Netherlands Books

I would call this book a classic. I read it and had it read to me as a small child. I should hope this book continues to be read to children of elementary ages.

This book is a small book, 6.25in by 6.25 in and very thin (0.125in) with only 32 pages. So the templates in the book are small . The patterns are used for greeting cards although the techniques can be used in other crafts such as scrapbooking. The cards are based on predefined sets of iris folding paper, which has colours already blended to get the cards exactly in the book. However, I have not found these readily available and have been using different coloured paper as well as gift paper.

This is not a beginner's book, in that detailed step by step instructions are not given except for the 1st example. The format of the book is to take shapes: circle, apple etc and then it will display about 5 cards based on that template shape, but with different colour schemes. The instructions will list for example 5 colours to make a certain pattern. However it does not detail which colours exactly go where exactly, so one has to figure it out before they construct or the design will not come out as anticipated. Also the patterns size while good for cards are small if you are just starting. I would recommend making a enlarged photocopy, if this is your 1st time trying out before working with the size in the book.

Overall this is a good book for making cards, because it has some good ideas for some basic occasions: baby birth (baby socks), birthday/party (balloons, hats, flags), valentine (hearts), other(circles, tulips, chickens, apples).

I also own Elegant Iris Folding, which is very similar, except it uses different templates.

The book, " The Life and Works of Hieronymus Bosch ", is very good because I learned about the meanings of his paintings. This book doesn't have a lot of information about Bosch's life because in those day's people didn't keep records but, you found out information through his paintings. I found it interesting that Bosch's real name was Jerome Van Aken. He got his first name from the Latin version of his name Hieronymus, and took his last name from his home town. Another interesting fact was, his paintings showed vivid images of the people in life. His paintings showed a fantasy of good and evil. Bosch did a lot of paintings where the human being is suffering or showing anger at being punished for a bad life. He paints about Christ and various saints such as Anthony, Jerome, and James. They would guide people to a good life on Earth, so they could have a good life in Heaven. Bosch is a unexplainable man because, he had a world of his own, through his artwork we get a glimpse of the man.

In a lot of respects I'm a neophyte, an amateur, a greenhorn (including reviewing, I don't think I've ever reviewed anything before). But on my first solo trip to Europe, this particular guidebook was a lifesaver. My plans were turned on their heads, my friends had missed their train to Amsterdam, and I was absolutely alone in the city. I didn't have any idea how to get anywhere. Fortunately, I had borrowed this guidebook from my cousin prior to travelling to Amsterdam, and it was a veritable lifesaver. From the perspective of a fresh college grad who's not necessarily going for the tulips (especially not in November) Lonely Planet's no-nonsense descriptions of everything from the Anne Frank Huis to the gay/lesbian nightclubs and the Van Gogh Museum to the coffeehouses was the perfect blend. The layout was simple and orderly, the blurbs concise and descriptive. My only complaint would be the maps, which (despite their fold-out nature) seemed small and condensed. We sometimes ended up on streets we could not find listed on the map, and had to re-orient ourselves at Dam Square (that could also be a personal problem). But to sum up, I'm writing this review because I was looking for the book to go back again. I trust this book to get me where I need to go and tell me what I need to see, and ensure that I get both in and out of trouble. If you're headed to the 'Dam, take it with you.

Very captive novel starting in occupied Netherlands, Nazi travails and falling in love. Escaping war torn areas for new adventures in Far East.

I purchased this book before a trip to Holland. Kids ages 4 and up loved it and my husband, who grew up in Holland, even learned a few things about his homeland. Very fun and informative kids book!

What's the connection between an elderly businessman who's been stabbed to death on the streets of Amsterdam and three lovely Dutch expatriots living as housewives in Dublin? That's the central question of The Lovely Ladies and it's one that extends into a fascinating mystery in the finest Freeling tradition. For any other writer, this book would get five stars, but it isn't quite at the same level as a book like King of a Rainy Country. Intelligent and realistic mystery with well-written characters.

This hard-to-find book is superb if you are really interested in the history of land reclamation in the Netherlands throughout history. Having traveled there extensively, I became enthralled by the changes the land has gone through over the years, and the natural disasters that reformed the borders, only to have the Dutch reclaim them again. This is a serious textbook though, and not light reading. There are other, smaller texts that give a general overview. However, if, like me, you are looking for details, including great drawings that illustrate the history of the landscape, this is the book for you. It is worth the time it takes to locate one, and the price once you do.

We have been to Europe twice in the past couple of years and each time we bring our city Michelin map. It has been an essential tool for us to find our way around these new cities. I recommend for any traveler. The only problem we had was this one was in French and while it was helpful while in Brussels, it was difficult when planning the trip from the USA.

Just be aware that this is not the Streetwise type of laminated card map. It's paper, it's very detailed and its huge. Personally I wouldn't carry it around town unfolding it everytime I got lost unless I was s really bored and I really wanted to be pinned for a tourist and mugged.