Anderson Books

I would recommend this book to anybody, words don't even begin to describe what these pictures make you feel.

I love to give some of these pics away as gifts, because they capture so many different situations, and I can usually find a photograph that suits a friend at a specific point in time. Love it!! Great gift!!!

These photographs will bring you joy beyond what five stars can express.

Bertram Bahner, who is Kim Anderson, has created an amazing collection here that will inspire you to see the world afresh, and take heart.

You are familiar with his work, because it is everywhere, but the combined effect of seeing 240 of his best will overwhelmingly free your heart.

The classic Kim Anderson shot has children around age 3-4 wearing adult clothes (sort of like dress-up) in an adult pose, with simple props (like a single rose), in a black and white image with muted hand-painted color to highlight key elements of the composition, especially the symbolic ones.

But the best parts of these shots are the expressions of pure joy on the faces and in the eyes of the children. They're having a ball, doing something that should be great pleasure for adults as well. By looking at the images, you can touch (and remain in touch with) a purer part of your heart and soul.

The book is divided into different sections built around a theme. These are first love, thoughts, friendship, let's pretend, little girls, and little boys. Each section is introduced by an essay describing the author's own child or children and impressions of this aspect of childhood. The little boys and little girls essays contain lovely fold-out photographs in their midst.

Here are my most favorite images in the book: Gentleman caller; Sweet surprise; All smiles . . . ; Trespass not on their solitude; Just imagine; Youth dwells in possibility; Once upon a time; Happily ever after; Special delivery; Summer idyll; Elfin damsels; Sitting pretty; and Free spirit. In selecting these photographs, let me observe that these are of extremely high quality -- a level I would call "sublime." If I had chosen the "outstanding" photographs instead, the list would have been much longer. Few of the images in the book are less than interesting and less than meaningfully memorable.

What is most remarkable is the way that Mr. Bahner captures the spirit of his tiny models to match the physical moment portrayed. "The emotion is perfect."

He began by photographing his 3 year old daughter, Nicole, playing with her friends. Later he added his son. Eventually, other children joined the process. I am positively in awe of his ability to work with the children to create such effortlessly appealing and fascinating images from their play. The concept of adding handpainting to create greater imagery is also brilliant.

Regardless of your taste in photography, you will find this collection to be very rewarding. I recommend this book to everyone who likes portrait photography.

After you finish enjoying these images, focus on what goes through your mind when you find yourself in these situations that steals the joy away from you. Then imagine having a giant mental eraser and eliminating those thoughts, so you can be more in touch with your inner self -- your original perceptions of the wonder and joy of the the world.

Live in pure joy, using these images as your guide!

After viewing this book, I was touched greatly at the preciousness of children. They are an amazing gift and expressed wonderfully in this book. I highly recommend it and think the photography is phenominal.

In his book, Kim presents an amazing selection of handpainted photos. If you are a hobbist who wants to take some ideas, or if you like Kim's art (which you probably have seen in many postals) or if you just want to see some beautiful and inspiring photos, I STRONGLY recommend this book.

This is the most important book on art to appear since Aristotle's "Poetics"! Sure, the real-life noms de reality of the Velveteria's curators are Carl Baldwin and Caren Anderson, but the breadth and depth of their contribution to modern appreciation of art put them more in line spiritually with the Renaissance Medici family - for, like the Medicis, they know talent when they see (or in this case, feel) it. Like all true art patrons, they make art appreciation an art in and of itself, and have had the pizazz and wherewithal to pluck otherwise unheralded auteurs such as Richard Bustamante, Ce Ce Rodriguez, and "Juanita," from the slums of obscurity and put them in the sparkling art-world penthouse that is this book. This book has more entertaining photos in it than J. Edgar Hoover's secret files, circa 1968, but what will surprise the uninitiated is that it also is full of more wacky, wild, and woolly stories than the Warren Commission Report! Carl and Caren are true characters, and their passion for their art and each other comes through in spades here. They have a lust for life, a gift of gab, and a knack for picking the very best in Unicorns, 18-Wheeler Jesuses, nude Polynesians, Mexican Banditos, and Cigar-Smoking Filipina Hill Tribe Women. The Velveteria is the type of place the word "psychotronic" was invented for, and this book is the type of thing your credit card was issued to buy - that is, if you have a smidgen of coolness (and money) in you. Carl and Caren have done their part to make the world a weirder, cooler, freakier, more mind-expanding place - have you?

This wonderful book opened my eyes to the people and talent behind these mainly overlooked pieces of art.

My initial impressions of velvet painting was that there probably wasn't much past the standard clowns and snarling Elvis. While that's what I was familiar with, this title brought to life an entirely different group of artists who produced artwork that I found to be both surprising and stunning.

I truly enjoyed the writing style, the wonderful color photographs, the story behind building this collection and the way the book was broken into subjects make it a pleasure to thumb through. The actual velvet cover was simply the icing on the cake!

Well done!

While most people think of neon paint and goofy subject matter, the collection of the Velveteria runs the whole spectrum of black velvet painting from tropical nudes to quirky clowns, sad eyed children to black power homages, shimmering landscapes to dead rockstar tributes. This book collects them for your viewing pleasure along with a thorough intro & history of the art, as well as a how-to instructional. Even the cover has velvet on it. A fun book for your bookshelf or an even better gift. When in Portland, OR visit their museum.

