V Books

Michelle Feynman has provided an important service in collecting the letters of her father in "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations." I was especially interested in the letters concerning his award of the Nobel prize. Despite receiving the most prestigious award in science, Feynman refused to take himself (or anything else) too seriously. My favorite exchange (pp. 163-164) begins with a letter from Sandra Chester who writes "Hail the Nobel Prize Committee for its recognition of your unsurpassed achievement in the field of bongo artistry." True to form, Feynman responded "I was delighted too when I heard about the Nobel Prize, thinking as you did that my bongo playing was at last recognized. Imagine my chagrin when I realized that there had been some mistake-they cited some marks I made on paper some 15 years ago-and not one word about percussion technique. I know you share in my disappointment." His fans even extended to students who had failed his courses: one named his female Siamese cat "Richard P." in his honor, to which Feynman responded "Some measure fame by just a Nobel Prize but I have had a cat named after me! Thank you for such a distinguished and subtle honor." (He even agreed to become "a knight of the Order of the ever Smiling and Jumping Frogs" to celebrate his status as a Nobel Laureate.)

A character trait I greatly admire about Feynman is his utter intolerance of pomposity and his demand of clarity in communication (perhaps best explained in a discussion of "new math" textbooks in Appendix V), as well as a general disdain for self-importance. My favorite example appears on p. 323. Mr R. Wayne Oler had written Feynman a letter deriding the practice of teachers selling unsolicited desk copies of textbooks sent to them for personal profit. I cannot imagine a better reply than the last line from Feynman's response: "Previously I have always returned, unopened, unsolicited books from publishers (I dislike advertising). But now you have given me a better idea."

The book also contains numerous letters between Feynman and the greats of twentieth century physics, as well as more personal glimpses into his character afforded by letters to his wives (particularly his first wife, Arline, who died of tuberculosis at a young age). The book also allows the reader to see changing of opinions or changed nuance of certain positions over time (I was especially interested in his appraisals of "new math" textbooks, which I generally loathe [in most cases Feynman agreed], the discussion of which is largely on pp. 218-220 and in Appendix V.)

Michelle Feynman has done a wonderful job organizing these letters, making just the right comments when needed for interpretation or comprehension. I highly recommend "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations" and thank Michelle Feynman for all the effort that went into producing this important volume.

If you are familiar with feynman this is just what you would expect from this great man. This is him uncut and uncensord. When ever i feel like smiling and gain some inspiration i pick this book up and flip to a random page, it works everytime.

If there was one intellect that dominated the latter half of the 20th century, it would be Dr. Richard Feynman. Yet, despite winning a Nobel prize and his early work on the Manhattan project and his years of original yet simple and creative approaches to complex problems, his humility and true affection for other people never waivered. He was one of those rare people who could touch our hearts as effectively, possibly even more, than he could touch our minds. He was one who gave new meaning to the idea of thinking outside the box and who never passed up a chance to remind us all of what is really important in life.

Some of his letters will make you cry with the emotion he could express to those he loved. Others will strike you for their humility displayed in teaching without condescending or apologies to those he feared he had offended. A truly great man with a great intellect and great ability to communicate his thoughts. This is the human side of one who had been named "the world's smartest man" by Omni magazine. And we are all fortunate to know him through this collection.

Having read "Surely you're joking, Mr Feynmann", I had wondered about his relationship with his first wife, because she was hardly mentioned.

This book sets that right, with some fascinating and personal letters. In particular, the letter he wrote a year after her death hit me very hard, and I don't consider myself sentimental.

And that's just the first part of the book...if you like Feynmann, this is a must have.

My main motivation for reading "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations" was to gain further insight into Feynman's personality and value system by the direct and reliable method of studying verbatim his interactions with other people. He has been so thoroughly enshrined (perhaps not unwillingly) as a brilliant, difficult, puckish character that I couldn't help being a bit puzzled about what he was "really" like.

