Equipment Books

As a professional astronomer, one thing I find students of all ages to be extremely interested in is the question of little Pluto's planetary status. Maybe Pluto evokes images of the adorable Disney character or maybe people simply have an affinity for the underdog, for whatever reason the smallest and most remote planet of our solar system holds a special place in the hearts of many school children, even grown up school children. As a result, when Pluto's membership among the ranks of other planets in the solar system was questioned and eventually withdrawn, students of all ages had a very emotional reaction to poor Pluto's demise. David Weintraub, in anticipation of the most recent furor over little Pluto, has compiled an excellent account of the development of our understanding of the solar system. In language accessible to all lay readers, Weintraub recreates the discoveries of a variety of solar system objects, including several of which you have not heard much. Eventually, he turns to the question of Pluto and argues very convincingly that this is indeed a scientific question and should not be answered by a majority vote of the International Astronomical Union. So, if you are a science teacher at any level or are just interested in learning more about the confusion over Pluto, don't think twice about getting this book. In the pages of this book, there is much to be learned about the nature of science, scientific discovery, and what it means to reach a consensus. Oh yeah, there is also an answer to the question...

When is an object in the heavens a planet? At its heart, that's what David Weintraub's book, "Is Pluto a Planet?" is about. This topic, while of limited significance astronomically, has been much in the news and the public eye since the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided to reclassify Pluto, along with a few other objects, as a minor planet.

Weintraub does an excellent job of working through the historical answers to this question beginning with the ancient Greeks and working into the twentieth century ideas and definitions. In doing so, he encourages the reader to understand that today's popular definition (i.e.-the one held by most casual thinkers) is clearly tied to ancient definitions that have long lost their relevance in today's discussion. Covered in the first 150 pages of the book, this narrative clearly outlines the progression from where humankind began in its journey of understanding the heavens to a modern view of the solar system and the forces and processes that govern and shape it.

Perhaps the best part of the book however lies in the last four chapters. It is in these chapters that Weintraub foes into the science of the last 10-15 years that has led to the questioning of Pluto as a planet and what other things it might be. While I disagree with the author's final conclusions regarding the matter, I do think he does an excellent job in asking the reader to consider what makes a planet a planet and challenging whether such a term has any relevance in today's astronomy.

My only disappointment in the book was that the author did not include the criteria that the IAU used in designating Pluto and other objects as "minor planets". I feel that while the author seems to disagree with the IAU's final determinations, it would have been much more helpful to have both sides of the argument to compare. By leaving the the IAU's position out of the text, the author seems to be somewhat afraid of allowing his readers the chance to understand all aspects of the debate.

I would definitely recommend this book to all readers who are interested in the history of solar system astronomy, are curious about the most recent discoveries at the outer edges of our solar system and who have been energized by the debate over Pluto's status. This book is an excellent contribution to the conversation.

XXXXX

QUESTION: What Is the ultimate goal of this book?
ANSWER: Our solar system historically has had nine plants. They are, as you proceed outwards from the Sun, as follows:

(1) Mercury (2) Venus (3) Earth (4) Mars (5) Jupiter (6) Saturn (7) Uranus (8) Neptune (9) Pluto.

({1 to 4} are the inner planets and {5 to 8} are the outer gas giants.)

The controversy this book deals concerns the last planet on this list, Pluto. Is it indeed a planet or is it...something else?

This is the question that is answered in this informative, well-written book authored by David Weintraub, a professor of astronomy at Vanderbilt University.

To answer the question, "Is Pluto a planet?," it only makes sense that you have to answer a more basic question: "What is a planet?" This is actually the question at the heart of this book. Despite its simplicity, this question is not easy to answer.

This book tells how the meaning of the word "planet" has changed from ancient times to the present day, as new solar system objects (moons, asteroids, comets, centaurs, Kuiper Belt objects, etc.) have been discovered. Weintraub provides the historical, philosophical, and astronomical background that allows the reader to decide whether Pluto deserves to be called a planet.

A hallmark of this book is how it weaves the historical with the scientific into a single, intriguing story.

Think of the planets as tiny specks circling the sun. If you backed off to see the solar system as a whole, the four outer gas giants would hardly be noticeable and the four inner planets including Pluto would be lost in the sun's glare.

