Works Books

Jarret writes about contemporary pop culture in the tradition of Field, Duhamel, Seibles, and Wojahn. That is, he uplifts the mundane to a higher level, through form, piercing satire, and the riveting raw emotion, this book shows a Gen X poet making aesthetic headway for the future.

Buy this book, and give it to your brother who likes comic books for his birthday, but read it first. Jarret promises to deliver the goods to all audiences.

Keene's writing topics are so diverse in this collection. From ex-ray glasses to cancer victims, he has a distinct opinion on just about everything and isn't afraid to express it. His poetic style is very straight forward. It is both easy to read and easy to understand.

Keene's creativity is what impresses me the most though. His ideas for his poems are so so unique. Where does he come up with all of this stuff?? It is incredible! One of my favorites is a poem called "Ventriloquism Made Easy." In this poem, Keene writes from the perspective of the dummy.

I know I said this already, but the diversity and creativity throughout this whole collection are amazing.

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but this book immediately jumped out to me. It was one of the brightest and most colorful books i have ever seen. I had to open it right away, and the cover was just a warmup for what's inside. I liked Jarret Keene's collection of poems because it isn't a sad i'm so depressed i want to kill myself kind of poems, i'm so used to reading. It was real. It spoke to me and my generation. It also was really funny and a quick and easy read. One of my favorite things is how ironic he is with every day life things. Reading up on him i found out his father was a tampa firefighter, and i happen to be from tampa and miss it deeply so it made me think of home. The poems he has in there also reminded me of home when i was in high school and all you did was get drunk a go nuts. I guarantee if you are young or young at heart then you will love this book, but don't listen to me read it for yourself.

Jarret Keene's debut book of poems, "Monster Fashion," is a book that adds a sense of freshness and excitement in a genre that is often riddled with staunchy, boring and dry verse from the world of academia. All I have to say is..."Thank Goddess for Monster Fashion!" Keene's book is filled with comedic, familial and pop culture verse that most books lack. I like the fact that Keene has the ability to laugh at himself and not take himself so seriously in his work. We need more poets like this poetic holy ghost.

Among one of my favorites is "Scoped" where the character takes a dreadful visit to the doctor to find out why he's been 'passing blood'.

"He tells me to turn over
on my side and pull my knees
against my chest.
The glove snaps. And
sure enough, he's got his finger
inside of me, poking around."

Because of the immediate and sensitive description
in this poem, Keene does a superb job of making you feel
that you're there. From the "so-clean-it-smells examination
room," to the terrifying snapping of those smelly latex gloves.

This is the only poem that makes me cross my legs
with phantom pains.

"Monster Fashion" is not a book of poetry with just words sprawled out on the page without a sense of order. Keene proves that he is well-seasoned with some poems written beatifully in couplets and quatrains, which is one of my personal favorite forms.

Other poems such as "Heart, You're a Hospital Now" and "Ventriloquism Made Easy," are two more of my favorites where Keene practically yanks you by the arm and pulls you into his cut-throat psyche.

I love the smidgen of ryhme and alliteration in the beginnings of "Heart, You're a Hospital Now."

"Nothing is worse than a dying patient,
Except the surgeon, who gives your life lease,
Cuts you open, removes a sick piece,
stitches you up and grows impatient
of your bloated face."

Oh, I love the way the second and third line

ends with such emergence.

'gives your life lease,'
'removes a sick piece.'

The way the lines and words carefully entwine
and dance so immediately.

'removes a sick piece.'

Who doesn't want to steal that line and run for the hills?

This poem is crammed delightfuly with similiar, arresting lines
all the way to the end, which hurls the reader back
into reality.

Keene's verse in this book are exciting, entertaining, funny and beautiful. From epic poems such as "Ava Gardner, Queen of Earthquakes," to the short and brutal "Black Revolver," Monster Fashion offers something for the most rabid lover of the poetic word.

