The Overloaded Ark

Customer Reviews:

Sheer delight.......2007-04-16

This was the first of Gerald Durrell's (yes, he's the kid brother of novelist Lawrence--who appears in several of his other works, such as My Family and Other Animals and Birds, Beasts, and Relatives) long string of animal books that I ever encountered, and over the next 30-odd years my mother and I literally read our copy to pieces. Durrell was the youngest collector ever commissioned when he set off for the British Cameroons in search, chiefly, of the less spectacular examples of African fauna. With a mixture of near-lyricism, earthiness, and the kind of humor that will have you gasping for breath, he describes the people he met (primarily native villagers), the creatures he caught (and how he did it), and the land it all took place in. Even at this early date, long before his famous Jersey Island zoo was more than a faint gleam in his eye, his deep love of nature shines out on every page, and he's an author every animal fan should know. (Don't miss the tale of his next expedition, The Bafut Beagles, which is equally as good.)

Still enjoyable nearly forty years on.......2003-05-06

This book is about a business that, for the most part, no longer exists - the business of collecting animals for display in zoos. Wildlife conservation has changed a lot since then so the kind of expedition that Gerald Durrell and his companion, John, undertook in 1953, described in this book, just could not happen now.

Gerald describes how he and John spent several months in Cameroon collecting a variety of animals, birds and reptiles and some of the adventures they had, including the triumphs and disappointments. He acknowledges right at the beginning that the expedition may seem more exciting than it really was, because all the boring aspects have been omitted. Even so, there were enough exciting moments to fill this book.

He describes some of the local people, who he mostly got on well with - but of course he did have some problems and we are told about these. He describes some of the creatures he collected, and the disappointment when some died or escaped.

My favorite (both at school and now) was a chimpanzee that had already been domesticated. Gerald was asked to look after him before he could be shipped to London. This was no ordinary chimpanzee, as he not only enjoyed smoking cigarettes but was able to light his own using either matches or lighter, and also displayed other characteristics more normally associated with people than with chimpanzees. Always remember that this was 1953.

This is a highly entertaining book, which I first read at school, where it was compulsory reading - and it was the only such book that I enjoyed. I still enjoyed it when I read it again recently, after discovering (to my surprise) that it is still available in the UK.

Where da beef? In this book, that's where.......2002-08-25

Gerald Durrell spent most of his life collecting interesting animal specimens and Durrell is an interesting human specimen himself. His well chronicled life (mostly chronicled by Durrell) begins with the hilarious, and very succesfull, "My family and Other Animals". It is ably followed up with the equally hilarious "Birds, Beasts and Relatives". Both books are full of tales from the Durrell family's years on the Greek Island of Corfu, pre WWII. Little Gerry dives right into the flora and fauna of the island, including its human fauna. I own very few nonfiction books with such a plethora of memorable characters. Now, of course, we get to the volume in question. It is plenty good, and worth multiple readings over years, as is "A Zoo In My Luggage" and several other books detailing trips to collect animals. A word of warning, don't go nuts and buy all the zillion Durrell titles. Some of them are out of print for a reason and were most likely dashed off by Durrell to finance a collecting trip or two. If you read a sampling of Amazon.com reviews you will sniff these out and avoid wasting you hard earned lucre. And please, get "My Familiy and Other Animals and "Birds, Beasts and Relatives" right now, if you dont have them already.

A Lovable and discriptive novel........2000-06-16

Durrell's descriptions are so enthralling, I actually read the entire book in one night. If you like books about animals, such as the All Creatures series, you must read this book. I first read this book when I was 10, and this was probably the first adult book I read. The way Durrell describes the catching of animals and the way he captures each character's essence is incredible. You will fall in love with this book. I strongly recommend it.

