John Waters Books

I've been working on geochemistry and hydro-geochemistry for the last three years and this book represent an "easy-to-follow" compendium of the most usual problems and situations that you can find on field. The author's explanations to some problems are quite ingenious and help to solve, in a practical way, most of the difficulties that you can find in real natural systems.

The authors have managed to take a subject that can be dry and intimidating and make it readable and enjoyable. I have been in the consulting business as a hydrogeologist for 20 years, and found that I needed to review "the basics" due to a career change to Water Resources. I found the book to be well organized, well written, and especially useful were all of the examples provided. I think it would be a very good book for students (those just starting out) and for those, like me, who need to review subjects, such as "aquifer hydraulics." And, the chapter "How to Get Along with Driller's" should be mandatory reading for all students of geology/hydrogeology/engineering.

Greating readers. I have a PDF files that contains all of the corrections or errors know as of Nov 10, 2003. Please email for a copy of this document at wweight@mtech.edu. Happy Reading. Willis Weight

This book should be required reading by every professional entering the field of hydrogeology - especially those with limited experience in groundwater science. the authors present the material in an easy to read format as though they were mentoring entry level geologists. A job well done.

I've been working as a geologist for an environmental firm specializing in UST remediation for about six months. Having been working in a tangentally related field for six years, I needed a quick refresher. This book is providing that refresher - it will also prove an excellent reference for years to come. I found especially useful the portion on slug testing - my old college texts discuss slug testing but in a highly theoretical and impractical manner.

This book should be part of your library. It is more technical then someone would expect but it is a great reference book and study material. Worth money.

This book is a must for the Solar Thermal Engineer. It is very comprehensive and covers a very wide range of topics. Excellent work by Duffie and Beckman.

This is the best book to have an initial view about solar energy and its aplicattion.

This is the textbook of fundamentals of solar energy engineering.

The second edition of "Solar Engineering..." is a much expanded and updated version of the original, which was already a decent textbook. It covers almost everything there is to know about engineering of solar energy systems, and the presentation is clear and well organized. The division into "basics" and "applications" sections is a very sensible way to get oriented before plunging into the depth of a specific technology, especially since solar thermal applications tend to cover a wide variety of technologies. The gradual and systematic approach makes this book a very good textbook for beginners. The wide scope makes it also a pretty good reference source for practitioners who are looking for a specific bit of information.

The new chapter on photovoltaic cells is a nice touch. While this is not a "thermal process," it is still important for any practitioner of solar thermal to know what's happening in the other corner of the field. A presentation of PV at the level that can be understood by non-physicists is a very welcome addition.

My only complaint is that recent significant developments are not well represented (I guess much of this developed after the book was written, so this complaint is not really aimed at the authors). Topics such as non-imaging concentrators, high-temperature thermal receivers for Brayton cycle, and solar chemistry are either briefly mentioned or absent altogether. The more traditional applications such DHW are of course presented in detail, but their significance to the energy market remains negligible. I would prefer to see more on applications that have the potential to make a major impact. Hopefully this will be included in the next edition...

For anyone who grew up in southern california in the 60's this book brings back some great memories. For anyone interested in the beach culture of this era this is a very accurate window into that space.
There are a limited amount of quality photos available of this time and place. This little book captures a nice mix of the major players who helped shape the culture and "joe ordinary" who found themselves shaped by the same events and lifestyle.
Surfing In San Diego,CA; is a nice companion piece to All For A Few Perfect Waves; the new Miki Dora Bio by David Resnin.

this is from my son, who received it as a gift from us. He knew several people memtioned in the book.Surfed wih some, worked with some at SURFER magazine. He really seemed to enjoy the book.

Unbelievable book, amazing photos and great stories. Any surfer from San Diego will LOVE this...............

Very nice insights. Saw a few people in this book who I know (and respect). Author very knowledgeable about the past of the area's surfing culture (or lack there of ;-)), I'll be buying a few more for friends

Great photos and EZ reading - captures early history of surfing in San Diego County.

John Waters is a great artist, and I mean artist, because he's created things no one else had, and probably never would!!!! this book also gives un an insite on the sequal to a cult hit PINK FLAMINGOS, and while not has good as FLAMINGOS, it's still funnier than most, and it's obvious he wrote some parts far MS.HILL, who was one of the stars of DESPRATE LIVING, also a script in this GREAT BOOK. I beg anybody who likes any type of film, no matter what it may be to get this book, because you'll never ever look at ANY movie the same!!!!

