Clouds Books

This book along with the photo essay book, "Costa Rica : The Last Country the Gods Made," should be owned by anyone who loves Costa Rica, even if they think they despise natural history monologues as too narrow in their scope of a country. This book's spirit is undeniable.

This book is an incredibly useful guide to the trees of Monteverde and should be bought by all students, faculty and tourists visting the area, who are interested in plants. It has a clear, easy-to-use key for plant identification and provides detailed, interesting information on most of Monteverde's important tree species. In addition, it provides a good introduction to plant ecology in the region.

I have used this book extensively in the field and have found it to be an excellent field guide. I would highly recommend it to anyone- whether a seasoned botanist or a tourist interested in learning more about the area's vegetation.

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE READ ABOUT WWII AVIATION .THE AUTHOR TELLS HIS PERSONAL STORY BUT IN A BROADER SCENARIO OF THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM AND THEIR PERSONALITIES .IT'S HAS IT'S HUMOROUS ANECDOTES BUT THE TOTAL PERSPECTIVE REFLECTS ON THE PILOTS OF HIS GROUP , THEIR FIGHTER PLANES ,AND THE TRAGEDY OF WAR .

This is one of my favorite personal accounts. Goodson, an America, joined the RAF in 1939 and flew Spitfires with the Eagle Squadron. When America entered the war, he was inducted in to the Army Air Corps and transotioned to P-47s. Later, he switched to P-51s and was shot down near the end of the war. In this book, he vivdly recounts air combat from nearly the entire war and pays homage to his comrades. What I liked best about Goodson's account was his humanity. He never glorifies what he did or boasts, even though he was one of the top American aces of the war. I get the impression that he intended the work simply as a tribute to those who fought.

kahlil gibran is a master at provoking the senses with his metaphysical poetry. this book delves into the human condition within relationships and gives the reader a unique perspective from several points of view. it's rare to find an author with this kind of depth and profound awareness.

Each short is unique and beautiful. The way he articulates, the metaphors he uses, the message he puts forth....It all comes together and just makes you smile! And I smiled and nodded my head while reading most of this book. I couldn't put it down. I read it straight through in one sitting, and I'm about to go through it again. I really felt this book and learned a great deal from it. From the first sentence of the first reflection and on from there I was and still am captivated.

Its been years since my last trip to Costa Rica and Monteverde's Cloud Forest but this CD puts me back in an instant. It is laid out just as you would experience it. No bogus critters from other continents, just the splendor of sounds you fid there. There is more information about this title at sites like tinkfrog.com, or a web search on the title for availability.

Spent a few days in Costa Rica's Los Angeles Cloud Forest (just North of San Ramon) regretting that I didn't have something to record all the incredible sounds--and violà--here is this CD. Great for learning to identify calls & sounds. If you're really interested, I highly recommend "A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica" (ISBN: 0-8014-9600-4) to see what these birds look like. I guarantee 1 of 2 things: if you learn to identify the sounds on this CD before your trip to a cloud forest, you'll be the "expert," and if you don't, you'll will repeat these words over and over: "What on earth was that?

I've read a great many spiritual-metaphysical-philosophical-mystical books in my life. Few have moved me as much as "Ways in Mystery." One of Luther's essays, "God in the Moment," is an absolute classic, a piece that stays in your mind and soul long after you put down his book. (Hope I have that title right; a friend borrowed this book and hasn't given it back, a non-verbal positive review). It's refreshing to have an author speak so honestly about what he doesn't know about the Mystery that surrounds us, and indeed is us, as contrasted to the usual sort of "I know the truth! Here it is!" style of writing. I felt a close communion with Luther, because I also don't know, yet I want to. In the movie about C.S. Lewis, "Shadowlands," there is a great line: "We read to know that we are not alone." An honest spiritual seeker, who knows what he or she does not know, will find a friend in the voice that speaks in this book--the voice of one who stands in awe of Mystery, bowing humbly before it, rather than rashly claiming to explain Mystery away through what might be called "premature explanation." This book is worth a dozen trashy New Age titles. It doesn't offer answers so much as it poses the right questions in the right spirit of inquiry, a valuable contribution indeed.

This book is a beautifully written and original contibution to the theme of the mystical life. By nature the topic is nebulous and lends itself to alot of sloppy and forlorn prose. Mr. Askeland's book is a happy exception. This book should become well-known by those who care about such things, but probably will not, presumably because its author in not a regular denizen of the Berkeley-Boulder spiritual chicken circuit scene. Luther is clearly his own man here. It is the tone of voice that convinces. This writer has lived with and struggled with his theme. He is an acutal voyager upon the mystery so described. I trust this voice. He also has quite original things to say about the "folkloric' nature of the zen literature. Hurray! Please read this book if you are at all deeply moved by its theme. Thanks be, Luther!

When Your World Makes No Sense - another reviewer's information that this out-of-print book has been republished under Changes That Heal 8/18/97 is good news. An excellent book with subject matter that touches the deepest part of us as humans and how to become all we were created to be. "You must own your life before you can give it away, even to God."