In assembling this volume, Feynman's daughter Michelle has selected a variety of correspondence ranging from professional relations with colleagues to private exchanges with friends and, occasionally, complete strangers. I think it is in the latter case that we learn the most about Feynman. He was willing to pay close attention not only to people who admired him, but also to those who offered crazy ideas, or unfair criticism, or even ad-hominem invective. Well after becoming a Nobel prize winner, he continued to compose detailed explanations for, and invite replies from, people who could try anyone's patience. As an experienced debater-by-correspondence, he had a talent for cutting to the quick of a dispute and, while remaining perfectly courteous, nudging the contender into a corner from which escape was impossible short of offering something new or conceding the point. Whether arguing scientifically, graciously acknowledging praise, or simply trying to shake off a persistent bore, Feynman never failed to be insightful and thought-provoking.

The early part of the book covers Feynman's relationship with his first wife Arline, who died of tuberculosis in an Albuquerque sanatorium while he worked on the atomic bomb project at Los Alamos. His decision to marry Arline, regardless of her uncertain health and against the advice of friends and relatives, speaks to the strength and depth of his commitment. Many extremely personal letters are included which illuminate the couple's mutual devotion as well as his loving acceptance of the frustration and uncertainty forced on both of them by the relentlessly worsening disease.

Feynman's attitude toward religion is revealed in several places, particularly during a 1959 television interview. In addition to critiquing the widespread notion that morality is tied to piety, he says quite succinctly that "The religious theory of the world ...doesn't fit with what you see."

In a number of letters Feynman explains the prickly positions on academic conventions and courtesies that helped to make him a legendary outsider. A representative example was his refusal to provide evaluations of former students and colleagues when they were already at the requesting institution. He essentially said: Look here, this person is working right under your nose and you know more about him or her than I do, so decide for yourself!

There are a few instances where an alert editor could have caught misreadings, for example "Serbeis" for the [Robert] Serbers on page 76, and "1023" for ten to the 23rd power on page 174. All in all, this collection constitutes a fascinating and skillfully-produced window into one of the world's most intriguing minds.

I was very pleased by the shipper, she even wrote a mini thank you note on the shipping slip! I have wanted this book ever since I found out about it last summer when my family and I visited "Titanic: The Experience" in Orlando, and was VERY pleased to find it here. Thank you!

Amazon asked me to review this book, which is funny, considering I still haven't received the copy I ordered more than a month ago! If you really want this book, you might try getting it elsewhere.

I found this book to be a wonderful book that takes you into the world of a passenger on the Titanic and his journey through the disaster. It was a wonderful book with great illustrations that really helped my students look into the events of the Titanic.

the name of this book is polar the titanic bear.It was a very,very good book. IT IS A TRUE STORY.I is about a stuffed bear that is "alive" and has a very good connection with his master.His master's family was a very rich family,so they traveled alot.The two were on the titanic,& this book has real pictures of the titanic & his family.(masters family)

This book has much to offer, for young readers and for adults. It is a wonderful glimpse into history, told from the perspective of a Steiff polar bear, who is very much a part of the life of young Douglas Spedden. His family's travels and his young life unfold in a beautiful text that is illustrated with sensitive illustrations and historical photographs. The Speddens traveled on the ill-fated Titanic. The incredible drama of that event unfolds in the most personal narrative. The magnficent beauty of the ship is conveyed as the family enjoys its commodious luxury. The drama of its sinking is compelling as well as touching in the describtion of the heartbreaking separation of Polar from young Douglas. This is how a young child would remember such an event. Fortunately, Polar is found and reunited with his friend.

The story behind the story is as wondeful as the book itself. Leighton H. Coleman III found this wonderful manuscript in his grandfather's barn. It was written by his cousin, Daisy Spedden. How brilliant of a mother to convert a traumatizing event into a story for her little boy! Her tender insight, the wonder of discovery and the perfect blending of history and narrative--ocean liners, wonderful bears--all of these components make this a perfect children's book that is both educational and entertaining (for parents, too!). I have given scores of copies to my friends with children and to my many adult friends who are fascinated by ocean liners and the Titanic. The book is well-crafted with much to offer.

I'm a long time breakfast lover. I love breakfast at 8 AM and I love breakfast at 8 PM. And they're all here in one book. Even more pleasing, most breakfasts are a snap to prepare. The Jamisons are particularly strong on Southwestern favorites, so if you like to start your day with a few jalapenos or some beans, this is definitely the book for you. The other regions of the US are not neglected and then there are the surprises, meals I'd never dream of but are quite wonderful. It's a huge book, a compendium of the American breakfast, so I'll be testing and tasting recipes for a long time to come. I look forward to the many pleasures!

