Earth Books

Barbara Spring's The Dynamic Great Lakes is a primer on the ecology of the Great Lakes. Written simply and clearly, this relatively short work begins with an overview of Great Lakes ecology and geology. It then takes us on a tour of each lake, highlighting both the natural ecology and environmental problems of each. She concludes with an overview of the 21st century challenges the lakes face, and a challenge to us all to work for their preservation.

Like a good teacher, Barbara repeats herself patiently and expresses herself simply so everyone will understand. The charm of the book made it easy to overlook a few minor inaccuracies. And, in the end, I learned a thing or two, which is probably what Barbara hoped for.

The five great lakes are between the boundaries of Canada and USA. The book describes the lakes, one by one with lots of details. The great lakes are the most important liquid water reserve. Each lake is different. There are ecosystems like nowhere in the world. We have to protect them. The lakes are not usually well known, so with this book, you discover a fantastic area !!

I have a great interest in saving our environment. The only way to do this is through knowledge. I am thankful to the authors that bring their vast knowledge to the reading public.

This book is a masterpiece, filled with fascinating information and references. Barbara Spring has done an outstanding job of bringing her love of the Great Lakes to others. I have been watching the return of the bald eagles to New England. What a wonderous sight to see them soaring overhead after an absence of many years. This was made possible by active ecologists and hard working nature enthusiasts. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about saving the Great Lakes. I feel that this book should be a required read for science classes.

I would recommend this book to anyone who lives on or near the Great Lakes or to anyone interested in preserving the environment. The author taught me as much about the havoc the modern world has strewn on the natural world as she did about Superior, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Erie.

Many of us know very little about the five Great Lakes other than perhaps being able to name them. As Barbara Spring states in her introduction to her outstanding primer The Dynamic Great Lakes they are "a flowing river of seas left behind by Ice Age glaciers and are nearly twenty percent of the world's supply of fresh surface water; the world's greatest freshwater system." The ecosystem of this great body of water is very complex and unfortunately due to pollution and the fallout of modern industry and agriculture they have gone through a gradual transformation.

One of the unique characteristics of this compact book is that it is written in a language devoid of esoteric explanations. The eight chapters of the book reflect the author's teaching and journalistic aptitudes in knowing how to unravel the mystery of the Great Lakes and the many painful dangers it has faced and continues to face.

Each of the five Lakes is introduced with a brief synopsis of important elements distinguishing one from the other such as: elevation, length, breadth, average depth, maximum depth, volume, water area, retention time, population and outlet. From this point of departure the author deals with the various changes that have taken place as well as the various major issues affecting the Lakes. There are also brief descriptions of the various animal life found in each of the Lakes and how they have been affected by pollution and the appearance of harmful species, such as the Lamprey Eel.

However, we are also reminded throughout the reading of the book that "people power" can have an effect and if we band together and make our voices heard we could exert influence in reversing some of the harmful trends that have caused ecological disaster. For example we are apprised of the situation that occurred in relation to Lake Erie. In 1969 a tributary river of Lake Erie, the Cayahoga, caught on fire due to being heavily coated with oil and debris. As a result, the Federal Water Quality Administration launched a one and half billion dollar municipal sewage treatment program for the Erie Basin which included the five surrounding states: Michigan, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.

The conclusion of the book most appropriately reminds us that: "we are all challenged to use our knowledge, creativity and common sense to keep the Great Lakes great. Can you think of ways to think globally and act locally?" We are also warned " life on earth is only possible as long as our limited life support system works."

Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures.com

Babb's simeons are scary as hell. They like to eat humans and aren't particular about how they do it. The battle scenes in Babb's book are easy to visualize. That's what I like about Earth is Ours. Amy has a few surprises for Levi as they get to know each other, and that's amusing, but when the humans overwhelm the simeons the book really starts to cook.

Kevin Gerard - Conor and the Crossworlds: Breaking the Barrier

Kevin Gerard - Conor and the Crossworlds, Book Two: Peril in the Corridors (Conor and the Crossworlds)

This book is amazing. It was so easy to fall in love with the characters and I was unable to put this book down as it seemed that I was there as the battle was raging. Gary Babb put great detail into this book. His ability to switch from the male perspective to the female perspective was interesting as well. Looking forward to reading Target Earth!!

