Greens Books

Neruda delivers an uninhibited glimse at human emotions and panges of life in this collection of poems. Neruda jars the soul by explaining in simple verse, how tragic life can be. The reflections and odes collected in this work are a superb display of the skill Neruda has. Residence on Earth is a compilation of poetry from a mature poet who willfully takes risks, and carries through with beautiful prose. Nerudas candid emotional stylizations convince one of the feeling of being consumed by the poetry itself. Neruda is boundless in structure. The easy style allow for the reader to atempt to understand the abundant imagery and symbolism contained traditionally within Nerudas works. One must read this compilation, as one would consume a fine port wine, or richly decadent chocolate-with trepidation. Time to reflect and savor the splendor of this poet is most definately required.

Best surrealist poetry ever written in Spanish. Period.

Moreover...the third part where Neruda turns to his more political poetry is a good preview of what he will expand later in "canto General".

what else can be said about Neruda. He is a genius.

So many poets explore the conditions of the world, attempting to form them together into a theme or idea. Neruda takes the opposite tack, the course of the true dreamer; he takes themes and ideas and tries to form them together into a real world.

The paradox of Neruda is the earthy quality of so many of his poems combined with the idealistic imagery. Neruda was a common man living the life of a folk hero in his own mind, who by placing that life into poetry became a folk hero of substance. He captured the hearts and minds of an entire generation of Chileans, spanish-speaking peoples, and eventually the world. And for good reason. Neruda believes in the power of words. He is a master of image placed into language, a visionary linguist in every sense.

Unlike so many English and American poets, you don't need to be an expert on Greek mythology or on other poets to understand where Neruda is coming from. This is a poetry of the people, accessible to the many, and yet effective enough that it should melt even the most stodgy teacher of English lit.

The third section, written many years after the first two, explores many political themes, as opposed to the more personal images evoked in the first two sections. It's too bad, as I personally enjoy the first two a little more. But even so, it pointed towards new directions that Neruda would explore in his later, more mature works. Yet maturity or no, this is the Neruda that I found most eminently readable, most capable of evoking a sense of obscure appreciation that I can't quite put my finger on. Neruda's poetry is not always as specific as so many authors, and so allows the reader to weave the perfect amount of personal perspective into the story or vision being woven; the words and ideas here can be interacted with on an individual level, rather than simply accepted as good or bad. It's hard not to get carried away with yourself at times: to float above the linguistic quality of the words and forget that Neruda might, at times, be writing about something in particular.

Genuine yet beautiful and ethereal, Neruda stands on his own as one of the most innovative and evocative poets of the twentieth or any other century. And here is one of his greatest works.

I love this book. I bought this book when I first started riding. I spent hours looking at the pictures and re-reading the text. It covers everything from choosing a stable to show prep. I would highly recomend it for any young begginer.

This book was written very well and has helped me a great deal. You got to get it!! Also if you are a horse lover and are going to take lessons this handy dandy guide will help you out.

I bought this book for my daughters, aged 6 and 8. While they've been interested in horses for many years, they didn't start formal lessons until this year. As a horsewoman of many years I've been pleased to share my interest with them, and wanted to give them a good starter book. This is perfect for that.

The book has only 65 pages, but with its large size and wealth of photos it does an excellent job of communicating a large amount of information. It covers a number of topics, including: chosing a riding school; basic tack and equipment; various gaits; jumping; trail and road riding; grooming and stable care; food and feeding; horse and pony health; showing your horse; and other basic equestrian principles. There is also an excellent glossary and index to round out the book.

All in all this is a great introductory book for kids up to teens, and if your child has expressed an interest in learning more about horses and riding English, this is a good book to buy.

Whether you are a grandparent reading this book to younger children or giving it to older children to read themselves you will be "hooked" yourself after reading the first few pages. Your heart will be warmed by the characters and the adventure will carry you from chapter to chapter. The values demonstrated as the story progresses will be the best examples children could possibly read about. I read the book cover to cover!

A story within a story, Ruth Ann and the Green Blowster is one of the most imaginative children's books to surface in a long time. Ruth Ann is more than just the protagonist--she really exists. The story was originally written over eighty years ago for Ruth Ann deValley by Frances Beebe, her mother. Years later after both had passed on, Ruth Ann's daughter, Kathy Luders, brought the forgotten story out of its cupboard drawer, dusted it off, edited and prepared it for publishing.

Perhaps the most poetic aspect of the book is that it centers on the death of Ruth Ann's dog, Dukey Daddles, and his consequential visit into "High Country" (Heaven). Frances Beebe seems to be using the story to connect with her daughter and granddaughter from her own version of High Country.

