Reviews (4)

Former Peace Corps Volunteer
This book was a gift given before my overseas service with the US Peace Corps. It ended up being the most valuable resource I had in my overseas experience. Over the years I've referred back to it (even in moving across the US) to deal with cultural changes.

A bit of redundant, but immensely practical.
Survival Kit starts out a bit slow- it is helpful for someone who has done no studying of other cultures, and cross-cultural interactions. Indeed, superbably so- what it means to be American, what other cultures are, how to relate to people. But if you have studied anthropology or sociology or other cultures, you will find the first 2/3rds of the book largely old hat. It's the final third that really gets into some profound detail.

This final third is immensely practical, looking at how to recognize culture shock, how to deal with it, how to respond with love to others around you in your new culture. Kohls presents interesting ideas on how we view the world, as individuals, though I must confess I am still experiencing a great deal of trauma at having to spend an hour to see a particular perspective of a picture he presents. He then provides the cues we can expect within a new culture, even to the point of the likely dual-cyclic time periods of culture shock; how to deal with this as a family; and how to respond to reverse culture shock when you return "home". I plan on looking back to this book at the appropriate time in about 3 months, when I am scheduled to enter my first bout of culture shock.

Practical Information
I have lived overseas for a year now and this book has been a wonderful help. It clearly and practically explains what it is to be an American and how that effects how others see us. I would recommend this book for every American planning to work or study outside the United States.

Survival Kit helps in decions to be an expat
This book was invaluable in my decision making process to take a position in Germany. The Appendices helped to focus my qestions both those for my future employer and for myself. It provided a needed reality check on the implications of cultural differences and culture shock that I am sure I will feel in the next few weeks. ... Read more

Book Description

Here is New York was founded in response to the events of September 11, and to the flood of images that resulted from it. The idea was simple: to present images of the event by as many different people and from as many different perspectives as possible. In the days following September 11, the organizers asked for pictures and were inundated with slides, negatives, prints, and digital files from photographers of every description, not only top photojournalists and other professionals, but rescue workers, firemen, police officers, school children, and amateurs of every kind. In order to underline that it was the images themselves that mattered, rather than their makers, the photographs were all digitally scanned, printed out in exactly the same format, and hung from wires without attribution or frames in a Soho storefront in downtown Manhattan.

The book Here is New York will be the most comprehensive and authentic document of what occurred.It will bear witness to what seemed unimaginable, memorialize the people who perished and the rescue workers who served so heroically. Most of all, the book will be a testimony of people speaking directly to each other about their fears, their emotions, and their desire for community.This desire is one of the strongest by-products of the horrible events of September 11. It is also what distinguishes Here is New York from any and all other books about the event.

Proceeds from the sale of the images and the book benefit The Children's Aid Society's WTC Relief Fund. To date, Here Is New York has donated over $600,000.00 to the Society. The democratic nature of the exhibiton has allowed it to expand to simultaneous exhibitions including shows at The Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Chicago; and The Daytona Beach Community College’s Southeast Museum of Photography. To continue to express the magnitude of this event and expound upon the democratic message of this project, exhibitions will be mounted simultaneously throughout the world this summer and fall to memorialize September 11th. The exhibitions will open in London, Tokyo, Zurich, Arles, as well as several other American locations including Washington, D.C. The pictures communicate where words are insufficient, each tells one part of this tragic story.

The Here Is New York exhibition has been featured in all of the major New York newspapers and by many local and national television networks, including CBS, PBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, and National Geographic, Oprah Winfrey, Rosie O'Donnell, Dateline, and 60 Minutes . International press from the following countries have covered the exhibition: the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, and Japan. The book Here is New York will receive extensive press coverage as well.

Slipcased hardcover with dust jacket, 864 pages, 12 x 8.25 inches, 720 color and 160 duotones ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Sobering Reminder
I understand that some people below were shocked at finding the photo of a severed leg in this collection. They all promptly seem to have demoted the book's worth to a single star. That doesn't seem an appropriate response to me. The book is almost 1000 pages long and there's a single photo showing what was unfortunately a very common site that day. I'm not suggesting that the publishers should have added more gory photos to the book. I'm saying that an honest portrayal of September 11th shouldn't shy away from accurately depicting the real horror of the event. What happened that day was horrendous, the acts, despicable, so let's not try to whitewash what happened by requesting a G-rated depiction.

This book is stunning in the literal not the sensationalistic sense of the word. I read it cover to cover the day I got it and was provoked to remember the day (as we sometimes need to) all over again. As others have pointed out, this is not a sensationalist tome at all. No captions accompany the photo, neither are the names of photographers provided with each photo. No, the focus is entirely on the subject matter.

