California Books

I actually bought this book because my late uncle Alfonso "Poncho" Munoz is featured in the book a few different times. My father also raced at Caliente so for obvious reasons I give this book 5 stars.

I heard about the Agua Caliente racetrack From Mr. Alessio when I meet him in 1993 at Ranch Tecate. After that, I saw him on a regular basis and once and a while he would reflect on the old racetrack. He told me about how he came up with the 5-10, the décor for the racetrack and some of the odd things that happened there. He even pointed out furniture at Ranch Tecate that came from the racetrack after the fire. But I never was able to put it all together till this book came out. The author did a excellent job putting this book together. I just wish I could have experienced the Caliente racetrack in its prime.

As a long timed resident of the city of Tijuana, I was excited to see a book on the Agua Caliente racetrack.I have had so many pleasant afternoons at this racetrack and this book brought back many wonderfull memories. I believe that no other racetrack has the the very interesting history that this track in Mexico ever had as researched and written by the author. The photos are great and the story rolls along in an easy to read manner. The author took on an interesting and important chapter in racing history and saved it for posterity. All 75 years of it. It is very sad that it is not in its glory years any more and I look forward that the new and enlightened administration will restore this historical site, one that was once vibrant and so alive.

For both lovers of horse racing and sports history, this is an exciting book, laced with rare illustrations and well-documented by both archival resources and the author's personal memories. Finally, Tijuana gets its due as the track which kept racing alive during its darkest travail in the 1920s and '30s as well as the one where innovations modernized the sport much as it is known today.
Dr. Paul J. Vanderwood, historian emeritus, San Diego State University

Highly readable and exhaustively researched book that thoroughly covers the history of racing in Tijuana. Includes fantastic photos and charts of the track's big races. The place had an even more interesting history than I had imagined, and the author's passion for his subject comes through loud and clear!

In 1950s, Watson and Crick established a so-called "central dogma" in molecular biology: DNA makes RNA, and RNA makes proteins. However, around 1970, two groups in US found the first exception of this rule. David Baltimore's and Howard Temin's teams discovered that RNA makes DNA! This unexpected finding of theirs in cancer-causing RNA viruses not only made this field up-side down, but also opened a new avenue called "recombinant technology" a decade later, for cloning genes and transfering any gene from one species to another almost at will. For this reason, Baltimore and Temin shared a Nobel prize in 1975. Baltimore's greatness extended beyond the science. He viewed this world in an "unconventional" manner. He married a highly-talented Chinese biologist, and protested against the highly controversial US wars in Vietnam and Iraq. He has an exceptional wisdom which we could learn from this well-written biography.

I knew of Baltimore's greatness before reading this book, but this book is more than just a biography. Yes, Crotty does give us a glimpse into the life of one of biology's greatest heroes, but complementarily, Crotty's sanctity is so radiant in this work that you can't help but be inspired. In addition to delivering intellectual nourishment and inspiration, more importantly, the book is written so well that biomedical scientists (like myself)and non-biomedical scientists (like my mother) alike can appreciate the important messages in this work. The story of Baltimore's life is unparalleled, but almost as great is Crotty's presentation of it. This book is a must read for all budding biomedical scientists!

I truly enjoyed reading this book on the impressive scientific accomplishments of David Baltimore. I remember being in a relatively informal seminar at MIT when he gave a short introduction to the science that was to be presented that evening. His presence commanded awe and respect---almost always expected from someone with outstanding credentials.

The book is good not just for examining Baltimore's exponential rise to scientific stardom but also for getting a seminal idea on the development of the fields of virology, molecular biology, and immunology. Through his work, Baltimore became a unifying force between these seemingly disparate sciences. The author also writes clearly about the political baggage that comes with having such a high profile in biology.

The author weaves a wonderful overview of the early history of molecular biology with the achievements of David Baltimore's life. We are given a great deal of insight not only about his groundbreaking research and accomplishments but also personal qualities and passion for life outside of science.

This is a great book for both biologists and those with simply an interest in biology. The scientific information is easy to comprehend without being oversimplified.

Some works of non-fiction can take a long time to read, but I finished this book in 2 days as the story flowed very smoothly. I am definitely looking forward to Shane Crotty's future publications.

