California Books

I bought this book at the original Cheeseboard while on vacation. It was an impulse purchase, but I one I'm glad I made. I've had a lot of failures with bread, but the directions and observations in this book have vastly improved my baking skills. The recipes seem to be fool-proof, and the results are excellent. Bread making is now a relaxing and enjoyable hobby.

This is an excellent source for beginning bakers. Making stellar bread isn't that difficult, and is actually a lot of fun. No more bread machine for me.

As someone who grew up in Berkeley and now only gets to visit a few times a year, I use this book whenever I get homesick for Cheeseboard goodness. Not only do I get raves for every single recipe from non-Berkeley-ites, but the recipes are dead-on in replicating the scones and breads I grew up with.

This book is worthwhile for the mouth watering stories and recipes alone! As someone who went to Berkeley shortly after the Cheese Board was established, the "old" quotes from former members concerning the joys and travails of working at the Cheese Board brought back memories of Berkeley in that era in a pleasantly nostalgic manner.

Although the bread recipes are far beyond my abilities, all of the morning breakfast food recipes can be produced successfully by someone with limited baking experience (and limited patience!).

Definitely work buying, even if you never bake any of the breads.

I love this book. I have been searching for the perfect scones for 25 years. I have found them in the Cheese Board's new book, along with myriad other phenomenal recipes (brioche, shortbread, pizza, etc.). The humor and affection of the bakers/writers for each other and the subject matter are also infectious.

I spent 6 years in Berkeley and I still go back occasionally. The one stop I always make is the Cheeseboard. Not only are they famous for wide cheese and olive selection, but their bakery is out of this world. I remember the days where I would get Brioche and munch on it on the way to class. Or getting the fresh baked sourdough baguettes on the way home from the market. This cookbook describes in detail how to work with the dough, measure out ingredients, and how to bake bread properly. I learned a great deal about baking from this book. I have made a few things (such as the shortbread, sourdough baguette, brioche, muffins, etc) from the book and was very satisfied. Now, this is not for the beginner bakers, I don't think. Also, this is not a speed baking book. I would rate this book as a medium skill book, but with a help of Kitchen Aid mixer and patience, you will be able to get the same great products you find at the Cheeseboard Collective. Definitely recommended for anybody and everybody.

This book is hands down the best book I have read about the Chevrolet 6cyl. It gives very in depth explinations of how to achieve excellent power and/or performance out of your 6cyl.

Very helpful, lots of combined information from a number of sources
Well worth the purchase!

Chevrolet Inline Six-Cylinder Power Manual This is possibly the most incredible well written and informative engine performance book ever written. It's not just that I am smitten by the late model Chevrolet Inline Six Cylinder motors. No they are a mere testament to perfection. Ask anyone who has driven a car with these engines and they simply last forever.
But I digress, what Mr. Santucci has done here is assemble and share his most comprehensive insiders knowledge to building these outstanding American engines into true performance overachievers! He also details everyone in America who specializes in building this inline six and gives the novice many tips on durability and general performance.
Outstanding and if I may say "The Bible" of the Chevrolet L6 Engine!!

Bravo!
James Kuenzi

I found this book to be very informative and easy to understand. I had been looking for sometime, for any information reguarding the chevrolet inline six cylinders, 250 and 292. It really help me with the knowledge and unstanding of this inline six cylinder motor, that i find to be very inpressive and highly underated by most small block V-8 chevy motor heads. I just wish I could have found this book long before I finished building my motor. But that's ok, I already have plans for the next motor and I will be refering to this book when building torque and horsepower.

I'm a graduate mechanical engineer and former Chevy Six racer, and this book taught me things I never knew - or even thought about. It gives every piece of info necessary to select and build a Chevy or GMC six from mild street to full race. It even provides the part numbers and interchangeability info, so you can't go wrong if you pay attention to the author's comments.

Also included are the strengths and weaknesses of each engine model, modifications necessary to get reliable performance and power, and little secrets of tuning that make the difference between good and great engines.

If the info you're looking for isn't in this book, you don't need the info.

