Science Books

This immediately became my daughter's favorite book. We read it everyday if not more than once a day. She love's it! Beautiful illustrations with a reassuring story for little ones.

I thought these were strange at first, but after more readings I love them. Some days it is fun to think that we can take a trip to the Bunny Planet! Their small size is fun for kids too. Even my 6 1/2 year old likes them -- in fact, they are best for kids 3 and up, I think.

I ordered this set of books for my girls, ages 4 and 5, last month. We had checked them out of our local library many times, so I knew they would like them. They absolutely love them! My 5 year old knows the words to "First Tomato" by heart, and I just love watching her "read" it. At first I was a little disappointed by the size, but actually the girls like them sized down so they can hold them better. The stories are absolutely beautiful, and they're the only books in poem form that my kids really enjoy. I think these stories teach kids that even when you're having a bad day where everything goes wrong, you can get through it by imagining yourself at a better place and time--a lesson that's good for adults as well!

I agree with the positive reviews above. I just want to add a note on genre. At the start of each book, when everything is going wrong for a young bunny, the story is in regular prose. For the second half of each book, when the bunny is transported to a land of peace and perfection, Wells converts to beautiful rhymed verse. While the content of the books might be best for 4-8 year olds, the poetry is so nice that any adult would find it a good read. The transition poem in the middle of each book uses a weak rhyme with "Janet," but beyond that, the latter halves of these three books belong in the children's lit Hall of Fame!

My daughter (3) and I love this book. We turn to it whenever our spirits need a lift. In fact, the other day she told her father that HE needed a trip to the Bunny Planet after he had reprimanded her. I am purchasing a set for my daughter's preschool library so that her schoolmates will also have the chance to go to the Bunny Planet and see "the day that should have been". Get the book and start a tradition.

This is a superb introduction to ancient warfare and can serve as a springboard for further studies in ancient history. The artwork depicting the uniforms of various armies of that time is well done and the narratives, diagrams of battles are really helpful and informative.

Loved the book. The sketches and battle tactics illustrated made them come alive for me. Gave me a much better insight into the whole thing. And the delivery was fast, even with free shipping.

As I researched the equipment and modes of Greek warfare while writing the historical novel "Maccabee," I consulted numerous excellent sources, but John Warry's book was without a doubt the best. It became my virtual bible for the staging of the battle sequences between the Jews in the Maccabean Revolt and their Syrian enemies who employed the Greek methods that had worked so well for Alexander the Great. Warry's explanations of military techniques in their historical context as well as the wealth of illustrations makes this a valuable resource for anyone interested in ancient warfare.

This is an excellent introduction to ancient warfare. It is lavishly illustrated, and provides excellent diagrams to support some of the concepts such as how a phalanx of Greek infantry manoevered and then moved into combat. The book covers the technology of the times, but also looks at tactics and gives an overview of the politics that lead to the various conflicts. I would higly recommend this book for beginners in the field of ancient warfare such as myself. My only reservation, is that while the primarary authorities are extensively referenced in the text, I would have liked to see a bibliography (although the glossary is great too!) Highly recommended for beginners or those with a general interest in the topic.

I just got this for my son and I ended up reading it first. I am sure during this X'Mas both of us will want to fight for the book. The pictures and the drawings are of the highest qualities. I love the descriptions of major wars. I just wish that the author has given it more explanation of the drawings for the major battles like adding more legends. Also, it is kind of hard to read/understand the numbers and types of soldiers for both sides on the battlefield. But all in all, this is a great book that I suspect I will read and re-read many times.

The book was exactly what I was looking for and it arrived just in time for me to teach my lesson. The students loved it and I will teach a lesson each year using this book. Extremely informative.

This book is really well done. I enjoy reading the sing song words and the pictures are appropriate for the emotions. One day I told my daughter she couldn't have something and after she finished crying she she said she was "sad". I was totally impressed. Cute book, worth the buy.

Wonderful book helps open dialogue about feelings and emotions. The pictures are colorful and interesting. They really help understand the emotion they illustrate. My son still talks about the book when he is trying to explain how he feels.

