The Beautiful Necessity: Decorating With Arts and Crafts

Customer Reviews:

Good book for the Arts and Crafts fan........2007-09-01

We've had this book in our pile of Arts and Crafts reference material for a while and it still gets picked up once in a while for ideas of just to look at all the great photographs. As a previous reviewer mentions (and I agree completely with the assessment!) this book doesn't cover just one region. Too many Arts and Crafts book authors waste time writing a book about the style and then spend the entire book looking at one or two homes. If I see one more book naming itself in such a manner to lead the reader to believe that it is contains broad information about the style yet features nothing but pictures of the Greene and Greene "Gamble House" I'm going to scream! (authors take note!)

One thing I would mention to readers about this book is that it covers predominantly the American style of Arts and Crafts. While it does contain information about the individuals that began the movement in Europe and the reflections of those influences in the American version, it does not cover all of the style. The authors have done a great job presenting the information they have concentrated on, though. The book covers East Coast to West Coast, shows some of the influences that Japanese or Art Nouveau styles had in the movement and presents examples of the work done by several designers well known in the American Arts and Crafts movement such as Stickley, Wright and Greene & Greene. They cover funishings, decorative items such as pottery, leaded glass windows and lighting; along with the overall fit, finish, and philosophy behind building in the Arts and Crafts style. Definitely would recommend this book for your arts and crafts collection. Also recommend "The Arts and Crafts Companion", by Todd, for a bigger picture and more historical information.

Simply Wonderful - 5 stars+.......2006-02-23

In the midst of a big arts and crafts kick I decided to bring home a bunch of books on the subject from my library. The Beautiful Necessity is the third such work I have reviewed recently, and I have to recommend it as a wonderful book. I really like the arrangement and presentation of the chapters, and the color photographs are well selected and beautiful. One of my bigger pet peeves with books like this is their tendency to be too regional in scope. Often a book purporting to cover a subject like arts and crafts interiors will focus too narrowly on just California Greene and Greene houses or just on New York Stickley houses. This book is great because it gives equal effort to showcasing interiors from Eastern, Midwestern, and Western examples of arts and crafts homes. I also commend the authors on their excellent resource guide in the back of the book. One can use this guide to find 10 sources each for everything from architects to antiques dealers, and carpeting to metalwork. There is even an extensive list of historic a&c homes that are open for public tours.

If you enjoy and/or collect books on this topic, I highly recommend this title as a "must have". You won't be disappointed.

Arts and Crafts Revealed.......2000-08-22

This book was a pleasant surprise. Purchasing what I thought would be a good idea book for an upcoming remodel of my basement, I ended up with a general schooling of the driving forces behind the Arts & Crafts movement. The illustrations exposed the styles of many of the great names of the era. I now have a more thorough understanding of this revolt against the machine and can better appreciate the efforts of Morris, Stickley, Hubbard, and others to save the craftsman. The resources at the end of the book are a treasure trove of suppliers for all things Arts & Crafts.

The Beautiful Necessity: Decorating with Arts and Crafts

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The Beautiful Necessity: Decorating with Arts and Crafts
Bruce; Yamamoto, Yoshiko Smith
Manufacturer: Gibbs-Smith
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PHR7DG

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Required reading for every Graphic Designer...

Essential reading for anyone interested in graphic design

Graphic Style: From Victorian to Post-Modern
Steven Heller , and Seymour Chwast
Manufacturer: Harry N Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Graphic Arts | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students (Design Briefs)

The Elements of Typographic Style

Meggs' History of Graphic Design

ASIN: 0810925885

Customer Reviews:

Required reading for every Graphic Designer..........2000-07-23

I stole my copy from a friend and never returned it! This is one of the best reference books for historical graphic design styles. The book is very well organized, and contains quite a few color illustrations. It has given me hours of inspiration when I have an assignemnt to do for a client. They have examples of everything from Victorian packaging to Psychedelic poster art. This book would make an ideal gift for a student just learning the field, or an old pro that has been around for years.

Essential reading for anyone interested in graphic design.......1998-11-15

This book is essential reading for anyone remotely interested in graphic design. I use it as a reference for my students in graphic design classes. It's a beautifully concise summary of the history of graphic design styles - and gives visual examples as well as background information connected to the social forces that shaped the trends examined. If you are a student - it's a great first taste of the styles and movements that influence current graphic designers. If you are currently working in the field - it's a must have reference book.

