J Books

Wondering why you are constantly sick, tired or just unhappy in general? If so, I command you to RUN, not walk, over to your local library or bookstore and pick up this brilliant piece of work by Dr. Mona Lisa Schulz. Two of the biggest issues I see with women and self-esteem are a) that they aren't taking good care of themselves (not exercising, eating well, taking vitamins, etc.) and b) that they stuff their emotions by not acknowledging the fact they feel powerless, lonely or just plain angry. I realize the book looks like a tome but it's very easy to skim around for just what you need. Don't be surprised, however, if you end up reading the whole thing.

I love this book b/c it explains so much about me, each day or month that I feel different. It explains why I get it, and on another day I don't. Why my husband thinks the way he does, and it helped me to understand that I must let some things go. It gives me tools I need to eleviate my Arthritis, and my Menopausal aches and pains. Thank you, Tammy

Apart from relatively well known facts about difference between women's and men's brain (nothing you can't find on internet) the "New feminine brain" is dedicated to pms(just couple pages), depression, phobias, anxiety, obsessions etc. If you do not suffer from above listed alignments and prefer natural treatment to drugs and daily supplements there is little in this book for you. Please rent a book form a friend or the library prior to purchase to make sure its what you want.

No matter what your brain style, no matter what type of anxiety or
emotion you may feel, it is all part of your intuitive type and its OK.
Instead of criticizing yourself, read this book and find out how it is
you really work and process information and see how it is part of your
GENIOUS!! This book is a must for western health care professionals,
counsellors, etc. but it is also a book for the total woman of the 21st
century because this is how health care is going to be talking. And if
you read this, you have to read Doc Schulz's book on Intuition. I've read
both and I feel empowered and I feel validated of all that is me.

This book is quite insightful and thought provoking. Mona Lisa Schulz has done a great job of taking mass amounts of complicated research and putting it into a form that the layman can understand. There is definitely a lack of good research on women's bodies/health and I think this book is a milestone in the field. I would highly recommend this book to any woman in any walk of life. The one drawback (if there was one) is that this book tends to be a bit pathological in general so one should caution against becoming a hypochondriac while reading. But as a whole I consider this to be an excellent book that can bring about awareness of the connections between work, family, stress, and physical and mental health.

Currently living in Canada, Ms. Hovey chose to set this novel in Evansdale, a small town in Maine and home to psychologist Ellen Morgan Harris. Counseling others on problems she knows all too well, Ellen battles her own childhood demons and a predisposition to alcoholism. These, she can handle. It is grief, often underestimated as a prime motivation, which brings her to the attention of both law and outlaw. First, the premature death of her husband knocks her off balance. Then the contemptuously brutal murder of her beloved little sister, her last bit of home and hearth, drives her into a hard-edged and relentless pursuit of her sister's killer. She and the killer seem to have little choice as they follow their respective fates: the prey turns predator and the predator can't stop, even when self-interest would dictate otherwise. Hovey's realistic and understated prose carries the reader along faster and faster to a conclusion that both relieves and saddens...so many lives and so many scars. Hovey's characters are so believable that the reader closes the book after the last chapter as though returning from a visit to Evansdale. Readers who find a restrained description of terrifying events all the more chilling may see Nowhere to Hide as more thriller than mystery. In any case, we have reason to exult over Ellen's triumph and mourn her losses, in equal measure.

"...makes the reader glance nervously over her shoulder when the house gets too quiet. Start reading this book on a Saturday morning. That way, you'll have all weekend to read it, since you won't want to put it down.

Martine G. Bates Inscriptions magazine

This book is right up there with the greats, in my opinion. While I think the author could have started off with more action, then perhaps after hooking the reader, gone back to the beginning, it still nonetheless is an excellent read. Once it heated up, I couldn't put it down. It was enthralling, captivating, and I was anxiously anticipating the ending. Ms. Hovey did such a remarkable job with the keeping the reader in suspense and caring about the lead character's fate. I recommend this story without hesitation. Ms. Hovey has a refreshing writing style, which I found to be clear and to the point, and as I stated previously, an absolutely marvelous ability to keep the suspense turned up high.

