David Books

This book is the baseball fan's dream. Packed with almost every record imaginable, even to statistics about the umpires, it is an organized chronicle of the firsts in baseball. Records for minor league teams and by a teenager are also included. Hours can be spent in poring over the contents of this book; it is both a history of the game and a giver of credit to many players who rarely get it. I enjoyed every page.

This book contains the most discriminating baseball facts
imaginable. It is written for the baseball buff. For instance,
the first night game of baseball was recorded on 9-2-1880.
Mack holds the record as the longest manager in baseball's
history. Babe Ruth has the most bases. If there is any
fact concerning baseball, it will be listed here in all
likelihood. This book would make a wonderful gift for
any baseball enthusiast. There are previous versions
so that it has been battle-tested over the years.
Without question, the work is a collector's item.

If you're like me and thousands and thousands of other baseball fans, you love arguing about who was the best player at a particular feat, be it home runs, batting average, stolen bases, etc. The updated version of this book covers this and much more. Everything among standard records is here, along with time capsules of the period from the 1870s until now, and summaries of each season's World Series. For example, the National League originally wanted to vote in the DH back in the 1930's, but the American League didn't want it! There are enough records listed in this book to keep virtually all "stat-heads" happy. Records by position, obscure records, even a section on all-time minor league records, they're all here.

One minor flaw I noticed in the 2003 edition. Nemec doesn't always keep things completely updated. A mention of Gregg Jefferies, the ex-Met lists him as still active, even though he retired a couple seasons ago. Last season Shawn Green broke the single game total bases mark in an early season game, and yet Joe Adcock is still listed as the holder of that record.

Still, if you love baseball records you will love this book. It's full of those and quite a bit more.

I've picked up four editions of this book over the years, including the 1999 one. It's interesting to me, and fun, to watch how Nemec manages to incorporate new records and new developments in the game and at the same time maintain the book's basic structure. He even added a new era a couple of years ago--but so neatly I wasn't even aware of it at first. It also brought out the first study I've ever seen on pitchers' batting records. I'd guess there'll be another new edition in 2000, and it'll be interesting once again to see how all the wild new developments in this past season are interwoven.

I still have my dingy 1989 copy, which helped me get through a boring summer that year! (I was only 14 at the time)

Still, all these years later, even though some of the records have changed, and there are new ballparks and teams, I still refer to my old copy all the time, especially in December and January, when it seems like spring training will never arrive!

Not just a trivia book (though fear not; you will certainly find plenty of that, such as the last wood stadium, the best one-eyed players, the toughest batter to strike out on Tuesday when the bells ring)- more of a baseball history book, humorously told and colored with fabulous stories- truth is crazier than fiction, after all. I am overjoyed to see that this book has been updated... can't wait for the 2001 copy.

A great book!

I wish the descriptions had told me that it was basically a bird-watching book, since a vast majority of the chapters dealt with birds and that is not what I was interested in.





1

This is a wonderful book. I live in an Amish area so was very surprised to discover such rich vocabulary and stunning visual imagery due to the fact that typically the Amish only have an eighth grade education. Reading this book is like spending days walking through the woods following animal tracks or bird watching. Or just lying in the hay and watching the world go by!

"Great Possessions" radiates serenity and joy, but there is an underlying sadness for things lost--American chestnut trees, passenger pigeons, family farms. It is a rare natural history book that doesn't have this poignant undercurrent.

Here is an author who can write knowledgeably about diversified sustainable farming, because he is Old Order Amish and practices what he preaches. In the introduction, Wendell Berry says, "David's life--informed as it is by the Amish reverence for the natural world and the stewardship everywhere implicit in Amish farming--makes a union of economy and ecology."

This particular farmer-naturalist times his hay cutting to permit bobolink fledglings to leave the nest. When he top-seeds his wheat in the spring, his hand-cranked seeder flushes the horned larks and allows him to avoid their nests.

The Ohio Amish practice five-crop rotation so crop-damaging insects don't have time to build up. Horse-worked farms absorb almost seven times more water than conventional no-tilled farms.

