All You Need to Be Impossibly French: A Witty Investigation into the Lives, Lusts, and Little Secrets of French Women

Book Description

The allure of the Frenchwoman—sexy, sophisticated, flirtatious, and glamorous—is legendary. More than an eye for fashion or a taste for elegance, the French je ne sais quoi embodies the essential ingredients for looking and feeling beautiful.

With wit, whimsy, and wonder, British expatriate Helena Frith Powell uncovers the secrets of chic living in All You Need to Be Impossibly French, a cheeky guide to releasing your inner Frenchwoman. Delving deep into a mysterious realm of face creams, silk lingerie, and shopping- as-exercise, Powell reveals how French women stay impossibly thin and irresistibly sexy by achieving the maximum effect from the minimum amount of effort. Forget diet and inspiration books and style guides—this is all you need to embrace the wisdom of French living, and learn how to turn every day into la petite aventure.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Stories.......2007-08-28

Interesting stories, but of course not all of it is true. The author tells amusing tales of her "fish out of water" experiences with French women; it's a wonderfully interesting culture. That the French women never leave the house looking grungy seems to be the main focus of the book, however, as the author focuses mainly on the fact that Parisian women refuse to "let themselves go" once they're married or when they grow old.

I wasn't mystified and awed by the concept of women who wished to look put-together at all times, I was more interested in the bits about their love of art, intellectuals, celebrity, etc.

Still, this book was a great fun read and though it's a broad generalization, I'd still recommend it to anyone looking for a good afternoon book.

If this book doesn't "tweak" you, you are in bad shape.......2007-08-25

I am too old for all this but I enjoyed it no end. I bought three copies for my girls (they will truly love this book. I guarantee it) it makes one feel "alivea' again and it makes you want to go out immediately and purchase matching underwear.

don't waste your time.......2007-08-21

This book is not funny as many readers have said. It gets very boring in a number of chapters. It basically describes French women as self absorbed, jealous, shallow, and uppity. The author seems obsessed with her own looks and weight. She paints all other women in comparison with the French as ugly, frumpy, dispassionate, and totally out of touch with their sensual selves. If you are looking for a boost to your self esteem and you aren't French do yourself a favor and Don't waste you time with this one.

Amusing bit of froth, but that's all.......2007-06-13

This reads like a typical article in Cosmo (the Doxy's Digest) puffed up into book length. Frith Powell is witty, and occasionally sharp-eyed. She doesn't mince words about the Frenchwoman's self-absorption, competitiveness, and lack of interest in female friendships; these qualities come across as quite cold. But Frith Powell also blathers on obsessively about the Frenchwoman's thinness, disciplined cultivation of her appearance, "waxed legs," perfect haircuts, and all the other surface adornments whose fault is just that: they're surface. Frith Powell adds that Frenchwomen regard their intellects as further tools of seduction. Frith Powell's own intellect seems all over the place, as she adds a number of dubious (or sometimes just plain false)historical details about long-dead Frenchwomen to prove her theories. The writer Colette, for example, did not "dance drunk on tables" in her sixties. By that time she had severe arthritis and would have had quite a problem clambering up there. Nor did Colette "marry her son-in-law." She had an affair with her stepson, which is bad enough, but not quite the same. Frith Powell makes a number of other careless mistakes. If she was going to bring up these examples, she should have bothered to get them right.

entertaining light read- very true!.......2007-05-13

Helena Frith Powell's book is a lighthearted glimpse at how real French women live. It's fairly true to life. Having lived in France for 9 years, I felt like there were passages I had experienced myself first hand. I particularly like the part about getting fitted for fancy lingerie. The section on sex and adultery actually went way beyond what I had imagined it to be. Her vision really is very elite and she interviews some of the power players in French society, fashion and political life. I kept wondering how it might have been different if centered more on 'regular' French women.

Average customer rating:

Good for character education
This book may cause tears!!
Great Book on Bullying and Peer Pressure
Beautiful Story
the hundred dresses

The Hundred Dresses
Eleanor Estes
Manufacturer: Harcourt Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0152052607

Amazon.com

Wanda Petronski lives way up in shabby Boggins Heights, and she doesn't have any friends. Every day she wears a faded blue dress, which wouldn't be too much of a problem if she didn't tell her schoolmates that she had a hundred dresses at home--all silk, all colors, and velvet, too. This lie--albeit understandable in light of her dress-obsessed circle--precipitates peals of laughter from her peers, and she never hears the end of it. One day, after Wanda has been absent from school for a few days, the teacher receives a note from Wanda's father, a Polish immigrant: "Dear teacher: My Wanda will not come to your school any more. Jake also. Now we move away to big city. No more holler Polack. No more ask why funny name. Plenty of funny names in the big city. Yours truly, Jan Petronski."

