Fields Books

This is a remarkable collection of information on a sorely needed region of herpetology. Not just for advanced hobbyists either...this book has WONDERFUL photographs and is a MUST have for any level of reptile enthusiast.

This is the most perfect book for any snake or reptile fan.

This book is amazingly detailed, giving in-depth information on ALL species of reptile known to occur in the five countries covered.
The photographs are of excellent quality (though where none was available, drawings would have been better than nothing) and the keys very user-friendly.
It is an absolute must for anyone interested in the herpetofauna of this region.
A word of warning though: despite the title this book is much too bulky and heavy to carry around on the field!
More likely, you will want to keep it at home (or in your car?) as a reference.

A great book, with descriptions and photos of al known east african reptiles, including distribution maps.
Which i must say could have a little bet bigger and easier to read(country references).

If you are interested in finding the reptiles in the field or keeping them in captivity, you must own this book !

The long-awaited field guide to the diverse reptile populations of East Africa. This book was everything I expected it to be and more. Comprehensive listings, excellent photography and detailed information on habitat/distribution, natural history, conservation status etc. I can't say enough good things about this book, the list of authors should speak for themselves! ;-)

No serious herper's library is complete without this book...

Great book. Great trilogy. Recommend to anyone, male or female, young (14 and up) or old. I read the trilogy many years ago. While homeschooling, I had one of my sons read all three books and write a book report on each one. He was in the 9th grade at the time. At first, he rebelled against the setting the books were written in, preferring a more modern or sci-fi theme, but soon became engrossed in the details of the lifestyle of these early Americans. Especially the fact that they were totally self-sufficient. He was amazed. The details in these stories are accurate and believable. I read where Mr. Richter took stories told to him by people old enough to remember the actual events or those who heard the stories passed down from their grandparents, and wove them into a remarkable epic that is cohesive and believable. I recently purchased this trilogy for my mother-in-law as a birthday gift.

All of the books in Conrad Richter's trilogy are superb. I am a descendant of people just like these, at the same time of Richter's story, and I spent much of my childhood there in Ohio living a way of life that is nearly gone. The past of my people became so rich, real, and alive through the writing.

All of the Trilogy Books are wonderful, I loved all three of them and you will find yourself wanting to read each book over and over again. " The Fields" gives a person a different perspective on life and grows not to take the way we have things now not for granted as much. "The Fields" really shows us how it was in the past in settler times.

Though not as historically interesting as the first of the trilogy it certainly merited its award.

Richter loses no time establishing THE FIELDS as a direct and strong descendant of THE TREES. With no time wasting, he recreates the forest and Sayward's battle against the "big butts," those mammoth trees blocking out the sun.

Her relationship with her man, Portius Wheeler the lawyer, seems at first to strengthen: seven kids in all, and a childhood tragedy once again accepted. We readers wonder how she can stay so strong, so calm. But she does. And so does her brood.

But Portius weakens and succombs. Sayward takes the blame, but again shows the inner strength to go on. The ending of book two carries on the development of their little community, and also shows the intensity of her love for her family.

Don't miss it.

by Larry Rochelle, author of DUST DEVILS, GHOSTLY EMBERS and ARROW.

I can add little to the other positive reviews here but that I was deeply touched by the beauty and sensitivity of this short novel. It is simply something I will always remember and I envy the reader who discovers it.

Fields of glory is the most beautifully written book I have read in more than a decade--maybe ever. Virtually every page, every paragraph, is wonderfully crafted. How I wish I could read it in French, although I can't imagine that it could be any better. Mr. Rouaud is a genious.

This gentle book floats you through the life of a French family between the wars, as seen through the eyes of children. Human foibles are observed with a naive humour, and events are often described without the full understanding of the narrator. Much of the subject matter could be overpowering, but the depiction in this book is beautiful.

In what begins as reminisces by the narrator of a seemingly eccentric family the author slowly unravels the reasons behind each of the characters' actions. This masterpiece of writing develops into a powerful study of aging and childhood memories, and of the long lasting impact of World War I from one generation to another, even when the succeeding generations aren't aware of it.

