Brown Books

Small compact paperbook can take with me when traveling. Am enjoying the brevity, but not as much the small print type, but still very enjoyable book.

I love this book. It shows a beautiful example of the artists work in alphabetical order and a great short history of each artist. I discovered a lot of artists I wasn't familiar with. It's a great quick reference and easy/enjoyable reading. It's more than I expected! A must for anyone interested in art/artists.

A bargain at the cover price and even better at the prices listed here at Amazon. I have copies at both my homes and am always referring to it. Would that Phaidon could do the same for music and lovers of great literature.

An excellent mini art history book. It covers the majority of well known artists with a representative work. All this and the paperback is small enough to carry around. I present it to my students for special achievements.

This little book couldn't be any more straightforward or useful. Over the span of 500 pages, each page is devoted to a different artist, with one representative work by that artist and a short description of his or her life and work. At the end, an invaluable 6-page glossary provides short and informative descriptions of the major genres and schools of art (e.g., Fauvism, Constructivism, Expressionism, etc.) that don't require a PhD to understand, as well as explanations of common art materials and techniques (e.g., gesso, fresco, tempera, etc.). It's a great value, and much more inexpensive than almost any other art book this informative. Buy it now!

Donna did it again with this book and as with her other books, I am learning so much. I suggest this book to anyone who wants to take their polymer clay work to another level. Well written, great photos, easy to follow instructions. Thanks for another great book, Donna.

Madeline Faiella

As a statement jewelry artist [...] I work in polymer, glass and metals.

This book is really informative, great easy techniques that give really nice results. The pictures are great and she always
carefully gives you step by step, I have not done transfer but will try it now. For beginners start with her earlier books, then move on to this book.

I was totally new to clay working, heading for a class in the medium, when I purchased this book. I was absolutely delighted, and was able to start my class with some background and understanding of working the materials. I sit in awe of Ms. Kato's talent, and did find the techniques more difficult than they look. This aside, it is an excellent accumulation of many of the techniques that makes polyclay such a joy to work with. Ms. Kato does list several varieties of clay, inks, paints and other products, but I appreciate that she enumated which she found easier to work with, and why. I did expect some bias towards Kato Polyclay, as she helped develop it, but have also found this an excellent product to work with and have not been disappointed with its performance.
The book is a MUST HAVE for the beginner reference library, and is also an inspiration with the images from Ms Kato and other artist's collections. I'm pleased I purchased this book, and plan to keep it as a cornerstone for clay working.

I found the book just did not live up to my expectations. When will crafting books realize that photo transfers done with xerox machines hardly ever work as they are shown in books? The techniques of photo transfer, which is covered in this book as if it works, is really frustrating. Also, the use of translucent clays to good effect is iffy and the high polish acheived by the author on many of the pieces. I just couldn't get it to work.

This book is outstanding and extremely useful. It has great projects, detailed descriptions, and plenty of info on where to find suppliers for every tool and material used in the book. I found it very helpful.

Interesting tidbits about rare and weird creatures. However, after about 50 pages, enough is enough. The "advice to the lovelorn" format is a little too cutesy.

Ray

This is a fun, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, look at the evolutionary biology of how many different organisms developed their genders and their reproduction methods.

Why not pick this up for your sweetie on Valentine's Day? This book has everything--its funny, scientifically accurate, and a quick read. This book is perfect for anyone who likes natural science, evolutionary biology, or learning about sex.

Dr. Tatiana writes an advice column for members of all species and organisms that wish to write to her. She specializes in answering their questions about sex and dispensing sound advice.
For example, a yellow dung fly wants to know how to make its sperm more attractive; a fig wasp wonders why all the males she knows bite each other in half; an elephant is worried because its penis has turned green; a mother manatee frets because her son appears to prefer other males.
It turns out that homosexuality is common in the animal world, that femals are mostly promiscuous and that monogomy is exceedingly rare in nature, (she calls it one of the most deviant behaviors in biology) and that the battle of the sexes is real and can be brutal (and the females often win).
This book is a breezy read. Tatiana is a witty raconteur with an apparently inexhaustible font of knowledge about the weird and wonderful world of sex. The point of existence, she maintains, is to survive and reproduce. Genetic mutations and behavioral modifications that confer an advantage in pursuing these goals will flourish. Species that do not adapt will die out.
Though written in a jokey way, this is a serious book. It provides a wonderful picture of the sheer vast variation of the natural world and the dynamic pace of evolution.
Perfect for the teen interested in science (and sex) and for all curious adults.
For more about me and my book The Nazi Hunter: A Novel, (where the sex is tastefully done) go to www.alanelsner.com.