This is a great book! I really enjoyed the story of Baltimore's life, and I feel that I learned a lot of science along the way. I definitely feel more qualified to comment on conversations about biology now! I actually picked up this book because I really enjoy biographies, but it has gotten me interested in other science books for amateurs. I hope Crotty writes more soon!

Anyone with a more than passing interest in Orchestral music should try this one. Especially good for young players in school or civic orchestras. It desecribes what everyone's job is, how they play different effects, hangups, foibles, etc...

Tells you why Horns don't like sitting in front of percussion. Why the tympanist won't play other percussion, but the the rest of the kitchen dept is running around playing 3 and four different instruments.

It talks a lot about keys, notes, and has many copies of the score for illustration, but if you don't read music don't despair... your enjoyment should not be diminished.

When to disagree with the conductor...

And describes the curious relations amongst all those infighting violins.

Great book for music lovers, proffessional musicians and composers. Gives you a real insight into the orchestra and individual instruments. Practical and well written. Highly recommended.

This is an elemental resources for all advanced students of composition and conducting.

I doubt if you can really teach orchestration,like composition; for whatever you are doing is simply revisiting in rote formations of what has already been done, and what has already been done, and what already has been done should be heard in its original form anyway. A book that merely speaks and addresses problems is the most virulent, viable route, I think, Give me what's the most resonant parts of the instrument,tell me where that is please! also tell me what is rather dull, what is noise-like, and what "lays" best in what register.Then how do we come to mix timbres? who can tell you that if you have an original vision for your music,if you write music, If you have many friends who play all the instruments of the orchestra that's the best route as well, real live expositions cannot be replaced by a text.Learning orchestration is about someone being there to ask questions on why you did what you did, and why you didn't do it another way! Texts are merely stepping stones anyway, unless you got "axes" to grind as Gunther Schuller.(incorreect tempi)
Seasoned conductor Del Mar at least has other interesting books on Brahms and Beethoven and potpourris of other lesser knowns on the problems of conducting and indirectly exposing the problems that exist within the orchestral repertoire.This is a facet of orchestration often overlooked. Everyone had some problem at some time that needs to be corrected by an experienced conductor. For if you simply play the music exactly as written it would be rather boring,unispired; how does one explain the phenomenon of; take five conductors, each rehearsing the same piece with the same orcehstra, and you will get/render five different conceptions of timbre, gestural differences, rhythm, balance and meaning. So music breathes I guess, and an orcehstration book will only tell you what to put into the right or wrong pegs in the systems of notations. Orchestrations, the orchestra itself is/are becoming reaching a dinosaur status, with commissioning funds drying up; or only reserved to academia-bound prize winners. Especially now since some orchestras are resorting to playing film music,with the film in the back or not; as interesting as that is, the orchestrations of the cinema have a kind of fixed entity, a horizon you can see, and who would rather listen to music for "Forrest Gump"? than brilliant orcehstrators as Stravinsky or Boulez, or Eotvos, Berio or Xenakis, or Sciarrino.Learning to write film music is not learning about the orchestra, for there still needs someone to develop its timbre, otherwise it dies. This is a good book nonethless, Del Mar has marvelous insights into problems with ample examples not overdone/overdetermined as the Berlioz-Strauss.I learned orcehstration simply by looking at the best (those mentioned above) and re-translating that into whatever I thought I could see as my music,my timbre, or conception of sound.

This is a well-written and thought-out text about the modern day symphony orchestra. It provides and analysis of every instrument in the orchestra, it's purposes, the sound it produces, and the possibilities. Norman Del Mar's book is a must for music students and professionals alike.

Over recent years I have given copies of this excellent, entertaining book to friends because, although not large, it seemed well-rounded as well as a good read. The book explored the mystique of a wonderful grape from its mysterious beginnings to its contemporary California status. Perhaps some of my interest is parochial, as it touches on familiar San Francisco Bay Area milieus. Nonetheless, now that "Angels Visits" is now out of print, I regret that I didn't merely loan out my last give-away.

