Japan: An Illustrated History (Hippocrene Illustrated Histories) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have taught Japanese history to high school students for 15 years or so. over the years I have used a variety of texts from standard high school social studies texts, Japan and the Pacific Rim readers and a number of different college texts. This book is unrivaled in its clarity, simplicity and comprehensive coverage. It is so easy to digest the variety of periods and players. It does an excellent job of explaining complex ideas. It also does a good job of covering social, military, cultural and religious histories. If that isn't enough it is an enjoyable read too. You can also add to those traits the fact that it costs less than $15.00 (compared to some history texts that can cost over $100). I supplement this book with An Illustrated History of Japan by Shigeo Nishimura, a wonderfully and artistically illustrated book of drawings (also a wonderful book that costs less than $16.00) that puts vivid images in the mind of my students to go along with the wonderfully written Shleton book.

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How did the inhabitants of several small islands in the Pacific become the world's first non-Western industrialised nation? The answer is found in the fascinating story of Japan's political and social history. This narrative chronicles Japanese history from earliest settlement to the present. It details the establishment of imperial rule under the Yamato clan, the transfer of power from emperor to shogun (supreme military leader), and the Edo period of Japanese isolationism. It also relates the industrial development of the Meiji Restoration, the devastating results of World War II, and Japan's remarkable recovery to become a democracy as well as an economic superpower. The book is the perfect introduction to this nation for students, travellers, businesspeople, and all curious readers.

