Richardson Books

Very approachable; great easy-to-read story offering what i found to be a powerful moral message about kindess to animals specifically but easily empathizable across the species boundries.

The recommendation on this book is for readers too young to read the original book, but I think its wonderful for anyone of any age who loves this beautiful story.
Its beautifully illustrated and the graphic novel format leaves out none of the spirit or depth of the original.
A true pleasure to read.

I love this book Black Beauty: The Graphic Novel adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson and it's the great and the best book ever of and about a life story of a beautiful black horse with a white star and a white foot and I like horses and the color black and this is the best beautiful book adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson that's an abridged version containing over 49 chapters and the drawings and the writing is very great and that book almost looks like they would have made a movie out of it and that one should match up the 1994 version of Black Beauty starring Sean Bean.

My favorite character in this book is Joe Green, because at the end of Black Beauty, Joe becomes a man and one lucky day, he finds that horse he used to care for and gets excited when he said he had almost killed him so many nearly ten years ago at Squire Gordon's farm after coming back from the Doctor's.

The characters in this book of Black Beauty where Black Beauty's white foot is on the back in the left of the one of for this one of the few seven charcters out of this book just to tell you of what clothes they would wear and they are John Manly the coachman in a plaid green cap, white shirt, plaid vest of green and black, green riding jacket with yellow lining, brown riding pants and tall black leather riding boots, except in A Stormy Day, when John Manly would be in a different outfit when he would be in a black derby hat, white shirt, red tie, brown vest, black blazer, grey pants and tall black leather riding boots, then James Howard the stableboy in a plaid green cap, yellow shirt with blue stripes, plaid vest of green and black, light green scarf, brown riding pants and tall black leather riding boots, then Joe Green the stableboy after James leaves in a brown cap, white shirt, brown vest, grey riding jacket, beige riding pants and tall black leather riding boots, then Reuben Smith in black top hat, white shirt, black vest, blue riding jacket, black leather gloves, grey pants and tall black leather riding boots with brown tops, Alfred Smirk in a brown cap, light blue shirt, red tie, black vest, brown pants and short black leather boots, then Jerry Barker in a black derby hat, white shirt, black tie, black vest, black blazer, black pants, black shoes and in the winter Jerry is in a black derby hat, red scarf, white shirt, black vest, black blazer, long brown jacket, black leather gloves, black pants and black shoes and then Nicholas Skinner in a black top hat, black bowtie, white shirt, green vest, blue jacket, grey pants and short black leather boots and then in My Last Home when Joe Green becomes a man, Joe would be in a green cap, blue necktie, pink shirt, brown vest, blue blazer, beige riding pants and tall black leather riding boots and when Joe is in the low park cab with Miss Ellen, Joe is in a different outfit of a green cap, white shirt, black tie, black vest, white shirt, brown riding jacket, grey pants, and short black leather boots and that's very perfect for some of the few favorite characters out of this book of Black Beauty so you'd know what their clothing would have been like.

Those two different books of Black Beauty adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson and illustrated by Robert Doremus published and copyright in 1951 by Whitman publishing company goes very well and great with the Black Beauty (1994) DVD video starring Sean Bean and directed by Caroline Thompson and those two books would follow the movie very great because the real Black Beauty you ought to own is his white foot on the back in the left and that's how those two books adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson and illustrated by Robert Doremus matches the movie by Sean Bean.

At the end of the book, Black Beauty comes into the care of Joe Green with three kind ladies and Joe Green is proud to be home with him again. Black Beauty has a beautiful white foot on the back in the right in this book.

This book of Black Beauty - adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson goes great with the 1994 version of Black Beauty starring Sean Bean and those two both remind me of a book on Horses Cube book by Valeria Manferto De Fabianis, DVD videos on Yours, Mine & Ours starring Dennis Quaid, Disney's Where the Red Fern Grows starring Joseph Ashton, Black Beauty starring Sean Bean, The Last Cowboy (2003) starring Lance Henriksenand and The Great American Western, Vol. 21: Trouble in Texas/Call the Mesquiteers/Without Honor/Stampede all for some of the NFR years and that's what this means to me, a lot.

Two couples of chapters for Black Beauty are an example of The Fire and My Last Home.

