Guides Books

If you are looking for a "how to" book on performing various mural and faux techniques this is not the book for you. This book will mainly concentrate on more of the legal and business side. After reading this book you will feel and think "Wow I can really make a living off this". I would highly recommend it for anyone considering opening a business or service in this area.

The book provided a down to earth explanation of the process for starting a mural business.
This extended from the practical aspect of actually doing the artwork to the potential pitfalls of running a business, including overload (problems with subbing work out), dealing with customers, taxation and all the other things someone who is good at artwork may forget to consider.
Well worth the read.

How To Start A Faux Painting Or Mural Business by Rebecca Pittman is a book that appears to consider every aspect of starting this kind of business. This is about the decorative arts, and this kind of thing has been needed for so long in all of the Fine Arts. This is not a book about generalizations. It is so impressive regarding: The details of setting up this business; how to dress; the briefcase or carrier; proper etiquette in every kind of situation; how to bid; preparing and securing the client. There are quesions and information regarding: Working conditions; the steps for presentations; assessing the environment; bidding; negotiating; several methods for estimations; landing commercial jobs and home jobs; dealing with contractors; subcontracting free lance artists; taxes; ceilings versus walls; and homes and commercial sites. There are salient points regarding what constitutes plagiarism, as well as motivation and goals. There are useful forms; sample contracts; sample commercial and sample home contracts; invoices; record keeping; and ledgers. In addition to several business forms, there are references for further reading. This is an excellent book for starting a faux painting or a mural painting business.

Is your question, "After reading this book, will I be able to start and run a successful business doing decorative painting"?

My opinion? This book follows through on what it promises! The focus here is learning how to start a business in Faux Painting/ Murals, and make money in the Decorative Arts Trade. This book gives facts, and proven successful business practices and technique, needed by Right Brainers, Artists, and those blessed with Creative Genius. If you need some help with how to go from being a hobby artist, to making real money with your talent, Rebecca has written your instruction manual. This book will save you time, money, and a ton of first time business owner headaches!

Rebecca's book (manual), puts Art and Business together in an easy to read format. It can springboard the Artist/ budding Business-Person into starting a viable business with their artwork.

I found this book easy to understand, well written, clear, and to the point. It will appeal to Artists who want to take their Art to the next level; start a business, market your art, and make money selling it! Don't we all want to do what we love and have the money follow? This book can make it happen for you!

I have been painting murals and doing faux finishing, decorative paint, etc. for 11 years myself, and this is the first book that isn't laden with pretty pictures...it has the nuts and bolts of a business. When I started out professionally in this business I was 19 and had no idea how to run a successful business. Sure, I could paint anything I was asked, but that's not how you become a success, alone. Understanding the labor and customer service skills required, the marketing techniques and time management, those are the pitfalls of many artists, like myself. I learned the game as I went, but I made many mistakes. Reading this book gave me some clarity on my own business issues, and gave me some insight on how to tackle them. Most of us looking into purchasing this book are talented artists of some sort, usually people like us aren't the type to run a business too well, until you learn the ropes. Ever heard of a starving artist? WIth this book you will no longer be one!

I have many I Ching interpretations and find that this text follows closely with them. The language is very simple and focuses on its application to you rather then the symbolism found in the others. It was a nice addition to my library and gives me a fast and simple reading. I do recommend it to any students of the Oracle.

Brian Browne Walker subtitles his book, A Guide to Life's Turning Points. This book certainly keeps its promise. The I Ching is one of the most profound guides for the seeker of truth and balance in one's life. Walker's version inspires deep levels of self-awareness. He has captured the essence of the I Ching - that we must first nurture and then act from our inner strength and always follow the principles of "humility, simplicity, equanimity and acceptance." His description of each of the sixty-four hexagrams is elegant and true to the ancient wisdom with an economy of words. Brian Browne Walker's I Ching lends itself beautifully to everyday use.

I won't say much, except this. I have been studying and using the I-Ching for over 20 years and have found this to be the most concise, responsible book on the i-Ching in quite some time. A lot of interpretations are completely irresponsible, and do more damage then good.
I use this everyday now. I highly recommend Brian's Hua Hu Ching also. Now if I can get his "crazy dog series" I'll be set.