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THE OVERLOADED ARK
Gerald M. Durrell
Manufacturer: Tower
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: B0000CILGX

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THE OVERLOADED ARK
GERALD DURRELL
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Binding: Paperback
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THE OVERLOADED ARK
Gerald Durrell
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
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Gerald Durrell
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Manufacturer: The Viking Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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The Overloaded Ark
Gerald Durrell
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Overloaded Ark, 1953 (IN RUSSIAN LANGUAGE) / (Pod pologom pjanogo lesa / . )

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The Overloaded Ark, 1953 (IN RUSSIAN LANGUAGE) / (Pod pologom pjanogo lesa / . )
Gerald Durrell , Gerald Malcolm Durrell , and .
Manufacturer: AST
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

All Russian Books | Russian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 5170167679

Product Description

Page created by "Russian-Language".

Fire and the Hammer, Barabbas, Helen Gould Was My Mother in Law, the Glass of Fashion, the Overloaded Ark, Washington Square, Voyages and Discoveries

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Fire and the Hammer, Barabbas, Helen Gould Was My Mother in Law, the Glass of Fashion, the Overloaded Ark, Washington Square, Voyages and Discoveries
Many
Manufacturer: Nelson Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MGY57G

Fire and the Hammer, Barabbas, the Glass of Fashion, Helen Gould Was My Mother-In-law, the Overloaded Ark, voyages and Discoveries, I go Pogo, Washington Square

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Fire and the Hammer, Barabbas, the Glass of Fashion, Helen Gould Was My Mother-In-law, the Overloaded Ark, voyages and Discoveries, I go Pogo, Washington Square
Par Lagerkvist, Cecil Beaton, Celeste Andrews Seton, Clark Andrews, Gerald M. Durrell, Walt Kelly, Henry James Shirley Barker
Manufacturer: Nelson Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VMAM00

Book Description

The kyokushinkai karate of Mas Oyama is widely practiced and well respected. Mas Oyama's exploits in the art of karate are the stuff of legend. He killed a bull with his bare hands. He fought 100 men in a single day. Over the course of a year, he accepted 270 challenges. He fought boxers, wrestlers, bouncers and anyone who was willing. His dynamic feats of board and brick breaking were so amazing that he was nicknamed "Godhand." His Kyokushinkai Karate Organization has enjoyed a membership of millions. This book presents the life and exploits of Mas Oyama, including his formative years, his training, his accomplishments and the private aspects of the man himself.

Customer Reviews:

The Book is ... OK.......2007-04-11

The book is OK if you do not know about Mas Oyama. The problem that I found; the writer repeats some parts in some chapters

No New Insights Offered on Mas Oyama.......2005-11-05

Unfortunately Michael L. Lorden's, "Mas Oyama: The Legend, the Legacy" falls short of its intended target.

Michael L. Lorden begins his book on a positive note, but unfortunately seems to lose his way in portraying the life of Masutatsu Oyama, one of the greatest martial artist of our time. Lorden collects some important facts about Mas Oyama and his karate, but there is very little new information on Mas Oyama's life.

I, like many other admirers, looked forward to reading more of the younger Yong I Choi (Oyama's birth name, in Korea), but there was little written on his youth in this book. Lorden scarcely touches upon Mas Oyama's Korean family, his childhood or teen-age years, his schooling or education, his friends, hobbies - apart from his love of reading, his short-lived military career, etc.

Masutatsu Oyama was undoubtedly one of the world's great martial artists and the founder of Kyokushin Karate, a formidable style that stressed full contact kumite with no protective gear. Mas Oyama was regarded as a true master because he practiced what he preached and preached what he practiced - he lived the life of a true martial artist. His devotion to his Kyokushin Karate was everything to him. Mas Oyama first exhibitions in the United States flabbergasted audiences and martial artists alike. Mas Oyama's extraordinary speed, inconceivable power, and unwavering spirit were recognized throughout the martial arts world. His forceful demonstrations illustrated to all the grand possibilities of Kyokushin Karate and karate in general. The author tells us of Oyama's "uchi-deshi program" wherein a selected few students are permitted to spend three years at his honbu in pursuit of excellence in Kyokushin Karate. Few students made it into his program and even fewer graduated from it.

