Average customer rating:
- Into the Dreaming
- GOOD READ
- Teeeeeny Little Book
- Absolutely enthralling!!!!!!!!!!!!1
- Previously published
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Into the Dreaming
Karen Marie Moning
Manufacturer: Jove
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Darkfever
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The Immortal Highlander
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To Tame a Highland Warrior
ASIN: 051514150X |
Customer Reviews:
Into the Dreaming.......2007-09-10
This is short story. So just keep that in mind when you buy it. I was disappointed when I recieved it becasue I thought it was a full novel. I haven't had a chance to read it yet as it is in line waiting but I've never read anything from Karen Marie Moaning that I didn't like.
GOOD READ.......2007-09-07
As always Ms. Moning delievers excellent writing. The only substraction from this book is that its very short. Its a good book to travel with though and a good addition to toss into your order for a quick good read on the fly. If you are a moning fan its definately worth the search to get this booklet!
Teeeeeny Little Book.......2007-08-31
Although I am a big Moning fan I must admit I am dissapointed. This is more of a pamphlet than a book and I'm not even excited to crack the cover. I'm sure it will be great as I just love the Highlander Series but sheesh- 102 pages for 3 bucks!
Absolutely enthralling!!!!!!!!!!!!1.......2007-08-15
This was a great book: short, sweet and straight to the point. I am in the process of reading all of Karen Moning's Highland series and I would recommend this as a starting point for anyone interested. It was a wonderful story with just enough of everything to keep you glued to your chair for the entire reading
Previously published.......2007-07-17
This was a good story but not worth as a 5 dollar stand alone. I recommend finding the anthology it was previously published in and enjoying all the stories therein.
Book Description
MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.
When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….
As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands….
Customer Reviews:
OK Story but unfulfilling.......2007-10-09
I was so looking forward to this and had to wait on it from the library for 2 months. What a disappointment. DO NOT SPEND MONEY ON THIS BOOK! It's shameful an author would publish a work such as this for loyal fans and not feel massive guilt. There was NO romance, NO climax, NO resolution, NO satifying ending. I agree to what another reviewer said: Wait until all 5 books are published and read them back-to-back as one book. Individually, at least this first book, was more like one long chapter. What a let down. Shame, Shame, Shame.
Great start to new series.........2007-10-09
Karen is the first female author to have captivated me with her unique style. Both my fiance and myself are huge fans of the Highlander series, having read them all, including the short-story, "Into the Dreaming". Although the series started to get a little repetitive for me (only slightly with the male characters), I found myself to be very content with it all in the end. She did a wonderful job with flowing one book into the next, carefully unfolding the details that connected them all. I was really looking forward to the Fever series, being that it would bring out the even darker side of Karen, and was very satisfied with the first book. She left me curious as Hell for the next one. OF COURSE, I'll be going on vacation the day before it is released...but I suppose I'll just have to hit a bookstore somewhere along the way. Can't wait!!
Another Fantastic Book Karen.......2007-10-09
I have been a Karen Marie Moning fan for a long time. This new series of hers is outstanding. She has done a fabulous job with the world she has created within this book. Darkfever is book 1 in a series of 5.
Mac's sister is murdered while attending school in Scotland. Mac sets out to Scotland to investigate her sisters death. While there she discovers that she can "see" things others can't. Mac learns that she has a gift to see the world of the Fae. She finds protection and guidance with Jericho Barrons, a mysterious man who also seems to have gifts of some kind.
I honestly don't think 5 stars is enough. Karen has done an outstanding job. The mystery, the good and evil, the sexual tension. It is a great novel and I highly recommend it.
Some may be surprised at the end, for it is abrupt. But it is a series of 5 books. A person can't very well give everything out in the first book of a series, that wouldn't give them anything to write in the other 4. I can't wait for the next one.