Is it any wonder that the Amish in my area of middle Michigan at least, are quietly taking over the farm land that could not be made profitable by gigantic machines, insecticides, herbicides, and major debt?

Most Amish farmers are not pure organic farmers, but their use of herbicides is minute compared to the average non-organic farmer. The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) keeps trying to persuade this author that spraying poisons on his land would free him from tilling. An SCS technician informed him that "If I'd join the no-till crowd I'd be freed from plowing, and then my son or I could work in a factory. He insinuated that the extra income (increased cash flow) would in some way improve the quality of our lives."

The author, thank God, fails to get the point. He asks, "Should we give up the kind of farming that has been proven to preserve communities and land and is ecologically and spiritually sound for a way that is culturally and environmentally harmful?"

In one year, David Kline counted 155 different species of birds on his land.

When I was growing up a few hundred miles north of this author's Ohio farm, it was rare in those DDT-laden days to hear even a sparrow sing. At least we learned a lesson about that particular pesticide, and the birds are making a comeback. I counted 44 different bird species on our ten acres this year.

Maybe that's because I live in a county where the Amish farm.

The author, David Kline, is Amish and a farmer, so he lives very close to nature. While the subtitle is, "An Amish Farmer's Journal," this book is not about the Amish. It is about a man's love for God's creation that surrounds him on his farm and his sadness at what has been lost and what we continue to lose.

The introduction by the author is a powerful statement for sustainable, small scale, family farming. Wendell Berry in the foreword notes this with his statement that Kline's life, "informed as it is by the Amish reverence for the natural world and the stewardship everywhere implicit in Amish farming--makes a union of economy and ecology." In the introduction Kline asks, "Should we give up the kind of farming that has been proven to preserve communities and land and is ecologically and spiritually sound for a way that is culturally and environmentally harmful?" This truly summarizes the viewpoint David Kline brings to his journal.

Kline takes us through the year on his farm and lets us see the different plants, birds and animals that migrate through or live on his farm and those around him. He talks about the loss of Chestnut trees, mushrooms, Woodpeckers and a hundred other birds as they appear in his region of Ohio during the year.

This is a `must read' for those who love nature.

Kyle Pratt

When I originally received this book, I was really unhappy because I was looking for something by Wendell Berry and he only wrote the 2 page introduction. However, this is a wonderful, beautiful book. You feel as though you were walking with Mr. Kline on a lazy afternoon while he explains the world around you.

The Great, Great, Great Chicken War This is a children's book that all ages can enjoy. The young author - David de la Garza - and his parents have created a book that has gorgeous art with a story that all ages can enjoy. Not only can they enjoy the story-poem for its rhythm and sounds, but also for the story it tells. I bought the book for a five-year-old and discovered that his two-year-old brother was fascinated by the creatures and colors - the art work. And after hearing it read aloud, the five-year-old started talking about the story - about war - and the oldest of the three children, a ten-year-old joined in the conversation and for perhaps the first time, didn't talk down to his younger brother. While the book is not religious, a friend of mine who teaches Sunday School plans to use the book for a class discussion on resolving arguments and disagreements. I think the book is a delight--wonderful art and thoughtful story without it being preachy or sounding "educational." The story-poem has some terrific lines that start with "In the Great great great Chicken War, the rooster rode the rhino out the door, Angry and eager to settle a score"....and the accompanying illustration is imaginary and creative while the rooster atop the rhino is recognizable. I expect this book to become a classic. The Great, Great, Great Chicken War

Great collaboration, great pictures, great poetry. My son has had many questions about war just from over hearing NPR talking about casualties for the day. Although abstract, the thoughts and images expressed in this book helped me explain some hard issues on a kid's level.

