Book Description

Las Vegas: A Photographic Tour reveals the evolution of a place that began as a Mormon missionary fort in the middle of the desert and became the most extravagant fantasy land in the world. Here are the histories of such famous sites a Caesars Palace, Glitter Gulch, Fremont Street, and La Concha Motel--tales both sordid and glamorous. Famous, infamous and ordinary people from all over the world flock to the City of Lights each year to bask in the glow of this bizarre and wonderful place. Open the pages of this beautiful full color book and step into the razzle-dazzle world that's adored by families and high rollers alike. ... Read more

Book Description

In the twenty-five years since Garrison Keillor first brought it tolife, the rural Minnesota town of Lake Wobegon has become a national treasure. In this lavishly produced photography book, word and image combine to illuminatethe real Minnesota town-life, landscapes, and people who inspired itscreation.

Taking us on a tour of Stearns County, the Minnesota county he deems most"Wobegonic," Keillor meditates on the origins of the place where, as a youngwriter, he found the inspiration for his fiction and his radio show.As anartful evocation of Keillor's beloved invention, Richard Olsenius's elegantlycomposed black-and-white photographs of rural Minnesota capture the dignity ofhis subjects, the beauties of the landscape as well as the enduring values andeccentricities of the communities rooted there.Photographs of the high schoolhomecoming court, the tidy, austere working farm, the cozy villages, and summerbarbecue at the lake are a visual feast for Lake Wobegon devotees as well as amoving tribute for anyone who feels the emotional claim of ruralAmerica.

A unique collaboration featuring more than eighty photographs reproduced induotone with extended captions written by Keillor, In Search of LakeWobegon is a beautifully produced work for the millions of radio listenersand book lovers who want to visit Wobegon again and again.

Photographs by Richard Olsenius ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Excellent book!
I was what you would call a "Noobie" to all of Garrison's work until recently. I picked up this book at a college library after speaking to my mother about the Minnesota author project I was recently assigned. She was familiar with his work and suggested that I look into it....so I did. I never thought that this would open up such big can of worms, and I mean this in a good sense. After reading the book from cover to cover, I went on the internet to find out more about Garrison's work and turned up some very interesting search results. I then read it again and now I guess you could say that I'm hooked on the Lake Wobegon saga and I am planning on picking up a couple of his earlier writings related to Lake Wobegon.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend this book to anyone who has vast, little, or no knowledge of Lake Wobegon.

A new addiction ;)
I was what you would call a "Noobie" to all of Garrison's work until recently. I picked up this book at a college library after speaking to my mother about the Minnesota author project I was recently assigned. She was familiar with his work and suggested that I look into it....so I did. I never thought that this would open up such big can of worms, and I mean this in a good sense. After reading the book from cover to cover, I went on the internet to find out more about Garrison's work and turned up some very interesting search results. I then read it again and now I guess you could say that I'm hooked on the Lake Wobegon saga and I am planning on picking up a couple of his earlier writings related to Lake Wobegon.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend this book to anyone who has vast, little, or no knowledge of Lake Wobegon.

Nostalgia at its "Best"
Fans of Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" are already an imaginative sort. We know what Arlene Bunsen looks like, or Pastor Inquist. We've got a good idea how Roger Hedlund has been rotating his crops, and the main goings on on Main Street. We don't need pictures of this area because we already know it by heart--we've seen it on the radio. This book does exactly what it should...it doesn't dispel our images of Lake Wobegon, but gives us pictures of its neighbors and people living their lives in rural Minnesota. All the images are sepia toned. With a few exceptions, the subjects are unposed and candid, getting ready for the prom, or readying the field for corn.

The composition of the shots are superb. The short prologue gives a first person retelling of how Keillor invented the town that "time forgot and the decades cannot improve." That introduction, however, is so short that it's almost unfair to say that this is a Garrison Keillor book. He essentially wrote the foreword (although it's not titled that way), and the pictures tell the real story.

My only disappointment is that there isn't any color. Certainly sepia tones give us nostalgia the way we'd like to remember it, but sunset on a farm is something you can't appreciate in shades of brown. Rural life has its monochromatic moments, to be sure, but there's enough color and life to help us remember that not everything is nostalgia.

This gripe doesn't detract from the beauty of this book, though. Thankfully we never see Lake Wobegon, only hints and shadows. It allows us to preserve our preconceptions, but gives us a deeper feeling of connection with the area. If you're a fan of APHC, you probably already own this book (or you should). If not, take a look at a lifestyle that might be foreign to you.