This conception of the solar system was accepted only after one of the major intellectual upheavals in human history took place about four centuries ago: the Copernican revolution (after Nicolaus Copernicus). The key to this revolution was the work of five scientists who collectively lived between 1470 and 1730. These people paved the way for the solar system discoveries that were to follow.

It should be noted that this book was written just before the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decision regarding Pluto. Weintraub anticipated this decision and says:

"Making such a decision should not be a arbitrary activity. `Is Pluto a planet?' is a scientific question, not a matter of public opinion or a decision to be made by NASA or a panel of distinguished astronomers [which the IAU is]. Science moves forward at a pace dictated by progress in understanding, not by fiat or a majority vote of a committee."

The above statement by Weintraub should alert the potential reader to the high standard of excellence this book aspires too, a book grounded in science and not opinion or majority vote.

Finally, there are pictures, graphs, portraits, etc. found throughout. These help in both understanding and add another dimension to the book.

In conclusion, this is a book for those people seeking a fuller understanding of the history of our solar system, the science surrounding Pluto, and the tantalizing, provocative, recent discoveries in our outer solar system.

(first published late 2006; preface; 14 chapters; postscript; main narrative 230 pages; appendix: "What we know about Pluto;" notes; index)

<>

XXXXX

Dear Puny Third-Object aka Earth Inhabitants,

Here on the Four Worlds, we greet your squabblings with derision. We do not even bother to name the pitiful objects including your insignificant third-object aka Earth home that orbit sunward of Jupiter. If we wished for amusement, we would toss your tiny pebble into Jupiter's red spot to see if it will float. But I digress.

Our scientists have determined that by definition there are four planets in our star system. As every school child knows, these are the Four Worlds, the ones you call Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune (Jolly Savants Understand Notation). That you bother to dispute whether Neptune's Dog, the rock you call Pluto, is a planet or not is a laughable matter. Your third-object aka Earth home does not qualify either. It is merely the largest of the Sub-Jovian Clutter.

For an object to be considered for planethood it must have at least thirteen natural moons, a presentable set of rings, and an atmosphere of hydrogen, helium, or methane. If you think that you can meet these minimum requirements, you may contact our Four Worlds Planetary Status Committee for an application form.

Best Regards,
Elzar of Neptune

P.S. Nice book.

"Is Pluto a Planet?" provides valuable historical context for the recent IAU decision to demote Pluto from planet status. The book's main point is that the progress of astronomy has forced several previous mutations in our definition of 'planet'. Several times newly-found objects have been accepted as planets, until it was realized they were just too different and represented a new class of objects. When we first discovered objects circling Jupiter they were first called planets, until it was decided that a planet had to have its own orbit around the sun, and thus these objects were redefined as moons. When we first found asteroids they were first called planets, since they did indeed have their own orbits around the sun, but then it was decided that asteroids were in a class of their own. And when we first found Pluto it was thought to be much larger than it turned out to be, but now it too seems to be much less typical of the other planets than of a new class of smaller bodies on the outskirts of the solar system. The author clearly holds the opinion that Pluto sneaked into planethood through historical accident and didn't deserve it, but he does try to offer the 'pro-Pluto' viewpoint. Readers should be aware that this book was written before the IAU decision and doesn't contain any account of it; for readers seeking a Pluto-specific book the long discussion of our evolving concepts of the solar system may be more than they wanted. But this book is also a unique study in astronomical and intellectual history, showing how people from many times and places have conscientiously tried to deal with the tension between old habits and new information.

F-117A Nighthawk was the pioneer of the modern series of stealth fighters and bombers and its performance during the Gulf War of 1991 was excellent. Jon Lake gives many details about the development of the aircraft, the years of absolute secrecy at Tonopah, the strike in Panama, the deployment to Saudi Arabia, the operations there and analyzes every system and technological innovation used in this type. The photographs are superb but the strongest point of the book is that it does not hide the many weaknesses of the F-117A (the chapter about laser lock on the targets and its problems was astonishing!) and it also contains a chapter about other versions of the F-117 and newer stealth types like F-22 and B-2. A real gem for the aircraft enthusiast and it is a pity that this series stopped after publishing a few titles.

