Earth Books

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.

The book is published by National Geographic, so it goes without saying that the quality of the photographs is superb. But to look at this collection of space-born images is to never see the earth in the same way again. All the contintents and oceans are covered and even the Aurora is documented. The astronauts who took these photographs are some of the luckiest men and women on (or off) the earth, and this book will show you why.

Despite all that man has done to harm the environment, many of the photographs give you an eerie sense of what it might've been like to look down on the earth thousands of years ago, seeing only a beautiful collection of shapes, colors and clouds. Some pictures of the African desert and its coastline will leave you breathless.

A wonderful collection that beats satellite imagery any day of the week.

Upon reading this book, it struck me how eerily similar Murphy's experiences were to my own...and to many other veteran's experiences. I've served in the Canadian Armed Forces in both the Infantry and the Navy and am delightedly surprised how army experiences are so similar - even across national and cultural divides...

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a good laugh and an honest-yet-lighthearted perspective on the military culture and what happens to young folks who volunteer to be groundpounders!

SFC Baker, author of "Pvt. Murphy's Law," has the talent to be a nationally syndicated cartoonist. I bought the book (individual cartoons also can be found in "The Army Times") at clothing & sales at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., towards the end of almost five months of Basic Combat Training & Advanced Individual Training. The adventures of Pvt. Murphy echoed what I had just been through. Creating something readers can identify with is a hallmark of excellent cartoonists, and that's what Baker has done. ... Recruiting, the haircut, vaccinations, jargon, fire guard, drill & ceremony, buffers, NBC, weapons ranges, low crawls, details & trips to the PX -- it's all here as experienced by Murphy, whose saving grace is that despite a little naivity & a dose of healthy skepticism he wants to be a gung ho, squared-away soldier. Baker's talent lies in the humor he finds in widely shared experiences, the positive tone he keeps and his cartooning skills as demonstrated in his creative use of perspectives, frames and shading. "Pvt. Murphy's Law" is right on target as only an insider could be. It will be enjoyed by anyone with Army connections. If Baker broadened his subject matter beyond the Army, he has the talent for a national audience.

Cartoonist Mark Baker has penned a wickedly funny and accurate portrait of Army life. Through Murphy's mishaps, misadventures, trials and triumphs Baker sheds light and provides some telling insights about how the average Joe sees the world.

Pvt. Murphy represents a typical soldier. He starts off dumb and clueless, then learns the ropes of Army life and provides an often jaded but inevitably funny running commentary on everything that is wrong (and right) in the Army. He lampoons every target of opportunity in sight---incompetence, bureaucracy and the sheer inevitabilty of the fact that, despite his best efforts, Murphy always finds himself behind the eight-ball. The fact that Murphy maintains his optimism and patriotism against all odds is a tribute to Baker's skill as a cartoonist---and serves as well-deserved recognition to the real-life Murphys in uniform who get the job done in spite of every obstacle that fate throws in their path.

Some readers might have trouble translating Baker's cartoons, since they draw heavily on Army life in general and life in the Airborne in particular. I've shared this book with civilian friends, vets, and current and former paratroopers, and the responses range from "huh?" to "been there, done that," to "oh, man, remember when...". Everyone seems to connect with Murphy at some level, because there's some Murphy in all of us.

I hope this book goes back into print soon. Used copies are hard to come by, and I'm getting tired of having to wrestle my copy back from friends everyime I loan it out. Best of luck to Mark Baker, his loyal readers and all the Murphys out there who make the world go round.

The funniest piece of non-fiction I have ever read. For the times you are sitting around waiting to be released for the day, this is the book you need! Actually reminded me of a lot of the times I HAD when I was Airborne Infantry.

"Pvt. Murphy's Law," by Mark Baker, is a collection of cartoons that follow the career of the young soldier of the title. The cartoons in this book actually tell a continuous story: Baker follows Murphy from his interview with a recruiter, through Basic Training, and through other milestones in the life of a young soldier. Thus, the book could actually be read as a graphic novel.

I have served in the U.S. Army Reserve myself, and have been in a lot of the situations that are humorously depicted in this book. Baker's portrait of the Army is right on target, and very funny. Nearly half of the book is devoted to Murphy's experiences at Basic Training. It's especially entertaining to see new recruit Murphy responding to Army jargon as if it were a "foreign language" (as he calls it). Most of the key Basic Training elements are covered: first meeting with the drill sergeant, standing fire guard, going through the notorious gas chamber, etc.

Murphy himself is a likeable character. He looks a little like a young, thin Homer Simpson, and occasionally has "Calvin and Hobbes"-like flights of imagination. I especially like the fact that Baker makes Murphy on the whole a good, enthusiastic soldier. Baker generally goes for realistic humor, not ... unbelievable laughs.

