Product Description
The colorful light of the aurora borealis appears in thesparsely populated polar regions of the North during its long winternights. Little is known about this ethereal occurrence, which providesdazzling displays of ghostly light and movement. The author has spentyears studying the aurora, and in this book he reveals the mythologythat surrounds the aurora in various northern cultures as well as thescience behind the phenomenon as it has developed through history.

The author also records various responses to the aurora, fromAristotle to modern geophysicists, and from different cultures andtraditions, thus charting the gradual understanding of this mostawe-inspiring experience. Demonstrating the influence of the Sun inthe creation of the aurora, Falck-Ytter also compares the northernlights with other light phenomena, such as lightning and rainbows.

Beautifully illustrated, this book offers a conprehensiveunderstanding of a very mysterious dynamic that has fascinated andalarmed northern communities for millennia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Well explained and well illistrated

It is the best book about Aurora, that I've read until now, it is really well detailled and really well illustrated. About mythology, it offers the real stories believed by Nordic Nations living above the Arctic Circle. You're interested by Aurora in history and science, so it is THE BOOK to read. You'll like it, I'm sure! ... Read more

Product Description
The thrilling story of an ill-fated expedition to the South Pole by the bestselling and award-winning author of Schindler's List.In the waning years of the Edwardian era, a group of English gentleman- adventurers led by Sir Eugene Stewart launched an expedition to reach the South Pole. More than sixty years later, Anthony Piers, the official artist of the New British South Polar Expedition, finally unveils the sobering conditions of their perilous journey: raging wind, bitter cold, fierce hunger, absolute darkness-and murder. The first two decades of the twentieth century were known as the "heroic era" of Antarctic exploration. In 1911, Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole. Weeks later, doomed British explorer Robert Falcon Scott arrived-and then perished in a blizzard. And in 1914, Ernest Shackleton embarked on his infamous voyage to Antarctica. Set during this epic period of adventure and discovery, Victim of the Aurora re-creates a thrilling time in an unforgiving place and is a brilliantly plotted tale of psychological suspense. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Humanity in Isolation
This is not really a book of Antarctic exploration. Keneally uses this ploy to show us a group of 26 men who spend many months in complete isolation during arctic darkness. The men have different backgrounds and different professional specialties. An uneven lot, if there ever was one. But, of course, they completely depend on each other. They must work as a tight community - and we await Keneally's thoughts of this "experiment". He introduces Victor Henneker, a journalist who has collected unsavory facts on people he meets, including most of the members of the expedition. Henneker gets killed, and his notes now become public knowledge. How do the explorers deal with what they now know about each other? Do they look at them now with different eyes? Most important: do they still trust each other?

Keneally gives us a fascinating portrait of people under the stress of a predicament they cannot flee. A fascinating book.

A change of pace for people with Shackleton-mania.
If you've read everything you can find on Sir Ernest Shackleton's trips to Antarctica, seen the traveling exhibit with Frank Hurley's extraordinary photographs and memorabilia from the Endurance, and still crave more about Antarctic expeditions, this book will keep you interested and dreaming of such exploration for a few more hours.

Written in 1978, this is a murder mystery set near the South Pole in 1909, the same year as Shackleton's first expedition and five years before the Endurance epic.A similar crew of explorer-scientists and sailors, with the same attitudes and prejudices that one finds in the literary record of the Endurance, perform similar tasks under similar conditions, with one big exception.Captain Eugene Stewart (sharing initials with Ernest Shackleton) must also investigate his own crew as he attempts to unmask the murderer of Victor Henneker, the expedition's representative of the press, who intends to record the voyage for posterity.