This is the best cookbook I have ever had. I purchased this cookbook about 2 years ago, and I have already made about 50 of the recipes. Every recipe is as good as it possibly can be. Using this cookbook, I've made the best coffee cake I've ever had, the best muffins I've ever had, the best french toast I've ever had, the best cereal I've ever had, and breakfast sandwiches and breakfast meats that I didn't even know were possible. Anyone who loves making good food and especially anyone who enjoys making breakfast at home must have this book. It's perfect for eating a quiet meal at home for two, for making a nice breakfast to share with your children before school (we use a lot of the cereal recipes and fruit recipes for weekdays), for impressing overnight guests, and it is so good it should be a staple in every B&B. I recommend this cookbook to anyone who loves to cook- and it is one of my favorite gifts to give.

A Real American Breakfast: The Best Meal of the Day, Any Time of the Day packs in a coast-to-coast feast of nearly three hundred breakfast recipes, offering up a centerfold of color photos and including historical notes, old menus, and variations on themes as well as traditional fare. The mix of innovative dishes such as Spinach Bread Pudding and Mixed Vegetable Hash and old standards such as Apple Fritters makes this a lively, fun cookbook.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book is for the breakfast lover in you. The oatmeal pudding with vanilla sauce is a masterpiece. Everything I have made has turned out great. I made a coffee cake and no could believe how tasty it was. The flavors linger and your mouth sings. I was amazed at the amount of recipes and the variety in this one book.

...you're going to want something else once in a while.

This is a really good book. It was on Food and Wine Magazine's 25 best list a couple of years ago, and it's full of all kinds of breakfast delicacies, both familiar and unusual.

Breakfast (the American way at least) is an interesting meal, as it's appropriate any time of day -- the buzz created in September '06 by McDonalds' consideration of serving breakfast all day shows that much. The Jamisons take full advantage of that, starting out with the San Francisco classic Joe's Special (a spinach, hamburger, and egg scramble) and branching out into dishes with both wide appeal (waffles and corned beef hash) and strong ethnic and regional associations (including the much-loved grits and the much-dreaded scrapple and menudo). There are numerous variations on some themes as well -- pancakes include basic buttermilk pancakes, chuckwagon-style sourdough pancakes, big puffy Dutch baby pancakes, and even silver dollar pancakes (a long, long stack of which decorates the spine of the book). Hashes go from basic corned beef to fish, poultry, and even mushroom-based. There is even an entire section on baked goods such as biscuits, muffins, and doughnuts.

Books on breakfast are hard to find for some reason -- it's possible to get a very good idea of what a culture eats for lunch and dinner from a good ethnic cookbook, but breakfast seems to be left out in a great many of them; as a general rule, I believe that if you find a good breakfast book, you should buy it, as there aren't that many out there. Overall, this book is a good breakfast book -- a remarkable tour of the breakfast habits of Americans, with a bounty of interesting and unusual recipes. Anyone who likes to cook breakfast -- at any time of the day -- should have this book.

This cookbook really gives you a feel for the authors and is obviously written by two women who love to cook and love to eat.
Some of the recipes are a little ordinary(Jell-o shots, baking powder biscuits,lamb shish kababs), but that is not to say that you won't make them and everyone won't enjoy them. Others are unusual but very simple to make (Mussels ont he half-shell with two asian sauces or grilled marinated scallops with ginger and sesame).
I use the recipe for Cranberry-pear crisp with almond topping often (when I can beat out the deer for the pears that grow in our yard). The Maine Blueberry pie is another staple...it turns out great every time (and if it isn't blueberry season it use frozen....also great with half blueberries, half blackberries.)
My children love the Fresh Lemon Rice, the Peas with Mint and Dick's amazing stuffed clams.
The best, straightforward recipe for a lobster roll is in this book!

Having read all of Linda Greenlaw's other books and enjoyed them a good deal, I ordered "Recipes from a Very Small Island" to complete the set! Well, not really...at least not totally. But I though "it's just a cook book".

So you might not be able to imagine my delight when this book arrived and I started to look through it. First of all, the book is just lovely to look at. The photographs of the food by Joseph Deleo and of Isle au Haut, Linda and her parents by Sara Gray are beautiful.

