Miniature Books

When I tell people I'm reading a graphic novel adaptation of a Mozart opera, they tend to think I'm nuts. However, this was a really cool book. I was unfamiliar with the opera upon which this book was based when I started reading it, but the story is a wonderful work of fantasy with fun characters and a great message. The artwork is fantastic as well, and it really drew me into the story. I highly recommend this book to lovers of fantasy graphic novels with an open mind.

I bought this book because recently I recorded The Magic Flute opera from PBS (TV station), performed by The Metropolitan Opera New York (MET) in English. The channel was in high-definition. I'm dissapointed with the book because there was no English translation at all in the book but it didn't mean I could not enjoy the book. Because I have the book, I notice the English opera version (perform by MET) contains removed parts. For example, the overture was cut by half. Maybe it is to shorted the performance.

This is a great opera introduction for kids. The story is really easy to follow and the CD is a great addition. I highly recommend this for anyone.

This was a wonderful story well written for a young audience. We bought it for our six-year-old son who began studying violin a year ago, and this was his one-year anniversary present. Mozart's Eine Kleine Nacht Musik was his inspiration to learn the violin, and he has since taken interest in other Mozart music. The illustrations are also very beautiful.

I'm usually dismissive of most Die Zauberflotes because I find the overall quality of the singers and recording lacking. Then I came upon this recording...I have to say that it is simply the most amazing Die Zauberflote I've ever heard! The orchestrations to the singers to the conductor himself...everything is mind-blowing! I'm not a Mozart person, but if I really like a recording of his I will buy it. This is an excellent way to introduce yourself to the Flute, especially since there is such a wonderful introduction accompanying this extremely famous opera. And the Queen of the Night-Edda Moser!!! Amazing! Simply amazing! No other Queen has conveyed that much drama into her singing. This is the Flute. I would suggest Marriner's version if I hadn't seen this one, but then here is a Flute with all the greats in it! Get it now!

For fans of the Mark Manning series, this will rank high on the favorites list. Craft gives an interesting display of the minature world of hobbies along with a challenging web of mystery. Clues begin popping up in early pages, but most readers will have to stayed glued to the unfolding chapters to find the murderer. A well-researched and plotted mystery.

In NAME GAMES, Michael Craft's fourth novel in this series Mark Manning has settle in in Dumont, Wisconsin, has taken over the reins fo the local newspaper, his lover Neil is in town working as an architect for the local printing company, and the two of them are finding they like being the parents of Thad, the sixteen-year-old they have "inherited" when his mother was brutally murdered in volume three of the series, less than a year ago. The peace and tranquility will not last for long, however. Grace Lord, owner of The Nook, a shop specializing in furniture for dollhouses, has scheduled an annual regional exhibition of the Midwest Miniatures Society for the people who design and collect these dollhouses or "roomboxes." Any writer who can write an interesting story about such an unusual subject-- and that's putting it nicely-- obviously can write about anything. Carroll Cantrell, the outrageously gay and national authority on these little houses, soon after he arrives to judge the competition, is found brutally murdered in Ms. Lord's carriage house. Pierce, the friendly local sheriff whom we know from the previous mystery is outed as a gay man when he turns up as a suspect since he has been sleeping with Cantrell since his arrival in Dumont.

In addition to Neil, Thad and Pierce, Roxanne, Mark's attorney friend; Lucille and Glee, newspaper employees; the local DA Kaiser and Marian of Fem-Snach make return appearances as well.

As usual, Mr. Craft takes on bigotry against gay people and voices his support for free speech. (Kaiser, who is up for reelection, forms an alliance with Marian in an effort to close down the adult bookstores.) Of course we have Mark's erotic dreams to add some spice to the narrative too.

I do not usually figure out "who done it" but I did this time. I'm not sure if that says something good about me or something less than excellent about this novel. At any rate, it's always a pleasure to read Mr. Craft. I'm ready to begin volume five of the series.

NAME GAMES is a fascinating and exciting addition to the Mark Manning Mysteries. The plot lines keep getting better and more complex. This particular book is replete with clues for the "wanna-be" slueth in all of us, and a careful reading will provide the reader with all he or she needs to "figure-it-out". Porn, sex, "outing", and murder all add up to a fun read. Don't miss this one.