Jarret Keene has mined the underworld of Hollywood scholck to bring us these darkly comic poems, and he's come away with more than you might expect. Here you'll find all manner of monsters and lovelies, of course-Frankenstein and the Wolfman, Janet Leigh and Ava Gardner. You'll find zombies and earthquakes and a lot of prose that's taut and "dark as a blood clot." There's even " The Lovesong on Alfred E. Nueman" (after Elliot, of course) and "The Conversion of Aubrey Beardsley." But what makes these poems rich and worth reading, I think, is Keene's sharp take on the actual world-the way he gets, for example (in the book's opening poem) that only the young can be in love with death. For me, the book's most frightening moments-and its most rewarding-come when the author takes off the mask for a moment and explores the horror of the world we all know too well, when the funhouse comes to resemble the house we live in ("Inside Mystery Funhouse"), or when real friends are lost ("Gifted Students") and we're confronted with the ghosts of their fathers, who come back-with surprising emotional impact-to make us sandwiches. This is a sharp and funny collection. I recommend it even to those with a fear of poetry, though not to those who are afraid of the dark.

I came in not knowing much of anything about the music industry...and after reading this book from cover to cover (its a long book), I can say I learned a lot. The book is very easy to read, with real and made-up examples, and simple language. The author does a great job breaking down the rules of the industry. It does not tell you how to run your operation or how to market a hit record...it just lays out all the rules for you to either follow, break, or bend.

The best chapters were about song ownership, copyrights, publishing, royalties, and taxes. Actually, the taxes chapter was really enlightening. You can tell a lawyer wrote this book from that chapter.

I've been in a band for several years, and unfortunately, everyone else that has been in my band has never had the experience of running it as a business. We have been skating by all these years just doing gigs, but now we are planning on releasing a CD and this definitely makes things more complicated. This book has been a godsend. Very informative and USEFUL information. Other music law type books are informative, but haven't been very useful on the level we needed it. You can use what is in this book right away. Its easy to read and understand.

Like all carpenters needing important tools to build a house, this book is the tool for all musicians. It covers all the important music business information and will help cut down unnecessary misfortune for musicians. Definitely a MUST BUY!!!

This offers a great foundation to Music Law. It is clear & easy to read w/ room in the margins for notes. Richard Stim even mentions a few legal loopholes you can benefit from.

You can also recieve free book updates on the Nolo website, which is a cool perk.

There comes a time in a musician or band's career when they get serious about what they're doing and need to start focusing on legal aspects of their endeavors. This book is and indispensable reference for that situation.

The book is written in easy to understand layman's terms. It covers a fairly broad range of subjects, and provides pointers to other resources for more in depth cover of the covered subjects.

One more notable point about the book is the pre-fabricated contracts and legal forms that it comes with. They seem to be solid, could be useful in a number of situations, and are explained thoroughly.

I bought this book for my Nicholas. I love it more than he does. What a wonderful book. You will enjoy reading it to your children.

I read these many times in French (I grew up in French Canada). My son, a native Californian, discovered them at the library in English, and now wants to own them all. We both loved these books...it's like reading about Calvin without his Hobbes. He's a funny kid.

With all due respect to Ms. Coogan, contrary to her Editorial Review published herein, there is an earlier English translation of Le Petit Nicolas; published under the title, Young Nicolas.

It was translated into American English in 1961 by Ms. Stella Rodway for Hutchinson & Company and published in 1962. I know because I received a copy of this book in 1967.

The Phaidon Press version, published in 2005, is actually a 1978 Anthea Bell translation into British English.

With all due respect to Phaidon Press and Ms. Bell, I much prefer the American English translation over the Phaidon Press' Anglicized version (which renames all the key characters, changes a key nickname, and includes British phrases like "He looks a right twit with that bunch of flowers!").

Personally, when I am reading stories about an adventurous French student, I expect to find French names and phraseology. And who could forget Monsieur Dubon, "the Potato", saying, "Look me in the eyes!"

Fortunately, the humor of Monsieur's Goscinny and Sempé transcends all these minor concerns and thus the book deserves the score given.

