Customer Reviews:
Start with this book to understand the Yugoslavian conflict.......2006-01-15
This is my choice for the best introduction to the conflicts in what was Yugoslavian. When I was hosting an exchange student from the Balkans, I read 15 books in an effort to gain understanding. I was frustrated with blatantly one-sided books, and also books which had all the names, dates and horrors but did not help me understand. Hall's book was the best. While I will never truly understand the roots of the hatred, this thoughtful and amazingly non-partisan book opened windows for an uninvolved American into the psyches of that troubled region. I wish I had read it first.
Good intro to the Former Yugoslavia.......2004-02-26
This book is a very good introduction to most of the regions/republics which comprised Yugoslavia. The author is not a great writer or a fantastic historian, but he has created an extremely readable book which introduces the reader to many of the conflicts inherent in Yugoslavia and which caused its demise. The things I read in this book are supported by other works I have read (written after Hall's book) by scholars and Jugoslavian authors such as Slavenka Drakulic. I feel that this book better explains (to the casual reader) Jugoslavia's problems than does 'Balkan Ghosts' or other popular books I've read on the subject. I really enjoyed this book and think it is worth the purchase price for anyone interested in the current Balkan situation. Just about anyone can enjoy this book.
Middle Ground.......2000-05-25
I read Brian Hall's account of the Balkan conflict while in Zagreb on a language immersion program. I was incredibly impressed by his ability to give a balanced view on this incredibly difficult land. I felt his astute observations made it easier for me to remain neutral in my views and perceptions of the land, people and complicated situation. I was surrounded by ultra-nationalists, and honestly did not meet a single person in Croatia that could look at their role objectively. Brian Hall's insights helped me to step back and view the situation with a completely different outlook.
Balanced observations on an unbalanced land.......2000-01-09
Brian Hall knows there is no reasonable way to explain what happened in Yugoslavia, so he doesn't even try, at least not in this exciting if somber travelogue. What he does do is travel extensively in that country and engage in conversation with all sorts of people, many of them journalists who themselves are trying to figure out what is going on politically in their own country. Apart from a few wry comments and astute observations on some of the more glaring inanities and venalities he encounters, Hall refrains from expressing his own opinions, prefering to let his several interlocutors express the truth in their own words and ways. The difficulty is that there are several truths here, or versions of it. Croatians are Catholic and they think they hate the Serbs because they are Orthodox. They are unable to admit they hate Serbs because they feel dominated by Belgrade. On the other hand, Serbs think they despise Croatians because they are Catholics and because Croatians helped the Nazis when they came calling. They can't admit to a certain envy of Croatia's Western orientation. An underlying philosophical theme of this book is 'attitude to truth.' South Slavic culture seems to believe that one can be in possession of the truth absolutely and for all time. The idea of striking out independently and asking questions that might lead to more and more questions is simply not part of the Yugoslav mindset. Each group or 'republic' has its own view of reality and this is usually so out of sync with the rest of the country that there is no point in discussion or conversation. The only solution is force, or so each party thinks. If you can't make sense of your neighbor's point of view, kill him and his family and friends. This general outlook must have helped Milosevic in his sleazy rise to power. Most Yugoslavs, as Hall points out, believe that Serbian and Croatian are two distinct languages, which is completely at odds with what linguistics tells us. And then there is Bosnia and its overwhelmingly Muslim population, unloved by both the Croatians and the Serbs. In hindsight, one shudders to think... The journey described in this book took place in 1991, when things were starting to heat up in the Balkans. Slovenia had just separated. The author shows how ominous things were at that point, how one didn't need much imagination to foresee what the unhappy future would hold, including the sad Kosovo events. Hall has done a masterful job of describing Yugoslavia on the verge of disintegration. He includes excellent descriptions of buildings and landscapes, but his more important work is reporting on the interviews he conducted with real people in real situations of frustration, danger, and sometimes despair. Now that the NATO bombing of Serbia and Kosovo is just a puzzling memory, we should all go and read a lot of books that show how and why all that came about. Of all such books, this is one of the best I know of.