Almost everyone has a story to share about black velvet. The stories that authors Caren Anderson and Carl Baldwin share in their book will both astonish and delight you. Black velvet isn't just for Elvis! Sure, this compendium delivers the standard kitcsh but there are also some wonderful surprises: lush landscapes, luminous figures, and truly skillful painting techniques. Anderson and Baldwin invite readers to appreciate how the works of artists such as Leeteg, McPhee, Tyree, and Rodriguez transcend the mosh pit of clowns, banditos, and poker dogs. The design by Reed Darmon is clever and the photographs pop from the pages. A wonderful addition to any home library or a terrific gift for your favorite art snob!

The full color photographs - approx. 200 - are gorgeous and are almost tactile in the way they convey the lush texture and rich color of the velvet paintings. I also enjoyed the authors' writing style: chatty and interesting, covering everything from the history of velvet painting and painters to the authors' personal collecting stories. So...great photos, great writing, and a front cover artfully decorated with black velvet - makes the book itself a bit of a Black Velvet Masterpiece!

I was also lucky enough to visit the authors' Velveteria Museum in Portland and can attest it's well worth the trip.

This is an excellent book for children ages 10 & under; the whole series is equally excellent.

These were my favorite books in grade school!!!!!! The Billy and Blaze books I had read over and over and over. Nothing is like them. They are the dreams of horse lovers: this partnership between horse and human. I had wished I was like Billy when I was young (even though I was a girl).

If you have a child who has a love for horses, learn about horses and encourage your child to get involved despite the expense. There are opportunities to work for riding lessons. That is a good thing. There is also sponsership/lease available for part-time riding (3days a week) which helps both the owner and the sponser.

My favorite books from childhood. I dreamed about horses and learned to draw them from the very realistic illustrator of these books. Highly recommended for creative learners.

First a comment about the review on above: That review from Publisher's Weekly has nothing to do with this book. I don't know what book it has to do with.

Billy and Blaze books are a wonderful series about a boy and his horse and the adventures they find while out riding. I think any child could appreciate these gentle stories. They are a nice break from the commercialized books usually marketed to boys that are based on cartoons and toys and movies.

This is a great book for young readers, especially those who love horses. This is a refreshing story about a boy named Billy and his pony named Blaze.The two have a very special bond and care very much for each other.One day they go for an outing and events happen which put them in danger. Readers are kept in suspense as Blaze and Billy struggle to get home. I would recommend this book to all young readers.

I knew from the moment I received this book I knew I was going to enjoy it. Rhonda's story took me on a much-needed journey into the life of relationship conflicts, after all, most adoptee's have difficulty in relationships. However the theme throughout remains clear--everything worthwhile is difficult. Robert and Rhonda are soul mates and the way they write about each other is breathtaking and honorable. The way they describe how their respective relinquishment affected their lives--especially their relationships--was brave, intimate, and necessary. As an adoptee and fellow author I felt a part of their journey, cheering them on all the way. I consider this book a masterpiece on the affect adoption has on adult relationships and especially how to persevere when the going gets tough.

Kasey Hamner, M.S., adoptee and author of "Whose Child?"

Reading your book evokes the same emotional unrest one experiences with a serious contemplation of death. Neither is a feel good experience but both would be useful to most people. The very discord evoked by such an examination is an indicator that there are important internal issues unresolved and in immediate need of attention. In my mind, I compare the emotional trauma of such an inquiry to the process of birth. Both are traumatic but once done are the beginning of a new life. If nothing else was accomplished by the writing of this book, it's creation required that you both complete that difficult journey. Having suffered together through the birth of the book, I like to think that you both are now ready to live the new and better life you have made for yourselves. Enjoy!

This unique book offers a new perspective on the inner world of the adoptee that is insightful, intelligent and intensely provocative. The authors have written a classic that is a must read for any adopted person or anyone who wants to understand what makes an adoptee tick.

Joe Soll, CSW, author of "Adoption Healing ... A Path to Recovery"

This is another excellent though difficult book on the subject of adoption, like Robert Andersen's other title Second Choice: Growing up Adopted. Both were very useful to this adoptee.

It is difficult in two ways. It may unsettle adoptees reading it who have not considered the adoption issues raised. That is good. That is why it is valuable.

It is also difficult in its introduction of a private language and definition of terms to describe the effects of relinquishment by the birth mother and the transference that results; terms such as ghost kingdom, land of denial, free territory. Thankfully there is a page of definitions, page 314; a good starting point.

I feel that my trauma from adoption was not as severe, pervasive and all-encompassing in my life as it was for the authors. I also feel a suspicion that I delude myself. To paraphrase Clifton Fadiman, this book is a tool for self-discovery. `It will simply help you to change your interior life ...'

Robert Andersen finds insights in dealing with adoption issues from helping those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The authors tell an extremely personal story in vivid and disturbing terms, courageously exposing their feelings and relationship. Bertrand Russell said about being blackguarded for his beliefs over his appointment as a New York college professor "`to withdraw' ... would certainly have been more prudent as far as my personal interests are concerned, and a great deal pleasanter. ... it would also, in my judgement, have been cowardly and selfish."