The story begins on the day before Ruth Ann's birthday, as she wanders around aimlessly, longing for Dukey Daddles' company. She stumbles across a discarded whistle in the grass. To her astonishment, it begins talking to her! Much like the infamous Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz, Whistle Stick needs a bit of grease to make his joints work again, and he enlists Ruth Ann's aide in obtaining the magical salve. Thus begins the adventures of Ruth Ann as she takes on a new companion, discovers the monstrous Green Blowster hidden deep in the forest, and travels to High Country to find Dukey Daddles. The pair encounters a vast array of characters, each lending a unique hand in the search for Ruth Ann's lost dog.

The simplicity of the time period is evident in the writing, with interactions between humans kept at a minimum and a rare connection to nature permeating the pages. Perhaps this is what allows Beebe's creativity to flow freely with truly inventive characters. It is regretful that Beebe was not a published author while she lived, as she surely would have made some valuable contributions to children's literature.

Armchair Interviews says: Ruth Ann and the Green Blowster is a heart-warming story that revives the wonder of childhood.

After reading about the origins of this humble, unassuming little story, I decided to pick it up and see for myself how this personal creation straight from the heart could turn out. I've just finished with it, and I have to say that I'm downright blown away.

"Ruth Ann and the Green Blowster" combines ideas that have been done before and mixes them into a very original blend. The story concerns a young girl, Ruth Ann, whose dog, Dukey Daddles, has recently died and gone to "High Country", which is a fantasy world floating in the sky. She visits High Country herself to try to meet her dog, and along the way, makes friends with some anthropomorphic creatures while embarking on numerous adventures.

One of Ruth Ann's traveling companions is Whistle Stick, a stick broken off of a tree who had once been used as a whistle, who grumbles and complains a lot and offers humorous sarcastic observations. Her other, Lonesome Snake, is a snake who had been sent into High Country after being killed by a mule, and just wants to find a place where he can be happy. The two companions bicker back and forth with each other while Ruth Ann cheerfully bears their grumbling and sometimes tries to make peace. Along the way, they meet many other eccentric characters, such as the Singing Lantern, or St. Bernard, the leader of the Heaven for Lucky Dogs.

It's a delightfully playful romp, but it's also a rather adventurous tale with surprising undercurrents of menace. I don't wish to spoil any of the fun surprises, but there's a lot of danger and excitement in the story, handled by the heroes in creative and fun ways. Former enemies become friends, and Ruth Ann keeps her head up even when dealing with Enemy Birds who wish to stone her, the cruel army of Pinheads who want to burn the Singing Lantern, and other hazards. All this while realizing she's working under a time limit, and if she should fail, she would be stuck in High Country forever! At the end, all of the loose ends are neatly dealt with and no previous element of the story is forgotten, making the finale very satisfying.

The book is a real page-turner. As I read it late at night each day, I couldn't wait to return to it the next, until I had finished it. I can say that about very few books, and I must say, even if the co-author, Kathy Luders, was afraid this story might be too personal for the public to relate to, I think it's amazing. The sheer personality of the whole story is precisely what makes it so much fun.

Definitely give this book a try.

This book is a political biography of Scott Nearing, focusing on his life before his homesteading experience in Vermont. The research and degree of detail that Saltmarsh presents are extensive. In order to allow understanding of the context of Nearing's times, Saltmarsh describes many of Nearing's contemporaries, and goes into great detail about many of the controversies that Nearing stirred up. Original sources are cited in the extensive end notes. The book also includes a few black and white photographs covering Nearing's entire life, a Nearing bibliography, and the list of sources that Saltmarsh used in preparing the book.

When I first read Nearing's Living the Good Life, I wondered long and hard about who this Nearing was, and what was his motivation for undertaking such a project. I wasn't sure how to relate to authors who had abandoned an undescribed life in New York City to live in rural Vermont, and when they mentioned that they wrote books for cash, I wondered what kinds of books they wrote- -travel books perhaps? After reading Saltmarsh's biography of Nearing, it made much more sense. Saltmarsh describes what a well known political figure Nearing was, how he was fired from university positions for preaching against child labor and being a peace activist in a time of war. Saltmarsh goes on to describe how Nearing ended up in the Communist party, and then was thrown out for being an independent thinker. This is one of the strongest themes that permeates the book- -how Nearing developed and followed through on his economic and political ideas independently, all with a deep religious basis. With these facts in mind, Nearing's later work becomes even more sensible.

