Earth Books

This large book is the ultimate dive reference book. Encyclopedic in scope it covers everything you could possibly think of from underwater archaeology to preserving artifacts and surveying underwater sites. Also included are answers to many basic and advanced SCUBA questions you may have!

I could not find this book anywhere until I ordered it through amazon. And when I say no one had the NOAA dive manual I mean no one, my favorite dive shop listed it as out of stock so did Barnes and Noble and Hastings where all out of stock with no definitive stocking date.But as soon as I looked at Amazon.com for the publication they had it and shipped to me very quickly.I was very impressed, so thanks again Amazon.com for your professionalism.

This book not only outlines diving processes and procedures, but also the scientific principles behind them. It is by no means light reading, but it you are looking to enhance your knowledge about diving, this is an excellent reference point.

I purchased this book to give me more information on the science of scuba diving for my Dive Con and Dive Instructor courses.

The book gives detailed information on the gas laws, decompression theory as well as information on various forms of diving from contaminated water, tri mix, nitrox etc. The book is very well written and very clear.

If you are interested in get truly advanced knowledge of the effects of scuba diving on the body, I would highly recommend this book even though it is a little on the expensive side.

You can find all the explanations you need for those difficult issues related to diving. Excellent presentation, Beautifully illustrated. Easy to understand. If you want or need to go farther in your understanding of diving, you should get this book.

This is a very small book. I had no clue it was what I would call a pamphlet. The instructions of the few projects inside are wonderful and the pictures are perfect, there just is not much there. When you look at the insie of the book and hit surprise me a couple of times, you have seen the entire book. It is less than 50 pages. It's best asset is the photos, particularly the piece building sequences.

Such a fun book! Christi is highly entertaining. Her lovely personality comes shining through Loud and Clear!!! I have a great time pulling out these books and following along with her step by step. I am always very satisfied with the results. And usually I am not a step by step kinda person. I am more of the no rules/color outside of the lines kinda gal but, Christi makes it fun to follow along! I can't wait for the rest of the series. So far I've made a few frogs, a dragon, a sea-horse, and some flowers, vines and foliage.

I recommend the entire series. Even my young nieces and my mother-in-law creating projects from these books!

This is a very cute book that is so funny and enjoyable to read and study. I would love to meet and get to know this author and artist in person. What you learn in here is laced with so much humor it makes it so much fun to learn the techniques. It was the first time I read instructions all the way through for anything!!
I'm a diver and this gave me so much inspiration to do some ocean figures.
Also, fantastic condition for a used book. I saved lots of $$ by buying them through Amazon, used.

I love this pamphlet. The projects are beyond cute and the author has a sense of humor that makes the instructions clear and humorous. I intend to buy the series.

Having just received this book, I just wanted to say how fun and different it is from most polymer clay books. This is the first of the series of books from this artist that I have bought.
I haven't had my clay out for a few years but it's coming back out now! I have so many ideas for gifts for my friends and family. This artist has written a great book to stimulate the imagination and if you don't have one, you can just use hers. I am very happy with this purchase!

My husband gave me the book, and I read it within a few days. It is entertaining, informative, and grabs your attention. I thought I knew much about sea turtles, but this book truly opened a new world to me. I especially liked how Carl Safina discusses the conflicts between humans and turtles in developing countries, and shows ways to find compromises between turtles and humans so both can live. This is certainly a bok I will read a second or third time.

Safina gave a public lecture at my university (near where he grew up on Long Island) last year about Leatherbacks.* He speaks with even more passion than he writes! We purchased a number of (signed!) copies of Voyage of the Turtle and Song for the Blue Ocean.

Safina joins scientists, fishermen and conservationists from all over the world to learn about the turtles. He accompanies, to name a few, a shrimper off the east coast of the US, turtle counters on remote Pacific islands, swordfishermen near Canada, high-tech biologists in Monterrey Bay, and so many more. It is an incredible adventure laced with stories of the animals, people, science, cultures, politics, myths, technology and nature that Safina encounters. It is really as much a story about humanity as it is about turtles.

The book is simultaneously depressing and uplifting. It reveals the horrific and heroic things humans are capable of. Much of it is simply shocking: the number of sea animals, including turtles, that died for every shrimp you eat is outrageous; Leatherbacks that nest in Mexico spend their time in Japan; changing the shape of a fishing hook slightly can save 90% more turtles; etc.

