Reed Books

In sailing terms, the 1995 small boat anti nuclear protest at Moruroa was amazing achievement.

For reasons best known to themselves, the 1995 small boat anti nuclear protest at Moruroa was largely ignored by the world's sailing press and yet in sailing terms alone it was a phenomenal achievement. Given just 6 weeks for preparations, some 36 boats attended mostly from New Zealand and were largely crewed by amateurs sailors rather than experienced nuclear protesters. The voyage itself was the distance of two trans-Atlantic crossings, held in the middle of winter and with the outward leg mainly to windward. Once at Moruroa, there were no bars or beaches for relaxing, just a hostile reception from French navy and aircraft, and yet, inspite of gear failures, crew disagreements and some appalling weather, all boats returned home safely.

From a small boat perspective, 'The Moruroa Blues' gives a fine account of day to day life in the 'Coffee Shop' - the name given to a featureless patch of ocean to the north west of the atoll entrance which was used as an informal meeting place. In an easy readable style, Lynn Pistoll's describes protest tactics and how they learnt to anticipate and manage antagonism from the French military. These events are an important part of our anti nuclear history and should be told. The 'Moruroa Blues' is a compelling read and I thoroughly recommend it.

I loved reading this book. It made me remember the days growing up and hanging out with friends and all the wonderful learning a growth you go through as teens. I laughed, I cried, I was suprised, and I just enjoyed reading this book! Can't wait for another one from this artist.

This is the story of 2 New Zealander's who started up and successfully ran the first overland Bus Service between Damascus and Baghdad back before WWII when the only routes were tracks across the desert. Gerald and Norman Nairn served in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force to the Middle East that fought the Turks in WWI. After the end of the war, they stayed on in the Middle East and with the division of the old Turkish Empire into French and British protectorates, they jumped into the newly important transportation businesses.

Starting out with steam-car's in the 1920's, they struggled on against political and arab-competitor interference, lack of capital, idiot drivers and managed to overcome or survive every obstacle. They then saw an opportunity in pioneering the 650 mile desert routre from Beirut to Baghdad. Remember that this was before highways, the desert route was camel-tracks, no water, hotter than hell in summer, and with hostile Bedouin tribesman just to add further obstacles (when the Bedouin got to uppity in Iraq, the British used the RAF to bomb and strafe them from the air - no love was lost there).

The Nairns started out with Buick and Cadillac cars, but gradually replaced these with specially designed and built long-distance trucks with air-conditioned passanger trailers and specially-built tropicxal duty tyres. Back before WWII, this route was one of the wonders of the transport world and was heavily used, with trips running overnight every night. This book is as told by Gerald Nairn, who eventually retired back to New Zealand.

The author, J S Tullet, also a New Zealander, served in the Middle East, where he spent 6 years involved in the fight against drug smuggling, based out of the British Military Mission in Beirut, also before and during WWII. He had first hand knowledge himself of many of the people involved in the Nairn Operation as well as of the area through which they operated.

The book is well-written and a fascinating account of one aspect of the Middle-East between the two world wars. Well worth a read if you can lay your hands on a copy and are interested in this kind of thing. Fascinating accounts of the trials and tribulations of running a commercial motor vehicle service across the desert, the technical and other obstacles that they overcame, right down to all the problems they had with running tires for long distances at high speed in the heat of the desert. (Their buses ended up doing the trip at an average of about 60mph which is pretty good for what amounted to cross-country travel that you'd need a 4x4 for these days).

This is a great book although many will be turned off by the price, It is worth the money IF this is a topic of interest to you.

The arrangements for the anthems also contain original romanized lyrics for them plus a translation into English

Ed Reed was an Ecological Psychologist who sought to outline a scientific psychology of natural human action and interaction. In The Necessity of Experience he argues that direct contact with the world influences how we develop by helping us refine our interpersonal skill, our individuality, and our skill with physical events. In forwarding this proposal he touches on a range of issues relevant to the way we live (education, work, leisure, and community) to show how a coherent psychology can be used to reflect on a wide range of social issues. He argues that Cartesian rationalism has captured us scientifically and socially. He uses the theory of Ecological Psychology to develop the view that experience of the world as conceived by James Gibson can form the basis of a scientific account that is independent of this pervasive rationalist thrust.

This is a thoughtful and well argued treatment of difficult issues. ....

NETSUKE AND INRO AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES 2 VOLUMES

Some jewels are obvious. They sparkle and shine and call all kinds of attention to themselves. Diamonds are a good example. Other jewels are more humble and quiet and perhaps a bit shy, but they can possess a deeper darker beauty of even greater value. Emeralds are of this type.

Poet Kathryn Waddell Takara is an emerald. Her poetry is profound and magnificent. Yet far too few know her work. Not that she's a new poet. She's actually been writing for many years. Nor is she unpublished. Quite the opposite. Her poems have steadily appeared in an ever growing number of publications, including prestigious ones like Hawai'i Review
and Bamboo Ridge.

