Best of the Best in 100-400s
931901
I had owned the Lumix 100-300 lens and I have taken some great shots with it.  However I wanted to utilize the stabilization that the lens had but also my GX8 Lumix body which also has stabilization, since the two interact with each other to give you really something.  Although I own a few tripods, I just wanted to be able to handhold it by using a fast shutter speed. (750-1200). All I can say is this lens has brought a whole new enjoyment to me, in my nature & sports shots. The lenses is very sharp and has all of the qualities in its pictures, that you would expect in Leica lenses. I have read all sorts of the so-called experts opinions on this lense.  All I can tell them is, it has the very latest technology & engineering in it, as well as the best image quality anywhere. It makes the case for owning a 4/3 camera, like no other lense can do. Once you have it down of how to adjust your camera to get your best results for the subject matter you after, then watch out for what this fantastic Leica  lense can do from there on.
Mark Leonard
620941
Essential Pepin is a collection of over 700 recipes. Mr. Pepin calls these his all time favorites, and I can see why.

It has sixteen chapters, ranging from soup to desert. The copy I have is an advance copy and did not include the DVD so I cannot review that, unfortunately.

Soups: There are more then two dozen recipes here. Raw Tomato Soup, Hot or Cold Leek Soup, Split Pea Soup with Cracklings, Cream of Lobster Soup, Lamb Barley Soup and many more.

Salads: At least three dozen salad recipes. Including, Spinach Salad with Lemon Dressing, Curried Coleslaw, Warm Cauliflower and Carrot Salad.  I made the Beet Salad in Sour Cream Dressing and it was delicious.

Eggs and Cheese: Fine Herbs Omelet, Egg and Onion Gratin, Tomato, Basil and Cheese Souffle and many more.

Pasta, Rice, Grains and Potatoes: This is a large section with everything from Ziti with Sausage and Vegetables to Broccoli and Rice Stew, Curried Bulgar with Currants and a number of potato recipes as well: Gratin Dauphinois, French Fries, Skillet Sweet Potatoes.

Breads: Broiche, Croissants, Soda Bread as well as Sandwiches and Pizzas.

Shellfish and Fish: Mussels with Saffron Tomato Sauce. Shrimp and Spinach Timbales. Many fish recipes as well. Whitefish to Sole. There's a Frog Legs and Eel recipe for the more adventurous.
I made a wonderful Baked Salmon in Green Herb Sauce.

Poultry and Game: Roast Chicken. Curried Chicken, Turkey Fricassee, Duck Cassoulet and a few recipes for Rabbit and Venison.

Meat, which includes Beef, Veal, Lamb and Pork: Beef Carpaccio, Osso Buco, Braised Pork Roast with Sweet Potatos and I made a wonderful Irish Lamb Stew. This was a big hit with the family.

Charcuterie and Offal: Some really interesting recipes for the parts of meat we don't use enough of; Chicken Liver Mouse, Black Sausage. Hard Country Salami and more.

Vegetables: From Artichokes in Butter Sauce to Zucchini-Tomato Gratin - over four dozen great looking recipes. The Zucchini-Tomato Gratin is on my list to try next.

There are five dessert chapters: Fruit Desserts; Puddings, Sweet Souffles and Crepes; Cakes, Cookies and Candies; Tarts, Pies and Pastries and Frozen Desserts.