The turtles' situation is dire, like all other conservation issues. Safina weaves many conservation themes together, while not being "preachy." This would be an amazing book to read in a biology class at any level.



* Safina capitalizes all species' names in the book, and now it seems simply wrong not to capitalize the name of one of the greatest animals alive.

I have always loved sea turtles and Safina's book has left me with a greater appreciation & desire to see these wonderful animals protected. This book is written so that it is both informative and entertaining. Carl Safina's insights, perspective, and style are really engaging. The language he uses to explain his travels to the reader draw one into the world of the sea turtle. I am so impressed by Safina's devotion to the environment and his ability to express himself in words, that I have recently purchased Eye of the Albatross and Song for the Blue Ocean (also by Safina) from Amazon.com!

This is an amazing well written book about a fascinating subject. It is a story of hope for not just the turtles but for mankind.

The human diaspora across the planet has been Nature's most jarring event since the Cretaceous. Not since an asteroid slammed into the Caribbean 65 million years ago has anything exceeded what our species has done to upset the diversity of life. A mysterious group of animals, leftovers from that bolide, is revealing its secrets to enquiring scientists. The sea-going turtles, whose peregrinations around the world's oceans, are revealing new information about their enigmatic lives. Carl Safina followed the turtles and the people studying them to describe the findings and what they mean. This brilliant account reveals turtle life and the threats they endure.

After reminding us that only seven species of sea turtle remain, Safina visits the Caribbean to describe the great Leatherbacks coming ashore and nesting. Emerging through the night's surf, she finds a particular spot, one which may require more than one attempt, then with her back to the site, uses her rear flippers to blindly scoop out a hole to drop her eggs. Safina describes his wonder at her ability to do this without seeing the effect of her digging. Not all turtles manage this without mishap, and in a few cases the caring observers do the digging for her. In either case she drops her eggs, covers them with sand in a way to camouflage the spot, then returns to the sea. From the surf line, she swims away to some unknown destination. When the eggs hatch, the surviving young follow her to the sea. For the males, it's the last time they will feel land under their flippers.

The destination long remained a mystery until tagged turtles began appearing thousands of kilometres away. Safina joins a boat seeking Swordfish over the Canadian Grand Banks as a means of finding the giant turtles. Leatherbacks plying these waters are of Caribbean origin. Those females feed on Cannonball Jellyfish along the Carolinas before shifting north, later to cruise the vastness of the Atlantic to the Azores. It's a fabulous migration, but there are bigger surprises in store.

Along the eastern Pacific, Leatherbacks and other species were once common. Nature's most voracious predator has sharply reduced their number, chiefly by removing eggs just after they're laid. Villagers consumed or sold them in vast numbers. After a tour of a miniscule beach nesting site in Costa Rica, Safina meets with various students of turtle habits. He flies with Sandy Lanham and Laura Sarti to count turtles on the Mexican Coast, where lengthy beaches no longer experience turtle numbers that once was the case. To learn what has happened to them, Safina must cross the Pacific to Papua on the west end of New Guinea. With researchers working in the area with local people, he learns of ways poverty-stricken villagers can be employed to assist in saving turtles. Here, where humans might have first contacted the Leatherback after over 100 million years without a serious enemy, turtles exhibit their vulnerability to our predatory ways. The Pacific Leatherbacks are beset by those who don't even intend it. Longliner fishing boats string over 1.4 billion hooks per year on lines running to 90 kilometres length. The hooks snag flippers or are swallowed with lines. Turtles need air, just like us, but drown before the lines are brought up. Exact statistics are hard to come by, Scafina notes, but the evidence points to these boats as the most destructive force to turtles after egg poaching.