Darkfever: A Thrilling Beginning to a New Series .......2007-10-08
Karen Marie Moning has produced a riveting storyline captured within the first book of a series of 5 novels all tied together in a Land filled with monstrous and deadly Fae that are being unleashed upon an unsuspecting Ireland. Following the death of her beloved older sister Alina, who had been brutally murdered while attending college in Dublin, Ireland, MacKayla Lane, a young, pretty, carefree blond, decides to go to Ireland in the search for answers as to why her sister was murdered. Upon arrival in Dublin MacKayla finds that the police have no leads and have closed her sister's case, that her hotel room is 2 stories up the stairs, plus she is sharing one bathroom with 4 other rooms; that the English language is not really understandable when spoken by the Irish, and that she is apparently losing her mind because she "sees" something that could not be real. MacKayla's life continues its downward spiral into terror as she discovers that she is a rare person of talent that is very valuable to certain humans, but also a death sentence if discovered by the Fae that are infiltrating Ireland. A protector, and potential love interest named Jericho appears, and Mackayla is soon living under his protection; but the situation is critical, and soon survival becomes upper most in MacKayla's mind. I was totally enthralled with this story. I love the premise of this story, the fight against evil, and all of the shades of gray that appear in this fabulous story of good vs. evil, and the courage of the human spirit to seek revenge against evil that kills just for the sport of killing. I recommend this novel, I loved it, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. I would give this book 10 stars if I could, but I am restricted to only 5. Do enjoy this story - it will keep you up reading all night long.
Cheap Trick.......2007-10-06
The book just ends as though it is in the middle of the story. I don't mean there is a cliffhanger it just ends. No idea still about her sister; did not find her sister's diary; don't know about adoption; etc., etc.. I was shocked and have really never seen this before. I won't be reading the next book in this series.
Book Description
Fueled by the belief that something better exists than the mundane life they've been living, free spirits Don and Paul set off on an adventure-filled road trip in search of deeper meaning, beauty, and an explanation for life. Many young men dream of such a trip, but few are brave enough to actually attempt it. Fewer still have the writing skills of Donald Miller, who records the trip with wide-eyed honesty in achingly beautiful prose. In this completely revised edition, he discusses everything from the nature of friendship, the reason for pain, and the origins of beauty.
As they travel from Texas to Oregon in Paul's cantankerous Volkswagen van, the two friends encounter a variety of fascinating people, witness the fullness of nature's splendor, and learn unexpected lessons about themselves, each other, and even God.
"A record of a classic road trip. Miller's tale is full of serendipitous adventures and thoughtful Christian reflection . . . offering the sort of deep-thought wanderings into meaning and significance that are the meat of college-age existence . . . a reminder that life was meant to be lived, not just gotten through."
(Publishers Weekly)
Customer Reviews:
The insperation of my road trip.......2007-09-18
Last year both my friend and I read this book and were struck with the idea that we should go on a road trip. Last march we packed up here car and headed for the Grand Canyon. It was amazing! We learned so much about our Faith in God and how much He is willing to help us in our daily lives. It was the most impacting trip in my life.
We also took pictures of ever VW bus we saw!
books.......2007-09-07
My daughter just loved this book she has allreadly read it over a couple of times, I think this is a great book for teenangers.
Excellent road trip tale.......2007-08-24
Most people dream of a road trip; few actually take one. Donald and Paul did and the tale is worth reading. We all need to be reminded of how little we really need to survive beyond the desire for adventure, the will to pursue it, and faith in God's goodness to carry us through.
Awesome book about what is important in life.......2007-07-23
Donald Miller does an excellent job detailing his thoughts and journey across the south and western United States from Texas to Oregon through the Grand Canyon and lessons learned along the way. This isn't simply a read-through book of sights and sounds but rather about deeper thoughts about the why's of life, how we got where we're at and why we're headed wherever we're going. I particularly found his excruciating journey through the hole of the Grand Canyon applicable to my own life through the various "holes" that I've traveled, and if we're all honest, the various "holes" we all have or probably will have traveled at least at some point in our lives. This is a must-read for anyone searching the "why's" in life.
