Paper

Paper Before Print is a glorious achievement from all perspectives: historically, culturally, and as an impeccable model of how books of this sort should be presented (though too often they do not). Jonathan Bloom's text is revealing and intellectually stimulating without alienating the average reader. His premise, though not a popular one -- that the Middle East played a far more important role in refining and introducing paper to the West than is usually acknowledged -- carefully unfolds with unassailable research and arguments. The illustrations, mostly early Islamic texts (700s-1300s), are tastefully selected and compliment the text perfectly. The typography, layout, and presentation are superb. Anyone interested in history, art, and printing will profit from having this book on their shelves.

This book was absolutely great. It tells the history of paper before it reached the Christian world. This is the time before the printing press was invented. Paper had just come from China. This book tells about this time that is sometimes forgotten. This book is the best

This is a great book. It is very interesting. I really like this book because it tells me how to make pretty boxes. The directions are very easy to follow and If you still do not understand they have pictures too.

This is a wonderful book on learning to make your own beautiful & unique boxes. By varying the paper & decorative elements a stunning variety of boxes can be made based on few basic designs.

The step-by-step instructions are very easy to follow. Both photographs & illustrations guide you smoothly through the box making process. Tips on construction & presentation for each box are also included.

There are eight box types demonstrated. Included are triangle, cube, frame, magician, puzzle, heart, lotus, & a matchbox. For each one there is a one-page gallery of different design ideas.

In the back there are templates for each box. It even includes paper elements you can tear out and use. I put a picture in a frame box with a pin inside & gave it to my mother for her birthday; she was delighted.

This is a wonderful origami book with lots of interesting & unique projects. It is in full-color on glossy stock. The clear, step-by-step instructions are both illustrated & explained.

The first section covers basic origami symbols, folds & bases as well as folding hints & tips. The projects start out easy and become more complex as the book progresses. I recommend this book for beginning to advanced folders.

Some projects include a gyroscope, lucky star, jack-in-the-box, bowl, purse & a box with dividers & a cover. Others include a sparrow, koala, dog, kissing penguins, flowers, a corsage & a chain of cranes.

The last section covers hanging or making your origami artwork into jewelry. Paper painting & selection as well as wet folding are also covered. A resource guide listing stores & origami societies is a great bonus.

I loved the author's book entitled "Origami Workshop" so was thrilled when I read about her latest book "Paper Creations". Well, unfortunately, I never saw the actual book since I ordered it by mail. It is about 90% identical (even used the same photos) as her "Origami Workshop", published in 1995. To give her justice, the first page of the book does say that much was taken from the earlier published "Origami Workshop". Still I think it is a rip-off and misleading to publish the almost identical book with just a different cover and title.

I was first introduced to the works of Naoya Shiga when I read his wonderful novel _A Dark Night's Passing_. Shiga's short stories are just as interesting as his longer works. The stories in this book stretch a long period of time from 1904 until 1945. Shiga, although considered one of the top modern japanese writers, is famous for the small amount of writting that he produced in his very long life. My favorites in the book are "The Razor," "Seibei and his Gourds," "The House by the Moat, and "Kuniko."

Without going into detail about each story. Several themes pop up in the stories: death, lonliness, unfaithfulness, among others. But the thing that struck me the hardest was the male's view of women. The stories "A Memory of Yamashina," Infatuatio," and "Kuniko" really show this very well. In the first two a husband who has been caught having an affair makes his wife feel guilty because she fell in love with her doctor. She never had physical relations with him, but the husband thought that was enough to excuse his affair. "Kuniko" must be read to be believed. Good book check it out.

The book I enjoyed the most in Japanese. SHIGA is unlike other famous Japanese writers such as Mishima or Dazai. If their works are like roses, his is much like Morning Glory. His style is more simple. Yet beautiful. It is like a piece of art. Just reading a sentence and you can actually "see" it in your head... Unfortunately there were some parts mistranslated in this book.

This book is totally awesome! Really hard origami, though. Still, if you can do it, the models are totally impressive.

Marc Kirschenbaum's book is a wonderful collection of origami models with a fantastic theme. The models are high intermediate in difficultly, but clearly diagrammed and should prove a pleasant challenge for experienced folders. The theme of all musicians is delightful and unique among origami collections! In addition, Mr. Kirschenbaum has prefaced each model with insights to his creative process as well as friendly folding tips which anticipate the trickier folding manoeuvres he's created. This really gives the books a personal touch and makes the diagrams much more accessible. Thank you for creating such a wonderful book!

Positively fabulous book on paper craft. The arcitectural designs are somewhat more advanced, but the butterfly is probably the easiest and more effective for the beginner.

I am 13 and I love this book. I have spent over 40 hours with these designs. I love models and making things and this book is perfect. I took it with me when I went to my grandad's funeral and spent a lot of time making these pop-ups. They would be neat framed or somehow displayed. Buy this book for your kids.