I am a military aviation enthusiast and take keen interest in Russian fighters, especially MiG-29. MiG-29 caught my fancy ever since these a/c were inducted into Indian Air Force. Incidentally one of my friend is widely acknowledged to be one of the pioneers of MiG- 29s in India. He specialises in aerobatice. I have read janes how to fly and fight in F-117 Staelth fighter. I have seen a documentary on this a/c on Discovery channel. This is really a great a/c. I remember how it performed in Gulf war and was appropriately named BAGHDAD EXPRESS. One book which I long to possess is Janes how to fly and fight in Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum. But unfortunately this book is not available in India. Kindly suggest how to procure this book. I shall deem it a great favour. Kindly pass on this message to Mr. JON LAKE (author) if possible and please reply to me on my e- mail address:- rajnish_fin_2001@yahoo.com. My postal address is 3120 sector B- 4 Vasant Kunj, New Delhi- 110070 (India).

Best Regards, Rajnish Sharma

If you love the stealth fighter, then this is the book for you! Awsome pictures, stunning explanations from the devlopment to the deployment in Desert Storm, this is the ultamite book on the F-117! It even has interviews from the pilots who fly the aircraft, its payload, even a 4-page fold-out picture and cross-section of the Stealth! There isn't a book out there better than this!

If you like the F-117 Stealth Fighter you'll love this book! I highly recommend it!

In all stealth fighter book, from my opinion, I think this is the best overall I have read. The book has got great pictures where I seldom fine anywhere else, if you people like stealth fighter pictures, this is the book for you. Not only the amazing pictures that make me grade it 5 stars, but the amazing story told was also the point. The real story about working on the stealth fighter that people seldon get to see was told what will the pilots must & mustn't do before boarding the plane & after landing the plane. This book is worth buying because it is a valuable aset to the fans of the stealth fighter.

The 'JUNOS Cookbook' by Avivia Garrett is a great resource for learning about JUNOS software. Filled with 650+ pages of material, this book will enable you to learn about setup, configuration, and all the ins and outs of this technology so you can better administrate and get more done in less time!!!

For anyone that works with JUNOS on a daily basis, this is a great reference book to have by your side, written in typical fantastic O'Reilly fashion.

***** RECOMMENDED

I would give this book six stars, if it were possible. This book presents a hands-on guide to JunOS. From installation and upgrade to routing protocols and MPLS -- this books spills the beans. The author provides "recipes" to acheive common routing tasks on JunOS quickly and without fluff. There are no filler chapters on theory, design, and protocols. Just plenty and plenty of practical, extremely useful recipes.

For anyone with a Cisco background, this book will get you up and running quickly with JunOS. Using this book, I was able to:

1) install JunOS;
2) upgrade JunOS;
3) configure NTP;
4) configure network interfaces;
5) configure BGP and ISIS;
6) enable a packet sniffer for troubleshooting purposes;
7) configure RADIUS authentication;
8) backup and restore JunOS configurations over the network;
9) and enable ssh access to a router running JunOS.

That's just scratching the surface of what this book covers. The more I read it, the more I learn -- and the more JunOS impressed me.

The absolutely best technology book I've purchased this year. Highly, highly recommend it to anyone using JunOS or moving to JunOS.

Realy helpfull, all the basic configuration otes that you need for a simple network

Aviva's flair for concise explanation makes this book a real joy. It's rare that I read just one recipe. If you want a concentrated dose of JUNOS that's sweet and easy to swallow, then get this book.

Even though you've been configuring or operating Juniper routers for long time and you think you are familiar enough with JUNOS, you'll still learn something you don't know from this book; the "Problem/Solution/Discussion/See Also" structure helps to quickly find and read the exact information you need and nothing more, if you don't need to, just like you would use a standard dictionary.

If you operate a Juniper router from time to time, or even on a daily basis, this book should be always on your desk, handy to grab, so you can use it whenever you need to answer a configuration or operational question, when you exhausted reading the standard configuration guides and the online help, and just before calling for help from a friend or from Juniper's Technical Assistance Center (JTAC).