I feel that the authors have been similarly courageous in exposing their feelings, writing this book and so aiding other adoptees. They deserve the thanks of adoptees everywhere. I heartily recommend this book.

In A Bridge Less Traveled: Twice Visited, Doctor Robert Andersen and classroom school teacher Rhonda Tucker collaborate to present issues arising from adoption and how adoption colors everyday experiences. Anderson and Tucker are themselves adoptees and explore the consequences of relinquishment unobscured or discounted through platitudes. They draw upon their adoptive experience to suggest avenues for resolution of these issues for adoptees, which includes much more than search for and reunion with their biological parents. A Bridge Less Traveled is "must" reading for anyone struggling with a need for an authentic identity as an adoptee and has much of critically important value and insight for the parents of adoptees and for anyone contemplating the adoption of a child.

I read this book forever ago in high school, and fell in love with it! It really is absolutely hilarious, but you have to be able to understand the language and the satire behind it. Great for school reports for your history or French Lit classes!

CANDIDE TEACHES US THAT SUFFERING MAY BE THE ONE THING THAT BRING US ALL TOGETHER.
THE MISERY OF THE HUMAN CONDITION IS NO NEWS TO ANYBODY, BUT TO BE REMINDED EVERY ONCE AND A WHILE IS NEVER A BAD EXERCISE.
WHOEVER THE CREATOR WAS, HE MUST HAVE MADE SOME KIND OF A MISTAKE, UNLESS WE ASSUME OUR SUFFERINGS AS THE ONLY AND UNAVOIDABLE PATH TO COMPASSION.

This was required reading for a graduate course in the Humanities. A great story and important historical work in literature. Voltaire was a Renaissance Christian humanist who played a role in the development of the Enlightenment.

On the one hand, the structure of his novel Candide is Homeric, it is the journey narrative, the hero with a thousand faces, but it is a satirical restructuring of that classical motif of the hero on a quest. What is the importance of the quest in Candide? What is the quest about in the classical sense? The quest is about learning. In the classical sense the hero leaves, has to acquire some sort of knowledge, learn a set of skills that is going to help him or her enact the quest surmount the obstacles that they encounter at one point or another, and the finally what does the hero have to accomplish? What is out there the "Holy Grail" The prize, the whole quest is about attaining some sort of ultimate end or some sort of ultimate knowledge. Does it end there? No, you got to go back with that knowledge, because the quest is never just about attaining the goal, it's about bringing it home to make everybody better, to restore the community. The individual quest, the heroic quest in the classical sense always has a larger social corrective end. The purpose of the individual, the function of the individual all depends on his ability to return to the collective, whatever it is that he has found that he has acquired that is going to change the way things are. Now how does that compare to the journey or quest narrative in Candide? Contrary to the notion of what prepares us for the world, OK here is the important structure of the journey or the quest, and the critique of knowledge by Voltaire. It is contrary to the idea of the knowledge that we acquire prepares us for the world. That each new bit of knowledge that we acquire, prepares us for the next step, and prepares us for the next stage. Contrary to the idea that life is somehow to be understood or that human history is somehow to be understood as a journey organized around progress, around betterment advancement acquiring new knowledge more knowledge more science more learning, we're getting better again, Candide tells the story that goes in the opposite direction. So, then you acquire knowledge and then you spend the rest of the journey finding out that the knowledge is useless, bit by bit, and every lesson you've acquired has to be cast aside, everything you learn you have to abandon. Instead of gaining and getting better, it is throwing off, letting go, and getting worse. Where does Voltaire want us in the end to think of the notion and narrative of progress?


Of course, you know that Candide is steeped in so many of the political and philosophical controversies of the 1750's. One of his big critiques is of the philosopher Leibnitz who said that `this is the best of all possible worlds," the idea championed by Leibnitz was a simple version of the philosophy espoused by enlightenment philosophers that the existence of any evil in the world was a sign that god was not entirely good or very powerful. The idea of an imperfect god would be nonsensical. So if you are a philosopher who takes for granted that god exists, you would have to conclude logically; and here is where humanities and Christianity really start messing with each other in all kinds of obvious ways, that god is perfect if you logically conclude that god exists. Therefore, his creation, the world, and man must also be perfect. According to many enlightenment philosophers, people perceived imperfections of the world only because they do not get the plan. This is a teleological idea of the world. Now obviously Voltaire does not accept this theory, or that god or any god has to exist. Therefore, he makes fun of the idea that the world is completely good. Much of the novel is a satire addressed to the notion that the optimists who witness countless horrors and unbelievable injustice such as floggings, robberies, and earthquakes will always find a way to write it off. They will say, `oh well there must be part of a plan, even though none of these calamities seem to serve any good at all it must point to human cruelty ignorance and barbarism and points to the indifference of the natural world. Pangloss the philosopher in the book throughout the story is always trying to find some justification for the terrible things that he sees and the arguments that he makes seem increasingly to be absurd, like his quote that "Syphilis needed to be transmitted from the new world to Europe so that Europeans could taste new world delicacies. What other things is Voltaire criticizing here that connects to some of the debates that define the enlightenment period of the 1750's Religion? Religion- He criticizes the whole hypocrisy of religion. In the book, Voltaire has a parade of corrupt hypocritical religious leaders who are like the Pope that has a daughter (should have been celibate). Hard line Catholic inquisitors, a Franciscan monk who should have vow of poverty but is a jewel thief. Here Voltaire provides countless examples of the immorality and hypocrisy of religious leaders, he does not really condemn believers per say, he is really out to attack church leadership and church hierarchy. For example Jacques, who is an Anabaptist is arguably one of the most generous and humane characters.