Second, while I admit I have not tested any of the recipes yet, since it just arrived, they look very promising. Many are classics you might expect from a cookbook from 'a very small Maine island' like blueberry pie, chicken pie with herb biscuits, maple flavored baked beans and her mom Martha's famous lobster casserole.
But then there are a number of interesting sounding surprises...crab madeleines, braised lamb shanks with dried apricots, grilled salmon with blueberry corn salsa....beef stifado..
Actually, there is not a recipe in this book that does not sound interesting and worth trying.

Another very nice part of the book is that each recipe is preceded by a brief introduction from either Linda or her mother Martha. Sometimes, it is just a few lines and sometimes it is an amusing little story about some incident with the dish in the past. Every one enhances the recipe that follows.

If you are a fan of Ms. Greenlaw's other books, especially "The Lobster Chronicles: Life on a Very Small Island", I think you will find the ten or so short essays, filled with Ms. Greenlaw's ever present dry humor, throughout the book a lovely addition. The subjects range from "The Beginner's Guide to Clambakes or How to Ruin a Perfectly Good Lobster" to an introduction to "The Pie Lady". Delightful....lol

I am sure this will be a treasured book in my library, not just for the food but for another of Ms. Greenlaw's charming views into life and family on a very small island on the beautiful coast of Maine.

Excellent recipes from a remote island off the coast of Maine. Great photography as well. Recipes are clearly written with none of the upscale gourmet ingredients which sometimes prevent the novice cook from trying something. A good choice for a house-warming gift.

This is very nice story. I like Linda's books because these are real people doing real stuff. She explains what she's doing and why. To me that is all important. Reading these books is like reading a diary. If I ever get around to doing a family history I'll write it the same way. I can't wait to go from book to book.

This cookbook by far is my favorite. It has great stories to go along with some wonderful recipes. I have tried several recipes so far and have loved them. I like having two new friends in my kitchen...that can cook!!

your friends will think you are serious until they read this. the "chicken leg" illustration is the best...

Brilliantly written with a sense of humor that goes beyond the normal chuckle! Purchased both books by the author as a gift for a pregnant friend. Can't wait to hear the erupted laughter from everyone that comes in contact with these books!!

OMG--this book is sooooo funny! My niece recently had a baby, my sister purchased it for her, and I recently visited them & was able to read it. I laughed so hard; I was crying & my ribs hurt!! :)

I gave this gift at a baby shower and it was big hit...everyone passed it around and was laughing at it and wanted to know where I got it.

A co-worker brought this book into work one day and we all had a good laugh. I ordered it shortly after reading it. Everybody I have showed it to has laughed hard and really enjoy it. Several people asked where I got it and plan to order their own copies.

Laughed so much reading the first Tantamoq book that I started reading parts to my family--then we all realized this author reads better out loud anyway. Ordered the whole series from Amazon, but unfortunately they seem to be sold out of the 3rd in the series (another printing? hint hint). May have to go on to the 4th skipping the 3rd.

Cute adventure/mystery featuring the watchmaker turned amateur sleuth mouse, Hermux Tantamoq. Very lively story with plenty of action, suspense, and humor. This would be a great read-aloud. Although obviously the second book in the series, it wasn't too difficult to jump right in and follow Hermux on his adventures. I didn't feel like I was missing too much by not reading the first one yet. Recommended.

This was a cool book about the watch fixing mouse, Hermux Tantamoq! It is the second in a series about him, but it's just as good as the first book(which doesn't happen very much)and I loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It all starts when Mirrin Stentrill, puts on an artshow in the museum. When Mirrin was blind, she saw many visions and so when she recovered from her blindness, she decides to paint pictures of what she saw when she was blind. But it turns out that the pictures she paints are cats- a word no one likes to use in the city of mice and rodents. Then along comes Birch Tentintrotter, an old chipmunk, a friend of Hermux's father. He tells a secret to Hermux; a secret no one knows about, and about a map he had found in a library years ago. Birch believes that cats really did exist. To prove that, Hermux, Birch, and their friend, Linka Perflinger, set off on a journey to the Kingdom of Cats. On their journey, Hermux and his friends uncover the evidence that cats once had mice as slaves. Now, Hermux doesn't know if he's doing the right thing to find the whole truth about them.
Michael Hoeye describes all his characters and the scene very carefully and really well. I like the way he gives a personality to a character and he sticks with it. He doesn't mix Hermux and Mirrin's personality together. It's just Hermux. And it's just Mirrin.
I really enjoyed this book because of the great journey that Hermux and his friends went on. It was so exciting and I really loved how Michael Hoeye made me want to keep reading more and more!

