Field Books

For anyone interested in learning about mushrooms, this book is the mushroom bible for species in the United States. It's not really a book for beginners, because the information can be somewhat overwhelming, but if you want a positive ID on something you've found, there's no better resource to do it. Then again, Arora injects a dose of unexpected hilarity that a mushroom-hunter with any level of experience can appreciate.

This book is amazing, and is my husband's new found hobby book and is already well-read. It is extremely thick for being a mere paperback, and arrived damaged. My only complaint is that it seems to not be ready for the hard wear and tear these mycologists will surely be exuding. The book itself is even more than we hoped for, and is an amazing resource.

It's an excellent book, but could be perfect if it has color spore charts, one of the most important taxonomic features are spore color and Arora recognize this on his book, why let that out?

Superb field guide for the mushroom greenhorn and connoisseur alike. Great color photos with all sorts of information about the little guys that you could ever imagine. They also warn about which ones to stay away from - always a good thing. Even if you're not into them that much, it's still a great book to have around the house just in case you ever want to know what kind of mushrooms are growing in your neighborhood. This would be an excellent book for a classroom or a great gift for a kid who's into being outdoors. Boy & Girl Scouts and groups like that would find this book indispensable for outings and general knowledge.
*Note* There is also a pocket guide that I own that is great too, and much more easy to lug around than this compendium.

One of, if not thee, most comprehensive field guide for wild mushrooming ever published. Amazing work.

I had the 2nd edition of this book. This was my bible for the few months before and after my daughter was born. It's funny, esay to read, and made me feel prepared (well as much as you can feel prepared for a newborn baby.)

I was given this by a friend when I was pregnant with my first child and I referred to it countless times during the first year of my baby's life. Now I give it to all my expecting friends. It's the go-to reference whenever you're not quite sure about something ...sleep habits, illness, food, development, etc. A must have for new parents.

A great resource - written with a sense of humor that is grounded in reality, "Baby 411" gives parents the information they need in a straight-forward and scientific manner. Easy to understand and easy to use.

This book is full of great information. It covers everything, from eating and sleeping to rashes and sniffles. It has been the go-to resource whenever I have had a question about anything with both of my kids. I can always find the answer I need. If you are expecting or have a baby, buy this book!

My wife and I recently had twins and these were our first children. There were some complications as well and the whole experience was very overwhelming. We read probably 10 or more books and nothing can compare to this book. It has the answer or explanation for every question we had. They should give this book away to all new parents at the hospital. Buy it now!

Get out of your usual routine and get fantastic results with this workout program. Whether you're a Navy SEAL or not, this program will get you into shape.

The book was delivered fast and in good condition. The writing is easy to follow with plenty of pictures to also show correct formfor most of the exercises. I have started the basic workout and in just 3 weeks have noticed a difference even though i am not doing the swiming all round a very helpfull book

Haven't started following the routines yet.
The exercises taught in the video are great.
I never knew there was a easier way to increase
the number of pull ups
even if you cannot do one.

First instruction book I found that teaches running in sand.

I am in the 12th week of the 12 week program and have just
> completed the max push/pull/situp day. I am so impressed. I have gone from only 7 pullups/75 pushups/ and 55 situps in week one to 38 pullups/125 pushups/ and 80 situps in week 12. I have lost about 15 pounds and I am in the best shape of my life. I love the fact that I can look around at the gym and I am confident that no one is working out as hard as I am. I am also trying to convert my friends to the workout, but I think they doubt themselves when I tell them about it. Heck, I was doubting myself when I would look to the workouts later in the program. This is a great book for anyone looking to lose weight, tone up, and gain alot of strength.

I was the type of kid in highschool that did every sport i could...football, track, basketball, and heavy weight training...when i got this book i thought wow this isnt gonna do anything for me...wow was i wrong. I never felt this good in my life, who woulda thought pushups, situps, and pullups with swimming and running could get you in such good shape...This book's awesome i advise anyone who has the work hard mentality to get this book it's well worth the 15 dollars to get it, VERY VERY PLEASED.