Synopsis: The story takes the reader into the world of orphanage girls and the depraved persons who either prey on them or allow others to. In this story, two sisters who survive life as orphans, grow up to become professionals. The oldest, a psychologist; the younger, a singer. Unbeknownst to them, the younger sister is being trailed by a sick person from their past. When she is murdered, the older sister, Ellen, finds solace in her best friend, who also happens to have spent some time in the same orphanage. As Ellen's life begins to spin out of control, she takes up the habit which killed her parents: drinking. Her best friend, Myra, who also doubles as her patient, on occasion, has been having weird dreams of which Ellen has been trying to help her figure out for the last year or so. However, after finding out about Ellen's sister's murder, the dreams come back with a rage. Myra is concerned about them, and even asks Ellen what they could mean, but Ellen is too caught up in her own nightmare to really concentrate and focus on their meaning. After Ellen challenges the murderer to come after her a police officer is assigned to protect her. She develops a great rapport with the officer, and when things seem to be less intimidating and the killer makes no further move to contact her, she convinces the officer of her safety and need for solitude. As if right on cue, all hell breaks lose and the reader is panting to keep up with the events in the story. Ms Hovey does an excellent job of fanning the flames of suspense and thrill, page after page until the very last word.

Joan Hall Hovey's Nowhere to Hide, is a fast moving suspense thriller, that will keep you up all night to finish it. Ellen Morgan, who is still recovering from the untimely death of her husband, is shattered when her younger sister is brutally murdered. Her pain soon turns to rage when she realizes that this man has killed before and will probably kill again and that the police seem unable to catch him. When the evening news wants to interview her about her work as a psychologist, she uses the opportunity to challenge the killer and sets into motion a series of events that will leave you turning all the lights on and locking your doors as you breathlessly await the outcome. Ellen and her sister grew up in an abusive home with alcoholic parents that ended with her sister living for a time in a local orphanage. Ellen senses that the answers she seeks my lie in the old orphanage but before she can really begin to look into her theory, the killer strikes again. As Ellen races to discover the identity of the killer, she finds that in order to live, she has to confront a past she has tried very hard to put behind her. Hovey has created a disturbing look into the mind of a serial killer that will send chills up your spine.

A truly moving book about the mission of the International Baccalaureate Organization. The ability to look at someone who looks different than you do, speaks a different language than you do, and believes in different values than you do and yet see yourself in that other person. That is what makes for a truly internationally minded human. Old turtle tells her story so well and in that story is the power to change the world.

Old Turtle is a beautiful book for young and old alike. My children loved it when they were very small, because it was peaceful and the watercolors are superb. Now that they are growing older, it gives us a starting point to dicuss such a large topic, such as God. The book is non-denominational, but instead takes a more unitarian approach to God, how we all have our own interpretations and how we can learn from others at the same time. Makes a great gift along with a turtle stuffed animal. Overall, I think the entire world would do good to read this book and take the message to heart.

Old Turtle and the Broken Truth is a beautiful story with lovely watercolor illustrations. I believe it is meant to help us realize some very deep truths. If all children could know this story maybe the world could become much more at peace.

Not only is the story timeless and wonderful, the art work is amazing. You can't go wrong sharing this story with a child or - maybe even more importantly - an adult.

The story opened doors for me and caused me to have an "Oh-my-gosh" moment. "Each of us has only a piece of the Truth," I thought. "Of course. How could I have missed that? In order to have the complete Truth, I need to connect and have more pieces of the Truth."

A touching and powerful story.

We enjoyed this book very much. I think it has a good moral to tell. The humans only have ½ of the truth and really begin to worship it and fight over it. Eventually a small child finds the other truth and unites them all. I have it recommended for grades K-3rd but I would recommend it for all ages.

These are the people who founded our great country. These are people who we have all heard about, but don't really know who they were. This book is a great introduction to our founders and what made them do what they did.

