References Books

What a great read! Awe Inspiring, Alaskan all the way. Does not get more raw than that! I grew up in the bush hearing tales of the good old days. This is a story worth every word.

I spent time in the village of Huslia and actually taught in the school Jimmy started there. I met Jimmy's brother Sidney, who also wrote an awesome book, SHADOWS ON THE KOYUKUK. This is a beautiful, but harsh country where survival was not a given. This is a marvelous book..... unforgetable........ a must-read for a lover of adventure and the wilderness!

Recently, I have been fascinated by Alaska and the people that inhabit(ed) its interior. The life of Jim Huntington is to be admired by everyone. This book was a fast read and a real page turner. It is more adventurous than many fictional tails I have read. Excellent and should be read by everyone.

I think I bought the last eight copies, so please order more, Amazon. I teach high school in the Alaskan bush, and it is extremely difficult to find books that my non-readers enjoy reading that also have academic value. This book, and "Shadows on the Koyukuk" by Sidney Huntington, Jimmy's brother, have given my students insight into the transition between traditional Native culture and current native culture with its White influence and inclusion. My copies are going into the Alaska History tub of materials from our district resource center, to be shared by the other schools in our district. We will need more copies.

Jimmy Huntington wrote the best read I have seen in awhile--not too flowery, just basic truth. I loved it!!! Bonnie

Both my kids are enjoying this book, hopefully absorbing lots of good manners !!

Good book bought it for my daughter she really enjoyed reading it. A+++++++++

Listen, I have loved American Girl dolls since I was seven years old (it's probably because of their adorable outfits), but i can't say the same for the books, especially not this one. My mom got it for me as kind of a joke. The girls in this book are completely unrealistic. The good ones are so perfect, sweet, and innoccent. I just feel like screaming at them "can't you ever do anything wrong for once in your life?" According to American Girl, if you're not a what they consider a charming young lady, you're impolite. I try to act as polite as I can, but that doesn't mean acting like a little goody two shoes. (I know this sounds incredibley immature, but I couldn't think of a better way to say it). The so called real life situations are not very helpful. How many times have you heard the story of the girl who made plans with her friend to go shoppping on saturday, only to find out that she's hanging out with her other friends instead? Trust me, it's a pretty typical cenario that the guidance counslers at my school use as an example all the time. I will say something good about it: on page 69 there's a helpful piece of advice on what to do if you're chewing on a piece of meat and you get a piece of gristle stuck in your mouth. It happens to me all the time.

This book surpassed all my expectations!!! I teach kids with social skills and anger management problems in the state school system in NSW Australia. This book has got it all! In an easy to read and understand format, my students can have the information on do's and don'ts explained. It is coming in really handy with some pre adolescent girls with Asperger's Syndrome. I highly recommend it. My colleagues with adolescent daughters keep borrowing it off me too. It's for everyone, I even learned a thing or too!

This was the first book I got from American Girl when I was little, and I really enjoyed it and remember being quite impressed with it even back then. The illustrations are cute, and the texts/lectures are quite useful. The author tries to convey lessons in different ways and in a manner in which girls would be more receptive to them, including through quizzes and games, all of which are all good common sense. Topics covered include everyday manners, greeting people, hanging out with friends, using good manners in public, staying polite but firm in your personal safety, eating at fancy restaurants, etc. The tone is not the least bit condescending, but personable, like many of the American Girl books, I would later come to discover. There is a newer edition to this book (A SMART GIRL'S GUIDE TO MANNERS), but the text is all the same excepting an addition about online safety and "Netiquette" (with Instant Messaging and emails, etc.).

"As a newcomer to the real estate development market, this book opened my eyes to the world of plant design. The author's guidance instilled a sense of confidence in me to be able to speak intelligently to my designers." - Donald A. Wilhelm, Author of This Time's a Charm; Lessons of a Four-Time Cancer Survivor

Planting Design Illustrated by Gang Chen seems to me to be possibly the only book one would need to read to understand all the basics involved in good design.

I read this book as a complete novice concerning plants and planting design and found that it was easy to read and understand. Showed it to some of my gardening friends and they found it equally fascinating.

This book seems to me to be the Feng Shui of planting design too. I loved everything about it.

