Esoteric Curiosities of the Plant Kingdom

Product Description

After Alexander von Humboldt, in 1804, had returned from his extended journey through the equinoctial regions of the New World and published his experiences under the title Aequinoctialgegenden des Neuen Continents, his contemporaries were as fascinated and enthralled as von Humboldt himself by his Natural Painting of the Tropical Countries (1807), by "cactic forms," "barrel trees," "mimosa ferns," and many other things which he had seen during his journeys and that were unknown in Europe at that time. Already, Humboldt found that "all animal and vegetable development is bound to fixed, eternally acting types which determine the physiognomy of nature." For this reason, the author starts his book with descriptions of the habitats of "rare plants," the tropical rain forest, deserts and semideserts, primeval Madagascar, and the boundary regions of plant life.

Although the author deals with giant trees, millennial plants, and other curiosities, he is not so much concerned to present, in word and picture, odd shapes and formations of plants that will strike the eye of the uninformed and nonbotanists, but he is much more anxious to point out those less conspicuous peculiarities that the layman will normally miss if his attention is not drawn to these items. Thus, the author presents in word and picture carefully selected examples of interesting pollination mechanisms, opening times of various flowers, Linné's floral clock, humming birds and bats as pollinators, ecologically and physiologically specialized groups of plants such as epiphytes, halophytes, rootless plants, parasites, and saprophytes as well as magic plants, witches' plants, and poisonous plants. Finally, the author deals with the "fossil book of nature," showing that the present plant cover of the earth is the result of a development of many millions of years. Wherever you open the book, you will find "curiosities of the plant kingdom."

Text and illustrations will appeal not only to the expert but also to the amateur botanist, giving him valuable information for his roving expeditions in nature so that he may experience for himself all of those curiosities.

Lonely Planet Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah (Lonely Planet Southwest)
Average customer rating:

Great!

Lonely No More

Used It, Read It, Loved It.

Authors don't like New Mexico

Your standard LP book

Lonely Planet Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah (Lonely Planet Southwest)
Jeff Campbell , and Rob Rachowiecki
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
Lonely Planet | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books
West South Central | South | Regions | United States | Travel | Subjects | Books
Mountain | West | Regions | United States | Travel | Subjects | Books
North America | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Rough Guide to Southwest USA, 2nd Edition (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

Moon Handbooks Four Corners: Including Navajo and Hopi Country, Moab, and Lake Powell (Moon Handbooks)

Hidden Southwest: Including Arizona, New Mexico, Southern Utah, and Southwest Colorado (Hidden Travel)

Journey to the High Southwest, 7th: A Traveler's Guide to Santa Fe and the Four Corners of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Frommer's American Southwest (Frommer's Complete)

ASIN: 1864503769

Book Description

Want to explore the Grand Canyon? Ski Olympic-caliber slopes? Watch red rock turn fiery at sundown? Our expert authors show you where to find these thrills and more in the Southwest. From Albuquerque to Zion, this guide points you toward the region's urban centers and natural wonders alike.

full coverage of national parks and monuments, including Bryce canyon and Carlsbad Caverns
more than 22 scenic drives, with color maps to help you hit the road
places to stay and eat for every budget, whether you're seeking the best campsite or the lap of luxury
120 user-friendly maps of cities, trails and natural sites

Customer Reviews:

Great!.......2006-06-21

Does a very good job of covering a large area. This book exhibits the best of the Lonely Planet series: a combination of facts, interesting suggestions, opinion and background information. Good maps and graphics. I like that camping suggestions are included for many places.

Lonely No More.......2005-09-10

Living in Australia, planning a road trip around the Southwest is not an easy consideration. I received this book and suddenly the Southwest was withing smelling distance. The reading is easy and expressive. I have a clear idea of where I will go and what I will do. No matter if I were travelling with children or on my own, I'd be clear about what is available to me. This will be the trip of a lifetime and this sensational book is a catalyst for my planning. Fully enjoyable, this book allows the magic of anticipation to grab me and give me colourful dreams.

Used It, Read It, Loved It........2005-07-31

This book was incredibly helpful to me. The maps are awesome. It's organized well. I hiked and did Route 66. The book was great for both. The table of contents is super accessible. Buy it and take it everywhere!

Authors don't like New Mexico.......2004-02-25

I purchased this book before a recent visit to Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos. I lived in Albuquerque for 4 years about 6 years ago, but I hoped to find new insigts on places to eat, explore, etc. Basically the guidebook told me where not to go. It failed to mention some excellent restaurants in Albuquerque including The Dog House, Las Mananitas, Il Vicino, etc. In Santa Fe I attended a class at the Santa Fe School of Cooking which was a five star class - not mentioned in the guidebook. In Taos I visited a community of alternative homes constructed of tires and cement (earthships.com will explain more) - again not mentioned in the book. I did go to look at a ruin near Espanola that was recommended, but the reservation does not allow admittance.

