Fields Books

Matthews does not only a great job describing just about every part of northwest nature, but does it with a sense of humor. This guide is not the most in-depth out there, but it covers a LOT of different areas of ecology, geology, zoology, and botany. I consider myself more of a plant person, but sometimes I'd not only like to be able to identify a plant, but also what the name of the bug is that's eating it or the rock that it's growing on, or even the rodent that stealing all the food out of my campsite.

In addition to being a great field guide, this book is great just for casual reading. It carries a lot of standard textbook information, but doesn't put me to sleep. I actually found myself laughing out loud at a few tidbits.

Even if I never took it out into the field, this book would have been worth the purchase.

This is a great guide for anyone tromping about in the Northwest. It combines several other guides into one that is easy to carry and easy to use. The book covers almost anything you'll venture across from plant to animal. It even includes a short section on regional geography and minerals. Must have for the backpack

Most of us who enjoy nature have relied upon "bird books" or other guides to the species at one time or another as we inquire about our surroundings. These dull but thorough reference books often make their topics LESS interesting, quelling the interests that they're supposed to serve. We look up our bird, animal or plant and then move on having learned little more than its Latin name. Ugh.

This book shines like a beacon to future nature writers as it uses every description as the basis for a prosaic mini-essay; rewarding curiosity with enlightenment, fascination and delight. Imagine a reference book so enticing to read that you can't stop reading with just one description. Instead, the object of your curiosity serves as a mere starting point in the book; the first page of what often becomes a genuine sit-down-and-read-it experience.

If every nature writer put this much love into their topics, the trails would be overrun with enthusiastic hikers. Here's hoping that the author visits your neck of the woods soon, and provides you with the same exuberant writing he's given us here in the Pacific Northwest.

I also have ordered this as a gift for several this year, including the revised edition for myself. Definitely not just a reference book but a great read also. I actually read the whole book,rather than just saving for information on specifics, when I got my first copy years ago.

Most of us who enjoy nature have relied upon "bird books" or other guides to the species at one time or another as we inquire about our surroundings. These dull but thorough reference books often make their topics LESS interesting, quelling the interests that they're supposed to serve. We look up our bird, animal or plant and then move on having learned little more than its Latin name. Ugh.

This book shines like a beacon to future nature writers as it uses every description as the basis for a prosaic mini-essay; rewarding curiosity with enlightenment, fascination and delight. Imagine a reference book so enticing to read that you can't stop reading with just one description. Instead, the object of your curiosity serves as a mere starting point in the book; the first page of what often becomes a genuine sit-down-and-read-it experience.

If every nature writer put this much love into their topics, the trails would be overrun with enthusiastic hikers. Here's hoping that the author visits your neck of the woods soon, and provides you with the same exuberant writing he's given us here in the Pacific Northwest.

I first met Pierre Fricke and his friend Randy Shipley at the Nashville CW show a couple of years ago and ended up going home with a copy of a singularly large book on the subject of collecting Confederate paper money. Once I began looking through it, I could not put it down. It was not just a calalogue of prices or a "how to" opus, but instead contained the most detailed information I had ever seen on Confederate currency. In particular, I was drawn to the subject of error notes and found to my suprise that I had a couple of known examples in my own small collection. Though a weighty reference indeed, I manfully carried that book to every show I could make and wore a lot of dealers out looking things up. Pierre was patient enough to allow me to share my finds with him and he has been gracious enough to acknowledge my efforts.

At last a new "field" edition of that work has just been published with many updates and new finds and the pricing and rarity scales adjusted accordingly. The current work is perhaps the most useful guide and study of Confederate currency ever. It is easy to carry, look things up, and has superb color photographs of known error examples. Also contained within is a magnificent wealth of information designed to appeal to every collector from beginner to expert. The first 104 pages would have been a a worthwhile publication in and of themselves. I can only hope that as new finds are made and information uncovered that we can look forward to future updated editions. Well done!!

For many years I have researched the counterfeiting of Confederate Treasury notes during the Civil War. This excellent book will be a great deal of help to collectors in identifying these counterfeits because some of them were better produced than the genuine notes were.

