Beck Books

I loved this book. It helped me decorate my church in a non-traditional way. Banners can be so boring and two dimensional, the ideas in this book made those days very memorable.

No usable designs for banners. Just random drawings of butterflies, balloons, windsocks, flowers. I wasted my money.

This book is full of ideas and inspiration. If you are looking for step-by-step banner solutinos, this isn't it, but if you want some great imagery and some useful ideas for decorating a church, this book is a treasure.

I checked this book out of the library because my wife is named Carolyn. Although the storyline is good, there were so many characters and the plot was so complicated, I finally gave up on it.

Miss Caroline Garvey had no sooner given up on love and sworn her whole heart to restoring her ancestral home when fate threatened to snatch it straight out from under her. Caroline's cousin,the rightful heir to Monksend Manor, intended to occupy the estate and turn it into and Egyptian-style palace. But she had a plan-produce a raging, rampaging ghost in the hidden passageways to drive away the odious intruders. Lord Barnabas Cole who had plans of his own to win back Caroline after she had the audacity to send him a scathing letter, accusing him of toying with her affections.

Motivations were confusing and the hero's determination to "humble" the heroine was at times almost painful to read; still, the author has a lovely sense of humor, and the secondary characters--especially the deliciously vulgar Mrs. Morgan--were delightful. I look forward to reading Virtue's Prize, Ms. Beck's next book.

I bought this book for my 4 year old Grandson. I had previously gotten him the Uncover the Human Body book which he loved so much that he carried it around with him all the time and even took it to bed. He did the same with this one. All of the Uncover books are really great learning tools. As you turn each page another system of the car is revealed and explained on that page. Some of the information is a bit too complicated for a 4 year old but much of it isn't and as he matures he will be able to understand more and more. The book does have to be handled with care because the little plastic parts are suspended in the opening of each page with little plastic straps, but teaching him to take good care of it is another good learning experience.

I ordered this for my 5 year old son, who is a car fanatic. From the minute he peeked in the box to the present day, he LOVES this book. He even takes it to bed and leaves it on his nightstand while he sleeps.
Some of the information in the factoids are a bit over his head right now, but the book does a wonderful job detailing the various parts inside and out of the racecar.

In reference to the quality of the book and the model inside, I agree it's not the highest quality (hence, the 4 stars instead of 5). The car inside could crush easily if the book is smooshed, and the binding is slightly flimsy. Just this morning our toddler got ahold of it and pulled the tires off (easy enough to glue back in, though). But then again, the book is not intended for toddlers or children under the age of 3. The tiny parts are delicate, and need to be handled with care to avoid damage. Perhaps the previous reviewer was mistaken about the content of the book when she ordered it. I don't find the quality to be as bad as was described.
It's an awesome choice for an older child who loves cars!

I bought this book as a gift for my [...] year old nephew. He is totally into cars so I thought it would be perfect for him. When I received it from Amazon the pieces were already breaking off and the cellophane cover was broken. This book is designed to be like a model when you turn the page part of the model comes off and you can see underneath. The problem is that it is attached with very flimsy thin plastic that snaps off VERY easily. I don't think it will hold up for more than one or two readings ESPECIALLY if you are trying to use it with younger readers. NOT SAFE for children under 3.

A wonderful little book to give as a gift or keep for yourself. Uplifting read for anyone, just love the book.

Had no idea this was a little pocket book (although should have guessed from the price---or read a little closer. Save your money and invest in her regular-sized book re: "Finding Your Own North Star."

I guess I should have read the fine print... I expected a full sized book, but this was one of those mini-books, very small, and since I expected a larger book, receiving this little thing left me with an initial feeling of disappointment. Not the vendor's fault... mine for ignoring details!

All of about twenty pages feature Spark Plug, lots of dull biographical stuff. The only point in its favor is the complete , sort of , (eight page story) in which Sparky first appeared.