Your standard LP book.......2003-07-02

I have recently encountered poor Lonely Planet books, but this was not one of them. It is the good old LP at work.
The coverage of Las Vegas, however, was extremely poor. I spent there 24 hours and this book didn't have enough info for even that short of a trip. The rest is great.
The California LP had twice as much info on Las Vegas.

Lonely Planet the Southwest, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah (1995 ed.)

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet the Southwest, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah (1995 ed.)
Rob Rachowiecki
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Lonely Planet | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0864422555

Lonely Planet: Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Including Mesa Verde & Las Vegas

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet: Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Including Mesa Verde & Las Vegas
Rob Rachowiecki
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MFDGI6

Book Description

Reading Essentials, Student Edition provides concise content of the Student Edition written at a lower grade level, making it perfect for struggling readers and ELL students.

Glencoe World History, Modern Times, Spanish Reading Essentials and Study Guide, Workbook

Average customer rating:

Glencoe World History, Modern Times, Spanish Reading Essentials and Study Guide, Workbook
McGraw-Hill
Manufacturer: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Spain | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

No ficción | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

Book Description

Reading Essentials, Student Edition provides concise content of the Student Edition written at a lower grade level, making it perfect for struggling readers and ELL students.

Glencoe World History, Spanish Reading Essentials and Study Guide, Workbook

Average customer rating:

Glencoe World History, Spanish Reading Essentials and Study Guide, Workbook
McGraw-Hill
Manufacturer: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Spain | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

No ficción | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

Book Description

Reading Essentials, Student Edition provides concise content of the Student Edition written at a lower grade level, making it perfect for struggling readers and ELL students.

Average customer rating:

Glencoe World History, Spanish Reading Essentials And Study Guide, Workbook
McGraw-Hill
Manufacturer: Glencoe/Mcgraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OH0AFO

Customer Reviews:

CAMILLE.......2007-06-02

As a Rodin researcher, I find Catharine Lampert's book extremely useful as a reference. It is very insightful in providing three-dimensional characterization, particularly to Camille Claudel who played such an important part in influencing Rodin's style in the 1880's, serving both as a detailer (hands and feet) of his own works, a model and his lover while continuing to become a better and better sculptor in her own right. The book is a beautiful publication worthy of coffee-table display. The lure of the coffee table, however should be balanced by the posible reactions of those who may flip it open towards the end. Here one finds many of his drawings. Wonderful though they and his style are in the drafting field, there are quite a number of sketches that are also extremely explicit . I would not want my grandchildren to be 'hit' by these. Buy the book by all means but be forewarned to display, or not display, according to the company that surround your coffee table. Neville Hale, author "The Rodin Quest" listed by Amazon.

"All right, Ben. Attend me.".......2005-01-26

"Anybody can look at a pretty girl and see a pretty girl. An artist can look at a pretty girl and see the old woman she will become. A better artist can look at an old woman and see the pretty girl that she used to be. But a great artist-a master-and that is what Auguste Rodin was-can look at an old woman, protray her exactly as she is...and force the viewer to see the pretty girl she used to be...and more than that, he can make anyone with the sensitivity of an armadillo, or even you, see that this lovely young girl is still alive, not old and ugly at all, but simply prisoned inside her ruined body. He can make you feel the quiet, endless tragedy that there was never a girl born who ever grew older than eighteen in her heart...no matter what the merciless hours have done to her. Look at her, Ben. Growing old doesn't matter to you and me; we were never meant to be admired-but it does to them."

-Robert A. Heinlein "Stranger in a Strange Land"

Beautiful image filled collection of Rodin's creations........1998-02-25

This book contains many wonderful pieces, as well as providing details of Rodin's life during the time he created these enchanting works. I love to turn each page, because his collection always remain fresh and exciting...Jasmine

Auguste Rodin: Erotic Sketches Erotische Skizzen (Prestel's Erotic Sketchboo Series)

Average customer rating:

A Treasure Book from Rodin's Last Years of Work

Auguste Rodin: Erotic Sketches Erotische Skizzen (Prestel's Erotic Sketchboo Series)
Auguste Rodin
Manufacturer: Prestel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Erotic | Other Media | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

German | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Arts & Photography | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Nonfiction | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All German Books | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Picasso: Erotic Sketchs / Erotische Skizzen (Prestel's Erotic Sketchbook)
Rembrandt (Erotic Sketchbook)
Gustav Klimt: Erotic Sketches / Erotische Skizzen (Erotic Sketchbook)
Egon Schiele: Erotic Sketches / Erotische Skizzen (Erotic Sketchbook)
Auguste Rodin: Images of Desire, Erotic Watercolors and Cut-outs

ASIN: 379133395X

Book Description

Auguste Rodin: Erotic Sketchbook

Norbert Wolf

Designed to imitate an artist's sketchbook, this exquisite collection of Auguste Rodin's nude drawings is a sensuous celebration of his work.

