The Bears of Alaska in Life and Legend

Average customer rating:

disappointing

Beautiful but not for practice

Forgotten Arts and Crafts

One of the best!

Not what you need...

Forgotten Arts and Crafts
John Seymour
Manufacturer: DK ADULT
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Reference | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0789458470

Amazon.com

Originally published in two separate volumes (The Forgotten Arts and Forgotten Household Crafts), this book brings under one cover the wisdom of John Seymour, a well-known thinker on matters of self-sufficiency, traditional arts, and voluntary simplicity. Seymour is a utopian--he has a vision of a better world where people aren't alienated from their labors. In the introduction he writes, "Are we justified in using articles, no matter how convenient it may be for us to use them, that we know were produced in conditions which bored and even stultified the human beings who had to make them?" This question led Seymour to the research that forms the foundation of the book: rediscovering natural ways of making tools, shoes, furniture, and a variety of other items using methods that follow the grain of wood or the idiosyncrasies of a piece of stone. Seymour respects what he calls "the discipline of natural materials," and he longs for a world free of "mass produced rubbish." Chapters cover an astonishing range: from clog making to spinning to canning. Since this book is intended as a comprehensive survey, don't expect to be an expert on, say, forging metal by reading Seymour's descriptions. He doesn't go into great detail; rather, he gives the basic facts of each forgotten labor of love, and it's up to readers to decide if it's a labor they want to undertake. --Emily White

Book Description

"There is not a human skill that was ever developed that is not still practiced somewhere on this planet." -- John Seymour. The Forgotten Arts & crafts brings together in a single absorbing volume two best-selling classics, The Forgotten Arts and Forgotten Household Crafts, written by the acknowledged "Father of Self-sufficiency" John Seymour. Taking the reader on an evocative journey through the worlds of traditional craftspeople -- from blacksmith to bee-keeper, wainwright to housewife -- Seymour celebrates their honest skills, many of which have disappeared beneath the tread of progress. With characteristic passion, Seymour demonstrates that these country arts and household crafts need never be forgotten. From woodland and building crafts to the tasks of the kitchen and laundry, he explores every aspect of traditional life. Materials and workshop tools are usefully annotated, and techniques evoked in engaging words and pictures. Over 1,700 detailed illustrations and photographs bring to life each craft and skill. In an affectionate and nostalgic account, John Seymour recalls a lifetime of encounters with working craftspeople in different parts of the world and describes the trades and household activities he saw practiced in the countryside of his youth. With a crusading vigor, he commends the joys of noble toil and makes a compelling plea for "virtuous craftsmanship," which may, without vigilance, vanish forever.

Customer Reviews:

disappointing.......2007-09-24

This book was not at all what I expected. It is more of a historical statement on how things were done rather than instruction on how to complete the specific tasks.

Beautiful but not for practice.......2007-05-19

This book is really fun to flip through, with great drawings and a wide range of topics. It goes into the "old fashioned" tools and techniques that people used to work and clean, and has some information on people who still use them. However, if you are looking for a how-to, this will probably not give you enough information. Not for serious homesteaders, but great for a historical coffee table book.

Forgotten Arts and Crafts.......2007-04-03

Not very many details but great photos and will come in handy when in anique or flea market when identifing old tools and gadgets. Most of the projects are simple and don't need a lot of details in order to do them.

One of the best!.......2007-01-04

I enjoyed this book fully! John Seymour added just the right mix of description and illustration to inspire interest rather than bore with too many details.(A rare talent).
The Forgotten Arts and Crafts is written with the same skill and appreciation for historic craftsmen as Eric Sloane's A Reverence for Wood and Edwin Tunis' Colonial America. I reccomend this as a permanent addition to any person's library.

Not what you need..........2006-11-17

...if you really hope to live anything like a rural, pre-industrial life. Do not, for one minute, underestimate the incredible difficulties you must overcome to leave modern life and begin living in the ways illustrated in this lovely but basically useless book. John Seymour is a global treasure, his books are wonderful and insightful, but I think this one was made mainly to sell.

If you really want to learn to work wood, read the books written by Roy Underhill. If you want to learn to work iron, find a blacksmith and ask for some lessons (books will not help you there.) Learn to cook and can and bake. Learn to sew. Then inherit money or win the lottery because you won't have time to earn a living if you do all these things.