What else does Voltaire criticize or satirize? Wealth- money corrupts; Candide seems to have more problems when he has lots of money. Things get worse he gets unhappy. An interesting point, Voltaire was deeply involved in a debate with the many deep thinkers of his time, most notably was Rousseau, who lambasted the aristocracy. Voltaire himself really moved very comfortably among aristocratic circles and interestingly the French enlightenment philosophy really took off among the French aristocracy. Since they had the leisure time to contemplate so many of the new ideas in reason, science and rationalism and his notions of progress and advancement were ideas that were principally championed and discussed by members of the French aristocracy. Therefore, it was among some of the idle members of the French aristocrats that these enlightenment philosophers were able to find their most ardent followers. Despite the fact that the church and the state were not more often that not completely allied with each other, kings could be attracted on occasion to arguments that seemed to undermine the authority of the church. The fact that the aristocrats were very much unaware of the precariousness of their position tended to make them overconfident. Dabbling in some new ideas that were part of the enlightenment movement caused them not to take seriously the kind of jeopardy they were in or what the enlightenment would lead to in the championing of the common man and the overthrow of the French aristocracy. Because they found these ideas somewhat new, interesting, and exciting and they did not really see this as at all leading inexorably to the demise of the aristocratic class. Now of course it was thinkers like Rousseau not at all like Voltaire on this particular point that made his chief adversary. Rousseau distrusted the aristocrats out of a hunger to overthrow the class but because he believed that people of wealth betrayed decent traditional values. Rousseau opposed the theatre, which is Voltaire's lifeblood; he shunned the aristocracy, which Voltaire very much courted. He courted their attention he courted their interests. Rousseau argued for something dangerous like democratic revolution, and Voltaire argued that equality was impossible it would never come about. Rousseau argued that inequality was not only natural but that if it were taken too far it would make any decent government a total impossibility. Voltaire was very charming and witty, which led largely to his success in moving about aristocratic and social circles. Rousseau insisted on his own correctness and was not a charming person to be around; he was very intense and very serious about his ideas. Voltaire endlessly repeated the same handful of core enlightenment notions, where as Rousseau was a deeply original thinker. Who was always challenging his own way of thinking contradicting himself, coming up with ideas on the equality of education, the family, the government, and the arts in a matter that was much more radical than Voltaire was ever willing to go along with. They were both skeptics, and Voltaire is nothing if not a skeptic.

What does Voltaire do with the idea of philosophy in Candide? Philosophy- What is the value of philosophical speculation? It is useless for Voltaire; it is one of Pangloss' biggest flaws. Abstract philosophical argument is not based on any real world evidence. In the chaotic world of this novel, philosophical speculation repeatedly proves to be useless, and at times even dangerous. Time and again it prevents the characters from making any useful assessment of the world around them, it prevents them from bringing about any kind of change, it prevent them from thinking that they might try to bring about some social change. Pangloss is the character most susceptible to this kind of foolishness. Example, while Jacques is drowning, Pangloss stops Candide from saving him by proving that the bay was formed for Jacques to drown in. Therefore, at the end of course at the novels conclusion Candide rejects Pangloss' philosophies. If philosophical speculation is useless, what does Voltaire suggest you put in its place? Hard practical work in general. Therefore, it is somewhat surprising in that sense that this judgment against philosophy that is portrayed in the book becomes very dramatic when we think about Voltaire's own status as a philosopher.

What about the garden at the end of the novel? At the end of the novel Candide defines happiness in raising vegetables. On the one hand it is indicative of the turning away from the following of philosophy, from the abstract speculative nature of philosophy towards something hands on something pragmatic. Does the garden have a symbolic resonance to it? Is it related to the Garden of Eden? For Adam and Eve the garden is the beginning of their troubles, here it is the end of their troubles. It is the end of the narrative the end of their quest, their journey, and the end of their travails. This is where they wind up this is where they retreat. In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve do not have to work to have fruits of the garden; this garden requires work, and constant tending. In that I think the garden here represents much, more in a very different way than the biblical garden represents. An embrace of life, but an embrace of life of what? For all the horror, hardships, and nightmares that these characters experience throughout the entire course of the text, at the end, they embrace life; they take it they say yes.

The status of knowledge in Voltaire, what do we know? The garden is a final retreat from activism, or social engagement in the world. Finally, what Voltaire is saying is look go back to the basics. Do not try to change, analyze the world, or try to speculate about the nature of our existence. Retreat into your own sphere and do not mess with the world around you, because ultimately you are powerless, to do anything in this world. I think Voltaire is commenting on in a sense the Utopian impulse and imagination. Specifically as it influenced enlightenment philosophers of the period with respect to the notion of progress and advancement.

