Specialized Books

It cost me about $200 to fill my raised bed with the planting mix recommended. It was a complete waste of money, as the water runs right out of the mix. It is far too light. He's right, you cannot overwater, but it also does not hold the water. In areas where water costs money or is scarce, this soil mix is a very bad idea.

This book is very helpful to learn a new way of gardening for higer yields in small areas. It has very helpful advice and good graphics to follow. It is easy to read and understand.

I guess I was looking for the quick answer version. Here's your square, now plant this....Not a book for the average gardener. Unless, of course, you are a botonist.

Have bought several Square Foot Gardening books since they are used so much. Now the second and third generation are reading it in our family. Full of clear, simple solutions and ideas which makes gardening easy and profitable.

I have owned this book for years. Worn out more that one copy. This copy was purchased to give to a new urbanm garden project in a develpomently challanged area of my city. We will be teaching at rick young people how to garden and landscape. This is one of many tools we will use and is as far as I am concerned the best how to do it garden book for people who have little or no knowledge about gardening.

The intended audience for this book is the seasoned and open minded UNIX SA who has a smattering of understanding the Microsoft way of doing network based file sharing. The book dives right into detailed real world configurations that can be deployed right away. This book proudly sits in my library as one of the most utilitarian pieces of technical literature I own.

It is a very well organized book, usable as a reference. However, the lates version of Samba are not cover: a kind of "release notes" would be nice.

A superb book that covers all aspects of samba Config. My only critisism is that it is somewhat out of date (latest Ver 2.05) but that is OK as the principles havent changed much. Combined with the info on the samba site this book is the bible of samba, a must have.

I do UNIX system administration for my company and I bought this book hoping it would help me offer UNIX printing services to our Windows 95/98 PCs. It was a waste of money. While this book is not terrible, neither is it for everyone. If you do not have a good knowledge of Microsoft networking concepts such as Master Browsers, this book will be as useless to you as it was to me. The explanations of Microsoft networking concepts so ineegral to Samba are very poor in this book. The author basically assumes that you know as much about Windows networking as he does. Example configs are poor and good luck trying to debug any problems you might have. If you don't know what a Domain Master Browser is, you would better off to do what I did and get the new O'Reilly and Associates book _Using Samba_ which does a much better job of explaining everything you need to know to make Samba work.

Samba in a cinch. You pick up this book and within an hour you can have Samba running. There is really nothing to it. John Blair is a member of the Samba team, so he REALLY knows his stuff. He's also a remarkably good technical writer.

All the details are here, and the index is great. If you need something that this book doesn't cover, then you're way beyond me!

Have to setup Samba in a hurry? Overnight this book. The day you get it, flip through it for 10 minutes. Update the SMB.CONF file a bit. You're done - inside an hour - no question.

If you want to get fancy, this book covers that too. I haven't yet seen anything that wasn't in this book. In fact, I've found stuff that was in this book that I couldn't find ANYWHERE else.

Excellent book. Great to learn Samba. Great reference to keep handy afterward. Truly excellent book!

This book was very helpful for the gardener with lots of trees and shrubs

If you're looking for a good basic book on pruning this is it. I purchased the Ortho book on Pruning and it was a terribe. I went to the library and rented several books on pruning and this was by far the best.

I kill plants! Not on purpose just some people are green thumb challenged. My husband and I bought quite a few fruit tree last summer and we had no idea how to prune them this book has saved me it is easy to understand(for those of us who are not gifted in yard care things) and easy to follow. It also is not a pruning for dummies book it really is for anybody I think even experienced gardeners would love it. It is just clean and uncomplicated.

An excellent guide for pruning everything in the garden. Diagrams are clear and easy to follow. After looking at more that 20 books on pruning, Pruning Made Easy was my choice and I am very satisfied.

I like this book so much - this is the third copy I have purchased this year! (I keep giving my copy away to family members who desperately need it.) The black line drawings are what keep bring me back to this one book for all of our pruning needs. We have berry bushes (some wild and some we planted ourselves), flowering shrubs, fruit trees, a bonzi tree, a dogwood, grape vines, 3 old Oaks trees and 2 young Walnut trees. This ONE BOOK has helped us to care for each of them according to their needs and age. It has helped turn my brown thumb into green.