What a sweet and funny book! I bought this for my own Nicholas when he was about 8, and I read it to him aloud. During the chapter about Old Spud, we were both laughing so hard I couldn't continue! It is such a simple story of a little boy's everyday escapades, but I love its old fashioned charm.

Written in 1959, it almost pre-dates television (Nicholas is hoping that his father will buy a TV, but he has seen it at a friend's house). Nicholas and his friends play games that would now be politically incorrect, but back then were just good fun.

My Nicholas is approaching his 10th birthday, and he still re-reads it, and considers this his favorite book.

I have a young, mischievous son named Nicholas whose reputation is known throughout my family. My sister came across the Nicholas series in a book catalog and mentioned it to me. I checked the first book out at our local library and thoroughly enjoyed it, as did my 9-year-old daughter. Although the series was written in France in the 1960's, one can still relate to its humor today. I have bought the 3 available books, plus pre-ordered the fourth. Hopefully, my Nicholas will enjoy this series when he is a little older, too!

This book has already made an impact on my life and I JUST finished reading it this morning. From mothering to missionary work - this book will inspire you to make a difference.

Lisa Bevere has an incredible gift of reaching into the hearts of women and helping them become free. As you read this book, you will laugh, cry and ponder how to bring nurture into more areas of your life. Your gifts will flourish and all those around you will be touched! Thank you Lisa for pouring into our lives so we can become more than we ever dreamed.

This is a well intentioned book to help women of all ages reconnect with eachother. After reading the book I would like to recommend reading two books by Leanne Payne: Restoring the Christian Soul: Overcoming Barriers to Completion in Christ through Healing Prayer and The Broken Image: Restoring Personal Wholeness through Healing Prayer in order to be able to be truly healed and able to actually carry out the directives contained in Nurture.

I was so happy that Lisa addressed peer-to-peer relationships.

After reading NURTURE I started seeing my own peer-to-peer relationships growing, as I let my guard down and started to realize that I have some amazing things to offer those around me.

It's helping me work through the rejection I have often felt in peer relationships.

As Lisa says, this is the time to address the importance of holy, right and encouraging peer relationships with other women and those around us.

While it is clear that physical characteristics are inherited, it is still a debate today if an individual's behavior, intelligence, and personality are more impacted by their nurture vs their nature.
Webster's Dictionary defines "Nurture" as:

1. to give tender care and protection to a young child, animal, or plant, helping it to grow and develop.

2. to encourage somebody or something to grow, develop, thrive, and be successful.

I now realize after reading Lisa Bevere's book 'Nurture', that I am flourishing today only because God has positioned me under the nurturing care of a spiritual-mother; who was watching, waiting, and believing in me. I needed someone to say "You can do it because I've done it", and recognize my ability to be more than I was. God has placed the desire to nurture those around us on the inside of every woman. Even if it's something you've never had for yourself- it is available and attainable for every woman as it's outlined so clearly and practically throughout `Nurture'. Lisa always relays her messages so personally; it's just not possible for you to read this book and not be changed!

I have been so busy reading. Sorry I didn't rate sooner.

I was diagnosed with diabetes about 2 years ago. I have read a number of books on the subject. What I like about this book is that it talks about real food. The dessert recipes are made with real sugar. They are low sugar of course, but a number of the recipes can be fed to company. The book also confirmed something I had recently noticed. If I eat less fat, I can eat more carbohydrates with less effect on my blood sugar. I believe this book would be a great place to start for the newly diagnosed, but it is also a great review book that includes a lot of the newest ideas and theories. In addition, it has the basic understanding that food is good and good food is even better.

