Product Description
Whether you want to personalize stationery or enhance other special gifts and objects, The Art of Calligraphy helps you choose equipment, from brushes, pens, pencils, papers, to inks, and then shows exactly how to produce every letter of the alphabet in a number of different scripts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Good book to get started with calligraphy
I bought this book for a calligraphy class. It was a great reference for how to form letters as I was writing. There is information about how a particular hand came into existance for each section of the book. There is a complete alphabet shown for each hand with detailed lines and numbers for each of the strokes used to create a letter or figure as well as the type of pen used. I found it very easy to follow the lines and numbers as I was writing.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning calligraphy.

Art of Calligraphy
The book met all of my expectations and more.The instructions are very clear and easy to follow.

The graphics are superb.

Beautiful graphics
My husband and I borrowed this book from a library and were so impressed with the beauty of the presentation and the quality of the text and content choices that we purchased this book through Amazon to have as a permanent reference and enjoyable browsing copy in our book collection.

Art of Calligraphy
A marvelous resource for different calligraphy styles and hands. A must have for the calligraphy library.

Used in one of the calligraphy classes I took ...
I recently took a calligraphy class, and my teacher used this book to teach the class.

I immediately bought it, even though I already own a "few" calligraphy books, but this is one I reference more than any other.

I particularly appreciate the history lesson of written script, as well as all of the samples of historical works throughout the book. I don't have this info in any of my other books.

Harris utilizes multiple colors to illustrate the order of the strokes. This is very useful in tandem with numbers and arrows to show how to form each letter.

25 letterform styles plus "cadels" are taught in this book.

The GLOSSARY in this book is fantastic. Any term you come up against, you can find it in this glossary. Saves a LOT of time instead of searching each page for the definition!

There is a reference table of all the letterforms in the book, which makes it easy to decide which hand you may want to utilize at any given time.

And to top it all off, there's a comprehensive bibliography. So, if you want to research anything on your own you have a great guide!

I REALLY wish this book was spiral-bound so it would lay flat without a lot of bending and creasing, but it is NOT spiral-bound. It is a regular paperback. However, once you do your creasing and bending and folding, the pages eventually stay open and flat. I have resorted to clipping my pages open with a binder clip because the book is still new.

Mr. Harris, if you are reading this review, PLEASE PRINT THIS BOOK WITH A SPIRAL BINDING!!!! Otherwise, 2 thumbs up! ... Read more

Product Description
A thrilling, page-turning account, drawing on new never-before-reported information, of one of the most dramatic and important episodes in recent history: the 444-day Iran Hostage Crisis.On November 4, 1979, Iranian students seized the American embassy in Tehran and took hostage some five dozen Americans. Those Americans would remain hostage for over one year. This is the story of how, in a heretofore unimaginable sequence of events, a seemingly ragtag mob of students inspired by a barely known Muslim cleric named Khomeini eventually undid an American president.It is a story that spans a century, full of famous characters--like Carter, Khomeini, and the Shah--and those who worked in the shadows. Cross-cutting between Washington, Tehran, Paris, and training centers for the doomed Desert One rescue mission, THE CRISIS is a work of history that reads like a thriller. Full of never-before-reported details, and drawing for the first time on comprehensive interviews with the Iranians involved, as well as fresh discussions with the central American players, this book is David Harriss masterpiece--what hes been building up to for decades. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Misleading title and it suffers from serious problems
There is a natural fascination with what may be happening behind the scenes, and that certainly extends to what secret diplomacy may have been underway to resolve such an urgent crisis as that of the 1979 seizure of the hostages at the U.S. embassy in Tehran. Harris, formerly a contributing editor at the New York Times Magazine and Rolling Stone, provides much interesting material about the various diplomatic initiatives. He is strongest in writing about the middle of the crisis, rather than the early days or the final resolution, which have been the subject of several detailed (and more authoritative) accounts[4] as well as much conspiratorial nonsense. Harris gives particularly interesting accounts of the role of Iranian foreign minister Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, who wrongly thought he knew what would persuade Iran's revolutionary leaders to let the hostages go; he ended up under arrest and was executed for his role in a plot to overthrow the government. Harris also highlights the role of private citizen Henry Kissinger as an intermediary with Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi.

But The Crisis suffers from some serious problems. Harris provides no indication of his sources for particular statements. And in his afterward about his sources, he acknowledges that some quotes come "from multiple sources, which I have bound together inside a single set of quotation marks." He lists an impressive set of interviews, including many in Iran, as well as extensive use of primary source materials. But he also acknowledges "a special debt to the work of Gary Sick, William Shawcross, Pierre Salinger, and Amir Taheri"-three of whom have written books full of unsubstantiated innuendo that rely heavily on fabricated sources.

Furthermore, Harris's title misleads. He barely discusses the origins of militant Islam as a political movement. His account is not so much about the three main actors cited in the title-President Jimmy Carter, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and the shah-as about the maneuverings of their top aides. The failure to deliver what the title implies is particularly important when one reflects upon how little result there was from the secret diplomacy on which Harris concentrates. In fact, the hostages were taken so that Iran's revolutionaries could isolate their erstwhile allies in the Westernized wing of the anti-shah movement and consolidate Iran's anti-American orientation; once that purpose had been accomplished, the hostages were released. The diplomatic maneuverings did more to prolong the crisis, by suggesting that the United States was too timid to react strongly, than to end it.

Excellent work that has implications for today's world
Though I was only seven at the time of the Iran Hostage Crisis, I can vividly remember how the Crisis touched everyone in America as I observed in my household.I remember the nightly new and papers menioning the three players highlighted in this work.With the exception of Carter, I knew very little about these three before picking up this book.

Harris provides the reader with a detailed account of each leaders rise to and/or fall from power.In a coup of thorough research, Harris attempts to lay out every twist and turn in the international negotiations to release the hostages.Though the subtitle mentions only Carter, the Shah, and Khomeni, Harris details the actions of numerous other players who interact with the three leaders and influence the course of events in Tehran.

The pace of the narrative is like that of an excellent thriller.Harris cuts back and forth between Washington, Paris, Tehran, and the carious locations of the Shah.He does an excellent job in capturing the emotions of the folks involved.The description of the disastrous rescue attempt is fantastic and exemplifies how small things can derail military operations.Harris also concentrates on how a world leader--be it the shah, president,or the Secretary General of the UN--has to be extremely careful in how he or she speaks.

One thing I really liked about this work is the final chapter in which Harris details what has happened to each person we met along the way.In so many works of non-fiction and history, we are introduced to folks who are dropped from the focus of the author.

Ultimately, this is an important work because it looks at the birth of the hatred of the United States espoused by militant Islams.It is fascinating and disturbing to think that this incident that brought down the presidency of Carter was initially to be a three day "statement" by a group of students in Tehran.

Good Recounting of History
If you enjoy historical writing that tells a story instead of hitting you over the head with numerous footnotes and citations, this is the book for you.Long before Al-Queda the US was forced to deal with Islamic Terrorism in the late-70's, and this book does a great job in explaning how it all happened.

The writer, David Harris does a great job in extrapolating information from existing sources and a number of interviews with people who were involved in the crisis both in and out of the Carter Administration.The strength of this book is his retelling of the human toll of the crisis and how a number of strong personalities were forced to work with one another.

For those of us who remember this time in history, it appeared as if the Carter Administration seemingly bumbled every possible opportunity in addressing the crisis. The book explains how it happened by examining what took place and who was involved both in Iran and the United States.Thanks to his work, we get a better idea of what many hitorical figures such as Jimmy Carter, Khomeni, Zbignew Breziniski and Cyrus Vance were like.

As a result, I came away from this book leaning something and enjoying the reading while I gained the information.Solid book that's worth your time.

Why We Are Where We Are
This is an excellent book because it puts a pivotal period into sharp focus. Consider that, in the 70's, Nixon had been removed. The Republican ascendancy had hit a major speed bump. Carter edged out Morris Udall for the Democratic nomination, but Carter was a man with no experience whatsover in Washington politics. As Carter stumbled through his single term, the Iranian hostage crisis emerged to, ultimately, finish him off.

Of course, Iran and the Middle East are still a major problem for the US. This book goes a long way toward explaining why. It does not get very deeply into why we were tied to the Shah, but it's clear the Shah was not a gifted leader. His troubles were quite complex. Carter wanted a 'moral' foreign policy that respected human rights. He hoped he could work with the Shah to get gradual change in Iran, but he was also pathologically naive about how his support of the Shah might work out. The Iranians were not impressed. With the Shah, Carter and the Dems lost their share of the 'beacon of democracy' vision, and now Bush seems to own it.

There are two major threads in this book, aside from the gripping historical narrative. First off, there is a sense of tragic farce that can almost be seen as whimsical in hindsight. How could everything go wrong. And I mean everything. From the inability of the UN Secretary General to follow a plan, to the failed surgery by a brilliant heart surgeon, to the sequence of failure in the desert rescue mission. Then there was the emissary going back to Tehren, to finalize the release, on the day Iraq invaded, thus delaying flights for 2 weeks. It just goes on and on and on. In the epilogue, someone is quoted as saying Carter was a man who used up all his luck becoming president. This is a book about a talented man who, indeed, had no real luck. His final bargaining chip was being able to tell the Iranians "Well, in 10 weeks you can negotiate with Reagan." That seemed to be enough, although Iran badly needed war materiel, as well. One can (should) ask if Nixon and Kissinger were setting Carter up, in various ways. They insisted the Shah come here. That precipitated the crisis. But why did Carter have Vance and Brzrzinski, perhaps a more bipolar pair than Rumsfeld and Powell. The extremes did not create any kind of viable policy. The weakness was shown when Russia went into Afghanistan. With Reagan, we got the hard right.