He's back and better than ever. Now firmly ensconsed as publisher a small Wisconsin town's newspaper and as his young cousin's guardian, Mark seems more settled than in past installments, but he's still as perceptive and exciting as ever. With long-time partner, Neil, in town as an architect overseeing the town press's plant, he's more present than ever, and it's nice to see how readily he and Thad (their ward) have formed a relationship, one that Mark's initially a little jealous of. Neil serves as a rock for Mark and Thad.

The town's leading miniature proprieter has organized a combo show-and-tell and seminar, and has lured the best in the business to serve as judge. When said judge is found dead, there is the initial shock, and annoying DA Harvey Kaiser looking for someone to convict, whatever the cost. The prime suspect? The town's sheriff, Doug Pierce, Mark's friend and a closeted gay man who was carrying on a torrid affair with the deceased.

The town's loyalties soon become divided. Add into the mix an upcoming obscenity trial with many political consequences. Craft has done an excellent job fleshing out these characters. You actually understand them, their insecurities and their strengths. He's also delivered a wide array of possible suspects and does good work making the actual villain NOT obvious. Isn't that nice for a change? Highly recommended.

Name Games is book four in the Mark Manning Series. Mark Manning is a newspaper publisher. He once again had to come to the rescue and solve a murder. This time, there were many suspects, including the Sheriff, the Sheriff's deputy, the DA and a retired physician, just to mention a few. As always, the book read so well, that I felt I was there, and could actually see everything that was described.

The origin of the term Name Games comes out in the story. It is mentioned a couple of times. This book is a winner! You will not regret buying it! Enjoy!

By the way, my name would be Rusty LaRue! Now you will have to read the book to find out what that means!

RLS wrote more than adventure books. His poetry reveals much about his imaginative childhood. Great for all ages!

This book is so beautifully illustrated I couldn't resist it. I have always loved the poems written By Robert Louis Stevenson and to see these drawings alongside the poems made them even more enjoyable. I looked at other printings of this book and this one was far superior. If you like the old fashioned drawings, this is the book for you.

I grew up in the 70's ... I had this book it was my mother's in the 50',s and her mother's in the 20's .... it hastens back to a wonderful time of imagination and literacy in children as well as their parents ... really lovely book .. A wonderful swing ride into a time past, and the land of nod

Just love the works of Robert Louis Stevenson. Loved them
as a child and still do. And the illustrations are
wonderful - reminds me of when I was a little girl, and
we sometimes need that.

A Child's Garden of Verses has always been one of my favorite books, and over the years I've given dozens of copies of it as First Birthday presents to the new children in my life. This is the most beautiful edition I have ever seen of these beloved poems. The illustrations are wonderful! They're taken from numerous editions over the years, and they cover a variety of styles and time periods. I couldn't be happier with this book, and I can't wait for the opportunity to give it to more children who I hope will grow to love it as much as I do.

The world is so full of a number of things
I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings.

It's the best value going if you need a 3.5 edition Player's Handbook. After playing the abomination known as 4th edition, I'm going back to 3.5. It's my first soft cover AD&D book since my original Dungeon Master's Guide, so it's a step back, but the construction quality is on par or better than the other soft cover role playing games I've seen out there.

The additional miniatures are well appreciated. The dice set is nice too. But the character creation guide and introductory adventure never left the box.

Also, I think there was a blank character sheet. If you are going to make characters, you need to get the .pdf off the web and print.

The Player's Handbook is the main advantage, I had the 3.0 Ed, this way I got the 3.5 version.
The dice set is not quite very good, dark colors, not so visible in dim light.
Didn't try yet the adventures, the miniatures pack is a bonus, still, they are not suited to represent the characters.

This box is literally all a player of D&D needs. There are other necessary books, but those are the DM's responsibility. For twenty bucks you can get the necessities for players: the Player's Handbook and a full set of dice. The PHB, while softcover, is otherwise identical to the hardcover version, and the dice are excellent and very cool. Since the list price of the softcover PHB is the same as Amazon's price for the Player's Kit, everything else in the box is essentially free.

That being said, all you really need is the PHB and the dice. If you're just starting, though, the other stuff is helpful too. The miniatures can be fun and useful, even though they're technically for a separate game.

I recommend this kit to absolutely any D&D player, old or new

I just started playing a couple of months ago. There are no superstitious *don't touch my dice* kind of gamers in the group, and up until getting this, I had been borrowing dice and the PHB as needed. It got really annoying and I even missed out on bonuses as I leveled up because I didn't have time to do it right. (Of course, I didn't know what I missed until I actually got my own book and could take the time to look stuff up.)