Land of Lakes
From the Central Minnesota prairie, in beautiful black and white pictures and picturesque prose, here is the Genesis of Garrison Keilor's magical mythical Lake Wobegon, site of "A Prairie Home Companion." Here we get to *see* the strong women, good-looking men, and above average children of and for whom he speaks on Saturday nights. Accompanying Richard Olsenius' stunning photography (how can the viewer not be deeply moved by the picture of the veterans at the St. Wendell cemetery on Memorial Day?) are excerpts from the Radio Show, interviews with inhabitants, and essays and musings from Keilor - like this:

"Culture isn't decor, it's what you know before you're twelve. It sticks with you all your born days. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. You can try to wrestle free of it, like those geese who trail the V-formation, trying to look as if they aren't part of this bunch, as if flying south were a personal decision on their part, but your feint towards independence only makes it clearer who you really are. Some people like hot dish better if it's called cassoulet, or pot roast if it's pot-au-feu. Fine. Suit yourself. Same difference."

Whatever you call those culinary delights, you'll like this book. Come see Father Kleinschmidt's Annual Blessing of the Snowmobiles. Ja, you betcha! Reviewed by TundraVision.

Big Hit
This was purchased as a Mother's Day gift for my Mother-In-Law and it was a big hit. She really loved it - as did my Father-In-Law. Garrison Keillor already seems to be a big hit with the over 50 crowd and this book fits perfectly with his style. ... Read more

Book Description

Award-winning photographer Harry Benson came to America in 1964 with the Beatles and knew he never wanted to leave. Working for the most popular magazines in the country-Life, People, The New Yorker, Van authority Fair-he has photographed everyone and everything, from the famous to the infamous, from the sublime to the absurd, from Bob Guccione styling a model to Truman Capote dancing with transvestites. Whether they are images of Steven Spielberg, Richard Nixon, or Andy Warhol, or shots of music concerts, political rallies, or sports events, the pictures Benson has gathered in this book capture the essence of this country's pop culture over the last four decades.

No story is too small and no personality too big for the finest photographic chronicler of America's constantly changing and vastly entertaining public spectacle-a realm where success and achievement only sometimes go hand-in-hand. More irreverent than his previous books, Harry Benson's America shows a side of the photographer's work that hasn't been seen before, shedding new light on our nation in turn. AUTHOR BIO: Harry Benson has won numerous awards for his photojournalism, and his work has been the subject of many exhibitions. He worked for Life for almost 30 years, as well as for Vanity Fair, Newsweek, The New Yorker, and People. Abrams' Harry Benson: 50 Years in Pictures and Once there was a way . . . Photographs of the Beatles are among his many published books. He lives in New York City with his wife, Gigi. ... Read more

Book Description

Millions of schoolchildren and visitors make the pilgrimage to our nation's capital each year.Built on reclaimed swampland, Washington is now the country's neoclassical seat of government and culture.Now you can witness Washington's development over the last century and a half.Seventy modern color photographs are compared side-by-side with seventy archival photographs from the 1850s to the 1950s.While focusing on famous vistas and familiar landmarks, it also explores well-known neighborhoods.The Then and Now series includes: New York, Washington, Boston, and San Francisco. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Washington DC Then and Now
Washington D.C., Then and Now, is full of many fascinating pictures taken in and around the Washington D.C. area. The city is rich in history and full of a number of buildings, monuments and historic areas. Through the years, the city has changed and developed around these landmarks. Washington D.C., Then and Now traces this development and change through pictures.

The premise behind the book is to show the reader each area of the city as it appeared using archival photographs on one page, and comparing it to a recent picture of the same area, taken from approximately the same location, to demonstrate how the area has evolved.

The author has organized the book by street name or area. The earliest known picture of the Capitol, taken in 1846, is the most famous picture (Only seven are known to exist). There is an interesting story about how the rare picture was obtained. You'll have to get the book to find out.

Whether you have traveled to Wahington DC or are just interested in the pictoral history of our nation's capital, the book has a lot to offer. It also makes an excellent coffee table book for your guests to peruse. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

The Picture Companion to Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea
Tommy Thompson is one methodical scientist. He found a ship that sank in the Atlantic Ocean in 1857 that had eluded searchers for 130 years. He has taken the same methodical approach in creating this book "America's Lost Treasure".