The other fascinating thread is the whole 'democratic' and revolutionary process in Iran. Revolutions have a nasty way of getting, well, nasty. This one got fractured and violent. It had spurts of energy and then things would dissipate. The people with power behaved like politicians, but they felt a need to succeed beyond this giant media event. The clerics were difficult to work with, especially Khomeini, and as the situation unraveled, the fundamentalist religious factions filled the political vaccuum. The people involved were not demons, entirely. They did hate the US, in many ways, which was somewhat understandable. They could not create a viable government or maintain the economy. Unfortunately, the process of weighing secularism, Islam, law, and so on, was not very successful, and we still see the effects. There's something to learn about bringing democracy to the rest of the world. It just ain't that easy. The events in this book are still with us. In the Fall of 1980, as Reagan and Carter were campaigning, Iraq invaded Iran. Partly this was due to the inability of Iran to form a strong government. Partly THIS was due to the hostages and the emotionalism wrapped up in the Shah who had, actually, just died. The Iranians needed to focus on something other than the Great Satan. We, of course, ended up giving some support to Iraq and propping up Saddam. (How did that work out?)

Now we would like to see democracy in Iraq, but the same kinds of political and religious winds blow across Iraq, and democracy is only a process, not a solution.

One can isolate out the period of American foreign policy where we protected our economic interests, and the interests of the Cold War paradigm. Carter certainly championed a different focus, but without defining a process to get there. In Iran, a country where our 'legacy policy' had to be unwound, everything just imploded. We were on the wrong side of the thing, and couldn't get right with it. One can also look at the various issues that must be resolved to have a pluralistic and enlightened form of democracy in the Sunni-Shia, Kurdish, and Islamist, etc, Middle East. Because ultimately the Hostage Sideshow deflected the Iranians from the task of making their country work, and the revolutionary ideology continues to corrode real advance.

Memories of American Ignominy
This well written book brought back unpleasant memories of America's first ignominious encounter with radical Islam. I was just out of high school, and can vividly recall the national despair and exasperation over the hostage crisis.In many ways, 1979-80 was the nadir of our post-Vietnam national funk.

Harris' book provides an excellent window on the hostage crisis, and the machinations in Washington and Tehran to resolve it. Harris portrays most Carterites in sympathetic terms (perhaps no surprise considering the author's leftist politics), especially Ham Jordan, whose secret, trans-continental diplomatic efforts had him functioning as a de facto Secretary of State. Brzezinski is cast in a much less flattering light, and is derided for his hawkish posture. It's interesting that Harris chose not to (or was unable to) interview Carter's National Security Advisor.The diplomacy advocates Vance and Christopher come across as naive in their aversion to military force or coercion of any kind.

On the Iranian side, Bani Sadr (president) and Ghotbzadeh (foreign minister) are gullible in the extreme.From their days together in exile in Paris, it is clear that Khomeini was using these moderates to mask his extremism and advance his legitimacy internationally.The Shah ("His Imperial Majesty," "Light of the Aryans," etc) is venal and weak, although when the moment of truth arrived, he blanched at unleashing the Iron Fist to quell the rebellion.

UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim is untrustworthy and through arrogance, incompetence or both, did more than anyone to undermine the secret Jordan-Ghotbzadeh agreement to spring the hostages.

The book is a surprisingly brisk read, given the weightiness of the subject matter.The author's decision to focus primarily on a small number of key players certainly helped speed the narrative pace.But I was a little put off this technique. For example, the State Department official who participated in Jordan's diplomatic gambit is referred to repeatedly as "the Assistant Secretary of State" - no name, ever, is associated with him. I kept wondering who this mystery diplomat was.Other characters are referred to generically as "the NSC official" or "State's Iran specialist."

The author also errs in the epilogue when he asserts that Warren Christopher served as President Clinton's Secretary of State for eight years -- what about Madeleine Albright? These mild criticisms aside, "The Crisis" is an excellent read and highly informative.

The Hostage Crisis was one of the more dismal episodes in recent American history. It helped to fell a sitting president, underscored the perception of American impotence and served as a capstone to the nation's decade-long diminishment on the world stage. ... Read more

Product Description
An account of the takeover of Pacific Lumber Company by a huge Texas conglomerate, Maxxam, Inc., describes the resulting explosive battle between corporate greed and radical environmentalists over the last privately owned redwood forest in America. 15,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

This is a great read...
The Last Stand is a fascinating story and a well written one at that. Couldn't put the book down. My God Charles Hurwitz is a corrupt individual. He should be serving a life sentence in stead of living high off the hog in Houston Texas. Anyone interested in the environmental movement and the destructive practices of modern day clear cutting should read this book.

A little boring
very drawn out and boring.does get interesting at times

Fascinating example of the 80s....but
It should have been soo much more.Running in the same gamet as Alston Chase's "In a Dark Wood" David Harris goes into some of the same territory.The 'good' lumber company taken over by Wall Street and turned into the mirror of its former self, this book is at it most fascinating describing the moves between PALCO and Charles Hurwitz.The arrival of a hurrican alows him to suceed in his takeover but the company is taken over by the resultant costs both to its people and the enviroment.The final point is well taken.....if you lumber in oblivion there can be no winners.Only with sustained yield can the enviroment, employees and shareholders come out ahead.The only winnter with Palco was Charles Hurwitz. ... Read more

Product Description
Both hobbyists and students of design will value this easy-to-use self-teaching book. Each of its 100 sections shows a complete A-to-Z calligraphy alphabet, with lessons on correct pen strokes and advice on avoiding errors. Beginners will find sound basic instruction, while experienced calligraphers can extend their repertoire with letter styles that range from classic Roman to clean and elegant contemporary styles. In addition to analysis of each alphabet’s features, the book’s detailed instruction provides information on— Tools and materials * Layout basics *Numerals and punctuation *Illumination and ornamentation * Tips for the left-handed calligrapher . . . and more. Readers will also find examples by master calligraphers from past eras. This book’s spiral binding ensures that pages lay flat when opened, allowing calligraphers to study and copy each pen stroke with ease. The Calligrapher’s Bible is printed in color and features more than 350 illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Part A The Calligapher's Bible Goes Together with Part B: The Bible of Illuminated Letters
These books "The Calligaphers Bible" is part A of Part B: The Bible of Illuminated Letters.These two books go hand in hand.I wish they would have been available years ago.When you take your time to create a really nice special letter for someone, the effort is a gift in itself.Take some time out for yourself and experiment with you creative writing and decorating your writing.God be with you and you with Him.

Complete Guide with Complete Alphabet (Uppercase and Lowercase) and Numbers
I learned calligraphy when I was a kid, and I've always been on the lookout for a good calligraphy book with a complete alphabet to give me some more guidance and ideas on how to make my letters.I also have bought several calligraphy books, only to be disappointed.I finally found this book, "The Calligrapher's Bible", and I have to say that I am completely impressed.This is a little spiral bound book, and it shows numerous fonts with the complete alphabet (with the entire set of uppercase and lowercase letters) and the complete set of numbers.For each letter, this book also shows you the exact strokes that you need, and it numbers them in the order in which you should make the strokes (1, 2, 3, 4, etc).Additionally, from this book, I figured out that the type of calligraphy I learned as a kid was Italics-Renaissance, and so it gave me lots of suggestions... there was even a special section that gives you ideas on how to add flourishes to specific letters.All I can say is that I really love this book.I did the calligraphy for my friend's wedding invitations several years ago, and I am currently doing the calligraphy for my own invitations-- I am so glad that I found this book.

Simply Perfect
Whether a beginner or seasoned pro, this book contains a wealth of beautifully illustrated reference material as well as instruction. It's like having your own mentor every step of the way. I would recommend this to anyone with any interest in calligraphy.

Great reference, but not so great for the beginner.
I like the book for it's many lettering types, but no so great for the novice or one who is just beginning.I've had some practice and I would not recommend this book to the beginner.I do not think it's simplistic enough to learn strokes and such.Also I being left-handed it's quite the challenge.I do recommend it as a great reference for any library!

An Invaluable Calligraphy Guide-- for Beginners and Pros Alike!
This book is amazing! It has so many different (BEAUTIFUL, UNIQUE and DIVERSE) alphabets, I can always find the kind I need for whatever purpose. It also illustrates how to draw them in excellent, helpful pictures and instructions. If you've not been doing calligraphy for very long, this book will soon take you to excellence! If you've been at it for years already, it's an invaluable source to draw from if you're seeking variety. I have used it for so many things I can't count them all. ... Read more

Product Description
The Genius is the gripping and definitive account of Bill Walsh’s career and how he built a football dynasty from the rubble of a fallen franchise. David Harris gives a stellar account of the silver-haired sophisticate from humble working-class roots who was hired as head coach and general manager of the San Francisco Forty Niners in January 1979 and became the architect of what is arguably the greatest ten-year run in NFL history.

With unmatched access to players, fellow coaches, executives, the reporters who covered the Niners’ heyday, and Walsh himself, Harris recounts how Walsh, through tactical and organizational genius, created a football juggernaut. There were also the demons that pushed and haunted Walsh throughout his career: his clash with his former mentor, Paul Brown, who denied Walsh his first pro head-coaching job with the Cincinnati Bengals; Walsh’s struggle with self-doubt and criticism; the toll his single-minded devotion to football exacted on his family; and his complex relationship with the Forty Niners’ owner, Edward DeBartolo, Jr.

