Wood Books

My 2.5 year old LOVES this book. I was amazed at the beautiful illustrations and the quality of the stickers. Each page includes a short story and stickers are provided to enhance the learning experience. For example, the first page introduces Bobby the Bear and tells of his life in the forest. It goes on to tell of Bobby's forest friends. Stickers of his forest friends are provided and the reader is able to put them on that page so that they become acquainted with other animals that live in the forest. This book also teaches/enhances matching and sorting skills. I'm planning on buying all of these sticker books. You can't beat the price.

My 2 1/2 year old just loves this book. It combines the things kids this age love - a story book and stickers and it's educational too! She needed adult supervision to do the stickers properly but it was alot of fun to do with her since the book is well written and so beautifully illustrated. I would recommend this book for toddlers and older. The stickers can be reused up to a point and given the quality the price is a value. Highly recommend it.

I have all of Maurice Pledger's sticker books: Bobby Bear, Billy Bunny, Olivia Owl, and Oscar Otter. I think they are well written, beautifully illustrated, and through the very generous number of stickers noted to match particular pages in the story, offer a tremendous interactive experience. I have four children between the ages of 2 and 7 and they all enjoy them at their own level. I have also probably bought more than 25 copies as birthday or other occasion gifts and they are always a hit with both children and parents. I definitely recommend this and any of these books.

Perhaps, the planets are aligned improperly or his hair is the wrong texture or people prefer the taste of Coca-Cola to RC.... Who knows why Russel Like has not gotten the attention he deserves? The only question we can really answer is, should we read his books? If you didn't answer with a resounding "yes," it can only be because you haven't read one. In a genre where humour is generally laid on in a lumpy layer of slapstick and puns, Like's books are in a class by themselves. Funny, wicked, clever, thought-provoking, and wildly imaginative -- A BOWL OF FRUIT, just like AFTER THE BLUE, is a comic delight. His characterss would seem absurd if they weren't so much like the people you sit and the dinner table with on holidays. Or, maybe they are more like the people you pass on the street and feel an urge to follow, merely because of something they were mumbling. Like's books give off the same kind of allure, and, if you are smart, you'll follow wherever they lead.

I feel as if I've gotten in on the ground floor of something that's going to be huge! When Russel Like inevitably collects his first "best book" or "best movie" award, I'll be able to say, "I read him when."

If you like science fiction and/or humor, then you MUST read, "A Bowl Of Fruit, A Whale in the Woods." If you don't like science fiction and/or humor, you should read it anyway, because Russel Like simply uses the genre as an opportunity to look at - and more important, to show his readers - everyday occurrences in delightful new ways.

Image what Dave Barry would be like in a slightly awry alternate reality, and you have a glimpse of what Like is like in "A Bowl of Fruit."

Enjoy!

His career uninspired and his personal life unrelentingly tedious, Greg Fisher started to mess around with a special device that would embroil him with alternative realities. Author Russel Like has an original, somewhat quirky, and always entertaining flair for writing the kinds of stories that are so easy to pick up and so hard to put down! A Bowl Of Fruit, A Whale In The Woods is especially recommended for science fiction and fantasy fans who like their tales wild, whimsical, eccentric, and uproariously funny!

This is an outstanding book, for professionals and casual readers alike. Dr. Woods breaks down the taboo of teenage suicide with personal anecdotes and a truly engaging style. She shows us that this subject, which might make us cringe, is a very real part of our world, with impacts ranging from the quiet lives of individual families to headline-grabbing events such as the Columbine massacre. Rock music lyrics, a teenager's internal tug-of-war between pressure to achieve and desire not to disappoint, gender- all these aspects and others are brought into the open and discussed in a way that is both interesting and scientifically sound.
The entire book is solidly supported with references from medical and scientific journals, yet the author's writing style makes this book completely engaging and a truly absorbing read. It is an empowering book: it not only lists signs that can indicate a greater risk for teen suicide, but goes on to describe ways of addressing them- some original and logical "do's" and "don'ts". Overall, I loved this book because of the undeniable importance of the subject and the author's terrific writing style.

A subject rarely talked about in public and even less in schools. Teenage suicide is a problem that we must actively deal with. Dr. Woods gives insight into the many ways that we as individuals can make a difference in another person's life and possibly prevent another person from taking their own life. Dr. Woods explores many cases of teenage suicide showing many different view points of triggers that can lead to suicide - signs to look out for and possible approaches to handle them. It is commonly believed that depression is the sign to look for in a person who is considering suicide. Often this is not the case as Dr. Woods illustrates.
The book does not cover all the reasons for suicide such as side effects of a medication, nor does it claim to be the definitive encyclopedia on the subject. More importantly it sheds a light on an epidemic that is prevalent in our society and should be discussed towards prevention and positive action.
This is an important book that parents and adults who work children with should read.