The book is clearly geared towards an Army audience, and some non-veterans may be a little mystified at some of the Army jargon and abbreviations used throughout the book. But the overall charm of the book should overcome that potential cultural barrier. At any rate, "Pvt. Murphy's Law" would certainly make a great read for any veteran of the U.S. Army experience.

Ex-demon succubus-turned-mortal, Jezebel (aka Jesse Harris), is relishing the perks of her new life. She's got a brand-spanking new soul, still dancing as an exotic dancer, and last, but definitely not least, her own personal White Knight, Paul Hamilton - the ubersexy love of her life.
After Jesse decided to give up on Hell and all of its luxury amenities - who can forget the Lake of Fire, roasting eyeballs over the campfires (tasty), and that wonderful aroma of sulfur and brimstone (ah, reminds me of home), all Jesse wants to do is live out her mortal life. Is that too much for one girl to ask? And what is it with all the demons accosting her in the bathroom? Sheesh, a girl can't even get a bit of privacy anymore.

But Hell is now under new management, and He is still smarting after Jesse turned her back on Hell. He's decided that Jesse needs to be made an example of and means to bring her back - no matter the cost! So now Jesse's caught between having to fight off her ex-demon lover who keeps trying to tempt her back into Hell (and hooboy, can he ever do some tempting)and trying to survive the murderous psycho demon, Lilith. But when the demon's all fail in luring Jesse back into the fold, they go after the one thing that really matters to her - Paul.

This second addition to the wonderful Hell on Earth series is an absolute score for Ms. Kessler! Her writing keeps you pinned to your seat with a book you're unable to put down. And while following Jesse through the mundane mortal life is entertaining enough, it's when she goes back to Hell that the real fun begins. It's a wonderful supernatural mixture of wit, romance, and some very hot (no pun intended) scenes. I can honestly say I loved this book and eagerly await the next in the series.
~Mippy Carlson
PNR Reviews

Kessler does it again, only better! If you liked HELL'S BELLES, you'll love THE ROAD TO HELL. And if you think Laurell K. Hamilton is sexy...she's got nothin' on Jackie Kessler.

Hang in there, folks--something tells me that Hell is just gonna get hotter.

Loved the first book, "Hell's Belles", and this sequel is just as magnificent as Book 1. Former succubus, Jesse, is just starting to settle into the mortal life when her friends from the Pit come a knocking for a reunion.

The story is very good but what really drives this tale is what made the first book such a sinful pleasure: the characters and the dialogue. Kessler has created a host of captivating characters and enriches them with scrumptious and witty banter that will make fans of "Buffy: TVS" or the "Juno" movie feel right at home. Plus, Jesse is a wonderful leading lady. There's no way you can resist the charms of that seducer with a soul.

Funny, sexy and exciting is "The Road To Hell". Jackie Kessler is a goddess and this book needs to be in your shopping cart right now.

I really enjoyed this sequel to Hell's Belles, now Human with a soul, Jesse goes to Hell to save her Lover, Paul. Lilith tricked him and stole his soul and sent him to Hell. But his soul is pure and he doesn't belong there and Jesse is out to rock Hell to get her boyfriend back - or lose her soul trying. This is a fast paced enjoyable book that will have you turning the pages at 2 in the morning.

I loved the first book and this one is even better! Ms. Kessler is a wonderful new talent with a delightful sixth sense of humor and a flair for the erotic.

Can't wait for the third book!

As a Southerner and amateur genealogist, I have a love of history, especially of the Civil War. I have many Confederate veterans in my ancestry. So I was interested in what this book was about. Was it a Civil War novel or not?

It wasn't and yet it was. This novel is set in modern time but South Carolinians are faced with a tyrannical federal govt just like they did in the first to middle part of the 1800's. When the federal government issues a demand, states have little recourse and any disagreement is met with overwhelming force. States have no ability to protect themselves in these days. We are outgunned in every way and must submit. This was not what was intended by the founding fathers and this is exactly why The War was fought in 1861-65.

During SC Governor Jim Hodges' tenure the federal government decided to ship nuclear waste through the state to the Savannah River site. He tried to stop it and even had plans to stop the shipment with state police sent along the highway. But he capitulated. I don't know why. I'm sure this incident was the catalyst for this novel.

Barnett did a wonderful job developing this story and it was a very believable outcome. I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it to adults. It's one I want to pass around to all my friends.

The only reservations I had were the profanity, the one explicit sex scene and the drunkenness that was portrayed as normal.

Barnett has written a great thriller. His writing is wonderful so the reader is kept involved and spell-bound. His character development is excellent. The story is believable and scary. It is a thought provoking book considering the terrorism in the world today. Barnett seems to have researched his book well, thus adding to the realism. Well done!