Walsh’s pre-Niners coaching odyssey was arduous–a longtime assistant coach, he developed his legendary and now-standard pass-oriented West Coast offense during stops at all levels of the game. Despite never having run a team’s draft before, Walsh, along with his right-hand man John McVay, quickly built the foundation for a dynasty by drafting or trading for a durable core of stars, including Joe Montana, Fred Dean, Hacksaw Reynolds, Dwight Clark, and Ronnie Lott. (Walsh would later restock the team with such players as Jerry Rice, Steve Young, and Charles Haley.) The key to Walsh’s genius perhaps lay in his keen understanding of his athletes’ psyches–he knew what brought out the best in each of them. But the scope of Walsh’s impact on the game extended well beyond the field and locker room. The Forty Niners’ life-skills counseling program, which Walsh spearheaded with the sports sociologist and activist Dr. Harry Edwards, and the internship program Walsh devised to bring minority coaches into the game have since been adopted by the NFL for all league franchises.

In the annals of sport, few individuals have had as great an impact on their game–or on its relevance to life outside the lines–as Bill Walsh. With knowledge, skill, passion, and a critical eye, David Harris reveals the brilliant man behind the coaching legend.

The vision Bill Walsh brought to all his pioneering efforts was a function of his perception of himself as someone who was far more than a football coach. He cherished his standing and participation in the larger world outside the NFL and nurtured them at every opportunity.

“Knowing Bill Walsh was kind of like the blind man describing an elephant,” one of the sportswriters who covered him observed. “We all knew just one little piece of him. But he had all these other areas we knew nothing about. He dealt with lots of people outside of football, outside of our scope entirely. He was able to deal with politicians, people who were intellects in other areas. They were impressed by him.”

–from The Genius


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Bill Walsh Bio
If you're looking for the "X's and O's" of football, this probably is not the book you want. There is a little of that and how "The Genius" Bill Walsh changed how modern football is played, but author David Harris gives us a glimpse of the man, not the plan.

I'm a huge fan of football - the blitzes, bombs, offense, defense, punching holes in the line, strategy, execution, power vs. finesse, drama, will power, endurance. All of these things are captured here, as well as the politics and money behind the NFL. The Genius provides an in depth look at the NFL, the precarious life of coaches, players and the sacrifices made for this "game". Game? Billion dollar industry.

But a game it is, extremely popular and this book helps show why. Bill Walsh had a huge influence on the game, his players, the San Francisco Forty-Niners. Harris shows Walsh to be larger than life and just as complex. Intelligent, driven, flawed, misunderstood - all of the attributes of a true genius. Aptly titled, very interesting reading for hard core football fans. Although I wanted more X's and O's, I very much enjoyed what is here.

More Walsh, Not More Plays
Was Bill Walsh a genius? I am not sure, but he sure changed the character of professional, and later college, football.

Perhaps an instigator of change is not a genius, but I would like to have known Walsh and learned how to manage change from him. This book gave me a small chance to do that (at least since Walsh sadly passed on in 2007).

Walsh was driven to do things differently because he saw people and situations differently than did other managers of football teams.

The concept of moving a football chiefly by passing, instead of running, had been "invented" by others a generation before Walsh. But, Walsh saw its power on a grand scale, and that approach dominates both professional and college football today.

The concept of a team being an integration of individuals into a defined system wasn't invented by Walsh, he practiced it while most other coaches just gave the concept lip service. Walsh's genius here may have been in how he defined his system of how players were taught and treated each other.

In an uber-masculine environment, Walsh tolerated homosexuals and would not tolerate any discrimination. That's not genius, but it's sure common sense today and more than that in the 1980s.

Author Harris, whom I gather was not close to Walsh in his glory days of the 1980s, sees Walsh chiefly through the eyes of Walsh's players, and the owner of his team. I wish Harris had interviewed more of Walsh's peers - coaches, managers, and owners - and his family, friends, and girlfriend to shed a more focused light on the extent to which they thought Walsh was a genius.

My only problem with this book is that too many pages were wasted with the narrative of specific football games, and not with a greater exposition of the fierce insecurity which drove Walsh to do what he did the way he did it. Yes, we learn that Walsh carried every failure on his back, and what that cost him in his relationship with his family. But, I bought this book to learn what drove Walsh and I learned some of that; I didn't buy it to read play-by-play accounts of `49ers football games.

In summary, after reading Harris' book, I want more about Walsh, not more plays.

A Great Read
Before I bought this book, I looked at the title and put it right back down.
After two decades of perusing the Merc, the Chron, the Trib, and after numerous books and DVD's, I woundered what hadn't already been said and written about the Walsh legacy several times over.

Afer I thumbed through the book, I was pleasantly surprised.

Not only did Harris do a meticulous job, right down to the significant details, he weaved the events and quotes into a coherent story so that the 20+ year saga comes to life, complete with a full cast of characters with emotions and feelings, aspirations and fears, triumphs and heartaches.

By pointing out pertinent facts and stats at critical junctures, Harris lent perspective to a situation, and helped illuminate the situation.

I immediately bought another copy for my boss who is also a long time fan.

Walsh was a complex individual. For many people the words innovation and class come to mind. He was also honest, and he stayed true to his principles.

I believe that it is a NFL head coach's job to agonize, over the last loss, and the next loss.

I came to this conclusion after reading books about Walsh, and seeing a picture of Walsh alone following the loss to Phoenix in '88.

In other words, this is no picnic; the players are consumed physically, and the coaches, emotionally.

Walsh had suffered immensely throughout the niners' journey to greatness; and his personal life took a toll.

If you're a niner fan, you'd enjoy this book. And you'd walk away learning something new. I know I did.

Finally, Bill, thank you and your teams for bringing so much joy and pleasure to the fans over the years, and for giving so much of yourself. Rest in peace.

LEO-SAN JOSE, CA.
This book was well written, and tells the history of Bill Walsh through the years. How he conceptualize his philosophys and his history famous offense that changed the game. Everything he did in his life and his coaching career had a purpose, and he understood the big picture of bringing everybody together. I recommend this book for any football fan.

Must read for any 49ers Fan
This book gives a lot of insight that fans never saw in the 80s/90s from bill walsh.i look at bill walsh with even more respect now after reading this book.it goes a little bit into his childhood and his upbringing.But what I find cool is the logic and thinking bill goes into during drafts and key games in his career.This is a good book for any 49ers fan.Considering the state the 49ers are in now, all we can do is dwell in the greatness of the past.For non-49er fans, you can still read this and gain insight into understanding coaching strategies and scouting strategies of the present. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Interesting book on business side of Rozelle's NFL
I should start by repeating points made before that this is NOT a casual read, nor does it have anything to do with the game you see on the field.It's all about the business side of Pete Rozelle's NFL of the late 60's through the early 80s, and anyone reading it should be prepared for a lot of financial talk.

Having said that, I've enjoyed this.As mentioned before, the profiles of Rozelle and the owners are excellent, although very few owners come off looking good as human beings.It's interesting to see how Rozelle steered a very diverse group of driven, egotisical men along the same course for so long until Al Davis upset the apple cart and opened the gate for franchise shifts by moving the Riaders to LA (although Carroll Rosenbloom deserves far more "credit" than he gets for moving the Rams out of LA to Anaheim).CR's widow, Georgia, comes off as equal parts manipulative and clueless.

If you're looking for heroes, you won't find them here (although Rozelle was definitely impressive in a lot of ways).If you're looking for a concise, if sometimes dense, history of NFL business in a pivotal part of the modern era, this is it...just don't expect to speed-read it in a day.It IS worth the effort.

An NFL Junkie's Delight
Only here will you get the behind the scenes look at the NFL's "Glory Years" throughout the 60s, 70s, and into the Early 80s.David Harris must have done a ton of research and let me tell you, it is all here.Thedetail is often mind numbing - which might drive away the casual fan (hencethe 4 star rating instead of 5).

Still, if you consider yourself a trueNFL fan and have always been fascinated by the behind the scenesmachinations of the powerful clique of franchise owners, take a look atthis book.I have yet to see a book on the NFL as comprehensive as thisone.

Limited in scope, but interesting enough
Harris places far too much importance on the loyalty to individual cities, but his portrayals of the villians of the NFL (read: Al Davis, and the other owners) are certainly superb.

An in-depth business history of the NFL from the 1950s-80s.
With its latest expansion franchise selling for over $500,000, there is no question that the NFL is the predominate sports league in America."The League: The Rise and Decline of the NFL" helps to tell the story of how it became so.It provides a great look at the pivotal periodin the development of the NFL: from the ascension of Pete Rozelle ascommissioner in 1960 to the franchise moves of the 1980s. Not a book for"students of the game" looking for points of view of players andcoaches, "The League" focuses more on the business end offootball. It is excellent reading for any fan who wishes to know the"inside story" of how and why the NFL became the big businessthat it is today. The book does this by providing a thorough history of theleague's relationship with television, its monopoly status, and thebeginnings of "franchise free agency".Harris's intensiveresearch and use of personal interviews also provides a unique "behindclosed doors" glimpse into the world of football team owners andexecutives.

The Best Book On The NFL
Well researched and written by former draft-dodger David Harris, this now dated book remains the best book written about the NFL. ... Read more

Product Description
Illustrated with over 375 stills and drawings, including the complete screenplay, the only book on the making of the spectacular X-Men 2 and the X-Men film franchise. Exclusive to this hardcover collector's edition is the complete 80-page screenplay, a 16-page section of special effects art from the first X-Men movie, and an 8-page double gatefold of Nightcrawler poster art.

Outcasts from society, the X-Men are genetic mutants, born with superhuman powers, who harness their special abilities for the greater good. But the human race they fight to protect rejects and fears—even hates—them.

Initially realized in the Marvel Comic Book adventures, the first X-Men major feature film was released by Fox in 2000, directed by Bryan Singer, who had previously directed Apt Pupil and The Usual Suspects. Its stunning success—theatrically grossing nearly $300 million worldwide, and becoming a video and DVD phenomenon—signaled the current wave of comics to film adaptations and guaranteed the sequel, which reunites the principal cast members and the original's key creative team, including director Bryan Singer, cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel, and production designer Guy Dyas.

