Reviews (3)

Excellent and informative.
The informative, but easy and readable style of this book will allow for many people to actually enjoy reading non-fiction about something they might have been required to study. The sections on how physically demanding the trek to Everest is were interesting. Amid all the IMAX films and articles, I'd forgotten what an amazing feat of the human body this is. It's very historical too, and hearing about the forgotten people who came before Sir Edmund Hillary was a treat. Coming from someone who has hiked up Everest himself, it makes the book all the more rewarding and fascinating. The author has been in all of these frozen, dangerous places! Excellent and informative.

Is this really a good climbing intro for kids?
This book does a fair job of providing the standard well-worn yarns from Everest's past. However, should children be getting their introduction to this splendid mountain by someone who has literally built a career out of wrecking other's expeditions by constantly having to get rescued, first on Everest, then on a lesser known Himalayan peak? As other reviewers of Stephen Venables' numerous books have pointed out, it doesn't seem fitting to be rewarding someone who is always messing up on the mountains with yet new book contracts to pound his chest in public. Do we want to teach our kids a climbing ethic of recklessness, poor planning, and bragging? I think mountains, and especially Everest, have better lessons for the young--and climbing greats like Hillary or John Hunt have plenty of good books to serve this purpose.

Everest by Steven Venables
The work depicts many color prints of Mount Everest. It shows the
Great Trigonometrical Survey of India, a View from the Top,
Artifacts for the 1953 Mt. Everest Expedition and a Portrait
of a Tibetan mother and child. There is an interesting
Buddhist monk wearing a yak headdress. The presentation
contains some historical data on Sir George Everest and
pictures of various expedition forces in process of
climbing the famous mountain. This book is a worthy purchase
as a gift for a child or senior citizen. ... Read more

Book Description

A practical approach to the earth sciences, Japan helps kids reach a deeper understanding of historical peoples by participating in the activities that shaped their lives. Discover the past by hands-on projects, facts, photographs, costumes, and maps. A comprehensive look at this topic for children ages 8-11. ... Read more

Book Description

This book presents the dynamic land of Vietnam - its modern cities andrural villages, its geographic regions, climate and turbulent history. ... Read more

Book Description

Through the ages, the dragon has been an important symbol for the Chinese. A time of Golden Dragons is the most auspicious possible. In fascinating text and beautiful paintings, Song Nan and Hao Yu Zhang trace the dragon’s history. Perhaps inspired by giant crocodiles, the image of the dragon affects every aspect of life in China, including the marking of dragon years, the flying of dragon kites, and the eating of dragon cakes at dragon boat races.

A splendid introduction to the richness of Chinese culture, this is a book to cherish this special year and for years to come. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A celebration of dragons
"A Time of Golden Dragons" is a visually stunning book. Song Nan Zhang provided the illustrations, and co-authored the text with Hao Yu Zhang. The book is an introduction to the image of the dragon in traditional Chinese culture. The authors discuss the place of the dragon in Chinese astrology, the relationship between the dragon image and the Chinese emperors, and other topics. There are many marvelous, full-color illustrations of dragons in various forms. Overall, this is a well-done educational text. ... Read more

Book Description

This beautifully designed book covers every aspect of Japan - itsgeography, natural phenomena, resources, agriculture and history. ... Read more

Book Description

Imagine that you are living in ancient Japan. Samurai warriors are among the most respected people in your society-that is what you want to be! How do you become a samurai? Do you have what it takes? The reader will learn exactly what the requirements for being a samurai are. What kind of families do warriors come from? What sort of training do they get? The samurai developed a tradition of values and personal conduct. They valued horsemanship, skill with the bow, strong self-discipline, and bravery. Above all, they prized total obedience and loyalty to their lords, and personal honor. If the samurai were dishonored, they would consider it a duty to commit ritual suicide.You'll want to know what sort of weapons you'll need. Samurai sleep with their swords! And you'll be required to provide your own armor.What sort of campaigns will you fight in? Where will you live? How will you be paid? How will you advance in rank? Will you be married? All of your questions will be answered to prepare you for the job interview section at the end of the book-a clever way to test if you are ready to become a samurai! ... Read more