The Fire

Later on that evening, another traveler's horse was brought in and cleaned by one of the hostlers and a man with a pipe in his mouth was talking to one of the hostlers.
"Towler," said the hostler, "you'll not smoke your pipe in the stables so just, first lay down your pipe and run up the ladder to the loft and drop some hay down here."
"All right," the man Towler said. He went up to the loft and put down the hay and I paid him no heed. James came into look at us one more time, and then the door was locked for the night and I went to sleep.
I awoke later in the night chocking, the air was all hot and thick.
I could hear Ginger coughing and a strange crackling noise that was terrifying me.
All the other horses were all awake, whinnying, pulling at their halters and stamping their feet in fear.
At last I could hear footsteps outside, and a hostler appeared with a lantern and tried to pull one of the horses out, but he was crazed with fear and wouldn't move.
No doubt we were very foolish, and the danger all around us and how could we trust someone?
A red light flickered on the wall, then someone outside shouted "fire! fire!" Then the old hostler who had cared for me that night came in quietly and led one horse out.
The flamed roared above us now, and the noise was very, very terrible. After a moment, the next thing I knew James was at my side when I heard his voice, quiet and cherry as always, whispering, "Come, my beauties, it is time for us to be off. Come along." I stood nearest the door, so he came to me first, patting me as he came in.
"Come, Beauty! It is time for us to be off. Come along." He put my bridle on in no time; then he took off the scarf from his neck and tied it over my eyes to calm me, and after some coaxing, he led me out. Safely when we were out of the burning stable into the yard, he slipped the scarf off my eyes and shouted, "Here, somebody! Take this horse while I go back for the other!"
A tall, broad man came and took me, while James raced back into the stable. I let out a shrill whinny as I watched him go. Ginger had told me afterwards that my whinny was the best thing I would have done for if she never heard me outside, she wouldn't have had the courage to come out.
There was a lot of confusion in the yard! There was a mess of carriages and horses and people shouting. Above all the noise I heard a loud, clear voice which I knew was Squire Gordon's.
"James Howard! James Howard! Are you in there?" I had whinnied at the sound of my master's voice, but there was no other answer.
Then suddenly, I heard a crash of something falling in the stable. The next moment I saw James appearing through the smoke, leading Ginger with him and I gave a loud, joyful neigh. Ginger coughed violently and he was not able to speak, but she looked all right.
"My brave lad! You hurt!" said Squire Gordon. "I am well, Squire," James said after he was able to speak. Then gazing at James, the big man who held me said, "Aye, he's a brave lad an no mistake about it."
"Let us get out of the way then, for I hear the fire engine coming!" There was a dreadful crash as the roof collapsed on the burning stable, and then we were away in the fresh night air.
The next morning we heard James and the hostler talking and James had looked very pleased that our master was proud of him.
The next day James told of the man who was seen entering the stable with a pipe, and exiting without it. It was thought that this was how the fire had started. I remembered our John Manly's rule never to allow pipes in the stables and thought it ought to be the rule everywhere.
James said that the roof and floor of the burning stable had fallen in and that only the walls were standing. There was two horses underneath the remains that could not be lead out that night.

If you were Joe Green with a moustache in My Last Home and saw Black Beauty again, you would say, "You have a scar on your back
like Black Beauty." Then you would be surprised and say "Beauty, is that really you? Don't you know me? I'm little Joe Green from Squire Gordon's stables. I can see you've had some hard times, Beauty and I must think so and I wonder who the nasty one was that scarred your knees, my old Beauty. You must have been treated horribly somewhere, but I'll make sure that you only have good times now. Now, I'm here, Black Beauty, I'm here. I swear I won't ever let you out of my sight again. Oh, Beauty ... You're safe now. I only wish John Manly would be here to see you, too, Black Beauty! I promise I'll take good care of you so your troubles are over."

That's a great line to say if you were Joe Green when you found Black Beauty again, the horse you raised and loved and it's white star on the forehead and his white foot on the back in the left.

The best 18 colour black and white illustrations that you might love to look at out of a book and love the best are:

I Lived in a Large Pleasant Meadow
My Master Took Me to the Smith
At Last After a Terrible Struggle Ginger Threw him off Backwards
I Just Knew that the Bridge Was Not Safe
"Come, Beauty! It is time for us to be off. Come along." He put my bridle on in no time; then he took the scarf from his neck and tied it over my eyes to calm me, and after some coaxing, he led me out
"Can I have Your Horse?"
Ginger reared suddenly and York had His Nose Roughly and Hard Hit and His hat knocked Off
Lizzie Took the Leap, Stumbled Among the Rough Clouds and Fell
"I Must Be Afraid to Have to Sell The Black One."
Poor Rory Was Speared With The Gig Shaft!
The Horse Fair was the Best Place
I Had never Been Used to London
"I'll Do All That Can Be Done, Sir."
Dolly Brought Jerry's "First Course"
"I'll Drive You safe to the Hospital."
"Come on, You Lazy Cruel, or I'll Beat You!"
The Farmer Looked at My Mouth
"You have a scar on your back like Black Beauty."

Those would be the best eighteen black and white illustrations to look at in the Black Beauty book and they would be your favourites for the slow years to slowly and slow come.