These books are a lovely diversion from the cares of modern life, but they won't take you there any more than a book about the space shuttle will put you in orbit. The simple life is attainable, but it will be the hardest thing you ever do, and this book won't help you one bit. But the pictures are lovely, and if it inspires you, then it's worth the price.

The Forgotten Art of Creating an Old-Fashioned Family Christmas: Doing Things Together--From the Initial Hunt for Greens to Trimming the Tree on Chris

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The Forgotten Art of Creating an Old-Fashioned Family Christmas: Doing Things Together--From the Initial Hunt for Greens to Trimming the Tree on Chris
Barbara Logers , and Barbara Radcliffe Rogers
Manufacturer: Yankee Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Seasonal | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0911658300

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Forgotten Arts, Book 1 (Forgotten Arts)
Richard M. Bacon
Manufacturer: Yankee Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

Forgotten Arts, Book 3
Forgotten Arts, Book 2

Accessories:

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 0911658653

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Forgotten Arts, Book 4

Manufacturer: Yankee Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0911658955

The Forgotten Arts: Wall Stenciling : Yesterdays Skills Adapted to Today's Materials (The Forgotten arts)

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The Forgotten Arts: Wall Stenciling : Yesterdays Skills Adapted to Today's Materials (The Forgotten arts)
Richard M. Bacon
Manufacturer: Yankee Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Stenciling | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0899093264

Average customer rating:

Impractical but fascinating

The Forgotten Crafts
John Seymour
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0394539567
Release Date: 1984-11-12

Customer Reviews:

Impractical but fascinating.......2007-02-09

It's hard not to be sympathetic to Seymour's complaint: we are surrounded by progressively more mass-produced, low-quality junk, while the true local craftsman has vanished. Nevertheless, anyone making a commitment to use nothing but the beautiful, handmade works of art described herein must needs divorce himself from the other benefits of our society. It would also require a large independent income.

Surely there are certain items that are functionally improved by mass production. A lowly item like the garden rake is best exemplified by the $20 metal-and-plastic version available at your local hardware store. You can subject it to all kinds of abuse, and when it fails, simply throw it away and replace it. The lovely wooden rake with its delicate tines that Seymour describes is best relegated to display only, not real-world use.

In his decrying the disappearance of craftsmanship, Seymour mainly limits himself to those crafts that have indeed vanished, or are about to. It would have added a positive note to include a few ancient crafts, such as luthier, that are alive and well in the present day.

The sad fact is that these crafts survived because there was no alternative. I have seen forge welders doing a brisk business in African villages, but as soon as an oxy-acetylene torch becomes available, the old craft is abandoned - it's simply too inefficient. The thatcher's art is alive and well over there also. Seymour's complaint is basically against progress, a fine sentiment for those able to afford it.

The above should not be taken as negative criticism of the book. Seymour provides excellent descriptions and abundant clear diagrams to present this fascinating subject.

The Herculaneum Pottery: Liverpool's Forgotten Glory

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The Herculaneum Pottery: Liverpool's Forgotten Glory
Peter Hyland
Manufacturer: Liverpool University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 085323969X

Book Description

The emergence of Herculaneum pottery in early nineteenth-century Liverpool marked a pivotal moment in the clay arts. This book provides a comprehensive history of Herculaneum pottery—highly sought after in North America—and its rapid rise to international prominence. Renowned Liverpool porcelain collector Peter Hyland examines the pottery's relatively brief heyday from about 1800 to 1820. He then re-defines its niche within the wider context of the established Liverpool pottery tradition, which dates back to 1700. Liverpool's earthenware and porcelain were exported around the world, and Hyland investigates records to reveal the surprising extent to which the United States and Canada relied on Herculaneum for their fine wares. Ultimately, he considers why the pottery factory failed, showing how competition from Merseyside led to the factory's eventual closure in 1840. Building on the seminal work of Alan Smith, Peter Hyland's study draws on new scholarly research and recent excavations to reveal the extensive range of wares and decorations made at the Herculaneum factory. This new edition is illustrated with a wealth of full-color images, and it will stand as the definitive text on Herculaneum pottery.

The ancient art of making arrowheads: Man's oldest craft, his first invention, the forgotten art

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The ancient art of making arrowheads: Man's oldest craft, his first invention, the forgotten art
Leonard F Haslag
Manufacturer: L.F. Haslag
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Arts of the forgotten pioneers: Catalogue for an exhibition

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Arts of the forgotten pioneers: Catalogue for an exhibition
Martin Segger
Manufacturer: Maltwood Museum of Historic Art, University of Victoria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007APNMI

THE FORGOTTEN ARTS AND CRAFTS - Skills from Bygone Days

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THE FORGOTTEN ARTS AND CRAFTS - Skills from Bygone Days
John Seymour
Manufacturer: DK Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JVGP7C

Zen Gardening: A Down-to-Earth Philosophy
Average customer rating:

A pity this is out of print......