Gary Kinder wrote a 1998 bestseller on Thompson's search entitled "Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea". It is one of the best pageturners I have ever read! More amazing is that it actually happened! The ship was the United States Mail Steamship "Central America" which was making rounds between the Atlantic coast of Panama and New York City during the California Gold Rush era. She was a side paddlewheeler steamship and was hauling a huge cargo of gold ingots, freshly minted gold coins, gold nuggets, and gold dust along with 38,000 pieces of mail and 578 passengers. Much of the gold was being brought to New York to shore up the bullion holdings of banks that had been putting out too much paper money without the available gold reserves to back it. Most of the passengers were returning from the Gold Rush; many were women and children. The ship sank after a heroic battle with a hurricane in 1857 off the Carolinas taking about 425 lives with her and all the gold. Both books chronicle Thompson's epic adventure finding the ship and recovering the gold down 8000 feet underwater where even the US Navy couldn't effectively recover items. Kinder's book clocks in at over 500 riveting pages but, is largely without pictures of all the incredible finds. "America's Lost Treasure" fills in that photographic void quite admirably in it's 186 pages.

"America's Lost Treasure" is broken down into a background history of America at the time leading up to the Central America's sinking, a detailed account of the CA's fateful last voyage, a background of the equipment and people involved in the search and rediscovery of the CA, the discovery of the ship and the 'Garden of Gold', a review of the personal items found at the bottom other than the gold, and a section on the other scientific discoveries made at the site such as decay processes and new species of life found. There are hordes of very appropriate photographs that perfectly illustrate the topic discussed in the very readable and concise narration. The page layout is very well done and makes full use of the book's ten inches by ten inches size. Particularly interesting is the discovery and opening of several intact passenger's trunks revealing intact clothing and still visible photographs! The gold, however, is the expected showstopper.

Overall, I can't recommend this book enough when read in companion with "Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea". Some people will bristle with disfavor on the efforts in general to recover items from this wreck feeling it is a desecration of history and wrong. I couldn't help but be astounded by the disciplined and rigorous scientific and engineering skills put on display in the efforts. This is an absolutely fascinating pictorial account of a remarkable period in the history of America. It will rivet your attention from beginning to end and have you looking back at sections again and again. It is one of the best coffee table books in existence. The lost treasure found is truly breathtaking and this book is an absolutely worthy account of it! VERY highly recommended!

American's Lost Treasure
America's Lost Treasure by Thommy Thompson may be the only "coffee table" book that readers literally cannot put down and will ultimately read from cover to cover. Anyone who has read Gary Kinder's book Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea knows the tale of Tommy Thompson's discovery of the SS Central America that sunk in 1857, laden with gold from the California Gold Rush. The two books compliment each other with very little overlap. Ship of Gold tells the fascinating story of the shipwreck itself and how a young engineer, Tommy Thompson, made his dream come true in locating and salvaging the wreck under incredibly difficult conditions and with scientific precision. Thompson's book demonstrates the story in beautiful, glowing color photographs with an equally interesting narrative. The precision, scientific knowledge and attention to detail that led him to the treasure in the first place is evident in this carefully prepared book that shows the reader what was found and emphasizes the importance of the historic artifacts located.

As exciting as any mystery novel!
Tommy Thompson is one of those unusual individuals with the fantastic mind of an inventor/engineer, yet with the ability to work with people to bring out their best. Our government should take note of this man, or hopefully they have, and give him the freedom to let his mind find solutions to many of our problems, as he has shown he can do in this book. It was an adventure, filled with suspense and I would recommend the picture book to go along with the text so you can see the magnificent photos of his find.

Splendid Book, Manipulated Reader, by fermed
This book is chronologically a sequel to the narrative "Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea" by Gary Kinder, in which this writer masterfully described the tragic history of the "Central America" and the details of the successful recovery (by Tommy Thompson's group) of the gold she carried when she sank in 1857. Kinder's name is not mentioned in the body or the index of this book. What happened?

The good news is that this is a spectacular book: it is beautifully printed and illustrated. The pictures of the sunken "Central America" loaded with gold and lying in deep waters since it went under are simply breathtaking. The gold ingots, and coins and nuggets and dust have acquired a queer beauty during the years they have rested in the sea bed; the luster of the metal is still there even as it has been affected by is 131 year immersion in the depths: to be crawled over and probed by the strange denizens that thrive down there, and to react to the mysterious chemistry that is created in the deep.

Yes, this is a beautiful book that is irresistible to look at. When exposed to the passinge gaze of others it is invariably picked up and held, and exclamations of awe become intermingled with "Can I borrow it?" One must be strong if the book is to remain ours.

The not so good part is the feeling of sheer manipulation that the book imparts, based on what the book does not say--but should. I remember how distressing it was that "Ship of Gold" lacked clear photographs of the treasure found. It seemed downright stingy not to publish at least a few pictures of the loot. Well, here are the missing photos, yours for [item price] plus shipping. So what is missing in this one?