My 2.5 year old loves this book. It has beautiful pictures! It has creative rhymes! It has an important message! - To help children understand and identify their own feelings. Also to remind their parents and other caregivers that children have all these feelings at one time or another, but are still learning how to express them. We need to help them with that task. For emotional intelligence, a happy home relationship between kids & parents and success in life.

My three-year old is learning about feelings in preschool and she LOVES this book, as do I. This book is a great intro to feelings and goes beyond the stock "happy, sad, and mad" into a wider range of emotions. The illustrations are cute (like the pointy toed fairy shoes on the swinging "happy" child and the odd eyeball hat on the "silly" child) and the rhymes are very catchy. The book is visually interesting -- the font and presentation of text on the page varies to match the mood. After reading the reviews below, I was disappointed to learn that this was actually an abridged version -- if you haven't been spoiled by the more complete text, you won't know what you're missing & you'll no doubt find this enjoyable.

This is an awesome potty book. It explains the mechanics of potty use, but in the eyes of a child. It is straight to the point, has beautiful illustrations, and encourages proper potty use. This book does a great job of encouraging a child to use the potty.

I loved "Where's the Poop?" In fact, my 40 year old son laughed the entire time he read it to our granddaughter of 17 months. Great idea of Markes and Hartung to write a book about common-everyday movements. The book teaches that every single living thing poops---Excellent excellent! Thank you and good luck to you both on future books to read in the "library." teehee

My 18 month old daughter loves this book. It's a big part of our "pre potty training" reading. She likes the flaps (though has torn a couple off) and definitely "gets it". It hasn't seemed to make her all that more interested in using her potty, but I think it's pretty good for our purposes. I do adjust the words a bit - I say "yes, that's right. Tigers poop and pee on the ground and bury it". If you were having issues with your child pooping in the potty (as I've read many do as part of this process) it makes sense to read the book as is. But for our pre-training purposes I wanted to include the pee part. I'd also recommend the Potty Book for Girls for anyone who's in the pre training process.

Great book! My son has had this book for months and reads it every time he goes on the potty. He loves lifting the flaps, and "reading" the book. Definitely worth the money!

I was having a hard time getting my son to poop in the potty. This book was a hit! We were able to get him to use the potty on a regular basis just like the little boy in the book.

Company level actions in WWI. Written by Rommel after WWI, there is nothing about tanks in this book but plenty about taking the initiative and aggressive maneuver. The core of Rommel's later style of warfare is on display here. The English translation is very readable.

Another necessary read for the study of the Second World War--this may be one of the most accessible texts for those just beginning to study the period. The maps drawn by Rommel are useful and clearly annotated: a good model to learn from. His analysis of the actions could be longer, however much they may be implied in the accounts; some passages could have deserved more commentary. I suppose he left that to the military-pedagogues whom he assumed would be able to pick up the baton in the classroom. Infantry Attacks is focused and avoids unnecessary didacticism and borderline self-aggrandizement present in some of his other writings. In sum: accessible, concise and engaging. Highly recommended.

Erwin Rommel first learned his trade in the Great War as an Infantry commander. In this work he discusses individual actions he took part in and the lessons he learned regarding modern combat. Most of these lessons are still relevent today, which shows just how observant he was.

The book is illustrated with sketches which were originally published with the book, which is fortunate as the drawings and maps make it possible to follow Rommel's line of thought as he refights these battles. It is not a light read and if you are not interested in military history you probably will not want to put the necessary amount of work into it.

I have no complaints. In response to another review, German troops, specifically those under Rommel's command, are made to look far more competent than most troops of other nationalities Rommel encountered because by all accounts they were. Rommel's men wouldn't have surrendered in the thousands to 3 officers, nor been so lax in sentry and recon duty. When he encounters worthy foes he gives credit where it is due, in one case calling them "men in every way" to paraphrase. But the aggressive fighting spirit and competence of Rommel's men is shown time and time again. Volunteering to run out on a bridge under enemy fire and chop wires leading to bombs with a hand axe (for all that Sergeant knew the wires could have been electric and the bombs could have gone the second he got near one), swim a freezing cold, rapidly moving river alone to infiltrate enemy lines etc, this is what his men would do for him.