One of the world's most revered sculptors, Rodin spent much of his late career sketching nudes in his studio. At the time these intimate studies were considered obscene and their first public exhibition resulted in scandal. Today Rodin's erotic work is appreciated for its great expressive power, confidence of line, and delicate colors. This collection of more than thirty color drawings offers readers the unique experience of peering over the artist's shoulder as he works. The stunning reproductions, embossed cover and ribbon tie make this a perfect gift for lovers of art and lovers everywhere.

Norbert Wolf is an art historian and the author of Gustav Klimt: Erotic Sketchbook, Egon Schiele: Erotic Sketchbook, and The World of Saints (all by Prestel).

Customer Reviews:

A Treasure Book from Rodin's Last Years of Work.......2006-09-11

Though very small in format and in brevity of content (a mere 64 pages with 38 illustrations), this little book serves art lovers and art historians well. Contained in this slight volume, and interspersed with cogent commentary by Norbert Wolf in both English and German, are Auguste Rodin's final sketches in pencil, watercolor and gouache of the female nude. Quite in contrast to his monumental sculptures these sketches reveal a different aspect of Rodin's genius - he introduces nude and nearly nude drawings of women in tandem, works that at the time of creation were scandalously dismissed as pornography.

In today's harsher light these fine sketches provide a glance at not only Rodin's psyche but also at his amazingly fluid style of committing drawing to paper, a style in significant contrast to his strictly anatomically correct sculptural figures. The book is a delight to read and to peruse and allows us entry into the climate of the late 19th and early 20th century art realm. Grady Harp, September 06

Average customer rating:

Rodin & Beuys
Josephine Gabler , Claude Keisch , Dieter Koepplin , Helene Pinet , Pamela Kort , Joseph Beuys , and Auguste Rodin
Manufacturer: Richter Verlag
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

German | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Arts & Photography | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Nonfiction | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All German Books | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 3937572341
Release Date: 2006-03-01

Book Description

Between 1947 and 1964 Joseph Beuys produced a swath of works on paper that, in their style, technique, and formal vocabulary, echo those of Auguste Rodin by way of his teacher and mentor, sculptor, Wilhelm Lehmbruck. Although Beuys's work remains very different from his predecessors', it does take up themes they had pursued, including the idea of the torso as an autonomous, enclosed form and of the fragment as the simplest and most elementary embodiment of immutability. This book sets Beuys's works on paper and sculptures opposite the works on paper and sculptures of Rodin and Lehmbruck, and finds both striking affinities and autonomy.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful and physical
Heavy on the Art, But a Bit Confusing on the Eyes

Rodin: Eros And Creativity

Manufacturer: Prestel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Erotic | Other Media | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Auguste Rodin: Images of Desire, Erotic Watercolors and Cut-outs
Rodin

ASIN: 379133719X

Book Description

Superbly reproduced images of selected sculptures and late drawings by Rodin document his obsession with sexuality, revealing the countless ways he depicted the subject: as a threat and challenge, but also as the source of all creative inspiration and passion. Augmenting these illustrations are essays by leading scholars exploring the ramifications of eros in Rodin's work and his influence on his contemporaries as well as on future artists. In word and image, this volume deepens our understanding of nineteenth century's premier sculptor.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful and physical.......2007-07-05

After "The Thinker," Rodin may be best known for "The Kiss" - that moving and elegant tribute to love's physical expression. It's only one of the master's studies of the topic.

This book opens with about fifty pages of biographical information, nicely illustrated with small insets, roughly a third of the page count. The real point of this book, however, is its collection of Rodin's art. We first see photographic studies of forty three sculptural works. These include single figures (like "Danaid") as well as couples, including "The Kiss", "The Eternal Idol," "Youth Triumphant," and others that vary in subject and mood. "Torso of Adele" captures one woman's voluptuous grace; "Walking Man" offers a simple statement of masculine power; "Pygmalion and Galatea" depicts a complex feeling that includes lowering oneself before the object of worship. A few black and white photos represent each piece, showing different angles and levels of detail. Unfortunately, the reader is at the mercy of the photographer's choices of views, which don't always depict the details one might want to examine. Choices of lighting and photographic reproduction also obscure some details, leaving the viewer as much tantalized as informed.