A mix of John Grisham and Tom Clancy in style, Barnett brings to the fore a terrifying (but VERY real) scenario where the Federal government abuses its power and tramples the rights of state to protect its citizens.

In this case, the Feds are shipping spent nuclear fuel rods and plutonium from North Carolina through South Carolina with disasterour consequences because of the arrogance of two men in the highest levels of government.

The arragance of the two men drives the issue to the point where the entire union is at risk and a nuclear war in North America seems imminent.

Absolutely breathtaking.

My mother, (Stan's aunt), insisted that I read A Single Star. Knowing Stan as a lover of all things South Carolinian, I presumed " A Single Star" would be a history of the state, and/or a re-visiting of it's 19th century efforts to rethink the US Constitution. I do remember any number of conversations on the subject of "northern aggression" with the author when we were a bit younger.
What a surprise I had in store (Mom usually gives pretty good advice). This book is a page turner. The characters are well developed, the descriptions of place and time extraordinary, and the story line all too haunting. Even if I weren't his cousin I would highly recommend "A Single Star" to all lovers of the modern day thriller. Well done Stan, please continue!

The first part of this book, the first novel by Charleston, SC attorney, Stan Barnett, is like a wrap around porch under a live oak to those of us who live in the South, especially, South Carolina. Barnett deftly sends the reader on a measured... Southern journey through some of the most beautiful locations in the state. From the midlands, to the Pee Dee, to the lowcountry, you get a real sense of what life is like here.

I was halfway through the book and assumed that I knew exactly where it was going when it took a turn that few authors would have had the courage to attempt. And it works. While I took the first half of the book at a leisurely, yet enjoyable pace, after "the event" (wouldn't want to ruin the surprise), I flew through the remaining pages.

If you're from the South or D.C., or simply enjoy a gutsy yarn that doesn't pull any punches, pick up A Single Star. You'll be glad you did.

From the drawing on the cover to the content of the book, this information is incredibly insightful and helpful. Dr. Peebles (who channels through Summer Bacon) shares his views for growth and enlightenment for all. I took my time to read it through so I could better absorb the meaning and depth of the concepts.

I have had the great blessing of sitting with Summer Bacon as she channels the funny, wise, loving and insightful Dr.Peebles for the past three years. The experience has been life-transformational for me and for friends and family alike. I am delighted that his words are finally available for all to experience, learn from and be uplifted by. His messages on individual topics as well as for the planet at large are helpful and illuminating. He reminds us of who we truly are, and that it is only the illusions of separation that keep us feeling limited and unfree. A MUST READ for all seekers of Truth.

I heard about Dr Peebles and Summer Bacon through a friend of mine in mid 2004 who suggested I might want to have a session with Dr. Peebles. And so I went to one of their open sessions in Mesa, AZ that Fall and was amazed. I was, however, still at a place of feeling pretty shy and timid about myself and wasn't sure I was ready to put myself in that vulnerable place of asking a question in front of others. At a later date, I did decide to have a session and set it up, but changed my mind when things seemed to be going pretty well for me. The more likely truth is that I still wasn't quite comfortable with the whole idea. And yet, since 2000, I had become open to a number of different avenues of spiritual growth.

Then about a year later this same friend alluded to the fact that I might want to connect with Dr Peebles. This time I did and in June of 2005 I had my first session. And my life hasn't been the same since! He has opened me up in so many ways and given me the courage to move forward in the ways that are important to me. I was so enthralled by all I learned in that first session that I began quarterly sessions with Dr Peebles and it has been a powerful, heart-opening, soul-fulfilling experience for me. I have come to a place of understanding what it means to have a loving relationship with myself and to being open to the love, joy, and compassion that I am to myself and to others. I am at the most incredible place I have ever been in my life and I am so grateful to Summer Bacon for being the loving, clear trance medium for Dr Peebles that she is and for having the beautiful spirit that she does in sharing her gift so tirelessly and lovingly to benefit us all. Thank you, Summer, from the depths of my heart. And thank you, Dr. Peebles, for all that you are and have been to me. And a very special thank you to my dear friend, Mary, for gently encouraging me to take this step.

And, yes, I love the book. I usually take it with me if I know I'm going to have some extra time. Then I open it up and know that whatever I read will have a special meaning for me. There is so much love and wisdom in this book and so much we are wanting to hear. And I also love how it includes articles of Summer's that contain so much wisdom. I especially love the line.........."The New Age is a Lie"......and she goes on to say...."This [what I do] is not 'new age.' Channeling, psychic readings, hands-on-healing, talking to angels....these things were happening even before the time of Jesus Christ. Same stuff, new packaging and brand name." Such a courageous statement and something I feel we have been wanting and needing to hear. I know it resonated deeply with me.