As always, Bennett tosses us a great story about our founding fathers. His writing is coordinated and he points out the best of the dramatic tales (real) that they endured--as individuals, as well as family heads. If only, when future historians look back on our current days, they would be able to say..."Those were great days." Alas, I doubt it. Although the founders were what might be called "normal mortals", to challenge each other to create our great nation makes one proud to be able to say "we belong!" They were clearly heroes.

I was tasked to find an appropriate book to give to outstanding high schoolers for our local Rotary Club. I felt this book well represented the ideal of the club. This book should serve as a valuable resource in future years as these young men and women matriculate to higher learning, and careers.

Bennett chose his material well. Historians may argue with some of the details in his commentary (e.g., that Burr shot to kill Hamilton, aiming directly at his chest). Others may take issue with some of the "nuclear family" biases inherent in his commentary. That isn't the meat of the book. The importance of the book rests in the quotes of the founding generation, and Bennett went beyond some of the most famous quotes and speeches, although these are represented as well, to give us a true feeling of a generation that approached life with a genuine goal of self-improvement. Most interesting were some passages from Abigail Adams, from her "tough love" to John Quincy through her disdain for french dancers. Anything regarding Bennett's personal life is irrelevant for assessing the value of this work.

The United States of America was blessed with a generation of founding fathers who were at the same time people of action, and people of thought. They were an incredibly brilliant group of political and moral thinkers. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton, Madison had a profound understanding of both human nature and the unique circumstances bound up with the founding of the United States. Their dream was of creating a nation like no other before, one based on principles of freedom, and dignity of the individual The ideal formulation is of course in one of the documents central to this collection, ' The Declaration of Independence' , life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
In this anthology of the founding fathers' writings in story, letter song, speech and hymn we feel the spirit of a new and great nation and vision for mankind.
God Bless America.

THIS BOOK HELPED ME ALOT TO LEARN HOW TO HELP MY CHILD AFTER WE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON. GREAT REFERENCE TO HAVE AROUND.

This is an excellent book for teachers and parents! It provides useful and very important information to work and deal with kids with sensory integration disorder

I highly recommend the book "The Highly Sensitive Child" by Elaine Aron to get a different perspective (more positive) on the out of sync child.

As a teacher I found that this book had many fun and functional activities. I do wish this book had more activities for older (teenage) students with moderate to severe disabilities; but, a great book overall.

I *LOVED* this book. It was such a quick read that I got through it in two days, *with* two kids underfoot, but there certainly was no lack in valuable content to read. This has transformed the way that I understand and work with my daughter, and she has had a diagnosis for sensory integration disorder for years! I reccommend this to *any* parent, even those without sensory kids....

This book, and the accompanying 6 week seminar on parenting from INCAF is a life saver for parents. My wife and I were only children, and started late in life with a family, and it has made ALL the difference. We read this when they were two and now they are twelve, and I can say my sons are two well adjusted young men. If you try the techniques, you will be amazed. I have personally recommended this book to every new parent I meet.

I've not only read this book a few times, but attended Kath's workshop on Redirecting Children's Behavior! Great book, wonderful and very useful info that needs to be shared by all!!!!

This book that should come with a money-back guarantee. I cannot imagine anyone reading this book and not emerging from it a happier and more effective parent. As a working mom with three kids aged 10 and under, I can tell you, I wish I had read this book years ago - it would have saved me so much frustration! The book is short, well written, and a quick read. The message is simple and powerful, and the examples and anecdotes really help the reader to process the material. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

I first took this as a course in 1991 for my own daughters sake and now as a licensed counselor in Orlando, Fl I have helped several hundreds of children and their parents with this 3rd edition of RCB. Most parents say it should be called Redirecting Children's and Parent's Behavior because it changes the whole dynamics of how to effectively communicate as a family. It teaches how to recognize the four motivations (for any age) for misbehavior and gives plenty of examples of how to redirect behaviors in a positive direction. The earlier parents use this knowledge, the better the results for a happy family environment. All actions have consequences, so I highly recommend implementing this jewel of knowledge.