The new X2 will feature several surprises, including favorite mutant characters from the vast X-Men comics universe, who are new to the film franchise. 375 color illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Needs just a little more depth
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2H8SYGHIHE4LJ This book is somewhere between "art of" and "making of".

The book starts off looking back at the success of the first X-men movie, and the new challenges and changes to the production. Included is also a very brief story on how Bryan Singer got started in filming, from his schooling days. This book is slightly lacking in depth because all these interesting information are limited to the first few pages.

There are lots of movie stills, storyboards and concept art. Captions are included and there are quotes from the actors who play the individual X-men. The captions tell the obvious and would do better to explain the concept behind the designs as well. Character designs for the X-men comes with a few concept sketches and movie stills. Also included are designs for the X-Mansion and Plastic prison, X-Jet and Stryker's base. The storyboards are on scenes for Nightcrawler's opening sequence, Magneto's escape and X-jet attack.

The book has great page design with the pictures. The author could really use more art to replace the movie stills, but it's really minor as the stills look pretty good. But isn't this suppose to be an art book?

Overall, it's still a very entertaining book to read for fans of the movie.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

This book is awesome
If you are looking for concept art, production stills and behind the scenes photography, this is the book.

The book goes in chronological order, for the most part, and shows the concept drawings and paintings, the storyboard sketches (and text), and places them next to finished photography of the sets and characters, which gives you a great idea of how the concepts are turned into reality.

It takes you into character development for all of the major characters, with concept art to final film stills. The characters covered are: Nightcrawler (with a great full page poster of "the amazing nightcrawler"), Charles Xavier, Wolverine, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Rogue, Storm, Pyro, Magneto, Mystique, Mutant 143, and Lady Deathstrike. Most characters have only 2 pages each, but Nightcrawler, Mystique, Wolverine, Mutant 143, and Lady Deathstrike have multiple pages which show sketches and final photography.

The locations/sets covered in the book are: the White House, X-Mansion, Cerebro, Plastic Prison, X-Jet, Alkali Lake, and Stryker's Base.

This book is 100% filled with great content: drawings, photos, and storyboards, along with a section on the special effects. I wish it were twice as big, but everything in the book is awesome.

NICELY PUT TOGETHER!
THE BOOK DESIGN AND CLASSY JACKET ALONE ARE WORTH THE MONEY. LOVED THE MOVIE. THE ONLY PROBLEM THAT I HAVE IS THAT THEY DON'T PUT ENOUGH COHERENT STORYBOARDS INTO THE CONTENT. ALSO, THE NIGHTCRAWLER'S MOCK-UP CIRCUS POSTER DON'T REALLY GIVE ANY ADDITIONAL VALUE OVER THE BOOK'S GENERAL CONTENT.

The Ar ofX2: X-Men United
My first impression was WOW! This book captures the essence of the movie. It's great to see the story boards it just makes you remember every scene of this excellent movie. It's obvious all the crew involved in X2 cared a lot about details and art and this book crowns it. The addition of the movie script is great, i think we fans love to read the original script to see what scenes didnt make it to the final and wonder what they looked like (if they add them in the DVD it would be fantastic). The quality of this book is absolutely great. Beautiful pictures in every page you turn. A must to every X2 fan.

X-cellent collector's edition!!!
Being new to the world of the X-men, this book has everything to offer for the die hard fan.The Beautiful black hardcover (not to mention its wonderful slipcover with the entire cast on front) is amazing!The book is filled with illistrations, costume drawings, stroyboards, idea drawings of the proposed danger room, characther bios, and the best part...the complete movie script of X2!Well worth buying. I would suggest any fan to buy to add to his/her collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Now in paperback, the acclaimed nonfiction thriller that takes us behind the scenes and reveals what really happenedin 1989 when 20,000 American soldiers invaded Panama, arrested that nations leader, and hauled him back to Miami to stand trial for violations of American lawviolations committed in that rulers own country. Tracing the secret investigation, the exciting four-year manhunt, and the bizarre incidents that shook U.S. foreign policy to its roots, Shooting the Moon is at once a page-turning story and a first-rate work of investigative journalism. One of the most outrageous true crime stories ever recorded. A fast-paced narrative that holds strong appeal for readers of military and legal thrillers. In the tradition of such nonfiction bestsellers as Pillar of Fire and Black Hawk Down, David Harriss Shooting the Moon makes recent American history fresh and gripping.Amazon.com Review
There's no shortage of books on the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama, which resulted in the capture of Manuel Antonio Noriega. Yet Shooting the Moon may be the most entertaining, as author David Harris blends the genres of legal thriller and true crime to produce a lively account of how and why the federal government decided to haul in the Panamanian strongman. It's an extraordinary story: "Just once in its 225 years of formal national existence has the United States ever invaded another country and carried its ruler back to the United States to face trial and imprisonment for violations of American law committed on that ruler's own native foreign turf." In large part, Shooting the Moon is the tale of the creative investigators and lawyers who made the case against Noriega. There's plenty of politics, too, with parts played by the first President Bush, Oliver North, and Eliot Abrams. Readers will also learn much about the world of drug smuggling in the 1980s, from the bureaucratic workings of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency to the operations of Colombia's cocaine-peddling Medellin cartel. The book screeches to a halt just as the invasion gets underway--the military effort and Noriega's actual arrest are described in cursory fashion, taking up just a few pages at the end. Harris primarily focuses on the legal and political aspects of the case as they developed in Miami (where the case against Noriega was built) and Washington (where the powers that be called the shots).

Readers may need a few pages to get used to Harris's gonzo style--the first sentence of the book runs a whole paragraph, and his prose sometimes seems more suited for the spoken word than the written one--but it's worth the effort. Harris is an evocative writer; he describes Noriega's famous countenance as "a face that looks like somebody lit it on fire and then extinguished the blaze with an ice pick." For readers who crave narrative detail, this is a good yarn. --John J. Miller ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

a fascinating portrayal of an unusual event in U.S. history
this book would be better sub-titled "The True Story of an Unusual Indictment of a Foreign Ruler," considering it only devotes a handful of pages to the actual "manhunt" for Noriega. that being said, Harris tells a great story of the weird saga of Manuel Noriega, the cheap thug who was the de facto ruler of Panama for awhile.
Harris goes on in great detail about how the U.S. built its unprecedented case against Noriega by interviewing some of the key players in the indictment.
however, although Harris makes numerous allusions to the reluctance of several powerful agencies to endorse the case against Noriega (chiefly, the CIA and DEA), he never goes into much detail about Noriega's connection to these agencies or what role Noriega played in the Iran-Contra scandal, which i feel are probably the real stories here. i dont fault Harris for not having those answers, considering the sensitive nature of the questions, but this book begs the answers nonetheless.
i was also disappointed that Harris negelected to write at all about Noriega's trial, considering the exhaustive research he did into the indictment, but perhaps the trial is addressed in someone else's book.
despite its shortcoming, this is a very well researched book, and definitely worth the time if youre interested in U.S. policy toward drugs and/or Latin America.

A Highly Inventive History
I know several of the characters in Harris' book, and he has invented a lot of their colorful talk and dress.In just one example Raymond Takiff ("Roy" in the index!) was from West Philadelphia, Overbrook Park, just south of the Main Line, not South Philadelphia.Harris makes Takiff, a Villanova graduate and former history teacher who considered himself an intellectual, sound like a cheap South Philly hoodlum.Takiff was a snappy dresser, in the South Florida style (Silk, please, not Rayon!), and the scene with the shorts and brogans was a grotesque invention.Harris also misspells Takiff's daughter's name!Most details on the other lawyers involved are also highly imaginary.As an indication of the sloppy job Harris did, he misses some colorful items, too, such as Takiff maneuvering the judge in the trial of the 91 year old woman accused of cocaine possession into helping the defendant out of the witness stand!
No wonder a number of the characters in this book are not named, or personal background and color is missing.Since Ray Takiff is dead he couldn't defend himself but I'd guess that some legal threats were involved with many of those in this book, and the publishers took the names and/or details out when they were unable to verify all the "facts".
The large percentage of mistakes on items I have personal knowledge of are a likely indication that the error level in this book is pretty high.Not a trustworthy source of information.

Finally...the whole story about the Noreiga/North fiasco.
In 1989 the United States sent American troops to arrest General Manuel Antonio Noreiga, Panama's highest military officer.Trying a foreign leader for events that took place in his own country as violations of U. S. law was previously unheard of in American history.Stopping the Medellin Cartel was a major step in slowing down the influx of illegal Cocaine and other drugs.Harris unravels the complicated story with wit and verve, very colorful language, marvelous humor, and a sense of excitement.Harris makes the FBI, DEA and CIA agents appear to be involved in a bumbling, amusing, tragedy.Oliver North was engaged in clandestine arms dealing and nobody seemed to know what anybody else was doing.Here is a true crime story on a grand scale with betrayal, murder, arms dealing and drug smuggling that reads like good fiction.Here are the explanations of the Reagan administration's dealings with the Sandinistas and Contras; names that were always in the news in association with cover-ups and destroyed evidence by government agencies, though the public didn't really know what was going on.Harris has done a superior job of investigative reporting to create an impressive chronicle of the events leading up to the invasion of Panama and the arrest of Manuel Antonio Noreiga.He made history come alive and really gave me a much better understanding of the events that were in the news for so long, and the role and fate of each of the historical players in this drama of our time.

WISE GUY STYLE LEAVES READER BLANK
FORGET THIS BOOK .WRITTEN IN THE STYLE OF A CHEAP TABLOID NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST ( THIS IS DELIBERATE) THE THING IS WITHOUT VALUE . IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE NORIEGA AFFAIR, YOU WON'T FIND IT HERE .THE AUTHOR PROVIDES PAGES OF TRIBUTES TO THE FOLKS WHO HELPED HIM. AMAZING.