I bought this book because I'm told it has everything about running. It does, but, as a beginner, it's not what I was looking for. It doesn't advise so much as educate. I can now tell you all about pronation and the history of waffle treads, but I'm still not sure what my next pair of shoes should be.

Excellent and thorough book though. I've read much of it.

This is a broad, sweeping view of running, primarily from the marathon and up. Noakes covers history, physiology, current runners, ethnographic issues, and several other topics. It is very readable and each chapter is well edited, so that it can stand alone.

Noakes own views also comes through - over-training did in Bedford and Hill. My only comment is that over-training does in every runner, but perhaps this is the cost of burning brighter rahter than longer.

There are several other subjects that can be lumped into all the other various purveyors of training thought - Hadd, Lydiard, Daniels, Canova. They are all directly or indirectly addressed here.

This is the ONLY comprehensive text touching on virtually the entire spectrum of issues surrounding running which I have found. Noakes has his opinions, but this in no way detracts from this fine read.

VERY detailed and explains WHY certain training recommendations are made. I'm a physician and was surprised how technical this book was. If you are not scientifically minded, this is still a great reference, but do not plan to read this cover to cover unless you took a lot of biology in college. I have used this book for help with an injury and the recommendations and explanations seem very sound. If you are merely looking for training schedules, there are other places to find them, but this book has a wide variety of "formulas" for race preparation. For serious runners, this book is a bargain. Probably cheaper and more useful than any running shoes or other equipment you are putting on your wish list.

Noakes's book on the "Lore of Running" covers just about everything, from what happens inside your muscles to training plans for various races, from biographies of great runners to how to stretch. Noakes seems to be writing both for the runner who wants a deeper understanding of the sport, and for the runner's trainer.

Despite the specialized nature of some of the subject matter, Noakes's writing is quite readable. If you like endurance reading and endurance running, treat yourself to this book.

I have been reading about running for the past couple of years--probably more than I ought to. I came upon this book recently in the library (most of my reading is online!) and upon poring through its pages have realized that a lot of what I've read either came from this book, or this book has a lot of what I've read in it. Noakes has written this tome relying upon the best science we have for running with all of its available studies. He bases his conclusions and statements on journal articles where possible and where not does not go overboard in conjecture.

He is an accomplished marathoner and ultra marathoner and in his practice has treated a lot of runners.

Go ahead and buy any book on running. It will have a section on nutrition with the basics that we all know. Contrast with the nutrition section in this and it's actually worth reading; he spends many pages on such details as the proper sodium levels in a beverage, the amount of liquid we need to drink while exercising (not the vague catch-all of "drink as much as you sweat"). His guides on injury and footware are the best researched I've found anywhere.

This is not just the best book on running I've seen, it's the best book _by far_.

I slight this book in two areas:

1) Injury treatment seems to be really slanted substantially toward footwear and orthotics. Now, there may be a reason for that I'm not aware of, and he does give time to exercises and "holistic" approches for injury prevention, including training the hips for, say, a knee problem and not just the feet, but I would have just preferred a bit more.

2) Running technique. He describes in detail the typical heel-strike of most runners but doesn't spend much time that I have found on particulars of technique, such as possibly forefooting or midfooting. Bits and pieces are throughout the book in this, but a subsection on what is now in vogue (pose technique, chirunning, etc.) would have been nice. I don't know that it's reasonable to dismiss these simply because he feels they're useless; I feel like he missed out.

That said, I really can't stress enough how much solid, quality stuff is in this book. He's not simply taking what "everyone knows" about running and making a thousand pages out of it; he does go into meaningful detail.

Wade Davis is a lyrical writer and an accomplished scientist. This account of enthobotanists studying the amazing properties of plants and the way they are used by indigenous people is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. Into the already-dense tapestry of medicinal, psychotropic, and industrial uses of plants he weaves fascinating details about the lives of several other brilliant and eccentric botanists, the administrative debacle of the U.S. government's rubber policy during WWII, the extraordinary lifestyles, religion and mythology of the tribes he encounters, the history of the missionaries, the cultural and nutritional significance of coca and the saga of its commercial exploitation, and the brutal history of the Spanish conquest. Add to this the sheer logistical difficulties of working in the remote rain forest -- the washed out roads, unusual diseases and parasites, harrowing plane rides, etc. -- that he, and especially his predecessors endured, and the book reads like a nail-biter adventure story. Left me with an overwhelming sense of awe as well as regret for the wonders that exist and those that have been lost.