What do you get when you cross a biology textbook, a Dr. Ruth show, a Dear Abby column, and a "Far Side" cartoon? Well, the offspring might be a brilliantly original book named Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation. This collection answers the desperate questions from species as varied as the Australian redback spider to the Louisiana black vulture with Dr. Tatiana's practical, reassuring, detailed explanations. It seems the worry on everyone's mind is, "Am I normal?"

Move over, Dr. Phil. Author Olivia Judson is an evolutionary biologist, award-winning science journalist, graduate of Stanford, and doctorate of Oxford University. Writing as Dr. Tatiana, Judson transforms both difficult scientific ideas and the sometimes-awkward discussion of the (ah-hem!) birds and the bees into accessible, often hilarious reading material. Evidently, virgin births, homosexuality, variety in size and shape of genitalia, elaborate courtship rituals, and cannibalism are not so unusual in nature as one may think. Dr. Tatiana gives her readers - be they insect, animal or human - a sigh of relief along with a much-needed chuckle at our own foibles as she explains, from her expert but kind perspective, why we do the things we do.

And herein lies the rub. While I see Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice ...as a clever way to teach a wealth of knowledge about natural science, biology, animal behavior, and genetics, I know there are many folks who would balk. The first time I read this book, I wished it could have been included in my high school science class, and fondly remembered time spent in the classrooms of Mr. and Mrs. Puskar, where quirky often served as mnemonic. But I know, especially now, that eyebrows would go way up, and corners of mouths would go way down, at the words "SEX ADVICE", let alone that the subtitle, which announces this little volume as "The Definitive Guide to the Evolutionary Biology of Sex." If "sex advice" in any classroom context is murky ground, then "evolutionary" anything these days is a cause for all-out war.

At the end of September of each year, the American Library Association reminds us to celebrate our freedom to read by marking "Banned Book Week." If Dr. Tatiana isn't on the list of banned books, I'm sure it easily could be. That makes me sad, because I don't like that learning details about the stunning array of life on earth could be seen as bad, harmful, or sinful. Whether you believe it's God's creation or just critters, they still do the things so deliciously described here. Few people have a problem with their kids watching a Discovery channel special about the Lamprologus ocellatus, a fish that lives in one of the Great Lakes of tropical Africa? Somehow, this is different. I guess the real debate comes when Dr. Tatiana (or any biology professor) starts explaining the WHY behind behavior in terms of evolution. Then, the main "worry" of living beings is not, as the cute letters of bugs and fish may suggest, about being normal, but about reproducing and spreading your genes. That does shoot a big hole in the theories espoused in Rick Warren's best-selling book, "The Purpose Driven Life". Not to mention some religious texts, like the best-selling book of all time.

I'm not going to provide a neat little resolution to this debate, not that I could even if I wrote a dissertation instead of a book review. I'm just going to recommend that you grab a copy of Dr. Tatiana and take yourself, the whimsical and weird of nature, and the evolutionary debate on the light side for a few hours. Learn a lot, laugh a lot, and celebrate the fact that in the United States, you can read about a subject from all different angles.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" and editor of "Of A Predatory Heart"

The Dream Manager is a remarkable book. It is simple and powerful. The book presents one idea: if you are looking for engaged relationships with people, find out what people are dreaming about and assist in making these dreams possible. This applies to yourself as well, to become more engaged yourself, state your own dreams and work to make them possible.

The first part of book is written as a story about a company that develops a program for making the dreams of their employees come true. It shows the steps taken, the obstacles, real and mental, and how to overcome them and the benefits of the program. The format of a story makes for an easy, short and interesting read. The second provides resources to start working on realizing your own dreams and those of others.

This book is a quick read that motivates anyone to manage, lead, and live at a greater dimension. Engaging the workplace and those around you is a wonderful gift and sharing true compassion & good will to see others dream come to pass it what AMAZING leadership is all about. Thank you for challenging us to think better so that we can lead better. Awesome book!!!

The Dream Manager offers some keen insights into how we may take control our own dreams & aspirations while assisting employees, family & friends realize & accomplish theirs as well. Our dreams can & should be our motivating force. Its critical that we have dreams & persue them.
Matthew Kelly is a gifted, understandable author & speaker.