All Too Captivating
As a recent high school graduate, I have lately found a little more time to do some personal reading, and I started with David Harris' account of the eccentric rule and arrest of the de facto ruler of Panama in the 1980's: General Manuel Antonio Noriega.Before reading this book, I knew the basics behind Noriega's demise, but Harris' account is absolutely thrilling in that he takes the reader behind the scenes, so to speak, and allows a glimpse of the happenings from the inner-circle of both the US and Panamanian governments.This work reminded me in some ways of Reed's Ten Days That Shook the World due to its style as a journalistic narrative. Harris includes interviews, excerpts from newspapers and magazines, and at times his own subjective personal input.This work will probably never attain the same respect as is awarded to Reed's work, but in my mind it should. It is just as captivating and exciting to read ... Read more

Product Description
Most food guides for Italy suffer from the “too-much, too-little” syndrome. The territory is vast, yet for each city and village they rarely provide enough information. This guide focuses on a manageable territory–Liguria–and covers it in depth with an emphasis on understanding the local culture through its food. This is not an encyclopedic volume but a renowned food writer’s highly selective guide to Liguria’s authentic small eateries, culinary traditions, wine, wineries, food artisans, and gourmet shops. (The “big” restaurants are covered in a short and amusing sidebar that lists the places that everyone knows and can read about in any guide or on the Internet: a tip of the hat to the great toques, but many other suggestions are given so the reader can dine elsewhere. In Italy, the restaurants Michelin rewards with multiple stars have little to do with regional or local food.) Recommendations center on “where the locals eat.” The book is also lavishly photographed, perfect for the armchair traveler. There is a glossary of food items and unusual specialties, as well as a typical Ligurian menu, detailed indexes, many sidebars, and a map.

Learn all about the savory Ligurian flatbread called farinata (and where to buy farinata baking pans), garlic (raw in local dishes, braids, the pink heirloom variety from the village of Vessalico, and the village’s annual garlic festival), pesto mania (and a profile of the hothouses of the western Genoese suburb of Prà that produce what most Italians and 99.9 percent of Ligurians claim to be the world’s best commercially grown basil) and which restaurants serve authentic mortar-and-pestle-made pesto, as well as dozens of other regional topics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Getting Ready for a Trip to Italy
I'm planning a trip to Italy - my first time in the Genoa area - and a friend recommended "Food, Wine, The Italian Riviera & Genoa". I'm going to use it as my "Bible". It's full of the kind of insider tips that make all the difference between an OK trip and the trip of a lifetime.

What I love about this book is that it's so well written. Never a dull moment and teeming with insight and wisdom.

I'm leaving for Italy in October for a full month. If the weather is good, I know I'm going to have a great experience, thanks to David Downie. This book is like having an Italian friend at your side!

Need Kindle Version and Different Format Book
A few pages I strained to read looked interesting, so three stars. But I really cannot use this book, due to poor book design. It will be tossed out. I will buy the Kindle Version when available.

The fonts are so tiny, you really have to strain to read it. And I havea good, normal eyes. Protecting my eye sight is more importnt than reading it. The book desingers have done great dis-service to the author. Design is pretty to look at, but totally user unfriendly. Fonts are too small. They used heavy stock paper, which make the book to heavy to pack for travel. The page size is too small also, wasting space, further adding to book weight.

The book should be redesinged with much thinner paper, larger pages, and bigger and more readable font. At least, you can publish Kindle version easily. These days, I do not usually buy any travel book except Kindlee version. I made an exception. What a disappointment. Sorry to the good author.

Great insight into local treasures!
As one who spends several months each year along the Italian Riviera, I eagerly purchased this guide.True to form it has helped me find the best restaurants and shops in my area.Some of them I knew firsthand and many were new finds.I now carry this guide with me when I travel to nearby towns to help me locate the best places to eat and purchase foods and wines quickly. It is so reliable I have purchased Mr. Downey's Rome Guide to use on my next trip there.

Essential for any foodie
David Downie has captured the food and wine of this region. Excellent maps show the small villages along the Riviera. But it is the essence of each shop and their specialty where Downie shines. I was introduced to many new foods and the photos are mouthwatering. The first chapter breaks down the food of the area including foccaccia, farinata, and testaroli. And even though I am a sommelier, Downie brought to my attention many Ligurian wines that are new to me. A must read for anyone curious or passionate about Italian food, even if you are not planning a trip there, this is a great resource.

Food Wine Murder Riviera
Some people rush to review a guidebook without test-driving it first. Not this food-loving reader and traveler. While planning my spring trip to Italy a few months ago, I picked up a copy of Food Wine Italian Riviera & Genoa and started reading. And I couldn't believe what I read: good writing. Great writing, and all kinds of tips and info on food and wine that I had no notion of, even though I've been to Italy and the Genoa area a couple of times. I had been meaning to go the Cinque Terre, but because of this book I added in Chiavari. Chiavari? No, I had never heard of it. The author warns that the marina is unattractive, and most visitors pass this place by, but that off the highway in the heart of town there's wonderful food and architecture to be found. And boy, is he right. So I loved Chiavari, a medieval gem with fabulous food and great atmosphere. I had the best ice cream I've ever had anywhere at a local hangout in Chiavari. I had the best garbanzo-bean tart (made with chick peas), a farinata, fresh out of the oven, in Chiavari. Then I hit Santa Margherita Ligure and Camogli--also recommended by Downie, over many other glamorous places (such as Portofino, which he downplays, thank goodness). Again, bingo, a perfect time, great food. A restaurant called Nonna Nina in a perched hamlet called San Rocco. Amazing! I also learned about the history of the region (more interesting than you'd think--lots of pirates and naval victories and valiant struggles against foreign oppressors). Then we took a train south to Rome, which I hadn't visited in a hundred years. And we walked into an English-language bookstore somewhere near the Spanish Steps and low and behold, there was Food Wine Rome. Though I was already carrying about 100 pounds of luggage and books, I bought it. And if you go to that item elsewhere on this site you'll see the continuation of this review. To conclude: I love this book, I adore this book, I cannot believe someone took years and years to do the research and craft such a fantastic book. Buy it and read it even if you don't go to Genoa and the Cinque Terre this year, and even, I'd say especially, if you already have Fred Plotkin's guide to food on Italy (it's so so out of date that some of the prices are in Lire--the Euro came in in the year 2000, hello, and I want my money back because half the addresses in that guidebook are gone!). I'm not done yet. Because when I got back home to my broadband connection and checked on this Downie guy, I found he'd just written a thriller... set in... Paris. Yes, he lives part of the year in Paris, the rat. The book is called Paris City of Night and I am test-driving it now, and will report. Secretly I am hoping to hate it. So far, I am loving it as much, maybe more than the food/wine guidebooks. Who is this author? Why haven't we seen him all over the place before? ... Read more

Product Description

For both introductory and advanced courses in VLSI design, this authoritative, comprehensive textbook is highly accessible to beginners, yet offers unparalleled breadth and depth for more experienced readers.

The Fourth Edition of CMOS VLSI Design: A Circuits and Systems perspective presents broad and in-depth coverage of the entire field of modern CMOS VLSI Design. The authors draw upon extensive industry and classroom experience to introduce today’s most advanced and effective chip design practices. They present extensively updated coverage of every key element of VLSI design, and illuminate the latest design challenges with 65 nm process examples. This book contains unsurpassed circuit-level coverage, as well as a rich set of problems and worked examples that provide deep practical insight to readers at all levels.

Customer Reviews (12)

COMS VLSI Design
the book is in extremely good condition. And shipping is very fast. I will definitely visit again ifI want to by something I need.

waste of money


the book is not so good as the jan m rabaey...the only reason i bought this book is because ..i'm forced to buy by the prof

Excellent coverage of the foundations of CMOS technology - from a system perspective
While CMOS is the working horse of the electronics industry, there are very few good comprehensive (and readable) books on the subject. This is especially so if your university education focused mainly on software. A solid understanding of electronics is necessary to understand literature on CMOS design. Especially if you want to understand the complexities of designing for power-consumption optimization, speed, space and bill of material costs - and the tradeoffs involved in toggling between these four considerations.

Back in 2004, while I was a postgraduate student, I struggled with a book on the subject by Rabaey, Chandrakasan and Nikolic, "Digital Integrated Circuits - A Design Perspective, 2nd edition". I guess it was not easy simply because I was new to the discipline. However, I can only wish that back then, I had had such a great and so much more readable book like CMOS VLSI Design!

I warmly recommendthis book.

CMOS VLSI Design Book Review
After just going over the first few chapters, have found that book does live up to it's title.It's a good book to have handy when designing basic chips.

Great Book
Comprehensive treatment of the subject, very clear and easy to understand.Also has advanced topics. ... Read more

Product Description
Payback is a scathing account of the abuse suffered by aninnocent young boy at the hands of the American foster care andjudicial systems, his growth to manhood in the violent environment ofa maximum-security penitentiary, his revenge on those who havedestroyed his life, and his eventual coming to terms with himself andthe imperfect world in which he, and all of us, must live. It isgraphic in its depiction of physical and sexual brutality, but nevergratuitously so - a highly moral tale told by a man who has beenforced to forge his own morality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Don't Miss A Word!
Payback is the first book I have ever read cover to cover where I haven't wanted to miss a word!Each page left me needing to know wich direction Todd Black's gripping life was going to turn next.Payback is a strongly written tale of adversity and justice which left me wanting to pick it up for a second read.I highly recommend this fast pace novel for all.

Don't Miss A Word!
Payback is the first book I have ever read cover to cover where I haven't wanted to miss a word!Each page left me needing to know wich direction Todd Black's gripping life was going to turn next.Payback is a strongly written tale of adversity and justice which left me wanting to pick it up for a second read.I highly recommend this fast pace novel for all.

