Field Books

Although it's been a number of years since I read it, The Thousand Mile Summer captured my imagination like very few other books. Colin Fletcher was that very rare hiker / backpacker who was not only technically skilled, but keenly observant AND could write interestingly about what he observed and experienced ... and he observed better than most!

The Thousand Mile Summer is about (for virtually of us) the outlandish initiative to walk the lengh of Califoria, from South to North, just for the experience. His descriptions about the desert, seemingly merely hot, dry and inert, but in reality completely alive with activity, especially at night, are vivid, exciting, and very memorable. I'll never think of the desert the same way again.

Fletcher seems to me somewhat like Bill Bryson at his best, but this one's distinctly better than any of Bryson's that I've read to date. Highly recommended for all who 'live' in the city but who are 'alive' when in nature ... especially for when you can't be there!

What I remember about this compelling narrative, read thirty years ago one hot Southern California summer, is a simple scene. Hiking towards Death Valley across the Mojave desert, Fletcher's hat blows off. You can imagine the terror he felt from this loss. I'll leave it to you to find out more. It's an example, one of many, of the intriguing vignettes scattered through this account, from a time when backpacking (the journey takes place in the early 1960s) lacked so much of the hi-tech GPS, lightweight fibers and metals, and the advantages that allow many today, even if they do not dare to follow so far in his footsteps, to take more of our life into the empty places. The same places where Fletcher sought to escape the full places where most of us live.

This book reminded me of John Muir, a century earlier, when it entered into the Sierras; Fletcher's northbound journey, of course, takes him from Mexican to Canadian borders. The sylvan settings, however, became for me more muted in memory as compared to the evocative, harsh, and unforgiving sandy stretches that captured more of my imagination in recalling the power of this engaging narrative. It might not have gained the amount of acclaim (compare the number of Amazon reviews) that worthy books that came later, like Edward Abbey's "Desert Solitaire" earned, but the late Fletcher preferred to stay away from the spotlight, one senses from this early account of the walks that later made him a pioneer among those today who seek solitude in deserts and mountains across America.

Fletcher may have prefigured a bit the countercultural movement. Perhaps he missed out on the big-name recognition, but he gained respect among those who also preferred retreat rather than spotlights. But if you read of his own wish to escape the routine and do what back then far fewer would have even known how to do, you see his prescience. Like Abbey and Muir and Thoreau, Fletcher reminds us how much of America waits beyond the sodium-strip mall and the big-box chain store and the red-tiled roofs of the subdivisions-- even as these continue into what once were quieter forests and chaparral where Fletcher once walked alone.

While living in the Seattle area during the 90's, I ended up reading Fletchers 1000 Mile Summer. Each Winter to avoid depression, I found myself re-reading this book. One question kept coming to my mind, "why in 1956 would anybody walk through California when they had cars back then?" Thinking and hoping that I may be able to contact Colin and find the answer, against all the naysayers and friends it was not possible. I attempted to contact Colin Fletcher. That in itself was a two year adventure.

Finally, one day he returned my call, and thus started a series of questions and answers that to this day I am still fascinated with.

The quick answer to my question "who would walk?" is really found by walking the length of California, not in reading his book. So in 1999, while everyone was packing for the end of the world, I was packing for "my" 1000 mile Summer walk through California. I now have the answer to my question.

I have read all of Fletchers books, most articles written about him and have spoken with him several times both in letters and in phone conversations. What a fascinating character!

Though he and I disagreed with life and our purposes in it, I certainly found a kindred spirit. I wish him the best wherever Death's travels take him.

Also, "The Man From The Cave," was in my opinion one of his best books and would recommend reading it as well.