Graphic Style: From Victorian to Post-Modern

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Graphic Style: From Victorian to Post-Modern
Steven Heller
Manufacturer: HNA Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0810910330

GRAPHIC STYLES From Victorian to Post-Modern

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GRAPHIC STYLES From Victorian to Post-Modern
Steven and Seymour Chwast Heller
Manufacturer: Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JV5KY6

Customer Reviews:

Alfred Stieglitz An American Seer.......2003-11-21

If you're looking for a book about the life of Alfred Stieglitz and his photography, this isn't the book you want. In my opinion this book is poorly structured and very poorly written. It delves more into the lives of the artists (primarily European painters)whose works Stieglitz exhibited. Stieglitz's impact on photography and the lives of the photographers he befriended is barely mentioned. You can actually learn more about Alfred Stieglitz by reading a biography of Ansel Adams! Fortunately, I purchased this book from a half-price book store - now I know why it was there.

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Uneven but Essential

Have all the greats in one book...

First rate choices for reprint anthology

First rate choices for reprint anthology

The Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told

Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
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Greatest 1950's Stories Ever Told (DC Comics)

Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told

ASIN: 093028951X

Customer Reviews:

Uneven but Essential.......2002-06-09

"THe Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told" has some great match-ups, but for the most part fall into the fate of most 'best of' type compilations. The stories all carry varying degrees of significance (an early Superman story where 3 villians team-up - a unique occurance in those days; a pre-Teen Titans pairing of Kid Flash, Robin and Aqualad), but most do not hold up well over time and come across as lame or boring.

Its worth getting, however, if only for two landmark stories: 'Flash of Two Worlds' and 'Crisis on Earth-One' which kick started the whole DC continuity (and dis-continuity), eventually leading to the 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' reboot of the DC Universe.

A few of the newer stories are worth reading, as well: the Neil Adams drawn Green Arrow/Lantern team-up; the Adams-inspiried 'Greatest Green Lantern of All'; and the Alan Moore Superman/Swamp Thing team-up.

There is a good forward, intro and end notes that give the history of DC team-ups, but for any fan of pre-Crisis DC, the stories here are essential.

Have all the greats in one book..........2001-07-24

A huge effort was done here to fulfill the great concept of teaming up superheroes...the introduction & end notes are also great...as you go on the story telling improves & you have a nice treat whoever you're favourite hero is.

Classic stories like the Flash of two earths & crisis on earth one are great to have...the green arrow/green lantern pairing is great... the batman/creeper story is dark but with a lame villain...the superman/swamp thing story is classic...

In short you get to know all the DC heroes & you see them interacting nicely...

Two thumbs up!

First rate choices for reprint anthology.......1998-07-25

This collection of DC crossovers has something for every collector. Particularly of note is the first pairing of the golden age and silver age Flash. That story began the Parellel Earth concept that became a linchpin of DC continuity until 1986. The genisis of the Teen Titans from Brave and The Bold #54 also appears. I highly recommend it.

First rate choices for reprint anthology.......1998-07-25

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The Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told
DC Comics Inc.
Manufacturer: DC Comics Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GWIBPI

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Greatest Team Up Stories Ever Told
Dc Comic Staff
Manufacturer: Warner Books Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 9991917020

Book Description

Organisational semiotics is a discipline that is concerned with the interrelationships between individuals and groups, and between humans and technology, functioning in organisations and society. Organisational semiotics opens up the prospect of theory-building and the development of new methods and techniques to gain insights into organised behaviour and enacted social practices, in the presence and absence of various technologies. It shares common interests with many other approaches to information and organisations, such as computer science, computational semiotics, organisational engineering, and language action perspective. The common vision shared by these approaches is to treat organisations and related information systems and technologies within a unified semiotic framework, with particular reference to the huge range of issues that elude many traditional disciplines. The analysis and design of information systems develops methods for solving the practical problems but offers no rigorous, theoretical foundation for them or how information functions within and between organisations. The semiotic perspective accommodates the individual and the social, the human and the technical, intra- and inter-organisational interactions, at a level of detail that is required in the study, modelling, design, and engineering of new and alternative organisational and technical systems. This perspective is outlined in the chapter presentations of Information, Organisation and Technology.

Customer Reviews:

Goodbye KM... Hello, Organisational Semiotics.......2001-12-13

Knowledge Management has been degraded to a technological speciality for many people. Organisational Semiotics explains when and why technology is not enough...even, sometimes, technology can be a real barrier to learning.