I got this book from the library and was pleasantly surprised at the details and useful, practical advice on conceiving and executing a japanese garden. The book contains detailed instructions on how to lay out, build, select plans for, and maintain a Japanese-inspired garden. It talks about rocks, rock gardening, ponds, water plants and fish, paths, stepping stones, gates, and plants and plant selections. I found it really helpful in getting ideas to give to our landscape architect. I would recommend this book for anyone that is going to actually build (rather than just enjoy looking at pictures of) a japanese garden.

The book is easy to read and explains the whole concept of Japanese gardening. I learned with it and will be using it to plan my Japanese garden. Very pleased customer!

I bought serveral books about creating Japanese gardens. This book by far the best one that I had. I built a Japanese style Rock Garden so I don't have to mow my lawn. My back yard is built based on some of the pictures and tips I read from this book. The fun part is that you put in your hard work and built the garden you wanted which pays off when your guests give you thumb up. I spent about $5000 on the materials and hours of my own labor on the project. Now I can spent my weekend golfing instead of mowing my lawn. Ouch! My back still hurting from all the hardwork.

I've always wanted to have a Japanese Garden but never got around to doing it. I picked up this book at the library and, WOW, it has really inspired me! Not only am I now drafting up plans to turn a corner of my yard into a Japanese Garden but I showed it to a neighbor and he's thinking of making his backyard into something like the courtyard garden on page 20. I'll probably get a library of books on Japanese Gardening but this book will be the first one I'll buy.

This book is one of the best I ever buy about gardening and landscaping. The pictures alone worth the price.
They gives details to build your garden, makes pounds and falls and it seems so easy that I am starting my own right now.

They also list the kind of trees and plants to uses.

Buy this book with confidence.

I've been a fan of Modesty and Willie since the books first came out, and I was a loyal reader of the strip in the London Evening Standard for many years.
If you like action novels, with unusual villains, fast-moving scenes, and plenty of tongue in cheek humor, Modesty Blaise is the girl for you, and 'Modesty Blaise', the first novel in the series, is a good place to start.
After writing non-fiction for many years, I turned to fiction in 2003, and my first novel 'Snides' is available on Amazon. As a gesture of homage to Peter O'Donnell, I created an action duo, John Pilgrim and Sally Brandon. They're not straight copies of the originals and the best, Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin, but I've tried to hit their target of plenty of action, with a little humor.
I own the complete series of Modesty Blaise books, and one of them is always on my bedside table. I must have read them all dozens of times, but I still keep re-reading them!

Tony Walker
Scottsdale, Arizona

Modesty Blaise is the perfect woman. That is if the perfect woman is a different sort of beautiful, witty, funny, sophisticated, terrifyingly focused and a lethal killer without commitments.

If you like your superheroes or thrillers to be up close and personal, you need to read O'Donnell's Modesty Blaise. There are gadgets, guns, and impossible missions, not to mention hand to hand combat poetry.

In this book, Tarrant, of the British Secret Service, has a problem. He wants Modesty's help, but really has no leverage, except to play on how much she cares about Willie Garvin. The reasons why are revealed.

He does so, and they go into action. A very dangerous situation, and they must be captured by a ruthless man named Gabriel, to stop a diamond operation.

I became an instant fan from the beginning pages of this lst of a series. Modesty and Willie are fascinating, likeable characters with almost superhuman powers between them. They fight the evil doers of the world and win against all odds. The strong, fast moving plot is deeply satisfying with unexpected twists and turns. Even though it was written over 40 years ago, the characters are still fresh and compeling. Modesty can hold her head high in the world of superwomen who break rules when necessary for the greater good. A winner for both male and female readers!

Modesty Blaise started life as a cartoon strip, but O'Donnell then put his creation into novel form, and did a superb job in both formats. This is the first novel in the series, and introduces the setting and most of the main characters.