The soft-cover handbook is just like the hardcover except it's not as easy to write on (the table is often full of snacks). I like the feel of the dice and how they have several D6 so I don't have to borrow them from others. I don't like that the colors of the dice don't match exactly and that they come in only a plastic zip-lock type bag which pops open in my pocket.

I agree with what someone else said about the character sheets-it would have been nice to have more of them although I can always copy what's in the book. I don't use the minis, either, but, I like them.

Overall, for what I needed, this worked and even though I was just looking and wasn't really planning to buy, it was a good package deal that had everything I needed at a good price. I'm happy with the purchase.

This set is probably one of the best bangs for your buck around. Not only do you get a copy of the Player's Handbook (worth the whole cost of the set by itself), there is a really nice set of dice and a booster pack of discontinued minis. If anyone needs a PHB, this is the way to go.

Awesome patterns! I love this book and want to make all of the beautiful boxes. It's just hard to choose which one to do first. Very well written and excellent diagrams. Easy to follow patterns.

This book is excellent, very detailed. It gives patterns, bead counts, color choices, and the instructions are very good. I have the second book too and it's just as good.

Well, I just finished my first little bead box. It is so lovely. I enjoyed a bead project that was a non-wearable. The complete project does not take as long as I thought it would. I'm not sure you should tackle this if you are not comfortable with peyote patterns or if you have not beaded any project with a geometric shape. Definitely read the beginning of the book with the general instructions before you start beading otherwise you will never be able to follow the word pattern. If you choose to make any of these boxes - you will not be disappointed.

Great little book. Directions are a little hard to understand, but with taking it slow and easy, the designs are easy to make.

This book was great. I looked it over and was not sure I could follow the instructions but once I started I found it to be pretty easy. Her helpful tips were great as if she anticipated the problems I would have. Also the projects didnt take as long as I had thought they would. I am a medium level beader so have only limited knowledge when I started these projects.

The book, What It Takes To Be #1: Vince Lombardi on Leadership, by Vince Lombardi Jr. is a nonfiction book about leadership. This book's main focus is on Vince Lombardi's leadership philosophy as well as winning. Me being a high school sports player and reading this book, has changed my outlook on how to be a leader and number one. This book teaches you about work ethics and how to lead your team to a victory. This would be a great read for someone starting their own business to someone who wants to just read a book. The values taught in What It Takes To Be #1 are incredible. Loyalty, honor, dedication, motivation and hard work are all skills every person should have or learn. Vince Lombardi Jr. does a great job laying out everything taught in this book into a model or as it is in the book the "Lombardi Rules". Every chapter focuses on a new concept with "rules" then explaining this concept in depth. This provides an extraordinary view on how Coach Lombardi lives his life and how he coached. Throughout the book, quotes pop up that are meaning full to the books concepts such as, "If it is not right, do not do it. If it is not true, do not say it." The pros in this book are that it helps you become a better winner, the concepts are well modeled, it shows how great Vince Lombardi was at being a leader, and it will make people better people. I would most definitely recommend this book for any occasion. To be honest, I believe there are no cons in this book, but I wish it was a little less confusing. Other than that, the book What It Takes To Be #1 is a phenomenal book to read.

The book is not at all what I wanted. It is more of a gift book than the actual book. It's a small inept version of the real thing. Verify the correct version before ordering would be my advice.

I purchased this as a gift for someone who asked for this title. We laughed when it came in the mail. It looked more like something that belonged in a doll house (the size is something like 2 inches by 2 inches)! It's a very good book, but this version is a joke!

This is an excellent book on leadership and the value of hard work and discipline, the corner stones of success. It also provides an intimate look at the man who defined winning. There are a lot of great quotes and thoughts in this book, whether you're looking for your own personal motivation or you are a manager looking to motivate your team, there is something for everyone. Now Vince Lombardi's ideas of motivation and the approach he takes to motivating people will not be for everyone.

Vince Lombardi believed in healthy competition and pushing people to get the best out of them. In today's PC world everyone is a delicate snowflake and must be treated as such... not so much, either you performed or you were out, that is the Lombardi style. This book also forces you to think about yourself and what your actions say about you and what image you are creating of yourself.

What do you want to be remembered?
What will outlast you?
What will continue after you are gone?

I suggest reading this book with a pen and paper handy, there are so many great lines like the ones above. Also this isn't a book you will sit down and read right though, it's best to read it a chapter at a time and then reflect on the ideas presented.

