Sweden Books

Landscape architect Van Sweden's description of his signature process and approach for harmonious gardens immerses us in a new dimension of garden design. This book is a valuable tool for virtually any garden lover or garden designer -- whether transforming a blank slate or just reviving a tired garden. Van Sweden shows us the importance of understanding the underlying architecture of our gardens.

I am a landscape designer and I use this book constantly, not only for inspiration, but also for the illustrations provided on how to construct many of the architectural features shown.
This book has a permanant place on my drafting table and has so many paper clips marking pages--it is by far the most useful book about landscape architecture I have come across.

James van Sweden has been designing gardens for over 30 years and he is a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects. In this book he shares with the reader the essential role that architecture plays in organizing the garden landscape. With carefully chosen examples he shows how man-made features of the garden - paths, walls, gates etc. - create the framework for a garden that is both beautiful and easy to live with.

This book is readable and anecdotal in style, yet it covers the fundamental principles of design and shows how they can be put into practice to enhance many different types of garden. It is extensively illustrated, mostly with the author's own photographs, and these support the text in clearly delineating the applications of design principles to town gardens, seaside gardens, country gardens and so on.

Despite the author's relaxed approach this is a very thorough book and it will be invaluable to anyone planning a garden. My only quibble is that many of the gardens might be called estates, measured in acres, and to some extent this limits the book's practical value to the gardener with a standard city lot, or less.

But good "bone structure" is important in all gardens and this book will help any gardener pull together the significant man-made pieces of the garden into a graceful and beautiful whole.

This is a great book to get you thinking about the underlying structure of your garden or outdoor space. Van Sweden's style is low-key yet elegant, and his ideas inspirational.

James van Sweden has been designing gardens for over 30 years and he is a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects. In this book he shares with the reader the essential role that architecture plays in organizing the garden landscape. With carefully chosen examples he shows how man-made features of the garden - paths, walls, gates etc. - create the framework for a garden that is both beautiful and easy to live with.
This book is readable and anecdotal in style, yet it covers the fundamental principles of design and shows how they can be put into practice to enhance many different types of garden. It is extensively illustrated, mostly with the author's own photographs, and these support the text in clearly delineating the applications of design principles to town gardens, seaside gardens, country gardens and so on.

Despite the author's relaxed approach this is a very thorough book and it will be invaluable to anyone planning a garden. My only quibble is that many of the gardens might be called estates, measured in acres, and to some extent this limits the book's practical value to the gardener with a standard city lot, or less.

But good "bone structure" is important in all gardens and this book will help any gardener pull together the significant man-made pieces of the garden into a graceful and beautiful whole.

This book is a wonderful addition to any Landscape Architects shelf, the photographs emphasize the technique used by these two talented designers, and the pictorial key to their frequently used plant material acts as a springboard for your own interpretation on these very modern, yet naturalistic designs.

This book is a poor value. The pictures are reasonably illustrative but not stunning. I also found the text to be less informative than I hoped. I am negative because of the high price; I expected better. This would be a great book at $50.

This is a great idea book- or lovely gift for a gardening friend. The illustrations are lovely. There are gardens from various climates, formal and informal- If you buy it for a gift, you may not want to give it up.

I am absolutely positive that you cannot go wrong with this book, or any other by these two incredible designers. With an emphasis on ornamental grasses and very "naturalistic" design styles that are beautiful year round, you'll have a hard time putting this one down. Photographs are absolutely beautiful!! You will definitely not be dissapointed!!!

The greatest gardening book ever written is back in print!Bold,Romantic Gardens is Wolfgang Oehme`s & James vanSweden`s manifesto to mankind.Within you`ll discover the most refreshing viewpoint and supporting design principals ever offered.No matter where, or in what style you garden no other book will provide as much inspiration and food for thought as Bold Romantic Gardens!

4/22/04 From "Quotes" on salaries in "the field" to "quotes" from "legends"(e.g. Actor Mr. Robert DeNiro on page 12)..this "4th Edition" which I purchased on a "used book shelf" would even be worth the "new" price" listed at amazon.com for the paperback .

