Abalone Books

This book is very special because the author has recorded the firsthand stories of many of the key people that played a roll in this fascinating industry. Hundreds of photos, some dating back to the nineteenth century, compliment the text.

This book is a seminal piece of work documenting the California Abalone Industry. This is a must- read for marine enthusiasts and divers alike. The author obviously put considerable effort in collecting factual historical data, events and photographs to produce this one-of-a-kind book.

With the declining population of Abalone in California, the book captures the many personalities of the diving and abalone industries and clearly explains the equipment and techniques used from early days to modern times.

A great addition to any diving or maritime library, we continue to use the text as a reference in our teaching and training of Marine Diving Technology at Santa Barbara City College.

-Don Barthelmess

Director, Marine Diving Technology Department Santa Barbara City College

This is truly a good read. Mark is a fabulous story teller and the effect of his research makes you feel as if you were there when the story unfolds. This book is definitely a page turner. If you like stories about the importance of great friends, you'll love Page Street.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BOOK! THE WAY MARK BOSKOVICH WROTE THIS BOOK REALLY MAKES YOU FEEL AS IF YOU REALLY KNOW ALL THE CHARACTERS. ALSO, HE JUST DOESN'T FOCUS ON ONE STORYLINE- THE BOOK COVERS MANY STORIES OF DIFFERENT PERSONS AND CULTURES. THIS BOOK TOUCHED ME- AND I HAVEN'T READ MANY BOOKS LIKE THAT. I FOUND MYSELF READING THIS BOOK BETWEEN STOPLIGHTS ON THE WAY TO AND FROM WORK! THIS DESERVES MORE THAN 5 STARS! I LOOK FORWARD TO ANOTHER BOOK FROM MR. BOSCOVICH SOON ( I HOPE)!!!

It is my understanding that this book of poems was written by an everyday person who just wanted to put all the intense emotions being felt on paper. That they did! Writing about everything from their sex life to loneliness. If you are moved by reading about love, excitement, passion, sadness, loneliness and many other issues we grapple with in everday life, you will absolutely adore this book.

When I was 13 years old this book was given to me. It intrigued me as I read the back cover. I read the book and was astonished by John Dowd's amazing writing. He took me into the book and kept me there. I couldn't put the book down. The book starts out in Canada where a young boy named Jim is trapped in a neighborhood he hates. His father passed away in a car wreck so he lives with his mother now. Jim has toughened up since the wreck. A wealthy fisherman calls on Jim's mother and in the midst of things the man offers Jim a job on a fishing boat called The Kingfisher. Jim is offered $... dollars a month he is on the boat. From there he has many adventures in the Queen Charlet Islands on the tip of the Canadian coast. If you have an interest in boats or just love good writing you will defiantly enjoy this book, I did at the age of 13.

I received the book as promised the NEXT day-which was perfect. It's exactly what I needed & when I needed it!

The bible of pearl embellishment, this book has been the inspiration for generations of inlay artists. In it you'll find helpful pictures of jig set-ups and tooling as well as sample diagrams of inlay shapes. Also includes instructions for grinding, sawing, routing and gluing abalone and mother-of-pearl; making jigs for cutting dots, diamonds, and strips; abalone purfling techniques; and tips on pearl engraving.

With the story set in my own San Francisco Bay Area, I very much enjoyed the locations and appreciate manner in which he presented the problems of the Dept. of Fish and Game. I would never have guessed abalone smuggling could be more profitable than drugs. However, even with all the bodies and climatic encounter with Kline, I never felt the suspense of this book or a real involvement with the characters. All the bits were there-plot, dialogue, setting--but, somehow, I just did not have a visceral connection to the story.

Very strong suspense/procedural type novel.

I liked it not just as a suspense/crime novel, but also as a "Novel Novel". Solid character with believable interior life and family problems (but not some bizarre Neurotic Impediment or cutesy Attribute), nice observations, interesting setting, and not much bloated detail, which sometimes infects novels by first time authors. (I've seen too many sentences like "She gingerly withdrew a pale pink facial tissue from the box imprinted with a pattern of violets and daisies." So for whom did the detail matter?) The hero's professional and personal relationships are not chummy, but there's an arms-length respect that rings true to the rest of his character.

I also appreciate that the chief villain is basically bad but believable, a hardened professional criminal and not a "psychopath" or serial killer; far too many mysteries, even by experienced and talented writers, fall back on that to excuse a lack of interior character development. (Maybe they should look at Simenon's crime novels, or maybe Elmore Leonard's.)

Nice job all around. I'll be looking for his next novel.

As a diver, NorCal native and committed conservationist, I was captivated from the start by this potent, believable tale. Russell's characters are completely real, coping with difficult work, complicated families, career decisions--hey, a lot like the rest of us! His eye for subtle details and capacity to project the plight of the characters onto the canvas of California's fragile resources make the story at once relevant and engaging. This is a promising first effort, and I can't wait to devour the next in the series.

This first-time novel is crime/mystery involving a former DEA agent and special operations unit of Fish & Game Department in California. Gritty, realistic crime drama set along the northern California coastline. As tense as some of the scenes get, it's difficult to believe this is Russell's first novel.

I liked it not just as a suspense/crime novel, but also as a "Novel Novel". Solid character with believable interior life and family problems (but not some bizarre Neurotic Impediment or cutesy Attribute), nice observations, interesting setting, and not much bloated detail, which sometimes infects novels by first time authors. (I've seen too many sentences like "She gingerly withdrew a pale pink facial tissue from the box imprinted with a pattern of violets and daisies." So for whom did the detail matter?) The hero's professional and personal relationships are not chummy, but there's an arms-length respect that rings true to the rest of his character.

I also appreciate that the chief villain is basically bad but believable, a hardened professional criminal and not a "psychopath" or serial killer; far too many mysteries, even by experienced and talented writers, fall back on that to excuse a lack of interior character development. (Maybe they should look at Simenon's crime novels, or maybe Elmore Leonard's.)

Nice job all around. I'll be looking for his next novel.

this book has good information but not much of an attention getter at all, needs to be straight to the point and have pics or charts that will be detailed but grabs you attention! It is an okay book over all but not so great when comes to actually studying for an exam...

I was very impressed with how quickly I received my book. It was in great condition. I would definately order from him again.

It was fine, I do not think I will really order from Amazon again though.

I took DSST DANTES EXAM PASSED it with an A no problem this book was great

The book is easy to read. The author does not assume that you have prior knowledge about development stages and theories that accompany the stages. The author also adds real life examples of how these stages may look in life in many different cultures. The chapters build on each other. The author does a great job of reveiwing key concepts from previous chapters as they relate to the current chapter.

The CD had been helpful in taking the reading materials to the next level of understanding.