for. Each hike is described in details, with points of interest described in the order you'll encounter them, with mileages to each from the trailhead. Some hikes described herein also get beyond the parkway's own lands, into National Forest lands that border the parkway in many places, as well as occasional adjacent commercial attractions such as Grandfather Mountain. Any visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway should be quite rewarding, and this book is one of the best resources for making it even more so, showing that you'll never be very far from places to park and take a walk for a more intimate view. And you definitely should sample at least some of the shorter and easier walks, if not the longer or more challenging ones, depending on what you're up to. This parkway is a natural treasure well-worth exploring, and this book may well be the quickest way to learn that there is so much more there than meets a casual eye.

I received the book in very good condition and came very well wrapped and quickly. I am very satisfied with it.

Walks Through Lost Paris: A Journey Into the Heart of Historic Paris

This is a wonderful book, except for one thing. It is so small that the maps are almost unreadable, and the print is not so easy to read either. I've been to Paris twice and walked through all four areas in the book before, but the book opened my eyes to a lot of history and details I'm looking forward to seeing first hand. I am taking it to Paris in a couple weeks, and I'm looking forward to the walks, but I'm going to have to blow up the maps so I can read them without a magnifying glass. This book would be far more enjoyable in a larger format.

If you love Paris (and who doesn't?) you'll appreciate this book. It takes us over well-trod streets, past ancient buildings, and brings them alive by examining their past. Atget documented Paris as it was; this book predates that.

Beautifully produced book with superb use of 19th century & current photos to show changes in Paris locations pre & post Haussmann. A great read for anyone who loves & knows Paris, and doubles as an "advanced" and specialized walking guide for those lucky enough to be on site.

Whether one takes the recommended walks or just reads the words, this is a great little book, full of wonderful then and now photos (I especially like the photo of the people in the boat on Rue Jacob during the flood of 1910--see the hats!) and interesting discussions of how Paris came to be what we see today, how sections of the city were saved by those who loved them, and how other sectors were changed and updated. I have a number of walks-around-Paris books, some written for Parisians themselves, and I think this is the best and most interesting. It entertained my husband when he recently spent a week in the hospital. It is not especially touristic, and not a book for those dropping in for a day or two to see the highlights of Paris. This is a book to wallow around in. I found the English version first, but will look for the French, as I'm suspicious of translations.

An excellent book with a different perspective. It is not only well written but beautifully printed and bound. A joy to read and to walk in the very steps of these two historic and romantic personalities. Take it along on your next trip to Paris.Floyd McRae, Napoleonic Alliance, International Napoleonic Society.

Delightful, informative, exciting. Great for a sophisticated traveler -- a perfect gift for any tourist planning a trip to Paris -- and also a stimulating, fun read. I loved it.

Diana Reid Haig's beautiful, well researched book is invaluable on two levels; as a work of art and as a practical walking guide. Walks Through Napoleon and Josephine's Paris will interest Francophiles as well as those who love history and art. This extremely readable history of Napoleon and Josephine chronicles the rise and fall of the doomed couple--a history which is also inexorably linked with the history of France and the French Revolution.

A blend of words and art, Haig's book is wonderful to page through, but is also a great read. I recommend this work to both armchair travelers and frequent visitors to Paris. This book is a brilliant new way to see and enjoy Paris.

I had the delightful privilege of hearing Mme. Haig read from her book at the French Institute in New York which in turn, plunged me into an exuberant frenzy to learn as much as I could about Napoleon and even more so - Josephine. Mme. Haig's writing comes from a genuine passion about her subjects and is wonderfully researched, with fascinating detail. Should you be travelling to Paris with a teenager, this book could ignite a passion in them as well about history before Britney Spears' first marriage.

Diana Reid Haig has produced a delightful book that is at once fascinating and useful. She tells short anecdotal stories of Napoleon and Josephine and their times while showing us beautiful photographs of the places they would have known and then showing us how to find them. No one who is interested in Napoleon should ever visit Paris without consulting this book, and even those who will never set foot on the Champs-Élysées will enjoy thumbing through its pages and reading Haig's well-written little vignettes of one of history's most famous love stories.

The book is organized into four "walks," which generally correspond to Napoleon's early career and meeting of Josephine, life as First Consul, the coronation, and the return of Napoleon's body in 1840. To these she adds a tour of Fontainebleau and Malmaison, two places where Napoleon and Josephine lived. Each walk comes with a map that clearly shows the major places she discusses as well as shops and other areas of interest. The maps are easy to follow and a dotted line traces her suggested route. A map of Paris showing where in the greater scheme of things these maps fit would have been useful, but any visit to Paris will be enhanced by this book.

One of Haig's most endearing qualities as a writer is her ability to provide interesting and useful information in a way that both informs and entertains. Throughout her book we hear of some of the standard discussions of Napoleon and Josephine, such as her affair and their near breakup after his Egyptian campaign. But we also are given brief glimpses into their daily lives and their relationship with the buildings that we can see on her tours. Haig also includes interesting "side boxes" on topics the basics of which are common knowledge but the unknown details of which can be quite interesting. For example, we all know of Napoleon's famous hat, but from Haig we learn that he ordered four a year as First Consul and later had at least fifty ordered from his hatter, Poupard, who charged exorbitant rates. Indeed, Haig presents enough interesting history that a scholarly reader is left wishing she had provided references.

This wonderful little book is like none other that I have seen. It is beautifully produced and well written. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in seeing and understanding Napoleon and Josephine's Paris.

J. David Markham, Author
Napoleon's Road to Glory: Triumphs, Defeats and Immortality
Imperial Glory: The Bulletins of Napoleon's Grande Armée