This book was easy to read...I read it from cover to cover in one evening. K Callan gives excellent and realistic advice for anyone starting out in the business, as well as how you should be thinking about your future when you are no longer a "working" actor. If you are just starting out and looking for a "fun" book to read, this is the one. The only thing I didn't like was that she focused mainly on working in New York and LA, although she does talk a bit about finding work in smaller cities. However, the information can be applied anywhere. In this book she recommends getting "Audition", so that will be my next purchase.

I will never forget K's performance in Lois & Clark. She was amazing. And so is her book!!

I found this book to be much better than its' counterpart How to be a Working Actor. It is more informative and on the money for actors starting out in the business. It also presents the information in a fun way.

K Callan starts off by giving you a no-b.s. look into the way that show biz works that is so dauntingly realistic, you may have to fight the impulse to run screaming to the nearest business school, trade school or college, vowing never to dream of becoming an actor ever again. Then she proceeds to give you valuable tips, tricks of the trade and common sense strategies to help you achieve success, no matter how high the deck is stacked against you. Of course, not everybody will make it no matter how hard they try, but along with guts, talent, looks and "luck," this book will definitely give you an edge. I would've given it five stars, but it appears this edition is due for an update.

I lived in Sweden for a year, and this book was hands-down the best guide to the place I found. In fact, when I traveled around the country I left the other guides behind and took this one with me. Not only is the Rough Guide small enough to cart around conveniently, it has consistently accurate information. I also admire the attention the guide gives to areas outside of the big cities. Sweden is a country of small towns, really, and the guide pays a lot of attention to their attractions. Rough guides have never been afraid to be candid, either. I walked into a coffeehouse in Lund one day, took a look around, and felt instantly at home. I looked in the Rough Guide, and read that this was the place to be if you were a pretentious intellectual and wanted to be among similar effette poseurs. Yep, that was me, and that was the place. I had a great time. Tak sa miket, Rough Guide.

Sweden is a wonderful travel destination. It is beautiful country that manages to be both very tranquil and very dynamic. However, like most Americans, I was totally ignorant about Sweden. In fact, I don't think I would ever have gone there if I hadn't found this book in the public library. It got me interested enough to spend a few weeks in Sweden, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I will definitely go back!

The book was very detailed and accurate, and went well beyond the average travel guide in the level of interesting detail about almost everything you could possibly encounter in Sweden. Although the book was published in 1997 and I went in 1999, most of the hotel and restaurant information was still accurate. The book also provides a good introduction to the history and culture of Sweden.

I am sorry for being contrarian, but I feel I need to set the record straight. Being from Norrland (North Sweden) I appreciate that the authors give Norrland and the country side more attention than some other books. However, the book contains some grave omissions, inaccuracies, and is replete with highly subjective opinions that are presented as facts. You don't want any of this in a guide book.

Three years ago we visited the Ice Hotel in Northern Sweden. It was a mixed American-Swedish group of ten people, including five kids age three to ten. We had a blast, it was a lot of fun, and all of us, except my wife, slept really well. For example, my five year old daughter slept like a princess on the Ice bed. The furniture was made of Ice, the lamps, the chandeliers, the art was made from ice and we drank from cups made of ice.

The kids played with spark sleds and in the snow, and we went on a long dog sled ride. There were some truly breath taking ice art in the hotel, including statues of moose, dogsleds, people, motorcycles, and monsters. There were laughter and smiles 36 hours straight, and still we did not have time to do many of the other exciting things you can do here like, reindeer sled rides, moose safari, ice theater shows, snow mobile rides, ice fishing, etc. In my (and many others) opinion this is one of the best tourist attractions in Sweden.

Unlike us, the authors of this book could not sleep, and they also claimed that no one else could either. They also did a strange sort of (mandatory) run in their undergarments to their room. We did nothing of the sort. I disagree with their less positive description of the ice hotel experience, but what I object to is that their negative experience colored their description of the ice hotel.