One striking aspect of Nearing's early life as a radical was how much freedom of speech and academic freedom on campuses has changed since the time when he was dismissed, perhaps in part due to the battles that he lost. True, we still don't have perfect freedom of speech, but conditions are a lot better now than when Nearing became the American first university professor to lose his job because of his political activity. Looking back, would someone like Chomsky have been able to be so outspoken against the Vietnam War if Nearing hadn't fought his battles for free speech during the First World War?

One sad aspect about Nearing's life that comes through in this book is his inability to listen to his own children. Years ago, I read the book Behind the Urals by John Scott, having no idea that John Scott was actually Nearing's son. In Behind the Urals, John Scott describes how he went off to the Soviet Union in the 1930's as an energetic idealist, and how he gradually came to view the Soviet Union in a much different light. In this book, Saltmarsh tells us that Nearing would never accept Scott's criticisms of the Soviet Union. Despite John Scott's 10 years of personal experience in the country, Scott Nearing always thought he knew better. Was this inability to listen to others a general characteristic of Nearing, or did it only apply to his children? Saltmarsh leaves this question respectfully open.

Reminds me of Scott's widows book which should be read first.It covers their life,even how he chose to die...a form of self-immolation.Saltmarsh has given some new front matter to his title,first published almost 10 years ago...with a quote from Alan Ginsberg..l line accurate portrayal of S.N.,I visited Forest farm after Woodstock.

What does one say about a book that details the life and thoughts of a man who was one of the last of a breed of lions? That this is a wonderful biography, full of fresh impressions of a man who typified what the word "character" means. These days we have plenty of celebrities who are characters, but Scott Nearing had character. Scott Nearing was that rare and precious kind of man who actually stood by what he believed in, making his actions consistent with his beliefs, and doing so paid a terrible price for shouting against the insanity of the 20th century. Were we ever to look for good models to socialize our young with, Scott Nearing would be at the head of the line, standing shoulder to shoulder with other better known men like Gandhi, as wonderful models of what meaningful adulthood can look like.

I first learned about Scott and Helen Nearing in the late 1960s from a friend who was interested in learning more about the back-to-the-land movement of subsistence farming. Like many of the other baby boomers infatuated with anything different and unusual, I quickly steeped myself in the lore of the Nearings. What I found has long since fascinated and amazed me. Scott Nearing was an idealistic and outspoken reformer teaching at the University of Pennsylvania before the First World War who was suddenly removed from his position because of his strong and public opposition to the shames of child labor. His long and tortured personal odyssey from the moment of that removal seemed destined to cast him further and further from the center of the political firestorm raging in this country and closer and closer to nature and an alternative lifestyle. Finally by the early 1930s, in the midst of the Depression, he and his young wife Helen arrived in rural Vermont to buy a ramshackle old farm and attempt to live a more deliberative, purposeful, and balanced lifestyle that was consistent with their philosophy and social politics.

This is a well-written, accessible and eminently readable book by an academic who has done all of his homework. From interviews not only with Nearing late in his life, but also with many other contacts with everyone from his wife Helen to his sons from his first marriage to a staggering list of luminaries who knew Nearing and his work, Mr. Saltmarsh weaves a substantial and comforting country quilt of a portrait of a man who lived a life of principle with integrity, good humor, and compassion. Scott Nearing stands as a modern American icon from whom we can all learn a better and more satisfying way to approach our own lives and our won personal responsibilities to the wider community surrounding us. This is an absorbing and worthwhile boo, and one many of your friends would come to treasure after being introduced to this Spencer Tracy look-alike who so influenced a whole generation of younger Americans now living the 'good life'. Enjoy.

Though written for an audience in the UK or Britain, the concepts in the book are applicable in any industrialized country. Douthwaite pulls no punches in defining sustainability, basing it in part on his work in The Growth Illusion (1992/99) and the book is fundamentally about short circuiting the global structures and developing a local functional sustainable economy. I particularly enjoyed the rationale for including a local currency. (This despite the fact that the type of local currency chosen for his community eventually suffered the same fate as most LETS systems worldwide, still his reasons for using a local currency are compelling - Google Bernard Lietaer/Gwendolyn Hallsmith Community Currency Guide for a great local currency design workbook)

The concept of conventional economics focusing on the firm vs. the community and family is the primary reason we see so many communities go for trying to lure a major corporate savior (at fantastic expense in foregone tax revenues and numerous social, environmental and economic costs) instead of trying to develop a sustainable standalone economy. Douthwaite states it all so clearly and simply but so many of us are so caught up in the lemming-like race to the bottom that we don't even see what is happening around us.

