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The enthusiasm one feels for one's so-called coffee-table books is often short lived: they tend to get loyally dusted but rarely cracked. And for scholars of any type they are virtually useless. This book on Brazilian eclesiastical architecture, however, was such an eye-opener that I can't seem to get enough of it. Although butressed by enough scholastic text to make it interesting to the serious reader, its real seductive powers lie in its crystaline photography and the eloquence of the buildings themselves.

Brazilian baroque architecture is one of the few New World styles that takes a place in the Architectural Pantheon as a sophisticated vernacular unto itself. It is not a part of the quaint adobe tradition, but rather falls in line with the great churches of the Old World. In Brazil one speaks of Portuguese colonial architecture and also of Brazilan Baroque. The speed and wealth with which Brazilian cities rose in the 17th and 18th centuries goes unparalleled in North America. The Portuguese turned the sugarcane cities of the North, Salvador and Recife, and the gold-trafficking cities of the South, Ouro Preto and Rio de Jeneiro, from backwaters and fortresses into worldly cities. The nobles, the wealthy bourgeoisie, and the church orders all vied to bring the "best" of their baroque civilization to the New World; and succeed mightily they did. The rhetorical message of wealth conveyed by the Church's "gilded grottoes" is irrefutable. To such a degree that Salvador today is rightly called "Roma Negra": Black Rome.

The grave and crisp book format is buoyed by the reverent photography of Günter Heil. Rarely is architecture afforded such loving attention. One only wishes there was more, seeing that some of the photographs were aparently chosen for their artistic merits above the illustrative, as seen in the one photo of the most remarkable façade in Salvador, the Church of the Third Order of São Francisco: one of the few traces of late Mannerism in the New World, the photo of which is blocked by the raked silhouette of a portal. The fact that the book leaves, literally, so much to be desired is not at all a shortcoming, rather proof of its seduction. This is true of the text as well. One longs for more anecdotes from the history of the great architects or the slaves and natives who built these wonders. European and North American readers who have taken it for granted that the story and soul of the Baroque resides in Europe only, will be vainly curious for more information on such Brazilian cultural heros as the mulato sculptor and architect Aleijadinho, nicknamed "the Cripple", or the painter of the ceiling of the Cathedral Church in Salvador, the Franco-Chinese artist Wei-Kia-Lou (Charles Belville).

The text contained in the book and chapter introductions is informative for the neophyte, though less-so for scholars. The text accompanying the illustrated litany of churches is, in contrast, largely a codification of elements, names and dates. It's the sort of picture book that makes one feel terribly smart. For anyone interested in the subject of Colonial History or of Architecture in General, this luscious book goes highly recommended.

...Ask What You Can Do For Your Country: The Memory And Legacy Of John F. Kennedy by Dan B. Fleming, Jr. is an informed and erudite tribute to one of America's most beloved and deeply mourned presidents. Based on interviews with people across the U.S.A. and the world, ...Ask What You Can Do For Your Country gathers reactions to the shock of JFK's assassination; vignettes of personal reflection; anecdotes about JFK, and much more. A moving tribute and testimony to a great elected leader, ...Ask What You Can Do For Your Country is a strongly recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library American History, Political Science, and Biographical Studies collections.

No need to buy a ticket to France.....this book takes you there in ways only MFK Fisher and possibly Richard Olney managed. I loved it and continue to mine its rich vein of recipes. It seems extraordinary that an American could so truly and sensitively capture the culture of France.

This book is an amazing way to research breast disease. It has great information and it is extremely easy to follow with great diagrams and pictures. The authors are really well known in their field, and great guys.

I'm a shop foreman and I need to know A to Z about everything mechanical and how to fix it. This is the only book I could ever find with millwrights information in it and blacksmithing, but all I had was my dog-eared, ancient copy. Until now. Finally a new edition and none of the good material has been disturbed. This a must-have for every shop-every shop foreman.

Audel books have been around forever, but I could never find a revision, at least not of this really well-known book for my toolbox. I had an old copy, but it was really out of date. I'm recommending this new one to all the other guys in the shop!

Automobile Aerobics has been read by thousands of people across the country who are searching for the best values in buying, leasing or selling new or used cars. Reviews have come back from many of these people saying this is the best automible how-to book I've read as it gives me the ins and outs of the business. In fact, the author Daniel Levy, who personally consults with people searching for the best deals, sometimes lends the book to them himself and they always learn from it and always thank him for writing it

"Baby Bilby, where do you sleep?" is a lovely combined story and information book for young children. It explores the secret world of the Australian desert, as the reader asks each animal where it sleeps (you get a glimpse through a cut-out page) and then turns the page to find out. It's a nice book for reading at bed-time, or for hunting through the pictures for hidden things. (Bilbies are tiny little marsupials with pointed noses - as seen on the front cover.)

Baby Bilby was a 2002 honour book for both the Children's Book Council of Australia's "Book of the Year: Early Childhood" and Eve Pownall Award for Information Books categories.

The cover of the book is a little misleading since it was written for hobbyists in miniature railroading. It goes beyond that.

The book was written originally for hobbyists in Great Britain, by some of the comments on availability of supplies and names of sources for supplies. The universality of the content makes this issue mute when you get into the depth of each chapter.

Examples given for making cores and for moulding with "Green" sand are bountifull. As an Engineer with formal classes in casting I was impressed with the information provided. Some of the information was great review for those classes taken so long ago. Addiitional technical information on how and why things are done bolstered my confidence this process can be done by the individual hobbyist.

In my case I am turning a hobby into a retirement business, so the value of this small book will have long lasting value. I expect to be wearing this book out by frequent referencing.

This book offers clarity, caring and direction for your wishes of a comfortable home that is "yours", not just a show piece. It is a healing process to just go through the book and even better when you complete the outcome though which Barbara Kaplan guides you.

She persoanlly adds a brilliance to your efforts of creating a "Home" .