It is an insightful and interesting primer on Zinfandel. I have tried to locate copies of the book and was saddened to learn it was out of print. It is a must read for ZAP people and would be a run away best seller at their annual tasting. It would be an appreciated gift for anyone who enjoys Zinfandel.

Written in an easy style, this history of California Zinfandel provides both local color and historical perspective to California's most unique wine. Probably unintentionally, the author evokes some of Peter Meyer's YEAR IN PROVANCE in his discussions of wine and winemakers. The personal and the sociologically are covered with equal and compelling grace. A shame that the original publisher has allowed this to go out of print, and that no other publisher is smart enough to republish the book

After lunch one day about 10-12 years ago I stopped at my local bookshop. Sherry, the owner put "Angel's Visit's" into my hand and suggested I buy it because I buy wine books. Back at my office I started to read Darlington's inquiry into Zin. I counldn't stop. I literally was glued to this book! No work got done. At 6:00 pm I went home, got into bed and kept on reading. I couldn't leave it alone, not even overnight. I finished it at 3:00 am next morning. Buy this book. Take the day off...

What these other revievers said is absolutely true. Angel's Visits is an eminently readable and enjoyable book that I highly recommend. After being out of print for some time, it's now available again under the title "Zin".

The greatest variety of living things in the world inhabits the 17,500 islands and million square miles of ocean in the East Indies.
In "Archipelago," Effendy Sumardja, Indonesia's hard-pressed minister of environment, claims 15 to 25% of all the species in the world. That includes 7,000 kinds of fish -- about 10 times as many as in Hawaii. More than 6,000 plant and animal species are "used on a daily basis."
And in danger of being used up, which is why the Nature Conservancy sponsored this book, written by historian Gavan Daws, who wrote the Nature Conservancy's "Hawaii: The Islands of Life"; and Marty Fujita, a Smithsonian Institution researcher and founder of the Nature Conservancy Indonesia Program.
Many of those species are found nowhere else in the world. And many, like the clouded leopard, are found only in small parts of the thousand-mile-long sweep of islands.
That fact provides a springboard for the authors to place Indonesia in its proper context, both in today's politics and in the history of natural history. Indonesia is bisected by Wallace's Line, the first boundary ever recognized as dividing two "biogeographical provinces."
Most of the islands were connected to a continent at times of lower sea levels, the western part attached to Asia, the eastern part to Australia.
There is deep water between, and many species could not bridge it. On the west, there are monkeys. On the east, tree kangaroos, which lives much as monkeys do.
The man who recognized the concept of biogeographical provinces, Alfred Russel Wallace, had a happy, lucky life. And it is his account of eight years of collecting in the East Indies, 1856-62, that forms the framework of "Archipelago."
Lucky because he lived: There was no more dangerous job for a European in the 19th century than natural history collecting in the tropics. Wallace was sick a lot, but he survived for years in the Amazon and even more years in the East Indies.
Lucky also because he was most interested in animals, particularly birds, butterflies and mammals. Fujita and Daws note that Wallace's "line" is much less apparent if you are counting plants.
If Wallace had not thought up the concept of evolution by natural selection (which he did during a malarial fever, which he said induced his best thinking), then Charles Darwin had already done it. But the concept of biogeographical provinces was his alone, and it has become more and more valuable in natural history research over the years.
A lovable person, though not fond of society, he represents better than any other individual remembered by history the virtues that Victorian men were supposed to embody: He was amiable, scrupulously honest and very, very diligent. Among other things, he wrote 50 books.
To his even greater credit, he also lacked the color prejudice that infected most everybody in those days.
For him, growing up poor, Victoria's age was one of opportunity. Collectors wanted rarities and would pay for them. Wallace took his guns and insect pins to the places that had the rarest of the rare.
In the Indies, he particularly wanted birds of paradise and orangutans. It was tough work. He was often sick, in danger on the sea and sometimes starving. At one point, he ate the pigeons whose skins he prepared to send back to his broker in London.
"Collecting, travel, wide reading, deep thought, solitude -- this was the Wallace formula for a life of original, productive work," write Daws and Fujita.
Today, in an atmosphere of political uncertainty, 206 million Indonesians are pressing hard on their natural heritage. Forests of 300-foot-tall dipterocarp trees are being clearcut, farmers shift from slash-and-burn to permanent cultivation, dynamiters blow up reefs for fish.
Like other Nature Conservancy books, "Archipelago" is a call to action, this time disguised as a coffee table book filled with photographs of butterflies with seven-inch wings, unbelievably decorated birds of paradise and incomparably colorful reefs.

this is a great book. It covers in detail the jouneys of that great explorer/naturalist/thinker Alfred E. Wallace through Indonesia and addresses the current state of affairs and threats to its natural treasures.