Was a sad day for me when I read he had passed, walking "his 1000 mile walk" was life changing for me and hoping one day YOU will be writing a review about MY book when it is published.
Hersh

Colin Fletcher managed to escape civilization with a simple plan. He would walk the length of California, including the Mojave Desert. The Ranger in Death Valley worried a great deal about him, but Fletcher's knowledge and understanding of the environment kept him safe and alive. In fact he enjoyed the "walk". Colin Fletcher is an excellent writer and this book is, in my opinin, is one of his best. I think I have read them all. He notices and describes details in vivid language. The clouds, the wind, the color of the valley, the trout, even the beetles and spiders don't miss his eye or nose.
He also describes the details of his hardships and joys, equipment failures and successes. He makes you feel as if you are with him on the trip, and often you may wish you were there. Some very well composed pictures are included. The trip took exactly 6 months. In the end he says "Then I walked down through the trees toward the road that would take me back to San Francisco and everything the city now offered."

I recommend the book to anyone. It is a good story, great adventure, and written by an unusual person. (He would like being called "unusual", I think.)

Colin Fletcher had a simple solution to the tedium of civilized live. He simply decided to walk the length of California from south to north. Including the Mojave Desert and Death Valley. He doesn't miss anything. He recorded the signts, sounds, people and his successes, failures and fears in wonderful detail. He found the purpose of the walk as he went along. The desert revealed its secrets to this man who took the time to experience the place on foot. Fishing in a creek, or climbing a mountain, or sleeping under the stars, Fletcher makes you feel as if you were there with him. A great writer and explorer, Fletcher is a joy to read. I have read most if not all of his books and this is perhaps the best. Whether you wander on foot or in you mind, you will, I think, love this book.

A friend gave me a copy of this book more than 10 years ago and I keep "losing" my copy to friends. The book is full of wisdom and is wonderfully written. I probably have read the book a half a dozen times and have read selected passages more than a few dozen times! The "Achievement" section has been particularly valuable for me.

Robert Grudin's "Time and the Art of Living" is about how we exist in time, and the role time plays in our lives, for better if we make productive use of it, or for worse if we ignore it. Not a self-help book, it is nonetheless a book that I come back to every several years, both for its accessible erudition and for its suggestions for giving shape to your life in time. Highly recommended.

I recommend that everyone read this fine collection of meditations on the practical use of time in daily living.

A pleasurable read.

I would like to take a slightly different tact in reviewing this title, and that is to describe the pertinent circumstances in which I re-read it. I came back to Grudin's beautiful little volume after finally making my way through Heidegger's "Being and Time". I struggled through the weightier tome, and believe that I mined several nuggets of wisdom from it, although I think for the most part the battle was not always worth the rewards. I may be an immature reader of Heidegger, but it's hard to justify the complete murder of prose and order even in the attempt to establish new (or perhaps just unpopular) views. Heidegger's ideas on space and time however whetted my appetite for further explorations (especially since he seemed to leave so many paths untread). "Time and the Art of Living" is not a dense philosophical treatise, but it manages to be profound for both it's poetic style, and refreshing observations. Where Being and Time remains unsatisfying in clarity for the philosopher, and partial and vague for the existential thinker, Time and Art is direct and compelling enough to change a life. It's mission is not the same, but it is all the more succesful for realizing what needs to be said about the time in our lives. Grudin celebrates clear goals and vision as our anchor in the time of the present. Such clarity and humanism when contrasted with many other explorations shines forth brightly.

This book reminds me of ancient moral philosophy. It's intelligent thinking about life, with a practical emphasis: how to enjoy your life and live well. It's quite thoughtful and original, yet not systematic at all, usually overconfident (kind of forcedly profound), and occasionally even ridiculous. But always relevant and stimulating.

It's more thinking about time, or our experience of time, than you'd think is possible, unless you'd bothered to fight through Heidegger.

The value of the book is its creative thought about life. This book will make you think about your life. If you're thoughtful, you'll disagree with some of the author's opinions, but there's some gold in here. I give it five stars for stimulating valuable thoughts, five stars for content (despite some flaws), and five stars for the genre: we need more intelligent, thoughtful books about living well.

An excellent pocket size reference aide-memoir for those who work or play in remote or rugged environments. Small enough to fit into a fair sized medical pack and robust enough to survive the elements. Well worth the money!

