The National Trust Guide to Great Opera Houses in America (Preservation Press)

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Those with an interest in opera, in architecture, in public spaces and in our cultural history should find much of interest in this slender volume. It offers breadth of information rather than depth, but makes a good starting point for a more intense investigation -- or enough to answer a basic question. The book is well-organized and easy to use.

Book Description

The first and only guide to the history and architecture of America's famous opera houses

The American opera scene has grown with the country, spawning a proliferation of beautiful and enchanting opera houses. This unique guided tour covers almost 100 historical and contemporary opera houses dating from 1765 up to the presentâhalls such as the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, the San Francisco Opera House, and the Cullen Theater in Houston.

America's opera houses present an eclectic collection of buildings, from converted warehouses to ornate vaudevillian venues and modern concrete and glass structures. The National Trust Guide to Great Opera Houses in America celebrates this dynamic range of architectural types and styles, revealing how European elements were transformed into a distinctly authentic and vital part of America's architectural and musical heritage.

Grouped by geographic region, this easy-to-use resource contains important historical information on structuresâsome destroyed as well as those still standingâincluding dates, name changes, seating capacity, and more. Many of the buildings featured are National Historic Landmarks or are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Almost 140 vintage and recent photographs bring to life these magnificent buildings and the operatic scenes enacted on their stages.

Whether used as a travel planner or an armchair reference, this definitive book is a must for music and theater enthusiasts, architects, designers, and preservationistsâthe perfect front row seat to the dramatic history of opera in America.

Customer Reviews:

A landmark publication.......2002-12-24

This type of book was long overdue. America has a rich history of opera houses and of opera, that until this book was terribly neglected. It is a well organized, thoughtfully written book, that covers opera houses from the first ones built in the 1700s to the most recent. There is also a plea to preserve our heritage instead of destroying it, using as an example the razing of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, instead of converting it to another function, like the Opera Garnier in Paris, which was converted into a ballet theater. But now opera is again gracing the stage. There are many very interesting photos of the the opera houses, but it is a pity they could not have been in color, or at least some of them. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful resource for the opera houses in this country. And the short outline of history of opera in America is also very useful. I would highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in opera or architecture.

GOOD SUBJECT MATTER ON OPERA HOUSES BUT OVERPRICED.......2001-05-16

This book is interesting enough in the fact that it features some of the historic opera houses from around the country. However, I believe that the book is overpriced. There are only black and white photos in this paperback book. The paper used is that of average paperback book quality. If you looked at this book not knowing the retail price, I guarantee that anyone would not guess the selling price to be over ... I'd be interested in knowing how a paperback book of this print quality could retail for ... Again, the book is interesting for anyone interested in historic theatres and opera houses but the price is a little steep.

Well-Researched Important Reference Book.......2000-08-01

I originally bought this book so that I could research the many opera houses that singer Johnny Mathis has played, since nine times out of ten, he performs with an orchestra in these venues when not at the casinos. Some of them, like the Orpheum Theater in Memphis, and the Seattle Center Opera House and the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida are places he's played that are in this book, yet some of them, like the Morton Meyerson in Dallas, the Davies Symphony Center in San Francisco, and the great Carnegie Hall in New York City aren't mentioned, possibly because although similar, they weren't built expressly for opera. I don't know. But they are all wonderful venues for vocal entertainment.

But these beauties aren't just pretty façades! Their form has a function, as well. Being a physics major, I've always had an interest in how these special arenas are constructed. For me, where Mrs. Zietz succeeds is her thorough descriptions of some of the finer examples. Her pictures are wonderful and plentiful...I just wish a few could have been in color.

The author makes a plea of sorts to save the older opera houses rather than razing them to build new ones. Because of possible asbestos worries, I'm not sure how feasible that is, but I will agree that these architectural wonders do deserve at least a little consideration of their cultural past.

Book Description

• A full-color collection of Eastern erotic art that presents lovemaking as a highly spiritual expression.

• Brings together some of the finest examples of erotic art from India and Nepal, including pieces from the private collection of Nepalese royalty.

• Includes commentaries and translations of verse from authentic Tantric treatises.

• Companion book to The Erotic Sentiment in the Paintings of China and Japan.

Hindu culture has always viewed lovemaking as one of the highest forms of spiritual and artistic expression. In the past it was customary to present newlyweds with beautifully painted erotic manuals on their wedding night. These "pillow books," often illustrated by great artists, helped to break down barriers and initiate the young couples into the aesthetics and techniques of physical love.