VERY highly recommended!!

My children love these books I didn't know if they would like them because they don't have alot of pictures. They just can't get enough

waited for a month to receive the book.

This book is fabulous.
One of the reasons I like it is because it talked about fires, earthquake and natural disaster. Another reason is because it was near our city! The last reason I liked it is because they lost their city but still had hope. I learned some exellent facts. I learned the fire burned 28,000 buildings! They had half a millon people there. The earthquake was called "The Great Shake". It was one of the biggest earthquakes ever! I would recommend this book for three reasons. The characters are fun. Jack likes the realistic and Annie likes the magic. The second reason is the excitement and learning wonderful facts.
Earthquake in the Early Morning is a excellent book.

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

I like this book because it is interesting.
It keeps you wondering whats going to happen next.
It is also very funny.
So you might want to read this book.

FADE IN...You network, network and network some more. Just keep smiling as you get S%$@!. The book really is excellent and a must read before taking the leap to LA. As part of the rules, I really shouldn't be letting you know about it. The book will not tell you how to get that luck break, but it will save you some pain along the way. I would also suggest Hollywood 101: The Film Industry for a excellent break down of the various jobs that are need to make a movie. FADE OUT

When I bought this book, I was prepared to read the words of someone who had watched Swimming With Sharks and The Player one too many times. However, this is not a book that teaches you how to be a player. This is a book that teaches you how to get noticed. You can tell that "Anonymous" knows his or her stuff about how to set yourself apart in Hollywood-- by playing by the right rules. There are insightful tips in this book that it would take three years worth of meetings to realize yourself. It is like the Hollywood version of Strunk & White's Elements of Style. Don't leave the east coast without it.

I am a writer and found this book to have helpful information in it for me. It is geared towards the film industry but is a good read with some good information if you are a writer, actor or in the entertainment industry or want to be.

This book not only specifically applies to how one should comport themselves in "the Biz", but has lessons that apply to all industries across the board. A must-read for all who choose to succeed. Buy it! You won't waste your money.

The Hollywood Rules - this book has a special aura about it. It encourages you to understand your talent and how it will most likely be perceived and handled by those in power who can enhance/create your career in movies. It brings Hollywood to your living room for some brief moments, making you believe that you can find the way to whatever you're striving for. And not only that - it shows you the way, providing that you are prepared to work hard, play by the rules, break the rules, and dream on until you make it [...]

The book "Maverick's The Big Story of Big-Wave Surfing" by Matt Warskaw is one of my favorite books. This book is about surfing and its mishaps and adventures. The title of the book is Maverick's, this relates to the book countless times because it is a gigantic storm of waves in California that come every year. There are many different stories, some that are good and some that are sad or not that interesting. This book talks about how surfing has changed over the years. Also how far it has come since 1914. It has some very fascinating stories from surfing a 25-foot wave to drowning and having your last ride. I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 because of how interesting it was. I would also recomend this book to all ages because it is such a good book.

This book gives you a feeling of "look at that wave!". If you really want to get an idea of big-wave surfing, find an IMAX theatre showing "Extreme". Then read this book. The photographs are good and the historical information is presented well and has some depth to it. You also get to see pictures of one of the biggest wipeouts ever!

Growing up in Montara just a few minutes north of Mavericks, no one I knew even talked about surfing there. The surfers from the coast surfed the Jetty, and the stronger surfers went to Montara. There were many places around that one could surf, but no one considered Mavericks a surf mecca. No one mentioned it's name.

Seeing is believing. If you have NEVER seen big wave surfing except in pictures you are missing out!...

Enjoy the book. It is a great piece of history about the location and surfing in general!

Look for DVD's and Videos of Mavericks at [their website], taken by locals Eric and Kurt at Powerline Productions.

This is a fascinating look at the history and sport of big-wave surfing, focusing primarily on Maverick's but also discussing some of the other big-wave spots in the world, such as Todos Santos and Cortes Banks. If you have fond memories of the classic travel and surf-bum movie from the 60s, "The Longest Summer," about great surf spots around the world, you'll probably enjoy this book.