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Imagining Philadelphia: Edmund Bacon and the Future of the City Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a thoughtful critical collection of essays centered around examining how a leading Philadelphia planner in 1959 envisioned Philadelphia would be like in 2009. With the luxury of time, we may not look at the directions Philadelphia were thinking of going and see where they went and how things were, as of 2009.
In 1959, Philadelphia City Planning Commission Director Edmund Bacon predicted Philadelphia would host the 1976 World's Fair as a shining example of urban revitalization. What happened was the city declined economically.
Bacon foresaw underground streets, moving sidewalks, thriving factories, regional parks in the suburbs, and no more billboards. He admits he was guessing as no one in 1959 could foretell the future. Still, his vision gave a direction that with much compromising and submission to realities led to what Philadelphia has become.
Bacon was skilled as a planner and architect. He was not a political strategist and never obtained the political power that Robert Moses obtained in directing New York's public projects. Bacon did have a long career of involvement in Philadelphia's development over several decades, unlike most other city planners. Bacon influenced many Mayors and decision makers.
Bacon foresaw the city's universities becoming focal points for renewed housing around them. He hoped that city blight would cease to exist. He foresaw purchase of development rights programs to direct excess development while preserving county lands as the program directed.
Gregory L, Heller notes that Bacon began working on Flint, Michigan transportation and parking issues in 1938. Bacon also advocated for creating professional city planning staffs. While working on a $3.5 million Federal housing project, the city Housing Commission saw its funding slashed due to efforts of private developers who feared that accepting the funds and building the housing project would reduce their profits. Bacon fought to put acceptance of the Federal funds on the ballot. By a 2 to 1 margin, the voters rejected accepting the Federal funds. From this, Bacon learned "city planning is a combination of social input as well as design".
Walter Phillips, Sr., a Philadelphia civic leader, convinced Bacon to move to Philadelphia, which had no city planning. Philadelphia has a City Planning Commission which was widely ignored. Phillips and Bacon worked to create an updated Planning Commission. They appealed to the public and City Council creared the Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC).
The PCPA wrote a new city charter. It used Federal funds to redevelop the East Poplar, Southwest Temple, and Mill Creek neighborhoods. Louis Kahn helped develop scale redevelopment plans with sidewalks and historic building preservation.
The Redevelopment Authority in 1949 proposed relocating to Eastwick people whose homes were torn down for slum removal. Bacon opposed creating a totally poor section of town, yet the project moved forward. Bacon worked to create a good physical design. Efforts at racial segregation in Eastwick were slight. The RCA focused on integrating transitional areas and opposed scattered site housing.
Bacon helped remove a railroad wall that was blocking the expansion of development. Penn Center was developed in its place with a combination of offices, commercial sites, and open air walkways.
Bacon sought row homes and downtown transportation options along with preserving streams for the Far Northeast. The residents wanted single family homes. Bacon's zoning plans were adopted. Today, though, the Far Northeast is reliant on cars and not mass transit as Bacon desired. It resembles the suburbs more than the urban row houses Bacon hoped to see throughout the city.
In 1949, Society Hill was a mostly working class neighborhood with many tenement housing. Bacon sought to expand walkways into Society Hill, engage in historic preservation efforts, and mix housing with museums to induce middle class residents to move into Society Hill. Mayor Richardson Dilworth was supportive of Bacon's ideas to revitalized Society Hill. The Old Philadelphia Development Corporation was established as a neighborhood developer. It was then rate for a city to combine slum removal with historic preservation. There was no comparable Federal funding mechanism. In 1959, the U.S. Urban Renewal Administration was among the architects of this project. The project did destroy several 19th century structures and displaced people. It did successfully attract many middle class people to live there.
Bacon felt comprehensive planning was "busy work" and often ignored it.
Bacon felt racial discrimination should be addressed in planning. He sought to hire African American planners. Bacon helped create the nation's first scattered site housing program. The program would cease in 1970 due to lack of funds, legalities, and administrative abuse.
Mayor James Tate made Bacon the city's Development Coordinator as well as Planning Director. Bacon wanted to move the city away from automobile use yet he also loyally never spoke out publically against a Mayor. He supported plans for crosstown expressways until Mayor Tate came out against them.
Bacon resigned as Planning Director in 1970 during controversy over alleged graft in downtown development. Bacon was not accused of anything illegal.
Bacon would later oppose allowing skyscrapers being built in Philadelphia, arguing that City Hall should always be the city's tallest building. He lost this fight.
Bacon did not have the power as did his contemporaries Robert Moses or Ed Logue. He did have access to power and he knew how to use his specialized planning skills to influence those who had power, such as Mayors and the media.
Guinan McKee notes that Professor Paul Davidoff argued in 1965 that Bacon's plans did not adequately meet public needs. Davidoff was also crucial that Bacon's plans were political decisions with little public input. McKee also believes history has given Bacon a larger role in Philadelphia's planning than he actually had. Bacon worked in concert with many others. William Rafferty avoided the public spotlight yet also was a key planning advisor who often fought with Bacon. Rafsky was an advocate of Americans for Democratic Action reforms that were generally embraced by Mayor Joseph Clark. Bacon had less influence with Mayor Clark, who listened more to Rafsky.
Bacon was more concerned with planning design than he was with socioeconomic improvements, according to McKee. Bacon seemed neglectful of planning in some poorer neighborhoods, such as North Philadelphia.
Rafksy noted in the 1950s that Philadelphia required $1 billion to remove its blighted areas. It only had $45 million to do so. Rafsky feared small scale efforts could even be harmful as they could cause areas around removed blight to deteriorate if new development was too slow to move in.
A large portion of urban removal's policies were focused on Center City development. Bacon initially opposed this.
It is noted that most planning projects during Bacon' s period involved the private sector. Thus, businesses had sizable influences over projects. Private sector input was often stronger than any input from the poor.
Walter Phillips advanced public private partnerships that would create more industry. Philadelphia was losing its industrial base. Bacon preferred either fully publicly owned land for industrial projects, or to have the land sold to the private sector in competitive bidding. Bacon saw stabilizing housing problems as the key to Philadelphia's economic future. Phillips wanted more direct economic action.
McKee believes Bacon was wrong to allow an elevated highway to be constructed. McKee believe Bacon, who was expert on design issues, failed to see that design decision could destroy communities as well as improve them.
Scott Gabriel Knowles argues that Bacon focused too much on create a national exhibition in Philadelphia in 1976. Bacon was inspired by Philadelphia's national exhibition in 1876. Philadelphia, though, faced greater challenges with its economic decline. A fair involves much investment and it often a part of a host city's economic revitalization plans. Bacon envisioned complex projects that new happened. Thus, the bicentennial fair never happened.
Bacon advanced ideas for the fair yet did little to plan for their existence. Bacon proposed created cable cars across the Schuylkill River and created electric trains along Chestnut Street. Councilman John B. Kelly was placed in charge of the fair. Criticisms of the 1964 World's Fair in New York made many believe the idea of national fairs had passed. Meanwhile, Mayor Tate's attention was divided with his desire to bring the 1972 Olympics to Philadelphia. Tate's opponent for Mayor in 1967, Arlen Specter, questioned spending on the fair. While Tate was reelected, Specter's criticisms remained fresh in the public's mind. The costs of the proposed fair, with some estimating a billion dollars of cost, created further public backlash. Several leading advocates for more resources being placed into improving poorer, mostly African American neighborhoods, objected to the fair's costs. The newly elected Mayor Frank Rizzo was critical and while be favored Eastwick as a fair site, the Eastwick idea fell though as unworkable. Rizzo then abandoned further fair planning, to the outrage of Bacon.
Harris M. Steinberg notes the difficulties Bacon or anyone has in predicting the future. Bacon may or may not have realized his predictions were made just before Philadelphia...Read more›