A variety of pillow books are represented in The Erotic Sentiment, bringing together some of the finest examples from India and Nepal, including pieces from the private collection of a Nepalese king. Accompanying these exquisite reproductions are commentaries and translations of verse from authentic Tantric treatises. Together with the paintings, they elevate physical love to the spiritual realm of joyous ecstasy.

The pillow book: The erotic sentiment and the paintings of India, Nepal, China, & Japan

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The pillow book: The erotic sentiment and the paintings of India, Nepal, China, & Japan
Nik Douglas
Manufacturer: Destiny Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

China | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0892810378

Pillow Book, The: The Erotic Sentiment and the Paintings of India Nepal China and Japan

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Pillow Book, The: The Erotic Sentiment and the Paintings of India Nepal China and Japan
N.; Slinger, P. Douglas
Manufacturer: Inner Traditions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KY7PUY

Book Description

Xenophon's only true Socratic discourse, the Oeconomicus, is a dialogue between Socrates and a gentleman-farmer on the art of household management and the art of farming as practiced on a gentleman's estate. It is generally acknowledged to be the oldest surviving work devoted to "economics," and it constitutes the classic statement of "economic" thought in ancient Greece. The dialogue examines the roles of husband and wife in the household and the division of labor between them, and considers the duties of the farm steward and the housekeeper. It discusses the goals of efficient management and the means for attaining these goals.

Customer Reviews:

The Strangeness of Ancient Household Management.......2003-07-12

Allan Bloom, Strauss's most famous and perhaps most brilliant student, once stated that we do not understand Plato because we do not understand Xenophon, who to us seems a fool but to older thinkers seemed wise. Xenophon is far simpler than Plato, and in my experience his books are good introductions to the world of Socratic philosophy. However Xenophon's works are often on topics one might consider prosaic from the standpoint of high philosophy. Besides his more famous works on the Persian emperor Cyrus, Xenophon wrote treatises on hunting, horsemanship, and running a family household.

Interestingly, this last book, the Oeconomicus, is a Socratic work; in it Xenophon presents Socrates speaking with a country gentleman, Kritobulus, about running a family and a large farm. Financial arrangements, relations with the city, the benefits and difficulties of rural plantation life, finding good overseers, and the role of the wife and children in maintaining one's household are all discussed here. On a surface level, then, the book seems to be less about economics and more about economizing or family budgeting. Because Socrates is presented in Plato's works as not much of a family man or as a lover of the country living (Socrates hardly ever goes outside the city of Athens except under compulsion), his interest in Kritobulus' life is unexpected and peculiar to say the least.

I came to this book because the family seems a great rival to the city as a way of living for people, but Plato's Socrates hardly investigates it. The family is dissolved in Plato's Republic, and no dialogue of Plato's deals directly with the family or the country household. To him, it seems, city life is where the action is. By contrast, the Hebrew Bible seems almost entirely concerned with the fortunes of families, or rather the premier family, the children of Israel and their heavenly Father Jehovah. I had gotten a taste of the Bible's rejection/ignorance of philosophy and cities, so I wanted to know what the quintessential representative of philosopy--Socrates--thought about the family. Plato helped me little, so I turned to Xenophon's Oeconomicus. I won't tell you what I found out, but it was amazing how much insight I gained into the Bible from reading Xenophon's little book on household management.

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Plato & Xenophon Socratic discourses (Everyman's library)
Plato
Manufacturer: E.P. Dutton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008CBIEC

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Plato and Xenophon - Socratic Discourses : Memorabilia, Apology, Symposium, Lysis, Protagoras, Euthyphro, Apology and Crito

Manufacturer: E. P. Dutton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I8CJH6

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Socratic Discourse
Plato & Xenophon
Manufacturer: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LBDFLY

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SOCRATIC DISCOURSES
XENOPHON PLATO
Manufacturer: DENT
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S7BW84

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Socratic Discourses (Plato & Xenophon)

Manufacturer: J. M. Dent & Sons, Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000FEUEMA

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Socratic Discourses By Plato And Xenophon
Plato , and Xenophon
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1432568043

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Socratic Discourses By Plato and Xenophon (Everyman's Library edited by Ernest RHYS, No. 457-Classical)

Manufacturer: J. M. Dent & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HYOLD6

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Socratic Discourses by Plato and Xenophon.
Plato
Manufacturer: Dent / Everyman 1930.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000L6HCD6

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Xenophons Socratic Discourse
Leo Strauss
Manufacturer: CORNELL UNIV+PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SNY8B6

Book Description

Crisis and Renewal in Twentieth Century Banking explores the behaviour of banks at times of war, revolution, civil war, social turmoil, and reconstruction. Analysing the history and archives of banks, it discovers examples of how banking is affected by political and social upheavals; how banks may influence the outcome of such events; how banking has recovered from periods of intense political and social stress; and how the archives of banks provide remarkable testimony to events in the wider world.