It was in better condition than I expected (it was used). The cover isn't bent at all - it doesn't look like it's been read.

'One River' is full of great stories and anecdotes as well as a sense of place and time that are unforgettable. I'm giving it four stars for reasons stated below and so won't focus on the positives which have already been so well covered by many reviewers. These are fairly minor quibbles in an otherwise good book.

Stylistically, the narrative doesn't always flow well. Wade presents the life of the books central character, Richard Schultes, in some sort of chronological order, but interjects anecdotal stories out of order requiring the reader to have a good memory to keep everything straight. This is a long detail-rich book with 1000s of people and place names covering about a 150 year timespan from the Amazon Jungle, to the Andes to Central America and the American West.

The amount of detail is at times excessive, in particular with place names and locations, Wade sometimes spends as much time describing where a place is (a 50 person village in the jungle) as he does about the place itself before moving on to the next place - it feels like a rote travel log at times, probably because he used Schultes private botany journals as one source. There is so much detail it sometimes crowds out the big picture, lost in the trees. I think the book could have been edited back 100 pages or so, there is just a lot of material that is pure anecdote or trivia.

Finally and probably most importantly, as a life of Richard Schultes, this is pure hagiography. He is the hero of the story in all respects. Perhaps hagiography is helpful in motivating students to become scientists, but it is not a balanced objective biography, it is a tribute by one of his admiring students, Wade plays up Schultes accomplishments but does not question or examine his failures. For example, Schultes spent the majority of his career in the Amazon studying the rubber tree and became the world expert, yet he never did complete a book about it, what a tragic loss. I don't mean to disparage Schultes, but given his stature and reputation, the lack of any criticism naturally draws the question Wade never asks. The book was written in 1996 and Shultes died in 2001 so with time we may see a more balanced perspective.

This amazing book tracks the young career of National Geographic Researcher in Residence Wade Davis as well as the life of Prof. Richard Schulties, who was probably the best ethnobotanist the world has ever seen. Davis' task was difficult because Schulties kept no journals or logs of his travels. When he could, Davis interviewed Schulties whose failing mind made the process difficult. Davis also examined data and locality labels on herbarium (plant) specimens Schulties collected during his long career at Harvard University. What emerges is an in-depth look at Schulties' 12 years of exploration along remote rivers of South America in search of new and improved rubber-producing trees. This book provides a fascinating view of the scientific career of Schulties, from undergraduate student to career end, as well as vivid descriptions of travels in interior S. America. It is the most interesting book of explorations in South America that I have read. It also describes the lives of peoples untouched by western civilization; the health benefits of chewing coca leaves; the plague of aids; and the fragility of the world's rubber industry. Great book!

I actually teared up at the end of this book, not something I expected from a book about ethnobotany. At the end of the reading I had learned about the lives of researchers in such exquisit detail that I lived along side of them. This book is nearly perfect, much better than even the rave recommendation from some very respected friends. It's possible that there will never be anyone who will have the knowledge from experience that Richard Shultes had aquired in South America and that alone makes this book very rich, yet added to his story are the experiences of Davis and Dr. Plowman two researchers that also immerse themselves deeply into the Andes, the llanos, and the Amazon to learn about the forests, the people and the use of medicinal and psychoactive plants.

This is a long book, nearly 500 pages and is a serious commitment but well worth it as you will not experience anything quite like it unless Davis's other book is better (I have not read it yet). I only have a few complaints about the book and those are regarding omissions in some available photographs that Davis mentions in the end and a lack of maps for much of the area covered in the book. There is one small map on page 125 that shows the route of travels but it is too small and difficult to use. I resorted to a copy of International Travel Maps - South America North West to see the detail that I needed as I followed the travels of Schutes, Davis and Plowman.