Pierre Fricke's Field Edition of Collecting Confederate Paper Money (published late 2008) is a "must have" reference for all collectors of Confederate currency, both novices and advanced numismatists alike, as well as Civil War buffs and historians. It is the single, most important and comprehensive source ever published for understanding and enjoying the history, varieties and market values of paper currency issued from 1861 to 1865 by the Confederate States of America (save, perhaps, Mr. Fricke's "bible" of Confederate currency published in 2005). But frankly, the new Field Edition is far more enjoyable to read. The glossy paper comprising the 454 pages of the book is of the absolute finest quality, and all of the several hundred photographs are in gorgeous, full living color. In addition, it is published by the highly renowned numismatic companies of Spink and Smythe. As one of the few modern day collectors to own all 72 of the different types of Confederate currency (including the Montgomeries, the Indian Princess, and the XX-2 and XX-3 notes illustrated on pages 283-286), I unhesitating recommend the Field Edition to anyone with even the most passing interest in paper money of the Confederacy. Dale Alberstone, Beverly Hills.

This book is essential for the collector of Confederate Treasury notes. Finding and attributing your notes is easy. The layout uses the well-known types, and the varieties are easy to understand with the vast array of images. Knowing the correct attribution of your Confederate Treasury notes is the key to their rarity and value. This reference work is the new standard in its field.

As a collector of CSA type and variety notes, I find the portability, accuracy and detail of the information contained in this book to be simply remarkable. If you are a novice or an advanced collector, this book will educate you and probably save you money. A must have for your library!

i purchased this book, and it was exactly what it was being adv for, no surprises and no other issues, excellent experiance.

Excellent new edition of the gold standard. Updated with new color pictures and new chapters on skeletal anchorage and temporary anchorage devices.

It's the bible of Orthodontics written by the man himself.

This book is truly the bible for orthodontics. It covers all aspects of orthodontics in detail with excellent diagrams and pictures. The only book you will need.

A good book about orthodontics, but Graber's is more complete.

Have actually improved performance results by implementing many of the techniques found in the Field Guide (tips have helped me in a number of places and ways). An easy read. Practical, applicable and actionable.

Comments from using the electronic version of the book at books24x7.com.

I read the entire book for use on a capstone project I'm working on. This book hammered home many of the exact concepts I believed were present, but couldn't prove. I work in IT for a multi-billion / year company. Many of the issues Tom describes are the exact issues we've either gone through or are currently struggling with.

Key concepts for me:
1) IT cannot be responsible for data quality, but they are definately involved.
2) Data quality is a multi-facted management issue.
3) Quality has to be defined by the each organization. (i.e. what's good enough for company A may be substandard for company B.)

I also noticed the website address listed in the book is obsolete and has been replaced with this:
http://books.elsevier.com/companions/1555582516/?country=United+States

This is an excellent everyday guide to data quality. Easy to read and filled with tips and techniques for starting and improving a data quality program. The field guide format makes it a great reference book.

Good practical advice for improving data quality. Covers the most common data quality problems. Well written. Some other sources to look at online:


http://www.dmreview.com
http://www.datalever.com

I like this book quite a bit because although it's not a huge doorstop of a tome in terms of length, it's quite complete and thorough. Some data quality books cover management aspects, some the technical aspects, and some take other angles. This book takes a look at all of the different angles on data quality and sums them up into a very nice package.

One of the things I liked about it is the section on social aspects of data quality, since so many technical people I work with have a great idea but aren't able to implement it for lack of understanding of the social aspects of working on data quality projects. Another is a part where Redman goes through the process of how data quality is tracked over time, to see if things are improving, and the way that he draws a distinction between records that are "perfect", and records that are "usable", which points out some differences that are important. There is even a very relevant section on data quality problems in the US elections of 2000.

The nice thing about this field guide is that it should have everything an organization needs to do some serious data quality work (including even middle management roles and responsibilities). I think it's a very solid book that would be a great addition to data manager's and other tech manager's libraries.