The tone is largely a matter of interpretation, I believe that at the time and place the book was written it was not so much braggadocio as it was lack of false modesty, and rightful pride in his and his men's accomplishments. In America many will interpret this as shameless bragging.

I see nothing wrong with the lessons of building fortifications to prevent casualties and conducting constant reconnaissance. However those are not by any means the only lessons in the book. Rommel's use of "supple infantry tactics" against often numerically far superior, and firepower-superior (though as mentioned before inferior in competence, aggression, and bravery) enemies, and his use of diversions, sneak attacks and generally concealed movements are timeless applied lessons of warfare straight out of Sun Tzu's "Art of War".

His use of overwhelming concentrations of pinning fire, combined with the above, helped him limit casualties while flanking the enemy and capturing prisoners in the many thousands in total. He scarcely lost a battle even though he often didn't have the support of artillery during an attack due to materiale shortages. He was a very aggressive commander who always took the initiative when given the chance, something that paid off time and time again. He wasn't incautious, he simply knew an opportunity when he saw one, and was bold enough to exploit these situations.

The principal players of the Second World War paid their dues in the First, and Erwin Rommel was no exception. The man who would later become "the Desert Fox" and win worldwide acclaim as one of the greatest generals of all time began his combat career as a young lieutenant in the army of Wilhelm II, indistinguishable from thousands of others who crossed the French or Belgian frontier in 1914. Four years later he was one of the most decorated soldiers in the Imperial Army, holder of the "Pour le Merite" (the highest Prussian award for bravery) and a firm believer that "positional [i.e. trench] warfare" was for fools. His credo could be summed up in the old Prussian maxim: "Never ask how strong the enemy is, only where he is -- and march to the sound of guns."

Rommel published ATTACKS in 1937, when he was a lieutenant-colonel in the Reichsheer and commandant of the military academy in Weiner Neustadt. At the time he was already famous in the German army for his 1914 - 1918 exploits, but ATTACKS brought him international acclaim, at least in military circles. In Germany the book made him quite wealthy, and in a sense one can see why: compared to the turgid, half-mystical reminiscences of some of his contemporaries, ATTACKS is entirely without introspection. It is simply a recounting of the innumerable small-unit actions in which Rommel participated in during the Great War. The book's methodical, matter-of-fact style reflects the personality of its author, who was not inclined to philosophizing. The "whys" and "wherefores" of war mattered to him not at all. Unlike Ernst Juenger, who also won the Pour le Merite and wrote postwar accounts of his exploits (THE STORM OF STEEL, COPSE 125, WAR AS AN INWARD EXPERIENCE) Rommel wasn't interested in the "inward experience", just the fighting. He was a soldier's soldier.

During the War, Rommel served extensively in France, Rumania and Italy, and ATTACKS recounts in great detail his many offensive exploits, where he distinguished himself not merely with his aggressive style but by his habit (repeated in World War II) of leading from the front. Utterly fearless, possessing unlimited physical stamina and seemingly immune to pain (his gunshot wounds are described merely as events, like losing the sole of a shoe; the only thing that seems to have caused him real discomfort in the whole war was getting a foot smashed by a boulder in the mountains) Rommel was the ideal junior officer under any conditions, and was rightly worshipped by his men - another trait he enjoyed in the '39 - 45 war. He was further distinguished by his nobility and chivalry, qualities which are more responsible than his military genius for making him beloved among his former enemies. Today, Rommel is the only one of the myriad generals who achieved fame in Nazi Germany who is officially honored by the present day German government.