Modesty Blaise is a former refugee and survivor of the terrible disruptions caused by the war, and as a child drifted across Eastern Europe and the Middle East in the company of an old professor. She had to be tough to survive; but her companion instilled in her a strong moral code. She took over a small criminal gang and built it up into a powerful criminal organisation infused with that moral code--they never touched drugs or vice, and occasionally co-operated with the police and intelligence services to help clean up such crimes. She retired a wealthy woman at the age of 24.

As the novel opens, Modesty and her friend and former second-in-command Willie Garvin are finding that retirement is boring and adrenaline an addiction they cannot shake. Sir Gerald Tarrant, the head of British Intelligence, exploits that addiction to recruit them for an intelligence operation for which they are peculiarly suited. What follows is a thrilling caper novel pitting Modesty and Willie against a bizarre criminal mastermind. Tight plotting and wonderful prose make this a very entertaining read, with a unique pair of heroes. It's wonderful to see Souvenir Press reissuing the novels, making them available again to both a new generation of fans and those with fond memories.

It is hard to say whether the Modesty Blaise novels or the Modesty Blaise comic strips are better, but the lucky reader doesn't have to choose. Read both. The comic strips have been reprinted by Titan Books, Ken Pierce Books, Manuscript Press, and in Comics Revue magazine, and now the novels are being reissued. Also highly recommended are the books Peter O'Donnell wrote under the pseudonym Madeleine Brent.

In my country we do not study much about Chinese history, so I am always glad to find a good book about it. Moment in Peking follow the story of a traditional big family with all of their friends and partners, so there are many people in the story and sometimes it is not easy to follow the names. The book describes some interesting decades of the Chinese history: from the second half of the 19th century until the first years of the 20th century. An interesting period of time with a good author gives a good story as a result. The so many actors of the book gives the possibility to show several destinies in a period full of contradictories. I really enjoyed the period of the very end of the 19th century with all the conflicts of the changing lifestyle and the conflict of the traditions and moderns life.

During the mid-1960s A Moment In Peking was the first book by Lin Yutang I ever encountered. The work impressed me enough to cause me to search everywhere to find everything else he ever published in English. After I'd done so, at considerable time and trouble, I concluded that Moment in Peking was his most enjoyable read. I made it a policy to read it again, at least once per decade until I loaned my copy to someone and lost it.

I think you'll love this book.

I am a chinese university student. I visited the website by chance and I was so happy to read all the comments about Yutang's books above and got to know not only me, a Chinese girl who loves his books very much, but there are so many people, even foreigners, enjoy them so much like me.

I have read some works of Lin, some in English and some in Chinese. And the one I have read recently is Moment in Peking in English. Please believe me that what he said in his book is totally true. And from it you can get an idea of our country, our cultures and people living here, although things have changed so much in the modern times and nowadays China is quite different from the one in his book. But there are still many people,like me, here who bear the same believes, values and dreams as Mulan and Lifu did and want to make the good cultures and moral standards pass down from generation to generation.

When I read the book Moment In Peking, I just had the feeling that I was reading something in Chinese.(I wish it had been written in Chinese, since someting must be lost from one language to another. And some of Lin's articles in Chinese read so melodic just like music because of our chinese's swing, while you just cannot find that when it is translated in English.What a pity! ) And I just wondered if a native English was able to understand what he said. Of course, after reading the reviews above, I am sure it is not that so. But still, I think you may get confused at some points. I think perhaps I can explain it for you and help you understand our cultures better. It must be a great pleasure to me. :) And I hope I can talk about his books with people like me, who love them so much as well. :)

Thanks for reading:)

I have read and re-read this book over the years, along with the following book "A Leaf in the Storm" that continues the story. You really get to know and appreciate all the charactors in this story. It is a wonderful book to curl up in a nice chair and read for a few hours a week. It is so easy to read and gives a clear visual of the story, I really can't recommend it enough! Wonderful book!