Written by parents struggling to explain the concept of war to their young son, The Great, Great, Great Chicken War is a children's picturebook that presents concepts such as war and fighting in the simplest possible terms. Tackling the idea that sometimes people can be too silly or chicken to talk out their problems and fight instead, The Great, Great, Great Chicken War combines rhyming verse with exaggerated color pictures in a gentle, whimsical style. "In the Great, Great, Great Chicken War, // Rockets filled the sky with a deafening roar, / Criss-crossing a land where peace was no more. // Velociraptors stormed across the isle, / Scorching the land for mile after mile. // And in the deep ocean, where sea creatures sing, / Silent octopus feared what the future would bring." The Great, Great, Great Chicken War is an effective way to open the topic of war with young children, with a subtle message against wars fought for seemingly pointless reasons. A portion of the profits of The Great, Great, Great Chicken War will be donated to charity for child victims of war or disaster.

So often adults are the teachers and know it all...it is refreshing and grounding to hear and see things from a child's perspective to allow us as adults to stand back, re-group and open are eyes and say, oh yes, that is what it is all about.
david reminds us all that things such as war so often absurd and lacking in reason and sense. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the grown up decision-makers could stand back and realize the shear magnitude in numbers of innocent victims in so many unthinkable ways and the little that is accomplished with so much tragedy.

I introduced this book to a group of fifth grade students, and the discussion that followed was incredible. The pictures and the stories led to a great discussion about trying to make sense of the world and the children's perspective on war and their desire to have peace in the world. Along with using the book as an introduction to a deeper discussion, the words and sentences that make up the story can be used to illustrate descriptive writing, and metaphors to enhance a literacy lesson. I would recommend that this book be placed in all school libraries. We have it here in our library now at an international school, and I have also recommended it to our guidance counseling department for use with students and parents trying to make sense of our world!

This guide , to my mind is the creme de la creme of guides to Biblical coins.The scope of the learning is breathtaking and I feel a bit humble
to own such a useful book

I first read this book as more or less a total newcomer to the world of ancient Jewish coins. The stories of Hendin's introduction to the subject and his experiences in the world of ancient coin dealers are fascinating. The historical information presented in each chapter is informative, reliable, and will be appreciated by anyone with even a passing interest in the history of ancient Israel. Of course, the real reason for owning this book is that it is an indispensable and authoritative general reference on ancient biblical coins, and probably for the library of anyone interested in collecting or studying them. If there is one minor improvement that I might wish for in a future edition it would be to update the photographs of the coins with higher resolution images, preferably in color. Still, even in black and white the book is worth every penny.

Having collected ancient coins, mostly Judaean (and related Greek and Roman) for over twenty years, I use this reference more than all others combined. My collection is organized by "Hendin number".

I would recommend that any potential collector buy and read this book BEFORE buying their first coin!

Aside from its value as a reference, the stories alone are worth the price of admission.

David Hendin makes not only great standard references, but includes many wonderful anecdotes about his experiences as a collector. The chapters are well divided, and there are plenty of plates and line drawings. A must for the Biblical coin collector, and makes for an interesting read even for the non-collector.

Few people have the resources to own ancient art unless it's in the form of coinage.

Likewise, few people have the ability to assemble their museum of bible history again unless it's in the form of coin ownership.

In this book you will discover that you can come to own the following coins all for less (sometimes significantly so) than $100 a piece:

1) Coinage from the time of the creation of the Second Temple. Minted under the Persians and later the Greeks these small silver coins are known as Yehuds for the use of the Hebrew letters for Y H and D on the coinage minted to denote its use in the Judah or Yehud district of those empires;

2) Coinage from Hasmonean reigns. Referred to as "Widow's Mites" in the New Testament, these coins overwhelmingly minted during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus (103 to 76 BCE) and remained in common circulation for over two hundred years...well through the New Testament era;

3) Coinage from Pontius Pilate. In the years 29 and 31 Pilate minted two different varieties of small bronze coins. They have obvious value today for their connection with the events mentioned in the New Testament.