Davis is an excellent writer and he has a way of conveying a sensitivity to the lives of all that he encounters. That along with his insight into the cultures that he experiences and the knowledge and history that he brings into this makes it a unique, rich read.

Get Slightly Famous by Steven van Yoder is a book every small business owner should take the time and read.

This books is a well written resource that educates the reader to create free publicity effectively. Public relations is an area that most small businesses owners seem to ignore. The local business owners do basic marketing and then wait for business to come. Hopefully the newspapers will come to you, right?

This book guides you to attract the media and create priceless free publicity. If you can become the expert in your local community or nationally on CNN, your business will be undoubtedly, very successful. This book will help you get there. (Stein Smith / steinsteinstein.com)

If you are overwhelmed with the competition in your area of the marketplace, how do you stand out and shine? Steven Van Yoder provides a cornucopia of ideas to move anyone from their anonymous unknown position to becoming a slightly famous standout. He defines "slightly famous" as Just famous enough to make their names come to mind when people are looking for a particular product or service, and let them reap the benefits. They get more business--not only more, but the right kind of business--and they don't have to work so hard to get it." (page 3)
While the marketplace may seem crowded (pick your market), there is always room for innovative communicators who will gain visibility, credibility and become a thought leader. Through dozens of case studies and stories, Van Yoder proves his points.

The first section helps the reader think through their own distinctive, then the second portion explores different media strategies (for different types of media such as print, online, broadcast) and the final section gives a wealth of ideas for anyone to expand their own reach.

The book is well-written, easy to use and one that I'm certain you will use a highlighter and go back to review the concepts and apply them to your own business. I recommend GET SLIGHTLY FAMOUS.

How is it that a few select people are able to attract attention from others in ways that increase their business opportunities? It's because they've mastered the art of becoming "slightly famous". Think of it as using networking in ways you never thought of before. Steven Van Yoder covers this in his book Get Slightly Famous: Become a Celebrity in Your Field and Attract More Business with Less Effort, Second Edition. Even if you're not running your own business, this book will more than pay for itself in turning you into someone who is considered an "expert" in your chosen field.

Contents:
Preface: How to Break Out of the Anonymity Trap
Part 1 - The Center of Your Universe: Just a Little Fame Will Do; Aim For a Target; The Brand Is You; Thought Leadership
Part 2 - Media Strategies: Media Strategies That Work; Attracting Media Attention; Getting an Article into Print; Broadcast Media
Part 3 - Reaching Out in All Directions: The Slightly Famous Website; Marketing in A Virtual World - Internet and Web 2.0 Strategies; Stand and Deliver - Speaking Strategies; Info-Products - Create Multiple Income Streams; Strategic Partnerships; Reach Out and Connect; Keeping in Touch with Newsletters; Cause Marketing - Doing Well By Doing Good
Index

You know the people... colleagues (or competitors) who are always in demand as speakers, consultants, writers, or sources for articles. Is it because they know absolutely more than anyone else on a given subject? Usually not. It's more because they've become "slightly famous" in their niche by making themselves known and available via various channels. Van Yoder covers the essentials of setting yourself up in this way. Part 1 of the book sets the groundwork for determining what it is that you want to be known for, and how best to position yourself as a person who is an authority on that subject. Once you've determined your niche and subject matter, you can use his techniques to start building your name as a brand in the marketplace. You don't need to become a household name to everyone on the planet. What you *do* need to do is start putting your name out there in your niche as someone who has valuable information, who can be trusted to share that information, and who is accessible. Once you start down that path, the rest of the book covers various ways that you can make this work in different channels, such as becoming an industry speaker or writer, becoming a person turned to for news stories, or making your knowledge available in audio/visual/written form for purchase. Once you start building up a little momentum (i.e., becoming "slightly famous"), the exposure starts to build a life of its own, and you're attracting business in ways you never thought possible.

While I'm not an independent businessperson or a consultant, I *am* someone who needs a certain level of exposure in my field in order to take advantage of various opportunities that come up. I fortunately did a number of things correctly up to this point, but with Van Yoder's book I can take it even further. Get Slightly Famous is one of those books that will cause you to rethink how you view yourself within your industry or community, and if followed it will lead you down paths that will surprise you.