There's also a lot of great basic information about buying and storing different foods, about how to make stocks and sauces. This book is over 600 pages and full of many wonderful recipes. Recommended!
1185057
The two Barnes books are classic collections of English country dance tunes. Each holds several hundred traditional English tunes, as well as many from Ireland, Scotland, and colonial America. Most are traditional; but many were written in the 1960s and 1970s, when the collections were first compiled. All tunes have both melodies and guitar chords. Most are in relatively easy keys (D, C, G and their respective minors, plus the occasional tune in B-flat and E-flat), and almost all lie within the range of a flute. The books are clearly typeset; there are no awkward page turns; the spiral-bound book lies flat on the stand. I've played every tune in both books at one time or another, and if there's a mistake in either of them, I've not seen it. These books are must-have for any musician who plays flute, recorder, fiddle, or guitar and who wants to play traditional dance tunes: they're excellent exercises for beginning or intermediate players, while advanced players will find many to be fun. And at $20 each, they're a real bargain. If you play, do yourself a favor and buy them both: then open them up, break out your instrument, and have a ball!
4550845
Think of this book as a treasure chest full of hidden gems. The title says, tai chi ball qigong, and is the overall system that contains insights into tai chi, xinyi, bagua. Practicing the ball will bring you to higher levels in the other forms.

I live in the suburbs of NYC. Doing an internet search of Tai Chi Ball Classes, brought up only a handful of references to this system. The classes being taught within 100 miles of my home are taught by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming's student.
If you are not lucky enough to live near Boston and Dr. Yang's school, you may only get this qigong from this book. (there is also a DVD set to complement the book). The Tai Chi Ball set is very rarely taught.

Over the years I have been lucky enough to have had some great Tai Chi teachers. Sometimes we used a ball between the hands of partners in push hand drills. Sometimes we used a prayer wheel movement of the palms as in Figure 5-5 on page 102 of the book. The set of figure 8 turnings as shown on page 132 and 133 are much the same as some of the sword training drills that we used to do. The exercise in figures 6-28 to 6-30 beginning in ma bu facing a wall with the ball in front of you, then twisting body into zou pan bu and rolling the ball across the arm, shoulder, turning the body away from the ball and stepping back into ma bu; matches the turn, stepping and back strikes we were shown in Bagua class this week.

Practicing the silk reeling sequences with a heavy ball will build qi and calm, focused attention. Last week our Shifu held an hour long standing class. It began with standing post, moved to Shanti standing and evolved into the reeling movements shown in this book. It was a powerful class. I can now imaging how much more powerful it will be when using the Tai Chi Ball.