The Paper Princess Finds Her Way is an absolutely wonderful and inspiring book. Even though "It can be a hard world for small fragile things," the paper princess knows she must change because the world around her has changed. She boldly takes on the challenges of the hard world and finds adventure, beauty and newness. Elisa's writing is wonderfully illustrative; I could clearly imagine the cat who "smiled a sharp cat smile" or the butterflies that "travelled, a magic carpet of sunlit wings." The story made me laugh, smile and think about the beauty in life and the beauty of change. This book is not just for children. However, my eight year old was just as enthralled as I.
"Wait! I want to look at the picture," he urged, not wanting to be rushed before he read the page. The illustrations in The Paper Princess Finds Her Way are intimate and full of details that tell their own stories such as birthday parties or a child
cooking with her grandma. As with Elisa's other books, studying the pictures is much of the fun and I'd become absorbed in the small village or living room on the page. I highly recommend this book for children's libraries, home libraries and all elementary school classrooms.

AT LAST! More adventures about the brave and friendly, soulful paper princess making her way from her (now grown up) creator to the hand of another artistic child in Mexico. What a wonderful antidote to the mass consumer society we live in today. It is definitely a story to cherish and the illustrations are beyond this world! Kleven's illustrations of the Monarch butterflies in flight are mystical and left me hoping for more. Hooray for our brave princess and may her own creator, Elisa Kleven, bless us with more delightful and heartfelt stories!!

A young woman, born on the wrong side of the blanket & raised in wealth by a nanny, is subsidized by the mother who wants to remain anonymous. Although raised with love by the servant, she is traumatized by the knowledge & stigma of her illegitimacy. She begins a search for her family roots after the nanny dies. Evie is an extremely intelligent, well-educated, very beautiful young woman - however she has a powerful imagination, fired by her love of literature & fiction, & a tendency to live in a dream-world. She hires a man she believes to be a famous gunfighter to escort her safely to Texas from post-Civil War St. Louis, Missouri. The "gunfighter" is a notorious, womanizing, gambler & though he is an expert marksman, he is definitely not the man Evie believes him to be - a hero she picked out of a penny novel. Tyler Monteigne, in fact has some serious traumas of his own. His family was killed during the War, their plantation in Louisiana lost to carpetbaggers, & he was a prisoner of war in a Yankee prison camp for 3 years.

Tyler agrees to accompany Evie, along with some other very colorful & well-defined characters, to Texas. He is a hunk. She is sooo sassy. Together they ignite. Very Steamy! These are more than cardboard, formulaic characters. Ms. Rice has worked to populate her novel with 3-D people, lots of humor & sensitivity. There are wonderful plots & sub-plots - and a beautiful & realistic love story.

What a great book! I could not put it down. The writing is intelligent & witty. I love strong heroes...but I like strong heroines more - especially back in the days when a woman had to fight extra hard for her independence & individuality. This one's a keeper.

PS - This is book #1 of a series. I look forward to reading books 2 & 3, "Paper Tiger" & "Paper Moon."

This book was very good.....I have read romance novels all my life and this was definetely a find....it kept me laughing and interested and OH so in love with Tyler that I couldn't put it down...for once the heroine was smart and sassy and loyal...it was nice to see a woman stand up for and believe in her man instead of always running him down....I loved the story and would highly recommend it to anyone....It helps too if you like the west and cowboys type of man.

1) Read this book
2) Contemplate the meanings
3) Pour Oarnge Marmalade on the book (it matches the cover)
4) Devour the citric pages
5) I liked this book so much that I broke a table over my cousins head. He's pissed.

Its becoming better known but Boulder, Colorado has a hell of an artist community. This is the second offering of poetry from the towns shining star, and I couldn't be more grateful. I'm usually not very impressed with modern poetry as it has fit itself into mainstream with hallmark uniformity and in the end is just, well....boring and uninteresting. However, Paper Thin is one of the most tempestuous, passionate, true, inventive collections of poems I think that I have ever read. I see too that Rob was included in the new book "Poems From Penny Lane," the anthology of Boulders long running legendary Poetry coffee house readings...get this too! Nothing better than a community of talent trying to top each other!

Goodman's brilliant insights are as fresh and needed now as the day they were written. This collection of her columns provides a captivating review of the major events of the past years that makes it hard to put down before reading just one more column. The topics chosen recognize that events have changed us in the past decade, yet many fundamental questions concerning our country, our families and our lives remain "unanswered." These questions require the kind of careful, humourful reflection that Goodman offers.

I loved this book.
Ellen Goodman is smart, funny, wise, centered and totally in this world -- which makes her the perfect person to help us through the maze of modern life. If you already know and adore her column, this new collection will once again make you laugh and cry and nod your head in agreement. She understands us, and our world, and makes it all make sense.
If you don't know her columns, this is a perfect introduction to her very sensible take on everything from babies to bombs, from political candidates to sexual stimulants. I bet you'll feel exactly the way I did: that someone very close was sitting in my living room and talking just to me.
A must-read for everyone -- especially women.