The books goes through all the major parts of Indonesia and shows plenty of well-selected pictures of amazing flora and fauna of the archipelago. Pictures are 70% of the book, but it also provides a good scientific description of how the archipelago formed (10% of the book), explaining how so unique species developed and survived untouched. Around 10% of the book is devoted to the explorers, like Wallace, who first discovered the uniquness of the islands and tried scientifically describe what they found - some early maps of the region and pictures of explorers are presented. Last 10% expresses the concerns about the impact of the modern Indonesia on the nature of the region. Book is published by UC Berkeley/LA, which can only be a further recommendation.

Archipelago is an excellent book on several levels. First, as a photo essay of the biota of the Indonesian islands it must be beyond compare. The photos are simply awesome, leaf through it and see for yourself. Second, it tells the story of one of the worlds least known but greatest scientists, Alfred Wallace. Wallace was just as responsible for developing the theory of evolution through natural selection as Charles Darwin. If you are interested in the history of science or a biology student at any level you should be aware of Wallace's work. This is as good a book to learn about it as any. One slight complaint, in reading this book I felt that the authors felt that Wallace received a raw deal from Darwin and the rest of the scientific community. I don't know if it's true or if the truth will ever be known. I know that Wallace didn't feel that way so why include it here? Third, this book is so much a trip through time. Each chapter on Wallace in the islands is mixed with modern essays on life in the islands and what is happening to the environment there. As an environmentalist "call to arms" it is great, because it is backed by better science through a broader range of disciplines than any I have seen.

I'm not a big fan of the "Coffee Table Book" but this is an exception. While it might be tempting to only look at the pictures, the text is in such a interesting format that reading it turns out to be such a breeze that you will be done before you notice.

This beautiful coffee table book goes far beyond presenting the tropical and exotic beauty of this complex archipelago. True, outstanding photos highlight the natural splendor, rich culture and exotic architecture. But the authors also explore its historical significance, beginning with Wallace's 19th century discoveries in biogeography, continuing through the current, looming ecological crisis wrought by exploitation of the islands' natural resources. For those who have traveled to Indonesia, or have ever wished to, this book is a must.

Review published in Library Journal, April 15, 1999. "This new series, focusing on France is a 'unique travel guide and handbook on contemporary art and architecture.' Stich, an art historian and curator, has brought together under one cover a complete, user-friendly guide to the French art world. She provides detailed descriptions of galleries, museums, film and video centers, public artworks, art bookstores, sculpture parks, and even a parking garage, sites that are not mentioned in other guidebooks. The main focus of the book is Paris, but there are chapters on day trips and excursions to other French provinces. Each chapter is organized by neighorhood and region and contains a map with numbers and site icons that are easy to distinguish. Stich's knowledge of and joy in the art world is evident throughout the book; a great addition to any travel collection."

Review published by NY art critic Walter Robinson in ArtNet "News", April 9, 1999: "Art lovers en route to France this summer will want to pick up a copy of Art-SITES FRANCE by curator and avid art traveler Sidra Stich. The $19.95 paperback blurbs all the important museums, art centers, galleries and public art works, famous and little known."

art-SITES, founded by art historian and museum curator Sidra Stich, is launching art-SITES FRANCE thic month and expects to release art-SITES GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND early next year. A travel guide and handbook on contemporary art and architecture, art-SITES FRANCE provides maps and commentary on vanguard buildings, art fairs, film centers, even a patisserie with superbly designed cakes. "It's museums, but not just museums, and we provide text that's a very readable course on art at the same time," said Stich.

