Books published by publisher Heinz Kohler

About 150 years ago, the newly formed Liebig’s Extract of Meat Company decided to advertise its product by rewarding loyal customers with gifts of colorful and ever so beautiful picture cards. Each card was a little work of art; no wonder the images and their associated commentary captivated and mesmerized people. Before long, thousands of these cards were circulating. They told fascinating stories about every conceivable aspect of life on earth and, as a group, similar to what the Internet might do in our time, came to embody the sum total of human knowledge. Collectors could travel the globe, meet people from any country on earth, and learn about their customs. They could visit lost civilizations, too, or view natural and man-made wonders around the globe. They could study plants or animals or the evolution of commerce and transport. They could discover the secrets of agriculture, forestry, and fishing or find out how new inventions were transforming industry and life in general. They could familiarize themselves with geography and history, music and literature, great art and architecture, with famous men and women of all ages, and, most importantly for children no doubt, with giants and dwarfs, elves and gnomes, riddles and fairy tales! In hindsight, strange as it may sound, the company’s most important contribution was not to the kitchens of the world, but to the education of millions of people of all ages who could not go to school or afford books! The author’s grandmother was one of these people and, many years later, when he was a child, she used her large collection of Liebig cards, as one would the modern-day Internet, to satisfy his urge to find out everything about the big wide world. This book is the second of a series that resurrects grandmother’s magical Internet and seeks to pass on the joy that her wonderful lessons brought. Book 2 of the SURFING A MAGICAL INTERNET series is a collection of all sorts of mental challenges that delighted children during grandmother’s youth. Over 150 pictures confront readers with riddles they can try to solve, illustrate proverbs they must identify, or depict scenes in which something is missing that they are urged to find. There are new conundrums on every page and there is fun for children of all ages. Even the book cover contains a mental challenge; can you see it?

About 150 years ago, the newly formed Liebig’s Extract of Meat Company decided to advertise its product by rewarding loyal customers with gifts of colorful and ever so beautiful picture cards. Each card was a little work of art; no wonder the images and their associated commentary captivated and mesmerized people. Before long, thousands of these cards were circulating. They told fascinating stories about every conceivable aspect of life on earth and, as a group, similar to what the Internet might do in our time, came to embody the sum total of human knowledge. Collectors could travel the globe, meet people from any country on earth, and learn about their customs. They could visit lost civilizations, too, or view the natural and man-made wonders of the globe. They could study plants or animals or the evolution of commerce and transport. They could discover the secrets of agriculture, forestry, and fishing or find out how new inventions were transforming industry. They could familiarize themselves with music and literature, great art and architecture, with famous men and women of all ages, and, most importantly for children no doubt, with giants and dwarfs, elves and gnomes, riddles and fairy tales! In hindsight, strange as it may sound, the company’s most important contribution was not to the kitchens of the world, but to the education of millions of people of all ages who could not go to school or afford books! The author’s grandmother was one of these people and, many years later, when he was a child, she used her large collection of Liebig cards, as one would the modern-day Internet, to satisfy his urge to find out everything about the big wide world. This book is the first of a series that resurrects grandmother’s magical Internet and seeks to pass on the joy that her wonderful lessons brought. Book 1 of the SURFING A MAGICAL INTERNET series is all about birds: We meet the most beautiful, the fastest, the largest, and the most powerful birds in the world; we come across magnificent bird’s nests unlike any we have ever known; we encounter birds that once carried the mail in peace and in war; we discover the role of birds in history; we marvel at the amazing patterns of migrating birds in the sky; we learn of birds that can’t fly at all and of birds inspiring poetry. We even go up in the sky and get a bird’s eye view of the earth at a time long before airplanes and satellites existed. And that’s not all. There are surprises on every page and there is fun for children of all ages.

Some 150 years ago, the newly formed Liebig’s Extract of Meat Company rewarded loyal customers with gifts of colorful picture cards. Each card was a work of art; before long, thousands of them were circulating. Their beautiful images and associated commentary captivated people and new editions were eagerly awaited. As a group, they told fascinating stories about every conceivable aspect of life on earth and, like our internet, came to embody the sum of human knowledge. With the help of these cards, collectors could travel the globe, meet people from any country on earth and learn about their customs. They could visit lost civilizations, too, or marvel at natural and man-made wonders around the globe. They could study up on plants and animals or the evolution of commerce and transport, learn about geography and history and natural science. They could discover the secrets of agriculture, forestry and fishing or trace the origin of new inventions that were transforming industry and life in general. They could familiarize themselves with music and literature, great art and architecture, with famous men and women of all ages and, most importantly perhaps, with children’s favorite world of giants and dwarfs, elves and gnomes, riddles and fairy tales! As a result, strange as it may sound, the company’s most important contribution, perhaps, was not to the kitchens of the world, but to the education of millions of people of all ages who could not go to school or afford books! The author’s grandmother was one of them and, many years later, when he was a child, she used her large collection of Liebig cards, as one might the modern-day internet, to satisfy his urge to find out everything about the big wide world. This sixteenth volume of the SURFING A MAGICAL INTERNET series resurrects another portion yet of grandmother’s collection. In Book 16, Exploring Eastern Asia, some 178 pictures illustrate her imaginary trip, long before World War I, to areas now known as China (including Tibet), Korea, Japan, and the Philippines, portions of which were still under colonial rule at grandmother’s time. As we move through the great cities of those days---from Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Hangzhou to Hong Kong, Manila, Nagasaki and Tokyo and on throughout the countryside---we meet the fascinating people of these lands, at work and at play. We watch them dance, do theater, make music, get married, go to court, heal the sick, learn to write and print. We marvel as they create beautiful gardens, bronze statues, amazing umbrellas, paintings on silk. We watch hard-working cultivators of the land grow rice and rubber trees, flax, jute, and hemp, produce camphor, cinnamon, and silk. We visit the countryside, ride the rickshaw into town, and dream of the wild camels, gorgeous yaks, and golden pheasants we just met. And everywhere we run into history: Genghis Khan crossing China’s Great Wall, Sven Hedin exploring Tibet, Morinobu producing Japanese paintings of heavenly beauty, and Magellan dying in the Philippines while circumnavigating the globe. So many stories, captivating all. So much to learn.

