Field Books

This is only one among many collections of Loren Eisley's thoughtful works, and I would willingly recommend all those I have read. THE NIGHT COUNTRY, however, remains my favorite. Eisley's vision overlays the human and non-human worlds and examines both over the span of ages rather than years. He will show you tiny snippets of life in a parking lot, shadows on cave walls, deserts, pigeons and childhood memories that will linger in your thinking like dinosaur footprints impressed in mud and baked to permanence by hot volcanic ash. You may choose not to follow that trail again, but I assure you it will remain vivid. Consider the return of an old man to a boyhood home after more than a half century, eager to see the cottonwood tree he and his father planted together. It was the tree his father had promised would provide Eisley with shade in his old age, where he might sit and remember his Dad; a tree that had grown and blossomed and flourished year after year in Eisley's thoughts and dreams; a tree under whose branches Eisley figuratively lived his entire life. Gone. For, who knows, fifty years? And yet, what tree could have been more real, more alive? Like a field mouse displaced by developers, pigeons abandoned with an archaic train station, a bum dying in a depot, or a wasp fading into the chill of autumn, Eisley knows that the shadow he casts on a hotel wall will be that of another man tomorrow, and all shadows fade together into the night.

I first was introduced to Loren Eisley by a roommate in graduate school who read aloud to me the final essay in this book. It is entitled, "The Brown Wasps," and if you've never read anything by Eisley, you might want to start there. Among many things, this particular essay is about memory, home, and the place of death in life - themes that run throughout the book whose essays are intimate narratives that intermingle meditations on science and personal history. Having now written these words I feel they miss the mark in recommending this book becuase the themes of Eisley's work seem more experiential than concrete to me, which is the case for many truths about life - truths that can be captured more by the feelings evoked by a time and a place than by mere words alone. And yet, his words do a remarkable job of evoking past times and places, locating them in your present life and providing a context for understanding their meaning. If you read this book, perhaps you'll want to share it with a friend, as my friend did with me, and I have with many good friends since. Eisley communicates the happy/sad, excited/melancholic, naive/wise tensions of nostalgia like no one else I've read.

Theodosius Dobzhansky described Eiseley as "...a Proust miraculously turned into an evolutionary anthropologist," and his works are greatly admired by Ray Bradbury. This was the second book I read of his after "The Immense Journey" and it was no let down at all! It too is haunting, beautiful, disturbing, hopeful, fearful, and immensely imaginative.

Here's a taste, from the chapter The Places Below: "If you cannot bear the silence and the darkness, do not go there; if you dislike black night and yawning chasms, never make them your profession. If you fear the sound of water hurrying through crevices toward unknown and mysterious destinations, do not consider it. Seek out the sunshine. It is a simpler prescription. Avoid the darkness."

Not only is this an invaluable book for children, but also for adults. I read a copy of the book before I went on a date. She was fascinated by the facts which I had gleamed from the book. Needless to say we are going out again, this time to see a French Impressionist exhibit! Good thing Knapp and Lehmberg wrote two other books!!!

Your kids will gain a whole new understanding of the art they see in a museum. And adults can learn a thing or two as well.

Lehmberg and Knapp have given the readers some memorable anecdotes about artists and their art forms as we travel from Revolutionary War era to Twentieth Century. It is an enjoyable guide for all ages

I have known David and Roger since the 70's and have other books by them. They love running foot races and it shows. You can count that this will be the best researched and well written book. I was not disappointed. I dug in and read the book over a couple of weeks. If it is not in this book then it is an unproved rumor.

If you are a runner (especially a marathoner) you have to get this book. It goes through every marathon in Olympic history, giving each race history, events, course, statistics, etc. It is very thorough, while pacing itself to get in all the Olympic marathons into a single volume. And, it was written in an interesting and readable manner.

The competition and sport of the races themselves give a great basis for an exciting read.

If you are doing a research project (like I was) this was the only book I would recommend - or, at least the first book. I could not find a book anywhere that showed the 1960 Rome Olympic course. Martin and Gynn had it. In fact, their race course map was better than the map a friend obtained for me from the Italian Olympic Library (Federazione Italiana Di Ateletica Leggera).