A subject rarely talked about in public and even less in schools. Teenage suicide is a problem that we must actively deal with. Dr. Woods gives insight into the many ways that we as individuals can make a difference in another person's life and possibly prevent another person from taking their own life. Dr. Woods explores many cases of teenage suicide showing many different view points of triggers that can lead to suicide - signs to look out for and possible approaches to handle them. It is commonly believed that depression is the sign to look for in a person who is considering suicide. Often this is not the case as Dr. Woods illustrates.
The book does not cover all the reasons for suicide such as side effects of a medication, nor does it claim to be the definitive encyclopedia on the subject. More importantly it sheds a light on an epidemic that is prevalent in our society and should be discussed towards prevention and positive action.
This is an important book that parents and adults who work children with should read.

As a big fan of John Michne's website, I became very interested when I heard this book was coming out. I ordered it right away and I was not disappointed. The are a few books out today on the subject of boatbuilding for the home hobbyist that are really fantastic and this ranks right up there along with Ted Moore's Canoecraft, John Brooks' Glued Lapstrake Boatbuilding. The author's combine boatbuilding skill and documentation skill which is not an easy or common feat. They have done a great job in documenting the build of the H. Dwight Grant design 16' Guideboat "Virginia" so home boatbuilders like me can follow right along. I would not have considered building a boat like this without this book. The book includes all of the steps and precise details on how to reproduce this great craft. Many tips and techniques are shown that will insure high quality if carefully followed. The authors approach is one of setting a very high standard instead of mass appeal simplicity. The sanding stick idea is ingeniously simple for sanding rolling bevels on stems and ribs but I had never heard of it before. The sections on seat caning and brass metalwork clearly illustrate that it is something within my reach. I particularly liked that the authors were faithful to the Grant design "Virginia" lines as precisely documented by John Gardner. It is a great tribute to Grant, Gardner, Kenneth Durant and anyone who appreciates this special piece of history. I am sure they would be happy that new guideboats will continue to emerge from workshops and garages and be used all over the world rather than slowly fading away as museum pieces only. The Adirondack Guideboat design is really not for a beginning boatbuilder who is looking to build a first boat. It will turn out much better if you have already built a few boats. Don't miss out on this book though just because you are not ready to build one. No other type of book exists that I know of on how to build this remarkable boat.

im no expert on any type of boat,nor a writer.

i enjoyed this book quite a bit. its amaizing what you learn that you never ever heard of before.
i would definatly like to build one of these boats,, but,i must first build a smaller less complicated dinghy type first. to get a bit of practice. after all, thats alot of money in wood and epoxy,FG so,, id want to be a little more confident before i begin one of my own.
the book has great pictures,and the text..... well you begin to admire the builders that came before us.. (i always do) the craftmanship of these boats is truly amaizing. and they did alot of it with old school tools.

i cant recomend this book enough. i buy two types of boat books.
one type shares building information with me,techniques,tips,ect,ect..,so i might build a beauty of my own somday.
the second reason i buy boat books,,is for the history of boating in general. and this book has a full load of both kinds of information.

its nice to have it on the shelf.

roy

This is an absolutely excellent book! If you have any interest in Adirondack guideboats or in strip building canoes, you owe it to yourself to buy this book. The authors do a masterful job of explaining - in excrutiating detail - how to build a reproduction of a guideboat that is currently in a museum. They leave no stone unturned and describe the process very clearly with lots of photographs. They do a great job as well of weaving throughout the chapters the history of guideboats and their construction. Much of what they describe can be used for building other boats as well. This is a must have if you're into boat building or guideboats or the Adirondacks. It's probably the best book available on this topic!

This book is an excellent overview of the history of civil aviation, terminals, and airfields. The attention to detail, both photographic and linguistic, is marvelous and provides a wonderful account of airport design. The faithfulness to the original traveling photo exhibit allows readers the opportunity to experience the cultural presentation alongside the historical reconstruction. All in all, a wonderful book for any aviation fan.

BfAT is one of the most intriguing books you'll find about airports. It covers a lot of airport design aspects- but it is not an engineering book. In other words, you won't have to face boring charts and graphs. All you get is interseting texts, divided into differnt issues, and many rare and beautiful pictures. If you really like airports- you should have this book.