Black Beauty (1994) starring Sean Bean DVD is like the novel with the four of the real books on four different Black Beauty books of Adapted by Laura F. Marsh, Illustrated by James Needham, Illustrated by Robert Doremus and Adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson and because those four different books of Black Beauty would go great with the movie as the three matched up and go. The one illustrated by James Needham and adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson for sure goes great with the movie because of his white foot on the back in the left.

Black Beauty with actor David Gregory in the animated DVD is like the novel with the book of Black Beauty Illustrated by Scott McKowen would go great with the animated DVD version as it matched up with some of the Black Beauty books of illustrated in black and white by Edwin John Prittie and colour illustrations by Edward F. Cortese and the only one out of another one is Going for the Doctor colour illustration by Percy F. Spence and that for sure goes great with the animated movie because of his white foot on the front in the right and that's how it would be for the animated version.

From now on, my new favorite six Black Beauty books to live easier with the one of adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson is the other best five are Illustrated by Neil Reed - Published by Prospero books in 2001, Illustrated by Ian Andrew, Illustrated by Scott McKowen, Illustrated by G. P. Micklewright and Illustrated by Libby Turner - published by Brimax in 1985 and that's my best new favorite six books of Black Beauty to live and read with but, they are now the best real ones I would be in for the ones I like are the best and that's how I'll make my living that way.

Another real four favourites of Black Beauty I like are his white foot on the back in the left, another of his white foot on the front in the right and another one with three white feet of two on the front in the right and the left and the one in the hind left and also his white foot on the front in the left and that's my real four different favourites I like of Black Beauty and where his white foot will be.

Examples of my favorite horse of Black Beauty in different books of his white foot are:

Black Beauty's white foot on the back in the left in the different books of Adapted by June Brigman and Roy Richardson, Illustrated by Neil Reed - Published by Prospero books in 2001, Illustrated by Robert Doremus and Illustrated by James Needham. So that's where I would like to see Black Beauty's white foot on the back in the left for sure and for real.

Black Beauty's white foot on the front in the right in the different book of Illustrated by Scott McKowen. So that's where I would like to see Black Beauty's white foot on the front in the right.

Black Beauty with three white feet of two on the front in the right and left and the one in the hind left in the ones Illustrated by Ian Andrew and Illustrated by G. P. Micklewright. So that's where I would see Black Beauty with three white feet so his you would want it on the front in the right and the left, back in the left and if you see one white foot because of the three, you would say the one on the front in the left and that's the all time best horse ever to have.

Black Beauty's white foot on the front in the left perfect for the best one of Illustrated by Libby Turner - published by Brimax in 1985. So that's where I would like to see Black Beauty's white foot perfectly on the front in the left. That's the best one to ever own.

I loved, liked and enjoyed this book.

It is a GEM, I loved it and it's the greatest novel of all times of the greatest horse story ever told.

Of course, I am the sentimental type that gets all gooey-eyed at any of the great horse stories, whether on film or printed page. So, I was particularly struck by the earnest renderings of June Brigman and Roy Richardson in their labor of love and timeless beauty: Black Beauty. For any reading this who know not the tale, suffice it to say this will be an excellent, pithy and tasty introduction. The story moves right along and the illustrations capture the spirit of the age and of the plucky steeds portrayed. The little paperback format is an inexpensive way to introduce young readers to the story; and its simplicity will merit many repeat readings by those grandfatherly types - such as I - who love a little one in the lap for an evening's storytime, until one or both of us falls fast asleep! Get a whole case of these and pass them out to horselovers wherever you go! EXTRAS worthy of mention include a few pages devoted to June's adapive stylings, i.e. just HOW the little paperback was developed from her artist's perspectives. Too, you will find the sweet synopsis of the life of Anna Sewell very moving. Highest recommendation.

Cat Tales is unique in showing the cat's psyche though colorful illustrations and humorous words. The mischievous activities of felines will bring a smile and warm your heart.

Cat Tales is delightful and amusing with wonderful illustrations. Ms. Richardson has captured our feline friend in pictures and words. A truly good book for any cat fancier!

Cat Tales is unique in showing the cat's psyche though colorful illustrations and humorous words. The mischievous activities of felines will bring a smile and warm your heart.

Cat Tales is an authentic way of looking at life through cat eyes. The book contains charming illustrations expressing the cat's personality along with a few good words of wisdom. A joy for Cat Lovers of all ages.

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I found this book to be an excellent text and an invaluble resource for any Chemical Engineer whether a student or a working professional. The book is well laid out and a surprisingly easy read even for those beginning a chem eng course. I would recommend it to anyone.