Every time I go to my school's library, I always head straight to the Chinese literature section. I'd always overlooked Moment in Peking because it was such a big book, but recently, I resolved to pick it up and read it. I stayed up through the night to finish the book, and I think it was completely worth it. I'm a Chinese-American teenager. I live in a predominantly Caucasian neighborhood, I attend a high school that has only three Chinese students in the entire school. My identity is hyphenated- I am not really Chinese because I am a American Born Chinese. I am not truly American, I am a Chinese American. I have always embraced my culture without really knowing why it's so valuable to me, or how valuable it truly is. Reading Lin Yutang's Moment in Peking gave me a glimpse of how rich my culture and its history is, and helped me understand what it truly means being Chinese. Now I have a deeper love and appreciation for my culture than I ever had before, thanks to Lin Yutang and Moment in Peking.

I found Moment in Peking a fascinating read. At times, though, it did feel a little long. Nevertheless, I heartily recommend Moment in Peking to any avid readers of Chinese literature- or anyone at all, for that matter.

Nancy has researched and presented in simple and easy to use format the critical information needed for successful early season indoor gardening. If you want to save a ton of money and have great bedding plants you grow yourself, this book will give you invaluable assistance. I like her "down to earth" approach and clear explanations of her methods. If you're a serious gardener, you will seriously love this book!

`The New Seed Starters Handbook' by Nancy Bubel is a serious and superior manual on virtually all aspects of starting all different types of plants from seed. As with books on cooking, there are hundreds of books on gardening which are designed to go directly to the budget book pile and give relatively small value for the space they take up on your bookshelf. There are several obvious symptoms that this book is not to be dismissed as a lightweight. The first is the fact that Rodale Press publishes it, which may be the only publishing imprimatur which has a serious commitment to its particular speciality of organic gardening. The second is that this is a second edition of an already successful book. Unfortunately, a third easy sign of a book's quality is missing, as there is no thumbnail sketch of the author's biography and credentials.

Fortunately, a quick browse of this book quickly reveals that Ms. Bubel has got serious game when it comes to instructing us on how to raise plants from seed. I'm especially fond of the opening to her introduction where she says her first attempts were not immediately successful, setting a realistic tone that even with the best instruction, growing plants from seed is not easy. That is not to say it can't be simple! I'm often enchanted by the difference in the cooking world between `easy' and `simple'. While making a great soup is not easy, if you break it down into its various steps, it is really rather simple, if you have the patience and the time to carry out each step with care and love (that is, close attention to what you are doing). Ms. Bubel cuts no corners in covering all the details, but lays everything out with an affection for her subject which invariably draws one in to wanting to run right out and build some cold frames.

The author addresses all types of seed started plants, including vegetables, herbs, `domestic' flowers, wildflowers, trees and shrubs. However, I suspect her first love is in growing vegetables, as that seems to come first and occupies the most space. But, in most cases, what works for your carrots will probably also work well for your marigolds, with only a few variations.

My fondest feelings for the book arise when I see Ms. Bubel going far beyond the average suburban garden plants of tomatoes, zucchini, and sweet peppers. Her dictionary of planting techniques even includes entries for the relatively exotic artichoke, peanut, and salsify. This brings me to the most appealing reason for growing your own vegetables. There are many species that are simply not available in even the biggest megamart. This includes even relatively easy to grow varieties of salad greens. And, even if you do find a good `summer mix', it is probably outrageously expensive. The second most appealing thing about growing your own, even if you limit yourself to a very few species, is the fact that homegrown vegetables can taste so incredibly better than store-bought stuff. I was pleasantly surprised when I cooked with some Italian parsley which had grown up from self-seeding from the previous year, and the difference in taste between it and the local fare was simply amazing.

The book is amply stocked with great appendices on sources. The only annoyance is that this is a pre-internet publication, but no Internet jocky worth their salt will have any problem locating the sites for, fore example, `Johnny's Seeds' or `Charlie's Greenhouse Supplies'.