Great book.......2007-07-13
If you are a fan of Blue Like Jazz and the writing style of Don Miller, then you should read this book. It's funny, after reading only 3 of Don Miller's books, I feel like I know him (and his great friends)...I would think that would be a great compliment for any writer. Miller is "real", and I think he "really" wants his faith journey to help others find God. It's a great book.
Customer Reviews:
Brassai @ dawn.......2007-05-10
Absolutely beautiful photographs that in many cases go beyond the endless cliches that this most wonderful city can't help but spawn. Using a spectacularly fine grained film, in a now eccentric denial of digital format, Berts has produced a magnificent portfolio on Paris. Reminds me of Brassai's celebrated night shots, only these were taken at dawn. Superb printing quality, and prefaced with a delightfully playful essay by Pierre Assouline. Top shelf publishing. An unmissable bargain at Amazon's price.
Average customer rating:
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Natural Light: Visions of British Columbia
Manufacturer: Harbour Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1550172735 |
Book Description
From frosted mountain peaks to the low-lying farmlands of the Fraser Valley, from the Sahara-like sand dunes of Farwell Canyon to the dripping, moss-bedecked rainforests of the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia is a province of startling contrasts. Its beauty has inspired many photo collections, but none quite like David Nunuk's.
Natural Light is a spectacular, jaw-dropping collection of Nunuk's best photographs of British Columbia in all its moods, accompanied by his often wry observations about the settings and his unorthodox methods of capturing them. In the tradition of Wade Davis, Nunuk writes about his experience hiking into an area, planning a shot and digging in patiently until the light and weather co-operate to make the perfect picture. He becomes intimate with the subtle variants in a landscape over an hour, a day, a month or a minute before he captures the images with his camera. His pictures are composed with a naturalist's eye for scientific detail and an outdoorsman's affection and respect for nature.
From the warm Mediterranean tones of an Okanagan vineyard to the crystalline twinkle of an ice cave, the striking radiance of Natural Light makes this luxuriously produced, oversize coffee-table book the perfect gift for lovers of outdoor photography, naturalists, armchair travellers or anyone who wants to see BC in a dramatic new--and entirely natural--light.
Customer Reviews:
hot & hilarious.......2007-06-11
I bought this on a whim as my first Erin McCarthy book, and it will not be my last! It is steamy, hilarious, and never fails to put a smile on my face. I have purchased this for friends who also adored it, so we give a group thumbs up!
Oh, no!.......2007-03-31
The subtitle for this book should have been: How to Ruin a Perfect Premiss for a book.
When I read the synopsis for this book I thought 'Wow! A pregnant girl loses her bf but her boss falls in love with her! What could go wrong?'
Everything.
I skipped pages, forced myself to read it (which is very rare) and with a feeling of defeat, I confess: I put the book down and never finished it (and never will).
The storyline is corny, brainless and insulting. The main character, Mandy is a complete loser who doesn't inspire any compassion.
Don't even get me started on Damien, her love interest! If he was a real guy, he would be the type of nutcase who stands outside your apartment, in the rain, rocking back and forth, grinning at you while singing a scary little tune.
Wanna read chick-lit? Get another book.
Good Read.......2007-03-27
This book was very interested and a good read. However I was very disappointed at the ending, I felt like the author just left you hanging at the end. I even went online to see if there was a part II to this one but there wasn't.
Pretty weak and predictable.......2007-03-09
I really thought I was going to like this book as I am easy to please when it comes to chic lit novels. This was pretty bad and it had like 4 or 5 sex scenes that literally went on for a whole chapter for each of them. Its like the author couldn't think of a plot or good dialogue and just decided to fill the pages with rauchy sex scenes. I like romance and all but this was overkill - I found myself skipping pages by the third one. It was weak, totally unrealistic and predictable.