4) Coinage from the First and Second Jewish Revolts. Just as today, the Holy Land in the first century was a hotbed of action and political turmoil. The two most prominent manifestations of that turmoil were during the years 66 CE and 73 CE (during the First Jewish Revolt) and during the years 132 ant 135 CE (during the Second Jewish Revolt). In each case, it took the full weight of the Roman military to restore Roman control.

In this great book, Hendin also describes other coinage issued from the ancient Holy Land and shows copius pictures so that you can at least view the coins that may exceed your purchasing power.

The neophyte David Rivera, Jr. has secured his longevity on the African-American literary scene with his debut book, Harlem's Dragon. Probably meant for a man, but made for a woman -- Harlem's Dragon contains all the elements of a great drama; a strong story line, well-developed, believable characters and, of course, a (deliciously) healthy dose of eroticism -- well written and beautifully packaged.

David gives his lead character, Chemah Rivers, emotional depth -- a long lost quality in modern-day brothas. But Chemah is far from perfect, in fact, it is his imperfections that make him a true Harlem superhero. He is smart, sexy and relatively uncomplicated -- which works against him at times.

A quick read and real page turner, Harlem's Dragon is a "must read" for the grown and sexy. I understand there's a sequel to follow in the fall, The Street Sweeper. Keep writing David, we'll definitely keep reading!

Since Zane was presenting it I bought the book and it didn't disappoint. I will say it was kinda predictable who the killer was but all in all Mr. Rivera did a good job leading up to it and everything in between.

Slayers Beware!

Harlem's Dragon was a pleasant surprise and departure from the litany of so-called erotica on display these days. A winning combination of real characters, in real life settings with a healthy dose of erotic fantasy. Detective Chemah Rivers is a daunting, intense man (would love to see his character fleshed out in a film!) with principles and the misfortune of experiencing unforeseen problems that don't make his life easy. Add to the mix the love and attention of two very different, very intense women and you got the makings of a "don't put this down till you've finished" novel.

The scene stealing character in the story, however, is Margarita. Smart, upwardly mobile, resourceful, and sexy. She knows what she wants and she goes after it: whether it's a job - or a man! Sometimes having it all can prove to be a bit too much....

What I enjoyed most about the book, was Chemah's resilience and the fact that he was not a thug, drug dealer or basketball player. He's a grown man with relationship issues and the reader takes the ride with him as he tries to resolve them.

The writer does not beat you in the head with rhetoric or unnecessary details, but takes a background to the story allowing the reader to become absorbed in Chemah's life. This first time effort is worth picking up. Rumor has it there's a sequel on the way...

THE BOOK TITLED HARLEM DRAGON IS A FANTASTIC REALISTIC FICTION.
I DID NOT PUT THE BOOK DOWN FOR ONE MINUTE. AFTER EVERY CHAPTER YOU WANT TO READ ANOTHER AND ANOTHER. THIS IS A GREAT BOOK TO READ AS IT FLOWS NICELY. DAVID RIVERA AUGHT TO WRITE ANOTHER BOOK. I AM A FAN AND I AM MOST CERTAINLY HOOKED.

Chemah Rivers came about the nickname "Harlem Dragon" because of a childhood fight that put him in a situation to at least strike a karate pose before he was beat up. This nickname followed him, changing his reputation from one being ridiculed to one being respected by those in his Harlem neighborhood.

The day Chemah received a fifth-degree blackbelt was the same day Magarita Smith would see him for the first time. Even then she had plans to get with him and make him her man after she was through with the men she chewed up and spit out on the regular.

Margarita did get her chance meeting with Chemah at a political affair, but not before Chemah had the opportunity to meet his self-proclaimed soul mate, Nairobi, a White woman that produced a son. This would prove to be a hindrance to Chemah and Margarita's relationship and marriage once they found out about the child.

As time went on, Chemah was able to live out his life's dream when he became a detective on the NYPD with the help of his beautiful wife, Margarita. That position did not come without a price for either one of them. So then who is the true Harlem's Dragon? Chemah who is combative yet loving and caring, or is it Margarita who is combative and violent with a little bit of crazy mixed in?