Buy this book!
This is most certainly one of the best books I have ever read in my entirelife.The chilling detail used by the author entice the reader to forgettheir life, job, family, pet, everything, and keep reading and reading.Ieven found myself reading the book a second time, something I have neverdone before.If you are into realism and being shocked, buy this book, itsincredible.

This is an incredibly wicked novel!
Payback comes accross as an easily read novel, that not only entises the reader to continue turning each page but draws you in to feeling forMr. Todd Black, almost craving the sweet revenge for him and yourself.Theincorporation of street lifestyles of the young Black and his peerscompliments the novel and allows the reader to associate their ownlifestyles (0r possibly they're past) and to see how the possible realityof this could eventuate, pulling you deeper into the phsyche of theinfamous avenger. Payback is a novel thatonce you pick up - is hard toput back down, until all the wrath is dealt out! A novel that willentertain and captivate many a reader.This book kicks it in the zone! ... Read more

Product Description
David Harris was the most famous draft resister of the Vietnam War. A former student body president of Stanford University, he refused to accept induction and be sent to Vietnam. He spent nearly two years in a federal prison as a consequence. With his marriage to Joan Baez, he emerged as the leading moral voice of his generation.

For the past two decades, he has largely remained silent as the anitwar movement he led stood accused by critics and pundits of everything from cowardice to frivolity. Now, in Our War, he speaks out in defense of a generation torn by the most divisive war in America's history.

Neither a history nor a memoir, though containing aspects of both, Our War is a compelling, even fevered account of stalking the war's moral shadow through the decades since its ignominious end. This is a one-of-a-kind look at who we were, what we did, why we did it, and what those actions made us, seen through the eyes of a unique and significant American figure and one of our most gifted writers.Amazon.com Review
David Harris, a draft resister who came to be a symbol of Americanopposition to the Vietnam War, writes a passionate--albeit brutal--memoir ofwhat is known in Vietnam as "the American War." Through remembranceand political analysis Harris forces readers to confront what he considersthe evils of the United States--particularly the massacre at My Lai and thePhoenix program of rural pacification run by the C.I.A, which he calls"an operation of rump legality, kidnapping, torture, andassassination." Harris fears that time has cushioned us from events thatdestroyed the lives of so many. By recounting the horrors of war, he hopes wecan "clear our souls of this perpetual shadow." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

More important now than when it was written --
This is a great book, an important book, a powerful book more important now than ever. David Harris speaks truth and uses words the way a surgeon or an artist uses their tools. Acknowledging that, as a country, "we get what we do" goes a long way toward answering the question, "Why do they hate us?" long before 9-11 ever became the symbol for "What's wrong with this picture?"

"When a nation acts, all its citizens are joined insolubly in responsibility for the consequence of their national behavior." Truer words were never spoken.

"While it may be an accurate conclusion, calling the war a mistake is the functional equivalent of calling water wet or dirt dirty. ... In this particular "mistake," at least 3 million people died, only 58,000 of whom were Americans. These 3 million people died crushed in the mud, riddled with shrapnel, hurled out of helicopters, impaled on sharpened bamboo, obliterated in carpets of explosives dropped from bombers flying so high they could only be heard and never seen (talk about cowards!) they died reduced to chunks by one or more land mines, finished off by a round through the temple or a bayonet in the throat, consumed by sizzling phorphorous, burned alive with jellied gasoline, strung up by their thumbs, starved in cages, executed after watching their babies die, trapped on the barbed wire calling for their mothers. They died while trying to kill, they died while trying to kill no one, they died heroes, they died villains, they died at random, they died most often when someone who had no idea who they were killed them under the orders of someone who had even less idea than that. ... All 3 million died in pain, often so intense that death was a relief. This war was about us. We made it happen. It was ours. And, even at this late date, any genuine reckoning on our part must include assuming the full responsibility of that ownership. Nothing less will do."

So read David Harris's indictment of the Vietnam War. The more things change, the more they remain the same. This book should have received a Nobel Peace Price. It is a work of art, a labor of love.

Now, more than ever, it is important to read, and understand, what this author was trying to say.

Harris is right
The "Vietnam Syndrome" is not buried forever, contrary to former President Bush's pronouncement after the Persian Gulf War. My heart goes out to the "loserama" reviewer of this book. Victory? For whom? The Vietnamese we were supposedly helping? No one ever wins a war. The only way to avoid condemning "millions to death, imprisonment and misery" in the future is to face ourselves. It is the American Dream that causes our wars. We have gotten the government we deserve; one that protects our vulgarly excessive way of life with brute force and cruelty. And most of us like things that way. We veterans are both victims of the empire and recipients of its ill-gotten bounty. We have to lead the reckoning.

A Good Book On A Difficult Subject
Twenty-five years after it ended and the Vietnam War still brings-up intense feelings from people who lived through that period.Harris stood up for his beliefs and he paid the price for not going along with the government line.I had the opportunity to meet him shortly after he was released from prison and found him to be sincere and steadfast in his support for non-violent resistance to an unnecessary war.I thought that Harris did an excellent job of explaining the moral underpinnings of the anti-war movement and how his stand against the war evolved.This is required reading for anyone seeking clarity about those times, whether they fought in Vietnam or protested at home, or weren't even born yet.Anyone who still blames the anti-war movement for the outcome of the Vietnam War needs to read the Pentagon Papers and the numerous books detailing the prolonging of the war for political purposes by LBJ, Nixon, Kissinger and McNamara.A lot of people died because the United States government was unwilling to admit mistakes had been made and we should never have been over there in the first place.I had friends who went to Nam and never returned.I knew others who volunteered, survived their tour of duty and came back convinced of the injustice of the war.And I had friends who stood up, refused to serve and went to prison.All of us who survived would benefit from reading Harris' thoughtful accounting of those dreadful times.

Rubbing our nose in the past
David presents this book as a "reckoning" for those of us who lived through the years of the Viet Nam war.That is, a sort of emotional catharsis. In some ways, it worked for me.In some ways, not. Perhaps it is good for those of us who lived through the fear.And for those of us who are left scared by the experience of those years.But the message will be lost on those who thought, and still think, that the war was a good idea. For me it brought back the full impact of the total distrust in government that the era made a permanent part of my psyche.But did I need that?I'm not sure.David's book did not change my head... But for younger readers (folks under 30) who did not live their early-adult years in the fear of being forced to kill or be killed.And for the still remaining supporters of the war, the book is highly recommended. David has done a good job of telling the story of what the war did to us.Not just as individuals, but to the country, and its poitics.Not to mention what it did to S.E. Asia. Reading "Our War" didn't help me, as a person.I _was_ pissed, and I'm _still_ pissed at what our government did to me and my generation; and hope to remain that way.So, I guess David's book failed in its attempt at "reckoning."We've already had our noses rubbed in that war. But the book works on other levels.And the results of the war echo though today's branches of government. Worth a read. --del

loserama
Harris starts his book by saying he's still angry that the US dared to ignore HIS wishes and fought a war!Hey, Dave, some of us veterans are still mad that YOU and your ilk cost us the victory we deserved and what you did condemned millions to death, imprisonment and misery.He opines that it is a Good Thing the Communists won, ignoring the misery and despair of the boat people, Khmer Rouge slaughter of 1/3 of Cambodia, etc. and all other lessons of history.WIllfully perverse loserama book.Lighten up, dave, and admit the error of your ways ... Read more

Product Description
Winner of the 2005 Drue Heinz Literature PrizeBetween Camelots is about the struggle to forge relationships and the spaces that are left when that effort falls short.In the title story, a man at a backyard barbecue waits for a blind date who never shows up.He meets a stranger who advises him to give up the fight; to walk away from intimacy altogether and stop getting hurt. The wisdom--or foolhardiness--of that approach is at the heart of each of these stories.In "I'll Be Home," a young man who has converted to Judaism goes home for Christmas in Miami, and finds that his desire to connect to his parents conflicts with his need to move on. "The Movements of the Body" introduces us to a woman who believes that she can control the disintegration of her life through a carefully measured balance of whiskey and mouthwash. These are stories about loss and fear, but also about the courage that drives us all to continue to reach out to the people around us. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Again and again
I absolutely loved the first short story, "Misdirections" and purchased the book based on that story.I think it is exquisitely crafted. You can hear the author reading it on the Morning Stories podcast from WGBH.

Unfortunately the other stories that I read (I admit I didn't finish the book) don't live up to that 1st one.The main characters tend to be depressed and alienated, living self-destructive lifestyles or having relationship issues.

The stories might work well individually, but since I tried to read them one after another I found the similarity in tone repetetive and (not surprisingly) depressing.I plan to try to finish the book some day.That first story is so good that there must be some more hidden gems in there.

Enjoyed reading this book and continue to think about it every day
A good friend who never leads me astray when it comes to good books recommended this book to me, and I'm so glad he did.I love the very short stories in this book.I loved reading them in between the less short stories.They feel very unlabored and they work. I love how the stories tell the funny little things that happen inside peoples' heads while they're connecting or disconnecting with someone or someplace, or the idea of someone or someplace.How physically intimate people can be and yet make no real connection at all.Being deprived of what you are used to, and trying to get used to the way things have or have not become. Many, though not all of the stories deal with life's disappointments, and at the same time they are infused with a reassuring sense of humor that makes them a pleasure to read.I savored every page.

Between Camelots
This first collection is sharply drawn, quietly knowing, and at times, laugh-out-loud funny. David Ebenbach writes from a kind and clear-eyed place. These stories, like many, address love and loss, connection and disconnection, but Ebenbach finds a way to steal into our hearts. Each moment is worth savoring.

Amazing
Like the previous reviewer, I'm more likely to be reading mystery or fantasy than prize-winning 'serious' fiction.But I read through this in one sitting, every story getting me more engaged than the last.The author takes on perspectives that are different from my life, but in every story I see something of myself--a sentence, a feeling that resonates with me.This was a truly engaging read.