Learning About Life was my seven-year-old daughter's pick for a bedtime story this week, even though she had already read it before, and she reads it by herself now. As the father of three children in primary grades, it was good to have this book as a transition between simple children's books and chapter books. With the simple books, the story ends just as children are starting, and with chapter books, they think they'll never end.

The themes addressed are: wanting to please, friendship, gaining approval, different perspectives, how misunderstandings can lead to sadness, and how that sadness can be overcome by serendipity. The owner wants to do the best for the dog, and the dog wants to do the best for the owner. It helps us appreciate the gap between humans and animals, and how we can get along through unconditional love. The mix of themes and perspectives is unique. Learning About Life is a good opener for age-appropriate, fresh discussion between adults and children, whether those adults are parents or teachers.

Wonderful life lessons are learned through the adventures of Howdy Dowdy. This is a beautifully illustrated book that children will enjoy. The author's love of animals shines through!

A must read for children of all ages. I really liked this book and will read it again and again to my grandson.

What fun and joy in this little classic! Tells a little lesson on learning to be good after doing so many bad things! There is no age limit on this book. My grandchildren loved it so much it went to bed with them. The artwork is spectacular! Hope there is a sequel in the works!

This book is great. My daughters love it and ask for me to read over and over. It keeps their attention while teaching them in the process which we consider the best type of book. A definite "must-read".

I've been in the practice of medicine for nearly 30 years, and, over those years, have continued to love caring for, and about, patients. I don't know if my medical school was especially prescient, but many of the rules in the book were passed on to me as part of good medical practice, and I continue to hold to them as a practical ideal. In fact, I now give copies of the book to graduating medical students, nurse practitioners, and physician's assistants who train under me. They know that these "rules" govern my practice, and I emphasize to them the need to practice similarly as their careers proceed.
Unfortunately, I know all too many colleagues who scoff at any suggestion that their practices might be improved by assimilating many of these ideals, not to mention improving the satisfaction level in their practice of medicine. These days, it all too often seems that people who go into medicine do so for all of the wrong reasons, predominantly surrounding greed and the pursuit of the almighty buck, and their satisfaction levels plummet. I wish I could get through to these people, to tell them that there is a better way, but, by that point, they won't hear of it. They're too busy making all the money they can, and don't realize that gold doesn't buy happiness.
My advice: to doctors, buy it now, and read it before you become disillusioned and jaded; for those who have friends or loved ones entering the medical field, buy the book and give it to them. It just might make them better doctors, and better people.

I received this book when I was in medical school, but didn't really appreciate the collective wisdom in it's pages until I became an attending physician. Although some of the sayings seem obvious at first, sometimes the obvious escapes us. This is a book you'll continue to refer to year after year.

This is an invaluable little book , writen by someone with a great knowledge of medicine and of human nature. Warm, witty, pointing the way to attitudes in medical practice that bring back the best in doctor-patient relationships. A must for all medical students !

This is an excellent little book with a lot of wisdom. This would make a great gift for anyone in the medical field, especially students. Many years of experience are distilled into these 425 rules, and there is a lot of humor as well. Not particularly clinically oriented, the book stresses human behavior and patient assessment.

This collection of aphorisms and thought provoking truths is relevant for anyone who cares for patients. I am on the Clinical Faculty at UC Davis Medical School and I make a point of giving a copy of this wonderful volume to those who study with me.

When John Szarkowski recently passed away at the age of 81, the world lost one of photography's most important figures. He was the "Stieglitz" of the 1960s and 70s, changing the way audiences look at photographic images and he shaped the way future audiences will come to appreciate the pioneering work of Arbus, Eggleston, Friedlander and Winogrand. When he took over the reins of curator of photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York from Edward Steichen, photography's early twentieth century grand master, Szarkowski promoted a "new" photography that incorporated the everyday moment as it was unfolding on the streets around cities and towns across America.

His great gift to all of us who love photography besides his championing of new talent, was his incredible skill at writing texts, essays, criticism, books on photography. With his talent as a writer, and his background as a photographer, he was able to open a window onto this two-dimensional world of form and tone, shape, texture and composition, explaining the ins and outs, the subtleties, and the intuitions of image makers, their techniques and their medium in all its finesse.