If you don't want to remember, don't pick this book up. I'd argue, however, that for the sake of our children and our society, we all need to remember this event and remember it well.

No textbook will ever be as valuable in recounting 9/11.
I first heard about this book on CNN, a few months after 9/11. I would stop at the book in the bookstore, and flip through. I could never get through more than 10 pages because it was too emotional. I finally bought the book, over two years later, and after a personal tragedy of my own, made myself get through it. The book is composed of so many photographs that are only a split-second in time, I found myself wondering what happened of so many of the subjects -- the man who picked up and read a random piece of paper out of thousands that had been blown out of the building, the woman on page 281 who reminded me all too much of the little girl running away from her napalm-bombed village in Vietnam in the famous photograph. I was not in New York on September 11. I was bartending, in a bar in Atlanta, where every television was on the news, and the packed restaurant sat silent. Though I still can't imagine what it was like after viewing this book, I have realized that September 11 was so many different experiences to so many people. Snapshots of many of those, even one similar to mine, are portrayed, and reinforces the magnitude and impact the events had on so many.
To get on my soapbox for a while, the "severed leg" picture -- not only was this picture justified in being included, as well as the pictures of persons jumping from the buildings, it was absolutely necessary in conveying the events to future generations. When we think of the holocaust, 6 million people is a difficult concept to grasp. But when we see pictures of mass graves, people in the ghettos, etc., we realize the value of each individual person, and how each of them didn't deserve their fate. Similar is my sentiment toward the more gruesome photographs. Their inclusion was absolutely necessary to convey the death of each individual person -- the pain they left behind, the family that will miss them, and how each person didn't simply disappear into a 8x11 flyer with their smiling picture in it.
One of the most powerful things in the book is the quote from which the title "Here is New York" was taken -- a segment written 50 years ago by E.B. White, ironically the author of "Charlotte's Web," the story so many of us read as children. It expresses his fear of how New York, in all of its glory and modernization, was incredibly vulnerable. The passage is incredibly prophetic.
When I have children, and they ask about these events, as I did when I became curious as to where my parents were when JFK was assassinated, I will show them this book.
If you can handle the impact of this book, I highly reccommend it. It will make you appreciate your loved ones more, it will make you remember what so many went through.

The Next Best Thing to Visiting the Storefront
Exhausted after wandering through lower Manhattan looking for friends lost, I came upon the Here Is New York storefront. No sign announced this storefront -- only a line of dazed people drifting inside, many clutching photos to be pinned to the clotheslines strung overhead. Nothing relates the stunning horror of that time, except these candid and brutal snapshots taken by regular people on that most irregular day. These photos convey the horrors for which there are no words. I can't look at this book without smelling the smoke all over again.

Truly amazing
I just got this book and it is the most comprehensive book out there on September 11th of what happened that day. I went through it all in one day and after I was finished the thoughts and emotions that went through me on that day all came back.

There are some pretty disturbing photographs in there so I would not recommend it for children or even for family members who lost someone in the trade center. I am sure you have read already about the leg photo but there is another one that i was as disturbed by. It was the one of the north tower by the impact hole where the plane went in. There are actually people standing in the hole looking down not sure what to do. I had never seen that picture before and I started crying thinking what could be going through those people's desperate minds.

As the two year anniversary of this horrid day is quickly approaching, this book will be a testament to what we went through that day here in New York and should be in your library to always remember what we went through as a nation and overcame as a nation.

9/11 as it happened
What happened on 9/11 was horrific, stunning and chilling. This book shows you what the scene was on that day and the days afterwards. Many comments have been made about the 1 photo of the unbelievable horror that occured that day. Yes, there was no sticker to tell you it was coming, but do you really think a book about 9/11 wouldn't include some photos that make us all disgusted? I have found too many publications that whitewash the event so as not to offend, but we lose our desire not to let it happen again as it becomes a distant memory. Many in this country have already forgotten that day and what it felt like and how sickening it was and if this book, however small, makes us remember how we felt that day and how proud we were to be Americans, then it is worth it over 1 photo. ... Read more

Book Description

Back In The Days documents the emerging hip-hop scene from 1980-1989 - before it became what is today's multi-million-dollar multinational industry. Back in the days, gangs would battle not with guns, but by breakdancing.Back in the days, the streets - not corporate planning - set the standards for style.Back in the days, Jamel Shabazz was on the scene, photographing everyday people hangin' in Harlem, kickin' it in Queens, and cold chillin' in Brooklyn.Street styling with an attitude not seen in fashion for another twenty years to come, Shabazz's subjects strike poses that put supermodels to shame - showing off Kangol caps and Gazelle glasses, shell-top Adidas and suede Pumas with fat laces, shearling coats and leather jackets, gold rope chains, door-knocker earrings, name belts, boom boxes, and other designer finery.For anyone who wants to know what "keepin' it real" means, Back In the Days is the book of your dreams. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

