Phillips Books

The book contains about 308 pages composed of: 54 pages on Vietnam flora and habitat, 34 pages on the anatomy, ecology, and distribution of orchids, 178 pages about individual slipper orchid species found in Vietnam (22 species), 20 pages on the conservation, 9 pages on literature referenced, and a 14 page index.

The text is far more extensive than just "slipper orchids" or "Vietnam". Rather it also introduces the flora, habitat, and physical geography of Vietnam, and it covers all slipper orchids of southeast Asia in very complete detail.

The last 2/3rds of the book is a treasure of information about the individual species of Vietnam slippers. It contains lots of field pictures, closeups of the flowers, flower diagrams, and distribution maps. I was impressed with the completeness of the treatment for each orchid. This is a superb slipper orchid reference book.

If you are a Paphiopedilum orchid book enthusiast - times are very good. There are presently three absolutely outstanding slipper orchid books in press: "The Genus Paphiopedilum" by Braem, Baker & Baker, "The Slipper Orchids" by Catherine Cash, and "Slipper Orchids of Vietnam" by Leonid Averyanov, Phillip Cribb, Phan Ke Loc & Nguyen Tien Hiep. Each book sets the highest standard of excellence. We slipper orchid hobbyists are truly blessed to have such talented and passionate writers on this subject. I reference each of these books several times each month. They are great additions to my orchid library.

There is total concensus over 2/3rds of the species in all of the books. But there are major disagreements over much of the rest. Discussions in the text are filled with little daggers about what the other book authors had missed or misinterpreted - it is facinating! Since Slipper Orchids of Vietnam was written after the other two books, Averyanov & Cribb have the last word in the arguement. But I suspect that new books from Braem and Cash are already in the making.

It's a great time to be a slipper orchid enthusiast. You gotta buy this book!

This book is worth the purchase price for the beauty of its photographs alone. What a treat--it's the loveliest orchid reference book I've seen. In situ photos of the Vietnamese slippers abound, as do detailed climate charts and habitat info. Great for the armchair gardener, but a must-have for the Paphiopedilum collector. The only way you'd get a better idea of the growing conditions and habitat of these plants would be if you traveled to Vietnam yourself.

I know the author--he let me read the manuscript and galley. I couldn't believe how good the story was! I sat down one night and read it from beginning to end and I had shivers running down my spine. Most of the actual story is set in a confessional and told in retrospect. The plot development was solid and the way the characters developed gave me chills. This is a twisting story about love lost and the main character's (Alec) inability to let go. In the process, he stumbles onto a way of travelling through time and tries to bury his loss by remaking his life from a certain point on. I'm not going to give any more away but I really loved this book and I can't wait until he publishes the second book in the series.

Breathtaking! I literally couldn't put the book down until I finished it! I hope Blacke comes out with a sequel soon.

This book written in 1984 delineates ageless principles that are quite obvious and relevant today. The book was written at a time when government support for the solar energy industry was waning; yet this book transcends these temporal fluxations in perceived energy and resource shortages. The planning for solar access cannot be overlooked for the sake of our future generations.

I recently came across this book and realized that it was published in 1984, which is the time of the sunsetting of the US and State support for tax incentives for solar demonstration projects. Although the book was written when exploration into solar architecture and planning was on the decline, the book has information which is incredibly useful for today. If you can find a copy of this book, I certainly recommend it.

This was recommended by another home school parent and it is a good book for our child.

I purchased this for my 7 year old who is in second grade (homeschool). He really loves the workbook and wants to do all the activities for the week in one sitting. The words are not too hard. I can easily see him finishing and moving on to the third grade level before finishing second grade.

Each week has a spelling tip/rule which the words fall under. For those who would like to know. . . the words in the first lesson are fox, cut hill, wind, put, all moon, saw, tell, new (which seem very easy for 2nd grade). Week thirty-five's words are hole, whole, no, know, not, knot, ate eight, to, too, two, right, write, one, won. I think our local public schools did these type of words in 1st grade. My son did not have "formal" spelling last year so I don't mind starting him off with easier words. I've found it is better to start easy and build confidence than to ruin a child's self-esteem with something too hard. I do believe; however, that if your child has already had formal spelling it would be easy to move on to level C and skip level B.

I have tried many spelling programs over the years (with my oldest son) and my children rate this one as the best. It has interesting activities such as crossword puzzles, find the missing letters, proofreading, etc. My favorite part is that each week the child has a short story to read that uses all of the week's spelling words. The stories are usually educational too! If your child enjoys short activities to reinforce what he/she is learning, I believe you will find this program a perfect fit.

Star Lord is an incredable story about an ancient terror reborn and out for conquest. Possing as an elite unit they raid several planets.. However Thomas Marik isn't going to have this unit used so he going to have soem of his Knights imperosnate down-on-there-luck mercs with the help of some the surviors of the false Knights army and teach this terror not to play with fire.....

This book involves a group of unlikely characters who fall together on a planet of the Periphery and join forces to stop the sinister 'Star Lord.' Half the fun of the book is the unlikely partnership of these characters. I especially liked the very tough young woman who had been banished from the Steel Viper clan. She was tough as nails, never softened up a bit-- but she was deadly in a mech, and she was very sexy!. Picture this book as an interplanetary "Magnificent Seven" who take on the worst of the bad guys. The Star Lord is a total dirtbag whom you love to hate. He is a deadly danger to the Inner Sphere unless stopped. And these five turkeys manage to stop him! A book that was great fun to read. Scenes, planets, and adventures speed along rapidly, maintaining your interest. Great pace, great action. I rated it quite high-- higher than most Battletech novels I've read.