A truly comprehensive book, enjoyable to both read and look through. It covers the history and scope of air travel, including airport and aircraft design, corporate identities and marketing in a thorough, extensive and compelling manner. It is distinctive in how it successfully melds a global scope and a focused perspective.

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

(This refers to the Peter Constantine translation from 2005.) This wonderful and short book ought to be first called philosophical, then satirical, then an adventure, and finally political. Unlike his contemporary Flaubert (such as in A Sentimental Education), Voltaire manages to keep contemporary references staggered in a perfect quantity to not overwhelm his 'main meal' with spices of political reference and opinionated controversy. While the story itself is a little unbelievable and facile, this fits perfectly with the satire Voltaire is able to exact on just about every nation, religion, political party, playwright, and idea he chooses--and he chooses to be inclusive! The bashful optimist Candide, the love of his life Cunegonde, and his troupe of intermittent companies such as a mulatto sidekick, a practical foil, an 'old woman', a womanizing abbot, and finally his lifelong tutor, Professor Pangloss, who teaches primarily 'metaphysico-theolog-cosmo-idiotology all serve to act out an adventure and a wonderful debate on how to think about and act toward this very hard thing called life. While not a Buddhist tract by any means, it certainly concludes with some telling signs supportive of 'calm abiding'; and resolves to a very simple, perhaps almost Theroux-esque philosophies. This is put together well on all levels and will be enjoyed by all except staunch and sensitive believers of their own religion. The book is tawdry and explicit at times, which dulls its impact.

The Constantine translation is light, wry and true. It feels as if this is most like what a contemporary reader must have transacted out of the book at the time it was written, certainly in terms of humor and light pique. The last time I read this was in French in middle school and it was much more of a pleasure in English in this version.

According to many scholars, Voltaire (pen name for Francois Marie Arouet) was the embodiment of the Enlightenment. Born in Paris is 1694, he was well educated by the Jesuits, studying law prior to turning to writing as a profession. His lampoons and satires won him fame and infamy; he was imprisoned and exiled at various times for his writing. He was forced into exile from France to England; later, he was invited to work for Frederick the Great in Berlin (politics and his reputation blew rapidly in the ever-changing winds of Europe). Voltaire wrote 'Candide' shortly after this period, when he had moved to Geneva. In 1778, the year of his death, he returned to Paris, a triumphant celebrity -- many of his ideas served to strengthen the movements that would eventually culminate in the French Revolution.

The story of 'Candide', the primary character in the Voltaire's novel, is the story of the search for answers. It is hard to classify 'Candide' solely as a political satire, or indeed in any other genre where it might find similarities. Voltaire explores religious and theological ideas, social and political situations, personal and intellectual issues, and the general strand of history. How could an omnipotent and benevolent God permit the world to be as it is? How can human beings, supposedly rational beings, treat each other as they do? How can rational beings act, feel and believe so irrationally?

The Enlightenment brought the ideas of Deism forward as important, and began to explore in earnest intellectual and political freedoms for people. The acquisition of knowledge, both pure theory and experiential/applied, was of high value. Candide was a student more than anything else, although in the course of the story, he holds many roles. Others who appear include Pangloss, the know-it-all philosophy teacher; Cunegonde, Candide's on-again, off-again love interest (who has her own set of adventures reported); Martin, another scholar (this one rather hopeless, in more ways than one); various other characters including Jewish merchants, Grand Inquisitors (the Enlightenment equivalent of Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition), and other bit players.

Candide travels all across Europe, from Westphalia through the Latin countries, ending up finally in Constantinople. No stone is unturned to expose the foibles of the locals, the problems of the travelers, and questionable underside of all society as they move from place to place, culture to culture, and crisis to crisis. Ultimately, the plot is not as important as the characters and characterisations -- for a book written in the 1700s, it is remarkably modern, hinting at sexual innuendo (including homosexuality) among royals and clergy, making fun of the military mindset and leadership (the king of the Bulgars is modeled upon Frederick the Great, and the Bulgar army is the Prussian army) and the church (the pope here has an illegitmate daughter, etc.).

The key satire, however, is against Leibniz, philosopher and mathematician, very intelligent but obviously not in directions Voltaire cared for. Leibniz had a directional metaphysics and historical sense -- this was the best of all possible worlds (the most famous phrase from the novel, put in Pangloss' mouth); the amiable but not-swift-on-the-uptake Pangloss is the stand-in for Leibniz.

Norton's Critical Edition includes several essays, in addition to the text of Voltaire's 'Candide' -- the novel itself is a mere 77 pages, translated by Robert Adams of UCLA. There are several background pieces, including a general survey of the intellectual background, philosophical explanations, and a brief biography of Voltaire.