The illustrations were perfect also...not too complex, but full of every detail needed to understand what the author was talking about. The only thing that would make this book better would be a CD/DVD of the illustrations!

This book will become my planting design bible!

Planting Design Illustrated

I am both a recreational gardener and am in the horticulture profession. This book is helpful to anyone planning a new garden or renovating an older garden. Chen explains spatial layering, planning for five senses and four seasons in a way that assists both the layman and the professional. The list of plants is organized to plan for scale and is easy to adapt to your gardening zone. Drawings are easy to understand and pictures are representative of what the author is trying to convey.

This book on Planting Design is extremely descriptive and very informative having been written by a capable Architect. As a previous City Planner, I wish, I had such a thorough text as this when doing site plan reviews and landscaping requirements.

It would be my suggestion to a reader who is interested in the Planting Design approach on a personal scale, to dedicate some general review time of this text, gaining orientation to some of the technical terminology as found in this fine text on Planting Design. Specifically, the study presented on the early historical Oriental contributions to formal or informal gardens certainly would serve as a useful guideline for future construction of any gardens.

I found Chapter 6 especially informative in a complete and easy story manner. It dealt with Planting Design principles, concepts, and methods coupled with Oriental case studies. This is a perfect study tool for landscape design and planting; readily applicable to the home landscape.

The early Oriental uses of planting designs as described provide an informative insight into the cultural aspects of plant material evolution into today's usage. The historical correlation of bamboo to the various reflection of human nature aspects is very enlightening.

My recommendation suggests one take the time to gain an oversight by reviewing the index and gently viewing each chapter's heading with descriptions. Then delve more intently to possibly uncommon plant design terminology such as "scale", "heavenly creations", "mass planting" or much more.

While this is not a "picture" book on design, it is packed with information and data that can be applied to any scale or size project. It does not require a "castle" to enjoy the same feelings found in the early, large gardens in France or the Orient based on these elements of Planting Design as narrated in this text. For individuals wishing to spend time creating wonderful gardens, keep in mind what you learn regarding the "basic spatial relationships" to plants, structures, and man.

Although I had a some prior knowledge of landscape design and requirements when I was approving plans for commercial projects, I personally feel this text is an excellent study and informational tool for anyone interested in Planting Design.

This book was enriching. What I liked most about this book was it made me feel like I was being advised by a professional with an open point of view. This is not a paint-by-the-numbers book, but a work that will stir your imagination. It is an excellent resource for both professional and novice.

Planting Design Illustrated is full of useful information. It provided me a practical and philosophical edge on planting my next garden. I am not a professional landscaper, but I do love to design with plants. I was challenged at first by the writing style but once I became used to it, I discovered information that will help me when expanding my 2 acre meditation garden in Costa Rica.

Chen brings concepts and places them along side practice. It proves to stir the imagination for those putting the shovel to the soil. If you want to design your home landscape or like me, bite off more than you can chew with a large project, then this book should be read first.

Planting design will help you create a strong foundation for your landscape and gardens to grow on. If this book had had some professional editing I would have given it 5 stars. It's a great resource for those serious about doing things with both awareness and good technique. However the content is a serious 5 stars.

Unlike most of the books on Amazon I found Geno's to be an extremely efficient read. Most of the books on this subject are filled with "fluffs" and long run on's of success stories. It was very refreshing to finally read a book by someone who approaches Online Marketing and Management from more of a "This is the exact science" standpoint while still keeping the book enjoyable and not dense at all.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in Affiliate Marketing or for the Affiliate who is curious as to how Affiliate Managers think and act.

Great work
-Cyrus Massoumi

"A Practical guide to Affiliate Marketing" is exactly what the title says. It is a great resource and reference for everybody who is interested in affiliate marketing. It gives answers to almost all questions every merchant wants to ask before launching affiliate program. The book is easy to read and easy to follow. There are many real life examples and valuable tips both for merchants and affiliate managers. The author Evgenii "Geno" Prussakov is one of the most respected and successful affiliate managers in affiliate marketing world. I think the book definitely deserves 5 star rating.