Recommended reading for anyone interested in history, psychology, philosophy, and literature.

I didnt know what to expect from this book at all, but decided to pick it up. I had heard of Voltaire, and found out that Candide was one of his masterpieces. BINGO! this version is a really great translation, and the book just sucks you in. You want to keep reading forever just to find out what happens next. The chapters are really really short, which is definitely a good thing, especially when you read on the bus like i do. You can finish a few chapters without having to stop in the middle of one or anything (you know how annoying that can be). Anyways, i digress. The book is really entertaining and sucks you right in until the last page. Pick it up right away. You wont be disappointed.

Voltaire is still recognized as one of history's greatest satirists, and after reading Candide it's not hard to see why. Two and a half centuries later, it still has the power both to amuse and to shock.

On the surface, as has often been noted, Candide is obviously a critique of the philosophy of Liebniz, and especially of the idea that this is the best of all possible worlds and everything is as it had to be in order for this to be so (in accordance, presumably, with the plans of an omnipotent and omnibenevolent Creator). Voltaire goes quite over the top in showing the misadventures and misfortunes that befall his befuddled hero, who at first whole-heartedly buys into this "optimism."

Eventually, Candide's tale concludes with his advice that we should all just tend to our gardens--the precise meaning of which has been widely (and wildly) speculated about. Many take it to be a rejection of philosophy as such as being entirely useless, and we should just take a more pragmatic approach to life, though I find this interpretation untenable. More likely, given what we know about Voltaire as an Enlightenment thinker and from the content of Candide itself, it is simply a rejection of one philosophical school, namely that of rationalism. This is wider than just Liebniz, and Voltaire does target the ideas of other major rationalists (e.g., Descartes) as well. The message seems to be that philosophy is useless *when it has nothing to do with, and is in fact contradicted by, our actual experience.* The ending then suggests a much more practical sort of philosophy, like the one represented in America by Voltaire's contemporary Benjamin Franklin, but it is a philosophy nonetheless.

In the end, this is a highly entertaining and thought-provoking story that is still very relevant in today's world, and should still be required reading for everybody.

Anderson's book shows us how to use an untapped resource - the homilies and sermons of the Church Fathers and Scholastics. Despite preaching in a different day and age and to a different audience, their goal was the same as any modern preacher, teacher, or catechist. They were attempting to communicate the Word of God to their audience in a persuasive way through the use of rhetoric. He shows us how, by imitating them and learning from them, we can discover new ways to bring Christ to others through words as well as actions. It's great to have on the shelf as a theological/historical resource as well as a homiletic aid.

Anderson's book has changed my outlook on preaching and given me more confidence in preaching. Anderson discusses the different styles of preaching and how to best implement these styles. The classical preachers that are examined in this book are very helpful and practical. The explanation of their backgrounds and the approaches that they used in preaching was very insightful. Another aspect of this book that was very useful for me was the emphasis of the spirituality of the preacher and how important this is in actual preaching. I would recommend this book to students learning the art of preaching, but also to those who have been preaching for years. If you are up for the challenge of improving your preaching, read this book.

If you are a seminarian, priest, pastor or minister:
DO NOT PASS THIS BOOK UP- This is the best resource I've found concerning Homiletics. It has really given me a foothold into the world of Patristic Preaching. Anderson deftly opens up the methods and presuppositions that the Church Fathers and other great saints employed in their preaching, making them accessible and relevant for contemporary proclaimers of the Word. After reading this book, I see myself after ordination being enabled to turn to the wisdom of all the great preachers throughout the rich tradition of the Church in the writing of my homilies. This is one of the most inspiring books you will read, since it offers a doorway to many other countless sage works beyond itself.

This is an excellent book. Of particular value is the chapter on John Colet's Convocation Sermon, delivered to a group of English bishops and priests in 1512. The courage, and bluntness, Colet used in addressing the English clergy is a good example for anyone who wants to respond to current scandals and abuses in the Church. This and the other sermons whose texts are included in this book are an amazing resource in and of themselves. The sermons in this book, and Dr. Anderson's analysis and commentary on them, show how reform can truly be Catholic.

This book has been a tremendous resource for me as I prepare for my ordination as a priest this coming June.

If you find that your priest, pastor, or preacher is getting to be borring, dull, or uninspiring you might want to give him or her a copy of this book. Verry easy to read, the guidelines on how to know your audience and how to delight and challenge them are very simple. Dr. Anderson makes very accessible the method of various great preachers in the Christian Tradition.
If you yourself want to become a better preacher this book is very accessible and great for the priest, pastor, deacon, seminarian, etc.