I add my recommendation to the earlier one that you can save yourself lots of time and money by just buying this book. I recommend the hard-back version as your copy will get lots of use around the kitchen.
The explanations of the blood sugar problem and corrective methods are logical, simple and complete. The book is very well written and makes pleasant reading.
With the exception of two or three ingredients which you may have to find in a health food store, all others can be found in any grocery store.
All of the recipes thus far tried are simple and delicious.
The meal plans and recipes work without a pervasive feeling of constant hunger, which can be a problem in many other diabetic meal plans.
Following a diagnosis of pre-diabetic blood sugar level, and fortunately buying this book on a dietician's recommendation, along with half a dozen others which I rarely use, I have lost twenty pounds in the first three weeks of owning and using the book, with more coming off daily, with minimal exercise. Exercise naturally accelerates the weight loss.
A useful supplement is "No-fuss Diabetes Recipes for 1 or 2" by Boucher et al, but "The Other Diabetes" can stand alone.
The well known and documented relationship between obesity and diabetes 2 can be quickly attacked using this book.
One of the delicious breakfast recipes, Peach Almond Smoothie, will banish hunger for at least half a day, and is widely variable by substituting other frozen fruits for the peaches.
The recipes present lots of variety to accomodate different tastes.

This is one of the most practical and informative books I've found. It is easy to understand and has useful menus and recipes for the busy life of most people with diabetes or pre diabetes. I do not believe you will be disappointed with this book. Give it a read, you'll be glad you did.

My father has type II diabetes. I bought this book for him, but ended up reading it myself. I am not diabetic, but am at risk of developing it. This book is an interesting read, and has a wondeful meal plan and recipes. I have decided to start eating the way she describes, The Mediterranean way, just because it's a healthy way to live. It's just a bonus for me that it also helps prevent and control "the other diabetes". Get this book....it's fantastic!

Unbelievably inspiring. I challenge you to compare his reading with any one else's or your own in your head. He makes it alive. Not perfect, mind you. You'll find yourself suggesting to him in certain spots that he missed the meaning by putting some emphasis or other on the wrong words. Nevertheless, you know you couldn't do better overall. A real treasure.

Great for a long drive or while driving cross town in Manhattan. You can debate the issues of suffering with Milton in your head.

Sure do wish it were the whole work.

Contains extensive information in the introduction that is lends an understanding to anyone reading any of Milton's work. This particular version is very inexpensive, and contains everything one would need to understand PL. Excellent!

My review is of the library binding edition released by Buccaneer Books. It is a very plain and small volume which is wonderfully bound. It contains nothing but the poem itself (including the prose arguments) with the original spelling and punctuation. That means no notes, commentary, or introduction, so if you're looking for lots of in-text help, this isn't what you want. The Fowler, Hughes, or Norton editions are all laden with helpful material like that. But if you just want to experience Milton's masterpiece alone, this is a lovely edition. I found that the book could be purchased much more cheaply if I ordered directly from the publisher's website.

Milton in Paradise Lost unfurls a morning star banner heralding the cosmic story of the fall of angels and men in language eminently civil. I am sure that Homer and Dante were Milton's schoolmasters yet Milton almost exceeds them in the slendid language and poetry of this epic creation. Philip Pullman said "No one, not even Shakespeare, surpasses Milton in his command of the sound, the music, the weight and taste and texture of English words". This is a poem of majesty and sublime lyricism as in Milton's description of Mulciber falling:
"from Morn
To Noon he fell, from Noon to dewy Eve,
A Summer's day; and with the setting Sun
Dropt from the Zenith like a falling Star".
Each book of Paradise Lost is introduced with an argument, or summary. These arguments were written by Milton and added because early readers had requested a guide to the poem. Milton's purpose in this masterpiece is to tell about the fall of man and justify God's ways to man. When the angels battle in heaven at one point they pull up mountains and hills and throw them at each other: "So Hills amid the Air encounterd Hills Hurl'd to and fro with jaculation dire, That under ground, they fought in dismal shade." After their coup attempt in heaven Satan and the other rebel angels are lying stunned on a lake of fire. Satan rises from the lake and makes his way to the shore. He calls the other angels to do the same, and they assemble by and above the lake. Satan tells them that all is not lost and tries to cheer his followers. Led by Mammon and Mulciber, the fallen angels build their capital and palace Pandemonium. They decide to get at God through his new creation and Satan sets off on this mission. In reading Paradise Lost the poem reads the reader while being read. What I mean is that Milton lets his readers go awry in their affections and he corrects and instructs those misreadings as well as anticipates them. In this way the poem becomes a live text with meaning apprehended through the interplay between the peruser of the poem and the text itself. Milton allows the reader to subjectively question the justice of the current religious paradigm and then leads them back to the perspicacity of deity. Ultimately Paradise Lost is Milton's paean to a vast pattern in the universe, the disruption of that pattern by rebels, and the weaving of those rebellion threads back into an ever more beautiful tapestry.