...when brothers had waves, Cazal shades and corn braids...
Just when you thought you escaped Bell-Kangols, Sheepskins and the Koch administration, along comes "Back In The Days". Photograhper Jamel Shabazz's vibrant tome is fresher than two-tone British Walkers with the LEE suit to match! More like your man's childhood photo album, B.T.D. is a melting pot of style, attitude and a throw-back to the glory days of 80's Hip Hop fashion. Looking at these pages brought back fond memories of Kurtis Blow and B-boys, Jordache n' Jettas, subway graffiti and shopping on Delancey. Jamel does a great job of capturing the youth of New York in one of the most stylish and important decades in Hip Hop history. It would've been dope though to include actual info (i.e., date, location and names of subjects and/or crews) on each page, but the omissions only help to arouse curiosity. Funny enough, the irony in the era(s) being covered in this book is: no matter what the socioeconomic conditions of the times were, (i.e., drugs, poverty, crime, Reganomics etc.) kids in NY always found a way to look good! Back In The Days is a great book and an excellent reference to a period in Hip Hop history when the word "fresh" wasn't just a catchphrase, but a way of life. --James "Koe" Rodriguez

MUST HAVE if you are an 80's child!
I got this book as soon as it came out, and it is better than I had expected. I always wished I had more photos of the outfits and growing up in the 80's and this book does justice to how we looked. Everything is nicely represented in this book although I wish more West Coast. But still, It's Fantastic and It's Nicely bound very artsy cool!

Only in NYC
Growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn this book depicts the look and feel of NYC during this era. Brothers was rocking the shearlings tough, punks was getting their Lee patches taken and the flygirls was rocking the bamboo earings. Before the MTV era (although we did have Video Music Box) was setting the trend for how we looked and spoke, we looked within ourselves and let the streets define whether we were fresh or corney. Jamal represented in this book for real before the word was exploited. One

It's FRESH!!!
If you used to sit in front of the TV, after school, watching "YO MTV Raps" and "Rap City", then this book is for you. Just like how Moms and Dads can reminisce about the 60's & 70's, we can finally look back and remember the days when the only debt we had was a pager bill. Bamboo earings, asymmetric hair cuts, converse shoes and "TIGHT" jeans were in style. I usually don't spend over [price] on one book (I'm not that much of a reader) but I HAD to get this one. Definitely, a must have for those rainy days, or when you just want to sit back and "chill".

cool cover - weak inside
The cover looked so promising, but once i opened this boook up and took a good look inside I was very dissappointed.
It really looked like it was going to be the coolest B-boy hip hop style from back in the days book ever, but fell short in a big way in my opinion. That's too bad. ... Read more

Book Description

Once upon a time, before the Soviet invasion and two decades of civil war, Afghanistan stood as a beautiful, if austere, country. Enchanted by the dramatic landscape, two photographers from the West devoted 14 years, from 1964 to 1978, to documenting its rugged charms. From ruined cities covered with desert sands to the Pamir mountains, where caravans of camels walk across frozen rivers in winter, to the Turkestan bazaars along the old Silk Road, Roland and Sabrina Michaud traveled and came to love this ravaged paradise and its proud peoples: Pashtuns, Tadjiks, Hazara farmers, Uzbek horsemen, Kirgiz shepherds, Nuristani mountain dwellers, and Derbiche vagrants.

With the Michauds' evocative photography and text by prizewinning poet and essayist André Velter, this striking testimony to the Afghanistan that once was will help readers understand and respect a country now so central to current events. ... Read more

Book Description

New York between the wars: the city of Babe Ruth, Checker cabs, and Zelda Fitzgerald's infamous dip in the fountain at the Plaza Hotel. That is the city that comes gloriously to life in this fascinating collection of 100 historical photographs of New York's notable streetscapes and landmarks. Discovered serendipitously by author David Stravitz when he was on a hunt for used camera equipment, these rare photographs of the city are accompanied here by informative captions and an insightful essay by architectural historian Christopher Gray.