Author Rivers, Jr. has penned a wonderful story that involves a little sex that is written tastefully, some violence, some deceit, some true love and family love interwoven with some detective work to tell his story.


Review by Sharel E. Gordon-Love
Apooo BookClub

This is a great book by David G Evans. It takes you on a journey of healing and deliverance. I have gained so much wisdom and knowledge in respects to how to deal with emotional pain from the past. I encourage anyone who struggles in this area to buy this book, the dvd, and the journal to help you heal the scars away.

Dionne Hunter
Healing Connection: Poems and Psalms that Heal the Soul

This is one book that once you pick up, it will very hard to put down. The revelation and clarity given will change your life forever! You will NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN! I highly recommend this book to anyone that's ever been dealt life's share of problems that have never confronted their issues. This book is great for anyone preparing to start a new beginning.

I heard about this book when I was listening on the Christian radio station; Bishop Evans shared his own testimony with regard to the book and it was his testimony that made an impact on me to purchase the book. We know from the Bible that healing is possible but sometimes we need to hear a witness share with us today how God's promises are for us even today! It is unfortunate that so many of us, who are Believers in Jesus Christ, have suffered with abuses of many forms in our lives. We have suffered so many hurts; disappointments; fears that interfere with our faith walk of freedom that comes in Jesus Christ. Yet, here is a book that reiternates the promises of God and God's ultimate motivation, which is love, that we can be healed from our scars. God is able to take that which was meant to destroy us and use it to rebuild us into vessels He can use for His glory as we become instruments of blessings to others because God was faithful to us. If you've been hurt...It's now time to be healed! Healed Without Scars is the promise of God that He is still (even today) the God who heals because His desire is that we be all that He desires us to be...Blessed to be blessing!

Bishop David G. Evans' book begins where most books end. Many authors have insights into how we can modify our behaviors or how we can manage our emotions, but Healed Without Scars explores the WHY behind our behaviors and emotions. Too often I have found myself treating symptoms only to find myself always having a new set of defeating circumstances to deal with in my life. Healed Without Scars goes beyond the surface aspects of life and helps the reader explore the depths of the human soul, all to bring about freedom.

Bishop Evans offers hope on every page, while taking the journey with the reader towards personal wholeness. There is no way to read this book and not have the tools needed to be healed and free. Bishop Evans balances his personal experiences with his brilliant handle on the Word of God and delivers the Truth on a level that Christian and Non-Christian alike can understand. He explores topics such as the child-father relationship, the importance of faith and praise during the hard times, and the power of forgiveness. Whether you have had issues with abuse, betrayal, addiction, or just everyday pain from life, this book will give you the answers to all of your questions, AND will position you for your healing.

I am eternally grateful for this book..and to know that I can truly be healed without scars.

This book really helped me experience the depth of God's love and his interest and willingness to help me be healed and made whole. The author walks you through the steps of healing.

I am currently re-reading this interesting book after a recent discussion involving studies -- among other things this book debunks 'medical terrorism' in which studies are used to frighten people unnecessarily. (The authors strongly encourage us to look more closely at the size and scope of studies before applying them to ourselves)

However, the book covers many more topics in emphasizing the importance of pleasure, including a focus on Work that makes and keeps us slaves to industry while cutting us off from significant others in our lives.

The authors aren't proponents of hedonism, but suggest that if we buy into conventional wisdom, we miss out on the joy life has to offer without any real improvement in our health or longevity.

Pleasure as the root of all evil (too often equated with sex) has been converted from its true purpose as the only motivation and incentive that spurs people to action. The power of pleasure has quite simply been highjacked and converted into the exact opposite of its intended purpose to elevate mankind into achieving the impossible - whatever that impossible happens to be. Long recognized by founders of America by including the possible of impossibilities into the preamble of America's Declaration of Independence to properly document their perspective, and their newfound knowledge emerging from the tyranny of Kings and Queens, they set in motion the philosophy upon which American capitalism and entrepreneurship seeks to preserve that delicate relationship between man and the enjoyment of his life - spiritual, mental and physical - and at least, in theory, the same for women. Practice turns out to be much more elusive than planned despite the Constitutional protections because of our lack of consideration for each other of the fine boundaries that separate one from another in that sometimes elusive pursuit that is by definition individually selective, and guarantees that his life will be meaningful, important and happy secure in the natural rights defined as his privilege to define for himself what gives him pleasure - the expression of his free will nurtured within that promise of a free nation, America.