Maddie, a girl who had stood by while Wanda was taunted about her dresses, feels sick inside: "True, she had not enjoyed listening to Peggy ask Wanda how many dresses she had in her closet, but she had said nothing.... She was a coward.... She had helped to make someone so unhappy that she had had to move away from town." Repentant, Maddie and her friend Peggy head up to Boggins Heights to see if the Petronskis are still there. When they discover the house is empty, Maddie despairs: "Nothing would ever seem good to her again, because just when she was about to enjoy something--like going for a hike with Peggy to look for bayberries or sliding down Barley Hill--she'd bump right smack into the thought that she had made Wanda Petronski move away." Ouch. This gentle Newbery Honor Book convincingly captures the deeply felt moral dilemmas of childhood, equally poignant for the teased or the tormentor. Louis Slobodkin, illustrator of the 1944 Caldecott Medalist Many Moons, brings his wispy, evocative, color-washed sketches to Eleanor Estes's time-proven classic about kindness, compassion, and standing up for what's right. (Ages 6 and older) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

Never out of print since its 1944 publication, this tender story offers readers of all ages a timeless message of compassion and understanding. At its heart is Wanda Petronski, an immigrant girl in an American school, who is ridiculed for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. When she tells her classmates that she has one hundred dresses at home, she unwittingly triggers a game of teasing that eventually ends in a lesson for all.

In restoring the reproduction of Louis Slobodkin's artwork, this new edition recaptures the original vivid color. And to celebrate the book's enhanced beauty, Helena Estes, the daughter of the author, has written a new letter to readers about the true story behind The Hundred Dresses.

Customer Reviews:

Good for character education.......2007-09-09

This is a very cute book with a great message...perfect for teaching character education (acceptance, kindness) to children.

This book may cause tears!!.......2007-07-18

Ron Clark mentioned in his book, "Essential 55," that he reads, "The Hundred Dresses," to his class to help his students understand and not allow bullying. This is a great book. I had tears and so did a lot of my students. This book is an easy read and easy to understand. The story helps

-demonstrate to the reader that no matter how poor you are, you don't have to look or act poor.

-shows the reader that a bully is not always someone that gets in your face and calls you names.

-and reveals that watching someone being bullied without helping sometimes makes you just a guilty as the bully.

This book has characters that appear real and reflect on their decisions. Please remember to have tissue!

Great Book on Bullying and Peer Pressure.......2007-05-07

I recently read this book with my 3rd grade class and loved it. It has a great message for girls on being a bully and peer pressure. The illustrations are colorful and overall just delightful.

Beautiful Story.......2007-03-19

I read this book as a child and loved it so much. I purchased it because it's a great lesson and one that I want my children to learn as well.

the hundred dresses.......2007-02-14

The title of this book is "The Hundred Dresses" by Eleanor Estes. I give it 4 stars.

The reason I give this book four stars is because it was good and very descriptive but it was not very interesting. The book was dull and just went on and on with not a very good plot if any. This book was about a girl was made fun of because of what she said. Girls would tease her asking how many dresses she had in her closet. When she answered this question by saying she had a hundred dresses the girls would laugh and tease her. They also teased her because she had a funny last name. One day the girl did not come to school. When there was a drawing contest at school where the girls had to draw dresses she won. Everybody realized that they had done wrong and hoped that she forgave them.

Other great and esciting titles that i reccomend are catherine called birdy, bronx masquarade, and the midwifes apprentice. I am a student in 7th grade i am in an aig english class, and love to read. If you enjoy short, purposeful books, you will enjoy this one.

Teach Yourself Afrikaans Complete Course Package (Book+ 2CDs) (Teach Yourself Complete Language Courses)

Average customer rating:

A good course with awful recordings
Teach Yourself Afrikaans, book/CD combo.
Afrikaans Review

Teach Yourself Afrikaans Complete Course Package (Book+ 2CDs) (Teach Yourself Complete Language Courses)
Helena van Schalkwyk
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0071430121

Book Description

Cocktails in Capetown? Teach yourself Afrikaans!

With Teach Yourself it's possible for virtually anyone to learn and experience the languages of the world, from Afrikaans to Zulu; Ancient Greek to Modern Persian; Beginner's Latin to Biblical Hebrew. Follow any of the Teach Yourself Language Courses Audiopackages at your own pace or use them as a supplement to formal courses. These complete courses are professionally designed for self-guided study, making them one of the most enjoyable and easy to use language courses you can find. Audiopackages include an instructional paperback book and two companion 60-minute audio CDs.

Prepared by experts in the language, each course begins with the basics and gradually promotes the student to a level of smooth and confident communication, including:

Step-by-step guide to pronunciation and grammar
Regular and irregular verb tables
Plenty of practice exercises and answers
Practical vocabulary and a bilingual glossary
Clear, uncluttered, and user-friendly layout
An exploration of the culture
And much more

Customer Reviews:

A good course with awful recordings.......2007-08-31

Teach Yourself Afrikaans is a very good course that had me flying through the pages. For a native English speaker (I'm not) Afrikaans is without any doubt the easiest language to learn. The grammar is simplicity itself, the pronunciation is easy compared to many other languages and many of the words are very similar to English ones. If you already speak German or Dutch, you'll probably manage to understand written Afrikaans without even opening this course. Afrikaans is very similar to both languages, but with a grammar that is so much simpler that it's probably the easiest of all the Indo-European languages.