Billy DeBeck began,with Barney Google,a chronicle of American lifestyle in the 1920s-which was marked by daring,willingness to take risks and cheerful optomism.Barney Google had some times at the race track,with Sparky doing his best at races-and even winning them on occasion.There were some fascinating stories well-worth reprinting in their entirty.DeBeck's Bughouse Fables and Bunky are also represented.(Learn what OKMNX means.) As time went on,especialy during the Depression, the stories took a different slant.Barney speant much time out of America,either in the Mideast or in the Carribean.When he did return to America,it was to inherited property in the Ozarks.Then he befriended Snuffy Smith,who took center-stage more and more as time went on. Although Billy DeBeck never completely forgot Barney Google,his assistant and successor,country boy Fred Laswell,found it much easier to concentrate on Snuffy an' his kin an' pals.As a result Barney Google became an occasional visitor in what is now Snuffy's territory.Yet it is because of Laswell's own brand of country-charm that the strip has lasted this long. It is easy to think of Billy DeBeck's Barney Google(1919-1934),DeBeck and Laswell's Barney Google and Snuffy Smith(1935-1942)and Fred Laswell's Snuffy Smith(1943-present)as seperate strips unto themselves.

When he's good, he's great. Some passages in this book, especially those dealing with Beck's idea of a new civil society that must be forged out of the remains of the social welfare contract, are inspiring. When he's not so good, it's because he's repetitive, or because he's speaking so generally about the effects of the global economy that he veers into vague abstraction at the expense of driving his thesis home. Because it's a challenging thesis -- the idea of paid civil work as a way to (re)create a truly democratic society -- and because it's articulation is at least partially supported through data, it's easy to forgive the sometimes too-general perspective.

Read as a companion "The Global Age" by Martin Albrow, which is quoted in The Brave New World of Work, and interestingly, has the same strengths and weaknesses: an interestingly theory (we've moved past the post-modern age into the "global age" wherein the interconnectedness of humanity belies old national boundaries and notions of class), and a sometimes too abstract style.

As Beck observes in his chapter on the US, Americans and Europeans see the world very differently. If, like many Americans, you think that life in US is good and getting better you may have some trouble connecting with Beck's perspective.

Beck takes up John Gray's idea (from False Dawn) that America is in the grip of the religion of free market utopianism. Spreading the faith across the globe has become America's historic mission. But there's trouble in paradise. Productivity in the US is disturbingly low -- a tenth lower than Germany. There's rising income inequality as well. Wages for unskilled workers have fallen and, and despite increases in GDP, eight out of ten workers earn the same or less than they did twenty years ago. Middle class Americans also face a frightening lack of job security and must live without the kind of social safety net taken for granted in most developed nations.

On top of all this Beck says that Robert Putnam is right -- civil society is coming apart at the seams. Beck blames the decline on America's under-performing labor market. To maintain their standard of living the average unproductive American need to work two or more jobs. There's simply no time for voluntary work or democracy anymore.

Of course the US unemployment statistics seem to be far lower than Europe's but this is obviously an illusion. American governments hide their otherwise unemployed workers by building prisons. Quoting Jeremy Rifkin he explains that jail is an American's answer to the social safety net.

So, far from being a source of well-being and riches, the American free market (neo-liberal) path is "a program for the break-up of society." Neoliberalism is leading to the 'Brazilization' of work society. Secure full-time work is no longer the norm, it's being replaced by a patchwork of paid and unpaid activity. Beck concludes the book with some ideas on how Europe might respond positively to the sweeping changes taking place in the world of work.

While there are some interesting ideas here too much of the book is devoted to a fairly uncritical recitation of the conventional wisdom of the popular European intellectual left. Beck pieces together a lot of his story with quotes and ideas taken from other writers like Jeremy Rifkin, Andre Gorz and John Gray.

I just couldn't warm up to Jane da Silva. I missed the descriptions of her home and habits that are sometimes TOO detailed in other mysteries of this type. I have no idea what her house is like, what kinds of clothes she wears, etc. Also, I just did not believe what she was able to accomplish and how much wool she pulled over how many eyes. Also, I prefer when these types of books are in first person. I could then really be in Jane's head and hear her thoughts. Also, a bit too much scenery description. So overall, despite the entertaining and clever plot and the strong, unusual setting, I don't think I'll be reading another da Silva mystery.

I haven't read any of the previous books, so I don't know how this one compares to them. The author's skill with descriptions was enough to make me share the heroine's emotions (after listening to all those salmon pushers -- and thank goodness we have only a hint of their burblings -- I'd be wanting to sink my teeth into some beef, too). Beck does as good job with the minor characters as with the main. I admire the way the obnoxious or boring characters were brought to sufficient life that I wanted to sneak away from them. The comments about Americans who try to force their own views on the rest of the world were appreciated.