The strength of ATTACKS lies not merely in the nature of what is being described (battle and more battle) but in the fact that Rommel has no artistic pretentions: he simply records what happened without sentimentalizing or succumbing to the Germanic curse of using 1,000 words when two hundred would suffice. This, however, is also the book's great weakness: all these skirmishes, raids, marches, countermarches, midnight conferences, attacks, retirements, hand-grenade fights, machine-gun duels, artillery bombardments, and climbs up mountain slopes in the rain, snow and blazing sun begin to wear down the reader over time. If it is possible for combat to be monotonous, Rommel occasionally manages to make it so, if only by the staggering amount of it he actually experienced. If Juenger was often turgid and romantic, he was also willing to discuss the lighter side of war - the pranks, the drinking, the philosophical bull-sessions and the endless war against rats, boredom and Prussian discipline. Such humanistic moments would have been welcome in ATTACKS, but Rommel was not inclined to dwell on them. (The closest thing he displays to a sense of humor is contemptuous jokes at the expense of the French and the Italians, neither of whom seem to have impressed him with their soldierly ability.)

So, if you are looking for a pure combat memior, penned by one of the greatest soldiers ever, ATTACKS is the very definition of the bill. But if you want a look "under the helmet" into the mind and soul of a great fighting man, I would suggest supplementing ATTACKS with Juenger's more layered STORM OF STEEL. After all, nothing is more Prussian than obtaining a "total view" of a military situation!

I was one of those hard-core "we must have gun control" types for a long time. In my late 30s, I mellowed out a bit and grew into more of a "live and let live" mentality. And then when I was in my early 40s, it DAWNED on me, America's gun control laws were all about controlling the rights of private, law-abiding citizens. The bad guys are NOT being constrained or restrained by gun control laws - that's why they're the bad guys.

And then there were the Virginia Tech shootings. Amidst the tragedy and the horror, I noticed that the media was quoting "experts" who were demanding more stringent gun-control laws. Commenting on this whilst talking to my beloved hubby, he replied, "you know about the Appalachian School of Law, right?"

Never heard of it, I told him. Nor has anyone else I've since encountered. The short version is this: An armed student (42-year-old Nigerian student) went to the campus of this small law school in Grundy, Virginia and opened fire, killing three and wounding three. Upon hearing the distinctive sound of shots being fired, two students ran to their car and got their weapons. Now armed, they returned to the classroom where the shooter was and demanded that he drop his gun. He did. The end.

According to John Lott (author of "The Bias Against Guns"), only four of the 208 news reports mentioned that the students WERE ARMED. That was shocking and upsetting.

Then there was a woman friend of mine. When I visited her in the hills of West Virginia, she and I would go out "house hunting" (no shooting involved) and we'd often wander into not-so-great areas of town. (We're both architectural historians and do research on old houses.) One afternoon, I asked, "What if someone comes up to us and tries to take our wallets?" She responded, "I'll reach into my purse and show them my gun up close and personal and tell them, 'no sir, but how about you give me *YOUR* wallet.'"

She was not serious, but it got me to thinking: A woman owning a gun LEVELS the playing field and equalizes power. I felt less afraid when I was with my friend, knowing she had a gun. And when we were walking through a dark parking lot late one night, she walked behind me and when I turned around to make sure she was okay, I saw her walking with her hand buried in her purse, clutching the small gun and paying very close attention to a man who was sitting at the fringes of the lot.

This and many other events lead me to "The Best Defense." The book is full of powerful stories, but I warn other readers, some of the descriptions are quite graphic and very disturbing. It's written simply and it's a fast-read and there are no annotations (which is a little disappointing) but it packs a powerful punch. I had trouble putting it down and read it all within about four hours.

It also makes a very persuasive argument that we are on the WRONG TRACK with gun control. Communities where guns are in most homes have the lowest incidence of home invasions and burgularies. That's another fact that the media won't go near.

Rose Thornton
author, The Houses That Sears Built

As the last reviewer stated, there is not much else that can be said about this book. It is excellent and very good information to know. As a woman, I was especially impressed with some of these stories, especially the 74 year old woman who protects her disabled husband from an attacker / burglar AFTER being maced in the face...... GOOD FOR HER and GOOD FOR EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS BOOK THAT FOUGHT BACK AND WON. I'm sick and tired SICK AND TIRED of hearing all the arguments for "gun control". Gimme a break. Read this, read Roger A. Waters other book, read a few others w/the same concept.....the police are great and I admire and respect them - I have four relatives in various forms of law enforcement, including a SWAT sharp shooter and a patrol cop that works in a gang infested area of L.A. - so like I said, I admire and respect the police, HOWEVER, they can not protect you very often, most often they are there AFTER the crime to get the report. Responsible gun ownership is a right for every eligible citizen that I believe in strongly, especially after reading these books.