If you work on economic development in any way this book is a short, simple read with an eye-opening message and will help you understand why following the herd is not working.

For years, I wound my way through the literature of critique. Any honest assessment of our current situation will result in pessimism and cynicism. To grasp the nature of our environmental, demographic, economic, and ideological trajectories is to look insanity and collapse square in the face. But eventually, one must turn from critique to creation. This is what it means to have a social imagination: the ability to understand the present and envision realistic possibilities for the future. And social imagination is what is almost completely absent from our present situation. Instead, we have ridiculous techno-optimism, reckless free-marketeerism, and jingoistic flag-waving. That is why Richard Douthwaite's book is so impressive. It is an incredible blend of intelligent criticism and embodied social imagination. Unlike so many works on the ills of society, which are usually 95% analysis and 5% half-hearted wishful thinking, "Short Circuit" devotes ample space to solutions that are in place right now. He chronicles the many efforts by regular people to recapture their economies and their resources from sprawling, globalized systems. Read in conjunction with E.F. Schumacher's "Small Is Beautiful" and Michael Shuman's "Going Local," this book is one of the three pillars of contemporary decentralism. Decentralism is the logical end-point for serious thought on the perils of globalization. Buy this book, read it, re-read it, give it away, and then repeat.

Irish economist Richard Douthwaite has written this excellent book as a handbook for people who wish to start rebuilding their local economies to protect their communities from the risks of being tied into a fragile global economy. The fundamental changes we need to make are to use local resources to meet local needs and reduce our dependence on the world economy for either markets or raw materials.

Following introductory chapters covering these matters, there are activist chapters detailing things that can be done to gain greater self-reliance. These are the establishment of Local Exchange Trading Systems, locally owned financial systems, locally-based energy generating and saving schemes and low-external-input agriculture. Accompanying these tangible changes will be more cooperative commercial attitudes.

Each chapter has case studies that give contact details for those interested in pursuing the ideas in the book. This is an essential book for those who are interested in how one can transform the world by doing small but radical things.

I LOVE this book. I bought it to use as a journal and the pages are well bound and thick enough to write on both sides without the ink showing through. I highly recommend this book for art or journaling or both like I did! :)

The size and design of this sketchbook is perfect for tossing into the back of your car or truck, tucking into a tote bag, or slipping into an oversized purse. It also lends itself well to an illustrated journal, which is why I bought it for myself... two, in fact, as I'm sure I need to practice and polish very rusty sketching skills! Affordable, portable and (I'd think) giftable, though not recommended for water color. It's a sketchbook with pages that will not take much moisture (even dry brush), and I don't think Prismacolor markers would work either, as the colors would definately bleed. For colored pencil, charcoal, graphite or pastel pencils, though, it should be perfect!

Sketchbook is priced well and also has a cover that self-supports. No need for travel desk or other support.

I love to read Timothy Green Beckley's books late at night, and that goes especially for this one. Each story gets better than the last one! He is one of the most underrated authors of our time. Mr. Beckley ranks right up there with John Keel, and Brad Steiger. His stories about UFO's and their occupants always run chills up my spine! He is one of the few investigators that visits the scene(s) and knows how to report it in a way that that is truly classic. I would love to see him write movie scripts for Science Fiction!

ARE FLYING SAUCERS ON THE ATTACK? I have been interested in the UFO mystery for about twenty years after I had a sighting of my own of three disc shaped objects manovering in the sky above me. Outside of Brad Steiger -- who hasnt written a lot on the subject lately -- my favorite UFO authority has to be Tim Beckley (who edited the popular publication UFO UNIVERSE for l2 years and now edits the Conspiracy Journal on the www). Beckley's works are often thought of being sensationalistic by some of the more conservative members of the UFO community who think its scientific to try and track down lights in the sky...while Beckley is more interested in the weird things UFOs do and who might be on board. Here are some of the strangest stories ever written on UFOs; but TGB does offer some fairly good documentation that these are not hot air balloons. In particular, I liked the story of the giant UFOnauts seen in Brazil; and for those who are familiar with the fact that UFOs have a strange effect on our sources of power, there is able evidence that they might have even caused the massive power blackout along in the East Coast back in the 60s. He even prints several photos taken at the time the lights went out. This is a good read for anyone into the subject.