This course in particular deserve a high rating for the relaxed but still competent approach it takes to Afrikaan grammar. The vocabulary is very extensive, and that is something I always look for in a language course. The one star off is for the disastrous recordings and dialouges. They are stereotypichal beyong belief. In the 21th century, I'm not really interest in reading dialouges about the happy family where father goes off to work, the well-behaved kids are pleasant all the time and mum stays home to do the housework. And all of this expressed. at. the. slowest. rate. you. have. ever. heard. If the dialouges would have been natural, this would have been a 5* course.

Teach Yourself Afrikaans, book/CD combo........2007-06-12

This course definitely isn't lacking in content -- in vocabulary alone it provides more than most other Afrikaans self-study courses. (Note : a good number of the words used in the course aren't found in the short dictionary at the back of the book, be it either because they're loan words or because the meaning should be obvious to English speakers. Consulting an online dictionary should suffice.) Much of the grammar and word order is taught through example sentences alone for the first few units of the book, mainly to give learners a "feel" for the language. As the course progresses, grammar is steadily introduced, much of it already linking back to something already taught.

The audio accompanying the course is a must. Conversations, reading passages, and even a number of the word lists -- most of which aren't listed as being on the CDs at all -- can be found on the recorded material. The pronunciation of the language can be tricky at certain points; to provide an example, several of the nouns in the language undergo a vowel shift when they become diminutives (like turning "dog" into "doggy" : hond > hondjie), something which is reflected on the CDs but which is not covered in the text ("hond" is pronounced something like "hund", while "hondjie" is straight out "hoin-key"). The native speakers on the recordings throughout the course speak more slowly than everyday speech allows, and there are only a few passages where the rhythm is picked up to sound more authentic. This might hinder some learners, but on the other hand it can just as well be a blessing in disguise -- knowing to pronounce words correctly and enunciate clearly is the very first step to being understood.

This course is sufficient and well worth the money put toward it. If I were to give my own personal advice to a perspective buyer, though, it'd be to purchase the "Colloquial Afrikaans" course prior to moving on to this one. "Teach Yourself Afrikaans" in some respects is more exhaustive in terms of vocabulary, but the "Colloquial Afrikaans" course is easier to follow and is overall a better starting point for people just beginning studies in the language.

Afrikaans Review.......2006-03-11

The Afrikaans learning program is well-presented and well-written. The dialogues are concise and aidful enough to allow the learner to understand the language much easily. The audio CDs is a must for the program as this is a language which requires careful listening and imitation of the sounds.
Overall, the vocab. is sufficient and the grammar tools provide a great feedback on allowing the learner to either have a thorough knowledge or the language or learn it all together.

Average customer rating:

Culturally Enlightening
A haunting book
^_^
Beautifully written
Review

Under the Feet of Jesus
Helena Maria Viramontes
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0452273870

Customer Reviews:

Culturally Enlightening.......2007-04-23

I enjoyed this book because of the dynamics between the three or four main characters who show you the life of extreme poverty and desperation that is part of their everyday lives. This book is beautifully written with vivid descriptions and characters that I could grasp. While it's short, it tells an emotional story of a Mexican family who makes their modest living by picking fruit under the scorching sun. It is a tale for everyone, especially people in this country, to read and discover how other people are living their lives simply off the produce of the ground. Read this is you want to be culturally aware.

A haunting book .......2007-04-04

I can't recommend this book enough. The thing is that the reader doesn't get the picture until the story is finished. Then it all seems to come together in a powerful way. Viramontes does exactly what I have always been taught is the best way to write. She shows and she doesn't tell. Sometimes when reading the story, you are reaching to understand how a particular part fits. That is part of her style. You realize at the end that she hasn't missed a beat. It all fits effortlessly together and as a reader you didn't have to work hard at all. You just needed to have a little confidence in the author.

^_^.......2004-04-23

The scorching hot midday sun beats down upon the bare necks of migrant Mexican workers, ready to do back-breaking work for meager wages. One of the characters of the story, Perfecto, observes the scene described in wonderful detail: clouds ready to burst like cotton plants, an old decaying barn nearby, and a silence interrupted only by the wisps of wind that ruffle the peach trees. As he observes these images, reality quickly sinks in: "The silence and the barn and the clouds meant many things. It was always a question of work, and work depended on the harvest, the car running, their health, the conditions of the road, how long the money held out, and the weather, which meant they could depend on nothing" (4). Set in the harsh, poverty-stricken world of the migrant Mexican worker, Under the Feet of Jesus, by Helena Maria Viramontes, is a story about a Latino family in California, trying to get by in a society that turns a cold shoulder to their every woe. As the characters endure hardship upon hardship throughout the book, the author's own ideology manifests itself in their slow loss of faith. Religion is no substitute for gritty human spirit in times such as these. By the end of the novel it seems clear that Perfecto's observation holds partly true: they can depend on nothing but themselves.
The novel centers primarily around Estrella, a young girl on the verge of womanhood, and her relationship with Alejo, another migrant worker of the same age. Throughout the story, the characters are confronted time and time again with hardships they must endure, each time further questioning their faith. After Alejo is poisoned by a crop duster and falls ill, the family takes care of him, spending what little money they have for his treatment. Alejo, no stranger to harsh reality in his life, bleakly ponders if this is some sort of punishment from God. As his condition deteriorates and things look grim, Estrella curses God, thinking He "did not care," and that now renouncing Him, she "was alone to fend for herself" (139). At the end of the novel, in a scene that perhaps represents Viramontes' ideology the best, Estrella is perched on a rooftop, "on the verge of faith," yet she does not let herself fall (176). She doesn't trust "blindly" anymore, instead choosing to "trust the soles of her feet, her hands, the shovel of her back, and the pounding bells of her heart" (175). In the end, Estrella has learned that it is her own strength she must trust in, not God's, to carry her through the hardships she faces.