So, to sum it up, in my many years of practice I had never seen the Tai Chi Ball set in its entirety. All of my great teachers used it in one form or another in their practice. All of them showed us bits and pieces of it in various Martial Arts forms and styles. This book brings it all together, layering gem upon gem, little nugget of a jewel on top of another to create a treasure chest of knowledge.
709501
Especially good are the following on this 4 cd set :
  1. Bach and Bach-influenced works: the Bach Chromatic fantasy and Fugue BWV903 and the Mozart
Fantasy k396. Seemann was an excellent Bach player (e.g. his complete Partitas)-clear textures and lines, sufficient energy and virtuosity. Of the Bach-influenced Mozart works k394-397 and 399, my favorite is this unfinished Fantasy which Alfred Brendel recorded twice(Vanguard and Philips) and which I prefer slightly.
  2. Mozart Variations k455 and Piano concerto #24 w/ Ferdinand Leitner. The k455 is my favorite  set of variations ( k573 and 613 are closest), written in the midst of a hot streak even by Mozartean standards (k449-459), including the piano concerti 14-19, the Hunt Quartet k458, C Minor piano sonata k457, Violin Sonata k454, and Piano/Winds Quintet k452.  Seemann plays these variations as well as the Bach and Mozart above.  I would like even a bit more panache in them, such as that which Seemann bestows on the Beethoven Bagatelles opus 126-played with sufficient speed and exuberance.
The Seemann/Leitner/BPO Mozart #24 is even better than Leitner's BPO #24 with Kempff,but not by much. Leitner again is perfect, and Seemann plays with fervor, appropriate sorrow and anger, and great clarity.  However I find Seemann generally uneven.  His Coronation concerto  w/Fritz Lehmann on this set is wan/lifeless- he sounds here like a different pianist.
  Best of the rest
  1. Haydn Sonata in E, #38. An early work, it is played  lightly and  lyrically.
  2.  Brahms Fantasies opus 116 and Klavierstucke opus 118.-very good if not as stunning as the
  Kempff and Lupu versions.
  Mixed:  1. three violin sonatas with Wolfgang Schneiderhan.
  Beethoven Kreutzer Sonata:  Schneiderhan is superb but Seemann exhibits
  too much moderation c.f. Argerich twice, Istomin, Graffman, and Haebler.
  Seemann is better in the Prokofiev Sonata opus 94a and the Schumann sonata opus 105
  2.  The Haydn Andante Con Variazioni are very well played but a bit too quickly for me.
  BUT they are played at the written tempo-I just would prefer them played more slowly
  3.  Debussy Childrem's Corner Suite.  Here I must recuse myself-Debussy is not on my dance card.
1296012
I own about 300 chess books.  In the early '80s, I knew all the best ones to get.  But my collection became outdated.  So I bought about 15 newer ones recently -- mainly those with the very best reviews here on Amazon.com -- all with the goal of improving my rating from under 2000 USCF to clearly over 2000 USCF (over 2200 if possible!).
I think this book is the very best one for several reasons, most of which are nicely described by others' reviews.  But first and foremost, you get a LOT of very well thought-out and targeted chess instruction for the price!
(All the books I bought over the years that target one specific opening or another, were basically wastes of good money.  That's just not how to improve.)
This book is, in my opinion, the best since Pachman's "Modern Chess Strategy" for instructional value for the 1700-2000 rated player and probably helpful down to about 1400 and maybe up to as high as 2300.
If your chess book budget is limited, put this one at the top of your list, especially if your rating is 1700-2000.
4859815
This is an excellent selection of classic BSI (Baker Street Irregulars) and other criticism on the Sherlock Holmes stories, with entries by such famous Sherlockians as Rex Stout, Vincent Starrett, Christopher Morley, etc.  Most of the individual articles are available elsewhere, but as a compiliation of essential writings about Holmes this is hard to beat.  Mr. Shreffler does a fine job of sorting the wheat from the chaff -- I have dozens of books on this subject, and if you are only going to purchase one Sherlockian book in your life (but who in their right mind would ever do that?), this book would be a fair choice.
Two potential caveats for newcomers:  1) I am not sure why this book is so expensive; perhaps the number of remaining copies is limited.  When I acquired my copy a few years ago, it was substantially cheaper.  If you're on a tight budget, you can probably get more Sherlockian bang for your buck elsewhere.  2) Keep in mind that this is almost entirely a compilation of SHERLOCKIAN criticism, as opposed to the more conventional brand.  In other words, the articles proceed under the tongue-in-cheek assumption that Holmes & Watson were real people -- thus, this book will probably not help you very much if you are looking for sources for an academic, literary study of Doyle's work.  If you are reading for personal enjoyment, though, and have the cash, it's great fun, and **highly** recommended.
A fine addition to this volume would be Shreffler's "Sherlock Holmes by Gas-Lamp", which includes highlights of the first 40 years of the Baker Street Journal.
2808560
A tome worth browsing through for there are gems to be found here
4394681
If you are a bargain hunter like myself, you already might have some of these recordings.  The violinist that really stands out here is Emmy Verhey from Holland.  She is an outstanding musician with an exceptional discography.  Her recording of the Tchaikovsky concerto is simply gorgeous.  I already owned it but I still downloaded this collection because of her Mozart and Bach recordings here.  Again they are simply wonderful.

Then you have Ilya Grubert, another veteran whose recordings have been around for quite awhile.  His performance of the Sibelius is one of the finest I have ever heard.  Although his tempos are a tad slow, the music has much more meaning.