A few years back, a friend of mine gave me a copy of this book. I read through it, liked what I read, and decided to try a few of the suggestions it contained. I was AMAZED at how insightful and effective the approach in this book is. I am a parent and I also work in a school, and this book has made a significant impact in improving the environment both at my home and at the school. More important than the techniques and suggestions outlined in the book, though, is its general philosophy: all misbehavior is communication -- if you understand the goal of the misbehavior, you can avoid yelling and fighting with your kids and instead "redirect" the behavior and discipline in a way that is more loving AND more effective. Eventually, I contacted the company that publishes this book and got trained through them to teach the corresponding parenting course -- also amazing. I strongly recommend this book to all parent of children or teens, as I feel that it's relevant to both age groups.

This book came in a timely fashion and was very well kept. Great book to read when looking for the answers to questions you may have. Awesome purchase.

This series is well worth every penny. You can find a lot of books for less but that is what you are getting. Save yourself some money and get the series that thoroughly do cover every aspect of the hobby in amazing detail. This series is amazing and you will love it. It is a bit scientific but it does not leave anything out.

New hobbyist should read this book for advice, then read it again in 6 months.

An exceptional book on the subject. It is comprehensive but I would not say not complete as no book on this subject could be. Still I believe this book to be the best work compiled in book form. Described by many as "the Bible" on the subject it indeed may be but it is not dogmatic as it offers several options and methods and leaves it for the aquarist to use.
(Note: This volume covers stony corals and not soft corals).
When I started keeping marine aquaria keeping back in 1970 one almost had to employ the skills of a chemist. In those days most people in the hobby  thought it nearly impossible to care for many of the species of coral now commonly kept. It was only through the encouragement of a local public aquarium (the John G. Shedd Aquarium) whereas a high school student I was able to participate in collecting trips that I got the encouragement to experiment. I started out with Robert Straughan's books back in 1970 which both helped to get me in trouble and helped me grow as an aquarist. both In those days there was an awful lot of trial and error. Later in the late 70's I helped to pioneer some techniques when I worked for the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco. In those days in San Francisco I worked for one of the largest marine fish wholesalers in the world. We had a lot of shipments that went off to Germany and now I wonder if some of the species that passed through my hands ended up in the hands of the authors. Somewhat of a revolution went of in the hoby in the 1980 thanks in part to the efforts of the Germans. Thankfully the hobby is now much more of a discipline and a lot more humane. It is quite amazing how far the hobby has come. I am sure the hobby will continue to evolve. This is a pricey book but it is a pricey hobby and this book is one of the best, if not the best, books on the subject available. The best place to start with the hobby is a book like this one.

The good?

This book is truly a comprehensive piece covering probably more than you want to know at times. For example, it explains the chemical reactions that occur during calcification of corals and why additions are necessary.

After reading many other references, I must say I am very happy I purchased this volume. Contained in these pages are insights you won't find anywhere else.

The book clearly explains the setup and maintenance procedures required to be successful in stony coral reef keeping.

The bad?

My main gripe is trivial. Guys, how about a larger font size and pictures? I had to do a lot of squinting.

It could do with a minor revision of some references that are dated (such as collection of live rock from Florida) as the original was 1994, but make no mistake that all information is relevant.

In summary...

Obviously at this price it is unfortunately out of reach of the casual hobbyist, which is a shame. However, one could buy this book instead of various "reference manuals" which might be the same at the end of the day.

Buy it if you can afford it.

I also highly recommend Eric Borneman's Aquarium Corals book.