The author notes, however, that cures are available to help restore turtle populations. Beaches in some nations are declared "off limits" and patrolled. New hook designs that catch fish without snagging turtles have been developed, but need universal application - a difficult task with conservative fishermen. In Florida, shoreline communities have learned to douse lights to protect nesting sites - otherwise the hatchlings cannot find the sea. Incorporating local help has proven effective by showing how tourism and controlled collection can bring in more money than simple predation produces. In some species, there have been gains in new populations. Are the rising numbers significant? They apply only to certain species and locations. The greatest obstacle is the issue of turtle maturity, since breeding adults may take a human generation to start laying eggs. It means patience, dedication and continuing watchfulness on conditions are required. An elusive factor is what effect climate change will have on beaches and the sealife the turtles need to survive. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

I was familiar with Kala as a very talented interviewer and teacher, and I have long been aware of mystery schools--though not seen it recently spoken of in popular reading. Still, when I picked up "9 Life Altering Secrets" I was rather surprised by the volume of information introduced/reintroduced in this small book.

For the neophyte, the path is aptly opened; for anyone 'long on the road', the new perspectives or reminders are equally beneficial. Kala's book is so packed with information that one must 'sit with' that it took me quite some time to savor.

One of Kala's insights that I most enjoyed, was the perspective that we are surrounded by the energies that we put forth in our thinking. If we cultivate this surrounding field with negativity, that is what we breath in--perpetuating our negative experience of the world.

"9 Life Altering Secrets" has many more gifts to offer.

I am thankful to Kala for bringing these schools of spiritual introspection back to the forefront...and for sharing from her own learning and insight.

CG Walters author of Sacred Vow

This book is an introduction to the willing student who is truly open-minded and interested in learning to connect to the magical energies that surrounds us. Kala Ambrose explains, in nine easy steps, this spiritually rewarding process:

From Lesson 1, where she explains that we are here to learn and grow, and that which we haven't learned we repeat until we have fully experienced the lesson; To Lesson 9, in which she sums up her teachings by allowing the student to become aware that "all is revealed in the journey, not in the destination."

Her tender thoughts and words of wisdom go beyond the traditions of reaching the mind and extend to the deeper subconscious where the soul rests.

Reviewed by Jolie Breeden for RebeccasReads (8/08)


This book offers lessons to be learned - many more than the promised nine - to anyone traveling a path to spiritual well being. Whether those lessons are truly "life altering" will depend on the reader's path and how long they've traveled, but even the most road weary will find something of use in this unassuming primer.

The nine lessons touted in the title are simple concepts, attributable to many major religions, but most recently aggregated under the umbrella of the "new age" movement. In the book's introduction, Everything Old is "New Age" Again, author Kala Ambrose tells readers it's not her intention to teach them anything new but to remind them what's been taught for years and what they already know on a soul level. The lesson's that follow - universal magic, thought creation and manifestation, oneness, the soul beyond the self, existing in the now, and absence of evil - aren't groundbreaking, but instead deliver a certain type of clarity that's usually attained by being deftly reminded of something you already knew.

Those exploring what's commonly referred to as new age thought - which Ambrose calls esoteric teachings and points out are actually very old - for the first time will find "Nine Life Altering Lessons" an easy, accessible entry into alternative belief. The simplicity of the structure, the language and the teachings themselves are easy to read and understand. Those already familiar with the basic concepts might find this a useful book to help remind them of truths that are easily forgotten in modern society. Either group can glean insight from Ambrose's words, either by reading the book end-to-end or in random bursts.

The guide, however, isn't without its drawbacks, one of which is Ambrose's constant reminders that, as a newcomer to this school of thought or a "Neophyte," as she calls it, the reader cannot possibly hope to obtain the full benefit of the teachings. Those reminders, coupled with equally plentiful caveats that the full-strength versions of the lessons can't be committed to paper, might leave the readers - especially those doubtful at the outset -- feeling as if excuses are being made should they fail to actualize the teachings in their own life.

Not that Ambrose is wrong to note that salvation - despite the overblown life-altering promise of the title - cannot be found in a book. Always, she makes it clear that she's written the guide as an entry into spiritual exploration and not complete encapsulation of what needs to be known. So even when that cautionary language verges on condescension, those searching for meaning could do worse than to pick up "Nine Life Altering Lessons." If nothing else, they will alter their outlook on ideology.

9 Life Lessons by Kala Ambrose

This book explains about esoteric teachings and clarifies that the teachings are available to everyone, but especially those with an open mind and heart. There are many "pearls of wisdom" as the author mentioned, throughout the book that enlighten the reader and help to reveal the mysteries of the universe. I was very curious to find out what mystery schools were and also learned that I was a Neophyte, or a student who has just become aware that they may be more than what they previously considered themselves to be. The book is a pleasure to read, with beautiful language and a deep sense of calm and peace. A favorite quote of mine: "Some call me a teacher. I like to say I do not teach, rather I help souls remember who they are."

