Customer Reviews:
Good book.........2006-02-10
This is a great book, includes many more unusual types of rodents (jirds, degus etc). However it contains nothing about ferrets, only rodents and rabbits. This book is translated from dutch, so there are lots of errors, and the grammer can be amusing at times.
Book Description
Gale proudly presents the completely revised and updated version of the acclaimed “Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia” set. Hailed by many as the best reference work on animals ever published, a legacy left to us by famed zoologist and animal lover Bernhard Grzimek, this set is renowned for its scientific reporting and coverage, and serves as a major point of reference for researchers, students, and those hoping to satisfy their curiosity about the animal kingdom. Information can be found on life cycles, predators, food systems, overall ecology and much more. Staying true to the original scientific pedigree, Gale enlisted prominent advisors and contributors from the international scientific community to incorporate recent developments in our knowledge of the animal world.
Book Description
The “Gale Encyclopedia of Science” is written at a level somewhere between the introductory sources and the highly technical texts currently available. This six-volume set covers all major areas of science and engineering, as well as mathematics and the medical and health sciences, while providing a comprehensive overview of current scientific knowledge and technology. Alphabetically arranged entries provide a user-friendly format that makes the broad scope of information easy to access and decipher. Entries typically describe scientific concepts, provide overviews of scientific areas and, in some cases, define terms.
Book Description
Gale proudly presents the completely revised and updated version of the acclaimed “Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia” set. Hailed by many as the best reference work on animals ever published, a legacy left to us by famed zoologist and animal lover Bernhard Grzimek, this set is renowned for its scientific reporting and coverage, and serves as a major point of reference for researchers, students, and those hoping to satisfy their curiosity about the animal kingdom. Information can be found on life cycles, predators, food systems, overall ecology and much more. Staying true to the original scientific pedigree, Gale enlisted prominent advisors and contributors from the international scientific community to incorporate recent developments in our knowledge of the animal world.
Average customer rating:
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Encyclopedia of Pet Mice
Tony Jones
Manufacturer: TFH Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Mice, Hamsters & Guinea Pigs
| Animal Care & Pets
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0876669100 |
Book Description
Halloween is quickly becoming the most popular holiday in America. Next to Christmas, more money is spent on Halloween decorations and novelties than on any other holiday. This wonderful book has been credited with inspiring the Halloween collecting craze, giving its devotees a chance to celebrate the holiday all year round! In addition to color photography and a brand new price guide, there is also a lot of fascinating insight into Halloween. Most people are familiar with the symbols--Ghosts, Jack O'lanterns, Witches, Bats, Skeletons and Black Cats--but few know about Halloween's past. Why does it exist? What is the origin of trick-or-treating? Why does it fall on October 31st? Through these pages you will experience Halloween celebrations of the past, and take a look at Halloween today. For collectors, this is a treasure trove of memorabilia, the largest ever published. It is illustrated in beautiful color and includes newly updated prices for reference.
Customer Reviews:
In the Sumptuous Time of Autumn.......2002-10-11
Stuart L. Schneider's dynamic Halloween In America: A Collector's Guide With Prices spectacularly captures the spirit of the classic years of the American Halloween tradition: the period from the turn of the century through the end of the nineteen-fifties. Though the book includes more recent material, Schneider wisely focuses on what he recognizes to be the holiday's glory days in this country, when its spirit hadn't moved too far from its agricultural roots and American culture was predominantly positive, forward-looking, and uncynical--and its Halloween decorations charming and vividly imaginative.
The book opens with three short, loosely-composed essays, "A Brief History Of Halloween," "The Colors And Images Of Halloween," and "Halloween In America." Schneider, who provides no source material, is often broadly correct but specifically wrong. He suggests, for instance, that the Druids may have built Stonehenge when it has been long established that they did not, and that 'Dryad' is another word for 'Druid.' The author also writes a paragraph about witches and "witch conventions" during the Celtic reign of the British Isles as if this were an established historical fact, embellishing his account with images of witches stirring cauldrons, speaking in tongues, dancing around bon fires, and sacrificing animals; if Schneider knows this to be historically factual, then he has access to information the rest of the world doesn't. He also discusses 'Samhain' as a god of the Celtic people who "controlled the dead or non-growing season," when whether or not 'Samhain' was a Celtic deity or even an entity, rather than a season or holiday, is something currently hotly debated among historians, scholars, and Wiccans.