With 25 reviews prior to this one, this book doesn't need more promotion, but I can't resist giving it another 5-star vote.

Most things about this book have been stated by previous reviewers. I can add one comment: If you think that citizens should not be allowed to own guns, read the first chapter of this book and tell me what besides a personal gun might have saved Doug and Judy Stanton and their four children.

Jerry Hessler, the murderer who came after them, wrote these words:
"Brian dead, Tracey dead, Amanda dead, Thane dead.
Reid orphaned, Sue widowed, Mark crippled, Ruth unstable.
Countless friends and family stricken with grief.
Not a bad day's work.

The score is 4 to 0.
Even if they execute me it will still be 4-1."

How does a citizen deal with someone who thinks like Jerry Hessler? With a gun.

This books shows how and why.

I feel this is the final word in the gun control debate. This is what we the legitimate gun owners have needed. Some proof that packing heat is the best way to deter crime and to keep yourself and your loved ones alive.

I finished reading this book very quickly. Every story was intense and captivating. The book was enjoyable for entertainment value alone, but it also contains critical information about personal defense.

Ever wondered what it was really like to be attacked by someone trying to kill you? These are stories of people who lived to tell the tail. Many potential murder victims only survived because they had a loaded gun handy.

On a personal note, my brother wasn't as fortunate as many of the people in this book. He was returning a tape at a well lit video store on a Sunday night when he was kidnapped by four thugs. They had his car, his cash, and all his possessions, but they murdered him anyway. Apparently just robbing people had become boring to them. They are now in jail, but I often wonder if my brother would be alive today if he had a gun with him.

I read this book back when I was in third grade or so, and absolutely loved it. This series quickly became the far-and-away favorite of my group of friends. Even ten years later, we still have fond recollections of this book and the rest of its series. I definitely recommend this book to any young reader - it is enthralling. If you want your kids to get into fantasy, give them this book!

this is the first diadem book iv'e read its a little like a modern lord of the rings (iv'e read all three of those) my sayso is buy it!(by the way if you like this i recomend deltora quest)

this is the first diadem book iv'e read its a little like a modern lord of the rings (iv'e read all three of those) my sayso is buy it!(by the way if you like this i recomend deltora quest)

this is the first diadem book iv'e read its a little like a modern lord of the rings (iv'e read all three of those) my sayso is buy it!(by the way if you like this i recomend deltora quest)

I have personally only read the first book of this series (the book of names). My older brother bought it from a bookfair, and has only read it once. During a black-out I read it, and instantly fell in love. It kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through-out the book. I re-read it for about the billionth time today, and I have just ordered 2-6 of the series I love it so much. I encourage other people to read it as well, it is an excellent book.

This is a good book. I don't agree with all it says but that is ok it still has a lot of thought provoking information

This book is a great resource for any astronomy lover who wants to know more about the background and history of astronomy. It has lots of information on historical people in astronomy as well as great stories about their discoveries. Great book, must have for history of astronomy.

Excellent chronology of physics from Aristotle to the present. I will use it as a reference. Excellent index and other aids to finding what you want in physics and other sciences.

An Excellent exposition of the history of astronomy and astrophysics. Mr. Ferris writes with a lucidity and thouroughness not often found in books on this fascinating subject.

What a story! And yes, I said story because the author has taken subjects most of us take for granted (the size of the heavens, the age of the Earth, the intricacies of the atom) and turned these into a wonderful almost joyous tale of intellectual achievement. I am still stunned at the depth of scholarship, the vast research and the almost magical manner in which Ferris manages to make what appears to be an arcane dry topic into an intriguing saga.