I humbly believe in the adage that says "You don't know what you don't know". This was definitely true about Affiliate Marketing. There's so much jargon and tech-speak to wade through when trying to learn about this industry. Then I read Mr. Prussakov's book and was amazed at how clearly and simply it outlined what I needed to know to get a handle on the power of affiliate marketing. It was a real eye-opener, and allowed me to pursue techniques that have made a real difference in my business. I highly recommend the book as a basic resource for anyone looking to understand affiliate marketing.

It isn't often that a book so clearly and concisely delivers so completely on its chosen subject. But such is the case with "A Practical Guide to Affiliate Marketing".

Upon recently launching our affiliate program I began researching the topic so that at least I might avoid making some "newbie" mistakes. I met Geno through a popular affiliate forum and he was kind enough to send me a copy of his book. Once I began reading, I knew that this book was exactly what I needed. The book, in plain and simple english, covers all of the pitfalls, opportunities, and provides sound advice, obviously based on Geno's years of experience. It does so in a format that makes it a great point of reference long after you read through it and a must have for any affilliate manager, merchant, or anyone who wants to understand the affiliate marketplace.

I highly recommend this book to any executive considering the idea of launching an affiliate program or anyone currently managing a program who would like to see their results improve.

Tom Livia
President
PC Universe, Inc.

I bought this book to help me learn the role of my job better as a manager for a web based business and had no idea where to start. This book was very helpful by answering questions that I had as well as giving me ideas. I would almost take it as an Affiliate Marketing for Dummies course!!
The best thing about this book in my opinion was that the context and verbiage is very easy to understand and follow, no super artsy intllectual sentances to break down. It is a straight forward read and the author does his best to explain everything in a mannerism that anybody can follow. Though not the most exciting of subjects I hardly found this book to be dry or boaring, The author does his best to make it exciting and as fresh as possible. I would recommend this book to anyone just starting out in this business.

This is a book everyone who does any food preservation should have. I bought one for myself and one for a gift.

I wore out my old copy, was happy to see that it is still avalable in a updated version with all the old information still included.

Absolutely excellent and comprehensive, but if you're new to canning--a city girl like me or simply afraid of killing someone with your canned goods--start with something less scary.

This book is a must have for anyone with the slightest interest of canning, drying or freezing food. Only problem is my book is missing pages 155 through 186. It looks like a binder error, so there may be more out there with the same problem. Check as soon as it arrives.

The value in this book is its coverage of techniques. That's very unlike, say, the Ball preservation book, which focuses on water bath and pressure canning. Putting Food By is as close to a preservation Bible as you will find. It's a staple among natural food folks, gardeners, home preparedness advocates, even survivalists. Please note that it is a technique book primarily, not a cookbook for canning, as so many food preserving books are. (There is, of course, extensive coverage of canning techniques.) That said, one reason I like Putting Food By so much is that there is detailed food item by food item advice as it relates to preservation you don't typically find in other books.

This coffee-table volume was penned by Eva Marie Everson, a Christian author, and Miriam Feinberg Vamosh, a Jewish author and tour educator who specializes in Christian tours of Israel. The book is a picture-filled devotional orientation to the land for Christians - from the Judean Wilderness to Capernaum to the Upper Room - created with a sensitivity not only to the Old Testament sites it captures, but with a deep desire to honor the Jewishness of Christianity.

The co-authors' interfaith friendship is foundational to this hardcover book's tone. Vamosh's historical perspective and Everson's lilting prose blend seamlessly throughout the book. Each of the 38 sites detailed in Reflections of God's Holy Land is given a similar treatment: Scripture referencing the place comes first, follwed by a section entitled "Did You Know?", a couple of pages of historical and geographic information. The section concludes with a devotional exploration of the place that is meant to help readers connect with the spiritual story of the site, whether they ever leave their armchair to visit Israel or not.

Even with a fair amount of text in the book, the format - one or two large pictures per page, captions and lots of white space on the glossy pages - makes it unmistakably an inspirational gift book. My only gripe about the book is that all of the pictures in Reflections have blurred-out, faded edges reminiscent of the kind of pictures you'd find in a Reader's Digest gift book on a nursing home coffee table.

That said, the book certainly helped to whet my appetite for my upcoming trip to Israel. It would also serve as a great reminder of a trip for a Christian pilgrim who has visited Israel.