Under the Feet of Jesus by Helena Maria Viramontes, is at its heart, a novel that reveals to the reader through vivid metaphorical detail, the harsh world of the Mexican migrant worker. The book pulls its characters away from grasping blindly at faith in a benevolent God, and brings them to take comfort in the only constant that is rooted in their ever-changing environment: their own spirit to go on. Perhaps reflective of Viramontes' own ideology, this novel provides an excellent view of the loss of religious faith, replaced by gritty human spirit that can overcome any hardship. Inspirational and beautifully written, I highly recommend Under the Feet of Jesus to anyone!

Beautifully written.......2004-04-23

The book, Under the Feet of Jesus, is a juxtaposition of the beautiful landscape of California and harsh life of a migrant worker. This story focuses on one migrant family who went through much turmoil. The mother, Petra has to live with the fact that her first husband abandoned his family, leaving the family to look for back breaking work in the country side. The father, Perfecto is much older than Petra and is struggling to do as Petra's first husband did, to abandon the family and go back to his hometown. The main character in the story, Estrella is a fourteen year old girl who works long hours under the unforgiving sun, is looked down by her teachers, and learns the meaning of sacrifice and love when she loses her first love, Alejo.

Each character undergoes their own personal battles when they meet Alejo. Alejo is a migrant worker boy who becomes engulfed in poisons by a crop duster as he picks peaches in a field. Estrella's family takes him under their care out of pity. They become strained as they have to both work and nurse Alejo. Nothing that they do can help Alejo, as his conditions diminishes everyday. It is at this time Estrella falls in love with Alejo. Days go by and Alejo becomes critically ill. Estrella is faced with the horrible situation that her family will have to abandon Alejo because they simply cannot take care of him. Out of this struggle, Estrella comes out even stronger, knowing both the joy and pain that comes from love.

Review.......2004-04-22

The author Vermonters challenges us to look beyond our perceptions of others, especially the lower classes of society. There is so much more to these people then their poverty. They are real people with families and emotions, trying to go by on what little they have. This story illustrates grim life of the immigrant workers and then glorifies them by showing their struggle and triumphs over their problems. These people are able to go beyond what society labels them and their poverty by forging their own identity. Through their sacrifices and their unity in spirit, they can break free of the word poverty and find meaning in themselves.

Average customer rating:

A little wisdom, a lot of vindictiveness

QUITE INFORMATIVE!

Myth or Myth? you be the judge

MUST READ FOR A DEEP UNDERSTANDING!!!

A Great Introduction - but not the method itself

Isis Unveiled [Two Volume Set]
Helena P. Blavatsky
Manufacturer: Theosophical University PR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Secret Doctrine : The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy (Volumes 1 and 2)

The Key to Theosophy

The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Reader's Edition)

The Voice of the Silence: Being Chosen Fragments from the "Book of the Golden Precepts"

Melchizedek and the Mystery of Fire (Adept Series)

ASIN: 0911500030

Book Description

Helena P. Blavatsky was a world traveler and fearless investigator of unexplained mysteries in cosmic and human nature.

Customer Reviews:

A little wisdom, a lot of vindictiveness.......2007-08-30

I was greatly disappointed in these books. I've read a bit by the more modern theosophist authors and wanted to dig back into some of the "classic" texts. What I found in these 2 books is a strange pudding in which a few nuggets of knowledge are randomly interspersed with a big amorphous mass of diatribe against science (Vol 1) and Christian religion (Vol 2). Perhaps because I've already encountered most of the interesting knowlege in these books elsewhere I am more aware of the matirix of hate (too strong a word?) in which they were embedded. I think we all know that both science and religion have huge blind spots and that the christain church has actively persicuted any beliefs contrary to her own. Perhaps in HPB's time she felt that this needed to be known, but that hardly warrents 1400 pages of sledgehammering and repetition.

The book is also a mess to follow. Chapter headings generally have little or nothing to do with what is presented there, it is really a rambling random mess, not seeming to build or evolve in any rational way.

A much more coherent and informative book is The Secret Teacing of All Ages by Manley Hall. It contains much of what is here without the editorial commentary. Its half the length of this and twice as informative.

