Trees of North America: A Guide to Field Identification, Revised and Updated (Golden Field Guide from St. Martin's Press)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Poor Choice for Tree Identification
  • What is that Tree anyway?
  • NO Good.
  • A lot of info in a small package
  • Nice Little pocket book
Trees of North America: A Guide to Field Identification, Revised and Updated (Golden Field Guide from St. Martin's Press)
C. Frank Brockman
Manufacturer: Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1582380929

Book Description

Smell the bark of the aromatic Sassafras. Wonder at the Lodgepole Pine, whose heat-activated cones reseed forests destroyed by fire. Search for the Sugar Maple, whose foliage blazes red and yellow in autumn. North America's trees rank among nature's most awesome creations. This premier field guide features all characteristics-tree shape, bark, leaf, flower, fruit and twig-for quick identification, making it a superior choice for trail walks, creating displays, and scientific or commercial needs.All of North America in one volumeOver 730 species in 76 families and 160 range mapsNative species and important introduced foreign varietiesText, range maps, and illustrations seen together at a glanceCommon and scientific namesConvenient measuring rules

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars Poor Choice for Tree Identification.......2007-09-17

Despite the excellent illustrations and detailed information, this is a POOR book for actually identifying an unknown tree from its foliage, bark, or other characteristics.

The book divides trees into their families. Unfortunately, this requires that you have some idea of what you are looking for before you start. There is no cross-reference to bark to reinforce a choice. Also, since it includes both Eastern and Western North American trees, one can easily make a false choice.

However, its handbook size is convenient for a carry along.

5 out of 5 stars What is that Tree anyway?.......2007-07-23

I bought this for a friend who is a Master Gardener and couldn't put it down before I wrapped it! Simple illustrations show differents types of trees (and I'm always saying, what is that tree anyway?).

2 out of 5 stars NO Good........2007-07-16

I was disappointed in this book. I'll start with the good, though. It had a nice explanation of the tree traits and what to look for when you are identifying trees. It's also small and easy to carry. There's the good. The bad is that all the pictures were drawn. Now, before you buy the book, it does state that the book does not have a complete list of all the trees found in the USA. That said, the three trees in my hood that I wanted to identify, were not in there. I'm going to buy a more complete guide to find these trees.

4 out of 5 stars A lot of info in a small package.......2007-06-29

Price and size are what makes this guide so great. It provides a good overview of the trees of North America in a very portable format.

The small size, however, means that the illustrations are not as large or detailed as we would prefer. It also limits the amount of specific information that can be included. We recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest and have found region-specific books (particularly from Lone Pine Publishers) to be superb.

I recommend this as a great resource at a very good price.

4 out of 5 stars Nice Little pocket book.......2007-05-16

This is a nice little pocket book that can be taken just about anywhere. Though not as complete as some of the larger books, it really does help to identify most trees. The color photos help with the identification and it is well worth the price to throw in your backpack or on your bike when in the woods.
Trees: Revised and Updated (A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • quick reference
  • Opens your eyes to the trees around you
  • The North Star for trees
  • I love this little book
  • Great for beginners who want to learn the basic trees.
Trees: Revised and Updated (A Golden Guide from St. Martin's Press)
Herbert S. Zim , and Alexander C. Martin
Manufacturer: Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 158238133X

Book Description

This Golden Guide describes and illustrates in full color more than 140 of our most common trees. Learn:How to recognize tree shapes, flowers, buds, leaves, and fruitsWhere each species growsThe parts of a tree and the various kinds of treesPerfect for nature lovers of all ages, this is an indispensable guide for everyone who wants to be able to recognize the different trees in North America.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars quick reference.......2007-01-07

This is a quick light reference for throwing in your bag and hitting the trails. Not indepth and uses the leaves for identification. Illustrations are good.

3 out of 5 stars Opens your eyes to the trees around you.......2005-03-17

Another handy reference for amateur naturalists, this pocket book facilitates the identification and exploration of trees of all sorts.

There is some introductory information in the beginning that brings the reader up to speed on how trees work, and also suggests some strategies and uses for tree identification.

Some of the pictures are the soft colors that we have come to expect, but many of the pictures of leaves and nuts are more starkly drawn, perhaps because identification can be so difficult.

Trees are arranged by group (spruces, oaks, etc.), and each species has a picture, short description, and map depicting its natural range.

This is an invaluable book for amateurs, and has the Golden Guide trademark of being accessible to young naturalists without talking down to them.