This book is so well written and would be such a great
commercial success if it were made into a movie. This
writer expresses what is going on in our society and how
it feels to be a single mother and what one encounters and
she expresses it like poetry........fantastic.....beautifully.
THIS SHOULD BE MADE INTO A MOVIE.

I am not a single mother nor a mother of any kind but I loved this book. I bought it for a beach vacation because a friend of mine told me about it. I ended up reading it in one sitting because it was such an easy and entertaining read. I was surprized because I was really absorbed by the characters (a teenage girl and even the older woman with AID's)and there were moments where my eyes filled with tears which I didn't expect. It would make a great movie. I hope she writes another one!

Barbara Field's The Deeper, the Bluer was a joy to read. I couldn't put this book down until I finished it and it's been a while since I've found a book that kept me so interested throughout. Although I am not a single Mom, I often wonder what it is like to be one and this book brought that answer to light in a very real, open, vivid and honest way. I highly recommend this book.

I borrowed this book from my sister because I wanted an easy read for my beach vacation. I ended up reading it in one sitting! I was surprized I was so quickly absorbed into the lives of the characters and related so well to them because I'm not a single mother nor a mother at all. It was much better then the usual vacation book not only because I enjoyed it more but I was thinking about the characters afterwards. I recommend it highly. I hope they make it into a movie and I look forward to reading another of her books!

This is my favorite kind of book -- one that holds me rapt with a fast-paced, entertaining story while also indulging my love of language with beautiful, lyrical passages and vivid, memorable imagery. The Deeper, The Bluer celebrates the everyday heroism of single mothers and made me proud to be both a mother and a woman. I couldn't put this wonderful book down and ended up reading it in one sitting! My recommendation? Buy it and keep it. This author is going to be big, big, big -- and when that happens you'll have a first edition of her first book

I had read an earlier printing of this classic book, and I knew that it was an invaluable resource of information and a well-written narrative. The 50th anniversary edition has excellent updates about developments in the Everglades and the maps are much more readable than my earlier version. I was very pleased.

That's how most of us in Florida referred to Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Long honored by the state and then by the nation a few years before she died in 1998, she was a living legend in the South Florida environmental movement. Within a few miles of where I live there's a school, a park, a long section of highway and the Biscayne Nature Center, all of which are named after this grand old lady.

And grand and old she was. One of the most amazing facts about her life is the way it seems to have paralleled the recent history of the Everglades itself. Consider this. The first real encroachment of the Everglades began in 1890 when settlers started draining the area around the Kissimmee river. This was just 10 years before Douglas was born. When she wrote THE EVERGLADES: RIVER OF GRASS in 1947 she was 57 years old. The book played a huge part in creating public awareness about the vital importance of the area and was the prime impetus for the creation of the Everglades National Park. Douglas was in fact there when Harry Truman officially opened the park in late 1947. She was still around to receive an honor from president Clinton in 1993. Most incredibly she lived to see the publishing of this - the Fiftieth Anniversary edition of her best known book - dying shortly after at the age of 108! One of the salient points to note about this edition is that it offers an added chapter by another writer titled "Coming Together" which highlights some of the recent progress being made in reversing the damage done to the Everglades watershed area. Progress which can trace it's origins back decades ago to the constant cajoling and inspiration of one Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Never has the saying "Life imitates Nature" been any truer.

Douglas's original book is in keeping with the times it was written in. A natural history of the Everglades with a heavy emphasis on wildlife and the local culture, written in a simple straightforward style. This "just-the-facts" approach is used when recounting the early history of the area, giving names and dates of conquerors and explorers. The writing style occasionally feels a bit dry but these moments quickly pass as we get so caught up in reading about history by someone who was themselves a bit of living history.

What a readable and fascinating history of the wonderful State of Florida! I enjoyed every minute of the story of the struggle to conquer the environment and mold it to the white man's idea of a civilized place. Sadly, I am not convinced the developers will allow the Everglades to exist much longer. I am grateful to have lived in a time when its wonders are still available to me.