By examining the setting of different banking markets in the last century, up to and including the transformation of Eastern and South Eastern Europe in the 1990s, this book marks a new direction for international discussion and research. Contributors include senior historians and archivists from Europe and the United States. Contributions include papers on Russia and foreign banks, 1917-30; depression and crisis in Central Europe in the 1930s; Civil War in Spain; post-war reconstruction in banking in Germany and the Far East; and crisis and renewal in South East Europe.

The papers published in this collection were first presented at the twelfth Annual Conference of the European Association for Banking History, held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in May 2001, and hosted by the Bank of Slovenia and the Nova Ljubljanska Banka.

Book Description

This proven self-training tool contains concise, enjoyable, and effective self-leadership strategies complete with methods on how managers can rise to new levels of personal effectiveness. This innovative guide helps readers recognize own self-leadership behavior patterns and establish a powerful self improvement program. The handbook offers radical new thinking strategies to help managers and those aspiring to succeed in leadership positions in meeting new challenges.

Customer Reviews:

WOW!!! Manz and Neck score with Mastering Self-Leadership........2001-12-04

I read Mastering Self-Leadership in my MGT 491 course at Ball State University. While enrolled in the Strategic Management course, we covered Self-Leadership and used Manz and Neck's book as our guide. I found the book to be extremely insightful, with many stories and exercises that allow the reader to evaluate their own behavior in becoming a self-leader. I decided to keep the book, so that I can track my progress in leading myself. A must read!!!

WOW!!! Manz and Neck score with Mastering Self-Leadership........2001-12-04

Nothing special.......2001-06-28

I had to buy this book for Neck's class at Virginia Tech. I didn't bother to keep it after the class. I don't even think we used all of it in the class either. I've enjoyed other motivational books that provide more details.

This book will have an impact on the quality of your life!.......2001-05-11

Mastering Self Leadership by Charles C. Manz and Christopher P. Neck is an outstanding book, which I highly recommend to anyone wanting to attain a higher quality of life in their personal and business affairs. I have used this book in the management courses I teach to undergraduate business students with great success. We encourage businesspeople to be more innovative and to be risk takers, and no book gives them more aid in accomplishing this goal than Manz and Neck's work. In fact, I have worked the book into sessions I call "Executive and Entrepreneurial Workshops."

Students always thank me at the end of the semester for using the book because they implement the methods during the semester. For example, one student told me she used to doze off during school and church, but, after reading the book, she goes to bed earlier and wakes up more refreshed. As a result, she pinpointed her weakness, as the book suggests, and then developed a personal strategy that led to her receiving the highest grades she had ever attained in school. This is just one of many success stories I have heard from students who have read this book.

What makes this book so successful and separates it from other "self help" books is that it is based on solid research from Dr. Manz and Dr. Neck, the two most respected figures on self leadership in the management field. Plus, the book is easy to follow, and also inspiring. The authors do an excellent job of summarizing the key ideas of the approach in later chapters and provide a very effective picture of the way one's thinking can lead to their own success or failure. I truly enjoyed reading the book and felt motivated to put the strategies into action. In fact, I am always sure to reread the book each time I teach my class, in order to motivate me to continue to improve in my own pursuits. I always advise my students to read three books, which I consider the keystones of success: Flow by Czikzentmihalyi, You Are the Message by Roger Ailes, and Mastering Self-Leadership by Manz and Neck.

The best book Uncle Chuck has ever written.......1999-11-26

The best book ever. You should buy two copies

Mastering Self-Leadership : Empowering Yourself For Personel Excellence

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Mastering Self-Leadership : Empowering Yourself For Personel Excellence
Charles C. Manz
Manufacturer: Financial Times Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OILKFM

Customer Reviews:

Weissbluth the best on infant sleep habits!.......2007-05-16

I read many books on colic and sleep habits when my son had severe colic between the ages of 3 weeks and 9.5 weeks. Weissbluth's theory was right on target, "Sleep begets sleep." His timelines for the start and end of colic were also very accurate. We followed his advice and our child began sleeping through the night at 5 weeks, his colic ended at 9.5 weeks, and he is now 2 and sleeps 12 hours a night straight. (Has been for over a year.) It is so important to respect their need for sleep, early bedtimes, and a schedule. I gave this four stars because "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" is even better.