Not only are these photographs being published for the first time, but the clarity and detail of the images, taken with a large-format camera, are astonishing. One can read the signage on the sides of buildings, examine the items in store windows, and see how people on the streets and sidewalks are dressed. From Trinity Church to Harlem, from Coney Island to Yankee Stadium, these images transport the reader into the heart of a vanished era, when men wore fedoras and the Empire City sparkled with promise. AUTHOR BIO: David Stravitz is a professional photographer, an industrial design consultant and product creator for many Fortune 500 companies, and the author of The Chrysler Building: Creating a New York Icon Day by Day. Christopher Gray, the author of Abrams' New York Streetscapes and other books on New York City architecture, has written the "Streetscapes" column in The New York Times since 1987. Both authors live in New York City. ... Read more

Book Description

Fodor's Escape to the Wine Country will inspire and guide you as you plan your tour of Northern California's wine country. Visit a 19th-century mission town, balloon over vineyards, or stroll through exotic gardens. Each of the 18 experiences and sights it highlights are illustrated in 130 luscious full-color photographs. The planning section tells you all about costs, lodging options, how to get there, and more, and a detailed map shows you what's where.Escape to the Wine Country is lovely enough to treasure as a dream book, yet durable enough to withstand the rigors of travel, so keep this book by your bedside to sweeten your dreams, or pop it into your tote bag when you hit the road.And get ready for the trip of a lifetime. ... Read more

Book Description

The Heart of America contains the most spectacular photography on the USA ever published. Inspiring, first-person text and photographs by Kevin Fleming take the reader from Florida's everglades to the summit of Alaska's Mt. McKinley. A beautiful photography book that makes for the perfect gift. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Off the beaten track, not easily seen because in private or official hands, these are the "hidden gardens" of one of the world’s great historic cities.

All the main types of Japanese garden are represented. First comes the pond garden, which on the grandest scale can be a match for the lake-wood-and-meadow parks of Western estates, and on a more modest scale still contains islands and bridges and pavilions. Then there is the dry landscape garden, whose gravel, rocks, and moss have an austerity remote from most Westerners’ idea of a garden, yet whose purpose, once understood, leaves an impression of dignity and resonance. And finally the tea garden, whose scrupulous simplicity belies great sophistication in the arrangement of its few components.

To a much greater degree than Western gardens, their enjoyment depends on knowing how to interpret them: how to look for the auspicious tortoise stones—a wedge-shaped head poking out of the ground—or the wings of a stone crane; the symbolic waterfall where no water flows; the bridge that crosses from this world into the next.

No better guides to these underlying attributes can be found than the photographer of this book, who has spent most of his life in the old capital, and the commentator, a professional garden designer who learned his craft from one of the twentieth century’s greatest landscape gardeners. With their help we learn such things as why no flowers bloom in the tea garden, and why its paths are seldom straight; or why some scenery is best seen in passing from a boat rather than on dry land.

As a sequel to the acclaimed LANDSCAPES FOR SMALL SPACES, this new appreciation of the traditional Japanese garden will give as much, if not more, pleasure, since part of its attraction is knowing that the gate into these gardens—which might otherwise be closed—is, in these pages, open to us all. ... Read more

Book Description

Celebrating beloved cities from around the world, this book from the Then and Now series offers a unique combination of historic interest and contemporary beauty. Then and Now Hollywood features over 100 fascinating archival photographs contrasted with specially commissioned, full-color images of the same scene today. Each work is a visual lesson in the historic changes of this great urban landscape. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Hollywood Then and Now
I had been so impressed with the quality and accuracy of Rosemary Lord's book LOS ANGELES THEN AND NOW that I was delighted to find her new book HOLLYWOOD THEN AND NOW. It is brilliant and fascinating. This is an impressive, informative history of Hollywood. I worked in the Hollywood Motion Picture Industry during much of this time and Lord has captured the world I remember so well. I was pleased to see this book on the L.A. Times Bestseller List in January when it first came out and have bought several copies as they make wonderful classy gifts. I look forward to her next book.

Extremely Disappointed
I was given this book by a friend because he knows I was raised in Hollywood and love the history of the area. The archival photographs are quite nicely reproduced, however, the current photographs are very poor. I enjoy digital photography and was in Hollywood a few weeks ago and visited the same historic scenes from this book. I quite easily found the angle of the original shots found in this book.. why this book showed those same shots but taken from different angles than the original photos is beyond me. The modern photos in this book are also very unflattering, out of focus and even amateur in appearance... not much more than snapshots.

The worst thing about this book are the many obvious mistakes in locations and historic details. What a shame.

Just the facts PLEASE!Autho
Authors need to check their facts when writing a book
that contains many historical references. When mistakes
are made someone has to be held accountable for the
printing of errors. On p.55, the statement "The Sicilian-
born Valentino" immediately dismayed this reviewer about the
validity of the entire book. Rudolph Valentino WAS NOT
born in Sicily. (He was born in Castellenata, located near
the heel of Italy)

Authors need to be careful. Write your books......check
your facts!!

NO BEST SELLER LIST.....
DO YOU THNIK THIS BOOK MADE THE BEST SELLERS LIST ..NO WAY..
THE BOOK I PURCHASED (HOLLYWOOD THEN AND NOW) IS JUNK
DONT WAST YOUR MONEY ..EVEN IT THERE IS A BIG DISOUNT ..
THAT SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING.. !!!