Having simply tried to take a good photograph all his life, he simply knew a good photograph when he saw one. It is what made him such a great curator. His own best known books of photographs, "The Idea of Louis Sullivan" published in 1956, contains photographs of the architecture of Chicago, and his other, "The Face of Minnesota" published in 1958, contains haunting landscape images of his home state. He wrote the way he carefully crafted his own images. He framed each paragraph paying close attention to his ear, to diction and all the elements of style. It is why I love to read him and why I think he was the greatest writer to take on this visual art form.

Two books of his about photography that in my opinion are indispensable are "The Photographer's Eye" first published in 1966, and "Looking at Photographs" first published in 1973. With these two collections, the reader will gain an historic appreciation of photography from its earliest innovators beginning in the 1830s to the period of high modernism in the 1970s. With Szarkowski as your guide, readers will appreciate how the medium advanced, yet they will also understand how it has remained fundamentally the same picture-making process when it comes to handling two-dimensional space.

In The Photographer's Eye, Szarkowski covers what a viewer needs to take in from a photograph, how it was framed, cropped, what the subject is, what the detail is, the focus and the vantage point. In each of these wide areas, he supplies important photographs from the Museum of Modern Art's vast collection that illustrate these points. He begins with "The Thing Itself" the "what" of photography, the landscape or still life, or portrait that the photographer has aimed his camera at. From there he moves on to how photographers fix on detail, the synechdocal "parts" that make up the "whole" and that produce visual metaphor: the close up of the hands, the side of a face, a rifle, a window, a headlight of a car, a door latch.

He then illustrates how photographers carefully frame their images, how they crop, how they envision the image from its interior picture plane to what is left out, alluded to, outside the frame. And finally, he shows how photographers measure time; freeze moments, single out the present for the past of some distant future. Added to this element of time is vantage, that trick of where to place the picture plane in terms of its perspective, foreground to background, its recession to a vanishing point or points, whether it is head-on and flat, or deep and endless, looming up or slanting down, the world from above, or the world from below.

In Looking at Photographs which is subtitled--"100 Pictures from the Collection of the Museum of Modern Art," Szarkowski leads the reader across time, from the earliest best works of the 19th century masters: Timothy O'Sullivan, Fredrick Evans, Lewis Hine, and Jacob Riis, all the way to Robert Frank, Roy DeCarava, Paul Caponigro, and Joel Meyerowitz.

The book is printed so that there is a one-page essay facing each of the 100 photographs it describes. Within that compact structure, Szarkowski is able to move from one idea to another across the history of photography as the reader turns the pages, and he is able to pinpoint for the reader, the attributes that each photographer brings to his medium. In this way the reader learns to read images for their wealth of craft, form and subject matter. It is like having the curator take you on a personal guided tour of the museum's photography galleries.

I learned from reading this book that Timothy O'Sullivan's "white skies" were a result of the wet plate's over-sensitivity to blue light and that "sky areas were thus automatically overexposed, and rendered as blank white." I also learned that O'Sullivan "...accepted the white sky and used it as a shape, enclosed in tension between the picture's visual horizon and the edges of the plate." Knowing this, I can never look at O'Sullivan's work again without understanding how much this 19th century photographic pioneer wanted the figure-ground relationship of sky to land to feature in his compositions. And this is only one example from the book. There are 99 more.

Owning this book is like having your own private collection of the world's most famous photographs. The way you look at photographs will be enriched. On your next visit to a gallery or a museum, you will be able to see so much more thanks to the intelligent and thoughtful writing of John Szarkowski. His precise, clear and uncluttered prose style will make your reading experience a pleasure in itself.

Although this book has much less female nudity than many photographic books, there are two such pages in the book. If this type of representation is offensive to you, either skip this book or avoid those pages.

This book has modest purposes. "This is a picture book, and its first purpose is to provide the material for simple delectation." Beyond that, it is "a visual interim report [as of 1973] on the results of collecting photographs at The Museum of Modern Art." These purposes are magnificently fulfilled, and your eyes and mind will be filled with many useful new perspectives and thoughts as a result of your delectations here. Your life will be expanded by seeing much more, both in photographs and in life, as a result.