This book is loaded with farout recipes and advice. A great book for those who may need a little help in the kitchen (like me.) Talk about a useful kitchen tool!

In his quarterly newsletter, Robert Stanek, author of "The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches" and many other books for young people, regularly features the books of new and upcoming authors as well as his favorite established authors. He's done this for the past four years. In his October/Fall newsletter, Mr. Stanek features three upcoming authors and one was Victoria Taylor Murray.

While I wasn't sure if Ms. Murray's Lambert series was right for me (her other ones are mystery/romance), I knew at once "Passed Down Through 4 Generations: Victoria Taylor Murray's Favorite Family Recipes: How it all Began" was my kind of book, and equally as important, it was a book my wife would enjoy as well.

As the name implies ""Passed Down Through 4 Generations," has great history behind the recipes. Ms. Murray wrote this book with her brother Joseph. Having tried the recipes, I can say there are many great ones, and more than a few that have become new favorites. I enjoy cooking, and I enjoyed this book. Recommended for any chef or chef to be.

There is something delicious for everyone to chow-down on. The recipes are easy to follow and the finished dish is wonderful. I absolutely love this book and keep it handy so I don't have to panic if a family member or friend suddenly decides to visit without notice. Most of my family members and friends are usually starving when they drop by. Now thanks to the Taylor family of men chefs I don't have to worry about what I'll make them to eat...No More Panic For Me! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!!!

As a birthday gift this year a friend through me a huge party and used a few of the recipes in this fun cookbook including the drink recipes...my one word response was simply WOW! Thanks to the men cooks in this family my party was a real winner. As a second birthday gift my friend gave me a copy of this book. Needless to say I was thrilled! Now, I can hardly wait to through my own dinner party with all the trimings! (I highly recommend this cookbook, it's the best!)

I'm a kind of glitzy girl who loves to dress up and be glamourous, so it's a surprise to people who first meet me that I really know my way around a kitchen. As my hubby always says, "That girl can cook anything ... from gourmet to Southern." And I'm proud to admit that I truly enjoy cooking. Always have ...

Another thing I dearly love is my family and I'm very sentimental about family connections. The title of this cookbook intrigued me because of the family involvement, but then when I read that the author's brother is a chef who joined her in this venture, I just HAD to buy it.

I'm glad I did. I've already prepared some of the fine dishes and they smelled so good, my hubby couldn't wait to sit down to dinner. He's raving to all the neighbors about this cookbook too.

Thanks to both Taylors for the fine dining experiences. We look forward to many more, and I'm baking several of the yummy pastries for our church brunch on Father's Day.

I bought this for my daughter - it was perfect. I didn't want a book on growing up or how to date. Just this one subject. My daughter is small for her age and also a bit immature due to some hearing problems when she was younger. So all of her friends have already hit this milestone. This book was great and helped her tremendously. We talked and talked about her first period, but being able to look at the book over and over again really helped her. She has now hit this milestone and survived it just fine! A great book and highly recommended.

I thought the book was well written. My daughter is 8 1/2 and was very interested about the subject of Menstruation. We read it together and I felt it gave her all the information about growning up without the "sex" part.

I purchased this book for my 12 year old daughter. It is an informative book with some monochromatic illustrations. I also purchased "Ready, Set, Grow". My daughter's opinion is that "Ready, Set, Grow" was an easier reading style, more colorful and more fun to read. I have to agree with her. I also enjoyed reading the other book more than this one.