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When Philadelphia's iconoclastic city planner Edmund N. Bacon looked into his crystal ball in 1959, he saw a remarkable vision: "Philadelphia as an unmatched expression of the vitality of American technology and culture." In that year Bacon penned an essay for Greater Philadelphia Magazine, originally entitled "Philadelphia in the Year 2009," in which he imagined a city remade, modernized in time to host the 1976 Philadelphia World's Fair and Bicentennial celebration, an event that would be a catalyst for a golden age of urban renewal.What Bacon did not predict was the long, bitter period of economic decline, population dispersal, and racial confrontation that Philadelphia was about to enter. As such, his essay comes to us as a time capsule, a message from one of the city's most influential and controversial shapers that prompts discussions of what was, what might have been, and what could yet be in the city's future.Imagining Philadelphia brings together Bacon's original essay, reprinted here for the first time in fifty years, and a set of original essays on the past, present, and future of urban planning in Philadelphia. In addition to examining Bacon and his motivations for writing the piece, the essays assess the wider context of Philadelphia's planning, architecture, and real estate communities at the time, how city officials were reacting to economic decline, what national precedents shaped Bacon's faith in grand forms of urban renewal, and whether or not it is desirable or even possible to adopt similarly ambitious visions for contemporary urban planning and economic development. The volume closes with a vision of what Philadelphia might look like fifty years from now.

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The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa Review

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(More customer reviews)The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa was one of Kawabata's earlier works, written after he had already achieved some recognition in Japan with The Izu Dancer, but well before his worldwide breakthrough Snow Country. The novel (now translated into English for the first time ever) takes place in a thriving entertainment district in Tokyo, at a time when Japan was rapidly industrializing, building universities, importing Western technology and making its own, in order to establish itself as a world power. Kawabata's choice of setting was especially well-suited for capturing the spirit of these times, because a place like Asakusa was a perfect illustration of the way the Japanese culture itself was changing: jazz music and flapper dresses became popular, music-halls and vaudeville theatres edged out traditional forms of entertainment, and gender roles were suddenly much less rigid, ambiguity was fashionable, images of ennui-ridden "modern boys" and provocative, alluringly dangerous "modern girls" became so iconic that the words designating them ("mobo" and "moga") entered everyday vernacular. This novel can be read as a valuable document of this interesting and short-lived period in Japanese history.
Nominally, the story revolves around The Scarlet Gang, one of many youth gangs running around Asakusa at the time. Their exploits are related by a nameless, first-person narrator, whose association with members of the gang gives him an excuse to wander around Asakusa and observe various aspects of life there, in a detached and casual manner. Often, the things he sees are unrelated to each other, and he flits from place to place without lingering anywhere for too long, which makes his account seem more like a set of anecdotes about Asakusa life than like a coherent narrative. In fact, the role in the plot of The Scarlet Gang itself is secondary to these anecdotes. The narrator hints that the gang is involved with criminal activities, but never really explains what those activities are, or how the gang profits from them, or even what people are actually in the gang. Only a few members of the gang are encountered in the book, and when they do appear, they're not doing anything gang-related.
It seems that the gang's sole purpose is to give a certain outlaw mystique to its members. Although the ostensible goal of the book may be to create a general portrait of Asakusa life, Kawabata is drawn to deeply introspective, intensely personal stories, as he was in every work he ever wrote. So, when a few distinct plot threads begin to emerge from the book's seemingly formless narrative, they all deal with very specific, individual passions and emotions. The longest of these coalesces around Yumiko, Asakusa slum dweller and prominent member of The Scarlet Gang; her sister, we learn, was seduced and abandoned by a certain man, and eventually Yumiko meets this man, entices him, and takes revenge.
Yumiko is a strange character. She knows the score, talks cynically about prostitutes and gang leaders, like nothing can shock her anymore; her gang affiliation and short haircut serve to establish her as a thoroughly modern girl. Kawabata describes her as possessing a "coarse, adult carnality," and her earthy speech implies that she's highly experienced at using it for her own ends. But then, we learn that she's actually a virgin; she simultaneously shuns and yearns for intimacy, and speaks sorrowfully of her inability to feel attraction towards anyone. This sudden image of disturbed purity does not resemble the stereotype of the "modern girl" at all, but it does greatly resemble all of Kawabata's heroines. Here the author abandons the character of his chosen setting, in favour of one of his own major themes, and in fact, the story only gains power from it.
The other main plot threads also contain haunting depictions of individual turmoil. In one, a pimp known as Left-Handed Hiko acquires and exploits an underage prostitute (a common occurrence in Asakusa, Kawabata implies). However, the way this scenario plays out is anything but common. Although the girl is selling her body, she shows herself to be so inexperienced in worldly matters that she genuinely believes Hiko's smooth-talking and empty promises. Her innocence so astonishes him that he is overcome by intense guilt, then by fear, and finally flees.
Some of the shorter asides are also striking, like the one enumerating the love affairs of a low-level thug named Umekichi; the increasingly sleazy nature of these liaisons is first shocking and then profoundly sad, so much so that there's something unsatisfying about the way the description glibly, quickly tosses them off. Each item on the list of "confessions" hints at depths of passion that could have filled a novel in their own right, but the narrator moves on after having only skimmed the surface. Still, the countless anecdotes interspersed between the main plot threads serve to give a jaunty, devil-may-care demeanour to the story, and the narrator's flippant voice maintains the vibrant feel that Kawabata perceived in Asakusa life, in spite of the more brooding sections.
The back cover and the foreword claim that this is a modernist book, but that might lead one to expect it to be more difficult than it actually is. For instance, the foreword emphasizes the narrator's self-referential turns of phrase, like how he frequently addresses the "dear reader" directly. But this practice can be found in Western literature and poetry before the advent of modernism, where it was used for its humour value, much like it is here. The foreword also interprets the episodic nature of the story as evidence of modernism, but, as the foreword itself points out, the book was being serialized in a newspaper even as it was being written; such a style of writing was especially well-suited for such a format. Perhaps the book makes more sense if one views it as a collection of loosely connected short stories, some longer than others, rather than a novel; and in that case, it again has many precedents in the nineteenth century.

