Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Presidents; Statesmen; Legislators; Art / Typography; Biography ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

why?
why is there a photo of the Moai of Easter Island on the cover of a book about John Quincy Adams? ... Read more

Product Description
Edited and Compiled by Doug Phillips

Born in 1767, John Quincy Adams entered his country's service while a mere lad as secretary to the Russian Embassy and remained through life a public servant, filling successively the posts of secretary, ambassador, United States Senator, Secretary of State, President, and finally Representative in Congress.

However, all of these remarkable achievements are secondary to his role as father. Though a busy man, Adams made it his priority to study the Bible and to train his son to love God's Holy Word. His example stands out for all men as a shepherd who loved his family flock. This volume contains nine personal letters of counsel and admonition that he penned to his son while traveling away from home. ... Read more

Product Description
The Photographs of Ansel Adams with the Writings of John Muir

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ansel Adams whose landmark early photographs of wild America, originally taken for the Works Progress Administration, fill the pages of this splendid volume.Adams' breathtaking images are accompanied by excerpts from the writings of Sierra Club founder John Muir, the renowned conservationist who devoted his life to celebrating and preserving the American wilderness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

American Photography at its Best
Breathtaking photos. Especially in light of the rudimentary equipment available at the time they were taken. Proves that Ansel Adams is still unsurpassed in American photography. Captures the majesty and beauty of the vanishing American wilderness. Members of Congress should view this work before voting to open refuge or wild lands to drilling and logging.

Poor quality
Poor reproduction quality. Actually no quality. As educational book, to study composition or something like that, perhaps the book serves.

Not Worth Looking At
Poor reproduction quality.Actually no quality.Not approved by the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust.

Adams wouldn't have approved
While some photos are reasonable, most are seriously flawed. Some are flat, some are excessively contrasty, others seem murky and indistinct. Some of the photos need cleaning to remove dust spots, etc. Even the title is wrong , as the book includes photos of dams and sheep.There are many other excellent books, which have been prepared from Adams prints and produced with much more care. Buy one of those.

Are we looking at the same book?
Many of Ansel Adams' exquisite photographs call out for large reproductions, and this book displays them in a decent size format. But what a waste. The reproductions are nearly all flat and murky, with little detail in the shadow. If I had read far enough down into the customer reviews, I would have been warned; but the reviews at the top of the stack were quite favorable. Which leads me to wonder: Are we looking at the same book? I advise readers to purchase Adams books published by Little, Brown, and Company (aka "Bulfinch"). Even at smaller sizes their books display much more detail and clarity than does this disappointing edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Pride of the Union
This book is the second volume of a two volume biography of John Quincy Adams and it is the definative study of the subject.

The book takes up in the midst of his presidency.Beemis wisely assesses Adams's presidency as a low point in his career as an American statesman.The focus of the book is career as a congressman, his one foray into the world of popular politics and he performed magnificently.

While in congress the crucial issue was slavery.Adams, like his father, detested the institution.While not an abolitionist, Adams's concern was the effect that this "peculiar institution was having on the politics of the republic.

The justification of slavery seemed to occupy the focus of the southern delgations to Washington during this period. One of the innovations designed to halt discussion was the so-called "gag order" which prevented any petition addressing the subject of slavery to be automatically tabled.While not having the reputation as a popular politician, Adams realized what was at stake by this measure.To maintain slavery, fundamental rights were being sacrificed.To this son of the revolution this endangered all that had come before.If congress could limit the right of petition, it could limit other rights granted by the constitution, something that all branches of government were willing to accept.

Luckily for the future of the United States, Adams was a stubborn fighter who relished the conflict.This book charts his efforts to overturn this measure and to make the government accountable to its citizens.

During this period Adams also defended members of Amistead revolt, fought for the establishment of the Smithsonian Instition (congress had predictably squandered the original bequest), opposed the growth of slavery.Ironically Adams's reputation was more effective as a congressman than he ever was as president.He died in 1848 denouncing the Mexican War. He was carried from the chamber of the House of Representatives by his fellow congressmen, among them Abraham Lincoln, a moment of great symbollism.