QUITE INFORMATIVE!.......2007-01-10

The two volumes of "Isis" treat of the interrelationship of science and religion as they correspond to the Ancient Wisdom, or Theosophy. The author, HPB, takes painstaking care to show how modern science (c. 1875ff.) is greatly at odds with theosophical science inasmuch as the ultra materialistic perspective of modern scientists prevents them from seeing the meta-reality of the science of the Ancient Wisdom.
HPB is quite thorough in venturing among a number of prominent scientists of her day--e.g. Farraday, Huxley, Cooke--and showing how their theories either: (1) were preceded by the Ancient philosophers/mystics or (2) are hopelessly obscured, and hence, invalid, due to the refusal of the modern scientist to accord well with principles that operate beyond the realm of the several measurable senses.
Consequently, HPB takes something of a polemical tone in these volumes, which, at times, can be somewhat tiring, as the volumes total 1400 pp.
The second volume treats of the development of religion from the most ancient times to the modern day, and attempts to show how the Ancient Wisdom beliefs were only taught to the initiates of the Inner Mysteries and how, over time, various perversions of that teaching got picked up by the profane and then layered over with ceremonies, rules and superstitions. Volume 2 shows, for instance, how sacred Egyptian temple rites devolved into the Greek religion of Eleusis, and how that developed into the Roman cult mythology and how Judaism was a pastiche of the faiths of Egypt, Persia (contemporary Iran), with Christianity being the latest of the religious heritage, excepting Islam.
In my opinion, humble though it be, HPB seeks to show how all religions form from one common thread and that, thus, there are far more similarities in our far-flung and diverse belief systems than there are differences. The author invites us to look beneath the superficial, what she calls, 'the husks', and into the 'true kernal', so that we can claim what was once lost.
Overall, I would recommend these volumes to the reader, assuming he has patience to wade through a fair amount of detail, has some ability to read Greek and Latin, and loves small-print footnotes. Even should the reader be unconvinced of HPB's thesis, she should come away with much food for thought.

Myth or Myth? you be the judge.......2006-02-16

This book has no scientific proof of exisitence nor validity. Purely speculation and guess work seemingly based upon one persons viewpoint and assumptions made thereof. I would not take this book seriously nor read in in any other manor than to fall asleep at night!

MUST READ FOR A DEEP UNDERSTANDING!!!.......2003-10-05

NOT A LIGHT READ BY ANY MEANS!- BUT NECESSARY IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE BASIS BEHIND MANY BELIEFS. (READ ALL OF HER WORK) ONE OF THE KEYS TO FINDING "THE TRUTH" IS TO FIND THE HINT OF TRUTH FROM ALL THE ANCIENT BELIEF SYSTEMS. THIS SET OF BOOKS IS A BIG HELP. THIS WOMAN SPENT HER WHOLE LIFE TRAVELING AND SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH. SHE SET A LOT OF PEOPLE THINKING AND CHANGED A LOT OF LIVES THROUGH HER WORK. YOU MUST OWN THIS COLLECTION IF YOU HAVE ANY INKLING FOR WANTING TO KNOW THE REAL TRUTH.

A Great Introduction - but not the method itself.......2003-04-09

This book is an awe inspiring introduction to the largely ignored esoteric knowledge and history that weaves throughout human history. Blavatsky delivers to humanity a potent clue toward much that is unknown by common people. Those who have read her works develop a new appreciation and respect for mystical traditions the world over and gain more discriminatory thinking, as they are less likely to buy the mass illusion spun by our modern culture. Fortunately, the interested student doesnt have to stop there; previously, those who were inspired by Blavatsky and other such writers were left to struggle with learning how to incorporate such knowledge or discover how to access it themselves, and because she and all other true initiates were unable to reveal the direct and practical instruction that any student would require in order to enter the path, there were and are many who end in frustration, unable to access the experiences and knowledge they crave so much. This is a great tragedy, but it is no longer necessary. This all changed in 1950 when Samael Aun Weor began publishing his works. His works are not erudite, full of bibliographic references or in depth historical analysis: his works are entirely practical, as he was the first initiate duly authorized to reveal to humanity what had always previously been hidden. Thus his works are full of techniques and instruction that every student can use in order to discover in themselves the truths expressed by all the great teachers of humanity. Thus his teachings have spread so thick in the Spanish-speaking countries that you find small towns that don't even have a post office but they will have a Gnostic School. He was allowed to do so because this humanity has become so degenerated and caught in lies and deception that there is no other hope save to offer them a last chance by revealing the beauty of the Great Arcanum in order that some may redeem themselves of the suffering we are all trapped within. Try "The Doomed Aryan Race" or "The Mystery of the Golden Blossom." You can find his works at the Gnostic Institute zshop.