The vast majority of us will never have the opportunity to take a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to walk where the patriarchs, prophets, Jesus, and the apostles traveled. Thanks to this amazing work by Eva Marie Everson and Miriam Feinberg Vamosh, however, we are all able to appreciate the beauty and history of this pivotal geographic area. In "Reflections of God's Holy Land: A Personal Journey through Israel", Everson, a Christian, and Vamosh, a Jew, combine their knowledge and appreciation of the Holy Land to create an incredibly beautiful, informative book.

The first thing one notices about this book is its sheer breathtaking beauty. Designed as a coffee table book, it is full of photos that counteract any preconceived notions of what the Holy Land looks like. Simply looking at the photos, one feels that one has stepped into a different world steeped in history and blessed by God.

The information is first-rate as well. Each location is introduced by a Biblical passage that references that locale. The "Did You Know" section provides historical background about the place and information about life in Biblical times. These sections are full of fascinating facts. The "Reflections" are perhaps the most touching part of the narratives, exploring the effect a place has on the heart and on one's faith. For example, in Nazareth, Everson writes of looking over a railing at "Mary's Spring," a place which is thought to be the location of the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel told Mary she was to conceive Jesus. "I would dip my hand into it, if only I could reach it. The water is clear and appears refreshing. Above it are more remembrances of Mary . . . of her life . . .of her gift. Living Water. Without him, Mary would have been just a girl. Just a virgin bride married to a Jewish carpenter. Just a mother like any other. Just like me. Without him, there was no 'her.' Like her, without him, there is no 'me.'" Another example comes from a visit to the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes. "'We only have five loaves,' the disciples told Jesus. 'We only have two fish.' Isn't this the way of it? We think of what we 'only have' rather than what it might become in Jesus' hands. Not enough, we think, and so we hold back . . .With this, we think, we must feed ourselves only because we are hungry. . . I stretch my hand toward the lump of rugged stone beneath the altar. If only I could place what little I have to offer upon it, Jesus would feed others. Jesus would feed me."

"Reflections of God's Holy Land: A Personal Journey through Israel" is a book to be savored and studied. It provides an armchair pilgrimage to the holiest of lands.

One year the congregation of the church my father pastored gave my parents the trip of a lifetime - a trip to the Holy Land. That was over twenty-five years ago and yet to this day, he still references the sites he saw during that experience in sermons and conversations. It truly made the Bible come "alive" for my parents.

When I saw the beautiful coffee table book Reflections of God's Holy Land: A Personal Journey Through Israel by Eva Marie Everson and Miriam Feinberg Vamosh, I eagerly thumbed through its pages. Could this be what I'd been looking for? A book to remind my parents of the life-changing places they visited those many years ago? Could this book help refresh their memories of that special experience?

The book doesn't disappoint. The stunning photography captures the sacredness of the terrain and the text is both educational and compelling.

The Christian faith of author Eva Marie Everson and Jewish faith of Miriam Feinberg Vamosh enhance their comprehensive sharing of their experiences of this hallowed ground. Eva, a writer, eloquently shares personal reflections of her journey and Miriam, a tour educator and resident of Israel, shares her detailed knowledge of Israel's history and archaeology.

A great gift idea.

There is a great new book from Thomas Nelson publishers that you really want to add to your home or pastoral library. Reflections of God's Holy Land is a combination travelogue, Bible backgrounds commentary, devotional, and coffee table book, that surrounds you in the sights, sounds and smells of the lands of the Bible.

Each of the almost forty articles features a gorgeous cover photo, followed by an informative "Did You Know" section supplied by a skilled tour guide, and "Reflections" by the authors, who share their devotional thoughts in a warm, personal style.

The writing style strikes a perfect balance: transitioning from the historical information to the intimate devotional thoughts is never jarring. And it is a compelling style. From the very beginning I was captivated: as in her introduction Eva described reaching out her hand to touch what may have been soot from Joshua's fire at Hazor I could feel the coolness of the stone.

The centerpiece of the book is the gorgeous photography. There is none of the dry, matter-of-fact images from far too many textbooks. These pictures are alive. The colors are vibrant and the composition draws you into every scene. Particularly exciting for me were the pictures of some of the animals that are mentioned in the Bible, such as rock coneys, and wild goats at En-Gedi.