"Forget the Louvre's Renaissance masterpieces. This guide focuses its attention on the great museum's I.M. Pei-designed glass pyramid renovation. And in its pages Roy Lichtenstein trumps Toulouse-Lautrec. A San Francisco-based art historian, Stich casts a wide research net over this art-appreciative nation and offers a well-organized, well-written take on where to encounter the best painting, sculpture, architecture and film of the last few decades."

Sun. July 11, SF Examiner-Chronicle, Linda Watanabe McFerrin,(travel editor)wrote: "This is the inaugural book in an ambitious new series covering the world's contemporary art and architecture. Innovative, intriguing and refreshingly intellectual, it provides well-researched, well-informed guidance to the museums, art and film centers, galleries, bookstores, public art and notable buildings in France. Details about recent exhibitions and artists further familiarize readers with the often mystifying world of the avant-garde. Serious students of contemporary art will find it a satisfyingly comprehensive guidebook."

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R22IQ9GL5UI3B8 reat book, will make you laugh, smile, giggle, chuckle, giggle, crack up, guffaw and generally have a good time. Extremely nice photos. And it is actually very thoughtful, one can quickly see through the pretended thoughtlessness--by the way, I like this word. Here are some posters and calendars with the high resolution versions of the book:
Scenic City and Boat Photo Poster
University of Washington Photo Poster
Seattle Secenic Sunset Photograph
San Francisco Scenic Union Square Photo Poster
Nashville Tug Boat on Cumberland River Photo Poster
Pike Place Market Photo Print
"Playing Guitar" Photo Poster
San Diego Scenic Waterfront Poster

The word artificial originally meant "artful, crafty." That's an apt description of ARTIFICIAL IMAGINATION, which blends art, craft, and wit into a narrative that teaches us life lessons that we did not knew we knew.
-- Richard Lederer, author of Anguished English

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1WIEK9SYZ8KQJ This book transcends genre -- it's a good collection of memoirs, entertaining style, nice splash of humor, an extremely detailed travelogue with beautiful photographs, a good description of technology, a touch of Science Fiction (since it is purportedly written by a Artificial Imagination program) and suffused with philosophical musing and last but not the least, a moving love story.

Even though it's obviously written by a Technologist, the book is very human. It is primarily about the immigrant experience, but Kalpanik is extremely observant and has an eye to look for the unusual, notice what stands out and build humorous side of people, places and his own life.

Wonderful! I am specially moved by his bitter-sweet love story at the end.

Here are some poster size photos and calendars from the book:

Scenic City and Boat Photo Poster
University of Washington Photo Poster
Seattle Secenic Sunset Photograph
Thonging At the Beach
San Francisco Scenic Union Square Photo Poster
Nashville Tug Boat on Cumberland River Photo Poster
"Playing Guitar" Photo Poster
Pike Place Market Photo Print
Beach Hotties Poster

Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (04/08)

Kalpanik S. is an artificial imagination software program. He has a wife and two daughters and resides somewhere in the United States. I candidly say "somewhere" because one never knows where he will be next. Constantly moving to accept interesting positions with software corporations, Kalpanik does not let moss grow under his feet. Born twice, once in 1988 and then again in 2002, Kalpanik was not just an ordinary Artificial Intelligence program. He was created to be different, to feel and imagine like a real human. He was his own character, a graduate Computer Science Engineer.

Beginning with San Francisco, the story leads the reader through the many adventures of Kalpanik. After losing his job in San Francisco, he moves to Seattle, the comparison he draws between there and Silicon Valley is hilarious to say the least. He talks about the rain and the weather changes as opposed to California. How he hated parting with his California drivers license and how gently he was treated by the understanding clerk.

From there to Nashville like a wandering soul, he tells about the demographics of his new digs in Tennessee. Similar to a tour guide on a bus, he describes the different attractions and scenic beauty of each point of interest, giving the reader a humorous commentary. He even includes comparing the Chinese restaurant to others he has been in. He explains that while in such a restaurant one day, he noticed that all the servers were Caucasian. He had never noticed Caucasians in any Chinese restaurant working as servers, in any place he had ever been. This had to be the first one of its kind. The Nashville tour finishes off with Kalpanik comparing the ethnic percentages. Coming from a city where a high percentage of people were Asian, he had a bit of culture shock when he came to Nashville and saw that it wasn't Asian but African Americans that was the cultural dominant. After Nashville, he finds himself in San Diego; a California city more to his liking. He tells of the seventy miles of beaches and how they spread as far as the Mexican border. His description of "Mission Beach" (complete with picture) is straight out of a travel folder.