I am pleased with the field guide. My original goal was to find a resource that is compact and light, allowing use for backpacking. The book meets that goal.

Additionally, a benefit that I didn't expect -- the outline format used makes this a good tool for giving the frequent first aid training bits that we do with our Boy Scout troop.

This is the most concise, simplest to follow, and overall best field guide I've seen. It lays out procedural illustrations and diagnostic algorithms in an easy to follow format that would still be easy in the middle of nowhere at 3 in the morning. Definitely a must for anyone with a WFR, WEMT, or other wilderness medical cert.

That all being said, there are things I don't like about this book. Some of the acronyms used, and certain "laymen's terms" don't make the most sense, the most annoying of which are "PROP" for Position of comfort, Reassurance, O2 if available, and Positive pressure ventilation, and the use of the term cork for an airway obstructing object. This is just my feeling towards these terms, the rest of the book is absolutely phenomenal, and you can substitute your own care guidelines and terms if you have the training.

Lastly, get the training, this guide is only as good as the skills you have practiced. If you have never practiced these skills, this book will help you, but I assure you it is much more useful if you have taken some training to go with it.

This little book should be an essential part of any outdoor activity. Covering both trauma and medical situations in the absence of definitive care the book offers a great overview or refresher to those finding themselves in an emergency situation. Written by those at Wilderness Medical Associates, it is used as a field guide in their wilderness EMT and first responder courses, which are also great!

I teach Wilderness Medical Care to the WFR level and I strongly suggest all our Advanced Wilderness First Aid students buy it, and require all WFR students to have one. These is simply no book that compares to Morrissey's Guide. Personally, I have two...one in my backpack medical kit and one for my bookshelf. If you are a wilderness guide, a SAR team member of just an avid outdoors person, you need this book. (and the training that goes with it.)

Don't leave home without it!

I found this book very easy to use with lots of info I need to ID Trees

A very functional field guide that covers basic tree information in an easy to follow format. The keys, colored pictures and descriptions are great.

This field guide is clear, well written and easy to use. It includes a step by step process to help you identify the type of tree you have in your woods. The pictures are accurate, not some artistic rendition or sample of the PERFECT specimen. You'll enjoy using this guide.

Very useful information in an accessible format. Excellent photos of multiple identification characteristics for each tree.

I bought this book to learn the species of the trees in our area of southern Indiana. It does this job well.

There are usually 4-6 excellent color photographs for each entry, showing bark, leaves, stems, seeds, flowers, fruit, and overall shape of the tree. (Not all items are shown for all trees.) The most useful part of the book, however, are the identification keys. Each key uses an either/or question to lead you onward towards ultimate identification.

Example:
19. Leaves compound: Go to question 20
Leaves simple: Got to question 33

The next question leads you to succeeding questions until you finally get to the name of a genus (such as Quercus for the various oaks). Looking up the genus in the index will send you to the page, or pages, for all trees in that genus. The two-page descriptions for each individual species should allow you to identify the tree.

Unless you remember your high school biology you will need to review the introduction, where you will get a refresher course on botany as it pertains to naming and identifying trees, but the time spent will be rewarded.

Although the habitat maps are limited to Indiana, this book can still be an excellent reference for those outside the state.

Highly recommended.

An excellent comprehensive review of the players, management, & even the broadcast team who painted the picture for fans in the '67 season. I find it intriguing to read not only about the star players (Lonborg & Yaz) also the fringe players (Joe Foy, Dan Osinski, Don McMahon, etc.)whose journey in their baseball career enabled them to play on the'Impossible Dream'. The members of SABR (Society of American Research)hit a homer on this product!I'm a Yankee fan & I recommend this to any1!

1967 marks the first year that I really became a baseball fan, and the first year I saw Fenway Park. I remember my first sight of the storied Green Monster as if it were yesterday. As much as I am enjoying the more recent success of the Red Sox, there will never be another year like '67.