A very good summary of chemical engineering. You can find everything you need related to mass and heat transfer. Very special thanks to Richardson and Coulson.

Mehmet ARAS, Chemical Engineer, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Co.

As a graduate chemical engineer, fortunate to be one of Ray Sinnott's students, it is with great pleasure that I write about his book. The design project is a crucial part of any undergraduate program encompassing chemical engineering or related topics,ie Bio-chemical engineering and Process Bio-technology to name just a few. It is not until the student (of one of the most complex and challenging degree schemes) becomes involved with the "design project" do they realise the problems that need to be overcome to just start the most simple of tasks. The text is a valuable tool to quick and accurate methods to start the basic design of the majority of traditional unit operations. The text of course relies on the user to have some engineering knowledge and paves the way for the application of the more rigorous software design packages that are available today. Coverage is given is to many topics in the book especially in the areas of safe design/operation and costing, with many further references given at the end of chapter. This is a book that you will buy and continue to use all your practicing life, as myself and friends will testify!! There is no other text book that I have come across which gives so much practical information, yet so easily accessed. James Evans M.Eng. (University of Wales, Swansea.(UK))

I purchased this book for my six year old granddaughter but I made certain to read it before sending it on for her birthday.

It is quite a charming book for children (and grownups) who love tea parties. The children not only attend a tea party with their grandparents but they are taught all about how they are expected to act and how to eat properly during the tea party.

The storyline is quite good and the illustrations are beautiful. I am told my granddaughter liked it very much. I would definitely purchase it for any child but also note that tea parties we have at home do not have to be so formal.

This is a very good book for the older child interested in learning about the history of tea, and about good etiquette.

I found the book to be absolutely delightful. My etiquette students will have fun putting together their first tea!

Children's Tea & Etiquette: Brewing Good Manners in Young Minds is more than a simple picturebook - it is a thoughtful etiquette manual to instruct readers in how to properly enjoy afternoon tea. Many of the social graces discussed extend into the practice of the general world. From basic polite phrases such as "please", "thank you", "may I", and "you're welcome", to what RSVP means, to table manners for a tea party (such as not picking up one's napkin until the host has), to the importance of writing a thank-you note, Children's Tea & Etiquette is highly recommended as an instructional tool for preparing young people to do well in formal situations. Beautiful, soft pastel color illustrations by Dawn Peterson, a handful of recipes, and notes on the history of tea parties round out this good manners primer.

I am a children's book author. I read "Drummer" to see the techniques and styles another author used to write his book. From the story description, it seemed like a good book. I enjoyed reading "Drummer," which a vivid imagination and good storytelling ability on the part of the author, resulted in a good story.

Johnny Jackson, a young slave, is the main character. I found him to be likable as I read about his adventures. The other characters have unique personalities. The characters are realistic and well developed.

"Drummer" would be easy to read for most young readers. While I do not know if the historical details in the book are correct, the story seemed very real and kept my interest. I didn't feel like skipping parts of the story to "get it over with." Between chapters, I wondered what would happen next and how the book would end. The plot wasn't predictable. Unlike some other books, I was not confused by too many characters.

Assuming the historical information in the book is correct, the story provides a fun way for young readers to learn a little of the history of the American Civil War and the situation of African-Americans during the time period.

If a young reader is looking for a good book to read, check this one out. I believe you'll be glad you read "Drummer" also. Don't miss this one!

Definitely two thumbs up! Great book George!

....

George Richardson's Drummer is a young adult historical fiction novel set during the American Civil War. A young slave, Johnny Jackson, escapes and runs to a Union infantry unit when he learns they are camped only five miles north of the Confederate rebels. He befriends a young white drummer, and marches with the Union Army back to Frederick, Maryland, but is not allowed to join the white unit as a drummer. His disappointment gives way to more perils on a hazardous journey to Baltimore, with his freedom always in jeopardy, until he succeeds in joining the First Pennsylvania Colored Infantry and becomes a drummer for Company A. Johnny's battles and travails are destined to change his life in this powerful, adventurous, and sobering read which is very highly recommended for teenage and young adult readers.

This is an excellent story. As a former teacher, I have made some recommendations to my old colleagues to try and integrate this book into their curriculum. Mr Richardson uses excellent imagery to help spur the imagination and place the reader in another time and place. At no point does he "talk down" to the reader (target audience is younger teens?) which encourages the younger reader to keep turning the pages! I would highly recommend this book and plan to send copies to all of the relatives (young teens) for the holidays.

I found this book to be very interesting as a parent. My Son could not but it down. When you can get any child not wanting to put a book down you have found a key that you should build on. Mr. Richardson did a wonderful job of letting your minds eye see what it was like to be in that time period. I do hope he keeps writing about this wonderful young man. I can't wait to read more about him. Thank you Mr. Richardson for helping my child to love to read.