What a treasure!
This book is an absolute treasure! I bought it after I saw it on the Best Seller List. It is a fascinating history, interesting archive photos. As a historian I was impressed by her research and historical accuracy. Well done! ... Read more

Book Description

"If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere!" When Sinatra sang those immortal words from "New York, New York," he must have had Madison Square Garden in mind. After all, Ol' Blue Eyes played the Garden, as did Judy Garland, John Lennon, and, in the past four decades, every major rock band or rap artist from the Beastie Boys to U2. That lineup doesn't even begin to take into account the all-star roster of athletes-Muhammad Ali, Walt Frazier, Patrick Ewing, Carl Lewis, Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky, and John McEnroe, to name a few-who have set records there. Since it first opened in 1879, the Garden has been a magnet for fans intent on expressing their passion in person for their favorite performers. Currently home to the New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty, it is also the venue for everything from the Westminster Dog Show to the 2004 Republican National Convention-which is why it's called "The World's Most Famous Arena."

In Garden of Dreams more than 100 knockout images by longtime Garden photographer George Kalinsky capture all the glorious highlights in the arena's history. From Ali to Sinatra, Garland to Gretzky, Kalinsky has shot the greatest. Adding insight and context to the photos are essays by 25 luminaries who have witnessed or participated in some of these legendary Garden events. The list of contributors includes Billy Crystal, Bill Bradley, Woody Allen, Peggy Fleming, Spike Lee, John McEnroe, Mary Tyler Moore, and Christopher Reeve. Pete Hamill's introduction recounts the Garden's storied past, and reminds readers why MSG evokes such powerful emotions for New York residents and visitors alike. AUTHOR BIO: GEORGE KALINSKY's work has been exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the International Center of Photography, all in New York, and Tokyo's Olympus Plaza Gallery; his work has also appeared in such national publications as Time, Newsweek, People, and Sports Illustrated. Kalinsky is the recipient of numerous awards, and he was honored by the photography industry (PMDA) as the International Photographer of the Year in 2001. He is the author of nine books, which together have sold more than two million copies. ... Read more

Book Description

69 color photographs. With text by Laura Facchi. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Outre!
I bought this book misunderstanding what it was. It is the creepiest, most haunting book I have ever seen. When I first opened the package and began looking, I felt terrible. . . like I was looking at people's most intimate secrets. I mean, these are dead people on display. Who wants to be looked at like that. I felt so rude. And yet. . . I could not discard the book. It is clearly also very moving, and is also a book of clear artistry. So, if you have a strong stomach, along with compassion for these people (especially the room of children dead for centuries!), look at this book. Otherwise, maybe best to not get. I give it 5 stars for artistry, but that doesn't equate a recommendation! ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Photography is nothing, it's life that interests me." With his ever-present Leica camera, Henri Cartier-Bresson captured the raw and the sweet, the comic and the profound moments of lives that were lost in the grind or relegated to someone else's memory--the coincidental moment at which a reflection in a puddle of water mimics a poster on a nearby wall or when lovers kiss, oblivious to the not-so-pristine world around them. It is the familiar beauty and cruelty of the day-to-day that is so engaging in his photographs: two cosmopolitan woman chat nonchalantly while surrounded by empty lettuce crates; mourners at a funeral stare directly into the camera; postwar Paris awakens in the fog. Cartier-Bresson was the master of the "decisive moment," that fleeting instant for which a picture really is worth a thousand words, which is the essence of photojournalism. In no place is this more exemplified than in his images of Paris.

Cartier-Bresson personally selected the more than 130 black-and-white photographs of Paris for this publication. With photographs taken over a period of 50 years, the work is beautifully and generously printed in duotone. The accompanying essays, both short and unobtrusive, are also familiar and personal. One essayist captures the essence of Cartier-Bresson's camera work: "When life calls, he is always there, to assist, or to admire; to rebel, or to say no to exploiters and imposters, and to all those who demean its value." --Manine Golden ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Must See, Must Have
Anyone who is a serious student of photography should have this book. Anyone who is curious as to what "great" photographs should look like, look inside and be enlightened. The public at large tends to regard black and white photographs as inferior to color work. The truth is, a black and white photograph will stand the test of time, while a color photograph starts fading the moment it comes out of the dryer. The truth is, any good black and white photograph will make you overlook the fact that it's not in color. The mind's eye makes you see the "color." Cartier-Bresson is a true master. His work that's shown in this book is every superlative that's ever been coined, including the vulgarities. Viewing the photographs within is worth a dozen books on compositional theory. Each is a benchmark of what a quality photograph should look like. A Propos de Paris truly is a must see, must have.