For anyone wanting to recapture the nostalgia and "family friendliness" of the Christmas season, Wilhelminia Ripple's Christmas Parties: What Do I Do? is a terrific place to start! This attractively presented compendium offers more than 125 creative ideas for games, crafts, and holiday snacks that will make every Christmas gathering fun and memorable. The themes offered for consideration including Christmas Trees, Stockings, and Candy Canes; Snow, Snowmen, and Snowflakes; Santa Claus and His Elves; Rudolph and His Reindeer; I Believe in Angels; and Christmas Here, There, and Everywhere. 36 easy craft projects are clearly laid out with step-by-step illustrations. Christmas Parties is enhanced with 40 simple and delicious recipes for Holiday treats and drinks; 36 "Santa-Approved" games; and more. There's even suggestions for celebrating the end of the Christmas season with "New Year's Tips and Fun Party Ideas" from here at home and around the world. Christmas Parties is a thoroughly "user friendly" instructional reference that will be appreciated by one and all, year after year, Christmas after Christmas.

A sparklingl book and many ideas to use for Chritams affairs. The games and crafts are tremendous. This book is great for anyone hosting a Christams Event for any ages. The chapter of The What, Why and How of Christmas Parties is a great beginning for any type of party and gives you a starting point. Suggestion: Purchase a complete set.

I bought this book hoping that it would have some fresh ideas for my kids' class parties instead of the same old games and crafts we've been doing it seems year after year. I was worried that even if it had new ideas they might be too invovled/time-consuming for the hour and a half we typically have for the whole party. I was pleasantly surprised that this book had so many ideas to choose from that were original and fit into our limited time frame. I highly recommend this book.

So you're planning a Christmas party, one where there will be fun and games, and lots and lots of kids. But where do you start? Well, first of all, purchase CHRISTMAS PARTIES...WHAT DO I DO? Wilhelminia Ripple has created the perfect book for anyone planning a Christmas party. Filled with over 125 wonderful ideas for crafts, games, and holiday snacks. Wilhelminia teaches you everything you need to know to throw the most fantastic Christmas party of the season, complete with instructions on how to create Elf Handprints, how to build an Edible Snowman, make a Human Christmas Tree, and much, much more. Whether you've thrown Christmas parties before or not, CHRISTMAS PARTIES...WHAT DO I DO? is the one thing you'll need to make your Christmas party better than anyone else's. A wonderful book that absolutely must be a part of your book collection.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

This book has Christmas Spirit on every page, with holiday games,crafts, and goodies from all around the world. It really brings out the child inside us all. With an added bonus of 13 pages for New Years Eve. I am a Parent and Day Care Provider, to me this book is as much a part of Christmas as the Tree.

In this inspiring book, Ginny Anderson has created a blueprint for creating a program to appreciate the sacred and ecological dimensions of the wild and magical places in your region. The form of her devotion comes entirely from her deep and enduring love of the beauty of seven extraordinary sites in the San Francisco area. However, readers from any ecosystem on the planet will find inspiration and deeply wise guidance for the in-depth exploration of the wonder of their own area.

Among other techniques, Anderson provides this stunning model by

1. delving into the flora and fauna of each region through sensory and kinesthetic exercises designed to awaken understanding of your interior experience of a place as well as its exterior landscape

2. using the geological aspects of place as support and springboard for creative expression

3. connecting with others who journey to form a community of place

4. engaging in reciprocity with the unique energy of a site

5. finding powerful ways to honor the elements of fire, water, air, and earth

6. praising the essence of a place by making offerings

Upon reading this book, I dare you not to apply these practices to the places you love in your geographical area. Anderson's devotion is utterly contagious, intensely relevant, and immensely important in these times. Only by being grounded in our wild and sacred places can we obtain the grounding to stand up and be counted in the struggles to come in saving them for our descendents and the offspring of all sentient beings.

I say "Bravo!"

Circling San Francisco Bay: A Pilgrimage to Wild and Sacred Places is a wonderful book, full of love and appreciation for this planet that we share. Author Ginny Anderson has filled this book like a picnic basket, full to overflowing with all sorts of invitations to readers to join her in forging a closer and truly reciprocal relationship with the natural world. The invitations come in the form of suggested exercises and meditations, journal-entry style reflections from those who have journeyed with the author into the wild and sacred places mentioned in the book title, and evocative descriptions of exploratory adventures in these special spots around the Bay Area. The result is that the book offers a very accessible bridge for those of a more pragmatic mindset who may be interested in exploring the spiritual side of life, but aren't quite sure how to do it. Because the path Ms. Anderson illuminates is one that focuses on being fully present in the community in which we each live, it is a path that by definition each of us can follow. This is a very readable book, and one from which I know I will continue to extract precious insights during many repeat reads in the future.

What I like best about this book are the many suggestions for meditations, ideas for connecting, and ways of shifting attention and energy as we walk and explore the nature surrounding us. The writing is vivid (letting us see a particular place from the comfort of home), and the ideas and practices are very accessible. While the focus of the book is the mountains surrounding San Francisco Bay, the author's suggestions could be applied anywhere and everywhere.

In this time of increasing disconnection from the natural world, this book offers inspired pathways for connecting and deepening our relationship to place. These pathways integrate experiences, stories, myths, natural history, and experiments we can try alone or in groups.

Circling San Francisco Bay is far richer than hiking trail guides, more spiritual and inspirational than most travel guides, and broader in scope than almost any book offering practices to try out. Inspired by vision and honed with the experiences and feedback of many groups exploring the mountains with Ms. Anderson, it's a book you can enjoy and work with for many years.