A few examples of irritating errors in the book are;
(1) The authors claim that the word "älg" means "Elk" (through out the book and in the dictionary). However, if you lookup the word "Elk" in wikipedia you will see a photo of an animal that has never been seen in Sweden. The truth is that "älg" means "Moose". However, it should be noted that in Europe Moose is sometimes referred to as "Elk", but this is not explained, instead the reader is misled (there are 300,000 Moose in northern Sweden).
(2) The city of Jönköping is pronounced "Yunn-Chupping" not "Yurn-Churping" as the authors claim.

However, their biggest mistake, in fact a giant whopper (a lie), is in regard to the way they treat the Ice Hockey capital of the world.

Örnsköldsvik was once named the Ice Hockey capital of the world because of the many Ice Hockey legends that have come out of this town (for example Peter Forsberg and Markus Näslund). There are also eleven NHL players from this town, even though it is a fairly small town. Because of this strange fact it has received a lot of attention world wide and hockey enthusiasts often come to visit Örnsköldsvik, as if it was a sort of Mekka.

Örnsköldsvik is located at the northern tip of what is called the "High Coast" a coastal area of mountains, mountainous Islands and beautiful fjords, and it also has a lot of interesting attractions. One of them is a reconstructed Iron Age village (with actors and the whole bit) that was erected close to a real Iron Age archeological find. Örnsköldsvik also have an indoor water park that people from all over Northern Sweden come to visit, several good ski slopes, as well as the most modern and prominent ice hockey arena in Northern Sweden. In addition Örnsköldsvik is an important port (especially for all the Islands in the Archipelago around the High Coast). It is the education and media and entertainment center of the region in which it is located.

The book "Lonely Planet Sweden" only has one page on Örnsköldsvik out of 36 for the entire North Sweden. The book "The Rough Guide to Sweden" only has zero pages out of 130 for the entire North Sweden. In fact many lesser towns and villages surrounding Örnsköldsvik are described in detail and with enthusiasm while the only thing ever mentioned on Örnsköldsvik in this book is the following sentence on page 330:

"..from the High coast bridge at the mouth of the Ångerman River to varvsberget, the hill overlooking the Center of Örnsköldsvik, a dreadfully dull place where you'd do well not to get stuck"

This is, of course, not an oversight or a misunderstanding, it is a load of horse @#& done with the intent of offending somebody. The question is who and why? One of the authors is British and they are not happy that Ice Hockey is more popular than soccer in North and East Europe. My guess is that this was their attempt to unload on the entire Ice Hockey community. The British are also not happy about Americans playing football instead of soccer, so if these authors would ever write about Wisconsin; it would be Green Bay who gets it next time. Personal vendettas or irresponsible expression of opinions have no place in a Guide book. Since it was also done in a dishonest fashion I renamed the book to "The Bluff Guide to Sweden"

I have always wanted to go to Sweden. I started learning Swedish when I was 14, and I started a pen-pal friendship with a Sweden at the same time. When I was 21 I finally made a trip to Sweden (March 2002) for 2 weeks and I used the May 2002 edition of this book.

I spent my time in three cities: Stockholm, Umeå, and Skellefteå. Most guidebooks that I looked at covered the south of Sweden quite well at the expense of the North. This guidebook used 25% of its space to write about the two largest cities and 60% to write about the rest of Sweden. (The remaining 15% of the book deals with formalities of getting to/into Sweden, language, food, etc.)

The section on Stockholm was fantastic, and since the chapter was organized based on each island or section of the city, it was very easy to read. You could plot out which part of the city you wanted to visit each day with ease. The book specifies open/close times very well (although you always double check). As someone traveling in the winter, I appreciated that fact! Some guidebooks don't list the months that something is open!

Whereas some guidebooks have 2 paragraphs on Umeå and Skellefteå, this one had 6 and 3, respectively. The cities are described well and the information is as much as you'll probably need.

Another nice feature is that the guide features fairly detailed information about getting to/from each city, even the small ones.

The third section of the book, about history, food, money, language, etc was well laid out, and the history section was as complete as most general tourists would want it.