5 out of 5 stars The North Star for trees.......2004-12-02

When I was a kid, me and my grandfather (or Papaw as everybody calls him since we're from the South) loved to go walking in the woods. Unlike most people, we were more interested in checking out the trees than looking close for deer and rabbits. Being a curious little boy, I would ask him, "What kind of tree is this?" I don't know how he knew, but he was always right.

I got an earlier version of this book as a present and loved it! It was perfect with its easy reading and nice illustrations for anyone of any age. Most trees in the book are done like this: One page is devoted to them. Let's say you're looking at Mockernut Hickory. The top half of the page shows an illustration (there are no real photographs in the book) of the tree's leaves and fruits close up, along with a distant illustration of the tree in a scenic location. The bottom half of the page contains a paragraph that goes into more detail about the particular type of tree, such as describing its bark, where it grows, or maybe even a short history on the tree. Did you know that the pecan tree is a southern hickory that has transformed into a national symbol pretty much? It didn't even grow here in Alabama naturally, and now, due to widespread planting over the years, it's seen everywhere around here! Finally, at the bottom-right, we have a map of the United States. The parts that are shaded in are where the tree grows in its natural habitat. Oh, wait! It also tells how tall each tree gets and what family it's in (Beech family, Maple family, etc.)

That's a lot of detail for just one little page! But it never appears jumbled. There's a nice section at the beginning of the book that gives you an overview of trees in general, such as how wood forms, broadleaf trees and conifers, types of forests, and much more. Finally, it has a few pages where it groups major types of trees (Oaks, Maples, etc.) together and gives an overview of them, but it still has a page devoted to each separate kind (Water Oak, Southern Red Oak, Blackjack Oak, and so on). My only complaint whatsoever is that it doesn't show a close up of each tree's bark.

I used to look at this book and read it all the time out of pure interest, but there was an unexpected surprise as well. While my Papaw would simply say that one tree was "a hickory", I could outdo him and teach HIM that it was a SHAGBARK hickory. That is, until he got into this book as well. It really does have pretty much all the kinds of trees that you'll see in the United States, everything you know by heart like pines and oaks, to the more obscure, such as redbud, sycamore, honeylocust, and sassafras.

I lost that "earlier version" of this book years ago, but I recently purchased this revised copy as soon as I laid eyes on it and recognized it. Perhaps I lost it because I used to carry it with me nearly everywhere I went, and you probably will too. This book is about the size of a checkbook and it literally fits in your back pocket. Do you or someone you know enjoy walking in the woods or through trails checking out trees and identifying them? If so, this is the perfect beginning guide toward increasing your knowledge of these tall creatures in the world around you.

5 out of 5 stars I love this little book.......2001-06-09

I love this little book. I've carried it on many hikes, dog walks, and through several years of walking to graduate school. It's easy to use, detailed enough to be helpful, and small enough (my aged copy, at any rate) to fit in your back pocket. Of all of the field guides that I own, I've used this one the most.

4 out of 5 stars Great for beginners who want to learn the basic trees........1998-10-15

This book is great for people who want to learn the basics of different trees, their leaves, their twigs and bark of the trees around their area. If you don't know if the tree grows in your area, you can look at the maps in the book to see if it does. If you like trees and want to learn about them, you'll love this book. I loved this book because it built my foundation for knowledge in trees and their different families.
Michigan Trees, Revised and Updated: A Guide to the Trees of the Great Lakes Region
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • An Excellent, Concise Guide to Trees
  • Michigan Trees
  • nice tree book
  • Very interesting & useful!
  • must have for Great Lakes area tree enthusiasts
Michigan Trees, Revised and Updated: A Guide to the Trees of the Great Lakes Region
Burton V. Barnes , and Warren H. Wagner
Manufacturer: University of Michigan Press/Regional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0472089218

Book Description

Now in its tenth decade of publication, Michigan Trees has been, since it was first introduced in 1913, the must-have reference book for anyone who wants to know about the trees of this unique North American region.
In this new and updated edition, several new species have been added to the lineup, as well as sections on tree ecology and fall color. Written and illustrated in a style that appeals at once to academic botanists and armchair arborphiles alike, Michigan Trees gives readers everything they need to know for identifying trees in the Great Lakes state. Included with each description are fascinating notes and asides (for example, this tidbit on the jack pine: "Parklike or savanna stands in north-central Michigan are prime habitat for the rare Kirtland's warbler that breeds nowhere else in the world."). Also includes a tree key and identification section illustrated with elegantly simple line drawings that reveal the tiny, signature details that make each tree unique.
Burton V. Barnes is Professor of Forestry at the University of Michigan. Formerly a research forester, he is best known for his research and publications in forest ecology and forest genetics.
Warren H. Wagner, Jr. was a world authority on ferns. He had been Professor Emeritus of Botany and Natural Resources at the University of Michigan before his death at the age of 80 in 2000.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars An Excellent, Concise Guide to Trees.......2007-01-24

I have been identifying trees since childhood, and have found this book quite useful. It is applicable not only to Michigan, but also to surrounding states (I live in Illinois).