A ROAD WE DO NOT KNOW takes the reader on the June 1876 campaign against "hostile" tribes that ended, as every schoolboy should know, in the defeat of the 7th Cavalry at the battle of the Little Big Horn, a river also known as the Greasy Grass to the Sioux. Mr. Chiaventone's first novel is not a great work of literature but it holds up pretty well against a lot of other historical fiction. A ROAD is told from the perspective of captain and corporal, chief and warrior, indian and trooper, white and red. Wrapped in fiction, the author provides a plausible explanation for why and how the battle developed, a puzzle debated by historicans for over a hundred years. The novel explores General Custer's decision-making prior to the battle, when presented with information from his scouts, and during the battle, when pressed by overwhelming numbers of warriors. It makes for a fascinating read to be especially enjoyed by history buffs. Mr. Chiaventone also is able to get into the motivation and thinking of the Ogala, Hunkpapa, Cheyenne, Arapaho and other Indians engaged at the Greasy Grass, showing the reader how these native Americans viewed the world without dragging down the novel with unnecessary and distracting "spiritual" discourse. A ROAD is a realistic novel, describing the rigors of the campaign as well as the violence of battle. A side note is that some 7th Cavalry survivors of the Little Big Horn were later killed at Wounded Knee, where a total of 26 troopers were killed and 35 wounded. Highly recommended.

I've read this book with great interest and excitement. I also comuunicated with the author by email several years ago, and consulted many "experts" on Custer after I read the book. Most of the stories we've heard about GAC are pure trash. GAC was a great hero in the Civil War, for which he has not been given near enough credit due to the despicable stories that have been told about him in the years since the Little Big Horn.

His dear wife, Libby, spent the rest of her life trying to correct the defaming and hostile stories written about him. Because most of his family died at the Little Big Horn, only his enemies, such as Benteen and Reno, were left to tell the story. They were both jealous of Custer, and all the evidence points to Reno as the biggest flaw in the campaign, as he and his troops turned and ran in the face of an assault. This is explained in several writings about this event.

Custer did what most any soldier would have done in his situation. This book explains some of that, so I will not repeat it here.

Suffice it to say, read the book with an open mind, forgetting all the "disinformation" you've heard about him.

Why wasn't this book made into a movie? Well, if it had been an anti-Custer, or anti-American book, it would have been The left-wing, socialist, anti-American pukes in Hollywood would have seen to it. But, it is a realistic story not indulging in mythology or hate-mongering against a true American hero in the Civil War. Custer's conflict with the Grant administration over treatment of the Indians is also a truth Hollywood would not want to tell. That would undermine their hate for him.

With "A Road We Do Not Know" Mr. Chiaventone takes us, on both banks of the Little Big Horn River, as close to what really happened there June 25, 1876 as anybody will ever get. Chiaventone achieves this partly through extensive historical research and partly through empathy for the men involved in the events, all of whom, Indians and cavalrymen, emerge from this story as real people: There are no Noble Savages in this book nor is Custer represented as a fool. Chivaentone understands the "fog of war" and how it can blind otherwise valiant and experienced commanders: Eighty-nine years after the Little Big Horn the 7th Cavalary got itself into a similar debacle at a place called the Ia Drang Valley in Viet-Nam, and in 1965 they had air support and artillery. The only quibble I have about this excellent novel is the large number of footnotes throughout. They do not belong in a novel because they distract from the flow of the story. Someone at Simon & Schuster needs to be reminded of that: put 'em in the narrative, in the mouths of the characters, or in an "Historical Note" at the end of the book, but NOT at the bottom of the page.

I gave this two stars but it is a matter of taste. I was looking for straight historical fiction. To enjoy this read you must really be an avid fan of military fiction. For people with this interest, this might be five stars. For my taste, the author dwelt too much on the details of the military custom and practice that he reconstructed for the circa 1870s Seventh Cavalry. This amounted to the first half of the book and I got bogged down in it. But this preoccupation with military details ran through the remainder of the book and I think had the effect of dampening the climax. It seemed like there was more militaria than characterization so it was hard for me to be personally drawn into the climax. But I realize that this is exactly what some people want. I also felt that the characterization of Custer was a little too charitable based on the history I have read. I am a Native American and I got the impression form this book that Custer was almost benevolent in attitude towards Indians -- just a little egotistical. That's a stretch.