Not about Zen Gardens!

I ENJOY CRUNCHY BUT LAVISH IN CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER

Zen Gardening: A Down-to-Earth Philosophy
Veronica Ray
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Japanese Gardens | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0425152995

Customer Reviews:

A pity this is out of print.............2003-03-17

I am a yoga instructor who formerly was a landscape designer, and this tiny book is the most important book in my garden book collection. I bought this book even before I became a garden designer, before I amassed a library of design and garden books that are now gathering dust, and way before I became a yoga instructor because the message is simple yet profound. Truly experiencing what life has to offer involves learning to practice mindfulness, being fully present in every moment, and what better place to start than in your own garden -- just being and experiencing, and not always doing. Read a chapter a day and you will not only cultivate your outside garden but also your inner garden.
Namaste....

Not about Zen Gardens!.......1999-08-06

This book is not a practical manual on zen gardens. I live in Kyoto Japan and mistakenly bought the book thinking it would give me some help in planning my tsuboniwa (courtyard garden). It is, instead, the author's sometimes interesting personal musings on her garden. If you are really interested in zen gardens I suggest "A Japanese Touch for Your Garden".

I ENJOY CRUNCHY BUT LAVISH IN CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER.......1999-04-26

tHOUGH i DISLIKE PICKLES i ENJOY LOVING TREES. iF ONE CAN NOT ENJOY THE IMMENSE THINGS IN DEATH THEN HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN MIDGETS.

A Bottle Garden (Wonder World Nonfiction Level F)

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A Bottle Garden (Wonder World Nonfiction Level F)
Sandra and Veronica Alkema (Illustrator) Iversen
Manufacturer: Wright Group / McGraw Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 078021983X

Average customer rating:

The Garden (Harcourt)
Veronica Freeman Ellis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0153446471

Average customer rating:

Great Britain's Top 100 Gardens
Veronica Mackinnon
Manufacturer: Studio Cactus Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

In Veronica's Garden
Alfred Austin
Manufacturer: Macmillan and Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

Veronica's Garden
Great Book!!
Too much name dropping, not enough garden

In Veronica's Garden
Margret I. Cadwaladr
Manufacturer: Madrona Books and Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Book Description

In Veronica's Garden is the true story of a garden and the larger than life personality of its creator. This is a social history of the Milner Garden in Qualicum Beach, British Columbia, a stunningly beautiful garden nestled into the Canadian West Coast Douglas-fir forest.

The book traces the life of Veronica Milner, the creative force behind the garden. Born into the Edwardian British aristocracy, she was related to Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales.

As a young bride, she moved to an Irish castle. When widowed after an unhappy marriage, she remarried and moved to Canada where she built a garden in the style of Victorian garden writer William Robinson. Visitors to the garden included royalty. Malaspina University-College was gifted the garden in 1996.

Customer Reviews:

Veronica's Garden.......2007-08-10

Great read about an eccentric lady and the two amazing gardens she built. Lots of royalty namedropping and interesting pictures. Well written.

Great Book!!.......2004-10-22

Thoroughly enjoyed this book..great saga, even for non-gardeners. A most interesting woman. A true biography, way more then a book about gardens. Will hold wide appeal.

Too much name dropping, not enough garden.......2003-12-24

This book sets out to tell the story of a garden and the larger-than-life personality who helped in its creation. The garden is the Milner Garden and Woodland, near Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island off Canada's south west coast. It has an international reputation as a beautiful "natural" woodland garden. Sadly, the book does not do the garden justice.

The Veronica of the title is Veronica Milner, born to an aristocratic English family and related to both Winston Churchill and Princess Diana. She first married Desmond FitzGerald, Knight of Glin and lived a life of privilege in an Irish castle. Her second husband, Ray Milner, was a prominent and wealthy Canadian businessman who seems to have been an exceptionally nice man. Ray had previously been married to Catherine and the two of them had bought the land and developed what became the Milner Garden. Both loved the garden and the trees that gave it its lovely natural setting beside the ocean. After Catherine's death Ray met and married Veronica and somehow managed to live amicably with this selfish, snobbish, difficult woman and to finance her extravagances, which included improvements to the garden.