We Live in Paradise: A Review of Circling San Francisco Bay: A Pilgrimage to Wild and Sacred Places, Ginny Anderson, iUniverse, New York, 2006

by David B. Sutton

The message of this wonderfully written book is "We live in paradise." Nature's gifts are all around us for our infinite pleasure and to teach us -- to remind us of our place in the miraculous unfolding of the universe. It is in the wild and sacred places surrounding us that we can learn the most according to this gifted teacher of many earth traditions.

The focus of the book is the San Francisco Bay Area where the author currently lives, but these insights apply to where ever one might live. Our own paradise only awaits our recognition which can be given to us by learning from the Nature around us. We only need to listen -- listen to our inner stirrings as they respond to a myriad of Nature's voices.

While this book is a celebration of a particular piece of planet called, San Francisco Bay (a magnificent piece at that), the exercises provided would open the doors of communication anywhere. Indeed, to me, this is a major value of the book. It is a virtual goldmine of consciousness elevating, "enlightenment" exercises, practices, ritual and ceremony.

You are asked to identify your breath with the rhythmic pulse of the Earth, to invite the fragrance of wide coastal sage to clear your mind of thoughts and to become fully present in the moment, to communicate with the ancient cypress trees, to learn to shed what you have outgrown and want to let go from the eucalyptus, to seek peace (personal and planetary) in the stars. You are taught to recognize many of Nature's portals and given the means to learn from, honor and celebrate the web of life that sustains us.

Anderson weaves a wonderfully rich tapestry of transformation and regeneration through the loom of a number of earth traditions (i.e. Andean Shamanism, Geomancy, Celtic Druid, Native American, Norse, and Indian Traditions) exposing connections between the elements of nature and the pilgrim's own consciousness.

This book speaks, in more ways than I can list here, to the value of ritual in our everyday lives. It is a delightful excursion into the bigger meaning of small things, the illuminating insights of dark times and the utter joy of fully experiencing the moment.

I was profoundly reminded of the importance of ritual to a meaningful life in the high Andes of Peru. I was with my brothers, the Q'ero who, through daily ritual, honor their connections to nature with daily greetings to the sun, offerings to Mother Earth, the mountains, sky and stars. As Pachamama's children, they playfully and lovingly acknowledge their intimate connection with the natural world. All of my book learning was mere verification of what these very wise 'illiterate" brothers and sisters already knew. It was then that I realized that I needed to re-enchant my life with the meaning that this mystical child-like playfulness brings.

This present volume is the best guidebook to this re-discovery that I have ever seen.
It will always occupy I very special place on my reference shelf.

While extolling the universal applicability of this amazing little book, I do not want to neglect its primary intention which is to celebrate the sacred places circling San Francisco Bay. I, too have lived many years in this area and while I have loved it, nothing has given me the appreciation for this paradise more than this compendium of shamanistic insight with Western scholarship. Did I mention that this "enlightenment workbook" is complete with references and citations? -- a legacy to the author's previous Stanford University affiliation, no doubt.

To the author, the magic of the San Francisco Bay Area is sustained by the mountainous terrain that surrounds it. It is the powers of the land and sea that provide "the chalice and the mead for our changing consciousness." Mount Tamalpais, Ring Mountain, Mount Diablo, Mount Hamilton, Mount Umunhum and San Bruno Mountain together create a tangible circle around the communities of the Bay Area, "holding us, lovingly cupped in the hands of Mother Nature," she praises. And, as she continues, "they shape our weather, create a geographical enclosure with permeable boundaries, and hold secrets about life-sustaining processes that continue to function whether or not we pay attention."

This magnificent volume is a plea for us all to pay attention and through the exercises and ceremonies mentioned above (and many others) to relearn what we have forgotten about being part of our earthly paradise.

I can't do better than conclude with the author's own concluding paragraph:

"We live in Paradise. As we walk its sacred space, we open ourselves to deeper
relationships with all the beings who share it. In the audible silence of nature, we risk
exposing our deepest fears, hopes, and feelings to the trees, to the wind. to the waters. In the canyons and on the peaks, we hear what we must do in order to live harmoniously with other beings of the natural world. We discover new capabilities and approaches from the natural world itself. Here in the mountains, we surrender to the pleasure of being fully alive in the moment and know that what we receive creates the power to sustain that which gives us life. The sacred space within these mountains becomes a powerful container of inspiration and vision for the future."

In short, "Circling San Francisco Bay" is a wonderful reminder of Nature's gifts and the need for the solemnity, playfulness and joy of spirit in our lives to recognize them. The Q'ero would love it.


David B. Sutton, Ph.D.
The Antaeus Organization (TAO)
Stanford, California, Shanghai, China
suttonantaeus@mac.com

Ginny Anderson's Circling San Francisco Bay gives a whole new meaning to the concept of "guidebook." Though the author acts as practical and capable guide through every chapter, she is wise enough to let Nature do the guiding on her own terms. Anderson demonstrates through prototypical journeys and destinations how Nature is in turn wise enough to let the reader guide herself through any territory being explored.

