Sunday 8 May 2011
Social Business
Muhammad Yunus (born 28 June 1940) is a Bangladeshi economist and founder of the Grameen Bank, an institution that provides microcredit (small loans to poor people possessing no collateral) to help its clients establish creditworthiness and financial self-sufficiency. In 2006 Yunus and Grameen received the Nobel Peace Prize. Yunus himself has received several other national and international honors.
He previously was a professor of economics where he developed the concepts of microcredit and microfinance. These loans are given to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans. He is the author of Banker to the Poor and a founding board member of Grameen America and Grameen Foundation. In early 2007 Yunus showed interest in launching a political party in Bangladesh named Nagorik Shakti (Citizen Power), but later discarded the plan. [wikipedia]
author: muhammad yunus
publisher: hanser
r
*
Sunday 13 February 2011
Der Koch
Enclosed you also find a nice cookbook from Heiko Antoniewicz, with amazing fingerfood. Also some recipes of the novel are based on the book - and here you can find additional information and great tutorials how to prepare the different meals.
Martin Suter (b. February 29, 1948, Zürich) is a Swiss author. He became known for his weekly column Business Class in the Weltwoche newspaper (1992–2004), now appearing in the Tages-Anzeiger, and another column appearing in "NZZ Folio". Suter has published several novels, for which he received various awards. He is married and lives in Spain and Guatemala. (Wikipedia)
author: martin suter
publisher: diogenes
The 'Catering Inside' magazine calls Heiko Antoniewicz "the magician of molecular cooking". As multiple award-winner (for example: Chef of the Year 1990) he took care of the culinary well-being of Queen Elizabeth II and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. (IMI University Centre)
author: heiko antoniewicz
publisher: matthaes
r
*
Sunday 19 September 2010
Investment Punk
192 pages
author: gerald hörhan
publisher: edition a (german)
available @ amazon
r
*
Friday 30 July 2010
Irving & Walker
Last Night in Twisted River
A trio of tragic events (though the prize for most hell-shocking goes to the third) exiles widower and camp cook Dominic Baciagalupo and his son Danny from a mid-century logging outpost called Twisted River. They leave behind the Bunyan-esque lumberjack Ketchum--a gruff, eccentric, dyed-in-the-wool Yankee--who remains their sole connection to the past. What's next neither father nor son knows: their rootless existence moves swiftly in and out of New England, tied ostensibly to jobs for Dominic and schools for Danny, but it seems one foot is always back in those New Hampshire woods. Theirs is a restless, richly observed journey, crowned by a reckoning no one could predict. Few writers can match John Irving's knack for denouement, and in Last Night in Twisted River, his extraordinary ending is made all the more powerful by a story that feasts on language, life, and love (Anne Bartholomew)
author: john irving
publisher: diogenes (german)
The Dark Vineyard
Romance, intrigue, and many a fine glass of wine await in Walker’s charming second mystery set in idyllic Saint-Denis, in the southwest of France. As the novel opens, Chief of Police Bruno Courreges investigates a fire that’s destroyed a research station for genetically modified crops. Local environmentalists top the list of possible perpetrators, but they’re only the beginning of Bruno’s problems. Fernando Bondino, a wily young American wine magnate, is eyeing Saint-Denis’ fertile vineyards. His investment would be a boon for the area, which has had its share of hard economic times. But locals (including Bruno) are dubious—with good reason. Bondino has displayed bad behavior, including punching out Max, a likable local lad, over a woman. When Max turns up dead, Bondino is the prime suspect. Alas, Bruno is all too aware of what Bondino could do for his village (his boss, the mayor, sees much promise in the possible influx of funds), so the police chief must tread carefully. Walker serves up wry wit, suspense, and a host of captivating characters, from a comely, manipulative Quebecois to an auburn-haired Brit who captures Bruno’s heart. Oenophiles and armchair travelers alike will enjoy spending time in this lovely, lively part of France. (Allison Block)
author: martin walker
publisher: diogenes (german)
available @ amazon
r*
Sunday 28 March 2010
Meine Küche der Gewürze
All this information is provided by the well-known cook Alfons Schuhbeck in a great manner. In the first part of the book a lot of spicery are described in detail, in the second part you will find instructions for preparing your own tasty spice mixtures and last but not least the book comes with fine recipes where the spicery described before can be used.
Bon appetit!