Great!
this book should get five stars for the photo of two dogs behind the church alone. Perhaps it says a bit more about this reviewer than it should, but that photo is one of my favorites - I just could not stop laughing! The photo essay ranges over about three decades and the pictures are not your typical pictures of the Eiffel Tower or of the Arc de Triomphe but rather people and places and neighborhoods of Paris. One gets the feeling of sneaking a peek into these people's lives. Cartier-Bresson is a master behind the lens and this is his city, so you can't expect less than the best - and he doesn't disappoint. (check out the two dogs...)

Composition Genius
Henri is a genius in composition. This book records over and over how Henri is able to not just break the rules on composing a photgraph, but re-write them. That unique ability is amazing. Especially when viewed in conjunction with his ability to capture people in the precise moment he needs to -- in order to communicate the image he must anticipate with a great sense of intuition. The photographs in this book are just a delight to visit over and over again.

How does he do it?
The epitome of the snapshot. HCB has such an eye for composition; counterpoint, balance, symmetry, symbolism and just plain humour. I find myself shaking my head, often in disbelief at how he manages time and again to catch that 'decisive moment'. This book has his Paris prints beautifully reproduced and the one-line descriptions mirror the mood of the entire collection - glimpses of life, love, conflict, smells, textures in that colourful city. Colour rendered in black and white!

Half a century of monochrome one-liners - HCB en Paris!
Henri Cartier-Bresson, master of (creator indeed of the phrase) 'the decisive moment,' here celebrates over 50 years of observation and humour from his home base of Paris, France. Everything from gunfights (against the Nazis) to dogfights (well, they're actually making love not war) is here, captured by the fastest shutter finger in the business.

Cartier-Bresson is 90 this year, and has gathered together a beautifully rendered set of 131 plates, any one of which is good enough for over the mantelpiece. As a coffee-table book, A Propos de Paris will entertain you and flatter your tastes as far as your guests are concerned. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (4)

Alive, at Most, in Memory
One look at the pages of this wrenching book will tell the story. Roman Vishniac, secretly, in some cases, shot thousands of pictures of the Jewish population of Eastern Europe, shortly before they were swallowed up by the Holocaust.

Young, old, in-between are shown going about their ordinary lives, some already paying the price of the prevalent Eastern European anti-Semitism, virtually oblivious to what was coming their way.

You can't look at these pictures and not shudder: certainly no one in these pictures can still be alive, and it's not just because of the passage of time. Most of the people photographed here lived in the smaller villages, segregated in many cases from the Gentiles, wearing clothes that quickly and easily identified them to their destroyers.

Vishniac shot an estimated 16,000 pictures, but managed to get only about 2,000 out when he fled to the United States in 1940. We should be grateful for what he's given us, and mourn all that was lost.

A stunning historical record
I was amazed at the quality of the images and the sensitive approach to what has become an amazing record of that,which many of us could only imagine from verbal accounts.It is without doubt the best photographic recording of a society which was to be brutally decimated. Vishniac's photographic artistry in my mind are on a par with Cartier Bresson whom I greatly admire. Thanks to the publisher for printing such a wonderful book.

Take A Journey into a Vanished World
Open this book and you will enter a world of the vanished, but not vanquished. Roman Vishniac's stunning black and white photographs of the destroyed Jewish communities of Eastern Europe will surely enter your heart, as they have mine. The simple, sometimes stark compositions are primarily of the faces of Jews long lost in the flames of the Holocaust. Most of the photographs have a brief explanatory comment that gives them context. Vishniac takes us into the tiny basement apartments of Warsaw's Jewish porters, the logging villages of Carpathian Ruthenia, and the narrow streets of Vilna. I found myself drawn into that world where Jews worked, studied, walked on their way to and from synagogues or markets, plowed fields and played in the streets. My own family originated in that world, and I thank Roman Vishniac for giving me a glimpse of it. I highly recommend this book.