For one there is no manifest of what was taken out of the "Central America." While in the previous book (if I remember correctly) it was stated that the ship sank with 20 (or so) TONS of gold, in this book the author is ever so elusive about totals.Here he speaks in these tersm: "In addition to many tons of gold..." or "This was compounded by the sinking of the "Central America," which sent its huge load of gold...to the bottom of the sea." It isn't that Tommy Thompson doesn't know how to count: "Bound for New York with 578 passangers and crew and 38,000 pieces of mail, the "Central America" also contained tons of gold..."

Yes, there are lots of beautiful pictures of the artifacts and even clothing that was brought up, but no accounting of exactly what was extracted. The absence of this accounting (just how many tons of gold, how many coins, bars, ingots, how many glass bottles) renders the book of limited historical value. It would have taken no more than a couple of pages to furnish such information, but one feels the absence of this data was a conscious decision of the author.

In summary, if you want to regale your eyes with the treasures of this ship, get the book. I you are interested in the exact details of this find and recovery, don't.

Indeed a treasure
After reading Ship of Gold, I ordered this book for both my son and son-in-law. Whereas Ship of Gold was a great book, this one is filled with pictures as well as text of the adventure. Loved it! ... Read more

Book Description

The most complete profile of the world's greatest financial center—celebrating the beauty, strength, and resiliency of an extraordinary community.

On September 11, 2001, the face of Wall Street was tragically scarred, but its spirit remains undaunted. Behind the noble buildings and long-established firms are the men and women who constitute the financial world. These are the souls who have resolved to maintain the greatest financial center in the world.

New York's financial district is one of the city's oldest and most elegant architectural neighborhoods, as well as home to some of the richest and most powerful organizations in the world. With over 300 full-color photographs, accompanied by text and captions, Wall Street: Financial Capital is the most comprehensive portrait ever published of this famous district. Robert Gambee's stunning photographs take us on a complete tour of the city's centers of finance, including the Wall Street Financial Center, TriBeCa, and midtown Manhattan, revealing Wall Street past and present. Included are the stories of every major bank, brokerage house, law firm, and securities exchange, interspersed with anecdotes about Wall Street's buildings, byways, seaport, and residences. Gambee's captions are a mine of fascinating history: here was John D. Rockefeller's old Standard Oil company office, there the Old Lawyer's Club; and here is Pearl Street, once the outer limit of the city, whose name is derived from the oyster shells with which it once was paved. Anyone with an interest in finance, architecture, or the history of New York will enjoy this magnificent book. Over 300 color photographs. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Janet Maslin writes in the New York Times
This is a holiday gift to open more than once. Beautiful! Useful! Fuses text and illustrations in a way that enriches both!

Visually Stunning!
This book is an absolutely wonderful guide to lower Manhattan. It takes the reader into the exclusive, upper-echelons of Wall Street that few rarely glimpse. Giving a concise, yet very well written history of the architecture as well as the firms of Wall Street, this book is really a treat for everyone. I highly recommend it.

Great Combination Of Pictures And Insight!
This book is a pleasure to read and to keep around for others to enjoy. I keep it on my desk at work so that my visitors can enjoy the incredible photography. The book also gives a unique insight in to the history of the many firms on Wall Street and how consolidation has led to our current list of players. Many find it interesting to see how certain firms came to be what they are today.

One example of an interesting foreshadow is that the author has included a picture of the Banker's Trust building reflecting off of a Deutsche Bank conference room table. The two frims merged several years after the photo was taken.

Since buying this book I now enjoy walking around lower Manhattan. While before I was caught up in the rat race, I know see the beauty of the arcitecture and can better appreciate the history of Wall Street. This book is full of insightful anecdotes which lead to interesting stories for me to share.

This book is a must for anyone who works in the finacial world for its insight and to keep around for others to enjoy.

I was happily surprised when I saw one of the authors books on Nantucket while on vacation there. I bought the book and was again happily surprised at its combination of photography and narration. I would rate Nantucket Island five stars as well.

great photographic history of NY
with all the mega mergers going on this may be the last photographic history of the old Wall Street.

incredible pictures and packed with background information
This book makes a wonderful gift for the person with everything. A real treasure for all those who own stocks or those who want to visit NY. ... Read more

Book Description

With over 160 full-color photographs, Colorado: Moments in Time is one of the most comprehensive photography books ever published on Colorado. This expansive volume includes photographs of the state's most popular attractions, such as the Maroon Bells, Rocky Mountain National Park, and the Great Sand Dunes. It also contains images of places that have never before appeared in a photography book, including several photographs taken on vast, unspoiled stretches of private property.