I HIGHLY endorse this book. Without question, Summer is the clearest and most profound trance medium of our time. Your heart will be opened and your awareness increased as you absorb the teachings, humor, love, and wisdom found in this first book by Summer Bacon and Dr Peebles. Summer and the wit and wisdom of Dr Peebles has changed my life and placed me on the path to my Heart.

For those of you who wish to continue reading I have shared my first encounter with Summer and Dr Peebles below. I am forever indebted to them both for waking me up to who I really am and placing me on the path to reconnect with my Heart.

Almost three years ago I came across Summer Bacon and the beautiful Spirit - Dr James Martin Peebles and my life has not been the same since. Prior to meeting Summer and Dr Peebles I'd been searching franticly for answers. I grew up wanting to know what life is all about. Here we humans are, spinning on planet earth in the middle of infinity. How did we get here? Where did we come from? Where are we going? What happens after we die? Will we see our loved ones again? My questions were endless.

So I searched and searched and searched and searched.

Under every rock, nook, cranny, church, 100's of books, tapes, CD's, seminars, guru's, priests, school, Bible, drugs, alcohol, metaphysical books, spiritual books, self-help books - you name it- I've looked into it.

Throughout it all I kept an open mind, until one day something rang true for me.

Lo and behold, one afternoon, I found myself in a room of 35 people in South Orange County, California at a metaphysical bookstore to experience the work of a trance-medium named Summer Bacon. I didn't even know what a trance medium was. But I was open enough to have to the experience and see for myself.

So there I was in the 3rd row. Nervous as one could be and extremely excited at the same time. Out strolls this wonderful sweet Plain Jane kind of a woman. No turbans, glass ball, incense, beads or Birkenstocks like I was expecting. Just Summer Bacon. She introduced herself as a trance-medium and began to tell the audience about her life and being chased by the Light since she was a little girl. She shared experiences that I could only dream about.

I want to preface something before I continue. I'm a waiter by profession and I'm able to read people VERY quickly. It's a trait I've picked up from over 20 years of doing this kind of work. You could say I'm a very good judge of character. I can instantly tell if someone is trying to pull the wool over my eyes or if they are being real, authentic, honest and standing in integrity.

After listening to her opening speech there was nothing but AUTHENTICTY, INTEGRITY and HONESTY coming from this woman. She was sweet, somewhat shy, nervous (she was just beginning to tour in public with her work), honest, pleasant, kind and passionate. This woman was like any sweet, loving and kind person you might have as a friend. That's how she came across. There was no phoniness about Summer whatsoever.

Before I walked into the room I knew a little bit about mediumship but nothing about trance-mediumship. After Summer shared what a trance-medium does my mind went into overdrive.

"What did she just say?"

She just said that Sprit speaks through her.

WHAT?? Did I hear correctly, Spirit speaks through her?"

NO WAY!! Impossible.

Oh boy... I'm either about to be had, or in for the most amazing experience of my life. Either way I'm not leaving. I just spent $35 bucks. Plus, I had submitted my name in hope's of being called upon and given the chance to ask a question of this "Spirit" Dr Peebles.

I held onto my seat as she talked about Dr James Martin Peebles. She told us that he lived from 1822 - 1922. During his lifetime he was an author, world traveler, a teacher, lecturer, clergyman, and medical doctor. He also became a leader in the worldwide spiritualist movement of the 19th century. Some other facts I found about him on another website disclose that he was active in the anti-slavery, temperance, and women's suffrage movements. He was a member of the American Indian Peace Commission, a delegate to several international peace conferences, and was appointed by President Grant to serve as Consul to Turkey in 1869.

OH MY GOD COULD THIS BE REAL? Could Spirit really exist? Could Spirit really speak through a living human being? OH MY GOD!!! OH MY GOD!! This is what was going through my mind as I heard the wonderful Spirit of Dr Peebles speak through Summer Bacon.

BRUCE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS IF THIS IS THE REAL DEAL? HOLY COW!!!

What was most amazing about this first meeting was the absolute contrast in personalities. Summer was shy, sweet, and nervous during her introduction and when Dr Peebles spoke, you were listening to another person altogether. It truly was the most amazing experience of my life. I will never forget it. Enough was said to me by Dr Peebles, when he answered my question, that I knew this was real.

Four months before I ever met or knew of Summer and Dr Peebles I was inside a Warner Brothers store with a friend and her son. I noticed a huge stack of Candyland games in the middle of the store. When I was very young this was my favorite game to play. I walked over to the stack of games, grabbed one and commented to my friend how much I enjoyed this game as a child. Two weeks after my first meeting with Summer and Dr Peebles I received a cassette tape in the mail of the first session I attended. I listened to my question and response from Dr Peebles. Imbedded in his discourse and answer was the comment "And that puts you on the game board of life. You have a game known as Candyland or such?"