I would recommend this book, but if you're only going to buy ONE book, I'd recommend "Ready, Set, Grow".

This book is very simple and straightforward. I read it before I gave it to my ten-year-old daughter and it really touches on points that I didn't think to touch on with my daughter. My daughter read it and she loved it. She said it made her realize that she is normal and that everything she's thinking and feeling is NORMAL. It didn't give her so much information that she was overwhelmed and confused either. It simply goes through what is happening to her body now and nothing more. Thanks for a great guide!

My mother got this book for my younger sisters when I was 14 or 15, long after I'd started my period. But I still learned a lot from it. Reading accounts of how different girls/young women felt about their menstrual cycle was especially reassuring, since I felt "weird" about how painful and heavy mine was compared to that of other girls my age. I wish my mother had bought it for me when I was much younger, since I had many misconceptions about what a period was! A very subtle yet readable book, without "gross" pictures (has simple sketches instead). I also like that it doesn't talk down to young girls as if they're "just kids"; has a very respectful, reassuring tone that delivers what you need to know about your period when you're in middle school or junior high. Doesn't get into sex ed at all, so you can save that info for another book!

Very useful as a Therapist and written in terms anyone can relate to.

I finally decided to buy this book after receiving many copied pages from my therapist. The small chapters are light reads and they have helped me in more ways than I can count.

A wonderful little book.

This book has the possibility to change your life in a very dramatic and positive manner. It is simple, concise and to the point. The author is well qualified and speaks to your very soul if you allow her. It may be a good idea to make an investment in this book.

Author's language is so clear and understandable. She makes things so simple.
She takes the most important questions and gives the answers without making complicated.
I got a lot more help from this book than I got from my therapist I have seen for 1,5 years.
This book has changed my life.
Although I red it twice already I still read it.
Everyone can learn something from this book.
Thanks to Susanna McMahon for writting such a book.

It's a great, wise, simple, highly readable book.

Still, I cannot give it 5 stars because I found it at times a little simplistic -- probably a function of the book's restricitve format that keeps each chapter very short, and therefore generic and thus a little shallow. It's good reading for people who don't have time for big volumes and intellectually challenging explantions -- but at a price.

Things in life are often more ccomplicated than this book suggests. However, the priamry principle that it promotes (the crucial and necessary need for Self-Esteem that's not based on external factors) is very true. Kudos to the author for making it so clear. Any effort aiming to expose and undo the harm of most people's upbringing -- which overemphasizes high achievement and competitivenss while neglecting spiritual development -- is a valuable contribution to our culture.

I appreciated the author's effort to avoid references to God (she allows atheistic readers to replace the concept of God with the notion of Goodness) -- but then, alas, she forgot that rule in the last chapter. That last chapter was also rather disappointing in content, the weakest of all -- just a pep talk with no concrete advice.

Throughtout the book, the author ascribes the often harmful "Model of Doing" to the Western culture, and the more benficial "Model of Being" to the East -- but that is a simplification too. Anyone familiar with high-driving, competitive, and sometimes cruel Asian societies knows that the East is in the grips of the "Model of Doing" just as we are in the West. (One can also think of some western saints, like St.Francis, who were very much into a "Model of Being".)

Also, I am concerend that the author's often repeated advice to "take care of yourself first" will be interpreted by many people as a permission to be selfish and self-centerted. She certainly understands the difference (and attempts to explain it at one point) -- but in her apparent effort not to undermine any reader's Self-Esteem, she stops short of telling her readers that having no compassion for others, and never giving of yourself is not a way to live. She just says "accept yourslef as you are". Then why change for the better?

This book will be of only marginal value to people who are well read in psychology, but it will be very useful and eye-opening to an average person trying to come to terms with the pain of living. It's like Psychology 101 -- a basic course for everyone, but it doesn't have enough depth to satisfy those who need to probe for deeper reasons and solutions. Nevertheless, I highly recommend it as a first step towards mastering "the art of living".

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

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

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

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

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

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