"Artificial Imagination" is a funny and well-written book with some very good photography peppered into its 176 pages. I enjoyed the unique way in which it was presented and gave it a very good grade of an A. I would recommend it for a good read for the general audience.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2USTIRIOO9LZP Kalpanik's writing is down to earth, funny, witty and smart. He chronicles his journey of self-discovery with an amazing detail and humor. His coverage of the various places he has been to--UC Davis, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle and Nashville-- was informative and enjoyable, and so were his jokes around them. I recommend this book to anyone looking for light reading, specially busy professionals who do not have time to read a whole book in one straight session but want to read one entertaining a chapter at a time.

This was one of my favorite titles by this author. The characters were both interesting and sympathetic. I routed for them to get together. It was a really good read.

I got this book because I loved reading Jill's "Out of this World" and was happy to see that it was almost as good.
Of all the chick-lit books I've read, this one is top 3 best in it's category.
I was glad the main character didn't waste any time listing the name brand items she owns or going shopping every time something wouldn't go her way. Sheesh! Name dropping is SO annoying! I wish other authors just kept it to themselves: We get it, you can spell Prada and DKNY, good for you!
Not J.S., she focus on personal emotions and relationships that actually matter to the storyline.
Hey Jill, I am waiting anxiously for your next book!

AUSSIE RULES by Jill Shalvis is the endearing tale of a high-flying, independent woman and the Aussie who broke her young heart years before. Surprisingly, he might just be what she now needs to stay grounded. ***** Melanie Anderson's entire life has always revolved around flying, even if it is on occasion flying by the seat of her pants. At 26, she is the owner of Anderson Air, her very own charter service. Unfortunately, her business and the other businesses in the airport she manages are barely scraping by. Mel works extra hard to keep things running, because the handful of employees she has are like family to her. The woman who practically raised Mel and owner of the airport, Sally, has gone missing leaving Mel with huge responsibilities. Just when Mel doesn't think the situation could get worse, it does. Bo Black returns to town. He was the object of Mel's affection years earlier and then he broke her tender heart and left. As if Bo's return isn't bad enough, he brought with him the deed to the airport. He claims that Sally lost the airport to his late father in a bet making him the current owner.***** Bo doesn't waste time trying to track Sally down, he believes she may be in possession of some extremely valuable property of his father's. He is also quick in attempting to rekindle a relationship with Mel as the cute sixteen-year old girl he left ten years ago has grown into a beautiful, sensuous woman.***** Mel's nature is to protect her heart since it has been broken so many times by those she cared for she is very slow to trust and even slower to love. Bo is a determined man and eventually Mel's resolve begins to soften. Will Bo be able to convince her that he truly wants her and not just the secrets that are hidden at the airport?***** Jill Shalvis has the incredible talent of creating characters who are intelligent, quick-witted, and gorgeously sexy while giving them just the right amount of weakness to keep them from being unrealistically perfect. The secondary characters in AUSSIE RULES are strong enough to be requisite to the story, but they do not overpower Mel and Bo or the feelings that they are discovering for each other. Readers witness Mel's painfully damaged emotions soften and grow for Bo and will admire Bo's sweet sensitivity to Mel's feelings.***** AUSSIE RULES is a book that I will be rereading in the future it has all of the characteristics that earn Jill Shalvis her very own row on my keeper shelves.

Melanie "Mel" Anderson manages more than just the North Beach Airport in California; she helps her employees and her business partner with their scrambled lives. To Mel this is her family though she misses her surrogate mother the airport owner Sally, who disappeared a few years ago.