The authors make an airtight case for a pleasurable life being healthy. This book will make you feel good, emotionally AND physically.

Healthy Pleasures written by Robert Ornstein and David Sobel is a book about the medical benefits of pleasure, that is longer, healthier life.

The book is divided up into three parts and each of those has chapters relative to the topic. Healthy Pleasures proposes a new approach to the way women and men manage their health. This book is a readers guide through the maze of myths and misconceptions that stand in the way of health.

In the book the reader will find scores of practical suggestions, based on recent scientific discoveries, on how to live in a way that enriches, rather than just maintains, health: ways to mobilize positive beliefs, expectations, and emotions... from cognitive therapy, relaxation training, and successful behavior modification practices.

Because people are naturally drawn by the pleasure principle to many of the things which promote health, this makes the book easy to follow. The emphasis of this book is the importance of pleasing rather than punishing ourselves... food, drink, rest, work, sunrises and sunsets, too... in a refreshing affectionate light found in the brain's pleasure centers.

This might be my favorite mind/body book. Through scientific research, it proves that pleasure is good for you, purpose, meaning, fun and laughter are good for you. In other words, the better your life, the better your health is likely to be. And the harder your life, the more health problems you are likely to have.

This is a profoundly healing message. It tells us not to be hard on ourselves, or on others. Not to blame ourselves or set up hundreds of hoops to jump through. That's not the way to be healthy or happy. Make your life easier and better, and good health is likely (though not guaranteed) to follow.

I have used this approach in my life with multiple sclerosis, my health coaching practice and my wellness workshops for years now with wonderful results. My book, The Art of Getting Well: Maximizing Health When You Have a Chronic Illness, puts Sobel and Ornstein's research into practice. I remain a big fan of Healthy Pleasures

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We chose this book for our bible study. It is a great way to study the life of King David. We are very happy to have been able to get this book so quickly so we didn't have to wait to start our bible study.

A Heart Like His: Member Book
This is a great study book on the story of David by Beth Moore. It seems like a lot of work, but the rewards are great. This study is great for all ages and it doesn't matter if your a "new" Christian or a very seasoned one. My girlfriend described the study as a "good book you can't put down".

I oredered more books for my ladies Bible Study. I also made it more difficult by ordering one at a time on the same day (two extra women signed an hour between each other) I thought, "they will be confused by this I'm sure!" They confirmed my crazy order in minutes and I received my books as quickly as I possibly could. They were used books but I found them to be in good shape and ready to use. Thank You again for the quality service I received. I don't go anywhere else for my book orders! Arleen Liotta

I rec'd the book I ordered in excellent condition in just a couple of days. Thank you Amazon.com!!

This book as been a great study. I have learned much from it. The questions are clear and easy to follow. Makes a good group or as a single study. It has been very satisfying. Beth Moore does an excellent job of keeping your attention.

Henry David Thoreau is one of America's greatest literary treasures, and this Library of America compilation of his four complete, full-length books is an excellent purchase for any Thoreau fan. It includes possibly Thoreau's most famous work, Walden, as well as lesser-known (but still immensely inspired and entertaining)works. I would highly recommend this purchase to any interested Thoreau reader, as I am yet to find a comparable compilation for nearly as good a deal as this.

It was Thoreau who made me understand that writing had everything to do with one's sum total and worth as a human being, and everything to do with one's passion and sense of purpose in life. It was while reading from an anthology of his work that I first made contact with a superior being. I recognized a mind that I could be intimate with, a mind and soul of someone with whom I could spend endless hours and never cease to learn from.