Superb understanding of ethnic animosity.......1999-10-14
Brian Hall has really open my eyes in understanding what triggers the Balkan war ie suspicious, revenge, fear, not understanding and non-tolerance among the ethnic. These are the traits that usually leads to a disaster, no matter which part of world you live in.
Book Description
Here at last is the first complete edition and the first English translation of a surprising work by a tremendously popular French writer whose novels continue to delight readers and audiences nearly a century after his death.
Jules Verne (1828-1905), the most translated novelist in the world and best known for books such as TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA and AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS was also a prolific playwright. JOURNEY THROUGH THE IMPOSSIBLE, a play of fantasy and science fiction, ran 97 performances in Paris in 1882 and 1883. In three acts, the characters go first in the center of the earth, then under the sea, and finally to the planet "Altor." Characters from TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON, DOCTOR OX, and JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH appear again in JOURNEY THROUGH THE IMPOSSIBLE, including Captain Nemo, President Barbicane, Michel Ardan, Doctor Ox, and Professor Lidenbrock.
Verne wrote this play in the middle of his life, between his optimistic (science helps humanity and is good) and pessimistic (science is dangerous and bad) works; the play is a vehicle for Verne to ask himself and his readers whether science, technology, and the pursuit of knowledge are good or bad. He used the play to pose questions about life and wisdom that are still important to us today.
The script of the play was lost to Vernian scholars for almost a century, until the text was discovered in 1978 in the archives of the Censorship Office of the Third French Republic. This special edition of JOURNEY THROUGH THE IMPOSSIBLE includes several important features that will enhance the reader's appreciation for the play. Edward Baxter's compelling English translation is augmented by a revealing Introduction written by Jean-Michel Margot, president of the North American Jules Verne Society, which places the play in historical context and explains its importance to Verne's corpus. Detailed references and explanatory notes by Margot expand upon important terms and concepts in the play and provide additional insights into the author. Many wonderful illustrations from the original set designs and a reproduction of a page from a lost scene of the play combine with spectacular original illustrations by artist Roger Leyonmark created specifically for this edition of the work. Leyonmark's artistry will transport readers to the world of Jules Verne on stage.
Customer Reviews:
Jules Verne's Stage Play of Intergalactic Travel.......2003-06-20
Most science fiction fans think of Jules Verne as the "father" of the genre, but with a rather remote paternity, the genre's modern directions owing more to H.G. Wells. Verne would hardly be suspected of telling a story of cosmic travel to another planet in a distant galaxy. And yet that is among the destinations in this incredible play, staged to acclaim in France in 1882, then lost for over a century until the manuscript's rediscovery in a French archive. This is not only the first English translation, it is also the only version in any language that offers the complete text of the play. With it, and other recent Verne books discovered or translated for the first time, readers of today can gauge Verne's imagination far more accurately than those of the 19th or 20th century.
Verne's editor constantly rejected or toned down his true science fiction, compelling his most inventive author to remain largely earthbound. For instance, 1994 saw the first appearance of Paris in the 20th Century, a book rejected outright by Verne's publisher, who refused to sanction a dystopia set a century in the future. Similarly, Verne's publisher compelled his author to transform his voyage around the solar system on a comet in Hector Servadac into simply a "dream." Journey Through the Impossible goes even further, because Verne found an escape from his publisher's censorship by turning to the theater.
In Journey Through the Impossible Verne takes us to the center of the earth and under the sea, destinations from some of his most popular novels. In the underground realms dwell Troglodytes anticipating the Morlocks of Wells's The Time Machine. On board the submarine Nautilus, a visit is made to the city of Atlantis. The play includes appearances by many of the most famous characters from Verne's novels, including the diabolical scientist Doctor Ox and the Baltimore Gun Club that launched the first projectile to the moon. This time the Gun Club's giant cannon sends a capsule full of explorers to Altor, a newly-discovered distant planet with two sons.