Australian Bo Black owns the deed to the airport and plans to take control of it. He wants to find his father's missing plane and regain what should have been his except Sally conned his dad when they briefly married. However, his plan goes awry as he needs a revision because all he wants to do is sleep with the enemy who to his amazement he loves; even more shocking is Mel reciprocates Bo's deepest regard while everyone else thinks they make strange bedfellows while wondering if it is AUSSIE RULES or Yankee control.

The key to this fun contemporary filled with eccentric characters is the background North Beach Airport seems normal so anchors the delightful story line from veering to far from the tarmac. The war between Mel and Bo is fought on several fronts elating the audience as they skirmish in the skies, on the ground, and in the bedroom. Though the climax seems to gentle of a landing for such a zany soaring tale, Jill Shalvis rules with this fine battle of the sexes.

Harriet Klausner

Aussie Rules by Jill Shalvis is a witty, fun and sexy book.

Melanie Anderson lived to fly, nothing gave her the rush, the control and the freedom that flying did. Flying gave her the security that she has lacked all of her life. Her coworkers are her family and she will do anything to protect them. Suddenly her neat and orderly world is turned upside down by the return of her youthful crush, Bo Black.

Bo Black, pilot and plane restorer has come back to North Beach to claim his inheritance and clear his late fathers name. Bo is convinced the former owner Sally Wells stole from them and smeared his dad's good name. Only problem is convincing fiercely independent Mel of the truth and keeping his hands off the all grown up woman.

Mel and Bo both want answers, each feels that they are in the right. As they search for the truth someone wants them to leave well enough alone.

Aussie Rules, I feel is Jill Shalvis's best work to date. The characters are well written, flaws and all. Bo is a delightful Alpha male, he knows what he wants and goes for it. But he is willing to show his tender side to protect those he loves. Mel is a strong willed woman, her past has made her who she is today. She is so leery of Bo can he be for real? Once she lets go her whole world opens up.

Jill Shalvis writes keepers. The chemistry between the characters burns up every page. The secondary characters add such depth to an already knock out book.

Anyone with a serious interest in the late Habsburg Empire, Austria-Hungary, or Viennese culture should probably read this erudite, encyclopedic study. Johnston deserves praise for taking on a challenging subject. His extensive research and learning are obvious in the bibliography, notes, and the many names rescued from oblivion (many probably discussed here in English for the first time). Parts of this book are outstanding. That being said, I do not share the enthusiasm of other reviewers. In his search for overarching cultural forms or attitudes (such as "therapeutic nihilism"), Johnston makes too many sweeping generalizations, reducing individuals and their actions to sociological categories or cultural stereotypes. The people he describes often seem like caricatures. Not everyone in Vienna was neurotic, death-obsessed, or a dandy on the Ringstrasse. At one point he makes the far-fetched claim that the Hungarian language, by its very structure, causes Hungarians to become dreamers, disinclined to scrutinize reality. Johnston pigeonholes individuals by their ethnicity, religion, or nationality. He emphasizes conflicts among the different peoples and groups in the empire, but says little about the cultural cross-fertilization that also took place. He does recognize that the multilingual environment inspired reflection on the problems of language.

This is essentially a history of intellectual movements (who taught or influenced whom), not a social or cultural history, as the title might suggest. It does not say much about the politics of the era or the broader society (the section about Hungary is an exception). Johnston is at his best and most informative in discussing economists, legal theorists, and philosophers. The sections about philosophy and social theories are perhaps the most interesting, showing a range of thinkers, some of whom were very prescient concerning the future of Austria and Europe, and whose theories ranged from the utopian to the pessimistic to the sinister.

Johnston falters with literature and the arts. He treats Johann Strauss Jr. and his music in a rather dismissive way, seeming to overlook the fact that Strauss was a very good composer whose works quickly became popular all over the Western world and are still enjoyed more than a hundred years later. (For a better discussion of operetta as a cultural form, see Peter Hanak's book on Budapest and Vienna, "The Garden and the Workshop"). An artist as important as Oskar Kokoschka is quickly passed over in a few short paragraphs, conveying no sense at all of how Kokoschka's work developed and changed during his long productive lifetime. Other artists and works (Kolo Moser and the Wiener Werkstatte design studio, the operatic collaborations of Hofmannsthal and Richard Strauss, Ernst Krenek) are not mentioned at all. This is too bad, because the art and music of this period are perhaps its most lasting legacy. By contrast, the stature of psychoanalysis has declined since the 1960s, when this book was written, and the presentation of Freud in particular seems dated.