Schneider is to be commended for his honesty in addressing some of the more unpleasant aspects of the holiday and its associations head-on, as well as for the wonderful historical scope he provides in placing Halloween origins in a wide, multi-cultural context. Readers will find a rich phantasmagoria of topics discussed in the essays, including the custom of sin eating, All Saints' and All Souls' Days, the belief in the 'veil between worlds' and the return of the dead to their families one the night of the harvest feast, the story of 'Jack of the Lantern,' Snap-Apple and Crack-Nut Nights, apple bobbing, fortune-telling, the Scottish influence on American Halloween traditions, Cabbage and Mischief Nights, the various theories surrounding the origin of trick-or-treating, the meaning of the literal 'scapegoat' and its influence of the appearance of the Christian Devil, the Mexican Day of the Dead, and even mention of the elves, gnomes, boogies, and goblins with which agrarian societies peopled the forests and fields.
The gorgeous main portion of the book is dedicated to collectible items and includes sections on Postcards, Decorations, Lanterns, Costumes, Hats and Masks, Noisemakers, Invitations, Games and Toys, Trick Or Treat Bags, and Vegetable People, Figurines and Candy Containers.
Halloween In America is by far the best of the books on Halloween collectibles available, and also the best of the Schiffer books on the subject. Many readers will remember these items from their childhood homes, classroom bulletin boards, Five & Dime store shelves and windows, and neighborhood parties. Readers will also be astonished at how the painters, artisans, and creators of these crepe paper, cardboard, composition, glass, and celluloid items were able to envision and capture what we remember and still think of as the very essence of holiday, and in a wide variety of forms: lonely, barren, orange-skied landscapes with setting suns ablaze or yellow rising moons, black cats and owls lurking in pumpkin patches with an anthropomorphic moon overhead, witches flying on broomsticks in formation over dark, isolated houses, skeletons parading in graveyards, etc.
Folklorists, sociologists, academics, and artists may have special appreciation for the visionary and sometimes surreal paintings, illustrations, and three-dimensional designs revealed here. One 1908 German postcard portrays a witch, a black cat and a vegetable spirit riding in a car made of a partially hollowed-out watermelon with squash-slice tires; another portrays a red-caped witch riding a immense cob of husked corn like a phallus-conquering Amazon through the stratosphere, with an astonished moon and planet Jupiter looking on; and a third, from 1911, shows children happily bobbing for apples in their warm, cozy home, while a tall, red-skirted, stone-faced witch, accompanied by an owl and a black cat, looks in at the window like the ultimate outsider and a disenfranchised, but still proud and powerful, loner. An entire page is devoted to 1910 postcards of anthropomorphic vegetables riding cars, dancing with or chasing fairies, and joyfully imitating human family practices. Others display Rockwell-like scenes of boys and girls carving pumpkins or trick-or-treating, or elderly women in dimly-lit Victorian mansions being frightened by children's pranks and high jinks.
Throughout the book, visionary landscapes and distant horizons beckon; curly-toed elves spring from hollow trees and slide gleefully down rooftops; lone witches warm their hands at their cauldrons under brilliant, star-filled skies; beautiful young ladies sleep fitfully on ruffled pillows while fairies circle their heads; peaked-hat shadows stretch in threateningly at midnight doorways; black cats screech to their own banjo, accordion, violin, and horn playing; and scarecrows extend their arms heavenwards to frighten off their circling opponents.