By the end of this book I felt that I knew the family members intimately. This is beautifully done. The story unravels the lives of family members through the memories of a child, tracing their tragedy back to the ultimate tragedy of war. In some ways this book is very French but the feelings are universal and I strongly recommend it.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the culture around organic food. The writing is lucid, clear and the result is an easy read that's hard to put down. The book is worth the photographs alone, but Michael takes the reader on a worthwhile journey across North America, explaining the people and reasons why organic food is such a passion for a growing part of our society. His writing style results in vivid images of people and places and an understanding of why organic food is much more than just a yuppie phase. His passion for food, taste, farming and the quality associated with doing it right is infectious. And if that isn't enough, scattered throughout the book are recipes reflecting the different cultures of the people being profiled. This book is outstanding and the author is obviously a gifted writer / photographer. Would make a great gift for anyone even remotely interested in food, gardening or farming.

This superbly written book, with its poetic descriptions and fascinating stories of the different farmers the author visited and interviewed throughout the country, had me dreaming about owning my own organic farm one day! Also, the wonderful recipes are definately a plus! What a wonderful read!

Writing this book from an organic farmer's point of view, Ableman gives one a sense of respect for the earth, the intricacies involved in its cultivation, the many different varieties of fruits and vegetables that exist and can be grown on small organic farms (as compared to conventional/commercial growers who use very few varieties), and the tender care involved by these family farmers.

One learns about the different herbal concoctions that some of these farmers use to feed their crops, comparable to the attention given when feeding a child. The nutrients in these soils are uncomparable to the conventional corporate farming, and organic farms do not use pesticides and chemical fertilizers. One can taste the difference in the organic produce. They are bursting with flavor.

One learns about sustainability and organic farming, about the many flavors, the exotic colors, and how the different animals cohabitate with the farmers, so that nothing is wasted. I particularly liked the descriptions of the sections on the
melons that emitted intoxicating musky smells, and blackberries that were so irresistible, the author went and gorged himself eating them in the patch. Yumm! We went and bought organic blackberries after reading that section!

One also learns that eating is an intimate relationship, and establishing a relationship with the local farmers in our communities is a wonderful way to learn where our food is coming from. These great farmers are feeding us, and what better way to eat food, then to establish a relationship with the persons who are growing it for us. One way to do that is visit a local farmer's market and sign up with a local farm that is a member of CSA (community shared agriculture). We did, and we love it!

Also, eating seasonal foods is a new concept for me. We're so used to finding any fruit and vegetable in any season in the supermarket, that the idea of something not being available at a given time is foreign to us. But once we start asking - where did these fruits and vegetables come from - and we see Brazil, or Argentina, etc. then things start changing in our minds. The transportation, the distance, the regulations... Hmmm. Canning and freezing fruits and vegetables when in season has become a pleasant option.

After reading this book, I'm also keen on working on my garden with my family next summer, of watching the different vegetables grow, and of tasting the fruits of my labor. I can't wait!

I recommend this highly to everyone!!

The book's gorgeous photography and sensitive appreciation of farming life make it a real winner for anyone with an interest in regional food, its proponents, and the beauty of small-scale agriculture.

American agriculture is being re-created and re-defined by farmers and the people who grow our food, and Michael Ableman's journey to different farms blends a memoir of a farmer and photographer with a travelogue of his survey of others who are making a difference in the food world from across America. The different visions and experiences of farmers blend with discussions of politics, growing, and even with recipes for using fresh produce, making Fields Of Plenty an abundant gathering of crop wisdom and agricultural insights. Scholarly enough for college-level collections on agricultural studies yet accessible enough for public library holdings, Field Of Plenty: A Farmer's Journey In Search Of Real Food And The People Who Grow It is an excellent pick.

I love the text of this book, go ahead and buy it, I think it should be said that this book suffers from its format. The extra heavy pages and stiff hard binding are like those in a coffee table book and would be well deserved, if the publisher had included more photographs. As it stands, there is a scant one photo per farm profile, far too few in my opinion, especially having been visually tantilized by Ableman's beautiful descriptions. This leaves one mostly text, valuable and well written and worthy of your attention, in a book that is physically difficult to handle and read. I am hoping that publishers will read this review and remedy the problem in subsequent editions. Either add more "art" to justify the art quality of the book, or else make the book easier to curl-up with and read. I know folks who have put down the book, and not picked it up again, although they were enjoying it, and I believe that the book's physical attributes are to blame.