Cornelius tells the stories found in the stars in an entertaining, informative way. Each constellation is studied in detail-- from the meanings (greek, arabic, or otherwise) of the star names, to a description of the objects visible through binoculars, to the myths associated with the figures. This book is a must-have for any amateur or professional astronomer.

I tend to be very wary of astronomy books. I enjoy going out at night and looking at the night sky, but don't like to get a whole lot more technical than that. After having learned to identify some of the constellations, this book provided me with the perfect next step. It gives you just enough background knowledge to make your tour through the sky infinitely more enjoyable. The author presents simple and easy to understand information on both classic and modern constellations. I would recommend it as the perfect "not too technical" book about the lore surrounding the night sky.

Edward Steichen virtually created the world of high fashion and advertising photography, but his military coverage of two World Wars was equally remarkable. He received the Croix de Guerre for pioneering photoreconnaissance as part of Pershing's American Expeditionary Force in 1918, and his team's shots of the American Navy's advance across the Pacific from 1942 to 1945 form the visual core of our memory of that crucial period. Tragically, however, Steichen's thousands of incisive images of military action were dissolved into the morass of the National Archives, and attempts to retrieve specific subjects of his are often as effective as trying to taste fine brandy after pouring it into a swimming pool.

Hence the value of retrospectives such as Christopher Phillips' hefty book on Steichen's coverage of the U.S. Navy in the Pacific War. Combining skillfully chosen anecdotes from Steichen's life with vivid evocation of the pioneering photographer's joy in capturing memorable images, Phillips gives us not only an unforgettable slice of Steichen's work but also enough historical background to let readers sense the excitement and drama of a nation's best young warriors fighting for freedom's sake. Lieutenant Commander Steichen's parade of images didn't begin until after the pivotal Battle of Midway in June 1942, but the ensuing carrier warfare and savage island fighting appear in unforgettable clarity. As in all great photographs, the humanity of the subjects shines through amid their triumph, or pain, or mere existence. Students of both military history and photography can spend days poring over these astonishingly revealing images.

Consider how Christopher Phillips wrote this in 1983 well before his popular philosophy books such as Six Questions of Socrates, The Philosopher's Club and Socrates Cafe. Then in 1987 Steichen himself wrote on this topic. How does it all relate? Carefully....

The book gives great ideas for teaching cultural anthropology that getthe students more involved with the material. There are ideas for assignments as well as in-class activities. I am currently trying out one of the assignments, which seems to be very good. All in all, if the last thing you want to do is hear the sound of your own voice for 2 or 3 hours a week, buy this. You can't lose. It's especially good for new teachers.

I work in various communities delivering community-based anthropology courses in a very short period of time from one week to a month. The activities and teaching strategies offered in this book are very practical and respond to a change in the field of education. The activities described in the book are easy to prepare and implement (and are fun to do). Most of the authors describe various in-class problems with which they were trying to address. Some authors also provide ideas to modify the activities according to the side of the class or the availability of resources. If you want to go beyond the straight lecture style of teaching this book certainly provides many ideas for creative teaching to stimulate consciousness-raising and encourage student participation. Two activities that stand out are "The Penny Game: An Exercise in Non-Industrial Economics" which examined the importance of reciprocity, and "The Trouble with the 'Race' Concept: It's All in the Cards" which enacts the problems in trying to classify "races". Other essays provide very practical strategies for preparing students for critical thinking, writing essays, critiquing films, participating in field visits to museums, and doing field research (excavating and interviews).

This book was a great supplement for final exam study I wish I had purchased it earlier in the year, prior to my mid-term exams. It really clarifies the information we were required to read in our textbook. I would recommend to all friends.

This is an excellent supplement for con-law. He breaks things down very well and helps you remain orgainzed. I highly recommend it.

Thanks Professor Prygoski!

If you like stories that make you think and are entertaining you will enjoy this book.
Superior Species has engaging characters, a believable plot, a touch of humor and plenty of action. The author is not afraid to touch on evolution versus creation and does it in a thoughtful way. A surprising hero with satisfying twists makes the story a real page turner. I am anxious to find another book by this author and I hope there will be another book with these characters.

Superior Species:
Evolution Defies God's Design
By Tony Philips
PublishAmerica - 2003
ISBN: 1-59286-099-0
Reviewed by Diane Sewell- 6/03 for
Denise's Pieces Author Site & Book Reviews
http://www.denisemclark.com

One need not like science fiction, or be a sci-fi fan to enjoy and be captivated by this wonderfully unique novel. The story revolves around Marsha Peters, who heads up a college research team that collects specimens from the depths of the Pacific Ocean, and discovers an alternate life form there.
The intrigue and basis of this story is an intermingling of science and the most basic tenet of theology - the belief in God. The author utilizes a smooth-flowing prose to keep the reader on the edge of their seat, taking them along on a journey to help the science team help save humanity. This reviewer hesitates to give away much of the fantastic plotline so as not to spoil the plot for readers, but suffice it to say that this is a wonderful story of the ageless controversy of creation versus evolution. The author has grabbed the opportunity to evoke compassion and a bond between all the great characters in the research team, regardless of the reader's stance on the theory of evolution or personal religious convictions.
Superior Species is a rare treat to the senses, and one which leaves the reader thinking about it long after the last page is turned. If you read one book this summer, make this one it, for you surely won't be disappointed.