I was so mesmerized during my first meeting with Dr Peebles that I never heard this from him. It wasn't until I listened to the tape recording that I heard this. It was, in fact, confirmation for me that what was going on was real. No one within that room knew I had picked up a game of Candyland four months prior.

This initial meeting with Summer Bacon and Dr Peebles occurred almost three years ago. Since that time a friendship has formed and exists to this day. I can speak honestly about her. She truly is sweet, kind, no-fluff, honest and of utmost integrity, and is without question the most gifted trance-medium of our time. I have been privy to numerous channelings with Summer, Dr Peebles and other quests and friends. Spirit exists and the messages that come through will awaken you and your heart.

Since my introduction to trance-mediumship three years ago, I have immersed my self in researching this phenomenon. Everything from going to other trance-mediums, traveling to Brazil to see John of God, reading scores of books on the subject and researching Near Death Experiences. Spirit does exist. We do live forever. Our essential nature is LOVE beyond description. God does exist and is a UNCONDITIONALY LOVING God. We are all connected. Nothing separates us. We must learn to LOVE - ourselves and those we co-exist with. Allow them to be who they are, without judgement. Express who YOU are. Diversity within Unity - thats what makes life rich. Earth is our home and she needs to be cared for not destroyed. Love is the ONLY solution, there is no other. Many of the Great Masters who have walked this earth have been telling us this for centuries. The only Truth is love.

God bless you Summer Bacon and Dr Peebles. I love you both so much!!!

This book reveals the relationship between Earth and the Universe
and how we are the creators of what happens in our lives. It also
helps us to understand the changes that are happening on Earth and
how much support and love we have to get us through all of them.

I really enjoyed this book. My only complaint, is that I wish the author had gone into the growing aspect a bit more. The book turned out to be more of a marketing book. Great book for a niche that needed to be addressed in a bit more detail, but not the book I thought I was getting. My two favorite books thus far on the subject of mini farming have been Mini Farming for Self Sufficiency and The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener (A Gardener's Supply Book).

Not only is this book a great guide to gardening using organic methods, it goes to great lengths to show you how to market you extra production or even to start a full time endeavor. Very good coverage of modern methods in irrigation, crop rotation, pest controls, and marketing. I highly reccomend this to your library!

This is a good book to have if you decided to get back to nature, downsize your life, get with it or just make ends meet when food prices are going up, up, up. Just know that it takes a lot of work, especially if you are into organic. That said, this is a good start on making money with gardening when you don't have a acres of land. My lot is 1/3 of an acre and it is quite productive. This book helps you make the best of what you have. I recommend it. I didn't give it five stars because it doesn't have all that much that's new to me, but then again I read a lot.

This is a tremendous resource for anyone who believes that you don't have to 'go big' to make money. This is something you must own.

My Husband has not put this book down since it arrived! It contains exactly the information he's been looking for to help him make the right decisions about selling what we grow. Needless to say, this book gets a very high rating for content!

Wonderful message and beautiful pictures make this a must have for children! Perfect size for small hands too, not to big not to small!

These are my new favorite books! They get the message I've been trying to convey to my young children across, while not being preachy or too scary. The pictures help to retain a magical childhood innocence within the entire message, bringing back the simplicity of how I hope my children will view and treat our planet throughout their lifetime. At least one of these books will be in all future baby shower/young child's birthday presents that we give out.

I bought this for my 20 month old twins and they don't care for it at all. I don't either. It's just a little too touchy, feely, hippie, new agey for me. The illustrations are well done, but they honestly remind me of one of those 3D art prints that you have to stare at or squint your eyes to see the hidden unicorn or whatever. Many people also said that it helped teach their kids how to respect the earth...which I am all for, but this book really doesn't do that either. Maybe when my kids are older, I'll give it another shot. Still, the animal illustrations are very good, and I appreciate the sentiment, but overall...it doesn't cut it

Absolutely beautiful book with gorgeous pictures. The writing fits the book perfectly. Great Earth Day book!

This is an exceptional book that provokes thoughtful conversation between you and your child.

The Children of the Lens are the culmination of the Arisian breeding program, and are to be their weapons in the final assault on Eddore.

Kimball Kinnison and Clarissa MacDougall have had four children. Born with the abilities Kim possesses, these kids will become the 'third stage' with an ability to join their minds in an all-powerful gestalt.

They are talented enough that they can shadow the Second Stage Lensmen without them knowing, and help them out. Each of the four has a favorite among the Second Stage Lensmen, even if they won't admit it.

This book has a different feel, in that it is a tiny bit focused on family, and the mental war part of it means the insane space battles are a much smaller part of the whole thing.