Great book on this subject !!! Please re-print, please !!!
This book is probably the greatest book I have seen on the subject of the vanished jewish 'shtetls'. It is very moving, and also, at the same time, a wonderful piece of art to put on the table in the living room. If this book were to be re-printed, many people would want to own one. No doubt about that. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Carved out, at the close of the eighteenth century, of some of the thickest woods and foulest swamps north of Georgia, the glorious city of Washington D.C., is among America's most stately, most beautiful, and most impressive.Indeed, once maligned by Charles Dickens as simply "spacious avenues that begin in nothing and lead nowhere; streets a mile long that only want houses, roads, and inhabitants; public buildings that need but a public to be complete, " Washington, D.C. today is a powerful symbol not only of our nation but of democracy.
Spanning the Potomac in majestic fashion, the city fans out gracefully, offering a multitude of pleasures to the more than twenty million tourists who visit annually.From official Washington (the imposing Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the White House, the Capitol, the souring obelisk of the Washington Monument) to its lush public parks and gardens; from Union Station to Ford's Theater; the Willard Hotel to the Library of Congress to the fabled Belgian Embassy; the charm of its celebrated Cherry Blossom Festival to the somber beauty of the Vietnam Wall; from the delightful Easter egg roll to the profoundly moving Holocaust Museum—Washington D.C., A Photographic Tour manages to convey all the grandeur of the nation's capital while reminding us that this splendor belongs, of course, to all who prize democracy. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The best way to remember your Washington, D.C. visit
I have visited Washington, D.C. several times, by myself and with my family. This book has the best photographic coverage of Washington in one cover that I have seen. The captions for the photographs are accurate and helpful. If you go on the Washington by Dark bus tours, this book is better than the photos most of us take for the monuments. You can save your film for pictures of your friends or family at the sites during the day. Additionally, the preface history of Washington is interesting and concise. I heartily recommend this photo essay to any Washington, D.C. visitor. ... Read more

Book Description

Preeminent photographer Norbert Wu travels to the ends of the earth to showcase an array of dive spots including reefs, wrecks, caves, and drifts. Here are schooling hammerheads and spawning corals, curious sea creatures and dense kelp forests, captured in breathtaking full color photographs. Ken McAlpine’s commentary outlines each locale's geography and choice dive sites, the best seasons to explore specific areas, and ideal times and places to see favorite species and extraordinary behaviors. Also included are topside tips for the nondiver and current preservation issues related to the sea and its inhabitants. Beautifully packaged and produced, this impressive coffee-table book of 350 color photographs and maps appeals to diving enthusiasts, naturalists, conservationists, boaters, and anyone captivated by the sea. ... Read more

Book Description

From stunning mountain ranges to arid expanses of desert, America has been blessed with an incredibly diverse land -- and the vision to protect it for our and future generations to enjoy. These lands are ours to view, wander, learn from, and revel in. America's National Parks captures all that is great about all fifty-six parks in the national park system. It also gives interesting, easy-to-understand background on the geological and ecological forces that continue to make each national park so worthy of protection.

Nature lovers will be captivated by gorgeous photos of landforms, flora, and fauna. Families will appreciate the information that is sure to enhance vacations at the parks. And visitors to any of the country's national parks will forever treasure this book as a memento of past visits and an inspiration for future ones.

Unlike any other book published on national parks, America's National Parks is a must-have for anyone who relishes America's natural wonders and wants to learn more about the powerful forces that created them. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

spectacular visuals, excellent text
This book is a spectacular visual text to some of the American National Parks. The size of the photos, and their photographic quality, are just excellent. The photos are right up there with National Geographic-type quality. In addition, the accompaning text gives ecological insights to where and why this part of the United States was designated and saved as a National Park. The book gives short but insightful accompanying text for each of the Parks that are presented to the reader. The only problem is, unfortunately, the organization of the chapters, and a very skimpy table of contents, and the reader can get easily annoyed with these two problems. It is hard to understand why the publisher made such errors, as the problems are very obvious, and the whole book suffers as a result. It is a beautiful book covering many of the National Parks, with super photos and very good college level text, and if you can put up with the problems of a missing table of contents, this book is a great collection of art, ecology, and the National Parks of the USA. A 5-star for the photos and accompanying text, and a 3 for a useless table of contents. Sorry, but the publisher made major mistakes in putting this otherwise spectacular book together. But I will still give the book a 5-star anyway. The photos and text are just too good to give this book anything less than a 5-star.

Spectacular Presentation of Natural Wonder
Paul Schullery presents a book filled with powerful and beautiful images of fifty-six national parks that have been dedicated to the preservation and protection of irreplaceable treasures. This book shows why these parks are so worthy of protection.

Not only are they places where indescribable beauty can be seen, they have also been formed by unique geological forces. From stunning mountain ranges to arid expanses of desert, these are the lands we view, wander in and learn from.

America's National Parks is a celebration of the diversity of national parks throughout the United States. They are grouped according to the geological forces that helped to create them.

Diagrammatic illustrations, important landmarks, travel routes, topographical maps and spectacular full-color photographs illustrate the sheer majestic beauty of nature.

You will also find captivating information to encourage an awareness of the landforms, flora and fauna. Families will also find information to help enhance their vacations at the parks.

Inside the front cover a map of America shows the location of each park I started to remember my trip to the Grand Canyon National Park and my husband's visit to Denali.