Everglades National Park is one of the country's mostfascinating wilderness areas, and is quite possibly the best place forviewing wildlife on the entire North American continent. It's amazing that such a park can exist right next to one of our biggest and fastest-growing urban areas, and in a region that draws millions of visitors every year. The fact that it exists at all in the face of so much human pressure is a testament to the efforts of Marjory Stoneman Douglas and others, and to the influence of this book.

Still, for the most part, this book is a conventional dates-and-events human history of South Florida rather than an argument for environmental protection. The environmental theme doesn't really get going until after the Civil War, well past the middle of the book, when draining the Everglades was first proposed, and it isn't until "The Eleventh Hour," the final chapter of the original edition, that the book becomes an impassioned plea for saving the wilderness. A final chapter added in 1987 brings the story into our era, continues the catalog of degradation, and makes the key point that most of the forces that threaten the Everglades flourish outside the boundaries of the National Park.

I confess that I found the historical narrative a bit dull in places, though it's hard to imagine a more colorful cast of characters than the conquistadors, pirates, hardy Native Americans, escaped slaves, adventurers, poachers, speculators and old-time politicians who all play a part in the story. Nevertheless, "River of Grass" is still the best history of South Florida, and should be on the reading list of anyone who wants something a little more substantial than the tourist guides and coffee-table fluff that dominate the shelf of books about the region.

Last winter, I purchased River of Grass at the National Park Service's store at Shark Valley in the Everglades. It was recommended by the tour guide. I visit Miami about once a year and always hope to have the opportunity to visit the Everglades. I have known that they are a very special, spiritual place on the edge of a huge city.

However, River of Grass has helped me better understand the unique place that this wilderness holds. It is an ancient area that was the sight of much fighting, greed, and sorrow. It is one of the very few places left where the Native American people fought and, to some degree, won. This, in and of itself, is fascinating. There is a deep and ancient culture that Ms. Douglas discusses and explains with great beauty and respect.

And then there is the River itself. The Everglades have been the sight of some of the most contentious environmental battles in North America. Ms. Douglas identifies the warring parties and comes down firmly in the camp of the environmentalists. This adds a great deal of power and conviction to the book.

I strongly recommend this book if you have an interest in South Florida beyond the beaches and the tourist sights.

If you think Earthlings are diverse, we have nothing over the aliens if you believe even only a fourth of the sightings in this book. All we hear about are the greys, but there are far more according to this book. I liked the illustrations and the way the author catalogs the beings. Very cool...probably not in your local library!!

I could not believe there are so many aliens species in the universe, but here they are. Myth, superior beings pantheon or fantasy? It does not matter really, let your imagination run loose and free. It is healthy for your mind. The Field guide to extraterrestrials is a nice companion if you are willing to accept the hypotheses and elaborate theories of the person who wrote this book. Personally, I was amuzed and intrigued. Give it a shot.

For readers intrigued by alleged UFO occupant encounters and close encounters of the third kind, Patrick Huyghe's "The Field Guide to Extraterrestrials" is a fascinating reference that reflects the same academic sensibility on display in "The Field Guide to UFOs." This book is a holistic (and unnerving) rogues' gallery of ETs, categorized according to characteristics and presented in informed, concise chapters. Harry Trumbore's exacting illustrations help bring Huyghe's text to life. "The Field Guide to Extraterrestrials" is as much fun as UFO books get.

I liked the pictures and how he grouped the aliens by type and put their distingusing characteristics their height and the story behind it. I wish there were more books like it. Also I'm not an idiot.

This is a great book. What I like about it was that It had a great guide of alien life forms,how they look and people claim they have encounterd. It is a great, fantastic guide!!!

John Olander's FIELD GUIDE TO MONSTERS discusses monster habitats, habits, historical evidence and more, offering over twenty 'undocumented' monsters for casual thought. From the Dark Ooze to a household Snouted Grabber, a fun visual and written description evolves.