Readers will run for their magnifying and/or reading glasses so that none of the often minute detail will escape their gaze and inspection. Halloween In America is a huge treat, will make collectors and seekers out of most, and hopefully inspire generations to come to celebrate and pass on the traditions recorded here. Highly recommended to holiday lovers, educators, folklorists, Scout leaders, and all lovers of Americana.
For the Halloween lover.......2000-04-15
This is much more than a book for collectors of Halloween.This is the best book on the subject. I've read all the others and this is the bible of Halloween. If you have only one book on Halloween, this has to be the one. It brings back childhood. This book is really a look at what Halloween means. Ghosts and goblins, fall colors, adventure and childhood fears. I've read mine over and over and over again.
Customer Reviews:
What Would Halloween Be Without Beistle Decorations Filling Up The House?.......2006-08-30
"The Beistle Company" has been around for a long, long time, providing decorations and party supplies to a countless number of people in the United States and around the world.
The company was founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the year 1900 by Martin Luther ("M.L.") Beistle. M.L.'s company has grown to become one of the largest producers of Halloween novelties and party supplies in the world.
When M.L. Beistle started his company, he worked out of the basement of his Pennsylvania home, mainly crafting decor for hotel lobbies.
Allow me to quote from Beistle's very own website (located at beistle.com), via an "FAQ" section at that site:
"We {The Beistle Company} are the world's largest manufacturer of party goods. We have been designing and producing decorations and party goods for over 100 years. Our hallmark is the quality of products and the high level of customer service we provide."
~~~~~~~~~
I still have a couple of packages of old-fashioned Beistle halloween cutouts that I happily display around the house each and every October. It just wouldn't be Halloween-time without Beistle's first-class and spooky-looking cardboard decorations adorning the walls.
Beistle's nostalgic 1950s- and 1960s-era Halloween cutouts can still be obtained at some stores in the USA that sell holiday-themed party decorations and supplies. I can recall buying many of Beistle's products at "Woolworth's", when that store was still in business years ago. "Kresge's" (which later became "K-Mart") was another good place to pick up Beistle items many moons ago.
Today, however, you'll have to search around for other stores and specialty shoppes that may carry a few pieces of vintage Beistle decor.
The packages of Beistle Halloween decorations that I currently have feature a total of eight cardboard cutouts per pack, one of each of the following vintage Beistle-created designs (in vivid color). Remember these?.......
1.) "The Haunted House", with a spooky-looking witch standing in the front door of a house. The witch comes complete with a pointed hat and a cane. There's also a black cat sitting in a window. An owl can also be seen in the attic window above the witch. A flying bat is also part of this eerie hunk of decor. The bat is seen flying against a bright yellow full moon which looms appropriately above the witch's scary-looking dwelling. A leafless tree stretches its way skyward on this cutout too, with a well-placed lit lantern hanging from one of its branches just above the house's front door.
This colorful "Witch In The House" paperboard cutout is my all-time favorite Halloween decoration. It's a simple piece of cardboard -- but it depicts everything about Halloween so well within its 6" x 9" dimensions. Even the "howling wind" is represented here, via a series of lines drawn on the cutout near the witch and the door of the haunted house. I don't know who it was who designed this particular piece of Halloween artwork -- but I tip my hat to that artist.
2.) "Owl Perched On Tree Limb In Front Of Full Moon". .... This Beistle classic is my second-favorite among the cutouts made by that company. The owl's wide-open, piercing eyes are a standout feature. I've also taken note of the "extra markings" that have been added around the owl's eyes on post-1960s versions of this particular cutout. I had previous versions of this decoration which lacked these accentuated eye markings. Either version is first rate, and always worthy of being displayed each and every October. :)
3.) "Black Cat / Jack-O-Lantern On A Pole / Smiling Crescent Moon".
4.) "Jack-O-Lantern With Straw Hat".
5.) "Jack-O-Lantern With Corn-Cob Pipe".
6.) "Witch Flying On Broomstick Over A Crescent Moon".
7.) "Black Cat With Monocle".
8.) "Close Up Of Witch's Face In Front Of Full Moon".