A Game of Inches is an excellent resource for the serious baseball fan as well as an interesting read for the more casual fan. Peter Morris's exhaustive research and analytical writing style make this book the definitive work on the innovations in baseball since the mid-1800s.

This is a must for any base ball fan interested in the evolution of the game. Mr. Morris covers the bases with subjects like the introduction of pine tar to the elimination of left handed 2nd basemen. He does it with a narrative style you don't find in many historical books. It is the vintage ballists companion.

Any fan of baseball on any level will enjoy this well researched volume on the development of baseball as it is played today.

A genuinely outstanding book, probably the most important baseball history book published this year. Morris has found something new and important in his research on virtually every page, and writes very well. It is amazing how many of the basic strategies and tactics of baseball can be documented as having been used in 1860, and certainly by the 1890s.

A GAME OF INCHES: THE STORIES BEHIND THE INNOVATIONS THAT SHAPED BASEBALL isn't your usual coverage of major players or major memorable games: it's the first of two projected volumes to provide an encyclopedia reference covering the origins of the sport's major items, from catchers' masks to cork-center baseballs. Included in each listing are discussions of what led each new item to emerge when and how it did - much in the manner of a Burke review of history's causes and influences - and a chronicle of the responses to these changes and innovations. Baseball's legacy is the result of many influences, inventions and innovations: here's the place to read about them all.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

A beautifully written book which should be entitled "quantum gravity primer for the practical man". Clear and self-contained, this book will serve aa a small survey of mathematical physics, giving the reader tools in particle physics and gravity. Excellently motivated topics. Compact enough to bring with you anywhere. The only thing it fails at is dicing a proper tomato.

I really enjoyed reading this book! A must have if you are interested in mathematical physics. Every page is a pedagogical masterpiece.

Covers many topics in Mathematical Physics with great clarity. Highly recommended for those who are interested in a modern approach to Mathematical Physics.

I think the review above by J. Pullin puts it very well. This is a great book, and a good place to get started (it also provides suggestions for further reading). The authors have done a fantastic job, and I highly recommend the book!

This book should be at the top of anyone's reading list who is planning to get into serious mathematical physics. It deals with a good deal of complex material, but the presentation is easy to follow, and shouldn't be beyond most advanced undergraduates. There are a lot of good exercises which fill in most of the gaps. (If you want a book heavy on detail, this book may not be for you. If you want a book that gives you all the tools you're going to need to get start understanding quantum gravity and other areas in a short time, get this book immediately!) It's a shame the paperback edition doesn't seem to be available anymore; it's half the price, and checking with the publisher reveals that the paperback edition is still in print.

I have read a number of books on gauge field theory. This one just seems to be the clearest presentation, balanced with unerstandable problems, I have ever seen. Many physics texts leave you wishing they would get to a point. Others leave you wondering what truckload of math just ran over you. This book, and its first volume, just satisfy. Each section is clear, to the point, and enjoyable. If you want to learn some field theory, just read these books. Actually, you may need a couple of basic quantum mechanics books first. But it's well worth it, to see the beauty of gauge theory.

I received my copy of Aitchison and Hey last week and have nearly finished reading the first volume. So far, the text is living up to its legend: it is very readable, well cited (so the historical context can be reconstructed) and pitched for a graduate student who has seen the topic before but is looking for the kind of "handle" on the subject that is missing in nearly all other volumes on QFT (esp so Peskin). If you are struggling with your first look at QFT, reviewing the subject or trying to get a headstart through self instruction --- this book is essential. I would strongly recommend that all physics graduate students read this text after completing the usual third semester grad course in QM that often includes a first look at relativistic QM, KG eqn, and Spinors. I would also recommend that one begin by just READING the book carefully before trying problems. Aitchison and Hey have created a very reader friendly intro to QFT and the standard model that is not watered down.

Take my advice: start reading this book in parallel with your QFT coursework or beforehand if you can. These books are worth every penny and every minute of your study time. Many mysteries are resolved! Enjoy.

Like the 2nd edition this 2 volume set is very readable. I like it's informal style, and the wealth of background material presented, as well as the hints about when to expect further discussions of a subject in succeding chapters. By far the best Quantum Field Theory book I've come across.