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In the 1920s, Asakusa was to Tokyo what Montmartre had been to 1890s Paris and Times Square was to be to 1940s New York. Available in English for the first time, The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa, by Nobel Prize winner Yasunari Kawabata, captures the decadent allure of this entertainment district, where beggars and teenage prostitutes mixed with revue dancers and famous authors. Originally serialized in a Tokyo daily newspaper in 1929 and 1930, this vibrant novel uses unorthodox, kinetic literary techniques to reflect the raw energy of Asakusa, seen through the eyes of a wandering narrator and the cast of mostly female juvenile delinquents who show him their way of life. Markedly different from Kawabata's later work, The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa shows this important writer in a new light. The annotated edition of this little-known literary gem includes the original illustrations by Ota Saburo. The annotations illuminate Tokyo society and Japanese literature, bringing this fascinating piece of Japanese modernism at last to a wide audience.

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Advertising Campaign Strategy: A Guide to Marketing Communication Plans Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is an excellent source for understanding Advertising from A to Z. This book teaches all the necessary elements for developing a successful advertising campaign, creating the plansbook, and then winning the client's business. It gives great examples, it easy to read, as well as, thought provoking. It is truly a great guide to Marketing Commuincation Plans. It is used in Clark Atlanta's MBA Program for Advertising and Promotion. It's definitely "On Point!"

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How do you orchestrate the next great advertising campaign? Find out with ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN STRATEGY: A GUIDE TO MARKETING COMMUNICATION PLANS. Inside you'll see step-by-step how to take a great idea through the complete advertising process. And because it's focused on campaigns, ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN STRATEGY: A GUIDE TO MARKETING COMMUNICATION PLANS is loaded with the tips you'll need to succed in the class now and get your project chosen in the future.

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Frommer's Scandinavia (Frommer's Complete Guides) Review

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(More customer reviews)Was looking for a recent book on travel in Scandinavia. There were none in bookstores but this one is it.

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Up-to-date coverage of Europe's most scenic and unspoiled region.You'll find the very best of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, from city sightseeing to wilderness adventures, fjord cruises, and great small towns.