Professor Beemis again demonstrates his mastery of his subject. While a distiguished scholar of American diplomatic history, he displays a great grasp of domestic affairs that his often lacking in those who are specialists in this subject. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Renowned as America's pre-eminent black-and-white landscape photographer, Ansel Adams began to photograph in color soon after Kodachrome film was invented in the mid 1930s. He made nearly 3,500 color photographs, a small fraction of which were published for the first time in the 1993 edition of ANSEL ADAMS IN COLOR. In this newly revised and expanded edition, 20 unpublished photographs have been added. New digital scanning and printing technologies allow a more faithful representation of Adams's color photography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

More than expected
I had very little knowledge of Ansel Adams other than having seen many of his images in books, prints, etc. The book describes in pictures and text how deeply emotionally and intellectually invested Ansel was in the photography process. He saw photography as a true art, and he felt a responsiblity to be true to the viewers of his images in terms of communicating exactly what he saw and FELT when he was capturing the image. His passion for black and white was remarkable. He did not believer that color could be reproduced and delivered to consumers, whether they be serious artists or casual observers, in a way that was up to his standards for quality. He did, however, anticipate that the future of photography would change that concern, and he knew that technology was moving away from film. It is a little sad that he didn't live to see the digital technologies of today - he would probably be a major digital expert. Nice job by the author putting this together. Ansel lives on the pages.

Picture Perfect
The perfect book!I could not put it down.It gives you a look at Ansel Adams and his adventures and personal thoughts on photography.

I would sincerely recommend this book.

Wonderful color images from the master of black and white
For anyone that enjoys photography as a pasttime, this book was a wonderful source of inspiration. For those that enjoy simply looking at the work of great photographers, one doesn't need to be a professional to be able to appreciate the works contained in this product. It was very interesting to see Adams' works in color - and to see his genius in a whole different light (literally).

Ansel would be pleased
This latest issue of his colour photographs finally allows us to see them in the way Ansel Adams intended. My only gripe is I wish it was larger format.

Awesome
This has become my "I need a break" book. You know when you have read all the intense books, seen all the intense news, and you just need to get away? I can look at the photos (I love photography) and drift and/or read the commentary and imagine.

I think I love color photography the best because of hues and intensity and, maybe the reality of vision. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the sixth president of the United States, John Qunicy Adams, focusing on his lifetime of public service, including his years in the Senate and House of Representatives and his time in foreign service. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A superb introductory John Quincy Admas juvenile biography
The Profiles of the Presidents series is a superb collection of introductory juvenile biographies for young students, which I think is around the halfway mark in terms of covering everyone from Washington to Bush the Younger.Ironically, it is because of the current resident of the White House that John Quincy Adams has received more attention in recent years.After all, the parallels are extraordinary: both men are the only sons of Presidents to be elected to the office, they both have the same first name but different middle names, and they both lost the popular vote in their first election.Will the parallel continue in 2004?Well, no: because while every other President who was elected with less of the popular vote lost their bid for re-election they both (John Quincy Adams and Benjamin Harrison) lost in rematches with the opponents who won the popular vote (Andrew Jackson and Grover Cleveland) and that is not going to happen this time because Al Gore did "Saturday Night Live" and disappeared into the sunset.

Michael Burgan begins this book by establishing the idea that the story of John Quincy Adams is that of "A Lifetime of Service."Where Adams is most unique is that there he continued to serve his country after his four difficult years in the White House, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and becoming known as "Old Man Eloquent" for his attacks on slavery (touched on in Steven Spielberg's film "Amistad").Burgan deals with the problems of being the son of a President but also goes into detail on the extraordinary diplomat career both abroad and at home.The end result is the inevitable conclusion that even if he had not been elected President the life and political career of John Quincy Adams should be remembered.

In addition to the concise but detailed biography, this volume is profusely illustrated with historic etchings, paintings, and maps.Even when the illustrations are black & white they often end up with colored frames, showing the premium placed by the editors on having an eye-catching book.In the back of the book you will find a glossary, fast facts about Adams, a parallel timeline of world and presidential events, extensive resources to help young students better understand the life and times of this particular president, and a decent index.The Profiles of the Presidents series is excellent and Michael Burgan's look at "John Quincy Adams" is one of the best to date. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume describes how to process and interpret spectral images using physical models to bridge the gap between the engineering and theoretical sides of remote-sensing and the outdoors world. Examples are drawn from a variety of landscapes and interpretations are tested against the reality seen on the ground. The reader is led through analysis of real images (using figures and explanations) and examples are chosen to illustrate important aspects of the analytic framework. The book is supplemented by a web-site hosting digital color versions of figures in the book as well as ancillary images (www.cambridge.org/9780521662214). ... Read more

Product Description
For sixty years, Ansel Adams photographed among the great peaks of Yosemite National Park and the High Sierra range:the "range of light." Inspired by their grandeur, their wildness, and their primeval mystery, he made photographs that were to become the icons of America's national park ethic. His reverence for these places—the same reverence that fueled his commitment to environmental activism—illuminates each image. Yosemite Falls, the brooding majesty of Half Dome—we can no longer experience these "holy places" without seeing them through Ansel Adams' eyes.