I do not exagerate and I say in confidence that I enjoyed this book more than any sports book that I have ever read. It brought back 1967, and some of my best childhood memories. It also preserves a great time in baseball history, along with the stories of the young men who comprised this team, hero and benchwarmer alike. I, along with Red Sox (and baseball) fans everywhere owe the authors a debt of gratitude. One can sense the dedication of the editors in compiling this great volume.

Especially if you are a Red Sox fan and remember '67, but even if you are a casual baseball fan, this is an unbelievable bargain - at this price you simply must get this book.

For red sox fans the year 1967 is not remember for only the summer of love ,its the year of the impossible dream . The sox had not won a pennant for 21 long years and it was the start of red sox nation as we know it . The book is fantastic it covers the 67 team .The words of the players are very interesting .The bio of them are great ,knowing how they became sox, and how they did on and off the field .enjoy it

This was one of the best books I have ever read. The book goes into great detail about every member on the '67 team. All the contributors of the book should be commended for brining 1967 back to life. I wasn't born in '67 but by reading the book I felt like I was there.
I really enjoyed the chapter about Tony Conigliaro, my favorite member of the team. It's terrible what happened to him. God bless your soul Tony C.

This is not only a great companion to the recently released Impossible To Forget DVD, but it also puts every other book on the 1967 Red Sox, and there are many, to shame. The best part for me are the individual biographies of every player who played that historic season; even the ones who only got into a few games. The book proves that every single player on the team contributed to the pennant. Put another way, when you win by one game, take one player away, no matter how insignificant, and the team would have ended up in second place. A remarkable team. A remarkable book.

The 50 States Fandex cards were in excellent condition and arrived quickly. I have a 4 year old who is learning so much from them.

We bought this as a gift for our soon-to-be first grader. We have been traveling a lot this summer and the fandex is a fun, easy way for our daughter to look at the states we have been through. Concise and easily manipulable for little people.

This was the perfect start-of-school present for my 5th grader. her teacher loved it too and everyone wanted to borrow it. The state reports were a snap.

My kids find the Fandex format easy to use, and the information on them accessible. We have several, and they're fun for all of us to use together.

I like the fact that each state has a map, as well as pertinent info: Admitted to the Union; if and when Seceded from the Union; if and when Readmitted to the Union; Nickname; Motto; Capital; Bird; and Flower. There are also several paragraphs of pertinent information about each state, with some history and a description of the character and things, which make it unique.

The only quibble I have about these decks is that sometimes when they're completely fanned out, the edges of the illustrations get caught up in each other, making it hard to close them properly. But other than that, they're cute, informative, and a nice format for kids.

As a curriculum developer, I am constantly on the lookout for educational products that will enhance textbook study. I must say that the Fandex Family Field Guide 50 States far exceeded my expectations! Having enjoyed history and geography in school, I was surprised by how much I learned while reviewing this guide. It is full of interesting facts and tidbits about each state while also presenting important information that students should know.

Each card has a topographical map of the state and lists when it was admitted into the union, nickname, capital, motto, bird, flower, and has a small picture of the flag. The topographical maps are detailed enough to be able to get a grasp on how far it is from San Francisco to Los Angeles, CA, for example, and important national parks and monuments are also included. A small outline map on the back of each card shows the state in relation to the continental U.S. Information on each state's industry is included in the text.

Overall, I was impressed by the amount of information presented in such an interesting format. Students who enjoy history and geography will find 50 States particularly interesting, but the unique format will engage even more reluctant students.

while there's a veritable sea of books discussing VHDL and other hardware design technologies, there's precious little in the realm of practical, roll up your sleeves and get the job done FPGA design info.

mr. kilts takes a very pragmatic hands-on approach to FPGA design and implementation with logs of examples, practical board level design advice and a book layout that focuses on what you need to get the job done.

the coverage of simulation techniques and considerations alone, is worth the price.

I found the book to be quite helpful. I liked the presentation of practical examples. I would recommend this book any serious FPGA designer.

Finally! A book that actually talks about advanced design techniques instead of giving a historical overview of FPGA design.