Where do I start? How about, from the bottom of my heart thank you Kala! I finished this book a while ago now and it has had, and continues to have, deep and profound implications for me. I was going to write this when the positive changes started to peter out or stop but they just keep on coming. What did I learn? In short, I discovered self-love. And it is truly transformational. Without love you feel like a hungry ghost, I've been searching (and discovering) for such a long time without any, or very little, permanent change. I would discover something, that good feeling would be fleeting, or I would know the information I'm learning is truly wise, however, like a ghost it would just pass through me. Love has the most potent seed of, dare I say it, life-altering power imaginable, and it is this book that gave me the breakthrough I really needed. To those who can relate to these words I can't recommend this book enough.

Moyer writes a book for children that is laced with compassion and insight. Her stories are based on her own life experiences and her young children's grief. Her daughter struggles with feelings of grief associated with the loss of her father.

Later in life Moyer adopts twin newborns just after their natural mother dies. Her life experience gives her tremendous insight into parenting children who have lost a parent.

Both stories offer hope and are told with compassion and from her heart. It does not take long to see that her true motivation stems from an ability to view the deceased parent with respect and from a desire to help those in a similiar situation. The drawings add a soft pictorial visual and were drawn by Moyer's own daughter.

This book has a uniquely different design where each cover represents a different story. The common theme is about life, death, respect, acceptance and the ability to move forward with hope and understanding.

Moyer's book is one of the few that will stay on my daughter's bookshelf for many years to come, as it serves so many purposes in her life. First, there are the beautiful illustrations that accompany the story. Drawn by Moyer's daughter, these pictures delicately accompany the text and make the subject matter more personal to a child. As my daughter loves to draw and create on paper, such illustrations have already served her well for drawing scenes that are important in her own life, as similarly done in this book. Second, the story serves as a springboard for open discussions of death and departure, either in a literal or figurative sense. Whether it is a parent dying or a favorite gymnastics coach leaving, such departures are devastating to a child. It's only made worse by the absence of discussion and the opportunity to explore that loss. Moyer's book provides this opportunity wonderfully. As a parent and as a teacher, I found these two books heartwarming, sensitive, appropriate, and necessary for any child's (or adult's) library. Death and departure happen to all of us; we do not need to be afraid of what is so very natural. It comforts me to have this book to aid me in my discussions of this very real topic with my daughter. Thanks, Ms. Moyer, for your contribution to my daughter's life.

The cover illustration of this book caught my eye. But, the tenderness and spirituality of the stories, told from two perspectives, captured my heart. This book is not only appropriate for those who have lost a loved one, but also for those of us who may not know how to deal with others who have lost someone special. This is a very lovingly written and illustrated book that should be on the shelves in schools and libraries -- it is not only a wonderful resource, it is a heartwarming book.

This gently written, beautifully written book takes a lot of the fear out of the concept of deatha and injects spirituality in a very loving way. It is a wonderful book and will prove helpful to people not only coming to terms with the death of a loved one, but for folks who want a comforting way of describing death to a very young child or for someone seeking comfort during the loss of a loved one. It is a very special book that will remain in the hearts of readers. It is a book that belongs on the shelf and in the mind and heart of all persons. This book is exceptional.

From a mother who has recently lost her husband, I bought this book for our young son. It is a wonderful book, particularly being true stories, it is something the children can really relate to. The picture illustrations are great for a young child and it is very easy reading. I could not recommend this book higher. I thank Bernadette for writing the book for all of the chidren around the world, it is just wonderful.

A friend picked this book up for me when she noticed it said druid and herbal. It was cheap so I thought I would give it a try, it has yet to disappoint me. I have slowly been reading it for a while and find that it has moved from a random book in my library to one of my top must haves. Easy to read and from a librarian's point- the layout is nicely organized. A wonderful reference book to learn about the sacred times of years and some insight into the history and herbs for each.

I was asked to place my review of this book as part of my own studies with the Henge of Keltria. This is one of the books you are given the option to study in their correspondence coursework which I am finding very personally satisfying.