The end is the final battle between the Arisians and the Eddorians, with the third-stage Kinnison gestalt as an important part of the assault.

Afterwards, what the Arisians tells the Children comes as a bit of a surprise.

All six books went fast and furious...but what reading!!! Terrific stuff! Smith definitely had the jets to tell one of the best yarns in all of science fiction. All the other reviewers citing how later movies, series, and stories were influenced by these books...WERE RIGHT!!! One of the best science fiction series you will ever read. Period.

Galaxies wide adventure. This is the last book of the Lensman series. While the book can stand alone, the earlier Lensman books lead up to this conclusion where the combined mind powers of the Lensman children, together with super science manage to defeat the super villains for the victory of good over evil.
E.E. Smith wrote these books around the middle of the century, and some of the writing style appears less sophisticated than current authors. However, I enjoyed the extremely positive depiction of the human nature and future - similarly to what the author did this in the Skylark series. Highly recommended..

Having started the six book series with Triplanetary and ending here, I thought the series started to trail off after Galactic Patrol. Triplanetary has been heavily criticized as giving away too much of the series and of the pro- and antagonists too soon. However when the Eddorians are finally confronted here I didn't feel as much as a build up to their powers as Triplanetary instilled. In Triplanetary you really felt that the Eddorians were almost omnipotent beings and the task before the Arisians in seeding planets, including Earth, preparing for the eventual confrontation to save Civilization. Galactic Patrol really carried on the beginning of the series with Kimball Kinnison, but I thought the quality dwindled starting with Gray Lensman and the dated 50's slang really picked up then. It's not just because it's written in the 50's, I've recently read several works by Alfred Bester, Arthur C. Clarke, and others written in the 50's and they have no where near this level of 50's slang.

Another thing I started to find unappealing is Smith's heavy regard for the `wide girth' of Kinnison and of his space-ax swinging cohorts. In reality, strong ambition comes often from those that have not been so physically gifted in life and so have to fight their entire lives against people's initial reactions to their appearance. Lois McMaster Bujold's Mountains of Mourning of a diminutive protagonist's personal battle against his grandfather's attitude, and possible disgust, of his physical stature comes to mind. So it is with irony that I can picture some skinny kid sitting outside in the 50's reading this book and `barrel-shaped chests" as the big neighbor kids come up to him and say `hey poindexter, whatcha reading...' or something.

However, the originality, and impact this series had upon science fiction cannot be understated and is why I am giving it a respectable four stars. Several reviewers have mentioned that they can see scenes from Star Wars lifted from this series. What I see even more so is what Star Trek lifted from this series. Even down to small details such as a ship having to lower shields in order to fire a weapon against an enemy. And many other movies, tv shows, and books influenced comes to mind including Alien, The 5th Element, Heinlein, certainly the original Star Trek as well as the Next Generation and Deep
Space 9, Wing Commander and others.

255 Pages, Publ 1954.

I have read this series at least 4 times. If you like SCIFI, you will cherish these books and buy the whole collection (as I did).

This is the ultimate book on Disneyland. It's more than a postcard book, it traces the history of the park & combines descriptive text with some of the best pictures you'll ever see of the park as well as the attractions, past & present. I have most every coffee table photograph book on Disneyland that has been released over the years, & this one is definitely the E-Ticket of the bunch. If you have the excellent 'Disneyland: Then, Now & Forever' (also Bruce Gordon), you have a taste of what you will find here.
The 2nd Edition is also the better of the 2 editions, with added material (1st Edition was 1995, 2nd Edition updates to 2000). I would take the 2nd Edition over the 1st Edition if they were both offered at the same price for this reason. This book is out of print... permanently since the unfortunate passing of Bruce Gordon in November 2007, there will not be any future updated editions.
Speaking of price, this book retailed for $75.00 when it was released. With some patience, this book CAN be found for around $150.00-$200.00 despite what you see here. These copies have been sitting for at least a few years at an inflated value. The book itself is spectacular, the fact that anyone would try to sell the book at $300 & up is shameful.

What memories this brings back! Not only are the postcards wonderful, but the narrative is very entertaining - much more than I had hoped for - and the postcards are supplemented with some wonderful photos to fill in some of the gaps. A great way for us (we?) older Disney fans to share our memories of Disneyland with our children (and later grandchildren), too. I know I will get many hours of enjoyment from this book over the years to come. I am so glad I decided it might be worth the price - it's worth many times over! 2007 update - Wow, the price I was referring to was $52.50, not the $189 I see it going for now.

Let me start this review with the following statement: This is the most prized book in my collection. I'll try not to be too biased. It is also the most expensive and one of the hardest to come by. In the Afterwords section of Walt's Time, Bruce explains how The Nickel Tour came to be:

"We talked to every publisher we could find, and heard the same story, word for word. No Commercial Potential. No audience. No Market. No Deal."