IF YOUR INTERESTED IN TALES OF ALIEN BEINGS SEEN ON EARTH then this is definitely the book for you!I have been collecing and reading up on UFOs since the days of Keyhoe and Adamski. I've even had a few off beat experiences of my own, but nothing can compare to the accounts Beckley has collected over this more than three decades of interview UFO witnesses.Here are stories the average reader will find hard to believeif you have a bit of skepticism about yourself. The first account in the book -- dubbed the Stranges UFO Case of All Time -- is really fascinating. Its like the two girls who experiences these weird phenomena were traveling THROUGH TIME. UFOs and strange beings seemingly followed them as they drove down a darkened highway through several states...thinking they were loosing their minds.Then there is the vegitable man who attacked a good old boy from West Virginia and left him utterly senseless...and the three women from Kentucky who found the automobile they were driving in actually levitating into the air into a giant circular mothership.This is a book you wont put down until you have read every last account..Oh yeah, there are the shadow beings to contend with and the crawling lights in Oregon that chased an entire family out of their home into the dead of night.Nothing like most other UFO books -- there isnt a boring encounter in here...that I can guarantee!

Really book for game theory and contract theory. The author does a really good job of explaining the theory with examples that are easy to understand.

Joel Watson has done a terrific job introducing game theory. Beware- game theory is not for the light hearted, this book does contain some very dense mathematical proofs etc. The hardest part of the book is understanding the mathematical proofs for the main ideas of game theory. Once the mathematical foundation has been layed down it is very easy to follow the main concepts such as nash equilibrium, bargaining solutions, etc. Watson writes in a very relaxed and informal fashion, which is very refreshing. If your professor requires this book for class you should not worry, this is one of the best books on the market.

Comment to the last review: This book is an excllent txbook, especially when the prof teaching this class is Joel Watson himself. Very interesting prof he is.
The book is very useful and easy to follow.

Time has changed. A few years ago, few people knew about sustainable design and construction, green buildings or LEED. Today, sustainable design and construction has gone mainstream. How do we know? We actually have clients asking us to design a LEED certified building or do a sustainable landscape design. Architecture and landscape architecture are knowledge-based, service-oriented professions. Architects and landscape architects have to catch up and become experts in sustainable design and construction, green buildings and LEED to be able to provide the necessary professional service to the clients.

"Sustainable Landscape Construction: A Guide to Green Building Outdoors" is one of the best books on sustainable design and construction. It covers 10 principles of sustainable landscape construction: keep healthy sites healthy (preserve topsoils and existing trees, minimize construction damages, etc.), heal injured sites, favor living, flexible materials, respect the waters of life (understand, protect and restore wetlands, restore rivers and streams to full health, collect and conserve water, reuse gray water, etc.), pave less (reduce paving, reduce runoff from paving, use porous paving, etc.), consider origin and fate of materials (Use local, salvaged or recycled materials, avoid toxic and non-renewable materials, etc.), know the cost of energy over time, celebrate light, respect darkness (lighting efficiency and light pollution control), quietly defend silence (various ways of noise control), and maintain to sustain (alternate to mowing, bio-based maintenance products, etc.). Each principle is demonstrated with case studies and followed by resources for further studies.

"Sustainable Landscape Construction: A Guide to Green Building Outdoors" has 416 pages and many line drawings and interior black-and-white photos. It is one of the most comprehensive books on sustainable landscape construction.

This book is very lengthy and full of information, but unlike typical textbooks, it is not overly 'heady' nor boring... Each chapter is quite long (50 pages approx.) and the words are quite small, yet you can sit there for four hours straight and still be interested in what is on the next page!? The only thing that would make this book better would probably be color pictures (there are a good amount of informative pictures, yet they are all black and white). Great book for anyone in the construction industry...very interesting!

an excelent overview of the sustainable approaches to landscape design, a good basis to start thinking and acting sustainably in the landscape

Incredibly researched book filled with little known information that shows the ongoing pattern of manipulation of the US by Israeli leaders since it's inception, and even before it became a state. Irrefutable with impeccable references and footnotes- should be required reading by all students of history.

A very interesting, well written, in depth look into U.S. relations with Israel from 1946-1967. Green covers keys points in Israel's short and violent history in an attempt to better inform the public about many key issues from Zionist recruitment during the War of Independance up to the incident involving Israel attacking the U.S.S. Liberty without provocation during the infamous 6 Day war with the United Arab Nations. This is an excellent read for anyone either seeking more information on U.S. policy towards Israel (via detailed history of key events) or those studying foriegn/global policies involving countries in the middle east. I highly recommend this book!

This book is a complete, well researched history of the secert US relations with Isreal. The detail and precision of each account is amazing. Stephen Green gives life to the rumors that have been echoed thoughout US post WWII history. His non-partisonship prohibits, in his writings, the bias` that some Western people have toward Arab nations. This book is a great lead into his LIVING BY THE SWORD.