Not since May 29, 1981, the day I finished The Killer Angels, have I been so overwhelmed by the ending of a military action novel as I was by this book. It is fiction only because it supplies lotsa dialogue for June 25, 1876--the day of Custer's Last Stand. This book presents all the events as very concentrated in time, whereas I before reading it had the impression the events were spread over several days. I am confident this book is pretty accurate as to what happened. This is a very poignant book, and made me feel I was with the people on that fateful day. Most worthwhile reading.

After reading this book, it's really good to know that we can change our lives for the better, as well as be able to create our miracles at will. To have this book being introduced to me is already a miracle in itself! Highly recommended!

This is an engaging primer on manifestation and the law of attraction. the first section deals with quantum physics and suggests that science supports the metaphysical program offered in later sections. The book provides a program to assist in the manifestation of goals and desires.

While there is nothing new here, it is nicely written and accessible. I liked the fact that the third and final section of the book actually provided an outline of basic steps to manifestation with some helpful examples. It would be nice if authors would put in new stories as opposed to relying on the same, old, tired vignettes. This book provides a nice review of the Science of Mind principles for advanced students. Perhaps more importantly, it provides a solid foundation for beginners.

I have to admit, I was hoping this book would cover far more new ground than it did. The worst thing I can say about the body of this book is that it simply reclycled most of what Louise Hay already covered in her two books, You Can Heal Your Life and The Power is Within You. That said, the premise of this book, even though science hasn't yet been able to fully explain the practical "how," of how energy is transmuted into the "matter," of objective experience, makes it an invaluable read. For anyone who has moved beyond the cultural mythology of religion and is looking for a Cosmic explanation of why prayer works, this is the book for you. The in depth introduction to Quantum physics and it's connection to the realm of possibility is a fascinating read. It can help to claify confused, unfocused thinking and set you in the direction of being able to co-create with this brilliant, creative Cosmic Mind the life of your dreams.

"Pioneering research into quantum physics and human consciousness" is applied to human achievements and the creation miracles in this highly readable look at the law of attraction and human potential. The book is divided into three sections: Why Miracles are Possible, Where You Fit In, and Making Miracles. The authors conclude with an extensive bibliography and endnotes. What I found best about this book was its clarity. For example, on page 121, the authors conclude the chapter with "The real shortcut is in finally knowing what to do and doing it. Don't waste time or limit your life any longer." I highly recommend you read this book.

If you are interested in reading about financial success, you may want to look at "The Richest Man in Babylon," by George Clason, and "The 17 Principles of Creating Wealth," by Phillip Collinsworth.

I've read dozens of books on this general topic and I'd have to agree that is one of the very best I've read so far. It's filled with clear, easy to understand principles coupled with useful suggestions on how to apply those principles to our day to day life. This book is a very helpful "how to" treatment of a topic that's often treated in very fuzzy terms. Studied and applied, this book can help us learn how to take spiritual control of our lives ... how to live the lives we dream of without working ourselves to a frazzle trying to achieve those dreams "the hard way".

I've felt for a LONG time that our "hopes and dreams" reached for things our "abilities to make our dreams come true" just couldn't accomplish without incredible damage to the rest of our lives. Working 90 hours a week, ignoring our families and punishing our bodies can't be the best way to make our dreams come true. This book is one of the best in showing us how to make all our dreams come true in a balanced, healthy, mutually beneficial and "effortless" way.

A very nice book, with remarkable trees, however, from the cover I suppose I wrongly assumed they would be beautiful trees. Quite a lot of the book is spent on African trees of a very strange nature, and to my husband's suprise, very little was done on the banyan tree. I was looking forward to large, ancient trees myself. All in all, it is still a wonderful book, it just wasn't what we were expecting.

Great Book will enough the wonder hopefully they have it in the school systems or county systems

Trees are grouped by various, sensible categories that other books on trees might neglect: Giants: Gods, Goddesses, Grizzlies; Dwarfs: For Fear of Little Men, In Bondage; Methuselahs: The Living and the Dead, Shrines; Dreams: Prisoners, Aliens, Lovers and Dancers, Snakes and Ladders, Ghosts; and Trees in Peril: Do the Loggers always Win? and Ten Green Bottles. Pakenham's text is great fun to read, as can be viewed from those sectional titles, and individual tree titles such as "Tie up my feet, Darling, and I'll live forever" for the Bonsai tree that is the In Bondage section.