Book Description

The appearance of the crossbow on the European battle field in A.D. 1100 as the weapon of choice for shooting down knights threatened the status quo of medieval chivalric fighting techniques. By 1139 the Church had intervened, outlawing the use of the crossbow among Christians. With this edict, arms control was born. As Robert L. O'Connell reveals in this vividly written history of weapons in Western culture, that first attempt at an arms control measure characterizes the complex and often paradoxical relationship between men and arms throughout the centuries. In a sweeping narrative that ranges from prehistoric times to the nuclear age, O'Connell demonstrates how social and economic conditions determine the types of weapons and the tactics used in warfare and how, in turn, innovations in weapons technology often undercut social values. He describes, for instance, how the invention of the gun required a redefinition of courage from aggressive ferocity to calmness under fire; and how the machine gun in World War I so overthrew traditional notions of combat that Lord Kitchener exclaimed, "This isn't war!" The technology unleashed during the Great War radically altered our perceptions of ourselves, as these new weapons made human qualities almost irrelevant in combat. With the invention of the atomic bomb, humanity itself became subservient to the weapons it had produced. Of Arms and Men brilliantly integrates the evolution of politics, weapons, strategy, and tactics into a coherent narrative, one spiced with striking portraits of men in combat and penetrating insights into why men go to war.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting - picks up and keeps going after page 61 .......2006-05-30

The first 20 or so pages did not rivet me, so the book sat on the shelf for years. However this Memorial Day I picked it up again, and the depth-of-analysis beginning on page 61 I found very cool. A bow is not a bow ! Of course I've never fired anything but a fiberglass techno-marvel - what was the draw-weight of an English Longbow, why did it have to be long, what was the effective range ? The author has a nice feel for details-that-matter, and there is no "padded" feel - at least after page 61, the author shows good taste in concisely providing not-commonly-known insights, sticking those footnotes-I'll-never follow-up-on after page 310 so they don't clutter the main text. The world has changed since 1990, but you knew that - these principles-from-ancient-times, maybe you DIDN'T !

Fascinating and quite enlightening, though somewhat out-of-date.......2005-10-29

This book was published in 1989, during the final phases of the Cold War. In it, author Robert L. O'Connell looks at the history of Western man's relationship to weapons. As the author goes through the military history of the West, from ancient Sumer to the invention of the nuclear weapon, he shows that warfare has swung like a pendulum between two poles. At one end is the Homeric view of war, wherein it is cloaked in rules and traditions which moderate and "humanize" it. At the other end is the interspecific hunt view of war, wherein rules are jettisoned and brutality reaches extremes.

In the author's view, beginning with the American Civil War and becoming obvious with World War I, the advance of military technology has made weaponry so lethal that the idea of a moderate war has become an oxymoron. Also, with the advent of nuclear weapons, war has entered a final stage where it only can be a ruthless genocide of noncombatants. "We live on the edge of destruction."

But, reading this book some sixteen years after its initial publication, I can't help but find that the author's terminal diagnosis for war was premature. Nuclear weapons have receded into the background as weapons of war, while new forms of warfare have arisen in the form of transnational terrorism employing weapons designed to cause mass casualties. Plus, at least for national players on the world stage, moderation, in the form of rules of engagement, weapons use and prisoner treatment is now demanded by worldwide public opinion.

So, am I saying that this is a worthless, out-of-date book? In fact, I am not! Up until the final chapter, this is a fascinating and quite enlightening book. Plus, I must say that I found it to be quite a stimulating read. So, if you want to read a book that is a fascinatingly different look at military history, then this book is for you. I highly recommend it!

Evolution of Technology and Warfare.......2000-03-25

Scholarly analysis of technologies impact on war. Chronicles the evolution of politics and economics into study of technology and warfare. Striking narrative of how the evolution of weaponry changes the nature of war and how man perceives war. In an era were defense budgets are centered on technology, this book infuses man into the equation.