And Fork: 100 Designers, 10 Curators, 10 Good Designs

Average customer rating:

And Fork etc.
inspiring overview of new young designers

And Fork: 100 Designers, 10 Curators, 10 Good Designs
Tom Dixon , Maria Helena Estrada , Pierre Keller , Didier Krzentowski , and Sang-Kyu Kim
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0714847682

Book Description

100 of the World's Most Exceptional Young Product DesignersSelected by 10 Design Critics,Including Tom Dixon"Designers have a responsibility to show the future as they want it tobe--or at least as it can be--not just the way an industry wants it tobe..."-Yves B+har, designer Five years after the success of the groundbreaking SPOON (2002), whichfeatured a steel-covered spoon shaped book cover, Phaidon announces thepublication of a follow up collection.AND FORK is a comprehensive globaloverview of new industrial design today.This generously illustratedvolume presents 100 of the most exceptional product designers that haverecently emerged on the international scene, selected by 10 of the world'stop design critics including Chieko Yoshiie of Casa Brutus in Japan,Francesca Picchi of Domus, Tom Dixon from Habitat UK and Sang-kyu Kim, aKorea-based design curator. AND FORK features 1,000 color illustrations of hundreds of innovativeproducts created by the most forward-thinking young designers workingtoday.A wide range of objects (including chairs, lighting, footwear,kitchen accessories and electronics) provide an up-to-date snapshot of thenewest developments in the design world.The book will be an indispensablereference for students, designers, architects and the general publicinterested in learning about contemporary design in everyday life.With the expertise of a highly knowledgeable group of design stars, ANDFORK is set on the same table as Spoon.The 100 designers selected comefrom an impressive 24 countries including Brazil, Japan, Finland, UK,Denmark, Israel, Australia, South Korea and USA. Recent trends in designare revealed, such as a new generation of designers more concerned withsocial responsibility and the ethics of design, new product design thatcaters to our increasing dependence on portable and personal technology,and a rise in collaboration between young designers.Some highlights from AND FORK include: *D-Bros: The Japan-based design group is best known for their charmingHope Forever Blossoming Vase. It's a simple flat plastic bag, but when youpour water into it, it expands to take on both the look and behavior of aglass flower vase.*Piet Hein Eek: Much of the Dutch designer's furniture is made fromreclaimed scrap wood. He is an example of many of the young designersfeatured in AND FORK that are using environmentally-friendly or recycledmaterials and innovative manufacturing techniques. Eek says, "I like usingmaterials that are worthless and acting as though they are precious."*Jennifer Carpenter: The New York-based designer has made her mostdistinctive mark on children's products, designing an infant bed thateasily converts into toddler furniture. She has said, "Let's face it, babyproducts are not the sexiest arena, some designers would rather be workingon the next iPod...but the breast pump is what really needs the help."*Simon Heijdens: Heijdens is fascinated with the way things evolveover time which inspired the Broken White project (2004). He designed a setof ceramic bowls and plates that are immaculate and white when new, but asthey are used, delicate cracks appear in the glazing and with time slowlyspread to form a decoration. In result, the most used, favorite items standout portraying the intimate relationship between user and object. Arranged in alphabetical order, AND FORK displays each designer on fourpages that include photographs, technical drawings and text written by thecurators on why the designer's work has been chosen and details on futuredesign plans.Each curator has also chosen one piece of design, such asthe Radio Ts2 or the Schwinn Stingray bicycle, for the 'Good Design'chapter of the book. These are classics that have made a significant impacton the design world, and still influence young designers today. The pages of AND FORK illustrate superlative cutting-edge work fromdesigners whose products often display subversive manufacturing techniques,exciting displays of materials or refreshing twists on the everyday object.It is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of design. Emilia Terragni, Editorial Director at Phaidon Press, says in the book'sintroduction, "Good design has never before been so readily available,whether in products that make our lives simpler, or simply in those thatmake us smile. AND FORK is an invaluable reference book on an industry thatcontinues to shape the way we live."

Customer Reviews:

And Fork etc........2007-06-11

For me as a photo-artist this is a book that really
inspires me!

inspiring overview of new young designers.......2007-06-10

This book is a very inspiring book on new designers all over the world. It gives every designer a few pages with different products and a short charactarization of his/her work. Innovative use of new materials, surprising products and beautiful photographs. The only thing I would love is more detailed drawings of products and/or constructions.

Languages and Children--Making the Match: New Languages for Young Learners, Grades K-8, Third Edition

Average customer rating:

Outstanding !!

Languages and Children--Making the Match: New Languages for Young Learners, Grades K-8, Third Edition
Helena Curtain , and Carol Ann Dahlberg
Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0205366759

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding !!.......2007-09-09

This is a wonderful book of creative classroom ideas and insightful teaching methods.
It is an easy, breezy read and will motive any language teacher !!

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Will become a Christian Spiritual Classic!

Interior Freedom
Jacques Philippe
Manufacturer: Scepter Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1594170525
Release Date: 2007-01-01

Product Description

Interior Freedom leads one to discover that even in the most difficult circumstances we possess within ourselves a space of freedom that nobody can take away, because God is its source and guarantee. Without this discovery we will always be restricted in some way and will never taste true happiness. Author Jacques Philippe develops a simple but important theme: we gain possession of our interior freedom in exact proportion to our growth in faith, hope, and love. He explains that the dynamism between these three theological virtues is the heart of the spiritual life, and he underlines the key role of the virtue of hope in our inner growth.