The front of the book includes a summary of basic leaf anatomy. It includes sketches of leaf shapes and leaf margins. There is also a diagram of oak leaves as related to their immediate environment of growth (swampy, etc.). A sketch of inflorescent types is also provided.

The remainder of the book is primarily a key to tree identification. Two pages are devoted to each tree. The left open page is a description of a particular kind of tree. A moderate level of knowledge of botanical terminology is needed to fully comprehend it. The right (facing) open page contains diagrams (not photos) of leaf shapes, flowers, seeds, etc. for the tree being identified.

1 out of 5 stars Michigan Trees.......2007-01-11

I did not realize when I ordered this book that it was in black and white illustrations. I would have much more prefered it had colored photos of trees to help me identify them. I considered it a waste of money.

4 out of 5 stars nice tree book.......2006-12-22

Pretty decent book, quality paper and covers, informative, a fairly good guide, I would prefer full pictures of trees, which would show the bark, even if only in black and white.If your new to trees this book could be quite helpful and useful.

5 out of 5 stars Very interesting & useful!.......2004-05-15

This is a great book both for identification and for planning which trees to plant in your yard. For each tree, not only its size, but also shade tolerance, growth rate, moisture requirements, preferred habitat & other trees that share its habitat are listed. A second book is planned to cover the shrubs & vines, which I am looking forward to.

The final chapters cover aspects of the Michigan climate including the different types of plant communities, vegetation history of Michigan from the glaciers to the present day, length of growing season for different areas, and average temperature & precipitation.

5 out of 5 stars must have for Great Lakes area tree enthusiasts.......2004-02-10

The new edition of Michigan Trees has lots of goodies--including colorized maps of serficial geology and vegetation communities, new species, and information about chromosome numbers for each species. However, the information about shrubs is gone (presumably to be put into a separate volume?), which detracts (slightly) from the book. However, it is still the best guide to trees in the Great Lakes region because of its beautiful line drawings, copious information about habitats, and plethora of identification characters.
Ahrens update '80: The revised and updated edition of book I, Stammbaum Ahrens, the family tree of August and Friederike Ahrens
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Ahrens update '80: The revised and updated edition of book I, Stammbaum Ahrens, the family tree of August and Friederike Ahrens
    Lorraine Johnson Leider
    Manufacturer: Alling Co
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Unknown Binding
    ASIN: B0006YDOZS

    Banaras
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • An Illuminating Book
    Banaras
    Diana L. Eck
    Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    5. Encountering God: A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Banaras Encountering God: A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Banaras

    ASIN: 0231114478

    Book Description

    -- Times Literary Supplement

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars An Illuminating Book.......2004-04-17

    This book takes one on a breathtaking Odyssey through the sacred landscape of the world's oldest and most sacred city: Lord Siva's eternal abode. Eck's approach is sensitive and captivating, her scholarship is impressive, and the result of her labour has been a preciously insightful and informative book. Anyone seeking God owes it to himself to learn about the Holy City of Kashi, where death is transformed into divine liberation, and reading this book is an excellent way to get started. As both a Saiva and a scholar, I highly recommend it!
    Banaras: Sacred City of India
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Banaras: Sacred City of India
      Raghubir Singh
      Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

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      ASIN: 0500241325
      Encountering God: A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Banaras
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • broad-based excellence
      • A heartening journey into the realities of an interfaith world
      • Pluralism in a world of diversity
      • A Cult Classic with the right message at the right time
      • A superb introduction to the religions of South Asia!
      Encountering God: A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Banaras
      Diana L. Eck
      Manufacturer: Beacon Press
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      5. After Auschwitz: History, Theology, and Contemporary Judaism (Johns Hopkins Jewish Studies) After Auschwitz: History, Theology, and Contemporary Judaism (Johns Hopkins Jewish Studies)

      ASIN: 0807073016

      Book Description

      Religion scholar Diana Eck is director of the Pluralism Project, which seeks to map the new religious diversity of the United States, particularly the increasing presence of Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim communities. In this tenth-anniversary edition of Encountering God, Eck shows why dialogue with people of other faiths remains crucial in today's interdependent world--globally, nationally, and even locally. She reveals how her own encounters with other religions have shaped and enlarged her Christian faith toward a bold new Christian pluralism