I have to admit that I didn't read this book cover to cover. Rather, I use it for reference as needed. It's starting to get that same tabbed look that my other reference books have.

I felt the author was well versed in real-world FPGA design. This book doesn't discuss any of the basics, but does an excellent job in explaining topics such as architecting for speed, synthesis, and place and route optimization, etc. This is the most useful FPGA book that I've read.

This is a great reference book for any level FPGA designer. This book skips past the basics unlike most books on FPGA design and jumps right into advanced topics that practical FPGA designers need to be aware of.

Plenty of discussion on the trade offs that must be faced in FPGA design based on you desired optimization target (speed, size, & power) and discussion of methods to achieve that goal. Lots of practical example code is used to illustrate each topic.

Discussion of simulation techniques and coverage which is becoming a key factor in verifying HDL based designs.

This book contains several topics that I have been waiting to see discussed well in a textbook including floorplanning and the pitfall of using asynchronous resets.

Besides HDL design techniques, the author discusses the PCB level design methodologies that must be used when designing an FPGA into a system. This disscussion is a great complement to this already fine book.

I absolutely love these books. I have been refering to them for alot of things as a new mom and everything seems to be totally helpful everytime. I even refered the books to a few friends with babies that are having a few problems. It gives you alot of good information about feeding, sleep habits, development, sickness,etc. It answers alot of questions that most moms have. I highly recommend this book to any mom with a baby.

Baby 411 is better than the toddler version, but it still has good quick look-ups.

These books were recommended to me by a friend. I already had so many books, but I got them. Now it is all I read - there is everything in there about everything. I love it! I plan on buying this set for future shower presents.

these are used like the bible in my local moms club it seems - just finished baby411, and now into toddler411 - but pages 105-128 were repeated at the expense of pages 129-152 - check your book - AMazon replaced it for me even though I ordered the set 4 months ago since I only noticed the defect now - I also contacted the author when Amazon didn't want to exchange it - they were also willing to send out a new copy THAT DAY! Denise Fields rules! also try her baby bargains book before you buy anything for your child! you will save money!

This is a great gift. My wife purchased this for us, and it has tons of useful tips. IT is a definitely quick go to book for information. It helps that the doctor is a well-known pediatrician here in Austin!

We loved the Baby Bargains book as well.

This book gives you insight into the day-to-day challenges, obstacles and joys of being a pharm sales rep. I strongly encourage anyone considering this field as an occupation to read this book before beginning their interview process. Many of the things I learned from this book I was able to refer to during my job interview with a Fortune 25 company. It helped me land this job very quickly because I was aware of the day-to-day aspects of being successful as a Pharm Sales Rep.

The Author's style is a little like "What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School" By Mark H. McCormick and it is superbly layed out carefully just for Pharmaceutical Sales.

This text is an excellent easy read (read it in one day); in one word I describe it as a 'pleasant read'; not too involved but just enough; in other words this a well written and carefully balanced book IMHO.

I particulary enjoyed the explanation of industry buzzwords and acronyms. Mostly, I like how the author ties in the whole process of where the territory sales rep 'fits' into the Pharmacutical-MCO-PBM areas as a whole; this really puts everything in great perspective. I think its called "synergistic approach".

In addition, this work helped me appreciate all the hardwork that goes into becoming a pharm rep. It describes things as a process and what the positives/negatives are. It essentially takes you through a "day-in-the-life" so to speak of what its like to be a pharm rep.

This sucker should be in every college career center library for sure. If you are interested or even thinking about wanting to know what it is that Pharm reps do (and to see if you might have what it takes) then this book is for you.

;-)

Most books on this topic drone on about the perks of the business. While it's true, it often sugar-coats the fact that this job is a demanding one, and isn't really a cake-walk.

This is one of the few books that reviews the "downside" as well as what's great about being a drug rep. Having been in the industry for more than 11 years, I've heard a lot of recruiters try to tell people what it's like to be a rep. The problem is, the recruiter has never been a pharmaceutical sales rep, so it's hard for them to give coaching and advice to someone who wants to break into the industry.