They put the book together themselves: Scanned all of the cards, did the layout of every page and had it printed in Italy. They lugged the books to every convention and sold them through mail-order.

"And guess what: we sold every book we printed". --p. 241, Bruce Gordon, Walt's Time - From Before to Beyond

Disneyland, the Nickel Tour is a look at the first 45 years of Disneyland's history seen through the postcards of the park. In addition to Randy Bright's wonderful Disneyland the Inside Story, The Nickel Tour stands as one of the two most comprehensive books about Disneyland's history. Where it edges out Mr. Bright' work is that The Nickel Tour does cover the past 20 years. Unfortunately, Mr. Bright passed away in 1990 and a second edition is not forthcoming. Bruce Gordon, the primary writer of The Nickel Tour, was an Imagineer and started with the Company in 1980. Mr. Gordon co-authored many books about Disney and there are several that will be published posthumously later this year. Mr. Gordon passed away in November 2007. As it stands, the second edition of The Nickel Tour will probably be the last.

The Nickel Tour is an amazing work on so many different levels: the postcard images, the photographs of attractions that weren't released in postcard form, the historical information and the writing. They begin by sharing pre-opening cards and work their way through the history of Disneyland. One of Gordon and Mumford's strengths is that they write well and can take something as simple as post cards and turn it into an epic look at a theme park. The writing never gets technical and is always filled with reverence, love and a little remorse. Occasionally, they slip in some humor. It is always fitting and they obvious love word-play. The following paragraph could have been presented as just a litany of facts, but they went a different way with it.

"On the left hand side of Main Street, we encounter the Sunkist Citrus House. Long before this view was taken, the Citrus House had actually been two separate stores, one housing "Sunny View Jams and Jellies" and the other housing the "Puffin Bake Shop." By October of 1958, Disneyland had canned the jam and jelly shop and opened a candy store in its place. It was a sweet deal until June of 1960, when the Puffin Bake Shop went stale. (It seems they just weren't making enough dough to stay in business.) And even worse, it wasn't long before everyone was beginning to sour on the candy shop next door. So the two shops were joined together, and in a dedication ceremony held with Walt on July 31, they finally became the home of the Sunkist Citrus Shop. Things were calm until 1990, when the time was ripe to spin around in a circle once more - only to find the Sunkist moving out and the Bakery moving back in! Well, that story certainly had a peel. Orange you glad we wasted all this time? Meanwhile, here's the scoop on the Carnation Ice Cream parlor: in 1997 they split from their original parlor and (having lost their Carnation along the way) floated into the home of the bakery. Then, with perfect Disneyland logic, the bakery moved into - the ice cream parlor! If that doesn't get a rise out of you, nothing will!" p. 121

The sense of history that you get from The Nickel Tour, through the postcards and photographs, has not been presented in any other form. Besides being a reference work for postcards, it is almost a wish book--one you can flip open to any page and see a favorite or long-gone attraction and dream about visiting or re-experiencing. The images are stellar and your appreciation of postcards as art and history will grow.

Bottom Line: This work was obviously a labor of love for Gordon and Mumford. It is hard to stress how important this work is in the Disney Literature. Beside being one of two major historical works about Disneyland, you get a feel for how Disneyland evolved, how Walt plussed the park and how the Disney Company moved forward after Walt. It is the most cherished book in my entire collection. If you are lucky enough to find a copy, get it. I know that many people will dismiss this book because it is about Disneyland, but without Disneyland, there would be no Walt Disney World. The history of Disneyland offers a lot of insight into the growth of Walt Disney World as well.

This book is simply amazing!

www.imaginerding.com

I cannot say enough about this handsome, evocative, skilfullywritten book. Just as Disneyland is more than an amusement park, thisis more than a trip through Disneyland's places and times...

I wouldhasten to add that this book does more than to simply transport you tothe park as it is today; it is the best simulation of a time machine,transporting you back to previous incarnations of the park, the waythat they were experienced and enjoyed in the vanished culturallandscape of the 1950s and the 1960s. A lot of those joys are gone --the Rainbow Caverns of the Mine Train, the subatomic journey of InnerSpace -- and this is the best way to see them again.

What Iparticularly enjoy about this book is that the authors clearly sharemy childhood fascination with wondering "how it all worked."You get aerial shots of the park under construction, pictures ofaborted attraction developments, and the stories behind detailsranging from the marching band kiosk to the eucalyptus trees inAdventureland.

Walt would have approved of this magnificentlyconceived and executed journey through Disneyland's past and present.