Pastors will find the background information to be extraordinarily profitable. Reading the historical vignettes while looking at the actual locales will enrich your sermons and lessons, as you are now able to picture the places you are seeking to describe. And everyone will appreciate the quiet moments of reflection that the authors allow us to share.

Get this book. Integrate it into your sermon and lesson prep. Make it a part of your daily quiet times. It will be money - and time - well-spent.

I have not been able to put down the book! I am amazed at the high-quality photos as well as the wealth of information provided. I was blessed to hear Eva Marie Everson speak at a Christian Writer's Conference as she shared some experiences of her journeys to Isreal. This book is just like having a one- on -one with the author herself right in your home. This book is simply amazing! The insight Eva Marie Everson brings with her is captivating. My life nor outlook will never be the same after combing these pages. I pray for "Joshua's fire" to be evident in my bones for centuries as well.

THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY is an excellent legal resource which can be read by legal scholars, however, lay people need to consult a legal dictionary from time to time. But the book clearly establishes how the right to privacy applies to every citizen when used against several aspects of everyday life the citizen comes in contact with. Caroline Kennedy, along with Ellen Alderman, has proven her excellent legal scholarship which, in my opinion, qualifies her as attorney general and/or associate justice of the U. S. Supreme Court.

This book starts off Rated R. I wish I could give a copy to my teens, but it gets a little too descriptive (necessary for impact though) of police violations on women. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. (Maybe when they're older...) It is a collection of some landmark cases, conflicts, and horror stories of the reality of our government's instrusiveness into people's personal lives. It is an eye-opener to those who blindly follow government orders. I'm comfortable reading legal documents, but I thought one of the book's better points was that it put legal terms into layman's terms. I found the book so lively and intriguing I finished it in a day! I definitely recommend this for anyone concerned about government instrusiveness and loss or interpretation of constitutional rights.

a bit boring but just shows what big brother can do to innocent people . good to see caroline standing up for ordinary people .

I enjoyed this book, even though it is heavy on legal court cases. Don't let that fool you, though, it's not a legal reference. This book covers significant cases in privacy using a very interesting approach. There a interviews and behind-the-scenes stories that explain what happened, how the plaintiff felt, and what the outcome was.

If you liked this book you will love "The Digital Umbrella." It is a great compliment to this book.

This book is written by a couple of lawyers who specialize in privacy issues. It is essentially a collection of thoughly researched court cases with added commentary from the authors. As such, it reads like...well... a collection of court cases.

A copy was originally lent to me by a very well-read and intelligent friend of mine who considered it overly dry. I, on the other hand, loved it. It's very details-oriented from cover-to-cover and packs in a wealth of information that is invaluable to anyone interested in the legal aspects of privacy.

This is an excellent missal, but it is bound in cheap plastic, not leather. I e-mailed Amazon about this, but they chose not to change the listing.

This missal is a MUST for every Catholic who wants to learn about their faith and traditions. More than the mass, this book contains explanations of the mass, prayers of many saints, and prayers for baptism, death and so on.

The reissue of THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DAILY MISSAL (2007)is a milestone in the restoration of the Tridentine Mass. The Latin Missal is based in part on the Latin Missal produced in 1570 as a result of The Council of Trent (1545-1563). This Missal was used by millions of Catholics until the "reforms" of Vatican II (1963) and the issue of missals in English which largely replaced the Latin missals.

This Missal has good organization and clear explanations. The table of contents and index make location of Masses, Litanies,Novenas,Votive Masses,etc. easy to locate. The Liturgical Calendar of Movable Feasts is dated until the year 2050 which makes this Missal useful for at least another 42 years.

Another useful feature of this Missal is the Litanies to St. Mary, Christ, St. Joseph, etc. The Litany of the Saints is complete, and as much as possible this Missal has recently canonized saints listed on their feast days. Many readers probably know that that certain feast days include different saints which can conflict with the proper celebration of their feast days. There are explanations for this in this Missal.

The Ordinary of the Mass is highlighted in black and red print with Latin and accurate translations into English. Those who may remember when the Latin Mass was celebrated regularly may recall much of the Latin. Those studying Latin will find this Missal a handy guide to examine how good their Latin is. As an aside, this reviewer's Latin is not good, and he appreciates the clearly written translations.