Waters's early work is hilarious, and the book is a surprisingly good read despite the egregious absence of Waters's best flick, "Female Trouble."

Reading these screenplays was more fun than watching the movies, as I could picture the filth in a more vivid way than is possible to portray on Waters' low budget. The happenings in these plays are so utterly outrageous the sheer force of their sleazyness is more overwhelming than "art". What perverse genius! I am reduced to babblesome blandness beside it. I love it more than my own haircolor, the sound of dogs dying & of babies crying--more than my own filthyness even. Gush gush gush gush gush gush gush...

John Waters may very well be one of the most hilarious and entertaining filmakers of our time. His quest for beauty in the trash heaps can always put a smile on your face. Some folks may find themselves becoming offended by Waters' offbeat sense of humor, but it's all in good(or bad) taste. The screenplays for two of his most notorious films, "Pink Flamingos" and "Desperate Living", are at last available for a fun read. You can recapture some of his terrific dialogue and grasp a tighter sense on the humor the he tries to push. The real treat here is the screenplay for the unmade sequel to "Pink Flamingos" called "Flamingos Forever". Unfortunately, this will never be made because the majority of the first film's stars have now passed on and Waters' feels those shoes could never be filled by anyone else. Don't be thrown off by it's title, "Trash Trio" is definately a terrific excursion into bad taste.

What a treat it is to read three screenplays written by the great director, John Waters. "Pink Flamingos" proved that a cult classic could be created on an extremely limited budget. The actors were uniquely talented and the characters they portrayed unforgettable. Now that the demented dialog they spoke is on the printed page, one can savor every word. I particularly enjoyed the pledges of undying love spoken by Raymond and Connie Marble.

CONNIE: "Oh, I love you Raymond! I love you more than anything in the whole world. I love you even more than my own filthiness, more than my hair color. Oh God, I love you more than the sound of bones breaking, the sound of the death rattle..."

RAYMOND: "And I, Connie, also love you more than anything I could imagine - more than my hair color, more than the sound of babies crying, dogs dying, even more than the thought of original sin itself. I am yours, Connie, eternally united to you through an invisible cord of finely woven filth that even God Himself could never, ever break."

"Desperate Living" is a modern day fairy tale in which an obese maid accidentally kills the husband of the neurotic socialite she works for. Rather than face a trial and possible prison time, they escape to a bizarre village in the forest known as Mortville. In the book, John Waters vividly describes the place and its residents. "Everything is made out of trash and garbage, including the houses. Hideous bums, perverts and psychopaths walk the street as...leather-clad Goons patrol the street harassing the pitiful citizens. In the distance we see a fairy-tale castle." Queen Carlotta is a ruthless monarch, living in opulent splendor while her squalid subjects starve. The power of the printed word was such that, immediately after reading that screenplay, I had to watch the movie again.

The real treasure in this trash trio is the screenplay for "Flamingos Forever," the never filmed sequel to "Pink Flamingos." The action takes place fifteen years after the end of the previous story. Babs Johnson, Crackers, Cotton and Edie the Egg Lady return to Baltimore as the Divine leaders of a filth cult. The late Connie Marble's sister, Vera, is married to Wilbur Venninger, a necrophiliac who owns a funeral home. The Venningers kidnap young children and force them to drink, smoke and shoot heroin. Vera claims to be the filthiest person alive, and sees Babs Johnson as the biggest threat to her title. Vera Venninger's rivalry with, seeming victory over and ultimate defeat to Babs comprises the rest of the story. What a shame that most of the actors in the original movie had passed away by the time this was written, and the sequel will never be filmed.

I read this book and was blown away. Incredible stories, unbelievable, awe inspiring to say the least. This book describles stories of very sick people trying urine fasts, as a last resort, after years of traditional medical treatment and healing whatever ails them. I would also recommend "Your own perfect medicine" by Martha Christy and "the golden fountain" by coen van der kroon, two books I also read about urine therapy. I have done a few urine fasts and they really work to help you lose weight and junk in your body.

The universe keeps gifting us with blessings and we often miss them. Our education or culturization gets in the way. I really think the best things in life are free. The Water of Life by John Armstrong is a beginning, an opening door, that will hopefully change opinions. The cases presented are not only interesting they are convincing. My biggest complaint, is that there are not enough specifics for implementing. e.g. For application to the head/hair. How long should it remain on the hair. Should the hair then be shampooed, or just rinsed?