Being a Terry Goodkind fan it is sometimes hard to read others.(just my opinion) but when i read Earth is Ours...i realized that there is another author with an open mind that can find a way to intergrade the male and female mind and make it work...Help them keep separate identities yet act as one....Earth as Ours takes fantasy one step farther and makes it work....Read and enjoy this author.....Babb's next book is just as exciting...take my word for it...read and enjoy...

What started as a desperate need to just give up and surrender to what seemed to be the hopless inevitable, soon turns to a bond between mind and spririt in a world where technology has been rendered useless.
I highly recommend "Earth is Ours" for both men and women. The action is non-stop and the characters are well defined. Its a novel of self-discovery beginning at the most basic emotional levels. Grief gives way to the rage of revenge, then a hope for the future that gives its all for the passion of love.

Winner of the "Best SciFi/Fantasy 2005" prize of the San Diego Book Awards, Earth is Ours is an epic science fiction novel set on a world that aliens have stripped bare of technology. A self-aware, female computer and an American Indian man dying of old age must join forces for the sake of mutual survival, yet before they can battle the aliens, they must struggle against each other to determine who they will be jointly. Their conflict of minds gradually evolves toward tolerance, cooperation, and love - and they will need each other's full cooperation and strength to have a prayer of freeing the human race. An action-packed, fast-paced saga, presented alternately from the perspectives of the two heroes, Earth is Ours is highly recommended. A sequel, "Target Earth", is forthcoming.

Evolve is a great book to help people understand about 2012, spirituality, love, the current financial system, and the divine plane. It does this with easy to read stories and moves forward with information to help you realize your soul plan. The spiritual truths in this book are just a stepping stone into deeper truths.

I give this book 5 stars! I found this book quite profound, yet surprisingly simple to understand, using stories as analogy at times to relay the point, creating an experience of understanding for the reader. For a complete interview with the author about his work, please visit Abundance Alley, the internet radio show on blogtalkradio.com, and look for the show with Dale Sarna (Sept 2)and his follow up show on Sept. 23rd, 2008, to get a better understanding of how Evolve came to be! This is truly worth the read!

Sincerely,
Laurie Carty
Host of Abundance Alley

'Evolve' takes the reader on a wonderful journey within. Thanks to this book, well thanks to Dale Sarna for writing it, I have been compelled to continue my inner search for love and truth. 'Evolve' came at just the right time, just as I felt myself drowning in hopelessness, to remind me not only that I AM on the right path, but that I only have more great things to discover. I am moved. I am inspired. I am grateful. Thank you Dale. So much.

Evolve is a very simple-to-understand book that integrates the author's personal growth with some of the spiritual truths he has learned along the way. It will make a wonderful first-read for those embarking upon the journey of making some order of sense out of the plethora of 'spiritual' texts out there today.

Charity Lei, Author
Etherica--Unveiling the Energetic Realm for Mastery of Your Physical World

The are perhaps too many books in this genre for the potential reader to be able to find the "gems in the rough". This is a true gem. The subjects written about, the actual information and perhaps most importantly: how it's written makes this a serious 'must read'. To make a difference with a book, IMHO, your 'message' must be conveyed in a form that the reader find interesting, living and easy to understand. Something I think this book does very well.

Raising vibrations and understanding love in it's most universal form are important if we want to evolve as humans and spiritual beings. You'll improve your understanding of this and more by reading Dale's work.

I know I did.

Not long ago, after having read many books on Buddism and meditation, I began to think that maybe the whole idea of a personal, loving God or Father was a myth of my own making... Our making... A fabrication we needed to survive... An opium of the masses. Although I gained much from reading on Buddism and meditation, I found I just didn't want to let go of the idea of a personal, loving Father with a plan for my life. If this is your hope too, read this book. His encounter with God is honest, unpretentious, and truly mystical. I no longer have any doubt.