Besides that, recruiters are not used as often as they were before due to cost constraints. As Currier points out, networking can be a key element in a job search.

This book reviews what to consider when making the decision to be a drug rep. It also does an excellent job of outlining what to do when you're first hired into a company -- from trunk organization to the "no-see" physician; from the hospital display to the pharmacy call -- it's all here.

If you don't read this book, you're missing out on a lot of outstanding information.

Over the past 20 years, I have had experience with the pharmaceutical industry as an employee, customer, and vendor. Of all the books out there, this book provides the best overview on a pharmaceutical sales career for someone considering this profession. This includes college students interested in pharmaceutical sales, anyone considering a career change, and job applicants or newly hired representatives.

The book is clearly written and fast-paced and does a great job of capturing the ups and downs of pharmaceutical selling, how to get a job, and the everyday tasks of the rep. It has some good suggestions for how to generate sales, including a Top Ten Tips list in the last chapter. I also liked the attention to the customer's (doctor's) wants and needs, as this is really
what selling is all about.

Easy reading and informative. However it seems to be better geared to those who have just entered the industry. There are better sources for those looking to crack the competitive field of Pharmaceutical Sales.

I am a personal assistant and I read this book in an afternoon. I found myself highlighting every word!! It is a must read for those experienced and unexperienced assistants in the field. This book is a keeper in my library of "tools in life." This is a book that you will refer back to time and time again - trust me! When you think that you are on top of your game, a book like this one crosses your path. PURCHASE IT - you will not regret it; it's NOT just another "how to" book!

I would recommend this book if you are serious about becoming a personal assistant, or wanting new ideas of skill building. It's very resourceful and a book you'd always look back to.

Every thing I read is great input for becoming a personal assistant. The book even provides websites for you to research

I first heard about a job as a Celebrity Personal Assistant from some overdramatized, hyped show promising all sorts of glam and goodies. When I went to begin a more serious inquiry into it as a real career I found a lot of equally useless websites and guides that just glossed over the "perks" and didn't detail any real practical advice on this topic. Until I found Beyond the Red Carpet. This is a comprehensive book that offers a complete view of the vital role that Personal Assistants play in the world of celebrities and high profile successful people. It offers a clear list of the skills, temperments and abilities required for this job as well as sound,concrete steps that you can take to be successful in this career. At about 25 bucks you get a wealth of knowledge, know-how and insight. It covers the pitfalls, expectations and some of the frustatrations one might face as well as the upside - well balanced, clearly written and practical it's obvious that the writer knew her topic throughly - living it not just reporting or glamourizing it. Despite an incredibly tight budget, I invested the extra monies to take the actual workshop at their Atlanta headquarters and found their help invaluable. This is a professional text written by a talented, focused and knowledgeable woman and is a link to a much broader network of experience and expertise. I was frustrated and lost before attending and through the staff's help, the information from this text and meeting other dynamic individuals pursuing this challenging, but exciting career; I found the inspiration to make a new, more focused start. After getting home I rewrote my resume using their suggestions and was told that my it stood out amid over 400 who had applied for an Executive Assistant/Personal Assistant job to a local CEO. The comment by the HR person was - Yours was the first resume that made me stop what I was doing and pick up the phone to call you. I've accepted the position and am happily pursuing it as the next step to building the kind of experience that will land me a Celebrity position. Don't be fooled by the sales pitch flashy books out there. If you're serious about this as a career - get this book and look into their workshop. I found the author and her entire staff to be bright, energetic and talented business professionals with the experience and connections to make great things happen. RHExecAssistant at AOL

Beyond the Red Carpet, is a great book that details how a high-profile person whether celebrity, professional, educator, or even a athlete can gain the necessary support to be able to concentrate on daily responsibilities for their career. Beyond the Red Carpet, entails so much rich information that every person in a profession should read! It's entertaining, informative, effective and just a great book that should be in everyone's book collection.