My review concentrates mainly on the dangers, since I was interested in researching that, but overall it's a beautifully illustrated and well-written account of the sport. The author starts with the early history back in the mid-1850s (when a legend has it that a Hawaiian was supposed to have ridden a tsunami back to shore).

I was interested because I used to live for many years near Maverick's, one of the premier big-wave surfing spots in the world, and I was curious what it had to say. I've never been a board-surfer myself, but grew up in southern Cal and did a lot of body surfing when I was younger. One time, I foolishly tried to body-surf a storm-driven 18-footer at Gillis Beach in southern California and got ground into the bottom and held down long enough so I thought I might not get back up to the surface in time. But I survived, and am now older and wiser.

I've had a few other misadventures, such as having been pulled out by a couple of riptides (including one that pulled me underneath the water briefly), so I've always had respect for the ocean, and I figured big-wave riding must surely be even more dangerous. Photos of lone surfers dwarfed by enormous waves have always amazed me and sent shivers up my spine, as I remembered my own scary encounter with a wave. Oddly enough, the author goes to some pains to dispell that notion by recounting various statistics and many anecdotal stories about the sport.

For example, although it's possible for a big-wave to hold a surfer underwater long enough to drown, this is very rare. More likely is for a surfer at the more crowded small-wave sites to get knocked unconscious by someone else's board who wiped out and to drown that way. Or there's the possibility of an unsupervised and inexperienced surfer drifting into a strong riptide. And as the author says, "No big wave surfer ever tested the odds as boldly as the untrained, pot-bellied, beer-staggered, citizen body-surfer."

Mark Renneker, a UCSF physician and avid big-wave surfer, gathered data and compiled statistics on injuries and concluded that cheerleaders were injured more often than big-wave surfers.

Peter van Dyke, another big-wave fan, had some other comments, pointing out that in one recent year, a half dozen Grand Prix racers were killed but not one surfer, and many more bull-fighters were killed. He said that big-wave surfers were so unconcerned about their fitness that they trained on "cake, Kool-Aid, ice cream, and cigarettes." He also pointed out that the last surfer to die at Waimea was Dickie Cross back in 1943. By 1994, no-one had yet died at Maverick's (although that would soon change with Mark Foo's death).

The book also contains a full chapter going into the events preceding and following Mark Foo's death. One of the things that becomes apparent there is that surfers aren't so much killed by the waves as by occasionally getting their ankle straps caught in underwater reefs so that they can't surface. Although no-one to this day knows what killed Mark Foo, it's possible this was part of it, and one of the other surfers had the same thing happen that very day, although he was able to get free just as he was running out of air and get to the surface.

Still, because of the perceived dangers, out of 5 million surfers world-wide, only about 100 are regular big-wave riders.

But as I said, the book also contains a more general discussion and history of the sport from the early days to the present, using Maverick's as its point of departure. There are many spectacular photos, including a fantastic two-page spread of Mike Parsons riding what's thought to be the largest wave ever ridden at Cortes Banks, an open ocean reef 100 miles to the west of San Diego.

By the way, I agree with the previous reviewer about possible huge waves up in Alaska. In fact, in Puget Sound they sometimes get 60-foot waves, and they can get 20 or 30 foot waves at the mouth of the Columbia river in Oregon, where the Coast Guard trains captains in the heavy surf handling of boats. Also, off the tip of South Africa there is an area where, because of the way the ocean currents travel up from Antartica combined with a sea floor that funnels the wave energy, it's thought that 100-foot waves can occur. (In fact, it's one of the few places in the world where large ships occasionally disappear, and it's suspected huge "rogue waves" may be responsible). There was also the finding of the underwater quake that caused a tsunami to go 2000 feet up the mountainside at an uninhabited bay up the west coast of Alaska. No-one saw it but the devastation was so dramatic it wasn't hard to figure out the cause when it was discovered later.

The largest wave ever recorded (at least by a reliable observer) was by the USS Ramapo back in the early 1930s. The ship was about 120 feet long and completely fit on the side of an enormous sea wave that passed under it in the mid-Pacific, and was estimated to be 134 feet high. Now that's a wave any surfer could envy.