Wonderful -- Even for non-literary types
Although the book is billed as a collection of literary fiction, and I have no doubt it fits that bill, this self-proclaimed lover of trashy mystery novels found it absolutely wonderful.The stories are quick reads but the language is so rich and evocative you feel like you must have read more pages than you did to feel as involved as you do.Fantastic.A perfect gift for all the loved ones in your life.(Not to mention all of the almost-loved ones you have just missed in your life.) ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

The basics of mentoring - and being mentored
Although virtually every informed observer agrees that modern organizations must evolve more rapidly in order to thrive, few companies sufficiently emphasize the importance of mentoring - face-to-face coaching that prepares workers to assume greater responsibilities. Described as "a celebration of mentoring in action," this practical handbook explains how to establish a mentoring program. It assumes that you are already familiar with mentoring terminology. Authors David Megginson, David Clutterbuck, Bob Garvey, Paul Stokes and Ruth Garrett-Harris emphasize the importance your organization's culture plays in the establishment of a mentoring program. The book is primarily a series of case studies - more than 25, involving a wide variety of corporate and academic examples - wrapped in an extended introduction and a conclusion. We recommend this book as a manual for academic, management and human resource professionals who are interested in mentoring. Those who are not yet convinced that their organizations need mentoring programs may see the light after they read this book. ... Read more

Product Description

As advances in technology and circuit design boost operating frequencies of microprocessors, DSPs and other fast chips, new design challenges continue to emerge. One of the major performance limitations in today's chip designs is clock skew, the uncertainty in arrival times between a pair of clocks. Increasing clock frequencies are forcing many engineers to rethink their timing budgets and to use skew-tolerant circuit techniques for both domino and static circuits. While senior designers have long developed their own techniques for reducing the sequencing overhead of domino circuits, this knowledge has routinely been protected as trade secret and has rarely been shared. Skew-Tolerant Circuit Design presents a systematic way of achieving the same goal and puts it in the hands of all designers.

This book clearly presents skew-tolerant techniques and shows how they address the challenges of clocking, latching, and clock skew. It provides the practicing circuit designer with a clearly detailed tutorial and an insightful summary of the most recent literature on these critical clock skew issues.

* Synthesizes the most recent advances in skew-tolerant design in one cohesive tutorial
* Provides incisive instruction and advice punctuated by humorous illustrations
* Includes exercises to test understanding of key concepts and solutions to selected exercises ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent book
Excellent book on circuit design.The book is well constructed and explains things in easy to understand terms.Also, it gives real inight into circuit design from someone who has lots of experience.I highly, highly recommend!

good for everyone
I really liked this book.It is great for someone who is just begining in circuit design like myself.I recommend it even if you are weak in the areas of device physics and VLSI.

Excellent reference book for all Skew problems
It provides the practicing circuit designer with a clearly detailed tutorial and an insightful summary of the most recent literature on critical clock skew problems. ... Read more

Product Description
Seven playful folktales follow the adventures of the crafty Brer Rabbit, the wily Brer Fox, and the dumbfounded Brer Bear, introducing young readers to the original humor and wisdom of traditional African lore. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good reading, but NOT original African lore
If you're thinking of buying this to be AFRICAN lore, don't. This is an adaptation of the Joel Chandler Harris Uncle Remus stories, focusing on those containing the Brer Rabbit character. The stories are delightful, and will be a joy to any (I also heartily recommend buying a complete set for reading aloud), but the tales are drawn directly from the heart and soul of America (there are no raccoons and bears in Africa, anyway...sheesh).

Please Mom read just one more!
After visiting Disney World last year my 4 year old daughter kept after me to retell the story of Brer Rabbit and the tar baby, I was so pleased to find this book with its great illustrations. When we read this book before bed we just can't read one.My daughter likes all the stories not just the Tar Baby and the poster is great too.

Classic
I loved these stories growing up and missed them when I started reading to my sons. I'm glad they are still around. Lessons are hidden in many of the stories, but not as blatent as many new childrens books seem to be.

Greatstuff. Came with a poster, too!

Classic Tales of Brer Rabbit by David Borgenisht
I use this book in my first grade class to go along with a Brer Rabbit story in our textbook.The students loved the stories about the many different ways Brer Rabbit tricked his neighbors, especially the storyabout the tar baby.It has extraordinary illustrations that wouldcaptivate the attention of any child, even ones with short attention spans. I think it is a "must have" addition to a child's or teacher'spersonal library.What a wonderful classic to share! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Pictorial Essay on the City of David
This super coffee table book by Joan Comay tells the story of the City of David and its trials and tribulations through the centuries. It is filled with magnificent photographs of landmarks in the city, religious places of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and scenes of life in the city, its vibrancy and its people.

The book opens by explaining how on entering the city for the first time, one feels the emotional impact of 4000 years of continuous history, which has given the very word `Jerusalem' to millions of Christians and Jews throughout the world. This is the city of David and Solomon, of Isaiah and Jeremiah, of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers. This is the city of Jesus' last ministry and the crucifixion.

It was on Mount Moriah, later the site of the Temple built by Solomon, that the Hebrew patriarch Abraham was called upon to make the dramatic sacrifice of his son Isaac.

It was also on Mount Moriah that Jacob had his famous dream where God promised him: "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham and Isaac, thy father. The ground whereon thou liest will I give to thy children; and behold I will be with thee; therefore fear not. I will guard thee wheresoever thou goest and I will increase thy seed as the stars of heaven. I will disperse thy enemies before thee; they will fight against thee but they will not prevail. With greatness and with great wealth will I bring thee back to thy father's land."

Since Jewish settlement in the Promised Land nearly 4000 years ago, Jerusalem has been occupied by many conquerors: Jebusites, Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians and Persians; Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Muslim Arabs, Seljuks, Fatimids, Crusaders, Mamelukes, Ottomans and British.

But one constant thread has run through the city for thousands of years: The unique attachment of the Jewish people to Jerusalem. This attachment has remained unbroken from when King David built his capital in Jerusalem and King Solomon built the Holy Temple, to the reunification of the city after Israeli forces liberated it from Jordanian occupation in 1967. This was during the Six-Day War, in which Israel triumphed over Arab forces who aimed to obliterate her very existence.

The hymn on the lips of Jews around the world through the ages has been: "If I forget thee, oh Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. If I prefer not Jerusalem above my highest joys."

Jerusalem is not as important to the Muslim world as Mecca and Medina are, and for centuries of Muslim occupation it was a neglected outpost. The Crusaders tried to capture and hold the city, but the capital of the Catholic world was always Rome.

Many times the Jewish population of Jerusalem faced massacres and famine. The tribulations endured by the Israelite people include the destruction of the First Temple in 587 BCE when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquered the city, destroyed the First Temple and exiled the Jews to Babylonia.

Antiochus and his Greek-Syrian forces plundered the Temple in 66 CE and massacred hundreds of Jewish men, women and children in the streets of Jerusalem. Four years later the Second Temple was destroyed and Jews were exiled from their holy city. Jerusalem was renamed "Aeolia Capitolina" and Israel-Judea renamed "Palestine." During the War of Independence in 1948, Jews died in the city from famine, bomb and bullet under Arab attack. That same year the Arabs captured the eastern half of the city, expelling her Jewish population and destroying all the Jewish holy sites.

Recently, in the war known as the `Intifada', Arab terrorist gangs have used bomb, knife and bullet to massacre Jewish men, women and children, in their attempt to make Israel Judenrein.

The book is filled with photographs of the Kotel. They include the surviving part of the Temple where thousands of Jews pray every day, the Islamic mosques built on the ruins of the Temple, magnificent synagogues and churches, the modern Knesset building and much more. But the most beautiful treasure of Jerusalem is undoubtedly her children and youth - photographed at prayer, at study and at play and during the famous Jewish festivals.

The City of David
This super coffee table book by Joan Comay tells the story of the City of David and its trials and tribulations through the centuries. It is filled with magnificent photographs of landmarks in the city, religious places of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and scenes of life in the city, its vibrancy and its people.

The book opens by explaining how on entering the city for the first time, one feels the emotional impact of 4000 years of continuous history, which has given the very word `Jerusalem' to millions of Christians and Jews throughout the world. This is the city of David and Solomon, of Isaiah and Jeremiah, of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers. This is the city of Jesus' last ministry and the crucifixion.

It was on Mount Moriah, later the site of the Temple built by Solomon, that the Hebrew patriarch Abraham was called upon to make the dramatic sacrifice of his son Isaac.

It was also on Mount Moriah that Jacob had his famous dream where God promised him: "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham and Isaac, thy father. The ground whereon thou liest will I give to thy children; and behold I will be with thee; therefore fear not. I will guard thee wheresoever thou goest and I will increase thy seed as the stars of heaven. I will disperse thy enemies before thee; they will fight against thee but they will not prevail. With greatness and with great wealth will I bring thee back to thy father's land."

Since Jewish settlement in the Promised Land nearly 4000 years ago, Jerusalem has been occupied by many conquerors: Jebusites, Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians and Persians; Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Muslim Arabs, Seljuks, Fatimids, Crusaders, Mamelukes, Ottomans and British.

But one constant thread has run through the city for thousands of years: The unique attachment of the Jewish people to Jerusalem. This attachment has remained unbroken from when King David built his capital in Jerusalem and King Solomon built the Holy Temple, to the reunification of the city after Israeli forces liberated it from Jordanian occupation in 1967. This was during the Six-Day War, in which Israel triumphed over Arab forces who aimed to obliterate her very existence.

The hymn on the lips of Jews around the world through the ages has been: "If I forget thee, oh Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. If I prefer not Jerusalem above my highest joys."