I have owned this book, or a copy of it, since it was first published. What attracted me to this book initially was the fact it was on herbs. After having read it a few times, including this last read, I find it an invaluable a wonderful resource not only for herbal lore, but also for actual usage for healing. This makes it an excellent resource for both the herbalist as well as the Pagan/Druid. Allow me to summarize this lovely tome for you.
The book opens with a wonderful invocation to Brighid. I have used this invocation for a number of different reasons from ceremonial invocation to prayer. Truly a blessing. The book is organized by chapters with the first covering what a Druid is and isn't, how to's and definitions of various herbal preparations, moving on into seasonal celebrations (Pagan associated times of the year), a bit of astrology and plants connections and on into information on groves, circles, marriage, blessings and rites of passage.
I cannot say one chapter is more a favorite than another, but I am partial to the Samhain and Imbolc chapters myself merely because those are favorite times of year for me. This book is not laid out by herbs found at certain times of the year, but by the use of herbs ceremonially at certain times of year. This is not to say those herbs are used only at that time of year, but in the Druid path they are more typically associated with these seasonal celebrations. For instance we see mention of Yellow Cedar, Ash, Bay Laurel, Blessed Thistle, Chamomile, Frankincense, Holly, Juniper, Mistletoe and Pine all discussed at the Winter Solstice chapter. I did find it interesting that she uses Irish lore to teach and relate the tales of these festivals throughout the book. This makes it excellent for those who seek knowledge with a more Irish perspective.
After going through seasonal recognitions and herbal uses both medicinal as well as magical, she moves into Druidic uses for these herbs medicinally as well as continuing to mention the magical properties. Next she moves into the astrological and planetary alignments of the herbs presented. I did not see any new herbs presented here but she did use herbs that were mentioned before and now associated with the astrological correspondence. Her following chapters all involve rites of passage be they marriage, puberty, death or others. There are no new herbs presented but the ones already mentioned are reinforced in their uses for these various rites. I do love how she opens each chapter with a bit of history or lore as well as Bardic poetry.
The book ends with a lovely concise pronunciation guide, resource guide and excellent bibliography that will allow a reader to pursue further studies. All in all, Ellen has written a very nice introductory book to herbs of the Irish as well as their uses for various healing or ritual aspects. I have and will continue to recommend this text to students of herbalism as well those seeking to know about herbs of use in various types of rites of passage. This book is an invaluable resource for its many facets it presents and does so very clearly and concisely. There are many more herbs, but this book focuses on those that are useful to people on the Irish path as healer or pagan.

I like Druidry and i like Herbcraft. So, when i read this book ,it was a wonderful surprise.As expected ,it's a specialised reading,for those of us in the Craft.So,if you do not like druidism,yet enjoy studying about pagan use of herbs, you may be only half satisfied.Or if you enjoy Druid rituals,minus the natural herb aspect,you might be turned-off .I guess anyway.Yet,you may learn something about the complete Druid experience.The synergy of these two distinct subjects into one cohesive book,is an excellent united topic to explore.I gave this book the full five Druid stars.Enjoy!

I just got this book last summer, long after it was originally written, so though I am a johnny-come-lately to this work, that doesn't diminish my appreciation for it. The cover shows a lovely woman with braided ribbons in her plaited hair, and on further refection I feel this is a perfect image to symbolize the book, as it weaves in lore, medicinal herb information and homeopathic information on the same entry. It's well organized around the Wheel of the Year, each holiday being a chapter, plus one on The Herbs of the Druids. Cross references to an herbs original placement reduce repitition and make the book clear and very accessible. This book is most definitely is part of my permanent collection of "the lore".
Dawn Killen-Courtney, author of The Trollton Chronicles fantasy series.

This is a good primer and starting place for anyone interested in delving deeper into Druid lore and thought, as well as some of the larger pagan spiritual traditions that were active around that same time. Definitely a breath of fresh air from valentines day and labor day celebrations.

What an absolute miracle! Thank you, Annie for a great book! Buy it, everything you need to know is in here.

Excellent book with great, user friendly ideas to improve the quality of your life and your home. Recipes for cleaners are excellent. Some of the rituals described are a little far out there but are thought provoking and are worth exploring.

I use this book as a home reference all the time and it has been extremely helpful and chock full of wonderful ideas for your life, home, body..inside and out.