The Proper of the Saints used in this Missal has a brief but informative history of both well known and lesser known men and women who have been canonized as saints. The concept that the Catholic Church was built on the Martyrdom of Her saints is made clear in the feast days and the number of martyrs in the first 300 to 400 years of the history of the Catholic Church. The blessings and readings of the Mass and special feast days are again in both Latin and English.

Those who like to contemplate the masses, prayers, etc. will find this Missal useful. There are special prayers and biblical readings for every day of the year. This Missal has the Mass for each day of the year with a listing of movable feasts. The index and table of contents offer convenient guides to help the faithful which needs to be reemphasized.

On page 1900, the chants (Gregorian Chant for example)of the Catholic Mass are available with the Latin and musical notations. The Latin Mass was orginally celebrated by chanting based mostly on Gregorian Chant. Readers should know that Gregorian Chant and the other chants used by monks and priests were the basis of Classical Music. Readers who have a love of Gregorian Chant and Classical music would appreciate this part of the Missal.

The ROMAN CATHOLIC DAILY MISSAL is based mostly on the Latin Missal sanctioned at the Council of Trent and was first issued in 1570. Those who argue that the Latin Missal is not that old have not studied history very closely. The Latin Missal sanctioned in 1570 was based on the Latin Missal(s)that were at least a thousand years old. The Trent Missal has a long history behind is publication.

This reviwer highly recommends the ROMAN CATHOLIC DAILY MISSAL. Traditional Catholics will enjoy and appreciate this Missal. Readers should know that Prof. Thomas Woods wrote a book titled SACRED THEN AND SACRED NOW which is a good companion volume to this Missal. Prof. Woods has an useful guide and listing of web sites that will enhance the enjoyment and use of the ROMAN CATHOLIC DAILY MISSAL.

I've read all the reviews available for this Missal published by Angelus Press and all were very helpful in making me consider to buy this edition. The Missal was really handy and though it may be actually bigger in size from what a usual missal is I disagree with one reviewer that it is not easy to carry around; on the other hand it actually is very much comfortable to carry. Also I don't find it cheap to use a plastic like cover since it does look really fine with the Missal. Also I have no quips whatsoever to the imprimatur of the Missal given the imprimatur is that of the original edition since the Angelus edition copies the book in toto thus it doesn't loose its orthodoxy. I agree for the fact that it is the most complete missal available so far the laity. It has six of the Seven Sacraments plus a lot of blessings, prayers and devotions. The indexing of the Missal is also one thing to consider why this is the best edition so far. It was indexed in a way that it would really be easy for a laity find whatever he/she is looking for. The introduction and commentaries on the Mass and the liturgy and the abridgement of basics of the faith are not just extras which can be overlooked easily but an enriching part of the Missal that any laity could have. Truly this Missal can be a daily companion of every laity not just on the Mass.

I don't want to repeat what others already have said, let me just say that this beautiful and reverent Missal and the fortunate circumstance of having a local parish that celebrates the Tridentine Mass less than 2 miles from my home, were instrumental my actively returning to the Church after a forty five year absence.

Having being raised in the Church, I was one of those Roman Catholics who felt betrayed by the changes in the Mass even at the ripe old age of 15! The Latin Rite had not changed appreciably in over 1,400 years and overnight it altered to such a degree that it more resembled a Protestant service, lots of "preaching", superficial glad handing around, and little introspective or meditative atmosphere. In the Latin Mass you feel united through the silence and the focus and concentration of the congregation.

I had forgotten how the terseness and economy of Latin is such a perfect vehicle for the Liturgy; the mystical nature of the Mass is so much more meaningfully conveyed. And there is the added attribute that Latin, being a so-called "dead" language, is not subject to the gradual changes in connotative and denotative word meanings which occur in spoken languages with the passage of time.

Check out any of the various websites that list local churches which serve a Tridentine Mass. If you are an old timer like me, the memories will rush back and perhaps you will find the tears hard to resist. It is a weekly reminder at least for me, though its eternal beauty and form, that the old Roman Catholic Church is the most spiritually complete, intellectually satisfying, beautiful and meaningful religion of all.

For those of you who have never seen a Latin Rite Mass, there are several on youtube and you might want to get a copy of the reprint of KNOW YOUR MASS offered from various Catholic websites. It is a an excellent introduction to aspects of the Mass of which many of you are unaware.