Thoreau's style is cumbersome. He can be terribly dry, and his paragraphs run way too long. But who cares when passages ignite the page with brilliance, flame from the black and white of paper into the depths of one's being. 'Walden' has more profound and relevant quotes than any other book I've read. They're the purest gems to be found in the rough of a larger work. A work that I wouldn't dare to diminish, but forewarn the reader so that they have the patience and perseverance to continue.


I would like to mention a superb biography written on the life and mind of Thoreau, a biography that exceeds and exceeds in going deeper into the life and mind of this great and humane and very misunderstood man, it is called: 'Henry Thoreau -- A Life Of The Mind,' by Robert D. Richardson Jr. Mr. Richardson not only wrote a biography, he was on a mission, for he knew and believed in what his subject was about. As comprehensive, insightful and exhilerating as any biography can or should be.


The price and quality of this anthology can't be beat. Beautiful to read and beautiful to see on my book shelf. Buy it! Get to know this man of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

While reading the four books of Henry David Thoreau (1817 -- 1862) included in this volume, I was reminded of the piano sonata no. 2, the "Concord" sonata by the American composer Charles Ives (1874 -- 1954) and decided to listen to it again to complement my reading. The Concord is a monumental work in which Ives tried to capture the "spirit of transcendentalism" associated with Concord, Massachusetts. Its four large movements bear the names of Emerson, Hawthorne, Bronson Alcott, and Thoreau. The "Thoreau" movement of the Concord captured in music for me what I had been reading in Thoreau's texts, with its reflective arpeggios, long hymnlike introspective passages, distant sounds of bells, and quiet close. Ives wrote the movement, he said, to reveal the "vibration of the universal lyre" to which Thoreau had alluded in the chapter of Walden titled "Sounds". Those who love Thoreau or the American Transcendentalists should explore Ives's great musical tribute to them and their thought.

This volume is the first of two in the Library of America devoted to Thoreau, with the second book consisting of essays and poems. It includes the two books published during his lifetime, "A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers" and "Walden" together with two books published shortly after his death, "The Maine Woods" and "Cape Cod". The former two books are philosophical and introspective in tone, even though they include much of the descriptive writing about nature for which Thoreau is famous. They are the writings of Thoreau the Transcendentalist, the Thoreau of Ives's Concord Sonata. The second two books are describes Thoreau's travels. They originated the American practice of writing about nature.

Thoreau's most famous book, "Walden" describes the two years he spent living at Walden Pond, near Concord, from 1845 -- 1847 on a tract owned by Emerson. Walden is deservedly an American classic, as Thoreau reflects upon and attempts to simplify his life, to appreciate it for itself and for the everyday, without the strains of commerce or the pursuit of wealth. It is an eloquent study of learning to be alone with and content with oneself.

Thoreau wrote the first draft of "Walden" while he resided there and also wrote "A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers" which in 1849 became his first published book, enjoying little success at the time. This book describes a trip Thoreau took with his brother and there are many detailed observations of people, places, and plants and animals. But the book is full of detailed digressions on literature, philosophy, the Greek Classics, friendship, and Thoreau's religious beliefs. This book shows the large influence of Eastern thought on Thoreau. It is filled with allusions and quotations from poetry on virtually every page. It is a joy to read.

There is little overt philosophising in Thoreau's latter two books. But both these books made me want to leave, at least for a short time, my life in the city and to run and visit the wild places Thoreau described. In "The Maine Woods" Thoreau describes three trips he took to Nortwest Maine -- its forests, rivers, lakes, and mountains, in 1843, 1853, and 1857. It includes detailed descriptions of rugged camping, in the rain and sun, on water and on land. The higlight for me was Thoreau's discussion in the first essay of the book of his climb on Mount Ktaadn, with Thoreau's description replete with both actual description and ancient Greek and American Indian symbolism.