Some 150 years ago, the newly formed Liebig’s Extract of Meat Company rewarded loyal customers with gifts of colorful picture cards. Each card was a work of art; before long, thousands of them were circulating. Their beautiful images and associated commentary captivated people and new editions were eagerly awaited. As a group, they told fascinating stories about every conceivable aspect of life on earth and, like our internet, came to embody the sum of human knowledge. With the help of these cards, collectors could travel the globe, meet people from any country on earth and learn about their customs. They could visit lost civilizations, too, or marvel at natural and man-made wonders around the globe. They could study up on plants and animals or the evolution of commerce and transport, learn about geography and history and natural science. They could discover the secrets of agriculture, forestry and fishing or trace the origin of new inventions that were transforming industry and life in general. They could familiarize themselves with music and literature, great art and architecture, with famous men and women of all ages and, most importantly perhaps, with children’s favorite world of giants and dwarfs, elves and gnomes, riddles and fairy tales! As a result, strange as it may sound, the company’s most important contribution, perhaps, was not to the kitchens of the world, but to the education of millions of people of all ages who could not go to school or afford books! The author’s grandmother was one of them and, many years later, when he was a child, she used her large collection of Liebig cards, as one might the modern-day internet, to satisfy his urge to find out everything about the big wide world. This fourteenth volume of the SURFING A MAGICAL INTERNET series resurrects another portion yet of grandmother’s collection. In Book 14, Exploring Western Asia, some 125 pictures illustrate her imaginary trip, long before World War I, to areas now known as Turkey and Cyprus, Syria and Lebanon, Iraq and Iran, on to the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia and Yemen now), and to what was then simply Palestine (now Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip and West Bank). And as we move from the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus to the mountains of Judaea and the valley of the Euphrates, we also meet the people—Turks celebrating Ramadan with a sword dance, Hebrews having fun at the Feast of Ingathering, Persians welcoming a New Year at the Temple of Holy Fire. We marvel at their musical instruments, their writing, their art, the groves of date palms and coffee trees growing on terraced farms at the very edge of the Arabian desert. And everywhere we run into history: the mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the temple of Diana at Ephesus, the hanging gardens of Semiramis at Babylon, the ruins of Persepolis, of Baalbek. More than that! Using grandmother’s time machine, we can go further back in time as well and watch Thutmose III of Egypt subject the Syrians in 1402 B.C., Cyrus giving birth to Persia in 538 B.C., King Gordius making the legendary knot and Alexander the Great cutting it in two with his sword and conquering Babylon in 331 B.C., the Greeks building a giant wooden horse and burning down Troy, Muhammad entering Mecca in 629, Caliph Omar entering Jerusalem in 638, Christian Crusaders laying siege to the city and storming it in 1099, Saladin taking it right back in 1187, and Tamerlane’s Mongols annihilating the Turks in 1402. So many stories, captivating all. So much to learn. But none of these war stories is a pretty one; after praying at Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives and worshiping at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, for example, Christian knights had no problem massacring the city’s Jews and Muslims. One can only hope that people one day will learn from history. Ignoring it certainly doesn’t help.