This is one of the best business concepts that I have ever heard. This book is a must own for everyone, but especially for business owners. The wealthy already understand this simple (yet profound) premise. What are you waiting on?

-ski

Being in a management position, I thought the book was supposed to teach me how to be the dream manager. I soon found out that it is much better than I expected. It teaches you to start dreaming again. The reason why people are so miserable at work is because they do not feel that they make a difference. I live and breathe this philosophy now at work and in my personal life. The 12 areas that we can dream guide you toward your personal achievements. I am forever changed in the best way possible. A must read for all.

This book was recommended by several collegues at a recent convention. I read it in one sitting. There is so much usable information in this book! When I went back thru it, to highlight the key items, I ended up highlighting something on almost every page. Buy the book and jump on The Energy Bus.

Very good simple basic rules for work, life and family. Is a good easy read.

If you like the "better business life via metaphor" style, you'll enjoy your trip through this little gem.

This easy to read book could at first seem simplistic, but the truth hiding within its pages will set you on a new journey. The Energy Bus is an interesting read with golden nuggets of wisdom along the way. I work 50+ hours a week and I took the time to read it. Soon you'll be passing out tickets and asking people to get on the bus!

I liked what the book was saying. The only thing I really had trouble with is that trying this in real life situations is really hard. I'm an assistant manager in a hair salon, and my stylists just don't seem real motivated to join the bus. But I wouldn't give up.

I'm a first year vet student and have read this text over the summer to get my feet wet. Excellent. Its just enough to explain the real mechanisms of specific cells and immune functioning. I would highly recommend as this text gives a thorough explanation to very difficult material.

For someone with no immunology background this is a great place to start. I wish I'd known about this book before taking immunology in medical school. It is short enough and such engaging writing that I'd strongly recommend reading it before taking an immunology course. This book isn't going to be one you go to for specifics about this receptor or that cytokine it's all about understanding how all the parts fit together.

This is one of the best books I have read in Medicine, for its ease and information. It stimulates you to go and read more.

The beauty of this book lies in its folksy language, brevity, completeness, and versatility.

First, the author avoids making you snooze over this potentially dry subject. The prose is clever and written basically as someone would talk to you. Of course, the prose does get a little too relaxed at time, but I find the language far more understandable than some stuffy textbook.

In addition, the author has compiled a brief yet very thorough composition on the immune system here. If you were seeking a very complete overview of immunology without needing to memorize all the details (like cytokines, names of cell receptors, etc.), you could read this book in one night and have a very good understanding of the immune system. However, if you're a medical student needing to actually memorize all those seemingly trivial details, this book is probably sufficient for you as well. That versatility really lends this book to a very diverse audience.

I think that anyone from a college student in an introductory immunology course up to a practicing physician needing a quick reference to the immune system would love owning this book.

I'm a first year medical student and hadn't had immunology until I was taught it in about two weeks this year. This book was exceptionally helpful in giving me the big picture while still providing enough detail to unite the big pieces together. The book isn't exhaustive, but it's not meant to be. It's also very easy to read and memorable. This book was quite useful to me and I highly recommend it.

Finest biography on Churchill ever written. A pity Manchester died before completing the third book of the trilogy.

William Manchester informs and entertains in this excellent historical account of the critical years leading up to WWII, juxtaposing the appeasement practices of predecessors Baldwin and Chamberlain with the unwavering belief in the principles of freedom held by Churchill. The book (along with Manchester's first volume) gives terrific insight into the transition from the glory days of the British Empire to the Post WWI apathy that beset the British public. As well, the work provides delightful commentary on the characters surrounding Churhill's life including his colorful mother Jennie, his wife Clementine and his nemesis Adolf Hitler.

The Last Lion, Alone covers the history of Europe from the time Hitler first came to power in Germany to the time that Hitler invaded the Low Countries and World War II began. During this period Churchill, who continually fought against the appeasement policies of Chamberlain, rose from Back Bench irrelevance to become Brittan's Prime Minister.

The history of this period is a gripping saga of one man's malicious attempt to dominate Europe and another man's noble efforts to stop him - a classical case of good vs evil - told as an almost unbelievable story in the words of a master story teller.

I was adrift when I finished this volume.
grasping at pathetic things to read for a while - nothing satisfied - Manchester can set the stage, his historical background is so rich that you'll find yourself spouting about it to your friends.

You'll learn more from this book than a two semester course in 20th century history.