Journey Through the Impossible is published in association with the North American Jules Verne Society, and includes a preface and footnotes by its president, Jean-Michel Margot, one of the leading authorities on Verne today. The background explains the play's many allusions and allows the reader to readily imagine how its presentation might have appeared. Further visual embellishment is provided by lavish illustrations, including several originals by Roger Leyonmark that evoke the style of the engravings that were a trademark of the early French editions of Verne's books. Edward Baxter, translator of the play, has already earned approbation for his previous translations of Verne into English, including several novels.
This is an incredible book, one that is full of both Verne's imagination and Vernian scholarship. It will forever change the way readers think of Verne, and will re-establish his foundation as the originator of modern science fiction.
Average customer rating:
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Essential Daredevil Volume 2 TPB
Jeff Youngquist
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: B000LSBSES |
Book Description
The island of Borneo is a place of great natural beauty and rich biodiversity. From the peaks of the majestic Mount Kinabalu to the enchanting coral-fringed islands that lie offshore, with vast tracts of lush rainforest in between, Borneo's landscape is as varied as it is magnificent. In Wild Borneo, author Nick Garbutt embarks upon a fascinating investigation into the wonders of this island, exploring every aspect of Borneo's terrain, from its rainforest-covered lowland areas to its mountain ranges, highland areas, and winding rivers. He shows us the profusion of flora and fauna living within these habitats, including the enormous Rafflesia flower, the carnivorous Pitcher plants, snakes, frogs and lizards that fly, fish that walk on mud, and rich and varied bird life. The island is home to a diversity of mammal species, some of which are highly unusual, including the outrageous-looking Proboscis Monkey, the remarkably tolerant Bornean Pygmy Elephant, the diminutive and shaggy Sumatran Rhinoceros, the native Bornean Orang-utan, and the doe-eyed, endearing Slow Loris.
Published in association with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, Wild Borneo also examines the ongoing attempts to preserve the island's natural resources in the face of commercial logging and large-scale land clearing. Illustrated with more than 200 stunning photographs, this book offers a vivid celebration of Borneo's many natural wonders.
Customer Reviews:
an excellent addition to an excellent series.......2006-12-01
Nick Garbutt's "Wild Borneo: the Wildlife and Scenery of Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan" is a wonderful addition to an existing seies for the lay reader and expert alike. This series, started by New Holland Press and continued by MIT, has volumes on "Wild ....." including Indonesia, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Thailand. All were done a half dozen years ago or so. Thus this well-written and beautifully photographed book is most welcome. It is also reasonably priced for its intrinsic value. To underscore its importance, one need look no further than the name of the author of its preface, Sir David Attenborough. It covers Borneo's habitats, wildlife, people, The Heart of Borneo, fabled Mt. Kinabalu and ecotourism and conservation. Garbutt is also the author of the excellent and comprehensive "The Mammals of Madagascar."
Average customer rating:
- The Only Guide to Indonesian Borneo
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Borneo: Journey into the Tropical Rainforest
Kal Muller
Manufacturer: Passport Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0844289981 |
Customer Reviews:
The Only Guide to Indonesian Borneo.......2006-06-12
Being the only guide to this fascinating region is the major merit of this book. It is quite strong on background information and photos (many of which look decidedly staged though), but its use as a travel guide is more limited. Unlike many other Periplus guides, this was written by a single author who simply describes most places as his personal travelogue - and his travels took place many years ago.
Nor are many places described - apart from the major (but boring) coastal cities usually only one or two region is described for all of Kalimantan's huge provinces.
That is still more than the coverage of Kalimantan in general Indonesia guides though, so if you are really interested in Kalimantan, this book is still worth getting. Just don't expect too much from it - there is a lot more to explore out there!
Book Description
Notes from the Manuscripts of the Ngaju Dayak Authors Numan Kunum and Ison Virim from the Legacy of Dr. H. Schaerer with a recent Additional Chapter on Hunting by Katuah Mia and an introduction by theeditor.
