Pins Books

Wow, what an informative, helpful book if you have any interest in vintage jewelry or hand-painted porcelain. Wish I had some of the pieces featured here....

I love this book!! I also love Debby DuBay's book: LIVING WITH LIMOGES! Both authors "brooch" the subject of hand painted jewelry, buttons, brooches, hat pins, etc.!! A must for the collector.

Dorothy Kamm's Painted Porcelain Jewelry And Buttons pairs gorgeous large color photos with a value guide to painted buttons and jewelry. The primarily-floral designs are gorgeous and are accompanied by the latest values.

I read the reviews on this book prior to purchasing it. I also noted the reference to another book: LIVING WITH LIMOGES and I purchased it. Of course I compared the two. LIVING WITH LIMOGES is FANTASTIC and has an entire section on WEARING YOUR LIMOGES that is informative, professional and has fabulous photographs of thousands of hand painted pieces. The quality of Living With Limoges is much better than this book Painted Porcelain. I personally don't like paperback books and Painted Porcelain is a paperback. I thought I would enjoy both but my recommendation - don't bother spending the money on paperback reference books -- put your money toward the better book.

The author has a wealth of information! (Too bad the publishing company made this a poor quality product, and a soft cover book. No justice to the content!)I love hand painted buttons and brooches and received this book and LIVING WITH LIMOGES which has a section on such, over the holidays. The two books have provided me with much information.

This book is all from one artisit, at first it sounded as if it were various artist but its not. I really liked it, there were other reviews that said it was not good. i would recommend to any pin-up collector.

I posted a less than glowing review of this book once, not sure where it went.

Short version: It's too polished and homogenous. Buy something else.

I am a pin-up FAN-atic, and I am very tickled by this art and the adorable, voluptuous, sexy, pulp-art girls. The only complaint that I have is that the cover art is different, and the picture that is posted is no where to be found in or on the book!! This adorable, little, bikini-clad girlie-was what peeked my interest in the first place. The book is great, but, I am very sad about this.

Pin-Up Girls From Around The World is the best book I've bought all year. It's funny as hell and the art is so good, it's impossible to describe. The girls are super hot and there are enough hidden pop culture references to keep you busy every time you pick it up. My girlfriend and her friends really like it to because of the clothes, which is kind of strange but whatever. Really, you should check this out.

I just ordered several pin up girl books from amazon and this one is def my favorite. So much that I searched for the artist on teh net and amazon hoping to purchase some of his pinup girls on posters or other books but havent found anything. Each page is a bright sexy full page pinup w some really interesting captions hehe :) Id recomend this book to anyone who loves pin up art :)

This book struck me as a very amateur piece of work. The characters were wooden, for one thing, and the main character doesn't act at all his age. Sometimes, Samuel seems around ten, whereas at other points, he's thinking like a philosopher. For example, Samuel actually * thinks* the sentence: "How can you really care about that which you cannot see?" I ask you, what 16 year old *speaks* like that, let alone thinks like that? Such a sentence could be forgiven in prose, but even adult characters (from a modern setting) wouldn't be so formal within their own thoughts. The other characters weren't much better. I think the author is trying to hint at an abusive situation between Samuel's parents, but if so, it's poorly thought out. His father is portrayed as a stereotypical baddie, no deeper than a mustache-twirling cartoon villain. Other characters also tend to be given only one personality trait. Such as: Loki is always a jerk, Balder is always a nice guy, Thokk is always bratty, and Rag is always thoughtful. This gets old fast.

The other main problem is the prose. Filled with forced similes and self-conscious sentences, the book doesn't flow well. All this could've been overlooked, however, if it weren't for the horrific info-dumping. If I'd wanted to read a textbook about Norse mythology, I'd read a textbook about Norse mythology. There's nothing wrong with an educational book, but whatever message the author wants to convey should not get in the way of the story. (Indeed, sometimes this book felt like it was nothing *but* one long, boring lecture about basic Norse mythology.) No one likes to be beat over the head with facts, especially when one's being subjected to them under the guise of an interesting story. At least a textbook is honest about its subject matter. The facts were poorly integrated; a textbook could have said them ten times more eloquently. They pulled me out of the story, and I actually love mythology.

A little bit of subtlety would've gone a long way.

As a sixteen year old and self proclaimed intellectual, I enjoyed Mr. Anacker's book immensely. It does not, as some other pieces of modern fantasy literature (*Cough* Eragon) merely beat aspects of Tolkin's work to death (orcs, elves and the like) but instead, ushers one into a world seldom touched by modern writers. I would agree with the editorial reviewer that it seems Anacker swallowed a text book, however I see this as not some horrible thing as the editorial would have you believe, but as lending credibility to his exciting work. In fact the reviewer seems to believe that, "No! The children can not learn AND be happy!" Besides lets face it, the books that he recommends are so dry they should be sent to flood zones. All in all a well written book form a well versed author.