Churchill himself is the lead player in a panapoly of exciting elements. But manchester never lets the reader forget the place in history - the man was a masterful writer.

After the fall of France in June 1940, Winston Churchill was begging USA President Roosevelt for military aid (in fact, all sorts of support was then needed) as no one knew what would the 'fate' of the French fleet was going to be.
Churchill kept reminding the American president that Britain would not surrender even if left alone.
Churchill was defiant despite the fact that the two 'key' American ambassadors, in France and Great Britain, were pro Hitler (or at least they were not anti-Nazi).
Joseph Kennedy (USA Ambassador to GB) openly cautioned his fellow Americans against entering the war because the 'allies' would soon be beaten.
However, I would have liked to see more comments about the position and reaction of the king - king George VI.
Was he indifferent?
We should remember that Hitler had been addressing the King as the man whom the British Government circles have loathed, and as the only 'hope' for a reconciliation between the Third Reich and GB.
In this context it is true that Churchill was indeed ALONE

The book is fantastic. Have a very long introduction to give you a better understanding of the food as a part of middle east culture. Although have very little photos (I personally like photos on cooking books), this book is full of great ideas. I think I will buy soon CLaudia Roden's Jewish cookbook.

Very well researched. Wonderful tales and fables mixed in, adding context to the recipes -- and sometimes conversation for the dinner table!

I especially appreciated the "variations" that follow most recipes, which allow for one to adjust according to the family palate.

Beautiful photographs.

Thank you, Claudia Roden!

After my gourmet food writer friend's recommendation, purchased this for a quality food fan husband as a gift. This book contains thorough recipes of Middle Eastern with history and original names. Some inserts of beautiful photos, as well (which is more restaurant ready than home ready). Can use out of this every day. Strongly recommended.

I was amazed when I received this book. I had been searching tirelessly for a cookbook which would fulfill a demanding goal: how to satisfy the picky palate of a Jewish man raised in Israel but born of Moroccan parents. I had tried a variety of regional cooking styles, but finally this cookbook was it. As I began reading the recipes out loud to my boyfriend, I swear I could see the saliva forming at the corners of his mouth. He all but ripped the cookbook from my hands! Thank you Claudia Roden for also including the historical background information as to how to prepare recipes the traditional way, in addition to the modern short-cuts. Both will come in handy as I, a traditional Southern cook from South Carolina, learn a whole new world of cuisine.

This is the all time best. I just bought this latest, updated edition because I've worn out the one I've had for over 25 years! This book is my go-to reference for Middle Eastern food and culinary traditions. You can't go wrong with this. The bonus is that Ms. Roden includes several variations of particular dishes, and explains procedures very lucidly. I learned how to make many dishes using this book. I also gave a copy to my culinarily-talented nephew, who needed a cookbook that would give him all the basics of Middle eastern cuisine--food he'd experienced and grown up with, but hadn't really seen made at home.

The story of Olive shows us how we all have strengths and those strengths are important even if they are different from others. It can teach us to be creative on how we can best use our strengths. Most of all it is a sweet story about a very sweet dog named Olive. I loved reading it as an adult and gave it to someone who also enjoyed it very much.

this is a great edition of Olive. the illustration is as wonderful as the story. it's one of my husband's favorites and he wasn't disappointed. the look of this book corresponds with the latest movie edition.

No other Christmas carol has such a hold on children's imaginations as "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer." (*see note) Even the youngest child understands the joke of this book's title.

When a little dog named Olive hears the lyrics "All of the other reindeer..." she thinks the line is, "Olive, the other reindeer" and concludes that she is in fact, a reindeer, not a dog. Hi-jinks ensue.

This tenth anniversary edition has scratch and sniff gumdrops, flaps to open, levers to pull and a pop-up scene at the end. Reading the "otto-biography" of Seibold on the Chronicle Books site, I learned that the names of his children (and their images) are tucked into the illustrations, shades of Marc Brown and his Arthur books.

Skip the video and enjoy this book. It is a charmer.

I got this for my 3 granddaughters, ages 6 and under. They loved it!

What a great book! My family and I loved the dog, Olive, that came with the book, too. I plan to read this book, and share the stuffed toy with the area school.

O'Reilly's an up and coming publisher of computer related books. Maybe a kingpin already. This selection is a true quick reference guide. Written by the Thompsons, this selection gives you a thorough look into buying, assembling and operating computers. You do need a basic understanding to get anything out of this book, but if this is the case, you won't be disappointed. I have a first edition copy, and it's still current. That says a lot, a first edition published four years ago is still not too outdated! Think about it. How many computer related books can you think of that's relatively current after four years? Huh?