During his lifetime Adams published seven books of images from this region; this new book bringstogether in a single volume the finest photographs from this vast body of work. Alive with anecdote and insight, his writings serve as backdrop for the images, and John Szarkowski's introduction provides testimony to the enduring impact of Adams' Yosemite vision. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Purchased used.Great condition, great addition to library
This is a must have book for all Ansel Adams admirers.This selection showcases the area of the country that Adams loved so much.The photos are breathtaking.Add in the stamina and nerve it took to get to the perfect spots to photograph these scenes, carrying heavy equipment, one can appreciate them all the more.Pictures are a good size and good quality.Not as good as the originals, of course (some of which I've had the pleasure of seeing in person), but still very good as far as reproductions in books go.
Purchased this book used and it was exactly as advertised.A bargain.

Yosemite and the High Sierra
Yosemite and the High Sierra by Ansel Adams is a great book with splendid black & white pictures of beautiful landscapes.

Great for Wedding Guest Book
My husband and I are big into Yosemite and I blindly ordered this book to use as the guest book at our wedding and it worked out perfectly! The photos are beautiful and the lay out has plenty of white space. Highresolution photos, good paper quality, and heavy cover weight make it a very classy book.

terrible packaging
I give the book five stars, but Amazon's shipping department about two stars. The book was shrink-wrapped, but the bottom right edges of all pages were bent from bouncing around in a box that was WAY too big. Hey Jeff B. - please spend less time on Kindle and more time on quality control and customer satisfaction. Regular Amazon customers know that mine is not the first or only complaint about poor shipping practices. (And yes, the book itself is beautiful...)

Saint Ansel, Who Art in Heaven, Hallowed Be Thy Name
Ansel Adams is SO, like, awesome!!!

These photographs are simply breathtaking!Ansel Adams had this uncanny knack for taking the beautiful mountains, trees, clouds and waterways of the High Sierras, and making them look beautiful.It's so amazing contemplating an Ansel Adams photograph:How he took something only visually stunning and transforming it into something so visually stunning is simply astounding!

How DID he do that? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The whole story - not all stars and stripes
In this book, John C. Miller gives an excellent account of a man who served the cause of revolution from England - but at a high cost. Miller paints a view of Adams and some of his contemporaries as nothing more than trouble makers with a genius for propaganda. He gives the most balanced view of these times of almost any account I have read of the American Revolution. This is not a book for the sqeamish. I don't think he takes a revisionist viewpoint, but he certainly gives cause to reconsider the motives of Sam Adams, Otis, and others. Any writer talented enough to do that, not obscure the facts, and keep you entertained deserves a thoughtful read. Highly recommend. Even though out of print - it really shouldn't be. It is a classic. ... Read more

Product Description
General readers, students of American history, and professional historians alike will profit from reading this engaging presentation of an aspect of American history conspicuously absent from the usual textbooks and popular presentations of the political thought of this crucial period.Thomas Jefferson was the only president who could read and understand Newton's Principia. Benjamin Franklin is credited with establishing the science of electricity. John Adams had the finest education in science that the new country could provide, including "Pnewmaticks, Hydrostaticks, Mechanicks, Staticks, Opticks." James Madison, chief architect of the Constitution, peppered his Federalist Papers with reference to physics, chemistry, and the life sciences.

For these men science was an integral part of life--including political life. This is the story of their scientific education and of how they employed that knowledge in shaping the political issues of the day, incorporating scientific reasoning into the Constitution.
... Read more

Product Description
Does the sensation of Tingrith(1) make you yelp? Do you bend sympathetically when you see someone Ahenny(2)? Can you deal with a Naugatuck(3) without causing a Toronto(4)? Will you suffer from Kettering(5) this summer?