Readers may ask, "If Nature will guide us, why do we need this book?" Without arguing the question of need, Circling San Francisco Bay offers itself as a resource embodying two of the essential skills and qualities of a guide: experience and connection. The author draws on a lifetime of experience ministering to both individuals and communities, as well as extensive experience interacting with the "personalities" of the Bay Area sites she includes as examples. She draws on this experience to establish sure and nourishing connections with the reader and to motivate and deepen the reader's ability to connect with Nature.

What makes this book work is its easy mobility among the realms of the psyche or soul, the immediate natural environment, and the world at large. The book discusses important stops along the way in each of these territories and identifies interconnections among them, as well as bringing the focus "full circle" through meditations and exercises so that the reader is continually empowered at the most basic level: individual action.

While Circling San Francisco Bay teaches us to guide ourselves, it promotes and preserves a sense of interdependence. Without arguing the question of need, it makes a compelling case for choosing connection, with ourselves, with each other, and with our surroundings.

I refer to this book as my CFD bible. I first used this book approximately 19 years ago as part of a two semester course in CFD. Since that time, I have refered to this book often.

The authors treatment of the subject aids in the understanding of the subject. Their building block approach tends to lead the reader from simple examples to more complex problems. Their treatment of both Euler and Navier-Stokes equations and their solution has been a great benifit in my work. Their explinations of potential theory and it's use as a CFD tool have been responsible for many hours save on development and coding of computational tools to analyze aerodynamic shapes.

I am so thankful for the text I currently have that I plan to pick up a second text just to have the updated material.

The book is one of best books in Computational Fluid Mechanics And Heat Transfer area I have read. It not only covers basic knowledge but also talk a lot about advanced technique about CFD. It is very helpful for students just like me. After I bought this book by using a discount from coupons-center.com, I have used the book for one year. I also found CFD code is very helpful. If you are beginner to CFD coding or want to some free code as reference, this book has many good code examples. you can learn from the code examples and then can easily make your CFD code.

I've read many CFD books, but this is the best one. It is well organized and explained from the fundamental to advanced about the numerical approaches. I recommend this book not only for the beginners but for experts. It is really worth of having this book.

As a researcher working with CFD codes, I found this book very useful. It has algorithms to all types of problems ranging from simple heat or wave equation to Navier-Stokes equations. All the algorithms are well explained and precise. I strongly recommend this book for anyone pursuing CFD.

I learnt CFD on this book. Definitively I give it 5 star, unfortunately I can't give it 6. It covers all the CFD from the beginning to the advance level. You will use it as an undergraduate, graduate, PhD, post doctorate researcher. No kidding. There are some codes, the book contains all the information you need, it is easy to read, never criptic like many others. I suggest you to buy this book without any esitation if you are really wanting to learn and do CFD. There are more specific books on some arguments, say, turbulence, but none is more comprehensive and well written like this one.

Clifford A. Pickover is a Renaissance man. He may not like the label but for me it is one of the highest accolades of intellectual accomplishment. A quick scan through this book is enough to confirm his standing: mathematics, computer programming, art, medicine, music, speech, biochemistry, electronics, education, biology, aesthetics etc. etc. It's all there.

This is one of my favourite books and is getting quite dog-eared by the constant use it gets. It is a book to enjoy as well as to refer-to, a book to cheer you up and to fill you with wonder. Not that it is perfect mind you. Far from it. It is now quite dated and the illustrations could do with a decent makeover. The treatment is often abrupt and episodic and the writing is sometimes hurried and muggy. But who cares! The overall effect is of frenzied genius and lively enquiry.

My main interest was in Chapter 14. Dynamic Systems. It is not an in-depth treatment by any means but it yields some beautiful ideas. I implemented and experimented with most of the algorithms in the chapter. They work and provide some essential insight into the evolutionary nature of most complex systems.

Get the book. The reference list by itself is worth the price.

Perhaps for the new century the technology is a bit out of date, but this book is a well written introduction to both basic and complex computer graphical ways of describing mathematics and natural phenomena.
An excellent feature of the book is its pseudocoding used to explain concepts and to be used by the reader as stepping off points for the amateur computer programmer to play.

In Computers, Pattern, Chaos And Beauty, Clifford Pickover focuses on how theories of fractals and chaos lead to computer-generated graphics - and how graphics in computers have connections to the unseen world. From how data is processed and displayed to patterns present in complicated data, this provides both artists and scientists with an intriguing set of concepts.

This book inspires and entrances with something for everyone, from the adventurer with an artistic eye, to the most esoteric mathematics devotee. At practically any level of understanding, it provokes the desire for learning, and an aesthetic appreciation for math that is usually reserved for those who make higher math their lives' work. Best of all, this book can be "grazed", i.e., read out of order and sporadically, gaining benefit where one may. A must-browse for anyone who has ever wondered how mathematics could ever be interesting or powerful.

The algorithms presented in the book are simply too fascinating to be true. Each illustration of fractals or the strange attractors are accompanied by an algorithm which I tried with "C" language. They work excellently and it is a visual treat to watch the fractals unfold, strange attractors trace out intricate patterns and the Pascal Triangle rise like a phoenix before your own eyes. Each algorithm you translate into a program gives you immense joy at having discovered a new hidden hand that leads nature and beauty through the illuminating principles of mathematics and reaveals the deepest mysteries of nature in close collusion with the arcane folds of mathematics.