Hermux Tantamoq, a distinguished mouse who lives in the heavily populated city of Pinchester, is sailing through life day in and day out, in his watchmaking shop, until one day, an old, weather worn chipmunk missing an ear stops by, says his name is Birch Tentintrotter, and he would like to speak to Mr. Tantamoq seinor. Hermux's father had passed away five months ago, and no friend of his from college would look like that old wreck!
Meanwhile, Hermux's friend Mirrin Stentril's first art show is causing tremendous uproar. She's been painting CATS!!! Everyone (the hamsters, mice, ferrets, squirrels etc.) knows they're not real, right? Well Hermux, Birch and aviatrix Linka Perflinger are out to prove those art critics wrong!
Michael Hoeye combines detail, vocabulary and suspense in this stunning sequel to Time Stops For No Mouse, proving never to overlook history, even if you are afraid.

I have bought a lot of hiking books and this is one of the best I've ever used. Sedona has many, many wonderful hikes. For each hike, this book provides distance, difficulty, a quick summary of the hike, a full description of the hike, driving directions to the trailhead, an elevation profile, and a color photo of the trail. This book categorizes the hikes by difficulty level, location, and personal favorites of the authors, which helps someone spending a few days in Sedona quickly find a few hikes they'll love.

I highly recommend this hiking book for anyone who wants to do some hiking in Sedona.

I've read a lot of reviews about this book and no one book is going to make everyone happy. My husband and I had a great time picking out hikes we wanted to go on. It got us where we wanted to go and it provided us enough information to know whether or not we'd enjoy them or not. There is a lot of construction and change going on in and around Sedona right now but we didn't have any problems navigating. The authors use the "Y" in Sedona as the starting point for each of the hikes. The "Y" is now two round-a-bouts. The book does exactly what it's supposed to do-Introduce you to some fantastic hikes, tells you how to get to them and has explanations and thoughts on each one. No complaints here.

This book seems to cover many great hiking areas in Sedona. It is quite explicit re: directions and information about the hiking trails. Great book for a person new to the area or even people who have been around awhile. Very informative!

I used this book for planning a 2 day visit to Sedona. I was extremely happy with the format. It has 2 pages per hike, with a high quality photo of what to expect for views, driving/hiking distance/time, as well as selections of their favorites. We didn't visit long enough to do a lot of the hikes, but we truly felt that we were able to select 3 hikes that were perfectly suited to our tastes and with nice variety. Overall, I don't think you could go wrong in Sedona, but I felt like this guide was well worth the price and only wish I could find similar guides for other locations. The Magnum's have done a great job, deserving of 5 stars.

The only shortcoming you may find is that their maps are very general and mostly help you find the trailhead (which was flawless). But, I prefer to have a quality map as well and I purchased the Emmitt Barks Cartography - Sedona Trails Map (not sure if it was on Amazon), and was very happy with it. Personally, I don't think you can create a detailed map inside the book for each hike, so I don't consider this a flaw to the book - just a bit of advice if you are planning a trip.

This book was very helpful in deciding which hikes to do. We were not dissappointed by any of the hikes. It was good that we knew about the pink jeaps ahead of time.

I love this book. I've read a ton of books lately on the planets because of teaching a class on beginning astronomy for kids. This book presents the most interesting facts in the most interesting and compelling way. If I had not had this book to look at, my lessons would not have been as fun or exciting. The author writes beautifully, and has a nose for the intriguing. :)

Fantastic! This book is a perfect mixture of science and storytelling. This was educational and inspiring. I don't re-read many books, but this may be an exception. Loved it.