_The Girl Who Ate Chicken Feet_is a collection of touching "coming of age" stories. Set in the south in the turbulent sixties, it paints a realistic picture of how one young girl gradually becomes aware of the world outside her own. Wonderful characters, lovingly drawn.

I fell in love with Sissy from the very first moment she prissed across the page. Her escapades with Deloris take me back to the days of my childhood and the relationships I formed with my own cousins.

Ms. Richardson portrays life in the rural South during the fifties with accuracy and charm, and has given her characters voices that are hauntingly authentic.

This book is a delightful read for children and adults as well.

THIS BOOK CAN BE READ BY ALL AGE GROUPS. THE CHARACTERS ARE VERY TRUE TO LIFE IN THEIR EVERYDAY ROLES. FOR ANY ONE WHO HAS SPENT TIME IN THE COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY DOWN SOUTH, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU. I'M WAITING FOR SISSY'S UP-COMING ESCAPADES.

Richardson's book is NOT for children ONLY!! Adults and children alike will laugh and cry over the escapades of Sissy and her friends....should be required reading for all middle grade students! Heartwarming and charming!

The book arrived as promised in like new condition. I am very pleased with the delivery and the sale process.

This book's central thesis is that Classical Maya civilization collapsed as a result of a drought in Mesoamerica extending throughout the 9th century AD. This particular drought was the local manifestation of Northern Hemisphere weather patterns that the author asserts have been repeated frequently over shorter time periods for thousands of years, even into this century, and which nearly always produce drought in Mesoamerica.

Once you accept the author's evidence for Mesoamerican droughts and their regularity, that evidence provides a parsimonious explanation for the end of Classical Maya civilization. After reading this book, I think many people will accept the evidence and the explanation.

More complex hypotheses, including overpopulation, warfare between Mayan city-states, external invasion, disease, over centralization, exhaustion of a stable environment, and peasant revolt are not needed to explain the collapse. This does not mean that such factors, if they existed, did not influence the course of the collapse, just that the collapse would have happened because of the drought whether or not other factors existed.

To support his thesis, which is clearly stated clearly at the beginning of the book, Dr. Gill takes the reader on a tour of a multitude of scientific disciplines. Each discipline studied adds information about the importance, frequency, possible causes and consequences of drought in Mesoamerican and on civilization and population trends throughout the world. Any one of these tours alone is worth the price of the book, since they are extremely well written and provide the foundation for further study on each topic covered.

In a chapter titled "Geology, Hydrology, and Water," the author describes the geology and hydrology of the Yucatan and the Maya highlands and the major drainage basins, and provides an extensive discussion of the water supply problem and how it was managed in the pre-Columbian period. The basic geology is the standard stuff: seasonal rainfall, permeable limestone, karstic drainage, deep underground fresh water usually inaccessible, except in the north through cenotes and along the east cost from freshwater lakes or lagoons. But, this chapter also explained how the Maya adapted to this environment. For example, the author describes natural surface depressions used as water reservoirs and known as aquadas. The Maya paved many of these small depressions and some were provided with chultunes, bell shaped chambers excavated below the aquada bottom to capture additional water when the aquada was filled. (A single chultun could hold 30,000 liters of water, enough to comfortably supply drinking and cooking water for twenty-five people for one year).

In fact, Mayan city-states and even smaller settlements were designed with water management a primary consideration, with central reservoirs, residential reservoirs, canals, and the terrain and pavement of the city itself all engineered to facilitate the collection and storage of water during the wet season. This was important, because, as explained in a chapter on "Paleoclimatology," small-scale (relative to the great final calamity) droughts were endemic to the Maya area as shown both by Maya water management strategies and more recent evidence from sediment recovered from the bottom of lakes. Records during the Spanish colonial period point to further famines on a regular basis after the conquest. In fact, during the colonial period, population looses from drought in the Yucatan ranged up to 30 or 40%.

In another chapter titled "Volcanoes and Weather" Dr. Gill argues that there is a strong correlation between the eruptions of large volcanoes around the world, and the worldwide weather patterns that lead to drought in Mesoamerica. This particular chapter not only provided evidence to support this correlation, but evidence that the volcanoes may have been a forcing mechanism for those weather patterns. Volcanoes and weather are a topic of some interest to me, and until I read this book, I had trouble finding a good introduction to the study of volcanoes, and to the relationship between volcanoes and weather. Now I have.