With the same care for historic details and period attitudes which one sees in some of Keneally's later, prize-winning books, such as Confederates and Schindler's List, Keneally reveals Henneker to be a blackmailer who holds damaging information about almost everyone in the crew, their reputations vulnerable because they have violated the inflexible moral strictures of Edwardian England.A cuckolded husband,the secret lover of a married aristocrat, a mountain guide who may be responsible for a fatal excursion, a man tried for theft, and others "guilty" of homosexuality, Zionism, illegitimacy, and heresy reflect the pettiness and rigidity of "civilized" life in England and offer motivation both for the murder of Victor and for participating in the expedition.The book's conclusion is also consistent with the mores of the day.While this may not be the greatest mystery of all time, it is certainly one in which the author has done all his homework, well worth reading for the context it provides for other (real) expeditions of the day.Mary Whipple

Murder in the Antarctic
A claustrophobic novel about a turn of the century Antarctic expedition which turns into a murder investigation when one of it's members is found dead on the ice. The bulk of the novel involves discovering the victim'spast and how it interconnected with the lives of the other team members. Aninteresting, light-weight novel with a twist at the end. Read it on a snowyweekend. ... Read more

Product Description
North Aurora: 1834-1940 is a quintessential study of what happened when settlers arrived in the Midwest in the 1830s. The village's location on the Fox River provided plentiful trees and waterpower for sawmills. Soon other mills, smelting works, a packing plant, a door-sash-blind factory, and a creamery all came to town. The village's railroad enabled its Boswell Cheese Factory to ship cream cheese to England in 1877. By 1922, North Aurora had a huge entertainment complex, a popular racetrack, and a hotel. Today the village is growing rapidly but still maintains its rural atmosphere. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: New York, Frederick A. Stokes companyPublication date: 1892Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A VERY GOOD COMPLEMENT FOR THE BIBLE !!!
In JesusChrist we go to GOD TOP-DOWN !!!
With alchemy we go to GOD BOTTOM-UP !!!

S H A L O M !!!
Fernando Romero
Alias FErnandEL
http://www.fernandel.org.mx

An excelent bilingual version
Fit for academical study, with interesant -though always arguable- Junguian commentaries by Marie-Louise von Franz, it is a great acquisition for those interested in Alchemy, in Psychology, or in History ofThought.

Neatly organized and clear commentary by Von Franz
No one really knows who wrote the astonishing thirteenth-century treatise RISING DAWN (Aurora Consurgens), although the work is attributed to Thomas Aquinas, an attribution the Catholic Church has been at pains to deny.This translation starts with the text (it reads like a series of revelations and parables steeped in biblical quotations) followed by the depth-psychological commentary of von Franz.Of all the second-generation Jungians, perhaps only Edward Edinger matches her in clarity.In brilliance no one does.

Quite a few Jungians of my acquaintance haven't read this book even though it was intended as a supplement to Jung's MYSTERIUM CONIUNCTIONIS, the last of his longer works and his last word on the relationship between alchemy and the unconscious.Perhaps it's because the book is not an alchemical treatise; it is, as the commentator notes in an introduction, a rush of revelation by a man who resorted to both Christian and alchemical symbolism to come to grips with what must have been an overpowering confrontation with the numen--in this case Sophia, the Gnostic goddess of Wisdom and, in the Old Testament, the feminine counterpart to God.

As I read, however, I found myself continually distracted by the damnable Jungian habit of footnoting everything (a dozen per page) as well as by the commentator's inability to write one page without quoting Jung:a sad and unfortunate habit given her obvious wealth of knowledge and psychological depth.It's clear too that she did an enormous amount of theological and alchemical research and, I suspect, furnished Jung with a fair bulk of what showed up in his tomes on the art of alchemy.

Although this doesn't count against the book's commentary, this doctor of depth psychology finds himself wondering why none of the psychological interpretations take Sophia, the metals, and the Earth at their word.Again and again, references to the aliveness of these substances are interpreted as the alchemist's projection onto matter.But what if the alchemist wasn't projecting? ... Read more

Product Description
"It is because I love you I give you for your birthday present the aurora

borealis" begins this never-before-published poem by quintessential American

poet Carl Sandburg.The brief text,designed with the air of a

turn-of-the-century love letter, tells of a lovestruck young man who struggles

to bring the "shimmering swimmering" northern lights to the front porch of his

beloved.This stylish valentine for all seasons is luminously illustrated by

Caldecott Honor artist Anita Lobel who lights up the sky in colors and images

that dance on the page.In a style suggestive of Georgia O'Keeffe's, Lobel has

created a picturebook tour de force that speaks to all ages.Handsomely

formatted, complete with a pink satin ribbon bookmark, it is a beautiful

testimony to the power of love and an elegant way to say "I love you"

any day of the year.




... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Give it to somebody special--NOW!
A simple fable that perfectly captures the boundless potential of love.A perfect gift for that special someone.It WILL make all but the most heartless teary (but in a happy way).

Not Everyday a Book Like This
Right from the start this book is one of those that just feels good in the hand. A thin aesthetically pleasing little volume it has a red satin ribbon to mark your place and a brightly colored huge red heart invites you inside from the front cover. The text is a love poem by the great Carl Sandburg that has never before been published. The pictures are by Anita Lobel and they are filled with glad, warm-hearted images and colors.
A young man goes to "where the aurora borealises grow" and brings home a beautiful speciman for his true love's birthday. The enchanting swirls of color actually do quite well at depicting the essence of the aurora borealis and its mysterious, magical light show. I know, because the northern lights were swirling in the skies over my home just a few nights ago and Lobel captured the feeling just perfectly.
We follow the young man's struggle to find and bring the aurora borealis to his love and we believe that his feelings are so strong that he really can do anything for his love that he sets his heart on doing. He offers to bring her more aurora borealises or even a rainbow if she would like. This poetical man is letting her know that he will always work hard for her and struggle through life with her which is something a young woman may hope for, but this clever man has found a beautiful and romantic way to say it. His sensitivity to her need for beauty and abundance is the endearing point of the colorful promises he makes in this story.
I treasure this book and I think it makes a wonderful gift for anyone you love, especially yourself.

Pure and amazing.
I'm an avid reader of all sorts of novels.I'veread 'em with thousands of pages, but none of them have ever moved me as much as this little book did.Both the poem and the illustration have amagical, enchanting quality to them.Buy it foryourself or as a gift.It's well worth themoney.

The Most Beautiful Book I've ever read.
This book is so amazing that when i picked it up in the store and started reading it, i began to cry right there in the shop.i've never experienced that sort of thing in before.i bouth the book right there on the spotwith money i had ear-marked for something else.It is just a reallysimple, really beautiful poem about love with wonderful illustrations.Itmakes a beautiful present for a child or even a sweetheart. ... Read more

Product Description
A lonely boy's wish upon the northern lights comes true, when he finds himself on a magical adventure to the enchanted Music Shoppe, where all the instruments are alive! There, he not only discovers his heart's desire, but the secret origin of the Aurora Borealis. ... Read more

Product Description
Go aurora hunting with Alaska's premier northern lights photographer, Todd Salat.Grab your stocking cap and gloves for an all-state trip to view the elusive aurora borealis and experience what it takes to get the photograph. This 96-page hardcover coffee-table book not only includes over 100 breathtaking color photos of the northern lights, but also provides a first-hand insight into the adventures of hunting them.He does the driving, stays awake all night and endures the freezing temperatures so you can enjoy the photography and share his experiences in the comfort of your own home. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A great trip through Alaska's auroral beauty
As an Alaskan, I sometimes take the aurora borealis for granted.We see them from time to time, and that is usually while in town.If you are lucky to be away from the city lights, and are in the right place at the right time, you can really get a great display, but it's usually out of the way, extremely cold, and well timing is what it's all about.

This is where Todd Salat comes to the rescue.He fights the cold, the terrain and the night to hunt down these beautiful aurora displays.Not only are the photos amazing, but through reading the book, you get to experience what it was like to get the photo.Todd Salat illustrates what it took, what he experienced when shooting these photos.The planning, the exploring and sometimes the luck involved in setting up the camera, and shooting away. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (12)

A great resource!
This book will open your eyes to the natural beauty in and around Chicago, and anyone who likes a nice hike should buy it.

As others have pointed out, some of these hikes are not within 60 miles of Chicago. Starved Rock and Matthiessen are probably more like 80 to 90 miles from Chicago; Lake Geneva Wisconsin is probably on the order of 70 to 80 miles away.But why quibble about a few miles when the reward is the stunning sandstone canyons of Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks? Or the beauty of a Lake Geneva walk?