This is an unsentimental book that takes you into James Thornton's sacred world and allows one to form or deepen one's one world. He does this with short, easy-to-digest chapters, and in fact I love reading one or two before bedtime. The depth and breadth of wisdom is unique and joyous. He writes, "There is always the terror of stepping out of our old protective skin. But a new one will reliably extrude itself . . . Our heart is broken open, again and again, until it is big enough to hold the world." So, you see, beautiful writing and beautiful wisdom. If you are a person who hesitates to buy books about the soul, fearing new-age trends (I am one of those people who does not go in for cliched new-age topics), please be assurred that this book is not trendy or maudlin. It is a profoundly joyful book, and Thornton's natural vignettes are thought-provoking and calming and illuminating.

There is nothing else out there like this book. It is the Bible for the new millennium. It brings together the deep truths from the world's religions, makes them up to date, adds the only Genesis story that I've ever heard that makes sense to me, and leaves me feeling very very positive. This is a truly important book.

I`ve already turned to this book for wise counsel in stressful times and it has really helped. I have friends who want to borrow it but I seem to refer to it every few days so I plan on making birthday gifts to those who really need the natural and positive messages. We really need this book these days!

I read this book because I strongly believe in reading opinions I disagree with. And in the end, I do disagree with some of Thornton's conclusions. However, I have to admit that this is one of the most insightful New Age texts I have ever read. It was very challenging on a personal level, and I learned a lot about myself while reading it. Thornton is certainly thought-provoking, intelligent, and a capable writer. If you enjoy New Age books, you should definitely read this one. If you do not, you should give this one a try. Few books about spirituality get better than this.

This book was helpful telling the story of how the tadpole changes to a frog

From Tadpole to Frog is a great learning experience for little ones. I would recommend this book for any child, 4-??? The service from Amazon is great. That is the only place I purchase books anymore.

Dana Hodges

Great teaching tool for kids. My 3 and 5 year old loved it. They pretend to be tadpoles turning into frogs. I loved that it gave facts and was easy for the kids to remember and understand!!

I highly reccommend any and all of the "lets find out" books. Excellent teaching tools which hold a child's interest.

This is a nice book with attractive artwork that describes the two-year life cycle of the American Bullfrog. As a Stage One book "From Tadpole to Frog" uses simple sentences and concepts that are appropriate for toddlers, preschoolers, and young children up to about 8 or 9 years of age.

Besides a description of the Bullfrog lifecycle, and the 'where Bullfrogs can be found' map, there are pictures with brief descriptions of 5 other frogs, including the Leopard, Pickerel, Wood, Spring Peeper, and Gray Tree frogs.

Four Stars. Good artwork on every page. The color runs from edge to edge. Okay Read-aloud. The Bullfrog is interesting as even the tadpoles hibernate for one year. Nothing objectionable in my opinion; although I should note above that there is a brief mention of reproduction. [I mention this as some parents have concerns and have told me they appreciate such notes.] The book, in any case, says the following about frog reproduction:

At night you hear "Ba-ra-rooom... ba-ra-
room... ba-ra-rooom...". The males are calling
to their mates.

The female hear the call.
The male hugs his mate. He fertilizes her eggs as
she lays them in the water. Thousands of soft
jelly-covered eggs cling together in the cool water.

The artwork shows the frogs hugging, and neither art nor wordage was inappropriate or graphic, in my opinion. Certainly my children didn't think anything of it.

The AR reading level is given as 1.6 which means this is a book for a child in the second half of the first grade. While professionally assessed, this mom thinks quite a few first graders will need some help because of the vocabulary. More difficult words include: hibernate, thousands, whistle, creatures, stretching, fertilizes, speckled, and capture. Words they might not be familiar with are: mate, female, male, breathe, gills, and cling.

When I read the title of the book, I was immediately interested in reading the rest of the book. The beginning of the book is sort of boring and has lots of details, but after you get into the story line you begin to feel for the characters, and you realize that they have gone through alot to get here. This book is based on the authors journey to america, and includes many of the hardships that he went through as well. I would recommend this book to any one who wants a feel good book to read on a rainy day, and if you like the first one there are two more books in the trilogy: "Peder Victorious" and "Our Fathers God." Have fun reading these exellent novels!!

Very,very boring in the beggining but then turns out to be pretty good, actually great. I thought it was going to be a horrible book at first because we had to read it for literature class. But read it, it is good!