Any individual that is a product of the 60s and was interested in, or practiced, a martial art was very familiar with Sosai Masutatsu Oyama's karate. You Knew of his exploits with bulls, his open challenges to all fighters (whatever their fighting style), his breaking of boards, roof tiles, blocks of ice, rocks, bricks, and his ability to chop the neck off of a bottle without knocking the bottle over. People were also aware of Mas Oyama's devotion, philosophy, and maxims on karate and on life.

In "Mas Oyama: The Legend, the Legacy", Lorden writes on Mas Oyama's way of life; the value he placed on self-discipline, perseverance, goodness, civility, respect, devotion, and arduous training. Unfortunately, Lorden presents no new biographical footprints to Mas Oyama's past. Whereas other biographers utilize research, archival documents, interviews . . . in order to uncover new insights into their subjects, Lorden is content to put together a book with a conglomeration of previous and well-known facts on Mas Oyama. Lorden does not follow any particular pattern in his writing - he jumps back and forth and uses too much repetition in his writing.

"Mas Oyama: The Legend, the Legacy" is a good book for those unfamiliar with the life of Masutatsu Oyama, but for those who are acquainted with Mas Oyama's life, Michael L. Lorden book offers no new material or insights.

terrible book about a great martial artist.......2005-09-06

the problems with this book have already been addressed by other reviewers for the most part. the author is a terrible writer, and the book repeats itself all the way through. the book is very short. the author is a fanboy and writes like one, with no thought given to an unbiased look at oyama. all in all a pitiful book, 0 out of 5 stars.

Interesting, but not without some flaws.......2003-08-12

Interesting story about Mas Oyama. I enjoyed reading about my sosai, but first of all the book is quite short. I read it in one evening. It will take at most two if you have other things to attend to. Second, add to the brevity of the book, it is very repetitious. And as most of the repetition is about the "legendary exploits of the godlike Oyama", you'll soon start feeling like you're going to throw up your lunch. When you just think you've seen the last of it, another chapter starts by reciting how many challenge fights and how many bulls Oyama has beaten and how many months he trained inhumanly in the mountains and so on. Just too much of repetition for such a short book overall. I've also heard rumours that there are some factual errors in the book, but don't have any further info about them. Some obvious typoes are repeated throughout the book (like goju-ryu is spelled gojo-ryu). Also, quite an amount of the book focuses on other aspects than Oyama, things like the different kinds of sparring practice and the different master instructors and tournament champions of kyokushinkai. Perhaps the book should've been named "Oyama and His Karatekai". It definitely should've been longer and less repetitious.

Interesting, but poorly written.......2003-07-31

As a new student of the Kyokushin style of karate, I looked around for biographical information on Mas Oyama, it's founder. This book, while it covers basic facts and offers a few interesting stories, was not written well. Chapter by chapter, the author repeats himself, sometimes almost word-for-word paragraphs at a time. It's disjointed, almost as though the chapters were written as individuals essays, then the whole lot thrown together for publication. He keeps jumping forward and back in time, making any chronology difficult to follow. It's a decent introductory read, but I'm going to look elsewhere for a real biography.

Book Description

With its unparalleled coverage of everything from 18th-century cant to contemporary gay jargon, plus its uncluttered design, Cassell's Dictionary of Slang was warmly received when it first appeared in 1998. And now the world's best single-volume dictionary of English slang is even better! Jonathon Green has spent the last seven years on a vast project, doing in-depth research on vernacular vocabulary, hunting down and recording written instances of as many of these words as possible. He not only uncovered many thousands of new expressions (12,000 of which will appear here), but he has also made myriad improvements to the existing text. The result is an entertaining, educational, and thoroughly enlightening look at the endless liveliness of the English language.
“Broadly entertaining resource…will delight readers.”—Library Journal.