Of Arms and Men : A History of War, Weapons, and Aggression

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Of Arms and Men : A History of War, Weapons, and Aggression
Robert O'Connell
Manufacturer: Oxford U Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O6DVFG

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OF ARMS AND MEN A History of War, Weapons, and Aggression
Robert L. O'Connell
Manufacturer: Oxford
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000M0HSU8

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OF ARMS AND MEN, A HISTORY OF WAR, WEAPONS AND AGGRESSION
Robert L. O'Connell
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H5CIJE

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Of Arms and Men: A History of War, Weapons, and Aggression
Robert L. O'Connell
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKFZPG

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Of Arms and Men A History of War, Weapons, and Aggression
O'Connell Robert L
Manufacturer: Oxford Univ. Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LBWSGM

Of Arms and Men - A History of War, Weapons, & Aggression

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Of Arms and Men - A History of War, Weapons, & Aggression
Robert L. O'Connell
Manufacturer: New York: Oxford University Press, 1989
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NVFNBW

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Of Arms and Men: a History of War, Weapons, and Aggression
Robert L. O'Connell
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKG0BY

Book Description

The standard against which all other star atlases are measured, this best-selling atlas has been completely revised and updated! Each version of Sky Atlas 2000.0 contains 26 charts covering the whole sky and showing 81,312 single, multiple, and variable stars of magnitude 8.5 and brighter and 2,700 deep-sky objects. Includes close-up charts of such areas as the celestial poles and the Virgo-Coma galaxy region, as well as an acetate coordinate-grid overlay for determining accurate positions. A must for any stargazer!

Laminated in clear plastic for maximum protection against weather and wear.

Desk Laminated Version: Stars and deep sky objects are black on a white background. 18 3/8 by 13 1/2 inches, laminated in clear plastic.

Customer Reviews:

Very good but has a couple of flaws.......2006-08-12

For years the Sky Atlas 2000.0 has been the most popular atlas step up from a 6th magnitude atlas. The 8th magnitude limit is deep enough to enable users to find Neptune and the brighter asteroids. The large charts, while they can be a bit awkward to handle, are great to view, as they show wide swaths of sky.

The Second Edition brought some significant improvements: a useful step up to magnitude 8.5, galaxy shapes which show size and orientation, better representation of star magnitude, detailed charts of the Orion region and Virgo Galaxy Cluster. If you are debating between a used First Edition and a new Second Edition, get the Second; it's worth the extra money.

A few shortcomings remain. The charts are arranged in ascending order of right ascension. This presents problems with editions which are bound on the left side. When users reach the right edge of the chart, they have to stifle the instinct to continue right to the next page, force themselves to reverse direction, and turn--of all places--to the previous page instead. The same with the left edge. Charts should be ordered in descending RA like Uranometria or Millennium. Ordering by ascending RA is a pointless tradition.

Some of the versions are bound at the top, which solves the problem of the chart sequence--and makes the book less floppy to handle--but makes it harder to search for charts. Since the chart number is at the top right, the user cannot see what page they have their fingers on until the book is completely open.

The pages of the laminated versions are very sturdy for field use but hard to grasp and separate, especially when moist with dew. This and the previous problem could be solved by adding numbered, graspable tabs to the bottom of each chart.

A badly-needed improvement to the atlas came in a subsequent printing of the second edition: around the edges of each chart are noted the numbers of the charts which adjoin it. This greatly simplifies navigation through the atlas. It would be good to take this measure a step further and, on each chart, mark adjacent chart borders as well to save guesswork as to where each one ends and the next begins.

The many virtues of this atlas have been amply documented by other reviewers. The space I have spent on the shortcomings is simply an attempt to round out the picture. The many improvements already made to this work speak well of the publisher's commitment to an excellent atlas. The Sky 2000.0 is now only a couple steps short.

So which atlas to choose for your observations? I would completely ignore the 6th magnitude atlases on the market. For a beginning to intermediate observer, the magnitude 7.6 Pocket Sky Atlas is very well designed and affordable. For intermediate observing, the Sky Atlas 2000.0 is an excellent choice. For advanced observers who frequently go deep, I would suggest skipping the Sky Atlas and bringing both the Pocket and the Millennium along on outings.

Many versions of Sky Atlas 2000.......2000-06-18

Wil Tirion's sky altas is a must for any astronomer. Every astronomer I know has some version. This atlas comes in many varieties, but they all contain the same information. Options are:

a)black stars on white or white stars on black,

b)unbound, spiral, soft cover, hard cover, and laminated.

If you plan to use your copy under dark skies, choose the black star on white version. Skip all versions of the white stars on black - they are just too difficult to see. A major shortcoming of this atlas is the lack of constellation lines. This makes locating the point of interest much more difficult in the dark. You can draw helpful lines and other notes rather easily on the unlaminated, white background charts, so that's the version I chose.

To protect your investment from the dew, you can put your copies in a laminated portfolio, available from office supply stores. You can slide out your chart to make notes, then replace it to keep it dry. This will also allow you to view 2 pages at a time - less chart flipping when what you want to see is near a chart's edge.

You need to get a version of this atlas, just make sure you get the one that best serves your needs.

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