Sexy, hilarious, and easy to relate to. .......2007-02-14
Loved it, loved it, loved it! Great beach read.
Book Description
He would sell his warrior soul to possess her. . . .
An alluring laird...
He was known throughout the kingdom as Hawk, legendary predator of the battlefield and the boudoir. No woman could refuse his touch, but no woman ever stirred his heart—until a vengeful fairy tumbled Adrienne de Simone out of modern-day Seattle and into medieval Scotland. Captive in a century not her own, entirely too bold, too outspoken, she was an irresistible challenge to the sixteenth-century rogue. Coerced into a marriage with Hawk, Adrienne vowed to keep him at arm's length—but his sweet seduction played havoc with her resolve.
A prisoner in time...
She had a perfect "no" on her perfect lips for the notorious laird, but Hawk swore she would whisper his name with desire, begging for the passion he longed to ignite within her. Not even the barriers of time and space would keep him from winning her love. Despite her uncertainty about following the promptings of her own passionate heart, Adrienne's reservations were no match for Hawk's determination to keep her by his side. . . .
Customer Reviews:
Beyond the Highland Mist.......2007-09-21
I love movies that make you cry, but when a book can do that to me! That's some author.
Okay.........2007-08-20
Well I love Karen Marie Moning's Highlander books. They are all really good!! however, this book made me mad. Hawk was a jerk, and Adrinne was just playing him for most of the book. If you want to read of good Moning book pick another one.
BTHM - highlander series.......2007-08-09
I found this book on my mother's shelf years ago, read it out of boredom, and I now own the entire series. I found that the plot for Beyond the Highland Mist was interesting, the characters were captivating (ooooh that lovely Adam Black!) and the sexual scenes were steamy enough for even me to blush a bit. I haven't read a whole lot of other authors, but those that I have read don't compare to KMM, even in this first novel. I recommend this book and the rest of the series to anyone who enjoys a good book to whisk them away from their life (at least for an hour or two). As to the comments of the heroine being a drag on the book because of her attitude towards Hawk Douglas... pooey. If you are paying attention, KMM goes into detail describing how the lovely Adrienne ended up with a poor opinion of "beautiful men". Get this book, send the kids to bed, and enjoy!
oh those highland boys!.......2007-06-27
I am completely hooked on the highlander series by Moning. It has everything you could want out of a romance novel. Buy it, but let me warn you, you had better have the rest of the series on hand because you'll want to keep reading and reading them!
Hot dude, weak plot.......2007-03-18
Beyond the Highland Mist is author Karen Moning's first foray into Highland time travel romance, a surprisingly well-populated subgenre. In this story, it's the woman who is the "fish out of water". Adrienne de Simone is hurled from the 20th century to the 16th, because the King and Queen of the Faeries are having a marital spat. The Queen of Fae has been admiring a particular handsome mortal who is incredibly handsome, well-endowed in the love department, and has the gift of charming and satisfying any woman he chooses. The King of Fae has the mischevious Adam Black find to punish Hawk Douglas by locating a woman for him who will be immune to his charms. They decide a modern woman will be a better bet. Adrienne fits the bill - she's smart, independent, and has sworn off men, having just been burned in romance. The Fae arrange it so that Adrienne is the woman Hawk has never seen but sworn to his king to marry. Luckily Hawk is secretly the nesting type, having equipped his castle with some impressive somewhat anachronistic comforts. All he needs is the right woman...
This book is not as complex and inventive as the later books in the series, but still enjoyable. Moning's sex scenes are highly charged and Adrienne is a sympathetic character.
As the series develops, you can see Moning becoming increasingly interested in the character of Adam Black. He finally gets his own book after six more books. That's what made me go back and start from the beginning, even though the books stand well on their own.
Average customer rating:
- Not what I thought
- The finest Grand Canyon book at the lowest price....