This is a good edition for more logical and straightforward people.
The interpretations are not always very well-rounded, but it can be a good introduction to the I Ching.

This is one of the easist I Ching books I've found, so far !
The text is "right on" when throwing the coins for the hexagrams, it
always seems to be just what is needed at the time. In times of
confusion or crossroads in life this book always seems to give me the
answers I need.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I do.

I Know I'm in There Somewhere: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner Voice and Living a Life of Authenticity
Book in excellent condition.
Delivery within specified time.
Very satisfied first time purchaser - would have no hesitation in recommending Horizon Books.
THANK YOU!

This is a great practical help for those of us who get lost in our relationships and make others our central meaning. This is usually, but not always women, and this is therefore mainly directed at a female readership but could be useful for overfunctioning men. A step by step approachable guide.

I just finished this book and doing all the wonderful "innercizes." I love the person who shines through every helpful, healing, powerful word. The author is so accepting, so celebrational of individuality and diversity, so gentle, so supportive, and so visionary. Dr. Brenner's many intertwined ideas are beautifully organized, and are enjoyably, simply, compellingly and clearly shared. Her prose is lovely and the book is beautifully designed and edited. What interesting, thought-provoking stories she tells of so many appealing, varied people (that's all of us....)

One of the things I've been happy to learn is how far I've come toward becoming the person I wanted to be. Nearly all of my wants now are things I'm currently involved in. I have few "outside voices" competing anymore with my many interests; on the other hand, I still struggle to juggle and prioritize among my many compelling interests. I'm learning to enjoy whatever I'm working on now, and for the moment, let go of the rest....

My favorite exercise (of many favorites) was the last one in the book, talking with "me" twenty years from now. At first, I saw no one--I didn't want to even think about how awful age 81 might be, didn't even want to be alive then, hoped I wouldn't be, remembering my unhappy Mom.... Then I had to talk with a very "dread"-full, scary vision of the scared, defiant, defensive, resentful, angry "me" I feared becoming. Wow. That was difficult. But I had learned from Dr. Brenner not to run away from her, but to be compassionate and talk with her, be OK with her too. Eventually she faded....

And then I embraced a wonderful, positive, completely different and very possible vision of me at 81, and I am so happy with it. She is/I am so healthy, so vibrantly alive, so quiet and loving inside, a good listener, accepting, helpful. Thank you. I'm learning to be OK with all of these "me's," ever moving in the direction of my highest goals but being compassionate with my weaknesses, sadnesses, mistakes, failures, fears too. I feel completely different about my future right now. It's more doable and hopeful, much more peaceful...and more fun.

I look forward to sharing your book with many friends. I'm so grateful for all the lovely doors which have opened with me. I embrace and share so much of the author's peaceful, positive vision.

I've really come a long way in NOT "stuffing" my scary emotions down and back where they just get stuck and hang around in the dark to weigh me down, but instead I now have ways to quietly just be with them for a little while, accept them as-is, and happily, they soon change to something else. I used to think, for instance, that if I let myself cry I would never stop, but even rain can't fall forever if you just let it be rain.

I also enjoyed the author's website, www.helenebrenner.com. Dr. Brenner, how can I thank you enough for so many gifts to my life?

I have bought this book 4 times now. Because the book is so good, I give it to others to read, because in my mind this is a must read for all females!!! I just recently bought my last 2 books (finally got smart and saved one for me). I have read it 3 times myself and keep it on hand for a good read at any time. I recently divorced my now ex-husband, and thanks to this book alone, it gave me the inner strenghth to get out of an unhealthy relationship which I would not have had without this book. I highly recommend it for all ladies. I have learned in the past that we as women give too much of ourselves away and get so little in return - read the book, you will recognize yourself in many chapters. For me, I felt that the author was writing about my life word for word - it was creepy, but at the same time it was an eye opener for me. Needless to say my exhusband probably hated this book for many reasons - oh well, his loss. Ladies if you have lost your inner voice, find it - if you have never had an inner voice - get one - it is never to late and you will survive!!!