The 3rd edition of that book clarified to a degree the fog left in my mind by a two-semester QFT course. The book is better suited for beginners than Peskin & Shroeder, Mandl & Show or Lahiri & Pal simply because it senses better the difficult points for beginners and tries to explain them at lower level. It focuses on the main concepts and doesn't try to `cover broad material in shortest time' or get into extreme computational technicalities totally irrelevant to beginners. The correct historical perspective of many ideas is given and the important historical papers are cited. The theory is frequently compared to the experimental results. Violin string is used as a prototype of a continuous system described by a classical field which is the first field quantized later. The book develops physical intuition showing how a scattering process can be analyzed in full QED (all fields are operators), in semiclassical approximation (all fields are operators except the EM field) or using the lowest level wavefunction approximation (all fields are treated like wave functions just like scattering in nonrelativistic QM) often getting the same result (see chapter 8). Important concepts like Feynman diagrams and Renormalization of a theory are first explored in a simple theoretical playground - a hypothetical `ABC theory' of three massive scalar fields with an interaction ABC term - and later discussed again in the case of QED with all the complications like fermions and Electromagnetic gauge field.

Topics discussed include gauge invariance principle; relativistic field equations describing free particles like Klein-Gordon and Dirac; Feynman interpretation of the negative energy solutions of Dirac eq. (no its not `antiparticle going back in time'); Dirac equation with EM field; Lagrangian and Hamiltonian densities for continuous systems; quantization of free fields like KG (real and complex scalar), Dirac and Electromagnetic field [the quantization is by postulating commutators/anticommutators, no path integrals]; Normal ordering of operators; Interaction picture for interacting fields, Time ordering of operators, Dyson expansion of the S matrix; Wick's theorem; scattering processes in QED at tree level; Ward identity; form factors for scattering from non point particle; parton model, Bjorken scaling; diagrams with loops, regularization and renormalization of ultraviolet divergences in QED.

It took me a month and a half to read the book and solve all problems (10 problems per chapter on average). The problems are exactly the ones every beginner should solve and usually revolve about filling in details from the text or proving statements in the text. Solving them is usually easy with a few exceptions and teaches you the typical computational tricks of the trade. You have to know quantum mechanics (at least have seen scattering theory) and special relativity. You have to at least have heard of Green function and contour integration in the complex plane. The book provides nice appendices about all these.

Not everything is crystal clear in that book, sometimes it took me a few days for an idea to sink in or I understood some paragraphs only after I read the whole book. Other ideas I did not understand at all. Sometimes it's hard to tell what they are trying to say although they say it several times from different angles ... The authors should work on expressing an idea in a direct succinct way once and for all instead of repeating several fuzzy versions of it. Overall that book made me understand MUCH more than a regular QFT course and I highly recommend it as a prep for such a course.

This book (2nd edition) has 15 chapters . I have just finished chapter 4 entitled QFT and I am compeled to write this review! After a year of studying of QFT informally I can report that this is the way to introduce yourself to the topic. I've been through Mandl & Shaw, Peskin & Schoeder, Ryder, Weinberg and a few others and this is heads and tails the BEST intro available. In 42 pages, Aitchison & Hey make the transistion from classical to QM and from QM to QFT as gracefully as I can conceive. For example, the transition from the discrete Lagrangian to the field Lagrangian is very explicit. One benfit of this is that the dependence of L on partial of phi wrt x is clearly motivated leading to the manifestly relativistically invariant form of L. They explicitly develop physical intuition at every step of the way - for example, this is the only book that I have found that explicitly asks the question where is QM's wavefunction in the QFT formalism? Answer - The vacuum to one-particle matrix elements of the field operators. The transistion from free fields to interacting fields is far clearer than any other treatment I've seen. I also appreciated that the problems were used to basically fill in details left out of the text. I was able to 'practice' the various kinds of manipulations that are required.

It's obvious by his writing that Flores has spent many a day in "the field". One can further glean from his writings that he does so because, like so many of us, the outdoors and hunting is as much food-for-the-soul as it is for dinner table.
I rate this book 5-Stars because if you've been-there, done-that - you can't help but relate to every chapter in this book.
It makes me want to grab the Lab, my son and trusty boat and head to the blind.