Mr. Szarkowski, head of the photography collection at MOMA, points at that photography "has received little serious study." As a result, a language and analytical framework for considering photography are not yet developed. To overcome that limitation. Mr. Szarkowski has provided a number of perspectives in the one-page essays that accompany each page of photography. These perspectives include the utilitarian purpose of the image, the style of the photographer, the technology of the methods used, and the significance of the subjects or subject. He also draws your attention to detail or information that expand your knowledge. It is like having the best docent's photography tour of your life, as you go through the images.

These essays are modestly described as simply "an attempt to describe photography from a somewhat more liberal and exploratory perspective." Well, they are much more than that. They are like turning the light on to see the photographs for the first time, unless you are a talented photographer already.

In creating this book, a great decision was made to limit each photographer to one page of work. In this way, you get to see more types of images and styles. I think this added greatly to the knowledge and enjoyment that can be gained from this wonderful book. A great benefit of this approach was to allow selecting photographs that would reproduce well in this page size format. I heartily approve of that approach!

In the book you will find portraits, sketches for painters, ways of recording far away places, Civil War reporting, aerial reconnaisance, methods of encouraging connections, insights into the physics of life, and efforts to be a successor to painting. As the author says, "Photography has remained . . . radical, instructive, disruptive, influential, problematic, and [an] astonishing phenomenon of the modern epoch."

Here are my favorite images:

D.O. Hill and W.B. Johnston, David Octavius Hill, Celotype, c. 1845

Baron Isadore Taylor, Nadar, Woodbury type, 1872

Madonna with Children, Julia Margaret Cameron, Albumen print, c. 1866

Sugar Bowl with Rowboat, Wisconsin Dells, Henry Hamilton Bennett, 1911

Avenue du Bois de Boulogne, Paris, Jacques Henri Lartigue

Georgia Engelhard, Alfred Stieglitz, 1921

Torso of Neil, Edward Weston, 1925

Babe Ruth, Nikolas Muray, c. 1927

James Joyce, Berenice Abbott, 1928

Wes Fesler Kicking a Football, Dr. Harold E. Edgerton, c. 1935

A Boy with a Straw Hat with Flag Waiting to March in a Pro-War Parade, New York City, Diane Arbus, 1967

The Museum of Modern Art added a photograph to its collection as only the 23rd object acquired in April 1930. From the beginning, the museum has been committed to photography and was the first museum to establish its own independent department of photography. Invariably, there are copious hangings from the collection available for viewing whenever you visit MOMA. The museum should be proud of creating and now reproducing an improved version of this wonderful set of selections from its extensive collection. Perhaps it is time to create a larger version of this book that is more representative of the whole collection.

After you finish expanding your vision through these marvelous essays and photographs, I urge you to do some photography of your own to express yourself. You will appreciate what you see even more when you create your own images. A good way to begin is to find a subject that is covered in this book and create your own version of that subject. In that way, you can get "inside of the camera" with the photographer. After your photographs can be seen, compare them with the book. Go back and try again. Repeat the process . . . until you have captured the image you were seeking. Like truth, images can be fleeting and transparent.

See more and be more through your improved vision!

This book fills the reader with emotion and knowledge about photography and photographs. I will never look at a photograph the same way after having read it. The language is beautiful and inspiring and photographs wonderfully reproduced. Anyone who loves the subject or art in general will find excitement on every page. NOW I can begin to know which photographers to study first and how to approach an enormous subject.

John Szarkowski has selected 100 worthwhile images and has crafted exceptionally well written commentary about each image. The value of the collection far exceeds the sum of the parts. The book is an education about photography. It doesn't matter how much you like an image or agree with the commentary because by seeing the image and reading the commentary you will learn about photography and about life.

A Collection, New Yorker style

It is difficult to make a collection of photographs by different people and not make it haphazard, unless there is an underlying theme. The book consists of 100 pictures by 100 photographers in bw, taken in the 100 years or so up to 1960's, accompanied by a page of text each. The writing is insightful and while is not meant to be a systematic introduction to the history of photography, nonetheless is quite educational if you are interested in the subject. While the photographs range from the concrete to the abstract, the book is coherent helped largely by text. I enjoyed reading the text and looking at the photographs.