If you want an edge in today's highly competitive market where it is becoming increasinly difficult to get anyone's attention, then you need to Get Slightly Famous.

The book provides a highly valuable, easy to follow roadmap for anyone to follow. And if you follow the advice in the book, you will Get Slightly Famous. Getting slightly famous will separate you from the rest of your competition.

The premise of the book is that you do not need to be famous to be successful. But in your own niche, you need to standout from the crowd. And the rewards of getting slightly famous far outweigh the time and effort required.

The book is divided into three sections. The first section is devoted to why you need to be slightly famous and how you can achieve that goal.

The second section concerns media strategy. There is the basic information on how you must approach the media in order to be successful. There are excellent tips on how to get articles in print and how to attract the media to you so you can get on the radio or TV.

The third section shows how you can reach out in many different directions: your website, speaking, info-product and strategic partnerships are just a few that are covered.

The book is a combination of how to, why to and a reference guide. There are over 90 specific real world examples of entrepreneurs who have gotten slightly famous - telling what they did and how it has benefited their business.

Any size business can benefit from the information contained in this book. If you want your business to grow bigger, you must learn and apply the information in this book.

This book is unique because of the amount of information and the depth of coverage. It will not be possible to absorb all the information in one reading. But keep in handy and use it as a specific guide. It will give you so many tips and insights ... well worth reading and keeping handy.

I am a landscaper with a unique niche, a big personality, and a strong point of view, and I can definitely see how becoming the most well-known person in the area, a local gardening celebrity, would provide great dividends to my business. The question is how do I get there, so that when local people think of gardening, they think of me first?

If you are wondering something similar, look no further than this book. I've read a few books designed to help you set yourself apart and get recognized, and none of them were as specific and practical as this one. This book takes you step by step through a number of techniques and approaches to become a local celebrity or one in your field, and not only gives you general advice about it, but walks you step by step through some of the common pitfalls and questions you'll encounter through each approach.

I have read it cover to cover once, and have bookmarks through the entire thing - some red (do it now!) and some yellow to remind me to try the steps later. I am thrilled at how down to earth and simple the advice was. I feel like I have someone knowledgeable walking me through these new activities, and it has given me the confidence to go ahead and do some of the steps right away.

I'd recommend this book for business owners, whether you have a three-person company like I do or a larger one - especially if you do any consulting work or work where you need to be respected for your knowledge. It's very helpful.

This book was nothing like I expected. I found it very unorganized. Tried to find a catarpillar I found in my yard, and it took forever, there was no simple way to find it without searching thru hundreds of pages. Didn't work for me.

I never knew there were so many different kinds of caterpillars. The book has wonder color pictures and great information on each species. One of my favorite moths is the hummingbird moth. I now know that its lava is a horn caterpillar, the kind I would automatically kill when found. Not any more!!
This book will be on my porch for quick reference every time I go into the garden.It is really great.

Caterpillars of Eastern North America is easily the best book on the subject in general publication today. It is an amazing book with incredible insights into the habits and lifecycle of this neglected stage in Lepidoptera metamorphosis. You will not be disappointed if you buy this fascinating guide.

A great book on ID of caterpillers!! I was able to find the IO Moth caterpiller with this book in hand. Very in depth info pack in this book. I would highly recommend this book, especially if one finds caterpillers they've never seen before, which was my case. Check out my photos!

With an ever increasing interest in butterflies I recently purchased an excellent book that had outstanding photos of butterflies.....but not of the caterpillars that produced the butterflies. This was a huge disappointment because very often you find the caterpillar but have no idea what it will grow up to be. Caterpillars of Eastern North America completes "the story". In addition to excellent close up photos of each species, the book supplies comprehensive information about the identification, foodplants, and occurrences in an easy to read format. Closing the circle, they provide a photo of the adult butterfly or moth. This is a must have for anyone interested in the life cycle of of these beautiful creatures.