In producing this book, author and photographer Grant Collier has tirelessly striven to capture the beauty and essence of the Colorado landscape. He has traversed every corner of the state, from the grasslands and prairies of the eastern plains to the canyons and mesas of the Western Slope. In the process, he has woven a portrait of Colorado unlike any that has been seen before.

Colorado: Moments in Time is divided into eight sections of the state.Each section contains an essay on various events that have shaped the history of Colorado. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

nothing wrong with the book
I don't know why the earlier reviewer had such a problem with this book. The blurb describes it accurately as reviewing estates and their gardens. There's nothing wrong with the photography and some of the architecture is quite noteworthy. The book didn't change my life or anything, but I'm giving it four stars to balance its rating a little.

Could be better
Poor quality photographs of inexpressive gardens and palaces. We expected to find the lovely small houses and gardens of the portuguese villages and countryside. ... Read more

Book Description

The most representative picture postcards of the capital city of the country. The photographs are arranged in the order of the various tour circuits the visitor may follow. From the port - Puerto Madero and Catalinas, Retiro - the political and commercial center is visited, a walk through San Telmo to visit Plaza Dorrego and the antique shops, moves on to the Boca, on to the Riachuelo and return to the elegant neighborhoods of Recoleta and Palermo where the Rosedal rose garden in Tres de Febrero Park will be admired, to end up placing a bet on the horses of the race track, watching a polo match, cheering in a one of the more traditional soccer stadiums (River Plate or Boca Juniors). The hours of darkness are reserved for the Tango, for eating in traditional restaurants where the barbecue is in full view, or for a cultural evening in the Colon Theatre.

It is all in the book for the visitor to recall or share the city's attractions with friends or relatives who have not been to this European city on the banks of the River Plate. Gonzalo Monterroso's texts set the postcards in their epoch and help us to understand Porteños, the natives of Buenos Aires. In a pleasing style, with many a wink and hint at secrets known only to the initiated, the text nicely complements the illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The best pictures and story of Buenos Aires
Truly great picture postcard photography of the 'Paris' of South America - Buenos Aires, tango, great food, neighborhood coffee shops, wide avenues and beautiful peoples, most everything you'd what to see, everywhere you wish you had time to visit, all in a book at a really gerat price. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

DON'T FENCE ME IN
Being raised in the lifestyle of dusty cowcamps located in Owyhee County, Idaho. I can truly appreciate and so will you, the realism and pride that David Stocklein has taken in compling this magnificient book. Photography and short stories of cowboy tradition, so real, you too, will wish you were a part of this unique and exciting land. Ira Walker, Chuck Hall, Herb Mink, Tom Hall and many more cowboys, will tell of family stories, first jobs, unique talents, special dogs, horses, mules and the people, who have made their lives interesting and memorable. This corner of the west has produced many fine men, you will get to know a few of them on a first hand basis. Gather round the fireplace, pull up a cozy chair and a light, as you will be reading through the dark hours. Once you pick up, "Don't Fence Me", you'll not put it down until your finished. At the end of the book, Stocklein includes closing pictures of assorted ranch families and cowboy groups. A final tribute to those who have rode their way through history atop a horse, all the while viewing Gods Country.

A book that captures the spirit of the American Cowboy
The first time I laid eyes on David Stoecklein's "Don't Fence Me In", I wanted to quit my job and move to a working ranch in Idaho. This book is full of breathtaking photos of the American Cowboy and the land he works on. Unfortunatly, the art work around the cover is an eyesore and some of the page layouts interfer with the Mr. Stoecklein's fine work. This book is for sure worth the money.

Excellent book - for reading, displaying, and dreaming!
This is an excellent and realistic book about cowboys, what's important to them, and the gorgeous Western US. The photography is breathtaking - makes you feel as though you're right there ropin' with 'em! The information about horses, cattle, land, family, and attitudes is also well-written. And the Cowboy Contract sets the stage for it all. If you love the West and everything about it - you should have this book! ... Read more