Customer Reviews:

Will become a Christian Spiritual Classic!.......2007-07-14

This is the third book by Father Jacques Philippe that I have read, and already I wish there were more than 4 available in English. I am certain he will go down in history as one of the spiritual masters like Brother Lawrence, C.S. Lewis and others. This book is written in such simple and accessible language, yet with a message so profound any believer could grow from encountering it.

Fr. Philippe's main message is that freedom, true freedom, comes from God as the source. And that interior peace sought by so many people in so many ways, yet it only truly comes from learning to be content in where God has us. Yet by learning to trust in God despite external circumstances and situations beyond our control, we can find that oft-sought-after peace. He will show you how to appreciate what you can control, which is your response to what life brings your way.

This book seeks to teach us to live from a heart and mind that has been liberated and set free. But it is not the freedom that most seek. It outlines that freedom as being free to do whatever we want, but true freedom is choosing to live for others, living with our responsibilities.

Fr. Jacques draws from many sources to illustrate his points: Holocaust victim Etty Hillesum, Georges Bernanos, Henri J.M. Nouwen, Catherine de Hueck Doherty and many saints from both the eastern and western traditions as well as the Jewish wisdom tradition. He draws most extensively from Hillesum's journals An Interrupted Life which is the story of her life during the year leading up to occupation and leaving for the concentration camps, and her work among the Jewish children at the holding camp. He uses her life and transformation from a secular Jew to someone in touch with God and trying to live that in the most terrible of circumstances.

Fr. Philippe has written an amazing little book that will explain to you the freedom many seek in faith, and how that freedom can lead to Interior Freedom or as a title of an earlier book of his calls it Searching for and Maintaining Peace. Or as Douglas Coupland puts it "Now -- here is my secret: I tell it to you with an openness of heart I doubt I shall ever achieve again, so I pray that you are in a quiet room as you hear these words. My secret is that I need God - that I am sick and can no longer make it alone. I need God to help me give, because I no longer seem capable of giving; to help me to be kind, as I no longer seem capable of kindness; to help me love, as I seem beyond able to love." in his book Life After God. So this is a little book by a little known author that is truly valuable for the spiritual seeker in this life.

(First Published in Imprint 2007-07-13 in the book review column.)

How Many Subjects?: Statistical Power Analysis in Research

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How Many Subjects?: Statistical Power Analysis in Research
Helena C. (Chmura) Kraemer
Manufacturer: Sage Publications, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0803929498

Book Description

"This book fills a large gap in the applied statistics literature and, at the same time, provides empirical researchers with the means to quickly determine a valuable piece of information, namely: what sample size is needed for a particular study. "If this book only presented the reader with a straightforward set of procedures for determining N for any particular research design, it would have fulfilled its mission successfully. But the book does more. . . . How Many Subjects? has much to offer the careful and interested reader." --from the Foreword by Victor H. Denenberg "How Many Subjects? provides a 'cookbook' enabling researchers to plan an analysis that gives their alternative or research hypotheses a reasonable chance of being supported . . . useful to those with limited statistical background who simply need a guide to evaluating the power of a test contained in others' research, or to selecting the proper sample size to achieve a given level of power in their own research." --Contemporary Sociology "Until now no broad framework has existed to treat power in a unified fashion across hypothesis testing techniques. . . . An excellent contribution to the literature. . . . A valuable reference book. . . . A nice addition to the statistical literature. How Many Subjects? should be at the disposal of teachers and students of statistics." --Applied Psychological Measurement "This is a simple introduction for non-statisticians to power analysis and sample size determination. Helena Chmura Kraemer and Sue Thiemann have produced an easily readable book that clearly illustrates why sample sizes need to be sufficiently large, so that the experiment has good power properties and hence low type II error rates. . . . This book is an excellent introduction to the problem and whets the appetite to find out more." --The Statistician "A success. . . . For graduate students, there is no question about the book's value. I think that all graduate students should be advised to read this book before starting significant projects such as a dissertation." --Journal of Marketing Research The authors introduce a simple technique of statistical power analysis that allows researchers to compute approximate sample sizes and power for a wide variety of research designs. Because the same technique is used with only slight modifications for different statistical tests, researchers can easily compare the sample sizes required by different designs and tests to make cost-effective decisions in planning a study. These comparisons, emphasized throughout the book, demonstrate some important principles of design, measurement, and analysis that are rarely discussed in courses or textbooks. This book therefore serves not merely as a "how-to" reference for sample size calculations but also as a guide to some general principles of cost-effective research.