I do not have a lot of time to read with four kids and this book was a easy fast book to get through. Lots of information that was displayed easily. Not the big words either. And in the back it a huge wonderful list of resources I could look up on the internet. Wealth of information. I gave this book to our school hoping when they remodel they consider what was written.

This book helps you take better care of yourself and your love ones. We are concerned about what we eat and if it's safe. We also need to be concerned about what we use to clean our homes with and what we use on our skin. In this book there is lots of good, practical receipes for a toxin-free home. This book will be on that I will use often.

Have you ever wondered about the long-term effect of cleaning products in your home? What about pesticides, chemicals and all the other potentially toxic goods that invade our lives?

Twice poisoned by such things, author Annie Bond, host of "Annie's Healthy Living Network" online, offers realistic remedies for a natural and nontoxic lifestyle that include everything from eating and cleaning to gardening and dressing. A comprehensive path toward ecologically-healthy living.

A sympathetic portrayal of a very admirable young scientist, "Invention" also conveys a sense of the popularization of scientific culture at the beginning of the 18th century. Hamblyn touches on the effects of the emergence of periodicals, societies of (nongentry) scientists, and even the postal system on this new culture. Diverse facts (half-kg hail and volcanic eruptions) balance the overall somewhat romantic tone. Hamblyn was obviously acutely aware of the tension between instrumented science and romantic arts; that is an explicit theme of the book as well as modulating his writing. My only complaints: too many long unnecessary quotes (Goethe!), tables not adequately explained (were Smeaton's data calculated as I think or measured as Hamblyn elliptically suggests?), and the seminal article by Howard was never really systematically discussed (just rather disconnected dribs and drabs).

This book takes you to England of around 1800, when a young amateur scientist managed to come up with the nomenclature we use to this day to classify clouds. The life of Luke Howard is fascinating in and of itself as he goes about his scientific and business dealings. The author also notes why Mr. Howard's system became the system used today, even though it was only one of several major attempts to classify clouds as meteorology became more systematic. The book covers its topic well and would be of interest to anyone interested in the history of meteorology or scientific inquiry.

A young man, obsessed with clouds and their formation, makes a detailed study of them. All this has been done before, but never in such a concise, visionary way, nor with a naming convention as brilliant in its simplicity, expressiveness and utility as Luke Howard's.

His story is dealt with in a series of chapters that digress from the main thrust of the book to outline the history of the philosophical changes that were taking place, in Europe particularly. Almost any cockeyed idea found a ready audience, who were equally ready to dismiss ideas out-of-hand. The trick was presentation. Many of the famous names in science at the end of the 18th century were showmen, financing their researches by giving displays or private shows... getting your name known was half the battle.
Luke Howard was born into a world where being in the right place at the right time meant more than any social connections or political clout.
But, being a Dissenter, he had no formal education, no political clout and no social connections - not much chance for him to get his ideas aired, it seemed. Nor was he a showman - his Quaker upbringing saw to that - so luck, and dedication, came to his assistance.

Philosophical societies and journals were in their infancy, and were ready to embrace anyone who could increase membership or circulation. This was the chance, and in an hour-long presentation, young Howard captivated his audience and introduced a naming system for clouds, which is still in use today, 200 years on. This was what meteorology had been waiting for - a standard method of logging cloud formations. This was invaluable too for poets and writers, who suddenly found a new addition to their descriptive vocabulary. Small wonder that cirrus, cumulus and nimbus quickly entered everyday conversation (the Englishman's main topic being the weather).

The book is very well written, giving us a feel for the social, political and philosophical climate in the Napoleonic era. By various pertinent descriptions of people and events directly and indirectly connected with Howard, we are introduced to some of the greats of the Age of Enlightenment; but none of it feels contrived or beside the point, nor is it ever boring.

This is an enthralling read, illustrating how easily a single person or idea can change the direction and thrust of a science... Well worth reading.

"The Invention of Clouds" is an endearing little book about a generally forgotten moment in the history of science. It seems obvious to us today but until Englishman Luke Howard, a chemist with an interest in the then-young science of meteorology, gave a public lecture on cloud classification in London in 1802, nobody had been able to categorize cloud formations in an easily-understood and consistent manner. The terms we take for granted-cumulus, cirrus, stratus and so forth-were applied by the 30 year-old Howard for the first time. He drew upon his classical education to find suitable Latin names for what he termed "the modifications of clouds." He understood that clouds pass through stages and in his lecture he described the changes they underwent. His audience understood immediately the importance of his lecture and it was published soon afterwards to great acclaim.