Some details: Johnston does not translate any of the many German titles he cites, a disadvantage for those who don't read German. He often refers to the "Herrenhaus," the Upper House of Parliament, without explaining the term. He mentions Marcionism many times, but defines it only after more than two hundred pages. Ditto for Herbartianism. Readers should have some background knowledge before starting, and be prepared to question some of the author's analysis and conclusions.

This book is packed with detailed information, and we learn a great deal from it, but somehow the full color and complexity of life have gone missing. Its strength is in the details, not the synthesis. We do not come closer to understanding the forces behind the unique cultural flowering of Central Europe, and of fin-de-siecle Vienna in particular. The prodigious creativity of that place and time remain as mysterious as before.

This is a wonderful book for all intellectual historians, and cultural historians interested in fin-de-siecle Austro-Hungary. It's a tour de force if ever there were one! But it manages to remain accecible at the same time.

Also, while many have written about Freud, Wittgenstein, Schiele etc., Johnston talkes about the lesser known figures of the era. That is this book's niche.

Johnston's book may not have everything that you ever wanted to know about the intellectual and cultural life of Austria-Hungary under the Hapsburgs, but if ever a single volume came close to having everything, then this is it. It has discussions of not only the "usual suspects" like Mach, Freud, Wittgenstein, but it also provides coverage of important figures in economics (i.e. Carl Menger, Schumpeter, Hayek), jurisprudence (i.e. Hans Kelsen, Karl Renner, Anton Menger), men of letters (i.e. Musil), philosophers (i.e. Schlick, Neurath, Lukacs, Buber, Ebner), music (i.e. Mahler, Schonberg), and many, many other important people. Johnston's book also covers other less well known but important figures too. For example, he covers Hans Gross, a pioneer in the development of scientific police detection.

Anyone who has already read such books as Allan Janik and Stephen Toulmins' *Wittgenstein's Vienna*, Malachi Hacohen's *Karl Popper: The Formative Years 1902-1945* or even, Edmonds & Eidinows'*Wittgenstein's Poker*, will appreciate this fascinating and well written book.

This book is worth every cent, an amazingly well written and concise history of the culture, from all angles. I can't recommend it highly enough.

For anyone interested in the artistic, philosophical and psychological impact of Viennese culture, this is a must. Freud, Wittgenstein, Schiele, etc. Prof. of History at U. Mass., Amherst, Johnston writes clearly and with enthusiasm. See also his illustrated _Vienna, Vienna_.

Mr. Hamner writes about his family and their love of animals in a way that is entertaining and heartwarming. It is hard to imagine that the setting for this book is the great urban sprawl of Los Angeles. Mr. Hamners way with words is also a big plus. I hope that you look it up in your bookstore or library, as I believe you will enjoy reading "The Avocodo Drive Zoo."

As an animal lover I could relate to many of his pets. It is a book that would be enjoyed my many age groups.

I am an animal lover and will probably give this book to my mother for Mothers Day. Mr. Hamner really knows how to tell a story.

With this book, Earl Hamner proves that he can write as entertainingly about his adult life as he has written in the past about his childhood. Hamner's life in Hollywood is a "howl" and I do mean "howl." Read it and you'll see!

Everyone who admires and loves Earl Hamner, will love this book. It is a real good insight to his life after he leaves the Mountain for New York City and then on to Hollywood California. Being an animal lover myself, I just love his stories about the different living animals that where in their lives. It starts with his meeting Jane and it is their love of animals from there on in. How they both taught their children the same love. Also He made the family of both seem so real I felt I knew them. The humor was quite effective and I found myself laughing out loud. Quite different from his other books. I know any fans of Earl Hamner will just adore this book. I am sure everyone will want to pass it on and after reading it, they will want to search him out and have there own copy signed by Earl. You can find him in Schuyler Virginia at the Museum for "The Waltons' Series" check the web site www.the-waltons.com Most Sincerely and with Love Dorothy Phillips