Ok, I admit it. I love science books written for the educated layman - from "The Singularity is Near " to "Wonderful Life" to the philosophical tomes of Pagels and Hardison. But this is more than science - it is also a history of who we are and our physical, mental and dare I say it, spiritual evolution. In this sense it reminds one of "The Discoverers" by Boorstin with its chronological structure, emphasis upon individual genius and captivating storyline. Beginning with the ancients, we see how our ideas fashion our intellectual quests. The overwhelming success of Western culture depended on our ability to break with age-old traditions, to absorb ideas from the outside and most importantly, to challenge the traditional religious beliefs. Very few cultures have been able to accomplish this and their lack of scientific prowess is evidence.

The individual tales could occupy a volume themselves - mind-boggling examples of thought that are so rare we have trouble believing them. Not only are Darwin (Evolution challenged the prevailing age of the Earth) and Newton (the greatest human who ever lived?) are found but all the unknown heroes of the ages are given their due. The author has an uncanny way of simplifying tremendously dense concepts into language for the layman. This was never truer than his discussion on the weird world of quantum physics with its seemingly magical and nonsensical qualities. I would say that this should be required reading for all high school graduates except that a vast number would be bewildered by the concepts presented, unaware that science has a history of more than video games and cars. My grade - A+++

What a pitiful story. I have to agree with the librarian who reviewed this book. The story had no story line to speak of, the title had nothing to do with the rest of the book, and the font was horrendous looking. Spend your money wisely- stay away from this book!

Father Like a Tree by Matthew S. Field has instantly become our family favorite "read aloud" bedtime story. It is a sweet story about a family of birds yet it is so much more.
When I first read it to my seven year-old son he understood the literal story line about the mother bird and how she builds a nest in the tree for her family, how she teaches her babies to fly and feed themselves and how she eventually says good bye to them as they fly off to build nests of their own. Each time I read the story my son understands the parallel the author so vividly portrays between the "Father Tree", the "Mother Bird" and their "Children". He is delighted with himself each time he points out one of the parallels that link the mother bird to me or one of the baby birds to himself or his sister.
Because of Father Like a Tree, my son has leaned that although I love him dearly and provide for all his needs right now, eventually there will come a time when I will have to show him how to provide for himself. He understands that that is the natural way of things and nothing to be frightened about. He knows that a day will come when he will say to me as the baby bird says to the mother bird, "It is time to strike out and build a nest of my own." And he knows that I will reply as the mother bird has, "I love you," as I watch my baby bird spread his wings and fly into the world knowing that I have taught him well and there is nothing to fear.
Father Like a Tree is a wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated masterpiece that will soon become your family's favorite as well.

I am astounded at the number of glowing reviews for this book. Found the illustrations poor, baby birds almost scary and the large type font offsetting. I shared this book immediately with three other teachers and they all had negative reactions. Is it a nice story about raising a family - I guess so but there are many other excellent titles that do a better job. I also felt the title and opening paragraph do not coincide with the story told. A title about a mother would be more appropriate. To clarify my postion, I am an elementary librarian and read hundreds of childrens' books a year and was very disappointed in this offering esp. given all the positive reviews.

Father Like a Tree is a wonderfully told, beautifully illustrated book that grew from the most innocent of origins: a "tell me a story, Daddy" moment. It's a simple story that young children will understand and invariably want to hear more than once, but it also communicates its own special message to parents who will one day watch their own little ones spread their wings and leave to build a nest of their own elsewhere.

Some might say this book is really about the bird that builds her nest, raises her baby birds, and sees them off into the world (i.e., the mother), but I really like the "father like a tree" analogy. The bird lays the eggs, sees to the babies' needs, and teaches them how to survive on their own, but all the while the tree is there to shelter and sustain the little family, a less visible but very active participant in the whole child-rearing process. When the youngsters leave the nest, the tree misses them just as much as the mother bird does, and both stand ready to welcome them back when and if they return to visit.

I'm no art expert, but I know what I like, and I really like Tom Hedderich's illustrations; they have a wonderfully natural, vibrant look and feel; in a way, just looking at them instills a sense of peace in the viewer. I'm sure that children will enjoy examining them, especially with all the little woodland critters worked into the background of many of them.

Books like this encourage parent-child interaction and help instill a sense of the joy of reading in the little tykes. You won't even have to pretend to be interested in what you are reading to your child because Matthew S. Field's story speaks to parents as much as it does to children (unlike many a children's book out there). Parents who share books like this with their young children will not be among those asking "why can't Johnny read?" a few years later.