I couldn't stop reading this amazing book once I had started. There is a intricate mixture of folklore, fantasy, and the cutting reality of life in the days of the pioneers. There was something almost haunting about the power that the untamed land held over the characters in the novel. Rolvaag writes his characters with a lucidity and truthfulness that is almost on a mythical level.

Very,very boring in the beggining but then turns out to be pretty good, actually great. I thought it was going to be a horrible book at first because we had to read it for literature class. But read it, it is good!

This is a book that I return to year after year. It is a triumph; you will laugh and cry with these people who are truly the godparents of all of us who live in this country, regardless of our race or culture. It's about struggle, yes, but also about success and failure and life and death. It's about family and community and if I were asked to recommend one good book to read on a wintry night, this would be it.

I swear Clarke Snell wrote this book for me - or at least for people like me!! - non construction folks, but handy with a hammer. You won't be able to build your house with only this book, but he presents a very user-friendly introduction to all the requisite concepts, then offers a wonderful reference section for more great info. A very realistic approach, and a very approachable writing style. Other green writers I've found to have a more textbook cadence, but Clarke Snell sounds as if he'd jump right in and help you. Thanks!!

This is a great book to introduce the topic of building strawbale, cob etc. homes. The wonderful point about it is that it details the pros and cons of each building style and lets you compare each method carefully so that you are able to next select a more detailed book about a particular style.
It has beautiful colour photos and lots of information. Highly recommended.

Isn't it nice to dream of being able to build your own home...especially an environmentally "friendly" one!? I am learning so much about houses in general from this book, let alone alternative building. It is well written and has beautiful photography. My husband & I may never get to build our own home (or we may!) but we can sure enjoy the dream in more vivid detail because of this book. I think it should be required reading for politicians, city planners & the like!

Superlative well-balanced, insightful, entertaining, stimulative text, superlative graphics/layout with an abundant and marvelous and beautiful and very effective array of color photographs, superlative resource section, superlative physical book quality including stay-open binding.
If you're thinking of building a house or if you're interested in alternative housing possibilities (solar, etc.) or if you're interested in the topic of housing in general or if you'd like an ideal coffee table book, you will probably find this book a delightful fulfillment.
(Thank you, Amazon, including reviewers, for helping me to discover this book.)

Very comprehensive book which expertly and clearly details the differences between natural/sustainable methods and ideas versus conventional methods. The book makes an incredible cases for natural building and the philosophy of sustainability. After reading this book its hard to understand why you wouldn't want to build a house this way. On a personal note, this book has been inspirational to me as an undergrad student trying to get into an architecture school and train to be a sustainable architect. Also I'm coming from a traditional carpentry background and know that the things Clarke Snell is writing about are right on the money.

Philipp Lenssen's GOOGLE APPS HACKS provides a collection of hacks and tricks to offer different ways of customizing Google Apps, from its email and spreadsheets to some of its desktop applications such as Google Earth. Owners of Google Apps learn all about document sharing, embedding web pages into Google Calendar, adding photos to its mapping system, and more.

I really enjoyed reading this book and found many useful tips to enhance the Google search experience. Some of the things I already knew about, like Picasa, Google's photo organizing software. Other Google features were completely unknown to me until I read this book.

One reason I think this book works is because the author is young, born in 1977. Most of the technical book writers are old guys who go back to the first generation of personal computers, which was two years before author Philipp Lenssen was born. The author definitely brings a young attitude towards using Google, tweaking it and making it your own.

Book level: Advanced computer user. Not for the beginner.

While this book wasn't chock full of the kind of insider information that you usually get from a "hacks" book, it did offer a lot of good information that I haven't seen altogether in one place. Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably aware of all the different tools that Google is making available: from Google Docs to Gmail to iGoogle and more. This book does an excellent job showing how to use these tools and how to get more out of them than you probably thought possible.

The book spends the first 4 chapters going through the various applications within the Google Docs family--which is essentially an online, non-Microsoft version of the Office suite. Subsequent chapters are then dedicated to Gmail, iGoogle (a customization of the Google home page), Google Calendar, Google Reader, Picasa, blogging, Google Maps (and related programs), and analytics. Even with all this information, there are still Google applications that were left out--but I suppose that is to be expected, otherwise this book would be well above its current 400 pages.