Loaded with detailed maps and smart tips that help you plan your trip more easily, our guide features accommodations, attractions and restaurantsfor every taste and budget.We'll take you to Renaissance castles and Viking ruins;as well asshow you where toenjoy the best outdoor activities from dogsledding and reindeer safaris to fishing and hiking in the Land of the Midnight Sun.

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Transportation Security (Butterworth-Heinemann Homeland Security) Review

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(More customer reviews)Instead of Transportation Systems Security, which I bought previously, I should have settled for this book, I realize that now. Transportation Security by Clifford Bragdon has all the stuff that I was looking for in Transportation Systems Security. Where that book fails, this book succeeds. Why? Because this book, unlike the other mentioned, gives a holistic view of our world's transportation security processes and operations, in all modes (except rail), and all issues that relate to security in transportation. Although at times heavily US and homeland security oriented, this book still manages to capture me, the international audience, to the full. As editor, Clifford Bragdon has managed to put together an excellent book and I can only commend him on his achievement.

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Insecure transportation systems are costing our worldwide mobility-based economy as much as 6% of GDP annually. The effectiveness of security measures vary widely. In the United States, depending on the mode of transportation, it ranges from "medium effectiveness" for airports to "low effectiveness" for maritime, rail, transit, and intermodal activities. Situational awareness and interoperability are lacking as we try to deal with both natural and man-made disasters. Regardless of the transport mode, improvements are essential if governments and corporations are to address security planning, response, and national preparedness. Transportation Security examines this problem in a comprehensive manner and addresses security-based technologies and solutions to minimize risk.* Covers air, sea, roadway, rail and public transport modes* Offers technological solutions for mobility based problems in planning, logistics and policy to improve security, combat terrorism and ensure national preparedness* Includes work of international experts & global examples related to transportation security

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Black & Decker The Complete Guide to DIY Projects for Luxurious Living: Adding Style & Elegancce with Showcase Features You Can Build (Black & Decker Complete Guide) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book seems to be organized as a hybrid between an idea book and a project book. For each type of room discussed in the book, it presents you with a gallery of luxurious examples preceding a project "how to". The projects are specific with a material and tool list, a cut list for lumbar, an assembly diagram, and pictures showing each major step of the project. The projects are well defined and provide ample instruction to complete as described. I gave the book 4 stars because I would like to see more projects for each luxurious room highlighted in the book.

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Luxury you can afford!A custom wine cellar with bistro seating; an elegant den with built-in library walls; an electric steam-room in the master bath; a billiards room with a fun, retro wet bar; a custom closet as big as a bedroomàhomeowners dream of the special features that set a home apart and make it extraordinary. Much of the time, though, dreams of luxury go unfulfilled because the pocketbook is out of sync with aspirations. But in Black & Decker« The Complete Guide to DIY Projects for Luxurious Living, readers discover the bridge over the gap between dreams and reality -- their own labor. This book is a collection of high-end home improvement projects to give homeowners the satisfaction and pride of having features normally found only in luxury, designer homes. At a fraction of the cost, any homeowner can create the kind of features that friends and neighbors will envy, along with the satisfaction of achieving this through their own skills. Complete directions for more than 30 ôgotta haveö projects More than 600 color photos showing each process step-by-step Features unusual, designer projects not found in other DIY books

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Walking Chicago: 31 Tours of the Windy City's Classic Bars, Scandalous Sites, Historic Architecture, Dynamic Neighborhoods, and Famous Lakeshore Review

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(More customer reviews)I would strongly suggest this book is not useful to Chicago visitors.
It has 31 tours, more than a typical visitor can do in a few days, but does not offer effective ways to prioritize/connect. The walks are poorly indexed (yes, they are numbered from South to North and there is a "per theme" index, and a minimalistic "connecting walks" line at the end of each tour, but that is all).
I've tried to use 5 different tours during a short first time visit and not once I finished the walk as recommended (because the routes are not efficient in covering the interesting parts of the city).
There are enough typos and mistakes (swapping "right" for "left" and "51st St" for "55th St" - try to follow the Washington Park or Hyde Park tours, for example) sprinkled all over. Not a big deal in a regular guide, but crucial in a walking tour.
Try to walk half mile across Washington Park "in the Southeast direction", without any reference and a bad map and end up exactly where the tour picks up on the other side (where the book assumes you are at a very exact place, but you have no idea where it is).
The access/transit info is mostly correct, but minimalistic enough to be useless.
Even when the author is "witty", it is at the expense of function. Millennium Park is one of the most touristy places in Chicago (no need for directions) but he spends several pages making up names for the landmarks and mixing real and "funny" names. What does the reader win in exchange for the confusion? Viagra fountain jokes. Then, in the same walk, crossing Grant Park, when there is opportunity for a guide book to add real value, the text is vague and sparse.
I don't mean to say it is all garbage. But the purpose of a walking tour book is to be read while you use it walking the city. For that purpose, in a city as easy to walk as Chicago, you would be better off with regular travel book and common sense than trying to follow the tours in this book.