The book's strength and its weakness is that it strives to be stylish and original; the writing is 'sophisticated' and snobbish, a la New Yorker. Some of the 'deep' comments I did not much care for. Perhaps more importantly, a majority of the photos chosen for the photographer are not the ones that are usually considered the photographers' most representative works.

You should not read the book to study the history of photography nor to find the standard representative works of the famous photographers. I think people who are familiar with the rough history of photography and the more famous photographers will enjoy looking through the book - perhaps checked out from a library.

I love Lukas and continue to follow his images as he gets older. This book presents wonderful images of him, but not enough! The other boys are handsome, but I thought there'd be more photos of Lukas, since he was the name holder in the title. In spite of the shortage of Lukas' photos, the book is a good addition to a well rounded collection of male nude books. I'd recommend it to anyone who smiles when viewing young, handsome, male nudes.

"Bel Ami magazine brings you Lucas in Love the most adorable young male diary around. This twelve month diary features the most beautiful young men from Bel Ami magazine showing all their stuff in full color images. Fill your year and each day with these hot boys because you know they`re worth it.
Don`t Miss this 2006 Collector`s Edition! 9" x 12" FULL COLOR!"--© zebraz

What can I complain about? This book is so beautiful. Lukas is twice as handsome at 30 as he was at 18. All the boys are breathtaking, beautiful and perfect.

Lukas is one of those boys who can evoke a smile on just about anyone's face. He can also evoke a stirring in just about anyone's libido. The book is wonderful. The boys are adorable. This is just PRIMO.

No matter how many photo books I buy, BelAmi will always rank number 1 with me. The photos are always clean and crisp with the most beautiful young men.

to my daughter with the four kids. Can't say she'll ever have time to look into it but she surely buys enough of the real stuff that she should. Can't say that I've looked into it myself.

I have to assume that this book is very good. I bought it for someone else and had it sent directly to them. They specifically asked for it by name and author.

I think this book is wonderful! If you have any of the "how to make and do things" type of books some of these recipes might be included but to see them all laid out in order with recipes for different things is very nice! Plus most of the recipes all share common ingredients so you don't need to buy a lot of hard to find stuff for each project.

The way this book is laid out,with one recipe per page and large print,is very easy for children to read.My daughter really enjoyed being able to read the list and help mix up the ingredients.We especially liked the gloop and glop recipes for making slime.

If you work at a school or daycare or if your kids go through paint and playdough like it is going out of style,I highly reccomend this book to cut supply cost because whipping up large batches of supplies will save you lots of money and if you get the kids involved is an awesome learning experience!

Every parent, teacher, childcare provider, and scout leader should have this budget friendly book. The variety of recipes, science experiments, and resourceful materials presented are valuable for expanding a child's education. Using just about everything a person already has in his/her kitchen, creative materials can be formed with little cost. It includes over 100 recipes, and presents ideas for every season of the year.

I recommend buying this book, not just to have fun with your children, but for the knowledge they will gain, homemade gift ideas, holiday decorations, and the many other educational teaching elements it provides. You will find simple, but affordable gift ideas for children to make, discovery table suggestions, and many experiments. Each chapter of the book lists what children can learn and accomplish. Whether your child needs help learning measurements, hand-eye coordination, or learning science, you'll find this book to offer it all. The recipes and activities offer instructive and physical advantages for children, and teach them, as well as parents, about ways to recycle.

The Author has worked with young children for over ten years, and the quality of her experience in this book is evident. She understands that family resources are difficult to manage and still afford the extras, while providing an educational and fun activity for kids.


Kristina N. is a thrifty stay-at-home mother of six children, and home schools her preschooler. She does freelance writing in her spare time.

This book has been a great help to me as a stay at home mom of a toddler!! Great ideas to keep her busy when the weather is too hot to get outside(or as winter approaches too cold!). I love the ideas and my daughter has loved the varied activities in her "art" time!

Christopher Shores et al. have produced a first-rate book on the contributions made by the Spitfire in the defense of Malta against a determined Axis assault.