The authors, Martin and Gynn, have put together an unbelieveably detailed review of every Olympic Marathon in the modern era. The detail provided brings the excitement of each successive Marathon alive. The Olympic Marathon is, perhaps, the most grueling Olympic event, and the comprehensive coverage of each race makes the reader feel as if it's taking place before their very eyes. Read this book and you'll get a sense of the drama of the event, the personal history of the runners, and the historical setting of each race. The authors have even reconstructed old Olympic documents to trace the paths each Olympic Marathon took. The information in this book is truly encyclopedic, and the authors have given us with a wonderful sense of what this race is about. This book is a gem.

Countries have a long history of ingratitude towards those who save them from peril. This book, in fictional form, was the first part of a planned trilogy detailing how the Polish army under King Jan Sobieski rescued the Western world from the encroachment of the Turks, by relieving the siege of Vienna in 1683. Without that victory, our entire history would probably have changed. What thanks did Poland receive for this tremendous accomplishment? It was dismembered by the very countries it had saved!
Sienkiewicz was a fine writer, unfortunately nearly unknown in these times. This is a robust work, but there is a dominant theme of patriotism infusing his characters. Rarely is love of country shown so clearly as in this work. It is also a love story, and a well-told one at that. The book has Sienkiewicz's usual elements: star-crossed lovers, strudy and loyal heroes, hissable villans, and characters who offer welcome comic relief. The writing is a bit old fashioned at times, but the patriotic feeling with which it was written practically leaps off the page at you. This book is much shorter than Sienkiewicz's other works that I have read, but its brevity does not diminish its impact.

This book is written beautifully and patriotically, you find yourself wanting to postpone evrything around you so can immerse you totally in the book
a well written novel by the master story teller sienkiewicz
definatly a keeper you will read it again
Have a good day

First of all, as much as I love this book, I'd suggest that the first Henryk Sienkiewicz book a person should read be either Quo Vadis or With Fire and Sword. They are long but worth it. This book - incredible as it is - is almost just a fragment compared with the giant scale and spirit of his other books that I've read. Even so, it is head and shoulders above most literature in so many ways.

You really get a sense of the times from Sienkiewicz, and this book is no exception. The descriptions of the armies and the countryside and the people in them establish a very concrete setting. Even so, Sienkiewicz infuses everything in the book with thematic relevance, but it is all done so very subtly that only gradually does the reader cumulatively percieve what the author wants him to understand. This must have been very difficult to accomplish, but he makes it seem effortless.

All the characterizations are centered on ideals and you come to know the people in the story through what they stand for and do. It hardly matters what any character's goal is. What's important here is the idealism and purity - or lack thereof - with which they pursue those goals. The heroes are extremely idealized, and the villians are predatory and evil. The "damsel in distress" is not typecast as a ditz. She is a full participant in the action - almost the main character - and her nobility is played off to great advantage against the trials she goes through. It's hard to resist such larger than life portrayals. Plus, the action is fast paced and always interesting.

Admitedly, this novel was the first of a planned trilogy that Sienkiewicz never completed and it shows a little. On the Field of Glory stands on its own, but it is still just a first act. Jacek's character is probably developed more fully in what would have been book two. In On the Field of Glory, we see powerful, passionate people who are being swept up into a greater conflict, but we do not get to see that greater conflict.

An excellent book that stands on its own, but it's a great loss to world literature that Sienkiewicz couldn't complete the trilogy!

This book is part of a series of "Out and About" books by the author. This particular book -- Out and About at the Greenhouse -- is a terrific introduction to plants, horticulture, and greenhouses. The book is well written and there is a clear narrative that drives the reader forward. I especially like the experiment and the fun facts at the back of the book. In a very crowded field of children's books, this one gets an A+!

As a second grade teacher in an urban school this book provides important vocabulary for my students. They don't often have an opportunity to know and understand what a greenhouse is (no, it isn't a house that is green) and what a greenhouse is used for. I thought this book did a great job explaining both!

It is an excellent book, fun, good text with effectve use of questions and notes, and illustrations with character.

You're curious about beautifull topics in math, but reading a classical texbook, browsing through a list of lemma and therorems just get you sleep ? Read this one. The idea behind theorems, and why and how they came alive are so nicely exposed that this book can replace your favorite bed time one.