"Father Like a Tree" is a book that parents will find very moving as they read it to their children; it is full of tenderness and truth, and has a quality rarely seen in literature made for young people. It expresses deep maturity and emotions that a mother or father would have on seeing their children grow, teaching them their lessons, and knowing they will eventually find their way in the world.

The story is told from the perspective of a mighty tree, where a beautiful bird builds her nest, and lays three eggs. Once hatched, as the mother bird feeds and tends to her baby birds, the well written narrative repeats certain passages, which will help a child fully understand the significance of what the mother is doing, and the meaning of the words. Matthew Field is a marvelous writer, as well as a father of three, and the seeds of this magical tale were planted when his youngest daughter asked him to tell her a "new story," and "Father Like a Tree" was the inspired story he told her.

The illustrations are very special, and one can see the affection between the birds in their eyes, and their stylized and wonderfully drawn faces. There is a humanity to all the creatures depicted that we can relate to, and there are many animals in the forest to capture a child's attention, from a family of rabbits to a curious squirrel watching the birds from another branch in the mighty tree. Illustrator Thomas Hedderich is an expert artist in many genres, and in this book uses his watercolor technique to create a bird of many colors, and lots of leafy greens, but his biggest achievement are the highly expressive eyes of these lovely birds.

"Father Like a Tree" is a high quality book with thick, semi-gloss pages and excellent color reproduction. The font size is large and clear, and will be easy for a child to read when he is old enough, as this is a book that will appeal to all ages, and will delight a child for many years.

As the author of The All-American Boys, I never miss an opportunity to read space books by others. Into that Silent Sea takes you into the early years of human spaceflight and tells the story in a way that will appeal to both space buffs and the public at large. It is full of little-known facts about well-known Soviet and American space flyers along with new and interesting information about lesser-known astronauts, cosmonauts and behind the scenes players.

I found Into That Silent Sea extremely interesting, and written in such a readable style with so much new material that I hated to put it down. French and Burgess did a great job with the cosmonaut chapters. They are loaded with new and interesting material about Yuri Gagarin, Gherman Titov and Alexei Leonov's harrowing first spacewalk. The book is a rare opportunity for a behind the scenes look at the competition between the two superpowers as they raced to the Moon.

Into That Silent Sea humanizes the Russian program as well as our own. I highly recommend this excellent book.

This book is probably one of the best books i have ever read. Very rarely a book comes along that you just can't put down. This is one of those. There have been thousands of book about this era is spaceflight but only a handfull really stick out. At first i was skeptical as to what this book would be, but as soon as i started reading it i knew that i loved it. Get this book along with In the Shadow of the Moon. You will not be dissapointed.

A MUST READ!!! French and Burgess really know how to sum up the early space program and make it completely relivable. For previous generations who were not around to partake in the early threads of space exploration this book will take them into that silent sea.

This book would make an excellent documentary covering all the brilliant aspects of the beginnings of our space program. A fantastic journey and pleasure to read, I got to relive this pinnacle of time in the history of space exploration. GREAT STUFF!!! Dorice Odell

A must read for anyone with a love of Space, Astronauts, etc. Very well written.

I am an Apollo astronaut who entered the space program in 1966, and I knew and worked with most of the Americans that are profiled in this book. In the intervening years I have met most of the Russians also profiled. I was in the space business for many years, including making a flight to the moon on Apollo 15 in 1971, ten years after Alan Shepard made his historic flight. This book is a wonderful history of the original pioneers in space. I could not put it down once I started. French and Burgess have a great touch when it comes to writing. I found it especially interesting when reading about the Russian program and the men and women selected for their spaceflights. The book clearly and engrossingly explains the differences between the Russian Cosmonauts and the American Astronauts, including fascinating personal details of how they were selected, trained and carried on their flights. I found the book a great source of new information that was both well documented and thoroughly fascinating to read - in fact, I believe it is deserving of winning some awards. Before I flew in space, these men and women in America and Russia paved the way and were my personal heros. If you want to know who they were, then this is the book.