I have the previous edition to this book and have been using it for years and years. I had a greenhouse and have been starting and growing flowers for 14 years. In my Or town, I am known as the Flower Lady and I can thank this book. It is one of those hard to find DOWN TO EARTH EASY TO READ INFO books. It tells you if the seed is difficult to germinate, and sometimes those seeds you can buy in packets in the stores, you couldn't start no matter what unless you owned a nursery and had all the equipment. Like I like to grow and sell perennials as they bring in good money and many of the perennials are very easy to grow from seed, but some of them are very hard, almost impossible, so before I start with a flower seed, I always look in this book. It is a life saver for me. I thin it also has veggie's ??? I can't remember and I can't find my copy but I"m digging. I alreay know most of what is in it, but this is the book for you if you want to grow flowers from seed and be very successful, but always remember the most important ingredient in growing flowers is goods soil. NOthing much worthwhile except a few grow in average to poor soil. I heavily ammended mine before I began. Good luck and your kids would love to grow too :)

This book is an introduction and reference for people who want to grow plants from seeds. The book is organized into 5 main sections: starting seeds indoors, preparing outdoor beds to receive transplants or seeds, detailed instructions for growing individual vegetables from seed, saving seeds, and record keeping and exchanging seeds. Bubel integrates the results of scientific studies and her own growing experience in her advice to novice gardeners. In striving for completeness, she even includes a chapter with folk wisdom about planting, noting which moon phases are thought to be best for planting and which are not. The book is amply illustrated with black-and-white photographs and drawings. End material includes a glossary, a bibliography, a list of suggested readings, lists of seed and equipment suppliers, and an index.

Although the book is written for people with very limited gardening experience, it is so full of information that even experienced gardeners are bound to learn something through reading it. Bubel's approach to gardening very much follows organic practices. The section on individual vegetables is a very valuable reference, with its details on when to plant, when to fertilize and how much to use of what, and when and where to transplant in the garden. Interspersed with the text are charts summarizing information such as germination rates for different vegetable seeds at different soil temperatures, or viability of vegetable seeds over varying storage times. The sections on preparing the soil for planting or transplanting and on saving seeds at the end of the season round out the book quite well, making this an excellent general gardening book, and not just a book about starting seeds.

This book should have a subtitle: Vegetable Gardening in Northern Climates. The author assumes that every reader has snowy winters and hot summers, and that every reader is a vegetable gardener. If I just described you, then without question, you should buy this book! I live in a cool coastal climate of California, where temperatures are generally between 50-65, regardless of season. I'm not trying to grow vegetables, simply trying to replace the weeds in my yard with no-watering-required wildflowers, herbs, etc. If this describes you, then I will say that the book is still good for basic seed-starting tips, fertilizing, etc., but that at least 70% of the book will not apply. FYI, here are a few of the things I've learned in the past several months: Birds eat seedlings/baby plants. Really. I've sat with coffee in hand watching them. Bird netting must be raised up at least six inches and stretched taught to keep them away, but then it is dangerous to wildlife. I took it out after I found a young possum caught in it, and had to cut him loose. He had badly wounded himself trying to get free. I've replaced it with basic clear plastic from the hardware store, the kind we californians all have around the house for flood control. So far, it is working great.

Even though there was a delay in shipment, I was very satisfied with the price and the condition the book was in. I definately would purchase again from amazon.com.

Cindy

This is a really useful, extremely attractive book. The pages are big, the pictures are bright and colorful and true-to-nature, and all the flowers that a typical gardener can reasonably expect to encounter in his or her hobby are covered (yep, A to Z). The tips on the individual flowers are concise and instructive, covering buying, planting, caring for, cutting, arranging, everything of flowers. The book starts with a general information section which may not be of much interest to a well-experienced flower gardener, but I found it helpful and again, very informative. And while it may be the weather or pure luck, our flower garden this year is looking better and more prosperous than it ever has. If you are serious about your flowers, you ought to seriously consider purchasing this book.