Amazon.com

With the recent popularity of such notable books as Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun and Elizabeth Romer's The Tuscan Year: Life and Food in an Italian Valley, a legion of new Italia fans are finding out what many already know: the charm of Tuscany cannot be denied. In The Most Beautiful Villages of Tuscany, author James Bentley and photographer Hugh Palmer offer a decidedly unique view of this remarkable region. Focusing on thirty-six villages and towns from all over Tuscany--chosen for "both their intrinsic beauty and for the part they have played in Tuscan history and culture"--the gorgeous full-color photographs, accompanied by superb accounts of each village, truly "bring the region to life, evoking the richness of architecture and landscape, and bringing out the charm of the Tuscan people." The final chapter is devoted to useful travel information, including passages on hotels and restaurants, market days and festivals, as well as a select bibliography and detailed map of the region. As beautiful as it is informative and entertaining, The Most Beautiful Villages of Tuscany is "the perfect visual tribute to the timeless beauty of these small towns and villages." ... Read more

Reviews (7)

breathtaking
I ordered this book last week and received it this weekend. I opened the cover and never put it down. I am not Italian nor have I been to Italy but it is my dream. I am constantly telling my husband this would be the trip of a lifetime, but until that time comes, this is the book I will cherish....the one I will flip through and dream with. The architecture is what inspires me to go, to take my own pictures. The photographs in this book are.....well, breathtaking.....absolutely breathtaking. If you share this dream, you must buy this book.

beautiful is right!
This book is gorgeous! All the photos are clear, none of them are grainy or crappy which is my biggest pet peave. The towns are accurately portrayed and the histories are fascinating. I have to say though that my favorite town in this book is San Gimignano! I've been all over Italy (my family lives there) and that is my absolute favorite town. Another town which is in Umbria called Orvieto is definately worth the visit!

The Most Beautiful VIllages of Tuscany
Don't leave this book on your coffee table. Take it anywhere you can dream. The pictures are so clear you can smell the air and run your hands over the bricks. The copy is crisp and well written. The perfect book to sit with in front of the fire, when the wind is howling and dream of warmer climates and clear skies.

A Voyeur's Paradise
This large format hard cover masterpiece squeezes all the natural beauty out of the Tuscan landscape. Hugh Palmer floods the pages with gigantic panoramic photos of almost forty villages in Tuscany, many of which are never visited by the average tourist. If nothing else, this book has convinced me to wander off the well-beaten tourist track to get a real taste of the rich landscape and architecture that hides there. This book is not only a magnificent inspiration for a magical tour of Tuscany, but after, the best possible way to remember the experience of being there.

A Gorgeous Tribute To Italy!
This book is more than a well-researched travel guide. It's also the most gorgeous tribute to Italy I've ever seen. I'm an Italian, living in Como, and have visited every one of the villages in the book and I can tell you, they are as gorgeous as the authors' interpretations. The photographs are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen, and, like a previous reviewer, I, too, get misty-eyed just looking at them. If you want to travel to Italy or just love Tuscany, you won't go wrong with this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Celebrating beloved cities from around the world, this book on the City of Lights offers a unique combination of historic interest and contemporary beauty. Then and Now Paris 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 amazingly beautiful and wonderful urban landscape. ... Read more

Book Description

8 1/2 X 10 In, 96 Pp, 60 Full-Color < Photographs < This Collaboration Between Utah Natives < Is An Intimate Meditation On One of The < Earth's Most Extraordinary Landscapes. < Telford's Spectacular Color Photographs < of Utah's Desert, Canyons, Mesas, Hidden < Waterways, Araches, Anasazi Cliff < Dwellings and Vistas Are Rich With The < Reflected Light That Elevates Rock Into < Sculpture. Terry Tempest Williams' < Stories Celebrate The Legend and Ritual < Surrounding This Sacred Place, Creating < A Compelling New Mythology. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Wonderful
Straight to my heart. If you love the red rocks and enjoy Terry's writing, this is it. The photography is excellent!

Beautiful and Haunting!
Coyote's Canyon is a collection of photography of the Southwestern US, coupled with Terry Tempest Williams's haunting prose. The photographs are, by and large, rich and full of the sense of the desert. The collection of short essays by Williams includes two of my absolute favorite stories about the Southwest--the one about the Man who Buries Poems, and the one about finding the Perfect Kiva. Worth the read, for anyone who yearns for the desert, or who lives there and wants to rediscover an appreciation for its magic, both in photographs and in lyrical prose.