- off the charts superb stunning startling good heavens
- Review by Jennifer Owings Dewey, author/illustrator
- A superb choice as a Memorial Fund acquisition for any library system
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Lasting Light: 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography
Stephen Trimble
Manufacturer: Northland Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Grand: The Colorado River in the Grand Canyon a Photo Journey
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ASIN: 0873588940 |
Book Description
One of the most photographed subjects on earth, Grand Canyon continues to inspire awe, admiration, and frustration for those who attempt to capture its majesty with a camera. Reaching back 125 years into the photographic record of the Canyon, this book artfully explores the experiences of the earliest photographers and today's most exceptional artists.
Accomplished writer and Ansel Adams Award-winning photographer Stephen Trimble deftly navigates the stories of the Canyon's photographic history and takes us down the river and along the rim with the next generation of photographers and their photographs. Also included are twenty-one essays by the finest contemporary photographers recounting their experiences at Grand Canyon, along with fascinating details of changing equipment and a timeline of important moments in the Canyon's photographic record.
Customer Reviews:
Not what I thought.......2007-09-13
I bought this as a present for my wife. We had just returned from a trip that included a visit to the Grand Canyon, and I wanted to get her a memento of the visit. This book sounded good, but was not the one that included the beautiful vistas that we wanted. There are some photos too dark to really discern why they are included. There are some photos of a boat on the bank of the river. That could be from anywhere.
Although I suppose others may find it interesting, we didn't want a book of prose, we just wanted amazing photos. This was not that book.
The finest Grand Canyon book at the lowest price...........2007-02-15
This book is so awesome, and of such high quality, that its Amazon price seems surreal...I have two copies and am ordering a third, for posterity or whatever.
Intensely beautiful photographic prints, at the very leading edge of Canyon photos....almost beyond description!
If you buy one copy of this book, you'll then want another for a gift, and another for your own collection.....etc.
off the charts superb stunning startling good heavens.......2006-11-03
Yes, you would expect truly astounding photography here, and you get exactly that, in lots of different flavors too, but the stories are deft and revealing -- far more than in a book of photos alone of a place that you couldn't take a bad photo if you tried. Trimble himself is a master craftsman with the camera, but his service here is to gather some really remarkable work and voices into a tome that anyone who has gaped and prayed there will want to paw through before you get major brownie points for giving it to someone else. Terrific work.
Review by Jennifer Owings Dewey, author/illustrator.......2006-09-28
Lasting Light is a treasure, a compilation of photographs taken of the Crand Ganyon over a broad stretch of time. The viewer/reader may gain a sense of history, passing from the old to the new. The book is an experience in images of the vast wonder of the Canyon and the smallest, most discreet detail. Because the text is direct and not-technical, anyone interested in what is grand and lit by extraordinary light, the Grand Canyon itself, will find this work a delight.
A superb choice as a Memorial Fund acquisition for any library system.......2006-07-10
Lasting Light: 125 Years Of Grand Canyon Photography by award-winning author and photographer Stephen Trimble is a visual celebration and documentation of the beauty and grandeur of one of the most photographed subjects on earth -- the Grand Canyon. Comprised of the best of 125 years of great photographs beginning with the pioneering glass plate negatives of the 19th century to the digital images of the 21st century, Lasting Light produces spectacular visuals enhanced with an accompanying text of fascinating details regarding the advances of photography, stories of various individual photographers, and the relationship between the photographers and the unique American icon that is the Grand Canyon. As a coffetable art book, Lasting Light is a simply wonderful contribution to any personal, academic, or community library photography reference collection and would make a superb choice as a Memorial Fund acquisition for any library system.
Book Description
In 1270 a scholarly Jewish merchant called Jacob d'Ancona set out on a voyage from Italy. A year later, he arrived in China at the coastal metropolis of Zaitun, the "City of Light" (now known as Quanzhou), four years before Marco Polo arrived at Xanadu in 1275. Nothing was known of this epochal journey until 1990, when David Selbourne was shown d'Ancona's account of his travels, a remarkable manuscript that had been hidden from public view for more than seven centuries. Eventually translated and edited by Selbourne and published in Great Britain in October 1997 as The City of Light, the account was praised as providing an unparalleled insight into life in the medieval world.