There is even at least one place where she is very well known. That place is Hawai'i where she has lived for several decades and where she is renowned as a teacher and essayist as well as a poet. In fact, she may be so identified with Hawai'i and so much a part of its rich cultural community that some may tend to view her as merely a 'regional' poet.

That would be a mistake. Although she does write wonderful poems deeply imbued with her passionate love for the islands, her poetic range and wisdom go far beyond to include the whole earth.
For Kathryn Waddell Takara is without a doubt a World Poet, if ever there was one.

Her book "New and Collected Poems" should make that clear. In it are nature poems, poems on music and dance, celebrations of family life, memoirs of her earlier times in Alabama, deeply moving spiritual poems, musings on her ancient Cherokee ancestors and modern African-American relatives, a trip to Zimbabwe, some of the excellent Hawai'ian poems so typical of her, and probably the best poem on cows ever written! Each of these pieces is filled with Kathryn's extraordinary sense of humanity and even an underlying kind of cosmic consciousness.

In addition to being a World Poet, she is also most decidedly a
'world class' poet with an amazingly sensual gift of language honed and crafted to perfection over a lifetime of writing. Hopefully she will soon be a poet known throughout the world. "New and Collected Poems" should help on that score, as should her recent reading at the famed City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco and other upcoming readings on the mainland. May this be the year of Kathryn!

Read her book and be enchanted by its beauty and wisdom. It's a gem. An emerald. As is its author.

--Bill Danks
author of "Prometheus Rebounds"

The Naturopathic Diet is an excellent book. After reading it, I'm now following the diet. It's an easy read that explains all of the aspects of the diet very clearly. I was very sceptical about "protein" diets, however Penny has made it all clear to me. She teaches you a very simple two stage plan on how to lose weight gently and safely, and in a healthy and organic way. You are not deprived of foods the way other diets have been known to do. After you have safely lost the desired weight, you then easily maintain, reintroducing some of the foods that got you onto a diet in the first place. But, this time using a much smarter and healthier approach. And all this time you've become a much healthier person because the diet also cleans and detoxifies your system. I'm very excited to be on the Naturopathic Diet because I really feel that this time I'm going to stick with it and get results. It's that simple!

Having just returned from a trip to New Zealand, I came home with a longing to research the trees I saw there. They are like none we have here in the states. They are staggeringly beautiful. This book offers a wide array of the various types of trees you will find there. The tree fern pictures alone are worth getting this book for.

North American Birds Eggs
Chester A. Reed

Chester A. Reed's study of the eggs of North American birds has for many years been the comprehensive work in this area. Unfortunately, it has long been Out of print and, due to many changes in nomenclature and classification, somewhat out of date. Thoroughly revised by Paul A. Buckley of Cornell University's famed Laboratory of Ornithology, with all material brought up to (late in accordance with the American Ornithologists' Union 1957 Check list, the book is now available in its first low-cost edition.

While Reed often used the terms `species," `race," "form," and "variety" interchangeably, Buckley has modernized the terminology, rearranging classifications to coincide with the modern species concept. Nearly every North American bird (loons, gulls and terns, (lucks, geese, cranes, shorebirds, owls, hawks and falcons, jays, parrots, cuckoos, woodpeckers, wrens, nuthatches, thrushes, swallows, finches, etc.) is included. For each one, details are given on the common and official names, range, and general life history, stressing nesting and laying habits.

There follows a thorough description of the eggs of each species, including size, color and surface texture. Alongside this descriptive text are more than 560 actual life-sized photographs illustrating both field and museum egg specimens. 82 additional photographs taken in the field show undisturbed nests and eggs in their natural sites, and hundreds of line drawings sketched in the margin provide still another identification aid by showing what the mature bird looks like.

While collecting eggs is undesirable and often illegal, the study of eggs, when (lone without sin disturbing the nest, can be both profitable and fascinating. This book is an invaluable reference and identification guide in such activities for ornithologists, amateur and professional naturalists, and bird watchers.

Revised 1965 edition. Author's Preface. New preface by Paul A. Buckley, Lab oratory of Ornithology, Cornell University. Note on Egg Collecting by Dean Amadon, American Museum of Natural History. Index. 51 plates, photographs of eggs. 31 other illustrations of nests, etc. Numerous line drawings of birds. xii + 372pp. 61/8 x 83/8. 21361-7 Paperbound

A DOVER EDITION DESIGNED FOR YEARS OF USE!

We have made every effort to make this the best hook possible. Our paper is opaque, with minimal show-through; it will not discolor or become brittle with age. Pages are sewn in signatures, in the method traditionally used for the best books and will not drop out, as often happens with paperbacks held together with glue. Books open flat for easy reference. The binding will not crack or split. This is a permanent hook.