So far my favorite recording is the Bach 2nd Violin Concerto, with Verhey.  It is incredibly passionate and it is not at all like some of the ultracold recordings by baroque specialists.  There is also a very interesting Fantasy by Robert Schumann played by the legendary Igor Oistrakh.  And for fun there are two famous works by Saint-Saens, brilliantly played by Viviane Hagner and Andrei Korsakov.

It is really hard to believe this collection costs so little.  The price may go up to 7 or 8 dollars but it will still be worth it.  I would download it now for $2.49.
778614
In general I find this one of the best series of collection but this one was even better than the others.  Afew essays were only mearly good but most of them were outstanding and left me thinking. One essay about how man of 60 views the world and hislife was exellent; then another essay about how a man of 90 views the world. Made for a great comparison
4013463
This is great. The selections are fantastic.
2123541
This book is the BENCHMARK volume on VOX amps, by which All others will be Judged.  And I refer specifically to JMI-made VOX amplifiers.  Why JMI?  Within Great Britain, Jennings Musical Instruments  made VOX the great name that it became after the late 1950s, until 1968 when the Tom Jennings-led company folded.  But, the majority of the 1960's was the glory years of VOX amps.
Let there be No mistake:  THIS Book is THE Reference-point on these amplifiers for 2 reasons:  First, the construction of the book, itself, and, Secondly, its encyclopaedic, exhaustive Contents:

A.  I notice books due that I have been cataloging gooks in a University Library for 25 years.  I know how a Well-made book is constructed.  This is a Heavy book and is VERY large.  The pages are Formidable and are made of weighty stock.  The colour PLATES are superb.  The pages are Smyth-Sewn in sets of 3/64 inch Signatures.  Take care of this book and it should last decades.  A book of this size and weight MUST be Smyth-sewn in signatures, or the TEXT will eventually pull away from the book's spine.  This  book is not cheap and is made to last.  DO remember that it is quite ponderous in weight and size.

B.  Every conceivable concept concerning classic VOX Amplifiers ( 1959-1968 ) is covered ... both General concepts, and Minute details.  For example, the reader can find VOX-related types and brands of VACUUM Tubes installed, TOLEX Variations, COLOUR variations, Speaker-types, SPECIAL-order cases, Detailed DATA sheets, Looking to find RARE and one-off VOX amps?  This book has them All!  Grill-cloth types, Badge-variations, Handles, prototypes, ALL of the Beatles' gear, and much MUCH more!  Let me add that my twin, Robert is a Vox aficianado and a "novice" expert in the field.  Also, he DOES know World-Class experts on this Amp.  Bobby and they will tell you that THIS book is massively comprehensive in all aspects.  It is more than you thought could be printed under one cover!

FINALLY, allow me to add one more illustration:  My twin is a superb rhythm guitarist and he currently owns one of the World's greatest examples of the venerable 1963 Fawn VOX AC-30 with ADD-ON Treble Boost [aka, TOP-BOOST].  And how does it sound?  You WANT TONE? ... 2nd and 3rd-level Harmonics? ... Punch? ... Compression?  Sustain?  Chime/Jangle?  This book SHOWS the reader WHY the sound of a 99% condition Fawn 1963 VOX AC-30 is so Breath-Taking:  Nothing comes close, except maybe a CLOSE-CONTENDER may be a 100-point condition ALL-VALVE VOX AC-50.  This book not only gives examples of VOX, but explains the GOODIES within the amp which Started all others to follow their example.