Controversy followed. Selbourne had pledged to the manuscript's owner that he would not reveal its whereabouts, and that raised doubts about its authenticity. As a result of U.S. sinologists' criticism of plans for American publication, the first edition was canceled.
Now, a year later, Birch Lane Press happily publishes the controversial work. Criticisms of the textual evidence of d'Ancona's account have been answered by Selbourne. Most notably, other academics--particularly and significantly, in China--have come to the support of d'Ancona's account. The work is to be published in a Chinese translation.
Vivid and insightful, this account has great historical significance. It not only describes the adventures of a medieval trader, but also comments on Chinese society and manners through the eyes of a European man of learning. The City of Light brings spectacularly to life d'Ancona's encounter with one of the world's great civilizations.
Customer Reviews:
many indications that this is largely a 20th Century work.......2004-05-27
This volume starts out as a plausable enough chronicle of a Jewish merchant from Italy who travels to China and so on, but very quickly it becomes apparent that this is just the setting for a series of philosophical debates that the merchant partakes in with other groups in the "City of Light".
It is written like no other narrative from the past I have seen and is quite long as well. Although I am no expert on that time and place, and there are none who truly are, what really makes it suspect is the fact that most of the work fails to give details of how people lived and what things were like at that time and place and instead concentrates on the dialogues that he is invited to and partakes in. And all of the matters that they discuss are those that would preoccupy the mind of a person in the late 20th Century. Which either means that people in the 13th Century had identical problems to those we have today, or that this was written by someone in the late 20th Century. He even forsees the Holocaust at one point.
There is nothing that would secure it as authentic and many indications that this is largely a 20th Century work, enough to make it well accepted as a forgery until proven otherwise (which I never expect to happen). As for what it contains and the value of its philosophical debates, it offers nothing in the way of secure arguments, unless you already accept the Jewish religious teachings as a source of unchallenged wisdom. It also was rather long without adding much. It might have been better to publish this as a modern philosophical novel, which would have permitted it to be a better novel, without attempting to mislead scholars, that can cause trouble for years. Although I realize that from a publishing standpoint, it gets more attention to claim authenticity.
Also, he (Selbourne) clips off the return journey, which might have been one of the only authentic parts in the book. I paid full price for this book when it was first published and I consider it was not worth it.
Ian Myles Slater on: A Remarkable Book, as Memoir or Fiction.......2003-10-17
I am glad to see that the (delayed) American edition of this book is now in paperback. It differs from the UK edition (which I have also reviewed) mainly by including "Remarks on The City of Light " by Wang Lianmao, in which modern Chinese scholarship is used to reply to some of the criticism directed against it by Westerners. Specialists in the history of the region find some puzzles, and probable errors made by a foreigner, but nothing to suggest a modern fraud. They seem willing to accept it as an authentic account of southern China by a foreigner, describing events shortly before the arrival of Marco Polo in the following of the Mongol (Yuan) conqueror. (Probably wisely, they do not seem to have offered an opinion on how authentic the foreigner -- an Italian Jew -- looks to them.)
Curiously, Frances Wood, whose "Did Marco Polo Go to China?" argues that the Venetian merchant stayed in western Asia, and got all his information from others, who left no record of their adventures, seems to have joined in denouncing Jacob of Ancona as a fabrication, even though this must have seemed like manna from heaven for her theory. (By the way, it seems clear to me that, despite various major and minor interpolations and deletions in the manuscript tradition, Marco Polo did travel in East Asia -- so maybe I'm gullible.)
I would add, from my own cursory research, that I have some problems with the supposedly convincing argument that the use of the term "mellah" for "Jewish Quarter" in Muslim lands is anachronistic. This argument depends on accepting one version of the etymology and history of the word. It is, however, less than completely certain; Roger Le Tourneau, in "Fez in the Age of the Marinides" (English translation 1961), reviewed the complicated evidence, and suggested that the consensus, including how long the word was in use and when and where it was adopted, might be wrong.