Average customer rating:

Good collection, but...
Excellent Survey and Document of Both Feminism and Art
Art and Feminism
Brilliant writing and art, beautiful book

Art and Feminism (Themes & Movements)
Helena Reckitt
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 071484702X

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

The illustrations are organized chronologically under sometimes quirky headings, beginning with "Too Much" (late-'60s performance pieces by such pioneering figures as Carolee Schneemann, Miriam Schapiro, Eva Hesse, Louise Bourgeois, and Yayoi Kusama). The final section, "Femmes de Siècle," contains work from the '90s by Coco Fusco, Kara Walker, Mona Hatoum, Jenny Saville, and others exploring "collective memories ... and traumas." Essays range from the raw invective of Valerie Solanas's "Scum Manifesto" (1967) to the reasoned arguments of Adrian Piper's "The Triple Negation of Colored Women Artists" (1990). While some may argue that the book could be more inclusive--it deals overwhelmingly with women artists who exhibit in major Western cultural centers--it offers an unparalleled breadth of reference. Irked by the perfect bodies of many feminist artists who use nudity in their work, I was struck by the poignancy and honesty of Hannah Wilke--a glamorous figure in '70s and '80s performance art--who chose to memorialize her bald, bloated self in photographs months before her untimely death from cancer in 1993. --Cathy Curtis

Book Description

No question about it, Art and Feminism is the basic reference book for feminist art. Part of Phaidon's excellent Themes and Movements series, it surveys three decades of a tumultuous history with a brief but inclusive essay, reproductions of works by 155 artists, and lengthy excerpts from groundbreaking texts by artists and theorists. The challenge posed by a movement that spans several artistic generations and includes many contentious players is ably met by essayist Peggy Phelan, professor of performance studies at New York University. She illuminates the intertwined workings of feminist politics and literary criticism, psychoanalysis, race and queer theory with clarity and a refreshing absence of doctrinaire pronouncements. The illustrations are organized chronologically under sometimes quirky headings, beginning with "Too Much" (late-'60s performance pieces by such pioneering figures as Carolee Schneemann, Miriam Schapiro, Eva Hesse, Louise Bourgeois, and Yayoi Kusama). The final section, "Femmes de Si+cle," contains work from the '90s by Coco Fusco, Kara Walker, Mona Hatoum, Jenny Saville, and others exploring "collective memories ... and traumas." Essays range from the raw invective of Valerie Solanas's "Scum Manifesto" (1967) to the reasoned arguments of Adrian Piper's "The Triple Negation of Colored Women Artists" (1990). While some may argue that the book could be more inclusive--it deals overwhelmingly with women artists who exhibit in major Western cultural centers--it offers an unparalleled breadth of reference. Irked by the perfect bodies of many feminist artists who use nudity in their work, I was struck by the poignancy and honesty of Hannah Wilke--a glamorous figure in '70s and '80s performance art--who chose to memorialize her bald, bloated self in photographs months before her untimely death from cancer in 1993. --Cathy Curtis

Customer Reviews:

Good collection, but..........2006-03-01

H. Reckitt and P. Phelan wrote a good introduction book to understand women artists in summary. A widerange selection of artists are interesting to read with the help of sufficient amount of quality pictures. The articles of artists and feminist theoreticians in the last section are very useful and valuable especially for those who want to have a clue of what to read in theory. The only unfortunate thing about the book, like most of the similar examples is that women artists outside Europe and America are not given equal interest except the ones that live in the West like S. Neshat, M. Hatoum, etc.

Excellent Survey and Document of Both Feminism and Art.......2005-10-11

This book would be an excellent textbook for a Women In Art course. It doesn't have much information on centuries prior to the twentieth and largely focuses on art, artists, and issues from the 1960's on, so it wouldn't do as the only text for such a course. But this is all you need for late twentieth century concerns.

The early essays are dripping with Freudian psychology and psychoanalytical social criticism. The issues surrounding why it took so long for there to be a sense of equality of greatness amongst artists of all genders is explored deeply. The issues of representation of all races and sexual orientations then follows. The book stops just short of discussing the newest research on intersex persons (persons born with an extra chomosome, among others {XXY, for example}).

For a movement that was intending to create a sense of equality, feminist theory highlights both the vast differences as well as the profound similarities between the perception processes of men and women. This includes both the perceptions of and different approaches to art as well as life. Yet, when all is said and done, more recent artists are primarily interested not in these issues, but more a sense of having their work judged based on its quality, not their gender.

The only disappointment I have in this book is one that no other book addresses either. So, I mean this only as a minor criticism. In short, the book does not answer the following: Is ther an intersex mind state? Feminist theory either didn't reach the point of asking this in time for the extensive research put into this book or it has come to its conclusion and will transform gradually into a whole other movement.

The art chosen to represent the above ideas and explorations is top quality. The reproductions are sharp and colorful. I would recommend this book to anyone with interests in women in art or in feminist theory.

Art and Feminism.......2004-02-15

This book is a great "picture book" for anyone interested in art and/or women artist. The descriptions of the work are concise, giving enough information to make you want to investigate further. A necessary addition to any art book collection.

Brilliant writing and art, beautiful book.......2002-01-15

I saw this book reviewed in Bust mag and am so glad I got a copy for myself. Peggy Phelan and Helena Reckitt have accomplished a "portable gallery" in this book--it is like seeing all of the works themselves, but with commentary that helps at every step of the way.

Peggy Phelan's introduction is great because she draws everything together in a way that I couldn't do on my own, and actually, I am amazed ANYONE could do it. Wow.

The book is expensive but worth it because otherwise you would have to buy about 100 books to try and do for yourself what they did here.

Peggy and Helena, and all the artists, YOU ROCK!!!

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