Product Description
Up-to-date, detailed, highly shaded readable relief map with major roads and point-to-point distances clearly indicated. Places of interest and traveler's resources marked directly on the map. Easy to fold. Scale 1:1,500,000. Includes city plans: Kuching 1:15.000, Kota Kinabalu 1:17.600, Bandar Seri Begawan 1:17.600
Average customer rating:
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The Birds of Sumatra and Kalimantan (Images of Asia)
Derek Holmes
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0195889711 |
Book Description
This book, the second in the series on the avifauna of Indonesia, introduces the reader to the most typical and colourful birds of the large islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, whose dipterocarp forests of the lowlands and wetland forest of the coastal plains are particularly rich habitats. The main descriptions covering 148 species from nearly every bird family on the two islands, provide information on the plumage, behaviour, habitat, and distribution to enable the general naturalist to identify most of the birds found readily in the different habitats of the islands. Reference is also made in the text to a further 129 species to illustrate the range and variety of birds in each family. It is hoped that this book will encourage a greater interest in birds in particular, and wildlife in general, and foster an increased awareness of the need to protect an adequate area of some of the richest habitats in the world while there is still time.
Average customer rating:
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Kalimantan
Lucius Shepard
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0812530047 |
Average customer rating:
- Disappointing
- Adventuring in Indonesia
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Adventuring in Indonesia: Java,Bali, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, Irian Jaya
Holly S. Smith
Manufacturer: Sierra Club Books for Children
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0871564297 |
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing.......2003-11-20
Despite the promising title this book contains little extra information on trekking and other adventurous outdoor pursuits in remote parts of Indonesia.
In fact it barely covers even the better-known parts of each region - you are better off buying a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide for practical travel information, or a Periplus guide for in-depth detail.
Adventuring in Indonesia.......2003-10-23
Holly Smith takes you on an astonishing, kaleidoscopic journey through Indonesia's volcanic chain of geological formations, rainforests, beaches, and coral reefs-home to rare birdlife, the world's largest flower (Rafflesia Arnoldi), orangutans, and komodo dragons-and one of the most diverse, fascinating, mysterious human cultures on earth. Pack your bags and head straight out to the furthest reaches of the remote archipelago-from Sumatra to Java, Bali, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, the Moluccas, and Irian Jaya. Focused on natural phenomena, outdoor adventures, wildlife, and past civilizations, this excellent cultural guide arms you with crucial background information about the rich Indonesian setting that succors and surrounds the island of Bali. Devour and savor the juicy, 41-page chapter on Bali, which offers historical and cultural insight into family, community, and spiritual beliefs, and an overview of the island's myriad crafts and temples.
Holly Smith has written a very rare, compassionate guide book on an eminently human scale: intelligent, conversational, and accessible in both language and tone, it breathes life into some of Indonesia's 350 unique ethnic subcultures. Smith finds a nation full of gracious, open-hearted, bright-eyed people: you will discover eager school pen pals in the hardscrabble highlands of Sumatra, meet Javanese tour guides who will become your friend for life, and be invited to share Sasak hospitality in traditional dwellings on unspoiled Lombok. Travelers will encounter a depth of automatic trust and inclusivity with which few Westerners are familiar (or even comfortable). Indonesians that you meet on the bus or in the "pasar" will invite you home to eat dinner and stay with their families (a Balinese crew member on a day trip to Nusa Lembongan promised to pray for me and my future success at his private family temple). This is how Indonesians express their sincere willingness to show you and take you inside their culture while they simultaneously satisfy their own compulsive curiosity about your alien Western lifestyle and values. To fully understand Bali and the welcoming embrace of its people, you must also view it within its larger Indonesian context: use this compendium of well-traveled and researched, on-the-spot knowledge to better approach and appreciate Bali, Indonesia's central jewel set in the very heart of the Republic.