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Walk the streets of Chicago and discover why the town that brought us Michael Jordan, Al Capone, and Oprah is anything but a "Second City." Chicago's diverse neighborhoods represent a true melting pot of America-from Little Italy to Greektown, Chinatown to New Chinatown, and La Villita to the Ukrainian Village. It's also the most walkable city in the country, with flat streets laid out in a sensible grid and 21 miles of stunning lakeshore. The 31 walks described here include trivia about architecture, political gossip, and the city's rich history, plus where to dine, get the best deep-dish pizza, visit world-class museums, have a drink, and shop.

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The Custom Furniture Sourcebook: A Guide to 125 Craftsmen Review

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(More customer reviews)(I looked over this book in the store, and hope to get it for Christmas)
Lots of great pictures! If you are a long time Fine Woodworking reader you will recognize many of them. However, you notice other nuances when they are placed with unseen pictures of the craftsman's other work.
The wide variety of styles is very useful for forming your own sense of design and proportion. You see traces of James Krenov's style on many pages. I found it more useful and inspiring than Taunton's Design Book series.
If you were looking to hire somone to make you a custom piece I suspect this book would be quite a help, but I'm looking at it as more of a survey of current work. I plan to use it to help refine where I want to go with my own furniture design and woodworking.
-Jeff

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Sitting down to a custom-built dining table, or storing linens in a truly unique armoire...it's a dream for people who embrace quality and custom woodworking. But if you don't have the skills, tools, or time to make it yourself, where can you get it.? This book will answer any questions a reader may have about purchasing and/or commissioning custom pieces. It tells where to find furniture and how much one can expect to pay for it. The 125 furniture makers listed were chosen by an independent jury of some of the country's top craftsmen. This is a truly unique reference book for anyone interested in bringing beautiful, one-of-a-kind furnishings into their homes.-- More than 500 photos showcase beautiful pieces of furniture.-- Includes details about each maker's work and contact information.-- Indexed by geographic location, type of furniture, and maker.

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Improvising Jazz Sax (Saxophone) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is really a good book on jazz improvisation for saxophone. The book starts out with a brief introduction of chords and their chord symbols. All of the scales and patterns described in the book are written out in all of the keys except for the enharmonically spelled keys. A big plus for this book is that there is a section that describes how to play the special effects sound on the saxophone, like microtonics, growls, harmonics, etc. It gives specific fingerings for them. Now, there may be additional fingerings. It's just that I've seen no other sax book describe these. This book clearly illustrates the styles of some of our most famous saxophone players including Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Jr. Walker to name a few. I think this helps in understanding what we are hearing when we hear their music. The author also describes how to perform the chordal and scalar passages and sound musical by using different types of articulations. He also talks about the challenges of practicing and learning improvisation of which I think is important to talk about. Because sometimes as a musicians we need motivation as to why we are practicing everyday when we don't see immediate results. It's reality to understand that it takes months of practicing before one can get a real handle on certain musical expressions.
Each chapter has a new style of improvisation with music pattern. This book is not an end all to improvisation but is certainly a good start for any sax player who wants to improve his or her improvisational skills.

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Teaches improvisation from the point of view of the sax player, utilizing theory as insight into playing. Chapters on modal playing, and special effects (multiphonics, microtones, etc.). Includes a complete chord chart.

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The Architecture of New York City: Histories and Views of Important Structures, Sites, and Symbols Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a wonderful book that extensively covers the architecture of buildings in New York, from past to present. Full of interesting background information. I can recommend this book to anyone that is interested in New York architecture. Unfortunately, photographs are kept to an essential minimum. Other than that, it was everyting I hoped for.