I remember my mythology obsessed youth when I discovered the Norse gods. Unlike the Greek myths, I had to go looking for stories of Odin, Loki, Thor and the rest. So, I was happy to find a young adult story rooted in the Norse myths. Although occasionally a little slow, the story included rich settings and an interesting hero's journey. I found the humans slightly less consistent in characterization than the ravens and mythical figures but still compelling. This isn't a novel to keep you up all night, but it's one that will keep you coming back to learn what happens to Samuel, the ravens, and their new giant friends. All in all, a strong first novel from a writer whom I believe is well worth watching.

This book combines the stories of Samuel, a human, and Rag and Thokk, two ravens. The main plot begins when Samuel finds a ring pin that allows him to communicate with Rag and Thokk. A translation of a poem written on the ring pin starts a cycle that eventually transports all of them to the time of the Vikings and the time presently known as the time of Norse Mythology. The ring pin doesn't seem able to send them back, though. The first god they meet is Loki, the trickster. When Thor throws his Mjollnir at a creature created by Loki as a joke he loses it. They then find out that Aegir, the sea god has it and he doesn't want to give it back. This then starts a journey for Samuel, Rag, Thokk, Thor, and Balder, another god, to find and regain Mjollnir. This quest is not easy, filled with danger and lots of room for error. Overall, this was a very good book and I would reccomend it to anybody.

This is a wonderfuly written, captivating story for young people. It holds the readers interest without violence by challenging the reader. I'm sending copies to all my young friends.

Talk about long awaited! For those readers who ever encountered the writing of Howard Wandrei's stories as a pulp magazine colector, like myself, this first collection of his mystery stories is welcome indeed. The writing may not be "classic" in the sense that Hammett or Raymond Chandler are, but compared to other pulp writers it is definitely above average & surely very entertaining. Most readers will find themselves pleasantly surprised. The frosting on the cake is editor Dwayne Olson's fascinating introduction where you will learn what an interesting character Howard Wandrei himself was!

This collection of pulp stories from the 1930s era is loaded with a bent outlook on the seamy side of life. Considered risque at the time of publication, they still read well today. Blazing guns, hard drinking PIs, crooked politcos, and vicious thugs usually surround a dame in distress and death is always close-by. Howard Wandrei was a versatile writer in several fields and these mysteries are no exception.

I enjoyed this collection, far more than I expected to, but I'm a little ashamed of having enjoyed it. The writing is vigorous, the stories well-paced -- Howard Wandrei, for my money, writes much better than his more famous brother Donald --, and the plots generally preposterous in their details. Most of these stories are the kind that were called "spicy" back in pulp days -- lots of nudity, with the fact of the nudity but not the nudes themselves closely, even lecherously, described. Gunfights, car chases, nude girls, unmixedly evil villains, heroic rescues, more nudes, narrow escapes, and nudes. I say check it out, but don't expect timeless literature.

The information is general in nature, with some history but I loved seeing how different buttons enhanced the same fabrics. The detail is very sharp with vivid color.

This book was a wonderful introduction to the history of buttons and the variety and beauty of a generally overlooked accessory.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and have used it as a resource on many occasions, as an amateur collector and when sewing. I was fortunate enough to meet the author, at her stall at Covent Garden in London, as an Australian tourist, and found her as delightful and interesting as her book.

The text is relevant and useful for education students. It contains a variety of interesting sections designed to illuminate the intricacies of the field of education.

FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN EDUCATION provides an excellent basis for preprofessional instructors (students who are going to become teachers). The history and philosophy sections are not too involved with jargon to be useful to undergraduates. On the other hand, for those who have been away from teaching for a few years, for parents who want to find out what's going on, and for students who haven't previously examined education as history, this is a good start. The insets and anecdotes that are set apart from the main body of the text by boxes and underlining are somewhat confusing, but they also contain ideas that should be explored. The prose ranges from stilted to nicely-flowing.

This was a simply stated book that gave common sense examples.

The chapters were easy to understand without having to have your professor explain everything.

There are a couple of chapters that seem like they should be reorganized, and a couple of chapters that should be put in a different order. Overall though, this is a very good book to help you understand Human Resource Management.

