Ball Books

This book will be a classic among Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth" and Edith Pargeter's "Heaven Tree" trilogy!

There are many "How to" books on the market, in every field of endeavor, but this book is truly unique in the pawn business. There has, to my knowledge, never been a more comprehensive explanation of the pawn business offered to the general public. This tightly-controlled business usually is reluctant to share insider information with anyone outside the industry. But Taylor-Fletcher's entertaining work opens the door for public awareness with never-before revealed insider information about buying and pricing tactics, and determining the value of everything from jewelry to guns, as well as detailed information on how to run a profitable shop - even down to how to arrange the merchandise to maximize sales.

Pawn pros will value its content for its accuracy and fresh new ideas; the public should value it for its clues on how to effectively deal with a pawn shop when purchasing used merchandise. Everyone will enjoy it for its light-hearted approach to a serious business.

My own personal interest is jewelry, and I discovered just what a neat place a pawn shop really is for great finds on beautiful rings and precious stones for just pennies on the dollar. Once I started making the rounds of the local pawn shops searching for bargains on jewelry, I began to realize just how many items can be found in these stores at great prices. As a result of reading this book, I now know just what to look for and how to negotiate my purchases. If I ever decide to open a shop of my own, this book will provide the blueprint I'll need to make it a success. Its just like having your own personal consultant right at your fingertips. A valuable book and a fun read!

I gave this to my Mom for a gift as she loves succulents. She also loves the book as it is chock full of photos, tips and info. Highly recommended!

London: Melesende, 2002, 4to (10-1/4" x 8"), 259 pages, profusely illustrated throughout in black and white. In the original decorative wraps, the only way issued. A fine copy. TWENTY-SEVEN (27) PAPERS ARE PRESENTED IN THIS WONDERFUL COMPILATION INCLUDING: "A MIRROR ON THE SOUL: PERSIAN ARCHITECTURAL GLASS" BY PATRICIA BAKER. "ACHAEMENID INDIAN GOLD" BY DAVID FLEMMING. "THE ARMENIANS OF KABUL AND AFGHANISTAN" BY JONATHAN LEE. "ISLAMIC GLASS BRACELETS: SOME HINTS FROM FUSTAT" BY GEORGE SCANLON
"THE ETHNOGENESIS OF THE PASHTUNS" BY WILLEM VOGELSANG. "THE GHURID TOMB AT HERAT" BY ROBERT HILLENBRAND. "BETWEEN GHAZNA AND DELHI: LAHORE AND ITS LOST MANARA" BY FINBARR B. FLOOD. PEM NEM: A 16TH CENTURY DAKAMI MANUSCRIPT" BY DAVID MATTHEWS. PLUS 19 OTHER PAPERS!

"Calling All Animals- The First Book of PunOETRY", is an innovative children's book from author Jeff Nathan and illustrator Liz Ball. It is a wonderful attempt to show youngsters how enjoyable the English language can be. The use of puns mixed in with the poetry, displays the multiple meanings and spellings of words.

Literacy is an important skill that is not as widespread as it should be. Children today, through advances in technology, have access to all areas of knowledge. This also has one major drawback, a downturn in the quality of children's literacy skills.

To get children to participate fully in their education it needs to be fun. Having fun allows young minds to explore their learning experience to the fullest. "Calling All Animals - The First Book of PunOETRY", allows them to do this.

My three favorite punoems in the book are:

Animal Food - (page 8), dealing with cattage cheese, mice cream and macrowni,
Sister Cat - (page 38), tells of hisstory and purrpose and
Raining Cats and Dogs - (page 46), which deals with Poodles on the ground and the barometric Cheshire heading down.

Each one has a great variety of puns and different spellings, highlighted in bold letters. The correct spellings are placed in parentheses on the right hand side of the page. Each punoems has a delightful illustration that comes with a unique twist.

The twist is twofold; each illustration has two additional characters in it. One is named Chucklebug, a happy little flying insect, who hovers around the main character. The other is called Chuckleslug, a slug who likes to play hide and seek. What the young reader must do is locate where Chuckleslug is hiding in all the illustrations. This enhances the fun and keeps the interest level high.

What Jeff Nathan and Liz Ball have created is a new approach to literacy. The rhythm of the punoems is matched by the illustrations. They show in finite terms that the study of language can be fun.

All too often education takes the approach that learning to read and write is a chore that must be endured. This reflects in their teaching and turns off those recipients who need to master these essential skills. Children need to enjoy their education, not have facts and rules crammed into them.

Joy in learning leads to self-development that may not otherwise have occurred. "Calling All Animals - The First Book of PunOETRY", allows children to seek out the joys of literacy for themselves. It is an experience they will always remember and forever reap the rewards.

This is one book that is destined to change children's literacy for the better. It is a book that I highly recommend to parents and teachers alike.

Actually, this book is not written by Durwood Ball; he wrote the Foreword. The "et al" refers to pencil sketches by a Private Joseph Heger, and an Introduction by editor George P. Hammond, then of the Bancroft Library of the Univesity of California.

I say "Worm's eye view" because when the content of this book was written, Du Bois was a 2nd Lt. in the Mounted Rifles, later to become the Third U. S. Cavalry regiment. The author's experiences were a long series of "alarms and excursions" chasing and usually not catching Indians, interspersed by marching from New Mexico to Utah to participate in the so-called Mormon War; a non-war which
was very trying to most of the U.S. soldiers involved.

Three things are notable. First, Du Bois'disgust with some of his commander's actions, particularly Colonel Benjamin Bonneville. Du Bois thought that Bonneville at age 63 was an old fool -blustery but fearful, uncertain, and not fit to command. He was right, too.

Second was the smallnesss of the army and the closeness of the officers, most of whom were West Point graduates. Du Bois thought it important to note which of his friends or at least fellow alumni he met on his or their travels between various posts, and to note their deaths when such happened.

Finally, one cannot but be impressed with the hardships of the campaigns in which the author was involved. Active duty in the field was often dangerous, often in foul weather over difficult terrain, and often without enough water for the men and their horses. Returning from Utah and reaching Guadalupita, New Mexico, Du Bois wrote that this was the first night he had spent in a house in six months. He, as did others, made do. Even when annoyed, his humor is evident and his actual enjoyment of life in the saddle is notable.

After that six months and a journey of over 1,700 mile on horseback and foot, Du Bois wrote "I have enjoyed my summer very much. I have seen the saints and passed over a section of country worthy of examination."

This book gives the reader a glimpse into a part of army life and a thin slice of history that is not that often available. It is a good read.

This is a great little book. Its refreshing to find such practical, sensible advice on this topic. I have found it so useful and as it is pretty much "jargon free" it is very accessible to people like me. I will be recommending this to others.

As the publisher said, 'All kids love a pirate story!' and this one's especially lovable! Written and narrated with a gentle, but authentic, pirate dialect, my seven year old was 'on board,' and under the story's spell before the first sentence ended. I bought the Audio CD, along with several others of more renown. And not to degrade the others, but, this was the only one my son asked me, with excited eyes, to purchase the sequel. There's simply something magical about "Captain John," and it's 100% clean and kid-friendly. We're hoping the other stories JBBall has written will be available soon!

This book and "the doorknob of destiny" are two of my all-time favorite children's books. The stories are campy, funny, and engaging, and the illustrations are wonderfull.

Excellent reference for all do-it-yourself home users