Some 150 years ago, the newly formed Liebig’s Extract of Meat Company rewarded loyal customers with gifts of colorful picture cards. Each card was a work of art; before long, thousands of them were circulating. Their beautiful images and associated commentary captivated people and new editions were eagerly awaited. As a group, they told fascinating stories about every conceivable aspect of life on earth and, similar to what the internet might do in our time, came to embody the sum total of human knowledge. With the help of these cards, collectors could travel the globe, meet people from any country on earth and learn about their customs. They could visit lost civilizations, too, or marvel at natural and man-made wonders around the globe. They could study up on plants and animals or the evolution of commerce and transport, learn about geography and history and natural science. They could discover the secrets of agriculture, forestry and fishing or trace the origin of new inventions that were transforming industry and life in general. They could familiarize themselves with music and literature, great art and architecture, with famous men and women of all ages and, most importantly perhaps, with children’s favorite world of giants and dwarfs, elves and gnomes, riddles and fairy tales! As a result, strange as it may sound, the company’s most important contribution, perhaps, was not to the kitchens of the world, but to the education of millions of people of all ages who could not go to school or afford books! The author’s grandmother was one of them and, many years later, when he was a child, she used her large collection of Liebig cards, as one might the modern-day internet, to satisfy his urge to find out everything about the big wide world. This ninth volume of the SURFING A MAGICAL INTERNET series, resurrects another portion yet of grandmother’s magical internet. Over 300 pictures illustrate her imaginary trip to some of Europe’s Mediterranean lands. When joining her, well over a century ago, to visit Gibraltar, Spain, Southern France, Monaco, Malta, and, finally, Italy and San Marino, we enter something like a time machine, which makes for an especially intriguing tour. To be sure, finding ourselves, in, say, 1880, the Blue Grotto of Capri or the Leaning Tower of Pisa or the Fountains of Rome may look the same as they do now and so will, perhaps, mountain ranges and volcanoes, great rivers and lakes and famous villas along the coast. But city streets with no automobiles in sight and people dressed in unfamiliar ways may well strike us as odd—not to mention their different customs, music, and dance. Still, if we are willing to stay around, we can marvel at grand structures from Europe’s Baroque, Gothic or Renaissance times—city gates, cathedrals and bell towers, town halls, court houses, castles and palaces, and houses of parliament---but we certainly won’t be able to hail a cab or find a plane to fly home. In fact, as we will discover, grandmother’s Liebig cards can take us further back beyond her time as well. We can inspect amazing structures from the days of ancient Rome, explore fortresses and palaces from a time when Spain and Sicily belonged to the Moors, and even visit the Medieval world and come to know artists, explorers, and scientists like Dante, Columbus, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian, Raphael, and more. We can meet them all using grandmother’s Liebig-cards time machine and we can feel the excitement in the air when Galileo insists that the earth is rotating around the sun rather than the sun around the earth, or when Garibaldi’s Expedition of the Thousand helps create the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. This kind of time travel is anything but scary; it’s captivating and so much fun!

Some 150 years ago, the newly formed Liebig’s Extract of Meat Company rewarded loyal customers with gifts of colorful picture cards. Each card was a work of art; before long, thousands of them were circulating. Their beautiful images and associated commentary captivated people and new editions were eagerly awaited. As a group, they told fascinating stories about every conceivable aspect of life on earth and, like our internet, came to embody the sum of human knowledge. With the help of these cards, collectors could travel the globe, meet people from any country on earth and learn about their customs. They could visit lost civilizations, too, or marvel at natural and man-made wonders around the globe. They could study up on plants and animals or the evolution of commerce and transport, learn about geography and history and natural science. They could discover the secrets of agriculture, forestry and fishing or trace the origin of new inventions that were transforming industry and life in general. They could familiarize themselves with music and literature, great art and architecture, with famous men and women of all ages and, most importantly perhaps, with children’s favorite world of giants and dwarfs, elves and gnomes, riddles and fairy tales! As a result, strange as it may sound, the company’s most important contribution, perhaps, was not to the kitchens of the world, but to the education of millions of people of all ages who could not go to school or afford books! The author’s grandmother was one of them and, many years later, when he was a child, she used her large collection of Liebig cards, as one might the modern-day internet, to satisfy his urge to find out everything about the big wide world. This twelfth volume of the SURFING A MAGICAL INTERNET series resurrects another portion yet of grandmother’s collection. In Book 12, Exploring Southeastern Europe, over 100 pictures illustrate her imaginary trip to the pre-World War I world of what is now known as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and European Turkey---pictures taken at a time when some of the areas visited here were still part of the Austro-Hungarian or Ottoman Empires or when people considered themselves to be citizens of what are now almost forgotten places like Boeotia, Dacia, Dalmatia, Istria, Rumelia, Transylvania, and even Wallachia. As we accompany grandmother on her trip, we follow the course of Europe’s second longest river, the Danube, as it passes ten modern countries on its way to the Black Sea. We marvel at the remnants of Roman roads and palaces---Emperor Trajan’s Road at the Iron Gate, Emperor Diocletian’s Palace at Split, or the ruins of Golubac, infested with hordes of blood-sucking flies, called “mosquitoes,” that have allegedly shown themselves capable of killing off entire herds of cattle! Before long, we stand in awe before mighty fortresses lining the Turkish Straits and built to protect the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus. We relax on Greek islands---Corfu, Thera, Crete, Rhodes, and more --- and, using my grandmother’s time machine, we go further back in time as well, to explore life in ancient Greece at the golden age of Pericles, to visit the hermits at Mount Athos, to witness the founding of Byzantium, then Constantinople and now Istanbul, and to observe the construction of the Acropolis and two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World--the Colossus of Rhodes and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia. So many stories, captivating all, and so much fun!