Book Description
In performing various economic analyses for its clients, I have occasionally been asked to investigate the market potential for various products and services in Indonesia. The purpose of this study is to understand the density of demand within Indonesia and the extent to which Kalimantan Barat might be used as a point of distribution within Asia. From an economic perspective, however, Kalimantan Barat does not represent a population within rigid geographical boundaries, rather, it represents an area of dominant influence over markets in adjacent areas. This influence varies from one industry to another, but also from one period of time to another. In what follows, I summarize the economic potential for Kalimantan Barat over the next five years for hundreds of industries, categories and products. The goal of this report is to report the real economic potential, or what an economist calls the latent demand, represented by Kalimantan Barat when defined as an area of dominant influence. The reader needs to realize that latent demand may or may not represent real sales. For many items, latent demand is clearly observable in sales, as in the case for food or housing items. Consider, however, the category "satellite launch vehicles". Clearly, there are no launch pads in Kalimantan Barat used by the space industry to launch satellites. However, the core benefit of the vehicles (e.g. telecommunications, etc.) is "consumed" by the area served by Kalimantan Barat. Without Kalimantan Barat, in other words, the market for satellite launch vehicles would be lower for the population in Indonesia, Asia, or the world in general. One needs to allocate, therefore, a portion of the worldwide economic demand for launch vehicles to both Asia and Kalimantan Barat. The data presented are the result of various spatial econometric and time-series forecasting models which, for each category presented, are applied to forecast and allocate demand across all countries of the world and major distribution centers or centers of dominant influence within each country. This is accomplished knowing that economic fundamentals (e.g. income) generally vary from one city to another within a given country over time. In this report, I report the allocation for each category for Kalimantan Barat as an area of dominant influence in Indonesia and, potentially, Asia. Important Caveat. Category definitions may overlap. The sum of multiple categories, therefore, may double count.
Book Description
The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating is a certified "foodie" classic. In it, Fergus Henderson -- whose London restaurant, St. John, is a world-renowned destination for people who love to eat "on the wild side" -- presents the recipes that have marked him out as one of the most innovative, yet traditional, chefs. Here are recipes that hark back to a strong rural tradition of delicious thrift, and that literally represent Henderson's motto, "Nose to Tail Eating" -- be they Pig's Trotter Stuffed with Potato, Rabbit Wrapped in Fennel and Bacon, or his signature dish of Roast Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad. For those of a less carnivorous bent, there are also splendid dishes such as Deviled Crab; Smoked Haddock, Mustard, and Saffron; Green Beans, Shallots, Garlic, and Anchovies; and to keep the sweetest tooth happy, there are gloriously satisfying puddings, notably the St. John Eccles Cakes, and a very nearly perfect Chocolate Ice Cream.
Customer Reviews:
what I wanted.......2007-06-08
If you want to get back to real food this is for you
Great book .......2007-02-14
This is a great book for all cooks and foodies no matter if you are a pro or a novice i highly recommend its reading. It is mostly reading however not much illustration but all the same good.
interesting subject.......2007-01-19
This really caught my eye because I thought it might have some recipes that are practical (if yucky sounding) for those of us who slaughter livestock at home. But most of the recipes are disappointing, with things everyone has heard of or stuff nobody would have around at home to use. It is interesting, but the title is really the best part of it. I'm not saying it is bad...it isn't...it just wasn't the shock-value sort of stuff I thought it would be.
offal = wonderful.......2007-01-16
fergus henderson, the wunderkind of the london dining scene reaches out to america with his cult of blood, brains, tripe and feet. this book shows how one can make something that is generally regarded as a by-product and turn it into something wonderful, delicious and filling. i have personally been inspired by this book for several years and though it is sometimes hard to source some of the ingredients (duck necks anyone?) it is a clear, easy to read and mostly non-overly philosophical look at straight-ahead cooking with ingredients that are second or even third cuts. it is a real eye opener for the novice, or an inspirational look at food for the professional.
Back to my childhood.......2007-01-09
Some really great recipes for things like "braun" and "crispy pig's ear salad!
It is great fun to read and to try some of the recipes.
Books:
- The Island of Dr. Moreau (Bantam Classics)
- The Lamplighter: A Novel
- The Mighty Orinoco (Early Classics of Science Fiction)
- The Mother of Dreams and Other Short Stories: Portrayals of Women in Modern Japanese Fiction (Japan's Modern Writers)
- The Radiance of the King (New York Review Books Classics)
- The Raging Sea: The Powerful Account of the Worst Tsunami in U.S. History
- The Scandal of Pleasure: Art in an Age of Fundamentalism
- The State of Indiana History 2000: Papers Presented at the Indiana Historical Society's Grand Opening
- The Story of My Disappearance
- The Town Traveller
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