I suppose coffee table books really shouldn't be considered exceptional items to read - view, yes; read, not so much. This is an exception. Tolkien's Ents are invoked for a handful of trees, and rightly so; geography students who get a core borer stuck and (somehow) get permission to cut down what had possibly been the oldest tree in the world just to retrieve it are warned against; and, of course, it is mentioned that any fool can climb a gum tree. I've read this about six times this year, high time I count it officially.

beautiful book. Bought it as a gift for my brother.
I already have a copy for myself.

In fall 2006, Lansing's forestry department planted a tiny gingko biloba tree between the sidewalk and the street in front of my house.
It had four and a half branches, all oriented in one plane like the candlesticks in a menorah. You could barely roast a wiener with it.
I scrambled into the house for a book I had bought, by sheer coincidence, the previous day -- Thomas Pakenham's "Remarkable Trees of the World."
Yes! There, sprawling across pages 110 and 111, was a gingko nearly 1,000 years old, still living in Tokyo, measuring 30 feet in girth and 66 feet high.
Pakenham, a British historian with Irish wanderlust and a gentle sense of drama, has traveled the world to photograph and research the history and lore of 60 of the world's most remarkable trees.
This oversize book, just now out in paperback, is so relaxed and un-sensational you picture Pakenham walking from tree to tree, a Haydn string quartet playing in the background, not minding the continents and oceans in between. It's a follow-up to another book that's just as good: "Meetings With Remarkable Trees," in which Packenham confined his wanderings to the British Isles. The response to "Meetings" was so warm that Pakenham packed his bags and expanded his search to global proportions.
Pakenham's style is that of a curious, intelligent pilgrim. He pairs generous full-page or double-page images of his subjects with un-fussy, lightly conversational background information. He clearly respects local lore and legend, but doesn't go overboard with it, nor does he bog the text down in scientific details. The result is almost a set of personality profiles.
The images are spectacular -- given the subject matter, most of them can't help it -- but sensitively chosen and framed, with an eye toward the unique setting, mood and attributes of each tree.
It's a low-key approach, but if this book doesn't awaken your sense of awe, nothing can. That little stick of a gingko in my front yard, for example, belongs to a hyper-ancient species/order/family that predates dinosaurs. Its peculiar lineage (it's related to ferns) is betrayed by unique, fan-shaped leaves that have no central fold.
Of course, trees have their own agenda, and don't care whether they get into a coffee-table book or not (it's tempting to think they'd rather not, insofar as books are made of paper). But it was hard not to think of Pakenham's gargantuan gingko as a thundering encouragement for my little tree's stressed-out, brown-fringed leaves and spindly trunk.
For one thing, Japanese Buddhists believe the gingko, not the Bo tree of India, was the tree under which Buddha found enlightenment.
If lore doesn't thrill, Pakenham serves up history and science. For example, a gingko 800 yards from the epicenter of Hiroshima threw up new sprouts even after the atomic bomb hit.
But enough about gingkos. In this book, the reader will meet a panoply of the world's most amazing creatures: General Sherman, a mega-giant sequoia in California that weights 1,500 tons and is probably the largest living thing on Earth; ancient teapot-shaped African baobabs out of a Dr. Suess illustration; the leaning Italian cypress said to have been planted by St. Francis; wind-lashed cypresses clinging to the rocky California coast; great oaks with hollows where 20 people can sit down to a banquet; bristlecone pines now into their fifth millennium of existence.
Some of these magnificent trees are near roadsides or chained off in parks, all but ignored by passersby. The wonder of this book is that it tunes the mind to the low-frequency, centuries-long chords only these creatures can hear. Looking at trees that have lived the better part of a millennium make you wonder whether there will be a California -- the home of a disproportionate number of these giants -- or a Lansing in 1,000 years.
My bet's on Lansing, which is far less likely to slip into the ocean before my gingko grows up.