Thoreau's final book, "Cape Cod" describes three visits in 1849, 1850, and 1853 (A fourth, later visit to the Cape is not included in the book.) This is Thoreau's only book which features the ocean and the seashore. It describes a rugged place, but the tone is leisurely and humorous in many places as Thoreau takes his reader on a thirty-mile "ramble" over the Cape. Thoreau introduces a memorable character in his chapter "The Wellsfleet Oysterman" and draws a picture of a lighthouse, no longer standing, on the Cape, "The Highland Light." Reading this book made me want to walk the sands and dunes that Thoreau walked and described over 150 years ago.

As with all volumes in the LOA series, this volume is lightly annotated but includes a valuable chronology of Thoreau's life which helps in approaching the texts. Transcendentalism and naturalism both have played critical roles in the development of American thought and you will find them both here. And if you enjoy Thoreau, I encourage you again to approach Ives's masterpiece, the "Concord Sonata" and meet Thoreau realized in sound.

Robin Friedman

While every artist is tied to their time and place, this is especially true of Henry David Thoreau. To me, Thoreau has always seemed like a beautiful and tender plant that could only exist in a specific time and place. His world was rich enough to allow him to enjoy nature rather than see it as something to tame. Yet it was also rural enough to leave him natural space to enjoy as if it were wild.

It also seems to me that Thoreau's writing is more beautiful and observant than penetrating and intelligent. It is more about the senses than analysis. I think this is why it appeals so much to young people of so many generations and why he became such a symbol for the Back-to-Nature portion of the Boomer generation.

This volume contains his most influential works (the essays and poems are collected in a companion volume also from the wonderful Library of America): A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, Walden; or, Life in the Woods, The Main Woods, and Cape Cod. So much has been written about these works that I can't think of anything specific to add except to encourage their being read. However, I would encourage adults who remember reading them in their youth with such enthusiasm to read them again from the vantage point of mid-life. I think they will find somewhat less to be enamored of in the content, but they will appreciate his sheer power of writing more.

The total collection is more than a 1,000 pages and includes a chronology of Thoreau's life, notes on the text, relevant maps of the areas covered in the book, more notes, and an index.

I would like to publicly thank Henry David Thoreau for teaching me this:

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavours to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." -Henry David Thoreau

Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works: How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated

This book does a great job of identifying the challenges that need to be overcome when selling security solution. In addition, it provides strategic and tactical methods that can be used to sell solutions that will be valued by customers to solve business problems.

This book does a good job illustrating both the right and wrong ways to sell security products and services. As you read, you'll find yourself evaluating how you're talking to your clients about security. Even after successfully selling security products and services for several years, I found myself incorporating many of David's ideas into my current processes.

There are tons of books and articles written on security and technology in general; but Mr. Stelzl in my opinion has gone the extra yard to explain how people buy and sell the stuff. As an HP sale rep, I was impressed with Stelzl's understanding of my customers underlying needs and true concerns about security. The book help me understand how to craft my technology message in ways that I had never thought of. I've read many sales books; but this one helped me understand the perspective of the buyer and what their motivations were. Bottom line, I now apply a security message to every sales presentation I make regardless of the technology. Read this book if you want to move from the JV team to the varsity team. Thanks

Dave's book rises to the top of my sales reading list. His mastery of what is important at the executive level and how to have a relevant conversation is layered throughout the book. The book is filled with great practical advice, stories, and examples. It provides solid theory but gives practical examples that can be easily implemented even by those of us who have no sales experience. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to sell security and risk mitigation techniques a high level.

As a professional speaker on identity theft, I constantly see the desperate need for organizations to implement sound security to protect customer information, employee data, intellectual capital, etc. And like anything else, it's not always easy to convince executives, boards and departments of the huge liabilities that they face, both technically and otherwise. The House and the Cloud gives a roadmap of how to sell security through all levels of the organization to solve these problems.

Stelzl demonstrates how security can differentiate organizations, increase profitability and speed up the selling process - all important value-added tools to help in the sale. Anyone with a stake in the security of their organization should read this book. It is practical, well-written and full of action items.