Alfons Schuhbeck was born on 2 May 1949 in Traunstein, Upper Bavaria, Germany. He is one of Germany’s top chefs, as well as being a writer, restaurateur, TV cook and businessman. (Wikipedia)
author: alfons schuhbeck
publisher: zabert sandmann verlag (german)
r
*
Monday 28 December 2009
Ancient Mayas and Egyptians
Sunken cities in the jungle and towering temple pyramids reflect only a small portion of our knowledge about Mayan culture. These fascinating people achieved the landmarks of an advanced civilization in the classical period (AD 300-600), earning them a place among the greatest civilizations in the world. The contributions included in this magnificent volume range from the origins of the Mayan culture all the way to modernity, giving insight into everyday life and religion as well as the artistic accomplishments and intellectual abilities of this important culture.
author: nikolai grube
publisher: ullman
From our vantage point ancient Egyptian civilization, with its strictly hierarchic organization, can appear static through its three-thousand-year history. In his concise and authoritative introduction to that distant culture, a renowned Egyptologist reveals the turbulent events beneath the rigid facade. Erik Hornung begins his account by taking a brief look at the prehistoric era in Egypt. He then focuses on political events during the period beginning with the reign of "Menes" and closing with the conquest by Alexander the Great. Building on insights drawn from the civilization's surviving texts and monuments, he also describes significant cultural developments, such as changes in burial customs and the building of the Great Pyramids and Sun Temples. Originally published in German, this important and highly useful survey has been revised throughout for its publication in English. In addition, the English version features over fifty illustrations, an updated bibliography, a glossary, and a chronological table.
author: erik hornung
publisher: primus (german), cornell (english)
r
*
Monday 1 June 2009
Homeopathy
If you are interested in Homeopathy you should check out the books shown below. Two of them are written by Walter Glück, whereas one time he concentrates on things to do in case of an emergency (including a proposal which homeopathic medicine should be available at home). In the second book (which is also accessible easily) he writes about soft and alternative medicine for children - a very informative work, which I already consulted a couple of times.
If you are looking for a "Encyclopedia of Homeopathy" you should check out the book of Andrew Lockie. In there you find not only general information about the history and key principles of homeopathy, you also can read about how remedies are made and of which material they consist, and how homeopathic self-help could work.
Even if the books help to get a first impression about the topic, I strongly recommend to always align a treatment with a doctor.
r
Homöopathische Notfallapotheke (Walter Glück)
Publisher: Orac
r
Sanfte Medizin für Ihr Kind (Walter Glück)
Publisher: Orac
r
Encyclopedia of Homeopathy (Andrew Lockie)
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley
r
*
Sunday 15 March 2009
Lighting Design
These two books offer a lot of inspiration how lighting can be used effectively by describing certain projects and showing wonderful photos. Additionally you can also find information on the planning process and some technical details as well. Enjoy!
176 pages
author: michele osborne
publisher: knesebeck (german)
Drawing on experience gathered from working with renowned architects of 250 projects, the authors have produced a handbook of all aspects of lighting, from the first designs to the completion of projects, charting examples from the US, Europe and the Far East. There are chapters on basic technical details and necessary instruments.
256 pages
author: ulrike brandi, christoph geissmar-brandi
r
*
Wednesday 11 February 2009
Modern Family Houses
Great books for everyone interested in stylish architecture.
publisher: callwey (german)
buy the books online @ amazon.de
r
*
Sunday 11 January 2009
Measuring the World
Loosely based on the lives of 19th-century explorer Alexander von Humboldt and a contemporary, mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss, Kehlmann's novel, a German bestseller widely heralded as an exemplar of "new" German fiction, injects musty history with shots of whimsy and irony.
Humboldt voyages to South America to map the Orinoco River, climb the Chimborazo peak in Ecuador and measure "every river, every mountain and every lake in his path." Gauss is the hedgehog to Humboldt's fox, leaping out of bed on his wedding night to jot down a formula and rarely leaving his hometown of Göttingen. The two meet at a scientific congress in 1828, when Germany is in turmoil after the fall of Napoleon. Other luminaries appear throughout the novel, including a senile Immanuel Kant, Louis Daguerre and Thomas Jefferson.