This book was suggested to me by a counselor. Honestly, I don't take a lot of my spare time to read books but this one was made so much sense, I could not put it down. I found myself trying to find time to keep reading it. It answers questions that women and young girls have been asking themselves for years. This book really helped me become stronger in a time when I was feeling very weak and down on myself. It seems that as women, we are taught to blame ourselves for things even if they are not our fault. Helene Brenner put things in perspective for me. This book is perfect for any woman in your life. I have bought it for co-workers, family members, friends and aquantances that I knew needed it. It's awesome!!!!!

This book is worth it for anyone wanting to learn about Pharmaceutical Sales. It covers EVERYTHING you need to know about this career. It was recommended to me by a sales rep for a major pharmaceutical company. The book is great from beginning to end. It's also very easy to understand and offers great tips. The only thing I didn't like were the sample resumes and cover letters. Nevertheless, it was still a good buy.

Insider's Guide to the World of Pharmaceutical Sales, Eighth Edition

This book had every bit of information that I needed to get interviews, how to perform on interviews and what to bring with me. I used it to get a different type of sales position but I went to each interview well equipped and was able to score so many job offers that in the end, I got to pick and choose! There are key factors in here that will truly win you the next interview or the job offer. I am so thankful for this book!

great book. very informative. I highly suggest buying this book before you try and get a pharma job. You will realise that after reading it, the process is whole differant approach than a conventional job.

Great reference. Thorough, succinct, nice extras in the back, lots of legwork already done for you!

This book is a fantastic primer for "how-to-get-a-job" in pharmaceutical sales. It is a quick read, but the information is complete and if you actually follow-through with all of the tactics that the author suggests, you have a good chance of at least getting one interview. After that it will be up to you to sell yourself and demonstrate that you actually know what you're talking about. But again, if you do what the author advises you to do, you should be able to get the business.

The movement from islands of IT to a Service Oriented Architecture requires skills and talent. Unfortunately, the pending baby boomer retirement may cause the transition to slow as the quantity and quality of IT resources diminishes. This book put the IT professional back at the top of the list by addressing the critical issues facing IT personnel and IT Management. How do we do more with less IT people? The answers are structure and consideration of the IT personnel in your organization. I enjoyed reading the book and have already applied many of the recommendations in my consulting business.

This book does what others (and the title) have mentioned, it addresses the people factor that is so often overlooked. Not only does it lay out the Disciplines which contribute to successful, predictable IT management, it gives you a framework to use, almost a checklist of sorts. It is an excellent reference and tool. Indispensible!

I've read all the books about IT and could not make a sense out of it! I'm a veteran and going to school to finish some stuff I left behind and after reading this book I will recomend it to some of my fellow students at RCC

Keep up the good IT work guys.

This book has little value to current IT managers, and anyone with a business degree or MBA has already learned more than this book has to offer. There are no new theories, and the book reads like a combination textbook and self-help guide. As such it never finds a good focus. A quote from the jacket says it all:

This book "...will help you improve your ability to plan your work, meet your commitments, and do so while being an effective political actor."

If you need a confidence boost, then maybe you'll see some value to this book. But the cheering section doesn't produce many valid techniques for actually "doing more with less." The book will leave most readers looking for more solid fare.

A must have in classrooms, all of it it's just an opening to a new dimension of knowledge, thanks to the authors and my firend Javy for this book.

KEEP IT UP.

Rene SuanLi

One of the most informative and moving books I have ever read about Jesus. I have two copies because one is worn and tattered. Lots of facts and references about the original meaning of Biblical words and explanations of culture during the time Christ walked the earth. Details Christ's life from Mary's conception to His death on the cross. Truly a moving personal experience reading this book. If you don't already know Jesus, you won't want to go another day without Him. If you already know him, you will enter into a more intimate relationship with Him than you ever imagined. Many times I read a page and had to stop reading and digest the magnitude of what I had just read and it's meaning for me and my personal relationship with Jesus. I will reread and reread and reread......