This is the best introduction-level mathematics textbook I have ever read, and I have read (and own) many. Every theorem and definition is well-motivated, and problems for the reader are interspersed within the text to make sure that every subtle nuance of the exposition is understood. Though introductory, Gouvea manages to incorporate some relatively advanced topics, (as far as undergraduate mathematics goes) such as the Weierstrass Preparation Theorem, local rings, and analysis in C_p. All this and the topic at hand is fascinating to boot. p-adic numbers are perfect for anyone wishing to pick up an amazingly interesting topic not found in most undergraduate or graduate courses. In conclusion, I recommend this book to the set of people interested in p-adic numbers, and its complement.

This book really grabbed me on a number of points. First, in addressing a rather abstract topic (often not included in a basic undergraduate curriculum) it does a good job trying to compute concrete examples. It stays broad, as not to lose the reader on the messy details of any particular part of the theory. Hence the book is good even for students who are a little weak on their background. It is well-organized and exposed for an introductory-level text.

In particular, its proofs are rather clear, concise, and meaningful. There are only a couple points where Gouvea uses trickery (a la Rudin) to prove things, and he is honest enough to warn before they come. Indeed, the footnotes are quite entertaining, especially for one who has read enough math books to catch his jokes. Overall, the read is casual. It is good for independent reading.

The problems in the book are also worthy of praise. They are interspersed after proofs and in the middle of exposition, as ways to make sure the reader is following. Indeed, they are always pertinent and carefully planned. In addition, they point out ways in which mathematics authors often skip over details which the reader should actually verify for him/herself. Specifically, they perpare a student for reading graduate-level texts (which are notoriously full of this occurrence). Pedagogically, therefore, this is a very important tool, and useful book for a budding math student.

Finally, for the graduate student who wants to go down the path of p-adics, Gouvea does a good job of pointing the reader in the several different directions the literature can guide him/her. He gives references to other texts, giving just a taste of their contents, throughout. His eye towards further study is keen.

I must point out again that it is a joyful and entertaining read, in addition to being an exposition of a deeply fascinating (and deeply odd) area of math. This book, because of its clarity, its organization, its promotion of good mathematical reading skills, and its wonderful style occupies a spot on the very exclusive shelf of highest-quality texts in mathematics.

Robin Robertson is and absolutely amazing poet!! I loved both his collections SO much!! Anyone who hasn't read 'A painted field' or 'slow air' should definitely buy them!! They are well worth it!!

I came across this Scottish poet at a literary festival in Montreal and was completely blown away by his reading. Once I read A Painted Field, I realised that this was one of the most powerful new voices I've read - from either side of the Atlantic. His writing is taut, sensuous, beautifully imagined and often incredibly moving. He seems able to move from the terrifyingly visceral to the heartbreakingly lyrical with complete ease and confidence. Extraordinary stuff.

Rarely does one find the magisterial artistic command so evident in this book in any poetry collection--let alone in the first collection of a "new" poet. Robertson is no joke: not even the initial reviews on this website (glowing as they are) can do him anything like justice. Here appear poems that require reading, and that don't stand much discussion. That (for me) is what real works of art are like: they want to conjure up not ideas about the thing, but the thing itself.

I can't wait for the next book from this man. This is, by a very long shot, the best thing I've read in a while--in any discipline.

This personal momoir adds to the body of World War II history.

Very interesting book. we know the author and have heard his of his experiences during the war. The book is informative and interesting, they were a brave bunch of men. Highly recomend it to everyone.

Paratrooper Robert L. Wilson lived the experiences in this book. It tells of a pivotal operation during World War II that abruptly ended German-Nazi domination of the European continent. Historically, Operation Varsity was overshadowed by Patton's push across Germany. Wilson and his co-author son give full credit to those courageous ground troops commanded by Patton and Montgomery, but the focus of this book is on the lesser known paratroop action.

In December 1942, Robert L. Wilson joined the Army. At that time, Parachute troops were a fledgling group. When approached to join this elite group. Wilson agreed. The training was rigorous, but young Wilson fully ascribed to the Parachutist's creed, which said in part:
"I realize that a parachutist is not merely a soldier who arrives by parachute to fight, but is an elite shocktrooper and that his country expects him to march farther and faster, to fight harder, to be more self-reliant, and to soldier better than any other soldier."