Virtual, Distributed and Flexible Organisations: Studies in Organisational Semiotics

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Virtual, Distributed and Flexible Organisations: Studies in Organisational Semiotics

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Negotiating | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1402021615

Book Description

Organisational Semiotics offers an effective approach to analysing organisations and modelling organisational behaviour. The methods and techniques derived from Organisational Semiotics enable us to study the organisation by examining how information is created and used for communication, coordination and performance of actions towards organisational objectives. The latest development of the young discipline and its applications have been reported in this book, which provides a useful guide and a valuable reference to anyone working in the areas of organisational study and information systems development.

Information, Organisation and Technology (Informations and Organization Design): Studies in Organisational Semiotics

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Information, Organisation and Technology (Informations and Organization Design): Studies in Organisational Semiotics
Kecheng Liu
Manufacturer: Springer-Verlag New York, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MUTBE4

Book Description

This step by step Guide of how to purchase Real Estate and Other non-standard assets with Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and Qualified Plans (Keoghs). This Guide shows actual cases of eleven deals from Real Property and Notes to Tax Lien Certificates and participations. The book provides a How to Get Started section, which explains how to open and account, fund the plan and what documents are required. The large reference section provides the legal background information for the book. Written from the perspective of an administrator and recordkeeper, this book provides the inside story of how self directed investments work in real time.

Customer Reviews:

You can set up an IRA to buy real estate rather than stock........2000-03-13

This is a very methodical, thorough step by step manual for investing your IRA or retirement funds in real estate. This book was very helpful to me for a number of reasons. A year ago or so I asked three different advisers at Fidelity Mutual Funds whether I could use my IRA money there to purchase and renovate a piece of real estate. They each said no. But this book says the answer should have been yes. That I can set up my own IRA, even a rollover IRA or Keough, and purchase and improve real estate with the money from the IRA. And the book is very methodical about how to do it, including forms and steps in the procedure. I would think the book would also be helpful to estate planners and lawyers who are helping people plan their estates. One thing I wish the authors would address is why should you put your retirement funds in real estate rather in the stock market or mutual funds. Are there tax advantages? Is the income sheltered? Is it easier (ie fewer estate taxes on heirs) to pass real estate on to heirs--is the value of real estate discounted somehow? I wish I had had this book when I was talking to Fidelity so I could have rolled over those IRA funds into this building I bought rather than borrowing money from a bank.

Customer Reviews:

Child's Play Is Child's Learning.......2006-01-05

This book contains 365 fun activities for children that teach resourcefulness, self-esteem, teamwork and other character building qualities. The authors feel that children learn best through play.
Parents don't always recognize that they are their child's main teachers. Although a child learns a great deal in school, it is important to promote reading and writing skills at home. Some learning activities are very simple. Just work them into your daily life and be rewarded by a child who takes life-long pleasure in reading and writing.

Excellent book, creative and practical........1999-03-16

As a psychologist, clients who are parents are frequently concerned about ways to communicate some of the strengths they gained by being in therapy to their children. They want to communicate some of the values and lessons of emotional intelligence in a palatable way. This book really succeeds in addressing some of the important issues and in providing fun ways of teaching them to children

Great Projects, educational & character building ideas........1998-08-04

I really have enjoyed this book. The projects have many great qualities. They help build character, make a child feel great because of what the can accomplish, and give them a way to feel creative. My son needed help with self esteem. They had many projects that help to boost self esteem. This book is a must for all parents. It is so full of things you can do with your children, you will not even need another book

Average customer rating:

Normandy Breakout

An Excellent Summary of the Great Breakout

Operation Cobra 1944: Breakout from Normandy (Campaign)
Steven Zaloga
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Pictorials | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | World War II | Military | History | Subjects | Books
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Falaise 1944: Death of an army (Campaign)

Campaign 100: D-Day 1944 (1) Omaha Beach

Battle of the Bulge 1944 (2): Bastogne (Campaign)

ASIN: 1841762962
Release Date: 2001-08-25

Book Description

One of the most decisive months of World War II was the 30 days between 25 July and 25 August 1944. After the success of the D-Day landings, the Allied forces found themselves bogged down in a bloody stalemate in Normandy. On 25 July General Bradley launched Operation Cobra to break the deadlock. US forces punched a hole in the German frontline and began a spectacular advance. As Patton’s Third Army poured into Brittany and raced south to the Loire, the German army was threatened with encirclement. By the end of August German forces in Normandy were utterly destroyed, and the remaining German units in central and southern France were in headlong retreat to the German frontier. In this title Steve Zaloga explains how the breakout from Normandy came about.