Fantastic! Beth Moore has a wonderful way of breaking down the life of Jesus in a simple, yet personal way. She weaves in historical Jewish customs and traditions, cross-references Old Testament verses and asks thought-provoking questions to make this two-thousand-year-old story come alive. Jesus was God in human form--the epitome of perfection and holiness but that didn't shelter him from living a normal childhood in a very average, working-class home or from encountering the same problems and temptations that we face. "Jesus, the One and Only" will help you understand the full character of Christ. Who he was. What he did. And how much he gave of himself to draw us into a relationship with God. This Bible study is perfect for women on any level, whether you've been a Christian for decades or days. Don't underestimate the power of this book. This isn't your average Sunday school Jesus story!

The information provided in the study book is very good reading, especially for women's bible study groups. We currently are using this
for our church's circle group. We also purchased the study guide. I recommend it to anyone who hasn't read any of Beth Moore's books.

This book is great. It has really helped me focus on Jesus life here on earth. It has made me dig deeper to discover and wonder about the details. Beth Moore's applications of the passages have brought it to life.

So far this is my favorite Beth Moore book. I've already read it twice and am sure to read it again. She tackles a very familiar story with fresh insights just about every chapter. It's not a "preachy" book. Rather she makes you feel like you're a fellow learner with a good friend. Unlike some of her other books, this does not require looking up many references which makes it ideal to read when you're reading somewhere other than your desk at home.

The first 2 chapters of this book (What is Meditation? and Why Meditate?) offer the most lucid explanation of the basic point of meditation I have ever seen.

For those who have a contemplative practice in any tradition, it is sometimes a struggle to explain or get across to non-practitioners just what it is you are doing (or trying to do) in your practice.

These first 11 pages are a simple, factual description. A breath of fresh air, and without imperative. Not a sales job. Simply an explanation. A useful tool if your family or friends don't get it yet.

The other 150 pages describe a variety of specific meditation techniques that are, each one, a treasure. Savor it slowly, and don't rush through. And especially, don't ignore the author's warning to attempt certain techniques only with a teacher. These techniques were developed in deep community and connection, and are still best used that way.

This book describes the essence of most of the meditation techniques I've come across while trying out meditation. The techniques are described in a jewish context, but the insightful and profound truths are valid for meditation in general. I particularly enjoyed the chapter "Nothingness", which shed new light on a Rudolf Steiner meditation I have practised.

Jewish Meditation: A Practical Guide by Aryeh Kaplan is the best book I have read so far on this topic. It is extremely interesting, inspiring, and easy to understand and has a wealth of information. I liked the fact that the author warns his readers about certain methods of meditation that are not for beginners while at the same time gives clarity about the various types of meditations that are safe with guidelines how to practice them. There are also a lot of extremely interesting facts about Judaism that I was happy to learn. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in meditation from a Jewish perspective and gaining some basic knowledge about Kabbalah.

Even though this book focuses on Jewish meditation and the Quabalah, the book can be read and used by anyone, either practically by following the exercises or simply to enrich their knowledge of meditation intellectually.

Some readers may avoid the book thinking that it would only be worthwhile to a follower of a Jewish tradition, a pity, since the book has much to offer everyone interested in meditating.

For those interested in a more in-depth treatment of Jewish Meditation and the Quabalah Aryeh Kaplan's other book 'Meditation and Kabbalah' goes into further detail.

Aryeh Kaplan was a rare individual. A Jewish scholar taken from us too early. If you get the chance take a look at his biography. This is one of his better books and the best book on Jewish meditation. Nothing comes close. Oddly enough, it is also a book that I think would have great appeal to anyone who is not Jewish or perhaps not even that relegious. This book has a lot of pleasant surprises. Enjoy and learn.

I recently did a make-over party and handed these out as favors. Thought this would get the kids off to a good start on their summer reading program. The kids loved them and the story is very thought provoking. Shows kindness to others.

My kids have all Judy Moody and Stink books. They love them, and I know for the fact that they help kids who struggle with reading in 3rd grade. They are easy to read and have a good story, are funny and appealing to that age group. A must have!

This book was good. My favorite part was when she hits the teacher's elbow. That made me laugh!

judy moody always wants to be in the news paper or on tv. judys cat won the pet contest and she finnaly was in the news paper.she was happy after all of that.when judy got home she looked in the news paper.she said thats a get picture of me and my cat.

i liked this book because stink was funny by selling moon dust.

the thing i dont like this book was judy always wined.