From 1940 to 1942, Malta served as a linchpin in Britain's efforts to retain a presence in North Africa and the Mediterranean against the Axis Powers. From Malta, British air and sea vessels would harry German and Italian ships sending supplies to Rommel in the Western Desert during the height of the fighting there in 1941-42. Ship sinkings became almost prohibitive to the Axis, so both the Germans and Italians resolved to destroy Malta through air assault.

The first Spitfires arrived in Malta in February 1942 to supplement and replace the few remaining Hurricane fighters who had helped defend Malta since 1940.

This book reads almost like a daily diary of the war in, around, and over Malta throughout 1942. The reader gets a keen appreciation for the sacrifices made by the pilots, soldiers, and civilians in Malta who stood up to the Axis, and won. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Christopher Shores et al. have produced a first-rate book on the contributions made by the Spitfire in the defense of Malta against a determined Axis assault.

From 1940 to 1942, Malta served as a linchpin in Britain's efforts to retain a presence in North Africa and the Mediterranean against the Axis Powers. From Malta, British air and naval vessels would harry German and Italian ships sending supplies to Rommel in the Western Desert during the height of the fighting there in 1941-42. Ship sinkings became almost prohibitive to the Axis, so both the Germans and Italians resolved to destroy Malta through air assault.

The first Spitfires arrived in Malta in February 1942 to supplement and replace the few remaining Hurricane fighters who had helped defend Malta since 1940.

This book reads almost like a daily diary of the war in, around, and over Malta throughout 1942. The reader gets a keen appreciation for the sacrifices made by the pilots, soldiers, and civilians in Malta who stood up to the Axis, and won. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Christopher Shores et al. have produced a first-rate book on the contributions made by the Spitfire in the defense of Malta against a determined Axis assault.

From 1940 to 1942, Malta served as a linchpin in Britain's efforts to retain a presence in North Africa and the Mediterranean against the Axis Powers. From Malta, British air and naval vessels would harry German and Italian ships sending supplies to Rommel in the Western Desert during the height of the fighting there in 1941-42. Ship sinkings became almost prohibitive to the Axis, so both the Germans and Italians resolved to destroy Malta through air assault.

The first Spitfires arrived in Malta in February 1942 to supplement and replace the few remaining Hurricane fighters who had helped defend Malta since 1940.

This book reads almost like a daily diary of the war in, around, and over Malta throughout 1942. The reader gets a keen appreciation for the sacrifices made by the pilots, soldiers, and civilians in Malta who stood up to the Axis, and won. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Shores and Cull really can write about WW II aviation. Their books are marvellous, action-packed, accurate, full of data. I just don't know why all their books are so expensive. I bought "249 at War", but this one I had to borrow from a friend of mine.

First of all I would like to say,that if you haven't already read Christopher Shores "HURRICANE YEARS"I suggest you do so.Malta The Spitfire Year 1942 is the second volume of the air battle in malta. The Author Chrisopher Shores has done a superb job on this book.There are more than 200 rare photographs and more detail regarding the air battle of Malta. Thankyou Christopher Shore for a memorable book.

This book is a must have for any Marlin collector or anyone who is interested in or wants to know about Marlin firearms. Tons of information, great pictures...well worth the money spent.

A very comprehensive book for anyone with an interest in firearms. Well-written and illustrated. It contains a great deal of detail for the Marlin user and collector. Since it seems to go in and out of print on a regular basis, anyone interested in the book should get one while it's available. The cost of a used volume seems to increase each time it becomes unavailable. If you like gun books you won't regret buying a copy of this one.

huge collection of data, photo's and info on Marlin. can't imagine the effort that must have been expended in collecting what is printed in this book. A bargin concidering what is offered between the pages for the reader.

Mr. Brophy did his homework in writing this beautifully bound and informative book, but somehow, probaably due to Marlin Firearms being lax in their record keeping, especially serial numbers and the appropriate dates of manufacture, I was unable to pinpoint the data needed to establish the exact history of this gun. I have been forwarded to another source for possibly gaining a more accurate record of this guns manufacture. A fine book other than this.

Good Service, Good Price, Very Good Book. Book is full of very complete detail, illustrations are excellent, chronological approach to subject is appreciated. Very Happy with purchase!