Our Treasured Lands
The Rolling Land - Volcanic and Geothermal Forces
The Broken Crust - The Power of Mountain Building
Water Designing Lands - Waves, Caves and Currents
Ice Sculpting Stone - The Carving Power of Glaciers
The Patient Power - Wind and Water Erosion
Weather Shaping Life - Effects of Extreme Climates

This book contains some of the most amazing photographs I've ever seen of America. From pictures of dripstone formations adorning New Mexico's Carlsbad Cavern in New Mexico to Lush Ecosystems shrouded in Fog in the National Park in Washington, these pictures help to vividly describe each park. I remember once having an argument with someone over the fact that there were rainforests near where I lived in Washington and no one would believe me. Well, here is proof!

I was also especially interested in looking up the Painted Desert we visited once on a trip across America after college. At the time, I didn't actually realize I was in the Petrified Forest national Park in Arizona because technically, we were just driving right through and I wasn't paying attention.

This book has helped to bring a new awareness to my own life and also encourages a desire for more exploration. Now I definitely want to see Mount McKinley in person.

Voyageurs National Park looks like a fascinating place to paddle around lonely islands. However, they do say never to skimp on insect repellent. A third of the park is water.

A memento of past visits or an inspiration for future exploration! ... Read more

Book Description

Roman in origin, the villa evolved from serving as a rural and farming center to a stately country residence. Over time the villa's agricultural function became secondary to a new ideal-a place for intellectual leisure and healthy country living. As a result, the new dwelling had to reflect a cultivated design as did its landscaping. Villas were no longer the work of unskilled laborers but of gifted architects, the best known of which is Andrea Palladio, whose style remains influential today.

In this fascinating volume, the author describes and illustrates 250 of the most remarkable villas from the 600-year-old tradition, some well-known houses, others generally overlooked. Presented here are panoramas and details of grand country villas and magnificent suburban estates, each with its own charm and history, and each of which contributes to a style that is still imitated in our century. The illustrations and text by Ovidio Guaita, representing decades of work, are grouped by region, north to south. Enriching the coverage, each chapter includes a profile of a personality-architect, builder, artist, or patron-whose work had a lasting influence on the culture of the villa.

Supplementing the color photographs of exteriors and interiors are architectural drawings of houses and maps. The appendices offer a glossary, a bibliography, and a listing of villas that may be visited

This splendid book should be of great appeal to those interested in architecture, art history, and travel.

Other Details: 400 illustrations, 300 in full color. ... Read more

Book Description

Frommer's® shows you the way with detailed full-color maps in an easy-to-use spiral binding.

Frommer's® has always been the name you can trust for trip planning, and we're proud to introduce our second road atlas. All the details you need for a successful road trip in Europe are at your fingertips! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Confusing and Hard to Read
I had four months to visit 18 countries in Europe and go castle hunting. I thought this atlas would be a great guide. I did find where I was going, but with little help from this atlas. 1) There is a 1" gap between the pages because of the spiral binding, and this also cuts names of cities and the roads in half. 2) The roads and motorways are not labeled very well. 3) The roads' colours are very similar and hard to differentiate. 4) The cover states "The fastest routes around major cities" Where is this information? I have still yet to find it in this atlas. 5) Why are the countries split up so much. I had to view pages 22-23, then 36-37 and then 50-51 just to see where I was going? American Atlas has the rest of the state on the following page, not 10 pages away. I was extremely disappointed in this atlas.

Hard to Use
I have taken several road trips across Europe and I have always used Rand McNally's European Road Atlas. Unfortunately they seem not to produce it anymore. Instead, I bought Frommer's Europe Road Atlas for a trip we are planning next year. After examining it thoroughly I have decide to return it. The main reason why is the approximate one-inch gap in the middle of all the pages due to the spiral binding. Also, all of the road colors are very similar so it is very difficult to tell whether you are looking at a highway, a toll way or a four lane road. In addition, there are very few city maps and the ones that are there have almost no detail. I would not recommend this map.

No camping marked! It's good, but lacking that.
I bought this for my driving trip in europe. It is indeed pretty good, it has all the majour town names etc.
The thing that really let me down was that there are no camping grounds marked on the map. That let me down and I had trouble finding a place to camp.
So if you are going on holiday and might go camping this is not for you. But otherwise it's a good road map.

Frommers Road Atlas Europe
After looking for few days for the perfect road atlas for europien roads i have finally found it.

After using it as it is so comfortable to use i am greatful for my purchase.

Being clear and detailed it has saved me much money that would otherwise be spent on tens of local maps. It has certainly saved me money and order. Having all the right maps in one book is a great idea.

I deffinately recommend this atlas for anyone traveling through europe by car.

Have fun drive and arrive safely. ... Read more