A very well written and produced coffee-table quality book on Nor Cal's most hyped big wave break. Rest assured that Matt Warshaw speaks from the heart when he describes the history, the characters, the swells and the waves that have converged at that awe-inspiring break outside Pillar Point. Mr. Warshaw is perhaps the greatest surf historian of all time, and before you question that statement, just wait for his upcoming release 'The Encyclopaedia of Surfing' to make the call.

This is mostly pre-tow era Mav's, and so naturally is already quite out-dated. But looking through the viewpoint of paddle-in only is still interesting for its historic relevance, and out-right machismo.

As impressive as this book is, I hesitate to give it five stars because, while it does capture many historic moments at Mav's, it is without the newer paradigms of Mav's. Warshaw did an excellent job chronicling an era of Mav's. But now, on many days thanks to tow-in, people are surfing the place quite different than what we see in this book. The Year of the Drag-In changed everything, and so did Nov. 20-21, 2001. I'd be delighted to see Matt do a follow-up.

Big wave surfers and Mark Sponsler take note. One of the reasons the Thanksgiving swell of 2001 was so huge was because the storm which produced it came quite close to California and covered a large swath of area with multivalent storm phenomena twisting within it- such storms are not uncommon far up in the Gulf of Alaska, or forming off of Russia and jumping over the Aleutians, tearing through the Bearing Sea. While the 100 foot wave may come to Maverick's once a year, or perhaps only once every few years or decade, it must be noted that in Alaska and especially the Aleutian Islands, these closer-range, huge and more direct storms and swells are a COMMON yearly occurence. Why do so many fishing boats disappear up there? Why do so many of the Aleutian Islands have surf erosion extending 300 feet up their lichen-green facades? Because the surf there gets truly epoch-making giant on a consistent basis! And many of the islands have plenty of lowlands, points, reefs, and bay entrances for serious big-wave set-up potential (Just ask Doc Renneker or Jeff Clark). Factors against the region are many: difficult access, colder temps and outright hazardous seas even for boats. But the scenario can also be mind blowing perfect- giant surf with offshore winds and rideable set-ups. The Aleutains are America's (and the surfing world's) forgotten isles. I know the Mav's crew has their hands full at Half Moon Bay, but if they ever get the growl for adventure to seek another 100 foot wave, I highly recommend looking more seriously at the Aleutains- our own Aleut Hawaii. With the right equipment and arranged lodgings, and with both air and overland transportation (all of this is really not a problem for some islands and areas), and with a few weeks to a month window, perhaps in October and November, I do believe multiple Mavericks await beyond the 50th parellel! But for now, hats off to Matt Warshaw, Daniel Duane, and the whole Mav's crew! You remake surfing history on a yearly basis! Be sure to visit me on the Rat Islands! You can stay in my sink hole!

I've been fascinated with the 200" Hale telescope on Mt Palomar since I read "The Glass Giant of Palomar" as kid. "The Perfect Machine" meets the highest standard you can apply to a non-fiction book--it reads like a novel. Not only does it correct the many errors and omissions of "The Glass Giant of Palomar," but it weaves interleaving stories in a fscinating and riveting way. There's the story of the glass blank of Pyrex and the difficulties casting it, the extraordinary vision of George Ellery Hale, and even the Surrier Truss design first used on this telescope tube. Then there is the site selection, constuction problems, and most of all a vivid portrait of the personalities involved in the construction of this giant. It is even more mind-boggling to realize that all this happened in the first few decades of the 20th century!

After reading this book I finally made my pilgrammage to Mt. Palomar to view the monster for myself. Knowing the details of the telescope's construction added even more to the sense of awe I felt standing in the visitor's gallery gazing in disbelief at this huge, huge machine, and knowing all the discoveries made with it over the years. It was an incredible experience. No photograph of the Hale telescope does it justice.

This is an extraordinary book.