Luke Howard became famous throughout the world. It is clear that he must have viewed this with mixed feelings. As a modest Quaker, he did not seek celebrity but as a scientist he was undoubtedly proud of his accomplishment. It is a beautiful achievement. By naming that which was ever-present but unnamed, Luke Howard helped forge the language of meteorology and provided some of the most important tools for weather observation and forecasting. His Latin names speak to the universality of climate and his detractors, who felt that the classifications should have been in English, were soon silenced. The book describes the reaction of artists as well. On the one hand, there were those who believed that clouds, as objects of great natural beauty and a symbol of freedom, would lose something by being systematically classified, as if they were species of beetles, but others, including the painter Constable, used the classification of the clouds as a basis for their art. The great genius of the period, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, completely enchanted by Luke Howard's work and personality, dedicated a series of marvellous poems to him, with each stanza based on one of the new cloud-forms.

But even having poetry dedicated to you by Goethe is not enough to claim enduring fame. Luke Howard seems to have lived a quiet existence, marked by some success in business and a happy family life. He died at the age of 91, remembered fondly by only his relatives. Richard Hamblyn, in writing this book, must have struggled to develop enough material as it appears that the lecture of 1802 was the high point of Luke Howard's scientific life and his attention was then taken up more by commerce and religious issues. Mr. Hamblyn gives us a history of the earlier attempts to define clouds, reaching back to Aristotle. He throws in the story of the Beaufort Wind Scale, which was inspired by but not as readily-accepted as Luke Howard's cloud system. He deals with the subsequent amendments to the cloud classifications and we learn of the International Meterological Conference and its winsomely-named Cloud Committee, which was to produce the International Cloud Atlas.

All very interesting, but it is in the sections about Luke Howard and his contemporaries, fascinated by the rapid progress in science at the end of the 18th Century, where the book is most alive. Richard Hamblyn ably paints a picture of London's crowded lecture halls where science was popular culture, of dangerous experiments and fantastic personalities. Men of brilliant and adventurous minds, often denied higher education due to their religion, could look into the future and stake a claim. The author, in sharing Luke Howard's triumph with us, has written an elegant work brimming with enthusiasm.

Luke Howard was an amateur in the true sense of the word; Luke Howard named the clouds for the love of them. Richard Hamblyn does a fine job telling the story of Luke Howard's life, his naming of the clouds, and Howard's milieu in the book The Invention Of Clouds. Howard, a Quaker and a pharmacist, went from unknown working man to celebrity when he presented his paper "On The Modifications Of Clouds" to the Askesian Society in London on a night in December of 1802. The paper had the right combination of insights, poetry, and luck to insure that the terms cirrus, stratus, cumulus, and nimbus [or derivatives] are still being used by meteorologists today. Hamblyn's weave of biography, history, art, and science was enjoyable to read and held together most of the time [Chapter 10: The Beaufort Scale was not as well connected to book as the rest of the material]. The hardback is such a beautiful and unusual book, I shelved my copy, waited for the paperback to read it, and then donated the paperback to the high school library. I highly recommend The Invention Of Clouds to anyone with an interest in meteorology, history, Quakerism, or biography.

I bought this for my husband as he went crazy on composting. I read it as well. And it provided more info. A must read for anyone wanting to start or even seasoned rotters. Good book to leave on the table gets lots of funny looks

Great book for those who have a compost system going. We are on Cape Cod and recycle everything! This book tells us how to compost everything.

Composting, in case you aren't terribly familiar with it yet, is simply the practice of allowing waste matter to rot and decompose until it's fit to be tilled right into the soil. However, while the basic concept is as old as mother nature and often very easy to execute, it also helps to know more about it. What materials should you compost, and which should you avoid? Do you have to worry about animals or flies in your compost? How do you make sure your compost will turn into dirt and not a slimy, stinky sludge?