Many people, including myself, often marvel at the night sky to the point of seriously thinking of buying a telescope. The question that then arises is: What if I invest in a decent telescope, use it a few times to examine some of the celestial bodies, then eventually get bored for lack of knowing what to look at or to look for? This book attempts to help potential amateur astronomers dance around this sticking point. The author discusses the current activities of some professional but mainly amateur astronomers: what they look for, the equipment that they use, what they've found and what they continue to find. The book is well written and fun to read; it covers most areas of interest in astronomy and briefly describes what's out there. The book's only shortcoming is that it contains no figures, pictures or diagrams of any kind (other than star charts in the appendices); this is unfortunate since a few optical diagrams and pictures of the various items and people that are discussed would have complemented the text very nicely. Nevertheless, this is a great book that does much to encourage amateur astronomy. I heartily recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in the night sky.

I received my copy of this book as an early Christmas present from one of my "stargazing friends". Even tho' I had glanced at this volume on bookstore shelves , I usually bypassed it for books on starhopping , star atlases , or other "hard data" type publocations. I now lament my earlier loss , and have truly enjoyed this very well written and extremely informative book.

The author , Timothy Ferris , takes us on a wonderful tour of the solar system and "near space" in the second section of the book ; he then moves on to the Milky Way and the wonders of gaseous nebulae , open star clusters ,globular clusters , and planetary nebulae within our own galaxy in section 3.

Finally , in the fourth section of the book , the author deals with the imensity of the universe (as we presently are capable of understanding it) by moving on to galaxies , and galaxy clusters.

But it isn't all about the wonders of the Heavens , for Ferris intersperses some entertaining anecdotal material as well. Starting with a personal tale of how he became a stargazer-astronomer to passages about Steven James O'Meara and his phenomonal visual observing feats while breathing oxygen at 14,000 feet on Mauna Kea. We are introduced to Barbara Wilson , a mother and former housewife who excells in actually "seeing" the faintest of astronomical objects.

This is a great book for amateur astronomers at almost any level ; the author manages to communicate his passion for the skies and the fine art of observational astronomy in a warm and entertaining manner. It is an ideal book for a frustrating evening when the clouds roll in as the sun sets , thus postponing the observing plans of the day.

I rated this book 5 stars and give it my highest recommendation. No real warts on this one!

This is an informative and at times whimsical work about outer space, specifically who is doing the observing and what is being observed. The material goes considerably beyond the title, as only one chapter actually treats of near earth objects [NEO's] at depth, and I am still confused over the author's distinction between "amateur" and "professional" astronomers. With those caveats in mind, "Seeing In The Dark" is a fine overview of astronomy for those of us who have been out of school awhile and think of Pluto as the edge of the meaningful universe.

As a boy I was intrigued by astronomy and at age 10 owned an off-the shelf hand telescope that, in my recollection, simply made the bright stars brighter. I once tried to observe the crescent of Venus through my mother's hand mirror and a magnifying glass. I did get to see the rings of Saturn, finally, through the 8" telescope at the Buffalo Museum of Science, and to this day I divide the world into those who have seen that spectacle firsthand and those who haven't. Popular astronomy in the 1950's was lunar and planetary: the supposed canal system of Mars, for example, was still an issue of debate.

I lost my interest in the 1960's when astronomy became less optical and more electronic. Real observations and photos of heavenly bodies are egalitarian. Spectroscopic charts, radio waves, radar exploration and the like required time, sophisticated education, and money. Every decade or so something would catch my fancy: Apollo 11, Viking, Pioneer, Hubble, Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, Cassini. But why should an amateur like myself spend money and time at something already being done with more precision at Arecibo in Puerto Rico or Mt. Palomar in California, or from a satellite in space, for that matter?

Timothy Ferris argues in so many words that the modern astronomical-industrial complex, so to speak, is too big and too expensive to perform some of the most critical work of present day astronomy. The author provides a plethora of examples, such as planetary weather. Most planets have atmospheres with characteristics not entirely unlike the earth's own. The atmospheres of the large outer planets [and in at least one case, a planetary satellite] have predictable patterns of wind currents and even storms that produce lightning. Mars, we have come to realize, has significant dust storms and seasonal markers. To monitor these systems, however, requires daily observations over months and years. With the crush of competition for seat time for the monster telescopes and the costs involved, such meticulous and time consuming planetary observations are gradually falling into the hands of the dedicated [and exquisitely patient] amateur backyard astronomers. The older, smaller, and midrange telescopes have come into a new age of usefulness, where persistence is of equal value to optical power. And, as the author observes, the marriage of a modest telescope with digital photography, computer controls, and Internet access to professionals, has created a formidable network of information gatherers.