To save space and my own energy, I am not going to discuss the chapter on "Thermohaline Circulation." Except, I will say that that I learned enough in that one chapter on North Atlantic deep water formation and three dimensional ocean circulation models for all of the world's oceans to help me understand an article on the subject recently published in the journal Nature. I will also skip lightly over the early chapter titled "Self-Organization" which discusses, among other things, the overall flow of energy in a civilization, and the important roll of exporting entropy to the environment by a civilization to reduce the potentially disruptive entropy in the civilization. I will also skip lightly over the chapter titled "Famine and the Individual" which describes how famine can rapidly lead to the complete collapse of social norms and the massive disruption of "normal" energy flows in any civilization.

Probably the most important or challenging single assertion Dr. Gill makes is changing the timing of the collapse of Chichen Itza. Traditionally dated around 1150 AD, and cited as an example of the ability of some Maya cities to survive the Classical collapse, the author re-dates this event to the 9th century based partly on re-interpretation of inscribed calendar dates attributed to the period after the collapse. This particular assertion is probably one of the most controversial in the book and is critical to the author's basic thesis. I suspect that it will be the focus of considerable argument. In support of this claim, the author provides a new interpretation of the relationship between Chichen Itza and the Toltecs, which itself is probably worth a fair amount of discussion.

I strongly recommend this book to just about anyone with an analytical mind. If you are interested in the general flow of Maya civilization this book has a lot to offer. If you are generally interested in the interplay between climate and civilization, this book also has a lot to offer. If you are just somewhat interested in topics such as global meteorology, volcanoes, tree-ring records in Europe and America, or the debate between uniformitariansm and neocatastrophism in the early study of geology, you will still find useful information that is readily accessible.

Although The Great Maya Droughts by Richardson Gill is a very impressive collection of information, it's not quite what I had expected. Given the title I had expected an archaeological account of recent finds and what they tell of the decline of Maya civilization. Instead the bulk of the book, eleven chapters of it, deals with a wide variety of scientific information having to do with a number of fields: physics, oceanography, complexity theory, meteorology, geology, hydrology, paleoclimatology, and volcanology among them. Not until the last two chapters of the book, and then mostly in summary form, does the author really discuss the archaeological data. For the average reader interested in the Maya and/or in general archaeology this might be a thirty dollar disappointment. Some of the material is rather complex, and although one might be able to work ones way through it on just the explanations the author gives of each topic, it would probably appeal more to those who already have at least some background in these areas. This having been said, though, I have to admit that I loved the book.

The author's primary goal is to introduce the theme of what he terms an energy failure as the cause of the Maya demise. To do this he approaches his topic as a physical scientist. Modern archaeology has come a long way since W. M. Flinders Petrie and A. Layard, and there is as much "hard" science involved in this discipline as digging in the sand. In fact with funds for excavations difficult to come by these days, there is probably far less digging in the sand going on now than there was in the past. Gill seems to be a model of the new archeologist/scientist. Steeped in what E. O. Wilson calls "consilience," the author calls upon data from a variety of fields to supply him with the building blocks he needs to reinforce his thesis.

At first I was a little skeptical of this type of approach, even though I know a fair amount about most of Dr. Gill's supporting subjects. By the time he got to a discussion of the shifting of the ecotomes in Europe during the Roman period (p. 16), I was totally hooked. I had just read a book covering the rise and fall of the Roman occupation in Gaul, and Gill's discussion of it in his work made perfect sense. With his treatment of human culture and its limitations in terms of thermodynamics and its evolution in terms of self organizing criticality, he had completely reeled me in. Like others, I had considered the decay of the Maya centers to be a "multifaceted" problem. Human culture and behavior being as complex as they are-or seem to be-a multidimensional answer to the problem seemed logical. As Gill presents it, however, there is nothing so logical-or so simple-as the destruction of the human animal by a lack of water. As he points out, a person can live for months without eating but only days without water.

The book is well worth the effort, even for those with limited knowledge of the included topics, as long as he/she has the desire to learn something new and isn't afraid of a little work. Furthermore, the bibliography is a mine of useful resources, both books and periodicals. Some are a little old, 1970-1980s, but many are more current. Of the books that I've read from the author's list: Per Bak's How Nature Works is fun, as is Sigurdsson's Melting the Earth. Jered Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel is wonderful, a "must read" sort of book. Both Decker and Decker's Volcanoes and Bullard's Volcanoes of the Earth, though a little old, are interesting and easy to read. Of the journals American Scientist, Archaeology, Nature, Science, and Scientific American should be readily available in most college and urban public libraries. Those like Geology, The Holocene, Hydrobiologia, Hydrology, the Journal of Human Evolution, Journal of Paleoceanography, and Quaternary Research may be available in some university libraries or in their individual department libraries.

For THOSE WRITING PAPERS on archaeology, history, meteorology/climatology, anthropology, ecology, etc. this book would make an instructive source for "how-to-do-it with science." It would make an excellent source of quotes in support of your own themes, a good source for bibliographical material, and a good bibliographical entry for your own paper.