First, Jonathan Eig is a tremendous writer! He does have a tendency to detour along tangential lines, but that adds to the richness and backdrop of the drama that was experienced by Jackie Robinson. Eig transforms history into humanity with cameo appearances by icons such as Babe Ruth, Malcolm X, and Sidney Poitier. I felt the sense of pride that African Americans of mid 20th century America must have felt. It bolstered the idea of "Only in America". This was a civil rights story before Till, Brown v. Board.., Parks, and King. I hurt with Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, and a litany of other Negro Leagues stars born "out of season". I smelled the hot dogs of Ebbets Field. I met and loved Branch Rickey. I watched Pee Wee Reese, Eddie Stanky, and Dixie Walker and many others mature. I adored Jackie Robinson for his talent and demeanor. All courtesy of Jonathan Eig, who BROUGHT IT!

Jonathan Eig is developing an expertise at rehabilitating hackneyed young-adult biography heroes. First with Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig and now with "Opening Day", Eig takes a baseball player whose legend has become tarnished by excessive praise, and retells the story from its original context, restoring a sense of wonder.

The story of Jackie Robinson has with time become a story about the heroism of Jackie's white teammates. History now tells us that they bravely accepted and embraced him, over society's disapproval at the ending of baseball's color line. At least, that's how Eig first approaches and then rewrites the tale. In "Opening Day", the spotlight rightly shifts back to onto Jackie himself, as well as to his wife Rachel, the rock at the center of his life. We hear from Jackie himself via contemporary interviews and from his assigned beat-writer from the black press.

The discussion of Jackie's acceptance among his teammates is limited to how they did not in fact accept Jackie as one of them: Eig fails to uncover any evidence that the rest of the Dodgers tried to socialize with or befriend Jackie in any meaningful way once they stepped off the field.

Branch Rickey, who gets rightful credit as the man who integrated baseball, is also shown as the shrewd businessman he is, in both the good and bad sense. Rickey was the executive who refused to trade one of Jackie's most vocal teammate critics, realizing that his pennant hopes resided in that man's bat. He further refused to give Jackie a significant raise for 1948 even though Jackie's presence generated value in publicity and gate that far exceeded his meager rookie paycheck.

Most compellingly, Eig retells the story of the 1947 season month by month, primarily through contemporaneous newspaper accounts. We see the variable way Jackie was treated by the press, and whose agenda affected which stories. A national publication tried to anoint Spider Jorgensen, a strictly league-average third baseman, as the league's top rookie, in a veiled slap at Jackie's aggressive Negro League style of play. We also learn things not commonly told: we know, for example, that Larry Doby was the second black baseball player in 1947, but Eig goes further and tells us who came third and fourth (a cynical move by the St. Louis Browns), and which white owners opposed integration in the disingenuous name of preserving the Negro Leagues.

"Opening Day" could stand to go farther and tell a bigger story. Jackie's post-1947 career and personal life is shunted into a brief epilogue that hints at a possible second book of equal depth. Of course, the space within "Opening Day" is well used: the three chapters devoted to the 1947 World Series are well researched and lively told. Even in a book about Jackie Robinson, the other unlikely heroes and goats of that series (Bill Bevens, Cookie Lavagetto, Al Gionfriddo) still deserve their space.

A complex, nuanced portrait of Jackie Robinson, told with stunning detail and insight into the first black man to play major league baseball in the 20th century. As an historical account, this book goes beyond myth and revisionist morality to create what feels like a genuine account of a complicated man in a complicated place. As a baseball book, it is wonderfully expansive on an important era with lots of legendary players. As a literary work, it is a top-notch narrative told in an elegant, rhythmic cadence. It also gets high marks for journalistic technique and style. If all writers of sport possessed Jon's rare combination of gifts, the genre would be a lot richer.

This is the second book that I have read from author Jonathan Eig. The first, Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig, was such a great retelling of the life of the Iron Horse, that my expectations when picking up Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season were quite high.

Opening Day is the story of Jackie Robinson's first year in the majors, and the challenges he faced when he became the first black American to play Major League Baseball. Any true fan of baseball knows the story of Jackie Robinson, his importance to the game and the lasting impact he has had on the United States. But, Eig manages to provide a fresh look at this historical year, focusing not only on the challenges and bigotry that haunted Robinson, but also on the lives that he touched in 1947 and for years to come.