Nowhere is the amateur's value of more importance than in the discovery and tracking of NEO's, asteroids whose orbits regularly criss-cross the earth's. Observation of these dangerous bodies and forecast of collisions is extremely difficult for several reasons. NEO's are hard to see [in some instances, at the 29th magnitude], only small tracks of their orbits are currently known, and they are notoriously vulnerable to gravitational influences from the earth, the sun, and even Jupiter. Science has developed a public coding system for risk from each known object, and I would venture a guess that readers will find particular stimulation from Ferris's discussion of the "Torino Scale." [As I was reading this work, I checked the day's "Torino forecast" on NASA's web site, the very day that NASA used a "Torino 4" rating for the first time, for Asteroid 2004MN4. As this occurred the same day as the Asian tsunami, little or no press coverage was devoted to the event, though astronomers around the world focused on the potential risk of a 2029 collision. The odds for 2004MN4 were downgraded to Torino 1 a few days later.]

Suffice to say that NEO's are the "high needs child" of space observation, and every verifiable observation by an amateur astronomer enables NASA and international tracking systems to add another fraction of certainty to a body's orbit. Ferris intersperses observational details of heavenly bodies with interviews of the men and women who do the observing. His use of the word "amateur" is stretched like taffy. Some of these unsalaried observers have spent six-figures in outfitting their equipment or, in some cases, pursuing doctorates to expedite their work. Some have walked away from lucrative professions and made wholesale disruptions in personal and family life on behalf of serious stargazing. In some cases "amateur" does not do justice to what is more appropriately an "obsession."

Ferris summarizes what we have come to know about planets, stars and galaxies in the past few generations of advanced study. Again, if one has not addressed astronomy systematically since school days, this work is an excellent primer on our current state of understanding the heavens. There is a thorough 25-page appendix that treats of basic stargazing information, including issues of light pollution, choice of equipment, and basic star charts, as well as a summary of periodicals and web sites. I regretted that there are no photos of any kind in the book, so we never get to see with our own eyes the quality of work produced by the amateurs in our communities. Perhaps the author was deliberately setting out to pique our curiosity, for yesterday I found myself investigating the features and price tag of a small telescope at the Brookstone's in my local mall. It's been a long time since I've done that.

GOOD SCIENCE IN THIS BOOK BUT IF YOU HAVE FOUND YOURSELF TO BE CARB HYPERSENSITIVE, PROBABLY NOT A GOOD DIET FOR YOU.

I've lost 38 lbs. since I started this diet about a year ago. I hope to lose about 50 more. For years I tried execise and diets to lose but nothing helped me lose much. Because of the info. these authors revealed, I finally am doing what seemed impossible. Two tips help me. I eat a lot of vegetables at my first meal of the day. That way I'm full enough for the remainder of the day that I can keep my second tip. That tip is that I only consume 1400 calories per day. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this book!

I do not understand...I thought when you go on an anti-depressant it was suppose to help balance your unbalanced hormones and chemicals? I thought it was suppose to give us more serotonin, not less?? I was first put on an antidepressant when a doctor told me it would help give me energy (I was not depressed, I had a long battle with mono and still had fevers and fatigue). I gained about 60 pounds, did not get any energy, felt "odd", not quite myself. It was not fun. Eventually went off the pills for a few years. Then started having anxiety and not feeling very good (blood work showed my hormones were really unbalanced, had me in "post-menopausal" in some areas, even though I was only 30 yrs. old and still menstruating, but just my hormones in general seemed all out of whack),so I was put back on another antidepressant. I thought these meds were suppose to help us feel better, more calm, less stressed, sleep better, put us in balance, etc. Why do they seem to do little other than cause major weight gain? I am considering buying this book. If you follow the diet, does it help you more than antidepressants? Anyone gone off their antidepressants after following the diet for a while? (I'm not talking about those with bi-polar and major depression for whom the meds have truly helped and been benefical, but for anyone who has had doctors pop them on antidepressants when you weren't really depressed?).