Not an easy book to get through. Certainly not for those who just want an overview of the Maya. Definitely worth it for those with a desire to learn.

Dr. Gill has truly broken new ground with this startling theory on the demise of the Mayan Empire. Why no-one heretofore considered drought as the primary cause of the Mayan disappearance now seems remarkable. His premise debunks the previous and long-held concepts on the mysterious demise of these ancient people and literally re-writes a major chapter in the history of Mexico. Thank you, Dr. Gill for finally shedding light on this dark topic and providing a conclusive answer to what has long been a nebulous and even divisive black hole in the anthropologic annals of North America.

This book is terrific in all respects. It is terrific about the paintings of Picasso, terrific about the life of Picasso and terrific about the times in which Picasso lived. Richardson's judgements are always reasoned and it looks like Richardson takes everything into account prior to providing these very reasoned judgements. I don't see how this book could have been improved on except by having color plates.

Where does genius come from? What are the motives? What are the stars that guide?

Picasso was arguably the most original and influential artist of the 20th century. In volume one of four planned volumes (three of which have been produced to date), John Richardson collaborates with Marilyn McCully to establish the detailed record of how Picasso developed as a man and an artist through the early Rose period. The book is made richer by Richardson's friendship with the artist and his access to Picasso's memories of key events. But he doesn't slavishly accept Picasso's version (except in damning Matisse as inferior to Picasso) but rather checks out the different versions and picks what seems to make the most sense.

Picasso's fanatic desire to succeed was fueled in part by his contempt for his father's failed career as an artist and his father's views that Picasso should follow in his footsteps. Picasso also needed to be treated as special, more than most of us. Groveling before exploitive dealers built a lifelong passion to be in charge. Picasso also knew that Paris was where he had to shine and suffered greatly to make his success there. His struggles will impress you.

Where the book is unequaled in my experience is in tracking down the sources of Picasso's images, gestures, styles, and innovations. The book is filled with black and white images from the works of other artists, Picasso's notebooks, photographs of the scenes and subjects, and related works that Picasso did. From these, you get a better sense of Picasso as a synthesizer of styles and modes.

In closely examining Picasso's work from these years, it's easy to develop superficial impressions of what sort of man did those paintings. For instance, the paintings of women show someone who feels compelled to alternately adore and dominate women . . . especially sexually. Learning later that he locked his mistress into the studio even on the hottest days when he left adds to that impression.

The book provides other powerful insights of this sort by relating the heavy use of opium by Picasso and his circle of artist friends during the Blue period. A lot of the models seem stoned in those paintings. Could it be that they were? Picasso loved to paint the circus performers and one of his first mistresses was one. Could it be that those performers are really emotional self-portraits? The book isn't clear on that point, but the possibility of the interpretation will occur to you.

A few central mysteries are left undeveloped. Why did Picasso stick so long with styles that he later abandoned and which didn't sell well when he was very poor? Picasso admitted to Richardson that the Blue and Rose periods had been mistakes. Why did Picasso slow down his production at times when he had contracts and shows upcoming? How did Picasso incorporate his love for poetry into his paintings?

At times Richardson is over the top in his fawning. Here's an example. Picasso is described as clearly one of the great poets of the 20th century, but Richardson doesn't reveal any evidence . . . nor was Picasso doing any poetry writing at the time of this volume. I suspect that the fawning was the price of admission for his access which rewards us in other ways.

Ultimately, the book's main weakness is that the images are not in color. Fortunately, color is less important to Picasso's work during this period than in later periods. Perhaps there will be another edition at some point that will bring the full dimensions of the work to bear at least for the masterpieces.

Enjoy your immersion in Picasso's chaotic world.

Great work, done by a real scholar, beautifully written, as fascinating as a novel. Keeps away from myths and tales, impressively documented, meticulously illustrated (too bad it is not in color).