Not only does Ronald Florence give a vibrant account of the design and construction of the Hale telescope, he manages to make the reader share his fascination for an admirable project and an awe-inspiring science machine. The book is better than well written, it is captivating. Having been closely involved in a major telescope project, I can only state that his account of the production of the "giant eye" rings true. Rarely has a science writer shown so much understanding of the intricate processes, technologies, and human relations underlying a large science project. Still, there are a few disturbing inaccuracies in Florence's story. On a number of occasions, the author wrongly gives credit to the Palomar telescope designers for innovations that had been experimented long before, such as the principle of the support of the primary mirror, actually due to Lassel (Malta, 1861). The account of the in-situ finishing of the primary mirror sounds completely implausible, the metrology of the time (I saw the Hartmann screen on the occasion of a privileged visit in 1995) being of too low resolution to allow any meaningful verification of local refiguring as reported by Florence. The post-1950 period would also have deserved a somewhat broader and fairer account; the Russian 6-m may not have been a success comparable to the Palomar but paved the way for modern mechanical designs, and the advent of entirely new and far-reaching concepts, such as active optics, in the hands of European designers and suppliers is completely ignored. Still, the vision and the endeavour underlying the making of the Palomar telescope emanate from every page; it is a nearly perfect book about a nearly perfect machine.

I purchased this book at the telescope gift shop on Mount Palomar back in 1996. I read it in the next few days. It is the fascinating tale of George Hale, a remarkable man who had to battle personal demons (in the form of debilitating mental breakdowns) to build the world's largest telescope--then do it again and again! I can't remember the first one offhand, but the 100-inch Hooker Telescope on Mt. Wilson was next, then the 200-inch Hale telescope on Mt. Palomar. This book talks about all the technical, financal and other difficulties that were overcome to make the giant telescope possible. It explains large earlier telescopes and how the problems encountered in their construction provided lessons for the designers and builders of the Palomar telescope. Anyone interested in the history of technology or astronomy should give this book a look.

I have no trouble pinpointing the splendid-ness of this book. All I have to do is mutate a cliche and say that "the angel is in the details." Florence's full, dramatic account of the various attempts to create the mirror for this enormous telescope -- first by General Electric and then by Corning -- is worth many times the price of admission. What you get is an exciting story of engineering hurdles met, overcome, and sometimes not overcome ... I am not an engineer, but probably should have been one. My father _was_ an engineer and, while reading this book, decided he would probably find it enthralling, and I was right.

Florence is such a careful and masterful writer, that this tale of seemingly-insurmountable obstacles and struggles should appeal to anyone. He makes molten glass come to life. Bravo. One of the better books I've read in the past 5 years - and I read a lot.

Florence's narrative brings alive the fascinating saga of the great Mt. Palomar reflector, in its time the world's largest telescope and a pioneering example of "Big Science." The instrument's gestation period, beginning in 1928 and interrupted by the second World War, was so long that three of the principal figures didn't live to see it dedicated in 1948. Included in this group was the project's founding father, George Ellery Hale, for whom the telescope is named. The author uses Hale's remarkable abilities and seemingly unending physical and mental travails as a unifying theme throughout the book.

A renowned telescope developer and respected solar astronomer, Hale had the establishment clout and scientific connections to launch such a grand project and assemble a team to carry it out. While suffering from a chronic nervous condition that often left him isolated in a darkened room, he was nevertheless able to lead the program through its most critical periods and help rescue it from a multitude of financial and organizational crises.

The immense 200-inch (nearly 17 ft) diameter of the Palomar telescope's main mirror gave it twice the theoretical resolution and four times the light grasp of its Hale-inspired predecessor, the 100-inch reflector on Mt. Wilson. Everything about the 500-ton machine was Brobdingnagian, perhaps best symbolized by the fact that an observer at the prime focus actually sat inside the telescope tube, with plenty of clearance for starlight to stream past him to the mirror some fifty-five feet below.