While nearly every gardening book these days has a section on composting and most of these are enough to get you by, Stu Campbell's Let It Rot! is an entertaining, folksy and in-depth take on the art that will see you through nearly any foreseeable difficulty. I was certainly able to successfully compost with the simpler directions in other books, but there's information in here I wish I'd had back when I first started. For instance, now I know the cobweb-like stuff that I feared was mold was the natural activity of Actinomycetes, a part-bacteria, part-fungus organism that aids decomposition in certain parts of a compost pile.

Mr. Campbell's book also introduces a great many different types of compost piles and composters that you can use, depending on what you're trying to accomplish, what area you have to work with, or what you're trying to decompose. He also suggests many ways to use compost in and around your garden, and how to get the most out of it. I'm glad I picked up Mr. Campbell's book, because I learned an incredible amount of new material!

This book is a quick crash course on composting. I learned things about composting that I never new before. The other great thing, it is an easy to read book! Totally satisfied!

I have never tried composting before, so I wanted the big picture. I researched online and this seems to be the undisputed classic book on the subject. It seems to tell ALL you need to know to manage your composting, and in as few words as possible.

This table book provides both beautiful photos of the Earth, as well as the context of a story and a timeline. Combining images taken from various space explorations, it gives you a real sense of both the beauty and details of our planet, and also a sense of the experience of an astronaut.

Awesome pictures taken form high up in the sky. One can find unique views that are beyond imagination. Also included necessary information regarding NASA expeditions.

Astronaut Jay Apt, with the help of geographer Justin Wilkinson and climatologist Michael Helfert, has assembled a book full of pictures of Earth taken from orbit. These photographs were chosen from over a 145,000 that are available from the NASA photographic library and focus on many different aspects of our planet's geology and climate. The large coffee table style format and the high quality of the reproductions allows this book bring out the stunning features of our home and is welcome addition to anyone who is interested in space photography, especially since most of the book is photographs and very little text.

The book is divided into sections covering each continent, the Pacific Ocean and the aurora. To show the range of Earth's geology and climate, each section highlights the major geological features found in each region and if appropriate mankind's influence. To further emphasis to geological diversity of the planet, occasional surface photographs that correspond to an orbital photograph are also included. For example, in the section on Africa, there are photos of the Nile, Nile cities, the Sahara desert, various coastline features and cloud formations. The only portions of the Earth not covered are the North and South Poles, since the shuttle does not fly over these regions. There is also one extremely interesting two page map spread which shows the location of each one of the 268,000 photographs taken by the astronauts.

This book is one of my favorite space photography books and I look at it often and each time that I do I always notice something different. This is a great book and well worth the price.

Shuttle astronaut Jay Apt, together with scientists Michael Helfert and Justin Wilkinson, has put together a wonderful book of photographs under the auspices of National Geographic, Orbit. These are all photographs taken by astronauts from the space shuttle while in orbit (with a few exceptions, historically significant photographs from moon circlings and early trips into space). Photography, interestingly enough, is never really scheduled as a shuttle activity, but rather done 'in between' the other assignments. The photographs included in this book do not come from special 'space' cameras, but rather from regular hand-held, off-the-shelf cameras that astronauts took with them.

The shuttle offers a unique platform for photography, to say the least. It has 11 different windows, and as the shuttle orbits in what one might consider an upside-down position, the windows and cargo-bay with doors open are almost always facing the earth. Astronauts take lots of film with them, and record many phenomena. This book is divided geographically, by earth region: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, Asia, the Pacific, Middle and South America, and North America. There is also a special section on the Aurora, with dazzling photographs of things that look right out of Star Trek!

The images include daytime and nighttime views, calm views and stormy views. One can see hurricanes and cyclones from high above, stretching their entire lengths across great portions of the globe. One can see the difference lighting makes in an urban area at night, the way terrain and human-engineering connect, and how much of the world seems to remain unspoilt when viewed from a distance of even a few hundred miles away.

This is a remarkable book, full of glorious photographs of the 'home world', a great coffee-table book, a great gift, and a great guide of inspiration for younger readers who might be interested in science, geography, or even becoming an astronaut.

Truely a magnificent piece of work to wiew the wonder of God's creation leaves you in awe of the beauty of the Earth. I pick it up regularly, for maximum enjoyment choose times where you are not rushed so you can drink in the superb pictures. A book no household can afford to be without.