I picked this up at the library last night. I did not have it on my list just noticed it in the new books section. My 8-year-old son loved it and even my 15-year-old daughter looked at it with him some. I think our favorite was the Leech-Eel and we all have been slamming the toilet seats just in case. My son was a little worried about the Corner Cat. I would not recommend this for kids that are prone to nightmares or worry about monsters. I would recommend it for ages 8 and up.

A great monster book for kids who aren't too squeamish and love a "scientific" presentation of "facts". A lot of fun.

He absolutely loves this book. Its great for his imagination and he loves trying to remember them all by heart. He even had me buy him an empty book so that he could add his own monsters too. It's one of my favorite things I bought him for christmas.

A fantastic guide for would-be monster hunters in your home. Each creature has a 2 page entry detailing it's likely location, what it likes to eat and most importantly, if it's harmful to people and how to protect yourself against it. Quite a few, if not all, also have some reproduction of a 'historical' sighting of the monster. The distressed pages of the book give it the feel of something you might accidentally find tucked away in the attic.

Most of the critters are funny and harmless, but a few might give the younger ones a fright. In particular, the Bedwolf which lurks under your bed...I always wondered what the thing under the bed looked like and now I'm glad I never knew as a kid! This one will literally have them jumping into bed so their ankles don't come within grabbing distance of the Bedwolf' six arms.

Another favorite is the Corner Cat (felis angulosa), a very skinny kitty that stands on it's hind legs and jumps out from corners to bite your ankles. Perhaps realted to the Lovecraftian Hounds of Tindalos?

All in all, this is a terrific collection of original beasties sure to spark the imagination of monster enthusiasts young and old.

I found the book Field Guide To Otherkin by Lupa to be an intriguing and informative book. It helped to understand a few things about myself. I would highly recommend it to others who have a strong affinity for certain animals or peoples both real and fantasy.

"Fang and Fur, Blood and Bone" was only the beginning... For those who seek answers as to why they feel as if they are animals, or those who have ever wondered why they think they have wings, "A Field Guide to Otherkin" is your solution!

Lupa, a wolf therian, member of the Otherkin community, and magician, has brought us a informational book regarding this unique subculture. Ranging from kitsune, to Vampyres, to elves, to dragons, to a wide variety of animals, Otherkin are alive and ready to be heard.

Using her wonderful "on the fence" writing style, Lupa has given us a well written and researched "Field Guide" for not only understanding those who might be Otherkin, but for possibly understanding ourselves.

Although the spiritual/magickal connections to being Otherkin are discussed, Lupa has done amazing research into the psychological connectioins as well. Science and magick have long been thought to be seperate, but they are indeed intertwined, and Lupa has brought them together wonderfully.

Besides Lupa's own wonderful research and writing, she has also included a guest essayist, and many wonderful quotes from personal correspondences and responses to a survey that she circulated in the Otherkin community.

If you have ever thought you might be something other than human, or you do any work in the magickal community, this book is a must read.

Thank you Lupa, for giving this text to us, and for helping those people who needed it deeply.

I am in love with this book. I wasn't sure what to expect from a book about the Otherkin, but this exceeded all my expectations. It is concise, yet flowing and fun to read. It presents the material quite clearly, which is saying something when you consider how differently the opinions and theories and experiences can be in the vast and sometimes odd world of the Otherkin, Otakin, Mediakin/Soulbonders, and so on, just to name a few. It certainly helps clarify what forms the experience takes, even though the author is careful to say that she can't cover everything and that no one belief or opinion or theory about it is the Right One.

I hope, as the author also expresses the hope, that this bodes well for future books about Otherkin and what it means in our lives and society and spirituality. Greater acceptance, at the very least.

Highly recommended to those who already consider themselves Otherkin, Otakin, Otakukin, or Mediakin/Bonders, and to those who suspect that maybe this is what is happening to them. There are references to websites included, as well as info on conventions for Otherkin, and its a good place to start looking for others to get together with and to share experiences with.

Eyes, ears, and mind open Lupa has taken the care and craft needed to honestly represent a guide to a very fluid fringe population. I would recommend this book to anyone both curious and not already decided against the possibility that a small fraction of individuals have slipped under the ends of the bell-shaped curve so many use to define normal.