In the hands of Florence, what might have been a confusing welter of facts becomes a coherent and utterly engrossing suspense story. He seemingly overlooks nothing about the relevant issues of Astronomy, optics, engineering, business, politics and personalities; yet there is no sense of overkill and one always feels eager to begin the next chapter. The dozens of interacting characters are portrayed with enough subtlety, irony and humor to make them seem real and familiar. I have seldom gotten so much pure enjoyment from a book.

i thought this was the best book ever and i dont like to read much but i couldnt put this book down the author did a wonderful job. this is sorta like your tipical book about someone who is stranded on an island but then again it is so greatkind boring in the begining but after that its great.

This book is just like any other survival story you see out there. There is always a guy who crashes on an island, finds a friend, and then somehow gets off the island. For it to be a good book, it has to have some type of twist to it.

I am a sixth grader and read this for school. It was good because it was sad, happy and all around interesting. My favorite character was Steve Ferris amd Amigo. I definitely recommend this book to other readers.

I also read the book in elementary school and now 6 years later, it is still amazing. It is one of my favorite books. It is a great story and I would recommend this to someone looking for a good book.

The book is kind of boring in the beginning, but hey most books are. After a while you can really get in to it. I loved it! Kenny read it and he couldn't stop saying how good it was when I was trying to read it and ignore him. But he was right! I gave it 4 stars because the beginning was kind of a drag, but the rest was great!!! THANKS!!!!

I wish Nora Gallagher lived next door to me. I'd like to hear more about her courageous faith. I wanted more about practicing resurrection. She left me hungry. What a great title! Gallagher writes so wonderfully about matters unspeakable, ineffable, silent and deep. She puts words to hidden yearnings. The glimpse into the clerical side of the Ep[iscopal Church was fascinating too, and her critique enlightening. It's so gratifying to read a book about God that is real, touching, and grounded.

In Practicing Resurrection, Nora Gallagher writes movingly and spiritually about the various crises facing her and the world around her. Her book has a lot to say about living in community and finding spiritual direction; unfortunately, the structure of her tale does not contain a similar direction. It is riveting in the middle, but suffers from a muddled, boring beginning and a rambling, uncertain ending. It contains a lot of good thoughts hidden in the midst of irrelevant chatter. Perhaps the problem is more than structure, for Gallagher seems to travel from uncertainty to uncertainty and, though this is a journey, in the end, doesn't change all that much. Maybe she just wanted to write another book.

In this sequel to her bestseller Things Seen and Unseen (1998), Nora Gallagher continues to explore what a life of Christian faith marked by authenticity and integrity might look like in our contemporary world. She compares her journey of faith to the swimming lessons she took as a child: "The life of faith [is] amorphous, ephemeral, a glimpse, a moment. Trusting it [is] like my early swimming lessons learning to float." In particular, her brother Kit's diagnosis of bladder cancer, a prognosis for a "zero percent" chance of recovery, the horrors of surgery and chemotherapy, and eventual death all forced her to ask life-altering questions about God's call upon her own life.

The themes of vocation and call loom large in Practicing Resurrection. Through her many involvements at Trinity Episcopal Church in Santa Barbara, Gallagher began to wonder what might God have for her. To what could she devote her passion and considerable skills? Where did her joy and gladness intersect with the world's needs, as Buechner once put it? Sensing a possible call to the priesthood, her church formed a "discernment committee" of four saints. They met once a month for three hours across the year, plying Gallagher with questions, telling their own stories about vocation, reading the Scriptures, praying, and, perhaps most important of all, "honoring listening." What voices should she listen to? Which ones should she tune out? What about her husband's deep ambivalence? Was the priesthood any more sacred than her identity as a writer that she had nurtured for over thirty years? After negotiating the labyrinth of the Episcopal bureaucracy and its application process, Gallagher was "exiled" to a very different parish with a very different priest for a year as a ministry-study student. At first she felt like she and the priest were on a "bad blind date," but across the year she gained a deep appreciation for her mentor's faithfulness.

While Gallagher was trying to discern how she might hear God's call, Trinity Episcopal grappled with how as a church they might extend a call. Their interim pastor had informed the vestry that he was gay. Should that impact whether they called him as their regular priest? How did they guard issues of confidentiality once the vestry knew but the congregation did not? How to tell the congregation? What about feelings of distrust and betrayal? Should the church wrap the different but related matter of gay marriages in with the possible call of the pastor? How might the denominational officials respond, if at all?