From a Jewish perspective, I can accept Jacob of Ancona as a plausible figure (and perhaps more typical than Selbourne, to judge from his notes, realizes). The combination of length and literary quality in a memoir seems unusual for the period, but the translator reports omitting some sections at the end, and felicitous translation can add charm without being unfaithful. Some medieval writings *are* inordinately long -- and long-winded.
Jaob's report of debates with Chinese officials leaves me wondering if both his contacts and his discussions were really on such a high level (especially with both sides using some sort of "trade speech" and translators), but self-congratulatory memoirs are not a modern invention.
On the basis of Chinese reactions, I am prepared to accept the work as authentic, although not completely reliable as a record of fact (is anything?). If it is a fraud -- and only an examination of the manuscript seems likely to prove it -- its creator would surely have been better rewarded by emulating Eco's "Name of the Rose," and publishing it as historical fiction of a high order.
Excellent........2002-04-11
OK, nobody else has seen the original, so there's no way of verifying if this is a true translation or a hoax. If it is a hoax, it's a danmed good one, written so well, with lots of research to back it up, that I for one don't care.
This is just brilliant, true or hoax, it gives a deep insight into the Jewish support network and all the opposition & prejudice that Jews had to deal with.
It knocks Marco Polo's account into a cocked hat; incisive philosophy, intimate desriptions of mediaeval life and trade are enough to grant this a place on anyone's bookshelf, true or not.
Boring!.......2001-08-03
In a word: BORING! This book would have been twice as good were it half as long. Selbourne has cut the end and would have done well to cut the middle as well. Jacob's incessant protestations of piety are tedious. He hypocritically condemns everyone around him for greed and self-interest but his own actions, though ostensibly high-minded, are also dictated almost solely by financial motives. For this reason his criticism of others rings hollow. His world view is remarkably narrow and parochial for someone so widely traveled. While he makes extensive observations of the conduct of others, there is no effort to appreciate their viewpoints. I am also skeptical of the provenance of this book. The social debates described have a very contemporary tenor and are relevant to our own times. If this were in fact an authenticated manuscript, this resonance would be remarkable. However, the provenance of the book is in dispute and much space is devoted to supporting its authenticity. The resolution of this issue must await examination of the original manuscript but in the meantime I am skeptical because the discussions seem too modern.
Brilliant. ...One way or another........2001-07-14
This is simply one of the best books I have ever read. And it is definitely, hands down, with a doubt, the single funniest book I have ever read... though it isn't actually intended to be. Until the actual Ancona manuscript itself is made available for scrutiny, we will never know for sure if this text is authentic or a stunningly brilliant, almost cruelly sharp-witted satirical hoax. If it is the latter, it is still extremely impressive, informative and entertaining. Nearly every sentence is punctuated by the author Jacob's constant use of "May God be praised" or "May God spare me", or, for those individuals and groups he really despises: "May God strike them down" or "May God shorten their lives". I just could not stop laughing! - nor could I put the book down. Mr. Selbourne, wherever you are, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, sir. One way or another you have given us an amazing piece of work. May God magnify and bless you, and may He extend your life! Amen, Amen, Amen!
Average customer rating:
- Great Book!
- A Nice Conceit
- Challenge Achieved with Grace
- I normally hesitate to use this word, but...profound.
- Old fashioned and wonderful
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Chased By The Light
Manufacturer: Creative Publishing international
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Looking for the Summer
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Chased By The Light DVD - A Video Journey With Jim Brandenburg
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Fine Art Photography: Water, Ice and Fog
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Mastering Landscape Photography: The Luminous Landscape Essays
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Working the Light: A Photography Masterclass (Landscape Photography Mastercl)
ASIN: 1559718005 |
Book Description
- New softcover format of a best-selling book. - New photos and an epilogue that illustrates and discusses the devastating summer wind storm that wreaked havoc on the locations photographed for the original project.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book!.......2007-08-31
If you haven't seen the DVD (Public TV?) program of this project, you should-great insights into what Brandenburg was after as a photographer-the great and the struggles. WOnderful book and photos!