Vince Lombardi Jr. brings to the forefront his father's winning formula for success in leadership and everyday life. While many examples are spoken of in terms of football, the key elements that are always there is teamwork, teambuilding and producing results. This book will benefit anyone who wants to raise the bar in their personal or professional life. I particularly liked the reoccurring idea of running the drill over and over again until it becomes second nature. I also liked how Lombardi never discriminated against anyone but everyone was judged on their ability to produce results. Lombardi also brings to the forefront that the leader's job is never secure he or she must always keep producing results.

Last but not least, he talks in length about rejuvinating activities that can help one stay focused.

It's amazing that no matter how far advanced we get socially and technologically, the core of it all are the basic fundamental principles that our parents and grandparents taught us; Dedication, Hard Work, Loyalty and Honor.

In today's society where everything fundamental is under brutal attack, it's nice to read a book to where good, wholesome principles are once again proven to be the best way to success.

Not many pepole buy this one, i think, but this is has great pieces to look at, besides the huge ones.

This product is very good it came with a rare huge figure, and the rest were good too.

These minis are very nice. I really love the huge one's there fun to collect. But I hate how they are so random.

Although these are great miniatures, out of the 6 boxes I ordered I did not get any large rare figures at all. I actually got duplicates of two uncommon large figures! In the future I wouldn't order more than 2 boxes at a time (in order to receive the free shipping). I usually order sealed cases from another site and now I wish I had paid a few more bucks for the sealed case.

Although Amazon replaced one that I received due to the bottom access to the "huge" figure being already open (which is a tactic used by people in-store to find the more attractive "huge" figures"), I'm still skeptical of the randomness of these boxes. I've continually gotten repeats without ever getting any of the more interesting Huge figures.

Otherwise, the figures themselves are great. I really like having the huge figure in there to give the set something interesting in comparison to some of the other mini sets.

Unfortunately, the patterns make boxy garments without much shaping. While errors, as noted by an earlier reviewer, are problems, omissions make the book deficient, and a novice would have difficulty. The book offers interesting ideas, but I found making adjustments to the instructions was the only way to get good results.

This book is full of great patterns for Barbie. It also really made me laugh. I am not a Barbie collector or enthusiest. I just got it to knit my daughter some pretty Barbie clothes. Each outfit has a description for it as if it were a very exspensive designer piece being bought out of a catalog. I read the whole book as a work of fiction and as a good pattern book.

I prefer the Crochet For Barbie book. Keep mindful that Barbie bodies thru the years do require slight attire fit-adjustments. Still, pattern errors in this Knit book caused me to wonder if Nicky's book success (she is Barbie's authorized needlecraft fashion maker) caused publr/mfr to seek quick profits without testing their knit-to-crochet pattern translation software. Admittedly, the fashions are all great and it is nice to finish a chic project in an eye-blink. Needlecrafters will appreciate Crochet/Knit For Barbie books patterns working up pro-style, also quickly teaching beginners cro-knit skills for human attire and accys. Experienced needlecrafters' detail modifications can result in gorgeous outfit variations. Learning your yarn-usage with their common needle sizes makes catching errors nearly automatic (mine is .5"/k and .25"/sc for sport yarn and cotton no. 5 respectively).

Sweaters, afghans, swimsuits, rugs, even a dog sweater. Nicky Epstein gives you a pattern for nearly anything you might want to knit for a Barbie. Well photographed pictures are followed by clear instructions for creating the items. Some of the recommended yarns are rather exotic, but an experienced knitter may be able to substitute from yarns left over from other projects. This would be a good book to have on hand if you are a knitting Mom, Grandma or doting Auntie.

If you like to knit and love Barbie, you can create some great little outfits with this book. Instructions are clear and the pictures are great

I love this deck it's easy to carry around and although the quality of the printing is not the same as the standard size deck it's great to have it when a big one is too unpractical, and the sense of the images is not lost. It is easy to read. I really like it.

I ordered this miniature deck and found out that it is a little too small. So I tried the pocket size and I love it more. Besides from the size, it is all good.

I am just learning to use the Tarot, and here is one of the best tips given to me by a friend with many years of experience with the Tarot. She told me to buy a second deck, tape each card of the deck onto a separate piece of notebook paper, and keep them in a 3-ring binder. In this binder I keep notes of my impressions and what I am learning about each invidivual card while getting to know the cards names and meanings. I decided this miniture deck would be perfect to tape into my notebook/journal. This has been a priceless learning tool, because I can look back and read notes I made months ago, notes I would have otherwise forgotten.