I ran across the Serotonin Diet recently in a magazine article. The magazine gave a Cliff's Note version of the "pure carb" snacking concept. I at first dismissed this concept, me being a Low Carb convert. But, I have always struggled with binge eating. Even after losing 60# recently (low carb dieting) I was still not in control. Although I have maintained my weight loss it is a constant binge then diet cycle. I live in constant fear that I will lose the battle. I read this article on the second day of a 2-day binge. The next day I was resolved to be good on my diet to recover from the bingeing I had been doing. In the afternoon (my binges always hit in the afternoon and/or evenings) I could feel a binge coming on (uncontrollable urge to go get something "bad" out of the work vending machine). I remembered the article I had read and instead I bought a bag of Rold gold pretzels and ate those. I was astounded at how it filled me up and took the binge urge away - nothing has ever worked like this before in my life!! Absolutely amazing. The following day I again had the binge urge and again I bought the pretzels and again another binge was averted. It seems as though it takes time for these urges to go away (maybe they never do) but I now have a tool for fighting back other then willpower (which has never worked on binge urges)

I have just ordered the book and hope to learn more about how to make this a lifestyle and never have to worry about binging again.

This is fabulous. I find myself feeling much healthier by following the simple steps and regulated snacking. It really shocked me the difference this diet (now a lifestyle) made in my life. I feel better, my body functions better and in conjunction with yoga, the overall quality of my life has improved.

I could not put the book down. What a great writer. I don't fish for the Big bass but I really enjoyed reading about the men that do. A great read. I would recommend this book to any avid or even weekend bass fisherman (woman)!!!

I saw this book on the "Bargain" table at my local bookstore and, after reading the inside flap, decided to give it a read for the $5 cost. The book centers on the chase to break the 75-year-old largemouth bass world record and I had no idea that such a wonderful read awaited me!

Starting with the story of Bob Crupi, a black-or-white-with-no-shades-of-gray policeman who pretty much sacrificed his entire non-working life to chase the record, and ending with the story of Samuel Yera, the easy-going husband and father living in Havana who puts his family before fishing, Monte Burke weaves the tales of the "big players" in the chase for the record in a way that makes the book surprisingly easy to read.

Between Crupi and Yera, we meet the Long-Kerr duo, a pair of the most accomplished largemouth fishermen out there who work together to fight for the record. We also meet the trio of Jed, Mac, and Buddha who are a bit Johnny-Come-Lately and chase the record for the money. The details of the two groups' rivalry will make any casual fisherman or non-fisherman scratch their head in amazement.

And what would the book be without meeting the top lure makers who are helping make it all happen from the "other" side of the pole? Burke introduces us to Jerry Rago and Mickey Ellis. How the state-funded group in Texas, led by fisheries biologist David Campbell and director Allen Forshage, that is trying to grow the record bass in a fishery? Even better, how about Porter Hall, who has seemingly given up a wife and child in his pursuit to grow the record bass in lakes of his own?

Finally, Burke gives us a look at the "bassholes" who are doing their best to swindle their way into the record books. His look at some of the more notorious examples of "bassholes" is simultaneously hilarious and mind-blowing.

Over and over again, Burke finds a way to keep the reader interested in this colorful cast of characters, while interweaving the feel-good story of the current record holder, George Perry. But, and maybe more importantly, Burke manages to keep all the characters straight in the reader's mind by not complicating their relationships. He keeps it all simple, as it should be, and gives such a telling description of each that when you finally look at the pictures in the middle of the book, you feel like you've already viewed them.

This really is an "anybody" kind of book, but those who have had some fishing experience will truly get the most out of it. Those who have never fished may be scared to touch a rod and reel after reading this book for fear of catching the bug caught by the characters within.

Though the book is written in an easygoing style it contains a lot of fascinating and in-depth information on fishing and the American history of the sport.

Burke is both a capable writer and a fisherman and his intelligence, sense of humor and love of the sport come through in the stories he tells.

Wow and I thought I was an obsessed fisherman. The book is all the more relevant now that one of the anglers mentioned in the novel has garnered recent publicity for his unofficial world record. It covers all the aspects of the hunt for the world record: the guys trying for it, the lure makers, the scientists, and many others. The author even goes to Cuba for a fishing trip and talks to an eccentric angler in the U.S. who's trying to grow his own world record bass. It's an eye-opening read.

Mr. Burke....Excellent. From California, to Cuba, to Georgia, I loved this book. Very well researched, and written. I felt I got to know each character in the book. Being a fisherman myself, I knew the names, but not the stories.....again, BRAVO!!!