The writer seems to be fascinated with Veronica's wealthy and titled background, and with visits from the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Diana to the garden. The reader has to struggle through page after page of name dropping. I had been hoping for a book about the garden, not "Lives of the Rich and Famous". There is very little information about the design of the garden, and how it evolved, and it seems that Veronica took much of the credit due to Ray and Catherine Milner. The illustrations are adequate (except for the maps, which are quite crude) but not professional quality and don't really reflect the beauty of the garden.

Product Description

The story of British aristocrat Veronica FitzGerald Milner who developed gardens at Glin Castle, Ireland and Qualicum Beach, B.C. Canada. The book was a finalist for an international award as an "outstanding contribution to horticulture or botany." It is a Canadain best seller.

Average customer rating:

lovely English mystery

Murder In The Garden
Veronica Heley
Manufacturer: Severn House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Women Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 072786145X

Customer Reviews:

lovely English mystery.......2007-06-24

I loved the main character, a person you'd love to have as a neighbor.
This is the second book I've read in the series and am thrilled to have more to read in the series.

Peter and Veronica: Spring time lessons in an old garden

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Peter and Veronica: Spring time lessons in an old garden
Margaret Beech
Manufacturer: Herbert Jenkins Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KL7UPC

Average customer rating:

PETER AND VERONICA: SPRING-TIME LESSONS IN AN OLD GARDEN.

Manufacturer: Herbert Jankins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HHP08S

Drawing the Line: Ten Steps to Constructive Discipline--And Achieving a Great Relationship with Your Kids
Average customer rating:

A lifesaver!

My son's pediatrician recommended this book

A great and informative Book

Superb! Very practical and understandable

Drawing the Line: Ten Steps to Constructive Discipline--And Achieving a Great Relationship with Your Kids
Michael J. Weiss , Sheldon H. Wagner , and Susan Goldberg
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Child Development | Babies & Toddlers | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0446695009

Book Description

When it comes to helping children learn to control their impulses, todays parents are pulling their own hair out: time-outs dont work and gimmicky techniques dont instill the values parents want their children to have. DRAWING THE LINE introduces a unique 10-step program that shows parents how to create and engineer conflict, in order to help break inappropriate habits and learn more productive ways of behaving. Dr. Weiss and Dr. Wagners approach shows parents how to establish goals for their family and children identify and isolate problem behaviors develop proactive plans before conflicts arise understand how to engineer conflict in order to create change and find suitable, effective reward and penalty systems that really work. An alternative to overly-permissive and too-strict parenting styles, this book includes quizzes, checklists, worksheets, and information sidebars, as well as stories and anecdotes that illuminate, encourage, and inspire!

Customer Reviews:

A lifesaver!.......2006-03-21

Drawing the Line: Ten Steps to Constructive Discipline--And Achieving a Great Relationship with Your Kids offers hope to harried parents who are looking for a compassionate way to work with their children.

By using engaging stories and anecdotes to illustrate their ideas, Drs. Michael Weiss and Sheldon Wagner offer simple alternatives to punishment, lengthy and ineffective time-outs, and power struggles with kids. Their easy-to-follow, common-sense tips are nothing short of life-changing for parents who have been in search of a "better way" to communicate with and gain cooperation from their children.

Whether you're battling at bedtime, having a hard time with toilet training, or you're concerned about a toddler who subsists only on yogurt and grilled cheese, this book is sure to help restore harmony in your home.

Armchair Interviews says: A lifesaver for frustrated parents who want a better relationship with their kids.

My son's pediatrician recommended this book.......2006-03-20

I read this book three months ago, and I keep it on my nightstand so that I can easily refer back to it. Dr. Weiss and Dr. Wagner provide clear guidance on how to handle and, better yet, avoid difficult behaviors. Their advice is invaluable.

I have employed the approach discussed in the book, and my family is much better off as a result.

Many thanks to these experts for sharing their wisdom!

A great and informative Book.......2006-02-25

BY READING THIS BOOK I FELT THAT I WAS CONSULING PERSONALLY WITH DR. MICHAEL WEISS. I HAVE HOPES THAT THIS IS THE GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME.

Superb! Very practical and understandable.......2006-02-23

This book is one of the few I have read that really speaks at a parents level. You can relate to many of the examples given in this book. I have also watched Real Families and the methods described in this book really work. This book is definitely worth your time! A++++++

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