I thought this book was a bomb! You have got to read this book. If you are a Judy Moody fan and you read this book you will like it very much.The main thing that happens is Judy Moody is trying to get famous.

This book was really valuable to me, and I encourage anyone who needs help on the SAT (don't we all?) to consider it. The practice is broken down into analogies, critical reading, and sentence completion. I'm really good at verbal, but the analogies always killed me. Once I got Kaplan's help and practice, however, my analogy scores shot WAY up. It also helped me with critical reading and sentence completion. I like the way Kaplan breaks it down into 7 or 10 minute drills. It's the best way to learn. The vocab list at the back is also really good. I only memorized about 30 of those words... and just out of that, 5 or 6 showed up on the SAT I took. Crazy!

I can't tell you how wonderful it was to go into the SAT and not feel panicked or stressed. I actually had extra time! The first time, I couldn't even get through the whole SAT. But after using Kaplan, I didn't feel nearly as anxious. I knew the format, understood how to approach the test, and was very familiar with the specific questions. And I'm a good test taker - I already knew all the basics. This book provides specialized strategy, which is incredibly valuable, and makes things easier to understand.

All in all, I went from a 660 to a 760 on verbal. Combined with the math workbook, I raised my SAT score 150 points. I give Kaplan the credit... well, most of it. :) I'm really glad I had these books, and I would reccommend them for basically anyone.

This Kaplan Verbal SAT Workbook really does work. It WILL raise your scores.

After using this book in hopes of being able to tackle the "level 4" and "level 5" questions on the SAT I Verbal section I was not very impressed with the level of difficulty the Kaplan SAT Verbal Workbook provided. Most of the questions in the analogy and sentence completion section are the lower level questions on the SAT I Verbal. It is quite common for the last questions in the SAT I Verbal section to have very difficult vocabulary. However, in the Kaplan's SAT I Verbal Workbook, you will find questions that are labeled by CollegeBoard with a difficulty rating of somewhere around three, sometimes four, and very rarely, five. On the other hand, this book provides a very good set of problems in the Critical Reading Sections. In addition to an accurate model of the actual exam (to some extent), the answer explanations are very clear compared to other prep books. Overall, I would give this a 4 out of 5 because, while it does prepare you well for the SAT I Verbal, if the person using this book was only to use this book, he would discover on the SAT I that the analogies that are level 4 and 5 will be rather difficult for him.

I am aware that there is a vocabulary section in the book, however, a large part of practicing analogies and sentence completion is getting used to using difficult vocabulary words in actual problems

With just a few days left before my March testing date, I purchased this book and did a few sections, most notably the anologys. My score increased by 70 points with just two 20 minute practice sections which put my verbal score over 700.

Hi, I am a high school student about to start preparing for the SAT. After reading through the reviews of various SAT books, I found that this one was probably one of (if not) the best. I have already taken the ACT; however, I know that I did terrible on it. So, I have decided to switch to the SAT instead. The thing that I was wondering was about how much time would you say it takes to effectively study this book (ALONG WITH an SAT Math section book)? I'm hoping for 1500+ on my ACT, so I was wondering what the approximate time frame is for two of these books. Thank you!

This book is a must-need if you are struggling in the verbal section of the SAT*. This book guides you with the the main concepts and steps you need to be able to boost your score up (i went from a 420-590). It has lots of questions to make sure you can apply the methods they give you. By the time you finish this book the verbal section feels so much easier. And yea if you are that type of person slacks off (like me) and can't be bugged to learn all the vocab, IT'S OKAY because the methods in the book are enough to boost your score. The vocab is that little extra push.
THe practice tests at the end of the book mirror the real SAT very well and is good practice for the real SAT*. And all the questions u get wrong are covered by a detailed explanation to why it is wrong and they give you the meanings of the word if its a sentence completion or analogy question.