For those who know of Roy Buchanan...he's not as well known to the general public...this book documents the upbringing and influences that guided and shaped one of the most talented and unique guitarists ever. A wonderfully researched chronicle of the life of an icon in music.

I've always wondered why Roy Buchanan, who in my opinion was the world's greatest guitar player, never broke through to a larger audience. After reading this excellent biography of his life, I completely understand why. Phil Carson did an outstanding job of pulling together a huge amount of detail into a page-turning, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny and other times heart-wrenching story of Roy's life. I've read quite a few biographies on music legends and the majority of them have been hard to read chronologies of factoids and interviews loosely held together. So, even though I was very motivated to learn more about the life of this unsung guitar master, I assumed that I was in for a chore. Much to my surprise, this was an outstanding read...a well researched, heart-felt, telling of the life of a gifted, albeit troubled, man.

If you're a fan of Roy's, then order this book immediately. If you aren't familiar with Roy's music then order a couple of Roy Buchanan CD's and listen to them while you read this book.

Note to Phil Carson: I'd love to see you take on the biography of another relatively unknown guitar master, Nils Lofgren (a protégé of Roy Buchanan).

THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC..ROY WAS FANTASTIC....IF YOU ARE A FAN, YOU NEED THIS BOOK..I WILL READ IT OVER AND OVER....

All I ever wanted to know,about the man and his music.Great biografy,have read many books on other artist.If you go through Buchanan`s songs,there are many differt styles he mastered.Country,rockabilly,rock & &roll,instrumentals,pop,r & b,jazz.Saw him live once in Oslo,that was great.My friends say,play the #Telecaster# and die young,but I have to play it,have -blonde 52 reissue.Now I study bossa nova masters,like Lois Bonfa,Joao Gliberto,Jobim etc.cause I got a job with a female singer,playing spanish guitar.There are a few cuts with Roy playing acoustic and they are great.Read the book,by his concert DVD,s,and if you run short,get bored playing the beast,listen to the man.There have never been a guitar player like him,he had his own style,his style will never be duplicated.All american music styles,and Malaguena.The roadhouse king will live on forever.Arnie Buy-ROY BUCHANAN his first and SECOND ALBUM on Polydor,that is a good start.Good reading,good listning and play them over and over,and you will hear his soul.

I like Roy's first records--loud and clear, with the focus on his playing. Later on they tried to make him like Clapton, but it didn't work. I would rate Roy in the top 5 of the people I have heard. I also like Bugs Henderson, Tinsley Ellis, Wes Jeans, and Dave Hole. This book is a very good read. I saw Roy at Park West in Chicago. He did a very short set. It was hard to enjoy him with the female booze hustlers bothering me, but, he seem to be in top form. I still have my ticket, inside Roy's live Japan import.

This book is packed with useful information. Anyone interested in gemstones will learn a lot of things you don't typically find in other books on this topic. I'm glad I got it.

With wonderfully good information and great images, the writer introduces a wide reaching and vast amount of valuable information through a fascinating, personalized journey. However this otherwise excellent treatise could be made infinitely better by a more professional publishing house. The typography, layout, and copy editing are awful, albeit I absolutely love the riveting cover.

This made for a fascinating read and the pictures are fantastic. Is it worth the sticker price? Yes.

If his book Secrets of the Gem Trade has made Richard a rock star, it is because he has accomplished the notable feat of making the nuances of fine gems accessible, not only in his rich text but also with extraordinary images of extraordinary gemstones; many as seen through the lens of famed gem and mineral photographer Jeffrey Scovil. Richard has literally defined "connoisseurship," guiding the reader into the world of colored stone appreciation, enriching the journey with his passion for history and travel.

This book has earned its place in classic gemological literature and no library collection is complete without it. Secrets of the Gem Trade serves not only as an invaluable reference, but also as inspiration to many wishing to enter the world of colored stones.

E. Skalwold, F.G.A, G.G.

I highly recommend this book. Although it doesn't cover a wide specter of colored gemstones, it does focus on the ones worth investing in and it goes into detail about what to specifically look for when investing in these particular gems. The fact that it is peppered with stories of the author's adventures is a plus. A very satisfying read!