The end of the book reproduces 75 of Rodin's sketches and watercolor studies. Careful printing on opaque, bright paper brings out even the faint details in many of these works. These images cover a somewhat different range of sensibilites, including sprawling poses that tend towards the salacious. Others (e.g. "Sleeping Girl") depict more innocent views, and yet others (including "Sapphic Couple") go deeper into the erotic range. There's no contradiction between them; each is a point sample of Rodin's broad appreciation of women's beauty.

Rainer Crone does not cover the whole of Rodin's work, but doesn't try to. Instead this addresses one crucial segment of the total ouvre, and does so more thoroughly than broader studies can. This shouldn't be your only book on Rodin, but will complement your other studies of this masterful artist.

-- wiredweird

Heavy on the Art, But a Bit Confusing on the Eyes.......2003-03-05

I saw this book at the CMA and thought I'd write a review since no one has done so yet. This book is very nice for a paperback. Most of the writing, which I didn't really look at, was in the beginning of the book with the rest focusing primarily on reproductions of his sculpture. There were some photos of Rodin and the customary biographical information and a huge amount of reproductions of his work, most of which are good, but some are from angles that are not the best and some of the details are a bit confusing. With work like Rodin's that showcases a balance between the primitive and refined, it is important to get a clear shot in order to understand what it is that you are looking at. Some of the reproductions, while beautiful, are a bit confusing from that standpoint. Otherwise, a good book. I'll probably buy it myself someday, when I'm no longer a starving artist.

Average customer rating:

Auguste Rodin (Albums)
Gilles Neret
Manufacturer: Taschen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres: Taschen Basic Art
Albrecht Durer: 1471-1528, The Genius of the German Renaissance (Taschen Basic Art Series)
Claude Monet: 1840-1926 (Big Art Series)
Renaissance (Taschen Basic Art)
Gothic (Taschen Basic Art)

ASIN: 3822893234

Average customer rating:

Auguste Rodin Sculptures and Drawings
Taschen Publishing
Manufacturer: Barnes Noble
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1566199069

Average customer rating:

Auguste Rodin: Erotic Drawings
Auguste Rodin
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Erotic | Other Media | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0500092583

Auguste Rodin;: An exhibition of sculptures and drawings,

Average customer rating:

Auguste Rodin;: An exhibition of sculptures and drawings,
Auguste Rodin
Manufacturer: C.E. Slatkin Galleries
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007I161W

the great museums of france auguste rodin sculpture and drawings

Average customer rating:

the great museums of france auguste rodin sculpture and drawings
Monique Laurent , Nicole Barbier , Claudie Judrin , Helene Pinet , and Pascale Bertrand
Manufacturer: Beaux-Arts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000TD2L4Q

Impressionist & Modern Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture [Christie's, New York (7408) / 25 Feb 1992]

Average customer rating:

Impressionist & Modern Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture [Christie's, New York (7408) / 25 Feb 1992]

Manufacturer: Christie's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Product Description

Christie's auction house, New York (25 February 1992). Sale Code: 7408/CAVALLINI. About 113 pages and 103 lot(s). Catalog is in English. Include works by: Arp, J.; Balla, G.; Bauchant, A.; Boudin, E.; Bourdelle, E.A.; Brianchon, M.; Buffet, B.; Charreton, V.; Chirico, G. de; Clavé, A.; Degas, E.; Delaunay, S.; Despiau, C.; Dufy, J.; Dunoyer de Segonzac, A.; d'Espagnat, G.; Feininger, L.; Foujita, T.; Foujita, T. and Portinari, C.; Friesz, E.O.; Giacometti, A.; Gonzalez, J.; Greco, E.; Grosz, G.; Guillaumin, A.; Heckel, E.; Hepworth, B.; Kolbe, G.; Larionov, M.; Laurencin, M.; Lebourg, A.; Léger, F.; Lempicka, T. de; Lhote, A.; Lipchitz, J.; Loiseau, G.; Luce, M.; Mané-Katz; Manguin, H.; Manzù, G.; Marcoussis, L.; Marini, M.; Martin-Ferrières, J.; Masson, A.; Maufra, M.; Mirô, J.; Morandi, G.; Moret, H.; Music, Z.A.; Picabia, F.; Picasso, P.; Pissarro, C.; Renoir, P.-A.; Rodin, A.; Rohlfs, C.; Rubin, R.; Severini, G.; Sironi, M.; Utrillo, M.; Valtat, L.; Vignon, V.; Vuillard, E.; Zadkine, O.. Auction catalogs are valuable reference tool for pricing and identifying works of art and collectibles.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books