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was born to a mediocre painter and his good wife Maria on October 25, 1881. His family was poor but well connected. One uncle was a priest; another a prominent medical doctor. Picasso's father was easygoing eking out a living as an art teacher. When Pablo was a boy the family moved to Barcelona where his father taught in an art school. His mother was beloved of Pablo who had her tenacity of character and eager desire to learn. His younger sister Conchita died in childhood and he was close to his remaining sister throughout their long lives.
Pablo loved to paint from birth! He did not like formal schooling. He did attend the art school in Madrid but grew bored and left. As a teen he was wild and enjoyed chasing girls and hanging around with his bohemian chums. In these early years Pablo developed his routine throughout life: hard work, lots of sex (often in brothels!and smoking. Picasso drank very little and never had an alcohol problem.
As a young man he made three trips to Paris finally staying for good in the City of Lights on his fourth trip. He became friendly with several artists and writers most notablly the poet Apollinaire. His first true love was Olive Ferdinand a fetching Parisian who was also a minor painter.
Picasso had countless mistresses.
During these early years he went through his "Blue Period" in which he portrayed tragic and erotic figures in gloomy and sad modes. He later entered the "Rose Period" of colorful harlequins, clowns and street folks. He also enjoyed sculpture. His work began to sell.
Instrumental in his success were the dealers he relied upon to majrket his avant garde art. Among the influential people who bought his paintings were the American expatriots Leo and Gertrude Stein. Picasso was popular with Russian buyers. He preferred private sales rather than exhibiting his art alongside other salon artists. It was during these years he produced such masterpieces as "La Vie" "Old Man with a Guitar" and several works portraying androgynous bathers. As the book ends he is on the verge of moving into cubism along with fellow painter Braque.
Richardson does a good job of keeping his text balanced between sapient art assessments and Picasso's personal life. The crammed text is filled with such characters as the Steins, Matisse and the fetching Olive
Ferdinand. We see how Picasso was influenced by such masters from the past as: Ingres, Cezanne, Velasquez and El Greco. Richardson is insistent that we see Picasso as a Spanish artist heavily influenced by his Andalusian roots and the luminaries of Spanish art.
The book is well illustrated with hundreds of black and white photos of Picasso's works and snapshots taken of Picasso and friends. Richardson knew Picasso in his old age and is a brilliant critic of his work.
What kind of man was Picasso? He once told an interviewer "Truth is false!" In other words he was a paradox. He could be kind or cruel. He could abuse lovers forcing them into unnatural sex acts or he could be a gentle lover. He loved and hated Spain. He was apolitical at this early juncture of his career. Picasso hated pretense and liked common people.
He is complex and unique in art history as a protean master of many different types of art. This is the best biography ever written of Picasso and is the first of the four volumes to be published on a 2oth century art icon. Essential.

There is something so incredibly beautiful about her work that you can gaze at an image for hours. While we have superstar photographers today, she was subtle and reserved about fame, and I think it is the true spirit of fashion to be stoic and reserved as opposed to glamorous.

if i could take only two photography books to my desert island, they'd be "Jeanloup Sieff : 40 Years of Photography," plus Lillian Bassman's relatively thin -- yet sensually-overloading -- volume. what a crime her work is not widely known. hers truly are impressionist photographs at their absolute finest, dripping with lushness and yet extreme fragility. they seem to float dreamlike around us and about us, offering a glimpse into that most rarefied world: the strange ethereal galaxy of a french fashion model of the 40s and 50s, bathed in moonlight and wrapped in jazz. god these are beautiful pictures.

Lillian Bassman treats every photograph as though it were a canvas. With her selective toning and bleaching, it's hard to believe many of these images are photos. Her work in fashion was groundbreaking.

Lillian Bassman is a well known fashion photographer of the 40's and 50's. Her work is glamorous and visually exciting. The photos in this collection are a combination of photography and other artistic tools which give them an almost otherworldly feel. The book is oversized, which makes many of the pictures big enough for framing which is exactly what I intend to do. There is also a short biography of her career which continues through today. A very good buy overall.

Not only does this book have a great wealth of spells and spell-crafting information, it also contains a good deal of information that really helps you understand the how to's and why's of many magical practices ....

For example, we all have heard of the traditional ways of annointing a magical candle .... however, did anyone ever take the time to explain why you annoint the candle that particular way? What is the symbolizm? This book gives you that type of information -- to help you understand why you are doing what you are doing.

This book is definitely NOT a 101 book filled with FLUFF .... instead, this book skips over basic informaiton, like how to cast a circle .... and moves on to intermediate magic so that you can sink your teeth into the main course of your spiritual meal.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for not only a great spellbook, but also a book on modern Wicca that is not filled with Fluff.

Much Love & Many Blessings,
Thorn Nightwind

Magicka Formularia is one of the best reference books on formulary magick I have. It has its roots in Hermetics, but crosses over to Wicca and other Earth based religions. It covers the basics as well as deeper concepts of magick. I highly recomend this book to anyone who wants to build a reference library on the theory of Magick and its applications.

This is an excellent book for the novice and adept alike on formulary magick. The first part of the book deals with giving you a good foundation of what magick is and the basics of spellworking. The next part is a grimoire filled with all kinds of spells from simple to complex to suit your everyday needs. A must for any Witch. Blessed be!

This is a must-have book for any witch or pagan. Cheryl goes into much deatil for the advanced witch or magickal practitioner. There is also a good selection of pages in the back for your own notes to add. Get this book when you can.