Essays on criticism include discussion of Voltaire's narrative art, the ideas of pessimism and providence (it is worth remember here that Voltaire's purpose in writing 'Candide' was as a critique against optimism, of a sort), and various controversies. This is truly a fascinating collection, with pieces by such heavyweights in literary history as William Blake and Heinrich Heine giving their impressions on Voltaire and the issues addressed in 'Candide'. Gustave Flaubert and Anatole France give reflections on Voltaire's humanity; Victor Hugo discusses his greatness.

As Adams says, it is a surprise to find that 'Candide', a classic, is nonetheless funny. However, that is because it is so readily identifiable -- many heroes in modern stories are re-worked Candides of one sort or another; it is an Enlightenment Everyman, and we live in a period still heavily invested in and self-identified with Enlightenment ideas.

This is obviously the best of all possible Norton Critical Editions of Voltaire's 'Candide' from Adams.

If you have been a caricature carver for a long time or just starting out, this book holds a wealth of information for you. All but the most advanced carvers will be able to put some tricks in their bag from this book.

Pete starts with just a piece of basswood and begins carving. You don't even need a bandsaw to do these projects. He takes you from blocking out the head and the body all the way through carving the eyes, mouth, ears, hands, clothing wrinkles, etc. The numerous color photos are presented well and there are enough close-ups to help you stay on track.

Let me end this review by stating that if you don't own Pete's first book "Carving Caricature Head & Faces" then you should. Pete's philosophy on caricature carving is that the head and face are the most important feature of the carving. While "Carving Caricature Figures from Scratch" does detail the head nicely, I think the first book will give you a lot more insight.

Good reference book as well as good instructions for carving and painting caricature figures. I highly recommend!

Pete takes you step by step through the process of carving a complete caricature figure. Each picture shows enough detail to easily follow and the carving steps are frequent enough so there isn't any wondering how he moved from the previous step. Pete emphasizes the importance of carving the head, since the most engaging feature of a caricature is the face. I have most of Pete's books and would recommend them all. If you are a beginning carver (as I am) or an experienced carver looking to try something different, this is the book for you.

Very well done. Highly recommended. I've been carving and painting for over 40 years and am pleased that I added this book to my library.

My husband is a woodcarver and is pretty darn good at it, with one exception --the human face. He carved a clown, an indian and a man's head, a Roman and Don Quixote and he was not satisified with any of those faces. Then he got his hands on this book. When he finished the bust of the female, I was startled to see just how good a carving it was. Now I'm afraid that he's decided that his problem was that he had not carved women's heads. He's looking around for a camera and a model to photograph from a multitude of angles, just like Norbury showed him how to do in this book. I'm just not too sure how far I want him to go with this new found talent....

This is the best book I've seen about carving the female bust. Norbury works from photographs and goes into great detail about using photos to make the pattern for the bust of choice.

His directions are excellent, especially for determining the removal of unwanted stock. This could almost be considered a textbook.

This is a good reference for those interested in figure carving. It has steps on how to create acurate drawings from photos, an important part of the process. There are anatomy drawings to help in the understanding of what is happening as the figure pose changes. There are actual photos of a model to help relate the anatomical sketches and the working drawings.....a well done presentation!

For years, I struggled with sculpting the human form. Occasionally I got lucky and produced something that was "acceptable" but most of the time my carvings could be considered a contemporary distortion of the form-definitely not, what I started out to do. To say the least, my efforts were frustrating. The frustration ended when I purchased two of Mr. Norbury's books, "Carving Classic Female Figures in Wood" and "Carving Classic Female Faces in Wood"

In "Carving Classic Female Figures in Wood" Mr. Norbury explains sculpting the human torso from model to finished work. I was most impressed with his concept of holding things in the square while defining size, points of reference and protrusions before any rounded forming should begin. This helped me to easily maintain proportion.

Also very helpful was Mr. Norbury's plan of attack or sequence of events. This taught me that trying to work the whole project at once was futile. He defines a well-planed method that works. In the final stages, the anatomical drawings with simple explanations were very helpful. I can now go back to my anatomy books with greater understanding.

Finally, the gallery section was most inspirational. Seeing what another can do and armed with basic knowledge, I now have an attainable goal. Thank you Mr. Norbury.

I sculpt the figure mainly in clay, but I have been thinking about trying woodcarving, so I bought this book to get a look at what was possible in wood. It is a very good presentation of how to create a figure in a carved medium.

The book illustrates the construction of two figures from start to finish - from making reference photos of the model, to roughing, to detailing, to finishing. The photos are clear, copious, in color, and are large enough to be easy to see when propped up on the workbench. The text is concise, but adequate. Also included are a number of excellent photos of Mr. Norbury's figure sculpture.