Photos and Tales of Desert Canyons
The book captures a remarkable series of photos of desert canyons. The photos are good enough to keep the book on my office conference table. Ms. Williams' text provides stories of people encountering wilderness at the near edge of mystic experience. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

There is no place on the earth like my Provence!
I am French and was born in Provence, so I have spent most of my days there, except when I travel and when I was modeling in the world of high fashion. I know every village, and I fly my plane over Provence many, many times. I bought this book because it is so beautiful and shows the many wonderful places in my part of France. I am not good at taking the pictures, like these men do, and besides, I always do the flying. My sister would have to do the picture making. If you buy this book, you will be able to see my beautiful Provence in the pictures whenever you want to. Provence is very old and very picturesque, that is why the photography is so good. If it was not a most beautiful place in the world, it could not be so beautiful of a book. I am French and so I know it is this beautiful. It is more beautiful in the real world, if you can even think that. We have lots of cobble streets. Everyone loves the flowers, so you will see most beautiful flowers everywhere you look in Provence. We have hidden waters that come out into our special fountains. Every village must have their fountains and some are very, very old and are more special than any place else in the world. We like things to be beautiful, so you never see anything ugly in Provence. The earth is very good to us. We have herbs growing everywhere in the countryside. Lavender, Rosemary, and Thyme, you can find just walking in our wonderful hills. We love colors in Provence. Blue, yellow, ochre,green, we like all of those colors. Marcel Pagnol lived in Provence, too. He made his films and his books because he loved Provence. He was French. If you want to see a beautiful book that will make you smile and smile, get this book, and then come see for yourself that I am lucky to be French and live in Provence most of the time...................... ................Presented to you by Summer

The only thing better than this book is to be there!
Provence is heaven to me.I love the hills, the variety of plant life, and the exquisite villages with their definitive shuttters and dove cotes. The fountains bubble with life. The cobbled streets lead to some of the most fetching homes and buildings in the world. The Provencal people dress their windows in lace and paint the exterior and interior of their homes in the colors found in the Provencal landscape: blue, yellow, ochre, greens. Terracotta roofs provide the most wonderful color and texture to the landscape. Somehow everything blends wonderfully! The creators of The Most Beautiful Villages in Provence capture the essence of this southern region of France. The photography vividly presents the viewer with a panorama of gorgeous scenes: fields of lavender, geraniums in pots leading to a beautiful door, roof top views that are breathtaking, undulating paths that take you to splendid spots, aerial views of villages, an old roman road and bridge. A friend of mine, who was born in Provence, gave me this incredibly beautiful book; the only thing better, she says, is to be there! I plan to take this book with me to Provence next summer!! After seeing this book, nothing can keep me away!

Are You Ready For Romance?
In my opinion (and in the opinion of my wife!), Provence is the most beautiful place on earth, and the most romantic! My wife and I spend two weeks every year just traveling through the little hill towns and villages with no agenda other than to just enjoy ourselves, eat wonderful meals and luxuriate in the landscape. Besides getting a firsthand view of the most gorgeous place on earth, we find there is no better place than Provence to renew the love and friendship between us. If your ready for romance, then buy this book and take off. If not, you'd better stay at home.

A Gorgeous Book
As a Frenchwoman now living in Switzerland, I treasure this book. I was born in Provence and love the gorgeous little hill villages of this region. The author and photographer certainly do the area justice. The text is full of useful information: Hotels, restaurants, when festivals occur. And the photographs are beautiful beyond compare. I adore this book and love looking at it. There really is no place like Provence! If you're contemplating a trip to the area, this book is an absolutely must have. A very informative guide that is gorgeous in its own right! ... Read more

Book Description

This book combines breathtaking aerial photographs and exquisite map-drawings of the American landscape with thoughtful essays that explore how various cultures have forged the landscapes in different regions of the country and what the possibilities are for future landscape design. The authors demonstrate that landscape representation is more than descriptive-it can also instruct and construct how people perceive, shape, and transform the land. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Must Have!
This book is incredible, the essays, photography, map drawings and descriptions really changed the way I looked at the world around me. This book was used as our text book for a Senior Project class in design school.

You've never seen anything like this
This book will change the way you look at and think about landscape. Technically, it's a landscape architecture book, and the essays that deal with that subject are excellent. James Corner is one of the best landscape architects/theorists around, and his writing is though-provoking, lucid and enjoyable to read. He draws an wonderful comparison between this work and Le Corbusier's sightseeing flights over North Africa in the 1930's. But without a doubt, the reason to buy this book are the photographs that document the unexpected beauty that arises out of the interaction between man and nature. The incongruities of landscape, juxtaposed against the linear certainty of the Land Ordinance Act grid, farm plots and other common interventions make for stunning photography.

There are also little subplots, such as creative reuses of already built spaces (tennis courts as parking lots & football field yard lines over a baseball diamond), and the similarity of totally unrelated natural forms (who knew that from 7,000 feet, cracked pond ice looks like microscopic images of streptococcal bacteria?).

There are dozens of other little thoughts I could include, and one of most remarkable things about this book is that the photogrpahs allow the reader to draw on his or her own knowledge to make connections and interpertations. There's no right or wrong way to see these things, which makes it universally rewarding and enjoyable.