Customer Reviews:

a monumental work.......2006-07-07

The dictionary is fantastic .Tracing slang from the 16th century to the present is no mean feat.However, the omission of some slang expressions , namely between a rock and a hard place or couldn't organize a two-car funeral , is odd.I personally prefer dictioaries that are organized according to keywords rather than alphabetically , but considering everything ,the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Cassell Dictionary of Slang (Dictionary)

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Excellent resource on slang
The most comprehensive work on modern slang
The World of Words
Great Book
Excellent language-lover's resource

Cassell Dictionary of Slang (Dictionary)
Jonathon Green
Manufacturer: Cassell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

ASIN: 0304344354

Book Description

"...broadly entertaining resource 'covers the waterfront' with 'lingo' and 'bits and bobs' from English-speaking countries, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, parts of the Caribbean, and the United States....features 70,000 words and phrases dating from the early 16th century to the present. Typical entries include parts of speech, etymology...time periods, geography, brief definitions...usage examples... occasional cross references. Entries such as 'nudnik'...'New York minute'...'La la Land'...and 'beam me up, Scotty'...will delight...readers. Libraries...will...want to purchase this resource because of its broader coverage and affordable price."--Library Journal.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent resource on slang.......2006-05-28

Just a quickie- this book is very useful for writers and is simply a lot of fun to read. I recommend it without reservations.

The most comprehensive work on modern slang.......2005-03-13

One of the most interesting aspects of any language is the study of idiomatic and colloquial expressions. The use(or understanding)of slang words indicates a person's true command of a language. Here we have one of the greatest collections of modern slang words in the English language (as opposed to the analogous work on historical slang by Partridge - Lighter's superb work 'Historical Dictionary of American Slang' is alas still unfinished). Moreover, it seems that Green's purpose was to provide an extensive list of terms rather than give detailed etymologies. Hence, the entries are abundant yet concise. There may not be the analytical observations and quotations that one would find in Tony Thorne's 'Dictionary of Contemporary Slang'(the enlarged 3rd edition has just come out)but there are many more words and phrases.
It is true that perhaps any specific dictionary of slang such as a dictionary specialising in the slang of the underworld or Afro-American slang etc. might have a slighly larger collection of those particular terms. However, this mammoth work covers every possible area of slang. Perhaps there are far too many entries on sexual slang (and associated perverted practices etc.) than I would have liked. Yet perhaps the author thought that their exclusion could have made the work defective or lacking in some way. Indeed, it is unfortunate that the connotations of the word 'slang' have changed so that now 'slang' no longer means just colloquial jargon but the obscene tongue. This dictionary is thus also a reflection of this new meaning. However, despite the profusion of dubious/unsavoury entries, the dictionary is also rich in other forms of slang such as criminal slang, rhyming slang, black American slang and post-war slang. There are also many racist slang terms, many of which were first presented in the author's interesting work "Words Apart: The Language of Prejudice" (1996) in which he compiled an immense list of ethnic insults and nicknames. Not only has he incorporated most of these in this great dictionary but he has also added many more similar phrases. For instance, the word 'French', which is often used in conjunction with phrases that pertain to some form of sexual deviance, appears in a wide vairiety of other expressions too: Frenchwoman (i.e. fortune-teller)and French harp (harmonica), etc. The Spaniards also come in for some abuse with terms like Spanish time (unpunctuality), and Spanish waiter (potato) is an example of rhyming slang. Similarly Mexican oats means nonsense and either a Mexican jeep or a Mexican carriage is a donkey. Moreover, the word 'Dutch' (which across the Atlantic refers to someone from Holland, not Germany) is used in phrases like a Dutch nightingale (a frog). There are also several similar expressions with a host of other nationalities such as the Irish. However, for a much more extensive list of phrases with the word 'Irish'(with not only similar jocular phrases but many other expressions besides) one should read the book by Thornton B.Edwards "Irish! A Dictionary of Phrases, Terms and Epithets beginning with the word 'Irish'". His other book "Welsh Nots, Welsh Notes and Welsh Nuts" is a similar collection of phrases with the word 'Welsh' (see my reviews of both of these books here). There are many slang entries from both these books with the words 'Irish' and 'Welsh' that have not been included in Green's dictionary. Similarly Smead's excellent work 'Vocabulario Vaquero' provides several extra slang phrases with the words 'Spanish' and 'Mexican'. Yet I envisage that such missing entries from these and many other books will no doubt be incorporated in any revised supplemeted editions of this great work. Green has already included so much in this first edition. It is a materpiece as well as an invaluable contribution to (and record of) the English language. It belongs to every bookshelf.