Too bad the woman whose boyfriend dumped her before she got around to dumping him allowed herself to feel depressed. There's no need for that. I've had one of those calls. When the guy asked me if I minded, I referred to his new girlfriend as my savior. (No, that didn't start a feud. They've been married for years and we're all friends.)

Sampling an author's work for the first time is always a risk. It's good to be able to say that I didn't waste my money. Ann E. Nichols

In the book they have a map of James Savage's Mariposa Battalion entering Yosemite.

The problem with the map is that it states that Southern Sierra Miwoks were the tribe of Yosemite. Yet Lafayette Bunnell wrote that Chief Tenaya was the founder of the PAIUTE Colony of Ahwahne, that Chief Tenaya spoke a PAIUTE jargon, that Chief Tenaya's band was primarily made up of MONO PAIUTES and a few outlaws from (unspecific) western tribes. The the Monos considered Chief Tenaya as one of their own, but the Miwoks were afraid of the Ahwahneechees and called the them "Yosemites" which means "The Killers - Grizzlies" in their language. Tenaya was said to like the name "Yosemites" because it brought fear into the heart of his enemies. That means that the Miwoks and Yosemite Indians were NOT the same, but enemies. When Chief Tenaya was killed the remaining child bearing Ahwahneechees were taken back to Mono Lake Paiute area. In 1854, a year after Tenaya's death, the only Indians in Yosemite were PAIUTES and no other Indians.

So the information that the Ahwahneechees or Yosemites were Miwoks is incorrect they were primarily Paiutes.

People should read Lafayette Bunnell's about the Mariposa Battalion and learn the truth about who the real Yosemite Ahwahneechees really were.

A good basic book in California history. An outstanding collection of maps of maps tracing the routes of early Spanish and Mexican explorers, early Indian wars, the Bear Flag revolt, and other items of interest to California historians.

This booklet focusses on beginners. No real pro tips ...

The Becks have been taking outdoor photos for 20 years and they know from sad experience the usual photo mistakes common to outdoor photography, so their experience especially lends to a practical guide on how to avoid common problems in Outdoor Photographer's Handbook. Both digital and film are covered along with specific types of outdoor shots, from fishing and wildlife to light, composition and using backgrounds effectively. Add color photos throughout as examples and you have a very practical how-to guide.

Usually animation books tend to focus upon the producers of animation - the Disneys, the Joneses and the Freelings. But little, except for a few videos and DVDs has focused upon the work of promoters. This book lovingly pays tribute to Spike Decker and Mike Gribble - two men who are probably the most responsible for the reemergence of short animation in a world that had been stupefied by the pap that was passing for Saturday morning cartoons. The book is divided into three neat sections. First a history of Spike, Mike and their Festivals of Animation sets the stage and helps show thee pair's growth and influence upon developing animators. Then Beck looks at what he considers the ten best pieces to come out of the festivals. Many of these animators have gone on to become household names producing regular animation shows on the Cartoon Network. He also highlights many of the other animators by showing off numerous still shots of their work. Finally for the third part he lets the animators speak for themselves, interviewing them on Spike and Mike, and the pair's role in nurturing emerging animators. This is a fascinating book for any fan of modern animation, especially those of us lucky enough to have seen many of the Spike & Mike Festivals. It is sad that we have lost Mike Gribble, but this book shows that his legacy lives on and continues to grow beyond Spike and Mike's wildest dreams.

As much as I like Jerry Beck I wish he hadn't sold himself out with this overly sanitized "Spike and Mike approved" version of their festival's history. Here we just get an extended regurgitation of Spike and Mike's self glorifying press release along with many pretty photographs. I used to attend this festival in my college days and have friends who've worked behind the scenes, so I really wished this book showed some actual guts. Where's the sex and the drugs and the seedy backstage goings-on at the festival? Why is there no mention of the festival's universal stunning decline in quality in recent years? Why is there no accounting for all the animators that allegedly refuse to submit work to, much less even speak to, this festival anymore? That's the book I'm still waiting to read! If you're a casual fan not interested in animation history and just want to look at pictures, I guess this book would be for you though.