My fear has flown out the window, I'm convinced. Very easy to read guidelines for applying urine therapies, with testimonials.

It's very useful both for ill people but also for the others !
I recommend it !
Thanks !

THE WATER OF LIFE : A Treatise on Urine Therapy by John W. Armstrong. Saffron Walden, Essex : The C. W. Daniel Co.Ltd., 2nd Edition 1971, Twelfth Impression, 1998.

Since its first publication in 1945, 'The Water of Life' has achieved something of the status of a classic. Having just finished reading it, I can understand why. Armstrong, who was a British naturopath, was a very modest man who never intended to write his book. But after repeated requests, and after considering that he had a duty to his fellow men and women to reveal the details of the miraculous therapy he had discovered, he went ahead, and we should all be intensely thankful that he did. The book is a goldmine of good sense, practical advice, brief though fascinating case studies, and astute observations on a wide range of matters.

His discovery - or perhaps rediscovery is a better word, since urine therapy was and is known and practised in many cultures and is even known to the animals - came about in a curious way. As a young man he suffered from consumption, had been passed through the hands of a whole slew of orthodox medical practitioners, none of whom had been able to cure him, and some of whom made his condition worse.

But he seems to have been a religious man, and one day, while pondering Proverbs V.xv : "Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well," he had a flash of inspiration which led him to link this passage with a few tales he'd heard about the curative properties of urine. Could this reference to "waters," he wondered, be a reference to the body's own water - urine? Having nothing to lose, he decided to give it a try.

He began drinking his own urine, was restored to health, and went on to lead a vigorous and productive life by helping to restore the health of many others, both human and animal. Incidentally, one of the interesting features of his book, which indicates something of his kindly and unselfish nature, is that he has included a Chapter XVI 'Urine-Therapy on Animals.'

In 'The Water of Life' he has provided details of the threefold 'urine fast' method he worked out, details which will be found enough to go on by mature adults of average intelligence who have a bit of common sense.

The most important point to understand, which he emphasizes throughout, is that one should NEVER attempt to use or ingest any substance other than urine and pure water - whether chemicals, drugs, alcohol, denatured foods, etc., - when undergoing a urine fast or 'penance' as he liked to call it.

The whole idea is to allow NATURE to take her course with as little interference from us as possible. A fast of urine and pure water, plus frequent, lengthy, and thorough urine massages, and, if necessary, the application of urine compresses, would, he felt, cure pretty well anyone of almost anything if undertaken long enough for the body to rid itself of toxins.

Armstrong's 'The Water of Life' is a very rich book, crammed with fascinating and useful information, and interwoven with brief case histories of almost every conceivable ailment. I couldnt even begin to do justice here to the wealth of ideas it contains.

Four books on urine therapy are currently available : those of Armstrong, Martha Christy, Coen van der Kroon, and Flora Peschek-Bohmer. Of these, the Peschek-Bohmer may be ignored as being both superficial and highly misleading on essential matters. The remaining three all serve to complement each other in different ways, with one providing what the other lacks or hasn't gone into as fully.

The serious practitioner would be unwise to overlook Armstrong. True, his is an early book and we know more about the actual constituents of urine and how it does its work today. But he was a unique character, and in his own way he was a very wise man, and I think he will always have a lot to teach us all.

The book is an easy read with the most appropriate of illustrations. This is the best manual for beginners I have ever seen. Though designed as a self-teach manual for beginners the book is best used as a manual by both instructor and student as training boats vary everywhere and not all readers may have access to the same dinghy design as the Laser 2 used in the book. The instructor would benefit from the well laid out schedule of activities that a trainee interested in basic sailing skills should undergo. An interested student on the other hand would be more comfortable with the daunting sailing terms they usually encounter in training classes as the book explains them well and the manual organizes training activities such that they are easy to follow.

An excellent book for learning about sailboats and sailing in short order. The book is well laid-out and has lots of excellent high quality photos from various perspectives to illustrate equipment, setup and techniques. This is the best book I have found for getting informed about sailing basics in a hurry. Well worth the price even if you just want to learn about sailboats and not even sail.