You'll have to read this fine memoir to learn about Gallagher's call to church and the church's call to their pastor. In the end she likens herself to a friend who was listening to an unctuous priest ask, "what do you really want for Christmas this year?" Her friend responded, "What I wanted to do was to stand up and call out, 'I would like to really believe in the resurrection.'" Her remark reminded me of the words of the eminent church historian Jaroslav Pelikan, who near the end of his life said, "If Jesus rose from the dead, nothing else matters. If Jesus did not raise from the dead, nothing else matters." In practicing resurrection we thus inaugurate a tiny bit of God's eschatological future into our lives today.

Gallagher's fans, and their numbers are considerable, will want to note the release of her first novel, Changing Light, in early 2007.

I bought this book totally on the recommendations of all the previous Amazon reviewers. Nora G. is a very gifted and insightful author. I love the way that she is master weaver with her insights and honesty.

I am at the other end of her theological spectrum and disagree with all most all of her conclusions and positions. I find it amazing that in her spiritual "Christian" journey she rarely refers to scripture. So many of her insights bring clarity to the scripture and other points they disagree.

I will not keep this book and have no people I know interested in reading the copy I just read and will send it to anyone free" no postage fees.

tim@twright.co.uk

Nora Gallagher tells a wonderful story about the everyday as well as the "big" events of life. Through a year of searching for answers and asking the needed questions, she goes beyond the usual metaphors to look at how to deal with the death of her brother, how to reconnect to her husband and most significantly, how to make an decision about which road to take next in her life. Readers - don't be put off by the religious words and subtext of this powerful book! It is not a book about going to church, but rather about the value of people, prayer, introspection, respect and bravery in all our lives. Relish its beautiful language and poetic flow. It is well worth your time to live in the world created by Ms. Gallagher!

A well put view into the world of the serpent. It lays it out so even us laymans can understand it.

Though it is an old book (1997) it is still a really really good book, which I think is a MUST for everyone keeping snakes. Some things like the taxonomy and "rearfanged-anatimy" is outdated, but still there is a LOT of really good basic info on snakes to get in this book.

I have yet to find one book covering so many topics and give so much information in a easy-to-understand language.

It is also quite easy to read, though english is not your native language.

The book is made up of 3 parts, which again is divided in chapters.

Part one is "Lifestyle"
Some topics covered here is Classification, General biology, Feeding, Venomous snakes, Reproduction etc.

Part 2 is Diversity.
Here the different families like elapids, viperids, colubrids etc are covered.

Part 3 is Synthesis.
Here Greene write s about evolution and biogeography as well as a historic chaåter where he discuss snakes in the past, present and future.

Furthermore there are 16 "special Topics" in the book. These are a few pages coverings topics like "Deadly colubrids and famous herpetologists "The coral snake mimicry problem" etc.

I, for one, would love to see an updated version of this fantastic book, since much has happend since '97.

This was my first "serious" snakebook and i have read it several times. Sometimes i still take it down from the shelf nd read my favorite chapters.

I highly recommend this for people who wants to know a little more than cage temperatures and humidity ;)

Snakes: The Evolution Of Mystery In Nature, is one of the best books on snakes I have ever owned. It is a classic right up there with Ditmars, Klauffeld, and Conant. The illustrations are flawless, and include many rarely seen species. The text is extremely well edited, with virtually no typos or spell-check misuse of words. Factually, the book is spot on, with no misidentified species, no incorrect references, and no gaffes. All of the information presented is up to date, and based on state-of-the-art research.

The author relates his personal experiences to introduce each chapter, evoking at-the-scene imagery, and lyrically conveying his point of view. The chapters are packed with information, conveying many new and fascinating tidbits of information about well know and lesser know serpents. Additionally, the chapters have special topics, which go into detail concerning specific aspects of snakes, such as the rattlesnake's rattle, mimicry of coral snakes by harmless species, and the ability of some snakes to swallow proportionately huge food items, and how these specializations may have evolved. Both the introductory essays and the special topics are illuminated by appropriate photos.