I question the inclusion of the Chicago lakefront paths as "hikes," but I have been very satisfied by every other hike I have taken. Moreover, the directions in the book are accurate, and the incisive commentary on each location is welcome. This book is well worth the money.

Excellent Resource
This is an excellent book and has so much information not found anywhere else.You would think that living in the Chicagoland area would mean you have to travel long distances to enjoy great hikes.This book will open your eyes to great areas all around here.

Well Done - Very Helpful
I have used this book over and over again and I find it very useful.I do a lot of hiking/climbing in other states and not so much in my home state (Illinois obviously).This book has opened my eyes to the different places around Chicago (I am in the NW burbs) some within 10 miles of me...that I have never been too!Another feature that I really like are the "Nearby Attractions" that are listed at the bottom of the hiking spots reviewed...helpful to find some other things to do in the area.Overall, a very good resource and easy to read.Cheers!

Scott
[...]

A good resource packed with useful information
Ted Villaire's book is one of those guidebooks that will have to be replaced now and again because it gets lost under the seat of the car or is damaged by water, wind, sun, or animals. It is a worthy companion for daytrip adventures around Chicagoland.

My only complaints about the book are minor. As a veteran Appalachian Trail hiker who relied on elevation profiles to determine the difficulty of a day's hike, I found the elevation profiles for most Chicagoland hikes unnecessary. Maybe in the next edition just put up elevation profiles for particularly hilly hikes. There is also a near absence of hikes in Kane County, which has, by my estimation, some of the best hiking and well-managed forest preserve systems of any county in the state.

Some nice features include the hiking recommendations, which lists hikes and page numbers by mileage and other features, including good hikes for young children, urban hikes, solitudinous hikes, and hikes near public transportation routes. Most of the recommended hikes are loop hikes and of long enough duration to merit a special trip to them. Hikes are also listed by geographic regions, which makes for easier planning of multi-hike trips. And Villaire's route descriptions provide a good mix of landmark descriptions and tidbits about the natural and human history of the area.

While most of the information in this book can be culled from county forest preserve web sites, it is nice to have it in one easy-to-read, accessible place. I look forward to many happy miles with this book in my pack.

So you thought there was no wilderness in Chicagoland?
Think again. Major metropolis though it is, we have a lot of lovely open natural space both within and around Chicago. I knew we had a protected beautiful lakefront. I knew we had forest preserves.

But we have cliffs and savannahs and more.

I took my kids on several outings in a connecting-them-with-nature mode. The level of practical detail is very helfpul -- but details about local history make it a fun read.

I will qualify my high ratings only on the distance information. Starved Rock is more than 60 miles from Chicago-- by quite a bit! (But my kids made up a great story en route about how Starved Rock came to get it's name. The story involved elephants... and Indians.)

So pack up your kids and their grandparents. Put on your walking shoes. Bring a bottle of water. Bring this book as your guide. And enjoy the natural world that surrounds us.

May it remind us that we have something here to protect and appreciate!

... Read more

Product Description
Presents the history of Aurora's model kits and includes the latest information on remakes of classic kits from this celebrated toy maker. Includes up-to-date prices and never-before-published photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Useful, comprehensive, professional- rare for the industry
I found this book to be impressive, even though I once worked as a mold designer for a company that acquired many of the Aurora molds in the eighties. In fact, the thrill I got from flipping through this book was only topped by the thrill I got when I was first given the key to the "sample room" (i.e. a room containing reference samples of almost all U.S. made model kits.) The photography and descriptions are crisp, informative, and professional, and if this isn't a complete listing of the Aurora inventory (except for those few items that never when into full-scale production) then my memory is going. In fact, knowing as I do the terrible state of the drawings and other record keeping in several companies from this period, I marvel at how the author did such an exceptional job.I just wish there was an equally comprehensive, equally well-produced guide for all the various companies that I either worked for or had dealings with (Monogram, Revell, Ertl, AMT, Airfix, Testor, Linberg, ect.) I always thought the Aurora line was the best in the industry, but if I would have admitted that about a competitor I probably would have gotten canned.