One of the more intriguing stories from the book was that of Jackie's teammate Dixie Walker. When Robinson's Dodger teammates were informed that he was coming up from the Montreal Royals to play with the team, Walker wrote the team's general manager, Branch Rickey, asking for a trade. There were also rumors that he led an effort by the Dodger players to get Jackie off the team. Dixie always denied the accusation, but nonetheless, he was basically a self-proclaimed bigot - worried about what his family and friends in Alabama would do if he played alongside a black man.

Like authors before him, Eig could have easily cast Dixie as the villain of the story. But instead, he details how playing with Jackie helped Walker evolve into a better man. Within time, Walker started to respect Jackie for his toughness and determination. He started giving Jackie pointers on how to improve his game, and later in 1947, he stood up for him (along with all of Jackie's other teammates) when opposing teams would hurl racial epithets at Jackie. Robinson made Walker start to question his views on minorities and Walker came to realize what he learned about blacks while he was growing up was wrong. After that, Walker played with, coached and managed black players throughout the rest of his career, and later said Jackie was "as outstanding an athlete as I ever saw."

This is just one example of the impact that Jackie had on the lives of others. Stories are sprinkled throughout the book about the significant impression he left on his teammates, other players in the league, broadcasters, league executives - and most importantly, the next generation of black Americans who would continue the struggle for equality in America.

Opening Day, definitely lived up to my expectations and surpassed them, and I highly recommend it for any fan of baseball and/or American history - and to anyone who is interested in understanding the important role Jackie Robinson played in the evolution of the United States.

Eig's extensive research and thoughtful treatment of Jackie Robinson does not vary or question the general truth of his legend: Robinson played the game well under tremendous pressure with little or no support and demonstrated in the process the skill and courage that entitled blacks to equal opportunity. But Eig does add some new perspectives that make the legend far more interesting.

First is the general unpleasantness of Robinson. He's like Pete Rose in his burning desire to win at all costs and would rub some people the wrong way regardless of his color.

Second and perhaps most important is Eig's ability to introduce more subtlety into the story. Eig destroys the legend of Pee Wee Reese publicly encouraging Robinson on the field in the face of racial abuse. That did not happen, at least not in 1947. Robinson is utterly alone in 1947 and has to prove himself to his teammates. Branca is the only guy to make a point of shaking his hand when he first appears, which adds to Branca's own legend as a man of character, but even Branca essentially ignores him for much of the season. Some of this is racial, of course. But some of it is the culture of baseball: a rookie must prove himself.

Robinson's ability to peform in these circumstances, under the most tremendous pressure possible, adds to his legend and makes his 1947 season perhaps the most admirable of all seasons. Eig is also good at introducing subtlety into the legends surrounding Robinson's oppressors. There is some rumbling on the team, but that quickly dissipates. Most interesting is the role of star player Dixie Walker. Walker felt compelled by his southern roots, and by his desire not to have his business punished in the south, to make a point of objecting and asking for a trade. But thereafter, he drops the protest. The problem for Robinson was not simply the obvious bigotry, but his freeze-out by the rest of his team until he could prove himself under the most trying of circumstances. Walker may have given Robinson a few batting tips and may have dropped his trade demands, but neither he nor anyone else took Robinson under his wing. Even in baseball's demanding culture of ritualized abuse of rookies, a rookie will eventually be taken under someone's wing. Robinson did not have that benefit.

The protests of other teams has also been exaggerated. It appears that there were some murmuring on the Cardinals to try to boycott Dodger games, but that fizzled before it started. The Phillies were grossly racist in their bench jockeying, but backed off early in the season. The Yankees in the 1947 World Series had a few nasty bench jockeys.

What emerges from all this is the pain of the gross racism aggravated by the agonizing loneliness of Robinson as he has to endure everything and prove himself. Eig convincingly shows that by the end of 1947, Robinson succeeded in proving himself and was the MVP of this team. Only then was he accepted by Pee Wee Reese, the team's captain.