Addresses Christian dysfunction and how to reconcile unhealthy beliefs with reality. Not written to any particular denomination; author is excellent communicator & speaker. Inexpensive one day seminars available occasionally, up & down the west coast. 1-800-676-HOPE

Perfect book and perfect shipper.
Received the book from US to Singapore in less than 2 weeks.
Really satisfied with the book's condition.
Love it! (:

I'm a huge Incubus fan and think the band, and all of it's subsequent members, can do no wrong. I heard about this book through the band's website and instantly wanted it, afterall, this is the frontman to the band that has most influenced me in my musical travels. However I didn't buy it when I wanted to, the price was ridiculously high and I wasn't sure if it was completely worth it. I was wrong. I found it much cheaper at a concert of their's I attended and from the first page on I was awestruck. I always knew Brandon was not only an extraordinarily gifted musician but also extremely gifted when it came to drawing, and White Fluffy Clouds only proves it. His drawing are so intricate and amazing that it's hard to believe a human hand did, in fact, create them. But the drawing aren't the only thing this book has to offer. Included are more than a few poems and simple observations from Brandon. The short story entitled Fear is particularly hilarious as he tells of his many fears as a child. Not everything Brandon writes is funny though, Hail, Right Brain! is a poem that really gets you thinking. His take on love and life is yet another facet he can cover with ease, as any fan of Incubus is sure to know already. There's even parts where he talks about the world today, particularly on page 74 with the essay entitled Music. If you can find this book, certainly jump at the chance to get it, I've read it countless times and still enjoy every page. I will offer some advice though, don't waste your time trying to track it down through Amazon or some other website, get it at one of their shows, it's a mere 30 dollars compared to the 60 that Amazon is asking.

These stories are readable and re-readable and leave the reader hungering for more. This reader has led me to seek out the whole Kalevala in the author's recommended translation. These stories are touching, haunting, and ring ever so true. They opened my eyes to a clearer understanding and appreciation of the Finnish women I have known (mother, grandmother, aunts) in recent generations. Somehow the author has captured the spirit of these real people in these fictional narratives. I found it hard to let go of. I heartily recommend it to one and all, but especially to women of Finnish ancestry and those who might know or wish to know better their Finnish family and psychological heritage.

This author has a gift for taking the elusive, repetitive runes of the Kalevala and weaving riveting personal tales of the women. All too often in many cultures, women are overlooked. The author presents her characterizations in the form of short stories that are highly readable and told from the too often mute woman's point of view.

The 8 tales presented here are not direct quotes from the epic poem, but, are very true in spirit to the collected folk tales. Because of the difference in medium (prose versus verse) the characters have a chance to come to life - Louhi in all her majesty and power, the sad Aino, silly Kylli - times when women were bartered to the men with the most power. You get glimpses into their sad daily lives of hard work, and their all-to-few moments of joy. Who among us can imagine the pain of being a young lady at that time, knowing that you would likely be given to some old, powerful man in marriage? Or the agony of falling in love with someone only to be told that you would be forced to marry another?

For a Finnish-American, I would put this book high on my list of must-reads, mainly because of the clarity it brings to so many of the Kalevala heros and heroines. Culturally, it also gives a clear picture of what daily life for so many was like, and for some, is still like (in the eastern portions of Finland).

Professor Sugayama Lebra presents a fascinating analysis of modern Japan's hereditary elite. The focus of her analysis is the "kazuko" -- Japan's hereditary peerage of the 1871-1947 period. As part of their westernizing reforms, the Meiji oligarchs merged the Kyoto court nobles ("kuge") and the feudal lords ("daimyo") into a single artistocratic class, explicitly based on the British peerage. The "kazuko" or flowerly lineage served two functions: (1) to fill the non-elective upper chamber of the new parliament, and (2) to provide a social buffer between the revitalized Imperial Court and the rest of Japanese society. The American occupation reforms divested this hereditary elite of much its wealth and the 1947 Japanese constitution formally abolished the peerage. Nonetheless, the aristocratic pedigrees and family ties continue to play an important role in modern Japanese political, social and economic life.

Relying on informer interviews, and extensive archival and genealogical research, Sugiyama Lebra recreates the world of this aristocratic class. Topics include: lineage, elite socialization, gender roles, status negotiation, marriage and adoption, professions and status careers, and adjustment to postwar life as common citizens of the new Japan. The book also provides valuable insights into the modern development of the Japanese imperial institution.

Professor Sugiyama Lebra's book is a must read for anyone interest in contemporary Japan or the role of traditional elites in modern socities in general. This is an immensely readible book. Although targeted to a scholarly audience, this book is acessible to academics and non-academics alike.

Though he writes for younger readers, Sperry has an unmatched gift for writing adventure tales. This reissue is an essential of its genre and takes you in a clipper ship around the Horn to California. Of all the sea stories I've read--Hornblower, Aubrey/Maturin--this little work actually managed to explain more sailing terminology than 21 volumes of the O'Brien series. And the author's superb woodcuts fit the story perfectly. What sets this story apart is its ability to convey the adventure of going to sea, the wonder of the open ocean, of exploring remote places seldom visited by man. For this deskbound reviewer who is hardpressed to get off to Catalina Island for a weekend, this tale of taking a clipper ship around the Horn earned a privileged place in the library.

This book would make a welcome gift to any young person who is beginning to realize that the world is a large and interesting place and teaches an excellent lesson about how a blend of hard work, study and self-confidence can help one through just about any challenge.