A Nice Conceit.......2004-11-29
It's a nice conceit. A great outdoor photographer sets for himself the task to taking one, but only one, photograph each and every day for an entire season.
One can see all kinds of implications. Once the photographer finds a subject he must get it right the first time because he isn't allowed a second chance. Exposure, focus, composition - everything must be right and as good as he can get it. Moreover he is continually in peril. Should he pass by a good shot in the morning in expectation of a better shot in the afternoon? And what happens when no better shot is in the camera as sunset approaches? We can easily believe Jim Brandenburg when he says that the exercise was a transforming experience.
But the question for viewers of this book is whether the pictures are a transforming experience for us. Unfortunately, they were not for me.
I understand that some of the pictures were bound to be underexposed or out of focus. Plants blow in the wind; animals move. But while I examined the photographs in this book, I also looked at other work by Brandenburg. These other collections were always quite impressive, providing new ways of looking at the world. Many of the pictures in "Chased by the Light" showed a keen sensibility for the light. The silhouettes of loons and a small island with trees against the backlight of a clouded dawn were breathtaking. The photograph of a raven's feather against a lichen background with a few beaded drops of water on the feather caught my eye.
But for every great photograph, there was one that was pedestrian and one that was discardable. I certainly didn't need to see an out-of-focus mink or trees in the forest with no true subject.
To be fair to Brandenburg, this project was apparently not undertaken for publication but rather as an exercise for his own development. It was his editor who wanted to publish after seeing the photographs. To the editor's eye, at least, the pictures were enlightening and well worth the effort.
The greatest value of this book was not in the photographs but in the speculation in which I engaged about why this book was not outstanding. Is photography a stochastic process with each photograph taken possibly leading to an even greater photograph? Did forcing himself to elect when to take his daily picture cause Brandenburg to sacrifice opportunities, or even limit his willingness to take risks. Does the order of presentation of photographs have synergistic effects, which were lost, because this book almost demanded only chronological order? Does forcing the viewer to look at pictures that would otherwise be discards detract from the impact of good pictures?
For me this book was conceptual art. I found the idea of the task transformed my view of photography. The pictures themselves did not.
Challenge Achieved with Grace.......2004-05-17
I gave this book to my parents several years ago and still leaf slowly through its pages whenever visiting their home in northern Minnesota. For amateurs and professionals alike, his is a fascinating photographic concept: your own property? a favorite park? your family? or pet? a holiday?
I normally hesitate to use this word, but...profound........2002-07-09
I'm a verbal type; I'd rather read a beautifully written description of a frozen lake than stare at a picture of it anytime. Even knowing that, my mother gave me this book several years ago, and I fell in love. I sat with it for hours, seeing, dreaming, and I still take it down often to do the same again. The photographer, Jim Brandenburg, set himself the challenge of taking only one photograph each day for three months, in the boreal forest where he makes his home. The result is a portrait of life as many of us can never experience it: not just "calendar shots," but pictures that show the cruelty of man, the certainty of death, the very simple beauty of a single bright leaf burning on the dark, still waters of an evening pond. Some photos are amazing in themselves and some seem ordinary in the extreme, but it is important to take them as a whole, and see what you learn from the journey.
Old fashioned and wonderful.......2002-05-30
It's so more agreable to have this engagement calendar on your desk than a modern and dull looking electronic device. Use an old fountain pen to take your notes, and wait till the ink is dry before turning the page! Wonderful pictures under your eyes every day of the year! You can escape and image yourself so far from the busy and noisy modern world. I'm waiting for the 2003 edition.
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