THE early to mid-1960s British Invasion began from VOX, and this Book reveals it ALL!  Again . . . nothing comes close to THIS Amplifier.  The Greatest Name and Sound in All-Tube amplification using the finest power Transformers, and AlNiCo-speakers.  ALL other world-class amps OWE VOX, who pioneered the Field, or rather, it was due to Vox's main genius, DICK DENNEY.
Point:  BUY this book and it will give you "PARSECS" of data and FOTOS on the REAL VOX amps and will give you light-years MORE.  THIS book is a must part of any Serious VOX lovers' REFERENCE-LIBRARY and for those who enjoy the First and Last name in All-Valve (vacuum-tubes) amps: VOX.
2277925
This is a fantastic compendium of many of the best chefs in America and some of their finest preparations.  You've got Romano, Vongerichten, Boulud, Keller, O'Connell...even relative newcomers like Patricia Yeo and Wylie Dufresne.  It is an outstanding resource for getting a taste of the various styles and approaches...including multiple no-stir risotto recipes and other kitchen hints.  Preparation times and a recipe index are provided to make this a very well done production, including a photo for one of each chef's preparations (each chef gets about half a dozen recipes included).
The meals are mostly accessible to the home cook and very clearly presented.  They were obviously kitchen-tested in order to get into the New York Times from where these recipes are drawn, so no bogus preparations.  Plus these chefs didn't hold anything back seeing as the New York Times is read by their target demographic and it's a competitive arena.
Anyone who wants to kick their culinary skills up a few thousand notches over Emeril & the food TV gang ought to invest wisely in this delectable tome.
2559670
This book is not common book, it is some kind of catalog for you to choose among the best material human kind has ever created or shaped the western culture. Reviews and explanations are short, clear and make the reading of all these works a tempting pleasure. I strongly recommend it to you all specially if you are somewhat afraid with all the "classics".
2705251
This book is in the middle of the top tier of 40 python books out there in terms of quality, but I'm giving it five stars because it is the best book for its audience -- people who have written over 1000 lines of the language and want to be conversant in it and understand its insides.

Python is blessed with more good books than some languages, but there are still holes. One big one is for a book that takes somebody who knows coding and can get python to work but hasn't taken the leap to thinking pythonically.  On one side of this gap are wonderful books such as O'Reilly's "Introducing Python", and the terrific books on the other side range from Luciano Ramalho's "Fluent Python" to Brett Slatkin's handy "Effective Python" or the career-starter books that clog the python book chain (happily) such as the Greenfields' "Two Scoops of Django" , Miller and Guido's  "Introduction to Machine Learning with Python", or  Percival's "Test Driven Development with Django and Python".

If you want to go from being able to write runnable python scripts to the beginning levels of being able to follow pycon tutorials, this is the book for you.  Ramalho's "Fluent Python"  is the best python book written overall, but you have to know what's in this book to read that one.  This is best book for that job.
626650
A superior compilation of songs by a true master.  Every track has something unique and soulful to it.  Many are historic recordings--in that, while all having excellent sound quality, they were favorites or defining takes from their time.  Highly recommended.
584661
This book is an absolute must for heavy metal lovers, even if they are not avid cooks. Most of the recipes sound great and the few that are left have amusing stories with them (even though they're for things like cheese toast). Almost every recipe has a blurb from the recipe provider and many of the recipes are written with quite a lot of personality to them. The mix of artists is fantastic too. Off the top of my head, there's:

Anthrax
Cattle Decapitation
Lamb of God
Whitechapel
Psychostick
Lita Ford
Guns n Roses
Strapping Young Lad
Genitorturers
Cancer Bats
Testament
Dillinger Escape Plan
Shinedown
Motorhead
Ozzy Osbourne (band, not him)
Alice Cooper (band, not him)
3 Inches of Blood
Black Label Society
Dog Fashion Disco/El Creepo/Polka Dot Cadaver (lead singer for all of them provided a recipe)
Megadeth
Testament
More I can't remember. There are only a few artist repeats (Anthrax I know provided at least two), so there is plenty of variety.

With that being said, these recipes are NOT the height of cuisine. I knew that going into it, but some of the reviews suggest that others were expecting more. There are a few surprisingly sophisticated dishes, but almost everything is good, rib-sticking comfort food- the kind you would expect a heavy metal band to chow down on after a show. Get this book because you love the music. The quality of the book is just fine. The pictures are a bit low quality (black and white), but that's hardly a big deal.