"Flowers A to Z" is a wonderful resource that is definitely needed. Essentially it is a dictionary of flowers, containing information about names, colors, vase life, how to tell freshness, availability, designing tips and more!! But what a dictionary!!!! It is a very large and visually stunning book, lavishly illustrated with beautiful photographs. "Flowers A to Z" provides very practical information about floral product in a format that elevates the content to an art book! Pros and hobbyists alike will appreciate it for both its content and presentation. "Flowers A to Z" would be equally appropriate in your reference library or on your coffee table.

Not only is this book packed with the most gorgeous photographs, but also it's also full of practical advice. As the title suggests, it is arranged in alphabetical order so that looking for the flower you are after is quick and easy. Each flower is presented with a double page spread, and includes tips on buying, growing, arranging and cutting. It's an extremely useful reference with information on important flower-related problems such as how to make each flower last longer in the vase, what's poisonous, etc. it even gives you the meaning of flower names. Even if you're not into the practical side of arranging flowers, this book is equally valuable as a stunning coffee table book.

This book is a great resource for anyone with a cutting garden, a love of flowers, or a romantic husband. It's full of great tips for all different types of flowers and has allowed me to increase the longevity of the bouquets I receive.

I liked it so much that I bought one for mother's day.

The only thing I didn't like about this book is that it shows flowers being cut in air when they should always be cut underwater!

The Gardener's Guide to Cannas is a perfect place to start if you have any interest in one of the easiest plants to grow. The book covers everything you need to know, covers all the unique varities, and has wonderful pictures.

Detailed descriptions of Cannas including leaf and petal colors. Great color photos. Nice book!

I was very surprised at how much I learned about Cannas. I have approximately 40 different cannas. I learned more from reading the book than I have from raising cannas for the last 10 years. I also discovered some new ones that I plan on ordering.

Cannas are thought of in terms of their beautiful color. Ian Cooke's Gardener's Guide To Growing Cannas presents a canna expert's complete review of the plant, from an A-Z listing of varieties to the history of cannas, their cultivation and species, and cannas in the garden. Gardener's Guide To Growing Cannas is an appealing, colorful, comprehensive guide which gardeners and horticulturalists will appreciate.

This book deserves more than five stars! I had searched for a book on Cannas for a long time. As Ian Cooke points out, this book is the only comprehensive work published on Cannas since 1903. It has become one of my treasured plant bibles, along side with "Heliconia: An Identification Guide" by Fred Berry & W. John Kress and "Exotica" by Alfred Graf.

I live in the tropics and Cannas are indispensable in adding colours to an otherwise overpowering green garden. This book is aimed at gardeners in temperate climate countries, who have a more challenging task in growing Cannas. Ian Cooke is obviously an authority on these plants. The book has valuable information on Canna species, cultivation including common pests and diseases, and propagation by rhizome division and growing from seeds. There is even a list of websites/nurseries dedicated to this genus and is an alternative avenue for sourcing of new species by keen gardeners.

I've been using this guide in Southern Africa for the last 6 years, and it's never let me down. Great book for those traveling to the region, but keep in mind that most guides at the wildlife parks will already have a copy, so you could save the weight and space in your luggage.

Have not actually been to southern Africa yet, but plan to do so next summer. I have been an avid birder for 3 decades, and it looks like the format of this book will be very useful for my trip.

this is the best bird guide for birds of the region. I have carefully looked over others on the market.

Excellent book with very good graphics and organization. Just what is needed to confirm your observations or identify your sightings.

Now in a fully revised eighth edition, Newman's Birds Of Southern Africa is a field guide to 125 species of Southern African birds illustrated throughout with realistic full-color artwork. Each species has an entry with a map indicating their distribution, their common and scientific name, a brief paragraph with a basic physical description and notes on distinguishing characteristics, and a gorgeous, realistic color illustration. A revised introduction teaches the reader step-by-step how to use the guide to quickly identify avian species, and a glossary, index and birdwatching checklist round out this first-class resource. A treat for bird lovers due to the top-quality artistry alone, as well as being a quintessential identification guide, Newman's Birds Of Southern Africa is enthusiastically recommended for amateur birdwatchers and professional biologists alike.