I am a 16 year-old young man who has the pleasure and privilage of knowing the author of this remarkable book of hunting experiences. The book has given me a new perspective on hunting and life itself in ways I never expected. It opened up my mind to the hunting experiences that I never had. The way the author wrote in detail about the experiences he had as a young man and an adult touched me a lot. I would recommend this book to any young hunter who loves to hunt or any young man who dreams of hunting. Thank you for writing this book Mr. John, I loved it.

Being an outdoor person and one who really appreciates the outdoors, I really enjoyed John's book. Some parts made me cry and some made me laugh. Some of the sories were a little scary because I have been jin some of the same situations. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys God's great outdoors. Bill Heilman
This is a must read for the wife of a hunter. It will give you new understanding of why he loves the outdoors. Perhaps enough that you will want to go with the next time. I truly enjoyed it and we are both looking forward to more books from John. Katherine heilman

Being an outdoor person and one who truly enjoys outdoor life, I really enjoyed John's book. Parts of the book I could relate to. It made me laugh and it made me cry. I have been in some of the same situations and they were a little scary. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys God's great outdoors. Bill Heilman.
A must read for the wife of a hunter. It helps you to get a better understanding of why your husband loves the great outdoors. Perhaps next time you will want to go with him.
We are both looking forward to more books by John.
Kathy Heilman

John K. Flores is my friend and I was able to proof read this book before it hit press. This book is an oustanding read for all avid hunters as it takes you into the field for a view of hunting through his eyes, his sons eyes and his lovely wifes eyes. All hunters can relate to his "camp" stories as John calls them,you will love this book. Its funny, serious and uplifting from a christian author. If you have hunting buddies you may want to buy this book as a gift for them, they will thank you for it. John Flores has many books written already in his head, he is an exceptional talent and a real genuine God chaser! I am looking forward to his next book hitting the press it is an awesome book and you will really appreciate his writing talents and skills. Thanks John for being a part of the Darce Familys Life. We appreciate you and your family very much! God Bless You my friend. Edward "Eddie" Darce

If you've ever had an experience of what seemed like an after-death communication, you know it's something you will remember and wonder about for the rest of your life. Yet there are few people to talk to about such a thing, particularly when you aren't sure if it's possible, even though it happened....The Guggenheims have collected true stories from reliable, stable people for many years and compiled those stories into an enjoyable, fascinating book. No matter what you believe or don't, as human dramas these stories can stand on their own. If you have had an experience or two, you may be stunned to find that it falls into a category of similar types of experiences that others share. Give yourself the gift of learning more about this compelling research, and about the struggle we all share to make sense of experiences that fall outside the norm, yet inside the heart.

After the sudden loss of my brother in 1997 I started reading everything I could get my hands on trying to find comfort and healing. This book provided just that. Believing myself that life does in fact go on this book warms your heart with very personal experiences from others that have experienced a loss.

This book offers peace and hope to everyone. The information flows beautifully. Well researched and lovingly written. An extremely important book for anyone dealing with loss

This book gives so much hope to those who are mourning the loss of a loved one. Whether or not one has had an ADC experience, reading this book will not only help you to get through the grief, it may also help you to put aside the nagging question of "will I ever see my loved one again?"

This book is wonderful. It provides hope and comfort for those who have lost someone dear to them. The author sensitively embraces a subject which is controversial. It is an inspiring read. Just beautiful.

Great heartwarming story for a parent and child to read together. I have a little girl and she loves the story. A must read for all children!

this terrific book shows how much fun hockey - or any sports, for that matter - can be as a way for families to remain close to each other. a very fun read!

In a world where children are exposed to video games and violence, finally a wonderful and heartwarming book to read with your child. Fathers and sons alike will love every page of this book!
Lori Black

Hockey Days is a top of the line "feel-good" book for any hockey lover. Even if you're not into hockey you will enjoy the heartfelt tale that resonates love & laughter for fathers and sons.

This tale brought back memories of childhood friends and stories I have shared with my daughter about my childhood sports memories.

It's a great book to share with your children and it will get them interested in hockey too. It also tells a warm story of a father and son who relive the father's "glory days" and lead the son to believe his father is "pretty cool" after all.

I highly recommend this book to any and all. Hockey fan or not, you'll Love "Hockey Days".

What a wonderful story. Howard brings me back to my youth and what playing hockey means and how it intertwines a family's lifetime! Great job, great book! Thanks, Rich O.