The book caters to a variety of tourists as it lists a wide (very wide) variety of accomodations, restaurants, activities, and methods of travel. Other guidebooks aimed at "poor college students" seem to cover mostly pubs and nightclubs at the expense of museums. Guidebooks aimed at the "one trip to Europe in a lifetime let's use all of our stock earnings" books seem to cover hotels at the expense of hostels. This book covers both.

Overall, a very good buy.

Easy to use, practical, detailed, extremely helpful, with an eye toward saving money while you travel. This guide is organized by different regions of the country in case you don't have time to see the entire country while there. Has all the things you'll need to do and know before you go.

This is a great book! Specially for a novice in Swedish style. The pictures are really beautiful and the description is very detail oriented. Also the way the author use of the history and phsysical location of the different periods make a difference when being introduced to something new. A definetly A+!

I was looking for a more real world book on Swedish interiors, i.e., color palettes, decor ideas, etc. This book depicted lavish, extravagant rooms that would be more in keeping with very high-end decorating. If I had a castle, perhaps....

Wonderful photos of truly beautiful rooms, indeed, but the uptopian flavor of the book matched its price, so rather than keeping it on the shelf, I returned it.

The cover and the look-inside-glimpse do not do this book justice att all. It's not all that rural and folksy, but has wide range of interiors from palaces, mansions, farms and cottages. The in-put from Italy (and later France) was huge in the days when Sweden was a major European power in the 17th century. The book moves on into the Gustavian era of simple elegance and continues to regency and the summer-houses that became popular in the 19th century. A very well illustrated book with excellent photos.

I have found this book a constant inspiration when considering the Swedish style in general and Gustavian in particular.

The photos and colours are excellent. The text begins by being historically interesting and illuminating but becomes unfocussed and then banal. The translation is awkward in parts. Still the information is superior to the commonly gushy interior design style.

Although there is a section on contemporary versions of the classic Swedish styles, it remains primarily an homage to the original rather than an illustration of an inventive combination.

Nonetheless, an excellent reference book.

Beautiful book, well researched and written with carefully selected and beautiful photos. A must have for anyone interested in Gustavian interiors and the homes that contain them. The interiors selected for this book are the relatively simpler ones with soft color schemes and a cleaner, pared-down look - ones more acceptable to contemporary tastes - rather than the gilded neoclassical palaces of the same period. If you are interested in the more palatial interiors of the same period I recommend: Neoclassicism in the North, Swedish Furniture and Interiors 1770-1850 . I noticed in browsing through this book, that a number of the interiors selected for inclusion in The Swedish Room are actually the simplest rooms in otherwise grand palaces.
A very pleasing selection of interior views overall and much better than Barbara Stoeltie's similar book, The Country Houses of Sweden.

This book is clearly presented. The book covers the basics, particularly for counterbalance, countermarch looms. It presents warping from back to front. Many helpful tips are given for basic weaving techniques. There are interesting Swedish style patterns and illustrations.

I learned to weave, many years ago, while living in Norway, gave it up for another number of years but have now had the time to return to this wonderful past time. Weaving in the Swedish Tradition book was a Bible for Weavers back then and I'm thrilled to see that it has been translated into English.
I highly recommend this book for both novice and experienced weavers!
Thanks,
Happy Weaver

I purchased this book for a very specific reason - to figure out how to make my 4 harness Glimakra into an 8 harness. It did that and so much more. If I were a beginning weaver, this book would be a "must have" in my library. As a more seasoned weaver, I feel much the same way. Every technique has not only a verbal description but good diagrams as well. It covers the basics with good hints for making things easier. It goes beyond the basics with very useful information on patterns and materials. Thank you to the translator for making this available to us in English. A great resource!

This English translation of the Swedish version of this book makes it possible for more weavers to recreate awesome handwoven pieces. The directions are clear and the photography inspiring.

This book is a must for the library of most weaver's
especially those with counter march or counter balance looms.
Doug. 8th April 2008

Don't call successful actors "sellouts." Everybody has to earn a living. This book is a great reference that will show you how to really sell and market yourself as an actor. Rather than just throwing some stuff out there and seeing if it sticks.

I highly recommend this book if you are an aspiring actor, looking for a real career.