I purchased another miniature deck because the size is so portable. Now I carry the cards with me everywhere, and when I have a few free moments I'll pull them out. The smaller cards are easier to work with, and this is the deck for you if descretion is important. The prints and coloring on both of my miniature decks are just as clear and vibrant as the larger deck--no distortions whatsoever.

I love most Rider Waite decks but this miniature deck turned out to be a big flop. The scanning job was done poorly and some of the figures look distorted. The standard miniture deck is a lot better. Also the coloring isn't sooo special for my personal taste. I still prefer the original version light colors to Albano's or even to the Universal version.

I recently found a Lo Scarabeo edition of the 1910 version and the colors are just perfect.

I had wanted the Rider Waite tarot for years. I saw it at a local mall they had a bunch of them. But at $18 I thought it wasn't worth the price for a deck that I personally could've drawn myself. I don't know about thinking up the idea for the first modern tarot and thinking up the actual pictures of the deck, but the artwork was so mediocre and not life-like and unrealistic that I personally could've drawn and painted these. Don't believe me? I got a grade of A B- in college Art 101 in the division III local school and was Art 101- painting. I just didn't think a deck with such mediocre artwork would be the same price as the much better Aleister Crowley Thoth tarot. Then one day I was looking on the wensite for a local bookstore named after a famous person. I saw a bunch of different versions of the Rider Waite tarot. I was debating between the pocket and miniature. The pocket was cool it was about the size of the small version of the Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot. I also have the larger version of the same Crowley deck. With that large of a size for a deck of cards you need a dinner table or similar just to have room for most technical spreads. The smaller one you can do readings on a shelf the size of about a laptop computer. That was the size of any tarot deck I preferred- it was much for practical because it took up less space and could be easily carried in a bigger man's pocket. After I did some measuring and thinking I decided on the miniature. I was going to get the pocket but the miniature was only $12. That's a good deal for a deck of tarot cards. Most decks of any quality are usually like 20 bucks, so about half the price for a smaller version of the same deck. The good things about this deck are: Arthur Waite was a famous occultist, writer and Golden Dawn member, - this deck was the first modern deck and became the standard, - the price was about half that of most really good decks for a smaller version, - the smaller the deck is the more practical because you don't need a family sized dinner table or the living room floor to do readings. The bad was only I estimated the size of the cards 2 by 3 inches. It was smaller than the small Crowley tarot. When I got it, I was expected a little bigger but it fit in the palm of my mind. But it's not so small as to be flimsy. They should've made it 3 by 5 like the Thoth deck. And as I stated the artwork on the cards was so mediocre I could make a reprint version of this same deck at a little lower quality only because I wasn't its creator. The Rider Waite tarot in any version is one of the only decks I'd recommend because it was made by a famous occultist who knows what their talking about. I like this deck because it is good and portable.

One problem with buying books online is that loss of the chance to flip through and check the contents. Good book, just not exactly what I was looking for.

As a beginning bird watcher, "Bird Watching for Dummies" has been very helpful and informative. There are color illustrations for bird identifications, back yard plans for attracting various song birds, and feeder tips. All bird species are recognized and useful information is provided for each. The author's wit and humor makes reading this book a pleasure.

This is a general guide for beginners to this hobby,but not exactly what I was looking for.It is ok, but probably not worth the time or money, there are lots of better books out there about this hobby.

I have never spent my money on a better book! This book got me into birdwatching and nature. In "Bird Watching for Dummies," Bill Thompson, III introduces you to his passion of observing birds. The book is filled with information and tips on which optics, field guides, bird seed, and books to buy, and very useful tips on how to observe bird behavior, identification, and attracting birds to your yard with food, water, shelter, and plants. If you are thinking about becoming a bird watcher, you must buy this book- if I could give it sixty stars, I would.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Bill Thompson's book. It's rare when you can find a book that is so informational and completely entertaining as well. I love the sensitivity of the drawings throughout. I intend to use this book quite often; in fact I am currently building a bluebird nesting box. Birdwathchers most likely have the stigma of being eggheads, but this book certainly wouldn't lend credence to that (comparing a bluebird's love of worms to Homer Simpson's doughnut cravings is pure delight). Anyone at all interested in our feathered friends would enjoy reading this book.