Jerusalem is not as important to the Muslim world as Mecca and Medina are, and for centuries of Muslim occupation it was a neglected outpost. The Crusaders tried to capture and hold the city, but the capital of the Catholic world was always Rome.

Many times the Jewish population of Jerusalem faced massacres and famine. The tribulations endured by the Israelite people include the destruction of the First Temple in 587 BCE when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquered the city, destroyed the First Temple and exiled the Jews to Babylonia.

Antiochus and his Greek-Syrian forces plundered the Temple in 66 CE and massacred hundreds of Jewish men, women and children in the streets of Jerusalem. Four years later the Second Temple was destroyed and Jews were exiled from their holy city. Jerusalem was renamed "Aeolia Capitolina" and Israel-Judea renamed "Palestine." During the War of Independence in 1948, Jews died in the city from famine, bomb and bullet under Arab attack. That same year the Arabs captured the eastern half of the city, expelling her Jewish population and destroying all the Jewish holy sites.

Recently, in the war known as the `Intifada', Arab terrorist gangs have used bomb, knife and bullet to massacre Jewish men, women and children, in their attempt to make Israel Judenrein.

The book is filed with photographs of the Kotel. They include the surviving part of the Temple where thousands of Jews pray every day, the Islamic mosques built on the ruins of the Temple, magnificent synagogues and churches, the modern Knesset building and much more. But the most beautiful treasure of Jerusalem is undoubtedly her children and youth - photographed at prayer, at study and at play and during the famous Jewish festivals.

... Read more

Product Description
Brad Denning is a successful architect living a perfect life in Denver with his loving wife and son. Or so it would be, if not for the haunting memory of his brother Petey who disappeared while under Brad's supervision when they were kids. Now, a man claiming to be his sibling has mysteriously appeared and Brad is eager to take him in, despite the man's haggard appearance and reluctance to reveal anything about his past. "Petey" is a welcome addition to the family, until a camping trip goes terribly wrong and Brad returns home to find that his devoted wife and son have been abducted. Certain that Petey-or whoever he may be- is responsible for the horrible crime, Brad sets out to recover his family. Travelling alone through America's heartland, it's a race against time as Brad struggles to get to his family before the terrible secret of what really happened long ago destroys everything he cares about. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (47)

Long Lost
This book begins with a quick tale of the disappearance of Brad Denning's brother, Petey when they were children. Fast forward to the future and Brad is a successful architect, happily married and a father to his only son. Out of the blue, after an appearance on national television, Brad is approached by someone claiming to be Petey. With details that only his brother would know, Brad accepts Petey into his life. Then Petey disappears with Brad's wife and son, and after the FBI exhausts all avenues, Brad takes it upon himself to track down Petey. Or is it Peter or a con artist? On his quest, Brad learns more and more about the abductor.

Each page kept me so involved in this story that I couldn't put the book down. I finished reading it in one afternoon. I really enjoyed this one.

Actually 3 1/2 Stars Good Thriller
Brad's brother Petey was kidnapped when they were kids because of Brad's actions .Years later a stranger comes to Brad claiming to be his long lost brother.But Petey has been through some terrible things in his life and blames Brad for them.And so the thrill ride begins.

This was an edge of your seat thriller. Yes I did figure some things out before the main character did but it still made me sit on the edge of my seat waiting for Brad to figure out the mystery.

Great Book!
Well I can't believe there are people that didn't like this book. I have read 4 of his books and this by far is the BEST!! I finished this book in one day. I am an avid reader and can't say that I read any other book so fast.I read reviews on here that people say "Brotherhood of the Rose" is better, but I didn't think it was nearly as good. Different Strokes for different folks I guess!! If you want a book you can't put down, then pick this one up and happy reading!!

BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?
From the man who gave us Rambo comes this story of Brad Denning, thirty-something, happily married family man and architect who remains guilt ridden over the disappearance of his younger brother Petey some twenty years before.

When Brad is approached by a man claiming to be Petey he is at first skeptical, but based upon the strangers in depth knowledge of their shared childhood experiences, becomes convinced that this man is indeed his long lost brother, and brings him home to meet his wife and son .

What ensues is a shattering situation that forces Brad to abandon his career and his calm, regimented lifestyle and embark upon an investigation that requires him to call upon his "inner Rambo" with a little Indiana Jones thrown in for good measure. ("SNAKES, there had to be snakes") in order to save the day.

Not as good as some of Morrell's other books like Brotherhood of the Rose, you will probably be able to guess the outcome of this adventure, but there is enough action going on to keep you turning the pages.

Fast Paced
I agree with many other reviews that this is not Morrell's best work. However, it's definitely a page turner. It kept me up well into the morning for two days. It's a simple story but sometimes that's okay. ... Read more

Product Description
For decades, David Downie and Alison Harris have been exploring Burgundy—they walked clear across it in 2006—reporting on their finds for top magazines and newspapers worldwide. This is the third Terroir Guide they have collaborated on and perhaps the most detailed and personal of any so far. Burgundy is one of France’s great food and wine regions. Many of the world’s most sought-after wines are produced there; so, too, are some of the most underrated, underpriced white wines in France. Each of Burgundy’s five wine districts is thoroughly explored in this guide, with recommendations on which wines to buy and which wineries to visit. Wine terminology is explained in a way that anyone can understand. On the food side, Burgundy still has a surprising number of luxurious restaurants, as well as dozens of country auberges visitors dream of discovering. Downie leads you to just such places, as well as to specialty food shops where you can taste the region’s terroir firsthand. Burgundy’s lush scenery distills the essence of French terroir, and each of its subregions has a distinctive character where the architecture and art reflect this storied diversity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

More than a guidebook: a work of art
I have written many a guidebook, I have used many a guidebook, and I know Burgundy pretty darned well, but this exquisite book is like none other. It is chock full of information not found in any other book I've seen about Burgundy. It is Burgundy for those who want to discover Burgundy for the first time, but it is also Burgundy for those who, like me, already know Burgundy and want to know it still more.

Downie is a writer's writer, a writer for those who appreciate good writing, yet his writing is clear and accessible to all. His lucid manner of presenting and describing food and wine make you feel confident that he has done his homework (which he has; this book is 20 years in the making) and that you can rely on his recommendations. He not only has an amazing depth of knowledge about food, wine, and history, but he weaves it all together in an amazing, catchy prose not seen in modern-day guidebooks. He has a love of "terroir"; of what the land has to offer, of earthy food and wine. He seems to have the nose of a truffle hog, because in the addresses we've tried so far and already know, we've never found him to be off the mark.

The beautiful photos by Alison Harris create the perfect atmosphere for the subject matter, and make you feel you're already in Burgundy, no matter where on the globe you might be.

Its format and look are original and classy, and it's not too bulky, which is important when you're traveling.

The prose and photos together make this much more than a guidebook. It is a book for booklovers, a book you will pick up time and time again, not just because you're planning a trip to Burgundy, but because it is a little jewel of a book. You will read about the places you've been and the places you want to go, and feel you're almost there.

Fantastic results.
Recently during a trip to visit family in Germany, we spent 4 days in the town of Beaune, France. We used this guidebook to learn all about the regional specialties, wine caves (and liquor caves) to experience and also to find restaurants for our dinners. Every single recommendation was fantastic. Not one bad meal, not one bad sip of wine/liquors, not one bad experience. I wish we had more time to explore the region with this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who is traveling to this region. The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because we only visited a few towns in our short time so I can't speak for the extensive information in this book. I wish this series was available for our trip to Greece next year! Merci!

Sensational! Passionate, research-packed, a must for anyone going to France! Downie does it again!

This is an amazing travel and food book, with so much research and passion in it that I don't know how the author survived. I admit up front that I have not been to Burgundy in several years, and that I bought the book to prepare for my next trip to France. I usually review books that I have "test driven" (though I hardly drive at all), but I can't help giving it a rave right off the bat. And I also admit that I am not a wine expert and rarely drink. But the title has "Food" in it, and "Burgundy," and those two were the main draws for me, plus the fact that I've bought Downie's two other Terroir Guides (to Rome and the Italian Riviera) and loved them. Just from the standpoint of armchair travel I can wholeheartedly recommend Food Wine Burgundy. The book is beautiful as an object, and the photography by Alison Harris (who has a great website, [...]) is outstanding. As in the couple's other Terroir Guides, the writing here is witty and wry, and I just love Downie's take on tourism, food, history and people. There's a critical edge, which is a relief after so many guides that seem to have been written by the local tourism office. This is definitely an insider's view (though it also lists the must-sees and must-does and must-tastes). I was furious but delighted to find that a couple of places I thought no one else knew, from way back, are still around, and are listed here (and probably nowhere else). The reviews seem spot-on to me. I'll give two examples from the Morvan, the part of Burgundy most people never see, even though it's green and beautiful (but has almost no wine, which is probably why...). The first is a restaurant called Le Vieux Morvan (in Chateau Chinon), where former French president Mitterrand used to hang out (beware, he was a socialist!). The second is L'Auberge Fleurie (in Chissey-en-Morvan), a hotel-restaurant lifted from some French novel of the 19th century, with fabulously old-fashioned but never heavy food. At least it seemed light to me, and that's why I fear returning, afflicted as I am by "the impossible lightness of eating" syndrome. I am saving my $ as of now so that when I visit Paris later this year I will have enough euros to get on a TGV and rent a car and explore the places Downie lists. A magnificent job.
... Read more

Product Description
The first half of this book provides an outline of the structure and function of a voice clinic, a review of the structure and function of the vocal tract and an outline of the most common forms of voice disorder likely to be encountered in a clinic. It also provides brief descriptions of the various forms of therapy available for the treatment of non-cancerous voice disorder and suggests appropriate treatment modalities.

The second half of the book is based in science and contains an overview of the instrumentation available for the investigation and documentation of voicing. ... Read more