In March 1945, the 464th Parachute Field Artillery Battallion joined several other Paratroop divisions in an unprecedented airborne drop into Germany. No enemy force since Napoleon had effectively crossed the Rhine River but Operation Varsity changed that. The paratroopers had been told to expect a 50% casualty rate because the Germans knew they were coming. That day, 17,122 paratroopers landed en masse to do battle with the Germans for control of their territory.

Paratroopers and planes faced heavy artillery flak, anti aircraft cannons, and small arms fire. On the ground, under grueling artillery fire, the 464th swiftly assembled Howitzers airdropped with them. They were the first airborne artillery unit to fire a Howitzer east of the Rhine, and surely earned their place in history that day. Meter by meter the Paratroopers and their Howitzers blasted a path through the Germans dug in along the battle's perimeter. Man to man and hand to hand, for one full day then two, paratroopers who survived hacked their way through the German lines. The paratroopers had been advised to take no prisoners, but hesitated to kill first hundreds, then thousands of surrendering German troops. Instead, they utilized German prisoners to pull cannons and dig foxholes. This continued until all fighting ceased and thousands of Nazi soldiers lay face down at their feet in a posture of surrender.

Robert L. Wilson's first hand report of his training stateside and in France, culminating with the Rhineland battle, is a fascinating story. This is a precious history of unsung American heroes from an aging generation of warriors. What truly magnificent men these were! I highly recommend A Paratrooper's Panoramic View to mature readers of all ages.

There are obviously other books on this topic, but I think Ms Daniels covers her material in such an intelligent way that one can feel confident by starting off with just this one.

That's what it should be called. This book is packed with pilates exercises that can be done in one's home. My fiancee and I practice pilates together using the details found in this book.

What I like especially is the way the author provides more challenging and similarly less challenging variations to suit the fitness and flexibility level of the user.

I highly recommend this book...over 300 pages, dozens of exercises, plenty of photos, easy to follow. It's also value priced...in this day I am glad to a useful book priced reasonably.

This a great guide to get a full Pilates work out at home!
The design of the book makes it easy to follow along.
PLUS has the added benefit of a section of Feldenkrais exercises. Using the Feldenkrais methods, I have reached new levels in my Pilates workout. I highly recommend this book!

THIS IS ABOUT FORMER MOVIE SEX GODDESS MAMIE VAN DOREN WHO TELLS US HOW TO PLAY THE FIELD WHICH SHE DID QUITE WELL. SHE DOES A REAL GOOD JOB IN THIS VERY HONEST AND ENLIGHTENING STORY. MAMIE HOLDS NO PUCHES AS SHE TELLS US OF HER LIFE BETWEEN THE SHEETS WITH MANY MANY MEN. AMONG THEM SHE REVEALS SOME SECRETS ON LOVE MAKING WITH BROADWAY JOE, STEVE MCQUEEN, BURT REYNOLDS AND SOME CLOSE SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS WITH JOHNNY CARSON AND HENRY KISSINGER. MOST OF MAMIE'S MOVIES WERE BAD AND VERY FORGETABLE, BUT THIS BOOK IS NOT. I LIKED THIS OPEN AND HONEST LOOK AT HER FILM AND PRIVATE LIFE. MAMIE CERTAINLY WAS ONE OF THE HOTTEST OF THE BLONDE SEX GODDESSSES OF THE 1950'S AND 60'S. SHE EVEN DID SOME TOPLESS A FEW YEARS AGO. (SOME HABITS DIE HARD) IF YOU LIKE GOSSIP AND ARE CURIOUS ABOUT SOME OF THE LIFE BETWEEN SHEETS IN HOLLYWOOD THEN THIS IS FOR YOU. A VERY GOOD READ.

This is a great biography of the beautiful,sexy actress Mamie Van Doren is a great book and of her rich life and career.It's highly recommended.Mamie,we all love you!!

This is a great biography of the beautiful reknowned actress Mamie Van Doren.It's highly recommeded.We all love you,Mamie!!