I suspect that a new edition will be out shortly. Some of the Internet links sprinkled throughout this book are broken, and the text frequently refers to conditions as they were, "as of mid-1997." Hopefully, the authors will employ a proofreader/style editor, as the sytnax is awkward in a few places. That said, this is a good introductory book. The creative integration of Internet links and video case studies ("On Location at Showtime," and ABC News reports on business trends and issues) add to the value of the text. An Internet site allows instructors to develop an on-line syllabus for students to view and download. Key terms are set on the margins in blue print, repeating their definitions from the text. Summaries at the end of each chapter do the same, and include questions designed to verify reader knowledge of major concepts. The book dwells at length on diversity issues, which is appropriate, given the plethora of Exceutive Orders, Supreme Court decisions, and legislation mandating various EEO/affirmative action practices in the HR field. The chapters on recruitment, selection, and training are the strongest in the book, and cover the topics in a fair amount of depth. The chapter on labor unions reveals a pro-union bias; otherwise, the book is ideology-free. Overall, this is a more than adequate treatment of the subject, and is quite serviceable.

Leather & Lace 4 is a small collection of drawings dealing with women, or sometimes just a single woman, in interesting fantasy, erotic or pinup poses. While some, like the artwork of Arantza are truly lovely and the works of Pedro Cuevas and Mitch Byrd showed imagination, most are just straight forward nudes and even seem a tad lifeless and bland. Also I noticed that one drawing by Pelaez was even repeated later in the book. Maybe the earlier books used up all the good ideas? I may have to buy them and find out. But I suggest you get this one used.

Leather & Lace Volume 4 is a fantastic entry in the ever popular Gallery Girls collections from SQP. This rather over fetish book's theme is, as the title says, all about sexy leather and lace, but bondage is an equal member of the trio as nearly every piece in the book is a woman on woman bondage illustration and some of the sexiest work ever to come from SQP. The front cover is courtesy of Pelaez who gets things off to a rolling start. Girl on girl fetishes, cat fights, breast fights...it's all within the pages of one of the hottest Gallery Girl editions ever.

Pelaez, always one of my favorites provides a piece showing a blonde bound by her hands to a headboard as a leather clad dominatrix stands nearby armed with a cat-o-nine tails. Colucci's bound prisoner is also blonde and being spanked on the rear end with a riding crop by her mistress. The men in the bar of a drawing by Pedro Cuevas are looking very delighted and amused as two topless women battle it out, breasts first in this great piece.

Marcelo Sosa provides one of the standout pieces in the book as a woman in garter and nylons digs her spiked heels into the back of her subservient slave who is on her knees. Arantza gives us the best of both worlds with a blonde in lace and a brunette in leather, having suggestive fun with a water hose. Isaac Del Rivero offers another stunningly hot dominatrix in thigh high leather boots and whip leading two nude women about by a leash. Later, Del Rivero provides the most graphic fetish piece as his subject is bound and suspended in mid-air as her mistress playfully licks her helpless toes. Pelaez has an entire series of drawings with another on-going cat fight, or more accurately, a breast duel between two buxom babes.

Dani Saurez ends the book on a high note with a beautifully painted back cover. An absolute must have for bondage or fetish fans and a sizzling hot edition of Gallery Girls.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

The production values are good, 8" x 10" prints on good quality paper (non-glossy) with large margins, good color and a soft pastel like quality (it isn't quite a photorealistic or sharp quality but it is very attractive and adds a nice romantic quality).

Just be aware that there are only 14 pictures (printed on one side of a page) plus 2 pages of text.

I think this book is very versitile. You can use it as either an acutal book or remove the pages and frame 'em. Thats how good the quality is. The images definately give a great nostalgia feel. I love pin-ups and these women are very classy and sexy!

"Bent Pins to Chains: Alaska and its Newspapers" adds an important and fresh dimension to understanding Alaska's history. For the history buff and researcher it puts under one cover for the first time a detailed record of the newspapers that served Alaska since its purchase from Russia 140 years ago as an unexplored wilderness. It is a detailed compendium of Alaska newspapers and their towns, editors, owners, civic contributions and shenanigans. Lew Williams who has lived the life of a pioneer publisher and Evangeline Atwood, a writer and wife of a pioneer publisher, write about the life they both have lived.

Alaska newspapers matured with the state. The authors record their growth from handwritten flyers, to four early editors who became governors, to modern dailies that led the push for statehood and are today recognized by Pulitzer prizes. Naturally the Anchorage newspaper war between the two competing dailies and the final buyout of the Anchorage Times by the Anchorage daily news is recorded. A plus is Williams' "Final Word: What is a Newspaper?" Especially since Alaska's early day newspapers would not fit the description of today's technological successes.

Williams, who took over the recording of Alaska's newspapers after Atwood died, shows a historian's dedication to accuracy of names, dates, places and events. It is a wonderful foundation for anyone who wants to delve further into the whys and consequences. I hope his next step will be to put on his investigative reporter hat and flesh out the stories he so briefly tells.

Final word: It is a record of Alaska's newspapers, essential to understanding the origin, growth and maturing of the 49th state.

I write the above as a 44-year Alaskan and former journalism professor.