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From the reviews of the first edition of Architecture of New York City. "It should provide joy to anyone even vaguely interested in this city and its artifacts.. It is very likely to turn them into enthusiasts." --New York Times Book Review ".weaves the little-known stories of 80 buildings and landmarks into a colorful tapestry of New York's whirlwind history.. This richly illustrated guide can be read from beginning to end with great pleasure." --Publishers Weekly ".Reynolds takes a new look at the older glories of New York. The architecture is freshly seen and is clearly researched. Reynolds' splendid photographs present highly original views of familiar (and not so familiar) important structures and sites." --Adolph Placzek, former president of the Society of Architectural Historians The history of New York City is a rich pageant of culture, commerce, social change, and human drama stretching back five hundred years. And when we know where to look for it, it is all there for us to see, vividly etched into the cityscape. Now in this celebration of New York's architecture, Donald Martin Reynolds helps us to see and appreciate, as never before, the city's monuments and masterpieces, and to hear the tales they have to tell. With the help of nearly 200 striking photographs (20 of them new to this edition), Dr. Reynolds takes us on an unforgettable tour of five centuries of architectural change and innovation--from 16th-century Dutch canals and 18th-century farmhouses, to the elevator buildings of the 1870s (precursors of skyscrapers) and the Art Deco, Bauhaus, and Post-modern buildings that make up New York City's celebrated skyline. Floor by floor stone by stone, detail by detail Dr. Reynolds lovingly describes 90 of the city's most striking buildings, bridges, parks, and places. He tells us when, why, and how they were built and who built them, and in the process, he evokes the illustrious and exciting history of this restless, ceaselessly seductive metropolis.

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Explorer's Guide Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona & Central Arizona: A Great Destination (Second Edition) (Explorer's Great Destinations) Review

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(More customer reviews)Christine Bailey's "Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona & Central Arizona: Great Destinations: A Complete Guide" is an unusual entry in the world of modern visitor guides. Although it includes the standard reference material found in any good guide, this book is actually meant to be read by the traveler. Its conversational tone reflects the author's living experience in "the Valley of the Sun" as well as the necessary research.
Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the country, and one of Bailey's challenges is to do justice to a cityscape and metropolitan area spread over a couple of thousand square miles of high desert central Arizona. It turns out there is a lot to see and do beyond enjoying the warm, dry climate: everything from golf to professional sports. Bailey succeeds in providing a honest sense of history and character in detailing the recreational and touristing opportunities. Her narrative includes a broad swath of recommendations for places to eat, sleep, and shop.
This reviewer's one complaint is a shortage of detailed maps that could tie together a geospatial sense of a sprawling metropolitan area. A supplemental map of Phoenix is recommended to go along with this guide, itself highly recommended as an introduction to Phoenix and central Arizona.

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Among mountains and desert, take in one spectacular natural wonder after another and capture the adventure of Arizona.
Imagine all the adventuresyou'll have in Arizona—touring the mountainsand red deserts, seeingone spectacular naturalwonder after another: theGrand Canyon, OrganPipe Cactus NationalMonument...Discoverthe art galleries, museums,resorts, and cuisine thathelp make Phoenix andScottsdale such hot destinations. Full-color photographs throughout

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Key Concepts in Urban Studies (SAGE Key Concepts series) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a easy-reader for people who is interested in urban studies. The author introduces a number of theories and ways in related to study a city.
The good thing is that you don't need spend a lot of time to go through the book, and still get what you want.

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The SAGE Key Concepts series provides students with accessible and authoritative knowledge of the essential topics in a variety of disciplines. Cross-referenced throughout, the format encourages critical evaluation through understanding.




Written by experienced and respected academics, the books are indispensable study aids and guides to comprehension.



Key Concepts in Urban Studies:



• Clearly and concisely explains the basic ideas in the interdisciplinary field of urban studies

' Offers concise discussions of concepts ranging from community, neighbourhood, and the city to globalization, the New Urbanism, feminine space, and urban problems

' Constitutes a re-examination of the key ideas in the field

' Is illustrated throughout with international examples

' Provides an essential reference guide for all students and teachers across the urban disciplines within sociology, political science, planning and geography.