Customer Reviews:

Normandy Breakout.......2006-08-20

A damn fine addition to my Osprey Campaign collection.I also purchased Lorraine 1944 by Osprey as both are collaborations by Zaloga and Bryan on the same theatre and compliment each other brilliantly.A must have for anyone wanting to know about the Normandy Campaigns of 1944.

An Excellent Summary of the Great Breakout.......2001-10-17

There are certain authors that readers can trust to deliver excellent military history, and Steven J Zaloga is one of them. In his latest title for Osprey, Zaloga covers the American-led breakout from the Normandy bridgehead in July-August 1944 that sent Hitler's armies reeling back across France. While Zaloga has done a good job summarizing the main points of Martin Blumenson's authoritative official history of Operation Cobra, he has provided additional value by including input from more recent scholarship on specific facets of the campaign, such as the impact of tactical air power.

In accordance with the Osprey Campaign series format, the book starts with a section on the background to the campaign and includes a campaign chronology. Zaloga provides good insight into the debilitated state of the Wehrmacht units and the rising competence of US units in the section on opposing forces. The section on opposing commanders is adequate, but French General Leclerc who made a contribution in the campaign is omitted, while non-involved characters such as Montgomery are included. On the German side, Panzer Lehr's Fritz Bayerlein should also have been included. The section on opposing plans is adequate but more mention of how ULTRA shaped Allied planning should have been included. The order of battle is a bit skimpy because it only addresses division-size units from both sides that participated in the initial phase of Cobra; American non-divisional assets such as independent tank, tank destroyer and artillery units should have been added. Nevertheless, Zaloga succeeds in providing fresh insights into material that is well worn, if not always well covered. Certainly he makes good points on Allied superiority in communications and logistics which are not viewed as "sexy" by some armchair historians who prefer to stress comparative tank statistics and such.

The maps are quite good in this volume. There are five 2-D maps, depicting: the theater situation on 24 July 1944, the plan for Cobra, the breakthrough on 25-30 July, the race through Brittany and the pursuit to the Seine. Unfortunately, there were no 2-D maps of the Mortain counterattack or the Falaise pocket. There are only two 3-D Birds-eye-view maps in this volume: the carpet-bombing of the Panzer Lehr Division and the Mortain counterattack (which is too small and difficult to understand). There are three excellent battle scenes: the carpet bombing of Panzer Lehr, US tanks in the breakout and Panther tanks in the Mortain counterattack. The photographs provided are also excellent, particularly if one enjoys viewing destroyed German vehicles and their dead occupants (there are no photographs of US casualties). Overall, the text is cleanly-written and the campaign narrative fits well together. Zaloga also makes a good connection between Operation Cobra's breakout and the landings in southern France; often Operation Dragoon gets short shrift in the Normandy saga, but Zaloga effectively points out the inherent linkage between the campaigns and how it precipitated the German collapse in the West.

Zaloga has marshaled the available facts well and there is little controversy in this book, although there are a few issues open to some debate. First, the actual effect of Allied airpower on the campaign was clearly significant but difficult to quantify. Zaloga seems to lean toward accepting all or most Allied claims for destruction of German vehicles, whereas some new research suggests the direct losses were not as large. Zaloga also accepts claims that most of the German divisions retreating from Normandy were "virtually destroyed," when this usually only refers to the combat elements. In each case, Zaloga might have advised the reader that other sources disagree with the extent of damage to German units. Another issue concerns the culpability for the defeat on the German side; Zaloga places most of the blame squarely on SS General Paul Hausser for poorly deploying his units and then making a hash of the withdrawal. Field Marshal von Kluge and the rest of the German leadership - aside from Hitler - appear almost blameless. This interpretation looks like the creation of an SS scapegoat by Wehrmacht officers, particularly given that Operation Cobra occurred only five days after the failed plot to kill Hitler. While Hausser's leadership of 7th Army was probably not the greatest, the German defeat in Operation Cobra was not due only (or mostly) to his mistakes. Additionally, the lack of any information on US losses in the campaign also appears to deprive this account of some balance. There is also one mistake in the text, when Zaloga states that, "the 2nd SS Panzer Division commander was killed by a US patrol near his command post." In fact, Heinz Lammerding, commander of "Das Reich," was wounded in late July but returned to duty later in the year. Aside from these points, this is a fine summary volume.