I found each chapter to be well written, and I felt that each "hack" was something a real user would try/want to do. The author includes lots of screen shots and includes extra HTML and javascript within the text where appropriate. The author goes so far as to show (in a few cases) some 3rd party applications that rival the Google offering. For example, in discussing Picasa, the author shows some non-Google alternatives.

I thought this was a great book that was well-written and easy to follow. It opened my eyes to many of the possibilities that currently exist within Google products. If you're looking to get more out of your Google experiences, this book is highly recommended.

The word 'Hacks' implied secrets, insider information, or the ability to do something others cannot. I checked the index before I bought it. I wanted some insight on how to program my own Google Apps. I thought this book had some. But there was really nothing useful for a programmer here. The book gave little more than what you can find online in tutorials. Nice book in terms of explaining what Google Apps are and how to use them in a Google domain, but no insider information here.

I happily take advantage of a number of Google applications such as Gmail, iGoogle, Google Calendar, and a few other things. But there's more to the Google Apps family than that, and I know I'm not getting all I can out of the offerings. After going through Google Apps Hacks by Philipp Lenssen, I have a number of new tricks to try out both on stuff I already use as well as a few other apps. Fun stuff!

Contents:
Meet The Google Docs Family; The Google Docs Family - Google Documents; The Google Docs Family - Google Spreadsheets; The Google Docs Family - Google Presentation; Become a Gmail Power User; Customize Your Google Home Page; Manage Your Events With Google Calendar; Keep Up On News With Google Reader; Manage Your Photos And Videos With Picasa and YouTube; Create Your Own Home Page, Blog, or Group; Dive Into Google Maps, Google Earth, and Sketchup 3D; Google Analytics And Beyond - Market Your Site, Track Visitors
Credits; Index

This book follows the same format as other O'Reilly Hack titles. For each of the chapters, you get a number of tricks, or "hacks", that show you how to do things that may not be intuitively obvious. There's a difficulty meter after each hack title that gives you a clue as to whether its something that is easy to pull off or something that takes a degree of technical skill. The first couple of hacks in each chapter tend to be introductory in nature. They explain the package and get you started. For instance, the first hack in the first chapter is "How to Get Your Google Account". Likewise, the first hack in the iGoogle chapter has you adding Google tools to your iGoogle home page. The hacks get more in-depth after that, such as "Backing Up Your Email" or "Create Google Maps Overlays On the Fly". I personally was intrigued by some of the possibilities in the Google Spreadsheets area. "Add Live Data to Your Spreadsheet" was interesting, as was "Automatically Complete Lists of Related Items". That one is completely unexpected, and shows the power of integration with the Google search engine results. There's also a way to import data from web sites into a Google spreadsheet. That has some particular interest for a project I'd like to do. Finally, there was a *really* cool hack to show how to track packages via RSS using Google Reader. That one will be getting some significant use with my next Amazon order...

As with all Hacks titles, some items will be absolute gems for you, while others will hold no interest. That's OK, and it's to be expected. All it takes is one or two hacks to make a radical change in the way you do things. In terms of usefulness, Google Apps Hacks ranks up there with the best of the Hacks titles.

This is a very good geology book. The American west is hideously complicated, and Mr Meldahl does a great job explaining it. He develops his concepts and uses aerial and satellite photos along with diagrams to illustrate. Being young and hence having completed his education recently, he brings to the text all the latest ideas and vocabulary.

And it does look as if we are getting a solid handle on it. His discussion of the horizontal subduction of the Farallon plate, and of its extra thickness suppressing vulcanism, was particularly timely. Just yesterday I read a story on Science Daily (dot com) about an area of Alaska lacking volcanoes. The authors of the paper gathered data indicating that the plate being subducted there posessed an extra thickness and was sliding along horizontally without actually sinking. I knew exactly what they were talking about, thanks to Hard Road West!

Many such prizes exist in the text. Read this book to get up-to-date on this complicated topic.

In 1985 the PC game "Oregon Trail" became available. My daughter and I played it when she was in grade school around 1988. I learned that about 135,000 people took the Oregon Trail. Mr Meldahl tells us that a total of 400,000 people took the California Train and Oregon Train together from 1841 to 1869 when the railroads went through. That leaves around 265,000 gold rushers. Was it really the greatest mass migration in American history? (preface pp xv) An average of 300,000 vehicles passed over the George Washington bridge every day in 2002. (NYSDOT 2002) You be the judge.