I've read "The Art of Walt Disney", "Walt Disney Imagineering", "Disneyland:The Inside Story", and several other books about the Magic Kingdom, and this book is by far the most detailed and enjoyable of them all. Every store that's ever had an address on Main Street...every sponsor that's ever had an exhibit in Tommorowland...IT'S ALL HERE. My only complaint is that I wish some of the illustrations were larger so you could take in more detail...but considering that every postcard ever issued by Disneyland is included, in addition to behind-the-scenes photos and concept art, this is an understandable compromise. Absolutely the best book ever printed on Disneyland.

This is a wonderful book on weather. And the extreme values it gives are actually fairly interesting and fun to read about. Besides, we all like to know if we're in the middle of truly unusual weather.

The book starts with heat records for every state, both absolute maximums and July averages. As well as maps showing number of days with 90-degree (Fahrenheit) or higher temperatures. We learn about temperature-humidity indexes, heat waves, and even heat bursts. As well as extremes in temperature ranges. There's information about heat extremes in foreign countries as well.

Next we get to cold weather! Heat records for every state, both absolute minimums and January averages. Cold waves. Wind chill. And international extremes. Did you know that near Lake Vostok, in Antarctica, the temperature once reached minus 128.6 degrees Fahrenheit? Brrrr!

We learn about the snowiest cities. And then we get to rainfall records for a big bunch of American cities. There are also records for varying amounts of time. What's the record for rainfall in 30 minutes? It's over 11 inches! And it fell in Sikeshugou, China. And there's material about floods, thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes. As well as wind and fog!

There is a fascinating chapter on hurricanes. I vividly remember Hurricane Carol, which struck in August of 1954. And there's a picture of Providence, Rhode Island, after it was hit by the storm surge from that hurricane. There is also an excellent map of the American Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean coasts, with probabilities per year of being hit by a hurricane, as well as probabilities of being hit by 125 mile-per-hour winds or greater. The five areas that in 2004 that were "overdue" for a hurricane are listed. Of course, as any technical person knows, being "overdue" for a storm does not increase the chance of being hit, if anything, it decreases it. But it does imply that one may be less prepared for one when it does hit. New Orleans is listed as one of the five areas (it was hit by Betsy in 1965 and not hit again until Katrina in 2005). The book explains that the dikes protecting downtown New Orleans, including the French Quarter, from the water in Lake Pontchartrain would almost certainly be overwhelmed by a Category 4 or 5 storm surge. And that if they were, much of that area could be swamped under 20 feet of water. I wish that more people with the responsibility for protecting the city of New Orleans (or voting for its protection) had been more aware of this, so that some of the damage caused by Katrina might have been lessened.

I highly recommend this book.

This is a well written and fascinating book on weather extremes. I'm only about 100 pages into it, but I enjoyed it so much I wanted to make a brief comment.

Although the book is mostly about extreme weather phenomena, you'll also learn a lot about more normal types of weather, since if you understand how the more extreme storms are generated, you often can understand how the less severe ones occur as well. But this is done in the context of learning about the more severe and extreme types of weather, which I find an interesting approach. After all, there isn't much when it comes to natural phenomena that's scarier than a hurricane or a tornado (well, earthquakes and tsunamis of course are right up there too, but in weather, they're the kings :-)). I once read that a typical hurricane can release each second 100 times the energy in the first atomic bomb (which was a 20 kiloton bomb).

The book discusses weather extremes from rainfall to tornadoes for the U.S. and the rest of the world, including many fascinating topics, such as internally lit tornadoes that glowed with their own light. Witnesses reported orange lightning bolts coming out of the bottom of the spout which would then be sucked up by the violent winds into the interior, thereby lighting up the entire tornado. There are a couple of photos of these sorts of tornadoes, including a black and white one at night showing two luminous tornadoes that obviously had to be internally lit. Very cool stuff and my only complaint was there weren't more photos like this, but then these are very rare phenomena.

Also, the maximum winds typically don't exceed 325 miles per hour, and most tornadoes are usually more like 75-125 miles per hour. This is just one of the many very interesting topics covered.

Overall a very cool book on weather, and I'll have more to say about it later when I finish the book.

Best book on weather I've read since Bomar's Texas Weather. As in Bomar's book, the author understands that it's the unusual weather events that are of most interest to most people, and he doesn't fail to disappoint on that score. A must for all weather nuts.

This is an excellent book and affordable. Some other reference books are very expensive and don't have the great photos and data presentations that this book has (I still highly recommend the others, but they are not cheap). This book saves a lot of time and makes it easy to show other people exactly what you are trying to say, and they will be impressed with the quality of this publication. Excellent book in its own right and can easily double as a "coffee table book" and a great conversation starter.

This is an excellent book that should actually be used as an accompying text to a regular weather text. The cartography is superb and the data is listed in an easy to understand fashion