Most of the techniques shown are not really specific to wood, and there is no discussion of tools and technique, which is a bit of a disappointment with respect to my goal of learning about woodcarving. However, that is not really the fault of the author, since this is not intended as book for beginners.

On the plus side, I work mainly constructively in clay, and I hope the technique of working by carving will help me add some new approaches to my sculpture. I think many of the ideas and techniques illustrated will also be applicable to stone.

I'll give the best recommendation I can: based on this book, I plan on buying as many of Mr. Norbury's other books as I can.

I have been teaching graduate social work for fifteen years and have yet to discover a text about psychosocial casework that surpasses this revised classic in its clarity, depth, thouroughness, and wisdom. The basic psychosocial orientation and typology of casework procedures defined by Florence Hollis remains intact, yet the text, as a whole, is substantially updated by Mary Woods, whose fluid prose is rich in clinical detail, articulate, and aimed at what the practitioner yearns to know and needs to know. As an experienced clinician, I still turn frequently to the chapters on couple and family treatment where protocols for navigating these exceptionally tricky modalities are clearly presented. In chapter 16, for example, Mary Woods develops a typology of "relationships and problems" detailing 12 patterns of couple conflict that, in itself, serves as a primer for the novice practitioner. Approaches to nontraditional couples (premarital couples, unmarried pairs, cross-cultural relationships, and gay and lesbian couples) are amply discussed as well with sensitive consideration of social differentials in power experienced by men and women and by couples of color. The text consistently partializes assessment and techniques of intervention so that one can read and assimilate complex clinical procedures in bite size pieces. Heuristics are laced throughout the text, giving one a feeling of personal guidance. The fifth edition of Casework is a treasure chest for students and teachers of social work and the helping professions to dig into time and time again.

Casework: A Psychosocial Therapy, 5th edition

by Mary Woods and Florence Hollis

For many years the classic Woods and Hollis text has been required reading for graduate students of social work at the Hunter College School of Social Work. The updated Fifth Edition is even more useful than previous editions in its in-depth and detailed explanations of modern social work practice. This book addresses clients' concrete practice needs, environmental deficits and pressures, and personal and relationship dilemmas. Seldom in the literature is the field of social work firmly grounded in its own special knowledge and traditions, described so fully that the reader can clearly distinguish it from other helping professions. Recently, when asked about which of many professional writings they found most helpful, eight-five percent of a class of first year social work graduate students consistently identified Casework as particularly valuable in illuminating knowledge essential to their education for social work; they noted the text's clear explications of the unique history, values, missions and rick accumulation of practice experience-and the complexity of the interactions among these-that must be mastered to train for a career in this profession. Students have further indicated that the book is extremely helpful in identifying the theories underlying social work practice and how these theories can be specifically applied in work with a broad range of clients, presenting a vast array of quandaries and difficulties, seen in many settings.

Clear explanations of techniques (the "how-tos" of practice)aid new social workers in developing skills of listening and intervening. The importance of "mutuality" between clients and workers in emphasized. The text explains how clients-individuals, couples and families-can be helped to claim their own strengths and become empowered to resolve dilemmas, make decisions and choose changes. From the outset, the reader learns about social work's dual focus: on people and their environments and on the interactions and "fit" between them. The book describes and illustrates how people's lives affect and are affected by external conditions. Straightfoward discussions and a wide variety of case examples demonstrate how inner and outer phenomena are in constant interaction and inseparably intertwined, and how social work interventions have to be tailored to focus on those systems most accessible to change.

The four chapters on family and couple treatment introduce beginning students to multi-person interviewing and are often studied intensively by second year and post-graduate students who are preparing to gain further understanding and skill in these modalities.

Dr. Florence Vigilante, Professor, The Hunter College School of Social Work, of the City University of New York Dr. Martha Haffey, Associate Professor and Chair of Casework, The Hunter College School of Social Work of the City University of New York

As a graduate social work clinician of 15 years, I turn to Casework: A Psychosocial Therapy to renew my understanding, hone my skills, and refresh myself on the particulars of treatment techniques and procedures involved in individual, family, and couple work. There are few books that blend theory and the "how-to" of clinical practice in the ways that this book does. It is an exceptionally clear text. This book reminds the clinician of the importance of listening closely to what is important to clients as opposed to imposing upon them what we think should be important to them. Respect for the client is foremost, and this book underlines this and other values which represent the best our profession offers. It is the definitive test in psychosocial casework, and I heartily recommend it to others.