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Operation Cobra 1944 : Breakout from Normandy (Praeger Illustrated Military History)
Steven J. Zaloga
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MU9UVS

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Operation Cobra 1944: Breakout from Normandy
Steven J. Zaloga
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORGEAE

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Best Bird Book Ever?

Who could want for more?

The definitive work on South American birds

Can't wait for the remainder of the series.

The best bird book of the decade - an essential reference

The Birds of South America: Vol. II, The Suboscine Passerines (Ridgely, Robert S//Birds of South America)
Robert S. Ridgely , and Guy Tudor
Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Ornithology | Zoology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0292770634

Book Description

A land of incredible natural resources, the South American continent is rich in plant and animal species. Among birds alone, over 3,100 species are either resident or migrant. Birds are some of South America's treasures and also one of its most endangered resources. Hence the need for a descriptive record of South American birds that will serve both professional and amateur bird students and encourage conservation of these magnificent species.

Although South American birds elicit much popular and scientific interest, they have never been completely or satisfactorily described and cataloged in a single, published source. The Birds of South America, projected to be a four-volume work, thus fills a critical void. Starting from a museum approach, the authors have examined specimens of each subspecies, comparing them visually and trying to discern the patterns in their plumage variation, both intra- and inter-specifically. They take a new look at bird systematics, reassessing relationships in light of new information. Perhaps most important, they combine this review and analysis with extensive field observations to give an accurate, incisive portrait of the birds in nature.

At a time when rapid development is devastating millions of acres of tropical habitat in South America, this record of an endangered resource becomes crucial. If the birds and other plants and animals of South America are to be saved, they must first be known and appreciated. The Birds of South America is a major step in that direction.

Volume II includes the Ovenbirds and Woodcreepers, Antbirds, Gnatcatchers, and Tapaculos; Tyrant Flycatchers; and Manakins and Cotingas.

The remaining volumes of The Birds of South America will be:

Volume III: The Nonpasserines (Landbirds)
Volume IV: The Nonpasserines (Waterbirds)

No release date has been set for the remaining volumes.

Customer Reviews:

Best Bird Book Ever?.......2002-07-10

This book ranks as one of the greatest achievements in ornithology ever. It puts in perspective some of the most perplexing and difficult groups of birds with sublime artistry, comprehensive text along with distributional data and beautiful maps. It is a pleasure to have it as a reference even if like the average mortal I may never get a chance to see but a small fraction of the birds covered. Use it as a reference to both plan and make notes before your trip. The vastness of the continent and the diversity of the birdlife of South America is now opened up for all to see; this is the book to launch a thousand expeditions into the bird continent and to make new discoveries.

Who could want for more?.......2002-06-16

This book is definitely one of the best books about birds I've ever seen. Personal experience, combined with the experience of others, plus a tremendous knowledge of the species, make this book even surpassing the first volume.
Mr. Tudor must have spent at least two lifetimes as well in collections as in the field to present us with these drawings which show both the necessary details and the natural position of the bird. To perform this, you should not only be an excellent painter, but have thorough knowledge of the birds as well.
It's such a pity that apparently they're not succeeding in finishing the series, given the fact that it is eight years since this volume has appeared and the site of the editor states "No release date has been set for the remaining volumes". guess they're too busy observing the birds ;-)

The definitive work on South American birds.......2000-10-17

This book, and its companion volume are the first part of a promised 4 volume work on South American avifauna. These books are wonderfully detailed, beautifully illustrated, and worth every penny of the purchase price. I am a bird book fanatic and have enjoyed these books as much as any of the other books in my collection. One of the other reviewers mentioned these as field guides. In my opinion, they are definitely not field guides- way to massive. I imagine myself lugging these two babies through a lost corner of some rainforest in Brazil. They are heavy when dry but once they became soaked, they would probably kill you. These are wonderful books but not field guides. They are reference works written and illustrated by some of the most respected experts in the business.

Can't wait for the remainder of the series........2000-08-22

Title says it all. These are the best books on South American birds available. Hopefully the remainder of the series will come out soon.

The best bird book of the decade - an essential reference.......1996-05-17

This is both a field guide and handbook to the suboscine passerine birds of South America -- the flycatchers, antbirds,and furnariids. The fine color plates by Guy Tudor illustrate at least one species in each genus, and Ridgely'slucid text concisely describes each species. Birders visiting South America will need to make room for this bookand for volume 1, which covers the oscine passerines, i.e,the other perching birds

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