If you like snakes, reptiles, are fascinated by nature, or simply interested in evolutionary theory, this is a book you must have.

Professor Greene does a beautiful job revealing the complexities of ophidian natural history. The text is, unlike most scientific works, engaging and a joy to read. The book is further improved by the addition of personal anecdotes that shed light on both snakes and the rewards of being a herpetologist with a particular fascination in snakes. Each chapter has a section devoted to a special topic that discusses some puzzling or interesting facet of snake evolution and natural history. Professor Greene's particular interest in venomnous snakes is evident at times but certainly not overwhelming. This is truly a text for both amateur and professional alike. A great read; it will never collect dust.

I am an amateur reptile enthusiast, with a special passion for snakes, and picked up this book hoping to use it as a sort-of reference and something to flip through when I was bored. Instead, I read it cover-to-cover. One of the most rewarding and interesting books that I have ever read, I recomend it to anyone with a passion for these beautiful creatures.

Very easy to read in layman's terms. As the mother of a four year old with PDD, I would suggest this book as a great book to start off with if your child was diagnosed with autism or pdd. It touches on a lot of areas ABA, schooling etc. without getting to technical. It also has statements and examples made by adults with autism/pdd which I found very interesting.

Targeting Autism is an excellent book for those new to Autism. Families and teachers should especially appreciate the analysis and overview of the various educational interventions, from one-on-one methods, to group programs used in many preschool and school situations. The book lists many available resources and spotlights inspiring new advances in research creating an overall atmosphere of hope and possibility for the prospects of more universally effective treatments and eventual cure of this devastating developmental disorder.

Since the symptoms and manifestations of Autistic Spectrum Disorders vary in incidence and severity, those who read this book should not be unduly encouraged or discouraged by the often times conflicting reports of success and/or failure of the various treatments and interventions discussed, but rather use the information given to further investigate the possibilities of each treatment or intervention on an individual or case by case basis.

Why it should be so hard to find a book that thoughtfully discusses the myriad of autism treatments, I don't know. As a parent of a child diagnosed last year at age three, I appreciate this book.

Thank you Shirley Cohen for writing it. Thank you Amazon, for making it so easy to find.

I WORK WITH AUTSTIC KIDS SO I READ THIS BOOK TO UPDATE MYSELF.IT WAS GREAT IIT PROVIDE GREAT EXAMPLES FORM OTHER BOOKS. AND IT GAVE EVIDANCE THAT SOME OF THE CURES MIGHT WORK FORM SOME. ALSO IT PROVIDE GOOD INFO ON ASPEGERS YNDROME MOST OF THE BOOKS JUST GIVE IT A PPAARGPAPH.

First off, she defines autism in layman's terms and with first person testimonials.

Secondly, she provides a life cycle view of autism, so that you have SOME idea of what the future might hold for your child.

Third, she describes how families cope with autism, that some become driven, others fall apart, others adopt a "Holland" approach.

Then she discusses treatments, including a solid analysis of educational approaches such as Lovaas (leans positive), mainstreaming, TEACH, DAP, etc... and non-traditional approaches, such as AIT, FC, etc...

And she talks about recovery too, the controversy that very term raises. She closes this chapter with a quote that could have come straight out of my own heart: "A parent asked, What if my child remains autistic? What will we do? The best you can - with your love, your skills, and all the resources you can marshal - to help him achieve as independent and joyful a life as possible for him."

Perhaps I love this book because so much of what she writes does articulate what I have felt as I've gone over the different options for my son's interventions.

But also, her testimonials from a wide range of sources really help to illuminate autism as well.

And finally, her book is very REASONED in tone.

The only thing missing is a chapter that summarizes her thoughts about what she thinks parents should do. I mean really, most parents are reading these books for ADVICE! Even if parents eventually do something else, its always nice to have a plan laid out that you can either agree with or react against and develop your own. You won't find an action plan here, but the information provided should help you in making one of your own.