I had to review this book. When you're looking for a bit of guidance or reassurance as an actor from a book, you want to be sure that you're spending money on a good opinion. So to any actor that's feeling a little lost and is in between auditions, I think this is a worthwhile buy. However, if you're a pretty opportunistic and entrepeneurial kind of person with a positive attitude and bucket loads of self-belief, then I'd keep a hold of your money. K Callan's book is great to give you that motivation you need to keep going. It's practical, sensical and, although you could probably think of a lot of her ideas yourself, sometimes it's great to have it written down on the page - a checklist of sorts. I live in Australia and I still found it helpful. Basically, the book is a way to get you thinking about yourself - what you have to offer, is there work for you, how can you market yourself, how can you create your own work and then thinking about the marketplace - who's going to hire you, what are producers, casting agents thinking when they see you. It's all those non-acting elements that are vital to your career. The only thing I didn't like so much, as usual, is her list of figures about the type of career you can expect - average length five years!! - the rest of the time, you're just trying to get by. I think that's important to keep in mind, but you can't shoot for the moon and always be practical and realistic. You've gotta have those big dreams and believe you're going to be the next.... But, just be grateful for the breaks you do get.
Easy read, great wrap up tips at the end of each chapter. A good motivator.

This is a great book to guide an actor to the different aspects of chasing her/his dream. She gives advice in every possible thing an actor can face. Buy this book with your eyes closed.
I give it 5 stars despite the fact that I have a comment to the author. At the end of the book, she gives an advice that could detriment and help an actor not following this career. Because she writes that some well known actors, like Duchovny, after they reached the fame they have now, are not happy, and feel empty. I criticize her in this issue, because, she could have taken this information as an advantage to the actor, as an inspiration and not as a negative warning as she did, instead she could teach that sometimes actors chase this profession for the wrong reasons. She could have said that if an actor just want the money and fame, and is not interested also in the pleasure that acting brings, he or she will be disappointed, because once you get there, you will notice that you are the same person in the inside. She can use this information to show that the grade of frustration sometimes reached in this profession is not different from the one reached in other professions as well. I have a cousin who was in his 5th year of Medicine, and told me he was bored and tired, because he realized, medicine was not what he expected. That was 7 years ago. Today he is a radiologist, but he would rather be a full time Digital Photographer. So, there's no reason to disempower a future actor with a wrong interpretation of a fact. Because probably she will finish in another activity, that will bring even more dissatisfaction. And is well known that when we, actors, feel a little emptiness, is usually for a short time, while we recharge our batteries. On the other side, I have seen lots of other professionals, with years of frustration for not following their initial dream, but I have never seen a working actor frustrated because he wants to be a dentist or engineer.

okay...so maybe not ALL career levels. if you're julia roberts or deniro, i think you can pass up this book (but probably only because you're now rich enough to PAY someone to handle all this rigamarole for you, not b/c you couldn't learn anything from it). i have been an actor in nyc for the past 5 1/2 years, and when i picked up this book, i wrongly thought that it would be juvenile in tone and would offer me little that i didn't already know. not so. yes, the first few chapters deal with issues that many mid-career folks have already encountered, but the majority of the book is very informative and insightful even to hardened, old actors like myself - choosing an agent and/or manager, unions, protocol and etiquette, and my favorite, a chapter she calls 'getting a life.' she paints no pretty, glamorous picture of the biz, the info is updated and current, and it's a pleasant read. don't be a snobby actor...you've got something to learn; buy the book.

As a talent agent, I've been lucky enough to speak with K Callan at several seminars and I've always been impressed by her concern for actors who are just starting out in the business. Her book is full of valuable information and I think every actor out there will benefit from reading it.

While I am not a drinker, I have always been impressed with the Absolut advertising program and its success. Absolut has set an example for product marketing to the extent that drinkers and non-drinkers have enjoyed the ads and take a moment to look. The successful advertising program has most likely made Absolut a known brand. The Sequel continues with the more recent ads. Having the first book I always wondered if there would be a Sequel. For anyone interested in art and advertising both books are an excellent source of inspiration.

the book is good for absolut collectors.
I suggest to have it. regards

This book is good, but not as good as the first. I think it has some of the ads that are more obscure.