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars broad-based excellence.......2006-11-09

      Having lived in India for more than twenty two years after growing up Catholic and attending Catholic schools until I was a sophomore in college, I was deeply interested in Diana Eck's book. She didn't disappoint. Her commitment and depth of understanding of her own religion is not diminished, but rather strengthened, widened and deepened by her willingness to understanding the spirituality of India. Rarely have I read a book about experiences in India that combine such intelligence with such deep openness to the truth of spirituality in traditions not one's own. If the world had more such people in it, we might be closer to a unity of mankind whereby we widen ourselves to comprehend and benefit from the various ways God has manifested rather than circling the covered wagons to protect ourselves from any new ideas or experiences.

      5 out of 5 stars A heartening journey into the realities of an interfaith world.......2005-11-06

      A hopeful and very personal account of Eck's interfaith journey interwoven with the larger global dynamics of an interfaith world that we are only beginning to fathom and put into perspective. The book deepened my understanding of how we must proceed to grow beyond these turbulent times. Eck explores her subject thoroughly and with great sensitivity. She leaves no misunderstanding about both the challenges and rewards of dialog, mutual respect, and understanding. I appreciated the quiet and reflective tone. Sip this book like a fine wine. It challenges and takes time to absorb, but is not academic.

      5 out of 5 stars Pluralism in a world of diversity.......2000-12-11

      I had read and heard a lot about this book before actually buying and reading it. In eight closely reasoned, carefully explained chapters the author (a Harvard professor active in interreligious dialogue and open to any and all intelligent religious ideas) sets out the case for religious pluralism. She does this primarily by rational argument but also by personal and anecdotal narration, some recent history of interreligious dialogue, sound theological reflection, and sociological analysis.

      In chapters subtitled The Meaning of God's Manyness and The Fire and Freedom of the Spirit she describes the many dimensions of humankind's connectedness to the transcendent and the variety of ways cultural differences assist us in our search for the absolute.

      Her seventh chapter outlines in satisfying detail the three general attitudes members of a given religious community might hold toward those of other faiths: exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism. Pluralism is clearly the most desirable of the three, and she examines this stance by distinguishing it from other dispositions to which it bears a superficial resemblance but with which it should not be confused. Pluralism is not simply plurality or merely tolerance: it presupposes both. Nor is it relativism or syncretism. Eck emphasises the importance of interreligious dialogue, on which genuine pluralism is necessarily based and from which it flows.

      In her final chapter the author shows why all this should make important differences in the way we live and interact with each other. This is a beautiful essay on religious praxis (not to be confused with practice) calling for radical changes in our minds and hearts (truth and value) that should enable all of us to live together creatively, with dignity, and in full appreciation of what it means to be human. This book can be recommended not only for those who profess a religious faith, but also, perhaps especially, for those who do not.

      5 out of 5 stars A Cult Classic with the right message at the right time.......1998-06-13

      This book is likely to become a cult classic. It is a series of meditations at the same time it is a journal from the author's erstwhile journey of faith. Never abandoning her roots in Montana Methodism, Diana Eck follows the many paths of faith she finds at her feet. She steps forward always without fear and with a profound curiosity which she shares with her reader and with which she calls her reader to reexamine where they have been, and where they are and where they are going with the life that has been given to them.

      The book is not preachy, but it is reverent. While the touchstone is Christianity, the author's own centering point, the scope is as all encompassing as the author's travels, geographically (Benarais, Japan, Europe, Australia, Boston, you name it) and spiritually (Buddhism, Hindi, Islam, shakti, you name it).

      The Ms. Eck explores her personal journey in a completely inviting way to help the reader understand the profound threshhold at which the world's religions now find themselves. They can no longer be said to have an opportunity for dialogue, but an imperative to dialogue. We know each other too well and have too much to learn from each other to not share with each other. She shows us that while we need to speak in our own language of faith, we need to exert all the effort we can to hear people of other faiths in their language, and maybe we will then find them moving toward us or us moving toward them or us all moving to a new place.

      The book is superbly organized, showing that Eck has used her years as a professor (and scholar) of comparative religion at Harvard to the best advantage. The Names of God, The Faces of God, The Breath of God, all provide frameworks in which she compares and contrasts the viewpoints of serious seekers from many, many faiths as they follow their hearts Home.

      It is a wonderful guided tour for those who want to know more about other faiths. It is a compelling call to reflect on your own faith.