Scott Weidensaul writes precisely and eloquently about bird migration in "Living on the Wind", which was a nominated finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2000. In what is "perhaps the most compelling drama in all of natural history", an estimated 5 billion birds migrate annually, across continents and oceans, some without stopping to rest or eat for thousands of miles. Weidensaul tells us why birds migrate and how. He paints a picture of these extraordinary journeys and the birds that make them in North, Central, and South America. As some migrating birds are in crisis due to loss of habitat and disturbances in their breeding, stopover, and wintering grounds, the author examines the current threats to migrants and the controversies over their nature and significance.

In three parts -Southbound, Hiatus, and Northbound- "Living on the Wind" examines the journeys of migratory birds, regales us with incredible stories of a variety of species, and tells us where they go and how they live in their wintering grounds. Weidensaul has endured the cold of Monterey Bay, tromped through Jamaica's acacia forests, counted the massive migration through Veracruz with blistered thumb, banded hawks in Argentina, stood in the midst of a "fallout" near the Gulf coast, and generally traversed North and South America to see and understand migrants. He recounts his experiences with a wonder and drama that made me long to visit some of these places myself.

We also learn of birds that stay in their frigid climates, irruptive species that migrate only occasionally, birds who migrate south to wintry Vermont, and some species for whom habitat transformation has meant overpopulation, such as snow geese and Canada geese. I found especially fascinating the discussions of how migratory birds navigate, differences in the needs and fates of neotropical migrants and resident birds that co-exist in the same habitats, and the very preventable threats to migrants, such as feral cats. I was struck by how much has been learned about migrants in the past couple of decades through new technologies and broader study, but also by how difficult it is to pin down definitive data about these itinerant creatures. "Living on the Wind" is a treasure trove of information for birdlovers and thoroughly enjoyable for a general audience as well.

_Living on the Wind_ by Scott Weidensaul is a very ambitious book, one in which the author tried to convey both the science and the drama of bird migration in the Western Hemisphere, traveling for six years from Alaska to Argentina and speaking to experts as well as viewing close up an amazing variety of birds from the Arctic tundra to Central American rain forests.

The book is divided into three sections. "Southbound" focused on the fall migration as well as topics on migration in general.

Weidensaul stressed that one shouldn't view migration as moving away from something unpleasant, such as the cold, but rather as moving towards something beneficial, mainly an area where food is plentiful. Viewing migration as a simply north-south issue clearly shows a North American bias; birds in southern South America fly north to their wintering grounds, tropical birds fly relatively short distances but on migrations nonetheless in response to among other things the ripening of fruits or the blossoming of flowers, and many ocean birds undergo complex and intricate perambulations of entire oceans on an annual basis (the greater shearwater breeds in the South Atlantic but covers a 13,000 mile route every nine months, a route that includes going up past South America to Canada, then over to Europe in autumn, and then returning down the coast of Africa). Not all North American birds winter in the Americas; the bristle-thighed curlew nests in western Alaska but winters as much as 5,000 miles away in such Pacific islands as Tahiti, while the bar-tailed godwit winters 6,800 miles away from its Alaskan home in New Zealand (flying nonstop for up to five days).

The reader learns some birds are "complete migrants" (they entirely vacate their breeding grounds at the end of nesting season) and some are "partial migrants" (a portion of the population remains year-round). Most birds other than hawks migrate at night, partially to avoid predators (like hawks), to free up daytime hours for finding food, because the atmosphere is less turbulent at night, and because the chillier and damper night air can help cool overheated migrating birds and work to stem moisture loss. Thanks to human activity, many birds winter farther north than they once did, whether due to backyard birdfeeders in the case of finches or specially maintained refuges for waterfowl; this phenomenon is known as "shortstopping."

The author spent a good deal of time discussing how birds find their way on migrations. A fascinating discussion, migration involves a genetic program, a time of migratory restlessness when the daylight diminishes to a certain point and the urge to fly in a certain direction sets in, coupled in some species with a innate time-distance or time-and-direction (or vector navigation) program, a set of genetic instructions that instruct the bird to fly a certain direction for a specific length of time, change heading, and then precede on another for a preset period of time. Those directions are determined mainly by celestial and magnetic orientation but research has shown that infrasound (extremely low-frequency waves of the sort generated by ocean surf, which can travel for thousands of miles) may play a role as well.