This book is an Absolut MUST for any coffee table. Full of very informative stories about a lot of the ads and different campains that were released over the last 10 years or so. And it has a wonderful section dedicated to the fans of the ad campaign and all stuff Absolut.

Although the landscapes in this book are beautiful, most of the properties shown were massive, complete with beautiful natural views surrounding them. It was fun to look at the pictures, but realistically, most people aren't dealing with the situations shown here. One terrace garden was shown, but it was small and unremarkable. All the properties shown are on the east coast, so the plant choices are not particularly useful for folks who live west of the Mississippi. It's an interesting way to spend a few minutes looking at the pictures, but I wouldn't recommend it for anyone to use in planning a garden.

This is a well organized and written book, with beautiful photography, listing all the plant material and drawings gardening lovers could follow. Thus a "must" for all avid gardeners.

I borrowed a dozen books on naturalistic planting from a friend of mine that is REALLY into gardening. All of the books had beautiful photographs and some were interesting to read but only "Gardening With Nature" told me how to design a natural garden for my house. I'm so impressed I'm going to fork over my own money to buy it!

This method has become my new gardening bible. It has an up to date, environmentally friendly, low maintenance approach. This book will not appeal to those who like large expanses of cut grass. The focus is on reducing or eliminating cut grass and massing plants. This style creates important habitats for birds and insects that we destroy with large lawns and weed killers and fertilizers. And the effect is very beautiful!

Selma Lagerlof is too little known in the English speaking world. This book is profound and deeply moving.

It began with a story about one Ingmar Ingmarsson. He had a big heart to forgive his wife who had murdered their own baby. He dared everyone in the town by taking his wife who had just released from the prison to the town church, bearing everyone's look on them. But the story itself is not about him, but his children.

The first Ingmar had 3 daughters and 1 son. His eldest daughter married a moneyspender man, so after his death, the family of Ingmarsson got bankrupt. His son, young Ingmar wanted to be a teacher and did not care to buy back the Ingmarsson properties that had been lost. On the same time, a new wave of Christianity came into the town. It's the wave that telling everybody to pack up and go to Jerusalem because that is the only place in the world that will survive a doomsday. So everybody in town started to pack up their things.

But still, the story was nothing about Jerusalem. Ingmar's sisters and their families prepared to go, and also Young Ingmar's love. And the story was ended by farewell from the people that were left in town and those who were leaving. But the story itself does not seem to be connected one another. The heart of Big Ingmar, the dubious and kind-hearted Young Ingmar, Ingmar's sister life, and finally, the farewell. The story seemed to be cut down, and with faraway related ending.

I love Selma Lagerlof, but I don't understand her Jerusalem. What was she thinking, what was the topic itself, what was the message, I don't understand.

This is really a message to the previous reviewer, Rowena Suryobroto. It seems that you have missed THE SECOND HALF of the novel! ( Jerusalem has often been published in two parts, and the second part begins with the group reaching Israel.) Start looking for the second part right away!! Judging from what you thought of Selma Lagerlof's other works, you'll absolutely love Jerusalem, it's every bit as good as The General's ring. With the same insights into people's minds and hearts, Jerusalem is a story of goodness, love and loyalty, and of people ( finally ) realising what's important to them personally and standing up for that, no matter what others may think. Without giving away too much I'd just like to say that the ending is everything you might wish for, it leaves you fulfilled and with a smile on your face and in your heart.

Selma Lagerlof's Jerusalem is one of my favourite books of all time. Anyone who speaks more than one language knows that to read a book in a language other than your native tongue can be a tiresome challenge. As a native English speaker, I was a little wary of reading this book in Swedish. However, the characters were so engaging, Lagerlof's descriptions of life in 19th century rural Sweden so beautiful, that I forgot that I was reading in Swedish. Even if you can't read the original I would recommend the English language version. Tales of separation and conflict surrounding differing religious beliefs are universal and Lagerlof depicts them brilliantly.