This title is one of those lush photo-illustrated productions that Dorling Kindersley and other British publishers are famous for: the future of the book in the age of computer and television will be assured if this type of publishing becomes widespread.
That said, there are a couple of caveats for the self-learner and beginner. The first is that the author does not clearly point out the distinction between sailing dinghies, that is, small racers or day-sailors without weighted keels or cabins, and keelboats, which are not covered. Many of the techniques and warnings found in the text do not apply to keelboats, such as pulling up your centerboard on different points of sail. Also, capsize on a keelboat is uncommon and the techniques for righting dinghies will simply not work if the boat hasn't already righted itself. And there is the usual problem of a British book using British terminology: in America the "kicking strap" is the "boom vang". The book is written from the point of view of a British instructor preparing beginners for dinghy racing, emphasizing racing techniques and specialized equipment (including clothing), but it's good to see the whole method laid out this way--few other books have done it as completely.

This book contains very limited and basic knowledge adorned with beautiful color photos, but very useful for those who wish to have an idea about sailing in a weekend with limited time and limited budget.

I've been fishing offshore for close to 20 years and wish I had read this book long ago. There are great tips for necomers to the sport as well as those who consider themselves experienced. I recommend this book to anyone who is going to fish offshore. It is an easy read and will help you catch more fish. Great Book

Interested in venturing further into deeper waters in my fishing experiences, after reading "Offshore Pursuit", felt I had found the secret recipe for successful fishing. Although not a very experienced fisherperson, found the tidbits and instructions easy to understand and apply It was very informative and will be a reference for more successful trips ahead. Highly recommend for any fisherman desiring to catch the big one(s)!

Excellent book for all who enjoy fishing. It brings together techniques, equipment and strategies that have been proven by an experienced fisherman with a passion for what he does.
The author provides information that the beginner can use to select the correct, rod, reel and lures.He then presents it all in such a way that you feel as though you are on the boat watching a pro show you exactly what to do.

I found the book to be an excellent tutorial for the novice ocean fisherman and a great reference guide fot the more experienced fisherman.
The author writes as if he were talking directly to you on your level.I think this is a great book to keep on-board the boat. rjc/MD

A great book about surfing, people, travel and polynesian history. It's both laid back and pumping at the same time and any kind of surfer would get a good feeling from reading it.

Andy Martin wrote a vey nice book, by interviewing all the world tour pros, you get more knowledge of what goes on On the North Shore of Oahu. I was stoked to see there also was a movie about it. Jeroen Mutsaars

I really enjoyed this book, it left me wanting much more. A well researched and descriptive look at the bizare world of big wave surfers. Particularly suited to those who have not and have no intention of surfing big waves themselves, but would like to get inside the head of the people who do. It has a travelogue style, I think it would appeal to readers of Eric Newby or even books like "A year in Provence". His other book "Coming down the Mountain", takes a similar approach, but to World cup Down Hill skiing. Again a good read, but for me not quite so riveting as this one. Give it a try

I really enjoyed this book, it left me wanting much more. A well researched and descriptive look at the bizare world of big wave surfers. Particularly suited to those who have not and have no intention of surfing big waves themselves, but would like to get inside the head of the people who do. It has a travelogue style, I think it would appeal to readers of Eric Newby or even books like "A year in Provence". His other book "Coming down the Mountain", takes a similar approach, but to World cup Down Hill skiing. Again a good read, but for me not quite so riveting as this one. Give it a try.

About a year ago a teacher/performer friend asked me who my first guitar teacher was. Larry McCabe, quite a few years ago. My friend looked surprised, and told me he uses Larry's books in his own teaching, and that Larry had written something like 80 books to date. I had no idea, as Larry was in the process of writing his first book when I had lessons with him. So when it came time to brush up on some basic blues licks for a band I'm in I ended up obtaining some of Larry's books.

This book of blues turnarounds is where I started. What a great book - full of excellent turnaround licks. At this point I've only played through about half of them note for note, but have used those as a basis for coming up with my own licks. And to me, that is the mark of a great book - lots of useful information if read note-for-note, but can also be used as a springboard for creating new ideas.

The licks I've learned from the book thus far are all in the key of C, but can be easily used in other keys if one has a basic knowledge of the notes on the fretboard. I'd highly recommend this book for a beginner wanting to learn stock blues licks, or intermediate players who need to expand their blues vocabulary.