But why quibble? It is the journey that interests the author, and he uses his sources well. The many first-person quotes really were good, as were the contemporary illustrations.

So let's join Keith in raising a toast. I'll open a Heineken in their honor, and his, tonight. "Hey, I liked your book, man!"

As we make our way west Mr. Meldahl enlightens us not only to the features we pass but how we ourselves came to inhabit our planet. As we absorb the latest gripping geology we imagine with regret how much this knowledge would have pleased the pioneers. I know and love many of these places and now my excitement is magnified by this narrative. The inclusion of the photo of his dog Scout is one of the author's brilliant human touches. The merging of interjected historical records, romantic and unromantic impressions of travelers then and now with broad but incisive academic detailing into an even flow of narrative is astonishing. Superb drawings, maps and photos supplement and enlighten the text. I cherish this book. John Weiler

If you like geology, you will love this. Not a quick read and all the better for it. This discussion of how the West was formed makes the travails of the travelers West in the mid-nineteenth century seem superhuman. Every other chapter enlivens the material with excerpts from emigrant diaries. These are memorable! The book is well sourced,has helpful photographs and drawings and has a glossary of geologic terms. I found it hard to put down and even inspiring.

I did not know much about geology when I started, but I knew a lot after reading this lovely mixture of history and enthusiastic, clearly explained geology. The book is also a pleasure to hold and read. Excellent [though 'auriferous' has nothing to do with iron- 'fer' [aquifer, conifer]and ferr' are different roots].But that's trivial!

This is a really good book, a great read. The author is a gifted writer and he beautifully weaves the tales of the emigrant travels to California with the landscape geology that they had to cross. I am a big reader of geology books and this is one of the best that I have read. With all due respect to Mr. Mcfee who pioneered this genre (and I have also read and enjoyed over the years), I think this book is at least as good and maybe even better. First of all, Hard Road West uses numerous pictures and diagrams to explain complicated geological principals which are invaluable for understanding the geology. And Hard Road West lets the emigrants themselves tell the story though their travel journals. Its a wonderful approach and makes the geology jump out of the page as you follow the emigrants almost step-by-step through their many travel hardships crossing the west to reach California. He is a really fun writer and I look forward to many other books by him in the future. Highly recommended.

I am a existential psychotherapist and have been seeking the way for myself and others to lead a being vs. having lifestyle.Thank you Mr. Chard for showing me the way.This book is so well written and has such a powerful message it should be the prerequisite reader for anyone interested in the newly formed ecotherapy movement.It is also written so that both the professional and lay person can benefit.His preface alone was great!

I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor, spiritual seeker and avid outdoors person and I have been looking for a way to bring these aspects together. Phillip Sutton Chard's book "The Healing Earth" has shown me the way. Chard not only applies psychological insight to the practice of psychotherapy but actually uses nature as the "therapist." His case studies illustrate how nature has the power to heal and change our lives, validates our own experiences and empowers us to use the natural world in the practice of psychotherapy. Chard's book redefines "sanity" as if the whole world mattered.

This book deserves much more attention. I intend to recommend it to my career coaching clients. The author emphasizes that we don't always figure out what we need by "mouth aerobics." Getting out and experiencing nature will help us find where we are.

As psychotherapist Philip Chard beautifully and compellingly writes in his deeply touching book, The Healing Earth, "all of us are looking for home." After reading this book, I am filled with a sense of awe at the many lessons Mother Earth can teach us about our lives and ourselves. I am sure your soul--your true home--will too be touched in a profound way as you read his words, experience his poignant and effective exercises, and renew your connection with the earth. I loved this unique and exceptional book! Enjoy these pearls.

Reading this book brings forward some of my most wondrous moments with Mother Earth. One cannot be touched by the Grand Canyon or a 360 degree turquoise and magenta sunset without being changed forever. I have always known that my "spiritual home" exists outside in the fresh air amongst the perfection of flower faces. Philip Chard shares these feelings and more, and does it so eloquently.