This book is amazingly concise and thorough, yet also very easy to read. It contains many helpful photographs, and the authors maintain a great website that is tremendously useful and is a great addition to the book. I am not a big fan of the "In a Nutshell" computer books published by O'Reilly, but this book is definitely an exception. It's great for both beginners and experts.

Robert Thompson is a man who doesn't hold back from giving his opinion on why something is good or bad, either on his website or in his books. In _PC Hardware in a Nutshell_, he tells you just what he thinks of what's good and bad about PC components in just about any category you can think of, and backs it up with all the facts, figures and personal experiences you could ever ask for. Every chapter includes historical information on the components under discussion, detailed reviews of what they do and how they do it, and recommendations on what to use (and what not to use). The final chapter walks you through building your own machine step-by-step, though, this being an omnibus book, the chapter is necessarily slightly skimpy in comparison to _Building The Perfect PC_. The writing style is clear and lively, in fact the book is well worth reading as a book even if you don't need any specific information at the time. The only real complaint I have is something the author has no control over - the fact that new PC hardware comes out so fast that it's just impossible to review every single new thing in a paper edition. (Well, that and the fact that Thompson doesn't like Western Digital because he's had bad experiences with their hard drives, whereas I've been using WD exclusively for years and never yet have had one go out on me. I think that can be chalked up, though, more to the fact that there's just so much PC hardware out there that different people are just going to end up having completely different experiences with components from a particular manufacturer. That, or I just got lucky with WD hard drives.) All in all, this book is truly indispensable.

This is a great book that covers every aspect of building a PC. However, as of August 2004, the 3rd edition of this book is a bit dated. For example PC3200 memory is considered the newest memory and both Pentium 4 Prescott processors and Athlon 64 processors were not out when this book was published. If you are buying this book, you may want to wait for a 4th edition, unless you are looking to assemble an old computer.

I would not accept the author's hardware recommendations as the final word. For one thing, the components they review are in many cases no longer manufactured. Magazine reviews and PC hardware Web sites are going to have different opinions on what the best components are.

Let me start out with a huge thanks to O'Reilly. I'm not a big fan of large corporations or publishers - but I have come to trust O'Reilly implicitly wherever technical issues are concerned. Although I'm certain that they are not the "perfect" publisher, nor in the business for wholly (ha!) altruistic reasons, I AM amazed by the remarkable originality, diversity, range, quality, accuracy, and honorable business practices of this publisher. Oftentimes I wonder how they manage to maintain such a level, when their current library is so chock-full of tough-to-follow acts.

That said, PC Hardware in a Nutshell does not fail to meet up to these high expectations. Let me get the review portion of my review out of the way - simply put, this is the book I have been hunting for a couple years. That I did not immediately search the O'Reilly library only shows that I am a bit silly. I should have known better. End of review.

But I would like to carry this a bit further, and go out on a limb to discuss the only complaint prior reviewers have voiced: that the book is too "Microsoft-centric."

Rather than a weakness, I believe that this is actually a strength. Let me offer big kudos to the authors and publisher for realizing that a serious, yet accessible, compendium of computer hardware knowledge was necessary. The folks who register such complaints are those least in need of an in-depth introduction to PC hardware. These are the high priests of hi-tech, who rule the roost by virtue of their knowledge-monopoly on all issues technical. They would have you believe that if it was not hand-crafted from spare parts, duct tape, and copious amounts of solder and configured with the most obscure version of Linux, then it's only fit for a 4-year-old. They are, quite simply, dead wrong. Let them compile their own "PC Hardware for Only the Most Serious Tech Gurus", I say!

Thompson's very first point is that he intended the book to be of the most practical usability possible. The practical reality is that the people who desperately need such a compendium are poor fools, like Yours Truly, who are too technical to be satisfied with tutorials on how to use Microsoft Office, yet are not quite knowledgeable enough to get right under the hood of their PCs (never mind build a Linux box from spare hatpins and Reynolds Wrap). We, the "psuedo-techies", often do not come equipped with enough experience, knowledge, or confidence to take ourselves to the next level. We are the crowd who are using Microsoft products, yet would love to learn enough to understand exactly WHY Microsoft means "mush-mind" and Linux is God - but will never get there without a guide. This book is the guide, and to me it says, "Psuedo-techies unite! Power to the people!"