Probably. You are almost certainly familiar with all these experiences but just didn’t know that there are words for them. Well, in fact, there aren’t—or rather there weren’t, until Douglas Adams and John Lloyd decided to plug these egregious linguistic lacunae(6). They quickly realized that just as there are an awful lot of experiences that no one has a name for, so there are an awful lot of names for places you will never need to go to. What a waste. As responsible citizens of a small and crowded world, we must all learn the virtues of recycling(7) and put old, worn-out but still serviceable names to exciting, vibrant, new uses. This is the book that does that for you: The Deeper Meaning of Liff—a whole new solution to the problem of Great Wakering(8)


1—The feeling of aluminum foil against your fillings.

2—The way people stand when examining other people’s bookshelves.

3—A plastic packet containing shampoo, mustard, etc., which is impossible to open except by biting off
the corners.

4—Generic term for anything that comes out in a gush, despite all your efforts to let it out carefully, e.g., flour into a white sauce, ketchup onto fish, a dog into the yard, and another naughty meaning that we can’t put on the cover.

5—The marks left on your bottom and thighs after you’ve been sitting sunbathing in a wicker chair.

6—God knows what this means

7—For instance, some of this book was first published in Britain twenty-six years ago.

8—Look it up yourself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

pointless.
Unlike Adams' other works, this provides no satire, and very very little humor.The entire purpose of the book is to identify cities and towns whose names do not obviously make sense, redefine the name as a noun and bestow upon it a nonsensical definition.The only reason I didn't rate it a one or half star, is because it wasn't offensive, aside from the $8 lost.

Humorous bathroom material
This is a great bathroom reader.I find that the references to geographical locations as the word names a bit off, but I imagine inventing new words would be quite challenging.

A new reason to Hitchikealong the Adams' Galaxy
Really funny and amusing. It is a new delight of the many that Douglas Adams have been providing to his readers. Praise also to John Lloyd, whose Spitting Image are also a delight to watch. I strongly recommend this book.

I love it!
This book is wonderful- I really loved it and laughed out loud more than once. It' not for everybody, but it does have a wonderful sense of humor and it describes perfectly several situations you have lived trough. Too bad for the very British ones that I missed, not being British. But overall a wonderful read.

Please, some more.
I didn't know until now that this book existed.What I am doing is reviewing its predecessor, The Meaning of Liff.That, I have to say, is as funny a book as I've ever read.It had me in hysterics, even when I was ill, unemployed and going through divorce.It might not be too obvious to US readers just how funny this is, if you're not familiar with some of the stranger place names (Quaking Houses, for example, is close to where I live in N. E. England.Shaking Houses isn't far from there.)Consett isn't the last course of a meal, it's a nearby village.Why 3 stars?It's provisional.I'm sure that reading this would result in 5+ for reasons given. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents a biography of John Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mike Venezia is a genius
I am a teacher of middle school students with learning disabilities. What a treasure Mike Venezia's many books are. They are well-written, funny and accessible -- while being factually correct. The students really learn a lot from these books. The students got to see the benefits of the Federalist party, which generally they thought was only for the interests of big money. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1974, Robert Adams' The New West signaled a paradigm shift in the photographic representation of American landscapes. Foregoing photography's traditional role of romanticizing the Western landscape, Adams focused instead on the construction of tract and mobile homes, subdivisions, shopping centers and urban sprawl in the suburbs of Colorado Springs and the Denver area. Adams transmuted these zones with his minimalist vision of their austerity; as he has noted, "no place is boring, if you've had a good night's sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film." Objective and direct, Adams' photographs, rendered in his signature middle-gray scale, unsentimentally depict a despoiled landscape washed in the intense Colorado sunlight. Today The New West stands alongside Walker Evans' American Photographs, Robert Frank's The Americans and Stephen Shore's Uncommon Places in the pantheon of landmark projects on American culture and society. This second reissue of the classic publication has been recreated from Adams' original prints, and will be released ahead of a major traveling exhibition that will launch in 2010. Foreword by John Szarkowski. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The (old) new west
The New West is one of the most significant works of photography in the 20th century, presenting the reality of the western landscape in harsh contrast to the mythology of the other Adams...The pictures cut straight to the bone, showing the damage done to a landscape by our progress, but always the light is perfect, the skies brilliant, and the distant horizon intact.This work is a challenge to photographers, to see the world clearly, and to others, who struggle to live with the earth, rather than on it.

New edition makes me want for more
The return of this beautiful book is as inspiring as the book itself. Never having seen the original however makes it hard to compare editions but as I am a BIG Adams fan the work is stunnning, the neat categories help the beginner to understand Mr Adams and where he is coming from. ... Read more