The narrative is notable for its brisk pacing, lively prose and wry humor (curmudgeonly Gauss laments, for instance, how "every idiot would be able to... invent the most complete nonsense" about him 200 years hence), which keenly complements Kehlmann's intelligent, if not especially deep, treatment of science, mathematics and reason at the end of the Enlightenment. [amazon.com]
author: daniel kehlmann
publisher: universal music (audiobook in german)
r
*
Friday 19 December 2008
The Minimalist Garden
This is the basic principle presented in this fine book (adopted to gardens of course). As minimalistic design is very popular right now, and more and more people begin to enjoy the beauty of simple things the author did the right thing by analyzing and explaining a lot of stunning minimalist garden designs around the world. You will find not only amazing photos but also valuable information about the philosophy of minimalistic gardening. This book will definitely provide a lot of inspiration for redesigning your garden.
Product Description
Minimalist gardens, with their emphasis on clean lines, pure form, and a strong sense of space, are closely related to contemporary architecture and lifestyles. This book draws together a wide variety of minimalist gardens from around the world - large and small, urban and rural. The projects are grouped into thematic chapters, and the designers represented include Vladimir Sitta, John Pawson, Luis Barragan, Seth Stein, Jacques Wirtz, Tadao Ando, Martha Schwartz, Shodo Suzuki, and Isamu Noguchi; the book looks at the inspiration behind each garden and the frequent use of unusual materials and imaginative planning. The author also explains the philosophy of minimalism in gardens and related arts, as well as parallel trends in relaxed and ecologically aware planting. Also included are directories of materials and suitable plants for the minimalist garden.
About the Author
Christopher Bradley-Hole was trained as an architect and received a graduate degree from the Architectural Association in London in the study and conservation of historic gardens and landscapes. His own garden designs range from small city courtyards to immense country estates.
208 pages
author: christoper bradley-hole
publisher: knesebeck verlag (germany), mitchell beazley (uk)
r
*
Sunday 19 October 2008
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
author: muriel barbery
publisher: dtv (german), central books (english)
r
*
Saturday 30 August 2008
Hiking in Austria
In the first two books about the Wachau (an area located near Krems about 40 km west of Vienna, also known for their delicious apricots) and the area around Vienna (Rax, Wechsel, Semmering, Ötscher,...) you find at the beginning a detailed description of the respective region to get a first impression what to expect. The second (and main) part of the books consists of extensive explanations of beautiful day trips, including maps as well. You can find hiking tours in different lengths and difficulty in there, offering something for every taste and need.
The third book is a collection of well-known and even famous hiking tours in the eastern region of the Alps - most of them lasting a couple of days, recommendations for places (mostly huts) to stay at night are in there, too. Also you will find a broad spectrum of possibilities, offering something for beginners as well as for experienced hikers. The descriptions (and also the pictures) of the routes make you want to start the first trip shortly after reading them - the sooner, the better...
publisher: rother
r
*
Saturday 9 August 2008
Johann Lafer
In "Meine Kochschule" he gives an introduction to cooking in general, writes about valueable ingredients and offers a complete course on cooking. Next to a lot of recipes you can find interesting and convenient hints, which will make your career as a hobby cook much easier.
Focusing exclusively on "Desserts", in the second book he recommends recipes which have accompanied him through his life. From simple desserts he got to know when he still was a child, to his award-winning and extraordinary creations from the later periods. Not only delicious, but also very likeable.
Celebrity chef Johann Lafer was born in Styria, Austria in 1957. He's the author of numerous books on cooking and the pleasures of good food. Johann Lafer now lives in Germany, at Stromburg castle in Rheinland-Pfalz, with his wife and two children. In 1980 he was named Germany's best pastry chef and a year later he was awarded his first Michelin star. A passionate helicopter pilot, Lafer also operates a gourmet cooking school near his home. But Germans only need to turn on the television if they want to get some tips from the master chef. Lafer is on air in his own cooking show around 180 hours per year.
author: johann lafer
publisher: bassermann verlag
r
*
Wednesday 16 July 2008
Casper
In this ambitious but flawed novel about drug makers and drug takers, Wittenborn (Fierce People) unfurls the cautionary story of Dr. Will Friedrich, a psychopharmacologist at Yale in 1951, who teams up with a female psychiatrist to test an experimental mood-enhancing drug extracted from a leaf used by New Guinea witch doctors. Will tests the new med on a suicidal freshman, Casper Gedsic, and Casper's resulting homicidal outbreak will trouble Will for the rest of his life. Zach, the narrator and youngest Friedrich boy (conceived in the wake of Casper's freakout), comes of age during the tail end of the '60s, has a truncated brush with writerly success and cops a crippling habit. He and his three siblings end up disappointing Will as their lives run counter to his ambitions for them: daughters Fiona and Lucy forgo lucrative careers for more fulfilling lifestyles (Fiona becomes a painter, Lucy an aid worker), and Willy drops out of prelaw to study art. Unfortunately, the fates of the Friedrich children are of much less dramatic interest than that of their father, and as the novel shifts focus to their travails, this dysfunctional family narrative disappointingly peters out into irresolution.