All of which demonstrates Branch Rickey's wisdom in choosing Robinson as the man to break the color barrier. Robinson had mental toughness and competitive fire. The rap on black athletes was that they were not mentally tough, and Robinson was exactly the right guy to disprove that myth. Choosing a more passive personality would not have made the point, and choosing a less disciplined soul who would have got into physical fights in 1947 would not have worked either. But it is interesting to learn how Robinson sometimes crossed the line (such as spiking Rizzuto in the 1947 Series) and how close Robinson came to losing it.

Robinson emerges as a complex and truly great man in this narrative. This is an excellent book that I highly recommend.

Excellent information for people of all ages. Very easy to read and understand with helpful examples in a variety of credit situations. I would especially recommend this book to high school students and new college freshmen where bad credit starts all too often.

This book encourages generation x to take stock of their personal finances without references to their being a dummy or an idiot. The approach here is very cordial. The authors encourage shopping for the best fees as well as the lowest interest rates and offer tips toward ,finding affordable health, automobile and homeowners insurance. Gives you an edge so you can limit financial hardships now as you prepare for the future.

Instead it is about getting the most out of what you have by managing your expenditures. Taking the time to understand your financial potential. Every penny counts. If you start paying attention to the pennies and to the interest you are paying on credit cards for the extras in life like movies and pizza. One of the best tips in the book is on a big item don't charge the sales tax, pay cash. Paying interest on sales tax, tips and entertainment costs are the reasons we never get out from under the interest burden.

Especially for anyone trying to navigate the tricky waters of both insurance and employment benefits. including pensions and 401 k's. Knowing what you have now is the key to being able to manage in an emergency. None of us want to think about losing the job we have had for years, but stuff happens. The health insurance that you have may not seem like the best deal but if you lose it completely it could become a major financial burden. Hernan and Schliep are big on having a safety cushion in the event of job loss.

Because they were from people that recognized good writing and people a lot more like you and me than the wall street gurus that constantly advise us and encourage us to cross over from main street to wall street when our interests may not be as well served as the big spenders who make money when we the consumer buys their wares and especially when the employers can cut expenses by cutting jobs and benefits.

Birding by Ear is a great group of 4 CD's for beginner birders. It has great illustrations in the accompanying book and the narrator is wonderfully helpful. We love it!!

We live on 10 acres and have wondered what birds make certain calls. These CDs teach you how to learn the calls and songs in a fun way. (Who knew there was a difference in a song and a call?) We found out that we had birds we didn't know we had because we had never seen them, but after learning their songs, we started looking and have seen brightly colored orioles and indigo buntings. You would think you could see a brightly colored orange bird, but knowing what to look for is a great help. The way the author teaches is with easy to remember tricks. It is a great teaching device for kids too. There are lots of hints on how to best use the CD's too. Even knowing just a few songs makes you more aware of the sounds around you. The other night I heard "who cooks for you? who cooks for you all?" I went and woke my daughter up and asked, what bird says that? She knew right off it was a Barred Owl and got up to come hear it in person. Awesome CDs. We also bought "More Birding by Ear" but haven't had time to listen to it yet. They even have a list of songs at the end so you can see if you remember what you learned. The songs are also grouped by type to help you remember them. Similar sounding songs are also placed next to each other so that it makes it easier to tell the difference between them. There was a lot of thought put into making this such a great product and it is well worth it! I am not an audio learner, but even I am getting better at ID'ing birds by their sounds.

If you're looking to learn how to recognize birds just by sounds, then this is it. These CD's are excellent. I would recommend them for both beginner and expert alike. I have been birding since High School and am now 37 and learned about a lot of birds that I had heard but hadn't seen. I finished these CD's and am now working on More birding by ear(the second set of this series). It's amazing the birds you recognize as you are just walking down the street or in the woods. To be able to hear a bird in the distance and know what it is is great feeling.

Excellent recordings and presentation make learning bird songs easy. Highly reccomend. Combined with excellent service from Amazon made this a satisfying purchase.

I'm a new birder, and I have found this series really helpful. I even recognized a few birds by sound before seeing them, thanks to this series. I also gave a copy to a friend who is visually impaired, and she's enjoying it too.