Modifying this program though are a "hierarchy of orientation clues," which serve to refine a bird's navigation on subsequent flights, often enabling a bird to find specific breeding and wintering grounds with stunning accuracy. Clues such as learning geographic landmarks, olfactory, infrasound, and local magnetic clues help the migrating bird.

The second section, "Hiatus," focused on birds and their wintering grounds, from stay-at-home year-round resident birds alongside frozen Hudson Bay to birds of steamy rainforests and the Argentine pampas. Many birds like warblers and tanagers really are tropical birds to begin with; an oriole might spend four months in its temperate breeding range but seven months in the tropics, while some Canadian warblers spend less than three months there. Some birds migrate only as far south as southern Canada or the northern U.S. to winter. Others, such as the northern finches, follow an erratic and very unpredictable pattern of migration known as an irruption, a pattern tied to seed production in their normal range that in bad years may send birds as far south as the Gulf Coast.

The author discussed research on how faithful birds are to their wintering sites, debates over whether or not they are benefited by disturbed habitat, how flexible they are on their wintering grounds with regards to food and habitat, and how some species have completely different diets and habits on their wintering grounds (in some species the males and females will winter in different areas).

Threats to wintering birds were well discussed, covering such topics as the use of pesticides in Latin American countries (tens of thousands of Swainson's hawks have died from pesticides in Argentina), habitat destruction, changes in coffee-growing practices (shade-grown coffee plantations still have a great deal of habitat for birds but sun-coffee or technified farms are "biological deserts"), and disease (wetland destruction has forced waterfowl and shorebirds into overloaded federal and state refuges, what one researcher called "bird ghettos").

The third section, "Northbound," tracked the surge of migrants through the American Southwest, Great Plains, and the Gulf Coast. Topics of discussion often center on threats to migrating birds, including loss of hardwood forests along the Gulf Coast, a vital source of nutrients for migrating birds (increasingly usurped by industrialized pine plantations and beach homes), the loss of native grassland (a trend that is "nearly apocalyptic;" Iowa only has one-tenth of one percent left, while Minnesota has one percent left) which has caused grassland birds to decline faster, longer, and over a wider area than any other type, and the tremendous threats to breeding woodland birds due to forest fragmentation, opening up formerly deep woods to predators such as cats and also cowbirds, which are rapidly expanding their ranges and numbers and are a huge threat to eastern birds with no experience with brood parasites.

The detail and fluidity of this book amazes me. The author's passion for his love of birds shines through on every page. It's a work of love.

I didn't begin to "bird" until my days in New Jersey (2000-2004) when I'd drive to the beautiful Jersey Shore and watch water fowl and migratory eagles, falcons and osprey nest along the banks of the braggish waters. I've been fascinated by raptors ever since, and the chapter "River of Hawks" had me longing for more.

The author traveled all over North and South America, mixing in some travelogue with his more scientific paragraphs. His descriptions of Patagonia, AZ (p. 59) and Monterey, CA (p. 93) were right on target even for the non-birder.

The time he spent researching, traveling, meeting with locals is astounding. He traveled to Mexico, Argentinia, Alaska, Canada, Jamaica and various places within the United States to watch the birds himself.

The book ends on a melancholy note, citing the need to preserve and conserve what natural habitat we have left in the world, not just for our feathered friends, but for fish and humans. No work on nature would be complete without a passage of hope that natural nesting areas and a habitat free of toxins will prevail.

This book is a must-read. Like a few other reviewers have stated, my only recommendation would be perhaps a picture, even a black-white picture, of the many birds mentioned in this book.

If you enjoy nature reading you will love this book. I am not a birder, but nevertheless found this book to be an eloquent and fascinating read. Weidensaul introduces and explores a world that occurs around us every day but that few of us know anything about. He writes extremely well. Overall, a wonderful book.

The information on bird migration is absolutely engrossing. However, the language Weidensaul uses is even more enjoyable. I kept the computer dictionary next to me while reading the book to check the beautiful language used to describe bird behavior and their habitats. This book is inspiring and thought provoking even for non-birders like me (I am likely classified as a computer geek).