Excellent graphic representation of landscape documentation
I always enjoy graphic design, but this one integrates intelligent visual graphic representation and it portraits site/landscape analysis.
Not your usual blueprint survey, but delightful new way of documentation.

Excellent for all
Perceptive and conciousness raising while an aesthetic visual pleasure. An unforgettable book.

Wonderful. Combines geography, mathematics, aesthetics
This is one of the nicest Christmas gifts I ever received. Two guys flew across the United States at low level taking wonderful photographs, many of which are worth framing as art. A geographer's reflection and insights on the frames draw attention to the cultural impact on the landscape of U.S. history, its varied immigrants, the rectangular land survey, and of the Western mathematics embedded in their choices.

No math teacher looking for an exciting resource that supports cross-disciplinary work would find this book except by accident. Nor would those who fly in small planes and want high quality, thoughtful, intellectual books that go beyond coffee-table glamour and reflect in a serious way about the earth beneath. Nor would somebody interested in cultural geography. This is because the cataloging-in-publication information is generic and unimaginative. ... Read more

Book Description

For 20 years, world-renowned photographer Éric Valli traveled through the Himalaya's treacherous terrain with his camera, tirelessly exploring the breathtaking landscape of dramatic peaks and valleys. He became captivated by the region's quiet and dignified inhabitants, learning their languages and forming personal bonds with them.

This stunning collection of Valli's most beautiful photographs from his time in the Himalaya presents the region's spectacular scenery: steep and narrow pathways, lonely high valleys, dramatic passes at 16,000 feet above sea level, and remote villages seemingly untouched by modernity. But the heart of the book is Valli's images of the Himalayan people, who have remained largely hidden from outsiders in their mountainous land. These intimate photographs capture their daily lives: men plowing through the snow with a caravan of yaks and women preparing meals over open fires, as they have done for centuries. Valli also records the predicaments they face in opening their culture to the modern world. Accompanied by an insightful text by cultural anthropologist Anne de Sales, Valli's images document an awe-inspiring human adventure halfway around the world. AUTHOR BIO: Éric Valli lived for many years in the Himalaya and is one of the region's best-known photographers. He is a regular contributor to Géo and National Geographic and the author of numerous books, including Abrams' Himalaya, about the making of his first feature-length film. He now lives in Paris. Anne de Sales is a cultural anthropologist for the CNRS, the national organization for scientific research, in Paris. She spent a decade in Nepal and has written several books on shamanism. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In Through the Windows of Paris, the reader is spirited away, like Alice through the looking glass, to a Paris where old-world skill and personal service are still the rule. Each of the 50 listings--every one the sort of establishment you'd love to seek out on your next trip--is treated with a rich spread of color photographs and an evocative depiction:

[Le Pont Traversee] One of the grandest boucheries in Paris, with the patterned marble fa&ccedil;ade and carved wood frames, has become a wonderfully ramshackle bookshop that specializes in literature of every kind. Established in 1974 by the poet Marcel B&eacute;alu, it is now run by his widow, Jos&eacute;e. Ceiling hooks recall the sides of beef and lamb that must once have occupied the space; now the challenge is to step lightly around tottering piles and climb the ladder past laden shelves, hoping they won't come crashing down in your search for an elusive volume of Baudelaire's poetry.

Step through doors decrepit or grand, deco or nouveau, and discover a wealth of unique, handmade treasures that would put Cartier to shame. The wine merchants, chocolatiers, toy makers, milliners, antiques shops, and lingerie makers celebrated in this charming little book define craftsmanship and good taste, and provide a sumptuous alternative to a day in line at the Louvre. --Jhana Bach ... Read more

Reviews (2)

the character of paris
a wonderful book, showing the real character of paris to whet your appetite. as someone who is soon to go to Paris for the first time, i loved this book for doing the legwork for me in finding those little boutiques that add character to your holiday , that i probably would have missed. i'm sure they will lead me to other great little shops and experiences.

Beautiful book - great addresses!
As a part-time resident of Paris, I thought I knew all of the "bons addresses", those hard-to-find shops where you can find that perfect, unique gift for yourself or someone at home. I was wrong! On my next trip to Paris, I'll be looking into a number of the lovely boutiques mentioned in this book. Not only are the addresses provided, complete with compelling descriptions, but there are gorgeous photos that make your mouth water in anticipation of actually visiting these havens of shopping pleasure, if only to browse and take in the beauty of their wares. Bravo to the authors and photographer! ... Read more