For parents, I would say that the majority are going though a phase in their self discovery. Sometimes moving to an edge and looking back from a very different perspective one discovers new facets of who they are. Don't panic (or try to force strict conformity) but do insist that communication will remain open and that being "other" is not a free excuse for either parent or child.

For myself, I have been mostly an observer over the many years looking back from the fringe of the fringe and seeing both mind and imagination explored openly and in what seems a very positive light. Earning my living employed to move things that are at first only imagined into reality (Engineer) and being a Grandparent of a very imaginative child.

Thank You Lupa

Well, I've finally finished Lupa's "A Field Guide to Otherkin," and I must say that I am quite impressed. It is written from the perspective of an otherkin, but she has taken great pains to treat the subject impartially. There is a meaty Bibliography that those who wish further reading will find very useful.

Topics covered in the book include such things as theories of being 'Kin, including personal psychology, metaphysics, personal mythology, energetic resonance, and the genetic thoughts. Therianthropy, Vampirism, and several other types of 'Kin are mentioned in the book, and some types of 'Kin have whole sections devoted to them, with information drawn from collected surveys.

As to the surveys, having tried to gather research on a different topic before with this method for college, I can understand how hard it is to get a good sampling of any community. One hundred thirty one, including her own response, is far more than I ever got for my alienation report. I was very surprised by the breakdown of the 'Kin types that responded, for example I thought that there would have been far more kitsune than the single response from that type received, although the greater number of wolves I did expect. Perhaps some day she will have enough information and additional responses to put out a second edition.

Magic and Spirituality is also touched on this this book, and in quite a responsible and adult manner to my finding. Thoughts on how to become 'Kin to the Other as well as the possibility on how to stop being 'Kin are presented, and the same goes the the opinion of one unbiased psychologist.

One of the things that I liked best about this book is that the author highly stressed self-exploration, common sense, and a large dose of salt.

Whether one is 'Kin themselves, suspects that they may be, knows someone that is 'Kin, or just interested in the phenomenon and/or experience of being 'Kin, this book I would consider a must read.

The history is very imformative and gives insight to Scottish struggles for independence. The love story helps to break up the history - and it is continued in another book, The Banks of Boyne. High schoolers and up will love it.

This is the first book of it's size I've managed to read through in over 20 years. Having recently visited some of the places in the book, such as Iona, I was captivated by the book.
It's well written, easy reading, accurate in most of it's facts, absolutely inspiring.
My only negative comment is about a pro-catholic bias of some characters such as Columcile, who was portayed as catholic while he was not, and the glowing account of Queen Margaret who in fact did enormous harm to the Celtic church.
Still worth reading!

I found out more about Scotland's history in this book than I ever have in history classes. It was captivating and I was deeply engrossed in the history as I read. The only reason I don't give this a 5 star rating is because I could have done without the modern day portions of the book.

Being of Scottish descent, I was thrilled to find a novel which provided the meat of historical fact in such a palatable format. Anyone who saw Braveheart and wants to know more about the endless struggle for Scottish independence from England will be rewarded with total understanding by reading this book. Don't be put off by its length... it is very easy reading. Crow makes the characters come alive, and you find yourself engrossed and involved in their lives as history unfolds before you. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in exploring their ancestry and the heritage of faithful Scots.

I want to go to Scotland! The Fields of Bannockburn was totally engrossing. I was caught up in the book, by its history and its geography. I just had to know where all these places were! I'd read for a while, and then a placename would send me to the Scotland sections of Nicholson's Guide to Great Britain. The storyteller, Hamish, as the vehicle for the history of Scotland, was very believable as were the other characters. I had no trouble relating to Mary's quandry between her fiance back home in the States and Gareth in Scotland; it could have been me. Were I still teaching Language Arts in junior high school, I would and could recommend this book to that grade level. It would be a great adjunct to history, reading, and creative writing. What discussions one could have! What dreams of travel it could inspire: it would make one want to see the historic sites. My travel plans definitely will be guided by this book. Give it a try-you might want to go to Scotland, too.