In fact, this book is alot more fun than actually working in the business....

The Complete Guide to the Aurora Models
This book is THE reference needed for all Aurora model collectors. Unlike other references, this book contains ALL the Aurora models, not just the figure kits and/or monsters. This reference has the airplane kits, the missle kits, the car kits, as well as the figure kits (knights, wildlife etc...) as well as the famous monster kits.Half the book is Aurora history and development along with color pictures of representative models from each line.The last half of the book is the listing of the model kits by line (aviation, vehicles, characters etc..) and then by model numbers with years of production and going prices.I find the prices listed to be more accurate (via ebay) than other guides. ... Read more

Product Description
When millionaire shrimping magnate Donald Sahlman died of cancer in November 1992, his friends, family and business associates crowded into a church in Tampa, Florida to mourn a man who was gentle, generous and compassionate. But their benevolent image of Sahlman was about to be shattered. In a case that would shock all who knew him and set a legal precedent, Sahlman was put on trail and posthumously charged with the heinous sexual abuse of his stepdaughter.

This is a gripping story documented with actual court transcripts as Clairmonte details the sexual and emotional abuse she suffered at her stepfather's hands for twenty-five years. Perhaps even more shocking are Clairmonte's allegations against her own mother, who conspired in the abuse and even facilitated it, selling her daughter into sexual and emotional slavery for financial security. In this precedent-setting court case, Sahlman's estate was ordered to pay Meg Clairmonte $3 million. This riveting story is one of emotional corruption, obsession and betrayal at their darkest levels, but more importantly, it is the story of human courage, resilience and ultimate triumph. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (55)

A pure work of fiction!
Ms. Clairmonte is a severely disturbed woman, who, when she found out she had been left out of the will of her step-father, destroyed the memory of a great man, making up horrible lies, and sued her own mother, leaving her mother broke and penniless. Shame on Ms. Clairmonte, how can she live her with herself?

Ultimate Judgement: A Story of Emotional Corruption, Obsession and Betrayal
I thought the book was great.I just wish they would have wrapped things up alittle more at the end.

WHY?
I am Ms. Meg Clairmonte's Ex Sister-in-law.I have heard for years about Meg's court case and book.My son, her nephew, just turned 18 and graduated from high school.I am a single mother and have struggled for years to support us and now we are trying to send him to Tech school in the fall.

The only reason I am telling you all that is to say this...

I just found out that Meg's step-father, Don had created a trust fund for my son. If the reason Meg sued for all that money was for "therapy" as her lawyer once told me, then why, pray tell, was it necessary to take the trust funds that were supposed to benefit my son and hers.(Yes, she took her own son's money, too.I guess she figured that he wouldn't need any money, either)?Did that additional sum of money make a big difference in her settlement?Well, I can tell you that it would have made a big difference in my son's life right now, when we are trying to scrape up the money for school.

I know you can tell that I am very hurt by this.My guess would be that the reason she did it was because I would not be sucked into the law suit and testify on her behalf.My experience with Meg before Don died and she started telling the world about her life with him was that she was manipulative and spiteful.So, there you are, she has proved me right.And this time it was at my son's expense and hers, too.

Just wish everyone who read the book and felt so sorry for Meg could read this, too.As I knew from the beginning, it was always about the money...

Best Book Ever
I've learned from personal experience that Meg is truely as strong and good hearted as she seems.I cringe at the thought of the horrible things she was forced to endure for so long and can only pray this book touches others as much as it has me.Meg's story inspires everyone to never give up or give in to the wicked people surrounding us.I thank the Lord everyday for the voice he has given her, and hope that others can find peace that have been through similar tragidies.