      Two cautions: You may need to set aside extra time to work your way through this book. You are likely to find yourself, without warning, sitting in your favorite reading chair, not reading, but contemplating whatever.

      Caution Number Two: This book might change your life. You may not be able to avoid the temptation to do something about what you have been contemplating.

      Not to fear: You will be doing the right thing.

      5 out of 5 stars A superb introduction to the religions of South Asia!.......1998-06-01

      I read this book after returning from India, and have been kicking myself ever since for not reading it BEFORE my trip. Eck gets all the way around the fascinating but sometimes-puzzling religions of Hinduism and Buddhism in a way that makes them understandable and vibrantly real to a western audience. Her personal and theological reflections enabled me (an observant, American Christian) to look at these "strange" faiths and find God in them.
      Banaras: The City Revealed
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Banaras: The City Revealed
        George Michell
        Manufacturer: Marg Publications
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Hardcover

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        ASIN: 8185026726

        Book Description

        Existing books on Banaras vary from evocative phot ographic treatments of the city and its picturesqu e riverside frontage to studies of present-day religious beliefs and practices. None of these, however, deal with the architecture and art of the city within a specific historical context. Banaras The City Revealed provides a close
        Death in Banaras (Lewis Henry Morgan Lectures)
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          Death in Banaras (Lewis Henry Morgan Lectures)
          Jonathan P. Parry
          Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

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          1. Celebrations of Death: The Anthropology of Mortuary Ritual Celebrations of Death: The Anthropology of Mortuary Ritual

          ASIN: 0521466253

          Book Description

          As a place to die, to dispose of the physical remains of the deceased and to perform the rites that ensure that the departed attains a "good state" after death, the north Indian city of Banaras attracts pilgrims and mourners from all over the Hindu world. This book is primarily about the priests and other kinds of "sacred specialists" who serve them, about the way in which they organize their business, and about their representations of death and understandings of the rituals over which they preside.
          Culture and Power in Banaras: Community, Performance, and Environment, 1800-1980
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Culture and Power in Banaras: Community, Performance, and Environment, 1800-1980

            Manufacturer: University of California Press
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback

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            ASIN: 0520080947

            Book Description

            This collection of ten essays on Banaras, one of the largest urban centers in India's eastern Gangetic plain, is united by a common interest in examining everyday activities in order to learn about shared values and motivations, processes of identity formation, and self-conscious constructions of community.
            Part One examines the performance genres that have drawn audiences from throughout the city. Part Two focuses on the areas of neighborhood, leisure, and work, examining the processes by which urban residents use a sense of identity to organize their activities and bring meaning to their lives. Part Three links these experiences within Banaras to a series of "larger worlds," ranging from language movements and political protests to disease ecology and regional environmental impact.
            Banaras is a complex world, with differences in religion, caste, class, language, and popular culture; the diversity of these essays embraces those differences. It is a collection that will interest scholars and students of South Asia as well as anyone interested in comparative discussions of popular culture.
            The Artisans of Banaras: Popular Culture and Identity, 1880-1986
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              The Artisans of Banaras: Popular Culture and Identity, 1880-1986
              Nita Kumar
              Manufacturer: Princeton Univ Pr
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover

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              ASIN: 0691055319

              Book Description

              Nita Kumar offers an evocative and sensitive portrayal of rarely explored aspects of Hindu culture through her analysis of the way leisure time is used by Hindu and Muslim artisans of Banaras--the weavers, metalworkers, and woodworkers. Music, festivals, the place of physical culture, and the importance of going "to the outer side" all are examined as Kumar looks at changes that have occurred in leisure-time activities over the last century. The discussion raises questions of the cultural and conceptual aspects of working-class life, the role of fun and play in Indian thought, the importance of public activities in terms of personal identity, and the meaning of an Indian city to its residents.

              This analysis turns away from the usual models of Hindu-Muslim conflict by seeing divisions based on occupation, income level, education, and urban neighborhood as more relevant for the construction of identity than those based on religion or community. Kumar draws her information from police station records, Hindi newspapers and periodicals, publications of local individuals and organizations, oral history, and ethnographic data.
              Banaras
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                Banaras
                Amrita Kumar
                Manufacturer: South Asia Books
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Hardcover

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                ASIN: 8171672507
                Banaras
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                  Banaras
                  Ranjit Makundi , and Madhu Khanna
                  Manufacturer: Sharada Prakashan
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Hardcover

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                  ASIN: 8188934143
                  Banaras
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                    Banaras
                    S.N. Mishra
                    Manufacturer: Roli Books International
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Perfect Paperback
                    ASIN: B0000EE5IZ

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