author: dirk wittenborn
publisher: du mont (german)
r
*
Sunday 22 June 2008
Japanese Gardens and Teahouses
If it's the case that you also love tea - especially green tea (as I do), then you should definitely follow-up on the topic checking out the book "The Japanese Teahouse". It's full about details (and amazing pictures) on the architecture as well as facts about the tea ceremony as such, held in unadorned teahouses built in Japanese gardens. Beside the huge knowledge offered by this book, it is also of high quality in terms of production and layout. Even browsing through the pages makes you want to participate in a tea ceremony.
japanische gärten gestalten
author: charles chesshire
publisher: christian verlag (german)
das japanische teehaus
author: wolfgang fehrer
publisher: niggli (german)
r
*
Wednesday 14 May 2008
Self-supply Gardening
A great and comprehensive guide to natural gardening.
256 pages
author: john seymour
publisher: urania (german)
r
*
you can buy the book here:rrrrrrr
Thursday 1 May 2008
Shobogenzo
This translation, supported by the Japan Foundation, makes a strong claim to be the definitive translation of the 95 chapter edition of Shobogenzo, the essential Japanese Buddhist text, written in the 13th century by Zen Master Dogen. Following Shobogenzo Books 1 and 2, the third book in this four-volume set contains chapters 42 to 72 from the 95-chapter edition, including: Tsuki (The Moon); Kuge (Flowers in Space); Mujo Seppo (All Things and Phenomena Preach Dharma); Kajo (Daily Life); and Zanmai-O-Zanmai (Samadhi, King of Samadhis). Book 3 maintains the highest standards of translation, with a clear style that rigorously follows the original words of Master Dogen. 'The first Patriarch, the Venerable Bodhidharma, after arriving from the west, passed nine years facing the wall at Shorin-ji temple on Shoshitsu-ho peak in the Sugaku mountains, sitting in Zazen in the lotus posture. From that time through to today, brains and eyes have pervaded China. The lifeblood of the first Patriarch is only the practice of sitting in the full lotus posture.'
publisher: angkor (german), book surge (english)
r
*
Sunday 6 April 2008
The Frog King
The novel will be adopted by Bret Easton Ellis to serve as a script for a movie.
A mediocre book leaves you cold. But an almost-great book--that's enough to make you gnash your teeth. In his debut novel, The Frog King, Adam Davies maddeningly fails to recognize and develop the terrific material he has at hand. Harry Driscoll, raised in privilege and Ivy League-educated, is a peon at a prestigious New York publishing house--in fact, the house is called Prestige--and he hates it: hates the menial labor, hates the intellectual pretension, hates the political jockeying necessary to advancement. Driscoll is terrific on the disappointment peculiar to the overeducated and underemployed: "All those years of schooling (Yes I speak Old English!) and resumé building. (Yes I interned on Capitol Hill!) didn't pertain at all to the life that was waiting for me." The insider peek at New York publishing is terrific, too, if scant: "There's a joke at Prestige that The New Yorker will publish any story that ends with the word 'home.'" Davies devotes most of his energy, however, to Harry's somewhat mystifying relationship with his girlfriend Evie. He loves her madly, but he's sleeping around. When he loses her, he continues to lie to her even as he tries to win her back. Davies may have some kind of emotional profile in mind for Harry, but he fails to put it across to the reader. Fortunately, the well-observed social comedy and nicely exaggerated workplace farce more than make up for the rest of the novel's shortcomings.
author: adam davies
publisher: diogenes, penguin
*
Tuesday 25 March 2008
Thomas Kammeier - Das Kochbuch
The book has 320 pages and contains at about 100 stunning recipes, and although some of the meals don't seem to be so easy to prepare for a hobby cook, all of them are based on the high quality of the products - with the goal of simply pointing out the special character of the food which is used. Thomas Kammeier really suceeds in this, with great ideas and without any knick-knack.
Even reading this book, or just running through the pages, is a fine experience as well, as the pictures are amazing, too. You either start cooking a challenging meal afterwards, or you decide to go to an expensive restaurant. Believe me.
author: thomas kammeier
publisher: collection rolf heyne
*