~~~~~~~~~
Beistle has manufactured some very simple designs for these cutouts, but they each emit an effectively-spooky and eerie quality that befits the "All Hallows Eve" season very well.
The Beistle Company, as referenced throughout this 160-page softcover book, makes many other Halloween-related items besides just the paperboard cutouts I've gushed about above.
But, to me, Beistle shall forever be exclusively associated with those simple, but absolutely perfect, pieces of thin colorful cardboard with pictures of owls, witches, cats, and jack-o-lanterns on them.
Just like that green tree that gets decorated each December, those hunks of Beistle cardboard are a looked-forward-to tradition every October. To borrow this book's title, I'd have to classify them as "Timeless Halloween Collectibles".
Great Reference Book.......2005-08-03
This book has good descriptions and great graphics for identifying and pricing old, hard-to-find Beistle Halloween paper goods.
For Beistle Vintage Halloween Lovers..........2005-03-04
Schiffer recently published a book that solely profiles vintage Halloween items made by Beistle from 1920-1949. Titled "Timeless Halloween Collectibles", the data was compiled by Claire M. Lavin who had access to Beistle's archives. The book has both strong and weak points. Among the strong is the photography. Done by Claire's husband, Phil Lavin, the images are crisp and are simply superb. The text is comprised almost entirely of quotes from various Beistle catalogs that helpfully point out the actual names Beistle assigned to their products. The 160-page book is logically arranged and has a generally pleasing layout. Curiously, the book has a 2005 publication date, although it was released in October 2004. As with any book, there are weaknesses. The pages largely contain items seen in previously published references. Although there is some new information unearthed, considering the possibilities any 160-page book provides, there wasn't as much as I had hoped. The book's serious shortcomings are a lack of explanation as to when catalogs were published during the year relative to the actual availability of the items shown (for instance was the 1929 catalog issued in January 1929 with product availability in February 1929, or was it issued in December 1929 with product availability in 1930?); a surprising lack of explanation or even discussion of the varying marks Beistle used during this time period; and a lack of definitive explanation as to which items shown were actually produced for public consumption versus those items residing in the archives that were never commercially produced. The captions are almost all mere recitations of Beistle catalog verbiage. I wish there would have been more of the compiler's voice here. That said, I do think the book is worth buying in order to more fully understand the importance of Beistle in the vintage Halloween memorabilia realm.
Book Description
Halloween was once considered an adult practice referred to as "going a-souling," but it was eventually taken up by children who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money. The tradition of trick-or-treating can be traced back to the early 1900s, but the decorations of all things scary began much before that. Some time around the late 1800s pumpkins, witches, black cats, and ghouls began appearing in parades, adorning city streets, and decorating homes.
Mark Ledenbach shares his collection of vintage Halloween collectibles for the first time in this new identification and price guide. Nearly 1,250 vintage collectibles are vividly displayed in full-color, with the majority of them having never before been published in previous works profiling Halloween memorabilia. Each masterfully photographed item includes manufacturing country, company, and dates; specific measurements to the nearest 1/4 inch; and reproduction alerts, item iterations, and more.
* Nearly 1,250 collectibles displayed in full-color * Features captions with manufacturing data for each item displayed * Includes different marks and packaging used by companies, such as Beistle, Dennison, Chein, US Metal Toy, T. Cohn, and Kirchhof
Customer Reviews:
Top Vintage Halloween Guide.......2006-08-26
When I started discovering vintage Halloween items, I came upon Mark Ledenbach's book. It became my leading guide while investigating on eBay. On his web site I could contact him an ask for advice. He was very friendly and helpful. The photos and lay out of his book are fantastic and it is better organized then other books I own. I could not have enjoyed the beautiful graphics and usual, rare items if it were not for this book. You must purchase this whether you are a serious collector or not. Have fun!
The Best Halloween Collectibles Guide.......2005-07-17
Price guides frequently suffer from poor photography. This book breaks the mold showing clear color photographs of amazing piece's in Mark's Collection. Halloween ephemera continues to be a popular collectible and this book should be part every collectors library.