The World of Words.......2002-07-24

If you, like me, live in a non english speaking country and love and teach the english language for a living, you definitely should have a copy of this book alongside a good regular dictionary. And even if english is your mother tongue you should get this book too. Of course all those swearing words are there but there is a lot more than that, there are plenty of cultural references in here that will help you to understand the origins of many terms so used on our daily lives and to discover how language adapts with time and space.

Great Book.......2002-07-17

Very comprehensive, and as a amatuer linguist, this is one of my favorite word books (I have dozens). You will find entries here that you won't even find in the 20-volume Oxford-English Dictionary. Unquestionably the best book on slang out there. Some of the definitions tend to be short, but obviously this had to be done to allow for more entries. Some of the words though is does go into some depth and history, for instance the word 'sockdolager', it mentions it was one of last words Abe Lincoln heard, which used as adjective form as 'sockdolagizing' spoken by character Asa Trenchard in Tom Taylor play "Our American Cousin". This book is a great buy for book lovers, but as one reviewer stated, avoid giving to young kids due to some of the explicit nature of many of the words.

Excellent language-lover's resource.......2001-01-11

Reaching back into English for some centuries and reaching through English as it's written & spoken today in many nations, this dictionary offers what seems a unique guide to the use of words and more particularly, phrases, that I can't find defined in any other work. Indispensable for those who really want to understand exactly what they're reading.

While I respect the Californian reader's suggestion that potential buyers also consider two other slang dictionaries, I point out that Green's work goes far beyond only American usages. There's plenty here about English, New Zealand, Canadian, Australian, and other variants of English.

Nice touch: the editor's introduction comes complete with an e-mail address. Any reader who finds a usage that Jonathon Green doesn't know about, is free to send it in for future editions. But I personally find few usages that Jonathon Green doesn't know about.

Book Description

It's clear as a bell--this informative and fun A to Z guide to English idioms really plumbs the depths of the subject. Over 10,000 cross-referenced entries that range from bread and circuses to apple-pie order and muscle in to zonk out give the meaning of each phrase and the context in which it is used. Unusual idioms receive longer explanations detailing their origins and their history. There are terms Shakespearean, Biblical, nautical, historical-and ones derived from quotes, misquotes, and misunderstanding. You won't want to do without it!

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Cassell's Rhyming Slang
Jonathon Green
Manufacturer: Cassell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0304355135

Book Description

Want rice and Aberdeens for dinner? Or andy mcnish--wouldn't that be apples and spice? It's rhyme time, and this witty, wildly inventive dictionary will inform you those "code words" stand for beans, fish, and nice. Amazingly detailed, it includes a history of rhyming slang, 100 categories, and over 2,500 phrases. Best of all, it takes a "bilingual" approach that lets you learn new slang while looking up the old!

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The Cassell Dictionary of Slang
Jonothan GREEN
Manufacturer: Cassell & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Slang & Idioms | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000LXAATC

Book Description

Over 1,200 royalty-free designs in 21 basic subject categories, including flowers, snowflakes, butterflies, suns, ships, lions, crowns, crosses, circles, squares, borders and frames, more. Indispensable design treasury for every graphic design library.

Customer Reviews:

Expected More.......2001-09-04

I thought I would like this book more based on the other review, but decided to return it instead. It was not what I was looking for. It did have many designs, but I felt they were common and basic.

nicely varied, good selection.......2000-03-19

This is a strong design book, among the best I've used. Beautiful, decorative, imaginative. I will use at least 85% of the designs, which seems rare for a book like this. If it had a CD-rom, it would be perfect.

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