I can relate
I met this wonderful person that this book was written about. She gave me this book when she learned that I too was abused. It is incredible how she has turned so much pain and suffering into something positive as she shows so clearly in the way she leads her life. I never thought in a million years there was so much abuse going on in our United States. It't time that abuse is stopped including verbal, mental,emotional and sexual. I pray that in opening the scarrs and barring her soul in her book that Megan will be continuely blessed and never forgotten. Your Friend, June ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Enlightning!
Fine collection of oddball natural phenomena - an easy page-turner,
good middle-ground between the paranormal and natural science. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Aurora Slot Cars
Do not buy this book to "valuate" your cars. This book is all about the history of Aurora. If you are interested in the company, the men, the circumstances, then buy this book. As far as I know it's the only book of its kind and there in lies the value. A great product (T-jets), a unique company (Aurora), an interesting history and well told. I love this book and it's worth every penny.

No real insight into Aurora from this greenburg book
This book has nice pictures, just not enough of them. It gives no insight into Aurora or the rationalization of the pricing valuation structure. After attending Slot Car Swap Meets for the past several years, the book is not even close to the valuation criteria used by diehard collectors. If you use this book to valuate your cars, you will invariable over value common cars, and under value the true rare ones. By the way unless the car is extremly rare, it must be in new condition (not just mint for the age), to have any true collector value at all. Mint for age cars are worthless.

A work of art for the slot car enthusiast and collector!
The work of Mr. Graham is one of the most complete works that I have read to date.

Graham begins the work with an excellent review of the beginnings of slot cars.The progression into the history of Aurora Plastics Company is a smooth and flawless transition.Graham holds no punches in this book when reviewing mistakes that Aurora made during its years. There are numerous pictures depicting almost any "Vibrator", "ThunderJet", "AFX", and large scale cars (1/32, 1/24)that Aurora produced while owned and operated primarily in the U.S.

This book also has a fair price guide in the back of the book. I think some information is outdated as far as value is concerned, but it is still a good baseline.

Overall, this book is a handy tool to identify your Aurora vehicles and to use as a collectors guide.It is well worth the money to purchase and would even make a good gift for that "slot-head" in your family.

I also recommend getting John A. Clark's book mentioned in the reference to this book. Together you couldn't ask for better information on Aurora! ... Read more

Product Description
The Voyage of the Aurora is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Harry Collingwood is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Harry Collingwood then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Even those who have not had the privilege of seeing auroras know that there is something magical about them. But few of us understand why or how they occur. What brings the night sky to life with these curtains of light? What makes them dance and swirl? Where do they come from, and what do they mean?

Since ancient times, people have pondered these questions. Could the polar lights be invoked as healing spirits for shamans? Could they rescue souls from death? Were they visions from God - a divine warning that foretold calamity and bloodshed on earth? Throughout the ages, the sheer magnificence and eerie grandeur of the aurora have evoked both fear and wonder.

As beguiling as the auroral legends are, however, the scientific explanation for the lights is no less awe-inspiring. In clear, intelligent text accompanied by dozens of archival illustrations, diagrams, and color photographs, Candace Savage explores the myth and science behind the aurora. She reveals the surprisingly common threads in the auroral traditions of distant cultures and follows the long, colorful and sometimes fractious path that led scientists to the contemporary theory about the lights.

Savage cuts through the morass of geophysical data and mathematical formulae to give us a lucid and fascinating account of how the lights happen. The modern explanation, only serves to increase our sense of awe and mystery about a phenomenon that is our link to vast, uncontrollable, and unseen forces that shape the universe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A historical and scientific look at the Aurora
Ms Savage does a very credible job of introducing the Aurora Borealis to the average person.The book begins with historical interest in the aurora and how different peoples view the lights and works its way up to the modern day physics of the lights.Interspersed throughout the book are wonderful photos of the lights and pithy quotes.This book is a must for anyone who enjoys the aurora and wants to know more about it.The one short coming of the book was the tendancy of Ms. Savage to be a little long winded at times.Shorter explanations and more pictures would have really made this book perfect.As it stands, however, the book is well worth the purchase price, if only to adorn your coffee table. ... Read more

Product Description
Whirling, gracefully dancing neon lights in the night sky? What could it mean? Legends surrounding this most extraordinary phenomenon are understandably prevalent among peoples of northern latitudes. Folklore and scientific inquiry aside, you'll enjoy the stunning photos of the Magnificent Northern Lights in this Aurora Borealis wall calendar. ... Read more