Fabulous reference for the seller!.......2004-11-16
What a wonderful book! I sell on ebay and found the book to be highly informative and the prices pretty accurate for most of the items I have come across. A must have resource for anyone who buys, sells, or collects vintage Halloween!
Extremely well researched book- beautiful!.......2003-08-13
As a collector of Vintage Halloween, this is the most comprehensive and well researched book on the topic to date that I have found. The layout is spectacular and well thought out. Photographs and descriptions are superb. The "tab" index that identifies the chapters makes it easy to find a particular item and the rarity rating is a wonderful addition for serious collectors. Almost all of the items pictured are in first-rate condition, well-described and logically grouped. If you are going to buy one book on Vintage Halloween, this is the best!
A Guide for the Rare and Unusual in Halloween Collectibles.......2003-07-20
I am impressed with this book. The research and documentation is so thoroughly done that I feel I can use this as the definitive guide for my Halloween collection. I like also that there are things in this book that I haven't seen anywhere else. This is a great catalogue of an extensive collection, and is a must for anyone who collects antique Halloween. Well done!
Customer Reviews:
good for collectors.......2002-08-06
I bought this book because I like to collect new and vinatge Halloween decorations. I used the book while looking around Ebay for items. Comes in handy. Could use some more detail in describing items but still worth the money.
Nicely done book of the Authors' collections.......2001-09-27
This book was very informative and straight-forward. Included very clear, concise photos of vintage Halloween collectables with an up-to-date price guide reference. I would recommend this to anyone interested in vintage Halloween items.
Halloween Collectables...a Treasure.......2000-08-06
This book is a wonderful depiction of the vast varieties of Halloween collectables you may find. I find this reference book to be very accurate and also the items you see listed are items you may actually come across and want to purchase. Unlike some antiques reference books, this shows the actual item in question...not something similar that leaves you wondering about the true value.
A must have for every Halloween memorabilia collector.
Halloween Collectables...a Treasure.......2000-08-06
This book is a wonderful depiction of the vast varieties of Halloween collectables you may find. I find this reference book to be very accurate and also the items you see listed are items you may actually come across and want to purchase. Unlike some antiques reference books, this shows the actual item in question...not something similar that leaves you wondering about the true value.
A must have for every Halloween memorabilia collector.
Average customer rating:
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Splendid Pathways: A Tour Through the World's Finest Botanical Gardens
Bryan Geon
Manufacturer: Warwick Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Regional
| Gardening & Horticulture
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| Canada
| Middle Atlantic
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Tourist Destinations & Museums
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General
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| Botany
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ASIN: 1894622456 |
Book Description
Here's a book that combines two very popular interests—gardening and travel. Author Bryan Geon takes readers to great botanical gardens all over the world, evoking their many colours and scents through vivid words and gorgeous pictures.
This book features a wide range of gardens with different settings, origins, and purposes—public, private, and university gardens; historic gardens and young, developing institutions; temperate, subtropical, and tropical gardens. Readers will delight in discovering gardens (and plants) with which they were unfamiliar, and will find the book an excellent resource for planning garden-inspired tours.
Average customer rating:
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Tradition and Dramatic Form in the Persians of Aeschylus (Cincinnati Classical Studies)
Ann N. Michelini
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
General
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All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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ASIN: 9004065865 |
Books:
- The Complete Idiot's Guide to Beagles
- The Essential Kitten (Howell Book House's Essential)
- The Essential Puppy (The Essential Guides)
- The Hedgehog: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet
- The Howell Book of Puppy Raising
- The Injury-Free Horse: Hands-on Methods for Maintaining Soundness & Health
- The Inspired Aquarium: Ideas and Instruction for Living with Aquariums
- The Miniature Schnauzer: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet (Your Happy Healthy Pet)
- The New Aquarium Handbook: Everything About Setting Up and Taking Care of a Freshwater Aquarium
- The New Pug
Books Index
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