An Excellent Choice for the Early Intermediate Blues Guitarist

A turnaround is a lick played at the end of a section of music. A blues turnaround would be played in measures 11-12 of a 12-bar blues, or measures 7-8 of an eight-bar blues.

Electric urban blues turnarounds are fairly easy to play, and the difference from one to another is subtle. Having the ability to play a variety of turnarounds is an important skill in blues guitar playing. This is the best book I know of that addresses exclusively the subject of electric blues guitar turnarounds.

This a book for a VERY ambitious beginner, or an early intermediate guitarist who has an interest in Chicago blues in the classic style of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed, etc.

The licks are all arranged in the key of C. This is for ease of analysis and comparison. The user is encouraged to transpose the licks to other keys - a worthwhile project for exploring and learning the fingerboard. Very, very good practice for learning the art of blues phrasing.

Great book from one of our leading authors. My students (and myself) have consistently benefited from the interesting instruction contained here.

My students and I work from several of Larry McCabe's guitar books and find that the books produce consistently high results.

This book, like the others, is exceptionally well crafted, specific in intent, and the guitar lines are accurately written exactly as they are heard on the CD. Larry McCabe books are the work of a dedicated teacher who has achieved a high level of respect nationally in the field of music education.

Larry asked me to write a review for this book, and I am happy to do so. The object of this book is to teach the art of playing blues guitar turnarounds to a guitarist who has some prior experience but is just beginning to explore electric blues.

If a student knows how to bend the strings and perhaps play slurs, slides, and hammers, blues turnarounds are not difficult to play. What is important is to play them authentically and with conviction. This book does a very good job in advancing those objectives.

A component of this book that is quite effective is that every phrase is written in the Key of C. The student should then transpose each lick to other keys, a desirable skill that encourages individual incentive and ability to solve arranging problems.

The turnarounds sound exactly like the ones played on classic blues recordings by the great artists from Chicago and other urban areas.

I know other teachers who swear by Larry's books, and I am one of them. Great book- effective in its aims, ambitious content, fun to work through, and a great value.

This very fine book has been in print in one form or another since the early-to-mid 1980s. Not many music books remain in print that long, but this is an exceptional collection of model solos in the urban blues style.

The book is quite popular with music teachers (as evidenced by the other reviews) and it is enjoyable and productive for students as well. The book is aimed at the ambitious early intermediate student, and a few of the solos will challenge an intermediate guitarist.

There are 25 full-length solos in the book, each written in notation and tablature, and each recorded note-for-note on the accompanying CD. The band on the CD is excellent. There are five solos in C, five in G, five in D, five in A, and five in E. The solos are played to standard blues progressions, meaning that they may be "plugged in" to similar blues progressions that are found in many, many songs.

The solos sound exactly like the solos heard on real blues records. They are varied and performed with taste, authenticity, and feeling. You can hear why the author was a columnist for Living Blues Magazine and why his work has received consistently high reviews in a number of guitar magazines.

Great book, highly recommended.

I wish all music instruction books were written in this format. The song tabs just go from one page to the next without a bunch of talking/writing in between, and the song numbers in the book actually match the song numbers on the cd...what a rare and unique idea! Of course, none of that would matter if the material were bad, but that's not the case, the solos are great - quite diverse too. There is a lot of helpful information in this book: theory, writing your own solos, a guide to blues styles and artists,etc. - but it's all in it's own section of the book, not sprinkled throughout the book here and there making it impossible to find. As a full time guitar instructor I would just like to say "great job", "great blues solos" and "great, easy to use format". Thanks.

The author of this book, Larry McCabe, is re-releasing books that have gone out of print for one reason or another. This particular book is an old friend. After I received it, I went into my library and found a copy. It has been in print in one form or another for 25 years. Most instruction books don't last anywhere near that long. First, this book (as the author warns) is not for beginners. You need to be familiar with the movable blues scales we all use. If you are playing out, and feel comfortable with the whole neck, get this book. The style of lead is closer to Gatemouth Brown and Freddie King than anyone else. If you don't know who these men are, buy their CDs. You are in for a treat. Please read the author's introduction. There is a lot of good info there. The Tab system is the older style. It should take about 30 seconds to adjust. It's actually easier to read than the current form. If you consider yourself a Rock guitarist instead of Blues, you really could use this book. If you use these solos as a "how to", instead of just memorizing them, they will give you some new weapons. You know, for scaring the heck out of other guitarists.