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Lonely Planet Alaska (Regional Travel Guide) Review

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(More customer reviews)I will be visiting my daughter in Alaska soon and got a few books out of the library to help me in planning. I liked this one so much because of the great suggestions of things to do, where to book them, places to stay and eat. So, in order to be able to dog ear pages and underline the areas I want to pursue, I just had to buy it. Great photos also. It makes me excited about Alaska

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Lonely Planet knows Alaska. Our 9th edition guarantees an adventure at every turn, whether you're watching glaciers calve from a boat, hiking in the Bush or exploring Alaskan Native culture and polar bears in Barrow.Lonely Planet guides are written by experts who get to the heart of every destination they visit. This fully updated edition is packed with accurate, practical and honest advice, designed to give you the information you need to make the most of your trip.In This Guide:New Alaska for Families and Cruising in Alaska chaptersFull-Color Alaskan Wildlife chapterUnique Green Index to help you make your travels ecofriendly

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Moon Florida Camping: The Complete Guide to Tent and RV Camping (Moon Outdoors) Review

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(More customer reviews)I own the Florida State Park book and it's great but I needed a book that listed all the campgrounds available near cities we are visiting. This book covers ALL the campgrounds not just state cg's with "scenic" ratings which I find useful.
Well organized and very useful.
Addendum: I love this book the more I use it. I also refer to an unaffiliated website rvparkreviews.com. The website lists a few more parks than the book with actual user reviews (like amazon :-))

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Florida resident and avid camper Marilyn Moore knows the best places to pitch a tent in Florida, from popular beachfront sites to hidden island retreats. Moon Florida Camping guides both seasoned campers and first-timers to the best campsites, hiking trails, and fishing spots throughout the state of Florida. This edition includes up-to-date, post-hurricane coverage of camping areas. Moore includes unique lists of "Bests," like Best for Biking, Best for Families, Best for Natural Springs, and Most Unusual. Complete with easy-to-use regional maps, descriptive keynotes for every geographical region, and facility and fee information, Moon Florida Camping provides campers with first-rate expert advice and all the necessary tools to head outdoors.

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Globalization: Culture and Education in the New Millennium Review

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(More customer reviews)I had a great experience ordering this book! It is a very useful resource and less expensive than my school book store.

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Globalization defines our era. While it has created a great deal of debate in economic, policy, and grassroots circles, many aspects of the phenomenon remain virtual terra incognita. Education is at the heart of this continent of the unknown. This pathbreaking book examines how globalization and large-scale immigration are affecting children and youth, both in and out of schools. Taking into consideration broad historical, cultural, technological, and demographic changes, the contributors--all leading social scientists in their fields--suggest that these global transformations will require youth to develop new skills, sensibilities, and habits of mind that are far ahead of what most educational systems can now deliver. Drawing from comparative and interdisciplinary materials, the authors examine the complex psychological, sociocultural, and historical implications of globalization for children and youth growing up today. The book explores why new and broader global visions are needed to educate children and youth to be informed, engaged, and critical citizens in the new millennium. Published in association with the Ross Institute

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Play the Game: The Parent's Guide to Video Games Review

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(More customer reviews)Most books about video games that are aimed at parents pick a side. Either video games are good for your child or they will warp your child forever. Not so with Play The Game. Play the game is the most balanced guide I've seen for parents.
Play The Game is a fantastic guide book for parents who know nothing about video games, going over very basic things such as 'what's a controller' and 'what's it mean when my child says he's playing an "FPS"'. Simultaneously it also makes a excellent reference book for parents who play games themselves, offering insights into how to maximize your play time with your child.
Play The Game's strength lies in not judging video games. The book seems to accept that games can be either a positive or negative force in a child's life and really focuses on helping parents ensure that games are positive for their child and their family.
James Portnow
Next-Gen

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Redefine the way you look at video games and how they relate to you and your children! "Play the Game: The Parents Guide to Video Games" explores how electronic games can be used to strengthen communication between parents and children as well as revolutionize the way we live. Written in an accessible style and language, Play the Game is perfect for any parent, from those who are unfamiliar with video games to those who are active gamers themselves. Through interviews and analysis with experts and families like yours, you'll discover how to use games to enhance parent-child and family relationships, for education, and as a career path.Provides parents with: -A comprehensive guide to the video games currently available on the market including ratings, genre, intended audience, and educational use -Tips, research, and advice from game developers, educators, psychologists, parents, and teens -Information on game development as a career, including examples of higher education programs and how to start building important skill-sets -A listing of useful additional references so that readers can continue to explore the role of video games in today's societyDiscover new ways to connect with your children through video games with "Play the Game!"

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